Li Qinzai had a courtyard where he lived alone. After leaving Beijing, Cui Jie and Qiao'er moved in.
The courtyard is not big, and the inside and outside of the house are quite simple. There are two guest rooms for the master, two huts for the servants and maids, and a separate kitchen.
In the coldest season of winter, a charcoal stove was lit in the house, and the fire was burning brightly. A chimney extended from the top of the stove to the outside of the house.
This chimney was also invented by Li Qinzai. It is said that it can prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. At that time, Cui Jie heard about the smoke in the clouds and did not understand what carbon monoxide was.
So Li Qinzai called it "smoking poison". Now Cui Jie understood it and understood that anything that can detoxify smoke must be a good thing. She would not be afraid of being poisoned if she lit a fire while sleeping at night.
At this time, Qiao'er was nestling beside the fire, sleeping deeply.
The fire roasted his face until it turned red, like two juicy big apples, making people want to take a bite.
Qiao'er is very busy every day. In addition to the daily homework that Li Qinzai told him before leaving, Cui Jie also supervises him to practice calligraphy and play the piano.
Li Ji would occasionally call him to the study, hold him on his knees, grab a book on the art of war, and teach him the art of war in the simplest language. Qiao'er looked confused when he heard this, but Li Ji still Never get tired of it.
Before the Chinese New Year, Li Siwen and his wife also returned to Chang'an from Runzhou. Now it was even more lively. The couple hugged Qiao'er almost every day and refused to let go, and would give him a bite on the face when he felt cold.
While loving Qiao'er, Mrs. Li Cui was also very concerned about Cui Jie's belly. She asked her several times whether she was pregnant, but Cui Jie told her she was not pregnant every time.
Mrs. Li Cui suddenly looked disappointed. Cui Jie asked her helplessly, "Isn't it appropriate for your son to go on a long business trip and me to secretly tease him about his pregnancy at home?"
Only then did Li Cui realize that it was indeed inappropriate, so she immediately put away her disappointed expression and continued to look forward to it.
There is also an uncle named Li Jingye, a future British prince who is even more dandy than Li Qinzai. He is capable of eating, drinking, having fun and having sex.
Fortunately, Qiao'er was still young, and Li Jingye did not dare to risk the world's disapproval by taking him to a brothel to drink wine. However, he often taught Qiao'er to ride horses, and occasionally took him out of the city for hunting. After hunting a lot of pheasants and hares, Li Jingye returned home and was chased by an angry Li Ji all over the yard.
But in comparison, Qiao'er really likes to play with this uncle. He firmly believes that his uncle is the best person in the world and can play better than his father. His father is too lazy and likes to play most of the time. A hemiplegic paralytic patient, lying with his back stretched out, was very boring.
The family is too big, Qiao'er is very busy, and his daily schedule is even fuller than his father's.
Looking at Qiao'er's sleeping little face, Cui Jie smiled. She couldn't help but stretched out her hand and pinched it gently. It was soft and tender, and she was particularly sympathetic.
The child's skin was so tender and tender that water would overflow when gently pinched. Cui Jie couldn't help but feel happy and pinched again...
Qiao'er finally woke up from being pinched. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and when she saw it was Cui Jie, she couldn't help but ask, "Auntie, what are you doing?"
Cui Jie chuckled and said, "I don't do anything, but I like to pinch your cheeks. When you grow up, your cheeks will not be so tender."
Qiao'er didn't know how precious the word "tender" was, but she obediently stretched out her face and said, "Auntie, pinch as many times as you like, but don't use too much force..."
Cui Jie giggled and was not polite. She rubbed Qiao'er's face with both hands, twisting his face into various twisted shapes. Qiao'er didn't struggle and let her rub it.
"Okay, get dressed quickly, there's good news today, guess what." Cui Jie winked and smiled.
Qiao'er suddenly became energetic and blurted out without thinking: "Uncle, do you want to take me out of the city for a hunting trip?"
Cui Jie was startled, pointed at his head bitterly, and said: "From now on, the right way is to stop playing with uncle with those shameless things and study more."
Qiao'er said discouragedly: "Then what other good news is there? You won't have to practice calligraphy again, right?"
Cui Jie snorted and said, "Your father has been away for more than three months, but you didn't even ask. You have no conscience."
Qiao'er opened her eyes wide and said in surprise: "Dad has returned to Chang'an?"
Cui Jie was also full of joy and said: "Buqu went back to report that your father has returned to Chang'an. At this time, he was ordered to go to the palace to report on his work. After the report, he will go home. Get ready quickly and wear your best clothes to welcome him. Your father is back."
Qiao'er jumped up from the bed. He didn't care about the beautiful clothes. Instead, he dragged out a bunch of pheasants and hares that were killed with a slingshot from under the entrance door. Fortunately, the weather was cold and these dead prey did not stink yet.
Cui Jie's pretty face suddenly turned pale: "When...you hid these things under the entrance hall? How long have you hidden them?"
Qiao'er puffed up her chest proudly: "This is the prey I killed with my own hands using a slingshot. Of course I have to show it to dad. When dad comes back, I will offer him as a prisoner."
Thinking that the corpses of these prey were hidden under the living room, Cui Jie took a deep breath and kept mumbling to herself.
Not his biological son, not his biological son, wait until his biological father comes back to beat him...
Cui Jie hurriedly put Qiao'er into a new set of clothes for the Chinese New Year. Cui Jie carefully arranged his clothes and belts, and couldn't help but rub his little face and said with a smile: "What a handsome son of my Li family. I don’t know how many girls will be fascinated by you when you grow up, but don’t imitate your uncle who indulges in romance all day long and gets a bad reputation.”
Qiao'er asked in confusion: "What is 'Feng Yue'?"
Cui Jie poked his head and said: "Don't ask, you will know when you grow up."
After Qiao'er put on her clothes, she ran out of the house like the wind, went to the front yard, and then sat on the stone steps outside the gate of the Duke's Mansion, holding her chin with both hands, waiting obediently for Li Qinzai to come home.
Cui Jie sat alone in the room for a while, unable to hide the smile on her face. After more than three months of lovesickness, her family was finally reunited today.
Thinking of the love and joy that would inevitably occur at night after Li Qinzai came back, Cui Jie was looking forward to it and shy, and her toes turned red.
Calling the maid to boil water, Cui Jie took a bath before Li Qinzai came back. After washing, she put on the most beautiful clothes and stuffed a sachet into her arms to let her skin absorb the scent of the sachet.
When a couple reunites, the sense of ritual is very important and must be paid attention to.
The moonlight tonight must be beautiful.
…………
Taiji Palace, Anren Palace.
Before Li Qinzai reached the palace gate, he saw Li Zhi wearing a yellow robe and a fox cloak on his shoulders, standing at the foot of the stone steps outside the palace, looking at him with a smile on his face, his gentle and kind eyes seemed to melt the ice and snow in Guanzhong.
.
Beside Li Zhi, Empress Wu was also dressed in rich clothes, looking at Li Qinzai with a smile.
Li Qinzai was shocked. The Tian family couple personally stood outside the palace gate to greet the ministers. This kind of treatment was only available to the founding elders.
Li Qinzai quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Your Majesty, Queen, I have been ordered to go to the northwest as an envoy. Please, Your Majesty and the Queen come out of the palace to greet me. This is a shame."