61 Thousand Autumn Festival
"May your wish come true."
The journey was long, and the group walked at a leisurely pace until they finally arrived in the capital.
Wen Tingluan’s birthday was three days later, and Tian Nongxi returned to his house carrying a “carrying pole”.
A house that is unoccupied will age faster, and it will look much darker after just a few months of not being used.
She first fetched water and mopped the floor, then wiped various objects.
It was only an hour before everything was done, and it was still afternoon.
Tian Nongxi stretched his neck and prepared to go back to the shop to have a look and eat something.
Yanchao's capital is located in the north, which is much colder than Qingdu and Ruiyang.
She was wearing thin clothes and shivered when the wind blew on her before she went out.
When I turned my head to open the door to add some clothes, I caught a glimpse of a tall and straight figure like a pine tree strolling towards me.
"You're back so soon?" Tian Nongxi was surprised. In her eyes, even if he walked to the East Palace and did nothing but walked out of the palace, he wouldn't be able to go and come back so quickly.
Wen Tingluan carefully put the cloak on her and fastened it. His crow-lashes met the setting sun, and he hummed softly, his tone lacking any emotion: "I told you to put on more clothes, but you didn't listen."
Tian Nongxi laughed it off.
There was incense in the carriage and the air was not circulating. Even though there was an iceberg sitting next to her, her body temperature was still hot. Naturally, she didn't want to put on more clothes when she got off the carriage.
Who would have thought that the temperature difference would be so great in an era without the Industrial Revolution?
"You've been pestering me a lot lately." Tian Nongxi looked up and down at the man who was dressed plainly and teased.
Ever since she was injured, Wen Tingluan had been staying by her side like a parasite, even wanting to sleep in the same bed with her.
Having never been valued so much since childhood, Tian Nongxi felt like he was drowning in a honey pot and closed his eyes willingly.
Wen Tingluan had sharp features, but the plain white clothes neutralized them a bit, giving him the illusion of being as light as snow.
Hearing this, Ruifeng glanced at her lightly and said calmly, "Then I will return to the palace."
Tian Nongxi: “…”
She recognized it.
This person is not indifferent at all, but rather stubborn.
He reached out to stop the person and coaxed him, all in one go.
When the two of them walked side by side to the first Hao Zai Lai restaurant, her mouth was already dry.
I took the time to glance at Wen Tingluan, and was touched by the subtle smile that had filled his eyes without me noticing when.
Tian Nongxi shut his mouth and thought to himself: She is so pretty, let her act a little bit, as long as it doesn't affect her ability to make money, I can tolerate it.
In the distance, a cry of surprise was heard.
She looked up and curled her lips towards the waiter standing at the door to greet customers.
When I walked into the store, Jiang Miaojue was sitting at the counter using an abacus.
It was past dinner time and there were only a few tables of customers in the restaurant.
Tian Nongxi lowered his voice and placed a silver ingot on the counter. "Check out."
Jiang Miaojue looked up casually, and after seeing who was coming, she stood up straight. Her fingers swept across the abacus, making a crackling sound of beads rolling.
Looked very surprised.
Tian Nongxi asked with a smile, "Are you used to helping out in the shop?"
She felt a little ashamed that she had just sent the person here and then left shortly afterwards.
Seeing Jiang Miaojue nodding hurriedly, he finally felt relieved.
After having dinner in the shop, the two went to Hao Zai Lai in the south of the city.
The restaurant opposite has changed hands and has a completely new style.
Looking in from the door, there was a storyteller with a white beard sitting in the middle. The sound of him banging the gavel sounded like he had a mortal enemy with the table.
When Tian Nongxi stepped into Hao Zai Lai, he happened to hear the sound of applause from the whole room after the book was finished.
In comparison, Hao Zhailai in the south of the city seems much more desolate.
There were two or three tables of guests sitting inside. When I looked closely, I found that there were waiters at one table who had nothing to do.
Even the chef, Tan Xiang, ran from the back kitchen to the front, looking around boredly.
Seeing someone he hadn't seen for a long time, an unconcealed smile appeared on his face.
She first greeted Wen Tingluan, then took Tian Nongxi's arm, pulled her to sit on the chair, and made her a cup of tea.
The treatment was too good, Tian Nongxi was confused, "What happened?"
"Oh, look at the people over there, they've ruined our customers." Tan Xiang said anxiously, "Boss, you have to think of a way."
Tan Xiang rambled on and on: "Why did that boss quit his job so peacefully? It would be great if we could live in peace with them."
"Maybe he went back to his hometown." Tian Nongxi blinked. "It seems that the opposite side doesn't affect us. Is business very bad now?"
Tan Xiang nodded, then shook her head.
"Business is better than other restaurants, but not a bit worse than before. Everyone has gone to listen to storytelling." Her anxiety was real, and she waved to other waiters to confirm it.
After being confirmed, Tian Nongxi pondered.
The wages of the guys are fixed. If she were to ask her, it would be better if there were no talents. She would just get paid for nothing every day without doing any work.
This shows the simplicity of the people of Yanchao.
She patted Tan Xiang's hand to comfort her, "We just need to do our own thing."
There are too many shops and she doesn't have the energy to manage this one.
As long as this shop can survive.
As she thought so, Tan Xiang looked disheartened - she had finally waited for a life-saving straw, but the straw said, "I'm sorry, it's wet and I can't help you light the fire."
It's so sad.
Seeing this, Tian Nongxi hesitated and took out a gold ingot from his arms tremblingly, letting her use it freely and ask for more money if it was not enough.
Her action not only scared Tan Xiang, but also alarmed Wen Tingluan who remained silent.
He put down the teacup in his hand and looked at Tian Nongxi, as if thinking about something.
Tian Nongxi didn't see it, staring straight at Tan Xiang and said, "Take it. It's your decision. You can change it however you want. It's okay if you lose money, just don't lose too much."
After being so hastily stuffed with a gold ingot and given a tranquilizer, Tan Xiang looked bewildered.
Although she was worried about the shop, she never thought of taking over its business!
Tian Nongxi continued, "Your parents are in business, so I'm sure you can do it." Worried about burdening her, he added, "It's okay if you can't."
"Just for fun." She was in a good mood.
"But I've never done business on my own..." Tan Xiang muttered to herself, her expression gradually firming as she nodded heavily, "I can do it."
"Yes, yes."
"Boss, my mother's letters lately have been saying that my father has gained weight. She also mentioned that restaurant is a good place to come back. Is that the one you own?"
Tian Nongxi's eyes lit up for a moment, "Who knows! What do your parents look like?"
After Tan Xiang described her parents' appearance in detail, Tian Nongxi spoke with a smile.
"I'll remember that. I won't charge them next time."
Before Tan Xiang could refuse, she stood up and clapped her hands. When all the employees looked over, she said, "I've been away for a while, and you've all worked hard. Starting next month, our wages will be doubled. Tomorrow, I want everyone to have a meal with the friends from Chengbei again so we can get to know each other better. Those who want to come can come, and those who don't want to come can go home and rest. Your wages will be paid as usual."
"Oh, by the way. I don't come back often. If you have any questions, you can go to Tan Xiang. If you think she is wrong, go to the girl in the north of the city to settle the score." Tian Nongxi gestured to the approximate height of Jiang Miaojue, and left amid the cheers of joy from the guys.
Wen Tingluan nodded slightly and left.
On the way home, he asked casually, "Why are you so generous?"
Tian Nongxi tilted his head, puzzled.
Yanchao does not have five social insurances and one housing fund, so shouldn’t he be paid double the salary?
Seeing Wen Tingluan's cold tone, she tentatively replied, "Because I'm richer now?"
It is the responsibility and obligation of every citizen of Yanchao to let the rich lead the poor and achieve common prosperity.
Wen Tingluan looked deep in his eyes and remained silent.
-
The next day, after hanging wooden signs at the doors of the two Hao Zhai Lai restaurants saying they were closed today, Tian Nongxi led his waiters to a private room in the largest restaurant in Beijing.
She thought: "It's a party, and no one wants to eat the food I cooked. What kind of party is that? That's called overtime."
There were about ten people sitting at the large round table made of pear wood, and each of them ordered two dishes.
After eating and drinking, everyone's faces flushed.
Jiang Chang pulled Tian Nongxi along, burped a little, and then said slowly, "Hey, boss, this is what I want to toast you with."
He was drunk and spoke incoherently. Tian Nongxi didn't hear clearly, but only saw him raise his thumb and happily lean over to her.
I was knocked back by the smell of alcohol, and after holding my breath and listening carefully, I realized that the drunk was talking drunkenly.
Tian Nongxi was speechless for a moment. He replied casually and turned around, supporting his face and relaxing.
She only drank one glass of wine, but there were too many people in the room and she felt dizzy.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of bony hands handing me a cup of cold tea, and I drank it without saying a word.
Her dry and hot throat was immediately soaked in coolness, and she sighed silently in comfort.
Coming back to my senses, I remembered who was sitting next to me.
She turned her head stiffly and smiled at the man who had been sitting at the table without saying a word.
Wen Tingluan hadn't drunk a drop of wine and his expression was normal.
Noticing her gaze, he leaned over and whispered, "Do you need more?"
Tian Nongxi shook his head and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She originally thought Wen Tingluan poured her tea just to flatter her - I'm still sitting here! !
Now it seems that she misunderstood him.
Just as he was racking his brains to figure out how to alleviate the guilt in his heart, Jiang Chang on the other side suddenly made a noise that shook the entire room.
He exclaimed, "Boss, you're so clingy!!"
In an instant, the room fell silent.
Laughter and cheers came from outside the door, and everyone looked at each other in confusion.
Tian Nongxi: “…”
The quick-witted guys came to their senses and started laughing and scolding him.
Seeing that the matter was about to be exposed, Wen Tingluan raised his eyelids and said, "Hmm."
His voice was not loud, but low and short, and Tian Nongxi thought he was the only one who heard it.
Blushing, he pulled him and told him to be quiet.
When I looked up, I saw that everyone had stopped what they were doing and was congratulating the two of them.
Wen Tingluan nodded calmly.
Tian Nongxi: “…” Vision of the wedding scene.
She took a sip of tea and awkwardly asked everyone not to get involved.
Jiang Miaoyao, who came to eat with her sister, looked around and ran to Tian Nongxi with laughter, pulling her sleeve and calling her like the others, "Boss, why didn't uncle come to eat?"
The child's voice was so high-pitched that it instantly drowned out everyone else's voice.
Tian Nongxi pinched the tip of her nose, bent down and explained with a happy mood of being liberated from the center of the topic: "Uncle is in the camp. He needs a transfer order to go out. You will see him in a while." Tian Guangzong said that when there is no war, the Poya Camp will let the soldiers come back to celebrate the New Year.
Jiang Miaoyao pouted and nodded, "My sister and I miss uncle very much."
"Wow, I miss you too." She grew up in an orphanage. By the time she was seven or eight, she was surrounded by younger brothers and sisters. Tian Nongxi was adept at coaxing children. "Just count on your fingers. When you count to fifty, you can see your uncle. Sweetheart."
Jiang Miaoyao counted on her fingers and sat back in her chair.
After this interruption, everyone was already chatting animatedly.
The banquet ended not long after. When Tian Nongxi went to the counter to pay the bill and left, it was already dark.
She smiled at Wen Tingluan beside her, her voice full of control and calmness: "Is the palace gate locked? Are you forced to live in my house?"
"I can come in." Wen Tingluan shook his head, looked up at the galloping horse at the end of the street, and raised his chin dignifiedly, "I'm coming."
Tian Nongxi: “……?”
She stared in amazement at Wuxu who jumped off the horse, and her hair, which was sticking up in shock, was tucked behind her head by Wen Tingluan.
A muffled chuckle sounded above his head. Tian Nongxi suspected it was an illusion, so he looked up and caught a glimpse of the faint smile on Wen Tingluan's face that had not yet faded.
She was patted on the head gently, and Wen Tingluan smiled as if she were bathed in spring breeze. "Let's go."
-
After that day, Wen Tingluan never left the palace again.
I don’t know what he was busy with. Tian Nongxi was busy transforming Hao Zai Lai in the south of the city with Tan Xiang, and had no time to think about it.
When he came to his senses again, it was already the beginning of winter - Wen Tingluan's birthday.
He said that the luncheon was to entertain ministers, and asked her if she did not want to attend it and to come to the palace in the afternoon.
Tian Nongxi thought about it and decided to get up early and go into the palace with his sword.
There is an unwritten custom in her place that one must choose the morning to visit someone's home. Visiting in the afternoon or evening would seem disrespectful to the host.
Tian Nongxi suffered losses and remembers them very clearly.
Besides, on a birthday like this, it would be better to see Wen Tingluan in the morning.
Perhaps it was because Wen Tingluan had said hello, but Tian Nongxi had a smooth journey into the East Palace.
Before getting out of the sedan chair, she smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt caused by sitting for a long time and took a deep breath.
Subconsciously, she didn't like this kind of majestic building where every eave was just right.
The maid who had been waiting outside the carriage lowered her eyebrows and saluted respectfully.
Tian Nongxi thought that she even disliked having to face formalities all the time.
She gently asked people to get up and walk slowly into the East Palace.
He rushed forward and saluted crisply.
Tian Nongxi smiled and asked her, "Where is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Puying replied, "His Highness has gone to the Purple Palace."
Tian Nongxi was surprised by this situation. She thought she got up early enough today, but she never expected Wen Tingluan to get up even earlier.
She said "oh" and nodded in agreement when Fuying asked her if she wanted to wait here.
Not long after, Wen Tingluan came hurriedly.
He was dressed luxuriously, and Tian Nongxi guessed that he was meeting with a minister, so he asked him to go back.
Wen Tingluan asked her if she was going, but was rejected evasively and left with her entourage.
There were many servants in the Eastern Palace. Tian Nongxi was bored, but didn't want to see anyone, so he had to lock himself in the house.
All the objects were placed exactly as they were when she left. Following her memory, Tian Nongxi found the storybook she had not finished reading in the inner room.
She opened the page and sat down on the couch in the outer room. She was so engrossed in reading that time passed by minute by minute.
Although this room is only for a guest, it has excellent lighting, with light always pouring into the room through the windowsill.
At this time, it was spilled right onto the small tea table on the couch.
The light coated my fingers with a layer of furry gold, and the paper under my hands became hot.
Tian Nongxi was drowsy from the sun and looked at the words on the paper as a group of ants hurrying before the rain.
She finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell on the table with her hands spread out. Within two seconds, she got up again, holding her cheek and thinking dazedly: I can't mess up my hair, it took her an hour to braid it.
The red headband didn't understand its owner's intentions, and the tail hung loosely on her shoulders. It was slapped back to its place because it ruined her hairstyle.
Tian Nongxi felt his head getting heavier and his back getting weaker, and he fell back down again after a moment's delay.
The long eyelashes fluttered restlessly, like two fluttering butterflies in the sunlight, and finally calmed down.
“Dong—dong—dong—”
There was a sudden knock on the door, startling the person at the table who was almost asleep.
Tian Nongxi raised his head, his hazy eyes cleared for a moment, and he sat up straight and said loudly, "Come in."
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure rushed in like the wind.
Tian Nongxi was stunned and looked at the man in confusion.
She thought someone was calling her to eat, but it turned out to be a girl with a strange face.
Her eyes swept across the man's expressionless face and fell on the sword in her right hand.
I couldn't help but wonder: Is it possible to run around with a sword in the East Palace?
Hiding the strangeness in his heart, Tian Nongxi nodded and greeted.
The man was still staring at her, his chin held high and his eyes full of hostility.
Tian Nongxi frowned inwardly and was about to speak when another figure rolled and crawled into the house.
Puying lowered her head, her shoulders twitching, and she was so anxious that she couldn't hide her tears: "General Lu, you can't bring a sword into the East Palace without notifying His Highness. When His Highness comes back, I will ask you about it." If she had known earlier, she should have learned a few more moves from Fuque. Puying stared at the flower embroidered on the toe of her shoe and gasped.
Lu Zhengqing waved her hand impatiently and said, "I know, I know," and her high ponytail fluttered in the wind as she moved.
General Lu? Tian Nongxi glanced at her suspiciously, and was keenly noticed.
Amidst the trembling but stubborn voice of Puying trying to persuade her to leave, she explained condescendingly: "You know Lu Biao, right? My father. I, Lu Zhengqing, have followed my father to the battlefield several times." She looked at people with her nose down, her face full of smugness, as if asking you, have you ever been to the battlefield?
Tian Nongxi, a citizen of Yanchao who changed his career halfway, recalled for a while, and nodded against his conscience in the face of Lu Zhengqing's increasingly impatient look.
She pursed her lips and smiled, praising her, "General Lu is truly a hero."
Dazzled by the light, Lu Zhengqing steadied himself, a soft snort escaped from his nose, and turned to look at Puying, who was standing timidly by the door, "Did you hear that? Why don't you get down!"
After saying that, she walked to the couch and sat down, glanced at the book in Tian Nongxi's hand, and coughed lightly.
Tian Nongxi nodded and said, "General Lu has something to say to me, Puying, you go down." Puying then took action.
After thinking for a moment, she called out to Puying, who was about to close the door, "Please bring me a cup of tea."
The tea on the table had already gone cold.
This action changed the meaning in Lu Zhengqing's eyes. The good impression she had just gained disappeared in an instant. She rolled her eyes silently and said coldly: "You haven't even become the Crown Princess yet, and you're already ordering the senior palace maid around."
Tian Nongxi said with a smile, "Is General Lu here to see His Highness?"
"Looking for you, how could I not know where the prince is now?" Lu Zhengqing thought she was so stupid.
Seeing that he couldn't escape, Tian Nongxi asked, "When are you going to find me?"
"You should ask, General Lu, what do you want from me?"
"Oh, General Lu, what do you want from me?" Tian Nongxi parroted.
Lu Zhengqing said coldly, "This general has been entrusted by the noble ladies of the capital to come and see the woman that the Crown Prince has taken a fancy to."
“…”
Tian Nongxi held back his laughter, took the tea brought by Puying and poured a cup for Lu Zhengqing, pushed it over and asked, "Did you see it? What do you think?" Not bad, right?
"Hmph, just okay." Lu Zhengqing's voice was weak.
Tian Nongxi nodded seriously, sipped his tea in silence, and put on a sad expression.
Lu Zhengqing comforted her, "My brother the Crown Prince and I have been childhood sweethearts. How could you compare to that?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tian Nongxi's eyes lit up and he asked in surprise, "You also grew up in Qingdu County?"
Lu Zhengqing ignored her and continued, "The Left Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, Su Linglang, was betrothed to the Crown Prince. The Right Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, Qi Yi's brother, was a close friend of the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince even held her in his arms many times. The Grand Marshal's daughter, Lian Zhi, went to school with the Crown Prince for several years."
"Wow..." Seeing that she was so excited and had no intention of stopping, Tian Nongxi interrupted, "I really envy you."
She supported her face with her hands and smiled, and her dark pupils reflected the shadow of Lu Zhengqing.
Lu Zhengqing paused and said coldly: "I can't compare to you." She thought to herself: Do you think you are a flower? She actually supported her face with her hands.
Lu Zhengqing buried his head and drank a sip of the tea poured by Huabao, and remained silent.
She didn't speak or leave.
Tian Nongxi was so weak from the sun that he felt drowsy and sleepy that he wanted to invite her to sleep with him.
Lifting her sleepy eyes, Tian Nongxi tentatively invited: "The sun is shining, how about General Lu and I... your humble daughter go to the pavilion to appreciate the flowers together?" Who knows how the sun will bask in the sun, and if the person in front of her gets tired, he will probably not talk to her anymore.
Lu Zhengqing was horrified.
She called me black?!
What a scheming woman! No wonder she has haunted the prince.
She clenched her fist in admiration and said, "Let's go."
Tian Nongxi; "......?" I don't know why she changed her attitude, but she finally got what she wanted, and Tian Nongxi stood up quickly.
In the winding corridor, people could be seen busy working, and when they saw the two people coming, they all bowed.
After nodding several times, Tian Nongxi finally found a pavilion without any shade. She happily invited Lu Zhengqing to sit down with her.
While waiting for the other person to leave while holding his face, Lu Zhengqing, who really wanted to enjoy the flowers, spoke.
"What kind of flower is this?"
Tian Nongxi pressed his eyelids and glanced over, "Water caltrop flowers." The small porcelain white flowers by the pond, with tender yellow stamens, are lovely and charming in the sun.
"Wow." Lu Zhengqing sighed.
"What about that?" She pointed to the cluster of small pink flowers at the edge of the pond.
"Polygonum."
Lu Zhengqing looked at her with admiration.
Tian Nongxi curled the corners of his lips.
Professional matching.
I should have said I would watch the fish. They swam too fast and she probably couldn't see clearly.
Fortunately, most of the flowers had withered in this season, so Lu Zhengqing had nothing to ask after asking a few times.
The two looked at each other in silence.
Lu Zhengqing couldn't sit still, so he ran to the pavilion, held the railing and looked down.
Seeing the fish swimming around, she was overjoyed, "Silver carp! Bighead carp!"
She named several kinds of fish like calling out the names of dishes, and waved to Tian Nongxi to come and see.
He covered his lips and yawned, then Tian Nongxi stood up dizzy.
I replied incoherently, and I don't know how long it took before I finally got help.
The two were found while catching fireflies and were told that the food was ready.
"It just so happens that I'm hungry too." Lu Zhengqing smiled.
After the two of them had finished their meal, Lu Zhengqing wanted to go back to the pavilion, but Tian Nongxi was so sleepy that she went back to take off her red hairpin and have a good sleep.
An hour later, she slowly woke up.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a person sitting at the table with his back to her, reading a book.
She tiptoed over, threw herself on the man's back, and said with a smile, "Happy birthday!"
Wen Tingluan closed the book and pulled the person into his arms, "Thank you."
"Wait a minute." Tian Nongxi remembered that she hadn't given away her gift yet, so she sat up from his lap, went to the outer room to find the sword, brought it back and handed it to him, "This is for you."
Wen Tingluan opened it, looked at it carefully, and then said, "I am very happy."
Seeing his fingers touching the plum blossom sword tassel, Tian Nongxi blushed, "I'm not very good at it, so I can only make it like this. If you think it doesn't look good, just take it apart and make it again."
Wen Tingluan shook his head slightly, placed the sword on the table, took her hand and asked her to sit down, and asked, "Did anyone come here just now?"
"Oh, yes. Did she leave?" Tian Nongxi remembered that Lu Zhengqing said she would wait for him to come back, and told her to sleep if she wanted to, saying that he was just going for a stroll.
"General Lu took her back." Wen Tingluan nodded.
Tian Nongxi paused while trying to move Liusu, stunned. "That's not the case."
"The Lu family has such a strong tradition. Outsiders like you and me don't need to pay attention to it." Wen Tingluan looked at her and said, "General Lu taught me swordsmanship when I was young."
"Oh - living together in Changganli, the two children have no suspicion of each other." Tian Nongxi looked as if he saw it.
"I only stayed in Lu's house for a little over a month. I woke up at midnight every day and had no time to rest or have fun."
Tian Nongxi tilted her head and covered her lips with her hands and laughed, "Childhood sweethearts, I understand, what's there to explain? Life is incomplete without childhood sweethearts." She expressed her opinion.
"Childhood sweetheart?" Wen Tingluan thought about these four words and looked up at her. "Xiaoxi, do you have one?"
“…” Tian Nongxi nodded honestly.
Yes, not only yes, but a lot.
There are few healthy children in the orphanage, and even fewer children like her who are both healthy and familiar with the environment because they have been there for a long time. Therefore, her playmates are recruited through a competitive system.
Often this week is the competition for the Tiannongxi championship, and next week will be the next championship.
Because the content of the competition was mostly related to mathematics, puzzles, etc., the dean turned a blind eye.
However, when she was fourteen or fifteen years old and in adolescence, she felt resentful because she had sent away several groups of playmates. In addition, she felt that the children younger than her in the yard were all little brats who knew nothing. She was too lazy to play "childish" games like hide-and-seek with them that were not suitable for her age. She was not very friendly to them, and gradually no one invited her to play with them.
Thinking of this, Tian Nongxi sighed.
Her adolescence was long and cold, which discouraged many people who really wanted to make friends with her.
Life is unpredictable, I don’t know if I will see them again.
The man who had been silently watching her lost in memories suddenly laughed, "Missing him?"
Tian Nongxi pulled himself out of his memories, choked for a moment, and said, "I'll take you to meet them if there's a chance."
"Okay." Wen Tingluan nodded.
"You and her get along very well?" Wen Tingluan asked, remembering what Puying said about the two of them being together for several hours.
Tian Nongxi was stunned. Before she could ask who they were talking about, Wen Tingluan added, "Lu Zhengqing."
"Oh, well, actually it's, um, okay." She couldn't figure out what it meant to get along well.
If two people can stare into each other's eyes for an hour without saying a word and be considered to be compatible, then she and Lu Zhengqing must have been sisters from the same mother in their previous life.
"She will also attend the banquet at night." Wen Tingluan lowered his eyes.
"Oh oh." Just don't sit next to her, she can't resist it.
She remembered something and asked, "Did you have enough for lunch?"
Before he could even utter the word "hmm", he saw the light in the man's eyes suddenly go out, and he changed the subject, "No."
"Then I'll make you some longevity noodles!"
Upon hearing this, Luan's brows moved slightly, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
About half a cup of tea later, Tian Nongxi returned to the house with a bowl of clear soup noodles.
She pinched her earlobe with her fingers, which felt as if burned by fire, and warned him, "Don't bite it off."
When Wen Tingluan was about to pick up his chopsticks, she held his hand and said hesitantly, "How about you make a wish before you eat? Do you know how to make a wish? The kind you make with your eyes closed."
There was no cake or candles, but Tian Nongxi still stubbornly explained to him what it meant to make a wish, and only let go with satisfaction when he saw him close his eyes obediently.
Their long, distinct eyelashes cast a small shadow under their eyes, and the afternoon sun shone on their faces like candlelight, as if they were facing a six-inch cake.
Wen Tingluan quickly opened his eyes, and his slightly tense jawline relaxed when he saw Tian Nongxi. He looked at her with his sharp eyes, as if to say that the promise was over.
Resisting the urge to ask him what his wish was, Tian Nongxi leaned over and kissed his cheek, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I wish you get what you want."
Her tone was gentle, like a feather brushing against the earlobe, and her breath mixed with the sound fell warmly on the ear.
Wen Tingluan's Adam's apple rolled, he pulled the person into his arms and kissed her with his eyes closed.
Breaths mingled and the air warmed.
Tian Nongxi sat on his lap and let out a small cry, which was quickly blocked by her thin lips.
The wooden table shook for a moment during the movement. Wen Tingluan pressed her waist against him, shielding her from the sharp corner of the table with the back of his hand.
After the kiss, my face was already clumping.
Looking at the noodles that had almost turned into pancakes, Tian Nongxi closed his eyes helplessly.
Her face flushed, her voice hoarse: "I'll give you some water, but you must eat it right away."
The plain noodles only have a little salt in them, and when added with hot water they are simply bland and tasteless.
She frowned and said, "You can't bite it off even if it has no taste."
Wen Tingluanhe seemed to have no sense of taste and finished the meal in one go, not forgetting to say: "It is delicious and fragrant."
Tian Nongxi didn't believe it.
He looked straight at her sparkling lips and said it again.
After the fun, it was almost 3 p.m., and the eunuch came to inform them to attend the banquet.
Facing the bronze mirror, Tian Nongxi put on rouge.
Wen Tingluan tied up her hair, which had been loosened by her nap, and placed it behind her without making it loose.
When the two of them went to Baohedian for the banquet, the hall was already full of people.
Hearing the eunuch's words of approval, everyone put down what they were holding and saluted in unison.
"Congratulations to His Highness on his 1,000th birthday—"
The crowd of people's heads were buried very low to the ground,
Tian Nongxi lowered his eyes to hide his inner surprise, and before anyone looked up, he sat down tremblingly in the first row of the hall.
She was arranged to sit directly opposite Wen Tingluan, while the seat in the center of the hall was unoccupied, presumably reserved for the emperor and empress.
After the ceremony, the girl next to Tian Nongxi returned to her seat, and it was Lu Zhengqing.
When she saw Tian Nongxi, she greeted her energetically. However, because she made too much noise, she was glared at by a man opposite her who was about forty years old and looked similar to her, only a little more vicissitudes and strong.
Lu Zhengqing made a face at him.
Tian Nongxi smiled at the two of them.
My heart was slowly falling apart.
Lu Zhengqing is here, but she is not the only one here.
Different men were sitting on one side of the hall, and different women were sitting on the other side. The crowds almost filled the entire palace.
I shouldn’t have come if I had known.
Tian Nongxi buried his head in drinking his tea.
Soon, Emperor Renxuan and Empress Lin walked into the palace hand in hand.
Tian Nongxi saluted with everyone else.
After the two sat down, Emperor Renxuan said, "Tonight is a family dinner to celebrate my crown prince's birthday. My dear ministers, please don't be too formal."
The eunuch standing beside him shouted: "Let's start the banquet——"
As soon as he finished speaking, musicians holding various instruments such as pipa came in one after another, and maids brought in steaming hot dishes on gold-painted lacquer trays.
The table was packed, but no one was talking.
Only occasionally could one hear Emperor Renxuan's hearty laughter and Empress Lin's gentle persuasion that he eat a certain dish.
The musicians changed the song and many people stood up to congratulate the prince on his birthday.
The banquet gradually became lively, with the sound of clinking glasses filled the air.
Tian Nongxi picked up the fish with chopsticks and glanced at the protagonist of the banquet before he started eating. He bumped into Wen Tingluan's undisguised and focused gaze, and his earlobes turned red in an instant.
She smiled at him and hurriedly lowered her head to stuff food into her mouth.
Before he could even look up, a gentle voice filled his ears: "Your Highness, your servant Qi Yi, would like to present a song. May your Highness enjoy a long and prosperous life, and may your virtue spread far and wide."
After she finished speaking, a melodious flute sound came out of her mouth.
When the song ends, the lingering sound remains.
Wen Tingluan's eyes fell on her, and his tone was calm: "This song is very wonderful, this is a thank you gift." He nodded slightly, and the eunuch standing beside him handed over a brocade box.
After that, the young ladies and gentlemen who said they were showing off their skills but were actually more capable than the other took turns to perform.
Playing the flute, playing the Xiao, dancing, singing, sword dancing...
Tian Nongxi was dazzled.
Lu Zhengqing was not idle either. He whispered with her from time to time, saying which one was the so-and-so she mentioned.
Seeing that Lu Biao's cough was getting louder and louder, Tian Nongxi had no choice but to ask her to stop talking.
This has nothing to do with her. She never whispers in class.
Smiling apologetically towards Lu Biao, Tian Nongxi concentrated on eating the dishes.
About an hour later, the party was still going on, and a few young people left.
Hearing that there were many people standing in front of Wen Tingluan's table, blocking him from view, Tian Nongxi couldn't find a chance to talk to him, so he left on his own.
It was completely dark outside, and the palace lanterns in the corridor illuminated the bright yellow road. She walked among the light and shadows, wondering - should she leave the palace and go home? Which way out of the palace was the way?
The vermilion palace walls made it difficult to distinguish. Looking up, Tian Nongxi made out the three words "Baohedian" on the plaque and chose a path based on his vague memory.
She walked alone for a long time, and the hustle and bustle gradually fell behind her.
I was so tired from walking that I didn't even hear the footsteps getting closer.
"Da da——", a man quickly caught up with her and called her Miss Tian.
Tian Nongxi turned his head and saw that it was a eunuch from the Eastern Palace.
Although she had not met him many times, she had some impression of him.
He asked softly, "What's wrong?"
The man shrilled, suppressing his breath, and said, "His Highness said he is waiting for you in the East Palace. Please rest in the palace."
She looked at him in confusion, but she didn't have any other thoughts. She just wondered why he didn't tell her earlier, making her walk so much in vain.
The eunuch lowered his head and didn't see this. He was so frightened that he said, "His Highness has ordered that if the young lady doesn't rest in the palace today, he will go out to look for her. Please do me a favor. If His Highness leaves the palace tonight, I will be punished by His Majesty tomorrow."
Seeing another sedan chair coming towards them at the end of the long alley, Tian Nongxi nodded politely.
Before getting into the sedan chair, she asked, "How far is it from here to the palace gate?"
The eunuch didn't understand what she meant and said hesitantly, "If the young lady wants to leave, I'm afraid the palace gates will be locked and she won't be able to leave."
Tian Nongxi felt relieved: I wasn’t gone for long, so it was not a loss.
The palace was well connected, so the sedan chair took a different route and Tian Nongxi did not pass through Baohedian.
When I finally stopped, the moon was already hanging high in the sky.
Puying stepped forward and bowed, then led her to the side hall.
After taking a bath, Tian Nongxi half-lay on the chaise longue in the outer room and read a book, his thoughts gradually drifting away.
According to the eunuchs, it seemed that the emperor and empress were not happy to hear that Ting Luan had been living away from home for a long time.
But she had to travel far and wide to find more ways to make money.
If he stayed in the palace, she could only stay with him for half a day.
I don’t know when we will see each other again, so I wait for him with all my energy.
Fortunately, I had slept enough during the day so I didn’t feel sleepy.
I don't know how long it took, but when the candle on the candlestick beside the couch was half burned and Tian Nongxi was a little tired,
There was a gentle knock on the door.
Her eyes immediately brightened, and she jumped off the couch and ran to open the door.
Wen Tingluan stood tall at the door, blocking the bright moonlight.
He stared at her with a smile in his eyes, "You're still here."
Tian Nongxi blushed when she was looked at, responded with two "hmm"s and turned around and walked into the house.
She didn't close the door, so he followed her in naturally.
"Ah?" Tian Nongxi looked back and screamed in fright.
Wen Tingluan was standing against the moonlight, and she could only see his pupils.
Now that he had entered the room, the candlelight in the room was bright, and the blush on his face was nowhere to hide.
Only then did she realize that the faint fragrance he had smelled when he spoke just now was the smell of alcohol.
She casually told him about her discovery, then sat on the chair and smiled at her man, "Xixi, do you want to drink?"
Tian Nongxi: "I declined, thank you."
"Are you drunk?" She bent down and flicked his long eyelashes.
"Yeah, dizzy." Wen Tingluan put his arms around her waist, and his dull voice came through the fabric. Tian Nongxi could hear a hint of coquettishness in his voice.
She thought for a moment, poured him a cup of tea, and said, "Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll make you a bowl of sobering soup."
"Stay with me."
Tian Nongxi replied hesitantly: "That's not right."
She didn't wait for a response, and Wen Tingluan let go of her hand and walked straight into the inner room.
Tian Nongxi wanted to see what he was going to do, so he followed him closely with a teacup in his hand. When he saw him take off his shoes and boots without saying a word and lie down on his couch, he was very upset.
She put down her teacup and shook his shoulder, "You haven't showered yet!!"
Wen Tingluan suddenly pulled her wrist, and Tian Nongxi lost her balance and fell on his hard chest in a panic.
Before she could react, Wen Tingluan put one hand on her head and the other on her waist, then turned over and held her under him.
She was enveloped by the shadow that was getting closer and closer, her heartbeat was chaotic, and she closed her eyes in panic.
The imagined warm touch did not fall on the lips, but instead a gentle pulling sensation came from the scalp.
Tian Nongxi opened half of his eyelid.
Wen Tingluan leaned over and grabbed her hairband in his mouth, pulling it open. Her hair immediately fell all over the bed like a waterfall.
She glared at him, "Are you drunk?" How could he be so agile?
"Hmm?" Wen Tingluan described her eyebrows with his eyes.
After a while, he kissed her forehead where her hair was messy.
His voice was low, as if he was afraid to disturb something: "Why aren't you jealous?"
Tian Nongxi became alert and moved upwards twice, but was pulled back again.
Closing her eyes and suppressing the urge to curse, she began to perform, "I'm jealous? How can I handle it? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has countless beautiful women around him, and I still can't be happy if I don't find one."
Wen Tingluan chuckled softly, looked at her and said, "You're obviously not jealous."
"I don't have a good appetite." Tian Nongxi turned his head away and didn't look at him.
Wen Tingluan's hand had been taken away from her waist at some point, and he grabbed her jaw to make her look directly at him. "But I want you to eat. Can we get married?"
"Crown Princess, Queen, if Xixi wants to be the Queen Mother, I can commit suicide, but not now..." He sniffed the hair of the person beneath him, his voice unclear and sticky due to being drunk, and his breathing was unstable, "I want to accompany you for a while longer."
Tian Nongxi was suffocating under the pressure. He struggled to break free, holding onto Wen Tingluan's shoulders. He looked into his eyes, which were misty with drunkenness. He was dazed for a moment, and put the back of his hand on his burning forehead to measure the temperature. He said disrespectfully, "Where's the emperor? I want to be the emperor."
"Yeah." Wen Tingluan nodded solemnly.
"Hahahahahahahahaha." Tian Nongxi couldn't help laughing a few times, shook his head after a while and said forget it.
"Being an emperor doesn't even have air conditioning, so I don't want to be one."
"Air conditioning?" He kissed her eyes. "What is that?"
Tian Nongxi became interested and repeated the relevant knowledge that was still in her mind. She was very excited and wanted to explain the differences between the energy consumption of different air conditioners.
When he was talking about his dry mouth, Wen Tingluan gave him a mouthful of warm tea.
He slowly wiped away the drops of water from the corners of her mouth, as if he didn't hear her rapid breathing, and asked softly: "No, where has Xixi seen it?"
Bewitched by the voice, Tian Nongxi almost blurted out something, but only after he looked into his deep and boundless eyes did he regain his senses. He paused and said, "Storybook."
She averted her eyes, her throat itching.
"You're drunk. I'll make you a bowl of sobering soup. If you're thirsty, remember to drink some water."
After saying that, she brushed off Wen Tingluan's hand that was trying to stop her, and stumbled out through the door.
When I came back with the hangover soup, Wen Tingluan had already closed his eyes, and his breathing was soft and regular.
Tian Nongxi didn't call him. He put down the bowl, covered him with the quilt, and sat beside the couch, staring at the candlelight in a daze.
The night was long, and she was neither sleepy nor bored, so she simply went out to admire the moon.
Tonight is the Crown Prince's birthday, a great festival that will last for thousands of years. All the palace ladies in the East Palace received rewards and celebrated the festival together.
The side hall was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, but only the eunuch on duty was left staring at the sky bored.
Tian Nongxi walked and walked, stepped through the door and arrived at the prince's bedroom.
The eunuch guarding her saluted and did not stop her.
Tian Nongxi walked in leisurely and saw Puying leading two palace maids out of Wen Tingluan's bedroom.
When they saw her, they all lowered their eyes and saluted, and the half buckets of water in each of their hands did not move.
Puying said that they were doing their daily routine of cleaning the palace and opened the door that Tian Nongxi had just closed.
Tian Nongxi had no intention of entering Wen Tingluan's bedroom, but when she saw the door was open and the sword she had given her was clearly displayed inside, she became interested in taking a look. She changed the subject, thanked Puying, and went in.
Puying lit a candle for her, closed the door and left.
Tian Nongxi was shocked.
She had never been in this room before and didn't know it was so big.
From the outside, she thought the huge, boundless space was the entire house, but when she came in, she found that it was only the outer room. The house actually had three rooms, and the innermost one was more like her bedroom.
Tian Nongxi didn't understand why his large bed could accommodate a football team, but they had to squeeze into the side hall where she could only barely fit two people on the bed.
He just took a quick glance and went back to the outer room, took down the sword hanging on the wall and looked at it carefully for a while.
In order to keep this secret, she almost never opened the sword to look at it.
It took a little effort to pull open the hilt of the sword, and I realized that the sword was slender, straight and as thin as a cicada's wing.
Tian Nongxi tentatively touched the sword with a cool and lustrous luster, but was so cold that he retracted his fingers.
She looked around but couldn't find anything to test the sharpness of the sword, so she just randomly gestured at the air twice.
With just a slight wave, the whistling sound was as sharp as a gust of wind.
Tian Nongxi raised his eyebrows and exclaimed in admiration, wanting to put the sword back into the hilt.
She took two steps forward and picked up the hilt of the sword that was placed on the ground. Because she was not standing firmly, she held on to the pear wood shelf.
Who would have thought that because I forgot to retract the force I just used, the shelf was shaking and looked like it was about to fall over.
Tian Nongxi hurriedly put down his sword and tried to support it, but it was too late.
The shelf was stable, but the porcelain vase on it inexplicably fell over and shattered to the ground.
Looking down at the mess on the ground, Tian Nongxi let out a long sigh.
Judging from the appearance of this porcelain vase, it must be a valuable item.
Even though Wen Tingluan might not blame her, she still blushed in the empty room.
Afraid that someone might step on it, Tian Nongxi squatted down and put all the fragments on the table.
He put his hands on his hips and sighed to the sky.
Suddenly, she noticed an unusual dent on the shelf.
It was a small square piece of wood, slightly lower than the other parts.
It is blocked by the porcelain vase and the color is no different from other places. If you don't look carefully, you can't see it.
Only Tian Nongxi could see something unusual from where he was standing at this moment, but he could not see anything after taking a step forward.
She walked closer, groped for the dent, and pressed hard.
With a click, the wall with a perfect surface moved one centimeter to the left, revealing a corner of a brightly lit dark room.
Tian Nongxi walked over with a frown, pushed it open and went in.
The four walls were densely covered with a pile of pictures. Her pupils suddenly contracted and she even forgot to blink. She stared at them with her mouth unconsciously open.
Although the paintings on the wall are of different styles, it is not difficult to see that they are all of the same person, a woman.
Tian Nongxi approached one of the paintings and examined it carefully. The girl in the painting had vivid features and a beautiful smile. The words on the back were so powerful that they could be seen through the paper.
Yu Ruiyang, Creek, Family
It was Wen Tingluan's handwriting. Although he couldn't understand what it meant, Tian Nongxi's brows relaxed.
The painting was of her, he painted it.
It was a bit outrageous to hang so many paintings on the wall, but Tian Nongxi could accept it.
She decided to pretend she didn't notice and turned to leave.
As he took one last look at the darkroom, his gaze fell on a painting in the corner.
The lines of the painting were messy and it was impossible to tell what was being painted. The strange thing was that the brushwork was different from that of other paintings and was still wet.
A drop of thick black ink dripped down the paper onto the snow-white wall, forming a pool of ink in the corner.
Tian Nongxi walked in again.
【Author’s words】
TT
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