The medical concubine is blessed with good fortune and her husband's life is prosperous. The mo

Originally, the Queen's tour was a grand event, with as many as a hundred officials and palace maids accompanying her from the Ministry of Rites. They would also go to the Shen family manor in advance to check the situation and prepare a place for the Queen to rest.

So when Yuanchun returned home to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the Jia family had to build a Grand View Garden.

But Shen Dongsu hated these red tapes the most. In fact, the relationship between the emperor, empress and all officials was the same: either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind.

The weaker the emperor and empress are, the more picky the officials are and the more they look for trouble, and the more complicated the etiquette becomes.

They could even always blame natural disasters on the emperor. If it didn't rain, they blamed the emperor; if it rained too heavily, they blamed the emperor.

Not to mention the Queen, who is traditionally the scapegoat. Even when a comet passes by, the blame is placed on the Queen.

The rules for the queen could be as thick as an encyclopedia.

In Chang'an, even a powerful woman like Empress Chen hated arguing with officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Censors.

Except for going to the temporary palace to escape the summer heat, there was almost no chance to leave the palace. But when she arrived in Youzhou, these old rules could not be applied to Shen Dongsu.

She often visits various institutions, distributes benefits in the military families' area, excites new recruits at the recruit camp, and often attends ribbon-cutting ceremonies in the expanded outer city area.

If the Ministry of Rites dares to restrict her actions according to the old rules, she will truly become a puppet.

It was the same when she went to the Shen family this time. She only needed to tell the Ministry of Rites and there was no need to send officials to accompany her. She could just let two female officials go.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites were shocked and begged the Queen not to leave the palace overnight.

As a result, the emperor said that the empress went to visit her grandfather out of filial piety. How could the Ministry of Rites stop her?

In order to secure two days of "vacation" for Shen Dongsu to leave the palace, she specifically asked Yuejian to go to Shen's house first to clean up her yard, and not to spend lavishly just because she was staying for a few days.

She just simply missed her grandfather. The day before yesterday, her grandfather had sent someone a message saying that he had raised a batch of crucian carp specially for her. The carps were very plump and could be stewed into soup with fish maw.

Add some tofu and stew it, sprinkle some coriander and chopped green onions when it comes out of the pot, it is so delicious. Or fry it until both sides are golden brown, add basil and dogwood and braise it, it is very delicious with rice.

Dong Su knew that her grandfather missed her, so she brought the old man from Gwangju. She only had two meals with her grandfather and they didn't have a good conversation. How unfilial she was!

All the way to the manor, while the three of them were chatting in the car, Xiaobao would open the window to look outside. It seemed that children all loved visiting relatives and traveling far away.

Whenever she saw something new, she would ask her uncle what it was, then remember it and go home to tell her brother.

Passing the clock tower is the outer city. Dongsu also opened the car window to look. The outer city looks different every day. Even in the cold winter, some projects have not stopped.

When you see a large group of very different buildings, snow-white walls painted with lime, marble pillars in the corridor in front of the door, a long row of old low chimneys, and many guests coming in and out.

Dong Su didn't know when such a big store opened here, so he asked Zhong Yang: "What kind of store is that? Why are there so many customers?"

She was worried that it was the group of powerful people from Chang'an who opened a red-light district in the outer city, which was severely punished in Chang'an.

Zhong Yang took a look and smiled:

"It's a bathhouse. We hired a Hu craftsman to design it. Don't worry, sister. The Work Supervision Department has checked it out. From the boiler operator to the laborer, all of them are men, and there are also male guests."

Shen Dongsu nodded in understanding. As expected, businessmen have more flexible minds. These days, ordinary people rarely take a bath during the long winter, while rich people would go to hot spring pools to take a bath.

If you open such a large bath center in the city and the charges are not expensive, there will naturally be a lot of customers.

Bathing culture was not popular in the north at that time, but it seems to have become popular starting this year.

After walking a few hundred meters, they seemed to hear the sound of reading in the wind. They were all children's voices. Xiaobao looked out and saw only a group of buildings.

The courtyard walls are painted light blue, with a large blank space in the middle where portraits of Confucius and the Seventy-Two Sages are painted, making it extremely conspicuous among the large gray-green building complex.

The sound of reading came from inside. Without Xiaobao saying anything, Zhongyang smiled and said:

"This is a newly built elementary school. There are a total of 18 elementary schools in the 72 districts of the outer city."

"Sister, have you forgotten? You convened the Ministry of Revenue and the Wanshu Pavilion to hold a children's enlightenment education conference, and specially added 18 primary schools in the outer city, where children over the age of seven can come to study."

Dong Su smiled and said, "Of course I haven't forgotten. It seems that with the Wanshu Pavilion watching over it and Mo Men participating in the city construction, the progress is much faster!"

Zhong Yang put on an old man's appearance again and sighed:

"It's a pity that there are not enough teachers. In my opinion, at least one must be a scholar to be a teacher in the city college. Now many teachers in the colleges are scholars."

Dong Su tapped his forehead and said, "If you keep frowning, you'll have wrinkles at such a young age. Dabao is just imitating you and loves frowning the most."

"Don't worry. There are not many talented people now. In some towns, even students can become teachers. Wait a few more years and the Wanshu Pavilion and several major colleges will cultivate more talents."

"In the future, teachers will have to pass the examination and obtain a teaching certificate like officials and clerks before they can teach in the academy. But in recent years, there is no way, scholars are rare talents!"

Zhong Yang said with a little pride: "Then I can also be a teacher."

Xiaobao was very happy: "How about my uncle be my teacher?"

When they passed the most unique place in the outer city, the 'bus station', Xiaobao was very excited to take a ride, and Dongsu had to go with his father and brother next time.

Because the horse-drawn trams were so popular at the base and had never had any safety issues, she approved the Ministry of Industry's repeated applications to build a horse-drawn tramway in the outer city area.

In the mode of buses in later generations, fixed platforms will be set up for passengers to ride. At present, horse-drawn trams are the most popular means of transportation among citizens and are cheap.

Moreover, there are stations in all 72 districts of the outer city, which greatly saves time and energy.

Dong Su felt that this tram was the first front of the Industrial Revolution and had given the city a sense of technology.

Unfortunately, there has been little progress in the production of clocks, and another high-tech clock tower still has to rely on manual labor to adjust the time.

Because they set out early, they arrived at the villa at noon. Grandpa Shen and Father Shen were already waiting outside the gate with their family. Xiaoman and her second and third aunts were among them.

I didn’t see Jiang, but Dongsu was not surprised at all. That was her personality. She would definitely say, even if Dongsu was the queen, she was still my daughter. How could a mother go to welcome her daughter?

Dong Su wouldn't bother with these things. It would be best if she didn't come out during the whole process.

Xiaobao called out "Hello Great Grandfather" and "Hello Grandpa" very politely. Dongsu did not put on airs like a queen at all. She was glad that she did not bring officials from the Ministry of Rites, otherwise they would definitely ask the Shen family to pay their respects to her first.

She smiled and went forward to help Grandpa, but Grandpa wouldn't let her: "You're not old enough to need help. Come on, Xiaobao, can Grandpa hold you?"

Grandpa was a little darker and thinner, but his back was still straight and his bones were strong. He looked like a gray-necked pine tree, with a loud voice and full of energy.

The thing Dong Su likes most about Grandpa is that he is always full of energy. Seeing Grandpa makes him feel like he has endless energy.

Grandpa picked up Xiaobao, and Shen's father said hurriedly: "Come in quickly, let's talk inside."

She said to Dong Su in a somewhat subtle way: "Your Majesty has lost weight. Is it because of the cold weather that you have no appetite?"

Shen's father is the only person who knows Shen Dongsu's true identity, but he still treats her as his daughter, but there is still some distance.

Dong Su felt more "respect" for her than "family affection". She felt that compared to Ling Moxiao's belief that she had a divine responsibility, Shen's father must have regarded her as a "fairy" from the bottom of his heart.

He was the "immortal" that his daughter had prayed to the water god for before she died.

Hearing Father Shen's greeting, Dong Su smiled and touched his chin:

"I'm not thin. I just wear thick winter clothes, which makes my face look smaller. But father, I heard from Zhongyang that you had leg discomfort before? Do you want your daughter to make you a new prosthesis?"

The second aunt, who was walking with a breeze on her feet, laughed heartily and said:

"It's already healed. Look at your father walking. Doesn't he look uncomfortable? Madam, don't worry about the family. Thanks to you, we are all fine!"

"It's not easy to go home. For the next two days, you should eat and drink well and relax. We made some winter clothes for Dabao and Xiaobao. Take a look and see if they fit you."

The third aunt, who had become much fatter, smiled and echoed the words of the second sister: "Dongsu eats well and drinks well."

Second Auntie clapped her hands and said, "You should call her 'Niangniang'. The female official taught you that. Have you forgotten it again?"

The third aunt bit her finger and looked around: "Where is the queen?"

The second aunt wanted to scold her, but she also found it funny. When she saw Dong Su laughing out loud, everyone started laughing too.

Dong Su hurriedly smiled and said, "There are no outsiders at home, so the aunts can just call me Dong Su. I'm tired of hearing the name Madam in the palace."

Father Shen glanced at the female officials waiting respectfully in the corridor, fearing that they did not follow the etiquette and rules, and the palace would not allow Dong Su to return to her parents' home in the future.

He hurriedly whispered, "That won't do. How can we call the Madam by her maiden name?"

Grandpa was still straightforward: "Eat first, and then talk after eating. Don't let Xiaobao get hungry."

Grandpa served a bowl of women's soup to Dongsu and Xiaobao respectively. He saw that the mother and daughter drank it with relish, even happier than when he drank it himself. He smiled so much that the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes became a few lines.

The funny thing is that no one went in to invite Jiang, and she came out quietly on her own and joined the crowd very naturally, as if there had never been any awkwardness.

Dong Su glanced at Zhong Yang and felt that Jiang was more afraid of Zhong Yang getting angry than being afraid of her as the queen.

She probably thought that her eldest brother had also come back and was waiting in the room for her eldest son to coax her!

Then I held my son's hand and cried, telling him how much I missed him and how depressed I felt living in the villa.

Unfortunately, she miscalculated and her brother never came back.

The time spent with his family was short, so Dong Su didn't put his mind on Jiang. After dinner, he and Grandpa went to see his fish pond, where Grandpa had specially dug a shallow pond.

The water is very clear, and there are small shrimps raised in it. Grandpa said that he would dry the shrimps, grind them into powder, and cook porridge for the children. When they grow up, he will carefully select some and send them to the palace for the eldest and second children to eat.

Grandpa likes to drink tea and chat with the elderly people in the military dependents area. Many of them come from all over the country, and Grandpa likes to listen to them talk about their experiences along the way to Youzhou.

Father Shen laughed and said that the elderly people in the military area originally wanted to enjoy their retirement, but now they are taken by their grandfather to engage in marine farming with him.

He then went to raise rabbits with other herdsmen and had a busy day.

Grandpa laughed heartily and said, we are still young, why should we wait for a long life?

We have to set an example for our children and grandchildren. We are short of people everywhere in Youzhou, and these old guys with strong bodies cannot sit idle.

Yuejian whispered to Dongsu with a smile that Old Master Shen being in the military district was like the Empress being in the palace. Seeing how energetic he was, she felt embarrassed to be lazy.

When Xiaobao heard that his great grandfather had rabbits, he insisted on going to see them. The group went to the rabbit house and found that there were indeed quite a few rabbits. The rabbits gave birth quickly, one litter after another.

In the winter, they still have green leaves to eat, and they grow very fat. Xiao Bao asked innocently, what is the point of raising so many cute rabbits? Can she raise a few in the palace?

Adults are so embarrassed to say that they raise animals for meat and skin them for making clothes.

Dong Su told her that there were many cats and dogs in the palace, all of which were raised by Aunt Yue. Xiao Bao was really attracted and went to find Yue Jian to ask her what she raised.

There are not many flowers planted in my grandfather's greenhouse. The flowers he grows can be used as medicine or made into tea. It is full of fruits and vegetables, and the fresh cucumbers are growing very well.

Dong Su picked one and wiped it with her sleeve, wanting to eat it, but Yue Jian stopped her: "It's okay for your majesty to eat it yourself, but the little princess will get a stomachache if she eats it."

At the same time, Yue Jian was glad that she did not bring too many female officials with her, especially officials from the Ministry of Rites. If they saw the empress in this state in the villa, turning from the mother of a country into a peasant girl, they would be shocked.

After waking up from a nap, the mother and daughter dressed like penguins and went ice fishing with Grandpa, Shen's father, and Zhongyang. The ice on the lake not far from the villa was very thick.

Drill a hole and you can catch white minnow and black carp. These two types of fish have the most tender meat and taste good no matter how they are cooked.

The fun of ice fishing is of course not to eat fish, but just for fun. Winter fishing is not good, and I lose my patience after fishing for a while, so I took Xiaobao to play ice sledding.

The sight of several big black dogs pulling the sled reminded Dongsu of Xiao Hei and Da Bai Ge who stayed in his hometown. He wondered if they were bullied by the people from the second house.

Xiaobao was having so much fun that her laughter, like a silver bell, could be heard from far away. The guards in the distance heard the little princess' laughter and started laughing too.

The queen and the little princess are so happy to return to their parents' home!

Don't dare to play for too long. Children don't know how to be tired. If you let her play crazily, she can play forever. But if you dare let her play until she is tired, she will immediately get sick to see you.

After playing a few rounds on the ice sled, Dongsu taught Xiaobao how to make ice lanterns. Grandpa happened to have caught enough fish for dinner, so the group hurried home before dusk.

Dongsu told his grandfather that sea fishing was more interesting, and asked his eldest brother to take him sea fishing in the summer to catch big sea fish that were bigger than humans.

He plays like crazy during the day and sleeps soundly at night. Xiaobao used to sleep with his nanny in the palace, and he is even happier when he can sleep with his mother at his grandfather's house.

Nestled in Dongsu's arms, she kept wanting to be snuggled up with him, muttering a few words, wondering if her father and brother were asleep. Then she fell into a deep sleep.

Dong Su kissed her forehead, felt her body temperature, and then fell into a sound sleep.

The next day was supposed to continue the happiness of the first day, but it seemed that God couldn't bear it. Well, Dong Su had discovered this a long time ago. She couldn't be idle. As long as she was idle, something would happen.

Sure enough, just after lunch, Dongsu and Xiaobao were talking about what to do after their nap when they heard the guard come to announce that Lord Mo had arrived.

The third aunt still didn't know who Lord Mo was until the second aunt reminded her: "Xiao Pan is back."

She immediately put down the melon seeds she was peeling and ran to the door like a flash.

The second aunt chased after him: "Be careful not to slip."

If Brother Xiao Pan came to visit his third aunt, Dong Su would naturally be happy, but she instinctively felt that Brother Xiao Pan could not have simply come to visit relatives, and something must have happened.

It was inconvenient for Ling Moxiao to pick her up, so he asked Brother Xiao Pan to pick her and Xiao Bao up and take them back to the palace.