He Yan was still in a daze when they boarded the carriage to leave the palace.
Fei Nu was an honest person. She silently drove the carriage while the young man sat beside her. The jade pendant in her hand was originally cold to the touch. Now that she held it tightly, it seemed to be burning hot.
Xiao Jue's gaze fell on her hand. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Do you want to crush it?"
He Yan's strength was trained by throwing stone weights in the martial arts field. Crushing a walnut with her bare hands was not a problem. It was not impossible for her to crush this piece of jade. She was startled and unconsciously spread her hands. She did not know what to do.
This was a dual-colored jade bestowed by the Empress Dowager. One was given to Xiao Jing and the other to Xiao Jue. It was rumored that it was the family heirloom of the Xiao family. Lin Shuanghe said that this jade pendant never left Xiao Jue's side. She had once stolen it when she was drunk in the Liangzhou Guards. Knowing that it was a rare item, she returned it to Xiao Jue. She did not expect that after so many twists and turns, it would still end up in her hands.
He Yan had never received such a valuable gift. She hesitated and said, "Governor … this is not appropriate for me, is it?"
Xiao Jue took the snake-patterned black jade from her hand. He lowered his head and removed the tassel from He Yan's waist and replaced it with this piece of black jade. His movements were gentle and his expression was careful. His tone was clear and light. "Big Brother gave his piece to Sister-in-law. Since you and I are engaged, I should give it to you."
Engagement …
He Yan's face turned red again.
The words that Xiao Jue had said to her in that abandoned side palace just now, she simply couldn't think about it. If she thought about it, she would feel like she had secretly seen fireworks for the first time after the New Year's Eve dinner. "Boom!" The fireworks flew into the sky and turned into countless dazzling stars in the sky. Even when she lay on the bed at night, she could not fall asleep. She would always remember the beauty of that moment.
He Yan tried to stop herself from thinking about it. She asked, "Are we going back to Xiao Manor now?"
Hearing the word "back", Xiao Jue curled his lips and said, "To your home."
"My home?"
"You're a woman," Xiao Jue lowered her eyes, "No one knew that you lived in the Xiao mansion before, but after today, someone will definitely investigate the He family. If you live in my residence, there will be gossip. "
He didn't care about what other people thought, but He Yan couldn't, and neither could He Sui and He Yunsheng. Nowadays, men and women were not as clear-cut as in the previous dynasty, but if word got out that she was living in another man's residence before she was married, it would not be good for He Yan.
"Right." He Yan nodded. When she thought about returning to the He Family, she felt another headache. He Yunsheng had repeatedly urged her to immediately resign. Now, not only did she not resign, she was also promoted to nobility. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about the woman's identity being exposed. But for He Sui and He Yunsheng, it should be a big shock.
"Don't worry." Xiao Jue seemed to have seen through her worries and reminded her, "During the celebration banquet, there were already people who went to congratulate the He family in advance. Your father and younger brother should already know. "
He Yan felt relieved.
He Sui and He Yunsheng indeed already knew.
Not long ago, He Yunsheng was still reading in his room. He Sui came back from her employer's home and took some water to take a bath. Qing Mei had just finished washing their clothes when she heard someone knocking on the door.
Their street was filled with people who did small business, and they weren't rich. It was already so late, and all the houses were closed. Qing Mei was a girl, after all. He Sui took an oil lamp and went to open the door. He Yunsheng was worried that something might happen, so he also closed the door and put on an outer robe to follow his father.
Who knew that when the door opened, there would be a long line of people outside. They were all dressed as palace servants. He Yunsheng's heart skipped a beat. He only thought, could it be that something happened to He Yan? Her official position of "Mu An Lang" came easily, but it wasn't a long-term plan. Once the matter was exposed, she was afraid that she would suffer a disaster.
He Sui was also confused. He Yunsheng didn't tell his father that He Yan had been promoted because he was afraid that he would worry. He Sui only thought that it could be that the Fan Family came to cause trouble again. He immediately asked, "Officials, this is …"
"Congratulations to Old Master He, congratulations to Old Master He!" The head servant's face was full of joy as he ordered people to carry the box behind him into the courtyard. "Old Master He raised a good daughter. Lady He is a woman who doesn't lose out to men. Previously, in the battle of Jiyang and the battle of Rundu to defend the city, His Majesty conferred Lady He the title of Marquis Wu An and bestowed a marriage. I think that General Fengyun will soon come to visit, so I congratulate you in advance!"
He Yunsheng sucked in a breath of cold air.
This street wasn't very wide. Once night fell, people could clearly hear who was beating their children or quarreling with each other. These eunuchs' formation was too big, so the neighbors had already heard the commotion. Some hid behind their doors and peeked out through the cracks of their doors, while others simply opened their doors to watch the commotion. They didn't mind the commotion. At this moment, the eunuchs rattled on. Everyone didn't quite understand, but they were clear about one thing. The eldest daughter of the He Family didn't die. Not only did she not die, but she also didn't confer an official position and was bestowed a marriage?!
He Sui only knew that He Yan had returned to the capital. Because of his inconvenient identity, he temporarily stayed at a friend's house. He Sui thought that He Yan had become a deserter, so he didn't dare to say anything. Now, all of these matters were so confusing that he didn't know where to start asking.
However, He Yunsheng was quick-witted. When he heard the eunuchs say "daughter", he knew that He Yan's identity as a woman couldn't be hidden anymore. However, these people also said that His Majesty had rewarded him. Did they not intend to pursue He Yan's crime of deceiving the Emperor? This was rather surprising, but He Yunsheng didn't have time to be happy about this at this moment. He only asked, "Official? You said that my sister was bestowed a marriage? May I ask which family she was bestowed a marriage with? "
He Sui also came back to his senses at this time. Mu An Lang and Marquis Wu An weren't the most important things. How could his daughter be betrothed as soon as she returned home? He, as her father, hadn't said anything yet. How could she casually find someone she didn't know about and marry him? He had heard of meat pies falling from the sky, but he had never heard of a son-in-law falling from the sky!
"Master He, don't worry. I said that General Fengyun will be here soon." The eunuchs crossed his arms and smiled.
"… You mean," He Yunsheng said in disbelief, "General Fengyun?"
"That's right!"
At this moment, the sound of a carriage galloping could be heard not far away. Everyone looked towards the end of the street and saw a gorgeous carriage coming through the night. The person driving the horse was a tall imperial bodyguard. At first glance, he was different from ordinary imperial bodyguards. Just by looking at his face, he was more handsome.
The eunuchs smiled and said, "Aren't they here now?"
The carriage stopped in front of the He family's house. At this time, the neighbors all got the news. In the middle of the night, they put on their clothes and climbed out of their beds to see the noble. They saw a man and a woman coming down from the carriage. The woman was He Yan. She grew up on this street. All the neighbors watched He Yan grow up. Today, she was wearing men's clothing. Her hair was casually scattered and her face was washed clean. She looked clean and beautiful. She had a heroic spirit that wasn't seen before. There were young men in the prime of their lives who were a little dazed. They thought that the eldest daughter of the He family was beautiful, but she wasn't beautiful to this extent. Now, she was a little dazzling.
And the young man who helped her out of the carriage and stood beside her made the young ladies and young women on this street blush. This young man was also wearing an official's uniform. With a handsome appearance, it was obvious that he was a noble from the palace. In this shabby corner of their place, he was simply like a shining gem.
When the eunuchs saw Xiao Jue, they hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Military Governor Xiao, Marquis Wu An greets you."
It was unknown which stupid neighbor shouted, "Military Governor Xiao, this is Old He's son-in-law, Military Governor Xiao!"
"Military Governor Xiao, is he really that General Fengyun?"
"Where, where? I also want to see, I also want to see! "
He Yan: "…"
Xiao Jue had become a rare animal here. Everyone wanted to see her. The eunuchs also smiled, "Military Governor, I have already brought your message. I will return to the palace now." Then, he looked at He Sui, who was still in great shock and hadn't recovered yet. He felt a little disdainful in his heart. Why did he choose such a family? Look at this father-in-law, he was just a boorish martial artist. He didn't even know to invite the people who were on duty to come in for a cup of tea. He was really a country bumpkin.
The next moment, Fei Nu consciously stepped forward and said that he had worked hard. He gave a piece of silver to each of the eunuchs present today. The head eunuchs weighed the extraordinarily heavy cloth bag in his hand and felt satisfied. Forget it. Although the country bumpkin was insensible, his son-in-law was generous and took good care of people. When he returned to the palace, he should say a few good words about him in front of the Emperor!
He Sui finally recovered and welcomed Xiao Jue and the others into the house. He Yunsheng pushed out the neighbors who wanted to enter their house to continue watching Xiao Jue. "It's too late today. Another day, another day. Aunties, uncles and aunts, come another day. Go back and rest. "After saying that, he closed the door with force. With his back against the door, he breathed a sigh of relief and ran into the hall.
All the lamps in the room were lit, but other than the lamp that He Yunsheng used to read at night, which had more oil, there were only three oil lamps in the other rooms, and one of them had run out of oil. Qing Mei rummaged for a long time before she found some broken tea leaves. She quickly made some tea and handed it to Xiao Jue.
He Sui still felt that he was dreaming.
He looked at He Yan, "Yan Yan …" He was speechless.
"Yunsheng, didn't you tell Father?" He Yan asked curiously.
He Yunsheng said impatiently, "If I told Father, how could he stay at home peacefully for so many days? He would have come looking for you a long time ago."
Tsk, she did not tell him. He Yan was in a dilemma. How should she tell him? She knew that He Sui would not be able to accept what she did at Jiyang Rundu. That was why she threw this hot potato to He Yunsheng. Now that He Yunsheng didn't lay the groundwork for her, she didn't dare to say anything else.
Xiao Jue glanced at him, "Let me say it."
The two men from the He Family were shocked.
Now that He Yan had given them a sum of money, the He Family's house was not leaky. It looked like a proper house, but it could not escape the word "simple". He Yan was one thing, after all, he had always grown up in this room. But Xiao Jue sitting in this room was really out of place. He Sui felt that his own rattan chair, which was so rough that even the barbs had not been polished clean, had tarnished this young master's exquisite robes.
Fortunately, this young master did not have any opinions about their shabby house. He also did not dislike the weak tea made from the dregs of the tea leaves. He did not have any patience on his face. He calmly told him how He Yan joined the army in Liangzhou and how he became Marquis Wu An and Mu An Lang.
He Sui was shocked and frightened. There were a few times when he picked up the teacup and gulped down the tea to calm himself down. He Yan thought that there was no need for him to go into such detail.
After Xiao Jue finished explaining, He Yunsheng and He Sui finally understood. So He Yan, who had hit the jackpot, had now become the first female Marquis since the founding of the Great Wei Empire?
"But …" He Sui still felt that something was wrong. However, today's shocking news came one after another. He could not accept it properly and could not think of anything for a while. He could only look at He Yan and then at Xiao Jue.
Which family's daughter could be like his daughter? She went out, killed people, gained merit, became an official, and even brought back a man. Originally, when He Yan was infatuated with Fan Cheng, He Sui looked down on Fan Cheng. He thought that Fan Cheng was a young master who only knew how to squander money because of his family background. At first glance, he could tell that he was not someone who lived a peaceful life. His daughter had been pampered by him since she was young. If she married into Fan Family, she would suffer a lot. Although Fan Cheng did not take He Yan as his official wife.
Later, He Yan almost lost her life for Fan Cheng. After she woke up, she gradually forgot about Fan Cheng. He Sui was very happy. He only thought that after a few days, he would ask a matchmaker to help him find a suitable young man in Yan Jing. Later, He Yan left Shuo Jing and joined the army. He Sui was already prepared that He Yan would not marry, or like him, take in a son-in-law. He did not expect that this time, He Yan did not even give him any leeway and directly let the current Emperor bestow a marriage.
That was the Emperor!
Fortunately, it was not some ugly melon and split dates. He Sui secretly looked at Xiao Jue. Hmm … He had only seen her from afar before, but this was the first time he was looking at her up close. Not to mention other things, he did not know how this child's parents gave birth to her. How could they give birth to such a perfect child? He Sui thought and glanced at He Yunsheng. Suddenly, he looked away in disappointment. Sigh, comparisons are odious.
He Yunsheng was baffled.
He Yan saw that He Sui was staring at Xiao Jue. She was afraid that her father would ask something difficult to answer, so she quickly said, "It's too late today. If you have anything to say, we can talk about it another day." She then turned to Xiao Jue and said, "Eldest Young Master Xiao and Eldest Young Mistress Xiao should have already returned home. They have a lot of questions to ask you. Go back and explain. It's almost dawn." She gave Xiao Jue a look, "Let's go."
He Sui still wanted to ask, "Yan Yan, Father still has questions …"
"If you have questions, I'll answer them." He Yan was anxious. He pulled Xiao Jue up from the chair and pulled him out. Xiao Jue did not struggle. He turned his head and said to He Sui, "Uncle, I'll visit you another day."
He Sui was shocked by the "Uncle". Before he could react, Xiao Jue had already been dragged away by He Yan.
"What did he call me just now?" The old father stood in the room and asked his' inferior 'son.
He Yunsheng disdainfully said, "It's not Father." Previously, when Xiao Jue gave him a horse at the racecourse, He Sui scolded him for being a good-for-nothing. Why didn't he take a look at himself? The word "Uncle" made him feel dizzy.
He was indeed his biological son.
Xiao Jue was dragged out of the house by He Yan. The neighbors who had come to watch the show had already dispersed. After all, it was a late autumn night. Even if they were curious and wanted to see the legendary "General Fengyun", they could not squat in the corner in the cold wind for the entire night.
There was no one on the street. Xiao Jue let her drag him along without struggling. After they were out of the house, He Yan looked around with a guilty conscience. He only let go when he was sure it was safe.
Xiao Jue looked at her calmly and reminded her, "Your actions make it seem like I'm ashamed."
He Yan came back to her senses and laughed. "The people on the street like to watch a show. Governor, I'm sure you don't like to be stared at."
Xiao Jue: "I don't hate it."
He Yan thought, "Who would believe that? This person is usually alone. Now she's saying she doesn't hate it?" A man's mouth was full of lies.
She looked back at the door again. He Yunsheng and He Sui did not chase after them. Qing Mei was obedient and did not make any movements. He Yan sighed in relief.
He Yan felt strange bringing Xiao Jue back. It was mainly because Emperor Wen Xuan's imperial edict was too sudden. He Yan was not prepared for it. She pushed Xiao Jue out. She knew that it was time to say goodbye to Xiao Jue, but she did not know what to say.
When they were in the Liangzhou Guards and in Jiyang, they got along very well. Why was it that when they were in Shuo Capital, she could not say a single word? She had been in the military for a few years and had a glib tongue. However, at this moment, she could only squeeze out two words. "Have a safe trip."
Xiao Jue could not help but laugh.
He Yan asked, "What are you laughing at?"
He bent down slightly so that his eyes were level with He Yan's. He curled his lips and teased her seriously. "Lady He's not as good at lying anymore."
Damn it.
He Yan said vaguely, "I've never lied to you."
Xiao Jue stood up straight and rubbed her head. "It's windy here. You should go back."
He Yan nodded and looked up at him. She did not know why, but she felt a little reluctant. Ever since she joined the military, she had spent a lot of time with Xiao Jue. Now that she was back in Shuo Capital and had regained her identity as a woman, it was impossible for her to spend time with Xiao Jue, let alone spend the night with him.
Xiao Jue seemed to know what she was thinking and said, "Don't worry. I'll come and see you."
He Yan blushed again and replied instinctively, "Yes, I'll come and see you too." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had said. She wanted to knock herself out so that she could muddle through this awkward conversation. He Yan knew that she would make a fool of herself if she stayed any longer. She turned around and said, "Then I'll go now. See you another day, Commander in Chief!"
She went into the house and closed the door.
Xiao Jue stood at the door and looked at the closed door. After a while, he walked towards the carriage that was parked at the corner. Fei Nu skillfully pulled the reins and the carriage left the alley.
The interrogation in the house was not over yet.
Qing Mei did not dare to speak when there were outsiders. Now that there was no one else in the house, Qing Mei hugged her and cried. "Lady, it's great that you're still alive. This servant thought that she would never see you again! Sob, sob, sob, how did you lose so much weight? Did you suffer outside? You must have! "
This girl had also grown up a lot. She was slender and elegant like a blooming flower, but her crybaby character was still the same as before. He Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry. It took him a lot of effort to comfort her. Before He Sui could speak, He Yan said, "Father! I've been tired all day and I'm very sleepy. Can I wash up and sleep first? I'll explain to you tomorrow. "
He Sui loved this daughter of his the most. He Yan would even pluck the stars from the sky for her. When she heard He Yan say that he was tired, her heart ached. She had already forgotten all her doubts and said, "Okay, okay, okay. Yan Yan, go to sleep first. If there's anything else, we can talk about it tomorrow."
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She had to answer the questions one by one. He was afraid that he would not be able to sleep tonight. Besides, she had not thought about how to answer the questions. She still needed to use the night to think about it.
With great difficulty, he managed to coax Qing Mei into smiling through her tears. He Sui sent her away. After He Yan did a simple wash in the courtyard, the moment he returned to his room, he saw the young master of the He Family sitting on a chair, looking like he was about to launch a punitive expedition.
He Yan closed the door behind him. "Yunsheng, are you going to catch a mouse in my room?"
He Yunsheng's face was cold. "I'm not as easy to fool as Father. He Yan, tell me clearly. Why did you marry yourself off for no reason?"
The tone of his words made him sound like an elder brother instead of a younger brother.
"Don't talk nonsense. It was His Majesty who wanted me to marry him." He Yan walked to the edge of the couch and sat down. Although the bed in the He Family was hard, her mattress was made soft by Qing Mei.
He Yunsheng sneered: "You said earlier that you were living in a friend's house. Could it be that you were living in General Fengyun's residence?"
He Yan: "… …" The child had grown up and was not easy to fool.
He Yunsheng was furious: "He Yan!"
"When I lived in his residence, I didn't know that I would be bestowed a marriage." He Yan tried to appease the anxious young master. "Moreover, we didn't live in the same room. What does it matter?"
"You are a woman!"
"Yunsheng, I joined the army before. Did you know that I joined the army? When I was in the Liang Province Guards, my brothers and I all lived in the same bed. There were more than a dozen people on the same bed. For me, it was too pretentious to say that men and women were different. It was impossible for me to do it. "
He Yunsheng was so angry that he almost vomited blood.
The sisters of other families all scrupulously followed etiquette. It was not that He Yunsheng was pedantic. If it was someone else, it would be fine, but it just had to be a Xiao Jue. That kind of family was so outstanding. To put it bluntly, people with eyes would think that the He Family was trying to climb up the social ladder. He Yan's thoughts were simple. What if Xiao Jue or the Xiao family looked down on him because of this?
This world had always been difficult for women. Gossip was a fearful thing!
However, looking at He Yan in front of him yawning indifferently, He Yunsheng's heart softened again.
… … Forget it. It was already very good that he could come back alive. According to Xiao Jue, every war that He Yan participated in was so dangerous. He had suffered so much, so why should he care about other things?
However, the young man was still very concerned about another matter.
He asked: "Since it was bestowed a marriage, does that General Fengyun like you or not?"
He Yan paused.
In his mind, he recalled what Xiao Jue had said in the palace.
It was not fake. The words he said in the palace were not fake. That meant that the "person of his dreams" was real. She lowered her head and looked at the jade pendant on her waist. The giant python on the jade pendant was dangerous and docile. It was entrenched in the clouds like a magnificent dream.
"The moon is yours."
Even after such a long time, these words still sounded so moving. However … …
He Yan suddenly widened his eyes.
How did Xiao Jue know that he was the "moon"?
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