Ever since He Qingxian came to Beijing, the palace has been much more frugal in all kinds of expenses. However, during festivals, the palace should also be lively to please the Empress Dowager and the Emperor both physically and mentally.
In mid-April, the palace sent an oral message to the royal relatives in Beijing, saying that there would be a palace banquet on the Dragon Boat Festival, and the ministers who had been busy implementing the new policies for half a year could also attend.
The day before the Dragon Boat Festival, Huayang and Chen Jingzong came to the Chen Mansion to celebrate the festival.
Huayang finally saw his father-in-law again. In just half a year, his father-in-law had more white hair on his head. It was all because he was busy and tired.
The imperial court issued a new decree in late March, and by now all counties and cities across the country have received the news. Some officials close to the capital have been submitting memorials to the palace every few days. The reports are nothing more than which aristocratic families have jointly written a letter of opposition, or which academies' students are causing trouble again.
If one memorial is taken alone, it may seem insignificant, but when there are many such memorials, they become a kind of public pressure, as if the whole world is against the new policy and is resenting the emperor and the cabinet.
Not being in that position, Huayang couldn't empathize with the pressure his father-in-law and brother felt, but it certainly wouldn't be pleasant.
This time when he came to Chen's house, Huayang prepared two full boxes of medicinal supplements and asked his mother-in-law to take care of his father-in-law's health.
While the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking, Chen Tingjian was sitting next to them with a gentle smile on his face. He then said to Huayang, "Princess, don't worry about me. When the performance evaluation system was first implemented, half of the officials in the country wrote to blame me, but I ignored them all. This year, the new policy is being implemented, and the same situation will happen again. I am used to it and will never take those criticisms to heart."
He was looking at the overall situation of the world, military affairs, economy, officialdom, border countries, natural disasters, etc. While he was making a move with his hands, he was already planning several steps ahead in his mind. Only a young emperor would get angry over trivial matters, but for him, as long as there was no big chaos, everything was as expected.
The fifty-six-year-old Prime Minister stroked his long beard leisurely, looking confident and like an immortal.
In fact, he is a little conceited and frivolous, but the old man has been outstanding all his life and he himself has long been unable to realize it.
Sun glared at her husband with disgust, but after that she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.
Huayang saw it clearly. After lunch, she and Chen Jingzong returned to Siyi Hall. She had the opportunity to share her insight with Chen Jingzong: "Mother must like father very much."
Chen Jingzong was standing in front of the washstand, washing his face. Hearing this, he didn't even look at the princess sitting on the bed. He just responded casually, "Of course, even you, the princess, are fond of the old man. My mother is a little girl from a local village, and she has long been fascinated by the old man's charm."
Huayang: …
She picked up the soft-soled slippers she had just taken off and threw them lightly, hitting Chen Jingzong on the lower back.
After smashing it, the slippers fell to the ground with a slight sound.
Chen Jingzong looked down at the princess's slippers, then looked at the princess who was glaring at him beside the bed, and suddenly said, "You must like me very much, too."
Huayang didn't understand how he came to this conclusion: "Why do I like you?"
Chen Jingzong: "Mother also often dislikes father and occasionally beats him up. Isn't that exactly the same as how you treat me? If you think mother likes the old man very much, then it proves that you like me as well."
Huayang retorted: "Mother's dislike for father is fake, but my dislike for you is real."
After saying that, she lay down with her back to him.
Chen Jingzong smiled, wiped his hands and face silently, walked towards the bed while unbuttoning his outer robe, and finally came to the bed wearing only a pair of shorts. He pressed the princess who was lying on her side flat, clasped one of her wrists with one hand, supported her and said, "Come on, let me see how the princess really despises me."
Huayang couldn't move and could only stare at him.
Chen Jingzong said nothing and did nothing, just looked at her with a half-smile.
Not long after, Huayang tilted her head, her eyelashes half drooped, and her red lips slightly pursed, as if a little angry, but her peony-like cheeks became redder and more beautiful.
Chen Jingzong kissed her exposed earlobe and said, "Do you despise me so much? I'd rather be despised by you every day."
The lotus bowl had just been prepared, and the thing could not be used until the evening. Chen Jingzong kissed the princess so much that her body softened, so he let her go and lay down beside her.
After all, it was summer and he didn't want to sweat for nothing.
Huayang lay on his side, looked at him for a while, and said, "I will go to the palace for a banquet tomorrow, and I will stay in the palace for a while."
Chen Jingzong frowned: "How long will you stay?"
Hua Yang avoided his resentful eyes and said with lowered eyelids: "Until the end of the month, my brother has been quite irritable recently, I will accompany him more."
Chen Jingzong thought of the court meeting yesterday, when the young emperor seemed to have a blister at the corner of his mouth.
The emperor is an honorable person, but he also has a heavy burden. If he encounters someone who is incompetent, he will push all government affairs to the cabinet and indulge in pleasure. He will basically not get angry. Emperor Yuanyou is at an age when he is full of energy and ambition, so he will also bear corresponding pressure when he encounters troubles.
Perhaps when Emperor Yuanyou is in his thirties or forties, he will be as patient as an old man, but now, Emperor Yuanyou is still very young.
"There is a gap between siblings, so he should marry a queen."
Chen Jingzong held the princess in his arms and squeezed her hand: "Your Majesty has a strict temper. She may be able to help the emperor solve major problems. It is useless to reason with small troubles. There is a person who understands your feelings. Sometimes you don't need to talk. Just hugging will make you feel better."
Huayang: "It will be soon. In August next year, the Ministry of Rites will select concubines from all over the country. The concubines will be brought to Beijing for education for a period of time. In the spring of the following year, my brother will be eighteen, which is just the right time for him to get married and take over the government."
Our ancestors had long ago established the system for the emperor of this dynasty to select concubines, and the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites followed the procedure. All the queen mother could do was to choose three dignified and virtuous women from the fifty shortlisted ladies, and then my younger brother would choose one of them to be his queen, and the rest would be concubines.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, Huayang was reborn in the twelfth month of the third year of Yuanyou, and was unable to see his younger brother participate in the talent show.
However, according to her mood and temper at the time, she probably wouldn't care too much. Why would she care what kind of wife a stinky brother who didn't take her words to heart married!
"After he gets married, will you still live in the palace for a long time?" Chen Jingzong asked.
Huayang glared at him.
There are many royal rules. Although Huayang is not afraid of the future queen's brother and sister-in-law, he does not want to cause trouble for no reason.
.
The next day, Huayang and Chen Jingzong entered the palace early for the Dragon Boat Festival banquet.
This time, Huayang also saw the blister at the corner of his brother's mouth which had not yet disappeared.
Emperor Yuanyou noticed his sister's gaze and looked a little embarrassed, fearing that his sister would laugh at him.
Huayang didn't smile, she felt a little distressed.
She was carefree most of the time in her previous life, but after her rebirth, she was filled with worries. She had to help her father-in-law get rid of the seven deadly sins, and also find a way to resolve the death of her father, Chen Jingzong, and even her father-in-law.
But she had several years to slowly plan and prepare, while her brother had to face a bunch of big and small court affairs every day.
The love that parents have for their children will not fade even when they grow up. The same goes for Huayang's affection for her younger brother. Even though her younger brother is taller than her, he is still her younger brother. He is the baby she once held in her arms and teased, the three-year-old child who would cry when she pretended to cry, and the little prince who would seriously ask Chen Jingzong to be nice to her when she got married.
Emperor Yuanyou knew how to read people's expressions since he was a child. He observed the words of his father and mother, and the expressions of ministers and palace maids, because his every move was under the supervision of these people.
Therefore, he keenly caught the tenderness in his sister's eyes.
Emperor Yuanyou: …
It's just a small blister. There's no need to be so sad, as if he has a serious illness.
The young emperor felt that his sister was making a fuss out of nothing, but at the same time, he felt inexplicably warm in his heart.
Not long after the meeting, Huayang went to talk with Empress Dowager Qi, Princess Anle, Princess Nankang and other female relatives.
Emperor Yuanyou took Chen Jingzong out. When they went out, Chen Jingzong didn't pay attention to the threshold and almost tripped.
Emperor Yuanyou looked at him curiously and asked, "Is your husband worried about something?"
The palace is full of strict rules and regulations. Even young eunuchs and palace maids who have just entered the palace would not make the mistake of tripping over the threshold.
Chen Jingzong looked at Emperor Yuanyou and whispered, "I was thinking about the way the princess looked at the emperor just now."
Emperor Yuanyou's face turned slightly red.
Chen Jingzong suddenly sighed and said quietly, "If the princess is willing to look at me like that once, even if I fall on the battlefield one day, my life will be worth it."
Emperor Yuanyou understood at first, then said unhappily: "It's a good Dragon Boat Festival, why are you saying such depressing words?"
Chen Jingzong quickly confessed his crime.
Emperor Yuanyou encouraged him again, "Don't be discouraged. As long as you are sincere to your sister, sooner or later your sister will also take you to heart."
Chen Jingzong had an expression of being taught.
After everyone arrived, the palace banquet began.
Huayang sat at the same table with Chen Jingzong, and his seat was very close to Empress Dowager Qi and Emperor Yuanyou. Opposite them was the Prime Minister Chen Tingjian.
Chen Jingzong approached Huayang and said, "Look, the old man worked hard for decades to get this position, and I got it at the age of 27."
Huayang: …
Chen Tingjian looked over inadvertently and happened to see the fourth brother saying something nonsense, and was glared at by the eldest princess.
Chen Tingjian withdrew his gaze, out of sight, out of mind.
Emperor Yuanyou also noticed it, and suddenly felt a little sympathy for his son-in-law. Perhaps he would never be loved as much as his sister in his life.
Soon after the banquet began, the singers and actors from the Jiaofangsi came on stage to perform. There was a group of strong men imitating the masculine encouragement of dragon boat racing with sweat pouring down their cheeks, and there were also singers with colorful skirts fluttering and graceful dancing like fairies descending to earth.
While the warriors were dancing, Chen Jingzong secretly pinched Huayang's wrist, forbidding her to stare at the men with their shoulders and arms exposed.
Huayang pinched him with his fingernails.
When it was the turn of the singers to perform dance, Huayang glanced at Chen Jingzong standing aside and saw that he was either looking at his nose or his heart, or he was looking at his father-in-law who was talking in a low voice with Lord Lu opposite him.
Huayang: …
She looked at her brother who was sitting in the main seat.
By the way, my mother had very strict rules on the singing and dancing in the Jiaofangsi. She did not allow the kind of lewd music that could easily seduce my brother. The dancing singers were also all dressed neatly. If my brother was a lustful person, he would probably not have much interest in these singers in front of him.
Emperor Yuanyou was originally admiring the dancing of the singing girls when he noticed that Chen Tingjian and Lu Ge Lao were leaning over and talking about something. Emperor Yuanyou could not help but wonder if there was some trouble in the place again.
Lord Lu suddenly smiled, and Chen Tingjian also smiled, stroking his beard.
Emperor Yuanyou: …
What's so funny? Tell him too!
(End of this chapter)