Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Chapter 331 Forbidden Book

Mu Tou swallowed the last glutinous rice dumpling with his cheeks puffed out, the sesame filling dangling on his chin. He suddenly stared at Zhang Jingwei's right cheek and exclaimed, "Master, your face is as swollen as a steamed bun!"

Zhang Jingwei held his face, frowning, and studied his face in the reflection of the bowl. "Is it still swollen?"

Mu Tou chewed his rice balls while staring at Zhang Jingwei's face. He couldn't help but say, "Master, the young mistress is very skilled in martial arts. Why don't you learn some martial arts too, so you don't always suffer losses."

Zhang Jingwei raised an eyebrow, put down the spoon in his hand, and looked at Mu Tou with a half-smile: "Why should I learn it? A fight between husband and wife?"

Mu Tou quickly waved his hands, still holding half a glutinous rice dumpling in his mouth, and said incoherently, "No, no, no, Master, that's not what I meant. I'm just worried that you'll always be suppressed and beaten by the Young Madam. How embarrassing!"

Zhang Jingwei chuckled, picked up the teacup and took a sip. "What do you know, kid? Fighting and quarreling between husband and wife is fun. Fighting is affection, scolding is love. Without fighting and scolding, there is no happiness. This is called love, do you understand?"

Mu Tou scratched his head, thinking: "No wonder Jiu'er always scolds me, I thought she disliked me. It turns out she likes me!"

Zhang Jingwei glanced at him and shook his head helplessly: "You've been by my side for so long, why are you still so stupid? Use your brain!"

Mu Tou chuckled, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "Then Master, you often scold me, but you also love me, right?"

Zhang Jingwei was amused by him and reached out to knock on his head: "Love, love, love, okay? Hurry up and eat your Yuanxiao, and stop talking nonsense here."

At this moment, Zhang Jingwei caught a glimpse of a figure in blue passing by the corner of the street. His expression changed slightly. He put down his bowl and said to Mu Tou, "Mu Tou, go buy me two pancakes."

Mu Tou was stunned, with glutinous rice balls still stuffed in his mouth, and asked vaguely, "Ah? Master, didn't we just pass by a pancake stand? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Zhang Jingwei narrowed his eyes and spoke in a threatening tone, "I want to eat now, what's the matter? I can't order you around anymore, right?"

Mu Tou quickly swallowed the glutinous rice balls in his mouth and waved his hand, saying, "No...no! I'll go buy some right now!" After that, he quickly stuffed the remaining glutinous rice balls in the bowl into his mouth, then wiped his mouth, got up and ran to the pancake stall two blocks away.

As he watched Mu Tou run away, the smile on Zhang Jingwei's face gradually faded. He lowered his head and took a sip of the hot sweet soup, his expression becoming solemn. At this moment, a scholar in blue clothes quietly sat down across from him.

Without even looking up, Zhang Jingwei said coldly, "I've already found the secret emissary from the capital. What else do you want?"

The blue-robed scholar, Chen Jianxiong, smiled slightly, took out a blue cloth package from his sleeve, and gently placed it on the table: "Teacher brought you a gift."

Zhang Jingwei glanced at the package and said coldly, "I don't want any gifts. Go back and tell Li Zaizhi not to bother me anymore!"

Chen Jianxiong remained calm and continued, "You didn't report it to the police, which shows that you still support the philosophy of Xinxue..."

Zhang Jingwei raised his hand to interrupt him, his eyes sharp. "Stop. I didn't report it to the authorities because Li Zhuowu happened to be the name of an old friend I remember. I really don't want to have anything to do with you."

Chen Jianxiong nodded and said gently, "What a coincidence! The one I sent you is Zhuo Wu's new work. It might be useful to you."

Zhang Jingwei was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the package, but he didn't reach out to take it. He said coldly, "Leave the book here, and leave quickly. I don't want to see you."

Chen Jianxiong stood up and bowed slightly: "Goodbye."

Zhang Jingwei turned his head away and said stiffly: "Goodbye, oh no, never see you again, never see you again!"

Chen Jianxiong smiled, turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the twilight at the corner of the street. Zhang Jingwei stared at the blue cloth package on the table, his brows furrowed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, as if he was thinking about something.

At this time, Mu Tou came back panting, holding two steaming hot pancakes in his hands: "Master, I bought the pancakes! They are freshly baked and smell so good!"

Zhang Jingwei came back to his senses, took the pancake, took a bite, and raised the corner of his mouth slightly: "Well, not bad."

Mu Tou came over and asked curiously, "Master, who was that person just now?"

Zhang Jingwei glanced at him and said calmly, "Just a guy sharing the table. Eat your pancakes and don't ask any more questions."

Mu Tou looked back at the empty table, frowned, and without asking any questions, he put aside the steamed buns and started eating the leftover Yuanxiao sweet soup.

……

When I got home, Huangfu Ling was still sleeping. He hadn't had a good rest in the past half month, so he slept soundly today.

Zhang Jingwei sat at the table and took out the package he had been hiding in his arms.

On Knowing the Heart, Essentials of the Heart, Commentary on the World, and Records of Strange Stories in the Southern Kingdom

Zhang Jingwei murmured, "Another banned book was sent to me!" Then he threw the books into the kang, but finally rescued them from the fire before they were burned.

Zhang Jingwei slapped himself: What am I doing?

Covering his swollen cheek, he gently stuffed the book under the sheets.

……

Zhang Jingwei opened his eyes. Daybreak had already dimmed the room. He looked down and saw Huangfu Ling hugging him tightly around the waist, her cheek pressed against his chest, her breathing soft and even. Her hair, scattered on the pillow, carried a faint, girlish fragrance.

"Good morning, my husband." Huangfu Ling raised her head, her eyes still a little sleepy, and her voice was soft.

Zhang Jingwei reached out and ruffled her hair, saying with a smile, "Good morning, Madam."

Huangfu Ling blinked, as if suddenly remembering something, and asked softly, "How long have I slept?"

Zhang Jingwei looked down at her and said gently, "It's been quite a while. You've been sleeping since dinner, and you slept quite soundly."

Huangfu Ling frowned slightly, with a hint of annoyance: "Have you gone to see the lanterns?"

Zhang Jingwei confessed honestly: "I did, but not for long. I ate a bowl of Yuanxiao with Mu Tou and came back. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to find me when you woke up."

Huangfu Ling pursed her lips, a smile flashing in her eyes: "It's already noon."

Zhang Jingwei nodded and reached out to pinch her cheek: "Well, it's already noon, why don't you get up?"

Huangfu Ling rubbed against his arms, her voice lazily saying, "It's snowing outside, you can stay in bed for a while."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingwei turned his head and looked out the window. Seeing the shadows of snowflakes flying continuously, he frowned and said, "It's snowing again. I wonder how long it will last this time. Please don't delay me from taking office."

Huangfu Ling reached out and smoothed the wrinkles between his brows, and comforted him softly, "It's okay. Gaoyang is not far from here, only two hundred miles away. We can set off as soon as the snow stops. It won't be a problem."

Zhang Jingwei looked down at her with a hint of smile in his eyes: "Well... I don't want to get up, how about... playing for a while?"

Huangfu Ling's face flushed instantly, even to the tips of her ears. She lowered her head and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "Hmm." Of course, she knew what Zhang Jingwei meant by "play for a while," and her heartbeat quickened.

……

At three o'clock in the morning, Douya, who had gotten up late, was still blaming herself, so she quickened her pace and rushed to the lady's room to serve her. Since Zhang Jingwei did not close the door when he returned to the room last night, the door of this room was designed to open outwards, so it was not blown open by the cold wind.

"Master, Madam...Ah!" Douya opened the door and saw two people standing by the table, one kneeling and the other standing. She was so scared that she closed her eyes tightly and screamed.