Chapter Fifty-Three: A Letter from Home Delivered with Joy and Gratitude
"Lord Lunhong, gentlemen," Xue Chang rode his horse lightly to the front of the group, pulled on the reins, and clasped his hands in greeting with a hearty laugh, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you all today."
Zhong Li'an greeted him with a smile, cupped his fists in greeting, and his wide sleeves fluttered slightly in the wind. "I have long admired Mr. Cheyan's name. It is an honor to meet you today."
Zhongli Shuo also put aside his usual playful expression and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting to Xue Chang, "Greetings, Mr. Cheyan."
"General Yude, I've heard so much about you," Xue Chang said with a smile, nodding admiringly at Zhongli Shuo. Then, he turned to Zhongli An with a reproachful look, "Speaking of which, I've heard a little about the contents of your letter, and I had a rough impression of General Yude before coming to Jizhou. But I never expected," he turned to Zhongli Shuo again, "that the general is full of heroic spirit yet retains a refined demeanor, completely unlike the noisy and childish character described in the letter."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged smiles. Before Cen Xun could say anything, Bai Ming cupped his hands to Xue Chang and said with a smile, "Mr. Xue, you may not know this, but our lord knows Yu De's temperament best. However, you are here today on behalf of Elder Cen." He glanced at Zhong Lishuo with a smile, "I suppose Yu De is putting on airs to leave a good impression on you."
“Zhao Qing, you…” Zhong Lishuo seemed to break down in an instant, and looked back at Bai Ming with a reproachful smile, “Why are you revealing my secrets?”
Upon seeing this, Xue Chang burst into laughter. He looked up at Bai Ming and said, "It seems you've become much more relaxed than you were in Jiangnan these past few days. I suppose this is your true nature?"
Bai Ming chuckled and nodded, saying, "With lively people like Lingyu and Yude around, it's inevitable to be infected by their energy."
“It’s good that you’re more lively,” Yang Xiao said, pulling on the reins and looking back at Bai Ming, her eyes filled with sunlight. “If Yu De were too steady, I really wouldn’t be used to it.”
"Alright," Cen Xun smiled and gently tapped Yang Xiao's nose. "Stop joking around." She then looked up at Xue Chang expectantly. "Master, how is it? Did Father write a letter? Did he agree?"
Xue Chang shook his head with a helpless smile, "Why don't you see for yourself?"
Zhong Li'an looked at the group with satisfaction, then looked up at Xue Chang earnestly, "Mr. Xue, you must be tired from your journey. It's windy outside, why don't we go inside and chat?"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Your Excellency," Xue Chang replied without hesitation. "Then I will respectfully accept your offer."
Zhong Li'an smiled and nodded, then turned to the side and gestured behind him, "Everyone, please."
Everyone dismounted and walked towards the governor's office, chatting and laughing. Zhongli An lifted the curtain and let Xue Chang into the room.
The room was no longer as quiet as before. At first glance, it was full of festive decorations, with a variety of styles but in an orderly manner. The furnishings were spotless, except for a few specks of dust floating in the sunlight under the window with paper-cut decorations.
Xue Chang looked around in surprise, then turned back to Zhong Li'an with a smile, "I didn't expect you, my lord, to have such refined tastes. This governor's office is truly thriving."
"Not at all," Zhong Li'an chuckled and waved his hand, looking up at the bright red decorations filling the room with a mixture of relief and helplessness. "These decorations were all arranged by Yu De and Ling Yu."
He smiled and looked back at the group, "The Spring Festival is approaching, and there's no need for military training right now. They thought my place was too spacious and quiet, so they came to decorate it."
Zhong Li'an invited everyone to sit down. Although he teased a few people, his eyes were full of gentleness and there was no hint of blame. "Young people can't stay idle. At the beginning of the new year, our council hall should also change its atmosphere."
Everyone chuckled upon hearing this. Xue Chang accepted the tea from Zhong Li'an with both hands and nodded approvingly, saying, "It's good for the whole family to tidy up the house before the New Year, which adds to the festive atmosphere. Now that you've all renovated the council hall, won't you be able to achieve great things next year?"
Zhong Li'an smiled and nodded to Xue Chang, "Then I thank Mr. Cheyan for his kind words." He looked up at everyone with a smile and said with emotion, "According to what Mr. Xue just said, this can be considered a big cleaning for our whole family."
“Of course it counts!” Yang Xiao immediately sat up straight and agreed, “Putting everything else aside, this year we’re even closer together,” she turned and smiled at Zhong Lishuo and Cen Xun, “Right, you two?”
Zhong Lishuo almost spat out the tea he had just drunk. His ears turned red, which was rare for him. He coughed lightly a few times to cover it up, and all of this was seen by Cen Xun, who was looking at him with tender affection.
"Speaking of which, that's why I've come today." Xue Chang smiled and pointed at Yang Xiao, then took out a letter from his pocket and looked up at Cen Xun, "Tongxi, guess what this is?"
Cen Xun suddenly snapped out of his daze, looked up at the letter with delight, and exclaimed, "Could this be... Father's handwriting?"
Before Xue Chang could respond, Cen Xun ran up to him, took the letter with both hands, and sighed softly.
"I didn't expect you to be so homesick." Xue Chang smiled and patted Cen Xun's shoulder as the letter in his hand was suddenly snatched away.
Cen Xun chuckled and shook her head, her gaze never leaving the letter. "Homesickness is human nature. Although the scenery and people of Jizhou are in no way inferior to those of Jiangnan, I still miss home a little." She gently unfolded Cen Fei's affectionate words, and then her eyes lit up with joy as if she had seen something.
She turned around, and Zhong Lishuo's figure, craning his neck and looking at her with tender affection, immediately came into view. "Yude, come and see," she took two steps toward Zhong Lishuo, smiling and waving at him, "Quickly."
"Me?" Zhong Lishuo pointed to himself, then looked at Cen Xun with surprise. "The old man's letter to you... mentioned me?"
Cen Xun tilted his head and smiled, "Come and see for yourself."
Zhong Lishuo immediately moved closer to her, bent down and gently raised his hand to hold Cen Fei's letter with her.
"Yu De is brave and spirited, and I know he will suit your taste even without meeting him. I have never objected to what you like. Besides, this young general is energetic, upright, and skilled. He is both virtuous and talented. I would praise him myself without your praise."
“I have read Lord Lunhong’s letter. Every word is sincere and respectful, without the slightest air of a ruler. The letter says that the young general fell in love with you at first sight and changed his usual unruly manner towards you, taking care of you and cherishing you in every way. As for you, Tongxi, my Xun’er, do you not know me? If you had even the slightest dissatisfaction with General Yude, Lord Lunhong’s letter would never have reached my hands.”
Cen Xun unconsciously heard a breath. She looked up and saw Zhong Lishuo, who was holding his breath and staring intently at the letter, take a long breath and then slowly exhale. The thin silk paper trembled slightly on Zhong Lishuo's reddened fingertips like eyelashes.
A hint of a smile appeared in her eyes. She lingered on Zhong Lishuo's eyes for a moment before turning her gaze to Cen Fei's solid handwriting.
"After you rejected Chen Mo time and time again, I knew what kind of love you longed for. Now, the person you love and the feelings you yearn for are right in front of you. And you have indeed reached the age to talk about marriage. Although our families are not a good match for Yu De's, you two are truly in love, admiring and cherishing each other. So, social status is not worth mentioning."
“I originally intended to go north directly to arrange your wedding, but the situation is still unclear. He Yuan and Lord Zhongli have not yet fought a single battle in their newly formed alliance, and their foundation is still unstable. Therefore, I can only agree to your marriage for now and send Che Yan to secretly deliver part of the dowry in Jiangnan. We will then celebrate the New Year in Jizhou. Once we can unite our forces and fight against Xiao Yan, I will immediately take a boat north to formally betroth you to Yu De.”
“This…” Zhong Lishuo’s hands trembled even more. He stared at the letter in disbelief, then turned to look at Cen Xun. “Does the old gentleman mean… that he approves of our marriage? After fighting with Xiao Yan, we… will get married?”
Seeing Zhong Lishuo's barely contained excitement, Cen Xun chuckled and tiptoed to pat his hair. "Half of the dowry has been delivered, how could it be fake?"
A few tears welled up in Zhong Lishuo's eyes. He smiled with relief, buried his head in Cen Xun's neck, and gently put his arm around her waist. But before Cen Xun could pat his head, he suddenly pulled her up and spun her around in circles.
"Yude!" Cen Xun was startled by the sudden sudden movement and quickly hugged Zhong Lishuo's neck tightly. A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes, and a smile immediately spread across Zhong Lishuo's eyes, like spring rain slanting into a clear spring. The words of reproach she wanted to say were swallowed back the moment she saw Zhong Lishuo's eyes.
"Your father has agreed, Tongxi!" Zhong Lishuo held Cen Xun high in his arms, not letting her fall to the ground. "He has agreed to let you marry me."
The hall erupted in laughter. Cen Xun clutched the letter in one hand and wrapped the other around Zhong Lishuo's neck. Gazing into his sparkling eyes, she leaned down and gently nuzzled his nose. "Yes, he agreed."
Zhong Lishuo's hands went limp. He bent down and gently put Cen Xun down. He stroked Cen Xun's cheek with one hand, and just as their necks intertwined, he suddenly remembered that everyone in the room was present. He paused and gently rubbed her earlobe.
He slightly raised his head, and their gazes met, intertwining like a silver river, overflowing with tender love. Zhong Lishuo closed his eyes, pulled Cen Xun onto his shoulder, let out a long sigh, and gently rubbed his chin against her hair, "It's so nice."
Cen Xun smiled and ruffled Zhong Lishuo's hair. The two of them, entwined in affection, were captured in the smiling eyes of the crowd, bringing a touch of warmth to the hall.
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