Huan Xuan did not go back to the princess's mansion with his elder sister. Instead, he rode back to the palace, washed off the dirt on his body, changed his clothes, and immediately galloped to Penglai Palace.
When they arrived at the emperor's bedroom, the Greenhouse Palace, the stars were already setting and the east was getting bright.
It was a day off and there was no court meeting. The emperor got up more than half an hour later than usual. Just as he opened his eyes, a eunuch came to report that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi had ridden into the palace before daybreak and had been kneeling on the steps of the palace for an hour.
The emperor said angrily, "Let him kneel until he dies."
The eunuch said, "The Third Prince is just like that. Saint, please don't get angry with him."
The emperor said nothing, but he washed and changed his clothes much faster than usual. He tidied up, sat on the couch, and said to the eunuch, "Serve breakfast."
After a pause, he continued, "Tell that unworthy man to come in and have dinner with us."
After a while, Huan Xuan entered the hall, bowed and said, "I am here to see you, father. I have not been able to fulfill my filial duty by visiting you regularly. Please punish me, father."
The emperor was very angry about the tiger talisman yesterday, and wanted to give him a good beating when they met. But when he saw his son's pale face, dark circles under his eyes, and a shocking bloodstain on his left cheek, he felt a little bit reluctant. The royal family's kinship is mixed with too many things, which is not like that of ordinary families, but the emperor is also a human being after all, and he has the love for his son.
His son went to the palace to plead guilty at night and knelt for such a long time. He was already more than half relieved. He just snorted coldly and said, "Now you know you are wrong? You even threw away the tiger talisman for a girl. I really misjudged you!"
Huan Xuan said: "My son is guilty, please punish me, Master."
The emperor waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. I didn't know your temper. If I had been angry with you, I would have been pissed off to death countless times. Stand up and sit down."
Huan Xuan thanked him and sat down on the ebony and mother-of-pearl couch opposite the emperor.
The emperor looked at the wound on his cheek and asked: "How did you get this?"
Before he could answer, the emperor understood: "But it was your elder sister who beat you?"
Huan Xuan said yes.
The emperor sneered: "She deserved it. Your elder sister was helping you. This is not something that can be undone by a single whip. Since she beat you, I cannot beat her again."
"Son knows." Huan Xuan said.
As he was speaking, palace servants came in one after another carrying food tables, plates and bowls.
"Did you sleep last night?" the emperor asked. "There are a lot of things to do today. You can accompany me to have breakfast and rest in the Greenhouse Palace. In the evening, the whole family will gather in the Anfu Palace. Invite your brother, sister-in-law, and others."
Huan Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Let Aye decide."
After they had breakfast, they drank a cup of tea and played two more games of chess. The emperor then urged his son to go to a side hall to rest.
Huan Xuan had no desire to sleep. He had been on the road for more than a month and had not slept last night. He was extremely tired. But as soon as he closed his eyes, countless chaotic shadows flashed before his eyes. His heart seemed to be grabbed by a sharp claw. He could not breathe and could not get a moment of peace.
Finally it was time to light the lamps. A eunuch came to invite him. He got up, washed, and rode in the same chariot with the emperor to Anfu Hall.
When the imperial chariot reached Anfu Hall, it happened to meet the Empress Dowager and her husband getting off their chariot.
When the prince saw Huan Xuan riding in the same chariot with his father, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. Yesterday, the emperor held a banquet in Anfu Hall to welcome Huan Xuan, but no one showed up after three invitations. The emperor was furious, and he and those present saw it all. He didn't expect that after a night, the father and father looked so intimate again.
The moment Ruan Yuewei saw Huan Xuan, she forgot everything around her, and her entire mind was drawn to that familiar yet somewhat strange figure.
The last time they met was at a farewell banquet in the palace before he went to war. They only saw each other briefly, without even a chance to make eye contact. Counting the time since the autumn hunt, they haven't had a proper word for nearly two months.
He seemed to have grown a little taller. Because of the heat in early autumn, he wore a round-necked robe woven with purple and thin silver brocade, which revealed the snow-white collar. Against his pale skin, pale thin lips, and slightly haggard face, his handsome and tall figure also added a bit of fragility, like a beautiful jade, which made people feel a hint of pity in their admiration.
Ruan Yuewei naturally noticed the red, swollen and raised whip marks on his left cheek at a glance. She regretted that she couldn't apply medicine on him or gently soothe his pain with her fingertips. She could only give him a gentle and caring look.
She guessed who the injury was for, and her heart was filled with sorrow and bitterness. Although the woman unfortunately died in the sea of fire, she died in the most glorious moment, which made Huan Xuan never forget her and even go against the will of heaven for her. Isn't this a kind of luck
Taiyi's voice interrupted her thoughts: "I haven't seen you for a while. Sanlang has lost weight. The battle in Huaixi was won thanks to you. It is a blessing for the country and the people of Yong to have a god of war like you in charge."
Huan Xuan bowed and said, "Second brother, you are too kind."
He raised his eyelids again and said to Ruan Yuewei, "Second sister-in-law, are you okay?"
When their eyes met, Ruan Yuewei's heart nearly jumped out of her throat, and her cheeks flushed involuntarily. She lowered her head quickly, bowed and said, "Thank you for asking, Third Brother."
The queen mother said in a casual tone, "Your sister-in-law's cough recurred in the spring. She has been nursing for several months and is only now getting better."
Huan Xuan said calmly: "Take care, sister-in-law."
Ruan Yuewei whispered: "Thank you, third brother. Please take care of yourself, third brother."
In front of the emperor, she couldn't persuade him too much and could only stop there.
The emperor said, "What are you all standing here for? Go sit down in the hall and talk."
A few people climbed the stairs and arrived at the main hall of Anfu Palace. The remaining princesses, royal brothers and royal brothers had already arrived. Even Huan Minggui arrived early, which was unusual for him.
Everyone took their seats one by one, wine and food were served one after another, and musicians played sheng and xiao.
The emperor raised his cup and said to Huan Xuan with a pleasing expression, "Sanlang, I would like to offer you a glass of wine to congratulate you on your triumphant return."
Huan Xuan stood up, stepped away from the table, and thanked him, saying, "I dare not refuse."
The emperor added: "Tonight is just a banquet. The family will gather together first. When the royal teacher returns to the court, I will hold another banquet and invite all officials to celebrate together."
Huan Xuan bowed again to express his gratitude.
The emperor smiled and said, "We are all family, there is no need to be restrained. Let's have fun tonight."
Seeing that the emperor's anger had disappeared without a trace, everyone wanted to join in the fun and began to flatter him, creating a joyful atmosphere at the table.
The King of Qi had always been a man of few words. He drank by himself with a sullen face, and only said a few words in reply when someone came to toast him. No one thought it was strange, and they just thought that he had become more mature and prudent after returning from the battlefield, and had become more distant from his relatives.
The eldest princess Huan Minggui knew the whole story.
The eldest princess was sitting opposite him. She had no intention of drinking or enjoying the music. She kept an eye on her third brother, fearing that something might happen to him.
Huan Minggui simply ignored the order of teeth and shamelessly added a couch next to Huan Xuan.
It seemed that his worries were unnecessary, as Huan Xuan looked normal, though he spoke less than usual.
The two of them just breathed a sigh of relief, but Taiyi kept bringing up the issue, saying half-jokingly, "Sanlang has made great contributions. The only thing missing in the mansion is a virtuous woman to take care of the household."
The two of them were immediately worried again.
The princess wanted to shut up the old lady, and raised her wine glass and said with a smile: "Erlang, you are still talking about Sanlang, you got married early, why don't you give me a little nephew or niece to hug."
As soon as she said this, she realized that there was something wrong. Although it was said in a hurry, it seemed to be mocking Ruan Yuewei's remarks.
Suddenly, the Dowager Concubine's face turned red, her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked like she was about to cry.
The eldest princess quickly made amends, "Alas, I am too ashamed to say anything bad about you. I got married earlier than you, but my husband has not given me any children."
Everyone laughed, and the emperor scolded, "You only know how to make up stories about your son-in-law behind his back all day long. How dare you say a word of dissatisfaction to his face?"
The eldest princess laughed and said, "I dare not do that. I can't win an argument with him. It's all my fault that Aye found me someone who is sharp-tongued and sharp-tongued. What can I do now? I have to make do with what I have."
"You've got what you want, but you're still acting cute," the emperor scolded with a smile, "Who was it that was crying and making a fuss about wanting my third place in the imperial examination in the first place?"
"It's me, it's me," the eldest princess begged, "Aye, please forgive me."
After a while of banter, everyone forgot what happened earlier. Ruan Yuewei's expression eased a little. She quietly raised her eyes and looked at the seat opposite her, but suddenly met Huan Xuan's gaze.
He seemed to have been looking at her all day. She looked up several times inadvertently and found that he was looking at her. His eyes were slightly cold, like the frosty moon in the mountains, hiding something that was hard to describe. But Ruan Yue had time to distinguish that he was looking at her. This one thing alone was enough to make her intoxicated.
She instantly forgot the eldest princess' offense, and a sweet feeling surged in her heart.
Huan Xuan had indeed been looking at her. He saw shyness, anger, and many other things on her face, but not guilt or remorse.
Could it be that he really didn't know
Not necessarily. Huan Xuan thought of the bodies of the guards scattered throughout the forest during the autumn hunt. Those guards died to protect her. The wolves attacked because she cried and ran away. After so many people died, she did not feel the slightest bit of guilt. Sitting on the horse, he could not wait to pour out his heart.
How could she care about the death of a civilian woman
But this was just his guess, he needed more concrete evidence.
The Queen Mother stopped talking about Huan Xuan's marriage. After scolding his eldest daughter, the Emperor recalled what he had just said and looked at his third daughter: "Your brother is right. Your marriage should have been arranged a long time ago, but it has been delayed for nearly two weeks because of the war. It can't be delayed any longer."
After hearing what the emperor said, the queen smiled and said, "Even if you are not in a hurry, you can't keep dragging the young lady."
Everyone in the room knew that the Dowager was talking about Ruan Liuniang, the cousin of the Dowager Consort. They also knew that the Emperor was very pleased with this young lady. Even though the Prince of Qi had never given in, the Ruan family still waited and did not promise their daughter to anyone else.
At this moment, everyone was watching his reaction with interest.
The eldest princess was afraid that her third brother would say something shocking, so she turned pale with fear and forced a smile, saying, "Sanlang has just returned to the capital, let him take some time off. It doesn't mean that the marriage must be decided today."
Huan Xuan said, "Thanks to my second brother Aye for his concern, Sanlang has already found someone he loves."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was in an uproar.
The eldest princess' heart trembled, and Huan Minggui quietly tugged at Huan Xuan's sleeve.
The emperor knew that he had thrown away the tiger talisman yesterday because of a concubine who died unjustly. Naturally, he didn't believe it when a woman he loved suddenly appeared.
However, in front of so many people, he did not expose him, but just asked: "Oh? I wonder which girl Sanlang likes? Tell Aye, Aye will ask a matchmaker to propose marriage for you."
Huan Xuan bowed to the emperor and said, "Thank you, Father. She is angry with me. When she changes her mind, I will bring her to see you."
The emperor nodded and said, "You said it. Wait, Aye." He said no more.
Ruan Yuewei couldn't help but think about it after hearing this. She suspected that this was just an excuse to reject Ruan Liuniang, but looking at his expression just now, it seemed that there really was someone there.
The last time he returned to Beijing from the northwest, he brought back a hunter girl. This time he went to Huaixi to fight a battle, could it be that he brought back a farmer's girl or a merchant's girl again
Ruan Yuewei felt as if a fine needle was pricking her heart again and again. She couldn't swallow a single bite of the delicacies on the table.
At this time, the emperor suddenly said: "The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming next month. Think about where we can get together for the Mid-Autumn Festival."
The eldest princess said, "It's a rare opportunity that Sanlang has returned today. How about my daughter hosting a banquet for appreciating chrysanthemums at Zhongnan Villa?"
The emperor smiled and said, "You are very generous despite your poverty."
The eldest princess smiled and said, "I will spend all my money and it will come back. When the time comes, I will have to ask Aye to give me a beating."
She glanced at Huan Xuan and continued, "Father, why don't you give me more money and invite more relatives and friends to have a good time."
The emperor said, "It's all up to you."
Everyone started talking about the crab feast with great interest.
After the wine was finished and the banquet was over, Huan Xuan and the eldest princess walked out of Anfu Hall one after another. When they reached the corner of the palace wall, the eldest princess looked around and saw many people from the lower classes. She then said, "I have already done what you asked me to do. I will send the invitation to the Wu'an Mansion in a few days. Whether Zhao Qinghui can be invited out depends on luck."
Huan Xuan said, "Thank you, sister."
After a pause, he said, "Don't worry about the rest, sister. I will never let you down."
The eldest princess squinted at him and said, "Am I afraid that you will be implicated? Anyway, you should be careful and take care of yourself."