Chapter 429

Love Shenjing, Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Hearing Zi Juan passed the hanging flower gate in front of the hall, bypassed the wind and rain corridor, and went to find Yuanyang behind Rongqing Hall.

She didn't know what happened to her young lady, but she suddenly had a whim and wanted to make a pair of autumn shoes for Cong Sanye.

It was just that the young lady and Cong Sanye were cousins, so there was some suspicion, and it was inconvenient for her to do it herself, so she still had to let her, the maid, do it for her.

So Hearing Zi Juan wanted a good-looking shoe pattern from Yuanyang; she knew that Yuanyang had made shoes for Cong Sanye.

Just as she entered the back hall, she saw Yuanyang helping the Old Madam to the front hall, seemingly going to entertain guests.

Yuanyang nodded to Hearing Zi Juan, and she waited in the back hall first, waiting for Yuanyang to be free to come out, and then talk to her about the matter.

These two days, Old Madam Jia's mood was quite good, and the root cause was Jia Cong.

Although because of Jia Cong's birth mother Du Jinniang, Old Madam Jia had not been close to this grandson since childhood.

But now she had to admit that the one who could best win glory and dignity for the Jia family was this grandson whom she had not treated well since childhood.

Not long after he went to Jin Ling this time, he was actually taken a fancy to by the Zhen family in Jin Ling, who wrote from afar to discuss marriage.

Although Old Madam Jia had her own plans in her heart, wanting to marry her niece's granddaughter Xiangyun to Jia Cong, so that the bloodlines of the Jia and Shi families could merge and increase their power.

But no matter what, the Zhen family's move made Old Madam Jia look good.

What surprised Old Madam Jia even more was that yesterday, a palace eunuch came and said that the Old Imperial Consort in the palace learned that the Rongguo Count Lord Weiyuan had helped the Zhen family disciples in Jin Ling.

The Old Imperial Consort praised Old Madam Jia for her good family governance and her descendants' achievements, and transferred the high-quality cloud mist tea offered by the Jin Ling clansmen to Old Madam Jia as a thank you.

That Old Imperial Consort Zhen was treated like a birth mother by the Retired Emperor, and her status in the harem was very esteemed; even the Empress Dowager Yizhang had to go to Qinghe Palace to pay respects to her from time to time.

Although Old Madam Jia was an ultra-grade Duke's wife, she only paid respects to the palace every year, and would see her from afar, without even a chance to speak.

Mainly because this Old Imperial Consort Zhen's seniority was too high and her status was too special.

Now, because Jia Cong had helped the Zhen family in Jin Ling, she actually lowered her status and sent famous tea as a thank you.

Although it made Old Madam Jia feel suspicious, it was indeed a great dignity, and she was naturally very satisfied in her heart.

So much so that when her niece's daughter-in-law, Marquis Zhongjing's wife Li, visited, Old Madam Jia was still full of smiles, and her mood was exceptionally cheerful.

It was just that Li was somewhat absent-minded today, seemingly hiding something; Old Madam Jia was curious, so she asked for the reason.

Li said, "Aunt, you don't know that yesterday the Master was summoned into the palace by the Emperor to discuss matters, and he happened to hear some news in the palace.

It is said that Wang Fei Beijing entered the palace many days ago to pay respects to Old Imperial Consort Zhen, and also brought a family letter from the Jin Ling Zhen family, seemingly asking the Old Imperial Consort to mediate and fulfill the marriage between Cong Ge'er and the third girl of the Zhen family.

It is said that she might even ask the Retired Emperor to grant a marriage."

When Old Madam Jia heard this, she was stunned; the Zhen family had mentioned this marriage not long ago, and Old Madam Jia did not express her position, which could be considered a tactful refusal, not hurting the dignity of the two families.

She was full of wanting to marry her niece's granddaughter Xiangyun to Jia Cong, so naturally, she would not let Jia Cong marry the Zhen family.

But she didn't expect that the second girl of the Zhen family, who was the Wang Fei Beijing, would come forward and ask the Old Imperial Consort Zhen to mediate; as long as this Old Imperial Consort opened her mouth to the Retired Emperor, the imperial marriage would almost be a foregone conclusion.

Old Madam Jia suddenly realized why this Old Imperial Consort had suddenly shown kindness to herself yesterday, contrary to her usual behavior; it turned out to be about this matter.

Old Madam Jia felt full of unhappiness in her heart; wasn't the Zhen family using power to oppress people, wanting to ruin a marriage of the Shi family….

Li saw her aunt's ugly face, naturally she was extremely unhappy with this marriage, felt relieved in her heart, and then said a lot of words….

In the back hall of Rongqing, Hearing Zi Juan was a bit bored, waiting for Yuanyang to be free to come back and get the shoe pattern she wanted.

Inadvertently, she heard the conversation in the front hall, and there were words like Cong Sanye and Miss Zhen San, so she suddenly became alert.

She quietly stepped forward a few steps, closer to that large screen inlaid with jade and shells, and heard the conversation in the front hall word for word.

……

Judé Fang, Count Lord Weiyuan's Mansion, Daiyu's Courtyard.

The day Jia Cong received Yingchun to move into the Count's Mansion, he let the sisters choose the places they liked in the mansion, so they could come over to visit from time to time.

The courtyard where Daiyu lived was said to be chosen by Daiyu herself, but in fact, it was carefully chosen by Jia Cong for her.

This courtyard was only separated from Jia Cong's main courtyard by a water pavilion and two rockeries, and it only took a hundred steps to reach it.

In his own courtyard, Jia Cong could clearly see the exquisite two-story embroidered building in Daiyu's courtyard, as well as the parrot stand hanging in the window.

The entrance of the courtyard had a winding corridor, the path under the steps was paved with pebbles, and there were two or three houses in the courtyard, and an exquisite and tall two-story embroidered building.

A water outlet was opened under the back courtyard wall, and a channel only a foot wide was opened, introducing a clear stream, pouring into the wall, flowing around the front and back courtyards, irrigating the vegetation and trees in the courtyard, and flowing out of the courtyard in the dark channel in the front courtyard.

The daily items in Daiyu's room, such as chairs, desks, bookshelves, antiques, curtains, embroidered beds, patterned tents, and quilts, were all personally checked and purchased by Jia Cong.

He also knew that Daiyu didn't like fragrant flowers and colorful blossoms, but only loved elegance and leisure, so he planted a hundred bamboo poles in the open space of the front and back courtyards; in midsummer, the green leaves were cloudy, and coolness was everywhere.

The place where Daiyu lived in the Rongguo Mansion was arranged by Old Madam Jia herself, exquisite and luxurious, even a grade better than the three sisters.

But it was not as intimate and pleasing as the courtyard arranged by Jia Cong in the East Mansion.

Although she and Jia Cong had been together in the West Mansion since childhood, they didn't know everything about each other.

Sometimes Jia Cong's behavior also made Daiyu feel a bit puzzled, not knowing how he could be so detailed, and every matter and thing was so understanding of her preferences.

However, she went to Yingchun and Seeing Tan Chun's residence in the East Mansion more often, and she had heard some similar feelings from the two sisters.

This made Daiyu feel more happy about Jia Cong, but also had some worried concerns that she was not convinced about.

Third Brother was so good at coaxing young women; it would be fine if he only did it to his sisters at home, but if he used this method to coax girls outside, that would be really terrible.

However, Daiyu felt that this kind of worry of hers was not groundless, and she was not just throwing a tantrum.

Wasn't it said that the third girl of the Jin Ling Zhen family got along well with Third Brother? It was likely that Third Brother was used to it, and coaxed the girl to have thoughts about him.

Otherwise, the elders wouldn't have written from afar to discuss marriage; thinking of these, Daiyu felt angry, feeling that her divination was always right.

However, four years ago, Baoyu broke the jade in her room, and from that time on, many things became different.

Over the years, with Jia Cong's company and enlightenment, Daiyu's mind had opened up much more than when she was young; although it was hard to change her thoughtful temperament, she was no longer as concerned about everything and sad about spring and autumn as before.

When a person has a truly stable reliance in their heart, their thoughts and actions will undergo subtle changes.

In the past two years, as Jia Cong grew older and became more outstanding, some things began to happen more often.

The noble ladies and wives who visited during festivals, probably because Third Brother's reputation was too loud, all had to say some side-handed words of matchmakers.

For example, the third young lady of the Cheng Yang Marquis family, the third girl of the Jin Ling Zhen family….

The sisters in the mansion could treat these things as excitement and jokes in the boudoir.

As Daiyu grew older and her heart began to open, she couldn't treat them calmly at all.

For this reason, she felt a lot of sullen anger, but it was only sullen anger, and probably after two or three days, she would throw it behind her head.

These years, they were together day and night in the mansion, and Daiyu understood very well her weight in Jia Cong's heart; she also saw clearly the effort he spent on her.

So, sometimes she would throw a little tantrum because of these things, but she didn't care too much, just safely handed these things, including herself, to Jia Cong, feeling that he would handle them well.

……

Daiyu returned from Yingchun's place early in the morning, and seemed to be in a good mood.

She wore a light purple plum-embroidered sleeveless upper shirt, a white cross-collar gauze silk inner garment, her slender waist was held in one hand, she tied a light purple embroidered belt, and wore a white pleated skirt.

Her footsteps were light as she went up the embroidered building, looking very graceful and nimble.

These two years, she followed the health-preserving method taught by Jia Cong, keeping up with exercises like touching high, walking, and kicking shuttlecocks every day, which was very effective for her body.

The problems of wheezing and coughing in childhood, and thinking too much and sleeping too little, all went away unknowingly.

Her face was like bright snow containing rouge, her wonderful eyes were like autumn water, and this year her body began to grow, looking more and more graceful, delicate like a willow, and moving in charm.

She entered the study and was quite interested in feeding the parrot hanging in the window.

Then she walked to the desk and took out a neatly folded letter paper from the perfume sachet she carried.

A familiar, elegant, and handsome handwriting entered her eyes.

Jia Cong had been in Jin Ling for quite some time and often wrote back.

He was quite fair in writing letters; his letters were all written to Yingchun, and he did not write to other sisters alone.

Because Yingchun was his own sister and the eldest young lady of the Count's Mansion, writing letters only to her, others naturally couldn't pick out any gossip or suspicion.

The sisters all knew Jia Cong's recent situation in Jin Ling from Yingchun's letters.

However, the letter Jia Cong had just written was addressed to Daiyu alone.

It said that he originally wanted to invite the famous Love Shenjing physician Zhang Youpeng to go south to Yangzhou to diagnose his father Lin Ruhai, but he happened to meet him visiting friends in the south, so he didn't go.

But this time he accidentally met Zhang Youpeng in Jin Ling, and after the Jin Ling errand was finished, he would invite Zhang Youpeng to go to Yangzhou with him to diagnose Lin Ruhai.

Daiyu understood in her heart that Third Brother knew deeply that her father's illness was what she was most worried about.

So when he met Zhang Youpeng in Jiangnan, he specifically sent a letter from thousands of miles away to tell her, wanting to let her rest assured.

This letter said simple things, only a few hundred words, but the concern could be seen between the lines, and Daiyu was very happy to receive it.

It was just that he had been in Jin Ling for quite some time, and she didn't know when he would be able to return.

……

Daiyu was holding the letter and was a bit dazed, when she saw Hearing Zi Juan enter the study, her expression seemed a bit strange.

She asked curiously, "Didn't you go to find Yuanyang to get Third Brother's shoe pattern? Why did you come back empty-handed?"

Hearing Zi Juan said, "I just went to Rongqing Hall to find Yuanyang, and it happened that Marquis Zhongjing's wife came to see the Old Madam, and Yuanyang was serving on the side.

The Shi family's wife also said some things to the Old Madam, and the Old Madam's face was not too good, so I didn't get to get the shoe pattern."

Daiyu asked curiously, "What did the Shi family's wife say, and why did it make the Old Madam unhappy?"

Hearing Zi Juan hesitated for a while, but still said, "Aunt, you don't know that the Second Master of the Shi family often enters the palace to see the Emperor, and he heard some news in the palace.

It is said that Wang Fei Beijing entered the palace many days ago to pay respects to Old Imperial Consort Zhen."

Daiyu's mind was sharp, and hearing that Old Imperial Consort Zhen received a family letter from Jin Ling, her heart jumped, and she suddenly had a bad feeling.

She asked, "Old Imperial Consort Zhen in the palace is from Jin Ling, could it be related to the Jin Ling Zhen family?"

Hearing Zi Juan said, "The girl guessed it right; I also heard it from Yuanyang when I came back; that Old Madam Zhen is indeed from the Jin Ling Zhen family.

The letter from the Zhen family to the Old Imperial Consort mentioned…."

When Hearing Zi Juan said this, she looked at Daiyu's face and hesitated.

Daiyu saw Hearing Zi Juan's expression, and her heart sank slightly, saying, "Good sister, tell me quickly; even if you don't tell me, I will go to ask Yuanyang, and it will be clear."

Hearing Zi Juan saw Daiyu urging her, knowing that this matter could not be hidden.

The Rongqing Hall in the mansion was a gourd without a mouth; things inside would spread in the mansion in less than half a day.

Even if the girl didn't go to ask Yuanyang, it would reach her ears in less than two days.

So she said, "The letter from the Jin Ling Zhen family to the Old Imperial Consort in the palace mentioned Cong Sanye and the third girl of the Zhen family, wanting the Old Imperial Consort to mediate and grant a marriage in the palace."

When Daiyu heard this, her face turned pale, her whole body went soft, the letter paper in her hand flew away, drifted in the air, and finally withered into the dust.

Hearing Zi Juan saw Daiyu's appearance, worried in her heart, helped her sit down, and hurriedly said, "Girl, don't worry, this is just news heard by the Shi family's wife, and it hasn't happened yet.

I heard this news and paid attention, and stayed in the hall for a while; I saw the Old Madam's face was very bad, and anyone could see that the Old Madam was unwilling."

Daiyu heard that Old Madam Jia did not approve of this marriage, and her soul seemed to return half, subconsciously asking, "Is the Old Madam really unwilling?"

Hearing Zi Juan saw Daiyu's expression just now, and was really a bit scared.

Seeing her recover a bit, she hurriedly said, "The Old Madam's face was ugly at the time, and anyone could see that she was extremely unwilling.

Later, the Shi family's wife said that the Eldest Master of the Jin Ling Zhen family only inherited a Grade 3 nominal position, and the Zhen family had no title, so the Zhen family girl and Cong Sanye were not well-matched.

I didn't expect the Shi family's wife to be a warm-hearted person; I looked at the Old Madam's face, and she also felt that the Shi family's wife was reasonable."

Daiyu heard this, and her face seemed to have more blood color; the Old Madam did not want this marriage, perhaps there was still some turning point, but her heart was still in a mess.

Hearing Zi Juan saw Daiyu's expression and felt relieved in her heart; she knew that although the girl was still young, she had put all her heart into Cong Sanye these years.

Today's Rongqing Hall matter would definitely spread in the mansion; since it couldn't be hidden, it was better to say it clearly, so that the girl could be as at ease as possible, and when Cong Sanye returned to the capital, he would always have a way to deal with it.

Hearing Zi Juan said, "The Old Madam of the Shi family also gave the Old Madam an idea, saying that she should set a marriage for Cong Sanye early among the noble relatives, so as not to be missed by others and let Cong Sanye suffer a loss."

Daiyu's face turned pale again, and her heart felt unspeakably uncomfortable: "Why would the Shi family's wife be so warm-hearted? She must have had a candidate in her heart, why didn't she say it to the Old Madam."

Hearing Zi Juan said, "I was listening, and it happened that the Second Master entered Rongqing Hall, so the Shi family's wife didn't say it, and I couldn't stay long, so I came back first.

Girl, don't think too much; even if the palace grants a marriage, that is a big matter, it's not that it's said today and done tomorrow, and it's not urgent anyway until Cong Sanye returns to the capital."

Hearing Zi Juan said a lot of comforting words, seeing her own girl silent, dazed, and didn't know if she heard her words or not, which made people feel distressed.

Daiyu suddenly remembered the allusion that there were many fairies mentioned by Xiangyun that day, and seemed to realize something.

That Shi family's wife was so bridge-building and fire-fanning, could it be because of Yun Yatou….

Daiyu bit her lip hard and smiled bitterly.

A sense of annoyance rose in her heart; Third Brother must have provoked the third girl of the Zhen family in Jin Ling, which made her family so enthusiastic about this marriage.

This hateful Third Brother, if he wants to coax me with good words in the future, he can't do it anymore!

Daiyu couldn't stop her tears from falling, picked up the letter paper on the ground, and wanted to tear it to pieces in a fit of anger, but in the end, she couldn't do it. (End of chapter)