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Chapter 199 Mother
Speaking of the Miao family, Zhu Yu felt a little warm in his heart for the first time since he returned to Shuo Kingdom.

Although, according to the rules set by Pang Yuzhen, the concubines' daughters were all gathered together to live in one courtyard and were not allowed to stay with their biological mothers. In addition, Miao's personality was weak and even a bit cowardly, so the mother and daughter did not have many opportunities to spend time together. As a result, Miao was not very clear about her daughter's personality from beginning to end, and she did not notice anything unusual until Zhu Yu got married.

But during those years, Miao still tried every means to be nice to Zhu Yu.

Pang Yuzhen had previously hired a female teacher in the mansion to teach Zhu Ning how to read, and also hired an embroiderer to teach her needlework.

Although she usually ignored these concubines' daughters, they were the daughters of King Shuo after all. If she was betrothed to someone else in the future and she was illiterate and clumsy, it would bring shame to King Shuo's Mansion. People would also talk behind her back about her being a narrow-minded mother and not raising the concubines' daughters well.

Based on this consideration, other concubines' daughters of the same age as Zhu Ning also needed to learn literacy and needlework.

Zhu Yu was quite happy to learn to read and write. After all, she was free anyway. All she needed to do was to hide her strength and not overshadow Zhu Ning all at once. That was enough. After getting familiar with the female teacher, she could even borrow some storybooks from her to relieve her boredom.

But when it comes to needlework, she gets a headache.

Sitting there embroidering, not only is the needle small and the thread thin, but the stitches also have to be even and dense. A small pattern requires her to lower her head and embroider back and forth for countless stitches.

If it was just a needle prick on her finger or something, she could hold on. The hardest part was keeping her head down for so long, her neck was sore and painful, and it was extremely uncomfortable.

Miao somehow found out that Zhu Yu's needlework performance was always unsatisfactory and she was often ridiculed by Pang Yuzhen and Zhu Ning because of this. So from time to time she would secretly embroider a few simple patterns and ask her maid to send them to Zhu Yu in private so that she could give them to the needlework master as an explanation.

Later, she also heard that Zhu Yu liked to read miscellaneous books, and she would secretly find ways to help her get a few books from outside.

Although Miao was not very literate and the books she asked someone to buy for her were all kinds of things, not all of which were of interest to Zhu Yu, her concern and care still made her feel very warm.

Of course, if Miao had any expectations for her daughter Zhu Yu, it was only one - don't stand out too much and steal the limelight from Pang Yuzhen's beloved daughter Zhu Ning. After all, doing so would make life difficult for both mother and daughter.

Before Zhu Yu was ordered to marry, Pang Yuzhen probably thought that Zhu Yu would never return this time, so she did not stop Miao from meeting her daughter. Miao stayed with Zhu Yu for several days, and most of the time she said nothing, just sat there looking at her, or holding her hand, and soon tears fell.

On the day of the wedding, Miao could only stand in the crowd of people in the palace, and was not even qualified to get to the front. Before Zhu Yu got into the sedan chair, he took a look at her and saw that her eyes were red and swollen like rotten peaches, with only a slit left.

She was forced to become someone's concubine. The only person who could be considered her own and with whom she could speak a few words was her daughter. She was married off to the State of Jin by an imperial edict, and there would probably be no news of her life or death from then on.

Pang Yuzhen loved her daughter so much that she could let Zhu Cheng pick any of his concubines' daughters to marry. However, Miao Shi did not have the face or ability to do so, and could only watch her only close relative being sent away in this way.

Just thinking about this, Zhu Yu felt a little sad, and some sadness unconsciously appeared on his face.

Thinking back to when she first opened her eyes and everything felt so unfamiliar, and had to carefully traverse the river by feeling her way across, the motherly care and silent protection that Miao had given her was the key to her smooth passage. Lu Qing observed this, remained silent for a moment, and then said to Zhu Yu, "Tomorrow, Yan Daoxin will go to check the pulses of Princess Shuo and your mother. You should come with him. Use the same method we used in Situ Jing's camp. If your father doesn't tell them, they won't recognize you."

Zhu Yu thought about it and decided that she really wanted to see how Miao was doing, so she agreed.

In the past, Miao was cowardly, and she had to bow her head under someone else's roof, so neither of them could help the other much.

This time it's different.

Zhu Yu also hopes that those who have been good to her in the past can be her support.

Yan Daoxin raised an eyebrow and looked at Lu Qing, then at Zhu Yu, his eyes somewhat meaningful. He stretched and yawned: "Okay, then it's settled!
Tomorrow morning, both of you come with me and make sure to check Zhu Yu's mother's pulse carefully!

After such a long journey, I can finally get a proper sleep in a proper bed tonight. If you have anything to say, go back to your room and talk. I won't accompany you anymore!"

After saying that, he stood up and walked away, stretching his stiff limbs as he walked. When he reached the door, he stopped again and turned back to Zhu Yu and said, "Oh, by the way, don't forget to change the dressing for this old guy!"

After Yan Daoxin left, Zhu Yu and Lu Qing also returned to the main house of Liyuan.

The steward of Prince Shuo's Palace knew Zhu Yu's identity and was probably assigned by Zhu Cheng. He personally brought a few old servants in the palace who were famous for their tight mouths and waited there, ready to deal with Zhu Yu and others' orders at any time, for fear that the news of Zhu Yu's secret return from Jin State would leak out.

Zhu Yu didn't mind this too much. They still had a lot of things to do next, and it would be better for them if the news didn't leak out.

But since the times have changed, she has transformed from an insignificant concubine in Prince Shuo's mansion to the first-rank princess of Dajin, whom Zhu Chengdu has to give some respect to. So there is no need for her to be polite to this steward who usually looks down on others.

So she directly instructed the steward to bring a few more mattresses to make the hard bed in the main room soft, and also to bring two soft pillows.

The Xiaoyao Palace used only the finest soft pillows, which she loved very much. But when she returned to the Shuo Palace and faced the hard pillows in the side courtyard, she really couldn't use them at all.

In the past, the steward also did not take Zhu Yu seriously and was respectful but perfunctory to the concubines in the mansion. But this time it was different.

Not only did the second daughter born out of wedlock become Princess Xiaoyao, he also witnessed with his own eyes how Zhu Cheng stayed to have dinner with them and talked with them privately for a long time. If the princess hadn't sent someone to find him, he would have had no intention of leaving.

So he hurriedly sent someone to bring over a few high-quality silk quilts to help them make the bed according to Zhu Yu's request. He also brought hot water for cleansing and even sprinkled a handful of fragrant flower petals in the basin.

　Thanks to Vegetarian Pig x2 for the monthly ticket! Hug~
　　(End of this chapter)