Double Swallow
Upon hearing this, both of them agreed. Xie Lingxi casually reclined on the mahogany chair with a thin layer of cotton padding, pulled her outer robe embroidered with swallows and fine rain, and said lazily, "I heard that Xiao Yin had a fight with His Majesty today, and he came out of the palace like this... acting crazy."
Liu Xu sat down and put his arm around her. "Lord Xiao is twenty-three years old and still unmarried. His Majesty wanted to bestow a marriage upon him and a lady from the Shen family, but he refused, so he made a huge scene."
"I see." Xie Lingxi chuckled, recalling what Xiao Yin had told her. "Guess what he asked me for advice about?"
These words stirred something within Liu Xu.
This was originally a private matter between Xie Lingxi and Xiao Zixuan. Although he was eager to know the details, the two had gradually grown closer in love recently, and his jealousy had subsided somewhat. So he said dignifiedly, "I can't guess."
"Please, my lady, tell me with all your heart."
Just then, a pair of swallows flew in from the eaves, carrying grass twigs and building their nests one after the other. Xie Lingxi gestured for Liu Xu to look up, "Yes, that's how it is."
Liu Xu: "Tying grass and carrying a ring? To repay a debt of gratitude?"
Xie Lingxi: "..."
She suddenly stood up, straightened her clothes, and picked up the writing brush, ink, and books that Liu Xu had thrown on the table. Without looking back, she went back to her room to wash and dress. "Today I'm going out for a stroll with Ayi, so I won't be home for dinner."
Liu Xu was still in a daze and hadn't responded yet when Liu Zhi cheerfully exclaimed, "Isn't my wife coming home for dinner? I'm going to eat a lot of sweet fermented rice balls tonight!"
"My lord? Say something, my lord!"
...
Cui Yi looked at Xie Lingxi with a half-smile and said, "Did you have a fight with Liu Chengzhi?"
The two women strolled through the West Market. It was a crisp autumn day, and the hairpin Cui Yi had just chosen was engraved with a scene of swallows flying in pairs in a light rain. "This one is beautiful," she said.
Xie Lingxi narrowly avoided the first part of her sentence, examined the jade hairpin, and asked slowly and deliberately, "You want to buy it?"
Cui Yi only asked her, "What does Lingxi think?"
Xie Lingxi shook her head: "It's out of place."
"Oh dear, my wife!"
The shopkeeper couldn't sit still any longer. He had just noticed that the two ladies were dressed in a rather elegant and beautiful manner, and wondered which wealthy family they belonged to. Now, upon hearing this, his lips moved with a frantic urgency:
"My lady, my lady! You can't say that. What do you mean by 'appropriate' or 'inappropriate'? Look at you, your whole demeanor is like spring water washing over a pond, how well this hairpin suits you!"
Xie Lingxi looked at him quietly, "But..."
“What do you mean by ‘but’?” The shopkeeper quickly interrupted her, turning to Cui Yi and saying, “Madam, you have excellent taste. This hairpin is made of the finest jade. Look at the carving; only a master craftsman with ten years of experience could carve such a beautiful and delicate piece. You should buy it and give it to a friend as a gift.”
"How about I make an exception and charge you 20% less?"
Cui Yi had originally intended to buy it, but upon hearing this, she was no longer in a hurry. Adopting the air of a lady from a prominent family, she looked him up and down: "You speak with such elegance—you are a scholar, how did you end up in this line of work?"
The shopkeeper in front of me was refined and looked to be just over twenty. His stall was also neatly arranged and did not have much of a merchant's air about it.
The young man's surname was Meng, and he said, "It's just for making a living."
Seeing that the two ladies were hesitant to buy, he became disheartened and said, "If you ladies don't like it, there's no need to force yourselves. You can simply not buy it."
"Hey—buy it!"
Cui Yi took out her money pouch. "Who said I wasn't going to buy it? Why are you in such a hurry, young man?"
Cui Yi was always sociable, not to mention that this young man was handsome and had delicate features. Xie Lingxi secretly worried for Xie Heng and casually asked, "Why don't you take the imperial examination, get a degree, and make a name for yourself?"
Meng Jin spoke, his voice filled with bitterness: "Now that the imperial examination is held every three years, talented people from all over the country are as numerous as carp crossing a river. How could it be my turn?"
...
"A three-year undertaking?!"
Tang Zexue paced around the courtyard, carrying a cloth bag in her hand, her neck flushed: "Tell me, Chengzhi, we are truly incredibly lucky! Although His Majesty's reform of abolishing examinations is a temporary measure, where has the money in the national treasury gone?"
Liu Xu simply said, "In short, there isn't any left."
This was indeed unexpected by everyone.
The Great Yan has always been prosperous and peaceful, but now the national treasury is empty and spending is insufficient. Even the salaries of the officials have been quietly reduced by half.
Tang Zexue originally wanted to buy a large house, and he happened to find one that was not far from the Liu residence. However, after his salary was reduced, prices in Chang'an suddenly soared, so he had to give up the idea.
Liu Xu comforted him, "Isn't His Majesty going to send you on a distant mission? Perhaps a house in Zhangzhou is much cheaper than in Chang'an?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Zexue shook her head, "I'm afraid this matter will have to be shelved."
"At the end of the year, people from the east will come to offer tribute, and the Emperor has appointed me as an official in charge of foreign affairs."
If you are sent to a remote area, you will have plenty of opportunities to make a difference. After a few years of merit, it will not be difficult to be promoted and return to the capital. However, if you are sent to receive envoys, you could lose your head if you are not careful!
Liu Xu pondered, "This is hardly an easy job."
"yes."
As the sun began to set, Tang Zexue rubbed her sore eyes, took a sip of tea, and said bitterly, "It's getting late, please let me stay for dinner. This job is really inhuman these days—where's Lingxi? I haven't seen her in a long time, and there's something I'd like to ask her for advice on."
After Xie Lingxi left, Liu Xu felt a little down for a moment. Now that his friend had come to chat, he would have been more than happy to welcome him, even if it meant staying overnight.
But why are they all coming to Xie Lingxi to be their teacher?
"consult?"
Just then, Liu Zhi set out the dishes and bowls. Liu Xu invited Tang Zexue to sit down, no longer bound by the rule of "not speaking while eating or sleeping," and casually asked him, "What happened? Why don't you tell me?"
Tang Zexue also looked troubled, "This..."
Liu Xu: "Why hesitate? Aren't we friends?"
He thought of the two birds under the eaves earlier that day, gritted his teeth, and said, "Or is there something that can only be discussed with my wife, and I can't even bear to hear about it?"
"oops!"
Hearing this, Tang Zexue knew that the man had misunderstood, so she had to explain, "I recently met a lady and I've taken a liking to her, so I came to ask Lady Xie what young ladies usually like to do and what they enjoy playing..."
He paused, then said, "Chengzhi, it's not appropriate for me to ask you about these things, is it?"
Liu Xu muttered to himself, "So Xiao Zixuan came to ask about this today..."
"What?" Tang Zexue didn't hear clearly and assumed that Liu Xu was talking to himself, so she changed the subject and asked, "But I do need your help—if it's convenient, you might as well tell me how you win over Lady Xie's heart, so that I can imitate you a little."
Previously, I had only heard about the two people's meeting, which was a mix of laughter and tears, but I didn't know the specifics.
After drinking some wine, Liu Xu naturally launched into a long and eloquent ode to the beauty of nature—such as lanterns in willow huts, boats with orchid oars, the bright moon over streams, and lanterns blooming after the New Year.
Although not drunk, he was already feeling quite lightheaded, and finally summarized: "In short, it is a matter of mutual affection, unbreakable bond, and mutual appreciation, which even the Queen Mother of the West cannot separate."
Tang Zexue: "..."
"alright."
He made a quick decision and called Liu Zhi over, saying, "Your husband is drunk, help him back to his room to rest."
The two men helped Liu Xuhuan past several red pillars, and just as they saw the grass, trees, and pines in front of the house, Liu Xu suddenly shouted, "I'm not drunk!"
He raised his face, which was flushed crimson as if it were about to bleed, and stared intently at Tang Zexue. After a long while, he spoke: "Where is my wife? Where is Lingxi? Haven't they returned yet?"
Liu Zhi hurriedly replied, "Madam has returned! She sent someone to tell me; she's on her way home!"
Liu Xu didn't see Xie Lingxi, so he simply moved a chair in front of the door, making it clear that he wouldn't go back to his room to sleep until Xie Lingxi arrived.
Tang Zexue stared wide-eyed, never expecting that the usually calm and gentle Liu Chengzhi could be so drunk. She thought to herself that talking about love could really turn a person into a fool.
After throwing the person to Liu Zhi, he fled and happened to run into Xie Lingxi, who was returning home, at the gate.
Xie Lingxi had witnessed a great show with Cui Yi today and was still savoring it. Upon seeing him, she said with delight, "Ling Shuang, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Tang Zexue said, "It's still alright."
Remembering the purpose of his visit, he smiled sincerely and said, "I have something I'd like to ask Lady Xie, but... today is not the right time."
"Ah, yes."
Xie Lingxi rarely apologized, "I'm sorry I came back too late. I'll definitely visit Ling Shuang's residence another day."
"That would be great."
Tang Zexue, thinking about Liu Chengzhi sitting in the room, urged Xie Lingxi without exchanging more than a few pleasantries: "Go back quickly, some people are getting impatient."
This person was naturally Liu Chengzhi.
The corridor was deep and quiet, and Xie Lingxi walked on the wooden planks that were still covered with moss after the rain a few days ago. She had just taken off her outer garment and asked Tao Hong and Liu Lü to take it away. When she turned around, she saw a very small lamp lit next to a dark row of windows.
Beside him were Liu Xu's bright eyes.
"Ouch!"
The man grabbed her and buried his face in her neck, exhaling a warm, wet breath.
"Why are you back so late..."
Xie Lingxi was genuinely startled by him. When Liu Xu saw her, he stood up shakily, as if he was about to fall. She instinctively reached out her arms to catch him, but was instead embraced tightly.
Feeling helpless, she then smelled a strong scent of alcohol mixed with the herbal fragrance on Liu Xu's body, reminding her of a warm and tender night.
Xie Lingxi dragged the person a few steps, intending to light the candles, but the person on her body held her tighter and tighter. Unable to bear it, she tried to break free, saying, "I'm back. Let go of me, look at my face, and see if it's really me who came home?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Xu indeed relaxed a bit, moving his face an inch away from Xie Lingxi, cupping his wife's face, which was flushed from her earlier movements, and carefully examining her.
The night was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects and birds. Xie Lingxi said softly, "Did you see clearly? Was it me, or a demon wearing my skin?"
This was meant as a joke, but Liu Xu actually thought about it for a moment and said decisively, "It's a demon."
Xie Lingxi: "...Huh?"
The room was now brightly lit, the dim light casting a warm glow on the two people.
In the struggle, Xie Lingxi's silk sash was torn off, revealing several clusters of laurel embroidered on the chest of her inner shirt. Liu Xu stared at it for a while, then noticed the new hairpin in her hair. "Is that a swallow?"
"Hmm," Xie Lingxi said, taking it off and handing it to him. "Does it look good?"
"nice."
Liu Xu grabbed the slender wrist that handed him the hairpin, pulled her close with a forceful movement, and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Why is there only one swallow..." Shouldn't there be two? A pair of swallows, peacefully building their nest on the beam...
"What?"
The hairpin slipped and fell to the ground with a crisp, shattering sound.
Xie Lingxi didn't hear clearly. Her waist and arms were held by Liu Xu, and her face was numb from the kisses, turning a pomegranate-red color. The two of them shoved and pushed each other into the inner room. Liu Xu pulled her and fell onto the couch next to him, pinning her down hard.
What are you going to do?
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