Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Hongluo Temple
When the two returned home, Liu greeted them anxiously: "How did it go? Did your grandparents give you any trouble?"
Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao looked at each other, shook their heads, and said in unison, "No."
Liu was surprised: "No? Were your grandparents that easy to talk to?"
Meng Guanqi thought to herself, "I knew my grandfather would object, but I could endure his harsh words. I would just smile and feel wronged. My grandfather must have said some very hurtful things to me, but he was afraid I would worry, so he didn't mention a word to me."
Li Xiaoxiao thought to herself, "Poor young master, he's been scolded so badly but he still won't admit it. He might even have been beaten. He only reports good news to his wife and never bad news."
The two felt that the other had been greatly wronged and were heartbroken. They flirted and exchanged sweet nothings in front of Liu, which made Liu feel like she was about to have a heart attack.
Liu said expressionlessly, "Alright, since your grandparents didn't make things difficult for you, then you can go do whatever you need to do~ Don't get in my way here."
Thinking that they would be getting married in just over ten days, Liu felt a sharp pain in her back molars. According to custom, should she have the two of them live separately? Aren't married couples supposed to avoid seeing each other before marriage?
But when she thought about how her house was in the east of the city, and how Meng Guanqi was about to go to the Honglu Temple for pre-appointment training, which was only a short distance from the capital, did she really want to make him live in the east of the city and take a one-hour carriage ride to work every day so that the two of them wouldn't meet?
Moreover, since the two are getting married in less than twenty days, although their families will be living in the Li family mansion afterward, Meng Guanqi is not marrying into the family, and the wedding will still be held in the Meng family mansion in the east of the city. Therefore, Liu has arranged for craftsmen to renovate the house these days, and it will be uninhabitable until it is finished...
Forget it, Liu gave up struggling. Anyway, the two of them had grown up together almost like childhood sweethearts, and apart from the days when Meng Guanqi was at school, they were almost always together. There was no need to avoid suspicion now.
The two were driven back to the backyard by Liu. Meng Guanqi wandered around for a while and found that there was nothing to do.
The palace examination and the metropolitan examination were over. He no longer needed to study day and night like before, nor did he need to write several pages of calligraphy every day. After he no longer had to do these things, it seemed that he suddenly had a lot of time, so much so that he didn't know what to do with it.
The thought that he would no longer need to do what he had been doing for the past ten years or so suddenly made him feel a little lost.
He went to find Li Xiaoxiao: "What are you doing?"
Li Xiaoxiao was sitting in the workshop she had specially prepared, carving a wooden horse for Rui Rui. She was covered in wood shavings. "I'm carving a wooden horse for Rui Rui, and I'm also going to give one to Aze. Although he can't play with it in front of others, he said he can keep it at our house and play with it when he comes to stay with us."
In front of others, Aze is the crown prince, but in his own family, he's just a lively child who's envious of Rui Rui's toys. He wants to get a copy of everything Rui Rui has.
Meng Guanqi looked at her hand holding the carving knife, which had fine scratches on it. She didn't care about these small details at all, but he felt heartbroken when he saw it.
He snatched the knife from her hand: "If Rui Rui wants a rocking horse, just find a carpenter to make one for him. And if A Ze wants one too, just make one for him as well. You don't need to do these small things yourself, lest you spoil them."
They were just two small toys; he would never have bothered with such trivial matters before. Li Xiaoxiao keenly noticed that he seemed a little down and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Why do you seem so down?"
Meng Guanqi stared at her intently, then suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.
Li Xiaoxiao was completely confused. He was now almost a head taller than her. When he held her in his arms, she couldn't see his expression, but she could feel his body language seemed to be expressing his dependence on her.
Meng Guanqi's voice rang out in a muffled tone: "I just don't want you to do these things anymore, Xiaoxiao. Let's go to Hongluo Temple, okay? Just the two of us, no one else. You've been in the capital for so long, and I haven't gone out with you alone yet... After I finish learning the court etiquette at Honglu Temple and receive my official appointment certificate, I should have a few days of free time. Let's go out for a walk together, okay?"
He suddenly realized that they were about to get married, but he hadn't even gone out with her alone yet.
After breaking his promise to take her on a study tour, he never had the chance to take her anywhere again.
Suddenly, he felt he owed her so much. When she was with him, she was always giving, protecting him, supporting him, and giving to him, but he gave her so little in return. He couldn't even protect her properly in front of the Meng family.
He knew perfectly well that her ideal was to live freely and unrestrained, but because she chose to be with him, she had to keep compromising.
His tone became firm: "After I receive the official appointment document, we'll go to Hongluo Temple first, then Baiyun Temple, then climb Bijia Mountain. If there's still time, we'll go to Yongzhou to see the lanterns and eat donkey meat..."
With each thing he said, Li Xiaoxiao's eyes brightened even more. After he finished, her face was full of surprise: "Are you serious? Do you have so many lies?"
Meng Guanqi said, "Of course I'm serious. After I'm granted an official position, I won't do anything. We'll travel to all the places we just mentioned, and then we'll get married when we come back."
Li Xiaoxiao cheered, stood on tiptoe, and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, beaming with joy.
What a simple-minded child! She's so happy just from hearing that she can go out and play.
Looking at her smiling face, Meng Guanqi couldn't help but feel his heart flutter. His eyes gradually became hazy, and his face involuntarily moved closer to hers. Finally, he accurately captured her soft lips and kissed her deeply.
Thank goodness, no one came to disturb them this time, and the two kissed so passionately they almost couldn't breathe.
After the passionate kiss, both of them were a little embarrassed, their cheeks flushed red, but they were unwilling to let go, and they just grinned at each other like idiots.
Meng Guanqi said happily, "Let me count the days. Today is May 29th, tomorrow is the Imperial Banquet, and the day after tomorrow we will start learning the court etiquette at the Honglu Temple. We should finish learning in two days, which will be June 2nd. At the earliest, I can have a holiday on June 3rd, and then we can go out and play."
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Then let's go to Hongluo Temple on the third day of the sixth lunar month, Baiyun Temple on the fourth, and climb Bijia Mountain on the fifth. Don't break your promise!"
Meng Guanqi patted his chest and assured him, "How could that be? I will never break my promise."
How could he bear to disappoint her again and again?
The next day was the day of the banquet. Meng Guanqi dressed in new clothes and went out early in the morning. He did not return until after noon. When he returned, he asked the kitchen to cook him a big bowl of noodles.
Li Xiaoxiao asked curiously, "Didn't you go to the banquet? Weren't you full?"
Doesn't the imperial court provide enough food? And the Imperial Banquet is supposed to be the most prestigious banquet in the entire country, so why does he look like a starving ghost?
Meng Guanqi shook his head: "The Enrong Banquet is a banquet for making connections and seeking mentors and friends. Every Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) is looking for an opportunity to show himself in order to get better opportunities. Who would seriously eat?"
Since no one else was eating, it would be too conspicuous for him to be the only one eating, so he had no choice but to stop eating as well.
Li Xiaoxiao asked with interest, "Has anyone tried to befriend you? Has anyone wanted to take you as their apprentice?"
Meng Guanqi thought for a moment and shook his head: "I do have a few friends, but I haven't taken on any disciples."
"Huh?" Li Xiaoxiao was a little disappointed: "Even when you passed the imperial examination, no one wanted to take you as a disciple?"
Meng Guanqi said, "It's probably because my teacher is Gu Henian, and I come from the former Minister of Rites' residence, right?" To be honest, with such a strong and powerful background, apart from the bigwigs in the cabinet, which official would dare to easily ask to take him as a disciple?
Li Xiaoxiao thought about it and realized that it made sense. Others didn't know that he and Minister Meng had fallen out over their marriage, so who would dare to presume to recommend themselves as a teacher?
Meng Guanqi brought up another matter: "Today at the banquet, I saw the Crown Prince. I told him about our marriage on June 13th, and he said he knew."
Li Xiaoxiao asked curiously, "Didn't he say anything else to you? Didn't he always hope that you would pass the imperial examination as soon as possible?"
Meng Guanqi was also a little puzzled: "No, his attitude was quite cold, and he only appeared for a short while before leaving."
Li Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes: "Could it be that he has forgotten his old love because he has a new one?"
Meng Guanqi was taken aback: "What new love and old love?"
Li Xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head: "Didn't Headmaster Gu already agree to join the Crown Prince's inner circle? He thinks Headmaster Gu is more useful than you, so you've fallen out of favor."
She nodded, very certain: "That must be it!"
Meng Guanqi was both amused and exasperated, and couldn't help but flick her forehead: "Nonsense, the Crown Prince's every move is being watched by countless people, so it's a good thing that he's a little cold to me... However, if I could simply and steadily be an official, doing good and practical things for the people, without having to get involved in those scheming factional struggles, I would be more than happy."
Li Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and realized that the life she wanted was simply to be free and peaceful. She never expected Meng Guanqi to become a high-ranking official. In fact, she thought that being like Magistrate Meng would be perfect. She would be content to be a local official in a small county, farming, gathering firewood, and hunting.
Her eyes sparkled: "If only Headmaster Gu could help the Crown Prince ascend the throne smoothly, then once he becomes emperor, all those demons and monsters will either be eliminated or forced to lie dormant, and we could finally live a peaceful life."
Meng Guanqi finished the bowl of noodles: "I hope so."
After the banquet, Meng Guanqi's official appointment document arrived as expected. As was customary, he was appointed as a seventh-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He received the document, took his official robes and belt, and then went to the Court of State Ceremonial to learn court etiquette for two days. Sure enough, he had five days of free time to rest and recuperate. He officially took office on the eighth day of the sixth month.
Early in the morning of the third day of the sixth lunar month, Meng Guanqi fulfilled his promise and went out of the city with Li Xiaoxiao to visit Hongluo Temple.
Hongluo Temple is the main place for marriage. The people of Dawu are relatively open-minded. Along the way, they often encounter men and women who are already engaged or intend to be engaged, accompanied by their maids and servants, going to Hongluo Temple to draw lots and ask the master inside to tell their fortunes. After getting a satisfactory result, they tie a red string together with their lovers under the hundreds-of-years-old ginkgo tree and attach a wooden plaque engraved with their wishes, signifying that they will be together forever.
Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao also followed local customs and drew lots, bought red ropes and wooden plaques, and tied them together under the ginkgo tree.
Looking at the thick hemp rope under the ginkgo tree, densely covered with small wooden signs, weighed down and bent the rope, Li Xiaoxiao couldn't help but say, "How many months do you think these signs can stay up there? Three months? Half a year? The rope can't hold them up like that!"
When the rope couldn't hold any more, it naturally had to be disposed of secretly. But these devout men and women had paid money to buy the plaques and pray for marriage, so it wouldn't be good for anyone to know that the monks in the temple had disposed of the plaques they had hung up.
There were people around tying up signs, how could she be so honest as to ask such a question?
As soon as Li Xiaoxiao asked the question, people around immediately turned to look at her, and then, after looking at the sign in their hands, they began to think seriously.
Yes, so many people come here every day asking for marriage-related amulets. And such an ordinary little wooden piece tied with a red string costs two hundred coins. They are asking for a long and lasting relationship, a lifetime. If it is secretly disposed of in two or three months, why would they waste their money?
Someone had already gone to ask the monk who sold the wooden plaques. Meng Guanqi broke out in a cold sweat, quickly tied the two plaques together, and pulled her away as they ran.
They hadn't run far when they heard a commotion behind them, as if someone was arguing with the monks.
Li Xiaoxiao chuckled awkwardly twice: "Did I cause trouble? Didn't they even consider that?"
Hearing the commotion getting louder and louder, Meng Guanqi felt somewhat helpless: "Everyone here sincerely seeks a marriage partner, their intentions are naturally very sincere, who would have thought that their feelings would be left unfulfilled and secretly disposed of? Your words have really stirred up a hornet's nest..."
Li Xiaoxiao blinked: "Then what do we do? Run?"
Meng Guanqi thought for a moment and firmly refused: "We won't run away! Tourists have paid money and made wishes, so they shouldn't be treated with contempt. If they don't even know how to deal with it, then the red rope and wooden sign that costs two hundred coins a piece is just fooling the people. We also paid money, so we don't need to feel guilty. Let's go sightseeing."
The two bypassed Hongluo Temple and explored both the front and back mountains.
Little did they know that not far from them, someone was keeping a close eye on them.
Meng Yueniang never expected to see Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao here. She watched as the two of them openly went out to enjoy the scenery without a single servant by their side. Meanwhile, her cousin, who was as handsome as a celestial being, was holding hands with his fiancée, who was originally a maid. The two of them seemed to be glowing with happiness.
Ever since Meng Guanqi brought Li Xiaoxiao to announce their marriage that day, the grandfather refused to mention him again. The grandmother, however, was furious because she was completely ignored. Li Xiaoxiao was a junior and a woman, yet she left without even seeing her.
From that day on, the family made it a rule that no one from the fourth branch of the family should be mentioned again, and no family member was allowed to attend Meng Guanqi's wedding, so as not to bring shame to the Meng family.
Meng Yueniang had been laughing with her sisters about her cousin's self-destructive behavior, but she was immediately affected by this incident.
Wang Liuniang found her like a madwoman and questioned her about the woman beside Meng Guanqi.
Meng Yueniang was surprised that Wang Liuniang knew about this so quickly. She then remembered that she had told Wang Liuniang that Meng Guanqi was not engaged, and had to admit it with shame: "We just found out that my cousin is engaged to his former maid. My grandparents both disapprove..."
Wang Liuniang was furious on the spot. She didn't listen to her explanation at all and slapped her across the face: "You bitch! You lied to me!"
Meng Yueniang was stunned. Even her parents had never slapped her. She was the daughter of a high-ranking official, and she had never suffered such humiliation. She immediately burst into tears, which alerted Madam Nie.
Since the incident alarmed Madam Nie, it naturally soon alarmed Madam Wang as well. Only then did Madam Wang learn that Meng Guanqi was engaged to one of his maids. She felt as if she had been slapped in the face repeatedly. But when she heard that Wang Liuniang had actually hit Meng Yueniang, she was so angry that she almost fainted.
Did she think Meng Yueniang was her servant?
Madam Wang was furious. She forced Wang Liuniang to apologize to Meng Yueniang, but Wang Liuniang cried and made a scene until she almost fainted. This caused such a commotion that everyone in the Meng household knew that she had taken a liking to Meng Guanqi.
Madam Wang felt so ashamed and indignant that she wanted to die. She had to gag Wang Liu Niang and drag her away, and she had no choice but to apologize on Meng Yue Niang's behalf.
After returning home, he not only confined Wang Liuniang to her quarters, but also specially sent Wang's second son to invite Meng Yueniang to visit Hongluo Temple.
The Second Young Master Wang came to invite her personally. Meng Yueniang knew why he had come and didn't want to go out at all. She hadn't forgiven Wang Liuniang for the slap she had received. But since Madam Nie was forcing her to go out, she had no choice but to force herself to go with the Second Young Master Wang.
Both of them were accompanied by three or four servants. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, it was unclear what they were talking about. Meng Yueniang had to maintain her reserved and gentle image, so she could only answer one sentence at a time. However, the Second Young Master Wang was rather arrogant and would only ask a question after a long time. Moreover, even Meng Yueniang could sense his reluctance.
It seems he was forced by Madam Wang to come out and play with her.
Meng Yueniang glanced at the Second Young Master Wang walking ahead of her from time to time. If nothing unexpected happened, this man would be her future husband. She would try her best to develop feelings for him, and also make him develop feelings for her. They should cherish these few opportunities to spend time together, because the next time they met might be when they got married...
But Wang Er Gongzi was clearly not a considerate person. Whenever Meng Yueniang took a few steps forward to walk and chat with him, he would quietly quicken his pace and always walk ahead of her, leaving her feeling disappointed and frustrated.
She recalled what she had been taught since childhood: a woman should put her husband first, never walk ahead of her husband, uphold virtue, and be virtuous and generous... She tried to convince herself that their way of getting along was normal.
But all of this effort turned to ashes after meeting Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao.
He and the maid were clearly very familiar with each other and had a very good relationship. The two did not have many intimate gestures, but his eyes were focused when she spoke, and he did not mind at all when she walked ahead of him with a lively manner. He would even take a few steps ahead to catch up with her, and the two walked side by side, occasionally lowering their heads to talk. Her carefree and radiant laughter and his doting and indulgent expression left Meng Yueniang in a daze.
Only when such a couple becomes husband and wife can they truly be considered a perfect match and a harmonious couple. She seemed to finally understand why her cousin insisted on marrying this maid; because he had no eyes for her and could not tolerate anyone else.
When she got home, she was sullen and couldn't eat dinner. Madam Nie came to find her: "Didn't you have a good time at Hongluo Temple today? Why are you unhappy again? Young Master Wang took the time to accompany you, so you should seize the opportunity to make a good impression and not have such a long face. Don't you know why he came?"
Meng Yueniang suddenly said, "Mother, I saw Sixth Brother at Hongluo Temple today, along with his fiancée Li Xiaoxiao. They also went to Hongluo Temple to play."
Nie was taken aback, then her face darkened: "Why should you pay attention to him? The further away you are, the better."
Meng Yueniang said, "They didn't notice me, but I saw them..."
She said, somewhat dazed, "Mother, I just realized that Sixth Brother treats Li Xiaoxiao extremely well. It feels like they're a match made in heaven..."
Madam Nie's expression changed. "Have you lost your mind or what? After word gets out that Meng Guanqi is marrying a maid, do you think anyone in Shilin will still care about him? If our family doesn't go, no one will attend his wedding! A newly appointed third-ranked scholar is marrying a servant. This is self-degradation. He can only fool naive young ladies like you. You'll see if he regrets it later!"
Seeing that Meng Yueniang still looked worried, she couldn't help but stomp her foot and said, "What else do you want? Young Master Wang and you are truly a perfect match. Even if you don't like Wang Liuniang, she will eventually get married and leave home. How many days a year will she spend at her parents' home? If you can't get along with her, then you don't need to. Just push it all onto Madam Wang. Look at the young ladies you've grown up with. Which of them has a husband as good as Young Master Wang's family? If you were to marry into a poor family and worry about the monthly allowance and household expenses every day, you would realize that you were just whining without a reason!"
Meng Yueniang dared not disobey Nie's orders, and could only force herself not to think too much. To be honest, how many men in this world are like Sixth Brother? Could she really hope that Second Young Master Wang would also learn from him?
Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao had no idea that Meng Yueniang was also at Hongluo Temple. On the first day, the two of them explored the entire temple grounds and ate at roadside stalls all day. On the second day, they went to Baiyun Temple. There was a large lake in front of Baiyun Temple, where small boats could be rented for people to enjoy. The two of them rented a small boat and rowed around the lake. They also explored the front and back mountains of Baiyun Temple. Finally, they bought a large bunch of lotus flowers to take back and put on a screen.
On the third day, when he tried to go out, he was stopped. Now that he was three years old, Rui Rui was not as easy to fool as he was when he was two. He had lost his brother and Xiao Xiao for two days, and they came back laughing and talking. Little Rui Rui already knew that the two of them must have gone out to play without him. When they came back, he rolled around in front of them, insisting on going with them.
There was no other way, so the two of them had to bring him along when they went to climb Bijia Mountain on the third day.
Bijia Mountain is quite high. Meng Guanqi thought that climbing it would be no problem for him, given his muscular build. He assumed that his three-year-old brother would be a burden and they would have to carry him. However, he was surprised to find that his brother was the one who was actually the one who was a burden.
Three-year-old Rui Rui has sturdy legs and climbs very fast. Li Xiaoxiao's stamina is naturally not a problem either. As a result, he was the only one who was panting heavily because he had been climbing mountains for the past two days and had to climb an even higher mountain on the third day. He had to find a place to sit down and rest.
When Meng Guanqi came down from Bijia Mountain in the evening, his legs felt as weak as noodles, so he had to shamelessly ask Li Xiaoxiao for leave: "Um, as for Yongzhou, could we go there during the next day off?"
When they came down the mountain, even Rui Rui, who had climbed to the top, couldn't walk anymore. Li Xiaoxiao carried him all the way down, and he slept the whole way, not waking up even when they reached the bottom of the mountain.
After playing for three whole days, Li Xiaoxiao was satisfied. After all, Meng Guanqi needed to recover his strength before reporting to the Hanlin Academy. If he went to work on the first day with a limp, it wouldn't look good. "Okay, then I'll remember that. We'll go eat donkey meat together when you have your next day off."
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