After bringing the things with him, Xu Mingyi took Akui to the queen's residence, with a maid leading the way.
This is also a single courtyard, facing a garden on the left, which is quiet and quiet, perfect for resting body and mind.
Under the corridor of the main hall, there were two little maids wearing blue armor guarding them.
"This is our cousin, why don't you bow quickly?" the maid who led the way reminded with a smile.
After hearing this, the two girls hurriedly stepped forward to salute, feeling surprised in their hearts.
It turns out this is my cousin.
The news that my cousin led troops into the city last night has long been spread - women leading troops, they had only heard of such things in story books!
This is the first time I have been so close to the characters in the storybook.
For this reason, everyone was curious and admired the cousin, especially when they heard that the cousin was holding a broadsword in her left hand and a long bow in her right hand, and was accompanied by a handsome young man...
Going back and forth, a vague but extremely powerful outline appeared in my mind.
But now...
But the cousin in front of me has bright eyes and white teeth, snowy cheeks and a beautiful nose, crow hair like clouds, a fine silk shirt with pearl and jade buttons, a snow-green skirt, and apricot silk shoes...
This is obviously a little lady like a flower!
No, no, there is still something different...
The cousin's steps are wider than those of ordinary young ladies, she is exceptionally light, and her figure is more upright. From the back, she looks like a lotus plant with straight and tough roots growing in the water.
Xu Mingyi came to the outer hall, lowered her voice and asked the mother-in-law who was guarding the curtain: "Is the queen taking a rest?"
The mother-in-law had met her once this morning and recognized her. She bowed and was about to reply when she heard a laughing voice from inside: "But Zhao Zhao? Come in quickly."
She is none other than the Queen.
Xu Mingyi walked in and saw her sitting in front of the dressing mirror, with her soft and shiny black hair being combed by a young maid. She was wearing an autumn-colored satin embroidered lotus pattern, with the setting sun shining through.
The skylight sheds light on it, gently coating it with a layer of soft warmth.
The tranquility of this scene exuded the atmosphere of ordinary times, which made Xu Mingyi a little stunned for a moment.
In the past, she had seen empresses in either wind robes or palace clothes. She had rarely seen such an "ordinary" empress.
During these days of marching, she was dressing up like an ordinary female family member, but it didn't give her such a feeling at this moment.
How to say...
It was like, at this moment, she suddenly felt that she should no longer address the other party as Queen.
"Why did you get up? Is the cold feeling better?" Xu Mingyi came back to his senses and walked up to ask.
"Much better." The queen's face was still a little weak, but her eyes were full of smiles: "I heard that the general has arrived in the afternoon... Just now, the Crown Prince's wife sent someone to send a message and asked me if I wanted to have dinner in the courtyard.
But I felt like I couldn’t lie down any longer, so I wanted to go ahead and join in the fun.”
In the past, when she was in the palace, she would avoid all banquets with people in her heart, but now it was different. She just listened to the little girls whispering in the corridor, and she felt like her heart was about to fly out.
It seems so...
I want to go out and see, walk, and listen.
Just now, she got up from the couch wearing her middle coat and saw a golden sunset outside the window. As soon as her feet landed on the ground, she felt as if she had stepped into the years before entering the palace.
She hadn't had such a relaxed pace in a long time.
This cold and illness seemed to come at "just the right time". Her family cared for her and took care of her. Every day she only had to eat and sleep. Zhao Zhao sent her a storybook to relieve her boredom. The Queen Mother slipped a candy into her hand when she was taking medicine.
In her mouth...
Now, most of the disease is gone, and many traces seem to have been washed away - the traces Xu Yun mentioned.
She could stretch her legs with her hair down, and stand barefoot in front of the window for a while.
The autumn sun was about to set in the west, but she seemed to be alive again.
"...Sit down and talk quickly. I have been tired all day long. I sit down to have tea and take a break. The snack was sent by the Crown Prince's wife just now. I just tasted a piece. It is different from the ones in the capital.
Zhao Zhao also gives it a try."
After hearing these words, Xu Mingyi sat down as he was told, with a smile on his face.
Since leaving the palace, the empress has become increasingly different.
In the past, the empress was always very close to her, but now she was not only close but also felt more at ease with her.
Seeing such a beautiful lady, she was also very happy.
Regardless of whether the empress can still be together with her second uncle, she is happy for her.
For one thing, only when the empress truly gives up her identity as queen can she have a new beginning.
Secondly, there is more to life than love. People often need to face themselves. Only when you are truly well can you live a good life.
She thought that the reason why the second uncle made such a final confession just now was because of this - what the second uncle cared about most was that the empress would be well.
"This courtyard is somewhat similar to the one I used to live in in Ningyang. There was also a lotus pond in my courtyard, and I also raised a lot of fish. I asked the girls to feed them until they became fatter..."
"I've been here too in Linyuan City... The wife of the First Master of your mansion is a wonderful person. She led me around Linyuan, and she even secretly took me to see horse racing outside the city. The two of us made a bet.
, and ended up losing all the money I brought to buy makeup... I think I was only twelve or thirteen years old at that time, right?"
Xu Yun somehow found out about her losing money, and one night, he returned the book he borrowed from her to her.
She took it and saw that the bulge in the book could no longer be conspicuous.
When he was about to open it, the other person had already turned around and walked away quickly.
Covered in the book is a box of rouge from Jingfanglou.
Jingfang Tower......
She still remembers the name.
Some people are like this. She was clearly talking about other past events, but those past events that left a deep impression had his shadow more or less in them.
After a moment of trance, the queen turned to talk about the current matter.
"...Last night I heard that my father and the Duke of Guo had some disputes. My old man's words were a bit harsh and a bit unpleasant. I would like to ask the Duke not to take it to heart. He will wait until I am better and make some snacks for the Duke.
I'll send it to you and make a good apology."
Xu Mingyi laughed when he heard this: "If grandpa can eat the snacks you gave me, he will be able to get rid of any anger."
He added: "These days, my grandfather and the prince have quarreled not only a hundred times but also eighty times. They quarreled but the business matters were still discussed smoothly."
The day before yesterday, she heard Divine Doctor Qiu use a very strange word - "quarrel at the head of the bed" and "quarrel at the end of the bed".
Although the wording is not quite appropriate, the general idea is not much different.
After all, the way of getting along has lasted for decades, and it is not easy to change.
While they were having tea and talking, the servant girl had already tied up the queen's hair.
"Qiao Niang's hands are so skillful. This is why she lives up to her name." The queen smiled and praised in the mirror.
The servant girl smiled and said, "It's because you were born so good-looking that you look good no matter how I hold you."
The queen's smile became even stronger: "I thought it was just a skill with my hands, but I didn't realize that it was also a skill with my mouth."
Qiao Niang was somewhat flattered.
She knew this person's identity very well, and she thought she might not be easy to serve, but she didn't expect him to be so gentle, kind, and approachable. When people get close to him, it's like they've touched a cloud, and they couldn't be more comfortable getting along with him.
"Take a look at which pair you want to use..." Qiao Niang opened the jewelry box and asked the queen to choose.
"This pair of coral hairpins is quite nice...the pattern of this chiseled flower hairpin is also exquisite and fresh..." The queen looked at the selection carefully. In the past, she would not pay attention to such trivial matters and let the palace maid choose.
When it comes to Dai Yong, everything is "can".
Nowadays, if you don't choose, it's not that easy to choose.
After comparing again and again on the temples, I finally asked the little girl for help: "Zhaozhao, come and help me choose one and see which one is more suitable."
Xu Mingyi walked over with a smile.
I usually don’t realize it, but the empress still has difficulty in making a choice.
"What do you think of this?"
Xu Mingyi took out the brocade box from his sleeve and opened it on the dressing table in front of the queen.
The queen was slightly startled.
Those are a pair of hairpins.
White jade plum blossoms are used as hairpins, and under the flowers are a pair of emerald blue butterflies.
"...Why did you bring it here?" The queen looked at the hairpin and asked Xu Mingyi with a smile.
"I thought you might need it, so I took it with me when I went out."
The queen smiled, her eyes thoughtful: "It's a gadget from my youth, I'm afraid it's no longer suitable..."
"How could it be?" Xu Mingyi said: "When you were in the palace, you wore many palace attires, so naturally you had to choose jewelry that could hold you down. But now that you are out, just wear what you really like -"
He added: "If you really don't like it, you can't force it. But whether it's because you really don't like it, or because of the 'dislike' you said, you still need to think clearly."
After hearing these words, the queen looked at the pair of hairpins lying there quietly.
After a while, the clear and clear voice of the girl sounded again: "In the eyes of the younger generation, women are their own appearance, and what they like is suitable. If you use it on yourself, you must like it first."
Use the hairpin you like.
Similarly, the husband should also choose what he likes.
A woman is her own beauty...
The queen repeated these four words in her heart.
After a moment of silence, there was a smile in her eyes again. She looked at the little girl beside her through the mirror and said warmly: "Zhaozhao, thank you, you are such a good child..."
"My queen, there is no need to thank me, just follow your heart."
This is what my second uncle told me.
The queen picked up the brocade box, took out a hairpin, handed it to Qiao Niang, and said with a smile -
"Just use this."
Qiao Niang took it and put a hairpin on it for her.
Seeing the hairpin disappear into her hair, a boot dropped in Xu Mingyi's heart.
Since the empress is wearing this pair of hairpins, she is half a member of the Xu family.
As for the other half, it depends on my second uncle!
"My cousin, you chose this pair of hairpins very well." Looking at the person in the mirror, Qiao Niang sighed: "You can't tell it just by looking at it, but after using it, you realize that they match each other so well."
Xu Mingyi smiled noncommittally and said: "It is indeed very consistent with the temperament of the empress."
She didn't choose the thing——
But the person who chose this pair of hairpins must have put a lot of thought into it.
The queen smiled in the mirror, as if she was smiling at herself, or at the girls and maids.
Although the hairpin matched, it was too simple. Xu Mingyi also chose a golden lotus and a pair of ear hairpins, and personally wore them for the queen.
Every time she wears something, Qiao Niang will brag about it.
The atmosphere in the room was harmonious and pleasant, and laughter could be heard from time to time.
By the time we finished cleaning up, it was already dark outside.
Xu Mingyi accompanied the queen to the dining room, taking her time and looking at the furnishings in the house.
Not long after the two arrived at the dining room, everyone was already there.
Duke Zhenguo sat on the main seat, while King Dingnan and the Queen Mother took their seats.
The remaining people sat on both sides of the hall, with two seats per table.
Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Cui were sitting together, looking a bit like family members. Recently, Mrs. Xu followed Mrs. Cui and learned how to play horse hanging, which greatly soothed her feelings of missing cats. Before leaving the city, Tianjiao was beaten.
It was sent to Xuesheng Tea House and Mr. Mo took care of it personally.
The two princes also sat together. After getting along with each other all the way, the two of them felt a bit of sympathy for each other.
Divine Doctor Qiu sat with the Imperial Master who came voluntarily without being invited. Yuan Dezhi and the Yuan clan leader also came.
Xu Yun originally wanted to sit with his nephew, but he walked over to his nephew and took a look - well, his nephew was not alone. There was a big bird squatting on the cushion next to him.
Xu Yun, who was squeezed away by the bird, could only sit alone.
The food and wine were quickly put on the table, and everyone toasted together to celebrate their arrival in the city.
The queen also picked up the wine glass, but the glass was replaced with osmanthus honey tea.
She held the wine glass, and her smiling eyes moved from the main seat to the lower part, and when she came to Xu Yun opposite, she met his eyes. She did not avoid it, but raised the wine glass to him with a smile.
, and then drank all the honey tea.
"...?!" Xu Yun was completely stunned.
What does she want to do?
What does this mean?
Why are you smiling at him?
Are you coaxing him?
Should he forgive her immediately, or wait and see?
No, he hasn't figured it out yet!
A small gesture and expression caused an uproar in Xu Yun's heart.
She really looks like an abandoned woman who worries about her gains and losses when facing the return of her heartless husband.
And the next moment, when he saw the hosta in her hair clearly, there was a roar in his mind, and he went blank for a moment.
this……
Does this make it clear that you want to get back together with him?!
But doesn’t this kind of thing need to be made clear to everyone first?
He hadn't agreed yet, so why did she... put the hairpin on first!
Xu Yun felt that he had lost a part in being coaxed. He drank the wine without knowing the taste, but couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly. He was afraid of being seen by the other party, so he suppressed it with all his strength.
This meal was the longest meal he had ever eaten.
But I can’t finish it all——
The food was almost finished, but the maid brought another bowl of glutinous rice balls.
In the white porcelain bowl, the glutinous rice balls with delicate and smooth skin are divided into two colors: one red and one green.
Xu Yun was anxious and wanted to frown.
What kind of glutinous rice dumplings should I eat if it’s not the New Year?
Divine Doctor Qiu smiled and began his explanation: "These two-color glutinous rice balls are called Yuanyang Tangyuan, and their fillings are also different. The prince, the duke, and all of you, please try it..."
Yuanyang glutinous rice balls?
Tangyuan means reunion, and mandarin ducks mean getting married in pairs.
Xu Yun picked up the spoon.
Good meaning.
He can.
Xu Yun took one bite and put two glutinous rice balls into his belly.
The expressions of Duke Zhenguo and King Dingnan were inexplicably strange, and they didn't even notice it for a while.
The gaze cast by Divine Doctor Qiu Shengqiu was full of expectation——
Duke Zhen Guo couldn't bear this kind of gaze, and thinking that the other party was his savior, he picked up the bowl with a slightly stiff face and swallowed the glutinous rice balls and soup together.
