Chapter 64 Feeling at Home
When the first group of people who went out to purchase goods returned to Youzhou with a large group of people, Youzhou finally became lively again.
I've been so tired from clearing land and building houses recently. All I do is work and rest. I'm so tired that I don't even want to talk.
This time the main group came, and the original team was very happy and welcomed the new members with joy.
The people were originally worried because their hometown had suffered a disaster, but the court did not reduce or exempt taxes, but instead doubled them, forcing them to leave their homes.
They originally thought that the indigenous people would isolate them, but unexpectedly, they were greeted with a welcome ceremony like a spring breeze.
Starting from the simple temporary city gate, stretching for dozens of meters, there were people welcoming them.
People with red strips on their arms enthusiastically distributed food to them, helped them carry their luggage, and held their children... There's no need for that!
The woman tightened her arms around her child and said cautiously, "No need, I'll hold you."
The volunteer with the red ribbon said awkwardly, "Well, I'll help you carry your bag."
The woman hesitated for a moment, she always felt that this was not a good person.
The second-in-command's wife, Zhao Lian'er, held Nuan Bao in her arms and said, "Sister, give him the bag. You must be tired carrying a child. Let's go together. I'll give you the bag after I drop you off at your place."
When the woman saw Zhao Lian'er, especially since she was holding a child, she immediately relaxed a lot.
All the indigenous people of Youzhou went out to work, and it was not until dark that they registered the people who came and arranged accommodation for them.
Shen Xun flipped through the booklet and said, "This is only the first batch, there will be more later. Everyone has worked hard today. Eat your meal and have a good rest. Let's go."
Everyone said yes, and the guards ran over to close the gate.
When the city gate was half closed, the sound of a carriage suddenly came from outside the city, and someone shouted, asking them not to close it yet.
Shen Xun made a "pause" gesture and waited for the carriage to arrive with everyone else.
The coachman drove the carriage all the way to the city gate and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the gate was not closed.
He parked the carriage and asked Chu Jingyao and the other two to get off.
"princess?!"
Su Song in the crowd exclaimed, "Why are you here?"
Chu Jingyao smiled at him and said to Shen Xun: "Miss Shen, long time no see."
Shen Xun was surprised, "Why is the princess here?"
No, she told Princess Su that her name was "Xie Xun". I wasn't paying attention and she was exposed.
Chu Jingyao was not surprised at all. She smiled bitterly, "I'm here to seek refuge with Miss Shen. I wonder if there is a place for us here?"
Shen Xun looked at her deeply and said, "Of course, come with me."
She asked someone to take the coachman and Qi Jingyan and his sister to rest, and then went to her house with Chu Jingyao.
Youzhou is warmer than other places, but it is still a bit windy at night. Shen Xun poured Chu Jingyao a cup of hot tea and asked her to sit down.
Chu Jingyao held the teacup and took a sip silently.
After a long silence, Chu Jingyao said, "You don't remember me, but I remember you."
Doubt flashed in Shen Xun's eyes. She didn't say anything and waited quietly for what would happen next.
She wanted to know who Chu Jingyao was and why she had no impression of her at all.
"The first time I saw you was in the Northern Chu Palace..."
With the keywords, some images flashed through Shen Xun's mind.
"My mother was the most favored concubine in the palace, but because of my birth, my father disliked her. She couldn't bear the disparity between being a superior and being bullied by everyone in the palace. She only thought about how to regain her favor and didn't care about me at all."
"I don't have my mother to protect me, nor do I enjoy the favor of my father. In the palace, anyone can step on me."
"That time, I was pushed into the pond and wanted to die, but you showed up."
Chu Jingyao lowered her head to wipe away the tears that were about to roll down. When she looked up, a hand handed her a handkerchief.
She took it and continued, "You saved me and helped me show my face in front of the emperor. By gaining his attention, I was able to escape the days of being bullied."
As soon as Chu Jingyao started to speak, Shen Xun remembered, and she asked uncertainly: "Are you... the Ninth Princess?"
Chu Jingyao nodded with tears in her eyes.
Shen Xun was surprised, "How could it be? I remember..."
"You mean the birthmark on my face?"
Chu Jingyao touched the left side of her face and said, "Actually, that birthmark can be removed. Just apply some medicine for a few days and it will disappear."
"It's just that when I was born, my mother was framed, causing my father to think she gave birth to a freak, and that's why he disliked her."
Chu Jingyao exhaled slowly, "Later, when I gained status and was able to have the imperial physician diagnose my pulse, I was able to remove the birthmark."
Her mother was a concubine who served the emperor with her beauty, so her appearance was naturally impeccable. As the daughter of a noble concubine, her appearance was only obscured by a birthmark. Once the birthmark was removed, she instantly became the most beautiful woman in Northern Chu.
Although Princess Shang would become a powerless consort, there was still a long line of people wanting to marry Chu Jingyao.
Chu Jingyao rejected their proposal and chose to marry far away in Daxia and become the Princess of Su.
"I don't want to marry them, but girls always have to get married. Instead of having my father weigh the pros and cons of marrying someone I don't know, it's better for me to choose one myself."
"If I marry you in Daxia, I can still be your sister-in-law."
At this point, Chu Jingyao said angrily: "But if I had known that Prince Su and you were not on good terms, I would have married another prince instead of him."
She had been married to Prince Su's Mansion for more than ten years, but she had never been to the capital once, and had never met Shen Xun. This really made her angry.
Chen Xun laughed, "For this, she married to Da Xia. This is a lifelong event."
Chu Jingyao whispered: "I thought at the time that since you are so good, I can still live a good life even if my husband is not so good."
Shen Xun: “…”
Okay.
The little girl is quite sober.
"Then why are you here? I heard from Su Song that you should be busy with the matter of becoming the queen when you arrived in the capital."
Speaking of this, Chu Jingyao's expression darkened, and she told Shen Xun what had happened.
After listening to this, Shen Xun frowned, "Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. He's not worthy of being a father!"
Thinking of her little son whose life or death was unknown, Chu Jingyao could hardly hold back her tears, and she tightened the handkerchief in her hand.
"Then stay here from now on. Even if he knows you are in Youzhou, he can't take you back."
Shen Xun did not mention the child. It had been more than ten years, and Prince Su was such a cruel person. The chances of the child still being alive were almost zero.
Chu Jingyao nodded and forced herself not to think about the child.
Someone knocked on the door, Shen Xun got up to open it, and then came back with a bowl of noodles.
"I asked someone to cook some noodles. Eat them while they're hot. Sleep in the room next to mine. We can talk tomorrow if there's anything else."
Chu Jingyao murmured "hmm".
They had only met once a long time ago, but they didn't feel awkward or restrained when they met again.
Chu Jingyao felt very relaxed. At least, she felt more comfortable here than in the prince's mansion or the imperial palace.
It all feels like home.
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