Chapter 115

Hearing this "Sister Sister Baoqin," it reminded Sister Baoqin of the time in the Jia Prefecture. The maids and young masters in the prefecture used to call her like this back then. Counting it up, it had been six years.

Jia Cong followed Sister Baoqin around the Ganyang Palace. After walking for a while, he saw that the scenery in front was gradually becoming lush with flowers and trees, and every few steps, it became more vibrant.

Walking along a small path paved with bluestone, after a few turns, he saw an exquisite octagonal pavilion.

He saw a female official in the palace standing in the pavilion, with a tall and slender figure, wearing a red silk robe with a combined collar and large sleeves, a plain pleated skirt on her lower body, and an exquisite crown on her head.

With an egg-shaped face, eyes like water apricots, lips containing cinnabar, skin like congealed fat, and a clear and elegant scholarly air between her brows, she was an extremely beautiful and atmospheric woman.

The woman smiled and said: "Cong-di, can you still recognize me? When you were in the prefecture, you were still a timid child. After many years, you have actually grown into such a proud teenager."

Jia Cong looked at the beautiful and atmospheric Jia Yuanchun in front of him. Being able to be selected into the palace as a Female Historian for her talent and appearance, she was indeed an extremely outstanding woman.

Twenty years of distinguishing right from wrong, where the pomegranate flowers bloom, illuminating the palace.

How can the three springs compare to the scenery of early spring? When the tiger and rhinoceros meet, the great dream returns.

Sister Baoqin stood to the side, seeing them chatting happily, and was also happy in her heart. The young lady had been in the palace for these years, lonely in her heart, and hadn't seen her so happy for a long time. After all, she still missed her family.

Thinking of these, Jia Cong felt some sighs in his heart and replied warmly: "Jia Cong pays respects to Sister Jia Yuanchun."

In order to continue the family's wealth, Grandmother Jia sent such an outstanding woman into the palace to cling to power, letting her waste her youth year after year, guarding the loneliness. Thinking about it, it was also pitiful.

In the past two years, besides mentioning Jia Cong in his father's letters, he also mentioned that Jia Baoyu was addicted to playing in the back house and didn't like reading. He had repeatedly taught him, but it was hard to change. It was extremely difficult for him to want to study and enter school.

They were all exquisite and expensive scholarly items.

Jia Yuanchun's eyes were slightly moist: "That the sisters can still remember me often makes me happy."

It was just that this cousin of his, at such a young age, was appointed as the top candidate and was granted an eighth-rank official position by the Emperor. A talented person of the world, a phoenix chick or a unicorn child, was nothing more than this.

Jia Cong smiled and said: "I often hear the Second Master mention the Eldest Sister at home. When I get along with the sisters every day, they also often think of the Eldest Sister who is missing, and always feel regret in their hearts."

Jia Cong saw her expression was dejected, and suddenly felt some unbearable pity in his heart, blurting out: "If the younger brother has a chance to enter the palace in the future, I will definitely come to see the sister often."

"We are sister and brother of the same family, Cong-di, no need to be restrained. Come over and sit. For the past two years, Grandmother and Mother have entered the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, and they would bring Father's letters."

Jia Yuanchun had been in the palace for many years, and the palace rules were strict. She couldn't step out of the palace gate for even half a step, so she could only see them when Grandmother and Mother entered the palace to pay respects during the New Year.

Jia Yuanchun had been trapped in the deep palace for many years. As time went by, her longing for her family had become a knot in her heart. Thinking that she could see this brother Jia Cong often in the future, she could also be comforted by some of her homesickness.

Those elders in the Jia Prefecture were mostly mediocre or unbearable, but they raised these girls who were as beautiful as orchids.

"Sister has always been curious in her heart. Today, I finally saw Cong-di in person."

She hadn't seen her own father since she entered the palace. Back then, she was the eldest young lady of the Jia family, but now her family was cut off, her family ties were alienated, and the loneliness and pain in her heart were not something ordinary people could imagine.

With this cousin's ability, the Autumn and Spring Examinations were both promising. I heard that even the Retired Emperor liked Cong-di's calligraphy. The opportunities to enter the palace in the future would not be few, so she could really see him often.

But men without academic rank or official position had no chance to enter the palace at all, and she couldn't see Jia Baoyu either. After all, he was the younger brother she had raised herself. Thinking about it, the family had been too doting on him these years.

Jia Yuanchun's eyes showed joy: "Then Cong-di must remember today's words. If you have the chance, you must come to see Sister."

Every time Father mentioned you in his letters, saying that you were diligent and self-disciplined, that your reading was very outstanding, and that you were the most outstanding descendant of the family in recent years. This month, I heard that you became the top candidate.

Jia Yuanchun beckoned to a little attendant who was following her. The little attendant held up a tray, which contained top-grade brushes, ink, tribute inkstones, glass brush holders, white jade paperweights, and other items.

Jia Yuanchun smiled and said: "These scholarly items are all top-grade tribute items in the palace. The Empress asked me to bring them to reward Cong-di. You are going to Jin Ling to copy scriptures for the Empress Dowager Empress Xianxiao this time, so you can just use them."

Jia Cong looked at these gifts, but felt a bit puzzled. Jia Yuanchun saw his expression and asked: "Cong-di, is there something wrong?"

Jia Cong didn't speak, just glanced at the little attendant behind Jia Yuanchun.

Jia Yuanchun had lived in the deep palace for a long time and had seen many tricks in the palace, and had long been very shrewd. She said to Sister Baoqin beside her: "Sister Baoqin, go play with Little Xiao Fuzi. I want to talk to Cong-di."

Sister Baoqin had followed Jia Yuanchun for many years, so how could she not understand Jia Yuanchun's meaning? This Little Xiao Fuzi was an attendant by the Empress's side, and there were some taboos, so she took the little eunuch far away.

Jia Cong said: "Eldest Sister, Sister Baoqin holds the Phoenix Algae Palace Empress's silver token to summon me. By logic, it should be the Empress summoning me for it to be like this. How can it be that only the Eldest Sister is here to see me?"

"And the gifts are only for the Eldest Sister to pass on, which seems to be intentionally avoiding something. Since it is like this, why use the Phoenix Algae Palace silver token?"

"Although this is much more convenient for me, and I can spend more time with the Eldest Sister, I always feel that it is somewhat unreasonable."

Jia Yuanchun smiled: "Cong-di is indeed careful to think of these things. The Empress and the Emperor are deeply in love. The Emperor granted you the eighth-rank official position to copy scriptures and pray for blessings for his own birth mother."

"In fact, it can also be considered as fulfilling a filial duty for the Emperor. As the Empress, she naturally is one with the Emperor, so she naturally wants to express something in this matter, which is why she rewarded you with these scholarly treasures."

"It is just that now the Empress Dowager Yizhang resides in the Central Palace. The Emperor building a temple and erecting a monument to pray for blessings for his birth mother is somewhat obstructive to the current Empress Dowager Yizhang. The Empress not summoning you personally is also out of consideration for the Empress Dowager."

"It just so happens that you and I are sister and brother, and me seeing you and bringing gifts is even more reasonable."

"In this way, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and even the Emperor, everyone's face can be saved."

Jia Cong felt his tongue click in his heart. He originally thought that the water in a noble family like the Jia family was deep enough, but he didn't expect that compared to the imperial palace, it was just a small matter.

In such a place that cannot be seen, without a nine-curved intestine, one really couldn't live for a few episodes.

Jia Yuanchun had been trapped in this place for five or six years and had experienced unknown amounts of suffering and risks. He couldn't help but feel a lot of sympathy for this Eldest Sister.

Jia Yuanchun saw his stunned expression and smiled, then sighed: "This deep palace is not all lived through like this? Let us women ponder these things."

"You are a man, just focus on reading and making progress, and keep your heart in the four seas. No need to pay attention to these."

Among the girls Jia Cong knew, Wu'er and Qingwen were delicate little maids, intimate and gentle, with all their thoughts on him.

Lin Daiyu and Seeing Tan Chun were not old, and they were still little girls who needed care.

Seeing Yingchun was like an older sister, careful and introverted, often thinking of the proper things for his daily life.

And Jia Yuanchun was different from them, wise and atmospheric, gentle and calm, her conversation and thoughts were extremely talented.

Although she and Jia Cong could be considered meeting for the first time, her words were far-reaching and thoughtful, revealing a proper and forbearing nature, as if she was born to bear the burden.

Jia Cong thought of her living in the deep palace for many years, wasting her youth, her heart empty.

Although she was the eldest legitimate daughter of the second branch, she seemed to have more pity than Seeing Yingchun.

The two of them talked about a lot of daily gossip, laughing and chatting, and time passed very quickly.

Jia Yuanchun saw that it was getting late, so she let Sister Baoqin and Little Xiao Fuzi send Jia Cong out of the palace. If he stayed too long, the Directorate of Ceremonial might come to ask questions. People from outside the palace staying for a long time was always a taboo.

Jia Yuanchun saw Jia Cong was about to leave, and suddenly her eyes turned red, and she smiled at him: "Cong-di is going to Jin Ling, Sister wishes you a smooth journey."

Jia Yuanchun was sad, not because of Jia Cong as a person.

Back then, Grandmother and Mother were very keen on sending her into the palace. She was a young girl, raised by filial piety and the three obediences, so she could only obey her elders. To say she liked it in her heart, she didn't have half a bit.

Thinking that she was staying in this place that couldn't be seen, and that today, like this, meeting her family and saying so many words, was a great luxury.

It was a pity that such an opportunity was ultimately extremely rare.

When Jia Cong followed Sister Baoqin away, he looked back and saw Jia Yuanchun still standing alone in the octagonal pavilion, looking toward him, the breeze blowing the sleeves of her red silk robe, silent, with a bit of desolation.

(End of chapter)