Aunt Li said with a hint of exasperation, "When will you learn from Tenth Sister? Use your brain more! Today, it's not Ninth Sister who's here to give you a gift; it's Third Aunt giving it to her sisters. If you say anything, wouldn't you be slapping Third Aunt in the face? Will Madam forgive you?"
"Besides, you shouldn't have given her attitude just because you saw that she was a maid from the old lady's courtyard."
Seventh Sister curled her lip indifferently.
"To be honest, this Ninth Miss is quite clever and beautiful. She's probably destined for great things," Aunt Li sighed. "It's just a pity that she doesn't have any old friends around her to support her."
"Auntie, did you come here today just to boost others' morale and diminish your own?" Seventh Sister was displeased. She said unhappily, "You know she's always going against me. I originally wanted to use the Guanyin embroidery to make her suffer a great loss in front of Mother, but now she has a lot of influence in front of Mother because of Third Sister's matter, so it's very difficult to touch her."
Seeing that Seventh Sister looked unhappy, Aunt Li quickly comforted her, saying, "My child, you don't need to worry. Your Third Sister's matter is not over yet! I'm afraid that most of Madam's energy will be drawn to it."
Seventh Sister was puzzled.
"Didn't Ninth Sister persuade Third Sister to stay?" she asked doubtfully. "Third Sister and her husband brought Anran back together, didn't they make up? Since Third Sister can tolerate that Li Shi, what else is there to worry about? What man doesn't have three wives and four concubines?"
Aunt Li shook her head.
"Li Shi kept her pregnancy a secret from Third Aunt for so long, only returning when she was about to give birth. I know Third Aunt's temperament; she must be furious," Aunt Li analyzed. "It's been suppressed for now, but once Li Shi gives birth, there'll be plenty of trouble."
"Li Shi has managed to hold out for so long, she's certainly formidable. But our Third Aunt is absolutely intolerant of any dissent. There's bound to be more trouble ahead!"
Aunt Li then instructed Seventh Sister, saying, "You should learn more from Tenth Sister in everything you do. Look around, who in this mansion doesn't praise Tenth Sister for being well-behaved and sensible? Don't always think about how to make things difficult for Ninth Sister. Be careful not to upset the Madam one day. She's in a bad mood, and who knows who will suffer the consequences!"
Seventh Sister agreed with a look of impatience.
"Aunt Lan's timid and weak appearance belies the fact that she gave birth to a daughter with a sharp and clever mind! Tenth Sister is obedient? Saying she's cunning is an understatement!" Looking at Seventh Sister, Aunt Li couldn't help but sigh, "How come I gave birth to such a straightforward person like you!"
Seventh Sister stiffened her neck and ignored her.
Aunt Li had no choice but to coax her a few times, and only then did Seventh Sister's expression improve.
When Aunt Li arrived, she made up an excuse to bring clothes to Seventh Sister. She didn't want to stay long, so before leaving, she gave instructions to all the people serving Seventh Sister.
******
An Ran has been back from Prince Yi's residence for several days now.
The four sisters resumed their daily routine of studying, doing needlework, and learning the zither at Tingfeng Pavilion with Mr. He. However, the Dowager and Madam Zhao, who used to inquire about their studies, had become much less attentive, especially Madam Zhao, who always seemed to be deep in thought.
Even the Dowager Lady was affected.
The weather was bad that day. It was only past noon when dark clouds gathered, and the sky became gloomy and oppressive, making it feel like I couldn't breathe.
The needlework and guqin lessons in the afternoon were temporarily cancelled.
An Ran had already had the lamps lit and was sitting on the Luohan bed, preparing to embroider some more patterns for the embroidered portrait to be used for mounting.
As soon as Anran picked up the needle, she suddenly panicked. She didn't hold the needle properly, pricked her finger and drew blood, and also stained the fabric.
An Ran sighed and was just about to change the fabric when Jinping hurriedly returned from outside.
"Miss, news has come from the Prince's residence that Lady Li has just given birth to a son!" (Just Love Network)
Chapter 32 Response
An Ran was immediately stunned, and the needle, thread and fabric in her hands slipped to the ground.
The worst-case scenario has indeed occurred: Lady Li has given birth to the eldest son of the heir apparent, born out of wedlock! An Ran had originally hoped that if Lady Li had given birth to a daughter, it would have been the best outcome for Third Sister. No matter how powerful Lady Li was, without a son to rely on, she couldn't cause any major trouble.
But to everyone's surprise, Li's belly was so fertile that she gave birth to a boy!
Why don't you ask Third Sister for some kind of anger or resentment? What if you do something inappropriate in a fit of rage?
Although she had been repeatedly reminded before leaving the Prince's residence, and the Grand Madam and Madam Zhao must have given her plenty of pointers as well, An Ran could understand that feeling of anger and helplessness. Even though she understood the reasoning behind it, it was difficult to control her emotions.
Especially since An Ran had already witnessed Third Sister's hysteria, the broken porcelain shards on the ground, and the porcelain bottle that almost hit her head, An Ran still felt lingering fear when she thought about it.
"Where did you get this information?" An Ran asked, composing herself.
Jinping replied, "When I went to Aunt Liu's needlework shop to get the clothes that were altered for you, I heard it from the maids in Madam's courtyard. Those maids who haven't grown their hair long yet don't know what's important and spread it around. But I think it can't be wrong."
Anran nodded.
Since the message has already been sent out, it must be accurate. This is the eldest grandson of Prince Yi. The original heir did not leave behind an heir, only a daughter. Although Li's son is born out of wedlock and cannot be as noble as the legitimate son, he is still the eldest son, so his future is not bad.
It seems that Li's status will rise along with her son's.
How should Third Sister deal with this situation?
When she saw Yun Shen and Li Shi together, with their son, seemingly a happy family of three, she felt like an outsider, unable to join in... This feeling was unbearable! Especially considering that she and Yun Shen used to be a loving couple, the contrast between then and now only made her more heartbroken.
Furthermore, given Li's skillful maneuvering, she might use this to win Yun Shen's heart. If that happens, Third Sister might be provoked and cause a scene. Yun Shen will increasingly perceive Li as gentle, virtuous, and understanding; while Third Sister will appear hysterical and immature in comparison…
Based on her experience from her previous life, An Ran increasingly thought only the worst; Third Sister's situation was very difficult!
"I understand." An Ran took a deep breath and said slowly, "The people who are keeping us in check these days should stay obediently in the courtyard and not go out to run around. If there is anything for Madam, you and Cuiping can go, and the rest of us can stay behind."
Jinping replied, "Yes, I've got it."
She understood An Ran's concerns. Undoubtedly, the birth of Li Shi's eldest son by a concubine was a double blow to the Third Aunt. The Madam must have been worried and annoyed these past few days, and she might take out her anger on someone else. Everyone had to be careful and keep a low profile.
An Ran dismissed Jinping and picked up the needles, thread, and fabric from the ground. Having lost all interest in embroidery, she threw them into the winnowing basket on the daybed. She rested her chin on her hand on the small table, lost in thought, racking her brains for a way out of the predicament.
The best solution right now is to take Li's son into my care and raise him, thus severing his ties with Li. This way, outsiders won't find fault, and it would be a blessing for a son born out of wedlock to be raised by his legal mother. But would Third Sister willingly accept this?
If Third Sister were to show even the slightest sign of impropriety, the Princess Consort and the Prince would probably not entrust their child to her.
An Ran's head throbbed with worry as she racked her brains for a solution that would satisfy both sides.