45 Surprise
◎Do you like it, Madam?◎
"Wei? Which Wei?"
In the Northern Frontier military camp, the Marshal's tent was ablaze with candlelight. Military Advisor He was halfway through reading the secret report from the capital when Li Youxu, seated behind a long table, raised his brows slightly and asked.
The secret report read: "The Guanyun Villa operation failed. Liu and Wei managed to escape. Your Highness, please forgive me. We will plan a second operation to silence them as soon as possible. Wei and Liu are very close, so I'm afraid we can't leave them alive. We must eliminate them together."
The prince wanted to get rid of Liu, the daughter of the Liu family who faked her own death. When he suddenly heard that Wei was involved, he naturally felt puzzled.
Military Advisor He explained, "This Wei is the daughter of Grand Secretary Wei Jizhi, named Wei Ziyan. The secret report says that the two of them..."
Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, Li Youxu suddenly slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Who told him to touch the Wei family?"
Along with this loud question, there was a "bang" sound, and the teapot on the long table was knocked over and rolled to the ground, which showed how powerful the force was.
The military advisor was momentarily bewildered, not understanding why the prince had suddenly become so angry. He hurriedly explained, "The urgent report says that Wei and Liu are very close. Perhaps they know something they shouldn't know. Therefore, they can't be kept alive and must be eliminated together."
Li Youxu's eyes flashed with anger. He kicked away the chair, walked to the military advisor, and grabbed the secret report in his hand.
"How could she know Liu..."
Hearing the prince mumbling something, Military Advisor He remembered that the secret letter he wrote to eliminate County Magistrate Luo mentioned something like: People in the Liu residence said that the Liu and Yan couple were in contact from time to time.
Perhaps, the military advisor speculated, "Yan Qi is tracking down Liu, and Wei may have gotten to know Liu because of her husband."
"Husband?" Li Youxu was surprised. "Who?"
The military advisor blinked and reacted.
"Your Highness doesn't know yet, but the Yan and Wei families have already married, and Yan Qi is now the husband of Wei Taizhong's daughter."
"What did you say?" Li Youxu suddenly grabbed his collar, his eyes full of anger: "Why didn't you say anything when Yan Qizheng came to the military camp?"
The military advisor shuddered in shock: "Subordinate, subordinate wanted to say..."
But Your Highness, you don't want to listen...
Li Youxu pushed him away fiercely.
"Hurry and write back to Fang Jikai. Liu must die, but no one is allowed to touch Wei!"
"yes……"
"Also," Li Youxu clenched his fists, "Have them prepare. I must return to the capital immediately!"
"……yes."
After the Beginning of Autumn, the weather in the capital began to cool. However, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and when the sun came out, the weather was as warm as spring, and the air was refreshing and pleasant.
The golden sunlight enveloped the jade-like buildings of the imperial palace. Yan Qi was just coming out of the imperial guard camp, waiting outside the imperial study.
Two quarters of an hour later, the ministers came out one after another, and the eunuch who delivered the message invited him in.
"Didn't you say you would stay at home with the lady for two days? Why are you here again?" Crown Prince Li Chengtai looked at his captain wearing soft armor and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Yan Qizheng stepped forward and saluted, then replied, "There's nothing going on at home. I'll go back to the personal guards to check."
Li Chengtai noticed his slightly haggard face: "Are you really fine? Why do you look like you haven't slept?"
"...Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Yan Qizheng lowered his head slightly, hiding his embarrassment. "I'm here. I have something else to ask Your Highness."
"Oh, tell me about it."
"I wonder how long Liu will be imprisoned?"
Hearing this question, Li Chengtai stood up from behind the desk and walked to Yan Qizheng: "I heard that Liu and your wife have a good relationship. Are you here to run errands for your wife?"
Yan Qizhen did not deny the relationship between the two.
"I believe Liu is innocent. And after this incident, those people will surely not dare to enter the prison again. There's no point in keeping Liu there any longer."
Li Chengtai nodded slightly.
"What you said is correct, but you also know that Shen Zui is not the person we want to capture. Letting Liu Yu'er go may actually be more dangerous for her."
"I have already strengthened the guards in the mansion. Liu Yu'er can stay in my mansion for the time being."
Li Chengtai laughed when he heard this: "Didn't you and Shouzhong discuss this?"
Yan Qizhen was slightly stunned.
"Wu Shouzhong also said that he would take Liu Yu'er back to the Wu Mansion."
He took it back to Wu Mansion?
Yan Qizheng was very surprised: "Minister Wu agreed?"
"So that guy came to me first and knelt here for a long time." Li Chengtai pointed at the ground. "It's rare for him to be so sincere. I can't refuse."
As he spoke, Li Chengtai shook his sleeves and put his hands behind his back.
"Okay, you can go back and report to your wife now."
Since the beginning of autumn, the two jujube trees in the courtyard have begun to shed their leaves. Every gust of wind blows down a large number of them, scattering them everywhere. The servant has also become more diligent in sweeping the floor, sweeping up any leaves he finds.
The summer flowers I bought earlier were neglected and were wilting under the jujube tree.
Even though the sun is shining brightly.
Under the corridor, Wei Ziyan lay on a bamboo rocking chair, staring blankly at the desolate atmosphere in the yard.
Yan Qizheng left home early again this morning. He had clearly said he would stay home for a few days to rest, but after only one day, he said he had something else to do.
"Miss, it's time to take your medicine." Qiu Luo brought a tray with a glass of water, a pill, and two candied fruits.
Wei Ziyan stared at the pill, and the scene of last night flashed before her eyes——
"Mind your own business."
After saying this, he left and came back very late to sleep.
She was half asleep at the time and noticed someone getting on the bed, very quietly. She opened her eyes and took a look, and found Yan Qi lying far away from her, almost on the edge of the bed.
When I woke up in the morning, he was gone again.
Leng Xiang said that the eldest master had gone out for something and would not be back until later in the afternoon.
"Miss?"
Qiu Luo called her, and Wei Ziyan came back to her senses. She picked up the water cup to moisten her throat, then picked up the pill with two fingers and put it into her mouth.
"What's wrong?" Qiu Luo saw her suddenly stop.
Wei Ziyan said nothing, pulled her fingers out of her mouth, swallowed the pill, drank some water, and shook her head at the candied fruit that Qiu Luo handed over.
Qiu Luo asked her if she wanted to go into the house, and she shook her head.
"What's wrong with you today, Miss? You've been sitting here for quite some time." Qiu Luo couldn't help but show concern. "Is Miss worried about something?"
What could be on your mind?
He stayed in the study during the day and didn't talk to her during meals. At night, he didn't rub her shoulders and deliberately avoided her. Wasn't it because he realized he was being too nice to her and wanted to keep his distance?
What other reason could there be?
"Nothing..." Wei Ziyan looked towards the courtyard dimly. "I just feel that this yard is gray and lacks some color. It doesn't look comfortable."
Qiu Luo touched his forehead in confusion: "Then why are you still looking at it for so long?"
“…”
Just as I was choking on these words, Dujuan walked in from the courtyard gate with small steps.
"Young Madam, the eldest daughter of the Wei Mansion has arrived and has just entered the mansion."
The eldest daughter of the Wei family, isn’t she Wei Tingshuang?
What is she here for?
Wei Ziyan was pondering in her heart when Qiu Luo asked the exact same question: "What is she doing here?"
Du Juan replied, "He said he came to visit the young lady and brought flowers."
A quarter of an hour later, Wei Ziyan saw Wei Tingshuang, who was dressed softly, in the courtyard.
The interweaving of goose yellow and emerald green, with subtle floral patterns blending in, resembles an ink painting. Paired with bright yet not gaudy makeup, she looks like a dignified and virtuous lady from a noble family.
She said she came to visit, but the look in her eyes was not the kindness of someone visiting.
Wei Ziyan smiled slowly: "What brings Sister Wei here?"
Wei Tingshuang looked away from her face, looked around the yard, and then frowned slightly and said, "It's quite windy here, won't you invite me in to sit down?"
Since guests are welcome, they must be treated. Wei Ziyan invited Miss Wei into the house and ordered tea and snacks to be served.
The two sat on the couch, one on the left and one on the right. Wei Tingshuang's maid presented the basket of flowers she had brought, wishing her a speedy recovery.
Wei Ziyan quickly expressed her gratitude: "Sister Wei is so thoughtful."
"It's not that I meant to, but my brother insisted on asking me to come and see you because he was afraid you would get frightened and become seriously ill."
Wei Tingshuang looked reluctant, and spoke with a bit of harshness as usual, which made Wei Ziyan feel relieved.
"Thank you for me, brother. I'll go to your house in a few days to thank you in person."
"Is it necessary to thank me so much?"
Qiu Luo and Ping'er brought up tea and snacks. Wei Ziyan gestured to Wei Tingshuang to be polite, and continued with her previous words, "Young Master Wei should come to visit me because I was injured."
"No need. I'm afraid that once you go out, you'll..." Wei Tingshuang picked up the cup and changed the subject: "I don't understand what your constitution is like. You're either sick or injured. If you don't know, you might think Yan Qi is unlucky in marriage."
puff--
All the tea that Wei Ziyan had just taken a mouthful of tea sprayed out.
Fortunately, he didn't point the tea at Wei Tingshuang, otherwise all the tea would have fallen on him.
Qiu Luo quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her clothes. Wei Tingshuang stared blankly at her. Seeing that she didn't choke, she said speechlessly, "Is it necessary for you to react so strongly to a casual remark I made?
"Sorry, I have to excuse myself for a moment."
Wei Ziyan hurried into the inner room, changed her clothes and came out again to apologize to Wei Tingshuang.
"I'm sorry for being rude just now."
"Forget it, let's not be polite. We're not in a relationship where we can just sit and drink tea peacefully."
Wei Tingshuang put down the melon seeds, clapped his hands and stood up.
"Brother's greetings have been delivered, so I won't disturb the young lady's rest."
Seeing this, Wei Ziyan had no choice but to stand up and see her off, and once again asked her to take Wei Tingzhou's place: "Thank you, Sister Wei too."
"Why are you thanking me?" Wei Tingshuang rolled her eyes slightly. "If my brother hadn't insisted on me coming, would I have come to see you?"
Wei Ziyan smiled meaningfully.
"Why do I remember that when I was injured by an assassin before, Sister Wei even sent someone to deliver a gift of condolence?"
"...That was also my brother's intention. He just used my name as a pretext."
"Oh, who said that they admire my courage and feel inferior to me?"
“…”
Wei Tingshuang's face suddenly turned a little awkward, but she remained undeterred: "What I'm saying is that I'm ashamed of your foolishness in sacrificing yourself to save your husband."
Wei Ziyan pursed her lips and didn't argue with her, as if she was proud of seeing through everything but not saying it out loud, which made Wei Tingshuang a little angry.
"I used to dislike you because I thought you were not worthy of Yan Qizheng, not because I was jealous of you being his fiancée."
Wei Ziyan nodded thoughtfully: "What about now?"
"Now I feel very sorry for you, because you are not living a good life after marrying Yan Qizheng."
“…”
Wei Ziyan was a little amused: "Sister Wei, how do you know that I'm not doing well?"
Wei Tingshuang stretched out her hand and pointed at her from head to toe: "Look at what you look like now..."
Then he pointed outside the house and said, "Look at the yard outside..."
"You are just like the scenery outside, unloved and uncared for, dull and lifeless."
Wei Ziyan: ...
"Why is Miss Wei still targeting me now? Her words are so harsh."
As soon as Wei Tingshuang left, Qiu Luo became "angry" for her.
"It just so happens that my son-in-law is not at home today, otherwise I would definitely let her take a good look. The young lady is not without care and love!"
Wei Ziyan wasn't in the mood to respond to Qiu Luo's words. Her gaze drifted to a basket of blossoms. It had been a while since she'd seen flowers bloom so beautifully...
Qiu Luo followed the young lady's gaze and said with great certainty: "Miss Wei doesn't like you. These flowers must have been sent by Master Wei. Master Wei is very reasonable."
It doesn't matter who gives it to her. Wei Ziyan told Qiu Luo, "Find two vases."
So, when Yan Qizheng came back that evening, he found a vase of flowers inside and outside the house. Du Juan happened to be nearby, so he casually asked, "Where did they come from?"
"The eldest daughter of the Wei family came to visit the young mistress today. Miss Wei brought some flowers," Dujuan reported to the eldest son. "The young mistress thought they were beautiful, so she put them in a vase and wanted to keep them for a few days."
This young lady of his has always loved flowers, so Yan Qizhen didn't think much of it when he heard it.
He had a few drinks outside today. Knowing that the young lady had just gone to bed, Yan Qizhen did not go in to rest immediately after taking a shower and changing clothes. Instead, he sat in the outer room to dissipate the smell of alcohol.
A vase of flowers was placed in front of him, emitting a faint fragrance.
Thinking of the flowers I had placed in the yard, it had been a while since I bought her any flowers...
Suddenly, Qiu Luo passed by, holding a small, long square box. Yan Qizheng looked at it and asked, "What are you holding?"
"Oh, it's an inkstone." Qiu Luo stopped and replied to the eldest master: "The young lady plans to give it to Master Wei."
When he heard that it was given to Master Wei, Yan Qizheng's brows twitched slightly.
"Let me see."
Qiu Luo complied and presented it. Yan Qizheng opened the box and took a look. Oh, an inkstone made of Dragon Tail Stone, called the "Dragon Tail Inkstone." It wasn't particularly precious, but it was still top-notch.
If I give an inkstone like this to a court official, will he be able to write more efficiently when writing documents?
With a "click", Yan Qi was closing the lid of the box.
"Your young lady is really thoughtful."
Unfortunately, Qiu Luo didn't realize that it was a sarcastic remark and nodded heavily.
"Young Master Wei asked Miss Wei to come visit him specially and even sent her flowers. It's a gift to reciprocate, and Miss also wanted to show her some appreciation."
Master Wei asked Miss Wei to come and visit him specially and even gave her flowers?
Yan Qizheng pondered this sentence carefully again and raised his eyebrows: "This flower, was it given by Wei Tingzhou?"
"Ah." Seeing the eldest son's reaction was very surprising, Qiu Luo thought he didn't know that Young Master Wei and Young Lady had a long history of dealing with each other, so he added an extra explanation: "Young Lady and Young Master Wei are old acquaintances."
"Old acquaintance?"
"Master Wei helped Miss earlier. Here, that's the orchid..."
Yan Qi was looking in the direction the maid pointed.
"The young lady fell in love with it at first sight and it was almost snatched away by someone else. Thanks to Master Wei for helping her get it back." Qiu Luo talked incessantly.
"And when the young lady injured her arm, Master Wei also sent someone to bring her some gifts to express his concern."
"Although you and Miss Wei don't get along, Young Master Wei is a good person, so you are still willing to interact with him."
Nice person.
Willing to communicate.
Yan Qizhen stared solemnly at the pot of pink and white orchid that had been placed there until now. An indescribable feeling arose spontaneously, filling his entire chest.
"Young Master..."
The timid voice drew Yan Qizhen's attention back, and Qiu Luo stared at the inkstone box clenched in his hand.
After a moment of silence, Yan Qizheng loosened his fingers and handed the box over.
…
The next day, when Wei Ziyan woke up, she heard that Yan Qizheng had gone out again. Great, great, no one to see before bed, and no one to see after waking up. This distance was truly unique and thoughtful!
Disappear from her sight!
Wei Ziyan was having breakfast alone, and she was so angry that she laughed at herself.
After dinner, Qiu Luo helped her take a walk in the yard. As soon as she stepped out of the house, she saw the desolate scene and remembered Wei Tingshuang's ridicule. Wei Ziyan's heart sank and she turned around and went back to the house.
The white-eared cat was lazy after eating and ignored people teasing it. It lay under the eaves, squinting its eyes and basking in the sun.
Wei Ziyan was bored and asked Qiu Luo to get her a book, but what he got was still the book "Yingying and Her Husband".
I only flipped through a few pages before, but when I saw this book again today, I really wanted to see how Yingying controlled her husband.
So Wei Ziyan picked up the book and started reading from the beginning.
Unexpectedly, Yingying and her husband in the book had no feelings for each other at the beginning, and their marriage was an accident. However, they had no intention of each other, so even if they got married, they could not be a real couple.
After marriage, the couple slept in the same bed but had different dreams. They bickered daily and refused to give in to each other. When they occasionally attended banquets together, they had to pretend to be considerate and affectionate to each other.
Once, Yingying's husband blocked a few drinks for her, and after getting drunk, he and Yingying had a little quarrel. That night, he wet the bed sheets and realized that he had already fallen in love with Yingying...
Wet the sheets?
After reading this, Wei Ziyan read it again twice suspiciously, not quite understanding what it meant.
Before she got married, Wang's mother had explained some marital etiquette to her, but it seemed she had never mentioned a man wetting the sheets. Furthermore, up to this point, the book didn't mention that they had actually been married, so how could they have wet the sheets?
After thinking for a moment, Wei Ziyan decided to ignore it for the time being and continue reading.
From then on, Yingying's husband began to care about Yingying and treated her well secretly.
Yingying liked rouge and powder, so he bought her a lot of them.
Yingying liked listening to operas, so she invited a troupe to her home to perform for her.
Yingying likes to travel, so he found an excuse to take her south to travel together in the misty Jiangnan region...
When they were out together, their relationship quickly grew stronger. Yingying felt that her husband had become gentle and considerate. On the banks of the West Lake, where the peach blossoms and willows were green, Yingying did not refuse her husband's hand.
That night, the couple drank together under the moon and flowers. Their eyes met, and a surge of emotions surged. Yingying was shy and in a panic she tripped and fell into her husband's arms.
Their eyes met and they could hear each other's breathing.
"Yingying..."
Yingying's chin was gently lifted by her husband...
"Young Madam—"
Just as I was reading this ambiguous part, a voice that spoiled the mood suddenly came out.
Wei Ziyan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them to look at Ping'er, who was running towards her noisily. Before she could even ask what was wrong, Ping'er glared at her, "Young Madam, why is your face red?"
…
Wei Ziyan touched her face and found it was a little hot, so she closed the book guiltily.
"You've been in the sun for too long... What's wrong?"
"Oh, Xing'er just brought a letter saying that the eldest lady wants the young lady to come over."
After hearing this, Wei Ziyan couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Normally, when her mother needed to see her, she would go straight to Fuxitang. But this was the first time she had been invited there since she got married.
"Didn't you say anything?"
Ping'er shook her head: "Sister Xing'er has just delivered the message and left."
The more unusual it is, the bigger the event.
Wei Ziyan didn't dare to delay and quickly got up to change her clothes. She asked Du Juan to fix her hair. She then applied some rouge on her cheeks and lip balm to improve her complexion.
Because she was unsure, she asked Leng Xiang to accompany her.
Wei Ziyan pondered all the way. She had been staying quietly in Fuxi Hall recently. If anything was amiss, could it be related to Yan Qizheng? Could it be that her mother had heard some gossip again?
"Madam, the young lady is here."
Following the announcement, Wei Ziyan, supported by Leng Xiang, walked into the hall and slowly bowed to Madam Yan, who was sitting on the couch. "Mother, I am well."
"Okay, okay, come sit down and talk."
Madam Yan responded with a beaming smile, looking very happy. It couldn't be a bad thing. Wei Ziyan's uneasiness was swept away, and she sat down next to Madam Yan with a smile on her face.
"Mother is so happy, is there any good news?"
Madam Yan let her drink a sip of tea first, then said with a smile, "There is good news! Qi Zheng's grandfather wrote to say that he has recovered from his illness and will come to the capital to stay for a while."
That is really a happy event, three generations of a family can be reunited.
"There is also one of my sister's daughters accompanying the old man. If the journey goes smoothly, they will definitely arrive before the Mid-Autumn Festival. This way, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival will be lively."
"No wonder mother is so happy."
"Yes, I haven't seen my mother for almost a year." Madam Yan's face was filled with joy. "She has loved Qi Zheng since she was a child. She was so anxious not to see Qi Zheng get married. As soon as she recovered, she clamored to come to the capital to see her grandson's wife."
Qi Zheng's maternal grandfather Wei Ziyan had met him when he was almost grown up. He had a kind face and spoke in a gentle manner even to a girl like her who was not very likable.
But if she came, wouldn't she have to lie to her? Wei Ziyan began to feel guilty when she thought about it.
"Don't worry," Mrs. Yan comforted her when she saw her fearful expression, "Love the whole house and love the whole family. If Qi Zheng likes something, then Grandpa will definitely like it too."
“…”
But the problem is, Yan Qizhen doesn't like her!
Wei Ziyan opened her mouth, curled it, and swallowed the words in her heart.
Unexpectedly, Madam Yan seemed to be able to read her mind. She patted the back of her hand with a smile and said, "Silly girl, you don't think Brother Yan still doesn't like you, do you?"
Brother Yan...
When I heard this name suddenly, it seemed like it was a long time ago.
"He is the eldest brother of the Yan family, so just follow Qizhu and call him big brother."
"I don't want to follow Qizhu's lead. I want to call him Brother Yan."
"Brother Yan, will you play with me for a while?"
"It's too childish. I won't play it."
"Brother Yan, do you want to go horseback riding? I want to ride too, take me with you!"
"I'll take you there. Do you know how to ride? If you fall, you'll cry endlessly."
"Brother Yan, I can ride a horse. I won't cry even if I fall..."
…
Wei Ziyan couldn't help but laugh when she recalled her naiveté back then. And Madam Yan, for some reason, had chatted with her about a lot of interesting childhood memories today, and finally invited her to have lunch before letting her go.
So when I came out of Jingsi Temple and looked at the familiar pavilions and towers along the way, it seemed as if I had added a different feeling.
She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but she felt it was a little different from what she had seen before.
I walked back to Fuxitang with my thoughts in mind. As soon as I stepped through the gate, my sight was suddenly hit by a large expanse of bright colors. Looking closely, all I could see were flowers in full bloom, scattered throughout the courtyard.
Wei Ziyan was stunned for a moment, so she blinked a few times and looked out in astonishment.
She was not mistaken. The entire square courtyard had a stone path running through the middle from north to south, and both sides of the path were planted with flowers.
Hibiscus, morning glory, golden camellia, rose, marigold... so many different colors and shapes that it is dazzling and overwhelming.
The ground beneath the two jujube trees also changed color, competing with each other in splendor. The previously dilapidated and lifeless courtyard was now as vibrant as if a spring breeze had blown through it, and all things were growing and full of vitality.
She was away for only half a day, how come everything has changed when she came back?
"The young lady is back!" Ping'er, Dujuan, and Qiuluo stood under the corridor with smiles on their faces.
"Young Madam, please." Xu Ji ran over from the other side of the corridor, stepped onto the stone path with a smile on his face, and bowed to lead the way for her.
"Young Madam, let's go." Leng Xiang supported her with a smile.
Wei Ziyan was still immersed in the overwhelming surprise, looking left and right as she walked along the path through the sea of flowers. There were so many flowers that her eyes couldn't take it all in, and her nostrils were filled with the fragrance of flowers and soil.
"Young Madam, please see."
Xu Ji pointed forward, Wei Ziyan looked forward in the direction of his gesture, and froze in place for a moment.
At the end of the stone path ahead, a white figure stood against the light.
The warm afternoon sun shone on his tall figure. Although his face could not be seen clearly, Wei Ziyan felt that he was looking at her at that moment.
The tall figure walked slowly towards her, gradually walking out of the backlight, like a distant picture that suddenly flooded into her mind.
She found a red flower among the green, and he, when he was young, was walking towards her against the direction of the sun.
"Brother Yan, I like this flower, can I pick it?"
…
Wei Ziyan blinked hard, trying to bring her consciousness, which had slipped into her memories, back to reality.
In her hazy vision, Yan Qi was standing in front of her, his lips slightly raised, his voice mellow and gentle.
"Do you like it... Young Madam?"
【Author’s words】
Do you like it, my dears?
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