[R18] The stars are brilliant, so lucky even (The stars are brilliant, the moon rises over the sea) – Chapter 143 of “The Stars Are Brilliant, How Lucky They Are (The Stars Are Brilliant·The Moon Rising Over the Sea)” [English]

Chapter 143

Shaoshang did not expect that five years would pass so quickly.

The flower trees outside the window bloomed with buds, blooming and then fading, again and again; the ice on the lake froze and melted, and the fish were getting fatter and fatter; but sometimes looking at his still cute appearance in the rhombus bronze mirror, Shao Shang felt as if not so long had passed.

She has been a person who refuses to be ambiguous since she was a child. Whenever she makes up her mind to do something, she must go all out.

After taking over the Yong’an Palace, Shaoshang felt like he was a relative of a large company. How to manage these hundreds of people and arrange a quiet and interesting palace life was really difficult. If he didn’t do it right, he would be in trouble.Shaoshang no longer dares to go his own way. Before every move, he must ask Cen Anzhi whether it violates palace rules or involves taboos. After asking, he must also pre-set trial points.

Being so cautious and careful, she has gained a reputation as a wise and generous person over the years – this time it is not the old man Huang who carries the sedan chair, but a really good reputation, and many rules and regulations that sound whimsical at first have actually turned out to be good.

Shaoshang had no work experience in this area before, but she had never eaten pork but had seen pigs running away – in a large closed environment, if there is no regular and orderly rhythm of life, it is easy to develop feelings of laziness, boredom and other resentments.So she issued two new orders in addition to implementing the responsibilities and arrangements. First, any maidservant with a suitable place to go can be released from the palace as appropriate after reaching the age of twenty-two. Secondly, in addition to the Three Sacrifice and Five Festivals, Shaoshang will also hold various competitions every year. Those who excel in everything from nuns, cooking, gardening, and even greenhouse vegetation… can receive heavy rewards.

The queen is the judge of various ready-made measures, and her various self-cultivation and connotation have finally come into use – which dish is more delicious, delicious, and fragrant, she is a first-class gourmet; which flower arrangement and gardening are more artistic, she has the highest aesthetic taste; which embroidery pattern is more exquisite and elegant, she is the top appreciator…

Although the sparrow is small, it has all the internal organs. Over the past year or two, everyone in Yong’an Palace seems to have become accustomed to this kind of life with orderly intervals between work and leisure.

“Master Shao Shang, Master Shao Shang.” A young palace maid came in with a smile, “Master Yuan is here and is waiting for you outside Linglu Gate.”

Shao Shang was concentrating on reading a medicinal recipe book and carefully drafting a recipe for Empress Dowager Xuan next month. He was displeased when he heard this and said, “Why don’t you tell him to go to the side door? What if someone sees him through the main entrance!”

The little palace maid covered her mouth and said with a smile: “I think Mr. Yuan just wants to be seen by others openly.”

Shaoshang slapped the pen on the case, looked in the mirror, straightened up his appearance, and went out with a straight face.

Standing outside the Linglu Gate was a twenty-six or seven-year-old young man with his back turned. He was still handsome and tall, and he was smiling brightly in front of all the young men and palace maids.Like a thief, Shaoshang leaned on the threshold and looked around to see if there was no one outside Yong’an Palace before stepping out.

“Master Yuan, I wonder what’s going on here?” Shao Shang looked reserved.

Yuan Shen is still handsome, but his temperament has become much more mature. Two years ago, he originally wanted to grow a beard, but after noticing the girl’s disgusted look, he shaved off the short beard on his lips overnight.Today, he will no longer ridicule a girl because she is pretentious. On the contrary, he will be kind and gentle: “Your Majesty summoned you, and I happened to be nearby. I came here to run an errand.”

The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs saw that the two of them were about to talk, and they retreated very wisely.

Shao Shang frowned and said, “All of Cen Anzhi’s men are dead. I still need to trouble you, Yuan Langguan, with the matter of passing on the message! It must be you who are deliberately showing off in front of His Majesty – didn’t I say it, you and I should stay away from each other, the Cai family…”

“Master Cai Yun plans to accept me as a free disciple. I can go and listen to his lectures on Confucian classics when I have time on weekdays.” Yuan Shen smiled.

Shao Shang groaned, and a feeling of admiration arose in his heart: “Although I know you have always been capable, but you are actually able to turn around the head of the Cai family. Tell me, how did you do it? In the past few years, the Cai family has seen you either shouting for beating or killing. How could they just let it go?”

“Let’s talk while we walk.” Yuan Shen looked at the sun, “Aren’t you going to stay at home for a few days from tomorrow? It won’t be possible to leave the palace any later.”

Shaoshang agreed.

Yuan Shen walked on the right side of the girl and brushed aside the soft wicker along the way for her: “A while ago, Cai Sikong, a man who had an old grudge with the Shangdang governor, deliberately concealed his merits and exaggerated his faults during the assessment. Your Majesty was furious and immediately sent Mr. Cai Yun to prison.”

“Is this true?” Shaoshang asked curiously.

Mr. Huang has a good way of employing people. He pays attention to the internal and external aspects of a job and is well-organized.

Those ministers who have made great contributions are often not given official positions, but are given great wealth and honor; among them, a few true confidants are selected to decide political affairs at the Shangshu table; as for the prominent “three princes” positions such as Da Sima, Da Situ and Da Sikong, famous Confucian scholars in the country are appointed.

When conferring officials, Uncle Huang naturally had great respect for these learned men, but once his mistakes were discovered, he was punished extremely harshly – very different from the soft-hearted and tolerant treatment of Jinglan’s heroes.

Yuan Shen said: “Is Lord Cai Yun crazy? Even if he wants to take revenge, he will not be so blatant. I found out the matter for him, and it is not a deliberate revenge. It is just carelessness, credulity and partial listening, and was caught by someone with an evil intention. Your Majesty spared him Da Sikong and just reprimanded him.”

Shaoshang glanced at he with a smile and said nothing.

Yuan Shen felt very comfortable with this look and said with a smile, “You’re talking bad about me again.”

“Well, I don’t say it in my heart, I say it with my mouth.” Shao Shang said with a smile, “Tell me the truth, how long have you been waiting for the Cai family to be in trouble?”

Yuan Shen laughed: “The Cai family is very strict with their children, and the senior Cai family members who are in official positions are also very cautious – if they don’t make mistakes, I will do it myself.”

Shaoshang suddenly apologized to he and sighed: “Why do you have to do this?”

Yuan Shen bowed to him respectfully and sighed: “Xiao Ke is already twenty-seven this year. If he doesn’t get married and have children, I’m afraid there will be no worries in the future!”

Shao Shang Wangtian: “Actually, there is nothing good about marriage. Look at the fifth princess. When she got married, she was more beautiful than the first four princesses. She was famous for her beauty, and the city was covered with flowers. But since the marriage, she and Xiao Yuehou’s son have been arguing and fighting every day. Last month, Xiao Yuehou’s mansion was almost set on fire…”

“Evil people will have their own troubles.” Yuan Shen said, “The fifth princess and the consort, one is extravagant and lewd, the other is domineering and cruel. I think these two are a perfect match. Haven’t you seen that since the fifth princess got married, even Xiao Yuehou has no energy to stir up trouble?”

“It’s weird to be energetic!” Shao Shang lowered his voice, “Half a year ago, I went to the Changqiu Palace to report something, and the Empress of Yue summoned the fifth princess and his wife to reprimand him! Didn’t you see that there were three bloody wounds on the face of the fifth prince-in-law…”

“What about the princess?” Yuan Shen also looked gossipy.

“I heard that a lot of hair was pulled out and my scalp was bleeding!”

Yuan Shen clicked his tongue twice, his face full of gloating, and Shao Shang knew the reason – a few months after the wedding of the fifth princess, one day when the fifth princess came to the palace to thank her, she bumped into Yuan Shen, and unexpectedly wanted to invite him as a guest. At that time, Yuan Shen’s face turned green.

Later, Yuan Shen did not know what means he used to expose the fact that the five princesses had kept their faces privately. The emperor was so angry that he lost more than half of the food that was going to be added to the five princesses as dowry!

——Even if you want to raise a good face, you can’t start it right after you get married. At least you have to give birth to a child until you are middle-aged!Even if you don’t care about the Queen of Yue’s face, the Yue family is also the home of a relative with outstanding meritorious service. This is too disrespectful to the meritorious official!

“The princess of this dynasty is not as beautiful as the previous dynasty!” Shao Shang shook his head.

The princesses of the previous dynasties not only had a good reputation, but also frequently left a distinctive mark at famous key moments in history.As for this dynasty, the emperor seems to be very disgusted with the princesses interfering in politics, so the only anecdotes of the princesses are romantic disputes.

“Young Shang.” Yuan Shen stopped and looked at the girl with burning eyes, “The Cai and Yuan families have reconciled, and the daughter of the Cai family who I am engaged to is already married and has children. After your father’s birthday banquet, I will invite the elders to propose marriage.”

Shaoshang was troubled: “Why didn’t you marry me?”

Five years ago, she entered the Yong’an Palace in isolation with scars all over her body, and Yuan, a short-sighted person, stumbled along the way.She didn’t open the palace door, so he stood outside the door for hours and hours, causing a lot of discussion and Shao Shang had no choice but to let him in to talk.

“I want to marry you! Remember, I will marry you after I cancel the marriage with the Cai family. Don’t rush to agree to someone else this time!” – Yuan Shen shouted to her, with blood marks on his face from being beaten by the Cai family.

“Why don’t you know that I have such a bad temper?” Shaoshang said helplessly, “Why do you have to ask for trouble? Why don’t you find a wife who is virtuous and kind and looks up to you like heaven.” In a daze, she seemed to have said this to another person.

Yuan Shen stood in front of the girl and looked at her jokingly: “You obviously want to get married, do you just don’t want to marry me?”

Shaoshang remembered an embarrassing incident: “Speak properly, don’t mention what you have or what you don’t have.”

Yuan Shen couldn’t help laughing and pulled a willow tree by the lake: “After my ex-husband passed away, my mother decided not to marry for the rest of her life. I will not marry any emperor. What about you?” He turned his eyes to the girl, “You are still willing to marry, right?”

Shao Shang reluctantly nodded: “…You still have to marry once.” The worst case scenario is that she will never let the past affect her future life.

Yuan Shen smiled, and seeing the Changqiu Palace in front of him, he hurriedly said: “Actually, if you think about it carefully, it is best for us to get married – you and I both know each other’s temperament, no one has to pretend, and it is fun to be noisy sometimes. Shao Shang, to be honest, we are the same kind of people. Have you ever seen leopards and elk living together? Only the same kind of people can live together for a long time.”

Shaoshang was a little startled.

In fact, she understood that Yuan Shen was telling the truth. She and Yuan Shen were the most suitable couple, maybe even more suitable than marrying Lou Yao.They are cunning, vigilant, defensive, and even born with three degrees of coldness; in the long years, they will have children, have the same interests, and trust each other.

——Yuan Shen would never go out to take revenge in the middle of the night. He would hide in the dark and slowly deal with the Ling brothers, and as his wife, he might make bad ideas on the sidelines.

“It has been five years. Some things have passed. Let it go.” Yuan Shen did not go towards the Changqiu Palace, but took a few steps away. “It will be the Lantern Festival again in a few days. I will take you to see the lanterns then.”

He suddenly stopped, turned around, and smiled like a spring breeze: “——The reason why I married you just now was all nonsense! I want to marry you just because I like you.”

“The first time I met you at the Lantern Festival, I was secretly fond of you, but you seemed to be stubborn and not a good candidate for a good wife. Later, because of Mrs. Sang’s incident, I met you a few times, and I thought that you are still young, and you can become a proper clan wife if you slowly teach her – who knows, this hesitation will be too late.”

Yuan Shen stood about ten steps in front of Shao Shang. His light blue brocade robe was embroidered with mountains, rivers and crane feathers, which was more beautiful and elegant than the lakes and mountains.The expression on he’s face was both sad and happy, “Over the years, I’ve seen you grow up, learning to be safe and considerate, and learning to be watertight. I suddenly missed the way you hit people in the Yin family if you disagreed. I also think it’s good that you never grow up and are always covered in spikes.”

Cheng’s Shaoshang is the most beautiful and beautiful girl he has ever seen. No matter what the adversity is, she will stride out wearing the freshest sunshine and rain. Even if she steps on the thorns and leaves stains with blood, she will eventually find a way out.

“Shao Shang, I like to stay with you. I like to listen to you secretly say bad things about others, and watch you enjoy yourself and go your own way. As the days and months go by, you and I will eventually grow old together and be buried together.”

After saying these words, he bowed politely again and left with a smile, leaving only Shao Shang standing there in shock.