Chapter 20: On the first day, Xuanye likes to concentrate on his work...
Although Xuanye liked to concentrate on doing things, he had also developed the ability to multitask since he was young. When he really needed to do two things at once, he could do it immediately so as not to regret it.
For example, at this moment, although he was putting a lot of thought into restoring the telescope, he was also very aware of Xiuyu's little movements. From the initial awkwardness and shyness to now being almost on the same page with him, Xuanye was still very grateful to Nan Huairen for giving him this little gadget.
There are some things that, once done for the first time, one wants to do them a second and third time. Xuanye had tasted the sweetness, just like a child who gets candy for the first time. After eating the first piece, he wants the second. However, he had a clear idea of what to do well before enjoying the candy.
This was a tough time for Liang Jiugong and Xiao Tao, who would occasionally peek inside from outside the warm room. Of course, these two guys didn't come to see how the emperor restored the telescope, they just wanted to gossip!
"Such a small thing is indeed intricately and meticulously crafted." Xuanye had already installed the key parts, so he could naturally spend less time on the remaining "rough work." "Yu'er, is there anything you can do to improve this thing?"
"Of course." Xiu Yu has never been modest about her technical abilities. She knows exactly how much work she can do and to what level of detail.
Seeing that Xuanye had restored the telescope, Xiu Yu took it in her hands again, looked down at it, and said, "I can make it exactly the same in size and function, but the carvings on the outside..." She frowned slightly, with an embarrassed look on her face, "Your Majesty, to be honest, Yu'er can't do these delicate jobs. It takes too much energy." In fact, it means that she is a clumsy person.
Xuanye said, "I see that the snacks you made are small and delicate, very good."
"Well, it was all forced out by my mother." Thinking of her mother, Xiu Yu's longing that had been hidden deep in her heart was brought out again. She turned her head away so as not to let Xuanye see her slightly red eyes.
Xuanye knew he'd said the wrong thing, but he still had some skills at making a girl happy. He simply stretched out his left arm, wrapped it around Xiuyu's slender waist, and said, "I made a mistake just now. To make amends, I promise you that when I have the chance, I'll bring your mother to the Forbidden City to be with you for a few days, or I'll take you to your home to live for a while. What do you think?"
Isn't 'turning back' just a lip service? The Emperor's talk of turning back might not be sure how long it will take. Xiu Yu calmed herself down and smiled at Xuanye again, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Before entering the Pass, Yu'er had already prepared herself to never see Father and Mother again. I don't count on you turning back." She pouted and shook her head as she spoke.
"Don't count on it?" This was the first time Xuanye failed to coax someone. To save his own face, he said, "You have to count on it. If you really don't count on it, then all my efforts will be in vain."
Xiu Yu raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "Shouldn't you wait until the task is completed before claiming the credit and talking about how much effort you put into it? Everyone can talk big. Yu Er can do it too, but she just doesn't want to."
"You!" Xuanye really felt that he had no good way to deal with Guo Luoluo Xiu Yu, but he really kept it a secret that the two of them were teasing each other back and forth.
Looking at Xiu Yu's delicate features, he began to daydream again. "Sometimes, the sun can be quite annoying," Xuanye said casually to express his current mood. Then, looking at the telescope in Xiu Yu's hand, he said, "So what do you think? Am I quite smart? Am I worthy of Princess Yu?"
Xiu Yu was of course deeply impressed by Xuanye's ability to master things at first sight. However, she continued, "Whether she's worthy or not, Yu'er has already entered the palace. Besides..." She looked directly into Xuanye's beautiful eyes and offered him a sweet treat: "The Emperor is the one who beat Yu'er at chess. Yu'er admires him."
"Whether you admire me or not, I don't care." Xuanye moved closer to Xiuyu. Seeing that she was no longer hiding, he felt even happier. "As long as you are by my side, that's enough."
Xiu Yu couldn't help but tease, "Does the emperor say the same thing to others?"
"Huh?" Xuanye was stunned for a moment before he understood what Xiuyu meant by 'others'. "When I'm dealing with other people, there are naturally rules and regulations that should govern me."
Xiu Yu was surprised and asked, "Could it be that Yu'er doesn't have to follow the rules?"
"You don't have to!" Xuanye said smoothly, "Who told me to like you, Princess Yu, from the bottom of my heart?"
His eyes were clear, and he really didn't seem to be lying. Xiu Yu thought she had some ability to judge people, but could she really judge the emperor who was above everyone else? She was a little confused.
"Everything I said to you is true, from my heart." Xuanye touched Xiuyu's cheek and said, "To tell you the truth, it seems like I've been looking for you for a long, long time. When I first saw you on the street, I knew I had found you." He couldn't help but laugh at himself again: "I don't know where this mess of strange emotions came from. Just think of it as nonsense."
Xuanye was filled with a sense of loss and a feeling of regaining what he had lost. He let out a long breath, grasped Xiuyu's wrist, and said, "Come on, let's go play Gobang. We'll talk about this telescope later."
"Didn't you say you didn't want to play chess? How come you are addicted to it?" Just as he said this, Xiu Yu was pulled into the study by Xuanye, where the chessboard and chess pieces had already been set up.
Xuanye said, "As a 'disciple', I want to see the real ability of my 'master'. If you have any special skills, just use them, Yu'er." He raised his sword-like eyebrows slightly, as if he wanted to challenge the authority.
Xiu Yu pursed her lips, lowered her eyelids, and simply grabbed a handful of white pieces and said, "Well, let's follow the old rules and regulations."
"Playing chess again?" Liang Jiugong turned his head to look at the sun hanging high in the sky and said to Xiao Tao, "Do you think the emperor was so excited about playing with your master that he forgot about dinner?"
"You, Eunuch Liang, are hungry, right?" Xiao Tao signaled Liang Jiugong to stop peeking. If the emperor caught them, it would be a serious matter. She pulled out a brown paper bag from somewhere, opened it, and placed it in front of Liang Jiugong, saying, "Would you like some pea yellow?"
"I told you you're not just an ordinary little palace maid, and you're getting even more powerful." Liang Jiugong and Xiao Tao sat down together under the corridor. Liang Jiugong broke off a piece of pea yellow and took a bite. "When did you hide it?"
"It's just the basic qualities of a servant." Xiao Tao also broke off a piece and chewed it. "Let's not talk about whether you will feel hungry occasionally after standing by the rules for a long time, like today. What if your master is hungry and there is no food on hand, what will you do?" She turned her head to look at Liang Jiugong. Seeing that Liang Jiugong didn't answer immediately, she rolled her eyes and said, "I can't imagine that. It's hard for you to reach the position of chief steward."
"I've been here for a long time." Liang Jiugong was honest. "I've been with the emperor since I was a few years old. At that time, the emperor was still the third prince. I've been around for more than 20 years. Isn't it my turn based on seniority?"
Xiao Tao nodded: "It seems that the emperor still remembers the past, which is not surprising."
"Don't think I'm completely incompetent." Liang Jiugong looked at Xiao Tao and said, "Didn't I, the chief steward, pick you out from among the young palace maids to serve the Emperor? To be honest, the palace is in no shortage of servants, and the position of being able to serve the Emperor all the time is something many people would fight for. As for you..." He looked Xiao Tao up and down, "You seem a bit aloof. If it weren't for me, who knows where you'd be doing hard labor right now."
In fact, what Liang Jiugong said was absolutely right. Without him, it would not only be that I could not serve the emperor, but I would not even be able to see my master. Xiao Tao thought so, and his gratitude to Liang Jiugong for his recognition and support was beyond words.
"Let's put it this way, from now on we're brothers!" Xiao Tao held Liang Jiugong's shoulders and said sincerely, "From now on, Brother Liang, your business is my business. Even though I'm just a little palace maid, my word is my bond. I won't go back on my word!"
Liang Jiugong didn't know how to respond to Xiao Tao's reaction. "You..."
Xiao Tao simply broke off half of the pea yellow and handed it to Liang Jiugong: "As long as I, Xiao Tao, have something to eat, you will never go hungry, big brother." Xiao Tao was really grateful to Liang Jiugong, but she naturally had another thought in mind.
Liang Jiugong has been with the emperor since she was a child, and will always serve the emperor in the future and have a good relationship with the chief eunuch. This is a good thing for both herself and her master.
Liang Jiugong has several young disciples and has heard the title of "Master" before, but this is the first time he has heard the title of "Big Brother".
Xiao Tao is smart and clever. Besides being a little aloof, which is not a problem, she is also very capable. It's not a loss to have such a sister. Liang Jiugong thought so in his heart, but pretended to be embarrassed and took the half piece of pea yellow she handed over: "Since you sincerely recognize me as your big brother, I can't deny you a little girl's face, okay."
"Wow! The General Manager is so arrogant." Xiao Tao laughed and joked with Liang Jiugong: "I always felt that I needed a big brother. It's so nice to have a big brother looking after me."
In the study, Xuanye and Xiuyu filled the Gomoku board again. When people are thinking, their body temperature tends to rise. Although it was still winter, Xuanye and Xiuyu both felt very hot.
"I really want Liang Jiugong to take the brazier out, but I'm afraid you'll be cold." Xuanye used his hands as a fan to fan himself.
Xiu Yu dropped a stone, raised his head and smiled, "Don't blame the emperor for being hot. I almost wanted to ask Xiao Tao to get the round fan."
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