Chapter - 30

Yu Siyu was embroidering Buddhist scriptures for the matriarch when she heard the chatter of the young maidservants.

"Did you see the two honored guests in the residence today? That dress, that getup, what a grand style! "

"I heard that it's the daughter of The Old Lady's old friend. Her husband's family is the Salt Transport Commissioner. This time, she's accompanying her son to the capital for the imperial examinations."

"How did he do?"

"Of course he got into the top ten. Otherwise, why would he stay in the capital to wait for the court examinations? Marquis is a favorite of His Majesty. If he lives in our marquis's mansion, others can see his family's connections, right? "

"So he's here to take advantage of them. Of course he'll have to ask Master Hou for help."

"What do you mean? That person is the Salt Transport Commissioner, the most popular job in the entire Han Dynasty. In terms of family wealth, two Marquis Household can't compare to him at all! Moreover, his young master is exceptionally handsome and elegant. He's not inferior to Master Hou! "

"You sly girl, how do you know so clearly?"

"I saw him when I passed by the front courtyard. He was drinking wine with Master Hou at the pavilion in the middle of the lake. His movements were so elegant!"

At this point, the young maidservants began to laugh and joke around.

Yu Siyu unconsciously stopped embroidering and listened attentively. At this moment, the matriarch's head maidservant, Wan Qiu, lifted the curtain and said, "Eldest Miss, there are honored guests in the residence. The matriarch invites you to meet them."

Yu Siyu's spirits were lifted. She hurriedly threw away her embroidery and found her most fitting dress to change into. She hurried to the main courtyard and entered the residence right after Yu Xiang.

Although Yu Siyu's appearance was not as dazzling as Yu Xiang's, she was still elegant and beautiful. Compared to Yu Xiang's bright and flamboyant appearance, she had a much more gentle and virtuous temperament. Although Marquis Yongle was only a concubine's daughter and had a poor background, Marquis Yongle held an important position in the Emperor's heart and had grown up with the Crown Prince. This was enough to ensure Marquis Yongle's prosperity for the next hundred years.

To marry Marquis Yongle, even if it was a concubine's daughter, the Fang family could be considered to be climbing up the social ladder. Furthermore, the Fang family was in danger. Other than Marquis Yongle, who was the commander of the imperial court, no one could save them.

Thinking up to this point, the members of the Pei Clan took out two jadeite bracelets and put them on for both of them. Then, they pulled Yu Siyu in front of them and questioned her affectionately.

Yu Siyu was so excited that her fingertips were trembling. She glanced at Yu Xiang, who was slowly sipping her tea, and a sense of satisfaction flowed out of her eyes. If she married into the Fang family, there would be endless glory and wealth waiting for her. It would not be any worse than the Marquis Household. Moreover, the legitimate son of the Fang family was not only talented, but also extraordinarily handsome. He was the dream husband of millions of noble ladies.

On the other hand, Yu Xiang was a cripple and a bastard. How long could she be proud of herself? A huge sense of satisfaction rose in her heart. She became even more attentive to please the Pei Clan.

How could the matriarch not see through her thoughts? She was very angry at her eagerness to curry favor with them, but she could not say it out loud. She could only urge the servants to quickly prepare the meal. She also ordered the servants to add a few dishes to go with the wine for her grandson and Fang Zhichen in the front courtyard.

After a round of toasting, the Pei Clan was finally satisfied. They bid farewell to the matriarch and returned to Tiecui Yuan to rest. The matriarch ordered someone to lead the way for her. She turned back to look at Yu Siyu and said in a low voice, "You are sixteen this year. It is time for you to look at other people. I'm sure you're well aware of why Madam Pei has called you here today. I won't say anything else. I just want to remind you that rushing is not a business transaction. Open your eyes and see clearly. Don't jump into the fire pit and drag me, Marquis Yongle, down with you. "

Yu Siyu looked somewhat humiliated. She lowered her head and vaguely agreed, "Old Ancestor is right. Granddaughter understands."

"Then you may leave." The matriarch looked at Yu Xiang and her expression softened. "Xiang 'er just came back from praying at the Zhen Guo Temple. She must be tired. Let's go together."

Yu Xiang sweetly agreed. Before she left the courtyard, the nanny in charge of purchasing cloth and jewelry hurriedly came over and reported, "Young Miss, the cloth for the spring clothes has arrived. The shopkeeper of Splendid Pavilion just sent it over. Please go and inspect it."

"Push me over." Yu Xiang lazily waved her hand. The spring sun was late, and the flowers were luxuriant. She had just drunk a few cups of wine and smelled the rich fragrance of flowers. She wished she could buy a soft bed under the sun and sleep on the spot.

However, Yu Siyu was very excited. When she heard this, she silently followed behind her.

The shopkeeper had been waiting for a long time. When he saw Yu Xiang, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. His attitude was very flattering. Yu Xiang didn't dare to say a word as she inspected the cloth. This woman had sharp eyes. She could tell whether the cloth was good or bad and whether the color was right with just a glance. If you said too much, she would get annoyed. Her pair of intelligent cat eyes would faintly glance at you, making you feel so guilty that you wished you could dig a hole in the ground and hide.

As such, the cloth supplied to Marquis Yongle was of the highest quality. She didn't dare to mix in the slightest bit of fake cloth.

After Yu Xiang inspected all the cloth, she threw a matching card to the shopkeeper and said indifferently, "Go to the accounts room and withdraw some money. If there's any new jewelry, send someone to bring it over for me to take a look. You won't lose out on the price. Remember, it has to be the most original. I, Yu Xiang, don't rarely wear things that others have worn before. "

The shopkeeper picked up the matching card and repeatedly agreed.

After she happily walked away, Yu Siyu softly said, "Xiang'er, you also know that I should look at other people. I just happen to need a few sets of clothes and a few sets of hair ornaments. Can you support Older Sister for a while? In the future, Older Sister definitely won't forget your good deeds. "

When she said this, she felt extremely humiliated and resentful. However, for the sake of her future life of luxury, glory, splendor, wealth, and rank, she had no choice but to endure. She didn't know how much this bastard child had fed Old Ancestor and Big Brother that they had even handed over their family property. When the real Yu Xiang returned home in the future, she didn't know how bitterly disappointed and wronged she would feel.

It was a pity that when she married to Yangzhou, she wouldn't be able to see the 'pheasant fell from the phoenix tree' show. When she thought of this, the corners of Yu Siyu's mouth slightly hooked up.

Yu Xiang pulled open a piece of cloth and examined it under the sunlight. When she heard this, she faintly glanced at her and said with a smile that wasn't a smile, "What can you do if you buy a few more sets of clothes and hair ornaments? You look beautiful on the outside, but you're an idiot on the inside. Even if I let you marry into a rich and powerful family, you won't be able to play around. Sooner or later, you'll end up alone in your boudoir. I've already told you that you should study more when you're free, but you're good. You accepted the task and didn't do it with all your heart. Instead, you made people dig a hole for me. You also don't know how much weight you have. You're still too inexperienced to play mind games with me. As long as you're willing to put in the effort, you only need to learn a little bit from me and it'll be enough for you to enjoy for the rest of your life. You want to marry so much that you've gone crazy. You didn't investigate the Fang Family's situation clearly before you planted your head in it. Who in charge of salt administration is clean? Recently, the Emperor has repeatedly checked the national treasury. Salt transportation is the most important thing. Other people are hurriedly picking it out, but you can't wait to jump in. If you drag Older Brother down, don't blame me for not recognizing my own family! "

She took a sip of hot tea and continued to scold, "You don't learn what you should learn, you don't understand what you should understand, you don't ask what you should ask, and you're wholeheartedly thinking about crooked ways. I think that not only do you need to tidy up your face, you also need to tidy up your brain! "

Yu Siyu was scolded until she couldn't raise her head. When she heard the surrounding maidservants trying to hold back their laughter, she wished that she could pounce on her and tear apart that extremely vicious mouth of hers. As for what she said, she didn't take it to heart at all. She only treated it as if she couldn't bear to see her doing well.

In the end, the senior servant in charge had more experience. She knew that although Second Miss's words weren't pleasant to hear, they were all on point. If Eldest Miss became alert because of this, she would be able to benefit for the rest of her life. However, Eldest Miss was a blockhead and couldn't understand. They were both sisters, but when it came to intelligence, one was like the sky while the other was like the earth.

Yu Siyu's personal maidservant had a bad temper. She couldn't help but raise her head slightly and glare at her with a venomous gaze.

Yu Xiang paused in her teacup, picked up the horsewhip, and pressed it against her chin. She raised her eyebrows and said, "What's with that look? You're not convinced? "

In this Marquis Yongle, who would dare to oppose Second Miss? After being whipped by her, regardless of whether or not you made a mistake, or whether or not you were in the right, Master Hou would immediately punish you with fifty strokes of the cane before throwing you out.

That maidservant trembled and hurriedly knelt down to admit her mistake.

Yu Xiang ignored her and looked at Yu Siyu cautiously as she warned, "Whether you want spring clothes or head ornaments, I'll give them to you. It doesn't matter how expensive they are. I only have one request for you — — don't drag my Older Brother down. Otherwise, I'll let you live the rest of your life in hunger and cold, without clothes to cover your body. Do you believe me? "

She raised her chin and stared at the young girl in front of her with her large and bright cat eyes. Hidden in the depths of her eyes was an innocent yet cruel light.

Yu Siyu unconsciously took a few steps back and said in a trembling voice, "Younger Sister, your words are too serious. How can I make the decision on the marriage? It's all based on Old Ancestor's words. "

"It's good that you know. I'm just afraid that you'll take things too hard and throw yourself into my arms. Isn't that so shameful? " Her slightly narrowed cat eyes instantly opened, and her smile was clear and bright. She was extremely adorable. "Alright, you can leave now. I'll send someone to send the cloth and jewelry over at 5 pm. Since you've taken my things, you have to abide by my rules. "

Yu Siyu nodded and left one foot at a time.

These words were quickly passed on to the matriarch by the steward. The matriarch smiled and sighed as she trimmed the potted plants. "With Xiang 'er at home, what do I have to worry about? If Yu Siyu could learn even the slightest bit of Xiang 'er's intelligence, I wouldn't have let her live until now. Marry into a noble family? She didn't even think about how the Emperor would be willing to see our Marquis Household and the aristocratic families join hands with each other based on Yan 'er's position at court. If she wants to enter a noble family, I'm afraid she won't be able to in this lifetime. "

-----

Yu Pinyan was currently entertaining Fang Zhichen in the front yard. The two of them sat across from each other in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. On the short table were several plates of delicious dishes. The spring breeze blew, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers and trees. It was quite intoxicating.

Fang Zhichen secretly sized up Marquis Yongle's handsome face. He wanted to propose a toast, but he didn't dare to act rashly. The other party's temperament was so cold that even the warm sunlight couldn't penetrate it.

The maidservants pretended to be in a hurry as they passed by the lakeside. They turned into a small path and immediately hid behind the rockery. They admired Fang Zhichen's unusually handsome face through the hole and occasionally laughed in a low voice.

Fang Zhichen was a weak scholar and naturally couldn't hear them. However, Yu Pinyan heard them clearly. His sharp gaze swept across his face and then he said in a low voice, "Since you're here to prepare for the exam, you should stay in your room and study. Don't go to the back yard as you wish." If he accidentally bumped into Xiang 'er, he would have no choice but to chase the mother and son out.

"Don't I need to pay respects to the old madam every day?" Fang Zhichen's face was slightly pale. He secretly wondered how he had offended Marquis Yongle.

"No need. Old Madam has to recite Buddhist scriptures and copy scriptures every day. Don't disturb her peace. If there's anything, send someone to the front yard to inform her. Naturally, someone will help you deal with it. "

Fang Zhichen repeatedly agreed. He deeply felt that the rumors were true. This Marquis Yongle was really a jade-faced King of Hell. Sitting across from him was like being in a world of ice and snow, without a trace of human life.