Chapter 150: The Empress
Dayu Shangjing is located in the north of the country. Although it is not covered with ice and snow all year round like the northern border, the north wind still howls and the cold is biting after the winter. It has been raining continuously for the past few days, and it is damp everywhere. Icicles are hanging under the eaves, and even the charcoal fire warming room in the palace cannot keep out the damp cold that penetrates into the skin.
Lin Qingyu was not afraid of the cold, but he felt that this winter was particularly cold, not to mention Jiang Xing, who couldn't get out of bed when winter came. The days were getting colder, and the burden on the shoulders of the palace maids and eunuchs was getting heavier. In the past, when they woke up the emperor, it would take him an incense stick of time to get up. Now, they can only turn to the queen for help. As long as the Queen opened her mouth, the Emperor would still struggle symbolically for a moment, but the final result would always be that he would get up obediently and go to court in pain.
After the morning court session that day, Jiang Xing discussed matters with several important officials in the Qinzheng Hall. Xiao Songzi stepped forward and offered a cup of hot tea, saying, "Your Majesty, Lord Shen wants to see you."
Two months ago, Jiang Xing ordered Shen Huaishi to go south to secretly investigate several important local officials, and it seems that there is some progress.
Jiang Xing nodded slightly and said to the ministers with a smile, "Let's stop here today. It's cold these days, so don't forget to put on more clothes, my dear ministers."
After the ministers thanked him and left, Shen Huaishi entered from the side door. Jiang Xing exempted him from the ceremony and urged, "Hurry up and report. I will go to bed after you finish listening."
Shen Huaishi was puzzled: "Go to bed?" Lunch had not arrived yet.
Xiao Songzi explained with a wry smile: "Lord Shen, you don't know that His Majesty is now lying in bed reading the memorial."
Since ancient times, other emperors read memorials in bed because they did not forget about state affairs even when they were sick, but their emperor was too lazy to get up because he was afraid of the cold. Shen Huaishi couldn't help laughing, but quickly calmed down and told His Majesty everything he had found out.
A captain in Jiangnan abused his power for personal gain, plundered the people's wealth, and maintained his own private army. His crime is unforgivable. But the problem is that this person is the grandson of Duke Xiangguo. When Dayuan was founded, the first Duke of Xiangguo followed Emperor Taizu through thick and thin and even saved Taizu's life. After the founding of the country, Taizu not only awarded the Duke of Xiangguo the hereditary title, but also gave him a golden medal of immunity from death, which could guarantee his descendants wealth and eternal glory.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Xing said, "In this case, it would be okay to give Grandmaster Yuan some face."
Shen Huaishi said: "The emperor means... to let him go?"
Jiang Xing smiled and said, "Can you make it look like he suddenly died of a disease?"
Shen Huaishi's heart moved. The Emperor and Empress treated him differently from others. He mostly saw the Emperor's kind and interesting side, and sometimes he could not help forgetting that the Emperor was also a king who ruled the world and held the power of life and death.
Seeing Shen Huaishi paused, Jiang Xing asked: "Or do you have a better way?"
Shen Huaishi hurriedly said: "I dare not - I obey your order."
As the two were talking, it started to rain outside again, the sound of the rain was so strong that the wind through the window startled the bamboos. Jiang Xing looked out the window and said unhappily, "It's raining again. When will it snow?"
"Your Majesty, it should be soon." Shen Huaishi said, "Does Your Majesty like snow?"
Jiang Xing said nonchalantly: "I used to like it."
Liking it before means not liking it now. Shen Huaishi said cautiously: "If the emperor doesn't like snow, maybe he can stay in the Jiangnan Palace for a while."
Shen Huaishi is one of the few people who knows Jiang Xing's true identity. Jiang Xing trusted him and occasionally mentioned his past in front of him: "I grew up in the south and rarely saw snow. I'm not exaggerating. In my hometown, seeing snow is like the New Year for some southerners."
only……
Jiang Xing chuckled: "I don't like it now."
He died twice in Dayu, both times in snowy weather. He has always been open-minded and has no shadow of regret about the snowy days, but Lin Qingyu is different.
After Shen Huaishi left, Xiao Songzi put on a fox fur coat with a velvet collar for Jiang Xing, held an umbrella, and returned to the emperor and empress's bedroom through the Qinzheng Palace.
Before entering the bedroom, Jiang Xing hesitated and said, "Why don't I take off my fox fur coat?"
"Your Majesty, please don't do that." Xiao Songzi advised earnestly, "It's very cold today, Your Majesty must take care of your health."
Jiang Xing was conflicted: "I feel cold too. But I'm about to meet the Queen. Will I look bulky in the fox fur coat and not look as elegant as usual?"
Xiao Songzi hurriedly said, "The emperor is a young and handsome man, how can he be associated with the word 'bloated'?"
This is not to please the emperor, but the true truth. His Majesty is not yet twenty, and his body shape is between that of a teenager and an adult man. Even if he wears two mink coats, he won’t look fat... he shouldn’t look fat.
Xiao Songzi's words did not reassure Jiang Xing. He finally gritted his teeth, took off his fox fur coat, and strode into the bedroom.
In the bedroom, Lin Qingyu heard the palace maid's report, but did not stand up to greet him, but just raised his eyes to look. Before I saw the person, I heard a voice: "I'm back!"
Lin Qingyu said: "You are wearing so little, aren't you cold?"
Jiang Xing smiled and said, "It's okay. I'm not afraid of the cold."
Lin Qingyu was wearing a light blue hooded cloak and standing in front of the window in the drizzle, his face made him look as bright and clear as the sky. Jiang woke up and came behind him, put his hand under Lin Qingyu's hat, and said contentedly: "Ah, it's so warm."
Who just said that he is not afraid of the cold?
Lin Qingyu saw through the situation but didn't say anything. He called Hua Lu and asked her to add more charcoal to the charcoal stove and get a hand warmer. Jiang Xing interrupted: "By the way, take some sweet potatoes - roasted sweet potatoes are best for winter. Take the raw ones, I want to roast them myself."
In Dayu, roasted sweet potatoes were a staple food for poor families and were rarely seen among wealthy families, let alone in the palace. But if His Majesty says he wants to eat it, the Shangshi Bureau will dig it for him even if they have to.
Jiang Xing said, "I remember that in the past, when winter came, there were small stalls selling roasted sweet potatoes at the school gate. You could smell the fragrance from afar..."
Jiang Xing was halfway through his speech when he realized that Lin Qingyu wasn't listening carefully, so he asked, "What's wrong, Qingyu? You seem absent-minded."
Lin Qingyu's tone was full of reluctance: "Today, my venomous snake went to hibernate."
Jiang Xing said, "Poisonous snakes are snakes, right? Snakes all hibernate."
"When we said goodbye, I actually talked a lot to the venomous snake."
"Well, then what?"
Lin Qingyu said unconfidently: "Jiang Xing, do you think I'm weird? Talking to a snake."
Jiang Xing told him seriously: "No, most people would talk to the venomous snake they like."
Lin Qingyu's expression eased a little: "Really?"
"Of course." Jiang Xing smiled, "This is very normal. In my hometown, we all have a venomous snake and tell stories to it before going to bed every day."
Lin Qingyu looked at Jiang Xing doubtfully.
At this time, Xiao Songzi came in holding a brocade box and said, "Your Majesty, everything you want is ready."
Jiang Xing was very excited: "Bring it here for me to see."
Xiao Songzi opened the brocade box, and Lin Qingyu saw a row of jade seals inside: "What are these...?"
Jiang Xing said: "Seal."
"I know it's a seal." Lin Qingyu picked up a jade seal and turned it over. He saw the three words "I have read it" engraved on the bottom, which was clearly Jiang Xing's handwriting. Let’s look at another slightly larger jade seal, which has the words “I am very well, don’t worry about me” engraved on it. There are also "approval", "no, you are ready to die", etc.
After being together for so many years, Lin Qingyu knew Jiang Xing too well and could tell what this lazy guy was thinking at a glance. He pressed his eyebrows and sighed, "Our emperor has reached a new level of laziness again."
"I have read it" is a trivial matter that is insignificant, while "I am very well, don't worry about me" corresponds to a letter of greeting. As for "approved" and "not allowed", they are also commonly used words in imperial edicts.
Last time Jiang Xing improved the dragon throne, he installed four wheels under the throne, so that he could slide it around the Qinzheng Hall and the bedroom whenever he wanted. Later, he had the backrest of the dragon throne remade, and the originally hard dragon throne became comfortable and soft, just enough to support a person's waist and back. Ministers and officials followed suit, and everyone had one. Even students in the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Medical Bureau sat on this chair to study hard.
Jiang Xing complained: "Who told them to submit memorials to me no matter what? They even tell me the smallest things. Do you know how many times I have to write '朕已阅读' every day? I almost don't recognize these words anymore."
If there is any strange hobby of Lin Qingyu, it is watching salted fish being forced to stand up. It's a bit sad, but also really funny. "You can carve another 'Qingyu' or 'Baby'."
"Um?"
"Usually you chat with me using pine nut, and these are the words you write the most."
"How can they be the same?" Jiang Xing said, "I have to write 'Qingyu' and 'Baby' myself."
Lin Qingyu added: "Then carve another one: 'I'm so tired', 'I'm so sleepy', 'What are you doing' - these are the ones you often use when chatting."
Jiang Xing: “…”
The two of them gathered around the charcoal stove, roasting sweet potatoes and chatting aimlessly. After the sweet potatoes were baked, Jiang Xing asked Hua Lu to bring a small spoon, and he scooped out the sweet potatoes with the spoon and ate them together with Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu seldom ate sweet potatoes roasted like this. When she tasted it occasionally from her husband's hand, she found it unexpectedly sweet.
The sound of rain gradually weakened until it disappeared. Lin Qingyu looked out the window: "The rain seems to have stopped?"
Jiang Xing said indifferently: "Oh oh."
Lin Qingyu asked: "Do you want to go out and take a look?"
Jiang Xing looked uninterested: "No, it's too cold outside. Let's go to bed and take a nap."
Lin Qingyu looked at Jiang Xing: "I remember that you like snow."
Jiang Xing paused and asked tentatively: "But don't you dislike it?"
Lin Qingyu smiled: "I like it now. Your Majesty, will you accompany me to enjoy the snow?"
Jiang Xing curled his lips, picked up the fox fur and put it on Lin Qingyu's shoulders: "Okay."
The two walked out hand in hand. The rain just turned into snow, and the light snow melted as soon as it hit the ground, so it was not enough to be a sight to behold. Jiang Xing's eyes were filled with the snow blowing in the wind, bright and shining, like a child looking forward to the New Year: "Qingyu, when do you think it will snow?"
"Not so fast. We have to wait at least one night."
"How about we build a snowman together when there's snow?"
Lin Qingyu smiled lightly: "Yeah."
Lin Qingyu stretched out his hand under the eaves and let the soft white snowflakes fall into his palm.
He didn't hate snow, he just hated the snowy days without Jiang Xing.
He didn't like snow either - he liked all the days when Jiang Xing was by his side.
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