As the two of them just entered the second inner gate, Nanny Su was walking out with a young maid.
When she saw Xie Yi, she was stunned for a moment. After taking a closer look at the person beside Xie Yi, she immediately understood what was going on. She bent down and saluted, "This humble maid pays respects to the Marquis and Concubine Yuan."
"Hey, Nanny Su. I'm just about to go and see Mother. If Mother has something to tell you, you can go and get busy!"
With that, he led Concubine Yuan further inside. Who would have thought that Nanny Su would also follow.
"Since the Marquis is going to see the old madam, then this humble maid doesn't need to go to the outer courtyard anymore. The old madam told this humble maid to see the Marquis."
Xie Yi raised his eyebrows. "Mother wants to see me. That's just right. Let's go!"
Hearing this, Concubine Yuan's eyes flashed. She took a small step back and stood beside Nanny Su. She asked affectionately, "I wonder what the old madam wants to talk to the Marquis about?"
Nanny Su subtly moved a bit away and straightened her back. She said, "Concubine, your question is inappropriate. We servants dare not speak casually about what the master has told us."
Hearing this, Xie Yi, who was walking in front, burst out laughing. He pulled Concubine Yuan to the front and joked, "The people around Mother have the tightest lips. Even I can't get anything out of them. Don't even think about it."
Concubine Yuan twitched the corner of her mouth. "It's this concubine who overstepped." But in her heart, she was extremely angry. This old thing actually compared her to a servant!
When they arrived at Songqing Courtyard, Xie Yi stopped in the courtyard and looked at Nanny Su.
"Please wait a moment, Marquis. This humble maid will go and announce your arrival."
After Nanny Su left, Xie Yi looked at the closed main hall. He looked back and asked the people following him with a slightly displeased expression, "Why hasn't Linzi come back yet?"
Concubine Yuan patted Xie Yi's arm. "Don't be impatient, Marquis. It's still a bit of a distance from the eldest miss's courtyard to here. Girls are delicate. It's normal for them to walk a bit slower."
"Humph! Delicate. Isn't her younger sister delicate? Knowing that her younger sister is kneeling in the ancestral hall, isn't she in a hurry? She doesn't have a bit of sisterly affection!"
Xie Yi's anger was stirred up again by Concubine Yuan. He thought to himself that when he saw Mother later, he must ask Mother to give this girl a good lesson.
At this time, the door of the main hall was opened. Nanny Su came out in person and bowed slightly. "Marquis, the old madam invites you in."
Xie Yi immediately put away his expression, straightened his clothes, and stepped onto the steps.
Seeing this, Concubine Yuan's eyes flashed. She followed Xie Yi onto the steps.
When she was about to enter the room, Nanny Su raised her hand to stop her. "Concubine Yuan, the old madam didn't invite you in."
Concubine Yuan looked at Xie Yi's back and weakly called out, "Marquis!"
Xie Yi paused in his steps. He looked at his mother sitting on the upper seat with a straight face, then at Concubine Yuan behind him. When he met the pleading look in Concubine Yuan's eyes, his heart softened.
He pleaded with the old madam, "Mother, let Concubine Yuan come in."
The old madam looked at him with a solemn expression and didn't say a word for a long time.
Xie Yi had been afraid of his mother like this since he was a child. His heart was pounding. Just when he couldn't hold on anymore, Madam Xie spoke, "Fine, then let her come in."
Nanny Su put down her arm and took a step back. Concubine Yuan quickly lifted the corner of her skirt and followed in. She stood beside Xie Yi and gave him a grateful smile.
Xie Yi immediately felt that it was worth it!
The two of them saluted the old madam.
Madam Xie looked at them coldly. When the two of them straightened up, she asked, "Why do you two have the time to come and see this old woman today?"
Xie Yi quickly walked over, pushed Nanny Su aside, and stood behind the old madam. He started to beat her back. "Mother, what are you saying? Your son misses you. Can't I come and pay my respects?"
The old madam's expression softened a bit, but she still snorted. "Bringing an unpresentable thing to pay respects. You've ruined all the rules of the Marquis of Dingguo's Mansion."
Being called an unpresentable thing by the old madam in front of all the maids and servants in the room, Concubine Yuan felt a bit embarrassed on her face. However, she knew that she must not make a scene at this time.
The more the old madam hated her and suppressed her, the more the Marquis would pity her!
So she straightened her back and stood there. However, her appearance somehow looked extremely pitiful.
Out of the corner of his eye, Xie Yi saw Concubine Yuan's appearance. He immediately felt that his mother had gone too far.
He quickly lowered his head and whispered, "Mother, Yuan is at least Yunxi's mother. You should save her some face."
"Save face?" The old madam snorted. Suddenly, she changed the subject. "You save face for her, but your good daughter didn't save any face for you!"
"Mother, Yunxi she..."
Madam Xie didn't give him a chance to speak. "Nanny Su, tell him."
"Yes!" Nanny Su bowed slightly to Xie Yi and said, "Marquis, the second miss joined forces with the Miss Wang at the Sun family's banquet to make things difficult for the eldest miss. She said that the madam had snatched Concubine Yun's husband. She also said that the eldest miss had bullied her younger half - sister, was unfilial to her parents, and was extremely domineering."
Concubine Yuan's eyes flashed. Seeing that Nanny Su was about to continue, she quickly snatched the words, "Marquis, Xier is usually the most obedient. Is there some misunderstanding in this? We shouldn't just listen to the eldest miss's one - sided story."
Xie Yi had been a bit angry just now, but now he was also a bit shaken. He looked at the old madam. "Mother, is there some misunderstanding in this?"
The old madam didn't say a word. It was Nanny Su who stepped forward. She looked at Concubine Yuan coldly. "Concubine Yuan, the old madam hasn't allowed you to speak yet. You've overstepped your bounds!"
Concubine Yuan's face turned red and she lowered her head.
Xie Yi frowned. "It's okay. Concubine Yuan is just concerned about Xier."
Nanny Su glanced at the old madam and took over the words. "Marquis, that's not how it should be said. You know that the old madam attaches great importance to rules. All the masters in this mansion come to Songqing Courtyard in a proper manner. There has never been a precedent of deliberately breaking the rules."
Mentioning the rules, Xie Yi felt a bit guilty. He changed the subject and looked at the old madam. "Mother, what on earth is going on? For no reason, why would Yunxi say such things?"
"What's going on? You still have the nerve to ask. If you hadn't spoiled her, would she have done such a thing? At such a young age, she's already ruining the reputation of her elder sister. Her mind is simply vicious!"
"Who said this? Is there some, untruth in it?" Xie Yi still didn't want to admit that the daughter he doted on would slander like this.
But Nanny Su's words made him furious. "Don't worry, Marquis. These words weren't said by the eldest miss. They were said by the servants following the two young ladies. There were a lot of people at the Sun family's banquet today. I heard that the Crown Prince also went. Maybe these words have already spread by now!"
"Ungrateful daughter, ungrateful daughter! Yuan, you've taught a good daughter!"
Hearing that these words might spread, Xie Yi immediately felt embarrassed. He pointed at Yuan and was extremely angry.
Although he didn't care much about the rules, he cared about his reputation!
They could fight as much as they wanted behind closed doors, but now the shame had spread outside. And it was spread by the daughter he doted on the most on weekdays. How could this not make Marquis Xie angry?