The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 66: A Kind Mother and a Filial Son

Filial piety?

Lang Jiuchuan looked down at the book at his feet, kicked his toes and smiled.

She raised her head, looked at Cui and asked, "Before that, Madam, why don't you tell me, what is kindness?"

Cui's pupils trembled slightly, and she took a step back, her face livid: "You!"

"I am uneducated and I don't understand, but I do know a phrase: a loving mother leads to a filial son." Lang Jiuchuan said sarcastically, "Madam, a loving mother leads to a filial son!"

"How dare you!" Cui was so angry that her lips trembled.

Nanny Cheng was extremely worried and advised, "Madam, anger is harmful to your health. It's cold today and the girl just came back. Let her go wash up first? Then go to the ancestral hall..."

"Nurse, the old master's mourning period is not even a month old yet she dares to leave home and wander around outside. She has family members to protect her in the mansion. If she were outside, wouldn't she be criticized?"

Madam Cheng said dryly, "Didn't you say that the young lady went to pray for the old marquis to rest in peace?"

Lang Jiuchuan said: "No need to say, I will go to where the ancestral hall is."

Cui was stunned.

Lang Jiuchuan stopped talking and directly asked a maid to lead the way and went straight out of the yard. As for the Book of Filial Piety on the ground, she didn't even look at it, let alone pick it up and read it.

Not tearing it up in front of Cui meant that she had a fruitful trip and was in a good mood, which was generous.

As for the ancestral hall.

That was a good place, a place blessed by the ancestors of the Lang family, and a place of nourishment from merit. It was just right for her to digest what she had gained this time, which was great.

Her wild and unruly appearance made Cui feel like she was punching cotton. She was so angry that she covered her chest and gasped.

"Look at her, she still acts like a girl?" So unruly, which girl is like her?

Although Nanny Cheng was annoyed by the tit-for-tat between the mother and daughter, she saw that Cui's face had turned a little red because she was angry. She was no longer as lifeless as before, but had more life in her face.

She held Cui's hand and advised, "The girl is young, and you have never taught her a day before. You can only teach her slowly. In fact, you don't have to be so harsh on her. With her body like that, how can she kneel in the ancestral hall in such a cold weather?"

Cui said, "Wet nurse, are you blaming me too?"

"I am afraid that you and the young lady will become more alienated." Madam Cheng sighed, "My dear, in this mansion, the young lady is the one who is closest to you. You should be of one mind and support each other. Even if you adopt a son in the future, it will not be as close as the relationship between her and you."

Cui was silent.

Seeing that she didn't refute, Madam Cheng continued, "Even if you are unhappy, I still have to say something for the young lady. She has lived alone in the manor for more than ten years. It would be terrible if she didn't blame me at all."

If even a saint can't do it, how can a little girl who hasn't even reached the age of marriage be able to do it?

If she really doesn't have any resentment at all, then how deep must this person's mind be? Wouldn't he feel uneasy when he was with her?
Cui opened her mouth but said nothing.

Lang Jiuchuan was driven to the ancestral hall by Cui and made to kneel as punishment. Everyone in the Lang family had different reactions. The younger ones were gloating, while the adults were sighing. The second branch of the family was already dwindling in number, and the mother and daughter, who were supposed to depend on each other, were not getting along. What should they do?
Lang Zhengping couldn't bear it any more, so he went to find Fan and asked her to comfort Cui and not to be so harsh. Fan smiled and said, "You are quite tolerant of your niece, Jiu Niang."

There were not many girls in the family. Apart from those who were married, there were three girls still waiting to be married, one in each of the three rooms. However, Lang Zhengping was very indulgent towards Lang Jiuchuan, his niece who did not grow up in his presence.

"After all, she is my second brother's only flesh and blood, and her body is so weak. If she... then my second brother will really have no one to rely on." Lang Zhengping was worried about Lang Jiuchuan's health.

Fan said, "Why not ask the imperial physician to come and prescribe a prescription for her."

Lang Zhengping nodded, and asked Fan to send someone to the ancestral hall to make arrangements for the punishment of kneeling. It was just a token of his kindness, but if something bad happened, Cui would probably regret it to death.

Lang Jiuchuan still didn't know what her family members' attitude was towards her being punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall. At this moment, she was standing in the courtyard of the ancestral hall in the marquis's mansion, looking at the magnificent and exquisite structure of the ancestral hall in front of her, listening to the crisp sound of the bells hanging on the hexagonal eaves, and the corners of her lips curled up.

It was already evening. The ancestral hall was located in the northwest of the marquis's mansion, in a remote location. Lanterns were hung throughout the hall, so it was not brightly lit. However, the plaque on the hall had four large characters "Ancestors' Virtue and Ancestors' Merits" written in gold lacquer. There was a small lamp above the plaque that shone just right, making the characters glow with a layer of golden light.

It is said that this was the character that the ancestor of the Lang family obtained from Taizu specifically after he followed Taizu in conquering the world on horseback and won great merit, and then he established the family and built a temple.

The one guarding the Lang family ancestral hall was an old soldier who had followed the old marquis. He had been wounded in the leg by an arrow and was a little lame, with a long scar under his eye. Because of his limited mobility and ruined appearance, he had been working for the Lang family. Later, he was transferred to guard the ancestral hall. When he saw Lang Jiuchuan, he was a little dazed.

Inexplicably, I saw a young man from the past in her, but unfortunately, that child died on the battlefield just like his ancestors.

I heard that the second master's only daughter has returned. Is she the one before you? She looks a little too weak.

The old servant bowed slightly to her.

Lang Jiuchuan returned the greeting and said, "Thank you for your help, old man. I am here in the ancestral hall to reflect on my mistakes."

The old servant said, "Miss Nine, just call me Old Chang."

He stepped forward first, opened the door of the ancestral hall with the key, came to the red lacquered incense box in front of the altar, took out a few incense sticks and handed them to Lang Jiuchuan.

In the middle of the ancestral hall there is a huge stand with many tablets on it. All of them are the names of the Lang family. Many of them are the heroic souls of the Lang family. Just from looking at these tablets, you can tell that the Lang family had made many contributions in the past, but they never thought that they would decline to this extent and become marginalized people in the court.

A sigh.

Lang Jiuchuan took the incense, lit it respectfully, bowed three times, and then put it in the incense burner.

She looked around again and came to the wall on the left, where there were many portraits hanging, all of which were men who had made great contributions to the Lang family.

Lang Jiuchuan stood in front of a portrait of a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had thick, heroic eyebrows, narrow and long phoenix eyes, a slightly raised chin, and was wearing armor. He held a long tasseled spear in one hand and a championship cap against his waist in the other. He looked energetic, wise and brave, and looked like he deserved a beating.

Lang Jiuchuan looked into the portrait's eyes and felt a little flutter in his heart.

This is her biological father in this physical body, Lang Zhengfan, the young general who would have made outstanding military achievements if he had not died young.

"This was when your father was 21 years old." Old Chang stepped forward, took a step behind her, and said, "At that time, he had just been promoted to a fifth-rank general, and was very powerful. Someone in the mansion happened to paint a portrait of the old man, so he also painted one, but he didn't expect..."

Lang Jiuchuan brushed his fingers across the portrait and asked, "Can I see the family tree?"

(End of this chapter)