The snow charcoal is burning vigorously, and a handful of dried orange peels are sprinkled on top to create a light and refreshing aroma.
The wind got stronger at night, making the window lattice rattle slightly.
Xu Zhihuai put down Mrs. Tang in his hand and signaled Jinhua to hand over the sleeping An'er to him. Jinhua shook her head with a smile, her eyebrows crescent.
Xu Zhihuai lowered his voice and said, "If you stay with her every night for too long, your body will be overwhelmed."
Jinhua still shook her head after hearing this and smiled even sweeter.
While talking, Mu Xiuwan also walked in.
When Zhu Xuxing stayed in the study, she would always come over to stay with Xu Zhihuai, but the person she really wanted to accompany was An'er.
Three people sat around, guarding a little baby, warm and comfortable.
The wind outside the window stopped and stopped, winter snow and spring rain came and went.
The days when he returned to the palace always passed quickly. Zhu Xuxing took up the great responsibilities of the court, worked diligently and frugally, led the six ministries, and used thunder to eliminate corrupt officials in various states and counties, expand the army, and reduce taxes.
He acted vigorously and decisively, and with the support of the eldest princess and the Marquis of Qingyi, everything went smoothly.
The emperor has been ill for a long time and it is reasonable for the prince to inherit the throne.
However, Zhu Xiuxing obviously had his own plans. The eldest princess prepared for him to enthrone the throne, but he was delayed again and again. During this period, many ministers in the court came forward to express their opinions.
Zhu Xuxing just smiled lightly when he heard their principle that "a country cannot live without a king for a day".
Seeing his silent and conceding attitude, Zhu Weizhen couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"Prince, don't have any illusions anymore. My father's illness will never be cured."
Listening to her cold words, Zhu Xuxing was neither angry nor angry, and said in a calm tone: "It happens from time to time that medicines and stones are ineffective, but my father is in middle age, so we should always have a glimmer of hope in our hearts."
Zhu Weizhen was slightly surprised: "My brother still has hope in his heart? To my father?"
Zhu Xuxing said solemnly: "I have hope for everything, not to mention he is our father and our closest relative. I will never refuse what the eldest sister wants me to do. The eldest sister wants me to be A wise king, I will definitely live up to your expectations. The hope in my heart is the hope in my eldest sister's heart."
His warmth was enough to melt the coldness in Zhu Weizhen's heart, but only temporarily.
All the past events gave rise to resentment in her heart, which took root and sprouted, growing into a strong and towering tree. It was out of control and no one could shake it.
After another spring, summer, autumn and winter, Xu Zhihuai found some stability and calmness in this courtyard. Of course, under this calmness, there were still undercurrents.
They were waiting for the opportunity, anytime, anywhere, ready to break her life.
Calm and restless, stable and restless.
Xu Zhihuai gradually learned one thing and watched the changes.
She no longer takes the initiative to provoke a little bit of danger, she no longer dwells on the slightest right and wrong, she only sees the people she cares about.
Besides His Highness, there is An'er.
They are her heart-clearing pills and her comfort pillow.
In the early spring afternoon, the spring scenery is brilliant.
Xu Zhihuai had long, inky hair, leaning on the imperial concubine's couch. Her face was clean and fair, with no makeup on, and she was even more simple in a moon-white robe.
There was a small figure beside her. Her chubby body could not sit still, and she clung to Xu Zhihuai's side. She reached out to grab her hair and stuffed it into her mouth.
Xu Zhihuai smiled and said, hurriedly holding down his chubby little hands: "You can't eat this."
An'er grunted unhappily and grabbed it with her other hand.
Jinhua hurried over, bent down to pick up An'er, and coaxed her to go to the flowers and plants in the yard with a smile.
An'er refused and turned to look at Xu Zhihuai, grinning about to cry.
Xu Zhihuai hurriedly tied up his long hair with a hair tie and hugged his daughter back.
Unexpectedly, An'er liked her long hair, and her little hands scratched restlessly, like a naughty child.
Xu Zhihuai felt pain secretly and said in a gentle and slow tone: "An'er, be good."
An'er soon stopped making trouble and lay on her shoulder, blinking her big black eyes.
Jinhua wanted to coax her to take a nap, but she wouldn't sleep, babbling and pointing at the desk.
Xu Zhihuai understood at one glance that she was looking for Zhu Xuxing.
At this time, Zhu Xuxing was questioning the officials about the case of disrepair of the river embankment in Sunan County.
Because hundreds of acres of fertile farmland were flooded, he rarely got angry, and his handsome face was covered with a faint shadow.
Officials from the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household Affairs were the first to bear the brunt. They bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes one by one, and did not dare to defend themselves even a word.
Under the solemn atmosphere, the young eunuch delivered tea at the right time, stood by the desk and bowed: "Your Highness, Concubine Huai is here."
Zhu Xuxing's frown instantly relaxed a lot. After counting the time, he suddenly realized that he had missed lunch.
He changed his previous seriousness and dismissed everyone.
Xu Zhihuai was waiting in the side hall with An'er in his arms. When he came out, he happened to meet several adults. All the ministers saluted and greeted her one after another without daring to show any slights.
"Where's my An'er?"
Zhu Xuxing spoke loudly and smiled even more when he saw his daughter.
An'er smiled and threw herself into his arms, her little feet kicking up and down excitedly.
Zhu Xuxing didn't mind either. He held her soft body with one hand and dragged her chubby feet with the other. He said with a smile: "Why are you here in such a hurry? You didn't even put on shoes or socks for her."
Xu Zhihuai shook his head helplessly: "An'er won't take a nap and is coming to find you."
"An'er has always been attached to me, so let me coax her to take a nap too."
Zhu Xuxing was used to his daughter's dependence and enjoyed it.
Xu Zhihuai watched quietly, with a smile on his lips.
However, what she didn't know was that there was a pair of eyes watching here silently just under the corridor not far away.
Wei Li returned to Beijing for business and will return today.
He arrived very early, but after hearing that the prince was reprimanding the ministers, he waited in the outer courtyard.
He deliberately avoided it and didn't want to meet anyone he shouldn't meet here.
Unexpectedly, what was supposed to come came.
When Xu Zhihuai appeared with An'er in his arms, he saw it from a distance.
A pink and white baby with pigtails, wearing a brocade jacket, nestled obediently in her arms, revealing a pair of short, fat, snow-white feet.
Wei Li hid in the dark, staring at the child intently, feeling inexplicably complicated.
He also subconsciously squinted his eyes, trying to take a closer look at the child.
However, he soon felt ridiculous.
So what if you saw it?
That's Xu Zhihuai's child, what does it have to do with him?
When Xu Zhihuai appeared in front of the window again, he couldn't help but follow her. She smiled so sweetly, like a flower blooming in the spring breeze.
Zhu Xuxing also stood over with the child in his arms. They looked at each other and joked a few words, with tenderness and sweetness in their eyes.
Wei Li suddenly looked away, as if he had been stabbed by something, then turned around silently and disappeared into the shade of the trees, as if he had never been there before.
