When I returned to the Cold Palace at night.
Li Qiji kept pestering Guan Zhiyue for that bicycle, ever since the space was upgraded.
It contains many modern, large-scale items, and these are items that don't require any money to purchase.
After receiving this benefit, Guan Zhiyue couldn't help but sigh with gratitude!
"If I had known this would happen, I would have upgraded earlier!"
"We don't need to spend so much money to buy warships anymore."
"Thank goodness for Brother Lan, he was so generous and took out so much money. I have to say he's really rich!"
When Li Qiji heard his wife praise another man for being rich, capable, and generous, he was shocked.
He became unhappy and looked at Guan Zhiyue with a somewhat aggrieved expression.
"Yue'er, am I not magnanimous? Am I not capable enough?"
"Am I no better than Brother Lan?"
"Husband, have I made Yue'er dislike me?"
When Guan Zhiyue heard Li Qiji's aggrieved tone, oh dear! Her heart skipped a beat.
"No, Your Majesty, you are doing well!"
"It's powerful, domineering, and incredibly awesome!"
When Li Qiji heard Guan Zhiyue say that, he felt as happy as if he had received a delicious candy!
Nothing was said that night.
The next day on the main street.
Although Guan Chengheng now holds the title of Marquis of Wu'an, he still holds a legitimate official position.
He was a fourth-rank official, a general in charge of maintaining the security of the capital.
It was a rather leisurely job; his daily duties consisted of patrolling the capital's security.
Today is his first day in office. He led a group of soldiers and set off from Xuanwu Gate.
His task for the day was to take a detour around the entire capital city; his job was just that leisurely and carefree.
Who can blame him when he's the emperor's brother-in-law?
So this person who deserves the title of Marquis of Wu'an is now a fourth-rank official. It's true what they say, comparisons are odious!
All those people who worked so hard for so long couldn't resist the Empress's influence in bed!
So why did the ministers all want to send their daughters to the palace to become concubines?
That's why: a woman can easily elevate her family members to a higher status by simply whispering sweet nothings in their ear!
Upon seeing the leader who had parachuted in, the soldiers below all hung their heads.
I wonder if this general is someone to be trifled with, or if he's a spoiled brat?
What will happen to them if that's the case? They're just ordinary people!
"Let's go, let's set off on patrol!"
Guan Chengheng didn't care what these people thought!
Do whatever makes you comfortable. As long as you're happy, why care about others?
So the group, which consisted of about fifteen people, set off in a grand procession following Guan Chengheng.
"Miss, you should be more careful. You're now a real headache for the master."
A young maidservant looked at her mistress with a worried expression, pulling her back to stop her from running around.
He Jiao said without any concern, "What are you afraid of? Qiu Wen, let me tell you, this is nothing. Besides, I'm not the only one who was kicked out of the palace by the Emperor!"
"Oh, the outside world is so much better!"
"Look, there's all kinds of food on the street. It's much more comfortable than in the palace. Even though we can't see the Empress anymore, at least we're still alive, aren't we?"
“Look at the other concubines, especially those ministers who participated in the rebellion. Their homes have all been confiscated. Our family is considered lucky.”
"I'm lucky to have come back unharmed, so I guess I'm doing really well."
"Everyone dislikes me because I'm the emperor's woman; they all say I'm impure and don't want to marry me."
But I feel that I can stay at home with my parents now.
Isn't that great? You can still stroll around and eat on the streets; it's not bad at all.
"Oh dear, Qiuwen, you can't stop me anymore! I'm telling you, I heard it from the servants..."
There's a newly opened pastry shop here; they have something called "donkey roll" (驴打滚), it's so delicious!
He Jiao was the virtuous concubine in Li Qiji's harem, and Guan Zhiyue's first friend.
Now, Li Qiji has dismissed all the concubines in the harem except for Guan Zhiyue, who was one of them.
Since leaving the palace and returning home, no one has come to propose marriage. She is now twenty-one years old, which is considered old maid in this era.
Those who are older and unmarried are either illegitimate daughters or ill.
Those who hadn't received any marriage proposals for a long time, or those who had been banished from the palace by the emperor, were all considered unclean by the emperor.
"Miss, please slow down!" Qiu Wen called out as she ran behind her.
Today, He Jiao wore a bright red, double-layered, overlock-stitched, floral-print crane-patterned cloak, paired with a chestnut-brown embroidered cotton skirt.
Her upper body was draped in thistle-colored brocade with straight stitches, and her hair was styled in a double-bun hairstyle.
She wore cast hawk's eye earrings, her elegant hair was adorned with a feminine headdress, and her fair, slender hands were adorned with a woven jade bracelet.
She wore a powder blue double-ringed ruyi belt around her waist, with a sachet embroidered with a plum blossom and deer pattern hanging lightly from it, and a pair of small boots embroidered with gold thread and beads.
Like a butterfly flitting among flowers, she moved freely through the crowd, which Guan Chengheng, riding a tall horse, spotted at a glance.
His gaze involuntarily turned to the moving figure, and he even reined in his horse to watch her weave back and forth through the crowd.
The soldiers were puzzled; what strange thing had their general seen?
They simply stopped on the road. A soldier tugged at Guan Chengheng's robe and whispered, "General, what are you looking at?"
"Are we still going or not?"
Guan Chengheng turned his head and glanced down at the soldiers, saying, "Let's go buy some pastries later."
Soldiers: What the hell? Is Marquis Wu'an really this casual? His first day in office!
"Oh? General, are we still on duty? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Guan Chengheng jumped off his horse, tossed the reins to the soldiers, and strode towards He Jiao with his whip in hand.
The soldiers were speechless and could only order their men to turn around and walk in the direction of Guan Chengheng.
"Shopkeeper, I want to eat this, this, this, this, and this."
Pack one of everything for me. Oh, and I also want one of your new donkey rolls.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up with joy as he looked at the girl in front of him. This was a big customer! He should serve her well.
"Okay, please wait a moment, Miss!"
The shopkeeper had the waiter pack the pastries while he packed them up and calculated the cost. In the end, the pastries He Jiao bought actually cost ten taels of silver.
He Jiao reached out and took the pastries, her eyes full of smiles.
He couldn't help but swallow hard, the sound so loud that Guan Chengheng, who had just entered, could hear it.
Seeing He Jiao's expression, he said to the shopkeeper, "Give me one of what you just bought."
Hearing the sound, He Jiao looked up from the pastries in her arms.
Looking towards the source of the sound, they saw another man in armor, with a roguish charm, the kind of handsome that made one want to rush into his arms.
Qiuwen watched as her young mistress started swooning over a boy again.
She quickly tugged at her young mistress's sleeve and whispered, "Miss, Miss, snap out of it! That's the newly promoted Marquis of Wu'an."
He Jiao snapped out of her daze and quickly bowed, saying, "Greetings, Young Marquis."
Guan Chengheng's eyes lit up instantly, and with a smile on his face, he looked at He Jiao and said, "You know me?"
He Jiao: The Guan family has three prominent members; who doesn't know them?
"Hehe, who in the capital doesn't know Lord Guan? Of course, I do." He Jiao's voice was light and delicate, sounding particularly fragile to Guan Chengheng.
"Is your pastry delicious?"
He Jiao: "It's delicious. Let me tell you, I've eaten the pastries from this place before. My servants bought them, but you have no idea how delicious these donkey rolls are."
"You should try it. Let me tell you, this pastry is the second best I've ever had."
"Where is the best place to eat it?"
“Of course it’s the Imperial Palace. The pastries from Her Majesty the Empress’s place are the best. You’re Her Majesty the Empress’s brother, so your family’s pastries must be delicious too, right?” He Jiao said, her eyes sparkling.
Guan Chengheng chuckled and said, "Hey, you're absolutely right. Let me tell you, my sister's pastries are absolutely amazing, and her braised dishes are incredibly delicious too."
Qiuwen watched as her young mistress and the newly appointed Marquis of Wu'an sat at the entrance of someone's shop, their eyes shining as they talked about food.
I can't help but sigh, what could possibly make her forget about food!
The soldiers looked at their general with a headache on their faces! What kind of mess is this?!
The news quickly reached the palace, and Guan Zhiyue, upon hearing it,
He nodded with satisfaction and said casually, "A fool and a glutton, a perfect match! It seems there's hope for them."
Li Qiji added from the side, "I hope to see Second Brother marry He Jiao soon."
Guan Zhiyue glanced at Li Qiji and nodded in agreement.
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