Chapter 108 Han Wei's Jealousy
"Master, how old are you now?"
"Master Daoist, have you ever seen a real immortal?"
"Master, besides this place, how many other worlds are there?"
"Taoist Master, what does it feel like to ride the clouds?"
"Master, I would like to see you perform a spell."
The young man in white smiled at her, his eyes seemingly holding a thousand stars.
Han Wei raised her hand, and a nine-colored light shimmered in it, revealing an ice flower blooming in her palm. This ice flower resembled a white lotus, but the edges of its petals constantly shifted through nine colors. This was the Nine-Turn Ice Heart Lotus that Han Wei and Gu Qi had picked together; the lotus's chilling aura was completely contained, not a single trace leaking out.
Lu Qingheng stared at the Nine-Turn Ice Heart Lotus, his mouth slightly agape.
He reached out and touched the lotus flower, and its petals suddenly closed. He was even more surprised. Han Wei smiled gently, and the Nine-Turn Ice Heart Lotus unfolded its petals in front of Lu Qingheng, transforming into countless ice-blue butterflies that fluttered about.
Wherever the butterflies are, the scenery changes.
To his astonishment, Lu Qingheng found himself amidst a sea of flowers. Han Wei stood beside him, smiling as she took his hand. Lu Qingheng felt a sudden lightness in his body, and he and Han Wei soared into the sky. A gentle breeze caressed their faces, petals danced in the air, and mountains and rivers rushed past them.
Snow-capped mountains and seas of clouds, mountains and deserts, high mountains and plains, forests and lakes...
A variety of beautiful sights are within sight.
Han Wei saw all the beautiful scenery she had ever seen unfold before him. Finally, night fell.
The night sky was ablaze with brocade-like glow, and the enormous moon hung like a mirror. The lake beneath the moon reflected the stars, and along its shore stood jewel-laden trees that shone with colorful light.
A small boat sat on the lake, carrying a young man in white robes and a young man in a Taoist robe. The young man in white gazed enviously at the beautiful scenery before him, looking at his companion with admiration: "Have these been the same landscapes you've seen before, Taoist Master? They're truly beautiful!"
"It is beautiful, but most of the time, I am the only one appreciating these landscapes alone," Han Wei said.
Lu Qingheng looked into her eyes and saw boundless loneliness within them. He felt an urge to stay by her side forever, yet he remembered that he was just a mortal. His expression darkened as well.
They both remained silent for a long time before Lu Qingheng spoke:
"Daoist Master, why did you come to the Orchid Sorrow Realm and stay here?"
Han Wei looked at him and said, "I've come to settle a karmic ties."
"Has the karmic bond ended?" Lu Qingheng asked. Actually, he wanted to ask if that karmic bond was related to him, but he was afraid of getting a negative answer.
Han Wei shook her head: "Not yet."
"Then, how long will the Taoist priest stay here?" Lu Qingheng asked.
Han Wei looked at him and said, "It will probably take a long time."
Hearing Han Wei say this, Lu Qingheng felt relieved. He was really afraid that Han Wei would leave soon.
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The autumn air is crisp and clear.
Inside the room, an elderly female official chased after Lu Qingheng, holding a painting and begging him to take a look.
"Your Highness, please at least take a look!"
Beside them, a group of maids each held a scroll. These scrolls belonged to eligible young unmarried noblewomen within Lu Qingheng's fiefdom.
Since he recovered from his illness, Chief Secretary Chen has been worrying about his marriage. Officials of all ranks in his fiefdom also want to send their daughters and sisters into the Prince of Yan's mansion.
"I don't want to see it, I don't want to see it!" Lu Qingheng stepped aside.
Just then, Han Wei came in from outside. The female official saw Han Wei and immediately said, "Master Han, please persuade the prince. I only want him to see these portraits that have been sent to me, but the prince refuses to cooperate at all."
Han Wei picked up a scroll from a maid beside her, opened it, looked at it, and said with a smile, "Granny, you may go out first. I will persuade His Highness properly."
The older lady-in-waiting nodded, and the maids put down the paintings they were holding, piled them on the table, and then all withdrew.
After they all left, Han Wei smiled and said to Lu Qingheng, "Men should marry when they come of age, and women should marry when they come of age. Your Highness has reached the age to get married, so why resist so much?"
"I am only seventeen years old this year. Why am I in such a hurry to get married? Besides, if I really want to marry a princess, I will definitely find a woman who is compatible with me," Lu Qingheng said seriously.
Han Wei asked him, "A woman who is compatible with you? What kind of woman can be considered compatible with you?"
Lu Qingheng looked at her and said, "Of course, we are of one mind and love each other."
He looked at Han Wei and saw that her skin was as delicate as mutton fat jade, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and a graceful appearance. Suddenly, a thought arose in his mind: How wonderful it would be if the Taoist priest were a woman!
Then he remembered that lingering, passionate dream, that erotic dream he had always found difficult to talk about, and his face gradually burned.
He didn't dare look at Han Wei and immediately looked away.
Han Wei had no idea what he was thinking. Seeing his blushing and embarrassed expression, she assumed he was just shy because he was talking about his marriage. Although she often sneaked into his bed late at night, she never entered his dreams to try and uncover his inner thoughts.
The boy in white was incredibly charming with his blushing face. Han Wei looked at him, feeling a tickle in her heart, and really wanted to go over and hug and kiss him.
But now he is not her husband.
After a while, Lu Qingheng stole a glance at Han Wei. He looked at her briefly, then looked away, his heart pounding. How wonderful it would be if the Daoist priest were a woman? How could he even have such a thought?
Even if the Taoist priest is a woman, she is not an ordinary person, so how could she possibly look down on a mere mortal like herself?
"Your Highness, I think this girl is quite nice. Would you like to consider her?" Han Wei said with a smile. She appeared as a man because she felt she couldn't give him happiness, so she thought she might as well help him find someone he could grow old with.
When Lu Qingheng saw her hand over the scroll, he felt inexplicably annoyed. He didn't know why he was annoyed, but he was just annoyed.
"I won't look! I won't look!"
He just left.
Han Wei sighed and put the scroll back in its original place.
Although Lu Qingheng was uncooperative, a few days later, a young girl appeared in the Prince's mansion.
The girl was the grandniece of Chief Secretary Chen, a rare beauty of sixteen. Chief Secretary Chen hadn't originally intended to send his own daughter to the Prince's residence, but since His Highness was already seventeen and couldn't be without someone by his side, and since His Highness didn't want to see the girls outside, he had no choice but to send one of his own.
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"Your Highness, please have a bowl of ginseng soup!"
Chen Yihuan, holding the ginseng soup, gazed shyly at Lu Qingheng. Her heart pounded wildly; the Prince of Yan was truly too handsome. From the first moment she saw him, she had fallen in love with him.
She knew that she couldn't be the principal wife because of her status, but she would be content even if she were a concubine or a maidservant.
Lu Qingheng looked at the shy young girl before him. She was Uncle Chen's grandniece. Even if he didn't like her and didn't want to take her as a concubine, he couldn't bring himself to embarrass her. So he politely accepted the bowl of ginseng soup and began to taste it.
A smile appeared on Chen Yihuan's face.
"Does Your Highness find it delicious?"
"Very good, thank you."
"Really? If Your Highness likes it, Yi Huan will stew it for you every day from now on."
Chen Yihuan was overjoyed.
Not far away, Han Wei, who witnessed this scene, snapped the railing in front of her.
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