After returning to the Cining Palace, Xie Nanjia took a bath and changed her clothes before sitting down to open Zhao Jingyu's letter and read it carefully. She just felt that it was not clean enough after staying outside for too long. However, Liusu and Biluo insisted that she took the second young master's letter too seriously and jokingly asked her if she wanted to burn incense.
Xie Nanjia smiled and drove the two of them out, then closed the door and read the letter herself.
It’s been a long time since we last met, and Zhao Jingyu is still the shameless Zhao Jingyu. The first sentence he said was, “Wife, I miss you so much.”
“You’re such a frivolous old man!” Xie Nanjia scolded him with a smile, but she felt sweet inside, as if she had drunk a bowl of iced pear soup in the dog days of summer.
Zhao Jingyu used two and a half pages of the three long papers to express his longing for her, and the other half briefly summarized the war situation over there, saying that they have now besieged Song Jingxing in Shanyang Pass, and have sent people to infiltrate the local people and the rebels, secretly carrying out activities to divert the people and shake the morale of the rebels. Hu Qianshan, who was traveling outside, also arrived at Shanyang Pass a few days ago. With Hu Qianshan's assistance, they should be able to break through Shanyang Pass soon and capture Song Jingxing alive.
In addition, he also told Xie Nanjia to stay at home, not to run around, not to worry about him, and to keep a happy mood and wait for his victorious return. At the end of the letter, there was a dried flower and a feather. He said that the flower was picked by him on the grassland and was called the Liren Flower. The feather was picked up by him on the grassland and was the feather of a wild goose returning south. Each of them represented his longing for her.
Xie Nanjia put the letter down, took the flowers and feathers in her hands and looked at them carefully, feeling an indescribable throbbing in her heart. This was the first love letter she had received in her two lives. Zhao Jingyu's delicate thoughts and the naked emotional expression between the lines made her heart flutter.
She read the letter twice more, memorizing every word of it, then put the letter away carefully and locked it in her little box.
She called Liusu and Biluo in, gave the dried flower to Biluo, and asked Biluo to go to the palace's Imperial Household Department to find a skilled craftsman to see if the flower could be made into an amber necklace.
"The craftsmen in the palace are clever and skillful, so they should be able to make it. But if the young lady wants to wear amber, there is already some in the warehouses of the Marquis' Mansion and the Duke's Mansion, and there are also quite a few in the Second Young Master's West Wing. Why should someone make a fake one?" Biluo didn't know that the flower was given by Zhao Jingyu, so she didn't understand why she had to make a fake one. Was it because flowers were more beautiful than insects or something
Xie Nanjia didn't explain, and said calmly: "Just go if I tell you to go, why are you asking so many whys?"
Liusu was smart. She looked at the feather on the table and then at the flower in her hand. These two things had not been there before, but now they suddenly appeared on the young lady's desk. They must have been given to the young lady by the second young master in the letter.
"Go ahead, go ahead, ask someone to do it properly, but don't break it. This is the Second Young Master's heart!" she said with a smile.
After she said this, Biluo suddenly realized: "So it was sent by the Second Young Master. No wonder people often say that a gift of goose feathers from a thousand miles away is more valuable than a token of love. Now I finally understand."
"Who said it wasn't? It was sent back over 800 miles in an emergency, so how could it not be heavy?" Liusu joked.
"..." Xie Nanjia rolled her eyes at her, but couldn't suppress the corners of her lips that curled up, and said in a feigned anger, "You're the only one who's smart, and you're the only one who's talkative!"
Liusu and Biluo burst into laughter.
Biluo took the flowers and left. Liusu asked Xie Nanjia, "Miss, do you want to write a letter to the second master? I will grind ink for you."
Xie Nanjia thought for a moment and said, "Forget it. The 800-mile express is for war, not for sending private messages. The Second Young Master doesn't know I'm in the palace yet. If I tell him, it will only increase his worries. If I don't tell him, it will seem dishonest if he finds out later. It's better not to write."
Liusu knew that what she said made sense, but still felt a little regretful.
Later that evening, the Emperor suddenly sent a eunuch to ask the Crown Princess if she had any message for the Crown Prince.
Xie Nanjia said no, and if it was convenient, please ask the messenger to take a message to the prince, saying that she was waiting for his triumphant return in the capital.
The eunuch went back and told the emperor what had happened. The emperor said to Si Fangzheng with emotion, "My daughter-in-law is truly a good and sensible girl."
"A girl with a phoenix destiny is naturally different from ordinary girls. Our prince has good vision." Si Fangzheng took the opportunity to flatter her. "Speaking of which, the fact that Concubine Shu was able to give birth to a child smoothly may also be the blessing brought by Miss Xiu'er!"
"Yes, yes, you are right." Song Wanji said with a smile on his face, "Shufei's belly had been quiet for a long time. As soon as Xiu'er entered the palace, she gave birth immediately, and it was a big fat boy weighing nine pounds. If Xiu'er hadn't been in charge of Jinghe Palace..."
He stopped talking halfway, and his cheerful face suddenly became cloudy.
"That evil-hearted villain almost caused me to lose a prince. I will find out who did this and I will execute her and her entire family!"
Si Fangzheng paused and sighed inwardly. The emperor had been angry about this matter for a long time. He wanted to make the emperor happy by praising the Crown Princess, but he didn't expect the emperor to go around in circles and come back to the same old idea.
"Yes, yes, that evil-hearted thief and his entire family should be executed. I believe the Ministry of Punishment will come to a conclusion soon." Si Fangzheng said, "Your Majesty should not be too angry, lest you get sick from anger. When we come back from Jinghe Palace this afternoon, didn't Your Majesty promise Concubine Shu to give the little prince a good name? Anyway, there is nothing urgent at the moment, why don't Your Majesty think about it carefully?"
Speaking of the little prince, Song Wanji's expression finally eased a little, and he said thoughtfully: "I need to think carefully about the name. Why don't I give him a nickname first? How about calling him Jiujin?"
Si Fangzheng: “…”
Your son, as long as you are happy.
Xie Nanjia's good mood lasted until the next morning. She got up very early, dealt with a wave of affairs, and went for a walk in the Imperial Garden with Liusu and Biluo.
The sweet osmanthus flowers in the imperial garden are in bloom, and the faint fragrance can be smelled from a long distance away. Several palace maids are walking among the flowers with flower baskets in their hands, picking osmanthus flowers to take back to make cakes and balsams for their masters.
"Miss, let's pick some to make balsam. The scent of osmanthus is so delicious." Liusu suggested.
Biluo never liked doing these tedious tasks, and protested: "There are so many fine cosmetics in the palace that cannot be used, why do you have to do it yourself? It's tiring and troublesome, and it's not as good as others."
"…" Liusu rolled her eyes at her, "You are just lazy."
"I'm not lazy. Miss is someone who can do great things. There's no need for her to focus her energy on these unimportant things." Biluo said confidently.
Xie Nanjia looked at her in surprise and said jokingly, "Biluo's perspective is different now. You are right. Only idle people have the time to do this. We, who care about the world, don't have the time to do this."
"That's right." Biluo nodded repeatedly. As long as she was not allowed to pick flowers that were smaller than rice grains, whatever she said was right.
Neither of them was interested, so Liusu had to give up. She broke off a branch and played with it in her hand, muttering, "Once the osmanthus flowers bloom, the Mid-Autumn Festival will be here. I wonder if the second young master can come home before the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Xie Nanjia suddenly remembered that during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, she had taken a branch of osmanthus to find Zhao Jingyu, but he got her drunk and she slept there all night in the west wing.
Time flies so fast, and it’s another Mid-Autumn Festival in the blink of an eye.
Can Zhao Jingyu come back
Just as she was thinking about it, a young eunuch came to find her in a hurry and said that Old Madam Cheng came to visit the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother asked her to go back to entertain the guest.
Xie Nanjia was stunned for a moment, then thought that Cheng Zhiye must have disappeared, and the Cheng family couldn't find him. They heard that he had come to the palace to see her, so they asked Old Madam Cheng to inquire about the situation.
Thinking of this, she took Liusu and Biluo back to the Cining Palace to meet Old Madam Cheng.
Old Madam Cheng was talking with the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace, but her mind was obviously not on the chat, and she kept glancing out the door from time to time.
As soon as Xie Nanjia entered the room, Old Madam Cheng saw her and subconsciously wanted to stand up.
The Queen Mother stopped her and said with a smile, "Just sit down and don't go to greet her. Xiu'er is an easy-going child and won't care."
She thought that Old Madam Cheng wanted to pay her respects to Xie Nanjia.
Xie Nanjia walked forward quickly, bowed to the old lady first, and said crisply, "Please take a seat, old lady. There's no need to be so polite."
Madam Cheng sat down and eagerly pulled her hand. She didn't want to ask directly, so she praised her first: "I often hear people talk about what an excellent child you are. Today, I see that you are indeed extraordinary. No wonder my family Zhiye envies His Royal Highness the Crown Prince all day long. If I were a man, I would also wish to marry a daughter-in-law like you."
Xie Nanjia didn't laugh, but the Queen Mother laughed first: "Why, you came here so eagerly today, are you trying to snatch my granddaughter-in-law?"
"I have to be able to snatch it away!" Old Madam Cheng said, "My family's Zhiye has said that the Crown Princess and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have a bond stronger than gold, and they share weal and woe. No one can separate them."
She mentioned Cheng Zhiye in every sentence, and Xie Nanjia naturally understood what she meant. She smiled and joked, "Old Madam, you don't know that the relationship between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and I is not as deep as that between Young Master Cheng and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The two of them are so close. Young Master Cheng came back to the capital with us, but when he was halfway there, he wanted to go back to find the Crown Prince. We tried our best to persuade him, but he said that he would leave after he came back to see the Emperor and reported his mission. Speaking of this, I have to remind you, old madam, that when you go back, you must ask Minister Cheng to keep a close eye on him, otherwise he might sneak back again one day!"
After hearing this, Old Madam Cheng's face became serious. She knew that Xie Nanjia was not reminding her, but telling her that Cheng Zhiye had gone to the north to find the Crown Prince.
This child, he is so old, why is he still so willful? He just ran away without telling his family.
The Queen Mother was a sharp person. She was amused by Xie Nanjia at first, but after a careful consideration, she realized something was wrong and asked Madam Cheng tentatively, "Is Zhiye really gone?"
The topic was exposed. Old Madam Cheng could no longer hide it. She sighed and said, "I didn't mean to hide it from the Queen Mother. It's just that this child is too unreliable."
"As for a child, how can he stay at home like the rest of us?" The Queen Mother consoled her. "He and the Crown Prince have played together since they were young, and they are closer than brothers. If he wants to go, let him go. It's good for boys to gain more experience outside."
"It's good for him to gain experience, and we didn't say we wouldn't let him go." Old Madam Cheng said, "He mentioned that he wanted to go back before, and his father didn't object. I thought that the Mid-Autumn Festival was coming soon, and we should spend the holiday together as a family before letting him go, but he couldn't wait. Well, if he wants to go, then let him go. He can't help much, but it's good for him to accompany His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. We know where he is going, so we feel relieved."
The Queen Mother smiled, knowing that the Cheng family must be reluctant to let the child go to the border to take risks again, so they kept the child at home. As for saying that he would be allowed to go after the holiday, it was just said so on purpose because they were afraid that she would think too much.
This is not difficult to understand. Parents love their own children and all parents feel the same way. Didn’t the emperor not allow the prince to look for Xiu’er in the first place? He sent so many people to keep an eye on him, but they couldn’t do anything. In the end, the prince still sneaked away.
So as for young people’s affairs, just let them handle them on their own. When the birds’ wings are strong enough, they should be allowed to fly on their own.
After seeing off Old Madam Cheng, Xie Nanjia chatted with the Queen Mother for a while and then returned to the side hall to handle business.
She felt somewhat guilty about deceiving Old Madam Cheng, and she only hoped that Cheng Zhiye would return safely regardless of whether he could find Eleven or not.
Two days passed like this, and it was the day for the little prince's third bath. Concubine Shu was grateful for Xie Nanjia's kindness, so she specially sent Li Luo to invite her to attend the ceremony.
Xie Nanjia invited the Empress Dowager to go with her, saying that this was a family joy and the Empress Dowager could not be absent regardless of who was absent.
The Queen Mother was very willing to be with her, so she agreed immediately and asked Qiu Nong to prepare two gifts and take them to Jinghe Palace.
The concubines from other palaces also received invitations from Concubine Shu and came to watch the ceremony with gifts. Seeing the chubby white boy crying loudly in the arms of Nanny Xisan, they all felt jealous and sad, but they had to force themselves to smile and say some words of congratulations.
The basins used by the princes and princesses in the palace for their third bath were all made of pure gold. They were called the Longevity and Longevity Dragon and Phoenix Double Happiness Basin. Some cinnabar would be added to the basin to ward off evil spirits. Those who came to watch the ceremony would also throw some gold and silver ingots, longans, dates and other objects into the basin for good luck. The concubines in the palace were very generous and threw real gold and silver, covering the bottom of the basin.
Shufei's mother and sister-in-law also came. They not only prepared generous gifts for the children, but also gave generous rewards to all the servants in the palace.
After Xie Nanjia and the Queen Mother arrived, Shufei's mother not only kowtowed to the Queen Mother, but also kowtowed to Xie Nanjia, thanking her for everything she had done for Shufei.
Shufei's sister-in-law also said that now the news has spread outside the palace that the Crown Princess is not only the daughter of heaven's destiny, but also the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, a goddess who has descended to the earth, blessed with great fortune and luck, and who can bring peace and prosperity to the country. It was thanks to her blessing that Shufei was able to safely give birth to a big fat boy weighing nine kilograms. Everyone says that she is more powerful than the Goddess of Childbirth, and that she should be enshrined in the Temple of Childbirth!
After hearing this, everyone had different expressions, some were complimenting, some were joking, but Xie Nanjia was not happy at all. He vaguely felt that someone must have been deliberately behind this matter, otherwise it would not have been known to the whole city in just three days.
What Bodhisattva appearing in the world, what goddess descending to earth, they are simply trying to praise her to death.
Although the empress has been deposed, the empress dowager is still there. In terms of dignity and fortune, who can be greater than the empress dowager? Saying that she is blessed with great fortune, put the empress dowager in that position. Saying that she is a stabilizing and prosperous country, put the emperor in that position. Doesn't this clearly make the empress dowager and the emperor afraid of her
Come to think of it, she doesn't have any enemies in the capital nowadays. Who on earth would come up with such a sinister trick to harm her
(End of this chapter)