He vaguely remembered that other people's homes were brightly lit and joyful that night, but he was arranged by his mother and concubine to live in the cold cellar of a farmer's house, living on the leftover wedding cakes they ate during sacrifices. While shedding tears, he deeply remembered this scene.
It was engraved in the memory deep in his soul, and for many years after that, he relied on this unwillingness and hatred to survive. No matter how painful and uncomfortable it was, it was not half as cruel and helpless as before.
He gathered his party members in the capital, consolidated power and established prestige. His original intention was to take revenge on the Queen Mother's family, and he did it. He brought together the families that the woman had tortured and imposed sanctions on them, and even came close to expelling himself from the imperial family.
The corpse was pulled out of the mausoleum and whipped, and Zhu Sheng, who had no intention of becoming emperor, fell into confusion again after he did all this.
The sensual life of dogs and horses is not what he wants. What he yearns for most is the time he spent living here with his mother and concubine. He also didn’t know that he had received an order from the emperor to become a patrol censor and returned to his hometown.
The reason is still unclear to this day, but now he feels that everything is planned somewhere -
The reason why he came here was to meet her. Their meeting must be fate.
Zhu Sheng's eyes were always locked on Li Shang's beautiful and flawless face. He really wanted to keep this woman imprisoned in his own cage, so that her beauty could only be enjoyed by him, and no one else could be tainted by it.
Some even began to be jealous of those who met her before him, who could witness her beauty for more time, and even hated themselves for coming late. Even though they did not miss the opportunity, it still made people sigh.
She is so good that people really don't want to lose even a cent of her.
Li Shang performed the grandest and most gorgeous dance in the center of the stage, while using her mellow singing voice to recite the sacrificial prayer——
"In a good year, there will be plenty of millet and crops, and there will also be high crops, trillions of grains and grains of rice. They will make wine and liquor, and give it to the ancestors and descendants. In exchange for hundreds of gifts, blessings will be brought to everyone!"
Praying for a good harvest is the basis for people to make a living. From the emperor to the common people, everyone sincerely hopes that this blessing will last for eternity and that this happiness will last for thousands of years.
In this warm and harmonious atmosphere, Zhu Sheng's enthusiasm for Li Shang also increased.
At the end of the song, Li Shang, dressed in heavy costumes, bowed to the gods under the guidance of the priest, and the grand sacrifice ended amidst the cheers of everyone.
Zhu Sheng took the last sip of wine and stood up from a tall building to overlook the entire town. It was not a very prosperous place, but it carried his painful past and the bright future that was about to be realized.
A secret guard dressed in black suddenly appeared next to Zhu Sheng——
"Your Majesty, all preparations are ready."
Zhu Sheng smiled. He hadn't been as expectant and happy as he was now for a long time.
"Go ahead and tell everyone to take action!"
Just when Lishang was about to end the sacrifice with everyone's cheers and blessings, orange-red flaming meteors suddenly rose in the sky, and they all flew straight towards the sky above the stage.
Before anyone could understand what was happening, the fiery meteor exploded in the air, releasing a brilliance that was more gorgeous than any fireworks.
And this wasn't the end yet. More and more fire-colored meteors exploded in the sky. Suddenly, the entire altar was surrounded by golden and silver threads. It felt like she was in an extremely luxurious flowing palace. Li Shang was deeply attracted by the grand scene in front of her.
, in the dazzling light in the sky, smoke gradually rose from the ground, and the hazy and delicious aroma with an exciting atmosphere gradually surrounded the stage where Li Shang was located.
By the time she realized that the other party was coming towards her, it was already too late. A pair of hands hugged her soft waist from behind, and Zhu Sheng's deep and honest voice sounded——
"Do you still like the gift I prepared for you?"
Li Shang did not look back immediately, but looked at the gorgeous fireworks in the sky, and could feel the man's piety and sincerity from inside.
But she didn't give in immediately, trying to make her voice sound as calm as possible——
"Where did you hire so many blacksmiths?"
It's not that she has never seen people using iron flowers to celebrate the harvest, but this is the first time she has seen such a large-scale and gorgeous one.
"If you promise me, I will tell you..." Zhu Sheng slowly grabbed Li Shang's wrist, and the two of them raised their arms together. She could feel something in his hand, and his intoxicating voice came from her ears.
A voice sounded next to him, "The greatest blessing should be for the person I like to win..."
As he said that, the barrier made of iron flowers and fire left a space, and the largest orange-red meteor flew straight towards the two of them. It should have been an extremely horrifying scene, but Li Shang was because he was there.
I feel more at ease than ever before.
Zhu Sheng used his inner strength and used her hand to throw a small firework, which collided with the orange-red meteor and exploded into colorful sparks in the sky not far away from the two of them. It was even more brilliant and dazzling than before.
The smoke also dissipated as the fireworks exploded, and what everyone saw was their oiran being held by a man, who turned into a stream of colorful lights like a magic trick. The beauty matched the beautiful scenery, which was even more pleasing to the eye.
And through this, they also saw clearly the man's features, which were clear and handsome, and he looked like a handsome young man with an eye-catching look.
The intimacy between the two people couldn't help but make the audience in the audience think about it, and some people even recognized Zhu Sheng as the generous man who kept sending gifts to Lishang Flower House.
Li Shang was also deeply attracted by the strange scene presented to her by the man. She was originally from the capital and had seen countless fireworks, but none of them were more shocking than now, until Zhu Sheng's voice pulled her back.
Reality.
"The winner of the iron flower forging will receive the biggest reward of the day...did you know?"
The woman curled her lips, not knowing what the man was selling, but she still knew the basic customs and nodded immediately.
Zhu Sheng smiled slyly as if his trick had succeeded, turned around and walked solemnly to Li Shang - "I'll give you everything I have!"
As he spoke, he knelt down towards her, raised his hands to the sky, and said his vow——
"I wish you Sheng! I swear to heaven and to the gods, if I can take the courtesan Li Shang as my wife, we will be together for the rest of our lives. We will never give up in this life, we will not cherish glory, we only seek the side of our beloved! This oath serves as a lesson to heaven and earth, and to all peoples.
certificate!"
Li Shang was shocked by the man's sudden confession, but his simple words deeply shocked her heart.
Two people in one life... in this life... never give up?
His eyes were solemn and pious, and there was no hint of joking, let alone any joking. She knew that he would not do anything inappropriate in such an occasion...
Does he know what he is talking about? There are so many people in the royal family who can't help themselves, so he just promised himself the position of the head wife? He also took the initiative to completely give up the power to share everything? It had only been a few months since she had known him!
Repeating these rational principles over and over again, she could only see sincerity and concentration in his eyes. At this moment, Zhu Sheng even lost his enthusiasm and joy, leaving only cautious caution and solemnity.
She knew that his eyes were not deceiving, that he had really thought about it carefully, and even made this decision after careful consideration.
"Miss Li Shang! Just promise me! This young man must be my beloved!"
The people in the town also shouted. After several months of observation, Zhu Sheng's sincerity towards Li Shang is indeed obvious to everyone, and it is understandable for them to support him. And Li Shang's face became red with embarrassment, and became more and more popular.
Many people stood on Zhu Sheng's side.
"Promise him! We also hope that you will be happy, girl!"
A little boy who had received a donation from Li Shang suddenly emerged from the crowd and spoke to Zhu Sheng——
"You...if you treat Sister Lishang badly! When I grow up one day, I will definitely snatch her away from you!"
The whole audience burst into laughter, and the blush on Li Shang's face became more and more obvious, and she whispered——
"I...I haven't promised him yet..."
Zhu Sheng responded to the little boy very seriously——
"I won't give you this chance!" He turned to look at Li Shang, "My wife deserves the best in the world!"
The little girls below all screamed, and their support for Zhu Sheng became more and more enthusiastic.
Li Shang looked at Zhu Sheng's flawless face, and the kindness in his eyes was still irresistible. She slowly stretched out her hand and placed it on his broad palm, smiling brightly.
"Okay, I'm with you."
Zhu Sheng did not stand up after receiving this answer. Instead, he took out a simple jade bracelet from his arms and spoke in a low and solemn voice——
"This is something my mother left behind. My wife was supposed to wear it, but I can't wait any longer... Li Shang, are you willing to wear it now?"
Li Shang looked at Zhu Sheng's careful look, covered her lips and smiled, then raised her hand and placed it in front of the jade bracelet.
"I am a promiscuous woman. How can I stick to these etiquettes since I promised you?"
Zhu Sheng was like a child who had received an award, his heart was as sweet as honey. He put the jade bracelet on her white wrist and kissed the soft back of her hand.
"From now on...you will be mine!"
After saying that, he stepped forward to hug Li Shang, and using Qing Kung Fu, the two of them quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.
Zhu Sheng took Li Shang directly back to his mansion. The cold mansion was deserted. He took her to stand on the roof tiles and overlook the carefully built mansion.
Qushui mountains and rocks, fresh and elegant yet low-key luxurious, fit Li Shang’s taste very well. When Zhu Sheng saw Li Shang’s eyes looking at his mansion, he solemnly said——
"You will be the hostess here from now on, you can watch as long as you want..."
As he spoke, he buried his head in the crook of her neck, greedily absorbing her tenderness and fragrance.
But Li Shang slowly took out a lacquered wood ring from her arms and brought it to him.
"I have something for you too."
A simple lacquered wood ring lay in Li Shang's palm, and she slowly spoke -
"I know that today is the death anniversary of your mother-in-law, so I went to find my acquaintances here and the place where you lived back then. I later found out that there is still such a wooden thimble left. This lacquered wood is very valuable.
, Fortunately, the holder is a regular customer of mine, so I exchanged it for you..."
As she said that, she slowly put the thimble into his hand, and Zhu Sheng looked at the familiar wooden thimble and the fine pinholes on it, thinking of the scene in the past when his mother-in-law wore the thimble to mend his clothes again and again.
His eyes felt a little moist for a while.
Li Shang smiled and wiped away the tears from his eyes, and gave the thimble to his hand.
"Now even if the property is returned to its original owner, while I comfort your mother's spirit in heaven, I can also leave you with a thought."
"You... how did you learn about my mother-in-law?" He slowly held the small thimble, his voice trembling.
"What happened back then has a big impact here, and I want to know, there is more than one channel," Li Shang was a little shy, the blush on her face flashed, "As long as I put my mind to it, there is nothing I can't do.
Something about..."
The surprise and emotion in Zhu Sheng's eyes almost overflowed - seeing the duplicity of the little woman in his arms, he felt infinitely pampered in his heart.
"This is the best gift I have ever received, thank you, Li Shang."
After that, Zhu Sheng symbolically redeemed Li Shang's body, and the oiran who regained her freedom moved into Zhu Sheng's mansion legitimately.
The work of patrolling the censor was also coming to an end. After punishing a large number of corrupt officials, Li Shang followed Zhu Sheng to the capital.
The carriage was busy, Zhu Sheng and Li Shang were in the carriage. The man became more and more bold after Li Shang accepted him. Li Shang was wearing a plain skirt, and the man just sat on her lap unscrupulously, and the woman just
He smiled helplessly, and while helping to peel some fruit shells and melon seeds, he stuffed them into Zhu Sheng's mouth.
She also sympathized with his hard work. To be able to catch all the shady cases in the area in such a short period of time must have cost a lot of energy and price. After all, it was a good thing that benefited the people of the area, so she indulged him and regarded it as a good thing.
A commendation for him.
Zhu Sheng leisurely rested his head on her legs and ate the food she fed him. The woman's doting look was a scene he couldn't even imagine a few months ago, but now it was so real in front of him.
The performance was too dreamy, but her body temperature and tenderness were so real that he didn't want to miss this beautiful moment.
A crystal clear grape was peeled off and stuffed into Zhu Sheng's mouth. The man smiled evilly. After eating the grape, he stuck out his tongue and licked her slender white fingers. The warm and sticky touch made Li Shang
My whole body was filled with excitement.
"Just calm down!" He said and tried to hit Zhu Sheng, but he grabbed his wrist with his backhand——
"It tastes good...whether it's grapes or...you..." He kissed the back of her hand as he spoke, with no concealed desire in his eyes.
"Don't do this to me!" Li Shang jerked her hand away, "Don't even think about doing anything else before Ming Yuan marries you!"
Zhu Sheng smiled and hugged her body, nibbling her ear——
"Our Lishang may not be considered a courtesan, but she is still quite conservative in this regard!"
"You... let go!" Li Shang's face turned red with shame, teasing Zhu Sheng to push even further.
The soft fragrance in her arms kept struggling, tugging at Zhu Sheng's heartstrings. Her strength could not shake him in the slightest. His deep voice was filled with undisguised desire, but also with caution and caution.
"Can't eat... doesn't mean I can't do anything, right?"
There was a jolt in the car, but the driver just rode his horse and raised his whip without disturbing the two of them.
When the carriage stopped, Li Shang jumped out of the car, her lips were red and swollen, and her clothes were a little messy, but Zhu Sheng walked out of the car in high spirits, looking very happy and completely different from the confused woman.
"Welcome King Qi back home!!!"
With Li Shang, Zhu Sheng returned to Prince Qi's Mansion in the capital. It was different from what he had seen in his hometown before. The decoration here was clean and solemn. Although it was not shabby, it was still inferior to the mansions of other dignitaries.
Quite a few.
Even though Li Shang didn't show any disgust at all, Zhu Sheng still explained it personally——
"I shouldn't be too public in the capital, as I'm afraid someone with good intentions will take advantage of me."
Li Shang still angrily opened his face as he approached——
"You think I care about this?"
She is not a superficial woman! This explanation gave her a high hat.
The scene where the two were in love at the gate of the palace seemed to be a perfect match for outsiders. After those few days, rumors spread in the capital, saying that the King of Qi had found an extremely beautiful oiran to keep him company. The beauty had the power to captivate the whole country.
She is both beautiful and talented. She knows everything about music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She is rich in economics and has read thousands of books. She is not only a beautiful woman, but also a very talented woman.
Zhu Sheng already had a good reputation in the capital, and he himself was the dream lover of many girls in the capital, so the news that the two were in love soon spread. In addition, they were princes, nobles, and nobles, so this added layer
, Li Shang was born as a prostitute, which made the relationship between the two more complicated and confusing.
Prince Qi has been alone for many years, and there are not even a few maids in the house, let alone a happy woman. Now, he went out incognito for a private visit and brought such a beautiful woman back, which makes people envious and suspicious at the same time.
After all, he is a member of the royal family. After all, it is impossible to let a prostitute enter the palace. I only hope that King Qi is just impulsive and does not really want the court lady to enter the palace. No matter how beautiful Li Shang is and how talented she is, a woman with no background can
The girl from Hualou who is said to be together with King Qi can only have a romantic relationship, and it is absolutely impossible to stay together for life. Otherwise, according to the current situation in the capital, doing such a thing at this juncture is completely dragging down one's own future.
leg!
However, there is still a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere in Prince Qi's Palace. Li Shang is indeed a perfect woman. As early as when she was the daughter of the Prime Minister's Palace, she received the education she should do as a mistress, and came to the deserted Prince Qi's Palace.
After that, she kept the house in order, and added many new maids. She did not put on airs. It was a blessing for this maid and slave to meet such an easy-to-get-together mistress. Suddenly, the house was full of laughter, and
Zhu Sheng was also very satisfied with Li Shang's performance, and preparations for the wedding were in full swing.
Yes, soon he will declare to the whole world that she is his wife, for the rest of his life!
Thinking of this, Zhu Sheng couldn't help but smile, and the people who gathered around Prince Qi in the hall didn't know what to say when they saw the prince's silly happy smile.
"Your Majesty, regarding the recent expenses of the territory..."
Zhu Sheng briefly looked through the account book and issued an order——
"Keep a balance..." Zhu Sheng said as he waved his hand again, "I have a happy event coming soon, so I ordered people to go down and open warehouses to stockpile grain to benefit the people!"
As soon as they heard Zhu Sheng say that a happy event was coming soon, the ministers who supported Zhu Sheng felt their hearts skip a beat. One of the old ministers asked -
"His Royal Highness, Prince Qi, are you really determined to marry a prostitute?"
The word "woman in the dust" is particularly clear. The old minister knows that doing so is tantamount to pouring cold water on the head of King Qi, but at this critical moment, we must not delay the important matter by thinking that the temporary tenderness of the children!
I thought that this would offend King Qi and try to persuade him, but I didn’t expect that the other party actually agreed——
"I want to marry a prostitute, and she will be the only wife in my house for the rest of my life!"
As soon as he said this, all the subjects in the audience took a breath, trying to find any joking or wavering emotions on Zhu Sheng's face, but found that it was completely in vain. His eyes were more serious than ever.
Seriously, as if the beloved person worthy of such a heavy promise is right in front of you.
"Your Majesty! You can't do it!" The old minister knelt down with a plop, "A woman who is not from the right family, no matter how good she is, will never be able to wait for the chance to be elegant!"
"If the prince is interested, he can accept her as his concubine and bring her into the palace. The position of the princess is of extraordinary significance and must not be taken lightly..."
"Who said I was casual?" Zhu Sheng frowned, and the pressure in the air increased sharply, "Lishang is the woman I have chosen out of thousands of people, and the only woman I want to marry in this life!"
The subordinates below still wanted to say something, but Zhu Sheng suddenly slapped the armrest of the chair, and the blow containing internal force immediately caused the entire armrest to crack.
"If you have nothing else to report, today's discussion will end here!"
In Prince Qi's Mansion, Li Shang was embroidering a red dress. She was distracted for a moment and pricked her finger on the pillow. A small drop of blood came out. The woman frowned. At this time, there was a sound of footsteps, and then she
The door of the room was pushed open.
Zhu Sheng stood there quietly like that. It was already the autumn season, and there was a cold rain outside. The man's figure stood at the door, but there was also a trace of imperceptible vulnerability and fatigue.
Li Shang put down her embroidery, walked quickly to Zhu Sheng, who was still soaking in the rain outside, and dragged him into the house. She then took out her handkerchief to wipe the rain from his forehead.
"What's going on today? I'll make you some ginger tea so that you can have some rest..."
Before he finished speaking, Zhu Sheng suddenly took her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
"Lishang, I will never let you go," as if to remind himself, he repeated these words more deeply, "I will never let you go until I die..."
The woman didn't know what he had gone through, so she slowly reached out and hugged him, and said softly -
"Okay, as long as you don't let me go, I won't leave."
Then she slowly took some space from his arms, stood on tiptoe and placed a soft kiss like catkins between her eyebrows.
"I can't promise you the next life, so this sentence will last for the rest of your life."