When the Ministry of War sent someone to deliver the letter, there were only Xu Jiang, the housekeeper and a group of servants in the Lou family, so Xu Jiang had to come forward to receive it on behalf of Lou Jing.
After sending the messenger off, she could no longer contain her ecstasy and excitedly stroked the envelope, "It's his letter. He finally sent a message back."
Yin Yin circled around her, laughing and shouting, "Young Master has sent a letter, Young Master has sent a letter!"
Since the message came back, it meant that he was safe. Xu Jiang's heart, which had been worried since he left, finally settled down.
As long as you are safe, as long as you are safe.
There were two letters, one to his parents and the other to Xu Jiang.
Seeing that it was still early, Xu Jiang hurriedly sent two servants on horseback to take the body to the Taoist temple outside the city and hand it over to Lou Jing and Madam Lou.
The couple had been waiting for their son's letter for a long time.
After everything was arranged, Xu Jiang happily took the letter and sought a quiet place away from people to read it slowly by herself.
The housekeeper hurried over and said, "Madam Xu, someone has come from the palace and said that His Majesty has a reward. The master and the mistress are not here, so please go and collect it for them."
"Me? Can I?" Xu Jiang was startled and asked in panic, "Wouldn't it be against the rules?"
"Well... there's no one home right now, so it's not right for us servants to accept the thanks." The housekeeper was also in a dilemma, but quickly made up his mind and advised, "Before the master and mistress left, they told you to come if there was anything at home that needed a decision. The messenger who delivered the message has already gone to the main hall. Madam, please go quickly and don't neglect them."
"Okay then." Xu Jiang had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow the housekeeper.
As they walked, the butler consoled him, "Don't worry, my lady. Didn't His Majesty reward you with a set of four treasures of the study last time? You've made an appearance before His Majesty, and you're the future young mistress of our mansion. You're fully qualified to accept the reward on behalf of the master and his wife."
Xu Jiang was embarrassed by what she said, but her steps became steady and her heart felt much more at ease.
The housekeeper also explained to her some of the rules for accepting rewards and expressing gratitude, and Xu Jiang memorized them all.
The two of them came to the front hall, Xu Jiang straightened her clothes, and went into the house with the housekeeper.
The envoy who came to deliver the gifts was the same one who had bestowed the Four Treasures of the Study upon the Saint last time. Although young, he was very amiable. When he saw that it was Xu Jiang who came to receive the reward, he smiled and said, "I just heard that Lord Lou and his wife are not at home. In that case, please ask Madam Xu to receive the reward on their behalf. This will save me from having to make another trip to the suburbs."
"Yes." After Xu Jiang saluted, he led the housekeeper and servants to kneel down and listen to the instructions.
The emperor read out the oral order with a serious expression.
"I hereby issue an oral order: Your Majesty, in gratitude for the care and longing of Shaoqing Lou, I hereby grant Yushan Torreya nuts, Mianzhou sugarcane, and Jiannan Road white lotus roots to Shaoqing's parents and family, to fulfill his filial duty and comfort his heart."
Xu Jiang kowtowed and said, "On behalf of Lord and Madam Lou, I kowtow to thank you for your grace."
The envoy smiled and said, "Madam Xu, please stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xu Jiang stood up and bowed to the palace maid again. "Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
"Madam Xu, you are too polite. Here is the gift list. Please take a look." The official handed the gift list to Xu Jiang, and checked the items recorded on the list and reviewed the imperial gifts.
After Xu Jiang confirmed that everything was correct, she signed her name and stamped her name.
The envoy took the gift list and said to Xu Jiang, "That will take care of the mission."
"Thank you for your trouble." Xu Jiang bowed again and said, "It's hot, Your Excellency. Why don't you stay and have a cup of tea before returning to the palace? I will let this humble lady express my gratitude on behalf of Lord Lou."
The courtesy was quite thorough, and the envoy showed a hint of appreciation in his eyes, but then he declined politely, "Thank you for your kindness, madam, but I have to return to the palace to report, so I will not delay you any longer."
After saying this, he bowed to Xu Jiang and started to leave.
Xu Jiang and the housekeeper hurriedly led the way for him, escorted him to the door, and put him in the carriage.
"Respectfully send off the envoy."
After sending the palace maid away, Xu Jiang and the housekeeper looked at each other and both breathed a sigh of relief.
The housekeeper praised: "Mrs. Xu did a great job."
Xu Jiang smiled and then asked, "The messenger hasn't left the city yet. Should we arrange for a carriage to deliver the saint's gifts to my uncle and aunt?"
The housekeeper thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Master and Madam will be back the day after tomorrow. Bringing them back would be troublesome. Besides, the temple is quiet, and bringing the imperial gifts into the temple would cause a commotion and disturb everyone. It would be better to wait for Master to return and then make arrangements."
"Okay, then I'll do as you say."
The housekeeper immediately ordered the servant to go and deliver the letter to the Taoist temple outside the city, and to inform Lou Jing about the saint's reward.
After the imperial carriage had gone far away, the two men closed the door and entered the garden, then returned to the main hall to place the things bestowed by the saint.
They are all food.
The housekeeper delivered the torreya nuts and cane sugar to Lou Jing's study, but he was worried about the remaining white lotus roots. There was a whole basket of them, and leaving them in the kitchen wouldn't be respectful, but if they were left there as a gift, they would rot in the hot weather.
Xu Jiang had it placed in a jar with well water, changing the water daily, and waiting for Lou Jing to return. It would be up to him to decide whether to eat or plant the fruit. However, Xu Jiang suspected that, given Lou Jing's temperament, he would probably plant the fruit and show it off to his friends every year.
After making all the necessary arrangements, Xu Jiang took Yin Yin back to her courtyard. After they washed and changed their clothes, Yin Yin went to the kitchen to serve the meal. Xu Jiang, wearing plain clothes and letting her hair down, blew out the fire and held the lamp, her heart pounding as she carefully opened the letter from Lou Yunchun.
[Qingqing Ajahn:
I hope you are well and happy. I have arrived in Huining, and while delivering this letter, I am enclosing a piece of paper expressing my longing for you. It will reach your palm like a thousand-mile gust of wind, to comfort my withered heart.
After reading this, Xu Jiang felt her palms burning and her cheeks flushed.
The cold outside the Great Wall is bitter, yet the scenery is vast and magnificent, far beyond the reach of a small space. My heart, so deeply in your heart, needs only a small space, but such a space is hard to find these days. Seeing such a unique scene, I have no heart to appreciate it, only to feel desolate.
Xu Jiang felt a pang of sadness when she thought of him being alone and miserable in the frontier.
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