"Where are we going?" Yun Qianmeng asked with a frown, seeing that Chu Feiyang was only riding his warhorse and there was not a single guard beside him!
Although the Northern Qi delegation of envoys had left, the capital and the imperial palace seemed very peaceful again. However, the calmer it was, the more eerie it seemed. Beneath the calm lay the raging waves of swords and sabers that were hard to guard against. Chu Feiyang was in such a jealous position. If something went wrong, not only would the Prime Minister Chu's Mansion be in dire straits, even the Prince Chu's Mansion would be in danger!
But for some reason, Chu Feiyang didn't even carry the sword that he usually hung on his horse's back, and just ran out of the city gate with himself!
"You'll know in a moment!" Holding Yun Qianmeng against his chest, Chu Feiyang pulled his cloak over her from head to toe to prevent the biting cold wind from scratching her skin. With one hand, he tightly grasped the reins to control the direction, and with the other hand, he tightly hugged the person against his chest to prevent her from having any accidents!
Seeing that Chu Feiyang was pretending to be mysterious, Yun Qianmeng did not ask any more questions, so as not to distract Chu Feiyang!
The sound of horse hooves continued to ring in her ears. The horse under her was straddling its limbs nimbly and running forward with all its might. Even through the thick cloak, Yun Qianmeng could still feel the whistling cold wind. The cloak that was blown tightly against her cheeks was filled with a chill. Although it was cold, it made her feel comfortable both physically and mentally, which was much more comfortable than facing those noble ladies!
The horse under him galloped for nearly an hour, and when Yun Qianmeng was drowsy, its speed slowly slowed down. Yun Qianmeng felt the hand on his waist tighten again, and then the cloak covering his head was gently lifted by a big hand, revealing a vast natural scenery of snow in front of him!
"Where is this?" Young ladies rarely go out. Even when attending banquets, their activities will not leave Kyoto. Therefore, when Yun Qianmeng saw the horse carrying the two of them walking halfway up the mountain, a puzzled look appeared in her eyes!
"It's just an unknown mountain outside the city!" Knowing that Yun Qianmeng must have doubts in her heart, Chu Feiyang spoke with a smile. Although he let Yun Qianmeng's little head show, the cloak still wrapped her body tightly to prevent the cold air in the mountain from invading Yun Qianmeng's body!
Listening to Chu Feiyang's explanation, Yun Qianmeng looked at the surrounding environment. Beneath the snow was a dense forest. From time to time, the snow pressed on the cedar branches slid down, making bursts of "rustling" sounds, startling a group of birds perched on the branches. The sound of birds singing suddenly rang out in the valley that was as silent as night!
The mountain path they were passing through was so winding that only two not very spacious carriages could run side by side at the same time. The path up the mountain was in the shape of a coiled dragon. Chu Feiyang slowed down his pace and let the horse walk steadily on the steep mountain path. His expression lacked the caution and calculation he had in the court. His brows were peaceful and tranquil, and the calmness and gentleness emanating from his body made Yun Qianmeng's heart float with a hint of speculation. Could it be that he was taking her to meet someone!
"Are you cold?" He pulled the cloak in front of Yun Qianmeng's chest and completely covered her body in the fox fur cloak. However, when Chu Feiyang saw the slightly red tip of Yun Qianmeng's nose, he still asked with some concern!
The air in the mountains is fresh, and breathing it in makes people feel refreshed. In addition, there are fewer worldly struggles here. Compared with the prosperous incense in Puguo Temple, Yun Qianmeng must like this pure land even more. He likes to see it showing its beauty to the world without any pollution!
She shook her head with a smile on her face. After being jolted on the horse's back for over an hour, Yun Qianmeng's back and waist were already extremely sore from the tossing and turning last night. She simply leaned lazily into Chu Feiyang's arms, resting her delicate head lightly on his neck, her beautiful eyes lingering on the interlaced green and white scenery!
Seeing Yun Qianmeng relaxed, Chu Feiyang smiled faintly and moved forward a little. He held her in his arms, resting his mouth on her forehead and whispered, "Although this is not the most famous mountain outside the city, it is the best place to look southwest towards Xichu!"
"Luocheng is located in the southwest of Western Chu! It is only separated from Youzhou by a few cities!" While Chu Feiyang was explaining, Yun Qianmeng's mind had already emerged with the map of Western Chu that she had seen before. She then found the locations of Luocheng and Youzhou, and continued with Chu Feiyang's words!
Listening to Yun Qianmeng's connection between Luocheng and Youzhou, Chu Feiyang's calm eyes flashed with surprise, but then he felt relieved. He had long since experienced Yun Qianmeng's intelligence, and now that she could instantly think of the connection between the two, a faint smile appeared in Chu Feiyang's eyes. He continued, "The distance between the two cities is only four or five days' journey at a fast horse! Most of the people living in Luocheng are foreigners who once surrendered to Western Chu! When Grandpa and the ancestor emperor conquered the country, the southwestern border cities, led by Luocheng, were the first to surrender to Western Chu, guarding the southwest border for Western Chu! And the most famous clan in Luocheng is the Xiahou clan!"
Yun Qianmeng listened quietly to Chu Feiyang's story, but her heart was in turmoil, fearing that everything that was going to happen next was related to Chu Feiyang's life experience!
After all, she had attended so many banquets, but those noble ladies had never mentioned Chu Feiyang's mother. And during the time she had joined the Chu family, she had not heard a single word about Madam Chu from anyone. It seemed as if everyone was avoiding talking about Madam Chu, which really aroused Yun Qianmeng's doubts!
"Aren't they afraid of being wiped out after surrendering? And why did the ancestor emperor feel confident in letting foreigners guard such an important border for him? I'm afraid that only marriage can establish a connection between the two. With this relationship, the two will be a family and naturally be of one mind!" But, even so, why didn't the ancestor emperor let his son marry, but instead chose the son of the King of Chu?
Two warm lips pressed against Yun Qianmeng's slightly cold forehead. Chu Feiyang kissed her lightly, his heart filled with admiration. He then slowly spoke, "The ancestor emperor had many sons, but he didn't appoint a crown prince. Grandpa only had one son, father. In the eyes of outsiders, the ancestor emperor and grandfather had a deep brotherly love. Before he ascended the throne, he had already made grandfather the King of Chu! The patriarch of the Xiahou clan loved his daughter dearly, so naturally he couldn't marry his only daughter to those princes who might die in the struggle for the throne. It would be better for her to marry to the King of Chu so that she could be happy! The princess of the Xiahou clan is my mother, Xiahou Ying!"
Chu Feiyang's words struck Yun Qianmeng's heart hard, making her expression gradually become solemn. She never expected that Chu Pei's marriage would involve political factors. She was afraid that he must be very unwilling to be forced to marry Xia Houying!
"Grandpa is so in love with the princess, why would he let father marry a woman he has never met! Is this the knot in the hearts of them?" Thinking of the expression on the King of Chu's face when he recalled the Princess of Chu in the King of Chu's Mansion, Yun Qianmeng's eyes flashed with confusion. He is obviously a man who understands love so well, why would he do that?
"Meng'er, some things cannot be changed just by our attempts to stop them! My grandfather had already mentioned my father at that time, and for the sake of stability in the southwestern border, the ancestor emperor naturally had no choice but to nod in agreement! Especially since the Xiahou clan has always been prosperous and very influential in the southwest. If we fight a big war with them, I'm afraid it will damage the foundation of Western Chu. Then the Nanxun Kingdom in the south will probably take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits!" The light voice recounted his life experience, but it made Yun Qianmeng feel a little distressed. A child born without love is destined to be pitiful, just like Yun Qianmeng before, who ended up dying in the end!
"Isn't the ancestor emperor afraid of causing grandfather's dissatisfaction? If the Xiahou clan joins forces with grandfather, I'm afraid his throne will be in jeopardy!" People all say that the ancestor emperor and the King of Chu have a deep brotherly love. The two of them jointly conquered the Western Chu Kingdom, but the King of Chu gave up the throne and was willing to be a minister. In return, he gained the ancestor emperor's even more indestructible trust. Even when deciding the country's name, he added the word "Chu" to highlight the brotherhood between the two!
But all this seems ridiculous now. This is probably the method used by our ancestor emperor to appease his meritorious officials!
The word "Western Chu" is just a reminder for grandpa to remember his identity. Even if grandpa has a rebellious heart, he will be despised by the world in the future!
Being too successful and threatening the ruler has always been a major concern for emperors of all dynasties, and no one has been able to break free from this curse!
"Grandpa never had the intention to seize the throne! If one person's marriage can be exchanged for the lives of tens of millions of people, it is worth it for Grandpa! And my mother was still young at the time, and Grandpa thought that letting her spend more time with my father would increase the relationship between them. However, he didn't expect that my father was very disgusted at this time. After my mother came of age and got married with him, he went to Youzhou to take up his post!" There was a trace of imperceptible bitterness in the calm tone. The faint smile on Chu Feiyang's lips also faded a little, becoming a little illusory. The helplessness in his eyes floated in his dark pupils, diluting his previous wise expression, making him more real and easier to approach!
At this point, Yun Qianmeng did not speak again. Now that she understood the twists and turns, she naturally understood why there was such a strange feeling when three generations of grandparents and grandchildren got along with each other!
However, Yun Qianmeng felt sorry for Xia Houying. Judging from Chu Feiyang's appearance, which was different from what Chu Pei had imagined, he inherited his mother's face. Such a woman with peerless beauty was truly like a flash in the pan, passing through everyone's life in a hurry. The only thing that truly belonged to her was probably her son Chu Feiyang!
The two of them remained silent all the way. Yun Qianmeng felt as if a stone was pressing on her heart, and she was a little breathless. She felt that these things seemed to have passed, but after so many years of pressure, she was afraid that there would be a day when they would rebound and explode. By then, what kind of changes would happen in this world?
"Meng'er, we're here!" Chu Feiyang's gentle voice was still in his ears, and then Yun Qianmeng was carried off the horse!
They saw that they had reached the top of the mountain. Compared with the towering mountains all around, the mountain under their feet was indeed not outstanding. However, looking around from the top of the mountain, the view was extremely broad. There was no obstruction in the direction leading to the southwest of Luo City. The misty mountain top was filled with extremely cold air. Looking around, the mountain top was covered with a thick layer of white snow, but in the white snow, there was a tombstone!
Chu Feiyang had already taken off the bag from the horse's back, and slowly walked towards the tombstone holding Yun Qianmeng's hand. Then he put the bag in his hand on the snow, reached out and gently brushed away the white snow covering the tombstone, gradually revealing the words carved on the tombstone!
The tombstone was made of marble, and it simply read "Tomb of Xia Houying, Mother of Chu Feiyang!"
Not to mention mentioning her husband, even her birthday was not engraved. I'm afraid this is the source of the depression in Xiahou Ying's heart. Her husband left and never came back, and she had no one else around her except her son, so she cruelly gave up everything!
Chu Feiyang looked at Yun Qianmeng who was still in a daze, knowing that there were some things that she needed to digest on her own, so he opened the bundle beside him, took out the offerings inside and placed them in front of the tomb, then took out a bunch of dried flowers and carefully placed them next to the tombstone, then knelt on his knees and kowtowed three times respectfully towards the tombstone, staring at the three words "Xia Hou Ying" on the tombstone with regret in his eyes!
A pair of small hands gently rested on Chu Feiyang's shoulders. Seeing him looking up at her with a childlike confusion, Yun Qianmeng smiled gently and reminded him softly, "It's time for me to kowtow to my mother!"
A woman who risked her life to give birth to Chu Feiyang, no matter how much resentment she hid in her heart during her lifetime, at least she loved her child. It was she who gave Chu Feiyang life and allowed herself to meet such an outstanding person. Yun Qianmeng naturally respected Xia Houying from the bottom of her heart!
Chu Feiyang was lost in his own thoughts for a moment. If Yun Qianmeng hadn't reminded him, he really wouldn't have remembered the purpose of bringing her here today!
With a little effort, he stood up and supported Yun Qianmeng as they knelt in front of the tomb. Chu Feiyang spoke awkwardly with a hint of shyness, "Mother, this is Meng'er, your daughter-in-law. I brought her to see you!"
Listening to Chu Feiyang's explanation, Yun Qianmeng shook her head in amusement. She had never expected that the invincible Prime Minister Chu would also have such an awkward moment. So, with a smile on her face, she said, "Daughter-in-law Qianmeng greets mother! Mother, don't worry, your daughter-in-law will definitely take good care of and protect your husband!"
After saying that, Yun Qianmeng kowtowed three times respectfully towards the tombstone, and was then helped up by Chu Feiyang!
"Meng'er, how can you ask a lady to protect her husband? Did you say something wrong just now?" Chu Feiyang was really fussy about Yun Qianmeng's words. He raised one of his thick eyebrows, and there was a dangerous look in his eyes!
However, this expression that could scare others was completely ineffective in front of Yun Qianmeng. She stomped her feet slightly, turned her little face towards the tombstone, and said aggrievedly, "Mom, my husband bullied me!"
Chu Feiyang was expecting Yun Qianmeng to retort, but he didn't expect that the clever girl would actually complain about him. This caught Chu Feiyang off guard, and he immediately used force to pull her into his arms. Turning away her indignant little face, he said sternly, "Don't disturb your mother's rest!"
Suddenly, a look of surprise flashed in Yun Qianmeng's eyes. This Chu Feiyang actually followed her to make trouble and spoke so righteously. He was really a fox!
"My husband, do you mean that I have disturbed my mother's rest? My husband, do you know that the conflict between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law was caused by you?" Everyone can make trouble, but I'm afraid that this time it will be Chu Feiyang's turn to have a headache!
As expected, seeing Yun Qianmeng say this, Chu Feiyang's eyes were filled with confusion and doubt. He was about to ask back, but he saw a smug smile in Yun Qianmeng's eyes, so he let her go for the time being, pulled up her cloak for her, and then looked at the tombstone and said goodbye, "Mom, we're going back first!"
After he finished speaking, he suddenly picked up Yun Qianmeng and flew onto the horse's back!
Yun Qianmeng was caught off guard, and suddenly her feet left the ground, her body floating in the air. Instinctively, she stretched out her arms to wrap around Chu Feiyang's neck to prevent herself from falling, but she found that those beautiful thin lips were raised in a damn malicious way, and she immediately realized that this was Chu Feiyang taking revenge!
Yun Qianmeng's eyes were blazing with fire, but she was calm in her heart. Without saying a word, she loosened her hands. Chu Feiyang was so frightened that he immediately opened his other arm and tightly embraced her waist. After both of them were seated on the horse, he lowered his head and glared at Yun Qianmeng, silently blaming her for her audacity!
However, Yun Qianmeng raised a victorious smile without dodging, and then closed her eyes to prevent Chu Feiyang's sneak attack!
Chu Feiyang looked at the smug smile on the corner of her lips and shook his head dotingly. This showed that she was unwilling to be at a disadvantage. The hateful girl touched his whole heart, and he couldn't hit her or scold her. He had to dote on her!
With a resigned sigh, Chu Feiyang wrapped his long arms around Yun Qianmeng's body, pulled the reins tightly around the horse's belly, and the two of them rode together down the mountain!
The cold wind blew across her face, instantly calming her mind. Recalling Qu Feiqing's reminder at the palace banquet, Yun Qianmeng whispered, "Feiyang, what is the relationship between the Xie family and the Southern Xun Kingdom? My cousin told me that the Xie family is the most aristocratic family in Youzhou and controls the key trade routes with the Southern Xun Kingdom. Why did my father end up marrying a merchant's daughter?"
In Yun Qianmeng's mind, there is no distinction between scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans. It's just that the class division in ancient times was extremely strict, and merchants were always the lowest class. Otherwise, how could the Rong family, the richest family in Western Chu, still be excluded by the major families in the capital even though they had two imperial concubines!
Given the King of Chu's shrewdness and the wisdom of Chu Feiyang, the man he nurtured, Yun Qianmeng naturally believed that Chu Peiyi was a man of strategy. However, she didn't understand why he married Xie! Was it just revenge to embarrass the King of Chu?
When the Xie family was mentioned, Chu Feiyang did not immediately answer Yun Qianmeng's question. His hand around her waist tightened slightly. After a while, Chu Feiyang's cold and slightly chilled voice rang out in her ears, "The fragrant rice consumed by the nobles of Western Chu was paid as tribute to Western Chu by the Southern Xun Kingdom through the Xie family! This kind of rice can only be cultivated in the soil of Southern Xun Kingdom, and it is also very popular among the nobles! The ruler of Southern Xun Kingdom has always been in poor health, and he only has a princess and a little prince. In addition, the land of Southern Xun is small, so they naturally want to show weakness to Western Chu!"
"If that's the case, why didn't Emperor Yu Gan send troops to conquer the Kingdom of Nanxun, but just let them become dependent on Western Chu! Isn't he afraid that Nanxun will become stronger and threaten Western Chu in the future?" No matter how sincere the dependence is, it is not as reassuring as turning it into one's own territory!
Although Yun Qianmeng did not approve of war, sometimes force was indeed the most direct and effective way to resolve a problem! Otherwise, if Nanxun grew stronger in the future, it would threaten the safety of Western Chu's borders!
Hearing Yun Qianmeng's question, Chu Feiyang smiled, and a map of Nanxun suddenly appeared in his mind. He explained one by one, "Nanxun is easy to defend but difficult to attack. In the second year of Yugan, the emperor sent General Hu Wei to lead an army of 200,000 to attack Nanxun, but he lost 160,000 men and finally retreated hastily to the border of Western Chu with 40,000 men! You can imagine the complex geographical location of Nanxun! You just said that the only route for Nanxun to trade with Western Chu is Youzhou. In fact, there is only one way to enter Nanxun, and that road is located in a valley. They can just ambush and attack from the mountains on both sides, and our army will have no ability to fight back! Moreover, Northern Qi is now powerful and has the potential to surpass Western Chu. If we withdraw a large number of troops to attack Nanxun now, I am afraid Northern Qi will take advantage of the opportunity and attack. Then Western Chu will be under attack and its situation will be very dangerous! As for Xie, she married my father three years after my mother passed away. It is said that she married my father at the age of eighteen so that he could mourn my mother!"
Hearing this, Yun Qian dreamed of Xie's versatility and her ability to make decisions for Chu Pei. She understood a little. In ancient times, a woman had to wait for a man for three years, from the prime age of fifteen to eighteen, to observe mourning for him. This Xie Shuyi was indeed a person of courage and determination. If it weren't for the bet, which young lady would make such a sacrifice? Regardless of whether the man she was waiting for liked her or not, there were too many variables in three years. Wasn't she afraid that Chu Pei would fall in love with another woman in the middle of the process?
Chu Feiyang's analysis was reasonable. Although there was Western Chu between Nanxun and Beiqi, there was no guarantee that the two countries would not contact each other secretly. If they attacked from both sides, Western Chu would be in real danger!
Moreover, Qi Jingyuan is a very powerful person. Not only is he cruel and ruthless, but he is also good at guessing people's minds and deploying troops. Such a person is really a headache!
But no matter how powerful a person is, he will have weaknesses. I wonder if my discovery can be considered Qi Jingyuan’s weakness!
Turning slightly sideways, Yun Qianmeng pulled down Chu Feiyang's head as he looked at her with hope in his eyes, but she only whispered a few words in his ear. After she finished speaking, she opened her beautiful eyes and stared at Chu Feiyang's expression!
But the facts proved that Chu Feiyang did not disappoint her. The slightly raised eyebrows and the praise in his eyes told Yun Qianmeng that her previous guesses were correct!
"He is really too bold!" He even treats human life as a joke, Yun Qianmeng frowned slightly and said inwardly!
A hand twisted Yun Qianmeng's pretty face, which was furrowed in thought, and she said aggrievedly, "I'm also very brave. When I sneaked into the Prime Minister's residence to visit you, do you know how great a risk I took?"
Looking at the handsome face that suddenly caught her eye, Yun Qianmeng felt like getting angry and laughing at the same time. Chu Feiyang actually had the nerve to say that if she had been discovered at that time, her reputation would have been ruined. Su Qing, Su Yuan and the others would never let her go!
Seeing the hidden anger in Yun Qianmeng's eyes, Chu Feiyang lifted the hood on his cloak and tightly covered Yun Qianmeng's head and face!
Then he shouted "Gee!" and the horse, which had been strolling leisurely, suddenly rushed out...
"Oh, you are finally back!" Before the horse stopped running, the two people on horseback heard a pitiful voice coming from the door of Prime Minister Chu's mansion!
Yun Qianmeng lifted the brim of his hat and looked over. He saw that the King of Chu was actually sitting at the gate of the Prime Minister Chu's residence, looking at the two of them with his hands on his chin!
Chu Feiyang's face suddenly darkened as he looked at the disgraceful King Chu. He carried Yun Qianmeng off the horse and led her directly to the gate of the Chu Mansion, no longer paying any attention to the old man who had the freedom to enter and exit the Chu Mansion but insisted on sitting at the gate!
"Hey! You little bastard, stop right there! What do you mean by giving me such a disapproving look? It's ok that I have to give your dead father a disapproving look every day in the palace, but why do you have to give me a disapproving look too? How have I wronged you?" Seeing that the gate of Prime Minister Chu's residence was about to close in front of him, the King of Chu immediately jumped into the gate nimbly and shouted at Chu Feiyang's back!
He was already full of anger and wanted to come and see his lovely granddaughter-in-law, but he didn't expect that she was not at the prime minister's residence. So he sat at the door and waited, but after waiting for a long time and enduring the cold for a long time, all he got was a face that looked like it was frozen to death. How could the King of Chu not be furious?
Chu Feiyang walked along, and King Chu roared all the way. But Chu Feiyang stopped at the gate of Meng Xin Cottage, turned around with a sneer, and asked, "I didn't invite you here!"
"You..." Chu Nanshan suddenly covered his chest and was speechless...
Yun Qianmeng gently tugged at Chu Feiyang's sleeve, then smiled and said, "Grandpa, come in and sit down. You must be cold after waiting for half a day! Granddaughter-in-law will make ginseng chicken soup for you for dinner to nourish you!"
The King of Chu mentioned ginseng chicken soup yesterday, and he couldn't wait to come here today, but he was unlucky and met Chu Feiyang face to face!
After saying that, Yun Qianmeng led Mu Chun and others who had come out of the garden towards the small kitchen!
When Chu Feiyang saw Yun Qianmeng leaving, he changed direction and walked towards the study. Seeing this, Chu Nanshan immediately followed him, but when his bright eyes looked at Chu Feiyang's back, they would reveal a resentful light from time to time!
"Did you take Meng'er to see your mother just now?" Chu Nanshan asked seriously after resignedly closing the study door for his grandson!
"Grandpa, you can be a gossip girl now. This job is very suitable for you!" Chu Feiyang frowned and felt uncomfortable because his whereabouts were always guessed by the King of Chu!
The King of Chu shrugged his shoulders, then sat down on the armchair in the study. He poured himself a cup of hot tea and drank it in big gulps before speaking again, "You go up the mountain alone every year, but this year you took Meng'er with you. Obviously, you took her to your mother's grave! Even a fool could guess such an obvious thing, so why are you upset?"
"Grandpa, did you come here today just for a pot of ginseng chicken soup?" Chu Feiyang tapped the table with his fingers, looking at King Chu's gossipy face, and said in a cold voice!
Seeing the contempt in his grandson's eyes, Chu Nanshan sat up straight and said with a serious expression, "Am I such a greedy person, your grandfather? I just missed you and came to see you! And Meng girl is so filial, grandpa naturally cannot refuse her filial piety! Seeing that Grandmaster Wen has passed away, I have to sigh that I am getting older and the days I spend with you are getting shorter and shorter! But Grandmaster Wen has so many filial grandsons. I only have two grandsons. One grew up in Youzhou since he was a child, so naturally I don’t have a deep relationship with him. The other one I raised by myself, but he is a cruel person! After all, Grandmaster Wen is still blessed. No wonder Wen Xie is now the Prince's Junior Tutor! I guess you have seen Wen Xie at the morning court today!"
Chu Feiyang glanced coldly at the King of Chu. Seeing that he had been talking in circles for so long and only got to the point in the last sentence, he said solemnly, "Now is the time for the court to recruit people. The emperor will naturally use some of his former important ministers. Otherwise, he has no one to support him. How could the King of Chen and the King of the Sea miss such an opportunity? The Wen family has been a family of scholars for generations. Master Wen is famous all over the world and is a great scholar admired by all Confucian scholars. It is imperative to win over such a family. Among the grandchildren of the Wen family, the most talented is the second son Wen Di. But this time, the emperor gave the position of the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor to Wen Xie. I'm afraid he is not interested in Wen Xie's knowledge!"
Although most members of the Wen family are upright and proud people, there are inevitably some grandchildren who aspire to enter officialdom!
Compared to Wen Di's pure-heartedness and single-minded concentration on books, Wen Xie is more versatile and suitable for officialdom. Such a person is ambitious and greedy, and has what he wants in his heart, which makes him easier to control for the emperor!
The saying "no desire means strength" is the most suitable for Wen Di, but it is also the important reason why Emperor Yu Gan abandoned the more famous Wen Di and chose Wen Xie!
Listening to his grandson's analysis, Chu Nanshan nodded in agreement, which was rare. Then, with a hint of deepness, he slowly said, "Fei Yang, do you know the purpose of your father's return this time?"
Hearing this, a cold smile flashed across Chu Feiyang's eyes, and his thin lips lifted slightly to form a smile. He then said, "How can a son casually comment on his father's affairs? Besides, my grandfather has to worry about it. When will it be my turn?"
After he finished speaking, Chu Feiyang stood up and walked towards the small kitchen of Mengxin Cottage!
After he left, Chu Nanshan couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Feiyang's words just now were not spoken out of anger, but because he had never taken Chu Pei, his father, seriously in his heart, so he acted so indifferent. Obviously, they were father and son with a blood relationship, but when mentioning each other, they were both indifferent!
At this moment, Yun Qianmeng was busy in the small kitchen. The maids prepared the necessary ingredients for her, and then she started to cook!
After looking at the sky outside, Yun Qianmeng only made a complicated ginseng chicken soup today. The other stir-fries were relatively simple and could be eaten after being stir-fried a few times!
Although they were just a few simple home-cooked dishes, the aroma emanating from the small kitchen still whetted Chu Nanshan's appetite. Especially during this period of time, the serious meals he had been eating in the palace had suppressed Chu Nanshan's active personality. Now that he had come to his grandson's residence, he naturally returned to his original self, doing whatever he felt comfortable with, and almost jumping up and down everywhere!
The two men who were of no help were 'politely' invited by Yun Qianmeng into the side room. After a while, Mu Chun's four maids came in with trays in their hands and placed the delicacies on the trays on the dining table one by one!
"The ginseng chicken soup belongs to grandpa!" Afraid that the grandfather and grandson would fight again over the meal, Yun Qianmeng deliberately placed the clay pot of ginseng chicken soup next to King Chu's hand today, causing King Chu to laugh a lot, and Chu Feiyang was so angry that his face turned ashen!
The King of Chu ate the ginseng chicken soup in the bowl as he wished, and found it extremely delicious. The taste of the raw materials was fully reflected in the soup in his hand. Seeing that Chu Feiyang looked unhappy, he even made a "tsk tsk" sound while drinking the soup!
"Hey, what is this?" The King of Chu was a typical person who ate from the bowl and looked at the pot. His rolling eyes suddenly fixed on the plate of orange-red food on the table, and there was a gleam of curiosity in his eyes!
"This is called pork tenderloin, Grandpa, try it!" Yun Qianmeng saw that his mouth was too full to eat it, so he smiled and picked up a piece of tender and delicious pork tenderloin and placed it on the small plate in front of Chu Nanshan, asking him to finish drinking the ginseng chicken soup before eating it!
But her actions succeeded in angering Chu Feiyang. He glanced at Chu Nanshan with murderous eyes and said coldly, "Last time, of the dishes Meng'er made, I only ate the ginseng chicken soup! This time, Grandpa can only eat one! The rest of the dishes are for Meng'er and me to eat!"
After saying that, before Chu Nanshan could pick up the chopsticks to eat the pork tenderloin on the plate, Chu Feiyang made a quick move, picked up the pork tenderloin accurately with chopsticks and put it into his mouth, then used both hands to pull all the four dishes and one soup on the table in front of him!
"So what if I eat some of your dinner? How much food have you eaten from my Chu Palace since you were a child? Now you are plotting against me for this! If you have the guts, spit it out!" Chu Feiyang's actions undoubtedly angered the King of Chu. He held the ginseng chicken soup tightly in his hand and yelled at Chu Feiyang at the top of his voice!
"All the meals I've eaten since I was a child are not as well-rounded as this one! Otherwise, why would grandpa come to my Chu Xiang Mansion? Is there no cook in the palace, or is there a lack of your docile daughter-in-law?" He held the rice bowl in his left hand and the chopsticks in his right hand, and gracefully picked up a piece of pork tenderloin and placed it on the snow-white rice. Although he picked up a small mouthful of rice with the chopsticks and put it into his mouth with the pork tenderloin, Chu Feiyang did the whole action very slowly, as if he was enjoying it very much, but also seemed to be deliberately angering someone!
Yun Qianmeng sat quietly by the side and ate her dinner. It was really too embarrassing to have the same opinion as these two people!
I just wonder if Xie’s smile would still be so flawless if she looked at the King of Chu like this?
"Meng'er, grandpa wants to come again tomorrow. Can you make some pork tenderloin for grandpa?" Knowing that he couldn't get any advantage from Chu Feiyang, Chu Nanshan changed his target and looked at Yun Qianmeng with a flattering face, but his eyes were fixed on the dwindling pork tenderloin. He moved his lips unconsciously. It was really painful to see it but not be able to eat it!
Yun Qianmeng put down her bowl and chopsticks and poured a bowl of hot soup for Chu Feiyang. Finally, seeing that her husband's face looked a little better, she smiled and said, "Meng'er, of course, welcomes Grandpa!"
Seeing Yun Qianmeng's reassurance, Chu Nanshan's face lit up with joy. Just as he was about to speak, a cold voice rang in his ears, "Eating the rice of my Chu Xiangfu for free, how could such a good thing happen in this world! Not to mention the food that would be wasted every day, even if I had to let Meng'er cook every meal, I wouldn't want to! Grandpa is so easy to order around. He has maids and cooks but he doesn't need them, so he comes to order my wife around. It seems that it's not Meng'er's turn yet to serve Grandpa!"
Yun Qianmeng picked up the bowl and chopsticks in front of her and continued to eat quietly to avoid getting involved in the fight between the two!
"Who said I am a freeloader? I have said long ago that as long as Meng'er makes ginseng chicken soup for me, I will definitely give Meng'er a treasure!" Being humiliated by his own grandson, the old King of Chu's face turned red, but he was still reluctant to let go of the bowl of soup in his hand. Although he stood up in anger, not a drop of the ginseng chicken soup in the bowl was spilled!
"Hey, why are you so excited! Since you have a treasure to give to me, then tell me about it. If I am not satisfied, you should go back to your Prince Chu's Mansion for dinner so as not to disturb us!" Chu Fei raised the bowl of soup that Yun Qianmeng had prepared for him with great interest, and spoke with a beaming brow, his tone adding a hint of irritating pride!
Chu Nanshan looked at Yun Qianmeng seriously and said solemnly, "Meng'er, do you want to be the Princess of Chu?"
"Bang!" Chu Feiyang threw the chopsticks in his hand towards Chu Nanshan and said angrily, "I will find another woman for you!"
Chu Nanshan looked at his grandson, who had lost his mind when he met Yun Qianmeng, with disdain. He rolled his eyes at Chu Feiyang and asked leisurely, "Is this how your grandfather looks to you? Meng'er is the Princess of Chu. Think about it yourself, what will you become?"
How could Chu Feiyang not understand his grandfather's intentions? Seeing his grandfather arrogantly drinking the ginseng chicken soup made by Yun Qianmeng, Chu Feiyang felt uncomfortable, and his hands were itching, so he just used the excuse to throw away his chopsticks!
However, Chu Nanshan's serious tone and expression told Yun Qianmeng that he was determined to do this!
Princess of Chu, this should have been Xia Houying's position, but now the person most likely to become the Princess of Chu is Xie Shuyi!
But Chu Nanshan bypassed his son and daughter-in-law and wanted to give such an honor directly to them. It would be a lie to say that he was not moved. However, behind such an identity there are countless troubles. If Chu Pei knew about this, how would he react?
"Girl, you don't have to think too much. This position will be handed over to you sooner or later. Now it is just ahead of time! However, grandpa will not be the King of Chu in the future. I am afraid that he will not even have his own palace. His son is not filial and can only live with his grandson. But I can eat the girl's food every day!" Seeing Yun Qianmeng silent, Chu Nanshan peeled the chicken and dug the food inside with a spoon, saying happily
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