nucmednet Chapter 264 Sisters' Dispute
Chapter 264 Sisters' Dispute
The second sister took off the osmanthus flowers on her head and played with them in her hands: "I am not suitable for dressing up, so it's fine as it is."
Women dress up to please themselves. Now that her husband is gone, who is she dressing up for?
Si Muyan didn't try to persuade her. She knew what girl didn't love clothes and jewelry? But if her second sister looked so pretty, it would probably only bring her trouble if she continued to dress up.
It’s not a bad thing to be more restrained outside.
At this moment, an arrow shot from behind and hit the osmanthus flower in the second sister's hand, scaring the three sisters into being very nervous.
Then a girl with a bow and arrow ran over, giggling: "Look how scared you are! My kung fu is amazing. Not to mention if you hold that flower in your hand, even if you wear it on your head, I can shoot it and your hair won't be messed up at all."
Si Muyan and his younger sister didn't know this girl, and they both frowned unconsciously.
The second sister knew him, and smiled, "I know you're a powerful person."
Then she introduced herself to her sisters: "Big sister, little sister, this is the daughter of the Du family of Xuanping Marquis Mansion."
The daughter of the Du family stepped forward and saluted: "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you sisters. I'm Du Shangge, and I'm honored to meet you three sisters."
It turned out to be the daughter of the Du family. Si Muyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was this girl from the Du family who had previously revealed to the Si family the news that my younger brother was in the palace.
Du Shangge came up and took Si Muyan and Xiaomei's arms, saying, "My aunt went to the temple to pray a while ago and missed the flower viewing banquet. After she came back, she kept talking about how sorry she was that she didn't get to see you. After the hunting is over, I'll send you an invitation and invite you to my house."
Du Shangge's great uncle was the Marquis Xuanping, and her great aunt was Princess Heji, the princess of the Yunyang Palace. Princess Heji had given birth to three sons but no daughters, so she loved her niece from the next room very much.
However, the Marquis of Xuanping's second brother was a military commander, and his sister-in-law was also the daughter of a military commander. They were stationed at the border year-round and rarely returned to the capital. Du Shangge was their child, born during the border war. He had spent his childhood in the military training grounds and was not good at poetry.
When she was sent back to Kyoto after the war ended, she was already ten years old.
Over the years, Princess He Ji had wanted to train her into a qualified lady, but she was lively and active, and would find ways to sneak out to play. Her three cousins were protecting her, and Princess He Ji couldn't bear to get angry, so she had to let her go.
This has cultivated her fearless character.
The relationship between the Xuanping Marquisate and the Si family also comes from Princess Heji.
Princess Heji's mother and the Empress Dowager were sisters. When Shao Qin was young, the Empress Dowager worried that she would be lonely, so she often brought Princess Heji to the palace. The two became close, like sisters. As they grew older and married, both in Kyoto, their relationship grew even closer.
Among the people who were most happy when the Si family regained their title of marquis and returned to Beijing was Princess He Ji.
Si Muyan had heard before that Princess He Ji would stay in the temple for a few months every year, not asking for anything else, just hoping that Shao Qin would be safe and sound.
Du Shangge was lively, and her second and youngest sisters were curious about her. Soon, she pulled them to learn archery.
"You can't shoot arrows or ride horses, so you don't plan to join our daughter's hunting trip tomorrow?"
The second sister laughed and said, "Of course it's not easy for us to participate."
Du Shangge pouted: "If you meet those pretentious girls, they will definitely laugh at you."
Most of the noble ladies in Kyoto are ladies who prefer to be quiet rather than active, but they still learn riding and archery. During the annual hunting, time and space are specially arranged for them so that they can have some fun.
After Du Shangge returned to the capital, this woman always won the hunting event every year.
The younger sister said, "We sisters have been laughed at so many times, and this is not the worst."
Du Shangge thought about it and nodded in agreement.
But as you think about it, what you say will come true. A few people were talking happily, but then an inappropriate voice came from behind.
"I was wondering who was making all the noise here, and it turns out it was Miss Du."
Du Shangge looked back and immediately rolled her eyes: "Really? We sisters were just happily chatting, and I don't know where this fart bug came from, making so much noise and stinking."
The girl who was speaking blushed, but she was not as vulgar as Du Shangge, who could say anything.
Si Muyan recognized these women. The one leading the group was Zhu Qingtang, the eldest daughter of the Zhu family, and the one who was speaking was Zhu Qingtang's younger sister Zhu Qingwei.
Not only did he recognize it, but he also had a very deep impression of it, which came from the original owner's childhood memories.
Even after ten years, she could still remember it, which showed that the original owner had quite a deep resentment towards these sisters.
Zhu Qingtang's mother, the woman from the Zuo family who had originally wanted to marry Si Xingzhi, had always been at odds with Shao Qin. If the mother didn't get along, most of the children she gave birth to wouldn't get along either.
For example, the three sisters of the Si family and Zhu Qingtang.
As for Zhu Qingwei, she is a concubine's daughter and Zhu Qingtang's little follower. She has a very bad mouth and has always been the one to charge into battle and deal with the three sisters since she was a child.
But when they were two against three, the Zhu sisters were no match for the Si sisters.
Things are different now. The Zhu sisters are surrounded by many noble ladies. Those ladies may have been the playmates of the Si sisters in the past, but now they have long been alienated.
Zhu Qingwei didn't continue his verbal battle with Du Shangge. He just glanced at the three girls from the Si family with a mocking look, then pretended to be uncomfortable and fanned his nose. He covered his nose and said, "I was wondering where the stench came from. It turned out to be the smell of the countryside. It's really unpleasant."
When Du Shangge saw his friend being talked about, he wanted to fight back, but was stopped by his second sister.
The second sister said calmly, "We were here first. If you don't like it, just leave."
Zhu Qingwei snorted coldly, "Humph, this isn't your place either. Why can you come here but others can't? You're just country bumpkins, not even presentable."
Du Shangge couldn't stand it any longer. He ignored his second sister's nagging and retorted, "What's wrong with coming from the countryside? The emperor values the country and the people's livelihood. Last year, he said that officials from various departments didn't understand the suffering of the people, so he ordered them to go to the countryside to understand the people's sentiments and gain some experience."
"That's what officials should do. Why? As noble ladies, shouldn't we learn the rules and etiquette? Are we supposed to imitate the Si family's daughters, running off to farm and cooking for a living?"
Du Shangge grew even angrier. "People are supposed to do what they do, and there's nothing wrong with that. But have you become accustomed to acting so high and mighty? Don't you know that the food we eat and the clothes we wear are all grown, raised, and made bit by bit by the common people?"
"You..." Zhu Qingwei couldn't argue with Du Shangge and was stuck for a moment.
Seeing his sister's frustration, Zhu Qingtang, who was standing by, immediately turned cold and said, "Du Shangge, you are a daughter of a marquis' mansion after all. It's okay that you were uneducated before, but why are you hanging out with these unsophisticated people today? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"