Yutai Bi

Chapter 52
"Master, don't listen to Seventh Lady's nonsense. I don't think she fell into the water by accident." Yinzi muttered.

Fang Ming rolled his eyes at him and said, "Don't I even have this kind of eyesight? Why don't people chew their bones when doing business?"

Yinzi smiled innocently: "That's right, the young master is shrewd."

"Smart? Then tell me, young master, why do I insist on marrying Cen Sanniang?"

Yinzi thought for a long time and said: "That day the young master hid behind the tree and looked at San Niangzi and Baicao. He said she was really smart, and she obviously wanted Baicao to try something new, but gave all the melons to the girls."

Fang Ming laughed loudly, and said to Yinzi mysteriously, "No one is allowed to tell, do you hear me?"

Half a month passed in a flash, Cen Sanniang didn't show it on the face, and her heart became more and more nervous.Didn't that person say that Chang'an will come in half a month?What about people?

Cen Sanniang's current state of mind resembles a story.

Some people are used to going upstairs in the middle of the night, taking off their shoes heavily and throwing them on the floor.One day, I suddenly worried that this would disturb the neighbors downstairs. After throwing one, I gently put the other down.

Unexpectedly, the neighbor knocked on the door angrily.After he opened the door, the neighbor asked him loudly: "Is there another shoe? I'm waiting for you to throw it away so I can sleep. Why don't you throw it away!"

If someone comes, she has arranged it for so long, so that the Cen family will know the situation in the defense battle.Unfortunately, no one came from Chang'an.Cen Sanniang waited anxiously.

She wanted to call Xiaoqing, but the girl's mouth was closed tightly like a clam shell, showing her uneasiness on the contrary, so she had to give up.She thought like a ostrich, maybe that person knew that she decided not to go, so she gave up.

But if this is the case, why does Xiaoqing continue to stay in the Cen Mansion?
The summer thunder rolls and the rain pours down.Cen Sanniang silently looked at the misty and rainy garden, full of uneasiness in her heart.

In the heavy rain, a carriage stopped outside the gate of Cen Mansion.

The concierge stepped forward with an umbrella.Lifting the curtain of the car, an old man in his early fifties with a long beard sat in the car, his face covered with dust.The concierge couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Sir, why are you back?"

Cen Fang jumped off the carriage and stepped into the puddle, splashing half of his clothes.He hurriedly walked in, and asked as he walked, "Is the elder in the mansion?"

The rain was too heavy, and the concierge tried his best to hold up the umbrella, and replied loudly: "The elder is going to Zhuangzi, and the elder lady is here."

After entering the gate, Cen Fang took the umbrella from the porter's hand and told him: "Unload the things in the car first, I'll go see the old lady."

He followed the outline into the main courtyard, glanced at the flower hall in front of him, hesitated for a while, and told the servants beside him: "If Da Furen is in the flower hall, please report."

The boy quickly ran to the front of the corridor, and said something to the girl standing at the door.

The lady in the flower hall who was looking at the account book jumped in her heart: "Why is he back? Pass it on."

Cen Fang entered the flower hall, and saluted the eldest lady from a long distance: "The villain pays respects to the eldest lady."

The eldest lady hummed: "Third Brother, what do you need to trouble you?"

Cen Fang was originally the capable third head of the Cen family.Years ago when the third master went to Hong's residence, the old lady ordered Cen Fang to accompany him and became the chief steward of the third master's house.

If it wasn't for something extremely important, the third master would not have sent Cen Fang back.

Cen Fang stood with his hands down, and said respectfully: "The third master bought some earthen rituals and sent the villain back home, and asked the villain to bring back a letter of safety."

The doctor didn't believe his words, she stared at Cen Fang and saw his eyes looking left and right, she knew it, and said with a smile: "The old lady is fine. Mother still has half an hour to take a nap, and Director Cen will go to change clothes first. Rest."

Cen Fang respectfully responded, and went out of the flower hall to be led by a servant.

The eldest lady read the accounts, closed the accounts and confessed to the steward: "I don't know if the millet that has just been planted in the field has entered the warehouse, you should keep an eye on it."

After dealing with a few more matters, he took the girl and mother-in-law to the backyard.

When I arrived in the hallway, I saw that Cen Fang had already changed into fresh clothes and was waiting.It's really urgent, the eldest lady thought to herself, and said with a smile: "I'll go see if mother has got up."

After entering the inner hall, Mrs. Cen had already got up, and was playing cards with Mama Tian and two maids.

"It's raining so hard, I said I'm sorry." The old lady Cen lowered her head, not noticing the strange look on the lady's face.

"Mother, Cen Fang from the third brother's residence is back." The eldest lady stepped forward to help her read the cards, and said softly.

The old lady Cen played a card and went out: "Why is he back, where is he?"

"I'm waiting in the hallway."

The old lady Cen pushed the sign and said: "Tell him to come in, you all go down."

Mother Tian and the two maids took the cards and withdrew.

When Cen Fang entered the inner hall, the eldest lady closed the door and came out: "Go and make a bowl of tea." She looked like she was guarding the outside room.

Mother Tian muttered in her heart, and while ordering the two maids to serve tea, she rubbed the lady's shoulders attentively: "Is the strength appropriate?"

She strained her ears to catch the conversation in the inner hall.

The eldest lady hummed: "I can't find a better one in the mansion for the handicrafts that my mother has mastered. No wonder my mother can't leave my mother. I remember that there is a mother Shang next to my mother, who is also my mother's dowry girl. I thought that when she was old , the mansion can honor her. I didn’t expect that when the Cen’s family separated, they would lose their minds and report to Sifang...It’s a pity."

Sweat broke out on Tian's forehead, she rested her hands and said, "I'll go and order the small kitchen to make some snacks for Madam."

When she went out, the corner of Da Furen's mouth twitched into a sneer, and her ears perked up.I vaguely heard old lady Cen's voice coming from inside: "...Liu Niang...isn't it?"

As the voice became quieter, the eldest lady became more and more uneasy, what happened?

Just as he was thinking, Cen Fang came out from the inner hall, cupped his hands towards the eldest lady and said, "Madam, the old lady invites you in."

The eldest lady got up, but Cen Fang sat down at the front of the main hall, just like her just now, guarding the outside and not allowing anyone to approach.

When the eldest lady entered the inner room, Mrs. Cen sat on the bamboo couch, twirling a string of small-leaf red sandalwood beads in her hand.The fingers quickly moved the beads one by one, as if thinking about something quickly.

The eldest lady sat at the bottom and called her softly: "Mother, what's the matter?"

Mrs. Cen answered irrelevantly: "I'm afraid the rain will last for several days."

Looking out of the window, the rain dripping down the tiles formed white lines.There was a tall plantain tree planted in the courtyard, and the huge leaves were beaten down by the rain.The sound of the brushing rain can be heard endlessly, making the inner hall even more quiet.

The old lady Cen finally stopped turning the prayer beads in her hand, and let out a slow breath.

No matter how anxious you are, you can't force the old lady to speak, can you?The eldest lady took a deep breath and sat quietly with the old lady.

After sitting for a long time, the old lady showed a smile on her face: "You just need to hold your breath. Don't think that the second and third are working as officials outside, the mistress of the Cen family in Longzhou will still be you in the future."

"Mother." The eldest lady breathed a sigh of relief, patted her chest and said angrily, "The daughter-in-law is not so calm, she was already anxious to death. What happened?"

The old lady Cen glanced at her, and said lightly: "I am anxious in my heart, but I can not show it on the surface. Being a housewife must have such skills."

The eldest lady flattered: "That's because the mother did not hesitate to teach her daughter-in-law."

"The fourth daughter-in-law doesn't care about anything, and I can only discuss matters at home with you." The old lady Cen patted her hand and said: "The new emperor is enthroned, and the palace is going to draft girls this year. The second The fifth mother of the family is 14 years old, and the fourth mother of the three families is 15 years old. The conditions are suitable, and they all applied for selection. The best-looking one in our family is Liu Niang. It is a pity that the fourth child has no official status, and she is a concubine and enters the palace. We can only start with the most inferior official daughters. In this palace, how many beauties are wasted until they grow old and can’t see the emperor. Liuniang’s best choice is to marry a dignitary in Chang’an. The third family is called Cen Fang I came back to deliver the letter, but it was not for entering the palace to participate in the election. The third child joined the army in front of Cao in Hongzhou, and invited the governor to have a banquet at home. As soon as he met Siniang, he became interested. Knowing that Siniang had applied for the election After getting drunk, she said that if she had a sister, she would accept her into the mansion. The third child hurriedly asked Cen Fang to come back and deliver the letter."

The eldest lady frowned and said, "How can our girl from the Cen family be sent out to be a concubine? Is the third brother confused?"

The old lady Cen sighed: "I am also surprised. How could the third child do this? After careful questioning, I found out that the governor of Hongzhou is not an ordinary person. He is the emperor's uncle King Teng! He is only ten years old. There is only one concubine who has lived in Chang'an for many years and did not accompany her."

The eldest lady was taken aback: "Is he a prince? No wonder the third brother wants to please you."

She was then pleasantly surprised: "If Liu Niang's appearance wins the favor of a nobleman, there is great hope to be named a side concubine. The Fang family is the richest man in Longzhou, but they have never been able to overwhelm our Cen Wang family. The Wang family has a queen in the palace. Miss Baolin, there are people in our family, and another princess will be born...Mother, this is a great thing."

"Yeah, that's what I thought at the beginning. Even if Liu Niang marries into a high-ranking family, it's not as honorable as marrying into an imperial family." Old lady Cen showed a hidden worry in her eyes, "The third son didn't mean to send Liu Niang , but fell in love with Sanniang."

"San Niang?" The eldest lady was greatly astonished, and said angrily, "Third brother is really confused, San Niang is not from our third room, why is he so interested in promoting her? Eh, no, mother , isn't Sanniang already engaged to the seventh young master of the Fang family?"

(End of this chapter)