If she is still thinking about her own little plans, Lu Lingjun will smash them to pieces!
Liu only looked at the benefits to her, but she couldn't get these benefits at all!
If she really wanted to take action against Lu Kuan, Lu Lingjun would ask Old Man Lu to intervene!
This is called one thing conquers another!
Originally, Liu could only arrange it quickly before Old Man Lu found out. She even hoped that her niece could win Lu Kuan's favor and fall in love with him. This would be the most natural and best thing to happen.
But now, Lu Lingjun directly hit him with a stick.
When Liu heard this, all her thoughts disappeared. She sighed, turned to look at Lu Lingyun and said with a smile, "Lingyun, you are right. Kuan'er is the hope of our Lu family now. Naturally, all of us hope for the best for him!"
Seeing that Liu had come to her senses, Lu Lingjun stood up with a smile, "I knew that mother was sensible and farsighted. After all, no matter what Kuan'er said, he still recognized you as his mother, and he would never forget the good things you did for him."
Give a slap in the face and then give a sweet date, tell Liu that no matter what, Lu Kuan at least calls her mother and recognizes her as his mother. As long as she keeps this identity, she will not be in a bad situation in the future!
Hearing this, Liu smiled, "Yes, yes, yes."
After giving Liu some advice, Lu Lingjun also stood up and said goodbye, "It's getting late. After I deliver the things to Kuan'er, I should go back."
"Okay, Lingyun, take care."
"Qingping and Qingshuang, the two of you go and see your big sister off."
Aunt Liu also said so.
"Yeah." This was what the sisters Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang had originally thought. They both stood up slowly and followed Lu Lingjun out.
After they left the house, Liu Qingping chuckled, "Big sister, my mother must be beating her chest in the house right now!"
"I believe it too. My mother is the kind of person who gets angry behind people's backs." Liu Qingshuang said so.
After the two sisters finished talking, Lu Lingjun heard Liu Qinghui's sobbing and a few low curses coming from the room behind them.
"You are useless!"
"How come you are the only useless person in the family? You can't even grasp such a good marriage opportunity! You will regret it in the future!"
Lu Lingjun listened to the conversations in the room and chuckled.
Lu Lingjun placed the prepared things in Lu Kuan's yard and left. On the way, the two sisters Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang still surrounded her and talked to her non-stop.
Both of them married well. Liu Qingshuang's husband's family even had a daughter who married into Duke Liu's mansion and became the second wife of the third young master of their eldest family.
"Big sister, I heard from my mother-in-law a few days ago that my eldest sister-in-law who married into Duke Liu's mansion told her that the second house beat to death a maid who climbed into the bed, and it was a big deal."
"The girl from the second room?"
Liu Qingshuang nodded, "It's the second wife your sister-in-law married into."
If she is still thinking about her own little plans, Lu Lingjun will smash them to pieces!
Liu only looked at the benefits to her, but she couldn't get these benefits at all!
If she really wanted to take action against Lu Kuan, Lu Lingjun would ask Old Man Lu to intervene!
This is called one thing conquers another!
Originally, Liu could only arrange it quickly before Old Man Lu found out. She even hoped that her niece could win Lu Kuan's favor and fall in love with him. This would be the most natural and best thing to happen.
But now, Lu Lingjun directly hit him with a stick.
When Liu heard this, all her thoughts disappeared. She sighed, turned to look at Lu Lingyun and said with a smile, "Lingyun, you are right. Kuan'er is the hope of our Lu family now. Naturally, all of us hope for the best for him!"
Seeing that Liu had come to her senses, Lu Lingjun stood up with a smile, "I knew that mother was sensible and farsighted. After all, no matter what Kuan'er said, he still recognized you as his mother, and he would never forget the good things you did for him."
Give a slap in the face and then give a sweet date, tell Liu that no matter what, Lu Kuan at least calls her mother and recognizes her as his mother. As long as she keeps this identity, she will not be in a bad situation in the future!
Hearing this, Liu smiled, "Yes, yes, yes."
After giving Liu some advice, Lu Lingjun also stood up and said goodbye, "It's getting late. After I deliver the things to Kuan'er, I should go back."
"Okay, Lingyun, take care."
"Qingping and Qingshuang, the two of you go and see your big sister off."
Aunt Liu also said so.
"Yeah." This was what the sisters Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang had originally thought. They both stood up slowly and followed Lu Lingjun out.
After they left the house, Liu Qingping chuckled, "Big sister, my mother must be beating her chest in the house right now!"
"I believe it too. My mother is the kind of person who gets angry behind people's backs." Liu Qingshuang said so.
After the two sisters finished talking, Lu Lingjun heard Liu Qinghui's sobbing and a few low curses coming from the room behind them.
"You are useless!"
"How come you are the only useless person in the family? You can't even grasp such a good marriage opportunity! You will regret it in the future!"
Lu Lingjun listened to the conversations in the room and chuckled.
Lu Lingjun placed the prepared things in Lu Kuan's yard and left. On the way, the two sisters Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang still surrounded her and talked to her non-stop.
Both of them married well. Liu Qingshuang's husband's family even had a daughter who married into Duke Liu's mansion and became the second wife of the third young master of their eldest family.
"Big sister, I heard from my mother-in-law a few days ago that my eldest sister-in-law who married into Duke Liu's mansion told her that the second house beat to death a maid who climbed into the bed, and it was a big deal."
"The girl from the second room?"
Liu Qingshuang nodded, "It's the second wife your sister-in-law married into."
"Why are Shao Jing back?" Lu Lingjun greeted her with his signature polite smile.
"I heard that my uncle went to the army. My aunt and his wife loved each other deeply and had been together for decades. I thought she must be very worried at this moment, so I came back to accompany her." Qin Shaojing said sincerely.
Qin, who was sitting on the couch, smiled with satisfaction, "Shao Jing is thoughtful."
When Lu Lingjun saw this, he smiled with his face but not his heart.
I haven't seen her come back for six years since I got married, it seems like she married far away. We are still in the capital, so I can come back whenever I want.
Besides, the old marquis has been on the expedition for nearly half a month, so he comes back so late, and I don't think this excuse is lame.
This time when he came back, I'm afraid he would beat the pregnant maid in the courtyard to death and hide in the Ningyang Marquis' Mansion to avoid the limelight!
It was also thanks to her aunt Qin who was smart in other matters, but became confused when she met Qin Shaojing and Cheng Yunshuo. She loved them sincerely and could not detect any faults.
Seeing this, Lu Lingjun was too lazy to stir up trouble between the aunt and nephew, so as to avoid being scolded behind her back.
She looked at the smiling Qin Shaojing and said, "It's good that you're back. Mother misses you so much. It's best to stay for a few more days this time."
Seeing Lu Lingjun say this, Qin Shaojing thought she had no idea that something happened to her at Duke Liu's mansion, so she smiled even more and said, "Okay, I think so too. Stay a little longer this time."
Lu Lingjun and she exchanged a few more words with Qin to make her happy, and then took Siying away, leaving the aunt and niece to chat in the room.
She led Cheng Suying back to her yard. On the way, Cheng Suying asked curiously, "Mom, who is that cousin?"
"She is your grandmother's niece, who married into the Liu family."
"Oh." Cheng Suying nodded, not quite understanding. After all, for her, she had never seen Qin Shaojing before, and had no idea what she had done or who she was.
Lu Lingjun said this, she only regarded her as a relative of their family.
Just then, a beautiful figure appeared in the corridor ahead.
A little girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old stood in front.
"Aunt Huihui!" When Cheng Suying saw her, she excitedly let go of Lu Lingjun's hand and ran towards her.
"Suying." The little girl turned her head, revealing a face that was three-quarters similar to Cheng Yunshuo. She caught Cheng Suying who was running towards her, with a smile on her youthful and tender face.
This was exactly the young Cheng Hui back then.
Six years have passed, and Cheng Hui has grown into a big girl. In a few years, she will be old enough to get married.
In the past few years, Cheng Hui has been following Lu Lingjun. After Cheng Qi went to the border, he never came back. Lu Lingjun raised her as his own sister.
In the past two years, it has become popular in the capital to send noble ladies to girls' schools. Several families would hire a few female teachers to teach the girls how to embroider, read account books and manage the household, and give classes in private residences. Lu Lingjun sent Cheng Hui there as well.
Today is the day she gets to take a break.
"Aunt Huihui, are you having fun in the girls' school?"
"It's very fun. The teacher took us to make and fly kites in the suburbs a few days ago. It was very interesting."
"You also teach how to make kites?" Cheng Suying's eyes lit up immediately. "Is it difficult?"
"It's not that difficult. If you want to play, I'll teach you how to do it."
"Okay!" Cheng Suying said excitedly.
Lu Lingjun came over at this time.
"Sister-in-law!" Cheng Hui smiled widely when she saw Lu Lingjun. She called her sister-in-law much more sincerely than Qin Shaojing did.
"How many days will we have off this time?" Lu Lingjun looked at her gently.
"It's half a month off. The teacher said we can go back to class after the Spring Examination is over."
"Then have a good rest at home." Lu Lingjun led her back to her yard.
The next day, Cheng Suying, who was still thinking about the kite, pulled Cheng Hui to the yard early to start working on it.
Cheng Hui used a pen to draw the kite surfaces one by one, while the maids beside her helped to polish the kite frame and remove the rough edges. Finally, with the combined efforts of the group, they glued together a very beautiful butterfly kite.
"It looks beautiful, beautiful, really beautiful!" Cheng Suying was extremely happy looking at her new kite.
She was the eldest daughter of the Marquis's family, so she was not short of kites and could buy as many as she wanted.
But the meaning is different.
Now that she had done this, Cheng Suying only forgot her previous troubles.
"You can't move it now. You have to leave it here to dry before you can put it away."
"Okay." Cheng Suying nodded repeatedly.
She found a cool and ventilated place and hung the newly made kite there.
"By the way, are the lotus flowers in the backyard about to bloom?"
"Yes, there are many flower buds growing."
"Let's go look at the flowers first and come back later."
"good."
Cheng Suying left her personal maid Cailian here to look after them, and went with Cheng Hui to the nearby pond to look at the lotus flowers.
As soon as they left, several figures came over.
"Second Miss, look quickly, what is that!" A little girl of five or six years old, who looked like a maid, pointed at a corner of a butterfly-shaped kite sticking out from the wall in front and said.
The girl walking in front of her looked up and saw the beautiful kite.
"Take it down for me! I want it!" Cheng Lanying pointed at the kite with her eyes lighting up.
As soon as she finished speaking, Cai Lian came out from behind the archway and said, "Second Miss, that's our eldest lady's kite, you can't pick it!"
Cai Lian is Shuanghong's child, she is five years old this year. She has been following Cheng Suying since she was three years old and has been Cheng Suying's personal maid.
Seeing Cheng Suying's personal maid, Cheng Lanying snorted coldly, "Who are you? How dare you block my way!"
"Second Miss, I don't have it. That's our eldest lady's thing." Cai Lian was still defending herself.
"If you're not blocking the road, get out of the way!" Cuiying, Cheng Lanying's personal maid, spoke harshly to her.
These days, servants' status follows that of their masters.
Everyone in the Marquis's Mansion knew that the second young lady in their family was the most favored by the Crown Prince.
What is the one opposite? She is said to be the legitimate daughter of the mansion, but everyone knows that she is actually a concubine's daughter.
Why are you being so arrogant in front of them!
Cai Lian was not very courageous. Seeing how fierce the opponent was, she took a step back, muttering, "That's the kite that the young lady just made. Just don't move it."
Not moving?
Don't even think about it!
Cheng Lanying gave her wet nurse a look, and her wet nurse stepped forward and snatched the kite away.
Seeing this, Cai Lian became completely anxious, "Put your things down! Don't move!"
But she had no strength to compete with a wet nurse, so the wet nurse pushed her down.
Cheng Hui and Cheng Suying, who had just been to the lotus pond, heard Cai Lian's crying.
"not good!"
When Cheng Suying heard the crying, she hurried back with Cheng Hui. As soon as they arrived, they saw Cailian being pushed to the ground and crying loudly.
Next to Cailian was Cheng Lanying and her maidservant.
And in her hand she was holding the kite she had just made!
"What are you doing!" Cheng Suying shouted anxiously.
Hearing Cheng Suying's voice, Cheng Lanying's nanny stopped.
She turned to look at Cheng Suying who had rushed over, and said to her, "Miss, you, a servant, don't know the rules. You blocked the way of the second young lady and I'm teaching her a lesson."
"You're talking nonsense. I didn't block your way. You were the ones who touched the young lady's kite!"
"What do you mean, let's move! This is what fell from above!" Cheng Lanying turned around at this time, holding up the kite in her hand, and looked at Cheng Suying with an innocent face, "Is this my sister's kite?"
Cheng Suying saw that the kite she had made for the whole morning was now tightly held in Cheng Lanying's hand, with its butterfly wings broken and deformed. "You stole my things again!"
"Miss, you are wrong. We have already said that the kite fell and was picked up by the second young lady. What you said is as if our second young lady is stealing your things!" said Cheng Lanying's wet nurse.
Anyway, no one saw it, so they have the final say on what they want to say no!
Besides, the girl opposite is just a six-year-old girl.
The old and cunning servant likes nothing more than to secretly take advantage of the mistress who can be bullied without the knowledge of her master.
How could a child like her say anything against adults!
As expected, Cheng Suying made the person on the other side very angry. At this time, Cheng Hui beside her frowned and said, "Who do you think you are, old man? It's your turn to teach the master a lesson!"
Nanny glanced at Cheng Hui and immediately changed her expression to one of grievance, "Miss Huihui, I didn't do that! I was just telling the truth. We were walking in the garden with the Second Miss, and the kite fell from above!"
"You're talking nonsense! You were the one who picked it!" Cai Lian sobbed.
"How can you be so vicious at such a young age, girl? You are talking nonsense! Could it be that you just blocked the Second Miss's way and got angry, so you are confusing right and wrong here! You are so mean that your mouth will be rotten!"
The young Cai Lian had never heard such words before, and she immediately started crying because of the scolding.
When Cheng Hui saw this, her eyes darkened, "Cai Lian, stop crying, come here!"
She had followed Lu Lingjun for several years, and her speech and demeanor were somewhat like hers. Listening to Cheng Hui's words, Cailian wiped her tears and walked over.
Cheng Hui saw the scratches on her hands from being pushed down, "Who did it?"
"She pushed it." Cai Lian pointed at the old nanny.
"You vicious girl, you framed me again..."
Cheng Hui glared at her and the old lady immediately shut up.
"Cai Lian, tell me what happened again."
Cheng Hui stared at her and recounted what happened while Cai Lian sobbed.
As soon as she finished speaking, the person on the other side was about to quibble. Cheng Hui raised her eyes and asked, "You said the kite fell, right?"
"Yes." The master and his servant all nodded.
They said, what can she do!
There is no witness and no one else is watching. If it's just Cailian alone, how can it be used as evidence?
"Okay, all three of you shut up now. I'll interrogate you one by one to find out where your kite fell. If any of you says something different, you're lying!"
Cheng Hui looked at the three of them calmly.
After she said this, the three people who had been extremely calm just now were all panicked.
The youngest Cuiying looked at her master in panic, "Second Miss, where should I go!"
"Idiot! Shut up!" Cheng Lanying quickly shouted at her, but the people on the other side heard it.
Cheng Suying was so angry that her chest heaved, "Cheng Lanying, what else do you have to explain?"
Hearing this, Cheng Lanying said slowly, "I'll return it to you, okay?"
As she spoke, she threw the kite in her hand, and the kite, which had already been broken by her, broke even more with a snap.
"Cheng Lanying!" Cheng Suying was so angry that she wanted to rush up and hit her, but Cheng Hui grabbed her.
"Xiying, don't do anything, go ask my sister-in-law to come over!"
Cheng Suying was still young and couldn't hold back her impulse, but Cheng Huineng was able to hold it back. She knew that if she had a direct conflict with Cheng Lanying at this moment, Lu Lingjun would not be biased towards Cheng Suying afterwards.
Just like last time, when Cheng Suying pushed Cheng Bingzhi, Lu Lingjun could only ask them to be even and not pursue the matter any further.
If Cheng Suying could keep calm and wait for Lu Lingyun to make the judgment, they would have to be grounded for half a month and required to copy the family rules dozens of times.
The most important thing in running a family is to have legitimacy and it is best to be fully justified.
She calmed down and was about to ask Lu Lingjun to come, while Cheng Lanying and the other two were completely panicked.
The reason why they dared to be so blatant was, firstly, that they relied on Cheng Yunshuo's support, and secondly, they felt that Cheng Suying would definitely make trouble. Then, no matter whether she pushed or snatched something, she would not be completely right!
When the time comes, Cheng Lanying will cry, and with Cheng Yunshuo behind them, no one will dare to do anything to them!
But now, the person on the other side is going to invite Lu Lingjun directly.
They are finished!
At this moment, a melodious female voice came, "Hey! What happened? Should I ask my sister-in-law for help?"
As he was speaking, a young woman, dressed richly and full of nobility and elegance from head to toe, walked out leisurely.
The moment she led a group of maids out, Cheng Hui's eyes widened.
"Qin Shaojing!"
She looked closely at the woman who came out.
"Oh?" Hearing her voice, Qin Shaojing looked at the little girl in front of him with a little strangeness, "You are..."
Cheng Hui's eyes turned cold, "I am Cheng Hui!"
She was still young when her brother left, but as she grew up, she gradually figured out what happened.
Her brother forced her to leave!
Even though she didn't understand a lot of things, she had a very bad impression of Qin Shaojing!
Qin Shaojing was still stunned when she heard Cheng Hui introduce herself. It was only after she met her familiar eyes that she suddenly realized, "Oh! It's Huihui!"
"Miss Qin really has a good memory!" Cheng Hui sneered.
At this moment, she felt that her brother was worthless.
In the beginning, he mustered up the courage to marry her and didn't care at all about her ruined reputation, but later on, he even forgot about her.
I'm afraid her brother has forgotten it long ago.
"Huihui has grown up so much." Qin Shaojing met her gaze without caring at all. She looked around the scene and subtly shifted her attention to look at Cheng Lanying and the other two.
"You are my cousin's second daughter, right?"
Cheng Lanying looked at her in confusion, "I'm Cheng Lanying."
"You're so good." Qin Shaojing touched her head. She said, "What happened to you? Is it necessary to invite my sister-in-law?"
Everyone on Cheng Lanying's side shut up and dared not speak.
Cheng Suying then said, "They broke my kite!"
Qin Shaojing glanced at Cheng Suying who was held by Cheng Hui.
She smiled and said lightly, "I thought it was a small matter! Forget about such a small matter!"
When Cheng Lanying heard this, her eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly, "That's right, such a junky thing is nothing, it's not worth inviting the wife over."
Neither she nor Cheng Bingzhi called Lu Lingyun mother, and calling her mother was even more impossible. They called her Madam in front of others, and behind others' backs they followed their mother and called her that person.
Cheng Suying was furious when she heard this. "You broke my things, and you still have the nerve to say such things!"
"Xiying," Qin Shaojing looked at her with a smile, "Why are you so stingy? You are sisters, why should sisters care so much about each other?"
There was never a moment when Cheng Suying hated her aunt so much.
How can there be such indiscriminate people who just accuse others of being stingy and tell them not to care?
Even more hateful than her biased father!
Cheng Yunshuo was partial to Cheng Lanying because Cheng Lanying could please him, but this was the first time Qin Shaojing met her, so there was no such thing as partiality.
She is just trying to disgust people and smooth things over on purpose!
Cheng Lanying on the opposite side saw Qin Shaojing speaking for her, and she said even more proudly and arrogantly, "Yes, why are you so stingy? It's just a broken kite. I'll compensate you with ten or a hundred!"
"Who wants you to pay for it?" Cheng Suying puffed up her face in anger. "I did it myself. What are you going to pay for it with?"
"Xiying, this is your fault. As a sister, how can you not be tolerant at all? Your sister is willing to compensate, but you are still aggressive. I think you are not as sensible as your sister." Qin Shaojing said slowly.
Cheng Suying was completely enraged by her words. She glared at Qin Shaojing, "Who do you think you are? Educate me!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this is the daughter raised by my sister-in-law, how can she be so unruly!"
Qin Shaojing glanced at her lazily, his condescending eyes full of contempt and ridicule.
When had Cheng Suying ever been seen like this before? Moreover, because she felt the provocation and insult to her mother in her words, Cheng Suying was furious, "Our family is not happy..."
Just then, a hand covered her mouth.
Cheng Hui looked at Qin Shaojing coldly, "Miss Qin, do you think it's fun for a grown-up like you to bully a child?"
"Huihui, how did I bully the child?" Qin Shaojing smiled and looked around nonchalantly.
"The first thing you say is that our Siying is stingy, intolerant, and ignorant. If this isn't bullying a child, what is this?" Cheng Hui protected Cheng Siying behind her.
Qin Shaojing covered his lips, "It's because Siying did something wrong. As my cousin's eldest daughter and the legitimate daughter of the Ningyang Marquis's mansion, she had a conflict with her own sisters over a kite. If this gets out, won't it be a joke!"
What she said was of the highest moral standing, reasonable and respectable, and no one could find fault with it.
Cheng Hui looked at her with even colder eyes, "Ms. Qin is really good at being generous to others and using other people's things to promote your own good reputation."
Qin Shaojing's face changed, and Nanny Qin behind her was the first to jump out and say, "Who are you talking about being generous to others?"
"Of course it's Miss Qin! This kite was made by Siying and I together. It's ours. That second girl broke our things, but you don't stand in a fair position and say she's wrong. Instead, you say we're stingy. This isn't a favor to us. What is this!"
Qin Shaojing never expected that Cheng Hui would be so sharp-tongued. After not seeing her for a few years, she really had been ignoring her.
"Huihui, you think too much," Qin Shaojing smiled, "I just think that the kite is not worth much, there is no need to hurt the relationship."
"Yes, kites are worthless, so you are the only one who is good at this, and we have to bear the blame. The people who should be punished have done nothing wrong!"
Nanny Qin quickly said, "Miss Huihui, you really misunderstood our young lady. Our young lady really didn't think that much. She meant that the kite was a small matter and there was no need to upset everyone."
"There's no need to make everyone upset. There's no need to make everyone feel at peace. Your Miss Qin took the initiative to apologize on behalf of Cheng Lanying, and then repaired the kite she broke for us. Then we'll forgive her, and the second lady will be happy. Then your Miss Qin won't be accused of being generous to others. It's really for the good of everyone!"
After Cheng Hui finished speaking, Nanny Qin immediately shut up and remained silent.
Qin Shaojing also fell silent.
What? Ask her to apologize for a bastard like Cheng Lanying? And ask her to repair her kite?
She deserves it!
Cheng Lanying, who was standing by, looked at Qin Shaojing expectantly after hearing what Cheng Hui said.
It seemed that she really thought Qin Shaojing would do this and stand up for her.
"Aunt Qin, you're the best. Please apologize for me. Lanying will remember your kindness..." Cheng Lanying spoke softly, using the same tone as when she was acting coquettishly to her father.
When Qin Shaojing heard this, she almost rolled her eyes at her. She shook off her hand that was grabbing her dress without leaving a trace, suppressed the disgust in her eyes, and glanced around the scene, "Alright, alright, your children's affairs are complicated, completely different from ours, I won't get involved."
After saying that, she led her people away.
Cheng Lanying hadn't figured out Qin Shaojing's attitude yet, so she hurriedly said from behind, "Aunt Qin, don't leave!"
Seeing this scene, Cheng Hui snorted disdainfully, "What are you yelling about! Come with me to my sister-in-law! No one can save you!"
Cheng Lanying was taken to Lu Lingyun by Cheng Hui.
On that day, Cheng Lanying received her punishment and was confined in the ancestral hall for a day, not allowed to eat or drink.
Her wet nurse was kicked out of the mansion, and the maid was demoted from a personal maid to a second-class maid, and her monthly salary was deducted for three months.
After learning that her daughter was punished, Li Bijie hurried to Lu Lingyun to plead for mercy.
"Madam, Lanying did something wrong and deserves to be punished, but she is still young. How can she bear to be punished by being made to kneel in the ancestral hall and not given food or water for a day?"
Lu Lingjun looked at Li Bixi who was kneeling in front of her, "Auntie Li, do you think my punishment is unfair?"
"I dare not!" Li Bixi kowtowed repeatedly, "Bixi just felt that Lanying was too young and it was the mother's fault that the child was not well educated. Bixi is willing to take the punishment for Lanying!"
Seeing this, Lu Lingjun didn't even blink, "It's the mother's fault if she doesn't teach her child well. Last time, Aunt Li took the punishment for the Second Miss, but I don't think it worked well. She can make trouble again and again, but the punishment is not enough. She has to be punished once in person so that she can learn her lesson. Aunt Li, I know you love your son, but loving your son too much is like killing him. You can't do this."
When Li Bijie heard this, she was extremely angry. At this moment, Cheng Yunshuo came back.
"What happened?" Cheng Yunshuo walked into Lu Lingyun's yard.
When Li Bixi saw him, she hurried forward and said, "Master, you are finally back!"
"What's wrong? What's going on?" Cheng Yunshuo saw Li Bixi kneeling on the ground. Her forehead was red from knocking her head. He frowned and said, "You get up first."
"Master, I'm fine. Please save Lanying." Li Bijie couldn't get up. She held Cheng Yunshuo's legs tightly.
He looked so pitiful and helpless.
As expected, seeing Li Bixiong looking so pitiful, Cheng Yunshuo couldn't help but look at Lu Lingjun and asked, "What happened to Lanying?"
When Lu Lingjun heard his tone, she really wanted to roll her eyes. She sat upright in her seat, motionless, "She made a mistake, and I punished her."
Li Bixi, who was kneeling on the ground, said hurriedly, "That stupid girl Lanying saw that the kite of the eldest lady was really beautiful, so she wanted to play with it and accidentally broke it."
She spoke very skillfully, saying that the kite was beautiful and she wanted to play with it, but she accidentally broke it.
It doesn't sound like a big deal at all.
As expected, after she said this, Cheng Yunshuo just said, "I didn't think it was a big deal. It's just another kite. I'll compensate Siying on behalf of Lanying."
Lu Lingjun raised his eyes lazily and glanced at him, "Does the prince think that I am not worthy of being the head of the family?"
"No way, Lingyun, this is just a small matter, why do you have to embarrass them like this?"
"Small matter?" Lu Lingjun glanced at Li Bixi. Li Bixi was kneeling with her head down. A hint of expectation and pride flashed in her fragile and helpless eyes.
With Cheng Yunshuo's arrival, her great backer has arrived.
She could also take the opportunity to sow discord between the two of them.
If Lu Lingjun can be suppressed and swallow this loss, Cheng Lanying will have to be released. If Lu Lingjun does not swallow this loss, Cheng Yunshuo will have a grudge in his heart.
Anyway, no matter what, it won't hurt her.
She is best at playing the role of pitiful.
"Young Madam, Lanying is really young, and the ancestral hall is cold and gloomy. She can't bear the punishment. Bixi is willing to take her to be punished, even double or ten times!" She showed her deep love for her daughter, which moved Cheng Yunshuo deeply.
"Lingyun, I don't think it's a big deal, why don't you just forget it." Cheng Yunshuo continued to speak for her, "I don't think Lanying did it on purpose."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Lu Lingjun say something.
"Prince, do you want Siying to be disappointed in you again?"
Lu Lingjun raised her head and met Cheng Yunshuo's eyes. Her eyes were still as calm as clouds, like a mirror reflecting Cheng Yunshuo's heart.
When Cheng Yunshuo heard this, his heart trembled violently.
At this time, he heard Cheng Suying's voice coming from the room next door. He turned around and saw Cheng Suying and Cheng Hui sticking their kites again, with lightness and happiness on her face.
"Master, I will definitely teach Lanying a lesson this time, and I promise there won't be a next time." Li Bijie's voice came again.
Her hands tightly grasped Cheng Yunshuo's robe, and there was a hint of expectation in her helpless eyes.
She knew that Cheng Yunshuo liked Cheng Lanying very much and doted on her very much.
At this time, she heard a sentence, "Lanying did something wrong, she deserves to be punished."
Cheng Yunshuo shook her hand off.
Li Bixi thought she had heard wrongly. She looked at Cheng Yunshuo blankly. Cheng Yunshuo met her gaze and immediately looked away. "You also stand up. Why do you always plead for them? Children should be punished if they make mistakes. Go back to your courtyard."
Li Bixiang was completely confused at this time.
She confirmed Cheng Yunshuo's eyes again and again, and when she found out that he really thought so, her heart suddenly sank to the bottom.
how so?
Even though Lu Lingjun didn't argue with him or question him, he took the initiative to give in.
Isn't it his favorite daughter Lanying...
She couldn't help but clench her fists. When Cheng Yunshuo was about to become impatient and make things difficult for her, she took the initiative to stand up and walked out obediently as usual.
Lu Lingjun looked at her back and shook his head.
The most important thing for all the women in the backyard is to fall in love with Cheng Yunshuo and have expectations of him.
No one who waits for him will be well.
Li Bixiang left Lu Lingyun's yard. Her eyes were dark and she seemed a little absent-minded. Without noticing, she bumped into a group of people head-on.
"How do you walk? You're so blind." Nanny Qin's voice rang out.
Li Bixiang quickly came back to her senses. She looked at the huge group of people in front of her, led by a woman who was dressed very luxuriously and was very beautiful.
"It's my cousin. How are you?" Li Bixiang naturally recognized Qin Shaojing.
After she entered the mansion, she happened to encounter Qin Shaojing's incident. Of course, as a concubine at that time, she had no qualifications to participate or even show up.
But she also remembered this cousin very carefully.
"You are..." Qin Shaojing looked at the middle-aged woman in front of him. She was not dressed like a proper official's wife, but she was much better than an ordinary concubine.
There is also a valuable jade bracelet on the wrist.
"I am Aunt Li from your mansion, and I live in Bishuiyuan." Li Bixi hastily introduced herself.
Nanny Qin then reminded Qin Shaojing, "Miss, she is the biological mother of the second young lady who appeared today."
When Qin Shaojing heard this, he raised his eyebrows, "So you are the girl's biological mother."
There was some sarcasm in her tone, as if she was mocking him.
Li Bixi didn't understand what it meant, so Nanny Qin explained to her, "Today our eldest lady is speaking up for your daughter."
Li Bijie reacted immediately at this time. Today, Xiaoju came to inform her that Cheng Lanying and Cheng Suying had a conflict in the backyard again and asked the mistress to punish them. She mentioned that someone spoke up for her.
She was so anxious about Cheng Lanying's matter at that time that she didn't pay much attention to it. But now she immediately thought of it. It was Qin Shaojing who spoke for her daughter.
"Your daughter is also quite interesting." Qin Shaojing said in a teasing tone.
Li Bixi knelt down with a plop and kowtowed to Qin Shaojing, "Thank you, cousin. I will never forget your kindness to our Lanying!"
Seeing this scene, Qin Shaojing couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, "What are you doing?"
"My cousin is my mother's benefactor, so Bixi naturally wants to thank her."
"But I couldn't help you."
"Miss cousin, you are doing me a great favor by saying a word for Lanying. If you can help, it means Lanying is lucky. If you can't help, it means she is unlucky! Kindness should never be forgotten!"
Hearing Bixi say this, Qin Shaojing smiled, "There is an interesting person in my cousin's backyard, you get up."
"Thank you, cousin." Li Bixiang stood up respectfully from the ground.
Seeing her humble appearance, Qin Shaojing said, "I think you are good. I've been bored staying at my aunt's house these days. If you are free, come to my Caitang Pavilion and have a seat."
Hearing this, Li Bixi's eyes lit up completely, and she hurriedly bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Miss Biao, for your kindness."
The next day, Cheng Lanying was released from the ancestral hall.
In Bishui Garden, Cheng Lanying was so hungry that she ate a lot.
"Mom, why don't you save me! I'm starving to death!"
Bixi glanced outside and saw no one else. She said, "What's the point of hating your mother? If you want to hate someone, hate that person. She was the one who locked you up in the ancestral hall!"
"Hmph!" Cheng Lanying hated Lu Lingjun.
She hated Lu Lingjun to death!
The legitimate mother in charge is not a good person at all. Don't think she doesn't know that she is just siding with her adopted daughter and deliberately targeting her, the concubine's daughter.
It was obviously not a big deal, but she was punished so severely just because she was jealous and because she was favored by her father!
"You didn't go to ask Daddy to save me!" she continued.
When Li Bixi heard this, her eyes darkened. She looked at Cheng Lanying, "Lanying, don't take your father too seriously. You have to please him, but don't take it seriously."
"Mom, what do you mean?"
"You just need to please him more and be smart. Do whatever he likes so that he likes you more. Do you understand?"
"Tsk! Daddy dotes on me the most! He likes me no matter what I am like!"
Just at this time, Cheng Yunshuo came back.
"Daddy!" Cheng Lanying, who was eating, saw Cheng Yunshuo coming back. She immediately dropped her chopsticks, jumped off the chair and ran towards Cheng Yunshuo.
She knelt all night, although she was lazy most of the time and sat on the mat when no one was watching her. She also put on the knee pads that her mother had quickly sent her, but she couldn't bear kneeling for too long and her legs went weak as soon as she touched the ground.
"Ouch!"
She fell to the ground with a thump.
When Cheng Yunshuo saw her fall, he took a few quick steps and quickly picked her up, "What happened to you?"
"Daddy~" Cheng Lanying was picked up by him and immediately burst into tears, "My legs hurt."
Cheng Yunshuo naturally remembered that she was punished to kneel all night yesterday. He held Cheng Lanying and put her on the bed, "Be good in the future and don't get into trouble."
"Dad, you don't know how cold the ancestral hall is. I was punished to kneel and it hurt so much. I also had to copy the family rules. I was hoping that you would come and save me all night."
"Then you should never get into trouble and steal Siying's things in the future."
"How did I steal her things?" Cheng Lanying pouted and said coquettishly, "I just thought her kite was pretty and wanted to play with it, but she went to complain and said I stole her things. She is so stingy!"
Cheng Yunshuo said nothing when he heard this.
Seeing that he ignored her, Cheng Lanying continued to act coquettishly, "Dad, my legs really hurt. I didn't eat all night. I'm starving."
Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo looked at Cheng Lanying who was acting like a spoiled child in front of him and asked, "Do you like kites so much?"
Cheng Lanying thought about it and nodded, "My sister has it, and I want to have it too."
She didn't want to play at all, she just wanted to steal Cheng Suying's things.
What Cheng Suying has, she also wants.
"I have a day off tomorrow. I'll take you to fly a kite."
Cheng Lanying became excited when she heard this and immediately hugged Cheng Yunshuo's arm, "Daddy is the best. I know that Daddy loves Lanying the most."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but look at her mother who was standing aside and gave her a confident look.
That means her father favors her and dotes on her.
the next day.
As usual, Lu Lingjun took Cheng Suying to pay her respects to Qin.
On the way there, Cheng Suying saw a kite flying in the sky.
"Dad, Dad, higher!"
"A little higher! It's so fun!"
"It's so fun!"
She heard a voice and looked in the direction of the sound, and saw Cheng Yunshuo accompanying Cheng Lanying in flying a kite.
Cheng Lanying clapped her hands excitedly, while Cheng Yunshuo beside her played with her wholeheartedly.
When Cheng Suying saw this scene, her eyes paused and she couldn't help feeling lonely.
"Xiying, do you want to fly a kite too?" At this time, Lu Lingjun's voice came to her ears.
Cheng Suying shook her head vigorously, "I don't want to let go anymore."
She followed her mother to Qin's yard.
After they left, Cheng Lanying, who was flying a kite, couldn't help but glance back at them.
There was pride in his eyes.
Humph! She deliberately flew a kite on this road.
I did it on purpose for her to see!
She just wanted to tell Cheng Suying that it didn't matter that she had a stepmother to support her, what was more important was that she had the love of her father.
Even if she made a mistake, Cheng Yunshuo would continue to pamper her!
There's no way to fight with her!
In Qin's room, Lu Lingjun heard what was said before he even entered.
"Shao Jing, I heard that the old Duke of Liu's mansion is getting worse day by day, and the whole mansion is serving him. I'm afraid it's not good for you, as the granddaughter-in-law, to keep living with me."
"Aunt, the old duke doesn't need me, so I'm just making up the numbers."
Qin Shaojing said.
"You can't say that. This is a crucial moment. You have to be by my side. Your second branch is already weak. I remember that the position of the crown prince of Duke Liu's Mansion has not been decided yet. The old Duke's wife favors your lineage. You still have to go back and seize the opportunity with your husband and mother-in-law." Qin took Qin Shaojing aside and spoke heart to heart.
How could Qin not care about her only niece? She had ignored the Marquis's Mansion for the past six years. However, Qin often went to inquire about the latest developments in Duke Liu's Mansion.
The old Duke Liu's Mansion won't be around for long, and this is the crucial time to fight for the position.
Maybe their second branch still has a hope of getting the position of crown prince.
By then, Qin Shaojing, as the daughter-in-law of the second son of the second wife, will also have the hope of competing for the next crown prince position.
But how could she know that the fight for the throne in Duke Liu's mansion had now come directly to Qin Shaojing's generation. Whoever could give birth to a great-grandson would have the throne of crown prince passed to that person's lineage.
She didn't even know that her good niece had caused a disaster in Duke Liu's mansion, destroying the hope of their lineage, and that's why she had come back to her to avoid disaster.
Now Liu Ye and her mother-in-law both hate her so much, how could she dare to go back!
Just at this moment, Lu Lingjun led Cheng Suying in from outside.
Seeing her, Qin immediately smiled, "Yun'er, Siying, you are here."
"Yes, mother."
"grandmother."
The two of them responded to Qin at the same time.
Qin called them both over and said, "You two came at the right time, Yun'er, you always have a lot of ideas. The old Duke in Shao Jing's house is in poor health. Please help Shao Jing to find out what kind of gifts she should give to the old Duke when she returns."
Qin also wanted to raise Qin Shaojing's status through the old Duke.
When Lu Lingjun heard this, she thought of Qin Shaojing bullying Cheng Siying yesterday, and she half-jokingly said, "The old Duke is so old, he must have seen all kinds of good things. If you ask me, it's better to give him a child! If Shaojing can have a child back home, the old Duke will definitely be very happy!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Shaojing's eyes instantly became tense, and he stared at Lu Lingjun closely.
Qin's eyes lit up.
"Yes, why didn't I think of that!" Qin Shi suddenly remembered, "Shao Jing, you've been married for six years, why don't you have a child yet?"
Qin Shaojing's smiling face stiffened when she heard this. "Aunt, to be honest, my husband and I are rarely together. He is not often at home."
Liu Ye is not only not often at home.
He and Qin Shaojing only had a sweet period of time when they were newlyweds, but the novelty wore off, and from then on they often stayed in brothels outside.
When he came back occasionally, he would visit his concubines.
It's not that Qin Shaojing didn't use some tricks before, but Liu Ye was a lecherous man who loved the new and hated the old. No matter how many tricks Qin Shaojing had, he couldn't stop his philandering heart.
The girl who climbed the bed just beaten to death the other day, she didn't climb the bed on her own initiative, it was just that Liu Ye was thinking about her! That girl was a newly recruited maid in their courtyard, she was only a little pretty, and she was a newcomer. Liu Ye came back a few days ago and brought him a basin of water for washing feet, which made him fall in love with her.
He half-cajoled and half-tricked the other person into giving him a face in the woodshed where they were washing clothes, but the key point was that he just left afterwards without even a name to speak of.
It was only after her belly had grown big that Qin Shaojing discovered it.
At this time, Qin Shaojing learned about the old Duke's intention. Whichever branch had a child, the position of the Crown Prince would be passed on to that branch. How could she accept this? Even if the position of the Crown Prince was not hers, it could not be born by a maid!
She took advantage of the fact that her parents-in-law and Liu Ye were unaware and beat the man to death.
This was a big deal. Liu Ye still doesn't have a child, and he still hates her!
How could he consummate his marriage with her!
After she said this, Qin said, "Shao Jing, you have to keep your husband's heart in check as we spend less time together and more time apart. You have to go back and spend more time with Liu Ye."
Qin Shaojing's face looked extremely ugly at this time. She nodded randomly and responded, "I know."
When she looked up again, she saw Lu Lingjun sitting there calmly as usual, peeling pine nuts with Cheng Suying.
Qin Shaojing was so angry.
After returning to Caitang Pavilion, Qin Shaojing was still angry.
"She did it on purpose. She must have heard something! She said that on purpose in front of my aunt!"
"Miss, what should we do now? Should we go back?"
"What are you going back for? Are you going back to let Liu Ye and that old woman give me a hard time? Or to let that old pervert humiliate me!" Qin Shaojing smashed things.
Qin Shaojing has had a bad time in recent years, very badly.
After she married into Duke Liu's mansion, she gradually realized what a filthy place it was.
When she first got married, in addition to being able to control Liu Ye, she also relied on a lot of care from Duke Zhao's Mansion. The people in Duke Liu's Mansion did not dare to do anything to her.
But as time went by, those cares faded away, and she gradually discovered the dirty things going on in Duke Liu's mansion.
In addition to Liu Ye's own debauchery, her father-in-law was the same. He hinted at her several times and asked her to serve him midnight snacks.
The old Duke is now seriously ill, and his granddaughters-in-law have no children. Her father-in-law secretly hinted to her some time ago that since Liu Ye can't give birth, she can have one with him.
Anyway, they are all flesh and blood of their Liu family, so he will recognize them.
Qin Shaojing could understand those hints, but how could she accept them! After all, she was a daughter from the Duke's Mansion! Not a poor daughter-in-law from a small family!
She found excuses to shirk her responsibility once, twice, and three times.
This happened too many times and made her father-in-law unhappy.
After making him unhappy, her life in Duke Liu's mansion became even more difficult.
The fact that she beat the maid to death was not a big deal. Even if she was pregnant, so what? She was just a maid.
Carry her out quietly and no one can say anything to her.
But she had offended her father-in-law, who took the matter very seriously and asked her mother-in-law and Liu Ye to settle accounts with her.
She had spent a lot of effort planning this good marriage for herself, but she never expected it to turn out like this!
But she has no regret medicine!
"Miss, after all, we can't live in the Marquis' Mansion forever, right?" said Nanny Qin.
"Of course I know! That damn Lu Lingjun, this is my aunt's house, she has no right to say anything!" Qin Shaojing blamed Lu Lingjun for all the grievances he suffered in the Liu family.
What's wrong with her coming back to live here! If you want to get her, click on her!
That damn Lu Lingjun really thinks she is someone important, but she is just a sparrow from a small family who climbed up the ladder. Why should she have the final say in this marquisate?
Just then, a voice was heard outside the house.
"Miss, Aunt Li is here to ask for a meeting."
"She?!" Qin Shaojing paused in anger.
She called Li Bixi in.
Qin Shaojing looked at Li Bixi, who was respectfully lowering her head and looking docile in front of him, and asked, "When did Aunt Li come in? Why don't I have any impression of her?"
When Li Bixi heard this, she smiled gently and said, "I'm just an aunt, why should the young lady remember me?"
Li Bixi caused a big fuss when she entered the mansion, but Qin Shaojing had no time to pay attention to her at that time.
"I see that Aunt Li is very polite and well-mannered. She doesn't look like someone from a humble family."
"Bixi used to be a maid in the palace."
Li Bixi said.
Hearing what was going on in the palace, Qin Shaojing let out an "oh" in understanding. She looked at Li Bi'e again, the light in her eyes getting brighter and brighter, "No wonder I think Aunt Li is different from the other concubines in my cousin's courtyard. With your demeanor, I don't think you're an concubine. You're even qualified to be a mistress!"
After the last part of the sentence was finished, Li Bixi knelt down with a plop, "Miss, please don't embarrass me!"
Qin Shaojing smiled, she stood up and walked forward, "What are you doing, Aunt Li! I think you are kind and I treat you as my own sister! I am just talking like a sister! Aunt Li, you don't have to worry!"
Li Bixi couldn't grasp Qin Shaojing's thoughts for a moment, she still said respectfully and humbly, "Miss Qin, you can't do that!"
"Whatever I say, it's okay! Could it be that Aunt Li looks down on me? Doesn't she want to be my sister?" Qin Shaojing grabbed Li Bi'e's hand.
Li Bixi raised her eyes at this time and met her extremely sincere eyes.
"Ms. Qin, what are you doing..."
"Sister Li, from now on, I'll call you Shao Jing in private!" Qin Shao Jing helped Li Bixi up, "Let's talk about it, we are also people who have the same ideas."
Li Bixi's eyes sparkled, but she remained silent.
Qin Shaojing continued, "Doesn't Aunt Li want to give her children a good future? Doesn't she want to try to take control of the Marquis's mansion?"
Her words made Li Bixi's heart beat wildly, but she still didn't say anything.
Qin Shaojing looked at her and said, "Well, Aunt Li, don't be in a hurry to answer me. I remember that your son is in an ordinary private school. You can take a look tomorrow and then answer me whether you are willing to cooperate with me."
When Li Bixi heard this, her eyes lit up completely.
The next day, Cheng Bingzhi was taken back from Huixin Academy.
In the main courtyard, Lu Lingjun was stunned after learning about this.
Wow, Li Bixi has made great progress.
Qin's arrangements could be disrupted, so it was impossible for her to rely solely on Cheng Yunshuo.
She asked someone to go to Ningxinyuan again, and when she learned that Cheng Bingzhi was recommended by Qin Shaojing to study at Boya Academy, she immediately understood.
Li Bixi is hanging out with Qin Shaojing.
She boarded the express ship of Qin Shaojing.
No wonder she was able to get Qin to give in and release Cheng Bingzhi.
"Young Madam, that concubine Li is not simple. She hooked up with Miss Qin and did such a big thing quietly. I think she is too bold!" Nanny Wan said from the side.
Lu Lingjun smiled calmly.
Li Bixi has always had a big heart.
It all started before she even entered the Marquis's Mansion. She first flirted with Cheng Yunshuo and took the status of a concubine. Then she entered the mansion step by step and became the concubine of the Marquis's Mansion from the status of a retired palace maid. She had a clear plan for herself from the beginning.
Later, she gave birth to two children in succession. She was humble in front of her and tried to win Cheng Yunshuo's heart and curry his favor. She took every step steadily.
It was a pity that she found that Cheng Yunshuo was not reliable, making it difficult for her to climb up from him, and hindered several of her plans.
But now it seems that she has grabbed a new big tree and has a new support to climb up.
"What are you afraid of? No matter what she does, it's all for a better future for herself and her child." Lu Lingjun said slowly.
She didn't have much aversion to Li Bixi. It was human nature for people to want to climb up the social ladder, and she couldn't possibly forbid others from wanting to climb up the social ladder.
At most, Li Bixi is ambitious and is working hard to strive for a better future so that she and her children can turn their lives around.
But Qin Shaojing...
Compared to Li Bixi, the one she cared about was actually Qin Shaojing.
Everything Li Bixi did had a reason and was relatively reasonable, but what Qin Shaojing did had complicated implications.
Qin Shaojing has never been a kind person, why should she help Li Bixiong?
Lu Lingyun was thinking.
Li Bijie is just a concubine. How can she have anything that can impress Qin Shaojing? Besides, Qin Shaojing is a man with evil intentions, and she is not a person with bottom line.
In order to choose a husband for herself and expand her circle of friends, even though she knew that the witch's elixir was problematic, she still gave it to young ladies all over the capital, without worrying about causing any consequences that would affect their lives. Afterwards, she pushed it away and did not take any responsibility at all.
Compared to Li Bixi, Lu Lingjun was more wary of Qin Shaojing.
She is definitely not good.
As she was thinking this, a notification came from outside the door.
"Young Madam, please go over to the Madam's side!"
Qin invited her over.
"Okay, I'll be there in a moment." Lu Lingjun closed the account book, called Cheng Suying, and went to Qin's courtyard together.
After a while, she arrived at Qin's place.
Before I entered her room, I heard laughter coming from inside.
"Aunt, I told you, Aunt Li is a wonderful person!"
"I didn't know that Aunt Li had this skill! Reward! Reward!"
When Lu Lingjun opened the curtain and went in, she saw Qin Shi who was hugging Qin Shaojing and smiling happily asking the servants to give her a reward.
In the middle of her room, Li Bixiang was singing a little song to Qin.
"Hello, Madam!" Li Bixi was the first to see Lu Lingjun and hurriedly bowed to her.
"Yun'er, you're here."
"Sister-in-law is here, please sit down quickly. It's just right. Ask Aunt Li to sing another song."
Qin and Qin Shaojing both said to Lu Lingyun.
Lu Lingjun looked at them all, "Hey, what are you doing?"
"I just found out today that Aunt Li in your backyard can sing, and she sings very well." Qin called her forward.
Hearing this, Lu Lingjun looked at Li Bixi and said, "I didn't know Aunt Li would do this."
"Before entering the palace, I sang along with everyone in my hometown. They were all inferior folk songs. They are not worth much." Li Bijie said.
"Aunt Li is too modest. I think she sings better than the singer in our house." Qin Shaojing said, "Aunt, don't you think so?"
"It's novel and interesting." Qin commented.
Hearing what Qin said, Lu Lingjun smiled and said, "Mother, since you said that, Aunt Li must be a good singer. It seems that I didn't know the value of the pearl and didn't send it to you earlier to make you happy."
Lu Lingjun's words were extremely respectful, just like his usual low-key demeanor.
But as soon as she finished speaking, she heard Qin Shaojing say, "Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? Everyone knows that you are very busy. You have to take care of everything in and outside the mansion. How can you have time to take care of Auntie?"
At first, Qin Shaojing thought what he said was that Lu Lingjun was busy and had no time to take care of other things. But after listening carefully, he realized that he was actually saying that she was perfunctory about everything and was not dedicated at all.
Lu Lingyun frowned slightly, but before she could speak, Qin said for her, "Yun'er is very busy. She has to take care of everything at home and outside, and she has several children to raise. How can she have so much time?"
Qin looked at Lu Lingjun with tender eyes.
She is extremely satisfied with her daughter-in-law.
Anyway, ever since Lu Lingjun came into the family, there has been nothing to worry about in her backyard. The most important thing is that her troublesome son is also well-behaved by Lu Lingjun and has never caused any big trouble.
Being able to do this is already the best she can do. How can she expect him to find out everything the concubine in the mansion can do and understand and then send it to her?
"Yes, yes, that's what I mean." Qin Shaojing quickly followed Qin's words and said, "Aunt, my sister-in-law's ability is obvious to all, but I think my sister-in-law is too busy on weekdays. This busyness will cause her to ignore many important things around her, which is not worth it."
"Shao Jing, what do you mean by this?" Lu Lingjun took a sip of tea and said leisurely.
Qin Shaojing looked at her, a dark light flashed in his eyes, "Sister-in-law, you reminded me yesterday that it is better for a woman to have her own flesh and blood. I see that you have worked so hard for this family that you have even delayed the birth of your own flesh and blood. I am really worried about you!"
A hint of lingering hatred flashed across her bright eyes. After she formed an alliance with Li Bixi yesterday, Li Bixi took the initiative to give her advice and suggestions.
She hit upon a crucial point right away.
Lu Lingjun still doesn't have any children of her own!
Among the seven reasons for divorce for a woman, being childless is a very serious one!
They wanted to bring down Lu Lingjun, and this could be used as a big fuss.
Also, didn't Lu Lingjun say yesterday that she didn't have any children? Let her try this trick today too!
As expected, after she said this, Qin's eyes lit up and then quickly darkened. She looked at Lu Lingyun with concern, "Yun'er, are you really too busy?"
Before Lu Lingyun could speak, Qin Shaojing continued, "Aunt, my sister-in-law is capable. You can't let her work so hard all the time. You should let her take a break. You shouldn't let my sister-in-law do chores like the tedious and tiring rear house management herself."
"I think this concubine Li is pretty good and obedient. Why not let her be my sister-in-law's assistant? This will also allow my sister-in-law to take some time to recuperate and give birth to a legitimate son or daughter for the family."
As he spoke, Qin Shaojing's intention finally came out.
Lu Lingjun listened to her words and sneered in his heart.
As expected, it was Qin Shaojing who wanted to plot against her in the end.
This is an attempt to take the power of managing the family away from her bit by bit.
After hearing what Qin Shaojing said, Qin actually thought about it seriously. At this moment, a crisp voice sounded, "I am my mother's daughter!"
Cheng Suying stood up, her eyes sparkling as she stood in front of Lu Lingyun, looking at Qin, Qin Shaojing and others in front of her as if protecting her, "Grandma, my elder brother and second brother are all your children. She has us, and she has the children!"
Her words made Qin Shaojing burst into laughter, "What do you know, girl! Your mother wants her own flesh and blood who is connected to her by blood!"
Her laughter was filled with sarcasm and hidden malice deep inside. She wanted to slander Cheng Suying. First, to tell her that she was just a bastard and was not worthy, and second, to alienate their relationship invisibly.
A seed was planted in her heart: if Lu Lingjun had children related to her by blood, she would never be able to love them as much as she did now!
This move of hers kills three birds with one stone.
The first was to ask Lu Lingyun to give up power, the second was to help Li Bixi take the position, and the third was to alienate the relationship between her and the children she raised.
If Lu Lingjun is not careful at all, she will bleed heavily today!
"Shao Jing."
At this time, Lu Lingjun spoke up. She reached out her hand and gently stroked Cheng Suying's head. Her eyes, as light as water, looked at Qin Shaojing calmly as usual, and said directly, "You have not lived as well as a child in these years."
"Sister-in-law, you!"
"Shao Jing, you are still not happy with what I said to you," Lu Lingjun interrupted her, her eyes fell on Cheng Suying again, "Whether it is Suying, Bingan, Binghao, or even Bingzhi and Lanying, they are all children of the Marquis' Mansion. If they are children of the Marquis' Mansion, they are my children. Even Suying, who is only seven years old, understands that she only recognizes me as her mother in this life."
Cheng Suying nodded heavily, her eyes burning with anger as she said, "I only have one mother, and I am her child! My brothers and I will all be filial to our mother in the future!"
"Siying is so good." Lu Lingjun touched her head, and her eyes fell on Qin again, "Mother, the children call me mother, and I am their real mother in this life. What does it matter if it is blood or not? They are all the blood of the Marquis' Mansion, and they are all the children of the prince. Isn't that enough, right?"
Lu Lingjun's retort was clever and moved Qin.
As soon as she arrived, she proved that Cheng Suying's children only recognized her as their mother, so it didn't matter whether they were biological children or not. As long as the three of them were there and they recognized Lu Lingjun, there was no such thing as Lu Lingjun being childless. In addition, Lu Lingjun said that they were Cheng Yunshuo's children, the children of the Marquis' Mansion, which was enough. This only moved Qin!
For Qin, as long as the children were her sons, it didn't matter which woman gave birth to them!
Lu Lingjun's counterattack was so steady and accurate that Qin Shaojing couldn't shake her at all!
"Sister-in-law, that's not what I meant. I know you've worked hard for this family," Qin Shaojing was still trying to make amends, "I just think you should have a child of your own."
"That's enough!" Qin interrupted Qin Shaojing and looked at Lu Lingyun. "Yun'er, you have really worked hard for this mansion. Don't worry, the mansion will remember everything you have done for it, and your position cannot be shaken."
"Aunt." Qin Shaojing hurriedly said, "I also know that sister-in-law is the backbone of our mansion. I just think that sister-in-law is working hard, and I think we should find her an assistant to help her relieve her pressure. I am also in charge of the second house of Duke Liu's mansion, and the trivial matters are left to the concubines and maids. We, as the mistress, don't need to work so hard ourselves. It will really tire ourselves. If she has time, we may have a new addition to our mansion!"
Qin Shaojing did not emphasize that Lu Lingjun should give birth at this time, but only said that she should relax, maybe something better would happen.
After listening to this, Qin felt that what Qin Shaojing said made some sense. When she was in charge of the household, Nanny Wen and Nanny Qin were both her deputies. After her daughter-in-law came into the family, she was willing to give her power and ask her to do things. It was indeed tiring to take care of everything by herself. Lu Lingjun must be tired because she had no children for so many years.
"Yun'er, Shao Jing is right. You should give yourself some time."
"Yes." Lu Lingjun did not refute and responded to Qin. She looked at Li Bixi, who was standing aside with her head bowed, and said, "Shao Jing, do you want to ask Aunt Li to help me?"
She threw this to Qin Shaojing, and Qin Shaojing smiled, "I think Aunt Li is a wonderful person. She is upright and can definitely help you!"
"You don't know that!" Lu Lingjun smiled, "In my house, apart from Aunt Li who is very thorough, Aunt Qiu and Aunt Ling are all very careful people."
"Your suggestion is quite good. I have a lot of things on hand. I might as well ask my aunt to help me. We have already talked about this today, so let's do it this way. I will ask them all to come to my courtyard and help me with some chores."
If Lu Lingjun clings to power, Qin won't say anything to her. But Qin Shaojing will definitely use it to make a fuss from time to time in the future, and may even accuse her of being so greedy for power that she doesn't even want her own child.
Lu Lingjun followed her words and asked her aunt to help her.
But it's not just Li Bixi who comes, all three of them are here!
She wants to divide the power in her hands, right? Let's see how she divides it now!
Moreover, if Li Bixiang comes, she will give her the most tiring and difficult tasks to do. If she still wants to get power from her, it's impossible!
After she said this, Qin Shaojing on the opposite side was completely at a loss!
She had planned such a big show today, and had listed everything out, thinking that she would be able to take a big bite of Lu Lingjun.
But she never expected that in the end she was only given a little bit of power, which had to be shared by the three concubines!
She could imagine what Lu Lingjun would ask Li Bixiang to do, and there was no way she could give her any real power!
Today was her first face-to-face confrontation with her, and she realized that her sister-in-law was truly extraordinary!
No wonder no one has tried to get ahead of her in all these years when she was in charge. She is an old fox who never reveals her true colors!
Qin Shaojing looked at Lu Lingjun who was still calm and composed, and he felt so angry that his teeth were itching!
After Lu Lingjun left Qin's place, Qin Shaojing and Li Bixi also left.
Qin Shaojing returned to Caitang Pavilion and stamped his feet in anger.
"This Lu Lingjun is really difficult to deal with! He is so tight-lipped and won't give you any advantage!" Qin Shaojing said angrily.
"The mistress is always thoughtful and has deep roots in the Marquis' Mansion. She is not easy to deal with." Li Bixian looked at Qin Shaojing and said slowly, "Today, I am just testing her."
Lu Lingjun had been running the Marquis' Mansion for seven years, and her foundation was unbreakable, not to mention that she was an extremely calm person, and had never let them get hold of any evidence against her. If they wanted to bring Lu Lingjun down, it would not be a matter of just a few words!
"I don't care, I will make her suffer!" Qin Shaojing couldn't bear to hear that.
The more she looked at Lu Lingjun, the more she disliked him.
At first, it was because she was of low birth and married into a wealthy family that she was looked down upon and her sister-in-law was treated with contempt and disregard.
But as the days go by, why is it that she is so unhappy in the Duke's Mansion, while she can thrive in the Marquis' Mansion!
Qin Shaojing was dissatisfied with her in his heart, and his jealousy was growing.
Why is she living a better life than her? She can't accept it!
"My cousin, the mistress is very powerful in the mansion. The old lady is pleased with her, the prince obeys her, and the servants and maids are respectful to her. It is indeed difficult for us to touch her in the mansion." Li Bixi said, "But there are ways to make her suffer."
"So what do you mean?" Qin Shaojing raised his eyes and looked at her.
"I've worked in the imperial palace before, and I know some folk remedies for food incompatibility. Eating them individually is not a big deal, but when eaten together, they can cause headaches, fever, and poor qi circulation, and we can't even find the source! It's not poison at all, but the effect is the same as poison! If Lu Lingjun collapses, she won't have the energy to manage this marquis's mansion even if she wants to." A glimmer appeared in Li Bi'e's eyes.
Qin Shaojing instantly became interested.
Yes, that's a good idea!
Instead of planning so many things, why not come up with a direct and effective one to bring Lu Lingjun down? That way, no matter how impeccable or cunning she is, she won't be able to do anything to her!
Moreover, the foods are incompatible with each other, but they are not directly poisoned, so others will not suspect them after eating them!
"But there is a difficult point." Li Bixi said again.
"What?"
"Lu Lingjun's food is delivered from the small kitchen in her own courtyard, so it's difficult for us to arrange incompatible foods."
Qin Shaojing listened to this, thought about it, and smiled, "How difficult is this? I'll arrange it later!"
When Li Bixiang met her smiling face, she also smiled. She immediately wrote down a list of incompatible foods, which were all the ones she had accumulated in the palace.
How would ordinary people know!
She had just written down the list of incompatible foods when she heard the maid's voice outside the door.
"My cousin, the young lady asked Aunt Li to go to her courtyard! Make arrangements for her!"
Li Bixi put down her writing brush after hearing this. Qin Shaojing looked at her and said, "Go to her first and keep her calm. Don't let her find out anything."
"I know." Li Bijie nodded.
After a while, she arrived at Lu Lingjun's yard.
At this moment, Qiu Ling and Ling Long were both inside.
The two of them chattered excitedly, "Young Madam, you want me to be responsible for the arrangements of the gardens in the mansion?"
"Young Madam, you want me to be responsible for the arrangements of all the knitting women in the mansion?"
"I have too much to do now and I can't handle it all. I should find a few assistants. You guys have nothing to do anyway, so you can help me with some work." Lu Lingjun said.
When Qiu Ling and Ling Long heard this, their eyes lit up and they said, "Yes! Madam! We will definitely do it well!"
As they were responding, they saw Li Bixiang coming over.
Lu Lingyun looked at her, "Auntie Li is here too. It just so happens that I also have an important task to give you."
When Li Bixi heard this, she stepped forward and said, "Young Madam, I can't do that."
"How could that be? Shao Jing has been trying to protect you in front of mother, so Aunt Li must have extraordinary talents," Lu Lingjun called her over, "From now on, Aunt Li, you will come to my place and help me look at the account books."
Lu Lingjun smiled and calmly announced the arrangement.
The moment she gave this order, everyone in the yard was shocked.
Look at the account book!
This is the most important power in charge of the family!
The power of the household depends on money and personnel, these two are the core and cannot be shaken. Lu Lingjun actually asked Li Bixi to help her look at the account books? !
Qiu Ling and Ling Long looked at her with hostility instantly. Lu Lingjun only gave them the right to manage some small projects. How could he give Li Bijie such core power!
Li Bixi was startled after hearing this, and then immediately knelt down with a plop, "Young Madam, I dare not!"
"Auntie Li, what are you doing?" Lu Lingjun looked at her calmly, "I just asked you to help me look at the account book, are you still disgusted?"
Li Bixi raised her head and hurriedly said, "Young Madam, no, no, no, it is such a heavy burden, I dare not carry it, I can't!"
Even though she said this, Qiu Ling and Ling Long's gazes at her remained unchanged.
Even heavier.
Ha! They knew that this Li Yi Niang was not a good person, and she was secretly eyeing the mistress's power to run the household.
She must be doing something shady behind my back, it's so abominable!
When Lu Lingjun heard what Li Bixi said, she couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, Aunt Li, this really makes it difficult for me. Shao Jing even praised you to his mother, and I thought you could help me a lot."
Li Bixi thought to herself, of course she can manage the accounts! But Lu Lingjun said this in public, and gave the two concubines the power they had given before, how could she dare to agree!
She quietly clenched her fists and said to Lu Lingyun, "Young Madam, my ability is limited. If you are willing to ask me to help you share some chores, just give me the things that Aunt Qiu and Aunt Ling do. I don't have the ability to do more than that."
Lu Lingjun was waiting for her to say this.
She looked at Li Bixi and smiled gently, "What Aunt Li said, it just so happens that I have a chore that I am looking for someone to do, that is, purchasing. The purchasing of gardening and women's knitting is all handed over to you, Aunt Li, I remember that you were responsible for purchasing outside the palace when you were in the palace. You definitely can't say you can't do this job."
Li Bijie was shocked again when she heard that Lu Lingjun had assigned her such a job.
General purchasing is a good job, but Lu Lingyun assigned her to do the purchasing for gardening and women's knitting.
That means asking her to be Qiu Ling and Ling Long's assistant!
The two of them are her superiors. They have to ask her to arrange anything they want to buy, and they have to review the things they buy, no matter the price or the quality.
This is not an easy job! Chunchun is left with only hard work!
He is going to use Qiu Ling and Ling Long to deal with her!