Madam Qin patted Qi Zhenzhen's hand. "The affairs of the household are neither too many nor too few. You will have to work hard from now on. As for social obligations, the steward has a set of rules. You can adjust them as needed. If you are confident, make your own decisions. If you are unsure, come and consult me. Also, don't worry about me, I am fine."
As she spoke, Madam Qin winked. "I have no other desires right now. Just live well with Ah Nian. As for descendants, I won't rush you. Whenever it happens, it happens."
Qi Zhenzhen hadn't expected her to bring up descendants so quickly and felt a bit awkward.
"Mother..."
Madam Qin smiled. "I know, you're shy. We won't talk about it."
Qi Zhenzhen took a deep breath to calm herself. "I don't think Concubine Dong's token will be handed over easily."
Madam Qin nodded in agreement. "Now that she has a child, her standing in the Duke's heart will surely grow. The Duke already doted on her in every way, and now with this backing, she's likely to become even more arrogant. I never intended to get the token back immediately! In a few days, Princess Rui will be hosting a lotus appreciation banquet. Invitations will be sent to all the families in the capital. The person assisting Princess Rui with the banquet is the wife of Minister Wang from the Ministry of Personnel. She is a person who always values rules above all else."
Minister Wang's wife? Qi Zhenzhen remembered that when Qi Mingzhu had looked down on Minister Wang's wife, she had been reprimanded by her grandmother and even had to go and apologize. She was indeed a person who valued rules, someone upright and unyielding, who would definitely speak out against things she disapproved of.
At that time, the invitations would be sent to the person managing the household. For Concubine Dong Ningxin, an姨娘, to attend such a banquet, unless the Duke truly disregarded the Duke's Mansion's reputation, Concubine Dong Ningxin would have to obediently hand over the token to Madam Qin and relinquish her managerial authority.
"What about Eldest Sister-in-law..."
"When she was a young lady, she knew her place. She understands who she should stand with, the legitimate wife or the concubine. Gu Siya values Concubine Dong Ningxin as an aunt, but Lin Fangru might not necessarily value her! Furthermore, Gu Siya needs to maintain her reputation now, and a good reputation naturally comes from showing filial respect to me, her legitimate mother," Madam Qin said unhurriedly.
Before, Gu Sinian had told Qi Zhenzhen that Madam Qin was too soft-hearted and kind, not seeing things clearly and being kept in the dark. After hearing Madam Qin's words, it was completely different from what Gu Sinian had said. She was kind, but not weak or muddled. On the contrary, she saw things very clearly.
"Mother is right, Eldest Sister-in-law is a very sensible person," Qi Zhenzhen agreed with Madam Qin's assessment of Lin Fangru.
"Alright, you don't need to stay here talking with me anymore. Ah Nian will be leaving in a few days, and there will be many things to prepare. For these few days, don't worry about anything else, just focus on Ah Nian," Madam Qin said with a smile. "If there's anything I can't decide on, I certainly won't hide it from you."
With Madam Qin's words, Qi Zhenzhen didn't linger. The previous trip to the border was fraught with danger, and she still felt a bit unnerved thinking about it. Since she couldn't accompany him this time, she naturally had to make thorough preparations.
Upon returning to Qingfeng Courtyard, Qi Zhenzhen didn't see Gu Sinian. She asked Chunfeng and learned that he had gone to the front courtyard study. Assuming he had official business to attend to, Qi Zhenzhen entered the room and began packing Gu Sinian's travel belongings. She had packed two rooms full of clothes when footsteps were heard from the courtyard. Opening the window, she saw Gu Sinian directing servants to carry several large chests towards the east wing.
Qi Zhenzhen went out to meet him. "What is this for?"