Chapter 109: While discussing serious matters, the emperor was flirting.
At the same time, Ji Qingwu's body trembled.
She was innocent, and got kicked again.
That man used even more force this time.
Her eyes widened, her dark pupils darting back and forth as she looked at Emperor Wusu and his consort.
Ji Qingwu was trying to figure out who was kicking her with ill intent.
It was as if there was a rhythm to it; every time the princess finished speaking, that person would kick her.
Ji Qingwu's slightly hesitant gaze, in the emperor's eyes, seemed as if she had been swayed by the princess's words and was silently condemning him.
Emperor Wusu's expression turned cold.
Ji Qingwu hadn't even heard Princess Huachang's words completely; she was preoccupied with trying to recall where the foot had come from...
This time, through careful deduction, she figured out that the foot came from the opposite side.
She glared at Yuchi Lianping, but the prince consort's eyes were fixed on the princess, and he didn't notice.
However, Princess Huachang caught her displeased look and asked, "Miss Ji, do you have a problem with what I said?"
Ji Qingwu pursed her lips and quickly shook her head, feeling the cold air coming from all directions.
The two royal siblings had remarkably similar cold expressions. However, Princess Huachang's coldness was superficial, only lingering around her.
Emperor Wusu's coldness was so profound that it seemed to freeze the surrounding air.
For some reason, Ji Qingwu sneezed while crossing her arms. Perhaps she had caught a chill while standing outside the tent because her hair was half-dry.
Seeing her sniffle pitifully, her nose turning a little red, Emperor Wusu pushed the cup of hot tea in front of him toward her.
Ji Qingwu did not refuse. He held the teacup in his jade-white hands, lowered his head, and obediently took a sip.
A warm current flowed into her stomach, and Ji Qingwu comfortably curled her lips into a smile. Seeing this, the emperor's expression also softened slightly.
Princess Huachang's expression changed several times.
Serving tea was something the emperor, who had never served anyone before, did with exceptional ease, yet the girl from the Ji family accepted it so naturally. She would never believe that there was nothing between the two of them.
But I'm here discussing serious matters, and the emperor is flirting?!
But to flirt, you first need to have feelings for each other.
Princess Huachang was startled when she had this thought. When did the heartless Emperor Wusu become a sentimental person?
Then, she frowned and realized that what was even harder to accept was herself.
Her personality is similar to that of her younger brother, and her current behavior is a sign of a complete change in temperament. She has even begun to stand up for this brute and risk offending the emperor.
Princess Huachang was still deeply shaken.
Yu Chi Lianping thought that the Ji family girl was a lucky star. As soon as she sneezed, the two of them stopped looking cold.
He seized the opportunity to lighten the mood, saying, "Is this an injury? This is a man's medal of honor. Others wouldn't even have the chance to be scratched by a black bear."
Ji Qingwu also realized that the reason the prince consort kicked her was probably because he wanted her to say a few words of advice.
She chimed in, "The prosperity of a nation depends on sacrificing personal interests for the greater good. Half of the general's medals belong to the eldest princess."
Yuchi Lianping nodded repeatedly. This woman was quite good, and what she said made sense, though perhaps a little less than what he had just said.
The atmosphere inside the tent finally eased.
Li Yuzong breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward at the opportune moment, saying, "Your Majesty, the imperial meal has been prepared."
Emperor Wusu said, "Serve the meal."
Several eunuchs rushed in.
They first placed gold bowls and plates on the dining table, and even the spoons were made of Han jade inlaid with sandalwood and silver.
The six food boxes were opened, revealing a total of more than a dozen exquisite dishes.
With each dish served, Ji Qingwu would stare wide-eyed at the table, silently thinking to herself that she had never eaten it before.
The covered silver hot pot contains braised sea cucumber and pork tendon and Wensi tofu soup. The plate is filled with roasted chicken, goose gizzard and foot soup, deer tendon and deer meat, bamboo-shaped steamed buns, and four enamel dishes.
No wonder the emperor didn't eat roasted meat before; the imperial cuisine was simply not on the same level as this.
Ji Qingwu took a shower and felt that her stomach was a little emptier, but she could still fit a little more in.
Li Yuzong then took out the Yuquan wine that had been warmed over the charcoal fire and placed it in her hand. After doing this, he led the eunuchs to retreat to the side.
This time, without needing to ask, Ji Qingwu understood what Eunuch Li meant. After helping him get dressed, she would also have to serve the emperor wine.
However, since Emperor Wusu just gave her a cup of hot tea, there's nothing wrong with her returning a cup of warm wine to him.
She filled the blue-and-white porcelain cup with wine. Her fair wrists and jade-colored fingers, reflecting the yellowish wine, made the wine seem even more fragrant and mellow.
Ji Qingwu said softly, "Your Majesty."
Emperor Wusu took the blue-and-white porcelain cup, his calloused fingertips brushing against her wrist, whether intentionally or not, it was unclear.
Although the two of them had done far more than just holding hands, Ji Qingwu felt uneasy in front of Princess Huachang and Yuchi Lianping.
The more she didn't want them to know about her relationship with the emperor, the more tense she became. It was just a simple toast, but when he brushed her wrist, her hand trembled violently, and the wine spilled onto the emperor's hand.
Emperor Wusu was not angry; a smile flickered in his eyes.
"I don't eat people, why are you trembling?"
Ji Qingwu tried to make amends by picking up a handkerchief from beside the plate and handing it to him, but he didn't take it and instead raised an eyebrow at her.
After all, he was His Majesty the Emperor. She took a deep breath.
Under the watchful eyes of the Princess and her husband, Ji Qingwu, her face flushed, picked up a towel to wash his hands, as if holding a hot potato. She quickly put it down after wiping them clean, almost throwing the towel in the Emperor's face.
Emperor Wusu did not pursue the matter; he was the first to pick up his chopsticks, and only then did the others dare to touch them.
Ji Qingwu had already eaten most of the meal, so he only drank a few sips of soup and ate a few bites of the side dishes he wanted.
During the meal, Princess Huachang noticed that she ate very little and assumed that she was frightened by the confrontation between the emperor and her earlier.
The eldest princess used serving chopsticks to specially pick out a jade-white roll for her. Ji Qingwu was flattered and looked at the green color in the bowl.
The emperor also turned his head and glanced at the eldest princess.
Princess Huachang spoke words of concern in a cold voice.
"Miss Ji, eat more. You look too thin and frail, like a gust of wind could blow you over."
The deer tendons in Yuchi Lianping's bowl suddenly lost their flavor, and his mouth felt sour. He had never received such treatment before; the Princess had never served him any food.
He glanced at Ji Qingwu and said with a hint of jealousy, "The Princess is absolutely right. Your trembling hands are probably from hunger. You should eat, but please don't let yourself get sick from hunger."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuchi Lianping suddenly felt a pain in his elbow, as if someone had struck a nerve.
The chopsticks slipped from my hand and fell to the ground with a crash.
General Yuchi, who had just finished criticizing someone else for trembling and then embarrassing himself: ......
Emperor Wusu said, "Give the general another bowl of rice; he's so hungry his hands are trembling."
Li Yuzong chuckled as he picked up the chopsticks and handed over a new pair, feigning surprise as he said, "General Yuchi has already eaten three bowls of rice. Surely his hands aren't shaking from hunger?"
Ji Qingwu smiled and then deliberately chewed the jade roll, making a crunching sound.
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