freenovelworld Chapter 402 Proposing Marriage to My Mother-in-Law
Chapter 402 Proposing Marriage to My Mother-in-Law
"My Lady, I just discovered something in the palace..."
Nanny Chun reported her guesses one by one without anyone noticing.
An Lingrong didn't expect that Nanny Chun's visit to the palace would bring her such an unexpected gain.
"Mammy, I won't hide it from you. Bao'e is most likely a spy sent by an outsider. If she is truly a descendant of your old friend, I will handle the matter appropriately."
What she meant was to save Bao'e's life.
Bao'e, who had been dormant since An Lingrong entered the palace, had not yet done anything detrimental to Yongshou Palace, but she said this to give Nanny Chun a sense of urgency.
If Nanny Chun really cared about her good sister, she would definitely try her best to win her over.
Even though Bao'e had nothing to do with Qiuyue and An Lingrong suffered no substantial loss, there was a key question lingering in her mind.
"Madam Chun, the palace has strict rules. Qiuyue and Bao'e cannot meet each other. How will you be sure that they are aunt and niece?"
There was a hint of doubt in her tone.
"Reporting to the Queen, this old servant gave Miss Bao'e a silver hairpin, and she returned it with a purse she embroidered herself. Qiuyue once said that her embroidery skills were taught by her eldest sister-in-law. If Bao'e is truly her niece, she must have inherited the true teachings from my mother."
When Nanny Chun saw the familiar red mole behind Bao'e's ear, she was 60% sure, but she knew that she couldn't speak rashly. She had to wait for Qiuyue's confirmation before she could give the Queen a clear answer.
"Madam Chun, as long as you have a plan in mind, that's all that matters."
An Lingrong looked up and glanced at Baoque, then told Nanny Chun all the information she had found out about Baoque earlier.
Time passed quickly, and after lunch, Lin said goodbye.
She held An Lingrong in her arms reluctantly and gave her detailed instructions.
"Rong'er, I'm very satisfied just to be able to come to the palace and have lunch with you."
"You don't have a strong family, so your life in the palace is harder than others. I can't help you with anything. All I can do for you is to follow the rules."
"Mother, daughter..."
"Rong'er, listen to me. There's something I haven't told you. I had a nightmare after you went north to participate in the draft. In the dream, your father was killed for corruption, our house was raided, and Aunt Xiao took me to a nunnery. We waited there for years, but there was no news of you."
"Then one year, it snowed heavily, and Mother saw you coming to find me. In a trance, I seemed to hear Aunt Xiao shouting, 'The roof has collapsed'..."
An Lingrong couldn't bear to listen to this anymore. With tears in her eyes, she put Lin's hand on her face.
"Mom, please feel your daughter's face. It's warm. I'm standing right in front of you."
"Dreams are the opposite of what they are. Don't be afraid."
Lin patted her daughter's back gently and nodded with red eyes.
"Mother knows that my Rong'er has always been capable, no worse than others. Chengle and I will live a peaceful life, you don't need to worry about the family."
"Rong'er, mother is leaving. Please listen to me for once and don't send me off."
Lin touched her daughter's cheek gently, turned around and trotted out of the main hall.
She threw on her wide cloak and gave orders in a hoarse voice.
"Madame Chun, let's go."
It was not until about two quarters of an hour after Lin left that An Lingrong summoned Baoque to the main hall.
"Has the Madam left the palace?"
"Master, this servant and Xiao Linzi personally escorted Madam to Shenwu Gate. We only turned around after seeing the carriage depart."
Baoque knew that his master was upset, so he continued to add.
"The gifts Her Majesty ordered have all been loaded onto the car. Madam told you not to pack so many things for her next time, to avoid giving her cause for criticism."
As An Lingrong spoke, her eyes became hot again. Mother was too cautious.
"Bao Que, there's a fine inkstone in the study. You can add it to your New Year gift."
"Don't forget to give New Year gifts to those who work for us outside the palace."
"My lady, I've made note of this."
An Lingrong waved her hand and went to the study to practice calligraphy and calm her mind.
As she wrote, she remembered what Lin had just said. Perhaps that dream was the ending of her mother's previous life.
Just as she was stunned, a drop of thick ink fell on the rice paper.
An Lingrong paused, then calmly wrote down the list of marriage proposals that Nanny Chun had mentioned on a blank piece of paper.
She wrote her small calligraphy stroke by stroke with such care that even the person coming in didn't notice.
After An Lingrong put down her pen, she frowned and looked at the list on the paper.
At this moment, a curious male voice sounded.
"Rong'er frowned, but is there something bothering you?"
"My concubine pays your respects to the Emperor."
As she bowed, she did not forget to pick up the rice paper on the table in a panic.
The emperor's face darkened, and he pressed down on the other side of the rice paper. "I haven't seen your calligraphy practice for a long time. Today, I will give you some guidance."
An Lingrong felt anxious and suggested in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, I haven't been able to calm down today, and my handwriting is unsightly. How about I write another large piece for you to appreciate?"
"I think this calligraphy is good."
When the emperor saw An Lingrong's refusal, he felt dissatisfied.
He read the names on the rice paper at a glance, and in his mind connected the families behind these people.
After clarifying the situation, the emperor asked in an ambiguous tone.
"Rong'er, my mother-in-law came to the palace today, but did she tell you the list of people who will be sending New Year's gifts?"
An Lingrong's eyes turned red with embarrassment, and she choked with sobs.
"Your Majesty, this list does not include the people who gave gifts to your residence during the New Year. It...it..."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. The reason behind this is really hard to explain. Please don't ask any more questions."
After she said this, the emperor was even more convinced that An Lingrong had become more carefree after Hongzhan went to study in the Shangshufang.
I heard from Concubine Hua that it was she who suggested allowing the concubines to meet their families before the New Year.
Could it be that she disregarded his trust and couldn't help but collude with the ministers of the previous dynasty?
It was one of the emperor's taboos that concubines had any connection with the previous dynasty.
But considering that An Lingrong had given birth to three children for him, he decided to give her another chance.
"Noble Consort Shu, you have always been sensible. Are you sure you want to keep this secret from me this time?"
The emperor's words were like the cold wind that whistled past the window just now, making An Lingrong raise her tearful face involuntarily.
"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to say it, but this matter concerns my mother, and I..."
The emperor was confused by An Lingrong's half-finished words and couldn't help asking.
"This list contains young and middle-aged men from various major families. How could they be related to Lady Lin?"
"Shu Guifei, don't fool me!"
"Your Majesty, my father's three-year mourning period has passed. Mother... begs Your Majesty to make this decision for me. Mother didn't mention it in her letters home, fearing I would worry about my family."
An Lingrong knelt heavily on the ground and begged.
"If it weren't for my loyal servant telling me, I wouldn't have known that my mother had gone through so much trouble for no reason."
"Rong'er, are you saying that these people have proposed marriage to my mother-in-law?"