In a blink of an eye, New Year's Eve arrived, snowflakes were flying, and Ji Lingxue, wearing a fluffy jacket made by Mo Xiang, was pasting couplets and hanging door gods at the door.
Mo Xiang stood on tiptoe and asked, "Princess, can you help me check if the couplet is aligned?"
Ji Lingxue retreated to the outside of the yard and said with a smile, "It's not aligned yet, move it up a little."
Poor Mo Xiang jumped, but before she could reach it, she turned her head and looked at Ji Lingxue with resentment, "Princess, are you making fun of me?"
Ji Lingxue covered her mouth and laughed, "Forget it, let An Ge come out and write couplets."
Mo Xiang shouted into the air, "An Ge, come out quickly!"
An Ge, dressed in black, stood in front of Ji Lingxue and saluted. Ji Lingxue blinked, "Are you An Ge?"
After resting for nearly a month, An Ge's injuries have almost healed. Mo Xiang brings him various nourishing soups every day. An Ge's angular face has gradually become rounder. No wonder Ji Lingxue asked this question.
An Ge scratched his head awkwardly. "I am An Ge, Princess. You haven't seen me for a while. You won't not recognize me, right?"
Ji Lingxue twitched her lips and smiled: "Too fat to be recognized."
Dark Song: “…”
After the yard was decorated, Lian Xin came back with the account book. Ji Lingxue called the three of them to her and gave each of them a red envelope.
An Ge was the first one to receive such a large reward and was overwhelmed with joy. As secret guards, they were walking on the line between life and death. Although their annual salary was higher than that of the guards in the palace, it was not as high as the red envelope reward given by Ji Lingxue at the end of the year.
Mo Xiang said: "Thank you, Princess. Can I ask you for half a day off..."
Ji Lingxue waved her hand and said: "You don't need to ask me for leave. Since there is nothing to do in the mansion, I will give you three days off. Come and pay your respects to me on the fourth day of the New Year."
Mo Xiang blushed and said, "How can that be possible? If we all leave, who will serve you, Princess?"
Ji Lingxue smiled and said, "It's okay. It's my duty as a master to let you rest for a few days. Do you think I will starve to death without you?"
Lian Xin said, "Princess, I will stay and take care of you. Let Mo Xiang and An Ge go and rest for a few days. I don't have any relatives here to visit, so I will stay in the palace to take care of the Queen."
Mo Xiang was touched and nodded, "Then I'll leave the princess to you. I'll bring you some delicious food when I come back."
As soon as Mo Xiang left, Shadow hesitated for a moment, bowed to Ji Lingxue, turned around, and disappeared from the spot in an instant.
Ji Lingxue turned around and smiled at Lian Xin, "Thank you for your hard work these past few months. I'm going to check the accounts now, you can do whatever you want." After saying that, she turned and went back to the house.
It was noon in a blink of an eye. Lian Xin had just prepared lunch when Xiao Yichen came in and found Ji Lingxue fiddling with an abacus in the room. He leaned against the corner of the table and said with a smile, "Is the store's revenue this year making you so tired of fiddling with the abacus? Do you need my help?"
Ji Lingxue looked up at Xiao Yichen and said with a curled lip, "Forget it. I won't bother you, Your Majesty."
Xiao Yichen moved closer to Ji Lingxue and continued, "How could it be a problem? I am very happy to help the princess share her worries."
Ji Lingxue continued to fiddle with the abacus without raising her head and said, "I've calculated it." After she finished speaking, the abacus in her hand began to clatter.
A quarter of an hour later, Ji Lingxue looked up at Xiao Yichen who was still standing beside her, "Prince... do you have something to talk to me about?"
Xiao Yichen nodded, looked around and asked, "Where are Mo Xiang and An Ge?"
Ji Lingxue smiled and said, "Give them a holiday and let them go back to visit their families."
Xiao Yichen nodded and said, "We can also set off to Dayan. Do you want to take Lian Xin with you?"
Ji Lingxue shook her head. "No, it's risky outside. It's better to let her stay in the palace to guard the yard."
Xiao Yichen nodded and left the personnel arrangements to him.
Ji Lingxue spread her hands towards Xiao Yichen and said, "My Lord, Happy New Year, where is the red envelope?"
Xiao Yichen patted Ji Lingxue's palm and said with a smile: "I don't have a red envelope, how about I give myself to you?"
Ji Lingxue: “…”
Xiao Yichen moved his face close to Ji Lingxue, waiting for her cute reaction with a blushing face.
Ji Lingxue blinked and said, "My Lord, I'm hungry..."
Xiao Yichen looked at Ji Lingxue speechlessly, which really spoiled the mood.
After lunch, Xiao Yichen took Ji Lingxue's hand and walked out of the palace, mounted his horse and headed for the suburbs.
Ji Lingxue tightened her cloak and asked, "Where are we going?"
Xiao Yichen said: "Let's go outside the city to enjoy the flowers and snow."
It had snowed all morning, but now it had stopped. A thin layer of snow covered the roofs and paths. Horse hooves trod through the snow, splashing water.
Ji Lingxue said: "There are flowers to admire in the mansion, and you can also admire the snow, or see why we have to go outside the city?" The wind was so cold now that it hurt on my face.
Xiao Yichen looked down at Ji Lingxue in his arms and said, "It's more beautiful outside the city!"
They rode out of the city at lightning speed and Xiao Yichen brought Ji Lingxue to Wangyue Lake. At this moment, a layer of ice had formed on the surface of the lake and the branches on the shore were covered with snow. The cold wind blew and the branches shook, making a humming sound.
Ji Lingxue asked: "Are there any flowers here or there?"
Xiao Yichen slowed down the horse's pace and shuttled through the woods. "Still ahead." After saying that, he kicked the horse's belly, and the horse quickened its pace and went towards the top of the mountain. The horse galloped again. Ji Lingxue instinctively turned around and hugged Xiao Yichen's waist, resting her face in his arms.
The wind in the mountains suddenly stopped. At this moment, the horses were running. Ji Lingxue leaned in Xiao Yichen's arms, listening to his steady and powerful breathing. She suddenly felt safe and warm.
The sky gradually darkened. Xiao Yichen slowed down his horse and looked down at Ji Lingxue, who was resting with her eyes closed in his arms. Her fair skin was brighter than snow, and her pair of red lips were like red flowers blooming in the snow. Xiao Yichen lowered his head and kissed Ji Lingxue's red lips.
At this moment, Ji Lingxue opened her eyes, and her dark eyes looked at him quietly. The two of them breathed closer, and Ji Lingxue took the initiative to hug Xiao Yichen's neck and pressed her lips against his slightly cool thin lips.
In an instant, like a stone falling into the bottom of a calm lake, Xiao Yichen hugged Ji Lingxue's waist and deepened the kiss.
Ji Lingxue felt that the sky and the earth were spinning at this moment. There was no one else in front of her except Xiao Yichen and herself. Ji Yuqing and Yiyun had long since become floating clouds and left behind her mind.
After the passionate kiss, Xiao Yichen held Ji Lingxue and sat quietly on the horse's back, looking at the scenery in front of them. The snow covered the trees, making them look white. The imperial city in the distance became small, and the noise was too far away to be heard.
Ji Lingxue looked up at the sky, then turned to look at Xiao Yichen, "Didn't you say you would take me to see the flowers? Where are the flowers?" There was nothing in front of her, just a vast expanse of white.
Xiao Yichen raised his hand and counted down: "Three... two... one..." After the last count, he snapped his fingers, and in an instant the sky was filled with gorgeous fireworks, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, dazzlingly colorful.
Ji Lingxue looked up at the sky, her eyes brightened by the colorful flowers all over the sky, and then she heard Xiao Yichen's voice saying in her ear: "This is the flower I was talking about."
Ji Lingxue turned to look at Xiao Yichen, "Why do we have to watch the fireworks here?"
Xiao Yichen held Ji Lingxue's hand, placed it on his chest, and looked up at the sky together, "I only like to look at it with you two."
Ji Lingxue raised her lips and smiled. Although the sky was dark, the white snow on the mountain made her eyes sparkle.
Seeing the smile on Ji Lingxue's lips, Xiao Yichen suddenly felt happy and smiled too. It turns out that when you like someone, even her smile will be infected.
I am happy because of her joy, sad because of her sadness, and I always think of her first when doing anything.
Ji Lingxue turned her head and looked up at the sky. A wisp of red fireworks flew up into the sky and instantly exploded into a large flower. Ji Lingxue said, "I have been married to you for almost three years. This is the first New Year's Eve I have spent with you."
Xiao Yichen lowered his eyes and said, "I'm sorry..." She was too cold to her before.
Ji Lingxue turned to look at Xiao Yichen and said with a smile: "You were not wrong in the past. You just felt that you owed me too much after falling in love with me. So... in the future... you have to double compensate me."
Xiao Yichen nodded, picked up Ji Lingxue and spun her around, "Okay, I promise you, I will only treat you well from now on."
After the fireworks ended, Xiao Yichen took Ji Lingxue down the mountain on horseback. They did not return to the city, but went to Qingfeng Yashe outside the west city. Xiao Si and the others saw Ji Lingxue and Xiao Yichen coming, and happily invited them in.
"Prince, Princess, do you want to stay here with us to celebrate the New Year?" The one who asked the question was Xiao Si.
Xiao Si and his group of beggars were originally homeless, and now they regarded Qingfeng Yashe as their home. After seeing off the last batch of diners, they cleaned the shop and put a few side dishes on the table, as if it were a New Year's Eve dinner.
Although Qingfeng Yashe has opened branches in the city, they still like this shop outside the west city. There are too many memories here, and it was built by them, so they have already developed feelings for it.
The scholar in blue stood aside and bowed to Ji Lingxue and Xiao Yichen with a smile. Ji Lingxue and Xiao Yichen never put on airs in public, so everyone invited Xiao Yichen and Ji Lingxue to have dinner together without any hesitation.
Ji Lingxue nodded, "Okay, I'll come and have New Year's Eve dinner with you." After saying that, she took a look at the dishes and, for the first time ever, turned around and went to the kitchen to cook a few dishes.
The so-called "Shousui in" means that the whole family gets together on New Year's Eve to eat the New Year's Eve dinner, and then lights candles to stay up all night, symbolizing the driving away of all evil plagues and diseases.
Xiao Si brought a jar of wine and said, "It's rare for the prince and princess to drink together to celebrate the New Year, right?"
The scholar in green shirt laughed and said, "Xiao Si, you are addicted to alcohol and are looking for an excuse to drink!"
Xiao Si curled his lips and said, "You are such a talkative scholar."
Ji Lingxue said: "Drink, drink, let's play a drinking game, the long night is just right!"
Hearing Ji Lingxue agree with him, Xiao Si immediately became confident, "Nerd, I'll get you drunk tonight."
The scholar in blue shirt waved his hands and said he dared not.
After three rounds of drinking, all the men at the table drank a lot. Ji Lingxue and Xiao Yichen were given special care and didn't drink much. They walked to the window hand in hand to look at the night scene.
Xiao Yichen said: "We will set off to Dayan tonight."
Ji Lingxue raised her eyebrows and asked, "If we leave like this, what will we do in the capital?"
Xiao Yichen said, "I have found a replacement. I have already applied for sick leave in the palace. Don't worry, my brother will cover for me. As for you, Mo Xiang will make arrangements for you."
(End of this chapter)