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◎Ghosts prey on the weak, Buddhas prey on the good.◎
"Your Majesty, get in the carriage. Qingyun, return home."
Rong Qianyu scrambled into the carriage, huffing. She was puzzled by Xue Ji's appearance today, wondering why he was dressed like a peacock. "Why are you wearing such a pretty outfit today? It's rare to see you in black with gold embroidery."
"Does your Majesty like it?" he asked expectantly.
She curled her lips without looking at him, "I don't like it. It's so ugly."
"really?"
Suddenly I felt a little lost.
"Yes," she nodded and sniffed, "It's so ugly, it's not good-looking at all!"
Xue Ji thought she was more like a kitten with its fur standing on end, and it seemed that if he touched her any more, she would jump up and scratch people.
But I just want to tease you.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid you've been let down and are disheartened. Please don't hurt innocent people."
The more angry Xue Ji was, the more excited she seemed to be. It was hilarious to see her so angry.
I was so cold that I was crying, but I came back to life in the blink of an eye.
Seeing him dressed so flamboyantly, it was clear that he had no good intentions. Rong Qianyu usually treated him with courtesy, but today she suddenly pinched his arm.
"You are not innocent, you damn eunuch, you are not a human being!"
After saying this, I suddenly realized that I had said the wrong thing, but the words had already been said and I couldn't take them back.
Xue Ji was not angry, he smiled and rubbed his arm.
"Your Majesty is in a bad mood today, so I won't argue with you."
"Whatever." She sat down by the window and ignored him.
Xue Ji always liked to tease her, and he felt itchy when he saw her pouting and throwing a tantrum.
"Your Majesty's constitution is also due to the bad luck of meeting people. Why do you always meet such untrustworthy people?"
"Qingyun, stop the car!" Rong Qianyu suddenly shouted.
"do what?"
"I'm going back now," he said as he was about to walk out. "The worst that can happen is that my head will fall off, and I'll let Wen Xiaqing die with me."
Xue Ji pushed him onto his seat.
"Even if you want to die, you have to wait until tomorrow when you return to the palace. I have nothing to do with this matter and I don't want to be implicated."
Rong Qianyu got angry just looking at her.
"Qingyun, drive."
The journey was quite long, the weather was cold, it was already midnight, the carriage was bumpy, and Rong Qianyu fell asleep again because she was wearing so many clothes.
A man sat in the corner, huddled up, hugging his arms.
"Why did you fall asleep again?" He stepped forward and patted her gently, asking, "My Lady?"
"Don't move, let me sleep for a while," she murmured, "It's too cold outside, he didn't come..."
"I'm here." Xue Ji said softly.
"Are we here, Madam?" he called a few more times.
She opened her eyes slightly and looked at Xue Ji drowsily. "Am I asleep?"
"yes."
"Yes, I'm sorry," she sat up hastily. "I didn't mean to do that. It's so cold... I'm freezing..."
Xue Ji was extremely gentle today, his voice even more delicate than usual. "No problem, Your Majesty, please rest in my humble residence for a day."
He helped Rong Qianyu get out of the car, and the chill from the cold wind instantly woke her up.
The door beam is high, and the plaque clearly reads "Xue Mansion". In front of the door is a pair of box-shaped drum stones with lion patterns. The main door has three rooms and three frames, which is in line with the rules, but the carvings are really too gorgeous.
It always seems to be somewhat out of tune with the houses on both sides.
Rong Qianyu was indeed in a bad mood today, and everything she saw was annoying.
He couldn't help but jokingly said, "Master Xue, the blood and sweat of the people, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the Supervisor of the East Factory, it's rare that Master Xue is so modest despite living in such a grand mansion."
After saying this, he walked in without looking back.
Qingyun followed behind the two of them, not daring to breathe, and secretly asked Xue Ji: "Sir, what happened to the queen today?"
Xue Ji jokingly said, "I've disturbed her dream, so I guess she got burned."
Rong Qianyu heard it from a distance and yelled at the two of them: "I ate dynamite!"
Xue Ji followed suit, not forgetting to add a final word, "Look, the queen has eaten the explosives, and you set her on fire."
Qingyun just stayed where he was, wondering if he had gotten into trouble. Why were the master and the queen acting so strangely today?
Xue Ji asked the kitchen to make her a bowl of red date, longan and ginger tea, and some pumpkin and brown sugar meatballs.
"Wait a moment, go get another bucket of hot soup. Your Majesty has been freezing in the snow for a long time. Soak your feet in it to cool off."
"Yes." Qingyun was confused by being ordered around today.
"No need, I can't die." Rong Qianyu rolled her eyes and refused to cooperate.
Don't mess with her today, don't mess with her today, don't mess with her today.
Xue Ji kept thinking about the poem "Rogue" in his mind. A man's infatuation can still be tolerated. A woman's infatuation cannot...
He emphasized countless times in his mind that she had been let down today and that he must not offend her at this moment. He looked extremely henpecked, and it took him a long time to finally find a breath of fresh air from this suffocating gap.
"I am afraid that the queen has died. I cannot explain it clearly."
There was a heater in the room, and the coldness soon dissipated. My mind, which had just been frozen outside, gradually relaxed.
Looking at the man in front of her who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, Rong Qianyu noticed something strange. From top to bottom, his attire was unlike what he usually wore.
In the past, it could only be considered exquisite, with flowing water under a small bridge, like a trickle, flowing into people's hearts, making people unforgettable freshness and beauty for a long time.
Now the lights are on, and the carved beams and painted buildings are shocking and shocking, making people fascinated. However, because they are too shabby, they stop in their tracks.
"You haven't told me yet, why are you dressed so nicely and even brought a red umbrella."
Xue Ji wiped his hands with a handkerchief soaked in jasmine flowers, "I've always been particular."
"Hot soup is here, hot soup is here!" Qingyun brought a bucket of hot water, like a little adult waiting on his parents, "Sir, we don't have a maid in our house, this..."
Several people looked at each other for a moment.
"I'll do it myself." Rong Qianyu said modestly.
"You should leave now."
"yes."
"I will serve the queen,"
Xue Ji placed the foot bath water in front of Rong Qianyu very naturally and raised the soft pillow so that she could lie down and sit. He then brought the ginger tea, blew on it for a long time, and brought it to her mouth. "Open your mouth."
His sincere look made Rong Qianyu a little dazed. Perhaps there were too many unexpected events today, and she was arranged to do this before she had time to think.
Perhaps it was because her resentment towards Wen Xiaqing gradually dissipated at this moment, because of Xue Ji's meticulous care. After the long-lasting oppression in the past, there was finally someone who would take such careful care of her. Even though she knew he had other intentions, she couldn't help but be moved.
"I don't like drinking ginger soup..." Rong Qianyu's eyes were slightly red.
"Then eat a few more brown sugar balls, they're sweet."
It has been almost four months since she came to Da Zhou. The heart that had been suppressed for a long time was finally released. She couldn't help crying just by looking at Xue Ji.
At first, she tried to hold it back, not wanting to look too bad in front of her. But when she looked at everything he had prepared for her, thought about the meanness of the man in the palace, and thought about how she had let down her childhood sweetheart twice, she finally couldn't hold it back.
This difficult life-saving experience and the feeling of being isolated and helpless was so heartbreaking that tears fell drop by drop.
She lost the toughness she had pretended for so long, and her depressed heart was like the sky today. She covered her face and burst into tears, releasing all the repression in her heart with tears.
"Why are you crying again, Madam?"
"Nothing." She gasped, pretending to be calm. "What are you doing?"
Xue Ji was very considerate and brought a quilt to cover her. Although he was a eunuch and didn't need to be shy about anything, he was not a woman after all.
"Take the quilt and cover your legs. Your Majesty, soak your feet. Once you are warm, go to sleep. I will take you back to the palace tomorrow morning."
"I have a day off tomorrow." She said aggrievedly.
"What do you mean, Madam?"
"You feel so comfortable. Can you go back the day after tomorrow?"
Xue Ji didn't say anything. He originally wanted to comfort her, but he didn't expect her to heal herself so quickly. It seemed that he was worrying about nothing.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"What does your Majesty want to ask?"
She wiped away her tears and asked in a daze, "You are so beautiful, why did you enter the palace to become a eunuch? From now on, your descendants will be cut off. Don't you regret it?"
Seeing that he remained silent, "I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk about it, forget it."
Xue Ji suddenly said, "My family was raided and all my family members were killed. I was young at that time and entered the palace to become a eunuch. As for whether I regret it later, I will not regret anything I did. Besides, there is no medicine for regret in this world."
"Are you tired?"
"Isn't that what life is like? If I don't fight hard, if I don't work hard, I'll just be trampled on. In the palace, flattery is common. You never know when you'll be promoted to great heights, or you never know when you'll be imprisoned. Only by being prudent and protecting yourself can you have a moment of relaxation, but you dare not slack off even for a moment."
He has seen too much of the intrigues and scheming in this palace, and if he doesn't fight for it, he will still be trampled upon, so he must grow up, even if it is a disguise, a stopgap measure for survival, he must do so.
"Is this how you're going to live your whole life?"
She always couldn't understand why she was still bullied even though she was tolerant. Even if she was so humble and didn't want to cause trouble, she still brought trouble upon herself.
"That's how it is in the royal family. At least until you are strong enough, you won't be able to live a peaceful life, let alone a life of your own."
"Will I become a gossiper like that?" she asked.
Xue Ji talked to her earnestly under the lamp.
“Demons prey on the weak, and Buddhas pick on the good to suffer. But no matter what the situation, good or bad, your heart must always know what you want, rather than just following the crowd and indulging yourself.”
This is easier said than done.
If a person lives just for the sake of living, what is the meaning of it? And can he really keep his original heart from being corrupted in the torrent?
"Your Majesty, don't think too much. Go to bed early and return to the palace the day after tomorrow."
He finally agreed.
The next day at noon, Xue Ji was handling official business as usual.
"Sir, I'm afraid we'll have to go down to the Ministry of Personnel to collect taxes after the New Year."
Qingyun handed over a stack of notebooks, which recorded the tax situation in various places, and it was not very good.
The East Factory was directly under the imperial power and, ultimately, served the royal family. Even if it was necessary, some things had to be done. "It's been so long since I've unsheathed my sword. I'm afraid I've forgotten my temper."
"Sir, Sir Xue is in trouble, something bad has happened!" Butler Fang ran over hurriedly.
"What's the matter?" He hated being interrupted while working.
"Kitchen, kitchen..."
Seeing him gasping for breath like this makes me feel annoyed. "Is your tongue paralyzed? Can't you speak?"
"The Queen is in the kitchen!"
"What's wrong?"
"You go and see, the Empress insisted on thanking you and insisted on cooking for you herself to repay your kindness!"
When I got to the kitchen, I saw that the whole room was filled with smoke. Fortunately, the house had not burned down yet.
"What did the Queen do?"
"I made a few dishes and wanted to thank Master Xue."
Xue Ji turned to look at the dish again, "Is your Majesty...ready?"
"Of course!"
He was slightly surprised, but it was clear that he had seen a lot of the world, so he was calm. "I didn't know that the queen could cook."
Rong Qianyu wiped her hands and said proudly, "It's just okay. I haven't cooked for a long time. I wanted to cook it myself to thank you for your guidance and thank you for your timely help."
"That's right, no need to be so polite."
"How can that be? My Lord allowed me to see Wen Xiaqing's true intentions, gave me some advice, and was kind enough to take me in. I am grateful for this kindness."
As she spoke, she did not forget to pour tea for Xue Ji. After a nap, his mind was already clear.
"Your Highness is so polite."
"Try the black sesame paste, sir."
Xue Ji was impressed by her. He didn't expect that she could do all these things. Although he almost blew up the kitchen, he was still very touched.
Smiling, he scooped up a spoonful and said, "My queen can make one too." He put it in his mouth and almost spit it out, "Tsk... not bad."
"What's wrong? Doesn't it taste good?" Seeing her triumphant expression, Xue Ji knew that she did it on purpose.
"Did your Majesty put salt instead of sugar?"
"How could that be?" She stared with wide eyes, pretending not to know, "Then eat this noodle soup."
Putting down the sesame paste, she brought another dish.
"What are these green leaves?"
"Coriander, it can clear rashes and dispel cold, and it can also detoxify."
Looking at the green noodle soup and smelling the disgusting smell, Xue Ji's reluctant expression finally revealed a look of great embarrassment.
He really couldn't eat any more, so he put down his chopsticks and said in a pleading tone, "Your Majesty, I don't eat coriander."
"I don't know."
"My master can't eat this, so let me take it away." Qingyun came to the rescue and finally took the dish away.
"Then may I ask you to try this?"
"What is this?" He said this without forgetting to wink at Qingyun.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you have worked so hard. We have also served the meal. Please enjoy the meal with us, Your Majesty."
"Hurry up and go serve the food."
"Hey, don't retreat!" Rong Qianyu shouted.
Xue Ji was already overwhelmed, and now he had to deal with this little girl, who tormented him around in circles.
"When your Majesty returns to the palace, please don't rely on your cooking skills to win favor. Your Majesty has too many dishes to choose from. If you insist on making them, you should focus on making rose cakes."
"He can't eat the rose cake, only you can."
"It's too sweet. I don't like things that are too sweet."
"oh."
"Qingyun!"
"exist."
"I don't have any errands today, do I?"
Qingyun was thinking that things had been really bad lately. Why did this master ask what he meant? How could he not remember what happened today? It was obvious that he was just pretending to be ignorant because the queen was here.
"Don't you know it yourself, sir?"
"I forgot!" Xue Ji looked like he was bringing up something irrelevant.
"Yes, don't you want to..." he said slowly.
"Then let's go to the farm outside Beijing." He suddenly became interested.
"What will your Excellency do?"
Qingyun was afraid he had misheard. Was he right? Or was his master truly mad? This farm outside the capital was quite remote. He had always been reluctant to go there unless necessary. What had happened today?
Neither he nor Rong Qianyu had expected what medicine Lord Xue had taken wrong today.
"Would you please accompany the Empress to build a snowman?"
"Now?"
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