Chapter 40. Ling Xun looked at Wei Yi again and asked, "...
Yu Kai felt a slight stirring in his heart, thinking that this prince was being a little too cold.
Could it be that he knows something?
No, no, if he knew that the Yu family couldn't possibly be safe and sound now, then there must be another reason.
His mind raced, and he turned his gaze to Bai Xuerou.
Bai Xuerou didn't think much of it. After all, she was the one who told Ling Xun that there was something unusual about the Yu family. Her expression remained unchanged. She simply smiled and said, "So you are a young lady from the Yu family. You play the pipa very well."
“Not as good as Madam,” Yu Kai said with a smile. “I had the pleasure of hearing Madam play the pipa at the Princess’s banquet. The music was clear and melodious, like jade beads falling onto a plate. It was extremely beautiful.”
As he spoke, he gazed at Bai Xuerou, making one wonder whether the word "exquisitely beautiful" referred to the music or the person.
“Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard my sister-in-law play the pipa,” Ling Xun said beside Bai Xuerou, his voice filled with nostalgia and wistfulness.
“You flatter me, Young Master Yu. My pipa is just ordinary, at most not unpleasant to listen to,” Bai Xuerou said first, then turned to Ling Xun. “There are many things to do this year. By the time I’m in the mood to play, you’ll be off to war again.”
"It's alright now," Ling Xun said.
"Then I'll give it a try when I get back and have some time," Bai Xuerou said with a smile.
The two settled the matter in just a few words, their conversation filled with intimacy. Yu Kai felt a slight sense of disappointment. He felt he had done his best over the past few months, but Bai Xuerou remained unchanged, as if she couldn't see or hear any of his affection.
But how could we not see it? In the end, it was just unintentional.
“Why go back? Tonight is a grand banquet, and everyone will be able to show off their skills. Why don’t you give it a try, Madam?” he said.
Bai Xuerou shook her head. She didn't like being the center of attention and preferred to keep a low profile.
There are so many people, from powerful families and influential clans; there are simply too many of them.
Yu Kai was about to persuade her again when Ling Xun interrupted, saying, "Sister-in-law, why don't we go take a look over there?"
Bai Xuerou was about to slip away when she heard the voice and replied, "Okay." She smiled at Yu Kai and Wu San Niang, who hadn't really gotten a word in edgewise, and left with Ling Xun.
Ling Xun led the way, calmly passing by Yu Kai's side.
His lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say that Bai Xuerou didn't like being the center of attention, but he stopped himself.
Why bother telling him all this?
As expected, he was the only one who truly understood Bai Xuerou.
Ling Xun suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction.
Wu San Niang followed the look with a hint of disappointment on her face, but her heart ached even more.
She had previously told her aunt that she refused to give up and wanted to make one last effort, but later she realized that there was no opportunity at all.
Ling Xun would only greet his aunt with Bai Xue Rou in the morning. After that, he would stay in the front courtyard most of the day, except when he went to Bai Xue Rou's courtyard. She couldn't even meet him.
How can I have the opportunity?
When they occasionally met, Ling Xun saw her as no different from any other plant or tree.
Even though she was a rare beauty, she couldn't move him in the slightest.
What kind of person does he actually like?
Yu Kai was also thinking about this, but he never wallowed in self-pity; he simply looked for other solutions.
His gaze swept over Wu San Niang without lingering for even a moment before he turned and left.
Despite the decline of the Great Qi Kingdom, the New Year's banquet was extremely lively, with noble ladies from aristocratic families playing the zither and young generals performing sword dances.
Bai Xuerou and Ling Xun arrived to find this scene before them. Seeing the young man's agile figure, they couldn't help but marvel, but then they heard the boy beside them whisper:
"A defeated opponent."
She was surprised, then burst out laughing.
"Don't talk nonsense in front of so many people," Bai Xuerou whispered.
When you're at home, nothing's wrong. But once you step outside, you're a prince. You should be composed, dignified, and keep your emotions in check. How can you say such youthful, competitive things?
"To be honest." Ling Xun was still feeling a pang of jealousy from the admiration in Bai Xue Rou's eyes, as if he had drunk a vat of vinegar.
Perhaps he shouldn't be wary of Yu Kai or Wei Yi.
Instead, it was these young, handsome boys.
In her sister-in-law's eyes, Yu Kai had ulterior motives, but Wei Yi was too old for her to have any other thoughts.
She wouldn't think much of these young people.
"I know it's the truth." Bai Xuerou smiled even more gently, her eyes full of tenderness. The young man wielding the sword saw this, and his wrist went limp for a moment.
She was in a good mood, so she was particularly generous with her praise. Bai Xuerou pulled her handkerchief aside to cover her lips, so as not to let anyone know what she had said, and whispered, "My Abao is the best."
The boy's heart pounded wildly.
The heat from his body made his throat dry, and Ling Xun felt his face might be turning red as he swallowed softly.
"Sister-in-law," he called out briefly, then paused.
Bai Xuerou turned to look at him, and Ling Xun forced himself to remain calm and said, "It's nothing."
Bai Xuerou had already noticed his blushing face. She wanted to laugh, but she held back out of consideration for Ling Xun's feelings. She just smiled and pretended to be nonchalant, saying "Oh" before turning her head away.
There were quite a few people watching the sword dance, and many of them noticed Ling Xun blushing. They were all curious about what Bai Xue Rou had said, but it wasn't appropriate for them to ask.
Wei Yi, who was standing beside him, heard the whole story. Seeing Ling Xun like this, he seemed to be deep in thought, recalling some past events.
His brows furrowed slightly, and his thoughts grew heavy.
Ling Xun to Bai Xuerou...
They are uncle and sister-in-law!
If something were to happen, how would the world view Bai Xuerou?
Perhaps he's overthinking it.
Wei Yi thought about it again, but throughout the entire banquet, he couldn't help but recall that scene.
These days, young men love sword dancing; once one sword dance is over, another will step up.
"Fu Wei greets Your Highness and Madam Bai." The young man who had been wielding a sword walked through the crowd. His handsome face was slightly flushed, whether from the sword dance or something else, and he bowed with bright eyes.
He addressed himself as "Your Highness," but his gaze was fixed entirely on Bai Xuerou.
Ling Xun responded, and Bai Xuerou smiled and said, "No need for formalities. Your surname is Fu, so you are related to the Duke of Qing's mansion?"
"The current Duke of Qing is my grandfather, and my father is the second son." Fu Wei immediately said as soon as she spoke.
"I see, your sword dance is excellent." Bai Xuerou praised without reservation.
"Thank you for your kind words, Madam." The young man, full of youthful vigor, blushed even more immediately.
The Fu family were founding heroes of the Great Qi Dynasty, and were later granted the title of Duke, a hereditary title that has been passed down to this day.
Now, he and Lang Cheng, one a scholar and the other a warrior, have effectively sidelined the imperial court and are important officials in the government.
Fu Wei had always secretly admired Bai Xue Rou.
Or rather, many young men in Chang'an secretly admired this gentle and beautiful lady. Although they were not worthy to ask for her hand in marriage, they couldn't help but fantasize about having a fleeting affair with her.
She is widowed and all alone; they should have a chance.
Fu Wei had never dared to approach before, but this time he only mustered up the courage to come over on a whim.
He was just thinking that Madam Bai had smiled at him earlier, so she must have admired him to some extent.
Sure enough, she praised him.
Ling Xun watched indifferently, and just as he was about to interrupt the two of them who were about to continue their conversation, he heard Wei Yi speak up, "Speaking of which, it has been quite a while since I practiced swordsmanship."
Bai Xuerou's attention was immediately diverted, and she laughed, "The general's sword dance is something these people can't compare to."
"Since you're interested, why not go up and show off your skills?" she said, sounding genuinely looking forward to it.
Wei Yi had originally found an excuse to interrupt, but upon hearing Bai Xuerou's praise, he was moved and pondered for a moment.
The three of them were already the focus of the crowd, but they didn't dare to interrupt. Seeing this, they immediately stepped forward, smiling and flattering Wei Yi, and asked him to give it a try.
No amount of words from these people could sway Wei Yi, but he simply looked at Bai Xuerou's smiling eyes and stepped forward.
He borrowed a sword from the man, stretched his body a little, and then began.
Bai Xuerou watched, her eyes gradually filled with admiration.
In her youth, it was just like that. When no one was around, the girl would ask her skilled guards to perform a sword dance, and she would clap her hands in admiration.
The young man had a full beard, obscuring his features, but he was tall and upright. When he wielded his sword, the sword light was like a rainbow, flowing like clouds and water, making him far more handsome than those showy noblemen.
With a blink, the past overlapped with the scene before my eyes.
The young man has reached the age of thirty, becoming more composed and unwavering, his swordplay imbued with a more serene and mature air.
"Sister-in-law, have you ever seen Master perform sword dance?" Bai Xuerou was watching intently when she suddenly heard Ling Xun ask from beside her, and subconsciously hummed in agreement.
"I happened to have witnessed the general display his skills when no one was around," she added as an explanation, her gaze still fixed on the scene.
There was no one there; they probably knew their sister-in-law was going to do it on purpose.
Seeing Bai Xuerou's praise, Ling Xun felt even more jealous.
He didn't say anything more, since even if he did, his sister-in-law might not be in the mood to pay attention to him right now.
It wasn't until Wei Yi finished dancing and Bai Xuerou clapped in praise that Wei Yi walked over and said, "Seeing Master like this, I'm itching to try it too, sister-in-law. Why don't I go up and give it a try as well?"
The boy's voice was clear and bright, filled with eager anticipation. Bai Xuerou withdrew her smiling gaze from Wei Yi and turned to look at him. She had never seen Ling Xun wield a sword before.
“Go if you want to. I’ve never seen you practice swordsmanship before.” She never spoiled the fun and immediately praised her.
Ling Xun then left.
Compared to Wei Yi, Ling Xun was slightly thinner, but more agile. When he wielded his sword, he moved with the grace of a dragon in flight and the elegance of a startled swan, exuding a sharp and vigorous youthful energy.
Bai Xuerou couldn't help but admire.
Wei Yi watched from the side, and the joy he had felt from Bai Xuerou's smiling gaze gradually faded, replaced by a sense of melancholy.
How could one remain unmoved by such a young, handsome, and talented boy after spending so much time with him?
He suddenly felt a great deal of worry and unease.
Ling Xun's sword dance drew a crowd, and once he stood still, they were full of praise.
He didn't care and focused on walking towards Bai Xuerou. When he saw the smile in her eyes, he was immediately happy.
"Sister-in-law, how was my dance?"
"Of course it's excellent?"
Ling Xun then looked at Wei Yi and asked, "How does it compare to Master?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Bai Xuerou replied, "They are evenly matched."
Ling Xun then laughed, making no attempt to hide his smugness and joy.
If he were older, such an attitude would inevitably be distasteful, but he was only sixteen or seventeen, the age when he was young, spirited, and full of vigor, so it seemed natural and left people with nothing but admiration.
Even Wei Yi, though somewhat disappointed, couldn't get angry at him seeing him like this.
The people around him immediately came up to flatter him. Ling Xun suppressed his impatience and lowered his voice to say to Bai Xuerou, "I'll dance for you again when we get back."
Then I had to deal with those people.
Although he disliked it, he was not a frivolous or arrogant person. He knew clearly in his heart when to do what kind of thing and how to do it.
Bai Xuerou and Wei Yi were left alone to talk for a while.
“Only at this moment can we see that Your Highness is still quite young,” Wei Yi said.
Bai Xuerou chimed in, "Yes. She's only seventeen after the New Year. She can be a little temperamental sometimes, so I hope the General won't take offense."
She was referring to what had just happened.
Wei Yi shook his head and said, "What's so special about that? Your Highness is indeed an outstanding young talent. But..."
He wanted to tell Bai Xuerou about his discovery, but he hesitated when the words came out.
Unlike Yu Kai, Ling Xun has spent a lot of time with Bai Xuerou. Although Ling Xun has feelings for her, he may not necessarily do anything about it. Perhaps after they get married in two years, the matter will be over.
If he were to reveal this, it would only create more embarrassment and disrupt Bai Xuerou's life.
"What?" Bai Xuerou waited for him to continue, but he stopped, so she asked him proactively.
Wei Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "It's nothing."
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