Even before the carriage stopped at the gate of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's residence, Xiao Yao hadn't managed to extract any useful information from her mother. Throughout the journey, her mother had either stared at her without blinking or sighed, never saying more than ten sentences in total, and most of the time, she wasn't answering the question.
Something must have happened, otherwise Mother wouldn't be acting so strangely! I can't find out by asking myself, so I'll let Daddy get some information on the military situation tonight. It will be much easier to start with him tomorrow.
Tong Mingyu sent the two children back to Yaoyuan Tower. She, Yuan Yutong, and Li Jiaoying dispatched their trusted confidants to retrieve the male masters of each courtyard. Tong Mingyu also specifically instructed several people that if they encountered the old marquis, they should say they were there to discuss Xiao Yang's wedding day. Everyone must keep a consistent story and not let anything slip.
"Xiying, go and ask Nanny Ruan to come." Tong Mingyu and her two other sisters-in-law lowered their heads to discuss and then sent the head maid Xiying to ask Nanny Ruan. Tong Mingyu believed that with Nanny Ruan's knowledge and vision, she should be able to make more pertinent suggestions for herself and her younger siblings.
Tong Mingyu sent some people openly and secretly to place many spies and people responsible for tipping off people near Yayuan.
Only after arranging all these things did she have time to sit down and drink some tea to moisten her throat.
Before today, Li Jiaoying would envy her two sisters-in-law several times a day. When she saw her niece dressed like a flower bud, she hated herself even more for not being able to have a baby and not having the chance to give birth to a daughter.
After returning from the Yuan family, she no longer felt jealous of her sister-in-law and younger siblings; instead, she felt a pity for them. Seeing her cherished daughter about to become someone else's, it was hard for a mother to feel good. No wonder her father-in-law flew into a rage when he heard anyone discussing his granddaughters' marriages, and no wonder the men were all pushing for live-in sons-in-law for the two children. It was truly painful to have one's heart ripped out of her.
I feel empty inside as if I'm being hollowed out even though I'm just an aunt and an auntie. Their mother must be feeling even worse!
The eldest sister-in-law should be the one with the most complicated feelings. She doesn't agree with the proposal of Prince Jing's Mansion! It is basically impossible to find someone more outstanding than Prince Jing in the future. What's more, with Prince Jing's Mansion, there is no need to worry about people with bad intentions coveting Ping An. Only in this way can everyone live a truly safe and stable life.
Agreeing to the proposal from Prince Jing's Mansion may not only anger the father-in-law, but also if the prince changes his mind or marries a concubine in the future, the Xiao family can only watch from the sidelines without even having a say, what can be done then!
Yuan Yutong was shocked because she didn't expect someone to propose marriage to her in person today, and the proposed marriage was not to her niece who was better than her daughter in every way, but to her own daughter who only liked to eat, drink and have fun, and was basically a child at heart.
If my niece was intelligent and sensible, my daughter was playful and naive. Even I, as her mother, thought that someone would remember my daughter and think of matchmaking for her after she got married safely. I didn't expect that this day would come so quickly, leaving me completely unprepared.
None of the sisters-in-law spoke, they all sat there quietly thinking about their own things. The inaudible and unhurried sound of footsteps outside the door interrupted their thoughts. They knew that it was Nanny Ruan who had arrived.
"All the ladies are here." Nanny Ruan found a seat next to a few people and sat down, but did not sit in the first seat that Tong Mingyu had specially prepared for her.
"I asked Nanny to come here today because I want to hear your opinion on something. I also hope you can give me and my third sister-in-law some guidance." Tong Mingyu forced a smile. She thought she was smiling, but in the eyes of others, her expression was not much better than crying.
Nanny Ruan curled the corners of her lips. She thought Tong Mingyu was going to mention the marriage between Xiao Yao and the man named Liang. She had some ideas of her own on the issue of her young disciple's marriage, but Tong Mingyu did not take the initiative to ask for her opinion, so it was really difficult for her to say some things rashly.
"Madam, please don't be polite. If you have anything to say, please feel free to tell me. I will tell you everything I know about your safety and happiness."
Tong Mingyu personally poured a cup of tea for Nanny Ruan and filled the cups in front of her two younger brothers and sisters. After sitting down, she slowly told them what happened in the Yuan family.
Even though the incident happened a long time ago, Tong Mingyu still feels a sense of disbelief when talking about it now, as if it is not her own business.
"What the eldest lady means is..." Nanny Ruan was not in a hurry to express her opinion. She kept her status in mind. She could make decisions for her apprentice regarding academic matters, but the final decision on marriage would still be made by the Xiao family.
"Prince Yun is an exceptional individual. If we miss him, it will be difficult to find another with such exceptional qualities. However, the situation in Prince Jing's mansion is complicated, involving the Queen Mother and the Han family. I'm really worried that Ping An won't be able to handle it."
"Ping An is not someone who can't stand up to hardship. She is kind and simple, but she is definitely not one of those naive little girls."
It seemed that Nanny Ruan also preferred Prince Yun, otherwise she wouldn't have said such a thing. Li Jiaoying and Yuan Yutong now sympathized with the men who had spent years struggling for their two daughters, especially their father-in-law, who was so obsessed with finding a live-in son-in-law for Ping An that he was doing everything he could to keep her at home.
"My words are about the matter, not the person. The old marquis and Master Xiao are right about Ping'an's marriage, but they overlooked one point, that is, Ping'an is not an ordinary official's daughter. Her appearance and her advantages cannot be hidden even if she wants to.
Since we've opened this topic today, I'll let out what's been pent up in my heart for a long time. If I say anything wrong, please don't blame me. "Madam Ruan put down the cup in her hand, straightened her clothes, sat up straight, and spoke solemnly.
"Since I invited you here, I want to hear your opinion. Just say whatever you want. There's no question of blaming me or not. You're being too polite. Logically, you have the final say on Ping'an's marriage. But our family's situation is a little special. Without your father-in-law's approval, nothing anyone says will matter." Tong Mingyu was also very worried. Her father-in-law's temper was obvious to all. He was extremely stubborn.
"If the other party wants to marry our Ping An, he must show sincerity. In terms of persuading the old marquis, shouldn't the man also show an attitude?" The Xiao family is not as high-ranking as the Jingwang Mansion, but they were the ones who proposed the marriage first. Judging from the level of interaction between the two families, they should also understand the old marquis's plans and intentions. If they don't show sincerity and just talk, then it's better not to mention this marriage.
Tong Mingyu was slightly stunned. Should Prince Jing's Mansion come forward or participate in persuading the eunuch? Ruan Ma's insights and ideas were indeed different. I just didn't know if Prince Jing's Mansion would agree to it. What if they refused?
"Everyone here knows what kind of child Ping An is. She deserves a man who can give all his heart and sincerity to her, even if he is the most outstanding man in Kyoto. Do you think that the eldest wife who can't do this is a good match for Ping An?"
Nanny Ruan has taught many girls both inside and outside the palace. Putting aside their identities, the one who makes her most satisfied and proud is Xiao Yao.
Tong Mingyu was happy and proud that someone could give her daughter such a high evaluation, and that this person was a very capable and prestigious nanny in the palace.
"So, Madam, you approve of this marriage, right?" Li Jiaoying was only concerned about this question now.
"Prince Jing is rather aloof and opinionated. If this marriage is what he wants, I think the ladies can consider it."
"My cousin and Ruonan like Ping'an very much and get along with her very well. Sister-in-law doesn't have to worry about any conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, or between sister-in-law and sister-in-law in the future. If Achen really treats Ping'an badly, I can tell which side I am on." Yuan Yutong rolled up his sleeves. No matter how good a nephew is, he is not as close as a niece who has grown up with him!
"But the Queen Mother, the Han family, and Concubine Han..." Tong Mingyu is most worried about these people.
"If Prince Jing's family is sincere in their proposal, they will solve these problems themselves. We might as well put all our demands out in the open and see their sincerity before making a decision." Nanny Ruan truly treated Xiao Yao as her own child. Every word she said was considered from the perspective of the Xiao family and Xiao Yao.
"These are just my thoughts. Ping'an is not very old, maybe there will be better things in the future!" Seeing Tong Mingyu looking confused and absent-minded, Nanny Ruan smiled and comforted her.
Can we find someone who can match the prince of Jing in all aspects? Even if there is someone, we don’t know where he is. Who would dare to bet on it?
The room fell silent again. Even Xiying, the maidservant guarding the door, had solemn expressions. This was a matter of life and death for the young lady, and the master must have felt both reluctant and overwhelmed by the decision. If anyone did something foolish at this moment, they would be in for a disaster.
The cicadas in the trees were chirping one after another, and the ice in the ice basins at the four corners of the room had begun to melt. Tong Mingyu felt irritated from heart to body, and wished she could crush the cicadas to death with her own hands.
"Hurry up and find someone to stick the cicadas off the tree." Xiying has served Tong Mingyu for many years and is familiar with her every move. Seeing her master's face full of impatience, she hurriedly ordered someone to take a sticky net to the tree to deal with those noisy guys.
The first pillar of the family to return was Xiao Jingtai. As soon as he stepped into the door, Nanny Ruan stood up and said goodbye. The rest of the matters needed to be decided by the Xiao family themselves. No matter who the apprentice would marry in the future or where he would marry, they would follow him anyway.
"Why did you send someone to look for us? I thought something big happened at home!" After Xiao Jingtai paid his respects to his elder sister-in-law and greeted his younger sister-in-law, he sat down next to Li Jiaoying very naturally. The maids brought out chilled grapes. Xiao Jingtai wiped his hands with a handkerchief and slowly began to peel the grapes. This careless man didn't notice that his elder sister-in-law looked strange, didn't see the hint given by his wife, and didn't notice that his younger sister-in-law looked daydreamy.
"He's still eating, what a heartless man! Luckily, I don't have a daughter, so I don't have to worry about what happened to my eldest sister-in-law and younger sister-in-law. If I cried out of worry for my children, my husband might think he had sand in his eyes!" Li Jiaoying secretly reached out and pinched her husband's waist, hoping he would come to his senses and at least ask why she wanted him home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
