The Duke's Daughter is Reborn

The Han Mansion's banquet today was fully prepared. Not only were all the maids and servants in order, the prepared meals were also exquisite and delicious, and were served steaming hot when served on the table.

Of course, all those present were ladies from wealthy families who had received a dignified education since childhood. Even if the food in front of them was delicious, everyone ate it in small bites. This lunch took nearly an hour.

On the way back home, Yang Qi saw that Xu's eyes seemed a little tired, and thought that it was because An had made some jokes at the table again.

Come to think of it, An was indeed a smart person. In a place like the Northwest, she was able to take good care of both the mansion and Song Hongwen. She was in charge of everything inside and outside, and she also firmly grasped Song Hongwen's heart.

However, An's wisdom was not enough in the capital. The most prominent problem was that her vision was not big enough and she could not grasp the key points of many things. For example, when she came to visit Han's house this time, Xu, Yang Lan and Yang Qi could roughly guess the deep meaning, but An just regarded it as an ordinary gathering.

After all, An had lived in a merchant family since she was a child. The education she received and the people she came into contact with were very different from those of the ladies in the capital. The requirements and standards for many things were far lower than those in the capital.

Today, An has become the wife of a duke. In a place like the capital where all kinds of people mix, An's identity brings her much more demands than when she was in the northwest.

If An had just entered the mansion and had been recognized by the old lady, then with the old lady's careful teaching and her cleverness, she would have a great chance of becoming a qualified duke's wife.

But now, An has been married to Song Hongwen for nine years and has given birth to a child. An's position beside Song Hongwen has been consolidated. She has just returned to the mansion. Even if the old lady has this intention, she is now powerless.

Besides, even if the old lady was determined to teach An, whether An would agree to it was another matter.

Now, An is Yang Qi's nominal mother. Even if Yang Qi asks Xu, for the sake of the relationship between Yang Qi and An, Xu will probably not say anything and will answer herself.

In the carriage, Xu sat at the upper seat, while Yang Qi and Fang's mother sat on both sides facing each other.

Yang Qi suddenly sat down next to Xu and took her arm, saying, "Second aunt, the food at the Han Mansion is quite delicious today." Xu's carriage was very big, and even with Yang Qi and Xu sitting in the upper seat, it was still very spacious.

Xu didn't think the lunch was that delicious. She didn't even eat a bite of it peacefully. Her sister-in-law was acting like a Duke's wife, and her conversation with Madam Han was very pompous. The maid said that Miss Yang Jing had spread rumors in Han's mansion that the garden was too small to fly a kite.

Xu felt her temples throbbing. She could only reply to Yang Qi's words, "If you like to eat, go to Fan Lou and put it on your aunt's account." Fan Lou is one of the best restaurants in the capital. Every dish there is a delicacy. Of course, the price is not cheap either.

In the capital, only the royal family and high-ranking officials can afford to rent the Fanlou. It's not that everyone can't afford it, but the Fanlou is backed by the royal family, and ordinary families are not favored by the Fanlou.

Yang Qi saw the discomfort on Xu's face, and hurried forward to help Xu rub her head. He was familiar with the acupuncture points of the human body, and Mother He and Mother Zhu had taught him how to massage before. Now Yang Qi was also very good at it.

Yang Qi used his strength skillfully, and Xu just felt a lot more comfortable.

In fact, ever since Song Hongwen and An returned home, Xu had been thinking about splitting up the family. Song Hongwen was worried that his title would be given to someone else, and Xu was not unaware of this thought. Over the years, Xu had been managing and supporting the capital, but what about Song Hongwen? He used the money he earned to do favors, but he didn't care about the hard work of the second wife.

Xu's husband, Song Hongjin, also served in the court. The second branch could still gain a foothold even without relying on the first branch. In addition, Xu was good at managing business, so the second branch could live well if separated.

When she thought of her husband, Xu felt a little sad. Both masters of the Duke's Mansion were in office, and now the Duke was transferred back by the Ministry of Rites, so her husband's return date was even more distant.

Xu held Yang Qi's hand and asked her to stop: "I know your feelings, you must be tired of being a guest today, right?" If the family really split up, the one Xu would be most worried about was Yang Qi. The eldest uncle had never liked Yang Qi since she was a child, and now it seemed that An was not a good person either. If Yang Qi lost her care in the future, she would have a hard time.

Yang Qi shook her head: "Aunt, how are you tired from being a guest today?"

Xu smiled and patted Yang Qi's head.

Yang Qi suddenly thought of something and said, "Oh, by the way, Second Aunt, why did An Xiaoqiu stay in the Duke of Song's mansion when her parents were still alive?"

Xu tapped Yang Qi's forehead and said, "You, don't say these things outside."

After thinking for a while, Xu decided to express her thoughts: "An Xiaoqiu is really thinking too much. She wants to step on the Duke's Mansion to move up."

Yang Qi scratched his head: "Go up?"

Xu looked at the curtain and said, "Yang Qi, you are old enough now. You should know some things now."

After a pause, Xu continued, "The Duke of Song's Mansion is now a little more decadent than before, but at least it has the hereditary title of Duke. If An Xiaoqiu was in the northwest, she would just marry an ordinary merchant. If she was in the capital, she would have the hope of inheriting the power of the Duke's Mansion and marrying into a good family."

After listening to what Xu said, Yang Qi knew that although his second aunt knew An Xiaoqiu's thoughts, she did not think there was anything wrong with her. Perhaps the second aunt still believed that everyone had the right to move up.

Yang Qi sighed silently in his heart. The person An Xiaoqiu finally fell in love with was your second aunt's son, his eldest brother Yang Qing.

She clenched her hands, then loosened them. Yang Qi tilted her neck and said, "Second Aunt, I saw that the young lady at the party today was unwilling to talk to An Xiaoqiu once she knew her family background."

Xu said helplessly: "Everyone in the capital has their own plans."

Yang Qi scratched his forehead and said, "Second Aunt, An Xiaoqiu wouldn't have taken a fancy to my eldest brother, would she?"

As soon as Yang Qi said this, Xu's face darkened: "Don't say that casually." Then, Xu looked thoughtful and stopped talking.

When Fang's mother heard what Yang Qi said, she was also shocked, and then felt a little scared.

Yang Qi pursed her lips and said nothing more. I believe that this sentence can already remind the second aunt.