RVW-39.2

“Qi Meimei, we rarely meet each other, why don’t we go up and take a seat, wait for second elder cousin, Ling di, and Cheng di to come over.” Lu Feiting, seeing Ah Nan about to leave, courteously urged her to stay.

“No need, there are still some affairs in the Imperial Mansion that need to be dealt with.” Ah Nan directly dodged. She didn’t want to get along with these people, lest some inexplicable disaster were to be attracted again. Recalling the incident two days ago at the Bai Ma Temple, at that time, if it weren’t for Lu Fei’an clinging to her, she would not have directly injured AnYang Wang Shi Zi in such a way. Thinking about it, Ah Nan felt like it must have been the misfortune for eight lifetimes that made her come across these people.

Upon hearing it, Lu Feiting’s eyes looked at Ah Nan with a hint of hesitation and concern. As Ah Nan frowned and wanted to leave, she hesitated and said, “Qi Mei mei, Jie jie just heard of this matter….. However, Jie jie believes for Qi meimei, heven helps the worthy. You surely couldn’t be what the people outside said and be ‘Ke-killed’….. Jie jie believes that rumors about Wang ye are certainly not to be trusted, because Qi Meimei isn’t someone blessed.”

Ah Nan became more and more fed up. What did Lu Feiting mean with this?

Ru Cui, seeing that Ah Nan’s face doesn’t look good, couldn’t help but say, “Liu Xiao jie, what you said is not appropriate. What kind of person is our family’s Wang ye? They could be unable to help themselves to nonsensical gossip, but if the Imperial family were to find out, they would be caught and imprisoned by the capital magistrate’s bailiffs ah.” Ru Cui said threateningly.

Lu Feiting was indeed frightened and stuttered, “You misunderstood. I-, I also just heard about it today from the people at a wine shop when passing by. They said, Qi mei, you are a person with good fortune, Wang ye was once told of his fate of ‘Killing Wife and Losing Son’ in this life by a senior monk at Bai Ma Temple. I also heard that the previous Su Wang fei brides-to-be had all died a violent death, and so I was a little worried for Qi Mei mei….“

“Thank you for your concern!” Ah Nan interrupted her speech and honestly looked at her, “Since Liu Jie knows of this matter, just keep it in mind, no need to say it.”

Ah Nan thought, since you knew the ‘Killing Wife and Losing Son’ fate of my family’s Wang ye, you should take it to heart and go back to Ningcheng obediently to marry a Di son of a small aristocratic family, and be a main wife who managed the household affairs splendidly. Not having delusions of flying up the branch to become a phoenix. This fly-up-the-branch-to-become-a-phoenix matter is actually the most unreliable method, one would know just by looking at her.

Lu Feiting bit her lip, looking at Ah Nan with some grievances, as if Ah Nan had failed to accept her good intentions. Today was actually the first time she had heard about the rumors about Su Wang. At first, she was frightened upon hearing it, and hurriedly ordered the maids to go and ask around. After finding out about the things about Ah Nan’s marriage to Su Wang, she was stupefied for a long time. It wasn’t until the main army passed through that she stood in a corner, looking far away at the man sitting on a black clever horse, clad in armor, looking incomparably heroic and valiant. She recalled his rare smile when she first saw him, making her wavering heart steady once again.

Now, seeing the Shu daughter she used to look down upon had now become a hard to reach Wang fei, making her heart once again became uncomfortable. If Su Wang was truly ‘Ke-killing wife’ as the rumors said, how come Ah Nan still lives well now, even able to use such an impatient expression to look at her?

Lu Feiting thought that the rumors must not be believable. Ah Nan’s existence is precisely an example at least.

After bidding farewell to Lu Feiting, Ah Nan boarded the carriage of Su Wang Mansion to go back.

In the carriage, Ru Cui said with full certainty, “Liu Xiao jie must be planning some crooked idea!”

Ru Lan glanced at her and scolded, “Whether it was big or small, Wang fei has yet to say anything, but you yourself enthusiastically talk whatever you want ah.“

Ru Cui retorted, “Ru Lan Jie jie, that’s not right la. Xiao jie is no God, there would be times when she couldn’t handle it herself, so she needs us servants by her side to warn her. However, no matter what Liu Xiao jie’s plan is, she must have no means to actually realize it. Because our family’s Wang ye definitely consider her a trash to be dealt with.”

Ah Nan who was initially thinking something, almost erupted when she heard Ru Cui’s words.

However, what Ru Cui said seems to be very reasonable. If Lu Feiting dares to take some advantages and come over, she wouldn’t even have to lift her hand. Her family’s Wang ye absolutely would treat her as garbage and threw her out of the Mansion, maybe he would even let people scrub the area Lu Feiting has passed by a few times.

Thinking about it, Ah Nan was in a great mood, once again thinking that marrying a mysophobic husband was quite good.

**********

On the second day Chu Baning left the capital, Ah Nan received a letter from the Imperial Chancellor Furen and order from the Empress Dowager.

The letter sent by the Imperial Chacellor’s Furen said that Lu Lao Furen has fallen ill, asking her to go back to the Mansion if she had the time to visit Grandmother. As for the Empress Dowager, her conveyed decree was that she, an old person, was idle to the point of annoyance and missed her daughter-in-law, and so invited her to stay in the palace a few days to accompany her.

Both of these things were all annoying. However, Ah Nan was currently in this era, where women’s reputation is particularly important. These kind of things regarding filial piety, even if you clearly understood the circumstances, if you were to not show up, you would be heavily criticized and scolded for being unvirtuous and unfilial.

Therefore, Ah Nan immediately looked for a present that is precious and not easy to be nitpicked or tampered with, and brought the maidservants and Momos along to go to the Imperial Chancellor’s Mansion.

In front of the Imperial Chancellor’s Mansion, the old housekeeper of the Imperial Chancellor Mansion respectfully welcomed Ah Nan.

“Si¹As in four 4 Xiao jie, you’re back.” The old housekeeper’s tangerine²The tangerine here refers to the texture of his skin being like oranges-skin smiled wrinkly like blooming chrysanthemums, even more so when he found out Ah Nan had returned alone, the chrysanthemums blossomed even more splendidly——The old housekeeper has already forgotten than Su Wang had already left the capital.

Ah Nan smiled politely and asked, “Uncle Qiao, how is Grandmother doing? Has she gotten better?”

The old housekeeper sighed, “Ai… it’s not like that yet, but Lao ye is worried……”

Ah Nan led the maids and Momos into the inner courtyard, leaving the guards outside, and walked towards the courtyard where Lu Lao Furen lived.

The loft where Lu Lao Furen lived in was very exquisite and grand, beautiful and secluded place with refined and noble decorations everywhere, making it a suitable place for the elderly to live in. The affections of the Imperial Chancellor Furen towards Lu Lao Furen can be seen.

When Ah Nan came over, there was a maid lifting the curtain to let her in.

When Ah Nan entered the room, she first smelled the scent of medicine, then saw that the room was full of the womenfolk. Excluding the eldest sister Shu fei who was still in the palace, the married daughters who were in the capital city have all come, there were also Lu Feiting, Lu Fei’an, and Lu Feiya.

“Si mei, you’re back,” Ah Nan’s third sister, Lu Feiji, smiled elegantly.

Ah Nan has always had a good impression of this cultured and courteous third sister. Although before marriage she exuded some aloofness and nobleness because of her background, but now as a married woman, it seems like pregnancy has added some softness and purity charm of a married woman to her appearance. When those watery sparkling eyes looked over, they could really make the onlooking men’s heart softened.

“San Jie jie.” Ah Nan nodded at her, then asked in concern, “How is Grandmother doing now? Has she gotten better?”

Since the people were all in this room, it wasn’t good for Ah Nan to go forward and go inside to see Lao Tai tai’s condition. It’s likely that Lao Tai tai also didn’t want to see her.

Among the women in the room, the one with the highest seniority was Lu Feirong. At this time, it was Lu Feirong who answered, “The doctor said that although Grandmother is old, she is in good health and there is no major problem. She could recover after resting for a few days.”

In fact, anyone present with a little brain knew that Lao Tai tai fell ill because of Lu Shaocheng and Lu Shaoling being punished. Moreover, this illness did not come earlier or later, but she fell ill precisely after Su Wang left the capital, truly making people speculate wildly.

The Imperial Chancellor Furen was serving Lao Tai tai to take her medicine in the inner room. After Lao Tai tai finished drinking the medicine, she had someone to call for the ladies to enter.

Lao Tai tai sat leaning on the bed, white medic cloth wrapped around her forehead, indeed looking somewhat sick. When Lao Tai tai saw the room full of her flower-like beautiful granddaughters, she was indeed in a happy mood. But after she saw Ah Nan following behind Lu Feiji, the curve of Lao Tai tai’s lips suspiciously lowered a few points.

“Grandmother, how are you? Are you feeling better?” The three unmarried girls each looked at Lao Tai tai tearily, looking extremely concerned.

The Imperial Chancellor Furen quickly asked someone to lead the girls away. A crowd of people cramming in would block the air circulation, people would also be stifled. She didn’t want Lao Tai tai to have another chance of falling ill. 

“Why are you all here?” Lao Tai tai drooped her eyelids and said, “It’s not a serious illness, I will get better after a few days. Why bother yourselves to rush back in such a hurry? Especially San Niangzi and Si Niangzi³third and fourth lady. the 娘子 (niang zi) here is a form of address usually used for married women., you both have already become the legitimate mothers of your own households. You shouldn’t put too much thought on your maiden family, it could make people mock that our Lu family’s upbringing is lacking.”

Lao Tai tai‘s words seemed to be addressed to Lu Feiting and Lu Feiji, but the metaphors used did not just make the ladies look at each other in dismay, but even the Imperial Chancellor Furen frowned slightly. Those with clear minds have long been aware of what Lao Tai tai pointed at, isn’t this a sarcasm for the last incident! Last time, Ah Nan was bullied by the tho little cousins, but in the end Su Wang personally cleaned it up, which could indeed be considered as meddling in the maiden family’s affairs.

Ah Nan inwardly pursed her lips wrily. In any case, Lao Tai tai has never given her a good face⁴Means being considerate before. Now that she was already married, she also didn’t want to give her a good face.