All Hail Cousin Brother

280 Even Cousin Is Disgusted

“I heard that if you study too much, you’ll become a bookworm.” Yu Youyao felt that her cousin had studied too much. He was so mature at such a young age. There was no fun at all.

Zhou Linghuai did not know whether to laugh or cry. This girl was finding him boring. “You’ve grown up. Now, you even despise Cousin. It seems that you don’t need the notes Cousin used in his studies in the future.”

Yu Youyao’s eyes widened and she looked innocent. “When did I despise you? You said it yourself. I don’t acknowledge it.” She looked at her cousin with a fawning smile and changed the topic. “I just feel sorry for you. You stay in the house all day reading. Not only are you bored alone, but it’s also harmful to your eyes. That’s why I want you to read less and come out to walk more when you’re free. It’s good for your health to take a break, right?” After saying that, she even looked at her cousin aggrievedly. “I’m doing this for your own good. Cousin, you’re not allowed to accuse me.”

Her little mouth was full of words, and when she coaxed someone, it was simply fatal. Zhou Linghuai laughed when he heard this.

Seeing her cousin smile, Yu Youyao squatted in front of him and looked at him eagerly. “I really like the notes you wrote for me.”

Zhou Linghuai shook his head, took the thick book from her hand, and stuffed it back into her hand. “Women don’t take the imperial examination, and there’s a limit to what they can learn from the Four Books and Five Classics. It’s fine if you learn it, but you have to read this book carefully.”

Yu Youyao lowered her head to take a look. On the blue cover of the book, there were four words written in large letters, “Zizhi Tongjian.” It was a book that was as thick as a brick. Immediately, even her scalp went numb. “It’s so thick?”

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Reading history can allow you to be knowledgeable. You can understand the past and present, and you can gain wisdom. This is a book I’ve read in the past. There are also notes and explanations written on it. It probably won’t take too much effort for you to read it. Zizhi Tongjian is a rewritten book of the previous dynasty’s Confucian scholars. There are many small stories about famous people inside, so it won’t be boring.”

Yu Youyao smiled. “Thank you, Third Cousin.”

She carefully opened Zizhi Tongjian. It looked a little old, and the pages were a little yellow. The ink brush on it alternated between old and new, and the words were also old and new. “Is this a book that Cousin has read before?”

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Yes, some of the words on it were left behind by me in the past. Later on, when I had a new understanding, I would also write new thoughts down, so words look messy. If there’s anything you don’t understand, remember it and I’ll tell you in detail. However, history books help you gain wisdom. Cousin, you should try to understand it yourself.”

He had originally planned to tidy it up again and give it to her after that. However, she suffered at the flower festival today. He couldn’t help but worry, so he brought this book over to coax her.

Yu Youyao smiled as if she had received a treasure. “I’ll definitely read what Cousin has read.”

Seeing her flipping through her book excitedly, Zhou Linghuai reminded her, “Aren’t you hungry? Go have lunch!”

Only then did Yu Youyao remember that she was still hungry. She quickly went to eat with her cousin.

Zhou Linghuai had lunch at noon. After accompanying Yu Youyao for a few bites, he put down his chopsticks. In the end, the little girl wheedled and forced him to drink a bowl of white jade ginseng soup.

After lunch, Yu Youyao hugged Zizhi Tongjian and read it with relish.

Zhou Linghuai returned to the Green House and went to the study.

He took out a piece of paper and spread it on the table. He flattened it with a paperweight. Zhou Linghuai held his sleeves in one hand and a brush in the other. With just a few strokes, the outline of the Bodhi tree could already be seen.

Under the Bodhi tree, there was a small person with only an outline. She held the wishing silk in both hands and weighed it lightly with the tips of her feet. Her skirt fluttered like snow, and her lithe figure seemed to be about to fly away with the wind.

“Young Master, the news has already been sent to the palace…”

The dyes mixed with mineral plants emitted a heavy but fragrant aura. In the air, there was only the faint sound of paper and ink.

… .

Longevity Palace!

The Empress Dowager, who was more than sixty years old, was wearing a red silk golden phoenix robe. She had combed her hair into a high bun and inserted a large phoenix hairpin with red phoenix wings. There was a round and pure ruby in the middle of her forehead.

She was reclining on the phoenix couch, one hand supporting her forehead. There were agarwood prayer beads wrapped around her wrist, and one hand was casually placed on her lap. She was wearing a long red gold tortoiseshell finger accessory on her pinky finger, and was closing her eyes to take a nap.

There was incense burning in the incense burner, and it was rising slowly.

In the huge side hall, the little palace maid kneeling on the ground was talking about what had happened at the Flower Festival in the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence.

The little palace maid was proficient in ventriloquism. She imitated the words of Yu Youyao, Seventh Miss Cao, the Marquis of Changxing’s wife, and even the other madams present.

About ten minutes later, the little palace maid finished speaking and knelt on the ground, not daring to look up.

Aunt Shen, who was serving her, also stood with her head lowered, not even daring to breathe loudly.

After a while, the Empress Dowager’s fingers trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her turbid eyes revealed the reverence of paying respects to Buddha all year round, but there was a calm and sharp look in the depths of her eyes.

The Empress Dowager extended her hand.

Aunt Shen quickly picked up the tea and touched the wall of the cup with her fingertips before handing it to her. “The temperature of the tea is just right. Empress Dowager, drink slowly.”

The Empress Dowager received the tea and lowered her head to take a few sips. The pearls on her forehead trembled slightly, and the pure color had a suffocating dignity.

After finishing the tea, Aunt Shen quickly took the teacup.

The Empress Dowager folded her hands on her lap and looked down at the prayer beads on her wrist. “What incense did you use in the house today? It seems a little different from usual?”

Aunt Shen glanced at the phoenix head incense burner and hurriedly said, “It’s a calming incense. I burned the same incense as yesterday. The incense yesterday was made by Auntie Xu before she left the palace. Yesterday, it was already the last incense stick, and it was also the smell that the Empress Dowager was used to. The incense today was concocted by Auntie Ye. Auntie Ye was personally taught by Auntie Xu and has inherited all of her teachings. It’s probably because everyone is different, and the way they make the incense is a little different. The scent is also a little different. I didn’t expect the Empress Dowager to smell it.”

It was obvious that Auntie Xu had served the Empress Dowager for many years, and their relationship as master and servant was extraordinary.

When the Empress Dowager heard this, she couldn’t help but sigh. “Auntie Xu has been out of the palace for two to three months. She has been serving me since she was young. She knows everything I eat, wear and use. She was the one who arranged everything. One year, when the south had a drought, the production of my favorite tea decreased. It was also because she was worried that I wouldn’t be used to other tea leaves, so she spent a lot of effort making medicinal tea with similar tastes…”

The Purple Essence Tea was a variant of Pu’er. It was purplish-black and glossy, which was how it got its name. It was produced in Yunnan and took more than ten days to be picked. It was rare and precious.

The fragrance of the Purple Essence Tea was pure and rich, with a hint of rose and medicinal fragrance. She liked the Purple Essence Tea. Almost all the new teas that were offered as tribute every year entered the Longevity Palace.