When invited to the dinner, Shui Qiancheng barely glanced at Lu Fusu. Except for occasionally answering Shui Xinyuan's questions, he always ate in silence.
After nightfall, Shui Qiancheng was allowed to stay in Chunying Palace for one night.
Shui Xinyuan came to Shui Qiancheng and gave him a brand new jacket.
"I made this for you before. It doesn't matter if you wear old clothes, but you have to dress appropriately when you go out, so I made you a new dress..."
"Did you make it yourself?"
"certainly."
"...Thank you, sister."
Shui Xinyuan smiled sweetly, and Shui Qiancheng felt that he could finally chat with his sister alone.
During the day, we only talked about things in Qidu Town and what happened on the way here.
During the meal, my sister’s husband actually came.
Now I can finally chat with my sister and tell her how sad he was when his beloved sister left home four years ago, and how happy he was when he received her letter.
And secretly made up his mind to one day go to the capital where his sister lives and live with her.
In order to meet my sister, I must go to a private school in the capital...
"Good night then!"
"ah?"
Seeing Shui Xinyuan preparing to leave, Shui Qiancheng's eyes widened and he jumped off the bed.
"W-where are you going?"
"I'm not going anywhere! I'm going to sleep too..."
"Aren't you going to sleep here?"
"ah?"
"We haven't seen each other for so long, let's sleep together today!"
Shui Xinyuan showed a surprised expression and then laughed.
"What? Don't you dare to sleep alone?"
"certainly not……"
"Qian Cheng, you are already thirteen years old and you are going to stay at someone else's house tomorrow. How can you be so coquettish?"
"so……"
...I just want to chat with my sister more without that person...
He wanted to tell his sister this, but Shui Xinyuan shook his head.
"No, I have my own room... Logically speaking, outsiders are not allowed to live in Chunying Palace. The emperor specially arranged it for you, so just sleep well!"
Here we go again, mentioning that man again.
When he mentioned that man and was with that man, his sister was not the sister he knew. Her words became very mature and she felt as if she had become an outsider.
"Qian Cheng, good night."
"Good night……"
Shui Xinyuan didn't notice the reason for Shui Qiancheng's stiff expression and returned to his dormitory.
Lu Fusu was sitting on the dragon bed, reading under the candle. When he saw Shui Xinyuan, he immediately closed the book.
"Is it okay if you come back so soon?"
"What's the meaning?"
"Aren't you going to accompany your brother today?"
Shui Xinyuan smiled and put down her randomly tied hair.
"He is no longer old enough to dare to sleep alone..."
"That's right! But I thought you guys had a lot to talk about. I thought you wouldn't be back today. No, of course I'm happy to see you back..."
"..."
Shui Xinyuan walked quietly to Lu Fusu and sat down next to him.
"Qian Cheng has been very close to me since he was a child. He may want to act like a spoiled child to me like he did at home... But this is the capital and he is here to study. He cannot be the same as he was at home."
"You are so strict."
"My parents also said so in the letter, asking me to take care of him in the best way..."
Lu Fusu placed the closed book on the table next to him and grabbed Shui Xinyuan's hand.
"Did your parents say not to spoil your husband too much?"
"What?"
"Did you say that if you let your husband be too willful, he may feel jealous when he sees you touching your brother's head in the future, so you can't spoil your husband... I guess your parents will remind you this."
"..."
Shui Xinyuan opened his eyes wide and looked back at Lu Fusu.
"Can't I touch my brother's head?"
"No, it's not impossible..."
"Not anymore, I won't touch his head again."
"...Shui Xinyuan, I'm joking with you."
"Ah, does the emperor also want to be touched by me?"
"ah……?"
Lu Fusu smiled and bent over. Shui Xinyuan blinked several times and looked at his face.
"Uh, then..."
"I'm not that childish... Would you like to touch my head?"
"Huh? Ah, then..."
...It's over...I said something stupid again...
Shui Xinyuan wanted to jump off the dragon bed and escape, but Lu Fusu, who was still laughing, caught her and put his arms around her waist.
"Where are you going? Are you looking for your brother now?"
"No...I won't go..."
"That's right! If you go to your brother with this expression, I might get beaten by him."
"Why?"
What kind of expression would he show that would make Lu Fusu get beaten?
Lu Fusu smiled and asked Shui Xinyuan to face him.
"It doesn't matter if you don't touch my head. As long as when you write home, don't complain that your husband is more willful than your brother, which will make you worry."
"I wouldn't write like that...how could the emperor be willful..."
"Um?"
Shui Xinyuan leaned his forehead on Lu Fusu's shoulder and said softly: "The willful...is...me."
Although she loved Shui Qiancheng very much, she couldn't help but come back to Lu Fusu's room.
After that day, no princes or nobles came to her to ask for the restoration of the harem, so she did not mention it to Lu Fusu.
...I also hope to be able to stay with Lu Fusu forever...
Although Qing'er told her before that she could be more willful, but how else could she be willful?
"Shui Xinyuan..."
I just hope to be in Lu Fusu's arms forever.
Lu Fusu hugged Shui Xinyuan with both hands and blew out the candle.
…
I’m going to trouble you about my brother…
Zhuge Qing finished reading Shui Xinyuan's letter and looked at the nervous young man standing in front of him.
The boy's big eyes are very similar to Shui Xinyuan's, but his tight lips make him look very stubborn and stubborn...
Having said that, although the queen looks weak on the outside, she is actually very strong on the inside.
"The queen specially asked me to take good care of you. You must study hard and don't let your sister worry."
"Queen..."
"Haven't you ever heard someone call her the queen? She is your sister. Because she is the emperor's wife, she is called the queen."
"is that so……?"
Qing'er reached out from the side and snatched the letter from Zhuge Qing's hand.
"Shui Xinyuan is so polite. He even wrote a letter to say hello."
"The queen is different from you. She does things in an orderly manner...but, maybe it's a bit rude to say this. I didn't expect the queen to have good handwriting."
"She used to write very beautifully."
"That's why I'm so surprised!...Shui Qiancheng, isn't your family engaged in farming in Liuzhou?"
Shui Qiancheng couldn't help feeling a little overwhelmed when he saw the couple in front of him acting very relaxedly, but he still nodded.
"Yeah...what's the problem?"
"No, there are very few illiterates in the capital or other prefectures, but in the poor countryside, neither adults nor children have the time to read and write. Your sister was sold to the capital, which shows that Qidu Town is not rich. If your sister is
I started studying after becoming a court lady, and I can actually write such good calligraphy..."
"Shui Xinyuan's handwriting is very beautiful."
"yes!"
Shui Qiancheng puffed up his chest, opened his nostrils and shouted loudly.
"Everyone in the Shui family can write! I can also write! My neighbors can also write! Even if we don't have to spend money to go to private school, my father will teach everyone."
"……oh?"
Zhuge Qing blinked, Qing'er tilted her head and looked at Shui Qiancheng.
"Your Majesty, will you teach us how to read and write?"
"That's right! And we never charge money."
"Where did your father learn to write?"
"Daddy's daddy taught him this!"
So it's his grandfather.
Shui Qiancheng raised his head and said proudly.
"My family is directly descended from the Prince of Xia! No matter how poor we are, we can still read and write!"
"……oh?"
The Xia Kingdom...is the predecessor of the Yuan Kingdom.
Fifty years ago, the Xia Kingdom, which ruled thirty-two states, started from the fifth generation of emperors. Due to the corruption of the political power and the inability to govern the country, people everywhere were oppressed and lived in dire straits.
Lu Xianzhi, the governor of Shenzhou, led the people of the state and united with the troops of other states to try to overthrow the Xia regime.
Although the Xia army was disorganized, some states were unwilling to form an alliance with Lu Xianzhi and wanted to monopolize hegemony. As a result, the war lasted for several years. In the end, the allied forces led by Lu Xianzhi and centered on Shenzhou won and established an alliance based on Shenzhou.
The new country with the state as its capital, Yuan State, once again ruled the thirty-two states.
Lu Xianzhi, who became the first emperor of the Yuan Kingdom, was Lu Fusu's grandfather.
"Direct line of the Xia Kingdom... I remembered, the Emperor of the Xia Kingdom is indeed surnamed Shui..."
"What? So, the Shui Xinyuan family is the royal family of the Xia Kingdom?"
"That's right!"
"Wait, wait a minute."
Zhuge Qing stretched out his right hand to stop Shui Qiancheng who leaned out excitedly, and touched his forehead with his left hand to think.
"...the Shui family was all driven out and killed. The capital of the Xia Kingdom...Yongfeng, was occupied by the Shenzhou Army early in the war. At that time..."
"The whole family of the fifth-generation emperor is dead, but my family is the orthodox direct blood relative of the fourth-generation emperor, and has nothing to do with the emperor who caused the Xia Kingdom to fall!"
"I'm getting more and more confused about the situation..."
Zhuge Qing groaned, while Qing'er kept tilting her head in confusion.
"The fifth emperor of the Xia Kingdom led to the destruction of the Xia Kingdom. Are your ancestors and the fourth emperor brothers?"
"right."
"But isn't the orthodox direct bloodline of the fourth-generation emperor the fifth-generation emperor? Just now, didn't you say that your family is the direct lineage of the prince? If your ancestor is the prince of Xia, it means that it is not a direct lineage, but a collateral lineage...
"
Shui Qiancheng clenched his fists.
"My great-grandfather was supposed to inherit the throne!"
...The bad governance of the fifth generation emperor led to the demise of the Xia Kingdom, and signs were already showing at the end of the fourth generation's regime.
In the Xia Kingdom, no matter who the mother is, the first born prince will inherit the throne.
The fourth emperor's queen and concubine both gave birth to sons, and they were born in the same year.
Which prince should inherit the throne? After years of disputes and factional struggles, it was finally decided that the son born by the princess was born one month early, so he was named the prince. However, due to the dissolute behavior of the princess, the prince could not
After determining whether he is truly the son of the emperor, he inherits the throne.
After the death of the frail and sick queen, the prince, who was unable to become the crown prince because he was born one month late, resigned from his official position and lived a secluded life in the countryside of Liuzhou with his wife and children in order to avoid unnecessary disputes.
Since he had abandoned his noble status, even if the Xia Kingdom perished, he was not implicated and was exterminated.
"My deceased grandfather said that no matter how poor you are, you cannot tarnish this once noble surname. You must live with pride and dignity!"
"..."
Judging from Shui Qiancheng's expression, which became more and more excited as he spoke, it was not difficult to tell that he was deeply proud of his bloodline. At the same time, he also understood the reason why Shui Xinyuan could read and write.
"Your Majesty...do you know about this...?"
"I don't know about that..."
Shui Qiancheng's face turned red with excitement, but Zhuge Qing and Qing'er's faces were ashen.
If Shui Qiancheng's words are true, Shui Xinyuan is the daughter of the royal family. No, if the son of the empress of the fourth generation emperor inherits the throne, the fifth generation can govern the country well, and the Xia Kingdom is not destroyed. As the great-granddaughter of the fifth generation emperor,
Shui Xinyuan is the emperor's daughter...the princess.
Shui Qiancheng looked at Zhuge Qing and his wife who suddenly fell silent with a surprised look on his face.
"What's wrong?"
"...Does your sister also know about this?"
"Of course we know. No one in our village, no, Qidu Town, doesn't know!"
"I have known her for four years and I have never heard her mention..."
Shui Xinyuan didn't mention the possibility of becoming a princess. Is she willing to be used as a handyman by those noble daughters in the palace?
Qing'er's face turned solemn when she thought of Shui Xinyuan's mood, while Zhuge Qing frowned deeply for other reasons.
"Yes! It turns out that the empress is a descendant of the Xia Kingdom..."
"right."
"In this case, you must remember your grandfather's instructions and study hard in the capital... This is also your sister's biggest wish..."
"good!"
Shui Qiancheng answered energetically, but the Wen family couldn't help but look sad.