The two met Lian Ding in the front hall and they came to the parlor and sat down.
After the greetings, Ruan Qingyan sent the servants and maids away and came to the point, "The housekeeper Mr. Ruan has found my aunt's dowry list. What about the old Princess'?"
Lian Ding said instantly, "Grand aunt's list is also here." He looked at Qiu Yelan. "The people recommended by Cousin Qiu were terrific. They brought it in with the box. Grandpa saw it and said they had traveled for such a long distance and the box had been so well kept that there wasn't even a scratch on it. If he had known them earlier, he wouldn’t have hired the escorts when he returned to our hometown."
Ruan Qingyan coughed, "I got to know them by chance when I was in the South. I just mentioned them when I heard my cousin talk about them that day."
"It was you who recommended them?" Lian Ding came to understand. "I was wondering how Cousin Qiu could know such people."
Ruan Qingyan invited Lian Ding and Qiu Yelan for dinner. They chatted after the meal and then Lian Ding went back as he had to reply. Ruan Qingyan wanted to talk more with Qiu Yelan, but two or three bunches of people came successively and asked him to go to Jinpa Pavilion. Qiu Yelan stood up and said, "Go there, cousin. Anyway, it won't be long before we have time to talk again.""Be careful in Prince's Mansion. If something happened, just send someone here and tell me." Ruan Qingyan had no choice but sent her on the carriage. He didn't let her go until he thought he had given her enough cautions.When Qiu Yelan left General's Mansion, she heaved a long sigh of relief, "My cousin is more and more like a senior. I feel a headache whenever I see him!"Su He said with a smile, "Young Master Ruan cares about you.""Didn't you see I was lectured?" Qiu Yelan looked askance at her."That's for Your Grace's own good!" Su He s
So, on April 9th, at Jiang Yadan’s request, Jiang Yashuang and he rode to Yunyi Restaurant in advance. They went in the private room “Binghu Xianyu” which was next to the private room “Baihe Woxue” booked by He Shuijin.Because it was still early. They just asked the servant to make them some tea. They chatted casually while eating some of the special snacks of Yunyi Restaurant. Yunyi Restaurant was built by Mirror Lake. All the private rooms upstairs were near the window. So, the guests could enjoy the lake view.That day was the first day of the Courtesan Competition which was held once three years. Yunyi Restaurant made all of its private rooms into luxury belvederes which had the most splendid view. So, while they were drinking tea, Jiang Yashuang suddenly saw someone unexpected among the people who got off the carriage. He couldn’t help making a sound.Jiang Yadan had been watching him. He looked at the same direction as Jiang Yashuang and
In the room of "Binghu Xianyu", both Jiang Yashuang and Qiu Yelan were not suspicious of Jiang Yadan. They focused on how to get out of there. "How about this, you go and break the door while I am hiding here? And then you go first and I will catch you later?"Jiang Yashuang shook her head immediately, "There is no more stuff in this room. Where can you hide? And the sound will be loud to break the door — the person who locked the door probably is out there. Once he finds out our action, he must call on people to embarrass us..."Speaking of this, a good idea flashed in her mind, "I have a good idea, which needs your cooperation.""How?" asked Qiu Yelan, worried."The aim of the person who locked the door must be eighth young master Jiang. The man certainly will bring some people over here to embarrass us." murmured Jiang Yashuang. "But eighth young master Jiang is not here. When they come in, they will realize that they locked som
The thought of Ruan Qingyan being forced to fight these lascivious tycoons today made Qiu Yelan feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. "He always told me he has enough money, but whether or not he can handle the situation is a big problem. The people over here credit gold as mud. Those who carried silvers to the lake were shy to uncover their box!"She couldn't help asking Jiang Yashuang, "How much can a winner get in this competition?""How should I know?" answered Jiang Yashuang in surprise.Realizing Qiu Yelan was not satisfied with his answer, Jiang Yashuang paused for a while and continued, "But it must be a lot. My brother always doesn't care about how much he spends in daily life. But the result of this competition is also beyond his control."Young master of Jiang Family was not short of money.Qiu Yelan calculated in her heart. She felt more desperate upon her calculation. "My brother must have to pay
A long time later, when Qiu Yelan was about to speak, Jiang Qisheng suddenly walked in. With a poker face, she rushed to Qiu Yelan without saying a word, and she slapped her!Qiu Yelan would naturally not allow her to do that, so in a great surprise, she angrily dodged to avoid her attack, and shouted to Jiang Yashuang, who just stood up in shock, "You'd better explain it at once!"Jiang Yashuang hurriedly held Jiang Qisheng and said, "Sister! What are you doing!"Jiang Qisheng struggled to free herself but couldn't make it. She gritted her teeth and scolded, "Get out of my way! Let me teach this shameless bitch a lesson!""What are you thinking? We are locked here!" Jiang Yashuang said angrily, "We have no way to get out of here, but could only stay together! Don't talk nonsense about Commandery Princess Ningyi and ruin her good name!"At this time, Tao Peibin also entered the room, and she closed the door afterwards.
Madame Tao should be in her fifties. But she was good at keeping fit and seemed to be in her early forties. Her blood kinship with Empress Jiang was obvious. She looked just like Empress Jiang in her senior years.Different from Empress Jiang's temperament, Madame Tao was amiable and kind. The Mother and daughter had the same quality of keeping calm in an emergency. Even when the juniors who were supposed to go to the lake for fun returned earlier angrily with a strange little girl, Madame Tao would still smile, "Hey, why did you come back so early today? Didn't you say that you wouldn't have lunch?"She glanced outside and smiled again, "Where are Zheng'er and others? Why are you back?" Only then did she talk to Qiu Yelan, "You look strange to me."Jiang Qisheng glanced at Qiu Yelan hard and cut in, "Grandma, this is the Commandery Princess Ningyi next door! Cousin Zheng'er and Cousin He kindly asked her to go to the poetry meeting. Guess what
Closing the door, Qiu Yelan threw herself upon the bed and made a roll with the quilt in her arms. She looked at the top of the bed canopy, stunned. She had to get up earlier and eat less this morning because she was going out. She was tired with the event and it didn't take long for her to feel sleepy. Soon she went into a sound sleep....Not knowing how long she had slept, she suddenly heard someone calling, "Commandery Princess Ningyi? Commandery Princess Ningyi?"Qiu Yelan answered vaguely and suddenly woke up. She saw it was already dim inside the room. Obviously it was almost time for dinner. In the dim room, she could barely recognize Jiang Yashuang, who had changed into a robe, a jade belt and a gold crown. His face was obscured in the shadow. His eyes were drooping but not pointed at Qiu Yelan's bed."How dare you come?" Qiu Yelan rubbed her eyes and rolled up, saying sulkily, "When the door opened, we were innocent with neat clothes.
Although Madame Tao had persuaded Jiang Yashuang to discuss the marriage in person, he didn't expect Qiu Yelan would refuse, "I am no good enough for a gentleman....""If you were not good enough, no one would dare to call themselves beautiful in this world." Now that he had made the offer of marriage, Jiang Yashuang felt much at ease and said straightforwardly, "In fact, I am no match of you in social status and looks. I am just a civilian. I dare beg you just because of my aunt.""Anyway, that's what it means." Qiu Yelan said plainly, "If you talk about appearance, I actually think that if I marry you, everybody will say that I have married up. I have nothing in this world except myself."As for the dowry of Old Princess Lian and Princess Ruan, with the prestige of Jiang family, it's worth nothing even plus the entire property of Prince's Mansion of Xihe.Jiang Yashuang thought for a while and said, "I know what you are worried a