Especially those old men who used to nag him, now they didn't object at all.
The Emperor was overjoyed and continued, "I'm thinking, this year we'll play mahjong and cards right here in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. I'll play with my beloved ministers, the Empress will play with the ladies, and my princesses and princes will play with the princes and princesses of the Western Regions, as well as the sons and daughters of various noble families. We'll play until midnight, then set off firecrackers, watch the fireworks, and then everyone will go home to celebrate the New Year. What do you say?"
The emperor had just seen a few old censors who were known for their argumentative nature, and he noticed that their wives, sons, or daughters were holding them back and preventing them from speaking.
Yes, the emperor was very satisfied with the families of these censors.
Then, the eunuchs carried square tables to the center of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the same number of tables were placed on both sides.
Some tables have mahjong tiles, and some tables have playing cards.
The princes and princesses of the West had heard about it, but had never experienced it themselves, and were quite curious.
The Ninth Prince and Shanan, who had taken a liking to each other at the Royal Academy, arrived at the line separating men and women. Even though men and women don't sit together, they still have to sit next to each other.
Then the Emperor instructed Gu Shouxin to assign teams to everyone, while Cai Xiaolian naturally assigned teams to the Empress's side. Even the younger members of the family were assigned to Gu En, who had an excellent memory and had traveled west with the Emperor, knowing the princesses and princes of the Western Regions quite well. After arriving in the capital, he also recognized all the noble young men and women sitting here.
This couple was really furious. They just came to have a meal and chat with the old lady for a while. Was it really necessary? During the Lunar New Year, they were being made to do chores.
"Next year, I will definitely make sure that couple gives us a good deal!" Gu Shouxin whispered in Cai Xiaolian's ear.
As for Gu En, he didn't think about anything. Let the arrangements be made. The young masters of so-and-so don't get along and can't sit at the same table. The young ladies of so-and-so often quarrel over jewelry in the jewelry store. So-and-so family...
Soon, the sound of mahjong tiles being rubbed could be heard from inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Apart from Grandpa Gu, Grandma Gu, and Gu Ren, everyone else in the Gu family was sitting at the table.
The emperor was very well prepared, even the chips were ready. He said that gambling too much is harmful to health, while gambling a little is fun. On such a good day, we should enjoy ourselves. Therefore, the chips he prepared were one tael of silver each.
For those present, it was alright. Some of their wives had already been taught how to play mahjong by Aunt Gu. They knew that once they learned, as long as they were smart and their luck wasn't too bad, they wouldn't lose much.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Gu and Grandma Gu led Gu Ren to sit down in front of the Empress Dowager, while the little prince lay down at the Empress Dowager's feet, nodding and dozing off.
The Empress Dowager instructed the nanny to take the child to a small room next door to sleep, and then chatted with her son, daughter-in-law, and great-grandson about everyday matters.
She now enjoys reading Gu Ren's stories, just like the emperor.
Gu Ren recently wrote a story about a just and upright official investigating cases. Two volumes have already been published, and now the Empress Dowager is asking about the third volume.
People were puzzled as to how Gu Ren, a six-year-old child, could write such profound cases.
But knowing that Lu Zheng and Gu En were helping them, their doubts disappeared.
In their view, this was the Gu family building a reputation for this boy. Gu En was obviously destined for the imperial examinations, and Lu Zheng was obviously after the girl's older sister.
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