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Are you injured?
Before Song Ling could close the door, the person behind her impatiently grabbed her and pressed her down.
Then he pressed the woman against the door, showering her with kisses filled with longing and love, swallowing all the unspoken words she wanted to say.
...
After a long while, the originally intense night rain gradually turned into a gentle warm breeze. Yu Baizhou gently turned over, trying to absorb all the woman's scent to make up for the bitterness of not seeing her for more than half a year.
With her eyes closed, Song Ling skillfully found and kneaded the man's sensitive earlobe, gently returning the kiss.
Until the man pulled her into his arms again, the words that came out of his mouth were so familiar that they seemed to have been rehearsed thousands of times in his mind.
"Ah Ling, let's get married."
After saying this, Yu Baizhou's heart pounded erratically. He feared receiving the same polite refusal as two years ago. But now that the rebellion had been quelled, she shouldn't have any reason to refuse him.
"Okay." Song Ling's lips curled up slightly. "Let's get married."
"Really?" Yu Baizhou was so excited that he grabbed her waist and spun her around twice. He wasn't even this excited when he won a battle.
"Are you really going to agree?"
"I already promised A-Zhou that we would get married when the world was at peace." Song Ling smiled and raised her hand to stroke his cheek. "A gentleman's promise is his bond."
"Then I'll have people prepare tomorrow. When...when will we get married?"
In fact, General Yu has matured a lot in the past two years. At least to outsiders, he will always be the stern and majestic new emperor.
But in front of Song Ling, he unconsciously let down all his guard and became the General Yu who could make her laugh, sometimes sulk, and sometimes be somewhat domineering.
Looking into his determined, bright eyes, Song Ling smiled gently: "Anytime."
"It's fine for A-Zhou to think about it tonight."
Having been together for so long, Song Ling blurted out Yu Baizhou's name, and she knew she wasn't simply talking about marriage...
"Today is too hasty. I can wait two years." Yu Baizhou gently kissed the corner of her lips: "What's a few more days?"
“A-Zhou,” Song Ling took his hand and said softly, “Two years ago you gave me two imperial edicts asking for my choice. Now I still want to give you the same answer: I have no intention of entering the harem.”
"I know." Yu Baizhou pressed her down into the chair, lowered his head and nibbled at her earlobe.
"I've thought about it. A-Ling is still the most suitable person to be the prime minister. Everyone in the court knows that A-Ling is my wife. They are angry, but they don't have A-Ling's talent. So there's no need to care what they say."
“We’ll get married at the Prime Minister’s residence.” He smiled and nuzzled Song Ling’s neck. “At worst, I can come and live at the Prime Minister’s residence someday.”
"Ah Ling, please don't kick me out."
Song Ling poked his chest and said with a hint of teasing, "If His Majesty doesn't do anything wrong, why would he be afraid of me kicking you out?"
"Heaven and earth bear witness!" Yu Baizhou held out his hand. "I've been obedient."
Song Ling couldn't help but laugh out loud.
At this moment, Yu Baizhou took out a stack of land deeds and property from his pocket. “I have already distributed a lot of land to the people in accordance with our newly issued land decree. These are the proceeds from the confiscation of the governor’s mansion and the mansions of those powerful officials. I will give them to you.”
“And this…” Yu Baizhou took out another key. “I found the old emperor’s private treasury. Go and choose whatever you like. There should be quite a few medicinal herbs there.”
Although Song Ling's health has improved a lot now, she is still a doctor after all, and Su Duan said that she has recently become obsessed with tinkering with poisons.
Song Ling crossed her arms and laughed, "Your Majesty really trusts me."
"If you don't trust your wife, it must be because you're incompetent." Yu Baizhou leaned in and kissed her lips. "Good A-Ling, let me kiss you a little longer. I'll go cook you longevity noodles later."
It gets very dark outside in winter.
His Majesty had finally returned victorious, and many officials were preparing to flatter him at the New Year's Eve banquet in the palace, but they never saw a single one of them.
Some of the officials were so restless that they got up and went to ask their Right Chancellor for information.
But Su Duan's mouth was as if it were sewn shut. He kept drinking with the people who came to ask questions, and even after they were all drunk, he didn't utter a single word.
At this moment, a young man with a slightly flushed face walked over, hesitated for a moment, glanced at Su Duan, and said, "Actually, I was extremely surprised when I met Lord Su two years ago."
"Lord Su, have you ever heard anyone say that you look very much like someone else?"
Su Duan chuckled upon hearing this: "Lord Li is not the first person to ask this question, but if I really do resemble that Prime Minister Su, then it would be my honor."
Upon hearing this, Li Yiguang paused, realizing that it wasn't just similar, it was exactly the same.
But their personalities are completely different.
After all, the former Prime Minister Su was gentle and refined, always polite and courteous to everyone. He was not like Su Duan now, so unrestrained, engaging in heated debates with the scholars in court and resorting to insults.
If Su Duan were to hear his thoughts, he would surely be pleased. After all, who among officials doesn't wear a mask?
Thinking of this, Li Yiguang smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, Lord Su. I was once kind to Prime Minister Su, so I'm always a little dazed when I see you. I'll punish myself with a cup of wine as an apology."
"No need," Su Duan said with a smile. "Lord Li is also a pillar of our dynasty." "I respect Lord Li as well."
Li Yiguang: "Perhaps we should offer a toast to His Majesty instead."
Su Duan: "Okay!"
Su Duan watched as Li Yiguang quickly raised his wine glass and chatted with his colleagues again, and sighed. He felt a pang of emotion; he was already thirty, and the student who was bullied on the street back then had now become a somewhat worldly-wise "veteran official."
"Hey, Prime Minister Su, what are you sighing about all by yourself?" Lin Qing came over carrying a wine jar: "Feeling sentimental on New Year's Eve?"
Su Duan felt a pang of sadness for a moment: "I just feel like I'm getting old."
"Stop being so sentimental, Lord Su." Lin Qing rolled his eyes and said, "Having served two dynasties, you're only thirty years old when you return. Look at those other people over there, they're all quite old but still so happy."
Su Duan followed her gaze and, sure enough, the few remaining old men from the previous dynasty were huddled together, drinking until their faces were flushed, and their goatees twitched as they laughed.
"Shall we share a jar?" Lin Qing pressed the jar down in front of him. "By the way, is Prime Minister Song really not coming?"
Su Duan looked at the large jar in front of him and twitched his lips: "I'm telling you, take it easy, you'll drink yourself to death."
"Even His Majesty hasn't come. Guess where he went?"
He's definitely staying at the Prime Minister's residence.
Lin Qing gulped down a glass of wine and gritted his teeth, saying, "We just got back from the battle, and I haven't even seen the girl yet. Instead, he snatched her away first. He even sent someone to call me to go to the palace to report on my duties. Turns out, he deliberately sent me away so he could go ahead on his own."
"Everyone else has come, and I'm supposed to go report to the ghost?"
Su Duan said quietly, "You won't come to me for a report? You're negotiating with Qiangzhou, and you've taken advantage of me, the Right Chancellor?"
Lin Qing: "Oh, I forgot about you."
Now it was Su Duan's turn to be furious. "I'm really exasperated with you. Can't you give Prime Minister Song some space? Every time he comes back, it's like he's living in the Prime Minister's residence."
Lin Qing clicked his tongue twice: "Prime Minister Song hasn't said anything yet, why are you getting so worked up?"
Su Duan said sarcastically, "I think she's just embarrassed to say it. If it were me, I would have been annoyed long ago."
"Do you think everyone is like you?" Lin Qing downed another glass of wine. "It's just that I have to go north again in a few days, otherwise I wouldn't be so angry."
Su Duan frowned: "Didn't Bingzhou want to make peace with the Shang? With Chen Hejun watching over Liangzhou, what do you need to do?"
"It's all because of that old bastard Han Yixin. He pretended to be a mediocre general, but went back on his word at the last minute." Lin Qing said angrily, "He wouldn't surrender until his daughter became empress. Everyone knows what he was up to."
"You treacherous, ambitious dog!"
Su Duan silently poured her a cup of tea: "What did His Majesty say?"
“He was afraid that Chen Hejun would agree on his behalf if he wanted to play it safe, so he asked me to take the troops with me to keep an eye on things.” Lin Qing poured himself another glass of wine and drank it: “If that Han Yixin really does gamble everything and doesn’t listen to the court, I’ll just wipe out his base.”
"He only has Bingzhou left, so even if he raises an army, it will only be a last-ditch resistance."
Su Duan smiled and said, "You're not going to stay away for another year or two this time, are you?"
Lin Qing stared at him suspiciously. "Who do you think you are?"
She gestured with her fingers and said, "At most three months. I'll either come back with a letter of surrender or bring back that old bastard Han Yixin's head to claim my reward."
"Alright, as expected of General Lin." Su Duan smiled. "General Lin has drunk half a jar, drink some water to dilute it, lest you be hungover tomorrow and can't get up, otherwise how will you go to see Prime Minister Song?"
Lin Qing's eyes were momentarily confused, then cleared again. "You're right. Song Xiang won't be coming tonight anyway, so I'll go back to sleep now."
"Go to the Prime Minister's residence early tomorrow."
"well--"
Before Su Duan could remind her to take her wine jar back, she had already left.
He shook his head helplessly, deciding to return it to her tomorrow.
The wine jugs in the palace were all exquisite, but none were as large as hers. It was said to be a war trophy that Lin Qing obtained when he attacked Jingzhou, and he treasured it immensely.
Su Duan glanced at the wine jar suspiciously, recalling how happily she had been drinking it. Was it really that delicious?
He glanced around furtively.
Then he quietly poured a little into his own bowl, took a sip, and then frowned.
It has no taste...
I took another bite, but it still had no flavor...
"Cough cough..."
Su Duan stiffened, slowly raised his head, and looked into the general's meaningful eyes.
"Um... I was worried it might spoil, so I'm giving you some." Su Duan swallowed hard. "Do you believe me?"
Lin Qing glanced at him sideways, "If you want to drink, just say so, don't be so coy. I have plenty of good wine in my manor, Lord Su, you can just ask for it directly, I'm not a stingy person."
"There's no need to sit here and taste a jar of water."
"But there's a distinct smell of wine..." Su Duan suddenly realized, "Besides that first glass of wine tonight, you drank water after that?"
Are you trying to play tricks here?
"Prime Minister Song taught me that when you're out drinking, just get three-tenths drunk and pretend to be seven-tenths drunk." Lin Qing stood up, holding the jar: "Drinking is much more enjoyable when you're at home."
"Can I go?" Su Duan quickly explained, "I mean, to drink."
Don't misunderstand.
"What's there to misunderstand?" Lin Qing put her arm around his shoulder. "Come on, come on, it'll be more fun with more people."
"This isn't quite right..."
Su Duan hesitated before following, until the Lin residence was wide open.
He saw a group of people eating barbecue in the courtyard.
"Oh? Lord Su is here too! The meat is just cooked!" Vice General Wang called out to him, taking a big bite of a chicken leg.
"I always said it's more enjoyable to drink and eat together. His Majesty isn't here, so what's the point of talking to those pedantic scholars?"
Just as Vice General Wang was about to continue, Vice General Li nudged his arm and said, "Tiezhu, Lord Su is still here."
Vice General Wang immediately apologized: "Lord Su, please don't take offense. I wasn't talking about you, nor about our Prime Minister Song."
"Also, Brother Yin, don't call me by my nickname." Deputy General Wang glanced at Deputy General Li. "It's too embarrassing."
“Alright, alright,” Li Yin said, “Dongsheng, Dongsheng, are you done?”
Su Duan only froze for a moment before quickly blending in. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lin Qing talking to her subordinates, so he joined Wang Dongsheng and the others for a drink.
“I’ll have to leave in a few days.” Wang Dongsheng sobbed as he wiped his sleeves. “The general wants to ‘exile’ me to the garrison in Youzhou. It’s better that you, Brother Yin, are able to stay and guard Jingzhou.”
"Be content," Li Yin glanced at him, "This is the general's way of showing you favor; didn't he promote you?"
"But I don't have a wife yet... I'm already twenty-four, and I still don't have one!" Wang Dongsheng said, his eyes reddening. "I've heard that the women in Youzhou are fierce, so I'm even less likely to find a gentle wife..."
"You want gentleness and tenderness too? That's quite demanding." Li Yin glanced at him. At least he knows how to be clean now, and he's lost a lot of weight from fighting. He's quite fair-skinned now.
He coughed lightly: "In a few days, I'll introduce you to your sister-in-law's cousin, but let me make this clear... it's not a formality. She has to be interested in you."
Wang Dongsheng was stunned for a moment. Was he going to have a wife?
"Brother Yin, I have no father or mother. I fled with General Yu to join the army. Waaah, if I succeed you, you will be my father!"
"Get lost, I don't have a son as big as you."
Li Yin was also puzzled. The young girl was staying at his wife's family home and was quite favored. He had been dissatisfied with several marriage proposals, but this young man would save her on her occasional outings, and she would fall in love with him at first sight.
Looking at the chuckling man, Li Yin smiled inwardly. It seemed this kid had long forgotten about doing a good deed anonymously. Perhaps this was... a case of fools having good fortune.
-
"Aren't you going back for the New Year's Eve banquet?"
Yu Baizhou calmed his breathing slightly and played with Song Ling's fingers: "I came back late this year and didn't have time to deliver the letter. Starting next year, I will postpone the state banquet to the first day of the lunar month."
"New Year's Eve should be our day."
"If you're tired, take a nap first. I'll go cook you some noodles." Yu Baizhou kissed her forehead. "I'll be back in a bit."
Seeing the woman's current appearance, Yu Baizhou's ears burned. Feigning composure, he closed the woman's clothes at her chest and quickly dressed and got out of bed.
Song Ling put on her coat and walked to the window, but a moment later, her subordinates suddenly knocked on the door.
"My lord, an old gentleman has come to visit outside the manor."
Song Ling opened the door and asked, "Have you stated your purpose for coming?"
"He said he was an old friend of yours and came to catch up with you." The subordinate handed over a dagger: "He asked me to give this to you. He said you'll understand once you see it."
His surname is Zhong.
The subordinate paused for a moment and said, "I saw that he had difficulty walking, so I asked him to wait in the reception room for a while, but he wouldn't listen. He insisted on getting your permission before he would come in."
Song Ling lowered her eyes, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar dagger in her hand with a touch of melancholy. Since her master left, Shi Yu and Qi Ying had also disappeared.
After that came Shi Jiu, Yin Lu, Qi Man, Wu Sheng, and many other people.
Some people chose to stay in Huailai and continue their lives of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
Some decided to leave the mountain. Some settled down as ordinary citizens, others traveled the beautiful landscapes, and still others entered officialdom and the imperial court...
Every so often, they would write to Song Ling, the sect leader, to ask how she was doing, to tell her that they were doing well, and then they would send many things to her through intermediaries.
Although many people were homeless, they all knew that Song Ling was in Luoyang. Whenever a group of people missed Huailai, they would gather at Song Ling's place every year, and Song Ling became the bond between them.
Just like her master said, although she has no parents, Huailai is her family.
The name Huai Lai only evokes a sense of wistfulness and melancholy when they recall it.
Many of the people she had met before might never be seen again in this lifetime. Song Ling hadn't expected this person to come down the mountain, nor could she figure out why he had come to find her.
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