青春期撞上更年期第1部

“Old Madam is not the only shrewd person in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion.” Subconsciously, she clenched the handkerchief in her hand. “Madam Jiang? “Madam Jiang has always been shrewd. Does she really know nothing about this?”

She was suddenly enlightened. “Others may not care about it, but what about Madam Jiang? Could Madam Jiang accept such a secondary legal wife?”

She stole a glance at Shao Wanru and found that she was focused on the scenery outside the window. Her eyes flashed, and she subconsciously hid her thoughts. She did not want Shao Wanru to see through her mind.

She leaned against the fence and looked at the large fish vats below. There were graceful water lilies planted in them. Outside, those lotus flowers covered a large area. Compared with them, each water lily in the fish vats looked more like a slender beauty, elegantly nodding her head slightly in the breeze.

“The water lilies are so charming!” Zhao Xiran praised them from the bottom of her heart. The fish vats were very big, so the water lilies didn’t crowd together. The longer she looked at them, the more attractive they became in her eyes.

Shao Wanru’s eyes also fell on the water lilies. Thinking of past events, she smiled sweetly. “A few years ago, I had this idea and wanted to plant some in my previous mansion. I didn’t expect to see such a scene here!”

A tender smile appeared on Shao Wanru’s delicate face. At the sight of such a stunning smile, Zhao Xiran had to admit that Princess Chen must have lived a happy life. How could she smile happily like an innocent child if no one protected and loved her?

Somehow, she felt depressed. They were both married, but she had been working hard for the future of her husband’s family. Except for her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law, she would soon get another elder whose identity was unknown. Compared with Princess Chen, Zhao Xiran was living in utter misery. In the past, she thought she was very clear about Shao Hua’an’s background and his deep love for her. It turned out that all the beautiful things existed only in her imagination but not in reality.

“Your water lilies in the few vats look so good. If I had known they would grow so well, I would have raised lilies in a few vats!” She forced a smile and suppressed a trace of annoyance in her heart.

“It’s not a complicated thing to do. If you want them, I can give you some!” Shao Wanru said with a chuckle.

“You don’t need to do that!” Zhao Xiran refused.

“It doesn’t matter. In fact, except for the water lilies in these vats, we have planted some in other places. But the other vats are not so big. I hope you won’t mind it!” Shao Wanru turned around with a smile. Then, she ordered Yujie to prepare the gift and send two vats of water lilies to the Marquis Xing’s Mansion.

Because of her idea of planting water lilies, Chu Liuchen sent some large vats to her not long after she entered the capital. But later, many things happened fast. Even when she left the Qin’s Mansion, she did find a chance to plant a vat of water lilies. Later, she moved from the Marquis Xing’s Mansion to the Yuhui Nunnery. Chu Liuchen specially asked some people to grow water lilies in his mansion and sent some to her place.

When Shao Wanru saw water lilies placed in a different place, she thought of this warm past.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Zhao Xiran no longer refused and thanked her with a smile.

The two of them talked for a while. Suddenly, a servant girl came over in a hurry and said a few words to Shao Wanru. The smile on Shao Wanru’s face froze. Then she stood up and said to Zhao Xiran, “Sister Zhao, please sit here for a while. I have something to do and will be back soon.”

“Please do as you like, Your Highness!” Zhao Xiran stood up and said with a smile.

Shao Wanru left with her servants, leaving Zhao Xiran and her servant in the pavilion. Zhao Xiran sat down again and looked out of the fence. “Shao Wanru left in such a hurry. Did something happen? Something big seems to have happened. Is it has anything to do with me?”

Since she married into the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, Zhao Xiran had always been living in terror and uncertainty. The harsh reality made her realize she was just a woman and spent most of her time in mansions. Her father had taught her many other things than those affairs in the inner court, but so what? She had no chance to do anything and could only be an ordinary woman from an aristocratic family.

In the past, she had been too naive.

When Zhao Xiran soberly realized this, she became increasingly dependent on Shao Hua’an. Only when Shao Hua’an made more extraordinary achievements could he take her to a bigger world.

“First Young Madam, why hasn’t Princess Chen returned yet?” Seeing that Zhao Xiran kept drinking tea impatiently, the servant girl who came with her couldn’t help complaining in a low voice.

“Something must have happened!” Zhao Xiran was no longer in the mood to enjoy the scenery and frowned.

“What important thing could alarm Princess Chen? I heard the Prince Chen’s Mansion had no other consorts!” The servant girl lowered her voice and said.

Prince Chen married no other woman and didn’t even have a woman serving him in his mansion. It was said that Prince Chen had never been close to women since he was a child. He didn’t accept any girls sent to him as awards, whether from the Empress Dowager or the Empress in the Palace.

Then, who would provoke Shao Wanru? Or who alerted Shao Wanru? Was it something about the outer court?

When thinking about it carefully, Zhao Xiran suddenly felt the bead curtain at the door sway slightly. She couldn’t help turning her eyes over. The servant girl also saw it and quietly walked to the door. When she reached the curtain, she suddenly pulled it open — Mo Yan was standing there. The servant girl couldn’t help but be stunned.

“Is First Young Madam inside?” Mo Yan was also startled. Then, she asked happily.

The servant girl knew Mo Yan, so she nodded and looked back at Zhao Xiran.

“Is it Mo Yan? Let her in!” Inside, Zhao Xiran also heard the conversation at the door and said. She had intended to mention Shao Yanru and inquire about some information about her, but unexpectedly Shao Wanru suddenly left.

After the Marquis Xing’s Mansion got the news of Shao Yanru’s death, nothing happened. People in the mansion calmly accepted her death without even making detailed inquiries about this matter.

Although Zhao Xiran didn’t really like Shao Yanru, she was secretly disappointed by the cold and indifferent attitude of those people in the mansion. Shao Yanru had been Old Madam’s favorite granddaughter. But when Old Madam heard the news, she didn’t even cry a few more times. She just said that she was in a bad mood and drove her out.

As for Shao Hua’an, he didn’t say anything. He just let out a long sigh and said this was the best. His face darkened when she asked more questions about that.

Everyone in the mansion was extremely calm. They reacted indifferently as if Shao Yanru were not the First Miss Shao they doted on but an inconspicuous servant girl in the mansion.

Zhao Xiran didn’t understand it. Since Mo Yan was here now, she could resolve her doubts.

Mo Yan followed the servant girl into the room. When she saw Zhao Xiran, she knelt and said, “First Young Madam, please take me back to the mansion.”

Zhao Xiran looked Mo Yan up and down and asked, “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in the Palace?”

“Princess Chen took me out of the Palace, but I want to go back to our mansion.” Mo Yan cried.

“Don’t you want to stay in the Prince Chen’s Mansion?” Zhao Xiran asked in confusion. The Marquis Xing’s Mansion was declining, while the Prince Chen’s Mansion was increasingly thriving. Anyone could see the difference, right?

Moreover, in her mind, Mo Yan was a servant girl of insight much wiser than ordinary servant girls. How could she be so loyal and choose to take a nasty turn with the Marquis Xing’s Mansion?

“First Young Madam, I used to be First Miss’s servant girl. Even if my master died, I had to offer a sacrifice to her from time to time. How could I serve another master? Besides, even if Princess Chen doesn’t mind that I served First Miss, the few servant girls accompanying her will not be happy about it,” Mo Yan said sadly.

She was telling the truth. Zhao Xiran knew what had happened between Shao Yanru and Shao Wanru. They had waged tit-for-tat struggles against each other, so how could Shao Wanru’s servant girls accept Shao Yanru’s?

“Get up first. I’ll ask Princess Chen later,” Zhao Xiran said.

“Thank you, First Young Madam. Thank you so much!” Mo Yan wiped away her tears and stood up. “When I heard you were here, I sneaked out to see you. I have to be very careful not to be seen here. I’ll have to leave now.”

“Go ahead!” Zhao Xiran nodded.

Mo Yan left in a hurry. Seeing no one around, she breathed a sigh of relief and walked back.

After she left for a while, Shao Wanru came back with a servant girl and an old maid.

When she sat down again, she asked the servant girl to change the tea. Then, she picked up the pot and poured a cup of tea for Zhao Xiran in person. She apologized, “Some things happened at the front. I was astonished when I heard the news. Thus, I specially went to ask about it. Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re too polite, Your Highness. The scenery here is so beautiful. I won’t feel bored even if I sit here all day!” Zhao Xiran smiled and said, seemingly in a good mood. She took the tea from Shao Wanru, took a sip, and put it down with a bright smile. “I saw a person in the distance just now. She seemed to be Mo Yan, but I’m not sure. I was amused. The people serving Shao Yanru should be in the Palace. How could she appear in the Prince Chen’s Mansion?”

“Sister Zhao, did you see Mo Yan just now?” Shao Wanru asked, smiling.

“Yes, I saw someone like her, but it might not be her. It must have been someone else!” Zhao Xiran put it tactfully. Of course, she wouldn’t ask for Mo Yan directly from Shao Wanru.

“It’s indeed Mo Yan. After Secondary Consort Shao passed away, she lived alone in the Palace. She temporarily entered the Palace then, so I applied to take her away. Now she is in my mansion.” Shao Wanru carelessly told the truth without hiding anything.

“Is she really here?” Zhao Xiran was very surprised and sat upright as if she had just known it.

...

“Yes. There are so many people in the Prince Chen’s Mansion. It’s nothing serious to take in one more person!” Shao Wanru nodded and said.

Zhao Xiran wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. At last, with her eyes on Shao Wanru, she said, “Your Highness, I have an unreasonable request. I don’t know if I should tell you.”

“Sister Zhao, please don’t stand on ceremony with me. If you have anything to say, just say it.” Shao Wanru said with a radiant smile on her delicate little face, which made her look beautiful and elegant.

“Can you give Mo Yan to me? She had been Shao Yanru’s personal maid. Old Madam feels sad whenever she remembers something about Shao Yanru. She may feel better if she sees Mo Yan and makes everything clear. She is old and always worries about many things, not to mention that she cares about Shao Yanru the most!”

Zhao Xiran sounded helpless.

If Shao Wanru didn’t know Mo Yan had been here, she might believe it.

“Mo Yan is a palace maid. Although she was temporarily appointed as a palace maid, her identity was officially changed. Thus, this matter hasn’t yet been completed. After finishing all the formalities, I’ll send her to the Marquis Xing’s Mansion!” Shao Wanru behaved with perfect composure and said steadily.