The Xu family’s carriage stopped in front of the residence.
Miss Xu supported her mother, Mrs. ng, as they alighted from the carriage.
The people from Chen Family Village had just arrived in the Capital City, and the Xu Mansion had already received the news. Mrs. ng imdiately instructed soone to send a calling card.
On this first day, it was most appropriate for the Xu family, as relatives by marriage, to step forward to appease this bloodline of Prince Guangyang, and the Empress also wished to know the true situation of Chen Family Village.
After all, one’s own family would see things more clearly.
The Empress’s father had already passed away and was posthumously given the title of Grandmaster by the Emperor. Her youngest brother, Imperial Uncle Xu, now served as Vice Envoy at the Secretariat. His main wife, Mrs. ng, had two sons and a daughter. The legitimate eldest son was already married and serving in Fujian, the second son was Xu Yuanyu, and the eldest daughter, the youngest, was just fifteen years old and not yet married.
Mrs. ng took a couple of steps and saw three won standing at the entrance of the residence, all dressed in coarse cloth dresses, appearing very much like rural villagers.
The old lady was slightly hunched and very thin, yet her spirits seed quite good. Beside her, a peasant woman about thirty or forty years old had a sowhat timid expression on her face.
The youngest one should be the granddaughter of Prince Guangyang, that Miss Xie.
Mrs. ng looked at Miss Xie twice; Miss Xie had a delicate appearance, with black eyebrows and particularly bright eyes. Even though her attire was too simple, she still made quite an impression.
If her skin were a bit fairer... she would truly be an extraordinary beauty. Mrs. ng compared Miss Xie with Yang Wu, who also had so charm but only after ticulous dressing up. If she were plain-faced, she might not be able to compare to the one before her.
Suddenly, Mrs. ng sowhat understood why the Empress repeatedly instructed her to carefully observe Miss Xie’s appearance, and also summoned her to the palace to show her the portrait of Princess Guangyang before the people of Chen Family Village entered the Capital.
Princess Guangyang was known for her stunning looks, and her daughter inherited at least six or seven parts of her beauty.
Thinking this, Mrs. ng walked over to Old Mrs. Chen and bowed to greet her.
"Mrs. Xu, how could we let you do this?"
Old Mrs. Chen, accompanied by Mrs. Gao and Xie Liangchen, returned the courtesy, inviting Mrs. ng and Miss Xu inside.
Mrs. ng walked towards the courtyard and said, "It’s quite a journey from Zhenzhou to the Capital City, especially in winter. You must have had a hard ti."
Old Mrs. Chen replied, "Not at all. Along the way, the eunuchs and the officials took good care of us. The old woman... I simply slept in the carriage and ate when we stopped. Though there were so bumps, the carriage had thick cushions laid out, and I slept comfortably without any fatigue."
Mrs. ng couldn’t help but smile, looking at Xie Liangchen beside Old Mrs. Chen. "The other day when I visited the palace, Her Majesty ntioned both the old lady and Liangchen. She is very fond of you."
ntioning the Empress, Mrs. ng noticed that the won from the village seed taken aback, especially the one in her thirties who slightly opened her mouth.
Perhaps they couldn’t believe such concern from the Empress.
Old Mrs. Chen said, "This... I am just an unsophisticated person. How could I trouble the Empress?"
Mrs. ng chuckled inwardly; it was as she had anticipated. The old woman from Chen Family Village would only manage a couple of polite statents.
A peasant woman who couldn’t read or write any character had quite so insight for her background.
If any rewards were bestowed down from the Empress, they would need the eunuchs and the palace maids to instruct them on how to accept and bring back the gifts.
As Mrs. ng conversed with Old Mrs. Chen, Miss Xu glanced at Xie Liangchen. She heard much about Xie Liangchen’s past during her ti in the Capital. Leaving Zhenzhou at seven, growing up in Yuezhou, and returning to Chen Family Village at fourteen, only to have a betrothal canceled and be driven out of the Xie Family, she had no choice but to sell dicinal herbs with the people of Chen Family Village.
With the silver coins earned from selling dicinal herbs, she processed wool into thread tassels, which even their mansion had purchased. They were indeed exquisite, though only suitable for making bed covers or similar items, and not sothing to be worn.
In any case, those thread tassels sold quite well, earning Miss Xie so reputation, and people in Zhenzhou Village called her "Sister Chen."
In impoverished families, won needed to work like n to sustain the household, so Xie Liangchen’s presence in public wasn’t questioned. However, if known as a descendant of Prince Guangyang, it seed rather inappropriate.
When this news first spread in the Capital, won would often discuss it. Once the court verified her identity, they would restore it, granting her titles and estates. But for Miss Xie, raised in the countryside, finding a marriage might prove challenging.
Before any conclusion could be reached, the news of Song Xian’s engagent to Xie Liangchen arrived.
Miss Xu felt slightly displeased as she recalled that before knowing of the marriage between the Song and Xie families, the Empress had palace attendants ask her parents whether they were willing to let her marry Song Xian.
Even if no one knew of the inner workings, Miss Xu felt sowhat disgraced. Even if Song Xian might have been interested not in Miss Xie but in the Eight States, marrying into the Xie Family seed rely to borrow Prince Guangyang’s prestige, yet Miss Xu couldn’t dispel the lingering frustration in her heart.
As the group sat down in the flower hall of the inner residence.
Xie Liangchen and Chen Zigeng went to serve hot tea.
Mrs. ng watched the adept movents of Xie Liangchen and smiled, saying, "Go and rest now. Let others serve if there’s anything needed."
Mrs. Gao, the housekeeper next to Mrs. ng, glanced at the maidservant waiting outside.
This residence was under the care of the Xu family, and the servants and maidservants were handpicked by Mrs. Gao. Startled by a look from the housekeeper, the maidservant quickly knelt and pleaded, "It’s all my fault."
Old Mrs. Chen was taken aback and quickly stood up. "What’s with this child kneeling? Whose child is this, and how old...?"
Mrs. Gao stepped forward, looking at the maidservant, "Old Mrs. Chen is kind. Thank her now and serve well in the future. Next ti, if you are careless again, there will be no rcy."
"Thank you, old lady. I wouldn’t dare again," the maidservant said before hastily retreating.
Mrs. ng showed an apologetic expression, "The servants in this house were chosen by the steward from our mansion. Ti was short, and they weren’t properly trained. Please, old lady, don’t hold it against us."
Old Mrs. Chen replied, "It’s alright. Everything’s fine. Thank you for all your efforts, madam."
Mrs. ng continued, "If there’s anything you need help with in the Capital City in the future, just send soone to the Xu family."
Old Mrs. Chen responded affirmatively.
Miss Xu turned to Xie Liangchen. "Sister Chen, since you’re new to the Capital City, you might not be familiar with the place. How about I take you around tomorrow? Is there anywhere in the Capital you’d like to visit?"
Miss Xu thought Xie Liangchen would politely decline, but to her surprise, the young girl t her gaze and said, "I’ve heard the markets in the Capital are very bustling and would love to see them."
The market? Miss Xu’s expression changed slightly. She rarely lingered in such places, but having said it, there was no taking it back.
Miss Xu said, "In that case, tomorrow I will accompany Sister Chen there."
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