Chapter 122 Still Homesick: Yi An went back to his room to copy calligraphy. With the door closed, the room was unusually quiet and peaceful. Early March…
Yi'an went back to his room to copy calligraphy. With the door closed, the room was unusually quiet and peaceful. In early March, there was no need to heat the kang (a traditional heated brick bed), but it still got a bit cool in the afternoon and into the night.
Standing beside a small incense burner in the corner, Yu Lang took a small hand warmer the size of a palm, added two pieces of charcoal, put the lid on, covered it with an embroidered cloth, and then handed it to Shen Wanqing.
"What should we eat tonight? Zhuang Ming sent over some bamboo shoots and toon leaves. Do you want some?"
Shen Wanqing took the hand warmer and placed it in the hollow of her legs as she sat cross-legged. When her hands felt cold, she would touch them with her hands, and when they weren't cold, her legs would stay warm just sitting there.
"eat."
Yu Lang took off his outer robe and outer garment, untied the pouch and sword from his waist, took off his boots, washed his hands and face, and threw away all the restraints he could remove. He then casually picked up a half-worn robe from the clothes rack and put it on before crookedly and unsteadily sprawling onto the daybed, causing Shen Wanqing to shift in and out a little.
"Stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured pork, omelet with toon leaves, and let's make some fresh shrimp spring rolls."
"Steamed yellow croaker or tofu stewed with fish head?"
"Let's have yellow croaker and also make a lamb spine hot pot. It's been windy and a bit cold these past few days, so have the kitchen make a lot and send a pot to Tu Nan and Hui Zhong as well."
"Then let Ningxiang make a tea cake and a cheese bun?"
"Done!"
Their relationship progressed day by day through the meals they shared.
Compared to when they first got married, when one of them tried every means to hold the reins tight, afraid that the other would go against her, the other was like she had obtained the rarest thing in the world, wanting to be with him every day.
The two of them felt extremely comfortable in their current state. Yu Lang even pulled out a pillow to put under his head, then turned over to face Shen Wanqing, leaning his back against her and shifting from side to side until he found the most comfortable position before finally staying still.
"There are only four days left until Qingming Festival. A few days ago, the old lady told me that she wanted to go to the outskirts of the city to sweep the tombs this year. I thought it was just a casual remark, but as soon as I got back today, she sent her maid to bring it up with me again."
"She said she dreamed of her father a couple of days ago, and that he looked exactly the same as before he passed away, and that he was standing there smiling at her. The old lady asked him if he needed anything over there, but he didn't say anything."
The old lady felt that it must be because her eldest son missed her that he appeared in her dream and asked the nanny beside her to tell me that no matter what, she should go to her father's grave this year.
To outsiders, Shen Wanqing seems like someone who has inexhaustible energy, is shrewd and worldly-wise, and loves money, power, gold, and jewels—a vulgar person to the extreme.
Only her closest relatives know that Shen Wanqing considers herself a person who really enjoys being alone. After each social gathering, when the excitement ends, she feels utterly exhausted and doesn't even want to speak.
However, this feeling was far down Shen Wanqing's list of needs. If something else came up to deal with, even if she was unwilling, she could just take a deep breath, grit her teeth, and straighten herself up again.
Fortunately, there was a perceptive dog beside him. Yu Lang didn't even glance at Shen Wanqing before he sensed something was wrong.
Instead of turning around to discuss the matter seriously, he reached out and took Shen Wanqing's slightly cool hand, placing it on his waist. He insisted on letting Shen Wanqing's palm rub against his waist before speaking.
"The old lady is too old. Don't let her cry her heart out when she sees my father's tombstone."
"You can't say that. How could I not care about my own son?"
Shen Wanqing clearly remembers that when her father died, it was her uncle who picked her up from school, and the reason he gave was that her grandfather was sick.
The eighteen or nineteen-year-old only child had been spoiled by her family since childhood and never thought there was anything wrong with what her uncle said. On the way back, she kept calling her father. No one answered the phone, so her uncle said that her father might be resting.
It wasn't until she got home and saw the already prepared mourning hall and her father's portrait that Shen Wanqing felt like the sky had fallen.
Throughout the entire funeral process, until the cremation at the funeral home, Shen Wanqing only saw her father on the day of the memorial service.
I took a closer look through the ice coffin; his face was still upside down. Because I could only stand at the head end, I didn't get a proper goodbye.
She used to think that's how it is when someone dies, but later she learned that her family was afraid she would really break down, so they tried to avoid her looking at him any longer. But actually, if you talk to the funeral home staff, you can stay a little longer.
Shen Wanqing used to feel that she had so much to say to her father. But after finishing her studies and starting work, she met more and more people and experienced more and more things. Gradually, she felt that there was nothing to say, or that it didn't matter whether she said it or not.
Only when I recall the scene and feelings from back then will I regret once again that I should have talked to my father properly and looked at him back then.
Throughout history, it has been considered taboo for elders to see off younger generations. Since Erhe, as a son, passed away before Tongjia Shi, he was to be buried wearing mourning clothes. The general idea was that if Tongjia Shi were to die later, he, as the eldest son, could also wear mourning clothes for his mother in the afterlife.
This kind of thing sounds absurd and superstitious, but if you peel away the veneer of superstition and etiquette, isn't it also the deepest and most difficult-to-sever bond and attachment?
Because of her seniority, Lady Tongjia was not even allowed to attend the funeral. It is said that Lady Shumulu and her maidservant helped her to the mourning hall for a quick look, and then immediately escorted her away.
Whether it's good or bad, suitable or unsuitable, there's no point in talking about it. It's just that when Shen Wanqing thought about how the old lady's mouth was still slightly crooked after several years of recuperation, and how her spirit and energy were completely different from those of a few years ago, she suddenly felt a little sad.
"Then go two days in advance. In the morning, finish the memorial ceremony at home, have breakfast, and then go out."
"It's alright if the old lady's carriage goes a little slower. Have the kitchen prepare some easy-to-eat food that can be taken out. As long as it comes down from the mountain before noon, that's fine. The weather has been nice these past few days. If there's really no time, just sit on the ground and consider it a spring outing."
"We don't need to travel back and forth all day. The two imperial estates bestowed by the Emperor are not far from the burial grounds. Every time we leave the city, we go to Zhuang Ming's place. Let's change our accommodation for a couple of days."
While Yu Lang was feeling drowsy and sleepy from Shen Wanqing's caresses, he had already gone through the process of paying respects to his ancestors and sweeping tombs for the Qingming Festival the day after tomorrow.
The next day is Hanshi Festival, and after Hanshi Festival comes Qingming Festival. Most families still prefer to take care of the things that need to be done for Qingming a few days in advance.
Simply sighing is useless. Listening to Yu Lang arrange things one by one, Shen Wanqing couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile. From the Imperial Guard to the Plain Yellow Banner Commander, and then to the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue, Yu Lang's style of handling affairs became more and more decisive and efficient.
He felt that he would come up with a plan and procedure as soon as possible. If it worked, he would follow it. If it didn't work, he would explain why it didn't work. If he could persuade Lord Yu, he would discuss and make changes. If he couldn't persuade him, he would just follow what Lord Yu said.
"So the Ministry of Revenue isn't busy anymore?"
Yu Lang's arrangement was quite good, and Shen Wanqing was too lazy to think about it anymore. She lazily slid down the cushions, and soon the two of them were squeezed together on half of the daybed, leaving only half of the space where no one was willing to move over.
"We're busy for a day or two. Our family celebrates Qingming Festival, but other families do too. Unless it's a very important event, we'll try to avoid these few days."
It was only a matter of two days. Since it was settled, Shen Wanqing sent someone to the main courtyard and Tu Nan's residence that evening.
When Qiuwen entered the warm pavilion of the main courtyard, Fangzhi and Fangling were both in the old lady's room, one playing chess and the other drawing embroidery patterns. Upon hearing that Shen Wanqing really planned to take the whole family to sweep the tombs the day after tomorrow, the two little girls' eyes lit up.
In the past, when the entire West Courtyard lived in the mansion, the people from the West Courtyard would never be brought along except during festivals when the East Courtyard was doing something.
Although the West Courtyard's monthly allowance has never been neglected over the years, and they know that their father sends back banknotes from his post every year, they still feel a vague unease.
Last year, when the eldest brother moved back home with his sister-in-law and second brother, Fangzhi and Fangling realized that the mansion was not their home. Their own home was smaller than the mansion, but the courtyard and houses were very neat and carefully arranged.
However, the two young girls did not move back home. Instead, they stayed with their aunts to serve the old lady. Both aunts had repeatedly told Fangzhi and Fangling that the most reliable person in the mansion was their eldest sister-in-law. Since their eldest sister-in-law had not objected to them living in the mansion, they should not leave her.
The little girl was obedient and a bit clever. After moving into the back room of the main courtyard, besides staying with the old lady and going to school, the most important thing she never neglected was to send some handicrafts to Shen Wanqing every few days.
Children without parents are like weeds. When these two girls were too young to remember anything, He Yi left the capital to take up an official post in Fuzhou. He has only returned twice in all these years: once for Lady Tongjia's sixtieth birthday celebration, and once when he returned to report on his duties and took Lady Shumulu with him.
The two concubines were certainly good to the girl, but in a family like Hesheli, and under the rule of a matriarch like Shumulu, the two concubines dared not disobey the rules at all. Even in private, Fangzhi and Fangling only addressed each other as "concubine".
Having no parents, the two girls naturally had an exceptional ability to read people's expressions and opinions. The embroidery they made for Shen Wanqing was no mere perfunctory work; even Xueyan, the best at needlework, was impressed, praising the two girls not only for their excellent embroidery skills but, more importantly, for their discerning eye.
Judging by actions, not intentions, and no one is perfect in their heart. Every time Shen Wanqing saw Fangzhi and Fangling in the main courtyard, she felt that they were like two little animals huddled together for warmth. There was no fighting between them or any petty grudges. The two had grown up together since childhood, and they were always together in everything they did, from moving around to sitting, eating, and studying.
Throughout the year, Shen Wanqing would occasionally exchange the purses, handkerchiefs, and fans she carried for gifts from Fangzhi and Fangling. When she went to other people's homes for appointments, she was asked about them a few times, and she would naturally say that they were gifts from her two younger sisters.
She mentioned it casually, and all the ladies present understood immediately. They knew that the two girls from the second branch of the Hesheli family were incredibly lucky, and that with Yulang and Shen Wanqing's help in a few years, they would definitely find good families.
Seeing Qiuwen approach, the two quickly got up. One asked a maid to bring over a round stool, while the other got up and went out to fetch a cup of almond milk tea from the tea room next door.
"It's so late, Miss Qiuwen, please come all this way. It's late at night and the dew is heavy. Have a bowl of milk tea to warm yourself up."
"Second Miss, you're too kind. It's my duty to run errands in the main courtyard. I don't deserve any trouble."
Shen Wanqing treated her maids very well, but she always made sure they didn't abuse their power to bully others when they were outside. This was something she always made especially careful to keep Qiuwen and the others in check.
As the matriarch, she held absolute power in the mansion, and naturally, the maids around her rose in status accordingly. In the eyes of outsiders, these head maids were indeed more imposing than Fangzhi and Fangling, the two illegitimate daughters from the second wife's household.
What others think is irrelevant, but they themselves cannot let a few compliments from outsiders make them arrogant. So, Qiuwen refused to sit down no matter what, but still drank the milk tea that had been brought to her in one gulp, and then thanked the second young lady Fangzhi before leaving the main courtyard.
"You two are well-behaved, and the maids around your sister-in-law are also very proper. If I'm no longer here, remember to treat them the same way, understand?"
"Grandmother, don't worry. Neither my sister nor I are assertive. We blush when we try to speak in front of others."
"My sister-in-law is a very tolerant and kind person. If my sister and I are obedient, she will treat us well."
Fangzhi spoke softly, but her words were clear and logical. Tongjia nodded repeatedly. She used to think that it was bad for a girl to lack sharpness, but now she understood that sharpness is something that can only be earned with ability.
Everyone says that Fuxuan has been spoiled by him. In the letters Fuxuan has sent back from Jingzhou in the past two years, she also said that he has spoiled her and that she is now having a bad time in her husband's family.
Looking at her two granddaughters, Fangzhi and Fangling, Tongjia's eyes welled up slightly. The past could not be undone, but fortunately, these two girls knew their place and had not been delayed by her.
Two days later, after completing the memorial service at the mansion, the whole family went out of the city to sweep the tomb. As expected, Lady Tongjia almost cried so hard that she collapsed in front of Erhe's tombstone and couldn't get up. Fangzhi and Fangling were so frightened that they supported her at her side, afraid that the old lady would hurt herself by crying.
However, perhaps because she had vented her pent-up frustration through tears, Tongjia looked quite well after coming down from the cemetery. At noon, she accompanied Shen Wanqing and Yulang and the other young people on a spring outing, appearing more natural and comfortable than Niohuru, who was already showing signs of aging.
On the contrary, Niohuru felt dizzy from sitting in the carriage, and then felt it was impolite to eat on the grass, so she went back to the carriage on her own after a short while.
However, when everyone arrived at the imperial estate in the afternoon, everyone was finally satisfied. Everyone felt that the water in the estate was sweeter than the water outside. Tu Nan and his wife, Zhang Jia, even made arrangements to cook and roast meat themselves that evening.
Shen Wanqing was happy to be relaxed and didn't care how they did it. She just carefully instructed Qiuwen to prepare for the road sacrifice.
Besides commemorating their own ancestors, many families also hold ceremonies for sages or for those souls who have no one to worship during the Qingming Festival.
Shen Wanqing had started this habit a few years ago, always using the excuse of performing roadside prayers, but in reality, she was sweeping the grave and burning paper money for her father in the afterlife. After all, she was no longer there, so who could keep thinking about this? As for her mother, she didn't even dare to think about her.
Yu Lang could tell that the emotions in her eyes went far beyond what one would expect from a roadside memorial service, but he never asked. Shen Wanqing must have her reasons for doing this; this family belonged to him and her, and it was just another memorial service. As long as she was willing, he had nothing to say.
The day before Qingming Festival was Hanshi Festival. The family stayed in the village outside the city for two days before returning to the city. As soon as the carriage stopped at the door, they ran into Gao Laixi, who had been waiting for a while.
"Why didn't you go in when you got here? Why are you still standing at the door waiting for me?"
"The Crown Prince has summoned you. Lord Yu, please come with me."
Upon hearing that it concerned the Crown Prince, Yu Lang's smile vanished. He knew that the Crown Prince must be looking for him about the Southern Tour.
"Has something changed regarding the southern tour?"
"Lord Yu's guess was right from the start."
When His Majesty accompanies the Empress Dowager on his southern tour, there must be someone who can guard the household; if not the Crown Prince, then he must be the Crown Prince. Seeing that Yinzhi and his younger brothers were all vying for the right to accompany the Emperor, the entire Yuqing Palace was peaceful and harmonious, and Yinreng didn't even think about it.
This morning, for reasons unknown, an imperial edict was suddenly issued from the Qianqing Palace, ordering the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to prepare the ceremonial regalia and carriages for the Crown Prince's travels. This meant that the Crown Prince would be taken on the southern tour.
The Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Empress Dowager all left the capital at once—what a grand spectacle! Besides, the capital will be practically empty after they leave. Who will stay behind to manage state affairs? Even if they don't manage them, there needs to be someone to keep watch and keep order.
Yinreng hadn't felt this completely bewildered and clueless in a long time, and he was at a loss for what to do. He could only call Yulang over first and hear his opinion.
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It's finally Friday! I'm going to lie in bed until I'm starving before I get up.
A red envelope is dropping in the comments section of this chapter! Hope everyone has a happy, carefree, and busy weekend. [Please][Please][Please]
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