Chapter 40

 

Chen Jingzong went out, but the smell of alcohol left behind was not dissipate after a while.

Hua Yang called Chao Yun and Chao Yue to come in. After hanging up the curtain, the two maids each took a round fan to fan the air out. While Hua Yang wrapped herself in a quilt and sat on the chair on the side.

After fanning for a cup of tea, Chao Yun sniffed it and said with a smile, “It seems the smell is gone. Would you like to smell it?”

Hua Yang approached wrapped in a quilt. Feeling that it was not smelly, she lay back on the couch comfortably.

Still a little sleepy, she closed her eyes and instructed the two maids: “Remember to bring a pot of sobering tea to the Prince Consort. He’s not allowed to come in until he rinses his mouth ten times.”

Chao Yun looked at Chao Yue and said, “Princess, Prince consort seems to have gone to Liuyun Hall. Should we send the sobering tea there?”

Hua Yang was startled: “He left?”

Chao Yue nodded: “He went there after he left your room.”

Hua Yang was a little surprised. She asked Chen Jingzong to sleep in Liuyun Hall before, but he insisted on sticking to her like a dog-skin plaster. Just now she just urged him to take a bath. Could it be that he got angry?

In the previous life, the couple often got angry with each other. Either Chen Jingzong made her so angry that she couldn’t eat, or she made Chen Jingzong so angry that his face turned black. However, since her rebirth, the two of them were only bicker at most, and it seemed that they had never really quarreled.

The maids retreated. Hua Yang pondered Chen Jingzong’s unusual behavior and became more and more awake as she lay down.

Then again, even the emperor occasionally had to be squeezed by courtiers. Chen Jingzong went to a wine party today, could it be those local snakes in Lingzhou Guard bullied him because he was young. They asked the singer to sing to please him, but Chen Jingzong coldly refused, obviously not giving face to those people. Then maybe those people became angry and deliberately make him drunk.

Hua Yang suddenly remembered her father-in-law’s grandfather, who was said to have died of drunkenness after being force to drink by Prince Xiang.

Wine has always been a scourge. She really didn’t understand why men insist on drinking several bottles of wine when having a banquet. And it seemed the more they drank, the more they wanted to show off!

In a bad mood, Hua Yang asked the maids to come in and help her change clothes. After dressing up, she went to Liuyun Hall.

In the Liuyun Hall, apart from Fu Gui, an old servant of the Chen family brought here by Chen Jingzong, the remaining four were all young eunuchs brought over by Wu Run from the Princess Mansion.

At noon, when Chen Jingzong was having dinner, Fu Gui was also pulled by the servant next to Xiang Baoshan and others to share a table together. After eating and drinking, Fu Gui was sixty or seventy percent drunk. While the master went to the central house to have a rest, Fu Gui also went to his servants’ room, and he didn’t expect the princess to come.

The little eunuch guarding the door respectfully welcomed the princess in.

Hua Yang asked: “Where is Prince Consort?”

Little eunuch: “Back to the Princess, Prince Consort is taking a rest in the house. Do you want this servant to wake up the Prince Consort?”

Hua Yang: “No need.”

After saying that, she asked Chao Yun to stay outside and went into the central house alone.

Stepping into the inner room, she first smelled the smell of alcohol. Hua Yang covered her nose with a handkerchief and walked to the Babu bed. She saw Chen Jingzong lying on his back without taking off his outer coat, stretching his arms in an inelegant manner. When they met at Qifeng Hall before, he looked like fine, but now he was so drunk that his handsome face turned red, as if he had been drugged.

The smell of alcohol in the bed was the strongest, and Hua Yang couldn’t bear it anymore. After making sure that Chen Jingzong was still breathing, she quickly retreated.

Calling a young eunuch, Hua Yang instructed: “Go and wait by Prince Consort’s bed. If Prince Consort feels any discomfort, call Imperial Physician Liu in time.”

This time Wu Run came over and brought almost all the elites from the Princess Mansion in the capital.

The young eunuch obeyed obediently.

Hua Yang couldn’t do much even if she stayed here, so she just returned to Qifeng Hall.

Chen Jingzong slept until dusk. In the middle he went to the clean room to emptied his bladder twice.

When he was completely awake, he only felt his mouth was dry and his forehead was tight. These were all symptoms of being hangover.

Chen Jingzong rubbed his forehead, glanced at Fu Gui and the little eunuch who seemed to named Zhang Dou waiting outside the Babu bed, and said hoarsely: “Get me water.”

Fu Gui and Zhang Dou were scrambling as if they were fighting over each other, and ran to the table again. In the end, Fu Gui, who had been idle for a year and was not quick enough, was succeeded by Zhang Dou in grabbing the teapot.

“Prince Consort, please slow down. This servant will help you get up.”

Zhang Dou held the teapot steadily with one hand and supported Chen Jingzong’s back with the other.

Chen Jingzong stared at him suspiciously. He also came to Liuyun Hall for more than an hour in the morning, but he didn’t see Zhang Dou being so attentive.

He took the teapot and took a few big sips.

Zhang Dou looked at him beaming with smile.

Fu Gui gritted his teeth in anger and said to him: “Okay, you have nothing to do here, get out.”

Zhang Dou bent his waist and said to Chen Jingzong: “Prince Consort, the Princess came to see you and saw that you were sleeping soundly. She specially ordered this servant to stay by the bed, lest you become unwell after being drunk.”

Fu Gui was surprised. How could he not know that the princess had been here?

Chen Jingzong was also surprised. He asked Zhang Dou carefully about the situation when she came over, but he couldn’t figure out the reason why she came here.

Pulling the front of his clothes and smelling it, Chen Jingzong said: “Prepare some water, I want to take a bath.”

Zhang Dou: “Yes, this servant will make arrangements now.”

He left with great joy. Fu Gui glared at him a few times, then came close to his master and lowered his voice and said: “Master, look at him. I have been following you since I was five years old and have served you for ten years. He actually wanted to compete with me to be your favorite servant.”

Chen Jingzong: “Are you stupid? You’re going to follow me to work outside, but there must be a leader among the four little eunuchs in Liuyun Hall. He is competing for the title of lead eunuch of Liuyun Hall. Why, do you also want to be a lead eunuch?”

Fu Gui took a sharp breath, bent down and covered his crotch.

Chen Jingzong thought he was good-for-nothing. The servants around his eldest brother and third brother all looked like humans, why was it that the servants around him didn’t have a real figure? It could be seen that the old man was biased when selecting people for their brothers, deliberately threw the cracked melon and jujube to him.

After taking a bath and changing into clean clothes, Chen Jingzong squatted in the yard and brushed his teeth three times to make sure there was no smell of alcohol in his mouth. Then he left Fu Gui and the four young eunuchs and went to Qifeng Hall alone.

Hua Yang was sitting on the couch in the side room. When she heard the movement in the yard, she tilted her head and saw Chen Jingzong walking in majestically through the mirror-like glazed window wearing a round-neck brocade robe embroidered with qilin and unicorn on maroon base.

Chen Jingzong was a military attache. While his body was fair, his face and neck were tanned to a light wheat color. However, when paired with this maroon robe, he actually looked like a crown jade.

He had just taken off his mourning clothes and hadn’t had time to make new robes yet. The two sets he wore today were obviously prepared by Wu Run in advance, and there might be more in his wardrobe.

Wu Run was very meticulous in his work, better than her wet nurse when she was a child.

While she was thinking about it, Chen Jingzong raised the curtain and came in, his eyes fell directly on her.

Hua Yang said sarcastically: “Prince Consort slept so soundly this time.”

Chen Jingzong stood in front of the couch, his eye passed over her first, and then said, “You went to see me, is there something?”

Hua Yang felt uncomfortable under his frivolous eyes. She didn’t know what was going on. They had been married for so long, but every time he saw her, he was like a hungry wolf seeing a rabbit, as if he could carry her into the inner room at any time.

“Nothing, I just wanted to ask about your banquet.”

Chen Jingzong: “I told you. I didn’t even look at that woman, I sent her away as soon as possible.”

Hua Yang: “Who cares about that? I’m talking about how Xiang Baoshan and others treat you. You reeked of alcohol. Did they keep toasting you?”

Seeing that she was going to have a long conversation, Chen Jingzong sat on the edge of the couch and said with a bit of disdain: “The wine in Zuixianju is really good. I like to drink it. When they came to toast me, I drank it in one go. If the wine is bad, or I don’t want to drink it, it’s useless for them to keep toasting me.”

Hua Yang frowned and said, “Drinking hurts your body. No matter how good it is, you can’t drink too much. Look how drunk you were, and you slept all afternoon. You don’t have to be on duty today, otherwise, wouldn’t you have delayed your work?”

Chen Jingzong retorted: “Do you think I’m the kind of person who has no sense of measure? If I’m on errands, I wouldn’t let go and drink.”

Hua Yang just glared at him.

Chen Jingzong said in confusion: “Why are you angry? I didn’t sleep next to you. I know that you, a fairy who came down to earth, cannot smell the filth of the world, so I deliberately went to Liuyun Hall.”

Hua Yang: “It sounds like I’m driving you away. I just want you to take a bath.”

Chen Jingzong: “I’m too sleepy and too lazy to wash.”

If he had to be clean enough to be accepted by her, he would have to wash for at least half an hour. How could he have the patience?

Hua Yang:…

If she had known that he was sloppy, why would she think so much?

“Pass the food, I’m hungry.” Chen Jingzong said to the people outside.

The maids then arranged the foods.

During the meal, Chen Jingzong also inquired about the progress of hospitality in Hua Yang’s side.

Hua Yang said: “I asked them to come the day after tomorrow, and I also sent a message to Eldest Sister-in-law.”

No one was able to receive and treat people with ease from birth. Even noble ladies and princesses have to receive various etiquette practices from an early age. This year while she was in Lingzhou, she intended to take Yu Xiu to many social events. Unless Yu Xiu was a blockhead, she would definitely be able to open up three points.

Chen Jingzong said quietly: “I found that you treat everyone in our family better than you treat me.”

Hua Yang smiled: “Who makes you the least popular?”

Chen Jingzong didn’t say anything. After dinner, he went to the inner room and walked around. He found that she didn’t soak it, so he asked Chao Yun to bring warm water and he soaked it himself.

Hua Yang sat in the side room, and it was not until Chao Yun passed by her carrying a white-glazed pastel lotus pot specially used for this purpose that her heart beat wildly.

When it was time to rest, the thing wasn’t soft enough.

Hua Yang gloated: “What a waste of time.”

Chen Jingzong replaced the warm water and gave her an unclear look.

Hua Yang just slept peacefully.

It was pitch dark all around, and after an unknown amount of time, Chen Jingzong suddenly fell over her.

Her deep sleep, which was as strong as a city wall, was crushed by him bit by bit, then smashed into pieces.

.

In the early morning, Chen Jingzong looked at the sleeping princess next to him, and gently brushed his calloused fingertips over her white and pink cheeks, which were softer than flower petals. Then he stood up and left the Babu bed with light steps.

Knowing that he was going to the military station today, the kitchen prepared breakfast in advance.

Chen Jingzong ate alone, rinsed his mouth, then set off immediately.

The horses were already prepared outside Ningyuan. Fu Gui yawned and straightened his back immediately when he saw his master.

Chen Jingzong was in a good mood and didn’t bother to lecture him. He only mounted his horse and rode away.

The Lingzhou Military Station was ten miles north of the city. When Chen Jingzong arrived, Xiang Baoshan and others were already waiting outside the gate of the guard camp, obviously respecting him, this Prince Consort.

They insisted on being polite, so Chen Jingzong accepted accordingly and casually looked at the passing soldiers. He followed Xiang Baoshan, Wang Feihu, and Lin Yan to the officers’ barracks.

All the soldiers in the military station live in large communal camps, and only the officers live in a separate courtyard.

The front of the courtyard was where official business was handled, and the back was where people live.

Xiang Baoshan gave his room to Chen Jingzong and replaced the mattress with a new one.

Chen Jingzong was also not polite. He walked around inside and saw two little maids in green clothes walking toward them with tea. They were dressed just like maid, but their faces were both fair and pure. It seemed they were not brought over just to be used as an ordinary maid.

“The barracks cannot support women, so just give them this month’s salary and kicked them out.”

Chen Jingzong said with a straight face.

Wang Feihu glanced at Lin Yan. He already said that the Prince Consort didn’t look like a lecherous person, but Lin Yan still insisted on trying it again. Didn’t he hit a wall?

Lin Yan pursed his lips.

Xiang Baoshan sent the two maids away with a smile and asked Wang and Lin to go on their errands first. He invited Chen Jingzong back to the house and talked alone.

“Prince Consort, it’s our fault for not being hospitable enough at yesterday’s banquet. This is a small thought from the four of us. Hope Prince Consort can accept it.”

Chen Jingzong looked at the red envelope handed over by Xiang Baoshan with both hands and asked indifferently: “What is it?”

Xiang Baoshan: “A little thought, a little heart.”

After saying that, he was afraid that Chen Jingzong would not accept it, so he said goodbye and left.

Chen Jingzong opened the envelope and found four silver tickets in denominations of one hundred taels.

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