Chapter 041 Chapter 41
As usual, Yao Niang got up and went to Xie's house for breakfast. She hadn't made clothes for some time and felt refreshed, with sharp ears and eyes.
Xie was thinking about something during dinner today. Yao Niang was still wondering if it was because of Madam Guan's request to find a sequel for her brother. But seeing that the servants were all around her, she couldn't say anything. As the saying goes, "What goes around comes around". If a third person knows, then it's no longer a secret.
After the meal, she saw Xie dismissing everyone, and Yao Niang thought her mother was going to talk about this.
Unexpectedly, what Xie was talking about was actually about her: "Yao Niang, your father intends to marry you to Shen Linfeng?"
"What?" Yao Niang covered her chest in disbelief.
Xie said, "Your father went to the Shen family yesterday. He was originally just dealing with your elder sister's affairs, but when he saw how the eldest master Shen acted, he immediately felt admiration for him." She said it very objectively, and it was also based on Yao Niang's wishes.
As soon as Yao Niang heard this, she waved her hands quickly: "No, no, this Shen Linfeng is almost my brother-in-law. How can this be okay?"
"I think so too. Your father is a man and he values your future. Besides, he said that if you marry him, your eldest sister's dowry will be yours. Anyway, you will marry again in two years and become an official's wife. Besides, Shen Linfeng is not interested in matters between men and women." Xie still had to explain the pros and cons, fearing that her daughter would blame her in the future.
Yao Niang was stunned for a moment, and then said, "If it is something that I have a clear conscience about, my daughter will not change even if everyone points fingers at her. But if it is something like this, my daughter does not want to take advantage of me, and she does not want to eat this bowl of rice."
Xie suddenly gained courage: "You are not a child anymore, are you sure about this?"
Yao Niang said without hesitation: "Of course."
Yes, the Shen family is very magnanimous now, who knows what others think? Besides, my elder sister caused such a big trouble when she married there, if I really married there, I might be looked at with prejudice for the rest of my life.
Is it true that Concubine Yan can only pick up what others leave behind in her life?
Xie took a deep breath and said, "You go back now and pack your boxes. You don't have to take everything with you. Just take what you need for daily use."
"What?" Yao Niang didn't expect her mother to be so fast.
Xie ordered again: "Don't make too much noise. I'll ask Lian Da to book a boat now, and we'll go back to Nanjing. If you stay here, your father will never know what we really think."
Yao Niang also agreed. Since they were in the capital now, the Yan family would be affected by their elder sister and their reputation would be affected. They might as well go back to Jinling. However, she said to Xie: "Then we and elder sister——"
"It's not a bad thing for her to go to the family temple to practice. If there is no punishment for everything, then your elder sister will definitely commit the same mistake again." Xie hated Yan Ningxin. If she had gotten married normally, her daughter would still be able to go out to climb mountains at this time today.
Yao Niang nodded.
It was a coincidence that Lian Da was going on a ship today, and there happened to be a passenger ship that would leave for Nanjing in three days.
Xie asked Yao Niang not to make it public, and that they would take their luggage and leave when Yan Yingqi went to the yamen, and they would even tell Yan Jingzhao on the last day.
This was also out of necessity. If Yan Jingzhao was not an official yet, Xie could take her son away.
Yan Yingqi didn't know this yet. After leaving the government office, he went to Xie's place and was very happy to see that Xie even cooked his favorite dish: "Eel is best cooked like this."
"If you like it, eat more." Xie thought that she was leaving anyway, so she might as well make Yan Yingqi happy before leaving. No matter what, his unremitting efforts for Yan Jingzhao and his protection of her were not false, it was just that everyone had different ideas.
Yan Yingqi added: "Don't worry about your father-in-law's job. Kaifeng is vacant, so it's best to go to Kaifeng. It's the capital of Henan, the best place, and it's easy to collect taxes. The future performance will definitely be good. But there are many vassal kings there, and it's not easy to deal with them, so I gave one of my teachers to my father-in-law."
"Thank you." Xie was still very grateful to Yan Yingqi for this. He was quick in getting things done, never shirked his responsibilities, and was very dedicated.
Yan Yingqi finished the eel with a smile and ordered another bowl of rice.
Even in the past few days, Xie has been very caring towards him, and Yao Niang even made a sachet and purse for him, which made Yan Yingqi feel happy and uneasy at the same time.
However, it is said that during the few days since Yan Ningxin came back, she has been almost always locked in the room, and the meals are much less than before. Before, there were quite a few people serving meals, but now each meal only has six dishes and one soup.
Zhen Shi certainly didn't treat her harshly, and she even had a good reason: "If there are more people serving food, more people will see her plight, which may not be a good thing."
Anyway, Yan Yingqi would not care about her anymore. To be honest, Yan Yingqi was not a conservative person. He planned to put his daughter in the family temple as a pretense and then secretly find a good family to marry her. Thanks to the other sisters of the Yan family, none of them were cruel and ruthless. Otherwise, how could she live so comfortably after doing so many wrong things?
"Give her a few copies of 'Nu Xun', 'Nu Yi' and Buddhist scriptures so she can read more." Zhen instructed Mother Wei.
Yan Ningxin received the books soon. She put them aside and kept thinking about the situation at that time. If Shen Linfeng hadn't come out, she might have been punished. Would she still be alive after being whipped fifty times? Her father even wanted her to commit suicide.
Why did Dad never notice that she was missing when she was little? After he brought her home, he treated her less favorably than his sisters. The second sister was known as a talented girl, and the third sister was even better. Dad even wanted to give her dowry and marriage to the third sister. The fourth sister was unruly and willful, but Dad never punished her.
"Miss, none of these dishes are your favorite. The mutton has a fishy smell, and I don't know how it was cooked. The chicken stewed with chestnuts is not flavorful. Even this porridge is not made from rouge rice." Jinlu couldn't help complaining.
Yan Ningxin picked up the chopsticks: "It's okay, eat." In fact, she used to eat worse in the camp military, but later she followed Wei Wuji to eat delicious food often. Unfortunately, the richness of Wei's family's food was not as good as Yan's family's ordinary dishes. She couldn't help but smile bitterly. It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality.
Although Jin Ke and Yin Dan were maids, they were raised as deputy ladies since childhood. Even before they were with Yan Ningxin, they served the prince of Qi directly. It goes without saying that when they arrived at the Yan family, the Yan family was a noble family with exquisite food and drink. How could they have ever suffered such hardship?
But it was hard for both of them to swallow. They hated Wei Wuji in their hearts, and also blamed Yan Ningxin for provoking Wei Wuji. Why?
"Eldest Miss, the Second Miss was so good to you before, but she never asked to come and see you." Jin Lu couldn't help but complain.
Yan Ningxin also thought of Qianniang. She wanted to tell her that she was innocent. If she hadn't been worried about her cousin, she wouldn't have followed Wei Wuji out. She didn't expect Wei Wuji to do such a crazy thing and actually tied her up.
During this period, Wei Wuji wanted to take her away, saying that both the Yan family and the Shen family hated her, and she would be in trouble if she came back. It was for the sake of the Yan family that she went to the Shen family, but she didn't expect that the Shen family hated her, and the Yan family hated her, so she was caught between a rock and a hard place.
She didn't expect Yingniang to mock Qianniang as well: "Second sister, you know that you and eldest sister are like sworn sisters. Do you think of her for a moment?"
Qianniang was concentrating on her needlework, pretending not to hear the gossip.
Yingniang was really hitting a cotton ball with a punch. She wanted to go to the third room to look for Yaoniang again, but was persuaded by the wet nurse beside her, "Fourth Miss, the master said that we should not move around if we can. It is said that the third miss is in the room all day. If we go there, it will be bad."
Yingniang was very upset. Her mother was stricter with her this time. Really, she would never be like her elder sister.
That evening, after Yan Jingzhao got off work at the yamen, he heard Xie calling him, so he came over immediately. He thought his mother had something to tell him, but he didn't expect that his mother was leaving.
"Mom, what are you talking about?" Yan Jingzhao was puzzled.
Xie told Yan Yingqi about his plan to marry Yao Niang to Shen Linfeng: "Your father wants to marry your sister to Shen Linfeng? I always feel that it is not right. It has nothing to do with whether Shen Linfeng is good or not, but it feels very uncomfortable. But your father will do whatever he wants to do. In this case, it is better for us to go back to Jinling. As for the income from my shops, I have agreed with them that they will send it to you after the monthly accounts are settled. The Hanlin Academy is purging poverty, and you are a big spender. You can't be without money. Besides, Guan just passed away. I will help you look for a few girls to continue the marriage. I want to find someone you like. Your father doesn't know about this yet. We will leave quietly tomorrow."
"You won't tell my dad?" Yan Jingzhao was shocked by his mother's actions.
Xie bit her lip and shook her head gently. Yan Jingzhao felt that things had gotten out of hand. He had heard what his father said that day, but his sister's marriage was ultimately decided by his parents. It was even said that Shen Linfeng had stopped coming to the Hanlin Academy these days because he was preparing for the imperial examination. However, Yan Jingzhao knew very well that there was nothing wrong with Shen Linfeng's character.
Just when Xie thought her son would object, Yan Jingzhao smiled and said, "Okay, I promise not to tell you." But he was a little worried, "But you and your sister are two weak women, and you have to travel so far. I am a little worried. Otherwise, I will take my leave and send you and your sister back?"
Xie said quickly, "That won't do. You are now a scholar-official, and you can only take one day off every five days. Jingzhao, your future is the most important thing to you. When mother and your sister are not around, you must take good care of yourself."
Yan Jingzhao looked at Xie and felt a little sad. It seemed that her mother and sister had always been relying on her, but in fact, he was the one who had always been relying on them.
Seeing her son was sad, Xie pointed at the two boxes and said, "I've had your winter clothes taken out and dried these past few days. When the weather gets colder, let Baohua and the others help you put them on. Also, Madam Guan wants to bring her niece into the mansion. I've had someone check on her niece, and her father is just a student in the imperial court. She's plain-looking, and I haven't heard of her talents. I don't think she's a good match for you."
"My son will not be fooled by anyone. I will only listen to my mother and wait for her to find a good wife for me." It was very difficult for Yan Jingzhao to say such coquettish words in the past, but in recent years, he and Jie had a very good relationship, so he naturally acted coquettishly.
Xie smiled and said, "Silly child, even if mother likes someone, she can still make mistakes."
Xie always felt that people could disguise themselves, like the young master Han Jiayi from the Han family in Nanjing. She had once visited her house, but she had no idea that his private life was so shameful. He looked like a shy and handsome young man from the outside.
"Mom, you just think too much. No matter what kind of demons and ghosts, they will find problems as long as they pay attention. You don't have to worry. Since you are going back to Jinling, you don't have to be too honest. If grandmother asks you why you are going back, just tell her about your elder sister. Just say that we are from the third house and cannot be dragged down by the first house. Furthermore, you can use me as an excuse and say that I want mother to find a daughter-in-law that the old lady will be satisfied with." Yan Jingzhao said this as a matter of course.
Because he knew very well that Xie was definitely not a fake person, and she would listen to everything her children said.
Xie covered her mouth and said, "Is this okay?"
"Of course you can. Just do as I say. I have a day off tomorrow, so I will send you and your sister off and give those servants a lesson. Be sure to write to me when you go back so that I don't have to worry about you. Don't worry about my father. I will help you turn things around." Yan Jingzhao said.
Xie was also reluctant to part with her son, especially since he lost his wife and no one cared about him. Thinking of this, she said, "Don't let the women around you have children before your wife gets married. This is no joke. If you have a concubine's eldest son, it will be difficult to marry a good one."
Yan Jingzhao nodded: "Son knows, son always listens to mother."
"Well, go ahead. Your father went to the main house today. I heard that your aunt still has a headache, so she will probably come over later." Xie said.
Not to mention how satisfied Yan Yingqi was that night, Xie was usually shy, and even though she had sex with him, she was always restrained and couldn't let go. But today was an out of character.
This made Yan Yingqi feel like he was dreaming these days.
But it is said that early in the morning, after Yan Yingqi left, Xie ordered people to lock the main room and other places, and left Mother Song and several maids to look after the house.
She and Yao Niang boarded the carriage in the dim morning light. It was the first time for Yao Niang to sneak away like this. She felt nervous but also excited.
"Mom, I always feel like I'm dreaming." Yao Niang felt a little unreal.
But then she was a little scared. She had come back from the northwest with her grandparents and brother in her early years, and later she followed her parents and their family to Beijing. She felt at ease. After all, what about those people? Now she and her mother were alone.
In fact, Xie was also afraid. When she was young, she was the most beautiful woman in Wu. When she grew up, she was often stared at by others. Some even climbed over the wall to molest her and then force her to marry them. She was always like a frightened bird.
Fortunately, Yao Niang encouraged herself: "Mom, I think we are doing well. We have always lived under Dad's wings and have been safe and sound. But now we can go back alone. We may meet many different kinds of people on the way, and we can also regard this as our experience."
Xie held her daughter's hand and nodded heavily: "Yes, Yao Niang, in fact, your father has always protected me. But I have to overcome these, and I can't always be afraid and make it difficult for myself to move forward."
It takes at least half a day to get to Tongzhou Port by boat, but today the Duke was traveling to clear the way, so he waited for half a day before leaving the city.
Zhen knew everything about Xie's mother and daughter's departure. She was originally regretful because her daughter was also implicated by Yan Ningxin. It was not a good thing for her to stay in Beijing. Jinling was a gathering place of culture and arts, and she might be able to find a family that was a good match for her.
But she suddenly heard that Yan Yingqi wanted to marry the third girl to Shen Linfeng. She heard this from the eldest girl. If this was the case, once the third girl left, her fourth girl might take over.
Remember the note from the fourth girl? Didn’t it say that we should catch the person when the time comes?
So, she was originally ill and had not recovered. Even after she recovered, she still pretended to be sick to avoid the fact that she was unaware of Xie's departure.
This is what it’s like to be an unloved person. Your man may not like you, but you still have to be magnanimous. Even if you haven’t bullied his loved one, but just didn’t make his loved one live a good life, he will blame you.
But Zhen still did not regret it, and Xie left in anger as before. It is true that it is difficult to change a person's nature. From then on, she got all the benefits of Yan Jingzhao's marriage and her daughter's marriage.
Thinking of this, she wanted to thank Xie, and even smiled to Mother Wei, "She is really my good sister-in-law. I thought she had made it big all these years, but she has become stupid again."
Mother Wei smiled and nodded: "Yes, the first time, Xie and the old man had a quarrel, and as a result, her daughter and son were taken to the northwest by the third old lady. As for us, we also let Aunt Feng be favored. At that time, you were in charge of everything inside and outside."
Zhen smiled but said nothing, then stood up to look at Yingniang. As the saying goes, a strong mother makes a weak child. She grew up in her maternal grandparents' home. Although it was the prime minister's mansion, full of flowers and brocade, who could she tell about the feeling of living under someone else's roof? Therefore, after she gave birth to Jingwen and Yingniang, she hoped that they would live a comfortable life.
Although even she herself felt that her daughter's temperament was not as tolerant as Qianniang's, she had to admit that this also seemed bright.
At this time, Yingniang was still sleeping, her little face was red and puffy, like a pink apple. The wet nurse wanted to wake her up, but was stopped by Zhen: "Don't wake her up, young people just need to rest. Let her sleep, it's a good opportunity to sleep a little longer."
She thought that when Yan Yingqi returned from the yamen, Xie Lanyou would have already returned to the capital. However, she did not expect that Yan Yingqi felt that Xie's kindness to him in recent days was a bit abnormal, so he sent someone to watch over her at home. Unexpectedly, the news he got was that Xie had taken Yao Niang out of the city gate and headed towards Tongzhou.
After meeting with a third-rank official, Yan Yingqi asked for leave for the first time. He originally wanted to take a sedan chair or a horse carriage, but he thought both were too slow, so he simply lifted up his robe and rode forward.
As he ran along, he was both angry and amused. Was the reason he was so nice to me just because he wanted to leave?
You really are worthy of being called Jie Lanyou.
Run away, anything is possible.
But it is said that when Yan Yingqi chased after her, Yao Niang was humming a song in a low voice: "Orchids, peonies..."
Xie leaned on her daughter's shoulder in a daze. She was a little worried about Yan Yingqi and Yan Jingzhao. Yan Yingqi was often busy with official business and neglected his health. He also had stomach problems, not to mention Jingzhao. When Guan was around, she was just busy with nothing. This child was like his father, but more rebellious, although he was very loyal and smart.
"Hiss~"
Their horses neighed suddenly. Yao Niang was startled and covered her chest. She looked at Jie Shi and asked, "Mom, what happened?"
But she didn't expect that after the curtain was lifted, she found that it was a familiar figure. Yao Niang called out, "Dad, why are you here?"
Yan Yingqi quickly dismounted and got back into the carriage. The carriage was originally spacious for Yao Niang and Jie, but after Yan Yingqi came in, it became cramped.
"You two are going back to Jinling? Just like this?"
Xie turned away, and Yao Niang also said, "Dad, I don't want to marry Shen Linfeng. Anyway, I'm going back to Jinling."
Yan Yingqi held his forehead and said, "I just let your mother know a little bit, and she was like a frightened bird. I didn't say it would be like this, right? Yao Niang, Daddy usually treats you well and always responds to your requests."
"I don't know you, but you will definitely do what I say. Anyway, I don't agree. Our Jinling is a place with rich cultural heritage. I don't believe that we can't find some good people." Xie snorted coldly.
Yan Yingqi said unhappily, "Nowadays, the waterways and the roads are not peaceful. You don't hire an escort company. It's just you and Yao Niang. I'm afraid the servants have sold you. Don't you know? Now you two are the masters. When you are on the ship, ghosts often cause trouble. A few days ago, an official's wife was sold. As long as it can make money, they will kill people, let alone you and your daughter? I'm not trying to scare you."
Yao Niang was indeed a little scared, but she still said, "Dad, that was someone else, not necessarily us. We just need to be careful. Besides, the boat is sailing smoothly now, and we will arrive in the 20th. It's okay."
Xie clenched her fists and said, "I would rather go back than live with Yao Niang for a lifetime. Maybe there will be a bright future. Besides, you are very stubborn and I am afraid that I will be convinced by you."
"Thank you for your praise." Yan Yingqi also found it funny.
Seeing that both mother and daughter seemed to have made up their minds, he could not persuade them to go back, so he came up with a plan: "Lan You, you and Third Aunt have always been at odds, and now that Guan is dead, I'm afraid she will find fault with you and even laugh at you. Don't be sad, I'm not persuading you to go back, but I want you to move to another place."
Yao Niang frowned: "What do you mean, Daddy?"
Yan Yingqi said, "I'm always worried about you two weak girls. If Jing Zhao goes back with you, it's fine. So, I think you should go to Kaifeng Prefecture with your father-in-law. Kaifeng Prefecture is also the best capital in Henan. Your father-in-law is a mediocre official. To be honest, I'm not without worries about going to Kaifeng Prefecture this time. Besides, Lanyou, your mother-in-law is with your father-in-law to take care of him. You and your biological mother rarely get along, and she is a polite person. Besides, Kaifeng and Luoyang are close, and you and your daughter can go to Luoyang to see the peonies. Isn't it a great pleasure in the world?"
Obviously confused, Yan Yingqi's words touched Xie's heart. She was a little again: "Is there any fraud here?"
"You are so kind-hearted that I am taken for granted. I am doing this for your own good. To be honest, the older the Third Old Lady gets, the more irritable she becomes. And you are the younger generation, so you will always be bullied. Besides, Yao Niang, you've had enough of Jinling, why don't you go somewhere else?" Yan Yingqi spread his hands.
Yao Niang was also somewhat tempted. Indeed, Luoyang's peonies were the best in the world, and Kaifeng was the capital of the previous dynasty. I wonder what it was like there? Besides, it would be much safer to be with her grandfather.
"But has my boat been hired?" Xie asked again.
Yan Yingqi clapped his hands and said, "That's perfect. Let's use this boat to send the girl back to Jinling."
Xie and Lan You both nodded, and Yan Yingqi breathed a sigh of relief. He heard that Shen Linfeng had resigned from the Hanlin Academy and was going to his aunt's home in Henan to prepare for the imperial examination. If they were destined to meet, they would naturally meet. If not, Henan was closer to the capital, and her uncle was in the Hedao Yamen, so at least they would be much happier.
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