Chapter 284 Return
When breakfast was served, Zhuang Yan came in high spirits.
"Mother."
"Yan'er is here." Yu Lan asked him to sit down, and the mother and son ate together.
Perhaps because of the birds, or because of Muchun's words, Yu Lan's appetite improved. After finishing a bowl of porridge, he ate two crystal buns and a lot of side dishes.
Zhuang Yan saw this and ate more.
The wedding was approaching, and everyone in the mansion was busy.
Muchun Pandong packed up Yu Lan's dowry and presented the dowry list to Yu Lan for review.
Most of these dowries were what Yu Lan brought when she married into the Pingxi General's Mansion, and some were newly added by Concubine Yu Gui.
Yu Lan was watching when Pan Dong came in and reported: "Princess, the old lady is here."
Yu Lan put down her makeup sheet and stood up to greet her: "Mother."
Old Madam Zhuang came in, followed by a group of servants, carrying dozens of wooden boxes with red sash flowers tied on them.
"This is the makeup sheet, please take a look." Old Madam Zhuang handed Yu Lan a few red sheets.
Yu Lan took them in astonishment, and was a little stunned when she saw the dozens of wooden boxes neatly placed in the corridor.
"There are not many things, please don't mind." Old Madam Zhuang said.
Yu Lan came back to her senses and said hurriedly, "Mother, please keep all these. I won't..."
Old Madam Zhuang patted her hands and interrupted, "This is a little gift from me. Keep it. I'm old and can't use it anymore."
Yu Lan wanted to refuse, but Old Madam Zhuang said, "Just keep it for Yan'er and save it for him to marry in the future."
Yu Lan swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth.
She knew that Old Madam Zhuang was very concerned about Zhuang Yan. If she accepted it, Old Madam Zhuang would feel at ease.
Looking at Old Madam Zhuang with white hair on her temples, Yu Lan held the makeup list in her hand and felt choked up.
Old Madam Zhuang's life was really miserable.
Old Madam Zhuang and General Zhuang were engaged when they were young. When General Zhuang was young, he followed his father to the battlefield to kill the enemy, and he was away for more than ten years.
When he returned to Shangjing to marry after his military achievements, Old Madam Zhuang was nearly thirty years old and was mistaken for an old maid.
In those years, wherever Old Madam Zhuang went, she was accompanied by gossip.
After finally getting married, less than half a year after the wedding, General Zhuang went to the battlefield again.
When he returned three years later, Old Madam Zhuang was over thirty years old.
In order to continue the bloodline of the Zhuang family, under the strict order of his mother, General Zhuang lived in Shangjing for two years and welcomed the birth of Zhuang Heng. As
soon as Zhuang Heng turned one year old, General Zhuang went to the battlefield again.
Madam Zhuang served her mother-in-law while carefully educating Zhuang Heng.
Until Zhuang Heng grew up, Madam Zhuang and General Zhuang were rarely together, and the couple only spent a few years together.
Later, when the southwest was stable, General Zhuang returned to Beijing to report on his work. He lived in Shangjing for three years, supporting his parents and accompanying Madam Zhuang and her son.
Those were the happiest and most beautiful years in Madam Zhuang's life.
Three years later, General Zhuang took Zhuang Heng, who was fifteen years old, to the battlefield for training.
For a family of military generals, this was a fate that was difficult to escape.
Madam Zhuang stayed alone in the Pingxi General's Mansion, praying in front of the Buddha every day for the safe return of her husband and son.
When the father and son returned to Beijing again, Zhuang Heng had become a brave and skilled young general and returned with honor.
Old Madam Zhuang spent another year of comfort.
The war in the southwest broke out suddenly without any warning. General Zhuang once again rushed to the southwest and went
into battle in armor. Three months later, Yu Lan was diagnosed with pregnancy, and Zhuang Heng also went to the battlefield. This time, he never came back.
Losing her husband and son, and living alone all her life, Old Madam Zhuang's hair turned white. Yu Lan saw her pain all these years. As
a single-line son for three generations, Old Madam Zhuang did not want Zhuang Yan to continue his father's fate, so she devoted herself to cultivating him to study and wanted him to enter the officialdom.
Because of Yu Lan, the emperor did not want Zhuang Yin to follow the path of a military commander.
Zhuang Yin himself was also very hardworking, doing well in all subjects, and was highly appreciated by the teacher. He would definitely achieve great things in the future.
However, Zhuang Yin was still young and needed Yu Lan's education.
Old Madam Zhuang knew that she was old and powerless, and could only rely on Yu Lan.
"I will leave Yin'er to you." Old Madam Zhuang said earnestly.
Yu Lan nodded: "Don't worry, mother, Yin'er is my child, and my love for him will never decrease in the slightest."
Old Madam Zhuang smiled with relief.
On the third day of June, Yu Lan received a handwritten letter from Zhou Boxu.
After reading the letter, Yu Lan smiled happily, and tears came out of her eyes as she smiled.
Zhou Boxu finally came back.
As the sun was setting in the west, Zhou Boxu met the emperor in Yu's study and reported on the affairs of Duanzhou.
After reading the report written by Yu Cheng and listening to Zhou Boxu's details, the emperor breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems that Duanzhou is safe."
Zhou Boxu said, "With your highness in charge, Duanzhou will definitely return to normal."
The emperor nodded and said in a deep voice, "You have worked hard on this trip. Go back and have a good rest. The wedding will be the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, I will take my leave." Zhou Boxu turned and left.
After walking a few steps, he remembered Yu Cheng's letter and turned back.
"What else?" The emperor was puzzled.
Zhou Boxu pursed his lips and said, "Your highness asked me to take a letter to Concubine Xie."
"Gao He, you run a trip." The emperor ordered a close attendant beside him.
"Yes." Eunuch Gao responded, took the letter from Zhou Boxu with both hands, and delivered it to the East Palace.
"You are very considerate." The emperor praised with a smile.
Zhou Boxu said, "When entrusted with a task, one must be loyal to the person who entrusted it."
He could have left the study and asked a palace maid to deliver the letter. But after thinking about it, it seemed a little inappropriate.
Cao Muxue and Xie Wanruo had always been at odds. If he sent a palace maid to deliver the letter, Cao Muxue would definitely intercept it if she knew about it, and the letter might not reach Xie Wanruo.
But the emperor's people were different. Even if Cao Muxue had the courage of heaven, she would not dare to stop him.
It is a good thing for a gentleman to keep his promise, especially when this man is about to marry his beloved daughter.
The emperor looked at Zhou Boxu with admiration.
After returning to Zhou Mansion from the palace, Zhou Boxu went to see his parents again, and had dinner with them before returning to his room.
After washing, Zhou Boxu leaned tiredly on the couch, looking at the red silk wedding characters all over the room, and raised the corners of his lips.
His eyes swept across the room one by one, and finally fell on the bed with wedding curtains.
Although the emperor granted Zhou Boxu and Yu Lan to live in the princess's mansion, the wedding banquet still had to be held in Zhou Mansion.
The day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow...
Zhou Boxu thought about it and fell asleep on the couch.
At the next morning court, the prince's party praised Yu Cheng greatly after learning about his achievements in Duanzhou. Especially Cao Qian's faction, they just wanted the emperor to abdicate and let the virtuous take over.
The virtuous prince is a good thing, but the faces of Cao Qian and others are really infuriating.
The more the emperor listened, the gloomier his face became.
In Cao Qian's eyes, the emperor was so miserable that he was overwhelmed by Yu Cheng's virtuousness and had nothing to say.
After the court was dismissed, Cao Qian went to Yongning Palace with great enthusiasm to share this great joy with the empress.
The queen smiled happily when she heard this: "Although Cheng'er's trip was dangerous, it was also very fruitful."
Cao Qian said: "Your Highness's move has won the hearts of the people and the ministers, and it is extremely beneficial to our success."
Hearing this, the queen's smile faded, and she said hesitantly: "Are you going to take action?"
Cao Qian nodded, stared at the queen with a serious face and said: "Father's death cannot be kept secret for too long, and it can't be delayed any longer. Sister, you can't be soft-hearted."
The queen was silent for a moment, and made up her mind: "Everything will go according to your plan."