Chapter 193 I Miss My Brother
But this idea can only be thought about in my mind.
Putting aside other things, even Yan'er herself would not be willing to be trapped in this small world for the rest of her life.
He could only enjoy the present moment.
Lu Haozhi walked forward slowly and held her shoulders.
Meng Yan turned her head and smiled at him, "I heard the noise a long time ago and knew it was the emperor."
Ruizhu, who was standing by with a basket in her hand, saw this, bowed slightly, and retreated out of the woods.
Lu Haozhi smiled and said, "It's freezing cold, and you ran out again. Aren't you afraid of getting cold?" As he spoke, he saw that the little hands were red from the cold, so he shook them, "Your hands are as cold as ice. Let me warm them up for you."
Meng Yan let him pull her, feeling only the warmth and roughness of his palm. She narrowed her eyes in comfort and smiled, "You've been staying indoors all day, almost going crazy. Your blood circulation isn't good for your health. The plum blossoms are blooming so beautifully outside, I'd like to go out for a walk."
As she spoke, she turned to look at the vibrant red plum blossoms and smiled slightly, "I never thought that there would be a day when I could appreciate plum blossoms with the Emperor."
Lu Haozhi felt a little sad when he heard her words. Although they had already agreed not to think about their past lives anymore, he could still hear a hint of melancholy in her occasional words.
Broken mirrors cannot be mended, but they can move towards a brand new future.
He held her hand, looking up to see a vibrant red plum blossom. He plucked one and pinned it in her hair, smiling. "Most of your hairpins and jewelry are peonies and peonies, but plum blossoms are rare. People say plum blossoms are aloof and elegant, but this red plum blossom is charming and delicate, just like you: fresh and bright, yet stubborn and unyielding."
The bright red plum blossom is inserted between the two black hairs, making the black hair look even more black and shiny. With red lips and white teeth, she is more beautiful than flowers.
They've been together for eight years, and they're still doing these boudoir things. Things like holding a table and painting eyebrows are only done by newlyweds.
Meng Yan said this in her heart, lowered her head and smiled slightly embarrassedly, but her heart felt a little sweet.
Lu Haozhi took a deep breath, held her in his arms, and said, "Yan'er, you are playing tricks on me."
Meng Yan raised her eyebrows slightly and looked up at him. Her clear eyes were filled with passion. She asked, "Why does the emperor say that?"
Lu Haozhi scratched her nose and scolded her with a smile, "Those so-called princes of this family and that family, it turns out... they are just little brats."
There are many aristocratic families in the capital, and there are even more descendants of each family. Meng Yan mentioned it casually, and Lu Haozhi naturally couldn't remember which one they were, so he asked Rong An to check.
Rong An worked hard for most of the day and came back to report that the oldest one was only eight years old.
Thinking that he had been jealous of a few little kids for the entire morning, Lu Haozhi felt both amused and helpless.
Meng Yan blinked and smiled, "Yes, I was talking about the handsome young men... but I didn't say how old they were." As she spoke, she nodded and smiled, "These children are so good-looking. They will definitely become famous figures when they grow up. I have to pay attention to them. When Doukou grows up, I have to choose a suitable husband for her."
She had planned this matter long ago.
Since this was a joke, she wanted it to be a complete joke to avoid any future trouble.
Otherwise, Lu Haozhi might be delighted at the moment, or not mind, but who knows, he might think about it later and think about it again. Furthermore, she and Lu Haozhi were just joking, and she didn't want to bring trouble to others.
Lu Haozhi was both angry and amused, pinching her cheek hard, "You naughty girl, you can tease me as much as you want. You are so proud now, but when we go to bed tonight, I will see if you can still be so proud!"
Meng Yan nestled her face in his arms, gently sniffing the lingering ambergris and the bitter scent that belonged only to him. She smiled and said softly, "But my waist still hurts."
The two stood in the plum forest for a while, and the snow gradually got heavier. They both felt cold and shivered, so they went back to Ti Shun Hall hand in hand.
After entering the main room, Lu Haozhi repeatedly ordered the palace maids to light the brazier, and sent someone to bring a hand warmer for Meng Yan to hold to warm her body. He then sent someone to the kitchen to stew ginger soup, for fear that she would catch a cold.
Meng Yan leaned against a soft pillow woven with golden goose feathers, her knees covered with a thick felt with a silver embroidered ball stuffed inside. She watched Lu Haozhi frantically ordering everyone around the room around, and couldn't help but smile, "Your Majesty, you should rest too. It's just a little snowstorm. I'm fine."
Lu Haozhi sat down on a round huanghuali wood stool in front of her and said, "No, it's because I was too careless before that you... Now, you have to take good care of yourself. I will never let you do whatever you want again."
Previously, Meng Yan almost died while trying to cure the epidemic, but she scared Lu Haozhi so much that he still feels scared now.
Even though Meng Yan assured him repeatedly that her spiritual vein was gone and her body was well again, Lu Haozhi was still not reassured. He still treated her as if she were a piece of fragile glass in their daily interactions.
"Yan'er, when I saw you lying there during those days, I kept thinking that I, as the emperor, was truly useless."
Recalling those days, Lu Haozhi's eyes dimmed as he said solemnly, "I am rich and powerful, but seeing you unconscious, what can I do? I ordered the best doctors in the world to treat you and used the most precious medicinal herbs, but that's all. Seeing you sleeping, I actually have no other options."
Taking blood from the heart and praying to God is actually absurd.
Lu Haozhi grew up reading books of sages and was taught by great scholars. How could he not understand?
But that was the only thing he could do since he had no other choice.
Therefore, when Meng Yan joked with him this morning and said that it would have been better if she had married someone else, he looked nonchalant, but he was actually panicking in his heart.
Perhaps, if Yan'er had married someone else, she would not have had to suffer this kind of pain.
"I am a useless husband."
Seeing the dejected look on the face of the True Dragon Emperor, Meng Yan smiled and gently pulled his hand, "Haozhi, it is Meng Yanzhi's great honor to marry you."
Lu Haozhi frowned slightly and looked up at her.
But she said, "My spiritual veins were born with me. Although this time, the depletion of my qi and blood was caused by making medicine, my body has always been weak. As my grandfather said, it's like a broken water tank. No matter how much water is poured into it, it will eventually flow out. Sooner or later, this will happen. If I hadn't married you... what other man in the world would be willing to do this for Meng Yan? If I had known that my illness was incurable, perhaps even a doctor might not be available, let alone asking for blood from my heart to pray to the heavens. After I die, they can just marry another wife. Why bother? There are many handsome men in the world, but there is only Haozhi who is determined to marry Meng Yan."
With just a few words, the haze in Lu Haozhi's heart was dispelled.
He knew that Chen Qi Yan'er was just joking with him, but it was still different when he heard her say it in person.
For a moment, Lu Haozhi was so happy that his heart was itching. He didn't care about anything else and went forward, hugged her waist, and kissed the little mouth that made him happy.
Yan'er is so nice. It would be great if she could live in Tishun Hall forever...
Meng Yan was held tightly in his arms. At first, she wanted to push him away, but when she touched his shoulder, she remembered the pitiful look of this man just now, so she changed her mind, softened her body, and let him hold her.
Unexpectedly, Lu Haozhi became more and more aggressive. He pushed open her teeth, hooked her small tongue, and kept pestering her endlessly, and even gradually pressed her down on the kang.
Meng Yan noticed it and patted his shoulder, wanting him to stop, but the man didn't move at all and put his big hand on her waist.
Unable to bear it any longer, she resorted to the same old trick, raised her little foot, and kicked him in the stomach.
“Hmm!”
Lu Haozhi felt pain and had to let her go. He rubbed his stomach and said with a look of grievance, "Why did you kick me again?"
Meng Yan's face flushed red as she sat up straight and adjusted her crooked bun. However, the plum blossom fell onto the kang. She glared at him, chin slightly raised, "Your Majesty, you deserve it. You were talking to me nicely, but you became so unruly! You're making a fool of yourself by showing everyone in this room a joke?"
Lu Haozhi chuckled and said, "Where is the other person?"
Meng Yan listened and took a quick look. Sure enough, they were the only two people in the room.
It turned out that just now, seeing the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine being intimate with each other again, the eunuchs and palace maids serving them all tactfully withdrew.
She spat softly and said, "If the emperor wants to talk, I will accompany him. Otherwise, please get back to your work. There's no clear sky and broad daylight, and you just do these things all day long."
Lu Haozhi didn't dare to provoke her again, but in his heart he was thinking about the rest of the matter and would talk about it in the evening. He sat down on the stool again and said with a smile, "Then I will tell you something serious. Now that the epidemic has been eliminated, the Western Expedition Army will really return to the capital this time."
Meng Yan's eyes lit up, and she was overjoyed. She hurriedly said, "So, my brother can finally go home?" She then hurriedly asked about the situation in the camp, whether there were any injuries caused by the epidemic, and whether Meng Changyuan was healthy.
Lu Haozhi explained everything to her, "Thanks to the instructions you gave me, your brother, who knew almost nothing about medicine, simply followed them and managed to prevent the spread of the disease in the camp. Although there was no effective prescription at the time, the soldiers had been marching and fighting for years, and their bodies were much stronger than ordinary people, so they were able to endure it. Later, the military doctor got the prescription you gave him and cured the soldiers who were sick." He smiled at her and said, "Now everyone in the army knows the reputation of the noble concubine's virtue."
Meng Yan didn't care about these false reputations. When she heard that her brother was indeed safe and sound, the heavy stone hanging in her heart finally settled down.
Although there were many uncertainties in her life and she had made many preparations beforehand, she herself had almost died trying to change her fate, so she was deeply afraid that something might happen to her brother.
But then Lu Haozhi added, "I have already discussed it with my ministers. Three days from now, I will personally lead all the civil and military officials out of the city to welcome the general back to court." As he spoke, he gently stroked Meng Yan's delicate face and chuckled, "In my last life, I was unable to give you the glory of the Meng family. In this life, I will definitely make it up to you."
Meng Yan was startled for a moment, then smiled brightly.
In his previous life, Meng Changyuan returned victorious, considered a national hero. Lu Haozhi actually planned to host a grand welcoming banquet for him, elevating him to the status of a peerless national hero. This move, in addition to Meng Yan's favor, also had the deeper purpose of cultivating his influence.
However, Meng Changyuan was disabled in both legs, and his personality had become eccentric and eccentric. He went back home and locked himself in the house, not wanting to see anyone or take a step out. In the end, the matter had to end abruptly.
In this life, he has all his limbs intact, has returned triumphantly, and is in high spirits. Without the influence of the so-called plot and fate, nothing will go wrong.
Even if... he knew about Zheng Fangchu, he would at most be unhappy, and he would no longer give up on himself like he did in his previous life.
She should find an opportunity to tell her brother about this matter.
Otherwise, she would not be able to go out. Her brother was a soft-hearted and straightforward man who had never experienced any inner-house tricks. If he was tricked into going by the mother and daughter of the Zheng family, it would be difficult to deal with.
Originally, she had informed the head of the Zheng family to cancel the marriage and find another marriage for Zheng Fangchu.
Unfortunately, the outbreak of the epidemic caused widespread panic, and the Zheng family's patriarch suffered a stroke, leaving him bedridden. Meng Yan was busy making medicine at the time, and later fainted for several months. With no one to care, the matter naturally fell on deaf ears.
This time, she must get it over with.
Thinking about this, Meng Yan rubbed Lu Haozhi's arm and said, "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you."
Lu Haozhi raised his thick eyebrows slightly, and the corners of his lips curled slightly, "Tell me about it first."
Meng Yan's eyes were full of light, and she said softly, "I miss my brother."
Lu Haozhi immediately understood that Meng Yan wanted to meet Meng Changyuan.
But this matter was somewhat difficult. Pretending to the Imperial Concubine was seriously ill was simply a way to lure out those evil spirits within the palace, luring them all out so they could be captured in one fell swoop. Originally, Meng Yan should have stayed in Shanghe Garden, feigning illness. It was only because he couldn't bear to leave her that he brought her back and hid her in Tishun Hall. If Meng Changyuan entered the palace, the two siblings would meet, and there would be the inevitable risk of word leaking out.
But... seeing her eyes full of autumn water, staring at him, and pleading softly, he just couldn't open his mouth to refuse.
After a long while, he finally spoke, "Okay, I'll make the arrangements."
Well, with careful planning, it might be possible to conceal the truth.
Meng Yan was very happy and said with a smile, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Haozhi looked at her, then suddenly stretched out his arms, hugged her, and laid her across his lap. He lowered his head and asked in a low voice, "I promised you, how will you thank me?"
Meng Yan looked into his eyes and said softly, "I am yours now. What else does Your Majesty want?"
The two of them were affectionate for most of the hour, and it was already noon.
The two of them got up late today and didn't have a proper breakfast. They were hungry early in the morning and asked for lunch to be served in the main room.
Among the seven dishes and eight bowls, there were two pots as usual, one of which was braised lamb and the other was stewed pork elbow with winter bamboo shoots.
Outside the window, goose feathers are flying and snow is all over the sky. Inside the room, the peat is red, the aroma of meat is everywhere, soft laughter is heard, and the house is full of spring. It is a warm and friendly scene.
In the evening, Lu Haozhi stayed in Tishun Hall again and finished the rest of the day's work with Meng Yan.
Although the Yangxin Palace was well guarded, there was no impenetrable wall in the world, and the fact that the emperor favored a certain woman every night would always leak out through some details.
Within a few days, the news spread throughout the palace that the emperor had a new favorite.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
