As the twelfth lunar month began, officials from all over the country began to submit memorials to the capital, in order to report their achievements in the current year and to wish the emperor a happy new year in advance.
Top-quality silver frost charcoal was burning in the study. Huayang wrote a letter to his father, mother, and younger brother, then stopped writing and rubbed his hands.
"Princess, please get up and walk around. It will keep you warmer." Chao Yun said with concern.
The Chen family's ancestral home all uses window paper. If you open the windows in winter, the cold wind will blow in, but if you don't open them, the sunlight won't get in. It's not as good as the glazed windows used by high-ranking officials in the capital. There is a floor heating in the house, and when the sunlight shines in, it's warm even without burning charcoal.
Huayang held the hand stove and walked around the room. Seeing Chaoyun was about to clean up the table, he said, "Don't be busy yet. I have to write a letter to my aunt later."
The only person in the capital who Huayang could call aunt was Princess Anle.
Emperor Jingshun had four sisters, three of whom died young due to illness, and only Princess Anle survived safely.
Princess Anle was only thirty years old, a full twenty years younger than Emperor Jingshun. Emperor Jingshun basically treated her as his own daughter. Although they were half-siblings, he doted on her quite a bit.
Princess Anle got married at the age of seventeen and became a widow at the age of twenty. She was used to being willful and did not want to find a prince consort, but she also did not want to be lonely all night, so she gradually started to keep a lover.
An imperial censor reported Princess Anle to Emperor Jingshun, believing that it was unbecoming for a princess to indulge in male beauty, and hoped that Emperor Jingshun would come forward to reprimand her.
Emperor Jingshun was a very protective person. His sister just kept a few male favorites to relieve her loneliness, and they were harmless to the country. Why should he interfere
With the indulgence of Emperor Jingshun, Princess Anle became the happiest woman in the entire capital and even in the dynasty.
In addition to her unique way of keeping a lover, Princess Anle was also good at having fun. She liked Huayang and often brought him all kinds of novel and interesting small gifts from outside the palace, and the relationship between the aunt and nephew became closer and closer. If it weren't for Empress Qi's restraint, Huayang would have wanted to stay in her aunt's house for a while and have fun.
Sitting down again, Huayang looked at Chaoyun and asked her to go outside to guard the door.
She wanted to ask her aunt how to prevent pregnancy, and it would be best if even the maids didn't see this kind of information.
After writing all four letters, Huayang put them into envelopes and sealed them with ink. He then asked Chaoyun to send them to his father-in-law and wait to hand them over to the postman.
In the second half of the month, Chen Jingzong suddenly remembered and asked her, "It's almost the New Year, aren't you going to write a letter to the Emperor and His Majesty to wish them a happy New Year?"
Huayang: "I have written it. They should have arrived in the capital by now."
Chen Jingzong looked at her calm face and asked, "Have you written to the princess?"
Huayang glared at him but did not deny it.
Chen Jingzong smiled, but also felt a little regretful: "Since the princess has a solution, you should go visit her and get some scriptures before we leave Beijing."
Huayang turned a deaf ear to him and didn't even want to give him a glare.
From that day on, Chen Jingzong began to look forward to letters from the capital. Unfortunately, the postmen had to take a holiday during the New Year, so the eldest princess' letter would probably arrive after the New Year.
On New Year's Eve, amid the sound of firecrackers from other people's homes in the town, the Chen family had a very simple New Year's Eve dinner.
The food is still vegetarian, but the sadness in everyone's hearts has faded. Compared to missing the old lady, everyone is more looking forward to the new year.
After returning to Siyitang, Huayang soaked his feet and prepared to go to bed.
Chen Jingzong had also finished his tea and told Chaoyun to just go back and rest without turning off the lights.
Huayang, who had already lay down in bed, looked at him suspiciously.
Chen Jingzong sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at her seriously: "Last time you gave me a handkerchief, so I also prepared a New Year gift for you."
Huayang should be looking forward to it, but Chen Jingzong had made more serious expressions than this before, but all he said were dirty words.
She waited indifferently.
Chen Jingzong put his hand into the collar of his shirt, paused, and added: "Because I can't go out openly, I can only go to the next town to look for gifts. The things in small places are poor, please don't despise them."
Huayang still looked indifferent.
Chen Jingzong finally stretched out his hand. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints, and he looked very strong.
At this moment, his fingertips were holding a piece of neatly folded red satin.
"Open it and take a look." Chen Jingzong handed over the red satin.
Huayang looked at the red satin. With her keen eyesight, she could naturally tell that it was a piece of Shu brocade, perhaps the treasure of the embroidery shop in the town.
Shu brocade is precious, and the things wrapped inside must not be cheap. Chen Jingzong was just being deliberately modest just now.
Huayang finally felt a little bit of anticipation. He lifted the quilt, sat up, and slowly unfolded himself.
She looked at the satin and Chen Jingzong looked at her.
The princess already had a fair and delicate body, and now as she sat under the lamp, her neck and hands looked even whiter, so white that they emitted light.
Such whiteness, even if it is just an ordinary beauty, can make a man's blood flow faster, not to mention that her color is as beautiful as a peony.
Huayang opened the last layer of red satin and found that it was empty.
She looked up in confusion.
Chen Jingzong smiled and said, "What are you looking for? This satin is a gift. In half a month, we will stop mourning. The clothes you brought from the capital were all plain clothes. Now make clothes out of this satin, and they will be perfect for wearing in a while."
Huayang looked at the satin again. It was such a small piece that, apart from making a pair of socks or two handkerchiefs, it could only be used to make...
Huayang finally realized his intention, dropped the satin, turned around and got into bed.
Chen Jingzong quickly followed in, hugged her from behind, and kissed her snow-white neck again and again: "You are white, and you look best in a red vest."
Chen Jingzong kissed her shoulder again: "The emperor really honored me by marrying a princess like you. Fortunately, you are a princess, otherwise I would have…"
Before he could finish his words, Huayang turned around in shame and anger and covered his mouth tightly.
Chen Jingzong grabbed her wrist, looked at her and said, "It's the ninth day of the first lunar month, and it's been three months. The medicine is a gift from the queen, and you brought it all the way from the capital. It took so many servants so much effort. If we don't use it, wouldn't it be a waste of their hard work?"
Huayang: …
Chen Jingzong: "Make it into a bag and wear it on the ninth night. If you don't make it, I will praise your whiteness every night from now on."
Huayang really wanted to scold him, but Chen Jingzong jumped off the bed to turn off the lights. After coming back, he lay obediently in the bed next to him without saying a word.
Huayang couldn't help it and kicked him hard.
Chen Jingzong didn't move. Huayang was tired of kicking him, so he angrily threw the satin at his face and turned his back to sleep.
After a few days, the third pill was not wasted after all.
.
In the late first month of the lunar calendar, Chen Jingzong and his two brothers finished mourning, and the appointment documents from the Ministry of Personnel and rewards from the palace also arrived at the same time.
Chen Bochong was appointed the prefect of Lingzhou, and like his previous position as Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, he was also a fourth-rank official.
Chen Xiaozong was appointed magistrate of Jiangping County under Lingzhou Prefecture, and like his previous position as editor of the Hanlin Academy, he was a seventh-rank official.
Before leaving Beijing, Chen Jingzong served as the assistant commander of the Jinyiwei. Now he is temporarily serving as the assistant commander of Lingzhouwei, and his rank is equivalent.
Three brothers from the same family all work in Lingzhou Prefecture, which would be impossible in other families, but Emperor Jingshun relied on Chen Tingjian, so it was okay to make a small exception. Moreover, everyone knew that the three brothers of the Chen family were only temporarily serving in Lingzhou for more than a year, and they would return to Beijing with Chen Tingjian next year and resume their original positions.
Chen Tingjian led his family to thank the emperor for his decree.
The person sent by the palace this time was still Eunuch Xiao Ma. He only helped to transfer the documents from the Ministry of Personnel. His main task was to deliver rewards.
Chen Tingjian's family all received rewards, a total of eight boxes and cages, containing gold, silver, jewelry, and silks and satins.
Luo Yuyan looked at Huayang in confusion. The eight boxes were all for the Chen family. Why didn't the emperor give any special rewards to his daughter this time
Just as she finished her thought, she heard the eunuch Xiao Ma's delicate voice say to Huayang: "Princess, your husband is going to work in the garrison, which is closer to Lingzhou City. I have already bought a garden for you and your husband by the emperor's order. This time, the emperor gave you and your husband a reward, and I took the initiative to carry it directly to the garden. I am afraid that you will have to move it back when you move in two days, which will delay your time. Princess, you don't blame me, right?"
Huayang looked at his father-in-law and mother-in-law and said with a smile: "Since it is the emperor who has given us this house, my husband and I will not let him down. Your father-in-law's arrangement is thoughtful and considerate, and I will reward you."
As soon as she finished speaking, she walked forward to Chao Yun and, smiling, stuffed a purse into Eunuch Xiao Ma's hands.
Eunuch Xiao Ma thanked him happily, and suddenly slapped his head after thanking him: "Look at me, I was so anxious to see the princess's fairy-like figure that I almost forgot something."
After saying this, Eunuch Ma hurried out of Chen's house and took out a two-foot square brocade box with a red seal from the carriage outside the door. He then hurried back in and said to Huayang with a smile, "Princess, the eldest princess misses you and specially prepared a gift for me to bring over. She said there is a letter inside. You will understand after you read it."
Huayang's heart was beating faster and faster.
She was only thankful that she had been with Chen Jingzong for a long time, and that as bad company would corrupt people, she was able to remain calm at this time instead of blushing.
"Is it heavy? Let me take it."
Chen Jingzong took the brocade box before Chao Yun and felt its weight in his hand.
Huayang asked casually, "What's the matter with this seal?"
Eunuch Xiao Ma smiled and said, "The princess said that the treasure inside is something she found with great difficulty. It is extremely precious and must be sealed and opened by you personally. Princess, rest assured, the brocade box has been well kept in my carriage all the way. No one else has touched it except me."
Huayang nodded: "Aunt, thank you for your trouble. When you go back, please be sure to convey my gratitude to Aunt."
This brocade box that looked like it was filled with treasures naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the Chen family.
Among them, Luo Yuyan was particularly curious. The royal family had no shortage of gold, silver and jewelry. So, apart from jewelry, what else could Princess Anle value so much
Eunuch Xiao Ma stayed in Chen's house for half an hour and then left.
As early as when he left Siyi Hall to talk to Chen Tingjian, Chen Jingzong asked Chaoyun to step down and pulled Huayang into the inner room.
The brocade box sent by Princess Anle was placed on the table.
"Do you want to drive or should I?" Chen Jingzong asked.
Huayang knew that there must be some improper things inside, so he sat on the bed with his face turned sideways, not looking too concerned.
Chen Jingzong smiled, tore off the seal and opened the lid.
Inside was a letter and underneath it was a box.
He handed the letter to Huayang.
Huayang held the letter, but his eyes were fixed on Chen Jingzong.
After a while, Chen Jingzong took out a thin, almost transparent, long bag-like object from the second box, looked at it for a moment, frowned and asked Huayang: "It looks strange, do you recognize it?"
Huayang: …
With this kind of figure, and the need for contraception, she had already guessed it. As a man, how could he not understand
It's nothing more than pretending to be serious again!
(End of this chapter)