He kissed her on the lips.
Rejected time and time again, heartbroken time and time again, he pieced his heart back together and went to get closer to her.
Only now have we finally arrived at the present day.
How stupid must he be to abandon such a brilliant pearl for a vulgar and shallow fish like Maggie?
...
Because Su Wanwan wasn't in a good mood, Lu Xingjian stayed in Xuanfu for a few days before deciding to return to the capital.
He also ordered the construction of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion in Xuanfu so that he could stay there next time he came.
On their way back, they rested at Jimingyi.
Yan Ge'er found everything beyond the Great Wall fascinating and wanted to visit the town.
Lu Xingjian accompanied the mother and son as they strolled around the town.
The town has only one street, with some inns and restaurants along the roadside for travelers to stay and have a meal.
The man in brocade robes who walked towards her had his gaze fixed unabashedly on Su Wanwan.
"The young lady is quite beautiful."
Su Wanwan's beauty lies not only in her face, but also in her ethereal and otherworldly temperament.
He had seen many glamorous beauties and had slept with dozens of innocent beauties.
But no one smelled like her.
Her clothes were plain and simple in color, but her elegant and graceful demeanor was truly captivating.
The man in brocade clicked his tongue in amazement, "That figure must be incredibly alluring to touch."
"Your neck feels wonderful to touch."
Lu Xingjian's cold voice rang out from behind the man in brocade.
He gave a signal, and then his guards took the man in brocade robes away and gave him a good beating.
The guard quickly reported, "The man is a member of the royal family of the Prince of Dai's mansion. We don't know why he came to this remote town."
Lu Xingjian raised an eyebrow slightly.
Members of the imperial family were generally not allowed to leave their fiefdoms.
Have the members of the royal family in the Prince of Dai's mansion become so lax?
"Investigate to the end."
The group returned to the capital without incident.
The investigation quickly revealed that the Prince of Boye of Datong had gone out of the city to play and had committed adultery with women. The Censorate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Governor of Datong were ordered to jointly investigate the case.
One-third of his stipend was confiscated, his followers were exiled to the border, and the Prince of Dai was ordered to strictly control them.
The sudden punishment of the Prince of Boye aroused strong vigilance among the feudal lords of Datong City.
Some say that the emperor once visited Datong in private, and the women he brought with him were even harassed by the Prince of Boye.
There are even rumors that the emperor is seeking out women everywhere, intending to select women from the common people to fill his harem in order to increase his offspring.
The news spread like wildfire, but gradually became distorted, with the rumor that the imperial court wanted to select women, and that any family with a daughter who was not yet betrothed was not allowed to marry.
As a result, ordinary families dared not prepare coming-of-age ceremonies for their daughters, and some even hid their daughters in the homes of their in-laws, leading to a breakdown in ethical norms.
This news gradually spread from the common people to the imperial court.
The officials couldn't help but start speculating.
The harem has been empty for a long time. Could it be that the emperor has finally come to his senses and intends to establish an empress and take concubines in order to increase the number of offspring?
Families trying to take shortcuts by relying on their daughters are starting to rack their brains again.
Among them, Wen Gong was the quickest-thinking.
In recent years, his career has been very successful, and he has been promoted to the position of deputy commander-in-chief, which is even more prestigious than the already declining Duke Anguo's mansion.
People always strive for higher goals, and once they reach the top, they always want to take it a step further.
During the last military parade at Xiyuan Military Training Ground before the Lunar New Year, a female cavalry unit appeared, each member displaying heroic bearing and stunning beauty.
All the horses were chestnut-red, adorned with silver saddles and jade bridles.
The women on horseback wore well-tailored, fiery red riding outfits that accentuated their dashing figures. Their faces were covered with light veils of the same color, revealing only pairs of eyes that were either bright or aloof.
They controlled their horses skillfully, their ranks were perfectly aligned, and they galloped across the parade route like burning flames, bringing with them a biting cold wind.
The leader, though veiled, was someone Lu Xingjian recognized at a glance—Ma Ji.
She spurred her horse and galloped to the front of the reviewing stand. With a sudden jerk, her steed reared up, letting out a long neigh. In that split second, she leaned back, almost parallel to the horse's back, and simultaneously drew her bow and nocked an arrow—the movements were fluid and seamless!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Three white-feathered arrows shot out in quick succession, accompanied by a sharp whistle, and aimed with unparalleled accuracy at the three moving bullseye erected a hundred paces away!
Three muffled thuds almost overlapped! The arrowhead sank deep into the bullseye, its fletching still trembling!
"good!"
"Incredible skill!"
Women are just as capable as men!
Cheers roared like thunder, instantly sweeping across the training ground.
Everyone was stunned by this amazing and brilliant move.
On the high platform, even the nobles and high-ranking officials couldn't help but praise it.
Maggie reined in her horse to steady herself. Through her veil, her gaze seemed to casually drift toward the figure at the highest point of the reviewing stand. Her eyes flickered with a hint of barely perceptible smugness and provocation.
She nodded slightly, then spurred her horse back to the group, her fiery red figure becoming the most dazzling presence on the field.
Lu Xingjian remained calm, only lightly tapping his fingertips on the cold armrest of the throne.
After the military parade, a banquet was held in the palace.
Inside the warm pavilion by Taiye Pond, the charcoal fire burned brightly, dispelling the chill of the winter night.
The melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air, and wine cups were clinked in celebration.
Lu Xingjian sat in the main seat, his expression indifferent, occasionally whispering a few words to the generals nearby.
Maggie, carrying an exquisite glass wine cup, swayed gracefully as she passed through the crowd and walked straight to the foot of the throne.
She knelt down gracefully, her voice soft and melodious, carrying just the right amount of reverence and a hint of indescribable intimacy:
"Your Majesty, I, Madam Ma, humbly offer this cup of wine to wish Your Majesty good health and a long life!"
She slightly raised her head, boldly meeting Lu Xingjian's gaze. Her eyes seemed to hold the spring waters of Taiye Pond, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
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