It was all because of her ulterior motives and ulterior motives that she forced herself into it; it was also because she spent money and effort to try to "collude with others".
It was her again; she had the desire but not the courage. When the moment came, she was awakened from her absurd and impolite delusions by someone's righteous indignation.
She was wrong from beginning to end, so what right did she have to be angry and accuse others?
She had no good intentions, but Yun Lie and everyone in the Zhao Prince's mansion treated her with sincerity; if we were to trace the whole story back to its source, she would be in the wrong.
Never mind, let's leave it at that.
We need to look ahead, after all, next year will be busy.
Chapter Seventeen
To take care of his former comrades, Prince Zhao's residence mainly employed young men who had returned from the Linchuan army after their military service. Therefore, the situation in Prince Zhao's residence was similar to that in the Linchuan camp.
It was practically a Buddhist temple as well.
These young men, who used to live a carefree life in Linchuan, "wielding swords on the battlefield and galloping across the wilderness," were confined to the palace after being discharged from the army. They were already feeling stifled and uncomfortable. On New Year's Eve, when the whole city was in a frenzy, and with Yun Lie also present this year, they all let loose and had a great time.
On such a joyous occasion, even if people get drunk and lose control, causing a great disturbance, it is permissible according to the law, social customs, and human sentiment.
By the time of Hai (9-11 PM), most of the young men were already tipsy and could no longer stay quietly by the stove to celebrate the New Year. Instead, a group of them, arm in arm, rushed into the courtyard of the central hall.
Under the inky black sky, the boisterous laughter and shouts of fists and kicks, the dazzling trails of fireworks, and the sounds of firecrackers transformed the Prince Zhao's Mansion into a vibrant and lively corner of this bustling capital city.
Even Yun Lie abandoned his usual upright posture, leaning against the pillars on the steps of the central hall with his arms crossed.
Perhaps infected by the lively atmosphere, or perhaps the aftereffects of the strong liquor finally came in, his tall and heroic figure gained a touch of drunken languor, as relaxed and at ease as a tiger that had calmed its murderous intent under the moon in the forest, looking at his noisy companions with peaceful and satisfied eyes.
"Your Highness."
A deep, resonant voice, tinged with drunkenness and laughter, was right in front of him, and Yun Lie turned around in response.
The newcomer was a round-faced man, about forty years old, whose drunken, smiling eyes were now squinted into two slits.
He leaned on a pair of crutches under his armpits, while his left leg was empty.
This is one of the nominal guards of Prince Zhao's mansion. He comes from a farming family, his parents are deceased, and he has no wife or children. After being discharged from the Linchuan army due to injuries, he has no home and no way to make a living, so Yun Lie sheltered him here under the guise of a "guard".
There are many people like this in the Zhaowang Mansion, which is one of the reasons why Yun Lie, as a dignified founding prince, is often so poor that he has nothing to show for it.
The round-faced man smiled, squinting his eyes, and raised his right hand to hand over the wine jar he was carrying. "Happy New Year."
Yun Lie smiled faintly as he accepted the jar, tilted his head back, and poured a little into his mouth from the rim. His demeanor was cheerful and composed, yet also conveyed a sense of familiarity and indulgence.
Just like back in Linchuan, whatever they got was shared among everyone; there was no barrier between commander and soldier, nor between king and commoner.
If we can share life and death, how can we not share meals?
"Happy New Year." Yun Lie casually wiped the remaining wine stains from his lips with the back of his hand, and then stuffed the wine jar back into the round-faced man's arms.
The round-faced man grinned, slightly drunk, "It's really good that Your Highness has returned this year, with meat and wine available all the time."
“I borrowed all of this from others against my conscience, and I’ll have to pay them back in the future,” Yun Lie said with a mischievous smile, patting his shoulder. “Drink sparingly.”
The round-faced man nodded vigorously, hugged the wine jar tightly, and chuckled, "Starting tomorrow, I'll persuade them all to give up drinking. Otherwise, if His Highness continues to live like this, robbing Peter to pay Paul and living in poverty, he won't be able to find a wife!"
"Get lost, as if you've already found a wife!" Yun Lie said with a laugh, raising his foot to give a feint kick.
The toe merely touched the hem of the other person's robe, a token gesture of intent to kick, without actually striking.
The round-faced man was as alert as ever. He held the wine jar tightly with one hand, and despite using a cane, he nimbly dodged to the side, laughing as he fled.
Yun Lie chuckled and snorted at his retreating figure before leaning lazily back against a pillar with his arms crossed.
My gaze inadvertently drifted upwards and fell upon the small fish lantern swaying in the wind under the eaves.
It's made of colored paper into a chubby body, but it can't be stewed or roasted. All it does is stare at people with its silly fish eyes and grin foolishly.
—It looks adorable, and it looks beautiful when lit up and hung up at night.
Suddenly, a soft, smiling voice rang in his ears, and Yun Lie's cheeks flushed as he stared at the small, chubby fish lantern hanging high in the sky.
If someone were to hand him a mirror at that moment, he would surely feel ashamed of the gentle, almost melting gaze in the person's eyes.
****
To be honest, Steward Chen's memory is exceptionally bad.
When he remembered again, "Hmm, it seems I haven't told Your Highness that the Luo family also came yesterday," it was already midnight on New Year's Eve.
Yun Lie, who had been watching the commotion from under the eaves, had already been pulled into the courtyard by Xiong Xiaoyi and was now fooling around with everyone in a chaotic manner.
When Uncle Chen finally saw Yun Lie amidst the chaotic scene of demons dancing in the central courtyard, he almost laughed out of anger.
His Highness Prince Zhao is currently engaged in a fierce battle with Xiong Xiaoyi and his men—
They threw firecrackers at each other's feet.
One by one, burly men rubbed their hands together, grabbed firecrackers, lit them one after another, and threw them at the feet of others, then laughed heartily at the surprised and dodging looks on their faces.
They're behaving like complete brats!
It's the kind of behavior where "if you don't discipline someone for three days, they'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles!"
Manager Chen navigated the chaotic flying firecrackers with great difficulty, finally arriving in front of Yun Lie.