Shangguan Jin gently fanned herself with the round fan in her hand, glancing at the Marchioness of Wuding.
Hah, it seems that receiving gifts five times a year has fed the Wudinghoufu quite well!
The Marchioness of Wuding’s luxurious attire and the dazzling set of ruby jewelry on her head all clearly displayed the immense wealth of the Wudinghoufu.
Looking at those rubies, they must be of pigeon-blood quality!
Shangguan Jin sighed inwardly, but her face remained perfectly calm.
Then she picked up the teacup on the table and took a gentle sip.
Seeing that Shangguan Jin paid her no attention, the Marchioness of Wuding felt somewhat embarrassed.
“Some words shouldn’t be said by me, after all, you are the Duchess of Dingguo, but this concerns matters of face.
Families like ours should still pay attention to such things.” The Marchioness of Wuding added two more sentences.
Although the other ladies did not speak, they all nodded slightly.
Even Madam Shangguan, looking at the tea beside her, wondered whether she should send some of this year’s fine tea leaves to her daughter tomorrow.
However, Madam Shangguan sensed that her daughter must have a reason for doing this.
“Families like ours? What kind of families are we?” Shangguan Jin gently set down her teacup and asked softly.
Everyone was taken aback.
What did she mean by “what kind of families are we”?
Noble families of the Great Yu Dynasty, distinguished lineages—which of those present was not of high status?
“We are merely a group of people who rely on the soldiers at the border risking their lives, enduring harsh conditions, to protect us.
Are we noble?
Can our nobility compare to that of the soldiers at the border?
Not to mention tea like this—even clean water is something they may not always have access to.
With powerful enemies surrounding the Great Yu, it is the soldiers’ bloody battles that have ensured the dynasty’s safety.
Our ability to sit here peacefully, celebrating the elders’ birthdays, is all thanks to their sacrifices.
What right do we have to complain about this or that being unsatisfactory?
Or rather, do we have the face to indulge in extravagance while the front lines are strained?” Shangguan Jin spoke unhurriedly.
Shangguan Jin’s words left the entire courtyard in dead silence.
The implications were too significant; they needed to carefully process them.
First of all, the Duchess of Dingguo’s words left them at a loss for how to refute.
Who would dare say that the soldiers at the border are merely doing their duty?
If any of them dared to utter a single word of rebuttal, the Tianjia would know within half a day.
The Great Yu Dynasty was founded through warfare, and every Tianjia has been the type who could mount a horse and fight.
If anyone were to insult the soldiers in their words, not to mention the Tianjia, even the censors’ spittle could drown them.
And most importantly, why did the Duchess of Dingguo suddenly bring up the soldiers at the border?
In the past, when the Duchess of Dingguo socialized with others, she mostly discussed matters of the inner household. Why bring this up out of the blue?
Moreover, the previous Duchess of Dingguo was quite proper in etiquette. Whenever guests visited, wasn’t she always warmly welcoming them and treating them with the utmost courtesy?
This sudden use of last year’s tea leaves to entertain them was hard to believe was not intentional.
Or perhaps the Duchess of Dingguo intended to use the tea to lead into certain topics.
The more the ladies thought about it, the more likely this possibility seemed.
In truth, Shangguan Jin simply wanted to save money…
The ladies fanned themselves vigorously with their small round fans.
What else had the Duchess of Dingguo just said?
The front lines are strained, while the rear feasts? This certainly doesn’t sound like a good meaning.
When they return later, they must mention this to the masters of their households—there must be something significant hidden within these words.
Madam Shangguan, who had been somewhat worried earlier, picked up her teacup again and took a sip.
“What my Jin’er said is not without reason.
If we look back a few generations, which family didn’t start as commoners or from impoverished backgrounds?
Not to mention the soldiers at the border, even the families of us scholars have endured hard times.
I’ve heard my husband say that before our late grandfather passed the imperial examination, he too lived through many days of simple meals.
In the cold weather, not to mention tea like this, even a sip of hot water felt like drinking nectar.
No matter the time, one must never forget their roots.” Madam Shangguan concluded once more.
All the ladies nodded in agreement.
Indeed, which family’s ancestors haven’t experienced hardship?
The Great Yu Dynasty has been established for less than a century, and before that, there were years of continuous warfare.
Everyone present here, whose family didn’t migrate from elsewhere? The journey was akin to fleeing disaster, and during the difficult times, not to mention tea like this, they truly couldn’t even get a bite of warm food.
But why would the Dingguo Gongfu bring this up out of the blue?
Or is it that someone is using the Duchess of Dingguo’s words to express something?
The ladies, who have always been preoccupied with inner-household disputes, couldn’t quite grasp the meaning for a moment.
As for the Marchioness of Wuding, who had originally intended to watch the spectacle, she opened her mouth but didn’t know how to refute.
“Oh, I was just saying.
Look at you, taking it so seriously.
Our family is also a military lineage, and I understand what you mean. Well, those are matters for the men to worry about; how would we inner-household ladies understand such things?
By the way, Sister Jin, since we have this opportunity today, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” The Marchioness of Wuding suddenly smiled again.
“Oh? What is it? Something joyous?
If it’s joyous, since my mother-in-law is celebrating her birthday today, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a double celebration.
If it’s not something joyous…”
Shangguan Jin’s meaning was clear.
Don’t ruin my good mood of receiving gifts.
If it’s good news, speak up; if it’s not, keep it to yourself. Don’t force me to slap you on such a fine day.
“Well, how should I put it? It could be considered good news!
Our Yu Ge’er and your Yao Jie’er were betrothed by the Empress Dowager, weren’t they?
Although the Guogong hasn’t been heard from, these two children are not young anymore. Shouldn’t preparations begin?
No matter what, perhaps with the joy of a wedding, even greater good fortune might follow?”
After speaking, the Marchioness of Wuding covered her face with a round fan and chuckled.
Looking at that heavily powdered face, Shangguan Jin truly wanted to test whether splashing the tea beside her would ruin the makeup.
Wasn’t the Marchioness of Wuding implying that the two children should marry as soon as possible, whether or not there’s a man in their family?
Perhaps with the joy of the wedding, their man might even return!
Thinking of Shen Qingyao, who was only sixteen, and that second son of the Song family, who was embracing an unknown woman, Shangguan Jin suddenly felt a surge of anger.
Being in such a hurry to marry Shen Qingyao into their family was likely because they wanted to quickly take a concubine for their second son!
“A wedding to bring joy? Why would we need a wedding to bring joy?
Everyone in our Dingguo Gongfu and the Shangguan Family is perfectly fine! No one needs a wedding to bring joy!
Besides, although my Yao Jie’er has always been delicate, her health is actually quite good.
Could it be that…”
“Is Yu Ge’er feeling unwell?” Shangguan Jin deliberately asked.
The Marchioness of Wuding…
The ladies watching the scene…
Why did the Duchess of Dingguo today seem like a hedgehog with all its quills bristling?
She was biting at anyone she could get!
“Oh! Madame Song, I’ve long heard that Yu Ge’er enjoys going to gambling dens to try his luck a few times.
You should advise him—gambling ultimately harms the body. Once he loses, he’s prone to anger.
Anger can damage the internal organs.” Shangguan Jin pretended to counsel.
“You… My Yu Ge’er’s internal organs are perfectly fine!” the Marchioness of Wuding retorted angrily.
“Ah? It wasn’t anger from gambling?
Could it be discomfort from visiting brothels?
This… it couldn’t be a venereal disease… could it?” Shangguan Jin also deliberately covered her face with a round fan in feigned surprise.
The ladies in the courtyard…
Madam of the Duke of Qi, seated next to the Marchioness of Wuding, quietly shifted a little to the side…