Liuzheng had already prepared her explanation.
“Mother misunderstands. I was thinking that Grandmother will be back soon, and it would be more comfortable for her to live in the main courtyard.”
“What kind of logic is that? If it weren’t for me and your father, where would you be? And without you, where would this General’s Mansion be?”
Now she realizes that she was the one who acquired this general’s mansion.
But without a grandmother, where would Master Ruan come from, and where would Madam Song come from?
Liuzheng calmly said, “I’m afraid outsiders will have something to say.”
Why would outsiders care about these things?
“What does Father think?” Liuzheng asked the question to Master Ruan, Ruan Hanmo.
Ruan Hanmo was somewhat embarrassed.
He considered himself a scholar, and valued refinement. Feeling embarrassed to compete with the old lady for a courtyard, he said, “I’ll stay at Tingzhu Courtyard!”
Song wanted to argue, but Ruan Hanmo forcibly pulled her away.
Mrs. Song was furious and hurled several nasty curses at him as she left.
But Liuzheng didn’t care at all.
Anyway, Song’s heart has long been skewed. The more obedient she is, the more Song will take advantage of her.
“Let’s proceed as I just said,” Liuzheng said to Pan Hong.
“yes!”
After Pan Hong left, Liuzheng looked at the magnificent sunset on the horizon.
The sunset was so beautiful it was almost frightening.
She didn’t understand celestial phenomena, but she remembered very clearly that less than half a month after these beautiful sunsets appeared in her previous life, a torrential rainstorm hit the city, and a mudslide destroyed the summer resort where her grandmother lived.
The grandmother, the second wife, and the third wife none of them were spared.
She remembers when she was very young, her grandmother would fan her to cool her down on hot summer nights and warm her feet in winter to keep her cool.
He even repeatedly tried to stop her from joining the army in place of her brother when she was forced to do so.
Although she eventually went to the battlefield, if there was anyone in the Ruan family who truly cared for her, it was her grandmother.
If she had her grandmother’s protection in her past life, she wouldn’t have died such a tragic death.
Therefore, in this life, she urged Pan Zhan to hurry and bring her grandmother back.
There are still two weeks until the mudslide, so if you calculate the time, there’s plenty of time.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Madam Song was venting her anger at Tingzhu Courtyard.
Master Ruan tried to persuade her for a couple of times, but when that didn’t work, he went to his concubine Su Niang’s room and ignored her.
Song was even more furious.
It was only after Ruan Yunzheng comforted her that Song’s complexion improved slightly.
“Thank goodness for you, Yun’er.”
Ruan Yunzheng rested her head on Song Shi’s lap and said, “Yun’er only has you left. But Yun’er is afraid that when Grandmother comes back, there will be no place for Yun’er in this family anymore.”
As she spoke, two lines of clear tears streamed down her beautiful face.
“Mother, will Grandmother kick me out just because my eldest sister is back? She has never liked me.”
“Absolutely not! You haven’t done anything wrong.”
But Song herself wasn’t sure.
The old lady has always favored Ruan Liuzheng and disliked Yun’er. Now that she’s been brought back, if she sees that she still loves Yun’er more, she might really…
She thought about it and became restless.
“Someone, summon Granny Qian.”
Granny Qian was someone who served the old lady, but because Granny Qian had difficulty walking, she did not go to the Summer Palace this time.
If Granny Qian were to intervene, the old lady would return later.
Before the old lady returned, she could make many preparations to help Yun’er gain a foothold in the General’s Mansion.
Before long, Granny Qian arrived. After a brief whispered conversation, Granny Qian quietly slipped out through the back door, boarded a carriage, and headed to the Summer Palace.
“Fortunately, Granny Qian listens to you now, so I can continue to stay by your side.” Ruan Yunzheng knelt on Song’s lap again.
Mrs. Song touched her face: “How old are you? You still cry like before. Go wash your face.”
“yes.”
Ruan Yunzheng curtsied and left, but her face immediately darkened when she returned to her small courtyard.
She had never lived in such a small house in her entire life!
Those servants were the same; they fawned on the powerful and bullied the weak.
On her way back, she overheard several maids gossiping, saying how inferior she was to Ruan Liuzheng, and that she was a “fake young lady” who had come to freeload.
These people used to fawn over her whenever they saw her.
The one who should be living in the servants’ quarters is Ruan Liuzheng, and the one being talked about like this is clearly the one who should be living in the servants’ quarters!
In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
She finally moved into the General’s Mansion, but it was still not as good as the stinking Ruan Mansion she used to live in.
It is foreseeable that if that old woman from the Ruan family returns, her situation will be very miserable.
Ruan Yunzheng was so angry that she was trembling all over, but fortunately she managed to restrain herself.
After a moment, Ruan Yunzheng calmed herself down and summoned her trusted maid, Su Luo, and asked in a low voice, “Is it certain that Master Huifan’s prediction of the celestial phenomena will come true in half a month? Will a mudslide really occur at the Summer Palace?”
Su Luo nodded: “Master Huifan has never been wrong in observing celestial phenomena since he was a child. Isn’t it because we received his guidance that we came to the Ruan family?”
Ruan Yunzheng lowered her head: “Didn’t he just make a mistake? He said before that my elder brother would gain military merit and rise to a high position. But now, the one who has gained military merit is Ruan Liuzheng!”
Thinking of this, Ruan Yunzheng gritted her teeth in hatred.
Su Luo thought for a moment and said, “Miss, after careful consideration, Master Hui Fan was right. The eldest young lady did indeed go to the border in the name of the eldest young master and made military achievements.”
“…”
“Miss, please rest assured, what the master said will definitely come true. Whether it’s the mudslide or the fact that you will become empress in the future, it will all come true.”
Ruan Yunzheng felt a little relieved.
Then she’ll just wait for news of that old hag’s death.
It’s a pity that the second wife, who was very close to her, died like this.
But when she thought about the road ahead, her expression hardened again.
She would burn more paper money for the second wife’s family.
The next day, Liuzheng was looking at the Ministry of War’s roster in the study in the front yard.
Emperor Jingyuan granted her permission to rest for a month before taking up her post in the Ministry of War, so she needed to familiarize herself with the personnel of the Ministry of War in advance.
Three years after her death in her previous life, Ruan Yunzheng became the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince’s faction should not be underestimated; she must establish a firm foothold in the court to avoid being easily eliminated.
Just then, Pan Hong arrived.
“General, the gatekeeper reports that many people from Wuyi Lane have sent housewarming gifts. Would you like to go and take a look?”
Liuzheng nodded and followed Pan Hong out.
The courtyard outside the study was already filled with countless gifts.
The most eye-catching item is a plate of red coral that is almost half a person tall, inlaid with pearls and made into a bonsai.
Coral is rare, and coral this big is even rarer.
Liuzheng was slightly surprised and asked Pan Hong, “Who sent this coral?”
“It is Shen He’an, the heir of the Rongxi Marquis’s mansion.”
Liuzheng thought for a moment, but didn’t have much of an impression of this person. She only knew that he was very close to Prince Su.
In the last year of her life as a ghost, Prince Su raised an army under the pretext of purging corrupt officials, and Shen He’an was by his side.
But she was reborn later and never got to see whether Prince Su succeeded.
“Did the Prince of Su send any gifts?” Liuzheng asked.
Pan Hong said, “You are truly a prophet. Prince Su did indeed send someone with housewarming gifts, but these gifts…”
“What’s wrong with etiquette?”
Pan Hong didn’t know what to say, so he simply ordered someone to bring over the box that Prince Su had given him.
Seeing how hard they were struggling to carry it, Liuzheng couldn’t help but wonder what it was.
After dismissing the two servants, Liuzheng opened the box herself.
Looking down, they found a box full of gold bars.
This box of gold is so big, it must be worth at least ten thousand taels.
She was visibly surprised.
The gifts from others were either calligraphy and paintings or rare treasures, such as that red coral.
This Prince Su is… quite direct.
Such a direct and generous gift what else could it be but an attempt to win someone over?
What did the gift-giver say?
Pan Hong said, “He said that the prince knows you have just returned to the capital and need money for errands. This is just a small token of his appreciation, and he hopes you will not refuse it. He also said that if you need any help, please feel free to ask.”
Liuzheng raised an eyebrow.
The Crown Prince’s faction later became Ruan Yunzheng’s supporters.
So, could she consider siding with Prince Su?
The reason why Prince Su sent these ten thousand taels of gold was precisely for this purpose.
After much deliberation, she decided to accept the ten thousand taels of gold.
Although she knew nothing about Prince Su’s character and temperament, she could not reject him directly at this time and make enemies for herself.
Thinking of this, Liuzheng said, “Gold bars are too eye-catching. Take them to the bank and exchange them for silver notes. Also, make a list of all the gifts, and I will return the favor to each of them another day.”
“yes!”
Liuzheng turned around, preparing to return to her study, when she caught a glimpse of a maid peeking out of the courtyard gate.
As soon as Liuzheng looked over, the person had vanished without a trace.
But Liuzheng recognized her as Granny Liu from Song’s room.
She pretended not to know and turned to call Pan Hong: “Are my wet nurse and the others almost here?”
When Song gave birth to her and Ruan Changzheng, she didn’t have enough breast milk, and since they were twins, she gave all her breast milk to Ruan Changzheng, while Liuzheng could only drink the milk from her wet nurse, Jiang.
She was very close to the Jiang family, but after she joined the army, Song drove the wet nurse’s family out on the grounds that the Ruan family did not support idlers.
The inner court cannot be without its own people, so Liuzheng had Pan Hong send someone to pick up the Jiang family on her way back to the capital. Judging by the time, they should have arrived by now.
“They said they would arrive before noon today.”
Just then, the gatekeeper came to report that the Jiang family had arrived.
Liuzheng went to the door to greet him personally.
“Young Miss!”
Jiang’s temples are now gray, but she looks very energetic.
Upon seeing Liuzheng, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
Liuzheng’s eyes also became a little sore: “Nanny, you’ve had a long and tiring journey.”
“Coming in a sedan chair, what’s so tiring about that? This servant is in good health!”
He then pulled her to look at him from left to right.
“How come you’ve lost so much weight! Didn’t you say you were a general? Do generals not even have enough to eat?”
“I suffer from summer heat and can’t eat much in the summer.”
“Then I’ll make you some more of your favorite dishes! You’ve always loved the pastries I make.”
“good.”
She nodded, her gaze falling on the round-faced maidservant beside Jiang.
“Is this Yu Liu? She’s grown so much!”
Jiang Yuliu was her wet nurse’s daughter; they often played together when they were little.
Yu Liu was very mischievous when she was a child, but now she stands there quietly.
“It’s a good thing you still remember her! Yu Liu, quickly kowtow to the young lady!”
Yu Liu was indeed about to kneel down and kowtow.
Liuzheng quickly pulled her up: “We’re family, we shouldn’t do this.”
Hearing that her tone was still as intimate as before, Yu Liu finally felt less reserved, and her eyes lit up.
“Sister Yao, you are even more beautiful than before.”
Liuzheng laughed: “I’ve gotten much darker.”
“Still fairer than me.”
The three of them talked as they returned to the study in the outer courtyard.
Liuzheng asked Manager Jiang, “What is Uncle Jiang doing now?”
“He couldn’t do anything! On his way back to his hometown that year, he accidentally fell and became lame in one leg. Nobody wanted him, so he stayed home to farm.”
“If Uncle Jiang doesn’t mind, why not come to the General’s Mansion and work as an accountant?”
Uncle Jiang used to work as an accountant in the Ruan family. Later, Madam Song obtained the token for managing the household affairs from the old lady and, in order to place her own people in the accountant’s office, she drove everyone out.
“How can this be? I haven’t done accounting for so many years, I’m afraid I’ll be rusty.”
Liuzheng grabbed Jiang Mama’s hand: “Nanny, I need someone from my own side. Please have Uncle Jiang come over.”
Granny Jiang looked around and asked in a low voice, “Now that you have military merits, does the First Madam still… favor the Eldest Young Master more?”
Liuzheng gave a wry smile, and then Granny Jiang understood everything.
“I’ll send someone to deliver a message to him right away.”
“Okay.” Liuzheng nodded.
In her past life, she had no one of her own by her side, and she died tragically without anyone knowing. In this life, she wants to accumulate the strength of her own people as much as possible.
The three of them were still talking when they noticed someone peeking in through the small gate in the courtyard.