The Tai'an Courtyard is located west of the General's Mansion, and you can get there by passing through the backyard garden.

  The old lady loved bamboo, so she planted a circle of bamboo around the courtyard. It was late October, and the autumn wind started to blow, with cool breezes blowing the bamboo leaves flying and making rustling sounds, which sounded like the distant howls on the battlefield.

  As they entered the courtyard, Du Ya said with a smile, "Don't be formal, Fifth Granny. The old lady is very affable."

  She paused for a moment, then whispered again, "The old lady likes people who are straightforward and don't mince words. It's okay to say something wrong, what's important is to speak your mind, she doesn't like those who are cautious and calculating."

  She thought to herself that just like the second wife's sharpness and cunning were written all over her face, never pretending to be otherwise, so although the old lady was also helpless, she couldn't bring herself to dislike her.

  But the fourth grandma was different, looking gentle and kind, but revealing her thoughts in words, not a single sentence would she say more than necessary, hiding her inner thoughts tightly, even if her appearance was beautiful and her manners were elegant, the old lady still felt that she couldn't get close to her.

  Logically speaking, Du Niang should not have said more, but she inexplicably liked this new fifth aunt and hoped that she could gain the favor of Old Lady.

  Cui Ying nodded emotionally, "Mm, I understand."

  She lifted the beaded curtain, and Old Lady was wearing a casual purple violet embroidered jacket leaning lazily on the couch. Shengjing's October had already gotten quite chilly, so for warmth, there was also a brazier of charcoal burning at the foot of the couch.

  When she saw Cui Ying enter, she smiled and beckoned, "Anan, go tidy up the west wing, Xiao Wu's wife is coming over."

  Anan is Du Niang's nickname.

  Cui Ying saw that Yining Junzhu was also there, so she hastily greeted the two of them and walked two steps forward to stand beside Old Lady Du. Seeing that a maid had already brought over a stool, she thought about what Du Mama had said and didn't stand on ceremony anymore, sitting down with ease.

  The old lady smiled and asked, "Wasn't it just to bring a few pieces of clothing over? Why did you bring so many big and small packages? Isn't the little daughter-in-law afraid that I'll make things difficult for you here?"

  "Grandma's place is good, how could the granddaughter-in-law not know? It's just that those things are what I'm used to using every day, and they're all newly unpacked today. If we leave them for a long time, they'll go bad, it's a pity."

  She opened a pair of big watery eyes and blinked, saying "After using it up, Grandma will give me a new one, okay?"

  The old lady chuckled and said to the Princess of Yining, "Look at your sister-in-law, this coquettish appearance is really like our family's Yue'er."

  The young master of Yining County looked carefully and his eyes were sour, "It really looks a bit like."

  Yuan Yue'er is the eldest daughter of the county master, who has just turned eleven years old. Empress Jiang likes her elegant temperament and lets her accompany the long-tempered Princess Changling to read together. Normally, she stays in the palace with the princess and can only return home during holidays.

  Originally, when there was a happy event at home, Yuan Yue'er would have been able to return.

  It turned out that the princess of Yining had sent someone to wait at the palace gate early yesterday morning, but unexpectedly a small eunuch came out and passed on the message that Princess Changling was ill and refused to take medicine, only Madame Yuan could barely coax her.

  This means that no one can be caught, and the aunt in the mansion will return without success.

  The princess was extremely disappointed, but there was nothing she could do about it.

  Her mother, Fu Rong, was the emperor's aunt and received great respect every day, but Princess Changling was Empress Jiang's only daughter, the emperor's beloved princess, who would not let Yuan Yue'er out no matter if she was really ill or pretending to be ill, and nobody could do anything about it.

  The distinction between ruler and minister is as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.

  Otherwise, with the Yuan family being so wealthy and noble, why would their eldest legitimate daughter have to go to the palace to suffer such hardships?

  It's said to be a princess companion, shining with unparalleled glory, but in reality, it's just a high-ranking maid by the side of the long-aged princess, a child raised with gold and jade at home, now still having to coax others into taking medicine.

  The Countess of Yining thought of her daughter, and her mood became infinitely sorrowful. Her nose tip felt a sourness, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red. "Grandmother, it's been almost half a year since I last saw Yue'er."

  Cui Lingxiao knew who Yuan Yue'er was, and Du Niang also mentioned to her that the royal princess was ill. Miss Yue'er couldn't come back for her uncle's wedding. Although she wasn't a master of intrigue and calculation, in her heart, she vaguely felt that things might not be as simple as they seemed.

  The men of the Yuan family almost all went to the northwest, which was not for fun, but may have sacrificed their lives at any time to defend the country. For the loyal and good people of the country, although the emperor gave Yuan Wulang a marriage as a consolation, he detained Yuan Dalang's daughter, is this a warning?

  Otherwise, Yuan Wulang's wedding would be a grand celebration. Even if Princess Changling was really ill, Yuan Yue'er wasn't the imperial physician, nor was she a palace maid who attended to her personally, so why must she be the one to take care of her?

  It's not like she can't do without, the princess doesn't understand things, does Empress Jiang also not understand? The princess has the entire Imperial Hospital's famous doctors when she falls ill, but Uncle's wedding is only once in a lifetime, what's more important and what's less important, people with empathy can all tell.

  So these are just excuses.

  Cui Ying thought that it was probably because the Yuan family had too much military power in their hands, and the emperor was somewhat wary of them.

  However, she didn't quite understand these things. She thought that the old lady had led troops and fought battles before, and was even conferred as a female general, so her wisdom and strategy must be extraordinary. And Princess Yining was from such a background, so she should be able to see through schemes and plots at a glance.

  With them around, it's better to say nothing and do nothing, just be a rice weevil.

  She bit her lip and saw that the county master's eyes had tears in them, so she took out a handkerchief from her bosom and handed it over, "Sister-in-law..."

  The princess of Yining county was slightly stunned, hesitated to take over the handkerchief, thought for a moment, and then also didn't care about anything, picked it up and wiped her eyes.

  She nodded with a sob, "Thank you, Fifth Brother and Sister."

  According to her usual experience and the noble lady's upbringing she had received since childhood, if someone else was holding back tears, it wasn't suitable for her to say something to comfort them. This wasn't just a matter of politeness, but also a form of self-protection.

  Noble ladies usually only want to show others their magnificent and dignified side, who would willingly expose their shortcomings for people to see?

  The Countess of Yining misses her daughter and is heartbroken for her. This kind of true feelings can be freely expressed in front of family members, but if outsiders see it, it would have a different meaning.

  Choi Yong's handkerchief, which was handed over in this way, made her a little hesitant.

  However, this morning when offering tea, she was in a hurry and didn't get a good look at her fifth brother's appearance. Now facing him directly, the county lady found that it was indeed as Old Lady had said - Cui Ying not only resembled her dearly departed daughter in demeanor and bearing, but also had a similar shadow between his eyebrows.

  Her heart softened, and a natural intimacy arose, so she simply removed the restrictions set for outsiders, relying on the grievances in her heart, and cried at Old Lady's place.

  After a short while, the lady of Yining County wiped away her tears and bid farewell to the old lady, "The daughter-in-law is so rude, she has made you laugh, Your kindness is like that of a Bodhisattva, please forgive the daughter-in-law. There are still some things outside, the daughter-in-law won't disturb your rest, I'll come again when I have time."

  She turned to Cui Ying and said, "Fifth brother's wife, can you take me to your place to touch up my makeup? Look at me now, if I go out like this, the servants in the mansion will see me and be frightened."