Chapter 68 National Day He really liked her very much. ...
It would take at least half a month and at least seven or eight days to drive from Huaicheng to the capital. It was too late to go to Beijing now. Zhu Hao was not worried because he had Song Xieqing by his side.
Because there were still some minor matters waiting for her to finish in the second shop on the first floor, the couple fled to the capital on the eve of the national ceremony.
Song Xieqing did not settle down in the most prosperous place in Kyoto. Instead, he took Zhu Hao to rest in a side street far away from the hustle and bustle. It was not for any other reason, but because Zhu Hao had been very busy recently, and he felt that the pressure was gathering. He wanted to choose a quiet place to sleep. After all, he had magic skills, so he could go anywhere.
As he expected, Zhu Hao was not in a hurry to tour Kyoto as soon as he entered the inn. Instead, he fell asleep on the soft couch without knowing where to go.
When she woke up, it was the day of the grand ceremony.
Zhu Hao was still a little drowsy. She hugged her pillow and squinted her eyes as she glanced at Song Xieqing, who was leaning against the window. He turned around, and their eyes met. Zhu Hao's half-closed eyes suddenly widened. She pointed out the window and exclaimed in surprise, "How come it's already evening! Song Xieqing! You didn't even call me!"
Song Xieqing gazed at Zhu Hao, her hair disheveled and the telltale signs of sleep, and raised the corner of his lips slightly. He didn't rush to answer, but instead walked over to the couch, took Zhu Hao's hand, and half-dragged her to sit down at the dressing table. Song Xieqing found a comb and combed her hair. His other hand wasn't idle either, as he opened a drawer, revealing a layer full of hairpins, rings, and jewelry. "Pick out some you like."
Zhu Hao glanced at the glittering gold hairpins and ornaments, she lost interest and was about to brush his hand away when she heard him chuckle, "The ceremony will be held at the end of the evening. There's still half an hour left, Pianpian, you can make it in time."
After hearing this, she lost her temper for a moment. Zhu Hao was about to brush Song Xieqing's hand away, but instead pulled his little finger, saying with a lack of confidence: "Song Xieqing, am I a little too willful? I always get angry without waiting for you to finish speaking..."
"That's not right." Zhu Hao said loudly, "It's obvious that you always fail to get to the point first... although I am also willful."
Song Xieqing rested his chin on the top of Zhu Hao's head, "Pian Pian, when will you stop being willful with me? I will be really scared."
Zhu Hao raised her eyes slightly, and could only see Song Xieqing's Adam's apple and a red mole between them. She said in an ambiguous tone, "No."
Song Xieqing straightened Zhu Hao's loose hair and put it into a bun for her. "What doesn't it look like?"
"Think back to when we first met... You wanted to provoke me every day, but who would have thought... that the young lady you loved would be so obedient." Zhu Hao leaned against Song Xieqing, smiled up at him, "And that person happened to be me."
He paused, then leaned over and pressed his forehead against hers. Before he met Zhu Hao, the scene of him walking side by side with a girl, let alone doing her hair bun, had never appeared in his dreams.
…
The centenary of the National Day is of utmost importance. Last year, the emperor specially ordered the building of an observation platform by razing several old streets and alleys in the city. The cost was huge. The platform is ten stories high and can accommodate tens of thousands of people. In addition to high-ranking officials and royal family members, common people can also enter to watch the ceremony. It can be said that it is a true celebration with the people. However, the number of people in the capital far exceeds tens of thousands, not to mention the people traveling from all over the country. Therefore, most of those who enter the platform have the reason of "fate".
If you ask what the "fate" is, Zhu Hao has not asked, because Song Xieqing has already brought her in anyway.
The viewing platform is separated from the jade steps by a three-meter-long quiet pool. The king sits on the top step. The quiet pool is used for viewing and to prevent assassins from approaching suddenly.
From above, the viewing platform resembled a fully blossomed flower bud, hence the name "Flower Platform." High-ranking officials and their relatives sat on either side of the platform, each seated on a small table topped with delicacies. Ten levels above, the common people, who relied on "fate" to enter and observe the ceremony, received neither seats nor delicacies. However, the mere fact of celebrating with the emperor was a great honor, and boasting about their ancestors for three generations was no problem.
Song Xieqing was afraid that Zhu would get tired after standing for a long time, so she supported her from behind from time to time. Zhu accidentally touched a young lady in colorful clothes who was standing nearby. She hurriedly apologized. The young lady was in her prime, and looked as gentle and lovely as a piece of jade. When she smiled, the beauty mole under her lips rose slightly.
The show started with the sound of a light flute. Zhu Hao looked down and saw more than ten dancers with slender waists and pretty faces leaping onto the stage. All of them danced gracefully with waists as nimble as water snakes. Their half-naked waists were adorned with silver ornaments, which swayed and made clanging sounds. All eyes were glued to the beauties. Zhu Hao glanced sideways secretly, but when she turned around, she bumped into Song Xieqing's eyes that were fixed on her. Zhu Hao's thoughts were exposed in his infatuated gaze.
She hurriedly turned her back and ignored his every move. The next moment, a familiar low laugh came into Zhu Hao's ear. Zhu Hao's face was boiling with anger. She poked Song Xieqing with her elbow, and the man fell silent.
The sound of the flute is lingering. Although the beauty is beautiful and the pendant around her waist is so attractive, it is difficult for people to exclude the flute music. Perhaps it can be said that the flute is the accompaniment of her dance, and the flute is the main subject. Only with the accompaniment of the flute music can the beauty's dance appear more charming.
The beauty danced step by step and slowly exited the stage. She was wearing a royal blue satin dress with silver threads that caught the eyes of everyone. Zhu Hao instinctively felt that it looked familiar. She pondered silently and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind: wasn't this the material that Liu Rutang had started sewing years ago?
After thinking about it, Zhu Hao looked carefully and saw a familiar and unparalleled beautiful face. Qiao Mei lifted her sleeves lightly and walked gracefully. The sapphire dress she wore was outlined with silver threads to resemble a bird with its tail spread out. Under the bright candlelight as bright as day, it seemed to have flesh and blood and was about to come alive. She played the flute, which sounded like the sound from the sky, startling Liang Chen. Qiao Mei's eyes were fixed on him. Perhaps they had a telepathic connection, and when their eyes met, both of them smiled.
After this party finished playing, an old man dressed in foreign clothes walked in. He walked up to the stage with a half-human-high feather pen in his hand. In the middle of the flower stage, a three-foot-long piece of silk paper was spread out. The old man wet the tip of his brush and wrote with his sleeves raised. With each stroke, water marks appeared on the paper, and his outline gradually appeared. He recited poems with a rich and moving voice. The old man wrote several times again and again. For a moment, nearly half of the spectators in the building were stunned and speechless, especially the high-ranking officials and relatives on both sides of the flower stage. No one dared to talk and laugh anymore, but turned their eyes to the king in a tacit understanding.
The old man, bewildered, nervously scrutinized the nine-tailed snow fox depicted on the silk paper. It was so vivid, it practically leaped from the page. He wondered, "Isn't this a very... good painting?" Could it be that Chengguo had so many talented painters, and he was just a child's play?
The king was silent for a long while, and everyone in the building also fell silent and held their breath. In the blink of an eye, the viewing platform, which was still filled with the sound of drums and music, became deserted.
Zhu Hao couldn't see clearly, he only heard the king say one word in a low voice: "Retreat."
No matter how good or bad the performance is, the king will more or less give a reward. As for the amount of the reward, that is another matter. But the old man may not even get a copper coin.
Zhu Hao gently tugged at Song Xieqing's sleeve. He knew what she suspected and was about to tell her through telepathy, but the young lady, whom Zhu Hao had just unintentionally touched, had already leaned over to her ear and said in a voice only audible to the two of them: "Sister, you are a foreigner, right? The elder with the drunken steps painted fox is obviously also a foreigner. So you don't know the origin of Dacheng and foxes, or maybe you've been tricked. Our founding emperor kept snow foxes. Therefore, foxes were indeed auspicious animals for Dacheng a hundred years ago. Someone even saw the snow fox at the founding emperor's side suddenly transform into a nine-tailed beast! It was truly an auspicious sign. Who would have known..."
The young lady glanced left and right, making sure no one else could hear her. Then she whispered, "The founding emperor, in his critical moment, was bitten on the neck by the very snow fox he had raised for decades... Fortunately, our emperor is known for his benevolent rule. It wouldn't be excessive to chop off the elder's head!"
At this point, Zhu Hao understood, and her mind couldn't help but recall what she saw and heard when Awu touched her brow, as well as... the nine-tailed snow fox perched on Awu's shoulder.
Song Xieqing pinched her wrist and asked, "Pianpian, what's wrong?"
Zhu Hao came back to his senses and was about to speak, but decided not to. Song Xieqing raised an eyebrow and Zhu Hao leaned closer, "Don't use magic to probe my state of mind."
"Pian Pian, we have a long future together. I will slowly understand you and disdain 'evil and demonic ways'." Seeing Zhu Hao's hesitation, he said solemnly again: "If I deceive you, I will definitely not be able to..."
Zhu Hao raised her foot to cover his lips, "Otherwise, I will never talk to you again."
If it weren't for the crowds, Song Xieqing really wanted to kiss her. Why did he wish her all the best? He really liked her so much.
…
The couple did not watch the entire ceremony, but only saw the culmination of all the works as well as the presence of talented people, musicians and dancers from neighboring countries. Moreover, the emperor talked a lot, saying that it was a great national ceremony, that the achievements of monarchs of all dynasties were recorded in history, and that he was a humble person... Zhu Hao was not happy, and since he had met Qiao Mei, he dragged Song Xieqing into the streets before the ceremony was halfway through.
Under the emperor's chariot, the soft red is ten feet long, far better than the southern alleys of Huaicheng, not to mention that today is the centenary of Dacheng's national birthday?
Walking along the street, you can see lights and decorations everywhere. Above is the bright moon and crystal stars, illuminating the capital city. Below are candles and silver flowers, and there are a lot of traffic and the sound of people cheering in the ears. It is not New Year's Day, but it is better than New Year's Day.
There were people gathered under the banyan tree that provided shade during the day, from an octogenarian to a three-year-old child. They seemed to be reciting a fashionable storybook. Zhu Hao found it boring and pulled Song Xieqing to leave. But before she took two steps, the word "Song Lang" hit her ears.
Zhu Hao was furious. He ignored Song Xieqing's attempts to stop him and ignored what had been said before. He just rolled up his sleeves and pushed through the crowd, pointing directly at the storyteller in the middle: "What happened to Song Lang? Isn't today the centennial ceremony of the founding of the country? A hundred years ago, wasn't it Song Lang who colluded with the founding emperor and used the excuse of passing through to trick Emperor Mingci? What is treason? If it weren't for Song Lang, how could the founding emperor have been so unstoppable and marched straight to Yingdu to kill the tyrant and establish Dacheng? Besides, you are not the people of Huaicheng, are you? Regardless of whether he massacred people or not, why do you judge him? And as for fratricide..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" The storyteller's intuition was inexplicable. He frowned and said, "Where did this crazy girl come from? When did I ever criticize him? Song Lang assisted the founding emperor to enter Yingdu and attack Emperor Mingci. He is a rare and good minister! Who cares about treason? Massacre? Killing his brother? It's a pity that Song Lang committed suicide to appease the public anger. He should have joined the new country and the new policies, and he would have helped his emperor to reform the old and establish the new..."
Zhu Hao stood there in a daze. She slowly met Song Xieqing's eyes, and a blush spread from her ears to her cheeks.
"Pianpian..." Song Xieqing couldn't help laughing.
Zhu Hao glanced around and saw the people gathered under the tree listening to the story all looking at her. Zhu Hao's face turned red and her heart beat fast. She quickly said "sorry" and "thank you" and slipped away with her skirt lifted up.
She walked aimlessly in the bustling streets, with Song Xieqing following closely behind her. Her steps suddenly became brisk, like a dragonfly touching the water and leaping up. It turned out that not everyone in the world despised and cursed Song Xieqing.
Zhu Hao's sudden joy had not yet resonated throughout his body when he suddenly felt a wave of heart-wrenching sadness. It felt like there was a thousand pounds of weight under his feet, like a drowning dragonfly, finding it difficult to take off. It happened that the Huai people, whom he cared about the most, never put themselves in his shoes and thought about what he thought or did. When his life was in tatters, it was the people whom he had spent his whole life protecting who dealt him the most painful blow. Just thinking about it makes one feel heartbroken, doesn't it?
Zhu Hao paused and looked up, catching a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. She subconsciously stroked the Luban lock in her sleeve, thinking that she would meet him, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon.
At the same time, Song Xieqing also stopped and glanced at the man.
He calmly touched Zhu Hao's palm and inserted his fingers into hers.
…
Ninth Heaven, forbidden area.
Ah Wu lay flat on the green grass, with fallen hair between his fingers. He had no external injuries, but blood kept popping up from his skin.
He used to be insensitive to pain, but now he is almost numb due to the pain.
Atang held the jade jar in her hand, and the cleansing soul water made a rolling sound from it. She no longer indulged him and raised her hand to pour the jar on Awu.
A cold streak suddenly appeared in Ah Wu's eyes. When he looked up, one hand had already pinched her neck, and he pushed Ah Tang to death by the pool.
However, after just one glance, Ah Wu let go, and Ah Tang wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and smiled: "A Zhao is asleep. If you want to kill me, this is a good opportunity."
"If you hadn't made a sound, how would I have known it was you?" He glanced at her and said indifferently, "I won't attack you."
If it weren't for A Zhao, how could they have survived?
Ah Wu stared at the blood droplets on his body, which were gradually shrinking, and twitched his lips. "Floating and shaking the tree."
Atang hesitated for a moment, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Why did you... lie to Pianpian?"
"What do you mean by deceiving?" Ah Wu said, half-smiled. "When did I ever deceive her? Aren't you the ones I cherish most? How could I possibly deceive you?"
She was too lazy to beat around the bush. "When the crack door opened, yin and yang were reversed. His soul might be able to float to the ancient past with the aftermath, but... it is definitely not a fixed time and space. If Pian Pian loses the chance to reincarnate because of this, Fang Lian..."
Ah Wu was confused and interrupted, "When did I promise her that the so-called ancient times were the place where Song Lang was?"
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Late arrival——
The first month of school has been incredibly busy, with parent-teacher conferences and spring outings coming one after another [Cracked]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
