Chapter 215: Who Is Most Anxious About Noble Consort Gao's Death?

Fei Yan knelt on one knee:

"Master, your guess was correct; that mysterious person is indeed him."

Jun Jun Zijin sat on a carved nanmu chair, idly playing with a piece of warm jade in his hand.

Hearing this, he merely raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of sharpness flashing in his eyes, signaling him to continue.

"This subordinate saw a masked person meet with that man. The masked person had only one eye, and his figure closely resembled the masked man you blinded with your sword who led the pursuit against us. But strangely, that man was quite polite to the masked person; it did not seem like a superior-subordinate relationship, but rather... a partnership."

Jun Jun Zijin frowned slightly. That time, everyone had been captured, except for the adopted son of Prime Minister Gao. That masked person... even if that masked person was Gao Yuan, the relationship between that man and Gao Yuan... this matter, no matter how one looked at it, was anything but ordinary.

"Fei Yan, this matter is not simple. Continue to watch closely, and under no circumstances startle the snake. Additionally, secretly investigate Gao Yuan, including when and under what circumstances he entered the Gao residence, and how he was adopted by Prime Minister Gao. I want all his information."

"Yes, Master!"

Fei Yan received the order, turned, and prepared to withdraw.

"Wait!"

Jun Jun Zijin called him back.

"You must be careful; if there is danger, return immediately; do not force yourself."

Fei Yan felt a warmth in his heart; this young lady, though seemingly cold in her daily demeanor, actually cared deeply for us subordinates.

"This subordinate understands; I will certainly not disappoint Master's expectations!"

With that, his figure flashed, vanishing from the spot like a phantom.

Jun Jun Zijin snapped his fingers in the air, and Fei Ying appeared with a grin.

"Master, do you have an order?"

"Tell Quan Quan Aoyu that there is progress, but also new mysteries. Have him send people to support Fei Yan. Additionally, keep a close watch on Prince Yi Wang Fu."

Fei Ying acknowledged and quickly departed.

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Today was the Lantern Festival, and the Jun residence, quiet for several days, was bustling again.

Around a large round table, the old and young of the Jun family sat together; the table was filled with various fillings and dumpling wrappers, and everyone was gathered around making dumplings.

Besides Jun Zhengming, who had not yet returned from court, even Jun Chengcai, the only male in the residence, came to join the fun.

The warm steam, mingled with laughter and joy, blended into this atmosphere of reunion filled with the smoke and fire of daily life.

White flour and fillings transformed in the hands of the crowd; in no time, plump and round dumplings filled the trays.

Jun Jun Zijin's movements were skilled and elegant; her Bai Xi fingers gently pinched the dumpling wrapper, placed the filling inside, folded and pinched once, and a delicate dumpling took shape.

Jun Jun Shuyan watched nearby, mesmerized, and could not help but exclaim:

"Second Sister, you make them so beautifully; I just cannot learn to do it."

Saying this, she held up her own crookedly made dumpling and pouted.

Jun Jun Zijin smiled, reached out, and dabbed a spot of white flour on Jun Jun Shuyan's nose, speaking softly:

"Jun Shuyan, do not rush; make a few more and you will become skilled. Come, Second Sister will teach you again."

She picked up a dumpling wrapper and demonstrated patiently, while Jun Jun Shuyan followed along with unblinking eyes.

The Old Lady sat nearby, her face full of affection, occasionally offering a few words of advice:

"Slow down, do not drop them on the floor."

Seeing the interaction between Jun Jun Zijin and Jun Jun Shuyan, Lady Zhou's face beamed with a happy smile as she praised:

"I never expected the Second Young Lady's hands to be so clever; she can cure illnesses, wield a surgical knife, paint, play the zither, and even make dumplings so beautifully. I truly do not know what the Second Young Lady cannot do."

Jun Jun Zijin laughed:

"I have many things I cannot do, such as embroidery."

Everyone laughed and joked, enjoying a harmonious and joyful time.

Jun Chengcai sat nearby, watching this warm scene, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

Yet behind this smile, a hint of sorrow, difficult to notice, quietly climbed into his eyes.

He would be leaving very soon; he had his own mission, to go to the place he ought to go.

But in his heart, everyone before him was his family.

Especially the Old Lady and Jun Jun Zijin were the attachments in his heart that were hardest to sever.

This parting, who knows in what year or month we might meet again.

"Big Brother, why are you making them so slowly? Are you slacking off?"

Jun Jun Shuyan suddenly teased Jun Chengcai. Jun Chengcai came back to his senses and hurriedly said:

"How could I? I was just thinking of making them more exquisite."

Saying this, he quickened his hand movements, but his thoughts drifted far away.

The attentive Old Lady seemed to notice Jun Chengcai's strangeness. She looked at him with a gentle gaze and asked with concern:

"Chengcai, you seem to have something on your mind today? Is there something troubling you? Tell Grandmother."

Jun Chengcai opened his mouth, intending to speak of his departure, but seeing Grandmother's affectionate face, he swallowed his words back, forcing a faint smile:

"Grandmother, what could I have on my mind? I was just thinking of eating a few more dumplings later. To fully enjoy the taste of home."

Jun Jun Zijin also cast a knowing glance; she knew this brother too well.

Clearly, he hid something in his heart, but he did not want everyone to worry, so he chose silence.

Just then, Guazi walked in lightly, leaned close to Jun Jun Zijin's ear, and whispered:

"Master, news from the palace: Noble Consort Gao has passed away."

Jun Jun Zijin's eye twitched, but her hand did not stop moving.

This was something she had expected; with that one whip from Quan Quan Aoyu, Noble Consort Gao holding on until today was already the limit.

Emperor Tianqi has a law: when the Empress passes away, all Imperial Princes must mourn for one year. When a consort passes away, only her biological son must mourn.

The ranks of imperial consorts varied in height, and the length of the mourning period differed.

When a Noble Consort passed away, her own son observed a one-year mourning period.

During the mourning period, an Imperial Prince could not marry, and wives and concubines in his Wang Fu could not conceive.

As a result, Jun Jun Yiyi, who had only just married Prince Yi less than half a month ago,

would be unable to conceive for a year from today; she was likely to grow anxious.

Given her temperament, there was sure to be a commotion in the Prince Yi Wang Fu again.

Speaking of the Prince Yi Wang Fu, Jun Jun Yiyi and Quan Quan Tianyi had been married for nearly half a month.

Every night, Jun Jun Yiyi waited left and right, yet Quan Quan Tianyi never once stayed in her courtyard.

Every time Jun Jun Yiyi sent someone to ask, they said Yiwangdian was still in the study handling official duties.

Her heart was in a frantic state; without consummating the marriage, who was she supposed to get pregnant by?

Today was the Lantern Festival, and Jun Jun Yiyi spent most of the day dressing up meticulously.

Sitting before the bronze mirror, she looked at herself; beneath her carefully drawn distant-mountain eyebrows, her eyes held rippling autumn water, her vermilion lips lightly touched, resembling a red plum blossom blooming on a branch.

She had chosen a water-red Shu brocade skirt embroidered with peonies, flowing like a fairy.

The gold threads on it shimmered with fragmented light under the candlelight; every fold had been repeatedly arranged by her, striving to display the most perfect posture.

She ordered the kitchen to prepare a table of dishes and warm a pot of wine.

The table was filled with dishes Yiwangdian usually loved: the sweet-and-sour carp had a bright red color, crispy on the outside and tender within, the knife cuts on the fish were uniform and neat, and the poured sweet-and-sour sauce emitted an enticing sour-sweet aroma;

the crystal elbow was translucent, with jelly wrapping the tender elbow meat, every piece cut to the same size;

there was also the jade-green and Bai Yu soup, where the emerald green vegetables and tender white tofu complemented each other, like a exquisite painting.

She only waited for Quan Quan Tianyi to return to the Wang Fu so they could eat, drink, and have children.

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