After pacifying the interior, then secure the exterior

  ……

  In mid-March, the capital city still had a few small snowfalls. Along with the dancing snowflakes, the peach blossoms on the back mountain of the Wang Mansion also bloomed. The pink petals fluttered along with the snowflakes, and several maids in crimson dresses flitted about among the trees, lightly picking up the bright red petals from the snowy ground or plucking the mature flower buds from the peach branches. Occasionally, when the wind passed by, the accumulated snowflakes on the branches would fall off together with the petals, fluttering down into the air. The maids' clothes were covered in snowflakes and bright red petals, and from a distance, it was like a picturesque painting.

  In this season of intoxicating peach blossoms, the imperial concubine had already sent out invitations with golden seals, under the name of inviting her former close friends to come and admire the flowers.

  As the mistress of the royal palace, she should naturally accompany him, admire flowers, drink last year's freshly brewed plum wine, taste the imperial gift of pre-rain Longjing tea, savor the crispy oil pastry and roasted whole goose made by the chef herself, and occasionally recite a few sentimental lines of poetry to win praise.

  In front of the guests, the princess also gave this daughter-in-law face, warmly and intimately by her side, and praised her a few times. In the eyes of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on the side, it was really enviable and jealous, with a loving smile that made people feel like spring breeze on their faces, making people sigh that this Princess Jing, really has good fortune.

  As for the Yang Qining incident a few days ago, a careless madam mentioned two sentences, but Taifei calmly said: "The eldest daughter of the Hou Mansion, how can she be humiliated to become a concubine? Sister, don't believe these baseless rumors, or it will ruin the reputation of that young lady."

  Qingchang Houfu is still a popular aristocratic family in the capital, and these women are quite skilled in social etiquette. Seeing that the Grand Consort did not intend to say more about this matter, they did not dare to speak further. However, they looked at Ruo Xue with unusual gazes.

  That day, the two wives of Zhang Yang came to the door in secret, but on that day, a small servant from the Wang Mansion rushed to the Xiaoqiying Camp and said to Li Xiao in front of everyone: "Master Wang, something big has happened. The British Gong's wife and the Qingchang Houfu's wife have come to the door together to coerce the princess into agreeing to let Yang's daughter become your concubine." Although it is said that the military camp is a man's world, men also love gossip, and the news flew out like it had grown wings. Even if the Jing Wang Mansion remained silent, Yang Tai's wife and Zhang's wife were unable to stop the rumors from spreading all over the sky.

  Anyway, the news that Yang Taifu and British Gongfu forced Jing Wangfei to agree to let Yang Qining enter as a side concubine has been spread with great fanfare. Although this group of close friends knew about the relationship between Taifei and Yang Taifu, they didn't dare say anything bad about Yang Taifu in front of Taifei, but they still managed to gather some information. However, unexpectedly, Taifei was unwilling to discuss the matter further, so they dropped it.

  However... these refined ladies quickly filtered the rumors in their minds and knew they were true. The Empress Dowager's wrist, usually accompanied by Yang Tai Fu Ren and Zhang Fu Ren when appreciating flowers, tasting crabs, or trying new foods, but today she invited others instead of them, indicating that their relationship had already soured. While secretly rejoicing, they couldn't help but look up to Ruyi a bit more.

  ……

  Enjoying the envy and fawning of others, yet in his heart it was a different world.

  Yang Qining's matter had been weighing on his mind like a needle, but half a month had passed and it seemed that there was no longer any movement from that side. Although he had slightly let down his guard, he still didn't dare to completely put his heart at ease.

  Two days later, Hong Auntie came to report the situation at Yang's house again. "The old lady has been so anxious about Miss Yang that she has fallen ill."

  Yu Qing first invited her to have tea, and after she finished drinking the tea, he then asked in a gentle tone: "Didn't you say you were looking for a mother-in-law?"

  "Which wall in this world is not transparent? The young lady has used all sorts of tricks to marry the fourth master, and the story of how she forced her way into the household has spread throughout the capital. Even if the Qingchang Marquis's household had power and influence, it couldn't withstand these rumors that corrode one's bones! Moreover, when marrying a wife, any respectable large family would have strict requirements for their daughter-in-law - at the very least, she must be of good character and have no scandals attached to her name. This young lady has already tarnished her reputation before even getting married, earning herself a reputation for being reckless and shameless - who would dare to wade into this muddy water?"

  That's right, but after the excitement passed, she began to worry again. "What kind of family is Yang Qining from?" Even if Yang Qining really isn't a good daughter-in-law, the power and influence of the Qingchang Hou Mansion is something that many people envy. She doesn't believe that those who love to curry favor wouldn't know that marrying her would mean they could struggle less for twenty years.

  The old lady Hong said disdainfully: "At first, it was the third son of the Ze Yun Hou Mansion, but unfortunately, the eldest sister looked down on him and thought he was not good enough. She would lose face if she married into a family that was not as good as hers. Then there was the eldest son of the British Gong Zhang's family, but she thought he was not good-looking. Next was the third son of the General Fu's family, but she thought he was a rough and unrefined martial artist. Later, they looked for the son of the Jingguo Wang Mansion, but she thought the Jingguo Wang had no power or influence and was just an empty shell with a title. The old lady was so angry that she found another one, the second son of the Lingguo Gong Mansion, but unfortunately, as soon as they sent out the message, it was spread that the second son of the Lingguo Gong had already been engaged to the daughter of the Minister of Justice. The old lady had no choice but to retreat and find someone else, so she looked for the Chengguo Gong Mansion, but unfortunately, as soon as they sent out the message, the wife of the Chengguo Gong said: "Isn't it said that the young lady will only marry the Jing Wang? The young lady already has someone in mind, I don't dare to interfere with their love." The old lady was so angry that she scolded the eldest sister again when she got home. The eldest sister still had a hard attitude and said: "If I can't get married, I'll just become a nun." This made the old lady even angrier, and in her anger, she vented on our mistress. By the end of the story, Old Lady Hong was also furious.

  Her eyes narrowed, her voice cold as she asked, "Is this really true?"

  Hong's aunt was furious and shouted: "It's not, poor my mistress... These days, she has been serving in front of her with trepidation, swallowing her breath, lowering her eyebrows and being careful. Unfortunately, she was still picked on by the eggshell, and today she was scolded for coming late. She not only scolded my mistress but also made her stand in the courtyard with a basin of water for half an hour." At this point, Hong's aunt had already wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes. "Poor thing, that basin of water is copper-made and heavy, and it was filled to the brim. Our mistress has been pampered since childhood, how can she bear such hardship? She couldn't hold on for even a short while, and in the end, she threw the basin away in anger, crying and shouting that the old lady was intentionally abusing her...

  "What happened then?" she asked anxiously.

  Hong's voice was filled with hatred: "Our lady's temper, the princess must also know it clearly. Originally straightforward and outspoken, she has been suppressing her grievances for nearly a year, but today she was forced to burst out in anger, shattering the pot and bowl, and arguing with the old lady."

  As if she was stunned, her beautiful temper was clearer than ever. This time's big explosion was also reasonable, but Mrs. Tai wasn't Old Lady Li or even Li Shi. Even if Mrs. Tai was indeed in the wrong first, she couldn't be outdone by someone who was a senior.

  "It's all because of me, Third Sister has been implicated by me, and Madame will certainly have a reason to lose her temper, isn't that so?"

  The ancient grandma is greater than heaven.

  Hong's aunt nodded with difficulty, "Yes, no matter how wrong the old lady was first, after all, she is the mother-in-law, the elder. The word 'filial piety' is greater than heaven. The old lady used the excuse of being disobedient to say that she wanted to divorce her daughter-in-law. She even wrote a divorce letter."

  His face turned red with rage as he sucked in a breath of air and shouted: "She dares?"

  The old lady wiped away the tears from her eyes and also scolded, "The old madam is indeed confused. In a prestigious household like ours, even if you want to divorce your wife, you need to ask for the opinion of the elders and report to our ancestors in the ancestral hall. If she really wants to divorce the young lady, she should at least give seven reasons for it. Fortunately, the old madam was dissuaded from her intention to divorce when the old master and mistress went there quickly, with the old mistress playing the white face and the old master playing the black face." Then, she skillfully added oil and vinegar to Yang Qi'an's words, "Mother is too biased, my sister-in-law has been humble and obedient since marrying into our family, treating her sister-in-law and brother-in-law well, serving mother without complaint, getting up early and retiring late, never interrupting her daily routine. Such a good wife can't be found even with a lantern, but mother still unfairly blames my sister-in-law for other things, how can mother bear to do this?"

  Madam He, playing the role of peacemaker, said: "Mother, please calm down. If brother and sister have done anything wrong, please consider Enning's share and deal with them leniently. After all, Enning will get married sooner or later and become someone else's daughter-in-law. Mother should put herself in others' shoes. If Enning suffers at her mother-in-law's hands in the future, won't Mother feel heartbroken?"

  Mrs. Yang's heart skipped a beat, and indeed she began to waver, while Yang Kai'an spoke in a low, stern voice: "Qining is getting more and more unreasonable, how can Mother also be so muddled? Qining has been speaking ill of his younger siblings, being lazy and provocative, and they have all tolerated it with a sigh. Mother has turned a deaf ear and blindly protected him, and now she's still angry at the younger siblings because of Qining's affairs, not to mention how disheartened the younger siblings are. Even her own son can't bear it."

  Mrs. Yang was so ashamed by her son's accusations that she angrily said, "You scoundrel, have you lost all sense of decency? Qining is your own sister, your own flesh and blood! And yet as her brother, you just stand by and watch her being bullied by the shrew from the Fang family?" Of course, this shrew from the Fang family was definitely not referring to Rumei.

  Yang Qi'an said in a low voice: "Alright, alright, mother only has eyes and heart for Qining, and my second brother and I are unwanted. For the sake of her precious daughter, she can even disregard our brothers' dignity. Now, for that shameless person, she's forcing my second brother to divorce his kind and virtuous wife. Mother, how can you be so heartless? Intentionally making things difficult for my second brother and sister-in-law."

  Madam Yang pointed at Rumei and scolded: "You also saw just now, she was clearly disrespecting me, deliberately smashing my basin, and defying me, offending me. She has already committed one of the seven grounds for divorce, how can I not divorce her?"

  Madam He hastily advised: "Mother, calm down, don't let your anger harm your body. Brother and sister didn't do it on purpose. Since brother and sister married into our family, they have become more steady and considerate, this is obvious to everyone! Moreover, now that Qining's marriage is being discussed, if we were to divorce brother and sister, what would outsiders think? This would also be unfavorable for Qining!"

  Mrs. Yang was furious when she mentioned the name of Ta Furen, pointing at Rumei and scolding: "It's all because of these two sisters that my Qingning is in trouble. If it weren't for that woman from the Fang family slandering me so recklessly, ruining my son's reputation, I wouldn't be so angry! Today, I won't let her off easily, or else I won't be able to vent my anger." Then she scolded Ruxiang again, saying things like "wicked and vicious", and also dragged the Fang family into it.

  "You yourself didn't teach your daughter well, and now she's done something shameful. What does it have to do with me? With my family? With my sister? My sister is innocent, yet you splashed dirty water on her. Your own daughter ran off to be someone's concubine, disregarding the Yang family's reputation. Can't my sister say anything about it? As a noble lady from a prestigious household, what kind of family can't she find? She has to become someone's concubine, and if that doesn't work out, she'll die trying. How shameful is that? No wonder my sister looks down on her, and I do too, in my heart. And now you're shifting the blame onto me? Aren't you ashamed?"

  Mrs. Yang was so angry that her eyes turned black, pointing at Rumei for half a day without saying a word. Finally, she managed to calm down and pointed at her, trembling with anger, saying to Yang Qian: "You listen, you all listen, daring to be so rude to me in front of you, and speaking like that about your own sister-in-law. Such a wife is not virtuous, not filial, not respectful, and not righteous. I have decided to divorce her."

  Ru Mei's eyes turned red with anger, "I am the legitimate wife who was married into the Yang family through proper channels. If you dare to divorce me, I will report it to the authorities. The respectable Mrs. Yang not only favors her own children but also mistreats and abuses her daughter-in-law, teaching her no virtues. She is cruel and vicious." Ru Mei had nothing to lose, even if she was divorced and sent back to her family, she could just spend the rest of her life unmarried and become a nun in a temple. But for the Yang family, it was different. If they reported it to the authorities, their reputation would be ruined, and Yang Qining would never be able to marry out. Ru Mei had nothing to lose, but the Yang family absolutely dared not take that risk.

  Mrs. Yang was indeed furious, pointing at Rumei but unable to utter a single word. Yang Qianan let out a long sigh, "Alright, Mother wants a divorce then so be it, I won't stop you anymore. However, divorcing is not child's play, we need to provide written documents and invite the family elders, and report to our ancestors' temple. If Mother truly wants to ruin Second Brother and Qianning, then go ahead and divorce them."

  Yang Qi'an's move of retreating in order to advance was quite effective. Although Mrs. Yang shouted loudly, if she really took action, there would be concerns. If the elders of the Yang family were told about it, they would definitely ask for an explanation, and at that time, the matter of Qi Ning would not be able to be covered up. In her early years, in order to ensure her son's safe growth and eliminate dissidents, she had done many extreme things, and there were already many elders in the clan who were dissatisfied with her behavior. The reason they didn't take action was because they looked at the generous share of silver given by her son and the thousands of acres of ancestral temple land.

  Although Mrs. Yang was angry, she had a mind to transfer her anger to Mei, but she wasn't confused. If she really divorced her husband, the face of the Yang family would be over, and her two sons would also be ridiculed by others, while her daughter would also be greatly affected.

  Here is the translation:

  In addition, although the Fang family's younger generation is slightly weak, their in-laws are all formidable. Not to mention the Jingwang Fu and the Yu Guang Wang Fu, as well as the Pingyang Hou Fu of the Tianjin Garrison, just talking about the He family, this literary official group's leader, can't afford to offend them. Moreover, the two maternal uncles of the Fang family are also gradually showing their strength, one in literature and one in martial arts, neither of which is easy to mess with.

  Madam Yang was quite cautious and didn't dare to produce a divorce certificate after all. The matter of divorcing his wife thus came to nothing.

  Yu Ru listened with her eyes wide open, not knowing whether to worry about Yu Mei or praise Qing Chang's wise and decisive handling of the situation. She asked repeatedly, "And then? Didn't Third Sister have any more trouble from Old Madam?"

  When it comes to Mrs. Yang, Hong's expression was one of disdain, "Our mistress has been patient for a long time, and this time she finally couldn't bear it anymore and exploded. Although Mrs. Yang didn't dare to really divorce the mistress, she also didn't give her a good face. However, she didn't have time to find trouble with the mistress again, because, the young master returned in time, knelt down in front of his mother, and cried bitterly, saying 'I'm not teaching my wife well, and I let my daughter-in-law offend her mother, I feel uneasy, there is such an evil woman in our family, it's not too much to divorce her immediately. Please, mother, take charge and let me divorce this evil woman. The younger sister of the evil woman is also not a good person, she actually dared to bully our younger sister, not letting her enter the Wangfu gate, this is a crime that deserves severe punishment. I will scold her now, and let King Jing divorce her, and formally welcome my younger sister into the palace."

  Hong's aunt imitated Yang Qitai's words, saying clever and witty things, as if she was delighted, and laughed: "I didn't expect Third Brother-in-law to be a clever person too."

  "Ha! That's not true, Master is a sensible person. Although he can be a bit straightforward and explosive at times, he's actually quite alright. Our mistress is really lucky to have married someone like him. What a pity, though - nobody's perfect, and Master has ended up with such a mother... Ah, Mistress is truly pitied."

  It's all my fault, if it weren't for me, Third Sister wouldn't have ended up like this.

  Hong's wife waved her hand, "It has nothing to do with the lady, it's obviously that wicked mother and daughter of Madame Tai who are behind this nasty business. But recently Madame Tai fell ill, and even in her illness she loves to cause trouble, our lady often attends to her and suffers a lot too, alas."

  "What? The old lady has fallen ill?" How delightful! Why didn't she die immediately? Cough, cough, but she is the dignified princess after all, how can I say such things? I should be beaten for this.

  Hong's wife sighed, "She's been ill-tempered, but judging from the prescription written by the imperial physician, she's mostly faking it. Just look at how she scolds people with such vigor and energy! Poor our mistress, although she won't be divorced, she has suffered enough grievances."

  Yu Qing bit her lip and said with hatred: "Does Third Sister have no other way?"

  Hong's mother-in-law said, "When the mother-in-law is ill, as a daughter-in-law, you should be by her side to serve her. If you pretend to be ill, what can you do? And still dare to shout everywhere? If that's true, our lady's reputation will also be ruined."

  "What about Master Qingchang? And Third Brother-in-law, how did they react?"

  "The two young masters are both very filial, but the second master also knows that the old lady is not really ill. Unfortunately, he doesn't dare to say it out loud either. He can only endure and serve the old lady with our mistress every day." Hong's nurse said with emotion, "The two young masters were really angry with the eldest miss this time, taking advantage of the old lady's illness to scold her severely."

  The younger sister, regardless of the family's reputation and her elder brother's face, insisted on having an affair with someone, not to mention that she was also seeking death. This caused her mother to be ridiculed, and when her mother fell ill, she didn't even go to her room to take care of her. Instead, she stayed in her own room, pretending to be ill. This was truly unfilial and unrighteous. Yang Qining was scolded by his elder brother, but he refused to listen. The siblings quarreled again, but no matter how unruly she was, she wasn't their mother, so they couldn't tolerate her behavior. She was eventually disciplined by the two brothers, and finally, Yang Qianan lost his temper and slapped her, warning: "If you continue to be so stubborn, I'll invite the clan elders to send you to a nunnery or drown you in a river."

  Like a sigh, she patted her chest and asked Hong Niangniang, "Did Qingchang Houye really say that?"

  In ancient times, when a child of a large family committed a serious moral offense, the clan elder would typically step forward, write a document, and then the son would be expelled from the clan. Daughters were usually drowned in a pond or sent to a Buddhist nunnery. Yang Qining's actions were indeed damaging to the family's reputation, drowning was a bit too severe, but sending her to a Buddhist nunnery was more suitable.

  But with Tai Fu Ren around, I can only imagine it for myself.

  Hong Yiniang agreed with Yuanyang's view, saying: "When the old lady was around, the eldest miss was indeed fearless. However, Master Huan's roar almost shook down the house, and we could all hear it clearly outside. The eldest miss feared Master Huan's authority and didn't dare to be arrogant again, so she went to attend to the old lady this morning."

  It seems that the situation has eased a bit, which is good. As long as this woman can still be controlled by someone, there's no need to worry about her causing trouble. The only concern is whether Qing Chang Hou Ye will prioritize filial piety and fail to control even his own sister.

  Thinking of Rumei, who suffered an unjust disaster, her feelings were really unbearable. "Third sister is implicated by me this time. But under the current circumstances, it's really impossible to do anything to her, and can only let third sister endure for a while. However, Aunt Hong, rest assured that I will definitely seek justice for third sister in the future." Then she asked Aunt Hong to inform Rumei to bear with it for now and not to act impulsively, giving others an excuse. She would think of a way to help her escape her suffering.

  After seeing off Hong's aunt, Ru thought about Rumei's difficulties and felt uneasy. Unfortunately, she couldn't help with the urgent situation at hand and couldn't think of a solution for the time being.

  She had finally thought of a wonderful and sinister plan, but for the time being, she couldn't put it into action. Because, under the influence of Yuanyang Fei, Yuniang's ban on footbinding had been lifted, and that morning, she came to pay her respects to Li Xueru.

  Li Xiu, although spoiled, now has a task at hand, every day getting up extremely early. Like a virtuous and kind wife, she had also gotten up early before, but Li Xiu very magnanimously waved her hand, "You sleep, I'll do it myself."

  It won't be a few days before she finds out that someone is serving Li Xiu instead of her.

  Yu Niang and Xiang Niang, who had finished their confinement periods, came to Longxianju every day without fail. On the surface, they were visiting to show their concern, but in reality, they were helping with the work that Qing couldn't do - taking care of Li Xu.

  Although Li Xiu was comforted by Ru Qing's lower body, his upper body still enjoyed the service of two concubines.

  It's unbearable to see her heart aching, especially when these two aunts brazenly flirt with Li Xiao in front of her, and even more so when they get close to him while changing clothes.

  The weather in March was still extremely cold, and the thick quilt had never been relaxed. However, these two people seemed to be unaware of the cold, wearing only thin cotton-padded jackets on a freezing day. The two bulging chests in front of them were filled with something unknown, which made their clothes puffed up so high. Those two mountain peaks kept rubbing against Li Xiao's chest and arm from time to time, making him grind his teeth in anger. After Li Xiao left, he also got out of bed, smiled gloomily at the two women, and said, "After all, they are from the palace, serving people is a set." Then he sat on the edge of the bed, smiling and looking at them.

  Xiang Yiniang and Yu Yiniang exchanged a glance, but neither of them understood what it meant.

  She raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiang Mei with a puzzled expression, asking: "Isn't it the rule of the Wang household that as a concubine, one should serve the main mother?"

  Xiang Mao replied respectfully: "The princess is the mistress, and Auntie should serve her."

  Xiang Yiniang's face turned pale, Yu Yiniang raised an eyebrow, seemingly dissatisfied, but still endured it silently.

  Xiang Mao Liu Yue exchanged a glance, and finally said: "Your Highness, shall we get up?"

  Ru Qing nodded, and Chen Xiang had already brought in a hot cup, waiting for Ru Qing to rinse her mouth. Then, Xiang Qian personally helped her down from the bed and sat her in front of the mirror. Ru Qing turned her head and looked at the two matrons, "What are you still dazing about? How you attend to Wang Ye is how you should attend to me."

  Xiang Yiniang bit her lip and stepped forward, asking in a soft voice: "Does the princess have any orders?"

  He didn't even look at Ruqing, but instead turned to Chen Xiang and said, "You come tell the two aunts what they should do."

  Chen Xiang respectfully responded, then turned his head to Xiang Niang and "smiled" very "courteously": "Trouble Xiang Niang to go boil some hot water, okay? The princess wants to wash her face."

  Xiang Yiniang endured for a while, still holding back her anger and went out to fetch hot water. Xiang then smiled politely at Yu Niangniang: "Trouble Yu Niangniang to empty the chamber pot."

  Yu Niang's face turned red with rage as she shouted: "Chamber pot? You actually want me to empty the chamber pot?"

  With a raised eyebrow and a sideways glance, she said calmly: "After all, you're from the palace, your status is quite noble, how dare you let Yuniang do that kind of thing?"

  Chen Xiang said, "The princess is right, I was wrong." Then she raised an eyebrow and politely said to Yu Niang, "Yu Niang's status is noble, and you are from the palace, how can you serve the princess? I think it would be better for Yu Niang to wait in the outer hall, and after the princess finishes her toilette, you can come in to pay your respects."

  Although she knew that the master and servant were not in good faith, as long as they didn't bow their heads and act humble, Madame Yu would be satisfied with a sideways glance, shaking her slender waist and leaving.

  After Yu Niang left, Yu Xia couldn't help but complain to Chen Xiang in private, "You're too easy-going. This person dared to be disrespectful to the princess, and you just let her?"

  Chen Xiang slowly said, "No, just now you and I both came from outside, the weather outside is also known to you. Yu Niang wore so little, Wang Fei deliberately delayed for half an hour to go out, it would cost her half her life." Chen Xiang was also extremely angry that these two aunts dared to openly flirt with Wang Ye in front of Wang Fei, and was furious.

  Yu Xiang thought of Yu Niang wearing such thin clothes and suddenly realized, admiringly smiling: "Sister is still thinking far ahead."

  At first, Qing was indeed dissatisfied and self-willed, asking Yu Niang to leave. But when Liu Yue reminded her that it was cold outside and she should wear more clothes, she suddenly came to her senses. She deliberately lingered in the house for a while before slowly walking out into the outer hall.

  Generally, concubines would pay their respects to the mistress in a side hall near the mistress's bedroom, but if she did not want these outsiders approaching her private territory, they were only allowed to pay their respects in the main hall.

  The main hall of Longxianju's mansion was spacious and well-ventilated, and the servants also followed Ruoqing's preferences and instructions. Every time the aunts came to pay their respects, they would open all the windows and move the stove away. At first, Li Xiao didn't understand, but later he seemed to have figured it out and looked at Ruoqing with more mockery and ridicule in his eyes.

  As if pretending not to know, I still let people move the stove out of the hall and open all four doors and windows. The cold wind outside came in, and although they were dressed more warmly, they couldn't sit for too long either. This also eliminated some aunts' delusions about using their bodies as bait.

  Here is the translation:

  Besides, since there was charcoal fire in the house, except when going out, they usually wore less at home. Even if they had to go somewhere else, each of them had their own cloak, but when facing the mistress, they had to take off their cloaks in advance, losing the warmth of the thick cloaks. The aunts stayed in the hall where the cold wind was blowing, and they couldn't sit for a while without shivering with cold. Even if they wanted to flirt with men, by this time they were already so cold that their teeth were chattering, where would they have the time to show off their charm?

  For now, this trick is quite high-end, even if Li Xiao has vaguely guessed the meaning of Ruoqing, he hasn't said anything, but instead looked at Ruoqing with a smile that was not a smile, his expression filled with slyness and playfulness.

  In the third month of the capital, it was still as cold as in the depths of winter. Yu Niang wore very little today, and her thin spring outfit was already wrapped around her body, although it did show off her slender figure. However, after waiting outside for nearly half an hour, even with a thick fur coat on, she was still shivering with cold, especially when they entered the hall and those detestable servants opened all the windows as usual. To show respect to their mistress, they had to take off their coats, and the knife-like wind blowing in from outside made her face turn blue and purple with cold, her legs trembling uncontrollably as she rubbed her hands vigorously.

  Yu Ru's enthusiasm was high today, and she lectured them on the great principles of being a virtuous wife. Meanwhile, Yu Niang cursed Yu Ru's ancestors eighteen generations back, secretly resenting that this young girl from Long Xian Ju was indeed ungrateful, having forgotten her old benefactor after getting a new one. She thought about how she hadn't spared any money on her before, but now that she had lost power, everyone came to bully her.

  However, more than a month later, when Yu Niang returned to Long Xian Ju, she suddenly discovered that many of the servants in Long Xian Ju had changed to unfamiliar faces. Except for a few senior maids, most of the others were unrecognizable. She couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation again. Looking at Ruo Xian who was chatting with others, an inexplicable bad premonition rose up in her heart.

  She gazed at Yuniang with a cold eye, and indeed she was frozen to the point of being unrecognizable. Just then, he had a sudden surge of kindness towards her and said: "It's freezing outside, why are you wearing so little?"

  Xiang Yiniang was also dressed in very little, just like Yu Yiniang, but she had been attending to the room all along. The room was warm and cozy, and she hadn't felt much of the cold. However, since entering the hall, her hands and body gradually cooled down, and it was indeed unbearable. Hearing Ruxin say so, she looked at Yu Yiniang again, only to see that Yu Yiniang's face had turned pale, and her body was trembling uncontrollably, as if she was frozen stiff. She couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine, and looking at the young mistress who was smiling warmly with soft words, she also felt an inexplicable sense of fear and coldness in her heart.

  "Poor Yu Niang was so frozen that her teeth were chattering, and she couldn't even speak clearly. She forced a smile and said: 'Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I thought today would be a sunny day, but who knew it would be this cold.'"

  "As the weather is getting warmer, it's not the snowing days that are truly cold, but the days when the snow is melting. Recently, the temperature has dropped sharply after the ice and snow melted, so we must take care of our bodies. But please don't get yourself frozen to death just to serve me and the king, that would be a loss."

  How could the other concubines not know that Yu Niangniang and Xiang Niangniang had rushed to Wang Ye's quarters early in the morning to attend to him, and looking at these two people dressed so thinly, they must not be simply attending to him. Shun Niangniang was an old king's concubine, how could she not know the truth behind this? Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but curl her lip. However, considering the identities of these two people, she didn't dare say it out loud.

  Mei's aunt was a maid who had been lifted up by her mistress, and she didn't dare say much because she felt inferior.

  The only one was Hua Niang, who was personally bought by the Empress from outside as a good concubine, with a clean background, but also suffered from many hardships. At this moment, she finally found an opportunity, sneered and said disdainfully: "It turns out that it's Sima Zhao's heart, what a pity! If you were in your own house, making flattery and fawning would be understandable, but in front of the Princess, you actually dared to perform such a lowly trick. It's really shameless."

  Xiang Yiniang had been humiliated by Li Xiao and suffered from the bullying of the servants in the courtyard. She had been holding back her anger, waiting for the right moment to strike back after her confinement period was over. However, she encountered Ruoqing, a young but cunning mistress, who tried to seduce Li Xiao that morning but failed to spark any reaction. Instead, she ended up being lectured by Ruoqing and felt utterly defeated. Even when mocked by Hua Yiniang, she didn't dare to retort and only hung her head in shame.

  Yu Niang then frowned and glared, saying angrily: "We are the king's concubines, originally to serve the king. With so many clothes on, how can we serve the king? Are you saying that when serving the king, one should dress like a rice dumpling?"

  "Hua Yiniang retorted, 'I'm not like you, sister, daring to use such a despicable trick in front of outsiders.'"

  "An outsider?" Yu Niang's eyes sparkled with amusement, her gaze fluttering about, exuding an inexplicable charm. "Sister is really muddled, actually calling the princess an outsider? It seems she's also someone who doesn't follow the rules."

  The flower aunt's face changed slightly, and she looked at Ruqing with a frightened expression. "Princess, I didn't mean to say you, it's just that..." Ruqing raised her hand and said calmly, "I know. I won't blame you." After inquiring around, this flower aunt was found to have a sharp tongue, but unfortunately, she was also a brainless person. In terms of eloquence, cleverness, and strategy, how could she compare to the palace-raised Xiang Aunt and Yu Aunt? It's often said that when trying to steal a chicken, one ends up losing the rice instead.

  "Although you are innocent, you should not have provoked her earlier. And as for you, Yu Niangniang, what you did today was indeed too blatant. This is the Wang Manor, after all - such tricks that belong in a brothel should be kept away from me." Yu Niangniang's face turned pale, but she didn't dare to retort again, only bowing her head and saying softly, "The princess has taught me well, I will remember it in my heart."

  She then scolded them a few more sentences with something like "abide by the rules of the harem" and only then did they all return.

  That afternoon, news came that Yu Niang had contracted a cold and was running a high fever with coughing and fever. At this time, Li Xiu was sleeping soundly and was suddenly woken up, very displeased, and hastily scolded the little maid who delivered the message, then personally put on his clothes to visit her. He also asked someone to invite the doctor to examine her in person, watched her take medicine, and let the servants of Yifu Courtyard serve her well.

  Yu Niang saw that it was only Ruo Qing who had come, and she felt a slight disappointment. However, she also witnessed Ruo Qing's ferocity and didn't dare ask the foolish question "Why didn't Wang Ye come?" Ruo Qing was happy to pretend he didn't know and only instructed her on childbirth and illness, and from then on, she would be exempt from morning and evening duties.

  When he returned to Longxianju, Li Xue had already left.

  As if he had shed his thick cotton-padded jacket and was wearing only a loose robe, he suddenly felt a little depressed as he leaned against the headboard.

  It's been almost three months since she married Li Xiang, and although the new marriage is sweet and smooth, Li Xiang also stays by her side day and night. He is exceptionally good to her, never asking about anything in the inner house, and giving her enough respect. However, despite this, she still has a sense of unease. This man may be behaving well now, but who can guarantee that he will not go to the concubine's room for the rest of his life? Although in bed, he always says that he loves her too much, and that her soft body makes him infatuated, these flattering words cannot be taken seriously. As the saying goes, "flowers do not bloom for a hundred days, people are not good for a thousand days", after the honeymoon period is over, she will have to face Li Xiang's concubines head-on.

  Li Xiu is a dignified prince, and she can't possibly tie him down for the rest of his life to not go to the concubine's quarters. He doesn't have any intention of going, so she's happy to pretend to be ignorant. But once the honeymoon period is over, what if he goes to the concubine's quarters? Can she still stop him and save face?

  She admitted that she was jealous, it had nothing to do with love, but simply thinking that her legitimate belongings shouldn't be touched by other dirty hands. Although the concubine was also a legitimate product of the small three, her own man wanted to share with another woman, this feeling was really bad.

  Today it's Shi Shu and Yu Dong's turn to serve Ruo Qing. The two of them know that Ruo Qing is in a bad mood, so they are extra careful with their work. At noon, Yu Dong discovers that Ruo Qing hasn't eaten much, and fearing that Ruo Qing will be hungry in the afternoon, he tells Xi Qing to go to the kitchen to fetch Ruo Qing's favorite milk pancake and mix it with some fresh fruit.

  She took the fruit and pastries from Dong, handed them to Shi Shu, and had her take them in. She herself carried the fruit into the adjacent room to wash it clean, then sliced it thinly and placed it in an iron dish, covered it with a lid, and put it in a pot of boiling water to steam. Just as she was doing this, Pin Lan suddenly appeared at the door, looking curious, and she thought of what Lan Ying had said before, her face fell, and a look of disdain flashed across her delicate features.

  "Big Sister Yu Dong,"

  He glanced at her lightly in the winter and said irritably, "I'm younger than you, how can I be called sister? Just call my name."

  Pinlan was older than Yudong, but because Yudong was a person close to the old lady, she inexplicably held a higher position than Pinlan. After marrying into the royal family with the princess, Yudong even became the head maid in the princess's quarters, while Pinlan became a lowly third-class maid who everyone ordered around.

  But Pinlan also knew that the situation was stronger than people, and now Yun Dong had already mixed into the queen's house, and she couldn't always guard the door, right? So Pinlan came to Yun Dong with a flattering attitude, curiously looking at the dishes in the pot, asking: "It seems that the queen loves to eat soup or fruit, almost every day, morning and evening must be prepared."

  In the winter, he didn't want to bother with her, but they had been together for some time, and she was also a dowry of the princess, which made their relationship awkward, not good for the princess either. So he said: "Sister Xiangxiang said that soup is the most nutritious, eating fruit can help improve skin, it's always good to eat more."

  Pinlan suddenly realized, "No wonder the queen's skin is so good, it turns out that eating these is the reason. But why do you have to steam the melons and fruits every time?"

  Yu Dong replied: "Fruits are cool in nature. Eating something cool on a cold day like this can hurt the intestines and stomach."

  "Wow, sister is really knowledgeable, no wonder she can make the princess so fond of her."

  In winter, thinking that she was the youngest among all the maids, yet able to enter the princess's chambers, felt very proud of herself. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but puff out her chest, "That's natural, the princess said, I've been trained by Old Lady since childhood. She trusts Old Lady's character."

  Pinlan hesitated again, unable to express her regret.

  Yu Dong saw that the fire was almost ready, so he took a plate and walked inside. Pin Lan wanted to follow him, but she hesitated due to the rules of Long Xian Ju, so she could only stomp her feet at Yu Dong's back.

  Digression

  Everyone thinks I have a stockpile, but in fact, I really don't. Today's writing has exhausted me to death, my husband even has complaints, can't bear it anymore, please understand that I've done my best.