When Yan Yiyi heard that Yuxi wanted to see her, her heart was all over the place. She didn't think Han Shi would be looking for her for anything good. When Yan Yiyi first arrived, she was clueless about what was going on behind the door, so she acted reckless, but in the meantime, inquiring about everything she needed to know. Not to mention the outside, just speaking about this Yun residence, Han Shi had grabbed everything inside and outside in her hands. Even the head guards of the house were respectful and obedient to her. Yan Yiyi was not a fool either; if she met such a powerful woman as Han Shi and rushed to be Yun Qing's concubine, even the Old God of Longevity would tell her to h*ng herself for living long enough.
When Yan Yiyi saw Yuxi, she was being as respectful as she could be. "Greetings to Madam." She had thrown this sisterhood thing beyond the highest heavens a long time ago.
Yuxi didn't waste any time and told her directly, "The reason I'm looking for you this time is to tell you one thing. The General told me to let you serve Uncle Huo."
Yan Yiyi's face turned pale when she heard this. Huo Changqing was a miserable old man, and Han Shi would go as far as telling her to serve that miserable old man.
Yuxi was relieved to see Yan Yiyi's reaction. It was good that she didn't do what Yun Qing wanted. Otherwise, the outcome would have been terrible. One had to pay particular attention to mutual consent regarding this matter between a man and a woman.
In response, Mama Qu said coldly, "Master Huo is the General's elder, and if you follow him, you won't have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life. Why do you have to be reluctant?"
Yan Yiyi was not a fool. This was clearly to inform her, not to seek her opinion. It was the same as when she had been chosen to come to the northwest. No one cared about her view. She was just like duckweed, floating wherever they wanted her to be.
きつね: The duckweeds are so cute! 🥰
Yuxi persuaded softly, "Although Uncle Huo is a bit older, he still knows how to take good care of other people. You also don't need to answer to any mistress. You only need to serve him well, and when you have a son or a daughter, you will have someone to rely on." She was prepared to play the one who wore the white mask*, while Mama Qu was responsible for playing the one who wore the black mask*. [*]
Yan Yiyi bowed her head and said, "Madam, you don't have to say anything else. I'm willing." This matter simply did not give her any room to refuse. What would she do if she was assigned to a stable boy when she fussed? In that case, she might as well earnestly agree to this order. The good thing was that although Huo Changqing was older, as Han Shi had said, he had no wife and no children, so she didn't have to suffer any mistreatment when she married him. When she had a child, she would be in charge of the family.
Yuxi was happy to see Yan Yiyi agree so readily and said, "I'm going to set the table with two cups of wine, and we're going to have the wedding in the evening."
Yan Yiyi bowed her head. There was no way she could respond to this. Luckily, Yuxi didn't care either and told her, "Then Miss Yan, you should hurry back and get ready!"
That night, Huo Changqing became the groom.
When Yun Qing met Huo Changqing, he was a little puzzled to see that there was not even a little joy on his face and that he was still looking as he usually did. Since he couldn't ask about Huo Changqing's household matter, he said, "Uncle Huo, Yuxi told me to clean up the second courtyard and give it to you."
Huo Changqing shook his head. "No need. Just create a partition at the place where she lives now." Yun Qing was a cold-faced person with a warm heart, but Huo Changqing was a cold-faced person with a cold heart.
In response, Yun Qing could not say anything else on this matter.
While Yuxi was preparing for New Year's Eve, Duke Han's residence was silent. The Great Old Lady had only been dead for a few months, and everyone was still in mourning, so they couldn't prepare for the New Year with great fanfare. Thus, what could be done was just to let the servants clean up the courtyards.
Qiu Shi sat on a soft couch, teasing her grandson, and spoke to Lu Xiu, "It's already twenty-eight this year, and it's almost New Year's. I wonder how Yuxi is doing in the northwest?"
Lu Xiu answered with a smile, "Mother, Si Mei is definitely doing well, so don't worry about it."
How could Qiu Shi not be worried about this? "She doesn't have any elders around to guide her, and there are many things she won't know since this is the first time she gets pregnant. Also, I can't count on Yun Qing to take care of that. When I think about this, I immediately become anxious." To put it bluntly, when a woman gave birth, she would be at the gate of hell. If something were to happen to Yuxi, Qiu Shi wouldn't even know.
Hearing this, Lu Xiu suggested, "Mother, look at it this way! Let's pick a good midwife and send her to Yuxi when spring starts."
Qiu Shi added, "Not only a midwife but also a good wet nurse."
Lu Xiu started to sweat and hastily said, "Mother, let Si Mei choose her own wet nurse!" The wet nurse was not like a midwife, and the one her mother-in-law chose might not be suitable for Si Mei.
Before Qiu Shi could reply, an old woman servant came in and reported, "Old Lady, word has come from Jinyu Lane that the Third Old Lady gave birth to a son at wushi."
Since that fallout incident, Qiu Shi was unwilling to put any more face to those people anymore. "Leave this matter to the First Lady." She would never go to the child's birth ceremony. She would not stop her children and grandchildren from dealing with them, but she loathed the idea of her going to Jinyu Lane.
Qiu Shi had already made up her mind, and no one could change what she had decided. Now, Qiu Shi held the highest position in the State Residence. Plus, Han Jianming and Han Jianye wouldn't force her to do what she did not want. So, Qiu Shi was now living a very comfortable life. Apart from thinking about Yuxi a lot, of course.
When Ye Shi got this news, she asked curiously, "If I remember correctly, San Shen's due date should be next year. Did something happen?" Those who could still give birth didn't know how to cherish themselves, while she could not have another child even if she wanted to. Luckily, Lil Boy Chang was adorable and clever, somewhat lessening her troubled mind.
The old woman servant answered, "Nothing bad has happened. I heard that the Third Old Lady's health is not good. That's why she gave birth prematurely."
Ye Shi didn't ask any more questions. "I'll be there when the child has his bath ceremony." Even if she went, she would just make a quick trip, show her face and then return home. Her mother-in-law was disgusted with San Shu, so by nature, Ye Shi would not get too close to the Third House. Of course, she didn't wish to be intimate with the Third House either. San Shu was a ruthless person who was capable of doing anything to get what he wanted. Hence, it was better to stay away from such people.
Ye Shi had been in charge of the State Residence all these years, and many things could not be hidden from her. When Han Jingyan put Wu Shi to death back then, his hands were still clean, but it would have been impossible not to leave a trace. However, even if they had noticed something wrong, they would have to pretend not to be unaware of it.
Yuchen also received the happy news and immediately asked Momo Gui to fetch an exquisite long-life golden lock, plus two sets of children's clothes and hats, and gave them all to the informant to take back. "I'm not fit enough to go out now, so I won't be attending the child's bath ceremony." It was freezing outside, and the ground was frozen, so she didn't dare to take her health lightly.
She asked a few more questions about Han Jingyan's health and then sent the old woman servant off.
Not long after, Momo Gui returned and said to Yuchen, "Wen Shi's foetus is unstable, and she nearly had a miscarriage before; that's why she went into premature labour."
Yuchen asked, "Is Yurong reliable enough to manage the household?" She didn't know what Han Jingyan thought. After he moved to Jinyu Lane, he handed over the housekeeping job to Yurong. Yurong didn't have much practical experience, but she had plenty of theoretical knowledge. Still, with Old Woman Chen on hand to guide her, she hadn't made any significant mistakes so far. It was just that Wen Shi was the mistress of the inner courtyard, and Yuchen had found nothing physically wrong with her, but leaving Wen Shi aside to hand over the internal affairs to Yurong would strike people as odd.
Momo Gui nodded. "She's doing quite alright."
Yuchen shook her head helplessly. "And I wonder when Father's health will heal? This is no way to go on." She had asked the best Imperial Physician to see Han Jingyan. Still, even the best Imperial Physician would be useless if his heart disease did not go away.
Momo Gui said, "Old Lord has not yet gotten over the previous incident, so it will take time for him to get well." She knew very well that Qiu Shi had angrily scolded Han Jingyan, and she was aware of what Qiu Shi had scolded him about.
In fact, Momo Gui couldn't figure out how could Third Old Lord have married such a stupid woman like Wen Shi in the first place. Although Wu Shi was not shrewd either, she was not so brainless. Because of those few words from Wen Shi, Qiu Shi had torn her face off and spilt the beans on the Old Lord in front of their juniors and a roomful of maids and old women servants. For the good-faced loving Third Old Lord, this was something he couldn't bear much more than when he was attacked physically. Therefore, as soon as he moved to Jinyu Lane, he was struck with illness!
The only thing to be glad for now was that what Qiu Shi said hadn't gotten out. Or else, the Third Old Lord would have been ashamed to face other people, and her Wangfei would have also been implicated.
Yuchen looked out of the window at the white expanse and said, "Great Master Liao Tong said that Yuxi had a bad fate and Father treated her like a taboo. But before Yuxi's adoption to the Main House, the Three House had always been fine, and there were only minor disputes, at most. But since her adoption, the Third House has been in trouble, one thing after another." First, Wu Shi died, then her father married Wen Shi, someone even more unworthy, and the Third House ended up in so much trouble.
Momo Gui's eyebrows jumped. "Niangniang, Guifei most certainly believes in Great Master Liao Tong. This matter should not be brought up again." If Guifei Niangniang heard about this, there would be another round of quarrel between them.
When Song Guifei was mentioned, disgust flashed in Yuchen's eyes. "The root cause for the Third House is in this state lies with her. Otherwise, how else would so many troubling things happen after her interference." Song Guifei had forced Yuxi to withdraw from her marriage with Chen Ran and then married her far away in the northwest. If she had married into the Chen family and lived in peace and harmony, her Eldest Aunt would not have been so angry. But Yuxi did not marry into the Chen family but was sent to the northwest and married the notorious Yun Qing instead. How could Eldest Aunt not feel any resentment and hatred in her heart? Once Eldest Aunt had no longer worried about Yuxi being far away in the northwest, she turned against her father.
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
Momo Gui knew that Yuchen had a grudge against Noble Consort Song. "Niangniang, as long as Wangye is on your side, that little demon is not enough for you to worry about." [T/C]
A few days ago, Song Guifei sent a beauty, Bai Mei, to Jing Wang, who had stayed at her place for several days in a row. Previously, the pregnant Song Linger had caused Yuchen to have no peace. Now, with Yuchen being pregnant, Song Guifei had sent someone else to add to the trouble, which made Yuchen exceptionally annoyed.
When Yuchen heard Momo Gui's words, she chuckled. "Wangye on my side…." He said something about loving her and being faithful to her. If he really loved her, how could he have slept with other women, indulging in pleasure until he forgot about the Kingdon of Shu*? Fortunately, she was not foolish enough to believe all that nonsense. She knew that these royal princes and children of nobility's feelings were the most unreliable and had guarded her heart. Otherwise, she would not have known how much she would have cried!
It would be impossible to say that Yuchen wasn't tempted at all. After all, at first, Jing Wang was genuinely infatuated with her, or at least that was what he had shown. It was just that his biaomei had become his Ce Fei, and he had a child with his Ce Fei before even getting married to her. She would be a hopeless one if she still believed that Jing Guifei would devote his heart to her.
Momo Gui sighed secretly and said, "Niangniang, this is how women are! This is how they all come to be." How can you rely on the words of a man?
Yuchen nodded. "I know. I will take care of myself." Even for the sake of her children, she had to be good to her husband.
きつね's Musing
There was a backstory to the idiom 'indulge in pleasure until he forgot about the Kingdon of Shu'. It's too long to post it here, so you can click this link to read it. Don't worry. The story is in English.
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi