157 Chapter 157
◎Liangdi. ◎
Liu Bo was not born during the Yuanding period. As for whether Madam Li had other children in her previous life, Liu Ju really couldn't remember.
This was related to Liu Ju's age. Firstly, he was at an age where he should not look too closely at his father's harem. Secondly, he had already started learning about state affairs and military affairs from his father at that time, and had no time to pay attention to the fact that his father had more children.
For Liu Ju at this time in his previous life, his three brothers had already been crowned kings and no longer posed a threat to him. Even if his father had ten or eight more sons, he would not think they could pose a threat to him.
And in this life, Liu Ju would never think that this child who was fifteen or sixteen years younger than him would be a threat, even if this child would be a prince.
Not only Liu Ju, but Wei Zifu also had a lukewarm reaction to this. She just fulfilled her duties as queen, ordered the female doctor to take care of Lady Li, and gave her rewards according to custom.
Unlike the mother and son, Madam Li was ecstatic about the arrival of the child. She had been accompanying the emperor for many years, and although she still doted on him, she felt helpless without a child, so she had always been depressed. Now that she finally had a child, it could be said that her wish had come true and it was an unexpected surprise.
Because of this child, Madam Li wanted to take the opportunity to seek some benefits for her brothers from her natal family. After all, the Emperor also expressed his joy for the child, but the Queen stopped her in time.
Wei Zifu said, "I'm nosy, and you might think I have bad intentions, but that's all I'm saying. Your Majesty's decision to promote someone is entirely up to Himself. If He doesn't want to use someone, no one's opinion will help."
Having accompanied the Emperor for many years, Madam Li naturally understood the Emperor's temper, but she was still a little unwilling: "Your Highness, I have endured all these years and finally got this opportunity. I really..."
Wei Zifu simply said, "That's all I have to say."
After saying this, the Queen returned to the Pepper Palace regardless of Madam Li's attempts to persuade her to stay.
It is a great honor to have the Queen condescend to come and see her. Madam Li is not stupid. She has always been very clear about these things. The Queen is a kind-hearted person. Most of the women in the harem are taken care of by her, especially those who are not so favored. If it were not for the Queen, who could have a good life?
But at the same time, the queen has never been stupid. She does not rely solely on the prince and the general to gain a foothold in the harem. The queen has her own skills and brains. If the emperor wants to have a worry-free harem, he really cannot do without her.
After much thought, Mrs. Li finally gritted her teeth and endured it. She had a child, and she couldn't let the previous favor be ruined because of this incident.
…
In the blink of an eye, it was March. All the cement roads in Chang'an City were repaired, and projects in other places were also being carried out in an orderly manner. After the cement roads were repaired, it would be more convenient for business. His Majesty the Emperor was already planning to raise the taxes levied on merchants again, and of course Liu Ju had to be called by his father to help.
However, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince soon asked for leave because Qing Yue would be welcomed into the Crown Prince's Palace in mid-March.
——Fusu and Li Chengqian both expressed their congratulations in the group chat. Li Ying, who was able to congratulate on the spot, rarely said anything that Liu Ju didn't like to hear.
Liu Ju knew that in the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor, not to mention being a Concubine Liang, even being the Crown Princess was of no importance - as far as personal feelings were concerned. However, Liu Ju knew that Qing Yue was the person he wanted to spend his life with. Even if he couldn't give her a formal ceremony now, he still didn't want to miss out on the courtesy he could show her.
"You have to give me two or three days off, Uncle. I still have to treat people to a drink and a banquet." Liu Ju counted on his fingers, "At least four days!"
Liu Che smiled and said, "It can't be too shabby. This is my first time welcoming someone into the house, so I have to show my dignity."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Really? Then how much leave do you plan to give me?"
"Four days is too short. I'll give you another day." Liu Che said with a smile, "The Crown Prince's Palace, Bowang Garden, royal relatives, and the nobles in the court, have them remember you and don't leave anyone behind."
Liu Ju was surprised and asked, "Ah Weng, I need to invite so many people?"
Liu Che nodded and smiled, "You think there are too many people? When you have a happy event, it's natural for the whole country to celebrate. When it comes to the wedding, you will have to invite even more people."
The prince's wedding ceremony can indeed make people dizzy and exhausted. Liu Ju had experienced all of this in his previous life.
"I understand, old man. I'll have someone make a list for me when I get back." Liu Ju thought to himself, "I'll also have to ask Zhang He, Huo Guang and the others to help me with the drinking, otherwise I'm sure to get drunk with so many people."
Liu Che smiled and said, "I'll think of a way for you. Let your cousin block the wine for you."
Liu Ju laughed and said, "It's such a small matter. It's a waste of talent to ask the Champion Marquis for help."
But on the first day of the banquet, Liu Ju knew that his father's suggestion was absolutely correct. Even though the guests were divided into five days, there were still too many guests. Even though the alcohol content was low these days and he had a good alcohol tolerance, he still couldn't hold it. As for Zhang He, Huo Guang and others, they were all drunk and stayed in the Prince's Palace to rest for the night.
Fortunately, the next day was the day when Qing Yue officially entered the Prince's Palace. Before dawn, Liu Ju went to invite Marquis Guanjun, so he had peace and quiet during the day.
The Crown Prince has a noble status, but is easy to talk to; the Marquis of Guanjun is not as noble as the Crown Prince, but... he is very difficult to talk to.
Is there anyone in the world who dares to drink the wine of Champion Hou?
So when the banquet ended that day, there was finally no drunkard left in the Prince's Palace.
Liu Ju bowed and smiled, "Thank you, cousin. You must come again tomorrow."
Huo Qubing also smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, we will take our leave first. Crown Prince...you are busy."
Zhang He and the others all laughed cheerfully: "Your Highness, you are busy!"
Liu Ju: “…”
"Cousin, you have really become a bad person." Liu Ju said seriously.
Huo Qubing said, "I think he learned it from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Liu Ju angrily drove them all away, then took a shower and changed his clothes before going to the bedroom.
The attendants came forward to greet them and pay their respects. Liu Ju asked, "Has Lady Liang had her meal?"
The lady-in-waiting replied, "According to your Highness's instructions, the meals were delivered on time."
Liu Ju nodded. The door to the bedroom was already open. The people inside had heard the news long ago and were all welcoming His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
"No need for this." Liu Ju held Qing Yue's hand and helped him up. "We'll see each other every day from now on. This is too tedious and a bit unfamiliar."
Qing Yue had been mentally prepared for a long time, but she couldn't help but sweat on her palms. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "This is the etiquette."
Liu Ju laughed and said, "But the etiquette between husband and wife is not like this."
Qing Yue was surprised. She looked up at the prince. The young man's bright eyes were staring at him intently, just like when they met by chance outside the Pepper Room that day.
"Don't be afraid." Liu Ju stroked her hair gently. "This is our own home. There's no need to talk about those outside etiquettes. No one dares to say anything bad about you."
Qing Yue bit her lip. Although she still didn't know what the prince was thinking, at least his attitude made her feel a long-lost sense of security.
Qing Yue nodded slowly.
Liu Ju took her hand and sat down at the table. He asked, "You know I have three sisters. What about you? Besides your two brothers, do you have any other sisters?"
Such a homely topic was easy to talk about, and Qing Yue replied: "I have a little sister. She is in Lu State and stays with my mother."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "They really like coming to Chang'an to play. If they are interested, you can move your family to Chang'an. In the future, when you miss your family, you can summon them to the palace to meet them at any time."
Qing Yue thought for a moment, and seeing the cheerful look on the Crown Prince's face, he said truthfully, "Your Highness, I cannot make the decision for your mother. I must ask their opinion."
"Of course." Liu Ju nodded. "There are more people in the palace than at home, but there aren't many you need to worry about. You don't usually see His Majesty, but if you do, it's nothing. Don't be afraid. He has always treated me with the greatest love, and since he loves me and everyone in his family, he will naturally treat you the same way."
Qing Yue nodded hesitantly: "...Okay."
Liu Ju knew that his father's reputation among the princes was probably similar to Wei Huo's in the eyes of the Huns, but it was not a good idea to play such a joke on her at this moment, for fear that she would take it seriously, so he just pretended that he didn't notice anything.
Liu Ju continued, "You have to go to your mother's place every day to pay your respects. I have to go to your grandfather's place first, so I can't accompany you." As he spoke, he rubbed the back of Qingyue's hand with his thumb. "Your mother has always had the best temper. Tomorrow I will accompany you and you will know."
"You don't have to go to your mother's place often. I have already told her that the queen is responsible for the affairs of the harem, and you also have to take care of the internal affairs of the prince's palace. You only need to go to her twice a day to ask how she is." Liu Ju said again.
Qing Yue breathed a sigh of relief and nodded much faster this time: "I understand."
Liu Ju smiled. It is always difficult for a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law to get along with each other, especially for a daughter-in-law in feudal society. The pressure of filial piety is really suffocating. The best way for both parties is undoubtedly to reduce contact as much as possible.
After talking about the people and things in the palace, Liu Ju glanced at the clock and held Qing Yue's hand again, saying softly, "Let's go to bed."
Qing Yue's hands couldn't help but tremble. She lowered her eyes, but her eyelashes couldn't help but flutter. Then, a warm palm touched her face soothingly: "Don't be afraid."
Her heart slowly sank.
…
The next morning, after being helped to change clothes by the palace maids, Liu Ju went to the Pepper Room Palace first, which was a rare occurrence for him. Usually, his first stop of the day was the Xuanshi Palace.
The prince had already told Qing Yue in detail about the queen's personality and preferences yesterday, but Qing Yue could not help being nervous. An ordinary daughter-in-law would inevitably be trembling with fear when paying a visit to Jun Gu, not to mention that the person she was about to meet was the most noble woman in the world.
The queen I met before was indeed very kind, but I was not her daughter-in-law at that time.
Liu Ju noticed her nervousness, whispered a few words to comfort her, and chatted with her a little to prevent her from having too many wild thoughts.
When the prince's sedan chair landed, Qing Yue's heart, which had been at peace, couldn't help but feel nervous again.
In the Pepper Room, a female official chuckled softly and said, "The fact that Consort Liang and His Highness are riding in the same sedan chair shows that they are on good terms. I'm afraid there will be good news from the Crown Prince's Palace soon."
Wei Zifu nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "Yes, I have been looking forward to this day."
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