I was flattered after crossing

The night of the Qianqiu Banquet: Prime Minister's Mansion

Before the prime minister and his wife arrived at the mansion, they smelled a strong burnt smell.

The prime minister became suspicious and hurriedly lifted the curtain to look outside, but because it was dark, the fire had been extinguished and it was difficult to determine the exact source of the fire.

"Acai, where is the fire? Why do I smell such a strong burnt smell?" The prime minister stared ahead and looked at the followers who were driving the horses.

"My lord, I have also noticed something. It may be not far ahead. We will know when we go a little further. It's a pity that in this dry season, I don't know which family has suffered such misfortune." After Acai finished his answer, he continued to concentrate on driving the carriage.

After a while, Ah Cai's excited voice was heard from outside the car: "Master, Master! I saw white smoke!"

Ah Cai could not hide his excitement. While reporting to the prime minister, he waved his whip, trying to speed up and get to the lively place.

Upon hearing this, the prime minister lifted the curtain again and looked in the direction that Ah Cai pointed.

"Well, judging from the situation, the fire seems to have been put out." The prime minister said softly after observation.

"Where is it? Let me take a look!" The Prime Minister's wife couldn't hold back her curiosity and stuck her head out of the car to find out what was going on.

Upon seeing this, Acai quickly moved to make room for his wife and pointed out the direction again.

"Oh, I don't know whose family is so unlucky. Such a big fire will surely cause heavy losses..." The Prime Minister's wife shook her head and sighed, while slowly sitting back in the carriage.

"Ah! Yes, the fire must be extremely fierce. Look, the road is now full of water." Acai leaned over to look at the road ahead and agreed casually.

Not long after, the carriage turned around a street, and the sound of horse hooves stepping on the water became clearer and louder.

"Wow! The water is really deep. There are so many people gathered in front. I guess they are all here to watch the fun! Master, Madam, we are here! The fire started here!" Ah Cai turned around and said to the people in the carriage with excitement on his face.

"Oh? Wait for me to go forward and take a closer look. Which family is so creative that they dare to use their own house to celebrate the Queen's birthday on such an important day as the Qianqiu Banquet?" The Prime Minister sat in the carriage, stroking his beard and saying with a smile on his face.

"Pfft... Master, I'm afraid you drank a few too many glasses of wine today, why are you talking nonsense now?" Seeing this, the Prime Minister's wife couldn't help but tease him.

As the carriage gradually stopped, the prime minister originally just stuck his head out of the window to look, but unexpectedly, he ended up climbing out of the carriage in a panic with his whole body.

This sudden action shocked the Prime Minister's wife in the car, and she was at a loss for a moment.

"Hey, what's going on? Look how excited the master is. What did he see?" The Prime Minister's wife said in a tender voice.

However, her master seemed to have heard nothing and just stared straight ahead, motionless.

The Prime Minister's wife was somewhat puzzled upon seeing this, but still curiously followed the master's gaze.

It would have been fine if she hadn't looked at it, but when she did, she couldn't help but be stunned.

The door of the Prime Minister's Mansion was open, and there were no guards guarding the door. The magnificent plaque of the Prime Minister's Mansion that was originally hung high above the door had become crooked and looked like it would fall down at any time. The door frame on the side was even charred by smoke, as if telling passers-by that I had just been through a fire.

Looking inside the door, the guards and servants inside were so busy that they didn't notice the two masters of the mansion standing at the door.

For a moment, the three people in the car were stunned, looking at the scene in disbelief.

"Oh my, old man, old man!" The prime minister suddenly exclaimed, and then he covered his heart tightly as if he was having a heart attack.

"Ouch, ouch, what's wrong with the master? Please don't scare me!" The Prime Minister's wife and Acai hurriedly supported the Prime Minister on the left and right who could not withstand such a blow.

"Come on, go on, go in quickly and see what happened!" The prime minister suppressed his heartache and walked quickly into the mansion while urging.

"Oh no, my shoes! They've stepped into the water!" Only then did the Prime Minister's wife realize that her feet were filled with dirty water, and her pair of shoes made with Ruyi round flower brocade specially for attending the banquet had already been soaked.

"It has come to this! You still care about your worn-out shoes! Since you don't want to go back home, then just stay in the carriage and don't get off!" The Prime Minister stared at the Prime Minister's wife with his eyes wide open, then waved his arms vigorously, broke free from her pull, and strode inside without looking back.

Seeing this, the prime minister's wife was extremely anxious. She quickly stood on tiptoe, lifted up the hem of her brand new and beautiful dress, and ran to the door of the prime minister's mansion, following the prime minister closely. She shouted coquettishly, "Hey, master, please wait for me for a moment!"

"Dad, Mom, you're finally back! Come and take a look at our Prime Minister's Mansion~ Alas~" Fu Heyi couldn't wait to rush out of the door to welcome his parents back.

"Yier, what exactly happened? When did the fire start?" The prime minister hurriedly reached out to hold his beloved son's shoulders and asked with concern.

However, at this moment, Fu Heyi became hesitant and evasive in his words: "Reply, report to father, I just returned home... I don't know the specific situation... I don't know..."

"You evil son! You clearly told us before that you were unwell and could not go to the Queen's birthday party, so I felt at ease to take your mother to the banquet. Who would have thought that you would be so bold as to deceive me! If those people with ulterior motives discover the truth, you will be committing the crime of deceiving the emperor!" The Prime Minister shouted angrily, and his beard almost flew off in anger.

After hearing this, Fu Heyi's body trembled violently, and he knelt on his knees, saying in fear: "Father, please calm down and listen to my explanation! I went out in disguise this time. Please rest assured, I will never cause you any trouble!"

The prime minister snorted coldly, swung his sleeves angrily, turned around and walked quickly towards the fire site.

"Yier, get up quickly. The ground is full of dirty water. Don't get your clothes dirty!" Upon seeing this, the Prime Minister's wife hurried forward and helped her beloved son up.

Fu Heyi stood up, still trembling with fear. He looked at his mother and asked worriedly, "Mom, you see that father is so angry. I'm afraid today..."

The Prime Minister's wife gently stroked her son's hand and comforted him softly, "Don't worry, Yi'er. Although your father is angry, he has always loved you and will never punish you too much. If he really wants to punish you, mother will protect you even at the cost of her life!"

Fu Heyi pulled up his sleeves, wiped his eyes hypocritically, and acted pitifully: "With mother by my side, the child feels much more at ease."

The Prime Minister's wife smiled dotingly, took Fu Heyi's hand and said, "Silly child, you are my only precious child, so naturally I will give you all my love. But you are now in your prime, so you shouldn't frequent those places of entertainment. If you want to find a good marriage in the future, you can't indulge yourself like this!"

After that, the Prime Minister's wife pointed at Fu Heyi's forehead and continued to teach earnestly: "You, you must learn to be self-disciplined and self-respecting, and don't let your parents down."

"Son will remember your mother's teachings. Come on, mother, let's go and take a look." As soon as the words fell, the mother and son walked side by side, moving forward slowly.

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, the fire initially started in the kitchen. As the fire spread quickly, the firewood room next door was also ignited. As a result, the entire right courtyard suffered heavy damage and the burning situation was quite serious." A guard reported the fire situation to the Prime Minister with a serious expression.

The Prime Minister stroked his beard gently, his eyes deep, and asked thoughtfully: "So, have you found out what caused the fire?"

The guard bowed and replied with a slightly panicked tone: "I am ashamed that we have not yet found out the exact cause of the fire."

"You must speed up the investigation and find out the truth as soon as possible, and then come and report to me." After the prime minister gave the order in a sharp tone, he turned around and left, returning to his main courtyard.

"Cough cough cough... cough cough..." As soon as the prime minister stepped into the courtyard, he couldn't help coughing, and the sound echoed in the air.

Seeing this, the prime minister's wife hurriedly came forward with a cup of hot tea, carefully handed it to the prime minister, and said with concern: "Master, please drink some tea to moisten your throat!"

The Prime Minister took the teacup and took a sip. He glanced at his wife beside him coldly and asked slowly, "Where is the rebellious son now?"

"Oh, master, Yi'er knows that he has caused trouble today, and is now kneeling in the ancestral hall to reflect on himself!" The Prime Minister's wife said while pretending to look pitiful and tearful.

She went on to say, "We have always been thinking about Yi'er wholeheartedly, hoping that he can find a good wife who is of equal status in the future. Therefore, we have not arranged for him to take a concubine or a maid. But now Yi'er is at the age of full blood and vigor... As a man, you should also know very well about children of this age..."

"Even so, he shouldn't run away on such an important day as the Qianqiu Banquet... or at this time!" The Prime Minister said sternly, but at the same time deliberately lowered his voice, as if he was afraid of being heard by others.

He added earnestly, "Yier may not understand the interests involved, but Madam, don't you know it too? Nowadays, there are so many people in the court who are eyeing our Prime Minister's Mansion covetously, and they are eager to find an opportunity to bring us down!"

"I understand how difficult it is for you, my master. Not only do you need to be vigilant and cautious when dealing with your superiors, you also have to carefully deal with all kinds of complex relationships and situations. A slight mistake could lead to fatal disaster. You have to use both kindness and severity with your subordinates. You have to make them obey your orders wholeheartedly, but you can't let them feel that you are being too harsh and strict." The Prime Minister's wife said softly as she stood up and walked to the Prime Minister, gently calming him down.

"Yier has realized his mistake. I have just taught him a lesson, and he has promised that he will never make the same mistake again." The Prime Minister's wife also cooperated very well. She wiped the non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes hypocritically and said with a sob: "After all, Yier is my precious son in my old age. If something really happens to him, then... I'm afraid I won't be able to live anymore! Woo woo woo~~" When it came to the sad part, the Prime Minister's wife cried so hard that she couldn't speak, as if the sky was about to fall.

"I understand my husband. As the prime minister of a country, you bear responsibilities and pressures as heavy as a mountain. You have to deal with countless difficulties and severe challenges every day. I am just an ordinary woman. I am powerless and it is difficult for me to share your worries. Whenever I think of this, I feel deeply guilty and uneasy. Woo woo woo..." The prime minister's wife became more and more sad as she spoke, and her tears rolled down like beads from a broken string.

"Oh, madam, please stop crying. Don't hurt yourself! When we got married, we made a vow to stay together forever and share weal and woe. Now seeing you so sad, doesn't it make me feel extremely distressed?" The Prime Minister hurriedly comforted his wife in a soft voice, and at the same time reached out his hand to gently wipe away the tears from her cheeks.

After the Prime Minister's wife calmed down a little, the Prime Minister continued, "As for that good-for-nothing and rebellious son, let him continue to kneel in front of the ancestral tablets and reflect on his mistakes. We will let him go back after one more hour. I hope that after this punishment, he will mend his ways and become a new man." After saying that, the Prime Minister sighed deeply, his eyes full of helplessness.

"Okay, okay, I'll thank the master on behalf of Yier. I'll have him come to thank the master in person tomorrow." The Prime Minister's wife said with gratitude on her face, with a hint of excitement and joy in her voice.

After saying that, she turned around and left impatiently, her steps as light as flying, like a happy little bird.

The next day: Prime Minister's Mansion

"Cough cough cough... cough cough cough..." A violent cough was heard, and the Prime Minister's face turned red, with veins bulging on his forehead.

The prime minister's wife came up to him anxiously, patted his back gently, and asked with concern: "Hey, Master, are you okay? Do you want to go to the palace and ask a doctor to come out and see you?"

The prime minister waved his hands, tried to catch his breath, and said with gritted teeth: "No need! I have been thinking about it all night, Prince Rui! It must be that kid Prince Rui! How dare he burn the Prime Minister's Mansion like this! I am really angry!" After that, he picked up the teacup on the table and drank it in big gulps.

Seeing this, the Prime Minister's wife quickly handed him another glass of water and comforted him, "Master, calm down and take care of yourself. This Prince Rui has gone too far. We must not let him off easily!"