Chapter 327 – Finding out about many things after becoming the heir’s teacher (2)
After the quiet dinner ended, Ning Yuxuan said that he had matters to attend to and was going to his study, so he left the room first. As Ji Man was leaving to go back to care for Haohao, Tanxiang sneakily pulled her to the side.
“Mistress Wan is requesting your presence.”
Wen Wan? Ji Man curiously looked at Tanxiang. “What’s the matter? It wouldn’t be appropriate for this one to go to Mistress Wan’s courtyard, right?”
“Wouldn’t it become appropriate as long as the teacher brings over the heir?” Tanxiang rebuked. Lightly sweeping her fragrant handkerchief over Ji Man’s body, she said, “Quickly, go.”
Since Ji Man had started cross-dressing, she had encountered plenty of women acting charming and flattering towards her. Right now, she was Ji Man, which meant that she was also playing the role of Zhangjun Prince’s loyal servant. Could it be that the princess consort had already notified Wen Wan, so Wen Wan was treating her as someone on the same side as her?
After returning to her room and picking up Haohao, Ji Man really did go to Qiangwei Courtyard. Anyways, other than Ning Yuxuan and Guibai, Zhao Zhe was the only one that knew her real identity. If Zhao Zhe wanted to use her, he wouldn’t tell Wen Wan her real identity. She wanted to go over there to hear what exactly Wen Wan wanted to say to her.
As she was entering Qiangwei Courtyard, an older female servant came over and wanted to take Haohao. Ji Man furrowed her brow and held her son tighter. “It’s better if I keep watching him.”
The older female servant didn’t have any other choice and could only let Ji Man inside.
Tanxiang lifted up a curtain and saw that Ji Man had arrived. Smiling, she said, “My master is waiting for the teacher inside.”
Ji Man nodded and directly entered Wen Wan’s bedroom.
Wen Wan was properly sitting. Seeing Ji Man entering her room, she smiled and said, “Teacher, you’re keeping such a close watch over the heir. You’re truly living up to the marquis’s expectations.”
“Mistress Wan, you’re overpraising this one.” Ji Man placed Haohao down on the floor and held his hand instead. “The marquis handed over the responsibility of taking care of the heir to this one. If anything happens to the heir, this one can’t bear that responsibility, so this one naturally has to keep a very close watch over him.”
Tanxiang closed the room’s doors, and Wen Wan stood up and swept her gaze over Haohao. Looking at Ji Man, she said, “A family member shouldn’t say such distant words. Since the teacher has joined the marquis’s household, we should be mutually showing caring towards each other.”
Ji Man chuckled. She comfortably sat down and said, “Of course.”
As she had predicted, someone had already informed Wen Wan.
“It’s only that this one recently came from Zhangjun, which is far away from here, so this one isn’t aware of the situation in the marquis’s household. This one can only respectfully request Mistress Wan to inform me.”
Wen Wan brightly smiled. “Teacher, as you saw this evening, this household only has Liu-shi as the main wife and Wan-er as an honored concubine. There’s also an ordinary concubine, but she’s not important. The marquis has two children. The child by your side is the heir, and the second child is the madam’s son.”
Ji Man pursed her lips. “Based on this one’s understanding, the heir isn’t Madam’s biological child. Has there been conflict in the household because of this?”
“Of course, how can there not be?” Wen Wan snorted. “Didn’t you hear that the heir’s mother had died from an illness? That’s because Madam couldn’t tolerate that woman and found an excuse to drive her out of the estate. I’m guessing that it won’t take long before Liu-shi starts taking action against the little heir that’s by your side in order to help her son gain the position of heir.”
Ji Man didn’t believe in Wen Wan’s viewpoint. Wen Wan’s perspective was too narrow-minded. Her view of the situation could be wrong. If Hanyun really had such a vicious heart, Ning Yuxuan wouldn’t have made her his main wife.
When Ji Man recollected the conflicts that had occurred between Hanyun and Xia-shi back then and connected it to Xia-shi recent behavior the last time she had met her, she thought that perhaps Xia-shi had been the one stirring things up to compete for favor. Xia-shi had used Haohao as her weapon to suppress Liu Hanyun by creating a false impression that Hanyun was trying to harm her. This way, the marquis would be more likely to feel pity towards her, and she could continue staying in the estate.
Fortunately, Ning Yuxuan still had some standards and hadn’t touched Xia-shi, who had reeked of mud and earth.
Hanyun just wanted to live a peaceful life. She probably wouldn’t harm Haohao.
Looking at Ji Man, Wen Wan said, “Teacher, since you’re going to be close with the heir, you’ll be able to frequently see the marquis. When that happens, please help Wan-er out by telling me what the marquis is interested in these days. Tell me what he wants and where he goes.”
Hearing these words, Ji Man felt somewhat astonished. “Haven’t you always been very favored by Marquis Moyu? Why are you asking about this type of stuff?”
Wen Wan bitterly laughed. She turned her head away as she said, “Teacher, please just help me.”
During this past year, outsiders thought that she was as favored as much as before. But, she had no idea where Ning Yuxuan’s heart had gone. Perhaps, during that torrential rainstorm, his heart had fallen off the cliff together with Nie Sangyu’s body.
It had been so long since she saw Ning Yuxuan smiling at her. He even went so far as to not be willing to kiss her. Whatever she wanted, he was willing to have it sent over, except for himself.
Wen Wan felt desolate and bereft. The heart and feelings that she had once been able to enjoy, all of it had disappeared. That person still refused to tell her why had everything had changed and had fallen to the current state.
“Alright.” Ji Man agreed and took the silver that Wen Wan had pushed over. Picking up Haohao, she left the room.
—
Ning Yuxuan was in especially good mood today. Sitting in the garden and with a brush in his hand, he was ready to paint.
In the middle of the garden, there was a small desk and a small stool. Ji Man was half-crouched down in front of Haohao and teaching him how to say short phrases.
“In this world, only mothers are good.”
Tilting his head as he looked at Ji Man, he repeated, “Mothers are good.”
Ning Yuxuan’s brush paused. With a blackened expression, he asked in a raised voice, “What about fathers?
Haohao turned his head to look. With his little arms behind his back, he solemnly said, “Fathers are good too.”
