Outside the mansion, Xie Fengran would still care about the face of the Marquis Mansion, but once inside, she wouldn't tolerate Xie Yunxi's nonsense!
Seeing Xie Fengran hurrying towards the main courtyard, Xie Yunxi quickly followed.
After Xie Fengran entered the second gate, she saw the old woman from Old Madam Xie's yard waiting there.
The old woman bowed when she saw Xie Fengran. "This slave has seen the eldest miss. The old madam requests your presence."
Xie Fengran nodded. "I was just about to go to Grandmother's place."
The old woman took a few steps back and followed behind Xie Fengran.
After this short delay, Xie Yunxi caught up from behind and shouted, "Sister!"
Xie Fengran paused for a moment and then continued walking as if she hadn't heard. Xie Yunxi gritted her teeth and reached out to grab Xie Fengran.
At this moment, the old woman quietly blocked her and reminded, "Second miss, please mind your manners."
Xie Yunxi was stopped. She wanted to flare up, but when she saw the old woman's face, she managed to suppress it. "So it's Nanny He. Why are you here?"
"The old madam invited the eldest miss over, and this slave is waiting for the eldest miss here." Nanny He bowed and then quickened her steps to follow Xie Fengran.
Although Xie Yunxi was afraid that Xie Fengran would complain about her to the old madam and was reluctant to let her go, with someone from the old madam's yard here, she didn't dare to act rashly.
She could only glare hatefully as Xie Fengran disappeared from sight.
Gritting her teeth, she turned around and walked towards the outer courtyard, deciding to go find Xie Yi for support first.
But before she could turn around, she was called out.
"Second miss, the old madam has given orders. If you want to go, you can go with the eldest miss."
"I don't..."
"If you didn't want to go, why were you following the eldest miss just now? Your courtyard is in the other direction."
Facing Nanny He's face, Xie Yunxi couldn't say no. After thinking for a while, she thought it might be good to go.
The Pine Courtyard of Old Madam Xie was located in the south of the Marquis Mansion. It was grand and serene. There were no gaudy flowers and plants in the yard, just like Old Madam Xie's personality.
The Pine Courtyard had strict rules. The maids and old women behaved properly. It was the only place in the entire Marquis Mansion that still maintained the demeanor of a century - old noble family.
As soon as Xie Fengran entered the yard, a maid welcomed her into the main room. As she pushed open the door, she saw an old woman with graying hair, wearing a semi - old daily dress, sitting at the top, holding a cup of tea.
Behind the old woman stood a serious - looking nanny, holding a ruler. At this moment, she was looking at Xie Fengran and winking continuously.
As Xie Fengran stepped in, she noticed the nanny's expression and gave her a grateful smile. Then she walked silently in front of the old madam and stood still.
"Bang!" Old Madam Xie put down the teacup heavily, her face darkening. "You still remember to come back?"
"Kneel down for me!"
Xie Fengran knelt down silently.
The ground was very cold in early spring, but Xie Fengran didn't even blink.
She still remembered to reply, "Grandmother, it was wrong of this granddaughter. This granddaughter shouldn't have gone to the Sun family's banquet without informing you."
Seeing that Xie Fengran admitted her mistake so readily, Old Madam Xie snorted. "Fine. You've grown up, so it's no wonder. But where did you hear those words you said at the Sun family's place?"
The matter of the Sun family's banquet could only be covered up for a while, not forever.
Old Madam Xie didn't lower her voice when she said this. Xie Yunxi, who had entered the yard, heard it clearly. Her eyes flashed, and she wanted to walk into the room.
"Second miss, the old madam is talking to the eldest miss. Please wait here!"
How could Xie Yunxi easily give up the chance to see Xie Fengran's embarrassment? She smiled at Nanny He. "Nanny, how do you know Grandmother won't let me in if you haven't announced me?"
"It seems that the second miss hasn't learned the rules well. She still needs to learn them all over again."
After Nanny He said that, she turned and stood by the door, ignoring Xie Yunxi.
Xie Yunxi didn't dare to go in, but she didn't dare to leave either. She could only wait outside.
Inside the room, Xie Fengran looked calm as she replied, "A few days ago, this granddaughter went to the Fanyin Temple. Passing by the Lingfeng Teahouse, there was a traffic jam on the road, so this granddaughter went in for a cup of tea to rest. By chance, this granddaughter heard the storyteller tell a few stories. This granddaughter thought they were interesting, so she remembered them."
"Those vulgar sayings in the streets are not something a noble young lady like you should listen to. Are the people around you all dead? How could they let you set foot in such a place?" Old Madam Xie's eyes swept over the maid behind Xie Fengran. "Someone, drag this useless maid who failed to protect her mistress down and slap her in the face."
The maid who had followed Xie Fengran in knelt down straight without pleading for mercy.
"Grandmother, you can punish Lanfang as you see fit, but please don't beat her too badly. Otherwise, this granddaughter will have no one to serve her."
Old Madam Xie was stunned for a moment. Her face looked a bit ugly, and she was about to flare up.
The nanny with the ruler thought it was bad and quickly stepped forward. "Old madam, don't you still have something to tell the eldest miss? Why get angry with a maid? After all, she is someone around the eldest miss. If you beat her, it will also make the eldest miss lose face, and it won't look good on you either. Don't let others laugh at you."
"Humph, I think she is just like her father. She's grown up and doesn't take me, this old woman, seriously. After going to the Sun family's place, she doesn't know her own limits!" Old Madam Xie's face still looked bad, but her tone was not as tough.
"How could that be! The eldest miss was brought up by you. Naturally, she is on your side." After saying that, she winked at Xie Fengran, signaling her to say something and show some submission.
Xie Fengran sighed silently in her heart and softened her tone. "Grandmother, it was this granddaughter's fault. This granddaughter shouldn't have said whatever came to mind and made you worry."
"It's good that you know. I've managed your reputation flawlessly. It's not for you to ruin it outside. Those restaurants and teahouses are not places a noble young lady should go. It's precisely because the Queen values your modesty and dignity that she named you to attend the flower - viewing banquet in the palace."
Xie Fengran lowered her head slightly, listening to the admonition with a respectful attitude.
Old Madam Xie felt a bit better and said earnestly, "You are the legitimate daughter of our Marquis Mansion of Determining the Country. You are not some unseemly thing born from a concubine. You must remember that not everyone can be compared with you. As for those two siblings from the Wang family, they are just unseemly things. So what if you had someone beat them back? Why bother arguing with them and ruin your own reputation."
"Although the Marquis Mansion of Determining the Country is not what it used to be, as long as this old woman is still alive, no one will be allowed to bully the people of the Xie family!"
These words were both heavy and harsh. The nanny beside the old madam twitched the corner of her mouth. She thought to herself that now she knew who the eldest miss took after when she said those words!
Hearing these words outside, Xie Yunxi's face turned green and red in turns. She almost couldn't maintain her composure.
But it wasn't over yet. Only to hear the old madam inside slap the table with a bang and order without any room for doubt, "Tell Nanny He to drag that ungrateful thing who has forgotten all the rules into the ancestral hall and lock her up. Release her only when she knows her mistake."
Nanny He outside immediately replied loudly, "Yes, this slave obeys the order."
Then she stood in front of Xie Yunxi. "Second miss, the old madam wants you to kneel in the ancestral hall for punishment. Please go."