Chapter 57: He only wants to be the grass under his brother-in-law’s tomb.

Zhu Hao was his wife, married in a formal ceremony with three letters of engagement and six betrothal gifts.

Looking back to the beginning, he was forced to marry her due to "divine punishment", and Zhu Hao was also coerced by him, or perhaps she resolutely married him to fight for a chance of survival. At that time, the two were ruthless, but now they are in love.

Song Xieqing could just tell Zhu Hao directly that he regarded her as his wife from the bottom of his heart. In this way, he could have everything he wanted right now.

The woman's eyes were dark and moist, reflecting the speechless him.

Song Xieqing knew the real meaning behind Zhu Haoyan's words.

He loosened his arm around Zhu Hao's waist and said, "I treat you with the same fondness I would treat my wife, and I have never suppressed my deep joy for you."

The cave was completely silent for a moment, leaving only the whistling of the night wind and the crackling of trees. After a long pause, Song Xieqing continued, "It's not a good thing to be unrestrained. I should have restrained myself. I wish you well. I have offended you."

Zhu Hao thought it over in her mind and said slowly, "You mean, you like me and want to be close to me, but you and I are still just a casual couple?" She stood up, straightened her back, and sneered, "Song Xieqing, are you being a hooligan?"

Song Xieqing's eloquence, which he had mastered for centuries, was completely defeated by Zhu Hao. He raised his dark eyes, a rare look of panic in them. "Zhu Hao, I have absolutely no intention of teasing you."

He clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "Can you give me some time?"

After saying this, Song Xieqing suddenly felt that his few words were too perfunctory for the woman, so he quickly added, "I still have one thing that I haven't figured out yet. I hope you all the best. I need to resolve this matter thoroughly. Once I find a solution, I can respond to your questions without reservation. I... need to understand how far we can go before I can promise you the rest of your life, so as to avoid any problems in the future that will cause you unnecessary distress. As for what happened just now, I was too abrupt."

This half-understood statement made Zhu Hao feel confused. She recalled the storybooks she had read in her childhood, which said that there was a huge gap between gods and mortals, and their destinies were of different lengths. There was no shortage of people in the Heaven Palace who opposed the marriage between gods and mortals. Could it be that... Song Xieqing wanted to solve all these problems?

Zhu Hao sat down cross-legged again and asked, "Does what you are talking about involve me?"

Song Xieqing remained calm and nodded, "Yes."

Zhu Haojiang's newly emerged idea was further confirmed by his word "yes".

"I wish you all the best. When I was a human, I died before I could marry. Although I held a high position in my life, I never kept women in my room. Now that I am a god, I have never had any involvement with any fairies. The fairies also look down on me who has become a god from mortal bones. For hundreds of years, apart from you, there has been no other woman in my heart."

Song Xieqing leaned against the wall dejectedly, sweat dripping down his forehead. "I thought... I should understand you, but time and again I've made you unhappy. It was you who pushed me forward, and you who ran towards me without reservation. So... regardless of whether you mind these trivial matters or not, I think I should tell you. From now on, I will answer all your questions with the truth, without hiding a single word. No matter what the outcome between us, I will do my best to never make you angry because of me again."

"Okay, I'll give you some time." Zhu Hao snorted coldly, "But you can live for thousands of years, but I can't. I won't wait for you too long. If I meet another man I like, I won't care about you anymore."

Song Xieqing smiled meaningfully, "How dare I make Pianpian wait? It should be in the next month."

"No matter if the moon is near or far, as long as the curse is not cast, you are not allowed to kiss me, unless I kiss you first..." Zhu Hao rolled his eyes and said guiltily, "Holding hands and hugging are fine."

Song Xieqing touched the spot where the curse had been cast before and whispered, "...Okay." Finally, he opened his arms towards Zhu Hao, "I want to hug you right now."

…

At the junction of black and white, the moon sets and the crows cry, and the rising sun is trying its best to break through the top of the mountain.

Zhu Qi tore off his coat and wrapped it around his bony arm again and again, blood dripping like beads along the way. He curled up by the stream, the sound of rushing water in his ears, and the sound of footsteps not far away was getting closer and closer.

His face was pale, his bones were weak and his muscles were numb. He had no other choice. Instead of waiting to die in the mountains, it would be better to let the people from the government office arrest him. This way, he still had a chance to survive.

The sun was high in the sky, scorching his eyes. Zhu Qi saw a hawk with broken wings lying on a tree branch. His head was buzzing, his vision gradually narrowed, and finally he closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, Zhu Qi was slumped over his horse, and the entire area within sight was occupied by yamen runners. The procession suddenly paused, not because they had noticed he was awake, but because a young runner came running from the left and hurriedly reported, "Inspector Chen, a herbalist named Chi has reported that there's a cave two miles to the left. Both Zhu and Miao are hiding there."

After hearing Chen's speech, he led a horse over, called a few yamen runners, and said, "We will go to the abduction first. The rest of the brothers will take Zhu Qi down the mountain to find a doctor. He hasn't been interrogated yet, so we must not let him die." He glanced at Duan Meiyin, who insisted on accompanying him, and said clearly, "Madam Duan, please go down the mountain with them. Besides, you are pregnant, so it is not appropriate for you to travel across mountains and rivers. Whether you are doing this for your husband or your cousin, since Zhu Qi has been arrested, you may return. As for the sentence, Your Excellency will make the decision according to the Dacheng Law."

Zhu Qi's eyes lit up with excitement. Duan Meiyin had come with him? She was worried about him so much. Zhu Qi's heart softened, and she secretly vowed that if he was released from prison one day, he would change his ways and treat her well. But... what "cousin"?

In view of Zhu Qi's injuries, the servants were afraid that he would die on the way and not be able to face the emperor, so they immediately grabbed the reins and rushed down the mountain without waiting for Chen Ci and his companions to go far.

It was not until this time that everyone realized that Zhu Qi had woken up.

Zhu Qi received attention from all directions, especially Duan Meiyin's willow-leaf eyes, which were like two sharp blades buried in them, about to pierce his heart. Where was the deep affection in her eyes as before?

If I go there, I will either die or be locked up in prison like my mother and never be released for the rest of my life, right?

He looked at Duan Meiyin's bulging belly. Fortunately... even if he died, he still had a son. Was the resentment in Duan Meiyin's eyes blaming him for abandoning her and her son?

Zhu Qi broke into a smile and waved to Duan Meiyin on horseback. The horse's back was unstable to begin with, and he was now suffering from blood deficiency, making it even more difficult to maintain stability. Zhu Qi fell straight to the ground, raising a cloud of sand.

He crouched with his head bowed, his mouth full of ashes. A pair of embroidered shoes caught his eye. When he looked up, Duan Meiyin bent down slightly, took his hand and stroked her swollen belly. "After tomorrow, she will be five months pregnant."

Zhu Qi was overjoyed. "I have to give my son a good name! A good name..." He murmured, "Ah Yin, what should I give him? You will give birth to him safely, right? He is the only heir of the Zhu family! Ah Yin, you say! You will give birth to him! You say!"

His voice gradually weakened. "What are you calling for? Zhu... Zhu..."

The woman in front of him shook off his muddy hand. Duan Meiyin burst into laughter, "Who told you her last name was Zhu? What good name can you, a witty and inexplicable person, come up with?"

She leaned close to Zhu Qi's ear and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You don't know yet, do you? Chu Zhijian is my cousin, and the child I'm carrying doesn't have the surname Zhu?" She smirked and glanced at Zhu Qi's shrunken hips. "You've been having affairs all day, but you haven't had any children. How come you think you've taken some strong medicine and are now erect?"

Duan Meiyin would go to Zhu Qi or Chu Zhijian's bed every now and then, Zhu today and Chu tomorrow. How could she be sure whose child he was?

Despite this, she still stroked her belly and said with a smile: "Her surname is Chu."

"But don't worry. What do you mean by 'the only heir of the Zhu family'? Isn't your cousin Zhu Hao also surnamed Zhu?" She sighed, then changed the subject, "Do you remember where you brought me back from? The Zhou family's medical clinic, a renowned medical institution in Kyoto. You short-sighted wretch, what makes you think I would abandon the young lady for you? And the Zhou family? If it weren't for overturning the Zhou family's verdict... I would have stabbed you to pieces long ago."

"Zhu Qi, look, there are still several important cases waiting for you in the Mingtang."

Zhu Qi's eyes, fixed on Duan Meiyin, nearly popped out of their sockets. She retreated several steps, hiding behind the yamen runners to prevent him from injuring her. Two yamen runners stepped forward and carried Zhu Qi back onto his horse, but he refused. Zhu Qi, seemingly possessed, kicked and lashed out, pointing at Duan Meiyin and cursing.

Duan Meiyin's eyes were filled with tears as she sobbed, "Doesn't my husband recognize me anymore?"

"You bitch, you're still here..." He rolled off the horse again, and Zhu Qi coughed up black blood. "Still pretending... You're going to die a miserable death, a miserable death... slut!"

The scene that happened the next moment made everyone stop in their tracks. Zhu Qi's hair and beard were falling off, his face was cracked, and blood was oozing out of it. His eyeballs were out of their sockets, and two strands of blood were rolling on the yellow soil. Zhu Qi was soaked in blood, his limbs were twisted and crooked, and smoke was rising from his cracked skin.

Everyone retreated in a hurry. The scene was really weird. Zhu Qiwan was possessed by a ghost.

Chi Xing escaped to the side, and Zhu Qi suffered backlash for killing the gods. The knife he stabbed Song Xieqing was heavy, but not heavy either. However... killing the gods, and drawing blood. Zhu Qi was not only doomed to death, but also suffered torture at the moment of death, making him unable to live, and unable to die.

Gods cannot kill mortals at will, but if mortals kill gods first...

Chi Xing raised an eyebrow, Song Xieqing's intention of being stabbed was obvious.

…

The sky was blue. A night passed, but Miaoli still hadn't woken up. Song Xieqing also leaned against the rock wall for a nap. Zhu Hao got up and stretched his muscles. Apart from the throbbing pain in the small hillock on the back of his head, he didn't feel any discomfort in his body. The wound on his arm from the hairpin didn't hurt at all as long as he wasn't bumped or hit.

Suddenly, she heard a very light rustling sound from the side. When she turned around, a silver butterfly had already landed on her shoulder.

Speaking of which, she hadn't seen Yin Die for some time. Zhu Hao originally thought that she would not see her again before she was seventy or eighty years old. After all... the reason she was able to see A Yin before was only because she was about to die.

Thinking of this, Zhu Hao's originally bright eyes gradually became covered with a layer of cloud.

"Pian Pian, I came here to say goodbye to you." Yin Die said softly, "The desert is over, I am leaving."

"Before, I was unable to leave the shelter of my home due to the desert. But now, the desert has passed, and I can return to the four seas and finally return home. I...also remember everything in my life, including the past that I was unaware of in life. I now know it."

"Pianpian, thank you."

Zhu Hao was slightly stunned, "...Thank me?"

The silver butterfly fluttered its wings. "If it weren't for you, the gods would never have stayed in this mansion, setting up a barrier for wandering souls like us. So, in the final analysis, I still have to thank you. Pianpian, I have lingered in the world of the living for a hundred years, either because of the desert and barrenness that kept me away, or because I forgot everything during the precarious journey. This time, I will not forget again, nor will I be deterred by the desert and barrenness. I will return home, put an end to my regrets, and reincarnate."

"Ayin, why thank me? I didn't do anything..." Zhu Hao smiled, but he couldn't hide the worry between his brows. "But Ayin, congratulations on remembering it. I hope you can return home soon."

A silver butterfly flew from her shoulder, circling Zhu Hao gracefully. "Hmm... I remember everything now."

She remembered how her brother always protected her with harsh words, how her brother expelled her from the Mei family just to take the blame for rebellion, and how her grandmother fell on the white jade steps for the Mei family and lost her life in the process.

There is also Qing Rang, her husband who was engaged to her since childhood. He taught her to wield a sword and a gun, but he himself gave up martial arts and turned to literature, never touching a sword or a gun again. The once high-spirited Marquis Cangping bent his back and knelt at the feet of the tyrant to survive. Mei Lianjun recalled that he also knelt in such a humble manner in the princess's mansion, begging his grandmother to entrust her to him.

In the bridal chamber, a red tasseled spear lifted up her wedding veil.

Outside the Great Wall where yellow sand was rolling, he pretended to chase his wife, just to protect her from leaving. He entrusted her with 5,000 soldiers without reservation.

Qing Rang knew she was headed for a fatality, so before they parted, he asked, "If anything happens to you, could you be buried with me in the name of my wife?"

It was rare for her to give him a smile. "I'm dead, but you're not."

He disagreed, "There will always be a day like that."

She was silent for a long time, the wind and sand moistening her eyes, "Qingrang, hand."

Li Qingrang obediently stretched out his hand, Mei Lianjun caught it, and stroked his palm. She felt the thick calluses on Qingrang's knuckles and knuckles, which were probably caused by a martial artist wielding a sword. Lianjun smiled knowingly, but did not answer his question. She just wore military uniform, held a red tassel spear, and disappeared in the rolling quicksand with five thousand soldiers.

After her death, she turned into a soul floating in the sky, and witnessed her brother and grandmother passing away one by one. Li Qingrang took the blame for the emperor and pretended to be dead in exchange for the safety of his family. He sneaked through the Xiayang Pass where corpses were everywhere, but tens of thousands of soldiers were buried on the battlefield, and Qingrang was unable to find her remains.

Zhenzhen, who had rushed over from Huaicheng, saw Li Qingrang kneeling in the yellow sand, digging for a corpse with his bare hands. He said calmly, "I followed Song Lang's request and rode like lightning all the way, but I was still a step too late. Marquis Cangping, I accept my condolences."

He lived in the border pass year after year, the corpses began to rot, swept away by the wind and turned into dry bones before his eyes. Li Qingrang knelt among the corpses, kneeling for his entire life. He ignored the quicksand and the erosion of his hands. His temples were gray, and he spent his whole life collecting and burying all the corpses in Xiayang Pass one by one. Li Qingrang, who used to be a young marquis with gold and purple robes, became a mortician with shabby clothes and poor food.

As time passed, he could no longer distinguish his wife's remains, so he had to bury himself among the bones. As they weathered with the passage of time, he eventually turned into a pile of earth.

A monument of ten thousand bones - General Yun Wei.

How could she be honored with a monument dedicated to her as a housewife? Li Qingrang buried her bones during the day and engraved the monument at midnight. Mei Lianjun died on the battlefield, devoting herself to protecting the people of Xiayang. How could he, how dare he, monopolize her name?!

He only wished to be the grass under her tombstone, to see her worshipped by the people forever.

Zhu Haomu watched the silver butterfly shower down its crystal pearls. A strong wind blew through the cave, scattering the silver butterfly's shadow. He choked out a sob and said, "Pianpian, take care."

When the last word reached the ear, the silver butterfly suddenly disappeared.

There was a drop of pearl left by the silver butterfly on Zhu Hao's palm. She touched it with her fingertips, and the pearl turned into water and flowed down from between her fingers. Zhu Hao was moved by the scene and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

Before his grief faded, Zhu Hao heard footsteps outside the acupoint. He saw five or six men hunching over and entering the acupoint. Among them was a tall and handsome man. Although he was wearing plain clothes, he seemed to be radiant. His eyebrows were somewhat similar to Song Xieqing.

For a moment, except for this man, all the other men who were walking with their heads held high stopped their feet. Not only were their expressions stiff, but their chests also stopped rising and falling.

Chi Xing's eyes fell on Zhu Hao and he said with a smile, "According to human terms, I should call you my sister-in-law."

As soon as the words fell, a gust of wind blew up outside the aisle. Zhuoshui flashed in and shook Song Xieqing's shoulder without saying a word, "Hurry up! Your wife is being bullied!"

Zhu Hao endured the pain in the back of her head and carefully looked at the person in front of her. She was familiar with this technique. When Song Xieqing came to kidnap the bride, the servants of the You family did not move at all, just like now. She noticed that Chi Xing's eyebrows were very similar to Song Xieqing's, and she couldn't help but feel suspicious. She had never heard that Song Xieqing had an older brother besides a younger brother.

Chi Xing glanced at Song Xieqing, who was resting against the wall. "He has temporarily lost his power. I told him to sleep, so he had to sleep." Chi Xing said with a smile, "Then again, little fish demon, when have I ever bullied my sister-in-law?"

Zhuoshui blocked Zhuhao's way with one arm and said, "Look at your malicious expression..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhuoshui also stood motionless like a statue, like the others. Zhu Hao showed a worried look on his face and protected Zhuoshui behind him with his backhand. Chi Xing raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Don't worry, I don't want to take the lives of both of you, especially you. I still need to protect you. Otherwise, if Xie Qingjun wakes up, he will die with me."

"I didn't want to interfere in your family affairs, but my brother is such a fearful person... I don't know what he'll do behind my and my father's backs." Chi Xing looked at her with interest. "Sister-in-law, do you know why you can still see wandering spirits? Why did Xie Qing insist on marrying you? And why, even after you got married and kissed each other, the curse on him still persists?"

"If you don't know, that's okay. I'll tell you one by one—"

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The author has something to say: Yes,

Huan (huan) true [scatter flowers]

[Breaking down][Breaking down][Breaking down] My heart was beating for A Yin and Qing Rang when I wrote this chapter