Chapter 265: Chapter 267 - A Series Of Happy Events (1)

On the sixth day after the examination results were released, the Jiang family invited an official matchmaker to propose marriage to the Han family. Jiang Hongjin came eighteenth in the examination. With his father holding the title of vice-minister in the Ministry of Revenue, the Han family couldn’t refuse such an offer.

Han Jingyan had received the news in advance, so he stayed at the residence on this day. Of course, it was impossible for him, a man, to receive the matchmaker. Since the Old Lady was too old to stand the strain and Qiu Shi was unwilling to take care of it, the task of entertaining the matchmaker eventually fell to Ye Shi. Of course, as the two families involved had already agreed in private, the matchmaker’s visit was a mere formality, and the two parties soon exchanged birth dates.

When Yuxi heard the news, she simply mumbled and did not react any further. For the past few days, she had been thinking about what Momo Quan had said and then reflecting on herself. It was hard for her to deny it. She was indeed lacking in this area of reading people.

Zisu asked cautiously, “Miss, what’s wrong with you lately?” These days Miss had a taut face, with not a single smile could be seen. All the people in the Taoran House were careful because Miss was in a bad mood.

Yuxi shook her head and said, “It’s nothing. You can withdraw.” After Zisu had turned and prepared to go out, Yuxi added, “Please ask Momo Quan to come over.” Due to Yuxi’s high regard, Momo Quan had a very high status in Taoran House.

Not long after, Momo Quan came in.

Yuxi requested, “Momo, can you tell me about what happened in the palace?” She had never heard Momo Quan talk about what happened in the palace, but at this moment, she was eager to listen. Although she had been trying to change herself over the years, she was still lacking in the area of experience. To have fiery eyes and diamond pupils or something like that, she needed all the exercise.

Momo Quan said with an unchanged expression, “Of course, I can tell you all you want to hear.” As long as it was not a hidden matter, there was no harm in telling Yuxi.

At the end of this talk, which lasted all afternoon and all evening, Momo Quan said, “I am telling you this because I hope you will be more careful in your future actions. Just because you look innocent and harmless doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be truly innocent.” Momo Quan’s words were not referring to Zhou Shiya but merely a reminder for Yuxi to be more careful and wary.

Yuxi smiled bitterly and didn’t respond to Momo Quan’s remark.

The next day, when Yuxi walked out after her morning practice, she heard magpies chirping on the branches of the trees. Zisu exclaimed, “I’m afraid something good will come today.” It was a well-known fact that magpies came with good things. Miss had been in a bad mood lately, so she hoped that something good would come to wash away her depression. Unfortunately, from morning until evening, the residence was calm and quiet.

Zisu kept bashfully waiting until it was almost dark and was about to give up when she saw a person walk in from outside. When she saw the visitor, she wiped her eyes to make sure that they were indeed seeing the right person before she called out happily, “Zijin, you’re back.”

Zijin revealed a mouthful of big white teeth and said, “En, I’m back. I won’t leave this time.” Miss was getting married, so she was surely going to follow her.

Zisu hurriedly took Zijin’s hand and went to the study. She excitedly informed Yuxi, who was reading a book, “Miss, look who’s back?” Miss would be delighted to see Zijin. Sure enough, as she expected, as soon as Miss saw Zijin, the look on her face eased up a lot.

Yuxi was very surprised. “Zijin, why have you come back? You didn’t even tell me you were coming back. I could have asked someone to pick you up from the mountain.”

Zijin smiled and said, “I can come back by myself. I don’t need someone to pick me up.”

Zisu asked, “Zijin, we sent the letter to you a long time ago. Why are you only coming back now?” When they had sent out the letter, they didn’t receive any reply at all. She thought that Zijin did not want to come back.

Zijin felt guilty. “When I received the letter from you, I wanted to go down the mountain. But Master Yang forbade me to. Since there was no one else on the mountain except for Yu Zhi and me, I couldn’t send a message down. Miss, I’ve made you worry.”

Yuxi was curious. “Why didn’t Master Yang let you go down the mountain?” Master Yang was such an open and honest man. How could he do such a petty thing?

Zijin also found it baffling. “Master Yang said he was willing to take me as his closed disciple and said he would help me get rid of my slavery status. When I disagreed, he wouldn’t let me go down the mountain.” What was the point of taking off her slave status? She had gone up the mountain to learn the art to protect Miss. Zijin didn’t feel any shame in being Yuxi’s maid at all. On the contrary, she felt happy to have met and been around her.

When Yuxi heard this, a long-awaited smile finally appeared on her face. At least, her life wasn’t that bad as she had two people who sincerely wished to follow her. “After a long journey, you should go wash first. I’ll have Guo Daniang cook something delicious for you.”

Having eaten and drunk enough, at Yuxi’s request, Zijin talked about her life on the mountain. In fact, Zijin’s life there was very dull. Since she did not want to feel unworthy of the six hundred taels of silver, which Miss paid every year, she had been practising her martial arts except when doing housework. When Master Yang did not teach her, she would hide and watch while he trained Yu Zhi. Then, when it was late at night, she would run out alone and practised them secretly. Of course, there was no way that Master Yang didn’t know about her sneaking out to practice. It was just that he wanted to see if Zijin could persevere, but who knew that Zijin’s perseverance lasted for a year. It was this energy that impressed Master Yang. After that, Master Yang allowed her to listen in when he taught Yu Zhi.

It took a year to get Master Yang to relent, and Yuxi could even imagine how stubborn this Master Yang was, and immediately said to Zijin, “I’ve made you suffer.” This girl, you are too tenacious.

Zijin smiled and said, “I didn’t suffer. I will never leave again this time, Miss.” Having enough food and drink, plus learning martial arts, she genuinely didn’t suffer at all.

Hearing this statement, Yuxi also said with a smile, “Alright! From now on, you will stay by my side and don’t go anywhere anymore.” Even without making a real friend, at least she had gotten such a loyal maid. Her vision was not that faulty yet.

The next day, Yuxi took Zijin to the Main Courtyard to see Qiu Shi.

Qiu Shi has always thought of Zijin, the girl who had initially saved the lives of her entire courtyard. Perhaps it was because of her age that when she saw her, she couldn’t help but nag, “You, this girl, why are you so tanned? What will other people say about you in the future?” Zijin was the same age as Yuxi, where both were sixteen. Qiu Shi was planning to find a marriage partner for this girl, but if she looked like this, Qiu Shi had to make sure she turned her skin to white again before finding a match for her. Otherwise, who would dare to marry such a dark girl? [T/C]

Zijin showed those big white teeth again as she spoke, “I won’t marry. I will serve Miss for the rest of my life.” These words were not just words but her honest thoughts.

Qiu Shi laughed. “What silly things are you saying? There is no conflict between you’re getting married and serving your Miss.” However, when she thought of Zijin’s unusual strength, she became worried again. Anyone who heard the slightest whisper of it would surely be afraid to marry her. [+]

Yuxi looked at Zijin, who started to get uncomfortable and commented with a smile, “Mother, don’t tease Zijin. This girl actually has a thin-skinned.”

The group laughed and joked when an old woman servant came in and reported, “My Lady, Wangfei Niangniang is expecting a child.” The wangfei was naturally referring to Yuchen.

Qiu Shi had no interest in this matter as she asked, “Does the Old Lady know about this?” Seeing the old woman servant nod, she immediately instructed, “Inform Da Nainai about this, and let her see into it.” Because of Chiang Shi, Qiu Shi didn’t like Yuchen very much, so she has always been indifferent to Yuchen. Even when Yuchen became a wangfei, she still treated her with the same attitude, and never would she change.

The old woman servant accepted the instruction and went away.

Yuxi asked strangely, “I remember that the foetus must be in its first trimester before anyone can tell the news to the outside world?” Yuchen was only a little more than a month at most. How could the news come out right now? This was odd.

Qiu Shi didn’t think about it that much, mainly because she felt that the matters of the royal family had nothing to do with her. Thus, why should she be bothered with it? “I only hope that if you marry into the Chen family, you will also be able to conceive so quickly.” Although everyone said that everything was good in the Chen family, these were all falsehoods. Only when you had a son could you be wholly established. Like her, she had given birth to Jianming the second year after entering the family and then Jianye. With these two sons, no matter how much trouble Concubine Rong caused, no matter how much she fought with the First Lord, nothing could shake her position in the Han family.

Yuxi blushed just like an apple.

Qiu Shi smilingly said, “What’s there to be ashamed of? Every woman has to go through this sooner or later.”

Yuchen’s pregnancy was a great event for the whole State Residence. The Old Lady happily ate half a rice bowl and then assigned Qiu Shi to visit Yuchen in her wangfu the following day.

The Old Lady had no choice but to request Qiu Shi to go, as Wen Shi was still in her confinement period and would not be able to go. Of course, even if Wen Shi were not in confinement, the Old Lady would still not let her go, fearing that Wen Shi would make a mistake, which resulted in the family losing their face! Therefore, she had to bother Qiu Shi.

Qiu Shi used to be very obedient to the Old Lady. Whenever the Old Lady said one, she would never say two. But now, Qiu Shi shook her head and said, “Mother, let’s just ask Big Boy Ming’s wife to go. Now she is the mistress of the State Residence, and it is most appropriate for her to go.” She had always been indifferent to the Third Miss, and now, she couldn’t just suddenly pretend to be a loving aunt to her.

The Old Lady asked Qiu Shi to go because she also wanted her to talk to Yuchen about what a woman should pay attention to when pregnant. Qiu Shi had given birth to two children back then and had taken care of three more pregnant women, so she had experience in this. On the other hand, Ye Shi had only given birth to one daughter, so what knowledge could she impart to Yuchen?

Qiu Shi knew what the Old Lady was thinking and said with a smile, “Mother, aren’t there an Imperial Physician and a midwife around her? Can I still be compared with them? Mother, let’s just ask Big Boy Ming’s wife to go there! It’s time for her to handle the matters related to state residence anyway.” As a matter of fact, Ye Shi had already played a leading role in the backyard matters.

The Old Lady argued, “Why should she be the one to handle this? It’s not like you’re fifty or sixty. It’s just a trip to the royal residence which does not even take half of the day.” Qiu Shi was very disappointed when she first learned that Ye Shi could not have any more children. Still, as time went by, seeing Ye Shi’s conscientiousness and dedication in taking care of the household and Xiao Qi, her heart softened. When Ye Shi had taken good care of Aunt Jia, it completely dispersed her discontent. Compared to Qiu Shi’s generosity nature, the Old Lady still could not let go of it. She had always held a grudge against Ye Shi for concealing her health when she married into the family and always felt cheated.

Now that her son was the Duke of the State, Qiu Shi’s strength had also become more substantial. “Mother, I’ve been working all these years tirelessly, and now I just want to live a few days of leisure. Leave these chores to Big Boy Ming’s wife! She is better at talking and working than I am.” Qiu Shi didn’t see anything wrong with Ye Shi being better than her.

When the Old Lady heard this, she felt that her heart was being pressed by a stone, making her unable to breathe. But she knew that there was nothing she could do to deal with Qiu Shi right now. If Qiu Shi did not want to go, she could not force her. At present, she could only come to terms with it. The only person who could socialise in the entire State Residence was Ye Shi, and no one else was suitable.