Chapter 18 Eloquent

Stomped the high above Marquis Mansion into the mud with one foot, while settled down Zhao Luli and the old madam, Guan Suyi then sat back to her original position and said slowly, “I can conceal the origin of the Maquis Mansion, and not become the villain that attract resentment. Of course, in the future, I will be in charge of the mansion, social affairs and human relations, I have to deal with it clearly. Just as civil officials have their own cliques, military commanders have their own circles, and prestigious families in Yanjing also each have their own category. The noble families holds its own bloodline and dignity, have always only interacted with families of comparable strength, and the upstarts from humble backgrounds are also very exclusive. If I don’t say anything, Marquis Zhenbei Mansion will not be able to enter the circle of noble families, nor can it be close to the circle of upstarts. As time goes by, it will only become more and more difficult.”

“Yes, yes, yes, you’re right.” Sun shi nodded again and again, suddenly said, “If you do not say it, I still would not figure out why the gift that the marquis mansion sent to the Zhao family in Tianshui were returned every year, why noble families’ gatherings never invited us, why some patriarchs and clan wives turn around and leave when they saw me and lord marquis, turns out this is the reason. Why old marquis didn’t make it clear back then, it made us… made us the clowns who jumped on the roof beam for years.” When the words fell, Sun shi already flushed with anger, too ashamed to show her face.

Zhao Luli held his forehead with his hands, and said nothing. He originally had a very strong self-esteem, he would only be more uncomfortable than the old madam, but he couldn’t speak.

Zhao Chunxi seemed to think of something, and her face became very pale.

Guan Suyi glanced at her and continued, “In the future, we have to find the position of the marquis mansion. Not only can we not squeeze in with the noble family’s circles, we have to stay far away. We can actually make friend with the upstart of the court, but we can’t cross the line. It still the same old saying, I will not ask the reason why your marquis mansion was spurn by the emperor, so don’t prevaricate me. Many signs have shown that marquis mansion may have been written down by the emperor, and I don’t know when he will settle the account. Therefore, it’s necessary to keep low profile and be cautious. Don’t act like outer part rafterThe rafter exposed outside the eaves are often hit by wind and rain, and damaged earlier than other rafter, so it become the metaphor for exposing oneself and be hit first.”

Sun shi strongly agreed, “Suyi said it very well. Chunxi, I heard that you’ve received many posts recently. You should reject those who can be rejected, and the ones that cannot be rejected you should invited the people to the mansion. Let your mother help assess everything first, don’t learn from those merchant girls who are climbing dragons and attaching phoenixesattaching themselves to powerful people in order to achieve prosperity, pick up a thigh and want to hold it, isn’t it embarrassing?”

Zhao Chunxi was embarrassed and annoyed by these indirect scolding, but it was not easy to attack back, so she could only respond aggrievedly. Thinking of the past gatherings, she was always ostracized by the daughters of noble families and the noble ladies. She always thought it was because her dad was not in power and her mom’s whereabouts were unknown, but now she realize that it was because of her birth. She, the eldest miss of the dignified Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, would also be despised because of her birth. No wonder her mom would rather abandon her husband and children, separated from her flesh and blood, and be a concubine in the palace.

It had only been a few days since Guan shi married into the marquis mansion, but Zhao Chunxi felt like it had been several years, because she knew too well how to tear other people’s faces, dug out other people’s wounds, sprinkle handfuls of salt on them, and let people be in so much pain they wished they’d die. However, she was better at turning other people’s pain and resentment into tears gratitude, this skill of reversing black and white was extremely terrifying.

Straightforward personality? afraid only daddy and the old madam would believe this! Thinking of this, Zhao Chunxi felt depressed, but at this moment, she heard Guan Suyi said softly, “The previous things are over. We will live with the door closed in the future. It will be good for the family to be peaceful and reunited. I have a straightforward personality, so I often offend people without knowing it, and I still need everyone to bear with it in the future. Wangshu was beaten yesterday, and I didn’t interfere, so Xi’er misunderstood me for being cruel. Now I will say something from the bottom of my heart, at this pair of son and daughter of lord marquis, I really… can’t treat them like they were my own. ”

Huh? What did you say? Did this old body hear something wrong? I thought my daughter-in-law would say something sweet, but unexpectedly, there was a huge turn afterwards. Sun shi was shocked that she almost spewed a sip of tea.

Zhao Luli hesitated, “Did you misspoke some words?” According to common sense, shouldn’t the stepmother who had just passed the door make a swearing determination to her husband, saying that she would treat her stepson and stepdaughter as her own? How did Guan shi do the opposite? But he was not in a hurry to get angry, expecting Guan shi to finish her words.

Zhao Chunxi’s eyes flickered slightly, and she fixedly looked up.

Guan Suyi took a sip of hot tea slowly, and continued, “I am eighteen this year, Xi’er is thirteen, and Wangshu will be eleven after the new year. We are not very different in age. It is weird to be a mother and child, and we are not used to it. Besides, feelings comes after getting along. I just passed the door for a few days, if I say that I like those two, and feel familiarity at first sight, do you believe it? Anyway, I don’t believe it. Of course, no matter whether we can get along in the future, whether I can devote myself to them, I will do my duty as a mother. You may not believe my character, but my grandfather’s reputation is there. As an Emperor’s Teacher, he must acted his teaching himself, set an example, be benevolence, courteous, wise, loyal and filial, absolutely must not be rebellious. Therefore, I will also not corrupt my grandfather’s name and smear my Guan family’s brilliant literary standing. I will find a good family for Xi’er, I will also instruct Wangshu how to go on the right path. As for whether we can be as close as mother and children in the future, this depends on fate.”

Although this was a bit straightforward, for Zhao Luli and Sun shi, it sounded very pleasing to the ears. Guan shi was indeed still young and had never bear children, so it was impossible to assume the role of a mother at once. If she pretended to be virtuous, gentle and kind as soon as she walks through the door, it would make people suspicious, so it’s better to told frankly like now.

Sun shi was extremely satisfied with this daughter-in-law, and smiled again and again, “If you have fate, naturally you have fate, how else would you be the daughter-in-law of my Zhao family? Chunxi, you will be filial to your mother in the future, you know?”

Zhao Chunxi had nothing to say except for sullenly agreed. Guan Suyi knew the skills of communication too well. First control and then suppress, blend emotions into reason. She could irritate people instantly and calmed them down immediately, in the end, they were deeply touched. Guan shi really worthy of being family member of literary giant, her mouth was as good as her pen, they were first-class and powerful!

Feeling aggrieved and suffocated, this morning just passed like that. Guan Suyi bid farewell to the grinning Sun shi, and went with Zhao Luli and Zhao Chunxi to visit the bedridden Zhao Wangshu, followed by a row of stewards, looking very ostentatious.

Zhao Wangshu was frightened by his father’s words last night, so he was a little cautious around his stepmother. In fact, his nature was not bad, but he was soft-hearted and easily used by others. The reason why he framed Guan Suyi in the previous life was because Zhao Chunxi and Ye Fan’s instigation. There were also some disputes in the court, he happened to become a gun in someone else’ hand, and broke into two pieces at the end.

He was still young in this life, so Guan Suyi would naturally not harm a child, but she couldn’t teach sincerely and protect him everywhere like in the previous life. After another beautiful scene, she easily got Zhao Wangshu’s favor, and Guan Suyi led a group of stewards back to the main house.

Zhao Chunxi found an excuse to pull Zhao Luli away, so that he would not be swept away by her stepmother.

Guan Suyi was very grateful for this, and asked Mingfang to go to the kitchen to cook a pot of turtle soup for lord marquis and eldest miss.

The stewards stood neatly under the corridor. In the main hall of the main house, four carved vermilion lacquer doors were open. The new madam with a strict temperament and gorgeous face sat high above at the head seat. She called people in one by one to report the affairs. Whether it was purchases, income accounts, expenditure accounts, social dealings, and trivial matters, all were handled in an orderly manner and without any leak. The method was more skilled than the old madam.

The stewards who had already respected and feared her were even more convinced now, and didn’t dare to make any more troubles.

After sending away the cold-sweating stewards, Minglan said angrily, “Miss, the Zhao family actually a runaway slave’s descendant, they swindled the marriage! The Zuo family, Zhong family, Guan family, are all well-known literary families. How is the Zhao family worthy?”

“Runaway slave? To say some rebellious thing, the Jiuli tribe also become slaves of the Yanhuang tribe after their defeat in the war. For the sake of future generations, the clan leaders had to take his tribe to the jungle in the deep mountains to escape and reside there. Now more than a thousand years have passed, and they eventually became the overlord of the Central Plains. As the saying goes, ‘heroes don’t ask where they come from’, this dignity in the bloodline has long been out of fashion. In the future, I will not talk about family backgrounds and origins again.” Today she used tyrannical method, and showed domineering personality, but she had never liked the constraints of noble family. In this world, only the surname Huo that matters, and the prosperity and glory of noble family would be a thing of the past.

Without finishing her words, Guan Suyi didn’t say much to the little girl anymore, only asked her to put “Records of Noble Family” in the bottom of the box, and don’t take it out again in the future. In the last life, she hid this book carefully, did not dare to let anyone in the Zhao family read it, for fear of breaking their faces and hurting their self-esteem. When socializing, she never allowed Zhao Chunxi and Zhao Wangshu to communicate with the children of the noble family, so as not to invited humiliation to themselves, but she was misunderstood by them to be a black heart and black liver person, deliberately obstructing their future.

She secretly canceled the annual gift that she had to sent to the Zhao family in Tianshui every year, and changed it to subsidize the nursery hall, but was reported by Ye Fan, which made her bear the crime of coveting the property of her husband family, and forced to death several times.

She dug her heart out and tried her best, but in return she only get scolded and persecuted. But now she stomped Zhao family in the mud, but these people were grateful to her and trust her. People, ah! They will only turn a blind eye to your silent efforts, but if you just say you don’t practice a fake hand style, they will be fascinated.

Ridiculous, pathetic, sad! Guan Suyi shook her head again and again, feeling sorry for her former self.

Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Minglan quickly changed the subject, “Oh yes, this maid haven’t mention it. This maid heard something new, would you like to listen.”

“What’s the matter?” Guan Suyi was not very interested.

“There is a Confucian scholar named Xu Guangzhi who sent a series of battle posts to ten famous legalism scholars, inviting them to debate in Wencui Building. Nowadays, there has been a lot of uproars outside, discussing who will lose or win. That Xu Guangzhi’s manner of speaking was so big that he actually said if Legalism famous scholars can win one time, it will be considered a complete victory, and if he lose one time then it will be considered total defeat, then he will leave Yanjing and never return.”

“Oh? He really said that?” Guan Suyi suddenly raised her head and looked at the little girl.

Minglan was startled, and then urged her, “The debate will begin tomorrow, ten days in a row, one day one debate. Miss, let’s go see it too?”

“Okay, of course we are going!” Guan Suyi held her forehead with her hand. Secretly thought: This Xu Guangzhi is really eager for success and profit. Last time he failed to seize the opportunity to stand out, but this time he create one. If this matter becomes a big issue, it will definitely attract the attention of the one above, and he is crazy about wanting become an official.

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