Chapter 045 Do you want to try it?
In just half a year, the situation in the capital had changed dramatically. Many people who had gathered together for reunion dinner on New Year's Eve last year had already died on this year's New Year's Eve.
Zong Zhengxi had made great contributions in Beijiang this time. Zong Zhengxiao invited her to go to Beijing to receive the reward and meet him, but she declined.
Zong Zhengxiao had anticipated this situation, so he was not too disappointed. He just sent someone to deliver the rewards to his hometown in Yingzhou.
In previous years, Zong Zhengxiao would hold a family dinner in the palace at this time, and Prince Ning and his family would all come. However, this year it was not appropriate, so Zong Zhengxiao simply canceled the event.
The Yinjiao Garden became lively early on. Lu'e led the palace servants to paste blessing characters and hang red lanterns. Various delicacies were also prepared. Rong Yin could eat a lot just by tasting the food every day.
"Ah!" Rong Yin pointed at the paper-cuts that Lu'e had just cut with surprise. Her big eyes twinkled and her expression was full of surprise.
Because Lu'e cut out a Q version of a mermaid, with complete eyebrows, eyes, limbs, and even details like hollowed-out fish scales on the tail, which looks particularly cute.
"As long as the young master likes it." Lu'e looked at the happy Rong Yin and laughed too.
Rong Yin applauded Lu'e, then took the beautiful mermaid window paper-cut from her hand, held it in his hand and looked at it, and the more he looked at it, the more he liked it.
When Zong Zhengxiao came, Rong Yin excitedly showed him the window paper-cuts. Zong Zhengxiao also thought that Lu'e was very skillful and cut them in a very unique way, so he praised her a few words.
"Ah!" Rong Yin pulled Zong Zheng Xiao in front of Lu'e, and picked up the red paper used for cutting window flowers and handed it to Lu'e, meaning to ask her to cut one for Zong Zheng Xiao as well.
"This..." Lu'e hesitated. Zong Zhengxiao was the king of a country, and his relationship with her and Rong Yin was different. She didn't dare to act rashly. If she cut it badly, it would be a serious crime.
Rong Yin looked at Lu'e's embarrassed expression and understood her thoughts. He turned around and blinked at Zong Zhengxiao, his eyes full of pleading.
Rong Yin: Wuwuwu, Zong Zhengxiao, please ask Lu'e to cut one for you.
Zong Zhengxiao pinched his face, smiled helplessly, and said to Lu'e: "Do as you wish. Cut it however you like. I will pardon you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lu'e saluted, picked up the scissors and paper, looked at Zong Zheng Xiao a few times, and after she had made up her mind, she lowered her head and quickly danced with the scissors.
Rong Yin was watching from the side, his eyes never leaving Lu'e's hand, his eyes were full of surprise and admiration, several times he had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from screaming out.
Fearing that they would feel pressured by staring at Lu'e, Zong Zhengxiao took Rong Yin away and took him to the side to have some snacks and drink hot tea while waiting.
Rong Yin doesn't like drinking plain tea, he prefers sweet tea. When Lu'e found out, she made him sweet fruit tea by mixing dried fruit with honey and hot water.
Normally, when he drinks, he would have a plate of snacks and Rong Yin would sit quietly for the whole afternoon.
"Ah!" Rong Yin took a sip of today's fruit tea and thought it tasted good, so she naturally fed it to Zong Zheng Xiao's lips.
Zong Zhengxiao also lowered his head and took a sip, saying, "It tastes good, and it's the sweetness you like."
"Ah." Rong Yin grinned foolishly: It turns out that you still understand me.
Zong Zhengxiao raised the corners of his lips and started feeding Rong Yin some snacks.
The two of them rested there for a long time, feeding each other. Then Lu'e came over with the cut window paper-cuts and presented them to Zong Zhengxiao with both hands.
Zong Zheng Xiao didn't move. Rong Yin took it actively and excitedly opened it to show Zong Zheng Xiao.
The level of detail of this paper-cut is similar to that of Rong Yin. Zong Zhengxiao is wearing casual clothes and has a stern look on his face. Even though it is just a piece of paper, one can get a glimpse of his extraordinary demeanor from it.
"Ah!" Rong Yin was very happy: It looks good.
Zong Zhengxiao gave a look and Si Xi immediately stepped forward and gave Lu'e a bag of golden melon seeds, which was a reward from Zong Zhengxiao.
Lu'e first bowed and thanked Zong Zhengxiao, then took the purse.
Seeing this scene, Rong Yin remembered that Lu'e also cut paper-cuts for him, so he should also appreciate Lu'e's things.
Rong Yin put down the window paper-cut, grunted as he went to open his treasure chest, carefully selected a piece of ornament suitable for a girl's home, grunted as he came back and personally put it into Lu'e's hand.
They were a pair of ruby earrings. The ruby was clear and translucent, shining brightly under the candlelight. Although they were small in size, they were very valuable.
"This is too valuable. I cannot accept it." Lu'e knelt down in front of Rong Yin and tried desperately to return the earrings to Rong Yin.
She was Rong Yin's concubine. Thanks to him, she was able to escape from the sea of suffering, and was later promoted to the head aunt.
Not to mention a window paper-cut, even if Rong Yin wanted to take her life, she would do it without hesitation.
To her, Rong Yin was both her master and her benefactor. She cut the mermaid window paper-cut just to make Rong Yin happy. If she accepted such a precious reward from Rong Yin, it would be against her true intention.
"Ah!" Rong Yin wanted to help Lu'e up, but unless he took back the reward, Lu'e refused to move.
Si Xi wanted to step forward to help and persuade them, but was stopped by Zong Zheng Xiao. He said that Lu'e was Rong Yin's concubine, and this matter should be handled by him himself.
Rong Yin and Lu'e argued for a long time and found that Lu'e was determined. If the stalemate continued, she would really kneel here forever.
Rong Yin had no choice but to take back the earrings, thinking: I will give Lu'e a big red envelope on New Year's Eve in two days, and then she will have no reason to refuse.
Listening to his thoughts, Zong Zhengxiao took a sip of tea and felt relieved that his little mermaid was quite quick-witted.
Finally, the two exquisite window decorations were pasted on the windows by Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin together.
I don't know whether it was Lu'e's intention or just a coincidence, but the hands of Rong Yin and Zong Zhengxiao in the paper-cut just happened to touch each other, making it look like the two were holding hands.
Zong Zhengxiao was very happy and decided to give Lu'e a big red envelope on New Year's Eve.
Lu'e who was standing next to me said: Why do both my ears feel hot?
Fortunately, there was no snow on New Year's Eve and the sun came out for a while. Rong Yin opened his arms and raised his face to greet the long-awaited sunshine, feeling so comfortable that he almost sang a song.
The dazzling light fell on Rong Yin's snow-white face, making his skin transparent, like foam in the sun, dazzlingly beautiful, but so fragile that it would break at the slightest touch.
Rong Yin, who closed his eyes and carefully felt the sunlight, didn't know that beside him, Zong Zheng Xiao was looking at him quietly, his eyes were as gentle as water, and full of deep affection.
Only Rong Yin and Zong Zhengxiao were present at the reunion dinner in the evening, but because they both had each other in their hearts, they did not feel lonely at all.
It was inconvenient for Rong Yin to pick up the food, so Zong Zhengxiao fed him himself. Rong Yin was not willing to be left behind and enthusiastically served soup to Zong Zhengxiao. Even though he didn't say a word, the scene was very lively.
The palace servants who were robbed alive stood by obediently: Well, we are used to it.
After the meal, in order to make Rong Yin happy, Zong Zheng Xiao personally gave red envelopes to the palace maids in Yinjiao Garden. Sixi and Lu'e received the most money in their red envelopes. Lu'e's red envelope also had special care from Rong Yin and Zong Zheng Xiao, so it was so heavy that it made her drop in the palm of her hand.
Lu'e knew what her two masters were thinking, so she didn't refuse this time.
They had to stay up all night, so the palace maids brought some dried fruits for the two masters to while away the time. As for drinks, Rong Yin still had fruit tea, while Zong Zhengxiao had warm wine.
Zong Zhengxiao peeled a handful of melon seeds and handed them to Rong Yin. Without urging him, he let him use his hands as a bowl and eat the seeds one by one.
After Rong Yin finished eating, he took a sip of wine and continued peeling.
As a result, when he turned around after peeling the wine, he found that Rong Yin was staring at his wine bottle.
"Want to try it again? Did you forget that last time you drank a certain fish in one glass?" Zong Zheng Xiao teased with a smile.
"Ah..." Rong Yin was a little scared when he remembered that he had blacked out due to drinking, but he still kept his eyes on the wine bottle.
Rong Yin: I want to experience the light feeling of being drunk again.
Zong Zhengxiao also recalled the cute and naughty Rong Yin when she was drunk last time, and how could he not want to see her again.
Lu'e next to her didn't think so. That night she thought that His Majesty was going to favor the young master, and she was so scared that she couldn't sleep the whole night. She is still scared now.
However, her two masters were unaware of her worries, as they both had their own little thoughts, so Zong Zhengxiao poured a glass of wine and handed it to Rong Yin, who did not refuse and drank it in one gulp.
Zong Zhengxiao smiled and said, "As for your drinking capacity, you just need to practice more."
Lu'e: "..."
Your Majesty is very scheming.
After drinking, Rong Yin became dizzy after a while. As usual, Zong Zhengxiao asked all the palace servants to leave and left himself in the room to accompany Rong Yin.
Rong Yin's eyes turned red. He stared at Zong Zheng Xiao for a while, then suddenly laughed: "I remember you. You are Zong Zheng Xiao."
Zong Zhengxiao raised his eyebrows, wondering if he could still recall the memories from the last time he got drunk?
He said, "I remember you too. You are Rong Yin."
"Yeah, I'm Rong Yin~" Rong Yin shook her head. Her eyes, which were originally a little confused, suddenly brightened up when she saw the peanuts and melon seeds that Zong Zhengxiao had peeled on the table.
"Is this for me?" Rong Yin stared at Zong Zheng Xiao with watery eyes.
Zong Zhengxiao's heart trembled when he saw his eyes like that, and his cheeks became hot. He coughed lightly and said, "Well, it's for you."
"Wow, you're so nice." Rong Yin ate a few nuts and suddenly seemed to remember something. She picked up the milky white jade pendant hanging on her chest and showed it to Zong Zheng Xiao. She said happily, "I think the jade pendant you gave me last time is very beautiful. I have been wearing it all the time."
Among the pile of treasures that Zong Zhengxiao gave to Rong Yin, this is the one Rong Yin treasures the most. He wears it around his neck every day. It is the only accessory on his body.
No matter how beautiful the jewelry is, it will look inferior in front of Rong Yin, who has a nearly perfect appearance. Only the jade pendant that Rong Yin accidentally asked for from Zong Zhengxiao when he was drunk is particularly suitable for him.
Rong Yin did not conceal the elegance of the jade pendant, and the jade pendant did not diminish Rong Yin's beauty. They seemed to be made for each other.
Zong Zhengxiao reached out and took the jade pendant, and Rong Yin also leaned forward, staring at Zong Zhengxiao with a pair of bright blue eyes, like a clingy and well-behaved puppy.
Zong Zhengxiao originally just wanted to take a look at the jade pendant, but he didn't expect Rong Yin to follow him. Seeing his silly look, Zong Zhengxiao couldn't help but want to tease him.
He pulled the jade pendant closer to himself, and Rong Yin also moved closer to him, with her hands on the low table, and it seemed that the two of them were about to be face to face.
Zong Zhengxiao wanted to see whether Rong Yin would come closer or move away, but he guessed both wrong.
Because Rong Yin suddenly said, "Your nose is so high and straight, you can slide on it."
Zong Zhengxiao: "..."
Well, his little mermaid always managed to surprise him.
Zong Zhengxiao didn't know what a slide was, but judging from the name, he could probably understand what Rong Yin wanted to express.
"Do you want to try sitting on it?" Zong Zhengxiao teased him.
Rong Yin shook his head and said seriously, "I am exaggerating. I don't really want to sit on your face. That will hurt you."
After hearing what he said, Zong Zheng Xiao almost thought of something wrong and felt that his heart was a little dirty.
"If you're not sitting on it, you can touch it. It won't damage it." Zong Zhengxiao suggested.
Rong Yin's eyes lit up: "Can I really touch it?"
Zong Zhengxiao stretched out his hand and pulled the person into his arms, holding Rong Yin's hand and placing it on his nose.
"Wow, it's taller than mine." Rong Yin touched Zong Zhengxiao's nose and then touched his own.
Zong Zheng Xiao was just about to say that yours is not bad either, but Rong Yin's face suddenly enlarged in his sight.
Rong Yin rubbed the tip of her nose against Zong Zheng Xiao's and said in a silly way, "With your blessing, my nose can become as beautiful as yours."
All I can say is that when people are drunk, they don't think according to normal logic.
Zong Zhengxiao had not expected that the prank he had just failed to complete would actually succeed in this way. He felt Rong Yin's warm breath and his heartbeat became a little erratic.
He held Rong Yin's face in his hands, his voice a little hoarse: "Who told you that this would work?"
"No one, I just thought of it myself." Rong Yin chuckled: "Am I smart?"
He smiled, and Zong Zhengxiao also smiled: "Yeah, very clever."
"Hehe." Hearing Zong Zheng Xiao praising him, Rong Yin smiled proudly and shyly. He said, "Zong Zheng Xiao, you are so nice. Not only did you give me the jade pendant, you also praised me."
Zong Zheng Xiao was moved by what he said, staring into his eyes and asked, "I'm so nice, do you like me?"
"I like it." Rong Yin answered without hesitation.
Zong Zhengxiao's heart skipped a beat. Even though he already knew the answer, he still pressed on, "What kind of love do you have for me? Is it the love of a friend, a relative, or... a lover?"
Zong Zhengxiao said the last few words with difficulty, yet they were full of hope.
Rong Yin's expression was dull for a moment, as if he was thinking about the answer to the question.
After a while he came back to his senses, but the smile on his face disappeared.
"I don't want to answer this question." Rong Yin muttered softly.
Zong Zhengxiao's mood changed from uneasiness to confusion: "Why?"
"No reason, I just don't want to."
Zong Zhengxiao stroked Rong Yin's face and coaxed him anxiously, "Rong Yin, be good and answer me, okay? I'm only asking you this one question today."
Rong Yin said nothing, lowered his head, and silently refused.
"Rong Yin..." Zong Zhengxiao still refused to give up.
"I've already said I don't want to answer." Rong Yin was a little angry. He buried his face in Zong Zhengxiao's shoulder and said aggrievedly: "Zong Zhengxiao forced me. Zong Zhengxiao is a bad man. I hate Zong Zhengxiao..."
While saying this, he tightly grasped Zong Zhengxiao's clothes with both hands.
Zong Zheng Xiao touched his head and sighed: "Sorry, I was too impatient."
He paused for a few seconds and then asked, "Do you really hate me?"
Rong Yin hummed and groaned without answering, so Zong Zheng Xiao said, "Since you hate me, I'd better stay away from you."
As he said this, he pretended to stand up. Rong Yin quickly hugged him and said in a voice that sounded like she was about to cry, "Don't leave. Zong Zheng Xiao is a bad guy!"
Zong Zheng Xiao laughed: "You said you hate me and that I'm a bad guy, so why don't you let me go?"
"Hmm..." Rong Yin tried to hold back his tears for a long time, but he couldn't hold them back anymore. He looked at Zong Zheng Xiao with tears in his eyes and said softly, "He's not annoying, he's not a bad guy. Rong Yin likes Zong Zheng Xiao, he likes him."
Zong Zhengxiao sat back down and raised his hand to wipe away the tears from Rong Yin's eyes. His expression was complicated. "You, you don't give me a clear answer and you keep pestering me. I think you are the bad guy."
"Rong Yin is not a bad guy, Zong Zheng Xiao is talking nonsense." Rong Yin hugged his waist with both arms, and put her head on his chest, looking very dependent, as if she was afraid that Zong Zheng Xiao would leave again.
Zong Zhengxiao really had no idea what to do with him, so he stroked his hair gently and coaxed him softly, "Zong Zhengxiao is talking nonsense, Rong Yin is not bad at all."
"That's right." Rong Yin replied proudly.
Zong Zhengxiao could only sigh. He couldn't really beat the man up.
Perhaps because he was used to falling asleep in Zong Zheng Xiao's arms, Rong Yin yawned after a while. Zong Zheng Xiao looked down at him and asked, "Are you sleepy?"
"Yeah." Rong Yin replied lazily.
"Then let's wash up and go to bed." Zong Zhengxiao brought Rong Yin to the water for washing that the palace servants had already prepared, and half-coaxed and half-helped Rong Yin to finish washing up before bed.
"Oh, that's not right." Zong Zhengxiao was wiping Rong Yin's face with a cloth when Rong Yin suddenly said this. Then she pulled Zong Zhengxiao's hand away and said disappointedly, "I can't sleep. I still have to stay up to celebrate the New Year."
Zong Zheng Xiao thought to himself, you are drunk and still remember this?
Zong Zheng Xiao advised, "It's okay if you don't keep watch. Just go to sleep if you're tired. I won't tell anyone."
"No." Rong Yin said, "I want to be a person who perseveres."
Zong Zheng Xiao: “Really?”
Half an hour later, a certain fish nest that wanted to persevere was in Zong Zheng's care and had already gone to see Zhou Gong.
Zong Zhengxiao poked Rong Yin's chubby face, his eyes full of smiles.
In the middle of the night, Zong Zhengxiao picked up Rong Yin, and before putting him back into the pool, he lowered his head and kissed him on the forehead.
He said silently: Good night, Rong Yin.
After New Year's Eve, the days that followed seemed to go by accelerator, and in the blink of an eye it was time for the emperor and various government offices to start working.
The punishment for the Fang family and other criminals has almost been executed. Those who should be exiled have been exiled, and those who should be enslaved have been enslaved. Now the only thing left is beheading.
Because the incident happened near the end of the year last year, beheading was too bloody, so it had to be postponed.
However, if it is delayed any further, it will be spring soon, and the people will be busy with their own things by then, so it will not be suitable. Therefore, the time point between winter and spring was chosen.
There were quite a few prisoners sentenced to be beheaded, more than a hundred of them, and the beheading was done over several days.
There were cries of grief and wailing at Caishikou. After the execution, corpses were scattered all over the ground, blood flowed like a river, and the executioner's knife was blunt.
Fortunately, the prisoners' heads were covered with sacks, otherwise so many heads would have rolled down one after another, each with a hideous face, and the onlookers would have been scared to death.
When Zong Zheng Lianqi and Su Wan'er were taken to the execution ground, no one from Prince Ning's Mansion came to see them off. In the end, the two were separated from their heads and their corpses were mixed with other dead prisoners and transported to a mass grave.
There were many wild wolves at the mass grave, and the newly delivered corpses were eaten beyond recognition in just one night.
No matter how noble you are when you are alive, you are nothing but a piece of rotten meat after you die.
To be on the safe side, the noble family even sent people to check out the mass grave.
The people who went to check came back and said that although the bodies were bitten by wild beasts and were incomplete, they still bore the appearance of Zong Zheng Lianqi and Su Wan'er.
The servant reported: "This morning, Zong Zheng Lianjun brought a sign to the palace again, asking the emperor to send two doctors to Prince Ning's mansion, saying that Prince Ning and Princess Ning's condition has worsened again."
Patriarch Cui asked, "Are you sure you are really sick?"
The servant said, "I paid a lot of money to hire a doctor who went to the Ning Palace to treat the Ning Prince and his wife. According to him, Ning Prince's wife is fine, but her heart disease is difficult to cure, which led to her being bedridden. Ning Prince's condition is much more serious. He said that his old illness left on the battlefield has recurred, and he was shocked by the news of his son's death. He vomited blood several times and was in a coma all day. If he can't make it, I'm afraid he will die."
After hearing this, Patriarch Cui smiled with satisfaction.
Regardless of whether Prince Ning and his wife are dead or alive, and regardless of whether they hate Zong Zhengxiao or not, given how cautious Zong Zhengxiao is, he probably won't trust Prince Ning's Mansion anymore.
In this way, even if they failed to sow discord between Prince Ning and Zong Zhengxiao, Zong Zhengxiao would have lost a powerful assistant.
This is good news for the family.
Patriarch Cui got rid of his depression over Zong Zhengxiao taking away the He family's business, and happily drank a few more glasses of wine that night.
After the beginning of spring, the temperature rises, the ice and snow melt, and the various flowers and plants in the Silver Shark Garden show signs of sprouting new buds.
It was a sunny day, and Zong Zheng was busy with government affairs. Lu'e organized the palace servants to sweep the house, and she was busy coming and going, so she had no time to accompany Rong Yin.
Rong Yin was lying on the terrace, taking a nap in the sun, when she suddenly remembered her box of treasures. She decided to take it out and clean it while the weather was good today.
Rong Yin did what he said and did not ask the palace maids to help him get it. He wanted to do it himself.
The box was in the room with the bathtub. When Rong Yin went over, several palace maids were cleaning the bathtub.
Perhaps because they saw that their two masters and the housekeeper Lu'e were not around, they became bolder and started chatting while they were busy.
"Hey, when I went to deliver tea to His Majesty yesterday, I heard Eunuch Sixi report to His Majesty that he had sent a lot of supplements to Prince Ning's mansion. This is the fifth time this month."
Hearing the three words "Prince Ning's Mansion", Rong Yin stopped approaching and pricked up his ears quietly.
After all, it is the home of the hero and heroine of the original book, so there might be some big gossip.
Another palace servant continued, "I think Prince Ning and Princess Ning are suffering from a mental illness. No matter how many supplements they take, it will probably be useless. However, no one would feel good if they were to encounter such a thing."
Rong Yin raised his eyebrows. There really is something new to eat!
"Who says it's not true? The Ning Wang family is unlucky. His daughter-in-law is a princess of the previous dynasty. She may have colluded with the remnants of the previous dynasty. His son was also involved. In order to save his family, the Ning Wang had no choice but to break off the relationship with his son. He watched his son and daughter-in-law being beheaded, and he himself ended up sending off his son."
"Come to think of it, those two people were headed more than a month ago. It is said that they didn't even have a burial place, and were thrown into a mass grave."
"Alas, all I can say is that good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished."
Rong Yin, who was hiding nearby and eavesdropping on every word, said: "?!!!"
There is a bigger question mark in the big eyes.
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