Chapter 289: Revisiting the Old Place
July is the midsummer season with flowers blooming everywhere and green willows.
Prince Xiao Ming of Qi ascended the throne and was named Emperor Ming of Qi. He issued an edict conferring upon Xiao Zhuo the title of Prince of An, granting him the fiefs of Jingzhou and Shengzhou. He also conferred upon Xiao Beiheng the title of Prince of Ping, granting him the fiefs of Anzhou and Yuzhou. He also granted various honors to the remaining civil and military officials. He also issued a general amnesty, exempting all prefectures and counties from taxes for one year, allowing the people to rest and recuperate.
It was midday, just after a light rain. Along an ancient path nestled among the mountains of Shengzhou, tender green weeds, drenched in glistening water droplets, swayed in the refreshing breeze. Clusters of unknown flowers, red, purple, and yellow, bloomed halfway up the mountainside, like a riot of colourful flames blazing down the slope.
The crisp sound of horse hooves broke the silence of the valley. A vigorous white horse turned out from the corner of the mountain. The rider was a young woman in short clothes. She had a slender figure, bright eyes and a lively look on her fair face.
Unlike other women in Dayan, her hair wasn't tied up in a bun or adorned with jewelry. Instead, it was tied into a lopsided ponytail on top of her head. As her horse galloped, her fluffy, jet-black ponytail bounced, making her look lively and lovely.
She galloped to the middle of the road, glanced behind her, and smiled, pulling the reins and saying, "Xiaobai, stop. We won."
The white horse neighed loudly, stopped abruptly from its gallop, and kicked its front hooves into the air, stomping down on the lavender flowers at the side of the road. The young woman groaned, pulled the reins to the side, and shouted, "Be careful."
As if it understood her words, the white horse turned a small circle in the air, and its two front hooves stomped on the middle of the road, fortunately not stepping on the wild flowers.
The young woman reached out and patted the white horse's slender neck and said, "Xiaobai is so awesome." The white horse turned around, snorted, and rubbed the woman's snow-white hand with its face.
At this time, another burst of horse hoof sounds came from behind.
The young woman looked back and saw another brown horse running out of the valley. The man on the horse was handsome and elegant, with an upright posture. He was wearing a moon-white robe with his sleeves fluttering. He came to her and stopped.
"Husband, did I win?" The woman raised her face proudly, took off the water bag on the saddle and threw it to the man.
The man took the water bag and said, "Yuexi, you cheated. You ran fifty steps before telling me you wanted to compete."
"That's called giving someone a taste of their own medicine." The young woman made a face at the man. "Who told you to run first the last time we raced?"
The man was about to reply when the faint sound of horse hooves echoed from behind them. The young woman exclaimed, "Husband, this Shengzhou governor is not to be underestimated. He can actually keep up."
The man smiled and said, "Since you and I have arrived in Shengzhou, he will naturally come to greet us. This is the way of being an official. If you don't pay attention, and encounter someone who pays attention to these things, won't you be ruining your future?"
"Let's run," the young woman said, spurring her horse forward. "If you like being surrounded by officials, then stay here. I don't like being surrounded by officials."
The man looked at the woman's figure, shook his head and smiled, then rode his horse to follow her.
Shortly after the two men left, a group of about thirty local officials from Shengzhou, led by the prefect Wu Yong, arrived on horseback.
Many prefecture and county officials, led by the border commander Zhao Mu, had wavered during the battle between Xiao Zhuo and the King of Qi. Now that they knew Xiao Zhuo was the son of Emperor Ming of Qi, they no longer had to worry about their allegiance.
Upon learning that Xiao Zhuo and Shen Yuexi had arrived in Shengzhou, the prefect Wu Yong made a grand entrance, arranging sedan chairs and a grand procession to welcome them. Unexpectedly, the Prince An and his wife escaped on horseback, and Wu Yong immediately led the officials in pursuit. These officials usually rode in sedan chairs, a luxury they were accustomed to. Now, struggling to ride horses, they were no match for him. Their hats and robes were all askew, and they staggered from side to side.
Shengzhou Governor Wu Yong turned to look at Qiang Lin, the commander of the secret guards beside him, and panted, "Prince An has been engaged in battle for years and is a skilled rider... We know that, but how come Princess An is also so fast?"
Qiang Lin said to Wu Yong seriously, "Taishu, I suggest you stop chasing. Our master's riding skills are even better than Prince An's."
"How can that be? Prince An has arrived in our Shengzhou territory. How can we not welcome him now that we know about it?" Wu Yong turned around and said to the officials behind him, "Where are the sedan chair and ceremonial guards? Why haven't they caught up yet?"
The officials behind complained, "You make it sound so easy, Governor. Even on horseback we can't catch up with Prince An and his men. The sedan chair and the ceremonial procession all run on foot, and now we're probably dozens of miles behind."
Wu Yong thought the same and said to Qiang Lin, "Commander Qiang, it's not disrespectful, but I simply can't catch up. I hope you can put in a few good words for me in front of Prince An. I will return to the city to prepare a banquet. When Prince An and his wife have finished enjoying the scenery, please come to the city and let me show my hospitality."
Although Qiang Lin was a Western Rong person and was only the guard commander of Princess An Shen Yuexi, Wu Yong knew the status of Qiang Lin in Shen Yuexi's heart and spoke to her in a very polite tone.
Qiang Lin said, "The governor, please go back first. I still need to catch up with my master."
Qiang Lin was actually a little puzzled. What on earth was his master trying to see when he came all the way to this desolate place in Shengzhou?
He followed the traces left by Shen Yuexi. The road became narrower and narrower, and it turned three times and twice until he saw a corner of a dilapidated roof protruding from the back of the hill. It seemed to be an abandoned temple.
Shen Yuexi was standing in this dilapidated temple, looking up at the peeling red paint on the pillars, which looked like they were scratched by a knife, with a lot of thoughts in her mind.
On that rainy night, feathered arrows rained down from the darkness outside into the temple. The heavy rain poured down through the broken holes in the temple, gradually turning the ground bright red.
It was also on that rainy night that she and Xiao Zhuo began to truly share the joys and sorrows of life, struggling to survive under the pursuit of a large group of imperial guards, wandering from place to place. A whole year later, she and Xiao Zhuo revisited the place, now as prince and princess, and still with a large group of people chasing them.
This time is different, the scenery is magnificent.
"Yuexi," Xiao Zhuo placed his hands on her shoulders, "you still remember this day."
"Of course," Shen Yuexi turned around and smiled at Xiao Zhuo, "This day last year was the day your wife came here."
It had been exactly one year since he came into this world. After so many hardships, she could finally roll around happily on a bed of gold.
She leaned her head back against Xiao Zhuo's chest and asked, "When the enemy surrounded the ruined temple, what was your husband thinking?"
Xiao Zhuo asked, "Do you really want to know?"
"Of course, I didn't come here just to look."
"I believe I have been wronged. I must not die here. I want to clear my name and regain my title as the crown prince. If Shen Yuexi can remove the shackles from my hands and feet, I will take her with me."
"Oh, so that's what you think," Shen Yuexi pretended to be angry and punched Xiao Zhuo in the chest, "If I didn't remove the shackles for you, would you..."
"If I hadn't opened it, I would have died with her." Xiao Zhuo smiled and held her hand. "We will be a pair of mandarin ducks with the same fate, and we will go to the underworld together. Fortunately, my lady has great magical powers and saved my life."
Shen Yuexi laughed and said, "You're so talkative. Now that the Emperor is your father, do you still mean what you said before about building an empire for me?"
Xiao Zhuo's face flushed, which was rare: "Yuexi, you also know my..."
"Okay, don't force it," Shen Yuexi smiled and stretched out two slender fingers to press on Xiao Zhuo's lips. "I know you won't make an enemy of your closest relatives. So, do you still want to fight for the title of Crown Prince?"
After Emperor Ming of Qi ascended the throne, he made Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng kings, but did not designate a crown prince. Obviously, both of them had a chance.
Xiao Zhuo put his arm around her slender waist and whispered in her ear, "If I had met you before, I would definitely have fought for it. You should remember what I said, I once thought that the title of Crown Prince brought me everything, and without this title, I would have nothing."
"What happened after you met me?" Shen Yuexi giggled.
The hot air from Xiao Zhuo's mouth and nose sprayed on her ears, making her feel itchy. But Xiao Zhuo hugged her and she couldn't hide away.
"Now... I just want to be with you, to support each other and to be close to each other."
"Haha, that's so corny."
Shen Yuexi stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Xiao Zhuo's neck. She looked up at his jade-like face and couldn't help but stand on tiptoe and put her lips close to his.
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