Zhao then reluctantly shut her mouth.
"She said she was going to impeach her son-in-law?" Zhao recalled the harsh words that the Grand Princess of Lin'an had once uttered. She had no doubt that the Grand Princess was going to the palace to take advantage of her seniority and get the Emperor to give her some face.
An Ran hurriedly said, "The Marquis said that you don't need to worry. He has his own plans and didn't do it rashly."
Jiu Niang's words were similar to what the Grand Madam had said, which put Zhao Shi at ease.
If Lu Mingxiu were a reckless and impulsive person, he would not have come this far, single-handedly restoring the title of Marquis of Pingyuan and gaining the Emperor's favor.
"Is Nian-ge'er sick?" Zhao Shi remembered that Lu Mingxiu had gone to pick up An Ran because the child was sick, and asked with concern, "Is it a fever from catching a cold or something else?"
An Ran shook her head and said, "I was playing in the small garden a few days ago and I accidentally fell and scraped my arm. It's not serious, don't worry."
Upon hearing An Ran's words, the Grand Madam and Madam Zhao not only remained uneasy, but also frowned.
Ultimately, Ninth Sister was young and inexperienced. Although she appeared mature and composed, there were still times when she acted inappropriately. Nian-ge'er was a son raised by her as a concubine, so if he suffered any injuries or illnesses, in the eyes of Marquis Pingyuan, it would inevitably be the responsibility of her as his legal mother.
Moreover, Nian Ge'er is only three years old and prone to illness; he is also a boy, lively and mischievous, which is a difficult situation for An Ran.
Anran herself is still a child, and she has to take care of another one.
Seeing their expressions, An Ran guessed what they were thinking. However, she couldn't explain Qingping's matter, so she could only write down Zhao Shi and the Grand Madam's instructions and pretend to listen attentively.
Seeing An Ran's good attitude, after a long lecture, he finally let her go.
"The Marquis of Dingbei's family is coming to exchange marriage certificates soon." Zhao Shi said, mentioning the matter of Seventh Sister. "After the horoscopes are matched, Seventh Sister and Fang Yu's marriage should be arranged."
To save face for both families, Qi Niang and Fang Yu, a man and woman who had never met before, were to become husband and wife. Their wishes were not a matter for their parents to concern themselves with.
"Does Seventh Sister know?" An Ran thought of her proud and arrogant Seventh Sister, who used to look down on her. But would she be content to marry a concubine's son of the Marquis of Dingbei? After all, Fang Yu was just a playboy, not as good as Fang Ting, who passed the imperial examination and became a junior scholar through his own abilities, with a bright future ahead of him.
Madam Zhao nodded and said, "I've already told Aunt Li. Let them talk to each other first."
It wouldn't be a bad idea for Aunt Li to tell Seventh Sister. Although Seventh Sister is a bit clueless, Aunt Li is quite sensible. She will definitely persuade Seventh Sister to marry happily, after all, Aunt Li should know that whether Seventh Sister likes it or not, she must marry Fang Yu.
There's a certain prestige involved in this, and if you perform well, you might even receive a larger dowry.
If a married daughter wants to have a strong position in her husband's family, she needs the support of her own family. If Seventh Sister is sensible, then Zhao Shi might remember her kindness and take better care of her, making Seventh Sister's life in her husband's family easier.
If Seventh Sister were to make a scene out of nowhere, she would not only lose Zhao's sympathy, but Zhao wouldn't even need to lift a finger. Simply ignoring Seventh Sister's pleas for help from her family would be enough to plunge Seventh Sister into a predicament. Aunt Li knew perfectly well which choice to make.
“Aunt Li is a wise woman,” An Ran said with a smile. “Our household is having another celebration, and I should prepare a gift.” Before she finished speaking, she looked troubled and said, “I will have to trouble Grandmother and Mother to give me some advice on what I should give.”
The Dowager Lady and Madam Zhao both looked at An Ran with smiles on their faces.
He was clearly very satisfied with Anran's close relationship with her family.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve prepared everything for you and your third sister. You can take it to Seventh Sister when the time comes.” Zhao explained with a smile, “Your third sister is pregnant now, so I don’t want her to worry about it; you’re young and don’t understand these things, so I’ve prepared them for you.”
An Ran happily agreed, as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She joyfully thanked Zhao and presented the gifts she had brought.
The Grand Madam received some expensive and rare tonics and a string of fine agarwood prayer beads, while Zhao received tonics and a set of fine red gold tourmaline stones. The gifts were dignified and elegant, very suitable for Zhao's age.
Although the Dowager and Madam Zhao scolded her and told her not to spend money, a hint of satisfaction was revealed in their eyes.
******
The news that Qi Niang was going to marry Fang Yu was already an open secret in the Nan'an Marquis's mansion.
When Seventh Sister heard this news from Aunt Li, she was indeed furious. But after Aunt Li patiently explained the situation to her, Seventh Sister reluctantly accepted it.
I'm just still a little irritated.
Returning from Tingfeng Pavilion that day, Qi Niang went back to her own courtyard. The little maid had ruined the characters she had written that she had already discarded. Taking advantage of this, she vented her frustrations on things she didn't want, scaring the little maid to death.
She was still not satisfied and was about to give her a good beating when she was interrupted by the noise outside.
"Miss, the Sixth Miss has come to see you!" came the announcement from outside.
Seventh Sister frowned. What's Sixth Sister doing here? (Readers, you can search for "" to find this site immediately.)
Chapter 145
Although Seventh Sister was feeling troubled at the moment, there was no reason for her not to see Sixth Sister when she arrived.
Aunt Li had repeatedly reminded Seventh Sister not to show her emotions, especially not to let Sixth Sister or Tenth Sister see them. If her dissatisfaction reached the ears of her stepmother, her future days would be even more difficult.
"Let her in." Seventh Sister put down her teacup in a bad mood, waved her hand, and dismissed the trembling little maid who was kneeling on the ground.
The young maidservant, feeling as if she had been granted a pardon, stumbled and ran out.
Sixth Sister happened to run into her and, seeing the panic and fear on her face, guessed that Seventh Sister had caused a scene. Seeing this, Sixth Sister smiled knowingly to herself and then gracefully walked into Seventh Sister's inner room.
"Seventh Sister." Sixth Sister greeted Seventh Sister with a smile as she entered.
Seventh Sister nodded somewhat perfunctorily. "Sixth Sister. I wonder what brings you here all this way?" She was displeased and wanted to take a jab at someone. "In a few days, your fiancé's family will be sending betrothal gifts. Instead of busying yourself with embroidery, you seem to have the leisure to come out and stroll around!"
Sixth Sister was clearly used to Seventh Sister's temper, so she wasn't angry, and her gentle smile remained unchanged.
"I learned a new pattern a couple of days ago and made two purses. One for you and one for Tenth Sister." As she spoke, Sixth Sister took out a purse with an exquisitely embroidered cat chasing butterflies and handed it to Seventh Sister.
On the small purse, the cat was embroidered so vividly and realistically that its fluffy body looked adorable, and the butterfly seemed ready to take flight, fluttering on its chubby paws. It was clear that it had been carefully crafted. Seventh Sister thanked her, and the purse finally looked a little better.
"Now that I'm getting married, I'm even more reluctant to leave home." A hint of melancholy flashed across Sixth Sister's face as she sighed, "Although this family can hardly accommodate a concubine's daughter..."
Sixth Sister's words are strange. She was usually the most cautious person in the world, so why is she suddenly saying this?
"What are you saying, Sixth Sister? Isn't there a concubine's daughter who's enjoying unparalleled prestige right now?" Seventh Sister curled her lip, a hint of contempt and jealousy flashing in her eyes. "The Lady of Pingyuan Marquis, it seems that only Third Sister can barely compare to her now, not even Fifth Sister."