Chapter 496: It’s a pity that the family background is a bit poor

"Flower viewing banquet?"

In the side hall of Wenhua Palace, Chu Liuzheng blinked, spat out a fruit core, and said decisively: "No."

[It sounds like a Hongmen Banquet. Anyone who goes is a fool.]

After Chen Xing got the message, he went out to reply. Yan Hui, who was rejected for the first time today, looked a little unhappy.

Our Empress was the one holding the Phoenix Seal, so who in the harem would dare not go? Even Consort Chun hadn't said no, so how could this Chu family member, who was of no rank or rank, dare to refuse!

At the entrance of Wenhua Hall, she couldn't get angry, so she held back her anger and asked, "Miss Chu, do you have anything important to do the day after tomorrow?"

Chen Xing nodded, "Busy accompanying the emperor."

Yan Hui: "..."

Even if she had more to say, she couldn't utter it out. How could appreciating flowers be compared with being accompanied by a carriage?

She forced a smile and left with a lot of anger. You could tell she was unhappy from behind.

During dinner, Chu Liuzheng casually mentioned to the emperor that Concubine Shu was going to hold a flower-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden the day after tomorrow.

Xiao Jingfan wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said, "If you want to do it, just send someone to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to give the order. Don't tire yourself out."

Chu Liuzheng looked at him and asked, "Are you encouraging me to challenge Concubine Shu?"

[If someone else holds a flower viewing banquet, and I also hold a flower viewing banquet, isn't that just provocation?]

Xiao Jingfan really didn't think so much, he said: "I thought you liked it."

"It's not cooked again." Chu Liuzheng picked up a piece of fish belly meat with chopsticks and put it in the bowl. "I just helped Shao Liyi once before, and someone turned around and put the blame on her. I'd better not hurt anyone else."

Hearing this, Xiao Jingfan looked up at her and said softly, "Shall I send someone to bring Madam Chu and Xin'er to the palace to accompany you for a while?"

"No, Xin'er needs to go to school," Chu Liuzheng refused. "It's hard to believe that girl is willing to put down her heart and study. If she really comes to the palace, she'll be so active and arrogant again."

Thinking of Chu Yuxin's lively chattering, Xiao Jingfan couldn't help but chuckle, "Then bring Madam Chu into the palace."

"You'd better let my father go." Chu Liuzheng poked the fish in the bowl with his chopsticks. "You don't know, the last time my mother went to the palace for treatment, my father almost became sick from waiting at home. He lost a lot of weight. He just didn't say it, but in his heart he couldn't bear to leave my mother."

Putting himself in his shoes, it was indeed not a good idea to let his father-in-law stay alone in the empty room. Xiao Jingfan said, "Shall I take you out of the palace for a walk?"

Chu Liuzheng's eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered, "I remember you said before that after we wiped out all the pirates on Wangyue Island, you would take me to Yuelu Island to stay for a few days. When are we going?"

"The court has been busy lately. Summer tax collection has begun, there are bandits looting in Ganzhou, there are cult activities in Pancheng, and several dikes in the southeast need to be reinforced with civilians to prevent flooding. Mengzhou..." Seeing the smile on Chu Liuzheng's face fall, Xiao Jingfan changed the subject, "I will arrange it as soon as possible."

"Forget it, state affairs are more important." Chu Liuzheng was not an unreasonable person. "Just walk around the capital and go there when you are done with your work."

But how can the emperor ever be done with his work?

All matters in the world were gathered on the emperor's desk. Except for the New Year holidays, memorials were submitted every day, and both big and small matters required the emperor's decision.

Even during the Chinese New Year, the emperor was busy with banquets and sacrifices, and had more things to do than usual.

The days of last year's arrest of Yin Lanci were somewhat easier, but the daily urgent memorials still arrived by express horse. It was as if the government followed the emperor wherever he went.

Xiao Jingfan was used to being busy and didn't think much of it before, but now, seeing the disappointment that was hard to conceal on Chu Liuzheng's face, he secretly thought that maybe it was time to promote and train some new people to share some of the work with him.

Chu Liuzheng didn't know what the emperor was thinking. She had just accidentally bitten a peppercorn, and it was so numb that she couldn't help but frown.

This pepper is definitely effective in treating toothache!

*

On the day of the flower-viewing banquet, Chu Liuzheng took the emperor out of the palace for lunch. They ate Jiang Po Po's mixed noodles from the entrance of East Third Lane. He also packed two portions and took them to the Princess's residence so that the Princess could try it and see the eldest prince who had left the palace.

The servants did not change. Except for some discomfort on the first day, the eldest prince quickly adapted to the life in the princess's mansion. He ate and slept every day, and when he woke up, he could play with the young master Xiao Yu. He was happier than in the palace and no longer made a fuss at night.

The emperor and the eldest princess were talking in the flower hall. Chu Liuzheng couldn't sit still for a while and ran to the corridor to watch two children playing with building blocks. To be precise, it was Xiao Yu who was building the blocks and Xiao Dunyan was responsible for taking them apart.

Xiao Yu has a good temper. He was not angry when his cousin took apart the building blocks he had built. Instead, he used the blocks to teach his cousin seriously.

Xiao Dunyan listened attentively, clapped his hands to applaud his cousin, and continued to dismantle the things the next second.

Chu Liuzheng was so happy to see this that he reached out to help with a few pieces.

Xiao Yu glanced at her, picked up a triangular piece of wood with his left hand and handed it to her, pointing to the front, "Put it here."

Chu Liuzheng put it up obediently, placing it upright, which was exactly what the young master wanted.

So, Chu Liuzheng successfully obtained the second building block.

[As expected, comparison is the key to hurt. Compared to the eldest prince who is always tearing things apart, I, your obedient building block partner, am much less of a worry.]

She placed it up as the young master instructed, then pinched the eldest prince's face as he leaned forward, successfully pushing him away and saving the house that the young master had worked so hard to build.

Chu Liuzheng found that Xiao Yu looked at her with more satisfaction.

Chu Liuzheng smiled, it was quite interesting to tease the good kids.

When the emperor came to look for someone, he found Chu Liuzheng asleep on the swing. As soon as he picked him up, he woke up.

Chu Liuzheng rubbed his eyes and got down from his arms. When he looked up, he saw the eldest princess standing in the corridor, looking at him.

Xiao Jingfan reached out to smooth her slightly messy hair and said jokingly, "I heard you're pretty good at building blocks."

Chu Liuzheng: "...I was just entertaining the kids."

"Yes." Xiao Jingfan took her hand and said, "Let's go. It's time to go back to the palace."

The eldest princess saw the two of them out the door and only returned home after the carriage was out of sight.

"Mammy, what do you think of this Chu family?"

"She looks like a good one." Madam Liu helped her walk back, saying as she walked, "The young master likes her very much."

"She looks good, but her family background is a bit poor." Xiao Jinshu casually picked a red camellia and inserted it into Madam Liu's neatly combed hair. He turned his eyes to look at her and said seriously, "She looks good in this hairpin, Madam."

Aunt Liu was immediately coaxed into a smile, "I am already half buried in the ground, but you are the only one who still thinks I am pretty."

"It's beautiful for everyone, young or old." Xiao Jinshu said with a smile, "I wear flowers in my hair for fun. What others think is beautiful or ugly is none of my business."

"The princess is right." Nanny Liu looked at the camellias blooming by the roadside. "So what if my family background is poor? As long as His Majesty likes it, it's good."

Hearing this, Xiao Jinshu glanced at her, reached out and picked another camellia, pinned it together with the one he had just picked, and left with a smile.

The pomegranate-red skirt brushed against the stone steps, sparkling with golden brilliance.

Nanny Liu raised her hand to touch the camellia at her temples, then ran after him.

(End of this chapter)