Chapter 442 Response
Consort Li was taken aback by Madam Jiang's lukewarm response. Just as she was about to say something, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure that had appeared out of nowhere. Her expression changed slightly, and she quickly bowed.
"This concubine greets Your Majesty."
Huo Lin walked over slowly, his gaze lingering on Madam Jiang for a moment before turning to Consort Li.
"Consort Li seems to be quite free these days? Have you taken care of all the tasks I assigned you?"
Consort Li's heart tightened, and she quickly bowed, not daring to raise her head: "Your Majesty, I dare not neglect this task and am handling it one by one."
"In that case, let's focus on the important matters." Huo Lin snorted coldly. "No one is allowed to move around in the vicinity of Weiyang Palace without being summoned, so as not to disturb the Imperial Noble Consort's rest. Lady Jiang was granted special permission by me to visit the palace. When she comes and when she leaves is to be decided by me and the Imperial Noble Consort. There is no need for others to worry about it."
These words were quite impolite. Consort Li's face flushed red and then turned pale, but she dared not refute them. She could only lower her head and reply, "Yes, I know I was wrong. I will take my leave."
After saying that, he practically fled in panic.
Huo Lin then looked at Madam Jiang, his tone softening: "Mother-in-law, you've been frightened."
A warm feeling welled up in Madam Jiang's heart, and she quickly bowed again: "This humble woman dares not, thank you for speaking up for me, Your Majesty."
Huo Lin looked at her. Although she was still nervous, she was much better than Jiang's father. In particular, she was able to maintain her composure even under the deliberate harassment of Consort Li. Her composure was stronger than he had expected.
His mind raced, and an idea took shape.
"Huan'er needs someone to take good care of her after giving birth. If you have time, Mother-in-law, you might as well visit the palace more often. In addition, the Empress's investiture ceremony and the ceremonial robes needed in the future will ultimately need to be approved by someone close to you. I would like to entrust this matter to you, Mother-in-law. What do you think?"
Madam Jiang was taken aback at first, then overjoyed.
This is not only a tremendous trust, but also an opportunity for her to participate in her daughter's most important moment!
She suppressed her excitement and gave a steady bow: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations!"
"Hmm," Huo Lin nodded in satisfaction. "That's good. Mother-in-law must be tired today, so let's go back to the manor to rest first. We can go to the palace tomorrow to discuss this matter with her in detail."
"Yes, this humble woman takes her leave." Madam Jiang maintained proper etiquette until she turned and walked a distance away, at which point the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up in a smile.
She walked out of the palace gate in a cheerful mood, where the carriage from the Jiang residence had been waiting for a long time.
Just as Madam Jiang was about to get into the carriage, she saw her master being carried out through the side door by two eunuchs, one on each side.
Jiang's father's official robes were rumpled, his hair was disheveled, his face was as pale as paper, and his legs were as weak as overcooked noodles, requiring two eunuchs to support him so that he could stand steadily.
Madam Jiang's smile froze instantly, and she frowned in disgust.
She strode forward and whispered a reprimand, "Master, what are you doing? Stand up straight! People are coming and going at the palace gate, what kind of behavior is this!"
When Jiang's father saw his wife, it was as if he had seen a savior. His lips trembled as he said, "Madam... you've finally come out... I... I almost didn't see you again... that Lord Xie... he... he's not human..."
Seeing his pathetic state, Madam Jiang was so angry that she reached out and pinched his arm lightly: "Shut up, and stand up straight! Just now the Emperor praised me for my proper handling of the situation, and you're making a fool of yourself here. Get your act together and straighten up! Don't you care about your future father-in-law's reputation?"
Jiang's father was pinched so hard by his wife that he grimaced, and when he heard the emperor's praise, he felt even more ashamed. He could only try to stand up straight, but his legs still trembled uncontrollably.
In the end, two eunuchs, with straight faces and suppressing their laughter, helped Jiang's father onto the carriage.
The carriage drove away from the palace gate and headed towards the Jiang residence. When it reached a relatively narrow alley, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
The coachman reported from outside: "Master, Madam, ahead are the carriages of Vice Minister Li and several other officials. They seem to have just left the palace. The road is a bit narrow, so please give way."
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked out. Sure enough, she saw several carriages parked not far away, and several people in official robes were standing by the carriages exchanging pleasantries.
Li Shilang also saw the Jiang family's carriage, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, and walked over with a few others.
"Oh my, isn't this Lord Jiang and Madam Jiang? What a coincidence!"
Minister Li smiled and glanced at Jiang's father's obviously tired and stiff face, then at Madam Jiang beside him. His words were concerned, but in reality, they were a test.
"Lord Jiang doesn't look too well. Have you been overworking lately? Indeed, Lord Jiang's status is different now. The Imperial Noble Consort has given birth to a boy and a girl and will soon become Empress. Lord Jiang will be the Emperor's father-in-law, which is a great responsibility. It's no wonder he's been working so hard!"
His words sounded like a compliment, but in reality, they implied that Jiang's father was unworthy of his position and could not bear the sudden wealth and honor.
Several officials nearby echoed this sentiment, their eyes revealing a hint of schadenfreude.
Normally, Mr. Jiang would have panicked and not know how to deal with it, but at this moment, the spot on his arm where his wife had twisted it was still throbbing with pain.
He recalled his wife's instructions and Lord Xie's training, and miraculously, he did not stutter.
"Lord Li, you flatter me. Serving the country and sharing the emperor's burdens is a subject's duty, and it is not hard work. On the contrary, Lord Li, you have many complicated matters to attend to, and that is what is truly hard work."
This response, while not particularly outstanding, was still quite proper and neither servile nor arrogant. It surprised Vice Minister Li slightly, who hadn't expected that Lord Jiang, who used to tremble before his superiors, could actually utter such polite words.
Madam Jiang nodded secretly to the side and spoke up at the right moment: "Gentlemen, please forgive my tardiness. My husband went to the palace to meet the Emperor today and discussed some matters with Lord Xie, so he is a little tired. His Majesty is considerate and has granted me permission to go to the palace more often in the future to accompany the Imperial Noble Consort and assist with some trivial matters. That's why I was delayed for a while. It's getting late, so I won't keep you gentlemen from returning home."
Her words subtly pointed out that Jiang's father was tired from meeting the emperor, and further clarified that she was entering the palace by imperial decree and enjoyed special privileges, directly shutting down Minister Li's sarcastic remarks.
Li Shilang and the others exchanged a glance, their expressions changing slightly. They quickly bowed and said, "I see. We have been very rude to you. Please, Lord Jiang and Madam Jiang."
Madam Jiang nodded slightly and calmly lowered the carriage curtain.
The carriage started moving again, leaving the officials with their various expressions behind.
Inside the carriage, Mr. Jiang let out a long sigh of relief, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on his back, but his eyes were much brighter than before.
He looked at his wife, a hint of relief on his face: "Madam, I didn't embarrass you and Huan'er just now, did I?"
Seeing him show such a rare expression, Madam Jiang patted his hand, her heart softening.
"No, Master handled it very well. You see, as long as we have Huan'er and this family in our hearts, we can get through any difficulty, right?"
Her words quietly soothed the unease in Mr. Jiang's heart. The couple's eyes met, and they both saw in each other's eyes the determination not to hold their daughter back.
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