Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and it is customary to worship ancestors.
Even if there is heavy snow and it is difficult to travel, this example cannot be broken.
After breakfast, Yu Zheng went to the Ancestral Temple. After the emperor and the others arrived, he led the emperor to worship the ancestors of the royal family.
Jiang Shu and Yu Lan were accompanying Concubine Yu at Zhongling Palace. It was near noon when Yu Zheng came back with a serious look on his face.
"Why have you been gone so long?" Concubine Yu asked.
Yu Zheng took off his cloak and handed it to the palace maid, sat down next to Jiang Shu and said, "There was an accident."
"What's wrong?" Yu Lan looked serious, and Jiang Shu and Concubine Yu also looked at Yu Zheng intently.
An accident during ancestor worship is an ominous sign.
Yu Zheng said in a deep voice: "The incense table collapsed and burned the back of my father's hand."
"Is it serious?" Concubine Yu became anxious upon hearing this, clenched her hands and became restless.
"How could this happen?" Yu Lan also looked worried.
Yu Zheng pursed his lips and said, "Don't worry, mother and concubine. My father was only slightly burned by the burning incense and has been examined by the imperial doctor. The one who is really seriously injured is my brother."
"Yu Cheng is also injured?" Yu Lan was shocked.
"Yeah." Yu Zheng nodded and told what happened.
The ancestor worship ceremony is the same every year, and everyone is already familiar with it. Everything went smoothly at first, but towards the end, the emperor led everyone to kneel down in front of the incense table.
Because it was about to end, everyone looked more relaxed. No one expected that the incense table suddenly collapsed, and the burning incense fell on the back of the hand of the leader, the emperor, and it burned and bled.
Yu Cheng, who was closest to the emperor, saw the incense case falling towards the emperor and quickly stepped forward to block him.
The heavy incense case hit Yu Cheng's back, causing Yu Cheng to fall to the ground on the spot.
In the royal family, if the incense table collapses during ancestor worship, it is considered a punishment for the ancestors. Not only cannot we hide, but we must also repent in front of our ancestors.
Yu Cheng was sent back to the East Palace, and Yu Zheng and others followed the emperor to the East Palace.
After diagnosis and treatment by the imperial physician, Yu Cheng suffered large bruises on his back and minor internal injuries to his organs. He will need to recuperate for more than a month.
"Then your father..." Concubine Yu's eyes were full of worry.
Yu Zheng knew that Concubine Yu wanted to visit the emperor, so he said in a solemn voice: "After confirming that the emperor's brother is fine, my father went to the Ancestral Temple to express his regrets."
The Imperial Ancestral Temple is an important royal place, and female relatives are not allowed to enter.
"Forget it. I'm afraid your father won't miss anyone at this time. Let him be alone." Yu Gui gave up the idea.
Yu Lan comforted her and said, "Don't worry, mother and concubine. My father will come to Zhongling Palace in two days."
"Yes." Concubine Yu Guifei calmed her mind, but she still couldn't help but feel worried.
Jiang Shu didn't understand royal twists and turns, and Zhuang Yun was still young, so the two of them listened quietly without interrupting.
"Your Majesty, lunch is ready." The palace servant came in to report.
"Let's go, let's have a meal." Concubine Yu stood up and they went to the dining room.
This happened on the first day of the new year, and few people had much appetite.
After the meal, Concubine Yu ordered the palace servants: "Tell the imperial kitchen that starting from the evening meal, I will be vegetarian for one month."
"Yes." The palace man took the order and went.
However, Concubine Yu felt that this was not enough, and ordered another person in the palace: "Go and clean up the Buddhist room. I will go over and recite the Buddha's name later."
As a harem woman, there was only so much she could do for the emperor.
"My father is fine, so my mother and concubine don't have to worry too much," Yu Lan advised.
Concubine Yu patted Yu Lan's hand and said clearly: "I know, but if I do something, I will feel better."
After hearing this, Yu Lan stopped trying to persuade him.
"Okay, we stayed up late last night and got up early today. You haven't slept well yet. Go back and rest early."
Concubine Yu looked at Jiang Shu and said with a smile: "Especially you, you must pay special attention to your health. Don't worry about anything. Your heirs are the most important thing."
"Yes, I have remembered it." Jiang Shu responded solemnly.
Jiang Shu was a little tired after not sleeping well last night. He left the palace and got into the royal carriage, resting his head on Yu Zheng's shoulder.
"Tired?" Yu Zheng put his arms around her.
"Yeah." Jiang Shu responded calmly with drowsiness.
Thinking of what happened in the palace today, Jiang Shu asked worriedly: "Is your husband injured?"
Yu Zheng was silent.
Jiang Shu sat up suddenly, looked at Yu Zheng and asked urgently: "Where is the injury?"
Afraid that she might cause fetal distress due to being too worried, Yu Zheng hurriedly said, "It was just a burn from the incense ashes, so it's not an injury."
With that said, Yu Zheng stretched out his burned left hand in front of Jiang Shu.
Jiang Shu looked carefully and saw a large burn on his fingernails only on the lower back of his hand.
When he was in the palace just now, Yu Zheng had kept his hands in his sleeves, and the injury was not obvious, so they did not notice it.
It was just a minor injury, insignificant, which made Concubine Yu worried, so Yu Zheng kept it a secret.
But there are some things that can be hidden from Concubine Yu and Yu Lan, but it is difficult to hide them from Jiang Shu, who sleeps and eats with them.
"Are there other injuries?" Jiang Shu asked.
Yu Zheng said: "No more."
"Really gone?" Jiang Shu questioned.
Yu Zheng was helpless: "If you don't believe it, go back and I will take off my clothes and check it for you."
Hearing what he said, Jiang Shu's heart fell back into his stomach.
Holding Yu Zheng's hand gently and blowing on it, Jiang Shu said distressedly: "It hurts a lot."
She had also been burned by incense ashes when offering incense before.
It looked like an inconspicuous injury, insignificant, but it hurt terribly.
"It won't hurt after Shu'er blows on it." Yu Zheng said in a relaxed tone.
Of course it hurts, but this pain is not worth mentioning to Yu Zheng.
He was more worried about her than the pain.
Jiang Shu looked at the injured area on the back of Yu Zheng's hand. The burnt skin had curled up into grayish black, revealing a small piece of reddish flesh, faintly soaked in blood.
"You still need to apply medicine and bandage after returning home so that it can heal quickly."
"Okay, listen to the princess." Yu Zheng agreed obediently.
Seeing Yu Zheng behave like a child, Jiang Shu couldn't laugh or cry.
After returning home, Jiang Shu asked Fang Nanxing to bring some burn and analgesic ointment, applied it to Yu Zheng himself, and wrapped it in cotton cloth.
Staring at Jiang Shu's sleepy eyelids with dark eyes, Yu Zheng said tiredly: "I'm tired, please sleep with me for a while."
Jiang Shu would not refuse.
The two slept until it was almost dark, and when they woke up, dinner was just being delivered from the kitchen.
After only a few bites of lunch, both of them were hungry, so they ate a lot of dinner.
Because of the Chinese New Year, most of the servants in the mansion were released, leaving only some necessary people to serve.
After bathing, Jiang Shu said to Chu Yu and the others: "No need to wait, let's go have some fun."
As a close maid, she is on duty almost all year round and seldom rests. During these few days of Chinese New Year, it’s time to let them relax.
"Thank you, Prince and Princess." Chu Yu and others expressed their gratitude.
Seeing Zhuiyun Zhufeng and Leng Xing in the corridor, Jiang Shu said to Yu Zheng, "Husband, let them rest too."
They didn't go out at night, and there were guards on duty in the mansion, so there was no need for their constant protection.
Yu Zheng also had this idea and immediately agreed.
"Thank you, Master, and thank you, Princess." Zhuiyun and others expressed their thanks joyfully.
After sending them away, the two went into the inner room, sat on the soft couch, read and talked.
Tan Yu, who was free, happily took Chu Yu out of the house to go shopping.
"Leng Xing, let's go together." Tan Yu enthusiastically invited.
Leng Xing refused without thinking: "I won't go."
Tan Yu was stunned: "Then what do you want to do?"
Leng Xing yawned: "Sleep."
It was rare that she could sleep well without any duties, and she didn't want to waste it on boring things like shopping.
Seeing Leng Xing was about to leave, Zhufeng said, "Can I treat you to a drink?"
