In the past, Mu Huai despised those fatuous monarchs who went to search for the people's admiration for their women and squandered money.
He lived two lives. In his previous life, he was a widow until he died. In this life, with a woman like Rong Xi, he understood those foolish lords in his heart.
Originally, everything he owned belonged to this woman, so it was a wonderful feeling to let her spend it at will and reward her with things.
But Rong Xi has never been a woman who is extravagant and greedy for vanity, she never takes the initiative to ask him for treasures, and she will obediently use whatever he promises her.
Some people may think that she is the daughter of a petty official after all, she has never seen anything interesting since she was a child, and her vision is not broad, so she is indifferent to these things.
But Mu Huai knew that Rong Xi really didn't care about these things.
This woman obviously has a soft and helpless appearance, but she never does anything to deceive the king. Instead, she is diligent and restrained, and her temperament is the kind of tenderness that men like. She is also obedient and docile when she gets along with herself. .
He has a meticulous temperament and can help him take care of his internal affairs well.
Thinking of this, Mu Huai raised his eyes, and glanced at the beauty opposite him with a little appreciation.
If she really has a catastrophic vixen temperament, then he may really become a fatuous monarch.
Fortunately, Rong Xi is not.
Rong Xi saw the way Mu Huai looked at her.
The man's thin lips were pursed slightly, the corners of his lips were clearly curved and did not reveal any smile, but that face as clear and handsome as jade was rarely filled with gentleness.
Rong Xi secretly felt that she hadn't said anything to this man just now, and the way Mu Huai looked at her showed a little bit of doting for no reason.
That look made her hair stand on end, and Mu Huai's current behavior was actually very similar to a faint monarch who had been dazed by the disaster.
After lunch, Rong Xi sat in front of the mirror in the side hall with lingering fear.
In the bronze mirror, her face was still as beautiful as a greasy face, and now when she ordered the maid to put on makeup for her, she had to paint the kind of makeup that could show her maturity and beauty.
Mingming recently she felt that her appearance was finally not so troublesome.
Rong Xi has always known that Mu Huai has always held power very firmly.
But before he was the crown prince, there was an Emperor Zhuang who could overwhelm him. Now that he is enthroned as the emperor, looking at the whole state of Qi, no one can say more than him.
Although Mu Huai treated her gently, Rong Xi knew very well that he still had a violent side in his bones.
If left unchecked, it is easy to go to extremes.
When his temperament develops well, he will be a talented and decisive monarch.
If it develops in a bad way, it will easily become a brutal and brutal tyrant.
Mu Huai gave her honor and favor, promised her love, and let her be his queen.
Naturally, Rong Xi didn't want her man to become like that, and she knew that being a troublemaker and a tyrant would not end well.
The beauty in the mirror is contemplating quietly, with a slightly heavy expression.
Mu Huai had already walked in front of Rong Xi, and lightly placed his slender big hands on the woman's slender shoulders.
Rong Xi felt a weight on her shoulders, and only then did she regain her senses.
She looked at the emperor's handsome and young face in the bronze mirror, and subconsciously got up to salute the man.
Mu Huai pressed her shoulder again with his hands, and ordered in a low voice, "Sit."
According to Rong Xi's words, she sat peacefully on the mahogany armchair.
Mu Huai stood behind Rong Xi, moved his hand from her shoulder, and caressed the beauty's chin.
The temperature of the man's palm was slightly cool, his fingertips were a little rough due to his martial arts practice, and Rong Xi's familiar, loose and distant smell of ambergris was also on his body.
He caressed her chin, and Rong Xi gradually closed his eyes, with thick, black eyelashes hanging down on the white eyelids, looking obedient and soft.
It looked like a kitten whose chin was stroked by its owner.
With a low voice, Mu Huai asked, "Why are you sitting here?"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rong Xi picked up a snail Dai from the dowry box in front of the mirror stand, and said to Mu Huai in a waxy voice: "The eyebrows of my concubine have faded a little, and I want to draw it again."
Mu Huai knew that this woman was lying to him, her eyebrows were already pretty, and she never knew how to draw eyebrows or put on powder before.
Thinking like this, he took hold of the woman's hand holding the snail, and after grabbing it into his palm, Mu Huai became interested, and said to Rong Xi, "I will help Xi'er draw eyebrows."
The man held a small piece of snail in his hand with distinct finger bones, he lowered his head and looked at the thing, but Yingjun's sharp eyebrows frowned.
Mu Huai pretended to be calm and asked, "How do you use this thing?"
Seeing this, Rong Xi had no choice but to sneer, and then explained softly to Mu Huai: "Luozidai's thrush eyebrows don't need to be grinded, just dip some clean water to draw them between the eyebrows."
Mu Huai listened, but didn't understand why.
What a mess, drawing eyebrows is like grinding ink, things used by women are troublesome.
Thinking about it, Mu Huai summoned Dan Xiang in a deep voice and asked her to find some clean water.
After the Danxiang was ordered, an exquisite small jade plate inlaid with jewels was brought over without any time, which contained clear water with rose dew.
Seeing that the man was still staring at the small piece of snail Dai in a daze, Rong Xi took it back from his hand and dipped it in clean water.
She hesitated a little, and after thinking about it, she still said to Mu Huai: "Your Majesty, let me paint by myself."
Mu Huai took Luo Zidai back again, and replied solemnly: "I'm here."
Rong Xi knew that Mu Huai was interested, and it was not easy to save the man's face, so she had to ask him to help her draw eyebrows.
She was about to stand up, wanting to make it easier for the man to draw eyebrows for her, but Mu Huai held her shoulder again.
Mu Huai leaned over slightly, trying to draw Rong Xi's eyebrows.
As soon as Luo Zidai touched her skin, Rong Xi's eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings.
Mu Huai felt that such a posture was inconvenient, so he half-bent his knees.
Rong Xi closed her eyes, she didn't see the man doing such a thing.
But what Mu Huai did was extremely shocking in the eyes of the palace people.
Zhiqu's courtiers didn't want to disturb the empress's solitude in the palace anymore, so they retreated.
Mu Huai naturally doesn't know how to draw eyebrows on women, he frowned and compared, and tried many times, but he still didn't know where to start.
Rong Xi only felt that her eyebrows were itchy. Although she squinted her eyes, she could still feel Mu Huai's cramping.
After a while, Rong Xi still smiled sweetly.
She opened Yingying's beautiful eyes, grabbed the man's right hand, and said softly: "Husband, it's better not to draw eyebrows for this concubine, and this concubine will go to see Jue'er later, this face can't scare him arrive."
The two are very close, and their clear and shallow breathing is also intertwined.
Rong Xi said this with a smile, and Mu Huai sincerely liked the way she smiled.
I couldn't help but think of King Zhou You who played with the princes in order to win the beauty's smile.
At this moment, he could understand why Zhou Youwang wanted Baosi to laugh so much.
Mu Huai felt that he had lost face in front of Rong Xi.
Rong Xi could see what the man was thinking, and seeing that there were no palace people around, she got up from the armchair, put her feet up, and kissed the man like a dragonfly.
She whispered to the man: "My husband is an upright emperor, it's okay if he doesn't know how to draw eyebrows for women."
There is no timidity in Rong Xi's eyes, but the beautiful eyes with a smile are alluring.
The gorgeous grille leaked out of the window, and the setting sun in the afternoon shone into the hall. Her pupils, which were originally lighter than ordinary people, also showed a translucent amber color.
Mu Huai's heart seemed to miss a beat, and he quickly grabbed the woman's waist, making her get closer to him.
After that, both hands also covered the woman's slap-sized face, absorbing the warmth and sweetness quite forcefully.
The gap in strength and stature between the two was too great, Rong Xi could only let him kiss.
While tasting her sweetness, Mu Huai thought to himself, as expected, she was taller, so it would be easier for him to kiss her.
In the future, if she stuffs things into the shoes again, he won't stop her.
Rong Xi was kissed by Mu Huai, and his breath became more and more uneven.
The man finally let go of her at this moment, and there was a dark feeling in those cold eyes.
While breathing calmly, Rong Xi straightened her disheveled clothes, but felt that her body was suddenly suspended in the air.
Mu Huai had already hugged her across his body, and was striding towards the inner hall.
Rong Xi panicked, and hurriedly whispered to Mu Huai: "Your Majesty, this concubine is going to the East Palace to see Jue'er, besides it's daytime... no."
Mu Huai didn't pay attention, and after putting the woman down on the bed, he whispered back: "Don't go to see Jue'er today, just spend more time with me."
Seeing the puzzled look on the woman's face, Mu Huai explained again: "Seven days later, I want to tour the Qi territory in the east."
Rong Xi half propped up her body with her slender hands, and asked softly: "Your Majesty wants to tour the East? Will you bring your concubines?"
Mu Huai took off the crown of nine dragons and four phoenixes from her bun, and replied: "I asked the imperial physician, after you gave birth to Jue'er, your physique is still weak, so I can't take you with me on this tour."
Seeing the luxurious gauze curtains being put down lightly, Rong Xi suddenly panicked in an instant.
She never thought that Mu Huai would leave her for so long.
She asked again, "How long will Your Majesty be going?"
Mu Huai's tall figure disappeared, covering her petite body tightly.
The remade emperor's crown and her queen's robe have already fallen on the carpet
Mu Huai removed Rong Xi's hand covering his lips, and replied in a hoarse voice: "It can be as little as a month, or as much as two months. I will accompany you as soon as possible when I return to Bian."
It was just after noon when the two entered the inner hall.
Now, the sky is getting dark.
The smoke from the furnace in the inner hall has a slightly sweet smell.
Rong Xi's body tensed, and clusters of tears leaked from the slits of his eyes.
Mu Huai kissed away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and there was even more tenderness in her ears, and the woman called him with that sweet voice, "Huang Sang...Huang Sang..."
The man's arms were already strong and powerful, but recently he practiced martial arts diligently, his physique became more vigorous and masculine.
Hearing her calling him the emperor again, Mu Huai Qingjun's face showed forbearance and restraint. He straightened the woman's palm-sized face with one hand, and ordered in a low voice: "Don't call the emperor, call your husband."
Rong Xi closed his eyes, there should be darkness in front of his eyes, but now there are bursts of white light.
She lost the ability to think, obediently obeyed Mu Huai's order, and said in a hoarse voice, "Husband..."
Mu Huai pecked the woman's small mouth like a reward, then took the woman's catkin with his big hand, interlocked her ten fingers, and ordered: "My dear, open your eyes. This time, be more courageous and work together with me." .”
*****
The next day after Mu Huai came down to court, he called the Minister of the Household Department to the Qianyuan Hall.
It was the first time Hubu Shangshu met the new emperor alone, and he was a little nervous. Seeing the young and handsome new emperor sitting behind the case, he guessed that he was going to ask about taxes or military expenditures.
Unexpectedly, the new emperor actually asked him about Tao Chang, a little-known official under him.
When Mu Huai ascended the throne in his previous life, he only pardoned the world, and was also busy training soldiers and lectures, and did not tour east to stabilize internal affairs.
In this life, he is not as eager to recruit soldiers as he was in his previous life. He only encloses land in the outskirts of Beijing, letting Yin Cheng train the existing elite soldiers of Daqi first.
Now Daqi has 20,000 horses, 500,000 infantry, 100,000 cavalry, and 50,000 bowmen and crossbowmen.
The military strength is only slightly stronger than Beiyan, and it can be said that it is comparable to Beiyan.
The drought two years later was unavoidable. Many people died in Qi State in the previous life, and the grain harvest was poor, but the army must not be stopped.
As soon as the drought was over, the Ministry of Household Affairs handed over a note, saying that the population of Daqi had dropped sharply.
Therefore, in the year when he attacked Beiyan, there were not many young and strong soldiers among the soldiers, and most of them were veterans who had passed their age.
That year, there was a drought in the south and a flood in the north. His Daqi suffered from the drought, and the country of Yan also suffered from the flood.
This is the purpose of his east tour. Mu Huai remembers all the counties and counties in the most severe drought in Qi. As long as they prevent the passing of time, the impact of the drought in Qi will be much smaller in two years.
By seizing this opportunity, Qi State will be able to outperform Yan State by a large margin.
Tao Chang, whom Mu Huai and the Minister of the Household Department mentioned, made outstanding contributions in curing drought in his previous life.
Speaking of which, Tao Chang's family is a merchant and lives a wealthy life.
His parents didn't want their son to go into business again, so they let him concentrate on taking the Juren examination, and wanted Tao Chang to enter the court as an official.
But Tao Chang's mind was not on the imperial examination.
Tao Chang only likes to study farming, and he yearns for the life of Tao Yuanming, a hermit.
Although he was carelessly preparing for the scientific examination, he still won the ranking and entered the household department as a Duzhi in charge of land tax.
After Mu Huai reused him, he learned that Tao Chang had always wanted to be a Sinonong, but he was overwhelmed by the then Sinonong, and his talent was buried for many years.
Seeing that Mu Huai asked about Tao Chang, the Minister of the Household Department replied respectfully: "There is such an official as Tao Chang. Now he is in charge of the land tax on the outskirts of Bianjing, and his official position is Duzhi."
Mu Huai understood what the Minister of the Household Department said early in the morning.
Then he ordered the eunuch in the palace: "Order Tao Duzhi to meet me in Qianyuan Palace."
After Tao Chang got the order, he was a little panicked.
He was originally a small Duzhi, why did the new emperor summon him suddenly
He is a small official, so it is said that it will be difficult for him to go to the Qianyuan Hall to see the holy face in his life.
After Tao Chang arrived at the Qianyuan Hall, according to the rules, he bowed three times and bowed nine times to Mu Huai.
After Tao Chang got up, he heard the young new emperor ask him directly: "I heard that you usually like to study farming, and you compile agricultural books at home every time you rest?"
After hearing this, Tao Chang blinked.
He secretly thought that today's eyeliner is so powerful that even a small official like him knows exactly what he likes.
Tao Chang was a little panicked, for fear that the Holy Majesty would reprimand him for not doing his job properly.
Then he replied with trepidation: "I... I like to study agriculture, and I am also compiling agricultural books... But I have never missed my duty."
Mu Huai's expression was calm, and he knew that Tao Chang was afraid that he would accuse him of dereliction of duty.
His brows and eyes were stern, and he stared at Tao Chang with his head bowed.
After a long while, he finally spoke up and said: "I called Tao Duzhi to tell you in advance that you will accompany me when I tour the East."
*****
The day Mu Huai left Bianjing, the weather was fine.
This morning, he woke up before Rong Xi, and just about to get up, he saw the woman's slender white hand tightly holding onto his sleeve, unwilling to let go.
Rong Xi was still sleeping, but there were tears on his face, and it looked like he was crying and fell asleep.
Mu Huai felt sorry for her, so he lowered his head and kissed the woman's soft brow, and said in a warm voice: "My dear, let me go first."
Rong Xi's consciousness was hazy, and when she heard the man's deep voice, she woke up suddenly.
After getting up, she felt that her face was wet and wet, and her eyes were slightly surprised.
Mu Huai was going on an east tour today, but she actually cried in her dream.
She has lived to such an age, and has experienced many changes. She originally thought that she was a very strong woman.
But now, Mu Huai is only going to leave her for a month or two, and she is so sad and fragile.
According to Mu Huai's words, it's hypocritical for him to be like this now.
When did she become like this
Mu Huai's expression was slightly complicated, and he wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his fingers.
He told Rong Xi: "If there is anything you don't understand in the palace, just ask Cheng Song, the waiter."
Rong Xi resisted the soreness in his nose and nodded.
Mu Huai comforted him again patiently: "General Zhonglang of the Yulin Army will always bring his attendants to protect you. You don't have to be afraid of anything. I will come back to accompany you as soon as possible."
Rong Xi forced a smile on his face, pretending to be calm, and whispered to the man: "Don't worry, my husband, my concubine will wait for you to come back."
The emperor's east tour was huge, and the soldiers and horses had already stood guard in front of the Xuanhua Building at the main entrance of the Forbidden City. Rong Xi had never seen such a scene before.
Mu Huai was wearing Shishuo Wubian, tall and straight as a pine.
The emperor's face was extremely young and handsome, but there was a hint of killing determination that didn't match his age.
Rong Xi walked side by side with Mu Huai, and saw him ride in the imperial and luxurious car with his own eyes, and behaved gracefully and gracefully along the way.
From the perspective of others, the Dudao Emperor and Empress are deeply affectionate husband and wife.
The flat ground gradually raised dust, Rong Xi stood in front of the majestic Xuanhua Building, seeing the team on the east tour going further and further away, but his mood could not be calmed down for a long time.
Dan Xiang supported her, and under the escort of a group of attendants, she entered the palace city from Xuanhua Building.
Once you enter the Xuanhua Tower, and walk up a hundred steps, you will find the Zirui Hall with a bell tower.
It was a crisp autumn day, the sun was shining brightly, and the setting sun was a bit dazzling.
Rong Xi closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and forced herself to suppress the tears in her eyes.
She kept talking to herself in her heart.
Don't cry, don't cry.
She needs to be strong, and without Mu Huai, she needs to be strong even more.
She couldn't let his Zhiyan down.