Chapter 1275
Noble Lady's Fate
Chapter 1275 Noble Lady's Fate
Yunxi replied with a gentle smile:
"Seventh Sister-in-law, you flatter me. All that I know comes from books. I have been weak since birth. Even though Doctor Ye has been taking care of me for so many years, he has only managed to make my body no different from that of an ordinary person. I still get sick once or twice a year and can't even step out of the Prime Minister's residence."
My mother, feeling sorry for me and worried that I would be bored at home, collected many books for me to keep me entertained. When my brothers returned from their travels, they would also bring me small gifts they had collected for me, chat with me, and tell me about their experiences outside, which broadened my horizons.
Although my sisters are married, they still bring me novelties every time they come back to the manor, and keep me company by telling me about the trivial matters of the household. The more I listen, the more I naturally learn.
Su Wanying smiled without saying a word, because in her eyes, a person's knowledge could not be gained by simply reading more books or chatting with his older siblings. Moreover, she had heard Wei Anyu say that his younger sister was so weak that she had never even hired a female tutor. Therefore, she believed the rumor that Wei Yunxi was a noblewoman, and a noblewoman with extraordinary fortune.
Not long after meeting Yunxi, Su Wanying returned to her maternal family home, the residence of the Minister of Rites, and told her mother about her discovery. The Minister of Rites' wife was also skeptical:
"Wanying, is that Wei Yunxi really as mysterious as you say?"
Su Wanying nodded seriously and said:
"She is even better than you think. Once you meet her, you'll know that what my daughter said is true."
The wife of the Minister of Rites was a forty-year-old woman of average appearance but well-read and considered a talented woman of her generation. She showed some interest in Wei Yunxi, whom her daughter had mentioned, and smiled, saying:
"In that case, I will attend the coming-of-age ceremony for the youngest daughter of the Prime Minister's residence, so that I can see whether the noble lady you speak of is truly as exceptionally fortunate as the former Imperial Advisor said."
Su Wanying blinked and said:
"Mother, do you think she's a cultivator?"
The Minister's wife shook her head and said:
"If she had such an opportunity, the former Grand Preceptor would have taken her away long ago. Moreover, the new Grand Preceptor, Qian Yuan, has not visited the Prime Minister's residence since he arrived here. It seems that Wei Yunxi is not someone who can cultivate."
Su Wanying asked curiously:
"If that's the case, why did Immortal Lingjian say those things? It was to elevate the status of the Prime Minister's residence."
"Perhaps!"
Su Wanying said with some regret:
"If my aunt were here, she would definitely be able to tell Wei Yunxi's identity."
The Minister's wife sighed and said:
"Your aunt returned to Yufeng Kingdom once after she reached the Foundation Establishment stage. I haven't seen her since. She entered the mountain sect to cultivate and has already left the mortal world. Family ties will fade. Don't mention it again."
"Yes, Mother, I've remembered."
After the mother and daughter had a short reunion, Su Wanying returned to the Prime Minister's residence.
Because the Prime Minister was still in office, apart from the married daughters, the three young masters of the Wei family still lived in the Prime Minister's residence even after they got married. However, only the eldest son, Wei Ansheng, lived in a large courtyard with the Prime Minister, his wife, and the Grand Madam. The other two had their own independent courtyards, and their respective wives managed the household affairs of their courtyards, which reduced the conflicts considerably.
In the eyes of the Prime Minister's wife, Wei Ansheng was both the legitimate son and the eldest son, and he himself was also promising. After entering officialdom, except for the eight years he served in external posts, he returned to the center of power and received the Prime Minister's careful cultivation, steadily making his way in the court. He was the future head of the Prime Minister's mansion. The other two were illegitimate sons. Not separating them into their own households after their marriages was already a form of support for them. Therefore, before handing over the management of the household affairs to her eldest daughter-in-law, she had already given the two illegitimate sons their own courtyards and distributed their rightful share of the family property, keeping it separate from the Prime Minister's mansion's public accounts.
She wouldn't interfere with what the Grand Madam and the Prime Minister would leave them after their passing, but she would never allow other illegitimate children to touch what belonged to her three children.
Especially after the Prime Minister's wife relinquished her power, she still lived a comfortable life and doted on her daughter Yunxi even more. There was a little incident involved in this.
During the eight years that Yunxi's elder brother was serving in a post outside the capital, he unexpectedly discovered that local officials and merchants were colluding to smuggle salt for profit, and that a huge chain of interests had been formed, which involved a prince in the palace.
Wei Ansheng was not stupid. With the old fox Prime Minister personally guiding him, he knew how deep the water was. But he was unwilling to pretend he didn't know. Competing with the people for profit was the most disliked thing in the current era. So he secretly communicated with his father and used his last year in office to collect evidence of crimes, just waiting to submit a memorial after returning to the capital.
He was also gambling on a promotion opportunity. After all, the person who committed the crime was not the crown prince, so there was room for maneuver. As for how to decide the final outcome, that depended on the emperor's decision.
However, Wei Ansheng's actions still alerted those in the shadows, so he was pursued relentlessly on his way back to the capital. Even though the Prime Minister had secretly arranged for experts to protect him, he still fell outside the capital. Just as he was about to be beheaded, the Prime Minister arrived outside the city with his men and rescued his son.
Wei Ansheng, covered in blood, was barely breathing. The imperial physician and Doctor Ye had both shaken their heads, saying there was no hope. They wrote a prescription and asked the servants to brew the medicine, saying that drinking it would briefly revive him so he could say goodbye to them.
This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. Even the Prime Minister staggered, and the Madam's legs went weak, almost causing her to faint. For some reason, she suddenly remembered her youngest daughter, and immediately went to Ranxi Garden, where she grabbed the twelve-year-old Yunxi and pleaded tearfully:
"Yunxi, save my brother!"
Yunxi had already heard the message from the maid, so upon seeing the pale-faced lady, she knew why she had come. She patted the lady's hand reassuringly and said:
"Mother, don't be sad. I'll go see my eldest brother now."
This was also Yunxi's first time stepping out of Ranxi Garden.
She entered Wei Ansheng's bedroom and, with just a wisp of divine sense thinner than a hair, knew that her blood-related elder brother was seriously injured and on the verge of death.
She touched the soul ring on her finger, took out a first-grade immortal pill, scraped off a tiny bit of powder with her fingernail, dissolved it in water, and then fed it to Wei Ansheng. She guided the medicinal properties to repair his severely injured internal abdomen and sternum. As for the external injuries, she did not treat them, otherwise it would be difficult to explain when the higher-ups investigated.
After doing all this, Yunxi rubbed her temples. Her body was still too weak. She would have to lie in bed for another three or four days. After she met the Prime Minister and his wife and explained everything that needed to be explained, she fainted. Then, her wife personally sent her back to Ranxi Garden. This time, she was unconscious for five days. When she woke up, she learned that Wei Ansheng had not only survived but had also been rewarded by the Emperor and promoted.
Since then, Wei Ansheng has become even more affectionate towards his youngest sister, Yunxi, and his wife has also doted on this little daughter even more. They firmly believe that their little sister (daughter) has a noble destiny that can benefit the family, but it can also be detrimental to themselves. Therefore, the Prime Minister issued a gag order that what happened that night must not be told to outsiders.
But secrets don't stay hidden forever. One time, the imperial physician got drunk and let slip some information. Some people didn't believe him, but others did. So, the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital tacitly waited for Yunxi to come of age, wanting to see her beauty and also marry her.
My darlings, Fengling is back.