Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Uncle
At noon, Yu Li and Chu Shaoyu returned to their house in Liuwen Lane together.
When Zhou learned that they had not had lunch yet, she asked the kitchen to prepare some more.
During the meal, Yu Li said to Chu Shaoyu, "Eat more."
Chu Shaoyu was flattered. Having known her for such a long time, he already knew that his cousin's wife was a big eater and had a preference for food. She was very protective of it, and it was rare to see her so tenderly telling others to eat more.
Even Zhou couldn't help but look at Yu Li. She always felt that since she was allowed to make such an exception, something must have happened.
She soon understood.
After dinner and tea, Chu Shaoyu had rested for a while before being called to the yard by Yu Li.
Zhou was a little confused, "Li Niang, what are you doing?"
"Teach him how to practice physical skills." Yu Li said, "Cousin Chu said he also wants to practice physical skills."
Hearing this, Zhou suddenly realized something and looked at Chu Shaoyu with some sympathy. No wonder she told him to eat more. He really should eat more to nourish his body.
Upon learning that Yu Li was going to teach Chu Shaoyu physical training, Zhou took the two children back to her room to rest.
At the same time, he told the servants not to disturb them unless necessary.
After all, Chu Shaoyu is the eldest son of the prince's mansion. If he cries too hard later, it would be embarrassing for the servants to see him. We have to give him some face.
Chu Shaoyu was completely unaware of Zhou's thoughtfulness and looked cheerful. He even asked, "Cousin, when does it start?"
He can't wait.
"Wait a minute."
Yu Li asked him to wait for a moment, turned around and went to find Qing Huan, asking her to find a piece of cork that was suitable for biting in her mouth.
When Chu Shaoyu saw her coming back with a piece of cork, he looked puzzled and wondered what she wanted to do with the cork.
Not long after, Chu Shaoyu was sweating profusely and was about to scream when a piece of cork was stuffed into his mouth.
"If you can't help it, just bite it." Yu Li said.
Liuwen Lane has always been quiet. If he shouted too loudly, people would think that some tragedy had occurred here, which would attract patrolling officers to come and check.
He could only bite this thing.
In the evening, Chu Shaoyu's eyes were red, his legs were weak, and he climbed into the carriage in a panic and left.
I even forgot to wait for Fu Wenxiao to come back.
The experience of this afternoon was unforgettable for him, and he was in a daze now.
Zhou asked worriedly, "Mother Li, is Prince Chu okay?"
She knew the torment of practicing that set of physical techniques. She had seen girls like Yu Jin practice it and knew that it was not something that ordinary people could endure. Chu Shaoyu looked delicate and tender, and it was obvious that he was a child who was brought up and spoiled by his elders. How could he endure such hardship?
Yu Li said: "It's okay."
He practiced through the whole process and didn't give up, so he's obviously fine.
She also didn't expect Chu Shaoyu to be able to hold on. Although his face was distorted when he was biting the cork and he looked like he was going to give up at the next moment, he still persisted to the end.
Yu Li changed the subject, "Mom, it's already evening, Xiao Ge'er should be back soon, right?"
The palace examination only lasts one day and the papers must be submitted at dusk.
I heard that the time for submitting the paper is not fixed. You can submit it when you finish writing. Some people finish early, so they can submit the paper early and leave.
Zhou looked at the sky and said, "It should be soon."
As she said this, she went to the kitchen and asked the cook to make preparations and serve the meal when Xiao Ge'er came back.
**
When Prince Rui returned home from court, he saw his eldest son coming back from outside.
Upon learning that he had been fooling around outside again today, King Rui frowned and was about to teach him a lesson, but when he turned around, he saw that his eyes were red and he looked like he had been crying.
King Rui was startled and asked hurriedly, "Brother Yu, what happened to you? Who bullied you?"
After all, he is the only legitimate son, and he cares about him in his heart. It is rare to see him looking so wronged, and he is very angry. He will not allow his son to be bullied by others.
Chu Shaoyu looked at him with red and swollen eyes and said, "No one bullies me."
The voice was a little hoarse, and it made people feel that he had been crying for a long time.
In fact, it was because it was so painful that I wanted to scream, but the sound was blocked in my throat. Over time, my throat naturally felt uncomfortable.
King Rui didn't know this and thought he was just showing off. He asked sternly, "If no one bullied you, why are your eyes swollen?"
"I did this while practicing physical skills!" said Chu Shaoyu.
"Physical skills?" King Rui was a little confused. "Are you going to learn martial arts?"
Chu Shaoyu felt that this explanation was correct, so he nodded.
Prince Rui was somewhat relieved that their children did not need to take the imperial examinations, but learning martial arts was a good idea.
Soon he became nervous again, "You didn't practice randomly, did you? If you want to learn martial arts, father will find you an experienced martial arts master who won't easily hurt your muscles and bones."
Seeing him crying like this, I was worried that he might be hurt somewhere.
Prince Rui looked at his eldest son again, and was relieved to see that he was fine, with no missing limbs and could walk normally.
Chu Shaoyu said: "No need, Master Wu doesn't teach physical skills."
Although he cried out in pain today, Chu Shaoyu never thought of giving up.
He must work hard to improve his physical skills, so that he can jump onto the roof as easily as his cousin's wife, beat up hooligans easily, and maybe even destroy a boat...
If those half-brothers want to attack him again in the future, he won't have to rely on others for protection anymore. He can fight back on the spot, and maybe he can even find a chance to beat those half-brothers up.
It was with this thought in mind that Chu Shaoyu endured it no matter how painful it was.
Fortunately, I had a piece of cork in my mouth, so apart from the tears flowing, I didn't cry out loud.
As long as he doesn't cry out loud, it doesn't count as crying, and he is still a man.
When Prince Rui learned that he was going to learn some physical skills from Fu Xiao's wife, he was immediately helpless.
He knew that as long as Fu Xiao was involved, this silly kid would not care about anything. Whatever Fu Xiao said was right. He was crying like this, but he still wanted to continue practicing physical skills tomorrow. It was really...
**
At dusk, all the candidates who had taken part in the palace examination handed in their papers and left through the East Corner Gate.
After handing in their papers, the candidates waited outside the Huangji Hall and were led out of the palace by officials from the Ministry of Rites.
Some candidates found that Fu Wenxiao was not here. Seeing that the officials from the Ministry of Rites were about to lead them out of the palace, someone said, "Sir, the Scholar has not come out yet."
The official who led the way said, with an expression that did not change, "Hui Yuanlang has already left the palace from another place."
Upon hearing this, all the tribute students present were stunned and looked puzzled.
Why didn't Fu Wenxiao leave the palace with them, but went somewhere else? Did something happen?
Everyone couldn't help but worry. Besides worrying about Fu Wenxiao, they were also afraid that there might be some changes in the palace examination.
Mr. Wang understood clearly.
I guess Brother Fu hasn't left the palace yet. Apart from the saint, there is no one else who can take him away in such a place.
-
A palace servant led Fu Wenxiao to the Yangxin Palace.
As soon as he arrived in front of the Yangxin Palace, he saw the chief eunuch of the palace, Li Mao, already waiting in front of the palace. When he saw Fu Wenxiao, he came over with a smile.
"Master Fu, you are here." Li Mao smiled gently and kindly, "The saint is waiting for you inside."
Fu Wenxiao's eyes fell on him and said, "Manager Li, I am only a juren now."
"Master Fu, you are joking." Li Mao's smile remained unchanged. "In our family's heart, you have always been the prince of the Zhenguo Mansion."
Hearing this, the eunuch who was leading the way bent his waist even lower.
The imperial guards standing guard in front of the palace looked straight ahead, only their eyes moved slightly.
Fu Wenxiao looked at Li Mao steadily, then lifted his skirt and entered the Yangxin Palace.
After entering, he saw the emperor sitting there stroking a jade box.
After six years, the emperor looked even older, with more wrinkles on his face than six years ago, like an old man who was about to die.
Fu Wenxiao took just one look and then stepped forward and knelt.
"I have seen the saint."
The old emperor lowered his eyes and looked at the young man kneeling below, his old face showing an emotion that no one could understand.
The hall was silent and no one dared to look up at the Holy Face.
No one noticed the old emperor's expression at this moment.
"Xiao'er." The old emperor's voice sounded, and it seemed a little sad. "After not seeing you for so long, you don't even want to call me uncle?"
Fu Wenxiao raised his head, looked directly at the old emperor, and called out, "Uncle."
The old emperor happily stood up and helped him up, "Good boy, get up."
The old emperor asked someone to give him a seat, and he looked at him with a pair of cloudy eyes, saying: "Xiao'er, this tribute uniform looks really good on you, you are worthy of being the child I raised."
Fu Wenxiao smiled slightly, "Without my uncle's teachings over the years, I would not be where I am today."
The old emperor couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Hearing the old emperor's laughter, the palace servants serving in the hall secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Mao sighed softly in his heart. As expected, only Prince Fu could make the saint so happy. Apart from the elixir refined by the national master, it was probably only Prince Fu who had this ability.
The old emperor asked Fu Wenxiao about the imperial examination with great interest, and then asked about his health.
"My health has improved." Fu Wenxiao said, "Thanks to my nurse who has been running around for me, looking for doctors and medicine everywhere. After several years, I am finally cured."
The old emperor was very happy, "That's good, that's good." Then he said with some sadness, "These years, you're not here, it's inconvenient for me to do anything. Although Fang Bihe is good, he is not as capable as you, and he can't suppress those..."
Fu Wenxiao lowered his head and said, "It's my fault."
The old emperor patted his hands, "How is it your fault? Back then, I never thought that Concubine Xian would be so ambitious and actually want to harm you..."
When talking about the virtuous concubine who was imprisoned in the cold palace, the old emperor's face was full of disgust.
Fu Wenxiao lowered his head and said nothing.
When Li Mao heard the old emperor's words, he knew that the virtuous concubine in the cold palace was going to be in trouble again.
Back then, because the Eighth Prince came to the palace to plead for mercy and knelt for three days, Concubine Xian was able to save her life. However, in the past few years, she has been tortured in the cold palace and is said to have gone crazy.
He shook his head secretly. Although the mastermind behind the poisoning of Master Fu was Concubine Xian, there were many people involved in the matter. Otherwise, with Master Fu's vigilance, how could Concubine Xian succeed?
As for what the saint is thinking, no one knows.
The old emperor talked a lot with Fu Wenxiao, in high spirits, as if he wanted to make up for the gap of the past few years.
Until Li Mao saw that it was getting dark, he came over to remind him: "Saint, it's getting late, Prince Fu should leave the palace."
Fu Wenxiao has not yet restored his identity. In the eyes of the world, he is just a juren from Nanjun Province. It is not good for him to stay in the palace all the time. If the news gets out, it will be bad.
Especially since the palace examination had just ended, during this sensitive period, Fu Wenxiao could not be allowed to stay in the palace overnight.
The old emperor really wanted to keep Fu Wenxiao in the palace overnight. The uncle and nephew had not seen each other for many years, and the old emperor had a lot to say to him.
Those things that he couldn't say to the court officials or the palace maids, he could only say to the children he raised.
This child is his most satisfying work, the knife he has carefully crafted, and he is the only one who will not betray him.
Fu Wenxiao said, "Uncle, I will leave the palace first. I will come back to accompany you when I have time."
"Okay, okay." The old emperor pulled him, "Next time Xiao'er comes to the palace, you must spend more time with your uncle."
Fu Wenxiao hummed and smiled faintly. His handsome face was as beautiful as jade under the light, and the palace people who accidentally glanced at him were a little dazzled.
After all these years, Master Fu seems to have not changed much.
Even though he escaped death and was able to return to the capital, he remained steady and calm, and even in front of a saint, he was neither arrogant nor humble.
It was as if the missing six years did not exist.
After bidding farewell to the reluctant old emperor, Fu Wenxiao walked out of the Yangxin Palace.
Li Mao personally saw him out.
Not long after leaving the Yangxin Palace, Fu Wenxiao suddenly asked, "Is uncle still taking the elixir?"
Li Mao hummed and lowered his voice: "The elixirs refined by the national master in the past two years have very good effects. If the saint is weak, he only needs to take one pill and he will be energetic for a few days. In the evening, he can go to the harem to find a few concubines..."
He didn't say the rest, knowing that Master Fu didn't want to hear it.
Fu Wenxiao walked in the long palace corridor with lanterns hanging above his head.
The dim light from the lantern fell on him, making his figure look tall and slender. Just standing there, he gave people a sense of invisible pressure.
Li Mao glanced at him, but his face was shrouded in darkness and his expression could not be seen clearly.
After walking a distance, Fu Wenxiao said, "Manager Li, you don't have to see me off."
Li Mao stopped and called a palace servant to see him off.
After leaving the palace, Fu Wenxiao got on a carriage that was waiting there.
The carriage was dark. He leaned against the wall, looking calmly at the swaying curtains opposite and listening to the clatter of horse hooves.
Suddenly, a dark shadow climbed in through the car window.
Fu Wenxiao subconsciously reached for the knife at his waist, but found nothing.
"Xiao brother."
The low voice made his movements pause, and a look of surprise appeared on his calm face. He walked forward eagerly, stretched out his arms and hugged the person who climbed in through the window.
Yu Li was held tightly by him, leaning against his arms and smelling the unique plum fragrance on him.
It's cool and quiet, as if it's there and not there, and smells very good.
He was hugging her too tightly, and he seemed to be emotionally unstable. She patted him and asked, "What's wrong with you? Did someone bully you?"
"No." Fu Wenxiao's voice sounded in the carriage, sounding muffled, "I'm just very happy."
"What are you happy about?"
"Glad you came to pick me up."
It was already dark, and although there were lanterns along the way, the light from the lanterns was too dim to illuminate the carriages.
Yu Li was hugged by him and couldn't see the expression on his face, nor did she know whether he was really happy or not.
She said, "It's getting dark and you haven't come back yet, so I had to come over to check on you."
Originally, she planned to climb over the wall and enter the palace to look for someone.
However, halfway through the journey, he saw the Fu family's carriage and discovered that there was someone in the carriage, so he jumped directly from the roof to the roof of the carriage and climbed in through the window.
Fu Wenxiao finally let her go, held her face, kissed her forehead, moved down slowly, and finally touched her lips.
"I'm sorry." He said softly, "After Higurashi handed in his paper, the Saint wanted to see me, so he stayed in the palace for a while longer."
Yu Li said "oh" in a calm tone, and didn't care much about the fact that the old emperor in the palace was looking for him.
She asked, "Did your uncle... bully you?"
"No." Fu Wenxiao laughed. "The Saint will not bully me. On the contrary, he has always protected me and indulged me."
Yu Li felt relieved after confirming that he was not bullied in the palace.
There was still some distance to go before she reached home, so she took out an oil-paper bag from her sleeve and opened it.
Fu Wenxiao heard a rustling sound, and then a piece of cake was pressed against his lips. He heard her say, "Would you like some red bean cake?"
He opened his mouth and bit the red bean cake she fed him.
It was not easy to get her to feed him on her own initiative. He was flattered every time. He couldn't be polite to her, otherwise she would eat it all herself.
The sweet taste of red bean filling spread in his mouth, and Fu Wenxiao felt sweet to his heart.
He pulled her and asked softly, "Has A-li not eaten yet?"
"No, I wanted to wait for you to come back." Yu Li said, "I haven't seen you come back, so I came out to look for you."
She had taken this bag of red bean cakes from the kitchen and put it directly into her sleeve to fill her stomach. She guessed that he hadn't eaten anything either.
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