Chapter 5 But it's too late now.
Actually, it's not entirely accurate to say that Li Pan never married; he did marry, but the marriage didn't last. Years ago, when the General Who Conquers the Barbarians was still alive, he admired the young Li Pan and believed he would achieve great things. So he acted as matchmaker, tying Li Pan to the daughter of the local prefect.
Li Pan was of marriageable age, so it didn't matter who he married, and with his superiors acting as matchmakers, he naturally had no reason to refuse. The prefect also trusted the General's judgment and agreed to Li Pan as his son-in-law.
But the problem arose on the wedding day.
On their wedding day, Li Pan and his bride went through the wedding ceremony smoothly until the bride suddenly lifted her veil and pulled out a dagger to stab him during their mutual bows. Everyone was shocked to realize that she was not the daughter of the prefect, but a woman from the Quanrong tribe in disguise.
Li Pan never expected such a thing to happen at the wedding. Caught off guard, he was slashed by the Quanrong woman. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and subdued her in time. With the help of other guests, they soon escorted the Quanrong woman to the prosecutor's office for trial.
The group then went to look for the real bride. After searching around, they found that the bride had been knocked unconscious and stuffed under the bed in her bridal chamber. The Quanrong woman had put on her wedding dress and covered her head with her veil, thus deceiving everyone.
The bride woke up and wept bitterly, refusing to marry Li Pan no matter what. Having grown up in the capital, she had only come to the Northwest with her father, who had been sent to serve as an official there. She was already ill-suited to life there, and learning of Li Pan's peasant background only amplified her resentment. She had accepted her parents' arrangement before, but after this ordeal, she realized that marrying Li Pan was fraught with danger, even putting her life at risk. Therefore, she insisted that since they hadn't yet completed the wedding ceremony, they weren't husband and wife, and she was determined to call off the marriage.
The woman was unwilling to marry him, and Li Pan felt there was no need to force her, so the marriage was dropped so hastily.
Later, as his military rank rose step by step, other people tried to act as matchmakers, but Li Pan rejected them all, citing the uncertainty of the situation with the Quanrong tribes.
Then it was delayed until he was twenty-eight years old when he returned to the capital to receive his title.
Faced with such a young and talented general who held a high position and great power, Emperor Jinghui naturally wanted to keep him in check, so he considered marrying Li Pan to a princess or noblewoman from the royal family so that he could serve Dayue with peace of mind.
Li Pan, who had been granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an, could not grant a marriage casually. Otherwise, if it did not suit his wishes, it would be better not to grant the marriage at all.
Emperor Jinghui subtly inquired about the type of woman Li Pan preferred. To his surprise, Li Pan bluntly stated that he had just arrived in the capital and was unfamiliar with everything, so he did not want to get married too soon. Moreover, His Majesty did not need to use marriage to win him over. He was loyal to Dayue and deeply hated the Quanrong. Even if he was not granted a marriage, he would never betray Dayue.
Emperor Jinghui was used to the cunning and indirect schemes of officials in the capital, and had never seen anyone speak so frankly and openly expose his thoughts. He was both shocked and embarrassed. After the shock and embarrassment subsided, he found Li Pan's rough and unrefined manner quite amusing, so he didn't hold it against him and put the matter of bestowing the marriage on hold.
With the Quanrong pacified, Emperor Jinghui originally intended to keep Li Pan in the capital and give him a concurrent official position. However, the court was a complex place with many intriguing relationships. Li Pan had military achievements but no political base or faction in the court. In the past, when he fought on the front lines, people did not make things difficult for him because of his importance in protecting the country. But now that the border was pacified, it was a different story if he came to the capital to take advantage of the situation.
The honorary title was acceptable, but the substantive position would be discussed later. Li Pan himself didn't seem to be in a hurry, and the matter was delayed for half a year.
Six months later, Li Pan submitted a memorial to the emperor, requesting to return to the border to garrison troops. The emperor assumed that his displeasure stemmed from his official duties, but Li Pan earnestly explained that he truly had no attachment to the capital. His request to return to the border was purely for two reasons: first, he had an elderly mother at home who was not used to life in the capital and longed to return to the northwest; second, winter was approaching again, and although the Quanrong had surrendered and submitted, vigilance was still necessary. Only by returning to garrison troops could he ensure lasting peace on the border.
These matters were mentioned later by Emperor Jinghui during a casual conversation with Lou Xueying.
"What kind of wife do you think a man like General Li would marry?" Yao Biyue asked with great interest.
Lou Xueying: "Didn't you say you didn't like him?"
"It's just curiosity, after all. He's already twenty-eight, and women his age probably already have several children. If he's not in a hurry, how can his mother not be? People like him are most likely to get into trouble on the battlefield, so she definitely needs to produce an heir as soon as possible," Yao Biyue said. "But to be honest, at twenty-eight, many people haven't even achieved any official rank, yet he's already a general. He might receive other rewards after entering the court. And now that I see him, he's quite handsome. I'm sure there will be plenty of women eager to marry him..."
Lou Xueying: "Alright, everyone's gone."
Yao Biyue clicked her tongue twice and changed the subject: "After we finish eating, shall we go out for a walk again?"
"Okay, where to?"
“I acquired a new batch of gemstones last month and sent them to Qiulinxuan to be made into jewelry. I’m going to check on the results today. If they’re not good, I’m going to give the manager of Qiulinxuan a good scolding.”
Lou Xueying smiled.
"By the way, isn't Wuyin Qinfang on the same street as Qiulinxuan? How about we go to Wuyin Qinfang after we visit Qiulinxuan?" Yao Biyue pondered. "Haven't you been there in a while? I haven't heard you mention it lately. Although I'm not very interested in playing the qin, I can still accompany you for a stroll."
Lou Xueying was stunned for a moment, and the smile on her face faded.
These past few days, she has been immersed in the joy of reuniting with her family and the relief of successfully avoiding the Crown Prince. She spends her days wandering around the house, talking to her mother, and playing with her younger sister, completely forgetting what she did after leaving the palace during this time in her previous life.
Now she remembered.
After meeting the Empress that day, the Crown Prince escorted her out of the palace. In fact, the two of them didn't say much along the way, just glancing at each other secretly, until they reached the palace gate.
When she got home, she told her mother what had happened. Her mother was very surprised, and after observing her expression for a while, she teased her with a smile. Feeling shy and embarrassed, she pulled Cailing out the door again, trying to distract herself.
She went to the Five-Tone Qin Studio.
Unlike Yao Biyue, she had been learning the zither since childhood and genuinely loved it. After coming of age, she enjoyed visiting various zither shops in the capital. Although the musicians and zithers sold at Wuyin Zither Shop were of good quality, they were not top-notch. Given her status, she would actually be more suited to visiting those quiet and elegant zither shops that catered to high-ranking officials and nobles. However, she found those zither shops uninteresting and not as lively as Wuyin Zither Shop.
Wuyin Qinfang is unpretentious and open for business. Even those who cannot afford to buy a qin can come in and listen to the music. Qin enthusiasts in the capital often gather here to exchange ideas and practice together, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
Lou Xueying was of noble status, and it would be inappropriate for her to mingle with strangers all the time. Therefore, she did not participate in their discussions. She simply asked the owner of the music hall to give her a private room, and she could watch the lively atmosphere of the music hall from afar through the window of the private room.
After listening to other people's melodies for a long time, one will naturally develop one's own voice. When Lou Xueying was sixteen, she wrote a musical score herself, but she was never satisfied with the second half. She was too embarrassed to show it to her teacher, so she left the score with Wuyin Qinfang to see what others thought of it.
After some time, she went to the music shop again and found that many people had left comments on her score, mostly praising her and only a few criticizing her, though those comments were generally polite. Most importantly, someone had noticed the awkwardness in the second half of her score and corrected a few places for her. With these corrections, the previously hesitant parts suddenly became smooth and easy to understand. She was overjoyed and took the score to a private room to try playing it. Even Cailing nodded repeatedly, saying, "Miss, it sounds even better than before."
She asked Cailing to call the shop owner over and ask who had revised this section. The shop owner said he only remembered it was a man who looked at her sheet music for a moment and then finished revising it in a few strokes, but he didn't know who it was. She then wrote a letter to express her gratitude and also slipped in another half-finished sheet music, which she gave to the shop owner, saying that if she met him again, she should give him this one.
...If Lou Xueying had known earlier that the man who altered the score was actually Emperor Jinghui, who was traveling incognito, she would never have stepped into the Wuyin Qin Workshop.
But it's too late now.
At this time, the eighteen-year-old had known him for two years. During these two years, they had corresponded several times through the music studio, discovered that they shared similar interests, and became close friends. Judging from his handwriting and speech, Lou Xueying guessed that the man on the other end must be an experienced and busy man, because she usually replied to his letters very quickly, but waiting for his reply often took ten days to half a month, or even longer.
She wasn't without curiosity, but she never considered taking things further. She and this "Qiyun Hermit" were like kindred spirits, understanding each other through music; their letters only discussed the zither, never touching upon worldly affairs. She believed he was also a man of propriety.
However, at the end of last year, her maternal grandmother passed away, and Lou Xueying was very sad for a while. After that, she rarely went out. Until this time, she met the Crown Prince in the palace and couldn't stay at home at all. That's when she remembered the Five-Tone Qin Workshop that she hadn't visited in a long time.
The shopkeeper handed her a zither, saying that the "Qiyun Hermit" had sent people to inquire several times but had not received any letters from her, so he left this zither for her. This was the first time Lou Xueying had received anything from him other than a letter. She didn't want to accept it, but the zither was so beautiful. The body was made of century-old paulownia wood, and the surface was inlaid with turquoise gemstones. It was indeed valuable, but the Lou family could afford it. However, the craftsmanship of the zither showed that it had been made with great care. Lou Xueying hesitated for a long time, but she couldn't hide her love for it and accepted the zither.
Later, she ordered the zither to be smashed in the deep palace amidst a heavy snowfall.
"Shh, shh?" Yao Biyue stretched out her finger and waved it in front of Lou Xueying. "What are you thinking about? You look unhappy."
"I...I'm not going to Wuyin Qinfang anymore." Lou Xueying pursed her lips and lied. "Last time I went there, a lecherous guy tried to get close to me. Although he didn't succeed, I still get angry whenever I think about it. I won't go to Wuyin Qinfang again."
"What? There's such a thing? Why didn't you tell me? What's our relationship?!" Yao Biyue's eyebrows shot up immediately. "Even if you didn't bring anyone and couldn't do anything to that lecher, you still have to give the neighborhood committee an explanation! You're a regular customer of theirs!"
"Forget it, nothing's happened to me. The shop owner doesn't have three heads and six arms, how can he manage so many things? Let's not make things difficult for people doing business," Lou Xueying said in a low voice.
Cailing, standing to the side, exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, when did you get a lecherous man? I haven't seen him at all!"
Lou Xueying remained unfazed: "That person only made a suggestive look at me. When he tried to walk over from a distance, he was blocked by other people. It's normal that you didn't notice him."
“There are so many people in that music shop. To avoid attracting attention, Miss always dresses simply and wears a veil. How could she still attract lecherous men like that!” Cai Ling was furious.
Yao Biyue: "You're just too easy to talk to! You look like someone who's easy to bully!"
Lou Xueying forced a smile: "Let's not talk about that. I just remembered that I have something to take care of at home, so I'm afraid it won't be convenient for me to accompany you to Qiulinxuan later."
Qiulinxuan and Wuyinqinfang are on the same street, so she will definitely avoid this street in the future.
Yao Biyue let out an "Ah," showing a slight disappointment, but quickly smiled and said, "It's alright, your family matters are naturally more important. Besides, there's nothing fun to do at Qiulinxuan. We can go to other places to play when we have time later."
Lou Xueying nodded.
After having dinner with Yao Biyue, Lou Xueying said goodbye to her and took a carriage home.
"Miss, is something wrong at home?" Cailing asked, noticing that she was walking towards her courtyard with her head down and didn't seem to have anything urgent to do.
Lou Xueying: "It's nothing, I'm just a little sleepy and want to take a nap."
Cai Ling assumed that she hadn't fully recovered from her previous illness and didn't ask any further questions. After helping Lou Xueying change into her nightgown and lowering the bed curtains, she quietly retreated outside.
Lou Xueying lay on the bed, her eyes open, staring at the dimly lit ceiling, and suddenly let out a deep breath.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com