Chapter 185 Farewell
Zhu Luo lay on the rosewood canopy bed with lotus flower patterns, her delicate and lovely face as white as gold paper.
The purplish-red marks on her neck remained, and her almond-shaped eyes stared blankly at the canopy above her head, making her look like a walking corpse.
"Zhu Luo, why are you doing this? The young master can't accept us for a while, it's not like he can't accept us forever. Even if he doesn't want us to serve him, being a maidservant for life is still better than being a lowly servant before."
Niandong sat on an embroidered stool by the bed, wiping Zhu Luo's face with a handkerchief while offering words of comfort.
"You're just too arrogant. How can we, your servants, not suffer some grievances?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw two lines of clear tears suddenly flow from the corner of Zhu Luo's eyes, her eyes filled with utter despair, like those of a marionette.
“Nian Dong… No, I can’t do it anymore, I can’t be the eldest young master’s concubine.”
"What nonsense are you talking about? The madam herself performed the facial treatments for the two of us, how could it be fake?"
"I...I..."
Zhu Luo choked up, unable to utter a word for a long time.
"Nian Dong, Zhu Luo, the lady has arrived!"
Nian Dong immediately got up and turned to the door, saying happily:
"Look, Madam is here to stand up for you. If you have any grievances, you can tell Madam, and she will definitely stand up for you!"
She was filled with gratitude, but she didn't see Zhu Luo behind her staring wide-eyed, her face turning even paler.
One hour later.
Lin Hui came out of Nian Dong and Zhu Luo's room and calmly announced that Zhu Luo would soon be promoted to Concubine Zhu and move to Chunxiang Courtyard next to the master's study.
Nian Dong was momentarily stunned, thinking she had misheard.
Zhu Luo's promotion is a good thing, but... why Chunxiang Courtyard next to the master's study? Shouldn't they have prepared a decent room in the eldest son's courtyard?
She glanced at Li's mother, whose face was not looking too good, and suddenly her heart skipped a beat; a bad thought popped into her head.
Could it be that Zhu Luo's position as a concubine is not meant for the eldest son, but rather... for the master?
Thinking of Zhu Luo's reaction just now, Nian Dong's face instantly showed astonishment. She subconsciously covered her mouth with her hand, afraid that she would exclaim out loud.
By mid-morning, the long streets of the capital were already teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder.
Shops lined the streets, and the signs of taverns swayed gently in the breeze, carrying with them a refreshing aroma of wine.
A low-key, unassuming dark-colored carriage made of coarse cloth was parked at the entrance.
An old servant, still sprightly, came out carrying several jars of fine wine and boarded the carriage.
The carriage was comfortable and spacious, and sat an elderly couple dressed in plain clothes with full heads of silver hair. If an official were here, he would immediately recognize them as Prime Minister Zheng and his wife, Princess Pingyin, who had retired to their hometown.
"I don't know if I'll have another chance to drink this wine in the future, so I'll take a few jars with me on the road to try."
Princess Pingyin rolled her eyes at him:
"It's because you told me not to disturb anyone and to come out quietly, and not to bring much luggage. Otherwise, you could bring as much wine as you want."
Mr. Zheng hurriedly explained:
"You know perfectly well that if it weren't for this, how could we have come out so quickly? The people who wanted to see me off could have lined up from the gate of the Zheng residence to the gate of the Zheng residence, and circled around it!"
"Even the Crown Prince said he would send me out of the city. If I agree to everything, you'll be unhappy later, humph!"
"You're always right, okay?"
The elderly couple, who had been bickering for most of their lives, didn't stop now. They kept arguing and laughing as they left the city, when the carriage suddenly stopped.
"Why did you stop? What happened outside?"
"Sir...you should come out and take a look yourself."
As soon as Old Zheng lifted the curtain, he saw a large group of people already standing at the pavilion in the woods not far away.
Leading the procession were the Crown Prince and Princess Chang Le, both dressed in black court robes. One was tall and dignified, while the other was elegant and gentle with a smile in her eyes.
Behind them stood a group of officials who had come to see them off, all dressed in solemn official robes, their expressions filled with respect and reluctance.
Old Zheng sighed softly. Sure enough, nothing could be hidden from the Qilin Guard.
He slowly alighted from the carriage and walked towards the crowd.
As they drew closer, the court officials bowed respectfully.
"This humble official pays his respects to Prime Minister Zheng—"
Tears welled in Old Zheng's eyes as he returned the greeting.
Qi Jun stepped forward, supported Zheng Xiang's arm, and helped him straighten up before saying:
"Prime Minister Zheng has devoted himself to the cause of Qi. I, along with Princess Chang Le and all the officials, have come to see him off. It will be a year before he departs. I hope Prime Minister Zheng will take good care of himself!"
"Your Highness, I have only done my duty as an official. I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's kindness, but I am unworthy of it."
Qi Yuxuan also stepped forward slowly, the agate beads at her waist tapping against the openwork silver incense ball, producing a delicate, soft sound:
"Prime Minister Zheng has made great contributions and is a model for all subjects. We respect and love you. We are sending you off here in the hope that you will have a safe and smooth journey."
She turned her head, and a tall, bright-looking girl in red walked out from behind her, dressed as a man, exuding a heroic air.
"Grandpa and Grandma! Well, I knew I hadn't seen you all this morning, so you really did sneak out!"
Zheng Yanling's voice was crisp and clear, and the two elderly people suddenly felt their faces flush.
In front of so many officials who were once his subordinates, Old Zheng frowned somewhat embarrassedly:
"What?! What do you mean by 'sneaking out'? We're going to travel to the State of Qi, and we need to inform a junior like you?"
"You can't just crawl out through a dog hole! You were a prime minister, and you're so uncouth! Aren't you ashamed?!"
Old Master Zheng was so anxious that he wanted to cover her mouth, but the Crown Prince and Princess Chang Le stood by with smiles on their faces, so he couldn't actually do it.
"Shut up, you brat!"
Princess Pingyin coughed lightly inside the carriage and proudly raised her chin:
"I didn't crawl through the dog hole..."
This interruption completely ruined the previously sentimental atmosphere.
Suddenly, one of the officials shouted:
"Prime Minister Zheng! With your departure, the court is like a pillar of strength gone. We hope you will take good care of your health in the future!"
Old Zheng immediately said seriously:
"You are all pillars of the court. I hope that you will work together to assist His Majesty and His Highness, ensuring the prosperity of our Qi Kingdom for thousands of generations to come—"
The officials immediately bowed deeply towards the direction of the capital city, shouting, "Long live the State of Qi!"
Startled by the sudden shout, the crows and sparrows in the woods took flight in flocks, circling above the pavilion and casting dappled shadows.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Old Zheng glanced at everyone and noticed that several familiar faces were missing.
Tao Duo and several censors were one thing, but their collusion in framing Zheng Lao was investigated and cleared up yesterday. Now, all of them have been imprisoned to await the final imperial judgment.
But why isn't Xiao Su here?
Considering that Minister Xiao was, after all, the biological father of Princess Chang Le, Old Master Zheng, though wanting to ask, suppressed his curiosity and instead asked in a low voice:
“Princess Chang Le, this old minister is still a little curious. How did you know about Tao Duo’s treacherous scheme that day and send those two ink sticks over?”
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