Just as Gu Yu and the others arrived at the small kitchen, Ke Min and his men arrived shortly after.
Shu Yun pushed open the door, and the person sitting at the dining table looked up and saw her. The corners of their lips curled up, and a smile appeared in their beautiful black eyes. "You're back."
She asked impatiently, "Why aren't you eating properly?"
Just like when I was a kid, I would desperately wait outside the Feng Mansion in the rain.
Jiang Yan waved for someone to hurry the kitchen to set out the dishes and chopsticks for her, saying, "We're waiting for you."
Shu Yun lifted her skirt and sat down. "It's time. You don't need to wait for me. Just eat by yourself."
Jiang Yan nodded obediently and said, "Okay."
He verbally agreed, but in reality, he didn't take it seriously. Shu Yun wasn't going to be fooled by his obedient and compliant appearance now.
“I’m serious,” Shu Yun frowned. “If I find this happening again, I’ll send your cook home and we won’t be eating together anymore.”
She didn't realize her tone was off for a moment; subconsciously, she was still referring to Pingyang Shu Dajia, not Wan Yang.
The two stared at each other silently for a long while before Jiang Yan lowered his eyes and replied softly, "I understand."
The atmosphere became somewhat somber for a moment. Shu Yun hesitated for a moment but still didn't comfort him. His habit was indeed bad; he was already an adult and still couldn't take care of his health.
The two sat in silence and finished their lunch in silence.
After Jiang Yan left the house, Ke Min followed behind and pondered for a moment before saying, "Miss Wan Yang was only thinking of the master, which is why she said that. If the master and Miss Wan Yang get married in the future, there will inevitably be friction between the couple."
The person in front suddenly stopped. Ke Min, standing behind Jiang Yan, couldn't see his dark eyes, which had stopped moving. "What are you saying..."
"Miss Wan Yang was also thinking of your health..."
Jiang Yan felt his heart beating heavily and slowly in his chest, and the tip of his heart was trembling violently. "That's not it."
"If the lord and Miss Wan Yang were to marry, what would happen between husband and wife..."
Married? Husband and wife? Him and his master?
Before this, he had never thought about becoming husband and wife with his master. He just wanted his master to pay more attention to him and to occupy a larger place in his master's heart.
The tall, elegant man had a rare look of bewilderment in his dark eyes, and hesitated to take a step.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse: "What nonsense are you spouting? I never intended to marry her."
Ke Min was taken aback. "It was my mistake. I thought that the reason why the master treated Miss Wan Yang so well was because he liked her."
The person following him did not respond, so Kemin quickly said, "It was my overthinking, please forgive me, my lord."
Today, Jiang Yan wore a headband inlaid with pearls and jade, which was more gentle than his usual sharp look when he tied his hair with a jade crown. His delicate and beautiful eyebrows were lowered, and two small white jade beads were hanging from the cord at the end of the headband. As he moved, they slid down from his black hair and hung down next to Jiang Yan's jade-like face.
Thinking of the gentleman, whose gentle nature is like jade.
Jiang Yan pursed her light-colored lips, a thousand thoughts stuck in her chest, tangled and impossible to unravel.
He rebuked Kemin for talking nonsense, but he himself was very unsure. Kemin's words seemed to have suddenly brought everything that was hidden in the dark to the light, but the darkness in his heart could not be exposed.
He touched the jade thumb ring on his hand and instructed, "From now on, no one is allowed to talk like this, especially not to let it reach Wan Yang's ears. If anyone lets Wan Yang hear these words, deal with them directly without reporting back."
Ke Min bowed and said, "Your subordinate obeys."
Inside the palace.
After finishing his morning court session and handling some official business, Wei Qin went to the Empress's palace for lunch.
The imperial eunuch went ahead to inform the Empress's palace to make preparations. In fact, the Emperor had been accompanied by the Empress all the time these days, so his going to inform her was just a matter of following the proper procedure.
Wei Tan walked towards Jingren Palace and saw a person standing in a sea of pink flowers outside the palace from afar.
Since ancient times, the peony has been a symbol of elegance, its delicate flowers adorned with purple robes and leaves fluttering like crows.
Empress Wang, dressed in a purple dress, stood quietly in the sea of flowers. As if they were of one mind, she, who had been looking down at the flowers, slowly raised her head to look in the direction of the person who came. Her gold-inlaid agate tassel hairpin swayed gently, and the white beads swayed and sparkled.
Pink peonies covered the steps outside the palace, their color reflecting on the Queen's elegant and beautiful face. The beauty of the flowers made her even more beautiful.
Upon seeing Wei Qin, Empress Wang smiled gently, her beautiful eyes sparkling like pools of autumn water, her delicately painted eyebrows resembling distant ink-wash mountains, exuding indescribable tenderness and grace.
Wei Qin stepped forward and took her hand, which was indeed icy cold. "It's almost the beginning of winter, why aren't you wearing more clothes? Your hands are so cold, what if you get sick?"
She pulled the person and walked into the hall, her gaze sweeping over Peiju, the head maidservant beside Empress Wang, "Why didn't you all add another cloak for the Empress?"
Peiju quickly bowed and admitted her mistake.
Empress Wang tugged at him and said softly, "It was my insistence that I come out. It has nothing to do with Peiju and the others. Your Majesty, please don't be angry."
Wei Qin pressed her down to sit, and then ordered his servants to bring two basins of charcoal from the palace for heating and place them beside her.
Seeing Wei Qin's nervous expression, Empress Wang smiled and chuckled, "He's not that delicate."
The beautiful woman smiled sweetly, and Wei Qin couldn't help but smile as well. He teased, "Aren't you my darling?"
He did not refer to himself as "朕" (Zhen), but rather as "我" (Wo).
Seeing that she blushed from the teasing, Wei Qin finally dropped his flirtatious and carefree demeanor.
Empress Wang blushed slightly and turned her head away from him. "The kitchen has stewed longan and donkey-hide gelatin today. Your Majesty, please have a taste."
Wei Qin took the white porcelain bowl from Pei Ju, which contained longan and donkey-hide gelatin. "You asked me to try it, so of course I have to."
He picked up a spoon, scooped up some longan and donkey-hide gelatin, and put it in his mouth. "It tastes good."
Empress Wang served him food, saying, "I'm glad my husband likes it."
Wei Qin paused, looking in her direction. "What did you call me?"
Empress Wang paused, her hand still holding the food she was picking up. She was unsure of his thoughts. "Husband..."
Wei Qin put down the porcelain bowl in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I like it when you call me that. You are my empress, so it's only right."
Hearing him say this, Empress Wang's tense heart relaxed, and her delicate face showed a shy and timid expression that could melt anyone's heart.
"The war at the front is intense, and I'm increasingly busy with official duties. I haven't been able to spend much time with you lately, so please don't blame me."
When the frontline battle was mentioned, Wei Qinjunya's face became somewhat somber.
Empress Wang shook her head, "My husband, you just need to focus on handling state affairs. I will stay in the palace and not let the affairs of the inner palace bother you."
The white beads on the tassels swayed and shimmered with her movements.
Wei Qin's heart stirred, and he reached out to stroke her delicate and beautiful face. "With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?"
Empress Wang had removed her nail guards long before she met him; she never wore nail guards in front of him.
Her delicate, fair hand covered her cheek with Wei Qin's long, well-defined hand. She tilted her head slightly and rubbed her cheek against his hand, her eyes quietly meeting his gaze.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice barely audible, "Me too."
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