Chapter 20 Invitation

Qin Wan walked into the courtyard with a gold-plated invitation in her sleeve. Luo Zhaohan was leaning on the beauty couch in a daze, with the hem of her stone-blue skirt hanging to the ground, startling the thrush in the corridor and making it flap its wings.

"Zhao Zhao." Qin Wan held the post but was in no hurry to hand it over. "Princess Duan is going to hold a flower-viewing banquet on the first day of the new year. Your brother just happened to be home, so why not bring him along to join in the fun." Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edges of the post, rubbing the gold-stamped patterns until they shone.

Luo Zhaohan took the invitation. The thin gold-sprinkled paper was printed with a pattern of lotus flowers.

In her previous life, she claimed illness and didn't attend the flower viewing banquet. Later, she learned that it was at the banquet that Liu Yueli had won Prince Duan's favor. As her fingertips traced the words "Fuyuan General's Mansion," she suddenly remembered her mother holding her hand before her death in her previous life and saying, "My biggest regret is not taking you to meet more people sooner!"

"Who does mother want Jin Ce to meet?" She deliberately tilted her head and teased, "Could it be that he has his eyes on a certain girl?" Qin Wan was amused by her, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes spread out. "Your brother has a wooden temper..." He swallowed the words back mid-sentence and simply patted the back of her hand. "If you don't want to go, forget it."

"Of course I wouldn't." Luo Zhaohan put the invitation into her dressing box. The bronze mirror reflected the cold light in her eyes. "My daughter is just looking forward to seeing the new tricks of the noble ladies in the capital."

…

When Xie Wuqi kicked open the door of the command center, the copper bells on the eaves made a sharp sound.

The clerk on duty in the duty room shrank his neck, noticing the mud spots on the hem of his black official robe, and hurriedly lowered his voice: "Master Chu asked you to go and answer him..."

"I understand." Xie Wuqi opened his collar to breathe, and the jasmine scent from Liu Yueli's hair still lingered on his palm.

The moment he pushed open the wooden door of the office, the Sheyan brushed past his ear with the gust of wind and hit the door frame with a "bang", splashing ink all over the wall.

Chu Qirui raised his eyes from behind the "Patrol Records" and said, "Deputy Commander Xie, you have such great authority. Do you take me, your immediate superior, seriously?"

"I know I was wrong, but I had urgent matters to deal with at that time and had no time to ask for leave. Please forgive me, sir!" Xie Wuqi stared at the inkstone that was broken into two halves on the ground - this was a gift from the emperor on last year's Wanshou Festival.

There was the sound of orderly footsteps outside the window; twelve captains under his command were marching past in formation.

"Do you know what it means to lose sight of the distinction between public and private matters?" Chu Qirui suddenly grabbed the teacup. "Last month, you left your post during the fire in West Market. The day before yesterday, you were late for the brawl at Zuixianlou..." The celadon teacup exploded at Xie Wuqi's feet. "Today, you've thrown everything aside for a woman!"

Xie Wuqi's back teeth hurt from biting them.

Even his father had never scolded him like this, but Chu Qirui was the nephew of the imperial tutor, Master Chu, and he could not be touched.

Chu Qirui looked at Xie Wuqi, who was kneeling silently in the hall, and banged his black iron wristband heavily on the table. "Deputy Commander Xie knows the punishment for leaving his post without permission."

The candlelight danced on Chu Qirui's black iron wristband, bringing a crimson glow to Xie Wuqi's eyes. He stared at the tiger-headed token of the Fifth Army Battalion on his waist, his palms bruised by the scabbard's markings. By this time in his previous life, he should have received a transfer order from the Fifth Army Commander's Office.

"I accept the punishment." When Xie Wuqi bowed, a rusty taste rose in his throat.

The patrol captains exchanged meaningful glances, and his fingertips in his sleeves almost pinched his palms.

After living his life again, he deeply felt what it meant to be a high-ranking official who could crush people to death!

Seeing that Chu Qirui said nothing, Xie Wuqi slowly turned around and left resolutely.

A deep coldness flashed involuntarily in his eyes, like frost biting the bone.

Chu Qirui despised him so much that he secretly swore that one day he would reach the pinnacle of power. By then, all those who had despised and insulted him would be trampled under his feet forever!

The patrol captains around saw Xie Wuqi's departing back and quickly suppressed the disdain in their eyes, returning to their original politeness and respect.

…

Chu Mansion, Langhua Garden.

The sound of the gong at the hour of Xu rang out, and Pei Ji was playing chess on a chess endgame.

On the boxwood chessboard, the black pieces were gilded by the candlelight.

The wind created by Chu Qirui's entry as he lifted the curtain caused the lamp sparks to crackle.

"Xiuzhe!" Chu Qirui took off his sword and put it on the table, "I finally got rid of my anger today. That Xie Wuqi really pissed me off!" He grabbed the teacup and drank it in one gulp, leaving dark marks on the front of his blue shirt.

Pei Ji tapped the black piece on the chessboard with his fingers, and his eyes swept over Chu Qirui, who had a look of joy on his brow.

The copper bells on the eaves jingled in the night wind, and he suddenly remembered the heroic figure of the girl from the Luo family that day. She looked more like a descendant of a military family than Xie Wuqi.

Seeing Pei Ji's eyes lowered and his voice silent, Chu Qirui leaned closer to the chessboard and started to chat: "Xiuzhe, have you heard about the recent uproar over the broken engagement between the Luo family of Fuyuan General's Mansion and the Xie family of Wuwei General's Mansion?"

"cough."

At this moment, Old Chu walked into the flower hall, leaning on a red sandalwood cane. Pei Ji stood up to support him, and the Buddhist beads on his wrist brushed against the old man's withered hand.

Old Chu looked at his nephew, who was grinning, and said in a calm yet dignified voice, "Qi Rui, when did you become addicted to these idle gossips?"

Chu Qirui quickly stood up and offered his seat to his uncle, with a humble smile on his face.

"Uncle, you misunderstood. I just happened to mention that Xie Wuqi, the son of General Wuwei, happens to be my deputy commander. Today, he..."

Chu Qirui briefly recounted Xie Wuqi's behavior today, then shook his head slightly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Xie Wuqi is arrogant and impetuous. In my opinion, it is a blessing for the eldest daughter of General Fuyuan's mansion to break off her engagement with him."

Upon hearing this, Elder Chu nodded slightly, "Indeed, I had the honor of meeting the young lady from the Luo family this morning. She was full of energy and spirit, and she was truly endearing."

"In comparison, some people are young, but they look miserable and lifeless!"

Pei Ji was silent, with a complicated expression on his face.

Mr. Chu is pointing at him in a roundabout way!

The candlelight on the bronze lamp tree created a spark. Pei Ji had just put down his teacup and stood up, ready to say goodbye, when Old Chu pulled him back to the armchair by the corner of his sleeve.

The gold-stamped invitation brushed against the paperweight on the table and flew into his arms, startling the night owl outside the window so much that it fluttered away.

"Look." Old Chu twirled his goatee, his cloudy eyes glinting with brilliance.

Pei Ji glanced at it briefly, flicked his fingertips and threw the post back on the desk: "No."

"Oh, this flower viewing banquet is held at Prince Duan's Mansion." Chu Qirui came over and glanced at the contents of the invitation. "I am in charge of Shuntian Street in East City. I will need to borrow 300 people from West City to provide security that day."

"Xiuzhe!" Old Chu suddenly beat his chest. "You're twenty! Twenty years old!" He pointed out the window with a withered finger. "The great-grandson of Master Zhang next door can recite the Thousand Character Classic!"

Pei Ji slowly brushed away the tea stains on the corner of his robe: "Teacher said the other day that I am a young talent."

"You!" Old Chu grabbed the inkstone but couldn't bear to smash it, his goat beard trembling with anger. "This is the emperor's order! If you don't go, the imperial decree granting marriage will be kept in the imperial study. Don't blame me for making decisions on your behalf when the time comes."

A slender shadow was cast on the blue brick floor, and Pei Ji had already walked to the corridor.

When Old Chu chased him out, he only caught a piece of black clothing that disappeared into the night. He picked up the broom from the corridor and threw it into the darkness: "Traitor! Traitor!"