Tong Minzhi’s once chubby face had slimmed down considerably, yet her eyes, bearing some resemblance to Xiqiu’s, remained bright and shimmering with intelligence. "I came secretly; no one noticed," she said, embracing Xiqiu. "Sister, don’t worry. There are guests at the front, and Lady is busy talking. The maid guarding the second gate slipped away somewhere to be lazy, so I seized the opportunity to sneak in."
Xiqiu pulled her to sit on the rosewood chair and took the tea from Chunyan to hand to Tong Minzhi. "Is your health better? Did the teacher punish you for missing lessons?"
Tong Minzhi chuckled, lively and spirited. "Doesn’t Sister know my studies well? Missing three to five days wouldn’t be difficult, let alone half a year without attending. Thanks to Sister for my early education; the foundation is solid."
Xiqiu smiled helplessly, genuinely pleased to see Tong Minzhi. She couldn’t visit the outer courtyard often, and even if her heart worried, she could only send someone secretly to check. Thinking of this, she said, "Is Zixia serving you well? Are the other two little maids looking after you properly?"
Tong Minzhi nodded and smiled, "Sister Zixia treats me very well and is very dedicated. I haven’t paid much attention to the other two, but they’re probably honest as well."
Xiqiu nodded satisfactorily, knowing Zixia’s temperament was always honest but perhaps overly so, fearing she would report everything to Lady. Such a person can be used but not trusted. She spoke to Tong Minzhi gently, softly, "Madam Wang went to Puji Temple. Behave in the outer courtyard and don’t entertain any dangerous thoughts, you understand."
Tong Minzhi’s eyes dimmed, shaking her head first then nodding vigorously, "I understand, I do! I won’t have silly thoughts again. I’ll tell Sister everything in the future."
Xiqiu still felt uneasy, but there was nothing she could do. Just then, it began to rain outside. Tong Minzhi suddenly dashed to the door, "I have to go back. The guests with Lady should be leaving, and I can’t be caught." Without waiting for Xiqiu to respond, he lifted his garments and rushed into the rain.
Xiqiu stood at the door, holding an umbrella, but Tong Minzhi was already out of sight, leaving her to sigh helplessly. Turning to Chunyan, she said, "Go later and secretly ask Liufu to boil some ginger soup for him."
Chunyan agreed, and Siliu, awakened by the muffled thunder, rubbed her eyes and asked, "Did Seventh Young Master come just now?" Looking around for a while, she muttered to herself, "Was I dreaming?!"
Chunyan covered her mouth, laughing, while Xiqiu tapped her with a smile, "When you’ve rested enough, go to the second gate and check which guests are here."
"Oh." Siliu glanced at the rain outside, gritted her teeth, opened the umbrella, and went out, returning shortly to report, "People from Shandong came and just went to the outer courtyard."
People from Shandong meant that the concubine had sent someone with a message. Last month, she had hurriedly gone back, and Xiqiu later learned that Lord Xu had fainted in a garden while drinking at a colleague’s house. The messenger traveled through the night to the Capital. Upon hearing, the concubine panicked and returned to Shandong without even packing.
Unsure of Lord Xu’s condition, from Xu Tianqing’s perspective, Xiqiu hoped all would be well with Lord Xu. Xu Tianqing was on the verge of the autumn examination; if anything happened to Lord Xu, he wouldn’t be able to focus on his exams.
As night fell, the rain didn’t stop. Xiqiu, after dinner, quietly worked on embroidery, as if waiting for something...
In the East Cross Courtyard, Madam Wang and Tong Xiyang were talking.
"Madam, you picked four leaves. I heard that even Lady wasn’t willing to use so many last night." She spoke with some apprehension, "Won’t Lady be angry?"
Madam Wang leisurely sat beside Tong Xiyang, her head adorned with gleaming red hairpins. "So what if she’s angry? Although the eldest daughter is legitimate, she is still a daughter of the Tong Mansion. First Master raised her and married her off to a good family, yet all the benefits are claimed by Lady alone. Does that make any sense?" She looked at the four large Heavenly Fire Grass leaves on the table and laughed, "It’s just a plant; it can’t be that effective. I’m simply venting my frustration."
Saying this, Tong Xiyang grew more concerned. "Madam! What good does it do to let off steam ? I’m supposed to seek her favor. Why do something instead?" With a huff, she drank a cup of tea, her eyes reddening.
Madam Wang embraced her, stroking her head with a smile, "How come you’re so invested in that marriage proposal now?" Seeing Tong Xiyang’s serious expression, she refrained from saying anything too severe. "Silly girl, how could I harm you? I am now pregnant, and First Master will soon return. I’m just testing her to see how wary she is of me." She paused and continued, "Indeed, Lady still doesn’t dare touch me! As for the Wujin Bo Mansion... sending the two Dongzhu pearls to Madam Chen, and she returned the gesture, isn’t the message clear enough? When the time comes, as long as I hold the Sixth Girl, the marriage is as good as sealed."
Tong Xiyang raised her eyebrows and pouted, "Didn’t Madam say that last time too, yet nothing came of it?"
Madam Wang’s eyes sharpened, her laugh a cold one, "I overestimated Chunyu and Qiuyun. They’re useless! A well-laid plan was not only unraveled by the Sixth Girl but was cleaned up easily by others. Sixth Girl is indeed shrewd. It was a brilliant move. If we had kept Chunyu and Qiuyun with the Seventh, she wouldn’t dare act. Now we’ve paved the way for her!" She vented her frustration, her gaze shifting to Tong Xiyang with a smile, "All right, don’t worry. I know what to do. I will ensure you marry into the Marquis Mansion and become a rightful lady."
Tong Xiyang, however, expressed her displeasure, "Madam, whatever plan you devise, don’t drag Cousin into it. Luckily, we averted disaster this time. If not, would Cousin have to marry Sixth Sister?!" The thought of Xu Tianqing marrying Xiqiu was like a thorn stabbing her heart.
Madam’s face turned cold, pushing her away, "You foolish girl, I’ve told you countless times, stay at home and wait to be a lady of the Marquis Mansion. And besides, what’s so good about Xu Tianqing? He’s just a magistrate’s son. Do you want to marry far off to Shandong? Hmph!" Seeing Tong Xiyang’s face fall, she laughed again, "Do you think Lady would marry the Sixth Girl to him? Even if Lady was willing, the concubine wouldn’t agree! Haha..."
"Really?" Tong Xiyang’s eyes lit up, "Lady won’t marry Sixth Sister to Cousin?"
Madam Wang picked up a Heavenly Fire Grass leaf from the table, rubbing it on her face to soothe the acne from her pregnancy. "I know Lady well enough. She values the Sixth Girl because she wants to use her to restrain us. Once that value is gone, she’d abandon her faster than us!" Madam Wang changed the topic, "Stop worrying. Let’s have the kitchen prepare this. Who knows if it’ll work."