CHAPTER 347: CHAPTER 341: I AM THE MARQUIS MANSION DOWAGER 30

Old Mrs. Fu and Mrs. Song had a rather good relationship before.

The Fu Family and the Tang Family are old friends, and they’ve been keeping in contact for many years.

This time, Old Mrs. Fu came to Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion because she wanted to meet Anning and ask her to look after Dowager Fu Gui when she enters the palace.

After entering Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion, she first met Mrs. Song, then asked Mrs. Song to help introduce her to Anning.

Mrs. Song dared not agree to this.

She had been dealt with by Anning before and now did not even dare to speak loudly in Anning’s presence, let alone involve Anning in any matter.

Thinking it over, and unable to offend the Fu Family, she said, "I will ask my aunt. If she is willing to meet you, I will introduce you; if she doesn’t want to, I, as a younger person, am helpless."

Old Mrs. Fu showed understanding.

Mrs. Song then personally went to see Anning.

At that time, Anning was fishing at the fish pond in the back garden with Tang Bai.

After Mrs. Song arrived, Anning continued fishing and did not even respond to her.

Mrs. Song patiently waited, and after a long while, when Anning caught a red carp over one foot long, she smiled and said, "Today is indeed peculiar for you to make an effort to see me."

Tang Bai stood by, helping Anning put away the fishing rod and greeted Mrs. Song.

With a forced smile on her face, Mrs. Song said, "I didn’t want to disturb your peace before. Now that Old Madam Fu has visited, I wanted to ask if you would like to see her."

"See her." Anning said as she tossed the fish she caught into a bucket, signaling Tang Bai to send the fish to the kitchen to make sweet and sour fish for dinner: "As the visitor has arrived, we should meet, let’s go."

Anning and Mrs. Song went to the main house where Old Mrs. Fu, upon seeing Anning, couldn’t help but show a surprised expression.

"You really... look almost exactly like the previous Marquis Zhongyi. Even if you didn’t say it, anyone could tell you two are sisters."

After her initial surprise, Old Mrs. Fu complimented Anning with a smile, "Other than sisters, where else could one find such a beautiful person like a Heavenly Immortal? No wonder the Emperor fell for you at first sight, insisting on marrying you into the palace. Even I, an old lady, find you completely delightful."

Anning greeted Old Mrs. Fu with a smile and then directly sat down in the main seat.

Mrs. Song, this time obedient, quickly sat down opposite Old Mrs. Fu.

After exchanging a few words with Anning, Old Mrs. Fu brought up matters of the palace: "Nowadays, the Emperor is displeased with all the nobles in the palace, even the Supreme Empress has been reprimanded several times. My granddaughter is so frightened, she’s like a cat avoiding a mouse, but still, she was mocked severely by the Emperor, now she almost can’t show her face. I had no choice but to come and ask for your help, not asking for much, just that you look after her a little when you enter the palace to spare her from too much suffering."

While speaking, Old Mrs. Fu’s eyes reddened, she looked very pitiful: "The palace is truly like a ruthless place, my granddaughter has fallen out of favor, fearing her life is difficult. I do not seek for her to return to favor, but only that she can live safely."

Indeed, Old Mrs. Fu had gone through a great deal of trouble.

The Dowager Fu Gui in the palace was raised by her, naturally, they share deep feelings.

Her actions now were completely for the sake of planning for Dowager Fu Gui.

Anning nodded understandingly: "It’s only right, overlooking everything else, just looking at the relationship between the Tang and Fu families, I will look after her too, as long as she doesn’t make mistakes, no one should be able to mistreat her."

Having heard Anning speak to this extent, Old Mrs. Fu naturally stopped pressing.

Afterwards, she talked about more things, discussed common household matters of prominent families in the Capital with Mrs. Song, and then stood up to take her leave.

After sending off Old Mrs. Fu, Anning then asked Mrs. Song, "I remember Ying’er entered the palace, who is she serving under now?"

Mrs. Song bowed her head, "She is serving in the Empress’s palace."

"Ha!" Anning laughed, "You really are something, daring to send a noble daughter of the Duke’s Mansion into the palace to be a servant, without fearing the loss of your family’s dignity for generations."

"It really was unavoidable."

Mrs. Song was indeed in a difficult position: "With no capable men in the family, we can only rely on her. Moreover, she was indeed born on the first day of the new year..."

Anning waved her hand to interrupt Mrs. Song:"Being born on the first day of the new year means she is destined to be a noble? You really indulge in wishful thinking. How many girls in the whole Dajing Dynasty were born on the first day of the new year? Countless! Are they all destined to be nobles? Then being a noble really isn’t worth much. I remember meeting a young girl during my travels in the Southern Province years ago who was also born on the first day of the new year. She ended up begging for food, and during the famine, she almost got eaten by someone. So how come she isn’t considered to have a noble destiny? Mrs. Song, you are not usually foolish, how come you are so confused about this matter?"

Mrs. Song was so embarrassed that she didn’t dare to speak.

Anning became angrier as she spoke: "If you fail the imperial selection, you send a perfectly good child into the palace to be a servant, isn’t that openly admitting to everyone that our Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion is incompetent, trying to secure a footing through connections? You truly disgrace our ancestors. The Emperor is not a fool either; he must be aware of your little schemes and probably disgusted by them. With the way you handle things, the child entering the palace won’t end well and will likely suffer a lot."

Anning was absolutely right.

Which family that raises their cherished daughters would be willing to send them into the palace to serve others without any ambition?

When counted throughout the Capital, there weren’t many who operated like this, probably turning Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion into a laughingstock amongst the Capital’s residents.

Mrs. Song, scolded by Anning, couldn’t even lift her head.

Although she was a bit resentful, she really didn’t dare to retort against Anning, fearing Anning might slap her a few more times.

After scolding Mrs. Song, seeing that she showed no sign of remorse, Anning could only helplessly wave her hand: "Forget it, it’s useless to argue with you, I won’t bother."

However, what she thought in her heart was to manipulate the situation once she was in the palace, to get Tang Ying out of the palace sooner to avoid the child having her life ruined inside the palace.

When Anning was heading back to the main house, Tang Tao was looking for her.

Seeing Anning approaching, Tang Tao quickly walked over: "Ancestor, I have investigated the matters about the two aunts you asked about."

Anning called Tang Tao into the room and had someone pour him a cup of tea.

After Tang Tao drank his tea, Anning pointed to the chair: "Sit, how did the investigation go?"

Tang Tao gave a bitter smile: "Not good, Aunt Rou and Aunt Xing passed away early. Aunt Rou married for many years but had no children, but Aunt Xing left behind a daughter."

Tang Tao told Anning everything he had investigated about these matters in detail, and when he spoke about these affairs, he also felt speechless.

Even if they are concubines, they are still Misses raised in Marquis Mansion, not people to be demeaned like this.

However, what dumbfounded Tang Tao even more was Mrs. Song.

After all, the marital homes of Tang Rou and Tang Xing were arranged by Mrs. Song; how much hatred must Mrs. Song have for those two ladies to ruin them so mercilessly?

Everyone was gone, what more could Anning say? Right now, she had so many things to take care of, barely managing the living, let alone the deceased.

"Where is Xing’er’s daughter now? How is she faring?"

Tang Tao wiped his sweat: "In the palace."

"What?"

Anning was shocked: "In the palace? How did she end up there?"

Tang Tao hurriedly explained in detail.

As it turned out, the family Tang Xing married into had fallen into hard times, and Tang Xing’s husband took another wife, a woman who was crude and ruthless from the countryside, sparing no one in her actions.

This woman saw Tang Xing’s daughter as a thorn in her side and couldn’t wait to get rid of her.

When the little girl reached around ten years old, the woman thought of marrying her off to obtain a good bridal price.

The little girl, being somewhat clever, was terrified of being married off to a bad family and dying young like her mother. She coaxed her father to register her name during the minor selection, and thereafter she was selected and entered the palace.

The little girl probably thought that even serving a master in the palace was better than being cold and hungry at home. If she could still make good in the future, she wouldn’t think of leaving the palace; she’d rather be a lifelong servant to the master.

After listening to Tang Tao’s explanation, Anning nodded: "Since she is already in the palace, let’s wait until I enter the palace, then I will make arrangements."