Chapter 20
Zhang Xihua, who was far away in Zengcheng County, Guangzhou Prefecture, had a nosebleed because he ate more than a hundred lychees yesterday.
Qingque asked the waiter for a soup pot and borrowed the kitchen. He boiled water with lychee shells and added appropriate amounts of mint leaves and snowflakes and rock sugar to make a tea, which he prepared for Zhang Xihua to drink to reduce internal heat.
Another person in the kitchen, dressed as a servant, came over and asked Qingque, "What are the benefits of using lychee shells to make tea?"
Qingque: "Lychee shells are bitter and cold. Boiling them into tea can help people who have internal heat from eating lychees reduce internal heat."
After Qingque finished speaking, she secretly glanced at the servant boy again and found that he had a ring mark on his ear. She guessed that he was a woman disguised as a man like herself.
The servant boy said embarrassedly, "Could you share some of this tea with me? My husband has been eating too much Zengcheng Gualv these past few days, and I'm worried about him getting a sore throat."
Qingque generously gave the pot of brewed tea to the servant boy, and brewed another pot for himself. He also told the servant boy the recipe for making tea and asked him to write it down.
The book boy thanked Qingque profusely.
When Qingque returned to the guest room on the second floor, she met the servant again. It turned out that the man the servant was talking about lived next door to her own husband.
The servant boy smiled at Qingque, revealing a row of snow-white teeth.
"My dear, my husband said that the tea you gave us was excellent. I was just worried that I couldn't find you to thank you."
After saying that, the servant boy stuffed a handful of golden melon seeds into Qingque's purse.
Qingque refused to accept it no matter what, but she had to hold the soup pot in both hands, so the servant ran straight back to the guest room she had just left.
Qingque entered the guest room and said to Zhang Xihua, who had just washed and dressed, "The gentleman next door thanked me for the pot of mint and lychee shell tea I sent them, and gave me a handful of golden melon seeds as a reward."
Zhang Xihua took a sip of tea and felt refreshed and sweet in the mouth.
"The tea you brewed is indeed delicious. Please keep the handful of golden pumpkin seeds. I will return the gift for you."
Zhang Xihua ordered Feiyue to deliver a red lacquered folding fan to the next guest room. The landscape on the fan was painted by the famous painter Zhou Shunqing.
When Feiyue came back, she was smiling.
"This servant also received some golden melon seeds from Mr. Cheng next door."
Qingque asked what Mr. Cheng looked like.
Feiyue blushed and said, "He has a face as beautiful as a peach blossom, a face as beautiful as pearls and jade, a figure as beautiful as a god, and a handsome demeanor. Everyone praises our husband for his good looks. Mr. Cheng is just as handsome as our husband."
Qingque didn't believe it, "You look at every man with your eyes and think they are good-looking. There is no man in the world as handsome as our man."
Feiyue and Qingque started arguing, chirping and making a lot of noise in Zhang Xihua's ears like two sparrows.
Zhang Xihua went to pack the three of them's bags.
After Feiyue and Qingque finished arguing, they saw that Zhang Xihua had packed his luggage, and both of them felt embarrassed.
Zhang Xihua said, "Sisters, make peace. When we get to Shunde County, I'll treat you to Shunde sashimi and red bean double-skin milk."
Feiyue and Qingque smiled at each other, then followed Zhang Xihua downstairs and checked out of the guest room.
But I saw about ten guards from the East Factory going to the second floor.
It would not be surprising to see so many factory guards in the capital.
This is Zengcheng, Guangdong. What kind of serious case requires the factory guards to come here to arrest someone?
Zhang Xihua was too lazy to stay and watch the fun, so he walked out of the inn and got on the carriage.
Inside the carriage, a handsome man, a servant boy and Zhang Xihua looked at each other in bewilderment.
Feiyue called out "Mr. Cheng".
When the servant boy saw Qingque, he also had a pleading look on his face.
Zhang Xihua asked, "Did the factory guards who came up to the second floor of the inn just now come to arrest you two?"
Mr. Cheng nodded. Seeing that Zhang Xihua was so handsome and spoke so gently, his face flushed.
Zhang Xihua saw Mr. Cheng's shy look, and also saw that Mr. Cheng had earrings like the servant, so he knew that the master and servant were of the same kind as himself.
But she spent a lot of money to dress up as a man. She took medicine to suppress the development of female characteristics from childhood to adulthood. Not only did her breasts not develop, she also never had her period.
In addition, Zhang Xihua was tall, about 1.77 meters in modern terms, so ordinary people could not tell that she was a woman.
Seeing Zhang Xihua's heart wavering for a moment, Mr. Cheng was reminded by his servant after a long time and remembered to answer Zhang Xihua's words.
"Neither of us has committed any crime." After another thought, "It was Director Feng of the East Factory who took a fancy to me and forced me to have an affair with him."
The servant boy opened his eyes so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets.
Young Master Cheng winked at the servant, who, realizing what was happening, chimed in, "My young master refused to submit to the tyranny of Director Deng and fled all the way from the capital. I wonder what your name is? Would you mind traveling with me?"
Zhang Xihua gave his name.
Mr. Cheng was thoughtful, "Brother Xihua actually has the same name as this year's third place winner."
Feiyue spoke quickly, "My husband is this year's third place winner."
Mr. Cheng became more and more shy, his originally fair face was flushed, and he winked at the servant.
The servant boy said, "My husband's surname is Cheng, his given name is Ying, and he is unmarried. Is Mr. Zhang married?"
Zhang Xihua was speechless for a moment.
Cheng Ying quickly explained, "There are many cousins in my clan. If Brother Xihua is still unmarried, I can help him find a partner."
Zhang Xihua shook her head slightly. "I'm in mourning for my grandmother and I'm not engaged."
Cheng Ying could not hide her joy. She and Xu Baoyin were close friends. She had originally felt aggrieved that Baoyin could not get the favor she wanted from her cousin. But now that she saw that Zhang Xihua was such a person, it was no wonder that Baoyin was still obsessed with her cousin. However, Baoyin's appearance was no match for this young man.
"Where are you going, Brother Xihua?"
Zhang Xihua sat as far away from Cheng Ying as possible, "I'm going to Shunde to visit friends and stay there for a while."
Cheng Ying smiled and said, "We are also going to Shunde. Please give us a ride, Brother Xihua."
Zhang Xihua had some concerns, but when she saw Cheng Ying's delicate and fair face and heard about her difficult experiences, she couldn't bear to abandon Cheng Ying.
Along the way, Zhang Xihua kept a distance from Cheng Ying. When Cheng Ying talked to her, she only said polite words.
Cheng Ying fell more and more in love with Zhang Xihua, a gentleman who was self-disciplined and respectful to the rites, and her eyes became more and more sticky when she looked at Zhang Xihua.
How could Qingque and Feiyue not notice Cheng Ying's feelings for their husband?
Cheng Ying sprained her ankle, and the two of them went to help her.
Cheng Ying served tea and water to Zhang Xihua, but the two of them quickly stopped her and served Zhang Xihua themselves.
Cheng Ying invited Zhang Xihua to watch the stars and the moon at night, and the two of them followed Zhang Xihua to the appointment.
…
After the carriage arrived in Shunde County, Qingque and Feiyue finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Cheng Ying and her servant Jinsuo could part ways with their husbands.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Ying asked as soon as he got off the carriage, "Can you live with Brother Xihua? We can take care of each other."
Qingque kept blinking at Zhang Xihua.
Feiyue also frowned and looked at Zhang Xihua.
Zhang Xihua gave four or five excuses to put Cheng Ying off, but they were all debunked by the eloquent Cheng Ying.
Just then, a friend named Sun Biwen, who lived in Shunde County, came to welcome Zhang Xihua. Zhang Xihua pointed at Sun Biwen and said to Cheng Ying, "This is my favorite. He's a jealous person and doesn't like me being close to other men. He's always worried about what I'll get and what I'll lose, fearing I'll have an affair with another man."
Sun Biwen: “…”
Erlang must have his reasons for saying this.
Qingque and Feiyue: "..."
My husband is willing to take the risk to reject Mr. Cheng.
Cheng Ying was shocked, it turned out that Mr. Zhang was a homosexual.
But Cheng Ying was confident in her looks. If she returned to her female body and used some tricks, it was possible that Mr. Zhang would change his mind for her.
Cheng Ying took a step back and said that he would return to Beijing after staying in Shunde County for a few days, and asked Zhang Xihua when he would return to the capital.
Zhang Xihua: "If not next year, then the year after."
Cheng Ying knew that Zhang Xihua would have to return to Beijing to wait for an official appointment as soon as the mourning period was over. Her father was the prime minister of the dynasty, and her aunt was the empress dowager in the palace. When Zhang Xihua returned to Beijing, she would be determined to get Zhang Xihua.
She didn't want to listen to her aunt and enter the palace to become the queen.
She wants to be with the man she loves for the rest of her life.
Only after Cheng Ying and her servant left did Zhang Xihua apologize to Sun Biwen.
After hearing the reason, Sun Biwen laughed and said, "Erlang, you really don't understand romance."
*
On August 15th of the first year of Huiyuan, a full moon hung in the night sky, and thousands of families were celebrating this reunion festival.
A night banquet was held in the palace.
At the banquet, Zhu Mingji, sitting on the throne, was not interested in enjoying the singing and dancing performances. On his left sat his aunt, Empress Dowager Zhang, and on his right sat his biological mother, Empress Dowager Jiang.
Next in line were princes, princesses, other royal relatives, and ladies of high rank both inside and outside the court.
The inner ladies were all concubines of Emperor Hongde and his biological father Emperor Zhengxi, while the outer ladies included relatives of officials, that is, wives who had imperial edicts.
Empress Dowager Zhang ordered the palace maids to summon her sister, Madam Zhang, and her niece Cheng Ying to the imperial court.
Madam Zhang brought Cheng Ying, who was dressed in gorgeous attire, to see the emperor.
Cheng Ying has a gorgeous face, and the lychee-colored dress she wore today makes her look even more charming and pretty. Even Empress Dowager Jiang couldn't help but look at Cheng Ying a few more times.
Empress Dowager Zhang said, "The Emperor has drunk so much tonight. Why not take Ah Ying outside to admire the sweet osmanthus flowers and get some fresh air to sober him up?"
Zhu Mingji was about to open his mouth to refuse.
Cheng Ying kowtowed and said bravely, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask for a favor. I already have someone I love."
"Aying——"
Empress Dowager Zhang frowned and signaled Cheng Ying to stop talking.
Zhu Mingji asked, "Who is Madam Cheng's ideal man?"
Cheng Ying said, "I like the third place winner in this category, Zhang Xihua, the second son of the Zhang family of the Yongjia Marquisate."
Zhu Mingji snorted coldly. Cheng Ying really dared to think like that.
But when Zhu Mingji heard Cheng Ying telling how she and Zhang Xihua met, he immediately became interested. After talking with Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Dowager Jiang, he took Cheng Ying to the corridor outside to talk alone.
"From what Madam Cheng said just now, since you and Mr. Zhang are in love with each other, why hasn't Mr. Zhang returned to Beijing yet? Instead, Madam Cheng, you took the initiative to ask me for a marriage." Zhu Mingji asked deliberately.
Cheng Ying blushed and said, "Lord Zhang Er is in love with a young man named Sun from Shunde County. He claims that she is his concubine and that he and she have an intimate relationship. However, I believe that if Lord Zhang Er acts like this, he will be criticized when he enters the court. Therefore, I would like to ask Your Majesty to grant us a marriage. After the marriage, I will surely win Lord Zhang Er's heart and preserve his good reputation."
Zhu Mingji's heart trembled, and he said angrily, "He really turned the tables. Embracing me, right? How dare Zhang Xihua do that?"
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