Chapter 328 The Emperor's Close Advisors
Over the next few days, Xu Jinnian went out for social engagements, while Sheng An stayed home to take care of the children.
If the weather is nice, she and Grandma Sheng will take Zhuozhuo out for a walk.
During this period, most shops on the street are closed, and small business owners who set up stalls are also celebrating the Lunar New Year. It usually doesn't get lively until the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.
Zhuozhuo seemed unaccustomed to the quiet, her big, dark eyes darting around, searching for something that interested her.
As a result, she couldn't stay outside for long before whining and fussing to go home, preferring to watch Doubao and Tangyuan play together.
The two puppies ate well and grew a size in just half a month, and their fur became even shinier.
Perhaps due to their mother's good genes, the two puppies, at a young age, have already shown excellent guarding skills and are familiar with the scents and footsteps of everyone in the house.
They will alert the animals whenever a stranger approaches, and their cute little "woof woof" sounds are quite adorable.
The two little guys are also very good at reading people's expressions. If they are naughty and do something wrong, such as urinating or defecating indiscriminately or chewing up shoes, they will learn their lesson and dare not do it again after being scolded by their owner a couple of times.
Just as the three of them reached the door, two puppies came bounding up, wagging their tails, and eagerly pounced on Sheng An and Grandma Sheng's feet.
"ah--"
Zhuozhuo cried out excitedly, stretching out her little hand to touch the puppy on the ground.
Grandma Sheng bent down and picked up the two puppies, touched her great-granddaughter's little hand, and the little one barked even louder with delight, her big, dark eyes shining brightly.
Seeing this, Sheng An couldn't help but laugh and said, "You like puppies so much, then you should grow up quickly so you can go down to the ground and play with them every day."
The little dumpling couldn't understand its mother's words; its attention was entirely on the two puppies. It kept babbling to itself, as if it were talking to the puppies.
Back in the room, Sheng An wiped her hands clean and began to feed the baby.
Two puppies came in, staring longingly at the scene, occasionally licking their lips.
Sheng An was both annoyed and amused. She gently kicked them both over with her toe and said, "Get out!"
The two puppies fawned over her shoes, making soft, babyish noises.
Sheng An was speechless and too lazy to pay attention to the two greedy dogs. She looked down at her daughter, who was eating happily in her arms.
After the baby had eaten and drunk his fill, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Sheng An gently undressed her, but before he was finished, he heard familiar footsteps coming from the doorway.
Xu Jinnian pushed open the slightly ajar door and walked in.
Seeing the two puppies shrinking back at Sheng An's feet like thieves, Xu Jinnian pointed to the doorway speechlessly and said, "Get out."
The two puppies, as if granted a pardon, quickly scrambled away on their short legs.
Sheng An couldn't help but laugh: "You didn't do anything to them, so why are they so scared every time they see you?"
Xu Jinnian thought about it carefully and said, "Perhaps humans and animals are inherently incompatible."
As he spoke, he walked to the bedside, looked at the sleeping baby on the bed, his brows softened, and reached out to rub her fluffy head.
Sheng An smelled a faint scent of alcohol on the man and nudged him, saying, "Go change your clothes quickly, don't let the smell bother the child."
Xu Jinnian smiled, opened the closet, and casually took out a set of clothes to change into.
Sheng An sat on the edge of the bed admiring the man's good physique. Her gaze unconsciously followed upwards, landing on Xu Jinnian's handsome face, and she once again marveled in her heart at the wonderful craftsmanship of the Goddess Nuwa.
Her gaze was so intense that Xu Jinnian immediately noticed it.
A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. He put down the coat he hadn't even had time to put on and walked straight over, his voice tinged with a touch of mockery as he asked, "Want to give Zhuozhuo a little brother?"
Sheng An glared at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Then, she abruptly changed the subject: "How many people went to your Shangguan family to pay New Year's respects today? Did Song Er go?"
Xu Jinnian's smile faded slightly: "There are a few, but Song Er didn't go."
Noticing that his tone was off, Sheng An asked, "What's wrong?"
Xu Jinnian sat down next to her: "Someone drank a few too many drinks and said some inappropriate things at the table, so I took my leave in advance."
Sheng An frowned: "Stay away from that person in the future, as well as those who side with him."
Trouble comes from the mouth. People who can't control their mouths after drinking a little cat urine will inevitably get into trouble and drag others down with them.
"Yes, I know what I'm doing."
Xu Jinnian smiled and agreed, gently touching her slightly cool cheek with his fingertips.
Sheng An met his deep eyes and quickly removed his hand: "Not these few days!"
The chances of getting pregnant are quite high during the unsafe period.
Although it's true that if you have a bad pregnancy, you'll have a child, but she doesn't want to right now.
Sheng An didn't say it explicitly, but Xu Jinnian understood. He turned his hand and pushed her down onto the bed: "It's still early, let's sleep with our daughter for a while."
Sheng An: "..."
Time flies, and the New Year holidays are over in the blink of an eye.
Xu Jinnian began his daily routine of getting up early to work, and Sheng An had more time to spend with her daughter, so she started training the two puppies to pass the time.
In just half a month, the dog training has been quite effective. The two puppies have already learned simple commands such as "sit," "stand up," and "shake hands."
It was at this time that Emperor Jinghe suddenly appointed Xu Jinnian as a court attendant, assigning him to take turns serving in the palace.
Xu Jinnian's official position as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy remained unchanged, and his rank remained at the seventh grade.
The Imperial Diarist's main task was to record the emperor's words and actions. Although it seemed insignificant, recording the emperor's words and actions required being with him every day, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a "close advisor".
Even the six ministers and the Grand Secretaries have to give him some respect for being in this position.
Xu Jinnian became a close advisor to the emperor in just six months after entering the Hanlin Academy. The news aroused envy, jealousy and hatred among his colleagues who had been sitting on the sidelines for several years.
"Congratulations on your young and promising career, Lord Xu!"
"Haha, Lord Xu is no ordinary man. The moment I saw him, I knew he would rise to the top."
"As expected of the third-ranked scholar, he has gained His Majesty's favor so quickly."
"..."
Praise poured in like a tidal wave; regardless of what these people thought in their hearts, they all offered their congratulations.
Xu Jinnian remained calm and composed, handling the situation appropriately.
Sheng An and the others were both surprised and delighted to hear this good news.
After understanding the duties of the Imperial Diarist, Xu Chenglin was more worried: "This job sounds good, but under His Majesty's watchful eye, you can't afford to make the slightest mistake. You must be very careful."
Xu Jinnian nodded: "Father, I understand."
Xu Chenglin sighed, "Your father is a rough old man and can't help you much. I can only promise not to hold you back."
Xu Jinnian thought to himself, "Father, you have already done very well."
Xu Chenglin was in a good mood after being praised by his son. He patted his son on the shoulder and said, "You go ahead and pursue your future. We three old folks will take care of things at home and outside for you two."
I won't end up like Xu Laosi and his wife, who brought this upon themselves.
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