Chapter 411: Back to the Capital

ds in the future, he won't forget how good his mother has been to him."Grandmother Gu smiled and nodded, "That child is indeed filial. "With the serious matters discussed, she didn't want to waste any...A few days later, the merchant ship arrived at Tongxian Wharf, and Gu Jingxi and his party disembarked. They hired two carriages and rode back home.

For the past few months, people haven't dared to relax. Now that things have calmed down, we can finally unwind.

After the carriage entered the city, the bustling sound spread into the carriage. Meng Jin Yao lifted the curtain of the window and looked out, watching the bustling streets of the capital city. She felt a sense of familiarity she hadn't felt in a long time.

When they went to Huzhou, it was summer. Now that they were back to the capital city, autumn had arrived.

Meng Jinyao lowered the curtain and turned to Gu Jingxi, saying: "Husband, autumn is here. In a few months, another year will pass."

Gu Jingxi nodded, but thinking that after the year he would be thirty-one, he felt a little down. Suddenly, he wanted time to pass slower, even slower.

Seeing his silence, Meng Jin Yao asked again, "Husband, what's wrong"

Gu Jingxi shook her head slightly and smiled gently: "It's nothing, I just feel that time flies too fast, there are still many things to do.

Meng Jinyáo said: "Before, I thought time passed very slowly, and sometimes even felt like every day was an eternity. Now, I feel like time flies. This also reflects a problem: when you're happy, time seems to pass quickly. If possible, I wish it could always be this fast."

Gu Jingxi's face changed, and he turned to hug her into his arms.

The carriage stopped in front of the Changxing Marquis's mansion. Meng Jinyao gave the coachman some silver, and Zhou Yun went to knock on the door.

In a short while, the gatekeeper opened the door and saw the five people dressed in disguise. At first glance, they seemed very unfamiliar to him, and he was momentarily stunned. Just as he was about to ask them who they were looking for,

The next moment, Fang Ce said, "What are you staring at You don't even recognize the Marquis and his wife"

"My lord, my lady"

The servant glanced at Meng Jin Yao and Gu Jing Xi. At first glance, they seemed quite unfamiliar, but upon closer inspection, he still felt a resemblance. He just couldn't figure out how this eye-catching couple had become so ordinary after just returning from their hometown.

The servant hurriedly bowed: "I pay my respects to the Marquis and Madam."

After returning home, Gu Jingxi and Meng Jiny Yao went back to their own courtyard first. They quickly freshened up and changed into clean clothes. They looked much more refreshed. Only then did they go to Shouantang to pay respects to Madam Gu.

Seeing that her son and daughter-in-law had returned safely, Old Madam Gu felt at ease. Knowing they must be exhausted from their journey, she didn't keep them long. After expressing a few words of concern, she let them go back to rest first.

However, Gu Jingxi still couldn't rest. Fang Xuan returned to the capital earlier than them and had successfully brought back the ledger and letters. He had to see Fang Xuan and then go into the palace to inform the Emperor of the matter, present the evidence, and await the Emperor's decision.

Meng Jin Yao could sleep, but she didn't feel like it now. Although she was tired from the journey, she didn't have much desire to sleep at the moment.

Ning Dong hadn't seen Qingqiu and Chan'er, so she curiously asked, "Madam, where are Qingqiu and Chan'er Why haven't I seen them"

Meng Jin Yao didn't want to talk too much about the dangerous experience, she lightly said: "Chan er was injured while saving Qing Qiu, and is still recuperating now. Qing Qiu stayed behind to take care of her. When Chan er recovers, they will come back."

Ning Dong was surprised: "If you need to recuperate and can't travel, your injuries must be serious"

Meng Jin Yao nodded lightly, unwilling to say more, and immediately steered the conversation in a different direction: "By the way, have we received all the things that were sent back to us"

Ning Dong nodded repeatedly: "I received them all. They're in our courtyard. Shall we move them in"

Meng Jin Yao said: “Let people move in.”

Not long after, several maidservants brought the things in.

Meng Jin Yao instructed the maidservant to tidy up, packing her and Gu Jingxi's belongings. She also sorted out the gifts for relatives and friends and had them delivered to each courtyard. Even those for Princess Jingning and Song Xining were prepared by her. She was waiting to visit her friends in two days and bring the gifts with her.

Later, Meng Jinyao asked again, "Ning Dong, during the days I was away from Beijing, has anything happened"

Ning Dong replied, "Madam, nothing much has happened in the mansion. The second young master secured a position at the Ministry of Revenue. Now he's working there and considered an official. Both the second master and his wife are very happy about this, even the old mistress praised

Meng Jin Yao nodded, then asked, "Is there anything else Has anything happened in the capital city"

Ning Dong picked up a few things that happened to other people and told them to her. For example, there was an older gentleman who had passed his fiftieth birthday. On the surface, he was honest, simple, and afraid of his wife. However, he secretly kept a young and beautiful mistress. When his fierce wife found out, she made a big scene and even set fire to the mistress's house, nearly killing her. The official was impeached by an Imperial censor, and when the Emperor learned about it, he scolded him severely, saying that he had not lived uprightly and could not even manage his own family, so how could he serve the court He directly dismissed him from his post and ordered him to go home to cultivate himself and govern his family.

For example, let's say a widowed daughter-in-law remarries to someone who is the enemy of her previous family. This would naturally make them very angry. Why choose such a rival family for a new husband She hasn't even moved in yet, but she has already returned to her parents' home to prepare for the marriage.

Ning Dong suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh right, madam, Princess Jingning got engaged just the other day."

"Ayan got engaged" Meng Jin Yao was astonished. This was something she hadn't expected. Before, she only knew that the son of Duke Shen had a liking for Ayan, and Ayan had unknowingly reciprocated his affections. Could it be that she had become betrothed to the Shen family

Ning Dong nodded and said: "Princess Jingning is engaged to the son of Duke Shen. It was Duke Shen who led his son to propose marriage to Princess Jingning as his wife. Both King Liang and Queen Liang agreed to this marriage, and Princess Jingning did not object."

Meng Jinyao, upon hearing this, was delighted for them as lovers finally reunited. However, the prince's stepmother wasn't easy to get along with. A-Yan was a royal princess, the emperor's niece, and the Empress Dowager's granddaughter. Mrs. Shen certainly wouldn't dare act like a mother-in-law and give A-Yan face, but Mrs. Shen had ulterior motives.

Ning Dong said again, "There is one more thing. It's about the wife of Duke Shen who has fallen ill. Her condition is severe and it's estimated that she won't live to see next spring. The two families have decided to get married before the end of the year. This way, it won't delay the marriage of the two young people due to filial piety, and most importantly, it will prevent the princess from being delayed. The princess is sixteen this year. If they wait until Prince Shen finishes his period of mourning, she will be nineteen."

Meng Jinyao was stunned after hearing this, and instinctively thought of Shen Shizi. Perhaps Shen Shizi was afraid that his stepmother would cause further trouble, so he directly made her ill to avoid trouble. In this way, whenever Shen Fu died, it was all under Shen Shizi's control.

A few months ago, she still heard Ah Yan gossiping that the wife of Duke Shen was devastated after losing her only son. She sought out doctors for ways to conceive again, hoping to have another child.

This way, whatever the Prince Shen wanted to do, had a cover.

As the wife of Duke Shen, she was desperate to become pregnant again. She would undoubtedly rely on folk remedies, which could be harmful. Moreover, she had suffered the pain of losing a child and was consumed by grief, her spirit not at its best. Falling ill under these circumstances wouldn't raise any suspicion; people would simply assume that she had become obsessed with having a child and was willing to try any remedy, ultimately harming herself in the process.

It has to be said, the timing is perfect. The Prince Shen is decisive and strikes at just the right moment.quickly, don't delay important matters."After Gu Jingxi left, Ning Dong couldn't contain her distress any longer and said directly to the madam, "Madam, the young master actually apologized to you tod...