Chapter 248 Sun Qiao (Part 1)
Sun Wei went to bed early, but suddenly wanted to wake up in the middle of the night. When she thought of her family, she couldn't fall asleep again.
A west wind blew outside the window, rustling the trees in the yard, as chaotic as her thoughts.
Her father's obsession with Jiankang was even stronger than she had known in her previous life.
The sound of Sun Wei tossing and turning in bed woke A'ru. She came in with a candlestick and asked, "What's wrong, Princess? Can't sleep?"
"Nothing." Sun Wei said, "Go back to sleep."
Aju did not leave, but placed the candlestick in front of the bed and sat down.
"The princess has been troubled ever since she returned from the dock. Perhaps it has something to do with the family that Master Yu saw off?"
Sun Wei knew that Aju was a meticulous person and this matter could not be hidden from her.
"That family has some connection with me, so I asked Master Yu to take care of them." Sun Wei said vaguely.
"That's right," A'ru said. "Earlier, Chamberlain Cao came to ask what to do with the invitations sent to the princess earlier. She needed to decide who she wanted to see. There were some people among them who couldn't be neglected, so he could send replies. The princess was very busy yesterday and went to bed early after returning, so she hasn't decided yet."
Sun Wei remembered and said, "I actually forgot about this."
Since she couldn't sleep anyway, she simply got up, put on her coat, and sat down at the desk.
The visiting cards piled up like a small mountain. At first glance, they were all sent by noble families. The Queen Mother had been very fond of Sun Wei these days, and many people, seeing the change in the wind, became more active.
Of course, compared with the grand occasion when Sun Wei was the Princess of Yuzhang in her previous life, this is just a drop in the bucket.
A'ru sighed, "I never thought that the princess would become famous overnight after just one trip south."
Sun Wei observed as he spoke, "It's just the influence of the Crown Prince and Master Yu. The Crown Prince is arrogant, and Master Yu lives a secluded life. Ordinary people can't make friends with him. After all, I think I'm the most suitable person to start with. But the excitement is only temporary. If something goes wrong, these people will disperse quickly. You should not take it seriously."
A'ru nodded: "Since they are all people who curry favor with the powerful, does the princess still want to see them?"
"Some still need to be seen..." Sun Wei said, his eyes suddenly fixed on a post in front of him.
A'ru saw her suddenly stop and leaned over curiously.
"Jiang, the wife of Sun Rong, the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Rites?" A'ru thought for a moment and then remembered, "I remember this Chief Clerk Sun. Last year, when the princess accompanied the crown prince to Jingkou, this Chief Clerk Sun was also an attendant."
Sun Wei nodded, and suddenly an idea came to his mind.
She picked up Jiang's visiting card and randomly selected a few more, handing them all to A'ru: "Give them to Changshi Cao and tell him I want to see all these people."
——
During breakfast, Cao Song came to report to Sun Wei that the invitations had been sent out.
"Please, Princess, please choose a place for the reception," Cao Song said, "I will have someone prepare it right away."
Sun Wei said, "These are all the families of the late king's old friends. I think the Qiuxiang Pavilion in the garden is very nice. It was not only the place where the late king met guests when he was alive, but now we can also enjoy the red leaves."
Cao Song agreed and left.
"Madam, are you going to meet guests today?" Sima Jun asked.
Sun Wei said, "That's right. Since I came back, I've received many visiting cards. I figured that even though I'm in mourning, I can't neglect social interactions. Today is a good day for me to have some free time, so it's time to meet with the guests."
Sima Jun nodded slightly and said, "If Madam doesn't want to see him, she doesn't have to. All that communication is useless and only makes her tired."
"I will do what I can."
Sima Jun glanced at her face and suddenly said, "Madam, you were exhausted yesterday, but you seem to be in high spirits today."
"I feel much better after a good sleep."
"Yesterday I asked Madam what happened, but Madam hasn't told me yet."
I knew he would pursue me relentlessly.
Sun Wei said calmly, "Nothing much. It's just that I've been feeling a little weak lately and caught a cold yesterday, which made me feel uncomfortable all over. Yesterday, I was disrespectful in front of the prince, so please forgive me."
"Oh?" Sima Jun asked, "Is it because of this?"
"That's right." Sun Wei said, "Last night, I asked A'ru to make some hot soup for me. After taking a nap, I felt much better now."
"Is that so?" Sima Jun asked, "Then where did Madam go when she suddenly left Tang Garden yesterday?"
Sun Wei smiled faintly.
"I just asked A'ru to drive me for a walk outside," she said. "As for why I did this, doesn't the prince know? I worked so hard, but the prince didn't appreciate it."
Sima Jun looked at her, and she also looked at Sima Jun.
Perhaps knowing that another argument would break out if he continued talking, Sima Jun withdrew his gaze after a while.
He called Deng Lian and said, "Prepare the carriages and horses."
Deng Lian agreed.
"Is the prince going out?" Sun Wei asked.
"Let's go to Tang Garden." Sima Jun said, "Madam wants to meet guests, and I also want to meet guests."
——
When Sima Jun arrived at Tang Garden, the servant reported that Sun Qiao was already waiting inside.
He didn't ask anyone to pass the message, but walked over himself.
Sun Qiaozhenghou was standing in the corridor, looking around with a mixture of curiosity and uneasiness. Hearing the noise, he turned around and saw Sima Jun, and he quickly saluted.
"Sun Qiao pays homage to the Crown Prince!"
Sima Jun returned the greeting and couldn't help but look at his face carefully again.
The more I look at it, the more similar it is.
Sun Qiao noticed that Sima Jun was staring at him, and he became more nervous and his face turned red.
"Don't be so reserved," Sima Jun said. "I invited you here today just to sit down and chat."
Seeing that he spoke so casually, Sun Qiao couldn't help but feel a little relieved and quickly replied "Yes".
Sima Jun took him to a nearby waterside pavilion, sat him down, and asked someone to serve tea.
Sun Qiao was still sitting upright at the table, with his back straight, like a student waiting for the teacher to ask questions.
Sima Jun didn't hesitate, saying, "You mentioned Master Yu the other day. He and I were classmates. I've seen him injured lately, yet he's been running around for your family, and no amount of persuasion can stop him. I wanted to ask you what's going on at home that's causing him so much trouble. If I can help, I can share some of his burden."
When Sun Qiao heard him mention Yu Yi, he showed some guilt.
"Your Highness," he said, "Master Yu has indeed been of great assistance to my family. It's a pity that my father was stubborn and refused everything yesterday."
"oh?"
"Last month, my father brought my mother and me to the capital to seek refuge with the eldest branch of our clan, the Marquis of Huaian County. My father had hoped to ask the eldest branch for help in finding a job in Jiankang, but they ignored his offer. Later, Master Yu returned to the capital and, having heard about our family, came to take us home. He also managed to arrange for my father to be appointed an official in Liyang Prefecture, Yuzhou. But just yesterday, as we were about to board the ship for Liyang, my uncle suddenly sent word that he had found a job for my father in Jiankang. My father, determined to stay in Jiankang, suddenly changed his mind and declined Master Yu's offer."
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