Chu Wang Fei

堂哥 tangge – elder male cousin from father’s side

堂妹 tangmei – younger female cousin from father’s side

老太太 laotaitai – old madam

妾 qie – I, your servant/concubine (deprecatory self-reference for women)

presenting the Buddha with borrowed flowers – idiom; to win favor or influence with the use of another person’s work or property

Yun Xuan Mo – Yun Xuan Zhi‘s younger brother; Yun Qian Meng‘s second uncle

The old madam saw that Yun Qian Meng was very polite and modest, and slowly turned her gaze over. Only, with this glance, the old madam blanked out!

She had never expected, the granddaughter she had never seen before resembled her deceased daughter-in-law so much!

However, at the time, Qu Ruo Li had grown up cherished by Gu laotaijun; her temper gentle and aloof with worldly affairs!

On the other hand, Yun Qian Meng before her although gentle in appearance, but her shining eyes concealed an unyielding toughness. Mother and daughter looked very much alike, but their characters seemed to be complete opposites!

Through Yun Qian Meng‘s appearance, the old madam couldn’t help but recall the moments when she had interacted with her daughter-in-law. Although they were not flesh and blood, their intimacy surpassed blood relatives.

If not for her own disappointing son, how could that Su Qing have driven her out? Meng’er wouldn’t have lost her mother at a young age and had nobody to rely on. When she thought about this child’s current personality, perhaps it was the result of her difficult life!

Her heart moved, the old madam pulled Yun Qian Meng‘s tiny hands, grasping them in her palm while gently caressing them. She couldn’t help but lament, “Your wai zumu and I might not have been best friends that grew up together, but the both of us were fast friends, and enjoyed each other’s company! This was also the reason your wai zumu had been assured to let your mother enter Yun fu, a pity, a pity……”

The following words were drowned out by the old madam’s lamenting of ‘a pity’. Yet Yun Qian Meng managed to glean from the old madam’s ashamed expression that her relationship with Qu Ruo Li as mother and daughter-in-law was quite harmonious, otherwise why would she be so melancholic upon seeing her?

Yun Qian Meng liften her hands with the old madam, then comforted, “zumu doesn’t need to be sad. Father is now receiving you back to the xiangfu, because he wishes to do his filial duty! Moreover, Su yiniang is pregnant now, perhaps she could give you another chubby grandson. With so many happy occasions, zumu should be a bit more happy! After all, mother has already passed away for so long, if she saw that you are still feeling sad because of her, mother can’t be at ease even in the afterlife!”

These words, simply struck through to the bottom of the old madam’s heart!

Although right now she was deeply feeling gratitude mixed with shame towards Qu Ruo Li and Gu laotaijun, these were after all old matters that have occurred more than ten years ago. Besides, she and Yun Qian Meng had never met before, other than blood relations, they didn’t even have any trace of mutual affection. Her actions today, were really just to let Yun Qian Meng know that she was still in her heart, and only hoped that she wouldn’t say anything unnecessary in front of Gu laotaijun, to prevent their relationship from becoming awkward!

After all, even if her relationship with Qu Ruo Li was deep, it still couldn’t compare to the feelings between a mother and her own child. Even though she was angry at her son that time, she still wouldn’t ruin her son’s official career over just a daughter-in-law!

Seeing that Yun Qian Meng was so understanding, the old madam’s eyes showed her satisfaction, and looked towards Yun Qian Meng with tender affection. She only pulled Yun Qian Meng over to sit beside her, then pointed at the two boys and one girl while introducing them, “These are your shenniang‘s three children. These two are your tangge, Yi Heng, Yi Jie. And this one is your tangmei Yi Yi!”

Yun Qian Meng followed the old madam’s gesture to look, and only saw that her two tangge were youthful youngsters, but compared to Yun Yi Jie’s greasy powdered face, Yun Yi Heng seemed more steady and experienced. On the other side, Yun Yi Yi was very childlike, her big round eyes seemed simple and naive. When she saw Yun Qian Meng sizing her up, her face turned faintly red, and stealthily stuck out her little tongue, extremely adorable!

As the six of them greeted each other, Yun Yi Heng’s expression didn’t change, not warm nor cold, not allowing others to see into his mood; Yun Yi Jie’s lively eyes quickly circuited around the three sisters, as his smile became wider; Yun Yi Yi was amiable and smiled bashfully towards them, but her bearing and manners seemed natural and unrestrained. It seemed that Li shi had spent quite a bit of capital on her upbringing, other than Yun Yi Yi‘s bashfulness, in other aspects, she was not any less than the precious young ladies from the capital!

“Mom, Meng’er and the others must be tired after journeying for days. We should let them rest properly today, then during dinner, lord husband can meet with them!” Li shi came forward at this time, then smiled to state the following arrangements. The old madam also immediately nodded and waved her hands for a few mama to come over and prepare to lead Yun Qian Meng and the rest of them away!

At this moment, a mama hastily came in from outside. She immediately kneeled when she saw the old madam, then urgently said, “laotaitai, there is someone claiming himself to be a gongzi from Han Guo gongfu outside the gates, wanting to lodge in our fu!”

The old madam heard this and looked towards the three sisters with an odd expression. Finally settling her gaze on Yun Qian Meng, she only saw that her expression was calm and indifferent, but a trace of mockery was floating in her eyes. She thus ordered, “Just say that there are no free rooms in our fu, and ask that gongzi to look elsewhere!”

After that mama left, the three of them bent their knees and bowed towards the old madam, then followed behind Li shi to leave the warm room.

The three sisters were settled down in the southeast Die Ying Yuan. Yun Qian Meng pulled Li shi‘s hands, then let Mi mama take out the gifts they had brought, sincerely saying, “shenniang treats me like your own daughter, but Meng’er is presenting the Buddha with borrowed flowers. These are the gifts that father had prepared for shenniang, gege and meimei before we came. I hope shenniang will accept!”

Li shi saw that Yun Qian Meng had not forgotten her, then smiled to let the yatou accept the gifts. Sincerely telling them to rest properly, she walked out of Die Ying Yuan, then turned towards the east and walked towards Yun laoye‘s study!

At the moment, Yun laoye Yun Xuan Mo had a brush in his hand as he wrote. Seeing his furen enter, he didn’t stop the flowing movements of his hand, and only gestured for a manservant to stand guard outside, then seemingly unconcernedly asked, “Arrived?”

Li shi inwardly understood what her husband was asking, and quietly answered, “Yes!”

Yun Xuan Mo heard that Li shi‘s tone was rather dull, then put down the brush and looked towards her with curiosity, puzzledly asking, “What’s wrong? Are those three girls hard to handle?”

Hearing this, Li shi smiled slightly, then hurried to answer before Yun Xuan Mo lost his temper, “Their da xiaojie has some capability! But today, laotaitai has already made her attitude clear; surely da xiaojie already understands, in the future, Heng’er‘s career will definitely be assisted!”

Listening to Li shi‘s words, Yun Xuan Mo didn’t show any happy expressions, instead stepping to the window-side with his hands behind his back. A trace of hatred flashed in his sharp eyes, if not for his elder brother being crazy for Su Qing, and drove him and his mother out of the xiangfu back to Su city, his two sons would already be noble gongzi that grew up in the capital! Would he really need to think up ways to send his children back to the xiangfu today?

Of course Li shi understood her husband’s grudge. Thinking back to the time when she was being kicked out of the xiangfu, even if she closed her eyes, she only felt her whole body shiver with cold. However, now that they were seeking aid from her brother-in-law, they naturally needed to lower their attitude, “Lord husband, qie sees that the three sisters don’t have a close relationship. da xiaojie is able and clever, san xiaojie is quiet and obedient, but only er xiaojie is unreasonable and obstinate!

When her words fell, Li shi heard Yun Xuan Mo snort, then heard a soft growl between his gritted teeth, “With a mother like that, how can you expect the daughter to be any good? Tell Yi Heng and the others, they must definitely maintain a good relationship with Yun Qian Meng. In the emperor’s eyes, Fu Guo gongfu is much more important than my dage!”

Li shi saw that Yun Xuan Mo’s eyes were vicious, and naturally understood that he was reminded of the disgrace from all those years go. Somewhat worried about his health, she immediately nodded gently, then turned to leave the study……