After a few more days of peace, one night a familiar voice of "The Emperor has arrived" broke the tranquility of the yard.
Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao's expressions of surprise soon turned into delight. Sometimes I wonder who they are thinking about, me or Song Heng?
After not seeing him for a long time, Song Heng looked tired, but he was still majestic in his golden dragon robe.
"I heard that you tied up a maid a few days ago?" He sat down in front of me, and Xiao Cui hurriedly brought a pot of tea.
"Your Majesty is very well-informed."
He ignored my compliment: "You really want to think of yourself as a heroine, don't you? You carry a shoulder pole, a bucket, ride a horse, shoot arrows, and then at the end you just tie someone up with a rope?"
Holy crap, he remembers it better than I do! I have to count on my fingers to figure it out myself.
"Next time something like this happens, just call the guards." He seemed a little helpless: "You don't even know how to protect yourself..."
"The guards came, and everyone ran away." I curled my lips: "I'm alerting the enemy. Time won't wait for me."
"Then let her run away," Song Heng looked at me. "Come find me if she runs away, and I'll send someone to catch her."
...It makes so much sense that I am speechless.
"Why are you still acting with Duan Xiao to catch thieves together?"
I agree.
"Next time, come directly to me for something like this."
???
I want you to act out a play of catching a thief with me?
"I'll send someone to investigate."
The emperor is so good, he can find someone just by asking!
"Alright, I still have things to do in Chengqing Palace, so I'll leave tonight."
"Beauty's business?" I blurted out, and I regretted it the moment I said it.
He stopped and looked at me with a smile on his face, but I looked away.
"Those beauties were given to Duan Xiao by Minister Hua."
"Then you two tricked Minister Hua together."
"It seems he has already told you, so it's not a trap."
"You two seem to have a good relationship." I quickly changed the subject.
"Well, he's excellent in some aspects. I've known him personally since I went to Qixia." Song Heng nodded, then coughed lightly. "Of course, only in some aspects."
I nodded and stopped talking. I already regretted what I had just said.
"You should get some rest early. Don't stay up too late reading the storybook." He walked to the door and suddenly stopped again: "I will ask Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao."
???
I breathed a sigh of relief after he left. In fact, after so many days, I'm still not sure how I should face him.
The taste of the pastries made by the two princesses still seems to be on my lips. There are some things I won’t do and can’t do.
Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao ran in with big smiles on their faces, and I immediately frowned: "Xiao Tao and Xiao Cui, please attend the trial!"
They both looked confused.
"When did His Majesty bribe you two?" I said straight to the point, "And tell him what time I go to bed?"
"Ah?" Xiao Tao shook her head innocently: "Your Majesty will ask when you come and go, I can't just keep silent..."
"Yes," Xiao Cui agreed, "and His Majesty is also concerned about the young lady."
I stood up and grabbed their arms, and they quickly shrank back: "My lady, what are you doing?"
"Look how much your elbows are bent outward!" I pretended to pinch their arms, and they ran out laughing, saying to me as they closed the door, "My dear lady, go to bed early. His Majesty will ask about this next time!"
"You guys..." I slammed my hand on the door. I was rebelling. I couldn't be the master anymore. I was so angry.
Song Heng sounded very busy these days, as he was preparing for the war by holding a special military examination to recruit talented generals, and he personally went to the martial arts training ground all day to select candidates.
Also, it was because he had previously ordered a random check of local provincial examination papers, and it was said that he personally checked each page. No one could figure out why he went to such great lengths.
As for me, I received two letters. One was from my brother, who had saved some money that month and, out of gratitude, wrote back to him to ask if he could buy the dragon horse at the stable. The other was from Duan Xiao, who said concisely: "It's done." Xiao.
He didn't say how much silver he gave him. After thinking it over, I put the two deposit certificates in the reply letter. I even got interested in asking him why he didn't sign his name with the word "Duan".
Looking up and seeing the warm sunlight, he suddenly remembered that he had not yet expressed his gratitude to Concubine De in person, so he found a painting and calligraphy he had bought when he went out of the palace to visit his relatives. Mu Chenfeng helped him select this painting and he gave one to Mu Anguo and received praise for it. It seemed that it was quite good.
Arriving at Zhuangning Palace, the courtyard was quiet. From a distance, I could see Concubine Liu De leaning on a wooden chair with a book in her hand. A blue and white porcelain cup was placed on the table, with white mist curling up.
I didn't want to make any noise and disturb the tranquility, but Xiao Ning, who had returned from outside the palace, saw me and saluted me.
Upon hearing this, Concubine De put down her book and was about to get up to greet me, so I quickly led Xiao Cui into the room and bowed.
"Thank you, Empress Defei, for your help that day," I said respectfully. "This is a painting selected by my brother. I'm not good at writing, and I think it would be a waste to keep it in the Chenxiang Pavilion. Please accept it, Empress Defei."
Xiao Cui handed the black orchid painting to Xiao Ning, and Concubine De hurriedly helped me up: "You are too polite, sister. I am just speaking the truth."
Xiao Ning presented the painting to Concubine De, who smiled and praised it endlessly: "Sister, you are so thoughtful! I really like this painting!"
I felt like my heart was filled with honey when I heard this. I just felt that Concubine Liu De in front of me was really an angel! It was so great!
She asked Xiao Ning to bring some cakes and moved two porcelain plates in front of me. "I saw you liked these two at previous gatherings. I wonder if I remember correctly."
I looked at the two red porcelain plates in front of me, one holding a smooth crystal cake, the other holding a five-petal peach blossom cake. I was so moved that tears were about to flow: "I'm right, I like it very much. Thank you, Empress Defei!"
"Just call me sister," she smiled gently. "Calling 'Empress Defei' is tiring."
She chatted with me for a while, praising Mu Chenfeng's vision and Xiao Cui's sensibility. The sun moved slowly, but I felt that time flew by. She was gentle as water, dignified and elegant, as it should be.
Before leaving, Concubine Liu De suddenly called me. I turned around quickly. She seemed a little hesitant, but she slowly walked up to me and whispered, "Sister Mu, I understand that you are thoughtful, but there is something I still want to tell you."
"That day, I actually regretted leaving under the pretext of getting clothes," she paused. "You are the Imperial Consort, after all. Besides His Majesty, everyone else... should still be more cautious."
She looked at me seriously, and I nodded: "Thank you for reminding me, sister. I understand."
"What's going on between you and him—" she began. Before I could say anything, she seemed to react and said, "Don't misunderstand, sister. I have no intention of prying."
For a moment, I also felt that this question was a bit too much, but when I thought about the care that Concubine De had given me, I was confused by my concern, and I felt even more grateful and close to her. "There really is nothing between him and me. He has saved me many times and he is indebted to me."
He and I are more in harmony with each other in terms of our views. In terms of being pretentious, it's like a flowing stream between mountains and water, and we hit it off right from the moment we met.
"That's good." Concubine Liu De let go of her hand and smiled slightly.
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