Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1067 Pacifying Yanzhou

Jing Yuwei had been terrified for a long time, hoping that the Jinghou Mansion could turn misfortune into good fortune. Unfortunately, she was greeted by a team of armored guards.

"Jing Yuwei has amassed a huge fortune for Marquis Jing. By order of His Majesty, she is to be arrested and interrogated severely. No one is to obstruct her; anyone who disobeys will be executed without exception." The guards, expressionless, dragged away the terrified Jing Yuwei. Zhou Chen knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice.

He originally intended to leave immediately with Hua Ruyan, but before he could even step out of the mansion, he was surrounded by guards inside.

Hua Ruyan also received the news. She was tormented by her inability to move her heart and thought of her sister's mother-in-law, Empress Tao, in her anxiety.

She ordered someone to invite Zhou Chen to discuss writing a letter and sending it out to ask Empress Tao for help.

Zhou Chen hesitated: "We are of lowly status, is it really possible for this letter to reach the Empress?" There were guards all outside the mansion, and Zhou Chen was just a merchant with no connections.

"How will you know the outcome if you don't do it? The Empress dotes on Prince Jin and is very good to my sister. I personally wrote a letter to her, begging her to release us both for my sister's sake. It's just a small favor for her. We didn't help the evildoers, so what the Jing family does has nothing to do with us?"

Zhou Chen braced himself and brought her pen and ink: "You really didn't help Jing Yuwei do anything, but I..." Zhou Chen was filled with regret, "I heard that this matter involves a wide range of people, and that Jing Yuwei sent me to contact several of them."

After saying that, he quickly added, "But I was just following orders, so at most I can only be considered an accomplice."

Hua Ruyan glared at him angrily, "It's all your fault for getting into this mess. Not only did you make me a concubine, but you also caused me a lot of trouble!"

Zhou Chen was also filled with regret and advised, "It's no use saying all this now. Hurry up and write it. I'll give you some extra money later. I just hope this letter can really reach the Empress. I also hope that she can protect us a little because we're relatives."

The letter was written quickly, but sending it out was difficult.

The guards outside refused to relay their message. Zhou Chen pleaded for a long time before the head guard finally agreed to deliver it for him, but also told him not to have any illusions.

After waiting for a day and a night, they finally received Tao Yan's oral message, delivered personally by Shuang'er.

“Miss Hua, Her Majesty the Empress said, ‘If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.’ As long as Miss Hua has not made any mistakes, she will naturally not be implicated. As for Young Master Zhou, your crime is not serious, but it is impossible to get away with it. However, His Majesty is merciful and will not take your life. You can stay in the manor and wait for the verdict.”

The two waited in vain for five or six days, and finally, after being fined 30,000 taels of silver, the guards outside the mansion left.

The money came from Hua Ruyan's dowry, and Zhou Chen drew up a written agreement.

“This money is my own dowry. I have the IOU. Once this storm has passed, you must quickly sell your property to compensate me,” Hua Ruyan said solemnly.

Zhou Chen nodded: "Don't worry, after this period is over, I will sell all the shops and houses under my name and take you far away."

On the tenth day, Jing Yuwei was finally brought back, covered in wounds. The royal physician treated her for several days, but her condition deteriorated, and she eventually succumbed to her injuries.

Upon hearing the news, Jing Mubai rushed to the mansion that very night and found that white cloths had already been hung up, and the entire mansion was filled with sorrow.

"In less than half a month, the Jing family was wiped out." Jing Mubai looked at Jing Yuwei's mourning hall, as if it were a dream.

“Brother, he has passed away. Please accept our condolences.” Zhou Chen advised from the side.

“Now that the Marquis of Jing’s mansion has been raided, if you have nowhere to go, why not stay at my mansion temporarily? I want to take Ruyan away from here. The mansion is empty and can accommodate people.”

Jing Mubai glanced at him. He had looked down on this brother-in-law before, but now that he had been implicated because of the Jing family's affairs, Jing Mubai became much more polite.

"No need. Although the Marquis of Jing's mansion has been raided, the princess is still alive. My mother and I will live with the princess from now on. It is understandable that you want to leave. Do as you please."

Zhou Chen breathed a huge sigh of relief. He used to be terrified of everyone in the Marquis of Jing's mansion, as they were all of higher status than him. He felt inferior to everyone he met. Now that the Marquis of Jing's mansion had fallen from grace, he had regained his spirits and was no longer so self-conscious.

Marquis Jing was sentenced to death for corruption and treason, and his once-powerful family disappeared from the public eye.

A purge lasted for nearly a month, and spring buds sprouted on the branches, and Yanzhou returned to its former tranquility.

With no one yet chosen to take over Yanzhou, He Linzhang was undecided.

Jiang Yingying had accompanied Qi Yizheng on his missions for the royal family for many years, and at this moment she was in the backyard of the mansion, watching Tao Yanyan make barbecue skewers. Several children were also waiting eagerly by the side, wanting to be the first to taste them.

"I haven't tasted the Empress's cooking for many years, and I miss it terribly. Over the years, I've traveled all over the country and eaten many delicacies, but none of them can compare to the aroma of the Empress's cooking."

Tao Yanyan smiled and glanced at her, then sprinkled the skewers with her secret seasoning. The sizzling, oily skewers instantly filled the air with their aroma.

He Yinuo swallowed hard, looking at Jiang Yingying with great envy: "Aunt Jiang, tell me, what have you eaten all over the country?"

Foodies can't resist the allure of delicious food. Even if they can't taste it, just hearing about it and learning about a few more dishes is always a good thing.

Jiang Yingying smiled and patted He Yinuo's head, recalling, "I live on the southern coast, where there are the freshest shrimp. The shrimp meat is tender and sweet. Just boil it and dip it in some sauce, and the taste is indescribable."

"There are also crab roe soup dumplings made with fresh crabs. Take a bite and the soup bursts in your mouth, full of the fresh and fragrant crab roe."

He Yinuo stood guard beside He Xiaoqi, the two of them tilting their heads. The parrot's eyes were shining: "How could there not be good stuff if it was fished out of the sea? I get so excited about the freshness of dried fish that I can't even imagine how delicious fresh ingredients are."

The Empress Dowager glanced at He Xiaoqi: "Following Nuo'er, your comments on food have reached a new level!"

He Xiaoqi quickly snuggled up to the Empress Dowager, her whole body screaming, "You and I are the best of the best!"

Jiang Yingying continued, "I was in the Northwest and tasted the most authentic whole roasted lamb. It was such a big lamb, roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sprinkled with special spices. It smelled so good that it made my mouth water. I still miss that taste for ten days or half a month. It's much more enjoyable than the stir-fried lamb we have in Beijing! A bite of meat and a sip of wine is simply heavenly!"

He Yinuo longed for it: "I wish I could go to the Northwest. I heard there are boundless grasslands there, and the stars in the night sky are bright and enchanting." The key is that you can eat as much mutton as you want!

"And then there's the oil-splashed noodles. The chewy noodles are sizzled with hot oil, and the aroma comes out instantly. Add some side dishes, and it's so delicious you'll smack your lips."

He Xiaoqi flapped its wings, so excited that it couldn't wait to go and try it right now.

Seeing the longing looks on their faces, Tao Yanyan distributed the grilled skewers to everyone: "When we return to the capital, I will open a food court called 'South and North Food City' so that you can eat your way around the world without leaving the capital."