Chapter 11 Duckweed As long as you want it, I will help you realize it.
You Heng's pain had mostly subsided, and he had regained his former elegant and graceful demeanor. However, he couldn't hide the contempt in his eyes as he looked at Zhu Hao. "Whether Sanniang knew or not is none of your business. How could a mere girl understand what I was planning?"
Zhu Hao was exhausted, and the lashes were causing her trouble. She sat down on the ground in frustration, "How can a girl not understand? If I weren't the 'mere girl' you mentioned, how could Second Master You have been born?"
Zhu Hao sarcastically said, "Second Master You's plans may seem to be about eliminating violence and upholding justice, even at the cost of his own family, but in reality... how is he any different from your brother? You Yan murdered his father for wealth and power, and Second Master You also murdered his brothers for wealth and power. It's simply because You Yan and his father were involved in evil deeds. Being born into the You family, with these two as your companions, it's easier for you to be called a 'benevolent gentleman,' right?"
"Wang Mang was ostensibly coerced by You Yan, but in reality, he was being intimidated by the Second Young Master You! To further your own agenda, you treated human life as a trap, causing his sister to lose her elder brother. Did you know that when You Yan was brought to justice, the Second Young Master You wouldn't become the next 'You Yan'?"
"If Miss Zhu insists on thinking this way, I, You, will have no words to defend myself. However, You Yan's dedication to the great law will only benefit you, me, and the people of this city, and will not harm them. Moreover... the so-called 'corpse ladder' was built by you and me, so we are in the same boat. Miss Zhu, please be cautious in your words and actions."
After You Heng said this, he turned around and was about to leave.
"Wait a minute." Zhu Hao asked, "You Heng, what you did before..."
You Heng said, "Miss Zhu, why are you so anxious? I did agree. If you help me testify against You Yan in court and have him imprisoned, I will tell you the truth about your father. But right now... it's not the right time. You Yan is still happy. Therefore, the deal between Miss Zhu and me has not been completed."
"Miss Zhu is known for her cunning ways, so how could I not have a backup plan? However, your father's death is indeed related to Zhu Lanxiang. If you wish to clear your father's name, I have something that may help you." You Heng glanced at Zhu Hao with a playful look. "Whether Miss Zhu's father can rest in peace in his grave depends entirely on how Miss Zhu behaves in court in three days."
…
You Heng brushed off her clothes and left, wishing him to lie down and have a rest.
The burning pain in my back still persisted, but it was much better than the cramping pain I had felt when I was being flogged.
Zhu Hao got up and walked, stopping and starting, holding on to the railings and walls along the way. His steps felt as if they were weighed down by a thousand pounds.
This morning the sky was clear and blue, and there was a spring breeze blowing in my sleeves, but now there are dark clouds covering the sun, and occasional loud thunder.
"elder sister."
Zhu Hao looked in the direction of the sound and saw the child who had protested for her during the caning. He was holding an umbrella in his arms. He was probably about ten years old, and only reached Zhu Hao's waist. The child tilted his neck and said, "Sister, this umbrella is for you. I live nearby, so I might not be able to catch the rain, so I'll go home first."
After saying this, the child pushed the umbrella in his arms towards Zhu Hao. She was unable to resist and had to accept it. Zhu Hao was about to thank him when she saw the child disappear into the alley, as if afraid that Zhu Hao would push the umbrella back.
It hasn't rained yet, so Zhu Hao used his umbrella as a crutch. But after taking two steps, raindrops as big as beans fell from the sky, and a strong wind blew.
There were no pedestrians on the long street. Zhu Hao opened his umbrella. The bluestone tiles were paved with water, and the reflection in the water was his own disheveled and dirty self.
She was like duckweed in the water, drifting in the wind and rain, with no place to stand.
The strong wind made the bamboo lanterns on the eaves rub against each other, and her umbrella flew away from her hand in the wind, flying a few feet away. Zhu Hao pulled up her skirt and followed it, but because of the pull on her injured part, she fell into the water.
The water surface was rippling, and her reflection in the water looked fragmented.
She had not shed a tear when Zhu Lanxiang sold her to You Lang as a concubine, and she had bitten her lip and swallowed in pain when she was flogged in the court. But now, she had a sore eye and nose after falling down on plain ground.
Zhu Hao looked around through the layers of rain curtains, and when she was sure that there was no one around, she burst into tears.
Her eyes, misty with tears, were barely discernible, but she saw a plum petal drift into the water, pushing aside the ripples like a canoe carrying water on a long journey. With a light touch of her fingertips, the surface of the water vaguely reflected the figures of others, while the umbrella, which had been blown a few feet away by the strong wind, disappeared without a trace.
He tilted the umbrella in his hand, making her a floating duckweed sheltered under it.
She recalled that day when Huaicheng was raining heavily, but because that person was by her side, the rain was blocked several feet away.
Zhu Hao just felt it was strange. It was obvious that plum blossoms were not common at this time of year. If it were him, it wouldn't be surprising.
"Plum blossoms are the herald of spring, defying frost and snow."
"There are difficulties ahead of me, and disasters are coming from behind. According to the Immortal Lord, I am just 'surviving', and there is a huge gap between me and this herald of spring." Zhu Hao wiped the tears from her cheeks with her sleeves. She turned and glanced at Song Xieqing, "...When did the Immortal Lord come?"
"When?" Song Xieqing thought for a moment, "It's hard to say when."
Zhu Hao said nothing, but stared at him with her swollen and red eyes.
For some reason, she felt that Song Xieqing seemed to be in worse condition than before. His face was pale and his lips were white, and he looked tired.
He stood in the rain on the long street holding an umbrella, his posture like a crane standing tall, and his immortal bones exuded from within.
Beyond the sound of rain, she seemed to hear Song Xieqing sighing, and then he said, "Always here."
When Zhu Hao heard this, her brows moved. She shifted her gaze away from Song Xieqing and turned to fiddle with the plum blossoms in the water.
It was hard to understand what he said, as if he was making fun of her, but that was not the case.
Song Xieqing is the guardian god of Huaicheng. He is sensitive to everything that happens in the city. His thoughts are everywhere in the sky and on the earth, and he is omnipresent and omniscient.
Zhu Hao indeed took this as a joke. She saw the rain falling hard outside her umbrella, and the wounds on her body hurt when they came into contact with the water. Zhu Hao turned her back to Song Xieqing and suddenly asked, "My Lord, does it have to rain today?"
As far as Zhu Hao knew, Huaicheng had been experiencing heavy rain since she had tossed the hydrangea into Song Xieqing's jade statue. Furthermore, she had personally witnessed Song Xieqing controlling the rain in Huaicheng, and Zhu Hao was certain that if Song Xieqing was displeased, Huaicheng would be doomed to rain.
Oh my God, is he a fallen immortal, or the Dragon King who brings rain to the mortal world?
Zhu Hao didn't know why Song Xieqing was unhappy and ordered it to rain in Huaicheng today. She only knew that this rain was causing her suffering.
She doesn't like rain.
"Today's rain isn't because of me." Song Xieqing saw Zhu Hao huddled up in a small ball, her back thin and her clothes ragged and soaked with blood. The wetness from the rain only made the scars on her back more horrific. He thought he still had something important he needed her help with, so he said, "Stop."
Song Xieqing passed by Zhu Hao, holding an umbrella. Drops of water dangling from the umbrella's edge fell rapidly, splashing onto the bluestone ground and causing ripples. Zhu Hao realized there was no shelter above his head. The umbrella vanished from Song Xieqing's hand. The thunderstorm dissipated instantly, the dark clouds retreated, and a gentle breeze blew across his face, carrying the fragrance of spring flowers in the soil.
Zhu Hao recalled the time in the inner hall. She wanted to curse Zhang Qian for his stupidity, but the choking in her throat prevented her from uttering a single word. She tentatively asked, "Just now... was it because of the Immortal Lord that I lost my voice? I was able to hear Zhang Qian's private conversation with the guards. Was that also the Immortal Lord's doing?"
Song Xieqing nodded. "If you were imprisoned for insulting Zhang Qian, I'd have to find a way to get you out. It would be easier to just silence you."
Zhu Hao was slightly startled, but she came to her senses after a moment. She asked bluntly, "Does the Immortal Lord have anything to ask of me?"
After he finished speaking, Zhu Hao suddenly felt that his words were too presumptuous, and hurriedly said, "What do you want to discuss with me, Immortal Lord?"
Song Xieqing looked at her, cleared his throat, and then said, "I've been thinking about it lately, and I suddenly feel that what Madam Zhu said is very true. Marriage should be based on the three letters and six betrothal gifts, and a formal matchmaker. Madam Zhu and I may only be husband and wife in name only, but how could I treat you unfairly?" He leaned forward, supporting his chin with one hand. "Madam Zhu and I should arrange our marriage according to folk rites. I'll pick an auspicious day and come to your house to propose."
After hearing this, Zhu Hao felt dazed. Was Song Xieqing helping her just for such a trivial matter? She felt relieved. If it was just a marriage, it would be a simple matter.
Zhu Hao found it amusing. Song Xieqing's excuse was perfunctory. He disliked trivial matters so much that he had no time to ponder the right and wrong of her words. Song Xieqing didn't like her either, so why would he have the leisure to play a trick on her? This was definitely not as he said. He simply believed that in-laws should have a formal marriage, with three letters and six betrothal gifts, so he planned to propose marriage to her family. Song Xieqing's actions must have been related to his own interests.
However, since he had no intention of stating it, Zhu Hao was too lazy to ask.
She continued to listen to Song Xieqing, "I never take advantage of others for no reason. If I were to arrange a wedding, everyone in the city would know that Madam Zhu is married. This would not matter to me, but it would be unfair to Madam Zhu. Therefore, I can grant any request Madam Zhu makes as payment."
"……any?"
"Anything, as long as Madam Zhu wants it." Song Xieqing smiled faintly, as if waiting for the show to begin. "No matter the stars in the heavens, no matter the pearls of the East China Sea, or whose head Madam Zhu wants to take, all it takes is a word from you." He conjured an object in his palm. Zhu Hao took a closer look and saw that it was the key ring from Songheju. "Madam Zhu, keep this well. In the past hundred years, Madam Zhu is the first person to fall asleep and snore in front of my jade statue."
Although he had signed a marriage contract with Zhu Haoshu and re-worshipped heaven and earth, it was too perfunctory. Therefore, the heavenly punishment in Song Xieqing's body had not yet been released. Now, he played the whole game and should not make any mistakes. After this incident, the heavenly punishment would suddenly be lifted, and he would no longer have to protect her.
Zhu Hao, however, had no intention of taking over. "This house should be returned to the Immortal Lord. I am attached to the courtyard where my parents once lived, and I feel at ease staying in the Zhu residence."
Although Zhu Lanxiang would definitely kick her out of the Zhu family after she got married, but... Zhu Hao had already thought of a plan to deal with it.
Song Xieqing didn't insist after hearing this. He put the key away and asked again, "Madam Zhu, have you thought about what you want? If you don't, it will be invalid after today."
"Immortal Lord... do you really answer everything?"
"nature."
Song Xieqing saw hope suddenly flickering in the young woman's eyes, like amber reflecting the spring scenery, its light swirling and shimmering. He wondered what he wished for, perhaps to redress his father's injustice? Or to heal his own whipping wounds? Or perhaps to reverse his current predicament?
However, she did not say what Song Xieqing was thinking.
"Immortal Lord, then change one request into ten."
"You're asking for quite a bit." Song Xieqing sneered and flicked his finger at her forehead. "Don't be greedy."
After the rain, the sky cleared up, the wind was light and the clouds were clear. The dark clouds in the sky melted away without anyone noticing. Looking from afar, the sun was hanging on the top of the peaks, about to set, dyeing half of the sky like molten gold.
"My Lord, I've made up my mind." Zhu Hao stood up on trembling legs, her hair wet and her face pale. "Protect me home."
…
Song Xieqing had been thinking about it all the time, but with this golden opportunity to turn the tide, she ordered him to condescend to be a bodyguard...
Since she could think of the delusion of turning one request into ten requests, how could she not know how to adapt?
In the end, he asked for such a small matter, but he thought highly of it.
Zhu Hao was covered in wounds, so it was inconvenient for her to walk. If Song Xieqing was an ordinary person, he could only support or carry Zhu Hao forward, but he was not an ordinary person. Song Xieqing drew a talisman with his finger between Zhu Hao's eyebrows, and a golden light suddenly appeared. Zhu Hao's limbs suddenly became as light as a feather. The bruises on her back were clearly not faded, but when she took a step, it no longer affected the wound. Even Zhu Hao's brain swelling and physical weakness caused by falling off the cliff disappeared.
Song Xieqing: "Madam Zhu, when do you plan to regain consciousness? If you stay three feet away from me, the spell will automatically dissolve."
When Zhu Hao heard this, she realized that Song Xieqing was already ten steps away from her, so she hurriedly lifted her skirt to catch up.
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