Chapter 486 New Year’s Gift
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“Didn’t expect myself to be so virtuous, did you?” Mingzhu smirked at Yuwen Chu, but she was thinking about the past. No matter how she planned for Yuwen You, she never received a word of praise. They shared the same father, so why was the difference so great? But she didn’t dwell on it. Funing and Yuwen Chu were born to the same parents, one was as cunning as a ghost and the other was too foolish to breathe. There was simply no comparison.
“Who said that? I’ve known for a long time that you’re extraordinary,” Yuwen Chu took a book and read it aloud to Mingzhu, “If you’re tired of listening, go to sleep. We have to enter the palace at five in the morning tomorrow. We have to stay up tonight, so get as much sleep as you can.”
Since it was already New Year’s Eve, anyone who could go home for the New Year had already left, so the road was empty. The carriage safely returned to the capital city, and it was almost dark by the time they arrived, almost missing the city gate.
Zhou Shuyi and Su Lan, who stayed behind, had already decorated the Mansion festively and lively. Every place was comfortable and tidy. After Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu bathed, they worshipped their ancestors, had their New Year’s Eve dinner, and rewarded everyone with money and additional dishes. The officials and staff of the Mansion naturally received the most, and people like Zhou Nushi and Ping Nushi from the northern garden didn’t miss out either.
Li Quanxin came with people to kowtow and thank Yuwen Chu and Mingzhu, and also reported on the situation in the northern garden, focusing on Ping Nushi: “After receiving instructions from the Wangfei, she has been repenting every day and hasn’t gone crazy again. She asked me to tell the Wangfei that as long as the Wangfei is willing to give her a chance, she’s willing to do anything.”
Mingzhu asked, “Has she been taken care of these days?”
Li Quanxin replied, “She’s even more beautiful than before.”
After everyone left, Mingzhu discussed with Yuwen Chu, “I plan to release Ping Nushi. It’s a waste to keep her beauty locked up in the mansion.”
Just by looking at Mingzhu’s expression, Yuwen Chu knew what she was planning. “Planning to set a trap for someone to fall into?”
Mingzhu smiled, “Of course, for the lecher. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If they do evil, they must pay for it.”
Who in the royal family is the most lustful? Naturally, it’s Yuwen Long. Last time, Yuwen Long came up with the idea of having people dress up as ghosts all night, disturbing Yuwen Chu so much that he couldn’t sleep for several days and nights, aggravating his illness. She had long promised to teach Yuwen Long a big lesson, not only making him lose his humanity, but also making him break the alliance with Beidu Marquis.
It’s easy to find a beauty, but it’s not easy to find a crazy and exceptionally outstanding beauty. Making him suffer a loss could only be endured by such a beauty. Ping Nushi happened to be such a person. Before going to the Great Temple Village, Mingzhu instructed Li Quanxin to take good care of her.
“Ping Nushi’s beauty is very rare. Even when I first saw her, I couldn’t help feeling a bit sour, not to mention someone like Yuwen Long,” Mingzhu told Yuwen Chu her plan, “I’m going to let her out, spruce her up, and bring her into the palace with Zhou Nushi tomorrow morning.”
Yuwen Chu raised an eyebrow, “You really know how to think. Setting someone up to cuckold me, aren’t you afraid I’ll get angry?”
Mingzhu blinked at him, “You haven’t touched her. Without this reputation, Yuwen Long might not be fooled. Such things are stimulating. He probably only had three points of interest originally, but thinking about being able to cuckold you adds eight points of interest. One shot, one hit.”
Yuwen Chu said, “Are you sure you’re not afraid Ping Nushi will come and seduce me, so you want to get rid of her first?”
Mingzhu rolled her eyes at him, “Are you blind? If you could see a beauty like her, you would have taken her long ago. You just want to hear a few sweet words from me, don’t you? Come here…” She beckoned him with her finger, leaning close to whisper a few words in his ear.
Yuwen Chu smiled at her, “Don’t forget what you said.”
“I won’t forget, I won’t forget,” Mingzhu reached out to ask him for a red envelope, “Everyone has one, why shouldn’t I?”
Yuwen Chu teased her, “We’re a married couple, why divide this?”
“Stop it,” Mingzhu searched his body, “I must have it, and so does our child. Give it to me first.”
Yuwen Chu couldn’t resist her teasing and had Wei Tiande bring over the box that had already been prepared. It was filled with top-quality pearls from Hepu. When the box was opened, the room was filled with shimmering light, and among them, a pair of thumb-sized golden pearls stood out, shining brightly like gold.
“Corresponding to your name,” Yuwen Chu showed them to Mingzhu, “These pearls of this color, size, and shape are rare. I’ll collect them for you every year. When we have a complete set, you can use them to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings, hairpins, whatever you like. You can also pass them on to our daughter in the future, all up to you.”
Mingzhu leaned against his chest and looked at the pearls, suddenly remembering that she actually had a pair of pearls like this in her past life. They were a gift from the Great Empress Dowager, and she had made them into a pair of earrings, with long, thin gold chains dangling, just two inches from her shoulders. When worn, they shimmered and glittered, attracting countless envious glances.
She carefully examined the pearls for a long time and found an almost invisible flaw on one of them. It was indeed the same pair of pearls. How they ended up in the Great Empress Dowager’s hands from his, she couldn’t recall, nor did she want to know the process. Knowing the result was enough. She suddenly pushed Yuwen Chu onto the couch and passionately kissed his face.
Yuwen Chu was startled by her sudden enthusiasm and reminded her, “Watch your belly! Watch your belly!”
“I’m just too happy, so I forgot myself,” Mingzhu said, embarrassed, and bit her lip as she smiled, pulling his hand to feel her abdomen. Her belly was already protruding, and there was a hard lump. Yuwen Chu’s hand covered hers, both unwilling to let go.
For a long time, the sound of firecrackers outside the window came, and the sound of New Year’s bells rang out one after another, Zhou Shuyi and others were setting off fireworks and firecrackers in the front yard, and the sky was reflected in red.
Mingzhu whispered, “I also have a gift to give to Your Highness.” She handed a brocade box to Yuwen Chu, inside of which were the improved blueprints for the bed crossbow she had drawn while at the village. It was time to give it to him. Jiang Shanshan was nowhere to be found now, and neither were the so-called gunpowder and firearms improvement formulas, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t reappear. She didn’t have the formulas for gunpowder and firearms improvement, but she could make his bed crossbow more practical.
“Ban Jian has already made a model. Whenever you need it, it can be produced at any time,” Mingzhu showed Yuwen Chu, “Although firearms are good, they’re not always usable. Most of the time, this bed crossbow is very useful.”
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