Seventh Miss didn’t pay too much attention to it though.
After all, these were events from many years ago.
Besides, wasn’t Ninth Aunt’s fate equally tragic? Great manor households were like this—such was the fate of losers.
“Could Ninth Brother’s injury also be Third Aunt’s haunting…” She spoke somewhat hesitantly.
First Miss smiled faintly. “That depends on how you think about it.” She rested her chin in her hand and gazed at Seventh Miss, speaking slowly. “If you ask me, Ninth Brother is an extremely clever child with his own plans in mind. As long as he can grow up safely, your path will become smoother and easier to walk—as fellow concubine-born daughters, I truly envy Seventh Sister somewhat!”
“Elder Sister need not be so courteous.” Seventh Miss demurred. “I still envy Elder Sister’s good fortune!”
“True, each has their own fate—don’t envy others.” First Miss actually smiled and acknowledged this. “I now have a husband and daughter, a prosperous household, no longer needing to scheme and plot… Even if offered a thousand gold, ten thousand gold, I wouldn’t trade it!”
Seventh Miss couldn’t help but show envy.
Without living in a great manor household, it was hard to appreciate the happiness of such a peaceful life.
Even though the eldest brother-in-law was somewhat wooden, not particularly handsome, and his family merely ordinary landed gentry, such peaceful days were far beyond what any official’s son could give First Miss.
She chewed over First Miss’s answer.
Discussing past events, First Miss could speak without restraint, but regarding current disputes, she couldn’t speak too plainly.
From First Miss’s meaning, it seemed Ninth Brother’s motives ultimately hadn’t escaped this elder sister who possessed first-rate scheming and skill yet didn’t provoke resentment.
No wonder everyone in the household liked her!
In great manor households, what was lacking were precisely such people who acted decisively and forthrightly.
“Since Elder Sister says so, Xiao Qi would also like to ask Elder Sister for help.” Seventh Miss spoke slowly after consideration.
First Miss had no conflict with her in either position or interests.
When two clever people were together, they should mutually benefit and help each other.
Since First Miss frankly revealed the mystery of Third Aunt’s death, she might as well speak her mind too.
“Ninth Brother’s injury is shrouded in doubt… Xiao Qi has never known the inside story.” She sighed. “I haven’t even figured out the cause. However, Elder Sister knows Mother’s temperament—always overthinking and worrying. It’s probably inevitable she suspects I’m involved in this.”
First Miss readily agreed. “At first she probably couldn’t help thinking that way… After all, you are Ninth Brother’s twin sister.”
Speaking with First Miss was truly refreshing.
Seventh Miss simply laid all cards on the table. “Xiao Qi doesn’t know if Ninth Brother intended to avenge me, but even if so, that would be human nature. However, with Mother, I must ask Elder Sister to help explain so Mother doesn’t misunderstand!”
Regardless of Ninth Brother’s motives or methods, thinking to use Third Aunt as an excuse was already quite remarkable.
Though young with rather crude techniques that even alerted the Grand Madam to suspicious points, ancient people mostly believed firmly in ghosts and spirits. Especially since Third Aunt’s hauntings weren’t just a year or two old—she’d even “cursed” to death the son in Sixth Aunt’s belly…
How could the Grand Madam and Grand Master not be wary of such things?
As long as First Miss found that wariness and helped argue a few points, pushing all blame onto the dead, the Grand Madam would probably rather believe it existed!
This way, after being diligent for a few more years, surely the Grand Madam could put her suspicions of Ninth Brother behind her.
First Miss let out a long breath.
“To be honest with you.” Her face showed complete sincerity. “Even if younger sister hadn’t asked, I would have said these same things! Our family’s Fourth Young Master has been at Madam’s side since birth, never seeing his birth mother—how could his eyes hold anyone else? When Madam asked me a few days ago, these were my very words!”
Seventh Miss was immediately delighted.
“But you also know what kind of person Mother is, Seventh Sister.” First Miss was very frank. “Not much capability, but plenty of suspicion—she’s practically a female Cao Cao! Yet without Cao Mengde’s strategic thinking… These years, thanks to never lacking helpful people by her side, she’s been able to maintain her position in the inner courtyard. I’m afraid my words can only work for a while—over time, they’ll lose effectiveness.”
Seventh Miss’s face showed contemplation.
Who else would speak ill of Ninth Brother in the Grand Madam’s ear?
“Moreover, though our branch doesn’t have much contact with the main clan.” First Miss also sighed. “In the end, we were once the Yang family clan leaders. Whether Ninth Brother can inherit as a concubine-born son is still uncertain.”
Seventh Miss’s pupils contracted.
No one understood the Yang family’s dispute with the main clan better than she did.
After all, Seventh Miss had actually lived in Yang Family Village for six solid years.
In great clans, internal disputes were plentiful. The Grand Master’s lineage originally had high prestige and had always been Yang clan leaders. Years ago due to some matter they fell into decline, and on the return journey encountered bandits—only the Grand Master’s father, Seventh Miss’s grandfather, escaped alone. Being a concubine-born son, the clan used the reason that concubine-born sons couldn’t inherit to seize the clan leader position. By the Grand Master’s generation, being a concubine-born son of a concubine-born son, the clan increasingly bullied the fifth branch for having no one, using the excuse of inventorying clan property to openly and covertly occupy the fifth branch’s land. Otherwise, with the fifth branch’s accumulated wealth over the years, how would the Grand Master have fallen to needing to rely on his wife’s family!
The current Grand Master was naturally incomparable to before, having reached the position of Jiangnan Governor-General… No one in Yang Family Village didn’t look up to him now. But who could guarantee that if he unexpectedly passed away in the future, the clan wouldn’t use the excuse of concubine-born sons being unable to inherit to make trouble over Ninth Brother’s inheritance rights…
“Such matters would naturally be very unfortunate for us sisters!” She spoke slowly. “Elder Sister surely understands the reasoning.”
Without brothers to support them, women couldn’t hold their heads up at their in-laws’—this was an unshakeable truth.
First Miss looked at Seventh Miss and sighed. “So Second Aunt keeps urging Mother, telling her to adopt a legitimate nephew soon as the primary heir… Then the clan would have nothing to say.”
Seventh Miss could no longer restrain herself and let out a cold snort.
“Second Aunt’s calculations ring quite loudly!”
If the Grand Madam still trusted Ninth Brother unreservedly, she would probably treat her words as mere wind past the ears.
Unfortunately, Ninth Brother’s rash actions had stirred her suspicions. Once suspicious, with the Grand Madam’s temperament, it couldn’t be dispelled with a sentence or two…
First Miss comforted her. “There’s still Father! Father himself was born from a concubine and suffered enough idle talk from the clan… Besides, what man would want to adopt once he has his own son? Don’t look at how Father doesn’t show his hand—he’s actually clear-headed! Otherwise, how could you all have returned to Suzhou from the northwest?” With that, she added and subtracted details, revealing the matter of the Grand Master promoting Feng Jin.
Seventh Miss lowered her head in contemplation without speaking for a moment.
First Miss wasn’t angry but pleased instead: the more Seventh Miss pondered, the more it showed her stability.