The sun's shadow floats, the golden rattan and red bamboo curtains roll up lightly, and the light and shadow pass through the gauze drawer and fall messily on the chiseled bricks.
A group of palace maids stood at the bottom with their hands hanging down, it was quiet and no one whispered.
A blue-glazed crabapple-shaped flowerpot is placed on a red-lacquered eight-legged stand, with a few pieces of Xuan stone dotted in the middle.
Various tea sets and teacups were placed on the tea table. The tea stove was burning with boiling water. The bubbling hot steam rose up, blurring the angular jaw of Shen Yan behind the table.
The water pavilion is quiet and elegant, accompanied by the sound of water, floating beside your ears.
Lu Chengjing knelt down and quietly raised his eyes to look forward.
The articles he had written in the past two days were all placed on the tea table, but the thick stack did not seem to be turned over by Shen Yan.
Shen Yan just lowered his head and calmly made himself a cup of West Lake Longjing tea.
The aroma of tea fills the air and wisps of white mist rise up.
The sour plum candy held in his sleeve fell to the ground at some point. It was given to him by Song Lingzhi's maid before Lu Chengjing left Shanyuan Hall.
It is said that it was the little girl from the Ming family who asked for it.
Lu Chengjing was in a hurry to enter the palace. He took it with a smile and casually put it in his sleeve.
Two or three sour plum candies rolled down from his sleeves, making a few noises.
Shen Yan looked up nonchalantly.
Lu Chengjing knelt down hurriedly and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I went back to Shanyuan Hall before entering the palace, and the Empress was there. This sour plum candy was given by the Empress. I am sorry for being disrespectful in front of the Emperor. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The emperor and the empress were deeply in love, and now Shen Yan had no children, and perhaps he would never have one in this lifetime.
Lu Chengjing secretly clenched his fists, pressed his forehead to the ground, and his eyes were filled with panic and anxiety.
There was no sound behind the tea table, but the gaze fell on him unbiased, like an ice blade in the cold winter.
The waterside pavilion was silent. Lu Chengjing could clearly hear the powerful heartbeat in his chest, like the sound of a drum.
A thin layer of sweat oozed out of his clenched fists, and Lu Chengjing suddenly felt guilty, fearing that Shen Yan could see through his thoughts.
Shen Yan sat upright behind the desk, dressed in an ivory white crane robe, looking like an immortal, his eyes indifferent.
That gaze seemed to be filled with coldness and gloom.
Lu Chengjing knelt down, shuddering with fear.
The floor beneath his knees was hard and cold, and the sunlight fell behind Lu Chengjing, faint and light.
His knees were sore from kneeling, Lu Chengjing bent his back for a long time, but he never heard Shen Yan say "stand up".
I could faintly hear the sound of a tea stove boiling.
After a long while, Lu Chengjing finally heard Shen Yan's faint voice: "The article is well written."
His tense body relaxed and Lu Chengjing breathed a sigh of relief silently.
Shen Yan said indifferently: "Go down."
The willow trees are hanging golden, and the sounds of flowers and birds are endless in the garden.
Lu Chengjing left the water pavilion trembling with fear, with Yue Xu following him.
When Lu Chengjing went to the capital before, he always worked with Yue Xu, so naturally their relationship was closer than with others.
He glanced back at Shen Yan who was still in the water pavilion, then withdrew his gaze and quietly approached Yue Xu's side.
The sour plum candy was still tightly clenched in his palm.
Lu Chengjing cautiously probed: "Commander Yue, did I just... say something wrong?"
Yue Xu raised his eyes: "No."
Lu Chengjing was anxious: "Then how come Your Majesty..."
Yue Xu glanced at him calmly and said, "Your Majesty likes smart people, but... he doesn't like those who are smart."