Chapter 43 "She acted so recklessly, yet my sister-in-law is so chaste..."
Bai Xuerou looked at him, and then smiled brightly.
"Mukuro."
Ling Xun responded, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He actually preferred the more affectionate-sounding name, A Bao, but he was too old to say it directly.
On such a beautiful spring day, the two walked for a while before mounting their horses and trotting on the green grass.
Bai Xuerou can also ride horses. Although her riding skills are average, she has no problem with ordinary running.
Ling Xun, needless to say, usually rode a black horse, a gift from Bai Xuerou. She originally wanted to give Ling Xun a good horse and asked her caravan to find one. Then they encountered this horse king in the northern frontier. It was unruly and she tried every means to capture it and send it back. Ling Xun indeed subdued it and named it Xuan Guang.
Xuan Guang's horse was significantly taller than Bai Xue Rou's, and it looked incredibly majestic and spirited. When he glanced at Bai Xue Rou's little mare, he exuded an air of arrogance.
"Good Xuan Guang, you can't bully my Pi Xue." Bai Xue Rou chuckled. Her horse was white and kept very clean, just like it was covered in snow.
She and Xuan Guang were not strangers, and their relationship was fairly good; at least she wasn't chased away when she approached to feed it.
“Xuanguang likes to wear snow,” Ling Xun said with a smile. “It’s trying to get the attention of those who wear snow.”
He had known Xuan Guang for several years and understood the guy well enough to see through the horse's actions at a glance.
"Oh?" Bai Xuerou became interested and looked at the tall and big Xuan Guang, not realizing that this guy had this idea.
“That won’t do. If you like someone, you have to treat them well to make them like you back,” she laughed, then remembered, “But animals seem to be different from people. Is it trying to show off its power to Pixue?”
Ling Xun hadn't really thought that much about it, but after hearing what Bai Xuerou said, he actually felt that it made sense, so he nodded.
However, if you like someone, shouldn't you treat them well? He secretly made a mental note of it.
Xuan Guang, of course, couldn't understand the words of these two-legged beasts, and instead focused on demonstrating its power to Pi Xue.
Bai Xuerou chuckled, gently lifted the reins, and led Pi Xue away.
Xuan Guang couldn't resist wanting to chase after it immediately. With its speed, it would have been an easy task. However, Ling Xun pulled on the reins and controlled it, so it followed behind, watching the person in front of it.
Before her eyes stretched endless green grass. Bai Xuerou, dressed in a peach-pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and a light blue wide-sleeved shirt, rode a white horse. Her plain veiled hat and bright red shawl fluttered in the wind behind her, making her look as beautiful as a figure in a painting.
Ling Xun was somewhat captivated by the beautiful scenery, so he deliberately controlled the speed of his horse, following behind at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, watching the scene unfold with admiration.
Bai Xuerou rode happily for a while, then realized that Ling Xun hadn't followed. She turned around, looked at him, and called out with a smile, "What are you doing behind me? Come on up!"
Ling Xun shouted "Okay!" and pulled on the reins to follow.
A young man in black, his hair bound with a golden crown, galloped on horseback, exuding youthful vigor and style.
Memories flashed through Bai Xuerou's eyes. She had seen this scene before, but as Ling Xun's handsome yet more vibrant face gradually became clear, the images that were about to overlap separated again. The memories of the past faded, leaving only the vivid scene before her eyes.
It's Ling Xun.
March has passed, and by April, summer will be visibly approaching.
May 21st was Ling Xun's birthday, but he didn't plan to hold a big celebration. He even cancelled Bai Xuerou's previous small banquet, postponing everything and simply having a meal with Bai Xuerou at the Prince's residence.
Since Wu San Niang was sent away from Chang'an, Wu Shi moved to another courtyard. Now, the huge Prince's Mansion is only occupied by the two of them.
Bai Xuerou couldn't do anything about him, but even though it was just the two of them, she still managed to make a good impression.
He was busy during the day, so the celebration was to be held at dinner. Instead of holding the banquet in the main hall, he chose a pavilion in the garden and had it set up by Chang'an.
Outside the pavilion, there was a clump of peonies, which were in full bloom at the time. There was also a pomegranate tree, which was lush and green, with red pomegranate flowers faintly visible.
Bai Xuerou warmed the wine. She didn't know when she had fallen in love with drinking, especially when she was slightly drunk. The feeling of being a little tipsy was wonderful to her.
Since no one can restrain her now, she has become increasingly unrestrained.
Ling Xun knew this, and didn't really agree, but Bai Xuerou insisted, and he couldn't do anything about it.
It's not that there's no harm in drinking alcohol, but rather that I didn't want to force Bai Xuerou. After consulting the doctor and learning that drinking a little alcohol would be harmless and could even improve blood circulation and sleep better, I didn't say anything more.
He made a promise with Bai Xuerou that they couldn't overdo it.
Ling Xun sent a message saying that he was almost done with the work, so Bai Xue Rou asked the dishes to be served. She then looked at the pomegranate blossoms, trying to find out how many flowers there were in the dense canopy. But no matter how many times she counted, she would get confused halfway through.
She didn't find it annoying at all; on the contrary, she chatted and laughed with the maids in high spirits, asking them to count with her, treating it all as a game.
Finally, they made a bet: whoever counted correctly first would receive a prize.
The maids immediately became interested and started chattering away as they counted.
When Ling Xun arrived, he saw this lively scene. He raised his hand to signal the servants not to disturb him. He stepped in and saw Bai Xue Rou with her black hair tied up in a high bun, her jade-white neck long and slender. She wore a light pink top and a blue-green skirt, with a jade-colored ribbon tied around her arm. She stood gracefully like a lotus flower, and his heart couldn't help but feel a little warm.
Lately, he's been having more and more dreams and hasn't been sleeping well. He specifically called a doctor to come and see him. The doctor spoke tactfully, but the meaning was clear—
It means that as he gets older, his body is inevitably becoming restless.
In other words, it's time to find a woman.
Ling Xun didn't say anything, but he instructed the doctor not to tell anyone.
He especially didn't want Bai Xuerou to know.
Ling Xun subconsciously wanted to look away, but couldn't bear to, and looked back.
Let it be a dream.
"What are you counting?" Hearing the counting sounds over there, Ling Xun quickly composed himself and asked gently.
He has been very busy ever since he returned to Chang'an, overseeing the northern border and the large tracts of land acquired last year.
Because he had been busy with battles for half a year, many places had made mistakes. Ling Xun not only filled in the gaps, but also governed with increasing seriousness and care.
He was ambitious to ascend to the supreme throne, but he also wanted to do what he could to improve the lives of the people.
He wasn't interested in things like having fun or playing games.
Since I can't spend all day with my sister-in-law, I might as well use the time to handle things.
The maids were startled. They had been so engrossed in playing that they hadn't noticed his arrival. They quickly turned around, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
"Get up." Ling Xun was always very kind to the maids around Bai Xuerou.
The maids breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside to give their mistress room to speak.
"You've arrived," Bai Xuerou said with a smile as she turned around.
She had some reservations about Ling Xun, who had suddenly become the Prince of Zhenbei, but over the past six months, Ling Xun had treated her the same way, even more gently and considerately, showing her great respect. Over time, she had fewer reservations and became more and more at ease.
"I was just joking with them, asking them to count how many flowers were on the pomegranate tree, but no matter how many times I counted, I could never get a clear number," she explained.
Ling Xun went over to see as well. Bai Xue Rou loved flowers. She loved peach and plum blossoms in spring, lotus and pomegranate blossoms in summer, osmanthus in autumn, and winter plum and camellia in winter.
She likes anything beautiful.
"I'll come and see too." Ling Xun looked at Bai Xuerou's smiling face and thought that her life was becoming more and more comfortable, which was good, so he went up to join in the fun.
Even though such a large tree doesn't have as many newly blooming pomegranate flowers as its lush canopy suggests, they are still not easy to count.
Ling Xun couldn't help it either; no matter how many times he counted, there would always be omissions, which made Bai Xuerou laugh.
As the aroma of the food wafted through the air, Bai Xuerou quickly said, "Alright, alright, let's stop counting. Let's go eat."
Ling Xun readily agreed and sat down with Bai Xuerou.
The maids carried food boxes and presented the dishes one after another. Servants would come to check for poison before the food could be eaten by the two of them.
Bai Xuerou rolled up her sleeves and poured wine for the two of them.
"The fruit wine that just arrived has a mild alcohol content and a sweet, fruity aroma. I know you don't like it, so let's just have a little bit," she said with a smile.
"I'll try it," Ling Xun said, giving him face.
Bai Xuerou quickly reached out to stop him, saying, "What's the rush? Eat some food first. Drinking alcohol without eating anything is bad for your health."
“You told me this, and you’ve already forgotten?” she said.
Ling Xun had mentioned her drinking quite a bit before.
Ling Xun's gaze lingered on his wrist, but Bai Xuerou intervened hastily, reaching out and pressing her hand directly onto his wrist.
Her fingers were slender, with pale pink tips. Her nails were slightly long but neatly trimmed, and her fingertips were soft and delicate, warm and gentle, like flower petals.
His heart was itching again.
It was always like this; Bai Xuerou's casual gestures could make him feel itchy inside, like being gently brushed by a feather, or like a thirsty traveler who couldn't wait to do something to relieve the itch and thirst.
Slightly distracted, Ling Xun was brought back to his senses by Bai Xuerou's gentle voice. He said, "Of course I remember, but I don't usually drink much. This time alone is fine."
“That won’t do either,” Bai Xuerou retorted. “You’ll have plenty of time to drink in the future, so you need to make it a habit.”
"Yes, I'll listen to whatever you say, sister-in-law." Ling Xun simply explained without arguing with Bai Xuerou, and immediately picked up his silver chopsticks as he spoke.
Bai Xuerou smiled slightly and picked up her chopsticks as well.
Ling Xun first picked out some of Bai Xuerou's favorite dishes to try, and said, "The kitchen's cooking skills are getting better and better. Sister-in-law, please eat."
He took some chopsticks from the side and picked some up for Bai Xuerou.
Nowadays, cooking methods are relatively simple, and Bai Xuerou prefers frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying. Therefore, she has been tinkering with the kitchen for many years and has achieved considerable success.
In the past two years, everyone in Chang'an knew that the cuisine of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion was exceptional. However, Bai Xuerou rarely held banquets, so few people had tasted it. Only a handful of people had the privilege of having Bai Xuerou share the recipes with them.
"Thank you." Bai Xuerou smiled, and seeing that he was still trying to threaten her, she quickly said, "Alright, alright, I can do it myself, you eat."
Ling Xun then stopped.
After the two ate a few bites, Bai Xuerou raised her glass and said to Ling Xun, "Come on, our birthday star, let's have a drink and wish you peace, health, and happiness year after year."
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Ling Xun picked up his wine glass and gently clinked it against hers.
They both drank it.
Afterwards, we enjoyed a happy dinner.
The moon was exceptionally bright today. After dinner, the two got up and took a walk, while having Ling Xun escort Bai Xue Rou back to Zhiwei Courtyard.
The palace was filled with flowers and trees, their fragrance carried on the evening breeze. Bai Xuerou felt that everything was beautiful, and her face was full of smiles.
"I heard that Princess Yucheng invited my sister-in-law to go out of the city to escape the summer heat?" Ling Xun asked.
June was fast approaching, the hottest time of the year. Many families in Chang'an were leaving the city to escape the heat at villas near Luoxian Mountain. Princess Yucheng had gone there much earlier.
Bai Xuerou, however, wanted to stay in the manor to celebrate Ling Xun's birthday, so she didn't set off.
Bai Xuerou responded and turned to look at Ling Xun. Her slender eyebrows twitched slightly, indicating that she had noticed something. She then raised her hand to signal the servants to step back.
"You don't like Princess Yucheng?" she said. Ling Xun's emotions were usually reserved, and she often couldn't tell, but this time he showed it.
Ling Xun responded, saying, "I heard that she always sends those male lovers to fawn over my sister-in-law. Such lowly people are truly disrespectful to my sister-in-law."
Don't think he couldn't see what Princess Yucheng meant; she was urging his sister-in-law to also go find male lovers.
“That’s too much. She didn’t mean to belittle me.” Bai Xuerou saw it clearly and smiled. “She just thought I was the same as her because we are both widows.”
Princess Yucheng may not have meant any good—
It's as if she's been scolded and wants to find someone to share the blame, while also implying that she's not the only one experiencing this.
But there was absolutely no malice as Ling Xun described.
“She’s so promiscuous, how could my sister-in-law, who is so virtuous, be like her?” Ling Xun sneered.
Bai Xuerou fell silent.
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