Herui Garden is the main house of the inner courtyard of the Weiguo Mansion, located on the central axis, originally the eldest princess lived in the place, since the death of the old princess, the eldest princess moved to the Yuanying Hall at the back, where the current residence, naturally is the Wei Guogong and the Duchess Huang.

It is still the hanging flower door of the blue pillar and vermilion carving, the white stone road is paved with a neat and spacious inside, the courtyard is square, and no strange flowers and plants are planted, only four tall and strong green banyan trees, occupy the four corners of the courtyard, the two sides are the verandah, the face is a row of five bright blue brick houses, the lintel of the main hall hangs a large plaque, the dragon flying and the phoenix dance "high mountain scenery line" four words, but it is the ink treasure of the emperor Gaozu, the founding monarch of the Dalong Dynasty, when the head of the family Su Ting was given when he was the prince of the country.

The hall behind the main hall is connected to the back/courtyard, and there is a flower hall on the left, which is the place where the Duchess Huang usually receives the steward's servants, and at this time she is sitting on a Hunan concubine couch, frowning slightly, and seems to be looking at the account book in her hand very attentively.

On the side of the brocade, Mama Yang sat on the edge of the side with half a side, seeing that the Huang family was silent for a long time, she rolled her eyelids slightly and looked at her expression, pursed her lips and smiled: "In March, I made summer clothes for the third-class servant women in the house, and bought fifty fine threads, only thirty-seven horses were used, and when there were still thirteen horses in the warehouse of the sewing room, but this time I wanted to make the table cover used in the birthday banquet of Mrs. Tai, but Luo family's reported to buy, and the old slave personally went to check the warehouse, and saw that there were really only two horses pressing the bottom of the box, and eleven horses were missing. But it is clearly written on the account, Luo everyone's only said that there was waste when making summer clothes, and the wrong amount was reported carelessly, but in this way, it is necessary to consume more than a zhang to make a set of summer clothes, how is it possible? ”

Huang's brows tightened a little: "Mama means ......"

"The old slave carefully inspected the inventory today, not only the fine yarn, but also the silk and silk yarn have a lot of deficits, Luo family's only push up the loss, she has only been in charge of the needlework room for a year, you must know that the steward of the Yao Wu family at that time has never had such an amazing loss."

"In this way, it turned out to be the black heart of the Luo family that stained these clothes!" Huang sat up and slapped the account book on the couch: "I just thought she was an understanding person, and the needlework room was handed over to her after the Yao Wujia went, I didn't want to be so greedy, she was Mama Song's in-laws, and she was usually a little decent, but she didn't want to do such a sneaky and sneaky ugly thing." ”

Mama Yang hurriedly persuaded: "The Duchess of the Kingdom is angry, but the bite of the Luo family is a loss, and the old slave can't hold her evidence." ”

"If this matter is publicized, it will also hurt Mama Song's face, and even Mrs. Tai is afraid that her face will be gloomy, but if she ignores it, won't she condone such a slave again, and she may not be arrogant in the future." Huang was very embarrassed and discussed with Mama Yang: "Do you have any good ideas?" ”

"It's absolutely impossible to ignore it, but if there is no real evidence, it is not appropriate to make a big fuss, but in any case, some of this account is not in the library, and the Luo family, as the manager of the needlework room, cannot get rid of the responsibility of improper management, Mrs. can use this as a pretext to blame her for making up for the shortfall, and without her messenger, it not only saves face for her, but also serves as a warning to others." Mama Yang was conscientious and said a compromise method.

Huang thought about it carefully, and then nodded: "That's it, Mama don't make a noise first, let me say it in front of Mrs. Tai first, so that I can teach Mama Song to be prepared." ”

"It's just a candidate for the steward of this needlework room......" Mama Yang asked again.

"I just look at your eldest daughter-in-law, not to mention it neatly and neatly, and she is a careful person, and she deserves the position of steward of the needlework room." Huang laughed.

"She's still young, where can she take on such a heavy responsibility." Mama Yang excused herself.

"Mama is afraid that her daughter-in-law will be affected? Although she is younger, but the two years in the flower house in the messenger has also been completed in an orderly manner, which of the stewards everywhere did not praise her a few words, several begged in front of me, I want this capable person to help, why should I be modest. Huang made up his mind, and did not let Mama Yang shirk: "It's so decided, Mama will talk to her first, and when you deal with the Luo family, let her share my worries." ”

The words have been said to such an extent, Mama Yang had no choice but to respond, and was about to leave, when she heard Bai Lu say that Mama Song had arrived.

"Hurry up, please." Huang hurriedly instructed Bai Lu: "Brew a pot of the West Lake Longjing rewarded by the lady in front of you, and let the two grandmothers taste the products." ”

Mama Yang was busy thanking for the grace, but she still had something to do, said goodbye and left, and met Mama Song in the hall, the two of them just bowed slightly, and they were not noisy, and they were not polite, so they passed by.

Although they were all personal maids beside the eldest princess, their temperaments were very conflicting, Mama Song has always been unaccustomed to Mama Yang's inflexible hypocrisy, and Mama Yang is also very disgusted with Mama Song's arrogance and domineering, so although they have known each other for decades, they are only nodding friends.

Mama Song walked forward with her head held high, and it was not until outside the flower hall that she put a courteous smile on her face - it is the principle she has always pursued to be restrained and domineering in front of her master, and she usually does the same to the second lady Li who was born in a broken household, not to mention the Duchess Huang who is second only to the eldest princess in the backyard.

Hearing that the Huang family was going to entertain her for tea, Mama Song hurriedly refused with a smile: "The Duchess of the Kingdom appreciates tea, which is the blessing of the old slave, but this time I came because the princess invited the lady to Yuanying Hall, and I didn't dare to delay more." ”

Hearing that the eldest princess was invited, the Huang family hurriedly stood up, naturally he would not leave Mama Song to taste tea, nor would Bai Lu follow, but only walked all the way outside Herui Garden, and did not inquire about the reason, but talked about the Luo family: "Mama recommended her to manage the sewing room that day, and I didn't pay much attention to it, I just thought that she was also an old man in the house, so naturally there would be no mistake, who would have thought that such a thing would be done, it is really embarrassing." ”

Speaking of this, he frowned slightly, his eyes slanted to the corners of his eyes, and he saw the rare embarrassment on the face of Mama Song, who was usually a little lonely, and smiled softly: "If it weren't for Mama Yang's carefulness, I would still be kept in the dark, but Luo Jia's still rightly said that it was a loss...... Mama think about it, don't say I don't believe it, even those people who never work in the sewing room don't believe that there will be more than ten fine wear and tear in a summer dress, if I find out about this first, I have to beat it in private, at most, let Luo everyone's find the deficit, and I can't do it again in the future, it can be regarded as reading Mama's feelings, but I didn't notice it first. ”

Hearing this, Mama Song couldn't laugh anymore, first scolded her in-laws, and then whispered: "She did such an ugly thing, and she should have been punished heavily, but in the end, she was also an old man who had been in the house for half her life, and she begged Mrs. to save her some face." ”

Huang sighed: "This is nature...... I mean, don't talk about punishment, just use the mismanagement of the Luo family as an excuse, let her make up for this shortfall, she can't keep the needlework room, rest for a while, and wait for the people below to forget about this matter, and then find a few light errands for her to lead, Mama thinks it's okay? ”

Mama Song even thanked her: "It's all madam, you are merciful, madam, rest assured, the old slave will definitely warn everyone Luo, let her return the benefits of these years of smuggling intact, and think about it behind closed doors." ”

"Mama has always been reasonable, so what am I worried about." Huang pursed her lips and smiled: "Only Mama Yang also knows what is going on, so it is inevitable that Mama will confess in front of Mrs. Tai, lest Mrs. Tai hear about it elsewhere, I am afraid that Mama will be blamed for hiding it from her old man." ”

"Thank you, Madame, for reminding me, the old slave saved." Mama Song bent down and thanked her, glanced around again, and hurriedly took a few steps forward to reach Huang's ear: "In Fufeng Hall today, Sanniang spoke ill of Wuniang, saying that Wuniang killed her biological mother and was a natural nemesis. ”

Sure enough, it's because of this!

Huang sighed helplessly: "Sanniang has a strong temperament, and has always been a little stumbling with Wuniang, she is older, she should have let her sister, so I punish her every time, who knows that she not only refuses to change, but even inches like this, if I am too strict, I am afraid that she will think that I am embarrassed, even others think that I treat my concubine harshly, and Grandpa Guo spoils Aunt Cui, and treats Sanniang more than Banniang, even I am not too strict with her." ”

"That's not the reason...... However, the princess has always doted on Wu Niang, and when she heard that she had been wronged, she was naturally angry. ”

"Wu Niang is also pitiful, my sister is miserable, she went early, she can't even remember the appearance of her biological mother, and today she was treated with such evil words, it is rare for her to be sensible, only to refute with reason, but not to mess with Sanniang as usual, not to mention Mrs. Tai, I also feel sorry for her." Huang raised his hand and stroked his forehead: "Since Mrs. Tai has opened her mouth, this time I am only afraid that I will have to severely punish Sanniang, even if she has a grudge against me, there is no way." ”

Mama Song rolled her eyes, and she had a plan in her heart, but she only smiled: "How can Sanniang not know your difficulties Madame, she has always respected you very much, even if she is wronged, where can she have a grudge against Madame." ”

"I hope so." Huang smiled bitterly, and saw that he had arrived at the fake stone henge, so he didn't say more, and only entered the Yuanying Hall silently with Mama Song.

Between Yuanying Hall and Herui Garden, there are still several courtyards, a shade of acacia flowers, a courtyard near the west of Huaiyin, the courtyard is small, the arch moon stone door is open, the door is a gravel path, winding between more than ten magnolia trees, there are clusters of verdant and slender bluegrass on both sides of the path, and the wax color is drawn out from time to time, at this time bathed in the brilliant glow, Tingting Shushu, as if you want to speak and be ashamed.

This is the Zhilanxuan where Su Yichen, the eldest daughter of the Weiguo Mansion, lives.

Unlike most buildings in the Fuzhong, Zhilan Xuan is a two-storey sandalwood building, and Yichen's bedroom is located in one of the upper floors, and not only are the blue screen windows tightly closed, but there is not even a single gap between the two carved doors.

The boxes and cages in the room are all open, but where there are a few small cases, cluttered with colorful clothes and jade ornaments, or pen, ink, paper and inkstone, outside the embroidery screen of Wumei fishing, the big lady who only wears a jade-colored single dress leans weakly on the beauty couch, the gloom between her eyebrows is shrouded, and a pair of amber eyes are full of helplessness.

Yichen and the prince of Wei Guo were originally twins, and the facial features of the brother and sister were extremely similar, but for a woman, the well-defined cheeks and sharp lips were not soft enough, making her look a little serious.

Looking at the trembling maids who were kneeling on the ground, Yichen rubbed his eyebrows in annoyance.

Only Yuzhi, who was waiting closely, was still standing aside, and seeing that the master seemed to be tired, he bowed down and whispered: "I asked for a whole day, but I couldn't find the orchid hairpin, so I still gave the Duchess of the country, looked for a powerful grandmother, and interrogated them well." ”

Although the volume was not high, it was clearly heard by the maids, especially the big girl Lahui, who was in charge of taking care of the hairpin ring, couldn't help but shudder, and before she could think about it, she hurriedly bowed her head and begged: "The eldest lady can not give birth to the lady, if this is the case, the slave and maid will bear the first sin and will be driven out." ”

Yuzhi sneered: "You also know that it is the first sin, the orchid hairpin is a gift from the lady to the eldest lady, and you have to take it carefully after a few explanations, but it is like giving birth to wings, and it disappeared without a trace out of thin air...... Even if you peel your skin, it's light. ”

These words not only made Lahui's face pale, but even the blood on Yichen's face disappeared without a trace.

"The slave and maid are really wronged, it is clear that the hairpin is put away alone, in the jasper box, the eldest lady cherishes the lady's heart, and is not used to it, and the slave and maid did not find out when it was lost...... Even if the slave and maid have the courage to steal, they will not dare to guard and steal by themselves. La Hui panicked, walked a few steps on her knees with tears in her eyes, and kowtowed again: "Big lady, the slave and maid are waiting beside you when you are young, so many years of love...... How can a slave be such an ungrateful person, and where would she steal your hairpin? ”

Seeing that Lahui was crying with pear blossoms and rain, she was very pitiful, and Yichen also sighed: "I don't know what kind of person you are, but the people who can enter and exit this room are none other than these people, and one of you must be greedy." ”

So the maids all kowtowed, and all of them claimed that they had been wronged.

"Big lady, the slave's cage has been searched by Sister Yuzhi, where did you see the stolen goods?"

"Big lady, the slave will never dare to have such dirty thoughts."

"Big Lady ......"

The chaotic sound of a room full of crying and complaining made Yichen more and more upset, and he kept rubbing his eyebrows.

"I don't know when the hairpin was stolen, and if someone gets his hands on it, he will definitely transfer it to his private collection, how can I search for it?" Yuzhi glanced at the maids fiercely: "If you can't find it, you will definitely go back to the Duchess and sell all of you to Renyazi." ”

Some people were not convinced: "Isn't it that Sister Yuzhi is in charge of the affairs in this courtyard, and if there is such a thing, we can't do well, can you be alone?" ”

Yuzhi's authority was challenged, and she was furious for a moment, and as soon as she rolled up her sleeves, she rushed to the maid who was talking back, to tear her mouth: "What a sharp tooth, I have to see if you have a flower on your tongue?" ”

"That's it!" Seeing that the trouble was really not good, Yichen took the case: "Seeing that my mother has been busy for my grandmother's birthday banquet recently, I don't want to trouble her for this matter, but I can't just do it, the orchid hairpin will not give wings and fly out by itself, it must be a thief in my yard, you all pay attention to each other, if you find out everything is fine, if it is after your grandmother's birthday, it is still missing...... I had no choice but to ask my mother to be the master! ”

Seeing that the maids stopped crying, Yichen slowed down slightly: "You guys have to keep your mouths shut, if you spread it out and reach your mother's ears, I won't be able to protect you." ”

The maids breathed a sigh of relief for a moment, and looked at each other again, all with doubts and measurements. Only Yuzhi was very unwilling, and after the maids retreated, she still whispered beside Yichen: "The eldest lady is soft-hearted, that is a gift from the lady, how can you easily spare them." ”

"The people in this courtyard are all painstakingly selected by the mother, and now that there is such an ugly thing, it will hurt the mother's face if it is publicized, and it will inevitably affect the innocent if they are all thrown out, although they are subordinates, they have grown up with me, and they have been in love for so many years......" Yichen sighed, and subconsciously rubbed his eyebrows again: "I just hope that the thief can wake up after this beating, and quietly return the hairpin, and save a lot of waste." ”

Yuzhi was not so optimistic, and had the heart to persuade a few more words, but saw that Yichen had already closed his eyes lazily, so he had to swallow the words back, and packed up those cages with a heavy heart.

The housekeeper Mama Bai took a leave of three months because of her daughter-in-law's imminent delivery, and the big and small affairs in Zhilan Xuan had to be taken care of by Yuzhi first...... When there is a fuss in the future, won't the Duchess blame her for being a housekeeper? What's even worse is that the hairpin is still engraved with the name of the eldest lady, if it falls into the hands of someone with other intentions outside......

Yuzhi couldn't help but shudder, turned around and glanced at Yichen, who was taking a nap with slightly frowning eyebrows, and secretly made up her mind that it was better to discuss it privately with her own mother, and find a way out first.

So he retreated lightly, ordered a few maids who were apprehensive to wait for Hao Yichen, and went to the big kitchen himself.

Yuzhi is the son of the family, Lao Tzu Gong Liu served in the concierge, Gong Liu's family was on an errand in the big kitchen, this time was the busiest time, when he saw his daughter, he pulled out, and the mother and daughter stood behind the banyan tree on one side of the yard to talk. Gong Liujia listened to Yuzhi talk about what happened in Zhilan Courtyard, and he was a little panicked for a while, and after thinking for a while, he said: "Since the eldest lady doesn't want to make a noise for the time being, if you tell the Duchess that she is also suspected of betraying the master, I am afraid that the eldest lady will not be able to see her in the future, but if you ignore it, if the matter gets bigger, you will not be able to run away from a responsibility for poor management, alas, this matter is really a bit tricky." ”

Yuzhi almost cried, and couldn't help but grit her teeth again: "I don't know which cheap hoof it is......"

"At the beginning, I begged Mama Song to arrange you to be next to the eldest lady, or we will communicate with her first, if the matter is revealed in the future, Mama Song can also say a few kind words to you." Gong Liu's family was busy comforting their daughter: "There are only a few people in the courtyard, and even fewer can enter the master's house, if Mama Song is willing to intervene, maybe she can force the thief to show up, this is the best, if you still can't find the hairpin, Mama Song also has a way to protect you, don't worry too much, just serve the master." ”

Just in case, Gong Liu's family finally took care of the whole thing, and decided to let their daughter hold it down first, and make some money and silver gifts by herself, stay for two days, and then go to Mama Song in person.