Chapter 123 The night is long, why not do something?
Lu Tingwan didn't say anything else. She just felt that there was going to be a bloody storm in Kyoto. She wanted to see if she could take advantage of this storm to escape from this cage. She had to keep an eye on any movement in Jinhua Palace as soon as possible.
Cheng Xianzhi wants to lure Jiang Haiyi into taking action. If Jiang Haiyi is ambitious enough, he can become emperor himself, but that requires the consent of Queen Mother Jiang.
If Queen Mother Jiang did not respond, it would be too risky for Jiang Haiyi to attack the imperial city without the Queen Mother Jiang's assistance.
Unless Jiang Haiyi has other bargaining chips that can make Queen Mother Jiang willing to take the risk and re-promote the new emperor.
Dusk settled over the military camp, a mountain breeze rustling into the tents, occasionally bringing the sounds of soldiers training. The two men acted as if they hadn't even experienced their previous discussion. Lu Tingwan sat there for a long time, growing bored. Cheng Xianzhi was still attending to military affairs, his banknotes running low.
"You have accompanied the Queen Mother to attend court for the past two years, and you have an understanding of the situation in the court. You serve the Queen Mother with ease. The Queen Mother has kept you by her side for so many years, so she would not be completely defenseless against you." Cheng Xianzhi meant to remind her.
Lu Tingwan supported his head and saw the pile of memorials being reviewed on the left and placed on the right, piling up into a small mountain again.
"I'm not worth her killing right now."
Cheng Xianzhi looked at her indifferent expression and sighed, "Grind the ink for me."
Lu Tingwan's eyes lit up, and she was extremely happy, like a child having fun. While she was grinding, she fixed her eyes on the documents, "Are these from the northwest?"
"Yeah." Cheng Xianzhi paused for a moment, and torches were lit outside the tent, and the noise became louder.
"Have dinner in the barracks before coming back." He still had some unfinished work in his hands, and his tone sounded like he was negotiating, seeking her opinion.
Lu Tingwan was very casual, "I'm fine with anything."
"The food in the army is all coarse grains and clear soup."
Lu Tingwan thought of the delicious food for lunch and straightened his back. "Who am I looking down on? If the soldiers eat, then I can eat too."
Cheng Xianzhi nodded vaguely, finished reviewing the last document, and stood up to have the meal served.
A few steamed buns, a pile of side dishes, and two bowls of rice porridge.
One serving per tray. Han Zhou knew that the two of them would eat in the camp, so he asked the cook in the kitchen to add two more eggs.
She looked at the plate, picked up the hot steamed bun, took a bite, and swallowed it with the refreshing side dishes, which relieved the greasiness of the lunch. A smile appeared on her little face. Seeing that she was eating well, Cheng Xianzhi picked up the chopsticks and started eating.
She saved the eggs for last. Cheng Xianzhi didn't move, but just moved the small bowl of eggs in front of her.
Lu Tingwan looked up in confusion: "Why give it to me?"
"I don't like it." He said lightly. Han Zhou had been serving him for a long time and knew his taste very well. If there was something he didn't like, it would not be seen on the meal.
Lu Tingwan was a little full, but didn't want to waste any food, so she had to finish the last egg.
Cheng Xianzhi stared at her as she concentrated on eating, his expression becoming a little softer.
It was completely dark when they returned to the city. The streets were brightly lit, and despite the cold winter and strong winds, there were fewer people than usual. The murmurs from the restaurants and theaters along the street blended with the sound of horse hooves and the throngs of people. Her cloak shielded her from the chill wind. Today, she was in a particularly good mood, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
At night, the two of them went to bed according to the rules she set. The room was warm with a charcoal stove burning, but they both felt hot. The person on the couch tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep. Cheng Xianzhi lifted the quilt and got up to go to the window.
He leaned against the window, leaving a gap for cold wind to blow in. He opened his clothes, trying to let the wind blow away the heat in his body, but felt it was not enough, so he pushed the window wider.
The night wind seemed to contain a knife, sharp when it blew past. After waiting for a long time, the heat in his body was slightly suppressed, and a chill came over him, but he did not return to the bed.
Lu Tingwan couldn't sleep either. She sensed that Cheng Xianzhi had gotten up. She thought he was going to get up at night, so she closed her eyes and waited for a while, but he didn't come back.
Until she heard the sound of the window being pushed open, she turned sideways to look in the direction of the sound. In the dark night, a tall figure appeared behind the screen, with her long black hair fluttering in the wind.
She looked at the back and said softly, "What's wrong with you?"
The young man turned slowly in the candlelight, "Did I disturb you?"
Lu Tingwan exposed his arms and rested them on the pillow. "That's not the case. I just feel very dry inside and can't sleep."
She thought about it and decided that it must be the nutritious food she had at lunch that had caused the trouble. Then her eyes changed when she looked at Cheng Xianzhi. She saw clearly that the collar of her clothes had been torn apart, and she quietly retracted her exposed arms and wrapped herself tightly.
"You are not like this too, are you?" She hid half of her little face, revealing two big eyes that blinked.
Cheng Xianzhi leaned his elbows back on the windowsill, paying attention to her reaction. He felt inexplicably amused and forced himself to suppress the urge to tease her.
"That's the same. What is it like?" He looked clueless.
Lu Tingwan breathed a sigh of relief and changed into a comfortable position.
"I have to ask Feng Xin to change the diet tomorrow." She muttered.
Suddenly my vision was blocked, and the breath that hit me in the face was oppressive.
"I can't sleep. The night is long. Why not do something?" Cheng Xianzhi supported himself on the low couch with his arms, half of his body pressed down. The distance between them was just right, not too far and not too close, but there was a sense of oppression from him, forcing Lu Tingwan to move back.
Seeing this, he made up his mind to tease her. His eyes fixed on her lips, then moved down. Her neck reflected her white skin, and Cheng Xianzhi swallowed unconsciously.
Lu Tingwan was so frightened that he sat up suddenly and pressed himself against the wall.
"You, what are you doing?" She frowned and scolded, "We have three rules."
Cheng Xianzhi tilted his head, raised his arm in the air, and when he saw they were getting closer, he turned around to get his pillow, "I'm going to sleep on the couch."
Seeing that he really went to the couch, Lu Tingwan finally lay down. However, she couldn't fall asleep peacefully no matter how hard she stared at the curtain. She glanced sideways at the person on the couch.
"Can you sleep?"
Cheng Xianzhi opened his eyes, "What's wrong?"
She sat up again and asked, "How about playing a game of chess?"
"Can I do anything if I win?" he almost blurted out.
Lu Tingwan rolled her eyes, still anxious about the way he had teased her just now.
"What do you want to bet?" She was so bored she couldn't sleep. "Let me make it clear first: no taking advantage of others, no dirty tricks."
"That's all right." He said casually, resting his head on his arm.
Lu Tingwan cursed inwardly, it turned out that he had some ulterior motive.
"Hypocrite." She couldn't help but curse.
"Then what do you want to bet on?" He felt hot and couldn't sleep.
"Can we hunt outside the city?" Lu Tingwan asked.
Cheng Xianzhi said, "Yes."
"If I win, how about you take me hunting?"
"If I win," Cheng Xianzhi thought for a moment, "how about spending the New Year at home this year?"
"Okay, it's up to you if I win." Lu Tingwan stood up to get the chessboard. She was not good at chess originally, but she learned her chess skills after playing with Queen Mother Jiang many times.
Cheng Xianzhi also stood up. She moved the chessboard to his couch and took away his bedding. The two of them sat cross-legged on each side, wearing thick robes.
Go talk lingered in Yansheng Hall until midnight, mostly the sound of her destroying the chess pieces. Every time Cheng Xianzhi gave in, it was because he was still confident that he could turn the situation around.
Lu Tingwan was holding the chess pieces, hesitating, and he didn't urge her. The sound of each move was heard without regret, but each time it was made, it didn't count. In the second half of the night, she couldn't hold up her eyes any longer and fell asleep on the couch.
When he woke up again, he was lying on a low couch, covered with bedding. The chessboard was neatly placed on the couch. Cheng Xianzhi was no longer in the room. He had gone to court.
Lu Tingwan rubbed her eyes, thinking back to last night. She was hazy over the last game of chess, as if she had lost and her hunting trip was in vain. In her dream, she even heard Cheng Xianzhi's voice, saying that she would spend the New Year with him in the mansion this year, and emphasizing that he was not allowed to regret it.
The sun was shining brightly, so she got up and washed herself with hot water. She also specifically instructed that today's meal should be light and no nourishing food should be served on the table.
Feng Xin was puzzled. There was a lot of noise last night. She could vaguely hear the sound of collisions in the next yard. She thought that the nourishing meal arranged during the day had taken effect, and the noise lasted until the second half of the night.
But that was the sound of the chess piece falling to the ground, the noise of Lu Tingwan bumping into the table and chairs when she picked up the chess piece, and her distorted words of regret and refusal to admit it.
Seeing Lu Tingwan's firm and sincere attitude in saying that no tonic food was allowed on the table, Feng Xin didn't dare to ask any more questions, thinking that she couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to restrain herself.
At noon, Cheng Xianzhi returned to Yansheng Hall for dinner. The food had indeed changed. He hid a smile on his face, taking Lu Tingwan's expression into consideration, pretending to be unaware.
After dinner, he returned to his study to handle official business, and spent the rest of the day in the six ministries.
For ten consecutive days, every day at noon and before sunset, Cheng Xianzhi would rush back to eat on time. After eating, he would not stay for long. He would either leave the house or stay in the study until midnight before returning to Yansheng Hall to rest.
When Han Zhou led important officials from the six ministries into the mansion to discuss government affairs, he would stay in the study. If he just needed to deal with official documents, he would review them in Yansheng Hall.
Occasionally, Cheng Xianzhi would bring back a few exquisite dim sum from Weiyang Tower. Lu Tingwan would savor them carefully, sipping a cup of hot tea and flipping through a book. The room was silent, the warmth shimmering through the candlelight as the wick grew longer, its shadow swaying violently.
It was not until midnight that Lu Tingwan yawned and realized how late it was outside the window.
When she looked up, the person at the desk was still processing official documents. She didn't disturb him and went to the bed to rest.
The candle on Zi Shi's desk was blown out. He moved very quietly. When he got on the bed, Lu Tingwan turned sideways to face outside. His whole face entered Cheng Xianzhi's sight in the dim light. He was breathing evenly and fell asleep.
This was the first time he'd ever laid on his side during his stay in Yansheng Hall. Through the darkness, he could see thick eyelashes trembling with each breath. At this close, simply observing them wasn't enough. He reached up to touch the bridge of her nose, his hair obscuring her delicate features. He wanted to lift them to see more clearly.
The tips of her hair made her feel itchy, and Lu Tingwan rubbed her cheek into the pillow. Cheng Xianzhi withdrew his hand with an unwilling look on his face, and finally let go.
The half-month deadline was approaching, and Lu Tingwan's return to the palace was imminent. Cheng Xianzhi had just entered Yansheng Hall, carrying a food box. Feng Xin had prepared the dishes, and she placed a piece of bamboo shoot tip in his bowl.
"I will return to the palace the day after tomorrow," Lu Tingwan said, "but I will not break my promise to you to come home for the New Year."
"Yeah." Cheng Xianzhi ate the bamboo shoot tip, "I'll give it to you."
Seeing that he was not in a good mood, Lu Tingwan didn't know what was wrong with him, so he didn't ask any more questions and just ate his food quietly.
After finishing their meal, before Lu Tingwan put down her bowl and chopsticks, Cheng Xianzhi said, "Jiang Haiyi has left for the imperial court, and there are matters to be arranged at the Jinhua Palace. Your matter is more important."
"Has the letter from Shanhaiguan come back?" Lu Tingwan put down his bowl and chopsticks and asked seriously.
"The memorial submitted to the court today has already been on the journey for three days. Traveling on official roads is difficult in winter, and it will take more than half a month to return to Kyoto."
She nodded and didn't continue the conversation. She didn't know what Cheng Xianzhi would do next, whether to take the initiative or to counter his moves. She had lived in Yansheng Hall for half a month, spending every day with him, talking about state affairs and occasionally chatting about some trivial matters in life. Although she was the one who muttered to him most of the time, Cheng Xianzhi, although he spoke little, listened carefully.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
