Chapter 42 He Beiqing, you must call my name...
The next day, Jiang Shuifu was shocked when she heard the news. Her face turned red with anger, and she lost her composure in her grip. She kept muttering three words under her breath indignantly.
He Beiqing.
Jiang Zongnan couldn't take it anymore and slapped her mischievous hand away.
"You're so distracted! You've practically crushed this old man's bones. Go find somewhere cool to stay!"
Jiang Shuifu then came to her senses, and with a shameful expression, she cast a fawning look at her grandfather. Her grandmother, standing to the side, burst out laughing.
"Haha, old man, don't be angry. Fu'er will go down and study hard."
Jiang Shuifu could only slink away, and Jiang Zongnan sighed.
"What's wrong with Fu'er? Has she not gotten over that bastard yet?"
Grandmother, however, was not in a hurry at all. Instead, a smile slowly rose around her eyes, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes spoke of her teasing:
“That’s just how Fu’er is, haven’t you forgotten? But I think Fu’er has something on her mind.”
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In front of the prefect's gate.
"General He, you are truly skilled and cunning! You've become so powerful with this little Su Yang that you practically control everything. No wonder you work under him; your methods are despicable, and you're always resorting to underhanded tricks!"
This "he" has a clear referential meaning.
When He Beiqing saw the woman who was bowing to him glaring at him and mocking him and Shen Jizhao, he wasn't angry. He simply curled his lips into a casual smile.
"Your pace is quick, madam. The brothel was just shut down and you've already arrived. I'm flattered."
Jiang Shuifu rolled her eyes. Yesterday, he made a bet with her that she would definitely come to him today. She didn't expect him to use this tactic. No wonder he asked her to go to the brothel today.
He was deliberately messing with her, wanting to see her make a fool of herself.
He Beiqing bowed repeatedly as he looked at the angry yet charming girl:
"However, you have wronged me. The brothel was shut down not because of me. I am just a minor official with no real power. How could I have such ability?"
Jiang Shuifu found it ridiculous and scoffed:
"If it's not because of you, then why is it because of me? The brothel has been running well for so many years, but it's become like this after you went there yesterday."
He Beiqing did not answer, but looked at her with a deep, unsettling gaze, a half-smile on his face.
She really disliked his meaningful look, which made her feel like he was playing her for a fool.
Then, as if she had thought of something, her eyes darted around playfully, and she teased:
"You're dressed so...shine today, you must have had a good time with the male prostitute yesterday, and you're in a good mood. I heard he's in your hands now, are you taking him in?"
Today, He Beiqing did not use a hair crown to fix all his hair in place. Instead, he tied it into a high ponytail, with his long black hair hanging down his back. He had a dashing and heroic air about him, which was very eye-catching.
His laughter didn't stop despite her teasing. Today, he seemed completely unconcerned about her sarcasm. Moreover, she seemed to see a slight provocation in his expression, as if to say: Is that all you've got?
Jiang Shuifu pouted, unwilling to lose to him, and wanted to continue teasing him, but she remembered her purpose and held back:
"I'm not here to settle scores with you today; I have important business to discuss."
Without any surprise, he blurted out, "Yunzhu?"
Jiang Shuifu suddenly felt her hair stand on end and questioned him, "You knew all along?"
He didn't acknowledge it, merely pacing around, then casually stroking his Fire Lotus Sword before abruptly turning away, a hint of mischief in his eyes:
“Okay, let’s make another bet, if you win, I’ll agree.”
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"Young men ride horses through the long streets, their hooves swift as the spring breeze; let's see who has more flowers in Chang'an!"
He Beiqing mounted a wild Red Hare, turned his head and parted his red lips, the curve of his mouth as exquisite as the rising sun overhead, captivating all who looked away. His eyes were filled with scattered sparks of light, like a dark vortex, slowly but powerfully pulling people in.
"Chase the fire! Giddy up!"
He pulled hard on the reins, and Zhuihuo reared up, its head held high, hooves pointing skyward, its claws clenched in the air, stretching several times, determined to achieve great things and leap a thousand miles in one bound.
"hiss!"
The people around were on tenterhooks watching this scene; the horse was almost vertical, as if it would flip the person on its back over and smash them to pieces at any moment.
At the critical moment, the young man on horseback leaned forward, braced himself with his feet, and loosened the reins. Red Hare suddenly leaped into the air and ran a few steps.
In an instant, his flowing ponytail and real ponytail flew everywhere.
Jiang Shuifu stared in disbelief behind him. Unlike the excitement and shock of the onlookers, she spat silently after a long while.
He's not only petty and vindictive, but he also knows how to put on an act.
What's with the show-off?
She squeezed her legs together, spurred her horse onward, and gave chase.
In an instant, Su Yang's streets became incredibly lively. It was rare to see such a dashing young man in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse. The streets were crowded with women who kept throwing their handkerchiefs, sachets, fruits, and pastries at him.
Jiang Shuifu received less than half of what he received!
He Beiqing led the way, riding through the streets, from the ancient city moat all the way around the most bustling streets in the city, covering the entire Suzhou and Yangzhou area.
Before long, the bamboo baskets on both sides of his horse's back were full of "Chang'an flowers".
Jiang Shuifu glared at his back with hatred.
He's clearly cheating. There's very little mutual appreciation between women; of course, they prefer handsome men.
As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the two figures, who continued to ride their horses back and forth.
Until they disappeared into the jungle.
The woman on horseback gradually came to a stop. The man in front noticed her pause, slowed his pace, and explained to her:
"If you're worried that I might have ulterior motives, you can rest assured. I am just an official and will not overstep my bounds. You were able to ride your horse freely and enjoy yourself in the long street just now?"
Although Jiang Shuifu didn't want to admit it, her face was extremely rosy, and the small beads of sweat on her face betrayed her happiness. The light in her eyes was no less than his.
She nodded, her words straightforward: "I like it."
He Beiqing laughed wildly, his high ponytail billowing in the mountain wind, his eyebrows raised repeatedly, exuding an air of high spirits, a far cry from his usual composure.
"The afterglow of sunset is the best test of riding and archery skills. How about a competition? I guarantee the creatures roaming the mountains and fields will make you even happier than before!"
Archery?
Jiang Shuifu was momentarily dazed. She couldn't remember when the last time was. Suddenly, the image of the royal hunt not long ago flashed into her mind. Everyone else could enjoy themselves, but she couldn't break the rules.
Looking back on the past now, it feels unreal, as if it were just a fleeting dream.
Since it's a dream, she's going to shatter it completely now.
Her smile was like a painting, her lips spreading out in waves of joy. She wore no expensive accessories, yet at that moment she was more dazzling than any jewel.
So she suddenly spurred her horse back on, cracked her whip, and quickly overtook He Beiqing.
She acted so fast that by the time he reacted, all she left him with was a gust of wind.
"Me first! You have so many Chang'an flowers, can I borrow them?"
He Beiqing grunted in confusion, then subconsciously looked at the horse beneath him, and remained frozen for a full moment.
Until the remaining gust of wind had completely dissipated, he suddenly burst into laughter, bending over with mirth, his brows furrowed with...
She snatched the bamboo basket full of fruit from his horse. She was very clever and threw all the fruit and pastries out. With food, the creatures would naturally come out of the mountains and caves.
He now understands why Shen Jizhao is unwilling to let go.
They hunted freely, continuing until nightfall.
The shadows of a man and a woman were reflected beside a bonfire.
Jiang Shuifu roasted the rabbit she had hunted herself, glaring displeasedly at the man opposite her.
"I lost, I admit it, whether it was the competition or the bet, I lost!"
He Beiqing was also roasting his prey. Hearing her words, he looked up at her, but before she could finish speaking, she arrogantly scoffed:
"But don't be so smug. You are a general, and I am just a woman. How could I possibly defeat you? So, this is not fair at all. Your victory was dishonorable. You never gave me any leeway. I will never forgive you!"
He Beiqing has one obvious advantage over Shen Jizhao: he's more likely to admit mistakes and isn't stubborn.
"Who said you lost? You're right, this bet is unfair. Besides, you hunted just as many as I did. I underestimated you. I admit defeat in this round."
Jiang Shuifu's eyes widened, seemingly quite surprised by his words. In her mind, men were all extremely proud, so how could they bow their heads and admit defeat?
But she forgot that, apart from her father, the only man she had ever been in contact with was Shen Jizhao.
Her rabbit was already roasted, and she tore off pieces of meat and chewed them with great skill, making them taste delicious.
She was engrossed in the delicious food, while the man beside her was hunting large, aggressive creatures that were difficult to handle. After much searching, he could only pick out a small pig to roast.
She couldn't help but scoff:
"How long are you going to keep baking this? It might not be cooked until dawn!"
He Beiqing's hands continued moving, and her seemingly casual mockery made him suddenly look up, his expression serious.
"Perhaps you've heard about me when I was young. Back then, I was very unruly and wild. My family never saw me all day long. My dad would wait for me with a stick every day, but I was thick-skinned and the stick couldn't hurt me. So he punished me by locking me up in solitary confinement for days and nights without food, but I still survived. I was an only child, so my dad naturally didn't dare to really punish me to death. Later, I acted like a tyrant every day, secretly catching chickens and teasing dogs. So, even if my pig wasn't fully roasted, I would still dare to eat it."
After saying that, he actually took a bite of the undercooked piglet.
Jiang Shuifu was somewhat surprised and disgusted that he was eating raw chicken, yet he acted as if nothing was wrong.
Then she chuckled and stopped eating the rabbit meat that was stuffed into her mouth. She didn't know he was such a scoundrel!
"Compared to you, I'm practically a good daughter. My father should see just how awful you are! He should be grateful!"
He Beiqing laughed along, but there was a hint of desolation in his eyes.
"Is it funny? You should know that I am His Highness the Crown Prince's subordinate. To be precise, all the officials of Da Bei are his subordinates. However, subordinates always fight to the death among themselves..."
Jiang Shuifu gradually quieted down and listened curiously to what he was going to say next.
"No official in the court can be clean, especially someone in my father's position. One slip and he was accused, plunging our He family into an unprecedented crisis. To protect me, my father sent me to the army camp. Of the hundreds of family members, I was the only one who survived. Even though the He family eventually survived and my father was reinstated, I vowed then and there that I would never act recklessly again. I was determined to become the Crown Prince's most trusted confidant, and within a few years, I finally succeeded..."
As Jiang Shuifu listened, she became increasingly silent.
In the past, she only cared about eating, drinking and having fun, and paid no attention to anything outside. She never expected that he would experience such great ups and downs, such a test of character.
What she never expected was that the once feared young master of the Heavenly King had become so restrained that he was almost unrecognizable from his former self. Although he was still annoying and used some childish ways to vent his anger, he respected the rules and was polite to her on the surface.
If it weren't for his galloping on horseback today, she would never have understood his mischievous and reckless youthful spirit.
On horseback, he seemed to her like a fearless, energetic young man who wanted whatever he loved.
"Pfft!"
The flames suddenly exploded and shot high into the air.
Both of them came to their senses, and He Beiqing's expression became somewhat unserious:
"Moreover, we have now formed a marriage alliance with His Highness the Crown Prince."
Jiang Shuifu's expression changed, as if she had triggered a key word, but she still managed a slight smile:
"When I was young, I was nothing special except for attracting attention and playing with birds. The only thing worth mentioning from childhood to adulthood is the Crown Prince you mentioned. I fell in love with him at first sight and married him as I wished. But from the first day I married him, I was unhappy. I was pointed at and gossiped about, ignored and neglected by him, and lived a life of following the rules. But one can't live like this forever, so I came to Suyang. Obviously, this decision was the right one. So, please don't mention him in front of me."
He Beiqing remained silent for a long while, but suddenly he became somewhat curious:
"Perhaps you've ever considered that some people don't dislike something, but simply aren't aware of it?"
I was curious about her answer.
But her face instantly turned cold, and her eyes turned to him with a probing gaze:
What are you trying to say?
Seeing that she was starting to get angry, the man probed tactfully:
"What would you do if he came back to you one day?"
Almost without hesitation, she rejected the hypothesis, but he persisted with his question. After a moment's thought, she firmly stated her answer:
"Then let's go. If he won't let go, I'll run away, run somewhere he can't find me!"
Jiang Shuifu was kind-hearted and worried that he might get a stomachache and then try to extort money from her, so she gave him a rabbit to eat, which he ate clean.
But it was so small, not even enough to fill a tooth gap, so he had the urge to tease her again:
"This is the best cooking I've ever had in my life, and I'll probably never forget it. Could I have another one?"
Jiang Shuifu did not respond, so he continued to plead, but she still did not respond.
"Don't call me that. You're being too perfunctory. Who knows who you're calling? I have a name. Why should I eat my roasted rabbit if you look down on me like that? He Beiqing!"
The moment those three words were uttered, the relationship between the two changed imperceptibly, and they ceased their overt and covert confrontations.
However, she didn't know that after hearing her answer to Shen Jizhao, his eyes remained as dark as night.
That night, the mountain path was worn into ruts by countless footsteps, and the trees quietly stretched out their branches, scratching the faces of travelers who had been tirelessly traveling through wind and rain. Shen Jizhao, who had been on his horse for ten days, was still on horseback.
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Author's Note: Still on the move, my house is about to be robbed, Chen Gouzi...
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