In the east wing was Liu's living quarters. Mingwei followed behind the maid leading the way, subtly observing the main room while feeling somewhat uneasy. She wondered if her identity as the imposter Seventh Miss would be exposed—
The brocade curtain with a light blue color and a cloud and bat pattern at the entrance was lifted, revealing a middle-aged woman in her forties leaning against a large sapphire blue bolster on the kang (heated brick bed) by the window, looking languid.
The second wife had a round face and a slightly plump figure, but she was well-maintained and didn't look particularly old. She wore a dark brown jacket with a gourd and double happiness pattern covered in gold, and a ginger-yellow skirt. Her jet-black hair was neatly combed into a bun, and she wore several pieces of red gold jewelry inlaid with tourmaline, giving her a wealthy appearance.
Mingwei quickly stepped forward, curtsied, and said respectfully, "Daughter greets Mother."
The second wife had a nonchalant expression, barely responding. She nodded but didn't let Mingwei sit down. "Are you Da'an now?"
Sensing the displeasure in her tone, Mingwei replied cautiously, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. I was delirious and had a fever for several days, but thanks to the good doctor you sent, I am now out of danger."
Before Mingwei could finish speaking, she felt the Second Madam's gaze shift to her, and she quickly lowered her head even further. Today, she had specially changed into a pale yellow, plain-colored jacket with auspicious four-happiness patterns, and a white pear blossom skirt. The simple colors made her figure appear even thinner and more slender, revealing a hint of weakness from recovering from a serious illness.
In front of the second wife, she was merely a disliked, lowly concubine's daughter. To oppose the second wife at this moment would undoubtedly be suicide. The only sensible thing to do was to humbly and cautiously comply while seeking another way out.
"Why are you coming so late? Have you finished your embroidery?" The second wife's gaze swept over Mingwei before turning away. The timid and cowardly Mingwei in front of her was finally more pleasing to the eye.
"Replying to Mother, I've come to show you my embroidery." Seeing that the Second Madam was no longer pursuing the matter of her illness, Mingwei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She handed over the small bundle she was carrying to the Second Madam's personal maid, Emerald. (Just Love Network)
Chapter 74
The Marquis of Dingbei's Residence.
Fang Ting returned from his studies today and, as usual, first went to pay his respects to his stepmother, the Lady of Dingbei.
"Mother."
Fang Ting's concubine, Madam Meng, raised him very well. He was filial to his stepmother and loving to his brothers. Even though Madam Meng was a concubine and had given birth to the eldest son of a concubine, she never acted arrogantly. She was always respectful to the mistress of the house and never missed a greeting or service. The Lady of Dingbei Marquis also valued her to some extent.
Even after Fang Ting became successful, she became more low-key in the household and served the mistress of the house with even greater respect.
Therefore, Lady Dingbei showed Fang Ting a lot more genuine affection and took care of his marriage as much as she would her own son.
With Fang Ting's official rank and reputation, more and more people came to propose marriage. The Lady of Dingbei was extremely selective: if she chose someone less than ideal, people would say she was deliberately suppressing her promising illegitimate son; but no matter how good the choice was, she absolutely could not choose someone who surpassed the legitimate son.
Aunt Meng was gentle and pretty; though not stunningly beautiful, she was instantly pleasing to the eye. Fang Ting resembled Aunt Meng more; he was handsome and dashing, tall and slender—truly a refined and elegant young man.
Therefore, the appearance of the future daughter-in-law must not be bad; if she is even slightly less attractive, Fang Ting probably wouldn't even look at her.
After much deliberation, Lady Dingbei finally met the ninth daughter of the Nan'an Marquis's household through the introduction of her sister-in-law, Lady Qingxiang. The girl's beauty was undeniable; her demeanor and actions alone commanded respect. Moreover, her elder sister, the heir apparent of the Yi County Prince's household, doted on her, and she was also favored by her elders. Her status was comparable to Fang Ting's.
Of course, the wife of the Marquis of Dingbei also respected the wishes of her illegitimate son.
She knew that her sister-in-law had specially arranged for An Jiu and Fang Ting to meet. When she asked Fang Ting about it, she noticed that he was unusually shy. Lady Dingbei knew that he had taken a liking to her.
No wonder, he's at the age where he's just beginning to appreciate young women; how could he not be moved by such a beautiful girl?
Her sister-in-law had asked the Crown Princess about her opinion beforehand and knew that the girl's family was also satisfied, which is why they were so eager to finalize the marriage. After all, Fang Ting was not young, while An Jiu was younger, so it was better to finalize the marriage first so that they could prepare for the wedding later.
Although rumors suddenly spread, Lady Dingbei refused to believe them. She knew her third sister's straightforward nature; if such a thing were true, would she still love Anjiu so much? Fearing that Anjiu would be dissatisfied, she even suggested that her younger sister take a look first.
The news seemed to have come from the Yongning Marquis's residence. The Yongning Marquis's residence and the Nan'an Marquis's residence have always been at odds, so they might as well take the opportunity to kick someone when they're down.
If they were to abandon the marriage proposal simply because of a rumor that hasn't even spread yet, it would be incredibly unfair of the Marquis of Dingbei's family! Besides, she had asked Fang Ting's opinion, and Fang Ting was also unwilling to give up, stating frankly that he believed in the literary talent of Miss An Jiu.
Chapter 75
Shi Niang is trying to curry favor with her and win her over.
An Ran knew in her heart that she was already engaged. Whether it was good or bad, and regardless of whether any of her three sisters would be able to marry into the Marquis of Pingyuan's household, she had already escaped the struggle within the Marquis's mansion.
Shi Niang is a clever woman.
She was currently favored by Third Sister, and the arranged marriage was quite good; befriending her would definitely be beneficial. That's why Tenth Sister "kindly" informed Sixth Sister of her intentions and gave her a few pointers on the inner workings of the household.
Since there is no longer a conflict of interest, it is naturally better to cultivate good relationships.
While An Ran didn't entirely approve of Shi Niang's actions, she also admired them to some extent. At such a young age, she was so adaptable and shrewd; it was truly remarkable. She would be living in the Marquis's mansion for quite some time, and having more friends was always better than having more enemies.
More importantly, Shi Niang was smart and sensible enough.
Shi Niang and she lived in the same courtyard; it was a hundred times better to be on good terms than to make enemies.
"Speaking of which, you're my only younger sister." An Ran smiled faintly, "If I don't pamper you, who else should I pamper?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Niang's smile deepened to her eyes.
She didn't rush to get closer to An Ran, but instead started talking about some trivial matters.
An Ran appreciated her tact and thanked her for informing her today. Otherwise, she would still be in the dark about being used by Sixth Sister. With the intention of returning the favor, An Ran said to Tenth Sister, "The tenth of next month is Princess Yunyang's birthday, and Third Sister said she would take us with her."
Upon hearing this, Shi Niang was taken aback, but then a look of joy appeared on her face.
An Ran had told her earlier, so she had more time to prepare. Princess Yunyang was the Empress's close friend and the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Ningyuan. Even the title of Princess Yunyang was obtained by the Empress from the Emperor.
Princess Yunyang's birthday banquet was considered one of the most prestigious events in the capital. Many noble ladies and women from prominent families attended. For Shi Niang, who was not yet engaged, this was a perfect opportunity to showcase herself.
Although Shi Niang is two months younger than An Ran, her marriage should be planned for soon. Liu Niang and Qi Niang are examples of this. Liu Niang is now fifteen years old and is as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, which is why she is resorting to any means to sow discord.
At this banquet, Princess Yunyang specifically requested that Third Sister bring her younger sister, who was Anran. As for how many half-sisters Third Sister actually had, Princess Yunyang didn't care.
Third Sister originally wanted to teach Sixth Sister and the other two sisters a lesson for ostracizing An Ran, so she only wanted to bring An Ran to the banquet alone.
A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind.
An Ran understood this principle. Zhao had already punished Seventh Sister and also given Sixth and Tenth Sisters a warning, although the effect was still uncertain. She couldn't stand out too much, or she might be labeled as arrogant.
It's enough to instill fear in them. Moreover, the right approach is to combine kindness and severity, giving them a slap followed by a sweet treat, so that they'll only ever behave themselves from then on.