Chapter 61 Kiss
Just as Jiang Qiaosheng finished speaking, a face came from outside the slightly open carriage window.
Wu Peiming agreed very much and said, "That's right, you get a monthly salary for a job. For example, if I go on a business trip with His Highness, I should at least talk to my master and ask him to give me some extra money."
Zhao Xuanxu's brows were gloomy, and one glance frightened Wu Peiming so much that he closed his mouth and quickly shrank back.
Wen Yao wasn't very good at braiding hair. Whenever her own hair reached her waist, she would cut it off with a sword and tie it up with a ribbon or a crown. Jiang Qiao insisted on braiding her hair, so she could only braid it loosely and tie it halfway back as a bun.
She pushed a thumb-sized silver comb into her bun, touched Jiang Qiaosheng's temples, and said, "Because the emperor doesn't like monks, he likes Taoists and has always wanted to make Taoism the state religion."
Taoist priests could refine elixirs and teach the emperor the art of immortality, but monks could not. Furthermore, because the previous dynasty venerated Buddhism and built numerous temples, hundreds of them survived to this day, enjoying vibrant worship and a vast following, exerting a profound influence. When Taizu founded the state, to appease the people and demonstrate his benevolence, he established a rule that the land surrounding Buddhist temples was considered tax-free and therefore exempt from taxes. With just a few words from his ancestor, Tianshui lost another significant amount of revenue.
In response to the incident at Cihuai Temple, the emperor specifically dispatched Zhao Xuanxu, a man known for his sharp sword, to investigate. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that, regardless of the truth, the emperor was going to make a big fuss about it and ask the Buddha to withdraw his influence.
Gusu City is an ancient name. After the Tianshui era, the county was upgraded to a prefecture, and Gusu became Pingjiang Prefecture. However, aside from using the term "Pingjiang" in memorials and official documents, the public still refers to it by the ancient name, Gusu. Following the salt transport incident in Pingjiang Prefecture, the discovery of remains from the Buddhist temple is likely to be a difficult situation for the newly appointed Pingjiang prefect.
It was March, and a gentle drizzle soaked the Thirty-Three Mile Green Street. The Feathered Guards marched in a mighty procession to the northwest gate of Gusu City, where they watched as Pingjiang Prefect Qiu Huiying led the others in a bowing ceremony.
This investigation does not involve Prince Yong's Yue family. Wen Yao and his group did not hide their identities and came in a grand manner.
The carriage stopped, its doors tightly shut, and for a long time, there was no movement. The officials behind the prefect, both high and low, had long heard of the Prince of Yan's fierce reputation, and seeing this, they were inevitably a little uneasy. Du Chou Huiying, neither humble nor arrogant, stretched out his arms and said, "I, the Prefect of Pingjiang, am Chou Huiying, paying my respects to His Highness the Prince of Yan."
The carriage remained motionless.
Wu Peiming rode forward and said with a smile, "The rain is getting heavy. My lords, please don't be so rigid about formalities. Let's go back first and discuss other matters later."
Qiu Huiying responded calmly, nodded to Wu Peiming, then returned to his carriage and led the large team to his own mansion.
Without concealing his identity, the Prince of Yan's travel and lodging were naturally arranged by the prefect. When the carriage stopped at the gate of the imposing prefect's residence, everyone watched as the door opened and two women emerged. One was tall, carrying a long sword wrapped in cloth on her back. The other, slightly shorter, walked close to the sword-carrying woman. A man descended from behind, his hair tied in a black jade bun and a long, dark robe embroidered with gold, exuding an extraordinary presence.
He just looked a little unhappy, and was obviously in a bad mood.
The slicked-back official wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered, "Brother, do you know who the two women accompanying Prince Yan are? Prince Yan has never married, so are they concubines brought here specially?"
Qiu Huiying, a fusty old-fashioned man, refused to accept any favors, no matter how much he tried. Unwilling to waste this opportunity to curry favor with a powerful figure, he even selected several stunning singing girls, hoping to find a way to show his favor to the Prince of Yan. He absolutely must not flatter the wrong person and undermine his own efforts.
"The one carrying the sword must be the ever-popular Xingyi Sword Master." The man whose sleeve he had pulled disliked the greasy, sweaty smell on his body, pulled out his own clothes, and said absentmindedly, "I don't know about the other one, but maybe it's him."
As everyone stepped into the vermilion gate, Qiu Huiying's mansion was immediately closed, blocking out the curious gazes of the onlookers on the street a few feet away.
Wen Yao was pulled in by the enthusiastic Jiang Qiaosheng. Before she even looked up, she heard a clear female voice rushing out from the side: "Miss Wen, long time no see!"
Wen Yao looked up in surprise, not expecting someone to call her. Zhao Xuanxu, who was following closely behind her, also looked over when he heard the call.
Everyone stopped in their tracks as a group of people strode out from a path shaded by verdant trees and bamboos. The woman in the lead was a simple-dressed woman in her thirties. She called out to Wen Yao, her fair face breaking into a bright, dazzling smile.
Qiu Huiying, who had been standing at the back, took a few steps forward and called out to the woman, "Madam..."
"Get out of the way, don't interrupt." Liu Suling waved her hand, and Wen Yao immediately shut up and stood aside obediently. Liu Suling was dressed in a dress, her words and actions were crisp and clear. She walked a few steps to Wen Yao and looked him up and down, her eyebrows showing a look of relief: "You're doing well, and you're much more energetic than when we last parted."
Wen Yao recognized her and asked in surprise, "Elder Su Ling?"
"You still recognize me." Liu Suling nodded with a smile, then pulled the person standing behind her over and said, "Look, this is Xingyi Jian Wenyao. You came to me so early in the morning and yelled, didn't you want to see it? I'll let you see enough."
The tone is mostly one of anger and joking.
The girl Liu Suling pulled out was dressed in a silver-white outfit. She had a very heroic look, but now her face was full of embarrassment. She scratched her head for a long time before she greeted Wen Yao, "Senior Wen."
"This is my nephew. He brought the people from the mountain sect down the mountain to gain experience and came to see me on the way." Liu Suling said, and then she saw Zhao Xuanxu and Jiang Qiaosheng beside her.
This man should be Prince Yan.
She calmed down a bit, clasped her fists and bowed, saying, "I am Liu Suling of the Meishan Sect, paying my respects to the King of Yan."
"My wife is being rude." Qiu Huiying knew the reputation of the Prince of Yan as a ruthless and vindictive man. His heart tightened, and sweat broke out on his back. He had no choice but to say, "I have offended Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will not blame me."
Zhao Xuanxu didn't look at him, his expression was indifferent, and he said, "Do you know A Yao?"
Ayao?
Hearing this title, Liu Suling was surprised and looked at Wen Yao.
She knew that Wen Yao had entered Prince Yan's mansion to handle family affairs, but it was a bit inappropriate for Prince Yan to address a woman in this way - or was it that the style of Bianliang was gentle and elegant, and this was the tone for addressing retainers and staff?
"Elder Su Ling is the Sword-wielding Elder of the Meishan Sect and an old friend of mine." Wen Yao hadn't expected to see Liu Su Ling here. Recalling Qiu Huiying's address just now, he probably understood what was going on: "You're already married."
She also married the prefect of Pingjiang.
She still remembered the character of the sword-wielding elder of the Meishan Sect. She was unwavering in her words, bound by righteousness, a renowned chivalrous woman and a heroine. Even without mentioning her status, the mere presence of such a woman next to the reserved and serious Qiu Huiying was enough to create a rift.
Liu Suling smiled, turned around and said loudly: "There is no need for everyone to waste time here. The banquet has been prepared in the garden. Please take a seat."
After saying this, she stretched out her hand and gestured to Zhao Xuanxu and Wen Yao, then took the lead and walked towards the garden not far away.
Wu Peiming stood aside, noticing some nervousness on Qiu Huiying's wooden face. He had a good impression of him, so he offered comfort, saying, "It's nothing, nothing. Your wife is an old friend of Commander Wen. What is there to be afraid of, Lord Qiu?" He patted Qiu Huiying's stiff shoulder and followed him, smiling.
Wen Yao followed Liu Suling and looked at the girl beside her. She knew many people in the Meishan Sect, but this was a stranger she had never seen before.
Under Wen Yao's gaze, Yu Le's face became redder and redder, and he could hardly suppress his excitement.
Back then, Wen Yao hadn't yet vanished from the expert rankings, and the top ten were all top masters. She had once seen Wen Yao wielding a sword on the rocks of Zhuguang Mountain, his Xingyi sword whirring like a torrential autumn stream, and from then on, she considered Wen Yao her number one, a figure she still admires.
I never thought that I would be able to see Wen Yao again in this life, or to stand so close to her and look at her...
"This is my nephew, Yu Le." Liu Suling noticed the two of them and said bluntly, "I haven't slept for several nights since I heard you were coming. I wish I could stand at the gate of Changmen and wait for you."
"It's not that exaggerated at all." Yu Le whispered.
It would have been fine if she hadn't spoken, but once she did, the Meishan disciples beside her began to chat and laugh quietly. It was obvious that their Sword-wielding Elder was telling the truth, not lying at all.
Wen Yao also laughed: "How many years has Elder Su Ling been married?"
"Three years."
Three years later, Wen Yao had already lived in seclusion in the yellow sand of Liuye City and had not heard of external affairs for a long time. No wonder there was no news of her marriage.
Liu Suling had also thought of this. The chivalrous woman didn't inquire where Wen Yao had been for all those years, but simply said, "Three years ago, I casually rescued a scholar who was being held hostage by bandits. I never imagined he would later pass the imperial examination and come to the Meishan Sect to propose marriage. He was quite handsome, so I agreed. Now I'm in Gusu. The scenery, flowers, and people are beautiful, but it's a bit boring. It just so happened that the younger generation of our sect came down the mountain to gain experience, so they stopped by to see me, and I happened to run into you."
"I didn't expect there was such a story." Wen Yao was amused. "From the looks of the prefect, it seems he is a kind-hearted man who is grateful and repays kindness."
"Repay a favor?" Liu Suling snorted, "He's taking advantage of me by promising himself to me."
The people around burst into laughter. Qiu Huiying, who was standing a few steps behind and observing etiquette seriously, had his ears red. It was obvious that he could not adapt to his wife's blunt teasing.
In the blink of an eye, everyone had arrived at the garden banquet hall. A long table was set out, and the food was served one after another, with a proper balance of richness and simplicity.
Qiu Huiying took a few quick steps and bowed to Zhao Xuanxu: "Your Highness, please take a seat."
"No need." This person had some connection with Wen Yao's old acquaintances. Zhao Xuanxu glanced at Qiu Huiying, his tone noticeably better, and said, "I'll sit at the same table with Ah Yao."
At formal banquets, only couples sit at the table.
Qiu Huiying didn't express any thoughts on this, and nodded his head. The butler beside him quickly went down to remove the seat specially prepared for Prince Yan, replacing it with a long table and re-laying it with food and soup.
Zhao Xuanxu took two steps forward, taking Wen Yao's sleeve before Jiang Qiaosheng, and sauntered into the table, pulling her down to sit beside him. The surrounding officials' gazes, both overt and covert, instantly fell on Wen Yao. Liu Suling said, "As expected." Yu Le was slightly shocked. Jiang Qiaosheng... She stood aside and rolled her eyes upwards.
The feast consisted mostly of spring vegetables, rich but not extravagant. A maid stood by, somewhat bewildered, watching as His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan personally rolled up his sleeves, ladled out the tofu soup, placed it beside Wen Yao, and then meticulously picked the bones from the fish, busily busy and amused.
Wen Yao scooped a spoonful of tofu soup mixed with fish and swallowed it. He found it delicious and was sighing when he suddenly saw Liu Suling looking at him with a smile.
Liu Suling said, "You are very different from before."
Wen Yao raised an eyebrow: "What's the difference?"
"I'm relieved." Liu Suling smiled, but didn't elaborate. She just mentioned it briefly and said, "My group of younger generations all admire you, especially Yu Le. Her sword is just as fast as yours. Since she's here to investigate the case, why not let her help you? She can learn a lot and broaden her horizons."
Yu Le sat up straight and looked over with bright eyes.
Wen Yao was quite easy to talk to and readily agreed: "Okay, she will follow me starting tomorrow."
The host and guests enjoyed the meal very much. When the banquet was over, Wen Yao found that Qiu Huiying was quite capable and temporarily arranged for her room and Zhao Xuanxu's room to be together.
After sending Jiang Qiaosheng away, Wen Yao rested her elbows on the window frame and pushed open the window in front of her. The endless rain outside was like a cool veil, drifting lightly over her face.
The surroundings suddenly became quiet and comfortable.
Wen Yao closed his eyes slightly.
She heard the rustling of oleander trees and the sound of footsteps coming from under the eaves.
Wen Yao did not open her eyes. The footsteps beside her ears stopped, and then her lips felt hot.
Zhao Xuanxu pressed his tall nose against her cheek, leaned over, and gently touched her lip beads with his lips.
A sudden, lingering kiss,
After all this time, the gauze on Zhao Xuanxu's hand had long been removed. Thanks to the excellent medicine Bai Rang had given him, the fatal arrow had only left a raised scar on his palm.
Zhao Xuanxu leaned his upper body into the window, his hands resting on the backs of Wen Yao's hands on the window frame, his eyelashes drooping. At this moment, his expression was close to a kind of quiet obsession.
Wen Yao felt his soft and warm lips, which separated briefly and then gently touched again, their noses touching and their breaths intertwined.
After a long time, Zhao Xuanxu's rapid breathing gradually calmed down. He turned his face to the side and buried it in Wen Yao's neck, hugging her tightly.
Wen Yao sensed that his mood had suddenly become a little low, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Zhao Xuanxu pressed her waist and said, "Will Jiang Qiaosheng come to see you tonight?"
Wen Yao was speechless: "How should I know this?"
"I think she would. She's too tactless." Zhao Xuanxu tilted his head and rubbed it against Wen Yao's cheek, not at all surprised that the word "tact" came out of his mouth. "We didn't come by boat. If we were going by water, we could get off at Fengqiao Ferry today. I heard there's an old street there with a lot of new things to see."
When he said this, his tone sounded a little regretful.
Wen Yao felt his lightly scented hair tickle her neck, and couldn't help laughing: "You're also making a strategy."
Zhao Xuanxu looked up at her. Her profile was beautiful, her eyes round and shining. Her expression was hard to describe, but it was as sticky and soft as if she had drunk too much spring wine at a banquet.
"What is a 'strategy'?"
Wen Yao put her arms around his strong waist, thought for a moment, and said, "That's right, you really wanted to take a good look at Gusu with me, so you made a lot of preparations in advance."
Zhao Xuanxu nodded obediently and took credit, "Well, I did a lot of strategy."
Wen Yao was simply filled with pity for him because of his demeanor.
She touched the scar on Zhao Xuanxu's palm and suddenly said, "Then let's go to Fengqiao Ferry now. We have to go to investigate the case tomorrow, so we don't have time to look around any more."
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