Chapter 13: The Desk Gets Married – A Lot of Trouble
Chao Lu finally returned at dawn. Ruan Yu hadn't slept and was waiting for him in the tent.
Hearing footsteps, Ruan Yu immediately got up to greet them, lifting her skirt and looking somewhat anxious, "Your Highness is back?"
Chao Lu seemed a bit tired, his steps were slightly heavy, and he was clearly surprised when he saw Ruan Yu, pausing for a moment.
She came to greet him, not even bothering to put on her shoes properly, still wearing slippers.
Ruan Yu bit her lip and said, "I thought Your Highness had worked hard all night, so I had some hot soup prepared. Why don't you drink some before you rest? The warm water in the bath room has also been prepared."
Chao Lu snapped out of his reverie and recalled the scene at dinner yesterday. His brows furrowed quickly. "I'm not hungry! You can eat by yourself."
Ruan Yu had figured it out in the tent and realized why he was so angry yesterday.
Did she think she wanted him to show off and get a reward from the Khan?
Ruan Yu admitted that she wanted to stand more firmly and securely, but she had never even considered that short-sighted move.
Later, she recalled what Chaolu had said—that she had no resentment towards her mother.
The implication is that he was unwilling to marry her not because she was from the Central Plains.
This was meant as an apology and explanation for the neglect he had shown her on their wedding day. Perhaps he didn't actually mean it, but Ruan Yu took it as such.
After he finished speaking, I not only didn't respond, but I was still preoccupied with the Zulu Festival, so it's no wonder I was angry...
After thinking it through, Ruan Yu felt no more trouble.
So at this moment, Ruan Yu chased after her.
"Your Highness—"
Chao Lu was a little tired and annoyed. He had spoken in a bad tone and left on his own after speaking. He thought she would go back to her room to sleep by herself, but she actually followed him. This surprised Chao Lu, and he paused in his steps.
"What are you doing?" He turned around and stared at the person, somewhat puzzled.
Ruan Yu smiled and stepped forward: "Actually, it's nothing. It's just that Your Highness didn't sleep all night and now you have to rush to the study. I'm very worried. In fact, Your Highness can bring the books back to your room to read. Why don't you take a bath and have a meal first, then go back to your room to read and rest for a while?"
Chao Lu: "..."
Afu lowered his head, thinking of the "books" His Highness had read before, and chose to remain silent.
Chao Lu pinched the bridge of his nose: "Who said I was going to the study? I'm going to take a bath!"
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "That's fine then, I'll go in and help you. The herbalist said that His Highness is going to change to a new medicine today, and I've prepared it all."
Help him?
Chao Lu suddenly recalled the embarrassing incident in the bathhouse that day, and his expression changed slightly: "No need! You can go back."
"concubine--"
“I said no, and that means no.” Chao Lu said sternly, and Ruan Yu’s eyes widened slightly.
Realizing that his tone hadn't been very good, Chaolu felt a little regretful.
"Alright, you can prepare the meal now. I'll take a bath and then go back to my room."
Ruan Yu immediately put on a smiling face: "Yes."
Then he turned and left.
Chao Lu suddenly sighed, realizing that there were a lot of troubles after getting married, and he now felt like the one who had to read other people's faces under the eaves.
However, when Chaolu returned to his tent and saw a table full of dishes, his mood became complicated.
"What's this?"
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Two days ago, Your Highness was kind enough to bestow upon me a chef from the Central Plains. Today, I had him prepare more Central Plains dishes to give Your Highness a change of pace."
On the table were a stewed chicken with chestnuts, a grilled pork dish, a crispy lamb chop, several refreshing vegetarian dishes, and finally, a freshly stewed snow pear and white fungus soup and chestnut pastries.
Chao Lu paused for a moment, intending to say something, but the hunger in his stomach raged, and in the end, he sat down without uttering a word.
"Your Highness, please try this chicken soup first. The cooking wasn't quite right the other day, so I had the chef improve it."
Chao Lu took it and sipped it.
I couldn't taste any difference.
How do you judge if the heat is too high? That's too fussy.
"And this grilled meat."
Chao Lu glanced at it and laughed: "Only you people cut meat into such small pieces, are you afraid of choking?"
He picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks with disdain, but the moment he put it in his mouth, he fell silent.
Ruan Yu suppressed a laugh: "How does it taste?"
how……
Chao Lu swallowed it, then silently picked up another piece of food with his chopsticks.
Ruan Yu smiled but remained silent: "The meat is chopped into small pieces, but it's very flavorful. Your Highness can try this stew later. It's made with snow pears and white fungus, and it's very sweet and fragrant. Your Highness didn't sleep well last night, so it's perfect for soothing your throat. Also, there are these chestnut shortbreads. The chestnuts are in season right now, and they're fragrant, crispy, and soft."
Chao Lu felt a sense of unease.
He put down his chopsticks and looked at the woman in front of him: "Speak, what is it?"
Offering help for no reason...this woman must want something from him.
Ruan Yu also put down her chopsticks and became serious.
Chao Lu chuckled inwardly. Sure enough, he wondered what annoying things she would say. If it was something like asking about the Zulu Festival again, he definitely wouldn't give her a pleasant look, lest she cause some trouble outside.
"Your Highness, I would like to set up a desk in the tent so I can paint in my spare time. I would also like to borrow some books from Your Highness's study. Is that alright...?"
Chao Lu: "?"
"Of course, I will place it in the outer tent so as not to disturb Your Highness's peace. Also, I will take good care of the borrowed books and will never damage or soil them..."
Chao Lu stared at her strangely for a while: "Such a small matter?"
"Is it... a small matter?"
Chao Lu's brow furrowed slightly again: "Just let Afu handle it directly, no need to interfere."
Ruan Yumei was delighted and was about to thank him when she suddenly heard Chao Lu say again, "Or you can go to the study and read or paint as you please."
Now it was Ruan Yuzhen's turn to be surprised: "Is it alright... Your Highness doesn't go there often, will it disturb you?"
"It doesn't matter. I don't go often. Once my injury heals, I still prefer to go marathon."
Ruan Yu understood and smiled, "That's fine then, no need to go back and forth. I'll have Afu set up two tables in the study, so it won't be too much of a hassle when Your Highness wants to come."
Chao Lu casually grunted, "Whatever you want."
This meal was arguably the slowest Chao Lu had ever eaten, but it was exceptionally satisfying.
It was the first time he had ever heard that many ingredients could be prepared this way. After eating, he sat at the table for a while, and his expression seemed less irritable.
"Your Highness... I'd like to ask about my sister's side?" Ruan Yu asked cautiously, glancing at Lu. Perhaps because she was full, she was unusually easy to talk to. "Ask whatever you want."
"Can Buhe stay? My sister won't be going back, will she..."
Chao Lu snorted coldly: "Unless you step over my dead body."
Ruan Yu took a soft breath.
It's clear that Chaolu really dislikes the people of the Haryan tribe. He had never heard any of his servants mention it before. Xuanniang also said that Chaolu had fought with them more than once. In fact, he still loves his family very much.
Seeing that Ruan Yu was staring at him, Chao Lu toned it down slightly: "What's wrong? Is someone saying something in front of you?"
"No," Ruan Yu quickly replied.
"I was just concerned about my older sister; I didn't know about these things before."
Chao Lu: "Nothing serious, unless Cha Su crawls out of his grave, otherwise, hmph."
The man suddenly stood up: "I'm going out for a bit. You didn't get much sleep last night, so get some rest."
"Your Highness didn't sleep a wink last night either, won't you get some rest?"
"No need."
Seeing that Chao Lu insisted, Ruan Yu had no choice but to give up.
After everyone left, Qingguo stepped forward and asked, "Khedun, why did you suddenly decide to paint? We don't even have any watercolors here..."
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "There's no rush to paint. Let's go to the study and get another desk first."
Qingguo was completely confused, but she still did as the Khatun said. Xuanniang smiled and poked her head.
"You should learn from this."
-
Ruan Yu was indeed a bit tired, so she rested in the tent in the morning. After getting up, she went to the study. Afu was efficient and tidied up in no time.
“Sikkhudun, this is His Highness’s table, and this is yours. I have prepared the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone.”
Chao Lu's desk was at the top, facing north, while hers was a few steps below, facing west. Ruan Yu nodded: "That's fine."
Afu smiled and said, "I'm glad you're satisfied. These are all the books here. Many of them were given to His Highness by Madam. There are quite a lot of them."
Ruan Yu looked over and saw only a six-tiered cabinet behind it. There really was... quite a lot.
She walked over and examined them closely. "Did Madam bring all of these before?"
"Yes, some were found by the Great Khan. This servant doesn't know much about them, so I don't know the specifics."
Ruan Yu nodded, then turned to look at Chao Lu's desk.
I was stunned for a moment.
There was a mahogany table, which was quite imposing, but unfortunately it was spotless except for a book in the very center. Afu said, "Your Highness studied very hard here the other day, reading for two hours at a time."
Ruan Yu walked over, but didn't touch the book; she just glanced at it casually.
The next instant, his eyes widened slightly.
This book is even upside down.
Qingguo and Xuanniang saw it too, but neither dared to laugh, silently lowering their heads to endure it.
It's quite tough.
...
In the afternoon, Ruan Yu casually picked up two books and started reading them without realizing it.
It was almost time for dinner again, so Ruan Yu asked Xuan Niang to inquire when Chao Lu would return and about the situation with Hai La.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the quiet tent—
"Khwarazm, something terrible has happened!"
Ruan Yu paused for a moment, then stood up.
Xuan Niang's face was extremely pale. "I just heard that the people from the Ha Liang tribe came looking for us in a menacing manner. They said that Cha Su has been found. He's not dead, but he broke his brain and leg a couple of years ago and was rescued by a country herdsman! Now they want to take Dabieji back!"
Ruan Yu stood up abruptly.
Bai Tianchao's words suddenly popped into her mind—
Unless Chasu crawls out of his grave.
She gasped, thinking, "Could it be this weird?"
"Where is my elder sister? Where is His Highness?!"
"Upon hearing this, Lady Qiu rushed to the Golden Tent immediately to prevent Dabieji from showing himself. The Fourth Prince should have also gone to the Golden Tent. Khatun, where are we going?"
Ruan Yu pursed her lips and said, "Go find Yang Chong and inquire about His Highness's situation. I'll go find my elder sister first, and then I'll go find His Highness."
"Hey!"
A note from the author:
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[Eating melon seeds]
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