Chapter 61: The All-Knowing Sisters! He Weifang is Deeply Touched!

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"So that's how it is!" Now all three ladies understood. Dou Zhao, in particular, blinked her large, endearing eyes and murmured as if to herself, "I had heard earlier that County Princess Ji'an was recently widowed..." "So she's come to snatch a husband from Elder Sister Mudan!" Zhao Zhangru frowned, then looked towards Wei Tingyu. "In that case, what should we do?"

"What is there to 'do' about it?" Miao Ansu chuckled upon hearing this. "Let the County Princess have that worthless husband! In any case, Elder Sister Mudan will sooner or later be taken into our Lord Marquis's chambers..." "That's true..." Zhao Zhangru nodded repeatedly, beginning to think this might actually be quite a good development.

"I say, you three..." Wei Tingyu's forehead instantly filled with dark lines upon hearing their exchange! Heavens above! These three women are casually discussing how to poach someone else's daughter-in-law right here in the Liu family's backyard, are they not? However, when he considered that he himself had already, in fact, achieved this very goal of "prying away the cornerstone," it seemed his three lovely consorts and he were truly cut from the same cloth—like attracts like!

"The information you gleaned from the Liu family servants—did it only mention County Princess Ji'an?" At this moment, however, Wei Tingyu suddenly thought of another matter and, looking at Dou Zhao, he inquired. "Yes," Dou Zhao nodded, replying with perfect propriety. "It is said that the County Princess's period of widowhood has concluded, and she has been summoned back to the capital by her father, the Prince. While passing through the Eastern Capital, she is merely making a short stay at the Liu residence for a few days. This entourage, of course, consists only of herself and her attendants."

"Oh." Wei Tingyu nodded. It seemed the "Flower and Bird Envoy" from the "original drama" had not made an appearance. But that was understandable; this world was not solely the world of a single drama, so it was only natural for there to be some differences due to mutual influences. In this world, the old Emperor was still on the throne! The Crown Prince, though young, was exceedingly mediocre, and most court officials were deeply worried about the empire's future. And Prince Qing, as the old Emperor's younger brother, clearly harbored no small ambition! Given this, it was possible that the Flower and Bird Envoy, Jiang Changyang, did not exist at all in this iteration! Of course, it was also possible he did exist but was currently involved in other developments elsewhere. In any case, there were significant deviations from the "original plot."

"Let's go!" At this thought, Wei Tingyu patted his recently filled stomach, then stood up and summoned his three consorts. "Since we are staying in the Liu Manor, it wouldn't do to simply coop ourselves up in the courtyard eating and drinking all day. Let's go pay our respects to the hosts and see if there is anything we can assist them with."

...

Wei Tingyu, leading his three consorts, had just arrived in the main courtyard when they saw several men emerge from a nearby covered walkway. At their head was none other than He Weifang's nominal husband, Liu Chang! "The County Princess dislikes the taste of ginger! You absolutely must change the ginseng-ginger drink to jasmine pearl soup!" This Liu Chang, putting on airs of respectability, instructed the young servant boy beside him as he walked. "It is both beautifying and can relieve fatigue!" The servants accompanying him nodded repeatedly in assent. It was evident that the entire Liu household, from top to bottom, was on high alert in preparation for the County Princess's arrival the next day.

Witnessing this scene, Dou Zhao and her two companions displayed expressions of utter disdain. Zhao Zhangru, in particular, let out a sharp "Tch!" to voice her contempt for this fellow Liu Chang. In their view, for his own wife to be bullied to such an extent, and for him, as her husband, to not even step forward to offer assistance—he was truly unworthy of being called a man! And now, observing his pretentious, superior attitude as he issued commands to the young servant, only deepened their disgust. They felt that this Liu Chang fellow was a complete hypocrite, a truly petty man hiding behind a facade of false nobility! His inner depravity likely surpassed even that of his parents!

Liu Chang, naturally, also saw Wei Tingyu and his party approaching. He was momentarily taken aback, then, somewhat awkwardly, performed a salute towards him. After all, the other party was a Marquis; no matter how lofty Liu Chang considered himself, he could not neglect basic etiquette. Wei Tingyu, for his part, merely gave a slight nod. Having slept with Liu Chang's wife the previous night, he decided not to cause him any undue embarrassment at this juncture.

"Where might the Lord Marquis be headed?" However, Wei Tingyu had originally intended to ignore this fellow. Alas, Liu Chang seemed to be somewhat presumptuous, actually taking the initiative to approach and inquire.

"I was just on my way to the main hall to find your parents, to see if there is anything we might be able to assist with," Wei Tingyu replied with a chuckle. He couldn't be bothered with the Liu family's affairs, but as long as He Weifang was still living under their roof, he couldn't simply pretend everything was fine.

"Hmph!" However, upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words, Liu Chang's expression suddenly shifted, and a glint of wariness appeared in his eyes. Is there something wrong with this person? In that instant, the same question flashed through the minds of Wei Tingyu and his three consorts. How can this Liu Chang's expression change faster than a woman going through menopause? One moment it's fine, the next it's all dark and stormy?!

"I wouldn't have thought that the dignified Marquis of Jining would also harbor designs of currying favor with the County Princess," Liu Chang's next sentence immediately resolved the question in their minds. So, this fellow was afraid that Wei Tingyu also had ideas about seducing County Princess Ji'an! At this realization, Dou Zhao and her companions burst into laughter. Truly judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty man! Indeed, a pretentious hypocrite of the highest order! Wei Tingyu couldn't even be bothered to engage with him and proceeded directly towards the main hall.

Liu Chang, seeing that he had been utterly ignored, felt a flash of anger in his eyes. However, he quickly suppressed it and followed Wei Tingyu's footsteps. He was now rather curious to hear what this Marquis of Jining would discuss with his parents.

However, just as the two of them had crossed the covered walkway, they suddenly caught sight of He Weifang in the garden of the main courtyard, accompanied by Yulu and several gardeners, all desperately tending to the plot of newly transplanted, precious peonies. Due to her intense concentration, He Weifang's small face was smudged with mud, and the hem of her dress was also soiled.

The approach of Wei Tingyu and Liu Chang's party naturally caught He Weifang's attention. She glanced up and saw her lover from the previous night standing alongside her nominal husband, both of them looking in her direction. Her face instantly flushed crimson. Apart from the passionate memories of her time with Wei Tingyu last night resurfacing in her mind, she was mostly overcome with shame at being seen in such a disheveled state by the man who held her heart.

It had to be known that if she were only facing Liu Chang, He Weifang would never have cared about his opinion! How you see me has no bearing whatsoever on how I live my life! Like it or don't like it! This old lady doesn't give a damn whether you like me or not! This had been He Weifang's attitude towards Liu Chang previously. However, now, seeing Wei Tingyu also gazing at her, her heart couldn't help but clench. This farmer-girl appearance of mine... will the Marquis of Jining find me repulsive? But these peonies in the courtyard are my mother's legacy; I cannot truly abandon them! For a moment, He Weifang found herself caught in a difficult predicament, and she no longer dared to meet Wei Tingyu's gaze.

"Hands caked in dirt, utterly unkempt!" Liu Chang, that narcissist, observing He Weifang's shamefaced expression, mistakenly assumed she was embarrassed because he had seen her. He curled his lip in disdain. "She hardly looks like the wife of an official!"

The moment these words left his mouth, even Dou Zhao and her companions were incensed! Zhao Zhangru, in particular, her eyes practically bulging with fury! After all, having loved to practice with swords and staves since childhood, she had often been subjected to similar remarks! Now, seeing He Weifang being disparaged by her own husband merely for engaging in some floristry, it made her so angry that her small fists clenched tightly. If not for the fact that My Lord Marquis hasn't given the word, I would absolutely punch you, Liu Chang, until you sported a magnificent black eye! That would teach you for being so blind and slandering Elder Sister Mudan in such a way!

"My Lord Marquis!" Dou Zhao was, of course, also angered. However, unlike Zhao Zhangru who was glaring daggers at Liu Chang, she turned to Wei Tingyu with a sweet smile. "When I was at my maiden home, I also learned a little about floristry. Now, seeing these rare peonies that Elder Sister Mudan is cultivating, I find them truly delightful!" "My Lord Marquis, please proceed to discuss your important matters. Might I stay behind and accompany Elder Sister Mudan in tending to these flowers and plants?" Having said this, Dou Zhao looked at Wei Tingyu with a pitifully beseeching expression, blinking her large, endearing eyes.

"Go ahead," Wei Tingyu smiled, then said to Miao Ansu and Zhao Zhangru, "You may go as well if you wish, as long as you enjoy yourselves!" "Thank you, My Lord Marquis!" Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of all three ladies lit up with excitement. After performing a curtsy of thanks to Wei Tingyu, they quickly lifted their skirts and scurried over to He Weifang's side.

And this scene left Liu Chang utterly dumbfounded! What in the world is this? The dignified wife and concubines of a Marquis's Manor are actually squatting down and playing in the mud, just like this base-born merchant's daughter from his own household? And the most outrageous part is that the Marquis of Jining not only doesn't stop them but watches the three ladies play in the mud with an expression of utter delight, a gratified smile on his face! Have they no regard for the dignity of the Marquis's Manor? Are the female members of the Marquis's household not required to observe wifely virtues and proper conduct? Liu Chang, with his self-proclaimed lofty ideals, simply could not comprehend Wei Tingyu's way of thinking, much less how he managed his own inner household.

...

"Elder Sister Mudan, we've come to help you!" He Weifang had originally been keeping her head down, not daring to look at Wei Tingyu, merely mechanically scooping the earth at her feet with a small trowel. Suddenly, she heard Dou Zhao and the other two ladies chattering as they ran over, each one squatting down beside her. "You..." He Weifang was momentarily stunned, finding the scene before her almost unbelievable. What is happening?! These are all noble ladies from the Marquis of Jining's Manor! And they've just run over to help me like this?

But the issue was, the rules in official households were always numerous. Her own Liu family, merely demoted from the capital for some past transgression and currently holding only a minor garrison post in Luoyang, still had so many regulations. A ducal or marquisal household in the capital would surely have even more! And the Marquis of Jining actually permitted his consorts to squat on the ground with her, engaging in floristry?

And in the brief moment He Weifang was thus stunned, Dou Zhao, Miao Ansu, and Zhao Zhangru had already taken small trowels from a nearby bamboo basket and, with practiced ease, begun to earth up the peonies alongside her. Most crucially, He Weifang could tell at a glance that the three ladies were not merely playing around; they genuinely possessed a foundation in horticulture! In other words, they truly understood the art!

"Madam... His Lordship... you all..." He Weifang's eye twitched, and she couldn't help but ask. "Elder Sister, rest assured! The Lord Marquis will not be angry," Miao Ansu replied before Dou Zhao could speak. "As long as it's something we are interested in, His Lordship always supports us!" Such a thing exists? He Weifang was so astonished upon hearing this that her jaw nearly dropped...

It had to be known that her earlier willingness to follow Wei Tingyu and escape the fiery pit of the Liu family had stemmed merely from a desire to no longer endure the constant grievances and frustrations there. But a husband's family where one could openly pursue one's own interests, and without incurring the husband's displeasure... This was the kind of household countless women dreamed of marrying into!

"Elder Sister Mudan must think we don't know what we're doing, right?!" Zhao Zhangru, however, chuckled beside her. Having finished earthing up one peony, she continued, "The three of us grew up on a country estate outside the city since we were little! Earthing up soil, weeding, watering—we're all quite proficient at these tasks!" What? You also grew up on a farming estate? All three of you? He Weifang was somewhat dumbfounded. She glanced up at Dou Zhao and saw her smile and nod in her direction, confirming that Zhao Zhangru was not lying.

In other words, all three ladies of the Marquis's Manor before her were of so-called "uncouth country girl" origins! The two concubines, naturally, went without saying, but even Dou Zhao, this principal wife of the Marquis's Manor, had also grown up on a farming estate! And the Lord Marquis had not looked down upon them because of this, much less bullied them! Instead, he allowed them to retain the hobbies and habits they had cultivated since childhood! No! I absolutely must marry into the Marquis of Jining's Manor!

At this moment, He Weifang's entire heart began to pound. When she glanced up, she found Wei Tingyu also looking at her. She immediately offered him a sweet smile. Her small face, though smudged with dirt, radiated an indescribable sense of fresh charm! However, it was this very smile that stunned Liu Chang, who was standing beside Wei Tingyu! Always priding himself on his lofty purity, he had never imagined that his own wife possessed such a refreshingly unconventional side. Of course, being the narcissist he was, he completely failed to realize she was actually smiling at Wei Tingyu; he assumed He Weifang was merely trying to curry favor with him, her husband.

"These flowers are a legacy my mother left me before she passed away!" He Weifang blinked, then, looking at Dou Zhao and her companions, she said, "Thank you, three younger sisters, for coming to help me!" At this moment, compared to the members of the Liu family, He Weifang felt that these noble personages from the Marquis's Manor were her true family! Thus, she directly addressed them as "younger sisters."

Of course, at this moment, He Weifang couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt. After all, from a certain perspective, the fact that her three "younger sisters'" husband had not returned all the previous night was entirely due to her. Looked at this way, it seemed she had indeed wronged them somewhat!

"Hmm? That's odd!" At this moment, the audacious Zhao Zhangru proactively sidled up to He Weifang, took a deep sniff, and then revealed a perplexed expression. "What is it?" He Weifang was taken aback, then smiled awkwardly. "Is it the scent of some flower fertilizer you're smelling? That can't be helped..."

"It's not flower fertilizer!" Zhao Zhangru, however, directly shook her head, interrupting He Weifang's words. "It's the scent of peony perfume!" "Really?" Upon hearing this, Miao Ansu and Dou Zhao also immediately drew closer, surrounding He Weifang and sniffing vigorously, which instantly made the young woman's face flush crimson.

"This perfume isn't yet for sale in the Eastern Capital, is it? Elder Sister Mudan, how did you..." Miao Ansu also blinked, looking at He Weifang and asking with feigned innocence.

"I..." At this, He Weifang's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. She did indeed carry the scent of peony perfume, for this very bottle of perfume had been gifted to her by Wei Tingyu the previous night! In a certain sense, it could be considered their token of love! However, she couldn't directly explain this to the three ladies present. After all, Your husband gifted me a bottle of perfume—how could she possibly articulate such a thing? Moreover, Yulu and the gardeners were still present!

If this were a private setting with no one else around, He Weifang might have directly kneeled before the three ladies, confessed everything that had transpired the previous night, and implored them to accept her! For now, however, she could only prevaricate, saying, "There are... various reasons... I can't explain it clearly in just a moment or two..."

Seeing He Weifang's flustered expression, the three ladies couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle. And upon witnessing this, He Weifang finally understood that the three of them were completely teasing her! In other words, they already knew about her relationship with Wei Tingyu. At this realization, her heart filled with even greater shyness. For her, this current situation was not like an "ugly daughter-in-law meeting her parents-in-law," but rather, meeting her husband's three senior consorts who had entered the household before her!

It was He Weifang's maid, Yulu, however, who now stared with wide eyes. Piecing together all the recent circumstances, the quick-witted girl had already guessed eighty to ninety percent of the truth! Yulu's mouth hung agape as she looked at her own mistress, then at Wei Tingyu standing over there, his gaze never leaving her mistress. A look of dawning comprehension spread across her face. At this moment, she finally understood how the "red plum blossoms" had appeared on her mistress's bedsheet that morning! That's right! Her Young Mistress had indeed consummated her marriage last night! Only, the partner in her consummation... was the Marquis of Jining, Wei Tingyu!

Of course, the moment Yulu glimpsed this secret, she immediately clamped her mouth shut. Her loyalty to He Weifang was absolute! She might be willing to stand guard outside while her mistress engaged in a clandestine affair with the Marquis of Jining, but to betray her to the Liu family—that was utterly impossible!