Chapter Fifty-Seven: Not Becoming the Crown Prince's Consort

  Thank you Nini Ai for the reward of Ping An Fu and evaluation votes, thank you Fenhua Yuhe for the pink votes!

  In the Su's residence, after hearing the words passed on by Shen's family, she also didn't say anything out of the ordinary. Instead, it was the wet nurse beside Madam Su who couldn't help but speak up after the person sent by Shen left: "Milady, are you saying that we're just going to let this matter with Second Young Miss slide like this? This is too biased, don't you think? After all, Second Young Miss offended the Princess Consort's family today..."

  Upon hearing the nurse's words, Madam Su stood up and said: "What else do you want? Do you also want Old Lady to give Second Miss a good scolding?"

  Song Nainiang was blocked by Su's words and closed her mouth, but she couldn't help but think deeply in her heart. Looking at Madame's behavior when she was in Old Madame's room, it didn't seem like she was truly defending Second Miss either. And usually, although Madame didn't say anything out loud, she should have had no good feelings towards Second Miss in her heart, so why would she say such things to her?

  Thinking so, his face involuntarily revealed something.

  "Are you wondering why I didn't let you continue?" Su asked, seeing the expression on Song's face.

  "The old slave is dull-witted, please enlighten me, madam." Seeing that Madam Su was not displeased, Song Nainai immediately asked in a flattering tone.

  "What's with the hints and implications? You're too concerned about Erniang's affairs. Think back, you can also think of it, not to mention anything else, Old Lady is someone we can influence, and besides, Erniang said such things, Li Bo Tian from the Li family has such a dirty hobby, what Erniang did was just taking care of her younger brother. Don't look at how Old Lady's face says she wants to punish my niece Qing Juan, but in fact, she already agrees with my niece's approach in her heart, otherwise, she wouldn't have scolded Big Brother when he came in wanting to reprimand my niece Qing Juan... My niece Qing Juan is also quite remarkable, originally thought she would only do some speculative things, didn't expect her to say such words, rather be destroyed than humiliated... has some integrity. However, as Yao'er said, this behavior is a bit rash, she's not always lucky enough to meet someone who can help her out, if it wasn't for someone jumping out, I'm afraid not only would she herself be finished, but also my Yao'er would be dragged down, and in the end, it would be harming both others and oneself."

  "The lady is absolutely right." The wet nurse immediately chimed in with agreement.

  "...Speaking of which, you said... why would people from the Third Prince's residence come to visit our Anji Marquis residence?" Su Shi furrowed her brow, seemingly asking both Song Nainai and herself.

  When Madam Su mentioned this, the wet nurse immediately stepped forward, "Right, madam, when you were with the elder madam, I deliberately paid attention to what our young lady and second young lady said. I vaguely heard our young lady tell the second young lady that the noble guest from the Third Prince's residence who came to our mansion today was probably the same person who helped the second young lady on the street today."

  "What? Did you hear it wrong?" Su Shi asked aloud upon hearing the wet nurse's words.

  "No, I was quite far away from them at the time, but my ears are still quite sharp. There's no way I misheard." Song Nainai said firmly.

  "Your meaning is that the one who saved Ya'er and others on the street might be the Third Prince. The one who came to our Hou Mansion today might also be the Third Prince himself... No, I also took a glance at that black-clothed person from afar. Every move can tell that he's extraordinary, but the aura on him doesn't match, and besides, the Anji Hou Mansion hasn't reached the level of honor to have a prince come in person." The last sentence was said with certainty by Lady Su.

  "Does the madam mean that the one who came today is just a servant from the Third Prince's residence?"

  "It doesn't seem like a servant, servants are usually... Ah, that person has a familiar aura about them, similar to Master's, but somehow it's not quite the same."

  "Like our old master, does 'husband' mean someone who has come from the military today?"

  "That's right, that's what I meant. However, the person shouldn't be a military personnel, but rather a personal bodyguard or an undercover guard of the prince, and the aura on that person clearly leans more towards the former."

  "That's the personal bodyguard of the Third Prince. I wonder why the Third Prince sent his personal bodyguard to our mansion, could it be..." He trailed off without finishing his sentence.

  "Why didn't you continue?"

  "I'm just a foolish and ignorant servant, making wild guesses, I don't know if it's right or not. Since the mistress asked me to speak, I'll boldly guess that perhaps the third prince has taken a liking to one of our young ladies... Seeing that Mistress Su didn't stop me, I continued: 'And among the young ladies in our household, the most beautiful ones are the second young lady and our young lady. In my humble opinion, our young lady is even more likable.'"

  "You're really daring to say anything, but it's not impossible. However, my sister-in-law has already arranged a marriage for my niece Qingjin, and as far as I know, the Third Prince already has a legitimate wife. I absolutely won't let my Ya'er become someone's concubine, even if that person is a prince." Madam Su's last sentence was said with great force.

  After hearing Su's last sentence, Song Nainai immediately lowered her head, "This old slave knows, it was this old slave who made a mistake."

  "No need to be like this, you didn't say anything wrong, on the contrary, your analysis is very good. However, I am heartbroken for my daughter. When I was still in the inner chambers, I thought that if I had a daughter in the future, I would definitely give her the best of everything. Being an imperial concubine is not bad, but being an imperial concubine is just a concubine. Ordinary people's concubines have to pay respects to their mistress every morning and evening, on time. What about the imperial family? Even the emperor's wife has to kneel down and pay respects to the empress dowager. How can I bear my pampered daughter being treated like that, living a life of caution and humility every day?"

  As soon as Su's words fell, Song Nainai couldn't help but sigh: "Miss has a mother-in-law like Madam who thinks of Miss with all her heart, it is indeed the blessing of good fortune from the previous life."

  Upon hearing Song's words, Madam Su somewhat disagreed, "What good fortune or bad fortune? If one must speak of good fortune, then it is my good fortune to have children like Mingxuan and Ya'er."

  "Yes, yes, yes. The girl is lucky to have a mother like the lady, and the lady is lucky to have given birth to such an obedient daughter as the girl. Both the lady and the girl are equally fortunate."

  Upon hearing Nainai's words, Su Shi truly smiled and said, "You're just good at talking."

  "It's just the mistress praising me." Upon hearing Madam Su's praise, the wet nurse said humbly, and then suddenly thought of something and anxiously opened her mouth: "But what if the Third Prince really takes a liking to our young lady?"

  When Madam Song expressed her worries, Lady Su smiled and said, "Don't worry about this, it won't happen."

  "Could it be that Third Young Master has taken a liking to Second Miss?" Song Nainai was shocked.

  "You're really getting old and muddled, how can you say that? I just said it's not impossible, didn't you think about the current situation outside? The Emperor is personally leading the campaign abroad, which prince would be so blind to dare to do something like this at a time like this... Moreover, shouldn't the Third Prince have just returned from the border?"

  "Does the madam mean to say that she already knows the purpose of the people from the Third Prince's residence who came to our residence?"

  Upon hearing Song's words, Su also became deep in thought, "I did have such an idea, but ultimately I'm afraid it was just my own imagination running wild...it would be a waste of joy..."

  Upon hearing Mrs. Su's ambiguous words, Nurse Song was initially perplexed, but a moment later something flashed through her mind, and she suddenly felt enlightened, unable to conceal her ecstatic expression: "Madam means to say..."

  Su saw the wet nurse's expression and knew that she had also thought of it, nodding slightly at her without making a sound.

  "That slave just congratulated the madam first, if..."

  "Don't congratulate me just yet, this is also something I randomly guessed. If this thing is true, tomorrow the old lady might have some instructions."

  "It's definitely, definitely... by then our second house will be better than..."

  "What nonsense are you talking about? One stroke can't write two 'Gu' characters, now the one who inherited the title of Anji Hou is my elder uncle. Even if there's some great achievement, it belongs to the entire Anji Hou household, belongs to the Gu family, absolutely cannot be just your lordship's alone." When saying this last sentence, his voice had a hint of bitterness and a thread of unwillingness.

  "Madam, rest assured. If that person is indeed the Old Master, even if it brings glory to the entire Anji Marquis Manor, with the Emperor being wise and just, even if he were to heavily reward the Anji Marquis Manor, in his heart, he would know that our family's Old Master should be the one to be reused."

  Upon hearing Song's words, Madame Su couldn't help but sigh and say: "You're right." Indeed, what could she do if she wasn't willing? The old lady was still around, it was impossible to let her husband and uncle separate households, the two branches of the family would have to live apart.

  It's like this for now, but one day the second wife will surpass the first wife. Thinking of this, she slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

  The next morning, everyone in the Anji Hou Mansion got up and received the old lady's order to rush to the main hall. After washing and dressing, they all appeared in the main hall of the mansion at the first time.

  In the grand hall of the Hou Mansion, after seeing that everyone had arrived, Madame Shen addressed the crowd, saying that she had a dream about the late Old Master last night. Therefore, starting from today, she required the Hou Mansion to be closed for a period of time to fast and pray for blessings for the deceased Old Master. As for when the mansion would reopen, the old madam did not mention it.

  Song's nanny beside Su revealed a hint of delight in her eyes after hearing the old lady's words, but immediately withdrew that hint of delight after being swept by Su.

  Afterwards, the Anji Marquis Manor closed its doors under Shen's orders to mourn and pray for blessings for the late old marquis.

  Just a few days after Anji Houfu announced its closure.

  Taisho 37 years October

  News came from the third prince's mansion that when the emperor and his son were trapped during the battle between the Great Jing and Mongol armies, Gu Huaiyi, younger brother of Duke Anji, led several thousand soldiers to bypass the Mongol army's siege and rescued the emperor. Under the command of Emperor Ming, he also saved the third prince and sixth prince who were also trapped.

  The unknown general who saved the emperor and two princes at the border, which had been speculated by the aristocratic families in Beijing for some time, turned out to be from the Anji Marquis Manor.