Chapter 273 New Year's Festival
After visiting the Prince of Lang, Xiao Qing quickly arranged for people to search for a renowned doctor specializing in treating leg ailments within the territory of Nanxiao.
In her opinion, the most difficult thing to treat for Prince Lang was his leg injury, and the most fundamental thing to treat was also his leg injury.
As for overthinking, a prince who was once a shining star in Beiding City lost both his legs one day. Anyone would have something to think about after such an experience.
Moreover, considering the reputation of the Prince of Lang and the current situation in Langzhou, Xiao Qing understood that the Prince of Lang should be a thoughtful person.
If the Prince of Lang's leg can be healed, then the rest... we'll deal with that later.
After arranging this matter, Xiao Qing used the excuse that the New Year was approaching and Xiao Yan no longer needed to attend classes to force him to spend all day in the Imperial Study dealing with various piled-up tasks.
If it weren't for Xiao Yan's strong protest, Xiao Qing would have even wanted to give the memorial to Xiao Yan for review.
Besides, Xiao Qing would ask the imperial physician Lang Wang about his health every day, but she herself no longer went to Chengguang Palace.
Xiao Qing stopped going, but Xiao Yan would visit the Prince of Lang every day after bidding farewell to Xiao Qing. The Prince of Lang would always respond gently to Prince Yan, and sometimes tell him some interesting stories about Langzhou. He seemed to be in much better spirits.
Fu Mingyi and other ministers went to the Imperial Study to discuss several matters, and before they knew it, the New Year was approaching.
Even for the emperor, celebrating the New Year was quite tiring.
When the Great Xiao Dynasty first pacified Nanhua, everything was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt. Royal sacrifices, festivals, and other ceremonies were all simplified.
This is the fourth anniversary of Nanhua's establishment as the capital, and also the beginning of the year when all the arrangements made by Xiao Qing and Fu Mingyi in the ten-year agreement on the policy of stabilizing the country in the south were on track. Although there are still some turbulent waves hidden in the shadows, for the whole of Nanhua, the general trend can be considered to be settled.
It's a holiday worth celebrating.
So Xiao Qingcai was able to extricate himself from his arduous work in the Imperial Study, only to be crammed with various New Year's activities—offering sacrifices to ancestors, praying for the nation's fortune, receiving envoys, bestowing blessings upon court officials, participating in state banquets and family banquets, and so on.
Although Chu Lianzhou was only in charge of the Inner Palace Bureau for the first time, he coordinated with the previous dynasty to arrange various matters in the palace. Whether it was the fasting before sacrifices, the preparation of clothing and other formal attire for various ancestral worship and Buddhist activities, or the various state banquets and family banquets held in the palace during festivals, everything was arranged in an orderly and orderly manner.
She waited with Ma Hong at Chengde Palace every day, calculating the timing of each activity with great precision. After Xiao Qing was dressed up, Ma Hong would accompany her for the rest of the time.
Xiao Qing felt like a spinning top, constantly turning at high speed until New Year's Eve arrived. As usual, she made an appearance at the state banquet in Baohua Hall. After exchanging New Year's greetings, the emperor and his ministers raised their glasses in celebration and interacted for a while before she couldn't sit still any longer and headed to Chengde Palace.
Before leaving, she glanced at Fu Mingyi and thought to herself that being an emperor must be so tiring and exhausting.
The banquet in front is a state banquet, and the banquet behind is a family banquet.
Xiao Qing waited outside for a while, and then Fu Mingyi came out as well.
The two walked together, while Ma Hong and his men lagged behind.
This year's Lunar New Year's Eve was a beautiful day. Although the air outside was cold, the winter nights in the south were still a bit warmer than in previous years. Xiao Qing got up in the early morning to participate in various New Year's activities and was already exhausted, but thinking about having to lead the Grand Tutor and the royal family to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, he perked up and straightened his collar.
Since the Mengshan Rebellion, it seems that the emperor and his minister have not spent much time alone together like this.
Fu Mingyi turned his head to look at Xiao Qing. His usually cold eyes seemed to have accumulated a few stars under the night sky, making them appear warmer than usual.
Xiao Qing unconsciously glanced at it a few more times, and her heart calmed down along with the starry night.
Originally burdened with the hatred of the nation and his family, the Grand Tutor, after years of ups and downs in the court, was even more imposing than when they first met. But in front of her, he seemed to be more patient and gentle.
"Why does Your Majesty look at me like that?" Fu Mingyi's voice was soft and slow, making one's heart itch with desire.
Xiao Qingwei tilted her head back and smiled. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about when I first met the Grand Tutor, and when I first arrived in Nanhua. The Grand Tutor really hit my hand hard."
Fu Mingyi looked at Xiao Qing, who had grown up to his shoulder, and smiled. "Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty, for remembering me for so many years."
Xiao Qing took a few quick steps forward, her tone becoming increasingly relaxed. "Time flies, it's already the fifth year. I'm just grateful that the Grand Tutor doesn't mind my mischievousness, let alone my rudeness. It seems I'll have to offer the Grand Tutor a few more toasts later."
After the two talked for a while, Chu Lianzhou came to greet them, saying that everything had been arranged.
Xiao Qing then led Fu Mingyi into the warm pavilion. At a glance, she saw that most of the Xiao clan members were present. She nodded to Xiao Yan and the Duke of Anguo and his grandson, then her gaze lingered a little longer on the Prince of Lang.
Prince Lang looked to be in great spirits today, and his attire was different from the plain and simple one when we first met; it was now more solemn and luxurious.
Xiao Qing was happy, and her smile became even more genuine.
Just as she was about to walk towards the direction of Prince Lang, Fu Mingyi whispered from behind, "Your Majesty."
Xiao Qing paused for a moment and invited Fu Mingyi to sit down.
"Although today is a family banquet, the Grand Tutor has been teaching me since I was the Crown Prince, and we are already like family. So I brought the Grand Tutor along. Today, we will all stay up to welcome the New Year together, following family etiquette and not discussing state affairs."
Duke Anguo responded first: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. The Grand Tutor has shown great kindness to my Xiao family, and it is only right that he should do so."
Naturally, many voices echoed this sentiment.
Xiao Qing glanced at Prince Lang, his gaze gentle and sincere.
"It is a rare treat that Prince Lang is also in the palace this year, and we can all enjoy a family banquet together to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. It is truly a wonderful thing."
Prince Lang rose to bow, but Xiao Qing quickly gestured for him to stop, saying, "Brother Prince Lang, today's family banquet is for family members only, not for rulers and subjects. There's no need for such formalities."
The Prince of Lang did not insist, but still respectfully said in a slow voice, "I am grateful for Your Majesty's high regard. I have been dragging my frail body to live in a corner of the country all these years, and I am truly ashamed."
Xiao Qing waved his hand, "Brother Lang, there's no need to worry. Today, let's just enjoy ourselves and not care about anything else."
With fine wine and delicious food, and friends and family around, the Xiao clan had not gathered together in such a lively atmosphere for a long time. After several rounds of drinks, seeing that the emperor remained calm and relaxed, everyone gradually relaxed as well.
Fu Mingyi was already surrounded by a crowd, and Duke Anguo also joined in the fun, wanting to get this aloof Grand Tutor to drink a few more cups of wine.
Xiao Fu held up her cup and approached Xiao Qing's table with a silly grin, her almond-shaped eyes seeming even larger than usual from the alcohol.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Ziyuan said I have great potential, and I've almost finished studying military strategy." She raised her cup forward, rested her arms on the table, exuding a fierce energy. "May I ask Your Majesty for a favor?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
