Chapter 264: 264Intimacy
Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Intimacy
When Chu Qianhuang learned that the marriage between the two countries had been confirmed, it was the third day after she was kicked out of the palace.
Chu Qianhuang lost her composure for a moment and almost asked the other party, "Is it true?", but she still suppressed it.
"Mr. Ming, thank you very much." Chu Qianhuang smiled brightly at the young man sitting across from the stone table, with eyes as clear as the moon.
The young man whom she called Ming Gongzi was about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was wearing a lake blue straight jacket, with a black embroidered **** around his waist and a dark brocade belt on his head. There was a small seal and a purse on the side of his waist. He was very formally dressed.
The young man's angular square face is not considered handsome, but just straight. His figure is tall and thin, with the unique heroic spirit of a young man.
When his eyes met Chu Qianhuang's smiling face, there was a trace of embarrassment on his green face.
Chu Qianhuang lowered his eyes and picked up the pastel tea cup on the stone table. His face was expressionless, and he only felt extremely ironic in his heart.
She persisted for so long, was cautious about her words and deeds in the palace, and worked low and low for half a year before setting up the plan. However, when she was about to succeed, she was easily messed up by Chu Qianchen.
The reluctance in Chu Qianhuang's heart burned even more fiercely, and the hatred in her heart surged unbearably. The face hidden under the water-red veil began to hurt again, and the sounds of slaps from that day were still in her ears.
Her face had been recovering for three days and it had not recovered yet.
How could she forget such a profound humiliation and unforgettable pain? How could she not hate it?
But facing the young man in front of him, Chu Qianhuang didn't show any signs of abnormality. He just lowered his face and sighed slightly.
The girl wearing the veil looked elegant, mysterious, and pitiful. She had a kind of beauty as if she was holding a pipa and half-hiding her face. Mr. Ming couldn't bear to see her.
"Miss Chu..." Mr. Ming called in a soft voice, for fear of offending the beauty.
Chu Qianhuang put down the teacup, raised her eyes and met Master Ming's eyes, and said, "Master Ming, could you please help me find out who will send the third princess to Nanhao?"
"I have been accompanying the third princess for half a year. I originally thought I could send the third princess to Nanhao, but now..."
"I don't know how the third princess is doing now. She has traveled so far away, and I'm afraid I may never see her again in this life."
Chu Qianhuang couldn't hide the sadness and worry in her words, and there was a faint watery light in her eyes, which was very sentimental.
The breeze in the garden blew into the pavilion where they were sitting, and a few petals the size of fingernails fell softly on the girl's forehead and shoulders.
A corner of the girl's veil flew up in the wind, and the light veil fluttered like butterfly wings, revealing the girl's white chin, which was whiter than the white petals.
Mr. Ming stared at Chu Qianhuang with burning eyes.
The next moment, Chu Qianhuang had already raised his hand to touch down the veil.
Mr. Ming was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and took a sip of tea to cover up his gaffe.
He calmed down his emotions and said seriously: "Miss Chu, don't worry, leave this matter to me."
"The girl is really a sweetheart."
Mr. Ming sighed sincerely, feeling a little sad in his heart.
He could understand Chu Qianhuang's mood.
Historically, only a handful of princesses who were married to other countries could return to their homeland in this lifetime. Most of the married princesses died in foreign lands due to various reasons.
Mr. Ming felt that Chu Qianhuang was really a very affectionate person.
He had also heard other people talk about the three princesses going to marry Nan Hao. Most of them looked and sounded condescending as if it had nothing to do with them. Some even described the marriage as a marriage, saying that the three princesses were considered queens. So what if I'm a girl? I'm not going to marry the vassal state.
Thinking about it, the admiration in Mr. Ming's eyes became stronger and his eyes brightened.
"Young master, you're rewarded." Chu Qianhuang said with a smile.
She stood up and bowed solemnly to Mr. Ming Yingying, "Thank you, Mr. Ming."
As she bowed, her eyes shone with perseverance, and she told herself in her heart: She had worked so hard to get to this point, and she would never give up easily.
Now that her life experience has been revealed, given Shen's narrow-mindedness, if she stays in the capital like this, Shen will just find someone to marry off to. From then on, she can only live in a certain square room. In his house, he lived a mediocre life.
And she, don’t live such a life!
Seeing Chu Qianhuang bending his knees, Mr. Ming subconsciously raised his hand to help him, but soon realized something was wrong and put his hand down again.
He cleared his throat nervously and said, "It's just a trivial matter. Miss Chu doesn't need to be so polite."
Chu Qianhuang smiled slightly and poured tea for him personally.
Mr. Ming took the tea somewhat flattered and drank several sips in succession.
Chu Qianhuang also poured some tea for herself, her thoughts still spinning.
She knew clearly that no one in the Chu family could defeat her. Chu Lingxiao could not help her, and neither could Mrs. Chu.
The only person who can help her is herself.
She had to try again. If it didn't work, the worst step would be to go to Nanhao alone.
Chu Qianhuang's heart tightened, as if something was stuffed in his chest.
This era is different from modern times. A woman's reputation is more important than anything else. Once she leaves the Chu family alone, she will never be able to return to the Chu family again.
This meant that she had no way out.
Moreover, the journey to Nanhao is thousands of miles away, and you have to cross the river that separates the two countries before you can reach Nanhao.
As you can imagine, this journey will definitely be more difficult.
After she arrived in Nanhao, she was not familiar with the place and needed help to find Wuhagalou... These were not that simple.
What she had to face was another completely unfamiliar capital city.
Unless absolutely necessary, Chu Qianhuang did not want to take this dangerous move.
"Mr. Ming, I would like to offer you a cup of tea instead of wine." Chu Qianhuang raised the tea cup gracefully and made a toast.
Mr. Ming also responded, and after that, Chu Qianhuang took the initiative to leave: "Mr. Ming, I want to help my grandmother go to the Huichun Hall, so I will leave first. If there is any news, you can send someone to deliver a message to the Hou Mansion. concierge."
Mr. Ming agreed repeatedly, but he couldn't keep her, so he could only stand in the pavilion and watch her leave, feeling in his heart that she was really a kind-hearted and filial girl.
Mr. Ming didn't stay long. After settling the bill, he returned to General Ming's Mansion from Yunting Pavilion.
He kept Chu Qianhuang's request in mind, and tried to inquire in the Imperial College for the next three days, but to no avail.
He also wanted to ask his father for information, but his father had not been at home these days. Mrs. Ming only said that his father had gone to practice.
After longing and longing, Mr. Ming finally got his father Ming Xiyang back.
"Dad," Mr. Ming personally served tea to Ming Xiyang. He was so attentive that he almost slapped his back and legs. "Do you know who will send the third princess to Nanhao?"
He was anxious and couldn't wait to ask directly.
Ming Xiyang crossed his legs, drank his son's filial tea, and looked at him strangely, "Ming Nanfeng, why do you ask this?"
After his vomiting was cured, Ming Xiyang gained weight in just six months. However, he was a martial artist and had the habit of practicing martial arts. His body was full of muscles and his figure became more majestic and strong.
Ming Nanfeng secretly regretted that he was too hasty and should have been more patient. However, he immediately made an excuse and said: "In the past two days, the Imperial College has been talking about the marriage between the two countries. Cheng Xuezheng happened to hear it. When The teacher gave us a lesson."
"He asked us about the relationship between Da Qi and Nan Hao, whether the two countries might be at war in recent years, and what impact the marriage between the two countries would have on Da Qi..."
Ming Nanfeng had a solemn look on his face, and what he said was serious.
The Imperial College is the highest institution of higher education in Da Qi. The doctors and scholars there often mention some current events when they teach the students, such as the recent palace coup in Hao Kingdom and the arrival of envoys from the new Emperor Hao to Da Qi. This matter is the focus of everyone's attention, and other students have given similar assignments to the supervisors before.
Ming Xiyang also knew this.
He is a military commander and is often away from home. Whenever he is at home, he will ask about his son's homework and update him on current affairs, so as to prevent him from hearing what is going on outside the window.
Ming Xiyang patiently replied: "The marriage between the two countries has just been decided a few days ago. Some specific details are still being discussed. The letter of appointment from Nanhao has not been issued yet, and Qin Tianjian has to choose an auspicious time for the journey. Auspicious day, and the dowry of the third princess represents the dignity of Daqi. We must also look at the betrothal gift from Nanhao. It cannot be too much or too shabby. The emperor also has to negotiate with the elders of the Liubu Pavilion and the Zongren Mansion. Discuss carefully."
"The third princess should go to the Hao Kingdom with the king of Andaman and his ministers. The royal family temporarily prefers that the third princess should be married by the king of Jingjun. In addition, the wedding team should not be shabby. There should be people from nobles, Send some people from among the generals to accompany you."
The military generals who belong to the Chenwang faction are naturally not interested in grabbing this job. Those noble military generals who want to please the emperor will probably fight for this job. After all, they can easily earn a share of merit without going to the battlefield. .
Ming Xiyang said, Ming Nanfeng kept it in mind carefully, and then asked casually: "Dad, will His Highness Chen Wang go this time?"
Ming Xiyang was startled. He had never thought about this problem before. He raised his hand and touched his stubble-covered chin, "I don't know about that. According to the prince's temperament, he probably has no interest in getting involved in this matter." inside."
Logically speaking, the marriage between the two countries was to be given by Prince Jing and Prince Jing. It was a little weak and not solemn enough. After all, it was a marriage, not a marriage. However, in the morning meeting today, some civil servants suggested that the prince should give the wedding to his sister. , was directly rejected by the emperor.
The emperor's heart is unpredictable, and no one knows what the emperor's plans are.
Ming Xiyang took another sip of tea, looked at his somewhat absent-minded son, and asked, "How are your recent homework? How were your last monthly exam scores?"
Ming Nanfeng almost choked on his saliva and said vaguely: "That's it."
"Yi Shang again?" Ming Xiyang asked.
Ming Nanfeng nodded sarcastically.
Ming Xiyang didn't need to ask any more questions. It must have been another strategy and military strategy that was holding back his stupid son.
Just like this, he had previously said inexplicably that he wanted to give up martial arts and follow literature, without thinking about whether he had any talent for reading? !
He really has no self-awareness. Does he think he is a genius like King Chen? !
Every time he thought about this, Ming Xiyang just wanted to hit this silly boy on the head a few times until he was subdued. Mrs. Qiansheng said: "General, this fifteen or sixteen-year-old just thinks that I am the best in the world. The more you beat him, the more rebellious he will be. Don't stop him. You don't know his level anyway? Even if we Yes, can the doctors and scholars of the Imperial College allow him to switch to liberal arts?"
Ming Xiyang thought it was reasonable. It was not that easy to switch from martial arts to liberal arts. Most of the liberal arts students studying in the Imperial College were academicians. In addition, they were students from the Haoying family, or those who held the world's highest academic qualifications. A letter of recommendation from a great scholar.
The liberal arts threshold of the Imperial College is very high.
Ming Xiyang told himself in his heart that what his wife was talking about was true. He resisted the urge to hit him and asked, "Do you want to go to the Xuanjia Army to practice?"
"The prince has asked Tang Yuchu to take the princess's younger brother to practice at Xuanjia Camp every time he is in the Imperial Academy. You can also go over and learn a little bit. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Ming Nanfeng: "..."
Ming Nanfeng's face froze, he had said it many times, he wanted to study literature!
Otherwise, as a martial artist, he would not be worthy of Miss Chu.
He remembered that when Chu Qianhuang talked about his former chief assistant Tang Zhenqin, he praised him for his outstanding talent and learning, and that he was selected as the number one scholar by Emperor Wenzong; he also praised him for his talents in the world, being a veteran of two dynasties, and helping two generations of emperors to stabilize the country...
Ming Nanfeng knew that Chu Qianhuang liked the kind of man who was full of knowledge.
For a man like him who came from a military general family, he looked at his father who had his legs crossed, and then looked at his rough appearance. He was so rough that he would feel ashamed even standing next to her.
"I won't go." Ming Nanfeng flatly refused, and then made a random excuse, "There will be another monthly exam soon. I have to prepare for the exam. This time, I must get an A. Dad, I'm going to study." After falling, Ming Nanfeng ran away in a hurry, as if a hungry wolf was chasing him.
The corners of Ming Xiyang's mouth twitched. Even if this stupid boy didn't say anything, he could still tell what he was thinking.
This stupid boy really hasn't given up yet and wants to switch to liberal arts!
"Ming Nanfeng, stop!"
Ming Xiyang stood up suddenly and wanted to chase after him in a rage, but was stopped by Mrs. Ming who came over with medicinal food.
Mrs. Ming said with a smile: "The miracle doctor said, General, you can't get angry. Anger easily attacks the heart."
General Ming languished as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on his head.
He walked back and forth, muttering: "Such a good opportunity was wasted by this stupid boy!"
"I've already thought about how I'm going to have a shameless encounter with the prince, but this guy doesn't want to go!"
"Son like this will die of stupidity sooner or later!"
“…”
Ming Xiyang grumbled.
As for Ming Nanfeng, after leaving the hall, he did not go to his study, but ran out of the general's mansion and went to Yunting Pavilion.
When Chu Qianhuang came after hearing the news, he told Chu Qianhuang the news he had just learned.
When Chu Qianhuang heard that Prince Jing would most likely marry the third princess, she finally smiled happily. Facts have proved that her previous efforts and layout were not in vain, but it is not too early to be happy...
She had to think carefully about what to do next so that nothing went wrong.
The progress of Qi Hao's marriage is not only being watched by Chu Qianhuang, but also by the noble court officials and common people in the capital.
On October 20th, the emperor officially issued an order to announce to the world that the three princesses would be happily married to Wuhatuna, the crown prince of the Hao Kingdom, and ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the wedding.
The imperial edict means that the marriage between the two countries is finalized and there are no more variables.
Immediately afterwards, the King of Andaman, the envoy of the Hao State, made a betrothal to the royal family according to the etiquette of the Qi Dynasty on behalf of the new Hao Emperor Wuhaduluo. The betrothal gift was ten thousand taels of gold, three thousand fine horses, and three thousand pieces of silk. In addition, there were Countless curiosities, antique jewelry, and more.
When the chamberlain read out the betrothal gift to the court, the whole court was in an uproar.
This extravagant betrothal gift represented Emperor Hao's emphasis and sincerity on the marriage between the two countries. It also greatly satisfied the emperor's vanity. He felt that he had the style of a king of the Celestial Dynasty, and he readily agreed to the wedding date.
The third princess, An Le, will be born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
At the same time, the Ministry of Etiquette began to get busy with the princess's wedding.
It was a marriage between two countries and the surrender of a princess. For the officials of the Ministry of Rites, they were all so busy that they wished they had three heads and six arms. Those past practices could not be used as a reference. They could only list the regulations one by one and then ask for instructions. The emperor and the Minister of Rites are simply one of the top two.
On October 29th, Prince Gu Nanjin, who had been "sick" for more than half a month, finally returned to the court. His figure was obviously much slimmer, and he looked like he was recovering from a serious illness.
On the first day that the prince returned to the court, the emperor issued an order to set off for the winter hunt on the fifth day of November. In previous years, the prince basically supervised the emperor's hunting, but this time the prince was not mentioned at all in the imperial edict.
The courtiers are all fine people, and they all have a taste of Zhongpin. Many officials are watching the situation cautiously, secretly lamenting that the emperor's heart is unpredictable, and the court is afraid that things will really change.
For a moment, there was an undercurrent of urgency in the seemingly peaceful court.
The imperial edict about winter hunting spread out like snowflakes, and of course Prince Chen's Mansion also got the edict.
No one even opened the imperial edict, so Gu Jue casually threw it onto the kang.
"Meow!"
The little black cat Yueying liked the concave and convex texture of the imperial edict very much. She sharpened her paws and made a "chachacha" sound, which was very exciting. It didn't take a few scratches to scratch the originally shiny imperial edict into a piece of fluff.
Amber silently looked away, and quickly removed the almost cold tea for the masters, and then served new tea.
"Want to go play?" Gu Jue looked at Chu Qianchen and asked.
He was leaning on the warm Kang, holding a book in his hand that he had only read a few pages.
In the past few days, the temperature has dropped sharply, the cold wind is howling outside the house, and most of the flowers and trees in the courtyard have become more or less withered yellow. A silver charcoal pot has been burned inside the house, making it as warm as spring.
The two of them have basically been staying in the palace for the past half month, almost never leaving the house.
Gu Jue felt that if he didn't mention it, this girl's train of thought would have no idea where to go. She would just stay in the house all day long and be at ease, and might not go out for a few years.
Just looking at her, Gu Jue's heart would feel warm and soft, as well as a hint of helplessness that he couldn't do anything with her.
That's all, he can only think more about her.
Chu Qianchen leaned lazily on his body to knit the braid. Hearing this, he stopped what he was doing.
The bright red ribbon was entangled between her slender fingers, making her skin shine as bright as snow, shining like pearls.
Chu Qianchen raised his eyes and looked at Gu Jue, with a hint of heartbeat shining in his pupils.
She didn't like to travel with the emperor, but under the ancestral system of Qi, the clan could not leave the capital without any purpose, and the emperor could not let Gu Jue get involved. Probably the only opportunity like hunting allowed her to go out with the prince openly.
Although she didn't speak, Gu Jue could understand the look in her eyes at a glance.
"Go if you want!" He rubbed the top of her hair with a smile in his eyes.
The little girl grew up in the capital. For the past ten years, she has been trapped in the Yongding Marquis Mansion. She has never left the capital, and she has never had the opportunity to go out and play.
She is not a sheep and should not have been kept in a sheepfold.
Gu Jue looked at her with pity in his eyes, and immediately told Jiang Yuan to talk to Manager Sui about his preparations for the trip.
Gu Jue had participated in many large-scale hunting expeditions with the late emperor since he was a child. Later, when he came to the North, during the truce between the two armies, he would go hunting on the grasslands with his soldiers from time to time, but never like this time. Looking forward to it.
Chu Qianchen was also looking forward to it. He eagerly leaned his upper body forward and pinched one of his sleeves. "Your Majesty, then you take me hunting!"
Gu Jue smiled and nodded: "Okay."
Chu Qianchen: "We can also roast pheasant!" The pheasant she roasted was delicious.
Gu Jue: "Okay."
Whatever Chu Qianchen said, Gu Jue nodded and said yes.
The more Chu Qianchen talked about it, the more she looked forward to it. In her previous life, she had never hunted with the prince.
This time, it was her turn to hunt pheasants for the prince to eat.
Chu Qianchen suddenly felt a sense of mission to support his family.
It was obvious that Gu Jue didn't say any sweet words, nor did he make any intimate gestures, but Amber beside him could see some tenderness and affection in him.
Amber lowered her head, feeling as if she should be a little redundant.
She was just thinking about whether she should retreat when she heard the princess briskly ordering her to "serve with pen and ink".
Chu Qianchen sat upright and counted with his fingers with great interest: "Bows and arrows, riding whips, riding clothes, cloaks, deerskin boots, arm guards, finger spanners, spices..."
"By the way, I also need to prepare some ointment to prevent frostbite and dryness."
Chu Qianchen's eyes were shining. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he needed to prepare a lot of things. He quickly made a list of items for Gu Jue to review, and wrote a prescription for medicinal ointment.
Amber immediately became busy, because the palace only prepared commonly used herbs, and she even made a special trip to Jishi Hall for the two herbs on the prescription.
In addition to the medicinal materials on the prescription, Amber also brought back a hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum plant.
This is what Chu Qianchen asked Ji Shitang to pay attention to before, so he asked Aunt Cai to send it to Wuhe Jialou and the others in the house next door.
Wuhejialou's poison was cured, but the poison from the moon still hurt him to some extent. After the wound was sutured, Chu Qianchen had been trying to slowly nurse him back to health during this period of time.
While Chu Qianchen picked up the half-braided scarf, he muttered, "Why has there been no movement over at Andaman for so long?"
She had put the bait out for so long, and the other party had obviously bitten the hook.
"When we leave Beijing, they should make some noise." Gu Jue said as he flipped through a page of the book casually, his eyes falling on the girl's delicate white fingers. The knuckles were not visible, the lines were soft, but there was A kind of beauty that combines strength and softness.
He also knew that Chu Qianchen looked weak and harmless, but was actually much more... fierce than the average girl.
Gu Jue gently raised the corners of his lips, unable to move his eyes away.
Chu Qianchen nodded with deep understanding. He had no idea that Gu Jue was already in a state of disbelief and was still thinking about the relationship between the emperor, Dong Xie, Wuhe Jialou and Andaman.
Chu Qianchen moved his eyebrows and said thoughtfully: "This winter hunting is so urgent, could it be..."
She stretched out her fingers and gently pulled down Gu Jue's sleeve, meaning, was she right?
Gu Jue pursed his lips and smiled, nodding his head.
She's always so responsive.
"The day before yesterday, Andaman went to the imperial study room to ask for Gu Lang. During the chat, he mentioned to Gu Lang that he heard that Daqi's family traditions were passed down from generation to generation, and they practiced martial arts by hunting in autumn and winter. The children of Daqi were brave and good at fighting... Gu Lang proposed to invite Andaman. Man goes on a winter hunt," Gu Jue said.
Obviously, Andaman was deliberately trying to lure the emperor and his ministers to leave the capital for winter hunting.
While Chu Qianchen was braiding, he lazily leaned on Gu Jue's body.
I will be able to go out and play with the prince soon, just thinking about it makes me happy!
The little black cat was still happily sharpening its sharp claws with the imperial edict. Chu Qianchen touched its little head and said with a bit of arrogance: "Yueying, when we go out, you have to keep an eye on the house."
"Meow?" The little black cat didn't even know that he wanted a cat left at home. He opened a pair of emerald-like cat eyes, which looked round and innocent, looking innocent and cute.
Gu Jue heard Chu Qianchen's word "housekeeping" very well. For the first time, he stretched out two slender fingers and casually stroked the cat's chin.
The little black cat narrowed his eyes in comfort, purred, and raised his chin higher.
When Jiang Yuan entered the room and looked at the two people, his eyes immediately lowered.
She was used to seeing the prince's boldness in killing on the battlefield, and she really didn't dare to look directly at this scene.
The difference between the prince and the princess when he was in front of her was so great that it was like heaven and earth, and she really couldn't adapt to it.
Jiang Yuan didn't look sideways and said in a dry voice: "Princess, Grandma Jin from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is here and wants to see the princess."
Aunt Jin from the Ministry of Internal Affairs would send some royal family records to each prince's palace every day, and she would often come to Prince Chen's Mansion, at least once a month.
Originally, the Ministry of Internal Affairs had sent some things, and the palace would just send a stewardess to meet the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and then inventory the things. There was no need for Princess Chu Qianchen to ask, but it was obvious that Aunt Jin specifically asked for an interview today. I have something important to report.
"Princess comes out and surrenders" is not a typo.
(End of chapter)