Chapter 37 After Marriage
Obviously, not all Aisin Gioro clan members in the world are as strange as Fulin.
Prince Xiang was like a normal child. When he heard Jialuo say that, he knew that he had revealed his thoughts with his words, so he didn't say anything.
So he awkwardly turned his head to the side, and when he looked at Jialuo again, his face flushed, and he said in a low voice, "It was your younger brother who misspoke."
Jialuo didn't mind. Looking at the little boy with his chubby face and slightly flushed cheeks, she smiled and said, "The world is vast, but beyond the proper hierarchy and rules, I am the greatest."
"Although I am the Empress of the Qing Dynasty, I am also myself. People love to judge others. Even saints are discussed, and the annals of emperors contain both praise and criticism. How much more so should I?"
"I get upset if someone says something bad about me?"
"Wouldn't that just please others even more?"
After Jialu finished speaking, she picked up a piece of pastry and ate it slowly.
Upon hearing this, the little boy next to her looked up at her with a slightly bewildered expression.
Jialuo didn't mind, took another small sip of tea, and continued, "You're still so young, it's the time when you're growing, eat more of what you like."
Jialu pushed a plate of dry-mixed beef in front of him.
Prince Xiang: "..."
He then noticed the table full of fruit, pastries, and meat, and asked with some surprise, "Is it permissible for the Empress to dine like this?"
If he remembers correctly, the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager all had their meals regulated.
Seeing his mature demeanor, Jialuo couldn't resist reaching out and pinching Prince Xiang's cheek.
"You look so mature for your age, it's actually quite cute."
Bomubogo's face flushed red. He broke free from Jialuo's hand, stood up abruptly, covered his twisted face, and stared at Jialuo in disbelief.
"!!!"
Jialuo wasn't embarrassed when she was freed; instead, she looked at the boy's awkwardness and embarrassment with a mischievous expression.
"Sister-in-law, please have some self-respect!" Bomubogor's voice carried a warning and suppressed anger.
Seeing his puffed-up lion-like appearance, Jialuo snorted and said, "What self-respect? You're my brother-in-law, and I'm your sister-in-law. Can't I care about my brother-in-law?"
Bomubogor looked at her for a moment and couldn't find any reason to refute her.
But he was not about to give up. He said to Jialuo, "It is rare for my sister-in-law to leave the palace. Please make yourself at home. I will not disturb you any longer."
After finishing speaking, he lowered his hand, bowed with a flushed face, and then went straight to the door and left.
Jialuo watched him walk down the stairs, missing a step and nearly falling to the ground, but the guards beside her protected their master.
Jialu smiled silently, watching the angry figure leave the restaurant.
She leisurely ate pastries in the restaurant, listening to the storyteller downstairs.
Today she is going to the royal villa to recuperate, which makes it convenient for her to do many things.
The street downstairs was bustling with people, and the shouts of vendors and even the sounds of several burly men arguing while drunk carried a long-lost sense of everyday life.
A short while later, a middle-aged man with an indistinct appearance and whose ethnicity was impossible to discern walked in.
The moment Jade saw the man, her eyes lit up.
"Big brother!"
The man grinned and bowed respectfully to Jialuo.
"Your humble servant, Stone, greets his master."
Jialuo wiped her hands and said to the man, "Get up quickly."
He turned to look at Jade again and said, "Bring a stool for your brother."
"Thank you, Master."
The Jade family had served as servants of the Borjigit clan for generations and held a considerable position.
Now, Jade, Jade's elder brother, Abu, and Eji are all working for Jialuo.
Stone is a man who is very good at handling mundane matters. Back on the grasslands, he was in charge of handling the sale of Jialuo's dowry.
Now that they had arrived in the capital, Jialuo sent Shitou to the capital to see what there was to invest in.
They had never been able to meet before, but now that Jialuo was able to leave the palace, the first thing she did was to see Shitou.
Shi Tou was also straightforward and spoke directly: "Master, this servant has discovered that there are many irregularities in the trade between the forty-odd Mongol tribes and the Qing Dynasty."
Gallo's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Oh? You mean the trade doesn't have a mature supply chain?"
Stone glanced at Jade. He didn't understand what a chain was, but he roughly understood what his master meant.
“What the master said is right. Trade is almost entirely done by individual traders and is not a significant industry.”
"But nowadays, the demand for furs is increasing in the capital and even in the south, while spices from the south are something that Mongolia is extremely lacking, and the profits involved are considerable."
Upon hearing this, Jialuo nodded, gave Shitou a very appreciative look, and then said, "You did a great job, but there's one thing: since no one has touched this part of the profit, we should also find out whether no one thought of this or if there is something unknown that makes others afraid to do this."
Upon hearing this, Shi Tou nodded immediately and said, "This servant will take care of this matter right away!"
Jialuo glanced at Emerald, who was beaming with joy, and said, "Emerald, go see your elder brother off, and also go to West Alley to buy me some pastries."
Emerald glanced gratefully at Garlo, and Stone also stood up. Both siblings bowed and thanked Garlo. Even when Emerald and her older brother went out together, their eyes were red.
Jialu had already bought the pastries she wanted to eat today. She only told Fei Cui this because she wanted her to spend more time with her older brother.
It wasn't until a little later that Jialuo and his party arrived at the villa on the outskirts of Beijing.
Even in the dead of winter, the Royal Villa is breathtakingly beautiful.
The villa is extremely large, and every corner is a scenic view from the entrance.
Since Jialuo had come to the villa and was alone, she naturally stayed in the main courtyard.
As soon as they arrived at the villa, snowflakes began to fall from the misty sky.
The earth dragon was lit, and Jialuo took off his cloak, wearing only an early autumn Mongolian robe. He sat by the window, holding a bowl of mare's milk wine, gazing at the dreamlike scenery in the backyard.
The backyard was full of wintersweet blossoms, their yellow flowers hanging on the dry branches, and snowflakes like cotton slowly covering the flowers.
Within the reach of the candlelight, snowflakes filled the sky, and yellow flowers swayed in the breeze.
In that instant, Jialuo felt as if he had returned to Khorchin, experiencing a long-lost sense of freedom.
There's no need to consider the Empress Dowager's deep thoughts, nor to guess the Emperor's unpredictable moods, nor to sense the concubines' outwardly respectful but inwardly treacherous intentions.
With bowl after bowl of mare's milk wine, Jialuo's vision gradually became blurry.
She felt she could no longer tolerate anything about the palace.
When she thought of this, she felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her, completely engulfing her.
Outside, the cold wind howled and snow fell heavily.
The palace was warm as spring, and I slept soundly after getting drunk.
It wasn't until the next day, when the warm sun pierced through the thick fog and bathed the entire courtyard in its light, that Jialuo slowly awoke.
But she didn't want to get up. She just hugged her bedding, turned to face the wall, and stared blankly into space.
Only when her body was completely exhausted did she casually get up and put on her loose pajamas.
Jade and Agate watched their master wake up. Jade helped their master bathe and wash up, while Agate opened the window to let fresh air into the palace and made the bed.
When Jialuo finished bathing and came out, the entire palace was brightly lit.
The mountains were covered in silver. Jialuo looked at the snow piled up and pressing down on the pale yellow flowers, and suddenly became interested. She then asked Emerald to find a zither.
However, the group arrived in haste, and there was no Mongolian zither in the separate courtyard.
But this did not stop Jialuo. She changed into Mongolian clothes and put on boots embroidered with snow and mountains, and lightly stepped across the snow.
Jialuo's voice was clear and melodious as she stood under the winter plum tree, gazing at the vast blue sky, arms outstretched and chest puffed out.
Even in the thick winter Mongolian robe, her graceful figure could not be concealed.
"The Chule River flows beneath the Yin Mountains."
As the song began, Jialuo danced.
She was like a soaring female eagle, ready to take flight in the sky.
"The sky is like a dome, covering the vast wilderness."
Jade and agate rushed forward and joined their master's dance.
"The sky is vast and blue, the fields are boundless and green, and the wind blows the grass low to reveal cattle and sheep."
The three girls' voices were sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes lively, and sometimes high-pitched.
Even though the tones are different, they have a natural harmony.
The dance moves were expansive and unrestrained, full of passion.
A young man standing on a pavilion in the distance, with his hands behind his back, stared intently at the gracefully dancing girl.
Her face radiated pure joy, and her singing voice was so beautiful, unlike the soft and sticky tone of Jiangnan, and it also lacked some of the solemnity and orderliness of the capital.
As she danced, Fu Lin seemed to feel the wind and snow of the northern frontier, as well as the grasslands of the northern frontier where horses grazed freely.
There are also girls who laugh freely; they can even sleep on the ground or dance around a bonfire.
Girls could even marry and have children under the protection of their fathers and brothers in the Khorchin tribe.
At that moment, even Fulin felt that the vast Forbidden City could confine Jialuo, but not her soul.
He came with anger in his heart, but at this moment, without even Galo knowing, he silently extinguished all his anger.
At that moment, it was as if a flash of white light passed through Fu Lin's mind, and he understood a feeling he had never understood before.
For no apparent reason, just seeing someone can make my heart tremble.
When the girl in the distant courtyard stopped dancing, Fu Lin suddenly turned around. He wanted to go down and find her, but as soon as he stepped out of the pavilion, he suddenly stopped.
The security guard almost lost his footing for a moment.
He peered at the emperor's face, which had suddenly become calm.
"Let's go back to the palace."
He lowered his voice and said casually.
My thoughts suddenly became clear.
The security guard was taken aback, glanced at the emperor, and dared not speak.
When Fulin learned that the Empress had indeed left the palace on the 13th, he was furious and hurriedly rode over, his face grim the whole way, so that the security guards dared not say a word.
But after he arrived at the villa and watched the Empress dance from the pavilion, he was about to leave?
What exactly is the reason for this?
But obviously, Fulin didn't tell him, and actually rode back to the Forbidden City.
As soon as I returned to the Qianqing Palace, I heard a eunuch rushing over, saying that the young mistress of the Zhongcui Palace was much better and he had come to thank the Emperor.
The eunuch knelt quietly on the ground, but no reply came from above as usual.
The security guard also pursed his lips tightly, glancing at the silent emperor at the head of the table.
He paused, then whispered to the young eunuch, "Go on, His Majesty is busy with state affairs today. It's a relief that your master has recovered, but we servants dare not slack off. If the remaining traces of illness reappear, you'll all be in trouble."
The eunuch stiffened, and he lay even more prostrate on the ground, his voice sounding as if it were coming from the ground itself.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After speaking, the eunuch stood up, bowed, and walked out.
When only the two of them remained in the room, the security guard quietly retreated into the shadows, while the young emperor began to peruse the memorials.
…………
Inside Zhongcui Palace, Dong E heard the eunuch's reply, and her eyes, which had been bright and lively, slowly dimmed.
Was it because of that empress?
She remembered the argument between the Emperor and the Empress that day.
Everyone assumed that the Emperor and Empress were arguing because of her.
She initially thought so too, but is that really the case?
The emperor and she had only met three times, and each time she had to use every means to find him.
After what happened that day, she thought the Empress, or even the Empress Dowager, might have some tricks up her sleeve.
Unexpectedly, she was granted the title of concubine!
This position is definitely not low.
But Lady Dong'e couldn't feel happy.
She thought back to the time when she first met the emperor.
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Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! [Heart]
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