Since Qin Shuying had become the household matron, she naturally needed to move to Qianxi Garden.
Therefore, these past few days, Zhihua had been assigned a task: supervising the people in Qianxi Garden to move to Meilan Pavilion, while bringing in craftsmen to begin renovating Qianxi Garden.
Luo Meixiang was someone who loved pomp and grandeur, so Qianxi Garden was naturally renovated and decorated every year, requiring no major construction. But with the matter of Old Madam Liang’s secret chamber under the bed, after Liang Zhe and Qin Shuying discussed it, they had to conduct a thorough investigation of Qianxi Garden.
Actually, they didn’t plan to move to Qianxi Garden, because they were preparing to relocate the entire residence.
The Pacifying West Earl’s residence was too large, too luxurious, and too extravagant—it attracted envy and was easy to hide filth and corruption.
For now, they would first have people examine every inch of Qianxi Garden’s land and buildings for any irregularities, passing time this way.
As for whether to move and when to move, that would depend on circumstances.
Everyone chatted and laughed as Qin Shuying finished washing, then went to eat dinner and spent half the evening reading account books and rosters.
Ziteng and Lan Chou assisted her in the study. Sometimes Ziteng would rub her temples and look at Lan Chou: “Lan Chou, I really have a headache from reading. You’ve been reading for six or seven days—don’t you have a headache?”
Lan Chou giggled, “If elder sister has a headache, then rest. Look at First Madam—she doesn’t have a headache, so how dare I have one?”
Qin Shuying raised her head to look at them, pointing at the mountain of account books. “You just like to tease me. How could I not have a headache? Look at all this—southern rice paddies, northern hillside fields, eastern seafood, western mountain valleys. I’m a young lady who never steps out the main gate or second gate—how would I understand these things? And you dare say I don’t have a headache.”
Ziteng laughed, “Lan Chou, now you know—our First Madam’s dignified manner in front of the stewards is all an act. So you must study well. Whatever First Madam doesn’t know, you must remind her from the side.”
Lan Chou nodded, rubbing her shoulders. “Then I’ll study well.”
“Now that’s a good child. You sit there, elder sister will pour tea for you. I definitely won’t let our military advisor Lan Chou go thirsty or hungry.”
Since Qin Shuying had become the household matron, she needed to begin going out for social obligations.
The first social obligation she needed to attend was Eldest Aunt Liang’s forty-sixth birthday.
Eldest Aunt Liang was the eldest concubine daughter born to Concubine Hua, who had been the old Marquis’s concubine.
Concubine Hua had served the old Marquis from a young age and was even two years older than him. Before Luo Yanyan entered the household, she had already given birth to Eldest Aunt Liang, this concubine eldest daughter. This was quite improper at the time, but with no female head of household managing affairs, Eldest Aunt Liang was still born.
When Old Madam Liang was pregnant with her son, Concubine Hua and Concubine Guan were also pregnant.
At that time, the old Marquis had no sons. With three women pregnant almost simultaneously, whoever could give birth to a son would be extraordinary.
However, the old Marquis wasn’t in the capital at that time.
A month later, when he received the family letter, he learned that: Concubine Guan gave birth to a boy on the second day of the second month, but hemorrhaged severely and died along with the boy; Luo Yanyan gave birth to the legitimate eldest son on the third day of the second month, and all was well; Concubine Hua had taken a fall and lost the child in her belly, which was reportedly also a male fetus.
Three sons, only one obtained—the old Marquis was angry but powerless to change fate.
But two years later, Concubine Hua’s belly proved promising again, giving birth to another son—this became Second Master Luo.
Later, Luo Yanyan never became pregnant again, but another concubine gave birth to a daughter. The old Marquis had only two daughters and two sons in his lifetime.
When the old Marquis was alive, he naturally valued Liang Yunshan most. When Liang Yunshan was only four years old, the old Marquis drove him to practice martial arts at the training ground, then took him to border cities for several years.
But Eldest Aunt Liang was the daughter of the old Marquis’s beloved concubine, so the old Marquis naturally treated her extremely well too. Whatever legitimate daughters in other families had, Eldest Aunt Liang, as a concubine daughter, lacked nothing.
Therefore, when Eldest Aunt Liang was still unmarried, she was very arrogant and willful. Later she married well, and that imperious streak in her nature remained.
Speaking of who had ever given her cold treatment, in this world only Old Madam Liang and Qin Shuying had done so.
When Old Madam Liang entered the household, Eldest Aunt Liang was already five years old. Old Madam Liang herself came from concubine birth, so she ultimately lacked confidence in managing the old Marquis’s concubines, thus allowing Eldest Aunt Liang to grow wild.
Soon after, Old Madam Liang became pregnant and gave birth, then came the matter with Prince Liang and Luo Meixiang. In a blink, several years passed without time to discipline a concubine daughter.
In another blink, Eldest Aunt Liang reached marriageable age.
Only before her marriage did she briefly experience Old Madam Liang’s cold face and suffer some ridicule and difficulties.
Although Eldest Aunt Liang didn’t like Old Madam Liang or Luo Meixiang, the Liang family hadn’t divided the household. Liang Yunshan was a great pillar of support, and Second Master Liang’s current position mostly depended on Liang Yunshan, so Eldest Aunt Liang had to deal with her legitimate mother.
Therefore, in daily life, the Lu and Liang families maintained close relations.
So when Liang Zhe married, Eldest Aunt Liang came personally. Of course, with her temperament, how could she control herself? Fearing the world wasn’t chaotic enough, she actually mocked Qin Shuying in the bridal chamber—truly only she would do such a thing.
After suffering such treatment, Eldest Aunt Liang naturally wouldn’t easily forgive Qin Shuying. She later came to the Liang family several times but never saw Qin Shuying.
The relationship between Old Madam Liang and Eldest Aunt Liang was also mediocre. Eldest Aunt Liang didn’t want Old Madam Liang to know about her embarrassing incident, so this matter was postponed.
Later, when the Liang Yuan brothers had their incident and Liang Zhe was beaten, Eldest Aunt Liang returned to offer comfort and saw Qin Shuying. But Liang Yunshan’s expression remained poor throughout, and Eldest Aunt Liang still had to consider Liang Yunshan somewhat, so she didn’t do anything outrageous.
Qin Shuying naturally knew Eldest Aunt Liang wouldn’t forgive her. Not just because of the wedding day—even because she, Qin Shuying, had pushed Lu Ruyang into water at Princess Yongjia’s residence, causing Lu Ruyang to be ill for several months, Eldest Aunt Liang wouldn’t forgive her.
It was also because Eldest Aunt Liang sought medical treatment for Lu Ruyang, and because that incident was originally Lu Ruyang’s fault so they dared not publicize it, plus Qin Shuying rarely went out, that Eldest Aunt Liang found no opportunity.
However, even knowing Eldest Aunt Liang’s thoughts, when Qin Shuying had no backing before, she wasn’t afraid of the Lu family. Now that she had support and needed to investigate Qin Yongzhou’s death, even if the Lu family was a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair, she had to make this trip.
After breakfast, Qin Shuying dressed up and set out.
They had now entered the twelfth month. Yesterday, snow finally began falling in flurries, making the roads somewhat slippery, so the carriage traveled rather slowly.
Near the Lu family’s main gate, Qin Shuying discovered the road ahead was somewhat congested and smelled rather foul. It turned out there was an ox cart ahead of two carriages in front.