Ye Hua and Mrs. Ye stayed overnight in Zhao Luoning's courtyard. The next day, they set off on their journey.
Zhao Luoning and her husband saw them off in person.
This departure meant a long and arduous journey. They didn't know when they would meet again.
Mrs. Ye and Zhao Luoning bid a long and tearful farewell. Only then did Mrs. Ye get into the carriage. The carriage headed north all the way and passed by the new mansion that Ji Shisu and Zhao Luoning were building.
At this time, the construction of the mansion had just started, and half of the mountain had been included in the plan.
Looking at the workers bustling with activity, Mrs. Ye couldn't help but sigh.
"The Second Master and Lady Qing are really wealthy."
"What's wrong? Are you envious?"
Mrs. Ye quickly shook her head.
"Look at Lady Qing. Just being conferred a title has caused so much controversy. Building such a large courtyard, I don't know what else will happen." There was full of worry in Mrs. Ye's tone. "Husband, do you think we should remind Lady Qing that although the Emperor now highly values the Second Master and is very polite to their couple, who can guarantee the future? Their extravagance may draw criticism."
Ye Hua took Mrs. Ye's hand and comforted her, "My lady, don't worry about it."
"I know that with my status, I'm not qualified to teach them how to do things. It's just... I don't want Lady Qing to get into trouble again."
"My dear lady, you're really worrying for nothing this time. Think about it. Now that Ji Shisu has voluntarily resigned from his official position and has no military amulet in his hand, why does the Emperor still confer a title of Lady of Honor on Zhao Luoning?"
"Isn't it because the Emperor is grateful for Ji Shisu's great contributions to protecting the country?"
"You only know one side of the story. Indeed, Ji Shisu has made great contributions to protecting the country. The Emperor wants to govern the country. Ji Shisu may not want rewards, but the Emperor can't not give them. However, the Emperor could have bestowed gold, jade, good farmlands to reward the meritorious officials."
"Husband, what do you mean..."
"What I mean is that although Ji Shisu contributed to Zhao Luoning's conferment of the title of Lady of Honor, more importantly, she is not an ordinary woman. Which soldier who was stationed at Shiguan doesn't know the name of Lady Qing? Although she didn't go to battle in armor like a man, she has indeed made military achievements. Besides, the mansion they're building now is the Bai Mansion, the family of the four young generals who quelled the war. If it's not built imposingly, it would be a disgrace to the Emperor."
After all, the Emperor is the eldest brother of the Bai family.
Hearing this, Mrs. Ye nodded.
The name of Lady Qing resounded far and wide.
So when she was conferred the title of Lady of Honor, everyone only had admiration for her, and no one was unconvinced.
If it were Ye Hua who became a general and made military achievements today and said he wanted to get a title of Lady of Honor for Mrs. Ye, even if the Emperor agreed, the women in the world wouldn't agree.
Mrs. Ye could even imagine what those opposing voices would say:
We all stay at home to support our husbands, educate our children, and serve our in - laws.
She just has good luck and married better than others.
Why can you, Mrs. Ye, get the title of Lady of Honor?
If I had good luck, I could do it too!
But Zhao Luoning was different.
She was an example for all the women in the world, a model of a woman not inferior to a man.
She was different from other women.
Her significance was not just to support her husband, educate her children, and serve her in - laws.
No other woman could do what she did: contribute money to support the army, offer good strategies, and quell the war.
No one dared to question Zhao Luoning's conferment of the title of Lady of Honor.
Facing Zhao Luoning's achievements, no one could say: As long as I have Zhao Luoning's good luck, I can do it too!
Looking at his wife worrying about Zhao Luoning, Ye Hua found it both funny and helpless.
"My lady, Zhao Luoning's background is much deeper than you think. She has Ji Shisu to protect her, the Zhao siblings to protect her, and the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to protect her. It's not our turn to worry about her."
"The Empress Dowager?" Mrs. Ye caught the key word in Ye Hua's words.
"Silly lady, let me ask you. What's the relationship between the current mistress of the Ji family, the eldest young mistress of the Ji family, and Zhao Luoning?"
"Isn't she Zhao Luoyu, Zhao Luoning's long - lost younger sister?"
"No, she's not Zhao Luoyu now. Her name on the household register is Ning Ruonian."
Mrs. Ye nodded and said, "I know this. Is there a problem?"
"I was the one who handled her household registration back then. The Empress Dowager's family is the Ning family. It was the Empress Dowager who personally authorized Ning Ruonian's household registration."
"Personally authorized?! Is it because the Ning family has a good relationship with the Zhao family?!" Mrs. Ye's first reaction was the Ning family in Huangcheng, the family that lost face because they married Zhao Luoyue.
"No, no. The Empress Dowager's family has nothing to do with the Ning family in Huangcheng. It has something to do with the Jun family."
"The Jun family?" Mrs. Ye suddenly realized. "Jun Zhifou!"
"Yes!" Ye Hua nodded with a smile.
Although his wife didn't read much, she was willing to learn. Over the years, influenced by him, she could keep up with his rhythm.
Ye Hua was very gratified.
"When the Empress Dowager was a girl in the Ning family, she was a close friend of the eldest daughter of the Jun family. Later, the Jun family declined, while the Ning family became a big family because the Empress Dowager became a noble concubine." Ye Hua deliberately paused for a while.
Mrs. Ye looked at him eagerly.
Ye Hua's pause really worried her.
"Hey, who is the eldest daughter of the Jun family? It can't be Lady Qing, right? The age doesn't match!"
Seeing his usually steady wife anxious, Ye Hua's bad taste was greatly satisfied. After teasing enough, Ye Hua said, "The eldest daughter of the Jun family is Mrs. Zhao who later married into the Zhao family, that is, the mother of Ning Ruonian, the eldest young mistress of the Ji family, and the Lady of Honor."
Hearing this, Mrs. Ye suddenly realized.
She finally understood what Ye Hua meant by "worrying for nothing".
With Zhao Luoning's background, who could shake her?
Not to mention that she was very capable herself. All her shops were profitable, and she had countless properties.
"I didn't expect that the more powerful people are, the more they hide their capabilities. I've met Mrs. Zhao several times. She just seemed like an ordinary woman. I didn't expect... In this way, that Mr. Zhao was really blind. If he had treated Mrs. Zhao a little better, things wouldn't be like this today."
Ye Hua smiled and watched his wife muttering. He thought she was very cute.
As Mrs. Ye muttered, she looked at Ye Hua with admiration.
"Husband is so amazing. You actually discovered such a well - hidden relationship."
Ye Hua smiled.
Actually, it wasn't that he was amazing.
He knew these things because when he was in the capital, he accompanied the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to watch a play in the imperial garden. By chance, they talked about the young couple Ji Shisu and Zhao Luoning. The Emperor said, "This Zhao Luoning is quite interesting. I'll summon her to the palace to have fun some day."
Ye Hua was quite good at figuring out the Emperor's mind.
When the Emperor said "have fun", he didn't mean to let Zhao Luoning have fun.
He meant to have fun with Zhao Luoning.