Yu Meng squirmed in her arms for a long time, gazing at her face. After a while, she timidly said, "Mother."
"Good daughter, Mother is back." Zhao Jiaqi hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her face.
She was truly afraid the child wouldn't recognize her and would even dislike her.
She had left when her daughter was just learning to speak. Now, more than half a year had passed, and she had completely missed this stage of her learning to walk.
At the mansion, old acquaintances meeting again were exceptionally warm. Zhao Jiaqi led her daughter back to her courtyard, letting the elders reconnect.
Inside the room, everything was freshly washed, clean, and tidy, which further lifted her spirits.
Zhao Jiaqi held Xiao Jun Jun's hand and introduced the little one in her arms to her: "This is my daughter, Fan Yu Meng. She will also be your sister from now on. You two must love each other, understand?"
"I understand, Mother. I'll take care of my sister from now on. I'll teach her to recognize characters, to paint, and to behave properly. I will certainly treat her as my own sister. If she makes mistakes, I will discipline her. Of course, like you, Mother, I'll be very protective!"
Xiao Jun Jun looked at her sister, who was equally curious about her, and said earnestly to Zhao Jiaqi.
"You clever little thing, if Meng Meng were as smart as you, I would be perfectly content."
After interacting with her for some time, Ren Ying Jun's intelligence was almost beyond Zhao Jiaqi's expectations. The ability to calmly deal with spies and remain unruffled in times of crisis had earned her great admiration.
She couldn't help but wonder what kind of extraordinary woman could have given birth to such an intelligent child. Zhao Jiaqi had also developed curiosity about Jun Jun's father.
It was a pity, though…
The next day, the Emperor summoned her to the palace. Dressed in her brand-new noblewoman's attire, she boarded a carriage and headed for the Imperial Palace.
As soon as she alighted, she was personally greeted by Wang Zhan Lin, the head eunuch and a powerful figure favored by the Emperor.
"Madam has traveled a long way, and the Emperor has specially bestowed this carriage for you."
Zhao Jiaqi was almost overwhelmed by the honor: "Thank you for the Emperor's consideration, and thank you, Eunuch, for waiting here."
Wang Zhan Lin dared not accept such thanks and quickly replied, "This is merely my duty. Please, Madam, board the carriage quickly. The Emperor is waiting!"
It was her first time riding in a sedan chair. As soon as she was seated, the sedan chair was steadily lifted by the bearers. The swaying motion made her feel as if she were on a swing.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, she was directly invited in.
"Your humble subject pays her respects to His Majesty. May His Majesty be blessed with ten thousand years of good health!"
Huangfu Jin Tao saw that she had returned unharmed and also saw the memorial submitted by the local officials, which described her heroic deeds in the village in full detail.
At this moment, he was completely impressed by the woman's magnanimity and vision.
"Rise and be seated."
A clear and resonant voice echoed from above her. Only then did she dare to rise and sit on a chair to the side.
Before she could even settle down, the Emperor began asking her a string of questions, which mostly revolved around her discovery of the spies and her activities in the village.
Huangfu Jin Tao: "As the wife of a general, you should be enjoying the service of servants. Why did you go to the village and work in the fields with them? Do you not find it embarrassing? After all, you are an official's wife!"
Zhao Jiaqi smiled faintly and shook her head, replying calmly, "Your Majesty, I do not find it embarrassing. On the contrary, I am proud of it."
The Emperor was puzzled: "What makes you say that?"
"I passed through war-torn prefectures, where once prosperous places had become almost ghost towns, with scenes that were truly unbearable to witness. Therefore, I believe that for our country to prosper, we must develop agriculture. A wealthy nation leads to peaceful citizens, and prosperous citizens lead to a strong nation."
"And I am a farmer, familiar with crops. I wanted to increase the grain yield per mu. This way, the people who had fled can return to farming. If they are stable, the country can be stable. As the saying goes, a boat can carry water, but it can also be capsized by it."
Huangfu Jin Tao was shocked. Such a line of thinking had never occurred to him. If women could hold official positions, he would surely appoint her as a first-rank official.
"I… have learned a valuable lesson." He admitted, feeling quite ashamed that he lacked the insight of a woman.
As she walked out of the Imperial Study and along the small path leading out of the palace, Ping Ting rushed over and hugged her tightly: "Sister-in-law, you're finally back! I've missed you so much. Come, let's go to my palace for a while. I have so much to tell you."
Without another word, Ping Ting dragged her towards her palace. Zhao Jiaqi, while adjusting the golden hairpin and jade crown on her head, also worried about stepping on the overly long noblewoman's robe.
"Slow… slow down. I'm not going to run away. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Ping Ting replied without looking back: "If I don't hurry, I can't! I'm dying to get married!"
Zhao Jiaqi:…
She was truly speechless. What kind of unruly child was this? Didn't she know that girls were supposed to be demure?
"The wife of the Protector General, please wait for this old servant. The Imperial Noble Consort has invited you!"
From a distance, she heard someone calling her from behind. However, Ping Ting recognized the familiar voice and ran even faster, tugging at her sleeve.
"Why are you running? Your mother is looking for me!"
Ping Ting: "I have to run! My mother wants to eat you!"
Eat her?
She wasn't some Tang Monk who could grant immortality by being eaten!
Zhao Jiaqi shook off her hand and stopped just in time. "Even if you want to eat me, you need a reason! Even if you can help me get through today, what about tomorrow… what about the future?"
"Alright, if the Imperial Noble Consort wants to eat me, it's because she knows about you and Xu Dong, isn't it? It's something we have to face sooner or later!"
Ping Ting watched as the managing eunuch from her mother's palace grew closer. She stamped her foot anxiously: "Sister-in-law, my mother is very formidable. I'm afraid you'll be at a disadvantage. I'll persuade her later, and then I'll arrange for you two to meet!"
"Don't worry, I'm made of iron. Even if she bites me, I can break one of her teeth."
Coincidentally, these words were overheard by the managing eunuch of Qixia Palace. With his thin voice, he admonished her: "How dare you! How can you speak ill of the Imperial Noble Consort? Are you tired of living?"
Zhao Jiaqi frowned and mimicked his tone, replying, "How dare you! How can a mere servant admonish the Protector General's wife? Are you tired of living?"
Xiao Wu paused for a moment, then stepped aside and invited her, "The Imperial Noble Consort requests the Madam to visit Qixia Palace. Please follow this servant!"
She had been to the Imperial Palace once before, during the Emperor's birthday celebration. That was limited to the Imperial Study and the two courtyards where the competitions were held.
Now, walking through the inner palace, she navigated through strange, winding paths, passing numerous palaces with guards stationed outside, indicating that the Emperor's concubines resided within.
The Emperor truly enjoyed the bliss of having many consorts, with countless concubines, tsk tsk!
Qixia Palace.
Inside the palace, maids and eunuchs performed their duties meticulously, entering and exiting without lifting their heads, their footsteps making barely a sound.
In the hall, the Imperial Noble Consort reclined languidly on a divan, looking charming and alluring. Ping Ting had inherited about seventy percent of her looks. While not as seductive, she possessed a lively charm.
"Your humble subject pays her respects to the Imperial Noble Consort. May the Imperial Noble Consort enjoy peace and prosperity!"
Yao Jingyun gazed at the kneeling figure below. She had a good impression of Zhao Jiaqi at first, but ever since she learned that this girl Ping Ting was fond of her younger brother-in-law, she had been furious.
Intending to put her in her place with a show of power, she deliberately remained silent, letting Zhao Jiaqi kneel. However, by chance, she encountered Zhao Jiaqi, who had never been intimidated by threats.
She slowly rose and spoke to herself, "His Majesty the Emperor, upon meeting this humble subject, not only granted me a seat but also ordered tea to be served. Yet here, the servants are so ill-mannered. I must complain to His Majesty later. Without rules, there can be no order. At the very least, I am a first-rank noblewoman. Although I hold no real power, my status has certainly risen."