Chapter 117: Staying Up All Year Round
Deng Lian scratched his head and blushed slightly: "I haven't thought of any woman I like."
"Then wait a little longer." Sun Wei said, "When you meet that girl, tell me and I'll act as a matchmaker for you."
Deng Lian was about to respond when he saw A'ru running in from outside and saying, "Princess, come out and see! It's snowing!"
Aju has lived in Guangzhou since she was a child. This is the first time she has seen snow, and her excitement is beyond words.
Although Sun Wei had seen snow many times in his previous life, he still loved the snow scene.
She hurried out of the hall.
Some salt foam was floating in the sky, falling lightly to the ground and melting in a short while.
"Can we build a snowman?" asked Aju.
"It's still early." Sun Wei said, "If God is kind, we can start piling snow in the yard by next night."
"So..." A'ru said with disappointment, but couldn't help but look forward to it. "How does the princess know all this? Didn't the princess leave Nanling just this year?"
Sun Wei said, "Nanling is not like your Guangzhou city. When it's really cold, there's snow on the mountain tops. I'm different from you. I've built a snowman before."
A'ru was a little envious: "Then Princess, tell me your fortune and see if I can build a snowman tomorrow."
Sun Wei said disdainfully, "Is your little matter worth asking me for a fortune?"
A'ru curled her lips and said, "Forget it. I will see the snowman sooner or later."
On New Year's Eve, Sun Wei woke up early in the morning and saw Aju with a smile on her face, seeming to be in a good mood.
"Why, did you see a snowman?" she asked.
"I saw it." A'ru came forward to help her get dressed. "Princess, guess what. I got up early today, but there wasn't a single snow on the ground. I was so disheartened. But when I left Qixia Garden to order breakfast, I saw a little snowman outside the courtyard. It was this big."
As she spoke, she compared the size with her hands.
"I don't know which palace servant piled it up, I don't care, I just moved it back to the courtyard."
She said this with a smug smile.
Sun Wei went out to take a look. Sure enough, there was a small snowman in the courtyard. It was beautifully made and round, but unfortunately there was a piece missing from its belly. Apparently, Aju had damaged it when she moved it.
A'ru brought some snow from somewhere else, patched up the snowman, and asked Sun Wei, "How is it?"
Sun Wei looked at the snowman, thought for a moment, and said, "It's nice, but a little bland. Don't you have some scraps of cloth in your sewing basket? How about making it some clothes?"
Aju said yes repeatedly, became excited, and ran to the room to find some cloth.
The palace servants and eunuchs began cleaning early in the morning. Then, the sounds of gongs and drums could be heard from the streets outside the palace walls. Sun Wei knew that Xunyang City's New Year's Festival was a uniquely lively occasion, with parades of deities and community performances. So, she gave Yu Kuan and the palace servants half a day off, instructing them only that they must rise early for a sacrifice the next day.
Everyone was very happy, said auspicious words, received the New Year's dishes, and left happily.
When Deng Lian came to pay his respects, he saw the snowman in the courtyard.
Aju held the cloth in her hand and said to him, this is the snowman's clothes.
Deng Lian's eyes flashed and he actually smiled.
"What's so funny?" A'ru glared, "Deng Sima is laughing at me for being childish?"
"How can it be childish?" Deng Lian said hurriedly, "I'm not making fun of you!"
Having said that, the corners of his mouth were still grinning.
Aju ignored him and continued to sew clothes.
After dinner, all the lights in the palace were lit. Sun Wei personally lit the lights in Qixia Palace and asked the maids on duty to go back and rest, leaving only Aru. The two of them brewed tea while staying up to celebrate the New Year.
As Aju was tying her clothes, she was eagerly looking forward to a heavy snowfall. She wanted to build a big pile for herself.
During the day, Aju heard Yu Kuan say that it was going to snow heavily today.
She watched all day, and when it got dark, heavy snow finally fell.
The snowflakes falling on her were as precious as gold.
"Princess, what do you want me to build tomorrow?" She thought for a moment and said, "How about a greyhound? I had one when I was little, and it often went hunting with me. But it was killed by wolves."
"Why are you talking about this? Let's talk about something happy." Sun Wei said.
Ah Ru didn't care: "Only unhappy people want to hear something happy. Are you unhappy?"
"Why should I be unhappy?"
"Is this the first time the princess has stayed up all night alone?" A'ru asked. "Even though we live in the huge Xunyang Palace, it's actually not as lively as an ordinary family's home."
After she finished speaking, a burst of firecrackers was heard in Xunyang City, echoing in the night sky for a long time.
Sun Wei shook his head.
This is not the first time, but it happens every year.
Come to think of it, in her previous life, except for the first year of their marriage, she and Sima Jun seemed to have never stayed up together to celebrate the New Year's Eve.
But she couldn't say anything, so she just smiled and said, "Don't I still have you?"
But Aju didn't buy it: "You know, I will leave here sooner or later. Who will accompany you then?"
Sun Wei took a sip of hot tea, walked out of the house and stepped into the snow.
She looked up at the falling snowflakes and said after a long while, "I don't need you to accompany me. I'm fine on my own."
Another firecracker exploded not far away. A'ru suddenly stopped and asked in a low voice, "Did you hear that sound?"
"Firecrackers?"
"No." Aru suddenly went back to the house and picked up the long sword. "Footsteps, there are many people. Who would come at this time?"
The footsteps were very fast, and soon they arrived outside Qixia Garden.
Sun Wei suddenly felt unbelievable, but she couldn't have heard it wrong.
The moment the courtyard door was pushed open, Aju stood in front of Sun Wei and drew her sword.
A tall silhouette of a man appeared in the wind and snow, and then his face was illuminated by the lanterns in the corridor.
Sun Wei suddenly felt her heart beating in her throat.
"You haven't put away your sword yet?"
Sima Jun came over and said to Aju.
Sun Wei opened his eyes wide, feeling unbelievable.
She hurried forward and looked at him: "Why is the prince here?"
"I said I would come."
Sima Jun was wearing a thick fur coat, with a layer of snow falling on his shoulders. When he walked in and out, he saw that his nose was red from the cold.
Sun Wei was speechless for a moment.
She had a thousand questions in her mind, enough to keep asking for a while, but when she opened her lips, she couldn't say anything.
In the past, she had spent many New Year's Eves hoping that Sima Jun would suddenly appear, but in the end, things went against her wishes and she could only get drunk.
But now it has been easily achieved, and she has mixed feelings in her heart.
Sima Jun was standing in front of her, but they were no longer the same as before.
"Go inside." Sun Wei heard herself say this.
Sima Jun said "hmm" and walked straight into the house without saying much.
Deng Lian followed behind Sima Jun with a happy look on his face.
"Princess, the prince has rushed here from Jiankang without stopping and hasn't had his meal yet!" he reminded.
Sun Wei then remembered that Sima Jun must be hungry after the long journey.
She hurriedly said to A'ru, "Hurry and wake up Chief Steward Yu and have him prepare dinner. Also, clean up the Crown Prince's Feihong Palace as soon as possible."
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