ONE HUNDRED SIXTEEN
Meng Huan was originally thinking about him, but he didn’t expect Lin Bozhou to say that he wouldn’t even get angry.
His face tensed for a moment, and he nodded: “Well, I won’t be angry.”
After saying this, he quickly covered his face with the blanket in the carriage to keep warm, and like a child who was quarreling and throwing a tantrum, he refused to communicate, demonstrating on the spot what it meant for a fool to be angry.
The sleeves of his robe were wide, and the wrist that protruded from the sleeves was fair and slender, with slender knuckles, covering his entire face, making him look very autistic.
Lin Bozhou smiled unconsciously, and while smiling, his fingertips touched his wrist: “Yeah, that’s right, that’s what it means to be angry. Your husband did something that made Huanhuan unhappy, and it’s right to get angry right away. You can’t hold it in and make yourself feel bad.”
He was gentle and considerate even in this.
Meng Huan moved his fingers and continued to cover his face.
“Now,” Lin Bozhou thought for a moment and raised his eyes, “it’s time for your husband to apologize to Huanhuan.”
Meng Huan’s fingers were a little stiff.
He licked his lower lip and waited for the next words when the back of his hand was gently covered.
The man pried open her white fingers bit by bit, and she could smell the faint fragrance of Lin Bozhou approaching. His dark and deep eyes stared at Meng Huan, and his voice was low: “It was my fault that the two of us were trapped in the situation in Liaodong at that time. I had no choice but to lie to you.”
“…” Meng Huan’s lips moved.
He wasn’t actually that angry.
Three months have passed since I started worrying about Lin Bozhou. What could be more important than him regaining his sight?
But Lin Bozhou in front of him spoke word by word: “I swear to you that from now on, I will never let you fall into a desperate situation where life and death are uncertain. If you break your oath, I will cut off your bones and flesh and suffer the most painful pain in the world.”
“…”
Meng Huan blinked, and saw surprise in his eyes.
Lin Bozhou has always been cautious in his words and actions, rarely showing his emotions in his words, but at this moment he made such a life-and-death oath.
Could it be that Liaodong’s eye disease relapsed and he became blind, causing Meng Huan to have to shoulder the responsibility of this small family, and the psychological shadow on him… is it very big?
Meng Huan’s eyelashes twitched slightly: “There’s no need to do this.”
“Well,” Lin Bozhou said, “Just saying it out loud will make me feel better.”
“Let’s not talk about the past.” Meng Huan patted his shoulder to comfort him, “It’s not too late for you to be nice to me now.”
Lin Bozhou smiled: “Of course I’ll be nice to Huanhuan.”
“Then I won’t be angry.” Meng Huan threw away the quilt that had been covering his face.
He smiled at Lin Bozhou, showing his white teeth and narrowing his eyes like a cat.
Lin Bozhou couldn’t help but smile and lowered his eyes. The gaze he met was extremely gentle, like the spring water on the lake blown by the breeze.
But.
Meng Huan was stunned for a moment, and the scene of Lin Bozhou swearing just now came back to his mind.
Lin Bozhou’s expression was totally different from the gentle one he has now. His eyes were gloomy, like a carnivore camouflaged and restrained in the grass before hunting. However, the smell of blood could not be avoided from the grinding of teeth.
But he looked at Meng Huan with great tenderness.
“…”
Meng Huan felt that Lin Bozhou seemed a little depressed recently.
However, perhaps because Lin Bozhou had just left the court, he was a little unaccustomed to it. Meng Huan shook his head, thinking that it was an illusion, and quickly dispelled the idea from his mind.
After walking for about half a month, we arrived at the border of Guzhou.
Meng Huan jumped off the carriage. The guards of the palace came to greet Lin Bozhou. There were a large number of soldiers in the tent. After Lin Bozhou returned to the capital, he applied to His Majesty to transfer the guards from Jinzhou back to Guzhou. The guards had been in Guzhou for more than a month.
In the crowd, Meng Huan looked up and saw Chen An and Shan Xing, whom he hadn’t seen for more than two months. They looked a little emotional.
“Your Majesty is very smart.”
At that time, they all disapproved of Lin Bozhou’s return to Beijing, but now, looking at the situation in the world, they have nothing but admiration for him.
Lin Bozhou leaned on a cane and didn’t tell anyone about the eyes except Meng Huan. He asked casually, “How do you feel about returning to Guzhou for the New Year?”
“I haven’t been back for six years. When I was in the capital, I thought Guzhou was poor and remote. Now that I’m back, I see it’s not that poor.” Shanxing spoke casually and said with a smile, “Home is still the best place.”
Lin Bozhou raised the corner of his lips slightly and said, “If you like it at home, stay here for a long time.”
He turned his gaze towards the palace guards who were welcoming him and asked, “Are the soldiers settled?”
“Everything has been settled. Rewards have been given according to merit, military pay has been distributed, and more than ten kilograms of meat and rice and flour have been purchased for the New Year,” Chen An said. “The food, horses and equipment lost in the war have also been replenished, and the guards have recovered their combat effectiveness.”
Lin Bozhou hummed: “How many soldiers died?”
Chen An: “More than 2,000 people.”
“They are the heroes of Dazong. Without them, Liaodong would have fallen and Dazong would have been in turmoil. The pensions have all been handed over to their relatives?”
Chen An: “In reply to the prince, they have all been handed in.”
Lin Bozhou was quiet for a while, then nodded, “Let’s recruit more soldiers to make up the number. Zhu Lizhen has invaded and Zhengguanhou has rebelled. I believe that other foreign tribes in the north will also take advantage of the internal strife in Dazong and start to stir. Guzhou will be the first to bear the brunt of the attack. Recruit more soldiers so that they can protect Dazong in the future.”
“More conscription?”
Chen An paused, seeming to feel something was wrong.
He looked at Lin Bozhou and wanted to say something: “Your Majesty.”
“Um.”
Chen An spoke respectfully and cautiously: “According to regulations, the five guards of the Royal Palace Guard Command are not to exceed 5,000 soldiers each. The number has exceeded it before. I am afraid that if we recruit more soldiers, it will be suspected of self-reliance. What if it arouses the suspicion of His Majesty…”
This is indeed a big problem.
As we all know, a rebellion requires an army. In order to prevent the princes from rebelling with a large army, the laws of the great clan were extremely strict. Especially after the reduction of the feudal lords, the number of soldiers that the princes could actually control rarely exceeded 10,000, and some could only control 1,000 or 2,000 people.
Lin Bozhou already has a lot of soldiers, and he is afraid that if he has more, it will arouse the vigilance of the court.
“If the general writes a letter to Your Majesty to complain, slandering the prince for having rebellious intentions and getting himself into trouble, I’m afraid things will be troublesome.” This was said by Shan Xing.
Not long ago, he was still hinting at Lin Bozhou to raise an army in Liaodong.
Lin Bozhou raised his eyelids and glanced at him.
Shan Xing gave a fake smile: “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
“…”
During the three months that Lin Bozhou returned to Beijing alone, Shan Xing and Chen An had been pondering Lin Bozhou’s words over and over day and night. After all, they had lived together for more than 20 years, and they always felt something was wrong.
It was not until the news of Zhenguanhou’s rebellion arrived that Shanxing’s heart was shocked and his mind suddenly became enlightened.
But he would keep this secret and just give Lin Bozhou a smirk.
Lin Bozhou looked away, his expression serious: “The law is strict, and the border defense of the clan cannot be ignored.”
He leaned on his cane and turned to look at the snow-covered Guzhou city gate, “Please invite the general to the palace for a drink some other day.”
Really.
Shan Xing was also cautious: “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Behind him, Meng Huan raised his hand and greeted Chen An: “Uncle Chen.”
“Princess, I haven’t seen you for a few months.” Chen An smiled kindly.
“Can we go back home now?” Meng Huan asked.
Chen An: “Don’t worry, I will stay at the inn tonight and go back to the city tomorrow.”
Meng Huan was a little confused: “Ah? Why?”
Chen An explained: “The prince’s return to the vassal state is a major event that shakes the country. The capital has hundreds of civil and military officials to see him off. When he returns to his fiefdom, Guzhou, all the officials are waiting outside the city gate. A banquet has been set up. We will have a feast tonight and return to the prince’s palace tomorrow.”
He added patiently, “These are all official customs.”
In the past two months, every time Lin Bozhou passed through a city, there were officials to greet him and see him off. Meng Huan had nothing to say, “Okay, then stay one more night.”
“If Princess is not used to these occasions, you can go to the backyard of the inn. Zhu Dong has been waiting for you for more than three months.” Shan Xing said at this time.
“Really?” Meng Huan was in high spirits. “Let’s go meet him.”
“Knock, knock.”
Lin Bozhou knocked a few strands of ice and snow lightly and without much force.
Meng Huan showed a pure and innocent smile, and looked at him with bright eyes: “Husband, I’m going to find Zhu Dong.”
Lin Bozhou obviously had a prejudice against Zhu Dong, but since he risked his life to drag Meng Huan back from the hillside in Qiezhou, Lin Bozhou had no choice.
He lowered his head, his dark eyes looking sideways, and stopped tapping with his cane. He said, “Go, and come back soon.”
Meng Huan turned and went to the backyard.
He no longer wore the cotton coat that he wore as a military servant in Guzhou, but changed into a bamboo-leaf green silk robe with embroidered patterns on the collar. He also had his hair combed and wore gold and jade. During the time he and Lin Bozhou had returned to the capital, his complexion had become fair, his eyebrows and eyes were handsome, and he looked quite noble.
Zhu Dong sat in the backyard, chatting with a few guests: “Have you ever fought in a war, brother?”
“Can you write frontier poems?”
“The snowflakes in Yanshan are as big as a mat, blowing down piece by piece——”
Meng Huan curled his lips, walked behind him and patted his shoulder: “Brother Dong.”
Zhu Dong turned his head suddenly and almost knocked over the flower pot: “Brother Chen!”
He stood up immediately: “Long time no see!”
After returning to Guzhou for a few months, he has taken better care of himself. He is no longer as dark and thin as he was after joining the army. He looks handsome and lively. He looked Meng Huan up and down and said, “You look so rich in this outfit! When the prince returned to Beijing, he didn’t bring any of his confidants, not even my cousin, but you. I felt that the prince doted on you, and it was true!”
“…………”
After hearing the words “Brother Chen”, Meng Huan knew that Shan Xing, the wicked man, had not yet explained the whole story to him.
Meng Huan pursed his lips and nodded: “Well, he is really good to me.”
“That’s not good enough—”
Zhu Dong seemed to remember something, “Have you returned to the palace to see the princess?”
Meng Huan tried hard to hold back his laughter: “I see.”
“What’s the situation like when the first wife meets the second wife? Is there tension?” Zhu Dong was worried about his situation.
“On the verge of a fight?” Meng Huan thought, “No.”
“That’s good. I was afraid you would be abused.” Zhu Dong then remembered to introduce the Qingke he had just talked to: “Everyone, this is the prince’s second wife, her surname is Chen——”
“…” Meng Huan pulled him over, causing Zhu Dong to sway. Meng Huan was afraid that he was bragging too much, so he pulled his sleeve and walked to a deserted place without saying a word.
Zhu Dong was pulled crooked, “Why don’t you let me speak?”
Meng Huan found an excuse: “Let’s not talk about it. It will be uncomfortable to get along with each other if we stick to this etiquette.”
Zhu Dong also gave up struggling: “You are right.”
They walked to the pavilion at the end of the corridor and sat down.
After not seeing each other for three months, the two chatted about the New Year holidays, and their memories unconsciously returned to Liaodong where they lived and died together. Zhu Dong had not yet come out of the shadow of war. He said in a sad and angry tone: “Zhenguan Hou is really evil. He slandered the prince for rebellion but failed, and now he is rebelling himself. The court dispatched troops to conquer him. Tell me, war is a waste of time and money, why are there always people who don’t stop?”
Meng Huan lowered his head, a faint velvety light covered his cheeks, and he was also in a daze: “Yes, I can’t figure it out.”
The experiences of the refugees who had suffered from the war came to my mind. The flashes of swords, the shadows of iron hooves and scimitars, the flesh and blood pierced by the barricades, the loud screams and shouts of the children’s names, were buried in the rolling dust, and no one could see the body or the life…
My heart felt like it was being pricked by a needle and was aching.
“The trouble caused by the Marquis of Zhenguan this time is huge,” Zhu Dong gritted his teeth, “He is not a commoner who rebelled because he couldn’t afford food. He is a descendant of the founding nobles. In the entire Dazong Dynasty, except for the royal family, they have the best food and drink! But he has enjoyed so many favors, but he doesn’t know how to do good things and instead rebels. Where is the dignity of the Dazong Dynasty? Where is the dignity of Your Majesty?”
Meng Huan turned his head and looked at him: “Your Majesty’s majesty?”
“If Your Majesty loses his dignity, rituals and music are ruined, reputations and positions are upside down, the order between the monarch and his subjects collapses, and the subjects are disloyal to the monarch, and do not want to be loyal subjects whose names will go down in history, then what can control them? There will inevitably be more and more ambitious people who imitate the rebellion. By then, the ferocious and bloodthirsty wolves will compete for supremacy in the Central Plains, and the gentle and kind people will be slaughtered at will like lambs. How can they survive?”
Meng Huan was originally playing with a slender leaf, but at this moment his fingers stopped and he couldn’t help but look at him.
“Zhenguan Hou was the first to rebel so seriously?”
Zhu Dong took a sip of tea and regained some of his composure in his voice: “The first rebellion was the beginning of the chaos, but it might not have been so serious.”
Meng Huan’s eyes widened slightly: “Hmm?”
“If the prince was still in the capital, what would happen if the Marquis of Zhenguan rebelled? If the rebellion was suppressed, the face of the court would be saved, and the face of the emperor would also be saved. But now the prince has left the capital, and His Majesty is only a teenager and has just taken power… He is currently handling the affairs of the court, and he has not seen thunderous means… If he fails to handle the rebellion of the Marquis of Zhenguan, he will be exposed as weak and incompetent. Wouldn’t other ambitious people take advantage of the situation to eat this big piece of fat meat?”
“…”
Meng Huan’s handsome and well-behaved eyes were extremely peaceful.
Ripples appeared in his heart, and the same emotions surged up as when Lin Bozhou’s power was taken away just after he won the battle. Meng Huan found that power was still as cruel as ever.
“Just wait for the world to be in chaos.”
After Zhu Dong finished speaking, a few wisps of cold wind blew into the pavilion, mixed with snow flakes, making people feel cold on the skin.
He patted his butt and stood up: “Is it time for the feast?”
The view was blocked by the snow-covered branches. A tall and slender figure walked beside the winding corridor. The scarlet python robe was bright and eye-catching in the snow. The young man wore a leather hat and gold and jade on his head. His facial features were handsome and heroic, but his slightly depressed eyebrows and eyes were a bit gloomy.
Zhu Dong knelt down: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Lin Bozhou said casually: “Get up, no need to be so polite.”
He is still pretending to be blind.
After answering Zhu Dong, he called softly, “Is Huanhuan here?”
Meng Huan stood up cooperatively and walked to his side: “Here.”
“The banquet is about to begin. You didn’t eat much at noon, and you’ve been saying you were hungry all the way. Come here and eat.” Lin Bozhou came to find him specifically.
Meng Huan responded: “Yes, I’m here.”
Subconsciously, he turned around and called Zhu Dong: “Come on, brother, eat—”
Before he finished saying the word “fan”, Zhu Dong looked at him with shocked eyes, stuttering, “Your last word is “huan”?”
“…”
At that time, Meng Huan followed the army as Chen An’s nephew. Meng Huan was too lazy to give himself a name, so he told everyone he was the second child in the family, so most people called him Chen Er, or Chen Jia Xiaolang.
Meng Huan: “Well, the last word in my name is Huan.”
Zhu Dong looked as if he had swallowed an egg: “Chen Huan?”
“…”
Meng Huan felt that things were a bit complicated and said, “Uh-“
“Come and sit down first.”
Lin Bozhou half lowered his eyes, his gaze filtering out from under his thick eyelashes. He stopped waiting for them and turned around to walk towards the banquet hall on the snow in the corridor.
Following behind Lin Bozhou, Zhu Dong licked his dry lips carefully: “Brother, do you know that our princess is called Meng Huan?”
“…”
Meng Huan: “Not sure.”
He paused, “Maybe?”
“There’s also Huan in your name.”
Zhu Dong frowned, swallowed, and finally said what he had been thinking for a long time: “I really think that the prince is treating you as a substitute for the princess!”
“…………”
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEEN
Meng Huan was originally thinking about him, but he didn’t expect Lin Bozhou to say that he wouldn’t even get angry.
His face tensed for a moment, and he nodded: “Well, I won’t be angry.”
After saying this, he quickly covered his face with the blanket in the carriage to keep warm, and like a child who was quarreling and throwing a tantrum, he refused to communicate, demonstrating on the spot what it meant for a fool to be angry.
The sleeves of his robe were wide, and the wrist that protruded from the sleeves was fair and slender, with slender knuckles, covering his entire face, making him look very autistic.
Lin Bozhou smiled unconsciously, and while smiling, his fingertips touched his wrist: “Yeah, that’s right, that’s what it means to be angry. Your husband did something that made Huanhuan unhappy, and it’s right to get angry right away. You can’t hold it in and make yourself feel bad.”
He was gentle and considerate even in this.
Meng Huan moved his fingers and continued to cover his face.
“Now,” Lin Bozhou thought for a moment and raised his eyes, “it’s time for your husband to apologize to Huanhuan.”
Meng Huan’s fingers were a little stiff.
He licked his lower lip and waited for the next words when the back of his hand was gently covered.
The man pried open her white fingers bit by bit, and she could smell the faint fragrance of Lin Bozhou approaching. His dark and deep eyes stared at Meng Huan, and his voice was low: “It was my fault that the two of us were trapped in the situation in Liaodong at that time. I had no choice but to lie to you.”
“…” Meng Huan’s lips moved.
He wasn’t actually that angry.
Three months have passed since I started worrying about Lin Bozhou. What could be more important than him regaining his sight?
But Lin Bozhou in front of him spoke word by word: “I swear to you that from now on, I will never let you fall into a desperate situation where life and death are uncertain. If you break your oath, I will cut off your bones and flesh and suffer the most painful pain in the world.”
“…”
Meng Huan blinked, and saw surprise in his eyes.
Lin Bozhou has always been cautious in his words and actions, rarely showing his emotions in his words, but at this moment he made such a life-and-death oath.
Could it be that Liaodong’s eye disease relapsed and he became blind, causing Meng Huan to have to shoulder the responsibility of this small family, and the psychological shadow on him… is it very big?
Meng Huan’s eyelashes twitched slightly: “There’s no need to do this.”
“Well,” Lin Bozhou said, “Just saying it out loud will make me feel better.”
“Let’s not talk about the past.” Meng Huan patted his shoulder to comfort him, “It’s not too late for you to be nice to me now.”
Lin Bozhou smiled: “Of course I’ll be nice to Huanhuan.”
“Then I won’t be angry.” Meng Huan threw away the quilt that had been covering his face.
He smiled at Lin Bozhou, showing his white teeth and narrowing his eyes like a cat.
Lin Bozhou couldn’t help but smile and lowered his eyes. The gaze he met was extremely gentle, like the spring water on the lake blown by the breeze.
But.
Meng Huan was stunned for a moment, and the scene of Lin Bozhou swearing just now came back to his mind.
Lin Bozhou’s expression was totally different from the gentle one he has now. His eyes were gloomy, like a carnivore camouflaged and restrained in the grass before hunting. However, the smell of blood could not be avoided from the grinding of teeth.
But he looked at Meng Huan with great tenderness.
“…”
Meng Huan felt that Lin Bozhou seemed a little depressed recently.
However, perhaps because Lin Bozhou had just left the court, he was a little unaccustomed to it. Meng Huan shook his head, thinking that it was an illusion, and quickly dispelled the idea from his mind.
After walking for about half a month, we arrived at the border of Guzhou.
Meng Huan jumped off the carriage. The guards of the palace came to greet Lin Bozhou. There were a large number of soldiers in the tent. After Lin Bozhou returned to the capital, he applied to His Majesty to transfer the guards from Jinzhou back to Guzhou. The guards had been in Guzhou for more than a month.
In the crowd, Meng Huan looked up and saw Chen An and Shan Xing, whom he hadn’t seen for more than two months. They looked a little emotional.
“Your Majesty is very smart.”
At that time, they all disapproved of Lin Bozhou’s return to Beijing, but now, looking at the situation in the world, they have nothing but admiration for him.
Lin Bozhou leaned on a cane and didn’t tell anyone about the eyes except Meng Huan. He asked casually, “How do you feel about returning to Guzhou for the New Year?”
“I haven’t been back for six years. When I was in the capital, I thought Guzhou was poor and remote. Now that I’m back, I see it’s not that poor.” Shanxing spoke casually and said with a smile, “Home is still the best place.”
Lin Bozhou raised the corner of his lips slightly and said, “If you like it at home, stay here for a long time.”
He turned his gaze towards the palace guards who were welcoming him and asked, “Are the soldiers settled?”
“Everything has been settled. Rewards have been given according to merit, military pay has been distributed, and more than ten kilograms of meat and rice and flour have been purchased for the New Year,” Chen An said. “The food, horses and equipment lost in the war have also been replenished, and the guards have recovered their combat effectiveness.”
Lin Bozhou hummed: “How many soldiers died?”
Chen An: “More than 2,000 people.”
“They are the heroes of Dazong. Without them, Liaodong would have fallen and Dazong would have been in turmoil. The pensions have all been handed over to their relatives?”
Chen An: “In reply to the prince, they have all been handed in.”
Lin Bozhou was quiet for a while, then nodded, “Let’s recruit more soldiers to make up the number. Zhu Lizhen has invaded and Zhengguanhou has rebelled. I believe that other foreign tribes in the north will also take advantage of the internal strife in Dazong and start to stir. Guzhou will be the first to bear the brunt of the attack. Recruit more soldiers so that they can protect Dazong in the future.”
“More conscription?”
Chen An paused, seeming to feel something was wrong.
He looked at Lin Bozhou and wanted to say something: “Your Majesty.”
“Um.”
Chen An spoke respectfully and cautiously: “According to regulations, the five guards of the Royal Palace Guard Command are not to exceed 5,000 soldiers each. The number has exceeded it before. I am afraid that if we recruit more soldiers, it will be suspected of self-reliance. What if it arouses the suspicion of His Majesty…”
This is indeed a big problem.
As we all know, a rebellion requires an army. In order to prevent the princes from rebelling with a large army, the laws of the great clan were extremely strict. Especially after the reduction of the feudal lords, the number of soldiers that the princes could actually control rarely exceeded 10,000, and some could only control 1,000 or 2,000 people.
Lin Bozhou already has a lot of soldiers, and he is afraid that if he has more, it will arouse the vigilance of the court.
“If the general writes a letter to Your Majesty to complain, slandering the prince for having rebellious intentions and getting himself into trouble, I’m afraid things will be troublesome.” This was said by Shan Xing.
Not long ago, he was still hinting at Lin Bozhou to raise an army in Liaodong.
Lin Bozhou raised his eyelids and glanced at him.
Shan Xing gave a fake smile: “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
“…”
During the three months that Lin Bozhou returned to Beijing alone, Shan Xing and Chen An had been pondering Lin Bozhou’s words over and over day and night. After all, they had lived together for more than 20 years, and they always felt something was wrong.
It was not until the news of Zhenguanhou’s rebellion arrived that Shanxing’s heart was shocked and his mind suddenly became enlightened.
But he would keep this secret and just give Lin Bozhou a smirk.
Lin Bozhou looked away, his expression serious: “The law is strict, and the border defense of the clan cannot be ignored.”
He leaned on his cane and turned to look at the snow-covered Guzhou city gate, “Please invite the general to the palace for a drink some other day.”
Really.
Shan Xing was also cautious: “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Behind him, Meng Huan raised his hand and greeted Chen An: “Uncle Chen.”
“Princess, I haven’t seen you for a few months.” Chen An smiled kindly.
“Can we go back home now?” Meng Huan asked.
Chen An: “Don’t worry, I will stay at the inn tonight and go back to the city tomorrow.”
Meng Huan was a little confused: “Ah? Why?”
Chen An explained: “The prince’s return to the vassal state is a major event that shakes the country. The capital has hundreds of civil and military officials to see him off. When he returns to his fiefdom, Guzhou, all the officials are waiting outside the city gate. A banquet has been set up. We will have a feast tonight and return to the prince’s palace tomorrow.”
He added patiently, “These are all official customs.”
In the past two months, every time Lin Bozhou passed through a city, there were officials to greet him and see him off. Meng Huan had nothing to say, “Okay, then stay one more night.”
“If Princess is not used to these occasions, you can go to the backyard of the inn. Zhu Dong has been waiting for you for more than three months.” Shan Xing said at this time.
“Really?” Meng Huan was in high spirits. “Let’s go meet him.”
“Knock, knock.”
Lin Bozhou knocked a few strands of ice and snow lightly and without much force.
Meng Huan showed a pure and innocent smile, and looked at him with bright eyes: “Husband, I’m going to find Zhu Dong.”
Lin Bozhou obviously had a prejudice against Zhu Dong, but since he risked his life to drag Meng Huan back from the hillside in Qiezhou, Lin Bozhou had no choice.
He lowered his head, his dark eyes looking sideways, and stopped tapping with his cane. He said, “Go, and come back soon.”
Meng Huan turned and went to the backyard.
He no longer wore the cotton coat that he wore as a military servant in Guzhou, but changed into a bamboo-leaf green silk robe with embroidered patterns on the collar. He also had his hair combed and wore gold and jade. During the time he and Lin Bozhou had returned to the capital, his complexion had become fair, his eyebrows and eyes were handsome, and he looked quite noble.
Zhu Dong sat in the backyard, chatting with a few guests: “Have you ever fought in a war, brother?”
“Can you write frontier poems?”
“The snowflakes in Yanshan are as big as a mat, blowing down piece by piece——”
Meng Huan curled his lips, walked behind him and patted his shoulder: “Brother Dong.”
Zhu Dong turned his head suddenly and almost knocked over the flower pot: “Brother Chen!”
He stood up immediately: “Long time no see!”
After returning to Guzhou for a few months, he has taken better care of himself. He is no longer as dark and thin as he was after joining the army. He looks handsome and lively. He looked Meng Huan up and down and said, “You look so rich in this outfit! When the prince returned to Beijing, he didn’t bring any of his confidants, not even my cousin, but you. I felt that the prince doted on you, and it was true!”
“…………”
After hearing the words “Brother Chen”, Meng Huan knew that Shan Xing, the wicked man, had not yet explained the whole story to him.
Meng Huan pursed his lips and nodded: “Well, he is really good to me.”
“That’s not good enough—”
Zhu Dong seemed to remember something, “Have you returned to the palace to see the princess?”
Meng Huan tried hard to hold back his laughter: “I see.”
“What’s the situation like when the first wife meets the second wife? Is there tension?” Zhu Dong was worried about his situation.
“On the verge of a fight?” Meng Huan thought, “No.”
“That’s good. I was afraid you would be abused.” Zhu Dong then remembered to introduce the Qingke he had just talked to: “Everyone, this is the prince’s second wife, her surname is Chen——”
“…” Meng Huan pulled him over, causing Zhu Dong to sway. Meng Huan was afraid that he was bragging too much, so he pulled his sleeve and walked to a deserted place without saying a word.
Zhu Dong was pulled crooked, “Why don’t you let me speak?”
Meng Huan found an excuse: “Let’s not talk about it. It will be uncomfortable to get along with each other if we stick to this etiquette.”
Zhu Dong also gave up struggling: “You are right.”
They walked to the pavilion at the end of the corridor and sat down.
After not seeing each other for three months, the two chatted about the New Year holidays, and their memories unconsciously returned to Liaodong where they lived and died together. Zhu Dong had not yet come out of the shadow of war. He said in a sad and angry tone: “Zhenguan Hou is really evil. He slandered the prince for rebellion but failed, and now he is rebelling himself. The court dispatched troops to conquer him. Tell me, war is a waste of time and money, why are there always people who don’t stop?”
Meng Huan lowered his head, a faint velvety light covered his cheeks, and he was also in a daze: “Yes, I can’t figure it out.”
The experiences of the refugees who had suffered from the war came to my mind. The flashes of swords, the shadows of iron hooves and scimitars, the flesh and blood pierced by the barricades, the loud screams and shouts of the children’s names, were buried in the rolling dust, and no one could see the body or the life…
My heart felt like it was being pricked by a needle and was aching.
“The trouble caused by the Marquis of Zhenguan this time is huge,” Zhu Dong gritted his teeth, “He is not a commoner who rebelled because he couldn’t afford food. He is a descendant of the founding nobles. In the entire Dazong Dynasty, except for the royal family, they have the best food and drink! But he has enjoyed so many favors, but he doesn’t know how to do good things and instead rebels. Where is the dignity of the Dazong Dynasty? Where is the dignity of Your Majesty?”
Meng Huan turned his head and looked at him: “Your Majesty’s majesty?”
“If Your Majesty loses his dignity, rituals and music are ruined, reputations and positions are upside down, the order between the monarch and his subjects collapses, and the subjects are disloyal to the monarch, and do not want to be loyal subjects whose names will go down in history, then what can control them? There will inevitably be more and more ambitious people who imitate the rebellion. By then, the ferocious and bloodthirsty wolves will compete for supremacy in the Central Plains, and the gentle and kind people will be slaughtered at will like lambs. How can they survive?”
Meng Huan was originally playing with a slender leaf, but at this moment his fingers stopped and he couldn’t help but look at him.
“Zhenguan Hou was the first to rebel so seriously?”
Zhu Dong took a sip of tea and regained some of his composure in his voice: “The first rebellion was the beginning of the chaos, but it might not have been so serious.”
Meng Huan’s eyes widened slightly: “Hmm?”
“If the prince was still in the capital, what would happen if the Marquis of Zhenguan rebelled? If the rebellion was suppressed, the face of the court would be saved, and the face of the emperor would also be saved. But now the prince has left the capital, and His Majesty is only a teenager and has just taken power… He is currently handling the affairs of the court, and he has not seen thunderous means… If he fails to handle the rebellion of the Marquis of Zhenguan, he will be exposed as weak and incompetent. Wouldn’t other ambitious people take advantage of the situation to eat this big piece of fat meat?”
“…”
Meng Huan’s handsome and well-behaved eyes were extremely peaceful.
Ripples appeared in his heart, and the same emotions surged up as when Lin Bozhou’s power was taken away just after he won the battle. Meng Huan found that power was still as cruel as ever.
“Just wait for the world to be in chaos.”
After Zhu Dong finished speaking, a few wisps of cold wind blew into the pavilion, mixed with snow flakes, making people feel cold on the skin.
He patted his butt and stood up: “Is it time for the feast?”
The view was blocked by the snow-covered branches. A tall and slender figure walked beside the winding corridor. The scarlet python robe was bright and eye-catching in the snow. The young man wore a leather hat and gold and jade on his head. His facial features were handsome and heroic, but his slightly depressed eyebrows and eyes were a bit gloomy.
Zhu Dong knelt down: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Lin Bozhou said casually: “Get up, no need to be so polite.”
He is still pretending to be blind.
After answering Zhu Dong, he called softly, “Is Huanhuan here?”
Meng Huan stood up cooperatively and walked to his side: “Here.”
“The banquet is about to begin. You didn’t eat much at noon, and you’ve been saying you were hungry all the way. Come here and eat.” Lin Bozhou came to find him specifically.
Meng Huan responded: “Yes, I’m here.”
Subconsciously, he turned around and called Zhu Dong: “Come on, brother, eat—”
Before he finished saying the word “fan”, Zhu Dong looked at him with shocked eyes, stuttering, “Your last word is “huan”?”
“…”
At that time, Meng Huan followed the army as Chen An’s nephew. Meng Huan was too lazy to give himself a name, so he told everyone he was the second child in the family, so most people called him Chen Er, or Chen Jia Xiaolang.
Meng Huan: “Well, the last word in my name is Huan.”
Zhu Dong looked as if he had swallowed an egg: “Chen Huan?”
“…”
Meng Huan felt that things were a bit complicated and said, “Uh-“
“Come and sit down first.”
Lin Bozhou half lowered his eyes, his gaze filtering out from under his thick eyelashes. He stopped waiting for them and turned around to walk towards the banquet hall on the snow in the corridor.
Following behind Lin Bozhou, Zhu Dong licked his dry lips carefully: “Brother, do you know that our princess is called Meng Huan?”
“…”
Meng Huan: “Not sure.”
He paused, “Maybe?”
“There’s also Huan in your name.”
Zhu Dong frowned, swallowed, and finally said what he had been thinking for a long time: “I really think that the prince is treating you as a substitute for the princess!”
“…………”
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN
Zhu Dong still didn’t think that Meng Huan was Lin Bozhou’s wife.
Meng Huan was also surprised by his repeated wrong answers, and couldn’t help asking: “What do you think the princess looks like?”
Zhu Dong: “He should be a dignified, generous, calm and reserved man.”
Meng Huan: “…”
They walked to the front hall, and You Jin ran over to help Meng Huan untie his cloak and brush off the snow: “The prince’s reception is too boring. If the master wants to go back to the palace and tell the prince first, just go back and tell him.”
Meng Huan shook his head: “Forget it, let’s wait for him to go back together.”
Meng Huan had a vague expectation for the Guzhou Palace, where Lin Bozhou had lived for twenty years, even though he had never met him. He and Lin Bozhou would spend their remaining years in this place, and he would marry Lin Bozhou, and he would also move into the house with Lin Bozhou.
Zhu Dong noticed You Jin: “Is this the eunuch who serves you? Not bad, and a fourth-rank eunuch.”
Meng Huan: “…”
You Jin rubbed the snow and looked at him: “Who is this young master?”
“My cousin who went to Shanxing, and I followed the army to Zhudong in Liaodong.”
You Jin’s expression suddenly changed. She held his hand, tears welling up in her eyes. “So it was you… Thank you for taking care of our master. He said that someone fell off a rock in Qiezhou, and you brought him back. If it weren’t for you, the master would probably have died.”
Zhu Dong bared his teeth and laughed: “What kind of relationship do I have with him? A life-long friendship! Such a small matter——”
“This is not a small matter, this is a huge matter!” You Jin wiped his tears, “Our master concealed his identity and went to Liaodong, mixed in with the servants and ate coarse food. He didn’t know anyone, and the prince was still busy. He was a lonely little man… He came back and told me that he made a good friend named Zhu Dong, and only you…”
Zhu Dong’s face was originally full of smiles.
As she listened, her smile faded and she looked at him with a strange expression: “What do you mean by hiding your identity?”
You Jin: “Hide the identity of the princess.”
The topic reached an awkward point.
Zhu Dong was silent for a moment.
His gaze returned to Meng Huan.
The pressure came instantly, and Meng Huan suddenly felt a little tricky. He licked his lip and said, “The situation was complicated in the army at that time. I didn’t tell you that Lin Bozhou and I had already been married.”
Zhu Dong took a deep breath.
He was stunned for about two or three seconds.
Then, a heart-wrenching “What?!”
After shouting, he quickly added.
“It’s not that I can’t accept that you are the princess, but,” he was dumbfounded, “I was always worried about your unstable status and position, and I wanted to encourage you to seduce the prince to get the title, so that he wouldn’t play with you and abandon you at will in the future. Doesn’t this make me look stupid!”
“this.”
Meng Huan thought about it and smiled with his white pointed teeth: “It’s not that stupid.”
Zhu Dong: “…”
The two looked at each other for a while.
Zhu Dong finally calmed down and muttered to himself, “So what you said about getting me promoted was true.”
Meng Huan looked at the front hall where Lin Bozhou was leaving and said, “Wait, I will definitely recommend you to the prince.”
“…” Zhu Dong was in a complicated mood for a while, “My cousin also lied to me. You all have thick eyebrows and big eyes, and you are all liars.”
Meng Huan rubbed his hands and walked into the yard with a smile.
The family members in the backyard set up a separate table, filled with wine and food, all of which were Guzhou’s famous dishes, including hot pot, stewed vegetables, meat with sand, braised carp, and fried, steamed, and deep-fried mutton. The braised carp was especially delicious, with an orange-yellow skin and a rich aroma. The soup was the color of the sauce, and the meat was extremely white, tender, and smooth, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth.
Zhu Dong talked about the dishes and then Guzhou: “Guzhou used to be very poor. Before the previous king came, Guzhou was a place where many ethnic groups mixed together. There were Tatars in the north, Uighurs in the west, and Tubo in the southwest. Foreigners would cause chaos every now and then. It was only after the previous king trained his troops and won several battles that Guzhou became as powerful as a mountain – remember the guards who won the battle in Qiezhou before? They were built at that time.”
Meng Huan: “I see.”
Zhu Dong: “Don’t worry. Although Guzhou is not as good as the capital, the previous king governed it well. The prince has often sent letters to give instructions in recent years. The people are self-sufficient, the government is clean, and the palace is prosperous. Life here may not be worse than in the capital.” He is the host now, so he comforts him, “You are marrying far away, so don’t worry too much about not being able to get used to it.”
Meng Huan paused as he was holding the chopsticks that were holding the food.
“I’m not worried about not being able to get used to the place.”
He was quite embarrassed to say this: “Wherever Lin Bozhou is, that’s home.”
Zhu Dong clicked his tongue.
“No wonder you followed the army at that time. You kept walking even though you couldn’t walk anymore. You drew maps during the day and at night. When you found out that there was something wrong with the map of Qiezhou, you climbed up the mountain at the risk of your life. So that’s how it is. So that’s how it is.”
Meng Huan and Zhu Dong talked about everything, and didn’t care about shame: “You will understand when you get married.”
Zhu Dong: “It’s still early. Let’s drink.”
The sounds of singing, dancing and orchestral music came from the front hall. The ceremony for Lin Bozhou’s return to his fiefdom was solemn and dignified. A welcoming banquet became a custom, during which various elegant music would be played to welcome the royal family.
——Also let the civil and military officials of Guzhou see Lin Bozhou’s appearance and say a few words. Although it is a cumbersome official procedure, like the drinking culture, it is very important for future communication between officials.
The table was full of leftovers.
Zhu Dong drunkenly grabbed the bottle of wine and said, “Brother, forget it. Although you are the princess and can influence others, I still want to rely on my real talents to get promoted!”
He spoke in a vague voice and picked up a glass of wine: “Drink!”
Meng Huan stopped at the cup and took a sip, her face blushing: “You don’t know how nice my husband is.”
Zhu Dong: “I, Zhu Dong, will definitely be able to make a name for myself!”
“He looks indifferent, but he is actually very gentle.” QAQ.
“I will marry and have children after I have accomplished something great…”
“Giving birth to a child?” Meng Huan woke up with a start. “It would be better if this was an article about giving birth to a child.”
“…”
You Jin couldn’t help but hold his forehead as he listened to the drunken talk of the two drunken young men: “The wine is strong, and drinking too much is bad for the stomach. Master, Master, drink as little as possible.”
Meng Huan held up his red and hot face, his eyes moist, and spoke drunkenly: “I don’t want to listen, I don’t want to listen, you bastard.”
His head was dizzy, and it was like this when he drank too much. His drinking behavior was really not good. You Jin was worried that drinking too much would be bad for his health, so he signaled to the attendant: “Go find the prince, only the prince can help.”
The man responded and left.
After a moment, the curtain was lifted by a slender hand, and a shadow was cast on the ground. The hem of the crimson royal robe brushed over the threshold, and Lin Bozhou’s tall and graceful figure came in.
“What’s wrong?”
The two men were lying on the table, Meng Huan’s forehead was against the table, he was drunk. If you say he was drunk, he only had less than one glass of wine.
“The master is happy and drinks, and he can’t stop.” You Jin frowned.
Lin Bozhou sat down on the chair next to Meng Huan. Meng Huan’s eyes lit up slightly when he saw him. He reached out his hand and lightly tapped his palm, feeling the warmth.
“Have you finished your banquet?” Meng Huan asked.
“It’s over. Show your face, say a few words and leave.”
Meng Huan hummed: “Then you can have dinner with me.”
The table was full of leftovers, and most of the dishes were half-eaten. It was obvious that the two had been full a long time ago, but they were still occupying the table and refused to leave.
Lin Bozhou: “Are you still hungry?”
Meng Huan picked up his chopsticks and nodded at the table: “I’m hungry.”
But he took a piece of fish with chopsticks and put it into his mouth, then shook his head and said, “I can’t eat any more.”
As he spoke, the fragrance of liquor emanated from his lips, and his cheeks were tinged with red. It was obvious that he was drunk and his mind was a little unclear, and his tone was mumbling.
Lin Bozhou smiled; “Do you want to take a rest?”
“No,” Meng Huan insisted unexpectedly, “I’m not sleepy.”
His body was solid, his forehead resting on his arms, his face was slightly flushed: “My husband, please accompany me for dinner.”
Clingier than usual.
You Jin winked at him, “The prince was busy feasting and meeting with his ministers in the front hall, and didn’t eat with the master. He was unhappy about it, so he occupied the table and refused to leave even after he was full.”
Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes and laughed unconsciously.
But Meng Huan was a weird person, he refused to say anything he was thinking.
He said, “If you can’t eat, don’t force yourself to eat. I’ll take you out for a walk, okay?”
The man’s voice was extremely gentle.
Meng Huan then slowly straightened up and turned his moist eyes: “Want to go out and play?”
“Well, go out and play.”
Meng Huan stopped occupying the table. She turned to look at the drunken little brother, knocked on the table and said seriously, “My husband took me out to play. You can drink and go home by yourself. You don’t have to wait for me.”
“Ah?” Zhu Dong was confused.
Meng Huan finished his instructions and patted his clothes: “Let’s go.”
Lin Bozhou changed his clothes, exchanging the royal robe that symbolized his status for a blue-white robe with white collar and lapels, blue-black trousers on the lower body, a long drooping horse mask, and a cloak and cape on the outside. His figure changed from a dignified and elegant prince to a handsome and upright one.
There were several dark figures and horses waiting in the backyard.
Meng Huan let out a breath of hot air: “Where are we going?”
Lin Bozhou half-helped him to step firmly into the stirrup and mount the horse. Just as he felt dizzy from being drunk, he felt the heat on his back and was held in the arms by strong arms.
“Go see my father and mother.”
Lin Bozhou gripped the reins tightly with his slender knuckles.
The wind woke Meng Huan from his drunken state, his eyes widened. Lin Bozhou urged the horse to run towards the royal mausoleum in front, stepping on the bluestone slabs in the night.
In the original book, Lin Bozhou’s family could not be considered happy. His father was a disgraced deposed crown prince but his ambitions were still high. He was strict in educating his son. It was all his responsibility that Lin Bozhou fell off his horse on the ice, developed an eye disease, and was tortured for the rest of his life.
My mother’s character was half Buddhist and half combative. She couldn’t win against the flamboyant concubine, so she used Lin Bozhou to compete.
When Lin Bozhou was young, he was used as a tool to fight for power.
But these two people, one was stabbed in the end and the other died of illness, and both became corpses buried in the dust.
Meng Huan asked softly: “Shall we go and worship now?”
“Um.”
The cold wind brushed past my ears.
“There will be a grand ceremony when we return to the palace, but there are a lot of formalities involved. I want to take Huanhuan to see it alone.” Lin Bozhou said.
Meng Huan curled up in his arms and hummed.
The royal mausoleum was more than ten miles outside the city, and it took only a quarter of an hour or two to get there by horseback. The sky gradually darkened, and the ground was covered with fine white snow. The royal mausoleum was built in a deep valley in the mountains and forests. When the horses could not pass through, they dismounted and held hands to go in.
A wall was built outside the mausoleum, and a circle of ditches were dug along the way. Flowers and trees were planted on both sides of the ditches, but they were already withered. There were lights on the inside of the mausoleum, and there were soldiers stationed not far ahead, and there was also a lighted side room.
Lin Bozhou walked to the door but was stopped: “Wang Ling, outsiders are not allowed to enter.”
Lin Bozhou just said: “Let Eunuch Chen come out and answer.”
A white-haired head popped out from the side room. When his eyes fell on Lin Bozhou, he suddenly shouted, “Prince—” He hurriedly changed his words, “Prince!”
He ran out and kowtowed hurriedly.
They were the people who served the previous king. When the previous king died, they guarded the tomb until their death.
Lin Bozhou: “Get up, no need to be so polite.”
The old eunuch burst into tears: “I heard that the prince has been regent for six years. Yuanxiao set out from the capital and was on the way to the country, but I didn’t expect that he has returned. Why did he come to see the late king and princess so late?”
He turned his gaze to the young man next to Lin Bozhou, and his lips moved: “This is…”
“This prince got married in the capital, and he is the princess.” Lin Bozhou said, “You came in a hurry, don’t be surprised, just light a lamp, and this prince and the princess will go to visit my father and mother.”
Eunuch Chen hurriedly responded, lit a palace lantern, and limped in.
ONE HUNDRED NINETEEN
The underground tomb was dark and eerie. Meng Huan was holding Lin Bozhou’s hand, and he felt a little chill on his back.
“Your Highness, you haven’t been back to Guzhou for six years. Now that you’re back, you won’t leave again. Are you used to living in the capital?” Eunuch Chen, who had held Lin Bozhou in his arms and watched him grow up, asked in a kind voice.
Lin Bozhou: “I wasn’t used to it at first, but I got used to it later.”
“That’s good. In the past few years, I have been guarding the tomb of the late king and princess, adding lamp oil day and night, and the lamp has never been extinguished. The late king and princess may have been waiting for the prince to come back to visit.”
It became increasingly darker in the depths of the tomb. Lamps were lit on the walls, and the lights flickered.
“We have arrived at the rear palace, Your Majesty, Princess.”
The rear hall is where the coffins of the former king and queen are placed.
When worshipping, they usually do not come to the underground back hall, but only to the hall on the ground where the crowns of the king and the queen are placed. Only those with very close relationship will come to visit in the back hall.
The atmosphere of the tomb is gloomy.
Meng Huan was hesitating when Lin Bozhou held his hand tightly and said, “Don’t be afraid.”
They walked into the back hall. In front of the coffin was an incense burner for offering sacrifices. Eunuch Chen hung the lamp on the wall of the tomb and lowered his head.
“I will withdraw first. If you have anything to say, please call me.”
There were only two coffins left in the back hall, containing Lin Bozhou and Meng Huan.
Lin Bozhou took two incense sticks and lit them in front of the eternal lamp. He handed one to Meng Huan and sat quietly in front of the coffin for a while.
“Father, Mother, my son is home.”
The coffins lay quietly, like two pieces of stone that could hear nothing.
Meng Huan held the incense in his palm and smelled the scent of ashes.
“My son didn’t have time to get married in Guzhou, so he went to the capital to get married. His surname is Meng Huan, and I’m bringing him here to let my father and mother see him.”
Lin Bozhou took Meng Huan’s hand, his eyelashes picked up a ray of dim light, and said in a gentle voice, “To my son, he seems to be a gift from the Bodhisattva. Seeing that my son has been pitiful for so many years, let him fulfill his son’s wish.”
“…”
Meng Huan’s heart trembled slightly.
The incense in his hand was offered into the furnace.
When the ashes scattered, Lin Bozhou’s childhood memories in the original book came to mind.
When he was two or three years old, he could recite after reading it once. His father was overjoyed when he heard his childish voice: “I, Lin Luan, have a successor. The royal family will prosper!”
When he was young, he was surrounded by a group of princes’ teachers. He sat on a stool and recited the Four Books and Five Classics, the Three Rituals and Three Notes in an orderly manner. His tender and fair face was calm. After he finished reciting, he looked at his mother’s expression through the curtain amid the praises.
When he was young, Lin Bozhou fell off his horse and became blind. His father immediately sentenced him to be disabled: “There must be someone to inherit the royal family, but the disabled will not be passed on. It is better to train his younger brother more in the future. This is how Zhou’er will live the rest of his life.”
Lin Bozhou lay on the bed with gauze covering his eyes, his fingers clenched into fists. I knew he was conscious, but Lin Luan shook his head and left after saying that.
Later… Lin Bozhou killed his half brother with the tacit consent of his mother, and his position as the crown prince was secured. Lin Luan was surprised, but the other sons were useless. He said angrily: “You are smart and sharp, and you have inhuman means. The great clan is declining, and it can only be restored by an extraordinary person. Maybe you can help the royal family get back on track in the future.”
In the first twenty-six years of Lin Bozhou’s life, his bloodline gave him the responsibility of this life since he was born, to protect the clan and revitalize the royal family.
But it seems that there are only the Crown Prince and the Regent in this world, but no Lin Bozhou.
The light reflected Lin Bozhou’s dark pupils, and the faint light flickered.
“Father, mother.”
Meng Huan tilted his head. After Lin Bozhou’s eyebrows calmed down, he seemed to suppress a sense of evil. There were twinkling stars in his eyes like ghost fire: “My son is unfilial.”
He stood in front of the coffin, his figure swaying in the candlelight.
Meng Huan was stunned for a moment, not understanding why he said he was unfilial.
“Father and mother hoped that my son would support the royal family, protect the imperial power, and prevent the imperial power from falling into the hands of others, and bring the great clan back on track, but my son can’t do it.”
Not only that, the son also has evil ambitions.
The one who eats the clan salary, holds the highest position among officials, enjoys all the glory and wealth without thinking of repaying anything in return is not someone else, but the son.
Even though my father was deposed, he never had any intention of being disloyal. He was always planning for the royal family and worrying about the Lin family’s kingdom.
But his son now wants the whole world to be flooded so as to destroy the Lin family who sits on the throne.
Lin Bozhou was dressed in clean plain clothes and stood quietly in front of the coffin.
Over the years, he has no complaints about his parents, only gratitude for raising him.
Even the chains that bound his hands were too strong and heavy, binding him to the spot, but he never thought of escaping.
But after breaking free, Lin Bozhou felt extremely relieved.
“My son wants to do something. When we meet in the afterlife, I hope my father and mother will not blame me or be disappointed in me.” Lin Bozhou looked up at the coffin, his brows calm and his voice gentle. But the repression and ambition in his words seemed like the cruelest revenge against his father over the years.
“Hula——”
A gust of wind blew in from the tomb passage, blowing the lights crookedly. The tomb was cold and gloomy. The palace lanterns were blown against the tomb wall, making a “crackling!” sound. The sound kept getting louder, as if expressing anger. The atmosphere in the narrow and cramped dark room suddenly became terrifying.
Lin Bozhou narrowed his eyes and looked straight at the coffin in the middle of the back hall. It was like a silent wrestling match, and no one was willing to give in.
The wind blew for a while and then slowly stopped.
Meng Huan’s eyes turned and her throat rolled: “Husband.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Lin Bozhou held his hand tightly, “The dead are dead, nothing can stop me anymore.”
Meng Huan still couldn’t stand the atmosphere in the tomb.
“Then go back.”
Two figures came out of the tomb passage holding palace lanterns, and Eunuch Chen hurried forward to illuminate them. There were also two middle-aged women standing beside them, wearing white clothes and wooden hairpins, supported by maids.
“Your Majesty.”
They were the two concubines of the previous king. Since they could not be buried with him while alive, they guarded the tomb beside the king’s mausoleum and would be buried beside the previous king after his death.
Lin Bozhou said: “Greetings to the two concubines.”
In terms of seniority, they are all considered Lin Bozhou’s mothers, but in terms of status, they can’t really be compared with Lin Bozhou. It’s just that when they heard that he came to see the late king, the two concubines came out to greet him.
Meng Huan couldn’t help but look at these two simple women.
They seemed to be Lin Bozhou’s only relatives.
However, he only asked about Wang Ling’s well-being and asked his followers to send more daily necessities to Wang Ling. Then Lin Bozhou took Meng Huan’s hand and said, “Let’s go.”
Lin Bozhou doesn’t care about these relatives.
At the gate of the mausoleum, the cold wind chilled my ears.
Meng Huan couldn’t help but ask: “Have we even met our parents?”
Lin Bozhou: “I have seen it.”
Meng Huan was idle and pondering: “If your father were still alive, would he be satisfied with me?”
Lin Bozhou smiled: “As a husband and Huanhuan, of course my husband’s thoughts are more important.”
“hey-hey.”
Just do a brief review.
This is what Meng Huan wanted: “No matter what they think.”
It was getting late at night and the ground was covered with snow. Meng Huan was supported by Lin Bozhou and got on the horse again. From behind, the warm body wrapped him again.
“Go ahead, ride a big horse! Ahhhhhhh——”
Lin Bozhou pulled the reins of the horse and turned the direction. The attendant followed far behind him and took Meng Huan to climb a hillside that was neither too high nor too low. There was a cliff in front of him. Standing on the hillside, he could overlook the entire Guzhou City. At night, the city was filled with lights from thousands of houses. On his side was the surging Yellow River, and behind him were mountains.
Meng Huan’s waist and abdomen were held by his strong arms. He didn’t feel cold, but his breath beside his ears was hot.
With bright eyes, he carefully looked at every trace of the mountains and rivers, every gate of the city, and every bend of the river. He missed the first 26 years of Lin Bozhou, and returned to the place where he grew up. Meng Huan wanted to trace his past and confirm the scenes in his fantasy.
“You grew up here?”
“right.”
“Have you ever been to this mountain?”
The wind and snow were getting stronger. Lin Bozhou pulled his cloak over and hugged him, gently kissing Meng Huan’s ear: “I’ve been there. There is a Taoist temple with a lot of incense. It is said that zombies were once sealed there. The rumors are weird.”
As if seeing the scene he described, Meng Huan’s drunken eyes brightened with interest, and he dodged his ears that were tickled by Lin Bozhou’s kiss: “Have you been to this mountain?”
“Been there.” The horse paced lightly.
Lin Bozhou’s voice was extremely gentle: “This mountain is covered with lush vegetation, and the roads are steep. Tigers and leopards often appear. When I was sixteen years old, wild beasts came down the mountain and broke into the village to attack the villagers. I took a bow and arrow into the mountain and hunted a black leopard.”
“Wow. So will you still hunt in the future?”
Lin Bozhou pinched his jaw and said, “Fighting.”
Meng Huan gave an order: “You must bring your wife with you. You are not allowed to enjoy yourself alone.”
Lin Bozhou hooked his lips and kissed her, “Bring your wife.”
His lips were a little cold at first, but after gently rubbing Meng Huan’s lips, their temperature rose and a faint aroma of wine floated in the air.
Meng Huan curled up in his arms, half-closed his eyes, and pointed out all the hills he could see. At the same time, he kissed her and made her feel a little sleepy.
So, he looked at Lin Bozhou obediently and honestly.
“Husband, I’m sleepy.”
The boy was drunk and his voice was very soft.
Ever since returning from the war, Meng Huan probably felt that there were no threats around him anymore. He completely gave up using his brain and acted like a giant baby in front of Lin Bozhou.
But her husband is happy with it, and enjoys it very much.
Lin Bozhou smiled. He really couldn’t do anything to him. “Huanhuan, are you sleepy? Then go back to the inn and sleep. I’ll hold you in my arms while you sleep. Okay?”
Meng Huan rubbed her cheek against his chin: “My husband is the best, my husband is the best.”
It’s to the extent that if there was a third person nearby, the person would be choked to death.
Lin Bozhou smiled sincerely, he thought Meng Huan was so cute.
These childish little love words may sound a bit coquettish to those who have had emotional experience, but they are just right for Lin Bozhou, an old virgin who got married too late and never enjoyed love.
The horse’s hoof prints were left in the snow, and the horse was walking slowly, as if deliberately extending the snowy night world for the lonely young couple. Meng Huan acted like a spoiled child all the way, and Lin Bozhou was almost smiling. When they reached the backyard, Meng Huan glared at him with red eyes: “Go to sleep, and don’t socialize with other people. You have to accompany me, and I am your wife.”
Lin Bozhou said gently: “Okay, I was wrong.”
Behind.
Chen An’s anxious voice came: “The prince is finally back?”
“…”
Meng Huan turned his head away and returned to normal in a second, fearing that his coquettish words would be heard by someone else.
“What’s the matter?” Lin Bozhou’s voice became steady and calm.
“Many people have sent gifts and piled them up in the backyard. They have also sent visiting cards, and are planning to come to the palace to pay respects to the prince on a chosen day. Chen An doesn’t know whether he should accept them or not, so he has put them all on hold and is now waiting for the prince’s arrangements.”
Arrange arrangements arrangements.
One day, I will kill all of you who disturb young couples’ love!
Meng Huan: qaq.
Lin Bozhou pondered over the word “gift” on his tongue.
Chen An was very smart. He did not make any decisions on his own, but waited for Lin Bozhou’s instructions.
The reason is simple.
Lin Bozhou, once the center of power in the imperial court, is bound to stir up storms when he returns to Guzhou! His attitude towards the officials of Guzhou tonight will determine how he will handle things in Guzhou in the coming period. Is he easy to curry favor with? Is he keen on politics? Which part of Guzhou’s interests does he want to divide?
His performance will also be recorded and presented to Emperor Xuanhe.
He is not interested in worldly affairs, or he is ambitious. His words and deeds must be consistent. If they are not, then he will be retaliated after his deception of Emperor Xuanhe is exposed. It may not cause him physical harm, but at least he will lose his reputation as a loyal minister, and will be accused of being pretentious.
Lin Bozhou put his arm around the boy’s waist. Meng Huan didn’t want to listen to politics when he was sleepy and just wanted to go back to his room to sleep, but Lin Bozhou held him and he couldn’t move, and he was struggling.
“Husband, let go…”
Lin Bozhou ruffled his hair and said, “I’ll go back to your room and sleep right away.”
He raised his eyes and said lightly: “Go back.”
I guessed Lin Bozhou would make this choice.
Chen An bent his waist and asked cautiously: “Yes, then the excuse is…”
If the reasons are not sufficient, they will seem even more hypocritical.
Lin Bozhou looked at him, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips. “When the late king and the late queen passed away, I was unable to observe mourning and went to the capital, which was really against human ethics. Now I am dismissed from my official position and returned to Guzhou. I feel guilty and have decided to observe mourning for my parents for a year.”
He paused.
“Is it a sufficient excuse not to see any guests during the period of mourning?”
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY
What a great reputation it will spread!
Lin Bozhou served as regent in the capital for six years, and he worked diligently on behalf of the people. When Zhu Lizhen invaded, he risked his life to fight the enemy. After the victory, he was stabbed in the back by a treacherous minister, but he remained loyal. Now that he has returned to Guzhou, the first thing he does is to show filial piety to his father, the king, and his mother.
But……
When Lin Bozhou began to calculate, every chess piece fell perfectly, just as if it was the most precise ruler. Chen An had followed him for more than ten years, and the more he saw the flawless perfection, the more he could feel Lin Bozhou’s deep and dark madness.
His voice trembled as he responded, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lin Bozhou took Meng Huan back to the house to rest. Chen An declined all the guests, cleared the account book, and met Shan Xing who had just had a drink at night.
Shan Xing lowered his head and looked at his account book: “Did the prince ask us to send all the things back?”
“They were all sent back. No one wanted them.”
“The reason is that you have been staying at home for the past year in mourning for the late king and queen?”
“Yes.” Chen An’s heart was pounding, and he looked at him blankly, “Pingzhi, my heart is beating so fast. I’ve been feeling anxious and short of breath lately. What’s wrong with me recently?”
“What’s going on?” Shan Xing’s smile faded, and he looked around to see if there was anyone around. “Didn’t you guess the prince’s purpose?”
Chen An was sweating profusely and his lips were pale.
Fear was reflected in his pupils. His hands, which were tightly holding the account book, trembled violently. Tears welled up in an instant: “I hate your majesty for being ruthless and forcing the prince to take this unjust path… I hate your majesty for being ruthless and unable to distinguish between good and evil, loyal and treacherous, and making the prince lose all hope and feel as if he were dead… I hate…”
Shan Xing was infected by him and stared at him in silence.
“You and I are both scholars, and we fear the word ‘rebellion’ the most. But now the court is doing evil things, which is no longer the ‘righteousness’ we are pursuing. The court has already ‘rebelled’, so ‘rebelling’ against the court is actually for ‘righteousness’. You and I both know that the prince has done nothing wrong, and even he doesn’t care about his reputation, so why should you and I seek a reputation for loyalty?”
Chen An burst into tears: “Why do you doubt me? I don’t have what you call ‘right’, ‘negative’, ‘loyalty’ in my heart. I only sigh for the prince and worry about the future.”
“I am also worried about the future.” Shan Xing gritted his teeth, “But the prince treats us well. I will go even if it means I will go to a mountain of swords and a sea of fire, or even a cave of bones and corpses.”
There was no one else in the room, but I was afraid that the walls might have ears.
What they said was too outrageous.
Chen An wiped away her tears with a handkerchief: “Stop talking and do what the prince has told you to do.”
The next morning Lin Bozhou returned to the palace.
Meng Huan stood outside the door and looked at the tall gate and deep courtyard in front of him, his almond eyes bright: “Is this our home?”
Lin Bozhou got off the car, holding his cane tightly, and said lazily: “Why? Are you not satisfied? It’s because the yard in the capital is not as big as it is.”
“No,” Meng Huan curled his lips, “I’m in a good mood after moving to a new home. How can you say that to me?”
Lin Bozhou smiled and went in with him.
Meng Huan also learned that Lin Bozhou would observe mourning for his parents for a year, so he pulled his sleeve and asked, “Are you really not going out for this year?”
“No,” Lin Bozhou hooked his hand back to comfort him, “Just be more restrained in your behavior, so that you can have an excuse to refuse others.”
Oh.
Meng Huan breathed a sigh of relief.
Last night Lin Bozhou promised to take him out hunting.
After entering the main hall, Lin Bozhou talked to the housekeeper, probably asking about the situation in the house over the past six years. Meng Huan sat in a chair and drank a cup of tea. After a while, he heard Lin Bozhou say, “I’m going to change my clothes.”
Before Meng Huan could even ask his puzzled question, the man turned and left.
I thought it was just a normal change of clothes and didn’t pay much attention to it.
Meng Huan drank half a bowl of tea, and Lin Bozhou walked up from behind the screen. His long white robe with flowing patterns fell to the ground, and the gold and jade in his black hair were replaced with a plain wooden hairpin. He walked slowly, and his whole body exuded an extremely light and elegant aura, extremely abstinent and solemn.
“…” Meng Huan’s eyelids twitched and he pinched the tea lid tightly with his fingertips.
Lin Bozhou wore either crimson or snow-white clothes. These two clothes looked best on him, and Meng Huan liked them the best too.
Lin Bozhou sat down next to him and took a cup of tea: “Your eyes are straight.”
“…”
Meng Huan quickly rubbed his eyes and said innocently, “What’s wrong? I just think you look good in this.”
“Looks good? As long as Huanhuan likes it, she’ll wear it for another year.”
“…”
Meng Huan’s eyelids twitched: “Wear it for a year? To observe mourning.”
“Well, you should wear plain clothes when you are in mourning. Don’t wear red or green or heavy makeup.”
“Okay,” Meng Huan thought, “Should I wear it?”
“You want to wear it? That’s fine.” Lin Bozhou said calmly, “After all, you are also the descendant of our father, the king, and our mother.”
Meng Huan looked him up and down again.
He took a sip from his teacup and said, “I’ll wear it during the sacrifice, but not on other days.”
Lin Bozhou never made things difficult for him: “Huanhuan is young, she would look better in brightly colored clothes.” He turned his head and continued to talk to the steward of the palace.
Snow fluttered down from the eaves to the ground, occasionally a few strands of snow floated in and melted into a thin layer of ice on the threshold.
Meng Huan held the tea and forgot to drink it. He looked around at his and Lin Bozhou’s home.
From entering the palace and being unfamiliar with the place to being kidnapped by An Chui, to going to Liaodong to fight, to returning to the capital in a thrilling way, I didn’t expect time to pass so quickly…
It feels like a dream.
After Lin Bozhou finished talking to the housekeeper, he took Meng Huan to the resting hall to offer sacrifices.
After offering incense to the tablets of his father, the king and his mother, there was nothing to do. The days of true leisure and retirement had arrived. Meng Huan finished his meal and pointed his chopsticks: “What are we doing this afternoon?”
After the last time, Meng Huan lost interest in playing Mahjong. He thought for a moment and asked, “Take me around the palace?”
“It would be nice to take a look at our home.” Lin Bozhou stood up with the help of his cane.
The two of them strolled around the garden, without any guests chanting poems or writing essays, but just two figures holding hands, with servants and attendants following behind them from a distance.
The plum blossoms and mangroves in the garden were covered with snow, and the sky and the earth were wrapped in silver. Meng Huan ran in the snow for a while, and suddenly remembered something, so he asked You Jin to get the easel.
Lin Bozhou: “What’s wrong?”
Meng Huan: “You were blind in Qiezhou, and I told you I would draw a picture of the victory. Husband, wait, I can still remember it now.”
Lin Bozhou smiled.
Sitting down in the Fengyu Pavilion, the easel was moved over. Meng Huan slightly modified the brush, and delicate brushstrokes spread across the paper.
Lin Bozhou sat beside him and looked down at him: “Huanhuan is really amazing.”
“That’s not great. I’ve been learning this for years.”
Lin Bozhou thought of his life experience, smiled slightly, and said nothing.
The whole afternoon passed, Lin Bozhou drank tea, Meng Huan painted, time passed quickly, Meng Huan handed him the finished picture: “This is a picture of cattle and sheep with firecrackers tied to them rushing into Zhu Lizhen’s formation.”
Lin Bozhou praised: “It’s spectacular.”
Meng Huan was very happy: “I will draw one for you every day.”
“Okay, I’ll paint every day. But my hands have been freezing lately, so you can paint in the spring.” Lin Bozhou reached out and took Meng Huan’s frozen red hand into his palm, stroking it gently and taking a sip of hot air.
The afternoon passed unknowingly. After dinner, Meng Huan felt a little bored: “Are you going to read later?”
“what book?”
“According to your previous habits, shouldn’t you read after dinner? And listen to the guest reading the policy essays——”
Lin Bozhou said softly, “I won’t watch it anymore.”
“…”
Meng Huan looked at him with a weird look in his eyes, and there was something he didn’t say: Are you really as bad as I am now?
“However,” Lin Bozhou turned his head and started the conversation with great interest, “It is more interesting to teach Huanhuan to read backwards.”
The daddy boyfriend just likes to teach his wife.
Lin Bozhou treated him gently, and Meng Huan liked it in his heart: “Okay, I also want you to teach me how to read.”
Lin Bozhou called to the servants: “Bring some books that can be read to the study.”
The steward looked at their expressions and replied, “Yes.”
Next to the study was the bedroom. There were several books on the table. Meng Huan was about to open one when he found that in addition to several copies of “Hundred Family Names” and “Thousand Character Classic”, there was also a thread-bound book with a picture of a beauty on the cover and a comic book.
Lin Bozhou clenched his cane and signaled to his servants: “All of you get out.”
Meng Huan flipped through the pages of the book. Every word was neat, but it didn’t seem like a serious read. He raised his eyelids in confusion and asked, “What is this?”
Lin Bozhou took it, glanced at it, and closed it: “A vernacular novel.”
“…” Meng Huan became interested and quickly took it over, “Let me see.”
The vertical traditional Chinese characters made it extremely difficult for him to read a page at random. He had to read it out loud to get it through his mind: “… an even more sharp move… and Ying thought it was too fierce, and he couldn’t help crying…”
He read a few sentences and felt something was wrong. When he looked up in a daze, he saw Lin Bozhou’s lips slightly raised, with a teasing smile in his eyes.
Meng Huan threw the book back onto the desk, blushing, “This seems to be… a pornographic novel.”
Lin Bozhou agreed: “Then how can Huanhuan still be pronounced?”
“…” Meng Huan was embarrassed and annoyed after reading it. He blushed and said, “I don’t know. I don’t know many words, and I can’t read the whole page like you.”
Lin Bozhou’s smile deepened.
Meng Huan suddenly became unhappy: “You laughed at me!”
“Don’t laugh, don’t laugh,” Lin Bozhou frowned, picked up the book again and glanced at the title, then took his hand and forced him to sit down, “My husband hasn’t read a romance novel yet, Huanhuan, come here and read it with me.”
Meng Huan: “I don’t want to watch it.”
After being persuaded by him kindly, Meng Huan finally sat in his arms. After calming down, he stared at the small notebook in front of him with curiosity.
…This rare ancient pure love novel is about a gay story. As expected, there is not much serious content in it. It starts with the top drilling under the bottom’s skirt and pinching her feet.
Lin Bozhou pressed his fingers on the paper and turned it, his eyes drooping. He reviewed the novel as if he was reviewing a petition, and his breath fell into Meng Huan’s ears: “This book seems to be quite obscene.”
“…”
Meng Huan licked his lower lip and thought to himself, do you know that you are the hero of the obscene novel?
Lin Bozhou chatted: “Has Huanhuan read this kind of vernacular novel before?”
Meng Huan’s face turned red and he looked at him stutteringly.
He was speechless, and Lin Bozhou guessed: “So he saw it?”
Not only that, Meng Huan also looked at a lot of high-level accounts in the flower market.
If one’s mind wasn’t filled with pornographic garbage, who would try to read the erotic content of political intrigue novels and be forced to travel through the book? QAQ?
He blushed, feeling a little embarrassed: “I didn’t see much.”
He said innocently, “I just watched a little bit.”
The voice was floating and the ending was weak, and it was obvious that he was lying.
Lin Bozhou placed his fingers on his neck and gently pinched it, saying, “Little pervert.”
“…………”
Meng Huan choked up and asked, “How did I become a little pervert?”
I recalled the time when Lin Bozhou was blind and I had secretly watched him taking a bath and had even encouraged him to drink chicken soup.
“…”
Lin Bozhou pretended to be blind at the time, so he should have known it a long time ago, right?
Meng Huan bit her lip and wanted to explain something when she heard Chen An’s movement outside the door.
He came to Lin Bozhou with a letter.
The letter contained the news that Marquis Zhenguan was crowned king in Liaodong.
YOU ARE READING
Transmigrated as the Regent's Runaway Wife
RomanceTitle: 穿成摄政王的侍爱逃妻 Author: 若星若辰 The regent of the Grand Clan, Lin Bozhou, appears to be bright and clear on the surface, but is so dirty and disgusting in his back. A great traitor should be punished by everyone. On this day, a sedan chair carried Me...
