Chapter 77 Four Concubines
On the morning of the second day after Xiu'er entered the mansion, Mengxi had just returned from paying her respects to the old lady, and saw the four concubines and Hongyu waiting there in a row, waiting to pay their respects to her. She looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was rising from the west. Why did all the concubines come today?
It turned out that the four concubines had heard yesterday that the cousin had entered the mansion, and they all felt a sense of crisis, especially concubine Li. Seeing that the second master had been doting on her recently, she wanted to squeeze out the second wife. Once the second wife left, she would be the queen of the backyard. But as soon as the cousin entered the mansion, concubine Li came to her senses. She came in as a concubine, and even if the second wife was divorced, it would not be her turn to be the wife. Judging from the eldest wife's intention, the cousin would marry in directly. Then all the bad things she had done to the second wife in front of the second master these days were just doing someone else's bidding.
The good days of the cousin becoming the second mistress are over. After all, the second master hates this second mistress and keeps her in the east wing every day, living in the chrysanthemum garden. Once the cousin comes in, will the second master still stay in the chrysanthemum garden every day, since they are childhood sweethearts?
The cousin has the support of the first wife and the favor of the second master. Can he fight against her? Thinking of this, he secretly regretted that he was too proud these days and was a little short-sighted. He didn't see this step. It would be best for her to keep this unfavored second wife. After thinking it through, he came to pay his respects early in the morning, hoping that this second wife could work with them to get the cousin out of the house in one fell swoop, at least to make the second master give up on the cousin.
Mengxi certainly didn't know what was going on in the four concubines' minds, and she didn't know that once this cousin came into the mansion, the four concubines united against the same enemy, and made them realize that it was in their best interest to help the unpopular Second Mistress keep her position as wife. As for Hongyu, Second Mistress had always ignored her, and she had long since given up on any extravagant thoughts, and she was afraid of Second Mistress from the bottom of her heart, so she always paid her respects to Second Mistress regardless of the weather.
Mengxi helped Zhiqiu to the hall and sat down, then told the five people to come in. After the five people came in and greeted the Second Madam in turn, they stood on both sides, looking at the Second Madam eagerly. Mengxi saw the expressions of the four concubines, and her heart moved. She also knew why they were all gathered today. What else could it be? Of course, it was for the cousin. She sneered in her heart, and saw that the concubines did not intend to speak. They were probably waiting for her to speak first and break the window paper. So she took a sip of tea and said lightly:
"Yesterday, the eldest lady invited me over, saying that the old lady's birthday was coming up soon, and that she had brought the cousin in to celebrate. I heard from the eldest lady that the cousin had a very good relationship with our second master, and would often come to our courtyard to sit and visit. She especially asked me to take good care of her. Today, all the aunts are here, so I'll take this opportunity to tell you that in the future, when the cousin comes over, all the aunts should be more careful. The cousin is the apple of the eldest lady's eye. If you treat her badly and let the eldest lady find fault with her and blame you, don't say that I didn't warn you today, do you hear me?"
The four concubines were stunned after hearing what the second wife said. They were here to help her defend her position as wife with great enthusiasm. Couldn't the second wife understand what the first wife meant by "close feelings"? Couldn't she see that the cousin was here to compete with her for the second master? Why didn't she pull them over to be allies at this time? She was so stupid as to remind them to serve the cousin carefully. What the hell was going on! Did the second wife want to fight the cousin alone with her little cleverness or was she really that stupid?
The four concubines looked at each other, not knowing how to respond to Second Mistress's words. After Mengxi finished speaking, she picked up her teacup and drank tea leisurely, and the hall fell silent for a while.
Finally, Aunt Li lost her temper. She was the one who suffered the most when her cousin came into the mansion. The Second Master did not have dinner with her yesterday, so she waited for a long time in vain. She cleared her throat and stepped forward and said:
"The Second Madam has just married into the family, so she may not know that this cousin has been close to the Second Master since she was a child. She always comes to visit several times every year and is particularly attached to the Second Master. But now that she has grown up, she must have grown up with her thoughts. The Second Master has already started a family and a career. If this continues, I'm afraid..."
Aunt Li stopped talking halfway through and looked at Second Madam. She thought that after what she had said, even a fool would be able to understand what she meant. If Second Madam didn't understand what the cousin was here to do, she would be a pig!
But it was her bad luck that she really met such a dull mistress. Seeing that she had stopped talking, Meng Xi put down the teacup and said:
"My cousin and the Second Master have a deep brother-sister relationship, which was originally a good thing, but they have become estranged as they grow older, which is not good. The Second Master likes my cousin, and if she comes to visit him often, the Second Master will be very happy. We are wives and concubines of others, aren't we here to make the master happy?"
After Mengxi finished speaking, she looked around without even glancing at Aunt Li, whose face had already turned green, and continued:
"Okay, it's getting late, all the aunts should leave. My cousin is coming over for dinner today, so I have to go to the kitchen to prepare some food."
Mengxi would not give the four concubines any chance. She had not forgotten how concubine Li harmed her. She said this on purpose today just to stimulate these concubines. She told them that you usually rely on the Second Master's favor and are so arrogant, but now that the truly favored person is here, let's see what you will do.
She was not so kind as to join forces with the four concubines to deal with her cousin. Even if the Second Master took all the women of Da Qi into the backyard, it had nothing to do with her, Li Mengxi. Why should she deal with her cousin? She was also very happy to see her cousin marry in. It would be exciting to watch them fighting among themselves. By then, no one would care about her, and she could also plan her plan to leave the house.
Seeing the Second Madam like this, the four concubines retreated reluctantly. After they left, Mengxi did not go to the kitchen. Who is the cousin? If she wants to eat the dishes cooked by her, she will have to wait for the next life.
He simply ordered a menu and asked Zhixia to go to the kitchen to arrange for someone to cook. He took Zhiqiu back to the east wing and told Zhidong as soon as he entered the door:
"When my cousin comes, tell her that I'm busy in the kitchen and ask her to wait in the living room. When the dishes are ready, call me over."
Zhidong responded and turned to leave. Mengxi suddenly remembered something and hurriedly stopped Zhidong and added:
"After a while, go out and lock the door of the east wing from the outside. You and Zhixia will wait outside."
Zhiqiu and Zhichun looked at the Second Grandma in confusion, wondering why her Second Grandma would lock herself in the house.
"Second Madam, this is not a good idea. If Second Master sees it, he will..." Zhiqiu hesitated.
Mengxi glanced at her, ignored her, walked into the north room, and fought with Dazi.
The Second Master had already taken his cousin to Xiaoxiang Courtyard, and the two were sitting in the hall playing Go. Xiu'er's two personal maids, Bingxin and Yuxin, stood silently behind her. Xiu'er looked depressed. As soon as she entered the Xiao Mansion, she heard her aunt say that her cousin's east wing was guarded tightly and no one was allowed in. She didn't know what she was mumbling in there every day, but who was she, Miss Xiu? Could her cousin's east wing block her from living?
She had made up her mind long ago that she would go into the east wing today while her cousin's wife was in the kitchen to see what she did and what she liked, so that she could think of a way to deal with her. Didn't the military book say: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger?" She knew too little about her cousin's wife. She only knew that there were rumors in the market that she was arrogant and domineering, and unfaithful to her husband. Her cousin especially hated her, but based on her reputation, she thought that she was not an easy person to deal with. She must investigate the enemy situation.
