noffsinger Chapter 501: Receiving Gifts
Chapter 501: Receiving Gifts
Yuan Qi had already made all the arrangements in advance in the colorful glazed pavilion beside the pond in the back garden. Colorful lanterns were hung on the eaves, and there were white flowers and jade trees inside the pavilion. There was also a charcoal fire burning, giving people a feeling of spring as soon as they entered.
Unfortunately, the moon in Jindu City is not very good tonight.
Feng Ming sat down in the colorful glazed pavilion, looking at the night sky through an open window, and couldn't help but think of the bright moon he and Yuan Qi saw in the observatory a month ago.
The round table in front of him was not big, and at this moment there was a big birthday peach on it, which almost filled the entire table.
Yuan Qi had someone make longevity peaches in advance, and he also followed suit and placed twenty-four candles around the peaches.
The two were actually born in the same year, but one was born at the beginning of the year and the other at the end of the year.
"Although I don't know what this means, I will still follow what the prince did last time and do the same." Yuan Qi sat opposite Zhou Chang and smiled gently.
Feng Ming looked at the big, delicate and soft birthday peach. It must be a hundred times more delicious than the ones made by Wang's mother. But he really didn't have much appetite. However, he didn't forget Zhou Chang's thoughts last time. He said casually: "Every year on your birthday, put candles of the same number as your age around the birthday peach. After blowing them out, make a wish and it will come true."
"Where did this rumor come from? From the palace?" Yuan Qi had obviously never heard of it, and since he didn't ask last time, the question has remained in his mind until now.
Feng Ming made up a lie: "No, I had a dream and an old immortal told me this."
Yuan Qi didn't know whether to believe it or not, and smiled gently again: "Then your Majesty, please blow out the candles and make a wish."
Feng Ming was afraid that he didn't believe it, but he followed suit. He blew out a circle of candles, closed his eyes and made a wish. However, he thought for a long time and still couldn't come up with a specific wish.
As a bystander, Zhou Chang felt that Feng Ming was in a state of confusion.
When Feng Ming opened his eyes again, Yuan Qi gave him a second gift.
"This is a silver note of one million taels." Yuan Qi pushed the silver note in the brocade box in front of Feng Ming, "I've been thinking about it and I don't know what to give His Majesty. I think this is the best gift for His Majesty."
No matter when, giving money directly is the most economical.
But Feng Ming refused it one million or two hundred thousand times: "How can this be possible? I can't accept this. Today's whole day birthday banquet and the opera troupe are already very good gifts."
"This money is not for anything else..." Yuan Qi never took back anything he gave away, let alone a birthday gift. "Isn't the prince going to build a dam south of Peishui? How much money can the court allocate? This money can be considered as supporting the prince to build the river dam."
After Yuan Qi said this, Feng Ming found it difficult to refuse.
Ever since the decision to build the dam was made during the Emperor's Birthday Festival, although the imperial edict has come down, the Ministry of Revenue has not been able to allocate the money, and it happened to be the New Year, so it has been delayed for another month.
This was Feng Ming's wish, and he was thinking that he would follow up on this matter after the first month of the year. Money was indeed a big problem.
"This one million taels of silver is not actually given by me, but is a gift from my father." Seeing Feng Ming still hesitating, Yuan Qi continued, "The Yuan family's ancestral home is in Danlu, but it suffers from floods every year. Although we are willing to control the floods, things like building river embankments and dams are useless without the court's approval. Now that we have this opportunity, my father is very happy to hear it, but at the end of the year and the beginning of the next year, the turnover of silver and money is sluggish, so we can only move this much for the time being, otherwise my father would have given more. Since it is a gift from the elders, Your Majesty does not need to refuse."
Having said that, regardless of whether it was Yuan Yu's real intention or not, Feng Ming could only accept it: "Thank you very much for your kindness, old man. This money must be used on the dam."
When Yuan Qi saw Feng Ming accept it, he smiled.
Feng Ming's heart was moved, and he quickly avoided his gaze and lowered his head to examine the birthday peach: "This birthday peach looks delicious, it must be much better than the one I prepared last time."
"Your Highness, can you still eat more?" Yuan Qi had already noticed that Feng Ming had no appetite.
Feng Ming just tried to hide his feelings: "You have to try it, you know me, if there is something new, I will stuff it into my mouth even if I risk my life, right?"
Yuan Qi also joked: "Isn't that the monkey your lord is talking about? How did it become me?"
"There's no comparison between him and me. If we can't finish these birthday peaches tonight, the rest will all be his." Feng Ming didn't care whether the skinny monkey who was guarding not far outside the pavilion could hear him.
Since Yuan Qi's last birthday, the relationship between the two seems to be more harmonious.
Zhou Chang felt as if he had returned to the past, without Yuan Yun or Wen Qingyan.
Yuan Qi's mood not only improved, but he also became more considerate and gentle. Since returning home, he has not left the house for more than a month.
We share breakfast and dinner, as well as dessert in between, and we chat and talk about everything.
Whenever we eat together, the atmosphere is very relaxed and we can make jokes from time to time without having to worry about anything.
Feng Ming first used chopsticks to open the longevity peach.
Unexpectedly, the round belly of the longevity peach was filled with various fillings such as walnuts, dates, peanuts, etc.
He picked up a piece of peach kernel with chopsticks and gave it to Yuan Qi: "You have always liked to eat this peach kernel. I guess it must have a special flavor after being stewed with these things for so long."
Yuan Qi was about to take it with a plate.
"Just eat as much as you can, symbolically." Feng Ming, however, had long arms and legs and had already brought the peach kernel to Yuan Qi's mouth.
Yuan Qi paused for a moment, but did not hesitate for a moment. He opened his mouth and ate the peach kernel.
"How is it?" Feng Ming's pair of phoenix eyes were brighter than the moon in the night sky.
"Very good, Your Highness, please have a taste too." Yuan Qi's cheeks and cherry lips glowed brightly under the light.
Feng Ming symbolically picked up a piece of something with chopsticks and put it into his mouth: "Such an exquisite birthday peach must be eaten, otherwise it would be a waste. But the birthday peach last time was made by Mother Wang in advance, and it was too cold and hard after being left for a long time. You also know Mother Wang's cooking skills, so I didn't dare let you taste it."
"Your Majesty's intention is the most important, nothing else matters." Yuan Qi didn't mind, and used chopsticks to pick up the longevity character on the peach and put it to Feng Ming's mouth, "But since Your Majesty said so, then this 'Shou' character must be eaten. It is made of ginseng slices pickled with roses, and it should taste good."
Feng Ming also opened his mouth and took a small bite of the red longevity character on Yuan Qi's chopsticks.
After they had eaten the birthday peaches, they turned around and looked at the moon through the window of the Colorful Glazed Pavilion.
Unfortunately, the moon was hidden behind the clouds and the evening breeze was chilly, almost blowing out the lantern.
Feng Ming was afraid that Yuan Qi would catch a cold: "It's cold at night, why don't we go back."
Yuan Qi was clearly not finished yet: "Wait a minute, I have one last birthday gift for His Majesty."