After settling down Old Lady Zhuang and Second Master Zhuang, Madam Zhuang returned to the third house just in time to wash up and change her clothes. Then a maid came from outside to announce: "Third Mistress, Fourth Young Master and Second Miss have come to pay their respects to you."
Zhuang's eyebrows furrowed, and while putting on her hairpin, she said: "Let them wait in the flower hall for a bit, I'll go see Madame Tai first." After finishing speaking, she hastily stood up and exited the door.
As she walked to the door, she couldn't help but sigh again, and turned back to instruct the maid: "Go and invite Fourth Miss to the flower hall as well, let her keep company with Fourth Master and Second Miss." Only then did she leave.
When Mr. Zhuang arrived at Foning Hall, Mrs. Li was sitting on the couch holding a cup of clear tea, but her eyes were distracted and her mind was thinking about something unknown.
Seeing Zhuangshi coming in, she put down the celadon tea bowl in her hand and beckoned to Zhuangshi: "I knew you'd come looking for me, hurry over."
Mr. Zhuang had made his bow and sat down beside Mrs. Li before she spoke, but before he could say a word, Mrs. Li opened her mouth and said: "I know what you've come to ask me about, I also have something to tell you."
Zhuang Shi had no choice but to swallow his words and hang his head in shame.
"Li stretched out his hand and grasped Zhuang's hand, placing it in the palm of his own hand before slowly saying: "Xian Niang, I've almost seen you grow up. When you were five or six years old, I watched as you ran around this estate with Sanlang and Xiangniang. Even before you married into our family, I treated you like a half-daughter."
Zhuang also grasped Li's hand, her father was the trusted deputy general of Old Guo Gong, and Li and Zhuang's old lady were also very close. When she was young, half of her time was spent in the Wu Guo Gong Fu, so she had a deeper affection for Li than ordinary daughter-in-law. She looked at Li and sincerely said: "Mother has been fond of me since I was a child, sometimes even more fond of me than Sanlang, I know it, and I have always remembered it in my heart."
Mrs. Li shook her head and said, "Among the three daughters-in-law, I'm most heartbroken about you, no mistake. But my mother thinks that the one who has been wronged the most is also you. You say I care for you more than I do for Sanlang, but Sanlang is my own flesh and blood, how could I possibly care for you more than him? In fact, all these years, I've been biased towards Sanlang, and I don't know how many times I've wronged you. Back then, your father died to save Old Master Guo, and Old Master Guo wanted to repay the kindness by adopting you as his daughter. But I thought that being a adopted daughter of a duke's family was nothing special, I liked you, so why not just let Sanlang marry you, and you can stay at home, and I'll take care of you for the rest of my life? It's not like having the title of a duke's adopted daughter and marrying out is better. And besides, I've also noticed that you have feelings for Sanlang too.
"At that time, I really thought this was a match made in heaven, but I didn't expect Sanlang to be so promiscuous. From the moment you entered the house, he treated you with cold eyes, not to mention the affair and the birth of illegitimate children. Later, when your heart turned cold and you wanted to divorce, Sanlang suddenly had a change of heart. At that time, I was on one hand reluctant to let you go, and on the other hand, also for Sanlang's sake, so I kept advising you to accept Sanlang again. I also know that if you hadn't still been thinking of me back then, you might have really cut ties with Sanlang. These are all debts that the Lin family owes you."
Zhuang shook her head and said, "How can these things be blamed on Mother? If it weren't for my feelings for Sanlang back then, how could Mother have forced me to marry into the Lin family? At that time, she said it was because of you that she was willing to make amends with Sanlang. In the end, it was still because I couldn't put Sanlang down in my heart."
Li patted Zhuang's hand and continued, "I know you're here for Yuanyuan. She's my biological granddaughter, how could I bear to throw her into that den of wolves? But there's no other way, she's the only suitable one in the Lin family. The Lin family has lost too much for the emperor's throne - your brother and nephew who died in battle, my daughter Xiangniang, and several uncles and aunts from our branch, including Old National Grandfather, all passed away due to grief over their deaths. After paying such a heavy price, we can't let someone else reap the benefits. So, I'm afraid you and Yuanyuan will have to make some sacrifices again. And then there's the Crown Prince - without his mother's support, he's surrounded by wolves, relying on the emperor's paternal love for how much longer? He needs a woman who can speak up for him in front of the emperor."
Zhuang said: "Isn't there still Yan Niang, I see Yan Niang......"
"Li interrupted her: "Jian Niang is not suitable, her character is not suitable. Moreover, Jian Niang is a concubine's daughter, if she enters the palace, she can only be a consort. The position of empress is too important, if it cannot fall to the Lin family, who will most likely get it? It would be the Wu family. Wu Guifei and the emperor are cousins, Wu Guifei has been serving the emperor since he was in seclusion, the Wu family also has merit for their service. If Wu Guifei becomes empress, the second prince will also rise to prominence and become a legitimate son. The second prince is only one year younger than the crown prince, if he also becomes a legitimate son, it would be a disaster for the crown prince and the Lin family."
Zhuang's head hung down and he didn't say anything.
Li said, "Before the death of Empress Xian, she had instructed that a girl from her family should be selected to enter the palace and take care of the crown prince. Now the Emperor still misses Empress Xian, and with our efforts in the Lin family, there is an 80% chance that Yuanyuan will be appointed as the new Empress."
Zhuang's family knew that things had come to this point, and Yuan Yuan entering the palace was probably a done deal. Although she still worried about her daughter in her heart, she didn't say anything more.
"After a while, she took a deep breath and changed the subject: 'Mother, this time I came not only for Yuanyuan's matter, but also for other things.'"
Li said: "What's on your mind, just say it."
"Zhuang's eyebrows furrowed, and then she spoke up: "It's about Cheng Gang and Ruo Niang's marriage." She paused for a moment before continuing: "Cheng Gang and Ruo Niang are twins, and they're already 16 years old. Especially Ruo Niang, it's not good to marry too late. San Lang has found a suitable match for Cheng Gang in the northwest - the daughter of a sixth-rank official who is under his jurisdiction. That official has some strategic thinking, and San Lang thinks highly of his future prospects. His eldest daughter is 14 years old this year, and I've seen her - she's decent in terms of virtue and talent, although she's slightly lacking in looks. San Lang says that when it comes to marrying a wife, this isn't a major flaw. He plans to wait for some time before bringing the girl back to the capital, where they'll go through the three books and six rituals, and after they're married, he'll send Cheng Gang to the northwest for some training. As for Ruo Niang, we can't find anyone suitable in the northwest, so I'm asking you to take a look around and help us find someone."
"Third Brother is right, a good wife is essential. As for Xiaoniang, don't worry, I'll take care of her," she said, moving her body slightly. "In the past few years, I've also helped her look at several families, but Xiaoniang's personality is a bit soft and not easy to find someone suitable. She can tolerate some things, but if the family background and wealth are shallow, she doesn't seem very willing. High-ranking families with large households, she fears that she won't be able to compete with others' cunning, and marrying her off would only harm her."
Zhuang said, "Sanlang's idea is that even if the family background and wealth are not impressive, it doesn't matter. Just give her more money to support herself. As long as the other party has good character and can be trusted, their talent won't be too bad."
