novelAbuy Chapter 22 Grandmother Jia: Come with me to the palace
Chapter 22 Grandmother Jia: Come with me to the palace
It was breakfast time, and a sumptuous breakfast was laid out on the square table in the small dining room.
Jia Min sat in the main seat, with Lin Daiyu on her left, slowly eating her porridge. Jia Min would occasionally put food on her daughter's plate, her eyes full of tenderness.
Lin Daiyu swallowed the porridge in her mouth and looked at her mother with wide, blinking eyes.
Jia Min said impatiently, "Just say what you have to say."
Lin Daiyu, unusually embarrassed, said, "Mother..."
"Want to go out for a spring outing on the Shangsi Festival?" Jia Min put down her chopsticks.
Lin Daiyu nodded quickly, "Yes, yes!"
Jia Min: "Your father is not home."
"We can have Prisoner Liu come along!" Lin Daiyu sat up straight, her face full of anticipation.
Jia Min: "Liu Siyu is an official appointed by the imperial court; he doesn't have time to waste on your nonsense."
Lin Daiyu pouted, looking unconvinced: "I went to offer incense and pray for blessings, not to fool around! Besides, I've already calculated it; he happens to be off work on the Shangsi Festival..."
Jia Min laughed in exasperation, and was about to reprimand him when a maidservant announced from outside the door: "Madam, Prison Warden Liu has arrived."
They must be here urgently.
Jia Min took the tea handed to her by the maid, rinsed her mouth, and then gently wiped the corners of her mouth with a towel before getting up, straightening her clothes, and walking towards the living room: "Please come in."
As soon as Jia Min stepped out of the small dining room, the old woman immediately lowered the beaded curtain between the living room and the small dining room, and stood sideways in the doorway, perfectly concealing Lin Daiyu inside the small dining room.
This wasn't Liu Feng's first time here, and whether out of respect or as a matter of etiquette, he couldn't stare directly at Jia Min.
He walked respectfully to the center of the living room, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Madam."
Jia Min nodded slightly: "Let's talk while sitting down."
"Yes."
Liu Feng was a member of the Lin family, not a servant, so he was entitled to sit there, especially since he was an official appointed by the imperial court.
Liu Feng sat down on a guest chair, took out the letter from his sleeve, and handed it to the old woman next to him: "This is a letter from the Xue family of Jinling."
Jia Min took the letter, opened it, and listened to Liu Feng recount what happened last night.
After Liu Feng finished speaking, he lowered his head and drank his tea, feeling somewhat guilty.
In the original novel, Lin Daiyu was more perceptive than Bi Gan, and Jia Min was her mother, so how could she be any less shrewd? Jia Min would definitely be able to see through his little schemes.
After reading the letter, Jia Min smiled and glanced at Liu Feng, but didn't say anything.
He's just a businessman. As for relatives, they're relatives of the Wang family, not proper relatives of the Jia family. They're just outsiders, not worth taking seriously.
Jia Min folded the letter and asked, "Anything else?"
Liu Feng coughed lightly and glanced at the maids and servants standing in the living room.
With a wave of her hand, Jia Min dismissed all the maids and servants.
Only Jia Min, Liu Feng, and Lin Daiyu, who was trapped in the small dining room, remained in the living room.
Liu Feng sat up straight and recounted the whole story in detail.
Jia Min's expression also turned serious. She tapped her fingertips lightly on the coffee table a few times, then looked up at Liu Feng: "What are you thinking?"
Liu Feng had already planned it on his way here: he would have Jia Min write a letter to the Jia family, asking them to help send the official documents to the palace.
The Jia family were founding nobles, and even if they don't hold any respectable official positions now, they are still qualified to deliver things to the emperor.
After hearing Liu Feng's words, Jia Min quickly made up her mind.
Waiting for Lin Ruhai is definitely too late, and we can't wait. If the news really leaks out, the entire Provincial Surveillance Commission will be in trouble.
In addition, Jia Min had another little scheme.
The Jia family and the current government have been at odds for so many years. This matter might be able to break the deadlock, ease tensions between the two sides, and allow the Jia family to get out of this awkward predicament.
Jia Min was not one to hesitate, and once she had made up her mind, she immediately got up and went to her bedroom to write a letter.
Liu Feng was the only one left in the living room, holding a teacup and slowly sipping his tea.
Suddenly feeling someone spying on me, I turned my head sharply.
Now that the old woman was no longer there to shield him, how could the thin beaded curtain possibly block Liu Feng's burning gaze? Lin Daiyu's face was breathtaking; he was completely mesmerized.
Although the two had interacted quite a bit, this was the first time Lin Daiyu had met Liu Feng in person. Caught red-handed spying, her face flushed bright red. Seeing his stunned expression, she couldn't help but chuckle. She glared at Liu Feng, both embarrassed and annoyed, then turned away and muttered under her breath, "What an idiot."
It wasn't until footsteps sounded from the bedroom that Liu Feng snapped out of his daze. He glanced guiltily in that direction, then stared at the figure in the small dining room for a long while before reluctantly looking away.
What a beast!
Liu Feng cursed himself inwardly for having such wicked thoughts about a young girl. But he couldn't help but click his tongue. As expected of the Crimson Pearl Fairy, her appearance and temperament... He was too uncultured to find the right words, so he could only swallow his saliva silently.
Lin Daiyu sat quietly, her face flushed red. That burning gaze made her both ashamed and angry. She clenched her little fists and mentally beat Liu Feng, that lecherous scoundrel, countless times.
"What are you thinking about?" Jia Min was already standing next to the dining table without anyone noticing.
"Mother!" Lin Daiyu hurriedly stood up.
"Why is your face so red?" Jia Min asked curiously.
A look of panic flashed in Lin Daiyu's eyes, and she hurriedly said, "It's hot... I just ate some chili peppers, it's spicy."
Jia Min didn't think much of it and sat down to continue eating breakfast.
Lin Daiyu glanced at the living room and asked softly, "Has Prisoner Liu left?"
Jia Min hummed in response, without looking up.
"Did he go to the capital to deliver a letter?" Lin Daiyu asked again.
Jia Min looked up at her: "Didn't you hear me?"
Lin Daiyu blushed again: "The chili peppers were too spicy..."
"You!" Jia Min pointed at her, "Liu Siyu's health hasn't fully recovered yet, how can he withstand the rigors of traveling thousands of miles back and forth on a fast horse?"
"So he'll accompany us on a spring outing to enjoy the spring scenery during the Shangsi Festival?" Lin Daiyu asked excitedly.
Jia Min put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "I made a vow in front of the Bodhisattva before, and I need to offer incense and fulfill my vow on the Shangsi Festival, so I can't go out."
"Ah~~" Lin Daiyu's face immediately fell, filled with disappointment.
Jia Min couldn't bear to see it, so she thought for a moment and said, "The Xue family's daughter invited you to Niushou Mountain to worship Buddha and enjoy the spring scenery in her letter... I'll have Liu Siyu take some men to escort you there."
Lin Daiyu's eyes lit up, but she gently shook her head: "I'm at home with my mother."
Jia Min reached out and touched her cheek, her eyes full of tenderness: "Go on, Mother is chanting sutras in the Buddhist hall. Just come back early to have dinner with Mother."
"Yes!" Lin Daiyu nodded vigorously.
Jia Min smiled and said, "After you finish eating, write a letter back to Miss Xue." She then coughed lightly.
Lin Daiyu: "Mother..."
"It's nothing, I've just been a bit busy these past few days, I just need to rest."
......................
The Shangsi Festival, which falls on the third day of the third lunar month, is considered the first major festival after the start of spring, combining ancestor worship, social interaction, and outings.
Official families in the capital, especially wealthy and powerful families like the Jia family, would get together every year on this day to go on a spring outing and enjoy the spring scenery.
The Jia family had already made arrangements with their old friends and relatives, and were preparing to leave early in the morning when a fast horse rushed into Ningrong Street, disrupting the Jia family's plans.
In Rongqing Hall, after reading Jia Min's handwritten letter, Grandmother Jia slowly put the letter down and turned her gaze to the bundle on the table.
After thinking for a moment, Grandmother Jia untied the bundle.
Inside was a rosewood box with three feathers stuck to the lacquered seal. The seal read "To be opened before the Emperor in secret" and was stamped with the official seal of the Jiangsu Provincial Surveillance Commission.
Jia Min didn't specify what was in the box in his letter, but that one line alone revealed its immense importance. Moreover, the letter stated that if this item could be successfully delivered to the Emperor, the Jia family's current predicament would be resolved.
Eleven years. The Jia family has endured humiliation and misery for a full eleven years. This glimmer of hope before them must not be missed.
"The Second Master is back!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Jia Zheng, dressed in official robes, hurriedly walked in.
"Mother, why are you calling your son back so urgently? What happened?"
Grandmother Jia retied the bundle and looked at Jia Zheng: "Come with me to the palace."