Chapter Fifty-Two: A Happy Reunion After a Perfect Match
Xiao Yan has come a long way thanks to her right-hand men, Xiao Yun and Lu Qi.
Her younger brother, Xiao Yun, was known throughout the world for his ruthless martial arts skills and vicious mind. He was domineering and unreasonable in his actions. During his years in the court, he had also learned how to collude with factions and spread rumors.
As for Lu Qi, he was not so simple. Although he was Xiao Yan's close attendant, his power was in no way inferior to Xiao Yun's. He was well-versed in military strategy, knowledgeable in poetry and literature, and even understood Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. He could understand the hearts and minds of people in officialdom perfectly.
It was precisely because of his caution and shrewdness that Xiao Yan's bloodstained past was perfectly hidden from the world.
“Lu Qi…” Qi Kun frowned slightly. “I don’t know much about this person, but hearing the name,” he shook his head and chuckled, “it just feels strangely familiar.”
Zhong Li'an raised his hand and brewed a pot of hot tea, then joined the conversation between the two with great interest. "This Lu Qi, it seems, knew Xiao Yan before she entered the palace. Later, when Xiao Yan entered the palace, he also used his connections to get into the officialdom, secretly helping Xiao Yan to instigate treacherous officials and elevate the two siblings, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yun, to the pinnacle of power, while he himself remained anonymous and only served as a close attendant."
"Oh?" Zhongli Shuo's interest was piqued upon hearing this. "I thought Xiao Yan's rise to power was all thanks to Xiao Yun's hard work and connections in the officialdom. I never imagined it was Lu Qi who orchestrated it all."
Zhong Li'an poured tea, smiled and nodded, "Yes, but Lu Qi is just an insignificant figure in the officialdom. He secretly wins people's hearts just to elevate Xiao Yun. Even after Xiao Yan gained favor, he withdrew from the officialdom and became a close attendant."
"It seems this person is not to be underestimated," Qi Kun nodded knowingly upon hearing this, then sighed softly with a heavy heart.
Yang Xiao looked up at his furrowed brows and couldn't help but laugh and tease him, "What, you're thinking about something again, Master, even though I'm not daydreaming anymore?"
Qi Kun glanced back at Yang Xiao's all-seeing eyes, then smiled and waved his hand, "Never mind, never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore."
“By the way, elder brother,” Zhongli Shuo said, twirling the orange in his hand and looking up at Zhongli An with a smile, “how did you know about Lu Qi helping Xiao Yan?”
Zhong Li'an smiled and nodded at Zhong Li Shuo, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."
Upon hearing this, Zhongli Shuo immediately became interested. He smiled and casually tossed the orange in his hand to Bai Ming, then propped himself up on his knees and looked at Zhongli An, "Since you say you know yourself and your enemy, do you know why Xiao Yan reorganized Chang'an?"
Zhong Li'an's words caught in his throat. Looking at Zhong Li Shuo's smiling and expectant gaze, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, lowering his eyes to blow on the tea leaves floating in his teacup.
Seeing this, Bai Ming shook his head helplessly, chuckled, peeled the orange in his hand, then cut it in half and handed it to Yang Xiao.
"Thank you," Yang Xiao took the orange, smiled and nodded at Bai Ming, then leaned against the table, gently peeling the orange segments in her hand. She looked at Zhong Li'an and Zhong Li Shuo beside her and teased, "Yu De, you're so tactless."
Upon hearing this, Qi Kun pointed at Yang Xiao, both amused and exasperated, "Your words are even more tactless."
"Alright, Gu Fan," Zhong Li'an put down his teacup, looked at everyone with a look of satisfaction, and waved to Qi Kun, "Don't hit children during the New Year."
Everyone laughed upon hearing this. Zhongli Shuo was about to explain when he suddenly stood up as if he had just remembered something, looking at Zhongli An with delight, "Hey? Brother, is it New Year's? When is it?"
“You,” Zhongli An chuckled and tapped Zhongli Shuo, “have you lost your mind in the war? Look at the city, everywhere is decorated with red banners and red lanterns. In a few days, it will be New Year’s Eve.”
"So fast?" Yang Xiao stood up excitedly upon hearing this, turned around to look at everyone, and then looked up at Zhong Li'an. "How come it feels like the winter solstice was just past before we set out, and now it's almost New Year's?"
Zhong Li'an shook his head with a helpless smile, but for some reason a trace of pity appeared in his eyes. "You are all busy fighting and training troops, working hard day and night. How could you remember the days?"
"Time flies," Yang Xiao exclaimed with delight. Holding the half-orange Bai Ming had given her, she sat back down and glanced at Cen Xun with a smile. "When Tongxi came, it was still late autumn, and now it's almost the end of the year. So, Tongxi," Yang Xiao leaned against Cen Xun's arm, "are you going back to Jiangnan this year?"
Cen Xun looked up, smiled, and shook his head. "Of course I'm not going back. This is my first time spending the New Year in the North. With you and Yu De here, and everyone else here too, why would I want to go back?"
"Great!" Yang Xiao stood up happily and nodded to Zhong Lishuo, who was equally excited. "How about it, Yude, why don't we take advantage of these next few days to tidy up the governor's office too?" She turned to Bai Ming and asked, "Why don't you come along, Zhaoqing?"
“Sure,” Bai Ming nodded and readily agreed, “but I don’t have much talent for decorating a house, so I can only help you out.”
Yang Xiao smiled and nodded at him, then looked up at Zhong Li'an, "The inscriptions and such will be left to the lord, the master, and our talented Tongxi."
"You," Qi Kun chuckled and tapped Yang Xiao, "why do you get so excited when we talk about the New Year?"
Zhong Li'an looked at the lively group of people in front of him and couldn't help but laugh heartily, shaking his head. "Sure enough, kids really love the New Year." He looked up at Yang Xiao with a smile, "We'll take on the task you assigned us."
“My lord, if we are children,” Bai Ming smiled at Zhong Li’an, “aren’t you the same?”
“Alright, alright,” Zhong Li’an nodded with a gentle smile, “We all are.” He looked up at Yang Xiao, “By the way, Lingyu, the tent we set up for our last celebration banquet hasn’t been taken down yet. I heard that you personally hung the red ribbons and other decorations on it. How about we turn it into a flower tent and have a craftsman put on an iron flower show?”
“Great!” Yang Xiao nodded happily, then pondered for a while, “I’m afraid that won’t be enough. My lord, you don’t need to worry about these things. I’ll take care of it. Trust me.”
“Alright, alright,” Zhong Li’an nodded with a smile, “Then I’ll wait and see.”
Everyone burst into laughter, and amidst the merriment, firecrackers announcing the arrival of spring rang out from outside the courtyard, shattering the festive atmosphere of the year's end.
-
As the year draws to a close and the New Year approaches, the world is once again filled with joy and harmony. Even in times of chaos, all the major powers have ceased their fighting and are looking forward to the New Year. Even Xiao Yan, the most "notorious" figure in the region, only colluded with Chen Rang of Nanyang to test the waters, and then disappeared without a trace.
It's as if all the heroes in this chaotic world are tacitly protecting the few remaining moments of joy and peace in the world.
The shouts of vendors echoed through the streets, past the red lanterns hanging on the doors and windows of every household. The west wind, unlike its usual biting wind, gently swept up the firecracker debris scattered on the ground. Red banners fluttered in the wind, and before anyone knew it, a festive and lively atmosphere enveloped the entire Jizhou.
Amidst the continuous hawking cries, the sounds of suona horns and gongs suddenly broke the silence. People put down the New Year's goods they were buying and turned to look at the distance. They saw a caravan of carriages slowly approaching from the end of the road, each horse adorned with red ribbons tied with red flowers, bobbing along with the sound of hooves.
The leader, dressed in a black robe, rode a tall horse, with a red headband tied around his head and reins wrapped around his hands. He clasped his hands in greeting to the surging crowd.
"Oh my, whose young lady is getting married?" A curious commoner stood on tiptoe and waved to the approaching carriage caravan.
This shout prompted the villagers to ask questions, and curiosity and blessings surged forth, causing a stir in the crowd.
"Fellow villagers!" The man riding a tall horse clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd and said, "As the year draws to a close, I, Xue Chang, have been sent to Jizhou by the will of Mr. Cen Fei of Jiangnan to deliver Miss Cen's dowry. I am here to parade it through the streets and invite you all to share in the joy."
The already bustling streets and alleys suddenly erupted in chaos again, with passersby drawn to Xue Chang's convoy, which quickly blocked the entire alleyway.
"Miss Cen's dowry? Who is Miss Cen?" The confused woman, carrying a basket, turned to ask her friend beside her.
"You don't even know who Miss Cen is?" Her friend nudged her with her elbow. "She's the one who traveled all over the country to seek refuge with Magistrate Lunhong."
Upon hearing this, the woman nodded as if she had suddenly realized something. "So it's Miss Tongxi! I didn't expect it to be her. I thought she was some rich young lady. Sigh," the woman rubbed her hands together and looked up at Xue Chang's convoy. "You know what, Miss Tongxi and General Yude, these two young people are truly a match made in heaven."
“Indeed,” her friend immediately became interested. “General Yude is young and vigorous, with a cheerful and forthright personality. He has achieved so many military exploits without a single defeat, even though he is only in his early twenties. Miss Tongxi is the same. She is a girl who came all the way from home to the north. She learned a great deal in Jiangnan and is proficient in military strategy and tactics. After coming to the north, she has not lost her gentle and refined manners, nor has she become as spoiled and willful as a rich young lady. On the contrary, she is very approachable.”
"Fellow villagers!" Xue Chang stood on the saddle bridge, his face beaming with joy as he clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd before him and said loudly, "I will certainly pass on your blessings to Miss Cen. Thank you all for your kindness!" The crowd that had been swarming over quieted down slightly upon hearing this and looked up at Xue Chang with great interest.
"Please make way for me, everyone. If this delays my journey," Xue Chang said with a smile, clasping his hands in a fist salute, "I'm afraid Lord Lun Hong will be displeased."
Upon hearing this, the people nodded and made way. Amidst laughter and commotion, the once-congested streets gradually revealed their true nature, and the crowd that had flocked there slowly retreated to the sides of the streets, looking up at Xue Chang's convoy with great interest.
Seeing this, Xue Chang smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the people, "Thank you, fellow villagers. I came from Jiangnan and brought some candy with me. I wish you all good fortune and smooth sailing in the coming year!" After saying this, he nodded to the side, and his attendant understood and opened his bag, scattering candy among the people, "Please don't crowd, share this candy with everyone, so that everyone gets some!"
And so, amidst the resounding gongs and drums, the magnificent motorcade, like a dragon, wound its way through the bustling streets, adding a touch of joy and brilliance to the past year.
-
When Xue Chang arrived at the governor's office, Zhong Li'an had already heard the news and had lined up a crowd to wait for him at the gate.
The governor's office was already adorned with colorful lanterns and curtains, making the pavilion standing in the center of the city even more festive and grand. The high-hanging red lanterns and flower-decorated plaques attracted the attention of passersby like heralds of spring, making it impossible to look away and unconsciously immersing them in the joyful and peaceful atmosphere.
"Gentlemen," he said, bowing to the crowd from his seat on the bridge, his face beaming with delight, "how have you been?"
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