Transmigrated as the Regent's Runaway Wife

101-102-103-104-105

ONE HUNDRED ONE
The boy turned his head to look at him, his eyes were clear and full of inexplicable emotions.

He seemed to be always paying attention to Lin Bozhou’s every move.

“Not lonely.” Lin Bozhou paused for a moment and said, “Perhaps this journey of escape is a good opportunity for me to think things through.”

From the excitement of leading the three armies to the sudden awakening and embarking on a journey in the snow and wind, this did not seem to be what he should have suffered, but the cycle of cause and effect had put him in this situation.

Lin Bozhou’s rationality always takes precedence over his emotions. After running away in a panic for a long time, he slowly became aware of the dull pain.

He lowered his head and his hand was held by Meng Huan.

“Tell me if you are unhappy.” Meng Huan said.

Lin Bozhou nodded gently: “Okay.”

Meng Huan looked worried: “You must be very bored every day now. Can you think of a way to distract yourself and at least have some entertainment?”

Lin Bozhou said nothing and just smiled.

In fact, why is there any need for entertainment? It will calm his mind.

In his ears, Meng Huan was still thinking seriously and childishly: “I can’t read if I’m blind. I’ve lost most of the fun. I can only use my ears to entertain myself…”

As Meng Huan thought about it, her voice gradually became louder: “Can my husband play the piano?”

Lin Bozhou: “I understand a little bit.”

But Meng Huan’s voice soon dropped again: “The instrument is a bit expensive, how about –“ he suddenly thought of something, “buy an erhu?”

After saying that, I don’t know what he was thinking about, but he burst out laughing.

Lin Bozhou: “Hmm?”

“…”

Meng Huan pursed his lips, and leaned into his arms knowing that he was in the wrong: “Okay, I get it.” He thought about it for a while, but couldn’t figure out the result, so he leaned his head on Lin Bozhou’s neck: “I’ll go out for a walk tomorrow and see if there’s anything to entertain you.”

Lin Bozhou spoke gently and hugged him.

“Huanhuan is so nice to me.”

Meng Huan liked this about him. They had been married for almost a year and she had never said anything harsh to him. Whenever they were alone together, she would always coax him like a child, but Meng Huan could feel that he really loved to tease her.

Word by word, I couldn’t tell whether he was joking or serious.

Meng Huan blushed and put some food into his bowl: “Eat quickly!”

Lin Bozhou raised the corners of his lips and smiled gently.

When he takes off his royal robes, he is nothing but a beast in clothing.

Even now, his eyebrows and eyes still have a bit of sickness, but if he puts his mind to it, the handsomeness and enchantment between his dark eyebrows will overflow, and he is extremely seductive.

The radish was stewed until it was soft, soaking up the color of the broth, and was placed on the thin lips, leaving a circle of water stains on the lips.

Meng Huan looked at it for a while and his throat became dry.

Qaq.

I am really like that man who wants to sleep with his wife as soon as he comes home from working away from home.

I was still too young to control my desire. I ate the meal with my mind distracted, and by the time I finished, the hot water on the stove was ready.

“Wash your feet and go to sleep. Go paint tomorrow.”

Meng Huan was so tired after running all day that he took off his shoes and brought a basin of hot water while thinking, “You can’t let me paint all day. I’ll be back early in the afternoon, so I’ll help you find something to kill time.”

As Meng Huan was speaking, he saw Lin Bozhou walk up to him, half-kneel down, and his snow-white clothes happily folded on the ground.

Meng Huan said “Hmm?”, and her slender ankle was gently grasped by his big hand and pressed into the hot water.

“What’s wrong?” Meng Huan asked.

Lin Bozhou said in a gentle voice: “Wash Huanhuan’s feet for me.”

Meng Huan was stunned for a moment: “I can wash it myself——”

But Lin Bozhou didn’t let go, and said with a smile: “Since Huanhuan is responsible for the outside affairs and your husband is responsible for the inside affairs, isn’t it your duty to serve Huanhuan?”

“…”

However, Lin Bozhou made his feet itchy.

His toes were white, and the places where the blisters had appeared before were scabby and bright red. Lin Bozhou’s fingers had distinct joints and were obviously larger than his. He gently held his feet and massaged them slowly in the hot water, his fingertips occasionally brushing against the pink and white tips of the toes.

After he gently pressed the acupoints with his finger bones, his feet were no longer stiff and cold, and the blood in his body seemed to flow more efficiently, emitting hot steam.

Meng Huan held his breath: “You are the prince.”

For Meng Huan, it was easy to ignore the hierarchical order and break through the barriers of identity, but for Lin Bozhou, it was much more difficult to bend his back.

“There is no king here,” Lin Bozhou said gently, “only Huanhuan’s husband.”

His boots were wet and cold, so Lin Bozhou wiped his feet with a towel, then turned sideways and picked up Meng Huan. He got used to the position in the room, walked forward to the kang, put Meng Huan on it, and covered him with a quilt.

Then he found the kettle, poured out some new hot water, and washed himself clean.

Another day on the run has ended.

The oil lamp went out.

Meng Huan lay in the quilt, and the figure in front of him slowly fell down and covered him.

“You got on the kang in the dark?” Lin Bozhou leaned over his ear and spoke, his hot breath brushing against the back of his ear.

In the darkness, Meng Huan’s eyes darted around and his ears slowly turned red.

He grabbed the quilt, not sure whether he was expecting or shy, and he seemed to hear a chuckle in his ear, and his lips with passion fell down –

The next day, Meng Huan woke up early.

He boiled a pot of hot water in advance, and got a bowl of noodles from the old woman and put it on the table, to make sure that Lin Bozhou had water when he was thirsty and food when he was hungry. Then he put on his clothes, put on a hat to keep out the snow, and prepared to go out.

Lin Bozhou stood at the door to see him off. His tall figure in white clothes made him look like a beautiful young wife. He said in a gentle voice, “Don’t get too tired.”

Meng Huan nodded: “Then I’ll go over first.”

Steward Sun called the servant who led the way to stand guard at the entrance of the courtyard and peeked in secretly: “Is that your brother?”

Meng Huan coughed and nodded: “Yeah.”

“Your family is all good-looking.” The servant asked casually, “Your brother doesn’t look young. Judging from his age, he must be married. Where is his wife?”

Meng Huan had no choice but to say, “I got separated from my wife on the way.”

“No children? Judging from his age, the child should be ten years old.”

“My brother is weak and has no children.” As he said this, Meng Huan silently apologized to Lin Bozhou.

“How pitiful. You can draw, but what can your brother do? You are the only one who goes out to make money, while your brother relies on you to support him at home?” The servant sighed.

Meng Huan shook his head: “My brother has been ill recently. When he recovers, you will know how powerful he is.”

We chatted all the way and walked to the backyard.

Because she was the general’s wife, Meng Huan could not go forward, but stood under the corridor, waiting to be summoned.

It was exactly as he expected. After waiting for about an hour, the portrait of the general’s wife was ready and he called someone in. The lady sitting behind the screen was about thirty years old, with a simple and gentle appearance. After Meng Huan took a few glances at her, he began to paint her portrait.

After a while, the lady felt tired and asked someone to bring her some tea and snacks. She drank tea, ate snacks and talked to the people next to her.

Meng Huan deeply understood his fate as a social animal living under someone else’s roof. While his wife was resting and eating, he was busy painting. But at noon, when Meng Huan went to eat, he thought about it and found an excuse to go back to the yard to see Lin Bozhou.

“I’m back.” Meng Huan entered the house.

Lin Bozhou sat at the table with a bowl of water beside him. He looked up when he heard the voice: “Are you still going this afternoon?”

“Still going.” Meng Huan was embarrassed, “I’ll come back to see you.”

Lin Bozhou seemed to smile, but said helplessly: “You can’t leave for several hours?”

Snort.

Meng Huan was worried that he would be lonely when she was not around.

I didn’t expect Lin Bozhou to sell swords first. Meng Huan shook his head and watched him finish his lunch, then put on his bamboo hat and went back to the backyard where his wife lived.

To paint well and in detail, Meng Huan had not picked up a paintbrush for a while. He sat and painted until it was almost dark. His eyes hurt so much that he could not bear it. The embroidery on the clothes was not finished yet, so he had to paint for another day tomorrow.

The general’s wife looked at him, said nothing, and left leisurely.

Meng Huan was in a state of trepidation. When he arrived at the courtyard, his grandson housekeeper said, “Madam likes it very much.”

It’s just that there is a gender difference between ladies and guests, and it’s difficult to talk to each other, so I can’t praise them.

Meng Huan still had confidence in what he painted, and he finally put his mind at ease: “As long as my wife likes it.”

“The general and his wife treat each other with respect. Many things in the mansion are decided by his wife. His wife said that the young master worked hard in painting. He and the general had just eaten a hot pot last night, so she asked Old Sun to prepare a portion for the young master.”

As a guest of the palace, Shanxing had lived a life of celestial being, so we can imagine how generous these wealthy people were to their admired guests. They would not only give them money and clothes, but also food.

“Thank you.” Meng Huan’s eyes were red.

After Butler Sun left, Meng Huan stood in the vast snow, feeling that he was standing so steady and straight. He and Lin Bozhou did not have luxurious food and clothing, nor did they have a mansion, but like a carpenter who could earn pennies from work every day, as long as he paid, there would be rewards. He could really support Lin Bozhou and himself, and Meng Huan felt very stable.

The steps became much lighter.

Meng Huan skipped all the way back to the yard.

It was a snowy day and his hands and feet were so cold that they were almost stiff. He walked into the house and saw Lin Bozhou standing beside him. There was a brand new soup pot on the table and a stove underneath made of durable silver charcoal, emitting hot flames.

“Young sir, the soup pot is brought to you.”

The servant said, “There are also side dishes. Put them in the hot soup and cook them before eating. Don’t overcook them, and don’t take them out when they are not cooked. If you think the taste is bland, there is also a sauce made of chili oil. It’s so delicious to have a pot of hot soup like this in winter!”

Meng Huan then realized that this was hot pot, although it was all clear soup.

He didn’t expect that there would be hot pot here, but having such a meal in the snow and ice would probably be so hot that it would make his bones smoke.

“Wow,” Meng Huan thanked him, “Thank you.”

The servants left one after another.

The door closed again, and only Meng Huan and Lin Bozhou were left in the room, along with a pot of steaming soup.

If it had been in the snowy mountain temple a few days ago, Meng Huan would never have dared to imagine that this day would come.

Meng Huan quickly led Lin Bozhou to his side: “Let’s have a good meal tonight.”

Lin Bozhou seemed to be unable to guess: “What?”

“Hot pot.” Meng Huan sighed, “It’s just clear soup, but we also have a dipping saucer to enhance the flavor. Sit down quickly, sit down quickly.”

Lin Bozhou obediently followed and sat down.

Meng Huan poured beef, mutton, tofu, green vegetables, potatoes, and chopped sauerkraut into the soup. The vegetables kept floating up and down in the rolling white waves, and the surging white mist made the whole room warm.

In the dim light of the oil lamp, stars were reflected in Meng Huan’s eyes.

He picked up some white and tender tofu and put it into Lin Bozhou’s bowl. With a pinch of the chopsticks, boiling hot soup overflowed, and the aroma mixed with white mist filled the air.

“Try it now. The soft tofu is delicious.”

Lin Bozhou took a bite.

“tasty.”

Outside the window, the snow was gradually getting heavier.

Inside the house, there was a burning charcoal fire and a warm soup pot.

Sitting in front of you is the person you like the most and who likes you the most.

In a trance, Meng Huan felt that all his fantasies about family since childhood had come true.

A nice person, a warm house, and a full meal.

Meng Huan couldn’t help laughing, but as he laughed, an indescribable sadness surged in his heart, as if it was filled with the wind. He couldn’t say how sad he was.

He felt that Lin Bozhou made him have a beautiful dream.

ONE HUNDRED TWO
Meng Huan poured two bowls of wine and handed one to Lin Bozhou.

“Husband, let’s drink!”

His tone was excited. Lin Bozhou could feel that Meng Huan was extremely happy now.

Lin Bozhou raised the corner of his lip unconsciously and picked up the wine: “Okay, drink.”

“Hot pot and wine, it’s a heavenly day.” Meng Huan’s voice was warm, “I like to eat with the people I like on snowy days. I always wanted to go with you, but you were too busy. It’s not too late to go now.”

Lin Bozhou responded: “Okay.”

His slender fingers gently stroked the edge of the bowl, and his eyes and eyebrows, illuminated by the faint light, were reflected in the sake.

Lin Bozhou had been worried for a long time. He was so worried and exhausted that he found many things boring and could not feel the romance that Meng Huan liked. For example, on birthdays, he would just eat a bowl of plain noodles at the beginning of the day, and then he would turn around, rubbing his brows and burying himself in official duties.

Meng Huan was young, and he was naïve and enthusiastic about everything, which seemed to warm up the cold and stiff part of his heart.

“Then let’s play rock-paper-scissors, and the loser drinks.”

After Meng Huan finished speaking, he laughed softly.

Lin Bozhou could guess what Meng Huan was thinking, so he raised the corner of his lips and said, “Okay.”

Meng Huan was very excited. He had rarely been to entertainment venues and didn’t know how to play finger-guessing games, but only rock-paper-scissors. So he said, “Then let’s play guessing the ding?”

Lin Bozhou seemed stunned for a moment, “Huh?”

Guess the ding shell. He knows, it’s something a three-year-old would play with.

Lin Bozhou might have played this game when he was a child, but the memory was too vague. He only remembered that he and Shan Xing had guessed it, but he was taken away by his father, who made him stand by the wall and asked him sternly whether he had memorized the Thousand Character Classic.

Like all children, after being scolded by his father, Lin Bozhou felt bored and never wanted to play this kind of thing again.

But he was a child at that time.

Now, he has to take care of his own children.

Lin Bozhou nodded: “Huanhuan can play if he wants to.”

Meng Huan: “You can’t see, so for the sake of fairness, I’ll close my eyes too. Scissors – bundle – hammer –“

Lin Bozhou’s eyes were dark, and he heard Meng Huan’s loud voice: “Hey, my husband, you are the hammer, and I am the bag~”

Lin Bozhou: “Really?”

Meng Huan: “Hmmmm!”

But he couldn’t help laughing in his voice, which contained a hint of breath.

His tone was extremely affected, and one could imagine his eyes rolling around.

Meng Huan is the worst at lying. He feels unnatural when he lies.

“…”

There was no need to explain what the real result was. Lin Bozhou knew it clearly in his heart. He couldn’t help but lick the tip of his teeth with the tip of his tongue, as if smiling.

Well, he was blind, and it was a hidden disease that no one dared to hurt.

——Now, his wife is just teasing him and deliberately bullying him because he is blind, right?

In the past, there might be a thorn in his heart, causing him to feel pain all over, making him irritable and angry, and stabbing everything around him. But at this moment, Meng Huan’s soft hand wrapped around the back of his hand, giggling non-stop, and Lin Bozhou suddenly felt bright and cheerful, as if he was hit by a Buddha, with endless Buddhist chants.

It turns out that there is nothing to worry about in the world, only mediocre people worry about it.

He smiled gently: “My husband lost.”

After saying that, he drank the liquor in the bowl.

Meng Huan suppressed her laughter and said, “My husband is so awesome, come again!”

Next, Lin Bozhou lost again.

He was drinking again.

“Come on, come on! Hahahaha! My husband, you really can drink a lot!”

The room was small, and Meng Huan’s voice was not loud. The thick brick walls kept the hustle and bustle and laughter inside, and kept the cold wind of the winter outside, as if the room was a warm nest.

Liaodong’s Shaodao wine is very spicy to keep out the cold, and it’s comparable to Guzhou in the northwest. Butler Sun brought a full jar. Lin Bozhou didn’t let Meng Huan drink, because he had to paint a portrait for his wife tomorrow, and he might delay his work. But she was bewitched by him, drinking bowl after bowl, her eyebrows and eyes did not change, but her fair ears and neck under her clothes felt hot.

The last time he drank so happily without any worries was when he was seventeen or eighteen years old, Meng Huan was this old.

Since taking charge of the king’s affairs and arriving in the capital, Lin Bozhou was so worried that he worked day and night and seemed to have aged ten years.

Those youthful spirits, riding horses and parading through the streets, seemed to have left him from then on.

But after years of hard work, he was hunted down, became blind and sick, and fled to another city with his wife, becoming a useless man.

Lin Bozhou held the wine bowl, his eyes closed and his lips tightly pursed.

He sat in a dignified and elegant posture, but his expression was not moved at all. There was only half of the wine left in the jar. Meng Huan saw that he drank too much and guessed that Lin Bozhou might be a little drunk.

“Husband, can I help you go to bed?” Meng Huan asked.

Everything in the pot was eaten up, leaving only some leftovers, the charcoal fire in the stove went out, and the atmosphere became cold.

“good.”

Lin Bozhou let Meng Huan support him and sat on the kang. His shoulders and body leaned like a jade mountain. An uncontrollable feeling of powerlessness came over him, and he leaned heavily towards Meng Huan’s body.

Meng Huan was pressed so hard by him that he almost couldn’t breathe.

He muttered softly, “Husband, you are so heavy.” As he said this, Meng Huan carefully laid him down on the bed.

Lin Bozhou leaned close to his ear and breathed warmly.

His mind felt light and his eyes were dazed, and his thoughts went back to a long time ago.

He recalled the winter in Guzhou when he and his mother sat in the palace, with a charcoal fire burning beside them, the two of them sitting in silence. Next to them was a pot of boiling white soup, which was the mutton soup that his mother had personally stewed.

They waited together, waiting for his father to come back after drinking with the commander-in-chief. The family would have a meal together, talk, and spend the winter night waiting for spring.

But what they waited for was the news that their father was stabbed to death by the commander-in-chief.

That day, war broke out suddenly. Lin Bozhou inherited his father’s throne under the auspices of the former chief historian and took over the government affairs. He was decisive and killed the commander and general of the 100,000-strong garrison army. The news shocked the court.

It was also at that time that Lord Cui noticed a young but outstanding royal prince far away in Guzhou.

From then on, with the help of Lord Cui, Lin Bozhou stepped into Lingxiao, turned from a puppet to a powerful official, dealt with eunuchs, checked party disputes, and presided over the government for six years.

After that, he went to Liaodong to quell the rebellion of foreign tribes, dressed in fine clothes and riding a horse.

…But he had forgotten the lonely afternoon when he and his mother sat in the hall, listening quietly to the snow on the eaves, waiting for his father to come home.

——But isn’t this what Meng Huan has been waiting for him to come back, day and night, year after year?

Lin Bozhou…

You are so confused.

How can I care about the people when I can’t even protect my wife?

Lin Bozhou felt dizzy and his heart was filled with ripples. He couldn’t stop coughing and his lips turned as pale as paper.

Meng Huan wring out a hot towel and came to wipe Lin Bozhou’s face. He saw Lin Bozhou’s slender fingers on his forehead, cold sweat rolling down his handsome jaw, and his lips turned waxy white. He seemed to have lost all his strength and suddenly became extremely tired and weak.

“Husband, what’s wrong with you?”

Lin Bozhou took a deep breath and did not answer.

Meng Huan slapped his forehead and said, “It’s over. I shouldn’t have let you drink!”

Lin Bozhou’s body was already disordered, and he should have been cured by a light diet, drinking warm water every day, accompanied by medicinal soup, and living a peaceful life. How could he suddenly drink such a strong liquor, and in such a large dose!

Lin Bozhou coughed again, frowned, took a deep breath, turned his head towards the bed, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of bright red blood.

Meng Huan’s eyes suddenly turned red, and she said at a loss: “Husband, husband! I’ll go call the doctor, right now—”

When he turned around, Lin Bozhou grabbed his wrist.

Lin Bozhou grabbed him. His bony fingers were not very strong, but veins were bulging, yet he held Meng Huan’s wrist tightly.

He said, “Don’t blame the jar of wine.”

He took the handkerchief from Meng Huan’s palm, put it to his lips and wiped off the blood. His movements seemed skillful, calm and steady. The weakness just now was gone in an instant, and his movements were elegant and neat.

After wiping off the blood, he smiled and whispered softly, “Are you scared?”

Meng Huan looked at him in a daze.

In the dim light, Lin Bozhou propped himself up and half sat. Although he couldn’t see, the candlelight reflected in his eyes. When he turned to Meng Huan, he was full of energy, giving him a sense that he was staring at him intently.

“…”

Meng Huan pursed his lips.

Lin Bozhou, who was filled with an inexplicable sense of anxious excitement, was just like the first time Meng Huan saw him after he entered the book. He wandered on the strange edge of light and darkness, elegantly and skillfully, making him feel like an evil ghost wearing a mask of charity.

Meng Huan was stunned: “Husband, are you okay?”

“I am young and strong, and I have a good physical foundation. It doesn’t matter if I spit out a few more mouthfuls of blood.” Lin Bozhou reached out and touched Meng Huan’s face. “When my eye disease recurred before, I always spit out blood. Now that the blood clots have been spit out, I will be well again soon.”

His palms were stained with cold tears.

Meng Huan was terrified, tears all over her face.

Lin Bozhou lowered his voice, as if he was amused: “Are you so scared?”

Meng Huan was incoherent, his voice choked: “But, but you, you really vomited blood just now, it looks very serious, as if you are going to die.”

“Be careful in the future, my husband.”

“It’s not your fault,” Meng Huan shook his head, “It’s all my fault. I made you drink on purpose.”

He couldn’t help it and tears started streaming down his face.

“If anything happens to you, I don’t want to live anymore.”

Immersed in sorrow, Meng Huan pulled at his handkerchief, closed his eyes, and his voice was trembling.

The room was quiet. A few wisps of cold wind blew in through the cracks, mixed with the sound of Meng Huan sobbing. She was very sad, even sadder than the person involved, Lin Bozhou.

Lin Bozhou seemed helpless and pursed his lips lightly.

There was a darkness with ripples, flowing up from deep within, first flowing over his heart, then over his throat, until it poured into his eyes, plunging him into a dark, damp and cold place where he could hardly see anything.

Before the darkness completely engulfed him, Lin Bozhou grabbed Meng Huan’s wrist and gently held the young man in his arms.

Lin Bozhou hugged him very tightly. He had been weak and sick for so many days, and now for the first time he felt immersed in darkness. His hands were full of strength and his teeth were itching as if he wanted to tear something into pieces.

He held Meng Huan in his arms as if he was holding the only source of light.

In his ear, I whispered: “No one can hurt you.”

After a pause, she added, “My husband will live well too.”

ONE HUNDRED THREE
It was freezing cold, and the cloth shoes made a squeaking sound as they stepped on the snow.

A small figure walked in the snow, with hot air coming out of his mouth and his cheeks flushed. He arrived at the bottom of the corridor with heavy snow on his head and his hood full of snowflakes.

It’s Meng Huan.

He brushed the snow off his body while the housekeeper was directing the servants to carry the flower pots.

“Put it this way.”

“Over there, over there, facing the steps…”

“Well, that’s neat.”

He turned around and saw Meng Huan, and smiled: “The young master is here.”

“Butler Sun, you have worked hard.” Meng Huan looked at him and said, “I am here on Madam’s orders to paint for the general today.”


Before he knew it, Meng Huan had been in the general’s residence for several days. He had just finished painting the lady’s portrait two days ago. The lady was satisfied and asked the general to paint one for her as well, asking him to prepare it in the near future.

When he went out, it was snowing heavily. Lin Bozhou patted his clothes and gave him some detailed instructions. Now Meng Huan was patting the snow off his clothes and couldn’t help thinking of Lin Bozhou again.


…I always feel that since that night when Lin Bozhou got drunk, he seems to be a little different. He is still gentle and affectionate, but not as gloomy.

As he was scratching his head and recalling, he heard the distressed voice of Butler Sun: “The painting today can’t be done. I was just looking for someone to tell the young master, but I didn’t expect you to come here first.”

Meng Huan was puzzled: “Ah? Why?”

“The master suddenly had something important to do, and I’m afraid he led his troops out of the city.” Butler Sun didn’t want to say too much, so he pressed his ear and leaned close to his ear, “Young master, you don’t know about it in the mansion. Recently, there have been some rebellions in Qiezhou. Some people say that the regent is rebelling!”

The air was quiet for a few seconds.

It had been a while since Meng Huan heard the word “Regent”. He almost didn’t realize that this was Lin Bozhou. After he was stunned for two or three seconds before reacting, his head seemed to buzz, like thunder, and everything went blank.

Meng Huan raised his face, the snow fell on his eyelashes, his face looked red and his eyes looked dark. He took a deep breath to confirm: “Who is rebelling?”


“Prince Regent,” Steward Sun did not dare to discuss it, but just chatted, “I also heard from people outside that the refugees from Qiezhou said that the Prince Regent’s soldiers and the court’s soldiers had fought each other. I don’t know if it’s true or not. You said, Liaodong was already at war, and outsiders were fighting us, so why are our own people fighting each other again?”

His tone was filled with regret.

Hearing him say this, not sure whether the General’s Mansion was also in danger, Meng Huan licked his lips nervously: “Did the General go to fight the Regent?”

Butler Sun: “As a servant, I don’t know about this.”


Meng Huan felt a little complicated and extremely subtle.


It’s like a person who is so poor that he has been eating porridge and pickles for half a month, and suddenly someone jumps out and says that this person is a super rich man.

He and Lin Bozhou fled all the way to the city. Lin Bozhou was blind and looked miserable. He even sold paintings for a living to make a living. Yet, how could Lin Bozhou be accused of wanting to rebel?

This was too outrageous. Meng Huan told Lin Bozhou about this and said, “Since the general is not here, I will go back first.”

Steward Sun had a sad face, but he did not stop him: “Okay, young master, take a rest.”

Meng Huan ran back to the yard.

Lin Bozhou’s eyes were still not well, and he sat at the table in a white robe, guarding a pot of warm soup. Usually when Meng Huan came back, Lin Bozhou would probably sit there thinking, but now he was either decocting medicine or warming soup, with a leisurely and bored attitude.

Meng Huan ran so fast that she kicked the door sill with one foot, cried out and threw herself into his arms, “Husband!”

His breath was hot and his throat was rolling. Lin Bozhou caught him, and sensing the high temperature of Meng Huan’s body in his sleeve, he gently stroked his hair with his long fingers.

After calming her down, she asked gently, “Why are you so anxious?”

Meng Huan said truthfully: “They said…”

He gritted his teeth and said, “Say you are rebelling.”

The problem is really big.

Who would have thought that the upheavals in the imperial court would be so unpredictable. Not long ago, Lin Bozhou was described by Emperor Xuanhe as “the blessing of the country” and “the people’s livelihood”. But not long ago, Lin Bozhou became a rebel despised by everyone.

Lin Bozhou didn’t say anything for the time being.

He had a calm expression, his eyebrows and eyes were half hidden in shadow, his nose was high and half of his jaw was exposed.

Meng Huan looked at his face carefully, gasping in his throat, his heart choked and he couldn’t speak.

Lin Bozhou’s career has not been going well and his health is not good recently. He is extremely unlucky. Carrying so much pressure, and adding the charge of rebellion that cannot be cleared even by jumping into the Yellow River, it is probably making things even worse.

“Don’t be angry,” Meng Huan suggested, thinking of Lin Bozhou vomiting blood in anger, “just explain it to Emperor Xuanhe when the time comes.”

Lin Bozhou ruffled his hair, without explaining, but smiled.

“Nothing to be angry about.”

“When you come back, sit down and rest.” He said.

Meng Huan sat down and looked at him nervously.

“Who said I was rebelling? Was it the people who said I was rebelling, or was it the army? We need evidence for everything,” Lin Bozhou said calmly. “The palace guards may have had a conflict with the regiment camp, but Zhang Hu is a smart man and will not do anything out of proportion.”

Meng Huan was stunned: “Then…”

Why does the reputation of rebellion spread?

Lin Bozhou said: “I’m afraid someone still wants to kill me and deliberately spread rumors to justify their actions.”

Lin Bozhou had said it clearly enough. The malicious intentions of those who wanted to harm him were obvious. Only by smearing Lin Bozhou’s reputation as much as possible and killing him would be more in line with the people’s wishes and gain more reputation.

However, this kind of rumor is very easy to refute if there is no evidence. After all, it is just an excuse for political opponents to attack.

Meng Huan breathed a sigh of relief.

He was about to say, “That’s all right.”

Beside his ear, Lin Bozhou gently stroked his hair and said calmly, “Let them make a fuss. The bigger the fuss, the better. I’m just afraid that they won’t make a fuss big enough.”

“What?”

Meng Huan turned his head to look at Lin Bozhou in surprise.

The sunlight shone on Lin Bozhou’s face. He half lowered his head, his eyebrows and eyes were faintly shadowed, his expression was unusually calm, and there was a clear line from the bridge of his nose to his jaw, like a Bodhisattva who bowed his head and worshiped the Buddha devoutly, elegant and upright.

But there was a hint of inducement from the devil in these words.

Meng Huan opened his lower lip, still puzzled.

Lin Bozhou patted his head gently: “Be good, Huanhuan doesn’t listen to these conspiracies and tricks.”

“…”

Meng Huan stopped talking to him and turned to look angrily at the soup stewing on the stove.

After he finished painting a picture for his wife and received a reward, Meng Huan rented a small stove from the kitchen. He used one stove to occasionally stew some tonic soup, and the other stove to stew Lin Bozhou’s medicine.

Now, both stoves were burning with charcoal, and the bitter smell of herbs and the aroma of the old hen’s stew mixed together, filling the house with heat.

“Husband, have you put the mushrooms in?” Meng Huan asked as she opened the lid and took a look.

Lin Bozhou stood behind him and said, “Let him go.”

Lin Bozhou is blind, so when Meng Huan goes out, he would put the ingredients on the table and let him touch them with his hands. Only then could Lin Bozhou do some housework and also learned to make soup for Meng Huan.

Meng Huan stirred it with a spoon and saw a few red dates floating in it.

“You also put dates in it?”

“I put two or three.”

Meng Huan turned around, stunned for a moment: “I brought it back last night, but I haven’t told you yet. I wanted to tell you today—”

At that time, Meng Huan casually put it in the jar. There were a lot of sundries in that place, and Lin Bozhou should not be able to find it. When Meng Huan went out this morning, he thought about it and blamed himself for having a bad memory. He didn’t expect that it was put in the chicken soup.

Meng Huan didn’t care too much: “Did I tell you last night?”

Lin Bozhou smiled and said, “Yes, I did. Huanhuan forgot again?”

Meng Huan had a bad memory, and felt a little embarrassed when he was asked. He snorted and changed the subject.

Since he didn’t have to go to paint for the general, it was Meng Huan’s free time at home. He opened the lid of the medicine jar next to him and took a look. He said, “The medicine is ready. Drink it half an hour in advance.”

Meng Huan took the medicine pot down, stopped adding firewood, and put a pot of hot water on it. He poured out half a bowl of medicine soup and put it on the table to wait for it to cool down a little. Meng Huan handed it to Lin Bozhou: “Drink the medicine.”

Lin Bozhou sat upright, took the medicine bowl, drank the medicine in one gulp, and his throat rolled slightly.

Meng Huan held up his face and couldn’t help wondering: “Why haven’t my eyes healed yet?”

It shouldn’t be.

Lin Bozhou has been taking medicine on time, regulating his body, and waiting for his eye disease to recover.

He vomited blood that night and said that he would be fine after the blood was gone. However, Meng Huan waited for a few days, but Lin Bozhou showed no signs of regaining his sight.

It’s been almost half a month and my eyes are still not healed.

This made Meng Huan a little nervous.

After drinking the medicine, a little bit of the medicine juice stained Lin Bozhou’s lips.

“Drink hot water, and your mouth won’t feel bitter.” Meng Huan poured him a bowl of warm water.

Lin Bozhou lowered his head and drank the warm water.

It’s like taking care of a child, but Lin Bozhou is obedient and it’s not hard at all for Meng Huan to take care of him.

“My dear, I have nothing to do this afternoon. Why don’t you go out and ask around on the street to see if the palace guards have come looking for you?”

Meng Huan always felt that he couldn’t sit idle, especially since Lin Bozhou had been charged with another crime. Perhaps the General’s Mansion was no longer a suitable hiding place.

Lin Bozhou raised his eyebrows: “Okay.”

“You won’t go out with me. You are blind and other people will recognize you.” Meng Huan comforted him, “It’s not that I won’t take you out.”

During this period, Lin Bozhou never went out of the house, just like the young wife kept in the yard. Every time Meng Huan saw him, he could only sit there in silence, feeling a little guilty.

Lin Bozhou raised the corner of his lips and said, “Well, I will be at home this afternoon to wash Huanhuan’s pants from last night.”

“…………”

When this was mentioned, Meng Huan’s ears turned red.

He held the bowl, his ears were burning.

It’s not right to say that Lin Bozhou’s eyesight is bad, but he doesn’t seem to be so blind that he can’t take care of himself on the couch. Last night, he hugged Meng Huan to sleep. The weather was cold, and they always had to raise their body temperature at night, but they didn’t want to dirty the quilt, after all, it’s not easy to dry in winter.

At that time, Lin Bozhou saw that the situation was a bit urgent, so he took the cloth next to him to catch it. Unexpectedly, it was the underwear that Meng Huan was wearing, which was dirty, so he had to wash it today.

Meng Huan was embarrassed: “I’ll wash it myself…”

“I will wash you.” Lin Bozhou said gently, “Huanhuan went out to get information, so I am free to do something.”

Just like a virtuous and sensible young wife.

Meng Huan opened his lower lip and wanted to speak.

But he had washed clothes for Lin Bozhou before.

Besides, it was Lin Bozhou who got the pants dirty last night.

Meng Huan no longer refused: “Okay then.”

“The chicken soup seems to be almost done.”

Meng Huan looked at the pot, waited for half an hour for the medicine from Lin Bozhou to take effect, then scooped the medicine into a bowl and had a simple lunch with Lin Bozhou.

The chicken soup was well-cooked, with a strong mushroom flavor, especially since Lin Bozhou added red dates, which gave it a light sweet taste and an excellent mouthfeel.

While drinking the soup, Meng Huan’s mind flashed with the previous question.

——Did he really tell Lin Bozhou where the red dates were placed?

But this question just flashed through his mind and was not important. Meng Huan forgot about it again. He was full, took an umbrella and stood under the eaves.

“Then I’ll go out and get some information.”

ONE HUNDRED FOUR
Stepped out of the general’s mansion.

Meng Huan was thinking about the information he wanted to find out. He and Lin Bozhou had to meet up with the palace guards. If the palace guards couldn’t find this place, he and Lin Bozhou would have to go find the palace guards.

The only people who could bring news about the palace guards here were the refugees from Qiezhou.

As for where these refugees were… Meng Huan stood on the snow-covered street, looking around.

The attitudes of different cities towards refugees were different, some were friendly, some were indifferent, because the enemy might disguise themselves as refugees and ambush in the city to cause trouble, and there were also bandits and vagrants among the refugees, resulting in chaos. Therefore, the prefects would generally set up special areas to temporarily accommodate homeless refugees, occasionally distribute free food, and refugees would gather in those places.

Meng Huan asked passers-by, “Where are all the refugees staying?”

A passerby raised his hand and pointed: “Puji Temple.”

Puji Temple?

Meng Huan asked for directions along the way and found that there were indeed many refugees being taken in. They were in tattered clothes, holding children and supporting the elderly. Some were lying on the ground, some were sitting, and they looked very miserable.

These people are most likely from Qiezhou, but some are not.

Meng Huan mixed in with the crowd and asked around: “Excuse me, have you seen the palace guards?”

There are often people among the refugees looking for each other, but few ask where the army is, and most ask about their lost wives and children. What’s more, ordinary people can’t remember which army is which, and only those who are a little sensible can understand.

“have no idea.”

“have no idea.”

A middle-aged man in his forties shook his head.

“The palace guards? The regent said there was a rebellion, so maybe the guards followed him.”

“…”

Has Lin Bozhou’s reputation for rebellion spread so far?

Meng Huan scratched his head.

He said thank you, took a few steps, and reached the most interconnected part of the crowd.

A man in his thirties who was telling fortunes at a stall heard the question and looked up for a moment: “Oh, two days ago, I saw the flag of the palace guards on Lianshui Road.”

Meng Huan suddenly became excited: “Really? Where is Lianshui Road?”

“That must be true. The regent rebelled, and his soldiers were driven around, running around, so it’s not easy to meet him.” The man said, “Lianshui Road, more than a hundred miles east of the city, I just came here. But some people say that the regent did not rebel, but was killed by villains just after winning the battle, and now his whereabouts are unknown, and no one knows what’s going on.”

After all, ordinary people like them get the news by relying on word of mouth from one person to ten people and from ten to a hundred people.

Meng Huan tried to spread the correct news; “He must have been murdered by a villain.”

The other party did not comment and scratched his chin: “Why are you asking these questions?”

Meng Huan said nonsense, “I have a distant relative who works in the palace.”

After saying that, Meng Huan supported himself on his knees and stood up.

He asked around among the refugee group and finally pieced together some information.

After Lin Bozhou’s whereabouts became unknown, the palace guards were trapped. The officers and soldiers tried to recruit them, but the palace guards were raised by Lin Bozhou and only recognized Lin Bozhou. They didn’t want to conflict with the officers and soldiers, lest their masters be accused of rebellion, so they had to flee Qiezhou and hide everywhere.

But…it is said that the officers and soldiers did not reach a consensus on Lin Bozhou, and there was a state of division, and conflicts occurred from time to time.

Therefore, the current situation is that the army of more than 100,000 in Qiezhou is leaderless, and the Marquis of Zhenguan is unable to control it, so chaos has occurred.

If we don’t rest and recuperate, warlordism will occur and the problem will become even bigger.

Meng Huan sorted out the information, thinking that he had to tell Lin Bozhou the news and then ask about the location of Lianshui Road.

He turned and left Puji Temple.

But just as he left, two ragged refugees came to the fortune-telling stall behind him.

The two men were young, strong, tall and straight, not as skinny as ordinary refugees.

They asked the fortune teller, “Sir, have you seen a young man with poor eyesight these days? He is very tall, well-proportioned, and speaks with an accent from another place.”

The fortune teller shook his head: “Never seen it.”

The two men turned and left.

The fortune teller was very dissatisfied with their attitude of throwing it away after using it, and muttered: “Why do you all ask me? One asks my son, the other asks the palace guards, and the next asks the young master. I am a fortune teller, not a person who asks for news, do you understand?”

Palace guards?

The two men paused and turned back, a tall shadow looming over them: “Who’s asking about the palace guards?”

“Just now there was a handsome young man who asked around, and he finished asking around here, saying he was looking for a relative. He just left.” The fortuneteller flipped open a book, “Would you two like to have your fortune told?”

He looked up and saw two figures walking away quickly.

“Oh, no business.”

The fortune teller held the book and sighed.

On the other side, Meng Huan was walking on the street.

After he had found out the news, he was still holding a braised pig’s ear in his hand, thinking of taking it back to eat in the evening, while at the same time planning to tell Lin Bozhou the news.

Suddenly, his shoulder was hit hard, as if by the impact of a falling rock, causing the pig ear that he was holding loosely in his hand to fall to the ground and roll into the snow.

Meng Huan subconsciously wanted to pick it up, but a foot landed in front of him and stepped hard on the pig’s ear.

Meng Huan: “?”

Suddenly, Meng Huan exploded and looked up.

He opened his almond-shaped eyes wide and looked up at the person who bumped into him: “What are you doing?”

The person who bumped into him was a young refugee, in a hurry, with an apologetic look on his face: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was running too fast and didn’t look where I was going. Did you drop the braised meat? I’ll compensate you.”

“…”

If it was any other time, it would be fine, but now is a special period, and a piece of braised meat is a treasure. Meng Huan gritted his teeth, very angry, “Do you have any money on you? What can you use to compensate?”

“I don’t have any money, but my brother has some. He’s in the alley across the street.” The refugee pointed and said, “Hey, come over here. I’ll compensate you.”

After saying that, he pulled Meng Huan’s clothes and walked into the alley.

Meng Huan was about to refuse, but he was so strong that he dragged him in in a few seconds. There was no one in the alley, but a young man was standing there. He ran and said, “Third brother, lend me some money!”

——In the alley, two strong refugees were dragging.

The uneasy feeling brought by the keywords made Meng Huan feel a chill on his back. He wanted to stop, but the opponent was too strong. The next second, Meng Huan was dragged into the alley.

“What exactly do you want to do?” Meng Huan asked.

The two men’s faces suddenly changed, becoming gloomy and tough, with sharp daggers emerging from their sleeves.

“I need you for something.”

The moment he saw the dagger, Meng Huan felt a chill on his back, his throat rolled, and his knees suddenly went weak.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and his voice trembled: “You, you——”

The young man frowned. “You speak with a Beijing accent. Who are you? Why are you trying to find out about the palace guards?”

“I, I am——”

Meng Huan was completely confused.

He thought he had encountered a robber and the other party would ask him for money, but he didn’t expect that the other party would ask this question.

But compared to asking him for money, Meng Huan would be more cautious when asking about Lin Bozhou.

The chill on his back gradually faded away, and Meng Huan forced himself to calm down and secretly observed the two men. They were tall and strong, and did not look like hungry refugees, but they were wearing tattered refugee clothes.

These are not refugees at all, they are soldiers.

Meng Huan had been in the military camp for some time and was very familiar with the status of the soldiers, and could recognize them at a glance. But he was not sure whether they were soldiers from the palace or soldiers from the Marquis of Zhenguan.

If they were soldiers of the Marquis of Zhenguan, he couldn’t say a word, otherwise his identity would be exposed.

“Ask who you are.” The two men said in a vicious voice.

“I, I am——”

Meng Huan wanted to lie and even wanted to find out the identities of these two people.

But he was timid, and after being suddenly frightened, not only was his throat choked and he couldn’t utter a word, but his mind also went blank and he couldn’t think of any conspiracy or trickery.

“…………”

Meng Huan’s scalp tingled.

He was so frightened that his face turned pale. The two of them had probably never seen such a waste before. They looked at each other for a moment and said, “Take him back?”

It seemed like another interrogation was in order.

Meng Huan’s neck was pinched and his vision went dark.

Meng Huan suddenly fell into a coma, his consciousness was groggy, as if he had a nightmare, in which he dreamed of the thing that frightened him the most during this period of time.

He was locked up in a dark prison, his hands were bound with chains that bled, his bones were emaciated, and all the strength seemed to have been drained away, making him unable to move.

Someone pointed a red-hot iron at him and asked sternly, “Where did you hide Lin Bozhou?”

In the dream, Meng Huan was disheveled, his eyes were wide open, and he was shaking with fear. He was timid, and whenever he saw the interrogation scenes in TV dramas, he would turn his head away, not daring to watch the bloody scenes.

But now, this red-hot iron is pointed at him.

What he was asking about was the whereabouts of Lin Bozhou.

Meng Huan was so scared that he cried loudly. He was terrified and at the same time he said the most vicious words angrily: “I won’t say it! I won’t say it! I won’t say it! Ahhhhh…”

“How dare you be so stubborn!!”

“I’d rather die than tell you, wow wow wow wow wow…”

The bright red iron, stained with heat, suddenly poked down –

Sizzle~

The expected pain of burning flesh did not appear, but Meng Huan fell back subconsciously. Then he trembled violently and opened his eyes, and the snow-white light fell into his eyes.

His heart was pounding, cold sweat rolled down his forehead, and his chest felt like it was being squeezed by something, dull and rapid.

Where is this?

Not a prison.

In front of me was an open room with several people sitting around.

Who are these people?

Meng Huan turned his head slowly and when he looked over, he saw a man with snow-white hair, a haggard face, tears in his eyes, and a trembling throat as he looked at him.

It looked familiar, but Meng Huan didn’t recognize it at first.

When the other party saw that he had woken up, he pushed the chair away and knelt on the ground, tears falling: “Princess, I have suffered.”

“…”

In an instant, Meng Huan’s brain seemed to be hit, and a tremor rose in his heart. He closed his eyes and opened them again: “Uncle Chen?”

It turned out to be Chen An. He looked more than ten years older than before!

Chen An’s face is now dusty and his hair is as white as frost. He has completely lost the gentle and kind-hearted appearance of the prince’s palace chief. He is haggard and thin, with a dark complexion, as if his shoulders have been crushed by some shock.

Chen An burst into tears, his voice choking: “We have been separated for half a month, and the prince has not been found yet… The prince’s eyesight is not good, and he is stranded among the refugees. I don’t know whether he is alive or dead… Princess, how can this humble official face you…”

“And the princess was left to wander among the crowd, suffering greatly…”

“Those two people just now were none other than the palace guards. I heard that the princess was also looking for us. We are so sorry…”

Meng Huan’s clenched chest suddenly relaxed.

In the past half month, apart from Meng Huan, there is another group of people who are so concerned about Lin Bozhou’s safety. They are probably the old people in the palace. Chen An is the chief historian of the palace, and the confidant that Lin Bozhou brought from Guzhou. He has been looking for Lin Bozhou until his hair turned white.

Meng Huan comforted: “Don’t be sad, the prince is fine.”

But Chen An couldn’t stop crying.

“Chen An is guilty. If something happens to the prince, the situation in the world will change drastically. The prince’s unfulfilled ambitions and the tens of thousands of people in the palace that the prince supports will all be homeless.”

He burst into tears, and the soldier next to him also knelt down and cried.

There are both joy and sorrow.

How can you not feel sad or happy after going through so many hardships?

Meng Huan finally felt relieved.

“The prince is fine. I will take you to find him.”

Fortunately, Meng Huan was not unconscious for long and it was still early.

A group of people hurried along the street and arrived outside the General’s Mansion. The doorman poked his head out and asked, “Who are you——”

He didn’t stop it.

The group looked very imposing, and they were accompanied by two rows of young men in plain clothes, but they were well-disciplined and tall, and were obviously military personnel.

The doorman fell silent and hurried to find Butler Sun. Butler Sun came hurriedly and saw Meng Huan surrounded by the crowd.

He was stunned: “Young sir, this is——”

“Butler Sun, we are here to pick someone up.”

Meng Huan didn’t know what to say. During this period, the General’s Mansion had taken him in and provided him with food, so Meng Huan couldn’t afford to put on airs.

The governor of Hezhou, who was standing beside him, came out in a hurry and said in a cold sweat, “Butler, this is someone from the Regent’s Palace.”

“The Prince Regent’s Palace?”

Butler Sun was confused and didn’t realize what was going on.

He knew that the Regent was fighting in Qiezhou not far away, but the Regent was a nobleman of noble birth, with a distinguished status. What relationship could he have with the General’s Mansion?

What does it have to do with this group of people?

…What does it have to do with the young painter he took in?

Steward Sun’s eyes rolled around, and as he stood there in confusion, he saw the robe and sash that Zhongchen was holding respectfully and upright.

The bright crimson color almost illuminated all the snow between the sky and the earth. It was embroidered with ferocious pythons and dragons, and the patterns were intricate and beautiful. It was a totem of power that would make his master shudder whenever he mentioned it.

Butler Sun felt a chill on his back.

Finally I recovered, and a thought flashed through my mind…

Legendary.

The General’s Mansion is going to become a legend this time.

Steward Sun suppressed the scream in his throat and tried to receive the guests: “Everyone, please come in and have a seat. Have a cup of tea. I will go and ask my master to come back——”

“No need, let’s get down to business first. But I’m sorry to bother you to ask your master to come and reply.” Meng Huan was polite to him, and Chen An was also polite to him.

Reply, reply???

Butler Sun felt even more dizzy: “Little one, I will send someone over right away.”

Chen An and his companions did not stay here. They hurriedly walked over the threshold and corridor and headed towards the courtyard of the rear mansion.

There were low brick houses and a bumpy road. From time to time, a few servants would come out with their sleeves tucked in to watch the fun. There were ditches on the ground, and it looked like a very remote place.

Therefore, although Lin Bozhou was in the general’s mansion, he was not a distinguished guest of honor, but mingled among the servants and guests.

Chen An’s brows furrowed further and his breathing began to tremble.

Sensing his emotions, Meng Huan whispered, “After the prince and I escaped, we had no money or food, and the prince was blind. Fortunately, I could paint, so I found a job in the general’s mansion, painting a portrait of the general’s wife.”

“I was afraid that the prince would be discovered to have an eye disease, so I told him to stay in the room and not come out, so as not to arouse suspicion.”

Meng Huan scratched his head: “I… can only do this.”

Chen An said quickly: “The princess has done a great job. Chen An was thinking, if there was no princess, I’m afraid the prince——”

Being blind and a useless person, he would have probably died in the wind and snow long ago.

Meng Huan knew that Lin Bozhou was the respected master in their hearts and a treasure. He scratched his head and felt quite embarrassed.

Inexplicably, he also thought that since Lin Bozhou had been found, their world of two should be over.

The wind and snow were bleak, and the house was becoming more and more dilapidated. Chen An’s eyes flickered and his eyes couldn’t help but become moist.

He asked, “Does the prince live here?”

Meng Huan nodded: “This is still good. There is a heated kang at night. Previously, we lived on the bottom floor of the inn and also stayed in the Fox Fairy Temple. We could only guarantee food and clothing.”

Chen An wiped away her tears: “My Lord, my Princess, you have suffered.”

Apart from anything else, he watched Lin Bozhou grow up.

He was born as the eldest son of a noble royal family. From childhood to adulthood, although he suffered from illness and was seriously ill, he was well dressed and well fed, and was taken care of. How could he have ever suffered from hunger or cold?

But during this period of separation, Lin Bozhou actually lived a life of slavery.

They stepped into the yard.

With hurried footsteps, in the blink of an eye, he passed through the door and the scene in the yard appeared before him.

“I’m back.” Meng Huan said, “I brought someone with me—”

Meng Huan paused.

A tall figure in a white robe sat under the eaves, with a wooden basin in front of him filled with steaming water. Lin Bozhou sat beside the basin with his hands in the hot water. Beside him stood the old woman who was in charge of the kitchen in the yard, turning her head to look at the clothes in his basin.

The old woman shook her head, not wanting to see the young master’s behavior: “That’s not how you wash pants. You can’t wash them clean.”

Lin Bozhou seemed to be asking: “Then how should I wash it?”

“Well, after making bubbles with soap nuts, rub them with your hands——”

As soon as the old woman finished speaking, she heard Meng Huan’s voice.

Both of them looked up.

“Why are there so many people here?”

The old woman was frightened and ran back.

Only Lin Bozhou was still sitting there, as if he didn’t understand what was going on, and the cold wind ruffled his hair slightly.

His eyes, as deep as a pool, swept across the people at the door following the sound, including Chen An who was in tears, the strong guards of the palace, the respectful ministers holding the royal robes, and the stunned steward Sun.

“Huanhuan is back?”

Lin Bozhou put the clothes in his hand back into the water.

He lowered his eyes and spoke with them closed.

It’s an uncertain tone.

In this situation, Meng Huan turned to Chen An and made a patch: “Your Highness’s eyes are not healed yet.”

As soon as Chen An closed his eyes, tears started to flow again. He cried out “Prince” in a sad voice, then staggered to the yard, knelt down, kowtowed and crawled towards Lin Bozhou: “Prince, it’s me, Chen An! Prince, Chen An is here…”

He knelt down in front of Lin Bozhou and said in a sad voice: “Your Highness… Chen An was incompetent and took half a month to find Your Highness… You have suffered, You have suffered… Chen An deserves to die, deserves to die…”

Chen An kowtowed repeatedly in the snow, causing his forehead to bleed.

“The prince has suffered! The prince has suffered…”

Lin Bozhou sat there without making any movement.

How could they not cry? Loyalty.

This group of people depend on Lin Bozhou for their food. Lin Bozhou treats them with great kindness and regards them as his family. Since they have acknowledged Lin Bozhou as their master, they will serve him and depend on him for life and death.

They were heartbroken to see that Lin Bozhou had to live in such a simple house, lead such a miserable life, and suffer so much after being stranded.

The soldiers were also moved and started crying.

Even Butler Sun couldn’t help but shed tears when he saw this scene.

“Chen An?” Lin Bozhou paused, as if he just understood.

“It’s me, Chen An!” Chen An responded earnestly, helped him to stand up, and quickly took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket to wipe Lin Bozhou’s wet hands.

“Your Highness, the guards of the palace dispersed and searched everywhere in the village and the city. After half a month, Chen An finally found Your Highness.” Chen An said happily, “If it weren’t for my nephew, Chen An would have to wander around the city for a few more days before he could find any clues. God have mercy on me.”

“I see.”

Lin Bozhou seemed to nod, his eyebrows and eyes were calm, and no emotion could be seen. The wind blew his hair apart, revealing his handsome and clean forehead.

He stared blankly into the yard, as if he was thinking about something, with a gloomy look on his face.

The scene was solemn. Chen An looked at Lin Bozhou’s expression. His hand paused inexplicably, and a look of confusion flashed in his eyes.

After a moment, Lin Bozhou smiled and said calmly, “It’s good that you’re here.”

“Hurry up and help the prince change his clothes!” Chen An said hurriedly.

The ministers who were holding the royal robes and fox fur coats wiped their tears and ran over, blocking the wind and snow, and quickly helped him put on clean clothes and the fox fur coat. They took off the wooden hairpin and replaced it with a jade crown, then knelt down and held up his feet to put on his boots.

“Your Majesty, lift your feet…”

“What’s the current situation in Qiezhou?” Lin Bozhou asked.

“Ever since that night, when the prince schemed to severely damage Zhulizhen’s cavalry, they have never come to plunder openly again. From time to time, some remnants run wild, but the Great Wall is enough to stop them, so we have already won half of this battle. The next Zhulizhen will not be able to make a difference. As long as we wait until spring, they will run out of food and grass and retreat on their own.”

Lin Bozhou lowered his head and raised his wrists, and Zhongchen hurriedly helped him adjust his sleeves with luxurious embroidery.

“How’s the regimental camp going?”

Chen An lowered his voice, “The camp is not peaceful right now. The Marquis of Zhenguan locked the prince inside the city gate, wanting to kill the prince to take credit, and teamed up with the military supervisor eunuch to use the imperial edict to temporarily suppress the people in the camp. But firstly, he failed to kill the prince, and secondly, the Marquis of Zhenguan was eager to erase the prince’s merits and present them to His Majesty for reward. But he acted too hastily, and even reversed right and wrong, plundering the merits of many generals in the camp who personally participated in the battle, causing these generals to be very dissatisfied with him, and even suspected that he forged the imperial edict to fish in troubled waters and kill the prince. So now the camp is divided and unruly. Si Xu even wanted to bring tens of thousands of soldiers to surrender to the prince, but I persuaded him not to do so.”

Lin Bozhou: “You are right. If Si Xu really comes to join me, then my reputation as a rebel will be established.”

Chen An looked at him in surprise: “Your Majesty also knows that the Marquis of Zhenguan has told you to rebel?”

“In the whole Liaodong, how many people still don’t know?” Lin Bozhou straightened his sleeves. He stood straight, slightly raised his chin under the fox fur, and stared at the sky with his deep eyes.

Chen An took out a piece of white silk from his pocket, walked behind him, and blindfolded Lin Bozhou.

He sighed.

“Your Highness, what should we do now? The military power has been transferred to the Marquis of Zhenguan. We still have tens of thousands of guards in the palace, but there are rumors of rebellion everywhere. The palace army cannot be used arbitrarily. Now we have no power and no soldiers, and we are in an unfamiliar situation. The situation is very passive.”

Lin Bozhou was calm: “It’s okay, let’s go and see.”

He put on the scarlet dragon robe, his eyebrows and eyes still looked a little sick, but the noble and lazy feeling was no longer palpable. His eyes were covered with white gauze, and he looked like a noble royal.

——When he put on this dress, he felt something different.

At the door not far away, Meng Huan scratched his head, and this thought came to his mind when he looked at him.

Why.

Now, Lin Bozhou is no longer his obedient and virtuous wife, but the regent of a major clan, the master who is the center of attention of tens of thousands of people.

This made Meng Huan feel complicated. He quite liked spending time with Lin Bozhou, liked Lin Bozhou making soup for him, Lin Bozhou hugging him to sleep, and liked Lin Bozhou being at home when he was at home…

However, Meng Huan did not want to live a life of fear, so after comprehensive consideration, he decided to let Lin Bozhou deal with these troubles first.

As Meng Huan was thinking, a voice rang in his ears: “Huanhuan?”

“Um?”

“Is there anything else to clean up around the house?”

Lin Bozhou’s voice was very gentle, “If not, we will leave now.”

Meng Huan was a little stunned: “Are you in such a hurry?”

“We have been in the General’s Mansion for a while and have caused trouble for others. We should go back now.”

Butler Sun on the side knelt down immediately and said, “No, no, no, no… It’s not a bother, it’s not a bother, it’s our fault for not welcoming you well, for not welcoming you well…”

Lin Bozhou seemed to laugh.

But his attention was on Meng Huan, waiting for Meng Huan’s confirmation.

Meng Huan nodded: “Okay, let’s go.”

He thought about the things in the room, and nothing seemed too valuable, so he said, “There’s nothing to take.”

“Okay, go back to the camp.” Lin Bozhou gave the order.

When they left the courtyard and arrived at the gate of the general’s residence, several rows of flying horses came hurriedly, and the people in front shouted, “Please stay!”

The group slowed down their pace.

He was the Hezhou General who had never shown his face in the General’s Mansion. He was a square-faced, middle-aged man with a beard covered with snow.

He knelt down and said, “Greetings, Your Majesty!”

His face was covered in sweat.

On the way, he listened to the situation roughly from the servant who delivered the message, and broke out in a cold sweat. He never expected that the guests and their families accepted by his general’s mansion were actually the lost regent!

This was so bizarre that he hurried back home half-believing and half-doubting. When he saw the flamboyant crimson royal robe and the white silk tied around the eyes in the snow from afar, he finally believed it.

“Oh, you are the general of Hezhou?”

Lin Bozhou’s black boots rubbed against a thin layer of snow and stopped in front of him.

Brand new, spotless boots.

The voice is young and elegant.

“Thank you for your hospitality these past few days, General.”

As rumored, the Regent was a young man of twenty-six.

“…”

The general was ashamed and sweat dripped down his face. “I failed in my duty. I didn’t know it was the prince who came to the palace. I was very frightened for not entertaining him. I was just about to apologize to the prince.”

Lin Bozhou smiled faintly and said, “It was an emergency. I was harmed by a villain and had to hide my name. This is why such a misunderstanding occurred. Don’t blame the general. Please get up quickly.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the general, the general paused and said, “It is evening now and the snow is coming hard. Your Majesty, would you like to come into my humble home and have a few drinks? This will help me make up for not entertaining you well these past few days.”

Meng Huan thought so too.

However, Lin Bozhou said calmly: “There is an emergency in the army, so it is not necessary.”

After saying that, he left with the people who came to pick him up.

The weather was cold, the sun was approaching dusk, and there was a strong wind and snow at night. It was actually not a suitable time to travel.

When they arrived outside the city gate, there was already a carriage waiting. Chen An helped Lin Bozhou get on the carriage, and Meng Huan also got on.

The curtain was thick, immediately blocking out the wind and snow outside.

Chen An opened the curtain and handed something inside: “Your Highness is wise. I don’t know what the Hezhou general’s position is towards you for now. It is the right decision not to stay in the city and to leave tonight.”

Marquis Zhenguan is now in charge of the military power. The authenticity of the letter he wrote to the general is unclear. If the general of Hezhou believed him and regarded Lin Bozhou as a rebel, then staying in the city tonight would mean a night of pursuit.

Although the Hezhou general should not be so stupid, we cannot but be wary of this possibility.

Chen An passed something behind the curtain, and said with a moving tone: “Are you hungry, Your Majesty? I bought some food before leaving the city. Please eat it while it’s hot.”

Lin Bozhou took it and handed it to Meng Huan: “Eat it.”

Outside the curtain, the sky was gradually darkening and the snow and wind were beginning to blow violently, but there was a small heater inside the curtain, which did provide some heat, and it was obvious that the preparations were very thorough.

It was rare to feel such warmth, and Lin Bozhou was stunned for a moment, then smiled: “Chen An, have you made up your mind to find me today?”

Chen An smiled very respectfully: “No, it’s just that as soon as I saw my nephew, I quickly asked someone to prepare a carriage.”

The prince had been stranded away for half a month. Chen An was a considerate person and just wanted Lin Bozhou to live a more comfortable life.

Lin Bozhou smiled, it had been a long time since he saw such an environment.

Now that everyone around him is his own people, Chen An finally spoke of his worries, lamenting Lin Bozhou’s wandering during this period of time: “The prince should have received supreme praise on the day when Qiezhou defeated Zhulizhen, but who knew that he would be harmed by treacherous officials. It is really heartbreaking that the blood of the royal family has been forced to suffer among the people.”

Meng Huan, who was standing aside, was munching on a hot cake, leaning on Lin Bozhou’s shoulder, scratching the fur on his fox fur with his fingertips, listening to their conversation.

——In all these words, Chen An did not mention Emperor Xuanhe, but every word blamed Emperor Xuanhe.

If Emperor Xuanhe had not been fickle, suddenly favoring and then suddenly having doubts, how could the general in charge of the war have ended up in such a situation?

Lin Bozhou remained calm and rebuked Chen An in a gentle tone, saying, “Your Majesty has his own decisions to make. You should not speculate rashly and harbor rebellious thoughts.”

Meng Huan swallowed a mouthful of pastry, licked his fingertips gently, and blinked.

It’s strange.

Lin Bozhou actually doesn’t hate Emperor Xuanhe?

In the original book, Lin Bozhou lived a life of slavery and loss of dignity. He was trampled in the mud and forced into a desperate situation. He hated this capricious emperor and even prepared to rebel.

But now, Lin Bozhou still speaks for Emperor Xuanhe.

Meng Huan is very tired now and feels like he doesn’t want to think at all.

He leaned his head back into the seat, listening lazily to the sounds outside the carriage and Chen An’s conversation.

The snow fell on the hood of the carriage, making a rustling sound.

The wheels of the carriage shimmered as it headed into the darkness.

“It seems that the prince has no regrets,” Chen An asked, “So what should we do next?”

Although this group of people were very dissatisfied with the emperor, all their dissatisfaction was blocked by Lin Bozhou’s words.

“If we go back to the capital to explain to His Majesty, I’m afraid that the city gates along the way have received the letter from the Marquis of Zhengguan and will not easily let the prince and the palace guards pass.” Chen An said, “They will suspect that the prince is leading his troops back to the capital to plot against His Majesty.”

You see, Lin Bozhou wanted to be a loyal minister, but a group of people stopped him and did not allow him to be a loyal minister. Instead, they wanted to kill him.

Lin Bozhou also took a piece of cake, which was of a different pattern from the one Meng Huan was holding. He gently put it to Meng Huan’s lips and looked at him, as if watching Meng Huan take a bite.

There was a smile on his lips and his voice was gentle. He didn’t seem to be talking to Chen An, but to Meng Huan.

“If you don’t let me pass through, then I’ll abandon the royal army and pass through alone.”

“……What?”

Chen An opened his eyes slightly, his face full of surprise: “Your Majesty, this is too unsafe.”

And……

“What about the palace guards? These are soldiers raised by the prince himself. They made great contributions in the decisive battle of Qiezhou. How can the prince abandon them and return to the capital alone?”

——The most important meaning was not said by Chen An.

The court, the power, the danger.

If Lin Bozhou didn’t have any chess pieces in his hand, he would become the meat to be eaten by others. These carnivores are all cruel and ruthless, and no one will remember the old friendship. As long as Lin Bozhou falls, his enemies and people who hate him will devour Lin Bozhou until nothing is left of him.

Therefore, Lin Bozhou must have an army.

He must have, he had an army, that’s why Marquis Zhenguan couldn’t touch him, and Emperor Xuanhe couldn’t kill him.

Even if he is not reused, at least he can return to Guzhou safely.

Lin Bozhou understood what he meant and said calmly, “Your Majesty and I are brothers. We are brothers by blood. Your Majesty will definitely not do anything to me.”

“…”

Chen An’s face showed a puzzled look, he was a little confused about Lin Bozhou.

How could Lin Bozhou, who used to be rational and calm and had planned everything clearly, now talk about feelings? Talking about feelings with Emperor Xuanhe is like seeking the skin of a tiger.

He tried to dissuade him: “Your Highness, the Emperor’s heart is fickle. His Majesty played chess with that Zen master for a few months, but he dared to change the generals at the last minute, so that Your Highness has become a wanderer among the people. If Your Highness places his hopes on feelings again, I am afraid that the Emperor’s heart will be cold and he will die without a burial place—”

What he said was very serious.

“Not really. Although His Majesty is repetitive, he is still a child at heart and will not really do anything to me.”

The upper half of Lin Bozhou’s face was immersed in shadow, with tiny shadows overlapping his eyebrows and eyes. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the pastry crumbs from the corners of Meng Huan’s lips.

After a moment, he smiled and said, “I only said that I would not return to the capital with the palace guards, but I did not say that they should be disbanded on the spot.”

Chen An’s troubled mind calmed down a little, “What does the prince mean?”

“I will issue an order to have them return to Guzhou on their own. I will return to the capital alone to meet the emperor. After that, I will resign and return to Guzhou to recuperate. I will never be involved in the court affairs again.”

Chen An understood, but his expression was even worse than before: “So these 30,000 guards are the prince’s sincerity to show His Majesty?”

Lin Bozhou just smiled and said, “That’s fine if you want to understand it that way.”

How else can we understand that?

Chen An sat outside the carriage, talking to Lin Bozhou through a curtain. He could only glimpse Lin Bozhou’s expression through the faint wind blowing up the curtain.

If it was true as Lin Bozhou said, this was a show of sincerity to His Majesty – abandoning the guards of the palace and returning to the capital alone, then Lin Bozhou had been planning for six years in the capital, working hard, but now he surrendered all his weapons, showing his sincere heart to Emperor Xuanhe, allowing Emperor Xuanhe to judge him guilty or not guilty based on his likes and dislikes –

Guilty, beheaded.

Not guilty, exiled to Guzhou to be an idle prince.

——Isn’t this a situation where everything is lost and nothing good can be gained?

Chen An thought about it and lifted the curtain. He felt something was wrong: “My Lord.”

Lin Bozhou placed his hands by the stove to warm them. His hands had distinct joints, slender knuckles, and slightly protruding blood vessels, which were reflected in the orange flames and looked very beautiful.

“Um?”

“Your Highness has worked hard for the court for six years and created so many achievements. The people are grateful to you. Conquering Zhulizhen saved the court from collapse. Are you willing to end up like this?!”

When Chen An said this, his voice was high-pitched and a little excited. He felt sorry for Lin Bozhou.

The flames danced with the movement of the wheels, and the division of light and shadow also danced with it.

Lin Bozhou reached out his hand to hook the silver charcoal in the stove. His eyebrows and eyes were all illuminated by the fire. His pupils reflected the fire, jumping non-stop, like an eternal fire burning in the underworld, carrying a gloomy feeling that infected the darkness.

But his tone was indifferent and weary, as if he was tired of fighting.

“I have been in power for six years and I am already tired. In the past half month, I have been living with the princess in a small family, with adequate food and clothing, and I have found a kind of pleasure that I have never experienced before. So returning to Guzhou to retire and become an idle prince is my current wish. Chen An, please stop persuading me.”

Chen An was speechless and stood there in a daze for a moment.

He said nothing more and turned to look at the increasingly strong wind and snow.

Silence returned to the carriage, and the fire seemed to be brighter.

The wheels moved further into the darkness, until the cold of the night invaded more and more deeply, and even the fire in the stove could hardly resist the cold.

From time to time, you can hear the sound of wind and snow blowing across the plain.

“Crack!”

A sudden noise woke Meng Huan from his sleep. He showed the nervousness of fleeing, and looked around blankly with his eyes wide open.

What happened?

Why did the carriage suddenly get stuck?

Meng Huan held onto Lin Bozhou’s hand tightly, cold sweat forming on his palms: “What’s wrong?”

Lin Bozhou raised his hand and gently protected him behind his back.

This place is some distance away from the camp where the royal guards are stationed.

Outside the carriage, Chen An’s unexpected voice sounded: “Who is it?”

There was a faint glow of fire ahead, and it seemed as if a team was coming on horseback, holding flags, and the ground began to shake.

Even Chen An didn’t know? Meng Huan became even more nervous. Could it be the soldiers of the Marquis of Zhenguan?

He held onto Lin Bozhou’s hand tightly, his palms shaking, and subconsciously said, “Why don’t we jump out of the car first? The woods around here are dark, they won’t be able to find us, let’s hide first.”

Meng Huan was a timid person to begin with, and the time he spent fleeing had made every cell in his body extremely sensitive, so he could come up with a way to save his life at any time.

Lin Bozhou held his hand tightly, and could hear the young man’s trembling breathing in his ears. He was obviously extremely scared, but he held him tightly, as if he was more afraid that something would happen to Lin Bozhou.

The breath so close together made Lin Bozhou close his eyes.

What I said to Chen An just now was almost all lies and tests.

He felt that a certain idea seemed to have taken root more deeply in his heart, growing branches and leaves, not only blooming flowers but even wanting to bear fruit.

After loosening his grip, he held Meng Huan tightly again and said gently, “Okay, don’t be afraid, just bear with it.”

Another sentence buried the depression in the darkness.

He began to look forward to a time when no one would be able to scare Meng Huan.

ONE HUNDRED FIVE
The silence outside the carriage was accompanied by the sound of the cold wind blowing past.

The flickering firelight reflected Meng Huan’s eyebrows. He swallowed gently, listening to the sound of himself swallowing, and his mind was quickly calculating.

——If this was the person that Zhenguan Hou came to kill, he would immediately, right away, abandon the car and flee without stopping, taking Lin Bozhou with him.

Lin Bozhou’s eyes were not healed yet, and he couldn’t live without me. Although I was timid, I could take Lin Bozhou and escape again. After confirming my idea, Meng Huan encouraged himself and gently held the door frame of the carriage.

As he was waiting to sneak out, a young man’s voice was heard.

“Is that Chen Changshi in front?”

The tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed, and Chen An stood up: “It’s Commander Zhang? Aren’t you stationed in the camp? Why did you lead the troops here in person? I thought it was…”

A bitter laugh.

It was a false alarm.

The flags could not be seen in the dim night, but Zhang Hu’s rapid breathing could be heard behind his galloping horse: “When I heard about the whereabouts of the prince, I could not contain my anxiety and came here specially to greet him.” His voice was full of worry.

I see.

This group of people were loyal to Lin Bozhou. Lin Bozhou’s whereabouts were like lighting a candle in the darkness for them, and everyone unconsciously wanted to return to him as soon as possible.

The danger is over.

Meng Huan’s mind relaxed, and he slowly sat back in his chair. He felt that he had been a little nervous recently, and couldn’t sleep well at night. Occasionally, he would wake up in the middle of the night, thinking that the sound of wind outside the window was the footsteps of soldiers coming to search.

Guards stood on both sides of the sedan, giving him an obvious sense of security. Meng Huan felt a wave of fatigue coming from deep within his body, making his voice suddenly sticky: “Husband.”

Lin Bozhou tilted his head: “What?”

“sleepy.”

The boy’s voice was light and soft, as if he was extremely tired.

Lin Bozhou put his arms around him, and stroked the hair on his forehead lovingly: “Then let’s go to sleep first?”

“Okay, I’ll go to sleep first. Call me when we get there.” Meng Huan closed his eyes obediently and muttered softly.

His long and thick eyelashes made the firelight cast a little orange color. His chin was tucked into his collar. The line from his nose to his chin was delicate and beautiful, white and clean yet fragile.

When she fell asleep, she didn’t seem so nervous, but her fingers were still gently clenching the corner of Lin Bozhou’s clothes.

“…”

The light and shadow were bright and dark, and Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes and looked at him for a while.

The reflection in his eyes outlined Meng Huan’s eyebrows, forehead, and lips, a look he hadn’t seen for almost half a month. He could only wait until Meng Huan fell asleep before returning to his sight.

“Snap——”

Hearing the sound of falling snow, Lin Bozhou seemed to come back to his senses from meditation. He remembered something and his lips lifted slightly.

My own eyes can’t see yet.

His smile froze and he looked away.

The carriage continued to move forward in the wind and snow. After driving for about another hour or two, a faint glow of fire appeared ahead, and they finally arrived outside the camp where the royal guards were stationed.

The stopped carriage woke Meng Huan up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around blankly: “Are we there yet?”

“arrive.”

“Then I’ll go down first.”

Meng Huan jumped down holding the door frame. His shoes almost slipped on the ice, and when his balance was unstable, Lin Bozhou raised his hand and supported his arm.

“Huanhuan, be good and be careful.” Lin Bozhou said in a gentle voice.

“Yeah.” Meng Huan yawned again, tears streaming down his face, and he looked at the familiar camp with tearful eyes.

Chen An brought a stool and supported Lin Bozhou: “Your Highness, please get off the carriage. You have been waiting for your Highness for half a month and are looking forward to meeting your Highness. You are now more confident.”

The simple carriage drove into the camp, looking exhausted. Meng Huan was still yawning and feeling sleepy. It was late at night, and the camp was completely silent. Many people stayed not far away, with lights on, as if they were waiting for Lin Bozhou to come over and talk.

But.

Lin Bozhou said tiredly, “We are exhausted from the journey. We will not see them tonight. Let’s take a rest first.”

“Okay, it’s time to rest first.” Chen An led the way and took Lin Bozhou to the sleeping tent next to the central military tent.

The road was guarded by guards, and although it was late at night, it did not feel gloomy or scary.

With his life no longer in danger, Meng Huan’s steps became much lighter. He rubbed his face to drive away the sleepiness and then lifted the curtain of the tent. The coldness in his body was instantly dispelled by the incoming heat, which blew his slender hair back, revealing his fair forehead and chin.

——There was hot food on the table in the tent. A quick look showed that there was beef, mutton, chicken, duck and strong liquor.

The wooden barrel was filled with steaming water.

The bed was covered with a soft and comfortable quilt.

The source of the high fever was a large copper basin in the tent, which was burning firewood, dispelling the cold in the room and even forcing out a little warmth in Meng Huan.

“…………”

As if standing still, Meng Huan stared into the tent in a daze.

He had been wandering outside for too long and almost forgot that this was a standard part of Lin Bozhou’s life. He was extremely surprised. He couldn’t help but look around, and as he looked, a strange feeling came over him.

——All of this showed that they were safe. They were home. The previous experiences of living in the open air and escaping death had disappeared without a trace, becoming a memory that could be covered up with a snowfall.

“Your Highness, have a good rest. Chen An will take his leave.”

The people around him tactfully left the tent.

Meng Huan and Lin Bozhou were the only ones left in the room. Meng Huan rubbed his face, as if waking up from a daze. His first reaction was to walk to the food on the table.

He is hungry.

Meng Huan led Lin Bozhou over and whispered, “Shall we have some?”

“Huanhuan, eat whatever you want.” Lin Bozhou said with a half-smile.

Meng Huan was in a good mood. He looked down at the chicken, duck, fish and meat on the table, as well as a pot of hot porridge that had been boiled into a paste and exuded an extremely tempting aroma.

Meng Huan’s throat rolled slightly. After sitting down, each of them scooped a bowl, and he also put a lot of dishes into the empty bowl next to Lin Bozhou. After arranging everything, he picked up the chopsticks and said, “Let’s eat.”

Lin Bozhou obviously didn’t plan to talk about business tonight and just wanted to have a good rest. He took off his fox fur and crane cloak, changed out of his royal robe, and only wore a clean snow-white inner robe. However, he was not cold even in front of the stove. He supported his forehead with his fingers, and seemed to have no interest in eating, but was very interested in Meng Huan.

The gaze fell in the direction of Meng Huan.

Strangeness.

Meng Huan couldn’t help but look at him.

…Lin Bozhou’s eye disease had clearly not healed, but Meng Huan always felt that his eyes seemed to be able to see.

Meng Huan drank a mouthful of porridge and picked up the fish. He was daydreaming and suddenly swallowed a fish bone. He spit it out quickly and his gums hurt a little.

He stopped using his chopsticks.

Lin Bozhou: “What’s wrong?”

Meng Huan: “What kind of fish is this? It has so many bones.”

“It should be a river fish,” Lin Bozhou picked up a handkerchief and wiped the corners of his lips for him. “It’s winter and the ice is frozen. It’s not easy to eat fresh food. This is probably the only fish. Be careful when eating it.”

Meng Huan nodded and reached out his chopsticks to pick up some beef.

The taste is similar to before, but the porridge is very special. It is made by mixing millet with rice and is a bit watery.

This made Meng Huan not very comfortable with the drink.

He lowered his head to eat. Lin Bozhou did not move his chopsticks the whole time. He lowered his eyes to look at the bowl. The line from his nose to his jaw was handsome, and in the dim light, his eyebrows and eyes seemed a little tired.

Meng Huan put down the bowl: “Why don’t you eat, are you tired?”

“No,” Lin Bozhou said gently, “Huanhuan eats by herself, don’t worry about me.”

I guess he is probably worried about something.

Lin Bozhou is a thoughtful person. Once he thinks of something, he loses his appetite.

Meng Huan said, “Then wait for me to eat a few more bites, and then we’ll go to sleep.”

He ate faster.

However, the tip of the chopsticks quickly swept across the table, and Meng Huan picked up a piece of greasy food, thinking it was a piece of meat, but unexpectedly he took a bite.

“pickle?”

It was the first time for him to eat pickles in Lin Bozhou’s tent.

This should be the popular local cabbage and potatoes, soaked together, it tastes pretty good.

Lin Bozhou listened, raised his eyes slightly, and said nothing.

Meng Huan didn’t care much about this. He quickly finished his meal and stood up: “Take a bath to warm up my body and then go to sleep.”

He helped Lin Bozhou to the hot water bucket.

The wood on the edge of the hot water bucket was brand new, and looked like it was newly made. Lin Bozhou walked slowly, and his body seemed a little heavy. Meng Huan put his hand on his collar, and felt Lin Bozhou’s warm breath, and a numbing feeling was transmitted from the skin to the heart through his fingertips.

“Take off your clothes?” Meng Huan asked in a low voice.

Lin Bozhou’s figure was so tall that he almost cast Meng Huan in shadow.

He half lowered his eyes and focused on Meng Huan.

After a moment, he said, “Okay, Huanhuan, thank you for your hard work.”

Gentle, or in the tone of coaxing a child.

Meng Huan unbuttoned his shirt with his fingers and pulled it down, revealing Lin Bozhou’s thin and firm shoulders. The light shone on his ears and neck, and flowed down like water.

There were also some tiny shadows on his nose and under his lips, and his drooping eyebrows unconsciously showed a bit of interest and scrutiny.

“…”

Meng Huan also took off his clothes.

Before taking it off, he subconsciously glanced at Lin Bozhou.

Then, Meng Huan remembered that she had been married to him for half a year, but she was still so shy.

His ears turned red, he took off all his clothes, bent his knees and entered the hot water tub.

The space was narrow, and two people going in together would inevitably have physical contact. His knees rubbed against each other gently, and as soon as Meng Huan touched the hot water, he felt all the muscles in his body relax, and his strength was drained away in an instant, and he slumped in the tub.

“It’s nice to be back. It’s not like being outside where there’s nothing.”

Lin Bozhou seemed to laugh.

He picked up the handkerchief, brushed water over Meng Huan’s body, and then wiped his shoulders, ears and neck with the hot and wet handkerchief.

“Hey, husband,” Meng Huan stopped him lazily, “Now that we’re back in the camp, you don’t have to be my little wife and take care of me by bathing me and warming my bed, lest I…”

When his subordinates see this, it will deepen their impression that Lin Bozhou is blinded by lust.

Lin Bozhou raised the corner of his lips slightly: “There is still a long time to come, are you not used to it now?”

“……Um?”

Meng Huan was speechless and opened his lower lip.

The conversation between Lin Bozhou and Chen An flashed through my mind.

Judging from all the information revealed during this period, Lin Bozhou will most likely return to Guzhou after going to Beijing to meet the emperor and become an idle prince without any official position.

——Become like all the vassal kings, with noble blood, enjoying wealth and splendor, but unable to interfere with the imperial court in the slightest, becoming a bird placed in a cage woven of gold and jade.

“Are you really going back to Guzhou?” Meng Huan was always skeptical.

After all, this plot doesn’t exist in the original book.

Lin Bozhou smiled and grabbed his hair to prevent it from getting wet.

“Well, I want to go back.”

Meng Huan paused for a moment and said, “Okay.”

Although peaceful, it also felt a little strange.

The main reason was that it was really hard for him to connect Lin Bozhou, who handled the ever-changing affairs of state, with Lin Bozhou, who spent his days walking his birds, raising cats, watching plays and drinking tea.

In the past, Meng Huan had hardly seen Lin Bozhou in the mansion during the day. He was busy in the court all day, carefully planning the world’s affairs, full of vigor and energy, as if he was born to hold power. But if he returned to Guzhou, he couldn’t believe what it would be like to watch Lin Bozhou reciting poems, drinking tea and appreciating flowers, or even playing mahjong and humming little songs every day.

Thinking of this, Meng Huan turned her head and looked at Lin Bozhou: “Husband.”

The handkerchief in his hand stopped, and Lin Bozhou turned his gaze back: “Hmm?”

Meng Huan’s voice was gentle, but every word he spoke was crystal clear.

“Do you like that kind of life?”