Zhao Xiran’s wedding night was destined to be a sleepless night because of the victimhood of the two princes.
It was not until dawn that Shao Hua’an came back to the bridal room with an exhausted body. He had discussed with Shao Jing in the study until now. When he returned to the room, he saw Zhao Xiran sitting on the bedside, and felt very guilty.
“I’m sorry, Xiran. I was occupied. Why didn’t you sleep? I have sent someone to tell you to go to bed first!”
Though Shao Hua’an was busy, he still cared for Zhao Xiran and asked his servant to deliver his message to her.
“It’s fine. I’m not sleepy,” Zhao Xiran said softly with a gentle smile on her face, but the smile looked very reluctant. It could be seen that she was also very tired.
Shao Hua’an couldn’t help feeling distressed. He looked up through the window, held Zhao Xiran’s hands, and said, “It’s still early. Let’s take a short nap before going to meet our relatives!”
Zhao Xiran nodded gently and helped Shao Hua’an take off the outer garment. They lay down and rested for about two hours before getting up.
After the couple was well cleaned and dressed, they went to the flower hall, the living room of the main house, only to see Shao Jing, Third Master, and Sisters there. Both Old Madam and Third Madam were unable to attend the meeting because of heavy sickness.
Although the gathering was just a ceremony, it was important for a newcomer to be recognized by her husband’s family. If Old Madam refused to come with the excuse of having an illness, it would be a heavy slap in the face of the bride. It even made people feel that Old Madam did not intend to accept her.
Any bride would feel grieved when the elders of the mansion into which she had just married didn’t even show up to recognize her, not to mention that last night she spent her wedding night alone.
Shao Hua’an looked at his wife with a gentle look and reached out to comfort her silently. He was full of guilty when facing Zhao Xiran.
Zhao Xiran raised her head and looked at Shao Hua’an with a sweet smile, which was with a little grievance but no resentment, which softened his heart. He couldn’t help complaining. Xiran had nothing to do with that event. Why did his grandmother and father insist that it was caused by Minister Zhao’s Mansion? The Zhaos were his in-laws and they could not want him to suffer a loss!
Though he had explained to his father with the same words again and again last night, his father didn’t believe it. And it made Shao Hua’an feel a serious headache.
He was fond of Zhao Xiran, and he fell in love with her at first glance. They had gone through many challenges for a long time, and now he finally got the beauty he wanted. But unexpectedly they encountered so many difficulties on their wedding day.
He couldn’t believe that his beloved woman was suspected by his father and grandmother! She suffered so much but never complained to him. And she even comforted him that she was fine.
How could she be fine with the problem deteriorating!
Shao Hua’an thought to himself that no matter how the elders in the mansion treated Zhao Xiran, he would protect her and never let her suffer too much grievance.
Old Madam and Third Madam didn’t attend the meeting. Duke Xing’s Mansion was degraded to be Marquis Xing’s Mansion because of what had happened last night, for which everyone was very unhappy. Therefore, the recognition ceremony, which should have been joyful, was very silent and solemn. No one was in the mood to show a smile. Not to mention Shao Jing’s gloomy look, even the unmarried Misses showed no smile on their faces.
When they received the gifts from Zhao Xiran, they bent their knees to show their gratitude and stepped aside.
Nanny Yu appeared at the door. She came in, handed a token to Shao Jing, and said, “Marquis Xing, Old Madam asked me to send this token to you. Please let the new Young Madam manage the household. Third Madam in poor health can’t do it anymore!”
There was no other choice. It was known that Third Madam was the previous provisional manager of the affairs in the inner court. But now she didn’t want to take charge of it anymore after they suffered such a disaster. So by now, there was no official controller for domestic affairs in the mansion. The next project they were going to do was Shao Wanru’s wedding, and no mistakes were allowed to be made anymore. To be concluded, an official controller was in urgent need.
At first, they had intended to ask Zhao Xiran to help Third Madam with the management of the mansion first after she married. With her help, it would be easier for Third Madam. And she could also learn how to take care of the household. But now, The token was directly sent to Zhao Xiran, which meant that she had to take over it right now.
“Father, Third Aunt has always been the manager. It’s not appropriate to ask Xiran to take over the position at once! She has just entered the mansion and doesn’t know much about it!” Shao Hua’an took a step forward and refused.
“Except your wife, the qualified Madams in the mansion are either ill or hurt. Who else is more suitable than her?” Shao Jing said with impatience. The smile on his round face had suddenly gone. He turned a little gloomier when he looked at the person, and no longer smiled gently at others as he did before.
“Father…” Shao Hua’an still wanted to argue, but Shao Jing had already stood up and strode out. If it weren’t for the meeting, he would have been out and inquired about the news now.
Third Master Shao also left as soon as Shao Jing did.
The flower hall became quiet in an atmosphere of weirdness. There should have been a lot of relatives. At least, the elders who were relatively close to the Shao family should have come. But few of them had come. Except for Shao Jing and Third Master Shao, Shao Hua’an and his wife were the oldest among the people present.
“Third Sister,” Zhao Xiran broke the weird silence. She walked to Shao Caihuan, smiled at her, and said softly, “Third Sister, how is Third Aunt? What can I do for you? Just tell me if you need my help. Although I don’t know how to be a good manager yet, I promise I will handle it well!”
Shao Caihuan’s face was very gloomy. She raised her head to look at Zhao Xiran with very cold eyes. She had no reaction to Zhao Xiran’s goodwill. Last night, she made a mess in the wedding room and was punished for it. After the meeting, she was going to be locked up in the Buddha hall.
“Thank you, Sister Zhao!” Seeing that Shao Caihuan kept silent with a cold face, Shao Cailing cut in and answered. She did not know what had happened yesterday, but she thought that her elder sister must be out of mind and had done such a thing. She felt guilty.
“You’re welcome. We are families now.” Zhao Xiran smiled. And then she cast a look at Shao Wanru, who was standing on the edge. “Fifth Sister, it will be a very busy month. If I do something wrong, please forgive me!”
After saying that, she curtseyed to Shao Wanru. But the latter stepped aside to avoid the former’s courtesy, and then she raised her watery eyes and said with a smile, “You are too polite, Sister Zhao!”
She said those words in a very distant tone, without any intention of building a close relationship with Zhao Xiran.
Zhao Xiran did not take her indifference seriously. She still looked at her with a smile and said, “Fifth Sister, if you need anything, you must tell me! Otherwise, I can’t know what you need. Third Aunt is in poor health, so I will take care of the inner court for her for a while. Please don’t be angry with me if I don’t do a good job, sisters! I promise I will try my best to do it well!”
She glanced around the three sisters and talked in an increasingly gentle and decent way.
In Shao Huan’an’s eyes, his wife was so generous that she took over the mess of affairs without any complaint. So he felt distressed, sad, and even annoyed. Then he glared at Shao Caihuan and frowned.
When it came to the reason why everyone was dissatisfied with Zhao Xiran, it was that Shao Caihuan broke into the bridal room and made it seem as if Zhao Xiran was the culprit.
Hearing Zhao Xiran’s words, Shao Wanru and other sisters bowed sideways to her to show that they had understood her words.
“If you have nothing else to say, I beg your pardon that I must leave. Grandmother had grounded me to stay in the Buddha Hall!” Shao Caihuan was the first to turn around and leave. She didn’t want to see Zhao Xiran one more second. The longer she saw Zhao, the more indignant she felt. Especially in the current situation, Shao Caihuan increasingly felt that Zhao Xiran was a sinister person and didn’t want to stay with her at all.
“Third Sister, I’ll go with you!” Although Shao Cailing felt that Zhao Xiran was innocent, Shao Caihuan was her biological sister after all, so she naturally followed Shao Caihuan.
“I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’ll go back too!” Shao Wanru said with a slight smile.
Since everyone was leaving, there was no reason to ask them to stay. Everyone left and Shao Wanru went back to Piaoyun Courtyard.
“Miss, does Third Madam really give up?” Yujie looked back at the flower hall behind her and asked with curiosity.
Shao Wanru shook her head and said with a slight smile, “Third Madam won’t give up!”
The third branch hadn’t been valued all the time. Her third uncle’s job was just an idle post and he always had little money. Now that her two daughters had grown up, Third Madam must want to save up more money. She couldn’t manage the family before, but later when she could, she would never forget that she could benefit a lot from her position as the manager. So by no means would she give up.
It was just a trick to trap Zhao Xiran that Third Madam threw the power to her.
Moreover, even if it was not for money, Third Madam would not let Zhao Xiran go either. Others might not know who had made the trouble on the wedding day, the first day Zhao Xiran entered the mansion, but Third Madam knew the truth that it was caused by Zhao’s instigation to her daughter. Otherwise, such big chaos wouldn’t happen.
However, she couldn’t say it out. All she could do was to keep it in her heart.
Nevertheless, when they lose in hake they will have in herring. Third Madam could not give up avenging herself on Zhao Xiran.
“What about Old Madam, Miss?” Yujie thought and asked again. She was worried about something else. “Third Madam was responsible for preparing your dowries before, but it will be Eldest Young Madam who is in charge of it. How can she do it well? What does Old Madam mean to give the token to Eldest Young Madam?”
The preparation for Shao Wanru’s dowries was very complex work. Even though Third Madam was very familiar with it, it was still a troublesome thing for her, let alone Zhao Xiran, who had just entered the mansion. Yujie didn’t trust her at all.
“There is no need to worry about that,” Shao Wanru said lightly. She was not worried about it, because her marriage was related to the royal family. Both Third Madam and Old Madam dare not neglect her. Moreover, after such a thing happened and caused the demotion of the title of nobility by one level, which was also a strong warning, Marquis Xing’s Mansion did not dare to offend the royal family anymore.
Lots of people in the mansion would understand it. And Zhao Xiran was a smart person!
“Did you hear anything useful yesterday?” She asked casually.