“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
With a low but powerful bell ringing, the pedestrians on the street stopped and looked up in the same direction.
Su Muge revealed some doubts in her eyes. “Where is the ringing bell?”
“It’s the divine bell! The divine bell is ringing!”
Someone among the people shouted, and the people on the street cheered up instantly.
“What is the divine bell?” Su Muge was even more puzzled.
Xinlan heard Su Muge’s murmuring. “Miss, you don’t know the divine bell?”
Su Muge shook her head. “What is that?”
“It’s not surprising that Miss don’t know. I also didn’t know until I heard about it from others. The divine bell was created after the founding Emperor of the Chu consulted the gods. It is said that it can get connected to the gods. Now that the divine bell is ringing, the gods must have some instructions!”
Seeing Xinlan’s uncontrollable excitement, admiration, and respect, Su Muge quietly opened her little pouch, took out some sunflower seeds, and began to eat them.
She was really uninterested in these ghosts and gods. Although she was supernatural, she believed that her existence could be explained by science sooner or later.
The ringing of the divine bell rapidly spread in the capital like locusts. Everyone was curious about what the divine decree was going to fall on the Chu.
At the morning court.
“Your Majesty, since the divine bell has rung, there must have been a divine decree. Please go to the altar to worship heaven and invite the divine decree.” An old official with gray hair knelt and claimed in the hall.
Xia Hourui in a dragon robe was seated high on the dragon throne. He had also heard the ringing divine bell.
According to the history of the Chu, the divine bell last rang a hundred years ago, which was a good sign indeed in the following hundred years. Since then, the Chu had been peaceful and prosperous.
Every Emperor of the Chu wanted this divine bell to ring again.
Xia Hourui nodded. “Lord Fang, you’re right. The imperial astronomer, you choose the nearest auspicious day. I’ll worship heaven and invite the divine decree.”
The imperial astronomer stepped forward to receive the instruction. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
After the morning court, Xia Hourui was in a good mood and went to the palace of Concubine Qin.
“Your Majesty, pay my respects to you.”
Knowing that Xia Hourui was coming over, Concubine Qin had already been well-prepared.
“Don’t be over-courteous. Get up.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Concubine Qin stepped forward and helped Xia Hourui to sit on the chair.
“The divine bell has rung, so the gods will definitely show auspicious signs to the Chu. Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
“Haha… Haha.” Xia Hourui pulled Concubine Qin into his arms and gently pointed at her red lips with his fingertip. “I like your sweet mouth so much!”
Concubine Qin gave Xia Hourui a coquettish look and leaned in his arms.
“Your Majesty, you’re happy now, but I’ve always been worried about something.”
“Oh? What is it that worries my dear concubine so much?”
Concubine Qin sighed helplessly. “Your Majesty, you know, Kun’er has grown up now, but there is still no one to take charge of his mansion. I’ve been thinking if Kun’er should take a wife.”
Xia Hourui nodded in agreement with a smile. “My dear concubine, you’re right. I have been unwell before and have neglected this matter.”
Xia Hourui had many sons, but few of them were handsome and capable. Now, they had been over 20 years old but hadn’t married yet. As a result, many masters of the rich and noble families in the capital dared not to marry.
“Your Majesty, you’re so busy with national affairs. How can we leave everything to you?”
“Do you have any preference?”
Concubine Qin asked the imperial maids to put an album on the table.
“These are all unmarried girls I’ve investigated.”
Xia Hourui opened the album and found the first few girls either the eldest truth-born daughters or the second truth-born daughters of officials with a rank higher than Grade-3.
“Which one do you prefer?”
Concubine Qin glanced at Xia Hourui secretly. Seeing him with a light smile, she replied, “I think Meng Shushu, the Miss of Meng mansion, is nice. She is not only good at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she is also dignified and graceful. I believe she deserves to be the wife. What do you think, Your Majesty?”
The daughter of the Master of Hanlin Academy was certainly well-matched with Xia Houkun.
“Em.” Xia Hourui responded vaguely.
“As for the concubine, I think the young sister of General Valgime is good.”
Hearing this, Xia Hourui gradually withdrew the smile on his face and put on a somewhat obscure expression.
One was good at literature and the other was good at martial arts. Concubine Qin had made such a perfect plan. Once the two married Xia Houkun, the two whole families would stand on the side of Xia Houkun, which would be of great help to his future.
He hadn’t died yet, but she was thinking about how to win over the power of the court!
The air around Xia Hourui froze instantly.
Concubine Qin was not stupid; she had sensed his changing mood. Although she didn’t know why Xia Hourui was unhappy suddenly, she quickly reacted to change the topic. Only then did Xia Hourui calm down.
It was not until Xia Hourui left that Concubine Qin exhaled a sigh of relief.
“An Mama, did I say anything wrong?”
An Mama handed her some hot tea. “I don’t think so, Your Grace.” She was just too anxious.
When Xia Hourui asked her opinion, Concubine Qin shouldn’t have expressed her real thoughts. After all, the Emperor was much healthier than before and would much likely to reign for another ten years…
“Your Grace, you’d better leave this matter to the Emperor.”
Concubine Qin was not stupid. Hearing An Mama’s words, she suddenly realized that she had acted too rashly indeed!
After leaving Concubine Qin’s palace, Xia Hourui went to the Imperial Study.
Seeing Xia Hourui pacing in the Imperial Study for a long time, Eunuch Yi couldn’t help but say, “Your Majesty, what about taking a break?”
Xia Hourui stopped to look at Eunuch Yi. Seeing that he had had grey hair on his temples, Xia Hourui suddenly laughed, “Eunuch Yi, it seems that I am really old.”
Hearing this, Eunuch Yi hurriedly picked some nice words.
Xia Hourui waved his hand. “At first, I thought I was coming to an end, so I felt much more relieved. But now, I’m energetic all day, so I think the establishment of the Crown Prince can be postponed. However, even if I can wait, some people don’t want to wait anymore…”
With flickering eyes, Eunuch Yi hurriedly lowered his head. He couldn’t reply, and he didn’t know how to reply.
“I think Su Muge is quite good to be with Kun’er…”
Eunuch Yi was taken aback. To make Su Muge marry Xia Houkun?
Xia Hourui seemed to like this idea. “Ask Kun’er to see me.”
“Yes.”
“Wait, the New Year is coming. Let Mo’er take my mother back.”
The Emperor’s mother used to be taken back by Second Prince previously. Eunuch Yi dared not to ask, received the instruction and retreated obediently.
…
In Su Mansion.
Su Muge was dealing with medicinal materials. She intended to make more medicine while she was free.
Because she needed sustainable income!
Although she had received a lot of rewards from the Emperor, those things couldn’t be sold at all. Recently, she had a lot more expenses. She still had some savings, but she couldn’t sit around and wait for her savings to be run out.
“Miss, take a rest for a while. You’ve been working all morning.” Seeing Su Muge’s dirty hands, Yueru felt distressed.
“It’s not a big deal and it’s also good for my health.”
“Miss, all the herbs you need have been bought back.”
“Hurry up! Let them carry it in.”
“Yes.”
Yueru looked at two large baskets of herbs brought in by two little maids and sighed helplessly.
Su Muge didn’t complete the entire preparation process of medicine; she just dispensed the herbs in proportion.
After lunch, she disguised as a man and went out with the dispensed medicine.
Su Muge walked on the street, intending to try the efficacy of the medicine.
There was a place in the capital for beggars and refugees. And there should be a large number of patients who couldn’t afford the treatment. She brought them medicine not only to help those people but also to test the efficacy of her medicine.
After passing by a teahouse, Su Muge almost knocked into somebody but she stopped in time.
“Who is it?!”
Su Muge looked up and saw Donglin in front of her.
She dressed in men’s clothes with two mustaches on her lips, but she didn’t disguise herself deliberately.
“Miss… Master Su?” Donglin fixed his eyes on the birthmark in the corner of Su Muge’s eyes. The birthmark seemed to have faded a lot these days. Although it could still be seen, it was not as conspicuous as before.
Donglin wanted to see if he had seen it wrong, but he suddenly felt a chilling air from behind and immediately stepped aside.
Xia Houmo glanced at Su Muge and frowned slightly at the sight of her flat breasts.
“Your R … Ninth Master, pay my respects to you.”
“Well.” Xia Houmo replied with a nasal voice. “Where are you going?”
Looking at Xia Houmo, Su Muge suddenly had an idea in her mind.
“I’m to see you.”
Xia Houmo raised his eyebrows slightly, without showing any of his emotions.
Seeing her smiling like a little fox, he doubted if she was really coming to see him.
“Get on the carriage first.”
Zuoqiu had led the carriage to them.
It was cold now. Although it didn’t snow again, Su Muge still felt extremely cold.
“Okay.”
Carrying a small bag on her back, she got into the carriage. The carriage was covered with a soft wool mat. As soon as she stepped on it, a dark footprint was left on it instantly. She felt it so wasteful!
Xia Houmo got into the carriage and sat opposite to her. Seeing that she was so cold that her little face turned pale, he took out a hand warmer and threw it to her.
“You’re too weak.”
“What?”
Su Muge held the hand warmer and felt a little warmer. Although she had been paying attention to careful nursing, her physique was not so easy to enhance. With some cold symptoms in her body, her hands and feet would always be cold in winter.
“What do you want me for?”
After her hands became warming, Su Muge put down her small bag and opened it.
“Your Royal Highness, I have some medicines very suitable for use on the battlefield. And there is an effective medicine for cold and fever …”
“What’s your purpose?” Xia Houmo interrupted her coldly.
Su Muge choked and then put on a sincere smile. “I wonder if you need them, Your Royal Highness? I can give you a discount.”
