10 Riddle
After picking all the lotus leaves in the pond, it was already afternoon. The sun hid in the clouds, the sky gradually darkened, and the wind became colder. Meimei was watching the children having tea and snacks in the flower hall. By chance, she looked up and found Xu Junying had walked into the yard. His face was just like the sky at the moment, so gloomy that you could squeeze water out of it.
Meimei guessed that he must have come back from the government office and went to the Prince of Qi's mansion to pick up the children, but he was disappointed, right? Thinking of the Queen's words, she couldn't help but sigh. As the saying goes, the last child bears the biggest fruit, and it turned out to be the case. The last child gave birth to a pair of sisters, who were even prettier and cuter than the previous pair. Lin Runan was so jealous that she came to hold them every day. When she came, the Prince of Qi also came. He even said shamelessly that these two girls were prayed for by the Prince of Qi, Zhao Jie, every day, and they would eventually marry to his Prince of Qi's mansion, one for Zhao Jie and the other for Zhao Cong. It would be better to let Lin Runan take them back to the mansion and raise them well.
Xu Junying ignored him. Whenever he was at home, she would take the twins away as soon as she saw Prince Qi and his wife come in. They couldn't find them anywhere in the mansion, which made Prince Qi very angry. Lin Runan heard a secret recipe from somewhere and begged Meimei to let her take the twins home and raise them for three days. After that, she might get pregnant with twins... Meimei made fun of her, but in the end she couldn't resist her pleading and the cold look from Prince Qi. After thinking it over again, she made up her mind to let them take the twins away. When Xu Junying came back at night and heard about it, he immediately ran to look for his daughter. Prince Qi was well prepared, and the couple didn't even stay in the mansion. They searched for two days but found nothing.
The eunuchs and maids from the palace carefully served the prince and the crown prince, and they didn't need their own maids at all. Meimei told the steward, stepped out, took the hot tea from the maid at the door, walked into the upper room and handed it to Xu Junying, comforting him, "I've said it all for a reason. Do you think I don't miss them? Just let them take care of her for a few days. She'll be back tomorrow night. My daughter is yours, and no one can take her away from her!"
Xu Junying took a sip of tea, put the cup on the table, and said angrily, "Don't do this again next time! If Lin Runan wanted to take the children away, you just gave them to her. Meimei, you are so cruel. Couldn't you ask me? I am their father! Seeing their seats at the dinner table empty and their cribs empty, I feel sad! Why should I let others take my own children away to raise them for a few days? The situation is going to change again. What if they catch a cold if I don't take good care of them?"
The 38-year-old Xu Junying grew a moustache, but his eyes were still heroic, his figure was still tall and strong, he wore a dragon robe and jade belt, and looked dignified and solemn. His face full of anger added to his aura.
"I'm sorry for making my husband worry. I was wrong, okay? I won't do it again next time!"
It was still the old rule. No one would dare to come in without being called after the couple entered the room. Meimei saw him put down the teacup, walked straight over and sat on his lap, and put her arms around his neck:
"Don't be like this, I don't like the way you look when you're angry. If you're angry, you'll pull out your beard!"
Xu Junying stared at his increasingly charming and beautiful wife with resentment. When he met her beautiful eyes, his heart couldn't help but tremble. Over the past decade, her cold star-like eyes have changed. They are still pure enough to reflect a person's image, and they are still bright and lively. But why do they seem to have become more charming and affectionate? What does she want to do? This seductive look is terrible for other men!
He hugged her flexible waist, lowered his head and kissed her bright red lips fiercely: "You bad little devil, you made my precious child disappear, let me see how I will deal with you!"
A passionate kiss drove away all the unhappiness. Meimei whispered in his ear:
"Don't be angry, okay? I know you love your children, and I miss them too. I'll go and find them myself in a bit! The Crown Prince and the other princes are here, why don't you go to the flower hall and take a look?"
Xu Junying buried his head in her neck and took a deep breath to calm himself down, then nodded: "Okay, I understand! You are wearing such thin clothes today, it's cold outside so don't run around... Let them take care of the child. Tomorrow is a day off, we will go and bring him back together!"
This is the tacit understanding between husband and wife. If she takes a half step back, he will take a step back. If she shows weakness, he will only pity and care for her more. They are considerate and understanding of each other, and their love has never stopped.
Meimei smiled and kissed his mustache. This stubborn man had held on until today before he was willing to give in. What was the relationship between Prince Qi and Lin Runan and the Hou Mansion? It would be too bad if she didn't give them a little face!
She let him put her down, tidied his clothes for him, and watched him walk out the door with a smile.
Only she knew what this majestic man in front of her looked like when he took off his dragon robe and changed into home clothes. The tough and cold character of his youth was no longer there. More than ten years of happy family life had changed him a lot. Taking off his official uniform, he was just a husband who doted on his wife, and a father who allowed his children to climb up and down on him.
Maybe the children appeared later in his life, or maybe it was because of Meimei's influence, the strong patriarchal fatherly love that he wanted to maintain was gradually changed. He doted on his children more than he was strict, but he was able to stick to the principle, and he was strict in educating the boys, and he didn't spoil the girls to the point of lawlessness. Except for Heng'er and Cheng'er, the other three boys were extremely naughty. Kang'er could break into the palace and beat up the princes when he got into trouble... The punishments should always be given, but he didn't treat his sons like the old Houye did to him, judging things fairly, punishing and guiding at the same time. His sons were born in a peaceful and prosperous era, and they would not have the strong psychological endurance that he had. He told Meimei that he was not greedy anymore, and they didn't have to be outstanding. As long as they could grow up healthy and strong and become men who were worthy of heaven and earth, that would be enough.
After the children had their tea, they left the house one after another accompanied by their respective followers. Xu Jiheng and his brothers followed their father to see the guests off and left through the corner gate of the east courtyard. Meiyi and Meijuan were not allowed to leave the corner gate. Meiyi was reluctant to leave the prince, so the prince gently held her hand and consoled her with a smile:
"Wait for me, I'll come back in a few days and bring you something fun!"
"What is it?" Meijuan was very curious and asked on behalf of Meiyi.
The prince smiled but did not answer. He turned his eyes away and said to his wife, "Don't ask. It won't be fun if you tell me!"
The prince nodded, and the fifth prince suddenly appeared from behind him and shouted to Meijuan: "Meijuan, there is nothing fun, I will tell you tomorrow!"
The beauty curled her lips: "I won't listen tomorrow!"
The Crown Prince turned around and pushed the Fifth Prince: "Stop talking, leave!"
As the fifth prince walked out, he recited a poem aloud: "The mist has completely obscured the pearly palace tiles, and the shuttles are all on the jade loom!"
A group of children were shocked: "What kind of poem is this? Is it a riddle? Who can guess it?"
"What are you all doing here? Get out!"
The prince was half annoyed, and turned around to look at Meiyi and Meijuan. Meiyi tilted her head slightly, with a confused look on her face: "What is the Fifth Prince reciting? What is it?"
The prince smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's very good. You will like it. I will bring it to you in two days!"
"Well, Prince brother, I'll wait for you!"
Xu Junying and his son waited outside for a long time for the prince to come, so they asked Heng'er to come and invite him. As soon as Heng'er entered the room, he frowned:
"My dear, why don't you go back and wait for your father to come back and scold you?"
"Brother, we are about to leave!"
Meiyi smiled obediently: "Brother Crown Prince, goodbye!"
Watching the two girls timidly turn around and walk away in fluttering robes, the prince glared at Heng'er and said, "Isn't it just a few more words? Ah Heng, you were so nice to them when they were little, why are you getting more mean as you grow older? Don't be like this in the future!"
Ah Heng said casually, "Your Highness, they are my sisters, they are under my control, what can't I do to them?"
"You may feel proud for a while, but soon she won't be your sister anymore, haha! Ah Heng, you can just take care of Xiao Meiyi and Xiao Meifang!"
"How come she's not my sister? She's been my sister all my life!"
"Haven't you heard that you should obey your father and brothers at home and obey your husband after marriage? After you get married, you belong to someone else's family and it's none of your business!"
"It's too early! They are only eleven years old. They can only get married after they turn fifteen!"
"Ah Heng, you are not stupid. Does the royal family care about this? In two years, when I turn sixteen, I will get married, and Meiyi will be my crown princess!"
Ah Heng's young and handsome face was as calm as water: "That still requires two years - Your Highness, please return to the palace!"
The prince leaned in close and stared at him, "Don't be too strict. Meiyi has been innocent and lively since she was a child and loves freedom. How much laughter has she lost since you forced her to learn the rules? If she is wronged again, I will not forgive you!"
Ah Heng couldn't help but roll his eyes in his heart: Who forced the two girls to learn the rules? It was his mother, the Queen. She wanted to take Meiyi and Meijuan into the palace when they were only ten years old. Fortunately, their father and mother were firmly opposed. The Queen was unwilling to give up and sent maids from the palace to teach them every day. If it weren't for his mother's insistence on changing the plan to only study for two hours, the sisters would have been tortured by those maids for half a day every day.
Meiyi and Meijuan walked hand in hand from the east courtyard towards this side. Although the two sisters were twins, they looked different. Their eyebrows and eyes had not yet fully grown, and they looked like immature little flower buds. It could be vaguely seen that Meiyi resembled her mother, and Meijuan resembled her father, both of them were stunning beauties. Their different personalities destined them to have different interests and views.
From the time they could talk, they didn't like to wear the same clothes, use the same objects, and had different ways of speaking and acting. The two of them lived in the same yard, and the six upper rooms were divided into two, with each sister occupying half, without any separation. They could decorate the yard and the house in two styles, and even divided the six younger siblings, except for their brother Ah Heng, into gangs. No matter whether they liked it or not, one, two, and three belonged to me, four, five, and six were hers, and then the father, mother, and brother were shared, because the parents had to be together and could not be separated, and there was only one biological brother, who could not be divided either.
But the two sisters had never been separated since they were young. When they were separated, they fell ill. They slept in separate beds at the age of seven and took separate baths at the age of eight. They were sick and cried for several days, and finally they were separated. Xu Junying was worried about what would happen if they got married and lived separately in the future? The emperor and the queen wanted the two sisters to enter the palace at the same time, but Meimei refused flatly. It was already painful to lose one, and they wanted two? No way!
Your own children know themselves well. After experiencing pain and hurt, they will only become stronger.
The prince loved to come to the mansion to play since he was young, and Meiyi inevitably fell in love with him. Meimei consciously taught Meijuan and asked Heng'er to give some advice, but she didn't expect that Meijuan didn't need mother and son to worry about her at all. Not only did she not like the prince, she even looked down on the princes and the princes. This surprised Meimei for a moment, and then she was happy. Did she inherit some modern genes? Although it is not a good thing to develop emotional intelligence later, at least it makes the mother less worried. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)