Chapter 86 Mingyue Lang His eyes were beautiful, his lips like peach petals, soft…

Xue Chan gave a soft "hmm" and let him help her off the boat.

The three people on the lakeside took the lotus flower from the other end of the small boat from Jiang Ce and drove away into the distance.

After Xue Chan returned, she trimmed and arranged the lotus flowers that she and Yun Sheng had brought back into vases, divided them into several portions, and had them sent out.

Cheng Huaizhu has gone off to play somewhere and hasn't returned yet.

After having dinner, Xue Chan sat at her desk, spreading out paper and mixing colors.

She thought for a moment, and when she picked up her pen, her writing flowed smoothly.

Yun Sheng and the others worked quietly, first lighting several more lamps to illuminate the painting table, and then they moved about quietly, each busy with their own tasks.

Xue Chan finished the last stroke of her brush when the lamp was about to burn out.

Yun Sheng said, "It's already very late. Miss, please go to sleep after your bath."

When she went to take a bath, Cheng Huaizhu returned. She wanted to share the day's interesting events with Xue Chan, but while waiting, she saw the painting on the table.

Green hills and autumn waters, egrets and lotus flowers—in a corner, the painting's title is inscribed: "Lotus in the Green Pond."

Cheng Huaizhu sat at the table looking at the painting and understood something from it.

Xue Chan came out while fixing her hair: "What are you looking at?"

Cheng Huaizhu leaned closer and asked her with a grin, "So you think he's great now?"

"So far, he is far from what I want."

Xue Chan shook her head, sat down in front of the dressing table, and placed the hairpins and ornaments she had removed on them. She gently stroked the jade hairpin and smiled slightly: "I think I still like it a little."

Cheng Huaizhu tilted her head; "Oh? Only a little bit? There was only a little bit last time too."

Xue Chan smiled and said, "Then it'll probably be a little more than last time."

Yun Sheng urged them to go to sleep early, and the two smiled knowingly, put down the hairpin, and lay down.

Xue Chan closed her eyes, as if she had returned to that small boat. Outside the boat, twilight was falling, and the water was clear and still.

As he moved closer, the fragrance enveloped the two of them.

Enclosed spaces can easily create ambiguity, and frequent conversations can easily create the illusion of intimacy.

What was she thinking at that moment?

His eyes were beautiful, and his lips were like peach petals, soft and approachable.

She was blinded by lust and was seduced away.

A dream begins, a dream ends.

The autumn hunt ends in early September.

Because her wedding was approaching and she needed to prepare for it, Xue Chan never saw Jiang Ce again after returning to the capital.

I only heard that several Buddhist temples were sealed off, and several residences in the capital were also sealed off. I heard that Jiang Ce was ordered to capture the remaining rebels.

Her wedding dress and dowry had already been prepared. Every day, she would simply look at the items that had been counted and then put two stitches on the embroidered veil.

During this time, she met someone.

"When I came, I saw that your house was being decorated; you're getting married."

Songqing and Xue Chan were sitting and drinking tea when she asked her this question.

Xue Chan said, "Yes, the seventeenth of next month."

"One month left." Song Qing did a quick calculation, then asked her, "Is it the person who was with you last time?"

Xue Chan smiled and nodded: "Yes, it's him. We are engaged."

She poured the tea, and Song Qing took a sip: "It's quite good."

Xue Chan then asked her, "I heard him say that you've been under their protection all this time, and because of your involvement in the case, you haven't been allowed to see them. Now that things are over, what are your plans?"

Song Qing smiled, much more gently than when they first met.

“I have been practicing Taoism since I was a child. The Lotus Temple was originally built by my parents, brothers and sisters for my spiritual practice. A few years ago, a group of people suddenly came, killed my parents, and took over the temple. I have no home now, so I guess I will continue to practice Taoism as a nun.”

Xue Chan was somewhat puzzled: "After something like this, you still want to continue cultivating?"

Song Qing replied, “This is their fault, the fault of the world, not the fault of the Taoist sect, nor my fault. Why shouldn’t I continue cultivating Taoism?”

Xue Chan also felt that what she said made a lot of sense.

After all, if it weren't for these people, Songqing would still have parents and family, and would still be quietly cultivating Taoism in the Lotus Temple on Fanglu Mountain.

The two sat under the maple tree, brewing and drinking tea, and spent a very ordinary day.

Xue Chan saw Song Qing off.

Because her mother's memorial tablet was enshrined at Jixiang Temple, she took the opportunity to go to the Buddhist temple with Xue Chenghuai for some quiet meditation.

They stayed at Jixiang Temple for two days, and wherever they went, they either "bumped into" people or came to see Xue Chenghuai.

That morning, he and Xue Chan were offering incense and prayers to Cheng Zheng when they were arrested again.

Xue Chan returned to the Zen temple for lunch, and then took a nap. When she woke up, the sun had already passed the tower.

Yun Sheng tiptoed in and said to Xue Chan, "Someone wants to see you, Miss. I took a nap and have been waiting outside for a long time."

"Who is it?" Xue Chan was somewhat surprised.

Yun Sheng said, "The maid said she was sent by Lady Yu."

Lady Yu?

Xue Chan got up, and Yun Sheng helped her change her clothes and tidy her appearance before leaving the house immediately.

The slightly older maidservant greeted Xue Chan as she came out and asked with a smile, "Does Miss have some free time?"

Xue Chan shook her head: "I have nothing to do. I wonder what urgent matter Lady Yu sent you with?"

"It's not urgent, but my wife said she hasn't been able to instruct you on your zither skills for quite some time. Also, autumn is here and the red maples behind Jixiang Temple are in full bloom, so my wife sent me to ask if you would like to enjoy the autumn leaves together?" the maid replied.

Xue Chan said, "I have the same thought."

The maid led her to the back of the mountain, where she found Lady Yu sitting in a pavilion on the mountain path behind the covered bridge, with a zither on the table.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you. I wonder if you've been practicing diligently during this time?"

Xue Chan looked at him blankly and lowered her head slightly.

No.

Madam Yu didn't say anything more, only saying, "Play a tune, and I'll listen."

Having found herself in a difficult situation, Xue Chan had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue playing until she finished the last note. Then, she withdrew her hand and sat quietly, awaiting criticism.

Yu Niangzi parted her lips slightly and said something that sounded quite comforting.

"Compared to the last time, there has been at least some improvement."

Xue Chan could only give an awkward smile.

Lady Yu said, "Walk with me for a while."

The two walked together up the stone steps in the mountain forest, admiring the maple leaves and chatting as they went.

Xue Chan: "I fell ill after the Dragon Boat Festival, and later, due to the complicated wedding arrangements, I was unable to come to Jixiang Temple to learn the zither from you."

Seeing that her complexion was still good and even her voice sounded cheerful, Madam Yu felt a little relieved.

"It's alright, these are not important matters. Besides, I haven't been in this temple much in the past six months."

Xue Chan: "Is it because of the marriage?"

“Yes,” Madam Yu always seemed so gentle, her voice as soft as ever. “Marriage is a major life event. As a mother, even if I don’t want to deal with worldly affairs, I still have to go back and take care of the preparations for my child.”

"not to mention......"

Yu Niangzi looked at Xue Chan and smiled gently: "Erlang values ​​this very much. I owe him a lot, and I can't make up for it. Since he rarely asks for anything, I should naturally grant it."

He visited Jixiang Temple once shortly after the imperial decree was issued, inviting her to return.

Xue Chan was puzzled: "But why did you come to see me at this time?"

Lady Yu slowed her pace and reached out to catch a falling red leaf.

“Erlang is my child. As his mother, I am happy and willing to grant his wish to marry the person he loves. You two are bound together by an imperial decree. I know his feelings, but I do not know yours.”

She turned to look at Xue Chan, her smile fading and replaced by a serious expression.

"But setting aside my role as your mother, I want to ask you: are you willing to accept this marriage, and accept him?"

Xue Chan was quite surprised by this. She never expected that Lady Yu would come to see her specifically because she was considering her feelings.

She was both puzzled and somewhat moved, so her answer was earnest and sincere.

"I like him, so I'm willing to marry him."

"That's good," Madam Yu seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief, and continued to climb the steps with a smile.

Xue Chan walked beside her, hesitated for a moment, and then asked her.

"You asked me this question because of you and the General..."

Before she could finish her question, Madam Yu said directly, "Yes."

Lady Yu asked Xue Chan, "Since you came to the capital, you must have heard quite a bit about Erlang's father, right?"

"Yes," Xue Chan nodded.

Yu Niangzi continued, “You see Erlang as flamboyant and arrogant, but his father is even more flamboyant and arrogant. He’s as passionate as a ball of fire. As for me, I’m timid and lukewarm.”

"To this day, I still don't understand why the Empress would arrange a marriage between him and me."

After climbing dozens of steps, the two reached a wide, flat area. Looking down from there, they saw a sea of ​​red maple leaves and a tall pagoda.

“When I first married him, everything was unfamiliar, and I was very scared. I always felt a sense of rejection towards such a stranger. The closer he got, the more I retreated. Perhaps my attitude frustrated him greatly, so for a long time we were always arguing. I was scared, he was angry, and we just couldn't live peacefully together.”

Every time he moved closer, she retreated. This only fueled the arrogance and anger of the young man, who went to great lengths to keep her by his side, forcing her to accept and get used to it.

He would always ask her what was wrong with him? Why didn't he like her?

Why?

But she was really scared. If she didn't like it, she just didn't like it. Why force her to like it?

As Yu Niangzi recalled the past, she couldn't help but frown, her eyes filled with melancholy and sorrow.

Xue Chan listened quietly without interrupting her.

“At the height of the conflict, I even had the courage to consider divorce, but he refused. One day a year after our marriage, my aunt happened to be accompanying my father to his new post and made a special trip to Liangzhou to visit me. When I saw my relatives, I couldn’t help but cry to them and told them that I wanted a divorce.”

Madam Yu choked up, unable to speak through gritted teeth, her body trembling slightly. She took a deep breath to calm herself, tears welling in her eyes.

When he spoke again, his voice was calm, but it trembled slightly.

"But when my father found out, he slapped me. He said, 'This is something others would kill for. Why am I so willful? So dissatisfied? So ungrateful?'"

The wind swept through the mountains, scattering a flurry of red leaves. They landed right in front of the two, making Xue Chan almost unable to see her clearly.

All I could see was her standing there with her face tilted up.

The voice that came through already had a suppressed sob in it, but it was mostly filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"But...but...no one has ever asked me if I like it, if I'm willing, or if I want it?"

Xue Chan may not fully understand the grudges and entanglements between them, but she can understand her, understand the resentment and grievances of a girl in her early teens towards this world.

Even so, no one cared about this resentment and grievance, and no one was willing to listen. So, it was hidden in his heart for decades.

"So, you accepted it because of that?"

Yu Niangzi suddenly chuckled, looked at Xue Chan, shook her head, and spoke softly.

"Because I'm pregnant."

She sighed, becoming much calmer: "It's amazing, because of this completely unprepared child, we suddenly became peaceful."

She was so at peace with the world that she thought things would get better as time went on. He was so at peace with the world that he thought they could live like that forever, and that they could wait until the day they both fell in love with each other.

But alas, what can be done?

Life is unpredictable, leaving no room for hesitation or waiting. Therefore, we are always forced to gain and then forced to lose.

Xue Chan pursed her lips and asked her, "Now, do you resent him, hate him, or like him?"

Yu Niangzi shook her head, somewhat bewildered: "I don't know either. If I were to say I like him, I wouldn't know how to get along with him if he were still here. But if I were to say I don't like him, I miss him quite a few times."

Xue Chan lowered her eyes and sighed softly. She was too young and had too little experience. She didn't even know how to comfort her.

But Lady Yu saw through her thoughts and said softly, "You don't need to be disappointed that you can't comfort me. Actually, the two of you doing this is already the greatest comfort to me."

She glanced at the darkening sky and led Xue Chan down the path.

"I'll trouble you to listen to what I have to say."

Xue Chan looked at her seriously and said, "Liking someone is not a mistake, and not liking someone is even less so."

Yu Niangzi paused for a moment, then smiled and softly hummed in agreement.

The two walked back down the stone steps.

Xue Chan asked her, "Was the nickname 'Yuelang' given to you by yourself?"

Yu Niangzi said, "Erlang was born on a boat. At that time, his father and I were boating on Bailuting when suddenly a heavy rain came down, and the wind and rain raged on the lake. Erlang was born just like that. When he was born, the wind and rain stopped, the river was calm, and even a full moon rose from the mountains, reflecting the moonlight on the whole river. So when his father held him, we gave him the nickname Yuelang."

Xue Chan nodded thoughtfully, "I see."

Lady Yu smiled gently and had someone bring a small box: "This is what Erlang asked me to give you before he left the capital."

Xue Chan took it: "Thank you for bringing it to me."

She escorted her to the mountain gate.

"It's getting late, I need to go back and prepare for the wedding, you should go back too."

"Be careful on the road."

The two parted ways, and Lady Yu bid her farewell and left.

Xue Chan suddenly called out to her, "Madam Yu!"

She stopped and turned around, slightly puzzled.

Xue Chan smiled and said firmly, "Actually, the Second Young Master is very much like you."

Lady Yu paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and spoke softly.

"Really? It seems I don't know him well enough."