Chapter 946: Outspoken
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Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Immediately, Madam Yao’s expression turned even uglier as she listened to
Cai Wei continue.
“Eldest Madam Jiang said that Eldest Miss isn’t in the capital, but the residence has received the emperor’s grace, so we can’t be negligent. She plans to hold a family banquet in the main house tonight. Considering that we’re still in mourning for the Matriarch, she won’t buy any wine or meat, so we’ll just make vegetable dishes. She asked Second Madam to bring a few sisters from the Second Mansion over tonight.”
When Madam Yao heard this, she was immediately exasperated. “What’s there to hold? We’re still in mourning for the Matriarch. How can the family hold a banquet? Even if it’s a vegetarian banquet, it’s still a banquet. If word gets out, people will definitely talk about it.”
“Even if Yu Youyao was conferred the t.i.tle of the Eldest Princess, she’s just a junior. How can she surpa.s.s the Matriarch?”
“She’s originally the daughter of an external minister. Even if she’s conferred the t.i.tle, she’s not of the proper bloodline of the royal family. She should keep a low profile.”
Nanny Qian frowned. She was really shooting her mouth off.
Even though they were in mourning for the Matriarch, this couldn’t stop a big matter that would bring glory to their ancestors. Even if it wasn’t easy to hold a banquet, they had to hold one. What else could outsiders say about this?
Eldest Miss was a junior. It was not wrong that she couldn’t surpa.s.s the Matriarch.
However, in terms of status, Eldest Miss had been recorded on the imperial family’s jade plate, and her status had also surpa.s.sed that of Old Madam. The family was showing off their status to express the emperor’s grace. What did this have to do with whether Old Madam was an elder or not? Could it be that Old Madam did not hope for the family to be well in the netherworld? There was no conflict at all.
It was true that Eldest Miss was the daughter of an external minister, but there were many n.o.ble ladies in the imperial family. Why weren’t they given the t.i.tle of “Eldest”, while Eldest Miss received this honor?
Furthermore, she was the only princess in the three generations of the Great Zhou Dynasty who had been conferred the t.i.tle of “Eldest”. No matter if she was from the palace or the imperial family, who else could compare to her other than the Empress Dowager and the Empress?
She did not have the proper bloodline of the royal family, but her t.i.tle was not faked at all. Fortunately, Eldest Miss was not in the capital. If she were in the capital, no matter where she went, the imperial concubines would have to bow
to Eldest Princess Shaoyi according to their rank. Those below the third – grade would have to kneel.
If news of Madam’s words just now were to spread outside, the palace would probably punish her for disrespecting the “Eldest Princess” and looking down on the royal family.
Nanny Qian quickly tried to smooth things over and said to Cai Wei, “Just tell her that Madam isn’t feeling well. When night comes, get the brothers and sisters at home to go over together.”
When Madam Jiang received the news from the Second Mansion, she sneered. “Someone is jealous. Not only is she not feeling well, but she’s probably even more uncomfortable. Let her be. In any case, since the Matriarch has pa.s.sed on and the Second Master is mourning in the clan, no one cares about her.”
They were all legitimate daughters with proper upbringing. Although their family backgrounds were inferior, who didn’t know who was who?
If she were in Madam Yao’s position, would she still feel comfortable facing her powerful and honorable niece who had suppressed her daughter until she couldn’t even raise her head?
If Madam Yao could still be calm, she would admire her.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t jealous.
However, as the second wife and with her family background, she did not even have the right to be jealous.
Madam Jiang changed the topic. “What did the Master say?”
The maidservant quickly replied, “The servant who went to the government office to deliver the letter said that the Master has official matters to attend to and will be back late tonight. The family matters are all up to you.”
However, Madam Jiang understood. To put it nicely, he would come back later.
To put it bluntly, he would not partic.i.p.ate in the family banquet.
This was how the aunt and the biological father behaved. The entire Yu Residence was really interesting.
If it were anyone else, the first thing the young misses in the family would do after obtaining such great honor would be to open the ancestral hall and report it to their ancestors before opening it widely.
How many secrets were hidden in the Yu Residence? It was not something that a concubine like her, who did not have any children to rely on, could investigate.
Madam Jiang felt that it was meaningless. “Tell the main kitchen to make a few more good dishes. Tonight, the residence will have an additional meal and everyone will be rewarded with 500 copper coins. There won’t be a banquet.”
The Fourth Miss in the main house was really incompetent. Not long after Eldest Miss went to Quanzhou, Yu Qingning begged her father and was released from the courtyard to continue her studies at home. She had become much more obedient and knew how to pretend to be obedient in front of her father. She had learned Third Miss Yu’s trick of attempting something overambitious and ending in failure.
However, Yu Zongzheng fell for it.
It was as if he had transferred all his guilt and love for Yu Jianjia to her.
Back then, she had relied on her father’s love and didn’t even take her, her stepmother, seriously. After being secretly taught a few times, she had become a little more obedient.
Yu Qingning did not have a good relationship with her sisters.
Madam Yao was not coming. The brothers and sisters of the first wife of the Second Mansion were not restrained by their elders, and there was no one from the first wife in the main family to step in. It was better not to hold a banquet, in case Yu Qingning caused a commotion. She would be in trouble.
In the Zhenguo Marquis Residence, Old Madam Song also heard about the news that the Empress Dowager had conferred the t.i.tle of Eldest Princess Yu Youyao. Her spirits immediately withered and she sat on the couch, as if someone had drained her strength.
Wei Zi was shocked and quickly poured a cup of hot tea.
After Old Madam Yu pa.s.sed away, Old Madam was also a little uncomfortable. The heir had been sent to Quanzhou to Dehua to make contributions. In the end, Quanzhou was plagued with j.a.panese pirates and the city was sealed. The news outside couldn’t be sent in, nor could the news inside be sent out. Old Madam ate and slept restlessly all day.
It was really worrying.
Old Madam Song waved her hand. She couldn’t even drink her tea anymore. She clutched her chest and groaned. “Aiyo, I really feel terrible!”
Wei Zi quickly helped Matriarch Yu hold on to her chest.
Old Madam Song felt weak all over, so she simply collapsed on the couch. “l could tell from the past that Yao Yao was blessed. She’s been on my mind since she was young, and in the blink of an eye, she’s grown up.”
The Song and Yu families were family friends, so she knew a little about Yao Yao’s situation at home.
However, even so, this child was neither pampered by her grandmother nor suppressed by her father and stepmother to the point that she had a mean temperament. She was still magnanimous.
She looked like a child, but she was a rare bright person.
Aristocratic families valued etiquette, rules, and talent. However, when seniors looked at peopke, what they valued the least were things on the surface that could be seen at one glance.
These could only showcase one’s upbringing and upbringing, but often did not represent a person’s true character. The old man saw through the words and actions of the young misses, and saw the nature and character behind them.
Rules, etiquette, and talent were not unimportant, but they were all considered at the end. A wealthy family’s rules were not bad. Even if they were a little bad, it did not matter. It was not too late to find an old nanny to teach them.
At this point, Old Madam Song felt even worse. “l originally thought that this was my responsibility, so in the first few years, I often used the excuse of reciprocating with the Yu Residence. The two families have become close.
Mingzhao usually stays in the residence, so he often hears about Yao Yao. It’s inevitable that he’ll pay attention to her..”