Chapter 6 Bestow Marriage
In the Weiyang Palace, Huo Shengzhe magnificently sat on a soft chair, on his hand piled a lot of Confucian classics. From the curled side pages, it could be seen that he had read it many times. Apparently he seemed to not understand some parts of the book, his brows frowned and tightened, and his resolute and stern face showed a little irritable expression.
Just when Baifu want to persuade him to take a sip of hot tea and relax, there was a message from a eunuch outside the hall, saying that Marquis Zhenbei seek an audience with him.
"Chen Guang? Really a rare visitor. Announce him to come in." Huo Shengzhe put down his book, and the sword eyebrows that flew diagonally into the temple slightly raised. Since Ye Zhen was sent to him, this former comrade-in-arms haven't communicated with him for a long time, even conferring him as Marquis Zhenbei still unwilling to participate in the courts, as if he was evading from everything in the past. Of course, Huo Shengzhe could understand his feelings. As a man, it was indeed a shameful thing.
Zhao Luli walked into the hall cautiously, and then bowed respectfully, his eyes kept hanging down, he did not dare to look directly at the holy face. Just looking at his horrified appearance, no one could imagine that he and the man on the dragon chair were once confidants who talked about everything, and trusted each other with their lives on the battlefield.
"Long time no see, hope you have been well since we last met?" After a long silence, Huo Shengzhe spoke first.
Zhao Luli hurriedly replied, because his voice was too low, even Huo Shengzhe, who had a deep internal strength, could not hear clearly for a while. It was only after a moment of recollection that he realized that he was saying "Everything is well." A talented general among his generation who had fought bravely on the battlefield and planning strategies to kill the enemy, did not know when he turned into this cowardly and dull appearance. Huo Shengzhe was quite contemptuous of this, even more so for the fact that he didn't have the courage to protect his own woman. Slowly, the feeling of comradeship faded.
"Ones doesn't visit a temple without a cause. You finally enter the palace for the first time, you have something to ask Zhen?" With the one below didn't say anything, Huo Shengzhe straightforwardly pointed out.
Zhao Luli's eyes showed a struggle, resentment surged in his heart. But he didn't dare to let this person notice the slightest abnormality, and pressed the already drooping head again, and said with difficulty. Enlighten the emperor, the small minister entering the palace this time is to ask you to bestow a marriage decree."
"Oh. You want to remarry?" Huo Shengzhe was very surprised, "Which young lady is so noble that you are willing to come to me?"
In order to satisfy the wishes of his children, Zhao Luli dared to break through mountains of daggers and sea of flames, let alone endure a little humiliation? He calmed down and replied, "Enlighten the emperor, the small minister wants to marry Old Master Guan's granddaughter Guan Suyi. Although her family background is not prominent, she is superior in her moral character, has a pure and good temperament, reliable and elegant, she surely will be able to bear the responsibility of Zhao family's madam."
The family background is not prominent? Hearing this, Huo Shengzhe stroked the bloody jade ring on his hand, and his eyes flashed something that like a smile yet not a smile. If it weren't for the person in front of him was Zhao Luli who didn't care about the world's affairs, he really wanted to suspect that the other person was pretending to be stupid. The Guan family was precisely the benchmark for his promotion of Confucianism, and would surely be elevated in the future. It was not enough to give official position. If there were girls of the right age in the family, they would also enter the palace and be given grand favor and emperor's grace. In this way, the people of the world could clearly see how His Majesty admired Confucianism, and how the study of Confucianism could make progress.
The prosperity of the world is for profit, and the hustle and bustle of the world is for profit. All were driven by huge interests, within three years, Confucianism would surely become national culture, while other theories would gradually fade out of people's field of vision.
But at the moment, Zhao Luli wanted to cut off Huo Shengzhe's pre-determined 'vice empress' with a few words, which could be said to be rebellious. The hall was quiet for a while, not to mention that the palace people were terrified, even Baifu had cold sweats. If it hadn't been known that Marquis Zhenbei never asked about the court affairs, he would have suspected that this was the other party's revenge towards His Majesty for taking away his wife.
Huo Shengzhe looked at Zhao Luli for a while, and finally smiled lightly, "You have a comradeship with Zhen, how can Zhen not grant this will? Baifu, grind the ink for me."
Your Majesty, why did you agree? Miss Guan is your default Zhaoyi niangniang! Baifu's expression was stupefied for a moment and then quickly converged, and he hurriedly stepped forward to grind the ink. Zhao Luli breathed a sigh of relief. After the imperial decree was issued, he thanked the holy grace and returned home to his children.
"Why would he look at Guan Suyi?" Huo Shengzhe asked, staring at the man's back.
A death soldier appeared out of thin air, kneeling and cupping his hands, "Enlighten the emperor, Miss Zhao went to worship Confucius temple. On that day, her carriage was damaged and unfortunately trapped at the foot of the mountain, coincidentally met the mother and daughter of the Guan family who were passing by, so they took her up together. Since then, Miss Zhao felt familiarity at first sight with Miss Guan and clamored for her to become the mother. Marquis Zhenbei gave in, so he came to propose marriage but was rejected by Guan's family.
Huo Shengzhe waved back the death soldier, looking down and pondering. Miss Zhao, who was the daughter left behind by Ye Zhen back then, Zhao Chunxi, should be thirteen years old. Without the upbringing and supervision of the mistress, marriage would be a bit difficult. There was nothing wrong with her eagerness to find a stepmother, but was it really a so-called 'coincidence' to choose Guan Suyi?
Huo Shengzhe walked to the window and looked in the direction of Ganquan Palace, shook his head and laughed. Coincidence or not, he had no intention of pursuing it. Since Chen Guang deliberately breaks away from the past, why couldn't he help accomplish it? After all, he felt ashamed to those two people back then, so that the husband and wife were separated and lived far apart. Now the family and the country were unified, the universe had changed, it was time to look forward.
—–
At the same time, Zhong shi and Guan Suyi were hosting several family members at home. One of them was the wife of cousin Guan Yunqi. Usually an expert at inquiring the news. She heard that Guan family had rejected Marquis Zhenbei's proposal and immediately came to be a lobbyist.
"Sister-in-law, you are so stupid that you even rejected the marriage with Marquis Zhenbei. If you missed this village, there will be no more shop! Who is Marquis Zhenbei? Maybe because you just came to Yanjing so you don't understand, let me very well tell you." She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and talked eloquently. "Marquis Zhenbei is the son of an important official in the former dynasty. Because his father was wronged, he was sent to the frontier by the former emperor to enlist. There, he accidentally got acquainted with the current emperor and became close friends. Then he followed him to fight in the north and south and made great contributions. His current title is all based on military exploits. It can be said that he is well versed in literary and military, and also very handsome.
"No matter how high-powered and handsome, he is still a widower, with a pair of children under him. My Yiyi will not be a second wife, let alone a stepmother!" Zhong shi curled her lips.
"What's wrong with a widower? A widower is good enough for our family's status!" The cousin spit out a few pieces of melon seed shell and said anxiously, "He and the emperor have a comradeship, during the Battle of Sushui they fought to death together; his di younger brother was named General Dangkou, he is now guarding the border and has a bright future. Is this mansion with two heroes not good enough? What's more, his wife's clan is even more important. Ye Zhen, the twin sister of the deceased wife, has a life-saving grace to the emperor, and she is now the Jieyu, two steps up is Zhaoyi and the Empress! Who doesn't know that Ye Jieyu loves the children left behind by her sister so much that she always give generous rewards and takes care of them everywhere. As long as our Yiyi take good care of them, don't be afraid of losing our footing in the Marquis Mansion. Two of half older children, who have not been loved by their mother since childhood, should be coaxed very well. Yiyi is extremely smart and knowledgeable, she definitely will be able to deal with it."
Zhong shi's expression became more and more disgusted, and she was about to retort, but Guan Suyi, who had been silent all this time, said slowly, "So my aunt, you also know that if you want to stand firm in the Marquis Mansion, you have to take care of the two children. Am I going to be the mistress or a maidservant? Who doesn't knows that Marquis Zhenbei is still infatuated with his deceased wife, and loves his children like his life. Now he want to remarry, just to consider the future marriage of his daughter Zhao Chunxi. What status can the married woman have? After my usefulness has passed I will be put aside. In the future, I will be alone in my empty boudoir, and my misery will be unspeakable. Besides, it was originally to be Zhao family's madam, why should the Ye family come to see me? Will I be ruled by a dead person everywhere in the future? If Aunt like this marriage, leave it to your daughter."
Twin sister? Guan Suyi lowered her eyes and sneered, Ye Zhen, Ye Zhen (TN: the name is homophone, they sound the same only the characters are different), these two names were good, and there was no fear for people who knew the inside story would make a mistake; there were no better excuse than a twins, even the point of making mistakes was completely avoid, really covered up the bad things in the past. She didn't want to explore how Ye Zhen could feigned death and escape, and she didn't want to know how she changed her name and became the superior Ye Jieyu. She just wanted to stay away from the Zhao family, this house full of male thieves and female prostitutes.
Fortunately, her parents and grandfather loved her very much, as long as she refuse, this marriage would not be possible. Zhao Luli's self-esteem was too strong that he would not come back after being rejected several times. In the previous life, she would not easily agree marrying into Marquis Zhenbei's Mansion if it weren't to rescue the Guan family that was trapped in a bad situation. The so-called glory and wealth, brocade clothes and jade meals, have never been her heart's desire.
The woman was a little annoyed after being confronted, and was about to scold a few words, Zhong shi immediately said, "My husband and old master are both common people and low-minded, so dare not marry our daughter into such a high-gate deep house. Sister-in-law and everyone, please return, I have a bit of cold recently and have a splitting headache, so I won't stay too much." the words was issued, Taohong escorted the guests off.
The sister-in-law and everyone stood up angrily and left one after another. Just at this moment, a eunuch arrived with the imperial decree of marriage, shaking Guan's family ups and downs, especially Guan Suyi, who was dumbfounded for a while before slowly kneeling down, her hands trembled when receiving the decree, her skin was cold.
Was this fate? In this life, even if she didn't play along, Zhao Luli would still have a way to push her into the fire pit. For a moment, Guan Suyi began to doubt the meaning of rebirth, even completely disheartened, her heart was like a dead wood. But soon, she broke free from the suffocating pain and became steady and strong.
Good! Very good! It's better to marry into the Zhao family than to marry someone with unknown foundation. This world is inherently difficult for women. Whether it was a merchant, a farmer, or a noble scholar, as long as they have wealth, they would keep taking concubines at home. This was the normal state of men in the world, and it was inevitable. Instead of going through the journey from joy and hope to despair and numbness in the future, it would be better to sit on the sidelines from the beginning.
The reason why she failed in her last life was precisely because she did too much and said too little, which made those people think that everything she gave was justified. In this life, she decided to just say nothing, put on the hypocritical face of a virtuous wife and mother, and strive for the reputation as a gentle and virtuous woman. Instead, she wanted to see what kind of beautiful flowers the Zhao family could produce without her own efforts, and what a luscious fruit they could yield.
While thinking, Guan Suyi grabbed the bright yellow imperial edict in her hand and smiled sarcastically.
"Chen Guang: I think it is zhao lulis courtesy name.
Zhen: i/we imperial use.
Chapter 7 Married Preparation
The people of Guan clan originally thought that the marriage between Guan Suyi and Marquis Zhenbei was ruined, but the emperor directly ordered the marriage decree, this was a great glory. For a while, there were people who were ecstatic, people who were worried and people who were jealous. But everyone didn't dare to show their true inner thoughts, put on a happy appearance, and ran to congratulate Old Master Guan.
Due to the urgent pressing of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, the wedding date was set in the middle of next month, making Zhong shi very anxious that in one night her mouth was full of blisters. The Guan family was originally a farming and scholar family, they had quite a lot of land in their hometown in Yuanping. But Old Master Guan insisted on going to Yanjing, so Zhong shi had to sell the land to raise money for the journey. They had already spent most of it along the way and there was not much left. If their daughter was married to an ordinary family, there was still time to prepare, but Marquis Zhenbei Mansion was noble and powerful, the things in her hand wouldn't be considered enough.
For this reason, Old Master Guan and Father Guan emptied their private treasury and handed them over to Zhong shi, and even her maiden clan who was far away in Yuanping sent people with a lot of things. Even so, wanting to let her daughter marry gracefully, but there was still a big gap. Especially after passing through the door, there was a custom of showing off the dowry. The guests invited by Marquis Zhenbei must all have extraordinary backgrounds. Would they belittle her daughter more because of this? Would her daughter have a firm foothold with her in-laws in the future?
The more she thought about it, the more she had trouble sleeping and eating. In just a few days, her hair had become white. But Guan Suyi still had a leisure life, seemingly unconcerned. Still eating and sleeping well, her spirits were even better than before. Fortunately, the Guan clan had strict rules, and people hearts gathered together, one after another sent something to add the trousseau, which slightly eased Zhong shi' predicament.
"Sister-in-law, our Yiyi married into the Marquis Mansion is still a high climb. Please take the time to teach her a little bit about the rules, so as not to be embarrassed herself. It's also because of her good fate, in her previous life must have burned the best incense, so in this life she's being admired by Marquis Zhenbei. But you must be cautious in words and deeds, be respectful and humble. If you still shoot your mouth to your elders like last time, cannot say that you won't become a discarded wife!" The second aunt who was scolded by Guan Suyi last time said sourly.
Although the woman at this time had not been constrained by extreme chastity of later generations, and there were no lacks of powerful women, but among the common people, their status was not high. If a man disliked his wife, he could thrown her out without any reason, and he did not need to return her dowry, this was called 'discarded wife.' It sounds a bit miserable. Women who became 'discarded wife' would be ridiculed by their neighbors, but only for a while. It was not difficult to find someone else to remarry after the storm have subsided, and everyone would not always hold on to the past.
However, after Xu's Neo-Confucianism became popular, the so-called 'seven outs and seven not outs' came into being. It sounded like protecting women's rights, and stipulating that the dowry should be returned to the woman, and the man was not allowed to use it. But it was like putting on a coat of compassion for men's fickleness, but actually blamed all the faults on the woman, which made their situation even more difficult.
The in-laws did not like, divorced the wives; had no children, divorced the wives; prevented the husband from accepting concubines, divorced the wives; used the husband's property without authorization, divorce the wives; talked a few more gossips, divorced the wives… Since then, women had completely become an object. Fiddle with it when one like them, and throw it away when one dislike them, but women was responsible for all kinds of guilt. What even more frightening was that after being abandoned, they would endure a lifetime of contempt and abuse. Not to mention remarrying, even taking their own life would not freed them. As for their dowry, only a few people could get it back, and the rest were mostly taken over by their husbands on the ground of raising children.
Speaking of 'discarded wife', Guan Suyi's hand that was copying the dowry list stopped, and a pair of dark and deep eyes fixedly looked at the second aunt. Zhong shi was also extremely angry, and scolded, "Sister-in-law, Yiyi hasn't married yet, you just talks easily about discarded… You are too much!" She came from a scholarly family and was not good at swearing.
The second aunt was being pulled secretly a few times by other sisters, but she became more annoyed, "Did I say something wrong? Look at your house made of broken logs, and then look at the magnificent Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. This girl Yiyi has never seen the world, don't be shocked as soon as you cross the doorstep, at that time you certainly will lose face!"
Inexplicably climbed up to Marqui Zhenbei Mansion this high gate in-laws, Zhong shi was also dizzy, but also worried that for a while her daughter would be fascinated by the glory and wealth of the Marquis Mansion, and behave improperly. Especially that Lord Marquis seemed to be an aloof figure, if her daughter didn't serve well and incurred disgust, how could she be able to stand up for her daughter?
The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became, her face changed involuntarily. The second aunt snorted coldly when she saw it, thought it really looked like a small character and her jealousy disappeared by half. The other sister-in-laws frequently winked at her and told her not to offend others too much. No matter how humble Guan Suyi's background, her appearance was there. As long as Lord Zhao was a normal man, how could he not love it. When she was favored in the future, wouldn't it be an easy matter to support the clansmen?
The second aunt also slowly remembered. While coughing, she wanted to find a step down, but she saw Guan Suyi who looked stunned before suddenly smiled and copied the dowry list again, but her handwriting became more unconstrained than before.
"Aunt said that my Guan house's gate is humble, but I'm not convinced. If there is no marriage decree from the emperor, in a few days, let alone Marquis Mansion, I will be able to marry even imperial family." She rolled up her wide sleeves, lightly dipped the ink in the inkstone, and continued, "Who climbed who, it's hard to say."
In this life, her grandfather was in good health and her father was full of spirits. The two went out early and returned late in the evening, and their reputations had been rising steadily. And Xu Guangzhi, who should have become famous, has yet to find a chance to rise above others. In the previous life, Emperor Sheng Yuan would focus on supporting the representatives of Confucian school, and he would naturally do so in this life, but after counting, Guan Suyi could not find a better candidate than her grandfather and father.
Wasn't this sudden marriage decree the best proof?
Unlike her daughter's determination, Zhong shi didn't have much thought about the future of Guan family, it was enough to just eat and wear warmth clothes. Catching sarcastic expression on her sister-in-laws, she was about to take back her daughter's ostentatious remarks, but suddenly there was an anxious voice of the maidservants from outside, "Madam, Miss, hurry up and dress up, someone from the palace send a decree!"
After a period of turmoil and chaos, the people of Guan family successfully accepted the imperial decree. Old Master Guan was awarded the title of Emperor Teacher, and his position was comparable to the prime minister. Guan father was promoted as Chief Minister of Ceremonies, responsible for ancestral temple ceremony, and the head of the Nine Ministers. The father and son reached the highest official position overnight, and they also raised the Guan family's status a lot. Now if anyone said that Guan family climbing up to Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, that would be a joke. Marquis Zhenbei had no real power except for one nobility title, while the Guan family's father and son, one was to teach His Majesty and the other one was to teach the imperial clan disciples, could be said to be the emperor's close ministers, one casual sentence had more weight than ordinary officials.
The complexions of all the sister-in-laws who hide in the side room were blue and white, especially the second aunt, shaking all over, and the last bit of jealousy in their hearts disappeared completely. That's how people are. When you met someone stronger than yourself, you couldn't help being jealous. When you met someone stronger than yourself and hard to reach, you wouldn't have any thoughts.
After the palace people who sent the imperial decree left, they went out and said goodbye tremblingly. They only hated that the gift they brought was too thin, it weakened the relationship with Guan family, and they must make up for it in the future. Zhong shi was overjoyed, where she could take care of others, put her hands together and bowed to the sky, "Thank you Bodhisattva for your blessing, husband and father-in-law has won official positions, Yiyi will not be afraid of being bullied by her husband!" After all, glory and wealth was not as important as their daughter.
Although Old Master Guan and Father Guan were full of ambitions, what they most concerned about was the life-long happiness of their granddaughter (daughter), and they sighed that this imperial decree came in time.
Looking at her rejoicing family, Guan Suyi looked down and smiled sarcastically. Now that her grandfather and father were literary giants and important ministers, she couldn't lose their face. In this life, she originally didn't want to have another entanglement with Zhao Luli, and didn't want to hold on tight to those people who failed her in the past. Just because a little bit of hatred from another lifetime then she made herself full of filth again, she couldn't do this kind of thing that didn't pay off. But since Zhao Luli insisted on pulling her down the quagmire, then don't blame her for digging holes and burying people.
Guan Suyi, who was somewhat disheartened, suddenly looked forward to the wedding in the first month.
—
Time flies by, and the wedding date soon arrived. When Guan Suyi stepped onto the sedan chair with an insincere smile, someone in Ganquan Palace fell ill. After hearing the news, Huo Shengzhe rushed to her, picked up the bowl with his own hands, and feed medicine to the person with a weak body.
"So many years have passed, are you still thinking about him?" This sentence was full of sighs and helplessness.
Ye Zhen smiled miserably, and finally opened a dressing box, took out a carved-wood magnolia hairpin and gave it to the grand palace maid, and said, "Give it back to Lord Zhou. Tell him, To go also must go,so how do you go? If the mountain flowers are full of heads, don't ask the slave to return to the place." When the words fell she was in tears.
Huo Shengzhe put down the bowl and said coldly, "How do you go? What, do you treat this Ganquan Palace as a cage?"
Ye Zhen smiled bitterly without answering, with a sad expression.
Huo Shengzhe decided to watch her for a long time before sighing, "Since he has remarried, you should let go. In the future, I will take good care of you." Then he patted the woman's thin shoulder.
It took Ye Zhen a lot of effort to press down the corners of her mouth that was about to rise. This sentence was similar to a promise that she had waited for six years! If she had known earlier that with Zhao Luli remarried she could get the emperor's closeness, why should she hold onto Marquis Zhenbei Mansion? But Zhao Luli always listened to her words and obeyed her, in the end still have some usefulness, so she couldn't let go of this hand yet.
Guan Suyi, even if you are exceptionally beautiful, you can't stand the guilt that the emperor feels towards Zhao Luli and me. The glory in the palace has no relationship with you, I hope you are satisfied with the marriage that I carefully selected for you. Thinking of this, Ye Zhen hurriedly covered her mouth and coughed, lest the viciousness and pride in her eyes would be noticed by the emperor.
At the same time, Lord Zhao, who wore a grand red robe, was full of pain. He held the magnolia flower hairpin, not dare using too much force, for fear of breaking it, but also not dare to let go, for fear of losing it, his mind kept pulling. The grand palace maid who gave the hairpin secretly stuffed a note into his palm, and then return back to report.
Ye Jieyu, who deserved to be the favorite in the Sixth House, dared to openly deliver news to her ex-husband in front of Huo Shengzhe, without arousing any suspicion. No wonder she was able to climb from remarried woman to her current high position.
'seven outs and seven not outs: I only find the term 'seven out, three not go', which is 7 reason why men can divorce his wife and 3 reasons why he cannot.
The seven grounds for divorce were: having no son, lascivious conduct, failure to serve her parents-in-law, loquacity, larceny, Jealousy, and incurable disease.
The bride's family then countered with a dowry. Sometimes the bride's family would buy goods with the betrothal money. Using a betrothal gift for family financial needs rather than saving it for the bride was viewed as dishonorable because it appeared as though the bride has been sold.
To go also must go,so how do you go? If the mountain flowers are full of heads, don't ask the slave to return to the place.": a poem that means to own their own destiny and express the poet infinite desire for happiness and freedom.
Chapter 8 Married
"To go also must go, so how do you go? If the mountain flowers are full of heads, don't ask the slave to return to the place." In the study, Zhao Luli repeatedly recited the poem "Bu Shouzi: Not Love the Wind and Dust", his face was full tears.
He stroked the rough-cut magnolia hairpin with trembling hands, and his wife's delicate face with tender smile appeared in front of his eyes. Suddenly, the smile turned into resentment and sorrow, as if accusing him of cowardice and incompetence. Zhao Luli felt a pain in his heart and never dared to recall the past. He wanted to put the hairpin in the secret compartment in the drawer but was reluctant to part with it, in the end he put it in a sleeve pocket and kept it next to him.
Thinking of the note sent by the palace maid, he showed a struggling and eagerness looks on his face, as if he was afraid of the unfeeling words written in it, but also afraid that he would miss the words that his wife finally sent out. Without thinking about it for long, he slowly and carefully unfolded the note. The first sentence made him feel painful and regretful, and it was difficult to hold on to himself.
"My dear Chen Guang, you probably surprise seeing this letter. The day before yesterday, my mother told me that Xi'er is almost coming of age. Suddenly I realized that time has slip away, and the years were merciless. In a blink of an eye, the blue sea has turned into mulberry fields and cannot be recalled. Xi'er's big marriage still needs the mistress's management. My mother-in-law misunderstood me deeply, afraid her heart won't be in it. In desperation, I can only consent you to remarry. Wangshu is young and needs the care of a mother. I only regret for my weak temperament in those years. I actually harmed you and harmed the child because of momentary slip. I wish you will forget the past and move forward… of course, the wedding date is approaching, and my heart aches unbearably… I never forget and not dare to forget the vows back then. Are you with me in this heart?"
There were only a few hundred characters, Zhao Luli looked and looked again, read and read again. His heart momentarily joyful, momentarily regretful, momentarily surged with love, and the expression on his face became extremely twisted and tangled. When he was immersed in his endless thoughts, he did not notice that his daughter had been standing at the door for a long time. She came and left quietly, walked to Chui Hua Gate and said softly, "Give my dad a pot of hot water to wipe his face, and put it on his eyes. Today is his happy day, don't let the Guan family see it that he has cried."
The servant in charge of guarding the study repeatedly promised and went down quietly.
Thinking of the sudden wealth of Guan family, Zhao Chunxi's expression darkened. She thought that this time she could get rid a strong enemy for her mom and find a puppet for herself that was easy to control in Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, but she didn't expect that the emperor would suddenly put the Guan family's father and son in high positions, disrupting her overall plan. With a strong and powerful backing, it would not be so easy to exploit Guan Suyi later.
But soon, she laughed in a low voice. So what if she was a Peerless Beauty? So what if she was full of talents? After all, she was no match for her mom's charm. Even if she enter the palace and become the emperor's person, as long as mom passed a few words casually, mom would be able to make dad desperate. She didn't know what her mom wrote in the letter, anyway she wouldn't let Guan Suyi have an easy time in the Marquis Mansion.
"Let's go, it's time to set up the wedding banquet. That old thing seems to be very happy today? I don't know if she will be able to laugh in a few days." Zhao Chunxi took two steps quickly, her tone was harsh.
The maid knew that the old thing she was talking about was not someone else, but her grandmother, Sun shi, so she didn't dare to answer the conversation, she just pretended not to hear anything, and bowed her head to lead the way.
When the palace maid returned to the palace, the emperor had not left, so she had to hold back her full stomach. Ye Zhen seemed to want to pull her to ask about Zhao Luli's situation, but as soon as she reached out her hand she retracted it again, and instead squeezed the bedding tightly, eyes full of sad tears.
Huo Shengzhe saw her eyelids drooping, her complexion was pale, there were a few line between her eyebrows due to years of sorrow, her frail body seemed that it could collapse at any time, so in the end he was asking for her, "Did Lord Zhao asked you to say something?"
The grand palace maid hurriedly knelt down and replied, "Enlighten the emperor, enlighten niangniang, Lord Zhou just said to let niangniang to take care of herself."
"That's it?" Ye Zhen asked urgently, as if realizing that something was wrong, she glanced at the emperor with a nervous look.
Huo Shengzhe didn't care, his big hand covered the back of her cold hand, which was full of veins, and gently patted it a few times. This was a very common gesture that represents comfort and care, but Ye Zhen was ecstatic. With great difficulty she suppressed the boiling joy, just the opposite she needed to put on the trapped in love and heartbroken expression. Her facial features were twisted and tangled, she seemed to care very much about Lord Zhao.
The grand palace maid sighed that her niangniang was too good at pretending, while shaking her head and said, "Enlighten niangniang, that's it."
Ye Zhen seemed to have exhausted all her strength, her leaning body suddenly fell back on the soft pillow, her eyes looked straight at the bed curtain above her head, and couldn't recover for a long time. Between the opening and closing of her eyelids, large drops of tears fell down, wet the clothes and bedding. Huo Shengzhe had never comforted a woman before, waved to Baifu, and the attendant handed over a black handkerchief.
"Don't cry. You are already weak because of the remaining poison. If you are too anxious, it may get worse. Now he has remarried, and you have entered the palace, everyone is well, don't worry about it anymore." He passed the kerchief over while speaking.
Ye Zhen held the handkerchief with trembling fingertips, it seems she was wiping her tears with her head down, very miserable, but in fact the corners of her mouth rose, and her heart jumped with joy. 'Everyone is well, don't worry about it anymore.' Was this His Majesty's decision to put aside the unbearable past and live with her? Although there was no shortage of women around His Majesty, there were only a few who have been approached by him, and the only one who could talk to him was only her. Ye Zhen knew that once he figured it out and put the past aside, His Majesty would accept her and even favor her alone. She had never value the name Jieyu, she wanted the sincerity of His Majesty, and then the position of mother of the world.
Knowing that the other party doesn't like crying women, Ye Zhen calmed down after wiping tears for a while, and said in a dumb voice, "This concubine is all right, Your Majesty, you must be busy with government affairs, please go back first."
The more she pretended to be stronger, the more Huo Shengzhe felt not reassured. He caught a glimpse of many books on the short table beside the bed. He took out one and said, "I'm fine. You are also tired. Sleep for a while. I will sit here to accompany you. Then wait for you to wake up and have dinner with you."
Where could Ye Zhen sleep, she wished she could tell her heart to him immediately, but she knew that she should not be too hasty, so she smiled bitterly and shook her head. "This concubine cannot sleep, so I'll accompany you to read a book. Reading a book is good for calming the mind, and a calm mind will not think about anything."
Huo Shengzhe's eyes showed pity, but he didn't know how to comfort her. He flipped through the book in his hand and changed the subject and said, "Are you also reading The Analects? What are your thoughts?"
Ye Zhen "reluctantly" squeezed out a smile, "No wonder the emperor named Old Master Kong as the sage and praised him as the master of the world. After reading the Analects, this concubine learned that there is such a noble character in the world." when the words feel, she pointed out to one of the passage and said, "If the Old Master is still here, he will definitely help Your Majesty to settle down the world and help the common people. Look at this sentence: If you can be useful to me, you can do it in months, and you will have success in three years. What kind of a vision and courage should be able release this rhetoric. There is also Mencius's "Being poor cares for themselves, being wealthy cares for the world". Ones has to have the will to help common people; if ones hasn't successful then he must hides in the mountains and keeps quiet. His way of life is truly admirable, and really thought-provoking. This concubine has been upset recently, but after reading the works of the two sages, she gradually feels that the world is vast, her body is small. A few worries, indeed is really not worth mentioning." At the end, she smiled shyly, and the haze on her body disappeared.
Baifu nodded secretly after hearing this. No wonder the emperor loves to come to Ganquan Palace. Among all the niangniang, Ye Jieyu was the only one who was knowledgeable and has remarkable literary talents, and could talk to His Majesty. The so-called considerate flower was probably like this.
However, Huo Shengzhe's reaction was different from what the two expected. He was not evoked to talk, but instead put down the book, with a slightly perfunctory tone, "Unfortunately, Zhen don't have the blessing to listen to the teachings of the sage with my own ears. Zhen still have memorials that has not been approved, just now Zhen was forget and only now remember. Sleep for a while and don't let your imagination run wild. Zhen will order the imperial physician to stay in Ganquan Palace. If you feel unwell, you can call him immediately."
Ye Zhen wanted to hold the other person, but she didn't dare to make any trouble, so she could only agreed and waited until the group of people walked away before looking at the grand palace maid, Su'e, "Is This Palace saying something wrong?"
Su'e thought for a long time, and shook her head determinedly. "Enlighten niangniang, this servant do not think you said something wrong, maybe His Majesty is really busy."
Ye Zhen also looked down and ponder, and after a long while nodded in relief. In any case, she finally achieved her success, as long as she was careful in her words and deeds, step by step, she would be able to overlook the world side by side with the emperor one day. And those who stand in her way would eventually become the dust that has been wiped out in the long river of years.
—–
Guan Suyi got off from the sedan chair, stepped over the brazier, worshiped across the main hall, and led into the bridal chamber. Zhao Luli lifted the bridal veil under the playfulness of the womenfolk. The two quickly looked at each other, and then both looked down, as if they were very shy. Everyone was taken aback by the bride's gorgeous glory, and because of the her family's nobleness, they received the emperor's grace, so the womenfolk didn't dare to make trouble, and said goodbye after only a few auspicious words. Within a short period of time, the news that Guan family's daughter was a peerless beauty had spread, aroused the envy of others.
Zhao Luli didn't expect that his new wife would be so outstanding. She wore a bright red wedding gown and a dazzling flower crown, which made her skin became more and more creamy, seemed like a pile of snow. Her wonderful eyes were gleaming, deep and unfathomable. When she looked over for a moment, it almost sucked his soul. He had to look away quickly, like a prey eager to escape from a trap.
"If you are hungry, you can eat something to cushion your stomach. I will deal with the guests and come later." He urged with hard tone, and then hurriedly left.
Guan Suyi didn't answer, and waited for people to walk away before raising her head, taking off the flower crown and jewelry with an indifferent expression. She deliberately covered the memories of her previous life with dust, but after being stimulated by the same scenes and characters, it came in endlessly. In the big wedding last time, Zhao Luli was so evasive after lifting her veil, behaved in a flustered manner, but there were also completely different things. For example, he didn't say even a little thoughtful words to her, and left without giving a decent reason, leaving her alone to wait until dawn, leaving her weeping silently in embarrassment and fear.
Power was really useful. Was the treatment different because of different identities? As the granddaughter of the emperor's teacher and the daughter of chief Minister of Ceremonies, even if she continued her own way to get divorce from Zhao Luli, he also couldn't slight her. Guan Suyi shook her head and laughed sarcastically, and finally looked down to think about how to spend the night in the bridal chamber. Zhao Luli would never dare to leave her alone this time, but this was exactly what she didn't want.
The filth that has been thrown away in the last life, how could there be any reason to pick it up again in this life?
the blue sea has turned into mulberry fields: it means the world has changed greatly.
If you can be useful to me, you can do it in months, and you will have success in three years.: Confucius said to himself that if there is a chance to govern, he can achieve results in one year and success in 3 years.
"Being poor cares for themselves, being wealthy cares for the world": when a person has no ambition he must clean himself up and pay attention to improving personal cultivation and morality, when a person is succesfull he must think about benefiting the people of the world.
Chapter 9 Bridal Chamber
In the previous life, because her grandfather lost his standing and his father's hopelessness in becoming an official, Guan's family had little foothold in Yanjing, but suddenly she was favored by Marquis Zhenbei and married in with the ceremony of official wife, which greatly eased the family's plight. Guan Suyi's mood was sincere and fearful, as if walking on thin ice, for fear that she would do something wrong which lead to disgust. After Zhao Luli left, she sat blankly, even if she was hungry and dizzy, she did not dare to touch the food on the table.
She would always remember the confusion and helplessness that suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart when the pale golden warm sun shone on her hungry and cold body the next morning. Since then, she had a premonition of her sad and ridiculous second half of her life.
In this life, without the sincerity and fear, without walking on thin ice, and without the hope and expectation of married life, Guan Suyi felt extraordinarily at ease. Taking off the wedding gown, removing the hairpin, and washing off the powder, she sat by the table and ate slowly, and handed out a few dishes to the joy matron and the maid outside so they could eat at the side room next door.
Minglan and Mingfang also got a snack table, but they didn't dare to move their chopsticks, feeling entangled, "Miss, you will have a bridal chamber later, don't eat too much. Beside, if the master sees you eat up all the dishes, I'm afraid he will think you… think you…"
Guan Suyi interrupted the two with a smile, "What will he think of me? Greedy? Don't worry, your master has a big heart and won't care about it." Zhao Luli was a man with the biggest heart she ever met. The man wore a bright green hat on his head, not only was he not ashamed, he was proud of it, and for fear that he wore it not firm enough, he would buckle it on his head from time to time. He was Ye Zhen's dog, told him to go east and he would not dare go west, even if he was thrown away carelessly, he still would unswervingly wait, and when he saw a little bit of hope, he rushed forward desperately.
He had exhausted all his affection for Ye Zhen, so he could be vicious to others to the end. Even his own flesh and blood, as long as they didn't crawl out of Ye Zhen's belly, they would be killed without hesitation.
In this life, Guan Suyi didn't want to get involved with him, but since she was unable to resist, she quickly figured it out. Staying in Marquis Zhenbeihou Mansion was much more comfortable than being a nun. There was no need to eat vegetarian food, nor abide by the precepts. On weekdays, she could enjoy flowers, write, and read, it was very free. If she married an unfamiliar person, it's still unknown what would happened in the future, but she understood that for the husband to take concubine, managing the back house, getting jealous, and deceitful things would definitely be indispensable. Instead of lived a lifetime muddleheadedly like that, it's actually better not to reborn again.
It seems that God refuses to let you and me go, then continue to fight to death in this life. Guan Suyi curled her lips, her eyes were a little chilly.
Minglan and Mingfang knew that their mistress had always have her own idea since she was young, so they didn't dare to persuade her too much, and restlessly ate all the food on the small table. After half an hour, the sound of clamoring outside gradually disappeared. They assumed that the banquet was almost over. They immediately cleaned up the dishes and wiped off the greasy mouth for their mistress.
Guan Suyi put her knees together, half sitting on the edge of the couch, her hair scattered like a waterfall, her delicate face half hidden by the hair, made her lips even more red and her teeth look brighter. As soon as Zhao Lulifu pushed open the door, what he saw was this scene, and his heart jumped slightly. Everyone has the love of beauty, and even if the infatuation in this life had been spent on one person, he couldn't deny how excellence and outstanding his newlywed wife was.
The feeling of guilt and regret faded in a flash, and he slowly walked to the couch, thinking about how to spend the night in the bridal chamber. He once made a heavy oath that no one would take his wife's place, so he couldn't touch Guan Suyi, but her family background was no longer what it used to be, so she couldn't be treated coldly.
Thinking of this, Zhao Luli was in a dilemma. If it was replaced by the humble Guan family who had just entered Yanjing, why would he be this worried, he would just leave Guan Suyi unhesitatingly. But now, if she received any grievance, he still had to deal with Old Master Guan and father Guan who would stand by her, if the two families made a ruckus it would be ugly.
So Zhao Luli held his forehead with his hands, staggered, and decided to pretend to be drunk.
Guan Suyi narrowed her eyes at him, and the corners of her mouth slowly raised. It's okay to pretend to be drunk. If not, she would make him remember his "virtuous, beautiful and innocent" late wife, let him feel brokenhearted and run away in embarrassment. In the last life, as long as she mentioned the word "Ye Zhen", Zhao Luli would always walk away. She still felt wronged at the time, but now she loved this sharp blade that cuts the other's heart.
She also didn't know what Ye Zhen looks like, was she really so dazzling, peerless and graceful? Otherwise, how could Zhao Luli and Emperor Sheng Yuan be so fascinated that they would not wake up? Guan Suyi suddenly became curious about the "Late Madam" who she had never met before, and brushed the hair on the side of her cheeks, with a very casual attitude.
The corners of Minglan and Mingfang's eyes were almost cramped from blinking but didn't see any movement from their mistress. So they stepped forward to help the new master, and then one helped to change clothes and the other went out to fetch water. Guan Suyi covered her mouth and yawned, ready to go to sleep when Zhao Luli finished acting. She didn't want to have any physical contact with the other person, because she would feel nauseous, and she didn't want to give birth to a child with half of his blood, because it was a sin. Have nothing to rely on or support on the old age was not in her consideration. As long as the Guan family could stand upright, she would be able to live comfortably and freely in this life.
Zhao Luli's acting skill was not very good. To prevent exposure, he have no alternative but to rush to the bed in a few steps, fell down and pretend to sleep, and let Minglan and Mingfang take off his robes. In embarrassment, he did not realize that his new wife had never say a word of concern or helped him.
"Miss, the master is very drunk, this servant will go and cook a bowl of sobering soup to help him." Minglan said breathlessly.
Mingfang suddenly robbed her, "It's better if this servant go. This servant just now asked the housekeeper, so know where the kitchen is." Her heart thumped and thumped so hard, she never thought that the master was such a handsome and elegant figure. No wonder the ladies in Yanjing called him 'Jade Son', and every time he went out, there was bound to be a trail of fascinated women. If, if it could be exchanged for a night of grace, that would be great!
Guan Suyi seemed to have never noticed Mingfang's shy and eager look, and waved her hand, "Go."
Minglan got along Mingfang day and night, naturally knew her every move, she looked at her mistress, quite a bit hesitant to say something. Guan Suyi half-supported her forehead and looked at her, with a playful smile on her face, then put her white fingertip on her lips, and made a silent gesture.
Seeing miss' rising eyebrows and the soft lips with a shallow dent pressed by the pink fingernails, Minglan's cheeks were red, and she sighed in her heart: Only a wonderful person like Miss can match the Jade Son, Mingfang is really overestimating herself.
Guan Suyi hugged the bedding on the soft couch by the window, planned to stay in it overnight. In the last life, Mingfang and Minglan failed to accompany her to the end. One attempted to seduce the marquis and was killed by Ye Fan and Zhao Chunxi; the other went back to Guan's house to ask for help after she was in trouble, but was finally sold by Zhao Luli.
Starting all over again, she did not intend to deal with Mingfang. An ambitious woman like Mingfang could be easily used as a tool in her hands. Regardless of whom she would marry, it was unavoidable for the husband to take concubines, instead of accepting someone with unknown origins and unpredictable temperament, it was better to receive someone who was easy to control. Facts had proven that she was right. When Ye Fan entered the door, she could easily push Mingfang and let them had a dogfight, and then her own main house would be quiet. As for Minglan, she must find a good husband for her in this life and marry her gracefully.
Minglan knew that her mistress dislike the smell of wine and has a serious cleansing habit. Afraid that she would not let the master get close tonight. But this was her bridal night, how could it be wasted, she deliberately tried to persuade a few words, but saw her put up her index finger again, pursed her red lips, and shushed inaudibly.
Minglan's charming face blushed and nodded repeatedly.
The master and servant were talking in riddles, and Zhao Luli, who was lying on the bed, felt a little uncomfortable. He wanted to open his eyes to take a look, but worried about getting into more embarrassing situation. The two maids served very well, but he never heard a word from his new wife, also didn't know what she thought in her heart. Would she be resentful or dissatisfied? If she insists on calling him to get up, how should he respond?
While thinking, He Xiang's anxious voice came from outside the door, "Lord marquis, it's not good, the eldest miss suddenly has high fever, just now she lost consciousness, please go and see!"
The daughter who was about eight points similar to his wife had always been Zhao Luli's heart and flesh, the affection and love was better than that of his di son. At this time, where could he looked drunk, suddenly turned over and sat up, put on his boots, and ran out while hastily put on his outer robe.
With a "bang", the door that was pushed open bounced back to the door frame, startling Minglan. She stammered as she slapped her chest, "Isn't the master very drunk? How can he move so quickly?"
"Isn't it easy to pretend to be drunk?" Guan Suyi tied her hair into a simple bun and used a hairpin to secure it, pointed to the cloak on the hanger and said, "Let's go, let's follow along, lest others say that the stepmother is cruel."
When the two came to Penglai Garden, there were people entering and exiting inside, and Zhao Chunxi shrank into the thick bedding, with a wet kerchief on her forehead, and her cheeks flushed abnormally, she looked extremely weak. Seeing the new madam suddenly appeared, the servants all over the house showed hostility. On the contrary, Zhao Luli's expression looked very ashamed and guilty at the thought that he just pretended to be drunk.
"Well! It's so hot! Have you sent for a doctor?" Guan Suyi went straight to the bed and gently caressed Zhao Chunxi who was dazedly ill.
"Someone has been sent to invite. It should be on the road right now." Zhao Luli dodged her eyes.
Guan Suyi sat down on the bed, took off the slightly hot veil, and replaced it for Zhao Chunxi. An anxious expression appeared on her face, but she smiled slowly in her heart. With a different family background, everything was also different. In the last life, where did Zhao Chunxi need to use this self-destructive method to deal with her? Only inviting her to Penglai Garden the next morning after guarding an empty boudoir alone, a few words of comfort was able to make her grateful. At that time, the Guan family got out of the predicament because of Zhao Luli's importance. She was only grateful to the Zhao family and had no suspicion. Why would she think of anything else?
Looking at it now, the daughter summoned the mother to her courtyard to talk, this was an act of establishing superiority. Zhao Chunxi never paid attention to her from the beginning to the end, let alone showing filial piety. It was so stupid that she pitied and thought about her everywhere.
In this life, in order to suppress her famous stepmother, she did not hesitate to make herself ill. It was unknown how long she was blown by the cold wind to have such a high temperature? Thinking of this, a smile flashed in Guan Suyi's eyes. Seeing that these people were not doing well, she felt relieved. It was worthwhile for her to endured the nausea of marrying in.
Green hat: a symbol of being cuckold.
Chapter 10 Flower Candle
After changing to a more damp and cold kerchief, Zhao Chunxi was awake for a moment. She tried her best to open her eyes and saw Guan Suyi's flawless face, she was taken aback for a while.
Guan Suyi held her hand and asked softly, "Xie'er, are you better? Mother is here to see you." When the words fell, her throat tightened slightly, as she was disgusted by the word "mother".
No matter how scheming Zhao Chunxi was, she was only a little girl of twelve or thirteen years old. Moreover, she was ill, her brain was already burnt, so she subconsciously showed disgust, then she shook her head while tried to dodge, taking advantage of the situation to break away her hand from the other party's tight hold.
Guan Suyi let go of her and chuckled, "It seems Xi'er is not ready to accept me, it doesn't matter, we will have a long time in the future." Then she twisted the kerchief and planned to change it again
The maid and the old mama who stood by the side were already very defensive against her. Seeing that the eldest miss showed obvious resistance, they hurriedly stepped forward and squeezed her away, muffledly asked the new madam to go back first, so as not to get sick. Zhao Luli was suspicious and felt that his daughter's behavior was not as close to Miss Guan as she said. On the contrary, she was a little disgusted. If that the case, then why did she cry and shout to let him marry her?
However, in his heart, his daughter was right no matter what she did or said. Even if he had doubts in his heart, he quickly put it behind him and waved his hand to his newlywed wife apologetically, "Ma… you go back first, Xi'er is very ill. I will stay here to look after her tonight." The phrase "Madam" could not be said after all.
That's all? Not even a word of sorry? This is your wedding night. Guan Suyi smiled sarcastically in her heart, but on the surface she generously said that it was all right. She thanked Zhao Chunxi for her self-sacrifice, otherwise the big carved jujube tree bed she brought from home would have been soiled by Zhao Luli's filth.
The two master and servant walked back slowly carrying the lanterns. As soon as they came out of the courtyard, they saw a black figure rushing over from the other side of the path and hitting Minglan who was at the front, causing her to fall. They didn't say sorry, didn't even stop to check the situation, flying far away like the wind. The servant following him panted and shouted, "Young Master, slow down, be careful of falling! The eldest miss just has a high fever, will be fine after drinking medicine, and nothing will happen."
The voice and figure quickly faded into the night, making Minglan stared dumbfounded, "Miss, that's the marquis mansion's Shizi ? How come all of the Zhao family have this energetic temper, one runs faster than the other. Also, how did the master was swaying and didn't wake up before, but once there was shouting outside he immediately ran. He was really pretending to be drunk? Why?"
Guan Suyi gathered her big cloak and smiled lightly. "It said that dragon gives birth to dragon, phoenix gives birth to phoenix, the rat gives birth to rat that punch holes. Lord Zhao's hoof is so fast, and his son of course is not bad. As for why he was pretending to be drunk, maybe he was wearing green hat for too long and reluctant to take it off. In short, he can do whatever he likes, it's not our business."
Minglan first nodding stupidly, then she remembered, "That's not right! What kind of rat, hole, and hoof. Miss, why do you always compare Lord Zhou to animal? And what is it about that green hat thing?"
Guan Suyi poked the small servant's head and walked back first, "Comparing him to animal is still a compliment. Anyway just remember, these people in Marquis Mansion are not fuel efficient lamps. Don't get too close to them."
"Sure enough, such high gate mansion is not easy to climb. Miss, don't worry, this servant will remember." Minglan replied dully, covering her forehead. At this moment, she could tell that the master didn't care about miss at all, the eldest miss and Shizi were also hostile to her, afraid that the future might be very difficult.
The master-servant duo returned to the main house. From a distance they saw Mingfang standing under the porch with sobering soup, facing the dim candle she asked, "Where is master?"
"The marquis is guarding the eldest miss tonight , will not coming back." Minglan blew out the lantern, her tone slightly sharp.
However, Mingfang who was wholeheartedly thinking about Zhao Luli, didn't notice it at all, suddenly she raised her voice and asked, "How can he's not coming back? This is his bridal chamber night!" She looked even more indignant than the new madam, and when she noticed Minglan's suspicious eyes, she hurriedly say, "How could master treat miss like this! If other people know about this matter, wouldn't they making joke of miss?"
Guan Suyi waved her hand, "It's nothing, I'm not afraid of people making jokes." Since she was sent to Cangzhou in her previous life, she had slowly developed a body of copper skin and iron bones, and forging a heart of stone, no matter how slanderous people in this life, there would be no waves.
Mingfang was afraid of being noticed by her mistress, so she had to go to pour out the sobering soup and didn't speak all night.
—–
The next day, Zhao Luli came back in a hurry and brought his freshen-up new madam to offer tea to his mother. That year, the Four Books of Women had not yet been published, and the restraint and contempt towards women at that time had not reached the extreme, so there was no custom of examining wedding night's kerchief. Therefore, Guan Suyi did not have to bear other people's scrutiny, contempt, or pity.
But the news that the two of them failed to consummate their wedding night still reached the old madam Sun's ears. At the moment, Sun shi was sitting in the main hall, her face with countless lines carved out by the wind and frost looked old and cold. Seeing the gorgeous and dignified face of her new daughter-in-law, she was stunned for a moment, then calmed down, took the tea and drank it, and gave a very heavy meeting gift.
"Xie'er' illness has her own servant to take care of. You are just newly married, you should be close and intimate, so you can spread the branches and leaves for my Zhao family." Putting down the teacup, she looked at her son, and her slightly soft face immediately tightened, "Xie'er over there, I will send someone to take care of it, there is no need for you to be with her all day and night. As a man, you should work for the country. Take a look at yourself now, all day long pampering your children and hurts for the spring and sad for the autumn! Okay, go down and accompany Suyi around the house to familiarize herself with the environment."
Zhao Luli was only superficially respectful to his mother. After promising to do it, he led his new madam to leave. When he reached the fork of the path, he parted ways and went to Penglai Garden as usual, but this time he finally made progress, and left a sentence "I'm sorry". Guan Suyi politely stated that she wanted to follow along, but was dismissed by him in a few words. It seemed that he was still on the defensive stage towards this second wife, and would never let her approach the pair of children without going through a long inspection.
That was exactly what Guan Suyi wanted, but with an awkward expression on her face, she stood still for a long time before slowly leaving. The master and servant returned to the main house and sat down. Guan Suyi casually found an excuse to dismiss Mingfang, and let Minglan pour a cup of hot tea to dispel the cold.
Minglan hesitated, "Miss, I don't know if this servant thinks too much. I always feel that the old madam's attitude towards the eldest miss and lord marquis is wrong, as if a bit disgusted. No, it must be this servant who thinks too much. How can there be a mother who hates her biological son and granddaughter."
"It's not that you think too much." Guan Suyi unfolded a book and said casually, "On the surface this Marquis Zhenbei Mansion looks glamorous, but it's shelter evil and accept wrongdoing, bad luck everywhere. They are mother is not mother, father is not father, and son is not son. Not only don't have a sense of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor, but also unaware of filial piety and loyalty, so how can there be family affection. Even if you see anything, don't talk about it, it just not our business."
It's the phrase "not our business" again, it seems that miss doesn't think of herself as Zhao's family at all. Minglan nodded repeatedly, blindly following the learned mistress.
The little girl put it aside, but Guan Suyi inevitably fell into memory. At that time, she also noticed that the old madam's attitude was different. She was disheartened at her son; she was critical of her granddaughter in every possible way; she was extremely doting and pampering with her grandson. Obviously they were all one family, and was not divided by di or shu, why the treatment was so different? Could there be any unhumane secrets? This question was solved by Zhao Wangshu when she was about to die. It turned out that Ye Jieyu was Zhao Luli's "deceased wife". No wonder the old madam hated both Zhao Chunxi and Ye Fan, who told them to look like Ye Jieyu. As for Zhao Wangshu, after all, he was Zhao Luli's son, and he was also the hope of rejuvenating the lintel, so naturally he should be well protected.
Now that she thought about it, the old madam previously treated her well, but when she saw that she couldn't hold Zhao Luli's heart, it slowly faded. She had never harmed her, nor helped her, they had nothing with each other that's all. After she stopped thinking, Guan Suyi spread out a rice paper and started painting the white snow and little red plum outside the window.
In the main courtyard, Old Madam Sun had changed out the gorgeous dress, and lying on the couch in a well-used and old-fashioned clothes. She caught a glimpse of the housekeeper who was opening the hanging screen to go inside and asked in a deep voice, "The marquis did not accompany Guan shi visiting the garden?"
"No, he went to Penglai Garden on his own. Looking at madam's complexion, she seemed to feel wronged." The housekeeper mama whispered back.
"I accompanied the old man to travel north and south, and I have seen so many handsome figures, but none of them can beat Guan shi. Wasn't that bitch claimed to be number one beauty in the Central Plains? Compared with the Guan shi, it's really one in the sky and one on the ground. Lord marquis doesn't like it now, but it doesn't mean that he won't like it in the future. Feelings will always come out. Go and give her the key to the warehouse, the account book, and the matching cards. In the future, she will be the well-deserved mistress of the Marquis Mansion. I must lift her up." As if thinking of something, Sun shi snorted, "Give all the dowry left by that bitch to Guan shi. If it weren't for holding these dowries, where can Zhao Chunxi come here to pay respect every day, she would just hide at the end of the earth like her father did. Worthy of being that bitch's evil spawn, with the same vicious mind and nasty methods, in order to prevent that unfilial son from consummating his marriage, she directly made herself sick. You tell me what's the point of her tossing like this?"
The housekeeper mama didn't dare to answer the question, she only slandered in her heart: Of course she think like this. The new madam has a distinguished family background and both talents and appearance. If she is favored by the marquis and gives birth to a son, where can she and the eldest young master have a foothold? As long as she dominates the marquis for a long time, it will be easy to attack the new madam again.
Sun shi also knew this very well, and waved her hand tiredly, "Brings the things over, I don't care about this family, let them toss on their own. I want to see if they can toss a blooming flower out. I hope that Guan shi, like they all said, is a shrewd and capable person, able to hold lord marquis and suppress that evil spawn."
Guan Suyi was not surprised when she received the things from the old madam. In her previous life, she also took over the stewardship on the second day of her wedding. At that time she felt both moved and panicked, and immediately dispelled the resentment of guarding an empty boudoir alone. As for Zhao Chunxi's dowry, she had been doing her best to take care of it, but she didn't expect that this action would become a weapon for Ye Fan and Zhao Chunxi to accuse her for coveting her husband family's property, to the point that she was almost divorced.
Holding the dowry list, Guan Suyi tugged the corner of her mouth lightly, revealing a sneer. Since you think I am too dedicated, I will save a little effort in this life and leave you with nothing.
hurts for the spring and sad for the autumn: it means the emotion of sadness caused by the change of seasons and scenery, also describe sentimentality.
Di: born of official wife.
Shu: born from concubine.
