"Go ahead, I just prepared some new autumn clothes for you, they'll be perfect to wear."
Jiang Ruoya knew they had things to do that evening, so she didn't linger. After all, they would have plenty of time to spend together once they were back, so a little longer wouldn't make a difference.
Walking down the street, Gou'er looked up at Jiang Jiuniang and asked, "Mommy, Auntie is so cute, can I come to play with her often in the future?"
"Of course you can, but she's still too young. If you want to hold her later, you have to be careful not to hurt her."
"Yes, I know."
The dog nodded repeatedly in agreement.
When they arrived at their courtyard, the mother and son washed separately. Now that Gou'er was older, Jiang Jiuniang no longer helped him bathe, nor did she allow the maids to help. At most, she would have a servant wait outside to make sure nothing went wrong, and the rest was up to him.
Because she was going to attend a palace banquet that evening, Jiang Jiuniang put on makeup after washing up, while Gou'er didn't need to go through these steps, so he went to see his aunt Jiang Ruoya early on.
When Jiang Jiuniang finished dressing and went over, the little girl had already eaten and drunk her fill and fallen asleep. Surprisingly, she wasn't sleeping in the cradle, but in the dog's arms.
The dog sat obediently on the edge of the bed, holding the child in a proper manner. Mingze stood by nervously the whole time, afraid that the dog might accidentally drop his precious baby.
Jiang Jiuniang also wanted to hug this little sister, but she was worried that changing her around would wake her up, so she just touched her tender little face to satisfy her craving.
"I just heard Dad call her Luoluo, what's her real name?"
“Jiang Luo, the Luo in Yingluo, is exactly the name of you two sisters.”
Jiang Ruoya spoke with a happy expression.
"Surname Jiang?"
Jiang Jiuniang was somewhat surprised; she had originally thought the child would take Mingze's surname.
"Yes, your father offered to let the surname Jiang be adopted."
Mingze chimed in, "It's better if you take your mother's surname. The name I chose myself is rather awkward, so it's more appropriate to take your mother's surname. Anyway, you're all my children, so I'm happy if you can take your mother's surname."
It's not strange that the child the lady went through so much trouble to give birth to would take her surname.
Jiang Jiuniang admired Mingze's open-mindedness, after all, men in this era rarely had such awareness.
She nodded, thinking the name sounded nice.
Her name is Jiang Ying, and her younger sister's name is Jiang Luo. You can tell they are sisters just by listening to their names.
The baby was already asleep, so there wasn't much to do. The dog was still young, so I let him hold the baby for a while before putting him to sleep in the cradle.
The dog stayed by the cradle, unwilling to leave, so Jiang Jiuniang finally got down to business with Mingze.
“Father, it’s like this. The situation is relatively stable now, and my mother has regained her identity. I would like to ask if you are willing to cooperate with the court? That is, to hand over the intelligence we collect to the court as soon as possible. This way, we can be considered to have a legitimate reason to cooperate, which will save us a lot of trouble in the future.”
This was an idea that Jiang Jiuniang suddenly had while she was at the border. After all, Jiang Ruoya had now regained her identity and married Mingze. Mingzhe's identity was too sensitive and would definitely be criticized. If she wanted to live more comfortably in the future, she still had to make some sacrifices.
However, Mingze's current success is the result of her hard work, and she probably wouldn't want to serve the court so easily. Therefore, she needs to ask Mingze's opinion first, and then find a way to communicate with the emperor.
As long as Mingze's identity is made public, those jealous people in Chaozhou won't be able to find fault with him.
Of course, this also carries risks. Human nature is unpredictable. There's a fear that the emperor might become greedy and develop a strong desire for power, which could lead to trouble.
Mingze did not answer immediately, but remained silent for a moment, carefully considered it, and then said, "I can serve the court, but I will not relinquish power. People's hearts are unpredictable, and I must leave myself a way out."
Having spent so many years navigating the world of martial arts, he trusted no one, let alone the imperial court.
Jiang Jiuniang nodded and said, "That's what I mean too. Just like now that I'm working for the emperor, I have to keep something in reserve for myself. Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. I can't guarantee that he will always be a good person."
“You’re right. My identity is not good, and I’m afraid it will implicate your mother and Luoluo. If we can cooperate with the court, it will also benefit me. If you have a way, I’ll have to trouble you to lobby for me.”
“Alright, I’ll find an opportunity to mention it to the Emperor and see what he thinks. But I think he’ll probably agree, since we’re short of manpower right now, and Qianfan Pavilion is powerful enough to solve our immediate problem. He has no reason to refuse.”
Jiang Ruoya listened silently from the side. Watching her husband compromise for her time and time again, she felt a little sad. Having been with him for more than 20 years, she knew what kind of person he was. He clearly hated the imperial court the most, but now he was willing to do things for the court for her and their daughter. She was both moved and saddened, but she couldn't help him at all.
The entire Jiang family was brutally murdered, and she was the only survivor. She had to seek justice for the Jiang family, so her identity had to be revealed so that everyone would know.
In this way, only Mingze was left to make concessions.
Mingze noticed that Jiang Ruoya was a little down, but he didn't say anything in front of Jiang Jiuniang. It wasn't until Jiang Jiuniang left with the dog to attend the palace banquet that he hugged his wife and comforted her: "Don't feel sorry for me. Nothing is more important than you and Luoluo."
Jiang Ruoya remained silent, only sniffling as she leaned against Mingze's chest. This man was truly worth it.
It was already late, so Jiang Jiuniang didn't return to the Lu family. Instead, she took the dog and went straight to the palace.
The palace was bustling with activity tonight. The court had won a great victory, which would not only bring them substantial compensation, but also allow the people to live in peace and prosperity for many years to come. There could be nothing happier than this.
As soon as Jiang Jiuniang arrived, a palace maid led her to a seat that had been prepared in advance. The Lu family members were already seated and waved to them warmly when they saw them coming.
"Have you seen your mother? How has she been these past few days?"
After sitting down, Mrs. Sun leaned over and whispered something to her.
"The situation is much better than I thought. I took her pulse, and I guess the treatment I gave her before was effective. Also, my dad took good care of her, and she seems to be in good spirits."
Jiang Jiuniang answered truthfully, and then asked, "Why hasn't Baichuan arrived yet? Shouldn't the audience with the Emperor have ended by now?"
"The first round has already ended. They've all gone home to change and wash. After coming to the palace, they were summoned separately to discuss negotiations with the Eastern Court."
As she spoke, Madam Sun glanced discreetly across the street and added, "Look, that's the princess sent by the Eastern Court for a marriage alliance. She looks only as big as a lotus flower. What a tragedy!"
"I heard that she is not a real princess, but a cousin of the third prince of the Eastern Court. The old emperor of the Eastern Court is incompetent and tries to find someone to take the blame when something happens. That girl was unlucky enough to be chosen."
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