bookrandom Chapter 247 Entering the Palace to Say Farewell
Chapter 247 Entering the Palace to Say Farewell
The next morning, sunlight filtered through thin clouds, scattering down onto the earth, awakening the slumbering city of Chang'an. Dugu Jingyao and Liu Jingyue rose early, carefully dressed, and then rode in a carriage to the palace, intending to pay their respects to the Crown Prince and Princess and inform them of their impending return to Yunnan.
When they arrived at the palace, they discovered that the Crown Prince had not yet returned from his morning court session. The Crown Princess, Li Neng, and Li Ruo were the only people in Zhaoyang Palace.
Dugu Jingyao and Liu Jingyue slowly entered the Zhaoyang Palace, their steps light and graceful. Upon entering, they bowed respectfully and said in unison, "Your servants pay their respects to the Crown Princess, His Royal Highness Prince Jianning, and Princess Ningguo." Their voices were clear and melodious, like the chirping of a yellow oriole.
To be honest, Li Neng and Li Ruo usually enjoyed close personal relationships with Dugu Jingyao and Liu Jingyue, and their interactions were casual and comfortable. Seeing them perform such a formal ceremony, they found it somewhat unusual. However, due to etiquette, they could only conceal their awkwardness in their hearts and not speak out directly.
The Crown Princess, seated at the head of the table, smiled lovingly at the young children before her, and said with a slight scolding, "Hurry up and get up! You two haven't come to the palace to visit me in quite some time. Why did you suddenly think of coming in today?"
Upon hearing this, Dugu Jingyao and Liu Jingyue stood up and walked to the side to sit down. Dugu Jingyao was the first to explain, "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. We've been so busy preparing for the opening of our shop that we couldn't spare the time to visit you at the palace. Now that the shop is finally on track, we have the opportunity to come to the palace to pay our respects." Her tone was sincere and humble, which made people feel good about her.
The Crown Princess didn't really blame them for this idea. It was just that first the two sisters of the Dugu family, and then her younger sister and niece, left the Eastern Palace one after another, which made the Crown Princess feel empty in her heart.
Upon hearing what Dugu Jingyao said, the Crown Princess gently waved her hand and said softly, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about these sad things. I'm thinking that you haven't come to the palace just to pay your respects to the Crown Prince and me. I'm sure there must be something else important going on."
Dugu Jingyao and Liu Jingyue exchanged glances, and then Dugu Jingyao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile, and she said softly: "Your Majesty is indeed extremely intelligent and insightful. She does have other important matters."
A hint of curiosity flashed in the Crown Princess's eyes, and she asked with great interest, "Oh? What's the matter? Why don't you tell me?"
Dugu Jingyao paused for a moment before speaking calmly, "Your Majesty, in two days, I plan to return to Yunnan with my sister."
As soon as Dugu Jingyao finished speaking, the entire hall fell into silence. After a while, Li Ruo was the first to lose her composure and asked in surprise, "Sister Jingyao, why are you in such a hurry? You're leaving so soon? Then...when can you come back?"
Dugu Jingyao's beautiful face was always covered with a smile as brilliant as a blooming spring flower. She parted her red lips and spoke in a voice as sweet as a yellow oriole singing in a valley, "Yes, now that the store is on track and everything is in order, it's time for us to return. After all, Yunnan is where I was born and raised, carrying too many memories and emotions. Moreover, I will be marrying in Chang'an in the future, so it may not be so easy for me to stay with my father for a long time in the future. So, I really want to go home and spend more time with him now."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Princess nodded slightly, indicating that she sympathized with Dugu Jingyao's feelings. She responded gently, "Very well, Jingyao, I understand how you feel. You are truly a filial and sensible child. However, I am concerned about you two delicate young ladies embarking on the journey back to Yunnan together. I'm afraid there will be many risks and inconveniences along the way. How about this? I will talk to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince or Chu'er and ask them to arrange some capable people to escort you safely back to Yunnan, okay?"
At this moment, Liu Jingyue was about to tell the Crown Princess that they had already asked their "future brother-in-law" to arrange for an escort. However, the swift Dugu Jingyao stood up first, bowed to the Crown Princess, and said with tears of gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your thoughtfulness."
After hearing Dugu Jingyao's words, the Crown Princess felt much better and said, "Look at you, child. Isn't it being so polite to say that? We're almost family. Don't be so polite."
Dugu Jingyao blushed, nodded slightly to indicate that she understood, and then sat down.
At this moment, a chorus of voices rang out from outside the palace: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness Prince Guangping has arrived!"