Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Because of Xi Chun's poisoning incident, the old lady's diet became increasingly strict.

Every day, the meals served had to be tasted by a young maid before being fed to the old lady.

Even topical ointments had to be tested on someone else's hands before being applied to the old lady's skin.

Everyone in Mingxi Hall was on edge, fearing that the slightest mistake might occur.

Fortunately, the treatment was timely, and the old lady gradually recovered her spirits after a couple of days.

The redness and swelling in my legs and feet have subsided, and they are still a little itchy, but there is no major problem.

Rehabilitation training was put back on the agenda. Every day, he would help others stand for a while to stretch his muscles and bones, and with the help of dietary conditioning, his body gradually became healthier.

The days passed by.

The old lady's sixtieth birthday is approaching amidst her peaceful recuperation.

Coincidentally, the old lady's 60th birthday this year is only three days away from the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Duke of Yu's mansion then decided to combine the birthday banquet with the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet, holding a grand six-day feast to entertain guests from all directions.

The old lady's sixtieth birthday happened to be close to the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Duke of Yu's mansion made preparations well in advance, booking a six-day banquet that would last from the birthday celebration until after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

For six days, the mansion gates were wide open, and all who came were guests. Anyone who presented a congratulatory invitation was allowed to come in and have a cup of birthday wine.

The most important occasion, of course, is the birthday itself.

The weather was perfect; the autumn sky was high and clear, with not a cloud in sight.

Early on, guests began to arrive one after another.

Those who came were all noble families, princes and nobles.

The old lady sat regally in the main seat, specially dressed up for the day, wearing a red-gold and kingfisher feather headband with auspicious and longevity patterns, and a crimson-purple jacket embroidered with longevity patterns, exuding an air of elegance and grace.

Despite her physical limitations, she sat upright and motionless, smiling as she greeted the endless stream of birthday guests.

His Majesty the Great Wei did not attend in person, but he sent his personal eunuch with congratulatory gifts.

The eunuch read out the imperial edict, praising the old lady for her long-lasting blessings and presenting her with a half-person-high red coral tree, its entire body crimson and its branches lush, symbolizing many children and blessings, and longevity like the Southern Mountain. He also bestowed upon her several precious trinkets and silks.

The old lady was unable to kneel to receive the imperial edict, so the Duke accepted it on her behalf, and all the guests in the hall bowed in the direction of the edict.

In an instant, the main hall was filled with kneeling figures.

The front yard was bustling with activity, and Lin Zhiyao took advantage of the crowd to slip into the guest room where guests could rest.

She sat alone at the table, twisting a handkerchief in her hands, looking uneasy.

However, after waiting for only half a cup of tea, she was already extremely impatient.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a man in a brocade robe slipped in and bolted the door shut behind him.

Lin Zhiyao stood up, and the man strode over, pulled her into his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her.

"Don't!"

Lin Zhiyao hurriedly pushed him away and turned her head away, and the kiss landed on her cheek.

Lin Zhiyao got angry and pushed him away forcefully with both hands against his chest, "What are you doing? Let go!"

Zheng Tangli held her tightly, refusing to let go. "Haven't we seen each other in so long, can't I even hug you?"

"Cousin! I'm already married, you can't do this!"

As expected, Zheng Tangli's face darkened upon hearing this, and he released her.

"I know, do you need to emphasize that?"

Lin Zhiyao felt a tightness in her chest from his actions.

Knowing this, you still act like this? Knowing this, you still have no sense of boundaries? Hugging and kissing her the moment you walk in the door, what kind of behavior is that?

But she only dared to think these words through her mind; she didn't dare to say a single word out loud.

"Where are the things?"

Zheng Tangli took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, about the size of a thumb.

He held it in his hand, playing with it and turning it around.

"My aunt asked me to find it. It took me a lot of effort. This kind of thing is not easy to find."

He leaned closer to Lin Zhiyao and said suggestively, "The medicine is extremely potent; even a eunuch would be affected by it..."

He made a very explicit and vulgar remark.

Lin Zhiyao blushed deeply and said, "Stop talking."

She reached out to grab it, but Zheng Tangli suddenly raised his hand, causing her to miss.

"When did you want this thing?"

He shook the porcelain bottle, looking at her with a half-smile.

"Could it be that the Pei family's daughter is impotent?"

Lin Zhiyao's face turned even redder. She bit her lip and said stiffly, "It's none of your business."

Zheng Tangli's smile faded slightly.

"Fine, it's none of my business. But what about you? Your eyes are so swollen that even heavy makeup can't hide it. Did he hit you?"

Lin Zhiyao turned her face away, her eyes reddening, "No."

"You can fool others all you want."

Zheng Tangli reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across the corner of her slightly swollen eyes.

"We grew up together, you can't fool me."

Tears welled up and streamed down my face.

Lin Zhiyao turned her back, not wanting him to see her disheveled state, and choked out, "Please don't ask anymore..."

"Fine, I won't ask. If you're wronged, we can always get a divorce. Come find me."

Lin Zhiyao didn't turn around, staring at the landscape painting on the wall.

The person behind him left, and the door opened and closed again.

She turned around, picked up the porcelain vase on the table, and clutched it tightly.

Divorce? No way.

Zheng Tangli himself was like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river. Although his life was not in danger, he had no official position or post. What great things could he possibly achieve?

But she is different; she is the second wife of the Duke of Yu's mansion, and may become the Duchess of Yu's mansion in the future.

Lin Zhiyao put the porcelain bottle into her sleeve, took out a handkerchief, and wiped away the tear stains on her face little by little in front of the bronze mirror.

She smoothed her face again, tidied her hair, and made sure there was nothing wrong before walking towards the door.

The faint sound of drums and music could be heard from the front hall, making it quite lively.

Inside the hall, guests filled the room, and birthday wishes echoed throughout.

Several elderly ladies of similar age to the old lady sat around her, chatting animatedly.

"Madam Pei is truly blessed."

An elderly woman with a full head of silver hair said, "The Duke's official career is thriving, and his three sons are even more outstanding individuals."

Then another person chimed in, "Yes, I heard that the eldest and second young masters are very popular with the emperor in the court."

"I also see your great-grandson. He's young, but judging from his appearance, he'll be a pillar of society in the future."

The old lady waved her hand with a smile, "You flatter me. Ye'er is still young, how could he possibly see that?"

"As the saying goes, 'You can tell a person's future at three and their character at seven,' how can that be considered an overstatement?"

"Indeed! I see that everyone in your household is very harmonious, and even the maids and servants are well-behaved. Madam Pei is truly adept at managing her household; it's truly enviable!"

Compliments were pouring in, and just as Madam Pei was about to say a few words of modesty, she heard an old woman next to her mention something.

"It's such a pity about your leg ailment. It feels like just yesterday that we rode horses together on spring outings."

The atmosphere became slightly tense after the words were spoken.

"On such a wonderful day, let's not talk about such discouraging things."

The woman who had spoken out of turn realized her mistake and said with remorse, "Please forgive me, please forgive me. It was a slip of the tongue. Please don't take offense."

Madam Pei was not angry. "It's alright, it's not a taboo."

She touched the cotton blanket covering her legs, feeling somewhat forlorn.

"But seeing you all walking around, talking, and toasting each other today, I'm really envious."

The women exchanged glances, all sighing with regret.

Just then, Liu Wenying placed a freshly brewed Junshan Yinzhen tea beside her.

"Madam, Dr. Ye said that as long as you persist with the training, you will gradually get better. Don't you see that you've been able to stand for the duration of a cup of tea these past few days?"

…………