If not abolished

Chapter 113 The Hu Family Returns

Hu Rong and others returned home first.

"Mother..." Hu Rong hurried over and came to the old lady's bedside as soon as he entered the room.

"Well...you're here, help me up." The old lady was lying down, and when she saw her son, she hurried to get up.

Hu Rong helped her lean back on the pillow.

"Mother, please forgive me for being unfilial and coming back so late." Hu Rong remained calm throughout the journey, but he couldn't hold back when he saw the old lady.

"Okay, I'm fine. Why are you crying like this? Hurry up and wipe your tears. It would be embarrassing if someone saw you."

"The mother is right. Her son lost his composure." Hu Rong controlled his emotions and composed his expression.

"Let me take a good look at you. We haven't seen each other for a long time." The old lady looked at him without blinking.

"Now that my son is back, my mother can take a good look at him."

Hu Rong took the old lady's hand and touched his face.

Outside the room, Mrs. Hu and Hu Shanxiang were standing outside the door.

"Your father and your grandmother must have a lot to talk about, so let's not go in yet and sit in the yard first," said Mrs. Hu.

"Okay, I also have a lot to say to mother." Hu Shanxiang helped Mrs. Hu sit down.

"Thank you for your hard work these days. Your father and I didn't expect that you could take such good care of the family and your grandmother. Our daughter has really grown up." Mrs. Hu originally thought that she would find a chaotic situation when she returned, but she didn't expect her daughter to take such good care of the old lady. They were far away in the capital, and they were extremely anxious after reading their daughter's letter. They hurriedly prepared to come back for fear of being delayed.

"At the beginning, my daughter was also very panicked and flustered. Fortunately, my grandmother's condition has improved during this period," Hu Shanxiang said modestly.

"But I still want to say something about you. Why did you wait until your grandmother's condition became so serious before writing to us? You should have…"

"I...Grandmother has been feeling a little unwell since she came back. I was indeed careless and didn't take it seriously at first. Grandmother didn't let me tell you. She would get angry if I told you. I wrote to you without telling her. Later, Grandmother herself felt that the problem was more serious and asked me to inform you."

"It's hard for you." Mrs. Hu also understood that her daughter's life was not easy.

"Why are only mother and father back? Where are the others?" Hu Shanxiang only saw Hu Rong and his wife now, not even the concubines.

"Your eldest sister really can't come back from the palace, and your two brothers still have some things to deal with. However, they wrote to us a few days ago saying that they would come with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and are on the way. Your father was anxious, so your father and I came back first on horseback. The two aunts and your sisters couldn't walk fast enough, so they will arrive later." Mrs. Hu explained.

"I see." Hu Shanxiang nodded, then realized something was wrong, "Wait, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince came back with my brother, what is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doing here?" Hu Shanxiang jumped up from the stool when she heard that Zhu Zhanji was coming over.

"Please sit down first." Madam Hu said, "I am not very clear about this. Your brother said that His Majesty specially asked His Royal Highness to bring the imperial physician to treat your grandmother. Your father and I were also shocked at first. Our family cannot afford such an honor."

"Actually..." Hu Shanxiang was about to tell her mother something, but she was interrupted before she started.

"Shanxiang, come with me to the study, and the lady should come with you." The mother and daughter were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice Hu Rong coming out of the old lady's room.

Hu Shanxiang had no choice but to stop talking and go to the study with her mother and her father.

In the study

Hu Rong stared at his daughter intently. Hu Shanxiang was so frightened that she dared not look up and had to hide behind Mrs. Hu. Mrs. Hu was puzzled: "Why is the master looking at her like this? She is scared."

When Hu Rong heard this, he had to retract his gaze, sat down and said, "Shanxiong, tell me what happened to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

"Didn't your grandmother tell you?" Hu Shanxiang asked in a low voice.

"You managed to hide such a big thing so well. Is what your grandmother said all there is? Did you hide anything from her?" Hu Rong thought about the things the old lady had just told him. Each one was more shocking than the last.

"Master, what's going on? How are His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Er related? How do they know each other?" Madam Hu in the room was at a loss as to what to do. The more she listened, the more confused she became. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and her own daughter were two people who had nothing in common at all.

"Our daughter not only knows His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, they are almost together, but we as parents don't know about it." Hu Rong got angry when he thought about this. He was scolded by his mother when he wanted his daughter to enter the palace before. What does it matter now? The main thing is that he only found out at the last.

"Well, didn't your daughter want to talk to you in person? It wasn't confirmed before, and I was thinking that since you and your mother might be back this time, I would discuss it with you." Hu Shanxiang explained to him.

"You haven't forgotten me as your father, so sit down and talk. I heard that all the people His Majesty has arranged have arrived in Jining?"

"Yes, Eunuch Huang Yan arrived more than a month ago." Hu Shanxiang said as she sat down.

"What's the matter with the wonders in your small building? Did you do it on purpose?" Hu Rong didn't really believe in those strange and supernatural things. He thought that all these miracles were mostly man-made and were just for the common people to see.

"I don't know how my daughter could have gotten into those things. She was like that when she woke up that morning."

"Couldn't that be a real auspicious sign..." At this time, Hu Rong also thought of the dream his wife had before his daughter was born, and the fact that people have always said that his daughter's fate is indescribably precious. It seems to be true.

The more Hu Rong thought about it, the happier he became. He coughed and continued, "In that case, let's wait until His Royal Highness arrives and see what the palace has arranged. We can just do as it says."

"Eunuch Huang said that His Majesty wants me to enter the palace first and get married in a few years." Hu Shanxiang told them what Huang Yan had said to her before.

"Then what did you say?"

"At that time, my grandmother needed someone to take care of her, so I couldn't leave. I said I would make plans after my father came back." Hu Shanxiang said truthfully.

"There's nothing to discuss about this. Your grandmother is being taken care of by someone now. I'll ask my father-in-law to come over and agree to this matter."

"Master!" Mrs. Hu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

"What's wrong ma'am?"

"Well, this is not a small matter. We need to think about it. Besides, isn't His Royal Highness the Crown Prince coming over? We might as well make plans after His Royal Highness the Crown Prince comes. There is no need to rush at this moment." Mrs. Hu suggested.

"Madam, what you said makes sense. Maybe His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has brought new instructions from His Majesty." Hu Rong thought it was more appropriate.

"What the master said is very likely."

Early the next morning, the aunts and several sisters finally arrived.

"Sister." Hu Shanyi threw himself into Hu Shanxiang's arms as soon as he saw her.

"Little sister." Hu Shanxiang also hugged her.

Hu Shanxiang greeted the two aunts and left with her sister.

"Sister, how is grandma?" Hu Shanyi has grown up a lot now and knows that they came back this time because their grandma was ill.

"It's getting better now. Maybe it will be fine after a while," said Hu Shanxiang.

"Really? That's great, can I go see grandma?" Hu asked Shanyi.

"I'm afraid it's not possible now. Grandmother is still asleep. Let's go later. You must be exhausted from the journey. Let your sister take you to wash your face before you go to see grandma." Hu Shanxiang took her sister to wash up and eat something before coming to the grandmother's yard.

When he went in, he saw Mrs. Hu serving the old lady a meal. When she saw her two daughters, she turned around and said to the old lady, "This little monkey is here. Don't disturb your mother later."

The old lady smiled and said, "It's rare for the house to be so lively. What's the point of talking about noise? Xiaoyi, come here quickly and let grandma see if you have grown taller." Mrs. Lan waved for them to come over.

"Grandma." Hu Shanyi ran to the bedside. "Grandma, did you miss me?"

"Of course, grandma wants us to find an idea."

"Well, my little sister is back, and grandma can't see me anymore." Hu Shanxiang said jealously.

"You girl, you're jealous of your own sister."

"This girl is going to get married in two years, but she is still so childish?" said Mrs. Hu.

"Rong'er, have you thought about it?" asked the old lady.

"Mother knows that the master has always had high hopes for Si'er's marriage. Now that his dream has come true, how could he let it go? If I hadn't stopped him yesterday, he would have asked Eunuch Huang to take Si'er away?" Mrs. Hu complained.

"This is a bit too hasty." The old lady also said after hearing this.

"That's right. Fortunately, let him wait for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to come before deciding on this matter."

"Well, as long as you and your wife have your own ideas, remember to discuss everything with your husband." The old lady reminded.

"Yes."

Hu Shanxiang and Hu Shanyi chatted with the old lady for a while and then left.

On the way back, Hu Shanyi asked Hu Shanxiang: "Sister, what did mother mean by getting married just now?"

"Getting married means that when a girl reaches a certain age, she has to move into another family, just like our mother married our father, and then we were born," Hu Shanxiang explained to her.

"I know this. Didn't the second elder sister get married? I'm asking, who are they planning to marry my elder sister to?" Hu Shanyi knew about getting married. He had seen the second elder sister get married before, but he didn't expect that it would be the third elder sister's turn so soon.

"This is an extremely valuable person."

"Is he very good? Does sister like him?"

"Very powerful, capable of doing anything."

"Wow, so awesome!" Hu Shanyi instantly admired his future brother-in-law.

"Well, you have seen him before? During the Lantern Festival a few years ago." Hu Shanxiang remembered that her sister seemed to have seen Zhu Zhanji.

"The Lantern Festival," Hu Shanyi thought about it based on Hu Shanxiang's description and finally remembered: "Oh, I remember now, it turns out that sister liked that brother, it turns out that you knew each other at that time."

"At that time, it was just an acquaintance, nothing else."

"I didn't say anything, don't get excited, sister." Hu Shanyi teased.