Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 130 - 18: Double Blessings

No one expected Hong Sheng’s reply to arrive so quickly. Although it was sent by express rider, logically it should have taken nearly three months round trip, yet it had arrived just after the New Year, and the messenger was none other than Nanny Wei from Prince Ke Mansion.

Nanny Wei, as the favored housekeeper with Prince Ke, dressed in such a way that even wealthy matriarchs couldn’t compare on ordinary days, but today she was especially outstanding.

She removed her cloak made from the skin of a black fox, revealing a Kesi robe beneath, embroidered with vase flowers on a ginger-yellow background, trimmed with silver mouse fur, showing a small vertical collar of her white inner garment, embroidered with gold cloud patterns, with a jade bamboo-section button at the neckline. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Beneath was a skirt made of gray mouse fur with a dark green hem adorned with two bands of endless swastika patterns.

Her hair was styled into a neat round bun, slicked down with light hair oil, with a headband embroidered with ruyi flowers and cattails on her forehead.

The headband was inlaid with a bright East Pearl the size of a fingertip, complemented by a set of cloud-patterned headpieces inlaid with red gold and pearls, exuding an indescribable demeanor of solemn prosperity.

Nanny Wei explained her intentions and handed over Hong Sheng’s reply, and while Old Madam read the letter, she intently observed Susu nearby.

Today, Susu wore a simple single spiral bun, with just a red gold filigree hairpin inserted, her earlobes adorned with two ruby butterfly pendants the size of fingernails.

Indoors, she wore a silver-red embroidered silk jacket that seemed about seventy to eighty percent new, with an apricot-red skirt underneath, a dark green silk sash tied at the waist, from which hung a gourd-shaped apricot-yellow pocket.

For another girl, knowing this letter might decide her future, one might imagine she’d be restless.

But Susu seemed utterly indifferent, sitting calmly behind Old Madam, doing what she ought to do.

Holding an embroidery needle in her hand, she hadn’t stopped since rising to greet Nanny Wei upon her entry.

Feeling Nanny Wei’s gaze upon her, Susu looked up and smiled at her, then lowered her head to continue embroidering the flower in her hand, as though racing against time, which was indeed true.

Old Madam’s birthday is in August, next year would be her sixty-sixth grand celebration, naturally making grand preparations, Susu wasn’t sure she’d still be in the Capital then, so she’s preparing a birthday gift for Old Madam ahead of time.

Usually, the preparations are always what pleases Madam the most; this year, Susu plans to embroider a dress with blessings of longevity for Old Madam.

Susu is skilled in embroidery but very lazy, apart from making headbands and pockets for Old Madam, she herself scarcely wears anything of her own craft, thus even Old Madam finds this rare.

Old Madam Song looked at Hong Sheng’s reply.

Hong Sheng was naturally overjoyed that Old Madam was willing to betroth Susu to him; having not mentioned any constraint in the marriage proposal, Old Madam felt relieved.

At the same time, feelings of sadness and reluctance resurfaced, as Susu was indeed going to marry far away in the Northwest.

Old Madam had originally planned to keep Susu for a few more years, relying on the favor of nobility and her own esteem, she believed Susu would someday be a dependable pillar.

Susu’s appearance is truly remarkable, if she were a noble lady, she would likely find a match that protects her peace for a lifetime!

But just as Susu is a maid, Old Madam took pains to elevate her standing, hoping to secure a good marriage for her, yet now all were in vain, as fate plays its hand.

In his letter, Hong Sheng mentioned that currently the frontier war was busy, leaving him unable to return to the Capital, thus he sent the matter to Prince Ke, entrusting it to Nanny Wei.

With both parents deceased, he has no elders, so all affairs would be dictated by Old Madam, with Nanny Wei fully cooperating. Once the warfare subsided, he’d find an opportunity to return to the Capital for the wedding.

Prince Ke knew his loyal follower had history with Shun’an Earl Mansion, originally not opposing, as he valued the Song Family’s wealth and the favor of Consort Xi.

Now that the Song Family has openly hinted at their allegiance to him, reasoning dictates that as one in authority, subordinates should not grow overly intimate.

However, after years of service, Hong Sheng never asked Prince Ke for anything major, and having now set his sights on a woman, asking him to take charge, Prince Ke found it difficult to refuse, and besides, Susu was just a maid beside Old Lady Shun’an, talented and beautiful, but ultimately not a Song girl!

Though Hong Sheng didn’t provide details, Prince Ke, intent to investigate, inevitably discovered why the Prince Gong Mansion and Song Family tried to conceal Susu’s hasty marriage.

Prince Ke internally deemed the union disparaging towards Hong Sheng.

But since Zhou Yu strikes Huang Gai, one willing to hit and the other to endure, Prince Ke refrains from becoming the villain who breaks up this "match made in heaven", opting instead to instruct Nanny Wei, also granting Hong Sheng a residence in the Capital as their future marital home.

Nanny Wei, as the main representative sent by the groom’s side, was here today both to deliver a message and to find out from Old Madam Song and Susu what their plans were.

The information uncovered by Prince Ke was naturally not hidden from Nanny Wei, unlike Prince Ke, who felt that Susu’s status was a disgrace to Hong Sheng.

Nanny Wei had met Susu, and with such character and appearance, she could even become an Imperial Concubine.

The most remarkable thing was that, as a maid, she was not covetous of wealth and honor, and took great care of her mistress, making others regard her with greater respect.

Therefore, as the head representative of the groom’s side, Nanny Wei dressed so formally today because she felt some compassion for Susu.

The master intended to put Hong Sheng to important use. Once Hong Sheng and Susu were married, they were to head to the Northwest. Such a delicate beauty, one wonders if she could withstand such a harsh environment.

Having reached this point, there was no need for the bride’s side to keep hesitating, but though time was tight, the necessary rites could not be neglected.

Old Madam and Nanny Wei agreed to first bring in the official matchmaker and complete the first three rites of the Six Rites: Natcai, Wenming, and Najib, to have a small betrothal before Susu’s birthday, exchange birth details, and formalize the engagement, marking Susu as halfway to becoming a daughter-in-law of the Hong Family before discussing anything further.

After the New Year, the matchmaker entered the household, and the first three rites were quickly completed, and only then did everyone in the house learn that Susu was engaged.

The groom was actually a Fifth Rank Military Officer, whose rank was even higher than that of the Princely Heir.

Some were happy for Susu, while others were jealous and disdainful. Fifth Miss secretly hated so much that her teeth hurt, as it was ultimately a step too late for her.

It turned out Fifth Miss and her uncle had reconnected.

No one knew how Gao Yue coaxed her, making Fifth Miss believe the entire Song family was bad, and she had her trusted maid inform her uncle about Prince Gong’s interest in Susu.

Gao Yue was always someone who could cozy up to others, so how could he miss the chance to sell favor to Prince Gong!

Unfortunately, no matter how inactive Prince Gong was, he was not someone just anyone could meet. By the time Prince Gong heard the news, the beauty was already engaged.

Moreover, this Prince Gong was indeed romantic, not vulgar. When he learned that Susu would rather marry far away to the Northwest than become a concubine, his heart ached, although he understood that this little beauty Susu was different from the usual rouge and powder.

He even narcissistically thought: No wonder she was someone he valued.

It was Prince Gong’s own mother, the Grand Princess Consort Gong, who fully dispelled Prince Gong’s thoughts. After learning of Susu’s engagement, she sent her trusted nanny over with jewelry, clothing, fabrics, in over a dozen chests.

Those unaware thought the Grand Princess Consort couldn’t bear it, seeing such a good child driven to marry far away Northwest by her own "troublesome child." However, those privy to the inside story knew the Grand Princess Consort was adding to Susu’s dowry as a "grand-aunt".

As for Gao Yue, he not only gained nothing good but also left Prince Gong with the image of a cunning and treacherous person.

And Prince Gong, always unrestrained, not only ordered Gao Yue to be wrapped in a sack and beaten up but also investigated the false facade of the Song family’s Fifth Miss thoroughly.

Prince Gong was indeed upset. It was commendable for a beauty to refuse entry into Prince Gong Mansion, as it showed the beauty’s integrity, but for the Shun’an Earl Mansion to show such disdain was somewhat inappropriate!

Although Consort Xi and Princess Anning were favored by the emperor at the moment, and there was little he could do to the Shun’an Earl Mansion, he could still annoy the Song family. All because the Song family had produced such an eccentric Fifth Miss Song, and it was a way to vent his frustration for his "dream lover"!

Ever since Susu’s engagement, Old Madam declared that the entire household should treat Susu as a relative, so Susu’s residence was moved from the west ear room to the west wing of Sui’an Hall, directly opposite the east wing where the two cousins lived.

Most of Susu’s duties were handed over to Ning Xiang and Yun Tong. Though she declined the maidservants and mamas Old Madam wanted to give her, Susu was treated like a cousin within the household.

The ignorant might say it was too much, but those who understood naturally saw why. This was not only because of Old Madam’s affection for Susu but also because Susu’s fiancé was Hong Sheng, a favored person of Prince Ke’s.

Susu’s birthday was on the third day of the third month, coinciding with the Shangsi Festival. Although the household was busy with Second Miss’s marriage, Old Madam still ordered a few tables to celebrate Susu’s first birthday since the engagement. While it wasn’t extravagant, everyone in the house, including all the major and minor masters and respectable servants, sent gifts.

During the feast, the Heir’s wife felt nauseous repeatedly, which made Old Madam’s eyes light up. She quickly summoned the regular physician, only to learn that the Heir’s wife was pregnant. Old Madam laughed heartily, saying, "A double blessing!"

This year, Susu turned fourteen!