On the way back to the garden.

Wei Man was thinking in her heart as she walked, judging from Mrs. Tai's reaction, Mrs. Tai was not taboo about her interaction with Aunt Zhang, but she was very concerned about her relationship with Aunt Luo......

Why?

Weiman couldn't figure it out.

After returning to the garden, Wei Man asked Cheng's mother again, but unfortunately, when Cheng's mother entered the Zhenguo Mansion, Aunt Luo's grandmother was no longer in the mansion, and what she knew was not much different from that of Swift.

The next day was the second day of the new year, Wen Liyan and Wen Wei took Wen Boyuan, Wen Hongying, and Wen Hongcai to the house to pay New Year's greetings to Mrs. Tai.

What about the others, Wei Man didn't bother to pay attention, but she was extremely disgusted with Wen Wei, and she only showed up at the beginning, and then slipped away very quickly and returned to the garden.

The days go by quickly.

It is worth mentioning that on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Wei Man and Aunt Zhang happened to meet in Xi Garden, and Aunt Zhang told Wei Man that Aunt Luo was sick and wanted to eat pea yellow in Chen's shop on East Street......

Wei Man was still at a loss for Mrs. Tai's taboo on Aunt Luo's grandmother, and when she didn't know the depth, she naturally didn't dare to make more moves, but just smiled and dealt with Aunt Zhang's grandmother.

It can be seen that Aunt Zhang's face is obviously disappointed.

In the two points and one line, it will soon be the tenth day of the first month.

Early this morning, in Xiyuan, Mrs. Tai announced a major good news, that is, on the night of the Shangyuan Festival, everyone will go to Suzaku Street to enjoy the lanterns.

As soon as the news came out, several young masters should have known it a long time ago, but there was no gaffe on their faces, among the girls, Wei Ya and Wei Xian cheered on the spot, and stepped forward to hug Mrs. Tai's arm, and couldn't stop being coquettish and funny.

Wei Man was also very happy, thinking in her heart that it would be in vain for her to go to see the lantern festival of the ancient Shangyuan Festival.

"Daddy, Daddy," Wei Ya looked at the second grandfather Wei Jie, and asked anxiously: "I heard that the lantern tower on Suzaku Street has been built, has Daddy seen it?" What does it look like? Is it good-looking? ”

"Naturally it's good-looking!" The second master smiled: "I passed by there yesterday and saw that it had been built to the third floor...... The flower tree given by the Queen Mother said that it was already inside, but it was covered up, I just looked at an outline, and it was also dazzling......"

In previous years, there was also a lantern festival on the Shangyuan Festival, and the palace would also amnesty the "curfew" in the capital on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, so as to facilitate the people to enjoy the lanterns.

The emperor not only canceled the "curfew" for three consecutive days on the 14th, 15th, and 16th, but also built a beautiful lantern tower on Suzaku Street, the main street of the capital, saying that it was to have fun with the people......

A noble family like Zhenguo Houfu will naturally have a special seat near the lantern tower, and Zhenguo Houfu is about to have a filial piety period, so it is natural to go to the royal field......

Wei Man was like a little girl, and when she returned to the garden, she excitedly rummaged through the cages, matching the clothes to be worn on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, but it made Cheng's mother and a few maids laugh......

Also on this day, when it was time to go to bed, Wei Man had just cleaned his hands, but Xia Lan asked to see him at the door.

Wei Man let Xia Lan into the inner room to reply.

At first sight, Wei Man suddenly realized that she seemed to have rarely seen Xia Lan's face in the past few days.

"Miss," Xia Lan's face was red with excitement, and she said in a somewhat meritorious tone, "The slave maid inquired about some things about Aunt Luo's grandmother, and specially came to report it to Miss." ”

It turned out that Xia Lan did not recognize Aunt Luo on the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, felt that she was too negligent in her work, and saw that Wei Man wanted to know about Aunt Luo's grandmother, so she made efforts to explore these days, and she thought that she knew eight out of ten about Aunt Luo, so she came to report to Wei Man to know.

"Really?" Wei Man instantly came to his senses, and hurriedly beckoned Xia Lan to the warm couch, and asked the little maid to serve tea.

When the maids all retreated, only Xia Qing was left at the door.

"Tell me, what did you hear?" Weiman asked.

When Xia Lan heard this, she hurriedly read the words in her heart again quickly before she looked up and replied.

“…… In the ninth year of Daxing, it was the seventh year that the old marquis and Mrs. Tai got married, but there was only one daughter under his knees, so in October of that year, the old marquis returned to Beijing for more than a month on official business, and Mrs. Tai accepted Aunt Zhang and Aunt Luo's two-room concubine room for the old marquis......"

In the ninth year of Daxing, the seventh year after getting married, Wei Man couldn't help but think of Mrs. Tai's son who died early, the longest uncle in the house.

"What year did Mrs. Tai give birth to her uncle?" Weiman asked.

"It's February of the fourth year of Daxing," Xia Lan had already memorized these people and things in her mind, and she responded very quickly: "The old man in the house said that the uncle was born prematurely, and his body was not very good when he was born...... It is said that when the uncle went, Mrs. Tai fell seriously ill and lay in bed for two months......

In ancient times, when heirs represented everything, the uncle was not only Mrs. Tai's first child, but also the son she gave birth to in the third year after she got married, and he was carefully raised for two years and had feelings...... The uncle went, and Mrs. Tai only stood up after lying down for two months, and she was already a very strong woman......

Wei Man thought of Wen Wei, who was older than the second master, and asked, "Then, what year was my aunt and grandmother born?" ”

"My aunt and grandmother were born in the eighth year of Daxing," Xia Lan seemed to think of something, and said a little embarrassedly: "The old man in the house said that after the old marquis went to Northern Xinjiang in May of the third year of Daxing, he did not return to Beijing until April of the seventh year of Daxing......

Wei Man was dumbfounded, thinking that maybe the northern Xinjiang was very unstable at that time, otherwise, the old marquis Wei Xiu would not have returned to Beijing for four years, but this is a bitter wife, a young daughter-in-law, no son by her side, and her husband is not around......

It's just that that time, Mrs. Tai finally got pregnant, but she gave birth to a daughter.

“…… Mrs. Tai gave birth to her aunt and grandmother, and it is said that the old lady was very unhappy...... "Xia Lan said: "So, after the old marquis returned to Beijing again, the old lady discussed with Mrs. Tai and carried Aunt Zhang and Aunt Luo's ......"

Although Wei Man is very worthless for Mrs. Tai, but in ancient times, Mrs. Lao took a concubine when her daughter-in-law did not have a male in the seventh year after she got married, which was very enlightened.

That's right!

Wei Man was stunned.

How did she forget, this is ancient times, there was only one male in the Zhenguo Houfu at that time, and the old marquis was a military general in the turbulent northern Xinjiang, in such a situation where the heir may be cut off if she is not careful, how can the old lady tolerate Mrs. Tai not having a child for seven years?

Wei Man couldn't help but ask suspiciously: "Does the old marquis only have two concubines, Aunt Zhang and Aunt Luo?" ”

"No, there have been concubines before," Xia Lan said busily: "The old marquis and Mrs. Tai got married in February of the second year of Daxing, and on the August 15th reunion festival of that year, the old lady made the decision and accepted the two aunts of the Zhu family and the Qi family for the old marquis." ”

Zhu's? Qi's?

Weiman thought about it, she hadn't heard anything about the two of them.

"Didn't they give birth to a son and a half daughter for the old marquis?" Weiman asked.

"Is it not...... Xia Lan shook her head and sighed: "It's also the fate of those two aunts, after they were carried to their aunts, they were all pregnant very quickly, but when Zhu was six months pregnant, she suddenly slipped the fetus, not to mention that the fetus was not saved, and she also fell ill, and she stayed in bed for more than a year before going...... Qi's was even more miserable, he encountered a difficult birth during childbirth, and it was a corpse with two lives......"

Wei Man couldn't help but shudder, why was it such a coincidence, neither the Zhu family nor the Qi family, who were pregnant earlier than Mrs. Tai, kept the child...... She thought of the wives and concubines fighting in the ancient backyard.

"How could this be so coincidental...... Wei Man couldn't help but ask.

Xia Lan was also a smart person, and immediately understood Wei Man's suspicions.

"It shouldn't be ......" Xia Lan whispered: "The slave maid inquired, that Zhu's family, after being diagnosed as pregnant, was taken by the old lady to her own yard to recuperate, and the things used were all seen by the old lady's people, and the lady would not ...... As for the Qi family, it is said that she is Mrs. Tai's most favored maid, and the old people in the house say that the Qi family is not only good-looking, but also has a good temperament, and she is a maid who grew up with Mrs. Tai, and also said that she was originally brought over by Mrs. Tai to be an aunt, and Mrs. Tai will not ......"

What Xia Lan said was not unreasonable, at that time, Mrs. Tai did not have a son by her side, and she couldn't stand firm in the Zhenguo Houfu at all, where could she have the ability to harm a Zhu family who raised a baby in her mother-in-law's yard...... In the case that she did not give birth to a son, the maid who had a deep friendship with her became pregnant and gave birth to a child, which was only beneficial to her, and she should not harm the Qi family......

It's just that the result is that the old marquis's wife and two concubines were pregnant one after another, Zhu's slippery fetus, Qi's dystocia, and the uncle born early to Mrs. Tai only lived for two years......

Wei Man can imagine how gloomy and bleak it must have been in the backyard of the Zhenguo Houfu in those years!

Therefore, after the old marquis returned to Beijing again, the old lady and Mrs. Tai immediately accepted two more concubines for the old marquis, Aunt Zhang and Aunt Luo.

Judging from the current situation, in the ninth year of Daxing, during the more than a month that the old marquis Wei Xiu stayed in the mansion, except for Aunt Luo, who was not favored by the god of fate, Aunt Zhang and Mrs. Tai were pregnant.

However, why did Aunt Luo, who was not pregnant, suddenly disappear from the house?