Chapter 16 Collusion

Nanny Gui sent Fusheng out and she was about to persuade him. She knew Yunzhuang was kind of obsessed with the young master of family Su, but Yunzhuang grew up and cousins should not be over close. What’s more, Yunzhuang should have known the plan of his mother that she should be the daughter-in-law of the Emperor. Nanny Gui should tolerate her words and thought it was not so appropriate to persuade happy Yunzhuang at present when she saw Yunzhuang’s eyes full of love towards the young master.

Su Chenghai who had spread his money out earned some praises. Nearly just in a moment, the whole mansion of Grand Commandant knew that there was a rich and generous, handsome and outstanding guest coming to the mansion. After the dinner, Concubine Liu determined to let Su Chenghai stay at the mansion for the night.

In the evening, heavy snow fell down again.

At Cui Xuan courtyard, a teacup fell down on the ground. Dou Qing’e blushed and did not want to see the Concubine Liu.

“Ah, my elder female cousin, yes, I let the young master Su Chenghai stay for the night.” In the morning, Dou Qing’e made an excuse to avoid the young master Su Chenghai, so he visited Concubine Liu and Chang. Dou Qing’e did not know how the Su Chenghai persuaded Concubine Liu to let himself stay for the night.

“Bah, I dare not to be your distant elder cousin,” Dou Qing’e was angry, “If our great-great fathers were not male cousins and your mother begged for you to let you be a maidservant in the mansion and asked me to take care of you, I would let you miscarry at that time.”

Concubine Liu lowered her body but heard Dou Qing’e cursed, “Don’t call me your cousin even in private and don’t let others know our relationship.”

“No, nobody knows it,” Concubine Liu waved her hands, “I did not mention it even in front of Yuwan and Yuzhao.”

Dou Qing’e doubted, “Huh, I think you will be a usurper when I am absent at the mansion and believe you are the hostess of the mansion.” The topic fell down on Su Chenghai again.

“Sister, I have my reason to let Su Chenghai stay for the night.” Concubine Liu rolled her eyes and lowered her voice, “The young master Su Chenghai is rich. He awarded ten tael of silver to the maidservants who welcomed him at the gate. See? I am just a concubine at the mansion, but he gave me a black pearl from East Qin”

“Huh, just some silver, and you are bribed.” Dou Qing’e felt ashamed at the snobbishness of Concubine Liu.

“Well,” the concubine said patiently, “I have heard that the young master Su Chenghai came to the capital for business and I thought he must know little about business as a medicine learner. But now he looks so rich and I think he must have some channels to earn much money.”

“So funny. Do you mean the mansion of Grand Commandant lacks money?”

Concubine Liu thought Dou Qing’e opposed to letting Su Chenghai stay for the night, just because she was afraid that her treasured daughter fell in love with Su Chenghai and wanted to send her daughter into the palace to be an imperial noblewoman. Concubine Liu still smelled and flattered, “Sister, if the channel of his money earning is related to the bigwigs of the capital?”

“What do you mean?” Dou Qing’e was alert now.

Seeing Dou Qing’e was interested in her words, Dou Qing’e added instantly, “Money earning is not a big point, but the most important is to gain connections with the royal household by business, which is beneficial for Yunzhuang to enter the royal family, right?”

“Huh! Are you sincere to consider that for Yunzhuang? Yuwan and Yuzhao both are in marriage age.” Dou Qing’e squinted at Concubine Liu and thought the woman was so cunning.

“Come on,” Concubine Liu pretended to care much about Yunzhuang, “Sister, don’t say that. Yunzhuang is my lovely niece, and Yuwan and Yuzhao both are her sisters. We are one family. If Yunzhuang managed to enter the royal family, her two sisters would get much honor from her sister to marry the outstanding family. Am I right? My sister.”

Dou Qing’e thought Concubine Liu’s words were true, but she still said, “Fine. Let me consider it clearly. Business is not a child’s play, and our master always thinks lowly of the business family. You should be humble in this issue.”

Concubine Liu answered sweetly, “OK.” She twisted her waist happily and walked out of the room rushing to let her two daughters enjoy her black pearl.

After Concubine Liu left, Dou Qing’e called nanny Gui who served Qin Yunzhuang to ask her carefully to let Qin Yunzhuang stay away from Su Chenghai.

“Do you catch my words?” Dou Qing’e felt a little bit angry by the absent-minded nanny Gui, “You are my dowry maidservant and now you are a senior maidservant at the mansion. Why now are you so impolite? None of the people at this mansion can help me a lot.”

Nanny Gui instantly kneeled down and lowered her head. She seemed to ponder for a while and then raised her head, “I, I have something to report to you.”

It snowed the whole night. In the morning the next day, there accumulated much snow on the ground. Qin Yunuan got up early, only to see Tong was sweeping snow with her chilled face in the yard.

“Cold?” Qin Yunuan wore a cotton cloak leaning the door frame and asked Tong to come to her side, “Come here. Drink some warm water.”

“No, I am not cold,” Tong shook her head, “In my hometown, the snow is heavier than this. I used to sweep out all snow at my yard.”

Tong was several months younger than Qin Yunuan. When Yunuan was the first time to meet Tong, she was holding a broken bowl for begging meal. The mother of Qin Yunuan, Mrs. Yang, took pity on the little girl and took her back. The father Qin Zhi did not dislike what Yang did but praised her kindness and goodness.

However, such a kind woman died in this mansion full of conspiracy without any reason.

Maybe because of the visit of the young master Su Chenghai, the breakfast this morning was very substantial: a little dish of soy-preserved radish and a green vegetable, and two little bowls of millet congee with four steamed stuffed buns. That delicious food delighted Qin Baochuan very much.

“Sister, eat this steamed stuffed bun. There is shrimp meet inside it.” Qin Baochuan sent half shrimp meat bun into the bowl of Qin Yunuan. And then he added, “Sister, eat this one. There is crab roe inside it.” He then sent half one into the bowl of Qin Yunuan, too.

Four kinds of stuffing in for buns, Qin Yunuan knew that those must be the ort left yesterday. She had no such a delicate meal compared with Dou Qing’e. She now felt happy and warm when she saw Qin Baochuan ate them happily.

They did not finish the meal, but the servants dispatched by the legal wife of this mansion. Dou Qing’e came and told them that there held a welcome feast for the young master Su Chenghai in the flower hall and all girls in this mansion should be present.

It was half a day later that Dou Qing’e decided to hold a welcome feast for the young master Su Chenghai. Qin Yunuan pondered that she thought Dou Qing’e would think lightly of him who had been kicked out from family Su due to his business but now it was clear that Dou Qing’e believed that the young man had some values in use.

Qin Yunuan knew well that Dou Qing’e wouldn’t do anything useless.

“Girls, shall we wear the clothes the young master Su Chenghai gave us yesterday?” Tong looked at Qin Yunuan happily.

“Silly girl, that is made of natural silk, which could be worn only in summer. Do you want our Miss to get sick?” Maner imitated the words of nanny Liao, “Silly girl.”

“Fine, this one is ok.” Qin Yunuan chose a lotus-leaf -color skirt and a colorful scarf, which looked very elegant, “I should not steal the show of my second sister in the feast.”

The second daughter Qin Yuwan of family Qin inherited the behavior style of her mother that she kept being gorgeously dressed in colorful clothes and luxurious accessories. Such a young girl looked like a pottery figurine and Dou Qing’e always disliked her. But now, Dou Qing’e wanted the girl to be an inferior contrast for Qin Yunzhuang.

The round wooden table in the flower hall had been settled. When Qin Yunuan came, she found Concubine Chang had already sat down together with Qin Baoduan. Mistress Chang now looked delicate with lanceted eyebrows and beautiful eyes, holding his three-month son Qin Baoduan. The little baby was in a sleepy age.

“You came early, aunty.” Qin Yunuan smiled. In the last life, Concubine Chang had keeled down to intercede for Yunuan. She appreciated the aunty.

“You came, Yunuan,” Concubine Chang smiled sweetly. She moved to let Yunuan hold her baby without any doubt and alert, “Come on, Yunuan. You haven’t met the baby Baoduan. Want to hold him?”

“No thanks, I am silly and afraid to hurt him.” Qin Yunuan knew that Concubine Chang would not hurt her, but she feared that others might take this chance to hurt her. In this hall, nannies and maidservants crowded. If she got some mistake to hurt the baby, Concubine Chang would be sad and she, herself, would be punished. Others would feel happy.

Concubine Liu came, together with the second daughter Qin Yuwan and the fourth daughter Qin Yuzhao. Qin Yuwan at this time did not make up herself extremely shining and Qin Yuzhao still smiled always. Qin Yuzhao always smiled stupidly to everything and people outside said the fourth girl in the mansion of Grand Commandant was an idiot. Now it seemed to be true and that might be why Concubine Liu paid much attention to Qin Yuwan.

Dou Qing’e was the last one to come with a serious face. She sat down straightly and glimpsed at the sleeping Baodan, “Baoduan is too young and cannot suffer the wind. You should not take him here. Master had this son in his later age, and you may destroy his son.” Those words sounded weird: Concubine Chang was the mother of Baoduan, not the stepmother. Dou Qing’e just envied Concubine Chang gave birth to a son.

“Yes.” Concubine Chang answered timidly and asked the nanny to take Baoduan back.

Qin Yunuan thought that Dou Qing’e had a bad mood today. Dou Qing’e then asked her, “Where is Baochuan? Why is he not here? Now it’s a big feast to welcome your cousin young master Su Chenghai of family Su.”

“Baochuan got ill. I am afraid you are infected, so I let him stay in the yard.” Qin Yunuan answered politely. Today, all roles came to this feast and she dared not let Baochuan join this dangerous feast.

“Hum.” Dou Qing’e saw the giggling Qin Yuzhao and felt more annoyed. She received a letter from the master of this family and all in the letter were some regular greetings. But at the end of the letter, the master said he would bring a person home. Dou Qing’e knew that it was not a normal person, and it must be a slut who dreamed to be the Concubine of the family.

Dou Qing’e now felt very angry. She shouted at Xiu Gu aside her, “Where is the young master Su Chenghai? Why does he not come till now? Go to find him.” Though Su Chenghai was the guest of the family and everyone in this mansion should respect him, but he was just a junior out of this family. It was so inappropriate to let them wait for him for so long.

Just in a moment after Dou Qing’e’s words, a clear but calm voice came out of the flower hall, “Please forgive me, my aunties. As a junior, I am late.”