Chapter 139 Chapter 139 We will be reunited in Xijing soon...
When Ji Yanlang returned and heard about this, he said, "I'm afraid Uncle Zhou instructed Madam to do this."
Fang Ying agreed, "The two families have long severed ties, and Madam is a stepmother. If it weren't for Uncle Zhou's instructions, how would she know about the Feng family's recent situation?" She also hid it from Zhou Congshan. Based on what Fang Ying had seen about how the mother and daughter got along, Madam Zhou, as a stepmother, would never act on her own initiative.
"He died last year. Perhaps Uncle Zhou has already sent someone to visit him."
"I guess so. We haven't seen each other for over ten years, yet he can explain the Feng family's affairs so clearly. I guess he's been turned down before."
Ji Yanlang nodded: "In that case, asking us to help take care of it is really the most appropriate."
"I'm afraid that even if we tell her that it was the Crown Princess who asked us to do so, Madam Feng wouldn't be willing to accept it." Fang Ying sighed.
"Is it so awkward?"
"I heard from the Crown Princess that her uncle believed that both the Emperor and Uncle Zhou had received great favors from Emperor Liezu of Jin. Even though Emperor Min was suspicious, he ultimately didn't do anything to the Emperor. After quelling the rebellion, the Emperor should have supported Emperor Liezu of Jin's son, instead of proclaiming himself emperor and overthrowing the dynasty, which frightened Emperor Liezu of Jin's young son to death."
At this moment, the two of them were changing clothes in the inner room, and there was no maid serving them. However, when talking about the previous dynasty, Fang Ying still kept her voice very low.
"Can you blame the emperor for frightening Jin Liezu's young son to death? Besides, what do you mean the emperor didn't do anything wrong? If Gao Zhiqian hadn't led his troops into the palace and killed Emperor Min, would he have been able to tolerate the emperor if he had lived?"
Gao Zhiqian was the second son of Emperor Liezu of Jin, but he was only a few months younger than his eldest son, Emperor Min. At that time, Empress Zhou of Emperor Liezu of Jin had no children, so she chose the smarter and more clever Emperor Min and raised him as her own. As a result, Emperor Min was loved by Emperor Liezu of Jin and eventually ascended the throne.
Gao Zhiqian had always been dissatisfied in his heart. In addition, Emperor Min often bullied him for fun and even drew his sword to kill him when he was drunk. Gao Zhiqian did not want to sit and wait for death, so he simply made friends with the eunuchs, bribed the imperial guards, and broke into the bedroom to kill Emperor Min.
"Yes, and Jin Liezu's youngest son was only six or seven years old at the time, and he lived in the palace with the concubine. He was frightened when Gao Zhiqian rebelled..."
Of course, there was a lot of bloodshed in the palace when the emperor was suppressing the rebellion, and the child did die after the emperor ascended the throne, which led to a lot of speculation among the people. Moreover, Zhou Congshan's uncle was particularly resentful for another reason.
"The concubine who gave birth to the young child was surnamed Yang. She was a sister of the Crown Princess's grandmother, and according to seniority, the child was also the Crown Princess's cousin. Concubine Yang's young son died young, and she fell ill out of grief. From that moment on, the Feng family completely broke off relations with Uncle Zhou."
Feicui said, "Since the madam passed away, I have no more contact with the Zhou family." This must be because she was not aware of the situation and just said what her superiors told her to do.
Ji Yanlang said, "No wonder. If a young emperor were really established, their Feng family would be more prominent than the Zhou family."
Fang Ying said, "Judging from her uncle's refusal to enter the government, it's probably not for power. I just hope his wife isn't like him..."
She was at a loss for words, and Ji Yanlang continued, "He's a foolishly loyal man. Honestly, Jin Liezu usurped the throne of Qi. Who's more innocent?"
Fang Ying couldn't help but smile, but she didn't want to continue the conversation, so she pulled him out and said, "I think I should find out more about Madam Feng. Forget about anything else, I don't even know her last name yet."
"Didn't the maid who came today know about it?"
"She only knows about the Feng family's affairs as I mentioned above. I asked her if there were any old servants in the capital who knew about it. She said that Madam had instructed her not to mention the Feng family's affairs to anyone else except me."
"What about the Crown Princess? Should I inform her about this matter?"
"I feel the same way, but it's really hard to get in touch right now," Fang Ying sighed softly, "I can only wait for the opportunity."
Ji Yanlang said, "I'll try to find out."
Fang Ying asked, "Where are you going to inquire?"
"The Feng family is also a well-known family. Many people in Beijing know about it."
"But it's not good to talk about this outside, people might hear it..."
Ji Yanlang smiled and said, "I know what's going on, don't worry."
"Otherwise, it won't be too late to inquire when we get to Xijing." Fang Ying didn't want to cause any trouble.
Ji Yanlang agreed. Half a month later, he suddenly told Fang Ying, "I've heard that the Crown Princess' uncle is called Feng Tao, a civil servant. He's not the same kind of person as Uncle Zhou. He married a woman named Wang, and his father-in-law is called Wang Yong, also a civil servant."
Fang Ying: "...Who did you ask?"
Ji Yanlang chuckled twice: "I asked my second brother, and he knows Feng Tao and Concubine Yang. He said that there are still officials in the Yang family. It won't be difficult to find out about Feng Tao's in-laws."
There are many clerks in the Ministry of Revenue, and they are talkative. They will start talking at any time, especially the older ones. Most of them have been clerks since the Qi Dynasty. They know a lot and are the most likely to be lazy and slack off. Once they start gossiping, no one will stop them.
"Is there anyone from the Wang family still serving as an official in the court?" Fang Ying asked.
"Wang Yong passed away a long time ago, but he had a son who passed the imperial examination and became a military governor's secretary. No one can say for sure whether he is still an official now, but it is said that his family has a long history of learning, and even his daughters are well-versed in poetry and literature."
"It's already a pleasant surprise to be able to find out these things. As for the rest, I will try to ask the Crown Princess when the emperor goes on tour."
Anyway, she and her fifth sister-in-law would go to Xijing later. Once the emperor left, there would not be so many taboos in the Eastern Palace, and it would be easier to pass on messages.
"Well, my second brother also said that it's hard to get into this matter any further. What if that cunning person hears it and files a complaint..."
"How did Second Uncle find out? Did he hear it from the Yang family?"
"Yes, it happened that Concubine Yang had a nephew who was currently serving as a prefect, and my second brother deliberately used this nephew to question the clerks, and when he mentioned our father and grandfather, he also brought up the matter of the Feng family."
Fang Ying said, "Uncle, it's hard for you to help us find out about this when you're so busy."
As the Lesser Snow solar term approaches, the autumn harvest has ended in various places and the autumn taxes have begun to be paid. It is the busiest time for the Ministry of Revenue.
Ji Yanlang laughed and said, "What's the big deal? Second brother just wants to hide away for a while."
Fang Ying simply expressed her gratitude and changed the subject: "Have you heard? The house in Xijing has been bought."
"Well, I think it's great. If we don't have a suitable large house, we can buy two small courtyards and connect them together. That will be enough for us and my fifth brother and his wife to live in."
"Yeah, I won't stay long."
The sooner the yard is bought, the sooner it can be cleaned up. This is because the dignitaries from Tokyo have not yet arrived, so the craftsmen who repair the house are not in such high demand, and it will be easier to buy tools and other things.
After Fang Ying and her two sisters-in-law discussed it, they first sent servants from the two rooms to serve the person in charge of buying the house. The money was not used. The money given by Zhenzhou was enough to buy a large house with three or four rooms, so there must be a lot left over.
As the end of the year approaches, the palace is gradually becoming busy with preparations for the New Year gifts in various places. In their most recent letter, Ji Guangting and his wife specifically instructed that the gifts for the eldest princess and the Gao family should be twice as generous as in previous years. One reason was for Wulang's errand, and the other was to allow Gao and Fang Ying to travel with people from the princess's palace when they go to Xijing next year.
"Father said that if you take the children with you, it will make the journey more comfortable."
"But doesn't the Princess have to accompany the Emperor to Xijing?"
Ji Yanlang said, "It's hard to say right now, but they shouldn't all set off on the same day. Otherwise, they might have reached Xijing first and then left Bianjing later."
Fang Ying laughed as he continued, "Even if the princess came with the emperor, it's impossible for all her close associates to go with her. They still have their belongings to transport."
That's true, Fang Ying nodded, and sighed, "Father and Mother are far away in Zhenzhou, but they still think ahead of us."
"After all, she is the eldest princess. It's not like the fifth sister-in-law can just go back and tell her."
Fang Ying naturally knew that, not to mention her fifth sister-in-law, even her father Gao Xingfeng could not see the eldest princess whenever he wanted. He had to wait for someone to pass the message. During the holidays, the eldest princess's mansion and the Gao family always prepared gifts respectively.
After sending out New Year gifts to various places, it was time to prepare for the New Year, including ancestor worship, New Year's Eve dinner, and various decorations. While Fang Ying and Yue Qing'e were dealing with these trivial matters, she was also packing the things to be taken to Xijing.
Seeing her busy, Ji Yanlang advised her not to rush and that it would not be too late to collect after the New Year. "According to last year, the emperor didn't set out until February. This year, there are so many more people accompanying him, so it won't be too early."
"This is just for the sake of convenience. I have to go through all the boxes and cabinets anyway, so I should pack up the things I don't need first to avoid going through them again."
Seeing that Fang Ying had his own plans, Ji Yanlang said nothing more. Unexpectedly, after the New Year, when he went to court on the seventh day of the first lunar month, the emperor issued an edict that after the Lantern Festival, he would set out on a western tour to Luoyang on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.
"All the concubines in the palace are accompanying the emperor. Among the royal family members, Prince Cai, Prince Qi, the two eldest princesses, and several princes are also accompanying the emperor."
In the court, Prime Minister Pang Wenzhen, the Privy Councilor, and the Three Commissioners, whom Ji Yanlang had mentioned to Fang Ying before, all accompanied the emperor on the western tour as they had expected. Prime Minister Wang Hui remained in Bian Jing to assist the crown prince in regulating the country.
"The Imperial Guards only appointed the Cavalry Marshal as their escort, while the Palace Marshal and the Infantry Marshal remained in the capital."
Zhou Guojiu returned to his hometown to observe the mourning period, and half of the imperial guards had to be transferred away, leaving only these two commanders. Naturally, there was nothing to worry about.
Fang Ying didn't ask any more questions, but only talked about her own family affairs: "Fortunately, you asked them to prepare your spring and summer clothes in advance."
Ji Yanlang smiled and said, "You are indeed foresighted."
Fang Ying watched people packing his luggage. When they saw him off on the 18th, they both lost the sadness of last year because they would be reunited in Xijing soon. Ji Yanlang didn't even let her and Hong'er see them out of the room, saying it was cold outside. He kissed both mother and daughter on the face and left.
The next day, Fang Ying sent someone to look for Feicui, asking if she could pass a message to the Crown Princess, saying that she missed her and the little grandson very much.
"Sister Feicui said that as long as someone comes from the East Palace, she will definitely pass on the message for my wife."
Fang Ying was not anxious, as long as the message was passed on. However, Zhou Congshan was more impatient than her. Only one day later, Chu Yin came to ask for a meeting.
"The Crown Princess was afraid that Madam would have to rush to Xijing, so she sent this servant here right away."
As Chu Yin spoke, she asked Feicui, who had come with her, to bring over the box. "Here are some things that the Crown Princess found interesting and gave to you and your wife for daily enjoyment."
Fang Ying hurriedly asked Lichun to take it. When she was opening it to read, she heard Chu Yin tell Feicui to go out and wait, so she asked Xingniang to go out with her and invite Feicui to have tea.
After Chu Yin and the others left, he said, "There is a letter from the Crown Princess to my wife in the box."
Fang Ying found it and said, "I thought it was inconvenient to write letters when communicating within the palace."
"It was inconvenient before, but now all the palaces have left the capital with the emperor, and I was ordered to leave the palace, so the inspection is not strict." Chu Yin said with a smile. "Then can I reply?"
Chu Yin said, "My lady, if you have anything to say, just tell this servant."
It seemed that it still didn't work. Fang Ying opened the letter and read it hurriedly. There was nothing written in the letter. It was just what Zhou Congshan said because he was very depressed in the palace and could only tell her. She smiled and talked about some things about her family, such as how the house in Xijing had been decorated and they would go to Xijing together on the boat of the Princess's Mansion in a few days.
Finally, he asked Chu Yin if she knew that Feng Tao had passed away and that only women and children were left at home.
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The author has something to say: I will fix a title that is different from the previous one [shut up]
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