Chapter 11 Old Things
When Shangguan Qing was old enough to understand, her mother left the prime minister's residence and went to a Taoist temple outside the capital. She ignored the chaos and wentssip and devoted herself to enlightenment. Even as her mother's biological daughter, she could only see her briefly during the New Year. As time went by, her admiration for her mother faded.
Her father was usually busy with government affairs, and in his spare time he would only carefully teach the young masters in the mansion, and never paid attention to them, his daughters. Fortunately, although her father had several concubines, the family was not harmonious. She had spent these years in her own courtyard, reading and painting, and had lived a comfortable life. In her early years, because of her mother, she had become less concerned about these worldly affairs.
When she was fourteen, Shangguan Qing went to the Xinglin Poetry Gathering of young ladies from aristocratic families in the capital on a whim. She sat bored under a tree and casually drew the pedestrians on the other side of the river on paper. She never thought that she would be called a talented woman because of this.
On her sixteenth birthday, her father returned home early to tell her that General Zhenyuan was about to return to the capital and that the emperor wanted to grant her a marriage. As clever as Shangguan Qing was, she understood immediately that the person to be married off was probably the daughter of the prime minister's family, and she was the only one in the mansion who was of marriageable age. The other concubines hesitated several times, but she sighed bitterly, thinking that marrying anyone was no different, so she took the initiative and requested the match.
After the imperial edict came down, she found out that the man she was going to marry was the second son who was rumored to be noncompetitive and not liked by the general.
On the day of her wedding, she was led into the bridal chamber by her future husband. When the veil was lifted, she looked up and saw the person in front of her pouring tea. Just as she was wondering, she heard, "You and I have never met, so naturally we have no feelings for each other. Although it is difficult to disobey the emperor's will, if I am not in this general's mansion, there is no need to obey. Since my mother passed away last year, I have no attachment to this capital city. I am determined to live in the mountains and rivers. In a few days, I will find an opportunity to leave my hometown. You and I meet for the first time today. I don't want to insult your innocence in vain, so I hope you can understand."
Shangguan Qing couldn't help but find it funny after hearing this. Wasn't this person afraid that she would leak the news? She didn't know whether it was because of naiveté or trust. However, these words really pleased her. "My husband has such courage, so what should I be afraid of? But I have one request. You can leave, but you must take me with you. Why? Are you the only one allowed to admire the mountains and rivers?"
From that day on, the two began actively planning their departure. On the day they returned home, they each left a letter, stating their intention to retreat from the world, and then departed in style. Initially fearing pursuit and arrest, they hired a carriage and took a narrow path, finally stopping at Jiuqu County. However, they were unaware that, despite their noble status, their position within their family, or even within the capital, was truly insignificant. Seeing their own ideas, the Prime Minister and the General assumed they were simply youthful and frivolous, believing they would return naturally after suffering some hardship, and so they let them go.
"From now on, you and I are no longer husband and wife. We are far apart. Take care, young lady."
It was unexpected that the second son of the dignified General Zhenyuan was actually a girl. Thinking of how the man told her frankly when he left, Shangguan Qing felt that this marriage was extremely absurd.
A few days had passed since they had separated that day, and for convenience, she had bought a few long gowns and, imitating the man's appearance, disguised herself as a man. That day, a large crowd gathered in front of the restaurant, so she went over to take a look and saw that it was the county magistrate's daughter who was looking for the teacher.
Unlike Gu Wan, who hadn't risked everything, she had taken a lot of banknotes with her when she left. Even if she was frugal, she could still live on for the rest of her life. However, finding something to do seemed like a good idea. After a moment's thought, she reached out and uncovered the notice.
After more than a year of detours, she claimed to be Li Yuan. Although her identity was full of loopholes, no one suspected her. Li Yuan was transferred to the side courtyard of the Hu Mansion. This was because the strong-willed eldest daughter was favored by the Hu County Magistrate. Although they belonged to the same mansion, they had established their own family. Fortunately, the eldest daughter was born with intelligence and was quite successful in business.
Arriving at the front hall, seeing the person reclining on the bench, Li Yuan suddenly understood that the reason she was so safe and sound was probably because of the care of this young lady. The corners of his mouth subconsciously rose, and he said loudly, "Young lady, I'm back."
"Oh? I wonder how the investigation went, sir, and whether the man is reliable." Hu Ziyan raised her eyebrows. This troublesome man made her unable to sleep well all night.
"Don't worry, Miss. Brother Gu and I are old acquaintances. He is a very reliable person. This deal can be done," Li Yuan said with raised eyebrows.
"Oh, then I'll listen to you, sir. I'm a little tired today, so I'll go back to my room and take a nap. You can prepare some paper and pen and draw me sleeping in front of the bed.
Li Yuan frowned, but said nothing. She had been in the Hu Mansion for more than a year, and the eldest lady was extremely indulgent to her. There was only one thing that was not negotiable, and that was that she had to paint a picture for her every once in a while, and the people in the paintings were all Hu Ziyan.
Hu Ziyan was lying on the bed, thinking about what that person had just said. He had never heard her talk about her old friend before, and her identity was really suspicious. Alas, it was her fault that she fell in love with that person at first sight. She didn't know who that Mr. Gu was to her. Thinking of this, she lost the desire to sleep.
"Sir, I'm a little cold and can't sleep. Can you come to the bed and warm me up?" Hu Ziyan said pitifully.
"Miss, I've told you so many times that men and women should be very careful with each other. This is not allowed." Li Yuan regretted entering the house again. In the past, she was often tricked by this young lady into warming the bed, and even her identity was exposed.
Hu Ziyan thought it was ridiculous. "Stop talking nonsense. There are no outsiders here. We are both women. What's the point of saying that men and women should be separated? Come up quickly."
Li Yuan knew that although the eldest daughter was loved by the county magistrate, her relationship with her mother was average. In the past, he just thought that she was in love with her mother, but recently she seemed to be too dependent on him. Sometimes he felt as if she was flirting with him. After struggling for a long time, he finally compromised and went to bed with her.
As soon as she lay down, the person next to her came over and a pair of hot hands wandered around her body in an unruly manner. Li Yuan felt as if her body was on fire. She had been well-behaved for more than ten years, but this young lady had pushed her bottom line again and again.
"Sir—Sir—Mr—" Hu Ziyan murmured the name of the person in her arms. The person she had been thinking about for a year was letting her do whatever she wanted. She couldn't bear it anymore. She turned over and pressed Li Yuan under her. Without waiting for the person to react, she took the opportunity to kiss her neck.
The breathing sounds intertwined with each other became clearer and more rapid, as if they could no longer feel anything except each other's heartbeat and breathing.
"No, Miss, no." Li Yuan pushed her off his body with difficulty, hurriedly put on his clothes, and fled.
Hu Ziyan hit the pillow in anger. She let you run away this time, and next time she would ask Yu'er to buy some pills. She was afraid that you would not give in then. She secretly planned that she must confirm her relationship with this man before the New Year to feel at ease.
Li Yuan hurried back to her room and gulped down half a pot of water. She vaguely knew that the young lady seemed to have other thoughts about her, but she always stopped at a certain point every time. Today was the first time. She had thought about leaving many times, but when she thought of the person's bright eyes and kind face, she couldn't bear to leave. Could it be that she also... But, they can't be together.
Suddenly I thought of Liu Yiner, the eldest sister-in-law from Liujia Village yesterday. It seemed that the woman was already in deep trouble. Then what about Gu Wan? It seemed that I would have to ask for her advice in a few days.
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The author has something to say:
I'm very sad, a student who is about to graduate~
I can't update daily! I'm very ashamed of this and am currently reviewing and revising my writing.
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