After the Great Yan established the capital of Tianjing, the situation in the court became more and more stable. However, with the Yangtze River as the boundary, the south showed signs of chaos. Four months ago, on the eve of the fall of the An Dynasty, the two Empress Dowagers and Empress Xiajiang took the young Crown Prince Liu Ying to the palace in Luoyang to seek refuge.
In the eighth month of the same year, the six-year-old Liu Ying was crowned Emperor in Luoyang. The neighboring counties all responded, while Emperor Chongzhen, who was trapped in Tianjing, was unknowingly 'abdicated'. The next month, the army sent by Emperor Yan arrived at Luoyang. It took them three days to break through the city. The two Empress Dowagers and Empress Xiajiang once again took the young Emperor and fled for Fujian.
A hundred thousand Yan soldiers split into two groups. One group chased them south, while the other group followed closely behind. The flames of war burned from Luoyang all the way to Jiangnan. In the face of the experienced Great Yan cavalry, the soldiers of the Imperial Guards couldn't withstand a single blow, let alone the volunteer army that had just been assembled. The remnants of the previous dynasty were defeated again and again until they surrendered without a fight. The young Emperor and Empress Dowager Xia Jiang also disappeared in the chaos of the war. The two Empress Dowagers Rui and Xue were captured and escorted back to the capital.
At the end of the tenth month, Emperor Yan conferred the title of Empress to the world. Not long after the conferring ceremony, the imperial envoy Guan Yu returned from Luoyang, escorting more than ten prison wagons to the capital. The prisoners were all remnants of the Imperial Guards, including Rui and Xue.
Emperor Yan didn't blame them for the escape of the young Emperor and his mother. When he received the memorial from Guan Yu for the Southern Conquering General Ma Penghui and the other generals, he approved it that night. The next morning, Guan Yu was appointed as the Minister of Justice, a scholar of the Hall of Martial Heroes, and a member of the Cabinet. Ma Penghui was conferred the title of Count Yong Yi, a hundred taels of gold, and a Ferghana horse. The others were rewarded according to their merits.
Guan Yu became the favorite of the Emperor. After the court, he was targeted by a group of people. For no other reason. This new scholar had just turned thirty this year. He wasn't young, but he was handsome and gentle. His wife died of illness when he was young, leaving him with only a daughter. He had no parents, and no brothers. He was indeed a good son-in-law.
The Emperor had been conferred the Empress. All the ministers in the imperial court had the idea of forming a marriage alliance. Whoever had a son or daughter, they would strike first to gain the upper hand. Thus, the morning assembly began. Guan Yu was surrounded by many people, congratulating him and trying to get close to him.
Yu Shu and Xue Rui naturally wouldn't join in on the fun, nor did they need to curry favor with anyone. The two of them chatted as they walked out of Taiji Hall. When passing by this group of people, Yu Shu turned around and glanced at Guan Yu. Seeing his appearance, he immediately guessed what these people were planning and couldn't help but smile.
Xue Rui saw her laughing at Guan Yu's pretty face and coughed. He said, "Don't be fooled by his scholarly and upright appearance. In reality, he is very cunning. When I led troops to take down Dingzhou, he was actually very cunning. This fellow followed behind and took advantage of the situation. He didn't even see a drop of blood, but he was able to gain military merits from the battle reports that were sent back to the capital. This time, he had also used flowery words to coax the emperor into sending him south as an imperial envoy. Following behind Ma Penghui to steal merits, he actually managed to sneak into the cabinet. "
Hearing this, Yu Shu knew there was an exaggeration in his words. If Guan Yu was really so unbearable, he would have taken action long ago to get rid of him. How could he allow someone to curry favor in front of the Yan Emperor? She didn't expose Xue Rui. Instead, she said, "This person has the looks of a peach blossom. Before long, trouble will come knocking on his door. Just wait and see."
Xue Rui was amused. Only now did he know that her smile just now was a sign of schadenfreude and nothing else.
.....
The two of them chatted and laughed as they left the Palace doors. Xue Rui could ride a sedan chair in the Palace, but he was more willing to accompany her a bit longer. How could he not treasure the day and night companionship he had obtained after so much hardship?
Today, Xue Rui had asked her to go out for a stroll in the afternoon. He didn't say where. He only told her to dress more comfortably and that he would go pick her up. Speaking of which, although they were engaged, one was busy writing books and the other was busy reorganizing the Celestial Commissioner. They didn't even have the time to date.
When Yu Shu returned home, she first had someone prepare hot water. After eating a bowl of nourishing Yulu soup, she went to take a bath. She only needed to sit in the bathtub and there would be servants to wash her hair, wipe her back, and massage her hands and feet. At this time of year, there was a fire dragon burning on the ground, so she didn't feel cold. In the early years, she wasn't used to having people serve her. But after she reached a high position, this habit slowly changed. It was really that she was tired enough outside. If she couldn't enjoy herself at home, then what was the use of working so hard to earn wealth and splendor?
"When I go out later, I'll find some light clothes." She ordered. The servant outside the bathroom door responded and turned to find Sister Xin 'er, who was in charge of the clothes.
When Yu Shu came out of the bath, she put on a woolen coat and returned to the bedroom through the small door. Xin 'er had already tidied up the new clothes for this season. Even the boots and accessories were matched and placed in front of her.
Yu Shu was not afraid of the cold this winter. It had snowed lightly the day before yesterday, and the sun had risen in the past two days. Yu Shu could withstand the cold but not the heat, so she asked the maidservants to put away her long fur coat and cloak. She picked out a set of green embroidered cotton linings with dark jade-colored flowers. The sleeves were trimmed with a black fox fur coat, and the cuffs were lined with a jade-green pleated long skirt. The skirt reached her heels, and revealed a pair of thick black gold boots. She hung a string of crystal tassels around her waist, and that was it.
After smoking and drying her hair, she sat in front of the makeup mirror to do her makeup. She tied her hair into a peach bun and wore a popular sable hairpin flower with two agate hairpins. Her skin was white and didn't need to be powdered. She used a thin layer of rouge to dye her cheeks and a little bit on her lips. The most amazing thing was that pair of willow-shaped eyebrows that didn't need to be decorated. The center of her eyebrows was decorated with gold foil. When she looked in the mirror, she was a beautiful woman with skin of ice and bones of jade. She didn't dare to say anything else.
"Miss, your eyebrows are so beautiful. It's a pity that you always draw them thick and sharp," Lin 'er skillfully did her makeup and muttered. Seeing Xin' er frown at her, she didn't dare to say anything else. There were many rumors outside that their miss was a disfigured and unattractive woman. In fact, the scar between her eyebrows was not ugly. It was just that the miss liked to use cinnabar paste to paint it into an eye-catching firework. She insisted on drawing a pair of masculine eyebrows, which made people afraid to look at her face directly.
Yu Shu looked in the mirror and also felt that she was prettier than usual. She looked more like a woman. However, she had no choice. She was the head of the Celestial Commissioner, a first-rank minister who was above everyone else. If she walked in the imperial court with this delicate and easily bullied appearance, how could she talk about prestige?
"Send someone to the front to see if Prince Ping's carriage has arrived." She stood up with the help of her maidservant and paced back and forth in the room twice. She slowed down her pace, which made her look like a lady from a noble family.
After a while, a reply came from outside the door. Prince Ping had arrived and was waiting in the living room. Yu Shu picked Little Kui to follow her. She didn't bring many people and went straight to the front yard. When she walked outside the living room, she heard people talking and laughing inside. One of them was Xue Rui. The other was Yu Xiu.
"Hahaha. Then that Zhao Da was scared and thought that he was really lame. He cried and shouted that he didn't dare to do it anymore. He begged for mercy with tears and snot all over his face. That's why I pulled out the hidden needle in his leg and let him go this time. I'm sure he won't dare to go to other medical centers to extort people. "
"You did the right thing. This kind of villain who bullies the weak and fears the strong must be made to suffer the consequences of his actions. He won't harm people in the future. "
Yu Shu stood behind the door for a while. When she heard them chatting happily, she couldn't help but smile and walked in. "What are you talking about?"
Xue Rui turned around and saw her new look. His heart palpitated. Other people wore red and yellow in winter to look warm, but she was the only one who wore such a cold color. She was equally suitable and had a very graceful demeanor. It was rare to see such a delicate look, and it made his heart melt.
When Yu Shu saw his passionate gaze, she knew that her makeup was correct. She glanced at him and turned to her younger brother. "Why did you come back so early today?"
Yu Xiu grinned. "Hu Tian 'er asked me to accompany him to pick out a birthday gift for his little sister in the afternoon, so father let me go home first. I happened to meet Your Highness at the door, so I will entertain the guest for you. Hehe. "
Thanks to Yu Shu, Papa Hu was not removed from his position and banished from his family. He was still working as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites. It was a pity that his father-in-law Guo Huai 'an, the Chancellor of the Supreme Court, had his heart set on becoming an official and was unwilling to stay in the court. Remembering their past friendship, Xue Rui begged the Emperor of Yan to allow him to retire and was not punished.
"You are going out, right? Then quickly go." Yu Xiu got up and walked out. When he passed by Yu Shu, he winked at her with his back facing Xue Rui. He turned back and said, "Your Highness, don't forget what we just said. When you have time, you will take me to the outskirts to ride horses and hunt."
Xue Rui agreed. He waited until Xue Rui could no longer be seen before he said to Yu Shu, "Did you tell him everything?" Xiaoxiu was a bit repulsed by his new identity. Today, he acted out of character and became close to him. It was clear that he knew something.
Yu Shu's tone was helpless. "Who let this brat not forget his Big Brother Xue? If I don't tell him, he will think that I am a heartless person."
"You sister and brother are both people who value relationships." Xue Rui went forward to hold her hand and looked down at her eyes. He turned to the side to block the view outside the living room and gently pecked between her eyebrows.
"A Shu looks good no matter what."
Yu Shu poked his chin with a finger and pushed his face away. The corners of her eyes and mouth were full of smiles. "Where are we going?"
"Let's go for a walk." Xue Rui kept her in suspense and pulled her along as they walked outside. Yu Shu tried to pull her hand away but failed, so she just let him be. When the servants on duty in the front courtyard saw this, most of them secretly smiled and turned their backs to avoid making the pair feel uncomfortable.
Xue Rui brought her all the way to the front of the carriage and supported her waist to get on the carriage. The curtains of the carriage were drawn down, and only then did he reveal his thoughts. "At that time, I had to use the name of brother and sister to get close to you and meet you in secret. I have waited for so long, but I can finally walk next to you openly. "
Yu Shu felt a trace of sadness from his words. She held his arm and leaned on his shoulder. She softly responded, "I have also been looking forward to this day."
Xue Rui was satisfied and no longer lamented the past. He turned to talk about marriage with her, "Our wedding date is set for the twelfth month. In another half a month, the wang fu will be ready and the Ministry of Rites will send the betrothal gifts. That is the grace of the Emperor. Because the national treasury is empty, it won't be too rich. Don't feel wronged, I will give you another one later."
Yu Shu heard this and raised her head, reminding him, "Didn't you give me your share a long time ago?" When they parted five years ago, he had solemnly given her all of his wealth as a betrothal gift. Wang Ji Lou was his blood, sweat, and tears. That fifty thousand taels of gold was his wealth. He could give everything for her, she didn't have to feel wronged.
.....
The two of them sat in the carriage, going from the north of the city to the south, stopping and walking along the way. Xue Rui said that he would take her out for a stroll, but it wasn't aimlessly, but to revisit old places. First, they went to Autumn Osmanthus Square, the street where they reunited after they parted in Yi Yang.
"You had a fortune-telling stall outside this teahouse, do you still remember?" Xue Rui sat in the carriage, pointing at the old teahouse across the street.
"Of course I remember," Yu Shu thought of it, angry and amused, "That day I was humiliated, you saw it all, and you pretended not to know me. Really hateful. "
Xue Rui shook his head. He pointed at a seat at the bottom of the teahouse and told her, "Then you definitely don't know about it. Because I saw you being bullied, I investigated the gangs that collect rent on this street and dug out their backer. I taught them a good lesson and helped you vent your anger."
"Ah?" Yu Shu hadn't heard him mention it.
Xue Rui let the coachman continue to go south. Soon, they arrived at another place that Yu Shu was familiar with. There was an alley on Huixing Street, and there was a small courtyard in the alley, which was the first place she settled in the capital. At that time, she, Xiaoxiu, Jing Chen, and she lived together. And Xia Jiangmin lived under the same roof.
The carriage stopped by the roadside, and Xue Rui and she got out of the carriage and walked forward. There were ordinary people living nearby, and suddenly they saw a man and a woman dressed in brocade clothes appear at the intersection. They all looked at them.
Xue Rui and Yu Shu didn't care about the eyes of others, and walked past the crowded places. When they were about to reach the entrance of the alley, Xue Rui suddenly stopped, and Yu Shu walked past him two steps, looking back at him. "What's wrong?"
Xue Rui faintly said, "You must not know, during the time you lived here, every time I sent you to the entrance of the alley, I would see you disappear. I had to see you disappear before I was willing to leave. I always hoped that you would look back at me. "At that time, her heart belonged to someone else. She avoided him, and if it wasn't for his perseverance, how could she wait for her to look back?
Yu Shu was stunned, and from his short words, she could feel his disappointment and loneliness that day. Her heart trembled, and she blurted out to him, "Isn't it simple? Just stand there and don't move."
As she spoke, she retreated. She turned her back and took a step forward, then turned her head to look at him. Then, she turned her back and took another step forward, then turned her head to look at him. She continued like this until his face was full of smiles, so bright that it was not even as bright as the setting sun.
After leaving Huixing Street, Xue Rui took her to the old residence where the siblings and Zhao Hui's family lived in the south of the city. They went to the Qiongyu Building of the Twin Suns Association on the Spring Lan River. They went to the Jade Lion Lake, where they went boating in the summer. Of course, there was also the Wangji Building, where they pledged their love.
Everytime they went to a place, he could tell her something she didn't know, which made her feel moved and distressed. She was waiting for him, and more for his sincerity.
When night fell, the carriage stopped in front of the Dingbo Hall. After dark, the temperature suddenly dropped. Xue Rui tied a cloak for her to keep out the cold, and led her into the inner courtyard. Zhong Bo was waiting for them to come back. When he saw Yu Shu, he bowed and greeted: "I haven't seen you for a long time, how are you?"
Yu Shu nodded to him, and said in a pleasant tone: "Zhong Bo has worked hard to take care of wangye these days."
Zhong Bo smiled, "It's not hard, it's not hard, it's this old servant's duty. The garden is ready with food and wine, wangye and miss, please go. " Looking at their figures walking hand in hand, he looked very gratified. He could watch the eldest young master start a family in place of the dead master, which could be considered as repaying the kindness.
The garden of the Dingbo Hall was different. There was a natural lake here, and the lake was very deep. On the lake, there was a stone bridge that was more than thirty feet long. Because the bridge was engraved with hundreds of birds flying, every night, the quiet lake would reflect the bright starry sky. The whole bridge was like it was built on the Milky Way, so it was jokingly called the Magpie Bridge.
Unfortunately, there were few stars tonight, and there were no lights on the bridge. The lake was dark, so they couldn't see the beautiful scenery of the magpie bridge flying in the sky.
In the waterside pavilion by the lake, there was a table of exquisite food and wine. There was a fire in the four corners to warm them, and two bamboo curtains hung down, blocking the east wind, so people didn't feel cold at all. With the silver moon accompanying it, it added a lot of interest.
"I propose a toast to my eldest brother. I wish you good health and success in your dreams." Yu Shu filled the cup and offered it to Xue Rui.
Xue Rui held her wrist, but didn't take the cup. His eyes flickered, and he said embarrassedly, "Although I like to hear you call me eldest brother, it's not intimate enough, and it'll be even more inappropriate when we're husband and wife. Can you change the way you address me?"
Yu Shu was deeply in love with him, so she went along with him, "Then what should I call you?"
Xue Rui pretended to raise his head and thought for a while, then he said in distress, "Now that I've changed my name, it's not appropriate for you to call me Chengbi."
"Then should I call you by your current name? Shining? "
Xue Rui shook his head, "This is the name my birth mother gave me, so I can't help but feel sad. I don't want you to call me by this name. Why don't you give me another courtesy name? "
"How can I do that?" Yu Shu didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she heard his nonsensical words, "Isn't this nonsense? Courtesy names are bestowed by elders. How can you just randomly give it to someone else?"
Unexpectedly, Xue Rui was serious. His expression didn't look like he was joking at all. "My name is nothing more than a title to me, and it gives me no sense of belonging. You're the closest person to me in this world. You know my background, understand my past, and will accompany me for the rest of my life. I hope to have a mark with a different meaning, to be branded on my body, so that I'll never forget who I am no matter what. Ah Shu, can you give it to me? "
Yu Shu was silent for a long time. She freed a hand and dipped it into the wine in the cup, writing stroke by stroke on the table in front of him. She joked, "You know that I haven't read much, and that I'm a commoner who can't even read a few words, yet you insist on making things difficult for me. Since you've given it to me, you can't change it even if you don't like it. "
Xue Rui stared unblinkingly at her fingertips as she wrote a word neatly on the table. When he saw this word clearly, his frown relaxed, and a smile bloomed on his face. His dark eyes lit up like fireworks, as bright as the stars.
Yu Shu softly recited, "A gentleman is like jade, like Jin Yu. 'Yu' is a beautiful piece of jade. Big Brother is a man who values relationships and promises, and is wise and brave beyond compare. In my heart, you're the one and only gentleman, my husband. "
The word 'husband' that came out of her mouth was exceptionally pleasing to the ear, and not only did it have a deeper meaning. 'Husband' sounded like 'husband', and was clearly calling her, Yu Shu's husband. It was full of affection, and it was very pleasant to listen to.
"Good, from now on, I'm your husband." Xue Rui held up her wrist and leaned forward to finish the cup of wine before taking away the empty cup. After that, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up from her seat and brought her into his embrace. After that, he turned towards the railing and embraced her flexible waist. He held her hand tightly as he lowered his head and stared at her face with deep affection.
"Do you still remember that year at the Gentleman's Hibiscus Banquet, I jumped into the bottom of the lake to find a hibiscus lantern made of real gold? In order to obtain a golden jade hibiscus, even if I couldn't publicly confess to you, I still had to let you see my true feelings. You definitely don't know, but I'm not a good swimmer. When I jumped in, I only had one thought in my mind — even if I died, I wouldn't give you to anyone else. Fortunately, I did it in the end. "
The emotions that Yu Shu had been accumulating for a day, at this moment, like a crazily rising tide. She didn't know how to express her love. Just as she was about to open her mouth, she saw the dark lake behind him explode with a 'boom', and a dazzling red light burst out. Countless dancing sparks were like meteors, streaking across the silent lake surface. The sky was full of phosphorescence flashing from the opposite shore to the front.
Countless red lotus lanterns were ignited on the lake surface, like a sea of flowers blooming under the moon. The magpie bridge in the middle of the lake appeared out of thin air. It was actually thousands of lanterns on the bridge, spanning across the Milky Way.
The scene was so beautiful that she couldn't bear to blink, and then he stole her lines —
"Life and death are separated, and we have a promise. I only wish to hold your hand and grow old with you. "
"Husband …" (To be continued)
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