Tong Xiyan furrowed his brows, his face showing thinly veiled anger yet smiling as he said, "It seems that though I do well, Third Sister is doing even better..." Tong Xiyang had a look of smugness, but Tong Xiyan quickly changed the subject: "I heard the Marquis Mansion held a banquet yesterday? Sister, I haven’t congratulated you yet."
Tong Xiyang’s face stiffened, and Tong Xiyan covered his mouth with a handkerchief. Seeing Xiqiu’s confused expression, he unabashedly explained, "I heard that yesterday, Third Brother-in-law raised the status of the Fifth Madam, and the mansion hosted three tables of wine for the occasion."
"What man isn’t flirtatious?" Tong Xiyang rid herself of embarrassnt and said with a smile, "Especially those scholars and gentlen... I say, Fourth Sister, you’re still a bit young, you’re making a fuss over nothing. In the future, when your husband takes soone into the household, you mustn’t be so petty, otherwise, people might laugh at us, saying that the daughters of the Tong Mansion are ill-mannered and not virtuous!"
To say such words at soone’s newlywed occasion, it seed that Tong Xiyang was indeed deeply affected. Xiqiu smiled, lowering her head to sip tea, confident that Tong Xiyan’s sharp tongue was not inferior to Tong Xiyang’s.
Tong Xiyu appeared less tense than before, sitting on Xiqiu’s right, casually picking a piece of lon with a bamboo skewer and eating it slowly.
Sure enough, Tong Xiyan knitted his brows in anger, "Unlike Third Sister, I’m not virtuous. I didn’t use my dowry to support my brother-in-law’s concubine. Nowadays, who in the lady’s circle doesn’t praise you for being considerate and virtuous!"
Xiqiu had heard of these matters too. Ren Jun’s household had many sons and daughters from the concubines, including five or six concubines, not counting the lesser concubines without a raised status. They couldn’t make ends et with their monthly allowance and had to supplent it with her dowry; just last month, a Fourth Concubine beca pregnant, and Tong Xiyang had given away the dicinal herbs and supplents from her own chamber to support her, with maidservants attending to her daily.
Tong Xiyang suddenly stood up, staring at Tong Xiyan, saying, "I am indeed virtuous; Fourth Sister, you should just pray that your husband is loyal and never takes a concubine or raises one!" Pausing, she added, "But you must bear children well, otherwise, who knows if your mother-in-law will agree or disagree." Saying this, she swung her sleeves and said, "I will find Sister-in-law!" and left the room!
Tong Xiyan pointed at Tong Xiyang’s retreating figure, saying, "Third Sister should be more concerned about offspring!" Tong Xiyang’s body trembled with anger as she quickly left the room.
"Third Sister." Tong Xiyu also stood up, awkwardly saying, "I’ll go check on her." She lifted her skirt and ran after Tong Xiyang.
Xiqiu chuckled, looking at Tong Xiyan, saying, "Why must you bring this up every ti you et? If she speaks, just ignore her." Tong Xiyan, full of displeasure, replied, "If I ignore her, she’ll think I’m afraid of her!"
Xiqiu smiled, saying, "Yes, yes, yes! You’re not afraid of her. You weren’t afraid before, and with Third Brother-in-law backing you up now, you’re even less afraid!"
Tong Xiyan’s face blushed crimson, and after dismissing Daiju and the others, she clasped Xiqiu’s hands with gratitude, saying, "Sixth Sister, we have you to thank for everything today!" Xiqiu raised her eyebrows slightly, replying, "Why thank again? I didn’t help much with your marriage."
"You don’t need to hide from , he... told everything." Xiqiu was taken aback, then Tong Xiyan continued, "He said after the Zhou Family withdrew the engagent, Big Brother went to see him. I know what kind of person Big Brother is. For him to go, it must have been because of what you said, right?" Tong Xiyan paused, eyes tearing up, "Sixth Sister, you will definitely be happy."
Xiqiu handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears, smiling, "Why are you crying and saying such silly things? Whether happy or not, things are good as they are now. Besides, it’s because Fourth Brother-in-law has feelings for you. Otherwise, why would he propose right after Big Brother spoke to him once?"
Tong Xiyan’s cheeks flushed as she lowered her head, saying, "He said... he kept my mother’s words in mind. After going ho that day, he was so drunk, and after sobering up, he thought that he must enter the cabinet and beco a person of high status, to glamorously return and marry . But before he even took office, he heard I was betrothed to soone else. At that ti, he really wanted to confront the situation... and after eting with Cousin, he understood the Zhou Family situation, and only because Cousin stopped him did he not go to the mansion."
It turned out that Jiang Shilin did not leave in a fit of anger back then, and Xiqiu’s face revealed a satisfied smile.
Tong Xiyan continued, "So he secretly communicated with the Second Prince... which is why after the Emperor ascended the throne, he joined the Ministry of Personnel." As she spoke, she looked a bit awed, "Perhaps fate was predetermined. As long as there’s fate between two people, no matter the trials, they will eventually be together!"
Xiqiu nodded with a smile, "Just like Fourth Sister and Fourth Brother-in-law." Tong Xiyan’s face turned red, twisting Xiqiu’s arm while laughing, "He told to tell you, Grand Commander Xiao will surely return safely."
Xiqiu nodded seriously.
The newlywed bride couldn’t stay overnight at her maiden ho, so after lunch in the afternoon, Tong Xiyan left with Jiang Shilin to return to Jiang Mansion. Ren Jun had left early in the morning all on his own, not even leaving a carriage, leaving Tong Xiyang biting her lips in anger, while the First Master was also infuriated, slamming the table and ordering Tong Shen Zhi to personally escort Tong Xiyang back to Ren Mansion.
Upon hearing this, Lady’s lips curled with a cold, mocking smile.
Madam Jiang sighed, "Third Brother-in-law is truly just as the rumors say!"
As August passed, everyone at the Tong Mansion grew tense, as Sixth Miss’s wedding was settled for the tenth of October, but there was still no news of Grand Commander Xiao. Madam Xia wept daily, begging the First Master to set up a Buddha shrine in the room, bringing in a Bodhisattva statue from Puji Temple, praying day and night in hope that Fourth Master Xiao would return safely.
With each passing day, by mid-September, even the First Master began to feel anxious and worried, while Madam Jiang often visited Xiqiu’s room to keep her company and talk. Even Tong Xiyan would return to the mansion every few days. Xiqiu understood their concern about her overthinking the situation and their attempts to comfort her, but she was confident that Fourth Master Xiao would be fine and return safely. However, she couldn’t tell them; as there had been no victory report until now, there must be a reason behind it.
On the eighteenth of September, Tong Shen Zhi returned from the governnt office and went straight to Xiqiu’s courtyard. Xiqiu was sitting under the eaves embroidering a pocket with Chunyan when she saw Tong Shen Zhi enter with an excited expression.
What could have happened to evoke such emotion in the usually impassive Tong Shen Zhi? She stood up to greet him with a smile, "Big Brother has arrived, do co inside and sit."
"Sixth Sister!" Tong Shen Zhi stood before her, eyes filled with relief. After a mont of contemplation, he said, "We just received word in the capital from the Huang Dajun dispatch. Grand Commander Xiao and The Princely Heir Shen not only drove the Twelve Tribes of Mongolia back to Puyu’er Sea and wiped them out, but they also captured the leader, Dai Qin, and took one thousand two hundred Mongolian soldiers as prisoners. They plan to return to the capital on the twentieth!"
Xiqiu, montarily overwheld, stood still, whereas Chunyan, standing behind her, dropped the thread in her hand and dashed away: "I’ll go tell Madam!" She rushed out like the wind!
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