Chapter 121 Extra Story – This Life – Happy Reunion (Finale)

 

Upon hearing the sound, Yuan Ci Xian could already guess what was going on. She followed behind Zheng Hong, looked at the gate from a distance, and saw that it was her elder brother who was blown up by the firecrackers.

The one covering her ears and hiding behind him was not much better. Her golden Huihu outfit was stained with dusty powder, and instantly became dirty.

The one behind was Princess Jia Hu.

She wiped her face, stomped the soles of her shoes resentfully, and retorted at Yuan Yu: “Isn’t it just the firecrackers that went wrong? Why are you so fierce! But which bastard told you that my surname is Jia? It’s been so many years but you still can’t remember, my surname is ‘Yaglakar’!”

Yuan Yu’s ears were painful from her yelling, so he stretched out his hand to press her chin, wiped off a little ash stain on it, and said, “Who are you yelling at! How many years has it been? Can’t remember, you are now the ‘Yuan Yaglakar’ shi!”

When everyone stopped abruptly behind the little emperor, what they saw was this scene of a pair of husband and wife scolding each other.

The two quarreled without realizing anyone else. Zheng Hong didn’t speak, so the rest of the people couldn’t speak, but Yuan Shu was used to being spoiled and didn’t care about her Brother Majesty, so she happily called them both: “Uncle, aunt! ”

Both of them were startled, immediately turned their heads, and glanced at the situation. When they saw the emperor with his hand behind his back, who had a calm and unconcerned demeanor, they felt their legs weaken. They went to hold each other’s hand, and used each other’s strength to stabilize themselves.

The scene was very frightening.

Zheng Hong suddenly let out a laugh, and said, “General Yuan, has the lack of war in Diannan and the peace in the four regions made your body weak?”

Yuan Yu hurriedly waved his hand and assured him he was fine, then pulled Jia Hu to salute him.

Seeing this, Yuan Ci Xian smiled secretly at Lu Shi Qing.

Speaking of her brother and sister-in-law, it could be said to be a marriage bestowed by heaven.

Back then when Huihu won the war, Xuan shi and Lu Shuang Yu returned to the capital together, but there was actually another person in the team, that was Jia Hu. As soon as she entered Chang’an, she ran to Yuan Mansion in Shengye Lane, anxious to find her “daughter” Da Bai and several “grandchildren” of dogs. She was worried that the dogs were miserable, so she went to Great Zhou to have a look.

It turned out that everything was fine with the dogs, and the puppies born to Da Bai and Xiao Hei were either white and fat, or black and fat. Jia Hu was relieved and planned to go back, but unexpectedly, it happened to be the time when the court purged the remnant of Ping Prince’s faction.

Great Zhou was devastated at that time, fugitives were running around, and the surrounding areas were not safe. The court was worried for her going back alone with such a sensitive identity, and if she was taken advantage of, it would be bad. Lu Shi Qing suggested that the little emperor temporarily arrange a place for her to stay, and send her back when the storm had passes.

It was during this time that Jia Hu, who had no relatives or friends in the capital, could only find Yuan Yu to play with the dogs. It was unknown what kind of game she was playing, but one day, she suddenly came to Lu Mansion in Yongxing Lane to look for Yuan Ci Xian like a thief, and asked her about her former sister-in-law.

The so-called family ugliness should not be publicized, Yuan Ci Xian naturally could not tell the whole story. She just said that Jiang Bi Rou was weak and sick, so she passed away early, and did not leave any descendant for the Yuan family.

But Jia Hu was also very clever and had found some clues, saying that she heard Jiang shi passed away outside the city, and that she had reconciled with Yuan Yu before she passed away. Therefore, Yuan Yu could not be said to be a widower in the strict sense.

When Yuan Ci Xian heard that she had found out all these things, she saw through her mind and asked: “Princess, do you want to be my sister-in-law?”

Jia Hu tugged the hem of her skirt in front of her, then she paused and asked: “Yeah, do you think it’s okay with my look?”

No one would think that it’s not okay. The Princess of Huihu Khan that was like a treasure, marrying a widowed general who was idle and powerless in the Great Zhou, it was considered marrying low. Now without the resistance from the previous emperor, this marriage was also possible.

But Yuan Ci Xian felt that the most important thing was brother’s intention.

Jia Hu was full of confidence when she heard the words, saying that it was nothing.

Then she did what she said, and borrowed from Yuan Ci Xian’s method of taking down Lu Shi Qing. She stayed in Chang’an for three full months and refused to leave, always pestering Yuan Yu. One time, when everyone played polo together, she asked Yuan Ci Xian to help by knocking her off the horse with a slingshot, which then forced Yuan Yu to save her in his arms.

Yuan Yu’s heart was not made of wood and stone. After three months, what should be moved had also been moved. It was just that he was betrayed by his childhood sweetheart before, which left a knot in his heart and made him feel disillusioned with women. And secondly, he was a man who had a main wife before, and he though Jia Hu would be wronged if she followed him, so he hesitated to open up.

Until finally, Jia Hu took an extreme measure and spread a fake news from the Khan, saying that the royal court had arranged a marriage for her, and the prospective groom was a famous general in the court. If Yuan Yu really didn’t want her, she could only obey her father’s arrangement.

Yuan Yu thought in his heart that it was better than following him, so he just asked her to go.

So the next day, she set off to leave the capital, deliberately not giving him a chance to think, and seemed to fly on the road. In the end, at the border of Great Zhou, Yuan Yu, who was out of breath, caught up with her.

He rode on a tall horse, panting heavily, and shouted at her in the convoy from a distance: “Surname Jia, don’t harm another general with your clumsy tricks, lest the Huihu won’t win the war in the future! You… you should marry me!” After saying that, he got off the horse and waited for her answer.

Jia Hu rushed to him and hugged him, and said happily: “Okay, okay, but don’t worry, our Huihu will win the fight. The general I told you is in his fifties, he’s old but still vigorous!”

“…” Yuan Yu realized that he had been tricked, pushed her away and said angrily, “Go, go, a man in his fifties is just suitable for a thief like you!”

Jia Hu refused to leave, saying that so many of her guards heard him proposed, if he took back his words, where would she put her old face.

Yuan Yu had no choice but to drag her back to Chang’an.

About half a year later, the situation in the imperial court stabilized a bit. Yuan Yu married Jia Hu, and then the couple went to Yaozhou in Diannan together, where they lived with Yuan Yi Zhi and Feng shi, and about a year later, a little dark-skinned fat baby girl was born.

At that time, the old king of Nanzhao was in power. He cooperated with the imperial court to capture his son, established a friendly relationship with Great Zhou, and there was no war for a long time. But the new Great Zhou was as fragile as a newborn baby. Yuan Yi Zhi’s heart of guarding the border and defending the country did not allow him to relax, so the family still stayed in the southwest. This time, it was because of the second little master Lu Yuan Ting that they specially came to gather.

However, Yuan Ci Xian thought that according to the current momentum of Great Zhou’s prosperity, in two more years, her father should be able to let go of Diannan and came back to retire.

Everyone stood in front of the gate for a while, and then followed the young emperor to re-enter the mansion.

Yuan Ci Xian stayed behind to talk to her brother and sister-in-law, and asked why his father and mother hadn’t arrived yet.

Yuan Yu explained that on their journey, their mother heard that Old Lady Lu was asking for divination sign for Yuan Ting in Guanghua Temple, so she went to have a look. Father thought that the weather would be cold, and worried for her to go alone, so he went with her.

Not long after, a pair of in-laws came back together talking and laughing. When they saw the emperor, they couldn’t help being surprised, and hurriedly apologized that they didn’t know His Majesty’s presence, so please forgive the late arrival.

Seeing that the room was full of people standing still, Zheng Hong was a little unhappy, and said: “Zhen is not here to spoil the fun. Outside, we maintain the proper distinction between ruler and subjects. But after coming to Teacher’s house, is it possible to treat Zhen not as the emperor for a day?”

Lu Shi Qing smiled, and said that he would not be stiff, letting His Majesty to relax for a day.

So the whole family enjoyed themselves and celebrated little Yuan Ting’s hundredth-day banquet. At first, they were a bit reserved, but later they truly stopped treating Zheng Hong like a revered Buddha. The house was filled with lively pairs, and they all shared a joyful reunion dinner with laughter filling the room.

After the banquet was over and the sun was warm in the afternoon, Zheng Hong proposed to play Wumu in the garden.

Everyone accompanied, Lu Shi Qing and Yuan Ci Xian were on one side, Dou Azhang and Lu Shuang Yu were on one side, Yuan Yu and Jia Hu were on one side. After the pairs were settled, they asked His Majesty whom he want to be pair with.

Zheng Hong thought for a while, then grabbed little Yuan Shu who was about to go take a nap.

At the table, several people took turns tossing five pieces of wood together, while listening to Zheng Hong say: “Teacher, besides celebrating Yuan Ting’s hundredth day, I do have something else I want to tell you.”

Next to him were all his own family, Lu Shi Qing asked him to speak directly.

He said: “I want to move the capital of Great Zhou to Luoyang.”

Everyone was surprised. Lu Shuang Yu and Jia Hu instinctively looked at little Yuan Shu, thinking that His Majesty really fell in love with the little girl, and ready to move for little beauty?

On the contrary, Lu Shi Qing was very calm and did not show any surprise, instead he asked: “Tell me the reason.”

Zheng Hong said in a frank manner: “In Chang’an, the original Northwest nobles have taken root deeply, and the aristocratic families are very domineering. The purpose of moving the capital to Luoyang is one to please officials from Northeast and to balance the court. Second, the area of ​​Chang’an is now more and more susceptible to drought, and there is always a shortage of grain every year. It’s not a long-term solution to supply grain from other places, and it costs a lot of money. If it changed to Luoyang, it will be many times more convenient with the help of complex network of rivers and canals here. This time I am here, I also plan to go to the nearby rivers to have a look. If it is feasible, I will plan this matter. Teacher, what do you think?”

Lu Shi Qing smiled lightly, showing some relief, and said affirmatively, “You can go ahead.”

Lu Shuang Yu and Jia Hu looked at each other and touched their noses quietly. Oh, it was just their married women’s imagination.

However, did His Majesty really not mean that?

Looking at Yuan Shu who dozed off due to sleepiness, leaning her body on Zheng Hong’s arm, the two fell into deep thought.

In the end, Zheng Hong saw that Yuan Shu couldn’t hold her eyelids, waved his hand and said to dispersed, and then led her to take a nap like a good brother.

Yuan Ci Xian stared secretly from the back, making sure that the young emperor hadn’t entered Yuan Shu’s boudoir before she was relieved. On the way back, she ran into Yuan Zhen holding a book of military tactics, trying to find Yuan Yi Zhi. Probably after finally catching his grandfather, this kid wanted to humbly ask for advice.

She felt good. Although she and Lu Shi Qing could also teach the art of war, they were not as experienced as her father. For the children of the Lu family, even though their father retired and went into seclusion, they couldn’t afford to settle for bare minimum. If there was a storm in the coming days, it would need to rely on their shoulder to carry the burden.

It happened that Yuan Ci Xian also wanted to talk to her father and mother, so she went with her son, but when she arrived at Yuan Yi Zhi’s guest house and was about to knock on the door, she suddenly heard a long sigh from inside.

She stopped subconsciously.

Yuan Zhen was also clever. Seeing his mother like this, he immediately fell silent, not even breathing too loud.

Yuan Ci Xian found it strange, on such a happy day when they had a big reunion, how there was a sigh inside, so she lowered her body and listened quietly.

Then, she heard her mother say: “This morning I went to Guanghua Temple with our in-law. Seeing her wholeheartedly believing in divination, I remembered that incident again. At the beginning, Zishu and Ci Xian made an inauspicious divination, but the in-law still didn’t know about it. I feel very uncomfortable looking at it, I always feel sorry for her…”

Yuan Ci Xian’s breathing stagnant, and then heard her father say: “Back then, because of this inauspicious divination, I wanted to postpone the marriage, but who knew that Zishu still insisted on. The late Emperor was so impatient, when we meet our in-law again, the wood had become a boat, Yuan Zhen and Yuan Shu were both born, what else can we do? Don’t be obsessed with those things, it’s been so many years. Look, Zishu is doing well, how can he be subdued by Ci Xian?”

Yuan Ci Xian’s hand resting by the door trembled slightly, making a slight sound. Immediately there was a low voice from inside: “Who is it?”

Seeing this, Yuan Zhen hurriedly gestured to his mother, signaling her to run.

She nodded, with an expression “I leave it to you”, and quickly slipped away.

When Yuan Yi came out to take a look, Yuan Zhen was the only one left outside.

Yuan Ci Xian ran in a hurry, not paying attention to the corner ahead, her head buzzing with her parents’ conversation just now. With a loud “bang,” she bumped into the person coming from the other side.

Fortunately, it was not someone else, just Lu Shi Qing.

Seeing that she was not a child anymore but still behaving recklessly in front of him, he promptly caught her and held onto her shoulder, looking behind her and asked, “Is there a ghost chasing you?”

Yuan Ci Xian opened her mouth but didn’t answer, remembering what she heard just now, her eyes flickered.

She thought she probably understood. Her birth chart was originally should subdued Lu Shi Qing’s. After all, in the previous life, he died young because of her, and in this life, he was also stabbed because of her.

But fortunately, that birth chart had been invalidated.

From the moment she dreamed of her past life, it was equivalent to relive a life. Her fate number changed, and Lu Shi Qing’s fate number also changed.

But even knowing that her fate couldn’t subdued Lu Shi Qing this time, she still wanted to cry.

Because Lu Shi Qing didn’t know anything when he insisted on marrying her.

Heavens gave him an inauspicious divination, but he still went against heavens to marry her.

She suddenly opened her arms and hugged him tightly.

Lu Shi Qing lowered his head and asked her what happened.

She shook her head and said it was fine, then swallowed back her tears, and said with a smile: “Lu Zishu, I will be your lucky star for the rest of your life.”

Lu Shi Qing was baffled, and before he could think about it, she said again: “Let’s go to Guanghua Temple tomorrow.”

He asked for what.

She said seriously: “I want to thank Heavens.”

Lu Shi Qing wanted to retort, whether to go or not, thanking Heavens could be done at home too. However, the next morning, Yuan Ci Xian still found a way to drag him out of bed.

He could only sigh and get dressed, and went to the temple with her.

On the fifth day of Second month, spring was warming up, and the incense in Guanghua Temple was strong, there were crowds of people coming and going.

Yuan Ci Xian thanked Heavens, thanked the Buddha, and thanked all eighteen generations of ancestors before she was willing to come out. Lu Shi Qing originally wanted to do it perfunctory, but seeing her being so pious, it was actually interesting, so he followed her to worship a few times, and finally squeezed out of Guanghua Temple against the crowd. But then he saw her suddenly stopped walking and turned around.

Yuan Ci Xian turned her head, stared at a nun who was walking towards the Buddhist hall along the crowd, and asked Lu Shi Qing: “Do you think that person is…?”

Lu Shi Qing followed her gaze, frowned slightly, and was about to speak when she broke free from his hand and said, “Wait for me at the temple gate.” She then re-entered the temple.

Yuan Ci Xian hurried forward, caught up with the person, and said, “Female master, please wait!”

The nun froze when she heard this, and stopped in place, but she just lowered her head and did not respond.

Seeing her stop, Yuan Ci Xian slowed down, followed slowly, and then walked around in front of her. The moment she saw her face clearly, her heart surged.

It was really Shaohe.

When Zheng Zhuo rescued Zheng Hong, he also rescued Shaohe and Empress Liang together. Empress Liang was firmly established as the empress dowager of Great Zhou, but Shaohe had no identity and no face to return to the capital, so she left without saying a word.

No one knew where she went, and Nanzhao never cared about her life or death.

Yuan Ci Xian once guessed that she was a person who obeyed her fate, maybe she went to Dunhuang just like in the previous life.

But never thought that she would see her here today.

Shaohe lowered her head, still didn’t look up at her, raised her clapped palms, and asked as if meeting a stranger: “What advice does the benefactor have?”

Yuan Ci Xian didn’t want to exchange fake formalities with her, hesitated a little, and said bluntly “… Shaohe, how have you been all these years?”

Seemingly because of her straightforward attitude, Shaohe finally raised her head, put down her clapped palms, and replied lightly: “County Princess is concerned, I am fine.”

Yuan Ci Xian thought, Shaohe didn’t have a child at all, so how could she be fine being all alone, and only people who look to the Buddha could enjoy such purity.

After many years, she didn’t want to blame Shaohe for Zheng Zhuo’s death, and even if she wanted to, she didn’t know how to say it.

Thousands of words were suppressed, Yuan Ci Xian chose not to mention it, and just said: “It’s good. Are you coming to Guanghua Temple to chant scriptures today?”

Shaohe smiled faintly and nodded: “In my previous life, when I went to Dunhuang, I recited scriptures for Prime Minister Lu for four years. Now that I think of it, I want to recite for Sixth Brother for four years. Maybe…” She paused here, then lowered her eyes, “Maybe he can have a perfect life in another world. Today is the last day of four years.”

Yuan Ci Xian choked up, she was silent for a while, then finally laughed.

Whether true or not, living people should always have a beautiful thought.

She said: “That’s good.”

Shaohe nodded to her as farewell, then turned and walked towards the Buddhist Hall.

Yuan Ci Xian watched her go away, and slowly walked towards the gate of the temple. The things from the past filling her head, and she was full of thoughts for a while. Just when she felt emotional, she suddenly heard a slightly panicked voice: “Yuan Ci Xian…”

She looked up suddenly, and saw a huge black dog standing one foot away from Lu Shi Qing in front of the temple gate. And he was holding on to the temple pillar stiffly, it was unknown how long he had been confronted by it before she came.

“…”

Seeing the fear in Lu Shi Qing’s eyes as if facing an enemy, Yuan Ci Xian suddenly lost all sentimental thoughts. She ran up and stood in front of him with great righteousness, then turned her head and said firmly: “You go first, I’ll cover your retreat!”

—————(End of the story)——————

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TN: It’s finally finished 🥳! The story is more lighthearted than other novels (well except for the ending), and even more… lewd 😏. I even considering putting ‘smut’ tag on it, but there was actually no explicit content in it. Over and over again I wonder how this novel could pass. The site where this novel is published is usually very strict, especially with more mature content. Many novels have its chapters “locked” if it deemed not suitable, and readers can no longer access that chapter unless the author changed the part that was considered unsuitable. Amazingly there’s no “lock” chapter in this novel. All I can say is the author is very clever with her wording.