Chapter 119 - Four Season Mansion
They are moving to the table of the old lady and the children. Ni Qing is asking for the same portion of food same like them.
"Grandma, can we join you at this table?" Ni Qing is asking her politely before she nods to them. They are sitting at the same table before Eunuch Wang and Xie Lan are serving them some tea.
"My Lord and Young miss, are you sure that you want to sit with filthy people like me? If my grandson is not hungry, I will not ask around for their left-over food," Grandma is asking them politely with her hand tremble while holding the hot teacup.
"I am fine, grandma. Where are your children? Why it is only you and your grandson?" Ni Qing is asking with her curiosity.
"My son dan daughter is passed away from disease due to poverty. We are not able to get medicine from the apothecary. So, they left me in this world with my grandson. We decide to travel from the mountain and forage for the food. however, we are not alone in the mountain. Some of the village people decide to leave the village to scrap for the food," The old lady explains with her hand tremor and trying to drink her tea.
"How long you live in the mountain?" Ni Qing is pouring her more tea when she sees the skinny toddler with loose clothing.
"It is around six months now. My grandchildren start to change their skin and cannot eat any vegetables anymore. I decide to walk to the capital city and living day by day from the left-over. This lady owner and man always give us some bowl of noodle to eat but I am not feeling nice to ask them food every day," the old lady is telling her story when the dumpling and noodle soup is coming.
"Xie Lan, can you take the boy and feed him some noodle soup so this grandma can eat her food," Ni Qing is instructing the young maid when Eunuch Wang is busy checking the food for poison with the silver needle.
Xie Lan is raking the boy to their table and take care of the boy. She is taking the boy to the area for washing her hand and face before feeding her the noodle soup. He is eating the noodle as if he does not eat anything for the whole day. It is the same with the old lady when she eats it so quick.
"Slowly…. We can order you more food if you are still hungry," Jin Yu is telling her. the old lady is peeking at him from the top of her bowl. She is chewing the noodle slowly with the tremor on her hand. She is drinking her soup slowly and taking few dumplings. Jin Yu is putting the wash dumpling from the chilli sauce into the Ni Qing bowl. She is pouting and almost complaining to Jin Yu for washing the chilli sauce.
"You are pregnant, and it is not saved for eating some chilli sauce," Jin Yu is telling her before she even opening her mouth to protest.
Ni Qing is eating her food obediently and she eats everything until the bowl content finishes. She is drinking her barley tea to soothe the body. She is looking at her husband who is finishing his bowl of food. she is giving him the barley tea to cleanse the palate.
"Your highness, can Physician He check on the boy and the old grandma condition?" Ni Qing is begging her husband about their condition.
"We can take them to the Ni mansion tonight and take them to the palace tomorrow before we find them some house in the capital," Jin Yu is telling her the solution.
"We can bring them to my house, and they can live in there rather than become empty," Ni Qing is telling him the idea.
"You have a lot of assets under your sleeves that I do not know about it. should I abdicate my throne and depend on my life to you?" Jin Yu is putting his body closer to his wife.
"En… I have to have something for my future if you are bored with me and kick me out from the palace. However, I cannot accept you with the whole harem in my household. I refuse to spend my money on them," Ni Qing is telling her husband the truth when the old lady realising the person in front of her is the emperor of Dayu Kingdom.
She is kneeling down on the ground and making a scene on the noodle vendor. It makes the noodle vendor ask about the scene in front of them. Jin Yu is kneeling to put her back on her seat.
"Aaareee you the emperor of Dayu Kingdom?" The old lady is asking about it.
"Yes, I am…. However, I am on a date at the moment with my consort. So, I am not an emperor, to be honest," Jin Yu is telling her the secret without any restrain on his word.
"Your highness, can you seek justice for my late son and daughter-in-law? I am begging you for their in-justice death…" The old lady is going to kneel again when Eunuch Wang is stopping her.
"How about we are going back home and discuss it tomorrow morning? I will see what I can do about your family," Jin Yu is holding her hand to comfort her. Ni Qing surprised to see his gentle reaction toward the old lady in front of him.
"Are we going back to Ni Mansion or my mansion?" Ni Qing is asking her husband.
"We can bring them to your mansion. Let's go…" Jin Yu is standing up and trying to help his wife to stand up.
"How about our original plan to the tea house?" Ni Qing is looking at him with her puppy eyes. she needs to find out the truth behind her sister died from the key witness.
"Let's go back and look at the old lady. They are sleepy and tired," Jin Yu is showing the children with the old lady haggard look. They are in need of a bath, and she does not have the heart to make them wait longer. However, Jin Yu is whispering something to Eunuch Wang and follows her to the main road. They are going to the end of the main road near the palace entrance, there is a big mansion with the name of the four-season mansion.
She is knocking the mansion when the butler is opening the door. the big courtyard is showing with the small building on the right and a gazebo on the left with the scenery of the garden. The sound of the fountain of water makes the situation is really peacefully.
"young madame, you are not giving me any news ahead of your arrival today. Are you going to stay overnight? Are you coming with general Lin Yue?" The butler is asking his master which makes Jin Yu face grow darker to hear about Lin Yue name mention in front of him.
"DO you seldom come here with Lin Yue?" Jin Yu is asking her with his cold tone.
"Kind of like that…." Ni Qing does not try to hide it from her husband,
"Madame, the butler from the Lin family start to bring back the account ledger and all the finance for the Lin family. Do you want me to do it and you approve it as usual or do you want me to bring it to Mr Zhou to get you to do it?" Butler Ming is opening his mouth in front of the jealous emperor.
"I will think about it tomorrow morning and gives you an answer. Please prepare the guest room for this old madame and her grandson. Make sure you prepare their new outfit and a warm bath for them tonight. I will be in my room and if you need something, you can knock on my door," Ni Qing is leaving the group toward her room which is on the side room from the main building. She is holding his husband hand and take him to her private room. In the room, the decoration is different from her room in Ni Mansion. Here is more relaxing and there is minimalize effect on the room. Jin Yu is sitting at the nearby table in front of his study.
"SO tell me exactly, what is this house relation with Lin Yue? Why you have to take care of their household matter?" Jin Yu is demanding an answer from his wife. He is really angry to hear that his wife is taking care of another man household.
"Lin Yue bought me this house for my birthday present. He is well aware of the Ni madame attitude toward me, so this house like solitude for me after all the reprimand by madame NI," Ni Qing is opening the story to her husband. She is holding his hand before bringing it closer to her mouth and kiss it.