A Man was going to return to the southwest with Shi Hu and hold another wedding banquet in front of their clansmen, so she couldn't stay in the capital for long.
After the grand wedding, the couple drove their carriage and left the city in a grand procession with their servants.
Li Ying saw them off outside the city. A Man held her hand tightly, reluctant to part, and cried like a tearful mess.
Li Ying comforted her for a long time before she finally got into the carriage with Shi Hu, looking back every few steps.
After seeing off A Man, Lu Xunguang had a rare half - day of leisure. The two of them were not in a hurry to return to the mansion. Instead, they strolled hand in hand on the street to relax.
"Master Lu, Miss Li, I've finally found you two! A eunuch from the palace who came to deliver an edict is waiting for you two at the mansion to receive it!"
A young servant from the Lu Mansion ran over in a hurry to report. Li Ying and Lu Xunguang glanced at each other, and couldn't help feeling a bit suspicious.
As a royal merchant, it was normal for Lu Xunguang to receive an imperial edict.
But she was just a woman. What did this edict have to do with her?
The two didn't dare to delay. Soon, they rushed back in a hurry.
Lu Xunguang saw that the eunuch who came to deliver the edict was sipping a cup of green tea, obviously having waited for a long time. He quickly stepped forward to apologize, "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Excellency."
The eunuch who came to deliver the edict wasn't angry. He just waved his hand with a smile.
"His Majesty will go on a southern tour with the Empress Dowager. All relevant affairs will be handled by Lord Lu. Miss Li has done well in recuperating the Empress and serving the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet appropriately. She is also on the list to accompany them."
He handed the imperial edict to Lu Xunguang, smiling even more brightly.
"Lord Lu, serving His Majesty on the southern tour is such a glorious thing. I'd like to congratulate you first!"
Li Ying understood.
The convicted Jiangnan Textile Commissioner, the Cao family, had risen to become the emperor's favorite minister because the previous emperor had stayed at the Cao Mansion several times during his incognito tours.
When the Cao Mansion was raided, countless rare treasures were confiscated from their treasury. They were truly extravagant.
He was just a fifth - rank textile commissioner, yet he had such a deep family fortune. Now that Lu Xunguang held the second - rank official position, if he served the emperor well during the tour, it might not be difficult for him to rise to a higher position!
Lu Xunguang received the edict, exchanged a few more words with the eunuch, and rewarded him with a bag of gold leaves. The eunuch weighed the bag and knew that Lu Xunguang was generous. He smiled even more happily, said "I won't bother Lord Lu to make preparations", and then took his leave.
Although Li Ying didn't understand why the emperor wanted to take her along, since it was an imperial edict, she couldn't decline. She had to return to the mansion and properly arrange the shops in the capital, as well as Granny Sun and Mianmian.
The emperor intended to go straight to the South Seas this time. This trip would surely take a long time. After much thought, the safest plan was to send the grandmother and granddaughter back to the fishing village to rest first.
Just as she was planning, a young girl's scolding suddenly came from outside the door.
"Announce what! I, the princess, am on good terms with your Miss Li. Can't I even enter this mansion?"
Li Ying looked up and saw that it was indeed Princess Yongning, scolding a servant girl from her mansion at the moment.
Although she didn't know why the princess came uninvited, Li Ying still smiled and invited her to take a seat.
"Your Highness's visit has truly brought honor to my humble abode."
She waved her hand, signaling the young servant girl to retreat, and then personally served a cup of green tea with a smiling face.
Princess Yongning put away the slight anger on her face. As soon as she saw that Li Ying seemed to be packing her luggage, she raised her delicate eyebrows and said with a smile, "It seems that you've really received Father's edict."
"Father is accompanying the Empress Dowager out of the palace. Lu Xunguang will be accompanying the emperor. He might be away for several months. You two are deeply in love and can't bear to be apart. If he leaves, wouldn't it be hard for you to stay alone in the empty boudoir?"
Princess Yongning looked at her with a half - smile. With just this one sentence, Li Ying immediately understood what she meant.
"Could it be that Your Highness put in a good word for me in front of His Majesty, so that I can accompany them on this trip?"
Princess Yongning casually picked up a piece of pastry and said with a smile, "Miss Li is really smart. I like dealing with smart people the most."
She looked around and stood up gracefully.
"Li Ying, I'll also be on this southern tour. This is a once - in - a - lifetime opportunity for you. If you can serve Father well and make him extremely happy, I think your wish will surely come true. I've tried my best to plan for you. Don't let me down."
She didn't want to stay long. After leaving a few words, she swaggered away.
All that was left were Li Ying frowning and Granny Sun, who came in hearing the sound, looking completely confused.
"A Ying?"
"I heard you say before that Princess Yongning is arrogant and has a strange temper. She's really not easy to get along with. Why is the sun rising from the west today? Why is she being so kind and making plans for you?"
The more Granny Sun thought about it, the more something seemed off.
"A Ying, didn't the emperor want to arrange a marriage between Master Lu and Princess Yongning? The princess should regard you as a thorn in her side. But now, not only is she doing business with you, but she's also helping you put in a good word and creating opportunities for you and Master Lu?"
Granny Sun thought it over and over again and felt it was very strange.
"A Ying, Princess Yongning couldn't be up to some bad tricks, could she? Deliberately putting on a generous act of a well - bred young lady to win Master Lu's favor, while making you look petty and jealous?"
Granny Sun had nothing to do and had heard a lot of stories about the main wife making things difficult for concubines. At this moment, she couldn't help getting anxious, her face turning red, and unconsciously clenching her hands.
Li Ying couldn't help laughing. She gently held Granny Sun's shoulders, and there was also a rare look of confusion on her face.
She considered herself to be adaptable and good at understanding people's hearts, but this time, she couldn't figure out what Princess Yongning was up to at all.
The emperor ruled the country with benevolence and filial piety. There had been such a disturbance at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, and it had ended unhappily. He must find a way to make up for it.
Li Ying had already dropped a hint to Empress Pei, and with the Empress's influence. This southern tour would, on the one hand, make the Empress Dowager happy; on the other hand, it could also secretly investigate whether Uncle Pei and the generals in the southern border were loyal; thirdly, it would show the world that the emperor loved all his people. It was a three - pronged move, so the emperor naturally agreed.
Now, with Princess Yongning's recommendation, Lu Xunguang would inevitably have some interactions with her during the trip. This was a good opportunity for them to develop their feelings, which would be of great benefit to the future imperial marriage arrangement. The emperor naturally wouldn't reject his beloved daughter's suggestion.
Everything seemed to be a happy ending, but she really couldn't figure out why Princess Yongning would go out of her way to include her in the southern - tour team.
What she was certain of was that this pampered little princess, who knew nothing about the hardships of the common people, couldn't have been touched by the true love between her and Lu Xunguang and was willing to step back and let them be together.
Princess Yongning's actions were always unexpected. After much thought, Li Ying really couldn't guess what she wanted. She could only secretly make up her mind that she would deal with any problems as they came.