On the Difficulties of Escape in Ancient Times

Chapter 397 Summer Vacation 4
When they went out, there was only a hint of rosy clouds in the sky.

The sky is so blue, as if you can see the calm ocean, so beautiful as a painting.

Jiang Yu personally drove the carriage and waited outside the mansion. When he saw them come out, he simply greeted them and headed towards the palace.

They arrived at the place neither too early nor too late, and Li Yan personally led them to their seats: "Mother, please wait here for a while. The Emperor and Empress will leave the palace at 11:00 a.m."

Mrs. Li saw someone watching them, and she smiled subconsciously, saying softly, "Okay, go and do your thing."

She didn't want others to think that she couldn't tolerate a concubine's eldest son, so she had to pretend to be loving.

"Yes." Li Yan felt his hair stand on end.

He was more accustomed to his stepmother's indifferent and cold attitude towards him. Such a big change made him feel uneasy.

Li Yan did have a lot to do, and he didn't want to talk much with Xiao Xiao in front of outsiders, so he took the opportunity to say goodbye.

But in the eyes of outsiders, it seemed that Li Yan was very cold towards his new bride and didn't say a word when they met.

But I also think it's normal. It is said that Xiao can hardly read or write, so what can he say to Li Yan?
It’s a pity for Li Yan just thinking about it.

But we can only think about it in our hearts.

In the past, they could still make a few sarcastic remarks, but unfortunately, now that Xiao Zhou's eldest sister has become the Empress, they can only mutter in their hearts. The more reserved ones nod as a greeting, while those who want to build relationships with her come over and exchange a few words.

Other ladies also came over one after another. Xiao Xiao actually saw a few old ladies with white hair. They didn't even need crutches and looked energetic.

After a while, everyone arrived.

After the sound of the whip was sounded, there appeared a grand procession of ceremonial processions, various flags, musical instruments and heroic guards.

When Xiao Xiao saw these, she instantly felt the emperor's majesty, dignity and supreme power.

After that came a chariot with a yellow canopy pulled by six horses, which was embroidered with gold and jade and was gorgeous and dazzling.

Of course, it was impossible for all the civil and military officials to go with them to escape the summer heat. Only more than 30 civil and military officials and their families went.

Of course, the remaining officials did not envy their colleagues who left.

The emperor had said before that those who stayed behind were the pillars of the country, and he would feel at ease leaving the rear to them.

Therefore, the officials who stayed felt that they were trusted by the emperor.

After bowing and kowtowing, and a series of other etiquette, it was almost the end of the morning when they got on the carriage.

Li's guard and coachman drove the carriage to catch up with the carriage in front.

There was a previous regulation that each mansion could send six female relatives, each female relative could only bring one servant, and each mansion could only have four carriages.

The only person who went to the Li Mansion this time was Li Yan, and he must have been riding a horse.

Therefore, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law rode in one carriage, and the other two carriages carried the mothers-in-law, clothes, jewelry, various food ingredients, etc.

The other carriage was the one that the Jiang family’s grandparents and grandchildren rode in.

The coachmen are all guards with good martial arts and driving skills.

When Madam Li, her mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law got on the carriage, Madam Li took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid and wiped her face. She said gloatingly, "I saw Madam Chen and the others earlier. Their faces were all white and yellow. I don't know how much powder they put on."

"She had the nerve to say she was born white."

"And that Madam Wang, her eyebrows were drawn too thickly, and they turned black from sweat..." Xiao Xiao listened to her talking one by one and couldn't help but think in her heart: If I hadn't reminded you, you would have been one of these people.

The main thing is that the sun comes out at the beginning of the morning hour, and when the emperor and his entourage leave the palace, they have to kowtow to him with great ceremony.

Most of the female members of the family had lived a life of luxury, and after being exposed to the sun, performing the formalities, and being excited, they were all sweating profusely.

Xiao Zhou picked up the exquisite round fan embroidered with cats and butterflies and began to fan herself. She said something fair: "Thank goodness my sister-in-law reminded us, otherwise I really don't dare to imagine what my face would look like."

"That's right." Madam Li was not happy to praise Xiao Xiao, so she picked up a round fan and fanned herself, changing the subject: "It's still so hot early in the morning."

After saying that, Xiao Xiao took out a big fan from the package and couldn't help frowning: "What kind of fan is this? It's so ugly."

As for the women, most of them waved round fans, bringing gentle breeze and making the host look more elegant and quiet.

But she was holding such a simple fan, which instantly turned them into country girls.

"This is called a banana fan." Xiao Xiao fanned her a few times and said, "Mother, this fan is very strong and cool."

If there weren't two ice jars in the carriage, which would make it cooler, she would not have been willing to sit with them.
And according to the rules, she and Xiao Zhou should have sat with Madam Li and served her mother-in-law.

They had to wait until they reached the next resting place, and Mrs. Li asked them to get back in the carriages before they could return to their respective carriages.

Madam Li originally wanted her to throw away this unpresentable fan, but the cool breeze carrying the ice in the ice jar really made her feel refreshed.

She couldn't say what she was going to say, but she still said with disgust: "Don't take the car later, it's so ugly."

Little Zhou asked curiously, "Is this a grass fan?"

She had occasionally seen the old women using it, but she had never expected it to be much cooler than a round fan.

Xiao Xiao showed off to her: "This is a fan made of wheat straw. My grandfather made it specially for me."

She never felt that her family background was too bad, nor did she feel that her family was not good enough, and she was never ashamed to mention her family.

"The sauerkraut you ate at my place last time was pickled by my grandmother herself."

If the Li Mansion didn't have so many rules, Xiao Xiao would have wanted to invite them to stay with her for a while.

Xiao Xiao had invited them several times before, but both Old Lady Xiao and Second Aunt Xiao waved their hands, saying that it would be fine to just take a walk around the house to broaden their horizons, but they would feel uncomfortable if they stayed for a few days.

Second Aunt Xiao said it more bluntly: "Go walk around for a while, then we can hold back our words."

"But if I stay for a few days, I won't be able to hold back my loud voice."

Then he looked at her earnestly and said, "But when you two separate in the future, I will definitely have to stay longer. You can't complain that we're staying too long, right?"

Xiao Xiao thought so too. Not to mention that they felt uncomfortable entering the mansion, even she could only feel comfortable in the Sanghuai Courtyard.

I stopped trying to persuade them and simply found ways to go back and visit them more often.

After hearing this, Xiao Zhou was somewhat impressed by Xiao Xiao. She felt that Xiao Xiao was filial because she did not forget her roots and did not look down on her family.

So I said, "Then please thank your grandmother for me. The pears on my farm are almost ready to be picked. I will send some to your house when the time comes."

"Obedience is worse than respect, so I won't be polite." Xiao Xiao did not refuse, and looked at Madam Li with a drooling smile and said, "The peaches on my mother's farm are big, sweet and rare. They look like the peaches grown by the Queen Mother. Can you give me some when the time comes so that I can take them back to my parents' home to show off?"

She wasn't really greedy for the peaches, but she was just handing her the ladder on purpose so that she would have something to say.