The laughter in the study faintly floated out.
Xiao Yanzhou didn't like having too many people waiting on him, so only Zhao Quan was outside at this time.
He was stunned when he heard laughter.
His Majesty is moody, and those of them who serve him at close quarters only dare to serve him carefully, let alone make fun of him.
Over time, whenever His Majesty comes near, everyone will stop smiling and hang their heads in fear.
How many years...how many years have I not heard laughter from His Majesty's side.
Zhao Quan was filled with emotion for a moment, and winked with Huo Heng, and the two of them moved a little further away from the imperial study room very knowingly.
On that side, Xie Hengwu finally regained some strength and managed to straighten his body.
Xiao Yanzhou's voice sounded cold and inhumane: "Do you still dare to make trouble?"
Xie Hengwu said that he still dared, and nodded obediently.
Xiao Yanzhou did not forget to scare her: "If there is a next time, I will throw you into the forbidden lake. Do you understand?"
Xie Hengwu smiled and said softly: "Your Majesty, if I are thrown into the Forbidden Lake, no one will embroider the veil for you."
Xiao Yanzhou narrowed his eyes.
She quickly changed the topic knowingly.
"By the way, Your Majesty, tomorrow I am going to the plum blossom appreciation banquet hosted by the Queen Mother. I will be free around evening time."
Xiao Yanzhou raised his eyebrows slightly, kneaded her white and tender earlobes with his fingertips, and fiddled with the bright moon under her ears from time to time: "Plum blossom feast? Where can I go?"
Xie Hengwu couldn't help but wince as his ears felt itchy as he kneaded her.
"...Your Majesty, the Queen Mother has invited me, and I must go."
Xiao Yanzhou hummed absentmindedly and said, "Be careful in everything."
He still believed that Xie Hengwu could handle them. If it didn't work, he would send a few people to keep an eye on them.
--
Xiao Yanzhou had to deal with the snow disaster tonight, so he probably wouldn't be able to rest, so he didn't let Xie Hengwu stay overnight.
Xie Hengwu thought about Xiao Yanzhou's appearance of not caring during the day but being worried about the sachet, so he planned to embroider some at night.
She is one of the best in women's red. It is actually very fast to embroider a handkerchief, but since it is for Xiao Yanzhou, it cannot be too ordinary.
Xie Hengwu thought about it for a while and decided to embroider on both sides.
Double-sided embroidery is much more time-consuming and labor-intensive than ordinary embroidery, and by the time she finished it, it was already three o'clock in the morning. Xie Hengwu put down his handkerchief, rubbed his sore neck, and yawned.
Li Luo handed over a cup of warm scented tea and said distressedly: "My young master, go and have a rest. It's already late. We have to go to the Queen Mother tomorrow."
Xie Hengwu responded in a low voice, but couldn't help but pick up the brocade handkerchief and carefully look at it to see if there was anything that could be improved.
Li Luo pursed her lips and said softly: "Your Majesty will definitely feel my thoughts when I put so much effort into it."
Xie Hengwu's mind was still focused on the embroidery, and he didn't fully understand Li Luo's words for a moment. He just said smoothly and casually: "What do you mean?"
"Of course..." Li Luo's cheeks turned red, she wanted to say it but was embarrassed, and finally stamped her foot, "Oh! How could the young master not understand!"
Only then did Xie Hengwu's slow mind react. She frowned and poked Li Luo's head with her fingertips: "What did you say? I didn't mean that."
Li Luo covered the place where she was poked and smiled ambiguously: "Don't be shy, little master. If not, then I am with His Majesty every day, and now I am still embroidering a handkerchief for His Majesty. What does it mean?"
Xie Hengwu frowned and scolded: "Your Majesty calls me to go, of course. As for the veil, that's what Your Majesty wants. Can I not embroider it?"
Li Luo smiled narrowly, clearly showing disbelief.
Xie Hengwu was inexplicably annoyed and asked Li Luo to retreat.
A beam of moonlight passed through the window and fell on the embroidered handkerchief.
Xie Hengwu stared at it in trance. Li Luo's words made her suddenly realize that she seemed to be getting more and more relaxed and less defensive when getting along with Xiao Yanzhou.
In fact, even if she wanted to embroider, she didn't have to be in such a hurry or bother to embroider both sides. She could have just dealt with it, but she ended up struggling now.
She was... a little too interested in him.
Xie Hengwu lowered his eyes, thinking that they had hugged, kissed, and even slept on the same bed, but these didn't mean anything.
These were her obligations as a concubine, and she had already made preparations when she was still in Nanliang. As for food and sex, Xiao Yanzhou had such a good appearance, so she did not object to contact with him.
She remembered that when she was in the Imperial Study Room, she naturally approached him and naturally fell into his arms.
She seems to like being close to him, so... does this count as liking him?
Xie Hengwu was rarely stumped.
She has learned many things, both things a noble girl should learn and things she should not learn, but she has never learned what liking and love are.
The Marquis of Changping and his wife were in a family marriage, and there were only interests between the couple. This has been the case since Xie Hengwu could remember, and he successfully came to the conclusion that the relationship of interest is the most stable relationship.
She does not object to being close to Xiao Yanzhou, and even likes him. Is it because Xiao Yanzhou is good-looking, or because... he is Xiao Yanzhou?
Xie Hengwu frowned and was extremely confused.
If it's the former, that's okay, but the latter...
No, that's not right.
Xiao Yanzhou had a bad temper, was cruel and suspicious, and except for his overly handsome face, he was completely different from her ideal husband.
What she wants is a gentle husband.
Xiao Yanzhou has nothing to do with "gentleness".
But he took her out of the palace for his ridiculous birthday and gave her many gifts...
A voice sounded softly in his heart, and Xie Hengwu was a little shaken when he thought of the fireworks that day and the three large boxes of luminous pearls that were later delivered to Shi Cui Palace.
But she quickly suppressed the thought
It was obvious that Xiao Yanzhou had planned to leave the palace and just took her with him.
Xie Hengwu thought ruthlessly with a cold face.
She will leave in the future. She must not and should not like Xiao Yanzhou.
After reciting this silently twice, Xie Hengwu's wavering heart finally settled down.
Well, she just... liked his body.
But Xie Hengwu's heart couldn't help but tremble when he saw the embroidered handkerchief.
Then why are you so troubled?
The villain in his heart popped up to question again. Xie Hengwu looked hesitant and thought for a long time.
He is the king of a country, and he is also a king of a country with a bad temper. Doesn't it make sense for her to be careful with him? Winning his favor is only beneficial to you.
Yes, that's it.
She should not only worry about him, but also pay more attention to him.
In addition to this veil, she wanted to make something else for him.
--
She couldn't sleep well that night, as Xiao Yanzhou's face came and went in her mind. When he woke up in the morning, Xie Hengwu couldn't help but have two more dark green streaks under his eyes.
When Li Luo asked, Xie Hengwu only said that he slept late and felt sleepy.
Li Luo didn't think much about it. When dressing her up, she specially put some makeup on her eyes, barely covering the two marks.
The plum appreciation banquet was held in the plum garden, where red plum trees were in full bloom. Although the branches were pruned, most of them still retained their original appearance.
There is a pavilion in the center of the plum garden, surrounded on three sides, which can just block the wind. That is the place chosen by Queen Mother Cui.
After Xie Hengwu got off the sedan chair, he held Li Luo's hand and walked inside, with Heng Shu leading the way.
The plum branches are intertwined, and the plum fragrance floats faintly. Although it is beautiful, it also blocks the line of sight and makes it difficult to distinguish the direction.
This was Xie Hengwu's first time back here. If he didn't have the Hengshu, he would probably get lost in there.
"Thank you, beauty."
A familiar female voice came from not far away.
Xie Hengwu stopped and looked back, but saw no one.
Suddenly someone tapped him on the other shoulder.
She was secretly shocked, but she still maintained her composure. She looked at Cui Luyi and smiled: "Ms. Cui, what a coincidence."
Cui Lujin wore a moon-white silver fox cloak today, which looked very elegant among the red plum blossoms.
She smiled softly and whispered: "There are many plum trees here, so it's hard to see people. Didn't I scare the beauty?"
Xie Hengwu calmly distanced himself from her and said warmly: "Ms. Cui is too worried. I have nothing to do."
Cui Lujin nodded and glanced at Heng Shu who was not far away: "Shall I go in with the beauty? I know a closer path. It's cold today, so you should get there quickly to avoid the cold."
Xie Hengwu and Cuidai raised their heads slightly, then responded after a moment: "Then I'll trouble Madam Cui."
She hasn't met Queen Mother Cui yet, so she has no reason to harm herself at this time.
So Cui Lujin stepped forward, took Xie Hengwu's arm very affectionately, and pulled her to the other side of the path.
The embroidered brocade cotton shoes made a soft creaking sound when they stepped on the unmelted snowy ground.
This trail is rarely visited by the naked eye. There is only a vaguely distinguishable path on the ground made by people, and even the snow has not been cleared away.
The sound of tiny footsteps was soft, but it made the relationship between the two even more silent and quiet, and the cold air seemed to be stagnant.
Xie Hengwu felt extremely uncomfortable where he was being held by Cui Lujin, and he had goosebumps all over his body.
In the end, Cui Lujin felt it was too boring and took the lead to speak.
"Have you ever tasted imperial concubine red, beauty?"
As she spoke, her eyes never left Xie Hengwu's face, as if she wanted to read her mind.
Xie Hengwu was puzzled and asked tentatively: "Is Guifei Hong...?"
"It's a pastry with red seals on it. It looks like the palace decoration of a noble concubine from the previous dynasty." Cui Lujin smiled brightly. "Have you remembered, beauty?"
Xie Hengwu narrowed his eyes and vaguely remembered.
It was what was in the food box that day when Zhao Quan made Xiao Yanzhou angry.
She opened it and took a look out of curiosity, but Xiao Yanzhou threw it out without taking a bite.
Probably divided by the palace people of Zichen Palace.
Cui Lujin asked her if she had tasted it, but the drunkard didn’t care about wine anymore.
Xie Hengwu curled his lips, his smile flawless: "When Madam Cui said this, I remembered it."
Cui Luyi's eyes lit up, and there was some expectation flashing in her eyes: "What do you think, beauty?"
"I vaguely saw it once in His Majesty's palace. His Majesty said that this snack was too sweet and he didn't like it, so he took it away." Xie Hengwu looked regretful, "Ms. Cui asked specifically about it now. I thought it tasted good, but it's a pity. I should have tasted it that day before His Majesty spoke."
The smile on Cui Lujin's lips froze slightly, and she relaxed for a moment, her tone a little cold.
"Is this so... That's really a pity. If I come to the palace next time, I will definitely bring some to the beauty."
Xie Hengwu smiled in return, thinking to himself that there would never be another time.
Cui Lujin was silent for a while, and then said: "By the way, beauty, what happened at the palace banquet that day... I didn't mean to do it."
Xie Hengwu smiled at the corner of his eyes and said generously: "Ms. Cui, there is no need to worry about it. It is human nature to worry about your friends. It is normal to be suspicious. I don't care."
Cui Lujin said softly: "As long as the beauty doesn't care."
Xie Hengwusu raised his hand and casually folded off the plum branch that almost scratched his hood. His beautiful eyes were shining as he looked at Cui Lujin and said meaningfully:
"It's a pity...I heard from the palace people that the Queen is infected with madness."
The winter sky was high, and the light of snow and sunlight fell into Xie Hengwu's eyes, illuminating her amber pupils as pale as gold, making them look more like a witch.
Cui Lujin was made to feel guilty for no reason, so she avoided her gaze and expressed regret:
"...Yeah, it's pitiful that Ying'er is still so young, but she ended up in this situation due to confusion."
Xie Hengwu smiled: "Didn't Madam Cui say that Madam Wang was harmed by others?"
Cui Lujin was stunned for a moment, then quickly lowered her eyes and said, "Even so, the evidence is conclusive, and I will not confuse right and wrong."
Xie Hengwu said: "Ms. Cui is truly fair and selfless."
Cui Lujin reluctantly raised her lips, regretting that she had started talking.
Fortunately, while chatting like this, we finally arrived at the pavilion.
Queen Mother Cui's voice rose slightly and came from the pavilion:
"What are you talking about? It's so lively?"
