The Marquise: I Earn My Own Worship

The weather in November was bitterly cold. The officials who attended court that day all limped back, and for several days in a row they had to support each other when they went to court.

The King of Chu saw this and snorted in his heart, thinking that this was the result of showing one's claws.

When those who were not present that day saw the tragic scene, they were all thankful that they were not there that day.

Now the court became much more peaceful. The officials who had been a little impetuous in the past two months seemed to have been poured a bucket of cold water and only concentrated on their own work.

Those who had formed a private alliance with him were all terrified, wondering if the emperor knew something.

But only Prince Rui, who was busy teaching his grandson a lesson in the palace, had a say in this matter. After all, he had failed in his mission and was caught off guard by His Majesty just as he was about to test the waters.

On the day of the beginning of winter, the fourth prince officially entered the court and was named King Li.

At the same time, the second prince was named Prince An.

The Emperor of Chu selected two former princely palaces, one for each of them, and the Ministry of Works was responsible for their renovation and modification.

From that day on, there were two kings in the court, and King An and King Li disliked each other, and all of this was made public.

It is hard for the people below, who have to face two big Buddhas every day and suffer terribly.

Prince An has been in power for many years and has many connections, so he has long established a firm foothold.

Prince Li had just entered the court, and his foundation was unstable, and he suffered losses at the hands of Prince An many times. However, he had a powerful maternal clan, so he still had the upper hand on the surface.

The three families involved in this incident, the Rui Wang Mansion continued to do as it pleased. The day after the Emperor of Chu got angry, the Rui Wang had several princesses called back.

The Ding family was a little nervous at first, especially when they heard the words that the Ding family's daughter was unruly, Bai was so scared that her face turned pale.

This would undoubtedly leave the Ding family's daughter with no way to survive, especially since there was another unmarried sister in the family.

Bai's health had not yet recovered, and her anger made it even worse.

When Tingjie'er's aunt heard these words, she fainted. After waking up, she hugged Tingjie'er and cried, complaining about her elder sister's words.

Ting Jieer looked at her aunt who was crying non-stop. "Aunt, what outsiders say has nothing to do with us. With my eldest sister back, mother is happier than usual, and even her spirits are much better."

Aunt Shan's eyes were filled with sorrow, and she felt a little angry when she saw Sister Ting acting indifferent.

"You are still young and don't understand these things. If you are burdened with such a reputation, how can you get married in the future? Families with better family backgrounds pay the most attention to rules. My poor sister, why is your life so miserable?"

As she spoke, she started crying again. Sister Ting was a little annoyed that her aunt was always crying.

"Okay! Auntie, my sister Ting is lucky, you are cursing me!"

Although Ting Jie'er was born out of wedlock and was not as close to her mother as her elder sister, she grew up with the Bai family.

Being raised by her legitimate mother, her vision is naturally not as short-sighted as that of the single concubine.

Aunt Shan wanted to say something, but Sister Ting was a little annoyed, so she lifted the curtain and ran out.

Everything that happened here was reported to Bai by her maids.

"She's a good one. It's worth all the time I've spent raising her."

Bai coughed twice, took the medicine from the maid beside her, and drank it with a frown.

"Take it down."

Bai wiped the corners of her lips with a handkerchief.

"Where is Sister Ting now?"

"Madam, the young lady is relaxing in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, and she is accompanied by her maids."

"That's good."

Mrs. Bai stroked her head, wearing a moon-white headband on her head, and looked a little haggard.

"Madam, does Aunt Shan want to..."

Bai opened her eyes slightly and thought for a while before speaking:

"Let's move Sister Ting to my yard. It's cold this winter and it's not convenient for her to come here every day. I'll clean up the west wing where Sister Shu lived when she was a child and make it perfect for her to live in."

"Yes."

"You go down first, I'll stay by myself for a while."

The servants acted quickly and moved Tingjie'er's residence that very night.

Although Sister Ting was raised by her in the past, she was taken care of by Aunt Shan since she was a child, and it seems that this is no longer suitable now.

Ding Meishu felt that she had caused trouble and wanted to go to Song Shengfu to apologize.

Song Shengfu pulled her up and asked her to sit down properly.

"Meishu, what are you doing? Don't kneel down all the time. We don't have this rule in our family."

Ding Meishu was really scared, and couldn't help crying after being comforted by Song Shengfu.

"Mother, I know I was wrong and will never do that again."

Ding Meishu cried, feeling very upset. No wonder it was not easy for a woman to get married. She would even be criticized when she returned home.

Song Shengfu looked at the fourth daughter-in-law crying in front of her, and cursed the troublemaker's ancestors in her heart.

This is just because you have nothing better to do!

"Okay, okay, don't cry. When the fourth brother comes back, he will think that an old woman like me is bullying you."

Song Shengfu handed over a handkerchief, which was soon stained wet.

"Don't worry, your sister-in-law said that day that you went home to help Brother Jian with his studies, and there was nothing wrong with that."

"Really? But they all say this is wrong."

Ding Meishu looked at the kind old man in front of her with tears in her eyes. Everyone said that she was wrong, but she said that she was not wrong.

"of course it's true!"

Song Shengfu patted her head and spoke in a soothing tone.

"This is just a trivial matter. Don't take it to heart. Life is short and you should live it to the fullest. If you live everything in the eyes of others, then it is no longer your life."

"People strive for freedom in this life. Although it's difficult, family, career, and offspring all constrain us, but sometimes they also make us successful. It all depends on how we think."

"You're influenced by what Madam Gou and the others said, but are they really right? I don't think so. Do they really think so themselves?"

Ding Meishu shook her head and listened quietly.

"No one knows except themselves. They can say this because they grew up under such rules. Perhaps they rebelled or had doubts in their hearts when they were young, but under countless pressures, they eventually became servants of the rules."

Song Shengfu smiled and shook her head, feeling that what she said was a bit harsh.

"That might not sound nice, but I mean to say, be bold and question things, and keep a clear mind. Rules are static, but people are dynamic. If you can't change your circumstances, learn to adapt to them. Life isn't just about black and white, or right and wrong."

Ding Meishu was confused. She didn't quite understand why he said not to live in the eyes of others and at the same time said to adapt to the environment.

Aren’t these two in conflict?

Song Shengfu looked at the confusion on Ding Meishu's face and laughed.

"Look, I'm old, and I'm confused. If you think something is right, just listen to it. If you think it's wrong, just ignore it. When people get old, sometimes they talk confusedly."