spend time

The horse galloped all the way, and Zheng Chen returned to the capital less than half a month later.

The capital was the imperial capital of Daliang, with a garrison of 200,000 troops. The capital's area was more than three times that of Nanyang County. Unlike Nanyang County, which is vast and sparsely populated, the capital is densely populated, with a total population of up to one million. In other words, the population of the capital city is more than ten times that of Nanyang County.

This is the political center of Daliang, the gathering place of Daliang culture, and the most prosperous place in Daliang economy. There are many famous families that have been passed down for generations or even more than ten generations.

Of course, this comparison is actually unfair. No matter how prosperous and beautiful the capital is, it belongs to the emperor, the royal family, and even all civil servants and generals.

Nanyang County belongs to Jiang Shaohua alone.

Young Master Zheng and his entourage rode their horses outside the city gate. The city guard came to welcome Young Master Zheng into the city gate in person with bright eyes and a diligent look on his face.

Zheng Chen has been traveling for more than ten days. This journey has already suppressed all the sorrow and unwillingness in his heart. Apart from a little dust from the journey, there was nothing unusual about it.

After riding his horse into the city gate, he returned to Anguo Duke's Mansion first.

When Mrs. Zheng heard that her son was back, she was overjoyed and hurriedly came out to greet her. She took her son's hand and looked around, saying, "You are back. These days, I burn incense and pray to Buddha every day. I pray to Buddha to bless you and keep you safe." An'an."

"In the future, don't be so willful. Whether Princess Nanyang comes to the capital or not is something that the Emperor and the Queen Mother should worry about. It has nothing to do with you. You insist on standing out, and you made sure of it in front of the Queen Mother. . It’s great now. I’ve been traveling back and forth for a month, and I’m back alone. Did Princess Nanyang just ignore you?”

Zheng Chen was riddled with wounds from his mother's unintentional words, but a smile still appeared on his handsome face: "It's right to share the worries of my great-aunt. It's a pity that I returned without success, and I will let my great-aunt down."

Mrs. Zheng didn't notice anything was wrong with her son, and kept mumbling to herself: "I can't blame you. In my opinion, that Nanyang Princess is not a law-abiding person. It is such an honor for a little girl to enter the palace and be educated by the Queen Mother. . She refused to come and insisted on staying in Nanyang County."

"No matter how good Nanyang County is, can it be better than the capital or the palace?"

Zheng Chen's smile paused and he suddenly said: "Nanyang County is far inferior to the capital. However, there, she is the princess of Nanyang County. Once she enters the capital and the palace, she is just the daughter of the royal family."

If it were him, he would choose to stay in Nanyang County.

However, she once again failed his affection, and he was filled with anger and unwillingness, which was difficult to calm down.

One day, he will make her regret it.

"Forget it, let's not mention it. In short, it has nothing to do with you whether the princess comes to the capital or not." Mrs. Zheng did not pay attention to the Nanyang Princess whom she had never met before: "It's right for you to go back and forth. You have to stay with the Queen Mother."

"You go and have a rest, and come back to the palace tomorrow."

Zheng Chen took a deep breath: "No, I'm going to take a shower and change clothes, and I'll enter the palace immediately."

……

An hour later, Zheng Chen's figure appeared outside Jingyang Palace.

"Please wait a moment, young master," the palace maid said with a smile, "The Queen Mother hasn't gotten up from her nap yet."

Empress Dowager Zheng was getting older and had the habit of taking a nap every day.

Zheng Chen asked casually: "But Eunuch Lan is waiting for you?"

The palace maid smiled and replied: "It's Eunuch Zhao."

Zheng Chen's eyes flashed.

Eunuch Lan was a member of the Zheng family. He was purified and sent to the palace a few years ago, which made him very popular with Empress Dowager Zheng. There is great potential to replace Eunuch Zhao.

However, since Eunuch Zhao brought back the new type of plow from Nanyang County more than half a year ago, he has stabilized his position as the number one person in Jingyang Palace. The young and handsome Eunuch Lan couldn't compete with Eunuch Zhao who giggled like a ladyboy, which was really annoying.

The Zheng family relied on Empress Dowager Zheng to achieve the wealth and power it has today. As for the Queen Mother Zheng, she could not directly intervene in the government affairs. The Zheng family was the sharp knife in the hands of the Queen Mother Zheng. The two are dependent on each other, complement each other, and one is indispensable. This wait lasted for more than half an hour.

Although Zheng Chen is young, he is very calm. He waited patiently for Empress Dowager Zheng to finish dressing and dressing up before going forward to see her.

Eunuch Zhao stood beside Queen Mother Zheng with a smile on his face. Eunuch Lan stood a little further away.

Zheng Chen didn't get along well with Eunuch Lan in front of others. He glanced at him briefly and stepped forward to salute Empress Dowager Zheng.

Empress Dowager Zheng smiled and waved: "You have been gone for a month, and the Ai family will miss you every day. Come over quickly and let the Ai family take a look."

Zheng Chen stepped forward as he was told. Empress Dowager Zheng held her grandnephew's hand and felt heartbroken: "It's really hard on you to travel such a long way."

Zheng Chen showed a look of shame: "Before I went, I swore to myself and thought I could persuade the Princess of Nanyang. I never thought that the Princess was determined and unmoved, so I had to return without success. I disappointed the Queen Mother."

Empress Dowager Zheng did not take it seriously: "It is inevitable that she is a little girl and is reluctant to leave home. After two or three years, maybe she will change her mind and take the initiative to enter the palace."

Zheng Chen's brows moved slightly.

He knew the temper of Empress Dowager Zheng very well.

This was the second time Jiang Shaohua refused to enter the palace, and it was impossible for Empress Dowager Zheng not to be angry. This is obviously because someone got the news in advance and spread "slander" in the ears of Empress Dowager Zheng...

Who could this person be?

Eunuch Zhao answered the Empress Dowager Zheng's words with a smile: "How can the princess not know that the empress has the loving heart of the elders? I heard that the princess once swore by the bedside of King Nanyang that she would stay in Nanyang County. The empress dowager is considerate of the princess. Filial piety.”

Empress Dowager Zheng smiled and looked at Eunuch Zhao: "Shaohua has given you so many benefits in private. You speak for her in everything."

Eunuch Zhao responded with a straight face: "This servant belongs to the queen, and is the queen at heart. The reason why I speak for the princess is because I know that the servant pities the princess for losing her beloved elder, and is quite tolerant of the princess."

"If the princess dares to disappoint the queen's love, I will be the first to rush to Nanyang County to argue with the princess."

Queen Mother Zheng was amused: "Okay, don't flatter me here."

Zheng Chen saw it in his eyes and twitched the corner of his mouth sarcastically.

Jiang Shaohua must have sent people to Beijing in advance to bribe Eunuch Zhao with a lot of money... After resurrecting her life, her temperament has changed a lot.

In the past, she refused to bend, but now she has learned to make friends with eunuchs to help her.

Zheng Chen stayed in Jingyang Palace for half a day before resigning and leaving.

Eunuch Lan took the order to escort Zheng Chen out of Jingyang Palace, and whispered close to him: "Young Master, Princess Nanyang sent a golden Buddha to the palace three days ago. The Queen Mother likes this golden Buddha very much."

Zheng Chen paused: "Golden Buddha?"

"Yes," Eunuch Lan replied in a low voice: "A three-foot golden Buddha made of red gold."

It's not copper-plated, it's pure gold from the inside out.

Such a golden Buddha would cost thousands of taels of gold! It is enough to cover the annual tax of Nanyang County.

What a grand gesture! (End of chapter)