In less than an incense stick of time, the news that the Regent had brought a little beauty to attend the birthday banquet spread to every corner of the imperial city. I believe that before long, the entire capital will know about it.
He is the regent. Over the years, many beauties have failed to catch his eye, let alone get close to him.
For a moment, everyone was talking about it, and they were all curious about what kind of person that little beauty was.
The courtiers at the banquet were naturally interested in this.
Although the Regent held a high position, he was still a minister after all, and sat only on the left side of the emperor. The Regent did not like to be served when he ate, so he always sat alone on this seat.
But now, there is a little beauty beside him.
Not only was she brought to the birthday banquet, but she also sat in the same imperial seat with the Regent, which shows how much the Regent loved her.
Everyone was thinking this in their hearts and couldn't help but look at the little beauty a few more times.
But this highly-watched figure was clearly feeling a little uneasy.
From the moment he got off the carriage until now, Jing Li felt that a lot of eyes were on him. This feeling of having his every move watched made him very uncomfortable.
Seeing that he barely touched the food, Qin Zhao asked, "Why, not to your liking?"
“No…” Jing Li unconsciously hid behind Qin Zhao and said nothing.
Qin Zhao felt unhappy.
He put down his chopsticks and glanced casually into the hall. The countless scrutinizing glances disappeared in an instant, and a series of masked coughs were heard in the hall.
"Okay." Qin Zhao picked up some food for Jing Li and said calmly, "Eat."
The current emperor was closest to the regent and saw all his actions clearly, which made him feel very sad.
Not only were the ministers curious, even he wanted to know where this little beauty came from.
More than a month ago, the Regent returned the painting of a beauty that he had asked someone to paint, saying that he wanted to devote himself to state affairs and was unwilling to think about his children's personal affairs
Even more than ten days ago, when he wanted to give a koi to the Regent, the man didn't want it!
Qi Xuan felt that the world had changed.
But he had always been afraid of the Regent and did not dare to ask too many questions. He had to endure the other party's eye-catching display of affection and pretended not to see it.
When the banquet was halfway through, someone outside came to report.
"Your Majesty, the Great General of the Nation is requesting an audience outside the palace."
Qi Xuan's hand shook and the chopsticks fell to the ground.
How come he didn't know Xiao Yue would return to Beijing today??!
The palace servants beside him were busy replacing the emperor's bowls and chopsticks with new ones, but Qi Xuan ignored them and hurried to see the regent's expression.
The Protector of the Nation General Xiao Yue and the Regent King have always been at odds. When the Regent King first came to power, there were many voices of opposition in the court, and the Xiao family behind the Protector of the Nation was one of them.
For this reason, Xiao Yue and Qin Zhao fought each other for a while, but unfortunately they were not defeated, so they led their troops to surrender and left, staying in the borderland for several years.
Some people said that Xiao Yue was afraid of Qin Zhao and did not dare to come back. Others said that Xiao Yue was threatening the regent with his military power, and it was because of his presence that the regent did not dare to replace the emperor.
In any case, it is absolutely correct to say that these two people are mortal enemies who can’t stand each other.
As for choosing this critical moment to come back, could it be that the general finally couldn't sit still anymore and wanted to show his power to the regent
The hall, which was originally filled with singing and dancing, became silent. The palace servant who came to deliver the message knelt in the middle of the hall, but everyone's eyes were on Qin Zhao.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the handsome regent simply chuckled and said to Qi Xuan, "The general has come all the way back to Beijing to celebrate my birthday. Your Majesty, why don't you invite him in?"
Qi Xuan woke up as if from a dream and quickly ordered someone to come in.
Soon, a tall man wearing light armor walked in. Xiao Yue had been in the frontier for a long time, and the wind and sand had worn him down, making him look stern and aggressive. There was an inconspicuous scar on his face, but he was still handsome and heroic.
He walked to the front of the hall and knelt on one knee: "General Xiao Yue, I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
"No need to be polite, Mr. Xiao." Qi Xuan didn't dare to let him kneel, and quickly ordered, "Hurry up and give him a seat."
Xiao Yue's seat was arranged opposite the Regent, slightly lower, to show his status. He didn't care about it, sat down happily, poured himself a glass of wine, and toasted the emperor first, then Qin Zhao.
Xiao Yue said: "I heard that today is the Regent's birthday, so I specially brought a small gift from the border for the Regent."
Qin Zhao raised his glass, and said in a friendly manner: "Is it the mare's milk wine from the borderland?"
"Of course not. How can I send you mare's milk every year? Am I such a boring person?" Xiao Yue laughed and ordered in a low voice, "Bring the person in."
A young man and woman came in.
The man and woman were estimated to be in their teens, and looked even more childish than Jing Li. They looked very similar, with high noses and deep eyes, and were extremely beautiful.
The smile on Qin Zhao's face faded slightly.
Xiao Yue didn't notice this detail at all, and said to himself: "This brother and sister were specially selected by this general from the slaves in the Western Regions. They are both good-looking and have good figures. I don't know whether the regent prefers boys or girls. This pair of brother and sister is sent to me. It's just right to keep one and make the other a slave."
He said this cheerfully, with a kind of self-satisfied smugness in his tone.
Qin Zhao had already withdrawn his gaze and gently put down his wine glass.
The current emperor, who was sitting in the main seat, was almost on the verge of tears.
As soon as I came back, I ran into trouble.
Good job.
Perhaps it was because of the presence of his beloved little beauty, or perhaps because the world was peaceful now, and the regent's temper was much better than when he was young. In short, the regent did not repeat the bloody scene in the past when someone sent someone to his bed and he directly killed the person with a sword on the spot.
He just said a few polite words that he had repeated countless times and sent the person away casually.
The birthday banquet was over, and the ministers left one after another. The Regent and the General Protector of the Nation were nowhere to be seen.
At the end of the Zhaixing Tower, Qin Zhao leaned against the guardrail leisurely, with the lights of thousands of houses reflected in his eyes: "I thought you would come back in a while, are you so impatient to take power?"
"Fuck, don't make me sound so petty." Xiao Yue walked out of the darkness, still holding the wine jug in his hand, "I came back specially to celebrate your birthday, but you don't even want the birthday gift I prepared for you, huh..."
Qin Zhao's eyes darkened slightly, and he didn't bother to pay attention to what he said.
There was a brief silence in the Zhaixing Tower. After a moment, Xiao Yue asked, "Have you thought it through? Do you really want to retire?"
"Why else would I write to ask you to come back?" Qin Zhao glanced at him and sighed softly, "It's been many years since this day."
"Are you confident in handing over the country to the little emperor?" Xiao Yue asked. "I saw the little emperor today, and he is not much different from when he first ascended the throne a few years ago. He is still so cowardly and useless."
"Trust me, he will be a good emperor. If I don't leave, he will never have a chance to grow."
"And..." Qin Zhao smiled softly as if he had thought of something extremely happy, "I have recently suddenly felt that there is nothing wrong with living for myself once."
Xiao Yue got goosebumps from his look and rubbed his arms: "Well, there's nothing wrong with you retiring. It will save me from having to be on guard against your rebellion every day. But let me make a promise first. Clean up your mess before you leave. I don't want to help you raise your children or clean up the mess."
"Know."
Xiao Yue and Qin Zhao's relationship was not as bad as rumored, but it was not good either. They had not seen each other for many years, and they could not say anything to reminisce about the past. After saying these few words, Xiao Yue prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something and turned around to ask, "Do you really not want the two beauties I gave you?"
Qin Zhao: “…”
"My deputy general took a long time to select her. She is a rare beauty." Xiao Yue said, "You are already old. Even if you are not in a hurry to get married and have a wife, you should find some concubines to warm your bed. What's the point of living like a pure monk all day long? Be careful that you won't be able to find a wife when you are old."
"I must remind you that you seem to be three years older than me." Qin Zhao smiled, "And I already have someone in my heart, so there is no need for you to worry about me."
Xiao Yue walked away cursing.
Qin Zhao was in no hurry to leave. He turned around and leaned against the railing, his brows relaxed, as if he was in a rare state of ease. Suddenly, he tilted his head to look at the darkness to the side and whispered, "Haven't you heard enough?"
Jing Li walked out of the darkness.
The Star Picking Tower is the tallest building in the entire imperial city. The night breeze on the rooftop is slightly cool, blowing up the sleeves and hair of the two men.
Qin Zhao waved at him: "Come here."
Jing Li came over, and Qin Zhao reached out to hold his hand: "It seems a little cold, are you cold?"
The young man seemed to want to hide, but failed, as Qin Zhao held his hands in his palms.
"No, not cold." Jing Li said in a low voice.
Qin Zhao nodded: "That's right, your body is always a little cold."
Jing Li responded softly but said nothing.
Qin Zhao looked down into his eyes and asked him in a low voice: "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Jing Li tilted his head and thought for a moment, then asked, "You've been so busy lately, are you preparing to retire? Do you really not want to be the regent?"
"I don't want to, and I can't." Qin Zhao said, "If the imperial power is in the hands of an outsider for a long time, it will shake the foundation of the country. It is not safe for the young emperor, and it is not safe for me. If you want to know these things, I can slowly tell you another day."
"Oh..." Jing Li nodded and asked, "Where are you going to go after you retire?"
"I have found a place to live in the mountains a hundred miles away from the capital. I plan to live there for a few years. I will make other plans once the situation in the capital is completely stable."
The Regent's way of handling situations has always been very appropriate.
Jing Li: “Yeah, that’s good.”
Don't speak.
Qin Zhao looked down at the young man in front of him and smiled helplessly: "Nothing else to ask?"
Jing Li dodged his gaze. He could feel the other person's eyes on his face, and he could also feel the warmth of the other person's palms holding his hands. His heartbeat quickened slightly, and he couldn't say a word.
"If you don't ask, then I'll ask." Qin Zhao said, "Why are you so unhappy today? Are you angry that I didn't explain it to you first?"
Jing Li didn't know that he had been so obvious. He shook his head: "No."
"So you don't like this kind of scene?"
Jing Li was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "No."
Qin Zhao stretched out his hand and lifted his chin slightly, staring into the boy's beautiful and bright eyes, and said softly word by word: "So you don't want to be my princess?"
Jing Li was stunned.
He did not immediately understand the regent's words, which were full of twists and turns. He looked up at him blankly and said belatedly, "...Huh?"
Qin Zhao couldn't help laughing out loud.
There were only two of them in the Star-Picking Tower, so the Regent King no longer had to pretend to be the way he was in front of others, and laughed wantonly for a while. Then, he pinched Jing Li's cheek and sighed leisurely: "I don't understand, after all, I have seen countless people, how could I fall for a little fool like you."
Jing Li's mouth was faster than his brain for once, and he subconsciously retorted: "How am I stupid?"
Only after I finished speaking did I realize something was wrong.
What this person meant by what he just said is...
Qin Zhao smiled and said, "Have you finally come to your senses?"
"I... I..." Jing Li's ears suddenly burned, and he began to stutter, "Why are you suddenly... suddenly saying this."
"I thought you would want to ask me this question after hearing my conversation with Xiao Yue just now." Qin Zhao said, "Xiao Yu, don't you want to know who I mean by 'someone'?"
"I… "
Of course I did.
But where does he get his position from
He was just a pet fish raised by the Regent, just an ordinary servant in the mansion, and now he was brought by the Regent to pretend to be his lover.
Even though he didn't know the rules, he knew he shouldn't ask his master questions like this.
Although…
I really want to know.
"Xiao Yu, have I ever told you that you can't hide anything?" Qin Zhao suddenly said, "When you went to deliver cakes to me, you acted so flustered, but I saw through you at a glance. Later, you pretended to be a koi, but you didn't pretend clearly enough, so I easily found out. Even now..."
He raised his hand and touched the corners of Jing Li's eyes, and said with a relaxed smile: "Your eyes tell me everything."
All those simple, sincere feelings that one dares not express out loud and is not even aware of are completely exposed.
Jing Li opened his mouth, but still said nothing.
Qin Zhao is really amazing. He can easily control the overall situation. Even now, he still behaves with ease. Jing Li stared into the other person's eyes and murmured, "Am I dreaming?"
He was answered with a very light, very gentle kiss.
Qin Zhao lowered his head and kissed him on the lips, very lightly, but very slowly, as if giving him time to come back to his senses and experience it.
After a moment, Qin Zhao let go of his hand: "Do you feel it?"
Jing Li's ears were already red, and he nodded gently: "Hmm..."
"You also know the answer to that question, right? Now it's your turn to answer my question." Qin Zhao took Jing Li's hand again and asked gently, "Are you willing to be my princess?"
On the second day after the Regent's birthday party, the news that he was about to get married spread throughout the streets and alleys.
Two months later, a grand wedding was held in the capital, hosted by the emperor. The regent married his little princess in front of the whole world.
After the wedding, the Regent took the little princess to travel to the south of the Yangtze River, but they never came back.
Not long after the Regent left Beijing, news came from the capital that the Regent and the Princess had been assassinated. It was rumored that the two were robbed while traveling in a deep mountain, and fell off a cliff in the chaos, with no trace of their bodies left.
Everyone in the government and the country was shocked.
Only the great general Xiao Yue, who was protecting the nation, started cursing upon hearing the news, angrily accusing the regent of not keeping his promise and leaving without saying goodbye.
If others heard it, they would just think he was speaking in anger out of grief.
When the regent was alive, people were afraid of him and suspected him, thinking that he would rebel sooner or later. But after he passed away, people gradually began to count his achievements.
Without the Regent, there would be no world today.
Such remarks were common for a time, and the Regent's calligraphy and writings during his lifetime were also circulated among the people for quite some time.
"Very good, at least we will leave a good name in the history books instead of a bad one." Jing Li was very satisfied with the news.
When he said this, he was lying on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, enjoying the sun and eating watermelon. Qin Zhao changed into a simple cloth and sat next to Jing Li to read a book, and took away Jing Li's hand that was still trying to take the watermelon.
"This thing is too cold, you can't eat too much now."
Jing Li was dissatisfied: "It's the last piece!"
"no."
"Your Majesty..."
"… "
"Qin Zhao..."
"… "
"Husband..."
"If you say no, then no." Qin Zhao glanced at Jing Li's slightly bulging belly. "After the little fish cub is born, you can eat whatever you want. You can't do that now."
After saying that, he ruthlessly took away the plate of watermelon.
"Wuwuwu, please don't, leave some for me, don't you love me, Qin Zhao!!!"
The crying and shouting echoed throughout half the mountain.