The Marquise: I Earn My Own Worship

A majestic and steady voice sounded, and the Emperor of Chu stood at the entrance of the palace with his hands behind his back, his dragon eyes slightly narrowed, making people feel intimidated.

"His Majesty"

"Father"

……

Duan Chengkang and Chu Qinling stood in the corridor like two punished children. The Emperor of Chu sat on the dragon throne that was carried over, with a row of snow molds in front of him.

The King of Chu glanced around the entire outside of the palace and saw rabbits, foxes, tigers everywhere, but the most numerous were dragons.

"Tell me, who did it?"

Duan Chengkang and Chu Qinling looked at each other, Duan Chengkang stepped forward, and Chu Qinling also stood forward.

"Your Majesty, it was this kid who did it!"

"Replying to Father, it was my son who did it!"

The two men spoke in unison. The Emperor of Chu listened and looked at the two "daring" brats and felt a little amused.

Picking up a snow mold, the Emperor of Chu asked, "Is this what it's made of?"

Duan Chengkang was surprised and thought to himself that His Majesty was really amazing as he could see this.

"Your Majesty is so wise and powerful, you can see it at a glance!"

Being looked at by Duan Chengkang with admiring eyes, the corner of Emperor Chu's mouth twitched slightly. This silly boy was somewhat similar to his uncle in the way he flattered the dragon. This might be a family tradition.

"You, you, what are you two doing standing there like idiots?"

When Chu Qinling heard this, he immediately ran to Emperor Chu. Emperor Chu naturally picked him up and sat him in his arms.

Duan Chengkang scratched his head and accidentally made eye contact with Xiao Ba, who was holding his head high.

"Bad guy, bad guy"

Duan Chengkang glanced at the Emperor of Chu guiltily, and when he found that the Emperor was staring at him, he immediately stood up straight again.

"Your Majesty, I was just looking at Xiaoba, oh no, a bird, and I was a little bored, so, hehe."

Duan Chengkang hid his embarrassment with a smile. Xiao Ba was standing in a corner near the Emperor of Chu. He wanted to flap his wings, but was afraid of bumping into the two strange birds staring at him.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty"

Although Xiao Ba couldn't speak, Emperor Chu still heard a hint of grievance in his voice. He had specially found this bird from outside to keep Xiao Liu company. It was very spiritual.

The King of Chu ordered people to clean the birdcage. When Xiao Ba saw that he was the only one left in the cage, he patrolled his territory, raised his neck and cried loudly.

"Long live His Majesty, long live His Majesty!"

Chu Qinling watched from the side and chuckled.

Duan Chengkang was just scratching his toes out of boredom at this moment, and seeing this, he also started laughing foolishly.

The two children were smiling, and the Emperor of Chu sighed as he watched this scene. It was rare to see such a peaceful and warm scene in the palace.

The King of Chu let the two children play by themselves, and he took the snow mold in his hand and tried it out.

He thought to himself that this thing was truly amazing. Although it was a little rougher than the snow dragon sent by the imperial craftsman a few days ago, it was quick and easy to make.

Unexpectedly, this tiny thing could be so useful. The Emperor of Chu sent one to the Imperial Craftsman Institute for them to study it.

"Your Majesty, when did you arrive? Why didn't you send someone to tell me?"

Concubine Ning just came back from outside the palace at this time, walked slowly towards Emperor Chu, and reached out to pat the snow off his shoulders.

"I came here right after the court session. Where did you go just now?"

"I went to the palace of my sister, Concubine De. She has lost a lot of weight in recent days. I guess she is tired from taking care of the Fifth Prince."

The King of Chu then remembered that the fifth brother seemed to have been ill for some time.

"How is Qinmao?"

"The Fifth Prince seems much better, but he's still a little listless. The imperial physician has checked on him and told him to get enough rest and avoid being exposed to the wind."

"That's good"

Emperor Chu nodded and said he would go see the fifth brother when he had time.

"Fake, fake"

Xiao Ba tilted his head and looked at the parrot that Duan Chengkang had just carved, shouting and making gurgling sounds with his mouth.

Duan Chengkang looked at the Chu Emperor and the other man who were talking, and was about to reach out his hand, but when he saw the Chu Emperor turned around, he immediately retracted his hand.

Chu Qinling looked at Xiao Ba with a serious face.

"Xiao Ba, don't talk about Brother Kang!"

Xiao Ba: I feel so wronged, my master is biased!

Duan Chengkang stood in front of Chu Qinling, who was a head shorter than him, with an arrogant look on his face, looking at Xiao Ba with some smugness.

Xiao Ba felt tired and didn't want to pay any more attention to him, so he turned around and faced them with his butt.

"Duan kid come here"

Duan Chengkang was startled when he heard the voice of the Emperor of Chu. He thought he was caught bullying Xiao Ba again, and walked over with a cautious look.

The Emperor of Chu looked at the snow mold in his hand and asked curiously:

"Where did you get this snow mold?"

Duan Chengkang breathed a sigh of relief and replied respectfully:

"It was my grandmother who came up with this idea. I heard her say that she got it from a pastry mold. Since we have younger brothers and sisters, my grandmother had the carpenter make this toy specifically for us to play with in the snow."

"Oh? It's Marquis Duan's wife, quite clever. Is she doing well now?"

"Grandma has always been in good health. She can eat a big pork elbow every night."

Duan Chengkang answered honestly, not knowing that his words amused both the Emperor of Chu and Concubine Ning.

Song Shengfu: My reputation has been damaged!

The Emperor of Chu recalled Song Shengfu, who was about his age. In her youth, she had also been well-known in the capital, the eldest daughter of the Dongyang Song family. They were both very young at that time.

Suddenly thinking of the old Marquis Duan, the Emperor of Chu only remembered that he was a most loyal minister. It was a pity that he passed away early, otherwise he would have an extra strong arm in the court now.

"As long as she's healthy, that's fine. But she's already in her fifties, right? I'd better ask her to pay more attention to her diet and avoid eating too much oily and fatty foods."

Duan Chengkang bowed his head and responded respectfully. Then the King of Chu asked about some daily trivial matters in the Duan Mansion. Duan Chengkang once again displayed his storytelling skills and told the story vividly.

"My snowman holds a sword and wears a cloak, looking like a knight, as if he is about to leave this earth and travel to the ends of the earth. And my cousin's snowman pearl ring and jade pendant..."

After Duan Chengkang finished speaking, he drank a cup of tea thirstily. Chu Qinling beside him asked in confusion, "What is a snowman?"

"The snowman, that's, um... that's..."

Duan Chengkang was at a loss for words. For the first time, he felt a little regretful that he had not read enough books.

"A man made of snow?"

"No, it's not"

Duan Chengkang thought about it and realized that the snowman was different from those models and didn’t look like a human at all.

"Well, I'll build one for you and you'll know."

As soon as these words fell, the two looked at Emperor Chu and Concubine Ning. After getting their consent, Duan Chengkang and Chu Qinling ran out again.

In the garden, Duan Chengkang was busy all the time, and Chu Qinling was watching from the side. He could only watch and was absolutely not allowed to touch the snow.

"The two children have a really good relationship"

Concubine Ning looked at the two little ones in the yard with a smile. Emperor Chu also looked at them, with some disgust in his mouth but a smile in his eyes.

"He's a man of character, but he only knows how to play with things and pursue his ambitions. He doesn't have any of his grandfather's integrity."

When Concubine Ning squinted her eyes, the old man knew that she was saying one thing and thinking another.

"Kang Ge'er is lively and clever, truly lovable. I wish I could keep him in Fuhua Palace so that he can keep you company forever."

"That's not okay. It's against the rules."