Although Princess Zhongshun's trip this time was not very formal, there were many people who came first. Another eunuch entered the house, cleared out the male servants of Ning Guo House, and set up a barrier to prevent people from rushing into the approaching Princess and the Fourth Princess.
Brother Rong thought, after all, she was a royal family member, and the rules were different from before.
Regardless of sitting down, receiving gifts, or having a banquet, all the etiquette terms were clearly arranged by several internal supervisors.
On the back streets of Ningrong, people are already chasing people away. Those who wanted to watch the excitement were sent away one by one.
A eunuch said: "Your Majesty, please don't bother me. Who said that the empress came to visit her, but she couldn't be careless. Her Royal Highness is also traveling with us. Even we, the people in the palace, must treat her with caution."
Brother Rong smiled and said, "That should be the case. It's all up to my father-in-law's arrangement."
The palace eunuch received the money and his face became even more prosperous. Laughing, "On other days, we wouldn't have dared to accept Sir Alex's money. Everyone in our palace still remembers Sir Alex's kindness, so we took the prince's money for nothing and made the prince's palace dissatisfied. Today, we will accept the money, which is considered a good thing." The guys who do the work will take care of it for you."
Brother Rong asked: "Is there anything else I should pay attention to?"
The eunuch smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about anything else. Your Majesty has specifically told me that the lord is the prince's nephew, so there is no need to go out to avoid suspicion. I will greet you at the door instead of the lord and lady, so that my wife won't be tired."
Princess Zhongshun did care about her goddaughter, so she even spared Ke Qing the greeting at the front door. It would have been okay if he was in Prince Zhongshun's Mansion, but now that he was outside, the situation was different in Ningguo Mansion.
Brother Rong rubbed his nose and said, "It's just against the rules."
"There are so many rules that are not set by the empress. Her Royal Highness the Princess has also met in the palace. We are all a family, and we are not in the palace, so we can save those false etiquette." The eunuch laughed and asked the young man in charge. Prison guards, please behave.
Youshi, Qin Keqing and others had already heard the news and put on makeup according to their grades. Outside Ningguo Mansion, the streets and alleys are all tightly fenced. You led Qin Keqing and the female family members of Ningguo Mansion to greet him outside the gate.
Although the princess gave Keqing permission, she still persisted.
Qin Keqing's reasoning is very simple. The empress can grant a pardon, but she cannot refuse to come. That would be a bit doting and coquettish, but Qing didn't want to leave such an impression on anyone.
So she stood outside the gate of Ningguo Mansion.
Not long after, groups of people and horses came from Ningrong Street, followed by two carriages.
When Ban Yu arrived at the house, You and Qin knelt down by the roadside. Two eunuchs rushed over and helped Youshi and Keqing up. The two chariots carried the carriage through the gate, entered the Yimen and headed east. When they arrived at the gate of a courtyard, a eunuch holding a whisk knelt down to ask the carriage to change his clothes.
Then the eunuchs and other eunuchs dispersed, and only a few female officials led the empress and princess to the pavilion.
After receiving the news, Jia Rong went to pay his respects.
The princess asked someone to remove the screen bead curtain, and said rather dissatisfied: "No wonder the Thirteenth Master said you were the one who was naughty. You let your daughter-in-law go out even though she was given permission not to go out."
Brother Rong greeted his mother and the princess and said with a smile: "My daughter-in-law said that she is a junior, and it is only natural to greet my mother at the door. I also tried to persuade her, but my daughter-in-law refused to listen. He also said that my mother's kindness is the same as Mount Tai, although my mother-in-law is the best. She is her godmother, but the daughter-in-law regards her as her own wife in her heart."
The princess was also happy and said: "Don't be careless, it must be your naughty idea. Why don't you invite my own daughter over? I am here to see her today, not to see you, a monkey."
It was the first time for the fourth princess to hear such words as Jia Rong said. She also found it interesting and snickered while holding the silk handkerchief. He yelled: "Yes, yes, call my sister quickly. I haven't seen her for a few days."
There was no need for Brother Rong to send someone over. There was already an internal prison guard nearby running errands, and Qin Keqing came soon.
The princess said: "You are pregnant with a child, why are you saluting in front of me? Your uncle also said that you are my daughter. How can a mother not love her daughter? Don't tire your stomach. Come and sit next to me quickly. Down!"
In the courtyard, several people were chatting happily and joking easily.
Everyone outside the hospital looked nervous. No matter the female family members of the Jia family or the female officials in the palace, they all held their breath, not daring to take a breath, and kept quiet.
But Jia Rong was a ghost, so he called the eunuch next to him to get tea. "Since the empress has come to my daughter's house, it's time for her to serve her a cup of tea with her own hands as repayment for her unfulfilled filial piety."
The eunuch next to him looked at Brother Rong with fear in his heart. No wonder Thirteenth Master always calls him a fool and dares to say anything.
"Look at what your man said." The empress rested Ke Qing's hand and scolded Jia Rong: "I don't have any good intentions in my heart. I'm all greedy for gain. Even if I have to repay my unfulfilled filial piety in the past, it's not worth a cup." Tea can replace it.”
Qin Keqing saw that the empress was not angry, but instead asked the eunuch to bring tea, and she also accepted the tea with a shy face.
The empress smiled and said: "At this point, I don't know how to call my mother, my wife. Why is my face not as thick as your man's? I will not be bullied to death by him in the future."
Qin Keqing was delighted at the response. Although she was a little embarrassed, she softly called out, "Mother."
The princess was overjoyed and smiled: "I'm not planning on your bastard trying to rip you off today. Put this bracelet on first, lest he talk behind your back about the unkindness of an elder."
Although it was all a joke, Qin Keqing was still just the goddaughter of the princess, but it sent a signal to the outside world that Qin Keqing was favored in front of the princess.
Everyone in the palace looked at her more differently, and they even envied Uncle Rong.
Don't look at the princess and the empress being so nice here. When she was in the palace, even the Thirteenth Master had to listen carefully when the empress said something.
Female officer Jiayi knew it best, and it was not because of anything else. The princess has always had a reputation as a virtuous person, and now that the Thirteenth Master is able to gain power, her contribution is not small.
The Thirteenth Master's current reputation as a wise king is also thanks to this wise princess. Don't listen to the gentle voice of the empress and the affectionate look in her eyes. Now forty is the same as thirty, but no one in the palace is not afraid of her.
You must know that the princess has been married to the Thirteenth Master for more than 20 years, and she is still as loving as ever. It can be said that she has been as loving as ever for decades. In addition to the princess's unparalleled beauty, it also benefited from her methods.
Only the female officer Jiayi, who has been with the princess for many years, knows this.
As long as the princess is around, Master Thirteen will always dote on her alone. The Thirteenth Master also only trusted the Empress, and would even come to her for advice on many court affairs. The two talked for a long time all night, and the Thirteenth Master also had an idea the next day.
The Thirteenth Master has many children, but the only one born in his belly is seven or eight. Other concubines and concubines mostly had only one son, or one son and one daughter.
The youngest legitimate son of the princess is only two years old this year, which may give a glimpse of the cleverness of her methods.
When did Prince Zhongshun's palace lack women? Which of the concubines and concubines is not younger than the princess? However, the princess and the empress have exclusive favors, and no one knows the reason for this.
Not only that, but there has never been any conflict in the palace.
It is common for princes to have trouble in the back house, and all kinds of shady things happen in an endless stream. This has never happened in Prince Zhongshun's house.
If the empress hadn't been wise and often coaxed the Thirteenth Master to go to other concubines, those people might not have even half an heir.
The Thirteenth Master was even more grateful for his wife's kindness and respected her.
Furthermore, if any of the concubines of the royal palace gave birth to a prince, the empress would treat them as if they were her own children and would never treat them differently. In the words of the empress, they are all the sons of the Thirteenth Master, and there is no difference between them.
The concubines and concubines of the palace respected her even more.
After all, it is easy to pretend to be virtuous for one day, but it is difficult to pretend to be virtuous for more than twenty years.
The Ningguo Mansion not only won the favor of the Thirteenth Master, but also the favor of the princess and the queen, which made the Jia family very happy.
Uncle Rong was also happy. He was able to meet the Thirteenth Master and the Princess. It was a blessing that could not be cultivated in a century. With today's joke, Qin Keqing, a daughter with a foreign surname who is closer to her than her goddaughter in the palace, will at least be able to save her life even if something happens to Ning Guo Mansion in the future.
No matter how ruthless Xian De is, can he still attack his closest brother and his family?
Even the incorrigible prince in Prince Zhongshun's palace was only banned from the palace.
Brother Rong said happily: "I still see clearly. If we were to fight like this today, there wouldn't even be a courtesy. Tomorrow I will go to the palace to cry to the Thirteenth Master."
The fourth princess laughed and joked. "Brother-in-law said last time that he would send books to the palace, but why is he still missing? Maybe he has forgotten me as my god-sister."
Uncle Rong slapped his head and really forgot about this matter. He said: "Your Highness, please forgive me. It is not because I, the minister, have forgotten this matter. In the past few months, there have been a lot of things in the yamen. There has been no rest. When I have some free time, I will sort out the manuscript."
The fourth princess added: "I just got the news from the palace. My brother-in-law followed the prince to the south of the Yangtze River. How could he have time to write a manuscript for my sister? Alas..."
The princess also had a smile on her face, and the fourth princess always wore it when she left the palace, even when she was in the palace. On the contrary, Daoning Palace seemed to be at ease and relaxed today. The empress did not forget the rules. After sitting for a while, she also asked the female prison officer to call the other female relatives of Ningguo Mansion.
Brother Rong retreated because of this.
Qin Keqing, Youshi and others accompanied the princess to visit the garden. It was not until the princess drove back later that Brother Rong appeared again.
The princess left, but a female official was left behind, saying she was to serve Qin Keqing. Not only that, the old imperial doctor who came last time will also stay in the house permanently in case anything happens.
It can be described as the ultimate favor.
"Are you leaving?"
That day, Qin Keqing woke up early in the morning and held Brother Rong's hand, unwilling to let go.
"Don't shed tears. The uncle is not gone forever." Brother Rong gently wiped the tears on Ke Qing's face and said with a smile: "If anything happens around you in the future, let Que'er and Xiang Ling run away. Now The two maids are dumb and stupid, but they do things efficiently."
Qin Keqing nodded and left all matters in the inner house to Youshi, Ruizhu and Baozhu. Now there are only two maids left, Queer and Xiangling.
"After hearing the commotion in Xifu, does she want to go there too?"
"Forehead……"
The woman Ke Qing refers to naturally refers to Wang Xifeng. Brother Rong didn't want to lie to her, and he couldn't hide it either. He said: "Jiangnan is rich and prone to disasters. Sister Feng went to Jiangnan to take care of the cement kilns."
At this time, Qin Keqing also had the urge to go to Jiangnan with him. I just thought about the child in my belly, but I had no choice but to give up. "Master, let's go. It's getting late. Don't keep the prince waiting."
Brother Rong gently took her into his arms, kissed her on the lips, and smiled: "You are jealous too. When the child is born at the end of the year, she won't know how to envy you."
"Hmph." Qin Keqing snorted with a straight face before smiling.
The two were intimate for a while before they separated.
Uncle Rong rode away, but Qin Keqing in the courtyard had two tears on his face.
Xiangling and Queer both came to comfort her, and the female officer left behind by Princess Zhongshun was also alerted and came over quickly.
After a good meal of comfort, Qin Keqing finally calmed down.
Unexpectedly, on the second day, Keqing stared at the yard in a daze again.
"Where should I be, uncle?"
"It should be at the boundary of Jinmen."
On the third day, Keqing asked again.
"Where should I go, uncle?"
The fourth day...
The fifth day...
The sixth day...
Qin Keqing seemed to have developed a habit of asking this question every day. Later, he handed over the map and planned the uncle's journey south to the south of the Yangtze River. It seems that looking at the place names on the map, I can get closer to the uncle.
"This is the border of Ping'an Prefecture." In the canal, Duan Yu said to Brother Rong on the deck, "Are you still going to the boat behind today?"
Jia Rong scratched his head and said awkwardly: "Brother Yu, don't make fun of me. You also know that the boat behind is the Xue family's. The ones on the boat are my second aunt and the Xue family's aunt. I went there for business."
Duan Yu said with a smile: "There must be others on the boat. When I saw Brother Rong come back early that morning, it was obvious that your feet were weak and trembling."
Bullshit!
When did I become soft?
Alas... Tonight is still not over. Without Que'er's soup, it's really hard to stand it every day.
Your health is important!
Brother Rong said righteously and solemnly: "If Brother Yu doesn't believe me, I will stay here and guard outside tonight."
Duan Yu said with a smile: "That's all, it's cold by the river at night. Brothers are afraid that you will run away to Wenrou to keep warm in the middle of the night. We can't afford it if something goes wrong."
Why don't these people believe that we are afraid of the cold? The body is in great shape, and only those who are weak are afraid of the cold.
Brother Rong wants to say something else.
Duan Yu said: "Don't show yourself, that is, you are a guard in name only. How dare your brothers really treat you as a guard and ask you to go watch at night? If you really encounter thieves, you have to ask your brothers to rescue you." "
Brother Rong thinks about it, it seems to be true. This Ping An State is not very peaceful, but it is the headquarters of the Holy Sect. Normally, no fool would mess with such a large fleet, but there were some who risked their lives. I heard that there was a prince on the ship who wanted to kill himself and assassinate him.
That's really a shame.
Don’t be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of what happens.
"Excuse me, brothers."
Duan Yu rolled his eyes and said: "You hypocritical guy, hurry back to your boat. The Thirteenth Master said, except for getting off the boat to survey the water system, don't come over to disturb him anymore."
Jia Rong had already informed King Zhongshun that the boat was used to build kilns in the south of the Yangtze River, so the Thirteenth Master agreed to take the boat and follow the fleet all the way. After all, building a kiln in the south of the Yangtze River is also good for the Thirteenth Master. In this way, it will be more convenient to open rivers, control floods and build dams in the south of the Yangtze River.
Brother Rong didn't want to go back so early. He had to have a good rest tonight.
I deliberately had dinner on the big boat and delayed some time. I went back to the boat when it got dark.
I saw another lone figure on the deck, standing upright under the lantern, letting the breeze from the river blow on my face.
"Um...Aunt Bao hasn't rested yet."
Xue Baochai cursed secretly: Could he rest early that night? There is no soundproofing on this boat. You can hear all sounds clearly on the same boat.
Jia Rong saw that there was still light in the cabin behind, and she stood side by side with Xue Baochai on the deck. Look at the night, and see the boatmen, guards, soldiers, etc. on the shore resting in the distance and guarding.
"Aunt Bao, please go back and rest. I will stay with you all night."
Baochai didn't appreciate it at all and said, "There are boatmen from the Xue family guarding the outside."
