novelaction Chapter 873 The Xu Family Returns!
Chapter 873 The Xu Family Returns!
When the jewelry was delivered to the Minister's residence again, the effect was naturally quite different from before.
Moreover, the way the father-in-law addressed the woman who brought the gifts this time was different.
When they sent the gifts before, they only said that they were from the Crown Princess to Miss Sun.
This time, however, it was the Empress who bestowed it upon the Crown Prince's wife.
This is tantamount to the Empress acknowledging the Crown Princess's status, and at the same time, it is a tacit indication that she will stand by Sun Ruomei and support her.
In this way, Sun Ruomei's status no longer seems to be a problem. After all, she had previously received a marriage decree from the Empress Dowager, and now she has received a reward from the Empress. Who would dare to say that Sun Ruomei is marrying above her station with Duanmu Xing?
With a new emperor ascending the throne, there are naturally many things to do.
Sometimes Duanmu Chuze would rest directly in the study, afraid of returning too late and disturbing Mu Xinnuan's rest.
Mu Xin Nuan learned that he was simply too busy. She knew that many things could only be done by him, the emperor, and since it was the beginning of his reign as a new emperor, he naturally couldn't give his ministers the impression that he was neglecting his duties.
Mu Xin Nuan then prepared nourishing medicinal meals every day and sent them to the Imperial Study.
However, Mu Xin Nuan was a clever woman. She never went to deliver the food herself. Instead, she would go to the outside of the Imperial Study herself, and then have Steward De take it inside. She would wait until he finished eating before taking the empty bowl back.
So, once or twice, neither the emperor nor anyone else knew. But after it happened many times, many ministers caught it.
The officials noticed that the Empress always waited outside the palace, and that the Emperor seemed unaware of this, so they understood that the Empress did not want to participate in the Imperial Advisor's activities. The Imperial Study was where the Emperor reviewed memorials and even occasionally received ministers; her avoidance of it earned her the favor of many ministers.
That day, when the Ming King came out of the Imperial Study, he immediately saw Mu Xin Nuan.
"Second Imperial Brother," Mu Xin Nuan greeted him with a smile.
King Ming was taken aback. He looked at her, then at the inside, and laughed, "Why don't you go in, sister-in-law?"
"Isn't the Imperial Study the same as the study in a minister's home? How can a woman enter there so casually?"
The Prince of Ming laughed and said, “You don’t need to be so reserved. If the Emperor knew that you were waiting here every day, he would probably be heartbroken.”
"Those below naturally dared not utter a word. As long as the Second Prince did not speak, then the Emperor would naturally not know."
King Ming raised an eyebrow, realizing that he was going to have to keep the secret.
"Very well, this is not bad for you. Don't worry, the Emperor will not be so busy in a few days. When he has time, you won't have to work so hard."
"I must thank Brother Ming for his help."
"Your Majesty is too kind."
"Brother Ming, I heard that Prince Duanmu is about to return to the capital?"
"Yes, it should arrive in the next couple of days."
“Brother Ming, when he returns, please ask Second Sister-in-law to bring him to the palace for a visit. We are all family, so let’s not be too formal.”
"Okay, I'll go first."
When Mu Xin Nuan turned around, she saw Duanmu Chu Ze standing under the eaves with a dark expression. Startled, she quickly ran over, "Why did you come out?"
"How would I know that my wife was waiting outside the study every day if I didn't come out?"
Mu Xin Nuan chuckled lightly, "I was just worried about interfering with your official duties. Brother Ming just said that you've already finished more than half of your tasks. You should have some free time later."
Duanmu Chuze was furious at the sight of her smiling face, but he couldn't vent his anger.
"Let's go, accompany me to Chengqian Palace to rest." Duanmu Chuze took her hand and slowly strolled along.
"Aze, Duanmu Xing will be returning to the capital soon. Do you have any plans for their wedding date?"
"You can make the decision on this matter. Let the Imperial Observatory choose an auspicious day in August."
"August?"
Duanmu Chuze chuckled, "Haven't you always hoped they would get married as soon as possible? Ideally, after Sun Ruomei gives birth to her son next year, then that Lu Xiaoxiao could enter the family?"
Feeling a little embarrassed that he had seen through her thoughts, Mu Xin Nuan asked, "How could you have guessed so accurately?"
"That's right! Don't you know who I am? As long as it's not a major matter in the court, you can make the decision. You can discuss it with your second sister-in-law another day. Anyway, the engagement is already set, and the marriage is just a matter of time. However, I estimate that your second sister-in-law would like Duanmu Xing to get married sooner rather than later."
"Well, what I'm worried about now is what if Duanmu Xing isn't satisfied with Sun Ruomei?"
"Probably not? Although Sun Ruomei isn't particularly famous for her talent, she's never had any bad rumors about her. Besides, Sun Ruomei is quite pretty, so there's no reason for Duanmu Xing not to like her."
That being said, Duanmu Chuze was actually quite unsure about this arranged marriage.
The main reason was that he disliked this kind of arranged marriage.
But that's just how society is; no matter how much he hates it, there's no way he can really change it.
Two days later, Madam Sun and Sun Ruomei received an imperial edict from the Empress, ordering them to enter the palace to pay their respects.
The mother and daughter got up early, dressed up, and talked in the front hall, waiting for the right time before entering the palace.
"Mother, I heard from a young lady of the Wang family that Wang Xinyan is already on her way back to the capital. Do you think that once she returns, my sister will also return to the capital?"
Madam Sun was momentarily stunned; she had truly never heard such words before.
Is this news true?
Sun Ruomei nodded. "I met a young lady from the Wang family last time, and she told me this herself."
"May Buddha bless me, and may everything be alright. That way, I can see my daughter soon."
“Mother, Her Majesty the Empress has been incredibly kind to our Sun family. The Empress Dowager never dared to bestow such a favor before, out of consideration for the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor. But now, Her Majesty the Empress has actually done so, which shows that she is a very insightful person.”
"Yes, no matter how uncomfortable the Emperor Emeritus was, he would never dislike his great-grandson. The Empress Dowager was probably worried that the Emperor would be unhappy."
"Fortunately, things have mostly settled down now. Perhaps, once my sister returns to the capital, she will never leave again."
Madam Sun smiled wryly, "I hope that day will really come."
"Reporting to Madam, the lady from over there has come again. This time, she brought two young ladies with her. Judging from their attire, they must be relatives from her maternal family."
Madam Sun snorted coldly, "Go and tell her that my daughter and I are about to enter the palace and have no time to see her. If we delay our entry into the palace, she will suffer the consequences!"
"Yes, ma'am."
Sun Ruomei's face also looked rather unpleasant. She had never thought her stepmother was too outrageous before, but why did she start making such a fuss as soon as she heard about her engagement?