Chapter 29 My Lover. I want to cherish him.
Lu Songyuan spoke as if he were scolding a child. Jing Hui glared at him and mumbled, "Go out and play."
"It's almost lunchtime. There's still snow in the afternoon, let's go another day."
Lu Songyuan glanced at Bai Zhi and said calmly.
What kind of tone is that? It's infuriating!
"No! I'm in a hurry."
Jing Hui ignored him and pulled Bai Zhi toward the carriage ahead.
“Ah Zhu”.
Lu Songyuan's eyes darkened, and he quickly reached out and grabbed Jing Hui's hand, pulling her in front of him.
Caught off guard, Jing Hui stumbled and nearly fell on top of Lu Songyuan.
With so many servants around, Lu Songyuan didn't give her any face at all!
Jing Hui, with one hand on Lu Songyuan's shoulder, caught her breath and angrily said, "What are you doing!"
Lu Songyuan held Jing Hui's hand with one hand and her waist with the other, helping her to stand firm. He then asked, "What's so urgent that you have to go out now?"
Jing Hui found him inexplicable and very difficult to please.
She stood up, slapped Lu Songyuan's hand that was pinching her waist, and glared at him: "You're so nosy, I already said I have something to do."
"If I tell him to stay away from you, you should go to him."
Lu Songyuan tugged at Jing Hui, looked up at her, and said, "Are you so reluctant to part?"
"Who? Lian Zhu?"
Jing Hui was furious, wondering what was going on in this person's head.
She patted Lu Songyuan's hand again and said threateningly, "Will you let go or not? You'll regret it if you don't."
People came and went in front of the general's mansion, and many stopped to secretly look in this direction.
Lu Songyuan stared at Jing Hui for a long time, then gave a self-deprecating snort and released her.
Jing Hui immediately took several steps back, shook off the hand that Lu Songyuan had pinched so hard, and glanced at him.
On the bustling street, Lu Songyuan, dressed in black, sat upright in a wheelchair, his long hair tied up high with a red crown. If it weren't for the hint of fierceness between his brows, he would have looked every bit the upright and virtuous gentleman.
Having been in the capital for a long time, he rarely went out, and his demeanor remained like a towering tree in the desert, completely out of place in the capital.
Jing Hui met his gaze, and the complex emotions in Lu Songyuan's eyes made her heart tremble. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it meant, but she felt that Lu Songyuan at that moment made her want to pity him.
Pity?
What is she thinking!
never mind.
Jing Hui took a few steps, walked to Lu Songyuan's side, and glanced down at him.
Lu Songyuan remained silent, so Jing Hui reached out and pinched Lu Songyuan's earlobe. As expected, his hand was instantly grasped.
"I'm going out to buy some things, I'll be back to have lunch with you."
Jing Hui gripped Lu Songyuan's hand in return, inserting a few fingers between his fingers.
Seeing that he still didn't speak, Jing Hui asked hesitantly, "Why don't you come with me?"
As soon as he asked the question, Jing Hui regretted it.
Lu Songyuan readily agreed, "Okay."
"..."
Unexpectedly, he agreed so quickly. The two stared at each other for a long time before Jing Hui finally relaxed and said, "Let's go then."
Jing Hui finally boarded Lu Songyuan's carriage.
His carriage was spacious, unlike when Jing Hui first rode in it. It had many soft cushions on the backrest, and although the colors were all dark, it was much more comfortable to sit in.
The wheels rolled along Anping Street, heading straight towards the northwest of Shangjing. After passing through the street, the alley in front of them became narrower and narrower. Jing Hui leaned against the car window and yawned.
"return."
Inside the carriage was a censer. Lu Songyuan had a thick blanket covering his legs. He was looking down at his book and said to Jing Hui without looking up, "Catch a cold from the wind."
Jing Hui turned her head and snorted at him. She touched her frostbitten nose, as if she wanted to sneeze, but she obediently closed the window.
It wasn't that she wanted to look at the empty streets; it was just that being with Lu Songyuan was too boring.
She and he didn't have much to say to each other, and he always snapped at her when she spoke to him. Moreover, he wouldn't let Lu Zhouxue and Bai Zhi in.
If it weren't for needing his help, Jing Hui would really like to go out riding a horse.
Sensing her resentful gaze, Lu Songyuan looked up at her and poured her a cup of hot tea.
Jing Hui, wrapped in a blanket, huddled on the small couch, picked up the cup of tea, and drank half of it.
She looked at the book on his lap and asked, "What are you reading?"
"Strange weapons".
Lu Songyuan glanced at Jing Hui, his slender fingers gently turning the book cover, placing it in front of Jing Hui and saying, "Are you interested?"
Jing Hui nodded; she loved reading unusual books.
As Lu Songyuan turned the page, Jing Hui glanced at the seal in the corner of the book cover and said, "Huh? This seems to be a book from the palace?"
Lu Songyuan hummed in agreement and said, "I saw it at the Second Prince's residence a few days ago. He saw that I was interested in this book, so he gave it to me."
It's Jing Ao again.
Jing Hui frowned deeply. She endured for a moment, but finally couldn't resist and put the teacup on the table.
He crossed his arms and scrutinized Lu Songyuan. "Lu Songyuan, I've told you many times that Jing Ao is a freak and that you should stay away from him, but you don't seem to care at all, do you?"
Lu Songyuan raised his head, glanced at Jing Hui, and then lowered his head back to read.
Jing Hui was instantly furious. She stretched her foot out from under the blanket and stepped on Lu Songyuan's leg. Remembering that his leg was numb, Jing Hui shook her foot hard, causing Lu Songyuan to sway as well.
"say."
"knew."
Lu Songyuan reached out and grabbed Jing Hui's foot, pressing his thumb lightly on the sole of her foot. Jing Hui kicked him.
Lu Songyuan tucked her feet back into the blanket and said calmly, "I just returned to the capital a few days ago, and there are some palace affairs that cannot be handled without his help. Your Highness, please forgive me."
He agreed far too readily, and Jing Hui choked.
"If I see you getting close to him again, you're never to return to the General's Mansion."
Lu Songyuan then looked up at Jing Hui, and seeing that she didn't seem to be joking, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Okay, I understand."
The carriage fell silent for a moment, and after about a quarter of an hour, Bai Zhi's voice came from outside the carriage.
"Princess, General, we have arrived."
Jing Hui lifted the carriage curtain and saw that the carriage was stopped at the entrance of a small alley.
It was the time when the sky was bright, but the alley was as dark as dusk.
The snow piled up on both sides had not yet melted, and the melted snow was gushing out of the alley.
Jing Hui was helped down from the carriage by Bai Zhi. She noticed that the people coming out of the alley had mud on their feet. She stepped on the ground and found it to be soft, muddy soil.
Jing Hui turned to look at Lu Songyuan sitting in the carriage, "The wheelchair might get stuck. You can wait for me in the carriage. Bai Zhi and I will be right back."
Lu Songyuan frowned but didn't say anything. He tapped the table with his fingertip and said, "Zhou Xue, follow His Highness."
"yes."
"Let's go."
The three of them stumbled into the alley, Lu Zhouxue supporting Jing Hui. Jing Hui, watching his step, asked Bai Zhi, "Master, you live here for peace and quiet?"
"It's to avoid debts."
"Hmm... ah?"
Jing Hui looked over in surprise.
Bai Zhi said, "He was stubborn. When he saw someone selling counterfeit goods in the capital, he would expose their secrets everywhere. Later, he smashed up a powerful person's shop and owed a lot of money, so he had to hide here."
Jing Hui chuckled a few times, the laughter echoing deep into the alley. She said, "If this hairpin is well-made, this princess will help the master out of his predicament. But how do you know so much about it? Could this master be..."
"He is my third uncle."
Bai Zhi said, “All our relatives in the southern border have passed away. I am in the capital, and he said he feels at ease here. Even though he has been hiding in the capital for years, he has not suffered much. He occasionally disguises himself and goes to the capital to find fault with those who make counterfeit goods. He is very happy. I appreciate the princess’s kindness on his behalf.”
Everyone has their own destiny, Jing Hui smiled and said, "Okay."
They continued walking without stopping, and soon the three of them arrived at a thatched hut.
Bai Zhi stepped forward and knocked on the door five times short, three times long, and then five times short again. Soon the door opened from the inside, revealing a fair-skinned man who looked like a scholar.
Bai Zhi called out, "Third Uncle."
Surprisingly, he was so young. Jing Hui had thought that his third uncle would be a fierce-looking middle-aged man with a beard.
"Ah Zhi, what brings you here now?"
After asking his questions, the third uncle saw Jing Hui and Lu Zhouxue and asked warily, "Who are they?"
"Let us in first."
The third uncle trusted Bai Zhi. Upon hearing this, he looked around, opened the door, and everyone entered the courtyard together.
The courtyard was also completely dark, and Jing Hui frowned.
Bai Zhi supported Jing Hui's arm and said, "Princess, rest assured, just follow my third uncle."
"good."
Jing responded, looking at the dimness before her, thinking to herself that when she gave it to Lu Songyuan later, she would have to squeeze him for a good amount of money.
After following my third uncle through three gates, the secrets of this courtyard were finally revealed.
Unlike the darkness of the alley, the courtyard wall here is about two zhang high and is made of white jade bricks. The sunlight pours in during the day, making the white jade bricks in the courtyard sparkle, as if you are in a fairyland.
Carving tools were scattered haphazardly in the courtyard, wood shavings were flying everywhere, and the air was filled with the scent of fragrant wood.
Jing Hui walked into the courtyard and saw a tall tree growing in the northwest corner of the wall.
Jing Hui looked up and asked, "Is this the Divine Tree?"
Upon hearing this, the third uncle immediately became alert. He strode forward and stood between Jing Hui and Shen Mu, saying, "Who are you? What do you want?"
Lu Zhouxue immediately stepped forward, blocking Jing Hui's path, and held her sword horizontally in front of her third uncle, shouting, "How dare you!"
Bai Zhi quickly stepped forward to introduce, "Third Uncle, this is the legitimate princess of the Great Liang Dynasty, the Sixth Princess. Princess, this is my third uncle, Bai Du."
When Jing Hui got married, Bai Zhi went to join in the fun and snatched a lot of wedding candy and money. When Bai Zhi mentioned this, Bai Du immediately remembered it.
He glanced at Jing Hui and muttered, "Princess? What's the princess doing here? Is she trying to steal my sacred tree?"
"What does this princess want under heaven? Do I need to steal it?"
Jing Hui raised his chin, his eyes looking down at Bai Du, and said.
Bai Zhi choked, realizing that the world truly belonged to others.
Jing Hui gave a light snort and got straight to the point, "I came to find you because I want you to...make me a hairpin for men."
"Huh?"
Having dealt with powerful figures for many years, Bai Zhi's personality has become like dough, which, after being kneaded, has become even more chewy.
Hearing this, a gossipy curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "Is the princess doing this so secretly... for her lover?"
"Third Uncle!"
Bai Zhi hurriedly called out, and Bai Zhi immediately covered his mouth. After glancing at the sword in Lu Zhouxue's hand, he ran to hide behind Bai Zhi.
Jing Hui frowned, and Bai Zhi said, "Princess, please forgive me."
"It's alright."
Jing Hui sighed and sat back down in the chair that Lu Zhouxue had brought for her.
She continued, "This hairpin, I want it to be shaped like flowing clouds, with a jasmine flower carved at the end. The pendant should have two lines, one for the sun and one for the moon, all retaining the original color of the sacred wood. The overall design should be grand and imposing. If you do it well, I will not hold your earlier rudeness against you. If you do it poorly, there is a fierce god outside the door, and you can expect to lose your head."
To be fair, having made hairpins for so many years, Jing Hui's request wasn't difficult. But being instructed by someone else, Bai Zhi still subconsciously straightened up and glared at Jing Hui.
However, the woman in front of him was the legitimate princess of the royal family, and he wouldn't dare to disobey her even if he had ten times the courage.
Bai Du sighed and said, "I understand."
Jing Hui chuckled, "Zhou Xue, take him to do it."
"yes."
Lu Zhouxue immediately walked towards Bai Du, who quickly backed away, "No, no, don't come any closer! I'll make it, I'll make it! I'm the best at making hairpins, I promise I can make one for the princess in half an hour, just don't come any closer!"
After saying that, Bai Du ran to the room to the north and slammed the door shut. A moment later, the sound of grinding wood could be heard.
Lu Zhouxue followed Bai Du into the house. The two exchanged a few words in hushed tones, but Lu Zhouxue did not come out.
Jing Hui chuckled, stood up, and patted her skirt.
With nothing else to do, she wandered around Bai Zhi's courtyard. When she reached the sacred tree, Jing Hui stepped on a brick and suddenly felt that her foot was sinking.
Jing Hui stomped his foot again, and a muffled sound came from below, confirming that there was indeed nothing below.
She asked Bai Zhi beside her in confusion, "What is this place?"
Bai Zhi glanced inside the house and said in a low voice, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. There are several underground passages in this courtyard of my third uncle. Some lead to restaurants, some to gambling dens, and some to the outside of the city. Almost every day, people are looking for my third uncle. He is also a restless person, so he dug these tunnels. However, I can guarantee that he would never do anything to harm others. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Jing Hui chuckled, then stomped his foot, saying with a half-smile, "As long as he doesn't dig through the palace one day."
"Absolutely not."
Bai Zhi followed Jing Hui and said, "Last year when the young master was attacked, my third uncle slid out from here to deliver a message."
"It's still somewhat useful."
"yes."
The two of them studied Bai Du's courtyard for a while longer. The courtyard was full of mechanisms, from the walls to the floor, and they were all very ingenious and practical.
About an hour later, the door to the north room slammed open again.
Bai Zhi, covered in sawdust, walked out holding a hairpin, followed by Lu Zhouxue, who was also covered in sawdust.
Jing Hui frowned and asked, "Is it done?"
Bai Du coughed a few times, spitting out wood chips from his mouth. He held it up and said, "It's done. Please take a look, Princess."
Jing Hui reached out and took it.
She had assumed that the hairpins made from the sacred wood would be bluish-green, but she never expected them to be a vibrant blood red.
The hairpin is shaped like flowing clouds with smooth, undulating lines. The jasmine petals are lifelike, and the two pendants are connected by a gold chain. One is a perfect circle, representing the sun, and the other is a crescent moon.
The flowers are in full bloom, and the sun shines brightly on them; it's truly beautiful.
"well done."
Jing Hui shook the hairpin in her hand and asked, "Can it really calm the mind and soothe the nerves?"
Bai Du said in a hoarse voice, "The sacred tree has grown for a hundred years and has been soaked in the sacred water for several years. It naturally has multiple effects. I dare not lie to the princess."
"A platinum reward!"
Jing Hui waved her hand and said, "This princess will take her leave first."
Bai Du's eyes immediately lit up, and he fawned, "Thank you, Princess!"
Jing Hui has excellent taste; if she likes it, Lu Songyuan will definitely like it too.
If he's happy, he might be able to help his older sister today!
Jing Hui strode towards the carriage outside the alley. She didn't care that the mud on the soles of her shoes was almost as thick as her shoes. As she stepped onto the carriage and lifted the curtain, her foot slipped and she almost fell.
She kicked off her shoes in the small cubicle outside the carriage and gave them to the maid. Wearing only socks, she ran into the carriage, lifted the curtain, and called out, "Lu Songyuan, look what good things I brought back for you!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
