Everyone in the Zhuo family stood up in a hurry and bowed their heads to pay homage.
"I don't have much political affairs today. I come and go and sit in the sick house."
It turned out that the emperor also wanted to join in the fun.
Throughout the dynasties, for example, the emperor and Huo Qubing were raised by the emperor when they were young. When they grew up, they opened up territories for the emperor. They were the king and the minister. This pair was very special.
The emperor came to Huo Qubing's location on his own.
Liu Qing could only give up the side seat and leave the main seat to the emperor.
Huo Qubing was quite calm. He sat at the same table as the emperor, but moved back, half a body behind the emperor.
On the low table are placed dishes, which are dishes for each person.
For this kind of banquet, the food needs to be elegant enough to facilitate conversation.
What was placed in front of Huo Qubing was a palace stew that required several days of preparation, then slow stewing in broth, adding scallops, shark fins, fish lips, turtle skirts, deer tendons, pigeon eggs, fish maw, fish maw, and scallops.
The soup is thick in color.
This was for Liu Qing, and Huo Qubing also got a share.
The emperor came over, and the attendants handed over new bowls and chopsticks.
He ate all the portion that belonged to Huo Qubing and said with relish: "I didn't have time to eat at noon today. This stew is bland. I like salty food... Before I came here, I heard you saying that I would eat it two days after I was cured." Concubine’s affairs?”
After the emperor finished speaking, he looked at the people on Zhuo's side.
Zhuo Wangsun said hurriedly: "Back to Your Majesty, my Zhuo family's daughter Qingke is favored by the Marquis. It is my Zhuo family's great fortune."
The emperor said without hesitation: "It's a great blessing. I watched Qu Bing grow up. Except for me when I was young, no one in this world could be as good as Qu Bing. That's why I promised him my little sister."
Huo Qubing and Liu Qing both smiled.
The emperor was in a very good mood and said:
"Qu Bing has conquered the world and is a famous general in the world. He is away from home a lot. I hope that his home will be peaceful and harmonious, and there will be no trouble. Ping Xian should help Qu Bing to run the house safely so that he will be less distracted by family affairs."
The grandson of Prince Zhuo was an old man, and he heard clearly. He thought that the emperor loved the champion so much that he had to come in person to take a concubine. What he meant was that I, Mrs. Zhuo, should respect myself after I get married. Don't cause trouble for the champion. The peace of your family is the first priority.
"Come, all your lords, drink from this cup." The emperor raised the copper cup on the low table.
Everyone hurriedly raised their glasses.
The emperor only stayed in the Hou Mansion for a quarter of an hour. Before leaving, he looked at Zhuo Qingke and said with a smile: "She is a good woman." Then he stepped forward and disappeared into thin air.
Huo Qubing glanced at the position where the emperor had left, looking slightly thoughtful.
He remembered that when he was a child, he asked the emperor what level of spiritual practice he had.
At that time, the emperor said that from the moment he ascended the throne, as long as he was in Chang'an, he had the power to transcend the realm of heaven and man, but there was no corresponding realm.
It is very difficult to break through the limits of the heavenly realm and reach the semi-saint level corresponding to the emperor.
The emperor is responsible for the destiny of a country, not counting the ancient times. After the unification, only the First Emperor has crossed the barrier between heaven and man.
Now, Liu Che seems to have made a breakthrough, surpassing the stereotypes of Liu's ancestors in previous generations and reaching a level beyond heaven and man.
If we think carefully about the reasons, the emperor's breakthrough is natural.
Since the conquest of Da Yueshi, the territory of Han Dynasty has greatly exceeded its inherent national borders.
Huo Qubing defeated many countries and merged their territory and national destiny into the Han Dynasty.
This growth in energy brought unprecedented help to the emperor.
As night fell, everyone dispersed.
As spring approaches, the night sky is full of smoke and the last spring snow of the year has fallen.
The next day, when I woke up early, the soft white snow covered everything.
The next day was the official day for taking concubines, and Zhuo had a lot to prepare for.
First, Zhuo Qingke was taken back to the Zhuo family's residence and waited to pass.
As noon approached, Zhuo Qingke opened the window in his small courtyard and looked at the falling snow outside, a smile slowly appearing in his charming cat eyes.
Until this moment, the despair of losing his father, the fear of the future, the helplessness... all seemed to be slowly fading away.
"Father...I'm going to marry the Marquis." Zhuo Qingke murmured in a low voice.
After learning that she was going to marry into the Hou family, when she returned to the Zhuo family this time, the relatives and friends who came to congratulate her were all smiling and in good spirits. After Zhuo Huai disappeared, the people who were greedy for the property in her name also became kind and polite, and took the initiative to give generous gifts. It was really a kindness.
Zhuo Qingke looked away and took a gentle breath.
————
Huo Qubing walked into the Xiuyi Hall and came to see Ru Bohu.
"Any news?"
It was Ru Bohu who sent a message to invite him over.
"I have searched through the files on the eastern coastal area left from the Qin Dynasty to the present, trying to find clues about the unsettled boat. I have found some things. Come and see." Ru Bohu handed over a scroll of bamboo slips.
Huo Qubing turned it over in his hand.
"After I, the Han Dynasty, conquered the world, Emperor Gaozu was also looking for various things left by the Qin Dynasty for a period of time, including this mountainous ship that was said to be built under the orders of the Qin Emperor himself and used to search for immortals overseas."
Ru Bohu continued: "Comparing various files before and after, the ship left by the Qin Dynasty usually appears at the beginning or end of the month."
The beginning or end of the month is related to the rise and fall of the tide... Huo Qubing thought.
Ru Bohu: “And when it appears, it is often connected to changes in the energy of heaven and earth.
Two years ago, the Wuqu constellation's light was different from normal, and its brightness increased. In the same year, Huo Houyou was officially born and participated in the national war with the Xiongnu. "
He added: "Going forward further, Dong Zhongshu proposed good strategies for promoting talents and countermeasures. In that year, the Qi of the land of China also changed.
Going forward, when His Majesty ascended the throne to rule the world, this ancient ship left over from the Qin Dynasty also appeared on the coast of the East China Sea. "
Huo Qubing nodded. The time of Qin Ship's appearance recorded on the scroll indeed echoed the changes in the energy of heaven and earth, and some important records vaguely echoed.
However, it does not appear every time there is an important note. It only provides a direction, not a fixed rule.
"Right now, Huo Houqin has broken his body and poisoned all the countries. Weird phenomena are emerging one after another in China, and the changes are significant." Ru Bohu said.
"What the Xiuyi Order means is that at the end of this month or the beginning of next month, that big ship that has been floating outside the East China Sea for a hundred years will appear again?"
Ru Bohu said: "Although I am not sure, I judge that the ship's operating system should be consistent with the energy between heaven and earth, borrowing the power of heaven and earth, so it can travel on the sea again and again for hundreds of years.
Coinciding with the weather changes in China, it is indeed possible to happen again recently. "
Huo Qubing hummed and thought: Emperor Qin said he left something for me on the ship. What is it?
The sun sets late.
Huo Qubing came to Zhuo's house, declined Zhuo Wangsun and others to follow him, and went to the courtyard where Zhuo Qingke lived.
When Zhuo Qingke saw him coming, he stood up happily and said: "Master Hou."
"The palace servants are here to measure themselves. They need some clothes for the family, including yours. I am passing by on my way back to the house and will pick you up."
Huo Qubing made a move, and Zhuo Qingke hurriedly followed him and walked out of the house.
The spring snow has just stopped, and the ground is quite muddy.
Zhuo Qingke held up the corners of her skirt to avoid snow slurry splashing on her skirt.
She walked cautiously, with her head lowered, her hair tied into a bun, and swaying as she walked.
The jet-black hair shines brightly, and the steps tremble with the footsteps.
Zhuo Qingke has the unique elegance and tradition of Han women. She is wearing a rose-colored Han skirt, her feet are light and silent, her eyes are lowered, and when she moves, her embroidered shoes can be seen looming under the skirt.
Her steps were very small. If she took too big steps, she would look inelegant and unbecoming of a woman. She followed Huo Qubing in small steps, her buttocks swaying under her skirt. She occasionally glanced at Huo Qubing's back, like a submissive little woman. .
Soon after, the two returned to the house.
After marrying Liu Qing, Liu Qing was responsible for Huo Qubing's clothing and other matters. There would be palace attendants who came regularly to take measurements and customize clothes.
In the Hou Mansion, the side hall where clothes were placed gave Zhuo Qingke an eye-opening feeling.
The Zhuo family is already a wealthy family, but their status is naturally incomparable to that of Liu Qing.
The rooms in the Hou Mansion where clothes and accessories are stored are low-key yet gorgeous, and every detail is exquisite.
There was a pear wood cabinet placed next to the wall. In the drawer of the cabinet, there were hundreds of waist buttons that Liu Qing had prepared for Huo Qubing.
The waist buckle of the Han Dynasty was approximately bow-shaped, with a snap ring on one end that could lock the other end and was used to shape the waist. It had the same function as a belt.
There are jade, leather, wood, and rare metal and gem materials.
Just one type of jade can be divided into soft, hard, white jade, and jadeite, which come from dozens of different origins.
These jade buttons were polished into various styles, and some were engraved with protective spells. They were unique in shape. Zhuo Qingke's eyes slowly widened as he looked at them, full of surprise.
Huo Qubing also wore dozens of crowns, including general crowns, court crowns, daily hair crowns, etc.
In the future, Zhuo Qingke will have a similar place in his house to store various things.
The person who came to measure the clothes was an old nun from the palace who specialized in making clothes for queens, princesses and others. She practices the Heavenly Clothing Technique of the Za family, and can weave nearly seamless Heavenly Clothes with delicate techniques and extremely comfortable to wear.
The sleeve corners, waist circumference, girdle width, and texture of Hanfu's wide sleeves are all within the scope of clothing making. The old woman asked carefully, but her technique was skillful and it didn't take much time.
Starting from the next day, relatives and friends from two families started arriving.
Although she is a concubine, because she is the concubine of the champion, she becomes extremely important in the eyes of outsiders.
After hearing the news, the aristocratic families sent congratulatory gifts one after another, and those who could make it came to Chang'an in person.
The official day arrived in a blink of an eye.
Before dawn, Zhuo Qingke got up early, put on makeup, tied up her hair, and put on wedding clothes.
When taking a concubine, there is no process of the groom coming to the door and beating gongs and drums to welcome the bride. You go out and ride in a chariot to pass through the house by yourself. You enter through the small door of the Marquis's house to distinguish it from the main room.
However, what surprised Zhuo Qingke was that at the auspicious time for her to board the sedan, Huo Qubing walked in from the door.
Zhuo Qingke was surprised and happy: "Why is the Marquis here? I can go to the house myself."
Huo Qubing smiled: "A happy day only happens once in a lifetime. If you marry into my house, I won't let you blame me in the future."
"Qingke doesn't dare. I don't know how happy I am to be able to marry the Marquis." Zhuo Qingke lowered his head and whispered.
"Let's go."
Huo Qubing came over and grabbed her, getting into a wedding posture.
Zhuo Qingke was filled with emotions and tears filled his eyes.
Huo Qubing thought to himself: I'm going to cry now. When you cry at night...
He picked up the bride, Liu Xiang and other friends outside the palace, Huo Guang, Zhao Ponu, Fu Luzhi, Chen Qing and other military personnel gathered together, dressed in red and colorful.
When Zhuo Wangsun and others saw that Huo Qubing came to pick up his concubine in person, they felt that they had given Zhuo a lot of face. Everyone gathered around and returned to the Hou Mansion happily.
There is still a lot of excitement in the mansion.
After Zhuo Qingke gets married, he will move to an independent courtyard on the side of the main hall where Huo Qubing and Liu Qing live. Once she became the concubine of the Hou Mansion, she no longer had the status of a guest and had her own place to live.
Besides, living closer makes it easier to be a substitute, saves walking around, and doesn't have any restrictions when swinging.
There was a lot of noise in the house and it didn't stop even at night.
Zhuo Qingke sat in the cheerfully decorated room, straightening her back a little nervously, waiting meticulously for Huo Qubing's arrival.
The night is getting darker.
After the banquet was over, Huo Qubing went to the main room first, fearing that Liu Qing would feel uncomfortable. After taking a look, he came to Zhuo Qingke's yard.
Zhuo Qingke's heart tightened when he heard the movement.
He could feel Huo Qubing coming to him after opening the door.
Then the eyes became brighter and the curtain of the wedding crown was lifted.
Zhuo Qingke has a pink face and a rosy complexion. The black eyes with thick eyelashes carry a shyness that has no place to rest. The beautiful nose and lips, the smooth forehead and the delicate chin together form the beautiful lines of the face.
The girl's face is like jade, looking at the beauty of the city.
"You and Bai Nanyu studied the Book of Joy. How did you learn?"
Zhuo Qingke let out a soft sigh, fell down on the couch in shame, covered his face with the quilt, and said, "My sister-in-law forced me to learn this..."
Huo Qubing entered the palace for the second time and started the marriage process in a grand manner.
Zhuo Qingke also had a master, and had learned the art of joy for several days...
In the middle of the night, the clouds closed and the rain stopped.
On the couch, the girl fell into a deep sleep, and the pear blossoms brought spring rain.
The situation was just as Huo Qubing imagined, he cried until he fell asleep.
Early the next morning, the bridegroom officer who entered the palace for the second time came to the guard hall: "Let Zhao Ponu, restore Lu Zhi, and Chen Qing come over."
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(End of chapter)
