Chapter 472 Aunt Xue Enters the Palace
After walking for nearly two quarters of an hour, the eunuch leading the way finally stopped.
Aunt Xue also stopped and heard the eunuch say, "Madam, please wait here for a moment. I will go and report to the Empress."
"Your Excellency, please go!"
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Aunt Xue heard a series of footsteps.
"The Empress summons Madam Xue Wang to an audience!"
"Madam, please follow me into the palace!" a female official said respectfully .
Aunt Xue quickly responded, "Thank you, sir!"
Afterwards, he carefully followed the female official into Fengzao Palace again!
He walked straight through the front hall and arrived at the back hall. He saw the female official in front of him stop and report, "Your Majesty, Mrs. Xue Wang of the Xue family requests to see you!"
Aunt Xue didn't dare to look up, and quickly bowed down to pay homage, "I, the commoner Xue Wang, pay my respects to the Empress!"
"Yuanchun, help her up quickly."
Aunt Xue only heard a soft voice, and then a female official in brocade came to her and said, "There's no need to be so polite in front of the Empress. Get up quickly!"
Aunt Xue had only heard of Yuanchun's name, having seen her before when she was still a baby. Not long after Yuanchun's birth, the Jia family moved to the capital, while the Xue family remained in Jinling, south of the Yangtze River. She had been exchanging letters with the Jia family. A few years earlier, when Baochai's father was still alive, Aunt Xue had visited the Jia residence in the capital, but Yuanchun had already entered the palace by then, so she naturally had no chance to meet her.
"Madam Xue, there's no need to be so polite. Please come closer. I'm summoning you to the palace today not for any other reason, but simply to chat with you and discuss some matters. If you remain restrained here, it would be a rude gesture."
"I have always heard from His Majesty and the Emperor that the ancestors of the Xue family also made great contributions to the Great Qian Dynasty. In fact, we should have known each other well, but your family has been in Jinling for many years, so you have not been able to visit the palace often."
"Come, sit next to me and I'll serve you tea!"
Supported by Yuanchun, Aunt Xue finally raised her head carefully and glanced forward.
However, he saw that there were eunuchs and female officials standing around with their heads nodded, and sitting on the soft couch in the middle was a woman wearing a phoenix robe, who was about the same age as himself but dignified and majestic.
Is this the Queen? Aunt Xue thought to herself.
"I thank the Queen for the tea!"
He carefully leaned forward and sat down on a brocade cushion, not daring to take a sip of the tea in his hand.
"Why are you still so polite?" The queen said helplessly. The two of them were real relatives. Wouldn't it be nice for them to talk about their children together?
"I have never seen the auspiciousness of the phoenix carriage, so I am timid and dare not act unruly in front of the Empress!" Aunt Xue said carefully.
The next moment, she saw the queen stand up and walk towards her. She quickly placed the teacup on the low table beside her and stood up as well.
"You, if we're talking about age, we should be about the same. Even calling us sisters wouldn't be an overreaction. Besides, I'm incredibly happy about your daughter. I almost treat her like my own."
"Jia Cong has always been my favorite. In Fengzao Palace, I almost treat him as my own son. If that's the case, your daughter can be considered my daughter-in-law. If we are so distant from each other, what's the point of being in-laws? Don't you think?"
The Queen's affectionate words finally made Aunt Xue feel a little relieved. "It is a blessing for our Xue family that my daughter can be loved by the Queen!"
Empress Shang grabbed Aunt Xue and said, "Come on, let's not just sit here. Let's go for a walk in the garden! Yuanchun, tell the imperial kitchen that I'm hosting a banquet for guests today!"
The two walked all the way to the garden, and the queen smiled and said, "Are you satisfied with your son-in-law?"
Aunt Xue smiled apologetically and said, "Given the Marquis's status and family background, it's already a high marriage for a commoner's daughter. How could I be dissatisfied?"
"What's more, although the Marquis is of high status, he has always been respectful to me and especially attentive to my daughter. I wonder how much good fortune my Xue family and I must have accumulated in our past lives to be able to marry such a man. Furthermore, Your Majesty and Your Highness have shown no disdain for our humble family, a family of noble birth, and have granted me Your Majesty's decree and Your Highness's grace. I cannot help but feel overjoyed."
The Queen smiled and nodded in response, "You are right. That child is a man who knows how to be filial!"
"Although she is a concubine's daughter and lacked education in her childhood, she has a pure character and is loyal, filial, and polite. She is a rare and perfect match. In the future, when they marry, you will have the opportunity to enjoy happiness."
The two chatted for quite a while, but it was mostly the Queen who did the talking, with Aunt Xue joining in the conversation. Aunt Xue was indeed a top-notch supporting actress. Although her status was far inferior to the Queen's, her conversations made the Queen extremely happy and entertained. With such a relative, she wouldn't be bored anymore when they talked together in the future.
"I asked you to come here today because I have something to discuss with you."
"How can a common woman like you have the right to discuss matters with Your Majesty? If there is anything, Your Majesty will just give you your orders."
"Your Majesty and I had already had the Imperial Astronomical Observatory calculate a date, but something happened in the southwest, and this child has to lead troops to war. Although he doesn't need to be present for the ceremony, I still want to perform the Nacai ceremony before he leaves."
"Your Majesty has once again asked the Imperial Observatory to calculate the date. Time is running out, and it will probably be within three to five days. Therefore, I wanted to ask what you think so that we can discuss it in advance."
Aunt Xue naturally agreed with this. For such a good son-in-law, she would never refuse, let alone accepting the marriage proposal in the next few days. Even if the bride was invited directly in the next few days, she would never refuse.
"I obey the Queen's orders!"
"What's the point of an imperial decree? Since you've agreed, once His Majesty sets a date, I'll send someone to tell you so you can prepare in advance. But don't worry, although time is tight, we have everything we need, and I won't let that girl suffer any injustice."
"I only hope that they will live in harmony in the future. Why should I care about anything else? Besides, although the Xue family is poor, we still have some wealth, so we are not lacking anything. As long as the Marquis agrees, I think my daughter will agree too."
"Well, when you get back, talk to that girl properly and don't let her feel neglected. Besides, from now on, we are considered a family. If you and that girl are free, come to the palace and chat with me. If we, as the elders, become estranged when these two little ones get married, it will be difficult for them as well."
Aunt Xue naturally responded respectfully, and then accompanied the Queen for dinner in the palace before walking out of the palace feeling light and airy.
She married into the Xue family from the Wang family, and her status and wealth far exceeded that of ordinary people. However, she had never enjoyed such glory as today.
