Chapter 41: Married to a Distant Land (Part 1)

  It's been three days since I've been in the palace, and the emperor has made an excuse about a plague spreading, only allowing Qing Sang to move around in the Moon Peace Palace. But Qing Sang knows that she is already a "dead person" and can't be seen in public, so she'll just have to wait until her wedding day to leave this Moon Peace Palace.

  This morning when she got up and saw that her maid servants were all beaming with joy, she curiously asked the reason.

  The leading palace maid, Cao Xiang, hastily reported back that there was a prescription for the plague and many people who had contracted the disease were cured.

  "Really?" Qing Sang asked with a smile, "Have you found a famous doctor or have the imperial physicians come up with a prescription?"

  "It was His Highness who recommended this good doctor" said Cao Xiang.

  "Is it a boy or a girl?" Qing Sang thought of what Tang Zhao said about Meng Niang

  "I'm not very clear either, but I heard that the palace maid of the previous emperor said it should be a gentleman" Cao Xiangdao

  So it seems that Mengniang Qingsang wasn't thinking of that. Now, what did Tangzhao mean by his words? The plague has already been lifted, so what's the point in looking for Mengniang again?

  Qing Sang was puzzled at the same time, Qing Sang also remembered that day when he saw the emperor and forgot to tell him about Meng Niang's affair. However, since Tang Zhao was found by the emperor, he should have a way to dispel the plague, and Tang Zhao should have already reported it, right? Whether he said it or not shouldn't matter.

  In the following days, the dark clouds brought by the plague gradually dispersed, and the concubines who went to Siming Palace also returned. The emperor's harem began to bustle again.

  The plague has dissipated, and the wedding is put on the agenda. The eunuchs and palace maids are getting busy.

  Although Qing Sang was unwilling in every way, at this time she could only take it one step at a time. She knew that if she didn't comply with her relatives, what she would face wouldn't be just losing her own life, but possibly bringing about the calamity of extermination of her entire family.

  For several days in a row, the various departments of the Imperial Palace brought forward samples of clothing, head ornaments, dowry utensils and other items for Qingsang to examine. Qingsang was completely uninterested in these things and perfunctorily chose some at random.

  As the day draws near, Qing Sang thought of the hairpin given by Qing Yu and the pendant given by Tong Huan, and she wanted to take them with her as a keepsake. At the same time, she suddenly "died", and her mother, unaware of the truth, was so worried that she might cry herself to death, and thus also wanted to know about her mother's situation.

  He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then called Cao Xiang to invite Program Director Gong over.

  Until late at night, Mr. Cheng finally came over with his waist bent and his big head spinning.

  As soon as he saw Qing Sang, he cleared his throat and explained that he was very busy serving the emperor and handling palace affairs, and could only find time after the emperor fell asleep.

  Qing Sang endured her temper and listened to him finish speaking, only then did she open her mouth and say: "Please come over, sir, there is something I wish to request of you."

  Cheng Gong blinked his small eyes on his big pancake face, and said with a forced smile: "The princess has wronged this old slave, if there's anything you want to say, just order me, why say 'ask'"

  Qing Sang knew he had been in the palace for many years, was very smooth and didn't beat around the bush, saying directly: "Qing Sang wants to ask you, sir, to go to Pu Fu to retrieve two pieces of jewelry."

  "Are you joking, Princess? There's no shortage of exquisite jewelry in the palace, all of which are rare and precious treasures. Why would we need to go to the Pu manor to ask for them?"

  Qing Se took off the jade pendant from her body and placed it on the table, saying: "Qing Sang doesn't want to trouble you, sir. Just convey a message to the emperor for me - Qing Sang doesn't understand jade and can't tell good from bad, so this jade pendant is yours!"

  Old Master Cheng said "can't afford it", but a pair of small eyes had already sneaked a peek, and saw that the jade pendant was as white as sheep fat, with a warm and moist luster, a top-grade good jade.

  Qing Sang saw his appearance and knew he was eager in his heart, so she smiled lightly and said: "The Duke has worked hard for the Emperor, with great merit, what can't be endured?" After finishing speaking, she picked up the jade pendant, pinched the tassel on the jade pendant, and swayed it back and forth in front of Cheng Gonggong's eyes.

  The jade pendant was spinning around, and Mr. Cheng's eyes were about to pop out as he reached out to take it, bowing his head in thanks.

  Cheng Gong accepted the fine jade, and naturally agreed to Qing Sang's matter. When taking his leave, he didn't forget to say: "As the princess is the emperor's daughter, she should address the emperor as 'Father Emperor'."

  She suddenly understood that Mr. Cheng was reminding her that there were many ears and eyes in the palace, and if she wasn't careful, she might make a big mistake. Qingxiang hastily thanked him, thinking to herself that it seemed true that money could move even ghosts, and that good jade wouldn't be wasted.

  That piece of jade pendant was the beautiful jade given by Prime Minister Liu to Qing Sang when she married into the Liu family. After Qing Sang was poisoned, only the jade pendants and some accessories that she wore on her body were brought into the palace with her.

  Those ornaments are just ordinary goods, and for someone like Cheng Gonggong who has been fawned upon by others for a long time, they can't even catch his eye. As for whether or not things will work out, it all depends on this piece of jade now. Qing Sang is also somewhat reluctant to part with it, but the double-butterfly hairpin made of green jade given by Qing Yu and the rhombus pendant sent by Tong Huan are extraordinary to her. Even if they can't compare to the value of this jade pendant, their significance far surpasses its value.

  On the second day, just past noon, a small eunuch came to the Moon Peace Palace to request an audience.

  At that time, Qing Sheng was being served by Cao Xiang to prepare for a short rest in the afternoon. He heard that there was a small eunuch asking to see him and felt that it was sent by Cheng Gonggong, but he didn't expect Cheng Gonggong to handle things so efficiently.

  The little eunuch entered the inner hall, knelt down and took out a small package from his bosom. When he opened it, inside were not only the pair of butterfly hairpins and rhombus earrings that Qing Sang had wanted, but also an additional jade leaf. Qing Sang recognized that it was a gift from General He Xiong.

  Carefully picked up, Ming Cao Xiang took some silver fragments as a reward

  The little eunuch thanked him and continued: "Everyone in the Pu Gong Mansion is safe and sound, the old lady, the wife, and the young master have all returned to the mansion. Xue Pen's niece and Shu Tong's Xi Mo have been ransomed and returned home, please don't worry, Your Highness."

  Qing Sang felt a pang in her heart, knowing that it was her father's words being passed on to her, trying to reassure her that Xue Pen and Xi Mo would end up together. She had previously asked her father for this favor, and fortunately, he had taken it to heart, and after she left, he still managed to bring Xue Pen and Xi Mo together, which was a relief for Qing Sang's own peace of mind.

  Once again, she thanked the little eunuch in front of her. Qing Sang had sent over the grass fragrance, and with these two things that were lost and then recovered, she burst into tears.

  At dinner time, Cao Xiang brought in some plain porridge and small dishes, but seeing that Qing Fu was not in a good mood and had lost his appetite, she went to the small kitchen in the Moon Peace Palace to make some light and simple dishes.

  Qing Sang had no appetite at all, but couldn't bear to disappoint Cao Xiang's thoughtful gesture, so he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

  "What is this?" Qing Sang wrapped a small piece of something and tasted it, feeling familiar but couldn't recall what it was.

  "Regarding Princess's words, this thing is a water caltrop," Cao Xiang replied.

  "Water Chestnut?" Qing Sang was startled and suddenly remembered the two words in the lotus flower earrings.

  "That's right, water caltrop is what it's called in our hometown, while other places often call it hornwort." Grass Fragrance said.

  The moment I tasted the water caltrop, I immediately thought of the taste of the water chestnut. In my previous life, I often ate this thing, but in this life, I haven't had it for eight years. Adding to that, the fragrance of grass and stir-frying with vegetables made me unable to recognize it at first. What's more unexpected is that water caltrop turned out to be water chestnut.

  "Grass fragrance, where is your hometown?" Qing Sang asked

  "My humble abode is in the southern state," Cao Xiang replied.

  "Nan State?" Qing Sang was after all a lady of the house who rarely left her home, and wasn't particularly familiar with the geography of Xuan Dynasty. Apart from a few places she often heard about, there were many others that she truly didn't know.

  Cao Xiang lowered his head even further and said softly: "It's still the original South Boundary"

  This southern territory of Qing Sang knows that each dynasty will always loudly proclaim its great achievements, and Qing Sang also likes to read books. She has roughly read some historical books of the Xuan Dynasty, including the great event of Emperor Xing Chang's conquest of the Southern Territory. After the Southern Territory surrendered to the Xuan Dynasty, it was renamed Nan Zhou and incorporated into the territory of the Xuan Dynasty, unified under the jurisdiction of the Xuan Dynasty government. The original rulers of the Southern Territory also became vassals of the Xuan Dynasty, obeying the orders of the Xuan Dynasty Emperor.

  "So that's why Nan State is famous for its water chestnuts?" Qing Sang asked

  "Yes, my hometown is even more famous for this. When the water caltrops are ripe, girls like me sit in a round boat and shuttle back and forth on the lake surface, picking off one by one the water caltrops that reflect purple light and throwing them into the boat... Before long, the boat is full..." As soon as she mentioned her hometown, Cao Xiang began to talk endlessly. Suddenly seeing Qing Sang staring blankly at the dish, she thought she had talked too much and hurriedly knelt down to apologize."

  Qingsang couldn't help but recall the scene of meeting Tong Xuan by the lotus pond at the General's Manor when she mentioned picking caltrops.

  "One day, I will accompany Sang Er to see the beautiful scenery of picking lotus flowers." Tong Huan's promise still echoed in my ears, but unfortunately, it was difficult to fulfill.