90 Good Night
◎ She no longer had the energy to keep him company, and the blush on her cheeks had not yet faded.◎
The candlelight was turned brighter. As Gu Ningxi accompanied Lu Jingyue to look at the memorials, the picture of the new dynasty slowly emerged in his eyes.
Internally, the government needed to rectify the civil service, reduce redundant officials, and reform the military system; externally, the government needed to redefine local divisions, merge prefectures and counties, and strengthen the court's control over the four directions.
In addition, the title of king must be abolished. When the retired emperor first unified the country, he made most of the Lu family members, regardless of their relationship, princes and supported them with the world.
The titles of so many royal nobles must be reduced.
While stabilizing the political situation in the court, it is also necessary to restore private production and educate the people.
Everything takes time to accomplish.
Coming from a military background, it is indeed the best choice to start with the reform of the army and to swiftly rectify the court.
Gu Ningxi placed the reports with similar opinions in one place to save herself from searching back and forth. She abridged some of the irrelevant content and read it to Lu Jing.
Lu Jing multitasked, his imperial brush never stopping. Sometimes he'd only finish the first half of a sentence, and Gu Ningxi would understand his meaning. Gradually, the two of them developed a tacit understanding.
Floating clouds obscured the moon, and the red candle was mostly burnt out. Before he knew it, all the political affairs of the night were completed, half an hour faster than Lu Jing had expected.
Gu Ningxi took the initiative to hold his hand: "Go back to sleep."
She had a good sleep in the afternoon and wasn't actually sleepy, she just felt that the person in front of her needed more rest.
The Jin Dynasty had many things to do and it would be difficult to maintain it without an emperor.
The candlelight illuminated Lu Jingyun's smiling eyes, and he nodded in agreement.
The moonlight was bright and the whole of Kyoto was shrouded in tranquility. The two of them returned to their bedroom side by side.
After a few rains, the weather gradually turned cooler.
Lu Jing held Gu Ningxi's hand in his palm and said, "The day after tomorrow is Qixi Festival. Shall we go enjoy the lanterns together tonight?"
"Okay." Gu Ningxi agreed.
During this period, the bureaucrats of Prince Zhao's palace, headed by Wei Fan, rose rapidly and began to take over the important affairs of the three provinces.
Not only the forces of the former Eastern Palace and the Prince of Huai's Mansion, but even the trusted court officials of the retired emperor were gradually cleared out of the core of the court.
For example, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, Pei, the retired emperor's most trusted veteran of two dynasties, has been promoted by His Majesty to the position of Minister of Works. The title of Minister of Works is a first-rank honorary title, and even though it is a promotion in name only, it demonstrates the new emperor's filial piety.
Gu Ningxi looked at the person beside him. He had complete control over the government and no one could shake his position.
It won’t be long before the court will usher in drastic reforms.
The whole court must be prepared.
…
On the seventh day of the seventh month, the city traditionally holds a lantern festival. This time, the government allocated money and preparations began on the streets two days in advance.
There was no curfew that night, the lights in the flower market were as bright as day, and the entire imperial city was flowing in light and shadow.
Although he had enjoyed many lantern festivals before, Gu Ningxi read the report from the Ministry of Rites and said that this year's lantern fair was particularly grand and dazzling, showing the new atmosphere of the dynasty and sharing the joy with the people.
She was filled with anticipation, so when the night was already deep and the people behind her were still not satisfied, she asked angrily, "Are you going to the Lantern Festival tomorrow?"
She no longer had the energy to keep him company, and the blush on her cheeks had not faded.
Lu Jing grabbed her waist, held her back in his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her lips.
With his body filled up again, Gu Ningxi had no choice but to let others do what they wanted.
The moonlight gradually faded, and before falling asleep in the second half of the night, she thought that instead of worrying about Lu Qian'an's health, she might as well worry about herself first.
The Qixi Festival is a day off as usual.
He went out to enjoy the lanterns in the evening. Although he slept until noon, Gu Ningxi still had a full day.
She was polishing wood in her bedroom, trying to make a model of a high-rolling cart.
The rice-spinning wheel originally gifted to Lu Jing had been moved to the imperial study. She had chosen it as a birthday gift because she saw he was quite interested in it and because it was of great significance to agriculture and people's livelihood. As a ruler, one must understand the sufferings of the people.
Since the invention of the waterwheel, farmland irrigation has become much easier. A single, common waterwheel, powered by running water, can irrigate three to five mu (approximately 1,000 acres). The Ministry of Industry is already developing new methods, hoping to combine multiple waterwheels to irrigate dozens or even hundreds of mu (approximately 1,000 acres).
Gu Ningxi had already shown Minister Li his drawing of the high-rotating drum cart, and during their discussion, they had made several improvements. If the high-rotating drum cart could be put into operation, it could raise water more than twice as high as a regular drum cart, no longer constrained by the terrain's low water level and high bank.
Gu Ningxi had already finished half of the model. When Lu Jing had some free time in the afternoon, he sat beside her and studied it with great interest.
The mortise and tenon joints were delicate, so Gu Ningxi hesitated to leave it to him, so she asked him to help her carve a few small bamboo tubes. She had clearly circled the areas where the chisel would be needed, so there wouldn't be any problems.
The model before her was still very crude, devoid of any ornamentation, and intended primarily for practical use. As Lu Jing carved the bamboo tube, she thought of her own bamboo wheel, wondering how much time it must have taken her to create.
After being busy until around noon, Gu Ningxi packed up her things and went to the inner room to dress and change.
Because she was going to the Lantern Festival, she had her maid tie her hair into a simple bun. Yun Jian, with her dexterity, modified the ordinary snake bun, making it particularly lively and colorful.
Gu Ningxi chose a sky-blue skirt embroidered with hibiscus flowers, a color that was particularly refreshing in the summer. She accessorized her look with a pair of long, delicate jade hairpins, accessorized with several jade flowers inlaid with pearls.
Her skirt trailed lightly as she pushed open the door. She was truly elegant and refined, and whether she wore light or heavy makeup, she looked beautiful. Like the bright moon in the sky, she was so beautiful that one couldn't take their eyes off her.
Lu Jingyi changed into a bamboo green brocade robe and waited for her for a long time.
You don't have to have dinner at home. When the Lantern Festival comes, you can find whatever food you like.
The carriage left the mansion in the setting sun and stopped a little way off the main street. It was a quiet place, so there was no need to worry about inconvenience on the return journey.
Gu Ningxi wore a veil hat for the first time, just to cover her face so as not to meet any colleagues at the Lantern Festival.
Lu Jing held the man's hand, and the two of them walked together towards Zhuque Street, where the lanterns were the most prosperous.
The curtains fluttered in the wind, slightly affecting Gu Ningxi's vision. She was more unaccustomed to it. There were so many constraints on women in this world, some of which were completely unreasonable.
As more and more people passed by on the street, Lu Jing held Gu Ningxi's hand tighter.
The two of them moved through the crowds with familiarity. The same dazzling lights, the same bustling hustle and bustle, vaguely reminded Gu Ningxi of their childhood days spent together admiring lanterns under the moonlight. Years had passed, and the scene before them felt strangely familiar. The street stalls were filled with a variety of goods. Gu Ningxi led Lu Jing to them, following the aroma, and they ordered a portion of fried cakes.
There was a wide variety of snacks. Gu Ningxi took a bite and was satisfied that he wanted to share it with the other person. They would have twice as much to eat tonight.
The tulle hanging around the curtain bound her hands and feet everywhere, so Gu Ningxi simply lifted it up temporarily.
She looked at the people coming and going on the street. Most of the time they just passed by each other, so no one would remember anyone.
After tasting the fried cakes and apricot cheese pastry, Gu Ningxi was thinking about the bayberry drink, but luckily Lu Jing had already asked someone to buy it for him.
The drink was neither cold nor hot, and it was not appropriate to be too demanding at such a lively lantern festival.
Gu Ningxi smiled brightly. Lu Jing asked, "Shall we go to the market in front?"
"nature!"
…
The crowd was surging, and under the same bright moon, Xie Qian, Qin Yu and Zhen Yuan each held a sesame cake in their hands.
The freshly baked sesame cakes were crispy and fragrant. Qin Yu compared them with the note in his sleeve: "This shop's sesame cakes are the best. Next we're going to the second shop on Yongcheng Street to buy some fried cakes."
Among the three of them, only Qin Yu was born and raised in Beijing, so it was natural that he was responsible for taking Zhen Yuan and Xie Qian around the capital.
Xie Qian took a bite of the pancake. Although he had been in Beijing for a long time, this was the first time he had enjoyed such a grand event in Kyoto at such a leisurely pace.
Zhen Yuan said, "I think the court will be busy again after Qixi Festival."
Especially if the royal decree is reduced, they will have to send troops to suppress it.
"On Qixi Festival, let's not discuss politics," Xie Qian interrupted Zhen Yuan. His Majesty was undoubtedly busier than they were, and he wouldn't have time to spend with them even on Qixi Festival. Perhaps he was busy governing the country right now. Following a master like His Majesty, they naturally had no complaints.
Qin Yu diligently led the way. In order to bring his two friends to the Lantern Festival, he asked people to explore several places in advance. This would prevent Xie Huaicheng from looking down on him and saying that he was a Beijing native and didn't know anything.
The three of them walked towards the fried cake shop. Xie Qian suddenly pointed to a place on the right and asked, "Why are there so many people there?"
Qin Yu knew this well: "His family's lanterns are the most famous, and I heard they have a reputation that dates back two or three hundred years. Ever since I was a child, they would set up a stall during every Lantern Festival, hanging some of the finest lanterns as lucky charms for the pot-throwing game, to attract passersby."
Xie Qian perked up after hearing this: "Then let's go take a look and join in the fun."
Qin Yu nodded. The lanterns at this shop were particularly exquisite, and they were very generous with their prizes. Every year, the first prize attracted many people to stop and look.
Zhen Yuan had no objection. Xie Qian smiled and said, "It's just a game of pitching pots. Go and try to get first place."
He spoke excitedly, and a passerby who heard him laughed and said, "Young Master, you have great ambitions. It's a pity you came a step too late. The Brocade Screen Flower Lantern has already been won by someone else!"
Qin Yu was surprised: "So early this year?"
He remembered that in previous years, the stall owners would only lower their demands when the Lantern Festival was almost over before someone could win.
"That's right!" The passerby enthusiastically described the wonderful scene to them, "There were so many people gathered in front just now, just to watch that young man playing pot tossing."
According to the stall owner's rules, there are ten arrows to shoot, and eight out of ten must hit the target to be eligible to participate in the jackpot.
Then there were ten more arrows, thrown at the same position, but through a screen.
"That gentleman not only hit 100% of his shots, but he even hit one that went straight through the ears. The screen in front of him seemed to be non-existent..."
The passersby described it vividly, and it was obvious that they were still not satisfied with what they saw.
The brocade screen flower-blooming lantern was given to the girl beside the man, and the stall owner and the onlookers were all convinced.
Zhen Yuan and his friends thanked the passersby. Although they had lost the first prize, they still wanted to go and see the excitement.
Along the way, I heard many people talking about the game of throwing pots, which aroused their curiosity.
Hearing that the man who won the prize had not gone far, the stall owner was explaining to them how to maintain the lanterns.
As we approached the stall, we saw three tall figures. Looking from afar across the crowd, just looking at their backs, it was clearly His Majesty!
This is not surprising, Your Majesty is in a good mood tonight.
Before Xie Qian and the other two could even say hello, they discovered that His Majesty was holding a lantern in his left hand, and in his right hand... in his right hand, he was holding the hand of a girl?!
Convinced that this was not a dream, the three of them widened their eyes and remained silent.
There is nothing more shocking than Your Majesty suddenly having a lover.
How come I haven’t heard any news about it before?
Qin Yu, Xie Qian, and Zhen Yuan each found their own angles and looked up along the sleeve of the dress embroidered with hibiscus flowers in azure blue.
The girl seemed to sense something and looked in their direction.
Under the bright moonlight, a face as beautiful as a lotus is reflected.
I have never seen such a beauty in Kyoto.
It was also surprisingly familiar.
The three of them looked at each other, an impossible answer about to come out.
That girl, it seems, it seems like——
Gu,
big,
people.
"Are those Lord Gu's sisters?" Zhen Yuan asked, remembering that there were many girls of the same generation as Lord Gu in the Marquis Xuanping's mansion.
Qin Yu shook his head: "No, probably not."
Xie Qian rubbed his eyes and said, "Something even more unprecedented than seeing His Majesty and a girl on Qixi Festival has happened."
All the noise from the lantern festival suddenly faded away, and the moment they saw Gu Ningxi, the three of them froze in place.
Unexpectedly, he met three acquaintances. The surprise in their eyes was so unconcealed that Gu Ningxi didn't know how to face them and quietly hid behind Lu Jing.
It happened that the stall owner had just finished explaining everything. Lu Jing took Gu Ningxi to thank him and continued to hold the lantern for her.
Seeing his friend approaching, who was already in a trance, Lu Jing was extremely calm and his eyes swept between them.
"Hey, Qixi, is this how the three of you get by?"
Qin Yu: “…”
Zhen Yuan: “…”
Xie Qian: “…”
【Author’s words】
I’m late, leave a comment and I’ll give you a red envelope, muah!
There will be an update tomorrow at 2pm~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
