Chapter 59 Say Some Nice Things
After Lan Wu told Chu Mingheng about the dam, it was as if a major problem had been solved in her heart. However, she did not know whether Chu Mingheng had sent anyone to investigate the Sanzhou Canal Dam. Several times when she saw Chu Mingheng come to her palace, she couldn't help but ask, but she was afraid of being exposed, so she could only keep it to herself.
She was anxious; as the days passed, the rain at the end of August was drawing ever closer.
Finally, she couldn't resist any longer and went to the Imperial Study again.
Chu Mingheng was not surprised by her arrival; his expression was calm, which only made Lan Wu seem more anxious.
Lan Wu couldn't concentrate on her book. Seeing that Chu Mingheng was ignoring her, she got up to say she was going back.
"Stand still." He put down the booklet in his hand and looked up at Lan Wu, who had stood up and was looking down at him with a displeased expression.
Lan Wu stopped and reached out to fiddle with the gemstone beads on her wrist.
Today she was wearing a silver-red brocade satin dress embroidered with hibiscus flowers. The cinched waist accentuated her slender figure, and she had a rosy complexion, bright eyes, and white teeth, but she still looked a little sullen.
From Chu Mingheng's angle, he could only see the lower half of her face. Her lips, smeared with rouge, were gently pursed, and her mouth was moving slightly as if she were silently muttering something.
"I remember, your birthday is coming up soon." He spoke softly, and with just one sentence, Lan Wu raised her head, revealing her charming little face.
Lan Wu's heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth, then seemed to remember something, and a blush rose to her face.
In her previous life, Chu Mingheng hosted a banquet for her birthday at Xu Garden.
Should we do it for her in this life too?
Lan Wu responded softly, then looked at Chu Mingheng: "We're almost there. I'll be seventeen soon."
Chu Mingheng asked her to come over.
When Lan Wu was held in his arms, he kissed her rosy cheeks and stuffed a booklet into her hand.
"I had the Imperial Household Department arrange it beforehand, without going through the concubines in the harem. Since it's my birthday, let's make it lively."
"Awu likes lively atmospheres, doesn't she?"
Lan Wu opened the booklet and saw the arrangements. Her birthday banquet, as a mere concubine, was almost on par with that of the three imperial consorts.
That's not the point. The point is that this time it wasn't held at Xu Garden. It's hot in the summer, so the banquet was planned to be held at Kongshan Garden.
Lan Wu looked at the somewhat unfamiliar name and glanced uneasily at Chu Mingheng.
Kongshan Garden was built in the middle of Biwei Lake, and one had to take a boat to get there. It was built by the late emperor for Empress Dowager Jingwen. However, after its completion, Empress Dowager Jingwen only visited it once, and it was left idle. The late emperor never went there again.
The place was beautiful, but without an imperial decree, no one dared to set foot there. Only the palace servants who swept and cleaned it every day kept the Kongshan Garden looking as if it had just been built.
Even when Consort Rou invited people to go boating on the lake last time, they couldn't get on the boat when it reached the vicinity of Kongshan Garden; they only caught a glimpse of it from afar.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you not like me?" Chu Mingheng lowered his head slightly, his voice carrying a smile, but there was no real question in his words.
Lan Wu tightened her grip on the booklet and said she liked it.
In both her previous and current lives, she has never been to Kongshan Garden.
Her unease stemmed from Chu Mingheng.
She knew far too little about this young, noble, and cold-hearted emperor.
All that is known is that Chu Mingheng was born as the Crown Prince. Empress Dowager Jingwen gave birth to him but did not raise him much. When the Crown Prince was three years old, his birth mother fell seriously ill. The late emperor ordered that the Crown Prince be handed over to the then Consort, who later became Empress Dowager Cimin, to raise him. Five years later, a fire burned down Kunning Palace, and both empress dowagers perished in the fire.
After that, the Crown Prince was raised by the late Emperor until the late Emperor passed away and Chu Mingheng ascended the throne.
"If you like it, that's good. Kongshan Garden is cool and refreshing. I worry that you'll get tired of playing and run wild in other places."
Lan Wu felt her reputation had been unfairly tarnished by him and couldn't help but retort, "How could I possibly act wildly?"
"You always talk about me like that, can't you say anything nice about me?"
"They said that if you say bad things too often, people who aren't like that will be seen as that by the person who said them."
At this point, Lan Wu looked up at Chu Mingheng, her tone aggrieved and helpless: "Please say something nice about me."
As soon as she finished speaking, Lan Wu's lips were sealed. She raised her head, but her neck had no support, and she was about to fall backward when Chu Mingheng reached out and pressed her down with one hand. She opened her lips and let him do as he pleased.
He was only released after making muffled humming sounds and being enveloped in the scent of another person.
Her watery eyes were kissed, and Chu Mingheng said kind words as she had asked.
"Awu is so beautiful."
"She really knows how to act cute."
Lan Wu suddenly realized the purpose of her visit and hurriedly pushed him away a little. The sunlight outside the window was bright, and the light shining through the window shone on the palace carpet, making the gold threads on the carpet look exceptionally beautiful.
She just glanced at it sideways and couldn't help but mutter to herself:
"Didn't we not have any last time...?"
Just when I thought Chu Mingheng would ignore me, I heard him casually say, "Didn't you complain that the floor of my study was too hard? Now it's soft."
Lan Wu didn't know what to say for a moment, but she was happy nonetheless. She didn't even realize that she was smiling. She took a sip of tea to moisten her throat, looked around, and thought about how to find an excuse to ask.
After thinking for a while, seeing that Chu Mingheng was about to deal with official business, she quickly turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and had no choice but to speak frankly.
"Your Majesty, have you had anyone go and take a look at that dike?"
Lan Wu lowered her arm, pressed her palm to her chest, and said timidly, "Whenever I think of that dream, I feel terrified, Your Majesty..."
Chu Mingheng narrowed his eyes slightly and looked down at her as she pretended.
When Lan Wu's head nuzzled closer, he suddenly asked, "Does A-Wu know who the minister was in charge of repairing the Sanzhou Canal two years ago?"
Lan Wu froze, quickly recalling what she had just thought of.
In her previous life, she only felt that the atmosphere in the palace was tense because the emperor was furious, which made all the civil and military officials tremble with fear, and even the harem was much more obedient.
Chu Mingheng rarely entered the inner palace. Every time he came to her palace, he was as usual. She dared not ask too many questions and remained obedient as always. However, at night, she could still sense the emperor's displeasure, which made her cry. She guessed that Chu Mingheng liked this kind of thing and would not let her go even when she cried.
But when she was really sad or upset, Chu Mingheng would always notice immediately and stop to comfort her.
Some time later, the atmosphere in the palace became even more tense, because Chu Mingheng had issued an edict to behead many people. This matter had far-reaching implications, and many people in and out of the court were busy protecting themselves.
Thinking back to the present, Lan Wu frowned. She knew nothing about court affairs, so naturally she didn't know who she was involved with.
Unable to utter a single word, she simply shook her head: "This concubine does not know."
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