Chapter 23 Beginning of Winter
Every autumn rain brings a chill. When the last rain fell in Shangjing, Shangjing finally ushered in the cold winter.
The suburbs of Beijing are even colder than the Forbidden City, and the imperial mausoleum is located in the mountains. The cold air in the morning and evening seems to corrode people's hearts.
On the day of the beginning of winter, Liang Hong brought a portion of dumplings. After arriving at Ye Lanzhou's residence, he dismissed everyone. Only Ye Lanzhou and Liang Hong were left in the room, along with a portion of dumplings that had just been brought from the kitchen.
He closed the door, brought the dumplings to Ye Lanzhou, and said, "Today is the beginning of winter. Lady Ye, please eat something first. The prince's men will come to pick you up at night."
Ye Lanzhou nodded obediently. She had thought a lot after Xie Chengyan left that day. The fact that he could take her away from the imperial mausoleum meant that the people here were dependent on him. Otherwise, how could it be easy to take away a noble who was pregnant with the royal heir in broad daylight in front of so many eunuchs?
If he could win over He Qiumao from the Imperial Household Department, what was so surprising about him winning over Liang Hong, who lived far away in the suburbs of Beijing?
In short, for these nine months, Xie Chengyan had paved the way for her, and she only had to do what he said.
Eating dumplings on the beginning of winter was a custom in Yin Country, but the year she was born was a time of war and the people were struggling, so who cared about customs? In her early years, she lived in the Ye family in Nanyang, a wealthy family that could still provide for themselves during the war. However, all the changes began when the Ye family moved to the capital with the Tian family.
I have never eaten dumplings during the Beginning of Winter since then.
Thinking of this, she glanced at the forty-year-old eunuch in front of her, then nodded slightly as a thank you.
It was unusually cold in the suburbs of Beijing in the morning and evening, and it was already dark when Xie Chengyan arrived.
Although the beginning of winter is cold, it is a clear night with stars dotted in the sky and beautiful women walking on the ground.
She rubbed her hands together, hoping to warm them, but the mountain air was so cold it penetrated her bones, leaving her feeling numb. Yet, Xie Chengyan even asked her to ride back to the capital with him, saying it would be much faster than a carriage.
Seeing the surprise in Ye Lanzhou's eyes, Xie Chengyan asked Liang Hong to find another saddle, took out his thick cloak and put it on her, saying, "Now that Concubine Ye is in this situation, please don't act like you are the master. I am already very tired from reviewing memorials today, so hurry up and get on the road."
Seeing that Xie Chengyan had misunderstood her intention, she had no objection to riding a horse. She could ride a horse and knew that it was much faster than a carriage, but...
She glanced back at Wangshu, who stood behind her, pursing his lips and suppressing his grievance. She was the one assigned to her by the eldest lady after Ye Lanzhou returned to the Ye Mansion. Two years her junior, she had worked in the Ye Mansion for quite a while and was well-versed in everything. However, she had a somewhat blunt temper and a loose tongue, so she hadn't been able to stay long under anyone.
At that time, Ye Lanzhou was about to marry into the palace, and it was really unacceptable for her to not have a maid as a dowry. But at that time, she had just arrived in Shangjing from Nanyang, and she had not even gotten rid of the vulgar air on her body. Where would she get a maid? The people in the mansion made a plan and gave Wangshu to her.
Seeing Wangshu blinking, she felt reluctant to leave. After all, Wangshu was really good to her, so she asked Xie Chengyan: "Can I take Wangshu away?"
Xie Chengyan also glanced behind her. He had seen this maid several times in the palace, but he had to be cautious when traveling with Ye Lanzhou, and adding another maid would probably be very troublesome.
He didn't want to cause trouble for himself. Besides, it would be most beneficial for Ye Lanzhou if Wangshu stayed here. If those people from the Imperial Hospital suddenly came to check, Wangshu could hold on for a while.
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