Chapter 75 Wedding Gift
"This was originally a wedding gift for my sister, but... it's too late." Jiang Zhao looked a little embarrassed.
"My mother found out about the silver I saved and confiscated it. Since then, she has been keeping me under surveillance. I only recently found an opportunity and earned enough silver to buy this bracelet."
After saying this, Jiang Zhao lowered his head even lower. "But, sister, you are the imperial concubine now. You should have seen a lot of fine things. This bracelet is really a bit shabby..."
Jiang Yingli held back her tears, picked up the emerald bracelet, put it on her wrist, and said with a smile, "Of course not, it's not too late at all, and it's not shabby at all. Sister likes it very much."
Jiang Zhao raised his eyes, looked at Jiang Yingli, pursed his lips and smiled.
Jiang Yingli touched the bracelet on her hand with care. Then, realizing something, she asked worriedly, "Father and Mother are keeping a close eye on you. Where did you get the money?"
"Don't worry, sister. I earned it myself. It's been very hot lately, and many nobles in the capital like to hunt at night. I found a job and went out quietly at night, taking their hunting dogs to hunt. They were very generous with their money, and I have saved up a lot of money."
Jiang Yingli became even more worried after hearing this. "Isn't this even more dangerous? There are many ferocious beasts in the forest at night. If you get into danger, those people won't care about your life or death."
"Sister, I know my limits. Hounds are very perceptive and can smell danger in advance. I have good hearing too, so I can avoid danger in advance. Besides, those nobles are so scary that they only dare to hunt rabbits and deer on the outskirts of the forest and never go deep into it. The most common thing I see every day is rabbits."
Jiang Yingli reluctantly breathed a sigh of relief and tapped his forehead.
"I was very active when I was little. Why am I still like this when I grow up?"
Jiang Zhao smiled embarrassedly.
"Your Majesty has arrived—"
The sudden news made the brother and sister panic.
Jiang Yingli: "Oh no, it's past the visiting hours for relatives."
Jiang Zhao, who was already afraid of His Majesty, became even more panicked after hearing this, and turned around twice like a headless fly.
"Ahhh, what should I do, sister? Will I get you blamed by His Majesty?"
Jiang Yingli calmed down after hearing this. That's not right. Why should she be so panicked? How could His Majesty blame her for such a small matter?
So Jiang Yingli pulled Jiang Zhao behind her and said, "Don't worry, His Majesty won't blame you."
Seeing Jiang Yingli so confident, Jiang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and knelt down obediently to pay his respects.
A moment later, steady footsteps were heard in the hall.
As soon as Xiao Chenglan entered the hall, he saw the brother and sister with their heads lowered in the same manner.
His eyes swept over Jiang Zhao indifferently.
Although, in his opinion, Jiang Zhao is the only one in Jiang Yingli's family who still has a conscience, it is precisely because of his existence that Jiang Yingli always finds it difficult to let go of the Jiang family.
Giving her a slap in the face and sweet dates at the same time made her so entangled in love and hate that she suffered terribly.
Therefore, Xiao Chenglan didn't like Jiang Zhao very much either.
"Everyone get up." Xiao Chenglan said lightly.
Jiang Yingli straightened her skirt and stood up, looking up at Xiao Chenglan, only to find that he walked straight up to Jiang Zhao with an unfriendly look.
"Family visits are only for fifteen minutes, and it's long gone. Why are you still here?"
Jiang Zhao had just stood up, but when he heard this question, his legs went weak and he almost knelt down again.
Jiang Yingli quickly grabbed Xiao Chenglan and said, "Your Majesty, I missed my brother so I asked him to stay a little longer."
Jiang Zhao mustered up the courage to speak, "No, I was dazzled by this magnificent palace and kept talking to Her Majesty for a while."
Xiao Chenglan glanced at the siblings and said calmly, "Did I say I was going to punish you? You're vying to admit your mistakes. Okay, get out when your time is up. I won't bend the law just because of your sister."
Jiang Zhao bowed deeply as if he had been pardoned.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now!"
Jiang Zhao wanted to secretly raise his eyes to take another look at his sister, but as soon as he looked up, the emperor's stern face was right in front of him. He was so scared that he trembled and dared not look around anymore.
He took two steps forward, and the dragon robe in his peripheral vision moved and stretched out its hand towards him.
Jiang Zhao looked at the palm that Xiao Chenglan stretched out in front of him, his eyes full of confusion.
"Your Majesty, what does this mean?"
Xiao Chenglan smiled faintly, but the smile was dull.
"Give me the things."
Something? What? He only had his sister's sachet on him.
Could it be that...
Jiang Zhao took out a sachet and put it in Xiao Chenglan's hand, but he still didn't take his hand back. He had to put a second one in, but he still didn't take his hand back.
Seeing this, Jiang Yingli whispered, "Your Majesty, one of these three was originally meant for my younger brother."
In order to preserve the last sachet, Jiang Zhao weakly echoed, "Yes, yes, Your Majesty embroidered it with great care. I would also like to keep one as a keepsake. I beg Your Majesty to grant this."
Xiao Chenglan's eyes fell lightly on Jiang Yingli's face, and he finally withdrew his hand holding the two sachets.
"Back off."
Jiang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and took his leave.
When he walked out of the hall, he glanced back quietly.
The Zhaohua Palace where his sister lived was exquisitely decorated and magnificent, and his sister's dresses were also very exquisite and beautiful. From these two points, he could tell that his sister was not lying to comfort him when she said she was fine.
At the beginning, my sister had just come of age when he brought her into his house. He also kept a very strict control over her and did not allow her to have any contact with the family. He had no way of knowing how my sister was doing, and he hated him for a while.
Now it seems that His Majesty's move was not because he had any objections to my sister's background and wanted to cut off contact, but because he was thinking about my sister.
Today, His Majesty asked him for the sachet embroidered by his sister. He treasured his sister's things very much.
These minor emotions cannot be acted out, and besides, he is now in a high position of power, so there is no need to act.
It seems that he really has true feelings for his sister.
Since his sister was living a better life than before, he felt relieved. As for the fact that he could no longer associate with his sister, it was indeed a good thing, and he should slowly get over it.
Inside the hall, Xiao Chenglan sat down holding two sachets.
Although Jiang Yingli had embroidered a lot for her, this time she didn't embroider his.
What he didn't have, they actually threw away like a worn-out shoe.
Xiao Chenglan glanced at Jiang Yingli.
No matter how hard Jiang Yingli forced herself to smile, her eyes were still red, and how could he not see it?
He originally didn't want to let the Jiang family visit the palace, but considering that Jiang Yingli had been waiting for so long, he didn't stop them.
Let the Jiang family be the villain.
There are some things that you must always be aware of.
Only when you recognize it clearly can you give up.
Although I can't help but shed a lot of tears, there's nothing I can do about it.
Anyway, he will coax her.
So as soon as the Jiang family left, he came over immediately.
"Come here." Xiao Chenglan stretched out his hand towards Jiang Yingli.
Jiang Yingli walked up to him, took his hand, and lowered her head.
Seeing that she just stood there without saying anything, Xiao Chenglan simply put his arm around her waist and lifted her onto his lap.
He stared at Jiang Yingli, whose lips were already as puffy as they could be, and stroked her eyelashes with his fingertips. He didn't ask anything, but just said:
"Cry if you want to. You're in my arms, aren't you?"
Jiang Yingli could no longer hold back her tears after holding them back for a long time. She threw herself into Xiao Chenglan's arms, clutched the collar of his dragon robe, and burst into tears of grievance.
"Your Majesty... Wuwuwu...I am so sad..."
Jiang Yingli sobbed and was about to cry, but when she remembered that the person holding her, her mother, had passed away long ago, she stopped talking and just nestled in his arms and cried. This made her feel much better.
With His Majesty around, she always feels more at ease.
Xiao Chenglan patted Jiang Yingli's back gently and listened to her crying sadly.
His eyes fell on her hair, and he suddenly noticed that two of her favorite hairpins were missing on the left and right sides of her bun.
Xiao Chenglan's eyes darkened and he looked around the table. When he saw the hairpin placed on the table, the murderous intent in his eyes faded a little.
Jiang Yingli had cried enough, and she stood up from the dragon robe that was wet with her tears. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and when she looked up at Xiao Chenglan, she couldn't help sobbing.
Xiao Chenglan could see the tears hanging on Jiang Yingli's eyelashes, she looked so pitiful.
"You don't have to see the person who made you sad again." Xiao Chenglan tried to soften his tone.
Jiang Yingli had this idea before, but when her mother asked her to help her cousin enter the palace, her heart sank.
However, what they had just said was still lingering in her mind.
If she could expand the family, she would have a helping hand in the future. If not, she would become a rootless duckweed.
Later, when everyone's family came to visit her in the palace, she was left alone.
After a long silence, Jiang Yingli took out the embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve.
"Your Majesty likes sachets. Please also take a look at this embroidered handkerchief."
She held the handkerchief given to her by Xu in both hands and raised it in front of Xiao Chenglan.
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