Chapter 118 Greetings
"That's unnecessary," Sima Jun said. "The palace servants have finally had a day off, so there's no need to mobilize a large force. I'll stay the night in the late king's Fufeng Palace. Deng Lian and A'ru can go over and tidy up, so I can just stay for the night."
"What will the prince eat?" Sun Wei asked. "After dinner, I gave the kitchen a day off. If I don't wake them up, I'm afraid they won't have anything to eat. The prince's attendants have also been with us all the way, and we can't let them go hungry."
Sima Jun said to Deng Lian, "There's no curfew in the city tonight. I see all the restaurants on the street are open. Take the brothers there to eat something good."
Deng Lian agreed with a smile.
Then, Sima Jun looked at Sun Wei and asked, "Is there really nothing to eat in Madam's room?"
"Some refreshments."
"That's enough."
After he said that, he went straight into the hall.
The consequence of her sending the palace maids to rest early was that there was no one available and she had to do everything herself.
The small red clay stove was steaming as Sun Wei brewed some more hot tea. She asked Sima Jun to sit down, took the cloak from him, and hung it on the rack. Then, she added more charcoal to the charcoal basin.
After a busy period, she turned around and found Sima Jun sitting by the stove, looking at her with his eyes.
"Why don't you eat?" she asked.
"I'm eating." Sima Jun said, lowered his head, and put half a piece of rice cake in his hand into his mouth.
Sun Wei tidied up for a while and then sat down.
A small red clay stove stood between them, steam rising from the teapot. White smoke rose, and the candlelight was filled with a hint of haze.
Sun Wei looked at Sima Jun's face and found that he looked thinner than when they last parted. It was obvious that he had been very tired these days.
"We need to re-light the fire in Fufeng Hall. It will take some time to warm up." Sun Wei scooped a bowl of tea for Sima Jun and handed it to him. "If you feel tired, please rest on the couch here."
Sima Jun responded and continued to put a piece of date cake into his mouth: "It's okay."
He held the tea bowl, blew gently on the hot steam, and drank it in small sips.
The lashes drooped, surprisingly long. The brow bone matched the bridge of the nose and connected to the lips, forming a beautiful line.
Whether in the previous life or this life, Sun Wei always thought Sima Jun was very good-looking.
Sometimes she thought, if he were an honest scholar, he would have fair skin. How pleasing to the eye these facial features would be on such skin.
pity……
Suddenly, Sima Jun raised his eyes, and through the rising tea smoke, his gaze met Sun Wei's.
Sun Wei immediately looked away.
"What else would you like to eat, Your Highness?" She took a plate of chestnuts from the table beside her. "These were just roasted this afternoon and are very delicious. How about some, Your Highness?"
Sima Jun took it but did not look away.
"How is your wife these days?" he asked.
Sun Wei replied, "Very good. Xunyang Palace is very peaceful and there is nothing to disturb you."
Sima Jun nodded and continued eating his cake: "That's very good."
"Where's the prince?" Sun Wei glanced at him. "How is the prince?"
"Not good," Sima Jun said, "every day is thrilling."
Sun Wei was stunned.
This was not Sima Jun's usual answer.
Even in his previous life, whenever Sun Wei asked such questions, his answer was always "very good." Sun Wei knew that he was just asking as a routine question, and he was just answering as a routine question, and he never expected anything special.
"Really?" She didn't know how to respond. "Is the situation in Kuaiji very difficult?"
"Compared to the capital, it's not that difficult."
Sun Wei said, "The matter of Ruan Hui has been settled."
"It's settled now." Sima Jun said.
Sun Wei nodded and asked, "Is there nothing going on in the palace today?"
"There are many things to do," Sima Jun said. "I've handed them all over to Cao Song."
Sun Wei couldn't help but sympathize with Cao Song.
"Why is the prince..."
"I said I'd come," Sima Jun said. "If you don't come today, I'll put it off until next year. I'm not used to breaking promises."
Sun Wei: “…”
It was the first time she heard that if an appointment was made after New Year's Eve, it would be considered a breach of contract.
As the two of them were talking, Sima Jun finished all the cakes on the plate.
Sun Wei knew that stimulants like tea were useless to Sima Jun.
Sure enough, even though he drank the tea, he still looked sleepy.
The soft couch in the hall was where Sun Wei usually took a nap. Sima Jun was not polite. Sun Wei asked him to rest, and he obediently got up and lay down on the couch.
Sun Wei took the mattress and covered him with it.
Sima Jun did not close his eyes and continued to look at Sun Wei.
"Compared to the palace, Madam, you feel more comfortable here, right?" he said suddenly.
Sun Wei was stunned.
"Every place has its own merits." She tucked the corner of the quilt for him, "Go to sleep, my lord."
Sima Jun's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say anything in the end.
Then he closed his eyes.
——
Sima Jun was probably very tired, and soon after lying down, he fell into a deep sleep.
Sun Wei stayed with Sima Jun and sat quietly for a while.
He didn't go back to his room until Deng Lian and A'ru came back.
Before she left, she instructed Deng Lian, "Since the prince is asleep, don't wake him up. Wait until he's well enough to sleep before discussing anything else."
Deng Lian agreed.
Back in the bedroom, Aju was still thinking about what happened when Sima Jun suddenly appeared.
"Princess, do you think that the so-called divine soldiers descending from the sky are probably what the Crown Prince just did?"
"I heard from Sima Deng that the prince set out from Jiankang the night before yesterday. He didn't rest along the way in order to arrive before the first day of the new year," Aju said. "Could he have traveled so fast just to see the princess?"
Sun Wei said calmly, "If you listen to what Deng Simaduo says about the prince, you'll know he's always been this impatient, traveling day and night wherever he goes. The prince had already said he would come, but the date wasn't set. This is also his home, so he can come if he wants to. Steward Yu watched him grow up, so why can't he come to see Steward Yu?"
A'ru looked at her and said, "Princess, are you pretending to be stupid even though you know the truth?"
"Understand what?"
"You are the same age as the prince, so can't the prince be a little bit kind to you?" she said, gesturing with her fingers. "Is that all you mean?"
Sun Wei sneered, "Then I'll ask the prince for you tomorrow. Just tell him that you think he has some feelings for me. Let's see what he says."
A'ru quickly said, "It was just a joke. Never mind, just pretend I never said that."
Sun Wei didn't joke with her. "In terms of status, I am the Crown Prince's stepmother, so he should respect me. He's just not good with words on a daily basis, but he never misses a thing to do, and he never beats around the bush. That's what happened today. What's wrong with him coming to wish me a happy new year? You'll get used to it over time. If you see these things again in the future, don't say anything nonsense, otherwise I will fine you your monthly salary."
A'ru looked strange: "You make it sound like you've been with him for a long time."
After saying that, she turned and ran away: "I know, I won't say anymore."
Sun Wei felt helpless.
In her previous life, she did everything she could to make people misunderstand that she had an affair with Sima Jun.
Unexpectedly, in this life, she is trying every possible means to prevent others from thinking this way.
Looking at the lanterns in the room, Sun Wei sighed.
In fact, it is not without benefits for her and Sima Jun to live in different places. At least, there should be no more rumors, right?
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