The following day, Jiang Wan met the Empress wearing Aunt Ru's cloak.
The Empress liked it very much and praised her for her excellent skills.
"The Guo family has been requesting an audience so frequently that even the old lady has intervened. I cannot refuse them, so I can only feign illness and hide away for a few days."
"This Aunt Ru is quite thoughtful."
The Empress smiled with satisfaction and then looked at Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan is very proper in her conduct; she wouldn't hand over things to ordinary people, which suggests that Aunt Ru and she have a close relationship.
Upon closer reflection, he remembered that the quota for Chongwen Hall was originally requested for this concubine's child.
The Empress understood immediately, and couldn't help but smile, shaking her head and saying, "You've come here to ask for a reward for her."
She instructed her servants to fetch the jade ruyi as a reward for Song Zhao.
Jiang Wan smiled and thanked her.
The Empress pulled her aside and said, "I was very surprised to hear that you were wronged at the Guo residence that day. Miss Guo has always been gentle and docile, I never expected her to do such a thing."
"You can know a person's face but not their heart," Jiang Wan said. "Don't worry about it. There are many noble ladies in the court. There must be one suitable for Your Highness."
"After this incident, he is even less willing to listen to me."
The Empress sighed.
"Forget it, just thinking about his marriage gives me a headache. Let's not talk about it. Tang'er's birthday banquet is coming soon. How's the nine-section whip coming along?"
Jiang Wan replied, "It's almost finished."
"That's good. Tang'er will definitely like your taste." The Empress smiled. "You must come when His Majesty holds a banquet for her at the Jade Liquid Pool."
As he spoke, he took out another waist token: "Keep this safe, it will make it easier to enter and leave the palace in the future."
After talking for a while, Jiang Wan got up to take her leave.
As they approached the side gate, they happened to bump into the general's carriage.
Gu Yurong lifted the carriage curtain and followed a eunuch toward the inner palace.
Jiang Wan stamped her foot.
Weren't the Gu family mother and son under house arrest? How did they end up here?
Seeing her confusion, a palace maid explained, "I heard that Consort Yun summoned Lady Gu to the palace for a talk."
Jiang Wan's eyes flashed, and she nodded slightly.
After getting into the carriage, she gave the waist token to Biluo and instructed, "I heard that Pei Xi is on a diet to protest the marriage. He used to love Qishunzhai's pastries. Send a box over later."
"Among the list of gifts bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress last time, there was a huanghuali wood food box with gold decoration. Take that with you."
Biluo nodded.
In the afternoon, she finished her business and returned to Xingzhiyuan.
"Madam, your servant is back."
"The palace eunuchs, seeing that the food box was a gift from the Empress, dared not neglect it. They specially instructed me to wait outside the door until the Third Prince finished eating and then bring the food box back."
Biluo Road.
"By the way, Her Highness the Imperial Concubine was very pleased to hear that the Third Prince was finally eating. She even instructed the palace servants to go to Qi Shun Zhai tomorrow and buy a few more pastries for the Third Prince to try."
Jiang Wan nodded and opened the empty food box.
A piece of paper was stuck in the gap.
Jiang Wan looked at it, her eyebrows curved slightly, and she raised her hand to write a note: "Tomorrow, put it in the food box sent by Qi Shunzhai."
Biluo responded and left.
Jiang Wan sat by the window, quietly waiting for news from Zhu Que.
The day after tomorrow is the day the Ministry of Justice will hold a trial to question Song Ziyu.
When the Donglai people attacked the capital, it caused a great uproar, and even among the common people, there were rumors of strange phenomena related to the tiger tally. In order to calm the people's hearts, Emperor Jingyuan ordered a public trial for the case.
Not only will many officials be present, but also the general's family and the common people.
After hearing Zhou's account of what she had seen and heard at Luhetang, she realized that day had been a rare opportunity for her.
Jiang Wan frowned.
But if things get delayed at Zhuque's place and the trial can't be held in time, she'll have to think of another way...
As the night deepened, she gazed at the full moon in the sky, her eyes resolute.
"Madam!" As soon as the door opened, Biluo hurried in. "Zhuque just sent someone to deliver this."
Jiang Wan first took the letter from her hand and quickly scanned it.
The moonlight was as clear as water, and her eyes shone with a faint light.
"Light the lamp, I need to go see Aunt Ru."
The next day, early in the morning.
After the matriarch finished breakfast, it was time for the wet nurse to bring Song Zhao over.
Today, however, it was Aunt Ru who came in person, standing at the door with a smile and bowing to her.
The matriarch glanced at her: "You're still in your postpartum confinement period, why are you going out already?"
"I'm not that delicate. I've come to pay my respects to the old lady as soon as I felt better."
Aunt Ru smiled and slightly opened the corner of the blanket covering Song Zhao in her arms.
The matriarch noticed at a glance that Song Zhao was wearing a small jade ruyi around his neck.
"It was a gift from Her Majesty the Empress. She said it was a fine piece of warm jade, and wearing it close to the skin is good for your health," Aunt Ru explained.
The matriarch nodded and said to her, "You have contributed to the General's Mansion by giving birth to a child. Now that you're here, come in and let's talk."
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