"Did His Majesty bring this up again afterward?" The matriarch asked grimly. "Think about it carefully; this is very important."
Song Ziyu shook his head and said definitively, "No."
He thought for a moment, then said again.
"The imperial physicians diagnosed Ji Rong with hysteria. After that, the court officials had an audience with him once, but my grandson was not among them and does not know what happened."
The matriarch tapped her cane and immediately said, "Send someone to inquire!"
Song Ziyu was stunned.
This was the first time he had ever seen the matriarch of the elders so nervous, as far as he could remember.
"Grandmother need not worry too much. I heard that Ji Rong's hysteria has been brought under control. His Majesty forbids people from making unfounded comments, and no one in the court dares to mention this matter anymore."
"Besides, even if the Miao people are incredibly audacious, they wouldn't dare to use forbidden techniques in the capital. This is just the Ji family talking nonsense!"
Looking at his righteous and stern expression, the matriarch sighed silently and waved her hand, saying, "Go down. If you find out any news, come and inform me immediately."
"Furthermore, no matter who asks about the Miao region, you must answer that you know nothing about it, understand?"
Song Ziyu nodded, puzzled, and left with a stack of silver notes in his pocket.
After he left, the elder lady's face finally darkened.
Granny Wu, standing nearby, panicked even more and couldn't help but ask, "Madam, has His Majesty noticed anything?"
"It's hard to say," the matriarch pondered. "We need to find out His Majesty's attitude as soon as possible."
When the Miao region went to war with the Dayong dynasty, Emperor Jingyuan was still young and did not know much about the Miao region's secret arts.
However, in accordance with the late emperor's will, people from Miao areas were prohibited from entering the capital.
Whether they will suspect Ji Rong's involvement remains to be seen.
However, there was one thing she was certain of.
The battle between Dayong and Miaojiang was extremely fierce. Although Miaojiang eventually surrendered, they did their utmost to spare the lives of their people. The Miao people did not experience massacre; they were merely dispersed, losing their homeland and scattered throughout the cities and villages of Dayong.
Over the years, they have settled down, multiplied, and become no different from the people of Dayong, making their identities difficult to ascertain.
Granny Wu sighed, "The late emperor won the battle, but he did not massacre the innocent. That can be considered merciful."
"kindness?"
The elder lady gave a mocking smile.
"If Dayong had dared to order the massacre of the city, the Miao people would have certainly risen up in resistance and fought a desperate battle, and the Song family army would not have fared well either."
Her eyes were unfathomable as she spoke in a cold voice.
"The late emperor was ultimately afraid of the power of the Miao region."
Therefore, until the late emperor passed away, although Miao people often caused trouble under the banner of revenge, the court only sent troops to suppress them and did not exterminate them.
The fear is that if the hidden Miao people are pushed too far, it will lead to a fight to the death.
Now that the two sides have been at peace for many years, the matriarch of the Yuan family is certain that the court will not easily touch upon the taboo of Miao territory.
The next day, the news brought back by Song Ziyu further confirmed her suspicions.
It is said that on that day in the imperial study, many officials mentioned Ji Rong's illness and its connection with Miao territory, but Emperor Jingyuan rejected them all outright.
The matriarch felt much more at ease.
Granny Wu also breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great. It seems that His Majesty didn't believe Ji Huaichuan's statement, so he's even less likely to suspect our household."
"That being said, we must be extra discreet in our actions lately, and it would be best to stay away from the palace to avoid any unforeseen incidents," said the matriarch. "Princess Zhaohua's birthday banquet..."
"You don't want to go anymore?"
“The Gu family is very shrewd; they won’t feel at ease unless they keep a close eye on things.”
After careful consideration, the elder's wife made her decision.
"At worst, we'll just be more cautious and go early and come back early. Nothing should happen."
Soon, it was Pei Tang's birthday.
Gu Yurong, who had been imprisoned for days, was finally released.
She wore a newly made cinnabar brocade begonia-patterned jacket, with a gilded hairpin in her hair, looking luxurious and elegant, but her smile was somewhat stiff.
The wound on her forehead had healed, but even with thick makeup, the faint scar was still visible.
Coupled with days of worry and fear, her complexion was withered, her eyes were dark and bluish, and she was no longer the spirited woman she once was.
At the entrance of the general's mansion, she met Jiang Wan, whom she hadn't seen for many days.
She wore a light blue lotus-colored dress, her jet-black hair was styled into a cloud-like bun, her skin was fair and radiant, and she wore double pearl and jade tassel earrings on her earlobes, which shimmered and sparkled as she walked, making it impossible to look away.
Her attire was simple, yet exuded an air of nobility.
"Sister, it's been a long time." Gu Yurong's eyes darkened, and her voice seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
Hearing that Jiang Wan had been imprisoned, she was overjoyed, thinking she would finally see Jiang Wan looking haggard and dejected.
Now, the person in front of me has fair skin and a beautiful face, and seems even more eye-catching than before.
If it weren't for her womanly hairstyle, her appearance alone would make her look like a noble lady from some wealthy family.
A magnificent and spacious carriage was parked in front of the gate. A beautiful woman was lifting the curtain and waving a handkerchief at Jiang Wan on the stone steps, calling out to her in a friendly tone.
"Sister Jiang, come up quickly."
Gu Yurong recognized her at a glance as Madam Sun, the wife of the Minister of Personnel.
Judging from her appearance, she and Jiang Wan are quite familiar with each other.
Gu Yurong twisted the handkerchief in her sleeve tightly.
Not long ago, Song Lin presented a priceless purple jade Buddha statue to the Minister's residence, but received only a minor official position. She had long suspected that there was something fishy about this.
Seeing Jiang Wan's close interactions with the Minister's residence confirmed her suspicions.
Song Lin's failure to obtain an official position must have been thanks to Jiang Wan!
Gu Yurong gritted her teeth, unable to hide the resentment in her heart.
"As a second-rank noblewoman, and with her adopted son frequently achieving merits, you are already enjoying enough glory and success. Why do you still want to block Lin'er's path?"
Jiang Wan glanced sideways: "What did you say, Sister Gu? I don't understand."
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