RPAGF Chapter 189 Shangguan Shaoqing, what are you doing?
Chapter 189 Shangguan Shaoqing, what are you doing?
After dinner, Cheng Yan sent the young boy back to the palace. When he returned, it was already dusk.
The servants in the mansion came and went, lighting the lamps under the eaves one by one.
As night falls and the city lights come on, when you look up at the sky again, the bright moon has already quietly climbed to the horizon.
When the night breeze blew, it still carried the lingering heat of the day.
Qin Yizhen was still working on a chess game in the side hall when she saw him return. She then asked Lüqiao to bring him a bowl of cool tea. The tea had been brewed by Chen Yinniang that morning and had been steeped in cold water, so it was slightly chilled.
It also contains medicinal herbs that can relieve heat and cool the body. It tastes slightly bitter but has a sweet aftertaste. After drinking half a bowl, the heat in the body is relieved.
"They escorted His Majesty back to the palace?"
"Yes, it's been sent to your mother." Cheng Yan's lips twitched as he thought of Emperor Jing'an's aggrieved expression. "Tell me, shouldn't His Majesty get married?"
"A grand wedding?" Qin Yizhen's hand trembled, completely shocked. "He's only twelve years old."
Even in his previous life, Emperor Jing'an was already fourteen years old when he got married. Although it was a bit early, he was still considered half-grown up, unlike now, when he still seemed like a child.
Weren't you twelve when you married me?
Speaking of this, Qin Yi barely managed to control herself from rolling her eyes at him, but she still couldn't help but glare at him reproachfully: "How dare you bring this up?"
Even if you really like someone, this is still a very unethical thing to do.
Cheng Yan touched his nose, took a sip of cool tea to cover up his embarrassment, and tentatively defended himself: "Aren't we doing fine now? Besides, even if we got married early, it doesn't necessarily mean we have to do anything, right?"
Qin Yizhen glared at him: "It's really good now, but what if I don't figure it out? Then we'll become a resentful couple. Besides, when we got married, I was still young, but you weren't as young as me. You know what you should and shouldn't do. What do they know?"
"That's true," Cheng Yan agreed, but he also had concerns. "I just feel that His Majesty... His Majesty seems somewhat lonely..."
Qin Yizhen paused in her hand as she reached for the chess pieces, her lowered eyelids trembling slightly: "Many times in life, you have to endure loneliness."
Even she sometimes felt lonely. Cheng Yan couldn't be with her every day. She lived a secluded life in the inner quarters and would occasionally think of him. However, she would always do something to pass the time.
For example, playing the zither or chess, appreciating flowers or painting, or going out for a walk, drinking tea, or listening to storytelling.
Once you get used to it, you won't feel anything special about it.
"His Majesty is an emperor. He is still young and longs for family affection. He may feel sorry for himself. But he will eventually get used to it. He stands at the pinnacle of power. Even his closest relatives, while loving and protecting him, will also be wary of him and submit to him."
Even if he were to marry the Empress, he might not be able to treat her with genuine affection and sincerity as husband and wife.
Cheng Yan fell silent.
In truth, Cheng Yan knew that even though Emperor Jing'an looked like a pitiful little man now, in his heart, the most important thing was to get married. He would only marry an empress who would benefit the country. True love and sincere marriage were probably impossible for him.
"Alright, forget it, I won't say anymore." Cheng Yan didn't want to continue this topic. He finished the bowl of tea and changed the subject. "This tea is good. When the weather gets warmer, I'll have the people in the manor brew more for the servants."
The Pingxi Marquis's residence was clearly divided into inner and outer courtyards. The inner courtyard was where the women of the household lived, while the outer courtyard was divided into several areas, including guest quarters for temporary accommodations and areas that Cheng Yan had specially designated for the residences of the mansion's personal guards.
Cheng Yan meant that he wanted to send some over to his personal guards.
Qin Yizhen nodded: "That's feasible. Drinking a bowl of that in the summer makes me feel much more comfortable. I'll ask Yinniang what herbs she used and have Steward Zhou buy some."
The couple chatted for a while. When Qin Yizhen saw that he had stopped sweating, she asked someone to bring water to the bathroom and urged him to take a shower. After he came out, she went back to the bed by the window in her bedroom to continue playing chess.
A bowl of ice was placed nearby, and a cool breeze permeated the air, making it much cooler than outside.
It was still early, and with nothing else to do, the two decided to solve a chess game together.
The bright moon hangs high in the sky, illuminating the human world year after year.
.
When Fang Shixin came out of the palace, she was still a little smug. At night, she dreamed of Cheng Yan divorcing Qin Yizhen and then marrying her.
Thinking that her long-awaited dream was about to come true, she couldn't help but laugh out loud from time to time.
That day, Liang Xize invited her to have tea at Wanshilou. He saw her sitting there in a daze, seemingly lost in thought. She would laugh out loud as she thought about something, which piqued his curiosity.
Why is Miss Fang laughing?
"It's nothing, nothing." Fang Shixin suppressed a smile. "It's just that the case of the burning of Fanghua Pavilion is about to be closed. I'm happy just thinking about getting my revenge."
"Oh? The case is about to be closed?" Liang Xize's heart skipped a beat, but he smiled broadly, raised an eyebrow, and waved his folding fan, exuding a charming and flirtatious air. "Is the Dali Temple really going to uphold justice for you? To reveal the truth to the world?"
“Of course.” Fang Shixin’s eyes narrowed slightly, determined to win. “So what if the culprit is a princess? There have been countless princesses throughout history. They may look glamorous, but they are nothing more than political sacrifices. As long as they are given enough benefits, they may be abandoned.”
"Oh? Really?" Liang Xize was somewhat skeptical.
"of course."
"Then what benefits did you offer?" Liang Xize pressed.
"Of course..."
Before Fang Shixin could finish speaking, the door to the private room was suddenly kicked open, and an official dressed in the robes of the Dali Temple led a group of yamen runners in. Liang Xize's two personal guards stepped forward, and several Dali Temple yamen runners began to fight with them.
Fang Shi was so startled that he suddenly stood up from his chair.
"Shangguan Shaoqing, what are you doing?"
The chief official of the Court of Judicial Review is Minister Li, and below him are two deputy ministers, the Vice Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review. One is Fang Shixin's father, Vice Minister Fang, and the other is this Vice Minister Shangguan, who is not yet thirty years old.
Fang Shixin had met her father's colleague before, so she naturally recognized him.
However, the Fang family has recently become quite dissatisfied with this Shangguan Shaoqing.
After the Fang family was imprisoned, Fang Shixin used his method of treating smallpox as an exchange to free the Fang family and reinstate Fang Shaoqing to his original position.
However, within the Dali Temple, Fang Shaoqing was gradually falling out of favor. When the Dali Temple Minister, Lord Li, had something to do, he would only assign this Shangguan Shaoqing to it, and Fang Shaoqing could only handle some miscellaneous tasks.
Shangguan Shaoqing glanced at Fang Shixin indifferently, without speaking to her, but looked at Liang Xize and first bowed respectfully:
"The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review greets the Prince of Xiliang. Prince of Xiliang, the Court of Judicial Review has a case that concerns you. Please come with us."