If not abolished

"You just said that it was Miss He who wrote to you and told you the identity of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" The old lady asked again after Hu Shanxiang stood up and sat down.

Hu Shanxiang nodded.

The old lady thought for a moment and said to her solemnly, "Since the letter has been burned in the fire, just pretend you haven't read it. You don't know the identity of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Wait for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to tell you himself."

"Why?" Hu Shanxiang didn't understand why they should do this.

"This matter was intentionally concealed from you. According to His Royal Highness's own wishes, he should explain everything himself. If he knew that you knew the truth in advance, he would definitely find out who told you and would definitely blame you. Miss He is kind-hearted, so we will not implicate her. As for the fire at home, we have already silenced those who knew about it. You should also remember that it was an accident that the water leaked into the room. No matter who asks about it in the future, this is an accident. Do you understand?"

"I see." Hu Shanxiang had never thought of this, because her search for answers might implicate others. Whether in her previous life in the modern world or in the past few years here, she had not really realized the majesty of the imperial power in feudal society. Before, she just thought that her family members just ignored her life and death for the sake of the overwhelming wealth. Now that she thinks about it, she has never considered her family. She can't abandon the whole family for her alone.

"Also, write to Miss He and ask her to burn the letter you wrote, just in case there is no evidence left."

"Okay, I'll tell Sister He right away."

"This is the end of the matter. Don't think too much about it."

"Ah."

After another half a month, Hu Shanxiang had everything ready to return to Jining. She was originally going to leave a few days ago, but then she thought that the results of the spring examination would be out soon, so she decided to wait until the results came out before going back.

On the day when the results were announced, the whole family was very nervous. The second sister came home early in the morning. It was not convenient for women to go out to check the results, so the two brothers and brother-in-law went together. The whole family sat at home waiting for the news to come back.

Old Mrs. Hu, my mother, and several aunts were all slowly turning the Buddhist beads in their hands, and no one spoke.

Hu Shanyi was young and couldn't sit still. She kept asking to get down from the armchair, "Sister, sister." She stretched out her hands to Hu Shanxiang to pick her up.

Hu Shanxiang hadn't seen her little sister for a long time, so she walked over and held her in her arms. Hu Shanyi originally wanted her sister to hold her out to play, but she didn't expect that she would just sit in a different place and immediately start moving.

"Sister, let's go out and play." Hu Shanyi said.

"Xiaoyi, wait a moment. Sister will take you out to play later." Hu Shanxiang hugged her tightly to prevent her from moving.

"When is that?" Hu Shanyi asked relentlessly.

Hu Shanxiang smiled and said to her, "Well, do you see the door? When someone comes in from the door, I can take you out to play."

Hu Shanyi always believed in her sister. After listening to what Hu Shanxiang said, she began to stare at the door, not daring to relax for a moment. She stared for a long time and was almost falling asleep, but she still saw someone coming in from outside.

"Why hasn't that person come yet? We've been waiting for a long time." Hu Shanyi muttered softly.

"It should be soon." Hu Shanxiang guessed.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the people who went with her came back.

"What's the matter?" Aunt Liu asked hurriedly when she saw the people. After asking, she realized that the old lady and the lady had not had time to speak yet.

Then she apologized, "I overstepped my bounds."

The old lady knew that she didn't mean it but was also anxious, "It's okay, it's human nature."

"Second...Second uncle, I got it." The person who came back should have run back to report the news as soon as possible, and he hasn't even caught his breath.

"May the Buddha bless us, may the Buddha bless us." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the result. Aunt Liu and Hu Shanji even cried for joy. They were so happy that they couldn't speak for a long time.

"Good, good, good. It's so rare that there is a happy event in our family." The old lady was naturally very happy.

"That's right. Let's see how to celebrate later. Where are the eldest and youngest sons? Why haven't they come back yet?" Mrs. Hu hadn't seen her son come back for a long time.

"Master said to let me come back to report the news first. Are you guys still being surrounded and congratulated over there?"

"Yes," the old lady looked at her daughter-in-law and said, "I'm going to fulfill my vow tomorrow. I'll give more money to the incense burner. I'll see if they can set up a tent to distribute porridge. Go and ask around. How are they doing it?"

"My daughter-in-law will do it right away."

On the other side, Hu Shanyi saw someone finally coming in from outside, so she said, "Sister, someone is here, let's go out and play."

"Okay, once that person has replied, my sister will go tell mother and we will go play."

"Okay." Hu Shanyi was very happy to hear that he could go out immediately.

Seeing that things were almost settled, Hu Shanxiang said goodbye to her mother and took Hu Shanyi out.

"Xiaoyi, don't let your sister hold you all the time." Mrs. Hu was worried that her daughter would be tired after recovering from a serious illness.

"understood."

Hu Shanxiang carried Hu Shanyi to the garden and said, "Let's play over here for a while, okay?"

"Okay, I'll go pick some pretty flowers."

"The flowers have only been in bloom for a short time, and you, a naughty boy, are already picking them."

"Why did the third sister come out?" The fourth sister Hu Shanxi suddenly appeared.

"Xiaoyi couldn't sit still and kept making a fuss about coming out. Anyway, we've heard the story. The elders will arrange the next things, and there's nothing for us to do. Why don't you come out?" Although Hu Shanxiang and her fourth sister are of similar age, they don't have much in common, otherwise she wouldn't have said the first sentence until almost forty chapters. But Aunt Qin is also an extremely low-key person. She raised her two daughters like ordinary invisible people. She didn't expect him to come and talk to her suddenly today. It was very strange.

Hu Shanxi said, "Yes, other things have nothing to do with us. Second sister will be very proud for a while."

"It's only natural to be happy when my second brother-in-law passes the imperial examination."

"My second sister has always wanted to make some achievements to show father. She just said that she would wait for father and brothers to come back..."

"Everyone will be proud of this. The husband chosen by my father personally for my second sister has lived up to everyone's expectations." Hu Shanxiang interrupted him.

"Father will also choose a good one for my third sister in the future."

"Everyone is the same, you will have it too." Hu Shanxiang didn't want to talk too much about this topic.

"Speaking of which, my third sister and grandmother are about to return to Jining. I would like to wish them a safe journey." Hu Shanxi changed the subject and talked about Hu Shanxiang's departure.

"Take your good words."

"Xiaoyi, you must be tired. I'll take you back. Fourth sister, I'll go first."

"I've been out for a while, and I want to go back too. I happen to be going the same way as my sister." Hu Shanxi seemed determined to pester her.

Hu Shanxiang didn't know what to say, she just thought it was strange that the fourth sister suddenly pestered her today.