lady, please calm down

March 18th, late afternoon.

Jiarou was newly pregnant and felt a little more tired than usual, so she stayed in the bedroom to take a short nap.

Downstairs, Jia'er and Hutou were playing a game invented by their brother-in-law, called checkers. Compared to the serious and brain-intensive games of Go and chess, the simple and easy gameplay of checkers was very popular among the women in the rear house.

Servants rarely appeared in Xingyuan to begin with, and only the occasional whispers of Jia'an and Hutou's arguments could be heard, making the place seem even more quiet and peaceful.

Not long after, a maid came in hurriedly.

Jia'an's attention was temporarily diverted from the chessboard. She turned around and whispered, "What's wrong? Sister is resting upstairs."

This was to tell the maid not to disturb her, but she said, "Replying to the two ladies, the steward Weng has sent a message that an old lady just wanted to see the lady and is waiting at the gatehouse. Steward Weng sent someone to ask if the lady wants to see her. Here is the visiting card."

The old lady wants to see my sister?
Jia'er was very puzzled. After returning to Beijing, her elder sister, in order to avoid suspicion, hardly ever left the house except when accompanying her brother-in-law, and she kept a very low profile.

In order to avoid suspicion, the old ministers of Qi State also never took the initiative to contact each other. How could the old lady want to see my sister?
However, it was not easy for her to make a decision for her sister, so she took the visiting card and went upstairs.

In the bedroom upstairs, Jiarou was sleeping lightly and seemed to be awakened by the noise downstairs. She was sitting in front of the mirror and fixing her hair that was slightly flattened during her lunch break.

"Sister, I heard that an old lady wants to see you."

Jia'an handed over the visiting card. When her sister opened it, she looked over and saw "Respectfully presented by the widow Xu Zhang."

After a closer look, I realized that this widow was actually the wife of Xu Derang, the Minister of Rites who died by hitting his head in the Daqing Palace many years ago.

Jia'an couldn't help but cover her mouth in surprise, and said in a panic: "Sister, I can't see you!"

Jiarou was also a little surprised when she first opened the visiting card, but she calmed down immediately. After hearing what Jiamen said, she asked back, "Why can't I meet him?"

"Sister, the matter of Lord Xu caused a lot of uproar back then. If you met his widow, I'm afraid your brother-in-law would think too much!"

As the only person who remained loyal to Liu Yu, Xu Derang's story was indeed widely spread, so it was not surprising that Jia'er knew about it.

But Jiarou looked out the window and said, "This Zhang went straight to the palace gate to report, and made a big show of it. How could the princess not know that she had been here? If I don't dare to see her, it would seem that I am guilty. Go, have someone bring her in."

Over the years, the sisters have been able to study and live in a relatively peaceful and affluent environment, and Jiarou, the eldest sister, has made great contributions.

Therefore, Jia'an took her elder sister's words as the golden rule and went down to give the order as she was told.

While the two sisters were waiting for Zhang, Jiarou opened the secret compartment under the bed and saw seven or eight boxes of various sizes inside.

Jiarou took out one of them and opened it, only to see that it was filled with neatly bundled stacks of large-denomination White Tiger coins worth "Dangbai". A quick glance revealed that there were at least hundreds of thousands of coins in it.

Jia'an was not surprised that her elder sister had a secret stash of money. After all, her elder sister had never been stingy with her sisters' expenses over the years.

Although the palace treated everyone equally, more than ten Jia'an sisters and Hutou received the same monthly salary.

But her monthly salary was not enough to support her in buying Yurong Fragrance's vanishing cream, Huarong bags and other items. It was precisely because of her elder sister's secret support for many years that she and Hutou had caused a disturbance in the school.

But even though I knew that my elder sister was rich, I still didn't expect her to be so rich. So my elder sister took out a box, and there were several more boxes in the secret compartment under the bed!
"Sister, you don't do business, how did you get so much money?"

Jia'an pulled out a stack, clapped her hands, and listened to the rustling sound of the bills of lading, her eyes lighting up.

Jiarou raised her hand and took back the bill of lading from Jiahua, saying, "Cao Banban bought me a farm in Caizhou in the early years, with several thousand guan income every year. And Fengle Tower was originally the property of my second brother. Although it is now run by Caihua, your brother-in-law has asked for 30% of the profits for me, which is several tens of thousands of guan every year. My eldest brother's several shops in the city and a royal farm outside the city are now under my name. In addition, the hundreds of thousands of guan left in my father's inner treasury and the jewelry and headwear left by the concubines in the palace were also mostly handed over to me. In the future, you will all have a share."

Jia'an was amazed and couldn't help but say, "Brother-in-law is so good to me!"

"Your brother-in-law is not a bandit." Jiarou smiled, untied a bundle of invoices and started counting them.

Jia'an disagreed, "Sister, that's not what you said! Most men in the world regard women as objects, and the more capable the men are, the more they are like this. When Tokyo was in chaos, my brother-in-law came to Beijing and took control of the situation. If he didn't give these things to me, I wouldn't get a penny."

There were some disrespectful words that Jia'er hadn't said yet. When they were nominal royal princesses in the palace, both their father and their brothers spent money extravagantly and paid little attention to them, their worthless sisters.

To be honest, their lives back then were not as good as those of the eunuchs who often served their brother.

Now, because of their brother-in-law, they have the opportunity to share part of the property left by the royal family of Qi.

According to this statement, as long as the royal brothers are alive, they will always be dependent on their brothers, be kept in the palace for a few years, and then be used as tools to win people's hearts and marry old, ugly and rude military leaders like Shan Ninggui and Li Qiong!
Thinking of this, Jia'an felt somewhat fortunate. However, this was a very treasonous statement. Although she could think about it secretly in her heart, she would never dare to say it out loud.

Jiarou also stopped counting the money. She didn't think about it that way, but she thought that all the female members of the palace seemed to have great financial freedom. Not to mention the princess and Cai Huan, Ayu's dowry was the most generous of all. Even Yunong should have saved a lot over the years because of her design work on the Huarong bags.

However, what is commonplace in the palace is a fantasy in other families.

In most of the deep houses, the financial power belongs to the head of the household. At most, the main wife can share a little of this power. As for the concubines, let alone private property, even their bodies are not their own.

Seeing that Jia'an was also at the age to get married, Jiarou couldn't help but want to teach her the experience she had gained in the harem over the years, so she said: "Your brother-in-law is good, but when you get married in the future, remember to have your own pocket money. You can't do without money to reward servants, win people's hearts, and deal with other women."

When Jia'an heard her elder sister talking about marriage for the first time, she couldn't help but blush, but she didn't respond to her elder sister's words. She just said, "Sister, in the early years, I occasionally heard my brother-in-law say a sentence, which is 'Economic freedom can lead to personal independence'. Now I think that my brother-in-law must have done it on purpose."

The education that Jia'an received in the girls' school was relatively novel and open, which was very different from the traditional education that Jiarou received. Therefore, the latter was unable to figure out what Jia'an meant at first.

But Jia'er continued, "Just like sister Yunong. She never makes big mistakes, but keeps making small ones, and is fined for no reason. If she relied on the little money from the mansion to live, she would have been punished and changed, and became a cautious and resentful woman in the deep house. How could she be as lively as she is now? It is because she is not afraid of being punished that she can become the happy pill of the mansion. I think my brother-in-law does this because he is afraid that everyone will become like that."

This angle is quite novel. It’s the first time Jiarou has heard this kind of insight.

After thinking for a while, Jiarou looked at the half-counted money and suddenly smiled: "It's all your fault. I forgot how much I counted."

"Sister, why are you counting money?"

"After all, Minister Xu is loyal to my father. Since his widow has come to visit me, I must show some appreciation."

Jiarou counted out the eight thousand guan notes and stuffed them into her sleeve. She was distracted for a moment, and then she sighed after a while: "If Xu Derang was not so stubborn, and he lived to this day, seeing him pacify Liaodong and tame Xixia, he would probably be convinced."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the maid downstairs calling, "Madam, Madam Zhang is here."

Jiarou then took Jia'an downstairs.

But a white-haired old woman in her seventies immediately knelt down and kowtowed when she saw Jiarou, saying, "I, Xu Zhang, pay my respects to Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Jiarou quickly asked Jia'en to help the person up, and the old and the young looked at each other. Jiarou had only met this Zhang once or twice in her early years, and her impression of her had long been vague.

Zhang, with tears in her eyes, choked up and said, "Now that I see that Your Highness is safe and sound, I can die with peace of mind."

Jiarou offered him a seat and tea, and asked, "Did the old lady encounter any difficulties during her visit to Beijing?"

Yi Jiarou thought that Zhang had no need to travel thousands of miles to Tokyo to vent her anger on a princess of the previous dynasty. She might have encountered difficulties. Perhaps she was bullied by the local government. After all, Xu Derang had severely offended the King of Chu. Now that the new king was about to ascend the throne, it was not uncommon for local officials to bully the descendants of the Xu family to show their loyalty to the new king.

If this is the case, Jiarou would talk to Chen Chu about it out of consideration for the relationship between Xu Derang and her father. After all, the Xu family is no longer a threat, and if Chen Chu helps his family out of trouble, he can also gain a reputation for being "generous and tolerant."

Or perhaps, Zhang came here because he was in financial difficulty and had to find her for help.

If it was the latter, Jiarou had already prepared the invoice in her sleeve and would not let Zhang make a wasted trip.

Unexpectedly, Zhang did not make the above request. Instead, she slowly said: "After the mourning period ended, my hometown could no longer accommodate my family. My two sons took their families to travel in Da Qi. On the way, we learned that the King of Chu was about to ascend the throne. My family hurried to Tokyo just to meet the emperor and congratulate him on his longevity."

Jiarou couldn't help but be stunned. There was some relationship between her and the Xu family, but Xu Derang died because of the King of Chu after all. It was good that his family didn't hate the King of Chu, so why did they come all the way to congratulate him in person?

While Jiarou was wondering, Zhang spoke again, "Your Highness, I have been to Hebei and Huaibei with my son these years, and I have seen the prosperity of people in various places. I know that my husband was wrong back then. But the big mistake has been made. My husband has slandered the prince with his death. I, the descendants of the Xu family, have the responsibility to clear the prince's grievances for him."

Zhang's words were extremely sincere, but Jiarou felt something was not right, so she asked, "How is the old lady going to help the King of Chu clear his name?"

Zhang sighed slowly, wiped the tears from her eyes, and said, "The son has to pay for the father's sin. The two sons in the family will kowtow to the King of Chu and apologize in person. The whole world will know about it. Afterwards, the two sons will write an article under their names and publish what they have seen and heard in various places in Da Qi over the years in newspapers and magazines."

This matter still has some significance.

An old minister crashed into the hall and died. Many years later, his son repented. Adding such a drama before ascending the throne made it seem that the people of the country were united.

Furthermore, the articles written by the two sons of the Xu family must have been intended to praise and defend the policies formulated by the King of Chu.

His father was in opposition to the King of Chu, but his son was sincerely convinced by him. The events of the early years were thus exposed, and the Xu family became honorable. The King of Chu gained tolerance and magnanimity, and his good policies became more convincing.

Jia'an, who had been standing next to her elder sister, kept winking at her elder sister. She felt that this was a very good thing! There were no harms but only benefits.

But Jiarou still has many doubts. After all, Xu Derang is the head of the family. It is said that a son should not talk about his father's mistakes. Even if the two sons of the Xu family have seen the lives of the people in various places and have already identified with the King of Chu from the bottom of their hearts, there is no need for them to come to Tokyo to kowtow and admit their mistakes!
So where does that leave their father?

Then wouldn’t Xu Derang’s death become a joke?
Jiarou was unsure for a moment, so she naturally wouldn't promise anything for Chen Chu. She just said, "Madam, there's no need to do this. The King of Chu doesn't care about the things that happened in the past. Besides, it was a political disagreement between Lord Xu and the King of Chu. There's no need to involve your son."

Seeing that Jiarou still refused to speak, Zhang couldn't help crying again. There was silence in the room for a few breaths. Just when Jiarou wanted to pay the other party, Zhang suddenly said, "Your Highness, considering that my husband was loyal to the late emperor, I beg Your Highness to help my Xu family this time."

This was a bit abrupt. Before Jiarou could ask, Zhang continued, "My two sons, although not very talented in managing the world, have been well-read since childhood and have devoted themselves to serving the country! But now, because of an incident that happened back then, they have no way to serve the country and are wasting their days lamenting. I see it with my own eyes and feel pain in my heart. If I can exchange my life for their future, I am willing to die. I really have no other choice, so I shamelessly come to Your Highness and ask for your mercy."

After saying this, Zhang burst into tears.

Jiarou suddenly realized that Zhang brought her family to Beijing ostensibly to apologize, but in reality she wanted to find a way out for her son!

After what happened back then, it became difficult for the two sons of the Xu family to enter officialdom in Da Qi. After all, the superior did not dare to employ the descendants of someone who had offended the King of Chu.

Only if they apologize in person and the King of Chu magnanimously smiles and lets bygones be bygones, can the descendants of the Xu family have a chance to rise.

Now the logic makes sense.

Jiarou, who is also a mother and is pregnant at the time, is naturally deeply touched by the phrase "Parents' love is the most compassionate in the world." She can also put aside her dignity and even hatred for the sake of her children.

Isn’t this the case with Zhang at this moment?

Jiarou pondered for a long time, and finally said: "Old Madam, I will inform the prince about this matter, but I dare not promise you whether to see him or not."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Your Highness is willing to help. The 27 members of our Xu family are grateful."

Zhang cried.

That night, Chen Chuhai returned home at the end of the night.

In Mao'er's bedroom, the three little ones, Rao'er, Ran'er and Mian'er, had already fallen asleep on the bed. Mao'er, on the other hand, was lying beside the desk, carefully copying a copybook of calligraphy given to her by Mr. Li.

The women in the mansion all have their own strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes to diligence, Mao'er is definitely number one.

When she was in Luliuxu, she learned how to manage the household; when she was in Caizhou, she learned business; after her husband became powerful, she learned etiquette. In short, for more than ten years, Mao'er has hardly stopped, always trying to keep up with Chen Chu and be a good wife.

Just like now, whenever I have some free time, I will continue to practice writing so that my handwriting can be presentable and not be laughed at by others.

"You're practicing calligraphy again. Can't you take a break?"

Chen Chu walked into the bedroom and got close to Mao'er to take a look. Mao's handwriting used to be very beautiful, far better than his. This made Chu Ge'er feel a little embarrassed.

That feeling is similar. We agreed that the couple would be poor students together, so how come you secretly improved your grades?

But Chen Chu was forced to catch up, but he was unwilling to do so and would rather hold his wife back than to be introverted!
With this thought in mind, Chen Chu decisively took the brush from Mao'er's hand, preventing her from practicing.
"Now your handwriting is much better than mine, so why do you need to practice?"

Chen Chu spoke shamelessly. Cat looked up with a helpless look on his face, but he stopped practicing calligraphy. He stood up and walked to the bedside to tuck in the corners of the quilt for the three little ones.

"Hey, why are we staying at your place tonight?"

Chen Chu was surprised, but Mao'er gently took away the finger that Mian'er was holding in her mouth, turned around and whispered: "Tonight, Jiarou brought Mian'er to my place. Mian'er saw Rao'er and Ran'er playing on the bed, so she cried and wanted to sleep with her two sisters, so I asked Jiarou to keep Mian'er."

Chen Chu couldn't help but smile and whispered, "Jia Rou actually trusts you."

This means that Jiarou has always been very careful in the mansion and rarely lets Mian'er sleep in other people's courtyards.

Chen Chu and Mao'er sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the little girls sleeping soundly on the bed. Suddenly, Mao'er said, "Just now, Jiarou waited for you here for a long time, but she never saw you."

"Ah."

"Huh? Did you know she was coming to see you?"

"I didn't know she came to see me, but I knew she wasn't stupid enough to come to me and tell me as soon as she knew something was wrong."

Mao'er didn't quite understand, so she looked at Chen Chu and tried to ask, "Sir, are you talking about the old lady Zhang who came to visit today?"

Chen Chu nodded, and Mao'er asked in confusion: "From what Jiarou said, the old lady came to ask her for help for her son's future. Jiarou couldn't make up her mind, so she came to ask you. Jiarou said that this matter is good for your reputation."

Chen Chu smiled and said, "My dear, please act out a play with me tomorrow."

"Acting? What kind of acting?"

"Then Zhang's arrival is just right. We can take this opportunity to see if there are any ambitious people inside or outside our court."

The cat blinked her watery peach blossom eyes, but still didn't understand. (End of this chapter)