Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 163 Returning Home on the Third Day

Fuqian Street.

The gates of the Tang residence were wide open.

Hua Yan got out of the car first, and saw the old lady, the head of the family, Madam Yun, the eldest young master and his wife, and a string of younger sisters waiting expectantly at the gate of the mansion. Even Aunt Lu was carrying the second young master and following behind.

After Mengzhu helped the second young lady down from the carriage, the third young lady and the others escorted the old lady forward. The second young lady saw this scene and her eyes were already red. She instantly understood why the eldest young lady had so many words stuck in her throat and could not speak them when she returned to the mansion from Jinnan.

Everyone gathered around to exchange pleasantries. The old lady looked the second young lady up and down for a long time, then called out "Wan-jie'er" with a tone full of heartache.

Tang Xian and his son Tang Lin didn't have time to talk much with the second young lady. They hurriedly arranged for the steward of the Prince's Mansion to handle the matter efficiently. The steward presented the gift list for the return visit to the Tang family steward and, at Tang Lin's invitation, entered the Tang Mansion and went to the guest room in the front courtyard to rest.

The second young lady entered Fu'an Residence. Although she had only been gone for three days, she missed every plant and tree in the mansion.

After taking their seats in the flower hall, the second young lady returned to her parents' home for the first time. She solemnly knelt before the old lady and Madam Yun, and Wei, the nanny beside Madam Yun, quickly stepped forward to help her up.

"There's no need to be so concerned about these formalities. You can only be back for half a day today, so it's more important to spend time talking with your father, mother, sisters, and cousins."

The old lady kept talking and then instructed Huaying, who had her hair styled in a woman's bun, to go to the small kitchen, where she must have prepared the second young lady's favorite dishes early in the morning.

Hua Ying smiled and agreed, then beckoned to Dong Gua, "Grandma, let Dong Gua come along too. Ever since Dong Gua and Steward An left one after the other, the milk tea and pastries the cooks make just don't taste the same."

The old lady, who was wiping away tears with her handkerchief, clapped her hands and laughed when she heard this, "That's right, I should have kept your master for a few more years." The old lady looked at Hua Yan and the others, and when she saw Dong Gua, she couldn't help but say, "Why does Dong Gua look so thin these days?"

The old lady wasn't really concerned about Donggua. After saying that, she asked worriedly whether the second young lady was living well in the Prince's mansion, whether she was eating well, and whether the Princess had given her any trouble, among other trivial daily matters.

The second young lady answered each question, saying that everything was fine.

The third young lady seemed to have become a bit more cheerful, and was able to play around the second young lady just like the fifth and seventh young ladies. The sixth young lady also led her younger brother forward to greet the second young lady.

However, the young ladies were still children at heart. In addition to their concern for their second sister, they were more curious about the Prince's Mansion and the Imperial Palace. But they were all tactful and asked only harmless questions, such as how big the Prince's Mansion was, how magnificent the Imperial Palace was, and whether the Empress and Consort Hui had deliberately made things difficult for them. Then they turned to ask if the servants who served their sister were easy to manage and how they passed the time in the mansion.

One person's single sentence caused an uproar at Fu An Ju.

Hua Yan glanced around and noticed that only the eldest young lady was absent. The fourth young lady sat silently on an embroidered stool in the corner, her gaze towards the second young lady a mixture of envy and jealousy. She clearly wanted to go forward, but she remained seated, seemingly unwilling to curry favor, appearing both awkward and foolish.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Su Wanwan, and the second young lady were already acquainted in their boudoirs, but now that she saw her younger sisters gathered around, she didn't feel comfortable interrupting.

However, the second young lady has grown up a lot, and naturally she will not forget to greet her sister-in-law. The two sisters-in-law have a lot to talk about when they get together.

Seeing that the Second Miss was all smiles and her conversation was well-ordered, Madam Yun felt a little relieved. While the Old Madam was talking to the Second Miss, she took Aunt Mei and Hua Yan to a side hall and asked them to inquire in detail about everything that had happened in the Prince's Mansion and after the Second Miss entered the palace.

Regarding the lack of propriety of the maidservants from the General's Mansion, Madam Yun pondered for a moment, then instructed Granny Wei to summon the Second Miss before slowly saying:

"It must be that there is some secret in the inner quarters of the General's Mansion. Jiang Wei (General Jiang) was stationed in the southwest for more than ten years under General Lu. It has only been a little over ten years since the whole family moved to the capital. At that time, the Princess was already five years old."

I've heard that the General's mansion is exceptionally clean, with no concubines or mistresses causing trouble, and all the servants and maids are from the military or their families. They not only have an excellent reputation in the capital, but even the soldiers in the army hold the Jiang family in high esteem.

"Very well, I'll have Madam Zhou send Mingwu with a group of people to the southwest to scout things out."

Hua Yan's eyes lit up. Madam Yun had previously sent people to infiltrate the General's Mansion's inner quarters, but all attempts had failed. Now, starting from the southwest, they should be able to find something.

As for Liaodong...

Madam Yun tapped the table lightly, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"Hua Yan's prediction is correct. There have indeed been changes in Liaodong. The princess's uncle was promoted to Grand Commander of Liaodong at the beginning of the year. Liaodong is strategically located and is a vital point for defending against the northern barbarians. The princess's gift of ginseng is intended to show Prince Jin how important the Jiang family is to him."

"General Lu is getting old, and most of the men of the Lu family have died on the battlefield. Now there is no one to carry on the family line, so the emperor is relieved to entrust the southwest to the Lu family."

The Jiang family was different. Jiang Wei was in his prime, and with his sworn brother guarding Liaodong, his influence in the army was not to be underestimated. Therefore, the emperor used his military merits to bestow upon him the title of Second-Rank General of Merit and kept him in the capital.

The second young lady asked in confusion, "Then why did the emperor, at the end of last year, use the pretext of bestowing a marriage to order General Jiang to go to the northwest to guard the border?"

Madam Yun paused, a complex expression on her face.

"I have privately assessed with your father and brother that, firstly, the northwest border is under pressure and there is a lack of successors among the military generals in the court; secondly, before the position of crown prince is settled, the emperor intends for the Jiang family to be stationed in the northwest to disperse the power of the Prince of Jin. After all, the capital is nearly a thousand miles away from the northwest, and the original garrison general of the northwest army is the emperor's confidant. The Jiang family will not be without constraints in the northwest."

If the position of crown prince ultimately falls into the hands of the Prince of Jin, General Jiang and his two sons will either return to the capital to continue their sinecure duties, or...

Hua Yan's eyes twitched involuntarily, "...I'm afraid they won't come back."

Madam Yun nodded and remained silent for a long time before saying, "Since the Jiang family has placed their bets on Prince Jin, how could they be without any backup plans? You must remember not to underestimate the Princess Consort because of that mere concubine. Before Wan'er gives birth, you must not offend her. There is plenty of time in the future, and there is no need to compete for this moment's favor."

Upon hearing this, the second young lady's face flushed crimson. Hua Yan lowered her head in agreement, while Aunt Mei looked ashamed; just last night she had advised the second young lady to vie for the emperor's favor...

Seeing her daughter's dejected expression, Madam Yun said in a deep voice, "Wan'er, there's no need for you to be timid because of this. Otherwise, when Prince Jin ascends the throne one day, how will you protect yourself in the harem?"