Each lost in their own thoughts, they fell asleep back to back, one facing the inside of the bed and the other facing the outside.
However, due to someone's nighttime habits, when they woke up the next morning, they were still embracing tightly face to face.
After daybreak, everyone in the courtyard went about their business. Full Moon glanced at the position of the sun and reminded everyone outside of the time.
Upon hearing this, Gan Qiongying, who was inside the hall, nuzzled what she thought was a blanket. Realizing it was Li Hua, she didn't pay much attention. When she looked up, she saw Li Hua just opening his eyes, still half asleep.
The two looked at each other, and in the instant their eyes met, one of them remained calm while the other looked flustered. Li Hua was the first to look away. He had not forgotten the embarrassment and shame of last night, and he clearly remembered his cowardice and retreat.
Gan Qiongying had long since moved on from what happened last night, so she simply looked up and separated herself a little, her eyes not yet fully open, but her face full of smiles.
"Husband," Gan Qiongying's voice was a little muffled, but it sounded more like she was being coquettish, "what would you like to eat for breakfast?"
Before Li Hua could react, Gan Qiongying stretched in his arms, and his lips accidentally touched the top of her head.
Gan Qiongying was completely unaware that after stretching, she immediately sat up, ready to enjoy a delicious breakfast for the new day. As she got up, the blanket lifted up a little.
Li Hua felt the blanket slowly slide down, so she immediately grabbed it back and covered herself up, pressing it down firmly with her hand to prevent it from being taken away again.
He remained expressionless, but changed from lying on his side to lying flat, slowly bending the leg closest to Gan Qiongying to conceal his inevitable reaction upon waking up with his beloved in his arms.
The two got out of bed together to wash up. Breakfast was unusually lavish today, and Gan Qiongying ate with great satisfaction. However, when Li Hua was halfway through his meal, San Jiu came over and whispered a few words to him. Li Hua immediately put down his chopsticks.
Yesterday's panic made him forget that he had important matters to attend to today. There were already a lot of chamber of commerce affairs to attend to, and he also had to meet with the heads of some chambers of commerce from various places to discuss the prices of rice, grains and utensils after autumn.
“Princess,” Li Hua stood up, “the Chamber of Commerce is quite busy today, I need to go there first to handle things.”
After seeing Li Hua put down her chopsticks, Gan Qiongying did not pick up any more food herself.
"My husband, please go ahead and get busy." Making money is the priority!
Gan Qiongying glanced back, and Manyue immediately brought over the ginseng soup that had been stewing in the kitchen long ago.
Gan Qiongying personally handed it to Li Hua and said gently, "You didn't eat much for breakfast, so you should still drink the ginseng soup. It's good for your health."
When the ginseng soup was brought to him, Li Hua originally wanted to take it, but after reaching out his hand, he stopped and simply lowered his head and drank it all down from Gan Qiongying's hand.
Gan Qiongying raised an eyebrow and cooperated by feeding him.
As a result, Gan Qiongying was fine, but when Li Hua raised her head to wipe her mouth, her ears were already bright red.
To hide her embarrassment, Li Hua turned to leave, but Gan Qiongying immediately followed and naturally took Li Hua's hand. "And the injury on your hand..." Gan Qiongying frowned slightly as she said this, unable to understand Li Hua's self-harming behavior at the drop of a hat.
Gan Qiongying only noticed this morning while eating breakfast that Li Hua's nails, which were just starting to heal, had been bleeding again.
"You need to have your wound re-bandaged before you can go out, understand?"
Gan Qiongying felt she needed to find a specific time to talk to Li Hua about his self-harm, so she didn't say anything more this morning.
Li Hua naturally agreed without hesitation; he was extremely pleased with how much Gan Qiongying cared for him.
Gan Qiongying watched as the imperial physician bandaged Li Hua, only letting him leave after it was completely finished. Having nothing else to do anyway, and wanting to digest her food, she personally escorted Li Hua to the door.
There was a hint of reluctance between the two, and even the servants could tell they were deeply in love. Li Hua felt the gazes of those around her and secretly gritted her teeth.
He squeezed Gan Qiongying's hand with a little force, bracing himself against the stares of onlookers, and mustered his courage to say softly, "Wait for me to have dinner together. I'll bring you roast duck from Phoenix Restaurant on my way."
"Okay, then I'll wait for my husband to come back!" Gan Qiongying nodded vigorously as soon as she heard there was something delicious to eat, and naturally threw herself into Li Hua's arms.
The two embraced, completely ignoring the gazes of the servants. Gan Qiongying knew that Li Hua liked to hug, and she felt Li Hua hug her tightly and then quickly bump her head on her head.
I just don't know if it's the chin or... lips.
Watching Li Hua's carriage disappear into the distance, Gan Qiongying turned back to the mansion. She hesitated for a moment on her way to the sleeping quarters, then turned to Manyue and said, "Manyue, gather all the people in the backyard to the main hall."
Gan Qiongying drank two full cups of tea before all the people in the backyard finally arrived, which shows how much Princess Duanrong indulged them and how large the number of her male concubines was.
There wasn't enough room in the main hall; the rows of seats stretched out to the outside.
Gan Qiongying felt like she was watching a play; she simply couldn't immerse herself in this part. All she could hear was the buzzing of whispers from a group of people.
These people were all dressed to the nines, some wearing bright red and green and smelling fragrant from afar, others with firm eyes that looked upright and incorruptible, and still others with extremely contrasting features, such as a baby face with a muscular body, making the gentle and elegant gentlemen less eye-catching.
Gan Qiongying has to screen these people one by one, which means she has to meet them one by one. Today is bound to be a tough battle.
Gan Qiongying did not ask them to introduce themselves; she planned to identify these people by stimulating the part of Princess Duanrong's memory in her mind.
The first person to come up was a man dressed in red and green with makeup. He was extremely handsome. Gan Qiongying took a look at him and quickly recognized him. His name was Feng Wu, and he was the son of a dancer.
He was well-versed in literature, but his background was criticized. He tried his best to get rid of his lowly status, but because of his background, he was not even allowed to participate in the imperial examinations. He was on the verge of madness several times.
He was not someone Princess Duanrong valued.
Gan Qiongying also recognized the second man, whose eyes were firm and who looked like a brute.
He was a robust man with a rather elegant name, Yan Qingliu. He was quite pitiful; his father was an honest official who hoped he would become a good one, but he ultimately couldn't overcome the darkness of the officialdom. During the princes' power struggle, he chose the wrong side and was framed and imprisoned.
Speaking of the Yan family, they have some connection with Gan Li's maternal clan.
If we were to use this person, they would be of some use, but not much.
Seeing this, Gan Qiongying could already sense how desperate Princess Duanrong had been, that she would even bring such a tiny, unrelated connection to Gan Li into her fold, intending to use her.
The third person to come up was a baby-faced man. His contrast wasn't just in his physique; he also had an easy-to-remember name. Gan Qiongying almost burst out laughing when she recalled it: his name was Ding Doudou.
However, this child is probably the youngest; he is a foreigner who illegally crossed the border into Nanzhao.
His family had all died. When he was a child, he was found by an old woman who gave him a name that made him easy to raise. But his good fortune didn't last long. The old woman was hit by a high-ranking official's carriage while she was out in the street. By the time he found out, it was too late.
He went alone to beat the drum to appeal for justice, but because he was a foreigner, his appeal failed and he was beaten half to death, almost being sold into a brothel.
In Princess Duanrong's memory, this Ding Doudou wandered around and was extremely familiar with the terrain of various places, including other countries around Nanzhao and the border defenses. He could draw any place he had been, even if he was illiterate, based on his memory.
This person will be of great use in the future!
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