"I heard that Mingxiu's third and fourth aunts came to visit a few days ago?" Princess Yunyang asked with great interest about another matter.
An Ran blinked in surprise. She thought she had handled it discreetly and hadn't caused any trouble. How did Princess Yunyang find out?
“It was the Grand Princess of Lin’an who told Her Majesty the Empress,” Princess Yunyang said, and An Ran’s confusion deepened. How did this involve the Grand Princess of Lin’an again? What was her relationship with Lu Mingxiu’s third and fourth aunts?
Seeing that she looked confused, Princess Yunyang explained to her in detail. "The Grand Princess of Lin'an is one of the few elders whom the Emperor barely respects. Back then, the matter of the late Crown Prince was still fresh in everyone's minds. Others were trying to keep their tails between their legs, but the Grand Princess of Lin'an has been frequently visiting the palace these days."
It turns out that Lu Mingxiu's fourth aunt was related to the Grand Princess of Lin'an by some degree of kinship, and could be considered her aunt.
Somehow, they managed to persuade the Grand Princess of Lin'an to speak to the Emperor and convince Lu Mingxiu to still acknowledge his third and fourth uncles. However, the Grand Princess of Lin'an was quite clever; fearing the Emperor would disrespect her, she went to the Empress and pleaded her case.
Are these two the kind of people who become stronger after setbacks?
An Ran was both amused and exasperated.
******
On this day, Chen Qian brought Xu Hui to the new house he had prepared for Liu Niang.
This is a large house with four courtyards and an outer courtyard, more than enough for two people to live in. It has pavilions and towers, seasonal flowers and trees, and a small glass greenhouse in the garden.
In Xu Hui's memories of her previous life, there was no such house.
Seeing that the house had been newly decorated, Xu Hui blushed and looked at Chen Qian shyly. Was Chen Qian going to give her this house? Or was he going to marry her here?
In any case, this shows how much Chen Qian values her.
But amidst her joy, she thought of Xu Zhou, whom she had met briefly that day, and how she had yet to find out any further information about him. All she knew was that he sold herbs to Huichuntang and lived in the suburbs. By the time she tried to inquire further, the shop assistant had become suspicious, so she had to give up for the time being.
She only remembered that Xu Zhou had indeed made his fortune in the capital, but she wasn't quite sure what specific businesses he had engaged in. There were many conflicting accounts, and she didn't have time to verify them all.
If Chen Qian wanted her to marry him right now, how should she respond?
Xu Hui couldn't help but feel a bittersweet mix of emotions. Perhaps she could help Chen Qian become stronger, but she was still unwilling to give up on how Xu Zhou had built his fortune.
Seeing the shy look on her face, Chen Qian knew that she had misunderstood.
Actually, he didn't mean anything by it; he did intend to keep her in the house. Not as the mistress of the house, but as a maidservant, serving him in his study.
"Hui Niang, what do you think of this house?" Chen Qian led Xu Hui on a tour, finally returning to the main house in the middle of the hall. There, she looked at the various rare and precious treasures displayed in the display cabinet, the rosewood canopy with its "rising step by step" design, and the rosewood canopy bed carved with dragons and phoenixes…
Even the furniture was already furnished with brocade cushions, large welcome pillows, and other items. It was more like a newly decorated bridal chamber, only the bright red curtains hadn't been put up yet, nor the dragon and phoenix candles and various auspicious objects had been arranged.
"It's beautiful!" Xu Hui exclaimed. "It's so spacious and magnificent. Young master, you must have great wealth to be able to afford such a house in the capital."
Xu Hui thought Chen Qian was changing for her, after all, in her previous life she had gone to Yangzhou with Chen Qian, and let the sickly An Ran occupy the main courtyard. Although she exercised the rights of the housekeeper, she lived in a slightly smaller side courtyard.
In this life, Chen Qian actually bought a house in the capital!
This means that everything is moving in a positive direction.
Chapter 133
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The visitor was none other than Ming Qian, the second daughter of the Marquis of Chengping's household.
"Second Sister!" Mingwei's eyes lit up, and she quickly took two steps forward, a smile spreading across her lips. "Second Sister, what brings you here?"
Mingwei saw that Mingqian was so happy that she forgot her body was not the same as before. She herself was fine, but Yuelin and the others were startled. Biyun went forward to help her, saying, "Your Highness, please take it easy!"
Mingxi quickly raised her voice and said, "Slow down, slow down!"
Unexpectedly, everyone reacted so strongly. Mingwei blushed slightly and smiled to cover it up: "Second sister, it's been a while since we last met. I was afraid that the old lady and madam would miss me, so I wanted you to take a good look at me. If the old lady and they ask when we get back, you'll have something to say."
"You, you're still so mischievous!" Mingxi was both amused and annoyed. She took Mingwei's hand and they went into the main courtyard together. "You're about to become a mother, but you're still like a child."
The warm and intimate atmosphere between the two infected Yue Lin and the others, who couldn't help but smile. Bi Yun was especially surprised; the usually dignified and noble princess actually had such a lively side.
“I came from the Marquis of Chengping’s residence with the Prince,” Mingxi explained. “It seems the Prince had something to attend to and left first.”
Seeing Mingxi arrive, Mingwei was filled with joy. "It's been a while since I've seen you, Second Sister, you've grown even more beautiful. I have a few boxes of fine rouge here, you can try them out later."
"You're teasing your sister now!" Mingxi readily accepted the joke. "At least you have some filial piety."
As they talked, Mingwei led Mingqian to her usual place of rest and recuperation.
"How are Grandmother, Father, and Mother?" Although they hadn't spent much time together, Mingwei already considered them her true family. Upon seeing Mingqian today, she couldn't wait to ask, "Is everything alright at home?"
After Rong Zhen was imprisoned in Prince Yu's residence, she almost completely lost contact with the Marquis of Chengping's household. During her confinement in Prince Yu's residence, Rong Zhen was deposed from his position as the Crown Prince. These events, which would be terrifying enough for outsiders, happened one after another. Her beloved old lady must have been unable to eat or sleep properly as well!
"It's all good, it's all good." Mingxi said with a smile, "The old lady wasn't feeling well at first, but after the prince came to our house today to tell you the good news, she's completely recovered! The old lady was even planning to come see you, but the prince and mother persuaded her not to." Before she finished speaking, she pretended to have a bitter face and said, "I thought that after you got married, the old lady would dote on me more, but who knew that as soon as you were mentioned, she would forget about me again!"
Mingxi was serious for the first two sentences, but then she couldn't help but tease Mingwei.
"Second sister!" Mingwei gritted her teeth and said, "It's only been a few days since I last saw you, and you've become even more eloquent!"
While the two sisters were still "exposing each other's shortcomings and undermining each other," Yue Lintangli had already served hot tea. Dongyue and Biyun each carried a black lacquered tray with plum blossoms and pearls, on which were placed several exquisite candied fruits and pastries.
"Second Miss, please have some." Yue Lin first served tea to Ming Qian, then curtsied and said with a smile, "It's your favorite Xinyang Maojian."
Mingxi smiled and nodded as she accepted it. She glanced at the clear, emerald-green tea in the famille rose teacup and praised, "Good girl, it's kind of you to remember."
In a short while, the room was filled with the aroma of tea, which made Mingwei's mouth water.
"Your Highness, here's your medicinal tea." Tang Li presented Ming Wei with another celadon-colored teacup from the imperial kiln, which also looked clear and translucent. However, Ming Wei wrinkled her nose as if by reflex.