As night falls and all is quiet, the bright moonlight, like a soft veil, gently spills over the courtyard, adding a touch of hazy beauty to this tranquil world.
Under the moonlight, the flowers and plants in the courtyard seemed to be draped in a layer of silver gauze, and a gentle breeze carried their fragrance.
The two sat side by side on a stone bench in the courtyard, around the warm fire, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
Lu Jingze gently poked at the charcoal fire in the stove, glancing at Wang Xiuxiu beside him from time to time, his eyes filled with a barely perceptible tenderness.
The fire was warm, and at that moment, their hearts seemed to quietly draw closer together.
As they chatted, for some reason, their conversation shifted to the matter of Wang Xiuxiu killing Yang Leihu, a general of the deposed dynasty.
Lu Jingze asked Wang Xiuxiu if she hoped to receive any reward for such achievements.
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu unconsciously rubbed the edge of the stone bench with her fingers, seemingly unable to make a decision.
"Xiuxiu, the traitors are not yet eliminated. The credit for killing the traitors should not be given to you."
Lu Jingze's tone was slightly serious, and he stared at Wang Xiuxiu, as if afraid that his words would displease her.
Wang Xiuxiu was initially taken aback when she heard this, but after a moment's thought, she quickly understood the underlying concerns behind Lu Jingze's words.
Her brows relaxed slightly, and a look of understanding flashed in her eyes.
"If you are unwilling, this is originally your achievement, and everything depends entirely on your personal wishes. In any case, I will follow your wishes."
After saying that, he looked at Wang Xiuxiu with a nervous expression.
Wang Xiuxiu gently shook her head and gave a gentle smile, "There's no need to go to so much trouble. Just do as you have arranged."
Her voice was soft, like a gentle breeze, carrying a soothing quality.
Upon hearing this, Lu Jingze finally felt relieved.
"The current situation is far too complicated; if we are not careful, we could easily invite trouble..."
Wang Xiuxiu nodded. "I understand you're worried that Dayong people will come after me for revenge. Don't worry, I'm not ungrateful. I can still tell the difference between what's good and bad. Besides, I don't care about those empty titles."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jingze smiled slightly and teased, "So what exactly do you care about? Why don't you tell me? As long as it's within my power, I will definitely go and get it for you."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu's eyes lit up, and her smile deepened. "Then let's exchange it for silver coins; they look much better."
Her tone was playful, and her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Lu Jingze chuckled softly, inwardly marveling that his little girl was truly the best in history to portray greed so endearingly.
He reached out and gently ruffled Wang Xiuxiu's hair, his tone full of affection: "Good! The imperial court once offered a reward of a thousand taels of silver for the capture of Yang Leihu, and your reward will certainly not disappoint you!"
Taking advantage of Lu Jingze's good mood, Wang Xiuxiu secretly thought to herself, "Why not go all the way and try to gain even more benefits for myself?"
Wang Xiuxiu admitted that she did indeed succumb to temptation for a moment yesterday.
She temporarily abandoned the idea of leaving, but it would be impossible for her to be completely captivated by Lu Jingze's sweet words.
She tilted her head slightly and parted her lips: "Lu Jingze, I know you hold a high position and great power in the capital. It is not surprising that most prominent families like yours have many wives and concubines. But if I decide to follow you, then my identity must be that of a pure and innocent woman from a respectable family, with a formal indenture. If one day I grow tired of life in a high-class family, you must let me leave."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jingze quickly explained, "Xiuxiu, my family is different from ordinary families. I will tell you everything in the future. No one in the manor will make things difficult for you, and I will definitely protect you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Xiuxiu interrupted him: "I understand all of this, but people's hearts are always fickle. What I need is a real guarantee, a guarantee that when I want to withdraw, I can still leave unscathed and live my life as I please."
At this point, the matter has been made clear.
Wang Xiuxiu made some concessions; now it remains to be seen how Lu Jingze will react.
---
Since then, Wang Xiuxiu has not appeared in front of Lu Jingze.
One night, Lu Jingze's trusted guards rushed over and handed Wang Xiuxiu a piece of paper stamped with a bright red seal.
The paper was bright red; it was a letter written in blood.
In this, Wang Xiuxiu saw the result she had been longing for.
But at this moment, she felt the letter in her hand was extremely heavy, as if every word on it was branded onto the paper.
This guarantee was written in blood by Lu Jingze.
The ancients valued oaths, and oaths carried in blood took this commitment to its extreme.
Wang Xiuxiu didn't dwell on whose blood it was.
All she knew was that he didn't have to do this; the fact that he had this intention was already commendable.
Her fingers gently traced the bright red characters.
Perhaps, I can really try to trust him just this once.
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