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  Yan's aunt lifted the curtain of the carriage, anxiously staring at the tightly closed temple gate. After a long time, the tightly closed door suddenly creaked open, and a beautiful young nun walked out from inside. She looked carefully and saw that it was Ming Huan, so she hurriedly went forward to greet her, calling out "Seventh Miss".

  There was a tone of delight and pity in her voice, but suddenly, her face changed abruptly. "What's going on with your hand? And the bloodstain on your robe? Seventh Young Lady, what happened? How did it end up like this?"

  Ming Xuan forced a smile, "The road to fetch water was rugged and I tripped, scraping some skin off. The master in the hut was careful, so it's bandaged like this, medicine has already been applied, don't worry, after a few days of rest, it'll be fine, no harm done."

  She was helped into the carriage by the strict nurse and asked in surprise, "Where is Dan Hong?"

  The carriage swayed slightly, and in this steep terrain, it was a bit bumpy. Yan's expression changed, and she said in a low voice, "A few days ago, the eighth young lady returned from her villa in the southern suburbs. Because of the closure of the Moon Brocade Pavilion last time, it has not been cleaned up until now. The ninth young lady's Emerald Pavilion is also full of things and cannot be occupied. Madame Hou said that the eighth young lady would temporarily stay in the Jade Washing Pavilion for a few days before moving back to the Moon Brocade Pavilion after it was tidied up. Since the eighth young lady is here, Dan Hong didn't want to leave, so she hasn't come."

  She carefully observed Ming Huan's expression, seeing that she didn't say a word, and hastily added, "The old lady has been critically ill several times in the past half month. The old madam went to Jian'an Bo Fu twice to visit her, thinking that after all, she had grown up in front of her since childhood, but now she would have to send off the young with white hair. It's hard not to feel sad and sorrowful. The old madam is not feeling well, and these two days she has had a relapse of her headache illness, lacking energy, so she didn't stop Madame Hou."

  It's not that I don't want to stop you, it's just that I couldn't stop you.

  A fleeting shadow flashed across the bottom of Ming Xuan's eyes, and she asked in a low voice, "Did you run back from Hou Furen's villa in Nanguo by yourself?"

  Mrs. Jian'an is on the verge of death, and in order not to delay Wu Jie's marriage within 100 days, Qiang Jie, who has not yet settled her engagement, naturally should stay at the Zhuangzi. How could Big Aunt bring her back to the mansion at this critical moment?

  The eldest daughter is now the only one of suitable age, although she is a concubine's daughter and cannot marry into a noble family. However, she can be used to win over promising officials, which would be excellent. Once Empress Gu gives birth to the crown prince, the Yongning Marquis' family will rise in status, and Wu sisters will have many suitors. Using her illness as an excuse, there is no need to rush into marrying off the daughter within a hundred days. Eldest Uncle weighs the pros and cons in his heart, and Eldest Aunt is also a shrewd person who would not make such mistakes.

  Besides, the Xiyu Pavilion is a courtyard under the name of Sanfang. Mingxuan has been living here all along. Madame Hou attaches great importance to rules and reputation, if in the future the family is divided, every brick and tile of Yongning Houfu will naturally be hers, she can dispose of it as she wishes. But before the division of the house, she would never extend her hand into Xiyu Pavilion.

  Ke Que's sister returned at this time and moved back into the Xiyu Pavilion...

  Yan's expression was slightly stunned, as if she found it somewhat unbelievable. However, she soon nodded with some delight, "Seventh Miss is indeed clever. Eighth Miss did indeed run back from the southern suburbs' villa by herself."

  She paused for a moment, lowering her voice, "I heard that she had been making a fuss for a long time, shouting that she wanted to come back. Even Rui's nanny from Madame Hou's side went twice, but the eighth young lady refused to listen. And then, just a few days ago, taking advantage of the opportunity when the farm was sending fresh vegetables to the mansion, somehow she managed to sneak onto the carriage and returned with her, disheveled and covered in dust."

  Madam Hou was so angry that she couldn't move, and ordered someone to take her back immediately. However, later on, Eighth Miss said something, and Madam Hou suddenly lost her temper. Even when Eighth Miss insisted on moving into the Xiyu Pavilion, she agreed to it.

  Her eyes suddenly brightened and dimmed, and after a long while, she sighed softly, "It won't be anything good, Grandmother is always right."

  Yan's aunt nodded, took out a set of plain clothes from her bundle and helped Ming Xuan change into them. She then took out several elegant silver hairpins from a small box and replaced the ones Ming Xuan was wearing. "Old Madam instructed that after picking you up, we should go directly to the residence of Duke Jian'an. As sisters, it's only proper to shed some tears for her."

  She glanced at the thick gauze wrapped around Ming Xuan's palm, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she sighed softly, her tone full of sympathy. "Old Madam will surely lose sleep again when she sees this injury."

  If it were an ordinary minor injury, there would be no need to bandage it so thickly. As can be seen from the wound on Seventh Miss's palm, it is not just a simple scratch. The wound is so severe that it cannot be hidden, and with so many people coming and going at the Duke of Jian'an's residence, it is inevitable that another round of gossip will arise. Seventh Miss has been through multiple broken engagements, her reputation already battered and bruised, and she can no longer withstand even a slight blow.

  I wanted to advise Miss Qi to hide and avoid going, but that's not a solution either.

  Ming Xuan understood that Yu Niang was worried, and smiled bitterly, saying, "Grandmother's body is not comfortable, I will definitely not leave her side, when the time comes, hiding some will be fine, nothing will happen, don't worry, Niang."

  What she had never said out loud was that her situation was so bad, how much worse could it get? Even if someone saw the wound on her hand, it would only add another stroke to the already colorful gossip. She didn't seem to mind the not-so-good reputation anyway.

  The carriage drove all the way to the residence of Duke Jian'an, where Ming Xuan got off and saw that several carriages were already parked at the street corner. Looking at the emblems on the carriages, it seemed that some familiar relatives had arrived. A white flower was tied to the door plaque, and white silk was draped over the two stone lions in front of the gate. The mourning lanterns and white banners were already hung high, and faint sounds of crying could be heard coming from inside.

  She tidied up her expression, hid her hands in her sleeves, and let Old Lady Shen support her as she slowly entered the door.

  Madam Zhu's eyes were red and swollen, she had been crying for a while. At this moment, she was holding onto the hands of Empress Dowager Dongping and Old Madam Liang in the western wing, sobbing, "Rou'er is my first granddaughter, raised by me since childhood. I only wish her a lifetime of peace and happiness, but who would have thought that it's an old person sending off a young one? My heart is aching."

  In just a few years, she had sent away three sons and daughters-in-law from the third house, and two granddaughters. Now her eldest granddaughter has passed away before her, this desolate mood is indeed heartbreaking to hear and see tears flow.

  The two old ladies of the Liang family also cried with her for a while. "Ru Jie is also heartless, she can bear to abandon these two clever and sensible brothers like this."

  Jian'an Bo's wife had left, and the Nuo Da Mansion was without a master. This funeral was still presided over by Yongning Hou's wife herself. The two daughters-in-law of the Liang family also helped to arrange for the servants to do things, fortunately, everything needed for the funeral had been prepared in advance, and now it was being distributed in an orderly manner, so it didn't seem too shabby after all.

  Dongping Taifei's heart was also aching. Hurriedly embracing her shoulders, she said, "Younger sister, the deceased is gone. We should mourn with restraint and adapt to change; we're all getting old, so even if our hearts are pained, we must take care of our bodies."

  She turned her face and wiped away a tear, just catching sight of the door curtain moving lightly, revealing a delicate and lovely figure. She hastily said, "Xuan's sister has arrived, so wipe away your tears. If she sees you crying like this, she'll definitely be sad too. That would be all right, but if because of this she gets a headache or feels unwell somewhere, and she only has this to rely on, how can that be good?"

  Madam Zhu heard this and hastily lifted her head, softly calling out, "Xuan Jie, come over here."

  Ming Xuan walked forward and paid her respects, then slowly made her way to the front of Old Lady Zhu. Seeing that her grandmother looked very tired, she softly said, "If Grandmother is feeling fatigued, please let the two old ladies from the Liang family arrange for a guest room to rest in."

  Madam Zhu shook her head, "The wife of Duke Lù is also heartbroken like me, and she's helping the elder aunt with everything. I'm ashamed to be hiding away, it's not right. The two children outside are crying pitifully, I couldn't bear it, so I followed Auntie and the two old ladies from the Liang family over here to sit down, it's all the same."

  She paused for a moment and asked again, "Xuan sister, have you gone to cry and see off your elder sister?"

  Ming Xuan nodded, "It was Grand Aunt who let her granddaughter come in to serve Grandma."

  Perhaps because Xiang's sister had taken over her Yu Ge, Eldest Aunt felt a bit guilty when she saw her, so in the mourning hall, she had only just started crying twice, and Rui Ayi helped her up and sent her to see Grandmother in the side room. Outside, there were already many maidservants and servants kneeling on the ground, and the people who came to offer condolences were numerous, the sound of wailing shook the air, let alone those who were older, even she felt dizzy listening to it, so she didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to find Grandmother.

  At this time, the door curtain was lifted, and a little maid hurried in to announce, "The wife of the Auxiliary King has arrived."

  Madam Zhu couldn't help but cry again with the wife of Auxiliary King, and then told stories about Madam Jian'an's childhood. Only after that did she wipe away her tears and say, "I have a heart condition and can't afford to get too emotional, let's take a rest here."

  She saw Xuan's sister standing behind Madame Fangbo with a pitiful look in her eyes, filled with sympathy for Xuan. Knowing that the two sisters had something to say to each other, she spoke up and said, "Xuan, Grandma and Great Aunt are talking, why don't you go find a small stool to sit on with Yan for a while?"

  Yuan's sister was busy with her good fortune, and she pulled Ming Xuan along as they walked towards the window.

  Madam Zhu's eyes were sharp and she caught sight of the thick white gauze on Ming Xuan's hand, furrowing her brow as she asked Nurse Yan, "What's wrong with Xuan'er's hand?"

  "Seventh Miss said that on the way to fetch water, she accidentally tripped and fell, cutting her skin a bit. The Bhikkhuni in the nunnery has already applied medicine for her, and she will be fine in a few days, it's nothing serious."

  Madam Zhu's face was filled with heartache. If it weren't for Han Xiu forcing things to be this way, they would have already settled on a date for Ming Xuan and the young master of the Yan family by now. Why did she need to worry so much, and let her daughter suffer unnecessarily? She whispered to herself, "My poor Ming Xuan..."

  Dongping Taifei sipped her tea and took advantage of the opportunity when the two old ladies of the Liang family were called away to ask in a low voice, "Are you sure you've thought it through and want to take this step? It's okay if Eldest Brother is willing, but what if Xiang'er herself doesn't agree?"

  Madam Zhu smiled wryly and shook her head, her eyes filled with pain and regret. "In front of a wolf and behind a tiger, my Xiang'er is a clever good girl, she knows how to make the right choice."

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