The survival rule of a concubine's daughter: 84 fragrances still have wishes, narrow road for enemies.

  Ruoshan couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile, and suddenly glanced at Ruqing who was also secretly enjoying the scene. She coldly said: "Fourth sister is really lucky to have remembered that she was registered under the name of Mrs. Li from the front."

  He stared at her with a vigilant expression, usually when he spoke, his words were unrelated to the topic and never kind.

  "It is well known that our imperial family has always respected the first wife. But Fourth Sister can be recorded under the name of First Wife, Lady Li, just because her mother was noble. She is much stronger than me, a humble-born one."

  Everyone exchanged a glance, and each found a mixture of shock and anger in another pair of eyes.

  Li was furious, but she had just been scolded by He and didn't dare to speak rashly. However, Rumei angrily said: "No wonder you're the princess, Second Sister's words are getting sharper and sharper. According to what you said, Fourth Sister is registered under Mrs. Li's name, and her status is even higher than my mother's and mine as the legitimate daughter, isn't it?"

  With a gentle and elegant manner of drinking tea, Yun said lightly: "Third sister, this statement is not quite right, when did I ever say such a thing?"

  Rumei sneered, and in the past year of being a daughter-in-law, her strict and demanding mother-in-law had already ground away her sharp edges. She was no longer the simple and naive Fangfu Diannü from her boudoir days. Rushan's words were clearly mocking her mother, Li Shi, who as a stepmother still had to perform the rites of a concubine under the name of the first wife. And yet, Rushen, an illegitimate daughter, was recorded under the name of Dali Furen, which meant that according to rules and regulations, she could be considered half a legitimate daughter. The status of children born to the first wife and those born to the stepmother were generally equal, except that in terms of moral and social norms, children of the first wife only needed to show respect as juniors to the stepmother. This difference between elders and legitimate mothers was like heaven and earth, which was why Rumei would get angry enough to breathe fire.

  Li turned her head and gave Ru a cold smile, saying in a gloomy tone: "Well, it turns out that there are many benefits to being registered under my sister's name. You really have a good skill, Ru."

  With a bitter smile, she said in a wronged tone: "From the day my daughter was born until now, she has always called you 'mother'. Can it be that all these years of mother-daughter affection have been for nothing? Just because of an outsider's provocative words, our many years of relationship are going to disappear into thin air? Mother, how can you bear to do this?"

  Li stopped, and stared at Ruo Shang with a piercing gaze. Ruo Shang's expression didn't change, but she furrowed her brow and said: "Fourth sister, you've gone too far this time. It's true that it was recorded under Madame Li's name, are you saying that I wronged you?" She glanced at Li Shi Ruo Mei and continued deliberately, "Besides, all the current madams are still here, why do you have to bypass them and record it under Madame Li's name?"

  As she took a deep breath, Li's gaze, as cold as a forest, had already made her back hair stand on end, but she knew that if she didn't solve this problem first, she would die an even more miserable death.

  "Second sister, fortunately there are no outsiders here. If second sister were to stir up trouble and sow discord in the palace like this, it would be a crime punishable by seven exits. She stared at Ruo Shan, not giving her a chance to react, and continued to speak rapidly, "What is 'tongue-lashing'? Second sister has been well-read since childhood, shouldn't you understand? Oh, I remember now, second sister must have read too many books, so the 'Female Precepts' and 'Women's Virtues' probably haven't been touched. I didn't know that tongue-lashing was also one of the seven major crimes. Why is tongue-lashing listed as one of the seven major crimes? Previously, my younger sister didn't quite understand and felt that the ancients were too harsh on women. But after hearing older sister's words just now, she greatly changed her opinion. This woman's tongue-lashing, even if it was just a momentary slip of the tongue, would still bring disaster to others, lightly causing family members to become estranged, and heavily causing the downfall of the family. Second sister, your previous words, even if they were unintentional, have already caused mother and third sister to be distant from me. Could it be that older sister can't bear to see me getting along with mother?"

  Her face suddenly changed, she pulled a long face and said in a low voice: "Sister is indeed eloquent, I admire her very much. I just made an offhand remark, but sister has been talking for so long, and even put on the big hat of family principles, awesome, awesome."

  "Earlier, Mother had taught us sisters that no matter how light or heavy the relationship between sisters is, there will inevitably be times of discord. But no matter how discordant, we are still of the same surname and share the same blood flowing through our veins; the bond between sisters cannot be altered. Over the years, no matter what Sister has done to me, I have always remembered Mother's words. Between sisters, even if there is a disagreement, whatever can be tolerated will be tolerated, and whatever cannot be tolerated..."

  She glanced sideways at him with a cold voice and asked, "What's it to you?"

  He stared at her, word by word, saying: "Then I will never tolerate it again." As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped Ruxin's face with a loud and fast slap.

  As she stood up, she looked down at her and said, "This slap is to wake you up. I, Fang Ruoqing, am not a soft persimmon that can be bullied at will. Before this, I didn't bother to argue with you, just because of our sisterly relationship, I tolerated you. But if you think I'm a coward who can be easily bullied, then you're greatly mistaken."

  With a vicious glare, he squeezed out words from between his teeth, "You, you actually dare to hit me?"

  "Let me remind you, sister," Qing said with a raised head, "some things can be said, but others cannot. Especially when it comes to meddling in the mother-daughter relationship between my mother and me for many years."

  Rú Shàn suddenly stood up, picked up the teacup on the table and splashed it onto Rú Qíng's face. Rú Měi seemed to have been prepared in advance, taking a step ahead to stop her, but Rú Shàn was like a mad tiger, grabbing the fruit plate on the table and throwing it out. However, Rú Zhēn Hé had already hastily collected all the things that could be thrown from the table, leaving Rú Shàn grasping at nothing, which made her even more furious. She walked around the table, ready to fight with Rú Qíng.

  "That's enough!" The old lady suddenly roared, heavily smashing a cup, the shattered porcelain pieces fell at Ruxin's feet, startling him to jump up, and he looked up to meet the old lady's sternly angry face.

  The old lady glared fiercely at Ruxuan and said sternly, "Qing'niang is right. A woman who talks back to her husband's family is one of the seven crimes that warrant expulsion from the household. Let me tell you something else: even if she talks back in her natal home, she will still be subject to severe punishment by the family rules."

  So angry that his eyes were about to split open, but he was so furious that he couldn't say a word.

  "The deed to Ruhua should be under the name of Madame Li, that's my intention. If you're jealous or dissatisfied, you can come at me directly. And if you think you can drive a wedge between Ruqin and her mother, or stir up trouble between San'ge and Ruqin, let me tell you, it won't work." The old lady slammed her hand on the table with a loud bang.

  As if biting her lip, she stared at the old lady's hand behind her back, with such a heavy force, it was estimated to be swollen...

  Her chest heaved violently, her eyes reddened as she glared at Old Lady Li and then at Ruoxi. Ruoxi bit her lip, shrinking into Mrs. Li's embrace, trying to hold back tears, and sobbed in a wronged tone: "Mother, I...I actually hit my own sister, I...I was too impulsive."

  Li held Ruoxi in her arms, gently patting her back, "Good child, you were indeed impulsive. Even if sisters have grievances, can't they be written off with a single stroke? Why not speak out your dissatisfaction openly? What's the need to resort to violence?" She forced down the corners of her mouth and put on a stern expression, then had Ruoxi apologize to Ruxuan.

  As if from Li's arms, she suddenly stood up and wiped away her tears with a soft cloth. In a low voice, "Second sister, I'm sorry, I was impulsive. I hope you can forgive me this time."

  She's really good at playing the weak and pitiful card, she and her mother Zhang have always been a perfect match, but now this shameless person has even learned their tricks, it's just too much.

  However, although she was angry, Ru Xiang couldn't move, and in fact, her emotions had already reached the point of tears. Moreover, people like Zhen Lao Shi also blamed Ru Xiang for hitting someone, leaving Ru Shuang with nowhere to vent her anger. If she didn't forgive her, it would prove that she was narrow-minded and lacked the demeanor of an elder sister.

  Ru Mei gave her a slanted glance, sneered and said, "Second sister, have you been having brain farts lately? Fourth sister hasn't offended you in any way. How is it that as soon as you came back, you're acting like you've got some kind of grudge against fourth sister? First, you scolded and beat her, then you exposed her secrets in front of Madame He, and now you're even driving a wedge between mother and fourth sister. Second sister, what's gotten into you? This isn't your usual style!"

  Everyone remembered that since Ruxiang got married, every time she returned to her mother's home, she would always quarrel with Ruqing, and couldn't understand why Ruqing had offended Ruxiang.

  Ruoshan's face turned green with anger, her fists clenched tightly, and her heart was filled with sorrow. How could she explain to her family that her husband had intentionally entered the Jingwang Fu, but he hadn't expected that the person changing clothes inside wasn't Ruoxi herself, but rather someone who looked like her.

  Now that the honeymoon period is over, this person's true nature has been revealed. Gone are the affectionate and loving days of their early marriage. All that's left is cold words and disregard for her, occasionally even criticizing her fashion sense. Their conversations always seem to end with a jab at her intelligence.

  Every time this happens, she always gets furious and can't help but want to slap him a few times, or force out his true face, so her husband can take a good look at the person he's been thinking about all along.

  ……

  After returning to the Fang Mansion, Old Lady Fang said to Ruo Qing: "Today's matter was originally caused by Ruo Shan being unreasonable. However, you took the initiative to hit someone, which is your fault. Fortunately, she also has the surname Fang; if she had the surname He, Liu or Zhang... do you know where you went wrong?"

  With a downcast head and a low voice, "No matter what, a granddaughter shouldn't have hit someone."

  The old lady's face was as calm as water, "If she is kind and considerate everywhere for you, it is her fault. Originally, you have already taken the upper hand in words, why must you take action again? It will only make everyone lose face. You must remember, you are sisters, connected by blood and flesh. Whatever grievances you may have with each other in private, on the surface, especially in front of outsiders, you must be harmonious. Otherwise, how will outsiders view our Fang family?"

  As is well known, the girls in a family are always closely connected. If there's an advantage, everyone gets it separately; if one of them gets a bad reputation, all the others will be ruined too.

  This would be considered unfair to any modern person, but there's no way around it. As a modern soul, she cannot change the religious customs of this era; all she can do is reluctantly accept them.

  The old lady sighed again, "I know the grievances and injustices in your heart. If that good-for-nothing girl had given him ten slaps, it wouldn't have been too much. But under those circumstances, how could I have taken your side? You must remember, I'm not just your grandmother alone. In such a situation, I couldn't have been overly biased towards you either."

  She nodded in agreement, knowing the old lady's difficulties. So, apart from scolding Ruyi severely, she also scolded her harshly in front of everyone. However, discerning people could tell that although the old lady was scolding her, she was actually scolding Ruyi. As for Ruyi, his face turned extremely ugly when he left.

  "It's a good thing this time it was just under our own roof, if there were outsiders present..."

  "As if she couldn't help it, Ru Qing said, 'If there were outsiders, Sun girl wouldn't have hit him like that.' She still knew how to differentiate between situations."

  The old lady nodded, with a hint of praise on her face. "I knew you were someone who understood the bigger picture. But I still want to remind you of two things: now that you're going to marry into the He family, if your in-laws also make things difficult for you in public, can't you think of any other way to handle it besides resorting to violence?"

  As if her emotions had settled, she nodded and said in a low voice: "Grandma, I was wrong, and I won't be so impulsive again in the future."

  The old lady nodded, "Alright, today's matter will be settled here, no one is allowed to mention it again. From now on, let's minimize contact with her, this person is like a mad dog, we don't want to have anything to do with her."

  Like a gentle nod, she lightly stepped forward, took hold of the old lady's left hand and examined it carefully. The old lady was puzzled, and Like a gentle voice asked: "Grandma, is your hand still painful?"

  After a while, the old lady finally understood what was being implied and couldn't help but smile with relief. "Don't worry, I'm sturdy enough. But you, with hands so soft and delicate, be careful not to hurt yourself."

  ……

  Back at the Writing Yi House, her mood was very heavy. She really couldn't understand why people from the same modern era who had crossed over could have such vastly different personalities. The way he acted and did things was completely like a three-year-old child's willfulness and rudeness. Didn't he ever think that if he messed up his relationship with his in-laws, what good would it do for him?

  After thinking for half the night, she still couldn't find a reason, and fell asleep with a heavy heart. She thought to herself that the He family was not close to the Yu Prefecture Wang Fu, and except for during festivals and holidays, they probably wouldn't have any further interactions. As long as she didn't do anything out of line, she would definitely make a friendly sister.

  ……

  After marrying He Jia Wen, the low pressure in the Yi Yi residence completely disappeared. The pace of life became lighter and more relaxed, and the old prestige was restored. If a young maid made a mistake, she would no longer be tolerated as before, but would be severely punished. Either beaten with a wooden board or forced to do hard labor, no one was spared.

  Previously, those who were lazy and sneaky had been dealt with severely, but after seeing the successive gifts sent by the He family, they also dared not to speak out in anger, and from then on, they did not dare to be negligent in their work.

  Linglong still hasn't changed her true nature, and she's been inquiring about news that would be beneficial to her own family's daughter. However, the things that are within her scope of responsibility are still being handled properly, it's just that she's a bit impatient when doing things.

  As for her ability to serve people, I really don't dare to praise it, but this little girl suddenly became infatuated with boxing after being caught by Ruxin and getting a bloody nose last time. At first, she just practiced in her own room, later Ruoxin even hung a sandbag under the wutong tree for her to practice her fists and feet.

  With more space to swing her fists, Linglong practiced even more diligently...

  Time flies, and before you know it, Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived. As usual during this season, Yu Ru received a letter from Zhiyi and his wife. It turned out that Er Sao, Yu Shi, had given birth to a baby girl. The letter also made a special inquiry about Yu Ru's marriage. Regarding Yu Ru's marital changes, Zhiyi expressed understanding and support. As for the He family, Zhiyi showed approval.

  "What family can produce a sister-in-law as virtuous and wise? I believe the young master of the He family is also not bad. As an older brother, I am relieved." In his heart, he was thinking that this was what it meant to flatter someone to the highest level. Without making any noise, he also managed to flatter Sister-in-law He into the conversation, and at the same time let the young master of the He family know that the Fang family looks highly upon you, so in the future, you should treat us with more kindness.

  However, I was still very happy to receive the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts from Zhiyi, because this time they were not the usual bear paws and fur, but rather the famous Luoyang silk, in a variety of colors such as light green, pale purple, pink, rose red, pomegranate red, sapphire blue, and lake green. There were eight bolts of fabric in total, each one over 30 feet long and thick enough to make several large boxes of clothes. I suppose this was Yu's idea, as Zhiyi is a rough and unrefined person who wouldn't know what else to send besides gold and silver trinkets.

  However, as she gazed at her already overflowing "little storage room", she couldn't help but sigh again... Ah, it's better for her to be a bit more down-to-earth, after all, gold and silver may be common, but they also have their own advantages and charm.

  However, to thank Mr. and Mrs. Zhiyi for their generosity, she spent three days writing a reply letter, and the gifts were also carefully prepared. Making shoes was too much trouble, so this time she took a shortcut and made several sachets herself, as well as a few sets of cute little clothes. Finally, she went to the "small warehouse" and took out the fox fur that Zhiyi had brought back earlier to make several hats and a few small capes.

  After sending away things, as if nothing had happened, I felt light and went with Old Lady to the temple to burn incense.

  This time, the emotional marriage has finally been thoroughly settled. The Fang family members all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling light and relaxed all over. He Shi came up with a suggestion to go to the temple together as a family to burn incense and fulfill their vows, and at the same time, they could take a stroll and relax their minds, killing two birds with one stone.

  The old lady agreed happily, and so the three generations of wives from the Fang family, along with Ruqing, a young unmarried girl, all set out together to the Hongguo Temple.

  Yu Qiong and Xiang Ling sat together in a single-horse, flat-roofed carriage. At this time, it was early autumn, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers wafted gently through the air, the outside air was fresh and clean, the sunlight was bright and beautiful, the scenery along the way was unique and pleasant, and the view was delightful.

  Chen Xiang personally brewed a cup of Maojian tea for Ruqing. Ruqing took a light sip, and her mood improved, even the taste of the tea was good.

  "Linglong couldn't help but take credit, 'Miss, I have a prophecy, in the future, your husband will be no ordinary person.'"

  He smiled and glanced at her, "Oh, I see that Linglong is a great god of calculation, how did you calculate it?"

  Linglong was delighted, "Last time I drew lots for my mistress and got two top prizes, both of which were extremely auspicious. So, I have a feeling that in the future, our young master will definitely become very wealthy and noble. My mistress will rely on her husband's nobility to become a noble lady herself, perhaps even a titled lady."

  "As you wish," he said with a smile, "I accept your auspicious words."

  Chen Xiang shot her a glance, snorted coldly and said, "Don't be in a hurry to praise her, she's just thinking that as long as she follows you, when you eat well, she can also follow and drink spicy food."

  Her lips curled up, speaking loudly without shame, "That's natural, the young lady married well, and we servants also get to enjoy good food and drink, how great."

  Rou Qingxuan smiled and said seriously, "You can rest assured, whatever delicious food I eat, you will definitely have spicy soup to drink. As for the conditions, I won't say more. You understand."

  Chen Xiang's three people solemnly looked at the delicate and beautiful face, suddenly thinking of Tao Hong who was sent to the laundry room by He Shi, and Lv Liu who was removed from the dowry list, couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

  ……

  Hongguo Temple is a national temple with its own unique features. Apart from the abbot, who is highly respected by the emperor, the most popular person among pilgrims is none other than Yuan Shan Shang Shi, the abbot's younger brother and master.

  Yuan Shan Master was well-versed in the past and present, skilled in calculations, with an accuracy rate of 90%. Especially when it came to the relationships between men and women in the mortal world, his predictions were incredibly accurate. A few years ago, he had predicted that the second daughter of the British royal family would remarry. At that time, he was almost chased out of the palace by the British king with a broom. But as fate would have it, the second princess did indeed marry twice. Later, he also calculated the destiny of the Crown Prince of Cheng and predicted that he would form an alliance with the Ze Yun Marquis's family, who were sworn enemies of the Cheng royal family. These two incidents alone made Yuan Shan Master's name resound throughout the land. Later, he was consulted by the son of the Duke of Yongning on two separate occasions to calculate his marriage destiny. The first time, he said: "A thousand miles of fate tied together, a shared past as classmates, husband and wife growing old together." However, after several years had passed, he revised his prediction, saying: "One joyful occasion followed by one empty one, attachment surpasses filial piety. A second marriage will bring the same suffering, with concubines causing chaos and regret."

  At that time, Yuan Shang Dashi's note was personally sought by Mrs. Yongning Bo, and she was depressed for many days because of this. However, the Jiang family did have a second marriage, as to whether it was really "bitterly busy", it depends on Shang He. As for the sentence "concubine chaos regrettable", others did not randomly take concubines, but took Yongning Bo's niece from her maternal family, a clean and white girl from a good family, such a virtuous person would not cause chaos. However, in order to avoid being really pinched, after Jiang Yunran took his cousin into the house, Yongning Bo took charge and sent away two concubines who were carried by the maidservants far away. I suppose there won't be any more concubine chaos incidents happening again.

  At that time, the King of Yu's wife also asked Master Yuanshan to calculate a fortune for the Crown Prince Li. Master Yuanshan only gave an eight-character phrase: "Yin difference Yang error, mechanism calculation exhausted, follow nature." The King of Yu's wife immediately became angry and said this was ridiculous, asking him to explain in more detail. It is said that Master Yuanshan refused to recalculate, citing "heavenly secrets cannot be revealed", but could not withstand the King of Yu's wife's persistence and pressure, so he tactfully advised: "Human calculation is inferior to heavenly calculation, one's own calculation is inferior to others'." Finally, he also revealed that the fortune-telling phrase for the Crown Prince was similar to Li's.

  Later, Li married Ruxian and everyone finally realized that it had indeed come true.

  Master Yuanshan was previously famous for calculating people's marriages, but later it was said that he also calculated a divination for the Rongguo Mansion, "A red apricot on the horizon, buried in the dust of twilight" eight characters summarized, was scolded by Lady Rongguo, saying it was nonsense, almost got into a fight, but within three years, this phrase came true, making Master Yuanshan's reputation soar to unprecedented heights.

  But Master Yuanshan is not always right either.

  For example, the annotation of King Jing Li Xiu was not counted. On the contrary, someone took this opportunity to spread rumors and make the 32-character fortune-telling proverb come true. At that time, Princess Jing also deeply believed it, so there was a joke about being designed by Fang Ruyan and getting married in anger.

  The old lady had always been devoted to Guanyin Bodhisattva, for ten years as one day. While Li's family was in need of something and worshipped it, this time they ran to the temple of Songzi Niangniang, begging the Bodhisattva to grant her a noble son as soon as possible.

  He also believed in Buddhism, but she was rational and reserved. After worshiping Guanyin Bodhisattva with the old lady, she supported the old lady to stroll around the temple, feeling the solemn Buddhist holy land while appreciating the fragrance of the osmanthus flowers planted in the temple.

  Although Ruqin also believed in Buddhism, she was similar to Li Shi, both of whom were people who only turned to Buddha when they were in trouble. This time, she didn't ask for anything and had nothing to do, so under Linglong's instigation, she secretly followed behind Li Shi, all the way to a Zen room, wanting to see what Li Shi was going to do.

  As if searching everywhere, this is the main house. Outside the main house stand eight small monks, many women with pearl and jade decorations are surrounded by mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, either standing or sitting in the outer courtyard, occasionally stretching their necks to look at the movements inside the main house.

  As soon as he entered the room, he saw a group of people with their heads together, and an old monk with white hair and a kasaya robe sitting in the middle, talking to a woman. The woman's face was flushed with excitement, shouting something angrily, then stormed out. Immediately after, another woman sat down in front of the monk, eagerly waiting for her turn.

  The girl didn't understand what was going on, and Linglong quietly said: "Miss, the one sitting here should be Yuanshan Dashi, who is famous for his divine calculations."

  As if in a trance, she couldn't help but take another glance at the monk from afar. Although his face was not clearly visible, it was astonishing to see that he had so many fans. Moreover, these noblewomen were generous with their donations, and it seemed that even a casual contribution of incense oil money would be enough for him to live a life of luxury. Suddenly, she thought that if the fortune teller could truly predict something remarkable, he too would be living a life of luxury.

  Although Ruqing doesn't believe in fortune-telling, the profession has been passed down for thousands of years and still thrives today. It's hard to say whether it's because the masters really have skills or if they've just done a good job of preparing people from birth.

  At this moment of sighing, the woman who had gone out earlier came out again. Her face showed no joy, but a certain determination. There were also people in the yard who knew her and asked what was going on in a hurry. The woman smiled and said, "Master Yuanshan only said one sentence 'Marriage is predestined by heaven, don't force it', well, let's just go with that Zhu family young man."

  One of the women covered her mouth and smiled: "I heard that Zhu's family is not wealthy, aren't you afraid that your daughter will suffer after marrying into their family?"

  That woman impatiently said: "A husband is someone she chose herself, whether he's good or bad she'll have to bear it. As parents, we've fulfilled our duties and that's all. Since Master Yuanshan says that marriage is predestined by heaven, we as parents can't force the issue either. I think this is a good marriage too. Although my daughter has a proud temperament, she's also a good girl. I believe in the future she'll definitely be able to take care of her husband and children, and will work hard to encourage her husband to become a better person."

  The woman then said a few more words to her friend and hastily left, as if standing in the distance, looking very familiar, but not knowing where she had seen her before.

  Still Linglong eyes venomous, "Miss, is that a side branch of Yongqing Bo's mansion?"

  As if she had suddenly remembered something, she saw Mrs. Li mingling with a group of women, occasionally flattering them with words. The women who had previously ignored her due to their superior status couldn't help but look at her in a new light when they heard that her daughter was married into the Yang family's second house of Qingchang Hou Fu, and then everyone started talking.

  Looking at Li's humble and pleased expression, she thought to herself, "It must be either about the future of Fang Manor or whether Rumei's marriage will be happy and fulfilling."

  But Ruoxi wasn't very interested, and was about to lead the maids elsewhere when Yuzheng suddenly grabbed Ruoxi's sleeve tightly and whispered urgently, "Miss, look who that is!"

  As if with a sidelong glance, she silently reproached herself.

  Madam Xiang, dressed in a dark blue embroidered jacket with a rose-red lining, was escorted by a young woman in a rose-red jacket with a white lining into the courtyard. With a solemn expression, she pulled at her sleeve and whispered, "Miss, let's go."

  Fang Si's eyes met hers for a moment, and she was about to turn around, but Tong Qingwen, with her sharp eyes, stared at her and drew out her voice, "Fourth Miss Fang, I've run into you here."

  "As if emotions had filtered through his mind, he slowly turned around and calmly said: 'Mrs. Xiang, Young Mrs. Xiang.'"

  It seemed that there was a look of surprise on Mrs. Fang's face, but she quickly recovered and smiled faintly, saying: "Fourth Miss Fang, what a coincidence to meet you here. How have you been lately?"

  Ruqin said, "Thanks for your concern, madam. It's all right." Whether in modern or ancient times, in social etiquette, no matter if the other person is an archenemy or a detestable pest, one must observe the rules of propriety. So Ruqin thought of retreating after exchanging greetings.

  Probably Mrs. also thinks so, but someone doesn't think so.

  Tong Qingwen slightly hooked her lips, a pair of exquisitely painted peach blossom eyes rippling with waves, smiling cleverly at Ru Xiang, "How did Fang Si also end up here? Did she come to have her fortune told too?"

  Like a sentiment that didn't resonate, he only said to the madam: "Like a sentiment still has something to do, I'll take my leave first." Saying so, he slightly bowed his body and turned around to leave.

  Tong Qingwen however was unwilling to let her off so easily and called out to her, "Fang Si, how can you just leave like that?"

  Ruan Yu's voice was a bit sharp, so many women waiting in line looked over, as if they had heard of her before. In fact, Ruan Yu had been active everywhere to make herself known, and now these women mostly recognized her and knew about her misfortune. Seeing the look on Ruan Yu's face, they all nodded in understanding and looked at her with interest.

  It seems that this thing on top of the head still hasn't received enough lessons and remains uneducated.

  Tong Qingwen ignored her husband's obstruction, took a few steps forward, and blocked Ruyi in front of him, smiling harmlessly, "Long time no see, Fourth Miss is even more radiant. Fourth Miss must teach me how to maintain such good skin?"

  "Madam, if you broaden your mind and adjust your attitude, your mood will improve, and your skin will naturally become better. If you can think more openly, you will naturally feel refreshed."

  This remark was a clever response, it not only solved the problem but also counterattacked with a subtle insult.

  Tong Qingwen involuntarily let out a cold laugh: "Miss is still eloquent. Unlike me, I've always been dull-mouthed and tongue-tied."

  "Madam is too modest. Although Madam indeed has many places that are not as good as me, but if we talk about crying skills, I am far inferior to her."

  On the side, there were either high or low snickering sounds. Tong Qingwen's face turned pale and red with anger, saying: "Miss, this is unreasonable! Why should I cry? You understand better than me. Now, why are you rubbing salt into my wounds?" The last few words were said with a sob, and she wiped her eyes again with her handkerchief.

  Mrs. Xiang, who was standing beside her, saw that she was becoming more and more unseemly, hastily shouted: "Qingwen, shut up! Come here to me."

  Tong Qingwen's body shrank slightly, unwillingly glaring at Ruqing with a resentful gaze before returning to Madam Xiang's side.

  He glared at his wife in annoyance, silently scolding this good-for-nothing, then turned around and said with a gentle smile: "My wife has always been spoiled by me, she doesn't know the weight of her words, please don't mind her, miss."

  She smiled faintly, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "No wonder Master Xiang was transferred this time, but Young Madam didn't follow him. I thought it was because Young Madam couldn't bear to part with you, madam. Now that I hear you say this, it turns out that you're afraid Young Madam will offend people with her careless words, so you're keeping her by your side to teach her."

  The lady's forehead bulged with blue veins, but it was hard to explain what she meant. She could only force a smile and say, "Miss is right, that's all."

  Tong Qingwen glared at Ruxin with a fierce gaze, as if she wanted to bite her.

  Linglong retorted from the side, relying on her sharp eyesight, we won't lose to anyone.

  Intimidated by Ling's fierce gaze, Tong Qingwen shrank back towards Madame's side, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes.

  Suddenly, Tong Qingwen's eyes rolled over, and she couldn't help but interrupt, feigning surprise. "Huh? That's strange! How did Fourth Miss know about my husband's business trip?" She saw the interest in the eyes of some women standing nearby, and her excitement was like a shot of adrenaline.

  Frowned at his wife, dissatisfied with a glare at his daughter-in-law.

  As the emotions were still subtle, "Toward Gongzi walked in Wang Suzi's door path, this is a well-known fact and can't be considered a secret. Moreover, Young Madam personally took out her own dowry to help Toward Gongzi in many ways, which is a rare virtuous and wise woman. Like emotions deeply cultivated in the inner chambers, yet also heard one or two things."

  In the officialdom, it's not uncommon to walk through the back door. One gives gifts and the other receives them, then both benefit. This is very popular among the people, but those who receive gifts also need to pay attention to their reputation. If this really gets out, not only will Wang Su be targeted by the speaking officials, but even the emperor's intelligence agency, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, won't let him off.

  Although the emotions are light and casual, this publicly acknowledged secret is being revealed. It's not that Ruo Xue can't be a good person, but rather that these two women have been too deceitful, forcing others to speak the truth. Some noblewomen looked at this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo with disdain, one who used her daughter-in-law's dowry to bribe her son, and another who shamelessly climbed into someone else's bed and snatched away their fiancé. Now they still dare to show off their power and prestige, truly a perfect match.

  The husband's face turned iron-green, and he glared at his wife with hatred, shouting: "Shut your mouth for me. If you dare to speak nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth apart."

  Tong Qingwen had always been afraid of this aunt, and upon hearing her words, she didn't dare say another word. However, on her lowered face, there was a deep-seated resentment...

  Mrs. Li, who had previously socialized with some noblewomen, also hastily stepped forward and pulled Ruoqing over, smiling apologetically towards the lady: "I'm really sorry, my daughter doesn't understand things, if she has offended you in any way, please forgive her." Then she turned around and scolded Ruoqing severely: "You're really unreasonable! I brought you out to have fun, not to engage in verbal sparring with others. What if someone else comes along and starts crying and making a scene? How would that be good? You've gained nothing but a reputation for being quarrelsome, just wait until your father finds out, he'll definitely punish you."

  Ruqin stared at Li in surprise, Li's face was furious as she pulled Ruqin away, along the way she nodded to acquaintances and apologized, "Sorry, let's not disturb you all, we'll take our leave first."

  Other women smiled and saw off Li's mother and daughter, waiting for their distant figures to disappear before gathering together again, each talking about their own affairs, but no one paid attention to Madame Xiang.

  The lady had already turned iron-green with rage, and glared at her daughter-in-law with hatred, gritting her teeth in a low voice: "Wait till we get back to deal with you properly."

  ……

  Only when they arrived at a deserted place did Li Shi let go of Ruo Qing's hand, took a light breath and scolded: "You child, I thought you were clever and clever in your daily life, but when you encounter the shameless Zhang family, you become brainless. What's the point of being reasonable with such people? Don't lower your own status." In fact, Li Shi had also heard most of Ruo Qing's conversation with Tong Qingwen, and was deeply surprised by this concubine's clever words in her heart, while also deeply regretting that she should have used this trick to counterattack the woman who loved to pretend to be weak and gain sympathy. If only she had used this trick to defeat Zhang Yiniang's black and white reversal earlier.

  Ru Qing said in a low voice: "Making mother angry is daughter's fault. Daughter knows she was wrong."

  "Li shook her head, 'What's wrong with you? Your words just now were very good.' She hummed softly, 'My own daughter can't be bullied by a broken-down household like yours.'"

  As for feelings: “……”

  ……

  It was probably because of her age that the old lady felt unwell after worshipping the Buddha, so Madame He suggested they have a vegetarian meal at the temple and take a short rest before heading back home.

  The vegetarian meal in the temple was quite palatable, and I ate two big bowls. The Fang family's approach to health is to move around after finishing a meal, as the saying goes: "Take a walk after eating, live to be 99."

  He led the way, saying he wanted to go and worship Guan Gong, while Li went to the back mountain again, looking at her back with a mixture of emotions, guessing that she had gone to find Yuan Shan Master again. She herself walked towards the back mountain, hearing that there was a patch of Osmanthus fragrans trees there, going to smell the fragrance of Osmanthus fragrans was also not bad. And on the back mountain, there was also a tall and majestic Wangjiang Pavilion, where you could also see the beautiful scenery of the northern suburbs of Beijing.

  The old lady alone was extremely tired and lay resting in her room.

  The back mountain of Hongguo Temple is very vast, and after walking for a long distance, I climbed up the stone steps, looked up, and finally saw the legendary Wangjiang Pavilion in the distance. The three large golden characters, even through a layer of thin mountain mist, can feel its grandeur, worthy of being a national temple. Every brick and tile here exudes a hint of royal majesty and the solemnity of a Buddhist holy land.

  As if feeling one's own weight, thinking that relying on oneself's shoulder strength cannot be lifted and the force is really going to climb up the mountain top, there is only half of life left, so, turned around again, and walked towards another wide road.

  Tall cypresses stand on both sides, the green stone brick road is swept clean, and the four of them stroll along the shaded path, feeling the solemnity and serenity of Buddhism, their mood calm and peaceful, as if all worldly troubles have been cast aside.

  Suddenly, it dawned on me why many wealthy families would send their errant children and relatives to the temple. It's because in this temple, with its vast sky above and intricate carvings below, there is no strife or worldly entanglements. With the peaceful and sacred Buddhist chants, one day the heart that had been tainted by worldly desires will be cleansed.

  After walking for a while, I suddenly came across a fork in the road shaped like a "Y", looked around and casually chose a path to continue on. Suddenly, I saw many tourists and incense-burning visitors sitting in a pavilion ahead, holding food in their hands and occasionally throwing it into the water. My interest was piqued, so I quickened my pace.

  After walking away, I realized that all these tourists and pilgrims were accompanied by their families, and there were also many unfamiliar young men. They didn't dare to confront the feudal ethics and social norms in their hearts, so they could only reluctantly turn around and leave.

  Yuqin couldn't bear to see her own daughter lose interest and leave, so she suggested to Ruxiang: "Girl, there's still a pavilion over there, let's go take a break."

  As if on cue, after walking for a long time, his feet were indeed a bit tired, and finding a pavilion to rest his feet was not a bad idea.

  Just a few steps later, I saw the guards standing in front of me, as if they were rooted to the spot. Having lived in ancient times for over ten years, I deeply understood the severity of "the higher the official, the more deadly" and "power is overwhelming". Seeing these guards with killing intent, and each one having thick arms and a sturdy waist, I thought: I reckon it's those royal family members arriving again.

  Alas, from ancient times to the present, having power is great. Those with power can occupy all the advantageous positions and don't need to pay any fees. Ordinary people can only gaze longingly at the beautiful scenery that has been fenced off. Thinking of the villas at the foot of Mount Tai in modern times, the "private territories" enclosed by hotels along the coast of Sanya, and countless other examples of enclosure before her eyes, she should remain calm.

  With a keen eye, she had already discerned the identity of these guards and whispered: "Miss, they are guards from the King of Jing's palace. It must be Princess Consort Jing inside."

  As if sensing her nod, she had also guessed it.

  At this time, the guard on that side also discovered the situation and shouted: "Halt, this place has been booked by my master, outsiders are not allowed to enter."

  As she turned around and walked away for a short distance, she was suddenly stopped by someone who said, "Miss, my family's princess has invited you."

  As if suddenly turning around, he looked at the young maid in front of him, wearing a crimson satin jacket with red lining and embroidered flowers, which was indeed worthy of the Wang Fu, even the maids were dressed so spiritedly.

  The maid bowed again and said in a crisp tone: "Miss, please go, it's not good to keep the princess waiting."

  As if they have no patience, this is the benefit of being a dignitary. When others want to see you, they can only come with gratitude and respect in their hearts.

  Digression

  The horizon represents the sun, and the sun represents imperial power. Apricot represents beauty. The red apricot on the horizon refers to the beautiful woman by the emperor's side. Having alone means being favored and glorious for a time. Dusk refers to the sunset, the moment when the sun sets, implying decline. Dust refers to downfall. Covering up means disappearing.