The old lady let out a long sigh of relief.
"Although Ninth Sister has only been here a short time, I like her very much." The Grand Madam said calmly, "Although her knowledge, talent, and needlework are not as good as Sixth Sister and the others, she is a kind-hearted and good child."
"As you know, Jiu Niang didn't leave home back then because she was waiting for her younger siblings, who weren't related to her by blood, to come," the Grand Madam said. "At this time, she was already a daughter of a marquis, and her status was worlds apart from that of the two children. But Jiu Niang always cared about them and always made plans for them."
“The Marquis’s mansion needs a girl like this.” The Grand Madam gave Zhao a meaningful look and said, “If the marriage alliance with the Marquis of Pingyuan’s mansion can be successful, Ninth Sister would undoubtedly be a suitable candidate.”
Zhao said urgently, "But Seventh Sister and Tenth Sister were born and raised in the Marquis's Mansion. Their aunts are still alive. Wouldn't they care about the Marquis's Mansion even more than Ninth Sister? Moreover, shouldn't the mistress of the Pingyuan Marquis's Mansion also need a well-spoken and knowledgeable lady-in-waiting?"
"Is Ninth Sister incompetent in handling matters?" The Grand Madam was almost amused by Zhao Shi's words. She gave Zhao Shi a cold look and said, "Otherwise, why do you insist on making Ninth Sister a concubine for the Heir Apparent? Sixth Sister is already fifteen; she would probably be more suitable!"
There was something else that Madam Tai guessed, but she didn't say.
It's likely that Madam Zhao also had her own selfish motives; she still preferred that Third Sister give birth to a legitimate son first. Sixth Sister was fifteen years old, and if she were given to the heir, she would probably conceive quickly. But Ninth Sister was different; she was only thirteen, still a bit too young.
“And Ninth Sister is even more beautiful,” the Grand Madam said. “I know you’re thinking that a wife should be chosen for her virtue, but such a beautiful young lady is a rare sight for Marquis Pingyuan. He’s only human, after all. Wouldn’t he be tempted? Perhaps if we betroth Ninth Sister to Marquis Pingyuan, he will make the marriage a reality…”
Zhao became anxious and cried out, "But you can't just abandon Third Sister! Third Sister is doing well in the Prince's Mansion, isn't that more beneficial to our Marquis's Mansion? The marriage alliance with the Pingyuan Marquis's Mansion... since we didn't marry our legitimate daughter to them back then, the Pingyuan Marquis might be unhappy, so why would he agree to marry a concubine's daughter?"
The old lady remained silent.
This is precisely why she ultimately preferred to send An Jiu to Prince Yi's residence.
She knew very well that Lu Mingxiu's failure to deny the engagement did not mean he was truly willing to marry one of the unmarried concubine's daughters from the Marquis's household. After all, given his current prestige and status in the court, and his favor with the Emperor, countless noble ladies desired to marry him.
Even the Dowager Lady wasn't very confident that she could get Lu Mingxiu to fulfill the marriage agreement.
Therefore, the Prince Yi's Mansion represents the tangible present, while the Marquis Pingyuan's Mansion represents the uncertain future. Stabilizing Third Sister's position means securing the marriage alliance between the Marquis Nan'an's Mansion and the Prince Yi's Mansion, which is something that can be truly controlled.
She merely wanted to give Zhao a warning. These past few days, the Grand Madam had carefully considered the matter; among the four concubine's daughters in the household, Ninth Sister was indeed the most suitable choice. But she couldn't let Zhao take things too lightly.
"Even if I agree and Ninth Sister is willing, what can I do if Third Sister insists on stopping you?" The Grand Madam threw the most troublesome question back at Zhao Shi.
Zhao gritted her teeth, unable to articulate her reasoning, yet she persisted in her own ideas.
"Please guide me!"
Having said all that, the Grand Madam didn't beat around the bush any longer and said directly, "Send Ninth Sister over first, just saying she'll be there to keep her sister company. But let Third Sister know that Ninth Sister is going to be promoted to a concubine for Yun Shen, so give her some time to adjust. Call Third Sister back another day and explain all of this to her."
"She must have suffered a lot these days," the Grand Madam sighed. "She and the Heir Apparent are husband and wife, but now that they've grown increasingly distant, she should understand by now. At home, she was a pampered and spoiled girl; how can everything be perfect after marriage?"
Zhao's eyes welled up with tears, and she choked out a reply.
The old lady suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"There's no need to inform the Princess Consort. She's a smart woman; she'll naturally understand the meaning behind the words." She said calmly, "When Third Sister has fully figured things out, then we'll hold a banquet to welcome Ninth Sister into the family! Regarding the Li family, the Prince's Mansion owes the Marquis's Mansion something. If we send Ninth Sister over now, she won't object."
Zhao nodded hurriedly in agreement.
"I'm tired, you can go back now." The old lady looked weary and waved for Zhao to leave.
After Zhao left, Mother He came in.
“Madam, you don’t need to worry too much. Third Miss has been clever since she was little. She’s just been thinking things through and got herself into a mess these past few days.” Madam He was deeply trusted by the Madam and had a lot of influence in the household. “Once Third Miss returns in a few days, everything will be resolved!”
Her words did not ease the furrowed brows of the Dowager Lady.
“I know Third Sister’s temperament,” the Grand Madam shook her head and said, “She’s stubborn and won’t turn back until she hits a brick wall. But with Madam Li watching her closely in the Prince’s room, there’s no time to wait for her to slowly change her mind.”
"Didn't you choose Ninth Miss to go?" Madam He said softly from the side, "Ninth Miss is beautiful and kind-hearted, she will definitely be able to help Third Aunt turn this situation around!"
The old lady nodded slightly.
“Ninth Miss is certainly a good one.” Madam He glanced at the Grand Madam, then hesitated and said, “Grand Madam, aren’t you afraid that sending Ninth Miss to the Prince’s Mansion without any official title or status will cause her resentment? Or that she might be unwilling, which would be a disaster.”
The old lady's eyes flickered slightly as she twirled the prayer beads in her hand. "If I didn't have some leverage over her, how could I dare to let her return to the manor so easily?"
Mrs. He looked at the matriarch with some confusion.
"In Jiu Niang's heart, I'm afraid none of these people in the Marquis's mansion can compare to Qiu Sui's grandson and granddaughter. They are Jiu Niang's true family." The Grand Madam recalled the day when Jiu Niang pretended to be calm and came to her to ask how to settle An tide and An Mu, and the deep anxiety hidden in Jiu Niang's eyes.
She didn't want Anxi, whom she considered her younger sister, to be doing servant work in the inner quarters, nor did she want her younger brother Anmu to end up as a servant. Ninth Sister was clever; she had thought things through. Perhaps she guessed that the two children were used by the Marquis's mansion to control her, so she sent them both away first.
After all, An Mu is too young and her character is still developing. With the older An tide looking after her, at least she won't go astray.
An Ran thought she had concealed her little thoughts very well, but even with her experience from two lifetimes, she couldn't compare to the worldly-wise Grand Madam. However, the Grand Madam saw through her thoughts at a glance, but simply didn't point it out.
“As long as Anxi and Anmu are still under the control of the Marquis’s mansion, Ninth Sister will not disobey.” The Grand Madam said confidently, “Ninth Sister is smart, she will make the right choice.”
Mrs. He suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly.
"Only by helping Third Sister secure her position in the Marquis's mansion can Ninth Sister have a good life," said the Grand Madam. "Once Ninth Sister goes to the Marquis's mansion, the most important thing is to gain the favor of the Heir Apparent, guard against Li's underhanded tricks, and deal with Li."
A hint of reluctance flashed in Mrs. He's eyes.
"Ninth Miss's life is so difficult!" Mother He and Anran's grandmother used to live in the same room. She couldn't help but say, "Ninth Miss is only fourteen this year, past her birthday. It's not the right time for her to conceive yet..."
The old lady's expression turned slightly stern.
Of the two most beautiful concubine daughters, Sixth Sister is indeed the most suitable in terms of age. However, Sixth Sister may not have the same sincere heart as Ninth Sister. This can be seen from Ninth Sister's actions last time. Ninth Sister is kind but not weak.
"There's no rush regarding offspring." The Grand Madam lowered her eyes and said, "The most important thing right now is to stop Li from stirring things up. The position of Third Sister as the Heir Apparent's wife must be secure."
Seeing that the old lady had made up her mind, Madam He could no longer persuade her.
"Let those who want to find out that Ninth Sister is going to the Prince's Mansion know," Madam He said, a hint of coldness in her voice.
Once this news spreads, all the concubines around Madam Zhao will know, and the remaining three concubine daughters will find out immediately as well. Mama He said, "If it spreads throughout our household...won't Ninth Miss also find out? What if she starts crying and making a scene? It would be better to just say that Ninth Miss is going to keep Third Miss company..."