All over the Xu family, newly hung lanterns were lit up one by one, restoring the liveliness of the past.
In the dining room, the loud and hearty laughter of Duke Zhen could be heard from time to time.
Xu Mingyi sat under her grandfather, with Tianmu sitting close to her.
Further down, there are Qin Wuyunliu, Yun Bo and others.
Today we all sat together for dinner.
Before using their chopsticks, everyone drank a glass of wine together to express their joy of returning home safely.
Then, the Duke of Zhen Guo raised his glass to Uncle Yun and several elderly people in the mansion, and said, "For the past six months, I have been hiding in the secret passage all day long, which has really made you suffer."
They are all people who have been with him through life and death for most of their lives. At such an age, they still have to suffer like this with him.
We have fought in wars when we were young, and we are all bloody people. If one of us fails to survive this, he will have to risk his life in that dark secret passage.
The old man values friendship, which makes me feel a little heartbroken when I think about it.
"It's not bitter, it's not bitter." Yun Bo said: "It's hard for the general and the girl. They risk their lives in danger outside... We were blessed to save our lives. From the beginning to the end, we never saw the light of the sword. There is no half suffering."
Character."
The Duke of Zhen Guo sighed softly and shook his head.
How could it not be bitter?
Hiding in that kind of place, I don’t know when I will be able to get out, and I may even never get out.
I don’t know when I will be discovered, and I don’t know when I will run out of food and water.
Moreover, such a small, dark and cramped place can easily lead to despair and suffering - if it had been him, he might not have been able to stay there for so long.
However, I heard Uncle Yun smile and say: "There is no shortage of food and drink. Every day I can walk along the secret path and play leaf cards, and I also have a script to listen to!"
Several others also echoed, with a somewhat "lucky and reluctant to miss Sichuan" expression on their faces.
Some people also say that from time to time, they will spontaneously organize arm wrestling, wrestling and other activities to pass the time and strengthen their body.
An old servant even said that he had learned to turn the flower rope and was better than a little girl. After more than half a year of training, he had suffered countless defeats and now he was firmly at the top of the flower rope table in the Zhenguo Palace.
The days in the secret passage are quite colorful?
Saying it’s not bitter is not bitter, but that’s not really a way to comfort him…
However, this is not the end.
After another old servant drank half a bowl of wine, he mustered up the courage to speak with a red face, saying that he and Mrs. Fang, who was in charge of the white case in the kitchen, saw each other and wanted to ask the general to grant him permission.
Duke Zhen Guo's cheek twitched.
Good guy...
Even a marriage was planned!
Hearing this sentence, Xu Mingyi couldn't help but feel that there were more than just this couple...
After all, being together day and night can be considered a shared experience of adversity, as the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed.
It's nice to be able to choose by yourself.
Xu Mingyi took a sip of fruit wine and was in a good mood.
The meal was quickly eaten amidst everyone's joking.
Three days later, the Xu family's message was delivered to Prince Yan's mansion.
Early the next morning, Xu Mingyi had just finished practicing his archery when he saw Ah Li running back from outside, looking rather surprised and saying: "Girl, King Yan and the descendants of the Wu family are here!"
Coming so early?
Xu Mingyi had just changed clothes and was sitting in front of the mirror having her maid comb her hair.
She looked at Ah Li in the mirror.
It's already here, why make such a fuss?
As soon as Ah Li took a breath, he quickly continued: "...His Royal Highness King Yan has brought a lot of things, which can be loaded into five or six carts!"
And when she passed by the front yard, she glanced at His Highness the King of Yan, who looked so happy and cheerful, she... She even felt that if she followed a woman with a silk flower in her ear, this posture would be perfect.
It’s time to propose marriage!
After Xu Mingyi had packed up, he went to the front hall and took a look, only to realize that the five or six cars Ali mentioned was not an exaggeration.
The size of the flower hall in her home has always been one of the largest in Beijing... but now it was almost full.
It's just an invitation to have a casual meal...
I have to say that what this customer did was really a bit of a waste.
After all, Prince Yan's palace in the capital had also been raided, and most of Prince Yan's family assets were in Mizhou. Even after thinking about it for a while, he couldn't move it away.
She couldn't help but look at Wu Chao in surprise.
The young man stood beside King Yan, wearing a dark green robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns, a white jade crown binding his hair, and a faint smile between his noble and handsome eyebrows.
Meeting her gaze, the young man raised his eyebrows and moved the corners of his mouth slightly, showing a hint of helplessness.
This was all arranged by his father.
Father has really not been idle these days. As for where he is busy - it's all about these cars of things.
It is said that this is the first time I have brought him to the house officially, so I have to show my sincerity even though I am prepared with a small gift.
This sincerity is indeed quite sufficient, but after seeing everyone's reactions along the way, I always felt that it was too much.
At this time, I don’t know what is being discussed outside.
But it doesn't matter how you discuss it. Prince Yan's palace, the Xu family, he and Zhaozhao no longer need to be taboo about anyone or anything.
So, the father and son had lunch and dinner at Xu's house.
The servants of the Xu family couldn't help but wonder - now people say that King Yan may be taking power, but why don't they feel the undercurrent of tension at all? At such a juncture, it's a shame to have a meal in their house
It’s just two meals. Does this make sense?
King Yan, are you so free?
King Yan does seem to be very leisurely.
Have a great time at leisure——
In the evening, the two princes drank seven or eight jars of wine, and they were both very drunk.
During the dinner, the two of them repeatedly mentioned one thing - they hadn't had such a good time drinking together in many years.
Xu Mingyi didn't stop him. How could he not get drunk at this moment?
It happened that King Yan was so drunk that he still refused to leave and followed her grandfather to the study. This was because her grandfather wanted to show off and wanted to let King Yan see the precious walnuts he had bought over the years...
King Yan also cheered and followed her, looking drunk and asking her grandfather if he could give him a few as heirlooms.
The two of them just staggered away, and Xu Mingyi had no choice but to tell his servants to take good care of them.
If the father doesn't want to leave, the son naturally can't leave either.
As for the curfew in the city, it was of course useless to the father and son, and they could stay there as long as they wanted.
Xu Mingyi took Wu Chao for a walk in the garden.
The stone lanterns in the garden are winding, and the stars are shining brightly at night.
The breeze in the spring night is slightly cool, which is just right to relieve a hangover.
The two walked very slowly.
Xu Mingyi wore a moon-white silk skirt, apricot-colored gold thread-woven lotus pattern silk shirt, and lotus-colored shoes embroidered with southern beads. They were soft and light, just like her mood and state at this time.
At this moment, the relaxation and peace of mind in her body came from the inside out.
Wu Chao also slowed down, his steps slowed down, and his mood also slowed down.
The two of them walked slowly and talked slowly.
"But do you still remember this place?"
The girl raised her hand, her sleeves drooped and moved gently in the wind, revealing a section of her white wrist, and her long fingers pointed in the direction of the corridor.
Wu Chao looked over and nodded with a smile: "Of course I remember, that night I was almost disfigured by one of your hairpins——"
Then he said seriously: "That was the first time you and I met."
Xu Mingyi curled his lips.
See you for the first time...
Yes and no.
She smiled, grabbed one of his wrists, and led him toward the corridor.
The two of them sat down on the edge of the corridor and looked at the stars in the sky outside.
"What is the prince's plan now?" Xu Mingyi rested his head on Wu Chao's shoulder and said whatever came to his mind.
“Don’t be in a hurry, you can adapt to the ever-changing situation by staying the same at the moment.”
Xu Mingyi nodded slightly.
Yes, now that the dust has settled, this can be regarded as retreat as progress. Who will be anxious then?
If you are too anxious about some things, it will cost you more energy and words. It is better to cool down for a while, calm down for a while, and let it dry for a while.
And just like what my grandfather said - can the things you get get run away?
Even if he did run away, no one would dare to pick him up.
Wu Chao said: "... He also said that he can have some leisure time. I'm afraid he will rarely have any leisure time in the future."
When his father said this, he collapsed on the Arhat bed, as if he already wanted to lie down before taking over.
Xu Mingyi smiled and said: "The prince is enjoying his leisure time now..."
It's a good thing to be lazy. It shows that people are alive and feel the things around them with their heart.
"He eats a lot every day -" Wu Chao said with a smile: "I heard from He Feng that in the past few years in Mizhou, it is rare to see him having such a good appetite as he has recently."
Xu Mingyi smiled after hearing this.
She felt that besides settling those old grudges, the change in the prince must be more due to Wu Chao being by his side.
The comfort brought by family is always the best medicine.
She held Wu Chao's arm and leaned against him.
It's so good right now.
It was the best situation she could think of.
The young man's breath was refreshing and warm. She leaned against him like this and felt that the alcohol was getting to her head.
Listening to his words, she occasionally responded, but her consciousness gradually became hazy. In front of her eyes were the bright stars above the night. She rested her head on his shoulders and arms, and it was as if she was resting on the stars, quiet and beautiful.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Wu Chao turned his head and looked at the girl who had fallen asleep holding his arm, and couldn't help but smile.
He stretched out his other hand and used his fingers to gently brush away a strand of black hair that was hanging down sideways for her.
His movements were very gentle, and his fingertips gently touched the tip of her nose, the touch was cool and delicate.
The young man grinned, revealing a row of neat and beautiful white teeth. His originally noble and unparalleled face now looked a little silly.
At this moment, he felt that he was probably the luckiest person in the world.
He just kept sitting upright and looked at the girl sleeping in his arms quietly.
It wasn't until a cold wind suddenly started blowing up that he tried to call out in a warm voice: "Zhao Zhao, Zhao Zhao..."
He was very happy to sit like this all night, and be held by her all night, until dawn, or even longer.
But the spring night was cold after all, and she didn't wear a cloak.
However, he called several times, but still saw no sign of the girl waking up.
She also drank a lot of wine tonight, and she thought she fell asleep due to the drunkenness.
This makes it even more difficult to catch the cold.
Wu Chao didn't hesitate, he put his other hand behind the girl's knee, stood up and gently lifted her up, then picked her up.
The person who was holding his arm put his hands around the back of his neck in a cooperative manner.
The fingers and wrist were warm and cool as they touched his skin.
It made his face become hot, but his heart became softer.
The young man's heart was pounding and he couldn't help but lower his head to look.
Is this... asleep or awake?
The girl leaning in his arms still had her eyes closed, but there was a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
The corners of Wu Chao's mouth moved slightly, and he said warmly: "Hold tight."
Whether he is asleep or awake, it is his pleasure.
The girl followed his instructions and hugged him tighter.
"lead the way."
Wu Chao lightly kicked the big bird beside his feet.
The big bird chirped twice, reluctantly stood up, and flapped its wings to drive away the sleepiness.
The two of them walked all the way to Xiyuan.
It was late at night, and no servants were seen on the road. Even if there were any, Wu Chao would avoid them when he heard the noise from a distance - he didn't care about anything, but he still had to worry about the girl in his arms.
Even so, when we arrived in Xiyuan, we inevitably encountered shocked faces.
Led by Ah Li, the five or six girls in Xiyuan were all so frightened by this scene that they almost went to heaven - how could the girl be brought back by the grandson of the Wu family!
After all, she was someone who had been nurtured by Princess Yufeng. The girls all felt that if it were their own girl who brought back the grandson of the Wu family, they would not be so shocked.
Being stared at by such pairs of eyes, Wu Chao expressionlessly sent the person back to the bedroom and put him on the bed.
He already bent down and wanted to take off his embroidered shoes for him, but due to the stiffness of the maids who followed him and stared closely at him, he finally retracted his hand.
He straightened up and looked at the girl for a moment longer.
This time the person really fell asleep.
Breathing was light and even, and he slept deeply.
The sleeping face is peaceful and beautiful, and seems to be very peaceful.
His brows were gentle, and his voice was gentle and authentic: "Everything is fine. Peace of mind and have a good dream."
From now on, he will do his best to keep this stability for her for decades to come.
He turned around and was about to walk away, when suddenly he met a pair of eyes full of scrutiny.
Wu Chao coughed lightly and said as calmly as possible: "... I'm taking good care of you."
Ah Li looked at him: "This is natural, this is the responsibility of the maids."
Wu Chao inexplicably felt that these words were meant to accuse him of being nosy, but he showed no guilt at all. He nodded calmly and walked away.
Well, not only does he have to take care of this business, but he also has to take care of it for the rest of his life.
After the young man left, a sudden explosion broke out among the group of girls.
"How could such a thing happen..."
"Do you want to tell the old man?"
It doesn't make sense if I don't tell, but if I tell... there won't be any deaths tonight, right?
"Sister Ah Li, this..."
"Okay, shut up." Ah Li raised her eyebrows in the corridor and said sternly: "No one will say a word about tonight's matter!"
Who to tell and who not to tell, it is not their turn to cause trouble. When the girl wakes up tomorrow, it will be up to her whether to beat or kill her, how to avenge this!
And she felt inexplicably...it might not necessarily be because of hatred...
After all, she is a girl!
Only girls have always taken advantage of others. When have you ever let others take advantage of you?
You can't just look at the surface when looking at a problem. What if it's like this, this, or that?
And if this is really the case, it is even more impossible to say it!
What if the girl is just having fun in private? Once word spreads, Wu Shisun, who covets the girl's beauty, can use this matter to entangle the girl and force the girl to take responsibility.
After all, those who have been influenced by Princess Yufeng will always have a higher level of thought.
Ah Li explained the reason, and the little girls nodded in agreement.
Yes, that’s the truth!
…
The next day, the atmosphere in Beijing was strangely restless.
The body of Emperor Qingming was escorted back to the capital.
However, they did not follow the rules and send them to the palace to hold the funeral rites for funeral rites——
Instead, he was placed in the former Prince Rong's Mansion...
