I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 374 Departure to the Capital

Dongfang Jin looked troubled, her brows furrowed, and she anxiously called out in her heart: [Ruyi, how exactly should I tell them about this?]

At this moment, her mind was in complete turmoil, knowing full well that if this matter was not handled properly, the subsequent troubles would be enormous.

First, even his cousin, the emperor, wouldn't let him off the hook.

That guy really wanted her to take him to the border.

"Just tell the truth!" Ruyi's voice was relaxed and casual, as if it were no big deal at all.

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Jin's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with helplessness. She raised her voice and retorted, "You make it sound so easy! One lie often requires countless more to cover it up. Don't you know that?"

She feels like she's becoming a complete liar.

Thinking about it, she glanced subtly at her parents and Gu Chenglin.

Headache!

"Then just say it! Whether it's the truth or a lie, it's all up to you. Do they really want to know the details? They can't even get into the Ruyi Realm." Ruyi remained nonchalant.

[That's true.] She had actually tried it before. Her parents, her cousin-in-law who was the Empress, and even Gu Jingye and his sister-in-law couldn't bring them into the Ruyi Realm while they were sober.

Only Gu Chenglin can enter.

There are rules and restrictions on that.

【Ruyi, I can't really let everyone discover that the Ruyi Blanket can actually be enlarged to fit hundreds of people, can I?】

The more she thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. If she were to reveal this, it would shock everyone, and she would probably be seen as an oddball.

But then she started to have doubts. If she really said it out loud, wouldn't everyone think she was just making things up?

Ruyi heard her inner thoughts in the space and couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. Remembering what she had said before, she felt a little guilty.

This...this was indeed what it said first; it only said that because it was thinking of being lazy.

But now the situation has become tricky, and it's a bit at a loss.

"How about we pick them up in batches?" Ruyi's eyes lit up, and she came up with an idea.

Dongfang Jin reached up and touched her nose, her face full of doubt, her eyebrows slightly raised: "[Will it work?]"

She still had doubts about this method, after all, this was no small matter and could not tolerate the slightest mistake.

"Yes, I can!" Ruyi explained confidently.

[It used to be able to accommodate six people, now we can add a few more, but not many, since not all of my family members are going anyway.]

We'll use the Auspicious Blanket to send them to the capital. Once they're in the capital, you can use the Teleportation Bead to go home, and then we'll use the Auspicious Blanket to send them again.

[Is this really going to work?] Dongfang Jin was still hesitant, her heart pounding. The more she exposed, the more dangerous it felt, and she really couldn't make up her mind.

"Okay!" Ruyi said decisively, trying to reassure Dongfang Jin.

Looking at the people standing or sitting in the courtyard, Dongfang Jin felt as if countless ants were gnawing at her heart.

What to do? The auspicious carpet I made up on the spot simply can't support so many people. Now I can only take it one step at a time.

With a determined look on his face, he said, “We’ll go in batches. Gu Chenglin, you stay home with Cangji and the others.”

I'll take my father and the others back to their residence first, and once they're settled, I'll come back to pick you up.

As she said this, she silently prayed that Gu Chenglin wouldn't join in the commotion and that everything would go smoothly.

This guy absolutely mustn't be so oblivious.

Gu Chenglin strode forward, took her hand, and said firmly, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

Their tightly clasped hands conveyed trust and reassurance, but their words carried a hint of disappointment and grievance.

Dongfang Jin nodded slightly, her gaze quickly sweeping over everyone, and then she instructed, "Alright, let Shitou, Caiwei, Wenwen, and Xiaohui go with them."

As he spoke, he was mentally calculating that these people would be relatively easier to settle.

Once you arrive at Prince Dun's Mansion, you can stay there. She will come to pick you up tomorrow.

Cang Nanxi looked at them, his expression calm, his tone peaceful yet undeniable: "We'll go directly to the Prince's residence. Relatively speaking, the Prince's residence is safer and less likely to attract attention."

In his view, returning to the Prince's Mansion was the safest option; if he went directly to the Imperial Palace, there were too many spies there.

Furthermore, the Empress is due to give birth in two months, so we should also settle her in the Prince's residence.

Dongfang Yuan nodded hurriedly and agreed, "Yes, let the children come with us to the Prince's Mansion first." As she spoke, she took Jun Qixian's hand in one hand and Helian Jingyun's hand in the other.

Helian Jingyun gently stroked her slightly protruding belly and suggested tenderly, "Let's bring Xian'er along too."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Jin immediately shook his head, his expression serious: "That won't do. They're going to stay at my house when they return to the capital this time."

They can't meet before the wedding, so Xian'er should stay with Gu Chenglin.

I was secretly glad that I had managed to stay rational and not lose my composure.

If we really take Xian'er to Prince Dun's mansion before the wedding, there will be too many people gossiping, and who knows how many troubles will arise later.

Even if Xian'er stays at Prince Dun's Mansion, she will still be criticized. She comes from a humble background. Although there is a saying about marrying up or down, there are still many people who are opportunistic. It is better to be careful.

This is also for Xian'er's own good.

Jun Wenhui stepped forward and took Jun Qixian's hand, a gentle smile on her face, and said softly, "Yes, Xiao Jin is right. It's better for her and Xiao Xuan not to meet before the wedding."

"Meeting before marriage is against the rules and can easily cause gossip." As she spoke, she gently patted Jun Qixian's hand to comfort her.

She cast a grateful look at Dongfang Jin.

Helian Jingyun nodded in agreement and added, "Yes, we women must be careful in our words and actions before marriage."

Even when I was still unmarried, I had to avoid even my own cousins.

Without an elder accompanying them, they can't even see each other.

As soon as she finished speaking, her gaze became somewhat unfocused, and her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the day that changed her destiny.

That day, the sky was overcast, with low-hanging leaden clouds, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made it hard to breathe.

There was no lively gathering of guests, no earnest instructions from her parents, only a few indifferent-looking old women hurriedly doing her hair and makeup.

Because the national mourning period was not long ago, and Helian Jingyun was still in mourning, she put on a plain wedding dress and embarked on this special path of intertwined fates with the new emperor Cang Lingyuan.

On the day of the grand wedding, which was also the day of Cang Lingyuan's coronation ceremony, there was no noisy celebration in the city.

At that time, the national treasury was empty, and the huge debts left by the previous emperor weighed heavily on the newly established regime, severely hindering its operation.

Financial difficulties led to a simplified wedding procession; the once-grand wedding party lacked its former splendor, lavish ceremonies, and dazzling jewels.

The red candles, though burning, trembled slightly in the cold wind, reflecting the resolute yet helpless faces of the newlyweds.

The ceremony was simple yet solemn. Amid the complex gazes of the court officials, Helian Jingyun and Cang Lingyuan completed the grand ceremony, announcing the ascension of the new emperor and the investiture of the new empress.

There were no extravagant wedding banquets or all-night singing and dancing in the palace.

They took over the empire amidst desolation, embarking hand in hand on the path of imperial rule, fraught with unknowns and challenges, facing the dynasty's predicament with unwavering resolve.

No one can understand the hardships and heartache along the way...

Gu Chenglin looked at this and then at that. What had he missed?

What kind of expressions are those on my mother-in-law, the Empress, and Sister Yumei's faces?

Why do they all have such sad expressions on their faces?

And this cousin-in-law of the Empress, this is...

He couldn't figure it out, so he looked to his wife for an answer, but she was also out of it.

Ruyi, [Jin-jie, something's not right here?]

Dongfang Jin frowned. "Indeed." Just one sentence from her evoked such a resonance?

Goodness gracious, what's going on here?

One by one, they are all sad.

And what's with this Empress? Why are you getting involved?

She hadn't even finished venting when another person, immersed in sadness, appeared.