Chapter 215 – Looks Like
The old master’s words were not well received by Meng Zhimo and Jiang Yishi, who bowed their heads in silence.
A few people were silent for a long time before the old master said, “I don’t want to see those two, or else I won’t be able to resist killing one and then the other. I’ll go to the manor to calm down for a few days, just in time to plan something there.”
Considering that he had been in good health, it was not good to say that he had been ill. Knowing that there was that possibility, it was even more important not to let Fu and Zhao Hu notice that they had suspicions.
The old master added, “Forget it, just say that I heard Resignation Mo say that an old subordinate in Yongcheng who had followed me for many years had died, and that I was saddened in my heart. And I can’t let everyone accompany me to have a bad year, now I’ll go to the outer courtyard to rest and go to the manor tomorrow.”
There was only this excuse to find.
Jiang Yishi went to the couch in the west side of the house to take a nap, and Meng Zhimo accompanied the old man to the study in the outer courtyard to rest.
At the beginning of Shen Hour, everyone came to Fu An Hall one after another.
Hearing that the old master was in a bad mood, Duke Cheng and Meng Ruimo’s father and son, the second master and his two sons all went to the outer courtyard.
The old master only left Meng Ruyue of the second house behind, the others were sent back to Fu An Hall to accompany the old lady for the reunion dinner.
Because of the old master’s business, this New Year’s Eve dinner was not eaten well.
After the meal, the old lady and the elders gave out red envelopes to the younger generation, a few adult men went to the outer courtyard to observe the New Year’s Eve, and the women and children went back to their own homes.
The sky was lightly snowing again, the wind was howling, the lanterns on the trees and under the porch swayed with the wind.
Jiang Yishi lay in bed, listening to the rattling sound of the wind scraping the windowpaper, and slept unusually peacefully.
The direction is getting clearer and clearer ……
Meng Zhimo returned to the Floating Life Residence after midnight.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the clans, officials above the third rank and their families, and those named by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were to enter the palace to pay their respects.
Before dawn, Duke Cheng, Meng Ruimo, Meng Ruyue, Fu, Jiang Yishi, and Meng Hua took a car to the palace to pay their respects.
The old master didn’t want to see Meng Daoming and Fu, and took Meng Ruyue alone, and went directly to Mengjiazhuang when he left the palace.
The old lady has been in poor health, especially in the fall and winter, the Empress Dowager gave her grace that she did not have to go to the palace on the first day of the New Year.
Every year Fu would bring Meng Hua to the palace to pay her respects, and Meng Ruyue was the one the Emperor and Empress Dowager named to go.
This was also the first time in her past life that Jiang Yishi had gone to the palace to see the Empress Dowager.
The man and the woman went to two palace gates, the man to pay his respects to the Emperor and the woman to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
Arriving at the palace gates, Jiang Yishi was helped off the bus by Linxiang and saw Mrs. Zheng Xie waving at her not far away.
There were many people today, and the subordinates were not allowed to follow them in. Meng Ruimo was not worried about Jiang Yishi, and privately begged Zheng Yu to let his mother Xie go to the palace with Jiang Yishi. The Zheng family knows that Meng Ruimo and Fu don’t get along, so they naturally agreed.
Jiang Yishi smiled and walked over, helping Mrs. Zheng to follow the flow of people towards Ci Ning Palace.
Meng Hua rolled his eyes and helped Fu to go to the front.
Mrs. Zheng looked up and down at Jiang Yishi a few times, and despite the large cloak covering her outside, she could still tell that her stomach wasn’t small.
She laughed and said, ”The belly is so big, and the person is also fat. It’s good to be fat, the mother is fat and the child is fat, so it’s good to be born and raised.”
Jiang Yishi smiled and asked, “Where are Tingting and Jingjing?”
Mrs. Zheng laughed, “Tingting accompanied the Grand Princess to go, Jingjing is timid, not willing to come to this kind of occasion.”
Mrs. Zheng knew all the ladies who came and kept greeting them. She also introduced Jiang Yishi, “Meng Shizi’s young daughter-in-law.”
Jiang Yishi greeted those she knew, and smiled at those she didn’t.
He’s personnel relations were better, joking and laughing from time to time with the people in front and behind her.
When they arrived at Ci Ning Palace, there were many people standing outside.
The sky was still drizzling with light snow, but almost everyone had thick cloaks on, and coupled with the large number of people and nervousness, they didn’t feel cold. Of course, the cold couldn’t be helped.
The people entered the palace in an orderly manner to kowtow to the Empress Dowager, say a few more words, and come out in half a quarter of an hour. There were also those that the Empress Dowager particularly liked, held hands and talked, and even stayed for meals; these people were generally limited to the clans, or those that the Royal Family wanted to give special favors to.
Fu and Meng Hua went in first and didn’t come out, the people behind them went in and came out again.
This means that Fu’s mother and daughter were left behind by the Empress Dowager to speak.
When it came to Jiang Yishi and Mrs. Zheng, the two of them walked towards the main hall together.
At the entrance of the main hall, there is a small palace maid who helps to take the cloak. Into the cloak off to them, revealing the cape, and then bring it over when you leave.
In the hall burned the floor dragon and charcoal pot, warm as spring.
An old lady sat on the Luohan bed directly in front of her. The old lady was wearing a bright yellow palace dress, full of white hair, wearing a phoenix crown, looking full of smiles, but quite majestic.
This was Empress Dowager Xia.
There were also two rows of people sitting on both sides, not knowing who they were.
A courtesan first introduced to Empress Dowager Xia, “Your Highness, this is Mrs. Zheng Xie of the Zheng Shao Bao Mansion, and this is Meng Young Lady Jiang of the Cheng Guo Gong Mansion.”
Lady Zheng and Jiang Yishi came to the old lady with downcast eyes, knelt down on the putti and kowtowed three times, saying, “I respectfully ask for the Empress Dowager’s golden peace, and wish the Empress Dowager a thousand years of age.”
Empress Dowager Xia recognized Lady Zheng and smiled, “Get up.” She looked at Jiang Yishi again, her smile grew even wider, “You are Little Jumbo’s good handkerchief handing Jiang little girl? Good boy, come closer and let me take a look.”
Jiang Yishi walked forward, Empress Dowager Xia pulled her hand up and down to look at several times, laughed and said, “A look at this face is blessed, small appearance and small Zhenbao is very much like.”
A palace consort at the side laughed, “Things are like things, people are like people. It’s because they’re alike that they play well together.”
Jiang Yishi pursed her lips and smiled.
She was well aware that she couldn’t talk too much on this kind of occasion, and that more words would be lost. Not to mention that there was also Noble Consort Zhao and Princess Shengping, Noble Consort Zhao was in league with Fu, and Shengping was at odds with Li Zhenbao.
A brittle voice, “Imperial grandmother, she is a little bit like Li Zhenbao, and especially like Zheng Tingting.”
She didn’t dare to say that Jiang Yixi didn’t look like Li Zhenbao at all, and said that there was a slight resemblance. Sister Zheng was standing behind Grand Princess Yichang, and when she realized that Jiang Yishi was a little bit like Zheng Tingting, she pulled her out. In order to distinguish Li Zhenbao, she also said that there was a special resemblance.
The one who spoke was, of course, Princess Li Xi of Shengping, who was the one who was most at odds with Li Zhenbao.
Empress Dowager Xia especially disliked the reckless and fast-talking Li Xi, but it was not good to reprimand her in front of everyone, her brows frowned.
Noble Consort Zhao was angry that her daughter had incurred the Empress Dowager’s displeasure again and hurriedly laughed, “Xi’er is right, this Jiang is really a bit like Tingting.”
Her words immediately drew the Empress Dowager’s attention over, glancing twice at Jiang Yishi and then at Zheng Tingting, she laughed and said, “Aiyo, it really is a bit like it.”
Grand Princess Yichang laughed happily, “No wonder this palace felt that little girl Jiang looked good the first time I saw her, so she’s a bit like Tingting. They play well together, this is fate.”
Jiang Yishi was furious. Li Zhenbao wasn’t wrong, this Shengping was truly the most annoying mother octogenarian in the world.
She glanced at Zheng Tingting behind Grand Princess Yichang, and her gaze darted around He’s face. He’s face was extremely pale, staring blankly at Jiang Yishi.
Jiang Yishi immediately pulled Mrs. Zheng and laughed, “Yes, there are still people saying that I look like Mrs. Zheng.”