…
"How about we give it a try?"
"Try, I am willing."
"Then don't be nervous, I'll go slower."
"Okay, Your Highness, be careful, I'm afraid of pain."
"Don't worry, I have experience."
…
These are all nonsense, Wuyue immediately stopped thinking, what to do, what are they doing? Should I break in and stop it? No, no, no, father-in-law Shi said not to be impulsive, listen again.
This time May put her ear against the crack of the door and listened carefully.
"Is this okay, Your Highness?"
"It's much better. Relax, lift your chest, and spread your legs wider."
"I feel like I'm in trouble."
"Hold on, it'll be fine soon."
"It's my inexperience that makes Your Highness work hard."
"It's not hard. Seeing you like this, I'm very willing to do it."
"Then I will work harder and try not to disappoint you."
"Very good, you did a good job, we are very compatible."
…
May: ...I understand, but I can’t go in. Humph, you stinky man, I didn’t expect him to be a beast, I’m so angry!
The cold wind was so strong that it made the window frames tremble.
All the candles in the house were out, only the burning charcoal fire gave off a faint light.
After the New Year, spring was about to begin, and Daye was heavy on martial arts. The annual spring hunting became the most important activity for Emperor Xiaochun and the wealthy families to bond with each other.
Li Luansong was Daye's god of war general, so he definitely couldn't make a fool of himself in the Spring Hunting. Therefore, the two of them discussed that since they couldn't sleep at the moment, they might as well teach Shen Que a few moves that would allow him to cope with it. It won't be too embarrassing when the time comes.
Thinking of the performance at the last lotus banquet, Shen Que felt ashamed.
Although she had been practicing the exercises very seriously for more than half a year according to the little figures Li Luansong drew for her, after all, it would be better to make progress faster than with face-to-face guidance.
Fortunately, there was plenty of charcoal fire in the room and it was very warm, and both of them were sweating in a short while.
"What do you think?" Li Luansong asked.
Shen Que nodded, "I've written it all down and will practice harder when I get back."
"Let's discuss it next time we meet."
Shen Que said embarrassedly: "Your Highness, you have gone to such trouble for me."
Li Luansong waved his hand: "It's not hard, I'm happy to accompany you."
They couldn't see each other's faces clearly in the darkness, but they still looked at each other and laughed together.
Very calm, very upright, without distracting thoughts, pure and transparent.
But Wuyue was so angry that he rolled his eyes and wanted to compete next time. If he couldn't scold him, he would curse in his heart: "It's so shameless. I will never do such a thing in May in my life, huh."
"Your Highness has many old wounds on his body. Please tell me about them."
Those are the badges of heroes. Speaking of this, Li Luansong became more energetic.
Which battle each scar was left in? How dangerous it was at that time, life was literally hanging by a thread... He said it brilliantly, much better than the storyteller on the roadside. It was made with real guns and real knives.
As Shen Que listened, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. No wonder he didn't want to argue with his brothers. Compared with life and death and the survival of the country, these are really nothing.
Wuyue tucked up her sleeves at the door and cursed: Hey, if you have anything to show off, it's as if you don't have anything.
…
The heavy snow mixed with the whining of the wind made me sleep surprisingly well that night.
The next morning, the snow stopped and the wind stopped, and the sun shone warmly on the earth again.
After seeing Shen Que off, Li Luansong returned home unhurriedly.
After two busy days, it’s New Year’s Eve.
The palace is always splendid and dazzling during the New Year, and the banquets with people coming and going are like flowing water, seemingly endless.
At night, Shen Que was exhausted and just wanted to find a quiet place to watch the moon.
There was a sudden sound in the silent night sky, and the dazzling fireworks were dazzling, as if they were making uncanny splash-ink paintings on the dark curtain, colorful and swaying.
Everyone came out of the hall to watch the fireworks, and Shen Que took the opportunity to move toward the back of the crowd.
Her father-in-law was always by her side. He saw something interesting and asked, "Your Highness, where are you going?"
Shen Que said: "I want to go to the palace and take a walk."
"Hey, it's New Year's Eve today, and there's a lot of excitement outside the palace." Eunuch Shi felt itchy.
Shen Que was puzzled and looked at him doubtfully: "You won't stop me?"
Eunuch Shi said with an "I understand you" look: "Your Majesty has been particularly gracious this year. He has hosted a banquet for officials and their family members who are above the fifth rank. Moreover, other officials have also given food to them. If His Highness does not leave, they will inevitably bombard them in turn. Those groups The old fox can still let you go, so he might as well be happy, since His Majesty is not willing to blame you anyway."
The so-called gifting of dishes begins with the emperor. The empress, concubines, and princes reward officials with a rank of five or lower, seven or above, who cannot enter the palace for the banquet, with a dish from the palace banquet. It is a form of condolences, and it also demonstrates the emperor's love for his ministers. To the ministers, this is a great honor.
Shen indeed remembered that there were dishes in the Zhang family in previous years. Because of Zhang Chengru, every year the family would receive a dish as a reward from the palace, and her mother-in-law, Mrs. Gu, never allowed anyone to touch that dish, so she kept it in full worship until Only when you welcome the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year can you use chopsticks.
In fact, it was just a dish. It had been left aside for so many days. Not to mention how it tasted, it was probably no longer edible, so Shen Que had never cared about it.
However, the benefits that are given every year are definitely not available this year. I wonder how the Zhang family is doing this year.
The father-in-law said: "I know your Highness best, and you don't like this kind of occasion. Fortunately, it's the Chinese New Year. You can do whatever you like. I won't stop you. It's just the same. You have to take me with you, otherwise I will worried."
Shen Que couldn't help but laugh: "It's better to have fun alone than to have fun together. Come on, let's go to May and let's go together."
Eunuch Shi smiled and flattered him: "Listen, listen, His Highness is talking about it every time he speaks. It sounds really good."
So, I took May with me and asked my father-in-law to pack a lot of food, drinks, gifts, and the rewards I got from the Queen in the afternoon, and filled a large cart.
In the thick black night, a canopy carriage drove out of the imperial city under the escort of the imperial guards.
Where is she going?
Naturally, I revisited my old place and went to the Zhang family to visit the "eldest lady".
After leaving the imperial city, the orderly and meandering bustle turned into the real hustle and bustle of human fireworks. She really relaxed. Shen Zhen leaned on the soft pillow in the car, opened the curtain and looked outside. , waves of aroma floated into the car. It was different from the delicacies of mountains and seas, and had a more natural and rustic smell.
The father-in-law was particularly excited. He counted the snacks on the street and muttered: "Your Highness has loved eating the wontons from this house since he was little. The old slave often sneaks out to bring them back to you; and the donkey rolls from that house. Your Highness eats them." It’s not enough, and for this, the old slave has been punished by the Queen.”
Shen Que couldn't help laughing, it turned out that he was so greedy when he was a child.
Shi Gonggong said: "His Highness ran out like this, but even more space was vacated for His Highness the Second and Third Highnesses. Look, those two people above the main hall just now are all-round and well-matched. But, let me tell you, still Our Highness is the smartest, let them pinch you, right?"
So let's put it this way, this old eunuch is actually the most discerning, many times better than May.
As he spoke, the carriage stopped at the main entrance of Zhang Mansion.
Eunuch Shi was stunned: "Your Highness, what are we doing here?"
Shen Que said: "It's time for you to show up. Can't we thank the little lady who was injured for me last time? Go ahead and award the queen the reward."
It was dark in Zhang's Mansion. On this day when every household was decorated with lanterns and beaming with smiles, the whole mansion fell into a deserted silence, with only two red lanterns covered with snow swaying in the wind.
Not to mention the food, even the New Year's Eve dinner this year was very crude. There were almost no traces of chicken, duck, fish, and a table full of soup and vegetables. The children clamored for meat, and the adults sighed and frowned.
"If I can admit my mistake to my sister-in-law, apologize, and ask for forgiveness, we can enjoy her feast like the fourth room."
It was Zhang Guanhua who spoke first, breaking the deadlock and speaking out what everyone was thinking, "We realized that it was Grandma who had done something wrong all these years."
"Shut up." Mrs. Gu was impatient to hear this.
"Auntie." The third child also spoke, "Don't be so harsh. It's clear what's going on in the family now. We have been deceived by our mother for so long, and we really regret it. Look at my sister-in-law, she's so popular now."
"Yes, our family doesn't even have the food from the palace this year. What an honor that is." Wang Peilan also sighed.
The second child and his wife just drank soup. Song Qingyue had been like a mute since the imperial examination fraud case, her eyes were dull and her mouth was speechless.
Zhang Chengru ate absentmindedly and silently, never participating in family discussions, because what annoyed Mr. Gu the most now was him. Everything he said was wrong, so he simply didn't speak.
"What are you bringing? What are you bringing? What are you bringing to give me food?" Mrs. Gu muttered, "We're celebrating the Chinese New Year, are you deliberately trying to trouble me? Hurry up and finish eating and go back to your own room."
Zhang Guanhua angrily poked at the rice with his chopsticks, without any appetite; the couple in the second room did not dare to speak and lowered their heads in silence; Wang Peilan blinked at the third master, the third master understood that the wife was hiding something private again, so eat less. Go back and eat delicious food behind closed doors.
At this moment, someone came to report from outside the door: "Old madam, the imperial edict has arrived. Hurry and receive it."
The whole furniture was stunned, how could there be an imperial edict?
But there was no time to think too much, and the whole family went out together without changing their clothes.
Oh, it's amazing. The eldest prince came to issue the decree in person. Is this a blessing or a curse? The whole family is frightened. People who celebrate the New Year are not here to pick off their heads. Oh my God, I would have known that I would have eaten enough. At any rate, I’ll be a full-fledged ghost…
When everyone was anxious and uneasy, Eunuch Shi raised his voice and said:
"The Empress's decree: Shen Que, regardless of his own safety, saved His Royal Highness the King of Jin in a time of crisis. His loyalty and spirit are commendable. He is specially given a table for the New Year's Eve palace banquet, two boxes of gold and silver, ten pieces of silk and cloth, and another , a box of hairpin rings and jewelry to express my gratitude."
After the father-in-law read out, everyone in the Zhang family felt their teeth aching again. It was really the icing on the cake, and it was so nourishing. Look at this reward. The light palace banquet is a whole table, which is much better than the one plate of dishes that the old lady enshrined until it went rotten in previous years. It's much more respectable.
There are also gold, silver, cloth, jewelry...tsk, tsk, tsk, jealousy, envy, and regret.
If I had known today, I shouldn't have...
Everyone in the Zhang Mansion knelt down, each of them so regretful that their intestines were green and they did not dare to accept the imperial edict.
Eunuch Shi turned his head and said: "Your Highness, the eldest lady is not here. Look at us..."
Looking at the familiar faces in the past, each of them has now become decadent and depressed. They no longer have the energy to bully her in the past. Shen Zhe only feels a sense of sadness. Once, under the scorching sun, in the cold water, she was punished. , she was the only one who was scolded.
Look at her husband Zhang Chengru who is kneeling on the ground. There is no trace of the handsome young master anywhere. He looks ten years older, with sunken eye sockets and dark circles. Thinking about him shirking responsibility in front of His Majesty, I think. Thinking about how he humiliated Zhou Xueying, and then thinking about how he trampled and insulted her dignity...
Shen Que looked past these people towards Lemon Fragrant Pavilion and said with a sigh of relief, "It's okay, let's go in and deliver the reward to her face to face."
Ever since, in the envious eyes of everyone in the Zhang Mansion, the mighty Jin King's honor guard went straight to the Ningxiang Pavilion. It was so flamboyant and glorious...
