Imperial envoy?
Jiang Yushu's spirits suddenly trembled, and she asked anxiously, "Three, three? The court actually sent three imperial envoys to investigate me?"
"Don't panic." A maid brought a cloak, and Guo Honglei put it on her personally, whispering, "Prefect Ji is the leader. The other two are Dong, the newly appointed Vice Prefect of Xicang, and Fang, who are the Ninth Prince's men and are responsible for communicating orders. They are Eunuch Fang."
Jiang Yushu gathered her cloak and paused, "Eunuch? Eunuch?"
"Yes, Eunuch Fang. I was invited to attend several banquets at the prince's mansion and got to know him. Unexpectedly, he still remembered me. When we met just now, he still called me 'Second Young Master'." Guo Honglei recalled his youth with a lot of emotion.
"So you two know each other," Jiang Yushu said, quickly tidying herself up. "There's actually an imperial decree! They've mobilized quite a large force just to investigate me. Apparently, the power struggle among the court officials has caused quite a stir, and my father's been too busy to even reply."
Guo Honglei comforted him, "My father-in-law has been an official for half his life and has always been extremely cautious. Nothing should happen to him."
"He rarely talks about politics in his letters, but according to my two younger brothers, if my father can hold on, and I don't hold him back, I'm actually helping my mother's family." Jiang Yushu cheered up and said, "Let's go meet the guests!"
Guo Honglei supported his wife and rushed to meet the guest.
Soon, the main hall
Guo Honglei stepped over the threshold first, and Jiang Yushu was almost half-carried by her husband. She was pregnant with twins and was obviously showing at five months. She was wrapped tightly and moved slowly.
After the two entered, the other party's guards immediately closed the door.
"I'm sorry, I'm pregnant and can't walk fast. I've kept you three waiting for a long time. I hope you can forgive me for my impoliteness." Guo Honglei spoke first and apologized politely.
The three people sitting in the hall smiled and said "it's okay".
Jiang Yushu stood firm and looked around carefully:
There was no one at the top, it was empty. There was a row of six chairs on the west side, and the first three were for people who were ordered to investigate and impeach.
The first one was Eunuch Fang, who was nearly fifty years old, of medium height, with a fair face and no beard, and a smile on his face.
Next was the prefect of Yongzhou, Ji Xuelian, who stroked his long beard with his hand, his eyes shining with brilliance.
The last one was the newly appointed Tongzhi of Xicang, Dong Chen, who was over thirty years old and sat upright.
"In order, they are Eunuch Fang, Prefect Ji, and Associate Magistrate Dong." Guo Honglei introduced them in a loud voice.
Jiang Yushu, still being supported, knelt slightly and bowed, lowering her head in greeting: "Ms. Guo Jiang, I greet Eunuch Fang, Master Ji, and Master Dong."
Eunuch Fang stood up, his expression kind and his voice high and thin. He raised his hand and said, "I dare not. My family cannot bear your courtesy. Please stand up, please stand up quickly."
Ji Xuelian followed the eunuch in rising, also raising his hand to support him, and said familiarly, "Special envoy, there's no need for formalities."
"Special Envoy Jiang." Dong Chen was a new official, and his words and actions were reserved, far less calm than his companions. He hurriedly returned the half-salute.
Immediately afterwards, Eunuch Fang put away his smile, opened the wooden box, and solemnly took out a roll of bright yellow silk from the box. He held it high with both hands and said in a shrill and solemn voice, "Imperial decree!"
Jiang Yushu lowered her eyes, feeling extremely disgusted, but she had to kneel down as the local customs required. As she was bending her knees with difficulty—
Eunuch Fang intervened, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is merciful and has exempted Jiang from kneeling."
Guo Honglei helped his wife up. Jiang Yushu was so happy that she didn't have to kneel that she quickly expressed her gratitude, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
Eunuch Fang unfolded the silk cloth and read it word by word. After finishing, he said kindly, "We have been ordered to come to Xicang specifically to investigate the impeachment and prevent the innocent from being wrongly accused. Therefore, we would like to ask Madam a few questions. Please answer truthfully."
Jiang Yushu nodded quickly, "I will tell the truth!"
"Sit down, everyone. Special envoy, there is no need to be afraid. We are just following orders to investigate the situation. You sit down too." Ji Xuelian greeted with a smile, and after some courtesy to Eunuch Fang, everyone sat down one after another.
The three opponents had obviously discussed it in advance: Ji Xuelian would preside over the trial, but most of the questions would be asked by Eunuch Fang, and Dong Chen would pick up a pen and dip it in ink to take notes on the spot.
Seeing this, Jiang Yushu was apprehensive and thought to herself: Even though this is in my house and I don't have to kneel, it's essentially the same as being interrogated in court...
"First of all," Eunuch Fang said, his smile disappearing as he asked seriously, "How is Madam's relationship with the Shangwen family of Xicang?"
As expected, the first question was about this! Jiang Yushu was well prepared, cautious and stern. "I only know Wen Yizhai of the Wen family, and I've only met him once. At the time, Sun Jie, the magistrate of Tunning County in Yongzhou, hosted a banquet and invited Wen Yizhai to discuss the establishment of military farms. Wei Xu, the deputy envoy of Xipingcang, and I happened to be in the area and were invited to attend. Our conversation at the banquet absolutely did not involve any reference to 'collusion of interests, corruption, or abuse of power.' As far as I can remember, there were about thirteen or fourteen guests, including the host and their entourage, and they can all testify to this."
Eunuch Fang and Ji Xuelian exchanged a glance, but remained silent. The latter gently asked, "What did you discuss during the dinner? Tell me more specifically."
"Yes." Jiang Yushu did not dare to take it lightly at all. She was extremely alert, carefully choosing each word and answering in detail.
After a full hour and a half, Eunuch Fang and Ji Xuelian finally stopped questioning and began to whisper. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Vice Magistrate of Xicang served as the chief clerk, while Dong Chen busily wrote down five pages of notes, which he then handed to his companions for review.
With permission, Guo Honglei accompanied her and poured her some tea, saying, "Have some water."
"Yeah." Jiang Yushu drank tea to moisten her throat, waiting anxiously for the other party to speak.
After a while, Ji Xuelian sat up straight and sipped his tea leisurely. Eunuch Fang put on a kind smile again, pointed at the confession, and reminded, "Madam, please sign it."
"good."
Endure! Jiang Yushu took a deep breath and just as she was holding on to the armrest, her husband helped her up. They walked side by side to the opposite table and, following the eunuch's instructions, slowly signed her name.
When I was a fugitive, I never signed anything. I'm going back to the old ways... Jiang Yushu suddenly laughed at herself, tightened her grip on the pen, and asked softly, "Do I need to sign?"
"No, that's not necessary." Eunuch Fang said with a pleasant expression, "Just sign it, Madam. We can report back when we get home."
"Okay." Jiang Yushu put down her pen, remaining calm and restrained. "Take a look at this. Is it okay?"
The eunuch examined it for a few seconds, nodded and replied, "Okay."
As the couple returned to their original spot, Ji Xuelian glanced over and noticed Jiang Yushu, her right hand pressed against her lower back, her face visibly weary. Acting nonchalantly, he exchanged a few polite words before politely asking, "It's getting late. The county government has prepared a small banquet. Is that...?"
"Oh! It's almost dark." The eunuch pretended to realize something, then stood up and said, "Sorry for disturbing you for so long. It's time to take my leave."
Guo Honglei politely tried to persuade them to stay, "It's getting late. If you three don't mind, how about staying for a simple meal?"
"Sit for a while longer?" Jiang Yushu was exhausted and forced a smile.
The neatly folded confession was locked in a wooden box. The three men stood up, and the eunuch waved his hand, explaining, "We would love to stay, but we promised the local magistrate Liu that we couldn't break our promise."
Ji Xuelian showed a hint of pity, "You should take a rest quickly. We will go to the county government office to stay. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." The eunuch walked towards the door.
Jiang Yushu blurted out: "Eunuch!"
The eunuch stopped and looked back.
Jiang Yushu held the hand warmer tightly, wanting to say something but stopping herself, "I, I...this matter——"
The eunuch understood and replied with a smile, "Don't be impatient, Madam. Please wait patiently for news. The court will not wrongly accuse the innocent."
Jiang Yushu observed his expression and breathed a sigh of relief. She straightened her body and bowed, "Thank you, eunuch."
"I don't deserve it." The eunuch smiled humbly and walked away.
The guard opened the door, dusk fell, and a group of people stepped out one after another.
Jiang Yushu apologized, "Please forgive my inconvenience." She looked at her husband, "Please see the guests off."
"Stay." Ji Xuelian waved his hand.
The eunuch and Dong Chen said in unison, "Special Envoy, please go back. There's no need to send him off."
So she went back to her room to rest, and Guo Honglei saw her off. However, he was dragged to a banquet and returned late at night.
It was late at night and the bed was dim with candlelight shining through the curtains.
The twins showed up early, and lying flat became increasingly uncomfortable, so Jiang Yushu could only toss and turn on her side.
At this moment, she was facing inward with her back against her husband's chest.
Guo Honglei hugged her and revealed, "Actually, Eunuch Fang and his companions went to Yongzhou first, and after asking Magistrate Tuning and the Wen family, they came to our house."
"Alas, when will there be any results?"
"It's hard to guess. My father-in-law will leave early the day after tomorrow to report back to the capital. As soon as the results come out, my father-in-law will write to tell us."
Jiang Yushu nodded. "So, he was recommended to the Crown Prince by His Highness the Ninth Prince?"
"Your impeachment has damaged the reputation of the person who recommended you. Therefore, His Highness the Ninth Prince has sought the Crown Prince's permission to send a trusted confidant to Xicang with an imperial decree to conduct a thorough investigation."
"I've done nothing wrong. Let them investigate!" Jiang Yushu pondered for a moment and whispered curiously, "Hey, that's strange. Why is the crown prince still the crown prince? He's almost forty years old?"
Guo Honglei was startled and whispered a warning: "Be careful with your words! You must never discuss such things in public."
"I know. I'll ask you quietly." Jiang Yushu was moved and murmured with relief: "Thinking back to when I was exiled to the countryside, I hoped day and night that the emperor would grant amnesty to the people. In the end, we worked hard and the Guo family was the only one to be pardoned!"
"If we rely on waiting, there was no amnesty when the crown prince was appointed, and we don't know when the crown prince will ascend the throne. How long will it take for the exiles to wait?"
Guo Honglei was equally relieved. "It's hard to say. Fortunately, we've escaped this predicament. However, I heard that the emperor is not feeling well, and the crown prince is acting as regent. I guess—" He paused and continued, "So, there's been a lot of unrest in the court lately."
"Oh, I see."
Jiang Yushu struggled to turn over, and the couple faced each other, mumbling sleepily, "Forget it, let's take it one step at a time, stop thinking about it, and go to sleep!"
Guo Honglei rubbed her forehead and said, "Go to sleep."
In a blink of an eye, it’s the end of April.
The weather is sunny and warm, and the Guo Mansion Garden is full of vitality.
The court was slow to issue an order, leaving Jiang Yushu with no alternative but to wait patiently. Wang, however, was delighted, extremely satisfied that her daughter-in-law was able to safely nurse her pregnancy.
The frontier was vast and sparsely populated, making land inexpensive. The garden was spacious, with a small hilltop and a viewing pavilion. A large, leafy mulberry tree grew on the hillside. Furthermore, Jiang Yushu, restless, ordered two small plots of land cleared on the southern slope to be planted with potatoes and sweet potatoes, which she could observe at any time.
That afternoon, she was supported by her maids and the old woman, and the wet nurse brought her three children. A large group of people went for a walk to enjoy the flowers and pick mulberry leaves.
"Oh, little ancestor, come down quickly!" The servants were anxious and frightened.
When Jiang Yushu heard this, she quickly put down the mulberry leaves, looked up, and immediately shouted, "Yu'er, you are not allowed to climb trees!"
"Hehehe~" Guo Yu slid down the tree trunk swiftly and took two steps back. "No, I won't climb anymore."
Guo Ye, over two years old, was hugging the tree trunk and trying to climb, shouting excitedly: "Mom, look at me, look at me, I, I can climb trees too!"
"Brother, come down quickly, be careful not to fall." Gong Baozhu was happily picking flowers and had no interest in climbing trees.
Jiang Yushu, who was seven months pregnant, felt a pain in her back. She held her lower back and said sternly, "What are you looking at? Are you being naughty? Listen, no climbing trees! If you fall on the hillside, it will be terrible."
"Yes." The two boys were reluctant, but the girl agreed obediently and persuaded her companions to pick flowers and catch butterflies for fun.
The maid brought a chair and said, "Madam, sit down and rest for a while."
Jiang Yushu sat down and reminded: "After picking the mulberry leaves, you must dry them, otherwise the silkworms will get sick."
"yes."
Jiang Yushu was no longer able to climb the slope, so she asked with concern, "How are those trees I grafted last time?"
"Don't worry, they are all alive!" The maids and old women were cheerful, picking mulberry leaves as if they were on a picnic, chatting about everything, and it was lively and lively.
A quarter of an hour later, a maid came hurriedly and bowed to report: "Madam, Master Gong and his second wife are here to pick up Miss Baozhu."
Jiang Yushu was stunned. "Answer? Where to answer?"
"Take her back to the capital. After all, she's not our daughter. She'll have to return to the Gong family sooner or later."
Jiang Yushu nodded in agreement, "Where's the old lady?"
"We are entertaining guests."
Jiang Yushu called out, "Children, follow me. Baozhu, your father is here to pick you up."
"Ah? Really?" Gong Baozhu was overjoyed when she heard this and couldn't wait to run down the slope. "Great!"
Soon, the living room
Wang waved to her second daughter-in-law and said kindly, "Yushu, wait a minute. Come and sit down. Look, this is Baozhu's stepmother."
Gong Yipeng gave her a gentle push and said, "She is the heroine I mentioned to you."
His second wife was very young, tall and plump, with beautiful eyes and fine eyebrows. She bowed awkwardly and said shyly, "Xiaohong greets Madam."
When they met, Jiang Yushu opened her eyes wide in surprise. She froze in her place, looking at the other person in amazement. "What's your name?"
The young concubine replied, "My name is Lin Xiaohong."
Jiang Yushu was stunned, thinking: Baozhu's stepmother? Isn't she Du Feiyan? How did she become 'Lin Xiaohong'? Could there be two people in the world who look exactly the same?
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