"This phoenix hairpin is only worn by ladies of the third rank or above. Giving it to you—" Lan Xi looked Fang Yiniang up and down, and said gently, "is overstepping its bounds. If word gets out, wouldn't it make our Yongning Marquis's mansion seem unruly? No one can bear the responsibility of affecting the Marquis's future!"
The Marquis of Yongning is a first-rank nobleman. Although Lanxi has a lower status, as the mistress of the house, she naturally carries the aura of an imperial title.
This is the biggest difference between wives and concubines.
Lan Xi's words contained not a single word of sarcasm, yet they made Aunt Fang feel extremely ashamed and angry. Her face turned red, her chest heaved violently, and she looked like she was gritting her teeth, but she couldn't say a word.
"The Marquis's mansion is a place with rules." Lan Xi looked with satisfaction at the respectful Rong and Lu concubines who bowed their heads, then glanced at the still unconvinced Fang concubine. "I didn't pay much attention to these things before, but from now on, if anyone breaks the rules, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Concubine Rong and Concubine Lu hurriedly expressed their opinions, while Concubine Fang, her neck stiff, saw the flames of anger in her eyes burning ever brighter. "If Madam doesn't want to give it, she doesn't want to give it. What are you going to do, take it or not? Why try to use rules to pressure me!"
Lan Xi gently placed the hairpin into the box and closed it. The room's brilliance was locked away, and although the sound of the opening and closing was not loud, it struck a chord in the hearts of the three concubines.
"Not convinced?" Lan Xi could no longer tolerate Aunt Fang's provocation. Her voice was like ice water mixed with shards, chillingly cold. "Kneel down."
Aunt Fang's eyes widened. Banxia quickly tugged at Zhutao's sleeve and walked behind Aunt Fang with her, forcibly pressing her down to kneel.
"Think it through before you get up!" Lan Xi ignored her and turned to look at Consort Rong and Consort Lu with a warm, spring-like expression. "You don't need to serve me. Tang Li, Yue Lin, bring out a small table and serve the two consorts their meal."
As if they had been prepared, Yue Lin and Tang Li agreed and carried in a small table in turn, on which were laid out various breakfast items. Lian Xin, who hadn't left yet, was also busy; she helped Yue Lin and Tang Li move in small stools.
"Have a seat." Lan Xi waved her hand and smiled, "The rules are more relaxed here."
Aunt Fang glared angrily. (Just Love Network)
Chapter 63
Ding was stunned.
The younger sister of the Crown Prince's wife, Lady An, and a daughter born out of wedlock to the Marquis of Nan'an.
She still remembered seeing An Jiu Niang when the eldest son of the Crown Prince was a month old. She was indeed an extremely beautiful young girl, with a quiet and noble air. It was said that she was greatly favored by the Crown Prince's wife and was always by her side.
"When have you ever met the Crown Princess's sister!" Madam Ding thought her son had gone mad. Even though the Chen family was wealthy in Jiangnan, as merchants, they could never marry a daughter of a marquis's family, especially since this young girl was highly regarded by the Crown Princess of Prince Yi. "Do you know that this young girl is greatly favored by the Crown Princess? Her future marriage will naturally be in the capital, at least to a son of a noble family born out of wedlock."
To everyone's surprise, her words did not discourage Chen Qian. Instead, he picked up the conversation and spoke eloquently.
"Of course I know. I also know that she was originally from Yangzhou, and it was only a few months ago that she was brought back to the capital." Since Chen Qian had taken it to heart, he naturally found out all of this. "Not long ago, she came from the Marquis of Nan'an's residence to the Prince Yi's residence to accompany the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess treats this half-sister very well."
After saying that, Chen Qian said with some regret, "If we had gone to the capital a few days earlier, we might have run into this Ninth Miss in Yangzhou."
If he could have met her before she entered the Marquis's mansion... Chen Qian thought with regret, perhaps marrying her would have been an easy thing!
In Yangzhou, the Chen family was the local tyrant. Even the noble families of the capital couldn't interfere in their affairs.
"Qian-ge'er, what are you planning to do?" Ding Shi knew her son too well. Seeing his determined look, she couldn't help but worry. "You need to know that this is the capital. We're already trying to be careful and discreet. You can't cause any trouble!"
“Mother, you always told your son to get married quickly, settle down before starting a career, and settle down as soon as possible, didn’t you?” Chen Qian’s question stumped Ding Shi. “Why are you making excuses now that your son wants to settle down?”
Madam Ding said anxiously, "It's true that I hope you can settle down quickly. But I think you should forget about the Marquis's daughter." Seeing that Chen Qian still looked disdainful, she emphasized, "You should know that we're following the path of Consort Li. That Ninth Miss is the younger sister of the Heir Apparent's wife, and the Heir Apparent's wife is the direct daughter-in-law of the Prince's wife. If you want to marry the Heir Apparent's wife's younger sister, it will inevitably make people think that our Chen family is indecisive and two-timing!"
Chen Qian, however, remained unconcerned.
"As you said, Consort Li is only favored by Prince Yi for now. What about the future?" Chen Qian retorted, "Consort Li has no children to rely on. In the future, the heir to the Prince's mansion will still be Prince Yun Shen, and the mistress of the Prince's mansion will be the Princess Consort An. If we can marry her most beloved younger sister, it will be entirely beneficial to our Chen family."
Madam Ding had always doted on her son and naturally didn't want him to experience any displeasure. Moreover, Chen Qian's words made some sense.
"Back then, we went through so many connections to get in front of Consort Li." Madam Ding's expression softened a bit. She said to Chen Qian, "Even if I consider all this money as a waste, do you have any connections to get in front of the Princess Consort or the Heir Apparent's wife?"
“A daughter of a marquis’s family is not so easy to marry,” Ding said softly to Chen Qian. “I’ve also heard that the Pingyuan Marquis’s family and the Nan’an Marquis’s family have been engaged. How do you know it’s not this Ninth Miss? I think you should give up on this idea.”
Seeing that his mother seemed to have accepted his attitude, Chen Qian stopped being so aggressive. He smiled and said, "There will always be a way. As long as you support me and help me when I need it, that will be enough."
The more confident Chen Qian was, the more uneasy Ding felt.
She couldn't help but feel a chill and said, "Qian-ge'er, tell your mother the truth, what do you plan to do?"
Chen Qian refused to let it slip.
"My son has something to attend to, so he's going out now." Chen Qian ignored Ding Shi calling him from behind and went straight out of the main room, having Changqing lead the horse away.
From a young age, there was nothing he couldn't get if he wanted it.
Those material possessions are like this, and so is An Jiuniang.
Chen Qian suddenly thought of those beautiful, misty eyes. She looked at him with panic in her eyes, and then, like a light butterfly, she fluttered away in the sunlight and dust.
A tender and loving look involuntarily appeared in his eyes, but upon closer inspection, there was also a hint of cruelty and coldness.
He was determined to have An Jiuniang.
******
Early the next morning, Third Sister brought a cook from the Marquis of Nan'an's residence for Anran to cook in the small kitchen.
Anran let San Niang eat with her, and made sure that other people's meals were prepared as usual so that they wouldn't notice anything amiss.
Today's lunch included a dish of steamed sweet cheese and a dish of hawthorn cake. The people in the small kitchen heard that Ninth Sister had a poor appetite, so they specially prepared these dishes for her.
Looking at the steamed custard in front of her, An Ran's eyes flickered slightly.
She loved this dessert in her previous life. It was originally a famous snack in the capital, made by a cook hired by the Chen family from the capital. Seeing that she liked it, Chen Qian had it made often.
The couple's blissful days together didn't last long before Anran was summoned to serve by Madam Ding. Madam Ding had disliked her from the day she entered the household, only agreeing to the marriage for the sake of her son. Naturally, Madam Ding treated her harshly in every way, serving her cold or leftover food, and she was even treated worse than the maids.
The last time she ate steamed sushi cheese was at Ding's place.
That day, the kitchen sent Ding a bowl of steamed sweet cheese. Ding picked it up and scooped out a spoonful, but before even tasting it, she said it was too sweet and didn't taste right. She then ordered Ding to eat it as if it were a reward.