Chapter 58 - 058 Joyful Event

“Then let’s have a few drinks.”

It was time for lunch.

He Ying had someone pass the lunch.

The two of them sat opposite each other, savoring the wine.

He Ying introduced, “This wine was personally brewed by the late Emperor. He loved wine as much as life itself, and he brewed an exceptional wine. Would you care to try?”

He poured her a cup.

Sang Yan thanked him and took the cup, sipping it—it was incredibly spicy, so much so that it made her eyes squint.

“This flavor—”

She just couldn’t drink it!

It was supposed to be a casual taste of whatever wine was at hand, but it turned out to be unbearable.

He Ying saw her squinting her eyes, looking adorably funny, and teased her with a laugh, “Try savoring it more. It’s spicy but also full-flavored, it gets better the more you drink.”

Sang Yan took another sip, and just like before, it was spicy enough to make her eyes squint, “No, I can’t handle this flavor.”

“Then you’re missing out on a delicacy.”

He Ying picked up the wine cup in front of him and drank it all with a smile.

He liked strong spirits.

It’s a pity—

“There’s not much of this wine left. My negligence, nearly all been drunk up by that drunkard Wan Zhang.”

He had not expected Wan Zhang to know the late Emperor’s secret wine-burying spot.

The late Emperor really favored him!

When Sang Yan thought of Wan Zhang, she couldn’t help laughing, “He’s an interesting man.”

Remembering that he was punished to guard the Emperor’s Mausoleum, she added without thinking much, “I guess he doesn’t mind guarding the mausoleum for the late Emperor, but still, it’s a hard life. I hope you’ll have someone take extra care of him.”

He Ying didn’t want to argue with her over such a trivial matter, so he agreed, “Hmm. As you wish.”

Right in front of her, he issued an order, “Send those few jars of wine from my collection to the Emperor’s Mausoleum, to Wan Zhang—”

He was somewhat worried Wan Zhang might indiscreetly talk after getting drunk.

He added a few more words, “Tell him to drink sparingly. Drunkenness harms the body. I don’t want to hear any news of his death.”

Sang Yan was pleased with this and smiled, “The Emperor is actually quite tender-hearted.”

He Ying mused, “That’s probably because of your influence.”

Sang Yan teased, “It seems the Emperor is quite willing.”

He Ying laughed again as he took another drink, nodding, “Hmm. Very willing. Wishing you could influence me day and night.”

Sang Yan, “…”

She picked up a shrimp dumpling and placed it in front of him, “Emperor, drink less and eat more.”

He Ying simply replied, “Okay,” and finished all the food she had picked for him.

This was a wonderfully pleasant lunchtime.

They didn’t argue, but cared for each other like an ordinary couple.

After lunch,

Sang Yan was petting her cat, preparing for a nap.

He Ying returned to the main hall, continuing to copy Buddhist Scriptures.@@novelbin@@

Pei Muyang stood by, noticing his ever-present smile, and couldn’t resist asking, “Emperor, what brings such joy? Share with this servant, so I may share in the happiness.”

He Ying glanced at him, his smile profound, “I find copying Buddhist Scriptures to be somewhat effective.”

You see, sincerity brings enlightenment.

He really could wait for the moment where “With sincerity, even metal and stone will open.”

*

Sang Yan began her routine of caring for a cat.

She discovered this cat, cleansed in Buddhist principles, was lazier than she.

Once they became comfortable with each other, it clung to her.

When she stood, it climbed on her shoulder.

When she sat, it nested in her lap.

When she was woken up three times in the night by the pressing cat—

Sang Yan lost her patience, shoved it off, and called for someone, “Qiuzhi, take it away, take it away.”

What bad karma.

Qiuzhi, in on the joke, covered her mouth and laughed, “This Snowball is actually a female cat. I didn’t expect it to be so… clingy.”

What she really wanted to say was that the cat was lascivious.

But to say that about a cat?

Her mind was still pure.

It must be that the cat was just clingy.

“Just take it away. I don’t want to see it again tonight.”

“Yes.”

Qiuzhi picked up the cat and locked it in a cage.

The cage was made of golden wire, lined with silk, and kept clean and tidy. It even had fluffy toys hanging inside—a significant upgrade from its den at Long Chan Temple.

But it didn’t like it.

It meowed incessantly.

Sang Yan was kept awake by the noise, so she got up and scolded it, “Can you be quiet? If you keep this up, I’m going to abandon you. I’ll give you to the big tyrant and let him chop off your head.”

“Meow meow—”

The cat blinked its water-blue eyes and put its paws together, as if begging for mercy.

Sang Yan could no longer resist its coquettish charm and had to let it out, but warned repeatedly, “Snowball, you are not allowed to climb on top of me! And definitely not to press on me! Got it?”

She placed it by her side, tapped its head gently, lectured it a little more, and finally closed her eyes to sleep.

The cat nestled next to her arm and meowed softly before hanging its head.

It didn’t climb on top of her again.

But as soon as daylight broke, it definitely would.

Sang Yan was awakened by the stepping, a tickling pain that was still within her tolerance, but it was wearing away at her patience.

That area is indeed very vulnerable for women.

This cat never learned.

She pushed it away angry, not in the mood to stroke it anymore.

A lesson was necessary.

But the cat was too clingy.

It followed her everywhere.

Having no choice, Sang Yan could only hide away in the Cold Palace.

In the Imperial Palace, she only found familiar company and conversation with Xuanrao.

The Cold Palace was under renovation.

Xuanrao wasn’t lying inside the palace but had moved out and was now sunbathing on a Noble Consort’s couch under a vine of grapes.

The scene did look rather leisurely.

Looking at it, Sang Yan’s mood brightened, and she said with a laugh, “Actually, we could cultivate a plot of land, plant some flowers, herbs, and vegetables. That way, we could enjoy some pastoral scenery right here in the Imperial Palace.”

“Good idea.”

Xuanrao’s health had improved, her cough was gone, her face was fair again, and her smile was bright and charming.

“But since you came up with the idea, remember you have to help out.”

“Of course, of course.”

Sang Yan was quite interested and began to plan with her.

They talked until sunset.

Not wanting to return to the clingy cat, Sang Yan proposed to experience the Cold Palace’s cuisine.

Xuanrao, touched and thinking that Sang Yan was afraid of being neglected, assured her with a smile, “Don’t worry. The Emperor has given orders, no one dares to shortchange my meals.”

Sang Yan, who hadn’t thought that far ahead, just laughed awkwardly, “That’s good.”

But she stayed in the Cold Palace for dinner.

Completely forgetting that she was supposed to have dinner with the Emperor.

He Ying, aware that she had gone to the Cold Palace for fun, sent someone to fetch her when it got dark, and she hadn’t returned.

The word came back that she had already started eating.

He became very frustrated.

He Ying frowned and asked, “Didn’t you tell her I was waiting for her to have dinner?”

The eunuch who had gone to hurry Sang Yan was shivering, “Lord Sang said there’s no need to wait for her, the Emperor can eat alone. She also said—she also said—”

“What else did she say?”

“She said it’s not like she hasn’t eaten alone before. She’s not a companion.”

“Outrageous!”

He Ying slammed the table in anger.

The eunuch quickly knelt and knocked his head on the ground, “Emperor, spare my life, spare my life!”

He Ying waved him away.

He ate his evening meal alone.

Eating alone was truly boring.

He lost his appetite, ate a little, and had the meal cleared away.

Then, while copying Buddhist Scripture, he had someone watch the side palace and kept asking, “Has she come back? Has she come back?”

It was like a pitiable husband waiting for his wife who forgot to return home from visiting.

And this wife, who was having too much fun chatting, was even planning to sleep in the Cold Palace.

When He Ying found out, he slammed the desk again, “She has a home but won’t return! What does it look like for her to stay in the Cold Palace? Let’s go! I want to see what’s so good about the Cold Palace!”