The fire stick was "a piece of bed sheet that was soaked through."
Guo Kai denied it, but Banban secretly agreed. After all, this guy was essentially receiving a salary from Qin, and Ying Zheng would occasionally send him money to do things for him.
...Of course, that's a nice way of putting it; it was actually a bribe, and he didn't know that the funder was actually the King of Qin.
Upon closer examination, it has a kind of absurd humor.
Even after the New Year's banquet ends, Banban cannot leave immediately, as he often receives even more court ladies at this time.
Seeing that his father and mother were both busy with their own things, Ying Zhao pouted and went out to find Meng Huan to play.
Snowflakes began to fall sporadically from the sky. Meng Huan said, "Your Highness, I have heard that Princess Yongning and Lord Li's son have also entered the palace. Why don't we go and take a look?"
Ying Zhao, holding a snowball in his hand, was not very happy. "What's so interesting about a child who can't even walk?"
"Hey, you're the only one who's good-looking, huh?"
A voice suddenly came from the side.
The two turned their heads and saw a boy leaning against a pillar, looking at them with a rather nonchalant attitude. He crossed his arms and looked at the two little kids with a teasing expression.
"Lord Ji." Meng Huan bowed respectfully.
“Neither I nor my study companion are,” Ying Zhao corrected, emphasizing the difference in height between himself and Meng Huan.
Meng Huan was five years old and taller than him, but it didn't matter; he was still very tall even with the crown on.
"What are you pretending to be, acting like a prince?" Geng'er jumped down and gave the little prince's head a good ruffled scrape. "Can you even recognize all the characters?"
"Uncle, don't be rude." Before he could finish speaking, his chubby cheeks were pinched, making him glare with anger and struggle as he waved his arms. "How dare you! How dare you!"
No matter how loudly he spoke, his unclear pronunciation diminished his impact.
The next moment, Geng'er lifted the little prince up and put him on her neck. "Uncle will take you to play, but you have to shut your mouth, otherwise my sister will skin us alive if she finds out."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zhao immediately perked up, excitedly grabbing Geng'er's shoulder and using it as a rudder, shouting, "Go! Go!"
"Let's go!"
"Ah! Hahaha!"
Startled, Meng Huan quickly called out to his attendants and palace servants, who jogged to catch up, "Your Highness, Your Excellency, wait for me!" Don't run so fast.
He was so flustered that he even forgot how to address himself.
After entertaining the ladies-in-waiting, Banban let out a long sigh of relief and muttered that he was exhausted.
Yun helped her to the inner room. "Why don't you take a bath and freshen up first, Your Majesty? I've prepared some night-time dressing clothes, the ones you always like."
"What about the king?"
"I sent someone to investigate, and the candles in Chengzhang Hall are still lit. No officials have come out yet; perhaps it will be a while before they arrive."
After the servant removed the heavy headdress, she said, "His Highness the Crown Prince has gone to Shangqiu Villa with Young Master Geng'er."
"..." Banban was speechless. "It's so late at night, are you going horse racing? Geng'er is always a reckless person, he can't think straight if his feet don't touch the ground."
"Quickly send someone to find Zhao'er; I'm worried about the two of them." Ying Zhao is the only son of the royal family. Since his birth, Banban and Ying Zheng have always taken extra care of him, fearing that he might be harmed.
"Yes." Cong Yun chuckled to herself, thinking, what could the Crown Prince possibly do in the palace?
More than half an hour later, the two, one big and one small, returned covered in dirt. Upon further questioning, it was learned that the two had gone to raid an eagle's nest, but they hadn't found any eggs and had almost been pecked all over their heads. Just then, a mare gave birth, and they squatted down beside her and watched for a long time.
Geng'er's head was almost swollen from being slapped by Banban, and he kept dodging, "Sister, I was wrong, please don't hit me." As he dodged, he lowered his head and couldn't help but laugh.
Banban's arm ached from slapping him, and she glared at him for a long time, "What are you laughing at?"
"N-nothing." If he said that from this angle, his older sister's anger looked like that of a beautiful, jumping white puppy... he would definitely get beaten up.
She is a queen, and such thoughts are fleeting and disrespectful to her sister.
"What kind of species is an eagle? It builds its nest at the top of the highest tree. If you take Zhao'er up there to steal its eggs, what if he gets pecked and hurt—"
"Oh dear, sister, I observed the eagle's activity pattern before taking the bird's eggs. It usually doesn't come to incubate the eggs at this time. Today is an exception. Besides, I tied Zhao'er to my back, so he will be fine."
"Are you still trying to deny it?"
"sorry."
Geng'er honestly admitted her mistake.
When Ying Zhao came out after being washed clean, he saw his uncle kneeling outside the hall, leaning against the door frame and picking at his fingers with a bored expression.
What are you doing kneeling here?
Hearing the voice, Ying Zhao's eyes lit up and he ran out, shouting, "Father!"
And before even reaching anyone, his hands were already outstretched.
Ying Zheng hugged his son and lifted him up, asking, "You didn't cause any trouble for your mother today, did you?"
"No, not at all." Ying Zhao hugged his father's neck and gave his uncle a helpless look.
Geng'er: "..." (smiles politely)
After understanding the whole story, Ying Zheng did not immediately get angry. Instead, he asked Ying Zhao, "Are you afraid?"
“No,” Ying Zhao recalled the night breeze, the sharp, razor-sharp touch on his earlobe, which was still quite novel. “I saw an eagle. My mother said I was an eagle’s claw. But an eagle’s claws are so small, how could I be an eagle’s claw?”
"Don't underestimate the small size of an eagle's claws; they are very sharp and can easily pierce a person's flesh, killing them."
"I want to be that good too!" the little guy exclaimed eagerly.
He patted the boy's head, then turned to the kneeling Geng'er and said, "Get up. It's late. Leave the palace early so that Lord Shangyuan and Lady Zhaoyuan won't worry."
Geng'er quickly thanked her brother-in-law, practically clinging to Ying Zheng's leg with tears streaming down her face, "I will never take the Crown Prince on any more adventures."
After Geng'er left, Ying Zheng led Ying Zhao into Zhaoyang Palace. "Why didn't you plead for your uncle?"
Ying Zhao was confused and subconsciously raised his hand to bite his fingers, but he had been taught that it was bad to suck his fingers for the past six months, so he restrained himself. "Mother said that Uncle did something wrong, and of course he should be punished for doing something wrong."
"Your mother punished him because he had indeed done something wrong. From your perspective, do you think this trip to Shangqiu was worthwhile?"
“Yes,” Ying Zhao counted on his fingers, “someone carried me up a tree, and I saw bird eggs, eagle claws, and a mare giving birth.”
Do you like your uncle?
“I like him,” Ying Zhao answered without hesitation this time. “Many people in the palace don’t dare to speak loudly to me, but my uncle is different. He dares to say anything and do anything, and he has shown me many new and interesting things.”
"He's really good at beating people. Last time he was undefeated in the martial arts arena, and he can even sleep on horseback!"
“If you like him, you should win him over and use him for your own purposes. Sometimes right and wrong are just a means to an end. If you are unmoved by his punishment today, he will not dare to take you to see new things next time. If you plead for him, he will only think that you are on the same side as him, and he will feel closer to you.”
"Whether those things are dangerous or not is for you to judge, but protecting yourself should always be your top priority."
Ying Zhao fidgeted with his fingers helplessly, then said seriously, "I need to think about it before I can understand."
Ying Zheng said nothing, put him down and instructed, "Drink the hot milk and then go to sleep."
"Okay." He waved his little hand at his father.
Banban heard everything clearly inside the room, and when Ying Zheng came in, he kept smiling at him.
"What are you grinning about?" He walked past her, ruffled her slightly damp hair, and planned to take a shower and change clothes first. She was exhausted after a long day and had a terrible headache.
Not long after, after taking a bath, Banban invited Ying Zheng to have a nighttime bath.
The food served at the usual banquets was quite ordinary. When entertaining officials according to the proper protocol, the dishes were all traditional Qin cuisine that was impeccable. They were nowhere near as delicious as the food my cousin usually had prepared.
Since chili peppers were first cultivated and widely used as a seasoning, the cuisine at Zhaoyang Palace has reached a new level.
Night noodles are rice noodles simmered with beef bones for several hours. It is said that the production process of these rice noodles is similar to that of cold skin noodles. The soup has a few drops of oil floating on it, sprinkled with some green vegetable leaves, and topped with some slices of cooked beef. Just one look at it is enough to make your mouth water.
Banban sat down, added some vinegar and chili oil, stirred it well, took a bite, and was immediately overwhelmed by the aroma.
Ying Zheng had a moderate tolerance for spicy food and disliked adding vinegar. He preferred the original flavor of food, a bowl of spicy food and a bowl of clear soup, representing two extremes.
He would often look at her red bowl, then silently look away.
But after eating for a while, she would take a spoon covered in chili oil and reach over to scoop up his clear soup.
His clean and innocent bowl was thus 'contaminated' by her.
...We cannot have any opinions yet.
After taking the night cream, she peeled and ate roasted chestnuts with great relish, rolled around on the small couch using his belly as a pillow, and held up her sketchbook with great enjoyment.
"Eat less, or you'll be the one who can't sleep and feels uncomfortable if you eat too much." Even though he said that, Ying Zheng still rubbed her stomach.
Over the years, her hobbies have remained unchanged.
Eat delicious food, watch fun things, and stay by his side.
"Hmm." Banban didn't comment, but obediently put down the chestnut and turned to snuggle into his arms. "Cousin, what you just said to Zhao'er, he probably didn't understand, right?"
“It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t understand,” Ying Zheng flipped through the book in his hand, the dense small seal script hurting her eyes. “He has a good memory and will keep it in his head. When he encounters a similar situation in the future, he can recall it and understand it.”
"Stop reading." Banban knocked the book out of his hand, wrapped her arms around his collar, and kissed him.
After a long day of work, including receiving court officials before returning home, why are you reading after finally getting ready to lie down? You need to balance work and rest.
She thought about it, and he naturally came to her side.
He pressed her down beside the pillow, and a sketchbook was haphazardly placed to the side. It turned out that the characters in the story were kissing each other, which piqued her interest.
She kissed his neck haphazardly, then rubbed and nibbled against his chest for a long time. He gently and lovingly stroked her long, flowing hair and called her name restrainedly in her ear.
The sound made her shrink back, the hairs on her ears stood on end, and she unconsciously squeezed her knees together.
She felt he was doing it on purpose; he always seemed to know exactly what she wanted and what she wanted to hear.
Sure enough, he bent his fingertips and gently stroked the flesh on her cheek, then moved down to the peak and played with it in his palm.
She enjoyed being pleased by her cousin, half-closing her eyes and lifting her face to meet his neck. When she felt really good, she would bite his earlobe.
They quickly found their rhythm and had a passionate encounter.
The night was too dark, and she was already rambling incoherently, not even knowing what she was saying, which was probably not anything nice.
By the time she realized what was happening, she was already lying face down, and even lying flat on her back, she didn't feel the weight of his tall, muscular body.
This always makes her lose control, and she even embarrassed herself last time.
She didn't know why her cousin liked to come from behind; perhaps it was because it made things special...?
He lifted her chin, forcing her to turn her head and kiss him.
She was a little out of breath, her vision blurred, and she instinctively stuck out her tongue, her lips and tongue intertwining, making a soft sound that made people blush.
"No, I need to use the restroom." My mind was completely foggy and out of control. "I feel uncomfortable, no."
"You're so hot."
He covered her lips and tongue, took a deep breath, and buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice hoarse and trembling, "...Your expression doesn't say that."
The time and place are unknown.
Banban regained consciousness after taking a bath and being carried back to the inner room by her cousin. He ripped away the light red sheet from the bed, and she noticed a dark shadow in the center of the sheet.
My mind went completely blank for a moment.
His face immediately turned bright red.
That is—
"It's yours, so what?"
"No, I wanted to ask..."
“It’s not for urination.” He said, lifting the sheet and gently smelling it, as if to confirm, his expression and tone very natural. “It’s definitely not.”
"Would you like to smell it?" he asked, offering it to her.
"...I don't want to!" She blushed instantly, wondering how her cousin could act so naturally. Was he deliberately teasing her?
She rolled over and tucked the blanket over her head, then rolled onto the inside of the bed.
He personally took care of everything that was personal to him, even changing the wet sheets and bringing out clean ones to make the bed himself.
"Get down first."
"oh."
Banban stood by the bed, wrapped in a blanket, waiting for him to finish. She peeked to the side and saw that her cousin was not dressed. She was probably the only one in the world who could see him like this.
As I looked, my gaze drifted downwards.
He was not only tall and slender, but also had excellent proportions. Standing next to her, his buttocks were at her waist, and his long, well-proportioned legs were unforgettable.
In particular, his well-proportioned figure is striking; any more flesh would make him look fleshy, and any less flesh would make him look thin. When he exerts himself, the muscles in his thighs are stretched into defined lines.
His broad shoulders revealed distinct collarbones, and his drooping, slightly deep-set eyes were typical of a wolf—long and upturned. His skin was tinged with a faint tan in the dim interior.
Banban was so captivated that she couldn't look away, holding her breath as she secretly peeked at him.
As I looked at it, I realized something was wrong.
My gaze quickly shifted away from him.
He had already finished, and turned his head leisurely: "Why aren't you watching anymore?"
"I didn't see it." Banban climbed onto the bed in one swift motion. "Okay, let's rest."
Both of them were completely naked, one wrapped in a blanket and the other in a loose coat. She muttered to herself that he was as fiery as a stick.
She was muttering to herself under the bed when suddenly a hand reached out from the bed and grabbed her wrist.
-----------------------
Author's Note: The joke at the beginning of this chapter about Guo Kai receiving Qin's salary comes from the commentary by Fishball Baby in the previous chapter.
It's still early, I'll write another chapter as an extra update.
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