Chapter 439: Something interesting
The celebratory banquet usually ends at midnight.
After Rong Yi and Luo Dongdong participated in the "stealing the dragon robe" event, they felt that the wine and meat in their stomachs were empty again, and started a second round of eating at the banquet.
Yun Chen held his chin and watched Huo Gannian talking with the officials. He was drinking with this duke, then clinking glasses with that prince. He was as busy as a socialite and didn't pay any attention to her.
She boredly fiddled with the blood swallows in front of her.
She had heard Huo Gannian say before that this thing was very luxurious and required a lot of manpower, so it should not be wasted. So she finished the blood swallow in one gulp, and her throat was choked with the greasiness.
The taste of red ink in her mouth had not yet dissipated, and it was covered with a layer of sweetness. She couldn't help but stick out her tongue, then ignored Yun Wang's raised hand, and fled the table after just saying "I have something to ask you--"
She wandered around the palace, but because of her current status as Prime Minister Wu, no one came to stop her from misbehaving.
She climbed up a nine-story viewing tower and looked down at the brightly lit Kyoto city under the night sky.
The tension from doing something bad and stealing the dragon robe just now faded away. The night breeze blew gently in her face. She breathed a sigh of relief and felt the long-lost relaxation.
She didn't know how long she stood there, but a voice of "Greetings, Prime Minister" attracted her to turn around. She saw Su Zhengyang also climbed up to the attic and was bowing to her respectfully. When she raised her head, she saw a smiling face, and she knew he was joking.
Yun Chen laughed twice and touched his nose:
"You should just call me Yun Chen. 'Prime Minister' is really awkward."
Su Zhengyang stopped saluting, brushed off his clothes, and dismissed the imperial guards on duty around him.
After everyone had left, he came over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Yun Chen, overlooking the beautiful night scene together. Then, without looking away, he whispered:
"The dragon robe is snagged."
Yun Chen's expression froze:
"I don't understand what you're saying."
Su Zhengyang glanced at the long golden thread hooked on the Qilin cufflinks on her sleeves, his eyes full of resentment, and said:
"You had a great time, your martial arts skills were so strong, and you came and went with ease. Do you know how many pages of petitions the guards and I had to write for this incident tonight? And we had to deduct three months' salary."
Yun Chen expressionlessly ripped the silk thread off his cufflinks, letting them fly away with the wind. Then, unable to hold it back, he burst out laughing, causing Su Zhengyang to shake his head helplessly, feeling both angry and amused.
"I knew it was you. No one else is so bold as to use red ink to pretend to vomit blood. Doesn't that thing taste bitter in your mouth?"
As he spoke, Su Zhengyang took off the small water bottle he was carrying, carefully wiped the mouth of the bottle with a handkerchief, and then handed it to Yun Chen.
She took it and rinsed her mouth. Feeling that the kettle was hot, she poured some water into her palm to wash her mouth. When she was about to wipe it with her sleeve out of habit, Su Zhengyang took out a new handkerchief and said, "Wipe it."
Her eyes widened as she watched, and she gave a thumbs-up repeatedly, jokingly saying:
"When it comes to refinement, it has to be you, the young master of the capital!"
"That doesn't sound like a compliment, it sounds like a scolding!" Su Zhengyang laughed, "Actually, that little bit of hooking is invisible unless you look closely, but the only person I can think of is you, so I paid special attention, and sure enough, you're the only one who would always do this for a friend."
As a member of the imperial guards guarding the palace, Su Zhengyang had always heard about Buyan being ostracized in the guard corps. Although he was not familiar with Buyan, he knew that he was Yun Chen's close friend.
For Yun Chen's sake, he secretly helped Bu Yan several times, but seeing that the other party had a lukewarm attitude and seemed aloof and unwilling to accept his help, he gradually gave up.
Tonight, Buyan suddenly became a hero who snatched back the dragon robe and beat the thief until he vomited blood, thus saving all the guards from punishment and preserving their future. He immediately became one with the guards, and Su Zhengyang guessed that this matter was related to Yun Chen.
Rather than directly suppressing rumors and insults with official authority, which would make the guards dare not speak out, they would probably be even more repulsed by Bu Yan. In this way, letting all the guards see Bu Yan's skills and character would be more convincing and make people accept Bu Yan from the bottom of their hearts.
Yun Chen's style is always so sincere and pure.
"It is a blessing to be your friend." Su Zhengyang said, "Now that the army has returned to the capital, we don't have to go to the battlefield anymore. You guys, the Huo Gang guards, can get together again."
As soon as he finished saying this, Su Zhengyang regretted it.
Because with the help of the light, he clearly saw Yun Chen's smile disappear, and the light on her face dimmed in an instant. The gloomy look he had seen at the city gate returned to her eyes again.
"Brother Ye... is gone. Of the Huo Gang's personal guards, only Buyan and I are left." She whispered, her cold and lonely voice floating in the night sky, which made Su Zhengyang feel distressed. He wanted to take out a new handkerchief to wipe her tears, but found that although her eyes were wet, she was not crying.
I guess I've cried too many times.
So many times that she couldn't even remember how many times her pillow had been wet. She was so upset that she didn't even dare to sit down and talk to Buyan face to face, for fear that as soon as she opened her mouth, she would burst into heart-wrenching tears.
Therefore, she did not dare to personally bring the news of Ye Yan's death to Buyan. She could only write a letter to inform him on the way back to Beijing. Only then did she learn about Buyan's cutting off of his own tongue.
She was shocked and wanted to ask Buyan why he did this?
But apart from Ye Yan, no one could answer her questions.
As if to comfort Yun Chen, Bu Yan wrote in a self-deprecating letter:
"I've talked too much in this life. I'm tired and don't want to talk anymore. When I visit Brother Ye's grave, I'll just not disturb him and keep things quiet."
Yun Chen couldn't help crying while holding the letter. Sometimes he felt sad for Bu Yu, and sometimes he missed Ye Yan.
She was depressed like this for a long time, until tonight when she helped Buyan regain his dignity, she finally felt like she had breathed a sigh of relief from the heavy and oppressive feeling.
But she didn't have the courage to face it.
"Su Zhengyang, do me a favor." she said.
Su Zhengyang was regretting his wrong words and racking his brains to think of how to make up for it. When he heard Yun Chen asking for his help, he immediately agreed:
"Just tell me what you want. As long as it's not about stealing the throne, I can agree to it."
Yun Chen couldn't laugh, but he was a little amused. His expression softened a little and he said:
"Tomorrow, please help me deliver some gifts to Brother Buyan. I have prepared the gifts a few days ago. They are nothing more than gold, silver, food, clothing and daily necessities. But you should go when the guardhouse is the most complete. Bring your six men and our four guards from the Huo Gang to make a bigger scene. After the gifts are delivered, during the break between shifts, treat the entire guardhouse to a drink. You are familiar with the Kyoto area and know the rules better than me. Please treat us to some good wine and food. I will cover any cost."
"Finally, I'll give them a few words of warning."
After Yun Chen finished speaking, Su Zhengyang added this.
Seeing Yun Chen's puzzled expression, Su Zhengyang said:
"You don't understand. 'Villains fear power, not virtue.' Not everyone has a conscience and knows how to be grateful. The people in the Imperial Guard are mostly decent, but there are bound to be some with ulterior motives. Treating them with favors alone won't work; we need to use some tricks."
Although Yun Chen didn't understand, he nodded in agreement:
"I'll do as you say. This is a troublesome matter, and it's a disservice to your position as the commander of the Imperial Guards. I'll treat you to a drink later. It's a deal."
This last promise caused ripples in Su Zhengyang's heart. He agreed to it repeatedly and couldn't help sighing again:
"With your personality, it's no wonder everyone likes you and loves to hang around you. I heard some soldiers embroidered tiger heads on their clothes to show their unwavering devotion to 'Cloud Tiger'. Quite interesting."
Yun Chen blushed and wanted to say that it was not embroidered on clothes, but during a military inspection, he found that several soldiers had embroidered tiger heads on their underpants, saying that it meant good luck and safety, which made Yun Chen embarrassed.
I didn't expect that this matter would spread to Kyoto.
Thinking back on the past few years of traveling and fighting, she sighed:
"I hope that in the future I won't need to carry the banner of power anymore, and that we can just live in peace and stability. A simple life is the best."
"It sounds like you're planning to resign and retire." Su Zhengyang showed some interest. "You're now the Military Prime Minister. Our country values military power, and you're one rank higher than the Civil Prime Minister Yun Wang. This means you're below the Emperor and the Regent, and you have the power to sign orders. Your future is limitless."
"No, no, no." Yun Chen shook his head like a rattle. "You can let me go to the battlefield, but if you want me to be a prime minister, sitting in the house every day reading piles of documents and issuing orders, I can't sit still."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Of course, everyone has their own responsibilities. I'll just hand over the paperwork to those who can do it. As for me, I'll just enjoy the feeling of 'power'—"
Su Zhengyang was stunned.
The word "power" sounded awkward when it came out of Yun Chen's mouth. She was not someone who pursued power at all.
But seeing her sly smile and the bright light in her eyes, Su Zhengyang had a vague premonition:
Something interesting is finally going to happen in Kyoto!
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