Chapter 7 Such absurd feelings! You're acting like this, with your brother here…

The distinguished guest of the Gao family thought he had bumped into Changsun Qingjing and was somewhat at a loss, so he apologized repeatedly.

"I was being presumptuous. Is my wife alright?" A concerned yet spirited face suddenly appeared in Changsun Qingjing's life once again.

"Do you still remember Vidyaraja who could break walnuts with his bare hands?" the visitor asked cautiously, his voice barely audible. He then glanced at Gao Shilian with an uncertain look.

The person who came was indeed Li Shimin, the chivalrous boy who saved her from the prison carefully set up by An Ye when she was eight years old, the knowledgeable and close friend who accompanied his father on his official travels but was always eager to talk about his brother, and the cloud-capable youth who looked similar to Xuan Ba ​​but had no trace of gloom.

Changsun Qingjing hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently. When she met the boy who had come through fire again, a chord in the thirteen-year-old girl's heart seemed to tremble in the breeze.

"It's all good that you're safe and sound!" The two exchanged a clasped-hands salute, then fell silent as they thought of Xuan Ba.

"When the Emperor campaigned against Goguryeo last time, my father was busy supervising the grain supply; now, with the rebellion of Yang Xuangan just quelled, he has been appointed as the envoy to offer condolences. Now, burdened with official duties, he has specially ordered me to convey his gratitude to the Zhili Lang family. My father is deeply grateful for the Zhili Lang's care for Xuanba, but it's a pity that the child had such a short life..." As he spoke, he thought of his younger brother, who had been waiting for his return but could never see him again. His heart felt as if it were being scratched, pounded, and squeezed by an invisible claw.

Changsun Qingjing's lips twitched slightly, and his brows furrowed, as if he was struggling with whether to tell Li Shimin everything about Xuanba's excitement and helplessness on the day he played "Lanling King Entering the Battle Song," and his exhilaration and despair on the day of the hunt.

Those leaping dreams and shattered fragments deserve to be a bond between the living and the dead. She slowly raised her head, her amber eyes attempting to capture the radiant light in his gaze.

Li Shimin looked at her dazed, unfocused eyes with a mixture of helplessness and expectation. He pursed his lips, trying to glean a few words from the girl about his deceased brother.

“My lady… Da De…” He was afraid that when he visited Gao Shilian again, he would no longer see the gentle yet resolute girl his younger brother had described in his letter, so he somewhat disregarded etiquette and took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Uncle, I found the 'Ode to the Book of Documents' and 'Eulogy for Emperor Wu of Wei' that Shimin sent the other day." Wuji held the letters as if they were treasures, almost drawing a deep arc on the floor before stopping.

Behind her came the maid A-Cai, who hurried along carrying a bottle of fruit wine.

“Sanlang has indeed mentioned you repeatedly, young master. If my uncle allows me to…” Qingjing’s gaze drifted slightly to the ray of sunlight shining through the window behind Shimin.

"My lord, my lord!" A young servant hurriedly pushed through the wall of whispering maids at the door, shoved aside Ah Cai, and tumbled and fell in front of Gao Shilian. "People from Chang'an have arrived! There's chaos at Minister Husi's house!"

Gao Shilian gestured for the impetuous servant to be quiet. He then rose to prepare to greet the messenger from Chang'an. "Young Master Li, please excuse me," he said anxiously, turning to add, "Wuji, please sit with Young Master Li for a while."

Wuji was caught off guard by his uncle's departure. After Shimin got up to see Gao Shilian off, he sat up again. Acai, who was still in shock, was glad that she hadn't spilled a drop of fruit wine. She then offered the newly brewed vinegar to her wife and young men.

Gao Shilian's worries did not affect his children; everyone merely speculated that a close relative of Minister of War Husi Zheng might have suddenly passed away. The Gao and Husi families had been on good terms for generations, and perhaps Gao Shilian was eager to make arrangements for the funeral.

The social interactions between elders didn't have much impact on the younger generation, and everyone didn't pay much attention to this incident, quickly moving on to their own topics.

“Vitiha,” Changsun Wuji cleared his throat, feeling it was inappropriate to call his friend by his nickname when a third person was present, so he changed his words: “Shimin’s poems and essays are lofty in meaning, vigorous and simple yet full of youthful spirit, even my uncle praised them highly.”

Li Shimin bowed and said, "I am flattered by your kind words, Zhili Lang."

Changsun Qingjing's heart skipped a beat, and he gently patted Acai's shoulder with his fan: "Which article? Which poem is my brother referring to? Can you and I have read it?"

Li Shimin took the scroll, and after a moment of doubt and surprise, he laughed calmly: "Zhong Wang's calligraphy is indeed very beautiful. Let me see if his assessment is reasonable!"

Changsun Wuji was embarrassed and angry: "A-Cai! Who touched this scroll?"

A-Cai glanced furtively at Qing-Jing, then silently crawled behind him, gesturing with her lips towards the young master. The two young masters naturally understood, especially Wu-Ji, who was momentarily at a loss for how to handle the situation.

Changsun Qingjing felt a little guilty and gave an awkward smile: "Ah... Brother, please calm down. I did touch it... At first glance, I mistook it for a manuscript from an acquaintance, and I couldn't resist using cinnabar. I was too rash, and I hope Young Master Li will forgive me."

She bowed respectfully, which prompted Li Shimin to comfort her: "I was just scribbling casually, but I am fortunate to have received your appreciation, so the trip was not in vain." He tried to appear polite and respectful, but his words always carried a hint of flattery.

"I should be angry, but she's my friend's sister," he thought to himself. "Even for Wuji's sake, I have to be polite. Besides, Xuanba praised this woman for her meticulousness and her eloquence and knowledge, which are no less than a man's. Let the manuscript be erased; why get angry with her? I'll promise her I won't hold it against her, and I definitely can't hold it against her anymore, lest I make her laugh at me."

Changsun Wuji turned to Li Shimin and stammered, "...My younger sister...has not yet had her coming-of-age ceremony...please forgive her for her rudeness...I will personally reprimand her."

"We exchanged greetings in front of our uncle," Qingjing muttered softly.

"Then you should apologize more sincerely, instead of acting like you did something wrong and the victim has to make you happy."

"This is outrageous! How can you act so recklessly? Doesn't your brother have any face in front of his friends?"

Although Li Shimin didn't quite understand the conversation between the brother and sister, he could roughly tell that their sharp argument was actually about him. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he could only lower his head and carefully ponder the annotation that Wuji had called "unreasonable."

A-Cai, sensing the situation, stepped forward to pour him fruit wine. He then asked the seemingly clever maid with some curiosity, "Do your young master and young lady often... so... no, argue endlessly?" A-Cai opened her eyes wide, nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, suppressed her uncontrollable pounding anger, and returned to Changsun Qingjing's side.

"I apologized to him in person, and I'll just make another copy to compensate him." Qingjing was a little annoyed, but she glanced at Li Shimin, who was deep in thought, and made the biggest concession she could.

Changsun Wuji shrugged: "As a lady from a prestigious family, you ruined your brother's friend's precious and exquisite article. It's one thing to apologize without any real feeling, but you didn't even shed a tear?" The brother was still trying to maintain his sister's stereotypical yet beautiful image in his friend's heart.

Changsun Qingjing, however, showed no appreciation. He simply walked around to Wuji, touched his brother's forehead with his knuckles, and whispered, "Did you overdose on the Five-Stone Powder? Your mind seems a little off?"

Ah Cai, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

“I’ve gone to such lengths for you… fine,” Changsun Wuji said, emphasizing the word “fine,” and then rubbed his forehead in exasperation, “not only do you not appreciate it, but you also mock me like this.”

Li Shimin found some amusement in the annotations in vermilion ink, so he rashly interrupted the playful argument between the eldest grandson and his sister, leaning over to ask Qingjing, "It seems that my wife has many criticisms of this article. I would like to hear the details."

Changsun Qingjing, who had just been engrossed in her playful banter with her brother, only now realized that there were outsiders in the hall. She hurriedly raised her fan to cover half of her face and turned to the side, saying, "At first glance, this article is like a sharp sword piercing straight into the heart, but upon closer inspection, it has a subtle feeling that the blade will unfortunately break. It has an indescribable strangeness..." Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

"She seems to have understood the deeper meaning of my request for her to reluctantly feign gentleness, but only half of it. This is truly the end!" Changsun Wuji's mood was like a piece of paper soaked through in water and then carelessly laid out to dry on a rock on the shore, impossible to tear apart. "Forget I kept praising her gentleness and charm in my letters; she's simply the most unpredictable and enigmatic wind in the Nanshan forest."

Li Shimin bowed to Guanyinbi: "Thank you for your guidance, Madam. I will remember it." A gentle breeze brushed his lips, and he turned to Changsun Wuji: "Let's not talk about this ridiculed article for now. I've heard that the scenery atop Zhongnan Mountain is delightful. In the past, I could only look up at Nanshan from the high tower of the temple in Daxing City. With these few days of fine weather, why not overlook the magnificent scenery of Daxing from Nanshan?"

Changsun Wuji gazed at the drifting clouds outside the window and said, "Excellent! I'll have the servants prepare tonight, and we'll set off tomorrow." He then glared at his sister, leaned close to her ear, and said fiercely, "I'm not taking you this time! Begging won't help!"

As if by telepathy, the three of them discussed and decided on a plan. Then, Madam Gao sent someone to invite Young Master Li to meet her. Li Shimin was immediately surrounded by Madam Gao, the mother of Gao Shilian, Xianyu, the wife of Gao Shilian, and Gao, the mother of Changsun Wuji. They were all showing concern for his well-being, making Li Shimin feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Long time no see, you've grown so tall!"

"Did you encounter any danger in Zhuojun?"

Are your parents in good health?

Are your maternal grandparents still alive?

"Your maternal grandmother, Princess Xiangyang, and I were childhood playmates. Has she ever mentioned this to you?"

How many siblings are there in your family? Where do they live?

"Are you about to go to your father's new post again? How many months will you stay in Daxing?"

The usually lively and talkative boy was suddenly overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the three ladies, becoming as stiff as a puppet, his lips aching from maintaining a polite smile. He lowered his head slightly, his face flushed, carefully considering each question before giving a polite response.

The women chatted idly around the young man for a full hour, while Changsun Wuji and Changsun Qingjing, who were attending to him, couldn't help but yawn repeatedly. No one knew where Gao Shilian had gone again. After Xianyu instructed the children to have some snacks, Changsun Qingjing excused himself and left. Li Shimin promised to bid farewell to Wuji on the day of the ascent.

Ah Cai, running with her feet tiptoeing, carrying a box, came running to the two young men.

"My lady said that my young master Fuji has been keeping the Third Young Master's manuscripts carefully. Today, my young master is busy with many things, so my lady has sorted them out and returned them all to the Second Young Master Li. My lady has already re-copied the Young Master's 'Eulogy for Emperor Wu of Wei' and 'Ode to the Book of Documents.' It was written in haste, so there may be some mistakes. I hope the Young Master will not be offended."

"Thank you for your trouble." Li Shimin took the letter box, his gaze shifting between A Cai and Changsun Wuji. "I will definitely come to express my gratitude another day."

Changsun Wuji then saw off his close friend and explained on behalf of his sister: "Qingjing probably confused your poems with Minxing's. Minxing always complained that her poems didn't rhyme, and she finally caught her off guard, so she must have wanted to make fun of Minxing, which is why she wrote such nitpicky comments."

“Minxing is a highly skilled student personally trained by Lu Fayan, so he shouldn’t have written such unreliable poems as mine…” Li Shimin said frankly, “It’s so good to see you all again.”

He held the walnut-scented box to his chest, grateful that someone had preserved the joy, carefree spirit, and exuberance of his entire youth.

A note from the author:

I'm back! Thank you all for your support!