The Dowager Lady stared intently at Zhao Shi with sharp eyes, her voice carrying an air of authority despite her lack of anger. "Who else can you send right now? Sixth Sister, Seventh Sister, and Tenth Sister are all absent. What would it look like if the two of us went to the Prince's residence without warning?"
“But…” Zhao Shi, intimidated by the old lady’s past power, dared not directly refute her. She was filled with worry for her daughter, fearing that if her daughter took this wrong step, everything would be ruined. “Ninth Sister’s nature is always so quiet and gentle, how could she possibly persuade Third Sister? Tenth Sister’s words are much more effective!”
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Zhao's mind. She hurriedly said, "Why don't we quickly send someone to call Fifth Sister back to persuade her sister? Third Sister might listen to Fifth Sister's words a little more!"
A flash of exasperated anger crossed the Grand Madam's eyes, but she was too preoccupied with Third Sister's matter to reprimand Zhao Shi. Suppressing her anger, she said coldly, "Call Fifth Sister back? Do you want all those families to know what's going on in Third Sister's household?"
Fearing that Zhao might make a mistake and cause more trouble, the Dowager Lady had no choice but to patiently explain things to her. "If Fifth Sister is suddenly summoned back, have you thought about the reason? If you say there's something wrong with her husband's family, you certainly can't hide it; if you say there's something wrong with her own family, wouldn't Sixth Sister and the others come back together? The matter of Prince Yi's mansion will spread sooner or later, and then wouldn't people speculate even more? What about Third Sister's reputation?"
Zhao was embarrassed and speechless.
The old lady sighed heavily.
Zhao had made some progress over the years, but when it came to her own daughter, she became overwhelmed with concern and lost her composure.
"Only Ninth Sister is the most suitable to go!" The Grand Madam's tone softened as she thought of this. "Firstly, everyone knows that Ninth Sister hasn't left the house, so it can be said that Ninth Sister was originally going to Prince Yi's residence. Secondly, although Ninth Sister is gentle, she is not weak or incompetent."
The Dowager Lady glanced at Zhao Shi, her expression hinting at something. "Do you know why Ninth Sister didn't go out with us today?"
Zhao was speechless for a moment.
She hadn't really cared why Ninth Sister didn't go; in her opinion, as long as the concubine's daughters behaved themselves, that was enough. Apart from Seventh Sister and Tenth Sister, who had grown up under her care, she paid them some attention, but she couldn't be bothered with Sixth Sister and Ninth Sister.
The old lady saw through Zhao's thoughts at a glance.
“Ninth Sister is waiting for her younger siblings from the family that raised her to come over.” The Grand Madam said succinctly, “Today is a good opportunity for several close friends from the Marquis’s family to go out and reconnect, which shows that Ninth Sister is a kind and righteous child.”
The Dowager was too lazy to explain the details to Zhao Shi; for now, she just wanted to persuade the Third Sister to stay calm.
"I will follow your arrangements!" Knowing she was no match for her mother-in-law's shrewdness, Zhao quickly agreed. "Should I have someone call Jiu Niang over and give her a few words of advice?"
The old lady glanced at Zhao.
If we wait for her to make the arrangements, then it will truly be too late.
Before Zhao could finish speaking, a maid announced from outside, "Ninth Miss has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Zhao's eyes widened in astonishment.
It turns out that the Dowager Madam had everything arranged!
The ginger-yellow curtain was lifted, revealing An Ran's beautiful face.
"Grandmother, Mother!" Anran, who had hurriedly changed into a lake-blue dress, knelt down and bowed steadily, but her hair was still styled in double buns, making her look somewhat childish.
Zhao was somewhat shaken. Could An Jiu persuade the Third Sister?
Looking at An Ran's composed demeanor, the Grand Madam felt a surge of satisfaction. She gently instructed An Ran, "Mother Nan will tell you the details once we're in the carriage. Just make sure to persuade your third sister not to do anything inappropriate."
An Ran solemnly agreed.
"Go then," the old lady said softly. "In times of emergency, we must act expediently. You are a good child, and your grandmother believes you can do well."
"Granddaughter has remembered." An Ran bowed and took her leave, following behind Nan's mother and Su's mother, striding out.
Under Zhao's still worried and hesitant gaze, the Grand Madam did not waste any more words with her and helped the little maid back to Rong'an Hall.
After finishing her work, Madam He, the Dowager's trusted confidante, learned of what had happened at Third Sister's residence. She immediately ordered that all those in the know be kept silent, forbidding any information from leaking out. She then waited for the Dowager's return at Rong'an Hall.
"Madam!" Madam He personally helped the Madam into the room to change her clothes, and dismissed the maids.
When she learned that the Grand Madam had sent An Jiu Niang to persuade San Niang, she felt somewhat uneasy. "You sent Jiu Niang..."
“Ninth Sister’s character and work are both excellent. Do you think I brought her back just because she’s pretty?” The Grand Madam murmured, “There are too many pretty girls, but not many who are intelligent and willing to use their intelligence for the right purposes.”
Mrs. He and her husband had been managing the old lady's properties in the north, and had only recently returned. She wasn't entirely clear on what kind of effort the old lady had put into her illegitimate granddaughter.
"Yesterday, after Fifth Sister invited the sisters out, I deliberately told Madam Wu to bring Anxi and Anmu into the mansion." The Grand Madam said with emotion, "I wanted to see whether Ninth Sister cared more about her future success or about the old friendship."
The other family members traveling with me were close relatives of the Marquis of Nan'an; making more connections would surely be beneficial. When Sixth Sister first returned, she was quite interested in these things!
Mrs. He suddenly realized. "You weren't mistaken!"
The old lady nodded with satisfaction.
"Perhaps this is fate!" The old lady stroked the string of Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist and sighed, "But today only Ninth Sister was at home, and the news just happened to arrive today..."
******
An Ran, who was already sitting in the Marquis's carriage, was completely unaware of all this.
She was happily waiting for Anxi and Anmu in Ningxue Courtyard, but before she could see the two siblings, Jianqiu, the head maid of the Grand Madam's courtyard, came over in a hurry, saying that the Grand Madam wanted to see her and that Anran should quickly change into her outdoor clothes and go to Zhao's courtyard.
It's normal for the Grand Madam to want to see her, but why does she have to change her clothes and go to Zhao's courtyard?
Despite her doubts, An Ran obediently did as she was told, changed into a lake-blue dress, smoothed her hair, and followed Jian Qiu.
On the way, Jianqiu mumbled a few words to Anran, which only confused Anran more.
Just now, Nan's mother and Su's mother told her everything and told her that the most important task today was to persuade San Niang not to cause a huge uproar.
After the two men finished their earnest and heartfelt explanations, An Ran felt a sudden headache coming on.
Although she had only met Third Sister twice, An Ran knew her temperament perfectly well. She was definitely a proud, willful, and spoiled child. Compared to her own past life, she was probably even more spoiled. It wouldn't be easy to persuade someone like that!
She's just Third Sister's half-sister, and she's only been back from outside for a short time. How could she possibly intimidate Third Sister?
An Ran's expression grew increasingly solemn. She sat upright, her face as still as water, watching the bustling streets outside the car window. The noise gradually faded and disappeared, and An Ran suddenly fell into her own thoughts. She thought of herself in her previous life, married to Chen Qian, and how she must have felt the same way as her third sister when she learned that Chen Qian had taken a concubine and bought actors.