Chapter 21 Seducing Him
Xie Zhuo stood in front of the bronze mirror.
The crimson robe fit him perfectly, its deep color accentuating his profound features, and he exuded an air of nobility and composure.
But the general raised his eyebrows slightly, "A-Lian, go and get the newly made spring robe."
A-Lian responded loudly and jogged to open the chest and retrieve the clothes. Before the spring hunt, he and Liu-Quan had been busy preparing clothes for the general using the imperial fabric. The general was not in high spirits, glanced at them a few times, and then threw them into the chest, continuing to wear his old clothes.
Several brand-new robes were presented to Xie Zhuo, who examined them one by one and chose a turquoise one to put on. He tied a one-inch-wide white jade belt with a lion pattern around his waist, with a pine-green silk ribbon tied to the belt. A delicate and clear jade disc hung from the end of the ribbon to weigh down the corner of the robe.
A-Lian stared blankly for a moment. The general's attire, devoid of military majesty, made him resemble a handsome young master from a wealthy family.
Even with a silver mask on, he remained tall and elegant, with an outstanding presence.
Ah Lian dared not ask the general when he would remove his mask anymore. Since the spring hunt, the rash had not recurred, but the general had been claiming to be ill and staying at home. He still covered his face when he went out, and when others asked, he would say that he still needed to rest.
He guessed that the general wanted to take this opportunity to enjoy a few more days of leisure, since the general had lived in the military camp for more than five years, always on the move, and had never had a moment of relaxation.
Xie Zhuo mounted his green horse and headed towards the Xue residence.
Xue Mingyao had already sent Green Branch to wait at the gatehouse, leading General Xie through flowers and willows to a hexagonal pavilion.
Springtime light and a beautiful woman were both in sight. Xue Mingyao sat sideways in the pavilion, wearing a crimson skirt and a lotus-colored outer garment. Her black hair cascaded down her chest and shoulders, obscuring her fair face. Xie Zhuo could only see a bright pearl pendant hanging from her hair, swinging restlessly.
He stopped in his tracks, gazing at her from afar through the barely visible drifting catkins.
Xue Mingyao turned around when she heard the sound, her delicate eyebrows languidly curled, and a slight smile appeared on her face.
"General Xie, come quickly!" The voice was soft and charming, with a captivating allure.
He approached step by step, and she gradually saw his gaze clearly—a fixed, unwavering gaze. Xue Mingyao felt increasingly certain; this was the look in a man's eyes she knew well. She should have realized long ago that he liked her.
Xue Mingyao generously invited him to sit down and ordered Lüzhi to bring a tea tray. "General, your illness is not yet fully recovered, so I will not invite you to drink wine. I will use tea instead to express my gratitude."
Xie Zhuo nodded, took a leisurely sip of tea, and wanted to see what she was up to in this trap.
Xue Mingyao's eyes reflected the emerald green opposite her. "General, you look quite dashing today. They say, 'Young Master Yu is the youngest, even the green grass envies his spring robe.' But I think even if Young Master Yu were alive, he wouldn't be as good as Young Master Xie."
Xie Zhuo stroked the teacup, "Princess, why does it suddenly sound so pleasant to you?"
Xue Mingyao smiled faintly, revealing a few pearly teeth. "That night at Beiming Mountain, I was with the assassin and was terrified. Thank goodness the general found me in time. You have done me such a great favor, how could I possibly speak ill of you?"
"That's not what the princess said that night. Isn't the princess's thanks a little late?"
Xie Zhuo spoke casually, gently tapping the celadon teacup on the stone table with his thumb and forefinger. Xue Mingyao frowned almost imperceptibly; how come his little gesture was exactly the same as Xie Qinglang's?
She reached out to take his teacup, her fingertips briefly touching his hand that was holding the teacup, and Xie Zhuo withdrew his hand.
Xue Mingyao moved the teacup heavily in front of her, filled it herself, and then gestured to him as a gesture of respect.
"I was too embarrassed to say it before, but I've thought it through these past few days. It's a bit late, but I still have to make up for it. I know the general has some misunderstandings about me and thinks I'm too arrogant. So I won't be arrogant in front of the general anymore. In return, the general will treat me better, okay?"
This statement already carries a hint of coquetry.
Xie Zhuo didn't respond, looking at her with a complicated expression, as if trying to determine the truth of her words.
Xue Mingyao didn't seem to mind and continued in a melodious voice, "The clothes the general borrowed from me are stained with blood, so I can't return them to you. However, I have kept them safe. They are a symbol of the general's life-saving grace and are worth treasuring."
In that short time, it had already become a life-saving favor.
Xie Zhuoxin felt this was absurd. "Princess, please take out your clothes and let me see them. I want to know how you have treasured them."
Xue Mingyao threw away his outer robe that very night, so she couldn't take it out. But she wasn't flustered. She blinked her dark eyelashes and pretended to be dissatisfied. "Does the general suspect that I'm lying to you? I can't help it. I'm too embarrassed to show it to you. I can only accept this loss."
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes glistened, as if she had truly suffered a wrong.
Xie Zhuo asked in a muffled voice, "Princess, what is the meaning of your request to come down?"
Xue Mingyao looked at him innocently, "I already said, I want to make peace with the General, so that we won't be cold to each other when we meet again. General Xie, have you forgotten? We were originally destined to meet, having both been poisoned by the Beauty's Intoxication—"
She suddenly raised her arm towards him, her wide sleeve slipping down to reveal a section of her snow-white wrist, which she held in front of his eyes. "General, can you smell the fragrance of Beauty's Intoxication?"
Xue Mingyao's wrists were smooth and lustrous, as white as snow and as smooth as frost; any man would want to look at them and touch them. But Xie Zhuo only glanced at them briefly before raising his head and saying, "I didn't smell anything."
He did it on purpose.
Last time at the plum garden in Zhao Ying's mansion, he noticed the faint scent on her body, but now he couldn't smell the incense she had burned all night.
She's already lowered herself so much, but he still won't back down and insists on going against her!
Xue Mingyao sneered inwardly. Today, she was determined to expose his true colors and make him admit that he liked her and cared about her immensely.
She withdrew her hand, still smiling, "It's alright, perhaps the general's nose is just not working properly today."
Xie Zhuo unconsciously started fiddling with the teacup again, and Xue Mingyao snatched it away once more, filling it with tea until it was level with the rim, trembling as if about to overflow.
She started afresh, saying, "General, your performance in the archery competition left a deep impression on me. I have seen many military generals, but none have been as skilled as you. General, could you tell me how you trained?"
Xie Zhuo's tone was meaningful: "He has a good teacher to guide him."
"A good teacher?" Xue Mingyao said, "I suppose the general has surpassed his teacher."
"You flatter me." Xie Zhuo smiled faintly. "There's no secret to it. I just imagine the target as my enemy when I shoot, so I can concentrate fully and give it my all."
"Who has the guts to make an enemy of the general?" Xue Mingyao asked curiously.
Xie Zhuo looked directly into her eyes. "Back then, I was just a commoner, unarmed, and could be bullied by those in power."
"Ah, I remember now!" Xue Mingyao suddenly realized, "The enemy you're talking about is that villain who ruined your engagement, right? Since you hate him so much, why don't you go and get revenge?"
"It will be soon," Xie Zhuo said in a deep voice. "I don't want to wait any longer."
Seeing that he was pretending to be profound and unwilling to say more, Xue Mingyao had no choice but to return to the topic of archery. "To be honest, General, I thought my archery skills were superb and not inferior to men. But now I realize that I am far inferior to you. Would you be willing to be my mentor and give me some pointers?"
She didn't give Xie Zhuo a chance to refuse; she lifted her skirt, stood up, grabbed his sleeve, and walked out of the pavilion.
Slender white hands, a graceful waist, and a beautiful dress floated before Xie Zhuo's eyes.
He moved his feet silently.
Xue Mingyao was secretly pleased; no matter how sharp-tongued he was, he still couldn't bear to break free from her grasp.
Just as she was thinking this, she felt the sleeve she was holding was smoothly pulled out. Xie Zhuo put his hands behind his back and said in a low voice, "Your Highness doesn't care about reputation, but I do."
As he spoke, he took two steps away from her, as if she were a monster.
Oh.
Keep pretending.
Xue Mingyao pursed her lips tightly, refraining from retorting, and led the person to the training ground.
Xie Zhuosong's carved bow stood in the most conspicuous position on the bow rack. Xue Mingyao walked over gracefully, her slender waist swaying, and took it along with the arrows.
A gentle spring breeze stirred, causing ripples to spread across her crimson skirt and black hair.
"Princess, your attire today is probably not suitable for archery practice," Xie Zhuo said calmly.
Whether it's suitable or not, you've come with me anyway.
"Really?" Xue Mingyao smiled sweetly. "I don't think it will have any impact. General, you'll see."
She drew an arrow from the quiver, nocked it on the bowstring, hooked the string with her jade-like fingers, and pulled back. Before releasing it, she straightened her chest, raised her neck, and adjusted the position back and forth.
"General, is my posture correct?"
"General, is my arm sticking out too far?"
"General, please say something..."
Xie Zhuo's lips twitched. What did she mean by "arms are too crossed"? Was she even crossing her arms?
With her movements, the shawl slipped down most of its length, revealing her rounded shoulders and a large expanse of snow-white skin covered by a thin veil. Her glossy black hair climbed up the towering spring mountain, a few strands losing their strength and half-hidden, heading towards the deep valley, drawing the gaze downwards.
Xue Mingyao showed no shame, her shoulders and arms opening and closing as if making the mountains undulate, her dark eyes shining brightly as she looked at him, filled with the bewilderment of a beginner, as if she were not the one who had surpassed all others in archery.
Xie Zhuo's Adam's apple bobbed, and he said calmly, "Move your right hand down a little."
"How do I go down like this?" Xue Mingyao asked suddenly, her arm hanging limply. "General, please teach me directly."
She turned and grabbed his hand again. Xie Zhuo struggled slightly, but Xue Mingyao exerted force again, and Xie Zhuo gave up, letting her take his hand, put it around her shoulder, and wrap it around her chest like a bowstring.
He stood behind her, the intoxicating fragrance of the beauty wafting into his arms, her unruly hair brushing against his nose. Xie Zhuo was momentarily distracted, and his hand was guided by the woman, seemingly brushing against a handful of softness.
Xie Zhuo's palms immediately became warm.
A note from the author:
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Young Master Yu is the youngest, even the green grass envies his spring robe: (From Li Shangyin's "Spring Outing")
My darlings, the next chapter will be a VIP chapter! It will be a three-in-one VIP chapter updated right after midnight on October 20th (Yao Yao's attempt at seduction backfires, and she gets... well, you know...). Remember to check it out!
Also, due to the need to install clips, updates for the 20th, 21st, and 22nd will be adjusted to midnight. The update for the 23rd will be at 11 PM. From the 24th onwards, updates will revert to 9 PM. [doge emoji with rose in hand]
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