As soon as August began, news came from the palace that a moon-viewing banquet would be held during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year to entertain royal relatives and officials above the fifth rank.
The eunuchs and maids in the palace were busy, but the people of Huayang outside the palace had some free time.
On the evening of August 13, after the night had completely fallen, Chen Jingzong finally returned home exhausted.
Huayang had already finished his meal and was sitting on the couch in the side room. Chen Jingzong then asked the maid to bring a low table to the couch.
The copper lamp burned quietly. He sat opposite Huayang, eating his food and drinking his wine, enjoying his meal alone.
Huayang glanced out the window and advised again: "It's getting dark earlier and earlier. You might as well just stay in the garrison to avoid the hassles of morning and night."
Although Chen Jingzong said before that he would come back every other night, it was not really like that. He usually came back frequently unless it rained or was delayed by something in the guard post.
Chen Jingzong: "If I don't come back, what's the point of you living here alone?"
Huayang: "I don't live here just for you. My mother, sister-in-law, and third sister-in-law often come to talk to me. And Wanyi and the others are all more likable than you."
Chen Jingzong had just picked up a piece of meat. Hearing this, he took a few bites. After finishing his meal, he looked at her and said, "But my return is more interesting than sleeping in the guard post."
Huayang threw a knife at him.
Although it is not yet the middle of the moon, the moonlight is already very beautiful tonight. Chen Jingzong insisted on carrying Huayang to the window to watch the moon with her.
The moon in Huayang's eyes seemed to be blown hard by the wind, shaking back and forth.
"Is it interesting?" Chen Jingzong asked in her ear.
Huayang supported himself on the table with one hand and hit him with the other.
Chen Jingzong grabbed her hand and pressed it against the window frame.
"Do you think there are really fairies on the moon?" Chen Jingzong asked.
Huayang was too lazy to pay attention to him. No matter what he said, it was impossible for him to say anything serious at this time.
Chen Jingzong said to himself: "If it's true, wouldn't she have seen everything you and I did?"
Huayang: …
She gritted her teeth, tremblingly broke free from his hand, and tried to close the window in front of her.
She didn't dare to close the door too hard, for fear that the sound would startle the maid who was keeping watch outside. Little by little, just when the watery moonlight was finally about to be blocked, in the last ray of soft moonlight, Chen Jingzong suddenly tightened his arms and shoulders.
The wind blew the window that was about to close a little open, and the moonlight poured in again, gently illuminating the slightly raised face of the human princess.
Like a drunken fairy, like a peony dripping dew.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Jingzong lifted her chin and kissed her from her hot cheek to the corner of her mouth.
"Just for this, I'm willing to come back even if it rains knives from the sky."
.
In the blink of an eye, it is August 15th.
In addition to Huayang and his wife, the other members of the Chen family who are eligible to attend today's palace banquet include Chen Tingjian's Sun and Chen Bochong and his wife.
Chen Tingjian and others would set out for the palace at dusk, and Huayang planned to set off after breakfast.
As the princess's husband, Chen Jingzong had to accompany the princess to meet his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
Inside the carriage, Huayang wore a ruby and gold hairpin on her head and a long red satin skirt embroidered with gold peonies, revealing her innate grace and elegance from head to toe.
Her makeup today was also very bright, with thin eyebrows slanting into her temples, bright and cold eyes, and plump and rosy lips.
Chen Jingzong: "Why do I feel like you're deliberately trying to compete with someone for beauty?"
Huayang glanced at him indifferently, as coldly as if he was looking at an ant.
Chen Jingzong: "Are you still angry?"
He was too proud of himself. In fact, she had always been acting like a princess. Although she had indulged him in "sleeping with her" at night over the past year, she didn't like too many tricks. That night, she reluctantly agreed to go to the window to admire the moon after he coaxed her. As a result, he joked that fairies could see it, and she acted as if someone had really seen it. She was sulking the whole time, and last night she even sent him to sleep in the front yard.
Huayang: "Shut up, I don't want to listen to you now."
Chen Jingzong still read the expression on his face and stopped talking.
The carriage slowly stopped in front of the city gate.
Chen Jingzong got off the car first and looked around. There was a carriage in front of him that was about to leave. A young couple had already walked to the bottom of the city gate and turned to look at them. Chen Jingzong had met the man wearing the same color official uniform as him a few times. He was the consort of Princess Nankang, Meng Yanqing. He was born in a marquis's mansion. His father and brother were both important figures, but Meng Yanqing was only slightly better than a dandy. He was also granted a rich and leisurely job in the Jinyiwei by the grace of Emperor Jingshun.
The woman in the red skirt next to Meng Yanqing was naturally Princess Nankang. Chen Jingzong only glanced at her bulging belly and quickly looked away.
There were two more carriages coming this way, and next to the carriage in front was a man on horseback.
Chen Jingzong looked at the other person from a distance, then looked back at his own carriage.
Huayang came out, the sunlight dancing on the phoenix hairpin and rubies in her hair, and her flawless white face and neck were like the most beautiful jade in the world.
Standing high on the shaft of the carriage, Huayang first glanced at Princess Nankang and her husband who were a few feet away.
Princess Nankang glanced at her from head to toe and bit her lip slightly.
The son-in-law Meng Yanqing looked at Huayang with amazement. Just as he was about to smile, Huayang had already retracted his gaze and casually raised his right hand.
Chen Jingzong held the soft little hand and helped her out of the car.
Huayang originally wanted to go in directly, but when she turned her head, she saw the approaching carriage and the man on the horse. She couldn't help but laugh, and walked forward a few steps with Chen Jingzong, waiting for the carriage to stop.
During the brief wait, Huayang whispered to Chen Jingzong, "That's my cousin, the prince of Wuqing Marquis's mansion. The people in the car should be my grandmother, aunt, and cousin's wife."
Huayang recalled that when they got married, she had her head covered with a veil most of the time, but Chen Jingzong had to toast the guests and saw more than her.
When the driver stopped the car, Qi Jin got off the horse first and saluted towards Huayang with a smile: "Greetings, Princess and Prince Consort."
He was tall, handsome, and had a soft, clear voice. He was a famous handsome man in the capital.
Huayang smiled back.
Qi Jin went to pick up Madam Qi first, and sitting in the carriage behind was his mother, Madam Hou.
Huayang also took Chen Jingzong to the car to greet his grandmother.
"Hey, the princess and her husband are here too, what a coincidence." Madam Qi said with a smile, looking at Chen Jingzong lovingly, and praised: "It's been a long time since we last met, and your husband has become more heroic and upright."
Chen Jingzong returned the greeting: "You are too kind."
Huayang nodded to his aunt who was walking over and asked curiously, "Why don't you see my cousin's wife?"
Qi Jin lowered his eyes, his face looking gloomy.
Madam Qi sighed, "She is already weak and has caught a cold recently. She should stay at home to recover."
When Huayang first returned to Beijing, she met her cousin Tian at her mother's place. At that time, she was more concerned about her grandmother and didn't think too much. When she mentioned Tian's illness, Huayang suddenly remembered that in her previous life, at the end of the same year when Chen Jingzong died in battle, Tian, who was bedridden, also died early. However, Huayang herself was in mourning and did not go to pay her respects in person. She asked the maid to send the funeral ceremony over.
They are relatives, and they were so young. It is always a pity to die young.
Huayang sincerely said to Madam Qi: "I will tell my mother to send a doctor to help my cousin's wife."
Chen Jingzong glanced at her.
Madam Qi sighed, "All the famous doctors in the capital have seen her, but she still can't get better. It's her blessing to have the princess caring about her so much."
Huayang: "We are a family. It's a bit strange for grandma to say that."
As she spoke, she took her grandmother's arm and walked forward.
The Marquis's wife followed behind the two of them.
Chen Jingzong and Qi Jin naturally stood in a row, one looking at the princess in front of him, and the other looking at the family in front of him, and neither of them spoke to each other.
Princess Nankang greeted the group of people. She wanted everyone to go in together, but Huayang did not accommodate her slow pace due to pregnancy and soon distanced themselves from them.
Princess Nankang snorted angrily.
Meng Yanqing coaxed her, "You two have always been at odds with each other, isn't it just right for you to go your separate ways? Why do you have to get together?"
Princess Nankang: "I am the elder sister, but look at her, how can she be a younger sister?"
Meng Yanqing thought to himself, you don't have any intention of being a sister. Concubine Lin and Empress Qi have been competing for favor for many years, and everyone in and outside the palace knows it. Why should their daughters continue to act out the drama of sisterly love
Huayang and others arrived at Fengyi Palace first.
Empress Qi and the Crown Prince are both here.
After the greetings, Empress Qi also expressed her concern for her niece-in-law Tian. After that, she said to Qi Jin and Chen Jingzong, "We women are talking. You can follow the prince to pay respects to the emperor."
Qi Jin and Chen Jingzong saluted at the same time.
The prince came over with a smile and led the two of them out.
When they went out, he was in front. When they reached Fengyi Palace, the prince came between his cousin and his husband, turned around and asked Qi Jin first: "What are you busy with recently, cousin? It seems that I haven't seen you for a long time."
Qi Jin smiled and said, "In three months, the twenty-six guards will hold a martial arts competition. I have been staying at the guard post recently, busy with military training."
The prince nodded. His cousin had been on the battlefield at the age of sixteen, and was appointed the commander of the Jinwu Vanguard at a young age because of his military exploits. Moreover, since his cousin joined the Jinwu Vanguard, the Jinwu Vanguard has been ranked in the top three in the martial arts competitions of the twenty-six guards in recent years. The first place is always the Jinyi Guard, there is no doubt about that, and the Jinwu Vanguard and the Yulin Left Guard are switched in the second and third places respectively.
He looked at Chen Jingzong again and said, "Prince Consort, my cousin is very good at leading troops. You can learn from him."
Qi Jin seemed to have just remembered and said to Chen Jingzong: "Look at my memory. I even forgot to congratulate my husband on his promotion to the commander of the Left Guard of Daxing."
Chen Jingzong: "You are joking, my lord. I have little experience and was given this position by the grace of the emperor. It is not worth mentioning."
Qi Jin: "You are too modest, Prince Consort. I have heard about your achievements in rectifying Lingzhou Guard."
Chen Jingzong: "It is only because the emperor, the queen, the prince, and the princess support me that the local officials are willing to obey my orders."
The prince, standing between the two commanders, looked at Qi Jin and then at Chen Jingzong, and felt that something was wrong.
Then, he heard the prince consort mentioned him.
The prince was a little happy. Indeed, why did the local officials give face to the prince consort? Besides the fact that the prince consort was the son-in-law of his father, it was also because the prince consort was also the brother-in-law of him, the crown prince.
The prince consort is a very good person. He is very obedient to his sister and is humble and respectful in public. He does not take credit for himself at all.
"Don't underestimate yourself, my prince consort. With your great skills, even if you are not a prince consort, you will surely make military achievements and become famous in the world in due time."
The prince looked up, his eyes sincerely encouraging.
Chen Jingzong smiled and said, "Thank you for your favor, Your Highness. I will always use this as an encouragement to myself and live up to Your Highness' high expectations."
Qi Jin lowered his eyes with a faint smile on his lips.
(End of this chapter)