"You usually glare at me fiercely, but you're already out of energy before you've glared at me more than ten times?"
Chen Jingzong rubbed Huayang's head and said helplessly.
Huayang leaned on his shoulder, breathing weakly.
Usually, Huayang saw Chen Jingzong climbing mountains and riding horses, and he did everything with ease, as if it was not a difficult thing. But when it was his turn, Huayang truly felt how strong Chen Jingzong was.
She was like a little phoenix that couldn't fly. She landed on the branch of the phoenix tree and stayed there, refusing to move. Chen Jingzong had no choice but to lend her a helping hand.
After a while, he simply picked up Huayang and got out of the bed.
It was late at night and the cold wind was howling outside the window, but Chen Jingzong was walking around the room with Huayang in his arms.
In the end, Huayang felt cold and the two of them went back into the tent.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Jingzong finally moved away reluctantly. Seeing that she seemed to be asleep, lying there limply and motionless, Chen Jingzong smiled and pulled up the quilt to cover her.
When he walked out of the bed, Huayang lazily tilted his head and watched him walk to the washstand.
After all, it was winter and he was afraid of the cold, so he wore a middle-length shirt and trousers, a loose set of clothes, but it made him look even more tall and majestic.
After cleaning, Chen Jingzong changed the copper basin, poured warm water into it, wet the towel he had prepared in advance, and walked towards her.
On winter nights in the capital, it was so cold outside the window that water turned into ice. Even though Huayang was a princess, she couldn't be too particular. She just wiped off the sweat with a towel and took a bath only when the sun was warm at noon.
She didn't want to move a finger and served Chen Jingzong like a maid.
Huayang kept her eyes closed until Chen Jingzong helped her put on her inner garment.
After finishing his work, Chen Jingzong turned off the lights, lay back on the bed, and held her in his arms.
His chest was broad, and as his breathing rose and fell, he emanated waves of warm body breath that was unique to a young military officer.
Huayang shrank towards him. As for the two hot water bottles that the maids had stuffed in when making the bed, no one knew where Chen Jingzong had thrown them.
His fingertips brushed across the corner of her lips, and Chen Jingzong asked, "I don't mean to show off, but when our guards won, were you a little proud?"
Hua Yang blinked his eyes and said, "I'm not that proud. I'm satisfied that my father and I didn't lose face. And next time we compete, your method will definitely not work. Lord Liu and my cousin will unite more guards."
Chen Jingzong: "If you hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten that Qi Jin is your cousin. What was his ranking this time?"
Hua Yang: "How would I know? I didn't calculate the scores of the Jinwu Vanguard. I only know the rankings of the three guards that you came on stage to meet the emperor."
Chen Jingzong: "Do you know the score of our guards?"
Huayang: "Well, Wanyi has been helping you remember. If she didn't recognize those ten soldiers, she might even know how many points each person won."
Chen Jingzong: "As expected, my niece is dearer to me. I have slept with you for two years, and you didn't help me keep score."
Huayang subconsciously tried to twist his waist, but she forgot that Chen Jingzong had almost no fat on his body, so she twisted in vain.
Chen Jingzong held her hand and kindly reminded her: "If you want to twist it, twist the buttocks. There is more meat here."
Huayang pulled his hand back with all his strength and pushed him again unhappily: "Go to sleep!"
"I haven't held you for three nights. Hold you for a while longer." Chen Jingzong pressed her into his arms again. "You don't know. In the past, you disliked me for not being clean, and I disliked you for being delicate. This time, I slept in a large bunk bed in the garrison for three nights. I am really scared by the smell of their ten feet."
Huayang didn't want to hear these disgusting things at all: "Can we talk about something else?"
Chen Jingzong: "What do you want to hear?"
Huayang thought for a moment and asked, "Father asked the imperial physician to treat Gao Dazhuang. What is wrong with him?"
Chen Jingzong repeated the imperial physician's words.
His tone was relaxed, and he was happy that Gao Dazhuang was able to recover. However, Huayang remembered that in his previous life, Chen Jingzong and the more than 5,000 soldiers of Daxing Zuowei were almost wiped out. Only dozens of soldiers survived because they were injured in the previous battle and did not participate in that battle.
Huayang hugged him tightly.
He never said that again in his life, and she would never let him die early on the battlefield again.
As long as my father is alive, that idiot Prince Yu will not dare to rebel!
.
In late winter, there was a heavy snowfall in the capital.
On this day, Wu Run from the Princess's Mansion sent someone to deliver a message to Huayang.
Huayang changed into a less conspicuous casual outfit and went out with two maids. Because the princess's carriage was too ostentatious, Huayang used the Chen Mansion's carriage.
Qianmen Street is the most prosperous place in the capital, and young girls often come here with their mothers or with a few sisters to visit the shops.
The carriage slowly stopped in front of a silk shop.
A guard dressed as a commoner approached the carriage and said something to Chaoyun who was standing beside the carriage. Chaoyun got on the carriage again and said to his master, "Princess, Miss Han has gone to the Duobao Pavilion in front now."
Huayang nodded.
Chao Yun then ordered the coachman to drive the carriage to Duobao Pavilion.
When they arrived at the place, Huayang put on a veil and got off the carriage.
It is almost the end of the year and some families have already started preparing for the New Year. Those who are well-off will even buy some new jewelry for the girls so that they will look decent when they go out to visit guests.
Chao Yun followed the guard's instructions and looked at everyone inside. She was wearing a pink jacket and a crimson long skirt, a red tourmaline peach blossom hairpin on her head, and she had round cheeks and a slender figure...
Suddenly, Chao Yun paused, moved closer to the princess, and whispered, "That is Miss Han."
The Miss Han she was talking about was standing in front of a counter with a woman dressed as a young woman, selecting jewelry, with her back to Huayang and his servant.
Huayang led Chaoyun and Chaoyue over.
She looked down at the jewelry on the counter and only glanced at Han Ping'er.
Han Ping'er is the daughter of Han Qianhu, a captain in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and is fourteen years old this year.
In her previous life, Han Ping'er would be selected as a concubine and enter the palace in February of the following year. She would immediately win the favor of her father and be named Rongfei in just three months. Then, because her father died on her, she was convicted and given a three-foot white silk decree, saying that this beautiful woman had a tragic life.
At that time, Huayang had never met Concubine Rong. She had no interest in her father's women, especially those younger than her. Even if there was a chance to meet them, Huayang would deliberately avoid them.
Huayang didn't want to see them, but she didn't hate them. Even her mother didn't care who her father favored, so Huayang didn't need to care. What's more, she actually felt a little sympathy for these fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls. No matter how noble her father's status was, he was already over fifty years old. Maybe he was handsome when he was young, but he was just like that when he was old. He didn't even have the spirit of his father-in-law, Doctor Li, and others. His beard was sparse...
Huayang is filial to his father and hopes that he lives a long life, but if his father is just a strange fifty-year-old man, Huayang really doesn't want to even look at him.
Huayang also knew that his father's death was just an accident. He had started taking those aphrodisiac pills several years ago. Han Ping'er was only sleeping with him according to the rules and did not intend to frame him.
In this life, Huayang didn't want her father to die in such an undignified way again. She and her mother couldn't change her father's lust, so she could only think of a way to stop Han Ping'er from entering the palace. Even if her father would have other beauties, without Han Ping'er, perhaps other beauties would not make her father so obsessed and pampered. Less favor would be more or less beneficial to her health.
Not entering the palace is also a good thing for Han Ping'er. She doesn't have to commit herself to an old emperor, nor does she have to lose her life by accident.
While thinking, Han Ping'er looked at the jewelry on Huayang's side, and finally let Huayang see her face clearly.
She was a girl with almond eyes and rosy cheeks. In Huayang's opinion, Han Ping'er was only 70% beautiful, but her eyes were clear, bright, lively and lovely.
Being stared at by such a beautiful pair of eyes might make an older man feel younger again, right
The more Huayang admired Han Ping'er, the more his respect for his father faded.
But no matter what, he was still her father, the father who doted on her.
.
After confirming Han Ping'er's beauty with his own eyes and having asked Wu Run to inquire about the personalities of the Han family members and found nothing to blame, Huayang went to find his third sister-in-law Luo Yuyan.
In the early years, Luo Yuyan was jealous of the fact that everyone in the Chen family respected Huayang, and she looked down on Yu Xiu for her humble background. So Huayang never thought of making friends with Luo Yuyan. Later, Luo Yuyan changed her twisted temper and often came with Yu Xiu to accompany her to appreciate the flowers and talk. Huayang then accepted this third sister-in-law. They were not very close, but he was willing to socialize with her.
Huayang hopes that Han Ping'er can get married as soon as possible before his father issues the decree for the selection of concubines.
If you rashly bribe a matchmaker to go to the Han family to propose marriage and there is no suitable man available, the Han family may not easily marry off their daughter.
Huayang informed the Han family of his father's intention to select a concubine in advance, but he was not sure whether the Han family would be more willing to send their daughter to the palace to win favor.
After much thought, Huayang could only choose a man for Han Ping'er who was suitable in all aspects and whom the Han family would definitely not reject.
But Huayang is a princess. Apart from the eunuchs and guards in the palace, her cousin Qi Jin and the men from the Chen family, Huayang doesn't know any other men.
Luo Yuyan is different. The Luo family has many relatives in the capital and has extensive connections.
Huayang expressed her intention directly to Luo Yuyan, hoping that Luo Yuyan could help Han Ping'er find a marriage before February.
Luo Yuyan was itching to ask: "What is the connection between the princess and this Miss Han? Why is she worrying about her?"
How rare it was! She had been the princess's sister-in-law for three years, but the princess had never taken the initiative to care about her. How could a daughter of a mere thousand-household family have such virtue
Huayang smiled faintly: "We are compatible, so please ask me if I can help you. If you find it difficult, I will ask someone else."
It was rare for the princess to ask for her help, so Luo Yuyan was reluctant to miss this opportunity to truly make friends with the princess, so she promised: "Don't worry, Princess. I will go and find out if there is a suitable candidate among my relatives!"
Huayang: "Thank you, sister-in-law. Please keep it a secret for me and don't let anyone else know that I was involved in this matter."
Luo Yuyan understood!
Next, Luo Yuyan began to visit relatives frequently, which caused Chen Xiaozong to ask her what she was busy with recently.
Luo Yuyan didn't even tell her husband.
In the second half of the twelfth lunar month, Luo Yuyan came to Siyi Hall and brought good news with a smile: "Princess, I have a cousin from the Bo Mansion. Although his family is a little down and out, he is the prince, has learned good martial arts, and works in the Yulin Youwei. There are many girls who want to marry him. After I asked someone to introduce Miss Han to him, he was very satisfied. This morning, he asked a matchmaker to go to the Han family to propose marriage, and the Han family also agreed. We will be able to exchange engagement cards before the New Year."
After the two families have exchanged engagement letters, even if the palace wants to select a concubine, they will no longer register such women.
Huayang was amazed by Luo Yuyan's efficiency.
Luo Yuyan was very pleased with the princess's expression. She said modestly, "This is nothing. If the princess personally acts as a matchmaker for Miss Han, maybe once you spread the word, all the eligible men in the capital will come here on their own initiative."
Huayang smiled and said, "Anyway, Third Sister-in-law has helped me a lot. If you encounter any trouble in the future, just come to me."
Luo Yuyan said a few polite words and left with a flushed face.
In the evening, Chen Xiaozong came back and saw that her mouth was curled up. He asked curiously, "You picked up some silver. Are you so happy?"
Luo Yuyan: "You are the only one who cares about money. I have caught the princess's eye, but I can't tell you the details!"
Chen Xiaozong laughed.
The wife used to be jealous of the princess, but now the princess is just willing to give her a few smiles, and she is so happy as if she were touched by a fairy.
(End of this chapter)