The matron chuckled awkwardly, not daring to say more.
Yu Tingwan blinked, no longer maintaining a kneeling posture.
Suddenly feeling her nose itch, she rubbed it, and then her ear itched, so she pinched it.
The matron shook her head and left, heading towards another side hall.
Outside, the palace maid who was serving saw her, lifted the curtain, and the matron entered.
The Empress was verifying the burial procedures drafted by the Ministry of Rites and Gu Fuju, with the Ninth Princess sitting beside her.
The matron poured a cup of tea for the Empress and respectfully presented it.
"The Fifth Princess Consort has not made any mistakes recently, having tucked her tail tightly."
The Empress lifted her eyes, concealing her fatigue, and said coldly, "Does she dare to make a mistake?"
"This palace despises Ying Yin. If the couple makes even the slightest mistake, this palace will skin them alive!"
The matron continued her report, "The Second Princess Consort is doing well, but she’s struggling."
The Empress showed no sign of compassion.
"I would consider caring for her, but if her own husband doesn’t, one can’t bla this palace."
Especially since Yao Ru had given birth to a son.
The Second Prince has a la leg, but now he has a son, and with the Crown Prince gone, isn’t it natural for inappropriate ambitions to erge?
The matron said, "Miss Shen from the Shen Family is sowhat inappropriate, but still respectful."
Then, she paused for a mont.
"The Young Madam of the Duke Shun Mansion..."
The matron said, "She’s truly insolent!"
She recounted the earlier events in detail.
The Empress’s expression twisted for a mont.
"Though she’s a direct daughter of the Gu Family, she’s ultimately from a small place and doesn’t belong on the grand stage."
The Empress pressed her fingers against her brow.
"Forget it, it’s not worth clashing with the Wei and Gu families over her."
The matron said, "Yes, this old servant thinks the sa."
"I’m just puzzled why Princess Jiasan would defend her, and even more why the Duke Shun Mansion’s madam would?"
The Empress did not want to ntion Ning Suxuan.
After all, this one was the apple of Emperor Ying’s eye.
She sneered.
"Defend?"
"Do you think Ning Suxuan leaves her alone? Such a proud person, with her eyes set on the heavens. It’s just that Yu Tingwan hasn’t caught her attention."
"Would she trouble herself to teach soone she’s dissatisfied with?"
The Empress, in her lifeti, only bore two children.
After the Crown Prince passed, only the daughter remained.
She looked at the Ninth Princess beside her.
"Why are you still here with this palace? It’s one thing for others to slack off, but you, as your own sister, want to slack off too? Your elder brother treated you well in life!"
The Ninth Princess pouted.
"Mother, I also mourn my elder brother in my heart. Kneeling makes my knees hurt a lot."
"Are you the only one who feels pain? Are those people made of stone? Get moving! If this palace favors you, what will others think?"
No matter what they thought here, Yu Tingwan felt quite at ease.
Dressed in mourning attire, she couldn’t wear various ornants, but she had a sachet at her waist.
Yu Tingwan took out a few shelled walnuts from it, looked around, and slowly shuffled her knees toward Ning Suxuan.
"Mother-in-law."
She spoke very softly.
Ning Suxuan felt sowhat helpless, especially hearing the girl’s soft voice: "Can’t you be more obedient?"
Yu Tingwan asked, "Do you want so?"
Ning Suxuan: ...
Yu Tingwan said, "My husband shelled them, told to use them to pass the ti."
Wei Zhao’s words ant she could act accordingly. Besides, that matron wasn’t around.
Ning Suxuan was astonished: "Who?"
No, this was unlike sothing her son Wei Zhao would do.
But...
Ning Suxuan swallowed the rest of her words.
Her hand, holding a jade ring, tightened.
She knew Gui Zhi was wise, calm, and self-possessed.
If... If she couldn’t even grasp Gui Zhi’s true nature, how much of a failure would she be as a mother?
Yu Tingwan showed so difficulty: "But..."
Ning Suxuan initially thought this girl understood the occasion.
Then she heard Yu Tingwan’s heartfelt confession: "But I can’t indulge alone, I must first honor my mother-in-law."
Ning Suxuan: ...
"Yu Family."
Yu Tingwan: "Hmm."
Ning Suxuan said blandly, "Starting tomorrow, co to my courtyard."
She needed to find Yu Tingwan sothing to do!
The matter of managing the household...
Ning Suxuan felt a headache coming, knowing she had to teach her bit by bit.
As the Ninth Princess ca over, she walked straight ahead with a cold face.
She knelt directly at the front.
When passing by the Fifth Princess Consort, she seed not to see, and crashed straight into her.
"Oh dear."
The Ninth Princess glanced askew: "Look at , how careless to bump into Fifth Imperial Sister-in-law?"
What could the Fifth Princess Consort do?
"It’s fine, Princess, just be more careful next ti."
"Next ti?"
"Such things are unpredictable."
The Ninth Princess: "Fifth Imperial Sister-in-law, why not guess why I didn’t bump into the Second Imperial Sister-in-law but hit you instead?"
She was utterly indifferent.
"That’s because the Second Imperial Sister-in-law behaves herself, unlike you, Fifth Imperial Sister-in-law... well, it’s hard to say."
After speaking, she glanced towards the white partition.
Yu Tingwan: ...
The atmosphere was tense!
It was more an insult to the Fifth Prince than to the Fifth Princess Consort.
And yet, the Fifth Prince remained stoically silent.
The Fifth Princess Consort just awkwardly said, "Princess, you’re being humorous again."
Ning Yunling couldn’t see what was happening, but he could hear it!
He wanted to slack off.
Ahead was Wei Zhao, uniquely seated in a wheelchair, expression indifferent. He showed no sign of getting involved.
But beside him was the Marquis Ning, watching him closely, fearing his son might misbehave.
On the other side was He Xuran.
Across the way, the matron watched, while on their side, the Imperial Censor supervised.
For once, Ning Yunling was clever, wanting to pull strings and have He Xuran ease up a bit.
Then he still got beaten.
Ning Yunling: ??
In disbelief, he said, "You don’t like my elder brother calling you Little Uncle?"
Before He Xuran could respond, Ning Yunling muttered to himself,
"Well, I suppose not. Even my sister-in-law doesn’t call you that."
Whether He Xuran was satisfied as Wei Zhao’s elder couldn’t be known, but he was hurt by the remark.
So Ning Yunling got beaten again.
Ning Yunling was in pain.
He murmured, "It’s good to be a woman."
At least he could go next door to watch the drama.
The Emperor and Empress, along with the Empress Dowager, attended the funeral rites.
There was intermittent crying.
The rites lasted for half an hour.
The three of them being senior, naturally would not leave the Capital for the funeral procession.
As the ti arrived, when the grand funeral procession was preparing to set off, Emperor Ying placed his hand on the coffin, silent for a long ti. Officials tried to dissuade him, and Emperor Ying shed tears, lanting aloud.
"The Crown Prince was my first child."
The Empress wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.
Yu Tingwan didn’t watch this profit-driven, insincere farewell.
Finally, the mournful sound of the suona resounded, the coffin was lifted, and the grand procession exited the palace gates at last.
On both sides of the street, the citizens voluntarily saw off the funeral procession.
The procession had many people; as long as there was no chaos, all was well.
Xiao Huaian was eager, squeezing through the crowd.
"Wei Zhao."
Xiao Huaian spoke directly, "Brother, I’m short on funds again."
Wei Zhao: "No money."
Xiao Huaian: "Co off it!"
Don’t think he can’t tell quality! At the last palace banquet, Yu Tingwan’s outfit was worth a fortune!
Yu Tingwan was just about to stand at the spot left for her by Wei Zhao when she heard Xiao Huaian shalessly declare,
"What’s wrong with you supporting your wife and also supporting ?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers