Chapter 57: New Year. Today is particularly lively.
New Year's Day.
New Year.
The Ministry of Rites had to prepare for the court meeting, so Pei Su went to the palace early to make arrangements. The court officials also had to go to the palace as usual today and leave after the court meeting was over.
He Zhiliao was very energetic. He got up early with Pei Ji, helped him change his clothes while wearing his underwear, and also arranged his court clothes very neatly.
Pei Ji raised his hand and tangled it with his messy hair. His tone was particularly gentle and sweet. "I'll be back after the court meeting. Just wait for me at home. I'll bring you some snacks when I get back."
He Zhiliao shook his head slightly. He had been tired of eating for some time and didn't really want to eat any snacks.
Besides, the mansion has everything it needs. When shopping a few days ago, it spent at least several hundred taels of silver, and there were so many things that it could have hidden him.
"Okay then, let's talk about it when I get back home." Pei Ji lowered his head and kissed the corner of his lips, then touched his cheek reluctantly before he was willing to leave.
As soon as he left, He Zhiliao naturally couldn't sleep.
He simply gathered all the servants in the courtyard. After all, it was New Year, so it was natural to distribute monthly wages and bonuses to the servants in the courtyard.
In the past, when they were in the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, there were only him and Chunjian in the small courtyard. At that time, the two of them had to wait until He Ruman was in a good mood to give them the money for daily needs, not to mention the reward money, or until He Hongan suddenly remembered his son and asked casually one day.
Therefore, he did not know how to distribute the reward money or how much to distribute.
Fortunately, his mother had asked Miss Crimson to come and give him some advice a few days ago. The Pei family is a noble and powerful family. During the New Year, they have to spend hundreds of taels of silver just to reward the servants. If they want the servants to work diligently, silver is the most practical way.
There is no specific amount for the reward, it all depends on the rules and regulations of each family. The Pei family has always been generous and never stingy with rewards.
Therefore, when everyone stood up, they saw a lot of bulging purses on the table in front of He Zhiliao.
Harumi's purse was the bulgiest, almost bursting, and traces of silver coins could be seen.
"I knew that the young master loved me the most." After distributing the reward money, Chunjian laughed out loud while holding the purse, and did not forget to show off to Yanhua and Xixin.
Fortunately, I know that these two girls are not thinking about these things. If it were someone else, they would probably be jealous.
Yanhua and Xixin really didn't care about these things. Most of their money came from their master, so they didn't care about these things. Besides, Zhengjun didn't treat them badly!
Seeing that they were all happy, He Zhiliao also raised the corners of his lips. Everyone has selfish desires, and Chunjian is also his selfish desire.
Not only were their courtyards distributing rewards, but the servants who had distributed the rewards were also gathering in piles, thinking about how to use the money, what to buy, what to eat, how much to give to their families, and so on.
He Zhiliao took a sip of hot tea and rubbed his fingers that were trembling with nervousness. Now it was his turn to give rewards to others.
The other side.
Pei Ji followed the crowd into the palace. He knew that the annual court meetings held by the Tianqi Emperor were extremely grand. He had only heard about them before, but now he had to participate in them in person.
All the civil and military officials in the court stood in order of their official rank. Pei Ji was in a position relatively close to the front, so he saw the third prince standing at the front at a glance.
His confinement was indeed quite long. The court was unstable, and Emperor An had long intended to release him, but he hadn't found the right opportunity. It just so happened that the New Year had arrived, and the fearful Empress took the opportunity to plead for him, so he finally came out and showed off again.
It can be seen that everything has a way out before it ends.
It is precisely for this reason that these princes would try their best to compete for it, as long as there is a slight chance, they would have the chance to become the emperor.
The court meeting is nothing more than listening to reports from various departments, and His Majesty will then praise and encourage them based on their performance over the past year.
During this period, the Pei family and the fifth prince obviously received the most praise.
Pei Ji was extremely well-behaved and unperturbed by praise or criticism. When the court meeting was over and all officials were allowed to leave the palace, he was naturally the most anxious to leave and wanted to go up and grab his father and brothers' arms.
But he himself was one of those surrounded.
He is a favorite of His Majesty, so naturally there are many people who secretly want to win him over at all times.
There is no need to say more about the King of Qi. There has always been affection between them, but they were hidden in the past. Now that he has been crowned king, there is no need to hide it anymore.
The Fifth Prince also knew the importance of Pei Ji. Although he was arrogant on weekdays, he would definitely be present in such an occasion where everyone was present.
What surprised Pei Ji was that the third prince and the fourth prince were actually willing to humble themselves and come over.
He glanced at the Third Prince calmly and felt that the house arrest during this period of time did not seem to be completely useless. Judging from his temperament, he seemed to be more calm than before.
But it also carries a feeling of keeping people at a distance.
Pei Ji couldn't help but laugh. He was like a steamed bun that fell into a fish pond, and every fish wanted to fight over it to get a bite.
"Master Pei, why are you in such a hurry to come back home? I just received some rewards, so why not give them to you as a New Year's gift." The fourth prince spoke first.
Although there were some unpleasant things before, he still needed the help of the Pei family. Besides, that incident was not his doing, so there was no need to feel guilty.
The Fifth Prince laughed, "Fourth brother has never been interested in government affairs. Lord Degui must be worried sick about you, even willing to give you those rewards. I wonder if Second brother has any?"
The Prince of Qi and the Fourth Prince were both born to Lord Degui, but they had different personalities. Furthermore, they were brothers from the royal family, so no matter how genuine their feelings were, they would be completely worn out in the face of power.
They were always cold to each other, but they were much more genuine than those princes who appeared to be enthusiastic on the surface, and they did not need to wear masks in front of each other.
The King of Qi naturally didn't care about such obvious provocative words. He smiled gently and said, "Yes, if Fifth Brother wants it, I can send it to your house."
The Fifth Prince was in high spirits right now, and naturally people would send all the good things he wanted to his house. Naturally, he looked down on these things, so he chuckled and refused them.
Pei Ji naturally would not accept anything from the Fourth Prince. He had made it clear before. If he was involved again, it would probably cause misunderstandings among everyone.
His clear attitude made the Fourth Prince feel a little embarrassed, but because everyone was present, he couldn't say much, so as to prevent his brothers from suspecting his intentions.
The strange thing was that the Third Prince had never said anything to him from beginning to end. Naturally, Pei Ji didn't need to talk to him. They had already fallen out in the past, and he was just trying to maintain a decent appearance. In addition, the other party was a prince, so he gave him some face.
That's all.
He glanced towards his father and brothers. Although he was not much older than his brothers, they were surrounded by senior officials.
They were clearly just some nagging old guys, but they had dispersed even earlier than him.
Just as he was about to look away, he met Pei Su's eyes, who nodded at him.
Pei Ji immediately turned around and gave the princes a polite smile: "I have some important matters at home, so I will take my leave now. I wish you all a happy New Year."
Even the blessings are selfish.
If everything goes well for them all, then wouldn't the Pei family be in trouble?
After Pei Ji finished speaking, he left quickly and soon caught up with his father and brothers, and left the palace neatly.
Today is the first day of the new year, and ordinary visits have to be made after the second day, so the Pei Mansion is relatively peaceful, otherwise even the door threshold would have been trampled down.
As soon as they arrived home, Rong Fei's rewards came down. They were all small pieces of silk, satin, gold, silver and jewelry. The most thoughtful thing was the several sets of clothes sent to them. The colors had different personalities, which were exactly what they liked.
The rewards from the palace were all placed in the big warehouse. Pei Ji didn't have time to take a second look at those things, and took He Zhiliao, whose hands were cold, back to the yard.
"I thought you were going to sleep some more, but you got up so early." Pei Ji helped him take off his cloak, handed it to Chun Jian, and took him to sit down. "What did you do this morning?"
【Give out silver.】
There was a smile in He Zhiliao's eyes when he said this, as if this simple thing was full of fun.
Pei Ji also laughed, "From now on, we will be rewarded with silver every year, and there will be many happy days!"
He Zhiliao smiled and nodded, and asked him about his situation in the court, how the court meetings were held, etc.
Pei Ji told him in detail about the situation and movements of the princes.
[Your Majesty seems not very satisfied with the Fifth Prince.]
After He Zhiliao heard what he said, he subconsciously added a sentence.
Pei Ji became interested. "Why do you say that? What did you notice?"
Needless to say, the King of Qi was not considered by His Majesty as a candidate for the throne from the very beginning. The Third Prince was the legitimate son and the most likely to inherit the throne, but he was suddenly put under house arrest. The Fourth Prince was caught up in a public opinion storm and was suspected of assassinating court officials.
Now is the time when the Fifth Prince should have shown his abilities, but His Majesty has released the Third Prince on the pretext of the New Year. Although it cannot be said that he is letting the tiger back into the mountains, once he is out, he will no longer be confined unless he commits a serious offense.
Therefore, the fifth prince's situation will be more difficult.
After all, as long as the Jin family does not fall, the queen will still be the queen, the third prince will still be the legitimate son, and he will still have the opportunity to become the crown prince and ascend to the throne.
And this opportunity is more likely than the fifth prince.
If His Majesty was truly satisfied with the Fifth Prince, he would never release the Third Prince at this time. It is clear that he needs someone to compete with him.
Pei Ji nodded with satisfaction, his gaze shifting from his lips to his face, his compliments pouring out, "He's indeed very smart. Such a sharp mind is truly rare."
And those princes who are deeply involved in the power struggle may not have seen this clearly.
The two chatted in the house while the divided rewards were brought to them in the front yard.
Rong Fei cared particularly about her natal family and was familiar with everything about it. Even the new clothes she made for He Zhiliao were his favorite Zhu Yanfun, and the expensive and exquisite fabrics made them look much better than the brocade clothes he was wearing at the moment.
"Although it was my eldest sister who made it based on my measurements, I still have to try it out to see if it fits. If there's anything uncomfortable, ask them to have it altered." Pei Ji said with a smile.
【Thank you, Empress Rongfei.】
He Zhiliao thanked him silently, even though the person he was thanking was not in front of him. However, such courtesy always made people happy.
The clothes fit her well, and her face was already light-cheeked. Combined with He Zhiliao's jade-like face, she looked like a fairy. It was hard to tell whether the clothes were fitting her or the clothes were fitting her.
Even though he stared at him every day, Pei Ji was still a little dazed at the moment. He had to admit that looking at such a smart He Zhile, he felt like his soul was hooked away.
In the previous life... such a beautiful person was right in front of him, how could he not see it?
What a beast.
"It's better to take it off." Pei Ji thought of something and his face looked a little bad.
【Isn’t it pretty? 】
The man's clothes were different from those of men. The lower part of his skirt looked like the hem of a woman's skirt. When he said this, he was holding the hem of his skirt and shaking it from side to side, like a cicada hanging on the top of a tree.
"It looks good." Pei Ji's face darkened. "It's just too good-looking."
He Zhiliao blinked and understood.
He carefully touched the clothes on his upper body, lowered his head slightly to look at the stitches and patterns on the clothes, but the corners of his lips rose slightly.
So cute.
I never knew he had such a childish side.
Seeing that he clearly couldn't let go of it, Pei Ji realized that he seemed to be going too far, so he said, "It was just a joke. You look good in it. Why don't you wear new clothes like this to celebrate the New Year?"
He Zhiliao had no intention of taking it off. Of course he had to wear nice clothes. It wasn't a big deal. He wouldn't throw away clothes he particularly liked just because of a word from the other party.
So stupid.
The daytime passed in a flash, and the sun set in the blink of an eye.
The nights in Beijing during the Spring Festival are still lively and bright, with different joys and laughter in every household.
The same was true in the Pei Mansion. Although there was no lively young man in the mansion, everyone was happy on such a festive day.
Sitting at the table, the atmosphere was more lively than before. Everyone had a smile on their face, even Pei Ding's expressionless face had a faint smile.
Rather than the delicious food on the table in front of them, everyone raised their glasses to celebrate in tacit understanding.
As he spoke the congratulatory words, He Zhiliao brought the wine glass to his lips and took a sip. It was a little soft at first, but soon the warmth spread from his throat to every part of his body, and he felt his whole body was warmed.
He took small sips and soon finished the wine in the glass.
He was already happy today, so Pei Ji didn't stop him. After all, it didn't matter if he got drunk today.
Seeing that he didn't stop him, He Zhiliao became extra tough and drank one cup after another. Soon he felt a little dizzy. He was afraid that others would notice, so he quickly stuffed food into his mouth.
Pei Ji's eyes widened instantly, he stood up and grabbed his wrist, stopping the food from entering his eyes...
Pei Xiao saw this scene and immediately burst into hearty laughter. He didn't feel embarrassed at all to make fun of the younger generation. He only covered his mouth after Qin Yurong hit him with an arm.
Qin Yurong said, "They've almost finished eating. You can take him back to rest. Ask the kitchen to prepare food for him to eat if he gets hungry at night."
"Okay, then I'll take him back first." Pei Ji said as he picked him up and did not forget to put his shaking hands around his neck.
Fortunately, He Zhiliao doesn't act crazy when drunk. When being held, he curls up obediently, sticking to Pei Ji's chest, as obedient as a cat slave.
Pei Ji put him on the bed. Walking around like this made him sweat. He took off his cloak and signaled the servants to bring hot water. He also had to drink more tea, otherwise he would have heartburn from the alcohol.
The charcoal basin in the room was burning warmly. After Pei Ji fed him water, he wanted to help him take off his clothes and wipe his body. However, before he could do anything, the other party had already taken off his clothes in a daze.
"You are quite self-aware." Pei Ji chuckled.
【ah……】
The alcohol and heat burned He Zhiliao's reason, and joy filled his heart, making him a little unsure of what to do.
His mouth opened and closed, but because he was drunk, his words were not clear. Pei Ji naturally had no idea what he was saying, so he could only follow his thoughts.
Seeing that he was about to take off his underwear, Pei Ji quickly covered him with the quilt and laughed, "That will only make things more complicated..."
He Zhiliao heard him talking in a daze, and pulled the quilt to wrap around him. Pei Ji had no choice but to let him kiss and pull him, and did not wrap him with the quilt. He was really tired and happy.
It was still early, and He Zhile woke up from a hazy sleep, thinking that a whole night had passed. However, he found that candles were still lit in the house, and he was a little confused.
"Are you sober?" Pei Ji came over with some hangover soup. "Drink it."
He Zhiliao didn't even ask, he just took the warm bowl, took a small sip, and when he found it wasn't hot, he drank it all in one gulp.
It tastes sweet, but also a little uncomfortable in the mouth.
Pei Ji then helped him drink tea and rinse his mouth, and after he had served him completely, he went straight up to him.
Meeting those bright and innocent eyes, he grabbed the soft belt beside him and tied it over his eyes.
He Zhiliao suddenly became nervous and opened his arms to hug him. Pei Ji hugged him tightly and said in a hoarse voice, "It's my turn to torture you. The candlelight will not go out, and you can't see anyway..."
This boundless spring scenery belongs to him.
…
The next day.
Families began to visit each other and exchange gifts.
He Zhiliao, as the head of the Pei Mansion, naturally had to follow Qin Yurong in receiving the ladies who came to visit. The ladies who could receive such treatment were naturally ladies of similar family background, and they had to be treated with courtesy.
I tossed and turned last night and was really tired. Now I could only endure the pain until all the guests left and then I had a chance to sit down and rest.
Besides that, there is one more thing today——
Results announced.
The original intention of not announcing the results on the first day of the new year was to hope that the students who came to take the imperial examinations could have a good New Year in a foreign land. Once the time passed, the results had to be announced quickly.
He Zhiliao knew nothing about the previous dynasty, nor did he know whether Pei Ji had any promising students. However, everyone would be curious about the announcement of the results, and he was no exception.
Now that all the guests in the mansion have left, he can naturally go out.
There was a huge crowd of people under the list, and the whole street was blocked. He Zhiliao had no choice but to abandon the car with his servants and walk through the crowded crowd into the restaurant.
Songhexuan is especially lively today. It has a good location and is high enough to see the situation below at a glance.
Only after he entered the private room did he feel that he could breathe much more easily.
As soon as I opened the window a little, I suddenly heard what seemed to be a quarrel coming from below the list.
"I'm not on the list either! This is impossible!"
"There's something wrong with this result. He was among the top in the competition, how could he not be ranked?!"
"This is the capital, there are many talented people here, and a falling plaque can kill a group of dignitaries. Do you think this is your county?"
The crowd below immediately became noisy, with everyone arguing with their own opinions. Some felt that there was something wrong with the results, and some even seemed to be ready to take action.
The guards of the patrol camp rushed forward to separate them, as fighting at this time would inevitably hurt innocent people.
But this matter still reached His Majesty's ears.
If a student suspects there's something wrong with their results, what's the difference between that and doubting the authority of God?!
Emperor An immediately summoned officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Examination Hall, and the Hanlin Academy to the palace and ordered them to investigate the matter. If there was any fraud, they would not let it go easily.
For a moment, the entire court was shaken.
Your Majesty has established the imperial examinations to recruit talents and fill the court. If someone is in the position but does not do his job, and disappoints the students all over the world, who will trust the court in the future?
The Ministry of Rites was in charge of the imperial examinations, so the Minister and Vice Minister of Rites were naturally the first to bear the brunt of the responsibility.
Pei Su was deeply involved in it and seemed unable to extricate himself. After being severely reprimanded by Emperor An, he left the conference hall.
He took a deep breath and left with heavy steps.
"Minister Pei, you look a little unhappy. It's obvious that you have been severely reprimanded by His Majesty."
Pei Su looked up and saw the fifth prince walking towards him, followed by He Yao.
He frowned slightly, "Your humble servant greets the Fifth Prince."
The Fifth Prince looked at him with feigned concern, "Minister Pei, you should take care of your health and get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible. Otherwise, how can His Majesty trust your Ministry of Rites in the future?"
Even if he was reprimanded, it should be the Minister of Rites who should bear it. He was just following orders, so Pei Su naturally would not take it to heart.
But upon hearing what the Fifth Prince said, he still looked delighted and said, "Thank you for your concern, Fifth Prince. I already have some clues on this matter. Those people's achievements have been replaced. Your Majesty has ordered me to look for evidence."
"Really?" the fifth prince asked quickly.
"Of course, this matter is of great importance. If we cannot get to the bottom of it, it will undermine your majesty's dignity!" Pei Su said, bowing to him and saying, "Your humble servant will leave first."
During this period, he didn't even look at He Yao, as if he didn't exist.
He Yao narrowed his eyes and looked at the Fifth Prince, "Your Highness, how do you think this matter should be handled?"
"Go and find out whether what he said is true or not... Even if it is true, it has nothing to do with this prince, do you understand?" The fifth prince glanced at him sideways, which was both a threat and a warning.
Of course He Yao understood.
Today is particularly lively.
It was not just because the results were announced on the second day of the Lunar New Year, but also because some candidates questioned the errors in their scores, and Pei Su, the Minister of Rites who was in charge of the imperial examinations, was injured by an assassin after leaving the palace.
After this happened, Emperor An had nothing to understand!
It was he who ordered Pei Su to find out the truth, but just as he found out some clues, the person was injured. This was clearly murder to silence him!
Emperor An was furious, but he had to send someone to check on Pei Su's injuries. After all, the Pei family did nothing wrong and was loyal... But if they suffered disasters again and again because of his actions, wouldn't it be telling the world that his majesty was incompetent!
"Master Pei, I have been ordered to treat you." The imperial physician followed Emperor An's orders and entered the Pei residence. "Please rest assured during this period of time, your humble servant will definitely..."
The imperial physician had not yet finished his words when he noticed something wrong with his subordinate's pulse.
He looked up in confusion, "You, you are..."
Pei Su smiled gently, "Since the imperial physician knows that I'm seriously injured, he'll naturally know what to say to His Majesty."
The imperial physician was a little bewildered, but soon realized what was going on. He quickly knelt and kowtowed, "Your Excellency's injuries are serious and difficult to treat. Your Excellency, I will do my best for you!"
"Very good." Pei Su raised his eyebrows slightly, "Thank you, Imperial Physician."
The man who said he was seriously injured, although lying on the bed pretending to be seriously injured, had a rosy complexion and was full of energy.
The imperial physician sighed secretly in his heart. This Pei Mansion is a place where people are eaten without leaving any bones. Anyone who comes here will be skinned alive!
How dare he talk nonsense? Not to mention that His Majesty doesn't believe him, if he dares to say it, I'm afraid even his entire family will be in danger!
Pei Su, who was apparently seriously injured, allowed Pei Ji to enter the palace with the evidence he had already found.
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The author has something to say: It’s so lively.
Emperor An: "My empire is leaking!"
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