Chapter 208: Pleasing My Daughter
After having the reunion dinner at Marquis Anyuan’s Mansion, Wei Qingyan and Shi Yu entered the palace carrying food boxes.
Lan Shu finally decided to stay in the palace on New Year's Eve to protect the emperor, and Wei Qingyan entered the palace to keep her company.
"Did you roast it?" Lan Shu took a bite of the mutton and could tell it was Wei Qingyan's cooking.
Wei Qingyan hummed softly, "Is it delicious?"
Lan Shu took another bite and smiled, "It's delicious."
Shi Yu laid out the dishes in the food box and said, "Try these. Most of them are made by Yan Lan and Cui Yingying. They taste good."
Although there was no palace banquet this year, the concubines in the harem and the princes and princesses still had to gather together and set up several tables for the New Year.
The emperor, as the head of the family, had to attend the event. He wanted Lan Shu to come along, but Lan Shu refused and just ate something to fill her stomach.
Now that her daughter and future son-in-law came to see her, she was very happy and asked them to accompany her for a while.
Wei Qingyan and Shi Yu naturally obeyed. The Chinese New Year always makes people feel happy, especially when important people are around. The three of them ate and chatted, and the atmosphere was very pleasant.
The emperor arrived at this time. Feng Ruobao and his group were left outside the door, and he went into the house alone.
He also held a food box in his hand and said to Lan Shu, "I brought you some food."
Lan Shu refused to dine with them. He had originally wanted to come earlier and eat with her, but he was interrupted by Concubine Ning and the Second Prince, which delayed him for some time.
Seeing that the table was full, he hesitated a little, not knowing where to put the lunch box. He also felt a little guilty that he was late.
"Do you want some more?" Lan Shu quickly reached out to take it. She remembered that she should show her daughter how much she cared about the emperor.
Shi Yu moved another table over and put them together. Wei Qingyan helped Lan Shu put out the food brought by the emperor.
The four of them sat down again.
But the atmosphere just now is gone.
Lan Shu was about to say something to lighten the mood when the emperor pulled out a red envelope from his bosom and handed it to Wei Qingyan, "This is for blessing the New Year and warding off evil spirits. May you be safe and sound in the future."
Wei Qingyan didn't expect the emperor to prepare a red envelope for her. After a moment's pause, she took it and said stiffly, "Thank you."
Lan Shu was afraid that her daughter would feel uncomfortable, so she tried to smooth things over for her. She glared at the emperor and took out two red envelopes from her bosom, "Hey, how could you get there before me?"
After saying that, he handed a red envelope to Wei Qingyan and said a lot of auspicious words.
I have celebrated the New Year with Lan Shu over the years. Every time Lan Shu gave out red envelopes for New Year's gifts, she wished she could use all the blessings in the world on her.
Wei Qingyan smiled as he listened.
When it was Shi Yu's turn, Lan Shu also generously gave her blessings. Shi Yu also thanked her happily and gave Lan Shu a red envelope in return, "Senior Lan, may you be safe and prosperous in the future."
Afterwards, he served Lan Shu food and added wine, being extremely attentive. Of course, he would not forget the emperor and Wei Qingyan, and the atmosphere became lively again.
The emperor looked at Lan Shu's raised lips and reluctantly took out another red envelope and handed it to Shi Yu, "May everything be safe and smooth."
He remembered that after Lan Shu followed him into the palace, he never prepared a red envelope for her. When he was at the Sword Casting Villa, even though he had feelings for Lan Shu, he never tried to please Lan Shu's father and brother like Shi Yu tried to please Lan Shu.
If he had put aside his princely airs and tried to please his father-in-law and uncle at that time, would they have agreed to his relationship with Lan Shu?
Then Lan Shu would not have fallen out with her family just to be with him, and he would not have written a letter to ask the Lan father and son to come to the capital in order to ease their relationship.
If they hadn't come to the capital, would they have been safe and Lan Shu wouldn't have suffered so much?
"Mom, try this." Wei Qingyan picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and gave it to Lan Shu.
The emperor's thoughts were suddenly pulled back, and he looked at Wei Qingyan in surprise.
Qingyan...she actually called Lan Shuniang in front of him. Was she not paying attention for a moment, or was she doing it on purpose?
When he was unsure, he heard Wei Qingyan say to Lan Shu, "This wine is a bit strong. Mother, you can only drink three cups at most..."
There was a hint of excitement in the emperor's eyes. Yes, Qingyan has never been a careless person. She called him Lan Shuniang in front of him, which meant she was acknowledging her identity to him.
Does this mean that she has begun to accept him?
One day, she will also call him father?
Wei Qingyan didn't do it on purpose. When she drew the ancient talisman for the emperor before, she tried hard to clear the grudges in her heart so that she could draw the ancient talisman.
The moment she received the emperor's red envelope, she truly felt the bond between father and daughter.
Since the emperor already knew everything, and today was the day of reunion on New Year's Eve, she didn't want to pretend in front of the emperor.
She wanted to call her mother, so she did.
Shi Yu was also a little surprised, but he was determined not to admit his identity before getting married.
He could only pretend to be stupid and keep pouring wine for Lan Shu and the emperor, chatting about family matters, for fear that the emperor would ask him more questions.
The emperor looked at his nervous expression and finally felt relieved.
Originally, no one was very hungry. After the food got cold, Lan Shu asked the palace servants to take everything away and asked the three of them to play mahjong.
This is a must-do activity for them when they celebrate the New Year with the fat monk. They work in pairs, and the loser has a note stuck on his face.
Shi Yu and Wei Qingyan are in one group, and Lan Shu and the emperor are in one group.
The emperor had little time for fun since he was a child, so he was not very good at this and lost the first game. Wei Qingyan did not hesitate. He dipped the cut long paper strip in water and stuck it on the emperor's forehead.
When Feng Ruobao heard the noise and saw the situation inside through the crack in the door, her heart trembled. Who in the world would dare to treat the emperor like this? She was worthy of being the daughter of Concubine Shu.
Seeing that the emperor was slapped on the face by the princess and instead of getting angry he smiled and looked very happy, Feng Ruobao couldn't bear to take his eyes away from the crack in the door.
Every time Wei Qingyan slapped a piece of paper on the emperor's face, Feng Ruobao's heart trembled, but when he saw the emperor's face covered with notes, he couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh.
"Shi Jin, do you know how to do it? If you don't know how to do it, let Eunuch Feng come."
Lan Shu refused to take it anymore. She and the emperor were on the same side. If the emperor lost, she would have to be labeled with a note.
Don't think she can't see it. It's true that he didn't know how to play at the beginning, and it's also true that he deliberately let his daughter win later to please her. But his daughter is not a fool. What's the point of letting her win like that?
Her daughter has hinted at this several times by kicking her feet.
The emperor, who wanted to let go again, got Lan Shu's warning. He met Wei Qingyan and Shi Yu's eyes and smiled awkwardly, "I know how to do it now."
It was indeed possible. After a while, the emperor counterattacked, and a piece of paper appeared on Shi Yu and Wei Qingyan's faces.
So the emperor found that it was also very interesting to give his daughter a note after winning.
The four of them played until 4 a.m. before they dispersed. Wei Qingyan and Shi Yu left the palace before daybreak.
There is no morning court during the New Year, and the emperor really wants to take the opportunity to stay at Lan Shu's place and take a nap, but someone is not happy about it.
Feng Ruobao whispered, "Your Majesty, I heard that the Second Prince was very drunk last night and has a high fever. He has been talking nonsense. Concubine Ning would like you to come and see him."
Last night on New Year's Eve, the second prince also entered the palace to celebrate the New Year. During the meal, he wanted to ask the emperor for mercy and allow him to stay in the capital for a few more years, but the emperor refused.
He drank to drown his sorrows and got himself drunk. Concubine Ning was worried that something might happen to him, so she kept him and did not let him leave the palace.
When the emperor heard that Lan Shu was still asleep, he thought about it and decided to go to Concubine Ning's palace. Before leaving, he told Lan Shu to rest and not to follow him.
Lan Shu knew that if she stayed in the palace, Concubine Ning and her people would dislike her, so she nodded.
Ever since the emperor got the ancient talisman, he has been in much better spirits and should not faint suddenly again.
But she didn't expect that the emperor was stopped by several knife-wielding warriors on his way to Concubine Ning's palace.
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