The Lady’s Sickly Husband

Here, she could turn down Mrs. Jia with a smile. However, after she got married, in the face of her parents-in-law, how could she say no to their suggestions of concubines for Ning Shaoqing? Certainly, she didn’t count the old witch Xie, who wasn’t a person in her eyes.

There was an old saying that one shouldn’t turn down seniors.

It seemed that she really had to work out a way.

Mo Qianxue was right. At this moment, Ning Shaoqing was walking in the inner courtyard of the Ning mansion because old madam Ning, Ning Shaoqing’s grandma, asked him to have lunch together, in the excuse that she missed him.

At the lunch, there wasn’t only old madam, but also a young girl—Yuwen Hanlei, a granddaughter of old madam from her original family.

During the lunch, old madam kept praising that the girl was a talent in writing both proses and poems, excellent in embroidery, of a mild temperament… She was nearly listing all virtues in the world and directly advised Ning Shaoqing to take her back to the master’s courtyard as a concubine. Yet, Ning Shaoqing refused in the pretext that his legal wife didn’t move in yet.

Then, unhurriedly, he finished his meal and ran away, claiming he had business to do.

Running into a soft brisk wall and in view that Mrs. Jia didn’t support her, aunt Li, face grey, fell into low spirits, but aunt Zhang looked very cheerful.

Jiang and Yao exchanged a glance. They were of scholar families and wives, disdaining to hang out with concubines, so now they quite understood Mo Qianxue’s attitude and kindly dissuaded Mrs. Jia.

In fact, Mrs. Jia didn’t have bad intentions. She just felt a little anxious about Mo Qianxue because there would be no one taking her side after she moved into the Ning mansion.

They sat for another while, exchanged intimate words, and Mrs. Jia looked tired, so Mo Qianxue got up and said goodbye.

Mrs. Jia and the two sister-in-laws sincerely asked her to stay longer, and the concubine aunts and sisters followed suit.

Mo Qianxue smiled and said that she would come again in the future and that in a few days, she would turn fifteen years old and invited them to visit her in the Founder mansion. Then, Mrs. Jia was relived and asked Jiang and Yao to walk Mo Qianxue to the door.

Aunt Zhang and Li stayed to serve Mrs. Jia and didn’t see her at the door.

Walking through corridors and pavements, Jiang and Yao walked Mo Qianxue out of the Jia mansion in joyful chat and laugh.

As soon as they got out and into the carriage, nanny Mo began to nag again.

“Actually, I can tell that Mrs. Jia was of good intentions and treats lady as her own daughter. The two concubine daughters also look nice. They aren’t very pretty but have delicate features.

Moreover, with their moms controlled by Mrs. Jia, they won’t betray you. Why not agree to…?”

Mo Qianxue was irritated. She could ignore such remarks from others, but how could nanny Mo say the same thing?

She must give these curiosities closely serving her a good brainwash.

To fight outside, she must settle the insiders first! Their mindset must be shifted first.

**

Aunt Li, after leaving from Mrs. Jia’s palce, hurriedly arrived at Jia Wanruo’s courtyard.

The three had agreed earlier that after Mo Qianxue left, whether their plan worked out or not, they met again in Jia Wanruo’s courtyard.

Before aunt Li entered the room, Jia Wanru’s voice rang inside.

“Mo Qianxue is merely lucky. She was saved in the same village where master Ning also stayed when he was injured and got Ning Shaoqing’s promise…”

“So what? Having served master Ning for almost a year, and he still didn’t fall in love with her so that he didn’t come back with her together. It means he doesn’t agree with the marriage. But for that incident, I’m afraid, master Ning wouldn’t have stood up for her at all…”

“The people behind the plot is really stupid, lifting a stone only to smash their own feet. They didn’t harm Mo Qianxue at all and did her a favor instead…”

“All in all, master Ning is kind and righteous. Just because she was slandered and in order to defend her reputation, he promised before the Emperor to marry her…”

“This is why I said she was lucky. I heard that master Ning is a handsome man and an excellent martial artist…”

The more aunt Li heard, the grimmer she looked. The two girls were too bold. How dared them to talk about a super-family master behind his back?

Immediately, she scolded at the several servant girls at the door, “Go and guard the gate.”

Glancing around, she was a little relived only after she found there weren’t others besides her daughters’ intimate servants.

Confirming no outsiders were around, aunt Li stepped into the room and warned seriously upon seeing them, “Never talk about such things again.”

The Jia family was one of scholar. Although Jia Wanruo and Jia Wanru were daughters of a concubine, they received good education. On a brief thought, they knew they shouldn’t have said these things.

However, with that in mind, they weren’t happy being scolded by their concubine mother and replied impatiently, “We know.”

Aunt Li didn’t blame them for being rude. She herself was merely a concubine, but her daughters were real ladies. She had no stance to ask them to be all respectful towards her.

Seeing their gloomy faces, she comforted at once, “Even though Miss. Mo didn’t let you follow her, she didn’t refuse either. It’s still hopeful.

In a few days, she will turn fifteen. Without parents, she will naturally invite Mrs. Jia as the host of the ceremony. By then, madam will take you there. Be sure to behave well and talk more with her. Don’t be like today, sitting there like wooden posts… Probably, master Ning will be there too…”

**

When leaving the Jia mansion, Mo Qianxue was tired after this day, so she let Awu drive right back to the Founder mansion.

A group of people surrounded Mo Qianxue and walked her from the gate to her courtyard.

Reaching the gate of Snow, Ghost stopped, eyes half-closed, holding his sword, at a tree ten meters away from the gate of the courtyard.

Mo Yan and Mo Xing, with their two squads of guards, also stopped, seeing Mo Qianxue entered the courtyard. They exchanged a look, nodded, and led each squad to patrol in different directions.

The two sisters who had followed Mo Qianxue out also went to mind their own work after returning.

Nanny Mo and Mo Qianxue entered the room, while Chuyi, Shiwu, and the four servant girls quickly followed inside.

Mo Qianxue paced lightly and sat down on the couch in the main room. Nanny Mo ordered others, “Lady is tired. You may leave.”

“Yes.” Chuyi, Shiwu, and the four girls curtsied and were about to leave, when Mo Qianxue suddenly sat straight, eyes gleaming, ordering loudly, “Wait.”

She couldn’t say that in the carriage, but now in her room, it’d be better to make it clear.

Nanny Mo was confused, “What do you need, lady?”

She had been nagging in the carriage, but Mo Qianxue didn’t respond. She had thought she was just tired and stopped it.

Mo Qianxue didn’t answer but asked, “Nanny, do you think father and mother love each other?”

The question came all of a sudden. Nanny Mo was a little stunned, and the other girls flushed a bit.

Then, nanny Mo looked quite proud, “Lady. It’s needless to say. Everyone in the capital knows that Founder and madam make the most loving couple in the world.”

Mo Qianxue asked further, “Did father have any concubines?”

Nanny Mo was bewildered at such a question and shook her head blankly, “No.”

Even nanny Mo didn’t understand Mo Qianxue’s intention, let alone Chuyi, Shiwu and the four girls. Yet, they weren’t asked questions or let leave, so they could only stood there respectful and listened obediently.

Mo Qianxue raised an eyebrow, a flash of anger fleeting in her eyes, “So, nanny, do you want me to be happy?”

Nanny Mo didn’t know what she had done wrong, but she wasn’t stupid. On a brief thinking, she knew why Mo Qianxue had been upset. Momentarily, she felt a little aggrieved.

“Of course I do. I thought for the sake of lady’s future life. I’m the one who wants you to be happy and safe most.”

In view that she was truly loyal, Mo Qianxue guided with patience, “If father had concubines, and the Founder mansion was crowded with irrelevant women, could their love be ever solid? Could mother be happy like ever? …”

Nanny Mo seemed to understand something, bowing her head without replying.

If Founder hadn’t resolutely refused and taken concubines as madam had suggested, then it would have been impossible for Founder stay in madam’s room everyday. Then, madam would have been really sad, and the Founder mansion couldn’t have been in peace.

Moreover, when madam only had one daughter, she would face unthinkable consequences if any of those concubines gave birth to a son.

Nanny Mo was ashamed. She found she had put the cart before the horse.

She hoped that lady could stand steady in the Ning clan and that she could gain the recognition from them after she moved in. Yet, she had ignored the thing that she wanted most—love and happiness.

Mo Qianxue finally felt calmer when she saw the regret on nanny Mo’s face.

“Shaoqing said that he would only have me in his life. Although he said it when we were in the Wang village, I believe a true man keeps his words!”

As the words were said, even nanny Mo, Chuyi and Shiwu, who knew it before, were a little shocked, let alone the four servant girls.

Mo Qianxue continued, “Certainly I know things change now. At his position, he will face hardship with my support alone, but I deeply believe that he will give me a satisfied result even if one day he is forced to take concubines.”