Chapter 83 Three Rules for the Agreement What Madam Xue meant by that was that I couldn't stand it...
"Has the matter of the mountain bandits been settled? I noticed that there are far fewer government soldiers patrolling the streets today."
The clear, refreshing fruit wine poured from the pot, filling the wine glasses, and everyone had already been sent away.
The courtyard was quiet, with only a sliver of the setting sun flowing across the green bricks and gray tiles. Bright red pomegranate blossoms drifted down into a puddle of water, the shimmering surface reflecting the twilight of the neighboring county.
Seeing Qin Jin nod, Xue Rongyue raised her wine cup, smiled slightly, and toasted him: "Thank you, Your Highness. It is thanks to your help that I was able to successfully rescue Shuman and find out the truth of what happened back then."
Qin Jin finished his wine, the cup fell to the ground, and his handsome, arched eyebrows, which slanted upwards towards his temples, lifted slightly. His cold, dark eyes, fixed on Xue Rongyue, held a half-smile.
"What's wrong?"
Xue Rongyue felt somewhat uncomfortable being stared at.
With his well-defined fingers tapping the table, Qin Jin's tall and broad figure was relaxed yet not loose. He casually remarked, "You always act exceptionally docile before you're up to no good."
"..." Xue Rongyue said sincerely, "Could you do what you did before, pretend you don't know, just know what's going on in your heart and don't expose me?"
Qin Jin said bluntly, "No."
Xue Rongyue asked, dissatisfied, "Why?"
“Before, when I exposed you, you would get angry and avoid me, but now…” With a light hum, Qin Jin deliberately straightened his thin, upturned lips and said calmly, “Our relationship is different now. You can’t avoid me.”
If it weren't for the fact that the two had already had a heated discussion about the word "triumphant" at Chenshi, which ended with Xue Rongyue losing control of the situation, she would have definitely questioned Qin Jin about his smug face again.
If Ji Dian were here, he would surely advise her: "The poor who suddenly become rich, the petty people who get their way, and those who finally get what they want after years of hard work all have this pretentious face. Just bear with it."
God knows what kind of inhuman torture Qin Jin has endured ever since he saw that letter.
A man surnamed Qin would suddenly giggle while eating, drinking water, doing chores, and even while sleeping. He would also frequently "meet with Ji Dian who was not asleep, not eating, and had some free time"—but what were they talking about?
"Look at that white cloud floating on the mountain, it's so blue! By the way, what do you think we need to prepare for a wedding?"
"Look how grassy this is! Oh dear, Your Majesty, how could you arrange such a marriage? I have no intention of getting married at all."
"Oh, these are the captured bandits. From a distance, I thought they were donkeys—tsk, do you think Xue Rongyue will really ask His Majesty to rescind the decree after returning to Chang'an? Should I write a letter to His Majesty to let him know in advance?"
......
Such examples are countless.
These past two days, Ji Dian has been tortured to the point that his face is pale and his steps are unsteady, as if he has overindulged in excessive sexual activity. Even the soldiers and officers from the neighboring prefecture and county who were brought to see him have changed their expressions, and there is a hint of condemnation in their eyes.
With a sigh, Xue Rongyue's expression suddenly hardened. She looked at Qin Jin and said seriously, "Marriage is not a game. Has Your Highness thought it through?"
Qin Jin was about to speak when Xue Rongyue raised her hand to interrupt him: "What I mean is, marrying me is not a game. Has the young master thought it through?"
Qin Jin's gaze shifted to the piece of paper peeking out from Xue Rongyue's sleeve, and he said leisurely, "I'd like to hear the details."
Seeing that she had been discovered, Xue Rongyue stopped her preamble and took out the three rules she had written beforehand.
"We have been betrothed so suddenly that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will be in the same boat from now on. Although we have known each other for many years and have some understanding of each other's character, just in case, it is better to make some things clear in advance."
Xue Rongyue handed the paper to Qin Jin and said, "Please take a look, Your Highness."
The content of this agreement was simple, but the scribbles and corrections on it showed that Xue Rongyue's mind was not at peace when she wrote it.
Xue Rongyue had originally copied a new one, but when she reached the door, she stopped, turned around, and took out the original copy. She vaguely felt that Qin Jin might be more likely to agree to her request if he saw the messy handwriting on it.
"Within two years of marriage, it is forbidden to take concubines, to have maids, or to keep mistresses. If you have a woman you like, you must inform us in advance..." Qin Jin narrowed his eyes and read one of the rules aloud.
Xue Rongyue put down her wine cup, took a sip of the clear wine, and inexplicably felt a chill: "If Your Highness finds this too harsh, you may speak frankly. I will never force you..."
Qin Jin raised his eyelids: "Why within two years?"
Xue Rongyue was stunned: "Huh?"
Qin Jin tapped his pale, jade-like fingers on the table, his smile fading slightly. He sighed, "Your two-year deadline is really making me... uneasy."
The sake went down her throat, and the effects of the alcohol belatedly began to rise. Xue Rongyue lowered her eyelashes, avoiding Qin Jin's direct gaze: "We've been at odds for so many years. If we clash after marriage and have many arguments, there's no need to force ourselves to live together. Divorce..."
Qin Jin's gaze was sharp, and one of his sword-like eyebrows, sharp as a blade, rose up as he bluntly exposed, "You only want to marry me for two years?"
Xue Rongyue: "......"
Xue Rongyue rubbed her forehead with one hand, muttering almost silently, "...I've already said that those who know each other too well can only become enemies. In the future...in the future, when we're living under the same roof, what secrets will there be left? It's really worrying to think about..."
Faced with Qin Jin's relentless gaze, Xue Rongyue realized she couldn't avoid it any longer. She covered her mouth with her handkerchief and coughed lightly, trying to appear calm: "That's not what I meant. If we can treat each other with respect, live in harmony, and enjoy the bliss of love after we get married, then we can live a long and happy life together."
Qin Jin took in Xue Rongyue's guilty conscience.
The lanterns hanging under the pavilion flickered and swayed in the night breeze, sweeping across Qin Jin's eyebrows and eyes, making his obsidian-like eyes even more distinct.
He lowered his eyelids slightly, looking at the glaring words "two years" on the paper. His thin lips tightened into a straight line, and his fingertips turned white from the force, causing obvious wrinkles to appear on the smooth paper.
But he didn't say anything more. He took the brush and inkpad that Xue Rongyue had prepared, signed his name, and pressed his fingerprint: "Is that alright?"
Xue Rongyue didn't expect him to agree so readily; to be precise, she didn't expect that what would make Qin Jin question the two-year timeframe.
She hesitated before taking it: "...Don't you...don't you have anything you want to change?"
After all, the three-point agreement contained more than just this one clause; there were also many other clauses concerning finances, family property, household management, and how to get along in the future. Logically speaking, any one of these clauses should be more noteworthy than the two-year term.
To prevent Qin Jin from bargaining, she deliberately set some of the terms harsh, so that there would be room for negotiation.
Upon hearing this, Qin Jin calmly raised his eyes and asked, "Are you willing to cross out the two-year term?"
Xue Rongyue: "...No."
Qin Jin snorted lightly and said indifferently, "Then there isn't one."
After drying the paper and folding it carefully, Xue Rongyue glanced at Qin Jin opposite her, looking unusually embarrassed: "I don't want to get involved in the power struggles within the household. If you find a woman you like after we're married, don't hide it, just tell me. The two-year period can end early..."
If she could live to see two years from now, she would have already escaped the dead end that fate had ordained for her. Even if she were to divorce, she wouldn't be caught in a dilemma. She could take Jingnu away from Chang'an and find a beautiful place to live.
Qin Jin smiled and placed a piece of food on her plate, interrupting her before she could finish speaking: "Try it, this dish is delicious."
Xue Rongyue looked at him warily: "...Why are you suddenly being so considerate?"
But since the three-point agreement had been signed so smoothly, Xue Rongyue didn't want to offend him. She picked it up, put it in her mouth, and took a bite. The spiciness immediately filled her nostrils—
"—This is ginger! Qin Jin, you did this on purpose!"
Without even looking up, Qin Jin skillfully dodged Xue Rongyue's kick that came from under the stone table, and then deftly picked out a few pieces of ginger for Xue Rongyue.
Xue Rongyue cursed, "Bastard!"
The loud voice startled the birds perched on the pomegranate tree, and the branches trembled in the bright candlelight. Qin Jin, however, kept his head down, motionless like an old monk in meditation, determined to use the ginger to shut Xue Rongyue's mouth.
Just then, the maidservant guarding the courtyard gate knocked on the door: "Madam, a guest has come to visit."
This sentence successfully stopped Xue Rongyue from standing up and dumping the ginger pieces in the bowl into Qin Jin's mouth. Her anger subsided slightly, and her brows furrowed.
She was unfamiliar with the area and the people there, so why would a guest come to visit her at this hour?
Who is it?
Jingnu replied, "It is Young Master Jiang."
Jiang Huaishun, the young master of the Jiang family. If it weren't for him, perhaps she would still be kept in the dark, unable to dispel the fog surrounding her brother's death.
Xue Rongyue's furrowed brows relaxed. Although she didn't know what he wanted, there was no reason for her not to see him.
She had just stood up and taken two steps when a burning gaze suddenly fell upon her from behind. Xue Rongyue paused, remembered something, and turned back to warn, "I'll be right back. Don't you dare put any more pieces of ginger in my bowl!"
Compared to Jiang Huaishun, the confrontation with Qin Jin was clearly more important. Xue Rongyue had no intention of inviting Jiang Huaishun in for a chat. After leaving the courtyard, she asked directly, "It's getting late. Does Young Master Jiang have something important to discuss?"
After she went up the mountain, Jiang Huai took his younger brother and hid elsewhere until the bandits were wiped out, at which point they returned to the Jiang family to recuperate. The two didn't have much interaction, and now that he had suddenly come to her door, Xue Rongyue couldn't figure out what he wanted.
"I apologize for my intrusion and apologize for disturbing you." Jiang Huaishun bowed and stepped aside, behind him were two carts full of generous gifts. "Knowing that Madam Xue is about to leave Lin County, I have prepared these small gifts to express my gratitude. I hope Madam Xue will not refuse them."
Xue Rongyue declined, saying, "No need..."
Jiang Huaishun knew that Xue Rongyue would refuse, so he sighed, raised his head, and looked up with sadness in his eyes: "If it weren't for your brother, I would have died in the wilderness long ago. The debt of gratitude for saving my life is beyond words. I only hope that these material possessions can make up for it. Please do not refuse, Madam Xue."
"If it weren't for saving me, Master Xue might not have been caught by the bandits. I owe Master Xue my life..."
In the past, Xue Rongyue would have been moved to tears upon hearing Jiang Huaishun say such things, and might even have been angry with him. However, since learning that her brother was still alive and had even spoken with her without her knowledge, Xue Rongyue has become much calmer about this past event.
She said, “Brother, you are kind and have had a chivalrous heart since childhood. Now that Jiang Langjun is alive and well, he has not failed your kindness. The mountain road is rugged and it is not easy to travel with these things. If Jiang Langjun wants to make up for it, he should pray for his brother in front of the gods and Buddhas more often during festivals.”
She was saying she was praying for blessings.
Jiang Huaishun was taken aback at first, then his expression darkened even more. He thought that Xue Rongyue was so immersed in the pain of her brother's death that she was unable to accept the fact that he had passed away.
Seeing that Xue Rongyue was determined not to accept this generous gift, Jiang Huaishun stopped talking and took off the token from his waist: "Our Jiang family has had members who are in business for generations. We have many shops not only in Linxian and Cenzhou, but also in Chang'an. If you need anything in the future, just take this token and give the order."
His voice was filled with pleading: "It's not just to thank Master Xue for saving my life. That day, my brother and I were ambushed by bandits. My brother was seriously injured and on the verge of death. If it weren't for your kindness in letting the servants treat him, I'm afraid I would have lost my life long ago."
"Two lives are so precious; if I cannot repay them, I will never be able to eat or sleep properly. I hope you will accept this gift, my lady. I thank you in gratitude!"
As he spoke, Jiang Huaishun took a step back, his expression solemn, and bowed deeply to Xue Rongyue.
This token is indeed somewhat useful and won't attract attention or cause any irrelevant trouble, so Xue Rongyue didn't refuse any longer and accepted the token: "In that case, it would be impolite to refuse it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaishun immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
The two were not acquainted. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiang Huaishun tactfully took his leave: "It's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll take my leave now. I don't know when we'll meet again after this parting. I wish you all the best in the future, and that you will be free from all disasters and difficulties. I will sincerely pray for you day and night before the gods and Buddhas."
Xue Rongyue lowered her head slightly, returned the greeting, and watched Jiang Huaishun's elegant and refined figure gradually disappear into the night.
After handing the token to Jingnu for safekeeping, Xue Rongyue breathed a sigh of relief and turned around, only to be unexpectedly met with a pair of deep, dark eyes.
Xue Rongyue blurted out, "How did you get out?"
A tall, imposing figure leaned against the doorframe. Upon hearing this, Qin Jin was both amused and exasperated, uttering each word slowly and deliberately, "How...did...I...get...out...?"
Although he was laughing, his tone was cold: "Does Madam Xue mean that I am someone who cannot be seen by others?"
Under Qin Jin's sharp gaze, Xue Rongyue felt inexplicably guilty: "That's not what I meant at all. Look at you, you're overthinking it..."
Seeing that the smile on Qin Jin's lips had completely vanished, Xue Rongyue quickly added, "I was just worried that you would go hungry, so I wanted you to eat more."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and pulled Qin Jin towards the pavilion.
Qin Jin snorted and walked forward following her lead, saying indifferently, "I would also like to have more food, but someone said to go and come back quickly. I've been waiting and waiting but no one has come. I thought they were lost, so I naturally came out to check."
Xue Rongyue: "...I was only gone for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. How could I have been gone for so long? That's an exaggeration."
Qin Jin stopped in his tracks and didn't walk any further.
Xue Rongyue tugged at it, but couldn't budge it. Turning around, she met his cold, dark eyes. Sighing, Xue Rongyue was about to argue with him when she caught a glimpse of the wine pot on the stone table, and an idea immediately came to her.
She deliberately tugged at Qin Jin again, but with a weak, ineffective force. Not only did it fail to budge Qin Jin, but it also caused her to stumble.
Releasing Qin Jin's sleeve, she leaned against a pomegranate tree and feigned a "hiss," saying, "My head is so dizzy..."
Qin Jin crossed his arms, looking her up and down suspiciously: "You fainted so quickly?"
Before she could finish speaking, Xue Rongyue put her hand to her temple, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed, and shook her head, looking somewhat delirious: "The alcohol is kicking in."
Qin Jin sized him up for a while, and seeing that he was still half-believing and half-doubting, he stepped forward and asked, "How many cups of wine have you drunk?"
"I don't remember... one, two, three, or four?" Xue Rongyue shook her head.
Qin Jin sighed: "I already told you that if you can't hold your liquor, you should drink less."
Xue Rongyue raised her eyes, her brows furrowing slightly. She straightened up, feigning weakness, but as soon as she took a step, she swayed twice: "...I feel so dizzy, please help me."
Before she could speak, Qin Jin had already swiftly taken her arm.
The next moment, Xue Rongyue's supple body coiled around Qin Jin like a snake, her head resting on Qin Jin's shoulder. Not forgetting to make her act even more convincing, she muttered to herself, "Oh dear, how can this wine have such a strong aftereffect..."
Her warm, fragrant breath fell on Qin Jin's neck, instantly tensing his sleek and powerful neck, making the veins beneath his fair skin stand out.
Qin Jin's prominent Adam's apple bobbed up and down, showing that he wanted to break free from this overly intimate behavior, but Xue Rongyue was relentless and he was powerless to do so.
Zheng Shuman, who was perched on the wall and witnessed everything, said: "...Okay, okay, you can drink two jars of strong liquor with me without getting drunk, but now you can get dizzy with just two cups of fruit wine. I believe you, alright."
Ji Dian, who witnessed everything from the dog hole: ...Okay, okay, he can kick a burly man to death with three kicks, but he can't push away a drunken young woman. I believe him, alright?
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Author's Note: The final volume will be released tomorrow, hehe, I really will finish it in October~ [shy]
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