Chapter 516 - 270: Going to Beijing_3
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qian Manjiang led Pan Yue out of the cabin. Pan Yang told them to keep some distance, as Pan Yue was now somewhat afraid of strangers.
Eunuch Li, who had previously served in Cining Palace where little Pan Yue played, bowed deeply from afar to Pan Yue and was so moved that he cried. He said softly, "Princess Zhenyue, whom the Empress Dowager thinks of daily, has finally returned. It’s strange, despite it being fourteen years and having given birth to three children, the princess still looks like a girl in her teens."
Liang Jinzhao took the opportunity when nobody was paying attention to them to talk with Qian Yixiu, "Yixiu, you’ve changed so much. In the blink of an eye, the little girl has grown into a young lady."
Qian Yixiu wasn’t shy like women of ancient times, and she laughed, "General Liang’s changes are big too. In three years, you’ve gone from a soldier to a general. Not even urgent dispatches over eight hundred li are as fast as you."
Liang Jinzhao laughed heartily a few times, feeling refreshed every time he spoke with her.
The group disembarked the ship, boarded carriages, and hurried to reach the Capital City before sunset, then it took over half an hour more to arrive at Lord Xiangen Mansion. The Wan family had to continue on, so they parted ways there.
Liang Jinzhao and the other outsiders escorted them to the doorstep, and since they shouldn’t cause more disturbance, they took their leave.
Old man Qian and his wife, Qian Sangui’s couple, and Pan Yue were all exhausted, with Jingjing and Ming Wa having fallen asleep long ago. After everyone washed up and had a simple meal, they all went to rest.
Qian Yixiu, however, was not so fortunate. She sat in the outer courtyard with Qian Manjiang, preparing to meet with the middle and senior managers of this family.
Qian Yixiu had already studied the blueprints drawn by Qian Manjiang, so she had a certain understanding of the family. It was a grand residence with four entrances, previously owned by a criminal official. Left vacant for a few years, it was nominally bestowed by the Emperor as the Lord Xiangen Mansion. However, in reality, it was the Empress Dowager who had asked the Emperor to grant the house as an additional favor, for the sake of her granddaughter’s comfort.
Once the house was granted, Grandpa Pan had people repair and renovate it, and folks from Prince Ning Mansion would also often come to check on it. Grandpa Pan was both tasteful and extravagant, and wealthy to boot; eager to make up for the years of guilt he felt towards his daughter, he spared no expense in refurbishing the mansion, spending money like water.
Even under the dim starlight, one could see the exquisite splendor of the courtyard.