Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

"Spring is not yet old, the wind is gentle and the willows are slanting. Try to go up to the Chaoran Terrace and look, half a moat of spring water and a city of flowers. Mist and rain darken thousands of houses."

In mid-spring, the apricot blossom rain had been falling for half a decade, and today the sky finally cleared up. Looking around, the city of Jiankang was full of green and red, with all shades of green.

In Wuyi Lane, the whole Anguo Mansion was filled with joy. Servants were coming in and out, sweeping the yard, arranging fruits and vegetables, and they were busy and happy.

In Fuxue Hall, the old lady He from the Duke's Mansion was talking to Mrs. Xie, the Duke's wife, "Please clean up Ting'er's yard. It has been raining a lot recently, and his yard is full of bamboos and cypresses. Don't let the things get moldy."

The wife of the Duke, Mrs. Xie, was bright and elegant. She wore a purple peony-shaped wide-sleeved shirt with gold thread buttons, a red and gold skirt, a Yaohuang cloud-patterned waistband, a loose top and a wide belt. She had an extraordinary demeanor. Although she was already thirty-six years old, she was noble and well-maintained. At first glance, she was no different from a woman in her prime.

Xie took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Don't worry, mother. Ting'er's yard has always been cleaned. After my second brother brought back the news, I simply asked someone to renovate Cangfeng Courtyard as well. These days, I even set up a fumigation cage every day to dry the house so that my second brother and his family can live more comfortably when they return."

Xie Lingyi was born into the Xie family of Chen County. The Xie family was a glorious family with many children in officialdom. Her grandfather was Xie Jian, who was praised as a "capable minister of the revival of the country". Her uncle Xie Zhen was appointed prime minister and enjoyed the ceremonial guard of half a prince. Although her father Xie Ke did not enter officialdom, he was an excellent calligrapher and painter, and was worth a fortune. Her mother, Sima, was from a prominent family and was famous for her talent.

When she married He Tongguang, who was only the Marquis of Anding at the time, everyone laughed at her, saying that she was the legitimate daughter of the Xie family and could choose any prince or nobleman, but she picked and chose and finally settled for a poor marquis. Moreover, the marquis's father, the old Marquis of Anding, was disliked by the emperor because of his words, and he saw that if the next generation did not have meritorious service, the title would be downgraded.

With a family background like Xie Lingyi's, and with her intelligence and eloquence since childhood, she would have been the perfect candidate for the throne, not to mention becoming a prince or a noble, even if she entered the palace. But in the end, she chose the Anding Marquisate, which was neither high nor low, and was left with only an empty shell.

Everybody was waiting to see the show, saying that Lord Anding had nothing to offer except his face, and had always been a playboy. Moreover, the old lady of the Marquis Ding'an Mansion had always been strong, a female Zhuge Liang who was no less capable than any man. She would definitely have to endure twenty years before she got married.

Who would have thought that the previous emperor passed away without leaving any will, and a group of princes fought for power, and finally the fifth prince, who was usually inconspicuous, came to the throne.

After the Fifth Prince came to power, he adopted an iron-blooded approach and drastically reduced the power of the major families. The families had already been severely damaged by their previous stances in the power struggle, and the methods adopted by the new emperor after he ascended the throne made them even more devastated. Not to mention that some small families collapsed directly, even behemoths like Wang and Xie were forced to lie dormant temporarily.

On the other hand, some families that were usually inconspicuous gradually emerged after the new emperor ascended the throne, and the Anding Marquis Mansion was the most eye-catching. First, Anding Marquis He Tongguang was promoted to the next rank and given the title of Duke, which was hereditary. Then the new emperor also rewarded his mother He Lao Taijun and his wife Xie, and even the deceased He Lao Taiye was posthumously awarded a posthumous title.

After this honor was bestowed upon everyone, they realized that He Tongguang had made friends with the Fifth Prince when the latter was still unknown. The two had similar interests and were both the type who preferred to keep a low profile, so they hit it off immediately and worked quietly to do great things. While the other princes were fighting among themselves, they seized power in one fell swoop and pushed the Fifth Prince to that position.

A new emperor appoints his own ministers. The once deserted Marquis of Anding's Mansion became the Duke of Anguo's Mansion. Xie Lingyi also transformed from a short-sighted daughter of the Xie family to the discerning wife of the Duke of Anguo, making all the women in Jiankang City envious.

Today is the day when the second branch of the Anguo Duke's Mansion returns. The second master He Tongchen and Anguo Duke He Tongguang are brothers from the same mother. Three years ago, He Tongchen was exiled to Shanzhou. Now that his term of office is over, he will naturally be transferred back to Jiankang City.

A month ago, He Tongchen sent someone to deliver a letter saying that he had met the prince He Lanting who was studying abroad, and would come back together. Yesterday, he sent a special express horse to report that he would arrive today. Therefore, Xie accompanied the old lady to have breakfast early in the morning and waited in the hall.

The mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law were talking when they suddenly heard a maid's announcement from outside, "The cousin is here." The pearl curtain swayed, and a graceful woman walked in with her skirt slightly lifted.

"Greetings to the ancestors and aunt." Lin Xi bowed respectfully to the two people sitting at the top.

"Get up quickly, we are all family. You just need to get better, there is no need to go through all these empty formalities." Old Lady He had a loving look on her face and smiled as she asked her to get up.

"Thank you, ancestor." Lin Xi stood up and sat next to Xie.

"How do you feel today? Have you taken the medicine?" As soon as she sat down, Xie pulled her hand and asked with concern.

"Much better, thank you aunt for your concern. I took the medicine on time. It is also thanks to the ginseng sent by my ancestors that I can recover so quickly." As he said this, he was about to stand up to express his gratitude, but was stopped by Old Lady He.

Seeing that she was grateful, Old Lady He felt a little more sympathy for her. "You are too polite, child. It's not worth your thanks for such a precious gift. The most important thing is to take good care of yourself."

"That's right. Taking good care of your body is the most important thing." Seeing that although her face was still a little pale, Xie was in much better spirits than before, she summoned the maid to ask about Lin Xi's taking medicine and sleeping. Only when she learned that everything was fine did she feel relieved.

After talking for a while, the maid came to report that the second master and his family had entered Wuyi Lane and were about to reach the gate.

"Okay, okay, Ting'er is with them too, right?" Old Madam He looked excited. Lin Xi and Xie supported her on both sides and helped her up.

"Don't worry, old master. The eldest son and the second master are riding their horses in the front." The old woman replied with a smile.

After a while, a series of announcements were heard from outside, "The Second Master is back! The Second Master is back."

The two men helped Old Lady He out of the main hall and stood at the door. They saw a huge group of people passing through the hanging flower gate and heading towards the inner courtyard.

Leading the way was a maidservant, followed by two men, one tall and one short. The tall one was a young man wearing a dark Hu suit, tall and long legs. The shorter one looked to be about forty years old, with a beard and a very elegant temperament. Following closely behind him were a group of women dressed in various styles.

The group entered the courtyard and saw three people standing at the door. The middle-aged man was the first to react. He looked quite moved and called out in a choked voice, "Mother, the child is back."