The eunuch lifted the curtain and walked out, retreating to the corridor.
The door slammed shut, and Sui Sui's belt almost fell off.
The chess box overturned with a loud noise, and the jade pieces rolled all over the floor. No one cared to pay attention.
The edge of the chessboard hurt his back, and he couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, which was then blocked by his slender knuckles. The fingertips were covered with thin calluses, and rubbing them made him feel a little stinging and a little itchy.
The man's cold voice was in my ears: "Does it hurt?"
Sui Sui nodded.
"Bear with it." The man's tone was light, but there was a hint of red in his eyes, as if hurting her was a pleasant thing.
Tears soon covered her eyes.
It seemed as if the heaven and earth were soaked, filled, and drowned by the rain.
The wind and rain outside gradually subsided, but the wind and rain inside the house became more and more intense.
She bit her lip and sobbed softly on his shoulder. Her tears were like dew on a spring night, soaking his neat and intact clothes.
I don't know how long it was, but there was a roar from the wind and the rain suddenly stopped.
Sui Sui almost fainted, gasping for breath in the darkness, unable to calm down for a long time.
Huan Xuan used a torch to light an oil lamp. The flame cast a light on her smooth skin, which was like the glow of a sky full of rosy clouds and dotted with flying petals, with a kind of evil beauty and sadness.
He felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
Sui Sui recovered, sat up softly, and began to tidy up his clothes.
Huan Xuan asked: "Let's go back to Qixia Pavilion?"
Sui Sui nodded. She was almost fainting from hunger. She hadn't had any snacks the whole afternoon and had missed meal time. All she wanted to do was go back to her yard to take a bath and have some hot meals.
Huan Xuan said: "Let's have our meal here."
He paused and looked away: "It saves us from walking back and forth."
Sui Sui's misty eyes were full of astonishment. Wasn't this enough
Huan Xuan didn't know what was wrong with him. He could only blame it on the fact that this hunter girl was so good-looking. Every aspect of her suited his taste. She wasn't coy or shy, and she fit him perfectly like a perfect match. Once he touched her, he couldn't stop.
Each satisfaction can only last for a moment, and you immediately want more.
He took her hand away, lifted her skirt and took a peek: "Ask the government to send some ointment to reduce swelling and dissolve blood stasis tomorrow."
Sui Sui just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly felt pain again.
"I'll just have to bear with it tonight." Huan Xuan hooked his finger.
Feeling her suddenly tense up, Huan Xuan snorted, slowly pulled his hand away, lifted a corner of her shirt, wiped his hands slowly, and squinted at her: "Do you think I'm a beast?"
Even animals don’t feel like this. They know how to be hungry, Sui Sui thought to himself, but he couldn’t say this out loud.
Regardless of whether Huan Xuan was a beast or not, he also had to eat.
"Put on your clothes and go to the hall to eat."
His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi would actually sit opposite a poor girl and have a meal. This was unimaginable a month ago.
Firstly, he was a mysophobe and didn't like to eat with others, so he would always try to avoid it. Secondly, as a follower, he didn't even have the chance to serve meals.
But this is the case between men and women. The more physical contact they have, the more familiar they will become.
Huan Xuandi no longer put on airs in front of her like he did at the beginning, and his attitude became much more relaxed and casual.
Sui Sui was not a reserved person, and his usual cautiousness was just an act. He did not think that there was anything presumptuous in sitting opposite Huan Xuan and eating with him.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi's meals are naturally much more exquisite. One can say that one would never tire of eating fine food. The taste may not be much better than the food she cooks, but the layout and color all reveal a sense of meticulously crafted luxury.
The dim sum is particularly beautifully made, with good color, aroma and taste.
She was already very hungry, but she also knew that she had to wait for the King of Qi to pick up his chopsticks first. She waited patiently for him to pick up the jade chopsticks gracefully. Then she didn't hesitate to pick up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of crystal dragon and phoenix cake, and put it into her mouth.
Huan Xuan pretended to lower his head to drink the soup and glanced at the hunter woman out of the corner of his eye. She was just eating her cakes and had no intention of serving him food. She moved her lips but said nothing.
This hunter woman had no particular manners when eating, but luckily she didn't eat too much, nor did she smack her lips, and there was almost no sound from her chewing. She just ate very quickly.
Three crystal dragon and phoenix cakes on the gilded plate went into her stomach in the blink of an eye.
Is it really that delicious? Huan Xuan wondered, picking up a piece of cake and taking a bite. She didn't know if it was because she ate it so deliciously, but the cake seemed to have a different taste than usual.
For the first time in his life, he ate two pieces of cake before stopping. When he raised his eyes, he saw the hunter girl looking at the cake on his plate.
He frowned: "Still want to eat?"
Sui Sui nodded.
Huan Xuan was in a good mood today, and said to the eunuch who served the meal, "Ask the kitchen staff to bring a dish."
After a while, the eunuch brought cakes. Sui Sui did not hesitate and ate up the second plate of cakes in front of him.
Then, under the astonished eyes of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi, she ate a small bowl of lotus leaf glutinous rice porridge, a bowl of crispy cheese, a piece of venison the size of a child's palm, a plate of steamed cake with flowers, a ring cake, a plate of cabbage stewed in chicken soup, and a roasted goose leg. She seldom ate so much at ordinary times, but she had consumed too much in the past few days. She practiced martial arts in the morning and martial arts at night, and now she couldn't even avoid the daytime. Who could bear it if she didn't eat more
Huan Xuan was amazed. He had never seen a woman who could eat so much in his life.
When he lived in the harem, he often ate with Ruan Yuewei. However, he was eleven or twelve years old at that time, and Ruan Yuewei had not yet reached the age of marriage. She ate very slowly, and only moved her chopsticks a little for each dish.
He originally thought that women's appetites were so small, but it was not until today that he was finally enlightened.
On second thought, it's not surprising that women who are used to working are different from ladies from aristocratic families. Anyway, the flesh has grown to the right place, so there's no need to worry about it.
This dinner was surprisingly enjoyable.
Huan Xuan wiped the corner of his mouth gracefully and asked the eunuch to remove the food table and put up the tea table.
When eating, one should not talk. When drinking tea, it would be boring if one did not talk. Huan Xuan asked, "What do you do for fun on weekdays?"
Sui Sui said: "Reporting to Your Highness, I just stroll around the garden and occasionally go to the market."
After a pause, she said, "Your Highness, can I go to the East Market tomorrow?"
Huan Xuan's eyes flickered slightly: "I will go to the East Palace tomorrow and I can take you there."
Sui Sui was slightly startled, then said: "This is against the rules..."
She didn't want to ride in the same carriage with the King of Qi, and there were many people in the streets, so she was afraid of causing unnecessary trouble.
Huan Xuan did not force it: "Let Uncle Fu arrange the carriages and horses."
He put down his teacup: "You can leave now."
Sui Sui bowed and left. When she returned to her own courtyard, she remembered that when she was drinking tea just now, Huan Xuan said that he would go to the East Palace tomorrow.
If he went to the Eastern Palace, he would most likely meet Ruan Yuewei. This would be the first time they met after she got married.
Huan Xuan probably isn't in the mood to make trouble tonight.
Of course, after a while, she heard the sound of carriages outside the wall. It was Huan Xuan returning home.
Sui Sui breathed a sigh of relief and finally had a good night's sleep.
…
The next day, Sui Sui went for a stroll in the West Market and went to Chang's cosmetics shop under the pretext of buying lip balm.
The shop was still crowded with people. She went up to the second floor with ease. The shop owner handed her the contraceptive medicine and said solemnly, "The general asked his subordinates to investigate the death of his late father. Maybe there is some clue."
Sui Sui's heart felt like it was grabbed by an ice-cold hand, and the chill seeped into her lungs. She couldn't help but tremble slightly, and her throat felt like there was a piece of ice blocking it. She had countless questions, but for a moment she couldn't even speak them out.
When Huan Ye returned to Beijing from the northwest, she went back to Weizhou and counted the days for him to come to Heshuo. However, what she waited for was the news of his death.
Because he had not announced it to the world and only claimed it was an emergency, the emperor then secretly dealt with the virtuous concubine and her son. Soon after, the virtuous concubine's mother's family, the Changping Marquis Mansion, was implicated in the rebellion of the Huaixi Jiedushi and some were beheaded or exiled.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see the connection between these things.
All the evidence found pointed to the poisoning of Concubine Xian and her son. A waiter in the Eastern Palace confessed that he was a person planted in the Eastern Palace by the Marquis of Changping many years ago, in order to poison the crown prince one day.
He poisoned the Seven Treasures Soup, and the then King of Jin, now Prince Huan Rong, was also poisoned, but he only drank half a bowl of soup and luckily escaped.
However, Sui Sui did not believe it. She always thought that Huan Ye's cause was not that simple. The emperor could not wait to kill the concubine and her son. In addition to the fact that they did have rebellious intentions, he also wanted to cover up for the real culprit.
However, she had been investigating for more than three years and still could not find any clues. The pulse records, medicine records, and confessions of all those who knew the truth in the Eastern Palace all pointed to the imperial concubine and her son.
Sometimes even she herself couldn't tell whether she was so determined to find the truth for the sake of it or because she was unwilling to accept it.
Unwilling to give up, the figure as gentle as the breeze and bright as the moon turned around and disappeared between heaven and earth.
That's why she had to do something.
Until today.
She calmed herself down and said calmly, "Any clues?"
The shop owner said, "Reporting to the general, when my father's son died suddenly, Doctor Wang from the Shang Pharmacy was rushing to treat him, but it was too late. The poison had already invaded the internal organs and blood vessels, and even Bian Que could not have saved him. Afterwards, Doctor Wang resigned from his post and went back to enjoy his grandchildren. He died of illness a year ago."
Sui Sui frowned, she knew about this matter. But when Doctor Wang reported it, it had been more than two years since the incident, so it was impossible to silence her.
The shop owner continued, "Originally, this matter had nothing to do with the Shang Pharmacy, but Doctor Wang was over 70 years old, so it's not surprising that he died of illness two years later. But this other matter is a bit strange when put in another place."
I don't know if it's because he's been pretending to be a businessman for too long, but he no longer speaks with the clarity and clarity he had in the army. He always says half of what he means and leaves the other half for later use, like a storyteller.
Sui Sui raised an eyebrow: "What matter?"
The innkeeper said, "After the late son passed away, the empress was heartbroken and insisted on becoming a nun to pray for her son's afterlife. The emperor then built a nunnery for her in the harem and let her practice Buddhism there. Many of the former palace maids became nuns in this nunnery to pray for their late son."
Sui Sui nodded, but these people were not the main targets of their investigation, because if they knew something, the end would not be to become a monk, but to die directly.
"Is there anything unusual?" Sui Sui asked.
"A year ago, two of the palace maids fell ill," said the inn owner.
Sui Sui understood immediately: "Doctor Wang, is it about time?"
The shop owner admired and said: "The general is as good as a god in predicting things."
Sui Sui ignored his compliment and continued, "When the doctor was treating the young lady, there happened to be two palace maids waiting beside her?"
The shop owner said yes.
I understood it casually. It must be what Doctor Wang said at that time. However, the two palace maids saw it at that time, but did not understand its meaning. Two years later, one of them accidentally said it out and was known by someone with ulterior motives, so he was killed.
The inn owner continued, "So I continued to investigate along this line and found out that one of the palace maids was secretly dating a eunuch in Wan'an Palace. The eunuch was pardoned two years ago and asked for mercy to leave the palace and return to his hometown."
"Our people found him in Suzhou. We were just trying to save him, but we didn't expect that he actually knew something."
Sui Sui couldn't help but clench her hands, her nails leaving deep marks on the palms of her hands, but she didn't feel any pain.
"What did he say?" she said slowly, trying hard not to let her voice tremble.
"He said that the palace maids said that when Doctor Wang felt the old lady's pulse, he muttered, 'Eh, something's wrong,'" the inn owner said, "His voice was very soft and unclear. Only two people nearby saw it."
Sui Sui's eyes darkened: "Is that all?"
The shop owner said: "That's all."
What's wrong? Where is wrong? They still don't know anything, so the shop owner said that maybe there is a clue, or maybe this little clue will end here.
However, this senseless sentence has caused the deaths of at least three people.
Sui Sui thought for a moment and said, "Continue to investigate. Investigate all the people in Shang Pharmacy, investigate all the friends and relatives of the royal doctor, as well as the current situation of the servants and ministers of the East Palace, and the people in the Jinwang Mansion and the Qiwang Mansion."
The King of Jin is the current prince.
The shop owner raised his eyebrows in surprise: "The King of Qi is also investigating?"
Sui Sui nodded: "Let's check it out."
Afterwards, they investigated the King of Qi inside and out, but he was alone in the court at that time, and he couldn't plan such a big thing even if he wanted to.
But there is always a chance of something happening.
The shop owner frowned and said, "If we conduct such a high-profile investigation, I'm afraid it will alert the enemy."
Sui Sui smiled and said, "I was originally planning to let you spread the word. Someone is sleeping restlessly and will definitely do something."
The shop owner immediately understood that this was to lure the snake out of its hole.
After three years, any evidence has been almost destroyed. If humans lose their patience and do something, they will be more likely to find clues.
"As you command," he saluted.
Sui Sui nodded, said goodbye to the shop owner, put the medicine box and lip balm box into her sleeve, and went downstairs.
After leaving the cosmetics shop, Chun Tiao, who she had sent out to buy embroidery thread, just came back, and the master and servant walked towards the alley.
Chun Tiao said, "It's still early, where else do you want to go shopping, madam?"
Sui Sui thought for a moment and said, "I just heard from the waiter that there is a wine shop in the southeast corner run by a Hu people. They sell Xiliang grape wine and Persian Sanle juice. Let's buy two jugs and take them back."
Chun Tiao was quite dissatisfied, and glanced at her and said, "Tell the shop assistant? I think this is something that Madam specially ordered for me."
Sui Sui blinked and did not deny it.
Chun Tiao had no choice but to follow her to the southeast of Xishi.
They found a tavern and tried four or five bottles of wine. In the end, they ordered a pot of Sanlejiang and a pot of Tubo milk wine. The master and servant each held a pot and walked towards the carriage outside the parking lot.
When crossing the cross street in the alley, there was a sudden noise of horse hooves, wheels and jade bells. When he turned around, he saw a red-wheeled carriage covered with crimson brocade curtains rushing out.
She quickly pulled the spring stick to the side of the road, narrowly avoiding being hit by a passing jade horse.
But some wine still spilled out, soaking the collars of both men.
Sui Sui's veil was all wet.
Judging from the shape and decoration of the carriage, it must be a noble. Chun Tiao was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but he didn't dare to cause trouble. After the sound of the bell faded away, he whispered: "You are riding a horse in a busy city, and you are not afraid of hitting someone."
There was a woman selling milk in a stall on the side of the road. She kindly brought two towels and said, "Girls, please wipe the wine off your bodies."
The two took it, thanked him, and simply sat down in the shed and drank two bowls of buttermilk.
Sui Sui lifted her veil a little with one hand, revealing her lower jaw and mouth, and ate the yogurt with a spoon.
Chun Tiao asked the old lady, "Those people are so arrogant, I wonder which family they are from?"
The lady couldn't say anything, so she just said, "Young lady, don't speak too loudly. Those people seem to be very important and it's not easy to offend them."
Chun Tiao didn't want to cause trouble, but thinking that her wife was the King of Qi's woman, she became more confident and said, "How can she be a relative of the emperor?"
"Although he is not a royal relative, he is almost the same." Suddenly a man's voice said.
His voice was full of laughter, his tone was lazy, and a little cynical, but it made people feel inexplicably warm. Even without meeting him, one felt a sense of closeness.
Chun Tiao raised his head and was immediately speechless, his face turning red like a persimmon.
The woman was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a graceful figure. Her face was as white as powder and her lips were as red as vermilion. She had a pair of narrow eyes shaped like a fox, with the tails of her eyes slightly raised, like a pair of hooks that could hook a person's soul away.
Chun Tiao's face turned red immediately. She had never thought that there would be such a charming man in the world. If it wasn't in broad daylight, she would have thought it was a vixen who ran out to seduce people in the street.
Although His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is also handsome, he is like the snow on the top of a mountain, out of reach, and with a coldness that keeps people away.
This young man is different. He exudes a bohemian vibe, and the only thing missing is the four characters "Please pick them" written on his forehead.
He walked slowly into the tea stall, sat down opposite them with familiarity, and said to the owner, "Auntie Hu, give me a bowl of yogurt with more dried fruits and raisins." He entered the stall and sat on the bench next to them.
The shed was small and cramped, with only a long table and two benches. It was very crowded when three people sat on it.
Harujo was so confused that he didn't know what day it was, but Suisui could tell at a glance that this man was not a good person, so he moved aside vigilantly.
The man seemed unaware: "The person sitting in the car just now was Zhao Qinghui, the son of the Duke of Wu'an."
Chun Tiao curled his lips and said, "Prince Wu'an, you are no longer a royal relative, so it's no big deal."
The old man smiled and said, "Not all royal relatives are great. For example, the Prince of Yuzhang does not do any serious work all day long. He only knows how to recite poems, compose couplets, appreciate flowers and drink wine."
He suddenly turned to Sui Sui and asked, "Did the young lady ever tell me?"
Sui Sui didn't know the number at first, but after he said that, he knew his identity.
Huan Xuan's sixth cousin is just as the rumors say, a rude and unruly person.
She didn't even raise her eyelids, she just lowered her head and ate the cheese.
Prince Yuzhang looked at it for a while and said, "Madam, why don't you take off your veil? It will be inconvenient to eat cheese like this."
Just act as if you don't see anything.
When she went to Weibo, she would occasionally go out in casual clothes and would be approached by ignorant lechers. She knew that the best way to deal with such people was to ignore them and not even give them a glance.
Chun Tiao said stupidly, "I did say that to Prince Yuzhang, but will you be the best man at your wife's wedding?"
Prince Yuzhang smiled and said, "That's right. Have you two seen him? I heard that he is very handsome..."
Sui Sui just swallowed the last bite of cheese and said, "Let's go back."
Since Prince Yuzhang came out, she has only said these three words.
Huan Minggui felt as if he was listening to the music of immortals and the sounds of nature, and half of his body was numb.
He followed and stood up: "May I know how far the road is, my lady?"
Although Chun Tiao was completely bewitched by the male vixen, he knew that he couldn't tell the truth: "We are strangers, visiting relatives, and we will leave tomorrow."
After saying that, he lowered his head and followed Sui Sui out of the store.
Huan Minggui admired Sui Sui's back for a while before walking out of the store and getting on the carriage waiting outside the store. He told his attendant, "Ah Han, follow the two women in front."
Ah Han was shocked: "Isn't the king going to the East Palace for a banquet? It's already 12:00 in the morning. I'm afraid he won't be able to make it in time for the banquet if he goes back and forth."
Huan Minggui said, "If I can't catch up, then I can't catch up. Is there anyone who would bother me with this?"
He leaned against the carriage and hummed leisurely: "Would you rather not know that she is the most beautiful woman in the world? Beautiful women are hard to find..."
…
As soon as he left the city, he realized that someone was following him. Needless to say, it must be the adulterer, Prince Yuzhang.
She had a hundred ways to get rid of him, but she couldn't let anyone notice the clue. Although Chun Tiao was stupid, Prince Yuzhang was not someone who could be easily fooled.
After a little thought, he came up with an idea.
The carriage went westward along the East-West Cross Street in front of the Vermillion Bird Gate. When it arrived near Guangdefang, Sui Sui, who had been resting against the wall of the carriage, suddenly opened his eyes and said to Chun Tiao, "We have so much wine spilled on us that it hasn't dried yet. We are in such a mess. When we go back, Madam Gao will definitely nag us again."
Chun Tiao couldn't help but shudder. For some reason, this nanny's temper had become worse and worse recently. If she caught the master and servant making any mistake, she would nag for half a day. She was still cautious towards Sui Sui and was not polite to her, a maid. She always scolded her in the corridor or in the courtyard, in front of the servants passing by, which was really embarrassing.
Chun Tiao thought about the nanny's voice, and his ears began to buzz: "Yes, she is worried about where to find trouble. If she catches me, she will scold me for a long time."
Sui Sui lifted the curtain on the car window and looked out, thinking: "We are in the West Market ahead. Why don't we find a restaurant to eat something, go shopping, buy two sets of clothes to change, and bring the wine and clothes back. Nanny won't be angry anymore."
Harujo was a little worried: "If we go back late, she will start to talk again."
Sui Sui said: "I was just strolling, what does it have to do with you?"
Chun Tiao thought so too. Anyway, they didn't say when they would be back, so coming back late was better than getting drunk.
Besides, she has never been to Xishi!
The West Market was close to Chang'anfang, and not as prosperous and lively as the East Market, but the prices were cheaper. Every time her wife went to the East Market instead of going there, she had long thought that she would go there if she had the chance.
That's how it was settled.
Huan Minggui followed from a distance, wondering where the beautiful woman lived, but unexpectedly a small carriage with a green curtain drove to the gate of Xishifang, turned a corner, and went straight into the market.
Ah Han rode forward, bent down and asked outside the car window: "My king, a car has entered the West Market, should we continue to follow it?"
He was also impressed by these young ladies. After shopping in the East Market, they went to the West Market. There was really no telling how many things they bought. The princesses and daughters of their mansions were the same. They could not get enough of shopping all day long.
Huan Minggui thought for a moment and said, "Keep following them and see where they are going."
Ah Han had no choice but to signal the passengers to continue following.
The small carriage with green curtains drove past the cross street of the West Market, circled in the winding narrow alleys for a long time, and finally stopped outside a restaurant selling Hu Bing pastries.
Ah Han widened his eyes. Eat again
Huan Minggui asked people to park the car on the side of the road, and he did not get out of the car, but sat in the car and waited.
After waiting for a long time, neither the master nor the servant came out.
Ah Han looked at the sky, anxious like an ant on a hot pot: "My king, if you don't go to the East Palace, it will be too late. When that lady comes out, I don't know where to go. After the walk, I will follow her home. This back and forth..."
Huan Minggui smiled bitterly and said regretfully: "Forget it, let's go."
Although no one took him seriously, he couldn't really keep his children and the others waiting for long.
…
It was almost dusk when Huan Minggui arrived at the Eastern Palace, and the other guests had obviously already arrived.
This was the first banquet held by the prince after he married a concubine. In addition to a few close brothers and sisters, there were also some literary guests of similar age.
Because it was a casual banquet, the banquet was not held in the main hall of the bedroom, but in the Shuxiang Pavilion in the back garden.
In the plum blossom forest where the pavilions are hidden, the winter plum blossoms are just beginning to bloom, with a subtle fragrance. The snow-white, light red, and dark red plum blossoms are reflected by the sunset glow in the sky, as gorgeous as a brocade.
The sun has not yet set but the lights in the pavilion have been lit. Even the flowers and trees outside the building are hung with many lovely glass lanterns. One can imagine the bright candlelight after dark, which must be like the glass fairy palace in the sky.
The cool evening breeze brought the delicate sound of the orchestra, faint and distant, yet intermittent, as if covering Merlin with a layer of misty water.
Yu Huan Minggui was proficient in music, and he could not help but stop and listen to the wonderful music.
Ruan Yuewei's mother was from the south, and she herself was also born in Jiangnan. In other words, her father specially invited a group of musicians from Jiangnan for her. They were better than those in the Neijiaofang, which was a good intention.
He waited until the song was over before walking into the hall.
The grand hall with carved beams and magnificent buildings was divided into two halves by a twenty-four-page gilt-painted green and blue landscape screen. Between the green mountains and green waters, bright colors could be vaguely seen, and the voices of the women's laughter passed through the screen and reached his ears.
Today, the prince and his wife hosted a banquet. The prince received the male guests, and the prince's wife entertained the female guests. There was a screen between the men and women, so they sat separately.
Although boys and girls were supposed to sit at different seats at the age of seven, the separation between boys and girls in this dynasty had never been so strict, so no one was surprised.
Huan Minggui walked into the hall and glanced around. He saw several cousins, as well as several young people in white clothes. It was well known that the emperor was fond of poetry and prose. A literary institute was set up in the East Palace, which recruited many young people with both talent and learning as guests. Naturally, there would be no shortage of such people to flatter the banquet. When the time came, they would splash ink and write, compose couplets and poems. If a few good works could be passed down, it would be a good story.
The waiter sitting at the head of the table saw him and put down his glass with a smile: "You are finally here, you made us wait for so long. I will punish you by drinking a few glasses today."
The concubine princes, royal family princes, dukes, marquises and princes in the audience all agreed and smiled as they fined him a thousand cups.
Only one person said nothing and just drank his wine by himself, like an ice sculpture, as if the conversation and laughter around him had nothing to do with him. Huan Xuan did not like banquets and would always avoid such occasions if possible. However, since he could not refuse, he just drank by himself.
Huan Minggui had never seen such an interesting person before. He glanced at him and called a eunuch: "Add a couch next to our Prince Qi."
Huan Xuan then put down his wine glass, raised his eyelids and said nothing.
This is the advantage of being unscrupulous. No matter how outrageous the things he does, no one will take him seriously.
Of course, it didn't matter that he was born with a good appearance. If the same thing was done by the fat and bloated King Chen, it would be even more disgusting.
My wife also liked this cousin, and asked with a smile: "Where did you go for fun today? Why are you so late?"
Someone on the side teased: "He only brought a personal attendant with him when he went out incognito. He must have gone out to explore the secluded places and look for beautiful women again."
The seventh prince, born to Concubine De, was only twelve years old. He asked curiously, "In winter, when all flowers wither, did my sixth cousin also go to appreciate the plum blossoms? Are the plum blossoms elsewhere more beautiful than those here, Your Highness?"
Everyone burst into laughter, but the boy didn't understand what was going on, but he knew he had probably said something wrong, so he blushed and lowered his head.
Huan Minggui punished himself with a glass of wine, put down the glass and said with a smile: "Don't tell me, I didn't go to explore the secluded places today, I just went to the East Market to buy wine, but I really had an adventure."
"Why, did you meet another peerless beauty?" the man from before asked again.
Huan Xuan nodded: "Prince Qin guessed it."
Someone sneered, it turned out to be a young man in red clothes with a powdered face.
The boy asked with great interest: "Shilang, what are you laughing at?"
"In Qinglong Temple that day, my cousin pointed at a woman and said she was an unrivaled beauty, but she was wearing a veil and her face was not visible."
The wife said, "I have to say something for Liu Lang this time. He may be wrong about other things, but he is always right about beauties."
Huan Minggui pretended to bow and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for upholding justice for me and clearing my name."
The prince ordered the eunuch to pour the wine and said with a smile, "You don't have to thank me, just fill this cup."
Huan Minggui drank it all in one gulp.
The young man in red clothes said angrily, "There is a peerless beauty in Qinglong Temple, and today there is another peerless beauty in the East Market. It turns out that this peerless beauty is not so peerless. Two of them appeared in the past few days, and my sixth cousin saw them both."
There was another round of laughter, and a scholar in white clothes said, "In prosperous times, beauties appear. It is because the emperor is benevolent, the people are prosperous, and the people can live in peace, that beauties are born."
Everyone felt that these words were too flattering and made their teeth ache, but no one could bear to be with the white-robed aide, nor could they refute them, so they just laughed it off.
Huan Minggui said: "A peerless beauty is not that uncommon."
He paused and kept it a secret: "This is the adventure that Xiao Wang just mentioned."
The wife laughed and scolded: "You can't even speak clearly. It seems you didn't drink enough."
He said to the eunuch, "Get a bigger cup for Prince Yuzhang."
The eunuch was also a mischievous person. He responded with a smile and turned around to bring over a huge goblet that could hold a liter of wine.
When Huan Minggui saw this, he shouted, "No, no, please spare my life, Your Highness. I will confess now."
He paused and said, "Today I met the beautiful lady in the East Market, and that day I saw the beautiful lady in the Qinglong Temple. It turned out to be the same person."
Everyone was amazed: "How could such a coincidence happen in the world? You are destined to meet this beautiful lady!"
Huan Xuan, who had been drinking by himself, suddenly changed his expression and put down his glass.
He suddenly remembered that the hunter girl had mentioned yesterday that she was going to the market today.
Chen Wang had been unable to get a word in until now, and now he winked and said, "What happened next? I don't believe you can let such a beautiful woman go, Liu Lang. I'll go to your house some other day, and you can't hide her..."
It would have been fine if he didn't make any expression, but with this expression, the fat on his face was squeezed into one place, making him look even more shabby.
When everyone saw this, they couldn't help but secretly thought that even such scoundrels could be divided into different levels, and the difference between being romantic and vulgar was like heaven and earth.
Huan Minggui said, "My prince cannot do such a thing as a bull chewing a peony. How can I be so rude to such a beautiful woman?"
King Chen snorted heavily, "She is just a girl. It is her blessing that Sixth Cousin can have sex with her. Does he have to bathe and burn incense before he can touch her?"
Huan Minggui said: "Let alone bathing and burning incense, if I can win the favor of the beauty, I will definitely build a jade hall, a beautiful building, plant orchid gardens, and plant sycamore trees. I will never humiliate her."
Prince Chen said with a smile: "From what Sixth Cousin said, it seems like you are planning to marry her."
Huan Minggui said: "If she dares to marry, why shouldn't I dare to marry her?"
He is unruly by nature and speaks without restraint.
However, if he really did this ridiculous thing, no one could stop him. Every generation of the Huan family had one or two lovers. The previous generation was his father, who gave up even being a husband in order to marry the daughter of a fallen criminal.
Everyone was skeptical and laughed at his foolishness.
Huan Xuan thought of the desolate and dilapidated scene of the mountains, ponds and courtyards, and felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
On second thought, she is just a poor hunter's daughter. She should be overjoyed to have a place to stay. Does it mean that only a luxurious room is worthy of her
Only a fool like Huan Minggui could say such foolish words.
However, everyone's curiosity was aroused, and they all said, "This beautiful woman is indeed extraordinary, to the extent that Prince Yuzhang wanted to marry her."
On the other side of the screen, the female relatives were also aroused and stopped laughing and listened attentively to the movements on the other side of the screen.
Princess Qinghe curled her lips and said, "These men are so interesting. They just gather in one place, drink three cups of wine, and say nothing good. Even my wife follows them in making trouble."
She was the eldest daughter of the Queen and had a noble status, but she was the only one who dared to scold even her younger brother.
Princess Xin'an smiled and said, "Sanlang is a serious man. I was paying attention to all the nonsense they were talking about, but he was the only one who didn't join in the fun."
Princess Qinghe nodded: "My third brother is rare in the world."
She was used to keeping her mouth shut and forgot that the host of the banquet, Princess Ruan Yuewei, had a story with her third brother.
However, the speaker has his own intentions. Ruan Yuewei immediately lowered her eyes, her cheeks flushed, and she felt that everyone must be secretly laughing at her in their hearts.
The halo of candlelight suddenly appeared in his mind again, and Huan Xuan's eyes looking at him were dazed for a moment.
Thinking that he and she were only separated by a screen, her heart began to beat fast.
The more I know I shouldn't think about it, the more I can't stop fantasizing about it. My heart is bitter, yet mixed with a hint of sweetness, as if a small spoonful of honey was added to a bowl of bitter medicine.
She was ignorant before, and only realized what she had missed when Huan Xuan returned to Beijing.
When she was in a state of panic, a familiar voice came from the other side of the screen: "How do you know it's the same person?"
Her heart skipped a beat and her face turned pale. It was Huan Xuan.
Someone added: "Yes, Sixth Cousin has never seen the face of that woman, how do you know it is the same person?"
Huan Minggui said, "Don't underestimate me. There is no other woman in the world who has such a figure and gait. Even if you ask me to pick her out from a hundred women of similar figure and stature, I can still recognize her at a glance."
He paused and said, "Among the green pines and cypresses standing on the ground and the lush flowers, if it were you, would you be able to recognize it at a glance?"
Huan Xuan sneered: "Sixth cousin, you have only met this girl twice and you don't even know her identity, yet you compare her to the pine and cypress trees that stand proudly in the snow and frost and never wither in winter. Isn't that a bit rash?"
In his heart, there was only one woman in the world who deserved this praise, and now she was gone.
Huan Minggui was surprised and asked, "Does Ziheng know that young lady? Or has she offended you in some way?"
Huan Xuan was speechless for a moment.
The wife tried to smooth things over: "It turns out that this beautiful lady has the air of a woman in the woods."
He also said to Huan Minggui: "If you meet her someday, please ask her about her family background and where she lives. If we are a good match, I will help you make this a good story."
Everyone followed suit half-heartedly, but Huan Xuan found it a little irritating. He put down his wine glass, stood up, and said to his son, "My foolish brother, I'm going to go out for a walk and drink some wine."
Leaving the table to change clothes was a common occurrence, so the wife just said, "Come back early to drink with us."
Huan Xuan said hello, bowed to everyone, said "Stop staying with me for a while", and left the banquet hall.
Ruan Yuewei read down every word that was said behind the screen, finding it somewhat unbelievable.
Huan Xuan had a cold personality and had been a loner since childhood. He didn't like to play around with these royal family members, but he also never meddled in other people's affairs.
However, he acted out of character and argued with Prince Yuzhang over a random girl he had never met before. It was really hard to understand.
The more she couldn't figure it out, the more uneasy she felt.
Princess Wuxing, who was born out of wedlock, was very thoughtful. She saw that Concubine Xiao's eyebrows were slightly frowned and her beautiful eyes were filled with sadness. She thought that she was still unhappy about what the talented princess said, so she smiled and changed the subject: "What fun is there in waiting for them to get drunk and talk nonsense? Let's just have fun."
Princess Qinghe also came to her senses: "Send someone to bring some backgammon cards. It's been a while since we played. If I don't, I'll win back all your gold hairpins and jade combs!"
She had never played with this timid sister-in-law since childhood, and she didn't like her very much, but she didn't mean to embarrass her by making innuendos.
Ruan Yuewei came back to her senses, turned around and smiled apologetically at everyone: "I'm going to change my clothes, sisters, please have fun."
She walked out of the hall with light lotus steps, and the sound of her jewelry was almost inaudible.
Princess Wuxing looked at her from behind and exclaimed softly: "If there really is a peerless beauty in the world, she should be born in this East Palace."
The eldest princess disagreed: "You have never met General Xiao's wife."
Madam Xiao died young. In her last few years, she stayed at home and never went out of the house or to the palace. Princess Wuxing was young and had never seen this lady. She asked curiously, "Is she really that beautiful?"
The eldest princess said: "She is not only beautiful, it is not an exaggeration to say that she is peerless."
She smiled and said, "Otherwise, why did Huan Minggui, the little rascal, pull at someone's sleeve and cry and yell that he wanted to marry someone's daughter?"
"Huh? How could I say that the young lady of the Xiao family is as pretty as salt..." A girl in blue said, supporting her chin with her hand. She was Zhang Qingqi, the only daughter of Prime Minister Zhang and an acquaintance of the concubine.
Princess Qinghe's eyes flashed with sadness. Princess Wuxing knew that she was thinking about her old friends, so she hurriedly said, "Let's not talk about these things on a happy day. Anyway, we will meet by chance. Who will play pot tossing with me?"
Everyone joined in the fun and lightly changed the topic.
As soon as Ruan Yuewei walked out of the palace, several palace maids came up to her, put a black fox fur coat on her, and handed her a gilded hand warmer.
Ruan Yuewei held the hand warmer and was accompanied by palace servants to the bathroom behind the palace.
She could not drink much, but she could not stay away from alcohol in such an occasion, so she had just drunk two glasses. At this time, the cold wind blew, the alcohol took over her head, her acupoints were throbbing, and her mind was in a mess.
Coming out of the purification room, she suddenly felt an impulse from the bottom of her heart, and turned to the palace maid and said, "I'm going to take a walk in the woods to get some fresh air. You don't have to follow me. Let Shuzhu and Yinglan accompany me."