You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 188 Appreciation Banquet

Liang Su took out a peach blossom letter from his pocket and handed it to Second Master Liang.

Master Liang unfolded the letter with some skepticism and saw a couplet neatly written on it:
The first line is: "Living in Hakka territory, I steadfastly guard the lonely window in my cold winter."

The second line is: Lost on a long and winding road, I return to the lotus path and find peace.

(The couplet is from the internet and is not original.)
He secretly admired the couplet, knowing that it was the one his daughter had come up with that day.

This Chu Xiucheng is indeed very talented; his antithetical couplets are perfectly matched.

Below the peach blossom letter, a line of small characters was written: "On the Qixi Festival, as the moon rises above the willow branches, I wait in the pavilion by the lotus pond in the west of the city for my beloved's whereabouts."

Most importantly, the letter was indeed stamped with Chu Xiucheng's personal seal at the bottom, the ink of which was bright red.

Master Liang Er just believed it too.

He sighed and said, "If I could truly win the favor of the Imperial Uncle and marry into the Grand Tutor's mansion, it would be a blessing from my past life. But why risk her reputation as Liang Jiang?"

Liang Su blushed and said, "I have studied poetry and literature diligently and practiced needlework since I was a child. I think I am much better than Liang Jiang. It's just a pity that I am not as lucky as Liang Jiang. If I don't take a chance, I'm afraid I will be trampled under her feet forever."

Master Liang said helplessly, "But when it comes to the final discussion of marriage, the Chu family will definitely beg the Empress to grant them a marriage decree. Won't that expose the truth then?"

Liang Su said, "I have already thought it through. I believe that with my talent, I can win over Young Master Chu. As time goes by, I believe he will not care about these worldly social statuses."

When the time comes, if he mentions marriage, I will tell him the truth. Given my family background, although it's true I'm marrying above my station, it shouldn't warrant Grand Tutor Chu breaking us up.”

Upon hearing this, Master Liang thought it made some sense.

Rather than doing nothing, why not take a gamble? What if it works?
After a moment's thought, he stopped objecting, but still gave a worried reminder: "That's true, but remember, never get too attached to it, or you'll be the one who suffers in the end."

Liang Su nodded: "Father, please rest assured, I will never let you down. If I can marry into the Grand Tutor's mansion, you think we will be bound together with the Grand Tutor's mansion, and wouldn't Wen Dong's succession be a sure thing?"

Liang Su's words made Master Liang even more interested.

He changed his earlier worries and began to praise Liang Su highly.

"As expected of my daughter, she has foresight and ingenious plans. Wen Dong, you need to put in more effort in this matter and try your best to bring your second sister and that young master Chu together. Whether our second branch can turn things around depends on the two of you."

Liang Wendong readily agreed: "Father, please rest assured, I'll take care of this."

"One more thing, before a conclusion is reached, we must not let the news leak out and let it reach Liang Jiang's ears, lest she ruin our plans."

Liang Wendong said confidently, "At the poetry gathering, I sent away all the disloyal servants, leaving only two of my own men with me. No one in the mansion knows about it."

Only then did Master Liang feel relieved.

The whole family worked together to bring this good marriage together, keeping it a secret from Liangjiang and her daughter.

Liang Jiang was busy with Lao Qian's affairs and didn't pay attention to any disturbances in the mansion, which naturally gave the second branch of the family an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Pingxi Palace.

Jian Shuyan arrived uninvited.

She personally made two kinds of snacks for Consort Xie and cooked some refreshing plum juice. Her maid carried the food and followed behind her, walking gracefully through the crowd.

The guards in the manor all recognized her and did not stop her.

The doctor, carrying his medicine chest, emerged from the room where Old Qian was recuperating. He stood at his feet, reporting his diagnosis to Consort Xie. "The patient is truly blessed with good fortune; to have survived such a severe injury is remarkable. This demonstrates the doctor's exceptional skill and dedication. Continue with his original prescription to consolidate the treatment's effects."

Jian Shuyan stepped forward, put down the food box, glanced at the doctor, greeted the Dowager Consort Xie, and asked with concern, "Dowager Consort, are you feeling unwell?"

Consort Xie did not hide anything: "I am fine. The coachman who went missing after being assassinated that day was rescued by Princess Heya of the Duke's Mansion and is now at the mansion. The doctor is here to examine Old Qian."

Jian Shuyan blinked in surprise: "You were actually saved by Princess Heya? What a coincidence."

"That's right. She happened to be returning home late that day from outside the city. She was riding her horse when she encountered robbers committing violence. She single-handedly held them off and saved me."

"All by herself?" Jian Shuyan asked in surprise, "Then how did she manage to rescue the coachman all by herself?"

“I heard from Xizhi that it seems that Lao Qian has been temporarily placed in the care of a nearby villager.”

"No wonder, when Princess Heya came to visit that day, she was so curious about the assassination attempt on you, the Dowager Consort, and asked the guards in the mansion about it."

I was suspicious at the time, wondering what she was up to, so I told her that the Empress Dowager was protected by guards and everything was fine. Could she have misunderstood and thought I was doing it on purpose?

"You are right to say that. I do not wish to publicize this matter. Otherwise, those sycophants will come one after another, and I will not have any peace and quiet."

"I'm glad you don't blame me, Your Highness. Is the coachman alright now?"

Consort Xie shook her head: "He is not in immediate danger of death, and the doctor just said that his pulse is normal and strong, so he should wake up by tomorrow morning at the latest."

Jian Shuyan gave a dry laugh: "Then he really is very lucky and has a great destiny."

"Indeed, I heard he was attacked by assassins last night, but he was saved from death thanks to Xizhi's timely arrival."

Jian Shuyan opened her mouth in surprise: "The assassin still won't let him go, then he must know some extremely important clues or secrets that are hindering the interests of some people."

"That's what we suspected too, so we have to protect him no matter what and make sure he wakes up soon."

Jian Shuyan nodded emphatically: "Yes, we absolutely cannot take this matter lightly. But you don't need to worry too much."

Consort Xie patted her chest: "Now that we know where Lao Qian is, I can finally relax. Today, I've asked Xi Zhi to invite Lady Liang and Princess He Ya over for a banquet as a token of my gratitude. You can stay and join us later."

Jian Shuyan was a little embarrassed: "That day at Jishetang, Princess Heya and I had a bit of an unpleasantness. I'm afraid it will be awkward when we meet again."

"It's all a misunderstanding. Princess Heya insisted on buying that He Shou Wu that day in order to save Lao Qian's life. We've just messed with each other."

"You will marry Xi Zhi and take charge of the Pingxi Prince's Mansion in the future. It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Why don't we clear up the misunderstanding at the banquet later?"

Jian Shuyan nodded, her smile forced: "I will do whatever Your Highness says."

Around noon, Liang Jiang and Lady Liang arrived as invited.

Consort Xie expressed her gratitude to Liang Jiang, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the host and guests took their seats.

Various tea snacks and delicious dishes prepared in advance were brought in one after another, filling the table with a dazzling array of items.

All past grievances were put aside during the meal, and everyone chatted and laughed, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

As the banquet was about to end, Guanqi rushed in, his face grave, and reported to the others, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Old Qian is dying!"

(End of this chapter)