boyutpedia Chapter 176 Asking for Marriage
Chapter 176 Asking for Marriage
"Yes, miss!" The butler, who was outside, responded and came over.
Zisu: "Find her a safe place, somewhere far from the General's Mansion."
"Yes, sir, please rest assured, young lady!" The steward instructed two rough-looking old women to drag Haitang out and walk towards the main gate of the General's Mansion.
"Girl, Haitang was wrong, please forgive Haitang this once!" Haitang struggled with all her might, but the two rough old women were very strong. Although she had martial arts skills, she was unable to break free for a while.
Zisu: "Stop shouting! At least save yourself some dignity! If you know what's good for you, don't let anyone pull you out, just walk out yourself! Otherwise, with so many people in the mansion seeing this, what dignity will you have left in the future?"
Sure enough, after hearing Zisu's words, Haitang finally gave up struggling and obediently walked forward. Once she was out of the inner courtyard, the two rough-looking old women released her and let her walk on her own.
Cherry followed from a distance, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Of the four who grew up together, only she and Xiangli remain by the girl's side. Dingxiang is another story; she abandoned the girl without hesitation when she was in trouble. But Haitang is a real pity. Haitang had gone through hardships with the girl. Unexpectedly, now that everything is alright, Haitang has developed inappropriate feelings, offending the girl and crossing her bottom line.
If Haitang had made any other mistake, the girl would have given her a chance to correct it. However, the mistake Haitang made was something the girl could not tolerate. Losing Haitang must have been incredibly painful for the girl. The girls had grown up together, and the girl treated them like family, like sisters.
At this moment, the girl must be feeling very sad and heartbroken.
Haitang's behavior is no different from betraying the girl!
Betrayed by the maid she considered a sister, the young lady must be more heartbroken and devastated than anyone else. From now on, she will carefully guide Hongcha and the others, cultivating loyal followers for her! The young lady is desperately short of servants; what noblewoman doesn't have a multitude of servants by her side?
In other words, the young lady didn't even have anyone to serve her. Apart from a maid who did the cleaning, she did everything else herself.
Standing at the main gate of the General's Mansion, Haitang looked back at the tall lintel, her heart filled with complex emotions. From this day forward, she might never be able to enter again, never be able to see the people who lived here again. To say she harbored no resentment would be a lie; she resented Shangguan Zisu, resented that Zisu's heart was too cruel.
All she wanted was to be Fang Heng's or Duan Wang's woman; all she wanted was to climb the social ladder; all she wanted was to possess one of these two outstanding men. She could swear to Buddha that she never intended to steal Zi Su's man and take the position of the principal wife for herself.
She only wanted to serve the master in place of Zisu when Zisu had her period or when Zisu was pregnant and giving birth. She could swear that she never had any intention of harming her master; she was only devoted to him and wanted to help him secure his position.
She was so sincere, yet Shangguan Zisu couldn't tolerate her at all, kicking her out so easily. So many years of master-servant relationship, discarded so easily—it's truly wicked!
"Haitang, hurry up! I'll take you to Osmanthus Lane in the West City. I know a one-courtyard house there that you can rent or buy! It's a great place, let's go quickly, or someone else might snatch it up!" The butler glanced at the sky and couldn't help but urge them on.
Haitang lowered her eyes, a flash of hatred crossing them: "Okay, I'm leaving now!"
Shangguan Zisu, you kicked me out today, but one day I will make you regret it! The humiliation you suffer today, one day I will make you taste it too.
Haitang carried her luggage and followed the steward into the carriage, her hatred gradually building up inside her.
The steward, observing coldly, keenly sensed the hatred in her eyes and felt a chill run down his spine: This Haitang was no pushover; she might cause trouble for the young lady in the future. Since that's the case, then he'd only give her two hundred taels of silver later!
Two hundred taels of silver is a huge fortune for ordinary people. A family of five, if they are frugal, could live a life of comfort and ease. Giving her a thousand taels is giving her far too much credit! No, since she hates the girl, there's no need to give her so much. If she has money, she can do many bad things; she might even use the money to hire someone to harm the girl!
After thinking it over, the steward gritted his teeth and made up his mind: why not just give her one hundred taels? The young lady had given Haitang so many jewels and ornaments; if pawned, they would be worth at least three to five hundred taels. Besides, Haitang's monthly allowance was quite high, ten taels of silver a month, and with the holiday gifts, she should have accumulated three to four hundred taels!
Having made up his mind, the steward calmed down considerably. He leaned against the carriage wall, closed his eyes to rest, and didn't look at Haitang again. The carriage traveled through the streets and alleys for an hour before finally arriving at Osmanthus Lane, stopping in front of a blue-brick and tile house.
"This is it!" the butler said calmly, stepping forward to knock on the door.
The man who opened the door was an old man in his fifties. He looked at the housekeeper and asked in confusion, "Are you here to rent a house?"
Butler: "Yes, how much does it cost to rent for a month?"
Old man: "Three taels of silver a month."
Haitang: "May I take a look first?"
Old man: "Alright, please come in, young lady!"
Haitang looked around and was immediately quite satisfied. There were three main rooms, two side rooms, a well in the courtyard, a tall loquat tree, and a pear tree. For three taels of silver a month, she could rent such a nice place, and the surrounding environment was also quite good. She was very satisfied.
"Alright, I'll rent it for a year first. Here's thirty-six taels of silver," Haitang said to the old gatekeeper.
The old man was quite satisfied. Now that the house was rented out, he could go back to the main house to report back, and he wouldn't have to stay in this small house all day, which was rather boring.
After watching Haitang sign the rental agreement and buying her daily necessities, the butler said to her, "Originally, the young lady said she would give you a thousand taels of silver, but I saw hatred in your eyes, clearly showing your deep resentment towards her. Giving you a thousand taels of silver is too much for you, so I'll just give you one hundred taels! I will tell the young lady the truth when we get back!"
Upon hearing this, Haitang immediately shouted, "Well, steward, you're two-faced! You clearly want to pocket those nine hundred taels of silver for yourself!"
The steward said, "I will absolutely not keep this nine hundred taels of silver for myself. I will return it to the young lady as soon as we get back! I wasn't the only one who brought you here; there was also the coachman and two guards!" He then said to the guards and coachman, "Please bear witness for me: I gave Haitang one hundred taels of silver, and I will return the remaining nine hundred taels to the young lady as soon as we return to the General's Mansion!"
The guards and coachman stayed with the steward the whole time, and they overheard the entire conversation between the steward and Haitang.
Guard A nodded: "Alright, I will testify for you!"
Guard B nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will report the truth to you, young lady!"
The driver said honestly, "Me too, I will tell you everything, young lady!"
The butler nodded in satisfaction. With a clear conscience, he felt righteous and unperturbed. Besides, he was a loner, an orphan rescued by the general. Now, over thirty, he still hadn't found a wife. Even if Haitang wanted revenge, it wouldn't be easy, which was why he dared to shoulder the burden alone.
Having no other choice, Haitang took the hundred-tael silver note and said fiercely, "Since that's the case, you'd better get out of here right now!"
The steward wasn't angry. He immediately took his guards and coachman and drove away.
That Haitang is so ungrateful; she deserves to be kicked out of the general's mansion by the young lady!
Back at the general's mansion, the steward gave Zisu a truthful report.
The coachman and guards also testified.
Zisu sighed, "Fine, since she's so ungrateful and dares to hate me, giving her a hundred taels of silver is more than fair!"
When maids from other noble families leave, they at most receive an extra month's salary, while the personal maids of noble families only receive two taels of silver a month at most. Unlike Haitang, who receives a whopping ten taels of silver a month, Zisu is not treating her like a maid at all; she is clearly being treated like a mistress.
Hua'er's monthly allowance was five taels of silver. Haitang's monthly allowance was twice as much as Hua'er's.
Zisu also felt that perhaps she had been too good to Haitang in the past! Why did she give her such a high monthly salary? It was because there were few maids and servants in the General's Mansion, and Haitang sometimes had to do the work of two people. So she gave her a higher monthly salary as compensation and as a means of encouragement.
Zisu gave the nine hundred taels of silver notes she saved to her grandmother.
Grandma Yu declined, saying, "Why would I give it to you? You've given me enough in the past! I haven't even used up all the money you gave me before!"
Zisu: "Grandma, I don't have much time to visit you. Sometimes I go to Wuliping, and when I return to the capital, I have to take care of my mother. If I give you money, just take it. Buy whatever you want to eat. You don't need to use the public accounts, and you don't have to worry about your aunt's attitude!"
At this moment, my aunt has gone back to her parents' home. The two maids and two old women who are with my grandmother were all given to her by Zisu. They can be said to be Zisu's people, so there is no need to worry about them telling on us.
Grandma: "Alright, then I'll accept it! Your aunt seems alright now, but I wonder how she'll be in the long run."
Zisu: "Grandma, don't worry. If you're not comfortable here, move to the General's Mansion. Mom and I will take care of you! Or, you can go to Wuliping. Han'er and Yi'er miss you very much!"
Grandma: "Hmm, if I have time, I'll go to the General's Mansion for a while and keep your mother company! After your mother gives birth, I'll go to Wuliping to stay with my two grandsons for a month or two. Speaking of which, the days in Wuliping were so leisurely and carefree, I really miss them!"
Zisu: "Yes, after Mom gives birth, I'll go with Grandma to Wuliping for a while!"
Grandma: "Then we'll have to wait until your mother finishes her postpartum confinement period, or better yet, until the baby is three months old and we've had the 100-day celebration!"
Zisu: "Grandma, I understand! I'll make all the arrangements!"
Upon learning of Haitang's situation, Prince Duan said to Shangguan Mufeng, "General, I know an aunt named Cai. She used to serve pregnant concubines in the palace, but she left three years ago. I finally managed to find her at Prince An's residence and wanted to send her over to keep the lady company. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Mufeng's face lit up with a smile: "Oh, that Aunt Cai? I know her. I've heard of her. She's said to be very kind and skilled in prenatal care. If she's willing to come to the General's Mansion, I'd be more than happy to have her! However, since she's at Prince An's Mansion, will Prince An be willing to release her?"
Prince Duan: "General, don't worry. I have a very good relationship with Prince An, and Princess An's child is almost a year old. The Princess has also agreed to lend Aunt Cai to your wife for six months. Aunt Cai will be returned after your child has turned 100 days old!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "In that case, thank you!"
Unexpectedly, Madam Yu rejected the idea: "Your Highness, thank you for your kindness, but I don't need someone to take care of me. Zisu knows everything and is no less capable than those people in the palace. Besides, people from the palace are too cunning, and I'm afraid to deal with them!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "No, Madam. People from the palace are bound to be very capable. Although Zisu is competent, she and Aunt Cai each have their own strengths and can complement each other's weaknesses!"
Madam Yu insisted, "No need. When I gave birth to Yi'er, it was in Wuliping! There was only a midwife from the countryside, and Yi'er was born just fine, wasn't he? I don't need it. Now that Zisu is taking care of me and my food needs, that's enough!"
Before Shangguan Mufeng could say anything more, Zisu interjected, "Father, there's no need to be so worried. As long as we prevent anyone from poisoning Mother, I'm quite good at nutritional planning. With me here, that's enough. Since Mother doesn't want people from the palace to serve her, let it be! Back when Mother was pregnant with my brother, I took care of all her meals, and he was born healthy! Now, he's grown strong and healthy!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Oh, you child, the prince means well."
Zisu apologized to Prince Duan: "I'm so sorry, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. My mother and I appreciate it! I know it wasn't easy for Your Highness to snatch her away from Princess An. Thank you so much!"
Prince Duan waved his hand dismissively: "It's alright, I was being presumptuous! Actually, what Madam said is true. There are too many scheming people in the palace. Madam is a kind-hearted person, and the people in the General's Mansion are relatively simple. If Aunt Cai stays in the General's Mansion for half a year, she might greatly change the atmosphere of the General's Mansion, and that would be a loss!"
Zisu nodded seriously: "This is indeed a problem that cannot be ignored. Since that's the case, then let's make it a decision. I will continue to be fully responsible for everything concerning Mother!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Since that's the case, then so be it! You'll have to work a little harder during this time, but don't go to Wuliping!"
Zisu: "That's fine too. I'll ask the old clan chief and Xiangli to put in extra effort at Wuliping!" Anyway, Mother is due in three months. Three months will pass in the blink of an eye. Besides, during holidays, my younger brothers can come back to the General's Mansion for a family reunion.
Prince Duan: "Very well. During this time, I will visit Wuliping every few days. I will take care of the academy and the sightseeing park, and I will also keep an eye on your younger brothers. As for you, you can focus on taking care of your wife!"
Zisu: "Thank you, Your Highness. Then I won't stand on ceremony! If there are any problems with the sightseeing park, I'll have them come to you!"
Prince Duan smiled and nodded: "It's settled then!"
At this moment, Prince Duan appeared exceptionally handsome and charming, with a remarkable air of elegance, which made Zisu's heart flutter.
She lowered her head and smiled gently, as beautiful and charming as a water lily.
Upon seeing her, Prince Duan's heart was overflowing with love, and he longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her passionately.
However, he dared not. Although a year had passed, Zisu remained indifferent to him.
Shangguan Mufeng said, "I'll chat with your mother for a while. You accompany the prince for a walk along the tree-lined path. It's especially beautiful now, with the petals of Bauhinia flowers scattered all over it!"
Zisu: "Alright, then I'll accompany Your Highness for a stroll."
Walking along the beautiful tree-lined path in the back garden, Prince Duan was in a particularly good mood. He looked at Zisu, who had a delighted expression on her face, and mustered up his courage to say, "Zisu, I want to marry you. Will you marry me?"
Zisu paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, "Wait until you've won over your own mother before you start saying these things to me. I won't agree to this until your mother accepts me willingly!"
Upon hearing this, Prince Duan was not discouraged at all, but rather overjoyed: "You're so eloquent, you've already accepted me in your heart, but you're just unwilling to talk to me because of my mother?"
Zisu: "Though those words may not be pleasant to hear, they express the meaning very accurately. I don't want to be tormented by my wicked mother-in-law; I want to live a comfortable and happy life!"
Prince Duan immediately declared, "I'll go back to the palace right now and have a good talk with my mother. If she expresses her willingness to accept you, then you'll agree to marry me, okay?"
Zisu: "That depends on your performance!"
Silly boy, proposing without even a gift, trying to get something for nothing?