Chapter 345: Chapter 345 Several Small Countries at the Border Are Stirring (4)
Zheng Qianye saw him hang his head and walk away, cursing Caiqing a thousand times over in his heart.
At the end of December, good news came from the greenhouse: the planted seeds had sprouted, and the roots had grown two leaves, delighting those who had been paying close attention to the flower shed.
Feng Xuxu heard the news back at the residence and felt very happy.
"Wife, what’s making you so happy?" Dugu Chen walked into the hall, saw his wife sitting there grinning foolishly to herself, and curiously took a seat as well.
"Husband, the flowers in the greenhouse have germinated. I’m thinking by March they will all be blooming." She put down the robe she was sewing and looked at Dugu Chen with a smile.
He picked up the robe she had just finished, examined it carefully, and noticed that the bamboo on it was actually embroidered on both sides: "From now on, you can just let the servants do these tasks, careful not to strain your eyes."
"I won’t, I just embroider occasionally."
Indulgently smiling, "They’re looking after the greenhouse, you should concentrate on nurturing the baby."
"Am I not focused enough? I already don’t step beyond the threshold or the inner gate, what more do you want from me?" Pouting, she gave Dugu Chen a sideways glance.
"You’re just pregnant and heavier, so it’s more inconvenient for you to go out. Don’t I understand you?" He tapped Feng Xuxu’s upturned nose, he could almost guess all of her little thoughts correctly.
"Humph, it’s all because of the trouble you caused."
Dugu Chen’s wife pursed her lips and chuckled to herself.
"Yes, yes, my fault, Madame Wife, please calm your anger." Rising to his feet, he made a fist-and-palm salute, bending at the waist towards his wife sitting in the chair.
"Enough, let’s be serious. When I first met you, you weren’t like this. With that face, you always acted so cool and even threatened people." She rolled her eyes and started to sew the clothes finely again.
"That’s because I had just met you then, how could I have known you would become my wife in the future." If he had known, he wouldn’t have dared to act like that even if he had a hundred times the courage.
"So, it’s my fault then?"
"No, no, how could it be the wife’s fault, it’s all your husband’s wrongdoing."
"Humph, that’s more like it."
"All right, wife, in half a month it will be New Year’s Eve. We usually spend the New Year’s Eve at the Imperial Palace, and this year is no exception. I wanted to ask if you want to go."
Feng Xuxu lowered her head and thought for a moment, then nodded at Dugu Chen: "Yes, I haven’t been out for a long time. I’d like to go out and get some fresh air."
"As you wish, Wife."
"Right, husband, what’s happening in the north?" Almost half a month had passed, and she hadn’t heard any news about battles at the border.
Dugu Chen responded with a pursed-lip smile: "Those small countries couldn’t possibly triumph over us."
"How is that?" Their military force is strong enough to easily outnumber the few hundred thousand soldiers stationed in the north. It would be ten against one even if they fought in shifts.
"They all don’t want their country’s military power to suffer, so on the one hand they are probing, and on the other hand they want to see the strength of Xueyan Country’s forces."
"Oh." So it had been a false alarm.
From the butler down to the servants, everyone at Prince Mei Residence was busily bustling about, yet the master of the Prince Residence seemed to be quite at leisure.
"Princess, for tonight’s palace banquet, that long gown would be good to wear." Zhu Lengqing stood to the side, feeling the red was festive and the blue brought out the princess’s temperament even more. Yet, she was reluctant to part with the purple gown and ultimately decided to let the princess choose.
"Let’s go with the blue one." Glancing over at the couch, she felt the blue was more appealing.
With her deft hands, Baihe styled the princess’s hair in a core bun and placed a princess’s crown on her, instantly giving off the presence of a Family Head’s wife. The saying ’clothes make the person’ certainly held true.
"Wife, you look truly beautiful." Dugu Han, entering the room and seeing his wife in an ice-blue outfit, smiled and teased his wife.
"Was I not beautiful before?" She looked up with raised eyebrows.
"Er... You were very beautiful before too."
"Let’s go." Casting a glance at Dugu Han, she walked out first.
Dugu Han frowned. Were all pregnant women so fickle? When he studied medicine, his master never taught him about this aspect.
Feng Xuxu, walking ahead, looked back and saw that he had not followed, and called out towards the bedroom: "What are you dazing for? Are you coming or not?"
"Coming." Shaking his head clear, he strode past the screen and caught up with his wife.
As they entered the palace gate, they could see the bustling crowd inside, lanterns and streamers everywhere, and everyone wore smiles on their faces.
Most people had already arrived in the main hall, only the couple from Prince Mei Residence were left. As everyone was wondering, they heard the Palace Attendant announce, "Prince Mei and Princess Mei have arrived."
The lively hall fell silent in an instant, and after the couple reached the hall, the ministers approached one after another to wish Prince Mei a prosperous new year.
After a while, Eunuch Shi, the Grand Steward beside the Emperor, called out in his piercing voice, "The Emperor has arrived, Empress Dowager De, Empress Dowager Xian, Empress Dowager Liang, Empress Dowager Xiao, Concubine Xuan, Concubine Xiang, Concubine Lian, Concubine Ying have arrived."
"Long live the Emperor, may the Empress live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years." One after another, the ministers prostrated themselves, quietly waiting for the Emperor,
Dugu Han, seated on the Dragon Throne, swept his gaze over the ministers below and in an authoritative voice declared, "Let the courtiers rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Feng Xuxu, noticing a young woman in a light pink palace dress at the top of the hall, tugged at Dugu Chen’s sleeve and whispered, "Isn’t that Concubine Ying, when did he acquire another consort?" Blinking with curiosity, she looked at Dugu Chen.
"She is Hou Jiaying, her father is Marshal Hou Wei stationed at the north, her brother is Hou Zhen, and she was recently made a concubine."
Feng Xuxu chuckled softly, "The Emperor really knows how to enjoy life. Lucky in love and solidifying power, it’s truly killing two birds with one stone."
Dugu Chen too couldn’t help but laugh.
"Your Majesty, an urgent military report from Marshal Hou, eight hundred li in haste." A deputy general entered the hall, holding the report, knelt on both knees, and held it aloft.
The Emperor glanced at Eunuch Shi, who understood, descended the steps, took the report from the deputy general’s hand, and presented it to the Emperor.
