"Ungrateful thing!"
"Come here to ask for a beating?"
Guo Hongxuan was born as the youngest son of a marquis family. He was spoiled and had a reckless character. His temper was hard to change. When he was angry, he didn't care about anything. He grabbed Feng Han by the collar and lifted him up without any hesitation.
"Brother Xuan, brother Xuan, stop it. Let's talk it over." Feng Han struggled awkwardly and stammered, "What do you want to do? I am your brother-in-law after all. In front of my mother-in-law's coffin, you——"
"Shut up! Who wants a 'brother-in-law' like you? I don't want one!"
Guo Hongxuan was furious. He pointed his index finger, almost poking the other man's nose, and berated him contemptuously, "Feng, you have the nerve to call me 'mother-in-law'? And you have the nerve to call yourself 'son-in-law'? You are so shameless, flattering the powerful and looking down on the weak. Get out, get out now! Otherwise, my mother will be angry and restless when she sees you."
"Fourth brother, please listen to my brother-in-law's explanation." Feng Han burst into tears, determined to reconnect with his Yue family. He expressed regret, "Back then, I had my reasons. With parents and children to support, I shouldered the heavy burden of supporting my family. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I couldn't help my Yue family. In fact, I wish I could follow you to the northwest so I could serve my mother-in-law."
"Oh, you're talking nonsense and telling lies!"
"You talk better than you sing, but what you do is inhuman! When the Guo family was prosperous, the Feng family fawned over them and were incredibly affectionate. But when the Guo family fell on hard times, the Feng family immediately distanced themselves from the matter and became cold and heartless. Fortunately, our family is now better off, and you're coming over to be our lapdog again? No way!"
The steward and the servant tried to dissuade him, but were waved away by Guo Hongxuan. He ridiculed them bluntly and, growing impatient, punched them in the stomach, "Get out!"
"Ouch, hiss, hiss." Feng Han grimaced, gasping in pain. He stumbled back, clutching his abdomen, and sat down on the ground. Feeling guilty, he dared not continue to argue. He simply knelt in front of Wang's coffin, crying incoherently.
"What a disgrace!" Guo Hongxuan's face turned pale. He raised his foot and was about to kick it when he heard a voice calling from behind:
"Fourth brother!"
Jiang Yushu hurried over with her two sons and waved seriously.
Guo Hongxuan turned his head and looked at his sister-in-law, then reluctantly withdrew his feet. He gave Feng Han a strong "Pooh" and strode towards his family. "What do you want, sister-in-law?"
Jiang Yushu acted calmly, as if she hadn't noticed Feng Han's dedicated crying. She said gently, "The most urgent thing is to get Mother's coffin into the mourning hall as soon as possible. Your second and third brothers are at the door, discussing the funeral etiquette for entering the mansion. Go over and help."
Guo Hongxuan nodded quickly, then looked down at Feng Han and curled his lips, "But Feng is so shameless that he can't be driven away. He's crying and wailing fakely, which is embarrassing."
"It's okay, I have a solution." In front of the crowd, Jiang Yushu remained calm and told her two sons, "You go too and see if there's anything you can do to help."
Guo Ye and Guo Jiong followed Guo Hongxuan and left.
Guo Jing was young and curiously asked, "Fourth Uncle, has my eldest uncle ever done anything to offend our family?"
"Why call him 'Uncle'? He doesn't deserve it!" Guo Hongxuan was still furious. "Just call him 'Feng Han'."
After all, the other party was an elder, so the two nephews couldn't respond. After a while, Guo Ye whispered, "Nephew, you know that the old ancestor doesn't like him very much."
"Tsk, who would like an ungrateful, white-eyed wolf?"
Guo Hongxuan scoffed and angrily revealed, "Back then, the Jingyang Marquisate fell into ruin overnight. The world was fickle, and human nature was cold and indifferent. I can't forget the Feng family's indifferent expressions as they stood by and watched. During my exile, every Qingming Festival, thankfully, some relatives were willing to help sweep the graves. Humph, the Feng family not only never did a single one, they even spoke disrespectfully! It wasn't until our family's financial situation improved that Feng Han began writing letters to show his affection, but Mother was already deeply disappointed and wouldn't pay any attention to him."
"Hearing that," Guo Jing said with a stern face, his features looking very much like his father's, "Fourth Uncle was too gentle just now."
"The elders' funeral is the most important thing. Otherwise, I will definitely beat Feng Han up!"
Guo Ye comforted him: "Uncle, calm down. That kind of villain is not worth your anger at all."
Meanwhile, beside the coffin
Jiang Yushu was wearing plain clothes, with her back straight, looking down at her so-called brother-in-law who had come to mourn in a hurry.
"Mother-in-law, how could you have passed away so suddenly?" Feng Han wiped his tears with his sleeves. The rough linen mourning clothes made his eyes red from rubbing them. He knelt before the coffin, howling until his throat was split. The daughter-in-law showed no interest in trying to persuade him. He could only bite the bullet and sob at the top of his lungs, "Old Madam, I'm late. I couldn't see you one last time. I'm so sorry."
Jiang Yushu suppressed her annoyance, watched coldly, and thought to herself: her mother-in-law passed away, her stepmother committed suicide, her daughter was sick, her husband was depressed because of the loss of his mother, the funeral was not over, the new house was not properly decorated, and the memorial of mourning had not been approved... one thing after another, a multitude of things, complicated and trivial, making her so busy that she was as tense as a string and her feet banged against her head.
The relative who almost cut off ties with me actually came to cause trouble?
She was too exhausted to muster the energy for socializing and politeness, so she barely maintained the host's etiquette and said solemnly, "The time is almost up. We are rushing to take the coffin to the mourning hall. Please get up and wait until the mourning hall is ready before coming to pay your respects."
Feng Han mistakenly thought that the other party was willing to treat him as a relative, and he was delighted. He knelt down and turned around, saying flatteringly, "Thank you for your hard work in taking care of the old lady's funeral. I came here as soon as I heard the news. If you need any help, please let me know!"
Sister-in-law? That's quite a warm call. Jiang Yushu frowned unhappily. In her mind, the other party was a complete outsider. She reminded him again, "No need for help. Just get up and move aside. We'll hurry to carry the coffin in."
"The old lady passed away so suddenly that my wife's eyes were swollen from crying, and our daughters were very sad too. Alas, I had always thought that I would serve my mother-in-law well after her family moved back to the capital, but who knew that there would be no chance now." Feng Han wiped his tears, hesitated, and naggled, while his eyes glanced at a group of men standing in the distance at the gate of the mansion, led by Guo Honglei, who were discussing how to carry the coffin.
Jiang Yushu looked at the sky, her patience exhausted, and decisively ordered: "Come, help the guest up immediately!"
"Yes!" The guards hurriedly lifted Feng Han up.
"Hey..." Feng Han said angrily, stopped, dusted off his mourning clothes awkwardly, and said with a smug look, "Sister-in-law..."
Jiang Yushu had a stern face, looking intimidating without being angry, and stared at the other person intently.
Feng Han was stared at by the female official's sharp gaze, and was instantly awed. He subconsciously shut up and stopped trying to get close to her.
The neighbors were all high-ranking officials of the imperial court, and passersby passed by from time to time. Jiang Yushu felt it was inconvenient to do anything in public, so she raised her hand and firmly ushered them aside, saying, "Sorry, we just got back, and everything is incomplete. Everything is a mess, and we are in a hurry to clean it up."
Feng Han retreated to the side awkwardly, "Well, fine, you guys go about your business, don't bother entertaining me."
Taking the trouble to entertain you? If I hadn't stopped him just now, how could the Fourth Brother have let you go so easily? Jiang Yushu turned her face away, not bothering to pay attention to the sycophants. She ordered the guards to untie the ropes and white cloth that secured the coffin. Together, they carefully carried the heavy coffin into the new house.
Soon, in the mourning hall, incense and candles were lit, paper money was burned, monks and Taoists were busy with their own things, and the sounds of chanting, funeral music, sobbing, wailing... were extremely noisy.
Half an hour later, Wang's relatives from her mother's side came to pay their respects. There were more than fifty people in total, including men, women, young and old, and servants carrying various funeral gifts.
Guo Hongxuan threw himself barefoot into the arms of an old man, crying, "Uncle!"
The eldest brother of the Wang family, with white hair, hugged his nephew with grief, tears streaming down his face, and choked with sobs to comfort him: "Xuan'er, good boy, please accept my condolences, accept my condolences."
"Uncle." Guo Honglei and Guo Hongzhe led the boys, with red eyes, bowed to welcome the relatives from their maternal grandparents' family.
For a moment, there were bursts of crying in the mourning hall, and everyone who heard it was heartbroken.
Jiang Yushu was busy in the back hall for a while. When she heard relatives coming to pay their respects, she called out to her youngest son, "Hurry up and go meet the relatives!"
Guo Jing supported his mother and said, "I don't recognize any of my grandmother's relatives from her mother's side."
"Actually, mother doesn't really recognize him either. Back then, your father and I had just gotten married, and before we had time to get to know our relatives, something happened in the Marquis' Mansion."
"How do the Wang family relatives compare to the Feng family uncle?
"There's no comparison!" she whispered. "Back then, the corruption case had a terrible impact. If it weren't for the Wang family, your grandfather, and your father's mentor, Mr. Lu, who helped, the Guo family would have been executed."
The young boy nodded sensibly, "I understand. I'll go kowtow to my uncle right away! By the way, Mom, my grandmother has passed away too. When are we going to visit my grandfather?"
She was startled for a moment, then replied softly, "I'll take you back to the Jiang Mansion after I've sorted out the urgent matters at hand."
No matter what Xu's character was, she was her stepmother after all. When her mother passed away, as a daughter, she had to travel all over the country to attend the funeral, not to mention being in the capital.
So, early the next morning, Jiang Yushu and her daughter took a sedan chair, Guo Honglei led his son on horseback, and the family of five rushed to the Jiang Mansion.
When the mistress passed away, everyone in the Jiang residence wore plain clothes, and there were cries in the mourning hall.
As the five members of the family paid their respects, Jiang Yushu felt a mixture of emotions. She thought to herself: They were nominally mother and daughter, but in reality, they were estranged. Over a decade, they had only spent a few days together, and on that occasion, her beloved Yushan had died at the frontier. The next time they met, it would be at a funeral, parting ways.
Jiang Shisen, his son, and several others were nearby. They said kindly, "Get up."
"Please accept my condolences, father-in-law. Mingcheng, you guys should take care of your health so that you have the energy to take care of your elders." Guo Honglei stood up and naturally supported his wife, while Jiang Yushu helped her daughter.
Jiang Mingcheng and his brothers had red and swollen eyes and bowed respectfully, "Please rest assured, sister and brother-in-law, we will take good care of father."
"Alas, the old lady of the Guo family has passed away. You should also mourn and accept the loss." Jiang Shisen looked at his granddaughter and asked with concern: "Yan girl looks pale. Is it still because she is not acclimatized?"
Guo Xiaoyan knelt down and bowed, then answered softly, "Thank you for your concern, Grandpa. Xiaoyan is much better now."
Jiang Yushu sighed, "Yan'er was born with a weak body. The journey was long and she suffered from minor illnesses and pains constantly. By the time she arrived in the capital, she had lost a lot of weight."
"Since the child is ill, filial piety lies in the heart, and all that matters is fulfilling the proper etiquette. Mingcheng, quickly ask your wife to arrange for your nephew and niece to rest!"
Jiang Mingcheng quickly wiped away his tears and said, "Okay." He greeted his two nephews warmly. His wife took his niece's hand and went to the backyard to rest. The wet nurse and maids followed and served them.
After staying in the mourning hall for a while, Jiang Shisen said, "Come with me to the study and sit for a while."
The study is far away from the mourning hall, and it is quiet once the doors and windows are closed.
Jiang Shisen attached great importance to official business. "Is there any news about your mourning period?"
Jiang Yushu shook her head. "It hasn't been approved yet."
"Strange." Jiang Shisen twirled his beard in confusion. "I submitted the memorial a long time ago, why is there still no response?"
Guo Honglei speculated, "My guess is that since no female official had ever reported mourning before, there's no precedent to follow, so the court needs to consider this carefully."
Jiang Yushu's eyes were bloodshot from working day and night for the funeral. She looked at her husband with apologetic and worried feelings, and inexplicably felt like she had abandoned her husband. "If the court approves my request for mourning, then after a while, you will have to return to the northwest alone."
one person?
Alone… Guo Honglei's brows knitted together. While they'd been apart for so long in a foreign land, their entire family had always been together at the frontier. With his mother suddenly gone, and the couple now separated, it was natural for a husband to be unhappy. He paused for a moment, then whispered, "It's my duty to observe mourning according to the rules. It's fine, I'll just be alone."
I said "it's okay" but I felt depressed in my heart.
Jiang Shisen looked at his daughter in surprise. "Have you decided to stay in the capital? I thought you would go back with Zhengqin."
Zhengqin was the courtesy name bestowed upon Guo Honglei by his mentor, Lu Zhidong, when he came of age. As a young soldier, he was a brave warrior, earning a name for himself. Borderland residents were known for their tough, even rough, temperament, valuing martial arts over literature, so while nearly everyone knew "Guo Honglei" or "General Guo," few knew "Guo Zhengqin."
Jiang Yushu was melancholy and helpless. "We just moved into our new home. My mother-in-law is gone, so we need someone reliable to take care of the housework. Besides, Xiaoyan is very sick, so we need a doctor to take care of her. Also, Ye'er is fifteen, and we want to send him to the Imperial College to study and see if he can pass the imperial examination."
"Oh! I see." Jiang Shisen nodded in understanding. "Although you have considerable political ability, it is a woman's duty to take care of the household. If you take care of the household properly and relieve Zhengqin of his worries, I will be at ease if you live a good life."
Duties? Besides taking care of the husband and children and managing the household, women can also pursue other careers.
Jiang Yushu had already made plans and said earnestly, "However, I have some unfinished business in the northwest. Once I have arranged my household affairs in the capital, I will have to return to Yongzhou by early spring next year or mid-next year at the latest. When I do, the two little ones will come with me to visit relatives. I beg father to take care of your eldest grandson."
Jiang Shisen was puzzled, "If the court allows Ding You to mourn, what else can they do?"
"Private matter."
"Personal matter?"
Guo Honglei briefly informed him, "She has written a book, 'A Collection of Essentials of Northwest Agriculture and Sericulture,' but it's not yet finished. She needs to conduct on-site surveys of crops."
"Writing a book? You, you're writing another book? Your early travelogues, read by your father, weren't rigorous enough in their writing, their wording wasn't polished enough, and they were hastily printed. And you're actually daring enough to write a second one? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
Guo Honglei never tolerated anyone criticizing his wife. "She originally wrote 'Journey to the Northwest' to relieve boredom, but my son-in-law found it quite interesting. Although it had some flaws, it was fresh and simple. So I asked someone to print a few copies, and who knew it would spread like wildfire."
Jiang Yushu was self-aware and clutched her handkerchief awkwardly. "Father's criticism was quite correct. Now that I think about it, I really didn't put enough effort into it. My writing is mediocre, almost invisible, and laughable. Fortunately, the Agricultural and Sang Collection doesn't need beautiful words. It just needs to be easy to understand and practical."
"Never mind. You were sixteen or seventeen back then, young and ignorant. Writing a book was child's play." Jiang Shisen studied his daughter with a complex expression, one of pride and joy, yet also regret. He sighed for the umpteenth time, "But for a woman, it's barely not bad. Alas, if you had been born a son, as a father, I would have had fewer worries."
"Born as a son?" Guo Honglei frowned, thinking to himself: If she were born a boy, who would I marry? Then he blurted out, "A daughter is good! If a daughter has a promising future, won't she also make her parents proud?"
"That's true."
However, if it were a son, there would be no need to put "Guo" before "Jiang". Jiang Shisen twirled his beard, regretful, but he readily agreed: "People strive for higher positions. The Imperial College is full of learned people and talented people. Ye'er should study hard and make progress. You can go out without worry next year. Your father will pay attention to taking care of your grandson."
Asking one more relative or friend to look after her son would give the mother a little more peace of mind. Jiang Yushu stood up and bowed, "Thank you, father."
Guo Honglei also stood up, "Thank you, father-in-law."
"Why not ask the child to move to the Jiang Mansion and live there for a while?"
Jiang Yushu shook her head subconsciously and answered respectfully, "Yer's third uncle is in mourning, and his fourth uncle will also live in the capital for a long time. Ye'er is at home, and is usually taken care of by his uncle and aunt. I don't want to overwork your father. I just hope that you can take the time to discipline him when he is naughty."
Jiang Shisen nodded happily.
Guo Honglei asked with concern, "I heard you've been having headaches lately. I wonder what's causing it? You should see a famous doctor."
"Oh, it would be strange if I didn't have a headache." Jiang Shisen was upset. "Your mother-in-law... forget it. She's already passed away. Let's not talk about right or wrong. I'll clean up the mess slowly."
There was no blood relationship or affection between Jiang Yushu and her stepmother, and Miss Jiang had a deep hatred for her, so she could only say some polite words, "I am so sorry for the loss, and please take good care of yourself."
When the Guo family was in trouble, his father-in-law came to their aid. Guo Honglei was deeply grateful and solemnly said, "If there is any need for me, father-in-law, please let me know!"
"Well." Jiang Shisen was relieved. "I have retired. What worries me most right now is my son's future. Alas, the official position I had planned for Mingcheng was lost during my mourning period."
Jiang Yushu and his wife understood and comforted him, "There's no need to rush this matter. We'll keep an eye out and there will always be a suitable position."
His daughter and son-in-law were promising. After two quarters of an hour of discussion, Jiang Shisen's mood improved a lot. He urged, "Okay, you should go back. Your mother-in-law has passed away. You should hurry back to the mansion to take charge of the situation! Tomorrow morning, I will take Mingcheng to pay my respects."
"good."
At noon, Jiang Yushu stepped into Miss Jiang's boudoir for the first time, walked around it a few times, feeling a lot of emotions, and touched nothing. She hurriedly took her daughter away, and the family of five returned to the Guo Mansion.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped into the mourning hall, she heard a burst of heart-wrenching crying:
"Mother! Mother!" Guo Huilan knelt limply before Wang's coffin, her hair disheveled. She beat her chest and the ground, weeping bitterly, her heart broken. "My daughter is late. I am unfilial. I beg for your forgiveness."
Jiang Yushu paused and asked softly, "Who should be——"
"Big sister." Guo Honglei said calmly.
"Well, I guess it's her." Jiang Yushu looked at her carefully. "My eldest sister looks very similar to my mother. I'm afraid outsiders won't believe it. After more than ten years of marriage, this is the first time I've met my eldest sister-in-law."
Guo Honglei hesitated to speak, feeling indescribable.
As they got closer, Jiang Yushu began to feel suspicious and glanced around. "Why can't I see Feng—ahem, Brother-in-law Feng?"
"Nine times out of ten, I'll have to ask my fourth brother."
"Well, after all, this is a funeral, and many relatives and friends have come to pay their respects. Won't it be difficult to resolve?"
Guo Honglei remained calm and said, "Don't worry, I've already told the fourth brother not to hit people in the face."
Jiang Yushu almost laughed out loud, "That's right! It's not appropriate to beat him up so badly that others will laugh at him."
After a while
Guo Huilan turned her head and saw her brother. She felt guilty and burst into tears. Her eyes were red and swollen. She called out timidly, "Second brother, you, you're back."
"Sister, I'm so sorry." Guo Honglei pulled his wife and knelt beside his elder sister. "This is Yushu."
Jiang Yushu said politely, "Big sister."
"Hey! Yushu!" Guo Huilan's voice cracked. She felt guilty, uneasy, a haggard woman in her late forties, standing side by side with her brother's wife, looking like mother and daughter. Unsure what to say, she simply remained silent, burning paper money with her brother and weeping bitterly.
While burning paper money, Guo Honglei asked, "Brother-in-law and niece, aren't they here?"
"They're all here!" Guo Huilan hurriedly announced, "Several relatives arrived not long ago, and the mourning hall was crowded. The children kowtowed and then left. My third brother's wife took them to the backyard. As for your brother-in-law, he was called away by my fourth brother to help entertain the guests."
Entertaining an official? He'd get beaten up for real. Old Four was a reckless person, and if he had the chance to vent his anger, he probably wouldn't hold it in.
Jiang Yushu noticed that her elder sister-in-law's voice was hoarse and rough, so she politely advised: "From the sound of your voice, it seems hoarse from crying. Why don't you take a rest? Take care of yourself."
"No, I can't." Guo Huilan's tears rolled down her cheeks. "When mother was alive, I couldn't fulfill my filial duty by her side for various reasons. I feel extremely guilty. I would rather die kneeling in front of her coffin. I only hope that mother will forgive me."
Seeing his elder sister weeping and wailing, Guo Honglei felt deeply distressed. He forcefully helped her up and sighed, "Sister, there's no need to blame yourself so much. Parents are so compassionate. Mother has already forgiven me. When I first returned to the capital to report on my work, Mother personally instructed me, 'Remember to visit my eldest sister and don't let the Feng family mistreat her.'"
Wang had a sullen face and was very unhappy at the time. Her exact words were: If you have time, remember to go to the Feng family and see how your unfilial eldest sister is doing.
Blood is thicker than water. Although dissatisfied and disappointed, the old man could not bear to completely ignore his own daughter.
"Mother, daughter, daughter--" Guo Huilan became even more grief-stricken upon hearing this. She cried breathlessly and fainted from excitement.
Jiang Yushu was startled and hurried to help, "Someone, come quickly, help my aunt to rest."
From then on, Guo Huilan and her husband lived in her mother's home with their two unmarried daughters, Yuanyuan and Linlin. They knelt in front of the coffin every day, crying and weeping, heartbroken.
During her lifetime, Wang was a third-rank official and received generous rewards and pensions from Emperor Yongqing. Those who had alienated the Guo family due to the misfortune of the Jingyang Marquis's Mansion resumed contact with them during the mourning period. The funeral was very grand and the burial was magnificent.
After a busy period, it was already October when the burial was completed.
at night
The husband was about to go to the northwest, and his wife packed his luggage personally.
"Take all these plain clothes!" She packed up several large piles of clothing. "Five sets for each season, for everyday wear during the mourning period."
Guo Honglei absentmindedly polished his sword by candlelight. "So many? I usually wear military uniform."
"It's better to be prepared."
"Will you go to visit Mr. tomorrow?"
Jiang Yushu replied apologetically, "Unfortunately, I have an appointment with my eldest sister and sister-in-law. Tomorrow morning, I will take the children to Huguo Temple to burn incense. I heard that the talismans there are very effective. The battlefield is dangerous, so I want to ask for a peace talisman for you to have peace of mind. Wait a couple of days, when you say goodbye to Mr. Lu, we will go together."
"Whatever you want." The wife prayed for a peace amulet for herself. The husband felt warmed at the thought and paused before saying, "You and your elder sister get along quite well. She has been a tearful person since she was little. It's hard for you to tolerate her."
"It's okay to cry easily. Our daughter was also a tearful child when she was little." She then revealed, "However, there were times when I always felt that my eldest sister was hesitant to speak, as if she had something to hide."
"Oh?" Guo Honglei thought for a moment, "It's probably for her husband's future. Don't worry about it."
"Then...what do you care?"
Guo Honglei's expression was indifferent. "I don't care. Feng Han has average talent, but he's obsessed with power. If his ability and virtue don't match his position, disaster is bound to happen. For him, being able to serve as an official in the Ministry of Works peacefully until he grows old is already a blessing."
Who would be willing to support a ruthless person who flatters the powerful and then turns against them? Jiang Yushu nodded in agreement, "General, you have a point!"
"I have to go back to Yongzhou in a few days. Madam, please take care of everything at home." Guo Honglei was about to go on a long journey alone. He sat beside the candlestick, slowly polishing his sword. He had lost weight due to the death of his mother, and his profile revealed a lonely air.
"Why is it so hard? It's my due!" Jiang Yushu packed her things quickly. "When I'm done, I'll go to Yongzhou to see you next year."
Guo Honglei paused while polishing his sword and asked, "When?"
"Didn't I tell you? The earliest would be early spring next year, the latest would be the middle of next year."
Guo Honglei stared at his wife and couldn't help asking, "When exactly?"
After staring at each other for a few breaths, she understood and replied softly, "I'll try to leave as soon as I'm done with my work."
"Hmm." He lowered his head and continued to polish his sword. The seed of "expectation" quietly sprouted in his heart.
The next morning
Autumn weather is cool and the sky is clear and cloudless.
Guo Honglei, dressed in plain clothes, strode out with his head held high. "Hurry up."
"Here we are!" Guo Yu led his two cousins and went out with his uncle to visit the great scholar of the time.
"When you meet Mr. Lu later, please don't be rude."
"yes."
Soon, Jiang Yushu led her daughter out of the bedroom and prepared to go out to burn incense. The three sisters-in-law, the eldest sister-in-law born by marriage, and the younger sister-in-law born by concubine came together, about 20 to 30 people, all dressed in plain clothes. There were many people but it was not lively. They only talked occasionally and there was no laughter at all.
Unexpectedly, when the group stepped out of the palace gate and were about to board the carriage, several imperial guards suddenly arrived on horseback, dismounted, and loudly announced:
"The emperor has issued an order, ordering the governor of Xuanning Prefecture to come to the palace immediately for an audience!"
The author has something to say: I wanted to split it into two chapters, but in order to make it look longer, I simply combined it into one chapter (＾－＾) V
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