93 Meng Fu

◎Whether one is in the world or in the world, one is still in the world.◎

Sima Hong looked at Qi Gu tenderly, "Qi Gu, aren't you going to ask about my injury?"

Qi Gu was always soft-hearted. He could have stayed in the main house to recover from his injuries, but because he wanted to see Qi Gu, he returned to the other courtyard.

The grandfather became even angrier. Thinking of the things the grandfather had said to Qi Gu, for the first time in his life, he felt a trace of resentment towards his grandfather.

He never forgot his grandfather's high hopes, and he sacrificed everything for the Sima family, including Qi Gu.

In this life, if he had to choose between loyalty to his parents and loyalty to Qi Gu, then let him be an unfilial and unbrotherly person. He owes Qi Gu far too much, and he doesn't want to endure that profound loneliness and pain a second time.

Qi Gu glanced at Sima Hong sideways, "I don't think you're seriously injured at all, otherwise how could you still have the mind to do such a thing..."

Sima Hong's eyes were undisguised, and his words were even more blunt, "I should apologize to you, but I think there will be too many things like this in the future, so an apology would not be sincere. Once you've decided how to punish me, I'll do whatever you want, how about that?"

"Si, Sima Hong, how could you say such shameless things? There's no way we can be together anymore. I'll say it several times, would you marry the man who killed you?" Qi Gu kindly advised, "You wouldn't, so don't do such things again."

"Is that so? I think we can only be together for the rest of our lives." Sima Hong didn't want to force Qi Gu. If Qi Gu didn't want to, then so be it.

Sima Hong took Qi Gu's hand and said, "Let's go back. The grand banquet is just about to begin."

Qi Gu was furious and pulled her hand back: "Who said 'we' with you!"

...

A blue cloth carriage stopped in front of the Marquis of Quzhou's residence.

A woman dressed in a sky-blue robe and with her hair standing up stepped off the carriage.

Marquis Qu Zhou stepped forward and took the woman's hand, "Afu, you've finally arrived!"

The woman smiled and said, "It's your birthday, Marquis of Quzhou, turning forty. If I don't come, wouldn't I be letting down our friendship for fighting side by side?"

Marquis Qu Zhou feigned anger, "Hmph, if you hadn't come, I would have made you drink three large jugs of wine as an apology another day!"

As soon as Wei Xin and Qu Yan arrived at the door, they saw Marquis Qu Zhou holding the hand of Marquis Meng Fu of Xilin.

Even the Marquis of Xilin has returned to the capital. The struggle for the crown prince will probably be resolved soon, Wei Xin thought to himself.

He said to Qu Yan beside him, "Qu Zilie, I told you it was worth it to come. Look, even Meng Fu is here. You two can exchange experiences on cultivation later, don't you think?"

Qu Zilie ignored Wei Xin's teasing as usual, his face remaining unchanged and expressionless. However, when he stepped forward to greet Meng Fu, the corners of his mouth relaxed slightly, but so slightly that no one noticed.

Meng Fu was very happy. "Brother Zi Lie, how have you been?" In the capital, the person she admired most was Qu Yan.

Both of them practiced Taoist arts, so Meng Fu didn't find anything wrong with Qu Yan's expressionless face. On the contrary, he felt quite relieved. Brother Qu Yan was not only a friend of the gentlemen but also a confidant.

Marquis Qu Zhou couldn't help but think of the past. Wei Xin used to love pestering Qu Yan. Now that the world is at peace, Wei Xin is still the same as before, always wanting to involve Brother Qu Yan in everything he does.

"Wei Xin, you still love to bother Brother Qu, just like before."

"Hey, Ah Zhi, you really don't appreciate kindness. I invited this almost immortal Sanqing Daoist to celebrate your birthday, and instead of thanking me, you're cursing me. What kind of logic is that?"

Zhang Zhi stood next to Qu Yan, raised an eyebrow at Wei Xin, and said, "What do you mean you invited him for me? Brother Qu didn't need you to invite him; he came back on his own."

She looked at Qu Yan and asked, "Right, Brother Qu?" She had already personally delivered an invitation to Brother Qu, and she was confident that even if Wei Xin didn't invite Brother Qu, he would still come.

Meng Fu smiled helplessly to the side. A Zhi and Wei Xin remained as clear-headed as ever. People's hearts are fickle, which is why old friends who remain unchanged are all the more precious.

"Oh my, isn't this Marquis Xilin! You've returned from your fiefdom!" The speaker was Marquis Huicheng, Guo Yun, who was quite surprised by Meng Fu's appearance.

The conflict between the Empress and Lady Guo, and between the Zhang and Guo families, ultimately boils down to the struggle between the eldest prince and the second prince for the position of Crown Prince.

The last time the Second Princess's affair gave the Empress leverage, and the Guo family lost a round. Guo Yun looked at the Prince Yi beside him, and he was certain that the Guo family would not lose this round.

But, Meng Fu's return to the capital, could it be...? Guo Yun looked at the Prince Yi beside him.

King Yi saw a fleeting look of surprise in Meng Fu's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, unnoticed by anyone.

Only Meng Fu, with his keen insight, noticed the fleeting surprise of the Righteous King.

King Yi nodded to Meng Fu, “Marquis Xilin disappeared after going to his fief three years ago. Now he has just returned to the capital and has come to congratulate Marquis Quzhou on his birthday.” King Yi looked at Marquis Quzhou and said to her, “Azhi, you have a lot of influence. Your friendship is indeed very deep.”

When Marquis Qu Zhou thought about Yuan Kuai, her elder sister and Sima Xiuyuan had already told her that Yuan Kuai had long been in cahoots with the Prince of Yi.

Her eyes made no attempt to hide her disgust for Yi and King Yi.

Meng Fu's expression returned to her usual faint smile. She had a turbulent childhood and was taken in by her master by chance. Her master discovered that she had a great talent for the study of divination.

He stroked his sage-like beard and looked at her, saying, "So it was destined that you would become my master and disciple."

Later, her master imparted all his Taoist skills to her. At that time, the world was in chaos. After her master passed away, she went down the mountain and predicted that the fate of the previous dynasty was over. This prediction came true, and she became famous overnight.

She was once treated as an honored guest by the King of Yan, and later she predicted that in the conflict between Jin and Yan, King Chu Pei of Jin would ultimately win.

All these prophecies came true. After King Chu Pei of Jin unified the world, he enfeoffed her as the Marquis of Xilin. After being enfeoffed, she declined the emperor's reward for her original fiefdom and only chose another small county, Ti, as her fiefdom. After that, she stayed in Ti County to write books and study Taoist arts, and never came out again.

She was skilled in physiognomy and reading people's hearts, and considered herself quite proficient in these skills. However, she believed that physiognomy was easily changed, and people's hearts were constantly evolving.

Is King Yi today still the same King Yi who couldn't bear to see the villagers suffer, who was determined to achieve great things and enable the villagers to live a peaceful and prosperous life, and who had the pure heart of a child?

"Years have passed since we parted. Prince Yi is no longer as reserved as before. Now he is sophisticated and his demeanor is quite different from what it used to be." Meng Fu's worldly-wise eyes gazed at Prince Yi. Prince Yi, is your heart still the same as before?

King Yi laughed three times, “Hahaha, yes, back then I was clumsy and didn’t know how to restrain myself. I don’t know how many people I offended. His Majesty trusts me and has entrusted the Southern Army to my command. I can’t be as dull and stupid as before.”

Meng Fu said, “Originally, Prince Yi was fearless and sincere, and he might not have offended anyone. Now that Prince Yi has gained His Majesty’s trust and favor, such an honor is enviable, and it is truly a place fraught with danger.”

King Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, "Although Marquis Xilin has emerged from seclusion, he has a profound understanding of worldly affairs."

Meng Fu was neither afraid nor daunted. “Whether one is in the world or in the world, one is still in the world. Since one is in the world, one cannot avoid these mundane affairs, fame and fortune, power and status, love, hate and infatuation. One cannot let go of them, nor can one avoid them. Only when one dies and all things are gone will one truly be free from the world.”

“What a fine line, ‘Being in the world and being out of it are both part of the world.’ Qu Zilie, look at Meng Fu’s enlightenment, it’s much higher than yours.” Wei Xin remained nonchalant in the silence, seemingly oblivious to the tension between them.

Meng Fu stopped looking into the mysterious eyes of the King of Righteousness and turned to Wei Xin, saying, "Brother Wei, when it comes to enlightenment, I am definitely no match for Brother Qu. Brother Qu is the one who truly cultivated his way up in the world through trials and tribulations. That is the true path that he forged."

Marquis Qu Zhou was impatient to listen to these endless ramblings. She was just a vulgar person who loved fine clothes and wine, luxury cars and horses, and the pleasures of life.

"Stop talking about these unseen and intangible things, they're giving me a headache. Today, you'd better drink and eat your fill!"

"Hehe, Sister A-Zhi thinks the same way as me. We ordinary mortals still need to drink and eat meat." Wei Xin also disliked these empty and ethereal things. Back then, he followed His Majesty just to be well-fed and clothed and to make contributions.

For a time, half of the Great Jin Dynasty gathered in front of the Marquis of Quzhou's mansion.

This birthday banquet was unprecedentedly grand. Apart from the emperor and empress and the officials on duty who were unable to attend, all the prominent marquises of the Great Jin Dynasty were present.

When everyone saw Marquis Quzhou appear with a group of founding nobles, and especially when someone noticed that Marquis Xilin was also among them, everyone realized that this banquet was no longer an ordinary banquet.

"Second Brother, look who's here!" Marquis Quzhou said to Marquis Xilin, pulling him along. Zhang Tian, ​​who had arrived early in the banquet hall, was also there.

Zhang Tian smiled warmly, but he wasn't surprised by the appearance of the Marquis of Xilin. "Afu is back. Stay a while longer this time."

He glanced at the banquet hall and said to his son Zhang Jun behind him, "Where is your Aunt Qi?"

Just then, Qi Gu and Sima Hong entered the banquet hall hand in hand.

Before everyone could recover from the shock of the appearance of the Marquis of Xilin, the sight of the eldest princess and Sima Langjun holding hands at the entrance of the banquet hall once again left everyone speechless.

It wouldn't be accurate to say that the two were holding hands; it was Sima Xiuyuan who was holding the eldest princess's hand, while the princess was holding Sima Langjun's hand with one hand and trying to pry Sima Xiuyuan's hand off with the other.

In the midst of the tug-of-war, the two stopped at the entrance of the banquet. Qi Gu saw that everyone's eyes were focused on her and Sima Hong's tightly clasped hands.

Gao Ruyu, the second princess, and the daughters of other princes and ministers all had tears in their eyes, gritted their teeth, and crumpled their handkerchiefs.

As for Qi Gu, she seemed to have done something wrong in broad daylight, awkwardly maintaining a smile and hiding the two men's hands behind her back.

Everyone gasped. Sima Xiuyuan, who was always aloof and cold, now had a gentle light in his eyes as he watched the Grand Duchess being manipulated by her.

The world is going to the dogs!

Immoral and indecent!

That doesn't make sense!

The Sima family doesn't marry into the royal family, does it? They're supposed to marry a girl from the Gao family, which is also a century-old family. Sima Xiuyuan and the eldest princess are getting too close!

Only Li Shi, standing outside the crowd, smiled as he watched Qi Gu and Sima Hong, nodding in satisfaction. The woman was talented and the man was handsome, so sweet and adorable!

The mother-in-law looked at her son-in-law and became more and more satisfied. No, wait, he's now the father-in-law!

Everyone began to think, that was Sima Hong, Sima Xiuyuan who represented the Sima family, the only candidate for the future Grand Minister of Works.

Now, the fact that the eldest princess and Sima Hong are behaving this way... speaks for itself.

Sima Hong glanced at their intertwined fingers, leaned close to Qi Gu's ear, and whispered, "Qi Gu, from today onwards, everyone in the world will know the Sima family's stance." After saying this, he took Qi Gu's long leg and led her across the threshold, and the two came before Marquis Qu Zhou.

Seeing that Qi Gu let him hold her and stopped struggling, Sima Hong squeezed her hand in a good mood and said, "Qi Gu, we are destined to be together."

Qi Gu sensed the man's mischievous actions, glanced at him, and sure enough, it was Sima Hong, strategizing and planning step by step.

Zhang Tian glanced at his good-for-nothing son, then stepped forward and pulled Qi Gu away from Sima Hong and to his side. This time, Sima Hong let go of her.

Zhang Tian thought to himself, "Who said Qi Gu was going to marry Sima Hong? Even without the Sima family, Yan'er can still be the crown prince! Humph!"

Marquis Dingyuan was very dissatisfied with Sima Hong's almost declarative hand-holding, but he did not show it on his face.

He said to Marquis Xilin, "Afu, this is my niece who has been missing for eight years. Back then, you asked if Aunt Qi would be able to return. You said that when the time came, the family would naturally be reunited. Look! Just as you said, Aunt Qi has returned!"

Qi Gu looked at Marquis Xilin. In her previous life, she had only seen this famous Marquis Xilin once from afar, and had also heard the legend that her physiognomy skills were superb and she had never made a mistake.

Marquis Xilin looked very young, with a delicate and handsome face. His temperament was like a wisp of mist in the distant mountains, light and ethereal. Especially his eyes, which gave people a sense of tranquility when they looked at them.

When she looked at her, she felt as if she were being gently caressed by a misty fog, cool but not piercing.

Then, the Marquis of Xilin spoke in a voice as clear and melodious as a mountain stream: "Princess, you have suffered hardships in your two lives, but in this life you have met a benefactor. From now on, wealth and glory will be in your hands." After speaking, he looked at Qi Gu with a somewhat inscrutable expression, "Princess, perhaps many people will have their fates changed because of you."

Since His Majesty bestowed the title of Marquis of Xilin, Meng Fu has not performed face readings for anyone. She claims that her mission is complete and that she will not perform face readings for anyone again unless His Majesty summons her or someone is destined to meet her.

Today, she's reading the fortunes of a princess she's just met. In this unusual time, this prophecy is bound to cause much speculation…

[Author's Note]

A new character has appeared, and he's one of my favorites. Finally, I've gotten this far! Meng Fu should be the last new character to appear, and a key plot point (PS: not cooking, cooking might only be in a side story [laughing and crying emoji], it's the main plot) is about to trigger [sunglasses emoji]