HMAM CH 29 Uncle
Jing Ye nodded, looked at the sky outside the window, and said, "It's getting late, qing may go back to your palace and rest."
Gu Hong said: "Your Majesty, are you driving this subject away?"
Jing Ye's forehead twitched: "The words driving away are not very accurate."
Jing Xiao Yun, who was playing with a little doll on the side, suddenly threw himself on Gu Hong and shouted, “Sufu, hug."
Jing Ye was furious when he heard this: "Why does my nephew call you uncle?" (TN: susu/sufu=lisping pronunciation of shushu/shufu which means uncle)
Gu Hong smiled and picked up the little guy and said, "This subject is Your Majesty's husband. It is not inaccurate for the prince to call me uncle."
Jing Ye said angrily: "Who is your husband? Yun'er, come here."
Jing Xiao Yun turned to look at him, hesitated for a moment, then decisively turned around and hugged Gu Hong and said, “Sufu, don't leave!"
Jing Ye: "..." He finally understood Lin Hangyu's state of mind back then.
Jing Xiao Yun's chubby paws were grabbing at Gu Hong's robes, and his tender voice was babbling: “Sufu can't leave, Sufu sleeps with Susu." The pronunciation of the word "sleep" was surprisingly accurate.
Jing Ye: "..."
He glared at Gu Hong: "Did you teach him that?"
Gu Hong innocently said: "When a child speaks, of course he speaks from his heart."
"You obviously taught him that!" Lu Baizang walked in carrying the steamed sugar cakes he made for Jing Xiao Yun, placed the food box in front of the little guy, and leaned over to coax him: "Yun'er, be good, let your Uncle Gu go, have some tasty cakes."
Jing Xiao Yun's eyes widened when he saw the box of cakes. After struggling a few times, he still wanted his Sufu.
Lu Baizang said: "Be good, if your Uncle Gu comes to sleep, we won't be able to have a place to sleep."
Jing Xiao Yun pointed to the bed and said, "Big bed, sleep." Meaning the bed was big enough to sleep on.
Lu Baizang was so vexed he could faint. Jing Xiao Yun retracted his chubby paws to pick up the food box and said with tears in his eyes: "Lu Susu, cake."
Lu Baizang looked at him for three seconds, then resignedly opened the food box and took out the cakes.
Jing Xiao Yun cheered, Gu Hong picked up the porcelain spoon and scooped a little to feed him, and he immediately leaned over to eat it.
Jing Ye leaned on the side with his face expressionless, clearly still unable to wake up from the cruel reality that his precious nephew actually recognized the thief as his father. Jing Xiao Yun nuzzled over and said, "Susu also eat."
Jing Ye looked at his big doe-like eyes, his heart softened, and he sat up and took a bite from the spoon Gu Hong held, then rubbed the little guy's head.
The next morning, three figures could be seen together on the dragon bed, and upon closer look, Jing Ye's dark under eye circles had also become more and more serious.
Gu Hong sat up with his arms around him, kissed him until he couldn't keep his eyes open, and said with a low chuckle: "Your Majesty, it's time to get up."
Jing Ye closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Take your hand away from zhen..."
Gu Hong smiled: "That hand belongs to Lu Baizang."
Jing Ye didn't even look as he kicked backwards, and the next second there was a "thump" behind him. Villa Master Lu got up angrily from the floor, muttered a few words under his breath, climbed onto the bed again and continued clinging onto Jing Ye's waist.
Jing Ye turned over and said, "What time is it?"
Gu Hong said: "Your Majesty has forgotten, today is a rest day."
"En..." Jing Ye closed his eyes for a while, then opened them and said, "Let's go see those Wuhuan people."
The person who led the Wuhuan people into the receiving hall was a portly man with a kind smile. It was said that he was the uncle of King Wuhuan and could speak Chinese. After meeting Jing Ye, he kept praising him in a weird accent for how wise and powerful he was, and finally ordered someone to carry over a statue covered with red cloth and said: "My king specially ordered us to present the crystal statue carved overnight by dozens of craftsmen from the clan to show the king's respect for Your Majesty."
As he spoke, he peeled off the red cloth, revealing a crystal stone statue as tall as a person, brilliant and exquisite.
Jing Ye took a few glances and said, "It's indeed rare. But if zhen is to exchange tens of thousands of weapons and horses, wouldn't it be too much of a loss?"
The portly man said: "In addition to it, Your Majesty can also have the peace of the border and the loyalty of the entire Wuhuan tribe."
"Oh..." Jing Ye nodded and smiled, "Zhen is very pleased that King Wuhuan is so sincere."
The portly man laughed happily.
Jing Ye blinked: "But zhen still feels that this matter is related to diplomatic relations and cannot be done carelessly. The ambassador may sit down first. Let us put down pen and paper and discuss it slowly."
Portly man: "..."
And so began the most cruel and inhumane fleecing in the portly man's life.
The whole negotiation process could be described by the chubby flesh on his face, which became stiff at first, then wrinkled, trembling, and finally twisted.
Jing Ye sipped his tea, picked a piece of cake and put it into his mouth. He found that it was far lacking than Lu Baizang's, so he swallowed it with disgust and said, "What do you think, Ambassador?"
"..."
Jing Ye smiled gently: "It's fine if you can't make up your mind at this time. The ambassador may think about it slowly."
The portly man stood up tremblingly with his subordinates. When he went out the hall, he stumbled. Fortunately, the attendants around him supported him in time.
When Jing Ye returned to Ping'an Palace, Gu Hong was holding Jing Xiao Yun and looking at the flowers and birds carved on the carved printing block. Lu Baizang was lying on the couch with a copy of Lingxuan's "The Story of Zhao Feiyan" covered over his face.
Gu Hong turned around and said, "It has finished?"
"That's it for today." Jing Ye couldn't help but laugh, "You should have seen the ambassador's face. It's so funny."
The two of them had just exchanged a few words when the little eunuch from outside came in and said, "Your Majesty, there is someone outside the palace carrying a jade tablet asking to see Your Majesty."
Jing Ye understood: "Let him in." After saying that, he sat next to Gu Hong and looked at the printing block.
Gu Hong asked: "Who is it?"
"A Wuhuan man." Jing Ye reached out to Jing Xiao Yun and took him into his arms, "The Wuhuan clan is good at carving and polishing crystals?"
"Most people in the northern pass are good at this skill." Gu Hong lifted the teacup to Jing Ye's lips and let him take a sip. "There should be a crystal sculpture of Floating Clouds and Stepping on the Moon in the palace treasury now. It was presented to the Emperor Mingtian by the Dayue Clan back then as a birthday gift."
Jing Ye nodded and smiled at him: "This thing might be a solution to Lin Xiaosheng's eyes."
Gu Hong was startled, then thought for a while and said, "The medical books say that crystal is cold and non-toxic, and can help improve eyesight, treat red eyes, and remove heat and swelling. Does Your Majesty want to see this effect?"
Jing Ye blinked playfully at him: "You'll know after trying it."
Jing Ye felt tired after negotiating with the Wuhuan people all morning, so he walked over and kicked Lu Baizang away, before laying down on the couch to take a nap. The latter rubbed his eyes, threw the book on his face aside, then scooted over to hug him, and the two fell asleep with their limbs entangled.
The incense floated under the window, and the soft gauze was like a dream. Gu Hong's gentle whispers, the young child's tender baby talk, and the warm body temperature of the person beside him made the current scene seem like a dream.
In mid-September, autumn began and the weather turned cooler.
The Wuhuan people struggled for more than half a month, and finally agreed to all requests after Jing Ye made a small step back, and returned to the north vomiting blood. Before leaving, they left behind a pair of master and apprentice, both of whom were good crystal carvers in the clan.
Jing Ye asked these two people to take the polished lenses to Lin Xiaosheng's Yiyuan Palace and make the first pair of glasses in this dynasty.
A few days later, Jing Ye was returning back to the palace after morning assembly. The palace was quiet and looking behind the screen, he saw Jing Xiao Yun sitting on the couch obediently, holding the little tiger that Gu Hong had made for him, and looking up from time to time.
Lin Xiaosheng was sitting opposite the little guy. His face was expressionless, his eyebrows were like distant mountains, with phoenix eyes and long eyelashes, appearing handsome and pale.
If Gu Hong was like the slowly flowing spring water, then he was like the deep and bottomless cold pool.
The big one and the little one were staring at each other silently.
Jing Ye: "..."
The two of them looked over at his entrance. Lin Xiaosheng stood up and saluted, “Paying respects to Your Majesty." Jing Xiao Yun put aside the tiger puppet and asked for a hug.
"Have a seat." Jing Ye picked up the little guy, "Yun'er, call him Uncle Lin."
Jing Xiao Yun twisted his chubby paws: "Lin, Lin Sufu..." The pronunciation was magically accurate.
Lin Xiaosheng did not respond.
Jing Ye said, "Qing doesn't like children?"
"Please excuse this subject for being rude."
Jing Ye rubbed the tender face of the little guy in his arms and found that he was looking at Lin Xiaosheng eagerly. Clearly wanting to get close to the other because he was good-looking.
"..." Jing Ye wanted to punch the wall. Was it really okay to be so lusty at less than two years old?
Lin Xiaosheng said: “This subject came to thank Your Majesty for the gift the day before yesterday. The craftsman said that the crystal mirror was conceived by Your Majesty." After saying this, he paused and slowly spoke again, “Ghis subject thanks Your Majesty... for thinking of me."
Jing Ye smiled and said, "It's nothing, barely a lift of the finger." He lifted Jing Xiao Yun and put him in his arms, “Zhen’s arms are sore. If qing really wants to repay zhen, qing might as well give him a hug."
Lin Xiaosheng: "..."
Jing Xiao Yun bit his thumb as he sat in Lin Xiaosheng's lap. Jing Ye smiled and said, "Yun'er, come, give your Uncle Lin a kiss."
Lin Xiaosheng: "!!!"
Jing Xiaoyun: "Smooch."
Lin Xiaosheng: "..."
As soon as the autumn harvest was over, it was time for the autumn hunting, and the palace maids began to be busy preparing luggage and hunting equipment. Jing Ye was physically weak and afraid of the cold. He sat around in front of the burning vessels all day long and read the memorials. At night, he had to pit his wits with two certain fellows. He was exhausted both mentally and physically.
Lu Baizang came over with fresh ginseng and bamboo shreds that had just been boiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's time to drink the soup."
Jing Ye said: "Get out."
Lu Baizang said: "Okay, okay, I'll get out and you'll drink the soup."
Jing Ye coughed twice and said, "Zhen sleeping alone is better than any soup!"
Lu Baizang pulled his collar tighter for him in distress: "How can you sleep alone? That big bed is so cold, but with me there I can still hold you to keep warm."
Jing Ye glared at him: "Then just lie down and let zhen hold you!"
"That's not good..." Lu Baizang looked at him aggrievedly, "This subject is already holding back with much difficulty."
Jing Xiao Yun sat on the side, biting his thumb and watching his Susu and Lu Susu flirting.
En, Lu Susu said this was called flirting, although sometimes he was beaten so badly by Susu.
The little eunuch came in and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Feng requests an audience."
Feng Ling?
Jing Ye was startled, put down the spoon and stood up, saying, "Tell him to wait in the front hall, and zhen will come."
Lu Baizang watched him walking quickly outside the hall with an aggrieved face, and Ye Mao quickly followed.
Lu Baizang turned around, picked up Jing Xiao Yun and said, "Look, honey, Susu has left us to find his little lover again. Our life is really miserable..."
Jing Xiao Yun bit his thumb and nodded: "...Oh."
What was a little lover?