Chapter 74 She actually kissed someone else on her own initiative.
By the time dawn broke the next day.
The vermilion-lacquered lattice door slowly opened a crack.
At the same time, the rising sun gradually climbed up behind the eaves.
Golden light pierced through the dark clouds that had shrouded Chong'an Hall for two months.
The dawn was intense, completely dispelling the clouds and mist.
The rainy season is over.
Wei Zhang stepped out of the door, still dressed in a python robe, his imposing presence immediately apparent.
Qingyang and Yingqi, who had been on guard all night, quickly bowed and went to greet them.
Last night, amidst the wind and rain, the master stood at his desk all night. Qingyang, still worried, bowed respectfully and asked, "Master, would you like to have a meal?"
"Shadow Seven took my hand and ordered the Northern Camp to search the mountains. He also ordered the entire cities of Yecheng, Huacheng, and Qiuyang to be under martial law and not to let anyone who crosses the city pass by easily."
These cities are the only way to reach the western border.
The master seemed to have a plan in mind, certain that Aunt Xue had run off with the eldest son.
Qingyang's worst fears came true.
He felt a chill run down his spine, and at the same time, a sense of unease crept into his heart. "The Emperor has already expressed some dissatisfaction with the previous transfer of the Grand Canal Transport Office and the Jiangyang Navy, and has repeatedly invited you to the palace for an audience."
"Now, if we were to relocate the northern garrison stationed in the capital to protect His Majesty, I fear those with ulterior motives might accuse you of treason!"
Wei Zhang glanced at Qingyang indifferently, his eyes showing no sign of taking it seriously.
The master seemed completely unconcerned about the crime of treason.
A terrible thought arose in Qingyang's mind, and his face turned deathly pale.
"Qingyang, come with me to find the body." Wei Zhang said this and walked out of the mansion.
Qingyang stood there stunned for a long time before he came to his senses and followed his master's steps.
Upon reaching the hanging flower gate, Wei Zhang stopped again and instructed Ying Qi, "Pass on my order to bring the lady back safe and sound, without harming her."
"ah?"
The Shadow Guards' movements are unpredictable; they've never received such an order before.
Ying Qi was stunned for a moment, then quickly cupped his hands and replied, "Yes!"
Wei Zhang rode swiftly out of the city.
The two arrived at a stagnant pool at the foot of the mountain.
At this moment, the stagnant pool still faintly smelled of blood, and the pool was surrounded by guards.
The guards naturally knew that their master, Zhou, had already been dealt with by the Duke's military law. Upon seeing the Duke's arrival, they were so frightened that they hurriedly went to greet him, kneeling on both knees and stammering.
"Master, Master, we had absolutely no intention of deceiving you. When we found the body, it was wrapped in a wedding dress, and there was a silk handkerchief as proof. I was blind and mistook the body for the real one. Please forgive me, Master, please forgive me..."
Wei Zhang ignored the person at his feet, only glancing at Qingyang, "Wrapped in a wedding dress?"
Isn't it what you're wearing?
"Perhaps the body was eaten and rotted too badly, and the wedding dress was too big, so it fell off the body..." the guard explained.
Qingyang had been enlightened.
When his subordinates reported it earlier, Qingyang had indeed not noticed the word "wrapped".
Since the wedding dress wasn't properly worn, one possibility is as the guard said, and another possibility is that the wedding dress simply drifted over from somewhere else and just happened to float into a pool of water along with the corpse.
Qingyang led his men to search the area around the stagnant pool, and sure enough, they found a stream of water hidden among the withered grass above the pool.
Was this wedding dress washed into the stagnant pool by this trickle of water?
Qingyang looked up, following the direction of the water flow.
Above the pool are steep cliffs, like a barrier jutting out into the distance.
Such treacherous peaks and steep mountains, there isn't even a decent road.
The eldest son actually rode a horse and carried Aunt Xue up this cliff?
If one is not careful, the horse may stumble and fall off a cliff.
"How dare the eldest young master?"
Wei Xuan certainly dared.
Cliffs, volcanoes, glaciers—there was no path he dared not tread. Otherwise, how could people call him a strategist who employed unorthodox tactics?
Not only did he dare, he also had the leisure to take Xue Lanyi to the Sparky Terrace.
Wei Zhang squinted, gazing at the mountainside.
At this time, the mountain had been burned to a crisp by the wildfire, with earth, wood, and charcoal everywhere, making the view exceptionally clear.
Wei Zhang immediately spotted a dead tree lying horizontally halfway up the mountain, broken in two from the middle of its trunk.
The marks were clearly those of a horse.
Given Wei Xuan's horsemanship, it would be impossible for his horse to trip over a tree.
There is only one possibility: he deliberately let the horse's hooves trample the tree branches.
When he was young, Wei Xuan had nothing to do, so he would deliberately stack tree branches, leaving a gap in the middle, then light them and ride his horse at full speed.
If the horse's hooves are fast enough, the moment it steps into the fire, sparks will fly everywhere, shattering into countless starlight.
"Ah Zhang, do you think Yi Yi will absolutely love my 'Horse Trampling Meteor' move?" He raised his eyebrows triumphantly, perched high on his horse, his head covered in ashes.
This move, "Horse Trampling Meteor," was created by Wei Xuan to cheer up Xue Lanyi.
Xue Lanyi did indeed like shooting stars.
But now times have changed. Xue Lanyi is afraid of the dark and fire. In the burning forest, instead of protecting her from the fire, he was busy with his broken horse, which was like a shooting star. Who would appreciate that?
Xue Lanyi wasn't as naive as him, hopelessly fond of this kind of thing.
Wei Zhang let out a cold snort and rode his horse up the mountain following the trail.
At that time, on the other side of the continuous mountain range.
The forests that had not yet been burned were lush and green.
In a deep mountain valley, a pale yellow figure was carrying a full armful of withered branches, which were piled on the grass.
They went back and forth, busy as bees, and piled up firewood half a person high.
"Ah Xuan, I want to see the meteor streak!"
The girl blinked her eyes and couldn't wait to light the firewood.
Half a day ago, after they left the burning cave, Xue Lanyi changed out of her eye-catching wedding dress.
Three people and two horses.
Lie Feng, carrying Granny Liu, and Wei Xuan, carrying Xue Lanyi, broke through the sea of fire.
On both sides of my line of sight were impenetrable walls of fire, and the thick smoke obstructed my view, making everything in front of me blurry and subject to intermittent light.
Even though she was sitting in front of Wei Xuan, Xue Lanyi was still afraid, so she hid herself inside Wei Xuan's cloak, tightly closing the gaps in the cloak and locking herself in the small space.
"Yiyi, look."
A clear, melodious male voice came from above.
Xue Lanyi parted the cloak with her fingertips and saw Wei Xuan riding straight into the rising flames.
The bright red flames swelled wildly, as if they were about to devour them.
Xue Lanyi almost cried out in surprise. The next moment, the horse's front hooves stepped on the burning tree trunk, and the flames that looked like the mouth of a giant beast transformed into a sky full of stars.
The stars twinkled in the thick fog, surrounding Xue Lanyi.
So beautiful!
Like a shooting star.
All fears transformed into a dreamlike, beautiful scene in that moment.
Xue Lanyi really, really liked this move, "Horse Trampling Meteor"!
It's a pity that I was hidden inside the cloak, with only my eyes showing, and didn't get to properly experience the feeling of being surrounded by stars.
"again!"
The girl pointed expectantly to the small fire beside her, her eyes sparkling.
Wei Xuan was starting a fire to cook when he casually broke off a chicken leg and walked over to hand it to her.
"It won't work now. If the fire gets too big and the pursuers see it, it won't be good."
"oh."
Xue Lanyi responded sullenly, squatted down, and turned her head away.
She knew Wei Xuan was right, but she still couldn't help but pull a long face and get upset.
Wei Xuan squatted down in front of her and ruffled her hair. "When we get to the Western Border, will you do it with Yiyi ten more times?"
Xue Lanyi was still unhappy and shook her head with her cheeks puffed out.
Wei Xuan smiled helplessly, "Then how about this, after we've rested, I'll step on it one more time before we leave?"
That's more like it.
But I'm still a little disappointed that I haven't seen it yet.
She then took a big bite of the chicken leg in his hand.
The chicken leg was marinated in wild pears, and when you put it in your mouth, it releases a sweet and refreshing taste that makes you smile.
The chicken drumsticks were delicious, but they were too oily.
Not wanting to get her hands dirty, she patted the spot next to her.
Wei Xuan readily agreed and sat down next to her, offering her a chicken leg.
Xue Lanyi buried her head in his hand and ate heartily.
The girl had been eating and sleeping outdoors for the past two days and was quite hungry.
She never used to eat chicken skin.
Wei Xuan tucked her disheveled hair, which had become messy from eating, behind her ears.
"Bear with it a little longer. We'll cross the mountains and reach the Western Territory in three days at most. Once we've settled down, I'll take you to eat some Western delicacies."
"Do you have yogurt?" Xue Lanyi's eyes lit up.
"have."
"Where's the melon?"
"have."
...
These are all delicacies that Wei Xuan used to eat in the Western Regions.
Because it was difficult to bring her back to the capital, she had only ever heard of her by name and never seen her in person.
Thinking of all the novel and delicious foods, Xue Lanyi's mood immediately brightened.
Then he started thinking about some more serious matters, "Oh, right, where do we go once we get to the Western Border? Could Wei Zhang be lying in ambush waiting for us there? And what about the Old Madam..."
These are questions she should have pondered as soon as she escaped Wei Zhang's control.
But with Wei Xuan around, she completely forgot to think about these crucial questions, letting him take her wherever he wanted.
Wei Xuan had already planned this on the way here. "Before I came to Shengjing, I sent a message to my former subordinates, asking them to take my mother away. After all, my mother is an imperial title and Wei Zhang's own mother. Wei Zhang won't do anything to her. As for us..."
Wei Xuan grasped Xue Lanyi's hand. "Let's leave Dayong and seek refuge on the border of Western Qi."
"Xi Qi?" Xue Lanyi suddenly realized something.
Wei Xuan was able to get Xiao Cheng to step in and help him, which means he must have agreed to some unreasonable demands from Western Qi.
Ah Xuan was the general who crossed the Liao River in Dayong, a young hero in the hearts of the people, and a man of unyielding spirit who refused to surrender even after being trapped by the enemy for seven days.
How could you betray your country to the enemy?
He defected to the enemy to save her...
Xue Lanyi raised her eyebrows, and suddenly the chicken leg didn't taste so good anymore. She pursed her lips and remained silent.
Wei Xuan chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, I won't defect to the enemy, much less point my sword at my own compatriots."
He spoke casually, but Xue Lanyi was still very worried.
The Western Qi was not an easy opponent.
Now, in order to obtain the great general Wei Xuan, they are willing to go through the trouble of a marriage alliance that spans thousands of miles, and have even lost Xiao Cheng.
If Wei Xuan does not keep his promise and does not submit to Western Qi, will Western Qi let him go?
"How are you going to explain this to the people of Xiqi?"
"I have a way."
"Oh." Xue Lanyi's long eyelashes trembled slightly.
Seeing that she was sullen, Wei Xuan gently pinched her rosy cheek and said, "Don't overthink things, or you'll become ugly."
"Ah!" Xue Lanyi covered her cheek. "Who...who told you to pinch my cheek?"
I just love pinching your cheeks.
"you……"
Xue Lanyi bared her teeth at him.
She hates having her cheeks pinched!
He grabbed Wei Xuan's face with his other hand, "I'm going to punish you!"
"Alright, alright!" Wei Xuan braced himself against the grass with his arms behind him, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Should I flick your forehead, or pinch your ear?"
Wei Xuan had already experienced these methods countless times.
I've gotten so used to it that it doesn't hurt anymore.
Anyway, I'll do it again next time.
He always liked to pinch her cheeks.
That shameless attitude is back.
"I'm going to punish you..."
Xue Lanyi gritted her teeth, her hands clawing at the air like cat claws, before slowly leaning closer.
The petite shadow enveloped the tall man.
The man closed his eyes, giving whatever he wanted.
But the pain I had imagined did not come.
Xue Lanyi's lips brushed against his ear, her red lips slightly parted, "Your punishment is that you marry me when you arrive in Xiqi, and then you'll be bullied by me for the rest of your life! Humph!"
The girl laughed sweetly.
Wei Xuan's eyelashes trembled, and he pretended not to have heard clearly, then opened his eyes in surprise.
Xue Lanyi looked directly into his eyes, her gaze intense and resolute.
She knew that Wei Xuan suddenly pinched her cheek and changed the subject because the people of Western Qi might be difficult to deal with.
He wanted to bear it himself so as not to worry her.
However, she wanted to share both joy and sorrow with him.
No matter how difficult the future may be, she will face it together with him.
She couldn't bear to see Ah Xuan all alone. He was such a good person.
She wanted to have such a wonderful Ah Xuan as soon as possible.
"Ah Xuan, let's get married." She said it again solemnly.
Seeing that he was speechless and stunned, she picked a small wild chrysanthemum from the ground, braided it into the shape of a ring, and placed it in front of him.
"Ah Xuan, will you marry me?"
A gentle fragrance wafted, brushing past the small white flowers and carrying the scent of green grass onto Wei Xuan's face.
He couldn't believe it; his pupils contracted slightly.
He was always the one to propose to her, eight times now. He must be exhausted.
This time, Xue Lanyi wanted to take the initiative herself.
She knew he wouldn't refuse, and she knew he really, really liked her, but her heart still jumped into her throat.
My mind started to wander to what would happen if he rejected me? How embarrassing would that be?
After being rejected, should she act like she doesn't care so as not to put him in a difficult position?
If she acts indifferent, will people think her marriage proposal is insincere?
But if she appears too dejected, wouldn't that seem like she's trying to coerce him, putting him under even more pressure?
Xue Lanyi's thoughts raced, her eyes began to wander, and her long eyelashes trembled with unease.
So, were his eight visits to propose marriage also driven by such complex and conflicting feelings?
Will he retaliate and make her experience the pain of unrequited love?
Xue Lanyi was in turmoil.
But why would Ah Xuan treat her like that?
His warm hand grasped her slightly cool hand in return, and he took the small wild chrysanthemum from her and put it on his own thumb.
On the calloused thumb of the martial artist, a small white flower curled up, its petals trembling gently in the wind.
nice.
He suddenly smiled, took out a white jade ring from his waist, and placed it in front of Xue Lanyi, looking solemnly into her eyes: "Yiyi, will you marry me?"
Instead of answering Xue Lanyi's question, he asked it again.
It's his responsibility to propose marriage.
All his Yiyi needs to do is hold her head high and be a proud little princess.
She was his little princess, and she always will be, unchanging regardless of the world's circumstances.
Xue Lanyi's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded emphatically.
"Li Zhaoyang is willing to marry Wei Xuan for all eternity, for a long and lasting lifetime."
She threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear.
Her heart was surging with emotion, and she even longed to get to the West Frontier as soon as possible so that she could shout it out loud.
We no longer need to sneak around like this.
"Once we arrive in Western Qi, we'll get married, right now!"
The girl's voice was sweet and charming, yet carried a hint of assertiveness.
Wei Xuan gently patted her back, his smile tender, "As Your Highness commands, but please give me at least seven days to prepare."
"Don't you want to marry me right away?" Xue Lanyi frowned.
Wei Xuan hugged her even tighter.
How could that be?
He dreams of marrying her as soon as possible.
He said, "Aren't we supposed to ask Zhou Yu to be the welcoming envoy, Lu Qi to be the host, and Xie Qingyun to copy the gift list?"
"Hmm?" Xue Lanyi looked at him in surprise.
He certainly understood her worries.
Although she didn't say it, he knew that his Yiyi valued loyalty the most, so how could she not worry about her friends?
"Oh, right, we also need to ask Miss Su Yin to escort us to the wedding. It will take her at least five days to get from the old mansion to the Western Border..."
"Ah Xuan!"
Xue Lanyi understood that Wei Xuan had not only saved her, but must have also saved his friends.
His old subordinates are all over the world; if he said that, he must have already done it.
“My husband is the best husband in the world,” Xue Lanyi blurted out.
After saying that, both of them blushed.
My lord, only husband and wife can address each other like that.
Xue Lanyi's cheeks were flushed, and she buried her face in his shoulder, not daring to look at him.
Wei Xuan also touched his nose, a smile creeping onto his lips, "Then...then shall I help Yiyi put the ring on?"
He then waved the exquisitely carved white jade ring with lily patterns in front of her.
Xue Lanyi glanced at it, but shook her head.
“I don’t want it, it’s bad stuff!” she snapped.
Six years ago, on the eve of Wei Xuan's expedition, the late emperor bestowed upon them each a piece of fine jade.
Yin and Yang, mutually dependent and mutually supportive, truly represent the meaning of marriage.
Back then, they were arguing, saying they would each carve a piece to see who had more talent as a jade craftsman.
In reality, they both knew that the carving was a token of their love.
Wei Xuan had a white jade ring carved at the border, while Xue Lanyi had a black jade thumb ring carved at the princess's residence.
However, when she planned to have someone send the ring to the border, she encountered an unexpected incident.
That night, she went to find Wei Xuan's subordinates to take the ring to the western border.
As I passed by the vicinity of Prince Qi's residence, I happened to hear loud banging and thumping noises coming from the back alley.
The faint sound of an old woman's sharp scolding could be heard: "Sneaking into the kitchen to steal food in the middle of the night, have you no shame?"
A very thin figure was pushed down the steps, staggering backward until he fell at Xue Lanyi's feet.
Immediately afterwards, a bowl of soup noodles was thrown out and hit Wei Zhang.
The meeting was quite awkward.
Wei Zhang deliberately pulled his black cloak tighter, trying to cover the soup stains on his clothes.
However, from her elevated position, Xue Lanyi could still see a soggy noodle hanging on his lapel.
Xue Lanyi suddenly remembered that it was Wei Zhang's birthday that day, and the limp bowl of noodles on the ground was probably the longevity noodles he had cooked himself.
As it happened, she was holding a brocade box in her hand.
The two of them stared at each other awkwardly, one above the other.
Xue Lanyi saw a hint of surprise and a faint trace of delight in his eyes.
Before Wei Zhang was adopted, his friends would celebrate his birthday every year.
But later, he became estranged from them.
In addition, the struggle between the old and new parties was at its most intense.
The closer they get to Wei Zhang, the more wary Prince Qi will become of him.
So, we gradually lost touch.
On her birthday night, she suddenly visited him, and he clearly misunderstood.
Xue Lanyi couldn't just leave under his surprised gaze, so she gave Wei Zhang the black jade thumb ring she had made herself from the brocade box, claiming it was a birthday gift for him.
Right now, all she wanted to do was comfort Wei Zhang and tell him to hold on a little longer, to get through another month or two, and once they overthrew Prince Qi, he would see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Xue Lanyi actually felt guilty about Wei Zhang's mistake of going to Prince Qi's mansion in place of Wei Xuan, and always wanted to make amends.
But after five years of torment, Xue Lanyi had repaid what she owed.
She harbored only lingering resentment towards Wei Zhang and wanted nothing more to do with him.
Since half of these yin-yang jade rings is in Wei Zhang's possession, the other half shouldn't be on her.
Both the ring and Wei Zhang should disappear from her life.
Xue Lanyi suddenly threw the white jade ring far away.
A white jade ring rolled down a cliff.
It stumbled and fell on the stone, breaking into cracks all over.
Finally, it plunged into the surging waters of the Yellow River, never to be seen again.
...
Upstream, in a cave in the canyon.
A pink silk handkerchief slipped from the sleeve and suddenly fell to the ground.
The silk handkerchief was unfolded, and a delicate pink corner draped over the black boot.
Inside, black jade fragments clattered and banged, scattered all over the ground.
The pearls fell to the ground, their crisp sound echoing in the cave for a long time.
The guards searching inside the cave fell silent, prostrating themselves on the ground in fear and trepidation.
The eldest son is elusive and adept at using unorthodox tactics; they searched the vicinity of this canyon for two or three days without success.
Upon the arrival of the Duke, he immediately found the cave where Xue Lanyi and Wei Xuan had once lived by following the clues.
Bouquets and food were displayed inside the cave, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.
Clearly, the two had spent a romantic night together here.
He stayed safely under the Duke's nose for several days without being caught. Wasn't that a slap in the face to the Duke?
The Duke was naturally displeased and remained silent the entire way.
Those whose subordinates are incompetent feel even more uneasy and tremble with fear.
Some self-righteous individuals hurriedly crawled forward on their knees, attempting to pick up the broken jade pieces that had fallen from their master's arms.
A cool, distant gaze swept over.
The man's hand recoiled as if pierced by a cold light, then he remembered that his master forbade others to touch the black jade ring. He kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Master, spare my life! Master, spare my life..."
The sound of someone banging their head on the ground echoed in the cramped cave.
Wei Zhang ignored him, but squatted down and picked up the handkerchief, then put the broken jade pieces back into the silk handkerchief one by one.
This process proceeded at a leisurely pace, but it was extremely lengthy for the subordinates.
After all, even before the Emperor, I don't have to kneel, yet here I am bowing down in this cave.
Everyone was so afraid of hurting themselves that they wished they could bury themselves in the ground.
Wei Zhang's hand, which was picking up the jade, paused, hovering in mid-air for a long time.
The air pressure around me suddenly dropped even lower.
The air is getting thinner and thinner, making it difficult to breathe.
Qingyang was puzzled and glanced upwards out of the corner of his eye.
Fang Jianwei stared for a long time at the footprints in the yellow sand and mud at the cave entrance.
The footprints at the entrance of the cave were messy, but Wei Zhang still recognized the imprint of a pair of embroidered shoe tips at a glance.
Xue Lanyi once stood on tiptoe here...
What can you do by standing on your tiptoes?
Wei Zhang's breath hitched, and he saw the messy, retreating footprints next to the embroidered shoes.
Clearly, she had taken the initiative to kiss Wei Xuan, who was caught off guard and hastily backed away.
She actually kissed someone else on her own initiative...
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