Chapter 79 Chapter 79 The first meeting after the marriage
The next day after Wu Tianyue returned to Beijing, he heard early in the morning that the emperor had reprimanded several censors in the court for neglecting their duties and allowing such fabricated rumors to spread. He ordered several people to investigate and report back, and then sent people to the Jia Mansion to convey an oral order for Jia Zhen and Jia She to reflect on their mistakes behind closed doors.
Several censors were scolded for no reason and actively impeached those who spread the rumors. In addition, the Jia family, which was at the center of the rumors, was also punished. After all, this matter had nothing to do with everyone, and the capital was not short of strange stories, so the matter was suppressed soon.
Wu Tianyue was delighted with the outcome and, based on Wu Wuyu's daily activities, he had others spread rumors, half-truths and half-falsehoods. The emperor, believing he was simply venting his anger, allowed him to proceed. The empress's family was also a ragtag bunch, and without the emperor's intervention, they could do nothing but watch helplessly as the rumors spread.
Later, seeing that Wu Tianyue was busy with the affairs of the Dragon Guard and the Beijing Camp, he wanted to use the excuse of meeting the fiancée of Prince Zhongshun to embarrass Daiyu, but before he could issue an order, he was warned by the emperor and had to give up the idea.
These were things that happened in the future. When Wu Tianyue got the news from the court, he changed his clothes and went to Wang Ziteng's house to visit the emperor. When he came back, he met Cai Rang who came to announce the imperial edict.
"Congratulations, Crown Prince! Congratulations, Crown Prince!" Cai Rang finished reading the decree and placed it in Wu Tianyue's hand with a smile. "Your Highness, your wish has finally come true."
"Thank you, Eunuch Cai." Wu Tianyue's voice was clear and loud. He stuffed a purse into Cai Rang's hand. "Eunuch, please share in the good news."
Cai Rang accepted it with a smile, said a few more auspicious words, and then said with a smile: "Although it is a great joyous occasion, we have to go to Longjinwei today, so please don't forget it, my prince."
"Of course." Wu Tianyue said with a smile, "Don't worry, eunuch."
Cai Rang smiled and nodded, drank a cup of tea with Prince Zhongshun and his wife in the palace, and then returned to the palace to report.
Princess Zhongshun was in charge of the reward in the mansion. Wu Tianyue ordered someone to deliver a letter to Daiyu, and then changed into military uniform and went to Longjinwei.
In the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Daiyu leaned on the couch by the window, holding a book in her hands, but she could not read a single word.
"Sister Lin, what are you doing in this room?" The voice arrived before anyone else. Shi Xiangyun flung open the curtains and ran in like a gust of wind. "It's fine if you didn't invite us to dinner for your wedding, but you're hiding away all by yourself. Could it be that you're thinking about Brother-in-law Lin?"
Daiyu put down her book and stood up to greet her. When she heard Xiangyun's words, her face flushed with shame. She stepped forward and grabbed Xiangyun to hit her: "I knew you would never say a good word again."
Ying, Tan, and Xi, along with Baochai, Baoqin, and Xing Xiuyan, also came in smiling. Xiangyun hid behind them and said with a smile, "I was wondering why Prince Zhongshun kept going to the garden even after moving out. It turns out he had planned this all along!"
As she continued to speak, Daiyu countered, "No matter how fast he runs, he can't outrun the Wei family guy. If he hadn't been appointed Dragon Guard a few days ago, you'd probably still be bringing some cakes today."
Xiangyun originally wanted to tease her, but she didn't expect it to affect her. She quickly turned around and pulled Daiyu to beg for mercy: "Good sister, please forgive me this time."
"I'm afraid it's inappropriate to just say that," Tanchun said with a smile. "The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict today said that the prince has appointed the Minister of the Imperial Guard, who is the Wei family boy's immediate superior. Yun girl asked for mercy and only served tea and water to Sister Lin."
This sentence teased the two people, and Daiyu and Xiangyun instantly reconciled. She said to Tanchun: "Tan girl has also learned bad things. Her mouth is almost as good as Fengjie'er."
After saying that, he was stunned again. Feng Jieer was in a very bad situation now. I heard that she had been bedridden.
Tanchun disliked people who used their power to do things that were against the will of heaven and morality. She snorted coldly, "She is not upright, so how could she touch that thing?"
No one spoke in the room for a while. On the one hand, everyone felt that what Feng Jieer had done was cruel, but on the other hand, because Feng Jieer really treated her sisters very well, they felt sorry for her that she was living such a miserable life now.
Seeing everyone like this, Baochai smiled and livened up the atmosphere: "Why hasn't the tea been served for so long? Are you afraid that we will be affected by your joy?"
Zijuan and Luchen were just coming over with tea. Upon hearing this, they smiled and said, "It's my fault. The girls haven't been here for a while, so I ordered someone to put away the tea set that was only for them. I went out of my way to look for it just now and missed the time."
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." The matter of Sister Feng had already been settled, and there was no point in talking about it any further. Besides, today was Daiyu's wedding day, and talking about such things would really spoil the mood. So after Baochai changed the subject, Tanchun took up the conversation and said with a smile, "I've never seen anyone else prepare tea sets specially for guests."
"It's the girls who come here often." Zijuan personally served tea to the sisters one by one. "If it were someone else, they would only have ordinary tea."
"If you ask me, it's not just because we come here so often," Xiangyun said with a smile. "Who doesn't know how much the princess dotes on you? If it were us, we wouldn't have the spare money even if we wanted to."
As he spoke, his eyes rolled and he smiled again, "It seems that the luckiest one among us is Sister Lin. When she gets married, her mother-in-law will be like her own mother."
"Yun girl, you can't sit still for a moment." Daiyu smiled and stepped forward to pinch Xiangyun's face, "I'll teach you a lesson."
The two of them played around for a bit, then had some tea together. Baochai looked out the window at the sky and said with a smile, "We've had enough fun today. Let Sister Lin have a good rest. Anyway, we'll have time to talk later."
Baochai was now in charge of the Xue household, Tanchun followed Li Wan in managing the garden, and Xichun's painting was not finished yet, so they were all very busy. So when they heard this, they all stood up and said goodbye. The other sisters knew that many people would come in to congratulate them today, so they left together.
Daiyu saw her sisters off and sat by the window, looking at the leafless bamboos in the garden. Suddenly she thought of Feng Jieer and called Zijuan to ask, "How is Second Sister-in-law doing?"
"The Empress sent me a reward today, so I took the opportunity to go to the courtyard over there. Second Madam's health remains the same, but she seems to be in better spirits thanks to Qiaojie," Zijuan replied. "Second Master Lian's new concubine, Concubine You, seems gentle and easy to get along with. Furthermore, Second Master changed his mind a while ago and let Ping'er continue to manage the affairs of the courtyard. When Second Madam is too busy, he'll hand some responsibilities over to her. With her around, Second Madam won't have any problems."
Daiyu nodded and said, "Go and have a look in the storeroom. I remember that the Empress gave me many little toys to entertain me a few years ago. Take them out and have a look. If they are in good condition, send them to Sister Feng's room and say they are for Sister Qiao. And by the way... send some nourishing herbs as well."
"Yes." Zijuan agreed and went down.
"Miss, here's the news from the prince." Zijuan had just gone out when Luchen came in with a piece of plain paper.
Daiyu unfolded it and saw only a few words: "At twilight hour, in the peach grove in the garden. Axe."
Looking out the window at the darkening sky, Daiyu couldn't help but whisper, "It's so cold, and yet you chose to meet in the woods. You're such a warrior who doesn't know the difference between cold and warmth."
That was what she said, but when it was almost the beginning of the evening, after finally sending away all the people who came to congratulate her, Daiyu hurriedly put on a thick cloak, held a hand warmer and went to the peach forest alone.
When she arrived, Wu Tianyue was already waiting there, wearing a dark cloak, and seemed to be hidden in a forest with withered grass and trees.
"Yu'er, you're really punctual today. I thought the sisters in the garden would delay you." Wu Tianyue smiled and stepped forward. "Are you afraid that if you're late, I'll freeze to death in this cold wind?"
Daiyu put the hand warmer in her bosom and said with a smile, "You are a young general who has experienced hundreds of battles. You are not afraid of the wind and snow outside the Great Wall. Why are you afraid of this little wind?"
Wu Tianyue stopped in front of her, looked down at the tip of her nose which was slightly red from the cold, and regretted choosing this place. However, Xiaoxiang Pavilion was bustling with people today, and he was not living in the Grand View Garden. Although his relationship with Daiyu was now public, it would be okay for him to meet her, but he wanted to do something for the Jia family, so it was not appropriate for him to go there often.
She was worried in her heart, but teased Daiyu: "I'm not afraid, but someone is shivering while holding a hand warmer."
"Who's shivering?" Daiyu's health has improved a lot over the years, but she is still weaker than others, and she has lost a lot of weight over the past year. But just as she finished talking tough, a cold wind suddenly blew, and Daiyu couldn't help but shiver slightly.
Wu Tianyue couldn't help laughing, but quickly stopped laughing and took off his cloak to put it on her: "Are you still trying to be brave?"
"Who asked you to meddle?" Daiyu was a little annoyed when she heard the laughter and moved aside. "I have my own cloak and hand warmer."
"How can this be enough?" Wu Tianyue threw the cloak over her without hesitation and carefully fastened the straps. "If you catch a cold, and word gets out that I, the prince of a royal family, can't even take care of my future wife, how will I face shame?"
"Who is your future wife?" Daiyu was wrapped up tightly by him, revealing only her innocent little face. Hearing this, she glanced at him sideways. "Besides, it's so cold, and you insisted on meeting in the peach forest. I don't know what your intention is."
"Where is my place in your yard today?" Wu Tianyue said aggrievedly, "Could it be that we won't meet today?"
"If you don't want to see each other, then don't see each other. Do you still need this little time?"
"It's been so long since I last saw you." Wu Tianyue felt even more aggrieved after hearing this. "Could it be that Yu'er doesn't miss me at all?"
"If you weren't such a forgetful person, you should really take time out every day to catch up on your past lessons." Daiyu ignored him and said with a smile, "I just heard it yesterday, and you're asking again today."
"I knew you were starting to dislike my vulgarity." Wu Tianyue shook his head in mock disappointment. "I went to the palace yesterday to beat someone up just to avenge you."
Daiyu was surprised: "Who did you beat?"
"Of course it's the person who troubled you that day. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have been subjected to all this criticism." Wu Tianyue smiled and took credit for it. "Don't worry about those rumors. The emperor has instructed the censors today and reprimanded the people from the Jia Mansion. Together with the people from the Wang Mansion and Fei Yan, it won't be long before we resolve it."
Daiyu was a little stunned. No wonder she heard today that her uncle and cousin Zhen from the Ning Mansion were under house arrest. The eldest wife and sister-in-law You even came to give gifts and say some sorry words. Several young ladies from aristocratic families who she was not very familiar with also sent people to send things.
"You...you came back for me?" Daiyu suddenly thought of a possibility, looked up at Wu Tianyue, her voice trembling slightly.
"What are you thinking about? I would have come back even without you." Wu Tianyue knew at a glance that she was feeling guilty. He smiled and rubbed her head. "And strictly speaking, you were implicated by me. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have suffered this."
As he was speaking, the wind got stronger, so he quickly changed positions and stood next to her to block the wind for her.
Daiyu turned her head to look at his profile and whispered, "If it weren't for you, what I heard I'd encountered would be ten times more difficult than it is now."
"What?" Wu Tianyue saw that the hood of the cloak was bulging and stuffed into the coat. Fearing that Daiyu would feel uncomfortable, he reached out to tidy it up and did not hear clearly.
Daiyu said, "Nothing."
Wu Tianyue didn't ask any further questions. He put the hat on Daiyu's head, leaned closer, and whispered, "Do you think I'm so good that it would be great to marry me?"
Seeing how shameless he was, Daiyu said angrily, "You wish."
“The person I think of is indeed beautiful.”
As he finished speaking, the first snow fell. Daiyu blushed and huddled in the wide brim of her hat. Without looking at him, she reached out to catch a snowflake: "You're such a smooth talker."
"I'm not lying." Wu Tianyue held her hand, gently blowing on the warm air, and said seriously, "Yu'er is the only woman in the world who can make me put down my sword and pick up poetry and books."
Daiyu looked up at him, seeing snowflakes falling on his thick eyelashes. His face, which was usually full of jokes and playfulness, became unusually serious. She chuckled softly and said, "Will you read a poem for me?"
"Do you even need to mention such a trivial matter? I will plant bamboo for you, take you back to Jiangnan, grind ink for you when you write poetry, and make medicine for you when you are sick." Wu Tianyue smiled, "I just don't know if Miss Lin would be willing to do me the honor."
Daiyu looked into his sincere eyes, her heart softening, but she said, "That depends on your performance. If the ink is not ground evenly or the medicine is not brewed properly, I will kick you out."
Wu Tianyue laughed out loud: "Okay, okay, I will listen to you, Madam."
"Who is your wife..." Daiyu protested again, but her voice was much softer, and she let him lead her away.
When two people walk together, the journey is always short.
Wu Tianyue felt like they had only walked for a short while when they arrived at Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Although he was reluctant to leave, the snow was falling heavier and heavier. He was worried that Daiyu would get cold if he didn't leave now. Besides, he had to go back to check the information of the Dragon Guards and others, so he squeezed Daiyu's palm and said, "I'll come see you tomorrow."
After saying that, he watched her enter the courtyard before turning around and leaving the garden.
Daiyu returned to her room, listening to the sound of snow falling outside the window. She unconsciously stroked the hand that they had just held, where his warmth still remained.
Zijuan came in with hot tea, and seeing her expression, she smiled knowingly and said, "Miss, you haven't been this happy for a long time."
Daiyu glanced at her and said, "How come you've become so talkative?"
"Why did you say 'also'?" Zijuan teased with a smile, "Could it be that someone else was just being frivolous?"
"I won't talk to you anymore. You just tease me all day long."
Daiyu snorted, ignored Zijuan, walked to the desk, picked up the book she hadn't finished reading today and opened it.
After sitting for half a day, he spread out paper, ground ink, and wrote a line: "Suddenly snowflakes fell side by side, and our hair has turned from black to white."
After writing it, she felt it was too straightforward and was hesitating whether to tear it up when she heard Xiangyun's voice outside calling her to come out and enjoy the snow. She hurriedly put it in the book, put it back on the bookshelf, and hurried out.
Daiyu's life did not change much after Wu Tianyue came back. It was a cold winter and she was not feeling well. Wu Tianyue was busy with the training of the Dragon Guards and the Beijing Camp, so he could only come to have dinner with her every day.
However, the Jia family is much quieter now than in the past during the New Year, and many people have been affected by the search and seizure in the garden. Only Daiyu's garden is still a "paradise on earth", so the sisters all like to come and sit here, and it's not boring to have someone accompany them.
On this day, Wu Tianyue had a general understanding of what was happening on the Long Jinwei side. He heard that there would be a Lantern Festival in the city on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, so he planned to take Daiyu out for a walk before going to the next Beijing camp to guide military training.
Just as he had sent the invitation over, he saw Fei Yan coming back: "Sir, there is news about the Jia family."
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The author has something to say: Thanks to the little angel "Yao Yu" for irrigating the nutrient solution~
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