Chapter 51
For the next two months, the Yue Mansion was peaceful and quiet. Because they were busy planning the eldest daughter's wedding, many things did not disturb her.
People in the mansion deliberately didn't tell her about what was happening outside. Even her father didn't bring the frustrations in the court home. They completely blocked her eyes and ears, so that she could only hear the superficial good things.
But Yue Qingning knew that the calmer it was at the moment, the more it was a sign of impending storm.
Therefore, it has become a tradition to go to the temple fair with the daughter of the Teng family on February 15th every year. No matter how strict the supervision in the mansion is, they cannot stop her from participating in the Flower Festival.
Yue Qingning asked the coachman to take several detours to a less populated area in the city, and finally got a chance to ask her how she was doing.
Teng Xieji really couldn't laugh now. She hadn't forced a smile on her face for a long time since the last incident. Facing her sister who was about to get married, she could only verbally congratulate her.
"You didn't even make it to your engagement ceremony! I, as your elder sister, am such a fool."
Yue Qingning naturally couldn't let her blame herself like this. Such a long time had passed since the incident that day, and she could roughly guess something. Even if Teng Xieji didn't say it, she could guess that it must be some big shot who was instigating it behind the scenes.
Even the principles of salvation that Lord Teng held as his guiding principles set a precedent for him.
"Sister, there's no need to blame yourself. This wasn't a formal wedding ceremony. It was just a meal between the two families' elders to decide on this matter."
Yue Qingning spoke of this with a touch of trepidation. "I originally asked the Princess to grant me a marriage with Cui Lang, but for some reason, even after agreeing to it, there's been no movement until the New Year. The General is rarely in the capital, so I had no choice but to abandon the imperial decree and send a matchmaker."
Hearing this, Teng Xiji's brows, already furrowed with worry for her, furrowed even tighter. Her father had returned from Liangzhou some time ago, and although he'd recovered from the epidemic, something still hung over his heart. Even the rewards he received upon his return to the capital couldn't quite bring him joy. He spent his days in melancholy at home, even turning down visits from his disciples.
Thinking about this, she remembered Cui Jing whom she met some time ago. Ever since he climbed over the wall to see her last time, he has been coming to her with various excuses to test her for information.
Teng Xiji was annoyed by his annoying behavior, but he didn't drive him away because he was thinking of Qingning's marriage with General Cui. Instead, he learned a lot of secrets of the court from him.
After being influenced by him for so long, these things seemed to have taken root in her heart.
Although she was a woman, she was also concerned about state affairs, but she had never been able to talk about them. Now that she met Qingning, she finally had someone to talk to about this matter.
"I heard that the Shuhu envoys came to the capital to lobby the powerful and influential people there. They clearly stated that if anyone submitted a petition, they would be considered to have joined the Shuhu pirate ship. Once the funds are approved, they will be given money one by one."
After so long, half a year had passed, and Yue Qingning finally heard about the unrest in the court.
She knew very well that the prince would not let the matter of the grant of funds pass so easily. The current six months of stability were the result of his preparations. He was waiting for the emperor to forget the previous unpleasantness before he was ready to strike again and plot.
"So, quite a few people in the court have already been bribed by this, right? Last time it was three million taels, and this time? To be able to attract these great men, it must be worth more than a million taels."
Teng Xieji sighed sadly, thinking of his father who looked sad all day long, and said to her with a frown.
"Marquis Qingyuan holds an unchallenged position in our dynasty. With him around, and the arrival of the envoy from Shu Hu... I'm afraid Your Majesty will concede soon. Then, I wonder where the money will come from."
Once the money is delivered to Shu Hu, the prince will have no rivals in the court, and all those who dare to confront him will become lambs to be slaughtered in this fight.
And Yuefu stood proudly in the front row.
Yue Qingning frowned, thinking about why Cui Hu never mentioned the affairs of the court in his letters for so long. It was obvious that he was happy to see her participate in them before.
It suddenly dawned on her that her father had told him not to tell her, so that she wouldn't be worried and restless during the last days before her marriage.
The ventricles in her chest seemed to be tightly gripped by something. She looked around in panic and found that the man who promised to protect her was not around. He was far away, guarding the horizon where she could neither see nor touch him, and she didn't know when he would come back.
Therefore, the panic became even stronger. She was afraid that before she could resolve her own difficulties, the entire Yue family would fall into the hands of the prince.
But he is really a cruel person and will never let the Yue family go.
When Yue Qingning returned home that night, she walked into the house and couldn't help but think of what Sister Teng had said to her during the day.
The Duke of Protector's Mansion was brought to the fore by everyone. If the emperor agreed to provide financial support to Shu Hu, it would definitely be the Cui family who would escort him to another country.
There are countless dangers that may be encountered. Not to mention that the hostile forces around Shuhu will definitely not want to see this happen, even the people in the territory of Dasheng who are struggling with hunger and cold will not give the escort team an easy time.
The distance from the capital to the western pass of the border is more than ten thousand miles. On such a long road, there is no guarantee that there will not be disaster victims looting.
Such a burden fell on the Cui family, and no one else could bear this burden except Cui Hu.
For the first time, Yue Qingning sincerely hoped that he would not come back.
However, this idea ultimately failed. On April 18th, the river channel opened up. The emperor could not bear the pressure after all, so he collected taxes six months in advance and raised tens of millions of silver coins to send to Shuhu. Cui Hu was the escort and Yao Jia Dalang was the envoy. They went to Shuhu together. For this reason, Cui Hu even postponed his own wedding ceremony.
After being forcibly recalled to the capital again, Cui Hu visited Yue Qingning for three consecutive days and repeatedly told her to ask her father-in-law not to annoy the prince while he was away.
The prince is vindictive and although he has already remembered the left-wing's grudge, he should at least be careful and not give him the opportunity to cause trouble. He can discuss the aftermath after he returns.
Although Yue Qingning was listening to him speak, his mind seemed to be wandering somewhere unknown.
She looked at him, and only saw a faint halo between his forehead and hair, like a clear light, illuminating his entire body as if it were a floating soul.
The unignorable worry in her heart made her forget to say what she should say as a fiancée. She just stared at him motionlessly with her big eyes sparkling with watery thoughts.
"Qingning, if you look at me like this, I won't be able to leave again."
As Cui Hu spoke, he put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair again and again.
He knew that the journey was difficult, but with the name of the Great Sheng Kingdom and well-trained soldiers following him, the escort was not a difficult task. The difficulty lay in Shu Hu. How to negotiate with their shameless king was a huge problem for him.
He naturally looked down on the barbarian country that was fanning the flames and provoking trouble. Even if he went there on behalf of Da Sheng with real money and sincerity, he did not really intend to help.
But the king has orders and the ministers have to obey. Fortunately, Xiao Yan had not yet ascended the throne, otherwise assisting a monarch like him would be a lifelong shame for a loyal minister and a good general.
With his repeated comfort, the panic in Yue Qingning's heart did not overflow like in the past, but this time, the omen of evil things turned into a thick layer of frost, which lay heavily in the bottom of her heart, making her panic and terrified.
On their last day together, Cui Hu seemed to have noticed her restlessness, so he called for a carriage and took her to the temple fair for a stroll.
This day was the last day of the temple fair. The small vendors on both sides of the street had packed up their stalls and left one after another. Few street lights were on. Gradually, the deep blue covered the water and sky. Two people were walking in the water as if they had broken through the fog.
The two had been apart more often than together since their engagement, and this time when Cui Hu came back in a hurry, he didn't even bring a servant with him.
Seeing the last vendor packing up his stall and leaving, Cui Hu hurried over and begged him for a long time to make another sugar man.
From a distance, Yue Qingning could only see him pointing at himself, asking for something from a street shop owner, then running back, bowing twice to the old man before finally asking him to put down his carrying pole and set up the stall again.
Suddenly a beam of light lit up in the darkness, like a source of sparks, attracting the attention of passers-by, and Yue Qingning also followed the light and walked forward.
Cui Hu was holding a white candle in his hand. The faint candlelight was swaying in the breeze on the lake, casting a dim shadow on his face.
He never noticed the caution on his face. He kept his palms open and carefully covered the firelight in his palms, so that the vendors who were forced to stay could use the light to shape the syrup.
Yue Qingning looked at the two people who were so close to him, and the candlelight.
Suddenly, she felt an infinite attachment, a feeling she had never had for Cui Hu before. Even though they were engaged and even though they shared their true feelings with each other, to her, Cui Hu was still an outsider who had nothing to do with her heart.
But at this moment, the handsome eyebrows and bright eyes flashing under the lamplight turned into the drizzle of spring rain. Yue Qingning never knew that he had such a tender side.
All these emotions were caused by her, making her feel so worried and unable to clear herself.
The vendor was an old hand after all, and he made a little rooster in a short time. Cui Hu held the lamp in one hand and handed her the candy figure in the other, asking her to take a bite.
Urged by him, Yue Qingning had to bite a sharp corner with all her might. The sweetness melting on her tongue was a bit cloying, but she still nodded and praised.
"Master, what a great craftsman! This rooster looks so lifelike."
The bite happened to pry off the rooster's crest, making it look like an ordinary hen instead of a rooster.
Cui Hu couldn't help but smile when he saw the sugar figure with a missing corner, and raised his hand to touch the corner of her lips.
"If I don't see you smile before I leave, I'll be unable to sleep or eat well on the road."
He silently turned around and stood on the side facing the lake, blocking all the wind blowing from the lake towards her.
He said, "Qingning, don't worry about me. This is just a simple official business. It is much more peaceful than the war on the border."
Yue Qingning also knew that he had been worrying too much these days. With the reputation of his Duke of Protectorate Mansion, he believed that nothing serious would happen.
Seeing that she finally nodded and sighed, Cui Hu smiled and held her in his arms, blocking out the cold wind outside.
She lay on her lover's hot chest, listening to his steady, heavy heartbeat, feeling comforted. The warmth in his arms was like the sun in the night, making her feel comfortable and at ease.
He said, “Wait until I come back.”
Yue Qingning raised her head and looked at her reflection in his eyes. The worry in her heart gradually dissipated along with his figure, and it became like the rippling water, entangled with the thread. She nodded heavily.
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