Chapter 201: Picking up the Third Sister at the Palace
"Good Zhang'er, you can't tell this to anyone else, understand?"
Yang Lingqian, who had planned everything, came to her senses and told her son not to tell anyone about this. If something unexpected happened, how could Yuxuan continue to be the imperial concubine?
"I understand, Mom. I won't tell anyone else."
Although Li Yuzhang grew up in a pampered environment, it was his grandparents who spoiled him. His own mother never showed mercy when she beat him.
While the two were talking, Li Yuxuan came back to her senses in a daze, and then a smile couldn't stop appearing at the corner of her lips. She had a chance to be with her cousin Xiao!
But after a while, she couldn't help but worry again: "But how long do we have to wait? Besides, after celebrating Grandpa's birthday, we will have to go back in a few days. If it's done by the time we go back, what if someone else gets there first?"
After all, a new emperor has ascended the throne, and I don’t know how many noble families will want to send people to the new emperor’s harem. The position of imperial concubine has been taken by someone else, so it will be difficult to get it back.
But Yang Lingqian had her own plan. She caressed her daughter's head affectionately, "Who said we're just going to stay here for a few days? As a daughter, I'm going back to my parents' home to show my filial piety. Shouldn't I stay here for a few months? Also, your brother isn't doing well in school. Let's ask your grandfather to find him a teacher to teach him properly for a while. Furthermore, using the excuse of finding another husband for you might even get your aunt to accept us."
How could she not see that her sister-in-law didn't like her and her daughter? Now that she was willing to find another family to marry into, her sister-in-law would be very happy and would do her best to help.
As Yang Lingqian expected, Mrs. Yang felt relieved after she made this excuse.
"She can stay as long as she wants. Our family won't be short of food for her and her two children. As long as she doesn't set her sights on my son, it'll be fine."
But after saying this, she felt a little uneasy. "Is this just a delaying tactic? No, you should go and find out about the Third Lady of the Xi Family... If she reveals her true colors, we'll have something to refuse her."
The nanny in charge of Madam Yang received the order and immediately turned and left the courtyard. After all, she was a respectable person trained by a wealthy family. In just a cup of tea, she had learned everything from the servants of the Xi Mansion.
"Speaking of our third daughter..." the maid from the Xi Mansion lowered her voice, "She is very lively and lovely. Although she is a concubine's daughter, the eldest lady treats all the children in the family equally. She has taught her everything she should know, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and women's clothing. She is no worse than the daughter of an ordinary family..."
The nanny nodded secretly: "The eldest lady is indeed forgiving..."
"That's right!" The old woman came closer and said mysteriously, "Old sister, I have some new news - isn't Sanniang's biological mother, Concubine Liu, now serving as an official in Jingzhou with the master? She just brought back news today that she's pregnant again!"
The nanny's eyes flashed, but her face remained calm. "This is a happy occasion!" She asked casually, "This Concubine Liu must be very popular with the master."
"Oh, what you said..." The old woman covered her mouth and laughed, "Madam Liu was originally the eldest lady's personal maid, and she was also carefully trained. It was the lady who personally decided to raise her as a concubine!"
"So your wife can tolerate it?"
"Of course, Madam said it was a happy event and gave gifts to the whole family with great joy. Our eldest son has already come of age this year, so having more brothers and sisters is nothing."
The nanny nodded thoughtfully, chatted for a few more words and then took her leave, hurried back to report to her wife. The third lady herself had good character, her biological mother was still quite favored, and now she was going to have younger brothers and sisters from the same mother, so her weight in the Xi family became even greater.
The "joyful" lady the old woman had described was now locked in her room, her face as gloomy as water. The laughter of the maids after receiving their rewards could be heard outside the window, further accentuating the dead silence in the room.
"Happy event?" She sneered, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the corner of the table, "What a happy event."
The bronze mirror on the dressing table reflected her gloomy face. The few gray hairs on her temples now clearly showed that her beauty had faded.
"Madam..." The young maid came in quietly and whispered, "Madam Liu is the one you raised all those years ago. You don't have to worry..."
Madam Zheng just laughed twice, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "She is thirty-three years old this year. I brought her from the Zheng family to the Xi family when she was thirteen. I let her give birth to a daughter, so why is she so ungrateful..."
"The baby in this belly must be a girl." The personal maid said with certainty.
Madam Zheng smiled briefly at these words, but the smile faded as she whispered, "Do you think it was me who suggested that she follow the master to Jingzhou? No, it wasn't. It was the master who suggested it..."
The meanings of these two situations are completely different. The second situation is obviously - "She has some weight in the master's heart."
Mrs. Zheng wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She was actually very sad in her heart. No matter how generous and magnanimous she was in public, she was also a woman when she returned to the house, and she would also be jealous.
Concubine Liu was younger than her and was now with her husband. She thought Concubine Liu could help her prevent other women from pouncing on her, but she didn't expect that it was the thief in the family who stabbed her first. She couldn't express her pain and could only swallow it.
Outside, she still had to be the respectable and forgiving mistress of the Xi family.
Madam Zheng picked up the silver comb and slowly combed the few strands of white hair at her temples. After a while, she suddenly said, "Go and call the Third Lady over."
There was an eerie calmness in her voice. "She's just saying...she's not young anymore, and she needs to learn more, otherwise it'll be hard to talk about marriage in the future."
The personal maid's heart skipped a beat. She had seen the intensity of the study when the Second Lady returned home. If the Third Lady also experienced that, she would definitely suffer unspeakable hardships.
At this moment, a little maid came in hurriedly, "Madam, the princess has sent the female historian."
Madam Zheng's silver comb suddenly fell onto the dressing table. A flash of surprise and panic flashed in her eyes. "Princess?"
Is this day finally here? That girl finally sent someone over, but is it about Tong'er?
Mrs. Zheng had a lot of thoughts in her mind, but she started to walk quickly towards the main hall. From a distance, she saw the backs of two women standing in the hall, one with a calm temperament and the other young and pretty.
When she stepped into the hall, the two ladies turned around. One of them looked familiar, and the other was Yuzhu, the maid from her Xi family.
"My concubine greets the madam." As soon as the middle-aged woman with a familiar appearance spoke, Madam Zheng remembered her identity. She was Wanxia, the head aunt who was beside the empress dowager back then.
"So it's Aunt Wanxia. I wonder what brings you here today?"
Madam Zheng's voice trembled slightly. There was no doubt that Aunt Wanxia must be working for Prince Zhao now. Could it be that... she had been exposed?
Xia smiled slightly, and Yuzhu, who was half a step behind her, stepped forward gracefully and said, "Madam, my aunt and I have come here today to welcome the third young lady to the palace as a guest."
After returning to the palace from the Yang residence, Qing Wu suddenly had an epiphany. Now that she was in a very important position, why should she let her third sister be under the control of Madam Zheng? Taking her to the palace and raising her there would also give her some confidence.
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