Nanny Zhao looked at Hong Yingrong. Although she looked in good spirits, her face was pale and it was obvious that her body had not fully recovered. She couldn't help but feel worried.
So he softly consoled her, "Old Madam, His Majesty and the Queen Mother are very considerate of you. Considering the travel and expense of the old Marquis's burial and placing his spirit tablet in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, they have decreed that the Crown Prince will perform the ceremony by breaking the basin on his behalf."
Hong Yingrong shook her head slightly, her voice soft but unquestionable.
"I have made up my mind. The burial will be tomorrow. Tomorrow I will rest and recuperate. You don't need to persuade me anymore."
After meditating in the Buddhist temple for a long time, Hong Yingrong's state of mind has undergone a drastic change.
Now that she was lucky enough to be reborn, she was determined to make full use of these precious three years and never let the disaster of her family being wiped out happen again in this life.
…
The funeral arrangements were held in the Marquis' Mansion. According to etiquette, the body should be kept for seven days, and it is now the fifth day.
The Crown Prince Xue Yuanchu was in charge of the sacrificial ceremonies in the front hall of the outer residence, and personally received every relative, friend and male guest who came to pay their respects.
At the same time, the wives of officials and ladies of noble families were received and served tea by the Crown Prince's wife Jiang Shuxiu in the Xiangyun Hall in the inner courtyard.
It was already the hour of Xu, and the long mourning ceremony finally came to an end, and the guests left one after another.
After a busy day, Jiang Shuxiu was finally able to sit down and enjoy dinner.
"Miss, these are freshly harvested spring bamboo shoots, mixed with Chinese toon, using only the tender tips," Jiang Shuxiu's personal maid, Rui'er, said softly, "I've asked the kitchen to use vegetable oil, so it won't be greasy."
Then he put the soup bowl on the table. "Yesterday the girl said this lotus leaf and lotus root soup was delicious, so I had someone add some wolfberries and stew it in a bowl. It's perfect for soothing the mind, replenishing qi, and concentrating the spirit."
Under Rui'er's command, the two little girls set the table together and served four plates of exquisite pickled vegetables and a plate of fragrant red dates stewed with jerky.
Jiang Shuxiu just glanced at the plate of jerky and shook his head slightly.
Seeing this, one of the little girls cleverly took the meat jerky away immediately.
Another little girl half-knelt respectfully on the ground, holding a tray steadily in her hands. On it were two porcelain bowls, the color of the sky after rain. One was filled with fragrant and glutinous rouge rice, and the other was filled with five-color glutinous rice porridge, the color of which was particularly tempting.
Rui'er knew her girl's preferences and needs very well. Without waiting for Jiang Shuxiu's signal, she picked up the bowl of rouge rice and gently placed it in front of her master.
"The medicine that Doctor Zhang prescribed for you is already warming on the stove," Rui'er said softly, "Miss, eat some rice first to fill your stomach before taking the medicine."
Jiang Shuxiu picked up the porcelain bowl with satisfaction, feeling very relieved.
When she was seven years old, her mother carefully selected a personal maid for her. She picked many but was not satisfied with any of them. Finally, she found Rui'er on the farm.
After that, she was placed with Jiang Shuxiu, eating and living with her, and inseparable from her. Although they were master and servant, they were like sisters, and she was loyal and faithful to her.
At this time, the head maid Hanqiao walked slowly into the Xiangyun Hall from the Buddhist temple in the backyard, quietly waiting for the young lady's instructions.
Jiang Shuxiu was elegant, savoring his dinner slowly and carefully. Without even looking up, he asked, "Has the old lady's dinner been delivered? Has everything been arranged?"
Hanqiao folded her hands in front of her, leaning forward slightly, and replied respectfully, "Just now, Madam Zhao took Madam Han from the kitchen to the Prajna Hall. Madam Zhao said she alone would serve the old lady, so she sent Madam Han and me back."
Rui'er picked up a piece of mint and pumpkin shreds from the plate in front of Jiang Shuxiu, then looked at Hanqiao.
"You've been guarding the Prajna Hall for a whole day. Go down and rest first. You don't have to come back tomorrow. Just follow Madam Zhao's instructions."
Rui'er's words are exactly what Jiang Shuxiu meant.
After hearing this, Hanqiao bowed and retreated through the side door of the corridor.
Seeing her leave, Rui'er felt a little irritated, her tone a little uneasy: "These past few days, the old lady hasn't even gone to the front hall, leaving everything to the young lady and the son-in-law to take care of. I had gotten better after the winter and was taking the medicine prescribed by Doctor Zhang, but I didn't expect it to stop working these past few days."
Jiang Shuxiu put down the chopsticks in his hand and rubbed his temples.
"My mother-in-law and my father-in-law were deeply in love. Now that they are separated, it is only natural that they cannot bear the sadness. Please don't talk too much."
Rui'er lowered her head and responded. She was not ignorant of the rules, so she didn't say anything more. But when she saw Jiang Shuxiu's tired face, she felt sorry for her own daughter and couldn't help but complain.
Jiang Shuxiu was still wearing crescent-white mourning clothes today, which were made of seven parts cloud-patterned brocade and three parts Hangzhou silk cotton. Because she was in mourning, she had no makeup on her face. Her black hair was like water, tied into a round bun, with only a white jade and mutton-fat hairpin pinned in it, showing her natural elegance.
Speaking of Jiang Shuxiu, her father was the chief academic officer of the Imperial College and had been a disciple of the old lady Hong Yingrong's father, the late emperor's tutor Hong Hanwen. The two families got together due to this coincidence and did not care about the social status of the two families.
The Marquis's family was prosperous, but Jiang Shuxiu's family was just aristocratic. They were kind and frugal, so although they had no worries about food and clothing, they did not dare to be extravagant.
It is said that only after serving as an official for three generations can one know how to wear clothes and eat. The Xingyuan Marquis has already reached the seventh generation, living a life of luxury and wealth. I am afraid that many first-rank officials in the capital would never dare to compare with him.
Everyone in the capital said that her marriage to the prince was a blessing that no one else could ask for.
However, in the seven years since they got married, there is only one thing that has not gone as they wish, and that is that Jiang Shuxiu has not yet given birth to a child.
The Marquis's Mansion was anxious about this matter, her family was also anxious, and even the Empress Dowager in the palace, because of her cousin relationship with the old lady Hong Yingrong, was always concerned about this matter.
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