0p0 Chapter 277 First Visit to the Capital
Chapter 277 First Visit to the Capital
Facing the setting sun.
The carriage slowly drove into the city.
My first day back in Beijing was supposed to be a happy one.
The appearance of that scumbag father was somewhat of a downer.
Outside the car, the crowd was bustling, but inside the car, it was unusually quiet.
Both Mother and Aunt Jiangyue were in a bad mood, their faces were stern, and they probably wanted to beat someone up.
When her scumbag father said that a divorce was possible and the child could stay, Jiang Miaomiao felt her mother's fists clench tightly, and the veins on the back of her hands bulged.
If he dared to say that to his mother when no one was around.
They're definitely going to get beaten up.
It is said that those who are close to vermilion are red, and those who are close to ink are black.
The year I met my mother, she was still gentle, and she would use her words instead of her hands whenever possible.
Even if they were to take action, they would do so secretly.
Ever since Aunt Xiuxiu came.
Mother will no longer tolerate what she should or shouldn't tolerate.
The two began to let loose and be themselves.
Now we have another Aunt Jiang Yue with explosive fighting skills.
Jiang Miaomiao felt that it would be reasonable for them to do something.
The little girl wisely quieted down, moved silently to the car window, and lifted the curtain.
Look at the bustling traffic and the throngs of visitors.
See the bustling streets, see the pavilions and buildings
Watch the vendors hawking their wares, observe the everyday life of the marketplace.
It seems that Prince Su's rebellion had little impact on the people of the capital.
Either the people have too much faith in the imperial court, or they have become accustomed to it.
Jiang Miaomiao hopes it's the former.
She dislikes war.
She likes it like this: looking at the bustling streets, eating delicious food, and having her whole family together.
Little Jiang Miaomiao rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
As my gaze wandered, I spotted a figure on the second floor of a teahouse on the street.
Looking at his profile, he looks somewhat familiar.
Looking at it from the front, it looks very familiar.
In this situation, you're usually either seeing someone you know or someone you hate.
Under the emperor's nose, no one should dare to lay a hand on them anymore, and even if they did, they wouldn't dare to be so blatant.
Qi Caiwei's fear of them returning to the capital suggests that she is also quite wary of her mother.
But they still came.
I can't make you angry.
Seeing her daughter's unusual behavior, Lu Qingyao followed her gaze and peeked out, only to see the mother and daughter glaring angrily on the second floor of the restaurant.
This mother and daughter, they hate each other more than the other.
Especially the younger one, don't let her young age fool you, she's much more cunning and ruthless than her mother.
They might become a menace when they grow up.
"Miaomiao, it's dangerous! Don't stick your head out anymore!" Jiang Miaomiao was having a great time when her mother scooped her back up.
Come to think of it, the Qi family is a powerful and influential family in the capital. If someone were to shoot her from upstairs, she would be finished.
Not cost-effective. Not cost-effective.
Jiang Miaomiao grinned and giggled at the two people upstairs.
Her smile drew the attention of several people in the restaurants across the street.
Some were saddened, while others were angry.
In a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, Princess Yuqing, wearing a veiled hat, stood by the window.
He stared intently at the caravan downstairs, his gaze finally settling on the horse-drawn carriage.
She gripped the fan handle tightly, her heart surging with excitement.
She saw her daughter.
The little girl leaned out of the car window, her big, round eyes looking around, her smile bright and unrestrained.
With that kind of appearance, who else could she be but her daughter?
Her tiny, lotus-root-like hands held a small windmill, swaying it freely by the window.
Her laughter was like silver bells, clear and melodious.
It was clear that the little girl was very happy, and she kept glancing at the boy next to the carriage.
There were two boys, the younger one keeping her company while she talked.
The older one helped her buy things, and he bought whatever the little girl pointed to, running back and forth between her.
Suddenly the little girl's smile froze.
Looking in their direction, my gaze landed on the neighboring house.
The little girl smiled at the neighbor next door.
He grinned and made a mischievous face.
While laughing, he was suddenly hugged back by the woman in the car behind him and the curtain was lowered.
Princess Yuqing watched the caravan depart with lingering reluctance, as it drove further and further away.
“Granny Feng, it’s Miaomiao, it’s her.”
“Yes, Princess, it’s her…” Granny Feng looked at the little girl, who seemed to have grown up a lot since she last saw her for more than half a year.
Girls change a lot as they grow up; young girls really do grow up quickly.
However, her eyebrows and eyes are becoming more and more like those of the eldest princess.
"Granny, go see who's in the private room next door?"
My daughter's smile just now was a little strange, it was that smug smile.
It seemed like I saw someone familiar.
Qi Caiwei and her daughter stood on the second floor of a shop facing the street, watching the passing vehicles below.
They spotted the little boy smiling at them immediately.
Surprisingly, I could detect a hint of provocation in the little guy's eyes.
Jiang Zijin's eyes were practically overflowing with hatred; this kid just deserved a beating.
She doesn't like having a younger sister; she thinks she only takes away attention from her family.
It's more like keeping it as a pet.
She likes to go to her grandmother's place whenever she has free time, and ask someone to bring Xiao Zishu over.
It's so cute to watch the little baby crawling around on the floor.
Like a puppy.
One minute you bump into this spot, the next you stumble over that spot.
Seeing Aunt Tao standing in the courtyard wiping away tears, yet not daring to contradict her grandmother.
She found it very interesting.
It's laughable, really. This Aunt Tao was a perfectly respectable young woman, yet she insisted on becoming her father's mistress, his concubine.
She got what she wanted, but then felt like everyone owed her something.
Didn't she know that being a concubine meant losing one's personal freedom and having to be subservient and serve one's master?
This is especially true for those like her who have no family background.
As for Jiang Miaomiao, it would be more interesting if her father kept her at home.
She might be even more interesting than Xiao Shushu.
She had actually heard what the people were saying.
Father actually went to pick up Lu Qingyao and her son, even though he had promised Mother he would get a divorce.
It was obvious that this was done for his maternal grandfather; he was rebelling against his grandfather in his own way.
My father was actually a very conflicted person.
Despite relying on his maternal grandfather both inside and outside the court, he still considers himself superior, smiling more beautifully than anyone else and speaking more eloquently than anyone else.
They turn around and pretend to be more innocent than anyone else, but behind your back they are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant.
"Mother, is it really true that the Lu family can never come back?"
Qi Caiwei gripped her handkerchief tightly, staring at the carriages and horses below, her teeth practically grinding to powder.
He only snapped out of his daze when his daughter asked him that question.
She felt slightly better after talking about the Lu family.
He said to his daughter, "Of course they can't come back. Your maternal grandfather has always been cautious in his actions. Embezzling military funds is no small crime. If Lu Qingyao hadn't given up all her dowry and the Mu family hadn't pleaded for her, they wouldn't have survived to this day."
She just couldn't understand it. The Lu family was in such a state, and Lu Qingyao had agreed to a divorce, yet her husband changed his mind.
They actually went around banging drums and gongs to take her back.
Although this was a stopgap measure, it was still frustrating.
In the end, it was all Mu Jiangyue's fault. But she had the Empress Dowager backing her up and married into such a family that no one dared to mess with her.
Why are these noble ladies allowed to bully others so arrogantly?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt.
Jiang Zijin seemed to be deep in thought, and said softly, "Mother, if Madam Lu really divorces Father and loses the Jiang family's support, then shouldn't she, as a member of a disgraced official's family, be unable to continue staying in the capital?"
Qi Caiwei's eyes lit up. "That's right, my dear daughter, how come I didn't think of that?"
She couldn't wait to go back to the Qi residence to tell her father about this. How could the daughter of a disgraced official continue to enjoy wealth and luxury after a divorce?
Other families of disgraced officials were either exiled, enslaved, or even forced into prostitution, reduced to slavery.
No matter how many people pleaded for her, the laws of Liang would not tolerate her.
Jiang Zijin raised her pretty little face and said with a smile, "Mother, why bother grandfather with such a small matter? Do you know that because the Liang Dynasty has been short of food and supplies in recent years, and now we are about to set off to attack Prince Su, many civil officials in the court have brought up the old matter again and are criticizing Lu Huai'an in court."
Qi Caiwei, of course, knew nothing about it.
How could her husband say such things to her?
But how could a young girl who hasn't even reached marriageable age be concerned about national affairs?
Jiang Zijin knew that her mother did not understand her meaning at all, and continued, "When Prince Su rebelled, he unexpectedly pushed the Lu family into the eye of the storm, so naturally the Lu family woman did not get any benefit."
“That’s right. Once Lu Qingyao leaves the Jiang family, we’ll spread the news of her divorce. She’ll have plenty of trouble waiting for her, which will save us the trouble of taking action.”
Qi Caiwei's eyes lit up even more after hearing this.
All the unpleasantness of the past few days vanished at this moment, and looking at the food on the table, I felt great.
We ate more than we should have.
She had heard people talking about it, and Lu Qingyao would come to her door to ask for a divorce in three days.
She wants to take a few kids with her, right? Then let her take them. As long as she leaves the Jiang family, she can have whatever she wants.
She'll have to pay for it sooner or later.
Jiang Zijin and her daughter were enjoying their meal.
Princess Yuqing in the next private room had a face as black as ink, and her eyes gleamed with a cold light.
With her head bowed, Granny Feng reported the entire conversation between Qi Caiwei and her daughter to the Princess.
"Your Highness, the Qi mother and daughter are still gloating. They never imagined that this restaurant belongs to the Prince Jing's mansion, let alone that there are partitions between the rooms in this restaurant."
To be honest, this mother and daughter are truly vicious. If the princess hadn't come here today, or hadn't noticed anything amiss, wouldn't she have been able to take advantage of the situation?
However, the current situation is indeed unfavorable for Madam Lu.
Even the emperor could not silence the dissenting voices of his court officials.
But what kind of person is the eldest princess? How could she allow the little princess's adoptive mother to be bullied?
Lu Qingyao learned the gist of the criticism leveled against the Lu family during a chat with her friend.
“It is normal for the national treasury to be empty, but Brother Mu, take a look at the batch of silver that has been transported back to the capital. It should be able to alleviate some of the immediate crisis. Besides, the autumn harvest season is just around the corner, so there shouldn’t be a shortage of food.”
However, considering that the Great Liang Dynasty has only been established for a little over a hundred years, although it has a strong military, it has spent a lot of gold and silver to address the problems left by the previous dynasty, build new water conservancy projects, reform taxes, and promote agriculture and sericulture.
The treasury of Daliang is indeed not full at present.
Although it is almost autumn harvest time, this journey has taken us from south to north.
Although the south is a land of plenty and rarely suffers from natural disasters, many areas are affected by locust plagues, droughts, or floods, and may very well have no harvest at all.
Having been confined to the inner quarters for over a decade, her experiences over the years have broadened her horizons considerably.
I experienced firsthand the hardships of ordinary people.
Mu Jiangyue nodded, "Yaoyao, you don't need to worry. Whenever those civil officials encounter war and need to prepare provisions, they always come up with a whole bunch of excuses. His Majesty knows the true situation of the Lu family. If His Majesty hadn't made other arrangements for Uncle Lu, he would have exonerated them long ago. How could he let you suffer such injustice?"
She paused, then continued, "Besides, I've already begged my mother to take you in as her goddaughter. No matter what they say, they can't do anything to you. I'd like to see who dares to touch a daughter of the Mu family."
Lu Qingyao's lips parted slightly. As long as the emperor was discerning, she didn't really care what the civil officials said.
After all, the truth will eventually come to light.
His Majesty will also give the Lu family justice.
“Ah Yue, you really don’t need to do this. It will only implicate Brother Mu.”
“He’s not afraid of being implicated. Right now, the court still needs my elder brother to quell the rebellion. What’s wrong with him protecting someone? If those old bastards dare to say anything more, let them lead the troops.” Mu Jiangyue said indignantly.
Lu Qingyao smiled.
Military generals lead troops into battle, but civil officials are responsible for preparing provisions.
It's no wonder they have complaints.
But to say something like "let a civil official lead the army" is really just an angry outburst.
Mu Yunji is a good person in every way, except that he is taciturn.
Once in the imperial court, one could hardly withstand the sharp tongues and witty arguments of the civil officials.
……
Horse-drawn carriages traveled through the streets and markets.
It's a winding, circuitous route; one hour is equivalent to two hours.
They arrived at their new house.
It's not in a bustling area, nor is it located on a main street.
It is actually quite quiet, next to the royal garden.
Jiang Miaomiao felt that it was still a bit far, but since they were walking and stopping frequently, it should actually only take an hour and a half.
Aunt Jiang Yue said that this house is less than half an hour away from the Yan residence and only an hour away from the Yipinju residence in the East Market.
So it's not too far.
Lu Qingyao looked at her friend and asked, "Jiang Yue, this house isn't your private property, is it?"
She found it hard to believe that three thousand taels could buy a house with a courtyard here.
Jiang Miaomiao also felt that although this land was on the edge of the city, it was close to the royal gardens, and it was probably something that money couldn't buy.
It seems that my aunt used her personal connections.
Could it be that all the neighbors around here are royalty?
Then I saw my aunt cackling and chuckling, "Yaoyao, I've looked around for you. It's really not easy to buy a house with three courtyards for three thousand taels of silver. They're either too far away or too dilapidated, so..."
"So you didn't buy it, and just let us live in your house?"
Mu Jiangyue shook her head repeatedly and said, "No, no, no, it's bought. This house was bestowed upon my elder brother by His Majesty. I asked him to allocate a small plot of land to you, build a wall around the courtyard, and reopen the gate. From now on, you will be neighbors with the Mu family. Once Mother is recognized as a relative, the wall can be demolished directly. What do you think?"
Lu Qingyao: ...
Some were dumbfounded.
Sure enough, buying a house is something that can't be entrusted to this young lady.
In her eyes, three thousand taels of silver was practically worthless.
Asking her to use that money to buy a house would be putting her in a difficult position.
But in this capital city, she had no one else she could trust.
Jiang Miaomiao was quite happy.
In Jiangzhou, he became neighbors with Teacher Cui and Prince Jing, and then came to the capital.
To be neighbors with my godfather.
Practice has proven that it's good to take shelter under a big tree.
They don't even need to guard the house anymore.
……