Would You Like to Have a Drink

That’s right.

 

Yuan Jia’s words seemed to have given Zong Luo a dose of reassurance.

 

Today is the New Year, a day for family reunions.

 

Even if Emperor Yuan is cold-hearted, he wouldn’t choose to beat his child today.

 

Zong Luo steadied his mind and watched Yuan Jia go in to report.

 

The Shenlong Jade in his sleeve brocade box had been carried for a day and was almost warmed by him. There was no hurry at this moment.

 

After a while, a cold voice came from inside. “Come in.”

 

Zong Luo subconsciously lowered his head to check and tidy up his appearance. Only after confirming that there was no mistake did he step into the palace.

 

The furnishings in the palace were still familiar from his memory. Even today, on New Year’s Day, only a warm palace lamp was placed at the corner to slightly alleviate the solemn and cold atmosphere in the hall.

 

The weather has been getting colder recently. The Internal Affairs had laid a fluffy animal skin carpet on the floor of the entire palace. In addition, all four windows have been closed, and several pots of silver thread charcoal have been lit next to the desk, which was warm.

 

(TL: Internal Affairs or Ministry of Interior and Department or Housekeeping)

 

Emperor Yuan sat behind the desk without raising his head. “You came back on time, which is quite promising.”

 

“What are you looking for Zhen for?”

 

Yuan Jia, who was waiting on the side with his head down, couldn’t help but sigh deeply in his heart again.

 

Since the sun set, almost every few incense sticks, Emperor Yuan would call him to ask if the Third Highness had returned.

 

But when the Third Highness came, he just asked indifferently what he was looking for, and didn’t mention anything about staying up late.

 

The suspicious by nature emperor habitually buried his thoughts very deep, even his favoritism was hidden in his heart, never spoken, just silently done.

 

Everyone feared the surface of the tyrant, no one could guess his true thoughts, let alone why he was so bitter.

 

Yuan Jia understood all these reasons, so he sighed even more.

 

Zong Luo’s expression was slightly imperceptible and cramped. “This son came here, because he wanted to give something to the Father Emperor to wish him a happy New Year and good health and longevity.”

 

The rustling sound of continuous annotations on the memorial finally stopped.

 

Emperor Yuan put down his pen, “Oh?”

 

Zong Luo took out that beautifully packaged, still warm brocade box.

 

Inside was a piece of perfectly colored and transparent jadeite. Under the light of the shallow warm lamp, it was even more majestic and extraordinary like a divine dragon stepping on auspicious clouds.

 

“This piece of jade was fortunately obtained by this son in his early years. At first glance, he thought the color was very beautiful, so he bought it.”

 

Regarding those painstaking efforts to find jade, to find a master to consult and design together, and to carve and paint on it bit by bit, Zong Luo did not mention a word, as if these were insignificant and not worth mentioning.

 

Behind the string of beads of Mian Diao, those sharp black eyes fell straight on Zong Luo’s hand.

 

Then there was a sound of clothes rubbing against the body.

 

Emperor Yuan did not let Yuan Jia present it, but stood up himself, walked forward with his hands behind his back, and picked up the Shenlong Jade in the brocade box.

 

As soon as he held it, it was a bit cold.

 

The emperor carefully examined the patterns on it, and his calloused fingers rolled over it lightly, his expression indistinguishable from joy or anger. “Did you carve this yourself?”

 

Zong Luo’s body stiffened a bit.

 

He originally didn’t plan to say that he carved it himself, which would be a bit too deliberate.

 

Unexpectedly, Emperor Yuan saw it at a glance.

 

“Yes.”

 

Having no choice, Zong Luo admitted in a low voice: “This son is not skilled, and the carving skills are not mature. Now that he has fallen into this appearance, he has not been able to catch up with the Father Emperor’s birthday gift, hoping the Father Emperor will forgive this son.”

 

Yuan Jia, who was standing on the side, saw that the emperor’s mood brightened instantly, and all the irritability and anger accumulated during the review of the memorial were swept away. He quickly lowered his head.

 

This piece of jade was almost as big as a palm, and it was a hard cold jade. If one wanted to carve so many patterns on it, one could just imagine how much time it took.

 

Although it was still a bit immature, the filial piety it contained was by no means comparable to the casual gifts of those princes during the big birthday.

 

The more Emperor Yuan looked at it, the more satisfied he became. In the end, he barely added. “It’s well carved.” Then he beckoned and ordered Yuan Jia to get a thread, and was about to string it up.

 

It was because of this that he missed the astonishment on Zong Luo’s face.

 

In his previous life, without the unnecessary death escape, the birthday banquet was not postponed, and he obediently presented the Shenlong Jade as a birthday gift on Emperor Yuan’s birthday last year.

 

Because he was the first prince to offer a gift, the ministers were looking forward to it at that time.

 

The eunuch reported the name of the gift under the eyes of everyone, and after seeing the color, everyone gasped. However, the emperor at the top just glanced at it and said indifferently, “Not bad,” and there was no more follow-up.

 

Zong Luo didn’t think much about it at the time.

 

Even if his carving skills were a bit poor, it was definitely not bad. In addition to the top-quality base color, there was no second piece in the world, and it was absolutely face-saving to send it out.

 

Compared with the old ginseng he sent without heart before, it is not known how good it is.

 

What he didn’t expect was that his father liked this Shenlong Jade so much.

 

Zong Luo began to think wildly again: if he really likes it, why didn’t he see his father express it in his previous life?

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Just as Zong Luo was distracted, Yuan Jia had already ordered someone to bring the thread for threading the jade, and threaded it in the reserved place. Emperor Yuan looked at it satisfactorily for a while, and hung it next to his pen holder for reviewing the memorials.

 

“Come here.”

 

Just as Zong Luo thought everything was going well and he should slip away, he suddenly said, “Give the Third Prince a seat.”

 

Immediately, a servant came forward with fur and a stool, knelt on the ground and laid it out properly, and handed over a hollow silver hand warmer.

 

This gesture meant that he was to stay and sit for a while.

 

Zong Luo still wanted to struggle a bit. “Father Emperor, it is not suitable for this son to stay up late.”

 

“How come? It’s okay for you to go drinking with the Fourth on Huailiu Street, but it’s not okay here with Zhen?”

 

Emperor Yuan furrowed his sword eyebrows, his tone cooled down. “Zhen is not asking you to stay up all night, wait until the time is up and then roll back for Zhen.”

 

Only then did Zong Luo remember that today was New Year’s Eve, and according to the rules, one should stay up late at night.