Chapter 485 Extra 4: When the wind stirs, it scatters the red silk; when the waves rise, they shatter the cold bones.

"I heard that Lord Duan of the Imperial City Guard is getting married soon!"

"I've never heard a word about which family's daughter Duan is going to marry. Who can stand his coffin-like face?"

"Look at you, you're so out of the loop! Half a year ago, the fourteenth daughter of the Wei family joined the Imperial City Guard as a Black-Clad Guard. Over time, she and Lord Duan developed feelings for each other, and these past few days I've often seen them shopping together."

A group of people were chatting animatedly on the street when a passing woman accidentally spilled the medicinal herbs she was carrying onto the ground.

"Isn't this Miss Mo from the clinic?" A woman recognized her and stepped forward, saying, "Why are you carrying so many things? Let me help you."

Mo Lingling lowered her head and said, "Mrs. Huang, thank you, I can manage on my own."

The woman said, "I thank Miss Mo. My son, Xiaodun, is very strong. When I get pregnant with my second child, I will come to the clinic to give birth."

Mo Lingling looked up, forced a smile, and said, "Okay, I'll be waiting for you. I can also bring you some small gifts."

The woman exchanged a few more pleasantries with her before leaving.

Once everyone was out of sight, Mo Lingling's smile vanished, and she returned to the clinic like a wandering soul.

Mi Zhenchuan called her name several times from behind, but she didn't hear him.

"Xiao Mo!"

Mi Zhenchuan had to run a few steps quickly and circle around to her front.

Mo Lingling asked, "What's wrong?"

Mi Zhenchuan took the medicinal herbs from her hand and asked suspiciously, "Here, give them to me. What are you thinking about? Where are you going with such a big bag of stuff?"

Mo Lingling said, "Oh, I was thinking about something and got a little lost in thought. I'm not feeling well and I'd like to go upstairs to rest."

After she finished speaking, she turned to go upstairs, but Mi Zhenchuan called her back again.

"Xiao Mo, wait a minute, I have something to tell you."

Exhausted, Mo Lingling hesitated for a moment, but still sat down with him at the table outside the clinic.

"Manager Mi, what can I do for you?"

Mi Zhenchuan poured her a cup of hot water and said, "Xiao Mo, your hometown is Xianyang, right?"

Mo Lingling nodded.

Mi Zhenchuan placed a stack of silver notes and a land deed in front of her.

"Her Majesty the Empress is nearing her due date and has no time to come to the clinic. This morning, the palace matron sent word that she instructed me to make sure to speak with you properly."

Mo Lingling stared at him and asked, "What does this mean? What is Her Majesty the Empress trying to say?"

Mi Zhenchuan said, "The Empress said that if you still want to go back to Xianyang, you can leave at any time. She will no longer try to persuade you to stay, nor does she want to delay you. You should have your own life."

Mo Lingling's shoulders slumped down immediately.

The Empress actually said that...

She wanted to go back to Xianyang before because she felt very uncomfortable when she saw Duan Mingfeng.

Miss Ji offered her a few words of advice, and since the clinic was in need of staff, she stayed.

After Emperor Wusu personally led the expedition, Duan Mingfeng did not appear around the medical clinic. Mo Lingling felt relieved, but also a sense of emptiness welled up inside her.

She had been at the clinic for over a year, and every household considered it an honor to have her give birth there. The people of Lin'an gradually changed their opinion of her, and even some noble ladies showed her great respect.

Mo Lingling stopped thinking about leaving.

Mi Zhenchuan asked, "Xiao Mo, what do you mean?"

Mo Lingling came to her senses. Since the Empress had allowed her to return to her hometown, it further confirmed that the matter between Duan Mingfeng and the fourteenth daughter of the Wei family was not just a rumor.

Her hand trembled, and she spilled the hot tea all over the back of her hand.

Mi Zhenchuan hurriedly picked up a rag and said with concern, "How could you be so careless? This water just boiled; you must have been burned."

With red eyes, Mo Lingling said, "Manager Mi, I'm fine."

Just then, two people entered through the door.

"Do you have any medicine to stop the bleeding?"

Mo Lingling immediately recognized the gloomy voice. She quickly lowered her head, looked at the small red mark on her left hand, and pulled down her sleeve to cover it.

Mi Zhenchuan stood up in surprise to greet him, saying, "It's Lord Duan! I'm so sorry for not welcoming you sooner. Where are you injured? Let the doctor inside take a look."

Another female voice came from behind Mo Lingling.

"It's not Lord Duan, it's me. My arm was cut by a sword, and the bleeding won't stop. What medicine is best to stop the bleeding?"

It turned out that the fourteenth daughter of the Wei family was injured, and Duan Mingfeng brought her to buy medicine.

Mi Zhenchuan said, "Golden wound medicine is the most effective for sword and knife wounds. Please come with me to apply the medicine."

Wei Tongyou said nonchalantly, "There's no need to see a doctor, just bring me the medicine."

Mi Zhenchuan hurriedly fetched the powder, and Wei Tongyou untied her wristband, rolled up her sleeves, and poured the powder over without any hesitation.

Mi Zhenchuan gasped, "Young lady, you really are..."

Wei Tongyou glared at him with a fierce look, saying, "Can't you see how I'm dressed now? Don't call me 'Miss,' call me 'Sir'!"

Mo Lingling quietly turned her head and saw Wei Tongyou, dressed in a full black guard uniform, standing with Duan Mingfeng. They looked very well-matched.

Mi Zhenchuan not only brought wound medicine, but also burn ointment from the clinic.

He walked back to Mo Lingling's desk and said, "Xiao Mo, put some medicine on, otherwise you'll get blisters. It's all my fault for pouring you hot water."

Seeing that Manager Mi was blaming himself, Mo Lingling said, "It's alright, it was all my fault."

As Wei Tongyou applied the medicine, her gaze kept darting between the two of them. When she turned her head again, she saw that Duan Mingfeng had already walked away.

Wei Tongyou quickly wrapped the wristband around her wrist and called out from behind him, "If you hadn't insisted on bringing me to the clinic for treatment, why are you in such a hurry!"

Mo Lingling grabbed the burn ointment and ran upstairs, staying in her room until evening.

She lay in bed, her eyes vacant, thinking that she was sick.

Moreover, the disease has progressed to a critical stage and is beyond cure.

Earlier, she had given her heart to the wrong person, and Li Chengxun had also betrayed her. She did not feel heartache at first, but rather grief and indignation.

Upon learning that Duan Mingfeng was getting married to a young lady from the Wei family, she felt as if a wisp of her soul had been ripped out. She should be happy for her benefactor.

When they appeared before her together, Mo Lingling felt a sharp pain in her heart.

She couldn't let herself continue down this path of depravity.

Mo Lingling took a deep breath, sat up, and opened the window to get some fresh air after being cooped up in the room all afternoon.

As a result, I suddenly found myself staring into the eyes of a cold, upside-down face.

Mo Lingling's pupils contracted in fright, and her scream was muffled by a large hand.

The room was dark, and in the moonlight, Mo Lingling's face was eerily pale.

"You don't look well. Are you sick?" Duan Mingfeng frowned.

Mo Lingling thought to herself, anyone who sees an upside-down face in the window would be terrified. She was only not scared to death on the spot because she had a strong mental fortitude.

Her bed was right by the window, and when Duan Mingfeng jumped in, he bumped into Mo Lingling, who was trying to back away.

"ah!"

Mo Lingling was knocked off her balance by him and was about to fall off the bed, but someone grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

She clung to him with both hands and feet as if grasping at a lifeline.

Duan Shisi, who was known for his agility and superb lightness skills, was caught off guard and was pinned back onto the bed by Mo Lingling.

In a dark room, you need to be close enough to see the other person's features clearly.

Mo Lingling's eyes widened, and she stammered, "If you had done this earlier, you wouldn't have made a mistake."

Duan Mingfeng's thick, dark eyebrows twitched, and his Adam's apple bobbed. He turned his eyes away and looked at the burn ointment on the bedside table.

Where is the burn?

She moved the hand he was holding.

Duan Mingfeng frowned and relaxed.

The burn on Mo Lingling's hand had healed after applying the medicine, but it became hot again after he touched it.

At that moment, a cool night breeze blew into the room.

Mo Lingling suddenly woke up.

She knew that Duan Mingfeng often appeared around the clinic, and more than once outside her room. Once or twice could be a coincidence, but seeing him so many times must be intentional.

Mo Lingling got up from Duan Mingfeng, her expression changing repeatedly.

She was no longer as timid as before. She clenched her fists and stared at him, saying, "Although I am the daughter of a disgraced official, of bad birth, and have worked as a courtesan and even suffered a miscarriage, my life has been different since I came to the clinic."

"Lord Duan saved my life, and I will always remember your kindness. I know you are not the kind of person who would take advantage of someone's kindness."

"I am."

Duan Mingfeng lay on her bed, speaking calmly as if he were talking about someone else.

Mo Lingling stopped, her mouth agape.

Duan Mingfeng thought she hadn't heard him clearly and said, "I'm someone who takes advantage of kindness."

So, follow me.

Mo Lingling shouted in embarrassment, "Get out!"

Duan Mingfeng's expression was gloomy, like the darkest weather in the desert, about to unleash a fierce storm.

He propped himself up, tilted his head slightly back, looked at her standing on the ground, and asked in a gloomy tone, "You want to marry that fat old man?"

Mo Lingling glared at him and said, "Marrying an old fat man is better than being someone's mistress or concubine!"

Duan Mingfeng asked sharply, "What do you mean by 'concubine'? What do you mean by 'external mistress'?"

Mo Lingling said, "You...you're about to marry the Wei family's daughter, and you still come here..."

When Duan Mingfeng took something out from under her pillow, she looked at him with a panicked expression.

Duan Mingfeng held up the dagger engraved with the Duan family crest and said, word by word, "This is the dagger my father passed down to me. It was meant for my daughter-in-law. You keep it by your pillow day and night, yet you refuse to acknowledge it."

"Now that you've accepted this dagger, you can't marry anyone else."

Mo Lingling felt a pang of bitterness in her heart and stammered a threat: "You, I, anyway, I won't be a concubine. If you insist on marrying me, I will, I won't kill myself. I have plenty of ways to make sure you and Wei Shisi don't have an easy time!"

Duan Mingfeng said indifferently, "What does it matter to me whether Wei Shisi is comfortable or not?"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close, saying, "How do you intend to make me uncomfortable?"

Mo Lingling was terrified, but she still pretended to be calm.

"Don't push me!"

Duan Mingfeng gritted his teeth and said quickly, "No mistresses, no concubines. As long as you are willing, I will ask the Emperor to grant us a marriage tomorrow. I want the whole world to know that you, Mo Lingling, are my wife. A marriage granted by the Emperor cannot be dissolved without an imperial decree. Think it over and come to the Imperial City Guard to find me tomorrow."

Then, Duan Mingfeng's ears turned bright red, and he quickly disappeared into the night.

After he left, Mo Lingling took a long time to process what had happened, a full two hours.

But two hours were not enough to get through the long night.

The next day.

The sky was still dark, and even the roosters hadn't woken up yet.

There was still an hour and a half before the Imperial City Envoy's gates opened.

Someone who hadn't slept all night wanted to stand guard by the wall at the gate, but unexpectedly saw a person squatting next to the stone lion.

Mo Lingling's legs were numb from squatting. When she saw Duan Mingfeng, she first gave a dry laugh, and then she tore off the bundle hanging on the stone lion's head.

The more delighted Duan Mingfeng was when he first met her, the more disappointed he became at this moment.

"You're leaving."

Mo Lingling nodded, looked at him, and said in a dry voice, "Yes, I... I want to go back to Xianyang."

The surroundings were completely silent.

The two spoke at the same time.

"I......"

"you......"

Duan Mingfeng seemed to have aged considerably in an instant, and said, "You go first."

Mo Lingling lowered her head, drew circles on the ground with her foot, and said, "I want to go back to my parents' graves and see them."

Duan Mingfeng also lowered his head, his expression unreadable, and calmly said, "Go."

Mo Lingling tugged at the strap of the bundle and whispered, "I also want to bring their son-in-law over so they can meet him and stop worrying about me in the afterlife. Is that alright?"

The rising sun cast a brilliant red glow, and Mo Lingling's face was even redder than the glow.

Golden light flashed in Duan Mingfeng's eyes, and his right hand, gripping the sword, trembled uncontrollably.

But he remained extremely calm and said, "Alright, if we're leaving now, I need to go to the palace to ask for permission to take a few days off."

Mo Lingling nervously picked at her fingers and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

Duan Mingfeng strode straight ahead and walked to the right.

Mo Lingling steadied herself by holding onto the stone lion, her palms sweaty. Overwhelmed with joy, she patted the lion's head and burst into laughter.

Duan Mingfeng's figure flashed past her again, and Mo Lingling quickly pursed her lips, suppressing her unrestrained laughter.

Duan Mingfeng pointed to the left.

"The palace is over there. I was so happy that I went the wrong way."

Is he happy?

Mo Lingling couldn't actually tell how happy he was from his stiff expression; she could only tell how silly he was from his almost uncoordinated movements.

What if I'm so stupid that I forget to get to the point?

Mo Lingling put her hand to her mouth, making a megaphone shape, and shouted.

"Duan Mingfeng!"

Duan Mingfeng turned around and looked at her intently.

Mo Lingling's smile pierced through the morning mist, illuminating everything around her, and her voice echoed throughout the Imperial City Guard.

"Don't forget to tell the Emperor!"

"You're going to marry me!"

*

Three days after Princess Baocheng's full moon celebration, the Imperial City Envoy held a wedding banquet.

The banquet was extremely lively, and even the Emperor and Empress came over to sit for a while.

Of all those present, the most unhappy was the fourteenth daughter of the Wei family.

She went to the bridal chamber drunk and even pulled out her snow sword, ready to fight the man surnamed Duan to the death.

The matriarch of the Wei family did not come; she only sent a few juniors. However, the juniors could not persuade Wei Tongyou, and in the end, the front hall was alerted.

At the wedding banquet, the emperor and empress sat at the head of the table.

After Ji Qingwu finished her postpartum confinement, her face was round and radiant, making her look even more elegant and noble.

She was overjoyed to see the two of them finally get married and wanted to drink a cup of celebratory wine, but Emperor Wusu stopped her and wouldn't allow her to drink.

Ji Qingwu was trying to persuade Emperor Wusu, going from a cup to half a cup, and finally to just a small sip. Just when His Majesty was about to give in, someone from the back courtyard came to invite her over.

Ji Qingwu whispered a few words to the emperor and was about to get up when Emperor Wusu, in full view of everyone, grabbed her hand, carefully adjusted her phoenix-patterned beaded cloak, and instructed Li Yuzong to accompany her.

Only when the Empress arrived did things quiet down in the bridal chamber.

Wei Tongyou was drunk and barely recognized who was in front of her. She sobbed and hugged Ji Qingwu's leg.

“Your Majesty, please stand up for me. Duan Mingfeng made a promise to me, and he broke his word.”

Mo Lingling looked at her with a wronged expression and called out, "Your Majesty the Empress."

Duan Mingfeng was getting a headache from Wei Tongyou's nagging. If it weren't for today being his big day, he would have already stabbed her twice and thrown her into the dry well.

Ji Qingwu glanced at Duan Mingfeng and said, "Have all irrelevant people leave."

After clearing the area, Ji Qingwu sat down and looked at the two people standing in front of him, and another person lying on the ground.

He asked, "Did Lord Duan agree to marry you?"

Wei Tongyou looked up in grief and indignation and said, "Marry? Marry what? I'll take his dog's life! He lied to me!"

Ji Qingwu said, "What did I lie to you about? I will stand up for you."

Wei Tong burst into tears, saying, "He said he was going back to his hometown of Xianyang, and that he would give me the position of Imperial Envoy, and that he would give me a lot of support, but he lied to me, and now he's not leaving..."

The little girl became more and more heartbroken as she spoke, realizing that the official position she had almost obtained was gone.

Why did they stop leaving? Of course, it's because Mo Lingling stopped leaving.

Finally, Ji Qingwu took the young lady from the Wei family away and promised her the position of the next Imperial City Envoy.

The two people inside the bridal chamber had flushed faces.

When the wind blows, it scatters the red silk, causing the water to ripple and crush the cold bones...