jdhmnovel Chapter 301 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 15
Chapter 301 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 15
The day after the end of the New Year is the New Year's Day. Early in the morning, the Emperor and Empress would go to the Wende Hall to receive the officials. The Empress of the Song Dynasty had power. Otherwise, before Emperor Renzong of Song took office, Empress Zhangxian Mingsu, also known as Liu E, was able to rule from behind the curtain.
Lin Yitang took leave and stayed at Wutong Pavilion. Rong Xiuyi, on the other hand, was not feeling well, but she also attended the banquet, showing off her still-unprecedented baby bump.
For seven consecutive days, the holiday in the Song Dynasty ended, but the festive atmosphere of the New Year still lingered.
Lin Yitang wrote a letter to her younger brother Lin Jingya, telling him to focus on the imperial examinations. The official had already resolved their status as members of the Lin clan, and now they were collateral descendants of the Lin clan.
The father's name was Lin Yushan. Lin Yushan was a promising young man. He became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) at the age of 22 and later went out to serve as an official. However, he died young at the age of 26 without leaving any descendants. The government then transferred the family property to Lin Yushan.
The Emperor had informed Lin Yitang of this matter before the New Year. Lin Yitang had not found an opportunity to write back, as both the court and the harem were busy. She took the opportunity to send a message out, and the investigation was not very strict.
Having resolved the issue of their identities, Lin Yitang's wish was fulfilled. Otherwise, Lin Jingya's identity would have been problematic, and if he were caught, he would definitely not be able to hold office.
……
Back when Lin Yitang was five months pregnant, Bai Ruonan was two months pregnant at the Ningyuan Marquis's residence. That year, she had a big fight with Gu Yankai about the fourth and fifth branches of the family exploiting the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.
Bai Ruonan maintained the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion's expenses with her dowry, and now, she even has to use her dowry to support that bunch of good-for-nothings.
Every time she tried to talk to Gu Yankai, he would either change the subject or say that Gu Yankai was his brother and that she should be patient.
Bai Ruonan looked at the accounts in front of her with a sense of melancholy. This month's expenses had exceeded the budget again, with the fourth master of the fourth branch of the family spending another thousand taels.
Huixin stepped forward to massage Bai Ruonan, trying to relieve her headache, and comforted her, "Madam, if you ask me, just ignore those concubines. Now, the Second Miss is the Emperor's concubine, a Jieyu, and pregnant. Let the Second Miss stand up for you, those people..."
Bai Ruonan interrupted Huixin directly. She had a good relationship with Lin Yitang, but they had only known each other for a little over two years, and then they hadn't been in contact for several years. The main reason was that she hadn't taken the initiative to write to Lin Yitang. Every time she wrote to her father and mother, she would mention Lin Yitang and Lin Jingya in passing.
"Alright, I understand."
Seeing Bai Ruonan say this, Huixin didn't dare to say anything more and helped Bai Ruonan handle the affairs of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion. Bai Ruonan was pregnant, and Huixin didn't dare to let Bai Ruonan get tired.
Suddenly, a maidservant trotted into Rongxu Hall, and Huixin immediately scolded her, "What's all the fuss about? Can't you see that Madam is pregnant?"
"Madam, someone from the palace has arrived and wants to see you. The other masters and ladies of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence are waiting in the front courtyard. Madam, please go to the front courtyard to greet the guest." The maidservant said hurriedly after bowing.
Huixin and Bai Ruonan exchanged a glance. Bai Ruonan shook her head slightly, indicating that she did not understand why someone from the palace had come. After all, she had not written a letter to Lin Yitang, so logically, no one from the palace should have come to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.
"Alright, Huixin, let's go out and meet the guests." Bai Ruonan didn't dare to delay and got up immediately.
In the front courtyard, the people from the fourth and fifth chambers exchanged glances, but dared not be presumptuous in front of the angels (eunuchs in the palace).
The fourth branch of the family consists of four patriarchs, four patriarchs, the eldest son Gu Tingxuan, and the illegitimate son Gu Tingbing, while the fifth branch consists of five patriarchs, five patriarchs, and the eldest son Gu Tingyang, among others.
Several people were speculating whether Gu Yankai had offended the Emperor, which was why the envoy had come to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.
When Bai Ruonan arrived at the front courtyard, this was the scene she saw. Wang Zhongzheng, seeing that the Lady of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence had arrived, said with a smile, "Since the Lady of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence has arrived, I will read out the imperial edict."
Bai Ruonan knelt in front with Huixin, while the people from the fourth and fifth branches of the family knelt beside them.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Lady Bai, wife of the Marquis of Ningyuan, comes from a noble family and is of virtuous character and prudence... She is hereby specially granted fifty taels of gold, two hundred taels of silver, and five bolts of red silk..."
After listening, Bai Ruonan respectfully bowed towards the direction of the palace and accepted the imperial edict from Wang Zhongzheng.
"I have conveyed His Majesty's words, and Consort Lin also asked me to send her regards." Wang Zhongzheng had just met the people from the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, and they were not to be trifled with. He wanted to do Consort Lin a favor, as her good fortune might be just around the corner.
"Thank you, sir." Bai Ruonan gave Huixin a wink, and Huixin cleverly stepped forward and handed a purse to Wang Zhongzheng. Wang Zhongzheng naturally took the purse and put it in his sleeve.
The two nannies that Wang Zhongzheng brought with him were the ones the Emperor had found who wanted to leave the palace to recuperate; they were Granny Gui and Granny Zhao.
After Wang Zhongzheng left, the Fourth Master, adopting an instructive tone towards a younger generation, directly questioned Bai Ruonan: "What's going on here?"
Granny Gui, a shrewd and experienced woman, stepped in front of Bai Ruonan and said, "Sir, the Lady of Ningyuan Marquis has naturally received rewards from the Emperor and Lady Lin. Also, the Lady of Ningyuan Marquis is unwell and cannot accompany you."
After saying this, Granny Gui helped Bai Ruonan walk towards Rongxu Hall, with Granny Zhao and Huixin carrying the gifts bestowed by the Emperor behind them.
The people from the fourth and fifth branches of the family coveted these things, but none of them dared to stop Bai Ruonan. The Bai Ruonan of today was not the same Bai Ruonan of the past. The palace had also bestowed two nannies upon her. The nannies had connections in the palace, and if they complained to the people in the palace, they would not be able to bear it.
When Gu Yankai returned, people from the fourth and fifth branches of the family came to him, asking him to find Bai Ruonan and get the truth out of her.
This is a good thing. Although Bai Ruonan had nothing to say to Gu Yankai, she told him about her second younger sister's situation in the palace.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yankai politely asked, "What is the relationship between you and your second sister?"
"When I was at my parents' home, I had a good relationship with my second younger sister." This was the first time Bai Ruonan had seen Gu Yankai speak to her so politely. Usually, he was aloof and looked down on her.
"This is wonderful news." Gu Yankai paced back and forth in Rongxu Hall. If Lady Lin gave birth to a prince, their Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion could also benefit from it.
In no time, the news that the Emperor's concubine, Lady Lin, was Bai Ruonan's sworn sister spread throughout the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, and everyone's attitude towards Bai Ruonan changed.