Chapter 84 Chapter 84 "I want to marry her."
Xue Yuanyin's mind went blank for a moment, and her heart began to beat rapidly again.
But he held her too tightly, and she inevitably lost her focus. Uncomfortably, she tried to push him away a little. The reason was simple: he was pressing against her chest, and she felt a little breathless...
After a while, Zhang Jingxuan let her go, looked up at her, and explained:
"The Emperor just left me alone to discuss my appointment as an official at court, asking if I had any preferred position. His Majesty favors the position of Doctor of the Ministry of Revenue, as I've just returned from the frontier. While this rank isn't particularly high, it's more than enough for me, and it's a real vacancy. I'll take up the position in mid-to-late June, and after a few years of experience at court, I'll be promoted."
Xue Yuanyin suddenly interrupted him: "When will you take office?"
Zhang Jingxuan said, "The Ministry of Personnel has just finalized the negotiations with the Ministry of Revenue, June 20th."
June 20th...
Xue Yuanyin suddenly remembered why this day sounded familiar. She had just gone to see Xue Chang who was escorted back to the Xue Mansion, and he had set off for the border at exactly this time.
Xue Yuanyin raised her eyes and happened to see a shallow wound on Zhang Jingxuan's forehead. It was left by an arrow shot by the man in black sent by Xue Chang. He just dealt with it casually.
Her throat felt a little dry as she said, "After taking office, I have to stay in the capital. I'm not allowed to leave without permission, right?"
Zhang Jingxuan nodded slowly: "As a rule of thumb, that's the case."
Xue Yuanyin remained silent for a moment.
I didn't expect him to take office so soon... His stay in the capital conflicted with Xue Chang's trip to the frontier.
Zhang Jingxuan said, "You are in the capital, what are your plans for the future?"
He looked into her eyes, then slowly reached out his palm towards hers, silently grasping her fingertips with a gentle yet undeniable strength. It was as if he was asking her what she was planning, yet not quite, like a test, a hint that was clear and obvious.
Although it was not said directly, Xue Yuanyin understood it.
Her fingertips curled slightly and her lips moved, but no syllable came out.
The carriage suddenly fell silent, and no one spoke again.
Zhang Jingxuan leaned over slightly, slowly closed his eyes, and slowly pressed his lips against hers.
The distance is getting shorter and shorter, and they are about to touch.
Xue Yuanyin suddenly turned her face away, and the lips that were so close to hers suddenly stopped in front of her lips.
He opened his half-closed eyes, and without moving closer, he glanced at the fine hairs on her fair face, looking at her with insight.
Xue Yuanyin suddenly pulled back the carriage curtain in a panic. He ignored the gazes behind him, bent down and stepped out of the carriage, and came up with an almost clumsy excuse:
"I, I have something urgent to do and need to see Uncle Wei. I'll be leaving now. You've been traveling to the capital, so go back home and rest. We'll catch up next time."
A quick, slightly annoyed voice came from behind: "Xue Yuanyin!"
Xue Yuanyin paused, then cowardly quickened her pace, hurriedly boarded the carriage, and urged the driver to drive away. She did not dare to look back at Zhang Jingxuan's expression until she was far away.
The carriage was on its way back. Xue Yuanyin stared at the gently swaying carriage wall, her eyes slightly absent-minded. When they arrived at the house, Fuzhu reminded her:
"Girl, we're home."
Xue Yuanyin came back to his senses and shook his head, saying, "Go to Xue Mansion."
The carriage turned to Xue Mansion, where Xue Chang had already been escorted back to the Ministry of Justice's prison. The Imperial Guards had just come, and the Emperor had taken away a lot of things from Xue Mansion, making it look even more desolate.
She found Uncle Wei and said, "Uncle Wei, you will be traveling with the Marquis. Do you remember when we will set off?"
Uncle Wei said, "June 20th."
Xue Yuanyin said nothing.
Uncle Wei bowed and said, "Miss, if you have made up your mind, please remember to let this old servant know. We will be leaving in a few days."
Xue Yuanyin was silent for a while, then replied, "I understand."
…
The next day, Uncle Wei came to urge him, saying that if no decision was made, the temporary pass would not be available. Xue Yuanyin went to reply to Uncle Wei and returned to the house to pack her bags.
Fuzhu came over to help her clean up.
The room was a little quiet, and Fuzhu took the initiative to speak: "Master Zhang has just returned to the capital. Although no one would have thought that the Marquis would be on the road at this time... Is it necessary for the young lady to go?"
Xue Yuanyin pretended to be indifferent and said, "You think too much. I was just hurt by what he said when he left. I want to go see the three thousand worlds and see the most beautiful scenery in the world."
Fuzhu put down her clothes, looked at her own girl, and said directly:
"If you wanted to travel around, you wouldn't have stayed in the capital. You just happened to leave when Master Zhang came back. It was just a coincidence. You are just soft-hearted, you can't bear to leave the Marquis, and you want to see him off one last time. The frontier is cold and the road is long. Now that we have parted ways, it will be difficult for us to meet again in the future."
Xue Yuanyin's heart was touched. She hadn't wanted to send Xue Chang away, but it was because he said "the disaster won't affect the family" in the Golden Palace that made her unable to harden her heart.
After all, he is her biological father and her last living relative. She cannot completely sever her ties with him.
But Xue Yuanyin still stubbornly denied Fuzhu's statement, insisting on covering it up: "I didn't. I no longer miss the Marquis of Qing'an."
After denying it, Xue Yuanyin fell silent again. She didn't expect Zhang Jingxuan to take office so early.
The journey to the border was long, and it would take another month for her to leave. Unfortunately, the matchmaker from the Zhang family kept coming to her house, and since he was a popular figure in the imperial court, he could not leave the capital.
She and he seemed always to be separated.
What if Zhang Jingxuan is forced into an engagement due to pressure when she comes back?
The last time he left, she took the initiative to chase him and ask for his status, but he was evasive and refused to agree. This time, she wanted to leave Beijing to see Xue Chang off, but she couldn't take the initiative to ask him for his status again.
Xue Yuanyin was a little confused. She gradually stopped packing her clothes and a bitter smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
She thought that everything would be solved when he returned to Beijing and they reunited. But she didn't expect that after all the twists and turns, she was still on the road of drifting further and further away from him.
Fuzhu asked, "Then, girl, have you decided on a few days to leave the capital?"
Xue Yuanyin clutched the clothes in her bag tightly, but what came to her mind were the few things he had left with her, like a bond that she could not let go of.
He wanted to trip her up, but never thought of taking the initiative to find her?
Xue Yuanyin was silent for a long time and did not answer.
-
In Zhang's house, the sun was shining brightly inside, it was already noon.
Zhang Jingxuan opened his eyes, sat up, and glanced at the clepsydra. He had actually slept a full day and night. The lingering fatigue and dull ache in his forehead finally faded, and his mind became clearer.
He got up from the couch, took a bath, changed into a green feather-colored robe with lotus patterns, put on a forehead band of the same color, and wore a jade pendant at his waist. After looking in the mirror to make sure his clothes were neat, he pushed the door open and walked out of the room.
When he returned yesterday, he went to see his father, mother, and grandfather. His family was very worried about him. But he was really exhausted, so he went back to his room to rest and didn't have time to see his second uncle and other elders.
After leaving the house, he exchanged greetings with other elders in turn, answered some questions about the war situation, and reported hidden worries and good news. Then he had his meal, and the etiquette was completed.
Zhang Jingxuan finally woke up and felt much better than usual. After dinner, he returned to Zhanyun Courtyard. He was thinking about something and tapped the table with his fingertips. He was about to call Huaizhou over, but Huaizhou came over first and presented two objects in his hands:
"Sir, this is something someone handed in from outside the mansion, saying it's your personal belonging. I've taken a look, and it's indeed yours."
Zhang Jingxuan took the two objects and looked at them with his eyes lowered - one was the green jade pendant with a longevity tortoise pattern that he often wore in the past, and the other was the key to the villa in Xiangchun Alley.
He stared at the two objects in silence.
Was it because he'd seen the Prime Minister's carriage coming to visit him yesterday? Was he still irritated by his polite refusal before he left? Or had something else happened in the capital since he'd left?
Zhang Jingxuan said slowly, "What happened in the capital after I went to Qintang Pass?"
Huaizhou said, "After you left, Miss Xue volunteered to go to Sanhe Pass and stayed there for a year, but when she came back, she didn't have any achievements."
Zhang Jingxuan's voice was a little hoarse as he asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Huaizhou lowered his head and said, "After you left, Miss Xue left in the spring of the following year. The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty prohibit women from joining the army, so she went there in disguise."
Zhang Jingxuan was silent for a long time. The lack of merit must be due to her promise to the Emperor. Otherwise, with her ability, she should have achieved merit regardless of whether she was dressed as a man or a woman.
He asked, "Anything else?"
Huaizhou thought for a moment and said, "Miss Xue has moved into the house. Her friends like to introduce her to potential partners, including various talented young men in the capital."
Zhang Jingxuan paused, raised his eyes and looked at Huaizhou, and said, "Who likes to introduce her to a marriage?"
Huaizhou recalled for a moment and said, "Young Master Su, and Princess Ning Yan. The men Young Master Su introduced to me were of varying quality, but they were numerous. Princess Ning Yan, while not many, was able to introduce me, but each one was an excellent candidate for a son-in-law in the capital."
Zhang Jingxuan slowly clenched the jade pendant and key in his hand without saying a word. The room was a little too quiet for a moment.
Huaizhou felt a little uncomfortable, as if he was about to get goose bumps... He scratched his neck, raised his eyes and saw that the young master's face seemed to be gloomy but he was forcibly suppressing it, so he stopped scratching and dropped his hand back.
After a while, Zhang Jingxuan suddenly asked, "When will the Marquis of Qing'an set off?"
Huaizhou was stunned by the question for a moment. After thinking for a long time, he said, "It should be... June 20th? The emperor asked him to leave as soon as possible, and the 20th is the deadline."
Zhang Jingxuan suddenly stood up from the desk, walked out of the house and headed out into the yard.
Huaizhou hurriedly chased after him: "Sir, where are you going?"
Zhang Jingxuan stood tall and straight, and without stopping, he said, "Let's go to the ancestral hall."
Huaizhou vaguely guessed something and said, "Young Master..."
Zhang Jingxuan ignored him and said calmly, "Go call my grandfather for me. Tell him that I'm at the ancestral hall apologizing for my sins and want to repay the punishment I put on hold before going to war. I'd like him to come and supervise me personally."
Huaizhou was stunned for a moment, and said anxiously: "Sir, you just returned to the capital from the border, and your body has not yet recovered. How can you withstand..."
Zhang Jingxuan glanced at him coldly and said in a slightly harsh voice, "Huaizhou."
Huaizhou suddenly fell silent, not daring to say anything more, and walked towards the master's yard with his head lowered.
Zhang Jingxuan came to the ancestral hall alone, walked to the center, stood quietly on the blue brick floor, looked up at the tablets displayed in the hall and the tall golden Buddha statue standing in the middle.
He had prayed to the Buddha here to help him overcome the karma in his heart, and he had also broken a complete Buddhist shrine. This was the third time, and he asked his grandfather for a promise for his and her future.
After about an incense stick of time, he heard a slow, not too steady sound of footsteps behind him, and finally stopped a few steps behind him.
That was Mr. Zhang, who was over 60 years old. He had a calm and peaceful demeanor, showing no joy or anger, but he had a faint sense of oppression. Behind him followed two sturdy guards, each holding a wide and long thick wooden board.
Master Zhang spoke slowly, "Once, your father refused to accept the marriage arranged by the clan. He knelt in the ancestral hall as punishment and insisted on marrying your mother. I told him I had no objection, provided he could endure the twenty strokes of the cane, as per clan regulations, for disobeying the parents' matchmaker."
He paused, as if lost in recollection, and then said, "Your father agreed. Now you can see the result. Your mother's family background is not prominent, but she is the eldest wife of the Zhang family."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "I haven't agreed to the Prime Minister's House yet, so the marriage can't be considered finalized. However, considering what you've done, you've received ten more blows than your father. Can you handle thirty?"
Zhang Jingxuan's expression remained unchanged as he spoke, "My grandson once disregarded the family's interests and, driven by his own selfish desires, risked entering the palace to plead for mercy, violating a clan taboo. Now, I have an unwelcome request to marry her, so I willingly accept the punishment of the cane. I ask for your supervision, Grandfather."
After saying this, he lifted up his clothes, faced the Buddha statue, bent his knees, and slowly knelt down.
Master Zhang looked at the young figure's back. It was tall and straight, standing unmoved by the wind and rain. One could already glimpse the shadow of a person who would reach great heights in the future.
He was relieved in his heart, but his face remained cold and solemn as he said sternly:
"Punish!"
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