Chapter 53 Meeting the Empress (Two chapters combined into one)
The reply was quickly delivered to Yao Xia.
When the maid handed her the letter, she was on her way with her brother Yao Gui to pay their respects to Old Madam Yao, so she did not open it immediately.
When I arrived at Madam Yao's courtyard, I saw my aunt Pei, my mother Zeng, and my cousin Yao Ran were already sitting in the hall.
Pei, who was sitting next to Old Madam Yao, heard the noise, turned her head slightly and gave a cold look at the late brother and sister.
Yao Xia and Yao Gui subconsciously wanted to shrink their necks and lowered their heads as they walked into the hall to pay their respects.
The silence in the hall was eerily quiet, and the atmosphere was unusually tense. Yao Xia glanced at her mother Zeng secretly, only to see that her lowered eyes were a little red, and she pursed her lips slightly, as if she was holding back tears.
Then he looked at his aunt Pei quietly, and saw that besides the usual cold and stern expression on her face, there seemed to be a hint of suppressed anger between her eyebrows, as if it was about to erupt in the next moment.
What happened? Yao Xia was worried, but didn't dare to ask.
"What is A-Xia holding in her hand?" At this time, Old Madam Yao's smiling voice sounded: "Which girl is the letter from?"
Yao Xia knew that her grandmother was just teasing her to lighten the mood, so she pretended not to notice anything unusual and walked over with a smile on her face: "Grandma, this is the letter that Sister Chang sent me."
Someone like her who is heartless and only knows how to have fun is the best choice to ease the atmosphere at home. She is indeed a must-have at home. With this awareness in mind, the little girl has always spared no effort in easing the atmosphere at home.
However, what she did not see this time was that Pei, who originally had a sullen expression, suddenly became even more gloomy when she heard the words "Sister Chang".
She looked at the letter in Yao Xia's hand.
"The Chang family?" The kind-looking Old Madam Yao asked with a smile, "Is it the Chang family girl from Xingningfang that you have been talking about for the past ten days?"
"That's right!"
"My second sister is more than just talking about it." Yao Gui sighed, "My second sister now dreams of becoming a family with the Chang family girl so that they can meet from time to time. She is just short of exchanging her grandson for the Chang family girl."
"Brother, you wish for it. Even if you want to exchange it, the Chang family may not be willing to accept you. Who would be willing to do such a loss-making business?"
"Are you calling me ugly in this way? Mother, please give us your opinion!"
Looking at this pair of lively children, Zeng, whose eyes were originally red, couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, and said angrily: "Okay, what are you talking about."
Pei, who was sitting next to him, had her fingers folded silently.
"But Sister Chang is not in good health. She has been recuperating in the mansion these days. I wrote to her several times to invite her out, but she was not able to come out." Yao Xia said, and smiled as he opened the letter: "If you reply now, maybe she can go out for a walk."
Old Madam Yao tapped her granddaughter's forehead and said with a smile, "You are so reluctant to leave behind any of the girls in the capital. If you were born a boy, how could you be so happy?"
"Grandma, you don't understand. If I were a boy, these beautiful sisters would ignore me!" Yao Xia was full of relief: "Fortunately, I am a girl!"
Old Madam Yao, Zeng, and Yao Gui all laughed when they heard this.
Only Pei's face remained sullen and her eyes did not look away, as if she was isolated from all the excitement.
Yao Ran looked at her mother quietly, and pursed her lips with mixed feelings.
In the eyes of her mother, a lively personality like my second sister's was abnormal, and saying joking words was inappropriate.
Since she was young, her mother did not approve of her getting too close to her second sister. She grew up obediently under her mother's teachings, so she could only watch from afar as her lively and funny second sister got closer to her grandmother... Even though her grandmother was fair and never biased, and often praised her for being well-educated, calm and dignified, saying that she and her second sister had their own strengths, and even often asked her second sister to learn more from her, but she knew that there was a difference between liking and liking.
But this is also human nature.
If she had a choice, she would also like to stay with her second sister, relaxed and comfortable.
On the contrary, who would want to deal with someone like her who is so restrained and boring that there is nothing to say to her?
She had never blamed her mother - she used to think that her mother grew up under strict etiquette education, so it was understandable that she was stubborn and had a repressed temper.
But now, it is not just as simple as stubborn repression...
Ever since returning from the flower party hosted by the wife of Duke Zheng, my mother has become increasingly difficult to get along with, and has become extremely depressed.
Yao Ran knew that this was related to her mother's attempt to facilitate her marriage with the Wei family, but she did not receive an enthusiastic or 'flattered' response from Lady Zheng, and also to the origin of the letter in her second sister's hand...
Yao Ran looked over and saw that Yao Xia had already unfolded the letter. She said happily, "Sister Chang is indeed much better!"
But then she felt a little disappointed again: "But Sister Chang said that she will go to Dayun Temple with General Chang to pray for blessings tomorrow... She can only meet me after she comes back."
Yao Gui laughed and said, "Then why don't you go to Dayun Temple too?"
"Yes!" Yao Xia hurriedly took Old Madam Yao's arm and said, "Grandma, can you take me with you?"
At this time of year in previous years, the saint would go to Dayun Temple to pray for blessings, and all officials of the third rank and above would accompany him. The officials' families could also go with him, and they would fast and copy scriptures in the temple to show their sincerity.
Yao Yi was a third-rank official at the Dali Temple. His mother, Old Lady Yao, had an imperial decree and, because she was a sincere Buddhist, she would accompany the emperor on every visit in the past few years.
"This prayer ceremony will last for seven days. You have never been there before. Can you stay?" Old Madam Yao asked with a smile, "If you are not careful with your words and deeds, or if you make a fuss about coming back after two days, and the news reaches the Saint, losing your reputation and being punished will be the least of your worries."
"Don't worry, grandma. I will be obedient!" Yao Xia quickly raised his hand to make a pledge and promised.
With Sister Chang around, she could stay here for not only seven days, but even seven years!
"Cousin, would you like to go with us?" Yao Xia asked with bright eyes.
Yao Ran said subconsciously: "I won't go, I haven't finished copying the family precepts yet."
Yao Xia sighed in his heart.
My cousin was punished by my aunt to copy the family rules again?
My mother often said that if such a sensible and outstanding cousin was her daughter, she would kowtow three hundred times in front of the Bodhisattva every day until the Bodhisattva could no longer bear it and appeared to her and asked her to stop.
But even such a cousin has endless books to copy and endless punishments to receive.
But Yao Xia could only feel indignant for Yao Ran in her heart. She dared not say a word in front of Pei.
Pei looked at her daughter and said, "It won't be too late to copy it after you come back from Dayun Temple."
Yao Ran was stunned.
Pei immediately looked at Old Lady Yao and said calmly, "I was planning to go with my mother this time to pray for the saint for Dasheng, so let's take Axia and Ran'er with us."
Madam Yao nodded with a smile: "Okay."
Although she didn't know what was wrong with the eldest brother's wife and why she wanted to join in the fun, it was not reasonable for her to refuse.
Yao Ran felt a chill on his back and his mind was in a mess.
My mother doesn't believe in Buddhism and has never participated in the blessing ceremony in previous years. Why did she do it this time? Yao Ran's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he looked at the letter in Yao Xia's hand. For a while, he could not hear any other sound.
…
"Mother... did you cry before my brother and I left? Did you have any argument with your aunt?" Yao Xia asked in a low voice after leaving Old Lady Yao and returning to the Zeng family residence.
"How could I dare to argue with her? I just sat there and let her sneer and criticize me." There was only one old woman who came with the dowry in the room, so Zeng dared to sigh.
"What on earth is that for?"
Zeng: "It's because of Ding'er..."
"Brother?" Yao Xia blinked her eyes: "Did my brother offend my aunt by being naughty?"
In addition to an older brother, she also has a younger brother, Yao Ding, who is only five years old this year.
"Yes, he was offended, but it was not because of mischief." Zeng said helplessly: "Before this, the old lady came to me and your father to discuss whether we are willing to adopt Ding'er into the eldest house..."
Yao Xia's eyes widened: "Adopt my younger brother to my great uncle and aunt?"
"What else? Your great uncle has a smooth career, but he still has no children. It's really difficult..." Zeng said, "Your grandmother is worried. Seeing that your great aunt has become more and more depressed in recent years, and has quarreled with your great uncle from time to time... I can only think of this idea to comfort your great aunt, so that she knows that the eldest son's family will not bring in concubines or give birth to illegitimate children."
"Then my aunt will definitely not be happy." Yao Xia sighed, "How can a child from our second house be worthy of my aunt's eyes? She might even think that my mother wants to use my younger brother to seize my uncle's property."
"You really said it right!" Zeng glared at her daughter, then thought of Pei's cold words, and her face became a little embarrassed: "Although her words were roundabout, they meant exactly this, and they were much more unpleasant than this."
"If your grandmother hadn't discussed it with us again and again, I would still be reluctant to let Ding'er go! Our family is so happy, how could we be willing to send Ding'er to her to suffer?"
"I was thinking about the eldest son's family. If she doesn't want to, then that's fine. No one can force anyone. But she still said such hurtful words, treating me like a thief with ulterior motives and who is not worthy of being in public..."
As Zeng said this, she felt aggrieved and was about to cry again.
"Ever since she married my uncle, it's as if the entire Yao family owes her something. Everyone has to look at her face and worship her like Guanyin Bodhisattva. What sin have I committed? If I had known this would happen..."
Seeing her say all this in one breath, feeling aggrieved and out of breath, Yao Xia took over the conversation and spoke on behalf of her mother: "If I had known this would happen, even if a knife was put to your neck, you would not have married my father, right?"
"That's right!" Zeng cried and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
Yao Xia sighed: "But who can blame my father for being so handsome?"
"That was in the past!" Zeng said with even more resentment: "How can he be good-looking now? His face, like a blooming flower, is only handsome for a few days!"
The old woman standing by was at a loss whether to laugh or cry - otherwise how could they be mother and daughter?
At this moment, a maid walked in quickly.
"What happened?" Seeing that the maid looked strange, the old woman asked seriously.
Zeng also wiped away her tears and looked over.
"Madam, the concubine in the west courtyard of the main house... is gone." The maid said in a low voice.
No more?
Zeng and the old woman looked at each other, and their expressions changed slightly.
In the end, Zeng just sighed: "I have been sick for so long, I don't need to suffer anymore..."
…
The death of Yao Yi's concubine did not cause much stir.
The matter of accompanying the emperor to Dayun Temple could not be delayed. After arranging the funeral matters that night, everyone in the Yao family set off early the next morning.
Chang Suining also sat on the carriage to Dayun Temple.
At this moment, she saw the bright yellow imperial carriage in front of her through the curtain that Xier had opened.
While Chang Suining was distracted, a young man's voice reached his ears: "Ningning, Jian Tong has found out everything..."
Chang Suining looked at Chang Sui'an who was riding a horse beside the carriage.
The young man on the horse leaned slightly towards her and whispered, "Sure enough, Pei is here too."
Chang Suining nodded, feeling more certain.
Until the moment of truth came, no one dared to assert the identity of the murderer, but Pei's move undoubtedly confirmed his suspicion.
I have inquired before. Since the completion of Dayun Temple, Emperor Shengce has led his ministers to the temple to pray for blessings every year, but the eldest daughter of the Pei family has never been there.
"Is the Minister of Rites Pei Min, who has been claiming to be ill for many days, accompanying us this time?" she asked in a low voice.
Chang Sui'an shook his head: "I didn't see them. The only people from the Pei clan who came this time were Pei Min's eldest son and his wife."
That is Pei’s younger brother.
Chang Suining nodded: "I understand."
The group of people drove in a mighty carriage, and with the sound of horse hooves and imperial bells, they arrived at Dayun Temple before noon.
When Chang Suiningchu got off the carriage, he saw Cui Jing getting off the horse in front of him.
On the day of the ceremony, he wore a first-grade round-necked purple robe with animal patterns embroidered in gold thread on the chest, back, shoulders and sleeves. He wore riding boots and a sword at his waist. Although he was not wearing armor, his aura was still cold.
He turned his head slightly as if he had noticed something, and unexpectedly, his gaze met Chang Suining's.
Just for a moment, but then taken back calmly.
Chang Suining: “?”
Why did she feel that when the other person looked at her just now, the focus was on her head? You know, when she looked at someone's head, there was usually only one possibility - she wanted to twist it off.
At this time, most of the officials' families got off the carriages one after another. Chang Suining saw Yao Xia, one of the women of the Yao family not far away, secretly waving at her.
Chang Suining smiled and nodded in response.
Yao Ran followed Yao Xia's gaze and quickly looked away.
Pei, who was standing aside, never looked away, as if she had not noticed the actions of the little girls.
Pei walked forward, and his sight finally fell on a figure among the officials in front of him.
At the same moment, Chang Sui'an also looked at the figure and asked Jian Tong in a low voice: "That's the Dali Temple Minister, right?"
He had met Yao Yi, but only once.
After getting the sword boy's nod, Chang Sui'an quietly cast a serious look at him.
He saw that Yao Tingwei was indeed plain-looking. If the full score was 10, he would give him 5 points, and the extra point was because he was middle-aged and his looks were fading. Even if Ningning's biological mother was 10 points beautiful, with this dilution, the child she gave would only be 7 and a half points at most...
Therefore, Yao Tingwei is definitely not Ningning's father.
Having said that, Chang Sui'an finally put his mind at ease.
At the front, the Holy Emperor, wearing a dragon crown, had slowly stepped down from the imperial carriage.
Chang Suining looked at it from a distance, and his ten fingers unconsciously tightened slightly.
Ever since that farewell on her knees fifteen years ago, she thought she would never see the Queen again.
Today I am combining two updates into one, so it is late. Please forgive me for that.
(The epidemic has been raging lately, and my mom has passed away_(:з」∠)_Everyone please take precautions)
(End of this chapter)
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