Chapter 164

Chapter 167: Changes (Part 2)

Once they boarded the carriage, Lord Xu asked Eleven Lady, "Are you alright?" His tone was indifferent, as if he wasn’t used to such inquiries, and he tried to dilute the hidden concern behind his words.

"I’m fine," Eleven Lady replied, touching her knees. "I’m wearing knee pads!" She had given the ones Lady Wen sent her to the Elder Madam, and these were the Elder Madam’s. Since they weren’t as good as the fur ones from Lady Wen, Eleven Lady insisted on swapping with the Elder Madam.

Lord Xu nodded. "It’s good to be cautious—kneeling on the cold ground for too long can lead to rheumatism. When the weather changes, it’ll hurt, and even medicine won’t help."

"Thank you for your concern, my lord," Eleven Lady expressed her gratitude, and with a mindset of "returning a favor," she eagerly asked, "Are you doing well, my lord?"

"I’m fine," Lord Xu replied briefly, but his expression visibly softened compared to before. "Though Yanjing is cold, it’s nothing compared to the northwest."

"Really?" Eleven Lady’s eyes were filled with curiosity. "How cold is the northwest?"

"You’d need an extra fur coat to keep warm."

After chatting for a while, Eleven Lady, sensing the good atmosphere, began to share her own situation: "...The Empress Dowager took my mother away and had Princess Fucheng Chang accompany us to the mourning. We had no choice but to go to the Sishan Gate. Since the Empress Dowager seems to have noticed something, the Yang family must also know the inside story. My second sister-in-law asked me to find a way to block the Yang family..."

Lord Xu was taken aback. "She asked you to block the Yang family?"

"Yes," Eleven Lady said. "My second sister-in-law must have thought that since I’m young, even if I had a quarrel with the Yang family, others would just see it as me being immature. And with you, my lord, by my side, even if the Empress Dowager found out, she wouldn’t be able to punish me—otherwise, it would leave the impression of being domineering and unforgiving. But I’ve never been in a conflict with anyone before, so I felt a bit timid. I suggested that my second sister-in-law pretend to be unwell..." She recounted the entire incident in detail. "My fifth sister-in-law was very quick-witted and immediately pretended to have a stomachache, having Lady Zhou and my second sister-in-law escort her into the inner palace, allowing my second sister-in-law to smoothly meet with the Empress."

Lord Xu listened attentively, nodding frequently. Finally, he said, "My fifth sister-in-law is the most familiar with the palace, so she would have been the best person for this task. But she’s too young and might not carry much weight in front of the Empress, making it difficult to get her point across. Unlike my second sister-in-law, who is of a similar age to the Empress. They were very close even before the Emperor ascended the throne, and both have experienced loss—one the pain of losing her husband, the other the grief of losing her child—so they can connect on a deeper level." As he spoke, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "It seems the Empress Dowager is not only wary of the Elder Madam but also of my second sister-in-law... It seems she’s been paying close attention to our family’s affairs for a while now... I suspect she’s somewhat aware of my investigation into her involvement in the death of the fifth prince. The next step will likely be to find a way to undermine the Empress..."

Eleven Lady suddenly remembered something.

The late emperor’s Empress Wu was also his first wife. However, she was deposed because the crown prince was found to have cursed the late emperor with a voodoo doll in the palace. Empress Wu, unwilling to suffer the humiliation, took her own life.

"Should we warn the Empress..." she hesitated, "to be cautious of those around her, lest someone brings something unclean into the palace..."

Lord Xu immediately understood her implication and said, "The Empress never interacts with monks or nuns, and there are no believers around her. However, in these critical times, it’s always good to be cautious."

This was an indirect way of accepting Eleven Lady’s suggestion.

Eleven Lady propped her elbow on the armrest, deep in thought. Lord Xu, noticing this, asked curiously, "What’s on your mind?"

Eleven Lady replied, "I’m thinking about what else could shake the Empress’s foundation..."

"How much can you figure out on your own?" Lord Xu couldn’t help but smile slightly. "I’ll discuss it with my advisors."

Eleven Lady nodded, acknowledging that Lord Xu had a point. "I’m just overthinking things," she said with a slight smile.

Lord Xu noticed her tilting her head and looking at him with a lazy calmness in her expression, and his heart also settled. Casually, he remarked, "I didn’t expect you to enjoy reading history books."

"I’ve only read some from those unofficial histories and illustrated books," Eleven Lady replied. Some things were secrets of her heart, and she wasn’t ready to share them. "I don’t fully understand them either."

Unofficial histories and illustrated books?

Lord Xu didn’t believe it for a moment. But he vaguely sensed that she was always trying to downplay herself, hiding herself, as if she were behind a mountain range, leaving only a hazy outline visible...

Suddenly, he felt a strong desire to part the thick fog and see the true face of the person standing before him!

Meanwhile, the second madam was also discussing this matter with the Elder Madam: "...My fourth sister-in-law is young, so even if she had a conflict with the Yang family, a simple ‘she’s immature’ would leave the Yang family helpless. I’m the widowed sister-in-law of the lord, and I have a reputation for being aloof. Even if the Empress Dowager finds out, Lord Xu can simply say ‘she’s stubborn and unruly,’ and the matter would be swept under the rug..."

The Elder Madam exclaimed in shock, "How can this be acceptable!"

"Why not?" the second madam said with a smile. "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact!"

"This can't go on!" the elder madam shook her head. The second master's wife had already said, "I didn't expect that Fourth Younger Sister-in-law came up with a good idea..." Then she recounted the incident and added, "Fifth Younger Sister-in-law is also quite astute, she immediately feigned discomfort and managed to draw the Empress's attention."

"A single tree doesn't make a forest," the elder madam sighed upon hearing this, "It's a blessing for our Xu family that you all can work together like this."

The second master's wife then hugged the elder madam's arm! "Mother, being able to join the Xu family, marry Second Master, and become your daughter-in-law is the true blessing!"

Her tone was very sincere, making the elder madam's heart ache slightly, and she gently patted the second master's wife's hand, "This is our destiny!"

Sensing the elder madam's sadness, the second master's wife quickly changed the subject and told the elder madam about Eleven Miss's performance today, "She's sharp and knows when to push forward and when to hold back. If you keep her by your side and teach her for a year or two, she should be well-equipped to manage the household."

"You think so too!" The elder madam indeed shifted her focus, a smile appearing on her face, "I also think she handles things very steadily."

Indeed, very steady.

She knows when to give in and when to stand her ground.

However, the Yongping Marquis Estate has reached a point where it needs someone like her who understands the times.

The second master's wife nodded, tactfully saying, "These days, the family is different from what it used to be. In the past, one had to endure humiliation and be steadfast and decisive. Now, one must be adaptable and diplomatic. Otherwise, if one is too rigid, I fear the Marquis might not approve!"

The elder madam listened with a joyful smile: "Exactly as you said. So when it was mentioned she was of a lesser birth, I thought it was for the best. Fourth Master is naturally stubborn; if he were to find someone equally inflexible, they'd likely live separate lives."

The second master's wife just smiled at the elder madam.

The elder madam couldn't help but say, "She remained in her room for a full fifteen days..."

The second master's wife covered her sleeve and laughed.

The elder madam felt a bit embarrassed and said awkwardly, "I was merely concerned, wasn't I?" She added somewhat unnecessarily, "I enjoy a lively household."

Meaning it would be good to have more children in the house!

The second master's wife, understanding the elder madam's implication, couldn't help but darken her eyes, but quickly gathered her thoughts. Thinking of the help Fifth Mistress provided today, she inquired about her situation: "That Xiao Lan in Fifth Master's quarters..."

The elder madam frowned upon hearing this: "My plan was to have her sent back to our hometown, to let her manage on her own. But Dan County insisted on keeping her." She sighed lightly, "It's solely Little Five's fault for not striving and lacking self-control. He also infuriated Fourth Master. At that moment, Fourth Master was ready to kick him. You're aware of Fourth Master's strength. I was truly afraid he would follow through. Luckily, Dan County is sharp and intervened to stop Fourth Master."

The second master's wife pondered for a moment after hearing this and said, "Mother, I think you need to understand Dan County's intentions better. She's not just about eating, drinking, and having fun. If she can really manage Fifth Uncle, it would be a good thing. Speaking of which, it's all my fault for only being busy with mundane affairs and taking too little care of him..."

"How can this be your fault," the elder madam shook her head, interrupting the second master's wife's words, "In principle, he should have moved to the outer courtyard when he was ten. I kept him until he was thirteen. He entered the Imperial Guards with the reputation of being the uncle of the nation, and without a day of soldiering, he was directly promoted to battalion commander. Fourth Master was not at home, Third Master, although an elder brother, how could he dare to manage him. We couldn't manage him either. It's no wonder he got into trouble! Speaking of which, I think the same as you. Fourth Master is the pillar of the family, Fifth Master will eventually have to branch out. If Dan County can manage him, as long as they are willing, I will pretend not to see anything and let them do as they please."

"Neither deaf nor blind, nor a mother-in-law," the second master's wife said, "This is a saying from the books."

The elder madam sighed deeply upon hearing this: "Sometimes when I think about it, I feel sorry for him for not having much sense, and I can't help but spoil him..."

*

Lotus Lane is right next to the palace, and as they spoke, they quickly arrived. Everyone gathered around the elder madam and went to her place. After a day, they only had a simple vegetarian meal in the palace, and it was already cold when it was served.

Madam Du, being experienced, not only arranged for Xu Siqin and the others to rest early but also had the maids bring hot water for everyone to wash their hands and faces, and then served hot dishes and rice. She also specially prepared a nourishing pig trotter soup with soybeans for Fifth Mistress and a soup with angelica, goji berries, and red dates with pork ribs for the second master's wife.

No one was dissatisfied. After feasting, the elder madam kept Lord Xu to talk.

The second master's wife stayed overnight at the elder madam's place, and Eleven Miss had to serve Lord Xu back, so she naturally stayed as well.

Just like last night, Madam Du immediately took the servants out of the room, and Eleven Miss personally went to brew hot tea and served it.

This time, the second master's wife waited for Eleven Miss to sit down before speaking.

"The Empress is stronger than we imagined and more insightful about worldly affairs. As soon as she heard that Dan County was unwell, she immediately came over. When the imperial physician was diagnosing Dan County behind the curtain, she had the eunuch call me over to ask questions."

Lord Xu listened with a slight start. The elder madam, however, remained expressionless, "What did she ask?" The second master's wife paused and said, "She asked what the Xu family plans to do? What should she do?"