Chapter 367 Tanchun's Suspicion
After Yuanchun finished writing the letter and went back to have dinner with the empress, Jia Cong returned to the mansion.
The next day, Jia Cong first went to the Bingmasi and the military camp outside the city. After returning to the mansion, he went directly to the West Mansion.
Daiyu and Baochai stayed in the East Mansion for only one day before returning home. However, Baoqin was still staying in the East Mansion with Xiao Xichun. The West Mansion seemed a lot quieter without these girls, and Xiangyun also returned home these days.
He first went to sit with for a while and gave her Yuanchun's letter. Then, he went straight to Tanchun's courtyard. When the little maid in the courtyard saw Jia Cong coming, she hurriedly saluted.
"Meet the Third Master!"
"Well, is the third sister here?"
"The girl is in the house..."
As he spoke, Jia Cong went straight into the hall, and Tanchun and Shishu, who heard the noise, came out to greet him.
"Hello, third brother!" Tanchun bowed slightly. Although she still had a smile on her face, Jia Cong could feel that Tanchun seemed to be much quieter than before.
After serving tea to Jia Cong, the secretary left the room. Jia Cong sat next to Tanchun and chatted for a while. Jia Cong said slowly, "When I first met the third sister, I knew that she was elegant, smart and capable. Among the sisters, if we only talk about character and lofty ambitions, I'm afraid the third sister is the only one!"
Tanchun shook her head silently, "Third brother, you are too kind, but every sister in my family is extremely talented and brilliant. Even if I am somewhat capable, how can I be as good as you say."
Seeing the different Tanchun from the past, Jia Cong couldn't help but sigh, "Third sister, there is no need to be too clear about these things in our family, otherwise you will only cause yourself trouble. You just need to live happily with your second sister and fourth sister, and I will support you in the rest!"
"Whether it's now or in the future, as long as I'm still here, I can definitely support Third Sister's reputation!"
Tanchun felt warmed and moved by what she heard. She had been feeling tormented and lonely these days, but only her third brother understood her.
After a while, Tanchun nodded vigorously and said, "Thank you, Third Brother!"
Jia Cong laughed loudly, "Why bother thanking each other! If you are free, go to the East Palace with Second Sister. Fourth Sister is having so much fun that she doesn't want to go back home. You can go and join in the fun. Or, even if you want to go out of the palace to look for Sister Lin and Sister Bao, don't hesitate. Just ask someone to hire a carriage and go. I am at home, so my sister doesn't need to worry about it."
"Okay, I still have to go to the East Courtyard. Yes, this is the letter that my elder sister asked me to bring to you when I entered the palace yesterday. If you want to write to my elder sister, it would be convenient. I will deliver it to you directly after you finish writing it."
After saying this, he put down the letter and stood up to say goodbye.
Tanchun sent Jia Cong out of the courtyard and then returned to the room!
Shishu looked at her daughter's cheerful expression and couldn't help but feel relieved. In the past few days, her daughter had no appetite and no desire to eat. No matter how much she tried to persuade her, it was useless. Fortunately, the Third Master was there...
"Miss, what did the Third Master say?" Shishu asked curiously.
Tanchun rolled her eyes at Shishu and said, "Brother San was just chatting for a while!"
Having said that, he took the letter and went into the room.
Opening the letter and looking at Yuanchun's handwriting, Tanchun felt nostalgic and sighed. She was not that old when Yuanchun entered the palace, but she still had a deep impression of this elder sister. She, Yingchun, Baoyu and others were all raised by Yuanchun.
The letter began with some casual conversation, and then briefly described life in the palace. However, Tanchun could sense from the words that her sister was living a happy life in the palace. At least, it was not as depressing and dark as she had imagined.
But Tanchun couldn't understand some of the following words.
"Third sister is smart, but there are some things that you don't need to take to heart. What happened to mother was her own fault. Although I feel sad, I don't need to blame anyone. Now, our family is very rich, but everything in the future will be up to you. No matter what, we can't have any grudges against you."
"Sister, you are seventeen this year, but don't be too anxious about getting married. All marriages are decided by heaven. In the future, sister will have someone to rely on for the rest of her life."
"In addition, my third brother is of noble status, and even the people in the family should not overstep their boundaries, otherwise, disaster will come! Especially Baoyu, who has been spoiled by his grandmother and mother for many years and has a bad temper. For the sake of the future, Baoyu must not be allowed to anger my third brother, otherwise disaster will come. The sisters should not be too distant with my third brother, and it would be appropriate to be a little closer..."
There is a long speech afterwards, all about Jia Cong. Some of it is about how Jia Cong was valued and treated close to by the emperor and empress in the palace, and some of it is about her contact with Jia Cong in the palace.
After a long while, Tanchun put the letter away, but a look of suspicion appeared on her face.
Is this letter normal? It seems that there is nothing wrong with it, but why do I always feel that the words of the eldest sister about the third brother seem too intimate? Moreover, this intimacy does not seem to be the intimacy between siblings, but rather seems to be filled with a bit of love, awe and admiration?
She slapped her forehead vigorously, "What's wrong with me? Big sister has always been very sensible, maybe I'm overthinking..."
…
When Jia Cong came to the East Courtyard, Mrs. Xing was naturally very happy. Or rather, she had been in a good mood these past two days, and she could even wake up with a smile in her dreams.
That old rival had been living a glorious life since she married into the Jia family. As the wife of the first house, she had no dignity in front of her and even had to be in awe of her. But now, not only was her life getting more carefree, but the old rival was courting death and was now imprisoned in the family temple. Could she still be arrogant in the future?
Xing Shi didn't have any big aspirations now, but what worried her was that she didn't have anything to rely on, and if the old lady got upset one day, she might just kick her out of the East Courtyard. Moreover, although the enemy had entered the family temple, judging from the current situation, the West Courtyard still belonged to the second branch.
After all, his first wife had no male heir, but he still had Jia Zheng and his son in the second wife, and if that didn't work out, he still had Jia Lan.
After the old lady passed away, how could I compete with these people? There was no reason for me to continue living there.
So, she had the idea to let Xing Xiuyan marry Jia Cong. As long as Jia Cong supported her, could the second wife still bully her as a widow? Therefore, Jia Cong's arrival made Mrs. Xing very happy, and after chatting for a few words, she mentioned this matter.
