Chapter 682: with translation of chapter title

The ninth day of the ninth month, Double Ninth Festival.

Shang Jing was practically empty of people as everyone left their homes, wearing zhuyu in their hair buns and on their collars, going out in groups of three or five to climb heights and celebrate.

Gu Jiu Ling therefore chose this day to see off those consorts left behind in the palace by Emperor Longqing.

Gu Jiu Ling specially set up a banquet at the Ten Thousand Longevity Palace, and she and Xiao Yin there drank farewell wine with the former consorts; these poor women who had wasted half their lives in the Imperial Harem would now leave the palace city to live elsewhere.

After all, Southern Qi was still influenced by feudal rites; ordinary women rarely remarried after marriage, let alone women who had married the emperor.

There were also two newly entered palace maids who, together with Gu Jiu Ling, bade farewell early and left Jing Cheng with their beloveds; most chose to leave the palace and live separately.

Some followed their children; for a moment the banquet was lively yet also revealed a hint of the bitterness of impending separation.

Consort Rou walked up to Xiao Yin and Gu Jiu Ling holding her wine cup, her eyes already reddened before she even spoke.

"Thank you, Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress!"

Consort Rou's voice trembled slightly from excitement; today was not only the day she was released from the palace, but also the day she and her daughter officially moved into the Princess's residence to live.

She never imagined she would have such an opportunity one day; for a moment she didn't know how to thank the two people before her, and slowly raising her wine cup, she actually bowed her body.

Gu Jiu Ling hurried forward a step to help her up, saying: 'You must not do this; it really overwhelms me.'

Although Gu Jiu Ling now dominates the entire Imperial Harem alone, it would not be right to let the former consorts bow to her—what is this?

Although Emperor Longqing is a scoundrel, those women harmed by him are still innocent.

Moreover, the former consorts sitting here are all timid and weak, having merely luckily survived the various palace intrigues.

Only say that those who survived under Imperial Concubine Cao, Consort Duan, and Empress Dowager Ning'an are truly as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

"In a moment it will be the day the Blessing-pure Princess leaves the palace to establish her residence; because time is pressing, the Princess's residence is being built on the foundation of a former Wangfu, and it may still be rather simple."

Gu Jiu Ling smiled apologetically and said: 'You mother and daughter can stay there for now; since the Beginning of Autumn is just around the corner, it's not easy to transplant plants, so after winter, when spring comes next year, we'll carry out repairs.'

'If you mother and daughter have any shortcomings, just tell me; I will certainly satisfy you.'

'No, no need, it's already very good, very good. Thank you, Her Majesty the Empress! Without Her Majesty the Empress, how could there be today for the Blessing-pure Princess?'

Gu Jiu Ling looked at the delicate, timid woman before her, who was around forty years old yet still bore the fragility of a young maiden.

On the contrary, her daughter is capable of shouldering responsibilities; some people are born merely to be children.

Gu Jiu Ling then drank a few more cups with these women, and together with Xiao Yin saw them off from the Ten Thousand Longevity Palace.

She stood on the arrow tower watching the carriages drive out of the palace gate, and couldn't help but let out a low sigh.

'What's wrong?' Xiao Yin raised his eyebrows, looking at the petite woman standing beside him.

The autumn wind on the city tower grew a bit fiercer; he took off his own cloak and wrapped another layer around Gu Jiu Ling.

'Your Majesty,' Gu Jiu Ling leaned into Xiao Yin's embrace, gazing at the distant sky gradually dyed red by the evening glow.

'I'm thinking, this selection of consorts really is quite sinful.'

Xiao Yin slightly raised his brow, tightening his hand on her shoulder a bit, and laughed softly: 'In this life, having you alone is enough; why create more sin?'

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes curved as she lifted her gaze to Xiao Yin: 'Do you really bear to part with so many lovely beauties?'

'Among three thousand waters, I drink only one ladle; if I drink too much, I fear bursting, and if I don't burst, I'll still be poisoned by the women around me!'

Gu Jiu Ling stared, stunned, then gave him a fierce glare, though the smile in her eyes could not be suppressed.

'Your Highness!' Jiu Yue this time brought two palace maids to Gu Jiu Ling's rear, knelt down, and held up a stack of drawings.

'Your Highness, these are the portraits retrieved by the servant from the matchmaker; they are of prominent families in Jing Cheng. If you don't first look them over, the servant will later deliver them to the Princess's residence for the Blessing-pure Princess.'

Gu Jiu Ling didn't know whether it was because she was getting older, but she actually took a liking to matchmaking.

It just so happens that Xiao Yin also has some time today; if the selection is about done, let him directly bestow the marriage.

Since the Blessing-pure Princess said she would leave everything to her to decide, and Consort Rou is someone who cannot stand on her own, she took it upon herself as an elder to settle the matter for the Blessing-pure Princess.

'Your Majesty, take a look at the heir apparent son of the Cheng'an Marquis's residence—he's quite handsome.'

'The eldest son of the Li family's residence is also not bad, although his social standing is a bit lower…'

'What a fine fellow! Have you seen this one? He's truly a handsome young gentleman.'

'Enough!' Xiao Yin snatched the picture from Gu Jiu Ling's hand; this girl looking at handsome men has made him a bit jealous.

To say he is narrow-minded is fine; he only wants the women around him to have eyes and hearts filled only with him. imъ. c

Even looking at portraits of other men is not allowed.

Gu Jiu Ling startled, and Xiao Yin had already handed the picture over to Jiu Yue beside him.

'In the end, they still need to meet eye to eye with the Blessing-pure Princess; let's send this to the Princess's residence, and also send along the gifts previously prepared by the Empress.'

'Yes!' Jiu Yue hurriedly rose, took the palace maid, and left the palace to run the errand.

At this moment, the Princess's residence was not as lively as imagined.

Consort Rou was by nature introverted to the point of being reclusive; she usually didn't make any close sisters in the palace, living as a married woman of rank.

Her only hobby was hiding in the inner chambers to embroider nonstop, or else to stare blankly.

Therefore, there was also little contact with relatives and friends; she simply held a banquet in the residence, inviting some elderly palace maids who had followed her and her daughter to drink and celebrate.

Some of those elderly maids had no family to worry about, and the Blessing-pure Princess also took them in to support them in their old age.

Master and servants alike were filled with myriad emotions for a moment.

Even after returning to the warm pavilion, Consort Rou still couldn't sleep, pacing back and forth in the hall, or else looking here and touching there.

The Blessing-pure Princess looked at her mother's appearance and couldn't help but laugh softly: 'Mother, what are you doing? The patterns on this window lattice aren't as exquisite as those in the palace; why do you keep staring at them?'

Consort Rou slowly raised her hand and gently touched those patterns, murmuring softly: 'Mother, you have wasted so many years; this is the only thing belonging to us mother and daughter.'

'From now on, this residence, every pattern within it has taken root, taken root!'

The Blessing-pure Princess blinked, her eyes reddening, and hurriedly stepped forward to embrace Consort Rou, laughing softly: 'Mother, our days will only get better from now on.'

'Your Highness, Your Highness, the Empress's attendant Miss Jiu Yue has brought something!'