Chapter 254

Chapter 259: Settled (Part 1)

Eleven Miss was speaking with Elder Madam Luo.

"...What should we do? The Wang family is opening their ancestral hall tomorrow," Elder Madam Luo said anxiously, pacing around. "All of Lord Xu's efforts will go to waste."

Lv Yun quietly brought in a bowl of brown sugar water boiled with motherwort. Elder Madam Luo paused at the familiar scent. "You..."

Eleven Miss took the small blue-and-white porcelain bowl. The reddish-brown liquid was steaming, and she took a careful sip. "I'm not feeling well," she said calmly.

Elder Madam Luo couldn't help but worry. "Then who is attending to Lord Xu in your room?"

Eleven Miss had no habit of discussing private matters. She continued, "Is there really no way to change things?"

Seeing that Eleven Miss didn't want to elaborate, Elder Madam Luo didn't press further.

In reality, the Luo family had been negotiating with the Wang family for the past few days, but the Wang family had decided to adopt a son to carry on the Duke's lineage. They had kept this from the Luo family, likely fearing that the Luo family wouldn't fully commit to the inheritance matter. If it weren't for an older woman sent by Eleven Miss noticing a seven-year-old boy staying in Old Lady Wang's room for several days and growing suspicious, the Luo family might still be in the dark about the Wang family's plans.

"It's already settled," Elder Madam Luo said with a hint of resentment. "Your elder brother is still at the Wang family arguing with them. He specifically asked me to come and tell you, to see if you have any good suggestions."

Luo Zhenxing was a proper elder brother from the maternal family. If even he couldn't resolve this, what could Eleven Miss do? Elder Madam Luo's words were tactful, but in reality, she was hoping Eleven Miss could ask Lord Xu to intervene and see if there was any room for change.

Thinking that Elder Madam Luo had rushed over late at night, Eleven Miss asked Lv Yun to summon Lord Xu and explained to Elder Madam Luo, "The previous batch of stewards were all from the time of the old lord. They are now elderly and no longer have the energy, so many have resigned. Lord Xu has been preoccupied with this matter."

"This is truly a challenging situation," Elder Madam Luo said, her face showing embarrassment. "Your elder brother knows this is a matter of the Wang family's lineage. As maternal relatives, the Luo family has no right to interfere, let alone Lord Xu, who is only a brother-in-law. Otherwise, Lord Xu wouldn't have left the task of persuading the Wang family to us and taken on the matter of inheritance himself. Lord Xu truly has no standing in this..."

Eleven Miss interrupted Elder Madam Luo. "We are family; there's no need to speak of two households. Lord Xu is well-traveled and well-informed. Perhaps he can come up with a good solution!" She comforted Elder Madam Luo, who felt even more embarrassed.

Lord Xu returned.

Eleven Miss quickly explained Elder Madam Luo's purpose for coming.

Lord Xu frowned. "No wonder they could raise someone like Wang Lang."

Elder Madam Luo blushed upon hearing this. Afraid that Eleven Miss might overthink, she murmured, "It's all our fault for not managing this matter well. Otherwise, Lord Xu wouldn't be in such a difficult position..."

What's the use of saying such things now? The important thing was whether they could solve the current problem.

Eleven Miss lightly coughed and said, "I once read in those historical novels that when a county magistrate is unsure about a case, he asks his advisor to look through past case records to see if there's anything similar..." She looked at Lord Xu. "But we don't understand these matters, and I don't know if it's accurate..."

Lord Xu remained silent, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Elder Madam Luo didn't dare disturb him and watched quietly, holding her breath.

Eleven Miss poured Elder Madam Luo another cup of tea and whispered, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. We'll figure something out."

Elder Madam Luo nodded slightly as she took the teacup. Lord Xu, who had been pacing, finally stopped.

"How old is the child?" he asked.

Elder Madam Luo quickly put down the teacup. "He's seven."

"What's his temperament like?"

Elder Madam Luo smiled bitterly. If it weren't for Eleven Miss's people discovering this, they wouldn't even know about the child, let alone observe his character. She vaguely replied, "He looks fair and clean, and seems clever and well-behaved."

"Was it the Duke's idea? Or Madam Wang's? Or the relatives'?"

"It was probably the relatives' idea," Elder Madam Luo said, though she wasn't entirely sure. "The Duke has been sequestering himself in his study, Old Lady Wang is bedridden, Madam Jiang has returned to the Jiang family with the help of Yuan Baozhu's wife, and Ten Miss doesn't even know who the Wang family's relatives are... Naturally, the child was selected by the relatives themselves." Not only Lord Xu, but even Eleven Miss sighed inwardly upon hearing this.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never face defeat. They don't even know the basics; no wonder they're constantly on the defensive and getting beaten.

Elder Madam Luo also realized that this matter hadn't been handled properly, and she lowered her head, saying, "The Duke had originally promised your brother, but who could have guessed..."

Lord Xu glanced at the chiming clock in the east chamber and asked Elder Madam Luo, "It's curfew time now; why don't you stay here overnight? I'll go check on Duke Mao's estate."

Elder Madam Luo was very surprised and stood up with gratitude, "How can I trouble you to go to such lengths? I'll go with you!" She added, "I've been keeping Ten Miss company these past few days..."

When sisters-in-law meet, it's often hard to part, and late-night conversations are common...

Lord Xu glanced at Eleven Miss.

She was dressed in a simple white silk jacket, her face bare, with a hint of weariness between her brows, yet her expression remained gentle. She was softly instructing Elder Madam Luo, "Be careful on the road. The older women I sent are all seasoned from the Xu household; they know the rules and are very attentive. If you need anything, just call them. Don't tire yourself out..."

All her words were focused on others, not a single one about herself. Lord Xu couldn't help but sigh to himself.

Eleven Miss saw them off to the courtyard gate. Two figures appeared from the east corner gate, "Lord Xu!"

Under the red lanterns of the corridor, it was revealed to be Qiao Lianfang and Xiu Yuan.

Lord Xu asked in surprise, "What brings you here at this hour?"

Qiao Lianfang and Xiu Yuan hurried to the main courtyard and found out from the gatekeeper that Lord Xu had not returned yet. The night wind was strong, and Xiu Yuan, fearing Qiao Lianfang might catch a chill, advised her to return and waited at the corner gate herself. Seeing Lord Xu return to the courtyard, she hurried to inform Qiao Lianfang, who then rushed over and heard that Elder Madam Luo had come. Seeing it was late, she thought Elder Madam Luo wouldn't stay long and waited at the east corner gate. Unexpectedly, not only did she wait for Elder Madam Luo to leave, but also for Lord Xu to go out.

She couldn't restrain herself and stepped out.

"Lord Xu!" She bent her knees to bow to Lord Xu.

Lord Xu quickly supported her, "You're with child; no need for such formalities!"

Qiao Lianfang's previously anxious heart calmed down.

She smiled, "It's so late; are you heading out, Lord Xu?" Lord Xu nodded, "I'm about to head out; do you need something?"

Qiao Lianfang looked at Elder Madam Luo, hesitating to speak.

Elder Madam Luo took a few steps forward, "I'll take the carriage; Lord Xu can ride the horse—I'll go ahead."

Lord Xu then called Eleven Miss over and said to Qiao Lianfang, "If you need anything, just tell the lady directly! I have to go out now." He instructed Eleven Miss, "See what Qiao Lianfang needs. If it's difficult, just inform Steward Bai."

Elder Madam Luo, who hadn't gone far, heard clearly.

She couldn't help but nod in approval.

For Lord Xu to entrust his pregnant concubine to Eleven Miss demonstrates his trust in her, no wonder Eleven Miss isn't concerned about Lord Xu being unattended—after all, arranging someone to attend to him is also a way to keep his affection.

Eleven Miss quickly responded, "Understood!"

Lord Xu nodded to Qiao Lianfang and left the inner courtyard with his servants and Elder Madam Luo.

For a moment, the courtyard gate fell silent. Qiao Lianfang bit her pale lips as she watched Lord Xu's departing figure.

Eleven Miss politely invited her to sit in the hall, "...Qiao Lianfang, you're with child; if you need anything, just let me know directly." She added, "Lord Xu also said. If I can't handle it, I'll ask Steward Bai to help you."

"No need," Qiao Lianfang refused, hesitatingly saying, "It's nothing major..."

Xiu Yuan looked anxious.

If Eleven Miss grew suspicious and deliberately obstructed, it would be even more difficult to see Lord Xu in the future.

She quickly interjected, "Actually, Qiao Lianfang came to see Mrs. Qiao. Unexpectedly, she encountered the Marquis and came forward to greet him." As she spoke, she tugged at Qiao Lianfang's sleeve. Qiao Lianfang understood but still felt somewhat unwilling; her face showed a hint of hesitation.

Xiu Yuan spoke up for Qiao Lianfang: "Qiao Lianfang wants to see Mrs. Qiao. But she feels a bit embarrassed and is hesitating!"

After all, the Marquis had said that if Eleven Miss couldn’t manage, Steward Bai would assist. For Eleven Miss, this was a trivial matter.

However, Eleven Miss did not agree as readily as usual. Instead, she said, "Qiao Lianfang is not the same as before. I’m not sure if she’s fit to receive guests. How about I consult Tian Ma and Wan Mama first?" The two mamas she referred to were Tian Ma and Wan Mama, sent by the elder madam to take care of her.

As they walked, Xiu Yuan whispered, "Miss, Eleven Miss is clearly making excuses. You should meet Tian Ma and Wan Mama with her and then make a decision..."

Qiao Lianfang smiled and shook her head at her, "What’s the point of saying this when the Marquis isn’t here?"

Xiu Yuan thought about it and realized it made sense.

What’s the point of others knowing? Only the Marquis needed to know!

She fell silent and helped Qiao Lianfang settle down.

Eleven Miss paused, then understood.

She couldn’t help but laugh and instructed Lv Yun to invite Tian Ma and Wan Mama over.

When they heard the request, both mamas replied, "Qiao Lianfang is in good health. It should be fine for her to receive guests!"

Eleven Miss smiled, nodded, and said politely, "I don’t understand these matters, so I’ll have to ask for your guidance in the future." Tian Ma and Wan Mama quickly stood up and said, "We wouldn’t presume to accept such praise."

After exchanging pleasantries, Eleven Miss served tea and escorted the guests out. Lv Yun helped her to rest, hesitating several times to speak.

Eleven Miss smiled and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."

Lv Yun said, "I see that the madam is usually very generous. Why not take the opportunity to reward Tian Ma and Wan Mama?"

Eleven Miss said meaningfully, "I’m worried someone might misinterpret it!"

Lv Yun pondered this thoughtfully.