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Lu Shiqing had developed the habit of going to bed early because he had been recuperating from his injuries for more than two months. In fact, it was only the first watch of the night and Yuan Cihan was still enjoying the cool in the courtyard, eating the cherries that his brother brought back from the Daming Palace.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, cherries were a rare and precious fruit. Every year, the emperor would give cherries to newly promoted scholars as a token of his favor. Most of the scholars who were given cherries by the emperor would happily compose a poem to praise the color of the fruit.
The plate of Luoyang cherries in front of Yuan Cixian was the last batch of cherries in this season. If it was any later, even the royal family would not be able to eat them. This time, the ministers were lucky enough to taste them thanks to the help of the Crown Prince of Nanzhao. Yuan Yu, as a brother, ate the fruit without forgetting his sister. He took it back for her before taking a bath to wash off the smell of alcohol.
It was late April, approaching midsummer. The trees were low and shady, and the whole yard was filled with the delicate fragrance of roses. The cherries in front of me were big, plump, round like pearls and red like agate, which made people feel good just by looking at them. The only thing that ruined the mood was that there were no mosquitoes on this hot day, and they would buzz in Yuan Cixian's ears from time to time.
She stayed there for a while, but felt she could no longer sit still. She was about to return to her room to eat alone when she heard a servant come and report that the prince was knocking on the door.
She was surprised and forgot that there was a cherry pit stuck between her teeth. She hit her teeth with a "crack" and hissed in pain. She rubbed her face and asked, "What's it from?"
The servants didn't know, they just said Xi Ju was alone, it looked like he had drunk too much at the palace banquet, and he was acting crazy at the gate of Yuan Mansion, and they couldn't send him away. After all, the other party was of noble status, and the servants couldn't use force, and because Yuan Yu was bathing in the bedroom, they had to ask her for instructions.
Yuan Cixian thought about it, spat out the cherry pit, covered her mouth and went out. When she reached the door, she saw that Xiju was no longer making a noise, but was lying on the stone steps motionless, looking like he was asleep.
She paused, glanced at the seemingly empty surroundings, and said "Ah" in surprise, then stopped at a distance and asked, "What happened to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" Then she turned around and raised her voice to ask Shi Cui beside her, "Does the Crown Prince have any followers following him? Go and check nearby."
Yuan Cixian didn't take another step forward after she finished speaking until a team of Jinwu Guards on night patrol nearby hurried over.
Shi Cui explained to her: "My dear, I didn't find the prince's entourage, but I did meet a few street messengers."
She nodded, "Okay." Then she looked at the leader of the Jinwu Guards and said, "Thank you for making this trip. I think the Crown Prince of Nanzhao seems to be drunk. I don't know where he is staying in Beijing this time. Please take the trouble to send him back."
Seeing this, the leader hurriedly clasped his fists to her and said, "Please be polite, my lady. This is my duty. It was my carelessness that allowed the drunken prince to enter the alley by mistake. I hope the lady will not hold it against us."
Yuan Cixian waved his hand to indicate that it was okay, and watched from a distance with his arms folded as they dragged the "unconscious" Xiju away. From beginning to end, he did not come within ten feet of him, and only when everything was quiet did he order the servants to close the door, and then turned around and walked inside.
Shi Cui followed her and asked, "Young lady, what is the meaning of the prince's action?"
Yuan Cixian sneered, "Of course they are here to drag me down. Although the Saint treated the Nanzhao group well, how could he be defenseless against the enemy prince who had just launched an invasion of the Great Zhou three months ago? After the palace banquet, he must have sent spies to follow him. After Xi Ju noticed it, he simply came to me. Once I have contact with him, even if I ask you to help him, the spies hiding around may regard it as evidence that I have private dealings with him and have a close relationship with him."
That was why she stopped at a distance and called the saint's most trusted guards with great fanfare to prove her innocence.
She smiled sinisterly after she finished speaking: "Believe it or not, if I had stood next to him just now, he would have shamelessly gotten up and dragged me."
Shi Cui nodded in agreement. This Nanzhao prince had always acted recklessly. For example, when it came to raising an army, other people usually had to have a legitimate reason, but he was the only one who was willing to risk the world's disapproval and started a war whenever he wanted, without even looking for an excuse.
Yuan Cixian felt annoyed and covered her teeth which were still a little sore. She was about to say that she didn't plan to eat the unlucky cherries when she suddenly heard three knocks on the door behind her again.
Is it over yet? She stopped, frowned and walked back, signaling the servant to open the door. She straightened her sleeves and was about to get angry, but when the door opened, she saw Lu Shiqing standing outside with a gloomy face. When he saw her, his eyes were like a broom, sweeping from her face to her collar and the belt on her chest.
"Why are you here?" Yuan Cihan felt hot just by his gaze. She looked down at her chest curiously and felt that it was just the right size, with nothing wrong with it.
Lu Shiqing said nothing, and his eyes moved up again. When they fell on her neck, he raised his head and glanced at the dark surroundings. As if he couldn't see clearly, he grabbed her wrist and walked into the Yuan Mansion. He didn't let her go until they reached the bright corridor. He frowned and examined her neck carefully.
Yuan Cixian reached out to touch her neck and asked suspiciously, "What's on my neck?"
Lu Shiqing pushed her hand away fiercely, signaling her not to block it. After seeing clearly, his pupils suddenly shrank.
What's that on her neck? There's a suspicious red mark! Red mark!
This scene almost killed Lu Shiqing. Veins on his forehead throbbed wildly, and he gritted his teeth and said, "What did Xiju do to you?"
Yuan Cixian was almost frightened by him and said in confusion, "I didn't do anything..." After answering, he asked again, "How do you know he was here? Is this why you came to me?"
Because Emperor Huining was in the deep palace and might not be able to deal with all matters in time, he asked the secret agent who followed Xi Ju to keep in touch with Lu Shiqing. He just got the news from them. But when he arrived, the secret agent had already left, so he didn't have time to meet them and ask about the specific details of Xi Ju's visit to Yuan Mansion. Now his mind was like a shadow play, and he couldn't stop at all.
Seeing that he didn't say anything and just had a murderous expression on his face, Yuan Cixian couldn't help but feel that the place where he was staring at was hot and itchy. She stretched out her hand to scratch it and said in surprise: "Hey, what a big mosquito bite!"
Lu Shiqing paused when he heard this, stretched his neck and looked again, only to find that the red mark was not what he imagined. He was immediately a little embarrassed, retracted his gaze and said lightly: "Yes, that's what I wanted to say, there is on the right side, but not on the left side."
The implication is that he felt uncomfortable because of this, which is why he was angry.
Yuan Cixian covered her neck and called Shicui to bring the ointment. She felt that he was unreasonable: "Just for you to feel comfortable, I have to let mosquitoes bite me a few times?"
Lu Shiqing frowned, turned sideways with his hands behind his back, and said in a very arrogant manner: "Your body and hair are given by your parents, so you should not let them bite you. How long have you been away from home with Xiju to attract mosquitoes and flies?"
She thought he was just trying to trick her. Although she knew the bite was most likely caused in the courtyard, she didn't want to explain to such a pretentious person. She just snorted and ran towards Shi Cui who brought the ointment, leaving him there.
Lu Shiqing choked for a moment. He saw that she had become more independent and ambitious since the engagement. He was not afraid that he would run away. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow her. He snatched the small porcelain bottle from Shicui's hand and said, "I'll do it, you go down."
This is in the Yuan Mansion. How could Shi Cui obey him? Upon hearing this, she glanced at Yuan Cixian.
When Yuan Cixian heard that Lu Shiqing wanted to serve her, she calmed down a little, motioned her to leave, then raised her chin, tilted her head, stretched her neck to his eyes and said, "Come on."
He frowned and reluctantly unscrewed the lid of the porcelain bottle, but when he really did the job he was as meticulous as ever. He dipped his index finger in some emerald green ointment and applied it evenly on her red marks, then bent his head and blew on it.
Yuan Cixian shuddered at the breeze blowing on her, and retracted her neck. She felt a little uneasy under the numbness, so she cleared her throat, handed him a handkerchief to signal him to wipe his hands, and then said, "Okay, you can go back now."
Lu Shiqing suddenly felt the wound on his chest that had healed with great difficulty seem to ache again, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Why don't you give me an explanation for Xi Ju's matter?" Did she want to piss him off to death
Seeing that Lu Shiqing was finally willing to put down his pride and ask directly, Yuan Cixian turned his head away and snickered, then decided not to embarrass him anymore, and turned back to answer seriously: "What could have happened? He fell in front of my door, can I still go up to help him? The Saint's spies are nearby, I'm not stupid, okay."
Lu Shiqing knew that she was not stupid, but just couldn't stop having terrible fantasies. He came all the way here, partly to prevent her from falling into Xi Ju's trap, and partly to seek peace of mind.
Hearing this, he said "Oh", as if he believed everything she said, and did not ask any more questions. He said, "Then I'm leaving. You go and have a rest."
Yuan Cixian softened her heart this time, and pulled his sleeve and said, "Wait, the saint gave you some cherries, take them and eat them."
Lu Shiqing didn't care about his appetite, so he raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Why don't you eat it yourself?"
"Don't mention it. Cherry pits make my teeth hurt."
She pulled him to get the cherries, but as soon as they stepped into the open courtyard, they saw a black shadow flash by, and then there was a "bang" sound, as if some pots and pans had overturned, and the plate of cherries on the long table rolled to the ground. The next moment, the culprit Xiao Heiyou crawled out from under the table, crawled on all fours, and crouched in front of the two of them with his head shrunk, as if he was confessing his guilt.
Lu Shiqing stopped with a start and quietly hid behind Yuan Cixian. This open-air courtyard was where he had sat when he attended the banquet as Xu Shanlai. Fortunately, the frail Jiang Birou was still at home at that time, so Yuan Yu did not allow Xiao Hei to run around. If it were the current situation, with the dog's keen sense of smell, he would have been spotted by Yuan Cixian ten thousand times.
Yuan Cixian had no idea what was going on in his mind. She only felt the pain in her heart. She pointed at Xiao Hei and said, "You, now, immediately, immediately, disappear from my sight."
Xiao Hei let out an "Ah" and ran away.
Seeing her distressed expression, Lu Shiqing twitched his lips and said, "You are not the one to eat them anyway, so just consider it as me eating them all. The fruits in Luoyang Cherry Valley are almost the same as the ones given by the emperor. When the season comes next year, I will ask someone to pick some for us."
Yuan Cixian groaned dejectedly, then glanced over and saw that there was still a cherry left on the plate. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she handed it over and said, "There's still one left. You might as well eat it here."
Lu Shiqing choked. In fact, he didn't really want to eat it, but seeing that Yuan Cixian was willing to share her precious things with him, he was naturally moved, so he took it and stuffed it into his mouth. Just as he bit through the flesh, he saw her looking at him so eagerly, and suddenly he felt itchy in his heart, and suddenly lowered his head and pecked her lips.
The kiss came unexpectedly. Yuan Cixian immediately felt the sweet juice overflowing onto her lips and seemed to be flowing down her chin. She subconsciously wanted to ask him to stop, but she fell into his trap. As soon as her teeth opened, a piece of fruit was sent into her mouth.
Then, Lu Shiqing let go of her lips and sucked the juice that fell on her chin. Seeing that she was stunned, he explained calmly: "Don't you think the kernel hurts your teeth?"
Only then did Yuan Cixian realize that the fruit in her mouth had already been pitted.
But, this method of feeding without seeds is too unclean!
He can't treat her like this just because she doesn't have mysophobia!
She wanted to dislike it, but she was too embarrassed to spit it out in front of him. She gritted her teeth and chewed the fruit. But when she was done, her face suddenly changed and she asked in surprise, "Wait, where's the cherry pit?"
She didn't see Lu Shiqing spit it out.
Lu Shiqing's face also changed drastically, and he suddenly put his hand on his throat.
He... He swallowed it in excitement...
When Yuan Cixian heard that cherry pits were poisonous, she urged him to vomit. Seeing that he couldn't vomit, she called Yuan Yu, who had just finished taking a bath, and beat him hard on the front and back.
Lu Shiqing was tortured by the brother and sister and was almost dead. He thought that it was not the cherry pits that were poisonous, but the Yuan family. Finally, it was the picker who came to the rescue after reading the ancient books. The book said that the cherry pits were poisonous inside, but as long as they were not bitten, they would not harm his life.
Yuan Cixian then let Lu Shiqing go with some doubt, and told him to seek medical attention in time if he felt any discomfort.
Lu Shiqing estimated that he might never touch cherries again in his life.
*
Fortunately, just as Jianzhi said, Lu Shiqing was not seriously injured. The next afternoon, he dragged his back and waist, which were sore from being beaten by Yuan Yu, to the Daming Palace to attend the martial arts competition.
The Crown Prince of Nanzhao was on a diplomatic mission to Chang'an, so a palace banquet would not be enough to entertain him. Emperor Huining ordered people to build a competition arena in the Ziyu Pavilion in the palace today, saying that he wanted to invite Xiju to take a look at the palace wrestling team of the Zhou Imperial Palace. To put it bluntly, it was actually to show off the military power of the Great Zhou.
Yuan Cixian guessed that the old emperor was still holding a grudge about what happened last night, so he temporarily invited her and her brother. On the surface, he invited them to attend as clan relatives and watch the show together, but in fact, he probably wanted to see whether Xiju and her Yuan family could create any "sparks".
When Lu Shiqing arrived, Yuan Cixian was already chatting and laughing with his brother in Ziyu Pavilion. When she saw him coming, she winked at him and gave him a flirtatious look.
Since Yin Shao and the princess were nearby, he had a feeling that she seemed to be flirting with him on purpose, but he did not refuse her. He curved his lips towards her before sitting down in his seat and nodding to several courtiers around him.
As soon as Emperor Huining took his seat, the wrestling contest began.
This Ziyu Pavilion is a good place to cool off in the summer. The palace people took great pains to draw water from the mountain spring, allowing it to flow down from the eaves of the pavilion, forming four water curtains on the four sides. The hanging waves are like waterfalls, and sitting in it is as cool and refreshing as being in autumn.
In the huge pavilion, the saint sat at the top, with the current Empress Liang at his side, followed by the Empress, Zheng Zhuo, Shao He and several other royal family members, as well as Yuan brothers and sisters and other relatives behind him. Lu Shiqing and several other court officials were at the outermost edge.
Two shirtless men came to the center of the ring, and when the leader gave the order, they started fighting fiercely. When one of them knocked the other down, Emperor Huining shouted "good job", and thunderous applause broke out from all sides.
After a few times, Yuan Cihan really felt that he was applauding like a fool, but seeing that everyone was doing the same, even Lu Shiqing was smiling and expressionless, he had no choice but to continue clapping hard.
After several rounds, Emperor Huining finally called a halt and turned to ask Xiju what he felt.
Xi Ju naturally used the few beautiful Chinese words he had learned last night. When asked if he wanted to send his followers to have a friendly competition, he refused, "I am not here to compete with Your Majesty. Although fighting is fun, it is bound to hurt the relationship, so I won't do it. However, it is a rare grand event, and I don't want to ruin the fun of Your Majesty and everyone else. Why don't we try a gentler way of playing?"
Emperor Huining raised his eyebrows with interest and motioned for him to speak.
"I heard that there is a game called slingshot in the palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which is to shoot birds for fun with golden marbles and slingshots. I have an idea - please ask your majesty to send people to collect various birds, and hang a piece of silk on the neck of each bird, with part of the silk marked and part left blank. Then I and the archers present will shoot the birds with slingshots to see who gets the most marked silk."
He said this with a slightly playful smile: "The final winner can ask for a prize from Your Majesty."
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