In the Xihe Hall of the palace, Ji Qing led Baoju away. The emperor was still sitting with Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi drinking tea. A servant walked in and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty: His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi has arrived and is waiting outside for an announcement!"
"Let him stand and wait!"
The emperor didn't even raise his head as he picked up the teapot and poured tea. When he was with his friends, he liked to brew and share tea himself to relax his body and mind.
The prince of Qi had not come for a long time, so he had to go to Kunning Palace to visit the queen and the prince. When he met Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi who came to ask for his pulse, he invited them to Xihe Hall for tea. As they drank and talked, they naturally talked about the trivial things in Xu Junying's family. He was angry that the prince of Qi had meddled in things without reason and seized the imperial edict. If he didn't stop it quickly, things would get out of hand. As he was talking, Baoju came and reported that Mei Niang had obtained the imperial edict and had left the palace. The emperor was furious and was about to issue another edict, strictly ordering Mei Niang to return to the Hou Mansion. Unexpectedly, Zhang Jingyun actually pleaded for Mei Niang and said something that made the emperor's anger towards Mei Niang disappear by half.
"So, after the King of Qi injured himself that time, he cooperated with you to treat him and stopped being depressed and self-abandoned because he met Qin Er, Cen Meimei, and Qin Meiniang?"
"If the wife of Marquis Weiyuan had not appeared at that time, the King of Qi would have lost more blood. He was willing to sit in the carriage of the wife of Marquis Weiyuan and let her bandage him. He felt like he had known her for a long time because the wife of Marquis Weiyuan was dressed as a man that day and looked very similar to his dead friend. The wife of Marquis Weiyuan deliberately avoided him, but the King of Qi finally found her. Lingxuzi and I were present every time they met. It was just a social interaction between friends. The King of Qi helped the wife of Marquis Weiyuan to get the imperial decree of divorce because he didn't want her to be sad..."
The emperor looked at Zhang Jingyun and said, "You two are strange. You only met her once, but you are willing to help her brother without Junying's permission?"
Lingxuzi smiled and said, "When I first met her in the Marquis's mansion, I felt that she was a sincere and kind woman, smart and intelligent. She asked for treatment for my brother in her words, and I agreed to her promise. As the saying goes, a promise is worth a thousand gold, and it has nothing to do with Junying. Moreover, in the freezing snow, a weak woman without the support of her husband went out of the city alone to find a doctor to save her brother. Her courage is commendable. If I hadn't given Qin Boqing the pill in time that day, he would have died within a day! Leaving the old, weak, and disabled to rely on the wife of Weiyuan Marquis for support alone, I'm afraid it would be very sad. And it's not certain whether Feng, who is pregnant, can survive without Qin Boqing."
The emperor took a breath as if he had a toothache: "Isn't it said that husband and wife love each other deeply? How could Xu Junying be like that? From this point of view, was he willing to take a concubine at the beginning? Maybe Qin Meimei didn't allow it, and he treated Qin Meimei badly for this, which almost caused the death of her brother, causing her to lose heart. Needless to say, the old lady of the Xu Mansion disliked Qin Meimei even more, otherwise she wouldn't have done this: she went to the palace to make up the faults of her grandson's wife to the empress dowager, and asked Junying to take a concubine less than three years after their marriage! As a result, Qin Meimei was forced to run away secretly to do business and buy a house to help her brother and sister-in-law... Well, this speculation makes sense! She is quite capable, a weak woman who is not worldly-wise, and she got the old name Xiankelai when she came out. Didn't you help her? Could it be the King of Qi again?"
Zhang Jingyun said: "No one helped her on purpose. It was really a coincidence that she met with good luck: at that time, Xiankelai's owner, Cen Da, had to return to his hometown to mourn his father, take care of his mother, and inherit the family business. He urgently needed to get rid of Xiankelai. He waited for three days but couldn't find someone who met his requirements. On the last day, the wife of Weiyuan Hou changed her name to Cen Mei, using her grandmother's surname, and recognized Cen Da as her cousin, and successfully took over Xiankelai."
The emperor nodded: "Cen Meimei is really smart! If she takes over Xiankelai, there will be many banquets at the end of the year. The beginning of spring is also the year of imperial examinations. Candidates from all over the country will gather in Beijing. There will be countless gatherings and literary gatherings of various names. Xiankelai is a well-known old store, and customers are flocking in - she will start a profitable business right from the start!"
Zhang Jingyun wanted to say something, but Lingxuzi spoke first: "Your Majesty is wise! Since the wife of Marquis Weiyuan cannot be tolerated by Madam Xu and is determined to leave, I don't think the relationship between the couple for two years is that deep. The new wife that Junying is going to marry is his childhood sweetheart, and if the two wives have a dispute, the only one who will suffer is the old one. Since the King of Qi has snatched the imperial edict for her, it is better to let her go!"
The emperor took a sip of tea and shook his head, "Let's talk about it later. Starting tomorrow, Qin Meimei will enter the palace to accompany the queen. The queen and I will find an opportunity to talk to her and see what's going on between them. I'm confused. When have people like you ever meddled in other people's affairs? We've been friends for many years, but you're willing to say that for her. If Junying heard it, he would be so sad! Junying clearly said that he doesn't want a concubine, and Cousin Zhuang has no place to go. I'll ask the queen mother to marry her to Shi Maosong, so that she won't stay in the Xu Mansion and anything else will happen! Without her cousin, Qin Meimei should be willing to stay in the Xu Mansion with peace of mind, right?"
Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi looked at each other and said nothing more. This was all they could do for Mei Niang. If they continued to do so, the emperor would become suspicious.
The emperor always favors Xu Junying. Whether Mei Niang can achieve her wish, completely break away from the Xu Mansion and walk her own way, all depends on her luck.
Zhang Jingyun's sympathy and support for Mei Niang affected Lingxuzi. When he first met Mei Niang and took her pulse, he felt the depression and accumulation of hostility in her body. Such a pulse can only be felt by people who are hurt by love and whose spirit is damaged. He couldn't figure out how she could be resurrected, but there was one thing that only he knew: Mei Niang's death was strange, not entirely due to illness, but rather it seemed that she had held her breath and fasted. Later, he gradually understood Mei Niang and knew that she was not living well in the Hou Mansion. He understood a little in his heart. If she and Junying were deeply in love, why would she die? Hearing Zhang Jingyun say that what Mei Niang did outside was to find a way out for herself, he understood very much and was willing to help her. Xu Junying has been a friend for many years, and their friendship will not change, but Mei Niang is a rare good woman in the world. The two can't get along because they are not a good match and are disliked by their elders. Junying wants to marry another cousin, but Mei Niang's temperament cannot tolerate sharing her husband with others. So why bother to tie her down and not let her go? Just for the sake of face, she has to be imprisoned in the Hou Mansion. Are they going to let her die again? It's better to let her go and let someone who can really afford her happiness take care of her.
After Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi left, the Emperor did not summon Prince Qi. He basically understood the situation and knew that there was only a little friendship between Prince Qi and Qin Meimei, so he let it go. He was tired after a day and was too lazy to talk to him. He only asked his attendants to pass on the message, ordering Prince Qi to leave the palace immediately and return to the palace to reflect on his mistakes. He was not allowed to leave the palace without permission!
The happiest person on this night was none other than Mei Niang. They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and because of excitement, she and Lin Runan slept in the same room. The two were overjoyed, like two young girls, chattering non-stop. Heng’er came to the new place and stuck to Mei Niang. Mei Niang brought Heng’er with her, and Lin Runan wanted to hug him, but Heng’er refused. Lin Runan went to hug her half-brother, and Heng’er found someone younger than himself, and became interested. Only then was he willing to get close to Lin Runan. The two older children held the two younger children, teasing each other and laughing all night. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian. to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)