Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 613 - 611

Chapter 613: Chapter 611

The Marquis Shengping family braved the heavy rain at the main gate to welcome the arrival of this honored guest.

The hems of everyone’s clothes were soaked by the heavy rain.

The carriage drove into the gate and stopped near the closest corridor. Shen Chengyao rushed forward with an oil umbrella to welcome the Emperor out of the carriage, and his clothes were instantly soaked.

"Mr. Shangguan, may you be blessed with good fortune. Shen Chengyao welcomes Mr. Shangguan."

Upon seeing this, Shen Haiqiang quickly came forward to hold the umbrella for him.

After the Emperor got off the carriage, he turned around to lift his chubby Seventh Prince out of the carriage, only to realize that his son was really too fat!

He could barely lift him!

"Xiao Qi, you should lose weight!" He almost couldn’t hold his own son while trying to be like a commoner.

The Emperor, struggling, carried his child forward.

The round dumpling-like face of the Seventh Prince condensed into a frown: "Dad, didn’t you say I don’t have to lose weight?"

"When you grow up, you will need to lose weight." The Emperor thought, else he wouldn’t be able to find a bride in the future!

Seeing that the Emperor was slightly struggling, Shen Chengyao quickly said, "Mr. Shangguan, allow me to carry Xiao Qi!"

"No need." The Emperor was resolute, his expression void of the usual majesty he maintained on the throne room, revered by the Manchu Dynasty.

Phew... Finally reached the corridor! Exhausted! The Emperor sighed with relief.

Mrs. Liu, along with her children, bowed in greeting, "Honored to welcome Mr. Shangguan to our humble abode."

"No need for formalities, madam. I am the one who disturbed you. The rain is too strong, have the children return to their rooms."

The rain was indeed too strong, even the hem of the Emperor’s clothes were wet. Everyone was worried about the Emperor and the Seventh Prince catching a cold. Without fussing over too many formalities, they hurriedly escorted the Emperor to the well-prepared Bigui Courtyard, and ordered servants to prepare hot water for a bath for the father and son.

Xiao’er also had two bowls of ginger soup sent to them to fend off the cold.

After a night’s turmoil, the Emperor and the Seventh Prince rested after drinking ginger soup.

The rain continued all night, showing no signs of stopping as dawn broke.

Shen Chengyao stood at the window, gazing at the heavy rain that poured down relentlessly, worried, "If it continues like this, the crops that haven’t been harvested will be ruined. Many villagers haven’t yet gathered their food, and even if they have, it hasn’t dried out yet and could sprout."

The autumn harvest had gone halfway. The crops at Xiao’er’s house usually ripen a few days earlier than others, so their house only had a distant villa left to harvest which was reserved for the Emperor to experience farm life.

"You’re right, if it continues to rain the grain will rot in the fields." Mrs. Liu had already finished her confinement. Apart from being a little heavier, she looked great.

"We can’t go to the villa today, I’ll inform the Emperor." If it weren’t for the Emperor wanting to experience farm life, Shen Chengyao would definitely venture into the rain to the villa, lead people to harvest the grain. Perhaps he was scared from previous experiences of hunger; he couldn’t bear to see food rotting in the fields, wasted.

Shen Chengyao went to Bigui Courtyard to inform the Emperor that it was raining and they could not harvest. After thinking about it, he couldn’t help but say:

"Mr. Shangguan, stay in the mansion with the young master. I’ll go to the villa and let the village chief lead people to harvest the crops. If the rain doesn’t stop, the grains soaked in the water will sprout or worse, rot. When the rain stops and the land is dry, I will come back and take Mr. Shangguan to the villa."

A rainy day during the autumn harvest is the most annoying. The Emperor had come to experience farm life; not just the joy of a good harvest, but also the sorrow of a poor one!

"I am here to experience the life of ordinary people. Let’s go, we’ll go together."

Upon hearing these words, Shen Chengyao was taken aback. How could this be? He needs the Emperor by his side -- if the Emperor falls ill due to the heavy rain, it will be a problem! After all, the Emperor was recently afflicted with Hemiplegia.

Realizing what Shen Chengyao was worried about, the Emperor deliberately put on a solemn face: "This is an imperial edict!"

Shen Chengyao was rendered speechless. What happened to treating him like an ordinary person?

As such, Shen Chengyao had to guide the domineering emperor towards the villa.

Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er, who had luckily just arrived, were also part of the group.

The rain obscured sight of the far road.

The road leading to the villa was lined with farmland on both sides.

Upon the fields, many villagers were braving the rain to harvest rice.

The Emperor lifted the curtain of the carriage to look out: "The people’s life is tough! In this kind of weather, who wouldn’t stay indoors! It’s only the farmers who brave the rain to harvest food."

Now being deep into autumn, their bodies were soaked in the rain and chilled by the cold wind, sending shivers down their spines.

"Emperor, don’t look outside anymore, you’ll get your clothes wet." Shen Chengyao, who was sitting in the same carriage as the Emperor, advised.

"Has Marquis Ping ever braved the rain to hastily harvest the crops before?"

"Tried it, often." Shen Chengyao nodded. Both of them were also feeling bored sitting in the carriage, so he began to share his past stories with the Emperor.

"I remember that the first autumn harvest after we split the family was also rainy. I and my fourth younger brother braved the rain to get the crops harvested. Xiao’er was just over seven years old at the time..."

Shen Chengyao started telling stories about Xiao’er hunting pheasants on the mountain and catching fish at her grandmother’s house.

The Emperor was instantly amused!

"Can fish be caught like this? I’ve lived half a lifetime, and this is genuinely the first time I’ve heard of it! Marquis Ping, let’s try it when the weather gets better! I happen to have time recently! Since the Emperor was ill this year, the autumn hunting will definitely be canceled, let’s go hunting together!"

What a shameless remark! What about the Emperor being ill and canceling the autumn hunt, is he just trying to find an excuse to go hunting? Shen Chengyao really wished to slap himself for bringing it up!

Shen Chengyao could only nod bitterly, and the Emperor directly ignored his bitterness. He also began to share his heroic hunting tales.

The mood between the two was quite harmonious.

Suddenly, the carriage halted.

The Emperor’s carriage was in the middle driven by Zhao Yong.

The carriage which Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er were in was in front, driven by Xiao Fuzi.

The Emperor lifted the curtain of his carriage and asked Zhao Yong, "Why has the carriage stopped?"

"I will go up and see!" Zhao Yong quickly ran ahead.

He came back quickly: "Sir, there’s an old couple pulling a cart ahead, and the old man accidentally had a fall and cannot get up, blocking the way."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor quickly asked, "Is the injury serious? Bring him into the carriage and let’s take him home! The old couple’s fragile bones can’t afford such an ordeal."

"The old man dares not sit in our carriage, and his cart is full of newly harvested grain, he’s reluctant to leave it behind!"

The Emperor was angry after hearing this: "Where did their children go! Allowing the two elderly to pull the cart in such heavy rain, what kind of system is this! Isn’t our dynasty established on the basis of filial piety!"

"Emperor, don’t be angry, first let’s send the elderly couple home, we can inquire about it later!" Shen Chengyao advised from the side.

The Emperor heard this and calmed down: "Zhao Yong, you go send the old couple home."

"But what about this carriage..." They couldn’t just leave the Emperor in the middle of the road!