At night, Li Zhen set up a sumptuous banquet at the Left Bank Tavern to celebrate Xiaoxi's promotion.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, the atmosphere gradually became warmer. Li Zhen beat Xue Huaiyi hard today and was in a good mood. He drank the wine in the glass and said with a smile: "Listen to me, today I saw Xiaoxi fighting Xue Huaiyi with my own eyes. The small stick was only so thick--"

"It's a medicine pestle!" Xiaoxi corrected on the side.

"Okay! It's a stick of medicine, only so thick, one foot long."

Li Zhen gestured in his hand, and everyone was laughing at me for no reason. Li Zhen held back his smile and said, "It's really good that he can resist Xue Huaiyi's long sword slashing randomly!"

Xiaoxi blushed and said, "It's because he doesn't know martial arts at all. He drank wine again and fell into trouble, otherwise I would have been seriously injured."

Jiuzhi's face was full of the words "envious". He drank two glasses of wine and said depressedly: "You two have the chance to save people and get promoted, why can't I encounter such a good thing in Fatty?

Li Zhen casually slapped him, "If you don't have the chance, just do things honestly, or play polo well, you have the chance, don't envy this or that all day long."

Xiaoxi hurriedly said, "Brother Fat, I, the medical assistant of Shang Pharmacy Bureau, are only from the ninth rank, and are the youngest official. It is really not worth mentioning. But what makes me happy is that I can also treat people formally, that is, I have become a teacher, and I can treat some palace maids and eunuchs with slightly lower status."

Jiu Zhi was still full of envy, "You can actually treat the palace maids, why don't I carry the medicine box for you!"

Everyone laughed, and Li Zhen asked him again: "Don't you want to coax A Ling? How is the progress now?"

"Don't mention it!"

Jiu Zhi looked depressed and sighed: "If a person is unlucky, he will also put his teeth in his mouth when drinking cold water. I don't know which damn guy told her parents about giving me Cuiyu hairpin. Her parents were very unhappy and asked someone to return the Cuiyu hairpin to me, saying that his daughter is still young and asked me to find another partner."

Zhang Li, who kept smiling but said: "I know this, Xiao Ye should not agree with his sister and you."

"Why?"

It just so happened that Xiao Ye was not here today, Jiu Zhi jumped up and hit the table and shouted: "This kid is a bastard, why don't you let A Ling and I have a good relationship?"

"It must be that he heard many people talk about your bad deeds! You said you sleep in the flowers and sleep in the willows, you are so sweet and lustful. If I have a sister, I will consider it."

Jiu Zhi's face turned red and he said angrily: "That's the past. Didn't I change everything? I never stepped into the brothel after New Year's Eve."

Li Zhen patted his shoulder, "If you really want to do it, treat her well and insist on turning back to the right. I believe I will drink your wedding wine."

Jiu Zhi drank the wine in the glass depressedly and sighed long, "People changed their minds before, but later, A Ling refused. Why is my fate so miserable, Fatty Mr.!"

"Fat Brother, that—"

Xiaoxi had never seen A Ling before and didn't know what to call him. He hesitated and said, "As long as that A Ling likes you, it will be useless for her parents and brothers to interfere."

"That's right, but..."

Jiu Zhi waved his hand, "We won't talk about this anymore, Xiaoxi, I heard that your master was attracted by the queen. When did it happen?"

Jiuzhi was like a change of face. He was full of distress just now, but he smiled in the blink of an eye, his eyes were full of ambiguous curiosity, and he was very interested in interrogating Xiaoxu.

"This - it's hard to say." Xiaoxi stuttered. He wanted to protect his master's face and did not want to talk about this matter outside.

"Hey! Is there anything wrong with saying that even Old Li has been favored by the Queen?"

"Fatty! How do you speak?"

Li Zhen was so angry that he slapped him hard on the back of the head, "When have I been favored by the Queen?"

"Huh! No?" Jiuzhi shouted in surprise: "The guards all said that you have favored you, that is, when you were her personal bodyguard, otherwise how could you be promoted to deputy commander of the inner guard?"

Li Zhen suddenly realized that the problem was a bit serious. He actually left such an impression in the palace. He couldn't even wash it even if he jumped into the Yellow River!

"Don't talk nonsense!" Li Zhen's face darkened, "I was promoted because of the recommendation of Shangguan Sheren. I have nothing to do with being favored, and it's nothing at all!"

Jiuzhi stuck out his tongue and smiled, "It seems that another rumor is true."

"What rumor?"

"You are...Shangguan Wan'er's lover, Lao Li, you are so lucky!"

Li Zhen was too lazy to slap him anymore. Everyone was interested in this kind of thing. He would rather believe those gossip rumors, so he couldn't explain them clearly.

"Whatever you want! You say yes, I don't want to explain." He pinched his forehead, his heart was extremely irritated, and his mood suddenly became worse.

Li Zhen was depressed and drank the wine in the glass again. At this moment, he began to miss Di Yan a little.

.........

Perhaps because of his bad mood, Li Zhen drank too much and even walked a little staggeringly. At the same time, Jiu Zhi was also drunk. Xiaoxi hurried back to the palace halfway through the drink. He was on duty tonight and did not dare to stay outside for too long.

Only Zhang Li was left with a relatively sober, but it was really hard for him to help two people. At this time, Zhao Qiuniang received news from the shopkeeper of the restaurant and rushed to the Zuoan Restaurant.

Zhang Li finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Sister Qiu Niang, these two guys are drunk too much."

Zhao Qiuniang's brows frowned. She didn't care when Jiuzhi got drunk, but Li Zhen was already the commander of the inner guard. If his subordinates saw it, what kind of morality would it be?

"Xiao Zhang, you help the fat man, I will help Azhen, and go to my martial arts hall first."

"Sister Qiu Niang, I'm afraid it won't work! Jiu Zhi and I will be on duty tomorrow. We have to go to the imperial city before dawn. The armored and waist cards are all at Jiu Zhi's house. I have to take him back and the door will be closed soon."

Although Zhang Li and Jiuzhi were about to be transferred to the inner guard, they happened to be on the long New Year holiday. The Ministry of War had not yet received the approval documents, and the armor and waist cards had not changed. He could not change the duty at the moment. Zhao Qiuniang also understood and nodded, "Okay! Help him back, I will send Azhen home."

The shopkeeper of the restaurant found two carriages, Zhao Qiuniang helped Li Zhen into the carriage, and drove towards Fushanfang.

"A Zhen, what's going on today? Have you drunk so much wine?" Zhao Qiuniang asked with concern.

"Sister...have you heard...I am favored by the Queen?" Li Zhen asked vaguely.

Zhao Qiuniang was a little amused and cried. It turned out that he was worried about this matter. Of course, Zhao Qiuniang had also heard that Li Zhen was promoted to deputy commander of the inner guard shortly after he was changed to the position of the emperor. Some people were envious and some were jealous. It was said in the palace that Li Zhen was promoted because he was favored by the queen.

In fact, it is no wonder that in order to protect the face of the emperor, Wei Shifang's case was suppressed and not spread. Everyone did not know the real reason for Li Zhen's promotion, so it was naturally associated with the peach-like aspects that everyone was interested in, and it was not surprising that all kinds of rumors were generated.

"A Zhen, stop thinking about it. This unfounded guess will slowly disappear over time. Why do you have to worry about such things?"

"I don't know, I'm in a bad mood tonight and I really don't want to sleep alone. Sister, you can accompany me tonight." Li Zhen grabbed Zhao Qiuniang's hand and begged.

Zhao Qiuniang was full of pity for him. She thought for a while and said, "Your eldest sister went to Chang'an today, otherwise you can go to my martial arts hall!"

“It’s OK wherever you go.”

Li Zhen muttered vaguely, seeing that he was about to sit still, Zhao Qiuniang hurriedly supported him, and saw through the car window that he had arrived at the martial arts hall, so she said to the coachman: "Just here, stop!"

The carriage slowly stopped at the side door of the martial arts hall. Zhao Qiuniang helped Li Zhen off the carriage and helped him walk into the martial arts hall with difficulty. She did not disturb the disciples, but directly helped Li Zhen into the courtyard where she lived and into the room where she lived.

Li Zhen lay down on her bed, Zhao Qiuniang took off her shoes, covered him with her bedding, and sat beside him, holding his hand. She looked at Li Zhen's masculine face, and her heart felt infinite tenderness.

Since her husband passed away, she has blocked her heart and prevented any man from getting close to it. However, Li Zhen's appearance was like a ray of sunshine, illuminating her dull heart. She really likes this young and energetic boss, but...

Zhao Qiuniang sighed softly in her heart. She let go of Li Zhen's hand and was about to get up, but Li Zhen grabbed her hand, "Sister... don't leave!"

"Okay! I'll sit by your side with you." Zhao Qiuniang smiled helplessly and sat down again.

At this time, Li Zhen turned over and pillowed his head directly on her legs. He snuggled his face in her arms like a baby. Zhao Qiuniang was stunned. How could this work?

She was about to help Li Zhen lie down, but Li Zhen grabbed her hand and stroked her face. Zhao Qiuniang stroked Li Zhen's full forehead in her heart, and the softest heart string in her was suddenly plucked.

Zhao Qiuniang bit her lips gently and helped him lie down. She slowly lay beside him with her clothes, hugging him tightly, and gently caressing his angular face.

.........

The next morning, Li Zhen woke up from drunkenness. He sat up and felt a splitting headache. He couldn't remember what happened last night. He looked up and looked around. The bright sunlight penetrated through the crack of the half-open window, making the room half-light and dark.

He lay in a pink hibiscus tent covered with soft incense bedding, and his robes were neatly stacked beside the pillow.

There was an incense burner in the corner of the house, and blue smoke was emitting, filling the room with a faint fragrance. Next to it was a dressing table, an oval-like bronze mirror was hung, and on the other corner of the house were two screens with pictures of ladies in palace dress. The whole room was filled with a feminine atmosphere.

This...Where is this?

"It's my room!"

The pearl curtain was lifted open, and Zhao Qiuniang walked in from the outer room with a basin of hot water, and smiled faintly: "You were drunk last night and refused to go home, so I had to take you to me."

Zhao Qiuniang put the copper basin next to the bed, wrung the hot towel and handed it to him, "Wash your face!"

Li Zhen was a little embarrassed. Why did he lie on Sister Qiu Niang's bed? He took the towel awkwardly and applied the hot towel to his face, covering the shame on his face, but there was a strange feeling in his body and heart. It seemed that something happened last night, but he couldn't remember it.

"Sister Qiu Niang, I didn't do anything stupid last night!"

"You did nothing, you lay down and were drunk, sleeping like a dead pig. I slept in the outer room, listening to you snoring all night."

When he said this, a hint of undetectable resentment flashed in Zhao Qiuniang's eyes, and suddenly he returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

"Get up quickly! I've made medicinal porridge for you, specifically to treat headaches after drinking, so drink less alcohol in the future."

"I've actually only been drunk twice." Li Zhen scratched his head embarrassedly.

"I happened to meet them twice, didn't I?"

Zhao Qiuniang glared at him, turned around and went out with a copper basin. Li Zhen looked at her graceful figure and walked away. Several beautiful pictures appeared in his mind. Could it be that he was sleeping on Sister Qiuniang's bed and having a dream that he shouldn't have? He felt ashamed in his heart and quickly got up and put on his clothes.
Chapter completed!