"Fourth Brother, your face is worse than that of Ma Lian, the opera singer..."
Qin Weixi took Feng Hua back to the study of the Marquis's residence. Before they even got close, they saw a man and a woman dressed in palace attire carrying food in their hands, bowing their heads as they entered the room.
A high-pitched, hoarse laugh suddenly rang out from the outer room of the study, tinged with a hint of obsequiousness: "Last night, Imperial Physician Gu specifically instructed this servant to prepare some medicinal cuisine for the young marquis. Please eat something light first. This servant has made three-delicacy noodle soup, as well as eight-treasure steamed buns and stir-fried fresh vegetables..."
Inside the room, Tao Qingyun's laughter rang out: "Oh, so much delicious food! I'm going to have a good meal today."
Qin Weixi and Feng Hua stood outside the door, recalling what Aunt Ruan had just said. This must be someone sent by the Imperial Kitchen. Then, a sweet female voice rang out from inside the study again: "This servant has prepared soup dumplings, hawthorn milk syrup, and abalone with ghee today..."
Before the maid could finish speaking, a soft whisper came from the inner room: "This lord does not eat soup dumplings."
Then Tao Qingyun chuckled softly, "Oh, this is a thoughtful person. I heard that Eighth Sister can also make this buttered abalone and snail. Judging from your accent, you don't sound like someone from the North? Raise your head so I can see you."
The palace maid replied, "In response to Young Master Tao's question, I grew up in the southern region when I was young."
Qin Weixi saw the palace maid slightly raise her head through the screen that had suddenly appeared in front of the door.
Tao Qingyun said, "She's a beauty, wonderful, wonderful."
Beside her, Feng Hua's lips twitched upon hearing this, and she whispered in her ear, "Miss, has this Young Master Tao taken the wrong medicine?"
Qin Weixi turned and smiled at her, then sighed softly, "Ah, it seems we've come at a rather inopportune time. But let's go in and take a look anyway." With that, he strode into the study.
Feng Hua hurriedly said, "Oh? Miss, wait for me!"
The people in the study turned around when they heard the noise in the courtyard. The two palace maids outside quickly lowered their heads and bowed to her.
On the bed, Chu Yening had changed into a crimson brocade robe, and his head was tied with a jade crown. He was still leaning against the bed wall, with one leg bent and one arm resting on his knee, sitting there casually and leisurely.
He had been looking down when he saw her come in, but he quickly looked up. When he saw her in her pale yellow brocade dress, he raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Qin Weixi nodded to the palace maids carrying trays and was about to enter the inner room when she caught a glimpse of a gaze following her in the same direction. She abruptly stopped and turned back to look, only to see the palace maid from the Imperial Kitchen slightly raising her head to peer into the inner room. She noticed the maid's graceful figure and beautiful face.
She smiled slightly: "Thank you both. Did you lose something inside, young lady? I'll go look for it for you."
The palace maid was slightly taken aback, but quickly replied, "No. Thank you, Miss Luo."
Suddenly, a clear, indifferent voice rang out from inside the room: "Sick, and annoyed."
Another stern voice: "Close the door!"
Upon hearing this, the eunuch outside the room twitched. Tao Qingyun quickly came out of the inner room and acted as a peacemaker: "This young Marquis Jingning has had a lot of bad luck. He was assassinated twice after returning to the capital. I, Tao, am worried about him. You two have worked hard this morning. Please put the food on the table."
Upon hearing this, the two quickly arranged the food and quietly withdrew. Just as they reached the eaves, the palace maid glanced sideways into the inner room, only to be met with a cold voice: "Get out—"
Tao Qingyun was startled, and Qin Weixi turned to look at him at the same time. Chu Yening's cold and indifferent voice vanished in an instant, and his starry eyes softened: "I didn't tell you."
This time, Qin Weixi didn't wait for him to speak before walking around the desk and sitting in the armchair. The dark purple cloak she wore in the Snow Pavilion yesterday was hanging on the armchair. Her eyes were bright like crescent moons as she looked at him and said, "I didn't think you were talking to me either."
"Fourth Brother, your face changes faster than that opera singer Ma Lianren."
A burst of laughter suddenly rang out from outside. Tao Qingyun had just seen off the two palace maids and stepped into the inner room when he heard this remark, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. He glanced out the window and saw Feng Hua and Song Yang whispering to each other. They were all family, so he turned back and said, "I like hearing what Little Seven Sister said. If you can say that, then say it more. That old fox is always making fun of me."
Chu Yening, lying on the bed, suddenly spoke: "Black-beaked grouse."
Tao Qingyun's face darkened, and she pretended to poke him with the folding fan in her hand: "Not you, but we're all getting on in years. Can you find someone else? If word gets out that I'm a dignified and elegant scholar in blue robes, how can I face anyone?"
Chu Yening looked him up and down for a long time after hearing this: "Oh? I really can't think of anything else."
Tao Qingyun narrowed her eyes upon hearing this, but showed no annoyance on her face. After a moment, she smiled and said to herself, "Hey, why do I feel like there's something off about this atmosphere? Did something happen at the bottom of that cave yesterday that we don't know about? Why don't I call A-Ling over so we can discuss it together?"
Qin Weixi, who had been watching the two playfully bickering, quickly asked upon hearing this, "What?"
Tao Qingyun turned around to look at her, still smiling: "Seventh Sister, what's the rush?" He crossed his arms, raised his hand to touch his chin, and saw that she was sitting very comfortably in the armchair. He said to Chu Yening: "You know what, she really does have the demeanor of a lady of the Marquis's mansion."
"Third Brother!" Qin Weixi jumped up upon hearing this, then turned to look at Chu Yening, who was not only silent but also smiling. His long eyelashes and slightly upturned thin lips were accompanied by a smile that was gradually widening.
Qin Weixi glared at the two of them, rolled up his sleeves, clenched his fists, and was about to step forward. Tao Qingyun's eyes widened at the sight: "What, Little Seventh Sister, are you trying to bully your brother?"
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, followed by Song Yang respectfully calling out, "Your Highness, Lord Luo."
Songyang Luo Yuan followed behind the two, and soon Luo Ling and Jiang Yuanjun entered the house one after the other. Seeing the joyful atmosphere in the inner room, Luo Ling's eyes softened, and she asked with a smile, "What are you talking about that makes you so happy?"
Tao Qingyun's eyes flashed, and a large hand reached out and ruffled Qin Weixi's hair haphazardly, saying, "It's nothing."
Qin Weixi knew without looking that her head must be a mess right now.
Luo Ling shook her head and chuckled: "You bunch of brats, you're bullying my sister again while I'm not around."
Tao Qingyun picked at her ear and laughed brightly: "Oh my, it's your sister, isn't it my sister?"
Qin Weixi turned around and glared at him again before rushing to the outer room to pour two more cups of tea. Jiang Yuanjun said gently, "Seventh Sister, I'll go with you." Seeing that she had changed into a silk dress, she asked softly, "Have you taken a nap or rested for a while?"
Qin Weixi smiled at him: "Rest now. Fifth Brother, have you and your brother had breakfast? Is everything alright in the palace?"
Jiang Yuanjun said, "I've already eaten."
Qin Weixi said, "It's good that my brother is here."
For some reason, Jiang Yuanjun vaguely sensed a hint of melancholy in her voice. He pondered her words carefully, and then a memory flashed through his mind of that snowy night when he was confined to the East Palace and unable to leave.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness: "Seventh Sister, I'm alright. From now on, Fifth Brother will protect you with my own life."
Qin Weixi said, "Fifth Brother, what I want is for us all to live, for everyone to live." After saying that, she fell silent for a moment, then quickly asked, "How is Afu?"
Jiang Yuanjun nodded: "It's alright. But she's been getting sick a lot lately, and the Empress Dowager often keeps her confined to the palace." He looked pleased: "After a few quiet days, she's managed to cook a few dishes."
Mentioning his younger sister, Jiang Yuanjun's eyes softened. He suddenly recalled that a few days ago, his father had summoned him to the Imperial Study to discuss court affairs. His father had just finished reviewing the memorials on his desk, and was about to take a sip of the hot tea in his hand, when a eunuch outside the hall suddenly announced, "Princess Zhenhui has arrived!"
Afu entered alone, carrying a food box. Her father, the Emperor, frowned and asked, "My daughter, is something the matter?"
Afu smiled as she ascended the jade steps, opening the food box in her hand, and a fragrant aroma immediately filled the air: "I didn't expect my brother to be here as well. Why is Father so frowning?"
The Emperor glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his gaze softening instantly: "Roasted lamb trotters?"
"Your Majesty, it is too late. It is not advisable to eat too much meat at this time," Chen Guiyi reminded softly from behind.
The Emperor simply waved his hand, looking at the two siblings: "It's alright. If I could eat this before, why can't I now?" His gaze then settled on the porcelain plate, and he murmured, "I used to be very patient in reviewing these memorials. Look, even as the moon above was about to hide behind the clouds and quietly fall asleep, I was still diligently reading the memorials in my hands. When I got tired, I would take a nap; when I was hungry, I would enjoy a bite of roasted lamb's trotter, followed by a cup of tea to cleanse my palate. Nothing could be more comforting."
He sighed softly again: "But then again, the position of ruler of the world is not so easy to sit in."
Chen Guiyi, standing to the side, asked with a smile, "Your Majesty also enjoys this dish? That's my fault. I've served Your Majesty for nearly ten years and never knew you liked this braised lamb's trotter. Does His Highness the Crown Prince know?"
He answered truthfully, "I have seen him once."
The Emperor neither expressed his joy nor his displeasure. After a long while, he said, "Whatever Father Emperor liked to eat when he was alive, I liked to eat when I was young. Following Father Emperor's preferences, and Father Emperor's grace bestowed upon the world, I now want to be that kind of ruler."
Chen Guiyi said, "Your Majesty loves the people like your own children. Isn't he now the benevolent monarch in the hearts of the common people?"
The Emperor smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this, then seemed to remember that his son and sister were still in the hall. He asked, "Is there something you need, my son?"
Afu said, "No. It's just that I haven't seen Father Emperor for a long time, and I miss him very much. If I hadn't come so late, I wouldn't have known that Father Emperor has been staying up late these past few days reviewing memorials."
The Emperor sighed deeply: "These good-for-nothings, these people who sleep soundly in their golden nests, all they know how to do is cause their father endless worry!"
Afu suddenly laughed and said, "Why haven't I seen Fourth Brother come to the palace to play chess with Father Emperor lately? Is there something important going on at the Zhenfu Division? Then Father Emperor mustn't disturb him."
The Emperor laughed: "What do you mean? Didn't you used to like it when your father kept you confined in the palace?"
Afu said, "No, when I was young, I was a princess of a country and I knew that this was against the rules."
The Emperor stared at the roasted lamb trotters for a long time before turning to the two siblings: "Crown Prince, Afu. You are not young anymore. Afu is nineteen years old now. Among my ministers, there are daughters who are younger than you or a few years younger than you. They are either engaged early or already married. What about you, Crown Prince? What should your father do? I have always remembered what your father said back then. If I were to find a wife for you, the Crown Princess would have to be someone you like."
Recalling that rainy night, he lowered his eyes and remained silent.
Afu quickly interrupted her father, who was about to speak again: "Father, are you annoyed by my constant chatter and are you in a hurry for me to find a husband and get married?"
The Emperor laughed heartily.
A sudden silence fell over the Imperial Study. He looked up again and saw his father gazing intently at the crape myrtle tree outside the window: "Father loves magnolias, but I prefer crape myrtle. Looking at this braised lamb trotter, Father, for some reason, is reminded of our youth. Of these three, Yun Chuan is most like me in temperament, and he is always the one who goes unnoticed. In our youth, we practiced archery and pitch-pot together, went hunting in the countryside, and played polo together. Yun Chuan always lost, while Cheng Ji and Xu Zhi always let Father win..."
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