[R18] The stars are brilliant, so lucky even (The stars are brilliant, the moon rises over the sea) – Chapter 59 of “The Stars Are Brilliant, How Lucky They Are (The Stars Are Brilliant·The Moon Rising Over the Sea)” [English]

Chapter 59

From any angle, this was an ordinary banquet for officials.

The emperor was still warm and harmonious, the queen was still well behaved, Marquis Yu recited poems affectionately as usual, General Wu danced his sword to entertain as usual, Uncle Xuan Guo was the first to get drunk as usual, and rolled onto the table again as usual.As usual, the second prince disliked the third prince, and kept teasing him with sarcastic remarks during the dinner, which annoyed the fourth prince and almost made a move. The prince hurriedly came out to break up the fight, and turned around to scold the second prince.

The third prince took his time and waved his hand to the fourth prince to say no, and then skillfully brought out the things that the second prince’s companions had not returned to yet.The emperor didn’t care at first, but a moment later the flying cavalry reported that those companions were so young that they actually disobeyed the holy will and went hunting in the mountains on their own.

The emperor’s face darkened at that time, and the second prince knelt down in panic to plead guilty. The prince had no choice but to plead for mercy.The fifth prince interjected: “Is it possible that there are just a few people who missed the banquet today? I think there are many more.”

So starting from this, the emperor simply asked all the people who missed the banquet.After a lot of confusion, the results were gratifying – six or seven Confucian scholars who were drunk in the afternoon, four or five reckless young men who broke their legs at the horse racing meeting, three noble ladies who were gambling in the tent, and two pairs of wild mandarin ducks who got lost in a tryst in the forest.

To be fair,The emperor is not a strict monarch now. If there are extenuating circumstances, it is not a big deal to miss the imperial banquet. So the emperor raised his hand and spared the unfortunate ones with broken legs. The others had their own punishments: the drunken Confucian scholars were kicked out of the Imperial University; the gambling ladies were allHe was fined 30,000 yuan, his imperial edict was revoked, and his son-in-law and son-in-law were each demoted 200 shi in official rank. As for the two pairs of wild mandarin ducks… one pair was the married Marquis of Zhongshan and the newly widowed Mrs. Chenghou, and the other was the son of the official Hu Bentian and the daughter of Dr. Ouyang of Taixue.

The emperor, who was of a pure nature, immediately said displeased: “I didn’t want to pay attention to such affairs, but Marquis Cheng died in the battle a few months ago. Even if his wife wants to remarry, she committed adultery with a family member during the filial piety period. On the one hand, it shows that there is no kindness between husband and wife, and on the other hand, it insults the late husband’s wisdom. He should be punished!”

After saying that, he ordered Mrs. Chenghou to be expelled from the capital and returned to her natal family. None of her husband’s property and silk could be shared. The Marquis of Zhongshan simply wiped it out as a blank slate, seized the title, dismissed the official, and deported her back to her hometown to introspect herself.

Seeing the emperor’s stunned expression, all the ministers stopped drinking and chatting, and sat quietly at the banquet waiting for the emperor’s resignation. At this time, Tian Langguan and Dr. Ouyang had knelt down in the center of the imperial tent, kowtow to apologize.The former defended, “My children are ignorant and lost their way, and I didn’t mean to disrespect Yu Yan.” However, the latter blushed and said, “My daughter has been betrothed to someone else, and it was all the son of the Tian family who seduced her!”

Cheng Shi, who was sitting in the corner of the royal tent, was uneasy. Before going to the banquet, Mrs. Xiao sent someone to tell him that his daughter had not returned yet. He thought that his daughter had gone to have a private meeting with Lou Yao, but just before he entered the tent, he saw Lou Yao sitting outside at the seat of the distinguished disciples.

In fact, the emperor had no time to care whether a girl from a middle-ranking general’s family came to the banquet. The three noble ladies were only discovered when the gambling quarrel got too loud. Mrs. Chenghou and Mrs. Ouyang were picked up by the guards when they were searching for Mr. Zhongshan Houhe Tian.

Cheng Shi carefully glanced at Lou Taipu opposite, praying to the Holy Mother of Kunlun in the West and Yuanshi Tianzun in the East to protect his daughter from running into such a storm.

Tian Langguan and Dr. Ouyang had blushed at this time, and started to quarrel with each other while tugging at each other’s lapels. Just when the emperor was about to say something, a young man suddenly hurried into the tent, bowed his head in front of the throne and whispered a few words.

The ministers didn’t know what the little Huangmen said, but they saw a bit of surprise on the emperor’s face, and his eyes were directed towards the tables in the corner of the tent.The fifth prince was so close that he vaguely heard the word “Ling”. His bad temper broke out and he hurriedly said: “Father, by the way, didn’t the Eleventh Prince come today? Why haven’t you come to the banquet until now?”

The emperor gave him a serious look and said: “Everyone who went hunting in the mountains today went to receive ten lashes from the Tingwei. Isn’t there still chaos in the north of Jizhou? Send them there to serve, and they can return only after merit.”

The second prince wailed: “Father?! You, please think twice…” Those companions were all the courtiers and nephews he had made friends with on a daily basis. This suddenly broke his years of hard work.

The emperor remained motionless and continued: “The second prince is unable to control his left and right, so he and the fifth prince also went to receive ten whips.”

The fifth prince was smiling proudly when he suddenly heard this and said, “Father, father, did you say something wrong…?”

The emperor was too lazy to pay attention to these two living treasures. He whispered to the little yellow gate general to lead them to a side tent, then left the table and walked back. The ministers and princes also stood up and handed them off.The emperor only walked a few steps and then stopped, turned around and said, “Colonel Cheng, come with me!”

The gazes of all the ministers were directed at him for a moment. Even Cheng Shi, a genius, could not understand this enigmatic holy meaning. At this time, he could only face the burning gaze, hunched his neck, stepped forward and drove away.

After the emperor left, the tent became noisy like bees buzzing——

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I just heard from the guards outside that Shishiro is back!”

“Come back as soon as you come back. Why has your Majesty’s expression changed? Your Majesty will never punish Shishiro!”

“I heard that Shishiro was injured and was helped back.”

“What?! Who can hurt Shishiro! The one who came back with help must have been seriously injured!”

Cheng Shi couldn’t hear these words. He really didn’t know why the emperor summoned him alone. He thought that even if his daughter was late for the banquet, she wouldn’t attract such high-level attention. He followed the emperor step by step, thinking about the recent events in the court. The emperor suddenly said: “Cheng Qing, how many children do you have on your knees?” with a very pleasant expression.

Cheng Shi waited for a moment and answered mechanically: “I have four sons and one daughter.”

The emperor paused, frowned and said, “Only one woman?”

Cheng Shi’s heart beat, and he was at a loss: “Yes. I only have one daughter.”

The emperor frowned: “Have you been betrothed to the nephew of Lord Lou?”

“Exactly.” Cheng Shi thought to himself, Your Majesty, didn’t you also give my family a marriage decree?

The emperor didn’t look happy at all: “Why do you only have one daughter?!” The implication seemed to be that he was very dissatisfied.

Cheng Shi was confused.Is it wrong to only have one daughter?!

In fact, the little Huangmen just whispered one sentence – “Master Ling was injured in his left arm and was helped back by the young master of Cheng Xiaowei’s family.”

The emperor felt that almost every word in this short sentence was strange.

First of all, does he not know who his adopted son is?If you hurt your arm but not your leg, why do you need someone to support you?Even if he injured his leg, he could still walk back to the capital from Liangzhou straight with three swords and six holes without showing any trace.

Secondly, a little girl helped him back!Even if today’s sacrifice to the mountain god suddenly appeared and sang a song, the emperor would not be more surprised.

At first, someone slandered Ling Bujie because he was fond of Long Yang, but he was so worried that he couldn’t sleep well for two nights.It wasn’t until later that some blind man gave his adopted son a few beautiful-colored children, and was severely beaten and kicked out, that he felt relieved.

After passing through the ten-foot camp, he came to a slightly smaller golden-domed royal tent. Before the small yellow door could open the tent curtain, the emperor heard a gentle and soft girl crying inside, and his adopted son, who was famous for being lonely, was whispering comfort.

The emperor sighed, called Xiaohuangmen to announce the news, and strode in, followed by Cheng Shi, whose face turned pale. He also heard it.

After entering the tent, I saw Ling Buyi sitting by the stove. The doctor was fixing his left arm with wooden slats and bandaging it. Next to him sat a little girl kneeling. Although her face was as crying as a tabby cat, she could still tell that her face was as delicate and childish as jade and snow.

——So, the adopted son actually likes this one?The emperor secretly wondered whether no one had given such a beautiful concubine before.No, since the adopted son was fifteen years old, he should have been given all kinds of gifts.

“Father…” Shao Shang tugged at the hem of Cheng Shi’s clothes, his eyes were filled with tears, so pitiful.

Cheng Shi knew that nothing would happen to his daughter’s safety, and he was afraid that his daughter’s marriage would be a problem. He immediately whispered: “Whatever your Majesty asks, just say it.”

Shao Shang nodded – according to the words they had set up, she rode to the cliff. She accidentally slipped down because she wanted to climb and break the flowers on the cliff. Fortunately, she was hung on the crooked tree on the edge of the cliff. Fortunately, Ling Buyi passed by at this time and heard the cry for help and came to her. He broke his left forearm when he pulled her up.

Did you go there when you heard the call for help?The emperor wanted very much to turn around and remind his adopted son, “Remember when the eleven daughters of the Yuhou family fell into the water, you kicked off a piece of wood and threw it over to let others hug and float.” However, Yuhou also understood what you meant.

After hearing this, Cheng Shi felt relieved and thought that this was the best.Immediately he kowtowed, thanking Ling Buyi repeatedly for rescuing his daughter, and loudly confessed to the emperor.

The emperor nodded, thinking that Cheng Shi didn’t have any intention of clinging to him, so he seemed to be useful.

“Ms. Cheng and Shi Yilang, have we met before?” No matter how his heart was tumbling, the emperor’s face would not reveal anything.

Shaoshang lowered his head and looked at the hem of Zhu Xuan’s two-color crown clothes hanging on the carpet. His palms were sweating. It was the first time in his life that he saw the country’s big boss. How could he not be nervous.

The emperor saw her hurriedly saluting, which was actually the etiquette for elders in the family, rather than the etiquette for meeting the saints. This showed her lack of education, so he suppressed his frown and glanced at Ling Buyi again.

Ling Buyi was completely unaware. He held his bandaged left arm, knelt down and saluted, and said, “I have met Mrs. Cheng several times, so I cannot ignore her.”

The emperor ignored he and continued to ask: “Ms. Cheng, where have you seen Zi Sheng?”

“Your Majesty, why don’t you ask your ministers about all these matters.” Ling Buyi’s face was pale, but he was still smiling.

The emperor asked again: “Ms. Cheng, Zi Sheng is an important minister and the pillar of the country. You have caused he to be injured. Do you think you are guilty?”

Just as Shao Shang was about to open his mouth, Ling Buyi jumped in first and said with a smile, “If I had known that His Majesty wanted to scare her to death, I wouldn’t have had to give up my left arm to save her just now.”

The emperor finally couldn’t help but turned around, and was about to scold his adopted son with a straight face, but when he saw the pity in Ling Buji’s eyes, he sighed secretly, and waved his hand for the Cheng family and his daughter to retreat.

Cheng Shi took his daughter’s arm, sighed repeatedly, and scolded her as he walked away: “What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong? Dad, didn’t you hear everything?” Shao Shang couldn’t care less about his manners and pulled his sleeves to wipe the tears on his face.

“You, you, why are you getting involved with Shishiro again!”

“Master Ling is very kind and kind. When I get back, I will ask Ah Yao to come to your door to say thank you! Father, please prepare a good gift for me.”

Cheng Shi was puzzled: “That’s it?”

“What else?” Shaoshang looked back at Father Cheng strangely.

If someone saves your life, just thank them profusely and repay them if you have the opportunity in the future. Is there any problem?As for Yan returning upstairs, we can’t talk about it.

Cheng Shi: Could it be that I think too much?

…

Over there, the servant floor heard some news, pulled his nephew to a quiet place, and whispered: “Just now Shishiro came back injured. Do you know who was supporting him back?”

“My nephew knows. He is Shao Shang.”

“Ah!” Lou Taifu couldn’t react in time.

Lou Yao looked upright and said straightforwardly: “Just now, Young Shang asked all the maids around him to come and tell me. The Ling family brother saved her life. After returning, Young Shang and I came to express our gratitude.”

“That’s it?”

“What else?” Lou Yao thought his uncle was strange.

Lou Taipu: Could it be that I think too much?

…

In the side tent, the emperor walked around Ling Buyi in circles, but hesitated to speak: “You and the Cheng family’s young lady…?”

“What does Your Majesty want to say?” Ling Busuo crossed his arms and concentrated.

The emperor straightened up and walked away slowly, hands behind his back, and changed the subject: “When I gave the marriage decree to Lou and Cheng’s family that day, I remembered that you were beside me.”

“Yes, I am right next to you.” Ling Buyi said calmly.

The emperor stared at his adopted son for a long time, feeling like he had nowhere to say anything.

Ling Busu glanced at the small yellow door next to him. The small yellow door understood and reminded in a low voice: “Your Majesty, the banquet outside…”

The emperor waved his hand irritably, leaving the words “Take good care of yourself” and strode back to the main banquet. After sitting down, he saw Tian Langguan and Dr. Ouyang looking at each other angrily. He sighed: “That’s all, it’s not easy for young people to fall in love. Ouyang Aiqing, when you go back, prepare to marry your daughter into the Tian family.”

Dr. Ouyang was speechless: “Your Majesty, your Majesty, my daughter is already engaged.”

Seeing the tired look on the emperor’s face, General Wu roared like a thunderous voice: “There are marriages and divorces! What nonsense are you talking about!”

Marquis Yu twisted his elegant scholar’s beard and said with a smile: “Dr. Ouyang, so many people have seen it today. I think the family where my wife was originally engaged is not willing to renew the relationship. This is not a marriage robbery by the Tian family, but a love between the two children. Your Majesty intends to fulfill it. Why are you stubborn?”

Dr. Ouyang fell to the ground slumped and did not dare to refute. Tian Langguan’s face was full of joy and he thanked the saint loudly.

The emperor’s mind wandered: Could it be that he really thinks too much?