Chapter 57 Chapter 57 [VIP]
After midnight, the rain gradually subsided.
Yuan Mu stood up and took a look while half asleep. Seeing that the rain had subsided, he didn't think about it anymore.
Maybe it was because of the heavy rain.
Or maybe it was because of seeing Yuanzhen.
Yuan Mu dreamed of Helan Zhen after a long time. He and the emperor were originally one person. After the emperor recovered his memory, it became even more difficult for her to force them to be two people.
She rarely dreamed of Helan Zhen alone anymore.
But when the cold knuckles touched Yuan Mu's brow, she knew that this was Helan Zhen, not Li Conglu.
The rain was pouring down and the curtains were swaying.
The handsome young man looked at her with pity in his eyes and said hesitantly, "Are you really okay?"
His fingertips lightly touched the corners of her eyes, wiping away the tears that were as clear as gems.
Yuan Mu's red lips opened, her breath was like orchid, and her eyelids were a beautiful and enchanting red.
"It's okay," she whispered. "Kiss me again."
Yuan Mu raised her watery eyes, raised her arms and put them around Helan Zhen's neck. The moment their lips touched, her broken soul seemed to become complete.
He put his arm around her waist and lifted her up gently.
Yuan Mu's tears kept falling.
Because of the sadness of separation, because of the happiness of satisfaction, because of the instinctive urge to cry.
The moment Yuan Mu woke up from the dream, his chest felt as if it had been hollowed out, with cold wind blowing in and an unspeakable dull pain.
At the same time, the sweetness of the dream echoes.
Yuan Mu propped himself up with his arms and sat up.
Her nightgown was soaked with sweat, her wet hair stuck to her forehead, and her whole body was filled with a rich fragrance.
She pursed her lips, took off her dirty underwear, and then hugged the thick blanket to take a shower.
After washing clean, Yuan Mu gradually broke free from his old dream.
I don’t know why I suddenly dreamed of Helan Zhen. Is it because I haven’t been close to anyone for too long?
Yuan Mu is a young girl with normal needs.
She used to be fine with this kind of dream, but now that she lives alone she really doesn't like having these beautiful dreams.
Yuan Mu bit her red lips. After a moment, she looked at the clepsydra clock and found that it was still early, so she went back to the tent and slept for a while.
There is nothing to do today, but there are still guests in the mansion.
So when it was time for breakfast, Yuan Mu sat up, changed her clothes, made a simple disguise, and walked out of the inner room.
It is still raining outside, but the rain is much lighter now.
Yuan Mu was wearing a light green shirt, and there was a faint light in his clear eyes.
When she went over, Yuanzhen and others had already stood up.
Yuan Zhen's face was half covered, his chin slightly raised, and he smiled and called out, "Ming Gong."
He should not be too old, but he has a calm and steady temperament, and he has a sense of ease and composure.
However, when Yuanzhen smiles, people are reminded of the bright spring days.
It is like a tall tree in the wind, unrestrained and upright.
If he hadn't been disfigured, he would have been a handsome man.
Yuan Mu looked at Yuan Zhen, and inevitably felt a sense of regret as if a pearl was covered in dust.
She would not have such thoughts about Yuan Wei. She thought whatever happened to him was reasonable.
But for a good person like Yuanzhen to suffer such misfortune would make her involuntarily feel pity and sympathy.
Yuan Mu curled up the corners of his lips and replied, "My dear."
Military affairs were busy, and Yuan Mu looked at their posture and it seemed that they were about to leave.
She had instructed someone to prepare breakfast for them last night, but they were so busy that she couldn't stay any longer.
But before the two could exchange a few more words, the attendant came hurriedly with a report: "Sir, the mountain collapsed last night, and the road out of the city is blocked."
Yuan Mu immediately asked, "Are there any casualties?"
"No, sir," the attendant replied hastily, "the city was under curfew at that time."
Yuan Zhen's expression was calm, and only when Yuan Mu glanced at her sideways did he show a little bit of difficulty.
"Don't worry," she whispered, "I'll get someone to clean it up right away."
"It's still raining outside. I'm sorry to bother you, sir," Yuanzhen said softly. "There are still adjutants in the camp. You don't have to be so anxious. You can clean up after the rain stops."
He is a very reasonable man.
But Yuanzhen was right. The rain is still falling now, and if the mountain collapses even more severely, it will be troublesome.
"...but for the next two days," Yuan Zhen smiled bitterly, "I may have to continue to bother you, sir."
Yuan Mu said comfortingly, "It's okay, my dear."
The two talked for a while and then had breakfast together.
Yuan Mu doesn't eat much.
She had a weak stomach, so the maid heated up some milk for her. She held the porcelain cup and drank the hot milk, leaving a circle of white on the edges of her lips.
Yuan Mu is cute no matter what he does, but he is especially cute when he drinks milk.
Yuanzhen supported his chin and looked at her with a smile.
When Yuan Mu saw him smiling, she realized that there was a white beard on the corners of his lips. She felt a little ashamed and quickly wiped the corners of her lips.
She had nothing to do today, and it was raining outside, so she just went to
Yuan Mu was wearing a bamboo hat, looking like a knight.
"My ancestral home is in Longxi, and we later moved to Jingzhao. I'm not a royal relative, and my parents have long since passed away."
Yuan Mu secretly claimed that if he was really a powerful person,
After the rise of science and technology, many talented people emerged.
The two walked around the city for a long time and talked for a long time.
Yuan Mu broke off a willow branch and said calmly, "When the war is over, you return to Jingzhao and should be able to get a promotion."
"It's still early for such a thing," Yuan Zhen said with a chuckle, "but my Lord, have you ever thought about returning to justice?"
This was an initiative that existed during the Wei and Jin dynasties.
The Central Plains dynasties would grant titles and fiefs to the Hu leaders who surrendered and gave up their separatist rebellion. Some would even be made marquises, and their descendants would be blessed with favors, allowing them to take root in the imperial city and become powerful and influential.
Yuan Mu snorted and laughed: "This kind of thing happened even earlier."
She became much more cheerful, and every frown and smile of hers was full of vitality.
Although her body is still not very healthy, her appearance is much better than before.
In the afternoon, the two of them went to the Buddhist temples and Taoist temples in the city.
Yuan Mu wrote his wish on a red silk ribbon and hung it on a rain-soaked branch.
Yuanzhen had never done such a thing before, but since she handed him the pen, he did not refuse.
When going down the mountain, Yuan Mu stepped on a stone and almost slipped.
Yuanzhen subconsciously put his arms around her waist and lifted her up.
Even so, Yuan Mu's ankle was still sprained and soon became red and swollen.
She frowned and said in annoyance, "I hate rainy days the most."
Yuan Zhen chuckled and said soothingly, "I don't like it either."
He held Yuan Mu steadily, then called a carriage from a nearby carriage shop and rode back to the mansion with her.
While in the carriage, Yuanzhen half-knelt on the ground and gently held her ankles.
He whispered, "It's a serious sprain, isn't it? Let me help you take a look, okay?"
Yuanzhen's voice was a little hoarse, and in the narrow and cramped carriage, it had a subtle magnetism.
The hands that were holding Yuan Mulingding's ankles were covered with thin calluses, and when they touched her fair skin, they felt as hot as an electric shock.
She held back and didn't make any trembling sound.
Yuan Mu clenched her knuckles tightly, and she said softly: "Hmm..."
The voice was so soft, as if it was soaked in water.
Yuan Mu could still maintain his masculine appearance in front of others, but once he was alone, the sharpness of his cold face faded away and he became too delicate.
She should be a precious flower kept in a greenhouse.
But Yuan Zhen also had to admit that Yuan Mu's blood flowed with the courage to fear no ice or snow.
As long as she wants to, there is nothing in this world that she can't do.
When getting off the carriage, Yuan Zhen carried Yuan Mu down with her own hands.
Although they knew that Yuan Mu had injured his ankle, the posture between the two was still extremely weird.
Yuan Wei's brows were tightly furrowed, and he always had a strange premonition surging in his mind.
This man—is he serious?
-
The heavy rain stopped at night.
On the third day, all blocked roads were cleared.
After Yuan Zhen left, Yuan Wei's complexion improved a lot, but he carefully questioned Yuan Mu about the man's background.
He is very suspicious. Although he is dead now, his essence is almost the same as a wanted criminal.
Yuan Mu understood Yuan Wei's mood and told him everything. After listening, his frown relaxed a lot.
"King Jing was indeed granted the title of Duke of Longxi," he murmured. "He must be the grandson of Yuan Ping, the Minister of Works. No wonder he was able to serve in the court despite his disfigurement."
Yuan Wei knew too much about the situation in the capital.
Yuan Mu couldn't figure it out, but with just a few words, he could figure out Yuan Zhen's general situation.
If she had Yuan Wei's brains at the beginning, she would not have been deceived so badly by Helan Zhen.
But Yuan Wei's next words made Yuan Mu angry again.
"Is he... a homosexual?" he said hesitantly. "Can you sense it? Is he very clean and speaks slowly?"
Yuan Mu frowned deeply.
"You're the one with the homosexual tendencies!" she said angrily, "I'm a gentleman!"
Yuan Wei lowered his head and thought seriously, "You are now in the main position, but you have no one to serve you. Why don't I find you some wives and concubines so that no one will worry about you?"
He had just told her not long ago that if there was anyone among his staff whom he liked, he would take her as his male concubine.
"I don't want it!" Yuan Mu became even angrier. She flicked her sleeves and left immediately.
After Yuanzhen left, life in the mansion returned to normal.
After the sudden attack of her heart and lung disease, Yuan Mu rested in the mansion for a while. It was already late June when she left again.
She went to inspect the small towns nearby and happened to meet Yuan Zhen and others who were returning.
Yuanzhen was riding on a horse, with a tall flower tree beside him. He stood under the shadow of the flowers, with the setting sun behind him.
Lonely smoke in the desert, setting sun on the long river.
At this moment, no one is more graceful than him.
Yuan Zhen looked at Yuan Mu with a smile. At that moment, she had an indescribable feeling in her heart.
She thought of a day in Qingning Palace when the King of Chu's hand suddenly touched her knuckles. It was a very similar emotion, yet somewhat different.
Yuan Mu always had the intention of exploiting the King of Chu when he first met him.
She is not a girl as innocent as a blank sheet of paper.
On the contrary, Yuan Mu is essentially somewhat similar to the emperor.
She stepped on the blood of many people to get everything she wanted.
But at a certain moment when he looked at Yuan Zhen, what surged in Yuan Mu's heart was a feeling very similar to when he first met Helan Zhen.
She might actually be a bit mean.
If they cannot get the flawless jade, they will try to find a substitute even if it is a fake.
This is not good.
Yuan Mu was not at peace, and the two met several times afterwards.
Fortunately, the government army was quite busy. At the beginning of July, the war in the north was about to come to an end, and Yuan Zhen led his troops to the front line.
The day before he left, Yuan Mu saw him for the last time.
She really didn't like separation. After she was separated from Helan Zhen, she could no longer bear the feeling of separation.
Yuanzhen said something similar to what the previous leader said: "When we return victorious, I will ask for your praise from the court on your behalf."
But when he said this, it didn't make people feel disgusted.
"There's one more thing," Yuanzhen whispered, "I'll tell you when I get back."
Yuan Mu really wanted to cover his lips and tell him to stop saying unlucky things, but she almost raised her hand but finally put it down.
"Well," she said with lowered eyes, "Have a safe journey, my dear."
Yuan Mu's face turned slightly pale and his brows were tightly furrowed.
That's childish willfulness.
Yuanzhen really wanted to hold her face, kiss her forehead, and tell her that he would never leave again.
But he couldn't do that. His emotions were so intense that he could only touch her hand and whisper, "Thank you."
The war in the north was about to end, and Yuan Mu heard that the emperor had also gone to the front line in person.
She just hoped that he would not come to her place, or even just pass by.
The war had been going on for a long time, but it ended surprisingly neatly.
By late July, the usurping Rouran Khan committed suicide, the royal court was completely destroyed, and the long-lasting war came to an end.
A large number of former Rouran people surrendered, and some princes and nobles fled westward.
When Yuan Mu saw the letter, he felt a sense of surprise as if he was in a dream. From today on, the people on the border no longer had to live in a precarious crisis.
The emperor directly changed the former Rouran territory into Beiting, which was governed by military generals, and then established prefectures and counties under it, which were managed like large vassal states.
He has always been quick in doing things, and he has been here for several months, so Yuan Mu would not be surprised even if he was very decisive.
Yuan Mu was just subconsciously thinking, since the war was going so smoothly, Yuan Zhen should not have been in any trouble, right?
She has been busy lately and has no time to think about it.
By the time Yuanzhen returned, it was already mid-August. The battle was going smoothly, and a banquet was hosted by the government troops, with many people attending.
When Yuan Mu saw Yuan Zhen standing there unharmed, his eyes widened.
After a summer, she seemed to have not tanned at all, and her frosty skin was full of fragrance.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and the kitchen is making mooncakes.
The golden mooncakes are sweeter than the bright moon.
Yuan Zhen picked up a mooncake and fed it to Yuan Mu's lips. She was not prepared and took a bite of it.
He couldn't help laughing and laughed out loud, "Hahahaha".
Yuan Mu pinched the mooncake and put one to Yuan Zhen's lips.
As usual, she did not drink any alcohol at the banquet, but only drank a little tea. Yuanzhen stayed by her side and told her many things about the march.
"If I get the chance, I must go to Mobei," Yuan Zhen said softly. "I used to think Jingzhao had the best scenery, and the imperial city was magnificent, but after arriving in Mobei, I finally understood that the grandeur of nature is truly unique and rare."
Yuan Mu leaned back, his eyes half closed: "I think so too."
Maybe she was too tired recently, she felt a little sleepy and her long eyelashes drooped.
Yuan Muqiang pulled herself together and asked softly, "By the way, did you get any news about the King of Chu during your trip to Mobei?"
"He had the accident on my side," she pursed her lips, "and his whereabouts have been unknown for many days. Did he go to the Rouran side?"
The smile on Yuanzhen's face disappeared in an instant.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
