"Old minister, I don't know where the Queen Mother started talking about this?" Mu Guogong was confused.
The Queen Mother stopped playing riddles, "Has the granddaughter of the Ai family returned to Duke Mu's palace?"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am incompetent and have not been able to restore the princess' status!" When Mu Guogong heard the Queen Mother mention this, he quickly knelt down.
But he couldn't help but think that he did this very well. How could the secret reach the ears of the Queen Mother
The Queen Mother sighed, "The Ai family knows. Duke Mu, please get up quickly. I guess this child can't accept it for a while."
"The old minister is scared. Originally, the old minister wanted to inform the Queen Mother about the princess, but after much deliberation, he decided to wait until the dust settled to avoid the Queen Mother worrying about it." Mu Guo explained.
Seeing what Duke Mu said, the Queen Mother's tone became a little calmer, "Okay, get up quickly. The Ai family has no intention of blaming you."
Then he asked Duke Mu, "Does Duke Mu know what the princess is doing in the imperial city now?"
"Back to the Queen Mother, although the princess is unwilling to go back now, the old minister is still aware of the princess's movements. In recent days, she has opened another shop in the imperial city, making some strange clothes." Speaking of this, Mu Guo The public could not help but frown, obviously very dissatisfied with Yang Zijin's business.
Fancy clothes? After listening to Mu Guogong's words, the Queen Mother couldn't help but think that the clothes Pingting wore before were designed by her granddaughter Yang Zijin
Thinking of this, she wanted to see her granddaughter more and more, so she asked Duke Mu, "Then when do you think the Ai family can see their granddaughter?"
"The Queen Mother, the princess has a very stubborn temper. I'm afraid it will be difficult for the old minister to get her to agree to return to the palace for a while. However, as soon as the princess returns to the palace, the old minister will immediately let her meet the queen mother." Mu Guogong said hurriedly.
Hearing this, the Queen Mother was very disappointed and her face could not help but pull down, "Okay, step back. The Ai family is ready to go out."
"Yes, I have retired." After saying that, Duke Mu walked out.
The birthday was held in the Imperial Garden, and the scene was very grand.
It is divided into many areas for playing, dancing and performing. Chu Shi Youtian knew that the Queen Mother liked to watch plays, so he asked the best troupe in the imperial city to enter the palace to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday.
There are also banquet tables everywhere, filled with fruits and snacks. Some ladies and concubines gather together to discuss clothes and talk about everyday things.
Coming out of Cining Palace, the Queen Mother looked gloomy.
Seeing this, Master Chu Youtian asked the people who were following the Queen Mother, but they didn't know why.
I had to give up! Then he asked Eunuch Li who was beside him to inform the troupe that it could start.
After giving the instructions, Chu Shi Youtian walked to the Queen Mother and said, "Mother, the play is about to begin. Please follow me to the front and take a seat to watch."
The Queen Mother nodded and followed Master Chu Youtian to the front and sat down.
This play is about "Dragon and Phoenix Presenting Auspiciousness".
Halfway through the play, Chu Shiyoutian looked at the Queen Mother's face and found that it had softened a lot, and he couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.
While watching the opera, the palace officials removed the leftover snacks and fruits from the banquet table, brought out the food and wine, and wrote down the seats of each official and lady in order.
After the opera ended, the luncheon officially began!
Everyone stood in their seats, waiting for the Queen Mother to take her seat.
The Queen Mother walked to the center and said, "The Ai family is very happy today. From now on, everyone does not need to be formal and can drink and eat freely."
After saying this, he took his seat.
Halfway through the banquet, the officials stood up and toasted to the Queen Mother, saying auspicious words.
However, one person quietly left his seat during the dinner and walked outside, but no one noticed...
After the banquet was over, Master Chu Youtian asked the prince and the third prince to finish.
He accompanied the Queen Mother back to Cining Palace.
In previous years, the Queen Mother would count the gifts alone and then have people put them into the treasury.
Seeing that the Queen Mother looked bad today, Chu Shiyoutian planned to do an inventory with the Queen Mother this year, and the Queen Mother nodded.
Cining Palace.
"Is your mother still happy today?" Master Chu Tianyou asked.
The Queen Mother looked happy, "With the emperor's filial piety, the Ai family will naturally be happy."
"If your mother feels tired, you can go in and rest first. You can leave the statistics of the gifts to me, and then show them to your mother after the statistics are completed." Master Chu Tianyou asked worriedly.
The Queen Mother said, "It's okay. It's still early and the Ai family doesn't want to rest yet. Just sit aside and listen."
"As long as the Queen is happy, just listen to the Queen." Chu Shi Tianyou said with a smile on his face.
Then he ordered Eunuch Liu, who was beside the Queen Mother, to ask him and Eunuch Li to do the statistics.
Eunuch Liu is responsible for recording, and Eunuch Li is responsible for reciting.
Just hear…
"The Prime Minister's Mansion presents a luminous pearl."
"A pair of Ruyi jade presented by Shangshu Mansion."
"The Duke Mu's mansion presents a famous painting."
"The Minister of Rites presents..."
When he read the congratulatory gift from the Minister of Rites, he saw a big hole in his clothes, and Eunuch Li suddenly didn't know why.
Seeing that Eunuch Li stopped reciting, Master Chu Youtian asked, "Why don't you continue reciting?"
"Back...back to the emperor, there is something wrong with the congratulatory gift presented by the Minister of Rites." Eunuch Li said nonchalantly.
Master Chu Youtian frowned, "What's the problem? Bring it to me for a look."
"Yes, Your Majesty." With that said, Eunuch Li presented the torn dress to the Queen Mother and Master Chu Youtian.
Chu Shi Youtian was furious when he saw it! "How unreasonable is it that you would send incomplete clothes to the Queen Mother on her birthday and call me the Minister of Rites!"
"Yes, old slave, go right away." After saying that, Eunuch Li quickly retreated.
The Queen Mother on the side saw this and said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to be angry! The Ai family thinks that the Minister of Rites didn't do it on purpose."
"Mother, you are so kind. If something like this happens on your birthday, I will never let them go!" At this time, Chu Shi Youtian was even more angry!
On the way here, the Minister of Rites and his wife asked Eunuch Li why the emperor suddenly summoned him. Eunuch Li revealed that it was about gifts.
The Minister of Etiquette looked at her wife. He left the preparation of the congratulatory gifts entirely to her wife. During the lunch, he asked her, what was the congratulatory gift that she had prepared? Her wife also smiled and replied that the Queen Mother was very happy to see him.
Why did they come to them for a gift in such a short time? His wife also shook her head to express her ignorance.
She was also wondering. The Queen Mother met her in the morning and clearly nodded her head. What happened in this moment
Seeing the arrival of the Minister of Rites and his wife, Master Chu Youtian was furious and said, "The Minister of Rites and his wife, do you know your guilt?"
"I don't know?" Upon seeing this, the two men knelt down quickly.
Hearing the answer from the Minister of Rites, Master Chu Youtian threw the gown they gave them in front of them, "I don't know? Take a look for yourself!"
"How could this happen?" The Minister of Rites looked at his wife.
Her wife hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I forgive you. I don't know why there is a hole in this dress? It was fine when I brought it in the morning."
"As the wife of the Minister of Rites said, could it be that I did something wrong?" Master Chu Youtian stared at the wife of the Minister of Rites.
Seeing the emperor questioning her like this, his wife was so frightened that she froze on the spot.
The Minister of Rites hurriedly said, "Based on Chen's understanding of Madam, he will definitely not do this. Could it be because of wealth?"
"Tailor? Which tailor did it? Let's tell the Ai family." The Queen Mother on the side spoke.
The Minister of Rites touched his wife with his hand. Only then did she react and said hurriedly, "Back to the Queen Mother, this is a newly opened clothing store in the imperial city."
"What's the name of the owner of this shop? Does the Madam of the Minister know?" the Queen Mother continued to ask.
The Vice Minister's wife thought for a while, and she originally asked Mrs. Shangshu to accompany her. She remembered that when she was ordering this dress, she heard someone call him Boss Yang, "Back to the Queen Mother, the shop owner's surname is Yang, what is his name? I really don't know."
The shop owner’s surname is Yang? She remembered that Shuo Ling told her that the princess's current name was Yang Zijin, and today she heard from Duke Mu that this girl started making strange clothes in the imperial city. Could it be that this boss is her granddaughter Yang Zijin
"Come here, call the owner of this shop, the tailor, and me. How dare you tamper with the Queen Mother's birthday gift?" The Queen Mother was still thinking when Chu Shi Youtian spoke again.
The Queen Mother walked up to Master Chu Youtian and took his hand, "Your Majesty, calm down and don't pursue this matter today. We are tired of mourning the family. Let's finish counting the gifts today!"
"It's because I didn't think carefully. Please step back, too, the Minister of Rites and his wife. If it's really the tailor of his shop who did it, I won't let him go after today!" Hearing what the Queen Mother said, Chu Shiyoutian also felt that he didn't think well and shouldn't. On the day of birthday, there will be a big fight.
After the emperor left, the Queen Mother ordered Eunuch Liu to quietly leave the palace and find Yang Zijin. She wanted to find out the reason, otherwise Chu Shi Youtian's temperament would not let the matter go.
After giving the instructions, Eunuch Liu disguised himself, left the palace, and walked towards the Shuohou Mansion.
It was already getting late. Yang Zijin had just returned to Shuo Mansion from Taohua Sanli. Before he could sit down, Jiang Wei came over and said, "Young Master, there is a person from the palace looking for you outside, saying that he has something urgent to see you. ."
"People in the palace? Did he say what happened?" Yang Zijing looked puzzled. She didn't know anyone in the palace!
Jiang Wei said, "Awei asked, but the man didn't say anything. He said he wanted to tell the young master face to face, and he looked very anxious."
"I know, I'll go out and take a look right now." With that said, Yang Zijing walked towards the door of the mansion.
Seeing only one person pacing back and forth at the door, Yang Zijin walked over and asked, "I wonder what you want to see me for?"
"Are you Yang Zijin?" Eunuch Liu asked.
Is this person father-in-law? After a moment, Yang Zijing nodded.
Eunuch Liu quickly said in Yang Zijin's ear, "Princess, could you please lend me a moment to speak?"
Yang Zijin was stunned by the princess's call. The father-in-law in front of him actually knew her identity. He decided to find out the situation first and walked aside.
"The old slave is a servant of the Queen Mother. Today someone brought the clothes made by the princess to the Queen Mother. Unexpectedly, there was a big hole in the clothes. The emperor found out about this and wanted to summon you. Fortunately, the Queen Mother suppressed it. , The Queen Mother ordered the old slave to call you into the palace to ask why!" Eunuch Liu explained to Yang Zijin.