Chapter 104: Drunk into the Palace
The driver lowered his head, thinking the Marquis' words were sincere praise. He quickly bowed and replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Marquis. I will definitely do my best."
Before he finished speaking, the curtain of the carriage was ripped open from the inside, and Xie Jinglan's hateful voice came out from behind the curtain, "Go back home!"
The driver drove the cart, rubbing the back of his head and pondering for a long time, before he belatedly realized what was going on.
Xie Jinglan returned to the Marquis' Mansion and just sat down in the study. He flipped through two pages of the military newspaper with his fingertips, but his eyes were still unfocused.
He slammed the military newspaper on the table in annoyance, stood up and paced around twice.
I wanted to go to the martial arts field to practice boxing, but just as I reached the corridor, I turned back.
I asked someone to prepare tea, but after taking a sip, it tasted bland in my throat.
In the silence of the room, the thought that Ning'er had not paid any attention to him made his heart ache.
He felt that if he didn't see her again today and didn't let her say a word to him, he would probably go crazy.
But if he went there rashly, Ning'er would probably dodge and avoid him again, and Princess Chen would definitely stick to him and talk to Ning'er until three o'clock in the morning.
After struggling for a long time, he seemed to have come up with an idea. If he went there under the influence of alcohol, Ning'er would not be able to argue with a drunkard.
This is not the first time he has climbed over walls and entered houses, so this time is not a big deal.
Finally stopping at the corridor, Xie Jinglan said solemnly to Qing Feng, who was waiting beside him, "Prepare two invitations. Send one to Prince Chen's Mansion and one to Duke Cheng'en's Mansion. Tell them that I'm inviting them both to dinner."
The two people mentioned are of course Xiao Jinyu and Shen Lin.
Both of them were stunned when they received the invitation. In the past, when they invited Marquis Anyuan to a drink, he would say that he was busy with military affairs eight out of ten times. Even when he was present, he rarely touched the glass. Today was an exception.
In the elegant Yunque Pavilion, three people sat opposite each other and drank.
Xie Jinglan's expression was as stern as usual, but the cup in his hand never stopped.
In the past, he always drank lightly, but today he seemed to want to immerse all his sorrow in the wine, pouring one cup after another down his throat.
At first, Xiao Jinyu was still smiling as he toasted with him, jokingly saying, "Marquis Anyuan is drinking so hard today. Could it be that he's feeling bad after not seeing Miss Wen for a day?"
Xie Jinglan said stubbornly: "I am not like the Prince of Chen, who is always a clingy person in front of the princess."
After a few rounds, Xiao Jinyu finally couldn't hold on any longer and leaned back in his chair groaning.
Although Shen Lin, who was standing by, was known for his huge drinking capacity, he was actually leaning over the table at this moment, mumbling vaguely, "I didn't know...you kid...can drink a lot."
Xie Jinglan's eyes remained clear and bright, without a trace of drunkenness.
He raised his hand and called the attendants over, saying in a deep voice, "Send you two back home."
The wheels of the carriage rolled over the bluestone road. When it arrived at the gate of Prince Chen's mansion, the gatekeeper saw the prince being half-supported and half-carried by the servants, and hurriedly reported inside.
All the lights in the yard were lit up to welcome the drunk prince back home, and there was a lot of noise.
No one noticed that a figure suddenly passed by in the shadow of the eaves. The black sleeves flashed under the moonlight and disappeared into the shadow of the trees in the inner courtyard.
In the warm room, Shen Yunshu was holding Ning'er's hand and talking to her in private.
The maid outside the door said anxiously: "Princess, the prince is back. He is so drunk that he can't even walk steadily."
Hearing this, Shen Yunshu frowned and asked, "Who did your Highness drink with today, and why did he drink so much?"
"My princess, it's with Marquis Anyuan and Prince Shen."
As soon as Wen Ning heard the three words "An Yuan Hou", her fingertips paused slightly.
Since she knew the Marquis, she seemed to remember him drinking only once.
I think it was probably only Prince Chen and Prince Shen who drank too much today, and that person must not have drunk too much.
Shen Yunshu sighed helplessly and patted Wen Ning's hand gently, "I was thinking about us sleeping together today, but it seems that's not possible."
Wen Ning quickly raised her eyes and said in a gentle voice, "Princess, please go quickly. The prince must be feeling uncomfortable after drinking too much. The prince is more important."
"Then you should rest early." After Shen Yunshu said this, he hurriedly left the warm room with the maid.
Wen Ning returned to the side room, closed the door, gently took off her coat and hung it on the screen, then washed her hands and face in a copper basin.
She changed into a water-patterned soft satin nightgown and let her long black hair fall loosely over her shoulders.
The candlelight in the room was warm. Wen Ning sat with her quilt wrapped around her, but she had no desire to sleep.
Just as I was startled, I suddenly heard two knocks on the window frame.
Her heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously looked towards the window. She saw the window being pushed open from the outside and a familiar figure jumped in instantly.
The man's steps swayed slightly when he landed, and the night wind brought in a strong smell of alcohol.
Wen Ning felt nervous, this was Prince Chen’s Mansion!
Judging from the man's appearance, he must have climbed over the wall to get in. What would happen if he was caught?
She supported herself on the edge of the couch with one hand, knelt down and shrank into the bed. Her water-patterned soft satin nightgown slid off her shoulders as she moved, revealing a small piece of fair skin.
She was completely unaware, only her frightened eyes were open, "My Lord, you..."
Xie Jinglan closed the window with his backhand, and saw her appearance on the bed in the candlelight. His Adam's apple rolled almost imperceptibly.
He moved to the edge of the couch with a shaky step, and his tall figure cast a heavy shadow, covering her completely.
"Ning'er... you're finally willing to talk to me..."
The man looked at her with his eyes downcast, his long eyelashes casting vague shadows under his eyes, and his tone was vague with the alcohol.
It was Qingming before he came, but maybe it was the cold wind on the road, or maybe he couldn't suppress the alcohol, but now he actually looked a little drunk.
Wen Ning turned her face away, avoiding his burning gaze, and said with a bit of deliberate distance, "My Lord, you've had too much to drink. Go back quickly."
Xie Jinglan suddenly knelt on the edge of the couch, his eyes revealing an earnestness that could not be concealed.
He raised his hand and grasped her wrist as she tried to cover her clothes, his palm was surprisingly hot.
"I'm not drunk," he explained, his Adam's apple rolling. "I just feel that if I don't hear Ning'er talk to me today, I will definitely not be able to sleep tonight."
He leaned forward slightly, the scent of alcohol mingling with the crisp sandalwood. "I have no choice but to come look for you."
Wen Ning's heart softened when she saw that he didn't even wear a cloak, and his thin brocade robe was still stained with the coldness of the night dew.
She pursed her lips and finally said softly, "I... I'll go get a cup of hot water to sober up the Marquis."
Hearing this, Xie Jinglan loosened his grip and sat down beside the couch.
Wen Ning got down from the couch and poured a cup of warm water and handed it to him. The man raised his head and drank it all, then casually placed the porcelain cup on the ground.
Amid the muffled sound of the celadon rolling onto the carpet, the woman suddenly felt a tightening around her waist, and she was firmly held in his arms.
Through the thin pajamas, the coldness from the man's body and the heat from the alcohol mixed together and spread over her, making her shiver slightly.
"Good Ning'er..." He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice brewing with a hint of drunkenness and earnestness, "Good Ning'er... Don't be estranged from me, okay?"
He placed his palm on her lower back, pressing gently, "Ning'er, you should listen to my explanation of what happened before..."
At this moment, the lantern outside the window was swaying, and the footsteps of the night watchman were approaching. Wen Ning's heart tightened, and she couldn't help but ask, "After explaining, will you go back?"
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