Three Aunts Make a Play
“How could it be? He sought my assistance. The token he gave me was for my convenience,” Nanli immediately denied, her expression calm.
Chu Shuo was relieved, “That’s great.”
No matter how powerful the Ninth Prince was, he was not a man who could easily move around. His sixth sister was so good and she couldn’t be married off to Ye Siheng to waste her life away.
Nanli didn’t pay attention to this matter at all.
In just two days, Qing Feng personally delivered the compensation to the mansion.
Besides the silvers, he also brought a box of jewelry and exquisite silk fabrics.
Nanli’s expression remained unchanged, not showing much joy.
She simply said, “I haven’t done anything for His Highness yet, so I cannot accept any rewards without merit.”
Qing Feng thought to himself that the Sixth Miss was not interested in the Prince.
But it didn’t matter, he always found excuses, “The talismans of the Sixth Miss are very effective. This is Prince’s gratitude. Please don’t refuse, Miss.”
Nanli couldn’t be bothered to argue with Qing Feng and said, “Then I will accept it. As for finding the person who cast the curse, I already have some leads on how to find him.”
Fortunately, she was truly capable, otherwise she would truly be unworthy of Ye Siheng’s generous gifts.
Qing Feng’s face was filled with joy as he respectfully bowed to Nanli, “I’m always ready to service Miss with everything.”
Nanli glanced at his face.
Although they had clashed when they first met, as the saying goes, “No discord, no concord”
She was not a petty person, so she gave him a hint, “Qing Feng, you shouldn't ride a horse today.”
“Rest assured, Miss. My horsemanship is unparalleled, and I have never encountered any problems,” Qing Feng said, raising his chin.
After hearing this, Nanli nodded slightly, “Then I wish you good luck.”
Qing Feng felt that Nanli didn’t trust him. If he didn’t ride a horse, did he have to walk back?
Although he didn’t care much, the words of Nanli could leave his mind when he was on the horse. Thinking about the power of those talismans, he felt a lingering fear and dismounted halfway.
A servant who followed him asked, “Master Qing Feng, why did you dismount?”
Before he could answer, a man on horseback passed by, and the horse stumbled and fell. The man fell off and immediately broke his arm, screaming in pain, causing chaos all around.
The servant was both shocked and delighted, “Master Qing Feng, you are so lucky, otherwise you would have been injured.”
Qing Feng’s face turned pale, nodding, “Miss Nanli is truly formidable.”
Fortunately, he was obedient, otherwise he would have been the one injured today.
No, he must help the prince marry her, so he could avoid misfortune in the future.
...
Things went smoothly with money in the purse. Madam Qian’s shop reopened after being smashed.
Nanli bought a lot of medicinal ingredients and refined several elixirs. She sent some to the Old Lady and Madam Shen respectively.
After taking them, Madam Shen slept well and her complexion became radiant. She had been in good spirits lately.
She was kind-hearted and, as the mistress of the Marquis Mansion, often enjoyed tea and flowers with a few madams.
The third and fourth madams were surnamed Liang, while the fifth madam had passed away long ago. There was also Madam Chen, who was currently pregnant.
Madam Liang was in her thirties and still fair and beautiful. Sitting there, she was a picturesque sight.
Madam Chen, at most, could be considered pretty, but with her pregnancy, her body was slightly swollen, making her pale in comparison to Madam Liang.
Shen took a sip of tea and said, “Sujuan, you’re pregnant. You should rest well in the courtyard.”
“Madam, the doctor said I should move around more now so that it will be easier to give birth later,” Madam Chen wiped off her powder, her complexion still looking good. “I missed Madam, so I naturally came to pay my respects.”
“You’re thoughtful,” Shen nodded with a smile, “But everything should still prioritize the child. The Marquis will return tomorrow, and there will be many people. You should stay in the courtyard.”
As she spoke, she had someone bring out some edible bird’s nest for Madam Chen’s maidservant to take back.
“Thank you, Madam.” Madam Chen’s smile deepened, “I apologize to the two sisters. Previously, Madam always divided the edible bird’s nest equally among the three of us. Now, I alone get to enjoy it. I feel guilty about it.”
Madam Qian waved her hand, saying, “It’s nothing. If I want, I can buy it myself.”
Madam Chen’s smile became somewhat stiff.
Did she suggest that she was poor?
Madam Liang remained composed, “Then you should eat more. The spots on your face have faded a lot.”
Madam Chen’s smile became even more radiant as she gently touched her face.
At this moment, Nanli walked into the flower hall.
She was wearing a pomegranate red dress, with golden threads embroidered in auspicious patterns on the hem and cuffs. Her hair was tied up in a delicate bun, adorned with a small and exquisite pearl and gold crown, reflecting her exquisite and beautiful face.
Before she could speak, Madam Qian immediately stood up and circled around Nanli twice, smiling, “The golden crown crafted by my people truly suits Nanli. It looks so beautiful. However, her neck looks a bit empty. If she were to wear a gold necklace with embedded rubies, it would be perfect.”
Madam Liang nodded as well, “And what about her wrists? Instead of wearing gold, why not pair it with a set of white jade bracelets? It would complement each other perfectly.”
“That is right, I happen to have a pair,” Madam Qian said.
Madam Qian was about to send a maid to the storeroom to fetch them, but Nanli quickly spoke up to stop them, “This is not what I come here for. I want to ask if I could dress more simply.”
Even the golden crown on her head weighed two or three catties. It seemed that being a young miss of the Marquis Mansion was not as easy as it seemed.
Madam Shen spoke gently, “Mother knows that you dislike extravagance, but when the Empress heard that you had returned, she asked me to bring you to the palace. It would be impolite to meet the Empress without proper attire. So just wear it for the palace visit, Li’er, can you endure it?”
Nanli had no choice but to nod.
Madam Qian was delighted and called for Madam Liang to help choose some jewelry, making sure to give the best to the Sixth Miss.
"The Sixth Miss is truly fortunate," Madam Chen said sourly. "Madam Qian rarely treats others so generously."
Nanli turned her head, her heavy hair bun weighing her down, “It seems that Madam Qian is only stingy towards Madam Chen.”
Madam Qian and her son were the same.
If someone treated them well, they would repay tenfold.
Madam Chen hadn’t gained any benefits, so her character must not be very good.
“It’s because I entered the Marquis Mansion late, and I’m not as precious as the Sixth Miss. Madam Qian naturally wouldn’t try to please me,” Madam Chen said self-deprecatingly.
Nanli didn’t want to argue with her, but when she saw Madam Chen’s belly, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows.
Seeing this, Madam Shen became puzzled, “Li’er, what’s wrong?”
She knew her daughter’s abilities and was somewhat worried.
“It’s nothing,” Nanli thought to herself.
If she were to blurt out this matter in front of them, they would probably think she was talking nonsense.