Upon hearing this, Madam Guo became anxious. "Mother, how can we leave the capital? Who knows when we'll be able to return?" As a daughter of an official family whose ancestors had risen from humble beginnings, she deeply understood the importance of a Beijing household registration.
Madam Yu gently advised, "Third sister-in-law, if no government can accept our family of over twenty people within a month, we will not be able to register as farmers and will become unregistered and illegal residents, and will be wanted by the government."
Guo cried out in despair, "Why can't the Jingzhao Prefecture allow us to stay? Heaven is going to destroy the Yun family!"
At this moment, Yun Tiankuang hesitated for a moment and then said, "Just now...the steward Wang from the Duke of Ying's mansion also came along."
Zhou's heart skipped a beat. "What's he doing here?"
Yun Tiankuang handed over a large red invitation card, saying, "This is my eldest sister's birth chart. Her birth chart has already been checked at Guangxiao Temple. I'm afraid she has no chance with the heir of the Duke of Ying's mansion, so I'm returning it."
Upon hearing this, Zhou staggered, adding insult to injury!
The two families were indeed discussing marriage, but the claim that their horoscopes were incompatible was just an excuse; they were simply afraid of being implicated by the Yun family.
Before they could even figure things out, Hongyu appeared at the door again, curtsied, and said, "Reporting to the Old Madam and the First Madam, a woman claiming to be a palace maid has arrived at the door and says she wants to see the head of the Yun family."
Madam Yun's expression hardened. "Quickly, invite them in."
"yes."
Soon, Hongyu led a nanny in.
The old woman bowed towards the hall and said, "This old servant greets all the ladies. I was sent by the Imperial Concubine, and everyone in the palace calls me Granny Zheng."
Madam Yun quickly said, "Granny Zheng, please don't stand on ceremony. Does Her Highness the Imperial Concubine have any message for us?"
Granny Zheng took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it over, saying, "Please take a look, Madam."
So he took the paper and presented it to Old Madam Yun.
When Madam Yun opened it, she smiled and nodded to Granny Zheng, saying, "I understand. Please inform Her Highness the Imperial Concubine. I will obey the Imperial Decree."
Granny Zheng smiled and said, "This is not an imperial edict, but just a suggestion. The decision should be made by the old lady."
Madam Yun nodded repeatedly.
Then Granny Zheng took her leave.
After she left, everyone's eyes were fixed on the note in Madam Yun's hand.
Old Madam Yun closed her eyes and handed the note to Madam Zhou, saying, "You should all take a look too."
When Zhou took it, she saw the words "ancestral home" written on it.
The Yun family's ancestral home... is Sanyang Village in Wufeng County, Taizhou!
She felt dizzy for a moment. Taizhou was much farther than Qinzhou; it would take at least half a month by carriage.
Given their current situation, can they still afford to hire a horse-drawn carriage?
This was a group of about twenty people, including the young and the old, all of whom were women and children. Without a carriage, they would really be unable to move an inch.
When Guo saw that it was even farther than Qinzhou, she almost fainted on the spot. "Mother, Taizhou is far away. How can we travel over mountains and rivers to that remote place?"
The others didn't look too good either.
Madam Yun closed her eyes briefly before finally deciding, "The Imperial Concubine is right. With the Yun family's property confiscated, even ordinary government offices wouldn't dare risk re-registering our household registration; they would only send us back to our original place of residence. Besides, since the Imperial Concubine has pointed out the way forward, we have no choice but to go!"
The Imperial Concubine's instruction must have had a deeper meaning.
“Yes,” Zhou was the first to agree.
Seeing that his mother had agreed, Yun Tiankuang also replied loudly, "Yes, Grandmother! I will go and get the travel permit right away."
Madam Yun nodded, looking at the child who was not yet ten years old with satisfaction.
Guo made one last desperate attempt, "Do we really have to go back to Taizhou? The Left Prime Minister's side... is, after all, a member of the same clan as the Yun family, I can't go there..."
They acted immediately upon hearing the word. Zhou sent Hongyu to the Zhou family to tell them about the Yun family's plans, and borrowed two carriages and two drivers from her elder brother, as a long journey without carriages would be impossible.
Zhou Xiuqi came over immediately and said to the girl with guilt, "My father fell ill as soon as he returned home, and we are really sorry that we were unable to help."
"What's wrong with Father?" Zhou asked anxiously.
Zhou Xiuqi smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. It was just a moment of anger that triggered my heart attack. I'll be fine after a while."
Zhou grabbed her elder brother's sleeve and hurried home, saying, "I need to see my father and say goodbye before I leave."
Zhou Xiuqi remained unmoved. "No need," he said. "He already knew you were going back to visit him before I came. He said it wasn't necessary and asked me to pass on a message: keeping a low profile and protecting your family are the most important things."
Zhou was startled, and her eyes immediately reddened. "We don't know when we'll be able to return after leaving the capital..."
"No need to say more. You are the head of the household, and taking good care of the whole family is the most important thing. Once you're settled, just send someone to deliver a message back." Zhou Xiuqi took out a few silver notes from his sleeve. "You know your sister-in-law... this is all she can do to help you."
Madam Zhou then gave a graceful curtsy and said, "Thank you, elder brother. I will now take my leave. Please convey my regards to our father."
“I will.” Zhou Xiuqi’s gaze was deep.
However, the next morning, when the Yun family of more than twenty people boarded the carriage to leave the city, they reduced their number of maids by three.
Mo Yu from the second branch, Qing Yu from the third branch, and Lan Yu from the fourth branch also realized that the Yun family was in dire straits. They felt that following the main family would not only fail to help them but might also add to their burden, so they asked to leave.
Zhou readily agreed. Once she became a peasant woman, she would have no need for servants.
As they approached the city gate, Guo, filled with despair and anxiety, saw her mother's carriage parked by the roadside through the lifted curtain, seemingly watching them depart.
The two carriages passed each other.
Suddenly, she scooped up her seven-year-old son, Yun Tianyi, and shouted, "Stop the carriage!" She then squeezed out of the crowded carriage, rushed to the Guo family's carriage, and knelt on the ground, crying, "Mother! Mother, save me!"
Guo's mother, who was in the carriage, only wanted to see her daughter off, but she didn't expect her daughter to run down from the Yun family's carriage in public and ask her for help. Her face darkened.
Guo kowtowed to her, "Mother! Yi-ge'er is only seven years old. How will she survive if she goes back to the Yun family's old home?! Please, Mother, save us and promise to let me go home!"
Guo's mother remained silent.
Guo felt that this was her only lifeline in the capital and that she had to seize this opportunity.
She glanced at the stares of the onlookers, gritted her teeth, and kowtowed toward the Yun family's carriage, saying, "Mother, please forgive your unfilial daughter-in-law. I request to divorce and return home. Please grant my request!"
Hearing Guo's request from the carriage ahead, Old Madam Yun was so angry that she clutched her chest and gasped for breath.
Madam Guo's face darkened so much it looked like it was about to drip water. With her daughter behaving this way, how were the married and unmarried girls of the Guo family supposed to conduct themselves in the future?
She deeply regretted coming to see him off today.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com