Chapter 189 - 189-One Link After Another
Yuan Zheng and Xiao Manor were bustling with activity. The second branch had also returned to celebrate.
After all, they were only separated from each other and did not have any enmity with each other. Second Xiao’s heart, which had nowhere to rest, could only be put back into his stomach when he got closer to Sikong Xiao.
The two brothers went to attend the court meeting and drove Madam Xiao to the long room early in the morning.
It was the new year, so it was not good to criticize Xiao Jing ‘ai and let others gossip about her. Madam Xiao brought her and Xiao Miaorong, as well as a five-year-old concubine son, a three-year-old, and a two-year-old concubine daughter.
Other than Xiao Jing ‘ai being treated like dog poop by everyone, they were still in harmony.
Xiao Baoshu threw the bamboo that the servants had prepared into the fire early in the morning. The crackling sound made him extremely happy. The entire courtyard was filled with smoke and fire. Xiao Miaorong and Xiao Baoxin had been doing this for many years, but the two young Shu daughters were so scared that they cried.
Madam Xie glared at her son. She thought about how she should bear with it for the new year. If she scolded him at the beginning, he might be up to no good again this year.
Her son was also someone’s food, so she had to protect him well.
Originally, the Emperor and Sikong Xiao had only mentioned it and decided on it in advance. They did not announce it to the outside world, but the palace vaguely knew about it and gradually spread it.
Besides congratulating Madam Xie, Madam Xiao couldn’t help but sigh.
“The Emperor is a man of deep affection, but it’s a pity that Noble Consort Liu doesn’t have good fortune. You said that you don’t want to eat delicacies, but you insist on eating food outside the palace. You’re going to eat yourself to death…What a pitiful pair of children. Without a mother to protect them, it would be difficult in the future.”
“Fortunately, the emperor remembered the old relationship and the empress dowager took princess Xuancheng to her side to raise. Before anything else, she had already decided on the marriage. It seems that she has put in a lot of effort and will take care of princess Xuancheng in the future.”
“Sister-in-law is blessed. Her children are settled. One is the Xie family, and the other is the royal family. Our Xiao family can be considered to have made a name for ourselves.”
Madam Xie was grinning from ear to ear.’That’s all thanks to our ancestors. Our Xiao family has buried their ancestral graves well. Look, didn’t Miao Rong also choose Xi family’s fourth son?”
“If he wasn’t delayed by his mother’s funeral, he would be no younger than Xuan Hui by two years and would have gotten married long ago. It had to be said that this was fate. If you continue to worry, it will be a few sons and daughters of concubines. They are still young. At that time, it will be a different situation.”
It was not the same situation. No matter how much she worried about the son and daughter of a concubine, they could not compare to the flesh that fell from the body of a legitimate child. The intimacy was different.
Madam Xiao couldn’t laugh this time. Other people’s families had concubines as concubines, but their family’s concubines were still safe. It was their own daughters.
“Speaking of worrying, no one is as worrying as Second Mother. To be honest, I’m just a stepmother. If she kissed my mother, she would be furious.”
A good hand of cards, but she had played it to pieces.
She could be considered a county head, a famous person, but she did not care about her face and married a kid with no reputation. She became the laughing stock of Jiankang City.
“This girl is too scheming and knows how to admit defeat. This illness has coaxed the Deputy into softening his heart. He was still angry, but he also blamed himself for not teaching her welL.This time, he excitedly went to set a date for General Yang. Just half a month after the big lady got married, he added a lot of dowry.”
You didn’t see the betrothal gift sent by the Yang family. Without seeing it, the deputy was about to cry.”His heart ached for his daughter.
Madam Xie wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. Xiao Jing ‘ai had personally snatched her away, so it was already good enough to have a betrothal gift.
When she first fell in love with Yang Shao, she also knew that his family was not prominent. He was born in a poor family, his father died early, and he had a widowed mother. What kind of betrothal gift could he take out?
It was just because of him.
Now, it seemed that Xie Xian was still the better one. His family background was good, and his character was noble. It also depended on the upbringing of the family. If the family had a family background, they would definitely not be able to propose to a wife first and then marry another.
Yang Shao had chosen the second branch’s daughter, and Mrs. Xiao was only the stepmother. The real master of the house still had to rely on Xiao Lingyu. Otherwise, her Sikong wouldn’t have been so angry and chased the second branch’s family out.
Since she couldn’t say anything to Madam Xiao, Madam Xie didn’t want to vent her anger on her. She only said,”Everyone has their own fate. That person was chosen by Second Mother herself. If she’s good, it won’t do any harm to our Xiao family. If she’s not doing well, no one can blame us.”
Mrs. Xiao knew that it was not her fault as her stepmother.
She naturally knew this logic, but she was just frustrated. The family was in chaos because of a little girl, and the husband and wife were separated.
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While Madam Xie and Madam Xiao were chatting about their children, Xiao Baoshu was running wildly in the courtyard with his little brothers and sisters. Xiao Baoxin and the other three little ladies were sitting in the house, unwilling to move.
“Several times, I sent people to ask for Elder Sister, but Elder Sister ignored them. Today, 1 finally get to see them one by one. 1 wonder how Sister’s promise is going?”
On New Year’s Day, Xiao Jing ‘ai was dressed in pink and delicate clothes.
In any case, she was collectively ostracized in the Xiao manor. Even in front of Xiao Miaorong, she didn’t put on an act. She was very straightforward.
“You also know that recently Noble Consort Liu has died, the Emperor has no interest in government affairs, and Abba can’t intervene at this time. General Yang’s errand is only waiting for the right time.”Xiao Baoxin said indifferently, just as Xiao Miaorong had expected. He was neither hurried nor slow, not taking his promise to heart.
“Sister, don’t give up eating because of choking.”
It meant that she would rather get involved with the Xiao family than give Yang Shao a foreign post and help him achieve his glory.
Xiao Baoxin wanted to laugh. This innocent child-no, it should be an old woman.
However, when the word ” old lady” came into her mouth, it didn’t seem so cute anymore. It was strange and scary. She was still so innocent in her forties and fifties. How did she do it?
“Sister, I’m not hungry.” Xiao Baoxin stood up and was about to leave when Xiao Jing ‘ai quickly stepped forward to stop him, her eyes wide open.
“Sister, time waits for no man. Are you really going to be so ruthless? You really think that you’ve chosen Xie Xian? He can protect you for a lifetime and ensure the safety of the Xiao Clan. You’re overestimating him.”
His tone was filled with disdain.
At this time, only she knew that her heart was actually filled with fear. Every time she dreamed in the middle of the night, as long as she thought of Liu Guifei’s death, she wanted to cry.
How did he die?
It had completely messed up her plans.
She had set her sights on Xiao Zhongcheng, but he had said the same thing as Xiao Baoxin. The Emperor was not in the mood for government affairs, and it was not appropriate for him to intervene at this time.
The problem was, if he didn’t insert it now, when could he?
Right now, Noble Consort Liu had died two years early. If the Emperor also died early, the Crown Prince would ascend to the throne in minutes. The Xiao family would be in the blink of an eye. She would have nowhere to cry.
In Jiankang, why did Yang Shao raise an army to fight back? How to help the young emperor ascend the throne, how to change the dynasty?
One after another!