The day before leaving for Yangzhou, when having dinner at Princess Pingrou's mansion, Princess Pingrou was reluctant to leave Lu Yiling and Xiao Yile.
"Lingling, Yangzhou is a long way away, so why don't you go there? Wait until your nurse is feeling better and ask her to come to Shengjing City."
Lu Yiling smiled and said to Princess Pingrou: "Grandma, I am old and can't stay at home all the time. Don't worry, I will take good care of myself and my younger sister and brother."
Princess Pingrou was filled with worry. She looked at Qi Yuning and Lu Ze and asked, "As parents, are you willing to let all three of your children go to Yangzhou City?"
Qi Yuning said, "Lingling is smart, so don't worry. Xiu'er doesn't go out on weekdays, so I don't worry about him. Ah Le is a little young, but she and Lingling have always been inseparable. Since Your Majesty and the Empress are going together, Ah Le and Princess Shiyi will also have a companion, so I am relieved."
When Lu Yang and Lu Xing heard that they could go to Yangzhou City, they also became interested and clamored to go with them.
Lu Yun said, "You two can't go. Your eldest brother has already arranged a marriage, and will get married in the twelfth lunar month. He will not be able to return from Yangzhou in the twelfth lunar month this time."
Lu Yiling looked at Lu Han in surprise, "Is the wedding decided so soon? Doesn't that mean I can't drink at Brother Han's wedding?"
Lu Han said: "Yes, she is the second daughter of Mo Fuyin's family."
Lu Yiling said, "Then I wish Brother Han and Sister-in-law a son soon. I'm going to go back and pack my things first. I have to leave early tomorrow morning."
After Qi Yuning saw Lu Yiling leave, she said to Lu Ze, "I'll go see Lingling."
When Qi Yuning rushed to Yuemi Courtyard, he saw Lu Yiling putting the rosewood hairpin on the candle flame and it took a while to light the hairpin.
“Lingling.”
When Lu Yiling saw Qi Yuning coming, she even threw the hairpin in her hand to the ground.
"Do you like Lu Han?" Qi Yuning looked at Lu Yiling blankly, "When did you start to like Lu Han?"
Lu Yiling said: "I didn't..."
Qi Yuning looked at Lu Yiling and said, "You can't fool your mother. Why didn't you tell her earlier that you also liked Lu Han?"
Lu Yiling lowered her head and said, "Mother, I can't like him, and he can't like me. He can't do anything that would embarrass my second uncle and second aunt, and I can't disregard the reputation of the princess's mansion and say that I like my cousin..."
Qi Yuning couldn't help but sigh and said, "Lingling, Lingling, you shouldn't worry about these. Lu Han likes you, so why is your second uncle embarrassed? For your second uncle, is having a stepson with the surname Lu not as important as having a biological niece? You don't have to care about the reputation of the princess's mansion. They are not real cousins, so what's wrong with him changing his surname back to Huang?"
Qi Yuning looked at Lu Yiling with tears in her eyes and said, "If you had told mother earlier, mother would have definitely helped you two. I thought it was just Lu Han's wishful thinking... Now it's too late."
Lu Yiling said in Qi Yuning's arms: "I have never told Brother Han that I like him, and he has never told me either. I know he is looking for a wife, but I thought it wouldn't be so soon... I didn't expect that he has already arranged a marriage so soon."
Lu Yiling cried sadly, "Mother, I feel so bad."
Qi Yuning hugged Lu Yiling with heartache. Now that the wedding date with the Mo family had been set, Qi Yuning could not damage the reputation of another girl for Lingling. She herself had experienced the humiliation of her fiancé running away before the marriage, so how could she let the girl of the Mo family suffer the scandal of being broken off?
Qi Yuning could only hug Lu Yiling and said, "Let's go to Yangzhou and relax. Maybe this is fate."
Lu Yiling leaned in Qi Yuning's arms and said, "Mom, can I sleep with you today?"
"Of course." Qi Yuning coaxed Lu Yiling to fall asleep slowly.
After Lu Yiling fell asleep, Qi Yuning couldn't help but sigh.
Early in the morning, Lu Yiling got up and went to the dock. This time they went to Yangzhou by water. The palace ship was huge and luxurious. It was a large ship recently built in the shipyard.
Because Lu Yiling was in a bad mood, Qi Yuning didn't let Xiao Yile go with her. Xiao Yile kept crying on the dock, unwilling to be separated from her sister.
Qi Yuning looked at Xiao Yile with distress, but she couldn't bear to let her daughter cry any more and said, "Forget it, mother will go to Yangzhou with you."
Cui Liu, who was following Qi Yuning, said in surprise: "But Princess, we didn't bring any luggage."
Qi Yuning said, "Just buy it on the way. Food and daily necessities are all available on the boat. You can buy clothes, or if that doesn't work, Lingling's clothes will do. Yiyue can wear fashionable clothes."
Yile and Shiyi are of similar age and build.
Qi Yuning carried Yile onto the big ship. Little Yile stopped crying and soon started playing with Princess Shiyi.
Lu Yiling looked at Qi Yuning and said, "Mother, if you go to Yangzhou with us, won't father have any objections?"
"Is his opinion important?" Qi Yuning smiled faintly.
Lu Yiling reached out and hugged Qi Yuning and said, "Mother."
Qi Yuning smiled calmly, "Be good, have fun in Yangzhou this time."
After Lu Ze finished dealing with state affairs, he returned home. Fortunately, both children were not at home. Yi Le was still young. Lu Ze was planning to take Qi Yuning to Shengjing City for a good stroll. After asking, he found out that Qi Yuning had not come back today.
Not long after, Lu Ze received a letter from Qi Yuning, which only had a few words on it: "I'm going to Yangzhou, don't worry."
Lu Ze clenched the paper in his hand and sneered helplessly.
…
It took a full month to travel by water from Shengjing to Yangzhou City. Fortunately, no one got seasick.
In Yangzhou City, Chu Yan, Chu Qing, Ye Li, Zheng Xiuxiu and Chu Xiaoxiao were waiting at the dock early.
Lu Yiling was standing on the deck. When she saw Ye Li from afar, she shouted, "Nurse!"
As soon as the boat docked, Lu Yiling couldn't wait to get off the boat and walked up to Ye Li, "Nurse!"
"Lingling?" Ye Li looked at the beautiful and noble girl in front of him and could hardly recognize her. "Lingling, you have grown so big? I always thought you were a child. You have grown taller than your nanny."
Lu Yiling chuckled and said, "I have grown a lot taller. I have been waiting for you to come all these years!"
Qi Yuning came down from the deck holding little Yile's hand. Ye Li bowed and said, "Princess, this is little Princess Yile, right?"
Qi Yuning nodded and said, "It's Yile, Ah Le, this is my sister's wet nurse."
Xiao Yile looked up at Ye Li and said, "Hello, nurse."
After Ye Li greeted Xiao Yile with a chuckle, he kept looking into the cabin. After a while, he saw Zhao Jie and Chu Chi coming out. Zhao Jie had a child of over four years old in his arms.
Everyone on the shore knelt down and saluted.
Zhao Jie said, "No need to be polite."
Chu Chilian walked up to Ye Li and said with tears in his eyes, "Mom."
Ye Li held Chu Chi in his arms and said, “Chi’er, mother has been useless these years and cannot go to Shengjing to visit you.”
Chu Chi cried in Ye Li's arms, "It's Chi'er who is unfilial. I couldn't come to visit my mother."
Lu Yiling walked to Zheng Xiuxiu's side and said, "Xiuxiu, where is Chu Che? How come you all are here but you haven't seen Chu Che?"
Zheng Xiuxiu said: "He is studying in the academy. He knows you are coming and has been looking forward to it. However, he can only take two days off a month in the academy, so he can't take time out to welcome you."
Lu Yiling said, "I'm hoping he'll be my bodyguard again in the next few days. Where's your child?"
Zheng Xiuxiu said: "He is so naughty. He is at home. You will see him later."
When His Majesty came to Yangzhou, he did not order the construction of a temporary palace, but lived directly in the Chu Mansion.
The Chu Mansion in Yangzhou is as big as a temporary palace.
After Chu Chi saw Ye Li, he held Ye Li's hand and never let go. Zhao Jie didn't say much, but just exchanged pleasantries with Chu Qing. After all, the two of them had a childhood friendship.
Chu Yan entertained Qi Yuning and asked, "Why doesn't the Prince Chen come with the princess?"
Qi Yuning chuckled and said, "His Majesty has come to Yangzhou. He wants to supervise the country. My three children and I have been annoying him all the time. This is a good opportunity for him to have some peace and quiet."
Chu Yan chuckled and said, "I don't think the King of Chen would want this kind of silence."
Qi Yuning said: "It's hard to say, maybe he is drinking and having fun in Shengjing City now."
Chu Yan looked at the young man behind Qi Yuning who looked somewhat similar to Lu Ze and asked, "Who is this?"
Qi Yuning said: "I haven't introduced him yet, this is my nephew."
Qi Zhiyuan said: "I am Qi Zhiyuan."
Chu Yan said, "So it's Young Prince Qi. He's really handsome. I wonder if he's engaged?"
Qi Zhiyuan looked at Lu Yiling shyly and said, "Not yet, but soon. When I return to Yangzhou City, I will come to propose marriage."
Lu Yiling: “…”
Qi Yuning said to Chu Yan: "The marriage has not been decided yet. My sister-in-law is having a headache about his marriage."
Chu Yan praised, "The young prince is a rare talent, and he is the son of Prince Qi and the eldest princess. He is talented in both literature and martial arts, and has a good appearance. This marriage is a piece of cake. Such a good son-in-law will be liked by everyone."
Qi Zhiyuan looked at Qi Yuning resentfully and said, "Aunt just doesn't like it."
Qi Yuning: "..." (End of this chapter)
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