0002 Wuling Colors (Part Two)
Shu Fu was trying to find something to say to him so she could strike first, but Zhan Yaoguang spoke first and showed her his reddened hand.
What did you just do by splashing hot water on me?
His tone sounded somewhat aggrieved.
Shu Fu snorted, taking advantage of the fact that he had been hiding in the mezzanine and couldn't see anything, and deliberately lied to him: "I didn't mean to, I just accidentally dropped the teacup."
“No, not the second time,” Zhan Yaoguang corrected her meticulously. “I only heard the cup break once.”
Seeing that she couldn't fool him, Shu Fu wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, she looked him up and down and asked him bluntly, "Young master, you're not from the Central Plains, so what are you doing hiding under my carriage?"
"Who told you I'm not from the Central Plains?" Zhan Yaoguang looked at her in surprise.
He ran away from the village and saw many people from the Central Plains along the way. He painstakingly observed and imitated their clothing and appearance, and thought he had gained some experience. So why could people recognize him at a glance?
Shu Fu followed his surprised gaze and looked him over again, feeling a little amused. Who would wear a straight-cut long robe with sleeves for both civil and military officials?
It's like a rough and rugged military general suddenly referring to himself as a refined "young scholar"—it's utterly incongruous.
But Shufu didn't mention that; instead, she focused her gaze on the boy's combed hair.
Perhaps because he was under twenty and had not yet undergone the coming-of-age ceremony, or perhaps for ease of movement, he tied his hair in a very high ponytail.
This was not a big problem. What really caught Shufu's attention was that, in addition to the wooden hairpin used for securing it, a small silver crescent moon was also inserted into his hair ornament.
The fine silver light fell into his jet-black hair, making him look like a bright white crescent moon in the dead of night, with a touch of youthful innocence and purity.
“The crescent moons in the young master’s hair are extremely beautiful.”
However, it was not an ornament that men in the Dali era would use.
During the Dali era, men were encouraged to adopt a free and easy manner, and scholars, in particular, pursued a simple style, often tying their hair up with just a hairpin and no other ornaments.
After hearing her words, Zhan Yaoguang reached out and touched the silver moon in her hair bun.
“This was a gift from my grandmother. I’ve worn it in my hair since I was little. Did it give me away?”
Shu Fu was unwilling to explain in detail to him. Her expression, which had softened because of his appearance, became serious again: "Young master, as a native of the Southern Frontier, why did you travel thousands of miles to my Chang'an?"
Zhan Yaoguang did not answer her, but instead looked at her with bright eyes: "Young lady, you are so clever that you can tell at a glance that I am from the Southern Frontier."
Is that... hard to guess?
The foreigners during the Dali era came from only a few places: the Western Regions, the Southern Frontier, and Goguryeo.
The people of the Western Regions had deep-set features, quite different from those of the people of the Dali Kingdom. Furthermore, the Goguryeo people revered beauty, with both men and women wearing makeup. In contrast, the appearances and customs of the various ethnic groups in the southern border regions were similar to those of the Dali people, and they greatly favored adorning themselves with silver ornaments.
However, when she met the boy's bright and sincere eyes, Shufu felt that perhaps she really was that amazing.
It wasn't for nothing that she had read so many miscellaneous books in the past...
No, now is not the time for her to be complacent!
Shu Fu quickly composed herself: "Young master, there's no need to deliberately change the subject. Just tell me what your purpose is in coming to Chang'an."
It should be noted that the Dali Kingdom has only been established for a little over twenty years, and many small countries and tribes around it are resentful. The Gan Gu tribe in the southern border is one of them, and they raised the banner of rebellion in a high-profile manner at the beginning of last year.
The war has now lasted a year. Initially, the Gan Gu clan, relying on their members' superb Gu-controlling skills, won many battles with fewer troops, causing the Dali army to suffer repeated defeats.
It wasn't until her father, Shu Rongguang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was sent as an envoy to the southern frontier and persuaded the largest witchcraft clan in western Hunan to help solve the problem of the Gan Gu witchcraft harming people that the tide of war was turned and the Gan Gu witchcraft clan was able to be countered.
The Gan Gu tribe is currently suffering repeated defeats, and it is expected that within half a year, the imperial army will have decisively defeated them and returned to the capital. Given this favorable situation, Shu Fu cannot help but suspect that the young man before her is a spy sent by the Gan Gu tribe.
But if he really is a spy, what use is she to him? Although her father is a vice minister, he is not so important as to be irreplaceable. She is not her father's most beloved child. She only has a beautiful appearance and no other value.
Shu Fu was troubled, but unexpectedly Zhan Yaoguang suddenly spoke to her: "There are eight tribes and twenty-four branches in the Southern Frontier. My grandmother is the head of the direct branch of the Xiangxi Witchcraft Tribe. I am not an enemy of your Dali."
In that sense, they are indeed friends, not enemies.
But how could she trust him?
Shu Fu's gaze shifted downwards, landing on Zhan Yaoguang's extremely incongruous cuffs. Suddenly, she reached out and grasped his hand, which was red from the heat.
The girl's cool, delicate hand rested on his, and the soft, smooth touch relieved the burning pain for a moment.
However, immediately afterward, as if he had been set on fire, a heart-stopping heat suddenly spread from the back of his hand throughout his entire body, making half of his body numb.
"What are you doing?" The boy's voice sounded embarrassed and annoyed, but his hand honestly let her hold it.
On the other hand, Shu Fu rolled up his sleeve a bit and said, "I once heard my father say that the Gan Gu tribe reveres eagles, and all members of the tribe, regardless of gender, have a baby eagle tattooed on their arms to show respect. Let me see if you have any tattoos on your arms."
Without the cover of clothing, a section of the boy's fair and strong arm was revealed, his skin firm and smooth, with no trace of a fledgling eagle tattooed on it.
Zhan Yaoguang even consciously rolled up his other sleeve so she could see clearly, and finally gazed at her with his dark eyes.
"Do you believe me now? I haven't lied to you since the very first word I spoke to you."
Suspecting an innocent person made Shu Fu somewhat embarrassed. She quickly withdrew her hand and casually touched the pattern on her cuff.
"You are neither a spy nor a young master of a clan, so why are you here?" And you're hiding under her carriage.
This time, Zhan Yaoguang did not answer immediately.
Shu Fu assumed he was making up some excuse in his mind, so she once again adopted the haughty demeanor of a noble lady, shifting some of her weight onto the cushion, and leaning half-reclined against the brocade and embroidery, watching him struggle and hesitate with amusement.
To Shu Fu's utter surprise, Zhan Yaoguang suddenly stepped forward and took her hand in his.
Before she could angrily shake him off, she heard the boy say to her, "Lady, please save me."
Shufu: "...?"
Zhan Yaoguang said, "I turned eighteen last December, and my grandmother was preparing to arrange my marriage."
"It is a joyous occasion for a man to marry when he comes of age."
"It's about the two countries becoming friendly and forming an alliance."
Shu Fu looked at him with suspicion: "Even if the marriage was not what you wanted, it's not worth you running all the way to Chang'an."
Chang'an and the southern border are thousands of miles apart. Not to mention the many treacherous terrains along the way, few people could endure the hardships of traveling and sleeping in the open.
"Is the woman to be married into this family so despicable?" Shu Fu couldn't think of any other reason besides this.
To her surprise, Zhan Yaoguang still looked at her with a "you're too naive" gaze: "It's not about what kind of woman I'm going to marry into, it's that my grandmother wants to send me to their side."
Shufu: "..."
It's because she hasn't read enough books; she's only heard of "princess sent to a foreign land for peace," but not "husband sent to a foreign land for peace."
"So how would you like me to help you?"
“Some people from my tribe have been chasing me all the way here. Please, young lady, take me in for a while.”
At this moment, the carriage passed a bend in the road, and Shu Fu knew that they had arrived at the big banyan tree at the entrance of Changxingfang. After passing through this alley, they would reach Yonglefang, where the Shu family residence was located.
"Uncle Liu, drive the carriage to the back gate. I'll get off there later," Shu Fu called out to the coachman outside.
After receiving Liu Bo's reply, Shu Fu looked at Zhan Yaoguang and said, "I will park the carriage at the back gate, where few people pass by. Wait until my servants have all left before you come out. If you can manage to enter the Shu residence and find my place, wait for me in my room. I will go to pay my respects to my mother first. If I find you in my room when I return, I will agree to take you in."
Zhan Yaoguang listened quietly, and finally asked, "Is that all?"
Shu Fu scoffed, laughing at his arrogance.
The Shu family mansion had countless security checkpoints from the outer gate to the inner courtyard, guarded by countless loyal servants. With its high walls, deep recesses, and vermilion gates and embroidered doors, could he really get in?
Even if he did get in, how could he find her courtyard among those numerous mansions?
The faint, heavy sound of wheels suddenly stopped. Shu Fu opened the carriage door halfway, letting Zhan Yaoguang hide in the shadow created by the other half of the door, while she herself got out of the carriage with the help of the coachman.
Taking advantage of the layers of clear and warm sunlight in early spring, Shu Fu turned her head and glanced at Zhan Yaoguang.
The boy, hiding behind the car door, looked up and met her gaze, then grinned at her.
Those bright eyes were curved, like a crescent moon suddenly appearing in the dark night.
She was the only one who saw it.
Shuf thought that he could never do what she asked, and this would be the last time she saw him.
But this handsome and lively young man would become a fleeting glimpse in her long and monotonous years in her boudoir, letting her know that she was different from the girls in Chang'an and had glimpsed the true spring.
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