Chapter 99 Leaving Qinghe

"Is there anything wrong, third cousin?" Xu Shuyao asked when she saw him silent.

Cui Shixuan looked at the young lady in front of him and thought of what his grandmother had asked him that day: "You haven't cooked in a long time. Why are you in the mood today?"

The Cui family mansion has been very lively these days.

There were guests coming to the capital. Besides the great-aunt who was often mentioned, I heard there was also a young lady with extraordinary appearance.

The first time they met on the mountain road, he guessed the other person's identity.

The young lady wore a freshly picked camellia on her hairpin and held two mushrooms in her hands. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and wariness towards the strange man.

When he finally saw the silverfish, his eyes lit up.

It wasn't out of the curiosity of an ordinary lady, but out of excitement about fresh ingredients, just like him.

Sure enough, the mushrooms were processed very well and were prepared for making whitebait soup.

Through the window frame, he could see the girl under the pear tree, looking unusually comfortable and relaxed.

"How is Qinghe?" Cui Shixuan answered the question irrelevantly.

Xu Shuyao could only nod again.

At the same time, the alertness in my heart slowly emerged.

"Qinghe is a nice place, but it's too far from Shangjing." Xu Shuyao looked into the other person's eyes and said calmly.

The young man had a faint smile on his face and did not show any sign of disappointment.

"Yeah, I think so too." He said softly.

Xu Shuyao quickly bowed and left. Cui Shixuan stood in the corridor for a moment, then walked away covered in the morning light.

Perhaps he had gone into some countryside or mountain again, followed by a servant carrying a basket of mushrooms or a handful of wild fruits.

After Xu Shuyao left, Huixiang, who was following behind her, muttered, "Is this Third Young Master of the Cui Family interested in the Master?"

Qiao Wei looked at her and said, "No."

No matter how interesting it was, it was rejected by the master.

Just treat it as a passing wind without leaving a trace!

The maid couldn't help but secretly think, "If the master could marry into Qinghe, it would be a good choice, but she would definitely not be able to let go of the young master."

That's all.

Xu Shuyao walked in front and listened to the maid's words behind her, and could only sigh secretly.

Cui Shixuan is indeed a good man, but she is not a good match for him.

Xu Shuyao and her group settled down in Qinghe. She went out for a walk with her fifth cousin every day, and sometimes the fourth young master would also go with them, but she rarely met the third young master again.

But if we meet, we can greet each other with a smile.

A few days passed like this, and after she had tried almost all the places she could go, a letter arrived from the capital.

This time the letter was different from the previous one brought by the invisible person. It was delivered by the official post at full speed.

At the same time, it also brought a shocking news that the Duke and the Third Young Master would be returning to the court in a month.

I heard that a fierce battle took place on the border before, and the Dayan army almost wiped out the Wala tribe, which had been eyeing them covetously.

Now that a letter of peace has been submitted, the pressure on the border has been temporarily relieved. The court wants to reward the soldiers according to their merits, so it is inevitable that they will return to Beijing.

Xu Shuyao was secretly surprised. There was no news from their side, so they actually won the battle without realizing it?

Then she turned her gaze to Madam Xiao in front of her, and seeing that she seemed completely unaware of this, she comforted her, "Perhaps the war broke out too quickly, so it's all for the better..."

Not only them, but the entire Dayan people were also unaware of the news.

Now that her children and grandchildren have returned to Beijing, it is natural for Old Madam Xiao to go back as well.

After staying in Qinghe for nearly half a month, Xu Shuyao adapted very well. Apart from being a little worried about her brother, she had forgotten everything else.

Occasionally, she would imitate the old lady's tone and give earnest advice to the arrogant prince, and her life was quite enjoyable.

I’m about to go back!

Will I have to face his cold face again when I go back?

On the day of leaving, Xu Shuyao met Cui Shixuan again.

After not seeing him for many days, he stood behind the crowd of people seeing him off, wearing a fine indigo robe.

The man's expression was calm, just like when we first met.

Xu Shuyao felt a little sad for some reason. She quickly got into the carriage, but a little maid from the Cui Mansion came up to her and handed her a palm-sized bamboo basket, saying that the third young master of the mansion had given it to them to satisfy their cravings on the road.

When I opened it, I saw a basket full of purple mulberries lying on the washed reed leaves, which was indescribably lovely.

Xu Shuyao lowered her eyes and looked for a while, then suddenly pulled open the curtain and looked outside.

The carriage had already left the tall archway of the Cui family, and Old Madam Cui and a group of Cui family members seemed to be still standing there.

The man had already left early, and what came into view was an increasingly blurry back.

"Cousin!" Cui Zhaoran's voice came from beside him.

This time she went back with the two of them.

Although Mrs. Cui was reluctant to part with her granddaughter, she still entrusted her to Mrs. Xiao.

Xu Shuyao showed her the small bamboo basket.

"Oh! Mulberries!" The fifth cousin's voice was a little loud.

At one point, the old man came over to look at it. "Who sent this fresh fruit, which is rare at this time of year?"

Xu Shuyao took a breath before saying, "She's a maid in my courtyard."

"It's rare to have such loyalty and righteousness, but it's not easy for the maid to come up with these. Did you give her any reward?" asked Old Lady Xiao.

Xu Shuyao whispered, "It's my fault! I just forgot."

Cui Zhaoran, who was standing beside her, hurried to comfort her: "It's okay, it's okay. The Cui family treats their servants very well, and they're not doing badly either. It's just a few fruits, not worth much, but it's a thoughtful gesture."

Yes, it’s so precious!

Xu Shuyao also said softly in her heart.

The young man who can make whitebait soup and pick mulberries to give to the young lady should soon find a woman who shares his love for rural life!

Neither Old Madam Xiao nor Cui Zhaoran thought much about it, and the small basket of mulberries was quickly divided and eaten.

The same guards as before were still on both sides of the carriage, following on horseback. However, Wuying had a tense expression from beginning to end. Even when someone next to him told a joke, he still had a stern face.

The journey is always boring, and Xu Shuyao is no longer as curious as when she first came.

Occasionally his eyes fell on the guard, and he suddenly remembered what he said that day, so he glared at him.

Wuying rode forward with a guilty conscience, no longer riding on the same level as their carriage.

In order to get back as soon as possible, they sped up their journey.

The army of Dayan Dynasty won a victory and thought that the trip back to Beijing should be at least as smooth as the trip here. However, they did not expect that a group of masked bandits appeared in the afternoon and surrounded them aggressively.

At the beginning, the guards were able to remain calm, but later on they gradually became more concerned about the consequences and all three people in the carriage were frightened.

Xu Shuyao quickly put on the sleeve arrow.

The carriage was already a little unstable at this time, so she lifted the curtain and looked out.

Seeing the three masked men in the lead, Qiao and Wuying were fighting one each, and the other was already running towards their coachman.