Chapter 121 Extra 2
Lin Qingyu was very surprised when he learned what "honeymoon" was. As for Jiang Xing, even the distance from Xingqing Palace to Fengyi Palace was too far, yet they actually invited him to travel together.
"Where do you want to go?" Jiang Xing ordered Xiao Songzi to unfold Dayu's map and hang it on the wall. He put his hand on Lin Qingyu's shoulder and said, "How about Jiangnan?"
Lin Qingyu said: "I have been to all the places in Jiangnan."
"Hmm...how about Xuzhou? It's the rainy season now, so the town of Xuzhou should have a unique flavor."
“Yes.”
Jiang Xing had a bad feeling: "Then let's go north?"
"When I was sixteen, I spent half a year in the north with several fellow apprentices."
Jiang Xing was in mixed emotions: "How come you've been everywhere, and always with other people?"
"A man's ambition is to travel far and wide, which means you like to stay in one place." Lin Qingyu said, with a hint of doubt between his brows. Yes, in the past, he followed his mentor to travel around the world to save people, but now he has no interest in going anywhere and only wants to stay at home with Jiang Xing.
Lin Qingyu glanced at Jiang Xing and said, "It's your fault. You made me lazy."
Jiang Xing laughed and said, "Can you blame me for this?"
"We can't go on like this, Jiang Xing." Lin Qingyu said with emotion, "We should take advantage of our youth to read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles. It's useless to indulge in love affairs in the palace all day long."
Jiang Xing disagreed: "We didn't spend the whole day together. I did a lot of work. Besides, only young people can indulge in romance. When you are old, you can't indulge in romance even if you want to."
Lin Qingyu said half-truthfully: "Don't worry, when you are old, I will give you a few injections and you will still be addicted."
Jiang Xing was very excited, but there was no such good thing, it must come at a price. His desire to survive prevailed: "No thanks, I want to live a few more years."
The two discussed for a long time but couldn't come to a conclusion, and the topic went further and further off the topic. Hua Lu brought the washed fresh fruit and said, "Your Majesty, Queen, these are the Yali pears that Qingzhou sent as tribute."
After Lin Qingyu married the emperor for the third time, Hua Lu voluntarily entered the palace and is now the head maid of Xingqing Palace. She and Huantong both thought that Lin Qingyu was forced to remarry because of the king's forced marriage, and she entered the palace to continue serving Lin Qingyu. According to the rules, Huan Tong had to undergo castration if he wanted to serve in the palace. Lin Qingyu was reluctant to let him go, so he kept him in the general's mansion to learn household chores from Yuan Yin.
Jiang Xing casually took a pear from the basket and tossed it up and down to play with it: "Since you have visited all the places worth visiting in Dayu, why not let fate decide where we go for our honeymoon."
Lin Qingyu asked: "You mean, drawing lots?"
"Almost." Jiang Xing instructed Hua Lu, "Hualu, get a dagger and a ribbon."
Hua Lu brought what Jiang Xing wanted. Jiang Xing said, "Qingyu, close your eyes and throw the dagger onto the map. We will go wherever you throw it."
You can still play like this. Lin Qingyu was a little curious and asked, "What if the chosen place is far away from the capital?"
It was not uncommon for emperors to travel far away. Emperor Yuwen even went to the south of the Yangtze River seven times. Jiang Xing has been away from Beijing for several months, so it is not impossible for the cabinet to take charge of government affairs, but if he is away from Beijing for too long, something unexpected may happen. Dayu has a vast territory, from the southernmost southern border to the northernmost northern border, and it would take several years to explore the area.
Jiang Xing said: "Then just re-elect."
Lin Qingyu was blindfolded by Jiang Xing with a red silk, revealing half of her nose. Her slightly red lips were slightly open due to the sudden darkness, giving her a sense of ambiguity and obscenity. Jiang Xing was so excited by what he saw, thinking of how Lin Qingyu was cold and reserved in front of outsiders, but blossomed gorgeously under him, he couldn't help but lower his head and kiss the beautiful woman on the lips.
Hualu was stunned for a moment, and when Xiaosongzi pulled her clothes, she turned around and walked out pretending that she saw nothing.
Lin Qingyu's long eyelashes covered by red silk moved: "Why did you kiss me again for no reason?"
Jiang Xing laughed: "I often kiss you for no reason, aren't you used to it yet?"
Lin Qingyu thought about it and said, "That's right."
Jiang Xing held the blade and helped Lin Qingyu hold the handle: "Throw it."
The dagger was thrown out, and after hearing a sound, Lin Qingyu took off the silk and saw where the dagger had been inserted: "Jiaozhou?"
Jiaozhou is located in the south of Dayu, surrounded by mountains and forests and close to the sea. It is extremely humid and full of miasma, making it unsuitable for long-term residence. A few years ago, after Shen Huaishi assassinated Xiao Cheng, he lived in the Nanyue area of Jiaozhou for a long time to avoid being hunted down by the Tianji Camp.
Jiang Xing said with interest: "What a coincidence. Actually, Jiaozhou is my hometown."
Lin Qingyu was slightly surprised: "Really?" He always thought that Jiang Xing's hometown was in another world, a place that could not be found on Dayu's territory.
"Yes. But in our place, 'Jiaozhou' is not called 'Jiaozhou'."
Lin Qingyu asked: "What is that called?"
Jiang Xing recalled his poor geographical knowledge: "Jiaozhou in my hometown refers to Guangdong, Guangxi, and northern and central Vietnam. I was born in Guangdong, and moved to Jiangnan, which is Yuzhou in Dayu, with my parents when I was young. I returned to Guangzhou, Guangdong when I was in high school."
"Guangdong, Guangzhou." Lin Qingyu remembered these four words in his heart, "I didn't expect you to be born in such a remote and desolate place."
"Remote? Desolate?" Jiang Xing said in disbelief, "How can Guangzhou be remote and desolate..."
Before Jiang Xing had time to defend his hometown, Shen Huaishi arrived. He came here to bid farewell to the Emperor and Empress. In two days, he will set off for the northern border.
"Huai Shi, you've come at the right time." Lin Qingyu said, "You've been to Nanyue before. Tell the emperor if Jiaozhou is a remote and desolate place."
Shen Huaishi looked at Jiang Xing and said, "Your Majesty, Jiaozhou is vast and sparsely populated. Most of the common people live in the mountains and make a living by hunting and picking. It is very different from the capital, Jiangnan and other places."
Jiang Xing choked up and said, "Well, Jiaozhou is a little wild now, but in a hundred or thousand years, it will be one of the richest places in the country." Jiang Xing pointed at Jiaozhou on the map, "Look, baby, Jiaozhou is backed by the South China Sea and borders several neighboring countries. Once the port is put to use..."
Shen Huaishi almost choked on the word "baby". Now he truly believed that the Emperor and Empress regarded him as a good friend, otherwise the Emperor would not have told him his true identity and would not have been so polite in front of him.
It's not surprising that the emperor calls Lin Qingyu "baby". What's strange is that Lin Qingyu can accept it calmly and doesn't feel awkward at all. If others were unaware of his identity and coveted his beauty and called him "baby", he would probably feed her to the princes and princesses.
Jiang Xing has always been open-minded, but when he talked about his hometown, he felt homesick and couldn't help but feel nostalgic: "I haven't spoken my hometown dialect for five or six years. I'm afraid I have forgotten how to say it. Huai Shi, how do you say 'beauty' in South Vietnamese? Is it 'handsome boy' and 'beautiful girl'?"
Shen Huaishi told him seriously: "No."
"How does that say that?"
Shen Huaishi uttered two strange sounds. Jiang Xing didn't understand at all, so he shrugged and said, "Okay."
Lin Qingyu pondered and said, "I want to visit your hometown."
He was full of longing for the world where Jiang Xing grew up. He wanted to know what kind of mountains and rivers could nurture someone like Jiang Xing.
Jiang Xing hesitated and said, "But Jiaozhou is too far from the capital." No matter what Jiaozhou will look like a thousand years later, Jiaozhou now is indeed remote, and ministers who commit crimes are often exiled there.
Lin Qingyu said regretfully: "Indeed."
At this time, someone from Ci'an Palace came to invite Jiang Xing and Lin Qingyu to have dinner. Jiang Xing said, "Qingyu, go to Ci'an Palace first, don't keep mother waiting for too long. I'll leave after talking to Huai Shi."
Lin Qingyu nodded and said, "Okay."
Lin Qingyu walked out of Xingqing Palace and noticed that Hualu looked distracted: "Hualu."
Hualu came back to her senses and asked: "What does the Queen want?"
Lin Qingyu said: "Do you find it strange that the emperor and I are so close? Do you want to know if I have completely forgotten about Young Marquis Lu and General Gu?"
Hualu lowered her head: "I dare not."
Lin Qingyu saw what Hua Lu was thinking. On the one hand, she felt that her master was not a heartless person, but on the other hand, she saw that he and the emperor were on equal terms, even better than when he was married to Gu Fuzhou. She was confused and puzzled.
Lin Qingyu wanted to tell her the truth, and said slowly: "Don't you think that the emperor's personality is very similar to that of Marquis Lu and General Gu?"
Hua Lu opened her eyes wide in astonishment: "Slave, slave, I know!"
Lin Qingyu asked: "Do you know?"
Hua Lu lowered her voice and said, "Young Master, do you think the Emperor is a substitute for the young marquis and the general?!"
Lin Qingyu: “…”
Hua Lu looked towards the palace worriedly: "Master, does the emperor know about this?"
Lin Qingyu chuckled and said, "He knows, he is happy to be this substitute."
Lin Qingyu didn't have to wait long in Ci'an Palace before Jiang Xing arrived. The two of them had dinner with the empress dowager. The steamed fish was extremely delicious. Jiang Xing knew that Lin Qingyu had a light taste and would probably like it, so he picked out the most tender part, removed the fish bones, and put it into Lin Qingyu's bowl.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lin Qingyu picked up a piece of fresh spring bamboo shoots as a return gift, "The bamboo shoots are tender and plump, Your Majesty, please try it."
Jiang Xing smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Queen."
The Queen Mother watched the two of them interacting with each other and felt a little strange. The love between the emperor and the empress is a good thing, but the emperor is too polite and attentive to the empress. They are both men, and if you don't know, you might think that the queen is the emperor's husband.
After dinner, the Queen Mother said, "Queen, please go now. I have something to say to the Emperor."
Lin Qingyu glanced at Jiang Xing, bowed and said, "I'll take my leave."
After Lin Qingyu left, the Queen Mother said to Jiang Xing earnestly, "Your Majesty, you are the ruler and the Queen is the subject. The etiquette between the ruler and the subject is greater than that between husband and wife. The Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues are the laws of nature and human relations. Do you understand what your mother means?"
Jiang Xing smiled faintly: "I understand."
It is normal for the Queen Mother to think this way due to the limitations of the times. There's no point arguing with her; it's just a waste of time. He agreed verbally, but would dare to do it again next time.
Jiang Xing returned to Xingqing Palace, and Lin Qingyu asked him, "What did the Queen Mother say to you?"
Jiang Xing told the truth: "She was upset when she saw me picking fish bones for you, and she hinted that I should be as majestic as an emperor in front of you."
Lin Qingyu sneered: "What does the emperor think? Will he stop picking fish bones for me in the future?"
"How is that possible?" Jiang Xing said seriously, "You and I are both men. You can say that you are my wife, and I can also say that I am your wife. In this case, of course I must give you equal and respectful love."
"..."Lin Qingyu was unsure whether he should be moved or not. He knew Jiang Xing too well. Usually, when he was about to be moved, Jiang Xing would definitely say something to ruin the atmosphere.
Sure enough, before he could respond, Jiang Xing said, "It's a pity that the Queen Mother won't understand, and I'm too lazy to convince her. How about this, I'll teach you to speak my native dialect, and then we can use Cantonese to encrypt our conversations in front of her." Jiang Xing was eager to try, "How about that, isn't it interesting?"
Lin Qingyu: “…Heh.”
In the end, the two decided to travel to the Jiangnan area. It just so happened that the tax reform in Jiangnan was in full swing, and they could take the opportunity to understand the people's sentiments.
Lin Qingyu originally wanted to ask the Ministry of Rites to arrange for the emperor to travel, but Jiang Xing stopped him: "A honeymoon is for two people to spend together. If you take a large group of people with you, it's not called a honeymoon, it's a group tour."
Having said that, as emperors and empresses of a dynasty, they still had guards waiting on them and palace maids following them in the palace, let alone traveling far away from the palace. Jiang Xing also knew that it was unrealistic to travel alone with Lin Qingyu. Dayu was different from his hometown. The things to prepare for a trip were complicated and he didn't know how much money to bring. His driving skills were just average.
Finally, the two decided to take Xiao Songzi, Hua Lu, and several first-rate secret guards from the Tianyu Gate with them and head south.
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