fighting spirit
Zhao Fanghua returned to the house, still thinking about Shen Xiujin's matter. While scolding him for being calculating, he also admired his ability to take it or leave it, and his flexibility. Thinking of this, Zhao Fanghua became more determined to cling to him.
Shen Xiujin could stick close to me even when I scolded him coldly. In comparison, Zhao Qinglan is really good. Although he seems to look down on the things I sent him, at least he is always friendly and does not have the legendary imperial airs at all. He is really a good person.
Zhao Fanghua clenched her fists. She wanted to treat this as her job in this world. She would insist on punching in for work every day. One day, an iron rod could be sharpened into a needle.
"Your Highness." Shuyu held a bowl of bird's nest porridge and placed it in front of Zhao Fanghua. "Although the old lady has forbidden the kitchen from providing meals for Fanghua Garden, fortunately Fanghua Garden has its own small kitchen. Although we can't prepare a banquet, it is not a problem to make some porridge and some side dishes."
Zhao Fanghua took the bird's nest porridge from Shuyu and placed it on the table. He asked with concern, "Are you okay with your injury? Don't push yourself. Take good care of yourself. I have people around me anyway."
Shuyu's face turned pale, but she still pretended to be calm and said with a smile: "Your Highness, my injuries have healed completely, and the guards who carried out the execution were very careful."
Zhao Fanghua nodded: "That's good. I still need you by my side. You understand the most. Peihuan and Yingluo are very good. Peihuan is cautious but a little introverted, and Yingluo is extroverted but a little too jumpy."
Shuyu lowered her head and smiled: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."
Zhao Fanghua finished a whole bowl of bird's nest porridge, thinking of Shen Xiujin's unusual behavior before, and asked curiously: "By the way, Shuyu, isn't Shen Xiujin the third place winner in the imperial examination? Why doesn't he go to work all day long and instead hangs out in my yard every day? I'm so annoyed with him."
Shuyu was stunned. She thought about the meaning of "go to work" and guessed that it meant "on duty", so she patiently explained: "After Chen Tanhua won the third place in the imperial examination, he was awarded the seventh rank of Hanlin Academy editor..."
Zhao Fanghua nodded. She knew nothing about these positions and ranks, but was Tanhua only a rank of rank 7? That was the top three. Starting from rank 7, how long would he have to work hard in the workplace to get promoted to a rank 3 or 2?
Zhao Fanghua thought so and asked.
Shuyu smiled and said, "The speed of promotion for a Tanhua scholar is incomparable to that of an ordinary Jinshi scholar. If the emperor appreciates him, he can become a minister in just ten or fifteen years. For those with outstanding abilities, he can become a prime minister in twenty years."
Zhao Fanghua nodded and said, "Okay, it seems that Shen Xiujin has a good future. After all, according to the original novel, he will be appointed as prime minister in ten years."
Zhao Fanghua became even more curious: "Why is he just hanging around in front of me instead of focusing on his career?"
Shuyu said, "I don't understand either. I just occasionally hear servants say that you can't fight for your career alone. You need to learn from a teacher, stand on the same side, and have noble people to help you. If your highness can say a few good words to the emperor or say hello to the Ministry of Personnel, you will probably be promoted faster."
Oh well, so he was waiting for her here.
It is true that there is no gain without pain.
He was enjoying a passionate love affair with Ruan Jiaojiao just a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye he threw her aside for the sake of his career.
Bah, Zhao Fanghua cursed Shen Xiujin fiercely in her heart.
If you still want to use her as a stepping stone, that is absolutely impossible!
Moreover, Zhao Fanghua had a premonition that she must quickly get rid of Shen Xiujin, this troublesome burden, otherwise there would be endless troubles.
Shuyu looked at Zhao Fanghua in surprise. Why did he say this just now? But a moment later, she felt the burning fighting spirit in Zhao Fanghua.
Fighting spirit? Is Your Highness planning something big?
From that day on, Zhao Fanghua started a tug-of-war with Shen Xiujin. Shen Xiujin diligently sent flowers and various small items to Zhao Fanghua's courtyard every day. They were either portraits of Zhao Fanghua he painted or sour love poems. Unfortunately, Zhao Fanghua was a wild boar that could not stomach fine bran. She returned all the classical Chinese articles to the teacher as early as after she stopped writing the Chinese language test in the college entrance examination. As for the paintings... well, she still preferred sugar water paintings.
Zhao Fanghua was either entering the palace or on her way outside the palace to search for various delicacies and gadgets.
Zhao Fanghua couldn't help but sigh occasionally, they were indeed a fake couple, doing the same thing.
In order to achieve their respective goals, they even rolled up involuntarily.
Chen Xiujin came to Fanghua Garden earlier and earlier. In order to avoid him, Zhao Fanghua had to wake up earlier and earlier every day.
Just when Zhao Fanghua was about to give up, a sudden rainstorm disrupted her pace.
"Your Highness..." Shuyu looked at the torrential rain outside and asked worriedly, "Are you still coming to the palace today?"
Zhao Fanghua frowned as she looked out the window at the rain that almost blurred her vision, and asked, "Did Chen Xiujin come today?"
Shuyu was startled and said, "He is here, but he didn't enter the courtyard. He asked a maid to pass on a hairpin. I was worried that Your Highness would not like it, so I didn't show it to Your Highness."
What a bastard! He got such an advantage. He only needed to walk a few steps to get to his own Fanghua Garden, but I had to walk tens of thousands of steps to get into the palace.
No, I can’t lose. A Dasheng woman who has been strong all her life will never admit defeat easily!
Zhao Fanghua gritted her teeth and said stubbornly, "Get out! Even if it rains cats and dogs, we must get into the palace!"
Hall of Mental Cultivation.
It was already afternoon, and the rain had been falling since early morning without a break.
Zhao Qinglan sat on the bed by the window, holding a book in her hand, staring at the rain outside the window.
Li Xi, who was waiting on the side, saw this and said, "Your Majesty, it's raining so hard today, the princess may not come."
Zhao Qinglan lowered his head, flipped the page casually, and said calmly, "I'm just worried that with such heavy rain, the Qianjiang River might burst its banks."
"Yes, the emperor cares about the people, which is a blessing for all people." Although Li Xi flattered him like this, he didn't believe it at all in his heart. Zhao Qinglan had been holding the book in his hand for almost an hour, but he only turned two or three pages.
With a creak, the door of the Yangxin Palace suddenly opened, and a crisp female voice rang out, "Your Majesty!"
Zhao Qinglan's pupils shrank slightly, and he even half-lifted his body to stand up, until that bright figure suddenly appeared before him. Zhao Qinglan seemed to have taken a reassurance pill, and sat back down, saying lightly, "My Imperial Sister is here."
Zhao Qinglan spoke in a calm tone, but his eyes were fixed on Zhao Fanghua without blinking.
Zhao Fanghua was almost half wet all over. Her hair was wet, not sure if it was from rain or sweat. The loose hair on her forehead stuck tightly to her forehead, and water droplets were dripping around her feet.
Despite her disheveled appearance, her eyes were still bright and her mouth was wide open with a smile, revealing two shallow dimples. She was panting, and her chest rose and fell slightly.
Zhao Qinglan glanced at Li Xi, and Li Xi immediately understood.
"Oh, how did the princess get into this state?" Li Xi hurried forward and tied a large cloak around Zhao Fanghua. "The princess needs to go to the side hall and take a hot bath. It would be bad if she caught a cold."
"No, no." Zhao Fanghua waved her hand to politely decline Li Xi's kindness, took the lunch box from Shuyu, picked up her wet skirt, and trotted to Zhao Qinglan.
Zhao Fanghua pinched the hem of her skirt awkwardly and explained hesitantly, "I wanted to bring you some wontons from Song Sao in South City today. It's just a small street stall, but I heard their soup base is a secret recipe passed down from their ancestors, and the wontons they make are exceptionally delicious. But maybe it was because of the heavy rain today, so Song Sao didn't set up her stall, so I went to her house and asked her to make me a bowl."
Zhao Qinglan still had a calm expression.
Zhao Fanghua scratched her head and stared down at the hem of her skirt. The hem was soaked by the rain, sticking tightly to her calves and covered in mud.
It's indeed a bit too sloppy.
Zhao Fanghua raised her head slightly and looked at Zhao Qinglan with a flattering smile.
Zhao Qinglan said, "Leave it there."
At that moment, Zhao Fanghua's eyes immediately lit up. Zhao Qinglan seemed to see Zhao Fanghua erecting two non-existent big ears and shaking his big furry tail.
Zhao Fanghua walked quickly to Zhao Qinglan with the lunch box in hand. He was about to sit down opposite Zhao Qinglan, but when he thought of his appearance, he touched his nose and gave up.
She opened the lunch box and picked up a bowl of steaming wontons. The wontons were served in an ordinary porcelain bowl, which even had a small hole on the bottom.
"I guarantee that this wonton is absolutely different from the ones you've had before! Although we don't use any precious ingredients to make the broth, and the method is very simple, simplicity is the ultimate truth, and the simplest is often the best." Zhao Fanghua did not forget to promote it vigorously.
After Zhao Fanghua finished speaking, he looked at Zhao Qinglan expectantly. Zhao Qinglan's expression was still calm, and no sadness or joy could be seen on his face.
Zhao Fanghua felt a moment of loss in his heart, but he quickly cheered up. Isn't it said that emperors should not show their emotions on their faces? This is normal, very normal.
After all, not everyone is like him, living like an idiot, with his emotions written all over his face. If he were to be the emperor, the country would have been destroyed long ago.
"Right, right!" Zhao Fanghua took out a rattle from the bottom drawer of the lunch box. "Dang, dang, dang, look what this is?"
"Rattle, a toy for children." Zhao Qinglan looked at Zhao Fanghua calmly.
Zhao Fanghua chuckled, "This is no ordinary rattle."
"oh?"
Zhao Fanghua handed the rattle to Zhao Qinglan. Zhao Qinglan took it and examined it carefully. After confirming that it was just an ordinary rattle, he suddenly lost interest.
Zhao Fanghua encouraged: "Shake one."
Zhao Qinglan wanted to know what Zhao Fanghua was up to, so even though he was very reluctant, he still pinched the drum handle with his fingers and flipped his wrist slightly, and immediately a "dong dong dong" sound was heard.
"Hehehe." Zhao Fanghua took the rattle from Zhao Qinglan. The moment their hands touched, Zhao Qinglan only felt the coolness of her fingers gently sliding across his warm palm.
Zhao Fanghua held the rattle, raised an eyebrow at Zhao Qinglan, then pinched it with four fingers in his hand, and gently tightened and loosened his fingers. The rattle immediately began to shake happily.
Zhao Fanghua did not miss the flash of surprise in Zhao Qinglan's eyes, and shook her head even more happily with pride.
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