Chapter 34
An hour later.
Qu Watanabe left the Stargazing Department with some papers.
Ye Xiaoyuan was in a daze, watching his own prince and the deputy director of the Astronomical Bureau go from being unfamiliar and polite to being familiar with each other in just one page of time.
After Qu Dubian clearly stated that he was very interested in math, Zhang Chansi struggled to increase the favorability of the cricket pupa, and finally broke through from the initial 7 to 11. In such a short time, it increased by 4 points!
If now was not the right time, he really wanted to let Zhang Chansi recite the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art from beginning to end. Wouldn't that add thirty or forty times?
Fortunately, he resisted the temptation and suppressed the idea that would turn him into a little devil.
On the paper were the math problems that Zhang Chansi had left for him.
Qu Dubian planned to give the finished work to her after the matter of posthumously conferring the title on Concubine Yun was completed.
After returning to the Zichen Palace, Ye Xiaoyuan pulled Wen Xiaochun out, and neither of them spoke for a while.
In the end, it was Wen Xiaochun who spoke first, "I didn't handle it properly. I promise that this kind of thing won't happen again."
He examined himself seriously.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "How do you do it?"
Wen Xiaochun: "If there is a next time, I will definitely fill some cotton wool inside my clothes to change my body shape."
Ye Xiaoyuan, "If there is a next time, find out who is on patrol today to avoid running into them."
Neither of them realized that they had already subconsciously believed that such murder and arson would happen a second time, and they both accepted it very naturally.
They were not thinking about how to avoid it, but discussing how to clean up after revenge without involving their own prince.
Ye Xiaoyuan took a deep breath, "His Highness is protecting you, so I won't say much. The result will be good in the end. Be quiet for a while. When you see a patrol team when you go out, it's best to keep your head down and avoid them. Or, it's best not to go out."
Wen Xiaochun said sullenly: "Then what should I do?"
Ye Xiaoyuan thought: "You can do the homework that Master Fang assigned to His Highness. It's a good opportunity for you to practice calligraphy. His Highness is still recuperating and can't be too tired. If His Highness wants to write it himself, ask him to do it. If he doesn't want to, use your writing instead."
He had a vague feeling that His Highness was just practicing calligraphy on his own, learning unfamiliar words and characters with a purpose, and was not very enthusiastic about the lessons assigned by the other party's tutor.
Wen Xiaochun: "Okay."
-
A few days later.
The mansion holding a sword.
News about the Seventh Prince gradually reached the Marquis' Mansion.
Hearing that he was fine and almost recovered from his illness, Mrs. Hou finally felt relieved.
"The one responsible for tomorrow's posthumous banquet is the Guanglu Temple, right?"
Xu Jianyan, the second brother of Marquis Chijian, is currently serving as the Minister of Guanglu Temple. He is old but has done an idle job, and his beloved son has failed the imperial examinations many times.
However, the relationship between the Marquis' Mansion and the second branch Xu Jianyan's family almost completely broke off after Xu Yueqing was made a concubine and entered the palace, and they only managed to maintain some decency on the surface.
"Madam, yes, they have been busy for a long time." Fang Mama said, "It is said that they have inquired about the taste preferences of the Seventh Prince in the main kitchen, and the ingredients used for the Seventh Prince are all the best."
"They really refuse to give up. Seeing that the Seventh Prince is gradually gaining attention from His Majesty, they try to curry favor with him again," said Old Lady Hou.
"He is so stupid that he uses all his tricks on his own family. That is a ceremonial meal. If it exceeds the standard, it will not be a good thing for the Seventh Prince."
She frowned slightly and stopped trimming the branches. "Does the third family know?"
Mother Fang: "Of course I know."
Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Er are different. After the family split up, the second son's family at least still had an official position as the Minister of Guanglu Temple, but the third son's family fell into the situation of doing business in the capital.
Xu Laosan and his wife have lived in a temple deep in the mountains all year round and have not taken care of household affairs. The person in charge of Xu Laosan's household now is his second son, Qu Dubian's cousin, named Xu Tingfeng.
Marquis Chijian once raised him as his own son and took him to the northern border to fight in the battlefield. However, only two years later, Xu Tingfeng was sentenced to a heavy sentence for violating military regulations. As a result, both his legs were crippled and he was sent back home.
From then on, Xu Tingfeng became depressed and never mentioned military affairs again. He even gave up the imperial examination and picked up the business way which was full of the smell of money and despised by scholars.
Now, everyone in the capital city knows that Xu Laosan's family resented Marquis Chijian because of Xu Tingfeng's matter, and they have had no contact with him for several years.
Madam Hou: "Do you think Ting Feng will interfere with the banquet?"
Mother Fang: "This... Young Master Tingfeng is a businessman, can he manage the affairs of the Guanglu Temple?"
Madam Hou inserted the trimmed plum branches into a low-mouthed vase.
"We'll know after we see whether His Majesty will punish the Guanglu Temple this time."
-
Xu Mansion.
The third family.
Smoke rose from the kitchen.
Xu Tingfeng was busy in the kitchen. The servant who pushed his wheelchair behind him said helplessly, "Master, take a rest. Call us."
“Oh, that won’t do.”
Xu Tingfeng ground the corn into powder and twisted it with his hand. He had a pair of reserved phoenix eyes and his smile was not murderous at all. Instead, he looked like a very gentle Confucian general. "This meal is special."
The servant was puzzled: "What's so special about it?"
Xu Tingfeng smiled and said, "When the children of my Xu family are able to eat by themselves, they must eat a bowl of ancestral rice."
"What kind of meal?"
"Wheat soup. It must be made by the elders themselves, so that it can be blessed by the ancestors," Xu Tingfeng rolled out the dough. "His mother and I have eaten it. Even if he doesn't know the meaning behind it, he should try it."
However, his salty wheat soup is a modified version, and people who are not familiar with it will definitely not be able to recognize it.
The servant was puzzled: "Is there another child growing up in the Second Master's family?"
Xu Tingfeng did not answer him. She waited until the next morning, when the servants had taken two shifts. Then she put the prepared wheat salty soup into the lunch box and carried it herself.
"Go ahead, push me to the back door."
The wheelchair rolled to the back door of Xu's house. After it was opened, a low-key carriage was parked outside. The sound of the door opening was heard and a hand stretched out from behind the curtain of the carriage.
Xu Tingfeng handed the lunch box to the servant: "Hand it over."
The servant handed over the lunch box swiftly, and the person in the carriage took the lunch box without even showing his face. The coachman drove away.
From beginning to end, Xu Tingfeng did not have any communication with the people in the carriage.
The servant scratched his head and said, "Master, is the meal you cooked a gift?"
"Well, what's wrong?"
"Uh... I just think that the appearance of the rice is really..." It's hard to say.
Xu Tingfeng: "What do you know? That's called simplicity."
And even if he was beaten, the blame would never fall on him. He was an ordinary businessman with a clean record. What did he know about court affairs?
-
Fengde Hall.
The posthumous ceremony started at nine o'clock.
This day was indeed a sunny day as Zhang Chansi had said.
Although it was cold, the sky was cloudless and blue.
After the people from the Taichang Temple finished playing music, the empress led her concubines into the palace.
Only the concubines in the rank of imperial concubines could have a cushion in the palace. The rest had to kneel outside the palace in the cold weather, guarding a small table.
Qu Watanabe got up very early today and put on some particularly solemn clothes.
The inside is pure white and the outside is black. The pattern of a peony is outlined on the fabric with thread of the same color, which glows luxuriously in the sun.
At this moment, he was standing at the foot of the high steps of Fengde Hall, alone.
According to the rules, as the biological son of Concubine Yun, he had to walk this section of the road alone to show respect.
But he was too young, and Emperor Chongzhao wanted to make an exception and ask Ye Xiaoyuan to accompany him up, but Qu Duanbian refused. He was not a real child, and this was a very important matter for the original body. It was reasonable that he should finish the journey by himself.
Emperor Chongzhao stood at the top of the steps, looking at the little black guy below. He thought of his weakness with a red face due to fever a few days ago, and his various unreliable behaviors in the Purple Palace in the past few days, and his heart began to beat slowly.
Can this kid really walk up by himself?
The people from the Ministry of Rites sang from below: "The time has come!"
Qu Dubian turned his head to look at Wen Xiaochun who was looking at him worriedly, gave him a reassuring look, and then took the first step steadily.
One step at a time.
For a two-year-old child, it is actually a very difficult hill to climb.
But the many officials from the Ministry of Rites, Taichang Temple, and Guanglu Temple who were performing ceremonies around him were staring at this little prince who was once a taboo in the palace - he walked very slowly.
But it is very stable.
He seemed to know that this was an extremely important matter to his mother.
So he focused all his attention on his feet, fearing that he would take a wrong step.
Even though he had never experienced his mother's love and care.
That seriousness makes people feel sad.
Emperor Chongzhao also had mixed feelings. When the little black radish head stepped steadily onto the last step and stopped in front of him, he stretched out his sleeves.
"Follow me."
Qu Dubian held onto Emperor Chongzhao's sleeve - it was not that he didn't want to shake hands, but because he was too short. If he shook hands, Emperor Chongzhao would have to walk with his back bent.
The concubines on both sides knelt on the futons, lowering their heads slightly.
After entering the hall, Qu Dubian knelt down in front of his own cushion and looked up at the tablet in front of him, on which was newly engraved the posthumous title of Concubine Yun for the empress.
Emperor Chongzhao and the empress stood together. The empress held a copper lamp with nine candles in her hand. Emperor Chongzhao lit it himself and the empress held the lamp and presented it to him.
The queen led all the concubines to pay homage. Except for her and the emperor, everyone else needed to kowtow three times.
Qu Watanabe also followed them.
After the complicated etiquette, the ceremonial officer said, "It's noon, let's have the ceremonial meal!"
The palace servants carried the meals sent by the Guanglu Temple and served them to everyone according to their assigned seats. The specifications of the ceremonial meals for each seat were different.
A copy was also placed in front of Qu Watanabe.
According to the rules, he needed to finish the meal and then bring one of Concubine Yun's relics into the Fengde Hall.
I heard from Ye Banban that Guanglu Temple Minister was his grandfather's second brother, so the food prepared for him shouldn't be too bad? With this mentality, he opened the lunch box.
There was only a bowl of grayish-yellow hot soup in the lunch box, and there were a few strips of unknown substance in the soup.
“………”
The hand holding the spoon trembled slightly, and Qu Dubian fell silent.
Looking at the ladies around, the ceremonial meals were very neat and orderly, at least they looked beautiful.
Ye Xiaoyuan was waiting on both sides of the hall. When he saw the situation over there from a distance, his face immediately turned ugly.
"this……"
Including the Queen, several ladies who were close to him were hesitant, and Concubine Lan looked over in surprise. He was a prince, and he was using difficult means in such an occasion. Did he not want the head of the Minister of Guanglu Temple?
Moreover, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites is related to the Seventh Prince, so what's the purpose of preparing the ceremonial meal in this way?
The Queen said, "Perhaps the Guanglu Temple staff made a mistake. Your Majesty, why don't you change the bowl? I'm afraid I'll feel uncomfortable after eating this meal."
Emperor Chongzhao: "The number of ceremonial meals is fixed. It would be against the rules to change it. Just eat it as it is."
Concubine Lan was stunned, then she felt happy. The other concubines looked at each other in bewilderment. It seemed that His Majesty did not value the Seventh Prince as much as they thought?
Those among them who were hesitant about competing for the position of the seventh prince's adoptive mother became even more hesitant. On the one hand, they hoped to have a child of their own, but on the other hand, they were concerned about the benefits of suddenly having a prince.
If the Seventh Prince was raised by them but was disliked by Emperor Chongzhao, wouldn't that be a loss?
Qu Dubian took a bite reluctantly.
Um?
He took another bite.
Huh? It's actually delicious.
It doesn’t look very good, but the chunks inside have a wheaty aroma, and the fish meat wrapped in it doesn’t have any fishy smell at all and melts in your mouth.
The soup is salty, slightly sour, and at just the right temperature, and it's quite appetizing.
Concubine Xuan in the back row put down her chopsticks and said, "The Seventh Prince is still young, so you don't have to finish the courtesy meal. Just eat one or two bites."
Qu Dubian picked up the bowl and said, "It's okay, Empress Xuan, this is delicious."
Of course it is delicious. This is the Xu family’s wheat salty soup. Emperor Chongzhao recognized it because he was curious about it and Concubine Yun cooked it herself once.
It looks scary, but it tastes really good and is also suitable for children.
Emperor Chongzhao looked at the bowl of rice with his eyes slightly narrowed. He rubbed the ring on his thumb with the joint of his right index finger. No one knew what he was thinking.
Of course, he didn't know that in the eyes of the ceremonial officials, concubines, Ye Xiaoyuan and others present, his behavior was quite chilling.
Ye Xiaoyuan didn't dare to be angry or say anything. He could only open his eyes and watch his prince finish the meal mouthful by mouthful.
How can that bowl of rice that looks so unpalatable be delicious?
His Majesty has been treating Your Highness well these past few days, and the little prince has become increasingly friendly toward His Majesty. It is inevitable that his longing and expectation for his father will rise again in his heart.
Since His Majesty ordered him to eat, how could His Highness not eat under such circumstances?
Concubine Xuan was wondering, when his Majesty came to her palace to pick up the Seventh Prince that day, he showed a hint of tenderness, compared to his current indifference, which one was real and which one was fake.
There was only a small bowl. After finishing it, Qu Dubian showed it off, "It's very clean."
Completely unaware of the mental activities of other people around you.
Emperor Chong Zhao saw his youngest son's bright eyes. He had gotten used to eating with his youngest son these days, so he subconsciously said, "Not bad."
The father and son were the only ones who were completely unaware of the drama in which the emperor was indifferent and refused to exchange the gift of food, while the little prince was sensible and filial and only sought his father's approval.
After the ceremonial meal, the palace maid presented a long square box.
When you open it, you'll see a framed scroll inside.
Emperor Chongzhao took out the scroll and said, "This is one of your mother's relics. It is related to your name."
He untied the silk seal and the scroll unfolded.
In the picture, there is lonely smoke in the desert and the setting sun is as red as blood.
The back of a woman in green clothes and black hair sitting on the city wall of the frontier city in the northern border became the foothold of leisurely light and shadow, and her raised hair revealed a sense of happiness.
There is an inscription written on the side: Cold geese flying outside the Great Wall, singing long songs.
Emperor Chongzhao recalled: "The painting was brought by her, and the poem was written when she was pregnant with you. Your name comes from this."
He was reminiscing, but Qu Dubian became quiet.
I recited the poem again in my mind, and an image of a woman in green clothes emerged in my mind. She was standing in front of a window in the setting sun. The light of the setting sun shone through the window lattice and fell on the scroll. I picked up my pen and wrote this poem.
What was she thinking when she put pen to paper?
Is it the past that we can never go back to, or the cold yet free wind at the frontier.
The wild goose that flew from the frontier to the capital was finally trapped in the magnificent cage of the imperial city and eventually died in the cage, but she hoped that her children could be free.
A painting, a poem.
It is the love and expectation that a mother didn't have time to express.
The palace maid rerolled the scroll and handed it to Qu Dubian, who personally sealed the scroll into the grid of Fengde Hall.
Then bow respectfully.
He is a man who hates trouble, but he has a narrow mind. Since he has inherited this bloodline, the kinship and blessings left by Concubine Yun, he will definitely find out the real culprit behind the scenes.
He is here to avenge this blood feud.
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