The Virtuous Concubine

The family members could only sigh and worry secretly.

Fortunately, Nalan's mother was a princess of the Aisin-Gioro family, the twelfth son of Nurhaci and the daughter of Prince Ying Ajige.

She was aggressive, decisive, strong-willed and jealous, and she controlled Prime Minister Ming completely.

Mingzhu praised the maid in the study for her beautiful eyes, and the next day she took the maid's eyes in her hands and showed them to Mingzhu.

Beating and scolding Mingzhu was common. This was because when Nalan Rongruo's father Nalan Mingzhu married this Jueluo, Mingzhu was just a small guard. The huge difference in status between the two made him accustomed to listening to his wife.

What Mingzhu fears most is his wife. She has the final say on all matters in the Nalan Mansion.

Seeing that her son was taking a long time to come out, Jueluo decisively said that her son was ill, and led the whole family to receive the imperial edict on her behalf. She also sent someone to ask for the imperial physician with a sign in front of the eunuch who announced the edict, and stuffed a thick stack of silver bills into the doctor's pocket.

The eunuch who announced the decree received benefits, but he also had to save face for the prime minister and the Gioro family in order to get away with the matter.

After everything was settled, Nalan's mother came outside the study.

She first put her hands on her hips, raised her eyebrows, and yelled at the top of her voice: "You ungrateful and rebellious son! You are simply possessed by a ghost! What on earth are you trying to do by being so stubborn?"

"This marriage is a great honor for our family. Many people would beg for it, but you don't appreciate the blessing you have!"

Tired of scolding, she took a break, and continued to scold after catching her breath: "We worked so hard to plan for you, but you are so ungrateful and don't know what's good for you! If you continue to be so stubborn and disregard the interests and reputation of the family, don't blame me for not recognizing you as my son!"

As she continued to curse, Jueluo became furious and stretched out her hand to try to push open the study door, shouting, "Open the door for me! What's the point of hiding in there?"

However, the door was bolted from the inside by Nalan, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open it.

After scolding for a long time, seeing that there was no movement in the study, Jueluo softened her tone and tried to persuade him kindly: "Son, I know you have your own ideas, but marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. How can you do whatever you want?"

"The girl from the Lu family is also of noble birth, has a dignified appearance, is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and has a gentle and docile temperament. She is a perfect match for you. Why are you so stubborn?"

"Think about it. If you insist on not doing it and offend the royal family, our entire family will suffer. Then you will be the sinner of the family! Do you have the heart to watch us all suffer because of you?"

However, the study was still dead silent, with no response.

Jueluo felt something was wrong and hurriedly called the guards and servants to knock on the door together.

Everyone exerted all their strength and with a loud bang, the door was slammed open.

Jueluo rushed into the house impatiently, but found it empty. She widened her eyes and found that her son had run away, and she was even more furious: "How audacious!"

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Jueluo looked around the house, only to find it was tidy, as if no one had ever been there.

"How dare this rebellious son run away from home! Quick, go and chase him! You bunch of useless people can't even keep an eye on a living person! Go and report to grandfather quickly, quietly, don't alarm the people outside!" Jueluo shouted angrily.

Jueluo was still experienced. She sent people to look for Nalan Rongruo secretly, and at the same time sent away many servants. She strictly blocked the news in the mansion to avoid it being exposed. She also asked for sick leave for Nalan and bribed two imperial doctors to come to Nalan's mansion every day to see a patient.

There are already people from the Nalan family in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and there is no shortage of people who are greedy for money.

This matter is just a family scandal of the Nalan family and has nothing to do with any court struggles. There are many imperial doctors who are willing to help earn some extra money. Everyone wants to make safe, harmless quick money.

For a moment, there was chaos in the mansion again.

Nalan's younger brother, Rongde, was also suffering terribly.

My brother ran away, and as the younger brother, I was forced by my mother to play the role of the older brother. I had to drink the extremely bitter medicine every day and stay in my brother's bedroom, unable to go anywhere.

Rong De felt so aggrieved, but he didn't dare to disobey his mother's orders.

After all, if his brother's escape from marriage was discovered, it would be considered disobedience. The emperor was merciful, and although he would not execute all nine generations of his family, even if he only executed the entire family, his younger brother would not be able to escape.

Hey! Brother, where on earth have you been? Nalan Rongde was lying on the bed, bored, and he passed the time by reading the poems and book notes written by his brother.

Unexpectedly, as I watched, I figured out something was wrong.

Most of the bystanders didn't know about this at all. They just thought that the Nalan family was really prosperous and came to give gifts and congratulations.

Rewards from the palace also came down. In addition to the jade ruyi that the emperor initially sent according to the imperial decree, there was even a plum tree that Empress Defei sent in accordance with the emperor's order!

It is said that this plum tree was planted beside the Meixiangxue Pond in the palace. It is about two or three years old. It is said to be a gift from Empress Defei. May the tree bless and witness the harmonious marriage and deep love between the two newlyweds.

The Nalan family naturally kowtowed respectfully to express their gratitude and planted the tree in the newlyweds' yard.

Kangxi even laughed at Concubine De for this, saying, "My beloved concubine, what you did is really like offering a gift to Buddha with a flower. You actually used a random tree in the palace to please Nalan."

Upon hearing this, Malu hurriedly bowed and said with a sweet smile, "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand me like this. I just felt that this plum tree was auspicious and could bring blessings to the newlyweds, so I dared to send it to them. What kind of precious jewels and pearls can compare to the spirits of plants and trees that have been imbued with the charm of the imperial city?"

Kangxi laughed loudly: "My beloved concubine, you speak so beautifully. I think you are unwilling to give Nalan anything valuable. What, did he offend you?"

Ma Lu smiled and shook her head: "I have never had any contact with Guard Nalan, so how can I say that I have offended him? It is obvious that I am loyal to you. If the emperor interprets it this way, I will not agree."

Kangxi nodded: "Indeed, the Nalan family is a great family. Even if they are short of gold and silver, they don't need your little money to fill their teeth. The thought is the most important."

He turned around and glanced at Liang Jiugong. Liang Jiugong naturally understood what the emperor meant, and turned around to take some things from Kangxi's private storehouse to add to the gift sent by Concubine De.

Kangxi felt that he had done a good deed without leaving his name, and he was very happy. At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh to Liang Jiugong: "You said that Concubine De is such a smart person when it comes to handling palace affairs and raising children, but why is she so clumsy when dealing with the ladies of noble families?"

Liang Jiugong bowed and replied: "Perhaps the queen's mind is focused on the affairs in the palace, and she has temporarily neglected the interpersonal relations outside."

Kangxi snorted: "Hmph, she is just too straightforward and doesn't understand those twists and turns. But it's okay..."

In fact, Malu simply didn’t have the habit of spending money on men. Although the tree she gave him had a special meaning, it didn’t cost her a penny.