"Sir He?" The officials from the Ministry of Revenue were sitting together discussing how to get His Majesty to restore the Prince title of Prince Qi. When they saw the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue He Tingyu come in, they asked him to sit down with them.
"Why are you here so late? In two hours we will be attending the palace banquet. Do you have any ideas?"
He Tingyu glanced at the person who was speaking, who was another vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He shook his head and said nothing.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, several high-ranking officials didn't care and continued to discuss how to take advantage of tonight's palace banquet to plead for Prince Qi.
"Your Highness has been studious since he was young, kind, filial, and courteous to both a ninety-year-old man and a three-year-old child. Why can't Your Majesty see these merits, and instead favor someone as arrogant and domineering as the Prince of Chen?"
"The Prince of Chen is a tyrannical and domineering person who bullies others, not even sparing a child of a few years old. If such a person stays in a high position for a long time, our great success will be in danger."
He Tingyu couldn't help but say, "You can't say that. I don't think the Prince of Chen is as bad as you say."
"Master He?" Several masters looked at him in surprise, as if they were looking at a rotten carrot: "Are you thinking of backing out?"
He Tingyu: “…”
"I know that pleading for His Majesty Prince Qi at the palace banquet will most likely anger His Majesty. But as court officials, we should be dedicated to the people, regardless of our own honor and disgrace." The Minister of Revenue took a deep breath: "Back then, the three brothers of the Ming family were exiled to the frontier for His Majesty, and they were unwilling to go along with the crowd. Why can't we speak up for Prince Qi today?"
He Tingyu thought of the little girl who comforted the woman on the street, and spoke again: "Well, since you admire the three adults of the Ming family so much, how come you forgot that Ming Jingzhou's daughter is the future Princess Chen?"
"How can a girl who is fostered elsewhere understand the nobleness and arrogance of the Ming family?" The Minister of Revenue sighed: "The three brothers of the Ming family are both virtuous and talented, and the sons they raised are also outstanding in talent and learning. It's a pity that this daughter is a superficial person who kowtows to the evil concubine for the sake of fame and wealth."
Glancing at his colleague's fat belly, He Tingyu thought unhappily, you are quite thick.
He stood up and said, "Your Highness Prince Qi's matter can be brought up at any time. Why do you have to bring it up tonight to spoil the fun? You colleagues have served in the court for many years and are all great men who have seen a lot. Why are you so impulsive today?"
"In order to pave the way for Prince Chen, Your Majesty first suppressed the Prince's in-laws, then reduced the Prince's title. A few days ago, even the Prince's biological mother was banished to the cold palace. How could the Prince, who is so noble, endure such humiliation?" The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue said excitedly, "Are we going to watch a virtuous prince being tortured by these injustices and finally end up in disgrace?"
"Minister Yang." He Tingyu's face changed drastically: "I think you are crazy. You actually said such treasonous words in the Ministry of Revenue."
"Why shouldn't I dare?" Yang stiffened his neck. "If you are afraid of death, leave this room now."
"You're not afraid of death?" Being bullied by his colleagues, He Tingyu was furious. "If you're not afraid of death, why didn't you stand up and speak out when the kings were fighting for the throne?"
"You dare to say these things now, but it's just because your Majesty is kind and doesn't bother with you." He sneered: "When the late emperor was alive, who dared to do so?"
"Minister Yang, do you have the nerve to bring up the three brothers of the Ming family?" He Tingyu slowly lowered his voice, "Back then, I was afraid of death and knew I had no face to be compared with the three elders of the Ming family. I understand the intentions of the prince, but please forgive me for being afraid of death again. I do not want to participate in tonight's plan. Goodbye!"
Seeing He Tingyu leave in a huff, the Minister of Revenue sighed and rubbed his forehead: "We'll discuss this later. What Minister He said makes sense. It's really not appropriate to cause unhappiness at the palace's annual banquet."
Several adults, who had not wanted to make a big deal out of things tonight, heard what the Shangshu said and quickly agreed.
Only Minister Yang, who had quarreled with He Tingyu, looked indignant and unstable.
"Wow, the palace has been completely replaced with new red lanterns." Jiuzhu walked along the palace path, looking at the beautiful red lanterns everywhere: "So beautiful."
"The maids and eunuchs in the palace cannot go home for the New Year. Hanging up these lanterns can add some flavor to the New Year." The red lanterns above her head were fluttering in the wind. Prince Chen asked her, "Are you cold?"
"Not cold." Jiuzhu shook his head.
"I don't believe it. It must be cold with such a strong wind." Prince Chen coughed dryly and grabbed Jiuzhu's hand with lightning speed: "My hands are warm. Let me warm them for you."
The palace maids and eunuchs following behind the two men lowered their heads even lower, not daring to raise them.
Jiuzhu twitched her fingers. His Highness's palm was too big, and her entire hand was wrapped in his palm.
"Don't move." The tips of Prince Chen's ears turned red. He adjusted his posture and gently wrapped his fingers around her tender fingers.
The two people's fingers slowly intertwined.
Prince Chen looked up at the lantern, his ears were completely red, as if someone had put a layer of rouge on them. "Today there will be a lot of people in the palace, royal family members, nobles and ministers above the third rank, all will come to the palace for the banquet. You stay by my side, lest someone with no eyes makes you unhappy."
"Oh." Jiuzhu lowered her head and secretly looked at the two hands clasped together. She curled her index finger and accidentally touched the back of His Highness's hand, then shook it back tremblingly.
"Oh what? You are my fiancée. I, I will lead you away. That is natural and no one dares to say anything." As soon as these words came out, Prince Chen even had a layer of rouge on his face.
Jiuzhu felt her cheeks getting slightly hot. Her stiff fingers finally wrapped around the gap between His Highness' fingertips and rested on the back of his hand.
Your Highness's hands are really warm.
It was so warm that her face began to feel hot.
"Xiang Juan." Concubine Su had already finished her makeup. Seeing two young people holding hands outside the courtyard, one with a red face and the other with red ears, both of them were reluctant to come in, she asked Xiang Juan beside her, "What are they doing?"
"Your Highness." Xiang Juan leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Your Highness is shy. Look at their hands."
Concubine Su retracted her gaze and teased, "You usually act so arrogant and show off your power, but now you blush like that just by holding your fiancée's hand. How can you be so ambitious?"
"Young people's feelings are all poetry." Xiang Juan smiled: "Your Highness would be like this, he must care about Miss Ming very much."
When people are in front of the person they like, they always can't help being shy and want to appear in front of the person they like with the most perfect image.
When the two finally entered the door, their holding hands had loosened. Concubine Su pretended not to know that her son had just deliberately lingered outside the door, and beckoned Jiuzhu to sit down in front of the dressing table: "Jiuzhu, your clothes are really beautiful today. I'll have someone do a beautiful flying bun for you."
Seeing her son trying to come over, Concubine Su pushed him aside with disdain: "When a woman is dressing, a man just needs to wait obediently and don't say anything."
Prince Chen: “…”
He sat down on the chair helplessly, watching the maid comb Jiuzhu's soft and thick hair into a flying bun, and then draw her eyebrows and put on makeup. He couldn't help but say: "Mother..."
"Shut up." Concubine Su interrupted him ruthlessly: "This is not a place for you men to talk too much. If you say a few more words, you will be out."
The Prince of Chen shut his mouth obediently.
"County Lady, what kind of flower ornaments do you like?"
Jiuzhu touched his forehead and subconsciously turned his head to look at King Chen.
"Jiuzhu's skirt today has twining branches embroidered on it, so let's use lotus flowers as the embellishments." Concubine Su glanced at the dark pattern on her son's clothes and almost couldn't hold back her laughter: "Twining branches and twin lotus flowers have very good meanings."
"Du Qing, you have been good at painting since you were young." Concubine Su walked to Jiuzhu and said, "Come and help me draw the flower ornaments between Jiuzhu's eyebrows."
As soon as she finished speaking, Prince Chen had already walked behind her: "What did you use to draw it? Cinnabar or red pigment?"
"Of course, I used the reddest rouge, and then used gold powder to outline it." Concubine Su patted his back unhappily, making a sound. "What cinnabar? That thing is poisonous. How can you put it on your face?"
"Your Highness." Jiuzhu grabbed Concubine Su's sleeve and shook it gently: "Your Highness just doesn't understand these things, you...you don't hit him."
Concubine Su looked at her son who had already reached out for the rouge pen, stretched out her finger and gently touched Jiuzhu's forehead: "Silly girl, you must remember that men cannot be spoiled."
Jiuzhu smiled with his eyes narrowed, pulling her sleeve but not letting go.
"I'll go sit over there and wait." Concubine Su smiled and shook her head: "You ask him to draw you well."
Jiuzhu then loosened her sleeves, closed her eyes and tilted her head back to make it easier for His Highness to paint.
The tip of the pen swept across her forehead, feeling a little itchy. Jiuzhu opened her eyes, looked at the prince who was so close to her, and blinked.
The Prince of Chen painted very seriously, as if he was not painting the flower ornaments between the woman's eyebrows, but the most beautiful painting in the world.
Twin hearts growing together is the most beautiful hope people have for the ending of love.
He stopped writing and met the girl's eyes, which were as bright as the spring sun and as clear as the moon.
At this moment, he wanted to bend down, kiss her forehead, and hold her in his arms.
But he knew he couldn't, at least not now, and not here.
He just stared at her for a moment, then dipped the tip of his pen in gold powder and gently sprinkled a golden glow on the flower ornament, making it even more beautiful.
"Does it look good?" He put down his pen, took out a bronze mirror, and shone it in front of Jiuzhu's eyes. The appearance of the flower ornament was clearly reflected in the mirror.
"It looks good." Jiuzhu nodded. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, "The flower ornaments painted by Your Highness are really beautiful."
"We will..." Prince Chen chuckled, "I will draw for you again later."
Flowers, birds, insects, fish, plants and trees could all appear on her forehead through his hands.
"Your Highness is such a good painter, you must like painting like me." Jiuzhu put down the bronze mirror, as if he was happy that he had found a hobby similar to his. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, so that we could paint together."
Prince Chen: “…”
I'm afraid your self-confidence will be hit.
"Your Highness?" Jiuzhu puffed up her cheeks: "Are you unwilling?"
"Who said I'm not happy?" Prince Chen stretched out his hand to poke her puffy cheek and said, "When spring comes and all the flowers are in full bloom, I'll take you to draw a hundred flowers painting together."
You just want to draw with him, why are you acting like a spoiled brat?
He didn't say he disagreed.
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