Chapter 8, it'll have to do.
Zhao Qing got out of the carriage and said with a smile, "Miss Lin, it's not appropriate for you to get out of the carriage outside. His Highness sent me to meet some officials."
As the saying goes, even a seventh-rank official can be found at the prime minister's gate.
Those around Prince Duan, such as Jia She, naturally dared not offend them, and hurriedly said with a smile, "It's only right, Your Highness, please come to the mansion for tea."
Zhao Qing did not accept the invitation, but said, "Miss Lin wants to return to the manor through the West Corner Gate. Could some sir please show her the way?"
They dared not insist, and Jia Lian hurriedly stepped forward to lead the way: "Father-in-law, please come this way."
Daiyu sat in the carriage, while her uncle and cousin could only walk outside. She smiled self-deprecatingly, thinking to herself, "I'm starting to look like a petty person who's gotten his way."
Chu Heng was feeling rather bored when he saw her laughing like that. He tried to guess what she meant by it and said, "Even the Empress's own mother has to kneel down and pay her respects when she sees her. Miss Lin, you're already doing quite well."
Daiyu frowned and said, "Your Highness, you shouldn't say such things carelessly."
Chu Heng said nonchalantly, "We're in the same boat now, Miss Lin. Even if I were to rebel, I could tell you."
Daiyu: "..."
Daiyu's melancholy mood vanished instantly, and she said with a touch of helplessness, "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."
"Whether I believe it or not is not my choice," Chu Heng said casually.
The choice was not up to him, but Daiyu had already understood his meaning from his words. Although she was unwilling, Prince Duan had accepted Daiyu as his princess.
Before today, Daiyu had already been forced to accept that she had to be the Princess Consort of Duan. For Daiyu, it was undoubtedly good news that the Prince of Duan could accept this unchangeable fact.
She showed no signs of shyness or embarrassment.
Most couples in the world are married off by mutual agreement and silence; true love and mutual affection are stories that only exist in plays.
Daiyu recalled the events of the day. Prince Duan was not a warm person. His temper was not exactly mild, but it wasn't too bad either. He didn't seem to be a difficult person to get along with.
This will be good in the future, and it suits Daiyu's taste perfectly.
He can be his Prince Duan, and Daiyu can be her Princess Duan; it's just right.
After the carriage came to a stop at the West Corner Gate, Zhao Qing saw that there were no other people around and several old women were waiting guarding a small sedan chair. He then bowed and said, "Your Highness, Miss Lin, we have arrived."
Inside the carriage, Daiyu found it inconvenient to perform a proper curtsy, so she lowered her head and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."
Prince Duan disliked seeing people, and although Daiyu did not know the reason, she did not intend to ask him to get off the carriage rashly, just to be on the safe side.
Daiyu felt that she had gotten along very well with Prince Duan today, and that it was better to avoid trouble, so she did not want to disrupt this stable situation.
As it happened, Chu Heng had no intention of getting out of the car anyway; he simply nodded and said, "Mm."
Daiyu, supported by Zhao Qing, got out of the carriage, bowed to Jia She and the others, and sat down in the sedan chair. The old woman lowered the curtain and called a few servants to come and carry the sedan chair.
After Miss Lin's sedan chair departed, Zhao Qingchao said to Jia She and the others, "Now that Miss Lin has arrived home, and the Prince is also returning to his residence, there is no need for you gentlemen to see him off."
Having said that, without giving the Jia family a chance to speak, Zhao Qing got into the carriage and instructed the driver to turn back to the mansion.
Jia She and the others exchanged bewildered glances. No... wait, what does Prince Duan mean by this? After entering the Jia family's gate, he not only refuses to get out of the carriage, but he also doesn't even bother to say a word to the Jia family members?
Although no one dared to speak ill of Prince Duan, this... this is simply too disrespectful to the Jia family!
The Duke's mansion, the maternal home of the Imperial Concubine and the Princess Consort, how could Prince Duan not even give them this much face?
Regardless of their inner thoughts or how unpleasant their expressions were, Jia She and the others still respectfully saw off Prince Duan's carriage.
As the carriage gradually left Ningrong Street, Jia Lian said, "I'm afraid we'll have to trouble the old lady to ask Lin Daiyu about His Highness's intentions."
Taking advantage of Prince Duan's marriage to Daiyu, Jia She and others wanted to make friends with Prince Duan.
Prince Duan is the Emperor's younger brother and enjoys great favor. If they can befriend him, it will be entirely beneficial to both the individuals and the Jia family.
"Hmm," Jia She said, "You go and tell the old lady about what happened here."
...
Inside the carriage, Zhao Qing glanced at his master, his face full of unspoken words.
"Just say what you have to say," Chu Heng said. "Looking at me like that is creepy."
Zhao Qing said with a forced smile, "This servant has something to say that I just have to get off my chest."
Chu Heng leaned back on the soft pillows, watching the people coming and going outside the gauze window, and casually said, "Hmm."
"Your Highness, what do you think of Miss Lin?" Zhao Qing asked, glancing at his master's expression.
Chu Heng thought for a moment, then said in a flat tone, "I can't choose, so I'll just have to make do."
improvise……
That still means it's dispensable. However, Zhao Qing wasn't surprised. After all, he had seen the prince's performance today, and he and the princess would probably only be a respectful couple in the future.
"If the Empress Dowager wants to know, just tell Shuangyun that," Chu Heng suddenly added.
Zhao Qing was taken aback, then quickly knelt down and kowtowed to pledge his loyalty: "Your Highness, this servant is devoted to serving you wholeheartedly and would never dare to have any disloyalty! Shuangyun did ask this servant a few questions, but this servant has absolutely not betrayed you..."
Zhao Qing was hoping that the princess could bring some vitality to the prince. Since the Empress Dowager had recently been trying to bring the prince and princess together, which suited his wishes, Shuangyun wanted to know the prince's thoughts, so he just picked up on the topic and said that it was only for the prince's future to be better, and he had no intention of betraying the prince to become the Empress Dowager's spy!
"I know," Chu Heng said. "Get up first."
Chu Heng did not participate in court politics, and there were never any major events in the Prince Duan's mansion. Even Zhao Qing, who had been in the palace for decades, inevitably became simplistic in his thinking after being in such a comfortable environment for so long.
Zhao Qing dared not disobey, so he quickly got up and sat down again.
Chu Heng sat up straight and said slowly, "I know you're doing this for my own good, but you have to remember one thing."
"I think what's good is good."
This was a reminder to Zhao Qing not to overstep his bounds. He immediately broke out in a cold sweat, bowed deeply as far as he could, and said tremblingly, "Yes, this servant remembers."
Chu Heng lay back down, propped his chin on his hand, closed his eyes, and slowly said, "Go check if there are any of the Empress Dowager's people left in the manor."
Chu Heng left the palace at the age of fifteen to establish his own residence. At that time, the servants in the residence were all sent by the Empress Dowager. Over the years, some of them have changed, and some have joined Chu Heng's side.
However, the Empress Dowager always wanted to know Chu Heng's every move and word, so everyone in the Duan Prince's mansion had to keep a close watch on her to ensure that she wouldn't take advantage of any loopholes.
"Yes," Zhao Qing replied respectfully, not daring to say more.
Chu Heng absentmindedly fiddled with the tassels on the jade pendant, feeling as if he had forgotten something.
It wasn't until the carriage stopped at Prince Duan's residence that he realized...
It turns out he didn't know Miss Lin's name.
Ask again next time.
...
Zijuan and Xueyan had been waiting at the hanging flower gate for a long time. As soon as they saw the girl return, they hurriedly went up to her, one taking the scroll and the other supporting her.
Daiyu then showed signs of fatigue: "Zijuan, rub my hands, and go back and fetch some hot water. I want to take a bath."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to have exhausted you, Miss. Take a bath and rest first. There's nothing urgent here."
Daiyu said, "First, I'll pay my respects to the old lady."
As they talked, they passed through the hallway, around the marble screen, and through the front hall, arriving at Grandmother Jia's courtyard.
Xue Baochai and Ying'er came out of Grandmother Jia's room and bumped into Daiyu and the others.
Xue Baochai immediately noticed the scroll Xueyan was holding. She knew that Daiyu had come to the palace to express her gratitude today, so it must have been a gift from the Empress Dowager.
She concealed her envy and stepped forward, smiling as she said to Daiyu, "Pin'er is back. She was just at the old lady's place, and I heard her talking about you."
Daiyu smiled and said, "I'll change my clothes and then go to pay my respects to the old lady."
Xue Baochai smiled and said, "I won't keep you any longer."
Although Daiyu was somewhat tired, judging from her expression, she did not seem to have been wronged. Moreover, she had returned after receiving a reward. Considering the rewards sent to the Jia family earlier, it seemed that the Empress Dowager had no dissatisfaction with this daughter-in-law.
Xue Baochai pondered for a moment, then thought about her current situation. If she weren't outside, she probably would have sighed out on the spot.
The marriage proposal had been passed down in the Jia family for many years, but few people had ever expressed their support for it. Only a few years ago, when the Grand View Garden was being built, did Lady Wang use it to trick her mother and get a lot of money from their family for nothing.
It's just that when you need someone, you act first; when you don't, you act later. Right now, Lady Wang is looking for a noble lady from a high-ranking family for Baoyu, so she has no idea about gold or jade!
Her mother desperately wanted her to marry into a family that could protect her brother, but the Xue family had already fallen on hard times, and no high-ranking official would be interested in them. So, she could only waste her time in the Jia family.
Of course, Xue Baochai also had reasons for not wanting her talent to be wasted.
Their maternal uncle, Prince Teng, paid them no heed, and the Jia family was unreliable. Even Xue Baochai, who was usually composed and never showed her emotions, couldn't help but look worried in private.
However, as Xue Baochai walked, she kept thinking about it and felt that she might not necessarily lose her future. Lady Wang was ambitious and wanted a daughter-in-law from a high-ranking family, but as far as she knew, there were no high-ranking families that would be interested in Jia Baoyu at the moment.
Although the second son of the second branch of the Duke's mansion had a sister who was a concubine, what favors did the concubine bring to the Jia family? Could the concubine bring any benefits to Jia Baoyu?
In the eyes of noble families, Jia Baoyu was not exactly a desirable catch.
Thinking of this, Xue Baochai couldn't help but smile bitterly. But for her, Jia Baoyu was indeed a highly sought-after treasure.
She couldn't help but sigh again, thinking that Daiyu was still lucky. Although she had no parents, who would have thought that such a great benefit would fall from the sky!
only……
Although Daiyu is doing well now, Prince Duan is chronically ill, and her future is still uncertain.
In the end, Xue Baochai sighed contentedly, realizing that she and Daiyu were indeed kindred spirits.
Daiyu, whom Xue Baochai envied, had already paid her respects to Grandmother Jia and was taking a bath in her room, with several maids massaging her wrists and arms.
"It's alright now," Zijuan said with a soft laugh. "You can rest well now, Miss."
Daiyu smiled and said, "We still need to go to the old lady's place."
The matter of Prince Duan is not over yet; she still needs to give an explanation to the old lady and others.
Zijuan asked in confusion, "Is there something else, Miss? Why didn't you tell me earlier..."
Daiyu shook her head and said nothing more, but closed her eyes and pondered.
After taking a bath and changing into her everyday clothes, Yuanyang was sent by the old lady to invite Daiyu.
A note from the author:
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