Chapter 107: New Year, New Atmosphere
The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month.
The He family of Qingzhou.
Tonight’s New Year’s Eve banquet is very grand.
After New Year’s Eve comes the New Year.
Young Master He Chen is about to set off for the capital to participate in the imperial examinations.
After Young Master He Chen returned from traveling with his good friend Meng Shaoxia, he developed a problem with neck pain.
He cannot sit and read for long periods every day; if he sits for too long, his neck hurts.
His neck hurts when the weather is cool, and it hurts when the weather is hot.
In short, his neck just hurts a lot.
This has caused his parents some worry.
How could he have such an ailment at such a young age?
However, today is New Year’s Eve, so everyone can only speak well of things.
Seeing Young Master He Chen clutching his neck, as if it were hurting again, his father could only praise him loudly: “My son has the bearing of a high-ranking official; it is said that Prime Minister Lu often suffers from neck pain.”
Young Master He Chen:… Prime Minister Lu is already fifty-eight.
Forget it, aside from the neck pain, there doesn’t seem to be anything else wrong.
Actually, there is a tiny bit, but he is too embarrassed to say it.
He has developed a fear of women.
There are delicate and pretty maids in the household trying to climb into his bed, and he is young and full of vigor.
According to the usual routine, he should be similar to his father. If they come, he would just take them as concubines.
But now, he has no problem; his body has no problem. However, his mind has a problem.
When a woman tries to climb into his bed, he is so frightened that he kicks the person away.
Forget it.
Preparing for the exams is important right now; this is the most crucial matter at hand. Everything else is a conversation for later; he will deal with it after passing the exams.
The glory of the new generation of the He family of Qingzhou rests on the shoulders of the youth, Young Master He Chen.
Having enjoyed various resources from the family, the youth must also straighten his back, reveal himself to the world, repay the family, and strive for the grand continuation of the family.
Ascending the Dragon Gate.
Jiangbei.
The fief of the Seventh Prince.
The land is vast, but the output is barren.
It is a tiny bit better than a place of exile, but only to a limited extent.
The Seventh Prince and the Seventh Princes Consort are sweethearts who grew up together.
In her youth, the Seventh Princes Consort, Jiang Yuluan, was deeply favored by Princess Huiyun.
She almost lived and ate in the imperial palace with Princess Huiyun.
There, she met the Seventh Prince, the poor little thing whose father didn’t love him and whose mother was not around.
The two grew up bickering, got married, and then followed the Seventh Prince to his fief.
Jiang Yuluan has a flamboyant personality, very similar to Princess Huiyun, and even the Emperor quite likes this junior.
The Emperor originally intended to give the Seventh Prince a more remote fief, but later, because he was worried that Yu Luan would not be accustomed to it, he changed it to be a bit closer, which became Jiangbei.
The relationship between a couple who grew up as sweethearts is naturally closer than others.
However, upon arriving at the fief, Jiang Yuluan encountered a new problem.
She had been infertile for many years.
She couldn’t understand the reason.
Fortunately, the Seventh Prince appeared quite open-minded about this matter and did not force it.
Jiang Yuluan, such a proud woman, had to bow her head in this matter and arranged for other women for her husband.
Sure enough, those women became pregnant. Therefore, it had always been her problem.
The Seventh Prince had an eldest son by a concubine, a second son, a youngest son, and a youngest daughter.
A total of three sons and one daughter, none of whom were born to the Seventh Princes Consort.
The Seventh Prince wanted to place these children under her name, but Jiang Yuluan was unwilling.
Perhaps no one understands this woman’s conflict and pain.
She smiled as she sent other women to her husband’s bed, watching them be intimate and give birth to children.
Her husband said the person he loved most was her, but how could it be the same?
Hearing that a child was sick, the way her husband subconsciously let go of her hand and rushed away—how could it be the same?
It was different.
Her husband had others in his eyes and heart.
She was no longer the only one; she had been pushed to the side, and perhaps one day, she would be pushed out completely.
On the surface, the two were still the same as in the past, but in reality, there were many differences.
The Seventh Prince very much respects the Seventh Princes Consort.
On New Year’s Eve, he insisted that all the children go to kowtow to the Seventh Princes Consort and keep watch with her.
Every child was actually a bit afraid of their mother.
If their mother was unhappy, the whole residence was unhappy, and their father was also unhappy.
Children are the most innocent yet the most sensitive; they already knew the rules of survival—who to please in order to live well.
The eldest son, Chu Xi, was the smartest and performed the best among the children.
He also looked the most like the Seventh Prince.
Jiang Yuluan had a little bit of patience for him.
“Is Mother missing Grandmother again?” Chu Xi watched as his mother stared blankly at a painting.
In the painting, there was a middle-aged woman worshipping Buddha, with a look of Buddha-nature, very kind.
But more specifically, there was also the back of a young girl.
The young girl was in front of the great Buddha, her back slender and ethereal, possessing an indescribable temperament.
Chu Xi spoke up: “How about I marry my cousin and let her come to keep Mother company?”
Jiang Yuluan originally did not want to pay attention to him, but upon hearing him say this, she turned her head and scolded with a smile: “You have so many thoughts; you marry a beauty, yet you make it out to be for the sake of pleasing me.”
“As long as Mother likes her, I naturally like her too,” Chu Xi laughed.
Seeing his wife’s face brighten, the Seventh Prince also laughed and said: “That is excellent. Having someone to keep my Luan’er company will make Luan’er happier.”
Jiang Yuluan was amused by the father and son.
Her longing faded a little.
“Let’s go. Didn’t you say you wanted to eat a late-night snack? Let’s change our clothes and go out!” Jiang Yuluan stood up and said energetically.
To the human world.
The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month.
The last day of the year.
Tomorrow is the New Year.
On this day, a newcomer appeared in the capital, leaving a deep impression on everyone.
The Emperor staged a grand play.
He adapted the Butterfly Lovers into a large-scale musical drama.
The performer playing Zhu Yingtai stunned the entire audience upon appearing.
Everyone thought it was a new favorite the Emperor had found somewhere, beautiful and heroic.
The singing voice when they opened their mouth left people intoxicated.
Some people’s singing voices are just like that; the moment they open their mouth, they can drown out all other sounds.
When Yingtai appeared disguised as a man to go to school, there were gasps of breath.
No one expected that this woman would look even better in men’s clothing.
Ambiguous in gender.
The women’s attire was beautiful, but the men’s attire was even more stunning.
The singing voice was unmatched by anyone.
Perhaps only Princess Huiyun of the past could have evoked such a feeling.
When he opened his throat, the four seasons fell silent.
The grand play ended.
Everyone remembered the person who played the lead role.
The play concluded.
He was dressed in red, his hair tied up, and walked gracefully to the Emperor.
At this moment, everyone remembered him.
The new favorite before the Emperor, the red-clad Eunuch Yan.
The Emperor personally poured wine, bestowed immortal pills, and shared them.
“Oh man, oh god, the soul flies and the courage is lost. Oh heaven, oh earth, only I sing.”
Heading to the immortal realm.
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