Firecrackers crackle non-stop...
"My grandson wishes Grandpa Huang a happy new year. I wish Grandpa Huang a blessing as good as the East Sea and a longevity as long as the Southern Mountains."
Zhu Houzhao is rarely serious. He pays New Year greetings and kowtows seriously...
It's just that this statement is...ironic.
Zhu Jianshen was very happy and picked up a special big red envelope, "Here, keep it."
"Thank you, Grandpa Huang." Zhu Houzhao took the red envelope, put it in his pocket and patted it, revealing a row of sparse white teeth.
He stood up and stood beside Grandpa Huang and explained to his father, "Grandpa Huang, father will not be able to come until later."
"Well, it doesn't matter." Zhu Jianshen scratched his grandson's nose and said happily, "Huzhao has grown up and is sensible."
Zhu Houzhao laughed a few times and pursed his lips, feeling a little embarrassed.
Soon, King Xing, King Qi, King Yi and other vassal kings, as well as princesses, came one after another to pay New Year greetings, say congratulations, kowtow, and receive red envelopes...
Then, the women from the harem arrived, and Changle Palace was bustling.
Finally, Zhu Youtang came belatedly and brought congratulations from hundreds of officials to pay New Year greetings to his father and the emperor, as well as to his grandmother and two queens...
What a happy New Year.
Then, eat dumplings and talk like a family...
Zhu Jianshen was in high spirits, toasting frequently, and kept his mouth open...
After the meal, I walked out of the hall and led a group of family members for a stroll, laughing loudly...
God was behaving beautifully, and the warm sun shone on the earth, shining on the glazed tiles, making the palace more and more splendid. Zhu Jianshen held his eldest grandson, followed by his sons and daughters. He kept walking and talking.
Li Qing and Zhu Wanqing were far behind, with calm faces, incompatible with the loud laughter in front.
"Uncle Li..."
"It's been ten years since Hongzhi. It's time to be content." Li Qing said in a confused manner.
Zhu Wanqing was stunned for a moment, then she understood what Uncle Li meant. She pursed her lips and remained silent, but she felt a little cheerful.
…
5969 Watching willows along the river.
In the early spring of this year, under the warm sunshine for several consecutive days, the willow trees sprouted early, rippling with vitality.
Zhu Jianshen looked at this vibrant scene and thought that the Ming Dynasty would also continue to be vibrant, and he had no regrets.
What should come will eventually come. Zhu Jianshen became visibly weaker and inevitably reached the last moment.
That night,
He lay quietly on the couch, breathing very lightly. Changle Palace was crowded with people, and the palace doors were locked. None of the princes and princesses were missing, and so was the harem.
Li Qing applied the acupuncture, and his true energy surged, but he still couldn't effectively contain his hourglass body...
for a long time,
"Sir, please." Zhu Jianshen's lips moved and his voice was very soft, but Li Qing could hear it clearly.
He tightened his hand and said softly, "Don't worry, I'm here."
"Um…."
Zhu Jianshen smiled tiredly, his smile relaxed and relieved.
Li Qing sighed softly and stood up to make room.
The emperor, the prince, the Zhou family, the Ji family crowded up to surround the dragon bed, and behind them, the Wang family, the Zhang family, the Shao family, King Xing, King Qi, King Yi...
They stared at him with sad faces.
"Zhu Youtang."
"My son is here." Zhu Youtang held his father's hand and his voice trembled slightly, "Father, please tell me."
"It's been ten years, you should be ready, right?"
"Okay, okay, you're ready, I'm ready." Zhu Youtang said hoarsely.
"That's good, that's good..." Zhu Jianshen smiled softly, and then looked at Ji.
Ji's eyes were filled with tears. She knew that he would go ahead of her and was prepared. But when this day came, she realized that she was not prepared at all.
That first encounter changed her life.
She's dull and doesn't fight, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care.
She is not good at words, but she likes to listen to what he says, and listen to what he says half the time, all over the world...
Those few nights were her happiest and happiest time, which were extremely precious.
Although she knew that she was not very important in his heart, he was everything to her.
Ji opened her mouth, tears streaming down her face before she could say a word, her lips sucking together for a long time, and finally she just said: "Husband..."
"Don't cry." Zhu Jian smiled deeply, "Speaking of which, I feel sorry for you. You suffered a lot in those first years."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter..." Ji shook her head, shedding tears, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Zhu Jianshen stared at her for a long time, tilted his head and looked at Shao behind him, "Zhu Youtang."
"My son is here."
"Concubine Shao will be buried in the imperial mausoleum a hundred years later." Zhu Jianshen said calmly.
This is not in line with the ancestral system. However, this is a last word, and it is also a last edict. There is no room for rejection.
"My son, I obey."
"The Supreme Emperor..." Shao's shoulders shook violently and he burst into tears.
Zhu Jianshen smiled with guilt.
Then, he looked at Mrs. Zhou and said, "Mother, your son is unfilial."
"Don't say that, it's your mother who is putting a burden on you. Son, don't be afraid, relax." Mrs. Zhou burst into tears.
After all, she is a woman and a mother. How can it not be sad if a person with white hair gives away a person with black hair?
"Well, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid." Zhu Jianshen raised his eyes with difficulty, looking at King Xing, King Qi, and his children...
Finally, he looked at the girl in the distance, towards... Li Qing.
When the candlelight went out, he slowly turned his head, his godless eyes looking straight at the curtain above his head...
Everyone held their breath for fear of disturbing him.
Zhu Jianshen's face was peaceful and quiet, his breathing was getting lighter and lighter, and the candlelight could not stain his pale face. In this way, his life disappeared little by little.
Everyone watched his life disappear little by little...
Until it freezes.
"Grandpa Huang."
Zhu Houzhao shouted.
Grandpa Huang didn't respond at all. He was unwilling to give in and called out again: "Grandpa Huang."
Still so.
"Grandpa Huang, Grandpa Huang..." Zhu Houzhao shouted over and over again, crying.
He knew that Grandpa Huang, who loved him the most, was gone. Soon, Grandpa Huang would be buried in the ground and would never be seen again.
The child's tender voice is like an awl poking into the heart, one after another, without mercy.
Zhu Wanqing watched helplessly, watched with her own eyes, watched her eldest brother pass away...
Her whole body was numb.
It wasn't until Zhu Houzhao's "Emperor Grandpa" echoed in her ears that she woke up from a dream.
My nose felt sore, hot and slipped, and I burst into tears...
"Uncle Li..." She looked at Uncle Li with tearful eyes. The candlelight was dazzling, reflecting Uncle Li's eyes.
Li Qing stared at Zhu Jianshen.
He just lay there quietly, cold and dusty, desolate and lonely...
"The Supreme Emperor has passed away~"
A sharp and sad voice suddenly sounded. Li Qing trembled suddenly and slowly closed his eyes...
"Father..."
The wail resounded loudly.
Zhu Wanqing burst into tears and cried miserably...
~
A busy night.
Early in the morning, the palace was full of plains, and all the officials, wearing sackcloth and mourning, came wailing...
The uncle and nephew watched this scene calmly and left slowly.
"Not coming, not coming, never coming again..."
On the way back to Lianjia Village, Zhu Wanqing repeated this over and over again. It wasn't until she arrived at the small courtyard that she felt a little energetic.
"Uncle Li, I want to go home, I want to go home."
Li Qing said warmly: "Okay, have a sleep. Uncle Li will take you back when you wake up."
"Hmm..." Zhu Wanqing nodded with a tearful tone.
…
The next day.
Li Qing took Zhu Wanqing on the return journey.
After leaving the capital, the uncle and nephew reined in their horses and looked back, then stared at the city gate, turned around, and raised their whips...
~
Jinling, Yongqinghou Mansion.
When the uncle and nephew came back, they were so tired that they had no strength to talk and didn't even eat. They went to the side rooms and fell asleep.
Li Qing woke up and slept, but couldn't be bothered to get out of bed.
A few days later, Li Hao came back in a hurry after hearing the news and came to the side room to call him.
"Master Qing, Master Qing, uncle, is he gone?"
"Let's go." Li Qing's eyes were dark, "Don't make any noise, I'll sleep a little longer."
Li Hao hurriedly grabbed him and comforted him: "Master Qing, you have to cheer up!"
"I'm just tired and want to take a rest. Don't disturb me." Li Qing turned over and said, "Go and do your business. Your mother is getting older, and this family will be handed over to you from now on."
"I know." Li Hao nodded and said softly, "Master Qing, we haven't seen each other for a long time. Let's have a drink."
"Not in the mood." Li Qing stretched, then remembered something, turned around and asked, "Is your mother okay?"
"It's not good." Li Hao shook his head and said with a wry smile: "She hasn't come out yet. She is dumbfounded and her food is not delicious. I tried to persuade her a few words, but she even beat me. She just caught the little girl again. Beat him up."
"Why hit her?"
"Why else? It's about recruiting a son-in-law." Li Hao frowned, "My little sister is clamoring to become a monk."
"Oh, why are there so many things?" Li Qing stood up helplessly, frowned and asked, "Has she done anything in the past six months?"
"I have chosen, but none of them are what I want." Li Hao was helpless, "Our Li family is rich, but the talented and ambitious young talents are not willing to marry into the family, and the younger sister who is willing to marry into the family is looked down upon. Alas, We are already twenty-one, if we delay any longer...no, we are all old girls now."
Li Qing muttered: "She was born a young girl. She is said to be twenty-one, but in fact she is not yet twenty."
"Uncle Li, how can you calculate your age like this?" Li Hao couldn't laugh or cry, "Others don't recognize this."
Li Qing was dumbfounded and nodded with a wry smile.
Being disturbed by this, he was no longer in the mood to continue lying down. Besides, there were still a lot of things to do in Jiaozhi.
~
Living room.
Li Qing called Li Xueer.
"What do you think?"
"I, I want to choose a suitable husband to marry me."
"Have you chosen?"
"Picked."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to marry someone who is willing to marry someone, but I don't like someone who is willing to marry someone else." Li Xueer said sarcastically.
"In that case, get married!"
"Grandpa Li, do you want to drive me away?"
"I'm not driving you away..." Li Qing paused, his eyes sharp, "Are you interested in him? Tell the truth!"
"I, I," Li Xueer hesitated and said angrily, "No."
At this time, Zhu Wanqing came over and said with a cold face: "I'll give you another three months. If you don't start a family, get out."
"Mother..."
"Don't call me mother, I don't have a mother like you!"
After Zhu Wanqing finished speaking, she became even more angry and raised her hand to hit him.
Li Qing stopped her and said: "Hitting won't solve the problem. Sit down first and calm down."
After comforting Zhu Wanqing and sitting down, Li Qing said: "Xiao Xue'er, of course you have to be cautious in major matters in life, but you should not pursue perfection too much. Tell me your conditions. How about an open marriage recruitment based on your conditions?"
Li Xueer nodded: "Since Grandpa Li said this, I won't be polite."
…
