Chapter 62 Where did the sour smell come from?
Just after noon, He Zheng had already removed his armor and returned from the Taiji Hall.
A dashing young man sped past the gates of the Duke of England's mansion. An old man on a reclining chair in the courtyard waved his hand in annoyance, and a servant immediately bowed his head and stepped forward to slam the two doors shut.
He Zheng dismounted and casually tossed the reins to Jing Hong. Only then did he realize he had heard a loud bang and turned to look in the direction of the Duke of Ying's mansion.
Who was he slamming the door for?
“Cheng Changde stayed in the south, and you returned alone with the troops. How can he feel at ease?”
As He Ting spoke, he put his arm around his younger brother's shoulder, looked him up and down several times, and his eyes showed some approval. He clicked his tongue in admiration and said, "Not bad, you've matured and gotten tanned too."
He Zheng felt a pang of self-doubt after being praised, and frowned as he muttered, "You haven't gotten any uglier, have you?"
Tao pulled her eldest son aside, patted her youngest son's arm, and said with a tone of both satisfaction and pride, "Don't listen to your brother's nonsense. Our Erlang is still as handsome and dashing as ever!"
He Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, took off his dusty cloak, and went inside with his family to have a meal.
Tao hadn't seen her youngest son for more than half a year. She seemed to have endless things to say at the table, asking him if he had suffered any grievances or injuries.
He Zheng gave a perfunctory reply, clearly not paying attention.
Tao called him twice, but he seemed deaf. He Xiao couldn't stand it anymore, put down his chopsticks, and reminded him in a deep voice.
"Your mother is talking to you, didn't you hear her?"
He Zheng suddenly realized, "I heard that. I'm perfectly fine. I'm not injured at all, inside or out."
He Ting couldn't stand it anymore and said in a stronger tone, "Mother is asking if you can stay at home for a couple of days."
He Zheng lowered his head to avoid his family's gaze and said, "I have something to do this afternoon and I'll be going out. Whether I'll be back tonight depends on the situation."
He Xiao and Tao Shi exchanged a glance and sighed helplessly.
Well, it looks like he's not coming back.
…
After finishing his meal, He Zheng hurriedly left the Anyuan Earl's residence.
Jinghong recounted the information he had gathered: "Miss Yu was transferred from the Bureau of Scriptures at the end of last month and is currently serving as a Gentleman Attendant to the Crown Prince in the Right Spring Palace. Today, the Crown Prince went to the Fuhua Tower in the West Market, accompanied only by Miss Yu and Secretary Yang."
Upon hearing this, He Zheng frowned, then spurred his horse and loudly commanded, "Go!"
Without needing to ask any further questions, Jinghong knew perfectly well that his lord was heading to the West Market.
As the sun was about to set, the three of them came out of Fuhua Restaurant, and the servant who led the way was all smiles.
"Young Master Yuan is truly a man who cherishes women! The young lady only glanced at him once, yet he spent a fortune to bid on this gold-tempered meteorite!"
"It's said that other young ladies are fond of jewels and gold, but it's quite rare to see someone like this young master Yuan who prefers lumps of iron. If this story gets out today, it will certainly become a delightful tale!"
It's no wonder he was overly eager; if Liang Yuanjun hadn't made the offer today, this meteorite would most likely have rotted on the stage.
Who wouldn't bow and scrape before the God of Wealth?
Liang Yuanjun pretended to put her arm around Yu Mingshu's shoulder, her expression and demeanor no different from those of the frivolous playboys in the restaurant, and her tone was also frivolous.
"A mere thousand strings of cash is worth it to win a smile from a beauty."
“What you say is true, sir.”
The servant bowed and scraped as he escorted the man to the carriage, handing him a piece of paper. "Young master, this is the transaction certificate for the meteorite iron. Please keep it safe."
Liang Yuanjun glanced at it, then handed it to Yang Leyi.
After the servant left, Yu Mingshu noticed a burning gaze fixed on him and instinctively looked ahead.
"He Zheng?"
Upon seeing the man leading the horse not far away, she was momentarily stunned. A surge of joy at their long-awaited reunion welled up in her heart, and she instinctively called out his name.
Their eyes met in mid-air before she belatedly realized that she was dressed in an extravagant and flamboyant manner and was being embraced by another man.
Yu Mingshu subconsciously pulled away from the Crown Prince's grasp, plucked the large silk flower from her head, and waited for He Zheng to lead the horse over, walking slowly and deliberately. She then forced a smile and said, "You said in your letter that you wouldn't be back for twenty days. Why are you two days ahead of schedule?"
He Zheng remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on Liang Yuanjun.
Whether it was her imagination or not, Yu Mingshu seemed to see resentment in his eyes.
"We returned without any baggage, so we traveled faster than expected," He Zheng replied, before bowing to Liang Yuanjun in greeting.
He remained calm, only referring to Liang Yuanjun as his cousin, and did not reveal the man's identity as the crown prince to outsiders.
Liang Yuanjun patted him on the shoulder, "It's good that you're back. We can talk about it when we get back."
He Zheng remained silent, watching the three board the carriage before following behind on horseback.
Seeing the man's long face through the window, Liang Yuanjun clicked her tongue and remarked, "People who have been on the battlefield do have a bit of a temper."
Yu Mingshu subconsciously sat up straight, her hands on her knees clenching her skirt tightly.
When He Zheng arrived at the West Market and saw her for the first time, his eyes were filled with joy.
She roughly knew the reason for He Zheng's gloomy mood, but she was afraid that His Highness the Crown Prince would blame him for it.
The carriage first took Yu Mingshu back to Yongning Ward before heading towards the East Palace. He Zheng followed silently into the Yu family's house. Wu Qiuniang was stunned for a moment when she saw him, then overjoyed.
"He Erlang is back? Qingque, quickly bring the steamed jujube cake from the pot and serve tea to General He!"
Yu Mingshu turned to look at the boy who was clearly upset and said softly, "Go to the study and wait for me for a while. I'm going back to my room to change my clothes."
He Zheng nodded without saying anything.
Wu Qiuniang was taken aback, assuming the two were about to discuss serious matters, and instructed Qingque to invite He Zheng to the study and serve him tea and snacks.
When Yu Mingshu changed his clothes and came to the study, He Zheng's tense features relaxed a little, and his brows unfurrowed slightly.
"This is the dress I gave you last year."
Yu Mingshu said, "This material is soft and comfortable to wear, and the size is just right, but the color is too delicate, so I don't have many opportunities to wear it out."
He Zheng's eyes darkened, and his gaze fell on the table. Only then did Yu Mingshu notice a brocade box on the table, square and looking heavier than last year's box.
A thought flashed through her mind, and she blurted out, "Did you specifically come back today?"
He Zheng fell silent again and pushed the brocade box towards her.
Yu Mingshu reached out and took the brocade box, pressing four fingers on the lid while silently observing the expression on his face.
"His Highness the Crown Prince infiltrated the Fuhualou Auction House under the identity of Young Master Yuan of the Liangzhou Chamber of Commerce. The way Secretary Yang and I dressed was just for show."
He Zheng's thin lips moved slightly, and he finally spoke slowly: "I just feel that playing this role of selling your body is beneath you."
"Just this once." Yu Mingshu smiled, and seeing that his mood had improved, she opened the box beside her.
The warm white pearlescent light inside the box was dazzling; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a lotus crown.
The main body of the crown is carved from white jade, with lotus petals of pure, flawless color and translucent texture, feeling delicate and warm to the touch. The base and top of the crown are inlaid with large pearls, each pearl being round and full, with a soft luster like silk.
Yu Mingshu was stunned.
He Zheng pursed his lips and asked, "You don't like it?"
"I like it very much."
Yu Mingshu snapped out of his daze, lovingly stroking the pearls and jade on the crown before stopping abruptly and closing the lid.
"But this is too precious, I..." Before he could finish saying "I can't accept it," He Zheng stopped him.
"This is a birthday gift for you. If you don't accept it, I can't give it to someone else."
Looking up, Yu Mingshu was met with a pair of burning eyes, and her breathing quickened.
She disliked owing favors. In her past life, her parents taught her from a very young age that one should not accept gifts without merit, and that one should buy what one likes oneself and not wait for others to give it to them. If she had to accept an expensive gift, she should find an opportunity to return it.
Ke Hezheng wouldn't think that way.
In his view, reciprocity implies estrangement.
Before the two voices in her heart could reach a conclusion, Yu Mingshu felt the light of day dim. He Zheng had stood up and come up behind her without her noticing, supporting her head.
"What are you doing?" Yu Mingshu was startled.
"Don't move." He Zheng took out a pearl necklace crown from the box and held it up to her hair.
Yu Mingshu had removed her hairpins and jewelry, and her thick, black hair was casually coiled into a bun, just big enough to fit the jade crown on her head.
After putting on the lotus crown, she felt a weight on her neck and tried to stand up and take a few steps, but He Zheng pressed her back down and turned her around so that she was facing him.
"Wait, it's off-center."
He Zheng frowned and readjusted his hair ornament. Yu Mingshu raised her eyes slightly to look at him, and for no reason, she remembered the day he went to war, when she straightened his phoenix-winged helmet outside the Vermilion Bird Gate.
Compared to that iron helmet, the pearl lotus crown was much lighter.
This man had been away for more than half a year and seemed to have lost some weight from exhaustion. Even from this deathly angle, his jawline was still as clearly defined as if carved by a knife and axe.
I wonder if he'll lose muscle after losing weight... Well, the intensity of military training is high, so it shouldn't be.
She couldn't tell if He Zheng's temperament had changed. Yu Mingshu only felt that the man in front of her had a more composed demeanor than before, and also possessed the dignity befitting a military general.
"He Xingzhao." She suddenly called his name.
"Um?"
"Your sudden aloofness is quite frightening."
He Zheng paused, his eyelashes trembled, and he looked down to meet her smiling eyes.
"Is there?"
After a moment's thought, he said, "Perhaps I am tainted with murderous aura that cannot be dispelled in a short time. I will try to restrain myself."
Seeing that he looked so serious, Yu Mingshu quickly waved her hand and said, "No need, I didn't say you looked bad."
"girl!"
The sound of falling geese grew louder as it approached. He Zheng let go and kept a certain distance from Yu Mingshu. The two looked at the door as if they had just finished discussing important matters.
What's the matter?
Luo Yan's eyes lit up when she saw Yu Mingshu's attire, and she was stunned. After recovering, she hurriedly said, "The Yongnian Inn in the West Market has sent over a large piece of meteorite iron! They say it belongs to you, young lady!"
The atmosphere around us, which had just turned from overcast to sunny, seemed to sink again.
"you……"
Just as Yu Mingshu was about to tell them to put the metal into the warehouse, he saw Qingque struggling to carry the shiny iron lump to the door.
"Girl, this is the one!"
When Qingque saw Yu Mingshu's bright hair ornament and the unusual light pink brocade robe he was wearing, she was so surprised that her eyes widened, and her reaction was exactly the same as Luoyan's.
"Move it to the storeroom first." Yu Mingshu realized his mistake as soon as he said it. After Yu Dan got married, Wu Qiuniang gave Jiang Ruan a key to the storeroom.
"Wait, let's put it in my yard."
Qingque agreed, raised her sleeve to wipe her sweat, and asked, "Miss, did you really buy this meteorite?"
He Zheng crossed his arms and interjected, "It was a gift from the Crown Prince, wasn't it?"
Qingque muttered in a daze, "His Highness the Crown Prince is really strange. I've seen people reward others with gold, silver, pearls, and jade, and I've seen people reward others with antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, but I've never seen anyone reward a beautiful young lady with a lump of iron!"
Little did they know, this lump of iron was more expensive than the house the Yu family lived in.
Yu Mingshu shook his head at Qingque, "What a crime it is to speak ill of the Crown Prince! You may not care about your life, but I do."
Qingque patted her mouth sheepishly, not daring to say anything more.
Luo Yan's gaze lingered between the two men. General Xiao He's expression was clearly displeased, and his eyes were like cold knives as he looked at the meteorite.
Suddenly realizing something, she silently tugged at Qingque's sleeve.
After the two left, Yu Mingshu closed the door to the study.
"If you take one more look at this item, the Crown Prince will generously open his wallet. I have known my cousin, the Crown Prince, for nearly twenty years, and he has never been this generous to me."
A cold male voice came from behind.
Where is the sour smell coming from?
Yu Mingshu pursed her lips, returned to the table, sat down, and took a sip of tea.
"Winning the beauty's smile is just an excuse; what Your Highness really wants is that piece of paper. Whether I've seen the meteorite or not, or whether Secretary Yang has taken a fancy to other items, Your Highness will still spend the money."
Knowing that what she said made sense, He Zheng still kept a straight face and wouldn't let up.
"I offered you a jade crown, but you refused because you thought it was too expensive. Yet the Crown Prince spent a fortune to buy the meteorite iron, and you just accepted it without hesitation."
Yu Mingshu put down his teacup and smiled helplessly, "Your Highness is right. Your temper has indeed improved since you went out."
He Zheng felt as if something was blocking his chest. In Yu Mingshu's eyes, his calm and objective approach was just being unreasonable and throwing a tantrum.
Seeing that his lips were almost pressed down to his chin, Yu Mingshu sighed softly and comforted him gently: "I've already worn this jade crown, how could I bear to return it to you? As for the meteorite iron, I'll just keep it for now and ask His Highness the Crown Prince for his opinion tomorrow."
The person in front of me finally smiled.
He Zheng's gaze lingered on the top of her head for a long time before he asked, "Is it heavy?"
Yu Mingshu stretched her neck, and without He Zheng's help, she removed the hairpin and took off the hair ornament herself, placing it on the table. As she looked at it, she smiled.
"It is a bit heavy, but it doesn't matter. This is the price of beauty."
The joy in her eyes seemed genuine, and a smile appeared on He Zheng's lips as well.
…
Wu Qiuniang hadn't expected Yu Mingshu to return so early, and she certainly hadn't anticipated He Zheng's return to the capital today. As soon as the two entered the house in the afternoon, she hurriedly asked Luoyan and Qingque to add a few more dishes, so that she could host a birthday banquet for Yu Mingshu at home that evening.
When Yu Dan came home from school and saw He Zheng, he jumped for joy, but He Zheng pressed him back down into his chair.
The four sat down around the table. He Zheng looked around and belatedly realized that someone was missing.
“I was far away in Taozhou Port when Sanlang got married and was unable to come back for my brother’s wedding banquet. Today, on the occasion of Mingshu’s birthday, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Sanlang and his wife a long and happy marriage.”
After finishing his drink, He Zheng put down the cup and asked casually, "By the way, why didn't I see your wife today?"
Yu Dan's joy froze, and he subconsciously looked to his sister for help.
Yu Mingshu refused to explain for him.
As the saying goes, family scandals should not be aired in public. Wu Qiuniang couldn't bring herself to talk about how her son had argued with his wife and sent her back to her parents' home just a few months after getting married.
Finally, Xia Man mustered up her courage and said, "Madam Jiang's mother caught a cold, and Madam Jiang went back to take care of her."
Why should the three members of the Yu family look ashamed to talk about something so trivial?
He Zheng didn't believe it, but kept it to himself until after dinner, when Yu Mingshu saw him out, before finally asking the question.
Yu Mingshu bluntly told the couple to mind their own business when they argued.
"Yu Dan can argue with people?" He Zheng was a little surprised. Wasn't this kid always the one who would only take the scolding and never talk back?
Yu Mingshu couldn't very well tell him that the two of them were arguing because of her.
After hesitating for a while, she abruptly changed the subject: "Yongningfang is too far from the East Palace. I'm planning to move out soon. You're more familiar with the Chongrenfang area. Do you have any recommendations for a house there?"
He Zheng frowned. "You're moving to Chongrenfang?"
"Having this idea doesn't necessarily mean it has to be in Chongrenfang."
Are you alone?
"Um."
Looking into Yu Mingshu's clear and bright eyes, He Zheng was momentarily at a loss as to whether he should be happy or not.
She left her family and moved out, so he had fewer reservations when he occasionally visited.
But Chongrenfang... is too close to the Anyuan Earl's Mansion.
Furthermore, that area is teeming with high-ranking officials and dignitaries, truly embodying the saying "good news doesn't travel far, bad news travels fast." Living in such a place is like being watched by countless eyes from head to toe, with absolutely no privacy.
"Let me think about it."
…
This morning's court session was delayed by half an hour, and Yu Mingshu happily slacked off for half an hour in Zhaohua Hall. As soon as the Crown Prince returned from Taiji Hall, she immediately perked up.
Yang Leyi piled the official documents that had arrived that morning on the table, but picked out a list and placed it in the very center.
The Crown Prince was unguarded, so Yu Mingshu casually glanced at the list. When she saw the first three names, she immediately realized that they were the people who had spent money at yesterday's auction.
After Liang Yuanjun finished reviewing the two memorials left over from yesterday, she had Yang Leyi send them out, and then looked up at Yu Mingshu.
"I have petitioned my father that after the provincial examinations conclude next month, the court should begin implementing the new imperial examination regulations. We should start by standardizing the application and admission process, establishing public academies in each prefecture, and implementing all systems based on the Chang'an Academy to fully guarantee the fairness of the imperial examinations."
"As for the re-division of departments and the emphasis on practicality and application... such a major change cannot be accomplished overnight and requires long-term planning."
As expected.
Yu Mingshu bowed in agreement, then looked up and saw the Crown Prince's worried expression. He couldn't help but ask, "What is it that troubles Your Highness?"
"These changes to the new imperial examination system undoubtedly hindered the career paths of scions of aristocratic families and limited the power of the chief examiners."
Liang Yuanjun gazed into the distance and sighed, "If the new regulations are implemented, I'm afraid we will both become thorns in the side of certain people."
Yu Mingshu remained calm and said, "When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. What is there to fear?"
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