The Emperor nodded and smiled, "You're quite well-informed; it's true that your brothers have returned."
"That's wonderful!" Jiayin exclaimed with delight. "Before, some foreigners from Quanzhou brought some coffee beans from overseas. They roasted and ground them into powder, and when brewed with hot water, they could refresh the mind."
“When my brothers went out to sea, I asked them to bring back some extra. Once they arrived in Xindu, I figured it out and made sure to give some to my Imperial Uncle to try.”
"If it really can refresh the mind, then Uncle Emperor won't feel sleepy when he stays up late reviewing memorials."
The Emperor felt incredibly pleased upon hearing this good news.
It was definitely worth spoiling this girl!
"Very well, Your Majesty awaits your filial piety." The Emperor happily agreed.
After exchanging a few more words, the Marquis prepared to leave the palace.
Jiayin quickly took her leave and saw her godfather off for a while.
On the way, with no outsiders present, the Marquis briefly recounted the events in Quanzhou.
Jiayin immediately realized the risk involved and asked in a low voice, "Godfather, my brother married the Golden Buddha Queen. Will this have any impact on the family?"
The Marquis patted her shoulder and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll have a get-together with your second uncle, Mr. Wen, and others tonight. For Tianwu, it's an honor for the Queen of Jinfo to become the wife of a Tianwu official."
"Whether it's the emperor and his officials, or the people of Tianwu, they will all be happy."
Jiayin understood that her family was planning to use public opinion to set the tone for the matter and prevent anyone from stirring up trouble.
"Okay, I understand, Godfather." Jiayin had no other choice; this was the best course of action for the time being.
Soon, they reached a fork in the road. The Marquis gave a few instructions and then left the palace.
Jiayin also brought Shuiling back to Zhilan Palace, where they saw the Third Princess anxiously waiting as soon as they entered.
"Jiayin, did something happen at your home? Why did you run off in such a hurry just now?"
Jiayin felt warm-hearted; the friendship they forged during this period of fighting side by side was still very solid.
She invited the Third Princess to a side hall for dinner and chatted about family matters.
The third princess was overjoyed and kept saying, "If your brother brings back anything good from overseas, you mustn't forget me!"
"Don't worry, I'll definitely save you a share of the good stuff!" Jiayin put aside her worries and laughed with her.
Compared to some troubles, the safety of my brothers is naturally the most important thing.
It's good that my brothers are back safe and sound; everything else can be dealt with later...
The next morning, after breakfast, Jiayin took Shuiling and Shuiyun and left the palace early.
Perhaps guessing that she was coming back, Wan'er held Yuanyuan and waited at the second gate early.
Upon seeing her sister-in-law, she quickly greeted her, "My little sister is back!"
"Sister-in-law, it's still a bit chilly this morning. Why are you holding your little nephew here in the wind? Come inside!"
Jiayin took the heavy little nephew and gave him a big kiss on his chubby face, making him giggle.
Wan'er laughed along and whispered, "Your brothers are all in the study. Hurry up and change your clothes and go see them. Everyone was so excited to hear that your fourth and fifth brothers have returned safely that they haven't slept a wink all night."
“Great, sister-in-law. I got a pair of kingfisher feather hairpins the other day, which are perfect for someone your age. You can put them away and have my older brother wear them when he goes to his exam. It will be festive and auspicious.” Jiayin picked up her little nephew and accompanied her sister-in-law inside.
Wan'er was both happy and guilty. Other sisters-in-law would give their sisters-in-law jewelry and fabric, and be grateful if they could keep them from causing trouble.
When she came to live with her, her sister-in-law was sensible and well-behaved, never making things difficult for her, and would send her fabrics and jewelry every now and then, all of which were good things from the palace.
She always felt that their roles were reversed, and she, as the sister-in-law, was embarrassed.
Fortunately, she wasn't entirely unprepared. She simply accepted the jewelry and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you. I had some free time the other day, so I made two pairs of shoes. They're the most fashionable beaded tassel shoes in the city. Take them with you when you go back to the palace. You can wear one pair, and give the Third Princess another pair."
"Thank you, sister-in-law," Jiayin said with a beaming smile, then complained to her sister-in-law, "You're so kind, sister-in-law! The Third Princess is so spoiled. If she sees I have new shoes and she doesn't, she'll definitely get angry!"
Wan'er smiled and said, "The Third Princess may seem to have a bad temper, but she's just a spoiled young girl. Fortunately, she treats you quite well."
The two sisters-in-law chatted as they went to the backyard. Soon, Jiayin changed into a comfortable and pretty casual dress before going to the study in the front yard.
Now that he was back home, Mu Xu no longer needed to hide in the shadows and showed himself to join in the fun.
In the study, not only Jiaren and Lige were present, but Lu Zong, Jia Xu and Guo Wenhao were also there.
Having not heard from Jiayin for a long time, everyone naturally felt close to her and asked how she was doing in the palace.
Jiayin couldn't say that she and the Empress Dowager fought like cats and dogs every day, almost driving the Empress Dowager crazy.
So she picked a few funny stories to tell, and everyone laughed a few times and that was it.
The servant brought out hot tea and snacks again, and Jiayin asked Shuiling to bring over a basket.
The basket contained five tin boxes, each only the size of a palm, and they were quite exquisite.
Jiayin opened one, showed it to everyone, and laughed, "In a few days, my brothers will be taking an exam. I can't really help them much, so I can only think of some food to eat."
"This box contains milk tea powder. Take it with you. Once you're inside, if you get hungry or sleepy, just take two scoops, make a cup with hot water, and I guarantee your inspiration will flow immediately."
Lu Zong and Jia Xu had both drunk milk tea before, and they were overjoyed to hear this.
Lu Zong thanked her repeatedly, "Thank you so much, Princess. This is a wonderful thing. The weather is still a bit chilly, but with this hot milk tea, we won't feel cold at all."
"Yes, with the princess's milk tea, we wouldn't dare to face anyone if we didn't get to the top of the list," Jia Xu said with a smile, bowing in thanks.
As Jiayin distributed the boxes to the group, she smiled and said, "Brothers, relax and do your best. Luck favors those who work hard, and you brothers will surely all achieve top marks in your exams."
"Thank you for your kind words, Princess."
"Thank you, Princess!"
Everyone thanked them and accepted their own box, including Jiaren and Lige'er.
Guo Wenhao hesitated at that time. He had just passed the county-level examination and was not yet ready to take the major examination.
So he said, "Princess, I'm not taking the exam this time, so this milk tea powder..."
"Brother Wenhao, just take it. It's just some new food. It doesn't matter whether you take the exam or not," Jiayin smiled and comforted him.
Better to leave a village behind than to leave a single person behind.
Guo Wenhao was originally a sensitive and quiet person, and Jiayin didn't want to make him feel inferior or hurt over such a trivial matter.
Sure enough, Guo Wenhao smiled, a rare occurrence, and gripped the iron box tightly under his sleeve.
After exchanging a few more casual words, Lu Zong and the others, knowing that the Li siblings would definitely want to discuss matters concerning Quanzhou, quickly took their leave.
After seeing them off, Li Ge'er pulled his sister aside and started talking.
"Little sister, fourth and fifth brothers are back! Last night, the Marquis said that fourth brother also married a queen, and his little nephew has already given birth!"
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