Chapter 99 Be My Princess of Chang'an
Song Wan'er was extremely surprised and asked, "Can I go to the capital too?"
Chunzhi didn't expect that what Song Anlan meant by "sending the bride" actually meant taking Song Wan'er to the capital to personally send her off for marriage.
She put down her bowl and chopsticks and looked up at Song Anlan.
Song Anlan nodded.
"That's great!" Song Wan'er was so happy that she didn't even bother to eat. "I've never been out of Dongzhou. What's the weather like in the capital? What clothes should I bring... Jinshu, Luoshang, help me pack!"
Song Wan'er seemed unable to wait even a moment longer and immediately asked her maid to pack up.
"No rush." Song Anlan said, "It's not too late to clean up after dinner."
Huo Zheng said, "So, Brother Song will go to the capital with us."
Song Anlan said, "I hope His Majesty doesn't think we are troublesome."
Huo Zheng smiled and said, "No."
Song Anlan said: "I have to see with my own eyes that Chunzhi is doing well before I can feel at ease."
Young Master Song said, "Let me be frank. If the prince cannot marry Chunzhi as promised, I will take her back to Dongzhou. Although a merchant family may not have the splendor of a royal family, the wealth of the Song family is enough for my two sisters and me to have a comfortable life."
Huo Zheng smiled and said as he served Chunzhi some food, "It's great that Brother Song is willing to go to the capital with us."
After dinner, everyone packed their bags.
Huo Zheng and Chunzhi originally planned to travel light and return to Beijing by carriage.
But Song Anlan and Song Wan'er were going to the capital together, and they brought several times more servants and belongings.
After discussing it, they decided to take a boat to Beijing.
The things Song Anlan brought into the capital were loaded onto several boats. The main boat was the one that rescued Chunzhi on the Lishui River, and it was used for living.
The rest of the goods were loaded onto the cargo ship. There were hundreds of guards escorting the goods alone, plus the boatmen and servants. The Song family's march into Beijing was a grand affair.
On the ninth day of the second lunar month, Huo Zheng, Chunzhi and the Song brothers and sisters officially left the Song residence and headed from Dongzhou to the capital.
Everything went smoothly along the way. Song Wan'er had never been far away and was curious about everything.
Every time the boat docked, Song Wan'er would go ashore to take a look.
In fact, Chunzhi had rarely left Linshui Town. After arriving in Dongzhou, she was afraid of being found by Huo Zheng, so she stayed in the Song residence all the time. When she saw new things outside, she was interested in everything.
Song Anlan and Huo Zheng accompanied them shopping. The two of them walked in front and looked around. They just took whatever they wanted to buy, and Song Anlan followed behind and paid for it.
Huo Zheng was responsible for intimidating those men who wanted to approach and chat up the two girls because of their beauty.
After more than half a month of sailing, the fleet arrived in the capital.
Huo Zheng was going to the palace to apologize, so Chunzhi took Xiaoxing back and lived with the Song brothers and sisters in the Song residence in the capital.
Huo Zheng originally wanted to take Chunzhi back to the Chang'an Palace, but Song Anlan said, "The prince and Chunzhi haven't officially married yet. If Chunzhi moves in like this, it will inevitably cause criticism."
Huo Zheng thought about it and felt that what Song Anlan said made sense.
Few people knew that he and Chunzhi got married in Linshui Town. The capital was different from other places, and one had to be cautious everywhere.
Since the Song brothers and sisters have already come to the capital, it would be more appropriate to let Chunzhi stay with them first and wait for him to get the imperial edict granting the marriage. It would then be more appropriate to bring Chunzhi to the palace on the wedding day.
So Huo Zheng first sent Chunzhi and her son to the Song residence in the capital.
Chunzhi was a little worried about Huo Zheng. "You've stayed in Dongzhou for so long. Will you be blamed for entering the palace this time?"
Blame is inevitable.
It all depends on how he responds.
Huo Zheng placed a gentle kiss on Chunzhi's forehead and said, "I have my own way of dealing with it. You don't have to worry."
Chunzhi found it hard not to worry, but seeing Huo Zheng so calm, she didn't say much and she walked Huo Zheng to the door.
The secret guards had already been waiting outside the door with their horses.
Huo Zheng jumped on his horse, looked back at Chunzhi, and rode away quickly.
Chunzhi watched Huo Zheng go away in front of the door until he turned the corner and could no longer be seen. Then Chunzhi turned around and went into the house.
The Song residence in the capital had already been cleaned a few days before they arrived.
Song Wan'er chose a courtyard closest to Chunzhi to live in so that it would be convenient for her to visit.
Song Anlan opened the warehouse and asked the servants to move all the boxes and cages shipped from Dongzhou into the warehouse.
Huo Zheng found a wet nurse for Xiaoxing, but Chunzhi still preferred to feed the baby herself.
She had plenty of milk and could feed her child without a wet nurse.
Besides, ordinary families don’t have the spare money to hire a wet nurse. Only nobles like Huo Zheng and wealthy businessmen like Song Anlan think that raising a child requires a wet nurse.
Chunzhi carried Xiaoxing back and after feeding him, he fell asleep obediently.
Chunzhi smelled the milky scent on Xiaoxinghui's body and couldn't help wondering what happened to Huo Zheng after he returned to the palace.
And at this moment, inside the palace.
The first thing Huo Zheng did when he entered the palace was to meet Queen Wang.
Queen Wang has always been dignified and steady. Seeing Huo Zheng today, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, "Qi Lang, you're finally back."
Huo Zheng has been acting without restraint since he came back from Nanzhou. He had just been whipped a hundred times and was seriously injured, but he dared to run out. He suffered multiple injuries and illnesses on the way and almost lost his life.
After finally getting through it, I went to Dongzhou again.
He didn't even show up at the palace banquet on New Year's Eve and was nowhere to be seen for a whole month. The emperor asked about Huo Zheng several times, but Queen Wang could only make excuses by saying that Huo Zheng had been under house arrest by the emperor for half a year and was still reflecting on his mistakes in the palace.
The emperor may have known in his heart that this was an excuse, but he just didn't expose it on the spot.
Queen Wang wrote to Huo Zheng several times, but he never came back. She was extremely anxious these days and her mouth was covered with blisters.
Huo Zheng bowed to Queen Wang and said, "I am sorry for being unfilial and causing you to worry."
Queen Wang actually knew that Huo Zheng had been staying away in order to find a woman, but now that he was back, she didn't want to have any grudges with Huo Zheng because of a stranger.
"Have you ever said you were unfilial?" Queen Wang waved at Huo Zheng and said softly, "Come and sit down. Let me take a good look at you. Have you lost a lot of weight from all the traveling?"
Huo Zheng did not sit down, but bowed again and said, "I have something I would like to ask for your blessing, Mother."
Queen Wang said, "Just tell me what you want. What's the point of asking for something, mother and I?"
Huo Zheng said, "When I was inspecting Nanzhou, I was nearly assassinated. Fortunately, a commoner woman saved my life."
"Is this really true?" Queen Wang asked, "Who is that woman, and where is she now? I will commend her for her achievements and give her a generous reward."
Huo Zheng said, "I have already married her in Nanzhou. This trip to Dongzhou was also to find her. Now I have brought her back to the capital. Please, Queen Mother, grant me and her a happy marriage."
Queen Wang said in disbelief: "You mean..."
Huo Zheng said seriously, "I want to marry her and make her my Princess of Chang'an."
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