Chapter 37 If Eryuan’s beloved concubine still harbors the infatuation of escaping by water, why not…
The sky was turning a crab-shell blue, and the window paper gradually brightened.
Shu Yao woke up slowly, and Xiao Chengjing was still sleeping with his eyes closed beside her.
Then he stood up and gently pushed his shoulder: "Your Majesty, it's time to get up."
Xiao Chengjing did not open his eyes, but only hummed vaguely.
His arms tightened, and he pulled Shu Yao back into the quilt.
He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice hoarse as if he had just woken from a deep sleep: "Today is a day off, lie down with me for a while." After saying that, his palm rested on her waistline and moved restlessly upwards.
Shu Yao hurriedly held his wrist, her eyes glancing over with a hint of reproach: "If you touch me again now, it will count as two times." She controlled the strength of her hands very skillfully, neither reluctantly nor completely resisting, only her knuckles turned slightly white.
The tip of his nose rubbed against her earlobe, and a low laugh rolled out of his throat: "Since Yaoyao said so..." The ending tone was lingering, with unspeakable enjoyment.
By the time the two of them got up, it was already past noon.
Although it is a ten-day holiday, there are still small court meetings to attend to.
Xiao Chengjing straightened his robe sleeves, leaned over to Shu Yao, who was fastening the jade pendant for him, and teased, "If I come again after dinner, will it count as one?"
Shu Yao fastened the jade pendant properly, raised her eyes and glanced at him, secretly spitting in her heart:
Xiao Chengjing knows how to switch concepts. What she said once and what he said once, are they the same?!
Seeing that she was willing to joke with him, Xiao Chengjing couldn't help but smile, but he didn't dare to be too rude.
Before leaving the palace, he looked back and then walked towards the side hall with confidence.
When they arrived at the Purple Palace.
Seven or eight officials stood solemnly with their hands lowered.
There was a striking touch of red mixed in the purple robe.
Xiao Chengjing's gaze paused, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
I thought to myself: I’m afraid today’s small court meeting will not be peaceful.
After the discussion of the sacrificial matters was over, the red-robed official, seeing the time was ripe, stepped out quickly, prostrated himself, and said, "Your Majesty, I, Zhang Wenqing, the Minister of Works, have a memorial to present."
Xiao Chengjing's eyes settled: "Speak."
The Minister of Works knelt deeply on the ground, but raised his tablet high above his head: "Your Majesty, the royal army has conquered Jin, and the old Jin water system has all become part of our Daliang territory. It should have benefited all the people. But—!" He suddenly raised his head, veins bulging on his forehead, and his eyes blazed like lightning as he shot straight at the purple-robed officials below the imperial steps. He cried out in pain, "The loss of grain in Jin is as high as 37%! I am completely puzzled!" He held the tablet in his hand, his knuckles white from the pressure. "The number approved by the Ministry of Works is clearly 15%! Is this extra 22% lost to the river, or... to woodworms?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Minister of Revenue stepped out steadily, "Your Majesty." He bowed to the throne, then turned to the Minister of Works, a gentle smile on his face. His tone was like that of an elder comforting a younger person, "Minister Zhang's concern for state affairs is commendable. However, with the Autumn Sacrifice approaching, peace and tranquility should be prioritized. Such groundless rumors should be carefully verified by the relevant authorities."
On the throne, Xiao Chengjing half-closed his eyes and tapped his knuckles on the imperial desk, as if the passionate speeches of the two important ministers below the stage were just a little noise in this lengthy court meeting.
until.
The Minister of Works struck the ground with his forehead, a thud echoing through the palace. "I, your humble servant, am willing to guarantee with my life and property that my report is true. I humbly beg Your Majesty to examine this case thoroughly and rectify the situation!"
Xiao Chengjing's gesture of tapping the table came to an abrupt halt.
With just a tiny movement, the hall, which was filled with the sound of arguments just a moment ago, suddenly became silent.
Everyone's heart tightened and they held their breath at the same time.
Let’s put aside the flashing swords and sabers here for now and talk about Shu Yao.
When Shu Yao was putting on makeup in front of the mirror, she suddenly heard Yunxiu let out a low cry.
She looked in the mirror and saw Yunxiu holding the brocade box in a daze, so she turned her head to the side.
Yunxiu hurriedly brought the brocade box closer and whispered, "Madam, is one of the pearl earrings you always wear missing?"
"Maybe I accidentally left it by the lake yesterday." Shu Yao picked up the remaining earring, frowning slightly, as if she was recalling every detail of yesterday.
Upon hearing this, Yunxiu hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and asked, "My Lady, would you like me to take someone to the lake to search?"
I have been to the lake three times in the past few days.
If I go looking for it now, I'm afraid it will arouse Xiao Chengjing's suspicion.
Thinking of this, Shu Yao said in a low voice: "No need, just get a new one." After saying that, her heart suddenly skipped a beat: Could it be that yesterday's appointment was also a test?
At dusk, Shu Yao followed the palace rules and went to Shen Jingshu's palace to report for duty.
The man just stood still.
Zhao Wan was sharp-eyed, her gaze paused slightly beside her ear, then she smiled and said, "Sister Ayao, this pair of new pendants is really a compliment! They are glittering and more noble than the previous one, and they suit you perfectly." As she spoke, she took her hand affectionately.
Shen Jingshu also cast a gentle glance at her. Seeing that Shu Yao had indeed changed into a new pair, a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes: "Ayao usually dresses very simply, but today she is wearing something new. But the original pair is not suitable for her anymore?"
Shu Yao replied calmly, "I didn't change it on purpose. I accidentally lost one of the pair I usually wear, so I had to change it temporarily."
"Lost..." Shen Jingshu frowned slightly, her tone still gentle, but with an imperceptible solemnity. "Ayao, the earrings are close to my body. If they really disappeared out of thin air..." Her eyes turned slightly, as if invisible thoughts flashed through her mind. "It's better to report this to His Majesty, so as to avoid any unnecessary complications in the future."
Shu Yaoben nodded in agreement with Shen Jingshu's words, but suddenly, a chill silently ran up her spine.
She was so busy escaping that she forgot that the palace was full of dirty tricks to kill people without spilling blood.
Thinking of this, she looked at Shen Jingshu who had given her advice, and her eyes unconsciously showed a sense of dependence.
I just feel that this nominal rival in love is more like a reliable colleague who can temporarily communicate with me in this situation.
On the way back to the palace, he happened to meet a group of palace servants holding sacrificial utensils and walking silently along the palace road.
Shu Yao paused and casually asked Yun Xiu, "Look at this scene. Is there any important event happening in the palace recently?"
Yunxiu didn't think much about it and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, it's for the Heavenly Sacrifice. I heard that the Shangyi Bureau was pressing for action, so we've also deployed some of our palace staff to help. Therefore, we're stepping up preparations inside and outside, and we dare not make any mistakes."
"Sacrifice to Heaven?"
The figures of the palace ladies disappeared around the corner of the vermilion palace wall, leaving only emptiness.
Looking at the empty palace road, Shu Yao felt a slight warmth in her heart.
Xiao Chengjing is going to leave the palace for a while?
The more I think about it, the more I feel hopeful about the future.
Therefore, when Xiao Chengjing came in the evening, Shu Yao did not stop smiling immediately for the first time in her life.
Xiao Chengjing approached with night dew on his body, and saw that her brows relaxed when she saluted, unlike her cold and distant self in the past, and his eyes couldn't help but move slightly.
"Is your Majesty here?" she asked softly, and naturally handed over a cup of warm tea, just like an ordinary wife welcoming her husband who came home late.
Xiao Chengjing took the cup of tea and his eyes moved slowly across her face, as if he wanted to discern some authenticity from this rare tenderness.
Although there was a smile on his lips, the teasing he said was tinged with probing: "What? You don't welcome me?"
"Your Majesty, what are you talking about..." Shu Yao covered the corners of her lips with her sleeves, but the light in her eyes was brighter than the candlelight on the desk.
"I heard you were going to the southern suburbs to offer sacrifices?" she asked, her voice filled with unconcealed joy. "And today is the third time this month..." Seeing him raise an eyebrow, she quickly lowered her head, but the rising tone at the end still betrayed her worries. "I'm afraid... I won't be able to see Your Majesty for some time."
No wonder her eyes were full of joy.
Xiao Chengjing felt inexplicably unhappy, so he decided to make things clear.
He leaned closer, leaning over to her ear. "There's indeed a waterway in Taiye Lake that leads outside the palace walls. But..." He deliberately lowered his voice, slowly whispering each word against her eardrum, "There's a fine iron fence in the water. Not to mention people, even slightly larger fish would have trouble getting through." Finally, almost touching her ear, he chuckled softly and said, "If my beloved still harbors the idea of escaping by water, it's best to give up the idea as soon as possible. That waterway is definitely not passable."
Shu Yao was startled by his sudden proximity, but it only lasted for a moment before she returned to normal.
Far from retreating, she lifted her head, meeting his dark gaze. "So, Your Majesty is so worried about me running away?" Her voice held a hint of playful teasing, and her eyes flickered with a hint of amusement. "Then wouldn't it be better if Your Majesty brought me along during the sacrifice, watching over me every step of the way?"
If it was just an ordinary sacrifice, Xiao Chengjing would naturally be willing to take her with him, but this time...
His eyes darkened slightly, and he raised his hand to stroke her cheek, his movements as slow as brushing against a newly opened petal.
"Yaoyao, this is..." He lowered his voice even lower, with a hint of ambiguity and tenderness, deliberately misinterpreting her, "You can't leave me for a moment, you want to go with me?"
Shu Yao hadn't originally pinned high hopes on the aqueduct, but now that Xiao Chengjing's words softened, her mind raced. She felt that if she could go along, her chances of escaping would be even greater. She decided to play along, nestling her face in his warm palm. She raised her eyebrows slightly, "If Your Majesty requires me to beg you profusely before you agree..." She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, a hint of a half-smile in her eyes, "Then I don't want to go."
He chuckled softly, his breath brushing her ear: "I can take you there, it's not impossible." He put his arm around her waist and brought her into his arms, his intentions clear as day.
Although Shu Yao was held in his arms, she knew that she had the upper hand in this contest, so how could she let him dominate the situation?
She slipped her arms around his neck, tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling. "Your Majesty, please remember this: today is the third time this month." Her fingertips gently brushed across his collarbone beneath his shirt. "Your Majesty, your words are not to be trifled with. If I follow you, you must not find excuses to break your promise."
"Okay." He heard himself say this, his tone unexpectedly indulgent. As if awakened, he immediately added with a hardened heart, "The etiquette will be complicated and the journey will be tiring. Don't be too hard on yourself."
Hard?
Shu Yao sneered.
Could it be any harder than it is now?
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The author has something to say: Oh, sorry, I took a day off and came back to post something so short [pigeon]
I will definitely make up for what I owed yesterday later, but I’m not sure about the exact date yet [Clown]
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