Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan were speechless. Although they were extremely reluctant, they still got on the carriage.
When the carriage went out of the door, Wei Changsui, Wei Changfeng, and Wei Gaoya came together. After greeting them through the curtain, they drove the horse to the side of the carriage and went to Duke Jingping Mansion.
The journey was not long, and there were no idlers, so they entered the back door of Duke Jingping Mansion soon. After getting off the carriage, they began to feel something significant happened in the mansion. At this moment, only a female manager greeted them by the carriage, whose solemn expression of eyes revealed her panic. She saluted casually and didn’t speak much, leading them directly to the courtyard of little Mrs. Liu.
Along the way, the white cloths had been hung up everywhere, and the servants encountered were all in a hurry with sorrow. There were several places in Duke Jingping Mansion where deciduous trees like buttonwood were planted. In this season, the falling leaves lent an air of melancholy to the scene.
Seeing the desolate mansion which was initially clean and elegant, Wei Changying sighed in her heart, removing her hatred of Wei Zhengya and little Mrs. Liu.
After all, she, Wei Changfeng, and Wei Gaochuan were still alive, but Wei Zhengya had been dead.
Wei Zhengya had three sons, but only the lineal eldest son Wei Changxu survived and grew up. However, Wei Changxu was far less clever than Wei Zhengya…
The decline of Duke Jingping was utterly foreseeable. Nevertheless, they had hereditary titles. As long as the Great Vi existed, they would always have a chance to be rejuvenated when Wei Shanshi matured. By that time, Wei Changfeng’s children would be older than Wei Shanshi. Then, Wei Changfeng would be full-fledged with his talent, and how would he be afraid of his cousin?
What’s more, the Family Head position had been passed from Wei Huan to Wei Changfeng, meaning that the Wei Huan’s family would inherit it. A gap had been drawn between Duke Jingping and Wei Huan. Even though Wei Shanshi had been superior to his grandfather, he would have lost the advantage of his grandfather in terms of inheritance.
All in all, Wei Changying felt that the attack experienced by her and her brothers deserved because it cleared the obstacle faced by Wei Huan when he inherited as a son of the concubine.
Thinking that her family didn’t suffer a loss, Wei Changying dismissed her resentment. She respectfully greeted little Mrs. Li, with sympathy and sorrow, as a daughter of an eminent family. Due to the change of attitudes, the words that she intended to speak out were swallowed.
Little Mrs. Liu’s condition was much more severe than Wei Changying’s estimate. Her eyes were dull, and she couldn’t even stay beside the coffin. She collapsed on the couch and looked straight at the tent. There was no response to the cousins who came to greet and comfort her. Even when her only biological son, nine-year-old young master Wei Changlin cried and shook her arm for a long while, she didn’t react at all.
As if her soul and her heart all had died after the death of Wei Zhengya.
Seeing her like that, even Madam Song was a little more gentle and came over to comfort her, “Changlin is still young, and my uncle does not like trivial things, so you have to support this family… You should think about Shanshi and Shangui, both of whom are good children, and Shangui is weak, so you….”
But little Mrs. Liu turned a deaf ear to those words.
After the three sisters and Wei Changying saluted, more females of the family came one after another with greetings, comforts, persuasion, and tears… But no matter who came and how they behaved, little Mrs. Liu ignored.
Her silence and numbness embarrassed everyone, but they could understand her at this time.
Because the Wei Family was a big family, and Wei Zhengya died in the hometown, many people of the family came to express condolences. Many women were entitled to visit little Mrs. Liu and Wei Changxian in the backyard. In the beginning, the spacious interior room could accommodate many people, but later, when more people came, it was not enough for all people to be there.
Madam Song and Pei had to get up to handle with the situation for little Mrs. Liu, persuading everyone to withdraw from the inner room and then left a few confidant maidservants guard. After all, little Mrs. Liu should not be disturbed much at this time.
Wei Changying and her two sisters who had arrived earlier were also sent out. Madam Song took the time to tell them, “I am afraid that I will stay here with your third aunt tonight. Your sisters don’t separate from each other and return home later.”
Little Mrs. Liu was unable to preside over, including staying beside the coffin. The members of the family were responsible for the front, and the backyard should also be looked after. So Madam Song and Mrs. Pei had to take it over.
Although it was just a few steps from one side to the other, it was inconvenient to run over and ask for instructions if something happened in the middle of the night. Probably, when you just returned Ruiyu Hall, you would be called back before you fell asleep. So they decided to live in Duke Jingping Mansion. After all, “Biwu” was in the hands of Wei Huan now.
Since even Wei Zhengya was dead in his own room, Madam Song and Mrs. Pei were certainly not afraid to spend the night here.
Madam Song instructed everyone to go out, so Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan exchanged eye contact, hoping to leave Wei Changying alone. But since Madam Song said so, and this aunt had always been strong and powerful, Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan were a little afraid of her and had to listen to her.
After pondering for a while, Wei Gaochan suggested, “The third sister, let’s find a secluded corner to sit down and rest for a while.”
“Alright.” Wei Changying nodded. Giving condolences was also hard work because they had stood for more than one hour in the inner room. Many elders were there, so even if there were enough seats, they dared not do that… Wei Changying felt a little tired, let alone Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan, who were weaker than her.
But she did not know that Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan had exchanged a relived eye contact. Being “secluded” was their focus.
In the rear courtyard of Duke Jingping Mansion, the three sisters were not very familiar, but they were not strange either.
Soon they found a pavilion in a corner, hidden by a row of densely planted evergreen cypress trees. They had to bypass the cypress trees and went along the path behind the rockery on the other side. If people had not been there twice, they couldn’t even find it even in the daytime.
In the pavilion, Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan were silent. Wei Changying talked about sceneries and then lost her interest when her sisters said nothing. The three of them sat quietly, waiting for their strength to recover so that they could cope with the next scene.
Their silence also silenced the Maidservant servants around them. Because of condolences, they wore no hair ring. When the autumn wind was blowing, there were no clinking sounds of rings. People who had walked behind the cypress trees in this way could mistakenly think that there was no one in the pavilion or that they didn’t find anyone behind the trees.
Probably for this reason, shortly after, some whispers spread from the other side of the cypress trees. Perhaps because there was no one around, the voice was not high, but everyone in the pavilion could hear it. “Did you see the person who wore a white pear flower?” This voice sounded sweet, making people imagine that the person was also lively and lovely, with a trace of excitement in the tone.
“You mean the one standing next to Madam Song?” The person answered in a low voice, “Can’t you see it? She is the most beautiful one in the house…. No wonder that she was in the Family Head’s family. She also wore plain clothes, but she looked more dignified than us!”
The sweet voice said, “Do you think she is dignified? Who do you think she is?”
“Oh! You say that, is she…?”
“It’s her! It was only when I withdrew that I heard Madam Song calling her Changying.”
Hearing that, Wei Changying was stunned and looked at the cypress trees confusedly. Seeing that Wei Gaochan seemed to say something, she waved and hinted Wei Gaochan to mute.
Wei Gaochan didn’t dare to violate her, so she had to stop with fear.
Upon seeing that, the maidservants also held their breath, in case they would disturb Miss to listen.
The people in front of the trees did not disappoint them. They were still happily talking, “How can she be so shameless? I just saw her at ease and seem to have persuaded the royal heir’s wife for a while. She… Isn’t she… Isn’t she ashamed?!”
It seemed as if a bucket of ice water had been poured from the top of Wei Changying’s head in the freezing winter!
Seeing that Wei Changying’s expression was not good, Mrs. He had changed her face and was about to blame the two people. But Wei Changying suddenly held her hand!
Obviously she still wanted to listen.
“Isn’t she? If I were her, I would die in the woods. Why would she come back? Wasn’t she afraid of bringing shame on her family?”
“Hush… She is the lineal granddaughter of the Family Head! Why is she so shameless? The Family Head doesn’t punish her?”
“The Family Head only has one lineal granddaughter. Probably she is reluctant to do so. But I think that Wei Changying is too shameless. She is afraid of death, so she returns with a stain on her reputation, and even the capital is informed of the news! When the outsiders mention it, they just say that it is the Wei Family’s daughter…. Well, we haven’t been engaged, and we don’t know what will happen to us implicated by her….”
“The Wei Family has such noble and pure fame! How can she be indulged? That is a matter of fame for the whole family….”
“According to my grandfather, Family Head….”
Wei Changying almost collapsed, struggling to support the stone table in front of her, so that she could sit well. She suddenly reached out, pulled out the white pear flower on her head, and fell towards the ground in the pavilion.
The crisp sound of flower beads shocked the people outside the trees, “Ah! Is there someone inside?!”
“Hurry and go! People are hiding behind the trees; why don’t they make a sound when we come here?” After all, Wei Huan was in charge, who made it clear that he wanted to protect his granddaughter. Although these two girls of the same family were angry, they talked privately and didn’t dare to make a big deal of it. When they heard the sound, they had no time to take a look and fled in panic.
Mrs. He’s face was green, saying, “Why First Miss let them go?”
Wei Changying ignored her, but she slowly turned her head to the two restless sisters. After watching them for a long while, she said word by word, “You… the so-called excuse that you want to stay alone and that you don’t want to be in the carriage with me… is… for this reason?”
Wei Gaochan wanted to deny out of instinct, so did Wei Changyan. Upon touching the eyes of their sister, they became timid because they were accustomed to being careful in words. But they were actually unable to speak. After whispering for a long time, Wei Gaochan said in a low voice, “We… we don’t despise you; we… we are… just….”
She just didn’t speak it out, but Wei Changying suddenly turned her eyesight to the distant sky, saying very lightly, “Is it afraid being joked when you are in the same carriage with me?”
Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan flushed, speechless.
“You can go, and I want to be alone here.” The third sister had killed two thieves on the official road. She was brave and decisive, far superior to ordinary men, and the elders preferred her. If she beat them, as long as there was no major incident, it would have been their faults… Thinking so, Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan appeared extremely frightened! They waited for Wei Changying’s disposal in panic for a long time, only to be given such an answer.
The scene was soft and fluttering, very different from the wild storms imagined.
They were stunned for a while, and Mrs. He scolded them with disagreeable eye contact, “Don’t the two Misses leave now? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at when you are with our Miss? Or do you think our First Miss can’t punish you after some big mouths slandered her?”
“We’ll go.” While Mrs. He was just a wet nurse, Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan did not dare to talk back, especially in such a circumstance. They hurriedly stood up with annoyance and fear, walking quickly to go out of the pavilion.
Mrs. He looked at their backs with cold eyes. When they stepped out of the pavilion, where they could still hear the words in the pavilion, she suddenly shouted, “Do they think they are noble?! They were born by mean slaves! Even if they try hard to imitate others, they are still labeled with lowliness! In a narrow view, they think they are so pure that they are afraid to become a joke with others. In my opinion, the biggest joke is that they complacently show off their status as Misses. A bitch is always the bitch; don’t disguise themselves as treasure. To trace back, they are still given birth by bitches! A crow with the feathers of a peacock is still a crow! Bah!”
With a spit, she spat on the skirt of Wei Gaochan’s maidservant!
Although Wei Gaochan and Wei Changyan were not as pampered as Wei Changying, they were still Misses, who had never heard such harsh scolding. Mrs. He hated them because they had asked Wei Changying for help in the past, but now they abandoned Wei Changying for rumors to the point of not wanting to be in the same carriage or approaching her. Her scolding was directed towards them!
The sisters swayed fiercely, seeming to take a breath, with the sound of sobbing at the next moment.
They just stopped their footsteps but still didn’t dare to return and retort. Holding each other and walking away, they would maybe find another place to cry.
Following the principle that “First Miss is always good, but she is deceived by those rats,” Granny He said, “First Miss, you are so kind to care about the sisterhood, but I am not. I only care about you, my First Miss!”