Chapter 114
After nightfall, the emperor held a banquet for his ministers in Hua'e Tower. The emperor sat in the main seat, with the prime minister and the empress dowager on his left and right, and officials and princes and nobles on both sides of the hall. After the first cup of imperial wine was served, actors entered the stage, string music started, and beauties danced. This dance, as graceful as a startled swan and as elegant as a swimming dragon, attracted some people with fascination. The dancer in the lead was none other than the palace maid carefully selected by the empress dowager and sent to serve in Xingqing Palace.
The Queen Mother glanced at the Emperor from time to time, and saw that he was more interested in food than in the beauty's dance. What interested him most was undoubtedly the Prime Minister sitting on his left.
Lin Qingyu couldn't hold his liquor well, and after a few drinks he felt tipsy. He was already handsome, and when he was a little tipsy, his coldness disappeared, making his face even more handsome and radiant, with long eyelashes drooping, his cheeks rosy, and a hint of spring in the corners of his eyes.
The worst thing was that he was wearing the official uniform of the first rank Xianhe official. Such a beautiful woman actually became the prime minister of a dynasty.
Not only the emperor, many officials could not help but look at the prime minister frequently, especially the assistant minister of the Ministry of War Li Chan, who almost never took his eyes off the prime minister. These people probably think that the high and mighty Prime Minister is more worth watching than actors or something like that.
The Queen Mother was in a delicate mood. She smiled and said, "The Emperor's illness was able to recover so quickly. Qingyu, you have made an indispensable contribution."
Lin Qingyu, who was drunk, reacted a little slower: "The Queen Mother has said too much, this is what I should do."
"I will not be polite to you. After all, we are all family. If Wan Cheng were still alive, the emperor would still call you 'cousin'."
Lin Qingyu smiled slightly: "Let him call."
Before the Queen Mother could react, Jiang Xing called out obediently, "Cousin."
The Queen Mother was a little confused. Shen Huaishi, who was sitting not far away and had excellent hearing, almost spit out a mouthful of wine when he heard this.
After the song ended, Lin Qingyu and Jiang Xing left the table together under the complicated gaze of the empress dowager and returned to Xingqing Palace.
Both of them were a little drunk. Jiang Xing sent the palace servants away, sat on the dragon bed, and tugged at the buttons on his dragon robe in a restless manner: "It's finally over."
Lin Qingyu asked him: "Why did you send Xiao Songzi away? If he leaves, who will take care of you until you go to bed?"
"I can take care of myself." Jiang Xing lay on the bed, supporting his chin with one hand, and looked at Lin Qingyu with a smile, "My cousin is so beautiful. Everyone at the table is looking at you."
Lin Qingyu frowned: "Do they dare?"
"They don't dare, so they are all looking at you secretly." Jiang Xing laughed, "Only I can look at you openly."
Lin Qingyu sat down beside the bed: "Don't lie on the bed, go take a shower and change clothes first."
"I'm so tired, I don't want to move."
Lin Qingyu was puzzled: "You just stood for a while today, why are you tired?"
"It has nothing to do with standing or sitting. Some people sit for four or five hours a day and still feel tired as a dog. Socializing, keeping up appearances, and pretending are all mentally draining things."
"Then you should rest early."
Jiang Xing was very conflicted: "But I want it."
Lin Qingyu was speechless for a while: "You said you were tired again."
Jiang Xing suddenly had an idea and joked, "We can... do it with our minds. Pretend that we did something. This way we won't be tired and we can satisfy our desires. What do you think?"
Lin Qingyu: “…”
Jiang Xing closed his eyes and imagined it in his mind as he said, "I sat up, raised my hand, untied the jade belt around your waist, took off your prime minister's official uniform, and then..."
Lin Qingyu suppressed his laughter: "Alright, that's enough. I'm here."
"You're here already?" Jiang Xing asked in surprise, "I just took off your official uniform, and I haven't even..."
"Well, I'll be there quickly." Lin Qingyu said perfunctorily, "Go to bed as soon as you get there. You have to attend court tomorrow."
"But I don't think it's enough." Jiang Xing complained, "I didn't feel satisfied at all."
Lin Qingyu laughed: "You are the one who feels tired, I am not unwilling. Who do you blame?"
Jiang Xing struggled again and again, and finally said, "Forget it, it's okay if I'm tired." Then, he sat up resignedly, supporting himself with his hands on both sides of Lin Qingyu, "Who made me unable to bear it."
Lin Qingyu blocked his approaching lips and said coldly: "If you are so reluctant, I will feel that I am forcing you."
Jiang Xing smiled and said, "I'm not reluctant, I just hope you can be more proactive."
Lin Qingyu sneered: "Am I not proactive enough? At the beginning..."
Jiang Xing knew that Lin Qingyu was going to bring up the time when she rejected him when he was still Gu Fuzhou. He decided to take the initiative and prevent Lin Qingyu from bringing up the old matter.
The aroma of wine lingers between lips and teeth, making people feel a little more drunk.
After kissing for a while, Lin Qingyu pushed Jiang Xing away and turned her head away, seeming a little embarrassed: "I asked someone to prepare a hot spring bath. Do you want to take a dip to sober you up and relieve your fatigue?"
Jiang Xing was surprised and delighted, all his tiredness was swept away: "It turns out that baby is so good at playing..."
Lin Qingyu was expressionless for a moment: "Are you going or not?"
"Go," Jiang Xing rolled over and got out of bed, his movements clean and neat, "I can't wait to sprint over there."
The imperial palace was different from the temporary palaces. There was no natural warm bath, so people had to dig a pool in the bathroom and fill it with hot water. When the two arrived, everything was ready. The water vapor is thick and hazy like a fairyland, and bright red petals are floating on the surface of the pool.
Hearing Jiang Xing teasing him about how playful he was, Lin Qingyu asked Xiao Songzi, "Who told you to set off the flowers?"
Xiao Songzi said in embarrassment: "You didn't say not to. I just followed the style of the imperial concubine's bath." He originally wanted to follow the queen's rules, but felt it was too much, so he changed to the imperial concubine's rules.
"I think it's good." Jiang Xing patted Xiao Songzi's shoulder, "I'll reward you later, go down first."
After Xiao Songzi left, Jiang Xing first tested the water temperature with his hand, and after confirming that it was suitable, he said, "Empress Lin, please go first?"
Lin Qingyu raised her eyebrows: "It turns out that in the emperor's heart, I am just a concubine."
"I've said it first based on a stereotype, but the queen has always been dignified and serious, while the imperial concubine is charming and beautiful. Tonight, my dear, you will be my Imperial Concubine Lin for once, and tomorrow morning at the court, you will be my Queen Lin again. When you are a little more gentle, you will be Concubine Lin Shu..."
...It's indeed a stereotype. Lin Qingyu untied his crown and took off his official robe, leaving only a layer of inner clothes, and slowly stepped into the pool. He didn't hear Jiang Xing catching up, so he turned around and saw that he was still standing there. He asked, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Xing said in disbelief: "Can't you afford to have fun? You're wearing clothes while taking a hot spring bath."
Lin Qingyu said: "You have to wear clothes when you bathe in hot springs. Do people in your hometown bathe in hot springs without clothes?"
Jiang Xing said without hesitation: "No."
Lin Qingyu was slightly surprised, and his impression of Jiang Xing's hometown changed. He used to think that most people in Jiang Xing's hometown were reserved and introverted, but he didn't expect that they also had an unrestrained side.
Jiang Xing followed the tradition of his hometown and went into the water with his upper body naked. The water in the pool was not deep, just reaching his chest. He sat down opposite Lin Qingyu, his whole body immersed in warm water, and most of the drunkenness had gone away.
"Qingyu, look at me." Jiang Xing took a deep breath and sank into the water, leaving only a tuft of short hair on top of his head.
Lin Qingyu asked: "Jiang Xing?"
Suddenly, water splashed everywhere, and the boy emerged from the water. He wiped his face and said, "I was just playing the breath-holding game. I used to be able to hold my breath for a long time."
Jiang Xing had kept his hair short for half a year, and it had reached his collarbone. When he swung his hair around, it looked like a puppy, and water droplets splashed onto Lin Qingyu. Lin Qingyu couldn't help but move his hands to block it: "How boring you were before."
Jiang Xing narrowed his watery eyes and said nonchalantly, "I used to be... quite boring, and had no particular interest in anything. So I want to thank you for helping me find something that I can never get tired of doing."
Lin Qingyu asked: "What can make you never get tired of it?" Even when it comes to love, Jiang Xing is just like him. He can only say that he likes it but is not obsessed with it.
"Liking you is the only thing that doesn't make me tired."
Lin Qingyu was about to be moved when she heard Jiang Xing say, "Oh, besides sleeping."
“…”
Jiang Xing confessed again: "Liking you and sleeping are the only two things that never make me feel tired no matter how long I do them."
Lin Qingyu was angry and amused: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
Jiang Xing probably thought his confession was a little ridiculous, so he lowered his head and chuckled, paddling his hands in the water, and sighed, "Qingyu, I'm an adult again."
Lin Qingyu smiled: "Congratulations."
Jiang Xing saw that Lin Qingyu was in a good mood, and couldn't help asking, "The Queen Mother asked that maid to lead the dance today, aren't you jealous?"
Lin Qingyu raised his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, who do you think is prettier, me or her?"
"Of course it's you."
"That's right." Lin Qingyu's breath was hot. "If the emperor doesn't sleep with me and covets others, doesn't that mean he has an eye disease?"
Lin Qingyu's face was red from the steam, a different kind of beauty that made people stunned - even dangerous, like a demon. It seemed that if you looked at her for one more moment, you would be deeply attracted to her and would never be able to get out.
Jiang Xing looked at him for a long time, his voice becoming low: "I just like how confident you are."
The water splashed and Lin Qingyu saw Jiang Xing walking towards him. Drops of water slid down the ends of the boy's hair, fresh and lively, full of infinite vitality.
Then, he was picked up by the boy.
When they were pushed to the edge of the pool, Lin Qingyu raised his hands and put them around Jiang Xing's neck, and asked, "Are you not tired anymore? Can you still hold me?"
Jiang Xing thought for a moment and said half-truthfully, "I'm exhausted, but I'm willing to try."
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