Chapter 303: Another Morning Court Session
It snowed yesterday.
It is even colder today.
The temperature has plummeted.
It feels like a drop of twenty degrees in a single day.
However, today is the day for the morning court session.
Even The Emperor has to get out of bed.
With the morning court held only once every ten days, The Emperor is too embarrassed to cancel it casually.
In truth, it is already quite absurd.
The Emperor did not sleep well last night.
Princess Huiyun has actually returned to the Princesss Mansion.
He does not know why.
Truth be told, as he has aged, he no longer harbors those strange feelings for Princess Huiyun.
In reality, he is now quite indifferent to women.
No matter how beautiful the concubines in the harem are, they are nothing in his eyes.
Naturally, young newcomers are better looking than the older ones.
With all the beauties in the world at his disposal, he has actually grown tired of it.
His heart remains unmoved, not to mention anything else.
Nowadays, practicing Taoism and reading miscellaneous discourses are more interesting than sleeping with concubines.
It is also a case of the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak, or perhaps he simply lacks that kind of inclination; it has faded.
He has had his very absurd times; even when his desires were at their peak, he did not spare the wives of his officials.
Some officials offered their wives, who are still in his harem now.
Although absurd, it was a matter of mutual consent.
He does not force anyone; he considers himself a gentleman even in his absurdity.
But everyone else in the world is not Princess Huiyun.
She is different.
She is the only princess.
He has not seen her for many years.
He is afraid of seeing her; she is such a beautiful and vain woman, he cannot bear to see her disfigured.
But if The Emperor knew the term “white moonlight,” he would understand what Princess Huiyun is to him.
In this world, she is the one and only woman he never managed to obtain.
The so-called “white moonlight.”
Thinking of her still makes him toss and turn in bed, and hearing her name makes his heart beat differently than usual.
The Emperor is suffering from insomnia.
Who would understand?
The Princesss Mansion is right next to the imperial palace.
Because of his exclusive favor for Princess Huiyun, there is even a gate for her.
Princess Huiyun can enter and leave the palace at any time.
Yet, The Emperor is too embarrassed to visit the Princesss Mansion.
He is extremely generous to Princess Huiyun; he gives her whatever she wants, and even things she does not want.
It has become a habit.
But with Princess Huiyun suddenly returning, he tosses and turns.
He is old.
He feels very clearly that he is old.
He likes to watch others perform opera; in previous years, he would even go on stage to sing a few passages, and when he was happy, he would even pick up props and dance a few steps.
But ever since he suddenly threw out his back half a year ago, he has been very careful and has not danced casually again.
A fear of old age and illness from the bottom of his heart strikes him.
It makes him take his elixirs more regularly every day.
But the elixirs cannot solve the problem of insomnia.
The Emperor does not know why Princess Huiyun has returned; is she sick?
Or something else?
He could actually easily inquire about news of Princess Huiyun, but since the last time Princess Huiyun got angry and forbade him from inquiring, he has complied.
Perhaps he is no longer absurd now, and no longer has those strange emotions, but the woman who worries him the most in his life is still Princess Huiyun; she is the one who comes to his mind first.
Forget it, The Emperor thinks, if Princess Huiyun wants anything, she will come to find him tomorrow.
Despite this, he still did not sleep well.
Dawn brings the morning court.
He is even more decrepit than he was ten days ago.
However, the eunuchs serving him are well-trained; not a single strange expression appears, and with gentle smiles, they meticulously dress The Emperor and wash his face.
The Emperor wants the morning court to end quickly so he can go see Princess Huiyun.
Princess Huiyun suddenly coming out of the temple must mean something is wrong.
It is too cold.
This morning.
The moment the gate opened, although he immediately sat into the sedan chair, he still felt the cold wind freezing his bones, and his knees ached.
The imperial crown is too heavy, and his head aches slightly.
The weather is cold.
Qin Luoxia got up early to dress her husband.
Underneath, he wore the inner lining made of the fluffy wool from a sheep’s armpit that Mianmian mentioned, then a cotton-padded jacket, and finally his official uniform.
Over the official uniform, he wore a large cloak with a fur collar; from head to toe, he would certainly not be cold.
Today, Jiang Feng is also attending the morning court.
The young man looks even more youthful and handsome when dressed up.
The guard uniform is more casual, making it easy to move, and looks very dashing.
Seeing the father and son standing together like this, Qin Luoxia suddenly realizes that Jiang Feng is already taller than her husband.
For a moment, she is both moved and a bit emotional, her eyes slightly red.
She is very proud.
There is no snow today, but the wind is strong.
“Xia Mei, go inside quickly. Jiang Feng and I will return after the court session. We will go pick up Mianmian, so do not worry.”
Before dawn, the father and son left together in a carriage to work.
Everyone got up earlier than usual because the carriage is difficult to maneuver on the snowy ground.
You cannot be late for the morning court; being late for work means a pay cut, but being late for the morning court might mean losing your head.
Other officials are also setting out from their homes one after another.
Every morning court session has undercurrents; it looks the same as usual, but in reality, it is different.
This day is too cold.
Elderly people lack sleep.
Old Madam Jiang woke up early and directed the servants to do all sorts of work.
With people coming in and out, the room is a bit chilly.
Jiang Wan also got up early.
For some reason, she feels restless today, as if something is about to happen, but she cannot say what; in short, she feels somewhat uneasy.
Last time, her cousin suddenly said he wanted to marry her, but recently he has not brought it up again, as if he had forgotten this promise.
It makes Jiang Wan feel anxious and insecure.
From the beginning, she told herself not to fall in love with Chu Xi; Chu Xi has no heart, and Chu Xi likes power far more than he likes her.
But having been reborn, she knows her own ability.
As long as she puts more heart and importance into a person, she can get a corresponding return.
At first, she was just acting; she admired her cousin.
She acted until she became immersed in the role, thinking she really admired her cousin, and after admiring him for so long, she gradually forgot that she was acting.
Early in the morning.
The princess dragged the little one up, preparing to teach her to broaden her horizons, letting her recognize jewelry and jade, classify them, and at least not be deceived by vulgar things.
Mianmian learned until her head felt twice as big; they all looked about the same.
“Grandmother, you are already a princess, and I am the princess’s precious granddaughter; why do I have to work so hard?”
Mianmian looked at Princess Huiyun speechlessly.
“Why work hard? Probably so that people won’t call you a fool.”
“Grandmother, change your way of thinking; when we call someone a fool, we are having a positive effect on this world.”
Princess Huiyun: “You silly @#￥@！#￥% child… *Exhale*, I feel the positive effect now!!”
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