Jiu Zhang Ji: The Daily Life of the Reborn Daughter

Chapter 24: The Drunken Concubine

It gets dark early in February, and it is completely dark after dinner. The crescent moon rises early. On this night eighteen years ago, his Fei'er was pregnant. At that time, they lived in a village outside Beijing. She gave birth in the house all night, and he stayed outside watching the moon and accompanied her all night.

By dawn, their son Jingyan was born.

From then on, the moon on the ninth day of the second lunar month became his best friend. Every year he would stay up all night to watch over Fei'er and the moon.

The emperor carried a pot of wine and strode straight to the Yunxiao Palace. As for Eunuch Li, he felt uneasy if he didn't follow him, but he was also afraid that the emperor would lose face if he followed him, so he followed him secretly.

The emperor climbed up the steps of the Yunxiao Palace and, under the plaque that read "In the Clouds", raised the wine jug and took two sips. He poured the rest on himself, threw the jug away, and started knocking on the door.

"Fei'er, open the door, your husband is back."

In Yunxiao Palace, Concubine Yun and the Sixth Prince Yu Jingyan, mother and son, sat face to face and drank. There were eight exquisite side dishes and two pots of peach blossom wine on the table. Since the day Yunxiao Palace was established, it has been shopping and cooking for itself. It purchases its own food, clothing and daily necessities, and has no dealings with the Imperial Kitchen and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the palace.

Even the appointment and dismissal of female officials and palace maids, as well as their monthly wages, were not under their jurisdiction. In other words, Yunxiao Palace was a palace in itself and was not part of the same system as the three palaces and six courtyards of the imperial palace.

"Mom, my dad is here." Yu Jingyan heard the emperor knocking on the door.

"You don't have any father. He's just a big liar." Yun Fei curled her lips and said unmoved.

Okay, you two can say whatever you want. I love you, you lie to me, I hide and you chase me, you can't escape even if you have wings, you enjoy it day after day, and it's none of other people's business.

Apart from attending court and reading memorials every day, the emperor could not leave the high walls of the palace, so he just treated it as a joke.

"Mom, at the court meeting today, I asked to go to prevent and control floods, but Dad asked me to wait until after my birthday to leave..."

Before Yu Jingyan could finish, Yun Fei stood up and said, "What did you say? He asked you to control the water? I didn't discipline him during this period, but he has become bolder and wants to discipline you."

"Not to mention that flood control is a thankless job, it's also very dangerous. How old are you? He has so many sons, why did he choose you to go? You bastard!"

Yun Fei didn't know whether she was angry or had drunk a few cups of peach blossom wine, her cheeks were flushed, so even if she was angry, she looked like she was just acting coquettishly.

"Fei'er, eighteen years ago you were suffering tonight, and I was with you. The moon and I were with you, every year."

Yun Fei wanted to scold him a few more times, but the emperor started to talk outside the door, crying, howling, and drunk, making Yun Fei forget what she wanted to say.

"I wanted to go on my own initiative. My father didn't send me. I just wanted to see why this levee breaks every year despite spending so much money to repair it. The crops in people's fields had just grown to their knees when the water came in and flooded them." Yu Jingyan stretched out his hand and pulled Yun Fei to sit down.

Yun Fei couldn't help but sigh when she heard her son say this. In recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently in the Great Yan Kingdom, and the common people have been suffering.

"Mother still has 100,000 taels of silver. Take it all and use it wherever it is needed." In the past few years, she has seen the suffering of the people and has gradually used the money she earned over the years on disaster relief.

Her palace gate is not open, but it does not mean that she is always in the palace. On the contrary, she is seldom in the palace. The world outside is so beautiful. Who has the patience to wait in this four-sided sky? Anyway, her palace gate is not open. Who dares to break in to see if she is there? Even the emperor dares not. "

"Dad used all the money for repairing the imperial mausoleum on disaster relief."

Yun Fei picked up the wine glass, "Oh, then I really have to respect him as a man." The mother and son clinked their glasses and drank them all. Yu Jingyan smiled and said, "He's not a liar."

"Fei'er, let me tell you, don't you like that girl from the Duke Ding's family? I've cancelled the engagement today. I'll summon her to the palace someday to talk to you."

Yun Fei didn't understand for a moment, "What do you mean I like? Who did I like before? Why did you cancel the engagement? Are you kidding me?"

Yu Jingyan recounted what happened at today's court meeting and also shared the information he had gathered.

Yun Fei put the wine glass on the table and said, "It's a good idea to cancel it. Bai Junzhe is not worthy of the girl from Duke Dingguo's Mansion. Come on, cheers."

"Cheers to the man or to the liar?" Yu Jingyan teased.

"You little brat, you dare to tease your mother." Yun Fei reached out across the table and gave Yu Jingyan a slap in the face.

"Fei'er, I just learned a little tune. I'll sing it for you."

"The ice wheel on the island is turning, look, the jade rabbit is rising in the east. As the ice wheel leaves the island, the world is exceptionally bright..." The Hua Dan's voice is quite thin and she has no figure, but she swings her sleeves like water sleeves.

"Mom, look, you've already had two drinks for my dad. Why don't you let him in? He's even more dewy and looks drunk. If he really stays outside all night, he'll definitely get sick."

"I didn't hear Eunuch Li trying to persuade him, so I guess he was locked up. Mother, do you think he could have left on his own without anyone trying to persuade him?"

“Tomorrow morning, it is estimated that half of the people in the capital will be humming "The Drunken Concubine" with a smile on their faces. Within half a year, every family in the capital will be able to sing this play first when holding a banquet.” The scene in which the emperor used various methods to coax Concubine Yun in the Yunxiao Palace has always been a topic of conversation among the people of the capital.

This wave will not pass until the next trick spreads outside the palace.

The emperor thought he was doing it very secretly. Well, even if there was news in the capital, he wouldn't know about it. Who would tell him?

The emperor didn't know, but Yun Fei often hung out in restaurants and teahouses outside the palace. She knew it. Every time she heard people talk about it, she wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into. She could only comfort herself in her heart by saying, "They don't know me, they don't know me."

At this moment, she felt a little guilty when she heard her son say this. It was okay for her to be talked about, since she didn't know him, but her son was also embarrassed. When she thought about her son's impending experience of digging into the palace with his toes, she stood up and walked towards the door.

Yu Jingyan said in his heart, Dad, I have helped you with everything I can, now it’s up to you.

Yun Fei opened the palace door, grabbed the emperor by the collar, and dragged him in. At the same time, Yu Jingyan left Yunxiao Palace from the back door and returned to his own prince's residence.

When I'm around, my dad won't perform well.

The emperor saw the table full of food and two wine glasses, and instantly became alert. "Fei'er, are you waiting for me? Do you want to drink with me and watch the moon?"

"You reek of alcohol, go take a shower and change your clothes." Yun Fei thought, how much alcohol must he have drunk to come here and act crazy.

The emperor thought that too much wine had been poured on his clothes, but it wouldn't be exposed.

"Fei'er, take me to the bathroom. I, I can't find the way." The emperor pulled Yun Fei's sleeve and refused to let go no matter what.

"Let A Zi take you there."

"No, I just want you."

He is not drunk and has already reached the stage of taking a shower. Who would want to come and drink and watch the moon? He must be dragged into the bathroom.

It’s been four years, family members, who understands?