As night fell, the sound of the clappers at the hour of Xu sounded, and soon after, the bustle of Shengjing City gradually faded. The streets were crowded during the day, but now only the government sweepers were left to clean up the streets.
Located on Chang'an Street, the nearest street to the south of the imperial city, in the Prime Minister's Mansion, the maids and servants were lighting up the lamps in the backyard in an orderly manner.
After the exquisite sheep-horn palace lanterns were lit one by one, the whole Mansion was filled with a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. In the main room of the east wing, the eldest lady Dong was crying with her head down, but she suppressed her crying and did not dare to make too much noise.
Sitting next to her was the eldest master of the Lin family, Lin Guangzu, who was also frowning, clenching and unclenching his fists. In the end, he could only sigh deeply, and when he looked at his wife, he was hesitant to speak.
"Master, what can we do? We only have one daughter, why do we have to send her to the palace to be a concubine? The people in the West Courtyard said it nicely, but to be honest, they saw that their daughter had only one princess after entering the palace for many years, so they sent Qianqian to the palace. Isn't it to let Qianqian enter the palace to consolidate her favor?"
Thinking of her daughter's sensible appearance, the eldest lady couldn't hold back her tears. She clutched the handkerchief in her hand tightly, wishing to tear up the imperial edict that allowed her daughter to enter the palace immediately.
"I originally wanted to keep her for two years and then start a family slowly, but I didn't expect that the old woman in Ronghe Hall would be this scheming. If we had known that we would have to send her to the palace, we would have arranged a marriage earlier when she reached the age of marriage."
Uncle Lin, who regretted his decision, punched his leg. He was so sad that he didn't felt the pain. But he, who always attached great importance to filial piety, actually called his stepmother "the old woman in Ronghe Hall", which made the eldest lady sitting next to him stop crying.
He complained about the grievances he had suffered over the years.
"Our Xingzhi is now 23 years old, but he is still just a guard without a rank. If we tell others, I'm afraid no one will believe it. The eldest grandson of Prime Minister Lin is just a seventh-rank palace guard, the lowest rank. He is just a joke."
"Muzhi is now about 13 years old. He can't enter the famous Imperial College. He can only have a scholar to teach at home. Even if he has lofty ambitions, he can't fly into the sky."
The more he talked, the sadder he became. His red eyes were swollen at this moment.
Seeing that the whole family had become a foil for the west wing next door to crush, he didn't expect that even their only daughter would not be spared.
Listening to his wife's rebuke, thinking that the first house had been either ignored or excluded in the past few decades, Uncle Lin was indignant. But he could do nothing except punching the air.
Who made his stepmother Rongkang Princess from the Prince Zhan's Mansion? After decades of accumulated power, she not only has full control over the mansion, but also has people who have a say in the palace and the court.
And her real granddaughter, Lin Wanzhou, the eldest granddaughter of Prime Minister Lin, is now the imperial concubine who is second only to the emperor in the palace.
No wonder the servants said that the West Cross Courtyard is the master of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
And if the people in their East Cross Courtyard had not been helped by Uncle Lin wife's family, the Dong family, they would have become a deserted courtyard or been driven back to their hometown to guard the ancestral home.
With a long sigh, the eldest master of the Lin family hated his own powerlessness and felt wronged for the children.
The candlelight stretched the shadows of the couple and cast them under the window. Outside the door, Lin Xingzhi and Lin Wanyi, the brother and sister who had brought sweet soup to their parents, heard these words clearly.
Lin Wanyi was a little stunned, frowning as she thought about this. Lin Xingzhi's hand holding the wooden tray was clenched so tightly that veins bulged, and his face looked very ugly.
He had just come back from work today, and on the way back to his room he met his sister, so they came together to pay their respects to their parents. Unexpectedly, he accidentally overheard that the West Wing was going to send his sister to the palace.
He was anxious and wanted to break in immediately, but was blocked by Lin Wanyi who was standing beside him. Sheshook her head gently at him, pulled his arm and whispered.
"Brother, come with me."
After saying that, she dragged him from the main house to her own courtyard.
"Qianqian, why don't you let me go in and ask clearly?"
Lin Xingzhi was extremely emotional about anything related to his sister, especially when he heard that entering the palace was related to the people of the West Wing Courtyard and Ronghe Hall, the evil fire that had been suppressed in his heart for a long time was about to burst out.
Lin Wanyi looked at her brother like this, and she knew without thinking how distressed and sad her parents would be. Along the way, the cool breeze had already made her sober.
"What do you want to ask, brother? No matter how much you say, it won't change the fact that I'm going to the palace, right? Instead, it will make my father and mother more uncomfortable. Why bother?"
"But this is your lifelong event! The people in the West Wing Courtyard are too much!"
He punched the pear wood table, and even the celadon cups on it shook and shook, making a clanging sound.
Lin Wanyi stepped forward and looked at his hand. It was just a little red, but it didn't matter.
So she spoke slowly, there was no loneliness or embarrassment in her tone.
"It's done, the emperor's order is hard to disobey. It's already difficult for our family to survive at home. If my marriage annoys the princess and the people in the West Courtyard, how can my mother live in peace in the backyard? Some time ago, my grandfather found a job for my father to enter the Imperial Observatory, so if I can enter the palace in exchange for the safety and smoothness of our family, big brother, I am willing to do it."
Lin Wanyi's eyes were full of sincerity, and showed more of her concern for her family.
Seeing his sister so sensible, Lin Xingzhi felt very uncomfortable. She was obviously only seventeen years old, and she could have found an ordinary family to live a peaceful life, but everything became a bubble.
Entering the palace seems to be a matter of supreme honor, but behind it, how many thorns are there to go? Lin Wanzhou of the West Courtyard has become a royal concubine, but she doesn't seem to be living a happy life. I don't know what kind of life my sister will live after she leaves.
"Qianqian..."
Lin Xingzhi wanted to persuade, but he didn't know where to start.
That night, everyone in the East Courtyard slept uneasily.
The next morning, just as the clouds broke and dawn broke. Madam Liu from Ronghe Hall personally went to the East Courtyard to invite Madam Dong and Lin Wanyi to come over and talk. The expression on her face was more amiable than ever before.
"The Second Miss is so lucky. She will soon enter the palace as a noble lady. Madam, don't worry. There is our Imperial Concubine taking care of her. The Second Miss will not suffer. Maybe she will be able to enjoy wealth and honor once she gets there. Isn't this also a blessing for the first house?" She kept trying to please and comfort them as she walked.
Madam Dong's eyes were still slightly red, and her lips were tightly pursed. Under her wide sleeves, she held Lin Wanyi's hand for a long time and was reluctant to let go.
Lin Wanyi also held her mother's slightly trembling hand in return, wanting to convey her own calmness to her so that she could feel more at ease.