Chapter 126 Amidst the Clouds (Sixteen) The refreshing scent of soapberry enveloped me...
At the banquet, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Wei Yuanzhan did not abandon etiquette; he simply reached out and pulled Zhirou closer before releasing his grip.
They walked in silence to the outside of the banquet hall, where the noise subsided. Wei Yuanzhan slowed his pace and walked beside her, asking, "Don't you find this scene familiar?"
"What?" Zhi Rou turned her head to look at him.
The night wind slanted the torchlight, casting dappled shadows on the boy's face, making him so handsome that it was hard to look away.
"It's really not easy to see you and say a few words to you."
Since the two spent the night in the marshland, it was a rare occasion for them to meet again. Even though they did meet, they spoke very little, their conversation could be counted on one hand. It couldn't help but remind one of Chuzhou back then.
Zhi Rou understood his complaint and smiled, "We've said more than just two sentences already, Prince Wei should be content."
Wei Yuanzhan couldn't help but smile, glancing around out of the corner of his eye, and tilting his head slightly: "Stay close to me."
After saying that, he strode off. He was tall and had long legs, so it wasn't difficult for Changhuai and the others to keep up with him. However, Zhirou couldn't walk as fast as him, and in a short while, she was already quite a distance behind him.
Wei Yuanzhan walked a while, then stopped, and the long curtains along the roadside passed by like a revolving lantern, until finally they came to an end.
All was quiet. The torchlight illuminated the tents, while the surrounding woods were pitch black, like the gaping maw of a beast, drool dripping down and seeping into the soil.
Wei Yuanzhan stopped and looked at Zhirou, raising his chin slightly towards Lin Zi: "Are you afraid?"
Zhi Rou lifted her eyebrows, lingered for a moment on the secluded and dark mountain path, then pulled off her boots and walked forward.
He followed, grabbed her sleeve, and raised his other hand behind him. Lan Ye immediately placed the handle of a palace lantern into his palm.
The swaying yellow light encircled the path beneath our feet, and this shimmering glow in the forest resembled a bright moon hanging alone in the sky.
Changhuai and the other man followed at a distance.
A gentle voice came from above: "What are your thoughts on His Majesty bestowing a bow upon you?"
Throughout history, when emperors entrusted their weapons to others, their intentions were limited to a few: to praise their bravery, to entrust them with important responsibilities, or to issue explicit or implicit warnings.
For a subject, bestowing weapons demonstrates the emperor's deep favor upon him, and others are not allowed to humiliate him lightly; for a general, the one wielding the sword can exercise the power of execution on behalf of the emperor, which is entrusted by the emperor's heart.
"I am neither an official in the court nor a valiant general on the battlefield. Your Majesty and I have just met today. Surely you can't have taken a liking to me because of my appearance?" Zhi Rou chuckled lightly, her tone sounding rather nonchalant.
Wei Yuanzhan glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her partially visible face. He noticed her eyelashes drooping, like a handful of dark goose feathers.
“Father’s complexion has been rather poor tonight, which is likely related to His Majesty’s bestowal of the bow. If…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head, not continuing.
She had met the Empress before, and her dignified presence had instilled fear in her. But tonight at the banquet, when the emperor, who held the power of life and death, appeared in her field of vision, she didn't know where she got the courage, but she raised her head and met his gaze from afar.
He caught a glint of something in his eyes as she peered at him, but it vanished in an instant. She also heard her third sister calling out and quickly lowered her eyes.
In the brief moment of her gaze, she clearly sensed something amiss and struggled to maintain her composure.
Upon hearing this, Wei Yuanzhan did not press the matter further, but only advised, "The Emperor's intentions are unpredictable. Your high profile tonight... is ultimately a troublesome matter. You should avoid meeting with Su Du for the next few days."
If this were seized upon by someone with ulterior motives, it would be a threat to both Zhi Rou and the Song family. Song Congzhao has served as an official for many years, holding a high position and wielding great power, and it is inevitable that there are those in the court who would covet his shortcomings. Once Zhi Rou's true identity is exposed, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor for the Song family.
There is no need for Your Majesty to personally set up eyes and ears to observe Zhi Rou's every move; there are people who can observe her more thoroughly and attentively than the palace's hawks and hounds.
Zhi Rou suddenly remembered Jing Yao.
If things had gone smoothly, she should have left the palace to start her own business, but instead she was drawn in by Huai Xian and kept by her side.
Although Huai Xian was arrogant and spoiled, he was not unreasonable.
Back in Beili, she could tell that Huai Xian regretted including her in the list of those to be married off, but his arrogant nature prevented him from admitting it.
She had promised to release Jingyao from her post, and she wouldn't easily break her promise. So why did she speak like that today? It seemed as if she was displeased with her and deliberately trying to annoy her.
A chill ran through her stomach. Zhi Rou dared not think about it further, clenching her knuckles tightly to suppress the discomfort before raising her eyes to respond to Wei Yuanzhan.
He is not in the capital.
Her boots clicked slowly forward, her voice as soft as willow catkins: "He went to Qinyang a few days ago, I think he was going to see his maternal grandfather..."
The last syllable was suddenly swallowed up; it seemed that Su Du's words had invaded her mind, and she began to avoid them as well.
Wei Yuanzhan couldn't fathom what Zhi Rou was thinking at that moment, but he could only guess at the meaning behind her words and asked, "Do you want to go too?"
After all, they are blood relatives; perhaps she wants to get to know them.
“If so, as I said, I can stay with you,” he continued.
Zhi Rou paused slightly, while Wei Yuanzhan continued walking forward as usual. After a moment, he stopped and turned to look back.
In the darkness, there were only two dim lamps echoing each other from afar. Now, from who knows where, tiny sparks of light have appeared. At first, they were like scattered jade pieces, flickering on and off. Then, the light spots multiplied and shimmered like a tide.
Zhi Rou stood quietly among the stars, her eyes suddenly brightening. She smiled innocently and said, "Wei Yuanzhan, look!"
His gaze lingered on the girl's face, never leaving it, and then a smile appeared on his face.
Zhi Rou walked up and said, "They look like stars."
Wei Yuanzhan nodded in agreement: "Beautiful."
Changhuai and his companion followed behind with great restraint. They could see the outlines of their master and the fourth young lady, but could not hear a single word of conversation.
The boots creaked underfoot as Lan Ye cautiously surveyed his surroundings, grabbing a lamppost at the slightest sound, seeing danger everywhere.
"Why do you think I'm going to walk into these deep mountains? I just came down from the banquet without even bringing a knife. If a snake jumps out... no, I need to find a stick."
Seeing this, Chang Huai rolled his eyes in disgust. When he called to him, he didn't move, so he simply went up and kicked him. Lan Ye immediately jumped up and glared at him.
Chang Huai couldn't help but sneer: "I'm clearing the way for you, what are you afraid of? If you keep groping around like this, you'll only 'stir up trouble'."
Her thoughts were outlined by the fireflies, and Zhi Rou's face was no longer gloomy. She pushed aside the tangled branches, each step landing with a sense of certainty. Wei Yuanzhan, however, was exceptionally cautious, holding a lantern to illuminate her path.
The two chatted idly for a while, and as they were about to venture deeper into the forest, Wei Yuanzhan suddenly grabbed Zhirou's wrist and pulled her towards him: "Don't go any further. Aren't you afraid of encountering wild animals out hunting for food?"
He then led her back.
At this moment, the chirping of insects gradually subsided, clusters of firelight flickered, the silhouettes of tents were cast on the ground, and occasionally the sounds of armor clashing could be heard.
Zhi Rou stopped and looked toward the fire in the distance. Ling Cunyu's figure was too conspicuous, as straight as a bamboo joint.
Wei Yuanzhan followed her gaze, raised his eyebrows slightly, and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"
“That General Ling,” Zhi Rou began, “I feel like I’ve met him somewhere before…”
At first, I didn't notice, but now, gazing at her back, it seemed I'd seen her somewhere before. But General Ling had just returned, and she had only recently returned to the capital. If it was a chance encounter, where exactly had it happened?
"Perhaps I've misremembered." Zhi Rou turned her head, looked up at Wei Yuanzhan, and smiled, "So it's not that our dynasty doesn't have female officials?"
"There's no precedent for this."
Seeing Zhi Rou turn south, he couldn't help but frown: "Where are you going?"
That was a strange question. Zhi Rou turned around and glanced at him for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh: "Weren't you going to take me home?"
“…Yes.” Wei Yuanzhan responded slowly, then changed the subject, “It’s still early, you…”
The interplay of light and shadow fell on his face, his eyes seemed to shimmer, and his handsome and clear appearance became inexplicably gentle, as if he were reserved, yet his eyes were fixed on her without wavering.
That expression was as if it were already a request.
Zhi Rou pursed her lips and smiled again, then put her sleeves behind her back and said cheerfully, "Okay, then wait for me."
When I saw Zhi Rou again, she had changed into a narrow-sleeved, round-necked robe, with a sachet and jade pendant hanging from her waist. They bumped slightly as she walked, making her look like a dashing young nobleman.
Wei Yuanzhan slowly withdrew his gaze, and when she came up to stand beside him, he said casually, "Fourth Young Master, you never forget to prepare new clothes wherever you go. You've planned this all far ahead."
Hearing his teasing laugh, Zhi Rou casually straightened her sleeves, raised her face, and asked, "How am I? Am I dashing?"
Her shadow lingered at his feet. He turned his face away and chuckled softly, then slowed his pace, deliberately avoiding stepping on "her": "With your celestial beauty beside me, I truly feel ashamed of myself."
Zhi Rou smiled and, as if she were the host, led him to his own tent.
Changhuai and Lanye stopped at the tent entrance and stood on either side. Inside the tent, there were only the two of them, Wei Yuanzhan, and even though it was spacious, they felt cramped.
On the long table sat a horizontal sword. Zhi Rou glanced at it for a few moments, then reached out and removed the scabbard. She ran her fingertip lightly across the blade before averting her gaze: "Unsharpened, newly acquired?"
Wei Yuanzhan sat down at the lower end of the table, his gaze lingering briefly on her face as he smiled and said, "It was a gift from His Highness the Imperial Grandson. If you like it, you can have it."
Upon hearing that it was a gift from the imperial grandson, Zhi Rou raised her eyes almost imperceptibly, and said in a proper tone, "I dare not accept it."
I guessed she was thinking of His Majesty, so I didn't say anything more.
After a moment of silence, the image of her and Song Qizhang sitting side by side suddenly appeared before her eyes. Wei Yuanzhan pondered for a while and then said, "At the banquet just now, you and Song Qizhang were drinking there, being very careful. If you really want to drink, come to me later."
Zhi Rou looked him over carefully and chuckled, "Have you been watching me the whole time?"
Wei Yuanzhan's brow twitched slightly, but he remained silent, pursing his lips.
Zhi Rou had no intention of embarrassing him, but seeing his awkwardness, she found it somewhat amusing, as if the tall and imposing young man had suddenly shrunk a few sizes and sat there upright.
As if by some strange twist of fate, she suddenly called out, "Zhanzhan."
Wei Yuanzhan was taken aback, his hands on his knees clenched tightly until a slight blush appeared on the skin behind his ears and the sides of his neck, before he lowered his voice and told her, "Don't call me that."
Zhi Rou noticed his change in reaction and couldn't help but laugh. Her voice was gentle, but Wei Yuanzhan only felt annoyed by it.
"Why not? Don't you also call me 'Zhirou'?"
She crossed her arms, her back casually resting against the long table; no one could be more carefree and flamboyant than her.
Zhi Rou braced her hands on the table, a dry, warm palm pressing down on the back of her hands and pinning her long fingers.
She was slightly surprised, her eyelashes fluttered, and her clear, bright eyes gazed at him silently.
The robes were so close that he completely trapped her. She could feel the weight of the robes trailing in front of her, and even clearly sense her legs almost touching beneath them. The powerful force penetrated the fabric, and Zhirou's limbs stiffened, unable to move.
The air seemed to freeze.
Wei Yuanzhan was ruthless and domineering. He looked at her, his eyelashes trembling slightly, as if he were somewhat hesitant.
I clearly didn't want her to speak, but being stared at like that, I inexplicably longed to hear something from her.
An unprecedented urge to destroy arose one after another.
Wei Yuanzhan's Adam's apple bobbed, he paused for a few breaths, and then loosened his grip on his fingertips.
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