Chapter 593 [Second Update] 593

Just when Liu Che was worried, Chen Ajiao was looking at the ice sculptures, lanterns and the river of lights in the distance with shining eyes.

When Liu Tan played romance, even Liu Che couldn't resist it, let alone Chen Ajiao.

Women generally like shiny things. Even pearls must have a shiny surface to be considered high-quality. Chen Ajiao liked the ice sculptures prepared by Liu Tan so much that she even wanted to touch them with her own hands.

When Liu Tan said that the feeling of watching from the ground was different from that from the sky, she wanted to go there immediately to see it.

While the Lantern Festival was beautiful, it wasn't anything special to Chen Ajiao. It was the River of Lights, with its tiny sparks of light resembling fireflies in the pitch black, that really caught her eye. Glancing around, she saw a sea of ​​lanterns everywhere. She then said, "No wonder you said it feels different to watch the lanterns here."

Liu Tan laughed and said, "When you look at the lanterns from below, you see each one individually, but when you look at them from above, you see them as a whole. Of course, the feeling is different."

In fact, the biggest difference is the feeling of being alone in the bustling crowd below. Most people would find this feeling a bit lonely, but for those in a higher position, it will only make them feel more superior.

Liu Tan calculated the time and when he saw that the oil was running low, he started to remind people to get off.

Chen Ajiao was more decisive than Liu Che because she was still thinking about going to see the ice sculptures.

But this put Liu Tan in a dilemma. He had originally planned to use a hot air balloon to watch it from the sky today and from the ground tomorrow.

Although the 15th day of the first lunar month is the real Lantern Festival, it is not easy for ordinary people to build so many lanterns. Therefore, people usually choose to celebrate for several days, and the 16th day of the first lunar month is also within this range of excitement.

As a result, he ignored the fact that Chen Ajiao was impatient and wanted to leave on the spot, but... the prince and Lu Xuan had not yet visited.

In the past, these two had basically no share in the new things Liu Tan came up with. Lu Xuan was better off. Every time Liu Che went to the Northern Border Kingdom, he would find an opportunity to come and meet Liu Tan with the intention of meeting the emperor, so he also experienced those things.

Compared to Liu Ju, his situation was far more tragic. While Liu Tan had a share of everything he created in Chang'an, he had never even experienced any of the rides in the Northern Border Kingdom. It couldn't be helped, as he was the crown prince, and an adult at that. Of course, he was the regent when Liu Che was away.

Liu Tan also felt that it was not easy for his elder brother, so this time he planned to let his elder brother feel the excitement of heaven.

But...Ajiao Chen wants to see the ice sculptures.

He thought for a moment and said, "If the Queen Mother is anxious, let Fu Yu and Cen You go with her."

These two maids were sent to him by Chen Ajiao. Liu Tan has not changed them over the years, but he relies more on Miao Rui and Big Gao for things outside, while these two maids are more responsible for managing the backyard.

Chen Ajiao looked at Cen You and Fu Yu, who were still dressed like unmarried women, then glanced at Liu Tan strangely and said, "If you had a queen, why would you be so embarrassed?"

Liu Tan: ...

His "queen" is standing right next to him, and will go to heaven with him later.

Fortunately, Lu Xuan didn't care. Liu Che and Chen Ajiao's attitudes were already very good. If the two of them really completely accepted Liu Tan's decision not to marry or have children for him, Lu Xuan would instead worry that the two of them didn't care about Liu Tan at all, because this didn't conform to the mainstream thinking and logic of the Han people.

Chen Ajiao said casually: "It's cold outside, I'm going to go back and rest and warm myself up. Call me when you come down."

Anyway, they came as soon as it got dark, so it’s not too late now after all the trouble. Besides, there is no curfew for a whole month during the Chinese New Year, so it’s okay to make trouble until late.

Since Chen Ajiao was leaving, Liu Che naturally had to leave too. Before leaving, he glanced at Liu Tan and thought that his son would not use this hot air balloon to return to the sky, not to mention that his eldest son was still there, so he went back with confidence to warm himself up.

After they left, Liu Tan finally breathed a sigh of relief and secretly held Lu Xuan's hand. Lu Xuan turned around and smiled at him.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the palace was brightly lit. Liu Ju, standing nearby, saw the two men's little tricks clearly. However, he did not expose them. Instead, he walked around the hanging basket with great interest: "It's really interesting that such a thing can actually fly into the sky."

Liu Tan came back to his senses and looked at Liu Ju. Without letting go of Lu Xuan, he openly pulled Lu Xuan over and said with a smile, "Actually, there are even more interesting things. It's a pity that I can't make them."

Liu Ju looked at Liu Tan in surprise: "Is there anything you can't make?"

Liu Tan: ???

What do you take me for?

There are so many things he can't do!

While the two brothers were talking, the hot air balloon had been prepared again and the air cushion underneath had been rechecked.

Liu Tan smiled at Liu Ju and said, "Your Highness, let's go."

Liu Ju responded, feeling a little nervous inside, but in order not to show his fear, he remained very calm on the surface, except that when he walked... he moved his hands and feet together.

Liu Tan saw it from behind and smiled without exposing it. Then he openly took Lu Xuan's hand and boarded the hot air balloon.

Liu Ju: ???

As the hot air balloon ascended, Liu Ju couldn't help but reach out and tightly grasp the handrail beside him. He turned around and was about to tell his brother to stand steady when he saw Lu Xuan with one hand around his brother's waist. He lowered his head and whispered, "Are you cold after being up there for so long?"

Liu Ju didn't know where to look for a moment. It was strange, what had he not seen in all these years? Not to mention hugging and cuddling, he'd even seen plenty of open stripping and flirting, and he'd managed to remain impassive. You have to know that when nobles acted unrestrained, the common people would never even think of it.

However, at this moment, the two young men were just simply snuggling together, which made him feel like he didn't know where to put his eyes.

Liu Tan shrank back and said, "It's not so bad."

He actually had a lot of clothes on, but when the wind was strong, no matter how much he wore, his clothes would still be soaked through. Others would just come up for a while and leave, but he had to stay with them every time.

Actually, strictly speaking, it is not necessary, but he always feels that this is his doing, and it would be inappropriate not to come up and give an explanation.

Lu Xuan touched his face and felt it was a little cold. Without saying a word, he took off his cloak and put it on Liu Tan.

Liu Tan pushed his hand and said, "Don't do anything rash. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Lu Xuan said, "It's okay. I'm not that precious. It was much colder in the Western Regions than it is now. I'm wearing even less than this. It's only for a short while anyway."

Liu Tan was no match for him in strength, so he was wrapped in another layer.

Liu Ju, who was standing aside, felt that he was a little redundant and couldn't help but utter a little sound: "Ah, it stopped so soon?"

When Liu Tan heard him speak, he no longer had time to argue with Liu Che about the cloak. He smiled and said, "We can't fly any higher. We can already see a lot at this altitude. Your Highness, look, that's the ice sculpture over there."

Liu Ju looked around and was stunned for a moment.

If Liu Che stood here, he would have a sense of heroism as if the world was in his control, but he was different from Liu Che. He was a little dazed, with only one thought in his mind - it turns out that Chang'an City is like this.

It's not like he hadn't been out before, and he remembered the map of Chang'an City very clearly. However, whether he was there or just looking at the map, the feeling was different from what he felt at this moment.

In an instant, the city took on a three-dimensional image in his mind.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the place is filled with laughter and lights. Even in the places where the poor live, there are scattered lights. Although not as bright as other places, they are there after all.

Liu Ju was so entranced that he couldn't help but lean forward slightly. Liu Tan was so frightened that he didn't even bother to be affectionate with Lu Xuan. He quickly grabbed him and said, "Your Highness, be careful."

Although the hanging basket was set very high, it was only about Liu Ju's waist. What if he got excited and fell down?

In Liu Tan's opinion, the air cushion below basically serves a comforting purpose.

Liu Ju came back to his senses and smiled shyly, saying, "I was just mesmerized by it."

This time, they brought along a young eunuch from Liu Ju's household. Liu Tan instructed the eunuch to protect the Crown Prince. He turned to look at Lu Xuan, and seeing that Lu Xuan's gaze was still on him, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Isn't it beautiful? Why aren't you looking at the lanterns?"

Lu Xuan glanced at it casually, then reached out to help Liu Tan tidy up his messy hair and said with a smile, "It looks good."

When he said this, his eyes were always fixed on Liu Tan, and Liu Tan could even see his own reflection in his eyes.

Liu Tan couldn't help but blush. He patted Lu Xuan and said, "I'm letting you enjoy the view!"

Lu Xuan whispered in his ear, "But none of those views are as beautiful as you."

Liu Ju, who was standing by, had already come out of his dazed state. They were so close that he could still hear Lu Xuan's voice even if it was very soft.

Liu Ju deeply felt that this could not go on. He knew that his brother's relationship with the little wolf cub was one thing, but the fact that these two people were blatantly flirting in front of him was another!

Liu Ju turned to Liu Tan and said sternly, "Let's go down."

Liu Tan subconsciously glanced at the fuel tank and said, "But we can still stay here for a while."

Liu Ju suppressed his heartache and said, "Don't keep my father and my wife waiting for too long."

Liu Tan thought about it and patted Liu Ju on the shoulder and said, "It's okay. Anyway, it's all out. Father will definitely come up to play again. If you want to play in the future, just ask Father."

Liu Ju nodded seriously, and only breathed a sigh of relief when the hot air balloon landed on the ground.

After all, he does have a concubine and a son, so why did these two people make him feel so uncomfortable and feel like they were disturbing their world of two?

Liu Ju was completely confused about this matter.

After they went down, someone immediately reported to the emperor and empress, and then the entire royal family left the palace in a mighty procession and headed straight for the royal palace in the northern border.

Liu Tan had long thought that his parents might come to the Northern Palace to see the ice sculptures, so he had everyone prepare. There were beautiful lanterns everywhere from the main gate to the backyard, and there were even several colored glass lanterns. Chen Ajiao was so fascinated that she didn't want to leave before she even reached the backyard and saw the ice sculptures.

Liu Tan stood beside her and said with a smile, "If your Majesty Queen likes it, I'll have someone send a few over later."

Chen Ajiao was finally satisfied, but Liu Tan could feel his father's gaze without even looking up, so he had to add, "Send a few to the emperor, too."

Liu Che was also satisfied. When Liu Tan turned around, he saw Liu Ju looking at him quietly, with a hint of accusation in his eyes.

Liu Tan thought about how Liu Ju, a single man, must have received tons of critical hits on the hot air balloon, so he said with a smile: "Your Highness has also received some."

After he finished speaking, he said helplessly: "In fact, there are also glass lamps in the palace."

How could he make it for himself and not send it to the palace? This was not in line with his character. So what did it mean that these two people were unable to walk when they saw the glass lamps in his mansion?

Before Liu Che and Chen Ajiao could say anything, Liu Ju said as a matter of course: "The ones in the palace are not as beautiful as yours."

Liu Che and Chen Ajiao agreed with this. The glass lamps in the palace might be bigger and more numerous than those in Liu Tan's place, but for some reason, they felt that the ones his son had were particularly beautiful. Some were fresh and elegant, while others were dignified and wealthy.

Liu Tan was a little confused. After thinking about it, he thought it was probably a problem of aesthetics. His aesthetics had been almost assimilated by this era, but it still bore some shadows of later generations. So the things he made were basically a combination of simplicity and fashion, with some exaggeration of later generations but just right.

After the group chatted and laughed as they reached the backyard, the entire group of ice sculptures immediately appeared before their eyes.

Liu Che and Chen Ajiao stopped together, looked up at the huge ice sculpture, and didn't know what to say for a moment.

When I was on the hot air balloon, I just thought that this group of ice sculptures were shiny and very beautiful, but I had no idea about the size of the ice sculptures.

After all, there were no good reference objects around the ice sculpture at the time, so it was normal that it was taller than Liu Tan’s house.

This is a gift for Chen Ajiao, so of course it has to be big.

But they didn't expect it to be so big.

Standing in front of the ice sculpture, I felt that the light reflected by the ice sculpture was brighter than that seen from a hot air balloon. It was shocking but not dazzling.

Chen Ajiao couldn't help but walk over slowly with light steps, reaching out to touch the thick tree trunk.

The move was cool and smooth, instantly bringing her back to reality.

If she didn't know it was made of ice, she would probably have thought it was a tree from the fairyland.

And the phoenix above, with its wings spread out as if about to fly, is made entirely of glazed glittering glass, which is simply dazzling.

Chen Ajiao walked and looked, and only then did she realize that each of the birds surrounding the phoenix was different.

I couldn't see clearly when I was up there, and my attention was basically attracted by the paulownia tree and the phoenix. Now that I look closely, these birds are also very beautiful.

After Chen Ajiao walked around, she couldn't help but sigh, "It's truly a work of art that surpasses all else."

Liu Tan smiled and said, "Then I would like to thank the Queen Mother for her praise on behalf of those craftsmen."

Chen Ajiao gave him a reproachful look. She was praising Liu Tan. Even though she knew that making these things had a lot to do with the craftsmen, if Liu Tan hadn't had such an idea, how could they have made these things?

Liu Tan said, "It's a little cold here. If you're interested, please move to the main hall."

Tonight they are going up to the sky and looking at ice sculptures. Liu Tan is really worried that Liu Che and Chen Ajiao will be frozen.

Chen Ajiao looked at the ice sculpture with some reluctance. Seeing this, Liu Tan said, "I'll have the ice sculpture placed in my Sui Yu Palace later. If you, Queen Mother, want to see it, you can go and have a look. However, this ice sculpture may not last long. If you, Queen Mother, really like it, I'll have someone dig a palace under the manor and put the ice sculpture inside."

Chen Ajiao smiled and said, "That's a good idea."

As for the waste of money? She is not short of money. It is no exaggeration to say that the beauty salon her son opened for her is making a fortune every day. Chen Ajiao is not short of money now.

After hearing this, Liu Tan began to think about how to build the underground palace. Of course, even if he wanted to build an underground palace, he would just give an idea or even a few drawings. It was impossible for him to stay here and watch until the underground palace was completed.

Liu Che, who had been silent until now, said, "I heard you say before that this ice sculpture is also a sight to behold during the day."

Liu Tan came back to his senses and nodded, saying, "Yes, if the weather is good tomorrow, the ice sculpture will look beautiful in the sunlight."

Chen Ajiao smiled as soon as she heard it, "That's great! I'll stay here today."

Liu Tan: "Ah?"

Liu Che said calmly, "That's fine. It would be a hassle to go back so late. I don't have to come here again tomorrow."

Liu Tan turned around and looked at Liu Che blankly and said, "But... Father, there is a grand court meeting tomorrow."

This is the first grand court meeting after the New Year. Is the emperor planning to rush to the palace with his ministers?

Liu Che didn't care: "It's not far."

Liu Tan, who had already had hot pot prepared and was planning to eat with Lu Xuan, said: ...

Lu Xuan, who originally wanted to stay overnight: ...