Chapter 51 After Marriage
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly behave properly."
"Gallo said in a low, respectful voice."
Upon hearing this, Mubumutai smiled and nodded, until the two walked a little further.
Su Mala then stepped forward and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, although it is springtime, the weather is still cold, so it is not convenient to walk too much. The Empress has also gotten up so early and looks a bit tired."
Jialuo chimed in, "I am quite well. What Sumalagu said is true. Although the weather is warmer now, there is still a chill of winter in the breeze. Your Majesty must take care of yourself."
Upon hearing this, Mubumutai reached out and patted Jialuo's hand, saying, "You are a filial son, there's no need to see this old woman off. Just go back to the palace and rest."
After he finished speaking, the sedan chair that had been following them from a distance caught up. Jialuo and Sumala helped Mubumutai into the sedan chair, and then Jialuo took two steps back and bowed to Mubumutai to see him off.
Only after the sedan chair had left did Jialuo get up.
Jade and Agate stepped forward, looking at their master with some concern.
"It's alright, let's go back to the palace and pack up."
"yes."
The group then returned to Yongshou Palace.
With the Empress Dowager saying so, Jialuo could naturally be ready to leave at any time.
But her departure was an extremely comfortable thing for Jialuo, but a huge undertaking for Jade and Agate.
On the day before she was to leave, two maids were busy: one was packing up Jialuo's things in her room, while the other was calculating and arranging Jialuo's dowry.
Now that her return date is uncertain, how could Jialuo be willing to leave her dowry in the palace?
Besides, she was always enjoying herself, and everyone in the palace knew that.
Even if she takes her dowry with her, what will Fulin and Mubumutai say?
She returned to the palace, intending to take a nap, but Agate chased her from the couch to the bed. Before she could even settle down on the bed, she was chased to sit in a side room.
She was both amused and exasperated, sitting in the side room, watching the eunuchs and palace maids coming and going outside the window.
The news that the Empress was going to a separate residence to recuperate, and that she would be taking Angel with her, quickly spread throughout the palace.
Jialuo assumed that her competitive fifth sister would arrive first, but to her surprise, it was her third sister, Gaowa, who rushed into the palace in a great hurry.
"Xin Sa Ri, I heard from the Prince that you are going to the villa. What happened between you and the Emperor?"
As soon as Gaowa entered the palace, she didn't even bother to bow. She grabbed Jialuo's hand and looked her up and down.
Only after seeing that Jialuo was alright did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, his eyes reddening.
Gao Wa's concerned expression warmed Jia Luo's heart. In this palace, she was the only person who came to check on her well-being as soon as she heard the news.
Jialuo pulled Gaowa to sit in the side room.
Gao Wa refused to look at her anymore. Instead, she stared at the red boxes all over the yard, her face full of distress, and even a hint of anger between her brows.
"Xin Sa Ri, have you offended the Emperor?"
Gao Wa asked again.
Jialuo sighed and glanced at the agate serving the tea.
Agate said to the two maids beside Gaowa, "Please come with me and have some tea."
The three bowed and went out together.
Only when Jialuo and Gaowa were left in the room did she speak, "Third sister, don't worry. It's just that the harem has no heir now, as you know."
"When the Emperor comes to the inner palace, he only comes to my Yongshou Palace, but I have never had an heir and there is no sign of pregnancy. The other day, the imperial physician diagnosed me with a weak body. The Empress Dowager felt sorry for my exhaustion and said that I should go to another courtyard to stay for a while."
Jialuo made up an excuse on the spot. She didn't want her third sister to know that she and the emperor were not actually husband and wife, nor did she want her third sister to worry about her life in the harem.
After all, Jialuo knew her third sister's temperament.
If she knew that she had been wronged in the palace, her third sister would definitely find a way to get justice for her.
Now that my third sister has married Prince Xiang, she should be cultivating a good relationship with the royal family to make her life easier. It's best not to touch the true authority of the imperial family.
In the separate room at that moment, one of the taller maids was Qiuyue, and the other, who was slightly shorter, was Chunfeng.
Agate served each of them a cup of tea and two plates of pastries before sitting down with them.
"Sigh, coming to this capital city, putting everything else aside, the rules are really more numerous than those on the grasslands."
Spring Breeze sighed as she spoke.
Qiuyue, standing to the side, looked at Manao with a worried expression and said, "When our master heard that the Empress was going to the villa to recuperate, he was so anxious that he almost came straight here without even changing his clothes or sending the invitation to the palace."
"It was only after the servants persuaded and coaxed me that I was allowed to enter the palace according to the rules."
Agate glanced at Qiuyue. Qiuyue's status was different. Back in Khorchin, she was the Grand Consort, a palace maid serving her mistress's mother.
The child is now ten years old.
Logically speaking, she shouldn't have been sent to the side of a princess to be married off as part of her dowry.
Agate was quick-witted, and her words were extremely cautious.
"It's nothing. It's just that the Empress Dowager cares about the Emperor. Not only is she busy managing the inner palace, but she also takes care of the Emperor's diet every day. Even when the Emperor comes to the inner palace, he often visits Yongshou Palace. The other day, the Emperor was tired, and the imperial physician said that the Emperor was weak. So the Empress Dowager let the Emperor go to another courtyard to recuperate for a while."
Spring Breeze suddenly realized and exclaimed, "So that's the reason. That's good, that's good."
Qiu Yue seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face. She said, "That's true. When Master first entered the Forbidden City some time ago, he heard that the Empress had injured her hand and was weak. He was worried for a long time and couldn't even sleep soundly at night."
Upon hearing this, Agate smiled. She noticed a maid outside beckoning to her and knew something was amiss. As she got up, she instructed a maid to attend to the two of them before leaving.
The little maid had a chubby face and looked at Qiuyue and Chunfeng with some nervousness, but her attitude was proper.
Qiuyue glanced at the busy agate and jadeite outside the house and said to the little maid, "Are you also going out of the palace with your master?"
The maid nodded and said, "A few days ago, the chief eunuch of the Emperor's side came to Yongshou Palace with the Emperor's decree, saying that all the servants in Yongshou Palace should leave the palace with the Empress."
This does seem a bit strange. When a master travels, a retinue is naturally indispensable, but it would be odd if all the servants were taken away without leaving any behind.
Gao Wa was also shocked when she saw the red boxes in the yard, which were so big that there was hardly enough room to stand.
"Are you taking everything with you?"
Jialuo glanced smugly at the red chest outside the house. It is said that the dowry of a married girl usually decreases over time, but she is different. She has only been here for a year, and the chest has increased quite a bit.
She said matter-of-factly, "Yes, now that I'm out of the palace, I'll be staying for three to five months, or even a year and a half. Of course, all my treasures will have to come with me."
Then Jialuo started talking about where she should go for fun outside the palace, and if the time was right, she could go on a spring outing with Gaowa.
The tone of his voice suggested he wanted to explore every interesting, fun, and delicious place in the entire capital.
Gao Wa was initially somewhat skeptical of Jia Luo's earlier statement that she was only leaving the palace to recuperate, but upon turning her head and seeing Jia Luo's enthusiastic expression, she miraculously felt that this was acceptable. She knew that her sixth sister would never let herself suffer, no matter where she was.
Moreover, when she first arrived in the capital and saw her sixth sister, she didn't feel as genuinely happy as she does now.
only……
"Why is it that you haven't gotten pregnant even after almost half a year?"
Gao Wa asked again.
Jialuo: "..."
She looked at Gao Wa, frowned, and her expression showed displeasure, as if she had been asked a sore spot.
"The imperial physician said there was nothing wrong with my health."
Upon hearing this, Gao Wa's eyes widened slowly, her expression filled with shock.
Fearing that she might misunderstand, Jialuo added, "His Majesty is naturally majestic and awe-inspiring."
Gao Wa was clearly somewhat puzzled.
"That………"
Jialuo watched her warily, afraid that she would say something strange again.
But Gao Wa's expression suddenly changed to one of realization, and Jia Luo thought that perhaps Gao Wa had found some reasons to convince herself.
She breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to say that the children her fifth sister would give birth to for the emperor would be the same.
Gao Wa shook her head and said, "That's different."
Then she suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Is your posture wrong?"
Galo: "???!?!"
Perhaps noticing Jialuo's surprise and confusion, Gaowa asked again, "Did you go to take a bath immediately after you were done?"
Jialuo: "...!!"
"Don't be shy. This is like horses mating on the grassland. It requires the right time, the right position, and you can't go straight to the bath."
Jialuo: "..."
Her face flushed red, and she said to Gao Wa with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, "Third sister, why are you speaking so vulgarly these days? You are a princess consort of the Qing Dynasty!"
When Gao Wa saw her like this, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Look at you, all shy and embarrassed. Haha, our little Liu is all grown up now."
Jialuo, who has been married for almost half a year: "..."
Suddenly, a eunuch announced from outside the door.
"Consort Shu has arrived."
Jialu glared at Gaowa and said, "You mustn't say these things in front of Fifth Sister, it's very embarrassing."
Gao Wa didn't answer, but just nodded slightly, her face still bearing a mocking smile.
Jialuo: "…………"
Angelama entered the room and was clearly surprised to see Gaowa with a smile on her face and Jialuo with slightly flushed cheeks. She asked, "Oh my, what are you two talking about, Third Sister and Sixth Sister? Why are you so happy?"
Gao Wa pulled Angelama to sit beside her and said with a smile, "I was saying that your sister is going to empty the entire Yongshou Palace."
Angrama glanced at the scene outside, and while she no longer felt the jealousy she usually did, a clear worry appeared on her face.
"Sixth Sister, how long will you be going to the villa this time? Judging from your posture, anyone who didn't know better would think you weren't coming back."
Jialuo looked up at her and said in a gentle voice, "No, it will only delay you for a few months."
As she spoke, Jialuo seemed to have thought of something and said to Angelama, "The palace I arranged for my fifth sister is quite close to the Emperor's Qianqing Palace. Now that the Emperor visits your palace a few days a month, my sister, you should wait for your good news before leaving the palace."
These words struck a chord with Angelama, and even Gaowa couldn't help but tell her how to increase her chances of getting pregnant.
As Galo listened, he began to drift off into his own thoughts, while Angelama listened with a flushed face, yet remained completely focused.
Just as Gaowa was about to leave the palace, Qiuyue and Chunfeng also came out. Angrama's maid had been with Qiuyue and Chunfeng earlier.
Angelama then noticed Qiuyue and said with a surprised look, "Aunt Qiuyue, you've actually come?"
Qiuyue stepped forward, bowed to Angelama and Galo with a respectful expression, but her tone carried a hint of familiarity.
"In reply to Consort Shu, the Grand Consort was worried that Your Highness would be too busy with the children in the capital, so she sent me along to lend a hand."
Jialuo was not familiar with Qiuyue, or rather, she was not familiar with many of the maids around her mother.
If Angelama hadn't mentioned that Qiuyue was Eji's maid, Jialuo wouldn't have remembered her at all.
After seeing Gaowa off, Angrama returned to her palace.
While one of the maids was bathing Angelama, she whispered, "Your Highness, just now at Yongshou Palace, Aunt Qiuyue found an opening and quietly told me that if you and Her Majesty the Empress have any irreconcilable conflicts in the future, please be sure to go to her first."
Upon hearing this, Angrama abruptly turned to look at the maid.
The maid was startled, thinking she had said something wrong, and immediately froze.
Instead, Angrama came to his senses, turned around, and said to her, "This matter must not be known to a fourth person."
The maid's heart pounded like a drum, and she said, her voice trembling as she suppressed her emotions, "Yes, Your Majesty."
…………
Jialuo married into the palace in grand style, but now she has gone out to recuperate, with no return date in sight, and yet she has gone out so quietly.
Her carriage was so long that it was even longer than the carriage she had when she married into the palace.
At this moment, on the railing of the Qianqing Palace platform, a figure in bright yellow stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed intently on the carriage carrying Jialuo, remaining silent.
After the carriage disappeared from sight, he frowned, looked up at the dusky yellow sky, and slowly exhaled.
After all these years, some things need to be settled.
Inside the Cining Palace, a eunuch knelt on the ground and announced that the Empress had left the palace.
After speaking, Sumala waved for the eunuch to leave, and as the eunuch quietly closed the door, the room fell silent again.
Mubumutai lay on the couch with his eyes closed, a mattress covering his knees, his expression calm.
Sumala knew that her master was also feeling bad.
Although the master didn't say it, Sumala knew that of all the Borjigit girls the master had met, his favorite was Jialuo.
But while she loved Jialuo, the Emperor couldn't be too fond of her.
After all, in the master's heart, the stability of the world is the most important thing.
………
Perhaps everyone was saddened, but only Galo was like a bird that had been locked up for a long time. Now that she could finally return to freedom, she was overjoyed.
For the first three days after arriving at the villa, she behaved herself very well. But by the fourth day, she was already wandering around the capital wearing cheongsams, Han Chinese women's clothing, or Mongolian attire.
But she wasn't just playing around. Gradually, she began to expand her business map, opening up trade between the Mongol tribes and the capital, forming an industrial chain. In the fourth year, she even opened up trade channels between the south and the Mongol tribes.
They even brought many rare items to their brothers and sisters on the Horqin Grassland, as well as to Abu Eji.
Every so often, they would even spend a lot of money to hire doctors to travel to the grasslands for a period of time to provide medical care.
Of course, during this time Abu also wrote to her to ask about some things, such as her now nominal position as empress.
Jialuo comforted Abu, but Eji expressed his approval that she was not in the palace.
Another important thing for Jialuo was that Tongyi gave birth to a prince in the late summer of the first year Jialuo left the palace.
When the little prince was just six months old, Fulin sent his first letter to Jialuo, asking her if she wanted to raise the prince.
After thinking for a long time, Jialuo replied, saying that Tong Yi and the child should leave the palace for a while.
Fu Lin did not reply, but a month later, Tong Yi, who had gained some weight, brought her child to the royal villa on the outskirts of Beijing.
Tong Yi also told her that since she left, the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had become increasingly delicate.
As the emperor grew increasingly powerful, the empress dowager gradually spent more time in the palace and rarely met with ministers.
Even though Xuan Ye was the only son in the harem, none of the officials or the Empress Dowager criticized him.
Time flies, and life is peaceful.
Jialuo overheard Fulin's current achievements, including establishing Tibetan Buddhism as the state religion to solidify the submission of "minority ethnic groups" to the Qing Dynasty.
The suppression of Jiang Xiang's rebellion, the cessation of land enclosure, and the relaxation of laws against fugitives were among the series of measures that made the Qing Dynasty's foundation increasingly stable.
Angel has grown into a thirteen-year-old girl with beautiful features and a delicate and clever appearance.
In her fifth year in Beijing, Jialuo celebrated her sixteenth birthday.
At the entrance of the villa, Fu Lin, dressed in an indigo robe, had long since shed his youthful naiveté at the age of nineteen.
Surprisingly, unlike his frail appearance in his youth, Fu Lin now has broad, straight shoulders, a lean and powerful waist cinched with a belt, and a tall and upright figure. He is now a man of imposing stature.
"Security, open the door."
Today is Jialuo's birthday. She dressed up beautifully and even specially set up a banquet in the lakeside pavilion in the garden. Angel, Tong Yi, Xiao Xuanye, Gao Wa, and Gao Wa's three children were all there.
The children played on the ground, while the women sat at the table, drinking wine and chatting about the rouge that had recently been introduced to the capital from Jiangnan, all for the sake of its popularity.
When Galo caught sight of the man at the entrance of the fan-shaped palace, she couldn't recognize him for a moment.
Upon first sight of the man, Jialuo was so stunned that she was speechless. It wasn't until the man slightly raised an eyebrow at her that a line from a poem she had read before, titled "Bai Shilang's Song," came to Jialuo's mind.
“Jade lies in piled stones, and pines stand in rows like emeralds. His beauty is unparalleled, and there is no one like him in the world.”
The man stepped in, and Jialuo remained stunned until someone tugged at her sleeve, making her realize who the man was.
"I...this humble servant greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
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Author's Note: Why this setting? First: Jialuo is too young, only eleven... Second: The Emperor is a yandere teenager, always acting immaturely and easily hurting Jialuo. [Evil grin]
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