Chapter 3 Eccentricity

  Liu Rong's heart warmed slightly, but she pressed down on Zhong Shi and stopped her from getting up: "Mother, you're thinking too much. In any case, I am also the great-granddaughter of the mistress of the Liu estate, representing the face of the Liu estate. Not to mention anything else, even for the sake of other girls in the Liu estate who are about to get married, it's impossible to casually give me away to someone just because of a few words from an insignificant maid. You can't let yourself be flustered by a few careless words from a servant girl."

  Zhong's hand on the outer garment slightly loosened, but still grasped it. Liu Rong looked closely at Zhong and revealed a slightly mischievous smile: "Let's not talk about these things, just that your daughter narrowly escaped death and became clever and resourceful. When encountering anything, she can handle it with ease. Now, Rong is not afraid of trouble, but rather afraid of no trouble arising. You can rest assured!"

  As she spoke, Liu Rong didn't wait for Zhong Shi to open her mouth and took the clothes from Zhong Shi's hand, re-hanging them on the side. Although having Zhong Shi accompany her to see Madame Tai would make her feel more at ease, since Madame Tai had favored Liu Niang, she was certain that Madame Tai wouldn't want to meet with Zhong Shi. This would only get Zhong Shi into trouble for her sake and drag Zhong Shi down as well.

  "You're really clever." Mr. Zhong couldn't help but poke Liu Rong's forehead with his finger, a smile on his face, yet seemingly with some loss: "You've grown up."

  "That's a good lesson from Mother!" Liu Rong said with a smile, then stood up: "Mother, I'll go to Madame Tai now."

  "Be careful." Zhong Shi gazed steadily at Liu Rong.

  Liu Rong smiled slightly and nodded heavily before turning around and leaving.

  Pear Garden

  The delivery room of the second grandmother was filled with heart-wrenching screams, followed by the sound of something being knocked over, and then a crisp sound that made people's hearts uneasy.

  The second master waiting outside the door tightened his face and walked quickly towards the delivery room, only to see Li's mother pale-faced and flustered as she came out.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Second grandma, second grandma's water has broken..."

  "Where is the child?"

  "The child...the child hasn't come out..."

  "What's wrong with you, still standing there? Hurry up and go get a doctor!"

  Liu Rong left her residence and hurried to the main courtyard. After all, she had wasted some time earlier and didn't dare waste any more on the way. In ancient feudal families, unlike modern grandparents who are full of concern for their younger generations, making a mistake would blur the differences. Here, what was least tolerated was the younger generation making mistakes, or perhaps it should be said that what was least tolerated was an illegitimate daughter making mistakes.

  After walking through the long corridor and circling around the plum blossom rockery, it took about a cup of tea's time to arrive at Tai Furen's courtyard. The large amount of exercise calmed Liu Rong down, and even the coldness of this snowy day was somewhat alleviated.

  Outside the courtyard of the madam, several maids and servant girls walked back and forth, rubbing their hands and stomping their feet, surrounding the outer wall of the main courtyard but not approaching the house, apparently having been driven out by their masters.

  Qiao'er was among them, but at this moment Qiao'er was different from the one in her mother's room. Instead, she had a flattering smile on her face towards a middle-aged woman who was dressed neatly.

  Liu Rong raised an eyebrow, but her feet slowed down, walking calmly and unhurriedly towards the mistress's house.

  That middle-aged woman was sharp-eyed, and as soon as she saw her, she didn't continue chatting with Cui'er, but quickly stepped forward: "Is that Rong sister? I'm Chen Mama, who serves by the side of Madame Tai."

  Liu Rong nodded, and the second lady was indeed as indifferent to her as Zhong Shi had said. She didn't even leave a deep impression on people around her, and she still needed to ask another question to confirm.

  Seeing Liu Rong nodding, Chen Mama quickly spoke up: "Hurry in, the old lady has asked about you three times already."

  Liu Rong nodded at Chen Mama again and followed her into the house. The door opened, and there were three people sitting inside.

  Apart from the people sitting at the ends, one could see that behind the old man who looked extremely kind and gentle in the center, there was a young girl wearing a pink jacket with a golden hairpin shaped like a butterfly on her head, looking lovely and cute.

  Just as the girl seemed a bit nervous, she pulled at the old woman's dark green embroidered auspicious cloud dress hem and pouted, her hand inadvertently revealing a hint of blue veins. However, even so, Liu Rong still noticed that when the other person saw herself for an instant, there was an uncontrollable excitement bursting out from the bottom of her eyes.

  Liu Rong glanced at the others without changing her expression, and saw that on the left side of Madame Tai sat a woman in her thirties with a serious expression, devoid of any joy. On the right side of Madame Tai, however, sat a young woman wearing an orange embroidered water-ink dress, smiling at Madame Tai but turning cold and distant when she saw Liu Rong.

  Liu Rong silently memorized the expressions of everyone present, then turned to face the seemingly benevolent Madame in the center and paid her respects: "Liu Rong greets Madame."

  As soon as Liu Rong's words fell, she felt that the room suddenly became quiet, and even the sound of breathing was much smaller.

  After a while, a sharp voice rang out: "Rong Jie, you didn't even greet your mother and grandmother when you came in, how could you forget to call out to Great-Grandmother? What kind of upbringing did Clock Concubine give you? She shouldn't have agreed to let Master take care of you in the first place."

  The person who spoke was the woman in orange jacket on the right side of Madame Tai, her face was icy cold, and a hint of disgust was visible at the bottom of her eyes.

  Liu Rong's eyebrows furrowed slightly, apparently this was the famous Liu Yiniang whom she had heard of but never met, or rather, should be addressed as Madame Liu now.

  "What are you doing? You'll scare the child to death." A gentle and warm voice sounded: "Come quickly to Tai Zu's side, how can you call Tai Zu 'Mrs.?' This is too formal, it's not our Liu family style." Along with this voice, Liu Rong saw a pair of somewhat wrinkled but very smooth hands stretched out in front of her.

  "Yes." Liu Rong walked to the side of the old lady with a clever and nimble movement, her eyes involuntarily swept towards the old lady, only to see that the old lady was looking at her with a very peculiar gaze, and finally even revealed a satisfied smile.

  "Old Lady indeed didn't deceive me, Rong Jie's appearance is really similar to Ninth Sister's, it's just a pity that she's thinner, if her expression were a bit more similar, it would be even better."

  Mrs. Jian continued to size herself up and said such words, Liu Rong's eyebrows couldn't help but frown tightly.

  "Jasmine, go and bring out some jewelry. This Ruo sister's dressing is too simple, if she enters the palace for the imperial concubine selection like this, won't the palace's matrons think that our Marquis' manor didn't take good care of this child?"

  Liu Rong Meng suddenly looked up, glanced at the girl smiling behind Tai Fu Ren, then glanced at Tai Fu Ren again, and looked at Da Fu Ren's gloomy face and Da Nai Nai's mouth with a hint of cold smile.

  "Taizu's grandmother, you must be mistaken. The one who was selected to enter the palace as a showgirl is Ninth Aunt, not Rong'er." Liu Rong quickly spoke up, then immediately lowered her head, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, looking timid.

  Her face was low, but there was no awkwardness on her face. A pair of almond eyes kept turning, entering the palace to select a daughter-in-law, this is an imperial grace, if selected, in the hearts of ancient people, it is naturally an opportunity to fly high and rise to prominence. However, these people were willing to give up such an opportunity to her, the most neglected person in the mansion. No need to think about it, there must be a cat's claw in this matter, this thing absolutely cannot be agreed to!

  The old lady's eyebrows furrowed, seemingly not expecting Liu Rong to speak out like that. The big madam looked at Liu Rong with a hint of surprise, while the eldest madam gazed at her with a flash of venom in her eyes.

  Liu Rongman stood uneasily, as if afraid that others would not believe her, and hesitantly spoke again: "I really heard people in the mansion say that the one who was going to enter the palace for the selection of imperial consorts was Ninth Aunt. Everyone said that with Ninth Aunt's appearance, it was absolutely possible for her to become a consort."

  "You must have misheard, this matter of the selection was originally settled, it was decided that you would enter the palace for the selection, only at that time your body wasn't well, so we didn't tell you. It's just that now the day of the selection is near, and we can't help but inform you." The young girl standing behind Madame hastily spoke up.

  "Jiuniang said, however, to enter the palace, it can't be like this, so timid and losing the dignity of the Hou Mansion. It's just right that our mansion has invited a nanny to teach etiquette, you should follow her and live with her for a while before entering the palace." The old lady pressed down on the girl's hand, speaking to Liu Rong as if bestowing a favor.

  Liu Rong saw all this and couldn't help but feel a surge of anger in her heart. She didn't know why the ninth young lady was so evasive about entering the palace for the selection, but she knew that what you don't want done to yourself shouldn't be done to others. Yet these people were forcing themselves on her, making her take the fall for their own avoidance. They were all daughters of the Marquis's household, yet they treated her like this - how excessive was that!

  Liu Rong stood up: "Madam said that my appearance would lose the dignity of the Marquis's mansion, but I don't know what kind of trouble the crime of deceiving the king will bring to the Marquis's mansion."

  "Old Mrs. Liu frowned: 'What are you talking about? You're lucky to have your grandmother's favor, and she even lets you follow the nanny to learn, how can you speak like this!'"

  The madam beside her raised her head to look at Liu Rong, and when she saw that Liu Rong was no longer the timid person she once was, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, revealing a hint of a smile.

  "Great-grandmother asked me to follow and learn from Nurse, I am grateful, but some people don't know what they're saying, wanting Great-grandmother to lose her dignity and do something harmful to the Marquis's household, I won't agree." Liu Rong looked at Liu Dainai with a clear and forceful voice.

  Sometimes, pretending to be stupid doesn't work, so you can only rise up and charge forward! And now facing Liu Dà Nǎi Nai and her group, it's exactly that time.

  "Mother, what Rong Jie said is not unreasonable. You can't spoil Xuan'er like this anymore." The gentle and elegant voice sounded slowly, and Liu Rong couldn't help but look at the source of the sound, only to see Madame smiling and nodding at her.

  Upon hearing the lady's words, Ninth Miss hastily looked towards Old Madam: "Grandma, Xuan'er doesn't want to enter the palace, Xuan'er would rather die than enter the palace. Now that His Majesty is already over fifty years old and his health is said to be not very good, I'm afraid...I'm afraid..."

  "Shut up! Are you allowed to casually discuss the Emperor's affairs? It's all because I've spoiled you." The old lady frowned, interrupting Ninth Sister.

  "Grandma! If Xuan'er's temper were to enter the palace, she would definitely be eaten alive and not a single bone left!" Liu Xuan hastily changed her words, tugging at the hem of Madame's clothes, looking up at her with pitiful eyes.

  The old lady looked at Liu Xuan with a heart-aching brow: "Although the palace requires the Hou Mansion to send their daughter into the palace, they have never specified a name. I think, Rong Jie's temperament is not bad, entering the palace might even help the Hou Mansion advance further."