The Fourth Lady

"Grandmother, don't be angry! Second aunt is just overly worried for big sister, if it was my mother she would most likely also try to stand up for me like that." Qingyan said this as she personally poured a cup o tea and handed it to Su Jiashi.

"Silly child, you grandmother, I, was 16 when I married your grandfather. I've lived here for more than 50 years, I can clearly tell what she's thinking. It must have been difficult for you."

Qingyan shook her head as she earnestly replied, "I'm able to be by grandmother's side, so Yan'er does not think it's difficult. Furthermore, father, mother, and my older brothers are all trying to protect this country, Yan'er really looks up to them."

"Good child! Good child!" Su Jiashi said this as she patted Qingyan's head, "If it was in the past you definitely wouldn't say something like this, seems our Yan'er has finally matured."

"Yan'er was ignorant in the past, now Yan'er understand father and mother's painstaking efforts." Qingyan replied still with a serious face.

"Madam, I've brought the Liuyunjing." Yunxiang said this as she carried in four spools of the woven fabric, even putting them on the table, "I've brought all the Liuyunjing over, young miss can pick a few colors that are to your liking and make clothes with them."

Qingyan walked up to the table and stroked the woven fabric with both hands. When Qingyan became the empress everything she wore was made from Liuyunjing. There was a bit of sorrow to see this again after coming back to life. When she was dying, this was what she had on. And in this new life, she would rather wear sujing* than to touch Liuyunjing again.

(*TN: Lower quality or plain type of fabric)

"Grandmother, Yan'er doesn't need such high quality fabric while here, why don't you leave it for yourself." Qingyan turned to Su Jiashi while smiling.

"Silly child, grandmother is getting old, I don't have any use for this kind of fabric." Su Jiashi looked to Qingyan, pretending to be stern, "Perhaps Yan'er doesn't like grandmother's gift?" Listening to such childlike jest from Su Jiashi, Qingyan reluctantly replied, "Alright, Yan'er will receive it then."

Su Jiashi watched as Qingyan let out a bright smile, "I'm a bit tired, Yan'er why don't you head back for now. Huixiang and them can take care of things here, you still haven't fully recovered yet, so take care." "Thank you for your concern, grandmother, Yan'er will excuse herself now." Qingyan politely bowed to the old madam before turning around and leaving.

Just as she stepped out of Meixiangyuan, she saw a familiar shadow. Thinking this, her lips curled into a smile.

"Madam, fourth young miss's personality sure has changed a lot." Huixiang smiled as she said this to Su Jiashi.

"Huixiang, do you think Yan'er's manner previously was all an act? I keep thinking of why Yu'er, that child, is that bright, and why Yan'er's personality was not like that of a main house daughter. But looking at it now, Yan'er, that child, is most definitely a descendant of generals!" Su Jiashi said this as she let out a heavy breath, "I just fear that one day if Yan'er ever become bitterly disappointed, she would not acknowledge this family."

"Madam, you mustn't say something like that." Huixiang looked to the old madam still smiling, "It may be as you say, but in the end the fourth young miss is still a child, she wouldn't think that much!" Thinking over Huixiang's words once, Su Jiashi replied, "You're right, Yan'er ultimately is still a child."

In Ning Siyao's courtyard, as soon as she returned, she immediately smashed everything on the table. Su Qingyuan stood to the side as she watched her, and when confirmed that Ning Siyao had finished venting her anger, Qingyuan opened her mouth in all seriousness, "Mom, what should we do now? That fourth little sister really seems to have become different than before."

Listening to Su Qingyuan's words, Ning Siyao replied in discontent, "What fourth sister? That lowly wench is not worthy to be called you sister!"

Su Qingyuan listened as she seriously nodded her head, "then how should we deal with her!"

"Yuan'er, you just focus on your study for now. You don't need to worry about those things. Mother will destroy every obstacle in you way." Ning Siyao patted Su Qingyuan's head, "Right now, you just need to think about how to destroy that bitch's reputation at school."

"I understand." Su Qingyuan diligently nodded her head at Ning Siyao.

"Yuan'er, you must know that you're someone that will marry the Crown Prince in the future, you're someone who will become the empress." Ning Siyao looked at Su Qingyuan still smiling.

Listening to Ning Siyao's words, Su Qingyuan blushed, "your daughter understands."

"You can leave now." Ning Siyao said this as she looked to Su Qingyuan, "Nianxia, escort the first miss out."

After receiving the orders, Nianxia lead Qingyuan out of the courtyard.

Watching her walking away, Ning Siyao sat down drinking her tea as if she was thinking of something.

"Wei mama, do you have any good ideas?" Ning Siyao looked to the elderly woman standing to the side.

"Madam, they all say the most important thing for a girl is her reputation, if we were to destroy fourth miss's reputation, then when she reaches marriageable age, she will most definitely not be able to marry." A light flashed through granny Wei's eyes.

Ning Siyao glanced at granny Wei and understood what she meant. She replied, "Let's hear it."

"This old servant has a son that works in a brothel, if we can sell the fourth miss into that brothel, I reckon she'd be tortured to death within a month's time." Granny Wei looked to Ning Siyao with a sly look. "Good, then I leave this matter to you! After it's done, find someone to dispose of granny Ruo." Ning Siyao replied ruthlessly.

"Understood"

When Qingyan returned to her own courtyard, all the servant girls were all gathered around looking at something entranced. Seeing them like that, she said with a smile, "What are you all looking at that's so interesting that no one noticed I've returned."

"Miss, look, we don't know where it came from but there's a small fox." Zizhu pointed to the little fox curled up into a ball on top of the stone table with a smile.

"We saw this little guy after we'd finished cleaning this morning." Baizhi chimed in also with a smile, "Miss, can we keep this little guy here as a pet?"

Qingyan walked up to the stone table and looked at the small fox laying there, whose entire body was as white as snow. She never thought that in this five year gap that she would meet this little fox again. She stretched her hand put to stroke it's soft fur and whispered in a low voice, "Yaoyao"

As if hearing Qingyan's whisper, the little fox opened it's eyes before jumping into Qingyan's arms, rubbing itself on her cheeks.

"Miss, I'd never thought that this little fox would recognize a human master, it could tell with one look that miss is the strongest here." Lue said this as she smiled at the little fox in Qingyan's arms, "Though, miss, is this little fox called Yaoyao."

Qingyan looked to the four of them with the fox in her arms, "From now on it'll be called Yaoyao."

She still remembered the day when that person gave her this fox and said with a gentle look:

Blooming peach tree; lustrous flowers; to wed a groom, a harmonious family*.

(*TN: The name of this poem is Taoyao; this is a classical poem from Shijing, the Book of Songs, an early collections of Chinese poems and one of the Five Classics of Confucianism)¶¶¶¶¶¶¶☐☐☐☐☐☐☐