Chapter 74 The Sky Curtain Made Me a White Moonlight in History The Sky Curtain, for publicity...
Time flies, and the Dragon Boat Festival is here in the blink of an eye.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a three-day holiday, and there is no need to attend court. Si Qi declined invitations from several close colleagues, and did not go out for fun with his parents, siblings, or relatives, choosing instead to stay quietly at home.
As expected, not long after, Chu Feng came to visit and invited Si Qi to go out for a trip, which Si Qi gladly accepted.
They changed into inconspicuous clothes and disguised themselves slightly, thus discreetly leaving the Si residence.
The festive atmosphere outside the mansion was very strong. Mugwort and calamus were hanging above the main entrance of the Si family's residence. As you walked with the crowd toward the main street, you could smell the fragrance of glutinous rice and bamboo leaves.
Among the passersby, some children held cloth tigers in their hands, with five-colored silk threads tied to their wrists. As they were carried by their parents, a faint scent of realgar wine could be smelled on their bodies, which was used to apply to their foreheads.
Si Qi really enjoys participating in these kinds of activities.
In the previous world, modern people, let alone holidays, even during the Lunar New Year, couldn't find any festive atmosphere when they went out. Everyone stayed home watching TV and playing on their phones, and there were hardly any people on the streets. The scene wasn't as lively as a barbecue festival or music festival.
In ancient times, people had few forms of entertainment, so during such seasons, the surrounding area was often filled with a festive atmosphere and was exceptionally lively.
Chu Feng had a similar idea.
However, the comparison he made wasn't between ancient and modern times, but between inside and outside the palace. As the Crown Prince, Chu Feng had no shortage of food like zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) or lively banquets in the palace. He simply rarely had the opportunity to leave the palace to participate in such activities—other princes lived in the palace in their youth, and upon reaching adulthood, they could at least move out to their own residences, going wherever they wanted to play every day. The Crown Prince, living in the Eastern Palace with his heavy responsibilities, couldn't do that.
Chu Feng had only ever seen such a grand folk scene during the Dragon Boat Festival in books before; this was his first time actually participating in it.
To ensure Si Qi had a great time today, Chu Feng had prepared a plan in advance and suggested to Si Qi, "Go through this street and you'll reach the outer city moat. There are dragon boat races there, it's very lively."
Si Qi readily agreed: "Then let's go take a look."
When they reached the riverbank, there were indeed even more people.
The sounds of noise and laughter filled the air. Beautiful ribbons were tied to the branches of trees on both banks, and people stood on the shore waiting for the dragon boats to appear.
Soon, the sound of drums rose from afar, and excited cheers erupted from the crowd. Wooden boats rowed from the other side of the river, and strong men in simple vests vigorously swung their oars, shouting powerful slogans as they propelled their boats forward at high speed.
People who knew them stood on the shore and cheered loudly for them, instantly igniting the atmosphere to its peak. Under the sunlight, sweat slid down the boatmen's foreheads, dripping onto the river's surface as they moved, reflecting golden, shimmering light.
Chu Feng stood in the crowd, but paid little attention to what he was seeing for the first time in his life; his mind was entirely on Si Qi. He turned around to see if Si Qi would like the amusement activities he had arranged, and saw a smile in Si Qi's eyes and a slight upturn of his lips, as if he was quite satisfied.
Chu Feng felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, he was drawn to the smile on Si Qi's lips. His heart started pounding uncontrollably, and his gaze unconsciously lingered on Si Qi.
Si Qi was focused on watching the dragon boat and seemed completely unaware of Chu Feng's spying, which emboldened Chu Feng to watch even more.
Somehow, the jostling crowd bumped into Si Qi, who was looking straight ahead. Chu Feng tensed up and tried to reach out to steady him, but Si Qi ended up shoving her head-on.
Chu Feng's nose involuntarily caught the faint herbal scent emanating from Si Qi, and his ear brushed against a few strands of Si Qi's hair. He blushed deeply, his arms flailing helplessly in the air. He wanted to hug him but dared not, and could only stammer, "Brother Si, are you alright?"
"Ah..." Si Qi seemed to have been hurt somewhere, he gasped for breath, and placed his hand on Chu Feng's chest, unable to stand up for a moment: "No, it's nothing, I'm sorry for offending Brother Chu..."
"It's alright, just make sure no one else bumps into you." Chu Feng remembered that Si Qi's foot had only recently healed, and it wouldn't be good if someone accidentally bumped into or stepped on it, causing further injury.
"Don't worry, Brother Chu," Si Qi stood up from Chu Feng's arms, looked up at him and smiled, "I'm all better now."
"Is that so?" Chu Feng stammered, her ears turning bright red. She didn't dare to meet Si Qi's gaze, afraid that he would see through her.
Chu Feng had no idea when the dragon boats had passed and disappeared, or who had won or lost. He simply didn't realize that the surrounding houses had gradually dispersed, and the noise around him had slowly faded away.
Coming to her senses, Chu Feng prepared to leave with Si Qi. Fearing that the crowd would be too large and Si Qi might be bumped by others, Chu Feng gently placed her hand behind Si Qi to prevent anyone from suddenly bumping into them from behind or beside them.
Seeing Chu Feng like this, Si Qi's eyes were full of smiles. He reached out and gently grabbed the hem of Chu Feng's clothes. Under Chu Feng's surprised gaze, he said shyly, "This way we won't get separated."
Chu Feng nodded repeatedly, agreeing, "Brother Si is right!"
They didn't care at all about the strange looks they received from passersby who saw them with one arm around the waist and the other holding hands.
They had a great time that day.
As dusk fell and darkness gradually descended, street vendors began to pack up their stalls, and people headed home for dinner. Chu Feng and Si Qi returned to the Si residence together, neither of them mentioning that Chu Feng should have been going to the East Palace at this time.
The four members of the Si family returned earlier than them and were surprised to find Si Qi missing. They were astonished to find out where he had gone, but then they saw Chu Feng appear with him and realized what had happened.
The younger brother teased Si Qi: "This morning I called you to go out, but you said you wanted to stay and study. How come the situation changed so quickly after His Highness the Crown Prince came over?"
His eldest brother was a voracious reader; back home, he was always engrossed in books, as if he were an extension of himself into them. But not anymore. Whenever His Highness the Crown Prince comes over, his brother always puts his books aside, not even remembering what they look like, and just hovers around the prince.
If it were someone else, they might think that this was a subject not daring to neglect His Highness the Crown Prince. But looking at how the elder brother and His Highness get along, it is clear that the two are close friends with a deep bond, inseparable no matter what.
Si Qi gently tapped his younger brother's head and patted his hair: "Did you have a lot of fun going out?"
“I’m happy,” the younger brother said with a grin. “No matter what you do in the capital, it’s always lively.”
In the past, they never had the chance to see a dragon boat. It was so big and so majestic. If they tried to sneak a peek, they would probably be grabbed by the collar and thrown out, and then be scolded.
Not now.
With his older brother around, people knew his identity and were worried he might refuse when they invited him to touch the dragon boat.
He just won't do those things anymore.
After his time in prison, he deeply understood the backstabbing and infighting in officialdom, and how difficult his elder brother's life was as an official.
Everyone unanimously said that his older brother knew everything and could do everything, but he had been with his older brother for so many years, and he knew exactly how capable his older brother was.
Although my elder brother has indeed achieved many successes recently, rising to the position of prime minister in one fell swoop, the effort he put in must be beyond the imagination of outsiders.
His elder brother used to study so much that he forgot to eat, staying up late into the night to read, until he was skin and bones. In the Eastern Palace, he probably works day and night like that to live up to the expectations of others, keep the emperor and others at ease, and prevent them from being imprisoned for deceiving the emperor again. They will only be released when his elder brother becomes as powerful as Tianmu said.
The Crown Prince often told them about his elder brother's hardships, and that many people were eyeing his position, wanting to find fault with him and remove him from the position of Prime Minister.
They know.
When a villain makes even the slightest change, others are relieved and say they've become better. But when a saint shows even the smallest stain, it's always magnified infinitely and scrutinized with the harshest standards.
They didn't want to trouble their already tired older brother, so they wouldn't do anything like using his power for their own benefit.
Their lives now are so much better than they ever imagined, and they are very content.
After teasing Si Qi, the younger brother happily ran to his room to unpack the toys he had bought from the market that day.
Before long, the cook had prepared dinner, and the family happily gathered together for a meal. Chu Feng naturally joined in and successfully stayed overnight at Si Qi's place.
On the second day of rest, Chu Feng still didn't leave, and went to a gathering of ministers with Si Qi.
Many children of ministers had come here, boys and girls, sitting in two separate places, and could see the commotion on the other side from a distance.
Si Qi and Chu Feng glanced over as they passed by and saw the boys playing a game called "grass fighting"—grass fighting refers to a literary contest and a physical contest. In the literary contest, they would find some exotic flowers and grasses and name them to each other, with the one who could name the most winning. In the physical contest, they would use grasses to pull each other across each other, with the one whose grasses could not be broken winning.
Although it was a very simple game, the group of people still had a lot of fun.
Si Qi and Chu Feng watched for a while, and seeing how much fun the group was having, they also picked up two grass stalks and started competing with each other.
Logically, Chu Feng, being stronger, should have an advantage in this kind of game, but he was too embarrassed to pull on the grass stem to pull Si Qi. Si Qi, on the other hand, was very skillful and broke the grass stem in Chu Feng's hand in no time. He then smiled and teased the defeated Chu Feng while holding the grass in his hand.
Chu Feng was mesmerized by that smile and gave a soft, almost silly smile in return.
The laughter and chatter from the crowd around them subsided. The boys stared blankly at the handsome young man, who smiled as if picking a flower, almost forgetting to breathe; the girls were even more silent, clearly having been peeking at him like the boys had been since earlier.
Seeing this, Si Qi felt embarrassed to stay any longer, so he and Chu Feng left together and went to the place where the ministers were gathering.
It was naturally not as lively as when the teenagers were playing around. A group of people sat behind a table, clinking glasses and exchanging pleasantries, their conversation carrying a touch of the reserved nature of scholars.
Upon seeing Si Qi and Chu Feng appear, they immediately rose to greet them and escorted them to the main seats.
Since it's the Dragon Boat Festival, we naturally drink realgar wine.
After Tianmu's popular science education, everyone knows that minerals like realgar are poisonous, so even if they want to drink it, they just leave it aside to look at, and drink other kinds of alcohol.
Si Qi was persuaded by a group of ministers to drink quite a bit. In his drunken state, he even composed some impromptu poems, which the group of scholars thoroughly enjoyed. They eagerly borrowed paper and pens to copy them down.
This body had clearly not undergone any real training, and soon became dizzy from drinking. He rested his chin on one hand, his face flushed, his eyes glazed, and his breathing became heavy. This made Chu Feng, who already had impure thoughts, very uneasy. He couldn't stand it for more than a few minutes before taking Si Qi and saying he wanted to leave.
Si Qi clung limply to Chu Feng, his head resting on Chu Feng's shoulder, and whispered in Chu Feng's ear, "Your Highness..."
A jolt of electricity shot from behind Chu Feng to the spot where Si Qi's lips had touched him. His face turned even redder than Si Qi's, causing the surrounding ministers to panic. They quickly escorted the two of them to a carriage outside the mansion, instructing the driver and servants to take good care of the two noblemen.
However, looking in the direction the carriage had left, one minister asked in confusion, "Isn't this the road to the palace?"
Another minister glanced at it and said, "They should be heading to the Ministry of Personnel!"
Everyone exclaimed, "His Highness the Crown Prince is so kind and benevolent, treating Lord Si with such courtesy."
They actually sent Si Qi home first before preparing to return to the palace.
Which minister wouldn't be moved to tears by being personally escorted by His Highness the Crown Prince?
In reality, Chu Feng never left after sending the person back to the Si residence.
He carried Si Qi back to the room, took the wet towel handed to him by Si Qi's sister, and personally wiped Si Qi's rosy face under the astonished gazes of his sister and the others.
Si Qi groggily opened his eyes: "Phew... I'm not drunk..."
Seeing Si Qi's dazed look, Chu Feng couldn't help but chuckle: "Hmm, you're not drunk."
Si Qi mumbled, "Chu Feng, how come there are three of you?"
The Si family members were shocked – Si Qi was actually calling the Crown Prince by his name!
Chu Feng was also taken aback, but quickly laughed again and said, "Isn't three good?"
“Three is too many…” Si Qi covered his face with the blanket, embarrassed, and said, “I can’t take it.”
Chu Feng: ?
Feeling lost, he turned to the trembling family and reassured them, "I'll take care of things here. You go and prepare some hangover soup."
He was afraid that Si Qi would feel unwell when he woke up tomorrow.
The younger brother cautiously explained to Chu Feng, "My elder brother has never drunk alcohol and cannot hold his liquor. Your Highness, please don't be offended..."
Chu Feng: "It's okay."
Only then did the group leave, turning back every few steps under Chu Feng's watchful gaze.
Chu Feng turned his head, looking at Si Qi with a mixture of curiosity and greed, and said, "Lord Si, could you call my name again?"
Si Qi blinked, his clear eyes clouding over with a misty haze, making him look pitiful. "Um... Brother Feng..."
A burst of white light flashed in Chu Feng's mind, and he clenched the wet handkerchief in his hand, almost jumping up and down with excitement.
He said expectantly, "Call me again."
Si Qi said softly, "Brother Feng."
"Say it again."
"Hmph..." Si Qi turned his face away in protest: "Bad."
Chu Fengren laughed so hard he was dumbfounded. He gently dabbed Si Qi's forehead and cheek with a damp cloth, wanting to kiss him and hug him, but he restrained himself and did nothing, using the wiping motion to replace his inner desire.
He really, really likes him so much.
Si Qi, unable to resist the effects of the alcohol, quickly fell asleep on the bed.
During this time, the hangover soup was prepared, and Chu Feng woke him up once. Si Qi leaned against Chu Feng, feeling dizzy, and was half-held as he drank it down, sip by sip, before Chu Feng helped him lie back down.
The Si family members standing to the side were completely dumbfounded. They never expected that when their eldest brother and the Crown Prince slept side by side, it wasn't their eldest brother carefully taking care of the Crown Prince, but rather the Crown Prince pressing his body against their eldest brother.
Otherwise, how could the way these two interact, taking care of each other and being taken care of, be so skillful?
You should know that their eldest brother used to do everything himself and never delegated anything to others.
Let alone drinking hangover soup, even if he caught a cold and was lying in bed with no strength, the eldest brother would drink those bitter herbal medicines by himself while gagging, never letting his younger siblings help.
The family of four, who knew Si Qi's temperament well, were completely bewildered, but Chu Feng acted as if it was nothing and perfectly normal, and sent them away.
How could they possibly stare at the drunk and asleep Lord Si all night while they were here?
...
When Si Qi woke up, he felt a familiar breath beside him. He instinctively leaned over and hugged the person, then slowly opened his eyes.
His memory is fragmented. Yesterday evening, Xiu Xiu reported the events of the day to Si Qi, omitting the part about him hugging Chu Feng and acting cute. The main point is that the God stared at Si Qi until the middle of the night and even secretly touched Si Qi's lips with his hand, turning himself into a cooked lobster.
Si Qi got up and stretched, amusedly saying, "[All he's got the desire but not the guts, is that all he's got?]"
Swoosh whined and grumbled, but still had to say: "That's because the Supreme God couldn't bear to make you sad~"
Considering that Si Qi might be offended by such a thing, Chu Feng would not do it at all—even if he really wanted to.
Si Qi smugly hummed twice, got up to wash up, and then found a good angle to pose.
If he doesn't take the initiative, who knows how long Chu Feng will keep dragging his feet.
When Chu Feng groggily woke up and noticed that the person lying beside him had disappeared, he looked up to look for him and saw that it was just getting light outside, with a ray of morning sunlight shining in through the window.
The young man, dressed in blue, sat by the window, looking down at the book in his hands in the morning light.
A gentle breeze rustled his clothes, but the young man was oblivious. His figure by the window was graceful and elegant, like a pine tree or bamboo, untouched by the world.
Chu Feng stared in a daze, completely mesmerized, until Si Qi turned the pages of the book, at which point his attention gradually shifted to those slender, jade-like, fair hands.
The back of his hand, with its faint blue veins, was as delicate as jade. Who could have imagined that these hands had once penned countless breathtaking articles and outlined policies powerful enough to change the entire court?
This is a person who appears weak but is actually extremely strong.
How dare he treat such a person like a beautiful porcelain doll, to be trifled with and defiled?
Just watching from afar is enough to satisfy me.
He sat up, his movement startling Si Qi, who was reading a book.
Si Qi put down his book and walked over, his voice as humble and polite as ever: "Your Highness is awake. Would you like to wash up?"
"Okay," Chu Feng said with a smile.
When Si Qi woke up, he wasn't like he was when he was drunk yesterday, clinging to people and acting coquettishly. Chu Feng felt regretful, and at the same time resolved that he must never let outsiders see Lord Si when he was drunk, and even more so, he must never let anyone get close to Si Qi at that time.
He joked, "Lord Si was knocked out after just three cups yesterday."
Si Qi said apologetically, "Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness."
"Serving as an official in the court inevitably involves drinking. I have many fine wines. Lord Si, you can often drink with me in private to improve your drinking capacity."
Si Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, looked Chu Feng over carefully, and then smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Feeling guilty, Chu Feng felt somewhat uncomfortable under Si Qi's gaze. He thought to himself that he simply wanted to help Lord Si improve his drinking capacity and prevent outsiders from knowing Lord Si's adorable appearance; he had absolutely no improper thoughts.
He cleared his throat twice, got up to wash and change.
Today is the third day of the holiday. A banquet will be held in the palace, which all the court officials must attend.
Chu Feng had been out partying for two days straight (?), and today the palace was hosting a banquet, so he had to go back early to prepare.
He said to Si Qi with reluctance, "Lord Si, see you tonight."
Si Qi smiled faintly: "Your Highness, see you tonight."
Chu Feng, with Si Qi watching him go, regretfully boarded the carriage and returned to the palace.
He first went to pay his respects to his father and mother, then returned to the East Palace to check the clothes his subordinates had prepared for the banquet he would wear. By the time everything was finished, it was already noon. Chu Feng sat alone at the table eating, gazing at his empty side, his mind involuntarily drifting back to Si Qi.
I wonder if Lord Si has eaten yet, if he ate well, and if he encountered any dishes he likes.
Although Lord Si appears composed, he is actually picky about food he doesn't like. If a dish doesn't suit his taste, he would rather eat half a bowl less rice than force himself to eat it.
He's so thin, he needs to eat more.
Looking at the large prawns in front of her, Chu Feng thought of how Si Qi had picked up several prawns when he saw this dish last time, and she really wanted Si Qi to have a taste now.
Eh... why can't Lord Si stay in the East Palace forever?
Chu Feng ate without any appetite. The eunuch serving him thought to himself that without Lord Si present, His Highness the Crown Prince's appetite had indeed decreased considerably.
The banquet should come soon. Not only His Highness the Crown Prince, but also all of them who haven't seen Lord Si for several days are missing him dearly.
This year's palace banquet was exceptionally lively.
Firstly, there were too many things to do this year. The arrival of the Heavenly Curtain kept the entire court busy, and only now do people have time to take a breather and relax to eat, drink, and have fun.
Secondly, there have been tremendous changes in the court during this period, which have also led to significant changes in the entire Qi state.
Whether it's infrastructure, laws and regulations, policies concerning people's livelihood, or medical and technological matters, the signs of prosperity in the Great Qi Dynasty can be sensed even by ordinary people, let alone the ministers who are involved and personally drive all the processes.
The palace servants busily arranged the banquet, and stacks of exquisite and delicious delicacies were served on the table. Each dish was excellent in both appearance and symbolism.
Soon, the ministers and their families arrived one after another.
Each of them dressed up meticulously, striving to make their clothes and jewelry as perfect as possible while strictly adhering to the rules, making the already magnificent and grand palace appear even more luxurious.
The Si family members following Si Qi felt quite awkward watching this scene. They were dressed in exquisite and soft silk, adorned with beautiful jade pendants and hairpins, but their hands, feet, and faces were rough and dark. Looking at the elegant and poised demeanor of those noblemen, they couldn't help but feel ashamed of themselves.
Fortunately, the family members quickly recognized Si Qi's identity and greeted the Si family members warmly.
No one would look down on them, after all, decades ago, their founding emperor was exactly the same as this family.
Even they themselves mostly come from humble backgrounds, and only because a remarkable person came from their family in previous generations were they able to come to such a place.
Moreover... by cultivating a good relationship with the Si family, they will only benefit themselves.
Looking at Si Qi, who was welcomed to the head seat by the ministers, and seeing the caring glances he occasionally casts towards his family, one can tell that the Si family members are indeed as harmonious and loving as rumored.
The people looked at the Si family with increasingly friendly eyes and warmly invited them: "We've saved seats for you, please sit down!"
As she spoke, her gaze seemingly casually swept over her two younger siblings, and after noticing something, she nodded in satisfaction and suggested, "The children are too young, why don't we let them play with other children their own age?"
The boys and girls nearby greeted the Si family's younger siblings one after another, inviting them to sit down together.
The two had lived in Beijing for several months and had become familiar with this group of enthusiastic peers. After saying goodbye to their parents, they ran over.
With the two children not around, the adults could easily chat about topics typical of elders. They smiled and said to Si's parents, "Miss Fang is of marriageable age this year, isn't she? She should start making plans soon."
"Young Master Wu is also approaching his age."
Following the gaze of several family members, Si's parents looked into the distance. They saw boys full of youthful vigor and girls charming and beautiful; each one seemed outstanding.
It would be wonderful if one's son or daughter could spend their life with such a person.
Seeing that the Si family parents looked well, the group understood the situation and finally seized the opportunity to bring up the most important matter they cared about most, asking expectantly, "Does Lord Si have a woman he admires?"
Si's parents snapped out of their daze and were equally concerned: "Not yet."
"Oh dear, Lord Si has so many affairs to attend to. How can he manage without someone he can take care of him?"
"My niece is gentle and virtuous..."
"My eldest daughter is well-read..."
A group of people hurriedly introduced their eligible daughters to the Si family parents. Some even went so far as to suggest their own eight-year-old granddaughter. The Si family parents were so confused that they felt a sudden connection with the emperor who was selecting concubines for his harem.
There are so many choices!
The scene was bustling and noisy. Chu Feng sat beside Si Qi and noticed Si Qi's parents surrounded by a crowd. Seeing their family members talking to them and occasionally pointing to a girl not far away with extremely attentive manner, Chu Feng immediately understood what they were talking about, and his face darkened instantly.
Unfortunately, even if he knew, he couldn't run over to interrupt at this moment. He could only resentfully turn his gaze away, looking at the group of petite girls with bright eyes and white teeth, and then looking down at himself, whose tall figure was even taller than Si Qi.
Chu Feng: "…………"
-----------------------
Author's Note: --
Chu Feng: I'm wronged, but I won't say anything.
--
I'd like to recommend my new novel. It's still a full draft, and a few chapters have already been updated. If you're interested, feel free to check it out and add it to your favorites. (The number of favorites before it becomes a paid novel is really important, sob sob!)
Book title: Handing Over Dimensional Merchants to the State
Copywriting:
In the era of spiritual resurgence, plants and animals around the world mutated. Humanity struggled to survive amidst danger, with only a lucky few awakening supernatural abilities.
Bai Ye had just been rescued by an official superhuman when a voice came to his ear.
[Ding! Congratulations on binding with the Dimensional Merchant System!]
Bai Ye: Hmm... how about I hand myself over too!
Before long, China began to see the emergence of various superpowers, including crystal cores that could enhance superpower levels, magic scrolls that could summon wind and rain, nuclear-powered starship armor, martial arts manuals that allowed people to scale walls, and cultivation pills that could revive the dead and heal the wounded.
●【I opened a chain of supermarkets in the apocalypse】
Survivors in a post-apocalyptic world besieged by zombies and on the verge of extinction discover a department store that sells everything in their base.
●【I dressed up as a deity in an ancient famine-stricken era】
Ancient refugees trapped in heavy snow saw a deity emerge from a dilapidated temple, conjuring up countless foods to bless the people in all directions.
●【I Became a Succubus in a Magical World】
Milk tea! Cake! Hot pot buffet! No one can resist the culinary temptations offered by a succubus!
●【My Short Drama in an Interstellar Dimension Goes Viral】
●【I'm the God of Wealth in a Cultivation World】
In the era of spiritual revival, while other countries were still struggling in dire straits, China had already set its sights on the stars and the sea, stepping into a new era.
——
So refreshing! A story about a beloved character, a story about submitting one's work, light and enjoyable!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com