Chapter 147 Mutual Appreciation
Lu Lingfeng sheathed his sword, rode closer, and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Su, are you alright? Are you injured anywhere?"
Su Qingci gazed in the direction where the assassin had disappeared into the dense forest.
When he turned around again, his face showed signs of shock, and his eyes still held lingering fear. He replied softly, "I'm fine. Thank you for saving me, Vice Minister Lu."
"It is only right to do what is right when you see injustice, Lord Su, there is no need to be so polite."
Su Qingci feigned a look of lingering fear, "If it weren't for Vice Minister Lu's chance passing by today, I'm afraid I would have been in grave danger. But... how did you end up here?"
Lu Lingfeng smiled, his tone natural.
"Today I accompanied my mother to the Great Ci'en Temple to pray for blessings. We had just come down the mountain when we heard the sound of weapons clashing. I immediately sensed something was wrong and rushed over to check, just in time to find out what was happening."
He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat wistful.
"The world is going to the dogs these days. There are even bandits on the mountain roads outside the capital who dare to be so brazen."
These words, spoken so casually, have already defined this whole affair as "banditry."
Su Qingci understood, but on her face, she gently furrowed her brows, revealing a hint of worry.
"Yes, I didn't expect the outskirts of Beijing to be so unsafe. I was careless today."
"Lord Su, there's no need to blame yourself," Lu Lingfeng comforted him. "In the future, it's best to bring more people with you when you travel, to avoid encountering such danger again."
Su Qingci responded softly, her voice filled with gratitude, "Thank you for reminding me, Vice Minister Lu. I've remembered it."
Lu Lingfeng looked at her and added with a smile, "However, just now I saw that although Lord Su was surprised, she was not flustered. Many men may not be able to match this composure, which I truly admire."
Su Qingci lowered her eyes, feigning some embarrassment.
"Minister Lu, you flatter me. I was merely putting on a brave face. It is you who are truly fortunate to have my assistance today, with your superb swordsmanship and agile movements."
"These are just some self-defense skills, not worthy of such praise from Lord Su."
Lu Lingfeng spoke humbly, but his gaze never left her face.
"Lord Su is highly trusted by His Majesty and the Princess. It is my great fortune to have the opportunity to get to know you."
His admiration was almost overflowing, and Su Qingci could easily understand the deeper meaning behind it, but she still followed along with his words.
“Minister Lu is truly a young and promising man. He became the Minister of Rites at a young age. When people in the court mention you, who doesn’t praise you as a young talent? I’m just lucky to have received His Highness’s patronage. It’s nothing special.”
Lu Lingfeng's smile deepened, and his words became even gentler.
"Her Highness the Princess has a discerning eye. For Lord Su to be valued by her, he must have extraordinary abilities. If there is an opportunity in the future, I would like to learn more from Lord Su."
"Lord Lu's words are too kind."
Su Qingci waved her hand quickly, her tone full of gratitude.
"You saved me today, and I will remember this kindness. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask, and I will do my best."
The two complimented each other, their words filled with mutual appreciation, but deep in their eyes, they each harbored their own thoughts.
Lu Lingfeng wanted to use the "life-saving grace" to get closer to Su Qingci, who pretended to be overwhelmed by gratitude and acted along with him.
It wasn't until Xiao Si gently reminded him from the side, "Master, it's getting late."
Su Qingci then said, "Look at me, I was so busy talking that I neglected the important matter."
Lu Lingfeng immediately replied, his tone full of consideration, "It's getting late, why don't I escort Lord Su back to his residence? That way we can avoid encountering the same danger we just faced."
He was secretly planning that if he could spend more time together under the guise of escorting her, he might be able to win Su Qingci's favor more quickly.
Su Qingci raised an eyebrow at him, a half-smile on her face, and said, "There's no need to trouble Minister Lu. I suppose the bad guys have already been driven away by Minister Lu, so how could there be any danger?"
Lu Lingfeng's heart raced a little from that glance, and the words he had just prepared got stuck in his throat. He could only stammer, "Then... Lord Su, please take care. I won't take up any more of your time."
Su Qingci said no more and turned his horse around.
Before leaving, she suddenly turned back and smiled.
"I would like to thank Vice Minister Lu again for his help today. I will definitely pay a special visit to express my gratitude when I have time another day."
"You're too kind, Lord Su. It was nothing at all. Well then... goodbye."
Lu Lingfeng quickly cupped his hands in greeting, his gaze following her figure.
Only when that blue dress disappeared around the bend in the mountain path did the gentle smile on his face slowly fade, and his eyes gradually darkened.
The "hero saves the beauty" arrangement made by the Third Princess seems to have had some effect.
But Su Qingci's attitude always seemed a bit unpredictable. Did she really remember this "kindness"?
However, she was just one woman. Countless women in the capital had shown him their affections, and he refused to believe that he couldn't win her over.
Moreover, Su Qingci is not only beautiful, but also exceptionally talented, and is the first female official in the Great Qi Dynasty.
If he could marry her, he could not only gain manpower for Prime Minister Cui and the Third Princess, but also have a wife who is both talented and beautiful. It would be a win-win situation from both a moral and logical standpoint.
He gazed down the mountain path, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.
Once they were a distance from that troublesome place, Xiao Si couldn't hold back any longer and approached Su Qingci's horse, bluntly saying, "Master, that Vice Minister Lu is not a good person!"
Su Qingci was somewhat surprised to hear this.
How come this person suddenly developed a brain?
She turned to the side, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Oh? Tell me, how did you figure that out?"
Xiao Si frowned. "His smile is fake. He looks like a bad guy."
Su Qingci couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this.
Oh, she was overthinking it; she thought he had finally come to his senses.
Xiao Si continued, "Moreover, the assassins just now ran away as soon as Minister Lu appeared. They didn't even really exchange blows, so... he's not very skilled."
These words startled Su Qingci for a moment before she realized what they meant.
Xiao Si was refuting her earlier "praise" of Lu Lingfeng.
She couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile, her tone becoming more playful.
"I didn't expect you to be so observant. But it's amusing that you could spot something was off, yet some people insist on putting on such a clumsy act with such relish."
Xiao Si blinked, looking completely bewildered. "Master, what kind of show is this? Is it like the kind performed on a stage?"
Su Qingci looked at his bewildered expression and shook her head with a smile: "Forget it, why bother telling you all this? Just remember to stay away from that Vice Minister Lu in the future."
As she was speaking, she suddenly remembered Xiao Si's reminder earlier, and softened her tone, praising him with genuine sincerity.
"But you were quick-witted just now, knowing to remind me by saying it was getting late, otherwise I would have wasted some more time with him, which would have been really pointless."
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Si said earnestly, "Master, it really is getting late! Look, the sun is almost setting behind the mountains. If we don't go down soon, it will get dark and we won't be able to see the potholes on the mountain path, and..."
He scratched his head, his voice tinged with embarrassment, "I left in such a hurry today that I forgot to bring a tinderbox. If it's really dark, it will be difficult to walk on the mountain path. My mother is still waiting for me to come back for dinner."
Su Qingci paused for a moment, then sighed and patted Xiao Si's shoulder.
"Let's hurry on our way, or I'll be in big trouble if I delay your return home for dinner."
"Okay!"
Xiao Si smiled and agreed, immediately increasing the horse's speed.
Two fine horses galloped down the mountain path as dusk fell.
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