Chapter 80 [80] Eight Hundred Miles of Urgent Delivery. [Second Update]…
【80】/First release
Because it was an expedited letter sent by express horse, Yun Ran received Sima Jing's reply seven days later.
But more than a month had passed since she first sent the letter.
In early April, the flowers had faded, and the turmoil of spring had been suppressed by Emperor Wenxuan's strong measures. With the selection of the top three in the palace examination, the emperor gave a banquet at Qujiang Lake, and the various prefectures in Chang'an also began to move around, hosting banquets, socializing, and visiting friends. Everything seemed to have returned to calm.
At least that's what it looks like on the surface.
So, after receiving Sima Jing's reply letter over a month later, Yun Ran, who had long since lost her anxiety, chewed her melon while reading the gentle comfort between the lines of the man's letter. She couldn't help but mutter, "How come I've become so annoying after just one trip?"
Could it be that the feng shui of Jiangnan is good for health, and he has changed his personality over there and learned to care for others?
Or is it that he has some gentle beauty over there who has brought him up like this?
Thinking of this, the melon in my hand suddenly lost its fragrance.
Yun Ran put the melon down and wanted to write a letter immediately to warn him not to find any confidante outside, otherwise she would be furious and kill her husband for the sake of justice.
He caught a glimpse of the other letters in the box, but decided to put the overall situation first and went out with the letters while it was still early.
She went to the Marquis of Changxin's Mansion first.
Before the Marquis of Changxin finished his duty, she handed the letter to Zheng: "It was sent by His Highness, and he specifically asked for it to be addressed to my father. I can't open it, but..."
She leaned close to Zheng and winked slyly, "Father will read the letter later. If it's not something confidential, mother, can you tell me about it later?"
Zheng knew she was curious, so she smiled and scratched the tip of her nose: "Okay."
He then wanted to invite Yun Ran to dinner again. Yun Ran shook his head and patted the box: "There are still two letters in it. I have to send them to the palace."
Hearing this, Zheng seemed to have guessed something and did not linger any longer: "Then go quickly, don't delay."
Yun Ran said goodbye to Zheng and went straight to the palace.
This was her first time entering the palace since the incident in spring.
In fact, according to the rules, as a princess, she had to go to the palace every ten days to pay her respects to the Queen Mother and the Empress.
But after she canceled the banquet due to illness, Shoukang Palace sent someone to deliver supplements the next day, and conveyed the empress dowager's oral instructions, asking her to rest assured and recuperate in her mansion and not to come to the palace to pay her respects.
Although Yun Ran was not happy about Queen Mother Zhao's offer of a maid to Sima Jing last time, the Queen Mother's order to exempt him from paying respects was a good thing for Yun Ran, no matter the reason.
So when Yun Ran entered the palace today with Sima Jing's letter, he felt like he was returning a favor.
The Empress Dowager gave her convenience, so she gave her a letter from home that the Empress Dowager had been thinking about.
As expected, when Yun Ran greeted the emperor politely and took out the letter from home from his sleeve, Queen Mother Zhao's beautiful, calm eyes suddenly lit up.
She sat up straight and took the thin letter, still unable to believe it: "Is this...really written by Jing to me?"
The look of surprise and caution in his eyes made him look like a child eating candy for the first time.
An indescribable emotion suddenly passed through Yun Ran's heart.
"Yes, I just received it this morning."
Yun Ran nodded and reminded him, "It should have been written seven days ago and sent over three hundred miles by expedited delivery."
The money spent on an express delivery of three hundred miles is very expensive, ten times what she would normally spend on sending an ordinary letter home!
Even though the money was paid by Sima Jing, Yun Ran still felt the pain.
That man, who doesn't manage the household, doesn't know how expensive food and daily necessities are. He better have something important to do! If he's in such a hurry just to write those corny words, she'll definitely blame him later.
Yun Ran was secretly feeling bad about the postage, while Queen Dowager Zhao couldn't wait to open the first letter from her youngest son in her life.
It was a thin sheet, containing only a few lines. The gist of it was that he already knew about the Imperial Examination Hall incident, and that the person behind it had ulterior motives. The Emperor, always suspicious, hoped the Empress Dowager would offer more advice to prevent him from doing anything that would displease his loved ones and please his enemies.
Until I saw the last sentence: "My son, everything is going well, mother can be at ease. I respectfully pray for your health, Jing bows."
Queen Mother Zhao felt a little relieved.
At least he has some conscience and remembers her as his mother.
Queen Mother Zhao put the letter away and looked at her daughter-in-law sitting below. Her face became more amiable. "Thank you for making such a special trip."
Yun Ran hurriedly said he didn't dare: "His Highness specifically instructed me to hand it over to the Queen Mother personally, which shows how much he values it."
What a shrewd person Queen Mother Zhao was.
How could she not know that Ajing was intentionally trying to do Yunran a good job in front of her?
Her son seems cold and heartless, but he is very considerate when it comes to his wife.
After thinking for a few rounds, Queen Mother Zhao pursed her red lips and asked in a gentle voice how Yun Ran was recovering.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted for half a cup of tea. Seeing that the greetings were almost over, Yun Ran stood up and said, "I haven't been to the palace for many days. I still have to go and pay my respects to the Queen, so I won't bother you, Mother."
Queen Mother Zhao didn't stay any longer, she nodded and smiled: "Go."
After the elegant aqua figure left, Queen Mother Zhao's smile faded. "After all, she's married and has a family. This child is becoming more mature and no longer as bright and innocent as before."
Nanny Lan Gui's eyelids twitched slightly as she whispered, "She is, after all, the mistress of a mansion, and His Highness is not in Chang'an right now, so it's a good thing to be cautious."
"You, don't pretend to be ignorant. This is not what I meant at all."
Queen Mother Zhao glanced at Nanny Lan Gui with a half-smile: "I know you like her, and I intend to speak well of her."
Nanny Lan Gui's expression changed, and she quickly knelt down: "This old servant dare not..."
"Alright, alright, I'm an old man, don't try this on me."
Queen Mother Zhao supported her and sighed softly, "Don't worry, she is the apple of Ajing's eye. Even if I am dissatisfied with her, I will not do anything to her."
Besides, she just felt that Yun Ran was not as easy to control as before, but she didn't feel disgusted with her.
"Just for her, A Jing is willing to write to me. I will also protect her and the Marquis' Mansion well, and won't let A Jing have any worries outside."
"Your Majesty is merciful." Nanny Lan Gui breathed a sigh of relief.
Queen Mother Zhao said no more, took the letter and went back to her inner room to read it.
At the same time, Fengyi Palace.
Looking at Empress Zheng, who was noticeably thinner than she had been during the Lunar New Year, Yun Ran looked worried. "How did you lose so much weight, cousin?"
Are you worried about the rumors outside?
"It's probably because of the harsh summer, my appetite hasn't been very good lately."
Empress Zheng smiled gently and looked at her little cousin whom she hadn't seen for two months. "How are you these days? Are you feeling better?"
In fact, both of them knew it well and claiming to be sick was just a pretext.
"Thank you for your concern, cousin. I'm much better now."
Yun Ran also learned to speak like a mask, but when she saw Empress Zheng's thin, pointed jaw, she couldn't help but express her concern: "Cousin, don't take those lies out there to heart. Those people harbor evil intentions and slander maliciously. They are truly despicable!"
Yun Ran said angrily, and brought up Sima Jing as an example: "In this regard, you and His Majesty should learn more about the mentality of my prince."
"Earlier, rumors spread that he was a demonic ghost. Outsiders avoided him like snakes and scorpions. It was said that he was even used to stop children from crying at night. Even when I married him, I was very worried for a long time, fearing that he really was a hateful and evil person. But he had a very good attitude and didn't care about other people's opinions. He continued to eat, drink, sleep, read books and raise snakes as usual."
"Sometimes I admire him. Those rumors have been circulating for six years, becoming increasingly outrageous, yet he remains unaffected by them. This state of mind... well, he truly is a promising candidate for practicing Taoism."
Seeing that the topic had veered off track once Sima Jing was mentioned, Yun Ran quickly brought the conversation back to the topic and comforted him again: "Don't worry, cousin, those who do evil will eventually perish. Those bastards who spread rumors and caused trouble will all go to hell, have their tongues pulled out, and be boiled in boiling water!"
After he finished speaking, Queen Zheng's face turned even paler.
Yun Ran was puzzled: "Cousin?"
Empress Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, and after a while, she managed a forced smile: "Didn't you say you had something for me? Where is it?"
"Oh yes, here."
Yun Ran placed the box on the table. "This letter is from His Highness to His Majesty. I'd like to ask my cousin to pass it on for me. I asked for these two talismans at Xuandu Temple a while ago. One is for the eldest prince to ward off evil spirits, and the other is for my cousin to bring peace and harmony."
Empress Zheng was slightly startled: "Harmony Talisman?"
Yun Ran nodded, looked around, and whispered in Queen Zheng's ear, "I know many officials have advised Your Majesty against selecting a concubine. My cousin must be feeling bad. This harmony talisman has the power to bless couples to have a harmonious and happy marriage. Keep it by your side, and let the two immortals of harmony and harmony bless you and Your Majesty to live in harmony and love."
Queen Zheng: “…”
She looked down at the exquisite talisman, then met her little cousin's clear eyes. In an instant, the shame and self-loathing in her heart were like a cold tide, almost swallowing her up.
How could she deserve such sincere treatment?
She doesn't deserve it.
"Hey, cousin, don't cry."
Yun Ran looked at Empress Zheng's suddenly red eyes, thinking she was too moved, and hurriedly said, "It's just a talisman, it's not worth much money. Besides, the abbot Ziqing of Xuandu Temple is my great uncle. I asked him to draw the talisman, but he didn't charge me."
Even so, there were still tears in the queen's eyes.
Seeing this, Yun Ran guessed that the Queen must have had a hard time in the past two months and felt aggrieved.
Sometimes people are strange: when they are wronged, they can bear it if no one asks about it, but they are afraid that if others show concern, the grievances in their hearts will burst out like a dam.
"Cousin, don't be sad..."
Yun Ran hesitated for a moment, but still raised his hand and gently hugged Queen Zheng: "I know you feel wronged. If you are really sad, just lean on me and cry for a while."
"If you keep things bottled up inside, you'll get sick easily. Crying it out will actually make you feel better."
Queen Zheng was stunned.
The next moment, he could no longer hold back, and he lowered his head and leaned on his little cousin's slender shoulders, crying silently.
Yun Ran patted Queen Zheng's back from time to time, sighing in his heart.
The last time the Empress Dowager wanted to give Sima Jing two palace maids, she was so upset that her whole body was covered with hair and she was uneasy. What's more, so many civil officials and scholars jointly petitioned the Emperor to select concubines.
Who can stand this?
If someone else had urged Sima Jing to take concubines, and done so in such a high-profile manner, taking concubines from all over the country, Yun Ran would have definitely had a huge fight with Sima Jing, and scolded those ministers for being so insolent!
But my cousin is the queen, the model mother of the country, virtuous and tolerant.
You can't even be angry with the emperor, and you have to support the draft in a decent manner.
Come to think of it, being a queen isn't easy.
Yun Ran was full of sympathy for the Queen, while Queen Zheng felt overwhelmed with guilt and was depressed and speechless.
In the evening, Emperor Wenxuan came to Fengyi Palace, and Empress Zheng presented Prince Jing's letter.
Emperor Wenxuan glanced at the empress's slightly red and swollen eyes, his thin lips moved slightly, but in the end he didn't ask anything.
He walked over to the light and opened the envelope.
There are only three words in the letter——
"A tactic of sowing discord."
***
Spring days are always too short. After a drizzle of Qingming rain, the weather gradually became warmer.
As soon as May arrives, thousands of households in Chang'an are busy preparing for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, and the warm air is filled with a joyous atmosphere.
Early in the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, Yun Ran brought a box of colorful silk she had made by herself, wore a grass green floral Luoxia shirt that she had made this year, and went straight to the Changxin Marquis Mansion in high spirits.
She had made an appointment with her family in April to go to the Qujiang Lake to watch the dragon boat race today.
"I heard that the dragon boat race at Qujiang Lake is very lively, and you can place bets for a small amount of money."
"yes."
Qingling, who was sitting in the carriage with him, said with a smile, "I went there once with Madam before. It was really packed with people, so lively!"
Next, Qingling talked about the wonderful things about the dragon boat race, which made Yun Ran's heart itch and he wished he could grow wings and fly to the Qujiang Lake immediately.
Although she was looking forward to it, she also felt a little regretful: "It's a pity that His Highness is not here, otherwise I would definitely drag him to join me in the fun. He probably hasn't even seen a dragon boat race."
Qing Ling hurriedly said, "My lady, don't be sad. His Highness has already returned. You can reunite with him in a month at most."
Hearing this, Yun Ran's brows relaxed slightly.
"The letter I received the day before yesterday said he planned to travel by water from Xunyang. If he's fast, he might arrive on the 25th."
Yun Ran was counting the days in his mind. It took nearly half a month for the letter to be delivered. Maybe Sima Jing had already left by now?
Doesn't that mean I can see him in half a month?
Thinking of this, Yun Ran's heart began to pound.
Qing Ling looked at her wife's delicate face, which was gradually turning red, and smiled softly, "They say a short absence is better than a new marriage. When Your Highness returns, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave your wife anymore."
Qingling laughed narrowly, and Yun Ran's mind flashed back to many unpleasant images. His ears suddenly felt hotter, and he reached out to tickle Qingling: "You're so clever, I'll tickle your armpits!"
"Oh, oh, my lady, please spare me—"
“It’s too late!”
The master and servant laughed like silver bells all the way until the carriage stopped at the Marquis of Changxin's Mansion.
Yun Ran was holding the embroidered box and walking in, counting the colorful silk threads inside.
The color matching of each colorful silk thread is the same, but she specially chose different styles of pendants on the tassels according to the preferences of her family.
For example, the eldest brother Yunyi's is a jade bamboo, and the eldest sister-in-law Li Wanrong's is a small key.
My third brother was selected as the third place in the imperial examination this year and entered the Hanlin Academy, so the pendant is a blue cloud, wishing him a bright future and a rapid rise to prominence.
As for his third sister-in-law Qian Sijin, Yun Ran was torn for a long time between gold ingots and peonies. In the end, he simply made two. The extra one would be a gift for the baby in her belly that was going to be born this year.
As for Fourth Brother Yunshang...
"Princess, Princess!"
An urgent call from behind interrupted Yun Ran's thoughts. She turned around and saw the housekeeper rushing over with a messenger.
Yun Ran was slightly startled: "What is this...?"
The messenger knelt on the ground, barely catching his breath, and hurriedly took out a letter from his pocket. He presented it with sweat on his face: "Xunyang Post Station, urgent delivery of 800 miles, please open it yourself!"
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The author has something to say: Here comes the second update, and I will draw a small red envelope in this chapter. Happy weekend everyone [Food]
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