Union

Chapter 184 Make a fortune
While everyone from the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion was being arrested and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, Yunying was being fed blood bird's nest by her grandmother.

The people of the Duke of Xuan's mansion never intended to tell Yunying about the turmoil outside. They were afraid she would worry and not be able to properly recover from her injuries.

However, they were more than happy to talk about the Chang'an Marquis's downfall. If circumstances allowed, they would have even hired a theatrical troupe, had the troupe leader adapt the script based on the Chang'an Marquis's story, and put on a grand opera performance in the streets and alleys.

This idea was obviously not feasible, so I could only talk about it behind his back.

The old lady harbored deep resentment towards the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion.

In her opinion, the Marquis's family deserved to have fallen to this state.

Look at what they've done!
The people of Mandaxia buy those pretty girls, but instead of teaching them any decent skills to make a living, they teach them all sorts of low-class things. It's only because her granddaughter is lucky; otherwise, who knows which man's household she would have been sent to, or even if she were still alive.

The daughter of the dignified Duke of Xuanguo's mansion, and the only legitimate daughter of this generation, ended up in such a state. If the ancestors in the underworld knew, they would be so angry that they would come back to life.

That wasn't the worst punishment they could receive. They were incredibly audacious, daring to plot rebellion, and even after escaping, they failed to destroy the evidence of their crimes.
So, what are you planning to do with that incriminating evidence?
Perhaps he wanted to remind his children and grandchildren that if they had the chance in the future, they should also play big, and who knows, they might become close ministers to the emperor, protecting the family's glory for a hundred years.

He deserved to be arrested.

It must be said that the old lady's thoughts were quite similar to those of the Duke of Rongguo, and also somewhat similar to those of Chen Yanzhou. When the three of them learned of this news, they all thought of the same thing.

Of course, they weren't the only ones who thought of this.

Looking around the capital, who doesn't think of this first?

While feeding Yunying bird's nest soup, the old lady muttered to herself, "This time His Majesty will definitely not let them off easily. His Majesty is a wise ruler, but he is very wary of what happened twenty years ago. The Marquis of Chang'an's mansion already has a lot of problems, and now this incident has happened. Just wait, this time His Majesty can wipe them out with one slap without anyone else having to lift a finger."

The old lady wanted to talk to Yunying about Lin Shuqing, but then she felt that talking about Lin Shuqing was too unlucky.

This person actually hired someone to abuse her granddaughter!

She's supposed to be a girl raised in a prestigious family!

She's completely forgotten all those rules and etiquette.

The old lady held back from speaking, but eventually she did. She felt that Lin Shuqing was manipulating her granddaughter, and that her granddaughter probably wanted to hear about Lin Shuqing's misfortune.

The old lady then vaguely recounted how Lin Shuqing had miscarried and nearly died.

When Yunying heard that there was evidence of treason in the Chang'an Marquis's residence, she didn't react much, and now she reacted even less.

If she had to give a reaction, it would be that she had mixed feelings.

Think about Lin Shuqing, how good her start was. She was the legitimate daughter of a marquis, and she married into a family of equal social standing. If only she had behaved herself and not done anything outrageous, she wouldn't be in this situation today.

One wrong step leads to another, and now that her trump card is gone, what awaits her when the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion falls?
Yunying just thought about it and couldn't help but shudder. The contrast was so stark that even she, an outsider, found it hard to accept.

Yunying's tremor caused the bird's nest to slip from her mouth and slide down her chin instead of into her mouth.

The old lady exclaimed "Oh dear!" and quickly took her handkerchief to wipe Yunying's mouth.

Yunying wasn't a child, and being served like this by the old lady made her uncomfortable—she wanted to resist, but the old lady was looking at her expectantly, and she really couldn't bring herself to refuse.

But the old lady was already eighty years old, and her hands and feet were trembling. She fed Yunying the bird's nest soup with trepidation, and Yunying ate it with trepidation as well. Well, it still didn't go smoothly.

The old lady was annoyed, but Yunying said, "It's my fault. I didn't tell you, and that's how the bird's nest porridge got on your mouth. But it's not a big deal. You see, it'll be fine after you wipe it clean."

Yang Lingjia, who had been watching anxiously from the side, also rushed over to offer advice.

The two men comforted the old lady, and she became less upset.

Afterwards, the old lady said to Yunying, "Your father went to the palace. He was originally planning to leave for the Northwest in the next couple of days and doesn't plan to leave anytime soon."

The old lady smiled and said, "His Majesty also agreed to let your father stay in the capital for a while longer. Your father got leave and went to the palace to express his gratitude."

After chatting with Yunying for a while, the old lady finally couldn't take it anymore and was helped back to her room to rest by the nanny beside her.

Yang Lingjia wanted to see her off, but the old lady wouldn't allow it. She only allowed Yang Lingjia to stay with Yunying, as if she was afraid that Yunying would sprout wings and fly away when no one was around.

Yunying has a strong liking for Yang Lingjia.

This positive feeling was based on her keen intuition—that Yang Lingjia was full of goodwill towards her; it was also based on Yang Lingjia's thoughtfulness and attentiveness.

Everything around Yunying was arranged by Yang Lingjia, from the people who served her and her clothes to the things she ate and used. Yang Lingjia consulted Yunying's opinion most of the time and made the arrangements with care.

This sister-in-law also showed her a lot of kindness, fearing that she might feel uncomfortable because of her previous experiences, so she always comforted her in a tactful and unintentional way.

She would also tell her about the personalities of the members of the Duke of Xuan's family, giving her a better understanding of the household. When she got excited, she would share anecdotes about her eldest and second eldest brothers, and talk about the hobbies and interests of the elders…

All these details are incredibly thoughtful and considerate.

As Yunying was talking to Yang Lingjia, a maid came in and said, "The wives of the fifth and seventh branches have arrived and say they wish to pay a visit to the old lady."

Yang Lingjia glanced at Yun Ying, and Yun Ying looked back at her. The same message crossed their eyes: Could this be someone coming to visit her/Yun Ying?

Yang Lingjia stood up and said to Yunying, "The aunts from the fifth and seventh branches of the household are always very active in the community. The old lady also likes them to come and make the place lively. They come over every now and then. But this time, they're probably here to visit you, little sister. You..."

Yunying covered her head.

Her forehead wound was still a little painful, and her head was a little dizzy. She didn't really want to see any guests.

The main reason was that, before her identity was confirmed, she addressed the Duchess of Xuan as her grandmother and Yang Lingjia as her sister-in-law, all out of fear of the old lady's tears. She didn't want to have any contact with the Xuan family before her identity was confirmed.

The more people she knew, the more trouble she would cause, so Yunying refused.

Yang Lingjia understood Yun Ying's meaning and for a moment thought that this younger sister was quite insightful.

It is said that she was raised on the estate of the Marquis of Chang'an after she turned ten. Observing her conduct and interactions with others, she was poised, considerate, and had an excellent sense of propriety. She also showed no signs of the inferiority or timidity one might expect from someone who would be subservient to others. Such a wonderful girl, if she had been raised in one's own home, how outstanding she would have become.

These thoughts merely crossed Yang Lingjia's mind; she didn't voice them aloud.

She bid farewell to Yunying and prepared to lead her aunts from the fifth and seventh branches of the family to the old lady's place. These two were elders, and it would be best for the old lady to take care of them.

As soon as Yang Lingjia left, Yunying relaxed instantly.

She was on tenterhooks the whole time.

Although the old lady and Yang Lingjia both showed her great kindness and tried their best to treat her well, it was impossible for her to completely relax around them after knowing them for less than two days.

Now that she was all alone in the room, she instantly felt all the tension in her body ease.

"Miss, miss, someone has delivered a letter to you at the door."

Upon hearing this, Yunying quickly propped herself up on the bed and sat up.

"Quickly, let me see it." The letter was handed to Yunying. As soon as she looked at the handwriting on the envelope, she knew without a doubt that it was a letter from Chen Yanzhou.

It seems like only him.

If it were anyone else, the people from the Duke of Xuan's mansion would probably have questioned her thoroughly before daring to hand over the letter to her.

Yunying opened the envelope, took out the letter, and began to read.

In his letter, Chen Yanzhou didn't mention anything else, only detailing his activities after returning home. It was simply his daily life. But in his writing, even this simple routine became vivid and interesting. Even the sparrows perched on the tree outside his study, chirping incessantly, seemed to possess a newfound spirit and cleverness.

The letter was neither too long nor too short, but it consisted of three pages. After reading these three pages, Yunying was still not satisfied and wanted to read more.

This scene, as seen by the maid standing nearby, was proof that Yun Ying adored Chen Yanzhou.

The maid then told the old lady about the matter. The old lady had already sent away the two people who had come to visit. She frowned and said to Yang Lingjia, "What should we do? How could He'er have taken a liking to that boy Yanzhou?"

Yanzhou isn't bad.

He was handsome and capable, and his family was a good match for the Duke of Xuan's mansion. Wang Chen and Jing Xuan were also sworn brothers... If He'er hadn't been lost and had grown up under their care, she and Yan Zhou could be considered childhood sweethearts, and they might have gotten married smoothly long ago.

But now... Yan Zhou has been married.

The old lady didn't want her beloved granddaughter to marry a divorced man.

But then again, with her granddaughter living with Yan Zhou for two or three years, who knows what might happen between them...

Ugh!
The old lady turned away, sulking to herself.

Seeing this, Yang Lingjia tried her best to suppress her laughter.

As the old lady grew older, she became more and more childlike.

Just because she said that Yan Zhou looked more mature than he had been two years ago, the old lady turned her back to her and refused to look at her, as if she were speaking up for Yan Zhou.

But she was also wronged.

Yang Lingjia said, "My sister is still young, there's no rush for her to get married. She still needs to take care of her grandparents and father, and she still needs to be a lady-in-waiting in the household."

The old lady liked to hear this, and Yang Lingjia had once again appeased her.

While the two were discussing how to nourish Yunying, Gu Wangchen left the palace and headed straight for his residence.

After visiting his mother upon entering the mansion, Gu Wangchen went directly to see his daughter.

Although Yunying insisted on verifying her identity, in Gu Wangchen's heart, this was his daughter, and there was absolutely no way this matter could be wrong.

However, in order to give his daughter time to adjust and also for the sake of her reputation, Gu Wangchen was somewhat cautious in his actions.

He no longer went into Yunying's room, but only spoke to her through the window.

First, they said that His Majesty had allowed him to stay in the capital for two more months. Then they said that the people sent to Qianzhou had set off overnight yesterday and should bring good news in less than two days.

Yunying listened to each word carefully and responded accordingly.

She said, "I feel a bit better today, and I even got out of bed and walked around." She added, "You spend most of your time in the Northwest, so it's good that you can stay in Beijing for a while longer. I imagine your grandparents would also like you to stay in Beijing and spend more time with them."

As for the matter in Qianzhou, she didn't want to say much, so she didn't respond.

After saying this, the unfamiliar father and daughter fell silent, neither knowing what to say next.

After a moment, Gu Wangchen broke the silence first.

"Once your identity is confirmed, Dad will take you to your mother's grave. Your mother..."

Chu Huiyin is an indelible pain in Gu Wangchen's heart. Even after so many years, he still feels unbearable agony every time he thinks of her.

But this time it's all good; he found the girl, and he can finally give his lover some peace of mind.

Inside the room, Yunying readily agreed, "I will follow your arrangements."

"Okay." Gu Wangchen calmed down and said, "I was worried you'd be bored in your room, so I brought you some books to keep you entertained. I also found some little toys for you to play with when you have nothing to do."

Gu Wangchen rambled on and on until he was worried that he might disturb his young lady's rest. Only then did he reluctantly bid farewell to Yunying and return to keep the old lady company.

As soon as Gu Wangchen left, the items were sent to Yunying's room.

The books were indeed for leisure reading; there was quite a large stack of them. Yunying carefully flipped through each one and found that many of them were old books, while the rest were new books.

The old books included military strategy, criminal law, and travelogues, while the new books were mostly popular vernacular novels.

Yunying also noticed another point: the old book had many annotations. The handwriting was childish, and the annotations were so naive that they were almost laughable. Could this be a children's book by Gu Yuanming and Gu Yuanxi?

Yunying was startled by this idea.

If that's really the case, the involvement of wealthy families is terrifying.

As for the new vernacular novels, Yunying also has two of them, which she keeps in her newly purchased house.

Perhaps her father inquired carefully, thought she liked these things, and then carefully collected them to give to her to make her happy?

Yunying then opened a box that was neither too big nor too small next to her.

As soon as the box was opened, Yunying saw many rubies, emeralds, and sapphires inside...

Thinking back to what Dad just said about the little toys, could it be these?

Yunying's mind went blank for a moment.

Are all noble families so extravagant?

These precious jewels, the size of goose eggs, are given to children as toys. Does true wealth, when it reaches a certain level, really allow one to regard money as dirt?
Yunying reached out and rummaged around under the box, finally arriving at a fact that both excited and saddened her: the box was indeed full of gems that had been unlocked!

There were big ones and small ones, and the whole box was piled up!

Look at this box, and then look at the jewelry box on the dressing table next to it.

This was sent by the old lady this morning; it contained several sets of valuable jewelry. Among them were the old lady's dowry, gifts from the palace, and the family's own collection. In short, it was suitable for young women, very elegant, and extremely valuable.

Looking at the two boxes, Yunying's mind was filled with a superficial thought: We're going to make a fortune!

(End of this chapter)