oath
The flowers outside the window bloom and fade, fade and bloom again, and are almost in their twilight years. The fragrance is getting stronger and stronger.
Gillian rubbed her palms with osmanthus oil to warm them up, then carefully stroked Changqing's hair.
"Don't move."
She used a comb to carefully comb out the dry knots on his hair. Chang Qing turned his head helplessly and said, "I'm a grown man, I don't want to use these."
Gillian turned a deaf ear to his complaints. It was late spring, early summer, and after a heavy thunderstorm the previous night, the temperature had dropped sharply today, making it refreshing and pleasant. After the two of them bathed, they slipped into the curtained tent. She had Huo Changqing sit under the lamp while she crouched behind him and played with his hair.
"Men and women, we are all human beings and need to take care of ourselves. Otherwise, if you are dirty and ugly, I will not like you."
Chang Qing sneered, but he thought of the beautiful actress who had been sent to the palace a few days ago. If he hadn't gone in time, who knows if she would have brought him home. Thinking this way, he didn't resist so much.
"People say that beauty fades and love fades, and that couples grow tired of each other after a long time. Actually, I'm not at that age where I'd be so disgusted."
"The general is young, and he has a beautiful appearance, not inferior to Jiao'e. Even I am jealous of him."
She used the wooden comb to slowly comb his hair from the top to the bottom, and saw that Changqing's mouth corners were slightly raised.
"I don't want Madam's jealousy, I want Madam's admiration."
Gillian smiled and said, "Of course I admire the general."
"real?"
He suddenly leaned back, resting his head on her knees, his dark eyes looking deeply into hers. She was stunned for a moment and speechless.
Admiration was fake. She didn't love him, she should have hated him, but gradually she couldn't hate him anymore, she began to like him. Huo Changqing wasn't a member of the Wei family, after all, he wasn't like them... But she quickly realized that he was on the side of the Wei family, fighting for his young prince, for his aunt. As long as he was around, and the next Wei Qing was around, the Wei family would not decline or be destroyed.
"real."
Chang Qing was looking at her, and she had no time to hesitate. After getting her answer, Chang Qing lowered his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth, "I believe you, I believe everything you say."
Not sure if it was for her or for himself, Chang Qing leaned back, finding a comfortable position, while playing with her hanging belt. Her scent always made him feel at ease, and even the most ordinary smells seemed faintly fragrant.
"Come to think of it, it's been ages since I've been out for a stroll with you. I remember we first met at an oasis in the Western Regions. I finally found a source of water and was drinking when you rode past me on your horse, splashing me all over."
Cheng Jiao smiled and said, "You must be very angry, but you were lost at that time, and I was carrying a whip and dressed like a Hu woman, so you could only be angry but not say anything."
"To be honest, I was really angry, but I was also afraid that you, a local, would leave me there and invite wolves to bite me. But before I got angry, my first reaction was to have no reaction."
"What's the meaning?"
Chang Qing recalled the scene of their first meeting that day. "The desert was dry and hot. Your horse's hooves trod through the stream, sending a string of icy beads splashing onto my face. Before I could get angry, I saw the sunlight filtering through the red gauze, shimmering before my eyes inch by inch, like golden scales flowing and rushing towards me."
"Before I could see your face clearly, I heard a horse neighing. The woman reined in her horse and paused, revealing her raised chin and tied-up black hair."
"Are you fascinated by me?" Gillian joked with a smile.
In the past, Chang Qing would have sneered or smiled slightly, but today he blinked very seriously.
"Yeah, maybe you were hooked at that first glance."
The smile on Gillian's face froze, and her muscles suddenly felt sore. After a moment of relaxation, she pulled the corners of her mouth again.
"You're saying it so corny—"
"I think you're attracted by beauty. You fall in love with every girl you meet. All men are like that."
"How many men have you met?"
"Are you going to interrogate me?" Her voice was soft and gentle, but Chang Qing could see the slight anger beneath her gentle face.
"I just want to tell you that I'm not the person you imagine. You are my wife, the one I want to grow old with. I will do my best to give you everything you want and will never hurt you. You can tell me anything you want, and I will face it with you."
Sweet words and terrifying vows of love were always accompanied by the determined gazes of young men and women, their bright eyes, their upright torsos, and their trembling hands. The puppet shows she had seen often featured carefully choreographed soft lighting and deliberately staged thunder and lightning, as if love were born naturally on the perilous seas. The more turbulent the waves, the louder the thunder and lightning, the more sincere and intense the love in the vows.
Once upon a time, the young man, who was not yet twenty, sneaked into her room on a rainy night like this, hugged her and talked to her incessantly.
"Don't be afraid, Gillian. I will protect you."
It was actually a summer thunderstorm, the weather was sweltering, and even ice in the room couldn't stop the maids from falling asleep. Although the boy had taken off his outer robe, his skirt was still wet from the rain. His slightly chubby little hands were around her, making her feel a little hot.
I couldn't help but lean back in disgust and push his head away, "I'm not afraid."
A few days ago, she was crying while listening to the teacher's lecture with Liu Che, saying that she was frightened by the thunder and wanted to avoid the teacher's class. The maids had no choice but to take her away from the palace, and she took them to Zhuque Street to watch a puppet show for an afternoon.
Liu Che, the fool, thought she was just putting on a show. His cousin, like his aunt, was always competitive, assertive, and unruly, never willing to show weakness in front of others. His mother told him to read her expressions and be considerate and attentive in front of her.
He stole a glance at his cousin's face, which looked grumpy and not very pretty. So he imitated the wet nurse and pulled her down to lie down, holding her hand and patting her back while he spoke.
"Don't be afraid, Ah Jiao. Ah Zhu is here. Ah Zhu will protect you."
Gillian watched him pretending to coax people and couldn't help laughing, "You rascal, you're so good at coaxing people now, but I wonder if you can still be so attentive after you get married."
"I won't marry anyone else, I'll only marry my cousin."
She sneered, "I won't marry you."
"Why?" the boy was puzzled, turning to look at her. He treated his cousin better than himself. For as long as he could remember, he eagerly offered his favorite toys and favorite foods to her whenever she glanced at them. He subconsciously took the blame for her bad deeds, even though he knew she wouldn't be punished. Being nice to his cousin seemed like a subconscious rule etched deep in his heart.
His mother also told him since he was a child that his future wife would be his beautiful cousin Gillian.
"Because you are a scabby dog." The girl hummed and turned around.
Though young, she had been exposed to the palace and its surroundings, and she knew the reason Liu Che and his mother were so attentive to her. She was her mother's firstborn child, who was the Empress Dowager's only daughter. Her uncle was the current Emperor, her mother's brother. Aside from the Empress Dowager, there was no woman in the world more noble than her and her mother.
They wanted to please her and gain the favor of their grandmother and uncle. The emperor's favor meant power and wealth. Thanks to his mother's encouragement, Liu Che was crowned the crown prince at the age of six. But it wasn't enough, they wanted more...
There was silence behind her. She thought for a moment, then turned around and saw the boy wiping his tears with his sleeve.
She felt strange and uneasy. She had grown up with Ah Zhu, and compared to her other cousins, they were indeed her closest relatives, almost like her own brothers. No, her two brothers were much more annoying than Ah Zhu.
"I... I mean, look at you. You cry all the time, and you're so fat, and you're always playing around with the palace maids. I don't like men who play with other women. I want to be like my mother. My husband can only listen to me and can't play with others."
Liu Che was very easy to coax when he was a child. After hearing the steps she handed over, he stopped crying immediately, looked at her with watery tears in his eyes, and raised his four chubby little hands firmly.
"I swear, from now on, I will only play with my cousin A Jiao and treat her well. Liu Che will only marry my cousin in this life and will never take a concubine or make her sad. I will always protect my cousin."
…
The man before her spoke in a tone as calm as water, still lying on her lap, without any unnecessary movements. But that low, calm voice was like the sound of water striking a bell, every word, every little bit, struck her heart, causing ripples and a tremor in her mind.
In this case, there shouldn't be any more waves.
She suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and quickly found the reason for these words. "You went to see the queen today."
What did that woman say to him? She probably didn't expect that Zuo was just telling him about how she had set her up and wanted to seduce the emperor.
He wasn't angry, disappointed, or sad. Instead, he was telling her a bunch of big truths. Huo Changqing, what were you thinking? Saving Fengchen?
Chang Qing felt the person under him suddenly move away, so he sat up and looked at her. He saw that her face, which had been smiling just now, suddenly turned cold.
"I did meet my aunt, what happened?"
"I should ask you this." Gillian felt even more unhappy when she saw him pretending to be ignorant of the truth.
Chang Qing lowered his head and thought for a moment, "I was indeed wrong about this matter. I agreed to my aunt's request without consulting you."
She felt he was playing dumb with her. What had Wei Yun said to him? Given her personality, how could she not warn Chang Qing to be on guard against her? What had Huo Chang Qing agreed to?
"What did you say?"
"Your Majesty has appointed me as the Grand General of the Front Army. I have accepted the command."
"What?"
Gillian was indeed very surprised. On the one hand, she was surprised that Wei Yun really didn't say anything, and on the other hand, she was surprised that Huo Changqing was suddenly going to the battlefield. "Why are you going so suddenly? Where are you going? Did His Majesty promise you?"
"Go to the northern border. The Xiongnu are rampant there recently. My uncle is ill, and my aunt has lost her heart. If the Wei family doesn't produce a general, it will be difficult for the whole family."
Chang Qing said, "I have already asked His Majesty for permission. My aunt stopped obstructing me, and His Majesty quickly agreed."
"But the northern border is dangerous. You've never been there before. The march is long, and food and clothing alone are a big problem. Otherwise, wait a little longer and talk to His Majesty..."
"No more waiting. I've been waiting for this opportunity for more than ten years. The sooner I go, the sooner I can come back."
In the past, he had longed to achieve great things, to be like his uncle, riding a majestic horse and brandishing a silver sword across the desert, all for the sake of fame and honor. Now that his wish had been fulfilled, his heart was filled with so much more: the future of his family, the safety of his family, and… what she wanted from someone else.
He was not a fool, but he had her in his heart. No matter what happened in the past or who sent her, he did not care. He would earn the power, wealth, glory and honor she wanted for her without asking anyone else for help.
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