"I understand." Zhong Zhiheng's face suddenly darkened, and he waved to Fang Zhonglian and Zhao Changrong, signaling them to leave. Then he hurried out of the imperial study.
…
"Left Prime Minister, I never thought that you, a descendant of an aristocratic family, would support a descendant of a poor family. If other aristocratic families knew about this, wouldn't you have no place to stay in the capital?" After leaving the imperial study, Fang Zhonglian and Zhao Changrong walked slowly out of the palace. Zhao Changrong looked at Fang Zhonglian with sarcasm, "Or is it that your Fang family has already fallen, and you are so obsessed with dragging down other families as scapegoats?"
As early as when the previous emperor was still alive, the Fang family fell because Fang Zhonglian's father and brother were involved in a major corruption case. Although Fang Zhonglian is now a high-ranking official, he has no aristocratic family to back him up. It's not that the Fang family can't make a comeback. But since Fang Zhonglian returned to Beijing, he has been extremely low-key and honest, never forming a party or clique. He has also drawn a clear line with a number of aristocratic families and has no contact with them. If it weren't for Fang Zhiheng's appreciation, I'm afraid he would have lost his place in the court.
"I have never thought of pushing the noble families into the water. It has always been the noble families who jump in without caring about their lives, Right Prime Minister. You better be careful and don't walk near the river." Fang Zhonglian smiled and patted Zhao Changrong on the shoulder, then walked away with his hands behind his back.
Zhao Changrong looked at Fang Zhonglian's receding back and silently clenched his fists in his sleeves.
…
August 15, 1944
Mid-Autumn Festival.
Ningguta.
Nanshan Villa.
"It's strange. It never rained during the Mid-Autumn Festival since I was a child. But look how hard it rained these past few days. It's like the sky is leaking," Mei Ya said as she ground the tea for Zhong Mingwei, frowning at the heavy rain outside the window. "Mr. Chen left for Jilin a few days ago to take the provincial examination. I don't know if he has arrived yet. It would be terrible if he was delayed because of the rain."
"No, there are still a few days before the provincial examination. Besides, didn't the prefect send someone to take Mr. Chen there?" Zhong Mingwei said, putting down the brush in his hand and looking at Mei Ya with a smile, "Don't worry about him, think about how we should celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival today!"
"Hey, hey, are you done?" Mei Ya watched him put down his brush and hurried over to look at the flowers on the paper. She pointed at the lifelike green bamboo on it with her finger, and her eyes were full of admiration. "Zhong Mingwei, with your painting skills, let alone we don't have to worry about food and drink now, even if we really get down and out one day, you can just make a few bacon pies to fill your stomach with a stroke of your brush."
Zhong Mingwei listened to the girl's sincere praise, and looked at the silver bracelet on her wrist. He couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. Isn't this considered down and out? But this thought was only fleeting. He stretched out his hand and pulled Mei Ya into his arms, letting her sit on his lap. Mei Ya's eyes were still staring at Hua'er. He stared at the small dark red scar on the girl's chin. In the end, he couldn't help it and stretched out his hand to rub it. Then he was pushed away by the girl: "Don't touch it!"
"You are getting more and more irritable now," Zhong Mingwei said a little dissatisfiedly. He hugged Meiya tighter and looked at the green bamboo on the paper with Meiya, smiling, "What's the matter? Don't you have enough bellybands to wear? You are eager to let me draw the embroidery pattern for you."
"No," Meiya whispered, turning to kiss the man's chin, and said a little embarrassedly, "I want to change it for you."
"What?" Zhong Mingwei didn't quite understand. "What tricks?"
"I'm always embroidering bats for you, but I'm afraid you'll get tired of it, so I thought of changing the pattern for you," Meiya whispered, while putting her arms around the man's neck, "From now on, you'll have one foot on blessing and the other on peace, hehe."
Now, Zhong Mingwei understood. There was a little bat embroidered on the bottom of each pair of his socks, which meant that he would step on it for good fortune. Now he was embroidering bamboo to announce peace. Zhong Mingwei felt warm in his heart. He leaned over and kissed Meiya's smooth forehead, saying softly, "Girl, you are my blessing and peace."
"Really?" Meiya looked up, twisting her body in the man's arms and acting coquettishly with him, "Then should you reward me?"
"Okay, I'll give you any reward you want." Zhong Mingwei said with a smile.
"Then you..." Mei Ya smiled cunningly, then leaned close to Zhong Mingwei's ear and whispered something.
"Really? You must listen to it?" Zhong Mingwei was stunned.
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