Emperor Xuanzhi and his entourage stayed in a palace outside Suqian. Three days later, they learned that Zhang Jueheng had lived up to Jiang Changning's trust and sent one penny of silver to the inn.
Jiang Changning was very curious, "I wonder how he made this money?"
It’s not easy to make money. Carrying bags at the dock can make money, but Zhang Jueheng is still a child.
"Tear down the east wall to repair the west wall." Emperor Xuanzhi said casually.
"Really?" Jiang Changning thought that Emperor Xuanzhi had someone keep an eye on Zhang Jueheng, and frowned slightly, "This is not good."
"I'm guessing. If you want to know, ask someone to check it out."
Jiang Changning nodded, "I want to know, let someone check it out."
"Why?"
Jiang Changning smiled, "That child is very appealing to me."
Emperor Xuanzhi was a little surprised. He didn't expect it to be such a simple reason. "Okay, I'll have someone check it out."
"Thank you, sir."
"Madam always loves verbal praise."
Jiang Changning raised his eyebrows, "If you are not satisfied, please bear with it. Now I should go out and meet those local officials. They have been waiting for a long time."
"Madam, what are you going to do now?" Emperor Xuanzhi was not in a hurry to meet his ministers.
"Of course I'm going to meet those wives of officials. You guys talk about national affairs, and we talk about daily life." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"Thank you for your hard work, ma'am."
"It's not hard. It's my duty. I'm the queen who rules the country." Jiang Changning raised her chin and went out proudly to meet the wives of officials.
Emperor Xuanzhi looked at her back and chuckled softly. She was so adorable.
Just as Jiang Changning said, what she talked about with the wives of officials were all trivial matters.
After staying in Suqian for five days, they boarded the imperial ship heading south.
The emperor and empress did not take the same ship. Emperor Xuanzhi took the Longxiang boat.
There is a golden-roofed dragon pavilion on the bow, and four golden dragon pillars on the pavilion, which look lifelike and vivid as a dragon soaring across the sea.
There is a dragon sail hanging on the mast, and the pattern of a golden dragon playing with a pearl on the sail is so lifelike that it seems to be about to jump out of the water.
The boat that Jiang Changning was on was called Fengwu Boat.
At the bow of the ship is a golden-roofed Phoenix Pavilion, and on the four pillars are phoenixes dancing in the sky. On the phoenix sails, there is a pattern of auspicious golden phoenixes, which is also exquisite and gorgeous.
Emperor Xuanzhi was reading memorials to the emperor, and Jiang Changning was listening to a storyteller. She had become so lazy that she didn't want to read on her own.
"On the fourth day of the seventh month, all the necessary materials for the meeting were ready. Yue Lei gathered the soldiers who were going into the mountains. When they were on the main road, they all shook the reins and threw the bridles, and headed straight for the Panlong Mountain Pass."
Even if it is a familiar story, it seems vivid and interesting when told by a storyteller.
At noon, the imperial ship docked, and Jiang Changning went to the Longxiang boat to accompany Emperor Xuanzhi for lunch.
After the meal, Jiang Changning was about to leave, but was stopped by Emperor Xuanzhi, "Don't go there, stay with me."
"Your Majesty asked them to prepare my boat, how could I not take it?"
"It was not arranged by me." Emperor Xuanzhi had never thought of taking a separate boat with Jiang Changning. Who knew that the officials in Suqian arranged two boats, the Dragon and the Phoenix? It was really stupid. "Don't be angry."
"It was really not arranged by His Majesty?"
"Don't joke."
Jiang Changning pouted and said, "I thought His Majesty wanted to hide his lover in a golden boat and thought I was in the way."
"I just want to hide you, my dear." Emperor Xuanzhi said with a smile.
Jiang Changning suddenly became playful, "How about I hide and you come find me, okay?"
"What are you going to play?"
"Hide and seek, didn't Your Majesty play it when he was a child?"
"No."
"Then let's play." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"Okay, what should I do?" Emperor Xuanzhi was also happy to relax and have fun with the Empress.
"What's the reward for winning?"
Jiang Changning's eyes flickered, "Why don't you ask what the punishment is for losing?"
"I won't lose." Emperor Xuanzhi said confidently.
"If you win, you have the final say at night. If you lose, I have the final say at night."
"Okay, let's start." Emperor Xuanzhi turned around and started counting with his back to Jiang Changning.
Jiang Changning gave a wicked smile, lifted her skirt, and quietly slipped out through the side door. She had deliberately not specified where to hide.
The ship is so big that it is very difficult for Emperor Xuanzhi to find her.
After counting to one hundred, Emperor Xuanzhi glanced at Chang Youzhong. He did not ask, but Chang Youzhong took the initiative to tell him, "Your Majesty, the queen went out through the side door."
"Don't say too much." Emperor Xuanzhi warned Chang Youzhong only after he got the useful information.
Chang Youzhong's expression froze. Okay, then he wouldn't say any more.
Emperor Xuanzhi did not look for someone in this cabin, but went straight out the side door to look for someone in another cabin.
It wasn’t in the first room, it wasn’t in the second room, it wasn’t in the third room, and it wasn’t in the fourth room. Hiss, where on earth is his queen hiding
A cup of tea is not a long time. Emperor Xuanzhi glanced at Chang Youzhong beside him, wanting Chang Youzhong to provide some more useful information.
Chang Youzhong wanted to remain silent, but this was his master. "Your Majesty, Seven."
Emperor Xuanzhi went straight to the seventh cabin, where he found Jiang Changning hiding by the shelf, "Madam, I found you."
"How did you find me so quickly?" Jiang Changning thought it would take him some time.
"I'm awesome." Emperor Xuanzhi said without any guilt.
Jiang Changning didn't hesitate and said, "You won the first game. I'll come find you in the second game."
"How many rounds do we want to play?" asked Emperor Xuanzhi.
Jiang Changning thought for a moment and said, "Three rounds will be fine." It was already good enough that Emperor Xuanzhi was willing to play such a childish game as hide-and-seek with her, and she couldn't ask for too many times.
"Best of three." Emperor Xuanzhi and Jiang Changning returned to the previous cabin.
Jiang Changning cunningly limited the hiding place, "Your Majesty can only hide in this cabin."
"Empress, you are cheating."
"It was your Majesty who did not specify the hiding place. How can you blame me?" Jiang Changning argued.
Emperor Xuanzhi laughed and said, "Well, then please turn your back to me, Queen, and count."
Jiang Changning turned around with a smile and began to count, "One, two, three"
Emperor Xuanzhi stared at Chang Youzhong, then quietly walked towards the inner room.
This cabin is actually quite spacious. After all, it is where the emperor lives. There are three rooms in total. The front one is a small hall, then the living room, and then the bedroom.
After Jiang Changning counted to a hundred, he began to look for someone.
It was obvious at a glance that there was no place for Tibetans in the hall.
After entering the living room, Jiang Changning went straight to the closet. Previously, she wanted to hide in the closet.
She ignored the fact that there was a difference in height and body shape between her and Emperor Xuanzhi, and that the places where she could hide, Emperor Xuanzhi could not.
She opened the cupboard and found that Emperor Xuanzhi was not inside. She then looked under the long couch and still found no one there.
They searched all the places in the living room where people could hide, but they didn't find Emperor Xuanzhi.
Jiang Changning went to the bedroom and found that the curtains were lowered. "No way."
Hiding in the bed, he was found immediately.
She walked forward and drew aside the curtain, and found that there was no one on the bed.
"Your Majesty, it's time for a cup of tea." Chang Youzhong reminded.
(End of this chapter)