Chapter 9
Xiao Ji walked out of the imperial study room head first.
Although the purpose of entering the palace today has been achieved and he no longer has anything to do with Cui Lingyan, what happened next was far beyond his expectation. He couldn't think of a way to deal with it for a while, so he could only go home and think about it later.
Fortunately, there is still half a month left, so I don’t have to give a reply tomorrow.
However, the original owner is already eighteen years old. Although he is still a high school student in modern times, this is a feudal society with early marriage and early childbirth. Even if he can escape this time, he may not be able to escape next time...
Damn it's so annoying, why is he facing such a thing as being forced to get married before he's even reached the legal age for marriage?
"Your Majesty, stay!" When he was about to go down the steps, Wang Deqing chased him out with a small plate of pastries, "This is the passion peach cake just sent from the imperial kitchen. It is said to be newly developed in the past few days. Your Majesty ate it well." I'll give you a few pieces to try too."
Xiao Ji, who was so annoyed that he had dead eyes, switched to a fake smile for a second and reached out to take it: "Thank you, Eunuch Wang."
"Your Majesty, you're welcome." Wang Deqing responded with a professional smile.
"Then I'll leave first." Xiao Ji was about to leave after saying that, but when he turned around, he accidentally caught a glimpse of Wang Deqing's slightly red right eye. This suddenly reminded him of something, and he stopped in his tracks, "Eunuch Wang's right eye looks a little red, but does he have an eye disease?"
Wang Deqing was stunned for a moment, then continued with a fake smile: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I didn't feel any discomfort. Maybe I didn't sleep well last night, which made my eyes red."
Xiao Ji stared at him for two seconds: "But you don't look red like you haven't slept well. Father-in-law, you'd better go to Taiyuan Hospital as soon as possible. I heard that there is a kind of bug that likes to get into people's eyes, because They grow very small and do not cause pain when entering people's eyes, so people often become blind without knowing the cause."
Wang Deqing, who originally didn't take his reminder to heart: "...!"
real or fake? !
Of course it's fake. Xiao Ji just suddenly remembered that it was mentioned in the original work that the old eunuch suffered from some kind of eye disease. Because of the late discovery, the treatment was delayed, and he ended up going blind in his right eye, so he reminded him in this way.
As for whether he would see a doctor earlier because of this and change his fate of being blind, Xiao Ji didn't know.
"Well, thank you, Your Majesty, for reminding me. I must go to the Imperial Hospital as soon as possible." Wang Deqing knew that the young man in front of him had always looked down on him. Hearing this, he couldn't help but doubt his intentions, but he still saluted him with a grateful look on his face. .
Xiao Ji didn't care whether Wang Deqing believed it or not. Anyway, he had already done what he had to do, and the rest was up to him. He turned around and walked down the steps, holding the pieces of pastries that looked quite delicate but he didn't want to eat at the moment, and walked out of the palace.
*
When Xiao Ji was approaching home in a carriage, he saw Xiao Jinzhu's consort Xie Mingxiao on the street - yes, the scumbag who killed Xiao Jinzhu once and twice in the original novel.
He narrowed his eyes, and the turbulent annoyance in his heart suddenly found an outlet.
"Brother Xie, what a coincidence." Xiao Ji immediately asked the coachman to drive forward, stuck his head out of the car window, and called out to Xie Mingxiao, who was wearing official uniform, "Where are you going? Why do you look like you are in a hurry? "
Xie Mingxiao currently works at Dali Temple. Seeing Xiao Ji, his uncle, he paused slightly and saluted him respectfully but coldly: "I have met the prince, I am busy with official duties."
As the third male lead in the original work, he certainly has a very handsome face, and because he comes from a wealthy family, he received a good education since he was a child, and his appearance and temperament are also outstanding. It's a pity that he is too pretentious and has a dead face every day, as if everyone owes him a million.
Xiao Ji looked him up and down, feeling disgusted in his heart, but continued to smile on his face: "That's it, I thought you were in such a hurry because you were going to buy a birthday gift for Zhuzhu."
Zhuzhu was Xiao Jinzhu, and it would be her birthday in half a month. He happened to remember it, so he took it and used it.
Xie Mingxiao was stunned for a moment and said nothing.
Xiao Ji knew at a glance that he must have failed to remember his sister's birthday. This made him couldn't help but sneer in his heart, and then he followed the original owner's usual behavior and continued to smile gently: "You are her consort, and I have already thought about what gift to give her, but I heard her before Said that she likes Nanzhu very much recently... I just got a very exquisite pair of Nanzhu headbands a few days ago, which is a new product launched by Linlang Pavilion. If you need it, I can pass it on to you."
Although he said this euphemistically, the meaning is very obvious, that is: I have prepared the things for you, you should hurry up and take them to make my sister happy!
Xie Mingxiao: "..."
Xie Mingxiao understood but didn't want to do it because he didn't like Xiao Jinzhu, who was born a princess but had no connotation. She only knew how to eat and play all day long, like a child who hadn't grown up.
What he likes is Cui Lingyan, who comes from a century-old family like him and has a profound family background. She is also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and has a soul in everything she says and thinks.
If Xiao Jinzhu hadn't intervened, someone in his family would need to marry the royal family to ensure that the family continued to prosper. There was no way Xie Mingxiao would have agreed to such a marriage.
It's just that Xiao Ji is the current king after all, and he has already spoken to this point, so he can't refuse even if he doesn't want to. Xie Mingxiao pursed her thin lips for a moment, and finally hid the disdain and annoyance in her eyes. She lowered her eyes and cupped her hand towards Xiao Ji, and said in a cold voice: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am lucky to find a gift that makes the princess happy." ."
Xiao Ji knew what he was thinking without even looking.
Before the emperor became rich, he was a farmer digging in the fields. This is a fact known to everyone in the world. On the surface, those noble families had to conform to the general trend of the world and bow to the emperor, but in their hearts most of them looked down on him, thinking that he was a rough and reckless man who only knew how to fight and kill, and was not worthy of being in a high position with them.
In addition, the emperor had been thinking of ways to suppress the aristocratic family in the past few years after he ascended the throne, and these people became even more dissatisfied.
Even though the original master studied under the great Confucian scholar of the time and had outstanding talent and appearance, in the eyes of a proud and arrogant family member like Xie Mingxiao, he was just a country bumpkin who relied on his elder brother to gild his body. In addition, the original owner liked Cui Lingyan as much as he did, and judging from his status, he was the most likely person to marry Cui Lingyan, so Xie Mingxiao didn't want to talk to Xiao Ji anymore.
But just as he turned around to leave, Xiao Ji in the carriage smiled and said: "Okay, I will have that set of noodles delivered to your house in a moment. But the price of this thing is a bit high... …I spent 3,100 taels when I bought it, but you are my brother-in-law, and I definitely can’t make money from you, so just ask someone to send you 3,000 taels.”
Xie Mingxiao, who was caught off guard, was almost hurt by these words.
Three thousand taels? Why do you need three thousand taels for broken noodles? !
"Brother Xie, why do you have such an expression? Could it be that it's too expensive?" Xiao Ji hesitated for a moment, then said innocently, "It shouldn't be right? A mere three thousand taels is nothing to the Huaiyang Marquis Mansion."
Xie Mingxiao: "..."
Is this person trying to blame him?
Thinking of how the original owner was full of appreciation and always polite to him, Xie Mingxiao's eyes flashed with a little surprise. Could it be that King Duan's attitude today is because he discovered that he has feelings for Miss Cui San...
Oh, so what if I discovered it? He didn't do anything out of the ordinary, he just secretly missed her in his heart and showed his concern for her in silence.
They could use imperial power to force and control his body, but his heart could never surrender to them!
Thinking of this, Xie Mingxiao's eyes returned to calm, and his expression became colder than before: "I am just thinking about something. I will send someone to deliver these 3,110 taels to the prince's house later."
After that, I didn't want to hear a word more, so I turned around and left.
Xiao Ji didn't care. After receiving the three thousand one hundred taels, all the annoyances in his heart disappeared.
Sure enough, the best way to adjust your mood is to find someone to vent your anger on. Isn't this kid bullying his sister and pretending to be cool in front of him?
Kill him!
*
Three thousand taels was indeed not a lot of money to the Xie family in the past, because the Boyang Xie family was the head of the four major families in the world, and had stood for several dynasties. The wealth accumulated here was unimaginable.
But since Xie Mingxiao's father, the current patriarch of the Xie family, used half of his family property in exchange for the title of Marquis of Huaiyang from the emperor in order to occupy an important position in the new court and have a say in the court, The Xie family's property began to decrease at a rapid rate.
Especially in recent years, the emperor has set up a special palace department to supervise all officials, in order to further consolidate the imperial power and suppress the aristocratic family. The life of the Xie family is even worse than before. It was precisely for this reason that when the emperor wanted to marry Princess Qinghe to his eldest son, the Marquis of Huaiyang agreed.
Because he knows very well that only by holding power can the Xie family remain a noble family.
After Master Xie Mingxiao became the consort, the Xie family's life was indeed easier. Therefore, the Marquis of Huaiyang often told Xie Mingxiao to serve the princess well.
This is a huge humiliation for Xie Mingxiao, who has been the pride of heaven since he was a child, but he has to do it for the sake of his family.
But when he returned home that day and sent someone to send the 3,110 taels to Prince Duan's Mansion, but he only brought back a pair of heads and faces that, although considered exquisite, were obviously not worth the money, Xie Mingxiao was even more shocked and confused. He was so angry that he could barely maintain his aloof look.
King Duan, what does he mean? Do you think he is being taken advantage of? !
Xiao Ji didn't know about this, and he would feel better if he knew.
However, his good mood turned into headache and helplessness after he remembered his half-month appointment with the emperor.
It is impossible to get engaged. Not to mention that he is only eighteen years old and has never thought about marrying a wife. Even if he is already twenty-eight and at the age when he should marry a wife, he cannot just find a strange girl to marry and make do with it. lifetime.
Even if you really want to get married...
They have to like each other just like his aunt and uncle in his previous life. Like his biological father and mother, who married for the benefit of both families and then separated immediately after having a son and completing their mission, it would be better to forget about the marriage to a wealthy family. It would be too sinful for the child.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ji lay down on the rocking chair behind him and stared at the stars in the sky in a daze.
He has only been here for two days, but the events of his previous life seem to be far away from him...
Human adaptability seems a bit scary.
It was just getting dark at this time, and Xiao Ji had nothing to do, so he asked someone to move a wooden rocking chair to the yard to watch the stars.
But after looking at it for a while, Qianliu ran over with a post: "Your Majesty, in the afternoon, the servants of Cheng'en Palace sent a post, saying that the young master of Cheng'en Palace will be full moon in two days, please." If you are free, go and have a full moon drink."
Xiao Ji was not in the mood to listen to this at the moment, so he said casually: "Go back, I don't want to go."
"Ah?" Qianliu was shocked, "But Duke Cheng'en is the uncle of His Highness the Crown Prince, so... why don't you go?"
Only then did Xiao Ji remember that Cheng'en Palace was the natal family of the late Queen He.
Queen He was very good to the original owner when she was alive, and it was really hard for him not to leave.
Xiao Ji came to his senses and changed his words: "I know, let someone make a backup copy of the gift, and I will bring it when the time comes."
"Yes, I'll go right away." Qianliu breathed a sigh of relief and turned around.
"etc."
Xiao Ji, who had been thinking about it all afternoon and couldn't come up with any good ideas, somehow remembered the behavior of the original owner who had kept himself as a jade for Cui Lingyan until now, without even a maid to serve him. He pulled her in by accident. Qianliu asked him, "Do you think if I said I like men, the emperor wouldn't force me to get married?"
Qianliu: "..."
Qianliu was stunned for a moment, jumped back two steps, and let out an extremely shocked voice: "Huh??!!"
Xiao Ji was shocked back to his senses by his look that looked like he had seen a ghost and could not hide his panic at the same time. He turned around angrily and said, "Ah, what, I'll just ask! If you dare to go out and talk nonsense, I will kill you." !”
Qianliu: "..."
Qianliu felt that his monthly salary of one tael was becoming increasingly difficult to earn.
