Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Who would have thought that in this world, I would meet Bai Yulang.
In the snow outside Beijing, Xue Yuanyin was breathing heavily, staring at him from afar across half of the black-scaled army.
Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest, which is a good sign.
However, the roads were blocked by heavy snow, making it difficult to march. She didn't even know if it would be the last time they would see each other, so she had to go see him.
Zhang Jingxuan had taught her many things, and later she had learned a lot on her own. However, there was one thing that no one had taught her, and she had not grasped it before, but had now learned it on her own.
That night in Zhuyue Palace, she didn't have the courage to ask him, but now she really wants to ask him again.
So she rode her horse at full speed to catch up.
Xue Yuanyin shouted at him, "Zhang Jingxuan, I won't delay your journey. I'll just say a few words!"
Zhang Jingxuan gestured towards General Xun, who turned around and nodded understandingly, saying:
"Go ahead, there's no rush."
That question, which went beyond the common moral principles, was heard not only by the person involved but also by him.
Zhang Jingxuan dismounted, tied the reins to a tree, gathered his crane cloak, and walked over.
Seeing this, Xue Yuanyin also dismounted and tied up the horse.
This place is at the edge of a forest outside Beijing. There is a naturally formed cliff. The two men walked behind the cliff, slightly away from the army, hiding their figures a little.
The two of them were not close to each other, but the frosty aura from Zhang Jingxuan drifted over and landed on her.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.
Xue Yuanyin felt inexplicably uncomfortable. The cold wind seemed inexplicably hot. She scratched the tip of her nose and stared at the muddy ground at her feet covered with snow. Her lips moved as she hesitated to say something.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Jingxuan's eyes fell on her and he spoke first, interrupting her intentionally or unintentionally:
"It's a cold winter morning. What brought you here?"
Xue Yuanyin looked up at him and said, "If I hadn't caught up with you, would you have just left without saying goodbye?"
Zhang Jingxuan was silent for a moment and did not respond.
Xue Yuanyin's heart was filled with emotions. She forced herself to calm down and asked, "Aren't you going to give me an explanation?"
Zhang Jingxuan's lips curled up slightly, a look of helplessness appeared on his face, and he said:
"I don't want to see you say goodbye to me."
Xue Yuanyin suppressed the slight lump in her throat and unconsciously became a little excited:
"The Western Qiang launched a war, and my father... Xue Chang used public opinion to force you to the border to face A Shi Lie. Those ambiguous farewells you said to me in prison... Why didn't you tell me these things earlier?!"
Realizing that she had lost her composure, she paused, slowed down a bit, and asked:
"What method did you use to get the prince to release me from prison?"
"So they haven't told you yet."
Zhang Jingxuan raised his palm and placed it on her head, pressing it gently and stroking it, saying, "Don't ask, it's not a glorious thing."
This action was so natural and intimate, even a little gentle. Xue Yuanyin was stunned for a moment, and turned away uncomfortably:
"Don't touch my head."
She thought, since he refused to tell her, she would ask someone else later, she would eventually be able to find out.
Zhang Jingxuan removed his hand and adjusted her crane cloak before saying:
"Stay in the capital. Didn't the emperor grant you a house? Move in there. Xue Chang won't be able to escape for long. If he sends you a letter privately, remember to be careful."
After a pause, he looked into her eyes and whispered, "You don't owe them anything. Don't get yourself involved."
Xue Yuanyin pursed her lips and said, "Don't worry, neither His Royal Highness Prince Yu nor the Marquis of Qing'an will send me any messages. From the moment they left me alone to guard Xihua Gate and then abandoned me and fled, I knew I was a worthless chess piece."
He even only addressed him as "Marquis of Qing'an" and was unwilling to call him "father".
Zhang Jingxuan said slowly, "My trip to Qintang Pass is inevitable. Nothing I say now can change this fact. If you have any trouble, you can go find Chen Su. He is currently assisting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in handling state affairs in my place. I have already explained this to him. If there is something you really cannot handle, you can go directly to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He will not sit idly by."
Xue Yuanyin suddenly asked, "Is Sanhe Pass still short of soldiers?"
Zhang Jingxuan paused and whispered, "The Crown Prince will no longer give the Xue family military power."
Xue Yuanyin didn't answer, but changed the subject and said, "It's quite cold today."
She averted her eyes and looked up at the branches bent by the heavy snow. The green leaves there had fallen off, leaving only bare treetops. With the arrival of winter, a whole desolate forest was formed, silently and tenaciously guarding the outskirts of the capital.
She stared intently at the handful of frost on the branch, and said casually, as if chatting about family matters, "Zhang Jingxuan, don't you have anything to say to me?"
After he said this, she realized that it sounded familiar. He seemed to have asked her the same question when they were about to board two different carriages in Quanyang County.
What did Zhang Jingxuan want to say when he was hesitant?
Zhang Jingxuan looked at her calmly, his eyes deep, as if he was tracing the contours of her face, trying to remember something. He opened his lips and said softly:
"Take care of yourself from now on."
These words fell to the ground with a thud, like a branch broken by the wind and snow, breaking the silence and making people's hearts tremble.
Xue Yuanyin's nose suddenly felt sour, and she could no longer bear it. She took a step forward and hugged him tightly, eagerly finding his lips and kissing him with her eyes closed.
As soon as she touched it, she realized that Zhang Jingxuan's lips were so cold, almost without any warmth.
Why is this so? Did he stay in the suburbs of Beijing for a long time?
Xue Yuanyin clutched his shirt hem, as if to prevent him from pushing her away. Her kissing technique was rusty, she only knew to pry open his teeth and use the tip of her tongue to explore, but she was completely unpracticed, and the kiss was clumsy, like a clumsy bird pecking at food, as if she was making a fool of herself.
Zhang Jingxuan did not move, neither refusing nor pushing her away, letting her linger on his lips and tongue. He seemed calm as water, but his hands slowly clenched.
He tried his best to restrain himself and let her lie in front of him and kiss him without any response or movement.
Finally, seeing that she was about to sweat and the humming sound in her throat sounded like she was about to cry, Zhang Jingxuan sighed softly, suddenly raised his hand to hold the back of her head, tilted her head slightly, opened his lips and wrapped her lips and tongue, sweeping away the warmth and saliva, and then restrained himself, but fiercely turned back to explore, almost greedily sweeping between her lips and cavity, attacking and plundering.
Xue Yuanyin clutched his shirt tighter and tighter, finally separating from him when her breathing became somewhat blocked. Her eyes were slightly red, and she endured the pain in her heart. She forced herself to remain calm, but her voice could not help but become extremely tense:
"Zhang Jingxuan, would you, would you..."
Before she could utter the ominous word, Zhang Jingxuan suddenly interrupted her. His handsome face remained the same as always, and he said half-truthfully, half-sincerity:
"You're so proactive, don't tell me you like me?"
Xue Yuanyin's voice paused, and he swallowed back the words he wanted to ask.
She stopped wanting to cry and stopped joking, looking at Zhang Jingxuan in front of her. He stood in the cold wind, with snow pressing down on the green pines. His demeanor was gentle and his posture was upright, as if the wind and rain could not shake his confidence and composure.
In the icy and snowy world, the morning sun rose completely. From the direction of the capital came the sounds of ministers escorting the new emperor to the throne. The people also heard the news and were delighted and cheered. The sound like a tsunami could be heard faintly from the outskirts of the capital, which moved the army that was ready to set off immediately.
General Xun took advantage of the situation and shouted the military bugle call in the front, each one loud and clear.
The armored soldiers, with strict discipline and solemn expressions, shouted along with General Xun until they were hoarse. Wars had always been filled with starvation, and they seemed to know when they would return to the capital. Or perhaps, they would never return at all.
Xue Yuanyin continued to look at him motionlessly.
She had experienced a lot in her short seventeen years, including life and death, separation, and a weak relationship with her relatives. Later, she entered the Imperial College, and it was not known whether she was vying for the top spot, or for reputation, or simply to vent her anger on him. In the end, she was defeated miserably, imprisoned, and turned against the person she cherished most.
She didn't expect that after this journey, when all the hardships had passed, she would be left alone and didn't know where to go.
Xue Yuanyin had no intention of falling in love with him. The bet was just a joke she made to tame his pride and to vent her anger.
She thought her life was coming to an end, but she never expected to meet Bai Yulang in this mortal world. She hated herself for still caring about him. She fought with him for more than ten years, confronted him for more than ten years, but finally fell into his hands.
Xue Yuanyin laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "So that question is so difficult to answer that you've been avoiding it until now?"
Zhang Jingxuan smiled, and then a hint of bitterness spread across his lips. He sighed deeply, walked over to stand beside her, facing the outside of the forest, in the direction of the capital.
"Qiaoqiao, listen to me, look up."
He gestured at her, his eyes darting in all directions as he whispered, "The Imperial College has Dr. Jiang, your instructor. There's the desk you used there. There's that neck tree outside where you climbed when you were late. The abbot in the temple in the southern suburbs is very knowledgeable about Buddhism and can enlighten people. It would be great to go and chat with him in your free time. The Tian family's time-honored sour cinnamon preserves are doing great business. If you want some, you'll need to line up early. And there's the Qingshan Mountains north of the city. You and Liu Minyan went there together last time. Why not invite some friends to visit again someday? I remember there's a beautiful maple forest planted on the hillside. It's winter now, but after the New Year comes spring. Farmers will plant their crops, and next year will bring another bountiful harvest. Look further out, you'll see the bustling market, the majestic imperial city, and all sorts of food stalls. And, do you see that? The blue sky and land, boundless and vast, beyond your reach..."
Zhang Jingxuan spoke softly, carried her onto the horse, untied the bridle, and suddenly said in a stern voice, "Hold the reins tight."
Xue Yuanyin hadn't realized what was happening when he carried her onto the horse. She subconsciously followed his sudden command.
When he suddenly thrust his paw at the horse's rump, the horse neighed, spread its hooves and began to run forward, she suddenly reacted, grabbed the reins and tried to turn around, but the horse was in pain and refused to run back.
Xue Yuanyin turned around in panic and shouted at him, almost choking with sobs:
"Zhang Jingxuan! If you let me go back like this, I will never forgive you in my life!"
Zhang Jingxuan mounted his horse and glanced sideways, his light brown eyes slightly curved, revealing his usual gentle smile:
"Go back. Qiaoqiao, be obedient, go back, don't look back... Qiaoqiao, you must remember what I said, I will tell you this one last time -"
He paused slightly, then said softly and carefully:
"Looking at this place, the mountains and rivers are different, but the wind and moon are the same. I secretly hope you take good care of yourself. If the green mountains are willing, we will meet again."
As he finished speaking, the distance between the two cars became farther and farther, and finally turned into a small black dot that gradually blurred and disappeared in the field of vision.
A long, muffled horn rang out across the snowy sky in the western suburbs of the capital. Scales and armor rustled, horses galloped through the snow, and the army set off.
Thousands of miles away, the road back is covered with wind and snow.
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The author has something to say: Look how beautiful this world is. I selfishly hope that you take good care of yourself. If we are destined to be together, we will meet again.
"Who would have thought that in this world, I could meet Baiyulang?" - "Answer to Li Ziguang"
"Mountains and rivers may be different, but the wind and moon are the same." - "Embroidered Robe"
ps:
Let me explain here why the heroine is inferior to the hero in every way at the beginning of the story.
Because she has almost always been oppressed by Xue Chang, she is forced to do many things and work hard, and she doesn't like those things at all. She is like a puppet, without soul and fighting spirit, so she can't win (I thought you could see it, but I think it's better for me to point it out).
Only by being reborn after death can she shine.
pps:
The fourth volume is over, and the next volume is the final volume, which should be very sweet! Thanks for your company, a small red envelope will be randomly dropped within 72 hours~
See you tomorrow!! [shy][shy]
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