Chapter 670 Reunion of Husband and Wife
On the martial arts arena behind the Han family's mountain, the Han heir swung his red-tasseled spear down from mid-air, forcing his opponent to retreat several steps.
After regaining his balance, the opponent bowed to Prince Han and said, "Your Highness, I have lost!"
The Crown Prince Han was drenched in sweat and slightly out of breath. He tossed the red-tasseled spear in his hand to the guard beside him and said, "Step back and remember to heal your wounds."
"yes!"
The Han family assassins who had fought against Han Shizi left the arena, supported by two guards.
A servant stepped forward carrying a clean towel.
Han Shizi took a towel and wiped the sweat from his face, then turned to the middle-aged man who had been watching the battle and asked, "Second Uncle, how is it?"
The man whom Han Shizi called Second Uncle was none other than Han Yong, the second master of the Han family.
Han Yong walked over with his hands behind his back: "There has been improvement compared to last month."
Han Shizi quickly calmed his breathing. He was clearly not entirely satisfied with the result and continued to ask, "How does it compare to Xuanyuan Sheng back then?"
Xuanyuan Sheng, the eldest son of the Xuanyuan family, is a martial arts prodigy renowned throughout the six kingdoms. He has inherited the true teachings of Xuanyuan Li and is hailed as the only person who could possibly rival the God of War, Xuanyuan.
Han Yong once served under Xuan Yuansheng.
Han Yong pondered for a moment and said, "You are still young. If you practice martial arts diligently, you may be able to reach the level of Xuan Yuansheng."
“So I still couldn’t surpass him.” Prince Han reached out to the guard holding the red-tasseled spear.
The guard understood and handed him the red-tasseled spear with both hands.
Han Shizi practiced his spear technique again, each move exuding murderous intent.
After finishing the practice, he was somewhat dissatisfied with himself. He frowned and said, "It's still not as good as Xuanyuan Li's divine weapon."
Han Yong smiled and said, "You don't need to worry. At your age, Xuan Yuansheng's skills may not be as profound as yours. He went to the battlefield early and fought his way up from piles of corpses. All you lack is some experience."
Han Shizi once again tossed the red-tasseled spear to his guard.
The red-tasseled spear was too heavy, and the guard staggered several steps, almost failing to catch it.
Han Shizi asked, "Has there been any new masters in Shengdu recently?"
Han Yong said, "Are you talking about the underground martial arts arena? There isn't one yet. I'll let you know when it's open so you can go and compete. Actually, the Han family's assassins are quite good, but unfortunately, their styles are different, so they're not the most suitable opponents."
Regardless of their skill level, assassins are not the most suitable sparring partners. Fighting them only stimulates the instinct to kill, not improves one's martial arts skills.
Han Yong continued, "You're already hard to beat in Shengdu, so don't put too much pressure on yourself. Oh, right, there's something I almost forgot to tell you."
Han Shizi said, "Second Uncle, please speak."
Han Yong said, "The King's birthday is approaching. The Imperial Concubine sent a message from the palace, inviting you two brothers to attend the banquet."
Han Shizi paused for a moment and said, "Che'er is so badly injured, I'm afraid he can't go."
Han Yong smiled and said, "You can go if you want."
Instead of answering whether he would attend, the Crown Prince of Han asked, "Didn't the King stop celebrating his birthday a long time ago? Why is he suddenly holding a birthday banquet again?"
The king and the crown princess share the same birthday. Ever since the crown princess conspired with the Xuanyuan family to rebel, the king's birthday celebrations have never been held in a grand manner.
Han Yong smiled and shook his head: "Who knows? Our Emperor is the most unpredictable and has a strange mind. No one can guess what he is thinking."
"Your Highness!"
As the two were talking, the two experts who had been sent to keep watch returned. Both of them were close guards of Prince Han, one named Sun Feng and the other Zheng Hai.
Sun Feng was the one whose purse was stolen.
The two bowed to Prince Han in unison.
Looking at their disheveled appearance, Prince Han asked calmly, "Why are you back so early? Where are the people you were supposed to follow?"
The two men exchanged a glance, and Sun Feng, forcing a smile, bowed and replied, "We...we lost them."
"Lost them?" Prince Han was slightly surprised. "You two could lose them?"
The two were ashamed.
They were the Crown Prince's trusted guards, quite capable, and had rarely made a mistake in helping him. Today, they had been careless.
“Sun Feng’s purse was also stolen,” Zheng Hai said.
Sun Feng glared at Zheng Hai: "Didn't I tell you not to mention this?"
A dignified guard of the Han family actually let a petty thief steal his purse? How embarrassing!
Sun Feng now understood that the little girl had taken his purse.
Even so, neither he nor Zheng Hai connected her with the boy they were supposed to be following, after all, one was a woman and the other a man.
Han Shizi gave the two of them a cold look: "Go down and receive your punishment."
"yes!"
The two bowed and withdrew.
Han Yong asked, "Who's so capable that they managed to shake off all your people?"
Han Shizi said calmly, "A student from a lower country has some skill, defeating Che'er. I want to see if there is anyone behind him."
"Oh? So Che'er was injured by a man from a lower country." Han Yong was both amused and annoyed. "Bullying the eldest son of the Han family, isn't that like provoking the tyrant? There aren't many people in Shengdu who would dare to do that, it's either the Mu family or the Nangong family."
The feud between the Mu and Nangong families is an old one, while the Nangong family's conflict stems from a struggle for military power.
Han Shizi looked at the flower bushes in the garden and said with a deep gaze, "He is indeed Mu Qingchen's classmate, but Mu Qingchen would not do such a thing. Mu Qingchen would only come at me if she had a problem, and would not lay a hand on Che'er."
Han Yong stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Then only the Nangong family is left."
Han Shizi frowned slightly: "The Nangong family?"
Han Yong nodded and said bluntly, "Yes, the Nangong family has always wanted our Black Wind Cavalry, and we have always coveted the Nangong family's military power. It's only a matter of time before we clash with them."
After pondering for a moment, Han Shizi said, "Why do I feel it's not the Nangong family either?"
Han Yong said, "Besides the Nangong family, who else would come after the Han family? The Wang family? The Wang family has no such intention."
As he spoke, seeing that his nephew was still deep in thought, he smiled faintly and said, "You don't actually think he has the guts to provoke the Han family, do you? Let alone the fact that he is just a person from a lower country, even a young master from a noble family in a higher country would not be able to stand against the entire Han family on his own. He wouldn't do such a thing unless he's crazy."
"Besides, don't you think it's strange that a few students from Zhao State suddenly came? Our Yan State's academies have never had any students from Zhao State."
Han Shizi frowned deeply: "You mean they were originally sent by the Nangong family?"
Han Yong then asked, "Do you remember when General Nangong had his arm cut off by bandits?"
Han Shizi said, "I remember."
Han Yong sneered: "General Nangong did not return to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors at all, but secretly went to Zhao Kingdom. His arm was not injured by bandits at all. I do not know the specifics of what happened, but these Zhao Kingdom people came not long after he returned to Shengdu. Do you think that's a coincidence?"
...
After returning to her residence, Gu Jiao told her family about Gu Chengfeng's visit to Shengdu.
The family was very surprised.
"He doesn't have a travel permit, how did he get here?" Madam Nan asked. "Could it be..."
Gu Jiao nodded: "They marked me with a slave mark."
Nan Shi Niang gasped.
Gu's second son is too ruthless. He's willing to be branded a slave just to come to Shengdu. This mark will stay with him for life.
"Is he alright?" Nan Shi Niang asked.
Gu Jiao said, "We've found a suitable hiding place, so for now we're fine."
“This child…” Madam Nan didn’t know what to say. The children of the Gu family were all stubborn. Once they made up their minds, they would do anything to achieve their goals. For example, Gu Changqing wanted to cure Gu Jiao, and Gu Jiao wanted to cure Gu Yan.
Now there's another one, Gu Chengfeng.
However, this is not a bad thing for Gu Jiao and Gu Yan. They have no relatives or friends in Shengdu, so having more helpers is always a good thing.
Two days later, Gu Jiao went to the residence of Lord Yanshan. The little princess was still afraid to mount a horse, and Gu Jiao still grabbed her onto the horse without any politeness. She finished the riding lesson amidst a burst of wailing.
"For the next few days... uh! You don't need to... uh!"
The young princess cried so much that she hiccuped, and even after she dismounted, she stopped crying but the hiccups continued.
"Take your time," Gu Jiao said.
"I'm slowly... uh!" The little princess hiccuped again, deciding it was best to keep it short given her condition. "I can't attend class... uh! My uncle, the king, is having his... uh! birthday... uh! My father isn't here... uh! I have to... uh! Go to the banquet in his place... uh!"
Actually, there are still some days until His Majesty's birthday banquet, but she needs to move into the palace in advance, so she can't attend classes for the time being.
This suited Gu Jiao perfectly, since Gu Jiao was about to prepare for the next polo match and would most likely not have time to come and teach her.
"Then we'll learn to ride horses after the little princess is done with her work."
"Pudou".
The young princess immediately covered her mouth.
She was known for her quick wit and eloquence, but she was still too young and didn't pronounce some words very well.
Gu Jiao curved her lips into a smile, held up her finger, and didn't mention her pronunciation.
The young princess also extended her tiny finger and made a pinky promise with Gu Jiao.
The night before the polo match, Wu Fuzi, as usual, took Gu Jiao and her group to the same inn where they had stayed before.
As Mu Chuan entered the inn, he couldn't help but mutter resentfully, "Didn't we win last time? Why are we still staying in such a shabby inn?"
Isn't this because of a tight budget?
To be honest, the academy did allocate a little more money, but the polo competition was exceptionally popular this year, causing the inn's prices to rise again and again.
Master Wu patted his chest and said, "I promise you, if you win this match, I'll personally pay for you to stay in a better inn during the finals!"
Mu Chuan pursed his lips, clearly not believing it.
Master Wu then looked at the other students, who also looked doubtful.
Master Wu tried to salvage the situation, saying, "What's wrong with this inn? There's a lantern festival tonight! It's nearby! I specifically chose this inn! You're allowed to go and admire the lanterns for a while tonight! Be back before 9 PM!"
This is the biggest concession that Master Wu can make.
Mu Chuan suddenly became interested and moved closer to Gu Jiao, going upstairs with her: "Hey, Liu Lang, you haven't been to the Shengdu Lantern Festival yet, have you?"
"Mm." Gu Jiao stepped upstairs.
Mu Chuan smiled and said, "Shall we go take a look later?"
"Okay," Gu Jiao replied.
Mu Chuan turned to look at Mu Qingchen behind him: "Fourth brother, are you going or not? Never mind, you definitely won't go." His fourth brother wasn't interested in the lanterns.
The group arrived on the second floor. Mu Qingchen opened her room door and looked in Gu Jiao's direction: "See you at the door."
Mu Chuan was taken aback. Did Fourth Brother mean he was going?
I never thought I'd see this, his fourth brother actually went to the lantern festival one day?
Zhao Wei and Yuan Xiao, having nothing else to do, gathered at the entrance.
Even Master Wu came.
Mu Chuan's smile froze: "Master Wu, what are you doing here?"
Master Wu said solemnly, "I've thought about it, and I'd rather come with you all, otherwise I won't feel at ease."
Mu Chuan: "..."
The martial arts master hadn't lied to them about the lanterns; they were indeed near the inn, just a hundred steps ahead and around the corner.
The entire long street was ablaze with lights, a dazzling display of color. On both sides were stalls adorned with lanterns, and vendors were making lanterns while enthusiastically hawking their wares. Pedestrians had already flocked there, creating a bustling, jostling crowd.
The streets were busy but not chaotic, noisy but not clamorous, with many pedestrians but not crowded, and the order was well maintained.
Not all lanterns here are bought with silver; some are given as gifts for solving riddles or composing poems.
Gu Jiao likes lively atmospheres.
It looks very novel, like a child seeing a toy.
Although she is a very quiet person at heart.
"Young master, would you like to buy a lantern?"
Nearby, an elderly woman spoke kindly to Gu Jiao, who was passing by.
Gu Jiao stopped and looked at the lantern the old woman handed her, blinking curiously.
nice.
Seeing that she liked it, the old woman picked up another one: "This is a lotus lantern that my husband made. If we buy them together, it'll be ten coins cheaper!"
The lotus lanterns are also beautiful.
Gu Jiao glanced at it.
Oh, and there are peach blossom lanterns too! They're so pretty!
Mu Qingchen gave her a strange look: "You're not going to buy a lamp, are you?"
Why would a grown man buy lanterns? Just browsing is enough.
Buying is a gift from a talented man to a beautiful woman; what man would keep eyeing her like that?
"Sigh." Gu Jiao sighed and touched the peach blossom lantern in front of her. She couldn't ruin her image, so she couldn't buy the lantern, especially not the pink one.
She reluctantly put the lantern back.
Suddenly, a slender, jade-like hand reached out, and the jade-carved fingertips picked up a silver lantern and placed it on the stall. Immediately afterward, a clear and deep voice slowly rang out beside Gu Jiao: "I want this peach blossom lantern."
Gu Jiao turned her head sharply.
The other person wore a silver mask that covered most of their face, revealing only their soft lips, delicate chin, and deep, still eyes.
A gentle night breeze blew from his side, and his familiar aura enveloped Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao was stunned.
Mu Qingchen took in Gu Jiao's reaction, his brows furrowing involuntarily. He looked warily at the young man who had suddenly appeared.
The other person was tall and slender, dressed in a white robe, with an air of elegance and nobility.
Mu Qingchen frowned; he didn't recall any such figure among the young masters of prominent families in Shengdu.
Just as he was about to call Gu Jiao to leave, the old man selling lanterns hung up several newly made lanterns, but lost his balance and fell onto his stall, the lanterns flying out of his hand.
Just as the lantern was about to hit Gu Jiao, Mu Qingchen quickly reached out and blocked it.
Almost at the same instant he made his move, the young man also raised his hand to block the lantern. The difference was that he used his other hand to pull Gu Jiao into his arms and protect her.
Gu Jiao didn't resist at all; she just obediently threw herself into his arms.
Whether it was an illusion or something else, her little head rubbed against the other person's chest.
Are you alright?
Mu Qingchen heard the other person ask softly.
"fine."
He heard Gu Jiao answer softly.
It wasn't his usual aloof or unrestrained tone, but rather a feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.
The two parted ways in an instant.
"Thank you for your help, young master," Gu Jiao said politely.
Xiao Heng picked up the peach blossom lantern in his hand and said in a gentle and refined manner, "It was no trouble at all. I hit it off with you at first sight, so I'll give this lantern to you."
"I'd be honored to accept your offer." Gu Jiao took the lantern. "I'll give you one too!"
Xiao Heng nodded with a smile: "Okay."
Gu Jiao bought a pink lotus lantern, which was also one of her favorites: "Here you go!"
Mu Qingchen wouldn't want a lantern like that, which only women would like, and he didn't think the other person would either.
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Heng accepted the lantern without hesitation and sincerely thanked him: "Thank you for the lantern, young brother. Since we hit it off immediately and exchanged gifts, why don't we travel together?"
Mu Qingchen: No.
“Okay!” Gu Jiao readily agreed.
There were juggling performers ahead, and Mu Chuan and his friends had already run off to watch the spectacle.
Mu Qingchen and the other two walked leisurely down the long street.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng each carried a lantern, and they actually looked quite well-matched.
But they're all men, Mu Qingchen thought to herself.
"Where is Jingkong?" Gu Jiao asked Xiao Heng with her eyes.
Xiao Heng whispered, "I was called away by the teacher for extra lessons."
Mu Qingchen asked, "Are you from Shengdu?"
Xiao Heng has a top-notch talent for languages; he speaks the Shengdu accent even better than the locals.
"Yes," Xiao Heng said.
Mu Qingchen then asked, "May I ask your honorable name?"
Xiao Heng said, "Long Yi."
Mu Qingchen: What kind of name is that?
Xiao Heng ignored Mu Qingchen's strange behavior and turned to ask Gu Jiao, "Are you hungry? The dumplings over there are quite good."
"I'm hungry!" Gu Jiao said.
The three of them went to the tofu stall, found an empty table and sat down, with Mu Qingchen and Xiao Heng facing each other.
"I'm not hungry, you guys eat," Mu Qingchen said, explaining that the eldest son of the Su family couldn't stomach food from roadside stalls.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng each ordered a bowl of dumplings with cabbage and pork filling.
Then something strange happened again.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng both reached for the condiments on the table. Gu Jiao took vinegar, and Xiao Heng took chili oil. However, Gu Jiao placed the vinegar in front of Xiao Heng, while Xiao Heng placed the chili oil next to Gu Jiao.
Mu Qingchen: "..."
(End of this chapter)
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