Chapter 551 - 550: Ridiculous

Chapter 551: Chapter 550: Ridiculous

Du Yunluo thanked the Empress Dowager for her praise.

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, sighed, and said, "Arranging a marriage to bring together a celestial couple is a virtuous deed; you are doing a good thing.

I am at this age and truly do not wish to do anything that would harm my virtue anymore.

How can a grand Duke Mansion not understand such issues clearly? Observing this, I feel truly disheartened.

Isn’t this just sabotaging people?"

Du Yunluo lowered her gaze. The Empress Dowager was scolding both the Duke Jing Mansion and the Duke Zhen Guo Mansion.

The Empress Dowager picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and set it down not too gently on the table, "As I grow older, I’ve felt increasingly less clear-headed over the years.

Once one ages, the mind ceases to function as smoothly.

Relying on some outdated traditions, they lose their sense of proportion.

Many matters don’t even warrant discussion, yet they command recklessly due to their age, leading their sons and daughters astray."

While the Empress Dowager could scold the two Duke Mansions, Du Yunluo could not speak her mind freely in Cining Palace.

She should have spoken up, praising the Empress Dowager as eternal and ever-illuminating like the southern mountains and northern stars, but she couldn’t bring herself to.

Others might not know, but Du Yunluo was aware that the Empress Dowager had only about four years left before her passing.

At this time, the Empress Dowager’s health was indeed not as it once was.

"Ah..." The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, "For an elder to see a younger one off, I understand how painful such days are. Who would want to watch helplessly as their grandchild dies? If praying at every step and bowing every five could prolong his life, who wouldn’t roll up their trousers and go kneeling?

But life and death are preordained, beyond human control. The young do not understand this. Living to this age, surely one must see it clearly?

She feels upset and wants to talk it over with me, and I am willing to listen. But between her words, she wants me to select someone to ward off misfortune for her. How can I undertake such a task?

Since I refused her, she actually went to Yunhuva!

Over the decades, I have given her enough respect, yet she acts arrogant, forcing Yunhua to intercede for her.

Yunhua didn’t reject her on the spot but reported it to the Empress.

Look, the Empress just came to see me, saying that the young master of the Duke Zhen Guo Mansion is beyond saving. To stir up such trouble now, isn’t it pushing Yunhua, the Empress, and me to be seen as heartless?"

Du Yunluo glanced at Aunt Ming, who stood beside the Empress Dowager, shaking her head at Du Yunluo with a pained expression.

"Empress Dowager, you are right; life and death are matters of fate," Du Yunluo carefully chose her words. "But there’s also the saying that ’those involved cannot see clearly.’ The Duchess of the Duke Zhen Guo Mansion doesn’t want to give up until the last moment and wants to try all ways to prolong the young master’s life. This is only human nature. However, why are they asking you for a match if it’s about warding off misfortune? Do they want an official’s daughter from the Duke Zhen Guo Mansion?"

The Empress Dowager huffed with a frown, "Is it not absurd? An official’s daughter, who is not only healthy but also exemplary in character and appearance — such a girl, would she have trouble finding a husband? And now, they’re asking her to ward off misfortune? Do they truly think Zhen Guo Mansion is made of gold?"

Du Yunluo was rendered speechless.

This kind of thing, warding off misfortune through marriage, isn’t exactly rare. There are successes and failures.

Typically, it involves finding a girl with a compatible horoscope, agreeing on terms, and bringing her to the mansion.

Such terms are often seen as equivalent to selling oneself, so the girls involved in these wards are almost always from ordinary families.

Parents receive money, and rumors speak of knocking the girl unconscious and stuffing her into a sedan chair.

However, well-reputed families don’t do such things; besides getting the other family’s consent, the girl who wards off misfortune should also willingly accept it.

The Duke Zhen Guo Mansion genuinely wanted to find one; they were not short of silver and could easily find a suitable civilian girl, yet they insisted on an official’s daughter.

Most reluctant to lose face, officials’ families would never agree to such arrangements, even if they were destitute, much less when they aren’t struggling to eat or clothe themselves.

The infamy of selling one’s daughter to ward off misfortune would follow that family for a lifetime, and anyone with common sense wouldn’t do it.

For this reason, the Duchess conceived the idea for the Empress Dowager to select someone, knowing that if the palace issued a decree, who could dare refuse?

But if the Holy Emperor and the Empress Dowager agreed to this, where would the dignity of the Royal Family be? How would the officials and military view this?

This was precisely what angered the Empress Dowager.

Knowing full well that it was infeasible, the Duchess of the Duke Zhen Guo Mansion persisted gate after gate to succeed, even involving Princess Yunhua and the Empress.

"Enough talk about her; the more we speak, the angrier I become," the Empress Dowager waved her hand. "It’s still nice that you brought some good news for me. Once the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, we shall conclude this affair. When they come to offer thanks at the palace, I can take a good look at the couple."

The Empress Dowager changed the subject, and all the palace maids sighed with relief, smiling as they remarked that this must be a perfect match, and standing together, they must certainly be suited. The Empress Dowager smiled at these words.

Du Yunluo also secretly sighed in relief.

She recalled the first meeting with the Duchess of the Duke Zhen Guo Mansion when, years ago, she accompanied the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Consort to Guoning Temple. After returning from the temple, she escorted the Duchess out of the palace, recalling more a kindly speaking old matron in her mind.

But that person, always thinking of finding a bride for the young master, even inquiring openly about Du Yunuo, made Du Yunluo keep a respectful distance from the Duchess.

When they met again during the Dragon Boat Festival, Du Yunluo could tell that the Duchess’ health had deteriorated. Probably worn down by the young master’s illness.

Hoping for a warding bride, yet stubbornly seeking an official’s daughter; Du Yunluo pressed her lips, realizing the Duchess was in disarray.

Upon returning from Cining Palace, it was soon the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The family banquet was still arranged in the Flower Hall, flowing seats out under the veranda for the maids and older maids to drink and dine with dignity.

After three rounds of drinks, Nanny Shan toasted Madam Wu, and Banqiao came in with a cup, her eyes slightly red: "Madam, may I join you for a cup of osmanthus wine?"

Banqiao’s departure was set at the end of the month. Hearing her words, Madam Wu was overwhelmed with emotion, grasping Banqiao’s hand, and said, "I’ve gone from being a bride to an old lady, and the maids around me have changed over time. Yet each time one leaves, I can’t help but miss them. You’ve been with me for so many years; without you, it’ll take some getting used to."

The Lian Family, sitting alongside, upon hearing this, instinctively glanced at the men’s table.

Missing Mu Lianyu, who will never return...

Thinking of this, Lian Family’s eyes moistened. Not just uncomfortable, even today, she still wished all this were a dream.

The bright moon hung high, families across regions holding reunion banquets.

At the Duke Jing Mansion, Ye Yuzhi sipped wine, his mind entirely absent from the family feast.

Traditionally, concubines also dine at the family feasts during festivals.

The previous practices under Aunt Liao’s rule need no elaboration, but after the Young Master’s wife entered the mansion, Aunt Liao no longer appeared.

While the Young Master’s wife did not intend to exclude her, Aunt Liao had no desire to sit among cold remarks from the Old Duke’s wife or become a pawn between the Young Master’s wife and the Old Duke’s wife, instead claiming illness to avoid it.