If not abolished

Chapter 122 After Returning Home

First of all, Zhu Zhanqi knew that if he told Sun Ruoji about the result, there would definitely be a quarrel, and there would be no peace for the whole day. So, forget it, he would go out and hide for a while, and come back to talk about it in the evening. The longer he could hide, the better.

Sun Ruoji was in a good mood today and was making shoes and socks for the baby in her belly in the room.

"My Lady Concubine, this is the bird's nest that the Lady Princess just sent over. She said it's for your body." Biyun, the personal maid, came over with a bowl and said.

"Thank the princess for me." Normally, Sun Ruoji had no interest in the things sent by the Princess of Han, but today she immediately took them and ate them. Sun Ruoji thought that perhaps His Highness had already taken care of the matter, otherwise the princess would not have sent anything over.

However, the fact was that the Princess of Han often sent things over, and today was just a routine. But the people around her naturally wouldn't say anything. They all thought that it was rare that the Concubine was in a good mood today, so they would feel more relaxed about their work.

After eating the bird's nest, Sun Ruoji waited eagerly for Zhu Zhanqi to come back and announce the good news to her.

"My Lady Concubine, why don't you take a rest first? His Highness might be out for some business and may not be back yet." The maidservant looked at the sky, as it was getting late. Pregnant women were the most sleepy, and Sun Ruoji was yawning as well, so she kindly reminded her.

"Your Highness hasn't come back yet?" Sun Ruoji almost fell asleep while propping up his head.

"Not yet, Madam Concubine, why don't you go and have a rest first?" the maid reminded again.

"Go and ask what's going on. Your Highness is rarely out so late." Sun Ruoji still wanted to wait, but his body really couldn't take it anymore, so he had to send someone to ask.

"Yes."

After a while, the person sent to inquire came back, but he was afraid to go in and report. He was wandering at the door. It was Biyun who noticed something was wrong and came out to inquire about the situation when Sun Ruoji was not paying attention.

"What's going on? Go ask where the Second Prince is."

"To answer your sister's question, I just went to ask, and the Second Prince hasn't come back yet. I heard that he and the First Prince went out to do some errands, and he won't be back for a few days." When the man saw Biyun coming out, it was like he had grabbed a life-saving straw, and he told her everything in one go.

"Since you have already found out the situation, why don't you go in and report to the Concubine?" Biyun initially thought that the man didn't know the news and that's why she came out to ask.

"Sister, I... I dare not. The Concubine has been waiting for His Highness for a whole day. If she knew that His Highness would not come back for several days, she would definitely punish him."

Biyun thought about it and realized that the person inside was not an easy person to deal with and had a very bad temper. Once she went in to report, he would definitely vent his anger.

But she had no choice but to go and tell him. Biyun looked at the maid and felt sorry for her. She sighed and said, "Forget it. I'll go in and tell her for you. I was sent by the princess. Even if she's angry, she won't take it out on me."

"Thank you, sister. It's a great favor."

"Okay, okay." Biyun said and went in.

Sun Ruoji saw her suddenly run in and asked, "What were you doing just now? You haven't been seen for a long time."

"To answer the question, Madam Concubine, I just saw the person who went to inquire about the Second Prince's news coming back, so I thought of going to ask what's going on?" Biyun explained.

"Oh, you're back, then why aren't you replying?" Sun Ruoji was wondering.

"My Lady, that man suddenly had a stomachache, so he didn't dare to come in to answer. I went out to find out what happened. Now, I'm here to tell you."

"Okay, you can tell me what's going on. Where is His Highness?" Sun Ruoji was now anxious to know where Zhu Zhanqi had gone, so she didn't care about anything else.

"Yes, I just asked. Early this morning, the eldest and second princes were sent out by the prince to do some work. I heard that they will have to stay out for a few days. Madam, I think that the situation may be urgent and the prince has not had time to tell the princess. Otherwise, we should wait for the prince to come back before making any plans. What do you think?"

"What a coincidence that we arrive together. Never mind. This person hasn't come back yet and I'm sleepy too. Let's just wait for His Highness to come back." Sun Ruoji was so sleepy that he didn't have time to think too much.

"Then I will help Your Majesty to settle down." Biyun was relieved to see that Sun Ruoji was so easy to talk to this time, and hurried over to help her untie her hairpins.

At this time, Hu Shanxiang, who had returned home, was still busy.

Hu Shanyi lived in her courtyard before, but now she has to stay at home to wait for her marriage. By that time, with her dowry and rewards from the palace, it might not be able to fit them all in, so she had to let Hu Shanyi move to the other courtyard.

"Sister, I thought you were back and we could live together, but I didn't expect we had to move." Hu Shanyi said, holding her hand.

"The yard will be very messy by then, and I'm afraid it will be too noisy for you to concentrate on your studies. Okay, I've talked to father and will let you live in a separate yard."

"Really? I knew my sister was the best to me." Hu Shanyi was immediately happy when she heard her say that, and hugged her excitedly. I thought we were going back to our mother's main courtyard, but I didn't expect that. This way she can still be free and at ease.

"Okay, everything is almost tidied. Come on, I'll take you to see where you're staying." Hu Shanxiang broke free from her arms.

"Sister, is the palace big and fun?" Hu Shanyi asked as they walked. She had seen the palace walls from outside. The red walls and golden tiles were magnificent. It must be a place that all women in the world yearn for, she thought.

"It's very big, but as for whether it's fun, there are places to play in the palace." Hu Shanxiang looked at her sister's innocent look.

"It must be beautiful, right?" Hu Shanyi was really curious about the palace. If she had the chance, she would also like to go and see it.

"Of course it is beautiful. After all, it is the residence of the most expensive emperor in the world."

"Sister, please tell me more. I'm really curious."

"I've never seen you ask big sister so curiously before."

"My eldest sister is so serious. Every time she comes back from the palace, I hide from her, for fear that she will test me on my homework. My eldest sister is too scary. My third sister is more gentle."

"Okay, I'll go tell Big Sister later that you said that about her."

"Oh, sister, dear sister, please, don't do it?" Hu Shanyi got scared when she heard this and started to act coquettishly with Hu Shanxiang.

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything. We're here and it's getting late. You should go to bed soon." Hu Shanxiang had also arrived and was annoyed by her pestering.

"Sister, please keep your word." Hu Shanyi was really afraid that she would tell her elder sister.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Go back to sleep."

Lingzhi held a lantern and walked back with Hu Shanxiang.

"Looking at the Seventh Miss is like being in the Jiaxing Palace in the palace. I remember when we first entered the palace, Her Royal Highness the Princess also chased us to ask about the situation outside the palace."

"Yes, people outside the palace want to know about the lives of people inside, and people inside the palace want to get out. They envy each other, but the other party doesn't know it. Your Highness wants to leave the palace now. When she is old enough to get married, she will live in the princess's mansion all her life and will not be able to go back to the palace. She might miss the life in the palace again."

"The girl is right. She is leaving home too. Madam said yesterday that she had always wanted her to get married. Now that she is really going to get married, she is reluctant to let her go."

"The main thing is that I am not marrying into an ordinary family where I can go back to my parents' home often. If it weren't for the order from His Majesty to let me stay at home to get married, I don't know when I will be able to meet my family, especially my father and brothers. Even if I can visit them in the palace in the future, they will only be female relatives like my mother."

"Miss, I want to go to the palace with you."

"If you really want to, the palace is not a good place to stay. I was planning to tell mother that you guys should stay at home, and when you are old enough, I will let you go home and get married." Hu Shanxiang did think about not bringing the maidservants with her dowry. She had no way to go to the palace, and she must not let others waste their time in the palace.

"Girl, how can you go into the palace alone? You won't even have anyone to talk to."

"Okay, I'll take you there. Why are you still crying?"

"The girl made fun of me."

As the two of them were playing around, Hu Shanxiang suddenly looked up at the bright moonlight in the sky and said, "The moon is so round today."

"Just after the fifteenth day, the moon naturally becomes full." Lingzhi said.

"You don't know that. As the saying goes, the moon on the 15th is fuller on the 16th. The moon on the 15th is just brighter, but if it's full, it's still fuller on the 16th."

After Hu Shanxiang returned home, she was still not sleepy. She lay in bed for a long time but still could not fall asleep. If she was at home, she should not be so particular about her bed. She had never been so particular about her bed in the palace before. Could it be that her brain was too active today? She tossed and turned but could not fall asleep. She had no choice but to get up, put on a coat and go out. She did several sets of radio gymnastics in the yard before returning to her room. She exhausted herself to the point of feeling sleepy.

"Why is the girl sleeping so soundly today? She hasn't woken up yet." The maids were all waiting outside, but it was already noon and there was no movement in the room.

After a long while, Lingzhi was afraid that something might have happened, so he pushed the door open and went in to see what was going on.

"Girl," Lingzhi called as she walked in, and finally came to the bed, where she saw Hu Shanxiang still sleeping.

"Girl, wake up quickly. The sun is shining on your butt." Lingzhi called her while tidying up the bed curtains.

Hu Shanxiang was sleeping so deeply that she vaguely heard someone calling her.

"Yeah," Hu Shanxiang tried hard to open her eyes, looking vaguely at the figure beside the bed, and her eyelids closed again in an instant.

"Oh, my dear girl, it's so late. Although no one dares to manage your yard now, you still have to get up and have breakfast." Lingzhi saw that she was awake but didn't want to get up, so she had to ask someone to wake her up. After some tossing and turning, Hu Shanxiang became much more sober.

"Why did you sleep so long today, girl? Sleeping too much is not good."

"I don't know what happened last night. I couldn't fall asleep. I slept late and couldn't get up." Hu Shanxiang said truthfully.

"How about I give you some calming incense today?" Lingzhi suggested.

"No need, it will be fine in a few days. Besides, you know I don't like using perfume." Hu Shanxiang rejected her suggestion.