Eleventh Lang looked toward Sixth Lady.
Without waiting for anyone to question her, Sixth Lady obediently offered her answer.
“I only love embroidery, not reading,” she said with a smile. “Though rubbings aren’t particularly rare items, asking for too many at once would be inconvenient, so I won’t trouble Eleventh Cousin.”
Sixth Lady’s frankness was endearing.
Yet a trace of faint disappointment flashed through Eleventh Lang’s eyes.
Seventh Lady seemed to understand something.
Thinking back to Madam Li’s behavior in the main hall, a faint smile curved at the corners of her lips.
As the saying goes: marry daughters to higher positions, take wives from lower stations.
Though the Li and Yang families had a superior-subordinate relationship in terms of official positions, their statuses weren’t vastly different. A Provincial Administration Commissioner could advance one small step further to become a Minister internally, or a Governor-General externally… The two families could only be considered partners, not subordinates.
If the Li family’s legitimate son sought to marry a concubine-born daughter of the Yang family, first, it could make the relationship between the two families more harmonious; second, a concubine-born daughter lacked the confidence of a legitimate daughter and would be easier to control than one.
Not every family had the courage like First Lady’s in-laws, the Li family of the member of the gentry, to form marriage alliances with families of vastly different status.
The Yang family had many daughters, and the Li family had many legitimate sons… Madam Li’s calculations were quite shrewd! This intention probably wasn’t just a day or two in the making. Seventh Lady glanced again at Twelfth Lang, who was singlemindedly eating preserved plums with great mouthfuls, and a serene smile gently curved at the corners of her lips.
When it came to her own biological son, she couldn’t bear to settle for a concubine-born daughter… Twelfth Lang was merely here to keep company this time.
Of course, for Eleventh Lang, marrying a concubine-born daughter of the Yang family wouldn’t exactly be wronging him.
The Li family had so many legitimate sons—if Eleventh Lang were matched with the legitimate daughter of a minor official’s family as his primary wife, the assistance gained might not be as great as from a Yang family concubine-born daughter.
Everyone said Madam Li didn’t really manage affairs, but she was clearly quite capable!
Killing several birds with one stone—both suppressing Eleventh Lang while earning his goodwill…
In the deep courtyards of great households, there truly were no genuinely simple people.
However…
Sixth Lady was determined to marry a capable man so she would never again have to live watching others’ expressions. She might not necessarily look favorably upon Eleventh Lang.
Seventh Lady glanced at Sixth Lady.
Sixth Lady was smiling as she ate preserved plums, chatting with Fifth Lady, completely unaware of anything amiss.
She was still too young after all. Though quite clever, she was somewhat careless.
As for Seventh Lady…
Thinking of the Li family’s numerous legitimate and illegitimate sons made her head spin.
With so many sons, not to mention daughters, the Li family’s inner household was probably far more complex than the Yang family’s.
Otherwise, with Madam Li’s capabilities, would she need to retreat to Guangfu Temple for respite so frequently?
Though she had never met First Lady, Seventh Lady envied her.
As a concubine-born daughter, what better fate could there be?
Finding a modest, prosperous household that was simple and warm, peacefully becoming a country estate’s young mistress.
She hoped the Great Madam could arrange a not-too-different fate for her.
Even if her future husband was somewhat ordinary, even if they had no emotional foundation—it didn’t matter.
Feelings could be cultivated, but circumstances could not be changed.
Since she could only go with the flow, naturally she hoped that in the latter half of her life, this little fish would find herself not in a turbulent sea with fierce winds and high waves, but in a tranquil fishpond without ripples.
After eating the sweet and sour Guangfu preserved plums, the children separated.
Eleventh Lang led Ninth Brother and Twelfth Lang to play at Guangfu Pagoda.
The girls were much quieter. Fifth Lady had no patience for climbing mountains and called for Sixth Lady and Seventh Lady to play shuanglu with her.
Usually the Yang family daughters were all busy with their studies, rarely having time for leisure. Sixth Lady was also enthusiastic and eager to battle with Fifth Lady.
Seventh Lady took the opportunity to lead her two sisters back to their lodgings.
“It’s already deep autumn—sitting outside for long gets cold,” she said lightly.
Neither Fifth Lady nor Sixth Lady sensed anything amiss.
Given Fifth Lady’s status, she would certainly never marry into the Li family. The Great Madam would surely arrange a match for her comparable to the Sun family of Duke Dingguo.
Sixth Lady had already spent some time with Eleventh Lang.
Eleventh Lang would probably come next to evaluate herself, wouldn’t he?
Seventh Lady had no interest in accompanying them.
Madam Li and Madam Xu sat quietly at Guangfu Pagoda for the day.
The next morning, they rose early together to offer the first incense.
Xu Fengji had the patience to accompany her mother on the first day, but on the second day, she slipped away. Rather than mixing with Ninth Brother, Eleventh Lang, and Twelfth Lang, she came to talk with Fifth Lady.
Sixth Lady and Seventh Lady could only agree to go worship in the hall together.
It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that Madam Xu reluctantly emerged from the great hall and returned to their lodgings.