Ching Ming Festival.
The ancestor worship ceremony in the first year of Yongle was particularly solemn.
Emperor Zhu Di led civil and military officials and members of the royal family to pay homage to the tombs of the royal ancestors, Taizu Emperor Gao, his loving mother Queen Gao, and Prince Yiwen.
The entire ceremony was very solemn and solemn, including offering incense, toasting, presenting flowers, bowing, and observing silence.
In his memorial text, Zhu Di expressed his admiration and gratitude for his parents and eldest brother, as well as his prayers for the royal family and the Ming Dynasty.
Xu Qin, Zhang Fu, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, etc. all returned to Beijing from the Yanghuai front to participate in the ancestor worship ceremony.
Of course, the ministers were busy with ceremonies in the palace, and each had to return home to pay homage to their ancestors.
At night, the moon hid in the clouds and gradually disappeared.
It was pitch dark in the palace. Sulan relied on a lantern and returned to her small hospital courtyard in the foggy night.
Today is the ancestor worship ceremony. As the queen's personal doctor, she will stay with her at all times.
After the Battle of Jingnan, the virus became more and more serious.
The main reason is that during the four years of Jingnan, the empress had too many things to worry about and could not take care of her.
Especially during the months when Li Jinglong besieged Beiping City, she spent almost all of it on the city wall.
Due to the war blockade, there was a shortage of medicines in these years, and the empress's usual medicines were discontinued for a long time.
Therefore, her condition is getting worse.
Now, whenever she is tired, she suffers from chest tightness, shortness of breath and cough.
As soon as I pushed open the courtyard door, I felt that the courtyard was filled with smoke.
There was a brazier placed in the corner of the courtyard, with flames flickering inside.
"Who is where?!"
Su Lan shouted.
"It's me, aunt."
Suddenly a person stood up in the dark corner of the courtyard, wearing a black cloak.
Su Lan was so frightened that she almost screamed.
The man raised his hand and took off the cap of his cloak. It turned out to be Xiuying.
"What...are you doing? You want to die!"
Su Lan's tone became stronger, but her voice was kept as low as possible.
The paper money in the basin was burning brightly, "Who are you burning paper for?"
Xiuying lowered her eyes and nodded invisibly, "To my parents and brothers."
"What?"
Su Lan was shocked, "Your family members are all gone?"
"Yeah!" Xiuying sobbed softly.
"Don't you know that it is strictly prohibited in the palace to burn paper for the dead? Anyone who violates this order will be killed immediately!"
When Xiuying heard this, she was so frightened that she knelt on the ground, kowtowed and cried:
"Auntie, please forgive me, Yun'er didn't know anything about it."
Looking at the little girl kowtowing with such a sad and miserable expression, Su Lan couldn't help but panic.
She lowered her head and blew out the lantern, "You can burn it, I won't tell anyone else."
"Yun'er, thank you, aunt."
Xiuying stood up after kowtowing, showing a grateful look in her eyes, and continued to squat down to burn paper.
Today is Qingming Festival, and she had long thought about burning some paper for her deceased family members.
She asked Xiao Anzi to get this little paper money.
She knew that burning paper was not allowed in the palace, it was Xiao Anzi who said so.
But her parents and family members were eager to pay homage to her, otherwise they would be very uneasy.
Xiao Anzi said that it shouldn't be a big problem in the corner of the courtyard.
Maybe Xiao Anzi didn't know that once someone discovered it, it would be a death penalty.
The firelight burned on her face, which was hot and a little scalding.
All of a sudden, the tears on her face were dried.
Almost there, the flames flickered on and off.
After waiting for a while, there was only ashes left in the basin.
She poured some water on the ashes, poured them into the flowers in the courtyard, covered them with soil and put away the charcoal pot, then washed her face and hands, and cleaned herself up as well.
"Yun'er, please come in."
Su Lan sat at the top of the study room with a solemn expression.
"aunt."
Xiuying walked into the study and stood with her head down like a child who had done something wrong.
"Yun Niang, I know your life experience is not simple, but I will not force you to tell the truth, nor will I mention it to others. You can relax."
Su Lan was blunt.
Xiuying was stunned and then fell silent.
"But, she must promise her aunt one thing."
Sulan's tone became extremely harsh.
After hearing this, Xiuying raised her eyebrows slightly, raised her head and looked at Su Lan, "Auntie, please tell me, even if you ask for Yun'er's head, I will agree."
"Silly girl, why would my aunt want your head?"
Sulan couldn't laugh or cry.
"You have to let go of the hatred in your heart."
"Because these are not personal vendettas, but are caused by different political opinions and different positions. Moreover, these are conflicts between the previous generations."
"As for your current situation, once things are exposed, not only will your life be at risk, but many people who have helped will also be implicated. Do you understand?"
Xiuying listened carefully to every word of Aunt Su's words.
In fact, she has thought about this question countless times in the past six months.
She understood and agreed with Aunt Sue's point of view.
You can't be too selfish as a person. You wouldn't regret your own death, but implicating the people you helped is too much.
"I promise, auntie." Xiuying raised her head and looked level.
"You have to swear to my face."
Hearing this, Xiuying knelt down on her knees, raised her right arm and said, "I swear..."
"Okay, get up."
Su Lan's stern expression finally softened, and then she said softly:
"Auntie has another idea. I wonder if you are willing to do it?"
"Auntie, please feel free to tell me."
"Since your family members are no longer alive, you are equivalent to becoming an orphan, and I also have both parents dead and no children. How about you becoming my adopted daughter?"
As soon as Su Lan said these words, Xiu Ying was suddenly brought to tears. She knelt down on her knees with tears streaming down her face, "Mom, please bow to me."
"Kid, get up."
Su Lan was also moved to tears.
She stood up and took a step forward, bent down to help Xiuying sit on a sideways chair, and took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
Xiuying could no longer control her emotions, threw herself into Sulan's arms and cried loudly.
After more than half a year, I finally had the opportunity to find my loved ones to vent out my humiliation and heartache.
Tears suddenly soaked Su Lan's clothes.
After a long time, the mood gradually stabilized.
"Yun'er, since I have become your adoptive mother, I must consider your future."
"Well, please speak, mother."
Xiuying straightened up from Su Lan's arms and looked at her stepmother with red and swollen eyes.
"I want you to apply for Taiyuan Hospital. Prepare from now on to take the autumn exam this year. Mother can help you review and give clinical explanations."
Su Landao.
"Of course it is a child's dream to apply for the Taiyuan Hospital. I am not worried about preparing for the exam, but my life experience... may make it difficult to pass."
Having said this, Xiuying lowered her head.
"You are now my adopted daughter. I can vouch for you and beg the Queen for permission."
"From now on, you will live here, and Wang Jinghong will not dare to harass you or bully you again."
This is telling the truth.
Su Lan was the medical girl next to Queen Xu, and Wang Jinghong was the most domineering. He would not dare to lend him ten courages.
"Um."
Xiuying nodded in agreement.
"Also, Mr. Xu will definitely help you."
After Xiuying heard this, a blush instantly appeared on her cheeks.
She lowered her head shyly.
Su Lan saw it, but felt slightly worried in her heart.
She knew in her heart that her adopted daughter had fallen in love with Mr. Xu.
But the status of the two sides is vastly different.
Is this possible?
