Chapter 41 Chapter 41 [VIP]
Gao Shi’s incident came suddenly, but within two days, he went to a border state for something.
Shuofang was very large, with seven or eight states under its jurisdiction, and its territory was vast and boundless.
The border state is far away and it will take several days to return.
Yuan Mu gradually felt relieved. The Dragon Boat Festival was coming soon, which was also Yuan Mu's birthday.
She had a colorful rope tied around her wrist with a small golden bell at the end, which made a pleasant sound when she walked.
Gao Shen had just stepped down, and many things needed to be handed over. The King of Chu had also been very busy recently, and Yuan Mu was preparing for the Dragon Boat Festival in his mansion.
A proper noble lady is influenced by her parents from a young age, and when she gets married, she can directly take over the affairs of her husband's family.
Yuan Mu had never been involved in clerical affairs before.
She only knew that the emperor was busy with government affairs all day long and often too busy to even have time to drink a cup of tea.
Now that he has been the head of the Chu King's Palace for two years, Yuan Mu has gradually become proficient in and understood the affairs here.
Procurement, warehousing, hospitality, etiquette.
All matters must be handled carefully.
Yuan Mu had been in charge for a long time and had become more and more familiar with handling ordinary banquets. When the Dragon Boat Festival matters were almost dealt with, she went out of the house to visit the two bookstores.
The bookstore is not very big, but it is thriving now.
The Nine-Rank System was popular in the previous dynasty, and the only thing that mattered when selecting officials was family background.
Today, regular and special examinations have been launched, and the emphasis is on talent and learning, as well as conduct, speech, and writing.
Various academies sprang up, and even places like Shuofang, where martial spirit prevailed, were imbued with literary influences.
Regular examinations are held every three years, while special examinations are held irregularly.
When the emperor first ascended the throne, there were many wars and imperial examinations were often held, but in recent years they have been held much less frequently.
He values talent and often personally selects people.
It was a long time after Yuan Mu left the palace that he understood what the emperor did every day.
She had very bad personal feelings towards him, but had no problem with his many good policies as a monarch.
Yuan Mu wore a waist-length curtain to cover his face and figure. The wind and sand were strong in the north, so people dressed like this all year round and it didn't look strange.
It was still early when she arrived at the bookstore.
The clerk in the bookstore was writing big words and then hanging them in front of the store to tell the customers that new books were out.
Yuan Mu was surrounded by guards and maids. Her face was hidden behind the curtain, and people who didn't know her might mistake her for a noble lady who came to buy books.
But when the clerk in the bookstore looked up, he knew it was her.
The waiter came forward with a smile and called out, "Madam, you are here."
Yuan Mu said "hmm" softly. She looked at the situation in the bookstore and flipped through the account book.
These two bookstores were originally funded by the King of Chu, but gradually they were able to break even and even doubled his capital.
One is located in the west of the city and the other is located in the east, making it convenient for customers from either side to buy books.
Yuan Mu didn't stay in the west of the city for too long. After seeing it, he prepared to go to the east of the city.
When she was going out, she happened to meet several noble ladies who came in to buy books.
Maybe it shouldn't be called a noble lady, it should be called a noble lady.
Because one of them was the eldest princess of Qin.
She was the emperor's concubine sister and her mother died early, which should have been a difficult thing, but she happened not to be involved in the death of the late queen and thus avoided a great disaster.
The emperor had many concubines buried alive with him, and he even spared their children.
Those who guard the tomb guard it, those who marry into the royal family marry, those who guard the border guard the border, and those who die suddenly die suddenly.
The emphasis is on eradicating all evil.
During the reign of the previous emperor, the eldest princess of Qin was not favored, but due to luck and timing, she is now married to the eldest son of Gao Shen, and will take over the huge family business of the Gao family in the future.
In such a marriage, it is hard to say who is marrying above their station.
The Gao family's family tradition is relatively clean and upright. After Concubine De was sentenced to death, the Gao family remained silent and nothing happened.
"I've heard this bookshop here is famous," one of them said softly. "I've come to see it today and it's truly extraordinary. Look at the flowers in that vase, aren't they carved wooden peonies?"
The Grand Princess of Qin also looked over.
She waved the round fan in her hand, a smile on her lips: "It is indeed good."
These people seemed to be the women of the Gao family. Judging from their hairstyles, they were all married, except for one who was obviously still a young girl.
She took the hand of the Grand Princess of Qin and called out tenderly, "Sister-in-law, that peony is so beautiful, can you buy it for me?"
A bookstore is a place to buy books, and the rest are just decorations to show off the store.
The clerk smiled and came closer and said, "Ma'am, we only sell books here, we don't sell anything else."
The little girl frowned and said angrily, "It's not like I don't want to pay!"
"It's not about money, ma'am," the waiter said politely. "This thing was made by our boss himself when he was learning wood carving."
He smiled and said, "It's really hard to sell them outside. Why don't you take a look at the books in the store and see if there are any you like? I'll give you a discount."
It is said that you should not hit someone who smiles at you.
But the little girl from the Gao family had been spoiled at home since she was a child. It was rare for her to want something and be rejected like this.
She slammed the table and raised her eyebrows.
Come here, little girl, I'll talk to her."
Even the dumbest person could see that this was a distinguished guest who was not to be trifled with.
, his smile also froze slightly.
Yuan Mu raised his eyelids and said softly, "I am the owner of this bookstore. What do you want to say, my lady?"
When she spoke, everyone in the Gao family noticed her standing in the dark.
Yuan Mu was very fair, and her snow-white face, even through a veil, was dazzlingly beautiful, as if it were shining through.
She has been running this bookstore for two years and has encountered some extreme customers.
Yuan Mu was quite adept at handling such matters.
In fact, as long as he used the title of King of Chu, no one in the entire Shuofang would dare to cause trouble.
But if we really do that, there will be no point in running this bookstore.
The arrogant little girl just now, after seeing Yuan Mu, her arrogance inexplicably subsided a lot.
Gao Han's aunt was Concubine De. She often went in and out of the palace when she was young, and her horizons were very broad.
But the demeanor of the person in front of her still surprised her.
Compared with Jingzhao, Shuofang is really a desolate place.
Even the noble ladies here are uncouth people, riding horses, shooting arrows, socializing with men from other countries, and doing everything without any reserve or cultivation.
Gao Han was proud of his status and looked down on them. Now that he had been here for a few days, he still went out with his sister-in-law and others at home, and no one even sent him a visiting card.
But Yuan Mu is different.
Her first impression of Gao Han was that this person's identity was definitely not simple.
It is a kind of temperament that is hard to describe and explain. Even if it is in the mud, it is still elegant and noble, as if leaning leisurely in a flower hall.
Gao Han slowed down his tone and said, "I just want to ask if you guys are selling this wooden flower. I can offer ten gold coins, and if you think it's not enough, you can add more."
Beside her was the eldest princess of Qin.
Being the emperor's daughter or sister is a very leisurely thing.
But being the sister-in-law of a spoiled sister-in-law is not the same.
When Yuan Mu saw the Qin Princess was silent, he quickly realized Gao Han's identity.
She whispered, "Not for sale."
"But if you like, you can go to the carpenter's shop in Qingquan Lane," Yuan Mu changed the subject, "and tell us the name of our bookstore. We will give you a moving little wooden rabbit."
Her smile was so bright and her words were so gentle.
His voice is a little weak, like someone who is not in good health.
The little girl was just venting her anger for the moment. After all, she was not the one in charge of the family, and she had a father and brother above her, so she didn't dare to make too much noise.
As soon as Yuan Mu offered the door, Gao Han went down.
She raised her voice and said, "Okay, sister-in-law, let's go and take a look."
Finally, the man was sent away, and the guy was sweating.
He lowered his voice and said, "My lady, that seems to be the family of the new governor. I have never seen them before."
Yuan Mu took out the wooden carved peony and put two real flowers in it.
She whispered, "It's the Gao family."
"It's okay. Envoy Gao is not the kind of person who would condone his family's misconduct," Yuan Mu said softly. "I'll take this peony with me. I'll use it as a real flower in the future."
She stayed here for a while when the bookstore here first opened.
At that time, Yuan Mu drank bitter medicine every day to recuperate his body. When he had nothing to do, he learned some woodworking and carved a few simple things.
Although it has no value, it is still important.
The clerk nodded quickly: "Okay, ma'am, I'll remember this later."
They are all places where things are sold, but bookstores are always more elegant to be more attractive.
Yuan Mu took another look at the decoration of the bookstore and did not stay any longer. He went straight to the bookstore on the east side.
She originally wanted to go back earlier, but because of the Gao family, she was delayed for some time and only left the bookstore at noon.
The golden bell on Yuan Mu's wrist moved slightly, and the crisp sound was pleasant to the ear.
She held a round fan to block out the overly scorching sun.
But just as Yuan Mu walked out of the bookstore, a tall figure blocked her way.
The King of Chu, dressed in red, smiled and said, "When I saw the carriage just now, I knew you were nearby."
His posture was flamboyant, and because he was surrounded by his followers, he did not attract much attention.
Yuan Mu arched his brows and looked at the King of Chu: "Is your matter over?"
The King of Chu nodded, then took her into the carriage.
After getting on the carriage, Yuan Mu took down the curtain and listened to the King of Chu tell her what happened today.
He is a person who loves to share. Even when he encounters complicated government affairs, he can tell them in an interesting way like a storyteller.
Yuan Mu did not hide anything and told the King of Chu about his encounter with the Gao family just now.
She pursed her lips and lowered her eyes: "The Grand Princess of Qin has seen me before. Would it be inappropriate for me to do that just now?"
Yuan Mu is very good at hiding her edge, but of course she doesn't have much edge.
Unless someone gets too arrogant right under her nose, she won't say a single tough word.
That cold and beautiful face, as pure as frost and snow, is of no use.
"There's nothing wrong with that," the King of Chu raised his eyebrows. "She's bullying you right in front of you. You're being very polite by not sending people to beat them away."
This sounded like a joke, but the King of Chu could really do it.
He also has the confidence to do so.
After all, who would dare to provoke the emperor's most beloved younger brother?
After hearing the words of King Chu, Yuan Mu's tense heartstrings gradually relaxed. She leaned on the soft pillow, hugged the soft thick blanket, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
"We are all women," she said softly, "We can't be so rude."
Such a conversation was extremely intimate, just like a young couple who had just gotten married.
Yuan Mu had been out of the palace for two years, and her relationship with the King of Chu had become closer and closer.
But the shadow she cast in the palace was too deep.
During the first period after leaving the palace, Yuan Mulian felt uncontrollable panic when the palace physician took her pulse. The King of Chu transferred the eunuchs away and only left women to serve her nearby.
It was very similar to a panic attack after a hysterical episode.
But there is no medicine that can cure it.
Normally, the King of Chu would not even support Yuan Mu for a moment, but seeing her beautiful smile nestled in the soft pillow, he couldn't help but tap her forehead.
He gently accused: "Why are you turning your elbows outward, Luo?"
Yuan Mu opened his eyes wide and retorted, "I didn't."
The carriage drove slowly towards the Prince of Chu's palace. The two of them bickered and chatted all the way.
The King of Chu didn't know when Yuan Mu would be able to completely walk out of the shadows and untie the knot in his heart forever.
But that doesn't matter.
It is enough to see her happy every day and keen on doing what she likes.
-
Dragon Boat Festival is Yuan Mu’s birthday.
Since the beginning of summer, the emperor has ordered people to start making preparations.
Neither he nor Yuan Mu had good birthdays. He was born on the fourth day of April, and she was born on the fifth day of May.
According to the calendar, no one is actually much better than anyone else.
There is an old saying that people born on the Dragon Boat Festival are extremely evil. They will either bring misfortune to their father or mother, or to their husband or wife.
But compared to losing her mother at a young age and experiencing many hardships since childhood, the emperor would rather Yuan Mu had a fate of being a husband-killer. He would pave all the ways for her and let her live peacefully as the empress dowager.
Many emperors were obsessed with the way to immortality.
Countless people have taken elixirs, and many have died from them.
The emperor did not have this hobby. He was very similar to Yuan Mu in this respect. They both took life and death lightly.
It was only after she left that he gradually realized that they had so many similarities, and even their seemingly parallel destinies should have had countless intersections.
Sometimes the emperor couldn't help but wonder, if Yuan Mu had grown up in the Yuan family, would their story be completely different.
He would have known her very early, and might even have taken her to live with him and grow up with her.
But there is no medicine for regret in the world, and what has happened cannot be repeated.
The emperor closed his eyes, collected his thoughts, and walked into the Ziwei Palace.
He had just returned from outside, wearing a dark blue robe, and his every move revealed the calmness and composure of a mature man.
After last month, the emperor officially turned 28.
The age of thirty, which I once thought was so far away, is suddenly getting closer and closer.
The hall was very quiet, with only the little prince reading with his teacher.
Speaking of the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of birth, these two people with very unlucky births gave birth to a child with an auspicious birth date that was beyond words.
The little prince was born on the sixth day of the eleventh month, the winter solstice.
After looking at the horoscope, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory was shocked and said it was a very auspicious sign.
When the little prince was born, it was dusk and auspicious clouds in the shape of a phoenix appeared on the mountains around Jingzhao.
The historian recorded the events with great interest and even sought out witnesses from the people. The few thin pages were filled with notes.
The emperor doesn't care about these things.
But this child is Yuan Mu's blood, born after almost ten months of pain, so everything is precious and needs to be written in detail.
The little prince's name comes from the family tree, and his generation is Zhi. His full name is Li Zhifei.
Like the emperor, she didn't have nicknames, so she was simply called Ah Fei, Ah Fei.
This is actually the tradition of the imperial family.
After all, what's the point of carefully choosing a name? No one would call the prince or the emperor by their nicknames.
The little prince showed that he was different from ordinary children at a very early age.
He was very smart and had an exceptionally good memory, almost photographic memory.
Yuan Mu is also very smart. She has learned a lot of things well through the rough teaching in the Taoist temple.
But she had never met a good teacher. At the age when she should have received an education, she was left alone in a farm and was deliberately raised to be clumsy.
Whenever the emperor thought of Yuan Mu's past, his heart ached.
The most painful thing in this world is not hurting the most important person, but being deprived of the possibility of making amends after being hurt.
The little prince had a strong ability to accept learning. He didn’t even think that he was learning, but just listening to a story.
The clepsydra clock struck time and the emperor had returned.
The gentleman did not stay long. After saying goodbye to the little prince in a gentle voice, he bowed and left.
The palace was quiet.
The emperor picked up the cup and drank a little tea. Then he looked at the little prince and asked softly, "What did you learn today?"
The little prince looked very much like him, almost as if they were carved from the same mold.
Only those watery eyes, clear and blue, looked very much like Yuan Mu.
That was the last proof left by the Xianbei imperial family after hundreds of years of glory.
The little prince counted on his fingers and explained to the emperor one by one. While they were talking, a kitten jumped out.
It used to be very close to Yuan Mu. No matter how Yuan Mu hugged and rubbed it, it never resisted. Even if she pinched its little ears, it would only meow twice.
But the kitten was not close to the father and son.
The little prince could barely move around it, but the emperor was scratched twice, leaving blood marks so deep that even the imperial physician was frightened.
But he didn't do anything to the kitten.
This is Yuan Mu's favorite pet in this palace. Her feelings for it may be a hundred times deeper than for him.
The kitten swaggered around the palace, and the emperor glanced at it without paying much attention.
His request to the cat had always been simple: it was not allowed to enter the inner hall.
It was not until much later that the emperor found out that Yuan Mu had secretly brought the kitten to bed in order to take revenge on him.
He was both angry and amused. After a moment of helplessness, he suddenly remembered that she had left.
At that moment, there was a heart-wrenching pain raging in my chest.
The little prince couldn't help but look at the kitten.
He sat on the couch and said in a low voice, "If I behave well, will mother come back, father?"
It has been more than two years since Yuan Mu passed away. She has not appeared in public for a long time, and even outsiders have realized that something is wrong, but the emperor has always insisted that she is just seriously ill and recuperating.
If the little prince was not so smart, the emperor could deceive him for a few more years.
But this child is really too precocious.
The emperor continued to lie calmly: "It doesn't matter what happens to Ah Fei. When you grow up, mother will definitely come back."
Then he immediately changed the subject.
"It's time for lunch," the emperor said softly. "Come here."
A long time ago, the Dragon Boat Festival was just an ordinary festival for him, no different from the Lantern Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
There will be some events and banquets will be held in the palace.
But since meeting Yuan Mu, this festival has never been the same, especially since they first met on her coming-of-age day.
After the little prince took a nap, the emperor walked to the terrace.
The outside is green. Summer is a good season and there are a lot of seasonal fruits.
Yuan Mu likes to eat something cold. Her spleen and stomach are not very good, so she can only eat more at this time.
The emperor wanted to control his thoughts, but since the beginning of summer, he would inadvertently think of her no matter what he did.
Yuan Mu had not been by his side for many years, but everything about her seemed to be engraved in his soul.
The emperor stood on the terrace, his heart feeling as if it were being tortured, with sharp and dull pains intertwined.
But he still didn't want to leave the terrace.
Because this was Yuan Mu’s favorite place to stay.
It was not until a moment later when the servant brought the letter from the King of Chu that the emperor walked away from the terrace.
I don’t know what’s going on with young people nowadays, they are reluctant to get married. People are already marrying late these days, so they delay it even more.
After the emperor returned to Jingzhao from the King of Chu, he has been very worried about his marriage.
In order to avoid his urging, the King of Chu took the initiative to hide in Shuofang.
When the Emperor sent the King of Chu to Shuofang, he just wanted to gild him and help him take a look at Shuofang.
Unexpectedly, in order to avoid getting married, the King of Chu was willing to go to Shuofang. Two years passed in a blink of an eye. He only came back for a few days during the Chinese New Year and then left in a hurry.
Their parents' marriage was not going well.
When the late emperor and the late empress first got married, they were very loving, but gradually, they both changed.
The same goes for the emperor's marriage to Yuan Mu.
He didn't know whether these two things frightened the King of Chu, making him gradually decide not to get married in his lifetime.
Now that the emperor is getting older, his thoughts have changed a lot.
So what if they got married? Rather than ending up like this, not getting married would be a good thing.
The emperor casually unfolded the letter.
The King of Chu seemed to be writing his reply under the tree, and some lilac petals fell into the letter when it was sealed.
His handwriting improved a little, and he could finally write horizontal strokes and left-falling strokes properly.
The paper seemed to have a faint fragrance, I don't know where it came from, but it was a bit like the scent of women's clothes.
Could it be that the King of Chu has a close girl?
An idea suddenly flashed through the emperor's mind, but he immediately dismissed it.
If A Zhang really has someone he loves, he will definitely tell him. Otherwise, how can he live a clear life?
They haven't seen each other for a while.
During the New Year, the emperor had a lot of things to do, so he simply had two meals with the King of Chu. When he finished his work, the King of Chu had already returned to Shuofang, saying that he had something urgent to do.
As for what the urgent matter was, he refused to say.
As I get older, I gradually develop my own ideas.
Speaking of which, if Yuan Mu were still alive, he would be about the same age as the King of Chu.
Thinking of this, the emperor felt pain in his heart again.
Ever since Yuan Mu left, he has been coughing up blood. The imperial physician said that this disease is not a physical illness, but a mental illness.
The emperor didn’t quite understand why the accumulated depression had such a profound impact on Yuan Mu.
But now he thought he understood it completely.
The emperor looked at the letter for a long time before he picked up his pen and began to prepare his reply.
The King of Chu had no intention of getting married, but he was very interested in children and often asked about the little prince's situation.
The emperor had recently had a portrait of the little prince painted, and after replying to the letter, he also put it in there.
I don’t know if the King of Chu really has someone by his side.
If you have any, bring them back and show them to him. It won’t be a big deal.
The emperor's thoughts have become too clear by now.
Even if she was a musician and singer, she could still become a princess by changing her identity, as long as she was not a married woman. He felt a headache when he thought about the criticism that the King of Chu suffered all day long.
But even if she is really a married woman, there is nothing wrong with getting a divorce and remarrying.
The emperor was used to being the elder brother, and the King of Chu was a troublesome younger brother who caused trouble everywhere. He was used to making preparations in advance.
After sealing the letter, he said nonchalantly, "Go check if there's anyone in A-Zhang's house."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
