Chapter 3 Family

  It was a cold winter, and in the eastern wing of the house, a brazier was burning with plenty of charcoal. As soon as the curtain was lifted, a warm current poured out.

  Lin Ruoyan made an effort to suppress the growing sense of annoyance in her heart and calmly walked into the inner house.

  Liu was sitting on a large kang by the window and talking with a boy about seven years old.

  A thick white sheepskin mattress was spread on the kang, and a purple sandalwood screen and a pot of elegant narcissus were placed by the window, warm and cozy.

  Liu's face looked full of smiles.

  Wearing a moon-white embroidered blue honeysuckle green long jacket, Wan Niang held a small boy who looked like a New Year's painting and sat on the carved pear wood chair to the right of the kang, her expression looking light, but with a hint of mockery and disdain in her eyes.

  "Miss Lin has arrived!" The maid standing beside Mrs. Liu immediately spotted Lin Ruoyan and hastily spoke up to remind her.

  Liu's face lit up even more, and she turned around to wave at Lin Ruoyan, "Ruoyan has arrived? Quick, come sit by Mother's side."

  The boy next to Liu said proudly, "Fifth sister, you're here! Just now my mother checked my homework and I recited the whole 'Encouraging Learning'!"

  Although Lin Ruoyan felt suffocated in her heart, she could only force a smile and praised: "Xin Ge is really great!"

  Liu saw that Lin Ruoyan's complexion was not right, so she quickly reached out to pull her over, felt her forehead, and frowned: "Hasn't it healed completely yet? How did your face become this pale?"

  Lin Ruoyan shook her head and forced a smile: "It's all right, Mother, don't worry."

  Liu's gaze fell on Lin Zhaoyan, and although she concealed it very well, Lin Zhaoyan still sensitively caught the disgust and disdain in her eyes.

  Although I don't care much about it, there is still a deep confusion in my heart that has never been solved.

  What is Liu's motive for being so disgusted with her own biological daughter?

  "It has nothing to do with my sister, she's already apologized." Lin Ruoyan sidled up and blocked Lin Zhaoyan, pulling Liu's hand, coquettishly saying: "Mother, I'm really fine, just a bit weak from the recovery, that's all."

  Although Mr. Liu had doubts in his heart, he didn't dare ask again.

  "The fifth girl is indeed the old lady's granddaughter, her upbringing is not ordinary. Being harmed like that and still being able to forgive the other party so easily, this magnanimity is truly admirable." Wan Niang said with a hint of a smile, then turned to Lin Xing and said: "Xing, from now on learn more from your fifth sister."

  Everyone heard the sarcasm in her words.

  Lin Ruoyan was about to retort, but was pulled back by Liu's wife, who then said: "Master will be back soon, and Brother Xin has memorized 'Encouragement to Learn' perfectly. I wonder how well Brother Qi has memorized 'The Three Character Classic'?

  Yan Niang's face suddenly turned iron-green.

  Everyone knows that Mr. Lin San is well-versed in his studies, with extensive knowledge, and attaches great importance to the education of children. The several daughters in the third house have all had tutors and studied books, let alone the boys who will become heads of households in the future.

  Wan Niangniang was quite skilled at captivating men's hearts, but when it came to upbringing, she fell far short of Liu Shi.

  Qige has been spoiled by her in recent years, except for being well-behaved in front of Lin San Ye, she usually has an arrogant and self-important attitude. Sometimes she even dares to hit the teacher, it's needless to say how well she studies.

  This is also why Liu initially agreed to let Qi Ge'er be raised by Wan Niang.

  A woman who only knows about romance and fantasy all day long, where does she have the capital to educate her children well? And as for the incompetent and useless sons of concubines, they are not even worth fearing.

  At this time, Xiang Fei suddenly lifted the curtain and a maid stood respectfully at the door saying: "Third Madame, Madame Hou has invited all the ladies from each house to gather in Rong Sheng Hall."

  The Jian'an Marquis Manor is a centuries-old aristocratic family that had already obtained its title during the Yan Dynasty and has been passed down to this day.

  It is said that the ancestor of Jian'an Marquis, Lin Yi, was one of Yan's most powerful generals. He was brave in battle and strict in governing his troops. During Yan's southern and northern campaigns, he achieved countless military merits. The history books of Yan recorded him as "having a broad and profound character, with no one able to fathom his intentions; fierce and awe-inspiring on the battlefield, growing even more powerful when encountering great enemies".

  In the sixth year of Hongwu, he went on a distant expedition to the north of the desert and captured and killed more than 10,000 enemy soldiers. The next year, he joined forces with General Xu Da to launch a northern campaign, capturing the king's son and his wives, as well as princesses, and seizing gold, silver, and precious jewels worth tens of millions of taels. After returning to the capital, he was promoted to Left Commander of the Grand Commandery, enfeoffed as Marquis of Jian'an, and allowed to pass on the title to his descendants.

  Later, he was granted a luxurious mansion, which is now the Jian'an Marquis's residence located in Bading Alley, said to have been the former imperial prince's palace.

  The Jian'an Marquis's mansion is nestled in the mountains and beside the water, with intricately carved beams and painted rafters, green tiles and red eaves. It has both the grandeur of a northern courtyard and the delicate beauty of a Jiangnan pavilion. The winding paths lead to various courtyards and layered buildings, showcasing extreme luxury.

  Rong Sheng Tang is located on the north side of Hou Fu, originally it was the residence of Lin Lao Tai Tai and Lin Lao Ye Zi. After Lin Lao Ye Zi's death, Lin Lao Tai Tai moved to Rong Shou Tang on the west side of Hou Fu, and Lin Jia Di Zhang Zi Lin Kun succeeded to the title, then he and Madame Hou Lu Shi moved in together.

  Rong Sheng Tang faces north and south, in front of the main house there is a lotus pond with green waves, the pond has artificial hills and strange flowers, because it's a snowy winter day, the artificial hills are covered with a layer of white snow, the surface of the pond also has a thin layer of ice, vaguely visible are the red koi fish swimming in the pond.

  Lin Zhaoyan and his entourage passed through the shadow wall and crossed the courtyard, circling around a large purple sandalwood screen with a marble base, and then walked along the handrail corridor by the lotus pond to the entrance of the main house, where several little maidservants in green jackets with double buns were already standing at attention outside the door.

  "Third Mistress Wan'an, Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, Seventh Miss Wan'an." The little maidservants paid their respects one by one and then lifted the silver-red felt curtain to invite them in.

  Madam Hou, nee Lu, had not yet arrived, and the Fourth Master Lin Yao, who was serving as Vice Envoy of the Pacification Commission, had gone to Guangzhou with his family. Only the Second and Fifth Branches were present in the house.

  The second lady Qin and the fifth lady Wu were sitting on a red sandalwood straight-back chair with a bat-shaped cloud pattern, talking to each other with rather solemn expressions.

  A few of the daughters from the two houses, some legitimate and others illegitimate, gathered together in twos and threes, whispering to each other.

  "Yuexin, you've come?" Qin saw Liu appear and hastily got up to welcome her.

  Wu stepped forward and bowed respectfully to greet him.

  Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Ruoyan nodded at each other along with several sisters.

  "Yuexin, this elder sister has never used our morning and evening greetings before. Today she called us all over, could it be because of that matter in the palace?" Qin Shi's willow eyebrows slightly furrowed, clearly showing unease and worry.

  Madam Wu also worriedly said: "Third Aunt, you have seen and experienced a lot, don't you think that something is not quite right with this matter in the palace?"

  Although Liu was not the oldest, she was from a prominent family in Yanling and her ancestors had been high-ranking officials by the emperor's side. She also married the third son of the main branch of the family, so when Madame Hou was absent, she took charge.

  Liu looked at the two wives' faces, clearly showing their anxiety and worry, and smiled lightly, shaking her head. "Who can say what's going on in the palace? I'm just a simple housewife who doesn't know anything, only teaching my children well, the rest is not my concern. Let's wait for Eldest Sister to come back before we talk about it!"

  Qin and Wu stared at each other, both seeing unease in the other's eyes.

  The two of them were the wives of the illegitimate old master, and their weight in the Hou Mansion had always been inferior to that of the legitimate first wife and third wife. Although Lin Old Madam was polite on the surface, she never let them know any secrets behind their backs.

  This time something happened in the palace, Old Lady Lin was summoned into the palace overnight, and today she returned at dawn and immediately called for a meeting with Master Hou. On the surface, everything seems calm, but who knows what's going on behind the scenes?

  They never thought they would be sacrificed by the Hou Mansion in the end!

  At this moment, the curtain outside suddenly lifted, and a chilly wind mixed with snowflakes poured in, disrupting the warm atmosphere flowing inside the house.

  "Madam Hou has arrived!"

  Following the announcement of the little maid, several people looked out and saw a beautiful woman wearing a pale purple embroidered jacket with large peony flowers, her hair styled in a low bun, with a silver pin adorned with a green jade crane mouthpiece inserted at an angle, walking in under the escort of the maid.

  She was the wife of Lin Xun, Prince of Jian'an.

  Two young women followed behind her.

  A slightly older woman wearing a yellow silk jacket with embroidered osmanthus branches, paired with a white lantern skirt adorned with sea pinks, her hair styled in a low bun, tassels swaying gently, her face exuding warmth and serenity.

  She is the wife of Lin Jue, the eldest young master of the main house, Mrs. Ma from Yangzhou Prefecture's Ma family. Her grandfather was a renowned doctor appointed by the previous emperor and although he no longer works at the Imperial Hospital, his disciples are all over the world.

  The eldest son of the original Jian'an Marquis's mansion was supposed to marry a legitimate daughter from the Chengguo Duke's mansion, uniting the two families. However, it is said that Lin Jue fell in love at first sight with Ma Shi after she performed a poem at a flower appreciation banquet. At 18 years old, Lin Jue was at an age of rebellion and self-will, and he couldn't bear others deciding his marriage for him. Despite his parents' opposition, he went alone to Yangzhou's Ma Mansion to propose, infuriating the Marchioness while also capturing Ma Shi's heart.

  Later, the two people's love also had a twist, but finally, Mr. Ma came forward and settled Mrs. Lin, ultimately facilitating this marriage.

  Madam Hou began to be quite dissatisfied with Madam Ma. When Madam Ma first married into the Hou household, she was nitpicky and argumentative everywhere, but gradually, she was also moved by Madam Ma's gentleness and filial piety, and over the years, she had learned to let go and allow her to help manage the household affairs.

  Lin Zhaoyan, although not familiar with Madam Ma, admired her perseverance and endurance. If it were an ordinary young lady, she would only cry and whine when faced with difficulties, without any initiative or determination, and would never have achieved her current status.

  However, due to Ma's sudden intervention, the marriage between Jian'an Houfu and Chengguo Gongfu was temporarily put on hold.

  Lin Zhaoyan heard that Old Lady Lin seemed to be intentionally choosing between the third daughter of the main house and Lin Ruoyan to marry into the Chengguo Duke's estate.

  As he thought so, his gaze shifted to the woman standing behind Lu's family, who was slightly younger, Lin Jinming, the third daughter.

  She wore a pale pink cloud-patterned jacket with a pair of butterflies playing among the flowers, under which was a moon-white embroidered skirt with tangled branches and clematis waves. Her hair was combed into a high chignon adorned with a pink beaded crystal hairpin with small diamonds and tassels, exuding quiet elegance while still being charmingly pretty.

  "Are you all here?" Lu's eyes swept across the crowd, and then she sat down on the black gold-embroidered nanmu wood carved armchair at the head of the room, supported by Ma and Liu.

  The girls who were whispering to each other just now also immediately returned to their mothers' side, standing obediently and listening attentively.

  "You should also know what happened in the palace." Madam Hou cleared her throat and spoke calmly.

  Qin and Wu hastily held their breath and focused their attention, their eyes fixed on Lu without blinking, afraid of missing a single word.

  Liu, however, had an attitude of indifference, holding a Qinghua wrapped branch white porcelain tea cup in his hand, listening absent-mindedly.

  "Mother went to the palace last night and came back to summon the Marquis for a lecture, saying that the Crown Prince took Sixth Princess to watch the fireworks from a high place and accidentally fell off, resulting in a tragic accident. Although I and the Marquis are saddened by this incident and sympathize with Empress Jing's situation, we must remind you all that the roads are slippery on snowy days, so be careful everywhere, or you will end up like the Crown Prince and Sixth Princess, do you understand?"

  Several girls were shocked and frightened by what they heard. They only knew that the prince and the sixth princess had died, but they never thought it was so tragic. Falling from a high building...

  Several ladies furrowed their brows, clearly catching the implication behind Mrs. Lu's words.

  "The Crown Prince has passed away, and the whole nation is in mourning. As a member of the imperial family, we must be mindful of our words and actions. In two days' time, the Crown Prince and Sixth Princess will be laid to rest, and on that day, we must wear white clothing. In the afternoon, someone will come to take measurements for the funeral attire." Madame Lu said slowly, her eyes fluttering as she gazed at Madame Qin, "Second Brother's wife, your daughter Gui'er's marriage will have to be postponed for a year."

  The second daughter of the Lin family, Lin Jie, was only eighteen years old. At the time of her coming-of-age ceremony, she was picky and choosy, which delayed her marriage. Just last year, she finally found a suitable match and the wedding date had been set, but then this happened.

  Although Qin's heart was suffocated, the country mourned for a year and could not get married, what else could she do?

  "It doesn't matter, the betrothal gifts have been sent, and I'm not afraid they'll run away." Qin Shi said with a deliberate joke.

  Lu smiled and said, "That's good."

  Lu said a few more words of warning, then turned to the several young ladies and said: "You sisters go talk in the flower hall, I still have some things to chat with your mother."

  The girls all answered "yes" and bowed their heads in retreat.

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