Outside the Broken Dragon Stone that accompanies the mausoleum.
Young Master Liu was half sitting on the ground, muttering softly to himself while placing the exquisite wine and food in the food box on the ground one by one.
After he put all the food and wine on the table, he took out a plum blossom from his arms with a faint smile.
This plum blossom branch was broken off from home and brought here specially for the deceased beauty.
Liu Mingzhi gently placed the plum branch against the Broken Dragon Stone, lifted the jug next to him and filled two glasses of wine.
"Tao Ying, my husband originally wanted to bring you your favorite cherry blossom.
However, you also know that now is not the season for cherry blossoms to bloom.
There was no other way, so the husband could only break a plum blossom from home to replace it.
You may not be happy because of this, after all, this is your husband’s intention.”
Liu Mingzhi reached out and poured a glass of wine on the ground, then picked up another glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.
"Silly woman, don't be dissatisfied. The only places where you can see plum blossoms blooming in November are at our house and the palace.
You can’t even see other places if you want to!”
Liu Mingzhi picked up the wine bottle and refilled two glasses of wine, then pulled a roast duck leg from the tray and placed it on the silk cloth spread on the ground.
"In the past, Tao Ying, your favorite was to eat the fresh roast duck from the Wu's old shop on the corner of your street.
It's a pity that Old Man Wu also left at the end of the year you left.
However, when I went to buy roast duck for my husband today, I knew as soon as I smelled the roast duck that their roast duck was as authentic as ever.
I believe that you will be very satisfied after eating it.
My husband has already put the duck legs for you, try it quickly, it won’t taste good when it’s cold.”
As Liu Mingzhi spoke, he picked up the wine glass again and poured it on the ground.
"Don't choke, just have a drink and go.
Come, my husband will have a drink with you."
Liu Mingzhi gently put down his wine glass, filled the pot with two more glasses of wine, and silently took out the tobacco pouch from his waist.
Soon.
Young Master Liu puffed out a puff of smoke with a lonely expression, staring blankly at the thick Dragon Broken Stone in front of him.
"Tao Ying, my husband came here today. In addition to coming to see you, I also have a big happy event to tell you.
Our family is happy to have a new baby again, a pair of twins!
Two little guys, not to mention how cute they are.
Tell me, why were you so stupid back then?
Otherwise, you can accompany your husband and hug our grandchildren.
It’s a pity that it’s too late to say anything now.”
Liu Mingzhi sighed with a low expression, silently picked up his wine glass and put it towards his mouth.
"Tao Ying, Tao Ying, once you leave, everything will be over.
No need to worry about anything, no need to ask anything, just rest peacefully.
Not to mention how easy it is.
But, I am tired of being a husband!
Living as a husband every day is very tiring!
There are some things that I want to say to others, but I don’t know how to say them.
After much deliberation, I can only come to you to talk to you.
Tao Ying, do you know?
My husband is now fighting for the position of prince..."
Liu Mingzhi sat alone outside Broken Dragon Stone, pouring himself a drink.
Talking to himself and behind the Broken Dragon Stone, the man who could never answer himself gently confided the difficulties in his heart.
As for what he said, only he himself knows best.
No, there is another person who knows it just as well.
Unfortunately, she could never answer anything, let alone solve his problems.
…………
Time flows and passes quietly.
Before I knew it, it was already seven days later.
The inner courtyard of Liu Mansion.
Qi Yun, the third princess, the queen and the other sisters led Mrs. Liu into the courtyard outside the study, talking and laughing.
Qi Yun sorted out the stack of rice paper in her hand and knocked on the door a few times with a slight smile.
"Who is it?"
"Husband, I am my sister."
"come in."
"Why."
Qi Yun gently opened the door and gestured to Mrs. Liu with a sweet smile.
"Mother, please."
"Together, let's be together."
When Young Master Liu saw Mrs. Liu walking into the study, he immediately put down the documents and ink pens in his hands, stood up and was about to greet Mrs. Liu.
"Mother, why are you here?"
Mrs. Liu saw this and waved her hand quickly.
"Zhi'er, just keep sitting. There's no need to get up."
"Okay, mother, you can sit down too."
"Okay, okay."
"Yun'er, Yan'er, Rongrong, please take your seats too."
"Yes, thank you husband."
"Sister Ya, please pour some tea."
"Hey, I know it."
Qi Yun walked to Young Master Liu and stopped, then handed over a stack of rice paper in her hand with a smile on her face.
"Husband, this is the guest list drawn up by my sisters. Please take a look at it first.
If there are any missing guests, my sisters will immediately add them."
Liu Mingzhi nodded slightly and took the stack of rice paper from Qi Yun's hand with a faint smile.
"Yun'er, please sit down too, I'll take a look at it now."
"OK."
Qi Yun responded with a sweet tone, and sat directly on the chair next to Young Master Liu with a dignified manner.
Liu Mingzhi casually crossed his legs, holding the list in his hand and looking at it one by one.
Before he finished reading the names on the first piece of rice paper, Liu Mingzhi turned around and looked at Qi Yun.
"Yun'er."
"Husband, what's wrong?"
"In this Qingzhou, who is Xue Zhengshan of the Xue family?"
"Husband, let sister Yan'er tell you."
Liu Mingzhi looked stunned and turned his attention directly to the third princess.
"Yan'er?"
"Husband, this is the natal family of our second brother's second sister-in-law."
"Second brother King Qing?"
"Yes, it is the second sister-in-law's natal family.
No matter when we and I were newly married, or when I gave birth to our child Cheng Qian, they all gave us a very heavy gift."
After listening to the third princess's answer, Liu Mingzhi nodded with a clear expression.
"That being said, this really requires a banquet."
"Yeah, yeah, as long as your husband agrees."
"What's wrong with this? It's just courtesy!"
After Liu Mingzhi said with a smile, he looked at the rice paper in his hand again.
Upon seeing this, Mrs. Liu, Qi Yun, the Queen, and the other sisters all reduced their tea drinking activity.
After a long time.
Young Master Liu sat up straight and handed the rice paper to Qi Yun with a faint smile.
Qi Yun immediately took the rice paper and asked curiously: "Husband, is there anything missing?"
Liu Mingzhi nodded slightly, took a sip of the tea that Qi Ya poured for him.
"Husband, please tell me, is there anything you need to add?"
Young Master Liu gently stroked the tea lid in his hand and said with a faint smile: "Yun'er, our Thirteenth Aunt is in Mingzhou right now."
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"The thirteenth aunt has invited me, but what about the eleventh brother Mingwang Li Ting? Why don't you invite him?"
Before Qi Yun could speak, the third princess took the lead in explaining: "Husband, don't blame sister Yun'er, this matter is my intention.
Sister Yun'er heard what I thought, so she didn't invite Brother Eleven."
"Huh? What's going on?"
"Husband, eleventh brother is different from our thirteenth aunt.
Our thirteenth aunt is a martial arts practitioner. It is very easy to rush back to the capital from Mingzhou for the banquet.
However, our eleventh brother is just an ordinary scholar.
In addition, he has been enjoying himself for a long time in recent years, and this kind of weather made him rush back to the capital from Mingzhou for the banquet.
I am worried...worried..."
"I see."
Qi Yun put the rice paper into her sleeves and looked at Young Master Liu with a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean, husband?"
Liu Mingzhi frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded silently.
"invite."
"Okay, I understand. I will add the eleventh brother's name when I get back."
Liu Mingzhi took a sip of tea and looked at the third princess with a faint smile.
"Yan'er."
"Hey, husband, tell me."
"Yan'er, Brother Eleven is a young man in his early twenties after all.
This kind of journey is nothing to him.
As my husband, I invited all the Li family members to come to the banquet, but he was the only one left out.
If the news reaches the ears of the eleventh brother, what do you think he will think?
At that time, if this matter is taken advantage of by some thoughtful people, it will inevitably cause some unnecessary disturbances.
Yan'er, what do you think?"
After listening to her husband's words, the third princess frowned slightly and pondered for a moment, then nodded hurriedly.
"Yes, yes, yes, I will listen to my husband's invitation."
"Okay, okay, as long as you understand."
"Husband, I'm sorry, I didn't think well enough."
Young Master Liu stood up and walked to the third princess, patting her shoulder with a smile.
"Silly Yan'er, don't learn to say these words of self-blame."
The third princess looked up at her husband's gentle eyes and nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Liu Mingzhi reached for the tea cup in the third princess's hand and took a sip, then turned sideways and looked towards Mrs. Liu.
"Mother, you come here with Yun'er, Sister Ya and the other sisters. Do you have any other instructions?"
Mrs. Liu put down the tea cup in her hand, reached out and took out a letter from her sleeve, and handed it to Young Master Liu with a complicated expression.
"Zhi'er, your father sent a letter to tell your second brother that Chengzhi and Jingyao had a son and a daughter.
This is your second brother's reply, please read it."
Liu Mingzhi saw the helpless expression on his mother's face, and quickly took out the letter from the envelope and read it.
After he finished reading the contents of the letter, he handed the letter to Qi Ya who was standing aside with a faint smile.
"Oh, mother, isn't it because of the weather that Mingli couldn't bring his brothers and sisters to the capital to congratulate him?
Judging from your expression, I thought something had happened."
After Qi Ya and the other sisters circulated the letter, they all stood up and came to Madam Liu's side.
"Mother, my husband is right."
"Mother, as long as the second brother has his wish."
"Mom, everything happens for a reason, everything happens for a reason."
"Mother..."
"..."
Qi Yun, the third princess and the other sisters comforted Mrs. Liu with your words.
Mrs. Liu looked at all the reasonable daughters-in-law, smiled and nodded.
"Okay, okay, you sisters won't say anything anymore, and naturally I won't say anything either."
"Mother."
"Hey, Zhi'er, tell me."
"Where are Xuan'er and Mingjie? Can they reach the capital in time?"
Mrs. Liu turned to look at Mr. Liu, and shook her head helplessly.
"Your father has already sent a letter to Xuan'er, that brat Mingjie.
However, until today, your father and I have not received a reply from their brother and sister.
Therefore, my mother is not sure whether the two siblings will be able to rush back to the capital to attend the banquet."
Liu Mingzhi nodded silently, put down the tea cup in his hand, and walked happily towards the desk.
"Hehehe, in that case, let's wait a little longer."
"Oh, there is no other way except this."
Liu Mingzhi sat on the chair and picked up the ink pen resting on the brush washer again.
"Yun'er."
"I am here."
"Just follow what we just said and prepare the invitation."
Qi Yun's pretty face pursed her lips hesitantly a few times, then walked to Young Master Liu's side with light steps.
"Husband."
Young Master Liu opened the document for a moment, looked at Qi Yun with a puzzled expression and asked, "Yun'er, what's wrong? Do you have anything else to do?"
"Husband, I have one more important thing I haven't asked you yet."
"whats the matter?"
"Husband, should the full moon banquet of the two children be held at home? Or should it be held in the palace?"
Liu Mingzhi opened the document in his hand and replied without hesitation: "Yun'er, do you need to say this? Of course it will be handled in the palace.
Chengzhi is the second prince of the current dynasty. He is pleased to have a full moon party with a son and a daughter. How can we hold it at our house?
It must be done in the palace!"
Qi Yun reached out and took out a stack of rice paper from her sleeves, flicking it lightly with her fingers.
"Husband, if this is the case, then the problem will arise again."
"Hmm? Any other questions?"
"It's about the invitation."
"What's wrong with the invitations? Just distribute them normally."
Qi Yun shook her head angrily, stared at Young Master Liu with beautiful eyes and said: "Oh, husband, can you share some of the pressure for my sisters!"
"Huh? What kind of pressure does your husband share with you sisters?"
"Husband, you are going to host your grandson and granddaughter's full moon banquet in the palace, right?"
"Yeah, what's going on?"
"Husband, what did you say happened?
You have to tell me, should we have these invitations delivered by our family ourselves? Or should we instruct the etiquette department to have them delivered?
If it was distributed by our family, I would not say anything.
After Sister Concubine has sorted out the invitations, she can send the invitations directly.
However, if it is distributed in the name of the Ministry of Rites.
Do you think, without your husband's ink pen to mark the red, my sisters would dare to order the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette to distribute documents without authorization?
People who don't know better would think that the concubine sisters are interfering in political affairs as members of the harem!
What's the matter? Husband, do you want the concubines and sisters to have the reputation of having a harem and interfering in politics without permission?"
Liu Mingzhi looked stunned and frowned angrily.
"Well, it's my husband's fault, it's my husband's fault."
"Tell me, are you sending the invitation in the name of our family? Or are you sending the invitation in the name of the Ministry of Rites?"
Liu Mingzhi breathed a sigh of relief, opened the middle drawer, took out his personal seal and stuffed it into Qi Yun's hand.
"Yun'er, send the invitation in the name of our own family."