The concubine is soft and charming, and the prince is willing to seduce her

Chapter 237 The New Year Has Arrived
Shen Zhiyu's expression was rather unpleasant. She hadn't expected that those ambitious people would resort to such unscrupulous means to curry favor with others.

She helped the two people kneeling on the ground up, saying, "Don't worry, no one can force you if you don't want to."

Qingdai and the others had red eyes, and they were even more convinced of the master in front of them.

"Alright, you can go out now!" Wei Qingye felt a little jealous when he saw that Shen Zhiyu's attention was on them.

Upon hearing this, Qingdai and the others bowed their heads and respectfully withdrew.

"Chang Ying, what do you think they're trying to do?" A serious expression appeared on Shen Zhiyu's delicate face, and for some reason, she felt uneasy.

"Don't worry, Zhizhi. All the conspiracies and schemes will be exposed under the suppression of power." Wei Qingye pulled her to sit on the chaise longue, holding her in his arms to comfort her, but in his heart he was thinking about how to teach the Yin family and those who were secretly watching her a lesson.

The poor Minister of the Imperial Treasury was summoned to the Qianqing Palace, only to be told that His Majesty was too busy to see him at the moment and that he should kneel before the palace and wait.

Yin Rong, the Minister of the Imperial Treasury, knelt on the floor, his body stiff and his legs numb with cold.

As he waited in vain for the emperor's summons, his heart grew heavier, and he began to reflect on what he had done wrong to annoy the emperor.

An hour later, Chai Hui came out and said, "Minister of the Imperial Treasury, His Majesty is too busy to attend to you right now. Please come again at this time tomorrow!"

Yin Rong hurriedly raised his hand to stop Chai Hui, and asked with trembling lips, "Little Eunuch Chai, I don't know what I did wrong to displease His Majesty."

Chai Hui paused, a forced smile on his face, and said, "Since you don't know, why not ask me after we return to the manor?"

Even if Yin Rong were confused, he would understand the meaning behind these words.

For the next three days, Yin Rong had to kneel in front of the Qianqing Palace for a full hour each day before he was allowed to leave.

Upon returning to the Yin residence, he angrily confronted his wife and children, and the group argued fiercely.

Old Master Yin sighed, "Marrying a wife who is not virtuous can ruin three generations!"

Soon it was New Year's Eve, and Wei Qingye changed the banquet time to noon. All the ministers came to the banquet, drank and made merry, and sang praises.

At the beginning of Shenshi (3-5 PM), Wei Qingye changed his clothes and then rode in a sedan chair toward Weiyang Palace.

Hearing footsteps outside, Sui Sui and Zhao Zhao turned around and ran outside together.

Wei Qingye scooped one up in each hand and carried them inside, patiently answering their questions, "Didn't Father Emperor already promise to stay up all night with you?"

How can you go back on your word?

Sui Sui nodded vigorously, her little face blushing with shyness.

Zhao Zhao hugged Wei Qingye's neck and kissed him on the cheek, "I love Father Emperor the most~"

Shen Zhiyu smiled and let the two little ones down, and said softly, "I have already ordered someone to prepare a family banquet. Why don't we have it sent to Qingning Palace so that we can spend the New Year with the Empress Dowager?"
I sent someone to inquire with the Emperor Emeritus beforehand, and he is also going to Qingning Palace tonight.

Wei Qingye handed the child to Chen Fang and the others, then turned and took Shen Zhiyu's hand to walk out. "Zhizhi has made excellent arrangements. Tonight, I'll give you a big red envelope."

Upon hearing the words "red seal," Shen Zhiyu was taken aback at first, then chuckled softly, "Your Majesty, I am no longer a three-year-old child. Why would I need to compete for a red seal?!"

Wei Qingye nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, yes, it was Zhizhi who didn't want it, but I insisted on giving it to you."

Sui Sui and Zhao Zhao, who were left behind, looked at each other, wondering who was the real child.

As dusk fell, palace servants lit the floor lamps, illuminating Qingning Palace as if it were daytime.

Hua Zhou and Qing Dai, among others, personally arranged the dishes for the family banquet, including steamed perch, eight-treasure rice, and more.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late. Let's have our meal first," Shen Zhiyu gently reminded her.

The two elderly people were playing with Sui Sui and Zhao Zhao when they heard this and looked out the window, noticing that it was getting late.

"Come on, come on, Grandmother will take you to eat something delicious."

The Empress Dowager led the radiant Zhao Zhao, while the Emperor Emeritus led the calm and quiet Sui Sui to the table.

Before Shen Zhiyu had taken two steps, she saw Wei Qingye reach out his hand to her with a smile, "I'll hold your hand."

Shen Zhiyu felt somewhat helpless and could only place her hand in his palm, "It wouldn't be good if Father Emperor and Grandmother Emperor saw this!"

"Ignore them. You're my wife. Who else should I spoil if not you?"

As everyone gathered around the table for their New Year's Eve dinner, the Emperor Emeritus stared at the amber wine jug not far away, itching to reach for it. But before he could even extend his arm, he received a piercing glare from Wei Qingye. He immediately glared back, "It's New Year's Eve tonight, what's wrong with having a little wine to liven things up?"

"You can only drink three cups," Wei Qingye said.

Emperor Emeritus: ...

Ignoring the expression on his face, Wei Qingye turned to pick up a piece of osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root for Shen Zhiyu, and patiently picked out the bones from the fish and fed it to Zhaozhao. As for Suisui, he said, "Suisui is a little man now. Does he need his father's help to serve the food?"

Sui Sui put down his chopsticks, cleared his throat, and said seriously, "No need. Sui Sui is a little man; he can take care of himself."

He sat upright in the specially made high chair, trying hard to pick up the food from the bowl and plate with chopsticks.

Wei Qingye exclaimed in admiration, "Sui Sui, at such a young age, you have such self-awareness! Your father will reward you with a set of the Four Treasures of the Study!"

Sui Sui's eyes sparkled with joy: "Thank you, Father!"

Zhao Zhao chewed the food in her mouth diligently, muttering softly, "Zhao Zhao wants some too..."

Wei Qingye affectionately pinched his daughter's cheek: "Zhaozhao is still young. When you start your formal education, your father will give you a set too. How about you try this honey-glazed ham first?"

As Shen Zhiyu watched this scene, a warm feeling welled up in her chest.

The court officials probably never imagined that the emperor, who was so decisive and efficient in the court, could be so gentle and patient with his own children.

"It's only because Sui Sui likes it that I wouldn't let him suffer the hardship of studying at such a young age." The Empress Dowager looked at Sui Sui with a touch of pity, and couldn't help but think of her husband.

Shen Zhiyu explained from the side, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Sui Sui is interested now. I will teach him how to play, so he won't get tired."

After dinner, the palace maids cleared away the leftover food and replaced it with various dried fruits and candied fruits.

Wei Qingye ordered people to bring red paper and ink, and wrote the character "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) to present to the families of meritorious officials, a custom known as "赐福" (Ci Fu, meaning bestowing blessings).

Sui Sui and Zhao Zhao watched closely, their big eyes filled with curiosity.

“Come, let your father teach you how to write the character ‘福’ (Fu, meaning good fortune). He held Zhaozhao on his lap and guided her little hand with his brush. Suisui sat in a chair, watching her father’s brushstrokes intently.

Shen Zhiyu helped hand out red paper, glancing up at the father and his two sons every now and then.

Wei Qingye noticed her gaze, looked up and smiled at her.

After Zhao Zhao's turn, it was Sui Sui's turn. He watched as his little hands were enveloped by his father's big hands, and together they held the wolf-hair brush and wrote a big "Fu" character on red paper.

Though he remained silent year after year, the joy in his eyes and brows was palpable.

"Did Father Emperor teach His Majesty to write the character '福' (fortune) like this when he was a child?" Shen Zhiyu asked the Empress Dowager softly.

The Empress Dowager waved her hand and said, "When Changying was a child, he was not taught like this by the Emperor Emeritus. It was the Empress who held his hand and taught him how to write."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qingye paused, a look of reminiscence appearing in his eyes: "When I was little, my mother... would personally write the character '福' (Fu, meaning good fortune) with me every New Year's Eve, praying for a prosperous and peaceful year ahead." His voice lowered, "Later, during the New Year, seeing so many '福' characters around, I couldn't feel any festive spirit anymore."

Shen Zhiyu's heart tightened; she had never heard Wei Qingye mention the days he spent with the late Empress.

The retired emperor patted him on the shoulder and sighed, "I'm sorry, Changying. As the ruler of the world, I may be praised by all the people, but I am definitely not a good husband, nor a good father."

Sui Sui keenly sensed something and timidly asked, "Are Grandpa and Father unhappy?"

Wei Qingye snapped out of his reverie and ruffled Sui Sui's hair: "Now that Sui Sui, Zhao Zhao, and your mother are spending the New Year with you, Father and Grandfather are very happy."

The sound of a night watchman's drum came from outside the window; it was already the hour of Hai (9-11 PM).

Shen Zhiyu and the others sat around the stove, drinking warm fruit wine.

"If I remember correctly, it seems that people tell stories to children when they stay up late on New Year's Eve," the Empress Dowager said with great interest as she took the plate of dried fruit from Hua Zhou.

Hua Zhou smiled and nodded: "The Empress Dowager truly has a good memory. When I was a child, the elders in my family would tell us children the story of the 'Nian' beast."

"Then let's follow the folk customs tonight."

When Sui Sui and Zhao Zhao heard that there were stories to hear, they nestled in the Empress Dowager's arms, one on each side, listening to the old woman recount the legends of how ordinary people drove away the Nian beast.

Sui Sui listened intently, while Zhao Zhao, while listening, stuffed melon seeds into her little mouth, her cheeks puffing out.

Shen Zhiyu quietly took Wei Qingye's hand and gave him a slight smile.

The retired emperor occasionally joined in with various sounds, making the two children giggle.

However, children's energy is ultimately limited, and not long after listening to the story, the two little ones began to doze off.

As midnight approached, Wei Qingye pulled Shen Zhiyu's hand and led her outside: "It's time to set off fireworks."

The two little ones were woken up and, upon learning that there were going to be fireworks, insisted on going to watch, so they went with us to the viewing platform.

Here, the palace servants had already prepared fireworks.

"Is Chang Ying planning to take action personally?" Shen Zhiyu asked.

Wei Qingye winked at her: "Shall I take you with me to light the fire? Zhizhi, are you brave enough?"

Shen Zhiyu nodded, "With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."

The two lit the first firework together, and the other fireworks followed, blooming in the night sky with dazzling colors.

Shen Zhiyu looked up at the dazzling scene, and suddenly a warm feeling came from behind her.

Wei Qingye appeared behind her at some point and embraced her.

"Zhizhi, this is our first year together."

Shen Zhiyu's heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at him, her deep phoenix eyes brimming with tenderness.

"In the years to come, we..." He was only halfway through his sentence when a deep, resonant bell rang out from afar.

The new year has arrived.

On nights when the lights of every household remain lit, the imperial palace finally feels the warmth of an ordinary family's home.

Congratulations to Zhizhi and Changying on celebrating their first New Year together! May they spend every year together from now on, without fail.