"Fifteenth Sister, we're cousins. Don't talk as if I were your subordinate! They'll think us ridiculous!" Meng Guihuan's face changed. There was a tinge of irritation in her eyes. But she didn't pick up a fight with her, probably considering Zheng Guogong's affection for Fifteen Miss Meng's mother. She forced a smile, "I won't unlearn Aunt Jiaoyu's favor. Don't you remember Sixth Brother sending a box of the latest ornaments made in the region on the south of Yangtze River to her?"
She was scrupulous, but Fifteenth Miss Meng wasn't. She smirked and said, "Oh, that box of ornaments? Do you think we're blind? Meng Guiyu also sent a box of ornaments to Madam Xiang, which was much better than the one of my mother. What he gifted to my mother is the ones too inferior to please Madam Xiang! And you're cheeky enough to mention it!"
Meng Guihuan's face turned livid. She blurted out, "How so?!"
The affairs of the fourth branch in Meng Family were princi
Hearing that, Sheng Weiwu turned to look at Sheng Weiqiao, wondering if she was supposed to answer the question by herself.Seeing that, Sheng Weiqiao said warmly, "Miss Meng would like to know your name and age. Come to introduce yourself.""My name is Sheng Weiwu. I'm nine." Then Sheng Weiwu articulated. Meng Shuangxiao began to praise her, "You have a dainty appearance. Do you take after your father? Or your mother?"Meng Shuangxiao was meant to enliven the atmosphere, and the woman of the hour, Sheng Weiwu, was an innocent outsider who came from the faraway Nanfeng County. Seeing that, Twelfth Miss Meng and Thirteenth Miss Meng both heaved a sigh of relief and joined the conversation by teasing Sheng Weiwu.Sheng Weiqiao also felt relieved. She thought this was the normal ambiance one would expect from a girls' party, and she wished there wouldn't be another turnabout. Let's amuse ourselves with the kid, gossip, and say goodbye
Hearing the words, Empress Dowager Meng took a sip of the spirits. She was surprised, "The niece of Sheng Lanci is shrewder than Sheng Lanci's biological daughter. She wanted to trick me!"Madam Xiang reminded her, "Four children of Sheng Family came together, but Your Grace summoned three girls into the palace. Sheng Shuihe is still out of the palace!""Well, that's true!" Empress Dowager Meng nodded, "She cares for her brother. I will not disappoint the girl who is with the virtue of caring for her brother."She whispered to Chi Zuosi, "Tell the cooker to prepare the roast fish and other dishes we ate today. When the children of Sheng Family go out of the palace, award them with the dishes!"Empress Dowager smiled, "Don't tell them this now. Just make that girl feel sad! At such a young age, she dared to trick me. I must teach her a lesson!"Chi Zuosi smiled with a hand covering her mouth, "Be assured, Your Grace, I
Sheng Weiqiao asked frankly. Being stunned for a while, Meng Guihuan said with a silent smile, "Don't over-think. I just want to eliminate our misunderstandings."Waving her hand to signal Sheng Weiqiao to stop speaking, she continued with a sigh, "At usual times, I am not afraid of you because I am one of the nieces of my aunt and my brother is an earl. Also, I will not care whether I embarrass you or not.""But you saw that just now. Fifteenth Miss has hated our branch now!""I don't want to make trouble for my sixth brother anymore, even if you are not powerful to cause trouble for us now. Things have always been unpredictable. Your elder brother will take part in the Spring Exam soon. Once he succeeds in the exam, he might have the ability to take revenge. We have no serious conflicts. Therefore, I don't want to annoy you and make you enemies of my sixth brother just because of my being naughty.""My sixth brother has undergone
When Empress Dowager Meng left, Mrs. Xiang followed.Though the Empress Dowager kindly asked the young ladies to enjoy themselves with the food despite her retirement, the girls stopped eating soon after she was gone.The Fourteenth Miss Meng was the first to stop, wiping her lips with a napkin. Other ladies quickly followed suit. Soon, the hall servants brought tea for them to wash their mouths.Chi Zuosi, who accompanied the Empress Dowager to retire, came back and said, "Your Ladyships have finished, too? Her Grace has ordered us to clear the side hall for your entertainment, is it good for you?"The ladies all nodded. Chi Zuosi turned to Sheng Weiwu and smiled, "Her Grace has asked the Eighth Miss Sheng to join her in the warm pavilion, please come with me!"Sheng Weiqiao was indeed worried, but she knew that she could not accompany Sheng Weiwu since she was not expected by Empress Dowager Meng, just like Madam Nan
After a while, the Twelfth Miss Meng clenched her hands, her face reddening. She could no longer suppress her anger and shouted, "It's Guicai! Again! Why?"The Thirteenth Miss Meng frowned so hard that veins could be seen on her forehead, her pretty face twisted. She threw her tea bowl aside, clenching her teeth, and said, "Is it enough?! I have drunk too many bowls of tea that my stomach is going to explode, but the five wooden pieces remain in your hand all along. Why can you keep getting Guicai?"Meng Guihuan consoled her, expressionlessly, "Don't be mad, sister. At least, we have touched the five wooden pieces once when it is our turn. Shuangxiao has gone to build a snowman with Yingjiang. She has sent maids here several times to check the hand. Now, she has given up and is determined to build four more snowmen. It seems that they are smarter. They knew that they would have no chance of playing, so they decided to enjoy themselves outside in the snow."
Sheng Weiqiao looked at that person unconsciously. He was a young man in his early twenties, with a golden crown and a jade hair clasp, dressed in purple sable fur. When he raised his hand, a piece of the duck-egg blue sleeves with dark embroidered lotus and chrysanthemum patterns could be seen. The slender and white knuckles were set off by the fur that seemed like jade decoration, shining brightly.He was taller than the average, probably the same as Sheng Shuihe. He stood straight like a bamboo in the snow, or green pine on the rock, which made him have to look down when talking with Chi Zuosi, and she could not see his face clearly.However, it could be told from the way he talked with Chi Zuosi that he was graceful, soothing and calm."Third Miss Sheng? What happened?" When Sheng Weiqiao was trying to guess who he was, Chi Zuosi found them standing there, so she nodded to that man apologetically and turned to them with surprise, "Isn't she
Maybe it was because Sheng Weiqiao was really lucky today, just like her luck in the Guicai. Even though Meng Guiyu noticed her embarrassment, he didn't doubt it but only spoke in a comforting tone, "Please don't misunderstand me, Third Miss Sheng! You were involved in what happened that day accidentally, which eased the situation for my sister more or less. I mention this just to express my gratitude to you, Third Miss Sheng!"After his words, Sheng Weiqiao still looked at him in confusion with vigilance in her eyes like a scared cat. Meng Guiyu was speechless and remembered that he saw the little girl on the Empress Dowager's knees when walking in Warm Pavilion, thinking that no wonder the Empress Dowager would treat the two girls differently. Girls as innocent as them are rare in the palace.After seeing lots of informed and interested girls like Huan Yehe, everyone would be interested in the sisters from Sheng Family.So Meng Guiyu met Shen
Meng Boheng ranked the eighth in Meng Family and the second child in the eldest branch.He had four sisters from the wife and concubines of his father and they all had married. The huge difference between their age and their blood relationship determined that they would not be close to him or intervene in the family business. However, he only had one elder brother, Meng Boqin, who was the Young Lord from the wife of Zheng Guogong. He also had two sisters, Meng Bijun, Fourteenth Miss Meng from the same mother, and Meng Lijiang, Fifteenth Miss Meng from Aunt Jiaoyu. He also had one brother from the concubine Aunt Jiaoyu, who was the youngest child in Meng Family, Tenth Childe, Meng Sian.The past wife of Zheng Guogong, Madam Zhong, died in childbirth for Meng Boqin, and Zheng Guogong had never married others since then until Emperor Xuanjing ascended the throne and Empress Dowager Meng took revenge on Noble Consort Rou. When all the events ended, Empress Dowa