Chapter 77 is a reward for you.
On the day I left Beijing, a light drizzle began to fall.
Lou Xueying sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain, and looked at the gate of the Marquis's mansion, which was getting further and further away from her.
Lu Gui stood at the door, his figure gradually blurring, and finally, the carriage turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
Li Pan asked, "Are you reluctant to part with it?"
Lou Xueying: "Can Lü Gui handle things if he stays in the capital?"
Li Pan: "If he can't even handle this, what's the point of being my housekeeper?"
The title of Marquis of Wu'an still exists, and the Marquis's residence needs someone to maintain it. When they went to the Northwest, apart from guards such as Wu Zhao, they only took some personal servants with them. Everyone else stayed in the Marquis's residence and continued to be managed by Lü Gui.
Most importantly, Lü Gui knew about Li Pan's spies in the capital and could relay messages in a timely manner.
Once the carriage left the capital, its speed increased considerably. Wu Zhao and the others, who had been leading the horses alongside them, also put on rain hats and mounted their horses.
Fine rain drifted into the car, but Lou Xueying couldn't resist sticking her head out to breathe in the damp and free air.
Wu Zhao reminded her, "Madam, be careful not to catch a cold."
Lou Xueying: Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?
Wu Zhao laughed and said, "This drizzle is nothing! It's cool outside, but it's stuffy inside the car!"
Lou Xueying closed the carriage curtain and turned to ask Li Pan, "Why aren't you riding with them? I see your horse is empty."
Li Pan raised an eyebrow and put down the book in his hand: "You want to ride? If you want to ride, I'll take you riding right now."
Lou Xueying quickly shook her head.
Li Pan: "I have important things to do."
"What important matter?" Lou Xueying picked up the book beside him with a puzzled look. "What are you reading? When did you become so fond of reading?"
After flipping through two pages and glancing at the cover, I realized it was a history book.
Lou Xueying stared blankly at Li Pan.
Li Pan calmly snatched the book back from her hands.
Lou Xueying: "Why...why are you looking at this?"
Li Pan: "Is it wrong for me to be eager to learn?"
Lou Xueying pursed her lips.
To be precise, Li Pan was reading a biographical history book, and the page he had just read was about the failure of a peasant uprising leader in a certain dynasty.
Li Pan: "Have you read this book?"
Lou Xueying: "I've seen it."
What are your thoughts after watching it?
Lou Xueying bit her lip: "I don't remember. I was probably only twelve or thirteen years old when I read this book, maybe I read it as a storybook."
Because of my young age, I only vaguely remember many of the stories, but I don't have any deep understanding of them.
Li Pan: "I didn't like reading before, and I even had to force myself to read books on military strategy. But now that I've lived most of my life, I feel that it's okay to read these kinds of books. I might not have understood them before, but now I can understand some of them."
Lou Xueying: "What did you understand?"
Li Pan: "It's not certain yet. Let me take a look at some more information and then I'll give you a summary."
Lou Xueying: "Then you can see for yourself, I won't bother you anymore."
Li Pan reached out and ruffled her hair, then leaned against the car wall and continued reading.
Lou Xueying glanced at him secretly and thought the scene was absurd. When she married him, she never imagined that one day he would be engrossed in reading while she was doing nothing.
-
The journey to the Northwest was very smooth and peaceful, without any unexpected incidents.
The closer they got to the border, the colder the weather became. By the time they arrived at their post, it was already late September. Lou Xueying was already wearing all the clothes that she would normally only wear in November or December in the capital.
As soon as we entered the city gate, we could hear the clamor of voices rising outside the carriage.
They seemed to be speaking in a dialect, and Lou Xueying couldn't quite make out what they were saying, so she asked Li Pan, "What's all the noise outside?"
Li Pan laughed and said, "It's not that we're arguing, we're just saying that the general is back and we're a little loud."
Lou Xueying asked in surprise, "Are the people here so hospitable?"
Li Pan pinched her cheek: "Otherwise what? When I went to the capital, all the people there flocked to see me. If I'm in the local area, my prestige will definitely be even higher!"
Lou Xueying: "...Could you be a little more modest?"
Li Pan laughed heartily.
He lifted the carriage curtain and shouted, "Wu Zhao, stop the carriage! Bring the horses!"
Wu Zhao quickly blew a whistle, and the convoy came to a stop.
The jet-black warhorse was led to Li Pan. Li Pan stood on the carriage shaft, patted its sturdy neck, and then nimbly flipped himself onto it, his thin cloak billowing behind him in a light arc.
The crowds lining both sides of the road erupted in thunderous cheers.
"It really is a general!"
"Great! The general is finally back!"
"We can't rest easy without the general!"
"General, General, these are freshly baked pancakes from our pan! Please try some!"
Li Pan smiled, spurred his horse forward, bent down and took a steamed bun from the basket in the commoner's hand, and took a bite.
"It smells so good right out of the pot!" he praised.
"I'm glad the general is pleased!"
Li Pan, holding the half-eaten pancake, pulled on the reins, turned the horse back to the carriage, and called out, "Shushu!"
Lou Xueying had been peeking through the gap in the carriage curtain at the scene outside, and seeing how much the people loved Li Pan, she felt proud of him. Just as she was secretly pleased, she was suddenly called out by name, and couldn't help but be taken aback.
"Susu, come out here!" Li Pan laughed. "Let everyone see you!"
Lou Xueying: "..."
This...this isn't necessary, is it?
Seeing that she didn't move, Li Pan gave Wu Zhao a wink.
Wu Zhao dismounted, lifted the carriage curtain, and smiled at Lou Xueying, "Madam, come out. You are the Marquis's wife. Let the people recognize your face."
Lou Xueying was extremely embarrassed, but had no choice but to comply. She quickly tidied herself up and crawled out of the carriage with her head down.
Normally, she rarely dresses up when she's on the go, but because she's going into the city today and staying at the General's Mansion, where she'll be meeting many people, Lou Xueying made a special effort to tidy herself up.
At this moment, she wore a gold beaded hairpin in her hair and a dark red crane-patterned cloak, which accentuated her fair skin and beautiful face, making her look like a celestial being descended to earth. Her appearance caused a moment of silence to be drawn around her.
Li Pan extended his hand to her: "Come on up."
Lou Xueying swallowed hard.
On their journey to the Northwest, if the weather was fine, Li Pan would take her horseback riding for a short distance. Li Pan's horse was too tall for her to mount on her own, but after so many days, she had become quite adept at mounting with Li Pan's help.
But now so many people are watching...
She took a deep breath, reached out her arm, and grasped Li Pan's hand.
Before she could even react, Li Pan had already lifted her onto his horse and placed her in front of him.
Someone exclaimed first, followed by a chorus of exclamations. Even though Lou Xueying didn't understand the dialect very well, she could tell from their expressions and a few scattered words that they were praising her beauty.
Lou Xueying really wished there was a hole in the ground so she could quickly crawl into it.
Li Pan held the pancake to her lips and coaxed, "It's a token of the people's goodwill, have a taste."
Lou Xueying blushed and took a bite.
Li Pan: "Is it delicious?"
Lou Xueying nodded.
Li Pan laughed and said loudly, "My wife comes from a prestigious family with a history of hundreds of years. She is the daughter of the Junior Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat! It doesn't matter if you don't know what the Junior Secretary does. Just know that my wife is the most beautiful woman in the capital and the most talented woman in the capital! All the best things in the world are in the capital. If she says something is delicious, then it must be delicious!"
The crowd cheered again, and someone rushed up to her, holding up a string of dried meat and enthusiastically shouting, "Madam, have a taste! Have a taste!"
Lou Xueying: "..."
She really wanted to turn around and strangle Li Pan.
When did she become the most beautiful woman in the capital? When did she become the most talented woman in the capital? There's no such ranking! She's not even that! How could he spout such nonsense and deceive the honest people!
Li Pan rode past the people with Lou Xueying on his back, looking quite pleased with himself.
News travels slowly in the Northwest. The people only knew that General Li had returned, but they didn't know why he had returned, let alone the turbulent events happening in the capital. They simply exclaimed that General Li had gone to the capital and brought back a wife as beautiful as a fairy. What a blessing he was!
Sitting in the carriage behind, Li's mother clicked her tongue at Cuicui beside her and said, "Look how much he's showing off."
Cui Cui smiled and said, "Madam is so kind. If I were the Marquis, I wouldn't be able to resist showing off too."
Li Pan's horse led the way, followed by the carriage, heading towards the General's Mansion.
Lou Xueying felt extremely uncomfortable and asked Li Pan in a low voice, "Could you let me go back to the carriage?"
Li Pan: "What's wrong, are you shy?"
Lou Xueying glared at him.
Li Pan grinned and said, "Where in the Northwest can we find such a delicate beauty like you? Nobody has ever seen one before. It's good to see her all at once, so you won't be easily surrounded by onlookers when you go out in the future."
Lou Xueying was so angry that she pinched him, but he was wearing thick clothes, so the pinch was useless.
When they arrived at the general's mansion, servants who had been left behind were already waiting anxiously at the gate.
When they saw Lou Xueying sitting in front of Li Pan, they all widened their eyes.
Li Pan dismounted first, then had someone bring over a footstool, and helped Lou Xueying down the horse using it.
“This is Madam,” Li Pan said. “From now on, if I am not here, everything in the manor will be done according to her will.”
The servants responded in unison, repeatedly greeting the lady.
Li's mother and Cuicui also got off the carriage, followed by Cailing and others.
As soon as Cui Cui returned to the General's Mansion, she felt right at home and asked the servants who had stayed behind, "Has the mansion been cleaned up yet?"
"Don't worry, Sister Cui Cui, it's been cleaned up for a long time."
Mother Li said to Cuicui, "Take Cailing and the others to put down their luggage and get familiar with the mansion. I'll go back by myself."
Cui Cui smiled and said, "Okay!"
Li Pan put his arm around Lou Xueying's waist and said, "Shall I take you back to the bedroom first?"
Lou Xueying nodded.
Although the general's mansion occupies a large area, it is sparsely decorated, with most of the land left empty, not even bonsai trees. The mansion is predominantly dark blue, giving it a cold, hard, and spacious appearance.
Li Pan: "Isn't it pretty boring?"
Lou Xueying: "Why don't you take care of it? It's all bare and doesn't look good at all."
Li Pan: "I don't have the leisure for that. But my mother sometimes grows some vegetables. After we went to the capital, no one grew vegetables anymore, so naturally there's nothing left. If you want to take care of it, then you can."
Lou Xueying shook her head: "Forget it, I don't have the leisure for that right now."
Li Pan led her back to the bedroom. The bedroom had been uninhabited for a long time, and although it had been cleaned, it still had a faint smell of dust.
Lou Xueying pushed open the window, looked outside, then looked inside; it was just as monotonous as ever.
Li Pan: "Have them remove these things from the bed later and put up the bedding we brought back from the capital. It will look much nicer then."
Li Pan never cared whether the blanket he was covered with was gray or white, but Lou Xueying did. The sheets and blankets she slept on had to be covered with intricate patterns, things that were simply not available for sale in the Northwest, so she brought them over with her.
Lou Xueying: "Don't you feel bad living in such a dark and gloomy place all the time?"
“Ancestor, I used to live in a mud house with a thatched roof, okay? Now I live in such a big house, I can’t be happier.” Li Pan pinched her nose. “You’re such a fuss.”
Lou Xueying pouted.
“However,” he smiled, “you are so beautiful, I am willing to serve you.”
Lou Xueying feigned anger: "Just because she's pretty? How superficial."
Li Pan snorted: "Don't give me that. It's not like you don't care about looks. I haven't forgotten that you said yourself that if I had a full beard, you definitely wouldn't marry me."
Lou Xueying paused for a moment before saying, "Actually... even if you were ugly, I would still marry you."
Li Pan paused for a moment.
"I'm the one who needs your help, so I have no right to criticize your appearance," she said softly. "But thankfully, you're not bad-looking, which is a pleasant surprise."
Li Pan moved closer to her, his breath brushing against her face: "Is it just not bad?"
Lou Xueying: "...She's quite good-looking."
"Is it just fine?"
"...You're the most handsome man in the Northwest, okay?"
Li Pan laughed: "Never mind, I still know my own limitations."
Lou Xueying: "Well, I know my place. Who told you to just say I'm the most beautiful woman and the most talented woman in the capital? Who made that judgment?"
Li Pan: "I made the assessment."
"You haven't even had much interaction with women in the capital, what right do you have to give your opinion?"
Li Pan: "That's how I feel, anyway."
"Alright," Lou Xueying conceded, "Then you're also the most handsome man in the Northwest, because I haven't had much contact with men from the Northwest either."
The two were rambling on when they heard a knock at the door. It was Cai Ling and the others who had brought over some luggage.
Lou Xueying then quietly distanced herself from Li Pan, letting them come in and tidy up.
-
Although it was cold outside, it was much warmer inside with a charcoal brazier lit.
As evening approached, Li's mother worried that Lou Xueying might get cold from walking around, so she told them not to eat in her yard anymore, and that the young couple could eat inside.
Li Pan and Lou Xueying then stopped being polite.
The food was served in large bowls and basins, quite rustic. Li Pan said, "It's local food. Try a couple of bites. If you don't like it, we can change it."
Lou Xueying took a bite, her eyes lit up, and she nodded, saying, "Delicious!"
"Is it delicious?"
"It's so delicious!" Lou Xueying exclaimed. "The lamb is so tender! And the seasoning is really special!"
"If you think it tastes good, that's fine." Li Pan tore off a piece of lamb leg and placed it in front of her. "Although there is tender lamb in the capital, it's not from the sheep here. The meat is different, and the seasonings aren't the same, so it can't be made to taste like this."
Lou Xueying took a small bite of meat while glancing at the wine glass next to Li Pan: "What are you drinking?"
Li Pan: "The rice wine given by the common people—oh, this lamb was also given by the common people. Sigh, they are so hospitable, it's hard to refuse. Please don't think I'm trying to exploit the people."
Lou Xueying smiled and said, "If there were no war here, I think you would be living a very carefree life, like a local tyrant."
Li Pan swirled his wine glass, glanced at her, and smiled without saying a word.
Lou Xueying realized she had misspoke and changed the subject: "Is this wine good? May I try some?"
"It's alright," Li Pan said. "But don't you dislike drinking?"
Lou Xueying: "Since we're already here, let's try some local specialties." She paused for a moment, then added, "Actually, I don't have any particular interest in alcohol; I just don't like the atmosphere of drinking."
Li Pan understood.
“I do enjoy drinking with my brothers in the barracks, but I don’t like drinking with those high-ranking officials in restaurants,” Li Pan said. “When I first arrived in the capital, I didn’t have a comfortable time at all.”
He held his cup to her lips, and she took a sip, smacked her lips, and said, "It seems alright, not too spicy, and a little sweet."
Li Pan raised an eyebrow: "You want a drink?"
Lou Xueying blinked: "Can I drink with you?"
"Yes, of course you can, why can't you?" Li Pan immediately found another cup, poured her some rice wine, and smiled, "But why are you suddenly in such a mood today?"
Lou Xueying looked at the wine glass in front of her and said, "Actually... when I used to read books, I often saw frontier poets writing about the desert, the Gobi, the sand dunes, the moon, and wine and meat... If they didn't talk about war, I felt... a little longing for it."
Li Pan: "Well, our place isn't that remote. There aren't any deserts, Gobi, or sand dunes, just some wilderness. But don't get your hopes up. Moon, my foot! You'll freeze to death on the ground in the middle of the night, and then you'll be quiet."
Lou Xueying couldn't help but smile.
"Have you ever been drunk?" she asked.
Li Pan thought for a moment: "What constitutes being drunk? Is it to the point of being incoherent? If so, then no. When I was still a lowly soldier, I didn't have that much alcohol to drink. Even after I was promoted and had plenty of alcohol, I still couldn't get completely drunk. Otherwise, if there was a military emergency, I wouldn't be able to handle it, and it would be a big problem. Besides, I have a pretty good alcohol tolerance; no one has ever really gotten me drunk."
"I really want to know what it's like to get drunk..." Lou Xueying murmured, "I've heard that some people go crazy when they're drunk, I really want to try it too..."
Li Pan rested his chin on his hand and gazed at her.
A well-behaved young lady raised in a respectable manner, with proper etiquette and manners, may develop a wilder desire in her heart after being restricted for a long time.
“Then let’s drink,” Li Pan said readily. “There’s no one else here. I’ll keep you company. It’s okay if you get drunk.”
Lou Xueying: "So I'll really drink it?"
Li Pan waved his hand and said, "Drink! Tonight, let's drink until we're drunk, no one leaves until we're completely drunk!"
So Lou Xueying really did start drinking one cup after another.
At first, Li Pan watched with great interest, but then he sensed something was wrong: "Hey, hey, slow down! How can you drink it like that? You have to eat some food while you drink it! Just because this wine isn't spicy doesn't mean you can drink it like water!"
This wine has a strong aftereffect; after a few cups, Lou Xueying already felt a little lightheaded.
She covered her flushed face and asked Li Pan, "I feel a little dizzy right now."
Li Pan said, "You drink so fast, you're bound to get dizzy. If you can't drink, then don't drink." He then tried to take her glass away.
Lou Xueying quickly pressed her hand down, saying, "No, I'm just a little dizzy, I'm not drunk. I'll drink slowly."
She learned her lesson and started eating and drinking with Li Pan.
Lou Xueying had eaten most of the food, but she couldn't eat anymore. She waved her hand, indicating to Li Pan that she could continue eating.
Li Pan asked, "Are you full? Would you like some more drink?"
Lou Xueying: "Hmm... drink up. How much is left in your jar?"
Li Pan shook it; there was only one bottom left.
Lou Xueying: "Then let's just drink it."
She was already very dizzy, her face as red as a boiled shrimp, and even her eyes became glazed. Perhaps she herself didn't realize that she was becoming more and more talkative, leaning against Li Pan, talking to him about this and that.
"Li Pan, have you ever seen glass from the Western Regions?" She gestured. "It's very transparent, very clean, and it can refract colorful light. It's especially beautiful..."
While eating, Li Pan replied, "I've never seen it, but I've heard of it. It's a tribute item, right? It's very rare, and even if you have money, you might not be able to buy it."
“Hmm…it’s a tribute,” Lou Xueying said. “Liang Ji…Liang Ji gave me a large piece of glass…I sit in front of the glass window every day, looking outside…”
Li Pan lowered his eyes: "What did you see?"
Lou Xueying: "I saw a small courtyard... There were some flowers and plants in the courtyard, but they withered in winter... The courtyard was heavily guarded, and I couldn't get out..."
Li Pan stuffed a small piece of meat into her mouth.
She chewed, forgetting that she was already full, swallowed, and continued, "When winter comes, I breathe on the glass window and it fogs up, and then I write on it..."
"Write what?"
“Write… ‘Liang Chong’,” she whispered. “Write his father’s name, and he’ll get angry. When he’s angry, I’ll be happy. But unfortunately, he always comes at night, and everything I write during the day is erased by the palace servants…”
Li Pan stuffed another piece of meat into her mouth.
She chewed for a moment, then frowned: "I want to eat vegetables."
"Okay." Li Pan stuffed two more vegetable leaves into her mouth.
Lou Xueying picked up the wine glass, found it was empty, and held it up to Li Pan.
Li Pan: Still drinking?
Lou Xueying: "I'm not drunk yet."
Li Pan: "Everyone gets drunk differently. I can see that when you're drunk, you don't act crazy; you just become very talkative."
Lou Xueying: "But I still have my senses. At least I have to drink until I'm completely out of it, right? Look how I can still talk to you so coherently."
Li Pan twitched the corner of his mouth and poured her another drink.
Lou Xueying took a sip and asked, "Where were we?"
Li Pan: "Speaking of you liking me."
"Oh." Lou Xueying nodded. "I remember now, we were talking about glass windows."
Li Pan: "..."
Li Pan gritted his teeth: "You really like that glass window?"
"I don't like it," Lou Xueying said. "It's pretty, but I don't like it."
Li Pan: "Then why are you telling me so much?"
Lou Xueying looked up at him: "I haven't told you these details before. Are you angry?"
Li Pan: "A little."
Are you angry with me?
"I'm angry with them," Li Pan said. "Shut up, or I'm starting to feel like killing someone again."
Lou Xueying shut up.
Li Pan drank and ate alone, finally finishing both the wine and the food.
Looking down, he saw that Lou Xueying had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
He sighed, called someone in to clear the table, and then carried her to the inner bedroom to change her into her nightgown.
In winter, women wear many layers of clothing, and the styles of women's clothes are complicated. Li Pan struggled for a long time before finally waking Lou Xueying up again.
She looked at Li Pan groggily and asked, "What are you doing?"
Li Pan gritted his teeth: "I'll let you sleep!"
Lou Xueying: "No, I haven't washed up yet... Call someone to bring water, I want to take a bath..."
Li Pan: "You're so drunk, and you still want to take a bath? Aren't you afraid of drowning in the tub?"
Lou Xueying insisted, "I'm too dirty..."
Li Pan angrily tapped her forehead.
He was clearly drunk, how could he still remember these things!
Li Pan asked someone to boil water, and in that short time, she fell asleep again.
Li Pan let her lie on the table and sleep for a while, then went into the bathroom first, heated it up, and then carried Lou Xueying in.
"Ancestor, wake up!" he cried. "If you don't get up, the water will get cold."
Lou Xueying was shaken awake by him again.
Li Pan urged, "Hurry up, can you manage on your own? Take a shower quickly, and then go to bed."
Lou Xueying rubbed her eyes, yawned, and said, "You help me..."
Li Pan: "...What did you say?"
Lou Xueying: "Please help me... I can't soak anymore..."
Li Pan: "Are you serious? You want me to help you take a bath?"
"Yes." She nodded solemnly. "This is a reward for you."
Li Pan: "..."
"Reward me? You'd be more like ordering me around!" Li Pan pinched his brow and resignedly began to undress her.
The atmosphere was certainly enchanting, but he really had no interest in taking advantage of drunkards who were like scumbags.
Most importantly, she's prone to catching a cold, and if he makes her sick, he'll be the one who suffers in the end.
After a flurry of scrubbing and helping her wash up, Li Pan scooped the soaking wet woman up, wrapped her in a long towel, and carried her back to the inner chamber where a charcoal brazier was lit.
Lou Xueying lay lazily on the bed with her eyes open, watching him help her put on her nightgown. She couldn't help but smile and said, "Li Pan, you're so kind. I'll reward you tomorrow."
Li Pan looked up: "You're still going to reward me?"
Lou Xueying: "Hmm, if you see anything good, I'll give it to you."
Li Pan: "So you've become a concubine again?"
Lou Xueying: "Would you like a reward?"
"Mmm, thank you for the reward, Your Majesty." Li Pan responded haphazardly, tucked her into the quilt, and his temples throbbed with anger.
How can there be such a woman in the world! Others take an inch and then a mile, but she takes an inch and then goes all the way!
A month or two ago, she was crying and begging him not to abandon her. Now that she has found out that he really won't abandon her, she actually dares to bring up things from her past life to anger him! Even though she was drunk and was just chatting with him, she probably didn't even know what she was saying, but he was still very angry when he heard those details.
He turned off the light, got into bed, and angrily bit her lip.
"Um... Li Pan..." she sobbed, "I'm sleepy... I'll do it tomorrow..."
Li Pan: "That disrespectful old man Liang Chong, that shameless and despicable scoundrel Liang Ji, and me, the wise and mighty general—which one would you choose?"
Lou Xueying: "Of course it's you... Didn't I already say that I only like you..."
Li Pan then felt his anger subside somewhat.
He pulled her close and couldn't resist running his hands through her hair, gently stroking the back of her head.
Lou Xueying muttered, "I already said we'd do it tomorrow..."
She sat up, quickly kissed him, and said, "Good stone, please, let me sleep."
Then he quickly lay down again.
Li Pan was stunned.
It took me a long time to come to my senses.
He couldn't help but touch his lips, repeatedly savoring her words, thinking to himself, "She can still have this side when she's drunk? If she remembers it when she wakes up tomorrow, she'll probably dig a hole and bury herself in it."
He chuckled softly, looked at the person who was already asleep in his arms, ruffled her hair, and said gently, "Okay, I'll go to sleep too."
-----------------------
Author's note: Actually, this chapter is equivalent to two chapters.
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