Chapter 18: But he sniffed the green plum (1) Hungry.
"What?"
Meng Xuanli froze, and asked in shock, "How could it be him?"
"Are you sure it's him?" Lu Guanque asked again.
Huo Yuan looked up and saw Lu Guanque's deep eyes. After a moment's hesitation, he said decisively, "It's him."
"I, under the orders of the Crown Prince, have pursued him all the way to Liangzhou without fail."
Lu Guanque stood up and said in a cold voice, "I will personally judge him tomorrow. Don't let him die."
Huo Yuan accepted the order and bowed to retreat.
Meng Xuanli's eyelashes trembled slightly as he looked at Lu Guanque: "My Lord, the voice of the person who kidnapped me that day was not Su Zixu..."
Lu Guanque snorted softly, walked to her, and placed his arms on the edge of the couch, encircling her in a small space. His gaze was like a torch, locking onto hers. "If you don't believe me, come with me and have a listen."
"The weather is good today, so I'll just take a break."
"how?"
Meng Xuanli was enveloped by his aura, her eyelashes fluttering in panic. She lowered her eyes and asked in a low voice, "Listen... what are you listening to?"
"You'll know when you get there." Lu Guanque pursed his lips, took her into his arms, turned around, and put her down steadily.
"But you need to change your clothes."
Meng Xuanli wondered: "Why?"
Lu Guanque's eyes were deep as he looked her up and down. "That place is full of mixed people, few women go there."
Meng Xuanli was even more confused, but seeing that his expression did not allow for argument, he had no choice but to change into a moon-white robe, tie up his long hair, dress up as a handsome young man, and get on the carriage with Lu Guanque.
With the rumble of carriages and horses, the two soon arrived in front of the Shunhelou Theater.
As soon as I got off the bus, the hustle and bustle of the city hit me.
Merchants lined the long streets, and beneath the felt tents, Westerners abounded. The fires of Hu pancake ovens blazed brightly, and the aromas of spices filled the air. The sound of camel bells mingled with the hawking of foreigners, creating a vibrant scene of life.
Lu Guanque seemed to come here often. He took Meng Xuanli's hand and walked slowly into the room through the vermilion lacquer gate.
Inside the gate is a spacious courtyard with blue bricks on the ground and several old locust trees planted there.
The courtyard is surrounded by corridors, and there are crowds of people under the corridors, mostly men in short brown clothes, some leaning on the railings chatting and laughing, while others calling their friends.
Along the way, anyone who met Lu Guanque would either greet him warmly or bow and flatter him, calling him "Prince".
Meng Xuanli felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by so many people, so he could only lower his head, smile awkwardly, and follow his steps closely.
Walking along the winding corridor, passing through the hanging flower gate and around the pink wall, the view suddenly opens up -
A spacious and magnificent theater appeared before our eyes.
The seats downstairs were packed with all sorts of spectators, and the air was filled with the fumes of cigarette smoke, tea, sweat, and cosmetics.
But at this moment, there were no actors on the stage. Only an eight-foot-high screen stood tall. Behind the screen, one could vaguely see a square table, an armchair, a folding fan, and a wake-up block on the table. There was nothing else. [1]
Meng Xuanli, thinking of her own attire, tried to break free from Lu Guanque's hand, but he held it back.
Lu Guanque whispered in his ear, his breath warm: "It's okay."
Meng Xuanli frowned, really not understanding what Lu Guanque meant.
Not only did he make her wear men's clothes, but he also held her hand. This...
What is this for?
Just as he was pondering this, a clever servant stepped forward, his face beaming with joy. "I just heard that the prince was coming. I thought it was a rumor, but it's actually true."
The waiter glanced at Meng Xuanli and knew what was going on. He said with a smile, "We don't have seats for women in Shunhelou."
"I'm afraid I'll have to inconvenience this... young master."
Meng Xuanli followed Lu Guanque up the wooden ladder. When he heard these words, his heart skipped a beat.
Lu Guanque seemed to have sensed something, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and the strength between his fingers became a little tighter.
"My Lord, the finest Biluochun and four-color pastries will be served immediately. Please wait for a moment."
Lu Guanque said "hmm", flicked his sleeves and sat down on the chair beside the railing, his eyes looking at Meng Xuanli.
Meng Xuanli sat down as he was told and looked around. The view from this place was excellent; leaning over the railing, he could see the people sitting in the pool below the stage and the furnishings on the stage.
She looked at the spacious stage and saw only a plain screen and a few tables and chairs behind it, which made it seem even more mysterious.
"Young Master, what kind of play is this?" Meng Xuanli finally couldn't contain himself anymore.
Lu Guanque still kept the secret, shook his head slightly, and refused to elaborate.
After a while, the wake-up stick sounded behind the screen, and the whole place fell silent. No one dared to speak loudly.
“Oh…oh…oh!”
A clear rooster crowed through the air, so loud and realistic that it seemed to be right next to his ear, instantly pulling Meng Xuanli back to the early morning in Xuzhou.
Then, the sounds of coughing, people getting up, scissors being sharpened, long hawking calls, women anxiously calling their children, dogs barking, neighbors greeting each other across the wall... all sounded one after another, one after another.
The city is bustling with activity, and there is no chaos at all.
The sounds gradually changed, and suddenly I could hear women whispering, giggling, screaming in panic, and running hurriedly...
Meng Xuanli couldn't help but cover his mouth with his sleeve, leaning forward slightly, holding his breath and concentrating, trying to hear the sound more clearly.
As soon as the sound of running stopped, a murderous aura suddenly filled the air: the neighing of war horses, the clanging of swords, the deafening shouting, the deep beating of evening drums...
There was a long silence.
With a "click" sound, the wake-up stick made a crisp sound, shocking everyone in the room and suddenly pulling them back from the illusion.
Upstairs and downstairs, everyone seemed to have just woken up from their dream, and immediately burst into thunderous applause: "Great!!!"[1]
Meng Xuanli couldn't help but stand up, walked to Lu Guanque's side, leaned over and whispered: "It really is a good 'play'. What is the name of this skill?"
Lu Guanque leaned back lazily, a smile on his lips, and looked at her with his eyes: "This is the skill of 'Bai Xi'. I just heard about it, which is 'Xiao Xiang Sheng' and 'Calling Fruit'." [2]
"Now you know why I brought you here, right?" Lu Guanque raised his hand, pulled her wrist, and brought her in front of him, breathing close to her.
Meng Xuanli froze, and when she looked up again, she met Lu Guanque's eyes. She quickly lowered her head and nodded, "So, the person who kidnapped me was undoubtedly Su Zixu."
"But why would he want to harm me? I have no grudge against him, and in fact... we've only met a few times."
Meng Xuanli, with her astonishing hearing, detected a figure moving outside the curtains of the private room and tried to break free from his grasp. However, Lu Guanque exerted force with his backhand, firmly embracing her in his arms.
Meng Xuanli panicked and refused, but Lu Guanque tightened his arms around her and nudged her neck with his chin, saying, "Don't move. No one dares to look inside."
Meng Xuanli fell onto his lap, struggling to move forward or backward. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she wondered, "He tied me up, maybe to threaten the prince?"
The hustle and bustle outside the curtain continued. Lu Guanque looked at her face carefully in the warm yellow light of the glass lamp. The light and shadow danced, as if it was covered with a layer of misty gold powder.
Lu Guanque hummed, "They're probably the remnants of King Gaoyang. They tied you up to test the extent of my 'sick body'. If you get close to me again, I'll kill you as soon as possible."
Meng Xuanli also thought of this and sighed sadly: "It's my fault. I shouldn't have trusted him so easily."
Lu Guanque frowned: "It's all in the past. We'll make plans after a detailed review tomorrow."
Careful examination...
Meng Xuanli patted the back of his hand, motioning him to lower his head. He leaned close to her ear, his breath warm, "Before we got married, I heard rumors..."
Lu Guanque frowned slightly: "What's the rumor?"
"They say the prince doesn't have much time left..." Meng Xuanli pursed his lips, unable to suppress his curiosity. "I've also sent people to inquire, and they say roughly the same thing."
"But I see that the prince's movements and postures over the past two days are no different from those of ordinary people."
"Is the illness healed?"
Lu Guanque lowered his eyes, avoiding her probing gaze. His voice was low, carrying a hint of fragility and pity: "The weather has been nice lately, and with Ali's eye disease healed, I'm happy and in high spirits, so I look like an ordinary person. But... the pain in my chest is still unbearable after nightfall."
"Ali was sleeping soundly at night and didn't know about this."
sky……
If I had known this would happen, I would not have "interrogated" him like this. Not only did it make him sad, but I also felt bad about it.
Seeing him remain silent, Meng Xuanli felt even more regretful. After hesitating for a moment, he stiffly reached out his arms, wrapped them around his waist, and leaned his ear against his chest. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to doubt you, but... my medical skills are limited, and I haven't been able to diagnose the cause of the problem, Young Master."
"Besides, the medicine from the Imperial Hospital has to be taken day after day, and there's no telling when it will take effect. I'm just being too concerned, so please don't be angry, Your Highness."
The wind blew outside the curtain, Lu Guanque's eyelashes trembled slightly, his breathing almost stagnated, and even his ears felt burning.
Is she acting like this because she is worried about him?
Or, has she already developed feelings for him?
Lu Guanque sat stiffly, and as if possessed by a ghost, he quietly lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the small crescent behind her ear, and gently stroked it with his fingertips.
Meng Xuanli was startled and looked up suddenly, bumping into his jaw.
Although nothing happened, Lu Guanque took a breath of cold air: "Hiss——"
Meng Xuanli took the opportunity to escape, quickly stood up, and squatted to the side, looking up at him with a pair of round almond-shaped eyes: "It seems that I am not suitable to go out today. I always let the young master get 'injured' for no reason."
Lu Guanque shook his head, leaned closer to her, stared at her intently, trying to find his own appearance in her eyes.
After searching for a long time, he could only see a tall, dark, and indistinct spot.
Is this how she sees herself?
So ugly.
So her hug just now was out of love?
Lu Guanque paused, his eyes shifted to the swaying curtain in the distance.
Not love.
She would not love him.
She was just giving away her kindness that had nowhere to go.
How could she fall in love with a beast that wanted to tear her apart?
Won't.
Meng Xuanli had never seen Lu Guanque look like this before, so she assumed he was truly heartbroken. She turned to him and took his hand. "I've never been to this place before. Now that the show is over, could you please take me for a walk, Young Master?"
Seeing her like this, Lu Guanque was stunned for a moment, and whispered in a trance: "Okay."
He stared at her slender back and thought to himself: How can I win her heart in the future?
Is this what she wants?
Or follow your own heart?
He hasn't thought about it yet.
The two of them had lunch at Shunhe Building, then walked downstairs to take a look around.
Unexpectedly, upon arriving in the courtyard, Lu Guanque was surrounded by a group of young men in fancy clothes. Unable to refuse, he had no choice but to stand among the crowd like the moon surrounded by stars.
In the distance, Meng Xuanli gave a bitter smile and pointed to the pavilion outside the courtyard, indicating that she would go and wait. Lu Guanque reluctantly nodded and watched her figure fade away into the depths of the flowers and trees.
A gentle breeze blew by, and the warm afternoon sun shone down, making one feel lazy and sleepy. Seeing that no one was around, Meng Xuanli chose a pavilion near the water and walked into it.
Before he even sat down, he saw a broken chess game on the stone table. Meng Xuanli, with nothing better to do, leaned against the stone bench, casually picked up a few black and white pieces, and fiddled with the chessboard.
The sun was setting in the west, its glow scorching. Meng Xuanli felt his cheeks burning, and just as he was about to wipe them with his sleeve, he felt a pair of eyes staring at him from the side.
She blinked, quickly stood up, and bowed as a man would.
The man stood in the distance, like a fool, motionless.
Meng Xuanli smiled awkwardly and was about to go look for Lu Guanque when the man suddenly approached and, without a word, pulled her tightly into his arms. A sob choked her throat, tears streaming down her face. "Minmin! Where have you been all these years?"
"I've been searching for you... so hard..."
Meng Xuanli was frightened and wanted to break free, but the man refused to let go of her arms. In desperation, she could only step hard on the man's brocade boots.
The man felt pain and looked at her with tears in his eyes: "Minmin...how could you have the heart to do this to me?"
"What, what Minmin! Sir, you got the wrong person!"
Meng Xuanli lowered his voice deliberately, but could not hide his panic. He turned and rushed towards the pavilion pillar, broke off a branch, stood on the stone railing, and pretended to stab him.
What's wrong with this person?
Could it be that he is also crazy?
Why are there so many crazy people in Dongdu City?
Meng Xuanli really couldn't understand it.
"Minmin, don't lie to me. Even if you were dressed as a man, I wouldn't mistake you for someone with your features and gestures..." The man was in a trance, and he was about to hug her again. Meng Xuanli, as if she had seen a ghost, stabbed him with a branch and cried out in panic, "Help! There's a fire! Help!"
Lu Guanque had just escaped and walked into the garden when he heard Meng Xuanli's voice. His face suddenly changed and he hurried over. This was the scene that caught his eyes.
Wei Yuan, the Marquis of Lin'an, who was over thirty years old, actually wanted to force himself on his wife?
Burning with anger, Lu Guanque suppressed the surging blood and stepped forward quickly. He held Meng Xuanli's lower back firmly with his palm and let her down from the stone railing.
His voice was as cold as iron: "It has been a long time since I last saw you, my Lord. I never thought I would run into you here by chance."
When he mentioned "old man", he deliberately emphasized the tone.
Wei Yuan saw Meng Xuanli loosen the branches and hide behind Lu Guanque. His face turned pale as paper and he asked in a trembling voice, "She...she is the girl from the Meng family?"
Lu Guanque's eyes were dark and unclear, and he shook his head slowly: "My Lord, you are wrong. She is now Guanque's first wife."
"Impossible, how is this possible..." Wei Yuan, forgetting his manners, stumbled forward and pointed at the stone table. "Minmin, look! This chess piece was left by you, and even this robe of mine was sewn by you yourself. Have you forgotten everything?"
Meng Xuanli gently tugged at Lu Guanque's sleeve, her fingertips tapping her temples. Lu Guanque shook his head imperceptibly, his arms tightening to protect her completely.
He looked at Wei Yuan and said in a cold voice, "I am not feeling well. I am sorry that I cannot accompany you. I will take my leave now."
"Wait..." Wei Yuan looked at the two people walking together and muttered dejectedly, "Yes...I recognized the wrong person, please don't be offended, Guanque."
Lu Guanque didn't look back, just nodded slightly, then took Meng Xuanli in his arms and left quickly.
After this incident, Meng Xuanli no longer had the heart to wander around.
The two of them walked in silence all the way. When they returned home, Meng Xuanli changed out of his men's clothes and immersed himself in the warm water of the bathtub, still in shock.
As the water rippled slightly, she saw Lu Guanque with a gloomy face walking around the screen.
Meng Xuanli hurriedly crossed her arms and sank into the water. Lu Guanque turned his gaze away, not looking at her. He said quietly, "Ask whatever you want to ask."
Seeing him move a chair and sit with his back to him, Meng Xuanli felt relieved and asked softly, "Why did that person... call me Minmin?"
"Why are you acting like this?"
"Lin'an Marquis Wei Yuan married Zheng many years ago. Her maiden name was Min." Lu Guanque spoke in a calm voice, as if recounting an old memory. "Not long after their marriage, Zheng learned that Wei Yuan was the murderer of her parents. She abandoned their children and disappeared completely."
"Since then, Wei Yuan has been searching for Zheng every day. To no avail, he has taken in many concubines who look like Zheng. Now he's gone a bit crazy."
The water in the bucket gradually cooled down. Meng Xuanli moved slightly in the water, wanting to take the kettle next to him.
Hearing the sound of water, Lu Guanque stood up, picked up the celadon kettle, tested the water temperature, and slowly poured it into the bucket.
The hot water was swirling into a white mist. Meng Xuanli bit her lip, looking at him through the thick veil of steam. "So... today, he mistook me for Zheng Min?"
There was a gurgling sound as Lu Guanque lowered his eyes to pour water, his profile blurred in the steam. After a long pause, he murmured, "Hmm."
"There must be something hateful about a pitiful person. This is his retribution." Meng Xuanli said the truth.
retribution……
Lu Guanque's eyes flashed, and his mind suddenly became clear.
He could no longer obey her wishes.
He has to follow his own heart.
Otherwise, with her personality, sooner or later, she would disappear from Dongdu like Zheng Min, leaving him without a trace.
"right."
Lu Guanque's voice was very heavy, like a pain weighing tens of millions of pounds, hitting the water and creating a circle of silent ripples.
"My Lord, what's wrong with you?" Meng Xuanli saw that he was lost in thought after returning, as if he was feeling depressed. "Is it because of your heart disease?"
This disease is not that disease. Lu Guanque shook his head and remained silent.
"It's all steamy and humid here. You'd better leave first." Meng Xuanli's face was rosy as she slid down. "I'll have to wait a while."
Lu Guanque's Adam's apple rolled, and he nodded in agreement, saying with an ambiguous meaning, "Ali, you must wash yourself clean."
"I'll go take my medicine first." After saying that, his fingertips trembled slightly as he gently stroked her cheek.
Meng Xuanli raised his head slightly and replied awkwardly, "Yeah."
Looking at his disappearing back, Meng Xuanli felt something strange in his heart, but he couldn't figure it out.
After a while, she came out of the bath and changed her clothes. She casually put on a plain silk undershirt and fell onto the bed.
"Young Madam, are you still burning incense today?" Chen Bi stood beside the couch and asked specifically.
Meng Xuanli hesitated for a moment through the thick gauze curtains and said, "Let's light it up to get rid of the dampness."
"I'll go now." Chen Bi made all the arrangements and quietly retreated.
Meng Xuanli was very sleepy. He responded vaguely and then fell asleep.
When Lu Guanque came in, the room was silent.
He took out some exotic incense and added it to the incense burner. He slowly approached, leaned over to make sure that the person on the couch would not wake up again, and then took off his outer robe.
In the darkness, Lu Guanque supported his arms above her, looked at her for a while, leaned closer, and gently sniffed her breath.
Their hair was entangled, and he sucked her lips hungrily.
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References
[1] From Yuchu Xinzhi
[2] From Dongjing Menghualu, Volume 3, "Miscellaneous Sales", Volume 5, "Beijing Tiles and Crafts", and Volume 9, "Ministers, Princes, Imperial Clan Members, and Officials Enter the Palace to Offer Birthday Celebrations"
Lu Gouguang is a bad boy who never learns his lesson [oh oh oh] and never sleeps at night [evil smile]
The next chapter 823 will be posted at 6pm. Please come on time. You know the reason [yellow heart][yellow heart][yellow heart]
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