Feng Gui thought for a moment, then told the story: "Reporting to the master, Madam Yang's brother Yang Peng died on the battlefield last year while trying to save Gabriel Song, leaving behind only Madam Yang. Gabriel Song was grateful for his sacrifice, so after making inquiries from various sources, he went to Wenshui in person to bring Madam Yang into his mansion."
"At that time, the master of the family was heading north to resist the Xi tribe. After returning to the capital, he went straight to Jinzhou. He had not returned home for several months, so naturally he did not know about this matter. Speaking of which, Madam Yang is really a remarkable woman. She is well taken care of by the Madam and Gabriel Song. She has a peaceful life with fine clothes and delicious food, but she often helps the servants in the mansion with work. I don't know what she is thinking. Madam Yang is clever and skillful. After she decorated the house, it was very neat and elegant. The tea cakes she made were also very delicious. The young lady and the grandmother loved them very much."
There were several dark bamboo branches lying horizontally outside the window, reflected on the screen and trembling in the wind. Ethan Song stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the silhouettes of the dark bamboo branches and leaves, but no one knew what he was thinking.
Feng Gui was unsure of what he was thinking, so he could only continue what he had said before: "Last November, Madam Yang accidentally fell at night and hit her head, and she became seriously ill. When she woke up, she forgot everything that happened before and could hardly recognize people. After asking a doctor to see her, he said that Madam Yang had suffered a contusion and rupture of the brain. When the lady heard about it, she felt sorry for her and sent Aunt Zhang to take care of her. Unexpectedly, after Madam Yang recovered from her illness, she sent back the maidservants and Aunt Zhang by her side, saying that she was not used to being served by others, and her temper was not as dull as before."
When Ethan Song heard this, his eyebrows moved slightly. He turned around and sat down in front of the book bank. He opened a book, lowered his eyes and said in a flat tone: "Go on."
Feng Gui was not sure what the master wanted to hear, and even if he had a good tongue, it was useless. He just assumed that the master was interested in the beautiful Yang lady, and continued to talk: "In my opinion, Yang lady is not only good-looking..."
While saying this, he secretly glanced at the owner's expression. His face didn't change at all, which meant he agreed with what he said. Feng Gui felt relieved and smiled foolishly.
"She has a very good heart. Let's not talk about how she treated people with humility and courtesy in the past, and how she never looked down on others. Just two days ago, Huanzhu received an order from the Madam to go to the kitchen to invite Yang to Cuizhuju. It happened to rain on the way, and Huanzhu didn't bring an umbrella, so her clothes and hair got wet. When Yang saw this, she asked her to dry her hair and drink a bowl of ginger soup before going back, saying that she would go back and tell the Madam. I'm afraid there are few maids and old ladies in this mansion who don't like her."
Originally, the compliments were kind words, but in Ethan Song's ears, they aroused his suspicion. His eyes were gloomy for no reason, and he snorted coldly in a low voice: "In this case, she is quite popular in the mansion."
"Tomorrow, find two qualified people to go to Wenshui and conduct a thorough investigation to find out the identities and origins of her brother and sister."
Feng Gui guessed that Gabriel Song and Taifu must have verified the identities of her brother and sister, and there shouldn't be any major mistakes. However, since the master of the house had asked him to check carefully, he must have his considerations and it would be unreasonable for him not to do his best.
"Master, please rest assured. I will definitely get this done." Feng Gui vowed.
Ethan Song's expression eased a little after hearing this, and he suddenly remembered something and asked again: "Have you and Huanzhu decided on this?"
Feng Gui was flattered by the question. He wondered when the master had ever asked about such trivial matters. He remembered this matter today. He smiled and said, "Thanks to the master, the lady has already agreed. I will appoint a girl as my new wife when Huanzhu turns 20 next year."
Ethan Song hummed lightly, too lazy to speak any more, and waved his hand to signal him to leave.
"I'll take my leave." Feng Gui crossed his arms and bowed, then turned around and pushed the door open to go out. He was in a good mood and hummed a little tune as he left Tuihanju.
It was getting darker outside the window and the dew was heavy. A bright moon was hanging high in the sky. Cassandra Shi took off her makeup and undressed. After washing up, she blew out the candle and went to bed.
The songs she heard tonight were echoing in her mind. She thought that when she arrived in Jinguan City, she would find the music scores and learn them carefully. If God had mercy on her and let her find a way to return to the modern times, she would play these songs for Chen Rang, which would definitely make him happy for a long time.
When thinking of Chen Rang, how can I not think of my parents and her little sisters? Outside the green gauze window, the evening breeze was gentle and everything was quiet, but Cassandra Shi was inexplicably depressed, with a hint of moisture in the corners of her eyes. She tossed and turned on the bed for a long time before she fell into a light sleep.
The next morning, when the sky had just turned pale, Cassandra Shi was awakened by her original body's dedicated biological clock. After washing, she sat in front of the makeup mirror and used a hairpin to tie up her hair. She changed into a narrow-sleeved middle-length shirt, a green half-sleeve and a high-waisted striped silk skirt. Because she did not sleep well last night, her complexion was inevitably a little worse today, so she put some powder on her face to brighten her skin tone, making her look more energetic.
Because there was a lot of work to do in the kitchen, and she was good friends with several of the ladies there, she would go there to help out in the morning from time to time.
Clara Song was tired of eating all kinds of delicacies yesterday, so he sent someone over this morning, saying that he wanted to eat something light. Liu Ao cooked some vegetable porridge and asked Cassandra Shi to help steam some pumpkin buns.
The lady's place wanted to have a vegetarian meal, so Xier was busy cutting tofu and soaking dried mushrooms. In the past, Ethan Song even ate boiled wild vegetables, leaves and tree bark when he was on the march. He was not picky about food and had no requirements. Lila would just make extra of whatever Gabriel Song wanted and have someone send it over.
Song Ming is the most difficult person to serve in the courtyard. His Concub!nes all have different tastes and preferences. Preparing meals for his courtyard is the most tiring. He doesn't even get rewarded twice throughout the year. It's really a thankless job.
Cassandra Shi kneaded the pumpkin dough and put it into a basin to ferment. After about a quarter of an hour, he put it in the pot to steam. When the fragrant and soft pumpkin buns were ready, Clara Song came in from the room with Xiaoshan, and asked the people inside through the window with a smile whether Er Niang's breakfast was ready.
Liu Ai quickly invited her in with a smile. Cassandra Shi was putting food into the food box when Xiao Shan took out a bulging cloth bag from her bosom. As she weighed the bag, she heard the sound of copper coins colliding. She smiled and said, "The young lady had a great time yesterday. This is a reward for you."
As she spoke, she put the purse into Liu Ai's hand and turned to talk to Cassandra Shi, "If it wasn't for the fact that it was really late last night, I would have wanted to play backgammon 2 with you, Madam Yang. I wonder if you have time to play with me tonight?"
As the saying goes, one who eats someone's food is soft-hearted, and one who receives someone's favor is obliged to return the favor. Considering the bag of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins in Liu Ao's hand, there was no reason for him to refuse. Moreover, the night was long, and there was nothing else to do except reading and sleeping. Playing backgammon was a good way to kill time.
"Of course there is time. You go back to your young lady. I'll come over after dinner and a short rest." Cassandra Shi said as he handed the lacquered food box to Xiao Shan with both hands.
Xiaoshan took the food box with a smile, exchanged a few words with others, and left.
Soon, people from each courtyard came to fetch breakfast. Evelyn Madam and the maid from Ethan Song's room also brought reward money, which Aunt Liu distributed to everyone in the kitchen without any further ado.
In the main room of Tuihanju, Ethan Song hastily ate a bowl of shredded chicken noodles and some roasted mutton. After rinsing his mouth with tea, he walked to the gate of the mansion with his head held high, mounted his horse and galloped towards the army.
At the hour of You, the sun set. The setting sun in the sky was blood-red, and the distant mountains were shining with a faint golden light. Ethan Song rode his horse back home and went straight to Cuizhuju.
Ruisheng opened the curtain and let someone in. Evelyn Madam was sitting on a Zen chair, threading Buddhist beads with one hand and striking the wooden fish on the small table with the other. When she heard Ethan Song calling her "grandma", she put down the small wooden hammer in her hand and slowly opened her eyes to look at him.
Mrs. Xue stared at him and asked, "Why are you here at this time? Have you already had dinner?"
Ethan Song had a serious look on his face and said in a flat tone: "No, I'll just use it at grandma's place. Grandma, please don't dislike me."
Mrs. Xue couldn't help laughing after hearing this. Her kind eyes and eyebrows turned into two crescents. She said with a smile: "I don't know where you learned this exquisite and naughty trick. You are making fun of me. If you want to complain, I'm afraid you can't get used to those vegetarian dishes."
The conversation between the grandfather and grandson caused Shu Yu, who was standing by, to chuckle. He stepped forward to collect the wooden fish and the mallet, walked out and closed the door, and told Gui Yun to go to the kitchen to serve the meal and ask for two more dishes to be sent over.
Agarwood was burning in the gilded hollow lotus incense burner. At that time, only the grandfather and grandson were left in the room. Ethan Song sniffed the faint fragrance, closed his eyes and said calmly: "Meng Jiu ordered people to rush and deliver the message. They passed Fenzhou the day before yesterday and will probably settle in Wenshui tonight. I think they will reach Taiyuan in two days."
Meng Jiulang, Meng Lichuan, is the husband of Ethan Song's sister Song Qingyin. Three years ago, he was demoted to the rank of fourth-rank Taichang Shaoqing, a Beijing official in charge of matters related to the royal ancestral temple sacrifices. It was a nominal position without real power. The Meng and Song families promoted him in the name of respecting him, but in fact they just wanted to keep him under their noses for surveillance and imprisonment. His wife Song Qingyin was seen as a bargaining chip to restrain and intimidate Ethan Song.
Ever since Song Qingyin followed Meng Lichuan to leave Taiyuan for Chang'an to take up her post, Evelyn Madam often worried and sighed, fearing that one day the emperor would become suspicious of Erlang and cause dissension between the monarch and his ministers, and in a fit of rage, he would target her and her family of three.
Erlang has always been kind and filial, and he values kinship the most. In addition, he lost his mother when he was in his early twenties, so he cherishes his two younger brothers and sisters, Da Niang and Gabriel Song, even more. He also loves his unmarried cousin Er Niang like a treasure.
What was the saint thinking behind such behavior? Even a woman like her could see a little bit about it, so how could Erlang not know what his intention was?
Erlang was a man who could not tolerate any injustice, but in order to protect Song Qingyin's family, he endured for three years without taking any rash actions. Last year, he defeated the Xi tribe and returned to the court. He used his great military exploits to put pressure on the emperor in the Mingtang, demanding that Meng Lichuan be sent to Taiyuan Prefecture as a fourth-rank Shao Yin3.
At that time, the Central Plains was in decline and the imperial court was weak, lingering on in the delicate balance between Hedong Jiedushi Ethan Song and Xuanwu Jiedushi Jiang Chao. This game ended with the saint's compromise. At the end of the year, the court issued a transfer order, demoting Meng Lichuan to the position of Shaoyin of Taiyuan Prefecture, a fourth-rank official. He resigned from Beijing in February of the following year to take up his post.
Jiang Chao, the governor of Xuanwu, was from Puzhou. His ancestors made their fortune through business. Later, the governors of Pinglu, Fanyang and Longyou rebelled, causing chaos in the Central Plains. Emperor Xuanzong fled to Shu with his Concub!ne and royal family members. The Jiang family suffered from the war and their business plummeted. By the time of Jiang Chao's father, they could only do small businesses.
Jiang Chao had learned martial arts since childhood and was good at using a spear. With lofty ambitions, he joined the rebel army and made many military achievements in his early years, which made him highly valued. Because the rebel army was particularly good at mobile warfare and agitating people, it grew stronger day by day. After a few years, it gathered more than 100,000 soldiers and horses and marched straight to Chang'an. Along the way, it was unstoppable, killing countless noble families and forcing the former emperor to flee in panic.
Upon hearing the news, Song Lin, father of Ethan Song, was the first to send troops to Hedong to rescue the emperor. Soon, many military governors rushed to send troops to encircle and suppress the rebels and welcome the late emperor back to Chang'an. Jiang Chao, because of his defeat in Huayin, surrendered to the military governor of Hezhong and was appointed as deputy general. Later, he and Song Jie fought against the rebels in Henan Road and the capital Luoyang, and recruited those who were willing to surrender. Two years later, the rebels surrendered to the court, and Jiang Chao personally presented the head of the rebel leader to the late emperor and was appointed as the military governor of Xuanwu.
At this point, Hedong Jiedushi Song Lin, Xuanwu Jiedushi Jiang Chao, and Longyou Jiedushi Wang Zhen were in a three-way balance of power and controlled Guanlong.
Later, Wang Zhen declined and Song Lin died of illness. Ethan Song inherited his position as the governor of Hedong. According to his father's will, he successively conquered Pinglu and Zhenwu, and competed with Jiang Chao south of the Yellow River.
Evelyn Madam is not the kind of woman who is confined to the harem. She has lived for decades and read a lot of history books. She has a clear understanding of the current situation in the world. The fall of the imperial court is probably just a matter of a few years.
There is a saying that goes "When Qin lost its power, the whole world chased it together".
Now that the constraints have been removed and Jiang Chao is old, Erlang is determined to get the deer.
Mrs. Xue's smile deepened, she closed her eyes slightly, and said meaningfully: "Mrs. has a brother like you, and there will be great fortune waiting for her in the future."
If he gets the title of the eldest princess one day, wouldn't that be a great fortune? After saying this, he and Ethan Song smiled at each other, understanding each other tacitly.
When the maid came in to serve the food, Ethan Song's eyes were attracted by the lotus-shaped pastry in the small white porcelain dish with gold painting. The words that Feng Gui had said to him last night emerged in his mind.
"It was only after Madam Yang came to our house that I was able to enjoy this lotus pastry. I don't know how she could come up with such a delicate mind to make such a beautiful and delicious pastry. Erlang, use half of it to taste it after dinner."
What a smart young lady this is, she even managed to coax the old lady into submission; but I wonder if she is the kind of person who seeks fame and reputation and waits for a good price?
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