Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 6 Making a grand appearance
Qinglan Courtyard is where the eldest wife of the eldest son, Mrs. Fu, lives.

In the warm room, the incense burner with Ruyi pattern was emitting wisps of green smoke.

Xue Yueying stayed beside the eldest lady and served her hot tea attentively.

"I don't know what the eldest sister is thinking. The eighth and ninth sisters in the mansion are both as beautiful as flowers and are of the same age. Why do you want to promote the sixth sister?"

As she spoke, she observed Mrs. Fu's expression, "In my opinion, Sixth Sister is still thinking about Gu Lang and is very reluctant..."

As a concubine of the Xue family, Xue Yueying was raised by the eldest lady since she was a child. She was very good at currying favor, and was much more popular than other concubines, and her words were less restrained.

"If she tries to commit suicide and causes a scandal in Prince Duan's mansion, won't that be an insult to my elder sister?"

Fu pulled up the thin blanket covering her knees and scoffed.

"If she is willing to die, the grass on her grave can be used as firewood. This despicable little bitch is unwilling to die in a dirty place like the Old Mausoleum Swamp. She wants to go to the palace to enjoy happiness. I'm afraid she must be secretly praying for her life..."

Xue Yueying said, "Mother, why don't you try to persuade the eldest sister? The sixth sister didn't grow up in the Shangshu Mansion. She can't learn any etiquette or rules in such a lowly place. She will be embarrassed in the future."

Fu sighed, "How could I not persuade you? Your elder sister is now very stubborn, saying that the fate predicted by the great monk must be hers. I have almost said all my saliva, but she still wants to go against her parents. She is the Princess of Duan, what can I do?"

Xue Yueying saw the eldest lady's reluctance and smiled slightly.

"What if the sixth sister is favored by Prince Duan and surpasses the eldest sister and suppresses the eldest sister?"

Fu snorted, "She is just borrowing a belly to lay eggs, and she can be favored? I don't think she has that blessing."

"Madam..." Xiu Gu, the head of the inner courtyard of Qinglan Courtyard, came in behind the curtain.

He glanced at Xue Yueying, then bent down and whispered to Fu.

Fu's face changed slightly. She straightened up suddenly and slapped the wooden table, causing the tea to splash out.

"What a little bitch! How could she be showing off to the concierge? She was clearly slapping me in the face."

Xue Yueying looked at the eldest lady's rage and hurriedly massaged her shoulders.

"Mother, please calm down. Sixth sister has been in the Old Mausoleum Swamp for too long. I think she has forgotten the rules. Mother, don't let yourself get hurt by getting angry..."

Fu was so furious that she wouldn't listen to a word.
The more Xue Yueying talked about how difficult Xue Sui's life was, the more she added fuel to the fire. She impatiently asked Xiu Gu to change her clothes and wanted to go find Xue Sui to question him.

"She didn't pay her respects to the mistress before returning to the mansion. This is more than just a sign of ignorance of etiquette. I think she doesn't take me, the mistress, seriously and is determined to bring disgrace upon the Xue family. If I don't punish her today, she will probably climb over my head and bully me tomorrow!"

Xue Yueying watched Fu put on more clothes and go out, and slowly extended her hand to the eldest maid Qingzhu.

"Let's go back."

Qingzhu asked, "Won't the fourth lady go and take a look?"

Xue Yueying chuckled, "Mother is angry, why should I go and bring bad luck to her? Sixth sister will have to fend for herself."
-
Xue Sui lived in the lower room of the compound where his biological mother Xue Ji lived.

Xue Ji was addressed by her name, which meant that she was not even Xue Qingzhi's concubine, but was still the lowest-ranking maid in the mansion.

Xue Qingzhi had quite a few concubines in his harem, including two maids. Fu relied on her birthright as the legitimate daughter of a marquis, and was able to maintain some dignity as a lady. No matter how unhappy she was in her heart, she could still be tolerable to her concubines' daughters and sons on the surface.

It’s just that Xue Ji and Xue Liu are not good enough.

That year, Xue Qingzhi and his colleagues were feasting in Liuxiang Pavilion, and it happened that Fu was about to give birth.

The servant called him again and again, but he did not return home.

During the night, Mrs. Fu gave birth to nine children, one of whom died. The youngest son died as soon as he came out of the womb.

Early the next morning, Xue Qingzhi brought Xue Ji back home, which aroused Fu's rage and hatred to the core...After Xue Qingzhi briefly fell in love with Xue Ji for a few days, he soon abandoned her because of the guilt for the death of his youngest son and Fu's tyranny.

Xue Ji was a Hu woman who had no relatives or friends in the capital, and she was not treated well at all in the Xue Mansion. The worst thing was that Fu had people tattoo her eyebrows and eyes with ink, which could never be washed away. She was too ashamed to go out and see people, and she felt inferior to others without being humiliated.

Xue Ji was used to living a shabby life. Even when she saw her biological daughter whom she hadn't seen for ten years, she was not happy. Instead, she felt as if she was facing a great enemy. She was as frightened as a frightened bird, and her eyes avoided anxiously...

"Sixth sister, are you Sixth sister?"

"How did you get back? Do the master and the mistress know?"

She was less than forty years old, but already hunched over. Xue Sui, standing in front of her, was half a head taller than her.

"I know." Xue Sui adjusted the scarf on her head and asked Xiao Zhao to bring the ginseng that Xue Yueying had given her.

"Use it to make ginseng soup and take it with medicine."

Xue Ji stretched out her skinny hand and pushed him away, trembling slightly.

"How can a lowly servant like me eat such a good old ginseng... I am not worthy, I am not worthy..."

Xue Sui forced it into her hand and said, "If I say you can eat it, then you can eat it. Take it!"

Xue Ji still shook her head, and Xue Sui had to bend down and hold her cold hands.

"Xue Ji! This is a reward from the eldest lady."

Xue Ji was stunned for a moment, then looked at her daughter's gentle and determined eyes, then she showed some joy and laughed while coughing.

"The eldest lady has finally forgiven my sixth sister. Sixth sister, you must improve yourself in the future..."

"You little beast!" The tightly closed old wooden door was pushed open with a slam, interrupting Xue Ji's words.

Two maids holding lanterns stood outside the door, one on each side. With the support of Xiu Gu, Fu walked in with a sullen face and started to curse.

"Have you grown up, little rascal? After entering the house, you don't greet the mistress, but run to the servants' room to show your filial piety?"

"Madam, please forgive me. Madam, please forgive me." Xue Ji's face turned pale with fright. She slipped and knelt on the ground. Her shoulders shook like sieves. She tugged at Xue Sui's sleeves and kowtowed to Fu, begging for mercy.

"Sixth sister has been away from home for many years and has completely forgotten the etiquette. The eldest lady should punish her... Sixth sister, why don't you kneel down and kowtow to the eldest lady to admit your mistake..."

Xue Sui pulled back his sleeves with force, and under Xue Ji's astonished gaze, he bowed lightly to Fu.

"I remember the Madam said that she should not be disturbed after the hour of You. It should be the hour of Hai now, and I dare not disturb the Madam's peace."

That year, she was bullied by two lackeys from the Xue Mansion's kitchen and wanted to seek justice from Mrs. Fu. However, she was stopped by two maids at the door because it was past the time.

That day, she was beaten so badly that her skin was torn and her nose was bleeding all over the floor. Her face was swollen for half a month.

"I remember all the rules of the Madam's house."

Fu looked her up and down. She was wearing a half-worn jacket and skirt with threads hanging from the hem. Her shoes were made in an unknown year and were washed white. It was obvious that she had a hard life outside, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"The mean guy is so quick to talk!"

She pointed to the ginseng in Xue Ji's hand.

"Then tell me, who is the one who stole the property from the mansion?"

(End of this chapter)