青春期撞上更年期第1部

Madam Zhao raised Zhao Xiran from birth. Her daughter had always been smart and quick-witted, even better than her son. Even Minister Zhao had repeatedly mentioned that it would be great if Xiran were a son.

But her daughter had gotten bogged down in the abyss of misery because of the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, and she couldn’t get away.

When Madam Zhao was also in tears, Zhao Xiran calmed down and put away her sense of grievance. With a soft voice, she consoled her mother, “Don’t be sad. What’s done is done. We should take more time to achieve our goal. If those characters are in this mansion, I think what we want is most likely in the study of Hua’an’s father, but Hua’an doesn’t know about it.”

She had searched inside and outside her husband’s place several times, including his study. Beyond that, directly and indirectly, she had asked Shao Hua’an about this matter many times. However, every time she mentioned this topic, Shao Hua’an looked absolutely ignorant of it.

“As a daughter-in-law, you can’t search for Marquis Xing’s study at will.” Madam Zhao wiped her tears, and her forehead knotted in a frown.

The once-prosperous Marquis Xing’s Mansion was deteriorating rapidly, but people here still had to comply with the strict rules of aristocratic families. It was inappropriate for Zhao Xiran to rummage through things in her father-in-law’s place, which would undoubtedly arouse suspicion. What was worse, if there appeared any rumors intolerable to the ear, her daughter might feel too ashamed to live.

“I could hardly get a chance in the past, but I might make it now. I am in charge of the mansion. Old Madam isn’t in the inner court, and Madam Jiang is locked up. People of the third branch don’t care about other people’s business. As long as I don’t provoke them, they won’t say anything.”

Zhao Xiran composed herself and said.

Now was an excellent time to seek an opportunity; even so, it was not easy to succeed. As a daughter-in-law, she should never interfere in affairs at Shao Jing’s place.

“Recently, Mother, I think there is something unusual with my father-in-law!” Zhao Xiran said thoughtfully.

“What’s wrong?” Madam Zhao was shocked. She warily glanced around and asked in a low voice.

“I’m not sure about it. I sent some people to keep an eye on his courtyard. In the past few days., he has spent much more time there. Occasionally, there was a flicker of light from the place piled up with sundries that few people would visit, but the light didn’t last long. It seemed that someone was searching for something. But the person couldn’t always do that, especially when every time my father-in-law was in the mansion,” Zhao Xiran said.

Since she suspected Shao Jing, she certainly would pay special attention to him.

In the past, she had no chance or ability to do that. Recently, everyone in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion lived in terror and uncertainty. As a result, it became much easier for her trusted subordinate to spy on that place.

She managed the inner court. Two elders, Old Madam and Madam Jiang, the former was not in the mansion, and the latter was locked up. Since she was solely responsible for the inner court, these servants vied to fawn over her.

“Mother, I think there is nothing special about Princess Chen collecting paintings. You can go back and tell my father that. If he is still worried about it… Well, aren’t you in contact with Rui’an Great Elder Princess? It’s okay for you to visit her sometimes and inquire about it. But you can’t talk too much. My father should keep an eye on what’s happening outside the mansion, and I’ll go on carefully handling the affairs in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion.”

Zhao Xiran briefly summarized the whole situation when noticing that her mother was still panicked.

“Okay, that’s all we can do now. Take care.” Madam Zhao wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded gravely. She looked up at her daughter, feeling extremely distressed. “You’ve suffered a lot this time. You must not be careless. Take good care of yourself. Madam Jiang is vicious. It’s better to lock her up like this forever.”

Madam Zhao was very anxious to see the death of Madam Jiang. Only then would her daughter get her revenge.

“Don’t worry. I know what I should do,” Zhao Xiran said softly.

After chatting about some intimate things, Madam Zhao got up to leave. Today, she came to tell Zhao Xiran that Princess Chen was collecting scripts and paintings. Since Zhao Xiran was not clear about it, she had to go back and tell her husband about it.

After Madame Zhao left, Zhao Xiran sat down with a gloomy face.

She didn’t tell Madam Zhao all the facts. How could she casually enter her father-in-law’s courtyard? Even if she found something unusual, she had no right to search his place.

Things in the past were full of twists and turns. Her father only found part of the truth. According to what he knew, he concluded that Shao Jing had the thing and kept it in his mansion.

Mishaps happened one after another in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, but they didn’t inflict heavy losses. Shao Jing must have given something to someone in exchange for protection.

Of course, money was never what descendants of the royal family cared most about. It couldn’t be Shao Jing’s loyalty, either. These people might have been glad to accept the Duke Xing’s Mansion in the past. But now, there wouldn’t be anyone willing to support the declining Marquis Xing’s Mansion. In that case, Shao Jing must have offered something that these people were interested in.

This item was highly likely to be the item that Zhao Xiran’s father had been looking for.

It was lost long ago. Her father had been living with fear and trepidation for so many years, for fear that something horrifying would happen. Back then, the deceased emperor entrusted him with this task and asked him to look for it. To his dismay, the former Heir of Duke Xing elicited the message from him. When her father set out to look for it, it had been long gone.

This matter was entrusted to her father by the deceased emperor before he died. After the present Emperor ascended the throne, her father didn’t dare to act rashly. Later on, almost all the people who knew about this matter were dead. Her father thought this matter was over, so he just needed to wait and keep this secret with great care.

Somehow, the former Heir of Duke Xing got the news and visited her father. Under his threats and inducements, her father had no choice but to reveal the truth to him. After that, this Heir of Duke Xing disappeared into the crowd.

It was said that he fell out with his family and left with Infanta Qinghua.

He never returned after leaving.

Minister Zhao was on tenterhooks every day, very afraid that Shao Jiang would find those things and present them to the Emperor. He would be in serious trouble.

The only way was to find these objects and submit them to the Emperor to make up for his mistakes.

Shao Jiang was dead. Minister Zhao pried the news that Shao Jing must have murdered Shao Jiang. At that time, Shao Jing was also at the border. Later, he heard that Shao Jiang died in an accident and that Infanta Qinghua, his widow, became crazy after being brought back to the capital. She also passed away shortly after giving birth to a son.

Her ignorant young child couldn’t tell anything. There seemed to be no way to investigate this matter.

Shao Jiang and his wife, who knew about this matter, were all dead.

At first, Minister Zhao watched Shao Jing closely because he thought it was Shao Jing. When Shao Wanru, Shao Jiang’s daughter, appeared, Minister Zhao had a new suspect. This was why Zhao Xiran hurriedly married into the Marquis Xing’s Mansion.

At first, they kept the Marquis Xing’s Mansion in suspense. But after Shao Wanru returned to the mansion from the Yuhui Nunnery, Minister Zhao agreed on the marriage between Zhao Xiran and Shao Hua’an.

In those days, no outsiders could see Shao Wanru due to her identity.

However, things were changing so fast. Minister Zhao and Zhao Xiran could hardly cope with their difficult position. When Zhao Xiran moved into the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, she thought she could easily find out the truth and get what his father needed. However, she didn’t succeed in carrying out her intention. Involuntarily, Zhao Xiran began to doubt her ability.

“Eldest Young Madam, old maid Han has something to report to you!” Qiu Yue, her personal maid, reported in the corridor.

“Let her in!” Zhao Xiran put aside a myriad of thoughts crowding into her mind and said gently.

Qiu Yue lifted the curtain and came in. She was one of Zhao Xiran’s two maids who moved here with Zhao Xiran when she married, and the other was Qiu Lian. They were Zhao Xiran’s trusted followers. At present, they helped her deal with the affairs of Marquis Xing’s Mansion.

Following her was an old maid in her fifties, who was very thin and small. She was shrewd looking. When entering the room, she kept her eyes averted but didn’t dare to be presumptuous. In a hurry, she bowed respectfully. “Greetings, My Lady.”

“Don’t bother!” Zhao Xiran waved her hand. She had accepted this old maid in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion as her reliable helper. She was merely a servant who took care of a large area of flowers and plants outside Shao Jing’s courtyard, so it was convenient for her to go in and out of Shao Jing’s place.

“My Lady, I saw the light in the room last night. I seemed to have seen more than one shadow but couldn’t see clearly. After that, the light went out. I kept staring at that place until midnight. Later, I was so sleepy that I almost fell asleep. Suddenly, a loud noise came out. I was shocked. When I looked over there, the light flickered again. Then there was no more sound.”

Old maid Han reported.

She was in low spirits, her eyes bloodshot. She must have stayed up late.

“Okay, thank you for your hard work. You can go down and get your reward later! Go on watching that place.” Zhao Xiran nodded and said.

“Thank you, My Lady. Thank you so much. I will.” Old maid Han repeatedly thanked with gratitude.

After Qiu Yue took her out and rewarded her, she returned to the room. Seeing Zhao Xiran sitting there with a gloomy face, she hurried forward and bowed, “My Lady.”

“How is First Young Master?” Zhao Xiran asked suddenly. She had sent Qiu Yue to Shao Hua’an’s study to see if he needed anything.

“First Young Master said he didn’t need anything. He was studying in the study and told you not to worry,” Qiu Yue said, thinking that First Young Master was a good man. When badly wounded, he was still devoted to studying and wanted to get the honorary title of Eldest Young Madam.

After he injured his leg, Shao Hua’an was depressed for a period of time. Unexpectedly, he strove to improve and decided to achieve something big by studying wholeheartedly. He said he had wasted so many years and never thought of seeking a bright future through study. Now that he had lost the position of the heir of a duke, he found his purpose in life. Since his leg was broken, he could focus on studying.

Zhao Xiran sighed softly. Her husband’s words comforted her.

Shao Hua’an was talented and knowledgeable, but he had never considered taking the imperial exam. If he sincerely concentrated on reading books in search of success and fame, he could make it.

Shao Hua’an could let go of the position of the heir of a duke, but she couldn’t do it.

Shao Yuanhao was so young and not close to the Marquis Xing’s Mansion. How could he get the title? Since she married into this mansion, she had only seen Shao Yuanhao a few times. Obviously, he only considered himself the grandson of Rui’an Great Elder Princess, who had nothing to do with the Marquis Xing’s Mansion.

No matter how she looked at it, this title should belong to Hua’an.

“Go and ask about his situation every day. If there is anything he likes to eat, send it to him immediately. Let old maid Han go on keeping an eye on that place. Tell her to report to me if there is anything.” Zhao Xiran ordered methodically.

She had to do all the things one by one. Her father had taught her more things than methods of dealing with affairs in the inner court. Compared with women who only knew how to fight for their husband’s favor, she was much more tactful. If she were a man in Shao Hua’an’s current situation, she would make the same choice as Shao Hua’an. So, she admired her husband more and more…