Chapter 147 The Song Ends, Feelings Change, and the Makeup Settles
Amidst the drizzle, the sound of light footsteps suddenly broke the silence. Yang Xiao and Chen Mo turned around simultaneously, only to see Cen Xun under an umbrella, watching them with a leisurely air.
"You're here?" Yang Xiao looked at Cen Xun in surprise, then frowned slightly, feigning displeasure. "Tell me, how long have you been eavesdropping?"
"Shouldn't you two be the ones reflecting on yourselves?" Cen Xun smiled and pointed at the two of them as she stepped forward. "Lingyu is alright, but Chen Mo," she turned to look at Chen Mo, shaking her head with a light laugh, "you have quite a misunderstanding about me."
Chen Mo's movements immediately became restrained, and his face suddenly turned blush. "Tongxi, how could I... dare?"
"How is Father?" Cen Xun asked gently, ignoring his question.
“Very good,” Chen Mo nodded. “Old Master Cen will soon be taking over as the governor of Yangzhou.”
Cen Xun sighed with relief and nodded in satisfaction, "That's good then."
"It's been years..." Chen Mo hesitated as he looked at Cen Xun, "You've changed so much."
“Of course,” Cen Xun chuckled and replied without hesitation. She looked up at Chen Mo and said, “After going through so much, it would be unreal to remain unchanged.”
Chen Mo nodded, his gaze darting away as he stared at the raindrops hitting the ground in front of his toes, unsure of what to do.
The three of them stood there, listening to the sound of rain for quite a while.
"Chen Mo," Cen Xun called out peacefully, gazing at the monument.
"Yes, I'm here." Chen Mo answered almost subconsciously. He hurriedly turned around, but found that Cen Xun's gaze never fell on him.
“You…” Cen Xun sighed softly, raising her eyes to look at him earnestly, “Don’t let me tie you down, it’s not worth it.”
“No,” Chen Mo shook his head vigorously, “Even if you never spare me a glance in your entire life, I will never regret it. Everything related to you is worthwhile in my eyes.”
“I’ve let go of everything,” Cen Xun said, looking at Zhong Lishuo’s tombstone with a bitter smile. “The past cannot be returned to, and this relationship is over. I must embark on my own path from now on. From now on, I will not do this for anyone else, but only for myself.”
She sighed and looked back at Chen Mo. "You also have your own path to walk. Just pretend I never existed, or..." She swallowed almost imperceptibly, "Just pretend I want to see you shine brightly on your own path."
Chen Mo stood frozen in place, a surge of emotion he had never felt before welling up inside him. His limbs were filled with an inexplicable surge of passion, and as he looked into Cen Xun's calm and sincere eyes, he suddenly understood something.
He nodded heavily, raising his hand to his chest. "I will try, to take this step. And if in the future..."
"As for the future..." Cen Xun chuckled and sighed, "Let's leave that for later."
Yang Xiao, holding an umbrella, smiled at the two of them, then shook her head with a hint of helplessness. She squatted down and slowly poured wine in front of Zhong Lishuo's grave. "Look at the power of your 'passing on the torch'," she said. "Now you can rest assured, right?"
Cen Xun smiled and put his arm around Yang Xiao's shoulder, looking at Zhong Lishuo's tombstone surrounded by flowers. "The lord wants to build a shrine for you in Chang'an, so that he won't have to make a special trip to Jizhou to see you."
Her eyes were filled with a carefree smile. "So, does this count as bringing you to Chang'an?"
“That’s great,” Yang Xiao said with a smile, looking back at Zhong Lishuo’s monument. “Then we’ll meet again in Chang’an.”
The stone tablet remained silent, only the blossoms on either side rustling in the west wind. Yang Xiao suddenly understood something, smiled and nodded, put her arm around Cen Xun's shoulder, and turned to walk away into the wind.
-
The two packed their bags, put aside all their worries and anxieties, and rode their horses toward Chang'an.
Within three days, they arrived at the city gate.
As soon as the two entered the city, they saw that the Chang'an battleground, which had been engulfed in flames, had been transformed into a peaceful scene. The people who had been friendly with Xiao Yan were now bowing to Yang Xiao and Cen Xun in greeting.
Yang Xiao, holding the reins, sighed with a wistful smile, and then saw two warhorses gallop out from the side of the main road. She looked closely and saw Zhang Ping and Fan Kun galloping towards them with joyful expressions.
"General! Lord Cen," Zhang Ping greeted the two men with a smile and clasped his hands in greeting before he had even regained his footing. "It's been a long time."
Upon hearing this, Cen Xun couldn't help but smile, "We've only been gone a few days, how come you've already lost count of the days?"
"Exactly," Yang Xiao nodded in agreement. "Besides, when did you two become so close?"
Fan Kun and Zhang Ping exchanged a glance, and Fan Kun smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yang Xiao. “It must be fate. General, you can think of General Zhang when you hear my name. Now that we have met, you are truly a free and easy general.”
"Alright, alright," Zhang Ping waved his hand with a smile, "Why are you bringing me up again? Have you forgotten the task His Majesty assigned us?"
"A mission from His Majesty?" Cen Xun tilted his head upon hearing this. "Is there something else?"
“It’s a very important matter,” Zhang Ping nodded mysteriously, then, unable to hide his excitement, spurred his horse to Yang Xiao’s side. “Now that the world is at peace, the Chang’an Array has been repaired, and all the accumulated matters have been completed in the past few days, so what’s next…”
Yang Xiao also tilted her head, mimicking Zhang Ping's mysterious demeanor, "What's next?"
Zhang Ping clapped his hands with a smile, startling Yang Xiao so much that she jumped back. "Of course, it's about your marriage to General Bai!"
He looked at Yang Xiao excitedly, "The Prime Minister had long anticipated that you would return to Chang'an today. The lord is already waiting in Zhu Yang Palace. General Bai Yao is on his way from Yuzhou. The Grand Commandant and the others have sent people to pick him up!"
Yang Xiao froze on the bridge upon hearing this, then exchanged an incredulous glance with Cen Xun, before looking at Zhang Ping, "So fast? I haven't even..."
"Let's go, General," Fan Kun interrupted Yang Xiao with a smile, "We can't keep His Majesty waiting."
Seeing Yang Xiao's surprised and delighted expression, Cen Xun chuckled and shook his head, then put his arm around her back and walked into the city. "What's wrong? Still not over it?"
"No, I just..." Yang Xiao stared ahead, unsure how to express herself. She smiled and shook her head, then changed the subject, pointing at Zhang Ping, "You're adapting pretty quickly, aren't you?"
"Huh?" Zhang Ping was taken aback. "What do you mean by that, General?"
"Your Majesty, Chancellor, and Grand Commandant, you address them quite naturally?" Yang Xiao smiled and teased Zhang Ping.
"At first, I couldn't understand a word of it. I got used to calling him 'Lord,' 'Strategist,' and 'Master,' but later, when I got busy and called him that every day, I got used to it." Zhang Ping chuckled and scratched his head, then turned to Yang Xiao reproachfully, "General Yang, you're not so concerned about your own marriage, so why are you teasing me?"
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh. Fan Kun raised his hand and pointed at Zhang Ping, "Brother Zhang, you mustn't be disrespectful to your superiors."
Zhang Ping smiled helplessly and shook his head, then looked back at Yang Xiao, "General, let's go quickly."
Yang Xiao, holding the reins, turned back with a smile, then leaned forward and shouted "Giddy up!" The red chariot sped off as if it had been propelled by the wind.
The remaining three exchanged glances, then laughed and spurred their horses onward, chasing after the blazing red shadow before them.
"Your Majesty!" Yang Xiao reined in the reins in front of Zhu Yang Palace, and without caring whether Cen Xun and Zhang Ping were following behind, he ran up the stone steps in three steps and rushed into the palace.
She had just lifted the curtain and peeked inside when she saw Zhong Li'an pacing back and forth at the door. As soon as he saw her, he turned around and greeted her with a smile, "Why are you so excited? Come in and sit down."
"I was a little uncomfortable calling you 'Your Majesty' before," Yang Xiao said with a smile, bowing to Zhong Li'an. "But then I realized that we fought for this title together, so I became proud of it."
“It’s all thanks to our joint efforts,” Zhong Li’an said with a smile as he ushered Yang Xiao into the hall. “Please sit down and rest for a while. Today we’re discussing something important for you.”
Yang Xiao then looked into the hall and saw Yang Zhen sitting in the second seat with a satisfied expression, while Bai Ming opposite him was sitting upright with his hands clasped, and Yang Song, who was standing next to him, looked both amused and exasperated.
"Father? Elder brother?" Yang Xiao immediately sensed something was amiss, but a smile inexplicably crept onto her face. She bowed and clasped her hands in greeting to the two men, "What brings you two here..."
"Don't even mention it," Yang Song said with a smile as if he had brought reinforcements to Yang Xiao's side. "You have no idea how oppressive Father was just now. I was sweating bullets for Zhao Qing."
Yang Xiao then looked into Bai Ming's eyes with a smile, but saw that his eyes were full of tension and determination, and when he met her gaze, there was even a hint of grievance and a do-or-die spirit. Yang Xiao shook her head, both amused and exasperated, and walked to his side. "It's supposed to be a joyous occasion, so why does it look like you're interrogating a criminal?"
"How could that be?" Yang Zhen seemed to realize that he had been too authoritative just now, and waved his hand with a smile in response to his daughter's teasing. "I really like Zhao Qing." He nodded approvingly at Yang Xiao. "You have good taste."
"Really?" Yang Xiao patted Bai Ming's back and sat down next to him with a smile. "What did you ask?"
Yang Zhen picked up his teacup and took a sip of hot tea. "I only threw some serious questions at him and put a little pressure on him. I didn't expect him to handle it so well, and his words were full of care for you."
"Intimidation?" Yang Xiao chuckled and looked up at Yang Zhen. "Let me guess, you're not going to use the same method the Qiang King used on you on Zhao Qing again?"
Yang Zhen was taken aback when he heard this, then smiled knowingly and shook his head. "How can you see someone's true feelings if you don't put some pressure on them?" He looked at Bai Ming with approval. "Fortunately, Zhao Qing's sincerity is worthy of the suffering you endured for him in the formation."
"Thank you for your recognition, Uncle." Bai Ming clasped his hands in a bow to Yang Zhen, then took a deep breath and squeezed Yang Xiao's hand tightly under the table.
“It’s been so long, why bring it up again?” Yang Xiao sighed with a smile, and squeezed Bai Ming’s palm, which was slightly sweaty, as if in agreement. “The ending was good, so the suffering we endured before had no great meaning, did it?”
“Lingyu is absolutely right,” Zhongli’an said, after settling Cen Xun and the others who had arrived later. He then smiled and walked toward the head of the table. “Since General Yang has already approved of this marriage, why don’t we go ahead and discuss the wedding arrangements with General Bai first?”
Yang Zhen nodded upon hearing this, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhong Li'an, "I will obey Your Majesty."
Yang Xiaogang turned to look at Zhong Li'an, only to see Bai Ming beside her let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief. She couldn't help but chuckle softly and patted Bai Ming's leg reassuringly.
"The General's Mansion has been renovated. At that time, our General and the General of the Cavalry will no longer need to distinguish between themselves and can live in the same mansion." Zhong Li'an poured a cup of tea and looked at the crowd below the stage with a smile. "At that time, I will personally write the plaque. As for the name of the mansion, I will not mention it for now."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao and Bai Ming exchanged a glance. Yang Xiao nodded and chuckled, then cupped her fists towards Zhong Li'an, saying, "You're already 'Your Majesty,' why do you still love to keep us in suspense?"
Zhong Li'an shook his head with a smile, "So what if I'm the emperor? Who knows, before the locust flowers have faded, I might climb up the tree again."
Everyone burst into laughter. Yang Xiao looked up at Zhong Li'an with a smile and said, "If that's really the case, then the locust flower can be considered our national flower now."
“That’s exactly what I was thinking… wait,” Zhong Li’an pointed helplessly at Yang Xiao, “Why are we getting sidetracked again? Weren’t we talking about your marriage in Shuo?”
Seeing this, Cen Xun, who had been smiling silently to the side, also clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd and said, "Your Majesty, General Yang, regarding Lingyu's marriage, I have a request."
"Oh? Tongxi, please go ahead." Zhong Li'an put down his cup with interest.
“Although I don’t like cosmetics, I’m quite confident when it comes to makeup.” Cen Xun turned to Yang Xiao and asked, “Leave your makeup to me then.”
Looking at her expression, Yang Xiao was also delighted and nodded emphatically, "Even if you hadn't mentioned it today, I would have insisted that you help me with my makeup. How could you be absent from such an important event?"
Bai Ming nodded in agreement and gently squeezed Yang Xiao's hand. "Now that you mention it, I really can't wait to see you that day." He looked into Yang Xiao's smiling eyes and said solemnly, "I have already written to my father. He will bring a generous dowry to Chang'an. The wedding will be famous throughout the capital, and all of Chang'an will know about our love. I will never take a concubine in my life."
“You also need to have the courage to take a concubine,” Yang Xiao said with a smile, pointing at Bai Ming. “Since that’s the case, I also have something to discuss with you.”
Yang Zhen tilted his head upon hearing this, "Please speak freely."
“As a military officer, it would be inappropriate for me to arrive in a sedan chair. I would like to ride a horse.” Yang Xiao looked earnestly at everyone. “Besides… I do not wish to wear a veil.”
Yang Zhen was taken aback upon hearing this, but after a moment's thought, it made perfect sense. "The bride doesn't ride in a sedan chair, but arrives on horseback. That's certainly free-spirited and shows your general's might, but the veil..."
Zhong Li'an nodded in agreement, "A veil obscures the view, and it would be inconvenient for Lingyu to ride a horse with her head covered. Besides, how can a great general be compared to an ordinary woman?"
“But… no one has ever done this before.” Yang Zhen seemed to waver a bit, frowning and pondering for a long time.
Seeing this, Cen Xun also clasped her hands in a fist salute to Yang Zhen, "However, no one has been able to match Lingyu's achievements before." She turned to look at Yang Xiao, "If you do not wish to obstruct the view, and the old general is willing to retain the etiquette of lifting the veil, how about changing this veil into a face veil?"
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