I winked at him and poured him a drink. I always gave Xie Yuancheng face in public, but when it was just the two of us, I wouldn't.
Joyful sounds filled the banquet, and the dancers' movements were beautiful, making it even more lively than the Lunar New Year.
"Your Majesty, six peerless beauties from the Li Kingdom have entered the palace and are already waiting outside." A eunuch came in to report, and my heart clenched. I hoped they wouldn't be given to the servants.
"Summon them!" The old emperor's eyes actually lit up. He's such a carefree person, sigh!
With the sound of drums, some strangely dressed dancers appeared, including six ethereal figures who gracefully entered. A strange melody began, and they started to dance, their style leaning towards that of people from an unknown ancient dynasty.
Everyone was captivated by this dance, probably because no one had ever seen it before. I pinched my brow, feeling a little dizzy; I'd had a bit too much to drink. Xie Yuancheng was still pouring me more wine, but I didn't want to drink anymore, or I'd fall asleep soon.
"Yuancheng~" I looked at him with dazed eyes. This was strong liquor, not the mixed drinks from Linyang. I didn't want to drink it anymore.
"If you drink one last cup, I won't pour any more wine for my wife."
Xie Yuancheng's smile was so beautiful that I almost closed my eyes looking at him under the light. I did as he asked, and my mind was becoming hazy.
"Bravo!" Just as I felt dizzy, a thunderous round of applause rang out, and I regained some of my composure.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! May the Great Zhao Dynasty be blessed!"
What kind of strange excuse is this? I drank two glasses of ice water from the table and became a little clearer. I turned to look at the person kneeling in the dance floor, then at Xie Yuancheng. Why is he frowning like that? I'm so drunk.
"Rise!" The old emperor was already at his wits' end. My eyes were darting around, but I could still hear the voice.
"Your Majesty, these beauties are indeed lovely. The harem has been without new sisters for a long time. Why not take them in?"
Consort Ji is being far too generous by making such a suggestion. I'm now certain that she truly has no feelings for the old emperor; otherwise, she wouldn't be so considerate of the harem.
"I have this intention, but as the ancients said, we should be prepared for danger even in times of peace. Recently, my beloved ministers have been working hard for me. Perhaps I should bestow them upon everyone else."
"Your Majesty, there are only six beauties here. Which one would you like to bestow upon them?"
What? They're here to pick men! It would be so much better to follow the old emperor! I blinked a few times, and the kingfisher was chirping in my ear, but my mind was a complete mess, and I couldn't make out what it was saying.
"Ying'er?" Xie Yuancheng took my hand, and I heard a very bright voice say that she liked Linyang and hoped to go to Linyang if the emperor were to grant her a marriage.
Bah! What are you! How dare you covet my Yuancheng! Just as I was about to see clearly, everything spun around me, and I found myself leaning against Xie Yuancheng's chest.
"Your Majesty, I take my leave!" Why are you leaving? I haven't even splashed tea on the face of the woman who's eyeing him yet. Just as I was about to reach out, a kingfisher pecked at my hand, forcing me to stay put.
"The Marquis of Anle and his wife are indeed a harmonious couple. It seems that Linyang does not need any new people. Your Majesty, let's just forget about it."
I heard Consort Ji speaking to me, and then everything went blurry. I tried to see Xie Yuancheng, but I couldn't make out his face at all.
"Ying'er~ We're already in the carriage. This is my face, feel it." Xie Yuancheng made me touch his face. He was originally extremely drunk, but his consciousness was starting to clear. Was this... fake drunkenness?
"You, your face, I couldn't see anything just now, how could I see it clearly now?" I lay in his arms, my senses returning. "Who is that woman? How dare she have the nerve to want to marry you, I'll make her pay!"
"Ying'er~ You're such a good girl~" Xie Yuancheng leaned down and pressed his face against mine. "It's a good thing you didn't move around just now, otherwise I would have had a reason to refuse. Today is over."
"What happened? Tell me quickly, I'm so worried."
"Don't rush, they are women brought as tribute from the Li Kingdom. They look like ghosts and smell of foreign soil. I added some fake drunkenness to the wine. I told them that my wife is very petty. When she heard that new women had come to Linyang, she turned pale. I love you too much to care about any other women."
"That's the reason? I remember my mother spoke up for me, and then there was no more sound."
"We were able to leave early, which means we didn't accept her choice. The Emperor didn't stop us, so we don't need to worry."
"That's good. How annoying! How dare they covet you!" I was still unhappy. I touched my hand and could still see the spot where the kingfisher had pecked.
"It's a good thing you didn't move your hand, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to distract those people."
"Thank you so much! My little Chengcheng can't be sacrificed!"
“I know~ This matter needs to be dealt with quickly, otherwise it will easily cause trouble later. They look too strange, I don’t like them at all, and they smell bad, it takes a lot of perfume to cover it up.”
"That's right~" I smiled at Xie Yuancheng, hugging him tightly and refusing to let go. There can't be too many people coming out, or I'll get very angry!
"Don't worry, Ying'er. If they want to come, of course I'll turn them away without hesitation. Only you can be by my side~" Xie Yuancheng, this sweet-talking little man, is so good with words, but I'm so happy to hear it~
I listened to Xie Yuancheng talk the whole way, and the air I exhaled smelled of wine. This wine was a bit strong, but the aftertaste was very pleasant.
"Yuancheng, you're not allowed to take a concubine! If you ask me to do that, I'll beat the other woman into a pig's head and kick her out!"
"How could that be? I don't like other women. Back then, for your sake, I even declared that I would treat Ji Ying well for the rest of my life. You are Ji Ying. Even if there are women with the same name, what does it have to do with me!"
"Exactly, my man has guts, he's so fierce." I leaned forward to kiss him, but the carriage swerved, almost making me bite my tongue. "That's too much! I'll deal with you properly when we get back."
"Haha~ Ying'er is the same as before. She even bumped her head last time. I came to check on her." He was deliberately not getting close to me. It turns out he knew the carriage would turn this way and that the road here was not good at all, with no Lin Yangping.
Xie Yuancheng kept laughing out loud when he came to look at my teeth. I had to glare at him with wide eyes before he would stop laughing. Nothing happened along the way. The snow on the road had been shoveled, so we got out of the car and went straight back to take a bath. I held his hand tightly, smiling happily.
"Ying'er, stop making a fuss. The wine you drank has a strong aftereffect. Go wash up and go to bed. I'll rub your head for you."
"Yuancheng~ my little Chengcheng~" I couldn't control myself anymore, I kept pulling him and laughing, and Xie Yuancheng let me do whatever I wanted, and brushed the hair on my face back.
"Here, have some to help you sober up. You'll feel better tomorrow morning."
"Hmm~ Ying'er wants to sleep with Yuan Cheng, so you're not allowed to get up early~"
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