Chapter 413
On the night of the Flower Festival, Shen Qingnian and her family of four changed into ordinary clothes and left the palace. As soon as they left the palace, they saw Liu Yurou and Song Xi waiting at the door.
Outside the palace, the city was bustling with activity. Under the night sky, lanterns along the road illuminated the entire capital. There were many pedestrians on the road, so their group did not stand out.
“These lanterns were all provided by the manager of Jinxiu Textile,” Song Xuan said in Shen Qingnian’s ear, holding her hand.
Xiaoju is the owner of Jinxiu Textile. Over the years, her business has grown very large and she has ventured into many areas.
"Sister Xiaoju is truly amazing. All the girls in my school like her very much," said Shen Xi, dressed in red.
Her features resembled Song Xuan's, and combined with her personality, she appeared very bright and flamboyant, becoming the center of attention wherever she went.
Qingxue skipped and hopped, pulling Song Yanqing along as they ran forward: "Sister Xiaoju's boat seems to be up ahead, let's go take a look!"
Seeing the brother and sister run away, Song Xi followed them.
Song Xuan waved to the hidden guards in the crowd, signaling them to follow the three. Liu Yurou, along with Zhu Lan and several servants, followed behind to catch up with the three.
“Once you leave the palace, you’re like a monkey. You’ve lost all the air of a princess or prince,” Shen Qingnian said with a laugh, taking the man’s hand.
She had brought many guards and servants with her when she left the palace today, so she was not worried.
Song Xuan glanced at the bustling crowd and said in a gentle tone, "We're used to being restrained on weekdays, so let's go along with them since it's a rare opportunity for us to relax."
After ten years of peaceful life, Song Xuan has returned to his gentle demeanor. The gloom and coldness of ten years ago have long since settled, but his methods in the court remain ruthless. He is a true gentleman with a smiling face.
Shen Qingnian looked at the man beside her, dressed in a moon-white robe. Under the light of the night lamp, the man's face was half-lit and half-shadowed, which made him look even more profound and handsome. He was no longer as sharp as he was in his youth, but had more maturity and composure, making him seem even more unfathomable.
The two walked hand in hand to the riverbank. There were many people on the riverbank tonight, and boats of all sizes were moored on the river. The most exquisite and largest one belonged to Xiaoju.
Shen Qingnian looked at the jasmine-carved boats on the river and raised her eyebrows involuntarily: "Manager Ju is truly generous."
The jasmine-carved boat's deck was covered in gold dust, shimmering brilliantly under the glow of the river lanterns and streetlights.
Xiaoju gradually rose to prominence in the fourth year after leaving the palace. Once her business improved slightly, she began sending things to the palace, sometimes a beautiful hairpin, sometimes a few interesting books and paintings, and sometimes some silver.
Although Shen Qingnian and Xiaoju only met a few times in the past ten years, they corresponded frequently in private. A few days ago, Xiaoju sent a lot of shop deeds to the palace.
She felt that she owed Shen Qingnian all of this. The money and mansion that Shen Qingnian gave her ten years ago gave her the confidence to make a name for herself in the capital. Over the years, she had also used the Empress's name to make her business grow so fast.
Shen Qingnian and Song Xuan arrived at the lakeside. The three children and Liu Yurou had already boarded the boat and gone to play in the cabin, which was filled with many interesting toys.
Xiaoju stood at the bow of the boat, waiting for Shen Qingnian and Song Xuan.
Shen Qingnian and Song Xuan walked hand in hand to the riverbank, where Xiao Ju immediately came to greet them.
Looking at the elegant and beautiful woman before her, she said with a choked voice, "Madam, it's been so long, you really haven't changed at all."
Although the two corresponded, they had not seen each other for three years.
Shen Qingnian looked at Xiao Ju in front of her. She was dressed in a light blue dress and her hair was adorned with expensive pearl hairpins that were very dazzling. The composure she had when she was a maid had completely disappeared, replaced by a hidden sharpness and arrogance.
Xiaoju is radiant now, her eyes sparkling, and you can tell at a glance that she is doing very well.
"Manager Ju's reputation is so great that even those in the inner palace have heard of it," Shen Qingnian couldn't help but exclaim.
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