She didn't inquire about the officials; she was just curious about a young girl, which usually wouldn't cause any problems.
A-Ye had been by her side for many years and knew very well how to handle such matters. Not long after, she returned and told Rong Yang, "That girl's name is Huai Qinghua. She is the daughter of the Huai family of the Da Jing family, whom they adopted halfway through their lives."
When Empress Dajing issued the decree to establish a Ciji Hall in the south, she entrusted all affairs to this young woman.
It turns out that she was in charge of everything at Tzu Chi Hall.
When Qingcheng was captured, the girl followed the Dajing army and entered Qingcheng immediately. She personally led the people to search the entire city for those who had survived the war.
Whether they are from the Great Jing Dynasty or the Southern Dynasty, as long as they have a breath left, she will do her best to save them and treat them equally.
Rong Yang was extremely shocked to hear this; this young woman actually possessed such a grand vision and broad mind.
Moreover, such a thing would never have happened in the Southern Dynasties.
In the Southern Dynasties, the education of women was very strict, especially in official families, who absolutely forbade their daughters to show their faces in public.
Girls of this age, even if they just talk to a strange man in public for a few minutes, will be pointed at and gossiped about by those around them.
Once this happens, no matter what you do, you can't undo the damage to your reputation.
Even someone of her noble status, once she reached a certain age, would basically stay at home except for accepting invitations to banquets from various families.
Despite her being unbound by these social norms, possessing extraordinary talent, and making outstanding contributions to the Southern Dynasty, A Ning still failed to gain the recognition of the court officials.
At that moment, Rong Yang suddenly had an absurd thought: If A Ning had been born in Da Jing, how glamorous she would have been!
From then on, Rong Yang could never stop thinking about that girl, and she had to admit that she envied her very much.
Traveling north from Qingcheng, passing through many more cities, Rong Yang increasingly felt the differences between the Great Jing and the Southern Dynasty.
This seems to be a vibrant country.
In these cities, Rong Yang saw many territories that had once been occupied by the Southern Dynasty, which had now become part of the grand landscape.
The people in the city had smiles on their faces and hope in their eyes.
They lived and worked in peace and contentment on this land that once belonged to the Southern Dynasty. They had enough to eat and wear, and their lives were stable and happy.
As time went by, Rong Yang discovered that these people, who were originally from the Southern Dynasty, seemed to have forgotten their past identities and began to integrate into the new country of Da Jing.
They consider themselves citizens of the Great Jing and are full of confidence in the future.
Seeing all this, Rong Yang couldn't help but sigh, "It was no accident that the Great Jing was able to defeat the Southern Dynasty."
She realized that the king of Dajing had extraordinary foresight. He did not turn his sword against ordinary people. Whether they were from the Southern Dynasty or Dajing, as long as they lived on this land, they were all subjects of Dajing.
They are equal.
How powerful must such a monarch be...?
Because of these things, Rong Yang felt a sense of unease.
After traveling for a long time, we finally arrived in the capital. The weather was bad that day; a cold wind was blowing, making the wind chimes on the carriage ring incessantly and chilling our hearts.
Curious about what the capital city of Dajing was like, Rong Yang mustered her courage and lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. A cold wind blew in, making her instinctively wrap her cloak tighter around herself.
The Duke of Qingguo, riding his horse, stood guard on one side. When he saw her actions, he simply smiled and said nothing. He even moved aside a little so as not to block her view.
A-Ye said that in the year when the princes of Da Jing were fighting, the capital was captured by various vassal kings in turn. By the time the current emperor of Da Jing truly took control of the capital, it was already in ruins.
These buildings are mostly rebuilt later.
The rebuilt capital city of Dajing is not as prosperous and extravagant as Nanyang City, but it is very grand.
It possesses the majesty of a national capital.
Rong Yang glanced at it a few times, then stopped looking, lowered the curtain, and sat in the carriage in a daze.
After arriving in the capital of Dajing, Rongyang rested at the post station. The Empress of Dajing sent a palace matron to teach her the rules of the harem. Then she waited for the envoys from the Southern Dynasty to discuss various state affairs with Dajing. She was then conferred the title of Virtuous Consort.
A few days later, on an auspicious day, Rong Yang was sent to the palace.
Emperor Dajing left all the people she brought outside the palace, only allowing her personal maid, Aye, to enter the inner palace.
She lived alone in a palace, and the people who served her were arranged in advance.
Whether she was a princess sent for a political marriage or a concubine, there was no grand wedding. Only the red hues filling the palace and the enormous red candles in the room told her what was to come.
The Great Jing Emperor arrived at night.
A palace servant delivered a message, instructing Rong Yang to wait at the palace gate.
Just like in the legends, he was decent-looking, though not quite as good-looking as his older brother, but his imposing presence was enough to make people afraid to look him in the eye.
Rong Yang could clearly sense that when the Emperor of Da Jing saw her face, he was momentarily stunned, just like most men when they first saw her face.
But he recovered quickly, and there was no longer any fervor for beauty in his eyes. He slowly stepped forward, and Rong Yang respectfully greeted him, "This concubine, Rong Shi, greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
"Get up..."
The emperor spoke in a flat tone, leading her into the inner palace and dismissing all the servants around him.
During her stay at the post station, the palace maids taught her many rules, including how to serve the emperor, so Rong Yang was mentally prepared.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com