Just as Lanxi was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly remembered that she had instructed her three concubines to come and pay their respects early the next morning!
The corners of her lips curled up slightly.
Tomorrow will definitely be very interesting.
Qiao Zhan has been staying in his study for days. Because of Chunying, he not only angered Lanxi, but also stopped going to the rooms of his concubines.
Inadvertently, this also preserved a small portion of Lan Xi's almost completely lost dignity.
Lanxi, who had a good night's sleep, was unaware of all this.
She slept soundly until the end of the morning before getting up under repeated urging from Yue Lin and the others. When she opened her eyes and looked out the window, it was already bright outside. Actually, it wasn't without its advantages that the old lady didn't live with them; she was spared the trouble of going over early in the morning to establish rules.
She yawned lazily, letting Yue Lin and Tang Li help her change her clothes. That's the downside of ancient times; you had to get up early every day, and there was no chance to stay in bed.
"Madam, the three concubines have come to pay their respects!" Zhu Tao relayed through the curtain, "Look—"
Lan Xi frowned slightly; the maids in her courtyard were still not composed enough. She glanced at the clock in the corner of the wall; it was already early morning. People in ancient times rose early, so it was already late for the concubines to come and pay their respects. A faint smile appeared on Lan Xi's lips. Did these three want to give her a hard time?
"Let them wait. I'll call them when I get up," Lan Xi said casually. "Tell them that the Marquis's mansion has rules." No other household would dare to urge the mistress of the house like that!
Zhu Tao agreed and left to relay Lan Xi's message.
Tang Li deftly combed Lan Xi's hair. Lan Xi saw the lowered window reflected in the bronze mirror and suddenly had an idea. She beckoned to Ban Xia and smiled slightly, "Go out and pass on a message. Just say it's my word, and tell them to stand on the veranda to sober up. You're clever, you know what to say!"
Banxia's big eyes darted around, and she immediately understood what Lanxi meant. She smiled and nodded in response, then walked briskly outside.
"Greetings, Auntie!" Banxia lifted the curtain and went out, stopping at the doorway. "Madam just got up, saying it's still early, so the concubines are naturally very tired."
The three women relaxed upon hearing Banxia's words. They all assumed Lan Xi was merely trying to show off her power, and that their arrival would achieve her goal. After two years of timidity, how could Lan Xi suddenly become so assertive?
"Madam said that the cool breeze is refreshing right now." Banxia saw the expressions on the three people's faces, smiled sweetly, and said respectfully, "Then let's wake up on the veranda!"
The smiles on the three women's faces froze. Aunt Lu and Aunt Rong's pupils contracted sharply, while Aunt Fang's eyes widened in surprise.
"This servant still needs to help Madam get up, so I'll take my leave now." Before the three could react, Banxia curtsied politely, turned around, and lifted the curtain to go inside.
Only Aunt Lu and Aunt Rong remained, staring at each other in bewilderment. Aunt Fang stood in the corridor, her expression a mixture of gritted teeth and helplessness. Banxia, having entered the room, shivered slightly, but a playful smile appeared on her lips.
It's still quite chilly outside, so I should remind my wife to wear an extra layer of clothing!
******
Today, Lan Xi chose a royal blue peony-patterned jacket, paired with an apricot-yellow silk skirt with flamboyant floral patterns. From her set of tourmaline jewelry, she selected three hairpins, a pearl flower, and a headband, wearing them only on her thick black hair.
She should maintain the demeanor of a mistress, being dignified and elegant, without needing to compete with the concubines in such matters.
By the time Lan Xi finished getting ready, another half hour had passed. Lan Xi leisurely sipped her tea to moisten her throat, then got up and looked at herself in the full-length mirror before slowly walking out.
Those three must have been waiting impatiently for a while now, right? Do they really think they're just soft dough to be molded and kneaded at will? They're sorely mistaken! A sinister smile crept across Lan Xi's lips. Anyone who's not behaving properly, she'll let them taste her own methods!
"Yuelin, call someone in." Lan Xi sat down gracefully on the large yellow pearwood armchair in the main room and instructed Yue Lin to call someone.
On the veranda.
The three people, dressed in thin clothes, were like delicate flower buds swaying in the cold wind.
They were all late, without prior arrangement. According to the rules, since Qiao Zhan had not stayed in anyone's room, they had no excuse for delaying their arrival unless they were too sick to get up.
Ultimately, no one really took Lan Xi seriously. Although they knew that the Fourth Madam had sent someone to deliver things yesterday, they didn't know what exactly was sent and didn't pay much attention to it. The Fourth Madam often used small favors to win over Lan Xi.
Furthermore, the fact that Qiao Zhan went to the main courtyard in the evening and did not stay overnight gave them even more confidence. But the Marquis and his wife were not so easily reconciled!
According to the maid Banxia, Lanxi had just gotten up when they arrived and was currently washing up. Although Lanxi didn't ask them to go in and serve her, she made them wait outside. First, she sent Zhutao to explain the rules to them, and then she sent Banxia to make it clear that they were not allowed to enter the room!
She wasn't afraid of the Marquis rebuking her for not being virtuous!
For a moment, the three of them forgot that they had never followed the rules in their actions.
As the wait grew longer, both Consort Rong and Consort Lu showed signs of impatience, while Consort Fang openly displayed her resentment. At least she was mindful of Lan Xi's ruthless punishment of Chun Ying yesterday, and the fact that the Marquis had supported it, so she dared not simply walk away.
Seeing that Lan Xi hadn't come out yet, and after hearing Ban Xia's words, the three of them finally realized that this was just making them stand as punishment!
The three concubines, Rong and her companions, were already trembling and their legs were weak from standing on the veranda. The early spring wind was still quite chilly, and they weren't dressed very warmly; the wind blew in and pierced through their clothes. Although it was very common for concubines to pay their respects to the mistress and serve her, the three of them had never suffered like this before. They had only come to Lanxi's main room as a token gesture when they were first promoted to concubines, but later, as Lanxi gradually fell out of favor, they stopped even coming to show up.
Anyway, the original Lan Xi wouldn't care about these things.
"Madam invites the concubines in!" The curtain at the door was finally lifted again, revealing Yue Lin's face. She curtsied and said, "Concubines, please."
The three of them immediately felt as if they had been granted a pardon, but none of them wanted to show it on their faces.
Aunt Fang snorted, flicked her handkerchief, and rushed in with a disgruntled expression. Aunt Rong and Aunt Lu also looked rather unhappy, but they politely nodded to Yue Lin and followed her in with steady steps.
Lan Xi was already sitting on the kang bed in the clinic, leisurely drinking tea. When she saw them come in, she lifted her eyelids and glanced at them.
"This servant greets Madam!" Despite their dissatisfaction, the three women bowed respectfully to Lan Xi. They were just waiting for Lan Xi to give the order so they could hurry back. They had thought they were just here to make an appearance, and hadn't even had breakfast. After standing for so long, their legs ached, and the cold, hunger, and exhaustion were truly unbearable.
The three of them stared wide-eyed at the wisps of steam rising from the teacup in Lan Xi's hand. At this moment, even a cup of hot water would be a blessing!
Lan Xi waved her hand casually, ignoring the longing in the three people's eyes. She placed the teacup in her hand on the kang table, her attitude gentle and kind, and said very considerately, "Are you awake now? If you still feel sleepy, you can go and get some fresh air."
Lan Xi clearly wanted to find someone to build a raft, and sensing something amiss in her words, Consort Rong and Consort Lu quickly took their positions: "Replying to Madam, we are not sleepy. We went outside for a walk and felt refreshed and invigorated by the cool breeze!"
Aunt Fang was not as quick to react as the other two. She said somewhat reluctantly, "This servant was awake a long time ago too."
Hearing the three's reply, Lan Xi nodded in satisfaction, her voice becoming even softer. "You've arrived early. I think you should have come around 9 AM, when the sun is high in the sky. I'm sure you wouldn't be lacking in energy then."
Although her tone was gentle, her words sounded awkward. Aunt Rong and Aunt Lu wisely remained silent, while Aunt Fang, already seething with resentment from the cold wind, seized the opportunity to vent: "Since it is Madam's kindness, this servant will remember it. If Madam instructs us to come and pay our respects again next time, this servant will not arrive early, so as not to disturb your rest!"