Chapter Five: Scheming

  Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Xingyan returned to the Xiao Xiang Guan, as soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Lin Xingyan was blocked by Wan Niang.

  "Hey, how's it going? What did Madame Hou say when she called you all over?"

  Lin Xing's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she glanced at Lin Zhao Yan before staring coldly at Wan Niang. "Niang, the Hou Manor has its own rules. Since no one summoned you, don't randomly pry into things."

  Lin Zhaoyan heard this and curled her lips in a sneer, then walked past the mother-daughter pair without so much as a glance.

  Waiting until Lin Zhaoyan had walked far away, Lin Xingyan lowered his voice and said: "It's not convenient to talk here, let's go inside and say it again."

  As soon as they entered the main house, Lin Xingyan immediately dismissed everyone and then said to Wan Niang: "How can you do things so rashly? If Grandmother or Madame Hou finds out that you secretly inquired about information, who knows how she will punish you?"

  Wan Yiniang, however, had an attitude of indifference. "I'll go take a look at what's going on with my daughter? Who would know that I'm snooping around? That Fourth Miss from the main house is just a deadpan, you're still afraid she'd go out and wag her tongue?"

  "No matter what, she is the legitimate daughter of the third branch, and that side is the real relative."

  "Yuan Niang sneered, 'After all these years, you still haven't figured it out? Liu Shi's heart is cruel. I may have entered the household late and don't know what exactly happened in between, but based on my many years of interacting with Liu Shi, she truly dislikes Si Ya. From now on, Si Ya's fate will not be better than yours.'"

  Look at what Wan Niang said with such conviction, Lin Xing didn't think it was good to say anything more, so he changed the subject to the Empress Dowager's selection of attendants.

  Wan Niang heard this and first stared with wide eyes in shock, then excitedly said: "Xing Er, this is a great opportunity! Once you enter the palace and are raised by Empress Dowager, your status will rise greatly. Who would dare to mock your illegitimate birth again? Not just Lin Ruoyan, even those unfavored illegitimate princesses would have to show respect to you!"

  Lin Xing nodded, but his expression was somewhat solemn. "I naturally know this is a good opportunity, but with so many sisters in the Hou Mansion, Lin Jingming, Lin Ruoyan, and those girls from the second and fifth branches, which one of them is not a waste? I'm afraid I won't even have the chance to enter the palace for the Empress Dowager's inspection."

  Wan Niang's face turned serious, "What are you worried about? Since Madame Hou has made this matter public, it means fair competition. What makes you think you're inferior to those legitimate daughters? In terms of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and etiquette, you surpass them all. As long as you enter the palace, I guarantee that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will choose you!"

  As he spoke, he paused for a moment, and a hint of sinister smile played on his lips. "As for the struggle before entering the palace, that's up to each person's abilities!"

  Inside the Xiangfang Pavilion, Man Shuang helped Lin Zhaoyan change into a casual moon-white embroidered plum blossom standing collar rabbit hair edge satin jacket. While pressing her in front of the dressing table to take down her hair, she tentatively asked: "Miss, aren't you going to consider the Empress Dowager's matter?"

  Lin Zhaoyan was holding an ivory comb in his hand, playing with it listlessly. Upon hearing this, he replied absent-mindedly, "Considering what?"

  "It's a matter of entering the palace now." Man Shuang was somewhat anxious, stopping her hands and persuading gently, "Miss, you are not favored in the mansion, and it's unlikely that the madam will consider your marriage in the future. Now such a good opportunity is in front of you, how can you give up? Although others may think you're not good, in my eyes, you're the best. The empress dowager must also be able to recognize talent at first sight and take a liking to you!"

  Lin Zhaoyan's smile faded, and she put down her hairpin, turning to look at Man Shuang with a serious expression. "Man Shuang, you've been by my side for so many years, you're very clear about what kind of person I am. Some things aren't that I don't fight for, but rather that fighting for them would be meaningless. Take this time entering the palace, do you really think it's a good thing? Even in a deep household, there are so many dirty and corrupt things, let alone in the palace?"

  In her previous life, she was tormented by illness until death, but in this life, all she wants is to live a peaceful and safe life.

  She doesn't want to be the next Sixth Princess.

  Man Shuang did not say much, she gazed at Lin Zhao's eyes that were as clear and transparent as crystal, with a soft glow flowing inside, though it was not dazzling, it shook one's heart and soul, it was a beauty that only she could see.

  She hopes there is another person who can see the beauty of a girl's dust like her.

  The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the beautiful lanterns have just been lit, and the various courtyards of the Hou Mansion have all been lit up one after another.

  In the western wing of the main hall of Rongshou Hall, Madame Hou, nee Lu, was leaning against a soft couch covered with sable fur, and Nurse Liu was gently massaging her legs.

  Her expression looked somewhat melancholy.

  "Mother, you tell me, what is Lord Hou thinking? Such a good thing, knowing it himself should be enough, but instead he wants me to spread the word and make some kind of fair competition? Can those illegitimate children compare with my sister Jin?"

  As soon as she thought about how to discuss with those vicious sisters-in-law on how to send her daughter into the palace today, her heart felt suffocated! Those people, not even comparable to one of her fingers, why did they all start plotting?

  Madam Liu gently pinched her leg while comforting her, "Don't be angry, milady. Since Master Hou has you do this, he must have his reasons. You see, Old Madam said it's a message from the palace, to select from each household. Even if you hide now and don't say anything, they will eventually find out. Why not take advantage of the situation before the news spreads and curry favor with them?"

  "They dare?!" Lu's face showed sarcasm, "If I don't say anything, when the palace releases the news, do they dare to compete with me? The young master letting me speak out is precisely giving tacit consent for fair competition, not distinguishing between birth order or age."

  "Madam, you really are confused. They don't dare to do it because they're afraid of offending you. Even if you were to tell them now, would they dare? It's just a formality anyway. It's better for them not to harbor resentment towards you. As the mistress of this household, you should win people over with virtue and reason. Relying solely on power is useless."

  Lu hummed and his face looked a bit better.

  "Those illegitimate children from the second house are not what I'm worried about, they won't even pass their mother's test, let alone enter the palace and make fools of themselves. What I'm afraid of is Liu Shi, that slippery one, she's the wife of the youngest son, always sweet-talking her way into Mother's good books! And her daughter, arrogant and overbearing, but somehow manages to get on well with Mother!"

  Talking about this, I thought of the marriage with Cheng Guo Gongfu, and my resentment grew even more. "And then there's the matter of Yan Ge's marriage, Yan Ge is clearly my nephew, and Jin Jie is his first cousin, but somehow Lin Ruoyan has to intervene! What qualifications does she have to marry into our Cheng Guo Gongfu? Aunt is really something, I don't know what she's thinking, always favoring the third branch, and I, as her own niece, have no status at all!"

  Mrs. Liu helped her pat her back and smooth out her breath, saying: "Madam, you're talking nonsense again! How could the old lady not care about you? Have you forgotten that when you were a child, the old lady always held you in her arms and wanted you to be her daughter-in-law? Now that you've married the Marquis, are you still worried that our girl can't marry Young Master Bao? Fifth Sister is just a foil, don't worry about her."

  Look, Lu's expression softened a bit, and he said: "You want to know that our third daughter is the best of the best. Whether she marries Young Master Biao or accompanies the Empress Dowager in the palace, she has the most capital. The appearance of the third daughter is also 50% similar to that of Princess Liu. How could the Empress Dowager not choose her?"

  Lu's gloom suddenly dispersed, and her face was filled with joy. Ah, Jin Jie'er looks the most like her aunt, and Liu Gongzhu is carved from the same mold as Jing Fei. With such an innate advantage, how could the Empress Dowager not choose Jin Jie'er? As for the marriage with Yan Ge'er, no matter what Aunt chooses, it's still up to Yan Ge'er's intentions. As long as she discusses it well with her elder sister-in-law, why wouldn't it work out?

  She was in excitement, but suddenly heard a stern and cold voice.

  "It's a woman's intuition! Sister Jin can't enter the palace!"

  Thank you for the peach blossom fan and peace charm from Qiulian!

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  Thanks for the peach blossom fan reward from Jin Qin!