Huayang couldn't imagine what kind of "unforgettable" gift Chen Jingzong could give her.
First of all, he had no money, and even if he had money, he couldn't compare with his father. The fireworks that were set off in the palace specifically for her when she was a child are now blurred, and only the memory of this incident remains.
Furthermore, Chen Jingzong was a rough man who practiced martial arts. He could not compose exquisite and brilliant poems, calligraphy and paintings that would be passed down through the ages, nor could he think of any elegant and unique ideas.
In addition to martial arts, what he is best at is being indecent. Huayang believes that he can come up with a gift that is so indecent that she will never forget it. But if Chen Jingzong really uses this trick, she will definitely whip him.
Two days passed like a flash, and in the blink of an eye it was April 17, the day before Huayang's birthday.
In the morning, before leaving for the garrison, Chen Jingzong said to Huayang, "Come back in the evening, and I will make you a bowl of longevity noodles."
Huayang: …
She suddenly thought that there are several kinds of unforgettable things. If Chen Jingzong gave her the most humble birthday gift, she would probably remember it for the rest of her life.
Not only was she disgusted, Chaoyun and Chaoyue were also full of disappointment in the Prince Consort. If the Prince Consort had other surprises besides the longevity noodles, he didn't ask them to prepare them quietly.
At dusk, after Chen Jingzong returned home, he changed his clothes and went straight to the kitchen.
Thinking that this bowl of noodles was her gift, Huayang came to the kitchen to supervise with a look of disgust on his face.
Eunuch Feng, who was in charge of the kitchen, and the young eunuchs were all driven out by Chen Jingzong. Now, only the couple were in the spacious kitchen. One of them rolled up his sleeves and was kneading dough, while the other asked the maid to put a rocking chair at the door and watched comfortably.
The setting sun poured in through the window, illuminating half of Chen Jingzong's handsome profile. He had drooped eyelashes and kneaded his dough with a focused and serious expression, comparable to a literati painting.
Huayang thought that with a appearance like this, if he focused on studying, he would have no problem getting the third place in the imperial examination, if not the first place.
When cutting noodles, Chen Jingzong used the kitchen knife flexibly and smoothly, and each noodle was about the same thickness as the leaf stalk.
Huayang really likes to eat thin noodles, but I don’t know if he discovered that through observation or if he was deliberately showing off his knife skills to her.
When Chen Jingzong was about to light a fire, Huayang didn't want to be contaminated by the smoke, so he went back to the inner room.
When it comes to noodles, kneading the dough is the most time-consuming. Once the noodles are cooked well, the rest will come quickly.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Jingzong came into the main room carrying a tray with two bowls of steaming longevity noodles on it, topped with beef slices, ham, mushrooms, and fried eggs with slightly browned edges.
"Throughout history, you are probably the only prince consort who personally makes noodles for the princess."
Huayang sat down at the table, admired the appearance of the longevity noodles, and said to Chen Jingzong.
Chen Jingzong said shamelessly: "The gift is small but the sentiment is great. You and I are husband and wife and will be together for decades to come. Why do we have to do those empty things every year?"
Huayang snorted. She had already thought of what gift to give him this year. Since he could make noodles, she would give him a calligraphy with the words "The most shameless prince consort in the world" written on it.
Even though she disliked it, Chen Jingzong's cooking skills were still very good. The noodles were thin and chewy, and the portion Chen Jingzong gave her was just the right amount.
After drinking two spoonfuls of soup, Huayang put down his chopsticks and rinsed his mouth.
At this time, the sky also darkened.
Huayang looked out the window and said that he had no expectations for this birthday, but the birthday celebrations in the palace in previous years were so lively and the preparations had all started the night before. Tonight it was going to end so coldly and indifferently, and he couldn't help but reveal a trace of disappointment.
Chen Jingzong suddenly asked, "Do you still have the dress you wore when you went to Taohua Mountain?"
Huayang: "Why are you asking this?"
Chen Jingzong: "I'll take you out of the city later. It's inconvenient if you wear too rich clothes."
His tone was normal, but Huayang's eyes lit up and he asked with interest, "Where are you going out of town?"
Chen Jingzong: "You will know when you arrive. Hurry up and ask them to come in and help you dress up. If you delay for too long, the city gates will be closed."
Huayang asked him to wait in the main room.
Before leaving, Chen Jingzong said nonchalantly, "You should wear your hair in a girlish style. I don't want to have a secret meeting with a married woman in the middle of the night."
Huayang: …
Not long after he went out, Chaoyun and Chaoyue came in.
At the beginning, Huayang was not sure that he could make King Xiang take the bait in one go, so he prepared a total of four sets of fine cloth dresses. The pink set had already been given to the maid. This time, Huayang chose a crabapple-colored embroidered jacket and paired it with a white long skirt.
After changing her clothes, Chaoyun helped her comb her hair and said happily, "The prince consort hid this surprise so well that he didn't even tell us."
Huayang: "Don't speak too soon, it may not be a surprise."
Chao Yue smiled and said, "No, if the prince consort dares to do anything wrong on your birthday, he will be itching for a whip from you."
While chatting and laughing, Chaoyun carefully helped the princess to insert a small and delicate pink peony silk flower.
"From behind, the princess looks like a beautiful girl from the common people."
"But when I looked ahead, I realized that this beautiful girl was so stunningly beautiful."
The laughter and teasing of two maids came from the inner room. Chen Jingzong put down the tea bowl and his eyes fell on the curtain.
After waiting for a while, the footsteps of the master and servant came. Chaoyun lifted the door curtain in front, Huayang lowered his eyes slightly and stepped out.
Chen Jingzong looked at her peony-like appearance under the lamp and was still grateful to the old man in his heart.
Without a father like the old man, he really wouldn't be able to marry such a princess.
"Let's go. There's a carriage ready at the east gate."
Chen Jingzong stood up and said.
Huayang: "Have you prepared the veil?"
Chen Jingzong: “Yeah.”
Huayang followed him with confidence.
When they reached the east gate, Chen Jingzong said to the two maids, "We will be back after dinner tomorrow night. If anyone comes to visit, you will be able to handle the situation accordingly."
Chaoyun and Chaoyue looked at their master worriedly. The princess had never spent a night alone outside since she was a child. If she encountered any danger, had the prince consort arranged enough guards
Huayang still trusted Chen Jingzong on important matters and told them to just take care of the garden.
At around this time, most of the neighbors were getting ready to rest, and there was no one on the street. Chen Jingzong carried Huayang onto the carriage and he himself served as the driver.
Huayang sat in the car, looking through the gap in the curtain at the quiet and dark streets outside. He felt a little uneasy, yet very fresh.
Chen Jingzong arrived at the city gate without any obstruction and was about to close the city gate. If anyone entered or left at this time, the city guards should have checked more carefully. However, Chen Jingzong had already become familiar with the city guards. When the two rows of guards saw that it was the son-in-law of the emperor, they let him in without asking any questions, which made Huayang, who was sitting inside, nervous for nothing.
There were still some lights in the city, but outside the city there was endless darkness.
Huayang's uneasiness gradually outweighed her excitement. In addition, Chen Jingzong's carriage was going a little too fast, so she had to steady the carriage and asked in a low voice, "Where are you taking me?"
Chen Jingzong laughed: "Are you afraid of selling it for money?"
Chen Jingzong: "Walk back by yourself? You won't be afraid of being haunted by ghosts."
Huayang: …
What a birthday surprise! It’s more like a shock!
Normally, no one dared to scare Huayang with ghosts. It was only at this moment that Huayang realized that she was still afraid of these things. The only time she was not afraid was when she was with that bastard Chen Jingzong!
The carriage continued to move forward quickly. The less Chen Jingzong spoke, the more panicked Huayang became. He felt that the swaying curtains on both sides were caused by ghosts.
She couldn't stand it anymore, so she bent over and walked to the car door and opened it.
There were two lanterns hanging in front of the carriage, swaying and emitting two balls of light that could cover an area about ten steps in front of the carriage.
"Are you scared?" Chen Jingzong turned around and asked.
Huayang glared at him.
Chen Jingzong smiled and patted his legs.
Huayang hesitated for a while, but still sat down.
In fact, she was considered taller than other women, but Chen Jingzong was nine feet tall and strong. He held the whip in one hand and hugged her with the other, just like he was hugging a child.
Huayang was afraid of meeting people on the road, so he almost buried his entire face in his arms.
Chen Jingzong lowered his head to smell the fragrance of her hair and teased, "Aren't you afraid that I might accidentally drop you?"
Huayang: "If you dare to throw me down, I will have someone push you off the city gate."
Chen Jingzong smiled: "I dare, but I can't bear to do it."
Hua Yang just thought he had finally said something sensible, when he heard him add: "If I really broke my bones, I'll have to recover for half a year. Who can I sleep with?"
Huayang: …
With Chen Jingzong around, Huayang had already forgotten all about ghosts and wandering spirits. He would sometimes argue with him, sometimes grab him and twist him. Amidst the noise, the carriage made countless turns along the dirt road and suddenly came to a place with a wide view. On the left was the shadow of a majestic mountain range, and on the right was a sparkling lake reflecting the starlight.
Chen Jingzong slowed down the car and explained, "The mountain is called Fenghuang Mountain, and the lake is called Changhu Lake."
Huayang: "The scenery might be nice during the day, but it's scary at night."
Chen Jingzong: "Naturally, the evening also has its advantages."
The carriage drove for a while and stopped on the shore. There was actually a cruise ship parked by the water.
"Prince Consort?" A dark figure poked his head out from the bow and asked tentatively in a low voice.
Chen Jingzong responded, and Fugui confirmed that it was the master. He hurried inside to pick up a lantern and jumped off the boat to greet the masters.
All the necessary preparations were on the cruise ship. Chen Jingzong handed the carriage to Fugui and carried Huayang on board.
There are beds, tables and chairs inside the cruise ship, and the light from a few copper lamps makes the place look warm and cozy.
Chen Jingzong put Huayang on the bed and said, "Sit for a while. I'll row the boat to the center of the lake."
Huayang nodded.
Chen Jingzong went out, and soon the ship shook and slowly moved forward.
Huayang looked around curiously. There was a set of tea sets and a food box on the table.
The bed was covered with satin bedding, which should be new. This was probably where she and Chen Jingzong would spend the night.
Huayang walked to the washstand, where a brand new copper basin was half filled with clear water.
She wet the towel and wiped her face. There must be some dust on the road.
After simply packing up, Huayang walked out of the cabin.
A lamp was hung at the stern of the boat, and Chen Jingzong's slender figure stood beside it, paddling the bamboo pole neither slowly nor hurriedly.
In mid-April in Lingzhou, it was a bit hot during the day but just right at night. There was no wind on the lake, so there was no need to worry about catching a cold.
The surroundings were quiet with only the sound of flowing water.
Huayang sat on a carpet that had been laid out in advance, looking at the stars in the sky and the lake in the distance.
"There is also a lake in Ning Garden, why do we have to go outside?" she asked.
Chen Jingzong: "Of course, it's to do things that we can't do in Ningyuan."
Huayang always felt that this remark had some inappropriate meaning, but if it referred to sleeping, he could still sleep in Ningyuan.
When the boat reached the center of the lake, Chen Jingzong dropped the anchor and led Huayang to the bow.
Only then did Huayang discover that there were several boxes on the bow of the ship, all filled with fireworks.
"They are all the best fireworks in Lingzhou City. They can't compare with those in the palace. But I have already spent all my private money, so I have done my best."
Chen Jingzong took out a bundle of fireworks and said to Huayang.
Huayang smiled.
Chen Jingzong also prepared a rattan chair.
Huayang leaned over, covered herself with a thin blanket, and watched Chen Jingzong leisurely set off fireworks for her.
She was tired of watching fireworks in the palace, but this was her first time seeing fireworks on the water.
Chen Jingzong was the only one working on it, so the fireworks could only bloom one by one in the night sky, but each one became a unique brilliance in the vast night sky.
Huayang watched for as long as Chen Jingzong let out the music, because he was lying down and his neck wouldn't get tired.
By the time the last flower bloomed, Huayang could hardly lift his eyelids.
Chen Jingzong carried her back to the boat awning, held her drowsy body in one arm, and helped her undress with the other.
After getting into bed, Huayang was ready to sleep.
Chen Jingzong came closer and asked in her ear: "Do you like it?"
Huayang hummed vaguely.
Chen Jingzong kissed her earlobe and said, "Go to sleep. There will be better things tomorrow."
(End of this chapter)