Although the matriarch was dissatisfied with the Lin Clan, she usually didn't pay much attention to her. If she hadn't come to the main courtyard to make a fuss last time, the matriarch wouldn't have used such vicious words to reprimand her.
After the Lin Clan returned home, they reflected for several days and developed an indescribable fear of the matriarch. Therefore, they also understood that the military order they made that day was a huge weakness. If she made a mistake, the matriarch definitely wouldn't be as lenient as before. She would definitely take out a lawsuit and divorce letter to drive her out.
Where could she go if she left the Marquis Household? Her biological younger brother was unreliable, and her elder brother had already become enemies. She was a woman with a large amount of dowry. She would only be eaten alive by people with bad intentions.
This hidden worry would appear from time to time to torment her, but she didn't dare to confide in her daughter. She only repeatedly warned her daughter not to make any mistakes and to please the matriarch and Yu Pinyan.
At first, Yu Miaoqi was patient enough to agree, but seeing her mention it every day, her heart began to feel uneasy. In addition, the person she sent to investigate Shen Yuanqi replied that he was from Lingnan. Because of the death of his parents, the Xue Clan adopted him. Although they couldn't find the time when he was sold as a slave, it sounded like the person in her memory. There was also a vivid portrait attached.
Yu Miaoqi opened the portrait and looked at it. Immediately, her face turned pale with fright. Even if this face was burned to ashes, she would still recognize it. Wasn't this the Family Shen's legitimate son, Shen Yuanqi! He actually had such good fortune!
Yes, the family he sold himself to was surnamed Xue. They were a famous noble family in the Lingnan area. Not only were they rich, but they also had some influence in the court. As long as he wasn't a pedantic person who didn't know how to adapt, with this kind of background, sooner or later he would be able to make a name for himself. Moreover, he was extremely intelligent and talented.
Yu Miaoqi burned the portrait. She felt as if her heart was being licked by the flames. The pain of the burning was indescribable. How could the heavens be so unfair? Not only did they give the Chen siblings exceptional looks, but they also gave them great luck. They were always able to turn danger into safety and come back from death's door. However, he was extremely stingy towards her. Behind every twist of fate was a hidden misfortune, making her tired of dealing with it.
That night, she drank a pot of old wine until she was drunk and barely managed to fall asleep. The next day, she went to greet the old lady with a throbbing head.
The Old Madam could not bear to see the mother and daughter pair. She nodded slightly and was about to chase them away when the Lin Clan suddenly said, "Mother, Siyu is already sixteen this year. It's time for her to get married, right? Which family are you going to book? I can help you with the arrangements. "
Yu Siyu had been waiting anxiously for a long time. Seeing that she had taken the initiative to ask, she quickly gave her a grateful look and then looked at the old lady.
Only then did Old Madam Fu remember this. She sneered, "I didn't help her choose it. She chose it herself. Yangzhou Salt Transport Commissioner Si Yun Tong's eldest son, Fang Zhichen, today's Tanhua Lang. "
Yu Siyu shyly lowered her head.
She did not know why, but these years, Yu Pinyan's official position was getting higher and higher, and the power in his hands was getting bigger and bigger. The aristocratic families that interacted with the Marquis Household were getting fewer and fewer. In the past, Yu Siyu could still receive a few visiting cards and interact with sisters of similar family background. These years, she did not receive a single one. If she took the initiative to look for them, they would stay far away from her. Because Yu Xiang's legs were inconvenient, he did not like to receive guests. The fu's door was tightly closed all day long. In order to accommodate her, the old lady cut off all contact with other families. After a long time, Yu Siyu could not help but stay at home and play the zither and embroider, feeling sorry for herself. Because she was slow-witted, she did not know anything about the outside world.
The fact that the Emperor had massacred everyone in Yangzhou's officialdom had long been known to everyone on the street. She was still dreaming of a grand wedding with ten li of red dowry.
The Lin Clan quickly glanced at their daughter and raised their voice, "Salt Transport Commissioner Si Yun Tong? Or today's Tanhua Lang? This is a good marriage. Have you exchanged the marriage invitation and marriage contract? " Because she and Yu Siyu were both people who did not care about worldly affairs, her words did not arouse any suspicion.
"There is no marriage invitation or marriage contract. I was just about to send someone to Yangzhou to discuss the marriage." The old lady despaired of these two idiots. She hit the ground with her walking stick and reiterated, "Yu Siyu, I'll ask you again. Do you really not regret it? Do you really want to marry into the Fang Family? "
"How can the important matters of life be treated as child's play? Replying to Old Ancestor, granddaughter does not regret it. "Yu Siyu said word by word.
"Very good. Before you send someone to discuss the marriage, I'll tell you something. You must be mentally prepared." The old lady poured a cup of hot tea and slowly said, "That Fang Daren was beheaded more than a month ago for dereliction of duty, corruption, and bending the law for personal gain. Although Fang Zhichen was not convicted, his scholarly achievements were used to redeem his mother. The Fang Family's wealth was confiscated. That mother and son are now homeless and miserable, suffering from hunger and cold. They are waiting for your dowry to save their lives. Since you are so in love with him, I will fulfill your wish. "
At this point, the old lady did not care about Yu Siyu's shock and absent-mindedness. She waved at Mama Ma, "Have Fushun take people to Yangzhou. They must bring back the Fang Family's mother and son intact. They are my Marquis Yongle's future in-laws. Do not neglect them."
Mama Ma agreed in a low voice and was about to leave when Yu Siyu suddenly came back to her senses and pulled on her sleeve. She hurriedly shouted, "You can't go! You can't go! "
After shouting several times, she looked at the old lady suspiciously and asked, "Old Ancestor, you must be lying to granddaughter, right? Young Master Fang was appointed as the Tanhua Lang by the Emperor and was also appointed as the Zhizhou of Yangzhou. His imperial favor is comparable to that of the top scholar. If there really was a problem with his family, how could the Emperor be so lenient? You must be lying to me. You are biased and can't bear to see your granddaughter live a good life! You are really old and muddle-headed … "
Towards the end, her expression gradually became deranged. She laughed and cried, scolded and shouted. Her appearance was very frightening. The peerless riches and honor that she had dreamed of for a long time turned into ashes in the blink of an eye. After her lover turned from an elegant young master to a criminal official in the blink of an eye, the huge psychological gap made her lose her composure. Moreover, she was seen as a joke by so many people. She even had the heart to die.
The old lady did not ask anyone to pull her back, nor did she speak. She only waved at Mama Ma and ordered her to go find Master Hou. A blockhead needs to be hit with a heavy hammer. Otherwise, he can forget about being enlightened for the rest of his life!
When Yu Pinyan came over with Yu Xiang in her arms, Yu Siyu was still shouting things like 'impossible'. It was as if she was unwilling to face reality. When she saw her eldest brother come, it was as if she had grasped at a life-saving straw. She hurriedly asked, "Eldest Brother, the old ancestor is just scaring me, right? How could something happen to the Fang Family? Young Master Fang just came in third place. His Majesty personally praised him! "
Yu Pinyan gently placed his little sister on the soft couch and sat down next to her. He tidied up his little sister's skirt and poured a cup of hot tea for her. Only then did he leisurely say, "I personally plucked Fang Liansheng's head off on the day Yu Miaoqi returned home."
It was just a short sentence, but Yu Siyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She immediately sat paralyzed on the ground, unable to get up. After a long while, she finally cried, "Eldest Brother, how can you be so cruel? You clearly know that I have an engagement with Young Master Fang, so why didn't you show mercy and let his family go? You're harming me ah! How can you not recognize your own family to this extent? "
Yu Xiang nibbled on a pastry and drank a mouthful of honey tea. When she heard these words, she became unhappy and threw the pastry at her. She scolded, "Do you know what you're saying? You let Older Brother save the person that His Majesty wanted to kill. The Fang family's crime was cleared, but you let Older Brother bear the crime of bending the law for personal gain. Are you afraid that His Majesty doesn't suspect Older Brother enough? Older Brother already has countless enemies in court. If he's not careful, he'll be impeached by the imperial censor. He's always been in charge of legal matters, but you let him bend the law for personal gain. Do you know what crime Fang Liansheng was beheaded for? It was dereliction of duty and bending the law for personal gain! What do you mean by saying this? You want Older Brother to sacrifice his future and even his life for your marriage? Yu Siyu, do you know what your surname is? Who is your family? You traitorous, heartless and unscrupulous thing. See if I don't smash you to death! "
She only stopped scolding after smashing three or four pastries. Her cheeks were puffed up as she gasped for air.
Yu Pinyan was originally a bit annoyed, but when he saw her indignant appearance, he was instantly overjoyed. He pursed his lips to stifle his laughter as he picked up the teacup and slowly fed her some water.
Of her two biological granddaughters, one wholeheartedly schemed against her own family, and the other wholeheartedly sided with outsiders. She didn't know what kind of sin the Family Yu had committed to raise these two things. Although Xiang'er wasn't her biological granddaughter, she was better than her biological granddaughter. She didn't waste this fate.
The matriarch's terrible mood finally improved slightly. She looked askance at Yu Siyu, who was in a sorry state, and said, "It's said that when a girl is of age, she can't be kept at home. If she's kept, she'll become an enemy. You really have a deep grudge with your older brother. That's fine, I'll marry you to the Fang family tomorrow. You can go back and prepare. "
Yu Siyu no longer held any hope in her heart. She wiped away the crumbs of pastries on her forehead and shouted, "Don't, Old Ancestor. Granddaughter knows her wrongs. Please forgive me this time. The Fang family has already been ruined. You can't marry me over! "
"Wasn't this what you begged for? How many times did I persuade you in the beginning? You can count on your fingers. "The matriarch sneered.
Yu Xiang secretly pulled out a file from the matriarch's palm and flipped through it. Sure enough, it recorded the information of unmarried men who didn't have high status in the capital but were of good character. There was also a small picture on each page. It was a matchmaking booklet.
Sure enough, the matriarch was just scaring Yu Siyu. In fact, she had already found a candidate for her and was just waiting for her to choose. If Yu Siyu's ambitions weren't so high and her eyelids weren't so shallow, her future days would be very comfortable. Let's not talk about the distant future for now. At the very least, she would be more comfortable than Yu Miaoqi, who was more ambitious.
She was the female lead. In the future, she would marry the Emperor. She just didn't know which prince she would marry. If it was the Crown Prince, it would be fine. If it was someone else … … the Marquis Household would be in danger.
Thinking of this, Yu Xiang's heart trembled. She pondered how to ruin Yu Miaoqi's marriage. Regardless of the plot, protecting her older brother was the most important thing. Her older brother had a close relationship with the Crown Prince and held a lot of power in his hands. If the other princes wanted to fight for the throne, their first target would undoubtedly be her older brother.
The more Yu Xiang thought about it, the more worried she became. She couldn't help but look at Yu Miaoqi with a cold gaze.
Yu Miaoqi also happened to look up at her. Her face paled and she quickly lowered her head. Although she was the true legitimate daughter of the Marquis Household, she didn't know why, but she always felt like she couldn't raise her head in front of Yu Xiang. Because of this, the resentment and unwillingness in her heart grew stronger day by day.
Yu Siyu didn't have the mind to observe the undercurrent between the two of them. She only knelt on the ground and kowtowed, begging for mercy. At this time, she suddenly understood why the old matriarch and Yu Xiang kept asking her if she would regret it. It turned out that everything they said was true. It wasn't because they couldn't bear to see her doing well that they deliberately tried to deceive her.
Would she regret it? Of course! She regretted it so much that her intestines turned green. She couldn't wait to turn back time. She wanted to kill the Pei Clan who kept talking about how the Fang Family was rich and how outstanding their son was.