in the sound of swallows

Chapter 138
Everyone looked in the direction the emperor pointed. Gu Chaodong, sitting on the seat of the officials, was stunned.

"The Minister of the Household Department is the second-rank official, but Gu Aiqing has no official wife so far. I am deeply saddened. This beauty, why not give it to him."

There were envious congratulations all around, but Gu Chaodong stood up and knelt down in the middle of the hall with a livid face: "I thank the emperor for your kindness, but although I don't have a wife, I have a heart in my heart, and I am afraid that I will wrong the beauty."

The smile on Gu Chaobei's face faded, and a gleam of light flickered across his eyes: "Who is in Aiqing's heart? If you say it, you can even refer to marriage if I don't guarantee everything."

Gu Chaodong closed his eyes: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Those who can't say it, it is impossible for the emperor to give a marriage if they say it.

Seeing his reaction, the Concubine Hua and Xi Concubine next to her couldn't help but look at Shen Guiyan, and Prime Minister Gu frowned slightly below, and scolded in a low voice: "Master Gu, it is a great honor for the emperor to bestow a marriage. The reason for the refusal?"

The smile on the emperor's face was restrained, and he tapped the dragon chair lightly with his fingers, looking at him like this.

Just now when he was joking, Gu Chaodong threw his gaze at him like a knife, making him feel uncomfortable.He took it out to dry, but the words made him uncomfortable.

What's the matter?At the beginning, he was so lucky and ungrateful, and now he is still here to play the role of deep love and loyalty for him?For whom?
Shen Guiyan intuitively felt that this was not a good thing for her, so she just watched her nose and mouth, and acted like she was meditating.

Gu Chaodong took a deep breath and said: "I have already delayed others, and I don't want to neglect such a beautiful girl from Fanbang anymore. To tell you the truth, I already have the heart to worship the Buddha, and I am preparing to become a lay disciple of Jingxiang Temple, so I can't Accept His Majesty's kindness."

The envoy and the beauty stood on the side, very embarrassed, dare to love such a beautiful person, but was repeatedly rejected by others.It's fine if the emperor doesn't want it, but neither do the ministers?Would you rather become a monk?
With tears in her eyes, the beauty looked at Gu Chaobei who was seated resentfully.

Gu Chaobei also laughed angrily, why didn't Gu Chaodong have such a backbone before?When she married Shen Guiya and abandoned Yan'er, she was called Shunliu, but now it's a good thing, and she would rather not marry for the rest of her life.

Looking at the emperor's expression, he was about to get angry. As a father, Prime Minister Gu naturally knew Gu Chaodong's thoughts, so he immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, your majesty is ridiculous. Don't take what you say to your heart. As the father of Mr. Gu , has the right to decide on their marriage. The emperor bestowed the marriage, and the Gu family is deeply honored, and the old minister agrees on behalf of the dog."

"Father!" Gu Chaodong looked up at him in disbelief.

"Shut up." Prime Minister Gu snorted and saluted the emperor again.

This is a state banquet. The marriage offer just now was a sacred intention. Gu Chaodong still regarded them as brothers, so if what he said was wrong, could he still dismiss it?Now Gu Chaobei is the emperor, and when the emperor got angry, his corpse floated for thousands of miles, and his blood flowed like a river.Why doesn't this person understand?
Gu Chaodong was not reconciled, seeing so many women on that seat, Yan'er must be unhappy in the harem, he was thinking of ways to make Yan'er feel better day and night, and sometimes he even dreamed that he would take Yan'er away He left the palace and lived a life with mountains and rivers.

But now, Gu Chaobei wants to force a marriage on him, completely cutting off his thoughts?

Shen Han was exposed on the top, her head was buried lower than Shen Guiyan's, I just hope these people can't see her.The Empress Dowager Wen has fallen, and there is no one to rely on her. What if someone recognizes her and says she is the young lady of the Gu family?
But she should be thinking too much, people are similar, without evidence, who can accuse the emperor of occupying his brother's wife?
Seeing Gu Chaodong's appearance, Shen Hanlu was also stunned, didn't he like herself very much back then?With a light hook of the hand, it was snatched from Shen Guiyan.But since she faked her death, he didn't seem to think about her at all, instead Shen Guiyan seemed like his dead wife.

With a cold snort, Shen Hanlu stared at the tip of her embroidered shoes.Gu Chaodong will have retribution.

"Since the prime minister has agreed, then this marriage is settled." The emperor said slowly, "Zhen will order Qin Tianjian to choose an auspicious day for the zodiac."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Prime Minister Gu saluted, then got up, seeing that Gu Chaodong still refused to get up, he pulled him back to his seat.

"Father." Gu Chaodong said in a low voice with a straight face, "I don't want to get married."

Prime Minister Gu snorted coldly: "That's fine too. If you resign from the position of Minister of the Household Department and worship at Jingxiang Temple, no one will be able to force you."

Gu Chaodong was taken aback and frowned.

"You want to secure your fortune and wealth, and you want to act according to your own temperament. How can there be such a cheap thing?" Prime Minister Gu said coldly, "You are a man, not a protected child."

Gu Chaodong pursed his lips, turned his head and glanced at the position beside the emperor.

Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes, as if dozing off.

He also remembered a long time ago when he was a child, the little Yan'er came to the Prime Minister's Mansion to play, sat on the swing and fell asleep dangling.Little by little, the little head almost fell off.He hurried up to catch it, and his small body threw himself into his arms, so soft that it moved his heart.

When she woke up blushing, she glanced at him timidly.

"What's your name?"

"Next, Gu Chaodong."

It's clearly a childhood sweetheart who has a good relationship, why... was wasted by him for a lifetime.

With slightly red eyes, Gu Chaodong looked away, but accidentally met the emperor's gaze.

Gu Chaobei looked at him with a half-smile, rubbing his chin.

Unconvinced again, Gu Chaodong took a firm look at the emperor, and then at Shen Guiyan.

Even if he can no longer be with her, at least he loves Yan'er more than Gu Chaobei!

The emperor sneered, looked sideways at Shen Guiyan, and was about to say something when she nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice.

Sleepy?Looking at this time, if it was in the past, she would be about to go to bed, since she was pregnant, she seemed to be sleeping half the day.

Feeling soft in his heart, Gu Chaobei turned his head to look down and said, "Is the ambassador enjoying himself?"

The ambassador of Fanbang is blowing his beard and staring below him, where is he enjoying himself?He cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, our country still has gifts to offer."

Gu Chaobei was a little impatient, but the Empress Dowager next to him coughed lightly, so he held back his temper: "Oh? Let's take a look."

The ambassador clapped his hands, and two people came up with a set of scrolls.

"This is the map of thousands of miles of rivers and mountains." The ambassador waved his hand, and the two threw down the scroll and slowly unfolded it.

The three-foot-long painting slowly unfolded, extending from the emperor's face to the entrance of the Juhuan Pavilion. Above it was really a beautiful landscape, mountains and rivers, grasslands and seas, with vast waves, and everyone couldn't help but marvel.

"It took a lot of work." Gu Chaobei also praised.

The Empress Dowager Nian glanced at him sideways, pursed her lips and said, "What the emperor should praise is his sincerity and artistry."

Gu Chaobei nodded and praised again: "Fan Bang is really talented. People with such thoughts must have the world in their hearts, right?"

The ambassador smiled and said: "This picture is the result of three years of painting by my first painter in Fanbang. It is specially dedicated to Your Majesty. I wish my dynasty prosperity and beautiful rivers and mountains."

Shen Hanlu couldn't sit still anymore: "Your Majesty, this concubine looks at this painting and wants to write a poem."

Gu Chaobei glanced at her, noncommittal.But Ambassador Fanbang got excited: "I have seen Concubine Shen's cleverness just now, and if I can still get an inscription from the empress, I will admire it even more."

The inscription should have come from Shen Guiyan.But she was asleep now, and Gu Chaobei couldn't bear to wake her up, so he nodded and said, "Concubine Shen, let's go."

Shen Hanlu smiled, and walked forward with her skirt in hand, asking someone to take the Four Treasures of the Study.

"I thought the most outstanding person tonight would be Concubine Yan Gui, but I didn't expect Concubine Shen to appear." Gu Chaonan sat in the seat of ministers below and muttered softly.

Xu Mengdie followed, and stood beside Gu Chaonan to serve him. Hearing the words, he whispered, "Don't you understand?"

"Understand what?" Gu Chaonan looked sideways at her.

"There are two types of women, one is for showing off, and the other is for protecting oneself to be happy." Xu Mengdie stretched out his hand to pour wine for Gu Chaonan: "Concubine Shen is the former, and Concubine Yan is the latter, which one is more important? It's clear at a glance which one is more important."

Gu Chaonan thought for a while, and it seems to be the same. For example, Mengdie, he would rather hide it by himself than let others see it.

Xu Mengdie came here specially today, just waiting for Shen Hanlu's inscription.

She even knew what Shen Hanlu would write.

"The country is so beautiful that it has attracted countless heroes.

Pity Qin Huang Han Wu, slightly lost literary talent; Tang Zong Song Zu, slightly less coquettish.

Genghis Khan, a generation of Tianjiao, only knew how to bow and shoot big eagles.

All are gone, a few romantic figures, but also look at the present. "

Shen Hanlu didn't remember the first half, so she memorized these few sentences and wrote them crookedly with a brush. She didn't show it to the ambassador, but showed it to the emperor first.

When Gu Chaobei saw this word, his face darkened.Did Shen Hanlu write it with her feet?It's so ugly that no one can match it.With such a font, some characters have their strokes removed, how can you give it to the ambassador?

Shen Hanlu looked at Gu Chaobei excitedly, waiting for him to praise him, but the emperor's face was not happy at all, but rather helpless.

"emperor?"

"What did you write, please give it from the emperor." The envoy said curiously.

Gu Chaobei smiled, rolled the paper into a ball and put it in his sleeve: "Your Majesty wrote the words 'there are so many beautiful mountains and rivers', and tomorrow I will let someone who is good at calligraphy inscribe and draw it. Your Majesty's authentic work , the envoys don’t have to force it. This map of thousands of miles of rivers and mountains is deeply loved by me, and my gift in return will definitely not be less.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Although the ambassador was curious, it was enough to get the emperor's last sentence, and the return of the gift was more important than the words of the empress.

The first day of the state banquet was not well received, so the envoys should use their brains when they go back.

Shen Guiyan was woken up by being hugged, and when the state banquet was over, Gu Chaobei directly lifted her into his arms, startling her.

"Dispersed?"

"En." Gu Chaobei's eyebrows and eyes softened, and he said in a low voice: "You seem to be sleepy, I will carry you back."

(End of this chapter)