Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 478: Seizing Love and Seeking Grace

Ningrong Street, early morning, the sky is just getting light.

The gate of Rongguo Mansion was wide open, lights were bright, sheng and pipes were playing, and occasional cries of grief could be heard.

Today is the day when Jia She will invite the spirit. When the auspicious time arrives, dozens of people in blue clothes line up and come out.

The memorial tablet in front reads: "The coffin of General Jia Gong Enhou, the grandson of General Rongguogong in the Hongjian Zhaonian Buyi Dynasty of Fengtian".

All the furnishings for inviting the spirits were newly made, and they were dazzling and glistening, pouring out of the gate of the mansion like water, giving it a splendid and majestic look.

Jia Lian, Jia Cong and other relatives and sons, carrying the coffin, dressed in hemp clothes and holding the throne, walked at the front of the coffin procession.

All the noble and family friends of the Rong State Jia family were present to see off the funeral, and many of them were high-ranking officials and had great honors.

There is the grandson of Duke Zhenguo Niu Qing, who is currently the inheritor of the first-class baron Niu Jizon; the grandson of Duke Qi Chen Yi, who is the hereditary third-rank general Chen Ruiwen; and the grandson of Duke Liguo Liu Biao, who is currently the inheritor of the first-class son Liu Fang.

The grandson of Duke Zhiguo Ma Kui inherited the title of third-rank General Weiyuan Ma Shang, and the grandson of Duke Xiuguo Hou Xiaoming inherited the title of first-rank son Hou Xiaokang. Duke Xiuguo died, so his grandson Shi Guangzhu was unable to come to mourn.

These six families and the Ning and Rong families are known as the "Eight Lords" in the world.

Others include the grandson of the Prince of Nan'an, the grandson of the Prince of Xining, Shi Nai, the Marquis of Baoling, Shi Ding, the Marquis of Zhongjing, Jiang Zining, the grandson of the Marquis of Pingyuan, the hereditary second-class male, and Qi Jianhui, the grandson of the Marquis of Xiangyang,

Xie Jing, the hereditary second-class male and guerrilla commander of the Beijing camp, was the grandson of Marquis Dingcheng, and Qiu Liang, the grandson of Marquis Jingtian, was the commander of the Five Cities Army.

The rest of the Jia family's children were friendly, such as General Shenwu's son Feng Ziying, Chen Yejun, Wei Ruolan and many other princes and sons, too numerous to mention.

The wives of the nobles also came with more than ten large sedan chairs, thirty small sedan chairs, and servants' vehicles, totaling no less than a hundred vehicles, forming a grand procession that stretched for two miles.

……

The Zhen family of Jinling not only sent two concubines' younger brothers to the capital to pay homage.

Zhen Fangqing was in the palace keeping vigil for the old Concubine Zhen and could not leave, so he specially asked someone from Liu Xian's family to send off the coffin on his behalf.

In fact, when Jia She's body was laid to rest in the West Mansion, Zhen Fangqing sent Liu Xian's wife to the mansion to pay tribute and performed the ceremony with great respect.

Although the marriage decree that was not read out completely was taken away midway, it had already created an inexplicable bond between Zhen Fangqing and Jia Cong.

When Grandmother Jia heard about this, she was also very sad and felt some sympathy for the woman who almost became her granddaughter-in-law.

The most important thing in a woman's life is marriage. Once something goes wrong, she may be unhappy for the rest of her life.

Zhen Fangqing's marriage was granted but her love was taken away, and the Zhen family lost the old Concubine Zhen. The basic basis for her was gone. Three years later, no one would decide her marriage.

Arranging a marriage for a loved one is extremely rare, and I have never heard of a re-arrangement of marriage after a loved one has been abducted.

In the eyes of many outsiders, including Lady Jia, this woman's marriage was doomed to fail. With this aborted marriage decree, no one else dared to marry her.

……

Because it happened to be the time of national mourning for Empress Dowager Zhen, Jia She's etiquette for inviting the spirit away was downgraded by two levels, and all the colorful tents and roadside sacrifices were cancelled.

Therefore, the Prince of Dongping, the Prince of Nangan, the Prince of Xining, etc., each sent their sons and nephews according to their seniority to assist in the funeral procession.

Since Prince Beijing was of the same generation as Jia Cong, he personally went to invite the coffin and attend the funeral.

Others looked at it with a slight frown, but after thinking about the reason carefully, they didn't think it was too abrupt.

The reason for this is nothing more than that Jia Cong and Zhen Fangqing were arranged to marry by the palace, and Princess Beijing and Zhen Fangqing were adopted sisters. Although the marriage was arranged to confuse their love, there was an additional layer of obscure relationship between the two families.

Jia Cong has always been wary of Prince Beijing Shui Rong, not only because this man once coveted Keqing.

Moreover, Prince Beijing was ambitious. He once wanted to compete with Gu Yankui for the high position of commander of nine provinces and wanted to interfere in the affairs of the nine border military garrisons.

At that time, Jia Cong was promoted under Gu Yankui's care and was allowed to enter the Ministry of War as a scholar to observe government affairs. His future career would prosper together with Gu Yankui.

He deduced that the candidate favored by Emperor Jiazhao to command the Nine Garrisons was the Minister of War Gu Yankui.

So he took advantage of the situation and fabricated the incident of Qiu Ju's poem at the Beijing Prince's Palace, in order to kick Beijing Prince Shui Rong out of the competition for the control of the nine provinces.

Although Beijing Prince Shui Rong knew nothing about all this, Jia Cong had already become opposed to this man in his heart and kept a distance from Shui Rong on a daily basis. Shui Rong invited him many times, but he politely declined each time.

This time when Jia She summoned the spirit, Prince Beijing, as one of the four princes, personally attended the funeral with the etiquette for a junior, which seemed a bit conspicuous.

Jia Lian had an expression of being flattered, but since Jia Cong was already a nobleman and was in great filial piety, it was understandable that he only thanked Shui Rong politely and did not do anything overly enthusiastic.

This time, he was forced to marry because of his father's death. The matter had already caused a sensation in the capital, and Jia She's funeral procession had already become a public event.

The funeral started from the palace at an auspicious time, and all the old heroes including the Four Kings and Eight Dukes were present in great splendor.

At such a special moment, the Four Kings and Eight Dukes were demonstrating to the world the significant cohesion between them.

How would Emperor Jia Zhao feel about such a scene? Jia Cong knew very well how he would stand at the funeral.

He could imagine how many secret agents from the China Railway Company were monitoring and recording every move at the funeral.

Including the emperor, each and every one of these veteran nobles is cunning and cunning. Jia Cong really doesn't want to get involved in this muddy water.

Therefore, during the entire process of inviting the spirit and sending off the funeral procession, Jia Lian saw the four kings and eight dukes and the nobles from various families coming out in full force, and there was always an expression of honor on their faces.

Jia Cong's expression was as calm as water throughout the whole process, and there was no sign of joy, anger, or favor.

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

In the early morning, the autumn sun is warm and there is a faint fragrance.

In the study, Jia Cong took out the memorial, spread it out on the table, and prepared to write a memorial of mourning.

Yinglian, who was standing by, was grinding ink obediently.

Two years have passed since Yinglian entered the mansion. She will be fourteen years old next year. She has lived a peaceful and happy life in the past two years, and the little girl has become more and more pretty and charming.

She was wearing a magenta printed double-breasted jacket, a white cross-collared coat, a light pink long skirt, and a bright yellow gold collar around her neck.

She has a slim and graceful figure, curved eyebrows, clear and moist eyes, a thin and straight nose, pink lips, and skin as white as cream. In the middle of her eyebrows, there is a rouge mole that is dazzling and eye-catching.

There is a touching innocence between her flawless eyebrows, which becomes more gentle, beautiful and pleasing to the eye under the reflection of the sunlight.

Yinglian watched Jia Cong write quickly and asked curiously, "Master, I heard from Miss Lin yesterday that Master Dingyou can't be an official, does that mean he can't be an official?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's just that you can't be an official during the period of mourning, but you can resume your duties later."

After Jia She's funeral was over, Jia Cong submitted a petition to the court to observe three years of mourning in accordance with official etiquette.

The mourning period for officials was a filial piety ritual continued by the Great Zhou Dynasty. When an official in office lost his parents, he was required to resign from his official position and observe mourning.

Under normal circumstances, the period of mourning is twenty-seven months. Resuming office after the end of the mourning period is called reinstatement.

However, the actual period of mourning is not the same for officials who hold different positions. Shortening or canceling the mourning period under special circumstances is also known as "Dingyou Duqing".

It was also a necessary procedure for Jia Cong to write a letter to the court to express his mourning for his father's death.

But there was another thing that made Jia Cong very regretful. According to etiquette, the death of parents was subject to restrictions, and according to common practice, the right to participate in the imperial examination would also be deprived.

That is to say, there is a high possibility that he will not be able to take part in the imperial examination at the end of next spring, and the next imperial examination will be in three years. If this really happens, there will be nothing he can do about it.

……

Just as he finished writing the memorial of mourning, the little maid Juan'er came over with a message, saying that an old maid had come to the palace and wanted to give the Third Master a message.

Jia Cong felt puzzled and hurried to the side hall of the inner courtyard.

I saw an old woman sitting in the hall. She was in her forties, wearing palace clothes, with gray and white hair. She had a straight body, elegant features and a solemn expression.

Jia Cong saw that although she was old, she had a unique temperament between her eyebrows, and thought that she must have been an outstanding person when she was young.

When she saw Jia Cong coming in, her eyes narrowed slightly and she said, "Greetings to Lord Weiyuan, I serve the old dowager empress in Qinghe Palace.

Today I came to the palace with the Emperor's oral order. The old Concubine Dowager has been resting in the palace for 21 days. Tomorrow her coffin will be moved to the Imperial Mausoleum. All officials above the fourth rank in the court and all women with honors must escort the coffin.

The Emperor said that the Concubine Dowager valued Weiyuan Earl very much during her lifetime, and asked Weiyuan Earl to accompany the Emperor to guard the spirit tomorrow to show their loyalty and loyalty.

Although Jia Cong did not want his marriage to be arranged by others and was not happy about this arranged marriage, the old Concubine Zhen had no ill will towards him.

He had only met her once, but he could clearly feel the old concubine's appreciation and attention for him.

From the perspective of the former emperor, Concubine Dowager Zhen was her adoptive mother. Although her love for her was taken away from her due to the marriage she arranged, the old concubine still had favor towards her, so she asked him to escort her soul to see it off out of loyalty and loyalty.

Jia Cong said: "Jia Cong obeys the order. Fortunately, the old concubine has favored him. I am grateful in my heart. I will definitely escort the spirit away tomorrow."

After hearing this, the old lady's solemn expression softened slightly.

Jia Cong thought for a moment and asked, "Excuse me, old nanny, is Miss Fang Qing doing well in the palace?"

Although he and Zhen Fangqing were granted an arranged marriage but their love was taken away, the relationship between them was extraordinary. Moreover, Zhen Fangqing was keeping vigil at Qinghe Palace, and this old maid was in the palace's service, so it was reasonable and moral to ask her.

The old nanny glanced at Jia Cong and said, "After the old concubine passed away, Miss Zhen was in great sorrow and kept vigil day and night. She slept very little every day and was very respectful in her mourning.

After the old concubine's coffin was laid to rest, the emperor has granted Miss Zhen the right to mourn for the concubine in the imperial mausoleum for half a year to fulfill her filial duty. "

Jia Cong was slightly surprised when he heard this. Traditionally, filial piety was only limited to direct blood relatives, and the royal family's filial piety was even more strict. Non-blood relatives, princes and grandchildren, were not qualified to observe filial piety.

Zhen Fangqing is the great-granddaughter of Concubine Zhen’s maternal family, and may not even be a direct descendant of the same family, let alone have any relationship with the royal bloodline.

The late emperor granted her the permission to mourn for the old empress dowager in the imperial mausoleum for half a year, which was an act that went beyond royal etiquette and was a great favor to her.

The old nanny delivered the oral instruction, glanced at Jia Cong, and then said goodbye and left.

Jia Cong thought that Jia's mother, Mrs. Wang and other noble ladies would definitely escort the old empress dowager to her burial tomorrow, so he asked Qingwen to go to the West Mansion to pass on the message that the Jia family and others would leave the mansion together tomorrow.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Grandmother Jia, Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang were sitting quietly. Wang Xifeng was dressed in mourning clothes, but her face looked full of energy.

"My ancestor, we will escort the dowager concubine to the mausoleum tomorrow. All the carriages and horses have been arranged. I will also select the smartest maids and servants to go with us. Because the old dowager concubine is entering the mausoleum, there are various rules and etiquette before and after, which will take three days. I am looking for a courtyard to stay here, and Miss Zhen, the second concubine of Beijing, sent a message.

It is said that the Beijing Prince's Mansion has rented a suitable place and has left the East Upper Courtyard to the old lady, while the Beijing Prince's Concubine Dowager and the prince and his wife all live in the West Lower Courtyard.

My wife and I live near the East Upper Courtyard, which is very convenient for serving our ancestors."

This time, when the coffin of Old Concubine Zhen was placed in the imperial mausoleum, all officials above the fourth rank and members of the noble families were required to escort the coffin to the burial. Lady Jia, Madam Xing, and Madam Wang were among those guarding the coffin.

However, Mrs. Xing had just lost her husband and needed to avoid taboos, so it was not appropriate for her to escort the coffin for the concubine. Therefore, the clan office asked Wang Xifeng to escort the coffin instead, because Wang Xifeng was the wife of the prince of Rong and would inherit the title in the future.

This piece of news was an obvious signal, and Lady Jia, Mrs. Wang and others all knew it.

Wang Xifeng was even more overjoyed. The imperial edict and honor she had longed for was now within reach.

Therefore, Wang Xifeng has been very motivated in her work these days and has become more filial and attentive in front of the old lady.

Grandmother Jia said, "The second young lady of the Zhen family is a good person. Although she is a princess, she still has all the proper etiquette. Moreover, the Jia and Zhen families almost became in-laws this time."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "What the old lady said is true. The second and third Miss Zhen of the Zhen family in Jinling are indeed very good.

Take Miss Zhen San, for example. Although her marriage with my third brother didn’t work out, she sent people to express her condolences several times during the eldest master’s funeral. She was thoughtful. It’s a pity that she and my third brother didn’t become husband and wife.”

At this time, Yuanyang came over to reply, saying, "Madam, Qingwen, who was beside the Third Master, came over to tell him that the Third Master had just received an oral order from the Emperor in the palace.

Let the Third Master escort the Dowager Concubine's coffin into the mausoleum tomorrow, and then the Third Master will go out with the old lady and the wife."

Jia Zheng was delighted when he heard this and said, "Madam, to escort the old dowager's coffin to rest in peace this time requires an official of the fourth rank or above. Cong is only a fifth rank official now, so he can have this honor.

Although his marriage was forfeited due to his father's death, the retired emperor still values ​​him as much as ever. It is truly a great favor from the emperor that Cong'er is valued so much by his father and son.

Originally, if Cong'er could pass the imperial examination next spring, he would surely be able to obtain the title of Jinshi. However, due to his father's death, he is afraid that he will be deprived of the imperial examination, which is quite a pity.

Otherwise, next year the Jia family of Rongguo will have a disciple who has passed the imperial examination, and Cong'er's career will no longer be limited to the fifth rank."

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia felt mixed emotions. Every time the old lady heard about Jia Cong's outstanding achievements, it was reasonable for her to be happy, after all, he was her own grandson.

However, when it came to seeking attention, Jia Cong went a little too far, which always made the old lady feel inexplicably pressured.

In the final analysis, it was because Grandmother Jia became increasingly aware that there was a huge gap between her grandsons.

Jia Lian, Baoyu and other legitimate sons achieved nothing, but Jia Cong, a concubine's son, was granted a title and became an official, and became famous throughout the world.

In a large mansion, the problem is not the lack of wealth but the inequality. With such huge differences between the children, there will inevitably be hidden dangers of imbalance and unrest.

When Jia Cong made military achievements in Liaodong, the clan office, for some unknown reason, sent people to the Jia Mansion to propose changing the crown prince. This was a clear sign of this.

……

Grandmother Jia frowned and said to Jia Zheng, "When your master was dying, he left a will asking the emperor to grant you an official position. From then on, you have been troubled and have been obsessed with the word "examination" for half your life.

Your Zhu'er is a good student, that's all, but my Baoyu is forced to study by you every day, so when he sees you, he loses half his courage, just like avoiding a cat or a mouse.

Now you are pinning all your hopes on Congge'er for the success of your studies.

For a family like ours, it is of utmost importance for our children and grandchildren to preserve the honors and family business handed down by our ancestors. There is no need to force anything else.

That kid was granted a title at the age of fourteen, and he had earned such a fortune, so what was there to be unsatisfied about? Why would he go through all the trouble of taking the imperial examination?

You should also stop telling him about his decent academic background. The proper thing is to keep his current title and official position secure.

Are you willing to make this kid a marquis and a prime minister? If you really want to make it so ostentatious, it may not be a good thing. "

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "The old lady has been through a lot, so what she said is reasonable. However, the master also hopes that his children will be outstanding, so this is a good intention."

Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall was a bit awkward, Wang Xifeng hurried over to join in the fun.

This was Wang Xifeng's greatest skill, which immediately made the atmosphere in the hall smooth again, making Jia Zheng feel like he had fallen into a pile of cotton, unable to find any place to exert any strength.

Jia Zheng sighed slightly in his heart, but this was not the first time he had heard Lady Jia's wise words. Although he felt uncomfortable, he seemed to have long been accustomed to the teachings.

Jia Zheng felt that the atmosphere in his family was getting worse day by day, but he had no good way to solve it.

He patiently chatted with Lady Jia for a few words, and when he saw that Lady Jia's expression had relaxed again, he found an excuse to return to Mengpo Zhai Study.

Shan Pinren, Zhan Guang and others are here today, and Jia Zheng feels that it would be more comfortable to discuss poetry and prose with the guests, so as to avoid trouble alone.

……

The next day, the team escorting the coffin of Old Concubine Zhen set out from Ci'an Gate of the Great Zhou Palace.

All the high-ranking officials and nobles who participated in escorting the coffin of the Concubine Dowager had been waiting on both sides of the Ci'an Gate early in the morning. When the funeral procession left the palace gate, they each joined the team.

Soon, a team that stretched for several miles, with flags flying and a majestic and grand momentum, marched towards the mausoleum of Emperor Hongxuan on the southern outskirts of the city.

Emperor Jiazhao not only asked the empress of the time to personally send off the coffin, he also sent his two adult princes, Prince Zhao and Prince Ning, to escort the coffin. There was also a large number of princes, princesses, and princes-in-law of the royal family who also sent off the coffin.

Not to mention the hundreds of high-ranking officials above the fourth rank, as well as all the nobles and imperial edicts in the Shenjing City.

The funeral procession of Empress Dowager Zhen was extremely rare in terms of its high standards and grandeur.

When Jia Cong saw such a grand funeral procession and thought of Emperor Jia Zhao's usual schemes and tactics, he felt more cautious and vigilant.

He recalled that in the original course of events, not long after the death of the old Concubine Zhen, the Zhen family in Jinling was dismissed from office and their property was confiscated by the emperor.

The news that Jia She and Zhen Shiwen were involved in the smuggling and manufacturing of muskets has now been reported to the palace through the Jinling Jinyiwei. Emperor Jia Zhao will definitely conduct a thorough investigation of this.

It was only a matter of time before the Zhen and Jia families were implicated and convicted.

If he had not handed over the drawings of the breech-loading rifle in time, and if Jia She had not died so timely, the Jinyiwei would have probably dug out important information from Jia She, and the disaster would have come long ago.

But the whole incident will not be completely wiped out with the death of Zhen Shiwen and Jia She. If you pursue things in this world relentlessly and get to the bottom of them, you will always find clues.

Emperor Jiazhao accorded such high-level courtesy to the funeral of Concubine Zhen, which was far beyond previous precedents and was extraordinary. The emperor's grace was so great that it shocked the court and the country.

However, if something happens to the Zhen family in the future, the emperor will impose strict criminal laws, strip them of their titles and confiscate their property. This is also a strict national law that treats both the guilty and the virtuous equally, without bias, and it will be difficult for others to point fingers!

……

The burial and coffin-installing ceremony lasted for three days and was carried out with great grandness and luxury. When everything was completed, members of the royal family, officials, and officials who had participated in the funeral procession all returned to the city.

Jia Cong also followed the carriage of Jia Mu and others, preparing to return to Ningrong Street together.

After the carriages and horses left the imperial mausoleum and walked for two cups of tea, Jia Cong suddenly saw a large carriage parked on the side of the road. Beside the carriage were several guards, a woman and a little maid.

Jia Cong recognized that the woman was the manager of the inner courtyard of Jin Caizhen's household, who had been ordered by Zhen Fangqing to go to Rongguo Mansion to pay homage to Jia She.

Jia Cong had met the pretty maid a few times in Jinling. She was Zhen Fangqing's personal maid, but he didn't know her name.

Jia Cong was only slightly stunned when he saw the little maid waving at him and running towards him quickly. Jia Cong asked the team to stop the horse, turned his horse around, and galloped away slowly.

Marquis Weiyuan, I am Bei'er, the third young lady's maid. Our young lady is in the car. Please come over to meet her.

Jia Cong's heart trembled slightly. When he first met Zhen Fangqing in Jinling, he had always admired this talented woman, but after all, they didn't interact much, so that was it.

That's why he resisted the sudden arranged marriage, but after all these twists and turns, Zhen Fangqing almost became his wife.

Although his father had forfeited his love for him and granted him marriage, he couldn't help but have a strange feeling towards Zhen Fangqing, a feeling that was both familiar and unfamiliar, and very different from the day they met in Jinling.

Jia Cong dismounted, climbed onto the shaft of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and smelled a delicate and refreshing fragrance.

I saw Zhen Fangqing sitting in the car, wearing a plain white dress of mourning, with a loose belt, simple and unpretentious, beautiful and elegant, with a graceful demeanor.

Her long hair was simply tied into a bun, and she wore no other jewelry. Her beautiful eyes were as clear as water, full of light, as if she could see into people's hearts at a glance.

When she saw Jia Cong come in, she smiled slightly, with dimples slightly visible on her snow-white, crystal-clear face, and she was charming, graceful and elegant, without any of the reservedness of a girl in the boudoir.

Jia Cong found that she was almost a circle thinner than when she was in Jinling. Although her eyes were clear, they could not hide a hint of fatigue.

Zhen Fangqing said, "Yuzhang, it's been a long time since we last met in Jinling. After I arrived in Shenjing, I have been staying in the palace. Today, I specially invite you to see me."

Jia Cong replied, "Miss San, you have lost a lot of weight since you were in Jinling. I hope you will accept my condolences and take care of yourself."

Zhen Fangqing smiled and said, "When you arrived in Jinling, I said that when we had some free time, we would drink wine, sweep the couch, write poems and play the zither, and have a good time together, but we never had the chance."

At this point, Zhen Fangqing blushed slightly: "At that time, I never thought that you and I would have what we have today. We almost...almost did it... Maybe we are really not destined to be together."

Jia Cong has always been eloquent, but when he heard the uncontrollable sadness in Zhen Fangqing's words, he didn't know what to say.

Zhen Fangqing smiled slightly, the shyness of a young girl on her face slowly disappeared, her expression became clear again, and she said, "I have received the emperor's permission to observe mourning for the concubine in the imperial mausoleum for half a year.

I know that Yuzhang is the first place winner in the Yongzhou County Examination. He will definitely be awarded the title of Jinshi in the late spring of next year. By that time, I should still be in the capital and be able to see Yuzhang's glory in the examination."

When Jia Cong saw Zhen Fangqing change the subject, he felt slightly relieved.

But when she mentioned the Spring Examination, a bitter smile appeared on his face: "My father has just passed away. According to the etiquette of the imperial court, I must be deprived of my love for the Spring Examination this time. I can probably only take the Spring Examination three years later."

After hearing this, Zhen Fangqing looked at Jia Cong's regretful expression, her beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and she comforted him: "Now that your uncle has passed away, you have been deprived of your love... and granted marriage.

Perhaps His Majesty will be gracious and no longer deprive us of the imperial examinations, but there is no need to worry too much."

Jia Cong smiled slightly: "I hope it will be as the Third Miss said."

Zhen Fangqing smiled again and said, "I have been living alone in the capital for half a year. When it is time to return to Jinling, Yu Zhang will come to see me off. I don't know when we will meet again after this."

Jia Cong nodded affirmatively and replied, "I will definitely come then."

Zhen Fangqing glanced at him again and said, "Your family is still waiting, go back first and we'll see each other later."

After Jia Cong got off the carriage, Zhen Fangqing lifted the curtain and watched the Jia family's convoy go away.

She thought for a moment and said to her maid Bei'er, "Tell the driver to return to the palace immediately."

Bei Er asked curiously, "You have already settled down in the imperial mausoleum, why do you suddenly want to return to the palace now?"

Zhen Fangqing's eyes were full of light as she said, "I will go back to the palace to ask the emperor for a favor."

(End of this chapter)