Anran lowered the carriage curtain and leaned back into the large cushions on the soft seat.
The figure from behind looked like Marquis Pingyuan, Lu Mingxiu. She had seen him three times, and twice she had watched his back as he left, but the image of him riding past on horseback was clearly etched in her mind.
But... An Ran suddenly remembered that day at the Prince Yi's mansion, during Dong Ge'er's full moon celebration, when Lu Mingxiu, in the small courtyard just a wall away, overheard much of her conversation with Third Sister. An Ran knew that this renowned Marquis Lu hadn't done it intentionally, nor was he a gossipy person, but she still felt embarrassed.
An Ran felt inexplicably sad whenever she thought that Lu Mingxiu might misunderstand her.
"Are you unhappy because I'm restricting you?" Seeing that An Ran's face looked a little pale, Third Sister softened her voice and said, "Once you're fully recovered, it'll probably be hot by then. I'll take you to a farm on the outskirts of the capital to escape the summer heat. There are lots of fun things to do there!"
An Ran's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and her earlier disappointment lightened considerably. "Really?"
Third Sister laughed and said, "Of course I keep my word. When has your sister ever lied to you?"
"Can I bring two more people?" An Ran looked at San Niang with a pleading look in her eyes. She asked cautiously, "Can I bring tide Jie'er and Mu Ge'er with me?"
After thinking for a while, San Niang realized who the two people An Ran was talking about were.
She had heard from her mother, Zhao, that Anran was taken away and raised by the maidservant of the Grand Madam. She had a deep affection for that maidservant's grandson and granddaughter. This time, she brought them along to the capital and they are now staying at the house of the steward in the Grand Madam's courtyard.
Third Sister didn't have any particular feelings towards the two children. However, since An Ran had spoken up, Third Sister had no reason to refuse.
She always felt a bit guilty towards An Ran, and if she could please An Ran, she would be happy to be a good person and go to Wu Mama's house to bring the two children out.
Moreover... An Ran is several years younger than her, yet she has received a lot of help from her in recent days. San Niang always feels that there is a hurdle in her heart that she can't get over.
Looking at An Ran's serene and beautiful face, which exuded composure and precocious wisdom, San Niang felt a little uneasy. It was only if An Ran truly had no desires that she felt afraid. Now that An Ran had things beyond her reach and needed to rely on her, San Niang felt somewhat at ease.
"Of course," Third Sister smiled and said, "I'll go to Grandmother and bring her out to stay with you on the estate for a while, how about that?"
An Ran's eyes lit up, and she immediately moved closer to Third Sister, saying in a coquettish tone, "It's a deal then, since you promised me, you can't go back on your word!"
"You've forgotten your sister now that you have playmates," Third Sister scolded playfully, but the smile on her face went deep into her eyes.
An Ran clung to Third Sister's side, acting coquettishly and saying nice things, but secretly she breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew very well that Third Sister would have to be wary of her sooner or later. It wasn't that she had done anything wrong; in fact, it was probably because she hadn't done anything wrong.
In San Niang's eyes, she was just a thirteen-year-old girl. How much knowledge could she have after returning to the capital from the countryside? What use was a pretty face if she had no brains? But what was unexpected was that An Ran had helped her suppress Li Shi as soon as she arrived at the Prince's mansion. Even though Li Shi had given birth to the eldest son of a concubine, she was not as good as before after returning to the mansion!
Perhaps Third Sister would admit that she played an indispensable role in this.
But suspicion and unease can also creep in. She should be grateful for Li's restlessness and that Li's attack was directed at her—if Li had been more patient and not been misled by the intimacy between the two sisters, but had focused on sowing discord between them, and had waited a little longer, things might not be like they are today.
An Ran had been trying to find an opportunity to dispel San Niang's concerns, acting only like a younger sister. But she also knew that no matter what she did, it would be difficult to make San Niang completely lower her guard.
So, seizing the opportunity, Anran was willing to show weakness in front of San Niang, demonstrating her dependence on and need for San Niang's help.
Therefore, An Ran didn't stand on ceremony this time and directly proposed to take An tide and An Mu out. As expected, Third Sister readily agreed.
She couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself. This could be considered killing two birds with one stone, right?
The carriage traveled smoothly all the way. Anran and San Niang exchanged a few words every now and then, and soon they arrived at the gate of the Marquis of Qingxiang's mansion.
Before even entering the street in front of the Qingxiang Marquis's mansion, An Ran could hear the sounds of carriages coming and going, the shouts of drivers, and the clatter of horses' hooves outside the carriage, indicating that there were quite a few guests visiting the Qingxiang Marquis's mansion today.
Today is only the fortieth birthday of Lady Qingxiang, yet it is being celebrated so grandly?
"The Marquis of Qingxiang made military achievements in the south a few days ago. We won that battle in the south, and His Majesty was overjoyed. He rewarded the soldiers on the front lines. Although the Marquis of Qingxiang was not the commander-in-chief, after this battle, although he is not as good as General Sha or General Shi, he is still highly regarded by His Majesty." Seeing Anran's confusion, Third Sister said to her half-jokingly, "It's easy to add flowers to brocade. Seeing that the Marquis of Qingxiang's mansion is so prestigious, naturally many people will be scrambling to get in."
An Ran then realized what was happening.
No wonder there's such a constant stream of carriages and horses in front of the Marquis of Qingxiang's mansion; this is the reason why.
When they arrived at the gate, San Niang and An Ran stepped off the carriage on small stools. They saw that the carriage coming towards them was from the Marquis of Nan'an's residence.
Zhao arrived with Sixth Sister, Seventh Sister, and Tenth Sister.
Anran, along with Yunlan, Yunfang, and Yunrui, went up to greet Zhao Shi and also greeted Liu Niang and the other two.
When the three sisters saw An Ran standing next to the third sister, they were all secretly surprised. Except for the seventh sister, who clearly wore her thoughts on her sleeve, the sixth and tenth sisters were able to keep their composure.
An Ran was wearing a new set of clothes, clearly made to order; the fabric and style had only recently become popular in the capital. Her hair was adorned with an exquisite phoenix hairpin adorned with red-gold pearls, delicate and unique—something money couldn't buy anywhere else.
And there was the crimson gold and pearl headband on her head—Shi Niang remembered it very clearly; that year, the Grand Madam received a box of pearls bestowed from the palace, each one lustrous, round, and full, all of them exquisite (from the writings of the author).
Chapter 60
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Her head was still throbbing, and her limbs felt incredibly weak. Lan Xi lazily rolled over in the soft bedding, propped her chin up, and lay on the bed, not wanting to move.
"Moonfall, Moonfall—" Lan Xi called out when she saw that the room was quiet.
It's true that she's not favored by the Marquis, but as his principal wife, a proper Marquis's wife, she shouldn't be so destitute that she can't even command anyone, right? She looked at Yue Lin and Tang Li, who, although not very clever, were extremely honest and loyal. Why were they both absent at this moment?
"Tang Li?" Lan Xi called out twice more persistently before a timid little maidservant timidly lifted the curtain and came in.
"Madam, if you need anything, please just tell me!"
Lan Xi frowned and thought for a while, vaguely remembering that Yue Lin once called her... Zhu Tao?
"Zhu Tao, is it?" Lan Xi sat up from under the covers and beckoned her to come forward and answer. "Where did Yue Lin and Tang Li go?"
When Zhu Tao heard Lan Xi ask her a question, she became a little nervous and stammered, "Replying to Madam, Sister Yue Lin and Sister Tang Li have both been summoned away by Fourth Madam and are not in the mansion."
"Fourth Madam?" Lan Xi slowly frowned, a hint of coldness in her eyes. After all, she was the mistress of the Yongning Marquis's mansion. Even though this Fourth Madam was the Marquis's fourth aunt and her elder, she was still ill and only had two capable maids by her side. They had been taken away with her.
Tsk tsk, this body is really not doing so well!