Chapter 121 Didn’t you sleep well last night?
Three days later, Lu Tingwan just arrived at the palace gate, and Cheng Xianzhi had been waiting for a long time. She was stunned at first, then slowly walked forward.
Cheng Xianzhi hadn't mentioned coming to pick someone up, and Lu Tingwan hadn't agreed on a time. The elegant man, standing with his hands behind his back, saw Lu Tingwan, dressed in vibrant colors, like a ray of sunshine amidst the bleak winter sky. He couldn't help but approach. Cheng Xianzhi said nothing, simply accepting the bag from her and saying, "Get in the car."
"How come you are free today?" Lu Tingwan knew that he was busy with all kinds of affairs and official duties.
"How many days do you need to rest?" Cheng Xianzhi asked instead of answering.
Lu Tingwan was unhappy when she thought of this. She originally only wanted to rest for two days, but Empress Dowager Jiang only allowed half a month and also issued an oral order that she was not allowed to enter the palace before half a month.
"Half a month."
The axles rolled over the snow that had accumulated last night. The streets were deserted. She had not left the palace for a long time, and every time she rode in a carriage, she liked to lift the curtain and look outside.
Cheng Xianzhi nodded absentmindedly.
Everything in Yansheng Hall remained the same as before, except that the Cheng Mansion was a little quieter. After Gongsun Xue left, everything in the mansion was taken care of by Housekeeper Zhu. When the things were delivered to the outside of Yansheng Hall, Cheng Xianzhi stopped and said, "If you need anything, just tell Cang Shu."
"Thank you!"
He looked away, seemed to be about to say something, nodded, and left.
Feng Xin came out excitedly to greet them, and pulled Lu Tingwan along to talk for a long time. Tired, she lay down in the rocking chair and asked Feng Xin, "Feng Xin, do you feel that Cheng Xianzhi is different from before?"
"My Lord?" Feng Xin wondered, "Besides not saying much, when you're not around, you'll occasionally come to Yansheng Hall and stay for a long time. Sometimes you'll sit there all night long, doing nothing, and I don't know what you're thinking about."
"Here?" She pointed to the inner room where a charcoal stove was burning, with sparks flying from time to time.
"Well, sometimes I'll be in the courtyard. Maybe I feel the mansion is too quiet."
Lu Tingwan recalled the night they parted unpleasantly two years ago. Cheng Xianzhi forced her to kiss him before he let her take the Sunset Bow away.
Lu Tingwan took off her clothes, which seemed to him to be both pity and humiliation. All the storms returned to calm after one night.
After that, he never pestered her again, nor did he ask Lu Tingwan anything. The palace gate separated him and Lu Tingwan, and a thin curtain hung in the Hanzhang Palace. Lu Tingwan could only see his back as he served as regent.
Lu Tingwan took over the affairs of Jinhua Palace for two years. The new emperor was young, and only Cheng Xianzhi assisted him. Jiang Dang and Gongsun Yin checked and balanced him on both sides, and the government was still unstable.
Shanhaiguan seemed peaceful. The secret letters sent to Jinhua Palace never passed through anyone else's hands, not even Lu Tingwan. Only a few times, when Empress Dowager Jiang was seen burning letters, would the documents from Shanhaiguan be carried to Hanzhang Palace the next day.
Jiang Haiyi petitioned the court for funding several times in succession, and secretly recruited soldiers inside the pass. If Cheng Xianzhi had not sent people to investigate, it would be no exaggeration to say that Jiang Haiyi was omnipotent in Shanhaiguan. The Turks had poor harvests in the past two years, and the war was difficult to fight, so they restrained themselves. However, Shanhaiguan asked the court for supplies and military equipment more frequently than in previous years.
The new emperor is young, and those with ulterior motives are eyeing him covetously.
"Madam, how long will you stay this time?"
"Half a month." Lu Tingwan's thoughts were interrupted.
She had been in Yansheng Hall for half a day. She was so used to being so busy that the time she had to relax felt unbearable. She stared into the darkness as heavy snow fell outside. She sat on the couch with a book to keep warm. Her eyelids began to feel heavy, and just as she was about to rest, she heard another knock on the door.
Thinking it was Feng Xin, she responded, "Feng Xin, come in."
"It's me!"
Lu Tingwan paused, lifted the quilt covering his knees, stood up from the couch and opened the door.
There was some snow stuck to his cloak on his shoulders. His eyes were gentle but not aggressive. She was guarding the door. "What's the matter?"
Cheng Xianzhi said calmly, "You don't plan to let me in to talk?"
She hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside and said, "Come in."
Cheng Xianzhi found a chair with ease, boiled some tea in the charcoal stove, and poured a cup for him.
The dim candlelight and the warmth of the room slowly dispelled the severe coldness on his body. White mist was still coming out of his mouth. He pretended to be calm and took a sip and asked, "Are you used to living here?"
"Well, you came back from Guangling Palace?"
"Military camp." He brushed the snow off his sleeves and inspected the dormitory again.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, "Jiang Haiyi is secretly recruiting soldiers and expanding his army in Shanhaiguan. On the surface, he is doing this to fight against the Turkic invasion. Most of the supplies to the Chinese treasury are used in Shanhaiguan. If the power in Shanhaiguan is concentrated, it will sooner or later backfire on Kyoto."
"Then why did you agree to the military supply allocation for Shanhaiguan during the court meeting?"
"His reason is correct. He's secretly recruiting soldiers, and I don't want to alert them."
"You're telling me this?"
"The palace is not safe. You are working under Queen Mother Jiang. Have you heard of any disturbances?"
Lu Tingwan was alert. She did not mention the old stories about the interactions between the Jiang and Lu families, but just shook her head.
"The letters from Shanhaiguan never passed through my hands."
"Um."
"This is a good thing for you." If Lu Tingwan was involved, Cheng Xianzhi was afraid that she would become the second Lu Mingqian.
The two talked about Guangling Palace again. Before they knew it, it was late at night and everyone was asleep. Lu Tingwan felt sleepy. Cheng Xianzhi took it all in but showed no intention of leaving. She glared at him with a hint of displeasure.
He ordered them to leave: "It's late at night, do you have anything else to do?"
Cheng Xianzhi stood up. Lu Ting was about to send him off. He asked nonchalantly, "What for?"
"I'll take you there." Her tone was a little anxious, and it was caught just in time.
"When did I say I was leaving?" Memories of the past came flooding back, and he was still the same Cheng Xianzhi.
She had let her guard down, thinking that he had been behaving in a disciplined manner for the past two years and would not overstep the boundaries at this moment.
Seeing him take off his cloak, Lu Tingwan became anxious, "I think there are some things we should clarify."
"Well, go ahead." Cheng Xianzhi said generously, standing straight and looking down at her.
The breath hit her hair.
Lu Tingwan raised her eyes and met his, then stepped back a little. "Although we are husband and wife in name only, we are not husband and wife in reality. We both know this."
"Um."
"The relationship between you and me really needs to be redefined, what do you think?"
"continue."
"For so many years, I have never called myself your wife, and you have never called yourself my husband in the previous dynasty. I think this is good, and you don't have to do it in the future." Lu Tingwan said seriously, "Although I have returned to live in the mansion, I will not perform the ceremony of husband and wife with you. But if you insist on your own way and force me..."
She paused and changed the subject, "I don't think you're that kind of person. Let's write off the previous matter. When I leave Beijing, the promise you made to me will still stand."
"You've taken all the good things, so what can I get?"
"Besides what I just said, what do you want?"
Cheng Xianzhi leaned aside and said nonchalantly, "Your Majesty has decreed that husband and wife should sleep together. I didn't come here today to do anything with you. But since we are husband and wife, we must live in the same room. Without your permission, I will not cross the line. You sleep yours, and I sleep mine."
To sleep together, you naturally have to sleep on the same bed, but there are rules for how to sleep.
"I don't want to sleep on the couch," he pointed to the inner room where the purple gauze curtains were half hung. "I want to sleep on the bed. It will only take up half of your space, that's all."
"You are not allowed to lock the door." He emphasized, and although his tone was calm, it seemed that he still held a grudge.
Lu Tingwan pondered for a long time. She was not at ease sleeping on the same bed with him.
"It's fine if you don't agree. I'll move to the military camp tomorrow. If His Majesty asks about it, I can't bear the crime of deceiving the emperor. Since Palace Master Lu doesn't want to, I can only disobey the order."
"You..." He wasn't like this a few days ago in Guangling Palace. Seeing him acting so seriously, Lu Tingwan frowned and said, "Then it's a deal. You are not allowed to cross the line."
Then she took the lead in separating the low couch with two pillows, and took out a quilt from the cabinet. Cheng Xianzhi was not in a hurry and stood quietly to the side waiting for her to do it.
After she had arranged everything, she went inside first and said to the person standing by the screen, "Just sleep like this. If you break the agreement, you take your things and get out."
"Are you done?" He looked at them, the candlelight softening their figures.
"It's over." Lu Tingwan lay down and turned sideways, not looking at him again, but she felt very uncomfortable in her heart.
Cheng Xianzhi then got on the bed. The weight of the couch behind her pressed down on her, and she moved inward again.
"It's cold against the wall." He said suddenly.
"None of your business." Lu Tingwan closed her eyes. She hadn't been home for a long time and she was used to her bed, so she had trouble falling asleep.
Cheng Xianzhi rested his head on his arm and stared at her profile, with the corners of his lips curved.
It took a long time before he stared back at the half-hung curtain. His breathing became shallower as he listened to the wind and snow falling on the bluestone tiles outside the house. He fell asleep without knowing when.
Lu Tingwan lay there for a long time but still didn't feel sleepy. His arms were numb from being pressed. Finally, he decided to turn over. He heard a light snoring sound from his side. He hadn't slept so soundly in a long time.
It was not until the hour of Mao that Cheng Xianzhi woke up and found an arm pressing on him. It belonged to Lu Tingwan. He gently lifted it up and put it back into the quilt for her. When he stood up, he did not disturb the person sleeping on the couch.
Feng Xin saw Cheng Xianzhi coming out of the bedroom, her mind full of questions. She went back in with hot water. The charcoal fire in the room went out, the temperature dropped, and another gust of cold wind woke the person on the low couch. Lu Tingwan wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and said dully, "Feng Xin, close the door. It's cold."
She was indeed more afraid of the cold than others. Last night, she leaned hard against Cheng Xianzhi and woke him up in the middle of the night. He didn't wake up Lu Tingwan, but just occupied that tiny space and continued to sleep.
"Madam, where did the master sleep in the room last night?" Feng Xin fiddled with the fire tongs and added some charcoal to continue burning.
"Yeah." Lu Tingwan responded, "You saw it."
"If you are sleepy, please rest for a while." Feng Xin doted on her.
"I'm sleepy." She dragged her voice hoarsely, "I went to bed very late last night."
Feng Xin's eyes were shrewd, "You went to bed so late?"
"It's all Cheng Xianzhi's fault, otherwise I would have gone to bed earlier." She didn't find anything wrong with Feng Xin's words, and the two of them were not talking about the same thing.
Feng Xin had already misjudged the situation. She suddenly returned home, Cheng Xianzhi lived in Yansheng Hall again, and Lu Tingwan did not complain. Feng Xin was sure that the two of them were in love.
"My Lord and Madam are still young, nothing will happen."
"I am young, so there is no need to torture me like this." She connected each sentence seamlessly.
"This kind of thing is okay once or twice, but I won't do it more than once."
Feng Xin didn't dare to listen to what she was about to say. "Then Madam, please take a rest. Feng Xin will go to the kitchen and ask the chef to make some delicious food for you to nourish you."
Lu Tingwan turned sideways and asked, "Refill?"
Feng Xin was gone, but she didn't care because she was still sleepy.
When she woke up again, it was already 9:00 PM. The sky was clear, the snow had stopped, but the wind was still blowing. After washing up, she leaned on her arms and stood by the window to admire the snow scene in the courtyard. There were some sparrows perched on the grape trellis. She tapped the wooden window a few times with her knuckles. The sparrows were startled by the noise and flew over the courtyard wall. A dark shadow jumped in from under the moon-shaped door and came into her sight.
Lu Tingwan looked at the approaching figure, straightened up, and knocked on the wooden window again. Cheng Xianzhi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a fair face with a faint smile under the carved hollow window.
She greeted him like an old friend, "Minister Cheng, are you leaving court so early today?"
Cheng Xianzhi had already entered the house. She turned sideways and waited until Cheng Xianzhi walked into the house. She supported herself with her arms, looking at him closely.
"Your Majesty is young and should balance work and rest. I am the emperor's teacher, not a wet nurse." He walked behind the screen and changed out of his court clothes as if no one was around. Cang Shu brought him his documents and daily necessities this morning.
"He's only two years old. He can't take in much. If the water is full, it will overflow. Forcing it may not be a good thing."
The tall figure behind the screen was faintly visible, and I saw him taking off his clothes and then putting them back on.
"So, are there no problems in your six ministries? Are there no problems in the army?"
"You don't have to do everything yourself. If you relax occasionally, your subordinates will be happy, and you will feel more relaxed too. Why? Are you so concerned about me today?" Cheng Xianzhi came out from behind the screen, buttoning his collar.
Feng Xin brought the food in and saw that the two of them were as skillful as an old couple. He thought of what Lu Tingwan said in the morning and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"My lord, my lady, it's time for lunch."
Cheng Xianzhi straightened his sleeves and sat down. Lu Tingwan also found a seat so as not to sit next to him.
The dishes that were served one after another were mostly tonic foods, such as deer tendon stuffed with various flowers, braised old hen with abalone and lily bulbs, deer blood wine, and old turtle stewed with deer antler, codonopsis, and astragalus...
Lu Tingwan stared at the table full of nutritious dishes with a frown on her face. She and Cheng Xianzhi also glanced at the servant who was serving the dishes.
"Has the food in the mansion always been so good?" Lu Tingwan questioned Feng Xin.
Yansheng Hall didn’t have such good food before. Could it be that because Cheng Xianzhi came to live here, the mansion made such arrangements for him, or was it Cheng Xianzhi who made the arrangements himself?
She held the chopsticks in her hand, glanced at him and almost asked.
"Who arranged this?" Cheng Xianzhi was at a loss as to what to do.
"Madam said she was tired last night, so I asked the kitchen to prepare more nourishing food."
Cheng Xianzhi folded his hands between his legs, looking a little puzzled, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"No, it's not." She didn't want to admit it in front of him, lest he worry too much.
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