Chapter 961: Returning from the North and Going to Southern Xinjiang
September 8th, the fourteenth year of Guangde, is the Cold Dew.
As soon as she finished breakfast, Ruan Rong led her sisters to the laundry room and walked between the clothes drying lines.
When she came to a few leather clothes, Ruan Rong stopped, put her hands on them to try them on, and then shook her head and said, "Qianxiang Country is not that cold, but it is very humid. It is better not to bring such airtight woolen coats."
Later, Qingwen had just written this down when Ruan Rong changed her mind again and said hesitantly, "Forget it, it's better to take two pieces just in case - I don't know if it will be inconvenient to carry so much luggage on the road."
"Sister, you worry too much."
Ping'er then continued, "My Lord is here as an envoy to grant marriage, and there are at least dozens of female relatives accompanying him. Even if we travel light, can we still take them on a 1,000-mile journey?"
At the end of last month, after taking care of Wang Xifeng during her confinement and fulfilling the duties of master and servant, Ping'er officially moved to the Sun family.
Because she inherited Xiangling's three west wing rooms, she usually took turns serving Ruan Rong in the same courtyard. She seemed more familiar and harmonious with them than Xing Xiuyun, who had married half a month earlier.
But Ruan Rong was relieved when she heard this. She looked around and saw You Erjie, Xiangling, Xing Xiuyan, Ping'er and others gathered around her. She waved her sleeves and said, "Okay, sisters, don't just stay with me. Let's each enter our own hearts. Once you have chosen, it won't be too late to register them all."
When the women heard her words, they apologized one by one and dispersed, each leading their maids to pack their luggage.
She originally wanted to get rid of everyone so that she could carefully look for some satisfactory clothes for Sun Shaozong. However, she lost interest in the quiet surroundings.
I was wandering around and choosing things aimlessly, with a thousand thoughts in my mind.
Three days ago, the Concubine Dowager Nan'an issued an edict from the inner court, adopting the third daughter of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Tanchun, as her adopted daughter and bestowing upon her the title of Princess Renhe.
Two days later, the imperial court, at the request of the Kingdom of Qianxiang, married Princess Renhe to the Crown Prince of that country, as a sign of eternal peace.
Sun Shaozong, who once served as a military officer in Qianxiang Kingdom, was naturally appointed as the marriage envoy to oversee all matters related to the marriage.
Upon hearing the news, Ruan Rong felt both happy and worried.
The good news is that Sun Shaozong will be able to find out about his father's whereabouts when he goes south this time.
What is worrying is that although Qian Xiang has surrendered, Zhenla is still resisting stubbornly. It is said that a month ago, a group of assassins were sent to try to kill the queen and her son of Qian Xiang who broke their promise and betrayed the alliance.
And within Qianxiang's country, there are also staunch advocates of war who are still looking for opportunities to turn defeat into victory.
Being sent to marry a princess at this critical moment, there were bound to be some twists and turns.
"Sister, what do you think of this one?"
Just as she was thinking about it, Ping'er suddenly came over with a long gown and asked her to take a look.
Ruan Rong collected her thoughts and took a quick look at the gown, but couldn't help but laugh: "Where did you find this? This kind of fancy southern style, our master doesn't like it."
Before he finished speaking, You Erjie appeared beside him, holding a fancy brocade robe in her hand.
Ruan Rong felt a little surprised. If Ping'er had just married into the family and didn't know Sun Shaozong's preferences, it would be understandable. But you, You Erjie, are the elder in the family, so why are you so confused?
"Sister, this is not chosen for me."
At this time, You Erjie laughed and said, "I heard that bright and colorful materials are the most popular in Qianxiang Country, so we each found a few pieces and planned to ask you to bring them over. This can be regarded as helping my sister to show her filial piety."
Before she finished her words, Xiangling pulled Xing Xiuyan over from the side and said, "It was Sister Xing who brought up this matter first!"
You Erjie glanced at Xiangling, pursed her lips in displeasure, but said nothing else - it is said that one should make friends with those far away and attack those who are near, but she got along very well with her neighbor Ping'er, and she disliked Xing Xiuyun anyway.
When Ruan Rong saw that the two of them were each holding some brocade, she couldn't help but have a little smile in her eyes.
She bowed deeply and solemnly, and was about to say a few words to her sisters, when suddenly a maid came running in, saying that the eldest lady had also prepared some things and asked her to go over and make a decision.
Ruan Rong had no choice but to bow again and follow the old woman to Jia Yingchun's place.
By the time she came out of the main room with all the things, it was almost noon.
Therefore, when she returned to her own courtyard, Ruan Rong first instructed the kitchen to prepare a small banquet, and then asked people to gather all the sisters over for a drink, so that she could express her gratitude at the table.
After she had arranged all these things, she went to the west room to visit her second son who was still an infant.
I didn't want to push aside the curtain and go into the room, but I saw Sun Shaozong standing beside the rocking bed, with his forehead supported by his hand, thinking about something.
Ruan Rong subconsciously slowed down her footsteps, but when she got closer, she inevitably alarmed Sun Shaozong.
Sun Shaozong raised his head and glanced, and when he saw who was coming, he made a gesture to keep quiet and pointed at his son who was sleeping in the crib.
Ruan Rong remained silent, found a nearby stool and sat beside him, looking at Sun Shaozong several times, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Finally, Sun Shaozong couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "What's the matter? Is there anything else you want to tell your father-in-law?"
Ruan Rong shook her head. She had already written a letter home yesterday, and had already told everyone everything she wanted to tell them.
But even so, I still feel uneasy.
She didn't want to make Sun Shaozong worry, so she changed the subject and asked , "What were you thinking about just now?"
"Nothing."
Sun Shaozong stretched out his body, put one arm around Ruan Rong's shoulders, and reached into the rocking bed with the other hand, gently touching the fine hair on his second son's face, and said with a smile: "I don't know why these two days, I suddenly remembered a novel I read before."
"What novel is it?"
"The protagonist in that book also served as an envoy for marriage, but the ending of this marriage was..."
The experience of a certain marriage envoy named Wei flashed through his mind, and Sun Shaozong couldn't help but chuckle again. However, he couldn't explain the details to Ruan Rong, so he changed his face and reminded her: "I will be going south this time, for at most a year, at least half a year, and my family will rely on you to support them - there is nothing else, Youshi is already pregnant now..."
"The girl from the You family is pregnant?"
Ruan Rong was stunned when she heard this, and blurted out, "Why didn't she mention it at all?"
Sun Shaozong laughed and said, "When she wasn't pregnant, she wanted to talk about the baby all the time; now that she is really pregnant, she is afraid of scaring the baby away, so after the diagnosis the day before yesterday, she didn't dare to make it public."
This was just a superficial reason. In fact, You Erjie was secretly wary of Ruan Rong, fearing that she would take advantage of Sun Shaozong's absence to murder her in order to consolidate her family's dominance.
Although Sun Shaozong believed that Ruan Rong would not do that, he was not stupid enough to analyze it clearly in front of her.
Knock knock knock~
Before she could finish her words , there was a knock on the door and Ruan Rong hurriedly took the opportunity to escape.
Sun Shaozong was still not satisfied, so he walked to the door in a bad mood, lifted the curtain and looked outside, and saw that it was Shi Liuhou who was outside.
"What happened again?"
"The prince invites you to a banquet!"
Tsk~
At this point, I sent someone to invite...
Could it be that the "performance report" that has been in the works for two months is scheduled to take place today?
