Chapter 507 - 506: Reminder (240 Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 507: Chapter 506: Reminder (240 Monthly Tickets)

The spring breeze brushed past, soothing the soul.

Princess Nanyan closed her eyes, reminiscing slightly, and said, "Do you remember the Enrong Bo Mansion lost the Empress Dowager’s favor?"

Du Yunluo widened her eyes.

The Enrong Bo Mansion was titled by the late Emperor, not due to merits, but because one of the Four Concubines came from there.

The favored concubine of the late Emperor is now the aunt of Uncle Enrong, who won honor for her family, and after the late Emperor passed, she went with him.

The Enrong Bo Mansion only passed five generations, currently just the second generation.

Du Yunluo remembered that the Enrong Bo Mansion did not reach the fifth generation; after about thirty years, when Huo Ziming’s legitimate brother inherited the title, he was stripped of his rank due to the upbringing of the descendants.

But by then, Princess Nanyan had long since taken her own life; she did not know this.

That Nanyan brought it up shows that even when she was alive, the Enrong Bo Mansion had already displeased the Empress Dowager.

Du Yunluo tried to recall from her memory.

Nanyan, despite her surprise, also felt a bit emotional; such is the legacy of aristocratic families, incurring two reports from an Imperial Censor, enough to have one served trouble.

"What I want to talk to you about happened around two years later," Princess Nanyan said solemnly, "the incident of the youngest grandson of Pingyang Marquis falling to his death."

Du Yunluo’s eyes suddenly tightened.

In the past, whether it was the Enrong Bo Mansion or the Pingyang Marquis Mansion, they had nothing to do with Du Yunluo, and she didn’t usually associate with those ladies.

It is different now in this life.

Uncle Enrong’s illegitimate son, Huo Ziming, married Princess An Ran, while Mu Lianhui married the youngest grandson of Pingyang Marquis, Jin Shang.

Nanyan explained everything to Du Yunluo in detail.

In the past life, Jin Shang’s sister and Huo Ruyi were sisters-in-law from different branches, and the two never ceased their verbal fights.

As the disturbances grew, even their husbands developed some discord.

That autumn, the family went to Potuo Mountain to offer incense, and they quarreled in the temple again, which Jin Shang happened to witness.

Jin Shang, although saying he wanted peace, somewhat favored his own brother-in-law; their argument got out of hand, leading to Jin Shang accidentally falling.

The dispute between sisters-in-law resulted in the tragic death of an uncle in law.

This matter was too disgraceful, and each family tried to cover it up without admitting the truth.

The Pingyang Marquis Mansion lost a son, suffered a great loss, and complained in the Cining Palace. Meanwhile, the Enrong Bo Mansion insisted on sharing the blame equally.

The Empress Dowager detested such messy affairs, finding them distressing to hear, and none of the families benefited—both were reprimanded by the Empress Dowager.

Du Yunluo, upon hearing this, also had a headache; it was no wonder that the Empress Dowager was displeased.

The Empress Dowager favored upright, drama-free girls, and these two sisters-in-law not only sowed discord between brothers but also led to the death of a mediating uncle. According to the Empress Dowager’s view, they should have closed their doors and reflected, yet they insisted on entering the palace to seek a conclusion, which violated the Empress Dowager’s taboos.

In the past, these matters were never spoken of outside the palace. But given that Nanyan was the Princess Consort of Prince Rui, she naturally heard about it from her servants, while Du Yunluo was wholly unaware.

Nanyan knew, and surely, that Mu Lianhui must have known as well.

Du Yunluo thought, this was probably why Mu Lianhui dared to marry Jin Shang.

In this life, Huo Ruyi and Jin Shang’s sister are still sisters-in-law, but if Mu Lianhui doesn’t let Jin Shang get involved in the brothers’ disputes, then the incident of Jin Shang’s accidental fall wouldn’t happen again.

Du Yunluo looked at Nanyan, who naturally told her about the matter not for the sake of Jin Shang’s life, but for Princess An Ran’s stance.

The Dingyuan Marquis Mansion remembered Ye Yuzhi’s favor, and Du Yunluo also didn’t want Princess An Ran to get entangled in those senseless matters.

Huo Ruyi is Huo Ziming’s biological sister, and although she is married, disputes between sisters-in-law always implicate the upbringing of their maternal family.

Du Yunluo nodded slightly, expressing her gratitude to Princess Nanyan.

The two of them chatted for a long time, until Aunt Ming came out to invite them in.

The Empress Dowager was talking with a few of the older ladies, and when they were tired, she sent them away.

Du Yunluo and Zhuang Ke supported Madam Wu to the palace gate, where only Mu Liankang was waiting outside.

"Where is Lian Xiao?" Madam Wu asked.

Mu Liankang replied, "The Holy Emperor wanted to watch the dragon boat race, so Ah Shao accompanied him."

It was often like this in past years, so Madam Wu didn’t think much of it.

The carriage slowly returned to the mansion.

Because it was the Dragon Boat Festival, the citizens went to watch the dragon boats, making the streets particularly lively.

The carriage moved slowly, and Du Yunluo looked out through the light veils of the window; coincidentally, she spotted Huo Ziming and Princess An Ran outside a restaurant on East Street.

After a moment of contemplation, Du Yunluo made up her mind.

It wasn’t convenient for her to meet Princess An Ran, but since she ran into her, she shouldn’t miss the chance.

Saying a word to Madam Wu, Du Yunluo got off outside the restaurant and asked the staff to guide her upstairs.

Princess An Ran was in a private room.

Du Yunluo called to her through the door, and upon hearing the commotion inside, someone quickly came to open the door.

Around the screen, Du Yunluo saw Huo Ziming and Princess An Ran.

"Did you just return from the palace? That official attire looks heavy, no wonder the shopkeeper let you knock." Princess An Ran commented with a pout.

Du Yunluo glanced at her own outfit and couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing that Du Yunluo had something to say, Huo Ziming found an excuse to leave.

Du Yunluo hadn’t even begun to talk when Princess An Ran anxiously asked about Ye Yuzhi.

"The Young Master Ye is doing well," Du Yunluo replied, "serving under General Huang, you can rest assured."

A flash of fierceness appeared in Princess An Ran’s eyes; her brother was risking his life on the battlefield, ultimately because Duke Jing and the Old Master’s couple were too pressing. He originally just wanted to rely on familial ties without seeking grand titles but was left with no choice but to fight.

But those troublesome matters in the Duke Mansion, Princess An Ran didn’t speak about, nor did Du Yunluo need to know.

Moreover, Princess An Ran didn’t know how to start the conversation.

Knowing that Ye Yuzhi was safe, her worried heart was put at ease.

"You came to see me, surely not just to bring good news," Princess An Ran said.

Du Yunluo nodded. Through the open window, she could see the dragon boats on the distant water; compared to the crowded banks, this was indeed a good spot to watch.

After watching for a while, she said, "Lady married into the Pingyang Marquis Mansion, and her sister-in-law is sisters-in-law with your sister-in-law, right?"

Princess An Ran let out a disdainful hum.

She didn’t like Mu Lianhui and found Huo Ruyi’s sarcastic nature tiring.

"I heard today that those two sisters-in-law are quarreling fiercely, causing even the two brothers to develop a grudge," Du Yunluo said after some thought.

Princess An Ran’s brows furrowed little by little: "Who did you hear it from? Those women from the outer residences are gossiping again?"

"If they gossiped and word got back to the Cining Palace, you’d be labeled as failing to raise your daughters properly. The Pingyang Marquis Mansion is an inherited title, while the Enrong Bo Mansion only lasts five generations. When the time comes, your Bo Mansion would suffer." Du Yunluo pointedly mentioned.

After that, Du Yunluo said no more, for Princess An Ran had already pieced things together.

Huo Ruyi and her sister-in-law’s disputes were originally trivial inner courtyard issues; however, when gossip spread, it would reflect poorly on all families involved.

If it were someone else’s drama, Princess An Ran could sit back and watch, but now that the performance involved Huo Ruyi, as a sister-in-law, she couldn’t just turn a blind eye.

No matter what, she had to speak with Huo Ruyi and tell her to stop fighting with the Jin sister. The struggle between sisters-in-law was ultimately a struggle between men; their bickering served no meaningful purpose.