Chapter 141: Undercurrents
"Mistress, are you okay?" Mo Lan looked at Mu Xi Yao's swollen calf in distress and kneaded her gently.
Well, that was easy.
Mu Xi Yao took the fragrant fruit that Hui Lan handed over, and answered nonchalantly, "Don't worry, it's nothing." She bit down on the fruit and only felt that the cold juice sliding down her throat made her recover her spirits by two points. "What about Chun Lan? Can you hire a doctor? Send her the box of ointment that His Highness gave last time".
The little girl had her arms twisted and was forced to kneel in the sun for nearly half an hour. She must have burned her face, not to mention whether her knees were blue or purple.
Zhong Zheng Ying's means had the trademark of harem work, being one hundred percent vicious. This Princess was nothing but a poisonous woman corrupted by the deep palace.
"Mistress, why do you have to be so patient? If His Highness knew of today's events, he would definitely be unhappy."
Mistress curtly bowed her knees for half a cup of tea, if it were His Highness, he would never tolerate this happening.
Mu Xi Yao tilted her head to look at the lotus pond outside the window. The lotus flowers inside were already in full bloom, the leaves wrinkled and drooping, and the entire pond had no more scenery to speak of.
"Mo Lan, you can't count on His Highness for everything. Besides, His Highness should not intervene in this matter."
As soon as Zhong Zheng Lin left Sheng Jing, she was 'bullied'. If the sixth Highness came back, and hurriedly vented his anger for her, it would surely make Emperor Yuancheng unhappy.
"Don't underestimate a woman raised in the harem. When she choose this time, it can be said she used her brains". If Zhong Zheng Lin, who had already suppressed her once, repeated the old tricks, the sixth Highness would be scolded for not being moral and righteous.
"The more arrogant the Fourth Princess is, the better. Afraid that your Mistress in the future will continue to look like this, so be prepared. "
Everyone on their side should be restrained and well-behaved. This battle between backyard women was a long-term entanglement, which was by no means what Mu Xi Yao wanted, but Mu Xi Yao has always felt that it was stylish to combine both 'hard' and 'soft' methods. The 'hard' means had been played quite a lot, but the 'soft' path seemed to be not practiced enough. Finally, a very strong opponent, Zhong Zheng Ying appeared at her doorstep… Alright, she had to grab this chance!
To cause pity in Emperor Yuancheng's heart, how much of 'bad news' does he need to listen to make him completely disappointed with his fourth daughter? Mu Xi Yao's eyes shone with a wicked glimmer, and she began to think hard in her heart...
The Palace, the Imperial Study.
Emperor Yuancheng looked at Zhong Zheng Han, who was standing in front of him, and nodded in appreciation, "You have done a good job recently. Is there any reward you want?".
This question was asked casually, but Zhong Zheng Han did not dare to be careless. "Imperial Father, it's expected of Erchen [1] to do this much, and there is no need for additional rewards. The other brothers have done a good job on errands, and Imperial Father also praised them. This is enough to encourage Erchen to keep improving."
[1] 儿臣 érchén - Son minister. Ér means child/son while chen means official or subject in dynastic China / I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign). It's the way the Emperor's sons refer to themselves in front of him.
"Eighth brother's words are very true. Father, the sons are looking forward to sharing your worries, and they must be careful when they are on duty." At the moment, the Crown Prince is alone in Sheng Jing, and without Zhong Zheng Ming and Zhong Zheng Lin around to make him stumble, this is a bit hasty to say.
"Second brother has indeed been a lot more diligent in recent days, but I see he has grown up again." Zhong Zheng Chun is now weak, and the barefooted people are not afraid of those who wear shoes [2]; the treatment of the Crown Prince is not as good as before. The old enemy is still shouting in front of him, how can he be at ease?
[2] 光脚的不怕穿鞋的 guāngjiǎodebùpàchuānxiéde - lit. the barefooted people are not afraid of those who wear shoes (idiom) / fig. the poor, who have nothing to lose, do not fear those in power.
This is living with his head up [3]. Once Zong Zheng Hui succeeds on the throne, the first one to kill, regardless of his thoughts, is definitely himself who has been singing against him for more than ten years. This made Zong Zheng Chun unable to relax at all times, and he hated Mu Xiyao even more.
[3] 提着头过日子 tí zhe tóu guòrìzi - Methapor. 'Live with your head up' means being in a dangerous situation all the time. Something like keeping your eyes up and around to foresee dangers. —From Yao Xueyin's "Li Zicheng", Volume 1, Chapter 28: "If people can survive, who will follow others to rebel? Since he has the name of a thief, he has to live with his head up. People who don't have a tank of bitter water in their stomachs can't be so cruel."
So the Emperor's words, unknowingly, attracted everyone's guns and arrows.
These sons did not want to suppress their dislike for one another and continued to compete in plain sight. The Emperor was extremely dissatisfied with this.
"Okay." Emperor Yuancheng's memorial fell on the table, interrupting the Crown Prince's desire to explote. "I'm asking the eighth, are you all the eighth?" This was a faint sign of anger.
The Crown Prince hurriedly pleaded guilty, squinting at Zhong Zheng Chun's dissatisfied dull face, although his face expressed his dislike for being interrupted by Emperor Yuancheng, in his heart he was very gloating.
"It's fine if you don't want a reward. I will remember it for you, and will reward you at a later time." Emperor Yuancheng looked at this little son with great satisfaction. "Old [4] Eighth, since your Mother-Concubine [5] passed away, your Mansion has been much deserted. I have asked the Imperial Concubine to choose a virtuous woman for you, it is good that someone takes care of you and shares the cold and the heat."
[4] 老 lǎo is a prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity. Translated as "old", it's the same lao used on lao-gong which is an endearment for calling 'husband' in modern China. (This lao is used in various ways, but here I just talk about the part which concerns us.)
[5] Only the Empress can be called Mother. The concubines of the Emperor can only be called Mother-Concubine for their own sons, and these sons are obligated to call the Empress, Mother.
Ever since Ping Xiuyi passed away, this little son can hardly smile. If it weren't for the peaceful expression on his face, Emperor Yuancheng would have thought that he had another son like the sixth.
Although Zhong Zheng Lin was much better than before, he was still colder than others. If it wasn't for the eldest son under his knees, and the Mu family's girl making a fuss in his house, afraid he could be a vegetarian [6] and chanting scriptures now!
[6] In Chinese culture, being sexually active is known as 'eating meat'. 'Being vegetarian' therefore it's the opposite, it means that he is not interested in sexual affairs, he is abstinent, ascetic, etc.
Emperor Yuancheng attached great importance to his sons' position both on the inside and outside of their courtyards. [7] With Mu Xi Yao as a successful example, the Emperor planned to put a decent woman in his eighth son's house, but he had no time, so he could only tell the Imperial Concubine to take care of it.
[7] Inside refers to the backyard, meaning the women, and outside, it's the men's business. So he means that having sons and being a capable prince/ruler are things he attaches great importance to. Chinese philosopher Mencius gave three examples of what it means to lack filial piety, the third is: «If a grown child doesn't want to marry and have a baby, then they are not living up to their filial piety duties». So it's actually important that Zhong Zheng Ling hadn't had children, as he would not be really "qualified" to be the Emperor because he lacked filial piety which is the first and most important virtue in Chinese culture.
Zhong Zheng Han had long felt that there was a shortage of people in the backyard, and now Emperor Yuancheng opened his mouth first; he was naturally happy to accept it, and quickly thanked the Emperor for his grace.
After leaving the Imperial Study, the Crown Prince patted Zhong Zheng Han on the shoulder, as if envious.
"Old eighth, your treatment is about to catch up with the old sixth boy. Among us brothers, only his cefei was hand-picked by Imperial Father. and the rest of the women were just the harem ladies who saw them pleasing to the eye and cherished the brothers. Because no one took care of them, they stuffed people into the mansion. But this time your concubine is also an exception. The Imperial Concubine will personally choose the people, which shows that Imperial Father values you. When it comes to Mu cefei, the person chosen by Imperial Father is really different, tsk, tsk…" The Crown Prince's lewd gaze was not concealed, and it was clear at a glance that he held some idea of Zhong Zheng Lin's woman.
"What does the Crown Prince mean? The Emperor was only looking out for this younger brother because of the loss of Mother-Concubine. It's just a little care." Zhong Zheng Han didn't seem to understand the provocation in his words, and he just continued the conversation.
If he was so easy to lead around the nose, he would not be standing here right now. Afraid the Crown Prince would continue to be unhappy. Wanting him to trouble Zhong Zheng Lin out of jealousy, the Crown Prince seemed to think he was stupid.
As for Mu-shi, he focused on investigating her for a while. That woman's ability was also easy to see. If his cefei selected this time can have half of Mu-shi's skills, Zhong Zheng Han could also rest assured in handing over the backyard affairs to her.
Seeing that he pretended to be confused and wouldn't take the bait, the Crown Prince snorted coldly in his heart as he continued to exchange caring words.
Zhong Zheng Chun was now hopeless. The remaining brothers were the fifth brother Zhong Zheng Ming, the sixth brother Zhong Zheng Lin, and the eighth brother Zhong Zheng Han. Among these people, only Zhong Zheng Han was still immature and he may be able to try to win him over. The other two have hardened their wings, and they would definitely not accept him, and instead see through his scheme right away.
Zhong Zheng Han was younger than the Crown Prince, but his eyes were much more vicious. Seeing that the Crown Prince was suddenly silent, he didn't speak first.
Zhong Zheng Hui's abilities were mediocre at best, and he was especially jealous of talents. How could such a character be worthy of being a Crown Prince? If it hadn't been for the good-for-nothing eldest son, he would not have that position, yet he was in the same league as Zhong Zheng Chun. This waste was now tinkering with two rare things in farming in the Ministry of Industry, which was valued by Emperor Yuancheng and ordered by the Ministry of Industry to try to promote it. From this point of view, his Mother-Concubine was now precious by the virtue of her son, and so she still had some days left to be pampered.
After this day, the news of the Imperial Concubine's selection of cefei for the eighth prince spread all over Sheng Jing. After seeing the success and fame of the well-known Mu family in the sixth Prince's Mansion, who would not be willing to rise to the top and become rich in one day?
While the major families in Sheng Jing were rushing to get to know each other and vying for the position of the prince's cefei, a very secret conversation was taking place in the He Lian Mansion of this century-old family.
Chapter 142: Awareness
"What you just said, is it true?" He Lian Zhang, who had always been steady and cold, was so excited that he lost his self-control.
"This daughter does not dare to lie to father. The abbot personally predicted that the sixth Highness was to be on that seat."
"How can you hide such an important matter till now?" Since she was ten years old, He Lian Zhang has rarely spoken to He Lian Wei Rui with such reproachful words.
"His Royal Highness specially warned me that the time was not ripe and that I should not say it."
"And do you think the time is right now?" He Lian Zhang stared at the bright woman in front of him, his brows solemn.
He Lian Wei Rui shook her head and sighed helplessly. "If it wasn't for the Eighth Prince suddenly choosing a cefei, it wouldn't be too late to talk about this matter."
It was not the best time for her to expose the matter of the Phoenix sign [1]. It's just that, a few days ago, He Lian Min Min successfully asked the sixth Highness for a decree, and so seven children of the He Lian family joined the Gyeonggi Wujian Division. When this was done, the He Lian family's attitude towards He Lian Min Min immediately showed improvement, and even grandfather was slightly inclined to the main room of Lord He Lian.
[1] This is from Chapter 106. Mu Xi Yao and He Lian Wei Rui both get the "Phoenix stick - The Emperor's Swallow" fortune-telling stick which means that they're going to be the Empress, cuz the Phoenix is the sign of the Empress. In fact, behind this there's the hidden meaning of Zhong Zheng Lin becoming the Emperor.
On the occasion of Zhong Zheng Han's selection for a cefei, if she does not speak, once she is on the roster of Imperial Concubines, she will have to attend the Hundred Flowers Feast held in the Harem in January. With her status, to be chosen as a cefei should not be difficult. It's a pity that the blessing noble girls in Beijing couldn't wait to ask for is not a blessing for her.
He Lian Wei Rui does not think Zhong Zheng Han is unworthy. After all, the eighth prince had been gaining momentum in the court for the past six months, and he was truly a talented person, it was just a pity that there was still the sixth Royal Highness Zhong Zheng Lin, who is more agreeable to He Lian Wei eyes and far more talented, otherwise being the eighth Prince's cefei should be considered to be a good position.
Most importantly, Mu Xi Yao's fortune-telling stick was exactly the same as hers. Since wealth and power are imminent, why should she take the next best thing? The fortune-telling stick indicated that the sixth Highness would be able to inherit the throne, and that he would be Emperor. If she is the Emperor's swallow, then naturally she should go back to the nest.
The only problem is that the He Lian family needs to be willing to send both daughters to the sixth Prince's Mansion. Now He Lian Min Min has made a contribution to the family, and showed that she was not a wasted chess piece.
At this time, the only thing that can shake the confidence of the He Lian family is the Phoenix sign in Mu Xi Yao's hand. Only if the He Lian family believes that He Lian Min Min can't bear such a heavy burden, and she is likely to be overtaken by Mu-shi, can she enter the Palace smoothly and compete with Mu.
"This matter is of great importance, and you must not mention it to others. Whatever the family arranges, you wait for it." He Lian Zhang waved to her to step back, his eyebrows wrinkled deeply.
"Yes, Lord Father. [2]" He Lian Wei Rui achieved her goal without delay, and she opened the door and went out.
[2] 父亲大人 fù qīn dà ren - fùqīn means father and dàren means adult/grownup/title of respect toward superiors, so it's a respectful way of addressing her father. Raws said Lord Father so I left it like this.
Taking the maid out for more than ten steps, He Lian Wei Rui's expression became cautious. "You go see Aunt [3] later, and ask her to pay close attention to Dad's itinerary for a few days. This matter is extremely important, don't be negligent." If Lord He Lian went to Anguo Temple to verify in person, then the family's attitude would be clear.
[3] 姨娘 yíniáng - father's concubine (old). She is talking about her mother. I've seen in other novels concubines be referred to as 'aunt' so I left it like this.
A few days later, He Lian Zhang returned from Anguo Temple and summoned He Lian Wei Rui alone in his study. No one knew the content of the conversation between father and daughter except He Lian Zhang's personal entourage.
"Mistress, there's news about the thing you asked for this subordinate to pay attention to".
"Oh? This He Lian family is very fast." Since Mu Xi Yao learned that Zhong Zheng Han was choosing a concubine, she guessed that the most proud daughter of the He Lian family whose heart was higher than the sky [4] would not be an honest person. Since she had received the sign from the old monk before, it would be strange for her to be willing to enter the Eighth Prince's Mansion.
[4] 心比天高 xīn bǐ tiān gāo - Heart higher than the sky. An expression from the Chinese classic, Dream of the Red Chamber: "The moon is rare, and the colorful clouds are easy to disperse. The heart is higher than the sky, and the body is low." Meaning that someone is arrogant, arrogant and fanciful. There's another expression like "heart higher than the sky, life thinner than paper" which should be familiar to the To Be A Virtuous Wife's readers haha.
"How is it going?"
Although Wei Zhen didn't understand completely, he guessed that something big would happen, otherwise Mistress would not deliberately ask him to take someone to guard the mountain gate of Anguo Temple for two days. "As expected by Mistress, Master He Lian really arrived at Anguo Temple. After that, he met the abbot and the two talked for a while."
"I see". Mu Xi Yao nodded, said hard work, and let Wei Zhen go down to rest.
He Lian Min Min, have you ever felt sad to be born in such a family? Her family decided to send her shu younger sister in to compete for the illusory "Empress seat", but the rightful Master of this seat was still safe and sound, and even had the same roots.
Don't know how the principal consort He Lian-shi will keep people out this time.
Mu Xi Yao was not in a hurry to reveal the news. If He Lian Min Min didn't even notice this kind of thing, and if there was a more intense confrontation later, what chance could she have?
A day later, Chanruo Courtyard.
He Lian Min Min clenched her fists, and the silk handkerchief in her hands was almost torn apart by her.
"Mother really said that?" The news was shocking, and the matter was so big that it was difficult for her to understand the family's intentions.
Liu Qing nodded and replied more carefully, "The Madam said that the Lord went to Anguo Temple, and then made such a decision after discussing with the old man."
Grandfather agreed? He Lian Min Min's heart was twisted like a knife [5]. Is this her remarkable and proud life? Being used by her own family and then abandoned, afraid she is still the first among the prince's consorts!
[5] 心如刀绞 xīnrúdāojiǎo - to feel a pain like a knife being twisted in one's heart (idiom).
"Why is there such a sudden change? Can you find out the whole story?" She didn't believe that the He Lian family would have no reason. Considering what she had done for them, they would not be so eager to leave people behind unless there were greater interests involved.
"Madam has made inquiries from various sources, and only got to know that this matter was related to Miss Wei Rui. A few days ago, Miss Wei Rui met with the Lord in his study."
"It's her!" He Lian Min Min was furious. "It's that venomous snake woman, that bad thing again! She actually has the face to beg to enter the palace!"
It was already difficult for her in the Prince's Mansion. After finally gaining the trust of His Highness, she was just getting better, and her body was being recuperated, then this kind of thing happened. Was this to force her to go back to her mother's house to seek an explanation?
"Feng momo, tomorrow morning we will go back to the house and make arrangements."
"Mistress, principal consort He Lian hurried back to her maiden house with people." Zhu Jin looked at the exquisite patterns written by the Mistress and had to admire the Mistress' extraordinary patience. For this blossoming peony, the Mistress just meditated and painted each petal with a gold edge stroke by stroke. The flowers are of different colors, although they are all red, they have their own merits.
Wan Jing Wen finished the last stroke calmly, and carefully watched the scroll again and again before she was satisfied and handed the brush to Yin Shuang for cleaning.
Why was He Lian Min Min going back to her parents' house at this time? Not right. What can make her run to the house again and again regardless of the rules?
"Let's keep an eye on it, the money is scattered, and the news must be found out."
She always paid attention to He Lian Min Min's actions. Never allow that woman to play tricks under her nose.
"His Royal Highness, the rebels have retreated into the mountain stream. There are a lot of traps inside."
"The prisoners will explore the way." Zhong Zheng Lin waved his right hand and the armored soldiers pushed their way to the front.
Zhong Zheng Ming and Zhong Zheng Lin sat high on horseback and walked side by side, being guarded by everyone and advancing slowly.
"Sixth brother does not wait for the foreign experts in Shu to come and dismantle the traps, and prefers to use prisoners to explore the road, are you not afraid of leaving the name of cruelty?"
"The fight must not be delayed. Fifth brother does not agree with this?" Zhong Zheng Lin didn't even squint, he does not care whether the people beside him agree or not.
"No." Zhong Zheng Ming smiled mildly, "I agree. Those in Shu rebelled and did perverse acts, everyone who had a hand on it should be punished."
The two looked at each other, their eyes sharp.
"Of course." Zhong Zheng Lin nodded, and the group fumbled forward.
Half an hour later, more than half of the prisoners were killed or wounded, and there was still no trace of the leader of the rebel party. Zhong Zheng Lin looked at the sky, pulled the reins with force, and the team stopped.
"Set up camp."
"Yes, Your Highness." Yan Cheng Zhou led someone to convey the order. The 8,000 soldiers dispersed quickly, and the entire team was orderly and arranged for the night.
"His Royal Highness, the prince's residence has sent an official document." Ye Kai entered the prince's tent with a stack of documents in his hand, most of them were reports and two letters on his hand were particularly eye-catching.
Zhong Zheng Ming caught a glimpse of Mu Xi Ya's familiar font and continued to study tomorrow's itinerary on the marching map.
Zhong Zheng Lin stopped his official business, as usual, looked up, and read Mu Xi Yao's letter in detail.
The little woman was still acting like a spoiled child. First, she praised herself for a while, then she mentioned ChengQing, praising the child's amazing literacy speed, her tone was full of pride. Afterward, she carefully cared about his clothing, food, and march, and the most inked space was, unsurprisingly, another Shengjing rumor. All kinds of news were relayed vividly, which was much more exciting than the information sent by the dark guards.
Zhong Zheng Lin carefully analyzed Mu Xi Yao's seemingly disorganized "anecdote" and found that she was indeed well-intentioned.
After combing through the news she had heard, this woman picked out the things she thought were valuable. She didn't make any comments, and she didn't have any emotions. She just talked about things and presented them to him with the original taste. These seemingly market-flavored gossips often has other deep meanings behind it. It is complementary to the espionage of the dark guard, which makes his thinking clearer, and is often useful when handling political affairs, he can do more with less effort.
"His Royal Highness, principal consort He Lian made a special trip to send an urgent letter." Ye Kai put away Mu Xi Yao's letter, he always kept Mistress Yao's letter in a separate place. His Highness specially ordered him to take over this errand.
Handing over the letter from principal consort He Lian-shi, Ye Kai honestly waited by the side.
Zhong Zheng Ming glanced blankly at Zhong Zheng Lin's expression, and seeing that there was no strange expression on his face, he knew that Mu Xi Yao's situation was alright.
Today, Zhong Zheng Lin used prisoners to explore the way. Probably, the biggest reason was to catch up with his firstborn son's Draw Lots Ceremony [6]. He was this unwilling to wrong mother and son. Although it was true that the war conflict would not be delayed or hindered, he was not nervous to take hundreds of lives to make it on time.
[6] 抓周 zhuāzhōu - Draw Lots Ceremony. Custom of placing a variety of articles (writing brush, abacus etc) before an infant on its first birthday to see which one he or she picks up (The article chosen is supposed to be an indication of the child's inclinations, future career, etc.)
Going back this time, there will definitely be people in the cabinet who will use this as a pretext to preach around with great fanfare, criticizing him with words and writing that he was cruel and lacked benevolence and righteousness. Zhong Zheng Lin completely disdained this, what was he afraid of? To fulfill that woman's wish he was not unwilling to do this.
"Humph!" Zhong Zheng Ming was busy using both his heart and his mind, but Zhong Zheng Lin suddenly snorted coldly and put the letter aside.
Mu Xi Yao didn't mention anything, but He Lian Min Min explained it in detail. Zhong Zheng Lin never thought that the little woman would be sensible this time, and didn't even complain to him about her grievances.
The sixth Highness raised his eyebrows. He didn't give Zhong Zheng Ying the slightest thought, instead, he was very interested in such abnormal behavior of Mu Xi Yao. A pity the timing was wrong, and he missed her colorful play. However, that did not mean that Zhong Zheng Lin appreciated the scene of her bowing her head.
"Is something wrong?" Zhong Zheng Ming looked away from the army map and landed on Zhong Zheng Lin's face.
"It's just a small matter, just the women in the family having some fun". Zhong Zheng Lin replied casually.
He is not worried about how Mu Xi Yao will handle the matter. The manpower that he secretly left for her was enough to protect her thoroughly. As for the success and length of this battle, since the little woman didn't care about it, he would accompany her to enjoy the process. Letting his woman suffer like this made the sixth Highness endure some temporary "compromising" on his prestige. This was his first time experiencing this. Zhong Zheng Lin didn't take it seriously. Instead, he was quite looking forward to Mu Xi Yao's "Willows and Flowers" [7] singing.
[7] 柳暗花明 liǔ'ànhuāmíng - lit. the willow trees make the shade, the flowers give the light (idiom); at one's darkest hour, a glimmer of hope / light at the end of the tunnel. It is also a metaphor for encountering a turning point in difficulties. / There is a way out (for somebody). / Every cloud has a silver lining.
Chapter 143: The Family
"So." Zhong Zheng Ming put away the marching map, smoothed the folds of his cuffs, and seemed to ask casually, "Who offended cefei this time?"
Zhong Zheng Lin raised his eyebrows, "Fifth brother is so sure that the troublesome person is Mu-shi in the mansion?"
Zhong Zheng Ming smiled casually, "Are there other people in your mansion who are more likely to cause trouble?"
Zhong Zheng Lin heard him make sense and smiled playfully, "What does the fifth brother think of the fourth sister?"
Regarding the fourth princess' search for Mu Xi Yao, the two Royal Highnesses only smiled.
In the He Lian's mansion in Shengjing, because Mu Xi Yao had drawn the Emperor's Swallow fortune-telling stick at Anguo Temple, everyone's face was ugly.
Facing his eldest daughter, Lord He Lian felt a little guilty for the first time. "Min Min, the family's decision on this matter cannot be changed, and you don't need to bother. Instead of trying to prevent Wei Rui from entering the mansion, it is better to think about how to work together to subdue Mu-shi."
He Lian Min Min first looked at her grandfather and then at her father, they both had a resolute look, and in this instant her heart felt like it was submerged in an ice cellar. So this was the "strong support" promised by the closest people when she married? So far, in addition to money, the family had given her a momo for health care, and a half-sister whom she was absolutely unwilling to accept
"Because of that illusory sign, the family plans to let He Lian Wei Rui take this daughter's place instead?" He Lian Min Min couldn't believe that it was such a ridiculous reason that drove her to a desperate situation.
"Min Min, what the family needs is a road to the sky. The only reason for her to enter the mansion is to deal with Mu-shi and help you keep the position that the He Lian family should have. Why do you need to think about it? If she is favored, and has an heir, you will also record it in your name. This is both beneficial and harmless to you." The old master of the He Lian House gently wiped the white jade snuff bottle [1] in his hand, soothing the eldest granddaughter who was obviously agitated.
[1] Snuff bottles were used during the Qing Dynasty to contain powdered tobacco. Smoking tobacco was illegal during the Qing Dynasty, but the use of snuff was allowed because the Chinese considered snuff to be a remedy for common illnesses such as colds, headaches and stomach disorders. / In this video, it talks about how snuff was brought to China through missionaries who sent it to the Emperor as a tribute, and how snuff was used for the high-class members of Chinese society for refreshment.
Having said that, it was clear that there was no room for a change of plans. He Lian Min Min was extremely disappointed in her heart, but she didn't dare to show half of it on her face.
"Grandfather, Min Min understands." The woman's head was lowered, and the bangs on her forehead blocked the emotion in her eyes.
"Remember, put the He Lian family first in everything, and don't ruin the big things because of selfishness. Your mother is still a second-rank court-ordered wife of the He Lian family."
He Lian Min Min clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves and her heart was strongly unwilling, instantly she felt pain in her chest and abdomen from the burning anger.
"Mistress." Feng Momo looked at He Lian Min Min's bloodless face with distress. When the Master of the mansion spoke, as a servant, she was not qualified to inquire at all, but when she saw Mistress leave the study looking reluctant to leave, she was really worried.
"Momo, go to see my mother later, don't make her worry."
Grandfather threatened her with her mother to force her to allow He Lian Wei Rui to enter the door. If her mother knew about this, how sad she would be.
"You don't have to cover up. After so many years, does mother still not know what is going on with the He Lian family?" Madam He Lian looked at her daughter who was pretending to be smiling, and sneered, her eyes freezing cold. "Your grandfather must be forcing you to submit, am I right or not?"
He Lian Min Min put away her disguise, her numb face was particularly sad.
"Mother, it's your daughter's poor ability which has affected you." If she could live up to expectations and have a son, she wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation now.
"Daughter, what are you talking about? Although there's such a big family in this mansion, only you and I are connected by blood, your father, don't even mention him." Madam He Lian was already heartbroken by He Lian Zhang. That husband was cold-faced and cold-hearted, everything else was trivial, only the He Lian family was in his eyes. These days have long been just muddling through, and there was nothing new to mention.
"Min Min, the He Lian family will not give up on this matter. But there may be a turnaround."
"What my mother means is, find a way to get the imperial concubines to bring He Lian Wei Rui into the eighth prince's mansion? But father will definitely mediate and make things change."
"It's not difficult for He Lian Wei Rui to be chosen. How your grandfather and father will behave in private, mother can't guess. But if they want to send her to the Sixth Prince's Mansion, they will definitely take action in these few days, and you will be too late by then. But if you move quickly… she will have to enter the roster and then it will be in the hands of the imperial concubines to chose her, and everything will be over."
He Lian Min Min's face became ugly. This was to forcibly stuff people in the backyard without the nod of His Highness?
"You don't need to be so flustered. But don't forget, there is a very powerful woman in the mansion of the sixth prince. Would she be willing to let He Lian Wei Rui enter the door?" Madam He Lian had to admit that Mu-shi's current attitude was very important to He Lian Min Min's future.
"Mu-shi?" He Lian Min Min never thought that the "variable" in her mother's mind actually meant Mu Xi Yao! "How could she be involved for no reason? This daughter and her have never been on good terms, how could Mu-shi miss this great opportunity?" He Lian Min Min recalled hearing about the Tang sisters before, and felt this matter was even more absurd.
At the beginning, Mu-shi personally carried little Tang-shi to the door, and sat and watched the Tang sisters fight fiercely. In the end, both sides suffered, and she reaped a bargain in vain [2]. If it weren't for that battle that destroyed too many women, how could there be so many places [3] in the backyard of His Highness Sixth Highness for these women to enter the door?
[2] Sentence was: 让她白白拣了便宜. So 便宜 is 'small gains' and 白白 means 'to no purpose; for nothing; of no avail'. It means, no action was paid and the rewards were gained in vain. A bargain.
[3] In some novels we are told that princes/wangye can have as many concubines as they like (like in Tyrannical Wang's Beloved Wife) but in this novel, apparently they can only have a certain number. So, if they fill these places, Min Min's sister will not have room to enter ZZL's backyard.
"But you are wrong. Today is different from the past. The two of them won the Phoenix lottery at the same time, and there is no room for two tigers in one mountain [4]. How could Mu-shi allow He Lian Wei Rui to threaten her status?"
[4] 山不容二虎 shān bùróng èr hǔ - (Proverb). Two strong people are incompatible and cannot coexist in the same place.
He Lian Min Min hadn't really paid full attention before. Her mind was all about stopping He Lian Wei Rui from entering the door. Now that her mother mentioned the matter of Mu Xi Yao's sign her heart tensed up.
It was true that there were wolves in front and tigers behind [5], and neither Mu-shi and He Lian Wei Rui were easy to deal with.
[5] 前有狼后有虎 qián yǒu láng hòu yǒu hǔ - From Feng Wei Min "Qingjiang Introduction: Style Provincial Enlightenment" song: "Knowing that the road to fireworks is bitter, there is no way to go and no way to come. The fierce tiger crawls his heart, and the hungry wolf digs his belly. I am now afraid of wolves and tigers." A metaphor for being timid and fearful, having too many concerns/a dilemma/between a rock and a hard place.
"But mother, Mu-shi's sign is also the Emperor's Swallow sign. He Lian Wei Rui's methods have always been sinister, maybe it's better to put the two of them together…"
"Confused!" Madam He Lian was shocked, not expecting that He Lian Min Min was already so flustered that she lost her mind.
"If He Lian Wei Rui enters the manor, of course, she would never die with Mu-shi as you wish. Have you ever thought that the biggest obstacle for the two of them is you, the sixth princess who occupies the main seat of the family? If the two of them work together to deal with you first, pull you off your horse [6], and then fight for your seat, what will you do? Do you think that with He Lian Wei's resolute nature, you can stay out of the way and watch her fight to death and die, and then pick up something cheap?"
[6] 下马来 xià mǎlái - (idiom) pull someone down, unseat those in power.
He Lian Min Min was drenched in cold sweat behind her back, her face pale with fright.
If mother can think of this level, could it be that grandfather and Lord He Lian can't think of it?
"Mother, grandfather and father…" They clearly knew He Lian Wei Rui's character and knew that Mu-shi's ability was not small. Putting these two people together, how could they not think of her situation? Even when they knew that she would not end well, they still agreed to He Lian Wei Rui's request and made her an abandoned child.
Madam He Lian was not content with the news and knew that her daughter was in desperate condition. Looking at the strong resentment in her eyes now, don't know if she was too badly hurt by the people closest to her, or if she already has jealousy [7].
[7] 嫉恨 jíhèn - to hate out of jealousy / to resent.
"Min Min, be strong, don't hurt your body." She hugged He Lian Min Min's shoulders, her voice hoarse.
"Mother, Min Min would rather not have such a family background." He Lian Min Min's eyes were red, and she leaned on Madam He Lian arms as she wept softly.
How long has it been? It seems that after the age of eight, she has never taken a break.
Before, thinking that grandfather and father were strict, she redoubled her efforts to get their approval and He Lian Wei Rui was also constantly pressing her down. She reminded herself all the time: keep the pride of the first daughter and don't shame mother. But now, all her efforts were insignificant in the eyes of her grandfather and father. The phrase "family is the most important" which made her persist for the past ten years became a joke.
"Min Min, after this, think more about yourself. Hurry up and give birth to a di son for His Royal Highness. It is important to have a foothold in the royal family. The He Lian family is not worth your concern." Madam He Lian stroked her hair gently, as every mother does, she only wished for her daughter to be safe and well. Prosperity and wealth are just the icing on the cake.
He Lian Min Min vented, and then quietly let the momo beside Madam He Lian to serve her to wash and change clothes.
"Mother, Min Min knows what to do. You take care of yourself and don't let daughter worry." He Lian Min Min looked at the bronze mirror [8], looking at the woman in the mirror with her hair on the temples meticulously, she had no hesitation in her eyes.
[8] According to Kimpei Takeuchi 1991's article, Bronze mirrors have been around since prehistoric times in China and have two sides: the back where there's a knob —which shows the Dynasty time—, and the front of the mirror which is made concave to show the entire face of the person. They're usually round because this shape symbolizes perfection and bliss. Apparently they are not blurry at all. In the Ming dynasty, they're replaced by glass mirrors. There's another interesting article here about it.
The He Lian family was so heartless and indifferent, she no longer expected to be helped. From then on, she was only He Lian Min Min, and in the Prince's Mansion, even if she only relied on herself, she had to live a good life. The seat of the main room, she will not let go. If He Lian Wei Rui wants to enter the mansion, she can try.
In Danruo courtyard, Mu Xi Yao was lying leisurely on the rocking chair staring at the little bun drawing as she drew a painting of her son.
Cheng Qing was dressed in a cat-boy short-sleeved suit, which was very flattering. Mu Xi Yao did not forget to "draw the finishing touch" behind her son's little butt, adding a little fluffy tail.
Seeing that the little master's image was ruined by cefei, Wei Zhen simply held back his resistance and couldn't bear to look directly. If His Highness knew that his son was still swaggering around in this costume, he might be so angry that he would flick his sleeves.
"Mother, Hong Guoguo. [9]" Cheng Qing's chubby paw grabbed the picture in his hands and raised it high to ask Mu Xi Yao for a reward.
[9] Little bun is a baby so he doesn't speak well. Without meaning to, he's saying 红果果 hóngguǒ guǒ (red fruit: naked) which is a slang word used for c-netizens. It is rumored that this internet term was generated because some big forums blocked words such as "naked", netizens encountered things that were obviously not H but were blocked, so they ridiculed it through alternative interpretations. Another example: When someone says a very fake word, or a conspiracy that can be seen at a glance, they can say: "This is a conspiracy of Hong Guoguo!" (From Baidu).
Mu Xi Yao had black lines [10] on her face. Hong Guoguo? Such non-mainstream vocabulary, when did she teach this little bun?
[10] 黑线 hēi xiàn. Originating from Japanese anime characters on whose faces artists draw sweat drops and black lines as a metaphor for anxiety, depression and anger, this term was used first by anime fans and now by many Chinese netizens to mean "unhappy" and "sullen." (Why does Xiao Lin have a black line on his face, who offended him? Xiǎolín zěnme yīliǎn hēixiàn, shuí dézuì tā le?).
Baidu says: Comic expression techniques. It is usually used to express the state of mind of a character when he is depressed or when he is hit. / Speechless, helpless. Sometimes it means surprise and helplessness.
Seeing her son's expectant eyes, she felt it was really not good to discourage the children's enthusiasm for learning. Mu Xi Yao had no discipline and she praised him vigorously. "Cheng Qing is so smart. When Daddy comes back, Mother will ask Daddy to hold you high and play "fly" with Cheng Qing."
Wei Zhen heard Mistress Yao being lazy to repay the debt and using his Royal Highness again, any reward was "waiting for Daddy to come back". This trick was very useful to coax the little master.
Mu Xi Yao caught a glimpse of Wei Zhen's bad demonstration of rolling his eyes to the sky, and immediately retaliated.
"Wei Wei likes to eat red fruits the most, and Cheng Qing should give it to Wei Wei."
When Cheng Qing listened to her mother's rare issue of an assignment, he turned over and sat up, standing steadily with a pair of short legs, he looked around to find Wei Zhen, and when he caught his eyes, he excitedly rushed towards Wei Zhen with the picture.
Lord Wei stiffened his face, thanking the little master for his kindness, and his hands holding the pieces of paper were trembling slightly.
When did he like to eat this kind of girlish stuff? A grown man liking red fruit? After saying this, how could he still be sitting firmly, won't he be laughed at by his colleagues? Was it really okay for cefei to teach the little master like this without a bottom line?
Wei Zhen was melancholy looking at Mistress Yao who was smiling brightly, and the little master in his arms also cheered, really missing the clean days around His Highness. No matter how cold the Sixth Highness was, he was much easier to serve than Mistress Yao who was too trickery!
Chapter 144: Visit
Wei Zhen was secretly worried when he saw Zhao Momo bringing Chun Lan into the house to thank Mu Xi Yao.
Seeing that the little girl was clearly wronged, Mu Xi Yao looked moved and felt a little sour in her heart.
"Momo, help her up quickly. What are you doing here in such a hurry, go back and rest. It's not too late to come out again in ten days and a half, Mistress will definitely not deduct your monthly payment."
There is no shortage of people around her. The six female guards given by Zhong Zheng Lin were often idle in the courtyard.
Seeing that Chun Lan was sick and had to come over to work, Mu Xi Yao immediately remembered her inhumane boss' hateful face from before. Now that the feng shui [1] was turning well, it was her turn to be the little boss, and she naturally has to be more generous, lest the person in front of her also complains behind her back and scolds her for being mean and stingy, right?
[1] The literal translation of "feng" means wind and "shui" means water. In Chinese culture, wind and water are both associated with good health. Thus, feng shui came to mean good fortune. Superstitions believe that good or bad Feng Shui can affect the prosperity of his family, offspring good and bad, etc.
"Mistress, that bottle of ointment…" Chun Lan didn't continue to speak, and big tears began to fall.
Mu Xi Yao was startled, what happened? Does that ointment not work? If it was good, why would she cry?
"The ointment was spent in this servant." The little maid twitched in sadness and kept wiping her eyes with her right hand. Mistress gave her the imperial ointment, and she used it very unsteadily.
Mu Xi Yao was falsely alarmed by her panting when she spoke, so was the ointment bad or not?
"Does your Mistress treat you so badly? If they give you a bottle of ointment, you will cry big tears. If someone isn't in the know, they would think that your Mistress treated people harshly. It's fine, alright? Just put away your tears, that ointment is just a thing. What, do you still use it sparingly when it should be used?"
Mu Xi Yao waved her hand, and Hui Lan took out another jar of ointment and stuffed it into Chun Lan's arms.
Chun Lan originally came to thank her Mistress, but she was easily confused and led to bow for grace, and then was taken back stupidly. Not only did she have good medicine this time around too, but she was also on sick leave for half a month, which made her mind a little bit overwhelmed.
Mu Xi Yao felt that the ointment that the Sixth Highness gave her was a waste. She had a jade pendant that could warn her early on, and she was very careful about stumbling. If something really happened, and the jade's warning was too late to take measures, although this should be rare, one or two jars were enough for her to use.
"Mistress, princess consort He Lian has just returned to the mansion. As soon as she came back, she took someone to Fanghua Garden." Zhao Momo noticed the idle people retreating, and hurriedly reported the situation in the backyard to Mu Xi Yao.
Visiting Su Lin Rou for two days in a row? Was He Lian Min Min preparing an alliance to go into battle?
Mu Xi Yao felt that it should be more vivid to describe He Lian Min Min's plan as a "pit person" [2].
[2] 坑人 kēngrén - a Chinese word, meaning to harm people, frame people. Cheating people, scamming people.
"She got the news, and she can take care of this, which is good." Mu Xi Yao was very optimistic about He Lian Min Min's performance in the past few days. This is what a princess should be like. How could the dignified and calm woman in the previous life, the Empress of Emperor Jian'an, do nothing and remain silent like this?
This time the He Lian House would be was forced to step forward to confront the fourth Princess, Zhong Zheng Ying. Afraid there will be a good show to watch later.
Mu Xi Yao was just in the mood to be an idler, but He Lian Min Min brought someone to Danruo Courtyard the next day.
After greetings from both sides, there was an atmosphere of polite hospitality.
"Princess consort came here today, does she have something important to explain to this concubine?"
He Lian Min Min came here, maybe she was going to have a showdown with her and pull her to deal with Zhong Zheng Ying together?
"Sister can really joke. There's nothing to explain here. It's just a business deal with sister." He Lian Min Min put down the tea cup and waved to the maid behind her to step down.
Doing business? This topic was special and immediately aroused Mu Xi Yao's interest.
The maid was not stingy, and readily backed away from the person she was serving, and Mu Xi Yao eagerly waited for He Lian Min Min to speak. Wei Zhen didn't know in which corner to hide and was very relieved when he got permission to go away.
"Has sister seen the person He Lian Wei Rui?"
Mu Xi Yao was taken aback. This type of question… Speaking of that ambitious woman at this time, could it be said that this business was...
With certainty in her heart, Mu Xi Yao was not in a hurry to speak and answered her questions calmly. "I've seen her twice. This concubine met her at the incense offering at Anguo Temple for the first time. The second time was when His Highness opened the residence."
He Lian Min Min guessed that Mu Xi Yao wouldn't hide it, but she didn't want to speak of her own situation in detail. Maybe it was better to talk to the woman in front of her directly.
"Does cefei think that He Lian Wei Rui is a good person?" Since she has met the person, she should have some opinions.
Mu Xi Yao saw right away that He Lian Min Min's attitude had changed. To be honest, she was more comfortable with this way of communicating, without those twists and turns [3]. Since people gave peaches first [4], how could she not say anything?
[3] Going around means not directly expressing your thoughts, but always expressing your thoughts through various tortuous ways or practices.
[4] 投之以桃 tóu zhī yǐ táo - Invest me with a peach, and return it with a li is a Chinese idiom, abbreviated as a peach and a li. It means he gave me peaches and I gave him plums in return. The meaning is to be grateful. It is a metaphor for mutual exchange of gifts and gifts, and it is also a metaphor for mutual exchange of gifts and gifts.
"Did she beg Lord He Lian to enter the mansion?"
As soon as these words came out, He Lian Min Min's expression changed immediately.
How does Mu Xi Yao even know about this? When did this happen? The He Lian family kept this matter a secret. How could this woman get the news so fast after spending her days in the house every day? Did she have another source, or did she see through the nature of He Lian Wei Rui at a glance?
"Principal consort, don't be so surprised. Your sister won the Phoenix lottery. If she really didn't have any ideas, it wouldn't make sense." Ordinary people indeed have ideas, but this He Lian Wei Rui had a big idea.
"Isn't Cefei afraid that she will cause trouble with you after she enters the mansion?" To win the support of the family, He Lian Wei Rui must produce results. Mu Xi Yao was the first choice.
"In this way, Lord He Lian is planning to change his generals and shuffle his cards again." Mu Xi Yao rolled up the fringed tassels around her waist [5] and played with them, she had a very relaxed expression.
[5] Similar to Bagua mirrors, knots are supposed to ward off evil spirits, hence are a symbol of longevity and eternity. Knots act as good-luck charms given during Chinese New Year celebrations. In Feng Shui it is believed, 'endless knot' symbolises a long life without setbacks.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with talking about He Lian Min Min's father so honestly. As for the meaning of her words, everyone clearly understood. This was to make it clear that the two have been on the wrong path from beginning to end.
"How is the principal consort going to deal with her?" He Lian Zhang was a royalist, this was a beautiful banner to mean he was actually greedy but lacked courage. If he wanted to seek benefits, the most obvious shortcut was to use his relatives.
He Lian Min Min could not have imagined that Mu Xi Yao could see things so clearly, even the fact that she was about to become an abandoned child was unceremoniously pointed out by her. As for Mu Xi Yao talking about Lord He Lian, without showing any politeness, He Lian Min Min didn't mind it.
The family didn't even care about her situation, what was the use of her caring about the reputation of the other party?
Now that the two sides have spoken, there was no need to cover up.
"I definitely don't want to let He Lian Wei Rui enter this prince's mansion." He Lian Min Min narrowed her eyes and spoke frankly.
The corner of Mu Xi Yao's mouth twitched, the woman opposite was really not hesitating to speak at this important time. Mu Xi Yao felt that it was the first time to enjoy such smooth communication in the backyard. Usually, she could only speak openly with the Sixth Highness. The rest of the women, including Lady Yu and Consort Shu, were polite, courteous, and spoke auspicious words, in fact, it was difficult for her to go around in circles when speaking.
"Cefei should not like this person." According to He Lian Min Min's observation in March, although Mu Xi Yao also competed for favour, and competed fiercely, she never harmed anyone's life. She can be considered upright, at least not heartless. Such a woman, as long as one doesn't irritate her, shouldn't like to play tricks.
"It's not that I dislike it, I just find it troublesome." Mu Xi Yao answered bluntly and with a clear attitude.
It was inevitable that in a Prince's Mansion people would compete for favour, and it was normal to use some means to win over men from time to time. If a person who is neither hot nor cold, who has a dark temperament and likes to stare at everyone with a pair of gloomy eyes all day is around, Mu Xi Yao felt that the sky would become a bit dark and unbearable. In this nice yard, it was better to not let enter such troublesome women.
Chapter 145: Unsuitable
"Since cefei is not happy to see He Lian Wei Rui enter the door, this business can be discussed". He Lian Min Min stroked the gold nail guard with a smile on her face.
[1] 护甲 hùjiǎ - Chinese fingernail guard. In Ancient China, high-class members of the society wore nail guards to keep their long nails safe. (More info on footnotes below).
Mu Xi Yao listened to her frankness but focused more on her clothes.
This kind of ink-cyan palace attire was something she hadn't seen before. Did the Shangyi [2] Bureau make a new design? As a rule, this year, there was the Principal Consort and two cefei in the Prince's mansion and the quota for their new clothes had long been filled. How could they suddenly make an extra set?
[2] Shangyi - 尚衣, the 衣 means 'clothes' or 'to dress / to wear / to put on (clothes)'. It's the department in the Palace that takes care of dressing up the Royal Family.
"Does cefei think this Consort palace dress looks good?" He Lian Min Min got Mu Xi Yao's assurance, and now she had the mind to gossip. "This is custom-made in the newly opened Nishang Pavilion [3] in Jingli. Not only is the fabric soft and harmonious, but the embroidery craftsmanship is also top-notch." He Lian Min Min pulled up her wide sleeves and stretched her arms slightly forward, letting Mu Xi Yao see that the workmanship in the details was also extremely exquisite.
[3] Can't be too sure of the translation, but let's call it The Nishang Pavilion, it's a shop for custom-made clothing.
#Pinterest.
Mu Xi Yao looked at her carefully and frowned slightly. "This Nishang Pavilion actually customizes palace dresses in private?"
How could a private tailor shop ever accept orders for a palace dress? Can those eunuchs in the Shangyi Bureau watch the oil and water flow out? [4]
[4] 看油水往外流 kàn yóushuǐ wǎng wài liú - 'Watch the oil and water flow out', couldn't find an actual definition, but I'm guessing the meaning it's kinda like 'watching the money slip by their hands'.
He Lian Min Min heard her doubts and slowly started the fan in her hand. "The Noble Consort [5] takes care of the affairs of the Six Palaces [6] with the backing of the Empress, but after all, she is too old to manage so many irrelevant affairs. Naturally, this errand was sent down and shared by the ladies. In addition to custom-made clothes, Shangyi Bureau takes orders separately, but it is not as novel in style or colors made outside, and it is always too formal."
[5] 皇贵妃 huáng guìfēi - Meaning 'Imperial Noble Consort'. It's the highest Consort, she only has to bow to the Emperor and Empress. Kinda like the Cefei position.
[6] Six Western Palaces, together with Six Eastern Palaces, accommodated the emperor's wives and concubines. Six Palaces = all the Imperial Concubines of the Emperor.
The Forbidden City map.
"This Nishang Pavilion was newly opened in Jingli by several Princesses [7] and County Lords [8] for a few days now. They each gave a share. And although it's called a palace dress, it just looks like it, in fact, the visitor can only order it when they have an identity. The Noble Consort should have heard of it already, but this trivial matter involves several Princesses who just came out of the cabinet [9]. Naturally, she didn't say much, just pretended she didn't know."
[7] 公主 gōngzhǔ - Princess. This could be the Princesses born by the Empress or the Concubines, there's no distinction made in the raws.
[8] 郡主 jùnzhǔ - County Lord. (Wikipedia says: translated as "Princess of a Commandery" or "Princess of the Third Rank". It was usually granted to the daughter of a qinwang. Also called heshuo gege (和碩格格) or qinwang gege (親王格格), lit. "lady of a prince of the blood". Daughters of Qinwang also could be promoted to heshuo gongzhu or gulun gongzhu if they were adopted as emperor's daughters.
[9] Means they just got out of the Palace, and opened their Mansion, this also means they're newly married. They're just kids messing around cuz they're out of their parents house, lmao.
Mu Xi Yao raised her eyebrows, such a thing exists? Princesses join forces to earn small money? If the imitation of palace clothes could be this easy, Mu Xi Yao felt that Emperor Yuancheng would soon be able to smuggle this business away.
Noble Consort didn't ask? Afraid it wasn't because the matter was too trivial to take care of, but because she had a share. It's not that she didn't dare to take responsibility, she just had other ideas.
If Mu Xi Yao guessed correctly, the two Princesses from the Noble Consort should not be involved in this matter.
"This concubine once heard that there was a wealthy family. The elders are still alive, and the figure for public expenses was fixed. The younger son felt that the usual expenses were higher, so he bought an industry privately outside, and shipped the unused bamboo strips piled up at home out of the house to be processed into bamboo baskets and sold cheaply."
He Lian Min Min felt that she had to pay great attention when talking to Mu Xi Yao. Before this woman had finished discussing one thing, she began to talk about another, not knowing what she had in mind.
"Although the price was cheap, how many were sold? Slowly, this small business picked up."
Seeing He Lian Min Min's indifference, Mu Xi Yao shook her head secretly in her heart. Seems like the vision is a bit worse, and she didn't see things long-term. Always stuck in the backyard like this, scheming women back and forth, without caring about anything else, how could she be favoured by Zhong Zheng Lin?
"A little can always make a lot. The younger son had made a lot of money. When the other branches saw that the youngest was living a prosperous life, they're naturally resentful. How could a businessman be funded by the family? Isn't this not following the rules? So there is disharmony in the family. The parents knew about this, and they deducted their youngest son's yearly money without saying a word. From then on, he would rather let the extra bamboo strips be mouldy and rot there than let people move it more."
Emperor Yuancheng wasn't simply the head of a wealthy family, and punishing individuals wasn't a trivial matter such as deducting monthly money. Dare to break the regulations in the palace, if the public and private matters are mixed like this, if a copy of the dragon robe was produced in the future, could the Emperor really let it go?
"How does Principal Consort think that this family compares to this matter?" Mu Xi Yao would go mad if she didn't understand.
So hurry up and stay as far away from the Nishang Pavilion as possible. Do you really want to get involved? Just wait for Emperor Yuancheng to find out, see how he will settle this matter. Zong Zheng Lin's Principal Consort shouldn't act so blindly, it will only make people laugh.
Mu Xi Yao felt very sad. She was the Principal Consort of the Mansion, if the Principal Consort is too shameless, their level will not rise. Emperor Yuancheng should check his sons' backyards when he is free. If this is solved too slowly, it will obviously hinder the progress of the boss's ascension, and wouldn't her goal of being a favoured concubine take a longer time to achieve? This was absolutely not possible.
Mu Xi Yao felt that it was most difficult for her to control He Lian Min Min. It was not an easy job to carry her and support her from time to time! When the big boss married this woman, she had to watch over her like a nanny. Does this mean she needs to ask for more benefits for her painstaking efforts?
Today He Lian Min Min came to talk about He Lian Wei Rui but even if she didn't speak, Mu Xi Yao couldn't idly stand by. Although He Lian Min Min and her were never on the same side, and internal fighting was very annoying, but if the huge ship of the Prince's Mansion sank as a whole, where should they fight! So this was a matter of proportion.
Although He Lian Min Min was a bit astute, most of the time she knew the bottom line. As for goodness or evil, Mu Xi Yao didn't bother to think about it. How many good women can there be in the harem? He Lian-shi only entered the door less than six months ago, if she had become shrewd in this short period of time, Zhong Zheng Lin would've long ago let her go to a sanitarium to recuperate for eight or ten years.
He Lian Min Min did look a bit better than the other option of He Lian Wei Rui, so she'll just make do with it. Mu Xi Yao's requirements were not high, as long as you don't provoke her, for other women, He Lian Min Min, as the mistress of the house, can of course watch and deal with the rest of them.
Although Mu Xi Yao's words were euphemistic, the meaning was clear. Especially that last question, He Lian Min Min immediately understood the intention in her words. When she thought about it like this, she immediately realised that her clothes were unsuitable.
Was this woman kindly reminding her? He Lian Min Min suddenly felt a lot better. No matter how talented Mu Xi Yao was, there were rules that bound her. Even if she didn't like to have contact with the women in the Mansion, at a critical time, didn't she still have to take care of the overall situation and work hard? Although the words used were simple, the mind was moved.
"The Nishang Pavilion is a few blocks away from the Mansion. From now on, it will be more convenient for the clothes of the various courtyards in the Mansion to be handed over to the Shangyi Bureau. After all, the clothes are ready-made with our measurements, so there is no need to bother each courtyard to measure again." He Lian Min Min took a sip of the clear tea in front of her, and her tone of voice turned extremely natural.
Mu Xi Yao narrowed her eyes and smiled softly. "Yes, Principal Consort Zheng is very thoughtful."
The two smiled at each other, showing a tacit understanding that they had never had before.
"What are you planning to do with He Lian Wei Rui business?" After so long, isn't it time to reveal the crux of the matter?
He Lian Min Min put down the tea cup and wiped the corners of her lips with a silk handkerchief. Seeing Mu Xi Yao's gentle smile, she finally said the thoughts she had kept hidden for a long time.
"Before Cefei's confinement, I shall help stop the Fourth Princess from making trouble. Cefei only needs to stay in the house and wait for the delivery date while taking care of her body. In exchange, Cefei needs to help me come up with ideas when she is free to block He Lian Wei from entering the mansion. If the concubine is interested, I think it's best to stop her idea of becoming a concubine for Zhong Zheng Lin".