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Inseparable?
That could only be my uncle's family, who often come to our house... No—
Shiraishi looked up: "They wouldn't do such a thing!"
Xie Lingxi scoffed, "How do you know you can't?"
Bai Shi did not answer.
The moonlight, clear and unbiased, bathed the courtyard. Xie Lingxi leaned lazily against a bamboo chair, noticing a koi fish cautiously peeking out from the pond. Turning around, she saw her young master about to cry and couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time: "I admit I was a bit harsh—"
"But why do you, a perfectly healthy young man who practices martial arts, cry so easily?"
Liu Xu brought over a plate of chilled lychees and continued her words: "He has a tough exterior but a tender heart."
"These lychees?"
Liu Xu peeled one and handed it to Xie Lingxi, saying, "It was a gift from His Majesty."
Xie Lingxi chuckled: "The Emperor bestowed this upon you? You've become one of the Emperor's favorites so quickly?"
Liu Xu smelled the fragrance of the flowers and remained silent.
He was indeed the fastest promoted one in the Hanlin Academy. When he was on duty at the Mingguang Hall, the emperor often summoned him to draft some documents, and then casually asked him about matters between the emperor and his ministers.
The Prince of Pingnan said that the current emperor was incompetent, but he thought otherwise—
A few days ago, after recovering from his injuries, he returned to court. The emperor asked him a few questions about his health, then suddenly changed his tone, saying, "You've suffered a hidden attack; I'm sorry for the trouble you've endured, my dear minister."
Liu Xu immediately tensed up, "This is what I should do."
The Emperor slightly raised his head and stared at him, saying meaningfully, "I am referring to this memorial."
Liu Xu straightened his posture, his hands moving without pause. Before him lay a memorial, seemingly from some high-ranking official, angrily denouncing the bandits of Jingzhou. His expression remained unchanged: "This is the memorial I'm referring to—"
"Forgive my humble opinion, but the bandits in Jingzhou have been established for a long time and have also taken over the mountain strongholds. They are easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is best to take them by strategy."
"Yes, the people have suffered for too long."
...
Upon hearing this, Xie Lingxi said, "His Majesty knows that Yan Ji was behind it, but he simply doesn't want to get involved."
She suffered in silence, never expecting Yan Ji to go so mad, attempting assassination before even getting the person, and even harming her as well.
But that wasn't what she was concerned about. "I heard that an official has petitioned His Majesty to grant each prince the right to establish his own residence?"
Liu Xu nodded. "As far as I know, His Majesty has chosen the title 'Jin' for the Fifth Prince."
Xie Lingxi sneered: "'Jin'? Does he think he can become emperor just by taking this name? I don't think so."
"His Majesty favors him."
“Yes,” Xie Lingxi understood the sorrow in Liu Xu’s words, “His Majesty treats us like soybeans to be ground.”
Bai Shi finally couldn't take it anymore. He picked up a pebble and skipped it across the pond in a beautiful double-skimming motion. "Aren't you afraid of getting your heads chopped off for talking about this kind of thing so openly in the courtyard?"
The moonlight shone even brighter, illuminating all living beings.
The graceful shadows of the trees swayed and intertwined on the ground, accompanied by the refreshing fragrance of flowers, quietly observing the passing years in the courtyard. The lady, who was sitting leisurely and calmly, shook off a few bunches of lychees from the hem of her peach-colored dress, which were then picked up by a strong and powerful hand.
Xie Lingxi saw the lotus leaves in the pond tremble and create ripples, and a koi carp poked its head out from under the red lotus before burying its head again. "Hey, don't kill my goldfish!"
Liu Xu was speechless: "You treasure the fish that Xiao Yin gave you so much—"
"Where's the lucky charm I gave you?"
Xie Lingxi didn't care about Xiao Yin or anything like that, and reached out to stop Bai Shi's mischievous hand, "What Xiao Yin! That's the goldfish that Ayi gave me!"
"This is the only one of its kind in all of Chang'an!"
Bai Shi: "So you were lying to me when you said there was only one cup of that wine in all of Chang'an!"
Xie Lingxi jumped up, about to snatch the pebbles, but Liu Xu stopped her, making Bai Shi obediently hand them over.
"Lingxi" (灵犀).
Under the bright moonlight, the young man's face was as beautiful as jade, and he came with the fragrance of lotus in the evening breeze.
"Where's the lucky charm I gave you?"
Xie Lingxi felt her face flush, but fortunately it was nighttime and not very noticeable. She said softly, "It's here."
He looked down and saw a lucky charm buckle tied to a belt inlaid with pearls, with a white jade pendant hanging below, swaying like water with his peach-colored clothes.
...
The lotus leaves sway in the breeze, as a light rain falls overnight.
It was already the hottest time of summer, and Liu Xu braved the heat to go out that day. When he returned home, he brought an invitation with the words "In the height of summer, when the waters of Ming Lake are high, a lotus-themed banquet will be held," and so on. Xie Lingxi took a look—
"For me?"
"The Empress's invitation was just delivered to your residence; you may not have heard it."
Xie Lingxi took it, glanced at it a few times, and threw it aside. The sound of it hitting the ground startled Bai Shi, who was guarding outside the courtyard.
“It’s not that I didn’t hear it,” Xie Lingxi said, emphasizing each word. “I simply don’t want to go.”
Why would she join in this commotion in such heat? Besides, it's clearly a matchmaking scene for unmarried men and women; what does it have to do with her?
Liu Xu chuckled, "Then pretend to be sick."
It was already hot, and Xie Lingxi felt agitated upon seeing the post. Her long hair clung to her chest with sweat, and although she was only wearing a thin gauze dress, she still looked as stuffy as a steamed shrimp, revealing an alluring pale pink hue.
She bent down to pick up a folding fan, and a glimpse of her pale white skin, shimmering with a soft glow, was revealed in the movement.
Seeing this, Liu Xu tilted his head slightly, "So you're blaming me for accepting this invitation?"
He took the fan, sat down, and slowly fanned Xie Lingxi.
Hearing the woman close her eyes, her voice was clear and cold: "Since we've already accepted the invitation, let's see how you pretend to be sick."
"I'm afraid it won't work. Didn't you invite two or three girls to go boating yesterday? You accidentally collided with another boat, and everyone in Chang'an knows about it."
The heat did indeed subside somewhat in the cool breeze.
But Xie Lingxi still opened her eyes and retorted, "Are you mocking me?"
Liu Xu: "How could I dare?"
That's clearly the meaning!
The surroundings were filled with poems and tales, and further ahead were chilled snacks. Xie Lingxi lay back on a small couch adorned with flowers, with a fine, pine-green bamboo mat beneath her.
She propped herself up on her elbows, her lotus-patterned dress cascading down, revealing two fair, slender legs, their skin and bones gleaming. As she rose, a pair of butterfly-shaped shoulder blades suddenly appeared on her slender back, appearing like snow after a storm, enveloped in the gauze dress.
"My little boat was fine, but then a boat from the opposite direction crashed into it, catching me off guard."
Liu Xu glanced at the delicate beauty in front of him and simply closed his eyes. "You don't need to explain these things to me."
Xie Lingxi sat up completely, looking up at Liu Xu as if facing a formidable enemy, and chuckled: "If I don't tell you, I'm afraid you'll keep thinking about it, won't you?"
"The owner of that boat is Wang Shiqi Niang, and has nothing to do with me."
As she spoke, she touched Liu Xu's face, "Why are you closing your eyes?"
Because he couldn't see, his other four senses were exceptionally sharp. Liu Xu suddenly caught a whiff of the delicate fragrance of orchids. When he opened his eyes, he saw Xie Lingxi's face only a fist's distance away from his, her usually aloof phoenix eyes now filled with a smile.
Liu Xu blushed and slapped her hand away, saying, "Can't you put your clothes on properly!"
It's indecent for a man and woman who aren't in a committed relationship to be alone in a room, and for them to be wearing dresses that expose such a large expanse of their fair and tender breasts!
But Xie Lingxi scrutinized his entire outfit and asked, "What? Doesn't it look good?"
"It looks good..."
Xie Lingxi wanted him to say that: "Then it's settled."
"Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. I'll go and be a gossipy matchmaker and see what's going on by the lotus pond."
At this moment, Liu Zhi walked into the courtyard, looking at the shopping list Xie Lingxi had written for him without raising her head, and said as she walked, "Wife, I've searched several streets and still can't find this honey-brewed wine—"
Inside, there was a commotion as people ransacked the room. Xie Lingxi quickly put on her outer robe and asked calmly, "What's wrong?"
"Never bought it."
The willow branches rustled.
Inside the room, Liu Xu suddenly burst into laughter, and casually put his arm around Xie Lingxi's waist, saying, "I'm talking to my wife, don't disturb us."
...
A gentle breeze stirs the lotus leaves.
Xie Lingxi, accompanied by two maids, was helped into the ornately decorated carriage by Liu Xu.
This carriage was bought by Liu Xu with a month's salary, and it suited Xie Lingxi's tastes in every way. Even the small sandalwood piece was the same type of sandalwood with scrolling patterns that Xie Lingxi often used.
Chun Tao Chu Liu found a small comb in the lotus box and combed Xie Lingxi's hair. Seeing her mistress in a gorgeous dress, with snow-white skin and cherry lips, she was even more beautiful than the palace flowers in the snow. She couldn't help but say, "Miss is even more vibrant than in spring."
Xie Lingxi lay back slightly, with the bulging medicinal pillow under her waist, and measured the gap in her belt. "Is that so?"
"I think I've gained some weight."
Chu Liu, quick to speak, said, "How can you look like this now, Miss? If you were like before, you would be too thin, which is frightening."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chuntao whispered a rebuke from the side, "Chuliao, you shouldn't speak recklessly."
Xie Lingxi patted the backs of their hands lightly, smiling, "Alright, after all these years, what's there to hide? If Chu Liu says it's alright, then it's alright. But... have I really gained weight?"
Seeing the two maids bowing their heads and smiling, Xie Lingxi was unusually shy: "His cooking... is really delicious."
Others may not know, but in the Liu family, there were hardly any family members. It was common for Lord Liu to wash his hands and cook.
The food in Jiangzhou was spicy, which Xie Lingxi rarely ate, but it whetted her appetite. As a result, Liu Xu arranged the dishes beautifully every day, which was very pleasing to the eye.
Spring peaches and willows chuckled teasingly.
The carriage quieted down, then a burst of bustling noise filled the air; they had arrived at the palace gates.
Xie Lingxi alighted from the carriage, and the master and servants were led inside by a palace maid. They watched as the lady and her husband played around, and the black-tailed goldfish swam from the west side of the lotus leaf to the east side.
A voice called out from ahead, "Madam Liu!"
As the wind rose and the clouds gathered, she stood still.
The visitor was Aunt Cui, who was wearing a purple seven-layered brocade dress today. The cloud pattern on the lower garment was outlined with silver thread, which was faintly visible, making her look even more luxurious and elegant.
Xie Lingxi was stunned for a moment, then realized that she was being called, and quickly went to greet her, "Auntie is here today too."
Uncle Cui was born late, and his wife was only seven or eight years older than her and Ayi. In their early years, the bamboo birds and beasts, tea-drinking card games that she and Cui Yi played were all taught by this aunt.
When Aunt Cui saw Xie Lingxi, she affectionately took her hand and said, "Lingxi, I should be asking you this: why have you come today?"
Xie Lingxi smiled: "I don't know why I was asked to come here today."
She pointed to the people in the pavilion, "They're all here watching each other, why do you want me to come and join in the fun?"
Aunt Cui also saw these unmarried men and women. She mysteriously pulled Xie Lingxi aside and whispered in her ear, "I heard that today is the day for His Highnesses to select their wives."
Xie Lingxi: "Then I should be even more grateful."
"Shouldn't His Highness Prince Qi's principal wife have been chosen long ago?"
"Silly child," Aunt Cui gently tapped her head, "aren't there still the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Chu?"
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