I, Liu Bian, the hero

Chapter 7 Intimacy
What?
What can a ten year old do?
Can't do it wow!

Looking at Cai Yan's vigilant appearance, Liu Bian secretly thought regretfully.

At this time, a little eunuch serving Liu Bian stepped forward and said, "Shihou, the dining room has prepared meals. I wonder if Shihou is also eating in the room today?"

"Well, it's in the hall."

"Yes."

Not long after, three eunuchs and four maids brought the vegetables and rice to the side hall in food boxes, which is where Liu Bian practiced calligraphy these days. There were eight dishes and a soup, all steaming hot.

At first glance, it seems that there are not many, but when you think about it carefully, even if it is a vegetable in the palace, considering the excellence in its selection of materials and cooking process, the cost may not be much less.

Not to mention the daily meals of Emperor Ling, Empress He, and Empress Dowager Dong.

However, compared to the daily expenses of more than [-] eunuchs and tens of thousands of maids in the Luoyang Han Palace at this time, the daily expenses of the emperor, empress, queen mother, and prince alone are nothing.

In short, luxury!
What a luxury!
Even Liu Bian felt that if Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu and other Ming emperors of the Han Dynasty knew about it, he might crawl out of the mausoleum angrily and severely teach his unworthy descendants.

If it was a peaceful and prosperous age, it would not be a big deal for the royal family to eat and use, but now it is the end of the decline of the Han Dynasty, and people like Emperor Ling, Empress He, and Empress Dowager Dong are still so extravagant and extravagant, which really makes Liu Bian feel unbelievable.

One day when I sit on the throne of the Han Dynasty, I should try to control the expenses of the Han Palace, especially try to reduce the number of servants in the Han Palace...

While thinking to himself, Liu Bian greeted Cai Yan with a bright smile: "Wen Ji, let's eat first."

"..."

Cai Yan hesitated for a while, and said in a low voice: "How dare a concubine and Shihou..."

Before she finished speaking, Liu Bian grabbed her hand and pulled her to the side hall.

During the subsequent meal, Liu Bian continued to pick up vegetables for Cai Yan, also, after all, this talented woman who can't help but be pitied is too thin.

Liu Bian's enthusiasm made Cai Yan feel a lot of pressure, although she also vaguely realized that this Shihou had no ill intentions towards her, and seemed to really like her...

Well, it stresses her out even more.

A ten-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl naturally couldn't finish the eight dishes and one soup. In fact, they might not even have a quarter of it. The remaining dishes should be brought back to the dining room, and the eunuchs in the palace Or the court ladies share the food.

As the eunuchs and maids retreated one after another, only Liu Bian and Cai Yan were left in the side hall, which inevitably made the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

The main reason is that Cai Yan feels uncomfortable. After all, even a girl who is nearly 15 years old can feel that the Shihou's eyes on her are too aggressive, as if he wants to swallow her. She couldn't help thinking of those guys who coveted her beauty in the village where she lived before.

"Shihou..."

Maybe she wanted to break the awkward atmosphere, or maybe she wanted to know the doubts in her heart, so she mustered up the courage to ask Liu Bian for the first time, "I don't know how Shi Hou knew about the concubine's daughter?"

"Ah, because most of the emperor's heirs in the palace died young, I was raised among the people since I was a child, and was raised by my teacher Shi Daoren. At that time, I learned about Wen Ji's deeds from my teacher's friend. He said that Wen Ji was nine years old. I can clearly distinguish the sound of broken strings when I was young..." Liu Bian came up with a "teacher and friend born out of nothing".

Cai Yan was stunned when he heard the words, and immediately hated that 'friend of Daoist Shi' secretly.

If it wasn't for that person, how could she have been forced to say goodbye to her biological father, taken thousands of miles away to Luoyang Han Palace, and because of this, her marriage with the second son of the Wei family had been broken up?
She sighed faintly, and when she came back to her senses, she found that Liu Bian had sat beside her at some point, observing her closely without blinking.

Knowing that this little girl is only ten years old, she should not be able to do anything to her, but she still looks at Xia Fei's cheeks, and looks away uncomfortably.

"Shi, Shi Hou..."

She said in a panic: "If Shihou doesn't dislike it, the concubine is willing to present a song for Shihou."

"Okay." Liu Bian agreed.

Hearing this, Cai Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, stood up relieved, and brought the piano she had brought to the front hall.

Only then did Liu Bian notice that there seemed to be scorched marks on the tail of the qin, and he thought to himself: Could this be the rumored Jiaowei qin?Cai Yong gave this Qin to her daughter?

Jiaowei Qin, which is one of the four famous ancient Qins, is said to be on equal terms with Duke Huan of Qi's "Hao Bell", King Zhuang of Chu's "Raoliang" and Sima Xiangru's "Green Qi". It is said that Cai Yong fled to Wuhui Unexpectedly, today she is willing to give this Qin to her daughter Cai Yan and bring it to Luoyang Han Palace.

But think about it, the daughter was forcibly brought here, so a piano is nothing.

Maybe because he noticed Liu Bian's gaze, Cai Yan explained the origin of that qin, and it really was that Jiaowei qin.

Seeing Cai Yan's proud face, proud of her father being able to save that fine piece of wood suitable for making a piano from the stove fire at a critical moment like Bole Xiangma, and making this Jiaoweiqin, Liu Bian was also happy Two praises: "Cai Langzhong is worthy of being a famous master all over the world."

Sure enough, Cai Yan was very happy, changed his previous cold and aloof appearance, and smiled a little.

She asked Liu Bian, "I don't know which song Shi Hou wants to hear?"

"Does Wen Ji know it?" Liu Bian asked in feigned surprise.

Cai Yan seemed to have acquiesced in Wen Ji's title, and she seemed humble but said proudly: "I dare not say that I have learned everything, there should be seven or eight out of ten."

Liu Bian did not doubt this, after all, there were only so many famous qin pieces in this era, Cai Wenji learned qin from her father Cai Yong since she was a child, so she naturally mastered it.

But this made Liu Bian in trouble. After all, he was familiar with this period of history out of interest, but the qin music of this era was not within the scope of his hobbies. How could he know what kinds of music there were?
So he said: "Then please Wen Ji play a random song."

Just play a song?
"...Then, that's fine."

Cai Yan guessed a little when he heard it, and glanced at Liu Bian with some disgust, and was aroused by his interest in playing the piano, so he faded a little after Liu Bian's words, and even pouted unconsciously. Shut up.

Although the appearance is very cute, but the disgust that seems to be overflowing also makes Liu Bian a little upset, thinking that this little girl still owes a lesson.

After a while, the melodious sound of the piano gradually sounded in the hall.

It has to be said that the qin is known as the sound of heaven and earth, and Cai Yan played the Jiaowei qin. The music is really beautiful, but unfortunately Liu Bian is not the person who appreciates the music. For him, The sound of the piano is nice, but it's just that, far less than his interest in Cai Yan himself.

So when Cai Yan was playing the piano, he sat beside her, staring straight at Cai Yan with his right hand resting on his chin, carefully sizing him up from top to bottom, that faintly aggressive gaze made Cai Yan feel uncomfortable all over, Unknowingly, she played a few wrong notes, which made her face even more blushing.

After finishing the song, Liu Bian clapped his hands and praised: "Wen Ji plays really well."

"..."

Cai Yan looked tired and sighed softly, and couldn't help but think of the second son of the Hedong Wei family whom he had only met a few times.

At that time, others praised her as a match made in heaven with that Young Master Wei Er, and she herself was quite satisfied, but...

Looking at the face in front of her that was more immature than her, she suddenly complained to God: Why can't God be as beautiful as an adult?
Just when she was complaining about herself, a young eunuch suddenly came in and said: "Marquis Shi, Minister Zhao Chang is asking to see you."

Liu Bian frowned slightly, then nodded and said, "Please."

After a while, Zhao Zhong, the Zhongchang attendant, hurried into the hall and took the lead to salute Liu Bian, and then said with a smile: "Shihou, the Empress has learned that Miss Cai has entered the palace, and would like to invite Shihou and Miss Cai to the Changqiu Palace together. , so that she can take a look..."

While speaking, he also looked Cai Yan up and down a few times, seeing that Cai Yan's daughter was sallow and emaciated, as thin as a stick, and even worse than some palace maids in the palace, he secretly murmured: Shihou is so good?

It has to be said that at first he thought that Cai Yong's daughter looked like a fairy, but who knew it was just a yellow-haired girl. What was even more incredible was that, according to Guo Sheng, Shi Hou was very satisfied with this yellow-haired girl and was still very attentive in every possible way. , is really puzzling.

When he was observing Cai Yan, Cai Yan was also nervously watching this Zhao Changshi. After all, as far as she knew, most of the palace servants were flattering and bullying, heinous villains, and the scholars in the world wanted to get rid of them. Then fast.

"The queen mother?"

Liu Bian scratched his chin, thought for a while, and finally nodded in agreement.

So under the leadership of Zhao Zhong, Liu Bian took Cai Yan to the Changqiu Palace where Empress He lived.

Somehow, many court ladies gathered outside the Changqiu Palace. When Liu Bian and Cai Yan arrived, they were discussing and even pointing in groups in the distance.

"Could that woman be Cai Langzhong's daughter?"

"It doesn't look like much..."

"I thought how good-looking she was..."

"What is she wearing? Is it Shihou's clothes?"

"laugh--"

With sharp ears, Cai Yan vaguely heard the voices of those court ladies' discussions in the distance, and her face flushed with embarrassment. After all, her attire was indeed not as good-looking as those of the court ladies in the palace, and she even wore men's winter clothes, which looked nondescript.

Just when she was ashamed, she suddenly felt someone holding her hand.

She turned her head subconsciously, but saw that Shi Hou said to her with a smile on his face: "Wen Ji, don't keep your mother waiting for a long time."

"……Um."

For some reason, Cai Yan suddenly felt a warm current in her heart, which made her respond to Liu Bian next to her not so coldly and aloofly for the first time, without even realizing what she was responding to.

All she knew was that the moment Liu Bian held her hand, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, and all the maids who had been discussing privately before all shut their mouths.

he……

Are you defending me?

At the moment when Liu Bian dragged her into the Changqiu Palace, Cai Yan stared at Liu Bian, who was a head shorter than her, with complicated emotions.

Although there are still complaints in her heart, she must admit that from entering the palace to this moment, this Marquis Shi has indeed treated her very well.

Although she didn't understand why.

(End of this chapter)