But having just arrived in an unfamiliar environment, Nian-ge'er couldn't help but feel uneasy. His eyes were still searching for An Ran, his gaze filled with a pleading look.
Anran took Jia Niang's hand and walked to the children.
Upon seeing her approach, Nian-ge'er quickly nestled close to her, still somewhat shy.
"Let's go see the princess." An Ran smiled and led the children toward the main courtyard. Two mothers led the way. Seeing that Nian Ge'er was too small and his legs were too short to keep up, An Ran simply picked him up.
Upon arriving at the main courtyard, the head maid, Emerald, came out to greet Anran with a smile.
An Ran nodded with a smile, and the maids hurriedly lifted the curtain to welcome An Ran and her entourage inside.
After entering the main room, before even passing the eight-panel sandalwood carved landscape screen, Anran put Niange'er down on the ground and took his hand to walk.
Princess Yunyang was sitting on the daybed waiting for them. Seeing that Anran was dressed in luxurious clothes and had a more beautiful appearance than before, she felt pleased.
"Greetings to the Princess." After An Ran entered, she first bowed meticulously to Princess Yunyang before taking Nian Ge'er's hand.
"Ninth Sister, come quickly." Princess Yunyang beckoned to An Ran, then her gaze fell on Nian Ge'er, and she couldn't help but smile and say, "This must be Nian Ge'er?"
Princess Yunyang was one of the few people who knew Nian Ge'er's identity, so when she saw him, she couldn't help but feel a little pity for him. She treated Nian Ge'er very kindly and said softly, "Come here and let me take a look."
If we were to go into detail about seniority, Nian-ge'er is An-ran's nominal son, and An-ran is on the same level as Jia-niang. Princess Yunyang is young, so she is addressed as grandmother or maternal grandmother.
An Ran felt a little awkward, so before coming, she told Nian Ge'er to call her "Princess".
Nian Ge'er recalled his mother's teachings before he left home that day. Therefore, he slowly released An Ran's hand, walked up to Princess Yunyang, and said, "Greetings to the Princess."
As he spoke, he bowed steadily to Princess Yunyang without making a single mistake.
"Nian-ge'er is such a good boy!" Princess Yunyang called Nian-ge'er to her side and carefully looked at his fair and tender little face. He was a child with a tragic fate, but he seemed so well-behaved and sensible. It was his blessing to be able to stay by An Ran's side.
Princess Yunyang had prepared a small box of gold ornaments, all of which were given to Nian-ge'er, and asked Anran to take them back for Nian-ge'er to play with.
Nian-ge'er obediently stepped forward to express his gratitude, which prompted Princess Yunyang to praise him highly.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jia Niang, who had been instructed by Princess Yunyang, invited Yi Jie'er and Heng Ge'er to take Nian Ge'er to play in the garden.
Nian-ge looked at An-ran with some reluctance. He was still a little unaccustomed to leaving An-ran and entering an unfamiliar environment. An-ran, however, hoped that he would spend more time with his peers, so she encouraged him to go out with Jia-niang and the others.
Nian-ge'er obediently followed Heng-ge'er and Yi-jie'er, while Jia-niang watched them from behind.
"It's clear that this child gets along very well with you." Princess Yunyang smiled as she watched the children leave. "It seems like the children all really like you."
Anran originally lived peacefully in the Yunyang Princess's mansion, where she lived with Hengge'er, Yijie'er, and Jianiang, and they got along very well.
An Ran nodded calmly and said with deep agreement, "They're just too popular with kids, there's nothing we can do about it."
"You mischievous little girl!" Princess Yunyang laughed, "You're getting cocky just because I said you're fat."
An Ran chuckled twice.
"Princess, how has Jia Niang been these days?" An Ran hesitated for a moment before asking Princess Yunyang. Although it was clear that Jia Niang got along well with her younger siblings and respected Princess Yunyang as her mother, there seemed to be a lack of intimacy between them.
Moreover, the moment Jia Niang saw Nian Ge'er, she first gave him a scrutinizing look... An Ran couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Jia Niang was only eight years old. Even though she had returned to her mother's side, she still couldn't open her heart?
Upon hearing this, Princess Yunyang couldn't help but sigh softly.
What An Ran asked was also what worried her.
"In the end, we missed these eight years." Princess Yunyang said softly, "Jia Niang is a thoughtful child. Although she doesn't blame us anymore, there still seems to be some distance between us."
Even Princess Yunyang felt that Jia Niang was not as close to her as An Ran was to her. But then she thought that An Ran had helped Jia Niang when she was in the most difficult time, and An Ran had risked her life to save her when she was in danger. Jia Niang naturally regarded An Ran as family.
"Princess, please don't rush, take your time." An Ran could only gently persuade her, "Jia Niang is smart and obedient, but she is a bit too thoughtful. I will try to persuade her again in a while."
Princess Yunyang nodded gratefully. She pondered for a moment and said, "Wu got the news from somewhere that Jia Niang's adoptive parents had incurred a large debt, and the money left for Jia Niang had long been used to cover the deficit. Yet she still has the nerve to boast about how much silver she gave to Jia Niang."
An Ran frowned slightly, and said indignantly, "Isn't this a clear case of denying responsibility? If there weren't benefits to be gained, would Madam Wu have kept Jia Niang by her side? You should know that their family was just a fifth-rank civil official, and a prestigious member of the Hanlin Academy. How much income could they possibly have?"
"Only after Jia Niang left did their lives improve. Look at Wu's two daughters, their attire is no less impressive than that of the legitimate daughters of noble families. Where did they get the money?" An Ran was furious. They had already taken advantage of them greatly; did they really want to turn around and bite her? "And now they're saying they have a deficit..."
Princess Yunyang nodded slightly, agreeing with An Ran's opinion.
For the sake of Jia Niang's reputation, Princess Yunyang refrained from taking action against Scholar Liu's residence. After all, Jia Niang had lived in their household for three years, and to outsiders, Madam Wu treated Jia Niang quite well. She even took her along on social outings, and Jia Niang was always dressed like a daughter of an official.
If Princess Yunyang were to punish them immediately, it would inevitably make people think that Jia Niang was "ungrateful".
They were quiet for a while, but then they started making a fuss again these past few days.
Previously, Princess Yunyang forced them to return most of the property belonging to Jia Niang's adoptive parents, leaving some as a token of their gratitude for raising Jia Niang. The rest was sealed away, and if Jia Niang wanted to use it in Yangzhou to build an ancestral hall for her adoptive parents or donate it, Princess Yunyang and her husband would not object.
Who knew they were so greedy and started causing trouble.
“I’m a little worried about Jia Niang,” Princess Yunyang said, expressing her concerns. “Jia Niang still values her adoptive parents very much, and I’m afraid she might do something inappropriate. Concern can cloud judgment, and if she acts impulsively, she might fall into the trap set by Wu and the others.”
An Ran realized the seriousness of the matter and assured Princess Yunyang, "Don't worry, I will explain the implications of this to Jia Niang."
Now that things have escalated to this point, if Princess Yunyang or Minister Tan were to forcefully intervene, they would inevitably be seen as arrogant. The first priority is to appease Jia Niang and prevent her from being swayed by Madam Wu.
Princess Yunyang looked at Anran with a mixture of relief and gratitude.
"How have things been between you and Mingxiu these days?" After finishing talking about Jia Niang, Princess Yunyang returned the topic to An Ran.
An Ran blushed slightly and said softly, "The Marquis treats me very well."
"I'll say it again: you two should discuss everything when you're living together." Princess Yunyang could tell from An Ran's radiant appearance that she was doing well since becoming the wife of the Marquis of Pingyuan.
An Ran agreed.