Musician (9)
The next day, after getting Hu Yanjun's approval, Li Chiyin left the house smoothly.
In order to appease Hu Yanjun's suspicion, she took several maids with her when she left, and even got on the carriage in front of him.
At this time, Hu Yanjun was in the dark, with a sinister look in his eyes, and he could see every move of Li Chiyin.
Although Li Chiyin was standing in the light, he caught a glimpse of Huyan Jun out of the corner of his eye.
She had no choice but to pretend that nothing had happened. With the help of her maid, she counted the incense and candles she brought with her, and then got into the car slowly.
With a wave of the whip, the carriage set off.
The sky gradually turned pale, and at the edge of Fujue, there was a wilderness with a gentle breeze and green grass.
Li Chiyin, dressed in gorgeous clothes and walking lightly, slowly walked towards the east, stood in an open area, facing the rising sun.
Holding a bronze incense burner in her hand, she carefully lit the incense sticks, and wisps of smoke rose up, filling the air with fragrance.
As the smoke from the incense burner rose, the morning light shone on Li Chiyin's face, casting a gentle halo.
Afterwards, she placed the incense burner on a smooth bluestone, lifted her skirt slightly, and slowly knelt on the soft grass.
With the help of the maid, she washed the dust off her hands, put her palms up, gently put them together, then closed her eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened them.
After opening her eyes, she gently touched the ground with her forehead and kowtowed three times and nine times.
Every time she kowtowed, Li Chiyin secretly made a wish in her heart - she hoped that this plan would succeed more than anyone else, and every moment she stayed in Fujue was torture for her.
After bowing for the last time, Li Chiyin took a deep breath in an attempt to suppress the confusion in his heart.
After the worship was completed, she stood up with the help of the maid beside her. Before leaving, she glanced at the incense burner and watched the smoke curling and drifting away in the wind.
"Let's go back to the palace." Li Chiyin straightened his clothes and slowly got into the carriage.
The gurgling sound of the ruts lasted for a long time. After Li Chiyin got in the car, he leaned against the window, staring intently at the suddenly changing scenery outside the window.
Soon, the edge of the cliff flashed before her eyes.
Seeing that the time had come, Li Chiyin secretly swallowed his saliva, threw the pearl hairpin in his hand to the ground, and immediately shouted: "Ah! My hairpin!"
The maidservant accompanying her suddenly panicked: "What did you say, Madam?"
"My hairpin fell off! Hairpin!" Li Chiyin pretended to be anxious and started to panic. "That hairpin was given to me by the king. I can't lose it!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the maid hurriedly stopped the coachman and bowed to Li Chiyin.
This maid was Huyan Jun's personal maid, one of his confidants, and the one he deliberately sent to monitor Li Chiyin.
Before leaving, she paused, but when she saw the panic in Li Chiyin's eyes, she remembered that she didn't know how to drive a horse, so she pulled the coachman out of the car doubtfully to look for the so-called hairpin.
The coachman was helpless, but seeing that there were no trees around, he had to stop his horse temporarily and search along the road with the maid, looking back every few steps.
At this time, everyone around had dispersed, and it was a good opportunity for Li Chiyin to escape.
So, while the maid and the coachman turned around and bowed, Li Chiyin immediately turned over and climbed out of the window on the other side.
She hugged herself tightly, afraid that the noise would be too loud and they would notice her.
Perhaps the wish she had made when burning incense just now was heard by the gods, and Li Chiyin's escape was very smooth. She rolled and landed accurately in the bushes that Xiao Lin and Mu You had mentioned earlier.
The shrubs in the bushes were growing quite well, and their lush green leaves soon blocked Li Chiyin's body.
Xiao Lin and Mu You, who had been lying in ambush here early, saw that everything was ready, immediately picked up the stones, twisted their wrists, and ran straight towards the horses.
The stone hit the horse's front leg with a sound of breaking through the air, and blood immediately flowed down the wound created by the stone.
The horse was in unbearable pain, and a terrified neigh pierced the sky. Its four hooves suddenly jumped into the air, and the car body shook violently.
Its cry quickly attracted the attention of the maid and the groom in the distance. They immediately realized that the situation was not good and turned around and ran over.
But it was too late.
In panic, the horse lost control and ran around wildly. The carriage was heavy and the wheels slipped if he was not careful, and it fell straight to the edge of the cliff.
Soon, the horse was pressed by the sliding carriage and raised its front hooves. Finally, after a few flaps of its legs, its four hooves stepped on empty air, and both the horse and the carriage fell towards the bottomless cliff.
The maid and the groom tried their best to pull the reins, but it was of no avail.
At that moment, the wheels rolled in the air, the fragments of the carriage flew everywhere, the horse's mane danced wildly in the wind, and everything fell silent in an instant.
"Empress!" The maid's scream replaced the sound of horse neighing, resounding through the blue sky.
The groom crouched on the edge of the cliff, also in a panic: "What...what should I do...The queen is still in the carriage!"
However, the loud noise coming from the bottom of the cliff could not deceive anyone, and Li Chiyin died at the bottom of the cliff right in front of them.
At this moment, Li Chiyin was curled up in the bushes, not daring to make any sound.
"It's over, it's over. If we go back like this, the king will chop off our heads!" The groom was so anxious that he ran around everywhere, kicking up a cloud of dust.
On the contrary, the maid was unusually calm. She glanced at the bottom of the cliff for a long time before she stood up again and said to the groom, "Return to the palace and report this to the king."
"Report this to the king?" the groom said in astonishment. "If the king knew about this, our lives would be in danger!"
"Well, what else can we do? The queen has already fallen down. Hurry back and find someone to search the bottom of the cliff. If she's alive, we must find her. If she's dead, we must find her body!"
Helplessly, the groom, even though he was already extremely confused, had to follow the maid's instructions and ran towards the palace.
Only when the two of them disappeared at the end of the path did Li Chiyin cautiously crawl out of the bushes.
After she stood up covered in dust, the first two faces that caught her eye were the familiar faces of Xiao Lin and Mu You.
She looked at them, tears welling in her eyes.
After being here for half a year, she finally had a smile of relief from the bottom of her heart. She was finally able to take off the shackles of Princess Kui Xi and become Li Chiyin.
Somehow, when Xiao Lin saw the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, he also felt a pang of sadness in his heart.
Perhaps one day, she finally changed someone's fate and made that person live the way she wanted.
The black hair at her temples fluttered in the wind, slanting in the air.
Suddenly, a cold sword shot out from the air, cutting off the woman's hair and placing it across her neck.
When Hu Yanjun learned that Li Chiyin had fallen off a cliff, he was furious. He drew his sword on the spot and was determined to chop off the head of his confidant.
Seeing this, the maid knelt and kowtowed repeatedly: "It is my fault for not doing my job well. Your Majesty wants to beat or kill me. I deserve it!"
Her voice trembled and was full of fear.
But after that, Huyan Jun's knife never got any closer to her neck.
Instead, in an instant, he brushed the tip of her hair and put the knife back into the sheath.
Hu Yanjun's expression was indifferent, his eyebrows raised, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes: "Tell me again, how did the queen fall off the cliff?"
The maid suppressed her panic and stammered again, "Her Majesty... Her Majesty said... that her hairpin had fallen off when she was riding in the carriage... We had no choice but to go back along the road to pick it up... Then... Then for some reason, the horse got startled... We immediately went back to pull the reins, but... We were a step too slow... Her Majesty... She..."
"Just fell down?" Huyan Jun sat in a high position and answered the question in a condescending manner.
At this point, the maid became increasingly at a loss. She wanted to explain herself several times, but she stammered and couldn't say a word. She had no choice but to put her hands on her forehead and kowtow heavily.
Seeing the maid prostrated on the ground, Hu Yanjun remained unconcerned: "You said the queen dropped a hairpin, where is it?"
"Here...here!" The maid hurriedly grabbed a golden hairpin from her arms, presented it to Huyan Jun with both hands, and then stepped back.
After taking the hairpin, Huyan Jun fiddled with it in his hand for a while, then stood up, walked down the stairs, grabbed the maid's arm, and pulled her into his arms.
The maid squeezed her eyes shut tightly, hoping that it would be less painful for him to kill her.
Unexpectedly, Huyan Jun was silent for a moment, then stretched out his big hand to support half of her head, and then inserted the golden hairpin into the maid's bun.
The maid shuddered and opened her eyes suddenly.
Then, Hu Yanjun gave an indifferent order: "Stand up and shake it hard."
Although she didn't understand what he meant, the maid still did as he said and stood up stiffly, jumping up and down, faster and faster.
But no matter how she jumped and swung, the hairpin remained hooked on her hair and did not move at all.
Only then did she understand Hu Yanjun's meaning and looked straight into his unfathomable eyes.
Everyone in the hall focused their eyes on Huyan Jun, waiting for him to speak.
After a moment, Huyan Jun walked forward slowly, took the hairpin off the maid's head, and held it tightly in his palm.
He laughed wryly and gave an order: "Search, search for her, search the entire Fujue, and find her for me..."
Huyan Jun showed a fierce look on his face, and Guliang Que led all the guards in the palace to go out. The dull collision sound of the black armor gradually filled the night sky.
At this moment, in the backyard of Liuxiangju, Li Chiyin held Jiang Yu's hand tightly, reluctant to let go.
After taking off the royal robes of Fujue, she was finally able to put on the clothes that belonged to Kuixi again. After putting away the pearls and jades on her head, she found that a wooden hairpin was enough for her to survive.
"You should stay here tonight. We're afraid that Huyan Jun and the others will send troops to search the suburbs, which will make it difficult for you to escape from Fujue. It won't be too late for you to leave after they calm down in a few days." Xiao Lin gave Li Chiyin and Jiang Yu an earnest instruction while tidying up their bedrooms.
"Thank you, Sister Xiao." Li Chiyin felt the warmth of Jiang Yu's palm with one hand, and held his arm with the other hand, her face full of happiness.
Seeing her so happy, Xiao Lin couldn't help but laugh.
Mu You, who was always mischievous and loved to join in the fun, was about to make trouble. While moving the bedding for them, he said in a teasing tone, "Xiao Lin, look, we are decorating their new home here! Look, the quilts are all red!"
Xiao Lin and the others naturally heard the hidden meaning in his words, but Li Chiyin's cheeks turned red after hearing it, and he hid behind Jiang Yu in embarrassment.
Seeing her like this, Mu You became even more excited. He casually threw the bedding onto the bed and said directly, "It just so happens that we only have one bedroom left. If you don't want to be gossiped about sleeping in the same bed, why not get married right now?"
Mu You became more and more excited as he spoke, while Li Chiyin became more and more shy as he listened, and even the tips of his ears turned red.
Seeing this, Jiang Yu quickly took her in his arms and went to greet Mu You: "Alright, little brother Mu, Her Highness is shy and can't stand you teasing her like this."
"Where's Her Highness?" Xiao Lin half-jokingly joined in, imitating Mu You. "Our princess has fallen off a cliff and died. The one standing before you now is just a commoner named Li Chiyin."
When Xiao Lin said this, Jiang Yu paused for a moment, then slightly turned sideways, glanced back in the orange candlelight, and met Li Chiyin's blinking eyes.
She was so beautiful that it was heart-stirring. Even without her pearl hairpins, she was still as beautiful as a fairy.
"Yes, she is now just Li Chiyin..." Jiang Yu finally twisted his ankle and turned around, gently holding her fingertips with both hands, his eyes full of love, "It's Li Chiyin who I have wanted to marry all my life..."
When he saw Li Chiyin dressed simply and elegantly, he immediately understood what he wanted to say.
All he thought about in his heart was Li Chiyin. No matter whether she was rich or powerful, what he loved from the beginning to the end was her as a person.
Sometimes, he would even beat himself up at night, regretting why he hesitated and why he made her sad?
He should have hardened his heart and hidden her away in a corner where they were alone, the first time Li Chiyin found him and told him she was going to elope with her.
At this moment, Li Chiyin felt a freedom she had never felt before. Perhaps the gods really heard her heart and bestowed blessings upon her, allowing her to spend the rest of her life with her beloved.
"Ah'en, let's get married right now." Li Chiyin's eyes gradually turned red, and he proposed to Jiang A'en with sincerity in his eyes.
Jiang Yu no longer refused and smiled sweetly: "Okay, we will get married today."
Unexpectedly, Mu You's joke made the two of them take it seriously.
But it’s better that they get married earlier. From now on, every day will be a time for them and their husband and wife to enjoy themselves freely.
"I have no father or mother, no parents to speak of. Chiyin, you have changed your identity now. Let's bow directly to the east. As for the wine..."
Mu You quickly responded, "We don't have any alcohol, but we do have tea! How about tea instead of alcohol?"
Li Chiyin thought for a moment and replied, "Good idea. Alcohol is harmful to the body. Let's use tea instead!"
After receiving the order, Mu You rushed to the kitchen without stopping, fearing that he would miss the time and spoil their fun.
Xiao Lin stood aside, watching the two holding hands, and felt very happy in his heart.
It would be great if they could be as happy as they are now in the future.
After a while, Mu You hurried back, holding not two cups of tea, but two cups of cold tea soup in his hands: "There is no tea in the kitchen, and it will take some time to brew it. I didn't want to delay you, so I just brought two cups of tea soup. Anyway, there is a rumor that the tea soup at Liuxiangju is said to bring 'a lifetime of happiness to those who eat it', so this is my best wish for you!"
His auspicious words are really pleasant to hear. Even if there is no tea, the tea soup is also very good.
So, taking the two cups of tea, Jiang Yu and Li Chiyin knelt down hand in hand, facing the sky and earth, and kowtowed to the hall.
Mu You and Xiao Lin smiled at each other, casually found a red veil to cover Li Chiyin, and acted as the emcees themselves.
Mu You straightened his clothes and cleared his throat pretentiously: "Bow to Heaven and Earth!"
As Mu You deliberately prolonged the ending tone, Li Chiyin and Jiang Yu kowtowed to heaven and earth.
"Bow to your parents twice!"
Then, the two turned to face the east, folded their hands, and kowtowed again.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
Finally, Li Chiyin and Jiang Yu looked at each other with unspeakable joy in their eyes and slowly bowed.
"Send her to the bridal chamber!" After the ceremony, Mu You still shamelessly shouted the last word, making himself laugh.
Seeing this, Xiao Lin slapped Mu You with a smile and said angrily, "Are you done? If you're done, we should leave!"
Mu You was of course aware that they wanted to avoid him, but he deliberately played tricks for a moment, and amid Xiao Lin's pushing and his increasingly loud laughter, he closed the door to the couple.
Finally, there was silence. Jiang Yu took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and tremblingly pinched Li Chiyin's veil, his heart almost jumping out.
The bright red veil made Li Chiyin look even more charming under the candlelight, and Jiang Yu couldn't help swallowing.
Li Chiyin's brows relaxed, and when Jiang Yu lifted the veil, she looked straight into his eyes.
After that, Jiang Yu put the veil aside for the time being, picked up the two cups of tea brought by Mu You, and handed one of them to Li Chiyin.
The two of them took a sip under the moonlight, and a warmth suddenly spread from their throats to their whole bodies.
As expected, the tea soup at Liuxiangju lived up to its reputation, and the two of them had never had such a happy moment.
Taking a sip of the tea soup can be considered as a wedding ceremony.
Jiang Yu looked at Li Chiyin, and saw that she was like a fairy under the moon, her eyebrows were like distant green mountains, her eyes were like autumn waters full of affection, and her cheeks were flushed with red, as if dyed lightly by the sunset.
He couldn't help himself for a moment, and leaned over gently, touching her eyes, cheeks, and jaw with his lips.
Li Chiyin only felt her eyes blurry, and Jiang Yu's warm breath was getting closer and closer to her heart.
From time to time, her body softened and she held his shoulders.
Just as her lips were about to kiss the back of his neck, an ominous sound suddenly echoed through the empty corridor of Liuxiang Residence.
"Search! Search thoroughly!"
Li Chiyin and Jiang Yu woke up instantly. Jiang Yu held Li Chiyin in his arms and tried to hide her with his body.
Because he was very familiar with this voice!
This is... this is the sound of a thrush! It's a thrush! He's here!
Instantly, the sweetness just now disappeared, and the hearts of the two became closer as the figures of Guliangthrush and three or two guards fell on the window paper.
Plop, plop, plop.
The dark shadow of the thrush still remained on the bedroom door, its edge blurred by the night, motionless.
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