After staying in the Prime Minister's Mansion for a few days, Mei Qingxue's anxiety did ease a bit. The reason was that there were no suspicious people in the hunting ground. Although Mei Qingxue felt relieved, there was still a faint uneasiness lingering in her heart.
That uneasiness was lingering, making Mei Qingxue feel as if there was always a boulder weighing on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.
"Your Majesty, here is your soothing soup!" Xuan Qiao placed a small bowl in front of Mei Qingxue. Inside was a bowl of dark brown medicinal juice.
"Why do I have to drink this again?" Mei Qingxue frowned. Du Gu Qing noticed that she had been sleeping poorly recently. A person who used to love sleeping had been getting less sleep lately.
"Your Majesty, please..." Just hold your nose and drink it all in one gulp. Xuan Qiao was extremely anxious. She even wished she could drink it herself. Bad omens always seemed to come true while good ones didn't.
Xuan Qiao looked up and saw her dear Empress smiling at her. "Xuan Qiao," a sincere smile appeared on the corner of Mei Qingxue's mouth.
"Look, these are all top - grade medicinal herbs. We can't waste them, right?" Before Mei Qingxue could finish her words, she saw Xuan Qiao crying. "Your Majesty, this servant knows. We can't waste it. I'll drink..."
Next time when the Empress took medicine, she would definitely stand where the Empress couldn't see her.
It would be safe that way.
Seeing Xuan Qiao's expression, Mei Qingxue burst into laughter. Xuan Qiao was just thinking... Suddenly, she thought that Xuan Qiao had reached the right age.
"What? Have you reached the right age? Do you want to leave the palace?" Mei Qingxue asked directly.
"Yes, Your Majesty. This servant wants to be a free person," she was a family - born servant of the Mei family. The Mei family was kind, but they were never free. Their children would also be servants of the Mei family for generations.
"Granted. When the Emperor was still a prince, there was a guard who injured his leg. Now he is a county magistrate in a district in the southeast. I remember your ancestral home is near there. I'll match you with him," Mei Qingxue glanced at Xuan Qiao. "He is good in every aspect. It's just that one of his legs is injured and he has some mobility issues. Are you willing?"
"Willing!" A person who could be remembered by the Empress must be a good one. Even if his leg was injured and he was a paralytic or a lame man, marrying him would at least make her the mistress of a seventh - rank official's family.
Mei Qingxue gave Xuan Qiao a half - smiling look. He was once a guard of Du Gu Qing. After getting injured, he was allowed by Du Gu Qing to return to his hometown to recuperate due to his mobility issues.
It was just a minor injury. At most, he couldn't use light - body skills anymore. There was no other major problem. Mei Qingxue deliberately described it vaguely when telling Xuan Qiao.
Seeing that Xuan Qiao had no picky attitude, Mei Qingxue knew that those who had served her mother were extraordinary. She was secretly proud of herself. Having lived for thousands of years in different lives, she was most proud of her ability to judge people.
The most regrettable thing was that she still hadn't been able to conceive a child with Qing. Could it really be because she was a time - traveler that she couldn't have a child?
Hearing what the Empress had promised personally, Xuan Qiao blushed shyly. She immediately knelt down in front of Mei Qingxue properly. "Miss, thank you. This servant will never forget your great kindness."
"Get up. Although you haven't been with me for a long time, you should know that I don't like people kneeling and bowing all the time." Mei Qingxue sighed softly in her heart. Those who had served her had all married far away. Although Yue Ru didn't marry far, they rarely saw each other. "Get ready for your marriage. It's just that you'll be going quite far away."
Mei Qingxue made up her mind to let that young county magistrate come to pick up the bride himself. Her personal maid, with good appearance and conduct, deserved a long - distance wedding procession from him.
"Bring me that smaller box I brought from the Prince's Mansion before," Mei Qingxue was never stingy with her own people.
"Yes," Xuan Qiao knew what Mei Qingxue was going to do. Her eyes were red. When the old lady assigned her to serve the young lady who was then the Princess of Rui, everyone in the Prime Minister's Mansion was extremely envious.
She quickly brought a small box and placed it beside Mei Qingxue. By the time she came back, there was already a jewelry box beside Mei Qingxue. Xuan Qiao recognized it.
"I won't say those unnecessary words." Mei Qingxue opened the wooden box brought by Xuan Qiao and scooped out several handfuls of gold leaves, putting them into the jewelry box that already had a few pieces of jewelry until it was filled to the brim.
"I can only give you a few pieces of jewelry. All my jewelry is made in the palace," it was not suitable to give them to her, for fear of causing trouble.
Seeing the dowry the young lady had prepared for her, Xuan Qiao couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Thank you, Miss," Xuan Qiao couldn't help but call her Miss again. It would be difficult to see her again after she went to that district.
"Go. Leave me alone for a while." Mei Qingxue waved her hand. She didn't know where she had made a mistake, but she knew that once there was a mistake, it would be fatal.
"All ministers may leave!" Du Gu Qing looked at his officials, wondering if Mei Qingxue had taken the medicine and was sleeping soundly. He didn't know that the poor one dozing off now was Xuan Qiao. She was on duty outside the Qingxue Pavilion. The soothing soup was too powerful. Xuan Qiao yawned continuously but still managed to keep her eyes open and guard her post.
"Your Majesty, regarding the summer hunting, this old minister has some ideas," the General - in - Chief had been much more obedient since he returned from the border. He couldn't even manage his own soldiers well. The imperial heirs were the business of the royal family. What did it have to do with him?
"Please speak, General," Du Gu Qing respected the senior and worthy veteran.
"This old minister thinks that we should strengthen safety precautions. After all, those who will go are all important court officials and even royal relatives." If there was a mistake, it would be a catastrophic event.
"What the General said makes sense. But would it be too tiring for you to be in charge of this?" Du Gu Qing thought for a moment.
"This old minister is willing!" In the past, he was in charge of the safety of the hunting ground. This was probably the last time he would do this. He was old and it was time for him to retire.
"Then I'll have to trouble the General - in - Chief," Du Gu Qing looked at the other officials. "We only get to hunt once a year. Everyone should perform well then."
The civil officials had programs to add to the fun, while the military officials would compete on horseback.
"Your Majesty," Mei Zhenguo stood up. "This official requests to retire and return to his hometown!" Another grandson was about to be born soon. If the Emperor didn't allow him to retire, he wouldn't be able to watch his grandson grow up.
When Du Gu Qing saw that it was his father - in - law, he immediately felt a headache. If he didn't approve, he was afraid that his father - in - law would be unhappy. If he did approve, he would lose such a capable official.
"Denied!" At this time, Mei Qingxue's voice came from behind the curtain on the dragon throne. "Staying at home all day, watching your grandchildren is not enough. You even want to resign and go back to take care of them specially. I just won't allow it."
Du Gu Qing was happy. With his wife's words, everything would be easy.
"The matter of the Prime Minister's resignation is postponed for now. I'm not feeling well. You may leave on your own."
"Old friend!" The General - in - Chief slapped Mei Zhenguo on the shoulder. "Let's resign together next time. There's a high chance it will be approved." Mei Zhenguo frowned slightly. "Can't you be gentler? You almost gave me internal injuries."
"Scholars are just weak!" The General - in - Chief burst into laughter. "Come on, let's go fishing." The General - in - Chief invited again. Mei Zhenguo shook his head. "That's not something I can enjoy." The mosquitoes were so numerous that they almost bit him to death, while the General - in - Chief, with his thick skin, didn't seem to be bothered at all.
It was really strange.
Anyway, he would never go to that boring activity again.
"Come on. Didn't you fish well last time?"
"But I also fed the mosquitoes well."
Taking advantage of the moment when the General - in - Chief was distracted, Mei Zhenguo turned around and left. He was going home to see Yi'er. Who wanted to go and be mosquito food?
Mei Zhenguo glanced at the Grand Marshal. The two quickly exchanged glances. They had made an appointment to play chess at the Prime Minister's Mansion yesterday. It was also a small gathering of the two families. The Luo family only had Luo Jiao, a daughter. After she got married, there were only the old couple at home, feeling lonely. Since the two families got along well and shared the same interests, they often played chess together.
"Brother - in - law, I invited you here to play chess today because I have something else to tell you," Mrs. Luo had been in the Prime Minister's Mansion for a long time but hadn't seen her daughter come out. She was curious but didn't dare to ask Xia Ruolan.
It was Xia Ruolan who noticed her restlessness and took the initiative to tell her. "Oh? What's the matter?" The attention of Lord Luo and Mrs. Luo was immediately attracted.
"It's a good thing."
"Is my son - in - law going to get a promotion? But no, if he was going to be promoted, we in the court couldn't have missed the news." Lord Luo, the Grand Marshal, thought doubtfully.
Mrs. Luo also couldn't figure it out. Xia Ruolan smiled and said, "It's my good daughter - in - law. She's pregnant again."
"It's really a happy event, a happy event." The two old couples laughed heartily. Luo Jiao was about to come in when she heard her father laughing the loudest. She blushed shyly and stopped in her tracks.
"Miss, why...?" A maid saw Luo Jiao standing outside and called out. It was too late for Luo Jiao to stop her, so she had to go in and greet the elders.
When Mrs. Luo saw her daughter's slightly bulging abdomen, a smile appeared on her face. "Xiaojiao, come here and let mother have a look." She hadn't seen her daughter for a few months, and she seemed to have gained a little weight.
When her daughter returned to her natal home, she said that her in - laws were very kind. It was completely different from what she had said before. She had never been asked to follow any strict rules. The whole family was harmonious and happy, which made her, as a daughter - in - law, extremely envious.
Her husband was considerate and her mother - in - law was kind. There was nothing more satisfactory. She had made the right choice when she got married.
"Sister - in - law, I have a presumptuous request," Mrs. Luo said.
"Please speak," Xia Ruolan didn't know what Mrs. Luo was going to say. She thought she might be asking for a favor. "Our Luo family has few descendants. I would like to plead with sister - in - law to agree that if the child in Xiaojiao's belly is a girl, she can take the Luo surname." After Mrs. Luo finished speaking, she looked at the Prime Minister and his wife nervously. Although they were in - laws, this was generally something that no one would agree to.
"If it's a girl, then I'll agree to your request," Xia Ruolan nodded. Even if the child took the Luo surname, she would still be Mei Haoxuan's child.
"Thank you, thank you," Mrs. Luo was so happy that she almost knelt down. Even Lord Luo's eyes showed gratitude. He had no brothers or relatives on his side. He hadn't taken a concubine after getting married, so he only had Luo Jiao.