After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 53 The Rules of Being a Concubine

Lady Wanyi's words not only startled Xiang Ning, but also startled Pei Miaohan.

"Mother..."

"It's alright, let's go inside."

Lady Wanyi came to her senses and gently patted Pei Miaohan's shoulder.

"Okay, let's go in, sister."

Pei Miaohan, being a child at heart, didn't think much of Madam Wanyi's attitude, but Xiang Ning found Madam Wanyi rather strange.

Her reaction just now didn't seem like she was alright.

Pei Miaohan had already taken Xiang Ning's hand and pulled her into the house.

Xiang Ning could only nod to Madam Wanyi and say nothing more.

"I never expected my sister's name to be so beautiful."

After Pei Miaohan pulled Xiang Ning to sit down, she asked her maid Caizhu to fetch a sewing basket.

He started chatting with Xiang Ning.

"Thank you for the compliment, Fifth Sister."

"Don't be so polite. You taught me how to embroider sachets, so I should be calling you 'Master'."

Pei Miaohan held a pastry in her hand, shook her head, and looked very lively and cute.

"Fifth Miss, you're too kind. If you'd like to learn, I'd be happy to teach you."

If she hadn't come to Hehua Courtyard, she wouldn't have discovered that Lady Wanyi knew her mother.

“I have a nickname, Chuhe, which sounds a bit distant when you call me Fifth Sister.”

Pei Miaohan rarely left the manor, and there were few young ladies in the Pei family. Her second elder sister was away from home most of the year, and her eighth younger sister was still an infant.

No one played with her, only white balls.

"Girl, a sewing basket."

Before Xiang Ning could reply, Cai Zhu came over with a sewing basket.

She changed the subject, which made Pei Miaohan forget about the matter and focus on learning how to make sachets from her.

The sachet at her waist was originally quite ordinary, but Xiang Ning used several embroidery techniques, so from a distance, the pattern on it looked as if it were floating.

This made Pei Miaohan notice that she wanted to make one for Pei Changqing as well.

"That's enough for today. You can practice some more tonight. If there's anything you don't know, you can send someone to Mosong Garden to find me."

An hour later, Xiang Ning got up and put down the needle and thread in her hand.

Hearing her words, Pei Miaohan nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, Sister Xiangning. Caizhu, please bring me that hairpin."

After Pei Miaohan finished giving her instructions, Caizhu turned around to get the hairpin, and soon a pearl hairpin appeared in her hand.

"Take this gift as a thank you to my sister. Don't refuse it, or I'll be too embarrassed to come to you."

They spent half a day here teaching her so diligently, she would feel bad if she didn't give them a thank-you gift.

"Fifth Miss, you're too kind."

Xiang Ning repeatedly refused, but Pei Miaohan smiled and shook her head: "Take it quickly, don't be polite at all."

Seeing this, Xiang Ning had no choice but to accept it.

After putting the hairpin away, she went outside.

The Nianci Hall where Pei Changqing and Madam Wanyi lived was right next to the Hehua Courtyard. When Xiangning went out, she saw Madam Wanyi standing in the courtyard.

Upon seeing Xiang Ning, she immediately turned away, as if afraid Xiang Ning would ask her something.

This attempt to cover up the truth only made Xiang Ning more suspicious.

Xiang Ning withdrew her gaze and walked towards the location of Mo Song Yuan.

"Is she gone?"

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Wanyi asked the maid beside her.

"Madam has already left."

Why do you seem a little afraid of that maid?

Lianzhi helped Wanyi up and asked, "That maid doesn't seem like a fierce or menacing person."

"It's not that I'm afraid of her, it's just... Never mind, go inside." Lady Wanyi clearly didn't want to say anything more, and after speaking to her maid, she went inside.

Not far away, Xiang Ning emerged from behind a tree.

Her expression turned inquisitive, and after a moment's thought, she left.

When they returned to Mosong Garden, Pei Yanzhi had not yet come back, so Xiang Ning pulled Bi Tao aside.

"Bitao, there's something I want to ask you."

Looking at Xiang Ning, whose expression was somewhat serious, Bi Tao's smile faded considerably: "What does sister want to ask?"

Do you know Lady Wanyi's background?

Xiang Ning lowered her voice as she said this, and Bi Tao seemed somewhat confused.

"Why did you suddenly decide to inquire about Lady Wanyi, sister?"

"Today, the Fifth Miss asked me to make a sachet, and I happened to run into Madam Wanyi, so I thought I'd ask her about it."

Upon hearing this, Bitao replied, "Actually, I don't know much either. I only know that Lady Wanyi's family used to be officials, I think in Xin'an County."

"Xin'an County?"

Bitao's words startled Xiangning. Wasn't that her hometown?

"Yes, but later Xin'an County was hit by a major flood that inundated many villages, right? I heard that Lady Wanyi's father embezzled disaster relief funds and was exiled three thousand miles away, so Lady Wanyi became a slave."

"But since the Fourth Prince knew Lady Wanyi, he naturally couldn't bear to see her suffer in the brothel, so he proposed to marry her so that she wouldn't have to suffer in the brothel."

"But the old lady disagreed, saying that even if she were to become a concubine, it would be a lenient decision for someone of such a lowly status as a slave. She absolutely could not allow her to become the mistress of the house."

At this point, Bitao scratched her head: "So all these years, Fourth Master has not married. However, Madam Wanyi is no different from the first wife."

After Bitao finished speaking, Xiangning nodded in understanding.

Xin'an County, no wonder people were so shocked to hear her name.

Her name was given to her by her mother, and few people knew it. The neighbors in Xin'an County only knew her as Xiang'er.

Later, in order to escape those who were hunting her down, she used the name Lu Xiangning and entered the Pei residence.

Madam Wanyi knew her real name; she must know her family.

"With the protection of the Fourth Prince, Madam Wanyi lives a very comfortable life in this mansion. Whether she is the principal wife or not doesn't really matter."

Xiang Ning smiled and replied, and then Bi Tao stood up and bowed.

"Why did you suddenly decide to inquire about the fourth branch of the family?"

Pei Yanzhi's voice came from outside the pavilion, and Xiang Ning, who had her back to him, immediately frowned.

How unlucky she is! She could just casually ask about something and Pei Yanzhi would find out.

"Master."

Xiang Ning stood up and bowed to Pei Yanzhi. The man raised his hand, signaling Bi Tao to leave.

"Ok?"

He walked over, sat down next to Xiang Ning, and took her hand.

"This servant just wants to know why Lady Wanyi has been favored by the Fourth Prince for so many years."

"Learn the rules for being a concubine."

Xiang Ning can now tell lies to Pei Yanzhi with ease.

These words, however, resolved the question he had asked this morning.

“You don’t need to learn those things, and I’m not Fourth Uncle.”

Pei Yanzhi said in a deep voice that he didn't have that many rules that Xiang Ning needed to follow. She was fine the way she was now.

"But as your future wife, I can't be too presumptuous and displease her."

Xiang Ning casually remarked, and then felt Pei Yanzhi tighten his grip on her hand.

“If she cannot behave herself, I will not marry her.”

Let me answer Baozi's question. Pei Yanzhi's current thoughts are that Xiang Ning serves him very well, and he is very satisfied with her. However, she comes from a humble background and can only stay by his side as a concubine. He will definitely take another concubine later.

As for Pei Yanzhi's future wife, which is the latter half of the introduction, it will be written later and will not be revealed for now. In short, the new wife's status is higher than that of the Pei family.

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(End of this chapter)