Drowsy reminiscing about the past
Snowflakes drifted down from the sky onto the oil-paper umbrella, and a few snowflakes, carried by the wind, settled on Jiang Yanhui's fur collar. His all-black attire contrasted sharply with the surrounding white snow, like a drop of thick ink spreading on raw Xuan paper.
Lang Rong exclaimed in surprise, and managed to avoid falling flat on his back and making a fool of himself.
I carefully moved to a different spot, making sure my footing was firm before tiptoeing and sliding away the layer of snow. Sure enough, underneath was a slippery layer of ice.
He rubbed his sweaty, cold back and joked, "So you don't welcome me to the library, and you're setting a trap for me on the way?"
The servant who was cleaning the open space ran over with a pale face, knelt down on the snow with a thud, his shoulders trembling and he could barely speak from fear, "This servant deserves to die. It was this servant who failed to notice in time that the ground was frozen, and almost caused Master to slip and fall."
Lang Rong glanced at Jiang Yan Hui's face, then waved his hand dismissively and said, "Luckily, I was the one who stepped on it. I don't even know who spilled the water here. Just clean it up for me."
The servant nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down his face, almost kowtowing to Lang Rong twice more.
After walking a short distance, Lang Rong confirmed that the servants dealing with the frozen ground behind them couldn't hear their conversation before asking, "Your servants are well-trained. Why don't you teach me sometime?"
Jiang Yan Hui made no attempt to shield Lang Rong from the snow. Standing half an arm's length away, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "So you've finally decided to establish your own government and settle down in Lingzhou?"
"No, that won't do. If it weren't for the fact that you've come to Lingzhou to guard the capital, I would have preferred to listen to my mother and serve in the imperial court." Lang Rong quickly ran under the eaves and brushed the snowflakes off his shoulders.
"I'm here so I can go back with you and pass on my experience to my father. You know my father's personality; he's kind and gentle to everyone but also soft-hearted. If it weren't for my mother keeping the servants in check, they would all be trying to deceive my father by playing the victim and crying poverty."
Jiang Yan shook off the snow from the umbrella handle and gave a faint smile. "It's no use asking me for experience. I've left all the matters of the inner quarters to Aunt Pan and Uncle Ban. If you want advice, go ask them."
He turned around, pushed open the door to the library, took two steps inside, paused, and then casually took the books to the designated bookshelf and placed them there.
"I'll go ask Uncle Ban later and have him write down all the rules for me to take with me."
Lang Rong strode in, and her years of vigilance made her immediately notice the two servants sitting by the window, dozing off side by side.
Their necks and hands were tucked into thick cotton coats, their fluffy heads huddled together for warmth, and the cleaning tools were neatly arranged in the corner, showing no sign of waking up.
Lang Rong glanced quickly at Jiang Yan Hui's face out of the corner of his eye, deliberately coughed twice, and exclaimed, "No wonder it's called the Library, there are so many books!"
Startled awake, Xiao Le turned pale the moment she saw the person in front of her. She knelt down, her knees touching the ground first, and pushed the still-sleepy A Chou with all her might. She was so frightened that she couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Ah Chou, who had just been woken up, was still confused and didn't understand what was going on, but when he saw Xiao Le kneeling, he subconsciously knelt down as well, his head on the ground, not daring to lift it up.
“How can you doze off while working? Your Lord Jiang didn’t keep you here to enjoy yourself.”
While Lang Rong was righteously reprimanding the two lazy servants, he was secretly winking and giving them hints behind Jiang Yan Hui's back.
Ah Chou blinked her innocent and clear eyes. Xiao Le was the first to understand what she meant. She swallowed hard and mustered her courage to beg for mercy, "Your Majesty, we servants know we were wrong. We shouldn't have been lazy. Please forgive us this time. We will never dare to do it again."
Jiang Yanhui, standing in front of the bookshelf, focused intently on selecting books, not giving them a second glance.
Xiao Le's heart sank and grew colder. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead in the freezing cold. He was so afraid that he couldn't cry. His body trembled uncontrollably, and his arms, which were supporting him on the ground, shook.
Lang Rong wasn't sure what was wrong with Jiang Yan Hui either. It was rare to see her deliberately torment people, so he had no choice but to step in and smooth things over, saying, "Although you guys were lazy, you still cleaned it quite well, even the cracks in the windows were cleaned."
Jiang Yanhui finally lowered her gaze and looked over, stopping at A Chou, who was nodding slightly in agreement with Lang Rong's words.
Seemingly sensing the gaze fixed on her, Ah Chou raised her head. Her fair face still bore the marks of sleep, and her messy hair curled in a disheveled manner, making her small face appear even smaller.
Jiang Yanhui's cold and stern face revealed no emotion; even her lowered eyes were as devoid of warmth as the snow outside the window.
"What arrangements did Uncle Ban make for you?"
Xiao Le raised his eyes tremblingly and said truthfully, "Uncle Ban ordered the servants to clean the library within fifteen days. The servants finished cleaning two days ahead of schedule. Today, I couldn't resist and fell asleep leaning against it. The servants will never dare to do it again."
Ah Chou nodded again, and Xiao Le spoke for him when he couldn't say it.
"Since it's Uncle Ban's rule, then we'll hand it in within the time Uncle Ban sets." After saying that, Jiang Yan took out the books she wanted to take with her and casually picked out two to hand to Lang Rong.
Seeing the two servants still standing there in a daze, Lang Rong smiled and reminded them, "Since even Your Majesty doesn't care, why don't you quickly express your gratitude?"
As if waking from a dream, Xiao Le pressed A Chou down and kowtowed repeatedly. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sniffled as she said, "This servant will definitely work hard and live up to Your Majesty's forgiveness."
After the masters left, Xiao Le was still wiping away his tears with his head down. A Chou pursed his lips and moved in front of Xiao Le, pulling on his sleeve to wipe his tears.
When his master discovered his laziness, he didn't react much. But when he saw his friend crying, Ah Chou's eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes reddened, making him look pitiful and on the verge of tears.
"I'm fine, I just couldn't help but cry after the scary experience." Xiao Le wiped her face haphazardly and gave Ah Chou a reassuring smile.
Xiao Le's heart was pounding and she couldn't calm down for a long time. She grabbed Ah Chou's hand and said excitedly, "I was too nervous just now. Did I answer correctly?"
Before Ah Chou could respond, Xiao Le was engrossed in her own world, grabbing Ah Chou's hand and shaking it, saying, "I just saw what Wang Zun looks like. Wang Zun is even more dashing than I imagined!"
Did you know? I grew up in Lingzhou and witnessed the chaos when the Youzu tribe harassed and harassed the area. But ever since Wang Zun arrived with his army ten years ago, everything has changed dramatically!
Three battles drove the You tribe to the edge of the Duoluo River. For many years, they only dared to engage in small-scale skirmishes and peacefully do business with us.
I feel I admire Wang Zun even more than before! How can there be such a powerful and majestic woman in the world? No wonder those male prostitutes in the brothel are so eager for her to come; I would be hoping for it too.
Hearing this, Ah Chou behind him widened his eyes in disbelief. Xiao Le quickly explained, "But I absolutely have no improper thoughts about Wang Zun! I know my place. As a servant, I must do my duty."
Xiao Le looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "You're late, so you don't know. There was once a restless servant who stripped naked and hid in the king's bed, hoping to rise to the top. In the end, he was thrown into the wilderness to be fed to the wolves. Because of his example, all the servants in the manor are particularly well-behaved."
Ah Chou's eyes flickered, but Xiao Le was still immersed in the joy of surviving a great disaster and did not notice the abnormality in his expression.
—
On New Year's Eve, the snow that had been falling for more than half a month stopped. The north wind brought a cold wave that made people's bones ache. People with weaker constitutions would faint from the cold if they left the charcoal fire.
With doors and windows tightly shut in every household, there was no festive atmosphere whatsoever, making Lingzhou appear lifeless and like a ghost town.
A luxurious carriage bearing royal insignia emerged from Lingzhou against the north wind. Inside, the silver charcoal burns brightly, and soft, warm leather cushions provide comfort and warmth.
Jiang Yanhui, dressed in black, leaned against a soft pillow and closed her eyes to rest, while Lang Rong became interested in arranging the tea set, and soon the carriage was filled with the fresh aroma of tea.
The tea that was brought to his lips suddenly lost its flavor. Lang Rong said dejectedly, "Counting today, we've already spent ten Lunar New Year's Eves in Lingzhou. When can we go back to the capital? My sister's children are all over the place, but they haven't even met their aunt yet."
"You want to go back?" Jiang Yan opened her eyes halfway. "I'll submit a memorial to send you back to the capital in a bit."
"And you?" Lang Rong asked.
“Of course I will stay in Lingzhou,” Jiang Yan replied.
“I have to stay with you. If I go back alone, my mother will skin me alive.”
Lang Rong stopped dwelling on the topic of returning to the capital. He lifted the side curtain and a gust of cold wind brushed his face. The snow outside was dazzlingly white under the sun, but there wasn't a single pedestrian on the road even in broad daylight.
I couldn't help but feel nostalgic: "Do you remember the New Year we spent in Beijing? It was so lively back then. The streets were packed with people, and everywhere you looked there were lanterns of all colors. That's what a festival should be like."
As Lang Rong reminisced about the past, Jiang Yanhui also became lost in memories, a warm smile appearing on her lips.
She nudged Lang Rong's calf with her toe and said, "Back then, I was curious about the annual meeting outside. We discussed it and decided to hide me under the seat of your carriage when you left the palace to avoid inspection. But we ran into General Lang halfway there and were still discovered."
For Jiang Yan, it was an interesting memory, but for Lang Rong, it was a memory that still ached even after more than a decade.
He laughed and scolded, "You had a good time, but I got a spanking when I got back. I still remember how it felt. My dad almost thought my mom was going to beat me to death."
They had come out early, and Lang Rong planned to take Jiang Yan back to his home to stay until dark before going out to stroll through the lantern festival. Little did they expect to run into General Lang, who had just finished a gathering with his friends.
General Lang was meticulous, perceptive, and knew his son well enough to notice Lang Rong's guilty expression at a glance. He then lifted the seat and pulled out Jiang Yanhui, who was hiding inside.
Upon seeing that Lang Rong dared to take the princess out of the palace without permission, Lang Rong was immediately beaten in the carriage.
Jiang Yanhui, meanwhile, held her tea and huddled in a corner, pretending to be calm as she sipped it. Her eyes darted around, looking everywhere except at Lang Rong, who was wailing and begging for mercy.
At this point, Lang Rong lost his status as Jiang Yanhui's study companion and spent half a month at home recovering from his backside injury.
It was only because Jiang Yanhui found the new study companion too rigid and boring that she begged the late emperor to bring Lang Rong back into the palace.
Regardless, General Lang's beating had made Lang Rong behave himself. He no longer dared to sneak Jiang Yan Hui out of the palace to play. He would often advise her to study in the tone of an old master, which annoyed Jiang Yan Hui to no end. However, she could not ask her mother, the Empress, to replace him.
Jiang Yanhui recalled her childhood as carefree. Her brows relaxed, dispelling some of her annoyance. She rested her chin on her hand and lazily watched Lang Rong play with the tea set to pass the time on the road.
A note from the author:
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Lang Rong, you've worked hard as Jiang Yanhui's study companion since childhood, and as an assistant and tutor to her now that you're older. (bows)
This family can't live without you!
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