All Hail Cousin Brother

Chapter 588: Born with a Phoenix Fate

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Matriarch—” Nanny Liu was shocked. She quickly took out the incense pill that Eldest Miss had prepared in the house and crushed it. She fed it to Matriarch and served her a cup of tea.

Only then did Old Madam Yu recover, but she still did not look too good.

Nanny Liu had lingering fears and quickly said, “Matriarch, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I’ll get someone to get a doctor immediately…”

Old Madam Yu shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just that when I suddenly saw Master Hui Ji’s orders for Yao Yao, my heart suddenly palpitated so much that I couldn’t calm down for a moment.”

At that moment, she almost couldn’t breathe.

It was as if the words written on it had already happened.

Old Madam did not show her Master Hui Ji’s order, so Nanny Liu naturally did not dare to ask further. However, Old Madam’s reaction just now was too terrifying, and Nanny Liu was worried that the order was bad.

Eldest Miss had been taken care of by her since she was young, so how could she not worry?

Hence, she asked carefully, ‘Eldest Miss is blessed. Theres no better eldest sister in the capital.”

Old Madam Yu looked at her deeply and sighed slightly. “I’m just afraid that she’s too good. We’re too blessed. Our family can’t afford to provide for her or protect her.”

Nanny Liu’s heart was in her throat.

For some reason, she thought of the Third Prince.

Master Hui Ji’s second reading. “This woman was born with a phoenix life!”

The next morning, Old Madam Yu used the excuse of having a bad dream to go to the Precious Peace Temple and ask to see Master Hui Ji. Nanny Liu knew that Eldest Miss’s life was too terrifying.

Perhaps it wasn’t bad.

It was too good.

Master Hui Ji did not see the Matriarch and only asked a small monk to pass on a message. “Master said that whether it’s true or false, the good and bad of the world are all reliant on you.”

Old Madam Yu’s face turned pale. She recalled Grandmaster Hui Neng’s order back then. “Showing your virtue can bring you to nirvana!”

Wasn’t the word “Nirvana” related to the word “Phoenix ?

Then, she thought of the Third Prince, who seemed to have his eyes on Yao Yao.

If she was born with a phoenix’s fate and should be with the Third Prince, then Yao Yao would have to marry into the Third Prince’s residence first and become his secondary consort in the future…

No matter which prince’s future was noble, letting Yao Yao become just a “concubine” was enough to make Old Madam Yu feel like she had eaten a fly and wished she could cover her granddaughter up tightly.

As a result, Old Madam Yu was no longer in the mood to organize her granddaughter’s birthday.

Large families usually had to be engaged at the age of twelve or thirteen.

Yao Yao’s marriage had yet to be settled. If she held a big birthday celebration, wouldn’t it be obvious to others that her daughter had just grown up and was available?

Since she did not plan to get her granddaughter engaged, it was better to keep a low profile on her birthday.

Smarter families could also see some signs, which saved them some trouble.

As soon as Old Madam Yu returned to the residence, she burned Master Hui Ji’s second reading and held the first reading tightly. Only then did she feel a little comforted.

If anything happened in the palace, at least this life seal could block it. With Yao Yao’s talent and reputation, and the situation at home, no one would say anything even if she was engaged at a later age.

The young misses were invited to a banquet, and the invitations should be sent over in three to five days. However, there had been no movement from the Yu Residence. Those who were familiar with them knew that the Yu

Residence did not plan to hold a small banquet.

Old Madam Song glanced at Song Mingzhao. “It seems that Old Yu is planning to keep Yao Yao for another two years!”

Song Mingzhao lowered his eyes. He didn’t know what had gone wrong, but Old Madam Yu suddenly changed her mind. She wasn’t in a hurry to get her granddaughter engaged.

This made him feel that he had miscalculated.

Old Madam Song held her teacup. The clear yellow jade osmanthus tea was unique.

She liked it, but her grandson, Song Mingzhao, liked it even more.

Old Madam Song sighed slowly. “Three years ago, on the seventh of the second month, I suddenly saw Yao Yao at the Precious Peace Temple. She had become a big girl, so I had an idea.”

Song Mingzhao pursed his lips. That day, Eldest Miss Yu seemed to be wearing pink and white clothes. At that time, he hadn’t looked at her carefully and had only vaguely caught a glimpse of her when she was greeting Old Madam Yu.

However, he still remembered Eldest Miss Yu’s bright and clear eyes.

Old Madam Song glanced at Song Mingzhao again. “At that time, I thought to myself that I had underestimated Yao Yao since she was young. Although she was used to being pampered by Old Yu and was a little ignorant, she had also been raised well. She was an unpolished jade. Once she was taught how to be a good household manager, she would be able to become a great person.”

Third Miss Yu was also a sensible person and knew the rules. You could tell she was good at one glance. However, since her personality was not revealed, she did not think much of her.

Song Mingzhao’s hand that was holding the teacup trembled.

Old Madam Song’s expression was a little gloomy. “Yao Yao is still young. Old Yu has the intention to take two years off before you become a High Scholar. Our family doesn’t want you to get engaged early and disturb your growth.” At this point, her face was filled with regret. “If I had known earlier that there were still variables in this marriage…”

Men usually looked at the engagement when they were 17 or 18 years old. It wasn’t appropriate for Song Mingzhao at that time. She had originally thought that when Mingzhao passed the imperial examination and Yao Yao turned 13, the palace examination would almost be over. When the Imperial Court released the rankings and mentioned this matter again, the Yu Residence would feel proud, and it would also show how much the Zhenguo Marquis Residence valued Yao Yao.

Who would have thought that a fraud in the examination would mess up this matter?

Old Madam Song sighed again. “I wonder what Old Yu is thinking. Yao Yao is too outstanding. How can she be kept? I’m there will be a disaster is she is kept!”

She was too outstanding, but they did not have a compatible family background.

Song Mingzhao suddenly stood up and walked up to Old Madam Song. He knelt on the ground firmly. “I want to ask Grandmother for a favor.”

Old Madam Song looked at Song Mingzhao with a complicated expression. After a long while, she said, “Tell me!”

Song Mingzhao’s heart ached. Unknowingly, even his voice had become hoarse as he endured it. “I like Eldest Miss Yu and want to be with her for a hundred years. Grandmother, please stand up for me.”

As expected!

It wasn’t that Old Madam Song hadn’t noticed Song Mingzhao’s thoughts. Seeing that he wasn’t anxious and had a plan, she didn’t expose him.

Even Old Madam Song did not expect her grandson, who had always been indifferent, to be flustered because of Yu Youyao. “Why are you so anxious? After a while, when the Imperial Court reopens and you take the examination, wouldn’t it be more logical to mention this matter?”

Song Mingzhao clenched his fists. “In case anything happens, I don’t dare to wait, nor do I want to.”

As there were too many variables, he was always worried that if he continued to wait, there would definitely be additional complications. Perhaps on the day of the Buddhist Festival, he shouldn’t have gone to look for Old Madam Yu. Instead, he might have alerted the enemy.

Old Madam Song closed her eyes. “Ever since you were young, you’ve never asked me for anything, and you’re not close to your family. Sometimes, I often regret it. Back then, when Old Master wanted to send you to the Precious Peace Temple, I should have objected vehemently..”

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Chapter 589: Don’t Lie

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Old Madam Song said tiredly, “All these years, I’ve seen you become more and more silent and indifferent every day. I keep thinking of how you were also so shrewd when you were young. You were smart and no one in the family could control you when you caused trouble. You’re not like who you are now, silent and having no desires…”

How could such a noisy child become so quiet so easily?

It was the family law’s whip that hurt his flesh.

It was painful to kneel in the ancestral hall.

She was also used to scolding and lecturing her.

Every word and sentence was an expectation that pressed down on his small shoulders.

Everyone said that the Zhenguo Marquis Residence was well-mannered and could raise such an outstanding junior like Mingzhao. However, sometimes, they often wondered if they were nurturing Mingzhao or destroying him.

Mingzhao had distanced himself from everyone in the residence and was even on guard. Even though he liked Yao Yao, he kept it to himself and did not want anyone to know.

He trusted no one but himself. The more he wanted and valued something, the less he dared to let anyone know. He was always afraid that he would become another cat who had been “falled to his death.”

He had never been fulfilled by anyone. He needed to scheme for what he wanted.

It was because something had suddenly happened to the marriage he wanted that caused Mingzhao to panic. That was why he had begged her.

A man had gold under his knees. He would rather kneel and beg her, his grandmother, than be like a real grandson and express his feelings to her openly.

As Old Madam Sone spoke, her eves welled up with tears.

Song Mingzhao only knelt stiffly on the ground, not knowing how to react.

Old Madam Song pinched her handkerchief and gently pressed the corner of her eye. She took a deep breath and said, “I’ll make a trip to the Yu Residence tomorrow. Get up!”

Song Mingzhao kowtowed respectfully to Old Madam Song. “Thank you,

Grandmother.”

The solid kowtow made Old Madam Songs heart bleed. The grandfather and granddaughter treated each other like outsiders. “Mingzhao, are you… blaming me?”

Song Mingzhao was stunned when he heard this. He slowly lowered his head. “I wouldn’t dare.”

It was true that he did not dare to, but it was not that he did not. Perhaps even Mingzhao did not sense the difference.

Old Madam Song’s body went limp, and she forced herself to calm down.

“Don’t lose your composure. Everyone says that good things happen often. Old Yu dotes on Yao Yao. It’s impossible for her to be happy about the engagement unless she’s blind with anxiety. Even if a Heavenly Immortal is in front of her, she can still pick out 30% of the mistakes. We have to take a closer look and think about it.”

When Song Mingzhao heard this, he did not feel comforted. “Thank you for worrying about me, Grandmother.”

With something on her mind, Old Madam Song tossed and turned for the entire night without sleeping soundly. The next day, even her eyes were dark. After washing up and combing her hair, she applied some powder to cover them up. The maidservant prepared a meal, but she did not have much of an appetite for the top-grade Rogue rice porridge. After eating a few mouthfuls, she ordered someone to get a carriage and went to the Yu Residence.

Old Madam Yu felt uncomfortable thinking about the order, although it was Linghuai who had stepped in to invite Master Hui Ji to calculate it.

However, monks did not lie.

She did not care about her natural phoenix fate. If she wanted to cover up this matter, no one would know. However, every time she looked at that fate, she would panic and feel uncomfortable.

Nanny Liu thought that she was not feeling well, so she specially invited an imperial physician into the residence.

The imperial physician only said that the Old Madam’s liver was not in good condition. He prescribed a prescription for liver relief. Eldest Miss had also prepared fragrance and tea for the Old Madam to drink.

Therefore, when she found out that Old Madam Song was here, Old Madam Yu couldn’t perk up either.

Seeing that her eyes were dark and listless, Old Madam Song was also stunned. “You old thing, what’s wrong? The last time I saw you, you looked like you had a grandson. Why do you look bitter?”

Old Madam Yu sighed. “Whether it’s children or granddaughters, they’re all sins of my previous life. I have endless worries about the debts of this life!”

When Old Madam Song heard this, she understood that this endless worry was not only related to marriage. It seemed that there was more to it.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “In the capital, no young miss is as outstanding as your Yao Yao. Isn’t she fine? Why do you have to worry about

Old Madam Yu rolled her eyes at her. “Stop pretending in front of me. Do you think I don’t know why you’re here?”

At the mention of this, Old Madam Song’s spirits collapsed. “Mingzhao likes your Yao Yao. I think you’ve been well aware of this for the past two years. You don’t know this, but he’s trying his best to amaze everyone in the Spring Quarter Examinations this year. He’s also confident and asked me to come to your house to propose.”

Old Madam Yu lowered her eyes and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, but she did not say anything else.

On the day of the Buddhist Festival, Song Mingzhao had been scheming. Although it was unpleasant, it was understandable. However, Song Mingzhao was so scheming that he had overstepped in front of his elders, making her a little angry.

Old Madam Song changed the topic. “He almost collapsed after an incident regarding the cheating in the examination. You don’t know this, but Mingzhao was tortured miserably. He received many punishments in prison and almost lost his life. It was only after he was released from prison that he asked Shi Yu for treatment. Later, Master Hui Tong gave him a prescription for his recuperation and he felt better…”

However, even so, he was still sick.

Imperial Physician Shi only said that he could recuperate well if he recuperated carefully while he was young.

Previously, she had only heard Song Mingzhao mention it casually, but she did

not know how serious it was. Old Madam Yu could not bear to see him like this either.

Thinking about how this child had suffered in prison, no matter how angry she was, it was almost over.

She could roughly understand Song Mingzhao’s thoughts.

He was originally filled with confidence, but his sudden cheating had disrupted his plan. He was worried that something would happen to the marriage, so he used the topic of “saving his life” to go against the “Third Prince”.

Of course!

She also understood that Old Song was a shrewd person. He had said this to soften her heart.

Old Madam Song sighed slightly. ‘You’re right. Whether it’s children, granddaughters, or grandchildren, they’re all sins of her previous life and debts of this life. Yao Yao suddenly stopped holding a birthday banquet, and Mingzhao was panicking. Look, I’m here to beg you.” At this point, she changed the topic and said, “I came over today to ask you what you think of Yao Yao’s marriage.”

Old Madam Yu felt uncomfortable. “Mingzhao is top-notch in terms of looks and talent. The Song and Yu families are family friends, and your Zhenguo

Marquis Residence has also been an honorable family for hundreds of years. There’s naturally no need to mention your family background. You’ve doted on

Yao Yao since she was young. Your eldest daughter-in-law also likes Yao Yao. There’s no family I’m more at ease with than your family.”

At this point, she looked helpless. She took out her pouch and handed it to Old Madam Song. “You should read it yourself, in case you think I’m fooling you..”