From a long way off, Sun Shaozong spotted three sharply contrasting figures standing in the corridor.
The one in the middle was petite and delicate, the one on the left tall and voluptuous, and the one on the right slender and refined.
For a moment, Sun Shaozong felt as if he had returned to the first time he had visited, when he had encountered the three You sisters in the corridor.
But the slender figure on the right was not You Sanjie. It was Hu Shi, Jia Rong's second wife.
Hu Shi did bear some resemblance to her mother-in-law, Madam You. Both were second wives, both had meek, long-suffering temperaments, and both had married husbands who could not be relied upon.
Still, although Jia Zhen was shameless beyond compare, he possessed more of an urge to keep what was his to himself than his son did. He was nowhere near as "broad-minded" as Jia Rong.
Enough idle chatter.
As he drew nearer, Hu Shi was actually the first to notice Sun Shaozong—which was hardly surprising, since she was the only one of the three standing.
Hu Shi respectfully gave them a reminder, and the You sisters hurriedly rose to greet him.
Sun Shaozong could not be bothered with pleasantries. He simply held out his hand. "Was the Imperial Decree copied down? Bring it to me, quickly!"
You Erjie immediately took a silk handkerchief from her embroidered pouch. It was densely covered in over two hundred copied characters.
Sun Shaozong took it and read through it word by word, line by line. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "His Majesty is benevolent. This disaster has passed."
After a pause, he asked, "What about the proclamation? Was it posted outside the main gate according to His Majesty's decree?"
Madam You hurriedly