Liu Ye was a good drinker, and Guo Qi jian was also not bad at drinking.
The two exchanged ideas, discussing the old events in the northern borderland, comparing the differences between Prefect Wu Xiong and Prefect Liang Xi of Youzhou, and then mentioning Qian Zhuo and Tian Yu.
Gradually, both men began to show signs of intoxication.
As they were about to leave the capital, away from the feet of the emperor and away from the customs of Henan, both men had some feelings in their hearts at the beginning of the banquet. However, as they would be working together for nearly a year in the future, they found that as they drank more, some genuine emotions started to surface and there was a hint of indulgence in their attitudes.
In such a situation, people who are slightly intoxicated are more prone to becoming drunk.
Mao Qiujian was carried out by Liu Tao with two servants. After placing Mao Qiujian on the carriage, Liu Tao gave a few instructions to Mao Qiujian's servants, watched as the carriage drove away, and then entered his own home.
Upon entering the hall, Liu Tao suddenly found that his father was standing with his hands behind his back in the hall, with bright eyes, and there was not the slightest hint of drunkenness!
Liu Ye said in a deep voice: "As my father is an official in the imperial court, he has always kept you away from other children of the nobles. Guo Qiujian is of the same age as you, and have you clearly seen his talent and temperament?"
Liu Tao raised his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Son, I have seen."
Liu Ye slowly said, "In the future, affairs in Hebei may have to fall on this person!"
Liu Tao thought for a while and nodded heavily.
On the other side, the Northern Palace.
Cao Rui was relatively disciplined in matters concerning the rear palace. Although he had taken Sun Luban as a beauty, he only visited her a few times every three or five days.
The rest of the time, he spent about half of it working in the study until late at night, and the other half was alone in his bedchamber.
That night, Guo Yao was summoned into the bedroom when Cao Rui had finished his bath and was preparing to go to sleep.
Among the emperor's group of attendants, it was actually like a small society, and any incident would be spread around within half a day.
Sun Luban was favored by the emperor the second day, and the maidservants all knew about it. Zhao Jie deliberately scowled and made clear rules with the maidservants, clearly explaining that Sun Luban was originally a princess, not equal in status to others.
Let these maidservants put aside their thoughts.
Guo Yao clearly remembered that on that day, she and Sun Luban were called together to serve the emperor. When Sun Luban was sent out to fetch water, the emperor still used his fingers to touch her chin and asked about the situation at home.
It was so close that she could hear his breathing, and the intense feeling how could Guo Yao forget?
Since returning from the southern tour with the emperor, Zhao Jie had become an officer among the maidservants. With her saying this, how could I dare to spread the matter any further?
Therefore, tonight Guo Yao being summoned to the bedroom was still surprising to many people.
Cao Rui sat on the edge of the bed and waved to Guo Yao: "Guo Yao? Come to the emperor's side."
Guo Yao blushed slightly, standing with a hint of hesitation beside the bed, not daring to sit down.
Cao Rui looked at Guo Yao's shy expression and couldn't help but laugh: "Sit closer, are you afraid the emperor will eat you?"
Guo Yao clenched her fingers and whispered softly, "How can a slave like me dare to sit next to the emperor?"
Cao Rui felt a playful thought arise and said with a smile, "Are you worried about your status?"
"No, no." Guo Yao quickly waved her hands to explain: "I just... I'm not..."
"Are you afraid or unwilling?" Cao Rui looked up at Guo Yao's evasive eyes and followed the hair strands that fell over her temple, then from her earlobe to her neck.
This girl must be extremely nervous, as there is even a faint blush around her neck.
Guo Yao knew that the emperor was watching her, and the intensity in his eyes seemed to burn, so she dared not even look up at all.
Guo Yao spoke softly, "I am afraid."
Cao Rui patted the side of the bed again, "Sit down, the emperor has approved it; don't keep refusing."
Guo Yao stole a glance at the emperor's face. Their eyes met for an instant, and then Guo Yao quickly turned away, avoiding him. However, she still obediently sat down as she was instructed.
"Come closer."
Guo Yao moved slightly towards the emperor on the left.
"Come even closer."
Guo Yao pursed her lips and moved a little closer.
After three attempts, Cao Rui finally said with satisfaction, "Today, I summon you to serve as my bedmate, Guo Yao. Are you willing?"
Guo Yao's heart was suddenly in turmoil, and she remembered the second day when she and Sun Luban served the emperor together.
Sun Luban, having been favored by the emperor, also received many gifts. She brought a lot of pastries and fabrics to the maids' quarters with others, giving generous rewards to Zhao Jie and Zhao Yuan, her sisters who had taken care of her, as well as to those she was close with.
Before leaving, Sun Luban specifically walked in front of Guo Yao. With an eye filled with meaning, she stared at Guo Yao for a while before smiling and pinched her side face.
Having been favored by the emperor, how could that be a bad thing?
How could it be a bad thing!
Don't look at the maids in the palace, who are all like quail in front of the emperor and eunuchs. But behind their backs, they talk about what they call men and women business a lot.
Guo Yao knows everything, but the more she understands, the more she feels a strange shyness when it comes to things happening to herself, and her cheeks and body flush red.
It's just her nature, there's nothing she can do.
The emperor waited for a response beside him, and Guo Yao stole another glance at the emperor's side face. The curve of his chin and nose was also very graceful, which Guo Yao considered the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
After a moment of pause, as if not knowing what was happening, Cao Rui said gravely, "Have you seen enough?"
Guo Yao knew that she couldn't avoid it any longer, so she had to endure the itching and tickling sensation in her heart and said softly, "A slave is willing."
Cao Rui laughed out loud: "Since you are willing, from today on, you are no longer a slave."
Saying that, Cao Rui lay back on the bed, his toes lightly tapping Guo Yao's waist: "Come here, rub my legs for me. I've been exercising since this afternoon and they're a bit sore."
Guo Yao was shy, but she also sat down beside Cao Rui, kneeling and carefully massaging his legs according to Zhao Jie's method.
Cao Rui looked at Guo Yao's little girl's posture and smiled, "I have someone investigate your family's situation after the last time."
"What crimes did your father, Guo Man, commit, do you know?"
Guo Yao's previously shy and nervous heart was instantly thrown into turmoil again when the emperor mentioned old matters. Her hands faltered and her pace slowed: "A slave ..."
Cao Rui interrupted Guo Yao, "Don't use such a term for yourself any more. In future, what should you call yourself in front of me?"
Later?
Guo Yao bit her lip: "I should be called Your Majesty's consort."
Cao Rui said, "Go on."
Guo Yao continued: "I only know that it was because of the rebellion, and my father also died in the chaos."
Cao Rui asked: "Who told you this?"
Guo Yao thought for a moment and said, "It was the eunuch who brought me to the palace who told me. I had never known about my family's affairs before. When I was in Xiping Commandery, I only knew that my father had left and gone somewhere. It was only after being brought to Luoyang that I heard such stories."
Cao Rui raised his eyes to look at Guo Yao's face, then looked down for a moment before his eyes: "Your father was not implicated, but he actually helped the rebels and died in the chaos."
"The eunuchs did not tell you either, for they did not want you to think too much about it while in the palace and wanted to keep you at ease."
Guo Yao's lips trembled slightly as she pointed at herself, "Then... am I the daughter of a traitor?"
Cao Rui looked at Guo Yao a few times before shaking his head, "It could be, it could also not be."
"Don't stop."
Guo Yao bit her lip, holding back her emotions, but her movements remained gentle.
Cao Rui said, "If I were to take this seriously, your father joined the rebellion with Qu Yuanyi's party when it was still the year of Yan Kang, and before the year of Huang Chufei."
"If we're talking about rebellion, then it could be said that he rebelled against the Han Dynasty, not against the Great Wei. During the years of Jian'an and Yan Kang, these matters from the time of the Han Dynasty, naturally can have nothing to do with me, do you understand?"
This was the first time Guo Yao had heard such a statement.
Although Guo Yao knew that these were all things of the past, and that the emperor had allowed her to serve him, which meant he would most likely no longer involve her, she was naturally happy to have her deceased father's sins lifted.
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Your family's affairs in Xiping, the emperor has already pardoned. Are you satisfied?"
Guo Yao nodded lightly. The slight air of heroism mixed with her bashfulness in her eyebrows and eyes, making her gracefulness even more striking.
Cao Rui clapped his hands, and Zhao Yuan, who was waiting outside, entered and bowed before extinguishing the oil lamps in the room one by one. The light grew darker and darker, as if one could hear Guo Yao's heartbeat.
When there were only two oil lamps left, Cao Rui said, "Alright, go and rest."
Zhao Yuan slowly retreated.
Cao Rui patted the space next to him, and Guo Yao, knowing what to do, leaned in. So close that he could see clearly, Guo Yao's earlobes had turned bright red.
...
The next evening, at Xinpi Mansion.
As usual, Xin Pi ate dinner at home with his family.
While eating together with Xin Pi, there were also his son Xin Kuang, daughter Xin Hanying and son-in-law Yang Dan present.
Xin Pi, as usual, had meetings with his children to discuss matters in the palace. Today he was free and talked about several assignments to his son and daughter-in-law.
As Xin Pi finished speaking, Xin Kuang laughed and said, "Last year, my father and I talked about the emperor's marriage. Who would have thought that now the emperor would have father go to deliver the dowry?"
"Humph." Xin Pi looked at his son and said, "You really did guess correctly. The emperor's current consort was a woman who was taken into the palace during the rebellion in Xiping in the year of Huang Chufei."
Xin Kuang asked, "If they were taken into the palace after the rebellion, wouldn't they be afraid of causing trouble again?"
Xin Hanying, who was sitting beside them, interjected, "Rebellion? With what? They are just women; how can they cause such a thing?"
"Do you think there is no power in the palace?"
Xin Pi has always treated his children equally in education. Xin Hanying read many books, and even Xin Kuang was somewhat afraid of his sister.
Xin Kuang smiled awkwardly, "It's just something I said off the cuff!"
Xin Pi saw that his son and daughter were arguing again and continued, "However, speaking of which, there is another thing. If there are suitable women among the close aristocrats of your family, you can also recommend them. The government is preparing to select a queen for the emperor."
Xin Pi, without realizing, glared at Xin Kuang and closed his mouth.
Since there were only outsiders in the hall, and there was only one son-in-law, Yang Dan. Seeing the situation, he said, "Since that's the case, I will go to my clan and ask a few friendly families tomorrow."
Xin Pi nodded, then turned to look at Xin Kuang: "Taiyong! Tomorrow my father will go to Guangxian. You should come with me!"
Xin Kuang hesitated and said, "Father, then the son still needs to get leave from the cabinet."
Xin Pi said, "Just send someone to let them know! I don't often deliver orders for the emperor. Now that I have this chance, you should come along and hear it and see it for yourself."
Xin Kuang bowed his hands and said, "The son will comply." (This chapter is completed.)
