Chapter 32 Chapter 32 She’s just a childhood playmate, how can she be worthy of…
Suddenly hearing someone calling her nickname, Nie Xiangyi turned around and looked at Pei Jue suspiciously.
"Who are you?"
She didn't remember where she had met him before, but she felt that he looked very unfamiliar.
Pei Jue curled his eyes, as if he was sure he had recognized the right person. "West Suburb Liuyun Temple, do you still remember it?"
"Liuyun Temple?" Nie Xiangyi tried hard to recall, and then his frown gradually relaxed as he searched his memory for a vague figure. "You are... Brother Ziying?"
Xie Zhi's brows lowered unconsciously when he heard this, and his expression suddenly became cold and stern.
"It seems you still remember me." Pei Jue's voice was like a spring hitting a rock, moist and warm. "I didn't know before that Sister Ah Si was a daughter of the Marquis's family."
Nie Xiangyi couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "You didn't even say you were the eldest grandson of the Pei family..."
That was many years ago.
She remembered that when she was four or five years old, her mother always argued with her father because of Jiang's family. Therefore, her mother would take her to live in Liuyun Temple in the western suburbs every year under the pretext of escaping the summer heat and praying for blessings.
Liuyun Temple was a popular destination for pilgrims, and countless people came to pray and meditate. The young Master Pei, who was standing before us, had lived with his grandfather in the neighboring courtyard.
Adults rarely go out, but children are always busy. As time goes by, the two become playmates during the summer solstice every year.
Pei Lang, who was standing by, was surprised to see this. He frowned and whispered, "Brother actually knows Nie... the Third Prince's Consort?"
"A party for childhood sweethearts." He smiled gently, his words revealing the friendship between them as childhood sweethearts.
He never imagined that the unruly and rude Nie Xiangyi mentioned by his sister was actually the little A Si who used to follow him and call him "Brother Ziying" in a sweet voice.
"When I was young, I followed my grandfather to the Liuyun Temple to copy scriptures and meditate. My sister A Si and I lived next door to each other, just separated by a wall."
Pei Jue's gentle gaze fell on Nie Xiangyi, and his tone was slightly joking, "Sister Ah Si often climbs over the courtyard wall to play with me."
No wonder she was so familiar with the way she climbed over the wall.
Xie Zhi's eyes darkened upon hearing this, and he looked at Pei Jue with a cold gaze, "Little Master Pei, you are overstepping your bounds. Now you should respectfully call her the Third Prince's Consort."
"It's my fault. I suddenly ran into an old friend and forgot my proper manners." Pei Jue looked at Nie Xiangyi, who was still feeling aggrieved. He lowered his eyes slightly and said with a bow, "Please forgive me, Third Prince's wife."
Nie Xiangyi sniffed, her voice still thick with the sound of tears from crying, "Brother Ziying, there's no need to be so polite."
Xie Zhi's expression suddenly turned as if frost had frozen, and his eyes swept over Pei Jue with indifference, "Father is still hunting in the hunting grounds, and Master Pei should accompany him. It is not appropriate for you to stay here for long."
The intention of seeing him off was not concealed in his words at all. Pei Jue frowned slightly and said, "I'll take my leave."
He turned to look at Pei Lang and slowly said under her anxious gaze, "You caused trouble today. Go back and copy the scriptures a hundred times to calm your mind."
Pei Lang seemed to be very afraid of him and didn't dare to say anything more. "Yes...Brother..."
After they were far away and only the two were left, Xie Zhi looked at Nie Xiangyi with a gloomy look in his eyes and snorted coldly, "You have a good relationship with people."
Except for him, everyone has a past with her.
"Ah?" Before Nie Xiangyi could understand what he meant, Xie Zhi had already walked away, "Your Highness!"
Nie Xiangyi was about to chase him when she realized that his words might be a sarcastic remark about her fight with Pei Lang. A feeling of grievance welled up in her heart again, and she shouted at Xie Zhi's back, "She really was the one who insulted me first!"
I don't know if he heard it.
The first hunt was still going on, but with the incident just now. Nie Xiangyi looked listless, wandering around the grassland with a confused and lost look on his face.
It was Pei Lang who spoke hurtfully first, but in the end, His Highness scolded her first.
"Why do you always think it's my fault?" Nie Xiangyi wrinkled her nose, feeling sad and wronged.
She kicked the stones at her feet in annoyance.
Perhaps His Highness, like everyone else, feels that he is spoiled and willful and does not know the rules.
So, how true were Pei Lang's words? Did His Highness really mean that he hated her so much?
"The Third Prince's Consort." A palace maid came looking for her. "The Crown Prince's wife wants you to go to the kitchen."
Nie Xiangyi slowly followed the palace maid to the kitchen, but she found that the imperial concubine and many female relatives and ladies had already arrived.
"Back then, Empress Wencheng went to the battlefield with the Emperor, sewing clothes and cooking for him, and maintaining peace in the rear. She was a role model for women. Even though the world is now at peace, we can still appreciate Empress Wencheng's virtue."
The imperial concubine smiled and said, "The emperor's first hunt has been decided. I, Xi Wencheng, the virtuous queen, will prepare the meals for the emperor. The other ladies are welcome to do as they please."
Although it was a matter of convenience, it was an unspoken rule. Nie Xiangyi simply followed the others in shouting, "The Imperial Concubine is virtuous."
After he finished speaking, a group of noble ladies and relatives did not dare to refuse and started to work inside and outside.
"Princess Consort, this is the Third Prince's prey." A palace servant presented a red deer, leaving Nie Xiangyi somewhat bewildered.
The sika deer was huge, and Nie Xiangyi was not good at cooking, so he didn't know how to cook it.
She was already feeling a little aggrieved and annoyed, so she couldn't help but pout and grumble in a low voice that only she could hear, "They should have gone hunting! But they asked us to cook for them! I still want to go play!"
Seeing her embarrassment, Zhong Lingyu leaned over and instructed the palace servant, "First, remove the most tender part and give it to the Third Prince's wife."
Nie Xiangyi turned his head and looked at her with a worried look on his face, "Even if I take the meat, I won't be able to cook it!"
"You're so stupid! How many of these ladies in the family can do this? Just try to fool them." Zhong Lingyu winked at her. "Just roast the venison over the fire and sprinkle some salt on it, and you'll be done."
"Cousin Lingyu still has a trick!"
"Stop flattering me! Tell me the truth. Everything was fine just now, why did you and Pei Lang get into a fight?"
Nie Xiangyi's face fell when he heard this, but he hesitated and didn't know where to start.
"If you don't want to tell me, forget it." Zhong Lingyu didn't press the issue, but instead looked disappointed. "It would have been fine if we had fought, but you haven't even won! And you left her with these huge red marks on her face!"
"Who said we didn't win!" Nie Xiangyi's desire to win suddenly rose, and he forgot about his grievances for a moment, just staring and counting, "Didn't you see that I pulled out several strands of her hair! And she broke a pearl flower! And she got hit by my shoe! And she was punished to copy scriptures!"
Zhong Lingyu was a little amused and said, "Then weren't you also scolded by His Highness?"
Nie Xiangyi's high fighting spirit instantly weakened, just like the venison placed on the fire, making a loud hissing sound.
"It's obviously not my fault..."
"In fact, His Majesty the Third Prince didn't scold you for this."
While Zhong Lingyu was cooking, she slowly advised her, "You are now the Third Prince's consort. You represent the reputation of the Third Prince and even the imperial family. If you get into a fight easily, you will only make others laugh at you."
"But..." Nie Xiangyi wanted to explain something, but she lost her temper in an instant and asked dejectedly, "Is this the only way..."
Zhong Lingyu couldn't bear to say anything harsh, so she just smiled and said, "Next time you fight, remember to do it quietly."
Nie Xiangyi chuckled and narrowed his eyes.
She knew that Zhong Lingyu was just teasing her, and she kept thinking about what she said, thinking that maybe she was really wrong.
She shouldn't have disregarded His Highness's dignity and violated the rules.
Nie Xiangyi was so absent-minded that he was still a little distracted until he suddenly smelled an inexplicable burnt smell at the tip of his nose.
Zhong Lingyu's anxious reminder rang in his ears, "Asi! Hurry up! The meat is burnt!"
Only then did Nie Xiangyi hurriedly take the venison off the charcoal fire.
Charcoal-grilled venison is so delicious that you can't tell which is the charcoal and which is the venison.
"This..." She looked at Zhong Lingyu for help, "Is this still edible..."
"Why don't you roast another piece..." Zhong Lingyu looked at the charred venison and laughed dryly, "He just scolded you, it's not a crime..."
Nie Xiangyi roasted three or four pieces in succession, and finally produced a piece of venison that looked decent, although it still had a faint charred color on it.
She patiently scraped off the burnt parts with a knife and sprinkled salt and pepper on it. "Finally, it looks good."
At dinner time, in addition to the food cooked by the palace maids, everyone had a special dish served by their own wife.
The emperor was very satisfied and couldn't help but recall the days when he and Empress Wencheng were young and had a deep love for each other.
"Although Wanyue was a princess back then, she didn't have the slightest bit of her airs. While I was fighting on the battlefield, she cooked sheep and cattle and took care of the rear. Unfortunately..."
Everyone agreed.
Xie Zhi just lowered his eyes and looked at the small dish of roasted venison on the table in front of him. His eyes moved slightly, and it was unknown what he was thinking.
Nie Xiangyi could always easily stir up his emotions.
Just the appearance of Pei Jue just now had already made him inexplicably annoyed.
He pursed his lips and was about to say something, but he saw Nie Xiangyi beside him looking at him cautiously, "Your Highness... This is the venison I roasted myself..."
"It's hard work." Slender fingers picked up the jade.
As soon as the venison entered my mouth, a salty, bitter, and burnt taste immediately rushed into my head, almost destroying all my taste buds.
Xie Zhi paused, even wondering if this was a revenge for his harsh tone towards her just now.
Nie Xiangyi just looked at him expectantly, "Your Highness...is it delicious..."
Xie Zhi took a deep breath and swallowed the venison in his mouth. "It's delicious."
Nie Xiangyi's eyes instantly brightened up, "This is my first time making this! It seems I have a talent for cooking!"
As she spoke, she picked up the jade pendant and said, "Let me try it too!"
Xie Zhi stopped her, "No."
"Why?"
Xie Zhi choked, "Rules."
"Okay..." Nie Xiangyi stopped talking when he heard the word "rules". His tone was quite regretful. "Then I can only give it all to His Highness..."
Xie Zhi felt a lump in his throat.
After dinner, the two returned to the tent and looked at each other in silence, each with different thoughts in their minds.
Nie Xiangyi was silent and depressed, as if he had something on his mind.
Xie Zhi took a sip of tea with a cold expression.
He shouldn't have left like that today. Nie Xiangyi's aggrieved and tearful face was still tugging at his mind, but...
She always has so many old friends.
Yesterday I liked the young master of the Wang family, and today I'm attracted to the young man of the Pei family. There is also an unknown prince.
He's just a childhood playmate, is there any need to call him so affectionately?
The two of them slept in the same bed, but it was just like the day they first got married, as if there was a Milky Way between them.
Xie Zhi closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
Suddenly, there was a slight rustling sound beside him, as if a heat source was approaching, and a warm body hugged him carefully.
"Your Highness... I know I was wrong..."
Nie Xiangyi had been torn between two options for a long time. She told herself she shouldn't have fought Pei Lang in public, but at the same time, she subconsciously felt she was in the right.
Xie Zhi's body suddenly stiffened.
She actually admitted her mistake first.
Nie Xiangyi's voice was soft, and she buried herself in his arms, her breath muffled, like a wronged kitten, "I shouldn't have fought with Pei Lang..."
Xie Zhi's heart softened and his throat moved slightly.
"Your Highness..." She dragged out the last syllable, waiting for Xie Zhi's response like a spoiled child.
Suddenly, the world spun around, and Nie Xiangyi's eyes widened as she was suddenly held in Xie Zhi's arms in a very strong manner.
"Nie Xiangyi..." Xie Zhi looked down at her, the dark look in his eyes almost swallowing her.
"You only know how to call him brother?"
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Author's words: Xiao Xie: Call me brother or I'll make a scene [angry]
Then they went to Wuhu [狗头]
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