Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 256: Stir it up
……

The same Lantern Festival on the 15th.

In a side hall of Fengzao Palace, Jia Yuanchun sat in front of the mirror, absent-mindedly doing her evening makeup.

Originally, she could go home and reunite with her family after the 15th.

But after she learned that her mother was punished and sent to a small Buddhist temple and her younger brother Baoyu was bullied, her mind gradually changed.

How could she watch her mother suffer and her brother being bullied?
If she went back, she would just be an ordinary girl in the family. Moreover, she was already old and would get married soon. It would be difficult for her to even meet the clan leader.

The only way to save my mother is...

Thinking of this, Yuanchun bit her red lips and made up her mind.

Tonight is a good opportunity. She can meet the emperor at the royal reunion banquet. If the emperor is still interested in her, it will definitely work out.

"Girl, you look so beautiful today." After Baoqin had done her makeup for Yuanchun, she looked at the beauty in the mirror and said with a smile.

Yuanchun couldn't help but touch her cheek. Although twenty years old was a little old, it was still the best age for a girl.

The skin is white, tender and smooth like water.

In particular, Fengzao Palace has no shortage of food and pharmacy for maintaining beauty. Under the care of the Queen, she has become more and more beautiful in recent years.

"Stop talking nonsense. I'm old."

Yuanchun sighed.

She knew very well that once she took this step, there would be no turning back. She would be locked up in the palace for the rest of her life and would never have the chance to return home for a reunion.

"You are not old, girl. I think you are prettier than a sixteen-year-old princess."

Yuanchun glared at her.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"Hurry up and pack up, let's go to Daming Palace."

"what?"

Baoqin was stunned for a moment, her eyes full of confusion.

In the past, Yuanchun had always deliberately avoided these things. Why was she so proactive today? She even spent half a day dressing up?

Yuanchun said with a straight face: "What? Go and get ready!"

"Ai."

Baoqin quickly agreed and went inside to clean up.

Soon the lights came on.

The master and servant, holding lanterns, entered the brightly lit Daming Palace one after the other.

……

Emperor Anping has been more diligent recently than before. He carefully reviews almost every memorial from all over the country. The Imperial Household Department is just a decoration in his hands, serving tea and water.

He firmly believed that as long as he worked diligently, he would become a good emperor who would be remembered forever.

Today is the Lantern Festival. Emperor Anping plans to take a short break and hold a banquet in the Daming Palace to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

After three rounds of drinks, he suddenly noticed someone.

A charming woman.

Jia Yuanchun.

Emperor Anping still had a very deep memory of Jia Yuanchun, the stubborn, cold look and firm voice when she rejected him...

Very different from ordinary women.

Moreover, Jia Yuanchun seemed to be particularly charming tonight, and she would steal glances at herself from time to time.

Ha ha.

Emperor Anping smiled.

I am the supreme ruler!
There is nothing you cannot get if you want it!
As he thought about it, Emperor Anping's heart gradually became hot.

suddenly.

He thought of Jia Yuanchun's uncle Jia Jing again!
It was like a bucket of cold water was poured over my head.

Jia Jing was already a high-ranking official with enormous power, and only Ye Xiang could barely suppress him. (Ye Xiang was bitter in his heart: Your Majesty, you think too highly of me. I am already suffocating under your pressure.)
If I favor Jia Yuanchun, I would have to at least be made a noble concubine to explain it.

By then, will anyone be able to suppress Jia Jing?

No!

I cannot be seduced by beauty.

Perhaps, this is exactly Jia Jing's conspiracy.

He tried to make me obsessed with beauty so that he could take control of the world.

Emperor Anping secretly pinched his palm to force himself to calm down, but his gaze towards Jia Yuanchun gradually became more infatuated.

The emperor also has his own helplessness.

What you can't get is good.

I don't know when my father will be able to achieve enlightenment and become an immortal.

At that time, there were no more constraints. Lord Jia, Lord Zhen, and Lord Ye all had to crawl at his feet and allow himself to be whipped and ordered around.

No need to look ahead or behind anymore! …

The fiery gaze of Emperor Anping just now naturally could not be hidden from the empress, concubines and other guests present who had become shrewd.

Some are jealous and some are worried.

The Empress thought to herself: Jia Yuanchun, oh Jia Yuanchun, you can't escape after all.

Every woman who entered the palace became a pawn, a pawn of her family and the emperor, and her fate was to be manipulated by others.

Concubine Wu thought: It turns out that the vixen Jia Yuanchun was just pretending to be so charming just to attract the emperor's attention!

hateful!

Humph, let’s wait and see!

Don't think it's a big deal to have a minister at home.

I already have two princes!

After a while, the banquet was over.

Everyone thought that Emperor Anping would keep Jia Yuanchun and favor her.

But unexpectedly, Emperor Anping did not make any expression, and did not even look at Jia Yuanchun.

This made everyone feel happy about the misfortune.

Some people have begun to chuckle and ridicule in private.

"You are already middle-aged and yet you come here and dress up like a seductress. Do you think you are a beauty?"

"That's right, you are so shameless."

Jia Yuanchun naturally heard it and felt very bored.

After returning to the palace, he began to pack his luggage and prepare to leave the palace.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to help her mother out of her suffering.

There is really nothing I can do!
……

The lights were on all night long during the Lantern Festival, and the crowds gradually thinned out in the early hours of the morning.

Jia Rong and his companions played until the fourth watch and returned home with great pleasure.

After returning home, they all went to bed and didn't mention it anymore.

On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, Jia Lian, Xue Ke, Jia Yun and others set out for Southeast Asia.

Jia Rong got up early and went to the Shili Pavilion outside the south city to see everyone off.

"Second uncle, brothers, I wish you a safe journey, great achievements in Southeast Asia, and the prestige of our Great Xia nation... At the same time, please take care of yourselves and don't be fascinated by foreign beauties."

"hey-hey."

"Haha."

Everyone laughed for a while.

Jia Lian was already impatient, and waved his hand and smiled, "I'll be watching over them, what else do you have to worry about? Rong'er, go back, we're leaving."

"I'm not at ease just because my second uncle is here. I feel at ease because they have been there many times." Jia Rong said seriously.

"You two should take good care of your uncle. Your aunt said that if your uncle is useless when he comes back, you two will be held responsible."

Xue Ke laughed and said, "Don't worry, Brother Rong. We will remind Second Uncle not to mess around with other girls outside, so that he won't become useless due to overwork."

Jia Yun: "Yes..."

Jia Lian felt that his elder's authority had fallen to the ground.

What does it mean to be overworked and useless?

"You guys, explain to me clearly what you mean by useless? Do you want us to try it right now?"

"You guys try, I'm going back to study."

Jia Rong hurriedly slipped away.

It was already noon when we returned to the South City Gate. Colorful flags were fluttering at the gate, and the Dragon Guards were blocking the road. Further back, civil and military officials were lined up on both sides.

The scene is very spectacular.

Welcoming the triumphant army.

Jia Rong seemed to see Wang Ziteng, riding on a tall horse, looking very majestic and showy.

The rest of the people also held their heads high and their noses in the air, like victorious generals.

As for how the great victory in the Northwest came about, I have long forgotten it.

In fact, deceiving the emperor is nothing. Being able to deceive yourself is a real skill.

Jia Rong didn't look at him any further. He turned around, put his hands behind his back, smiled slightly, and entered the city through the small door at the side.

Stir it, stir it.

I'm just looking around.

……

(End of this chapter)