Chapter 73
Jiang Lingyao obviously didn't expect Duan Nanqi to give in.
She thought the two would remain indifferent to each other and remain in a stalemate until they returned to Yanjing.
But Duan Nanqi invited her to see the lanterns.
Jiang Lingyao blinked, raised her head blankly and looked at Duan Nanxi.
There was a faint smile in Duan Nanqi's eyes, and his face was as handsome as ever, as if as long as he took off the Jinyiwei Feiyu suit, he would still be the nonchalant and dissolute Duan Sanshao.
Duan Nanqi looked at Jiang Lingyao: "What's the matter? Are you still angry with your husband?"
"No, how could my wife, Duan Nanqi, be such a petty and mean person?"
Duan Nanqi's two or three sentences made Jiang Lingyao so amused that she glared at him.
However, when he glared at her, Jiang Lingyao couldn't help but burst out laughing.
It was not because Duan Nanqi lowered his head first, but because Duan Nanqi's casual banter with her dispelled the depression in her heart, and all the depression in her heart disappeared with his bright smile.
Jiang Lingyao smiled like this, and Duan Nanqi also smiled softly.
He placed his hands on the table, casually supporting his chiseled chin, and then stared at Jiang Lingyao with his peach blossom eyes.
"Madam, are you happy?"
Jiang Lingyao's laughter paused slightly. She didn't know why, but she felt like something was about to jump out of her heart, making her a little flustered.
"That's not bad," Jiang Lingyao said modestly, "Do you know that you are wrong, my husband?"
Duan Nanqi: "I don't admit I was wrong, I just think that this is a great time, why not go out and have some fun, so as not to waste your youth, right?"
This sounds very nice.
Jiang Lingyao's mood brightened again. She decided not to argue with Duan Nanqi. Since they both put the quarrel that day behind them, Jiang Lingyao would not mention it again as long as Duan Nanqi did not mention it.
"Then go ahead. I have never seen a flower market with lanterns."
Duan Nanqi was a little surprised: "How is it possible? Wanping is only an hour away from Yanjing by express horse, and it is very convenient to enter and exit. How could your wife have never been here?"
"My father is very busy, my mother has to take care of the household, my brothers have to study, and my sisters have all married early. When I was able to travel far away, there was no one to accompany me to Wanping."
Jiang Lingyao's words were half true and half false. In fact, it was because of her own situation that Jiang Zhisheng and Zhou Huiniang did not dare to let her travel far away, so she had stayed in Beijing for so many years.
Duan Nanqi didn't know whether he had taken it to heart or not, he just said, "Have dinner early, then we'll go."
Jiang Lingyao nodded and asked the maids to serve the meal quickly.
In fact, neither of them liked being served too much, so when today's dinner was served, they asked the maids to leave, leaving only Xingyun and Wenzhu in the dining room.
The two of them always act like young masters and their wives in front of outsiders, but when there is no one else in the room, they naturally speak more casually.
A life without pretense is actually the most comfortable.
Jiang Lingyao asked directly: "Is the case closed?"
Duan Nanqi looked at her meaningfully, and after a long while he said, "It's over. Thanks to Master Qiao's willingness to investigate the identity of the deceased Xiuhong, this case has been completely closed."
Jiang Lingyao would never report Li Hong's identity truthfully, and Duan Nanqi seemed to be completely unaware of it, so the case was closed.
The case that lasted fourteen years was finally solved with everyone's concerted efforts. Jiang Lingyao was very happy. She joked with Duan Nanqi: "Master Duan is so observant, working day and night, and has repeatedly made great achievements. When you return to the capital, His Majesty will definitely reward you greatly."
Duan Nanqi paused, picked up a piece of stewed tender red braised pork and put it in her bowl, then said: "My lady, you are too kind. My husband is so glorious now, all thanks to your support. I will report the truth to His Majesty in due time. Even if His Majesty rewards me, the reward will be for our family."
When the four words "we are a family" were spoken, a sense of intimacy was revealed. Jiang Lingyao felt as if something had pricked her heart, making her feel numb and itchy, with an inexplicable joy.
"That's great." Jiang Lingyao said with a smile, "Once my silk manor is completed, I can expand the horse farm for my husband."
Duan Nanqi smiled and said nothing more.
After dinner, Jiang Lingyao returned to her room and changed into a peach-colored dress. She combed her hair into a peach bun again and chose a ruby-studded pomegranate hairpin for her temples, which made her eyes and eyebrows bright and her skin fair.
When she walked out of the room wearing such an elegant outfit, the pearl earrings dangling back and forth on her ears swayed into Duan Nanqi's heart.
Duan Nanqi was still wearing the same moon-white casual suit, which made him look even more handsome and gentle.
Seeing Duan Nanqi in a daze, Jiang Lingyao couldn't help but smile: "Husband, do I look good?"
She said this just to embarrass Duan Nanqi, but Duan Nanqi didn't care about his face at all. He said decisively: "My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. No one can compare to her."
This is really an exaggeration.
Even in her own home, Jiang Lingyao blushed at what he said, and then said, "My husband, please don't say anything nonsense outside. The most beautiful woman in the world can only be the Imperial Concubine."
Duan Nanqi smiled and said yes.
The two of them went out together. Since the Jiang family's house was right next to the Huazhudeng Market, they didn't need to ride a horse and could reach the place in just a moment's walk.
But as soon as the two of them reached the entrance of the alley, they could hear the noisy sounds coming from the Huachudeng Market.
Duan Nanqi had been to Wanping before and said, "You'll know how lively this lantern market is when you go there."
The two followed the voices and came from the deep alley to the brightly lit city.
At this moment, the stars in the sky dimmed.
On the long main street of the lantern market, there are lanterns of various colors, including glass lanterns, revolving lanterns, palace lanterns, etc. The bright lights complement each other and light up the peaceful night sky.
At this moment, it shines as brightly as the day.
Under the thousands of lights are the happy smiles of every tourist and common people. They may be old couples who have been together for half their lives, young couples who have just got married, or just brothers and sisters who are playing and playing with windmills. In addition, there are lantern merchants from other places, who examine Wanping's exquisite lanterns one by one.
This scene of prosperity and bustle, laughter and shouts, interweave together to form a scene of peace and prosperity for the country and the people.
Jiang Lingyao took a deep breath. She had also been to the Lantern Festival in Yanjing. Although the lights were also brilliant, the number of lanterns was far less than that in Wanping.
She said, “It’s really lively.”
Just like the poem, the sound of the phoenix flute moves, the light of the jade pot turns, and the fish and dragons dance all night. ①
Duan Nanqi slowed down his pace and walked with her from the quiet night to the day. Jiang Lingyao only felt the bustling voices around her ears and countless laughter coming from all directions, filling her cold and sad heart in the afternoon with this liveliness again.
The lights are bright, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and the times are prosperous and peaceful.
Duan Nanqi turned his head to look at her, his beautiful peach blossom eyes were also lit up by the starlight. Deep in his eyes, Jiang Lingyao saw for the first time a smile that went straight to his heart.
No pretense, no pretense, just pure joy.
Jiang Lingyao looked at his smiling face and couldn't help but curl up the corners of her lips and gave him a bright smile.
At this point, both of them stood still, neither of them took one more step forward.
However, a somewhat sharp female voice sounded: "Hey, Miss Jiang Liu, you came to Wanping to see the lights? I haven't seen it before, right?"
Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi turned their heads together and saw a young woman bending the arm of a tall and thin scholar, looking at them with raised eyebrows.
They were the second young master and his wife from the Xu family in Beijing. The second young lady had always had a good relationship with Meng Xinyue and had always disliked Jiang Lingyao.
Her husband specially accompanied her to Wanping to see the lights. She was feeling quite proud at first, but then she saw Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi there.
The newlyweds looked better than each other, one beautiful and the other handsome. Standing together, they looked like a perfect match. If someone who didn't know them saw them, they would definitely praise them as a perfect match.
But everyone knows what these two people look like inside.
When the young lady of the Xu family saw Duan Nanqi smiling at Jiang Lingyao like that, she felt sour in her heart that she couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.
Jiang Lingyao turned around and saw that it was her, and immediately she suppressed the smile on her face, but she moved a step and moved closer to Duan Nanzhui. The next moment, she reached out and held Duan Nanzhui's arm.
Duan Nan's arms were strong and powerful. He was tall and wore a moon-white gown, which made him look more elegant and refined, and less ferocious.
In addition, with a smile on his face, he looked like a handsome young man.
Jiang Lingyao is very concerned about her reputation, and so is Duan Nanqiao. Even if the couple fights fiercely behind closed doors, they have to get along well in front of outsiders. It would be even better if they can make people who dislike them crazy.
So the moment Jiang Lingyao came closer, Duan Nanzhui took the initiative to bend his arms so that Jiang Lingyao could easily hold him.
Jiang Lingyao moved her elbow, and Duan Nanqi understood, and the two of them went forward with my Xu couple.
Jiang Lingyao smiled charmingly, looking very proud: "Who did I think it was? It turned out to be Sister Li. Why did Sister Li come to Wanping to see the lanterns?"
Jiang Lingyao spoke very quickly, not giving the young lady of the Xu family a chance to speak, and then said, "Oh, I see. You must have nothing to do at home, so you came to Wanping to see the lanterns, right?"
"I'm different."
The second young master of the Xu family is still a scholar, and is waiting to take the imperial examination next year. Of course, he has no other job except studying. However, Duan Nanzhi has long been the governor of the Jinyi Guard. Now it has spread in the capital that Duan Nanzhi has been promoted to an actual position. In that case, this fourth-rank official is extremely dazzling.
The second young master of the Xu family's wife was surnamed Li, and her name was Xianqiao. When Li Xianqiao heard Jiang Lingyao's sarcasm, her face immediately turned pale with anger: "You!"
Fortunately, Mr. Xu had a good temper. Seeing that his wife was angry, he hurriedly pulled her arm and whispered: "Don't you want to buy a rabbit lamp? I think that store is good. Let's go now."
Only then did Li Xianqiao glare at Jiang Lingyao fiercely, and was dragged away by her husband in anger.
As soon as the two of them left, Jiang Lingyao wanted to let go, but Duan Nanqi moved his arm to prevent her from letting go.
Jiang Lingyao raised her head and looked at Duan Nanqi in confusion.
Duan Nanqi lowered his eyes and looked at her with a bright smile on her face: "Madam, the Xu couple is just one of them, what if there are other acquaintances?"
After all, Wanping is so close, and there are many dignitaries who come here to see the lantern market. You may see acquaintances after walking a few steps.
Jiang Lingyao paused, then tightly grasped Duan Nanqi's arm.
"My dear, I will trouble you today."
Duan Nanqi saw the renewed fighting spirit in her eyes, raised his eyebrows and smiled, "My lady, I have troubled you today as well."
So the couple walked hand in hand and went shopping in the lantern market like a normal couple.
Jiang Lingyao thought: Not bad.
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