Chapter 706 Direction (Part 2)

Shiyi Niang and Binju hadn't seen each other for some time. She invited Binju to have dinner with her. As soon as she sat down, Wan Daxian rushed over.

Binju's heart tightened.

Wan Daxian has always been a cautious and steady person. He knew that she came to the mansion to see Shiyi Niang, so even if there was something, he would not come to the door so rashly... Could something big have happened?

Eleventh Lady was also surprised. She hurriedly ordered the little maid: "Please invite Steward Wan in."

The little maidservant left immediately.

There was a look of anxiety between Binju's brows.

"Don't worry." Eleventh Lady comforted her, "If there is anything, we can help find a solution together."

Binju Dading.

With Eleventh Lady in charge, no matter how big the problem is, there will always be a solution.

When Wan Daxian came in, his expression seemed a little serious. He saluted Eleventh Lady respectfully and called out with a smile, "Fourth Madam." The smile seemed a little forced.

Eleventh Lady sent the little maid in the room away.

Wan Da visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

He pulled out a small purple velvet bag from his chest: "Madam, look!"

Binju hurriedly took it and brought it to Shiyi Niang and opened it.

They both gasped in unison.

A whole bag of pearls, each as big as a longan, so glittering that it is hard to take your eyes off.

Pearls of this quality, let alone a small bag, could fetch 40 to 50 taels of silver each even if they were sold individually.

Could it be the Wang family?

A thought flashed through Eleventh Lady’s mind.

Didn't their family engage in pearl hunting after settling in Liaoning?

Binju exclaimed: "Where did you get it from?"

"Changshun is gone. Dad and mom built a tomb for him near our orchard." Wan Daxian smiled bitterly. "I was tired, so I sat in front of the tomb and drank water. A man who claimed to be a merchant said he was lost and asked Dad how to get there. Dad showed him the way, and he asked Dad for tea. Dad didn't care at the time. The next day, when he was going to the mountain to get a willow basket, he found the bag. He waited in front of Changshun's tomb for four or five days, but no one came to ask. He couldn't keep waiting like this, so he asked me to go back and discuss it." He said, looking at Shiyi Niang, "I brought the things here. Let's see what Madam will do with it."

"Since it is ownerless, it is God's will that it has landed in your house." Shiyi Niang said, "Just accept it! When the owner comes back to ask you for the things when he is about to leave, just let him find me."

Wan Daxian and Binju exchanged glances. Wan Daxian felt a little uneasy and Binju was also a little hesitant.

They are all honest people, and even if they picked it up, they cannot use it with peace of mind.

"Don't worry!" Eleventh Lady reminded them, "It is said that the Wang family is now the largest horse gang in Liaodong. If someone's tiger or wolf skin falls into your family one day, you can just use it with peace of mind and leave."

They both suddenly realized.

Bin Ju said, "Then I can't accept it." Tears welled up in her eyes again, "I didn't plan for him to go back at first."

Wan Daxian also looked a little gloomy.

"I never thought of that." Eleventh Lady couldn't help but sigh, "Just treat it as a thought!"

The two nodded.

Since Wan Daxian was here, she would not invite Binju to dinner. But she still had to give Binju face.

Eleventh Lady gifted a table full of food for the couple to take back.

When Xu Lingyi came back in the evening, Shiyi Niang told him about this.

"The Wang family is quite thoughtful." Xu Lingyi nodded and stopped talking about this matter. He talked about the Wanshou Festival in November. "The emperor is turning 50 years old. According to the king's wishes, it should be a grand celebration. Mr. Han from the Hanlin Academy even wrote a special memorial for this. According to the Ministry of Travel, the emperor read it several times. In the end, although he kept it in his heart, he placed the memorial on the table when he summoned several ministers to the palace to discuss matters. I think we should prepare the birthday gift early, otherwise we will not be able to buy good things even if we have money."

"The emperor has everything he needs," said Eleventh Lady, "but I'm afraid he still needs to work on the meaning."

"That's what I thought, too." Xu Lingyi said, "I'm going to report the people in the office tomorrow. Let's talk to Mr. Zhao about what gifts to give." In the end, he gave a pair of purple purlin ivory screens with images of Peng Zu as birthday gifts. Although they were not outstanding, they were not unconventional either. They were well-balanced and in line with the style of Yongping Hou.

On the day of entering the palace to celebrate the birthday, the Empress, out of sympathy for the Dowager Lady, specifically ordered that after the audience, she be taken to the warm room next to the side hall to rest.

"Fifth Madam, please accompany the Dowager Madam to rest here!" Eleventh Lady discussed with the Fifth Madam, "I will go to the side hall and wait for the banquet to start." When the time came, she would invite the Dowager Madam and the Fifth Madam to sit down at the table and then leave.

Although it was the emperor's grace, she couldn't be too arrogant. It was not justifiable for her not to show up.

Madam Wu nodded: "I will take good care of my mother!"

There was a sudden noise outside.

"Madam Yongping Marquis, Madam Yongping Marquis!" Someone called out to Eleventh Lady and entered the side hall.

The people in the room looked in the direction of the voice and saw the princess in a bright red dress with gold embroidery flying in like a butterfly: "Where is Brother Jian?"

The three of them hurriedly stood up and saluted the eldest princess.

The eldest princess immediately supported the lady and said, "Please sit down quickly! Otherwise, you will end up like Lady Zheng and be carried to the back hall."

The lady was shocked when she heard this: "How is Madam Zheng now?"

"I don't know!" said the eldest princess, "It shouldn't be a big deal! Otherwise, the people from the Imperial Hospital should have come back to report to the Queen Mother." Then she asked Eleventh Lady, "Where is Jian'er? Why can't I find him anywhere? He's not in Jiaotai Palace either."

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "He went out to travel."

"How come I don't know?" the eldest princess cried in amazement. "When did he leave? Where did he go? When will he come back?"

"I'm going to travel to the northwest." Shiyi Niang said vaguely, "When I'll be back depends on my schedule."

The eldest princess pouted and said, "I was wondering why he didn't come to the palace to pay his respects during the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. I was planning to have him play Cuju with me during the Chinese New Year!"

"It's his good fortune that the Grand Duke wants him to play Cuju." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "I'll write a letter and see if I can contact him. If I can, I'll reply to the princess."

The eldest princess stamped her feet and walked away angrily.

The lady hurriedly asked, "Go and find out what happened to Lady Zheng."

Eleventh Lady left immediately.

The side hall where the ladies of state rested was filled with a buzz of people, all discussing in low voices the affairs of Lady Zheng.

Eleventh Lady quietly looked for Huang Xianying, but before she could speak, a palace maid came over hurriedly and said, "It's okay. Madam Zheng just had a shortness of breath and chest tightness. She's fine now." Huang Xianying breathed a sigh of relief. If something happened today, it would be unlucky.

After receiving the letter, Eleventh Lady went back to report to the Lady Dowager.

The old lady shook the fifth lady's hand and said, "In the future, the fewer banquets like this, the better."

"Then I'll go talk to the Empress?" The Fifth Lady said with a smile, "Then you can rest at home."

The lady acquiesced. A burst of laughter came from the side hall, and someone asked loudly: "Why is the wife of the Marquis of Yongping not here? Where did she hide?"

Eleventh Lady was stunned, exchanged glances with Fifth Lady, and hurried over. The one who spoke was Fourth Lady Tang.

Eleventh Lady stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder: "Such a loud noise, it scared me!"

Mrs. Tang Si laughed.

Someone on the side said, "Congratulations to Madam Yongping. His Majesty has spoken and appointed your sixth son as the Commander of the Xiaoling Guard, a rank of fourth grade. This title will be passed down from generation to generation."

Eleventh Lady's heart skipped a beat. Xiaoling Guards were an organization that specialized in solving the employment problems of the sons of the royal family and the princesses' husbands. It was said that they guarded the mausoleums for the ancestors, but in reality, those who guarded the mausoleums were the household soldiers and captains. These military officers who inherited the throne from generation to generation, only wore official uniforms to accompany the emperor when he went to offer sacrifices. There were Fengxian Hall, Zhai Palace, Tiantan and Ditan in the First Palace. The emperor could not go to the mausoleum palace once every ten years, so these people stayed at home every day to get a job. It was even more leisurely than the Xishan Camp. At least the soldiers in the Xishan Camp had to live in the camp and at least they had to go out to exercise, but the Xiaoling Guards did not even have to report for work and did nothing.

"Who told you that?" She was shocked. She didn't know what had happened, let alone how such words came out. "I've never heard of that!"

"It just came out from the inner study." Fourth Madam Tang said with a smile, "Eunuch He has asked someone to write an imperial edict and send it to the Ministry of Personnel. The documents from the Ministry of Personnel should arrive in the next two days." She laughed twice as she spoke, "When the time comes, you have to set up a few tables of wine and treat us to a few meals."

"If it's true, I can eat as many meals as my sister wants." Eleventh Lady said, "I just don't know how this rumor got out."

"It's true!" The one who spoke was Madam Gan's sister-in-law. She smiled and said, "The emperor summoned several ministers in the inner study, and the eldest princess asked someone to stop Marquis Yongping to ask for someone. The emperor knew that Marquis Yongping sent your sixth young master to Jiayuguan, so he issued an edict to appoint your sixth young master as the commander-in-chief..." Before she could finish her words, the eldest princess burst in.

"Madam Yongping, Madam Yongping, please find Qin'er back soon." She said proudly, "My father appointed him as the commander of the Xiaoling Mausoleum Guards, and asked him to come back soon to receive the imperial edict."

Eleventh Lady's mind was in a mess. She didn't know what the Emperor meant? What did he think of Jiange'er going to Jiayuguan? What did Xu Lingyi think? What was his plan?

She could only kneel down and thank the princess.

The eldest princess took her hand before she knelt down and said, "Remember to ask him to come back soon. I have arranged to play Cuju with my brothers in the East Garden on the fourth day of the New Year. He must come! Otherwise, I will definitely lose."

Eleventh Lady replied "yes" respectfully, but she felt bitter in her heart.

The eldest princess left happily. Huang Xianying invited her to speak on the orders of the Queen Mother.

"Your Majesty is the father of all people. His achievements in civil and military affairs are known to the world. How could he just give a reward just because of a word from the eldest princess?" The Queen's words were very implicit. "Your Majesty knows very well what kind of person Yongping Hou is. This time he just took advantage of the Wanshou Festival. Go back and tell Yongping Hou to accept the order happily. I'm still in the palace!"

Eleventh Lady looked at the Empress's calm and gentle face and couldn't help muttering in her heart: I don't know if you can do it... But she didn't dare to be negligent and knelt down to express her gratitude.

The Queen smiled with satisfaction.

He took her hand and said, "Let's go to the main hall together. It's about time for the banquet to start!"

I'll post a draft first and update it for everyone to see tomorrow morning!

O(∩_∩）O~