After leaving Consort Zhang's chambers.
Jiang Yu received quite a few gifts.
Consort Zhang gave her a very expensive headdress, covered entirely in pearls.
She hadn't even given it to her own daughter-in-law who had wanted it before.
One must admit, the concept of taking a liking to someone is truly marvelous.
This young Madam Meng was too adorable.
It had been a long time since Consort Zhang had laughed so heartily and genuinely.
The laughter felt like it was dispersing all the pent-up knots within her body.
It was too much fun.
Worth it!
She thoroughly enjoyed giving the gifts.
Although the Emperor had also hinted at giving gifts, this was done willingly.
After receiving a wave of gifts here, she went to see the Emperor.
The Emperor was quite envious when he saw Meng Qingshe, who gave the impression of having more muscles than brains. When young, one might look down on such people, but as one ages, one begins to envy them.
The Emperor asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"
Meng Qingshe shook his head and sighed, "I didn't sleep well. Father and Shao Xia have both gone to the battlefield, I couldn't sleep at all. At dawn, I went to see my two grandsons. After seeing the grandsons, I went back for a nap, so I only slept for four hours."
The Emperor: ...
The Emperor, who struggled to sleep and could only manage just over two hours even when trying his hardest, really wanted to punch him. Four hours of sleep even with worries on his mind, then without worries, wouldn't he be able to sleep endlessly?
Looking down, he thought, never mind, let's not ask anymore. Continuing to talk about sleep would only be self-deprecating.
Although the harem was full of women, none of them wanted to sleep with the Emperor, so he promptly ended this topic.
After some more idle chatter, the Emperor still didn't want to talk with Meng Qingshe.
Every conversation seemed to end up making himself unhappy.
If it weren't for his good father... and now if it weren't for his good son...
Forget it.
The Emperor summoned Madam Meng, young Madam Meng, and the two little Mengs.
They all had to kneel upon seeing the Emperor.
Jiang Yu had practiced this.
Bowing to ancestors and parents was the same, just do it.
Jiang Yu's aesthetic was the very festive kind, dressed in a very flowery and brocaded manner.
The colors weren't particularly bright, but when worn on her, it looked very lively.
The Emperor was also a gossip.
He had seen Madam Meng before, but had no impression.
Nothing special, mainly because there were too many beauties in the palace. Having seen so many, the Emperor didn't feel much for generally pretty and good-looking women.
But when he saw young Madam Meng, his grand-niece?
How to put it...
The Emperor felt that the gossip-mongers nowadays were becoming more and more outrageous.
They even said she rivaled Da Ji.
Is this round-faced girl the current trend outside?
As is well known, women who have given birth, especially if they are still breastfeeding, when well-fed, have faces full of collagen, very round faces, looking extremely well-nourished, and their figures tend to be more voluptuous.
There's no doubt about good skin.
But this was nowhere near comparable.
Hui Yun's beauty was such that whenever she appeared, every movement, every word she spoke, made it impossible for people to look away.
This young girl was pretty too, but just ordinarily pretty.
A rather festive-looking appearance.
She seemed like the type of girl who would be good at managing a household.
Cheerful and festive.
Taking a very good foundation and growing into the appearance of someone who lives a good life.
"Rise," the Emperor finally spoke.
The other party stood up nimbly.
Then a smiling face looked at him, with round eyes.
Full of curiosity written all over her face.
"What are you looking at?"
Jiang Yu turned her head to look at Aunt Yin.
Aunt Yin didn't give her any eye signals.
So she spoke naturally.
"Looking at what my Imperial Grand-Uncle looks like?"
"Did you see clearly?"
Jiang Yu nodded, then shook her head.
"Not too clearly, Imperial Grand-Uncle, you're shining with golden light from head to toe, like a Buddha, dazzling, I couldn't see too clearly."
The Emperor was stunned for a moment.
He had prepared himself to hear compliments.
When your position is high enough, all you hear are good words, praises, few would actively seek trouble.
It was the first time he heard someone say they couldn't see clearly because he was shining with golden light all over, like a Buddha, hahaha.
Praising people is truly an art.
Praising the Emperor for being handsome, majestic, these kinds of words, the Emperor had heard countless times.
The first time he felt a bit happy, but later it became more and more ordinary.
Even as he aged, hearing repeated praises would feel insincere.
The Emperor felt like he could detect lies, able to see through truth and falsehood at a glance.
But it was the first time he heard someone say he looked like a Buddha.
Being Emperor wasn't satisfying enough, now he most wanted to become an immortal.
There's nothing more powerful than an Emperor in the mortal world, only in the realm of immortals could one seek further. Buddha is an immortal.
"Then come closer and look."
"Alright!" Jiang Yu walked up nimbly.
She didn't forget to support her mother-in-law along.
Madam Meng: ...
She didn't want to get that close.
She often heard her husband complain about the Emperor in bed, saying the old codger was up to no good...
She was very worried that she might let slip something unusual.
Jiang Yu, who had come closer, really carefully examined the Emperor.
She also saw Eunuch Yan behind the Emperor.
Her eyes widened again, looking very cheerful.
Jiang Yu, who was carefully examining the Emperor, felt a bit disappointed in her heart. Is this it?
How could the Emperor look like this?
He seemed just like a normal person.
Take off the golden robe and hat, he'd look pretty much like the landlord in the village, and even a bit too thin.
The landlords all ate until they were chubby.
Jiang Yu felt that being a bit fat meant you were blessed, too thin.
Sunken cheeks.
It's not that Imperial Grand-Uncle didn't have enough to eat, it must be that he's not blessed enough.
Of course, these words, after a turn in her mind, she hadn't had time to say before she saw her godfather.
She had known her godfather was still alive since coming to the capital, but just hadn't had the chance to meet him.
Unexpectedly, she met him now.
With a face full of joy, she said, "Godfather, see how capable I am, you don't need to worry about not having anyone to take care of you in your old age or send you off. I've given birth to two more babies, adding two more people to your funeral procession."
The Emperor was about to ask what she thought of his appearance.
But then he heard these words.
Indeed, she was the girl that made Wenxin smile just thinking about her.
She was really straightforward and outspoken.
Meeting for the first time and already talking about funerals.
The Emperor himself was quite taboo about this, but hearing these words from this girl's mouth was quite interesting.
Yan Wenxin looked at Sister Yu, that little girl who used to love wearing flowery dresses and would run around the whole village twice to show off even if she just tied a red string in her hair, has now grown up, blossomed, but her personality hasn't changed much, which is wonderful.
Thinking back to the hard times in the past, it was truly bitter, not knowing where the next meal would come from, like a stray dog.
But looking back now, remembering how tall the trees in the village were, how fragrant the wildflowers by the road were, how the sunlight shone on that slope, walking up that slope would lead to Jiang Er's house, where there would be delicious wild vegetable porridge made by sister-in-law.
The barking of dogs in the village was crisp, the birdsong was crisp, the laughter and cries of children were crisp.
Recalling the past, even such bitter days, surprisingly all that comes to mind are beautiful memories, as if those were the best days of life.
When the straw sandals were worn through, toes sticking out, no need to worry about it.
The sky was big, the earth was big, I was the biggest.
Now he wears brocade and eats jade, never goes hungry again, but also never has the feeling of eating something truly delicious again.
He gained a lot, but lost even more.
However, he doesn't regret it.
Only by taking this step did he realize that he was happy in the past too.
Only after experiencing it do you know good from bad.
The path of life is not easy to walk, but he has walked it.
Hearing little Yu's words, it was as if that distant past was just yesterday.
"Good, that's great. If you all can come to see me off when I go, then I won't have lived in vain," Eunuch Yan smiled and said.
Jiang Yu was a bit scared and nervous at first.
But seeing her godfather right in front of her, still sitting, she suddenly felt like she was back home.
She let out a sigh of relief very lightly.
"Grand-Uncle, Godfather, do you want to hold my babies? My father-in-law goes around saying my babies are blessed. I think the two babies are indeed very blessed, they've seen the big world at such a young age, even entered the imperial palace. My Grand-Uncle, their Grand-Uncle, Godfather, their Godfather, this is several generations together, greatly blessed indeed."
So the Emperor was bewilderingly handed a square-faced baby.
Eunuch Yan was handed a round-faced baby.
The babies weren't big, but they were heavy.
Curiously staring with big eyes.
Their hands were clenched into fists, waving gently.
Even the fiercest person can't help but feel tender towards human infants.
Moreover, the Emperor, holding this little square face, realized it was actually related to him by blood, thinking this way, he felt more at ease about the Meng family.
The most reliable relationships are indeed blood and marriage ties.
Eunuch Yan, holding the infant, its round chubby face, thought of when he left Kan'er Village, Mianmian was just about this big, how time flies.
His hand gently touched the child's hand, seeing him with his pants open, proudly exposing his little penis, he also smiled, good, very good.
The Emperor hugged the child, who was quite heavy, and he couldn't hold him for long.
The Emperor's body was actually quite weak.
Just then, Little Goose wet himself.
Everyone else was very alarmed.
Jiang Yu burst into laughter.
"Uncle, you're sure to have great luck all year long, now that you've been blessed with a child's urine."
The Emperor also laughed heartily.
"I'm already the Emperor, what more luck could I need?"
Jiang Yu thought for a moment and said, "Then I wish for you to step on gold when you walk in the imperial garden, to find money when you eat dumplings, and for my husband, brother, and grandfather to return victorious from battle."
"Excellent, excellent!"
The Emperor, who hadn't slept well, was very pleased by this last remark.
This was also the reason he had summoned the Meng family.
What was originally meant to be a show of false favor, under Jiang Yu's influence, became like a casual family conversation.
So when Jiang Yu entered the palace, she was just Madam Meng, but when she left, she had gained the title of Princess Caiyi, along with land and a salary.
Jiang Yu was overjoyed.
She earnestly said, "Uncle, I originally wanted to bring you some food when I came to the palace, but they said the Emperor couldn't eat outside food, so I didn't dare. But now that I'm a princess, I should be considered one of your own people, right? I'll go back and make you some food, it'll count as homemade now, I promise you'll like it."
The Emperor's laughter added several more wrinkles to his face.
Eunuch Yan laughed along with him.
When Sister Yu came to the palace, she had brought food for him too - food from Kan'er Village, black wheat buns, too coarse to chew easily, but break off a piece, chew it, and it becomes more flavorful the more you chew.
What he was chewing wasn't just the bun, but the flavor of years gone by.
...
