The news of Prime Minister Xia Huaijun's suicide came on the day Zi'an returned home after three days of court service.
Ni Rong told Murong Jie, and Murong Jie told Zi'an. At that time, Zi'an had just walked into the gate of the prime minister's residence, and Yuan Cuiyu was still here and had not left, so she came back three days ago and wanted to come back here.
Ni Rong told Zi'an that before he died, he asked the jailer to convey a message and say "I'm sorry" to Princess Danqing.
After hearing this, Zi'an's emotions did not fluctuate at all. This was what she had expected. Xia Huaijun knew that dying like this was the best way to save his face.
She told Yuan Cuiyu the news. Yuan Cuiyu was stunned for a moment, "Dead?"
The voice didn't seem to be hers, even she herself found it unfamiliar.
After seventeen years of entanglement, their relationship was finally resolved with life and death.
"Yes, he is dead. Before he died, he asked the jailer to tell you that he was sorry." Zi'an said.
Yuan Cuiyu nodded silently, "Yes!"
"Has mother forgiven him?" Zi'an asked, looking at her expression.
Yuan Cuiyu looked up. Although her eyes were healed, her vision was much weaker than before, and was always covered with a layer of mist. "It's meaningless now, isn't it? Forgive or not, it's all in the past."
"It's all over!" Zi'an chewed on these words. Yes, it was indeed all over. This part of the Prime Minister's Mansion was completely over.
Zi'an smiled, "Yes, today is the day my daughter comes home. What delicious food has my mother prepared? He is very picky."
Murong Jie glanced at her calmly, "What kind of treat do you need? Just anything will do."
Nanny Yang came over with a smile and said, "We didn't do anything today. Someone else did it."
"Who contracted it?" Zi'an was very surprised.
"Hu Huanxi, the female manager of the Hu family, asked the chef of Dingfenghao to come here early in the morning. For this meal, Dingfenghao is closed today."
Zi'an exclaimed, "How can this be so embarrassing?"
"Why are you embarrassed?"
Speaking of Cao Gong, Cao Gong arrived. Hu Huanxi came in with two maids, bowed and said with a smile: "Greetings to the prince and princess. This is my way of thanking the princess on behalf of the people of the capital."
Zi'an knew that she had contributed a lot this time, so he said gratefully: "A simple thank you is always too superficial, so I won't say it. I will remember what you have done in my heart."
Hu Huanxi said: "I pay for it, and it doesn't take any effort at all."
Murong Jie said, "Aren't we just having a meal together today? Do you really want to close Dingfenghao?"
Yuan Cuiyu smiled and said, "Liu Liu came last night and said that she would come back today and invite everyone to sit down and have a good meal. We have been worried and scared these days, so it is time for a good meal to reward everyone."
Just like that, what was supposed to be a family dinner turned into a banquet.
Lady Chen made a grand appearance with her twelve gourd brothers and Chen Liuliu. Prince Li arrived on time with his princess A'man and the yellow dog Dajin. Prince Liang brought a jar of good wine. Rouyao brought Su Qing. Of course, she went to Su Qing to ask her to come together. Brother Xiao Xiao also came with good wine. Zhuangzhuang actually came with Liang.
Seeing the guests coming in one by one, Zi'an's eyes were filled with tears. The wedding banquet was too noisy and lacked blessings. Now that everyone was attending this wedding ceremony, she felt like she was getting married again.
Pooh!
With so many people, they were divided into two tables. The twelve General Chens sat at one table, and the others also sat at another table.
Zhuangzhuang and Xiao Xiao seemed to have no more grudges against each other. They sat at the same table, looking calm. However, they never looked at each other. Even if they accidentally saw each other, they would quickly look away.
Before Su Qing toasted, he asked General Chen, "Speaking of which, when I asked you to protect Zi'an, you never showed up. Where did you go?"
Chen Shu, the eldest brother of the Chen family, said: "That day, my brothers and I were ordered to go out. Before the spring, we fell into a trap. Since then, we have been locked in a secret room. The guards who guarded us brothers were all poisonous snakes."
"Who is the person who is holding you hostage?" Xiao Tuo asked.
Chen Niu, the second brother of the Chen family, said: "I didn't know at first, but later I found out it was the Empress Dowager."
Zi'an said angrily, "It must be her. She is the one who locked me up."
Chen Hu, the third brother of the Chen family, said, "Princess, the Queen Mother saved you. We brothers are innocent and have been frightened by snakes for so many days in vain."
Chen Long covered his mouth and said, "I remember that my sixth brother was shaking with fear for the first two days. He is most afraid of snakes. It's a pity that his name is Chen She, but he is so scared."
The Chen brothers talked about interesting things one after another. The panic and fear they felt at that time have now become fun things. This is because it happened to the Empress Dowager. If it were someone else, they would definitely feel some resentment.
The main thing is not to dare to feel resentment.
Murong Jie was in a very good mood tonight. He drank by himself, occasionally turning his head to look at Zi'an. As he looked at him, he drank another glass, his eyes filled with joy.
Murong Jie almost never attends other banquets except state banquets and palace family banquets, so he lacks banquet experience. He is the kind of person who has no topics to talk about. If you want to chat with him, he can stop talking in a short time. He is a veritable topic terminator.
And today, with two topic terminators here, the atmosphere can still be lively, thanks to Liu Liu and Rou Yao.
Just as, after Su Qing listened to General Chen's story about being imprisoned in a secret room, he asked everyone about their response measures. Everyone expressed their opinions and said how they would escape.
After listening to everyone's words, he turned around and asked Murong Jie, "If you were trapped in a secret room with a bunch of snakes guarding outside, how would you escape?"
Murong Jie held the wine in his hand and drank it slowly, saying, "That can't possibly happen to me."
Su Qing said patiently: "Didn't you say what if? If it happened to you, how would you deal with it?"
"There is no if for things that are impossible to happen." He closed the topic with this remark.
Su Qing saw that he was very bored, so he asked Prince Li again, "Your Majesty..."
"Shut up!" Prince Li glared at him. "You are making a lot of noise."
Su Qing was hit twice and felt that the banquet suddenly lost its luster.
Hu Huanxi suddenly made a suggestion, "Let's play a game of truth or dare, okay?"
When Zi'an heard this, he suddenly looked up at Hu Huanxi and asked, "What do you want to play?"
Hu Huanxi explained: "Truth or Dare is played like this. There are so many of us here, and everyone writes their name on a bamboo raft. Then the county lady draws a name, and the winner can choose to answer a truth or dare question, or choose dare, which is actually a punishment."
Zi'an stared at Hu Huanxi, his whole body trembling, "Do you know how to play truth or dare?"
"Of course, that's what I proposed..." Hu Huanxi stopped talking and suddenly looked up at Zi'an. They both had the same expression.
This stare-eye contact lasted for a full ten seconds. Everyone was looking at them, not knowing why the two suddenly stopped talking.
In the end, Zi'an just smiled and said, "I didn't expect that Shopkeeper Hu would also play the game of Truth or Dare. I've heard of it before, but I've never played it."
"I have played it before!" Prince Li said indifferently.
Zi'an and Hu Huanxi both looked at Prince Li.
Prince Li raised his head and said, "My ancestors taught me."
It's not surprising that it was taught by the Empress Dowager, as she seems to know everything.
(End of this chapter)