Chapter 156 Qiao Qian
March 12th is a good day to move into new home or relocate.
Today was the day when Prince Yong Qiao moved to the palace, and Chang'an was bustling early in the morning. In the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Madam Ming II seemed to be 20 years younger, with an irrepressible smile on her face, especially when she saw her daughter dressed up and looking so radiant, she felt even more refreshed.
Today, the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is going to the Prince of Yong's Mansion for a banquet. After the women of each room have packed up, they will go to the old lady's courtyard to meet. Madam Ming Er walked with Ming Yu on the corridor, smiling and greeting everyone along the way, and the words "people are in high spirits when they are happy" were almost engraved on her face.
When they arrived at Yanshou Hall, it was no surprise that the mother and daughter of the third wife had already arrived. Madam Ming II entered the room, greeted the old lady with a smile, and then took Ming Yu to find a seat. The maid brought the teacup to Madam II, and Madam Ming II took it and took a sip.
Mrs. Ming San smiled and said politely: "Second sister-in-law is in good spirits today."
Madam Ming Er put down her teacup and asked, "How do you know that A-yu is engaged to Rong Jia Erlang?"
Mrs. Ming San was slightly stunned. Did anyone ask? Isn't it just that her daughter has found a good marriage? Is it worth her to tell everyone about it?
Madam Ming San tried to smile, not wanting to listen, but Madam Ming Er ignored her and said happily, "We didn't dare to marry into the Rong family. A-yu is naturally good in everything, but we are concubines after all, and we were afraid that her in-laws would find fault with her. Unexpectedly, the Rong family took the initiative to ask A-yu. In the past, we couldn't even imagine that our A-yu could marry the second son of the Rong family."
Ming Yu smiled with her eyes downcast, a shy new bride. The Third Lady of Ming looked down on the Second Lady's petty appearance, and looked at her coldly without saying a word. As a grandmother, Old Lady Ming couldn't help but ask, "Is the date set?"
"No, but the engagement letter has been exchanged. I thought that the Rong family is a wealthy family, so they would not regret it after asking for the engagement letter from the woman, don't you think?"
What could Mrs. Ming San say? She smiled with a fake smile, "Yes, congratulations, sister-in-law, you have found a husband for me as I wished."
Madam Ming Er did not think this was a mockery and happily replied, "Of course not."
Ming Yu worked hard for many years because of her status as a concubine, and now she finally got what she wanted, and she relaxed. She glanced at the indifferent face of Madam Ming. If it were usual, she would definitely rack her brains to come up with witty words to make the old lady happy, but now she felt that she could say whatever she wanted to whoever she liked, anyway, Madam Ming didn't care about her the most.
Mingyu knew that the Rong family chose her not because of her skills in music, chess, calligraphy, or housekeeping, but because they wanted to use her to get in touch with Prince Yong. But so what? As long as the other party had some intentions towards her, she would never have to worry about losing power.
Mingyu knew her own value and who she should please in the future, so she said calmly, "Aunt, we have separated from my uncle, and the current mistress of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is Sister Yuji. You shouldn't call me Auntie."
Madam Ming San's expression changed slightly, and she said with a half-smile: "The elder is the elder, and the younger is the younger. What's the matter? After the family was divided, can't even the order of the clan be called anymore?"
Mingyu had just been engaged to a good husband and her future was bright, so she didn't want to mess with the third house. She said calmly, "Third Aunt, you're overthinking. That's not what I meant. If my grandfather were still alive, we would naturally follow the order of seniority in the family. But now that my eldest uncle is in charge, if you call me Aunt, people will easily misunderstand me."
As they were talking, a maid's voice came from outside the house: "Hello, ladies."
Ming Yu thought that if she had mentioned the devil, he would have shown up. She smiled and looked towards the door, saying, "Auntie and I were just talking about you. It's a coincidence that you've arrived. Auntie, this is the eldest lady of the Ming family."
Ming Yu knew that she would offend the Third Lady and the Old Lady by saying these things, but so what? Her future depended on the relationship between the Ming family and Prince Yong, and Prince Yong was clearly trying to get closer to the First House. Did the Old Lady's likes and dislikes matter?
unimportant.
She more or less said this on purpose for the visitor to hear, but when she turned around and saw two people coming in one after another, she was still startled for a moment.
At the beginning of the month, the Duke of Zhenguo went to the Dazhao Temple to burn incense, and Su Yuji moved back to the mansion on the same day. A few days later, the Duke of Zhenguo opened the ancestral temple. The first thing they did was to bring the tablet of Madam Su into the temple and enshrine it next to the late wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, Wang Yulan. The second thing they did was to write Su Yuji into the family tree, and Su Yuji was officially renamed Ming Yuji.
It was shocking to offer a person of a different surname, or even a slave, to one's own ancestral hall. But the Duke of Zhenguo ignored the advice of others and insisted on doing so. He seemed to be doing a favor to the Su family, but in fact, he was using the promotion of Su Ma to support Ming Yuji.
Because Su Ma was Wang Yulan's wet nurse and raised Ming Yuji, she could be enshrined in the Ming family's ancestral temple. From then on, who would dare to question the Ming lady who was raised in the countryside and just returned to the mansion? The Duke of Zhenguo's move was not only a warning to the Ming family, but also a signal to the outside world that Ming Yuji was his eldest daughter and should be treated the same as Ming Huashang. She must not be looked down upon just because she grew up in the countryside.
It is easy for sisters to argue about who is better, and the situation in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is even more delicate. One daughter is raised by her side, while the other is fostered in another place. Now that the two are living under the same roof, both of them will feel that they have been wronged.
Everyone was waiting to see the fight between the sisters, but unexpectedly, they were so friendly with each other. Ming Huashang took the initiative to introduce the staff of the Duke of Zhen's Mansion to Ming Yuji.
For example, today, the Yongwang Mansion held a banquet. It was clear that there would be a lot of flowers blooming and it was very lively. In such occasions, it was taboo to wear the same clothes as Ming Huashang, but Ming Yuji wore the same skirt, Ming Yuji wore green and Ming Huashang wore yellow, which would make sure that people could tell at a glance that they were twins, so that no one would ask again.
When Mingyu first heard Ming Huashang's idea, she thought she was crazy, but now Mingyu looked at the two people standing together, one wearing a white jacket and green skirt, with jade as the main jewelry; the other wearing a purple jacket and yellow skirt, with gemstones on her hair. One is like a blue orchid hanging on a cliff after the rain, and the other is like a sleepless crabapple flower in the dead of night. Although you can clearly see the similarities in their eyebrows and clothes, you can't ignore their differences.
Mingyu suddenly felt that it wouldn't be bad to have a sister.
There are so many gorgeous clothes in the world, but only sisters can wear the same clothes without any scruples.
Mingyu didn't know whether Ming Huashang really accepted a sister who always outshined her or was just pretending. If she was pretending, she admired her for being able to do so. Ming Huashang heard the words in the room, took off her cloak, and asked with a smile: "Greetings to grandmother and aunt. What were you talking about just now? What happened to my elder sister?"
Ming Yu secretly raised her eyebrows. Why didn't she notice it before? Ming Huashang was the one who was pretending to be a pig but actually ate the tiger. She looked soft and harmless on the outside, but in fact, she knew everything in her heart. Ming Huashang must have understood, but she didn't want to leave any room for criticism. She was just playing dumb with them.
Mingyu understood what he meant and stopped talking about this topic. She smiled and said, "Your dress is really beautiful. If I had known this earlier, I would have asked the embroidery studio to make this skirt for me as well."
Ming Huashang sat down and said, "If you like it, I will have someone send the remaining fabrics to your room. I have not yet congratulated you on your engagement. I wish you and your husband a long and happy marriage."
Madam Ming Er was relieved when she heard this. She smiled so hard that she couldn't stop, and pretended to say, "It's not even a wedding yet. Erlang has been looking for a house these days and saw a three-story house in Xuanpingfang. The house has a good environment and is close to Ayu's in-laws' home. Erlang wants to settle down as soon as possible, so let me talk to my mother."
Ming Huashang exclaimed, and asked hurriedly, "Auntie, are you moving out now?"
"Yes." Mrs. Ming smiled, "We have already separated, so it is not right for her to live in my uncle's house. It just so happens that A-yu's marriage has been decided. This is the only chance a woman has in her life, and I want A-yu to marry out of the family."
No matter how good the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is, it is not their own home. Mrs. Ming was surprisingly open-minded about this point. After the Duke of Zhenguo proposed to divide the family, he did not explicitly ask them to move out, but people know their own limitations. Who would be willing to live with relatives for a long time?
The second branch has nothing to do with the title, and is not Madam Ming's biological child. Sooner or later, it will have to move out of the mansion. It is better to propose it myself and get some practical benefits.
Moreover, as a mother, Mrs. Ming II hoped that her daughter would leave her parents' home with dignity, rather than staying in someone else's house or using her uncle's mansion to save face. No matter how good the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was, it belonged to Ming Huashang and Ming Yuji. Sooner or later, the Rong family would want to know what the second house was like. It would be better to be open and honest from the beginning and let Ming Yu straighten her back and marry into the Rong family.
Ming Huashang said congratulations with a big smile, and asked Madam Ming Er what the location of the yard was like and how she planned to settle it in the future. Madam Ming Er was just trying to tell others what she said at first, but then she became more and more excited, and said excitedly: "When the new house is ready, I will invite you sisters to visit my second aunt. In the future, I will have to trouble you to send my daughter off to marry."
"Of course." Ming Huashang smiled, "Eldest sister has been studying hard since she was young, and is proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Now she has found a good husband, and we are all happy for her."
Ming Huashang's words touched the heart of the Second Madam, and Ming Yuji congratulated her. The Second Madam smiled widely, and Ming Yu blushed and lowered her eyes. The room was filled with joy, and the Third Madam kept smiling, but when she lowered her head, a cold look flashed across her eyes.
It was really like everyone pushed the wall down, and now even the second wife dared to ridicule them. When the second wife mentioned moving in front of everyone, wasn't she just pointing a finger at them?
Mrs. Ming San was very angry, but she could do nothing about it. After the second wife moved out, it would be too embarrassing for them to stay in the mansion. It was just that Prince Yong showed some strangeness towards Ming Huashang, and these people came over eagerly to please him. It was really disgusting.
Madam Ming San thought indignantly that she wanted to see how the Duke of Zhenguo would inherit the title in the future since he had no son. She didn't believe that they would really be willing to let the title of Duke go to waste.
As long as the next Duke is her son, even if Ming Huashang and Ming Yuji marry into wealthy families, they will only be paving the way for her son.
The women talked in Yanshou Hall and were about to ride in a carriage to the Yongwang Mansion for a banquet. At this moment, there was a lot of traffic in front of the Yongwang Mansion. Ming Yuji got off the car and felt nervous when she saw such a scene.
Ming Huashang came down from behind, quietly took Ming Yuji's arm, and said with a smile, "Sister, let's go."
When the housekeeper of Prince Yong's Mansion learned that the visitors were from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, he was very enthusiastic towards them, especially towards Ming Huashang. The housekeeper sent someone to receive Ming Huashang, but Ming Huashang declined in vain, so she could only let the maid lead the way, and she took Ming Yuji to pay respects to the people she was friendly with.
Ming Yuji followed Ming Huashang passively. Along the way, Ming Huashang smiled and greeted the women who came and went. Once someone noticed their skirts, Ming Huashang boasted that these were custom-made by her and her sister, pulling Ming Yuji into the social scene in a gentle and yet not to be ignored way.
Ming Yuji finally understood why Ming Huashang insisted on wearing the same dress as her. Ming Huashang knew the problem in Ming Yuji's heart, but she did not point it out. Instead, she took the initiative to wear the same clothes as her and took her to meet people, showing that completely different world to Su Yuji without hurting her dignity.
Like a spring rain, silent and profound, nourishing everything.
Ming Yuji sighed secretly in her heart, and the last bit of grudge she had towards the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion slowly melted away.
As a child who was given away at birth, it was hard for her not to blame her father for abandoning her, but when she saw the man, she couldn't really hate him.
Ming Yuji couldn't blame him for what he did wrong. At that moment, it seemed that he had no choice but to do so in order to save the most people. And the two children who took her place and were raised by the Duke of Zhenguo, one of them was more good than good, and the other was kind and gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. Ming Yuji couldn't even turn her anger on them.
Ming Yuji thought that she could return to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion so smoothly, thanks to Li Huazhang and Ming Huashang. Especially Ming Huashang, her behavior was like spring breeze and drizzle, seemingly inconspicuous, but crucial. If Ming Huashang hadn't been mediating between the parties and resolving conflicts for her behind the scenes, Ming Yuji would definitely have difficulty moving forward in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.
Ming Huashang took Ming Yuji around the venue and recognized most of the familiar faces. At this time, she heard the maid say that Pingnan Marquis Mansion had arrived. Ming Huashang had not seen Ren Yao for a long time, so she hurriedly asked the maid to invite Ren Yao, and she and Ming Yuji sat in the pavilion and waited.
Ming Huashang saw Ming Yuji tense up, and silently observed the expressions of others with her peripheral vision, and said calmly: "Sister, don't be nervous. In this kind of situation, everyone looks calm on the surface, but in their hearts they are always on guard against embarrassing themselves. In this way, in fact, everyone can only see themselves and will not pay attention to others. Just do what you have to do. There will be many more occasions like this in the future. You will get used to it after a few times."
Ming Yuji found that not many people seemed to be paying attention to her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The last time she went to the Princess Taiping's mansion for a banquet, she had a very bad experience. She was like a pheasant who had strayed into a flock of cranes and was constrained from all sides and could not move forward. This time, she attended the banquet as the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. She thought that there would be many malicious looks, but unexpectedly, they were much friendlier than last time.
Ninety percent of this kindness should be attributed to Ming Huashang, and the other ten percent should be attributed to Li Huazhang. Ming Yuji felt awkward for a while, and sincerely said to Ming Huashang: "Thank you."
Ming Huashang was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "What are you thanking me for? I should thank you. When I went out to attend banquets before, everyone else was accompanied by their sisters, but I was alone. I didn't even have anyone to talk to. Over time, I didn't want to go out anymore. This time, with you here, I feel much more comfortable."
Ming Huashang is always willing to express her praise for the people around her. In the past, Ming Yuji felt embarrassed to thank the people around her, but under Ming Huashang's influence, she gradually felt that there was nothing to be afraid of in confessing her feelings.
Whether you are happy or unhappy, you can only know what you want by speaking it out. After thanking him, Ming Yuji felt much more relaxed, and it showed on his face naturally.
The two of them chatted casually, and Ming Yuji didn't feel nervous even though it was quiet. After a while, there was a sound of footsteps on the road. Ming Huashang looked up and was happy to see someone coming, but then she froze: "Sister Ren... Jiang Ling, why are you here too?"
Jiang Ling followed Ren Yao as expected and asked, "Didn't you ask us to come?"
Ming Huashang remained silent. She remembered that she had asked the maid to invite Pingnan Hou. Jiang Ling was becoming more and more sticky. No matter where Ren Yao was, he would always follow him.
As for why Li Huazhang and Xie Jichuan were also here, it is unknown.
Ming Huachang secretly despised them in her heart, but smiled brightly and said, "I didn't expect you all to come in such a large group. I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person. Long live the King of Yong, Brother Xie, Prince Jiang, and Marquis Pingnan."
Ming Yuji was familiar with these people but not that familiar with them, so he nodded slightly to show his goodwill. Ming Huashang thought that he had mastered the art of speaking very well, but he didn't expect that several people were unhappy.
Jiang Ling was dissatisfied: "Why do you call her Marquis and me the Crown Prince? Am I not a generation behind her?"
Li Huazhang was also dissatisfied: "Why do you call him Brother Xie but call me Prince Yong?"
How did Xie Jichuan surpass him?
They both spoke at the same time, and Ming Huashang didn't know which side to listen to. She couldn't bear it any longer and said, "Okay, I didn't think it through. Li Shaoyin, General Ren, General Jiang, Xie Xima, I pay my respects to you all, okay?"
After the Huachao Festival Incident, the people who participated in the rescue received different degrees of rewards. Li Huazhang, needless to say, had built this mansion as one of his contributions, and he might be promoted to Jingzhao Yin in the future; Xie Jichuan was promoted to the fifth rank lower prince's groom, in charge of the publication and storage of the Eastern Palace's classics, history, and collections, and the Four Treasures Library; Ren Yao was conferred the title of Pingnan Hou, and his official rank was promoted to the fifth rank upper cavalry general of the Yulin Army; Jiang Ling was the heir of the Jiang'an Hou Mansion, and the Jiang family had nothing else to confer, so the empress made an exception and promoted Jiang Ling to the fourth rank upper Xuanwei general.
Ming Huashang and Ming Yuji were both court ladies and had no official titles to hold. They each received an imperial edict and a large sum of property. However, secretly, their ranks in the Xuanxiao Guard jumped a large level, and their corresponding retirement pensions were also much higher.
Ming Huashang was very satisfied with this. The outside world believed that Ming Huashang appeared in the lantern tower on the day of the Flower Festival because she followed Li Huazhang, and that she got the reward because of Li Huazhang's contribution. Everyone envied Ming Huashang's good luck, and she would get something for nothing when she was lying down. No one suspected that she had another identity behind her.
This is good. Ming Huashang likes the feeling of making a fortune quietly.
Ming Huashang thought that the situation would finally stop after all the official titles were used, but Xie Jichuan suddenly asked, "Why did you put me last?"
Before Ming Huashang could even try to argue, Jiang Ling took advantage of the situation and said, "Because you are the lowest-ranking official. It's a pity that we don't bother with you. If we met you on the road, you should have dismounted and greeted us."
Ming Huashang opened her mouth to try to save her, but Xie Jichuan sneered, "Prince Jiang has great power, so you better be careful not to run into Marquis Pingnan outside. She is now on the same level as your father, so you should call her Grandmother."
"Not really." Ren Yao imagined the scene and got goosebumps all over his body. "I don't need such a stupid nephew."
Jiang Ling was a firecracker that exploded at the first touch. He grabbed Ren Yao and asked him what was wrong with him. Xie Jichuan stood beside him, fanning the flames. Ming Huashang didn't expect that she would cause so much trouble just by making a random order. Ming Yuji stood aside, rubbed his ears, and asked sincerely: "Are you guys always so noisy when you talk?"
Noisy, childish, and useless.
Ming Huashang was a little embarrassed, and could no longer bear it, so she shouted angrily, "That's enough, I only invited Sister Ren, if you don't want to listen, just get out."
At the critical moment, a group of people came on the road and finally rescued Ming Huashang from hundreds of ducks.
When Li Huazhang saw the person coming, his expression slightly withered, and the others also stopped talking. The person approached, and Princess Taiping took the lead and said angrily: "Erlang, why are you here? It's so hard for us to find you."
After Li Huazhang returned to the Li family, he was re-ranked in the royal family and happened to be the second in line, so people close to him called him Erlang.
Ming Huashang was standing next to Li Huazhang, and accidentally met Princess Taiping's eyes. She didn't know why her heart turned cold, she lowered her eyes, and respectfully saluted the visitor: "Your servant greets the Crown Prince, Prince Xiang, and His Highness Taiping."
Prince Yong and the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion are now hot topics in Chang'an. The story of the Duke of Zhenguo using his own child to save the young master has also spread among the nobles. Princess Taiping smiled and asked them to stand up. She glanced at the similar skirts on Ming Huashang and Ming Yuji and asked, "Are you the sisters from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion? I thought twins were all the same, but I didn't expect them to be similar yet different. The Duke of Zhenguo is really lucky."
Ming Huashang thanked her, showing just the right amount of respect and shyness, but her words did not convey any hint of intimacy. Ming Yuji had just arrived and was most sensitive to emotions. She felt that Princess Taiping was just being polite and did not really want to get to know them, so she imitated Ming Huashang's greetings and did not do anything unnecessary.
Princess Taiping certainly wouldn't care about a young lady from a mansion. She came here today mainly to promote the relationship among the Li family. The Crown Prince and the Prince of Xiang were filled with emotion when they saw Li Huazhang, and the Prince of Xiang almost cried.
After the Crown Prince and the Prince of Xiang finished speaking, the Crown Princess and the Prince of Xiang's wife came forward with their children. Ming Huashang, who had originally stood next to Li Huazhang, was squeezed further and further back by the princes and princesses, and finally, she could only stand in the corner of the railing.
Ming Yuji noticed that Ming Huashang was in a bad mood and looked at her inquiringly. Ming Huashang smiled at Ming Yuji and shook her head to indicate that she was fine. Ming Yuji looked at Princess Taiping who was carrying a lot of bags, and seemed to understand something, and secretly squeezed Ming Huashang's arm.
At this time, Ming Huashang was suddenly glad that he still had a sister. No matter how close brothers are, there are some emotions that they are naturally unable to understand.
Ming Huashang was in a low mood, not entirely because these princesses and princesses ignored her as a matter of course, but because of that dream.
She had been wondering who wanted to kill her, but later she gradually realized that she was discarded as a cover for Li Huazhang. It was ridiculous that she didn't know what happened until she died.
If nothing unexpected happens, the murderer who killed her in the dream is in this pavilion. Although Li Huazhang has been recognized by the Queen and the things in the dream did not happen, but if someone can kill her once, why worry about not being able to kill her a second time?
As long as they think she is blocking Li Huazhang's way, they will eliminate her without hesitation.
She couldn't face her murderer without any reservations, but she didn't want to embarrass Li Huazhang, so she stood quietly in the corner and listened to Princess Anle, Prince Linzi and others reminiscing about the past with Li Huazhang.
Li Huazhang suddenly went from being a minister to being a relative. Not only did the royal family, who had been lukewarm towards him, feel awkward, but Li Huazhang also did not adapt to this change. The Crown Prince, the Prince of Xiang and others expressed their longing for Crown Prince Zhang, but Li Huazhang still felt that the Crown Prince did not like him that much, especially the Crown Princess Wei, whose hostility towards him was almost written on her face.
Obviously, the Eastern Palace had also heard the rumors that the empress was going to bypass the crown prince and pass the throne back to the line of Crown Prince Zhang Huai. The crown prince's family had been imprisoned in Luling for more than ten years, and finally they had finally gotten their wish, but suddenly an orphan of the former crown prince appeared. It was no wonder that they were sensitive.
Especially since Li Chongrun, the only legitimate son of the Eastern Palace, had died, the appearance of Li Huazhang was like adding insult to injury for the prince's family.
The Prince of Xiang had no concerns about the right of succession and was very enthusiastic towards Li Huazhang. He called his sons to Li Huazhang and said, "The second brother is the smartest among us brothers. He took care of us when we were young, but I was powerless when the second brother died. When Guangshun died, I couldn't save him either. Fortunately, you are still here. From now on, you are my biological son, and Dalang and Sanlang are your brothers. If you have any problems, come to me. Your problems are the problems of the Prince of Xiang's mansion."
Prince Linzi warmly changed his words and called Li Huazhang "Second Brother". Li Huazhang was not used to such a distance and tried his best to cope with it. After a while, he felt exhausted.
He sighed silently in his heart, and instinctively thought of Ming Huashang. He realized that he had unintentionally ignored her for a long time, and hurried to look for Ming Huashang, but found her huddled by the pillar, with a dull expression, one arm folded, as if in a trance.
Hugging oneself with arms is a sign of uneasiness. Li Huazhang can understand that she doesn't like this kind of occasion, but why does she feel uneasy?
Li Huazhang recalled in his mind that she gradually became silent after seeing Princess Taiping. Li Huazhang knew that Princess Taiping had thought about giving up Ming Huashang to save him, so it was normal for him to be on guard against Princess Taiping, but why did Ming Huashang do so?
Moreover, she accepted Su Yuji too smoothly, as if she had known that there would be such a person. When the child swap was revealed, she did not need any adjustment and was able to immediately devote herself to the new role.
It's like a prophet.
For the first time, Li Huazhang began to doubt Ming Huashang. Has she experienced something?
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