To Be A Virtuous Wife

56

On the day He Ming returned to Jing, the city was enveloped in a light rain. He was half-lying inside the carriage, listening to the sound of rain outside. His face looked pale as he lifted up the curtain. He smiled indifferently as he saw the city gate looming closer.

As the carriage drew up near the gate, he saw da ge and er ge sitting astride on their horses. Behind them, several officials stood nearby, waiting to welcome him back to Jing. He motioned for the carriage to stop and moved to step out.

"Si di is wounded, don't get up," He Heng rode his horse forward, smiling as he prevented He Ming from coming down to bow. He dismounted, cupping one hand over his other fisted hand: "Si di has suffered this time."

"Er ge's words are an exaggeration. I failed in accomplishing the duty fuhuang asked of me. I'm extremely embarrassed," Nonetheless, He Ming still made a bow in front of the carriage. His face had an expression of shame, "To hear that fuhuang is worried about it makes er chen unfilial."

"You were fulfilling your duty. It was the bad intentions of others that ruined the mission. What does that have to do with you?" He Heng smiled, "Fuhuang requested that da ge and I receive you before returning to the palace to report. Si di, you can rest your heart."

"Thanks da ge, er ge." He Ming made a bow towards He Qi before sitting back properly inside the carriage. The driver carefully put the curtain down and waited for Ning Wang and Duan Wang to move first.

He Heng got on his horse and moved towards the still-mounted He Qi. He looked at the carriage waiting behind him and said to He Qi, "Da ge, we should go."

"En," He Qi nodded and remarked as if he was both concerned and relieved, "Si di looks much thinner. He must have had a hard time on the road."

He Heng nodded in agreement. He switched topics, "After a few more days, the examinations start. When the Spring Examinations end, it would be si di's big day. At that time, us brothers should have a good celebration."

"Naturally, we will celebrate," He Qi gave a bright laugh, and fell silent for the rest of the journey.

When He Ming went to see Qing De Emperor, he was given some medicine before he left Tian Qi Palace. An guipin shedded many tears when she saw He Ming appear in front of her.

After listening to his mufei narrate the events that recently occurred in Jing City, He Ming smiled as he assured her: "Mufei no longer needs to worry. This is a good thing. At least er chen could close the fu by using my recovery as an excuse. That way, I would not be drawn into their business."

An guipin heard this and her face suddenly changed, "Ming'er, did you … …"

Checking that no one else was in the room, He Ming lowered his voice: "Those assassins seemed to have no intentions of harming er chen. They were only targeting Right Minister Wei. Er chen's wounds may look dangerous but they didn't hit any critical parts. So mufei doesn't have to worry too much."

An guipin wiped away her tears as she hatefully declared: "He Qi and He Yuan are intolerable. They can fight for the throne all they want but why do they have to involve my son?!"

"Those two – one is the oldest, the other is the most favoured. Naturally, neither will care about other people," He Ming gave a bitter smile, "Mufei shouldn't get angry over these matters."

An guipin barely managed to suppress her anger. She was not usually favored. After she had given birth, Shu guifei had kept on bullying her. Thankfully, the Empress was fair and just. Otherwise, her days would have been even more difficult to endure. She sighed: "It's mufei that's useless. If mufei was more favored, you wouldn't have been so neglected." She suddenly thought of Jing guifei. Even though Jing guifei wasn't as favoured as Shu guifei, she still had some standing in the Emperor's heart. Her son, He Heng, was second in terms of favor, right behind He Yuan. She had never interacted with him but he seemed to be a very able person.