The Third Volume of Linglong Dice: An Red Bean's Idle Chats

  Shangguanli Xuanping Marquis's Mansion

  After the heavy rain, the weather suddenly turned cool, and it was already autumn.

  Lu Yuan walked all the way into Xia Xiangyuan and asked the maid standing outside the house, "Has Ah Yan not gotten up yet?"

  "Long live the Grand Princess. Hmm... I heard that Empress Dong is already awake, but she hasn't given orders to get up yet."

  Lu Yuan nodded and went straight into the inner room.

  Xia Xinyuan was the garden where Zhang Yan lived in her youth, after she entered the palace, Lu Yuan deliberately instructed that all cleaning and washing should be done as if Ah Yan were still living there. The empress had a flighty temperament, occasionally returning to take a walk, and it was necessary to let her check in at any time.

  Every mother always hopes that her daughter can stay by her side, but if a married-out daughter really stays at her parents' home for a long time, the mother will worry more about her.

  "A Yan." She called out as she pushed open the door.

  "Huh? Mother." Zhang Yan raised her head from the couch, her hair was not yet combed or tied up, scattered on both shoulders, a pair of black pupils in her eyes were large and shining brightly.

  "You've been at home for three days now, how is it," asked Lu Yuan, "that you still won't tell Mother what's wrong?"

  Zhang Yan smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just miss my mother. Your Majesty agreed to let me come back and stay for a few days. What, doesn't Mother want to take in her daughter? Then I'll be pitiful," she pretended to get up, "I'll go find a place that can take me in."

  Lu Yuan hastily pressed her down, both angry and amused. "Mother's words are clumsy, can't argue with you." Suddenly sighed, "It's also your special identity that His Majesty tolerates you to be so unruly, even the Empress Dowager didn't scold you. Have you seen any empress who stays overnight at her mother's house?"

  That's not because of the full house, this emperor only had two empresses, right? Zhang Yan didn't think so. Lu Yuan saw her pouting and shook his head, advising, "A Yan, you and the Emperor quarreled this time, even running back home, I don't know, nor do I want to know. But Mother knows, the Emperor has always been kind-hearted and generous since childhood, treating people with respect. You and he are not ordinary husband and wife. All along, the Emperor has been able to indulge you when possible, yielding to you when possible. Even... even after that, there's only more of it, without making things difficult for you. So, shouldn't you reflect on whether you really did something wrong, allowing him to scold you?

  "What's going on here?" Zhang Yan was originally listening well. But at this point, she couldn't help but choke back a breath and scolded, "Just because he has a good temper, does it mean I'm the one who did something wrong? What kind of logic is this?"

  Zhang Yan thought of what had happened that day and was still annoyed about it.

  After the severe drought in Guanzhong ended, she remained as before. In the Pepper Chamber, she studied books and cooked food, living a good life. As a result, he said that as the empress, wearing luxurious silk clothes and makeup, would affect the extravagant style of the nobles and marquises in Chang'an.

  He actually said she was extravagant.

  She did it for him, an entire summer. The pepper room didn't use ice. She had done her best.

  Because she was afraid that he would die young like in history, she studied food and medicine. In every suitable season, she took various precious ingredients and discussed with Cen Niang to make nourishing dishes for him to supplement his body.

  Is it for herself?

  She loves bright and beautiful clothes, likes exquisite embroidery, likes to apply the elegant makeup techniques brought by later generations to her own appearance, just to make him like it more. As the saying goes, "A woman's beauty is for the one she loves", can't he understand this little thought?

  The days are spent by herself, she is his queen, but not a refugee in the suburbs of Chang'an. She receives supplies from ten cities and has family business offerings, so she doesn't lack money. Can't she even spend it on herself?

  Liu Ying is a bad person.

  Bad guy, bad guy, bad guy.

  Zhang Yan suddenly sat up straight from the couch, her black hair forming a neat arc. Although her autumn clothes were thin, she felt a bit cool. Lu Yuan sighed and said, "Look, you're in a hurry again?" He reached out to stroke her forehead, his touch gentle, and secretly admired her.

  Many times, Ah Yan is actually more outstanding than her mother.

  She is ordinary in appearance, while Ah Yan is even more stunning; she is dull in personality, while Ah Yan is clever and transparent. She can be weak at times, while Ah Yan is often braver than her...

  She can tolerate drifting with the tide, but Ah Yan is even more pure and elegant.

  She didn't read much when she was young, and after marrying Zhang Jue, he would occasionally recite some books to her. She remembered one sentence: "The stiffest will break the easiest." So she had always been worried about Ah Yan.

  Such a lovely girl, in the eyes of a mother, no matter who she is paired with, should be worthy of being treated with sincerity. If Ah Yan were to marry another man, shouldn't she have been loved by her husband?

  She married her own brother, the emperor of the Great Han.

  "Mother didn't say you must have done something wrong, but she wants you to calm down and think carefully. As a couple, there's no need to be like you two. It's not necessary to argue out who's right or wrong, sometimes taking a step back, being humble, is the way to go further."

  "Just like back then, when your father was demoted," said Lu Yuan, "he wasn't resentful or angry, but he didn't show me a bad face or say a single harsh word. So I felt guilty and treated him even better. If he had taken the previous emperor's behavior and applied it to me, that wouldn't have been impossible either. It's just that we wouldn't have been able to be so loving for all these years. Ah Yan, don't you think?"

  "A Yan, I know you're very intelligent." Lu Yuan said solemnly, "Intelligent people are easily arrogant and can't listen to others' advice, but they usually also can't see their own mistakes."

  "Ah Yan, intelligence cannot teach you how to be a wife."

  Zhang Yan was shocked and listened to her mother's gentle words, "Actually, you and the Emperor have been husband and wife for over a year, but in terms of understanding him, it's not necessarily more than I do."

  "Oh?" Zhang Yan glanced at her mother, but didn't disbelieve what she said.

  All she knew was Liu Ying after his youth.

  But his mother accompanied him through the childhood years. When people are young, they are at their most authentic, and all of their thoughts and personalities are hidden away as they grow older. However, only in youth do they exist without any concealment.

  Zhang Yan humbly asked, "What does Your Majesty think of the Empress Dowager?"

  "Brother, he may not be the most intelligent, but he can work hard to make up for his shortcomings. He is used to considering others and is more inclined to believe in goodness, even though he knows the world can be treacherous. If you don't betray him, he won't think of betraying you either. These are his good qualities."

  "But after all, he is not you. From his perspective, he cannot consider all the situations for you, or habitually avoid them when they are difficult to face. Ah Yan, if you have been wronged by him, don't keep it in your heart, suppressing it until you suffocate and he can't see it. You should directly smash it into his brain. Smash him awake. Only then will he go listen, think, face it, reflect on it, correct himself, and if he is able to do that for you, he will make an effort."

  However, Lu Yuan swallowed back one sentence and didn't say it.

  If he really thinks it's impossible, then there's nothing he can do about it.

  Everyone has their own bottom line, and her younger brother had a different kind of stubbornness in insisting on his. In Lu Yuan's heart, there was a faint fear that Ah Yan might be Liu Ying's bottom line.

  Zhang Yan rested her forehead on her knees for a long time, and then said in a melancholy tone. "Perhaps mother was right, I simply don't know how to be his wife."

  All these years, I've been holding my breath and pretending to be a person of this era. Thinking that I shouldn't stand out too much and make people feel strange, gradually, even I myself thought that I was just an ordinary girl of this era, not particularly different from others. But in my subconscious mind, I still felt that I had two thousand years of experience more than others. An unconscious sense of superiority, which even I didn't notice. I dissected all of myself. It's just that I forgot to tell myself, you've lived for two lifetimes and haven't had a complete romance, when walking into the marital relationship with Liu Xuan, at least in terms of love, you're not superior to him by even half a star.

  This road of ours was originally one that others hadn't taken, and it's even more necessary for us two to explore together. I can't completely follow the standards in my heart to determine whether a word or action is right or wrong. In this way, even if I win all the arguments, in the end, I'll lose love. And thus, everything will be lost.

  "Come out and take a walk, look at the scenery in the garden, and your mind will be more open. If you stay cooped up in the house without taking a step outside, even if you weren't feeling resentful to begin with, after thinking about it over and over again, you'll start to feel resentful." Lu Yuan pulled Zhang Yan out, came to the pavilion in the garden, ordered someone to pour wine, raised his cup and took a sip, smiling as he spoke.

  Zhang Yan stood beside her, on the platform they were on, which was built on top of a fake mountain in the inner courtyard of Xuanping Hou's mansion. In the ninth year of Emperor Gao's reign, his father was unjustly removed from his position as King of Zhao and demoted to Marquis of Xuanping. Probably because he knew he owed him, when building the Xuanping Hou Mansion for his father, he used materials and a scale far superior to those of ordinary marquises. Even inside the mansion, they dug a lake and built a mountain, with carvings so beautiful that they were not inferior to those in Chang Le Palace.

  She married into the Un央 that year, Zhang Ao built this platform on the mountain, using nanmu wood as pillars, and the top was a bird-like structure with high eaves, people inside could look down at the entire Xuanpinghou Mansion.

  At this moment, she stood on the empty pavilion, with a gentle breeze blowing to her chest. As far as the eye could see, there were rows of buildings and tiles. Her west hand was the solemn Un央 Longle, where Liu Ying was from. In the past, when she was among them, she only felt that they were magnificent and oppressive, but after walking out and looking back, it was just a dull smile.

  It can also be under its own feet.

  "Thank you, Mother."

  Zhang Yan said softly, "Mother is right, I'm a bit better now."

  First of all, thank you for your support in May.

  Secondly, when I'm feeling depressed, it seems that writing the main text is not suitable, fearing that the more I write, the more depressing it will become. I've decided to write an extra chapter tomorrow to relieve myself and consider it as a bonus update. Cough, this extra chapter starts from now and counts nine years into the future (at that time, Ah Yan should have already settled down with Liu Ying). It's easier to write than the main text. Approximately around tomorrow noon, those who are interested can come take a look.

  Thirdly, tomorrow is Children's Day.

  Children's Day. After careful calculation, Ah Yan is now 14 years old in virtual age and should still be considered a child. There is a gift that I want to give her, but I don't know if it can be arranged for tomorrow night.

  I hope so. Amen.

  Fourth, the Gold Medal Reviewer activity will start at 10:00 am on June 1st.

  Everyone give a warm welcome.

  After 10:00 on June 1st, posting a book review of more than 150 words in the "Dahan Yanyuhua" book review section will be considered as an effective refueling post.

  Fifth, advertisement:

  The palace maid A in the Pepper Chamber Palace whispered mysteriously: "Hey, have you seen? The little white face has come out of Empress Ah Jiao's palace again."

  Eunuch Yi from Changqiu Palace sneered: So I've seen it, and it's nothing special after all.

  Changxin Palace Shang Gong Bing Zei Mei: Aiyo, you two know nothing, the Emperor has taken a liking to the songstress from the Princess's household.

  Wild boar emperor's personal attendant Ding Shu Mu: It's not just a crush, it's already a car shock...

  Chang Shilang, Hong Zhuo Pei's daughter annotated the above eight trigrams as follows:

  Chen's wife had an affair in marriage, and her paramour is still to be verified;

  Wild boar takes a liking to songstress, continues to pay attention to Che Shen.

  The Van Yan Han Palace Eight Trigrams Weekly is performing enthusiastically, issue 1238647. Proposal: Let's go and kick this wild boar to vent our anger.