Chapter 342: Chapter 342
After paying a not insignificant price, the next day in the Palace of Eternal Spring, An Ning finally met her biological sister in this body, Wei Yun.
The visitor appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, with an oval face and almond-shaped eyes, her features bearing at least a thirty percent resemblance to the original body. However, compared to the original body, this elder sister from the Wei family clearly had sharper features and a more resolute expression.
But it wasn't hard to see she was also quite beautiful.
Currently wearing a somewhat solemn indigo qipao, her fair wrist adorned with a green jade bracelet.
Judging by her clothing and appearance, she had clearly been living quite comfortably before, which eased An Ning's worries somewhat.
Indeed, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to spend considerable amounts of silver every year to make arrangements for the original body, nor bold enough to conceive the idea of having the original body "retire due to illness" from the palace.
In her memories, this eldest sister Wei was indeed extremely intelligent, with a sharp and decisive personality...
Otherwise, when the family met with disaster, even as a married daughter, her life would have been quite difficult.
The moment she saw the person, without even needing to pretend, tears belonging to this body instantly fell.
Her voice unconsciously carried a hint of grievance.
In the room, the palace servants hastily bowed and withdrew.
After properly performing the ritual greeting and seeing that everyone had left, Wei Yun finally shed the dignified facade she had maintained throughout her journey. Raising a plain handkerchief, she wiped her face heavily twice before briskly following An Ning's guidance to sit beside her:
"Alright now, what's there to cry about? Isn't it wonderful that we sisters can still meet again?"
Though she said this, eldest sister Wei's grip on her younger sister's hand unconsciously softened considerably, gently stroking her sister's hand, her tone unconsciously filled with more tenderness.
Instinctively, the visitor's eyes scanned the surroundings, noticing everything around was indescribably luxurious items, and even her own younger sister wore nothing but the finest things.
Plus the attentiveness of the palace servants along the way...
However, at this moment, Wei Yun's expression showed little joy.
The sisters hadn't seen each other for many years and naturally had much to catch up on. After chatting briefly for a while, eldest sister Wei finally spoke:
"Little sister, tell your eldest sister, your health..."
Thinking this sister was indeed sharp, An Ning nodded upon hearing this, not denying it:
"I estimate there were problems from the very beginning when I entered the rear palace..."
This wasn't surprising. Wei Yun couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Anyone with brains could imagine what would happen to a palace servant without any foundation, especially the daughter of a convicted official from Xin Zheku, suddenly entering the rear palace.
But since things had reached this point, eldest sister Wei wasn't one to dwell on the past. The crease between her brows quickly smoothed out again:
Gently pulling her sister into her embrace:
"If it's gone, it's gone. Childbirth is already like passing through the gates of hell for women. A-Ning grew up in that wretched place, her health already quite damaged. It's not worth risking for a child that may never come."
"Your sister is outside the palace, and your brother-in-law isn't particularly capable. I know nothing about the situation in the palace, so I won't say anything reckless to trouble you."
Then she lifted her head with a proud expression:
"The fact that Ning Ning has reached this position shows her brains are like mine - she takes after our mother."
Fortunately she didn't take after our unlucky father. Otherwise, with such beauty and family background combined with that kind of brains, it would truly be a catastrophe.
While marveling at her younger sister's beauty, eldest sister Wei unconsciously felt grateful inwardly.
An Ning, who clearly guessed what she was thinking: "..."
Sigh, this eldest sister is indeed as lively as remembered.
"By the way, enough about me. How about you, elder sister? Have you been well these years? How is my niece? And brother-in-law, he..."
"Him!" Eldest sister Wei snorted coldly:
"With his wretched health, does he still think he can reach for the skies? Don't worry, little sister. I've been running the household all these years, we haven't suffered losses. It's just that the Lu clan has been rather troublesome these years."
"But after news of your ennoblement spreads, you wouldn't believe how obedient these people have become."
Finally, fearing her sister might still worry, she added:
"Rest assured, you know how capable your sister is. I would never shortchange myself or your niece."
After many years of marriage, they only had one daughter.
As for why eldest sister Wei could be so happy like today in such an environment with only one daughter, we needn't mention the brilliant maneuvers this eldest sister pulled when the Wei family met with disaster back then.
The marriage alliance between the two families was essentially an exchange of resources. Brother-in-law Lu was originally the eldest son of his family. Though from the Han Army Banner, great hopes were placed on him, determined to advance.
It was better before when the two families were relatively equal. But after the Wei residence met with disaster and lost their hereditary position, everything became completely different.
While eldest sister Wei was quite beautiful indeed, her value to a man desperately climbing upward wasn't particularly great.
The reason he probably didn't take action was likely because Wei Yun had just given birth to a daughter, and for a short time the Lu family couldn't too obviously kick someone when they were down without losing face.
But eldest sister Wei was extremely clever. Just from the perfunctory full-month gifts, she could discern these people's thoughts. Holding her newborn daughter in her arms, this eldest sister acted with remarkable decisiveness.
She directly spent large sums of silver to have a trusted subordinate procure a courtesan with quite formidable skills, while subtly leaking information to several concubines in the rear courtyard, suggesting that the main wife's position was clearly weakening, and thus the future legitimate heir might not be so important.
If someone could bear a son at this time...
In short, through multiple approaches, combined with the fact that certain stimulants from brothels were inherently harmful to health and easily addictive, within just half a year while Wei Yun was recuperating in the rear courtyard using childbirth and her maternal family's misfortune as excuses, this brother-in-law Lu was diagnosed with problems.
It was said that due to recent excessive indulgence, his kidney essence was severely depleted, and he would likely have difficulty with offspring in the future...
They said "difficult," but...
With this, any thoughts of taking another wife instantly vanished, replaced by seeking medical treatment and remedies all day long.
Later he became completely discouraged because of this, and was tempted into indulging in wine and women all day long, until even the main Lu family branch gave up on him.
With her husband unreliable and no other choice, the originally "heartbroken" eldest sister Wei had no choice but to pull herself together again. In the following years, she actually managed with her remarkable skills to properly handle the family's farmland and shops.
This gave her the means to constantly provide for her younger sister.
Of course, even with her own sister, eldest sister Wei wouldn't speak of certain methods. These were things An Ning had recently deduced herself through various clues.
Looking at eldest sister Wei's completely natural expression before her, even An Ning couldn't help but marvel:
Truly impressive, my eldest sister.