Chapter 61

 

Lu Shi Qing was standing three feet away, the corners of his lips were slightly curved, and his slanted phoenix eyes were smiling faintly.

This girl really made a good progress, she actually learned to revisit their old place to yearn for him. It was not a lost for him to go south.

He was secretly satisfied in his heart, but Yuan Ci Xian didn’t hear what his question at all, and just looked at him ecstatically.

Although the moment the war ended, the tight strings in her head were completely loosened, but the thought of wanting to see Lu Shi Qing took root in her heart. Day by day it was not only not decreasing, but grew bigger and bigger. Even when she was angry for his lack of message, she feigned not to care on the surface, and pretended to be in a good mood and came here for an outing, but she still couldn’t deceive herself.

Otherwise, how could she blurt out this place when she was asked where she wanted to go? She had to admit that her desire to see him was so desperate that she urgently needed to go back to their old place to feel at ease.

She was truly captured by him.

On New Year’s Eve, Father asked her why everyone else could die for Great Zhou, and only Lu Shi Qing alone couldn’t.

She didn’t answer at that time, because she herself couldn’t figure it out that with the teaching she had received since she was a child, how could she say such an outrageous thing. It wasn’t until the next day when she heard her brother said “the players itself confuse” before she suddenly realized that the answer was: because she likes him.

Because she liked him, she was selfish, and in this whole world what she cared the most was his life and death.

The rising and setting of sun had nothing to do with her, and the extinction of living things had nothing to do with her. The mountains and rivers were vast, and the heavens and earth were wide, but she only saw him.

Lu Shi Qing changed from a backer into a living person. And this person was now right in front of her eyes, less than three feet away from her, and she wanted to hug him.

Yuan Ci Xian’s eyes became hot, and she rushed out of the small room, ran to him and spread her arms to hug him.

Lu Shi Qing was terrified by this sudden hug, and looked down at her in a daze, but suddenly heard a low sob. She cried whenever she wanted to cry. She buried her head on the side of his neck, tears flowing down heartily, which soon wet his clothes, and said sullenly, “You still know how to come back!”

Lu Shi Qing panicked.

It was true that he went south this time to save the country, but if it wasn’t for the Yuan family, he might not have chosen to do it himself. He always thought that this girl Yuan Ci Xian had a thin face, but in fact she was hard-hearted. Even though he had done what a backer should do for her, it didn’t mean that he could take this opportunity to ask for something, such as asking her to worry about him.

Therefore, on the way back, even though he was so anxious and didn’t take much rest, in order to return to Chang’an as soon as possible to propose marriage to her he didn’t hesitate to blow the wind and eat the dirt every day, but he resisted the urge to send news to her several times.

But he regretted it now.

Lu Shi Qing opened his mouth and closed it again, opened his mouth, and closed it again. The man who was so eloquent in front of the enemy couldn’t utter a single word because of a girl’s tears.

After a long silence, Yuan Ci Xian’s tears all dried up. She recovered from the initial agitation, her arms loosened slightly, then she looked up at him and said sullenly, “Lu Shi Qing, you are so ruthless, you just leave without saying a word, and didn’t send any news on the way back. Now that I’m crying like this, you won’t even give me a hug?”

Lu Shi Qing finally realized that his mind was clogged, and hurriedly stretched out his hand to hug her back. After hugging her, he felt that her waist wrapped in the cotton dress was narrower. It used to be full, but now it felt like it would easily break.

Seeing his dazed expression, Yuan Ci Xian raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and snorted in her heart. Her face was not noticeably thin, so he must have noticed it now.

She sobbed and complained, “Just hug? I shed so many tears, and you didn’t wipe them?” She raised her chin and lowered her eyes to show the tear stain on her face.

It was indeed a weeping beauty, the already wet and misty eyes simply became a pool of water. Lu Shi Qing finally opened his mouth, looked at her and said, “I don’t have a handkerchief.”

If there’s no handkerchief, he won’t wipe it, if there’s no handkerchief, he won’t use his hands. Is he thinking she is dirty again?

Yuan Ci Xian was roaring in her heart, but suddenly she saw Lu Shi Qing tightening the arms around her waist, then lowered his head to her chin, and kissed her.

To be precise, he sucked a drop of her tears that did not fall.

He went on to say: “It can only be wiped like this.”

Yuan Ci Xian’s eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn’t say anything to resist, only closed her eyes obediently, and raised her face as if she wanted him to serve her.

Lu Shi Qing paused for a moment, moved his lips upwards when he got her consent, and continued to kiss her tear stains, moving slowly and meticulously, from the side of her cheeks to below her eyes, and then to the tip of her nose, eyelids, and the center of her brows where there were actually no tears.

Each and every one was like dragonfly touch the watermetaphor for a slight contact, and each and every one seemed to be deeply affectionate.

Through his every kiss, Yuan Ci Xian thought that she was actually misled by Xǔ Ru Qing. Ever since she heard her suggestion, she regarded throwing herself and hugs as a way to take Lu Shi Qing down, so she took the initiative to kisses, or half-pushed when kissed by him.

The desire to conquer him was so deep that it overwhelmed the blushing and heartbeat that should have been there, and also made her forget the crucial point: if she had to started all over again, even if she wanted to curry favor with him, she would never be willing to do this.

She was willing because subconsciously she didn’t regard such intimacy as a sacrifice at all.

After the last kiss between her eyebrows, Lu Shi Qing’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he said hoarsely: “It finished.”

Yuan Ci Xian frowned, continued to close her eyes, and urged him: “No.” After saying that, she pouted her lips as a signal.

Taking advantage of her not being able to see, Lu Shi Qing couldn’t help laughing silently, lowered his head to the tip of her nose again, and then pecked her lips lightly.

That’s it? Yuan Ci Xian opened her eyes, her expression looked sad.

His previous kiss was obviously not like this, what about the kind that go up to the heaven and down to Hades, run like wolf and roar like tiger, topple the mountains and overturn the seas?

Lu Shi Qing glanced below the bamboo building, sighed and said: “Wait for me to go and gouge your brother’s eyes out first.”

Yuan Ci Xian felt a huge wave in her heart, immediately broke free from his arms, turned around and lay on the side of the railing to look down, then saw Yuan Yu covering his eyes with one hand, gesturing upwards with the other hand to signal them to continue, and slowly retreating all the way.

She lifted her face and groaned. She even forgot that brother and mother were also in Furong Garden.

Yuan Ci Xian looked back at Lu Shi Qing, saw him staring at her, and this time she knew how to feel ashamed. She looked up at the sky, straightened the hair on her temple, and then tried to find something to say: “Why did you come to Furong Garden? ”

He replied helplessly: “Because I came to the door to propose marriage, but I found that the woman is not at home.”

“…” Good Heaven, what did she miss.

Yuan Ci Xian hurriedly said: “At home, at home, will be at home immediately, the woman will go home now.” After finished speaking, she broke into run.

Lu Shi Qing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry in his heart, quickly took a few steps and pulled her arm: “Your brother and mother seems to have go back first.” The implication was that she didn’t have a carriage to carry her.

“Alright.” She made a bitter face, always feeling that this step was weird, “Then I will take your carriage and go with you to propose marriage…”

When she got on Lu Shi Qing’s carriage and saw the furnishings inside, Yuan Ci Xian realized that he didn’t seem to have returned home at all. In other word, he rushed all the way to Chang’an, and on the way, he remotely ordered the Lu Mansion to arrange a matchmaker to propose, and then went straight to Shengye Lane.

But she reckoned that this hard-talking boring gourd wouldn’t take the initiative to mention these things, so she leaned next to him and said, “Actually, you can go home first, don’t be in such a hurry, I won’t run away.”

Lu Shi Qing thought that she even sent the jade ring to Diannan, and still said she would not run away, she already flapped her wings and ready to flew away, huh? He sneered and said, “A word once spoken cannot be taken back, I’m just fulfilling my promise.”

Of course he was talking nonsense. How far the distance between Diannan and Chang’an, she was very clear, and he moved so fast that it was like stepping on the wind.

Thinking like this, she said confidently: “The promise is to propose marriage next time we meet again, then you don’t have to come see me forever.”

Lu Shi Qing choked and stopped talking.

Forever not come to see? In her dreams! Only if he’s dead.

When he arrived at the Yuan Mansion in Shengye Lane, Yuan Ci Xian saw a luxurious carriage parked at the gate of the mansion, and there were servants moving stuffs down from the inside. Looking at the front there seemed to be a goose, a lamb, and then a batch of wine, millet, rice, and noodles.

This was the rules of the Great Zhou, and the first of the six wedding rites, where the man present gifts to propose marriage. From the prince down to ninth rank officials, they all had the same regulations.

But Yuan Ci Xian was taken aback, turned back to Lu Shi Qing and asked, “Isn’t this too fast? My father didn’t even say yes, but you rushed to send the gift first?”

He said “oh” lightly: “I’m busy with official errands, so just do it at once. If you don’t agree, let’s talk about it.”

Yuan Ci Xian glanced sideways at him, and when she stepped into the gate of the mansion first, she suddenly heard a dog barking. When she looked up, she saw Xiao Hei gushing out, as if it had smelled one of its kind. Oh no! With a non-human breath, it jumped at one of Lu family’s servant, and went straight to the wild goose in his hand.

The servant couldn’t guard against the sudden attack of such a big black hound, shook his hand, and threw the goose high in fright.

The live goose had its wings tied, so it couldn’t fly anymore, but it actually threw mid-air, and was about to fall into a puddle of mud and become a dead goose.

This was simply trying to mess up the marriage.

Lu Shi Qing gritted his teeth, stepped forward quickly, and stretched out his hands.

With a “poof” sound, the wild goose fell firmly into his arms, and a few goose feathers fell from the sky, which just happened to float on top of his head.

Lu Shi Qing’s face darkened.

Yuan Ci Xian was really his curse, the curse of his life.

All this happened in an instant, Yuan Ci Xian turned around in a daze. After failing to endure it, she burst out laughing, and at the same time, the scene of him falling into the lake and entangled himself with lotus flowers flashed through her head.

Lu Shi Qing glanced at her hatefully, and when he lowered his head again, he saw that Xiao Hei had reached his feet at some point, and was staring longingly at the live goose in his hand.

Dogs and geese shouldn’t have feelings for each other…

He swallowed hard, and hugged the goose even tighter, and then heard a voice saying loudly: “Not afraid of dog, not afraid of dirty smell. Very good, Assistant Minister Lu, it can be counted as you barely passed my test. Please come in.”

Lu Shi Qing raised his head and looked at Yuan Yu who was smiling in the distance, and said with restraint, “Thank you, General Yuan.”

Yuan Yu waved his hand: “You’re welcome, because you want to call me big brother-in-law so much, of course I should take more care of you.” While speaking, he emphasized the word “big”.

Lu Shi Qing was really irked by this annoying seniority, but when a man stands under eaves, he has to lowered his head a person often has to concede when they’re in a disadvantaged position, so he gave him a slight nod, walked stiffly around Xiao Hei, and handed the live goose back to the servant.

Yuan Ci Xian was about to go forward to help him remove the bird feathers on his head, but Yuan Yu called out: “Ci Xian, your surname is Yuan, come here.”

She had no choice but to give Lu Shi Qing a coquettish smile, and then followed her brother.

The matchmaker had already discussed the marriage with Yuan Yi Zhi and Feng shi in the central hall, saying how extraordinary Lu Shi Qing is and what a rare young talent he is.

According to the rules, Yuan Ci Xian should not show her face, but she was really curious about the result, so she wanted to eavesdrop. It’s a pity that even though she was as shrewd as her father, and her stealthy skills could be used anywhere else, right now she was sent back to her room by the servants as soon as she reached the back window. It was only after everyone in the central hall dispersed that she was able to inquire about the result.

Shi Cui was the first that came to report to her: “Young lady, it’s done, your marriage with Assistant Minister Lu is done!”

This scene was like winning the Zhengyuan’s spot.

Yuan Ci Xian asked: “What did my father and mother say?”

“They agreed to let Lu Shi Qing make the marriage arrangement first, and then sent people to calculate the birth chart of you and him, to divine the good and bad fortune. But this matter seems to be too hasty, so the exact date of the marriage will be discussed later.”

This divination was actually the second step of the six rites, and it should be calculated when Lu Shi Qing visits the door again. But Yuan Yi Zhi had already stayed in Chang’an for more than a month this time, and Diannan had just facing a war, afraid he didn’t have that much time to delay, so he simply complied with Lu Shi Qing’s wishes and the two rites were combined together.

Yuan Ci Xian said “Oh”, thinking that the result must be auspicious, nodded thoughtfully, and asked, “Where is Lu Shi Qing?”

Lu Shi Qing was already outside the gate of Yuan Mansion. Yuan Yi Zhi followed him into the carriage, and saw him handing over the crescent-shaped imperial jade.

There were too many people just now, and Lu Shi Qing didn’t have a chance to hand it over to him. Before leaving, he gave him a meaningful look and he came.

“Although in the end it was not use, thank you for borrowing this to Lu.” Lu Shi Qing said after handing over the jade.

Yuan Yi Zhi said expressionlessly: “It’s all for Ci Xian. If you’re really grateful, keep your mouth shut to her, including her brother and mother. They don’t know about this piece of jade.”

Lu Shi Qing lowered his eyes and smiled: “Lu understands.”

Yuan Yi Zhi nodded and got off the carriage. Lu Shi Qing also became more tactful, and no longer turned back to search for Yuan Ci Xian, and asked the coachman to go to Yongxing Lane. Once he arrived at the Lu Mansion, he ordered Cao An to take the birth chart of the two people, and go to the divination first to ask for good luck.

This divination was originally supposed to be handed over to Xuan shi, and Cao An didn’t understand why he was so impatient. After he receiving the order, he didn’t return until dusk, and handed him a note with a solemn face.

Lu Shi Qing probably knew the result by looking at his expression, opened the note and saw the word “inauspicious (凶)” on it.

Cao An explained: “Master, this servant is not playing tricks and calculated divination four times in a row for you, but unexpectedly all the hexagrams are inauspicious. Judging from this birth chart, Lancang County Princess is really not a good match for you.”

Lu Shi Qing smiled faintly, he put the note on the oil lamp at the side, lit it up with the fire, then pulled another piece of paper, picked up a brush and dipped it in ink, wrote stroke by stroke: horizontal (一), vertical (丨), horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal.

After a while, he handed the rewritten note to Cao An: “There is no left-falling (丿) and dot (丶) in my life with her, there is only horizontal and vertical, take it to the Yuan family.”

 

TN: it’s about Chinese character strokes, in the word in “inauspicious (凶)” there are left-falling (丿) and dot (丶) strokes. But LSQ rewrite it into “auspicious (吉)” which only has horizontal (一), vertical (丨) strokes.

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