Since Wei Li was being so generous, Zhao Xiheng decided to buy some other things all at once.
She made a long list in her mind, with nearly twenty choices for rouge alone.
After dinner, Wei Li went to the inner room to rinse his mouth. When he came out, Zhao Xiheng stood next to him, seemingly unintentionally.
She thought she had been discreet enough, but Wei Li still discovered her.
"What are you doing?" Wei Li poked her forehead and pushed her away. "Sneaking around like that."
Zhao Xiheng, feeling utterly hopeless, simply confessed, "I've just grown taller, I want to see how tall I am, my lord?"
Last time it even reached Wei Li's chest.
"Tch," Wei Li chuckled lightly, "How much taller are you than me? You're quite ambitious to compare yourself to me."
That's what he said, but he still took the initiative to approach Zhao Xiheng, meaning that since he was standing right there, let's have a contest.
Zhao Xiheng was still hoping to grow up to Wei Li's chin, so she didn't mind his unpleasant words and instead moved closer to him.
Hmm? She looked straight ahead and found that she was still seeing Wei Li's chest. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.
She straightened her back, placed her hand on the top of her head to indicate a position, and then moved it horizontally towards Wei Li, her fingertips touching his chin.
Zhao Xiheng was overjoyed; she was now up to Wei Li's chin!
Her soft, delicate fingertips brushed against Wei Li's chin, making him feel a strange sensation. He lowered his eyes, his pupils darkening, and raised his hand to envelop Zhao Xiheng's fair little hand in his palm.
"Hmm?" Zhao Xiheng found it strange.
Why is Wei Li holding her hand?
His palms were rough, thick, and hot; touching the back of her hand felt tingly, yet gave her a great sense of security.
“Wrong.” Wei Li suddenly narrowed his eyes, and Zhao Xiheng had a feeling that he wasn’t thinking anything good.
He took Zhao Xiheng's hand, pressed it against the top of her head for a moment, and then steadily moved it towards himself.
"Thump," the two hands were intertwined, and Wei Li brought her down to his collarbone.
"Here, come here to me."
His bright white teeth were dazzling, then he pinched the tender flesh on Zhao Xiheng's face, "Your hand is unsteady, don't do it."
"Impossible!" Zhao Xiheng was so angry she almost jumped up. She had grown a lot, how could she still reach Wei Li's chest?
“This is it.” She tried again, her hand touching Wei Li’s chin. His chin had prickly stubble that made her hand itch. She tried to pull her hand back, but before she could react, Wei Li put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms.
"Stand up straight." He patted Zhao Xiheng on the back.
Zhao Xiheng pressed herself against him, the pleasant scent of pine resin and snow emanating from him filling her nostrils, making her blush involuntarily.
"Are you standing up straight?" Wei Li asked her.
"Mmm," Zhao Xiheng replied sullenly, her face still buried in his chest.
Wei Li grabbed her hand and placed it on the top of her head. Now there was no need to move around in mid-air to compare heights. The top of Zhao Xiheng's head directly touched Wei Li's collarbone, and the difference in size was obvious at a glance.
"Do you understand?" To take care of Zhao Xiheng, the charcoal brazier in the room was burning very brightly, and Wei Li felt hot all over, with a blush rising on his cheeks.
Zhao Xiheng got out of Wei Li's arms dejectedly and nodded sullenly, "Mm."
She's clearly grown a lot, so why can't she reach Wei Li's chin yet? Last time she was here, why is she still here now?
"Maybe the clothes shrank." She sat down on the heated kang, looking unusually disappointed.
Her parents aren't short either, so why isn't she growing taller?
Although she is not short, she prefers tall people like Chen Ruonan.
Wei Li reached out his hand.
Zhao Xiheng stared at his pale wrist with its prominent veins for a moment, then handed him her hand. His palm was still burning hot. She then looked up at him.
What are you doing? Are you addicted to holding hands?
"Did I ask you to hold my hand?" Wei Li asked disdainfully.
Zhao Xiheng: "..."
Then don't hold my hand so tightly, let go of it.
"Then what are you doing?"
"My clothes are too short too."
She only knew that she was growing taller, forgetting that Wei Li would also grow taller!
Zhao Xiheng was slightly comforted, but she wondered when she would grow to Wei Li's chin.
The atmosphere was just right, perfect for doing something, so Wei Li followed his heart and sat down next to Zhao Xiheng, holding her hand. Suddenly, he remembered that he hadn't looked at the little painting he wanted to see yet.
"Go to sleep! Go to sleep!" He released Zhao Xiheng's hand with a grim expression.
The two of them turned off most of the lights, lay down on the warm kang (heated brick bed) with their quilts, and the kitten jumped around in Zhao Xiheng's arms, playing with her. Zhao Xiheng teased it with chicken feathers and bells.
She turned to the side, with her back to Wei Li.
Wei Li turned his head and looked at her back. She seemed to have no intention of turning around to talk to him. She was too busy playing with the cat.
He turned his head away again, and after a while, the little bell was still ringing. He turned his head back impatiently, "Zhao Xiheng, are you like a cat, always energetic at night? Getting up so early in the morning, aren't you sleepy?"
Zhao Xiheng's hand, which was teasing the cat, froze. She didn't seem sleepy at all, after all, she had taken a nap until the afternoon.
While her hand was still, the kitten pounced on the cat toy, its whole body hanging on the chicken feathers.
Zhao Xiheng took it off, put it in the quilt, then turned around, put on a formal smile, and pulled the quilt up for Wei Li. "Sleepy, I'll go to sleep right away. Goodnight, my lord."
Wei Li pinched his earlobe, preparing to go to sleep.
The kitten scurried around in Zhao Xiheng's blankets. Zhao Xiheng lay down, held it down, and kissed it against her face. "Time for bed, my little darling."
Wei Li felt a tingling sensation and a prickling feeling in his heart as he listened, followed by a sense of unease.
What do you mean, "little darling"? Zhao Xiheng calls cats "little darling"?
Zhao Xiheng was too preoccupied to care about him now. Gou Dan'er and she were curled up together on her pillow like a little ball, their furry bodies bobbing up and down. She was melted by their cuteness and kissed the cat's little head.
Wei Li felt increasingly agitated as he looked, so he simply closed his eyes and stopped looking.
Zhao Xiheng slept too much during the day and only woke up in the afternoon. She couldn't fall back asleep, especially with the "beautiful cat beside her," which kept her captivated. Every now and then, she would check on Gou Dan'er and pat its back to lull it to sleep whenever it moved.
When people are dissatisfied, even the smallest noise will be magnified a thousand times. Just like Wei Li now, he was particularly annoyed when he heard Zhao Xiheng's rustling sounds.
He grabbed Zhao Xiheng's wrist. "Tell me the truth, were you secretly sleeping behind my back?"
Zhao Xiheng felt guilty because of Wei Li's questioning, but after feeling guilty, she felt dissatisfied with Wei Li's raspy voice for the first time, because Gou Dan'er stood up abruptly because of Wei Li's words.
She quickly pressed the cat down, saying, "Your father didn't call you, go back to sleep, sweetie."
Wei Li felt a burning sensation in his heart upon hearing her address. What was with the "father"? It was so annoying. Zhao Xiheng was really seizing every opportunity to act coquettishly towards him.
"Did you secretly sleep during the day behind my back?" Wei Li asked again, this time in a lower voice.
Zhao Xiheng rolled over and looked at him expectantly, "How dare I, my lord? I've been waiting for you to come home all day. I'm so scared when you're not home."
"Oh." Wei Li didn't believe it.
"My lord, I'm so sleepy right now, I'm dying of sleepiness, I want to go to sleep. Please don't wake me up next time you patrol the camp, okay?" Zhao Xiheng said softly, closing her eyes.
Good grief, you old dog woke me up at dawn, and you won't even let me catch up on some sleep in between?
I'm growing taller right now, and you won't let me sleep? Do you think I'm as resilient as you?
"Impossible. I'll wake you up again tomorrow when I patrol the camp. If you can't get up, I'll throw you out." Wei Li's lips curled up, denying Zhao Xiheng's plea.
"My lord is the best..." Before she could finish speaking, the kitten meowed again, wanting Zhao Xiheng to play with it. Between Wei Li and the kitten, Zhao Xiheng ultimately chose the kitten.
Anyway, it doesn't matter whether she gets up early or not. She can continue sleeping after Wei Li leaves, so I won't waste any more words.
She rolled back to her original spot, a little further away from Wei Li, and started hugging and kissing the cat.
Wei Li's upturned lips gradually faded. He glanced at Zhao Xiheng's back in the dim light several times before finally closing his eyes in frustration.
The kitten was a restless sleeper. Originally a ball, it stretched out its body in the middle of the night by waving its paws. The key point is that it didn't stretch out vertically, but horizontally, with its little legs resting on Zhao Xiheng's cheek.
Zhao Xiheng was afraid of crushing it, so she rolled over to Wei Li's side and then continued to watch the cat sleep.
Wei Li was just getting sleepy when he heard Zhao Xiheng making rustling noises again. He frowned, opened his eyes, and was about to scold Zhao Xiheng when he found her snuggling closer to him.
Ugh, this is so annoying.
He closed his eyes and continued to sleep.
Zhao Xiheng must have been secretly sleeping during the day, otherwise, with her limited energy, how could she have stayed awake until now?
Zhao Xiheng always used a gardenia-scented perfume balm. Perhaps because of the dry weather, it was mixed with milk and had a slightly milky fragrance. It was sweet and comforting. Wei Li fell asleep while thinking about it.
When Wei Li woke up the next day, it was still dark, with only a few candles lit around him, providing a dim light.
Zhao Xiheng curled up close to him, only a fist's distance away. Her cheeks were fair with a rosy glow, and she looked very healthy. The cat was sleeping beside her, purring softly.
Her clothes were too small, revealing a small portion of her fair and smooth arms.
Wei Li watched for a while. He, who never felt that winter was cold, suddenly felt the cold wind howling and the wind was desolate outside. He turned back, pulled the quilt up high, and thought to himself, "To hell with the military camp, I don't want to go there anymore."
He turned over, but couldn't fall asleep.
He had just told Zhao Xiheng last night that he would be patrolling the camp today, and even threatened to throw her into a snowdrift if she didn't get up with him. If he didn't get out of bed to patrol the camp today, Zhao Xiheng would probably look down on him.
With that thought in mind, Wei Li suddenly rolled over and sat up, then quickly put on his clothes.
"Hmm..." Zhao Xiheng was woken up and tried to open her eyes while still half asleep.
Wei Li raised his hand, lightly blocking the faint light from her eyes, and said softly, "It's okay, go to sleep."
"Mmm." Zhao Xiheng hummed in response, turned over, hugged the blanket, and went back to sleep.
When she got up, it was already broad daylight. The maid said that Wei Li had left before dawn.
Zhao Xiheng sighed, "Wei Li is really ambitious now," and then forgot about him.
Wei Li is not as cute as a cat, nor does shopping bring her as much joy.
"Quickly, quickly, go to Buxian and invite all the famous tailors from the clothing shops over," Zhao Xiheng said.
"There are also cosmetic shops and jewelry shops!"
Today is going to be busy! She hasn't bought any of these things in a long time.
Inspired by Zhao Xiheng's enthusiastic atmosphere, the whole courtyard became joyful.
In the past, when they were in the palace, in addition to the Imperial Clothing Bureau coming to take their measurements and make clothes every month, if they had money, they could also ask famous tailors from outside the palace to come in and add fashionable styles of dresses. The clothes outside the palace were often more innovative in design.
However, Zhao Xiheng no longer received this treatment after Zhao Xinglie's death.
The maid gathered up Zhao Xiheng's old clothes, saying, "Madam, keep a few pieces for the next few days, and have the rest disposed of."
The materials were all of high quality, especially those from her hometown of Jinyang, which she brought all the way from afar. Zhao Xiheng couldn't bear to throw them away.
"Don't throw it away, make clothes for the kitten." Zhao Xiheng looked at the kitten drinking milk.
The clothes are all in warm, light colors such as moon white, cherry blossom pink, bean green, and pale yellow, which are very suitable for young girls. Although Gou Dan'er is a male cat, he is so cute that he looks cute in any color.
Every reputable shop in Buxian City was invited to the imperial palace at the foot of Changbai Mountain today. The envoy from the palace instructed them to bring their best items, which the lady wanted to purchase.
The bosses were trembling with fear, completely baffled as to what they had done to offend Wei Li.
In winter, the ladies and young women of various households, being afraid of the cold and disliking to go out, would usually have their servants bring goods from the shops to their homes—this was a very common occurrence. But what was a normal thing for other people was not right when it happened to Wei Li. They didn't think that someone as unpredictable as Wei Li would let them into the mansion just to buy goods.
In the past, when the Prince of Zhenbei was still alive, everyone would tacitly send gifts to his residence during festivals. It wasn't bribery; after all, the Prince of Zhenbei's family was so powerful that they wouldn't care about such small bribes. It was merely a way to express their loyalty. Anyone who didn't send a gift, or sent too little, would face difficulties in the new year.
But Wei Li didn't give them any hints about giving gifts, did he?
The group of people were trembling with fear as they were invited into the courtyard used for receiving guests.
The courtyard was only decorated in a large frame, and the details were very sloppy, but they were willing to burn charcoal. They were sweating profusely from the heat while wearing their outer cloaks.
The maids served them tea and refreshments and politely asked them to wait.
"Whoever arrives first may go in first."
A quick glance reveals that eight or nine out of ten of the shopkeepers and owners present are women.
Pingzhou has lax regulations on women, especially since most cosmetics and clothing businesses are run by women, making it easier for female shopkeepers to handle business.
A woman in her thirties stood up from the crowd, wiped the sweat from her brow, and went inside with her assistant.
Upon seeing the smiling Zhao Xiheng, she was taken aback. She hadn't expected that someone like Wei Li could actually marry such a beautiful wife. But then she thought that if Wei Li hadn't snatched her away, she probably would never have had such a beautiful young lady willing to follow him in her entire life.
"My name is Hengniang. Greetings, Madam."
After a moment of trepidation, she realized there was no conspiracy involved; Zhao Xiheng simply wanted to buy some things, which was why she had called them over.
The year is almost over, let's work hard one last time, make some more money, and give this year a perfect ending. Zhao Xiheng seems to be very generous, so Hengniang begins to introduce the product with great enthusiasm.
"Cherry pink, peach pink, peach red, vermilion red, orange red, bright red, peony red, crimson red... Different colors of lip rouge are used for different occasions. I suggest that you get a set of each, even if some colors are uncommon, so you won't be caught off guard if you need them. It's almost the end of the year, so if you really want them, we won't lie. One box will cost one string of cash, and we'll also give you a box of lip balm as a gift."
This price is fair and honest; I've never sold it to anyone else. Madam, please don't tell anyone, lest I lose money. If it works well, please help spread the word about our family.
Hengniang rattled off her words in a Pingzhou accent, and Zhao Xiheng found her business dealings quite interesting.
"What kinds of scents do they have?" Zhao Xiheng asked her.
"The fragrances of peonies, peonies, roses, osmanthus, gardenias, and lotuses are all available. The fragrance of peonies is elegant and noble, which complements your wealth; the fragrance of osmanthus is sweet and lively, and its scent is like the warm autumn sun, which is very comforting in the dead of winter; I smell a gardenia scent on you, so I suppose you also like gardenias. Each of these three has its own merits. I will leave you the fragrance you like."
These are all lip rouges from Xie Ji in Yangzhou, very famous. Their face powder and snail-shell ink are also quite good; if you're lacking any, take a look at those too. The snail-shell ink comes in two shades: a pure black that makes your skin look fair, and a gray that gives a gentle and elegant look. The face powder is also very fine; you can't even tell it's been applied.
Even in Jinyang, when merchants from outside the palace brought goods into the palace for her to choose from, they didn't talk much. They would just stand quietly to the side and only start introducing the goods when they saw her stop there. This was the first time she had met someone as enthusiastic as Hengniang.
Zhao Xiheng was completely bewildered by her persuasion, thinking that this was good and that was good too, and couldn't make up her mind for a while.
She definitely wanted the gardenia scent, but after hearing Hengniang's description, it seemed that the peony and osmanthus scents were also nice, so she frowned and hesitated.
"Madam, if you really can't make up your mind, then leave them all behind," a maid advised from the side.
This room is decorated with gold, why would we need a little more money to buy cosmetics?
Zhao Xiheng thought the idea was feasible, so she nodded and said, "Send me a set of lip rouge in all colors, including gardenia, peony, and osmanthus, as well as all colors of snail-shell ink, and face powder."
If she doesn't use it all, she can give it away. Wei Li said generously last night, "Buy whatever you want!"
A huge order came in, making Hengniang beam with joy. She never expected Zhao Xiheng to be so generous. Afraid that she would change her mind, she quickly nodded happily and put away the samples. "Then I will have someone deliver it to you this afternoon. It's three hundred taels of silver in total."
As soon as she left, Hengniang's loud and urgent voice disappeared, and Zhao Xiheng's feverish head suddenly cooled down. She slapped her forehead and thought, "What a spendthrift!"
What would you do with that smoky purple lip balm?
Oh well, I'll just consider it money spent to have fun.
Hengniang went out in high spirits, but someone stopped her, asking, "Are you really just going to buy something?"
"Don't believe me if you don't want to. He's quite the rich man." Hengniang hummed a little tune as she walked away.
A bystander muttered, "You dare to accept money from Lady Wei Li?"
She muttered these words to herself, but she was still a little happy inside, which showed that Lady Wei Li paid for the things she bought.
When the Prince of Zhenbei was alive, he had many children, so he also had many distant relatives. Today, the sister-in-law of the concubine of the Ninth Prince would buy a penny on credit, and tomorrow the niece of the Eighteenth Prince's cousin would buy a penny on credit. They were all bad debts.
Wei Li's wife settled the payment quite readily, which seemed quite good.
People went in one after another, and then came out happily.
Zhao Xiheng took a sip of water and asked, "How much did you spend today?"
Five thousand taels.
Zhao Xiheng was taken aback. "So many."
Finally, the tailor shop owner brought in the embroiderer and asked Zhao Xiheng what kind of clothes she wanted.
"I'm not in a hurry for mine." Zhao Xiheng thought for a moment and asked someone to fetch a set of clothes for Wei Li from the wardrobe.
"Shopkeeper, measure the size of this garment, and make it a little longer than usual." Zhao Xiheng gestured with her hand, indicating three inches.
"Well... if it's not tailored to fit perfectly, it probably won't be very accurate," the embroiderer said hesitantly.
"It's alright, just do as I say." Zhao Xiheng waved her hand.
She wasn't genuinely making clothes for Wei Li; having two sets was enough to show that she still cared about him.
I spent too much money today, all of it on myself. Although Wei Li said last night that I could spend it however I wanted, men's words are deceiving. Who knows if he will really be angry? I might as well spend some money to appease him.
No, it's just a perfunctory attitude.
Wei Li killed a low-ranking general yesterday, and the position naturally became vacant. He then promoted the centurion from yesterday.
"What's your name?" Wei Li asked as usual, though he probably wouldn't remember it.
"Your subordinate is Yang Zeli."
In everyone's eyes, this newly promoted young general was Wei Li's confidant.
Some people are born with fewer opportunities than others, but if they have even the slightest chance, they will seize that glimmer of light and climb to change their destiny. Coincidentally, Yang Zeli is such a person.
He lost his father at a young age, and his mother sold flowers to support his studies. However, the imperial examinations were now monopolized by clans, leaving him with no opportunity to display his talents. He wanted to make a name for himself, so he joined the army in anger. But no matter how hard he tried in the past three years, he only managed to become a minor centurion. It was rare for Wei Li to promote him, and for him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Looking at the fire in Yang Zeli's bright eyes, Wei Li thought to himself, "If Zhao Xiheng could see this scene, that would be wonderful."
He stood above everyone else, receiving their gazes, whether filled with fear or reverence.
He has killed many people and incurred the hatred and resentment of many.
Those hypocrites who appear virtuous are adept at finding grand reasons for their crimes to absolve themselves of their sins and maintain their virtuous facade; Wei Li, on the other hand, magnifies his sins. He enjoys the feeling of everyone trembling in fear of him. Only in this way can he be considered truly alive, having abandoned his sordid past and living a life of lofty superiority.
Wei Li returned early today. Zhao Xiheng heard that he went to the study and did not return to the courtyard, so she did not let anyone call him and let him be.
"My lord, I have found all the books you requested and placed them in your study," Chen Ruojiang said, bowing his head.
He lowered his voice slightly, as if he were talking about some important secret.
Wei Li's earlobes turned red, and she glanced at Chen Ruojiang. How did he know what book she wanted?
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