Chasing Rainbows

Chapter 35

Before I could even straighten up, I heard him chuckle and suddenly push me back down onto the bed. His lips brushed against my earlobe: "Wu Bao, what are you doing up so early?" Uh, so ambiguous, but I was used to his ambiguity. I reached down and touched him with mischievous intent, and sure enough, he was quite aroused. Before my hand could withdraw, he pressed it against that hot and hard spot. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he whispered, "Only once last night, not enough. I didn't want to disturb you while you were asleep, and I finally waited until you woke up..." A tingling sensation ran through my body, even reaching my heart. I couldn't stand his deep voice anymore; whenever he spoke like that in my ear, I couldn't help but snuggle closer.

He tormented me for a long time, until I was completely exhausted and unable to speak coherently, while he himself was panting heavily. After he finished, he sat up, cleaned me up, and then sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed). I lay wearily on his lap and said weakly, "Yi Ge, aren't you tired? Aren't you afraid of not getting anything out of it?"

He gently stroked my bare shoulders and back and said, "Did you hear what the villagers were saying?"

I shook my head: "No, I ate something bad a couple of days ago and threw up. Some older women asked if I was pregnant. It's a pity they don't know this land is barren and nothing can grow here. It's a shame you water the land so often."

He gently twirled my hair with his fingers: "Hmm, I love watering the fields, is that not allowed? I only care about watering, not about the harvest."

I laughed and pinched his waist: "The ground is going to flood, everyone's going to drown."

His hand slid down the lines of my shoulder and back: "Don't you like it? But I can't help myself when I see you, what am I going to do? It's a good thing you can't get pregnant, otherwise I'd be dying of thirst."

I pinched him again: "You really are something now, you'll say anything."

He chuckled softly without saying a word, only continuing to stroke my hair, when suddenly he blurted out, "Wanwan resting on my lap, how could she not be pitiful? That's exactly what they mean by you, isn't it? I'm captivated just looking at you."

I jumped up: "Ah, Yi Ge, you can write poetry? I never would have imagined you would say something like that when we first got married."

He chuckled softly: "I will change too, but only in a way that you like."

He hugged me tightly: "I just want to be happy with you, and I hope you are happy with me too. You don't know, right after we got married, I always thought that one day I could be like this, with you lying on my lap, and I could stroke your silky hair and skin and talk to you."

My eyes welled up with tears, and I threw myself into his arms.

With the help of Dazhi and the others, the mother-in-law's remains were quickly removed.

Yi Ge said, "Let's not delay any longer, let's go straight there."

We returned to Lingnan at the end of August, and the restoration of the Ghost Palace was proceeding smoothly. As expected, the beautiful father had secured the mining rights to the gold mine in Nandan, and within a short time, he had found a vein connecting to the gold mine here.

My mother-in-law's grave was built next to the graves of the old palace master and the palace master. On the day it was completed, my father-in-law sat there for a whole day.

A few days later, we went to say goodbye to him, but he had a smile on his face: "Go on, you still have a few years to travel. I am already satisfied."

After leaving Qushui, I asked Yi Ge, "Where are we going?"

Without hesitation, he said, "Let's go back to Duwang Village first."

I was a little surprised, but I figured I could go wherever he wanted. What was strange was that he usually asked for my opinion, but this time he made the decision on his own.

Without me asking, he spoke up himself: "Yesterday, I wasn't giving up, so I went to ask Aunt Qin again if she knew if the Ghost Palace had any 'Chasing Rainbows' among its collections. She said she didn't know of any 'Chasing Rainbows,' but she knew that when the Holy Maiden came of age, the old palace master gave her a knife, which was placed in the side hall of the Crimson Demon Hall after the Holy Maiden left. However, during the recent restoration of the old site, the Crimson Demon Hall was completely overturned, but we didn't see the knife. On the day the palace was destroyed, the Holy Maiden entered the side hall of the Crimson Demon Hall. There were many martial artists surrounding the hall at that time, so the Holy Maiden probably just picked it up as a weapon. I asked her what the knife looked like, and she said the blade was bluish-gray, a little over two feet long, and the handle was about three feet long. I think if Mother had 'Chasing Rainbows,' it should be in the old house in the village."

I asked with some doubt, "The old house isn't that big, and we've already cleaned it up, haven't we? There aren't any weapons inside. If they really are with your mother, did she teach you how to use a sword when you were learning martial arts?"

He shook his head: "I did teach some things. When we were practicing the Chasing Light Sword, we used a wooden sword. I also taught a sword technique, but I taught it with a wood-chopping knife. I even said that whittling a wooden knife was too much trouble, and a wood-chopping knife is still a knife."

After a moment, he added, "Perhaps there are still places we haven't looked for, like the kang (heated brick bed) or something, so let's go back to the village first, okay?"

We returned to Duwang Village, and Yi Ge told the villagers he wanted to renovate the old house. So the two of us spent all day inside, hammering and tinkering. We even cleaned and repaired the kang (a heated brick bed), and wiped the roof beams. Yi Ge then actually started repairing the house, replacing the roof tiles and replacing the damaged beams. The village is surrounded by mountains, so cutting down a beam shouldn't be difficult. However, the knife we were looking for was nowhere to be found.

The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and I was adding firewood while Yi Ge was cooking.

After frying a plate of eggs, Yi Ge placed it on the stove and said, "I couldn't find a knife, but I did manage to repair the house. That's good. Now only the kitchen is left. How about we take it apart and fix it up tomorrow?"

I stuffed a long piece of firewood into the stove hole, but it was too long, so I picked up the wood-chopping knife next to me and chopped it in two. After throwing both pieces of firewood into the stove hole, I blew on the wood-chopping knife in my hand: "This wood-chopping knife looks rusty, but it's pretty sharp. I don't even have to use any force."

While continuing to stir-fry the mushrooms, Yi Ge chimed in, "It's pretty fast. This knife must be about twenty years old. It's very efficient at chopping wood. I've never sharpened it, and I don't think I've ever seen my mother sharpen it either. Before it rusted, it was also dark and dull."

At this point, he suddenly stopped what he was doing, paused for a moment, then quickened his pace. After a plate of stir-fried mushrooms was ready, he walked over to me and said, "Wu Bao, let me take a look at this knife."

When he said that, I looked down at the knife. It seemed a bit different from ordinary woodcutting knives; it was slightly larger, and the curve of the back and the hook also seemed more pronounced. The handle, where it met the hilt, was neither iron nor quite iron, but a bluish-gray color, with very fine cloud patterns at both ends. Could there really be such a finely crafted woodcutting knife?

Yi Ge searched the kitchen without saying a word, found a whetstone by the water vat, scooped up a spoonful of water with a gourd ladle, and sat down next to me. I silently handed him the knife. He rolled up his sleeves and began to sharpen it vigorously.

The kitchen was very quiet, except for the "whoosh" of him sharpening his knife.

Rust seeped out, so I splashed some water on the knife. The area where Yi Ge had rubbed away the rust revealed a small patch of bluish-gray.

When the woodcutter's knife was fully revealed, my eyes widened. The knife was actually a pale blue-green color, and the blade was broad and extremely thin, without a single nick or nick. The back of the blade was about two-tenths of an inch wide, gradually thinning towards the tip from the handle. But the handle was only a little over a foot long, nowhere near the three feet Aunt Qin had described.

Yi Ge stood up, his eyes glancing towards the firewood storage area behind me, where some shovels and sticks stood in the corner. He suddenly reached for a fire poker, comparing it to the handle of a knife. A slight smile played on his lips. "How could I not have noticed that our fire poker is made of rosewood?" he said. The fire poker was over three feet long, one end completely blackened, but the unblackened parts had a faint golden hue, somewhat resembling Yi Ge's skin. The tip, in particular, was quite rounded.

Yi Ge removed the short wooden handle, trimmed the fire poker, and inserted it into the knife handle; it fit perfectly. He then tapped the metal at the handle a little, and it was a perfect fit.

It certainly no longer resembled a wood-chopping knife.

But could it be a rainbow chaser? There don't seem to be any markings on it.

Yi Ge examined the knife closely and suddenly said that there seemed to be an inscription on the back of the blade, but it was not clear.

I said, "There's an inscription? Then we can just make a rubbing of it and take a look, right?"

With just a piece of paper and a stone, the inscription was easily copied. After examining it for a while, Yi Ge's face suddenly lit up with excitement: "Wu Bao, it really is." I had just leaned over to take a look. The characters were a bit flamboyant and not very big, but I could still make out that they were the two characters "Zhu Hong".

We've experienced firsthand what it means to search high and low without finding it, and then to discover a hidden gem after a long and fruitless search. Joy? Shock? I can't quite describe my feelings, but I couldn't hide my smile. I jumped up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and gave him a big kiss.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

As we kissed, my heart raced, and he whispered in my ear, "I feel like watering the soil again." He swallowed my words, "I haven't eaten yet."

When I woke up the next day, I saw Yi Ge packing his bags. I sat up and asked, "What are you doing? Are you going out?"

He turned around: "That's right, we're leaving today, back to the capital. The knife is for the Prince."

I put on my coat and said, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

He came over and kissed me lightly: "Go back to the capital and have the imperial physician take a look."

My expression darkened slightly: "Actually, you still want children."

He pulled me onto his lap and said, "I was afraid you'd be anxious. Last night, when I wanted you, you cried and said you didn't know what kind of seedlings would grow in this field. Wubao, I can't bear to see you cry."

Last night, we were so excited that we made love several times, and I've long forgotten what we said. But he remembers it all.

The village road was deserted. Yi Ge tightened his cloak around me and said, "Autumn is here. We're heading north, and it'll get cold."

I leaned back against him, feeling relaxed, and my heart was filled with warmth.

I dreamed that returning to Beijing would bring a completely different life.

Yi Ge shook the reins, and the horse began to trot, faster and faster. My hair tangled and intertwined with his in the autumn wind. I couldn't help but smile. Ah, the bond of hair—that's how husband and wife are, intertwined for a lifetime.

The End

Author's Note: This concludes the main story. There are a few extra chapters. They will be posted next week.

Thank you to all my friends who have supported me along the way.

Yi Ge's Side Story: Holding Hands with His Son

As Fang Yong approached the main gate of the Princess's residence, he heard a commotion inside. The shrill voice of Eunuch Jing was particularly prominent: "Miss, Miss, slow down! This is your father's sword! You can't take it! You can't lift it!" A childish voice retorted without backing down, "Qian'er can lift it, she can lift it!" Then a woman's voice cried out, "Miss, be careful, be careful!" Eunuch Jing added, "Fang Yong, close the side door. Don't let the young lady out."

I couldn't help but shake my head and smile. I could imagine the chaos behind that gate. As long as she was there, this mansion was always in turmoil.

The side door wasn't bolted, so even if it were closed, I could open it with a push. With a creak, the chaos inside temporarily subsided. Immediately, a cheerful yet shrill cry rang out: "Daddy!" A small, red figure stumbled towards me, dragging something along behind her with a clanging sound. Upon closer inspection, it was my sword. This was my three-year-old daughter, Yao Yiqian.

Uncle Tan said he had never seen such a mischievous girl. But when he said this, his face was full of doting affection.

My father also said that this daughter is very lively and adorable. Her personality is unlike mine; it must be like Wu Bao's. But my mother-in-law and father-in-law both said that Wu Bao wasn't naughty at all when she was little.

Actually, she's so mischievous because she's spoiled by her grandparents. She only behaves a little when she's around me.

I bent down and picked her up. She looked like me, but thankfully her skin was inherited from Wu Bao, and it was very fair.

She wrapped her little arms around my neck, her soft little body pressed close to me: "Daddy, Daddy, you're back. Qian'er missed you so much."

I tossed her up in the air, which elicited her silvery laughter.

I scanned the area, but didn't see that familiar slender figure. I'd already messaged her; she should know I'd be back today.

"Qian'er, where is your mother?"

"Mother is sick and needs to sleep."

Her soft, sweet voice reached my ears, and my heart skipped a beat: "How could she be sick? What's wrong?"

Chunman stepped out of the sedan chair hall: "Oh dear, Miss. The princess isn't sick, she's just experiencing morning sickness. Prince Consort, the princess was diagnosed yesterday with pregnancy again."

My face must have been beaming with joy, because I saw smiles on everyone's faces in the hall.

Only Qian'er was still asking me, "Daddy, what is morning sickness? If morning sickness kills you, won't you cry?"

Everyone laughed. Chunman took her from my arms and said, "Miss, this morning sickness is actually a good thing. It means you'll have a little brother or sister. Do you prefer a little brother or a little sister?"

Qian'er tilted her head and asked, "Is it up to me to choose?"

Chunman choked back tears: "No, it's too late to choose now."

Qian'er pouted and said, "Then why ask me? It doesn't matter if it's a younger brother or sister. But next time you have to tell me first so I can choose in advance."

Everyone laughed again.

Oh, my darling, even I, your father, couldn't choose. Even you are a wonderful surprise for your father and mother.

Four years ago, we found Zhu Hong in Duwang Village and returned to the capital. Because we were in a hurry, when we passed through Yuncheng, Wu Bao said she wanted to see the imperial physician there first. She also wanted to tell her uncle about the newly found Zhu Hong. Legend has it that she was a gift from Yunyang to Nandan.

This inspection revealed two pleasant surprises.

Regarding Wu Bao's injuries, the imperial physician said that the princess had a good constitution, and the injuries weren't too severe or directly to the center, so treatment wouldn't be difficult. Moreover, examining her pulse revealed that she had likely taken some conditioning medicine beforehand. He prescribed some more to continue, and within six months to two years, the princess would definitely be able to conceive normally. I then remembered that Doctor He had also prescribed some conditioning medicine. For the first month or so, Wu Bao drank the herbal decoction under my supervision, but later, due to the many affairs at the Ghost Palace, I returned late and didn't supervise her. She must have told Chun Man that she was better and didn't need to drink it anymore.

And this knife... My uncle even had someone search through old palace records. It turns out this knife wasn't a typical martial arts knife; it was once the knife used by Qiao Xiding, the most valiant general of Yunyang, on the battlefield. No wonder it had such a long hilt. However, the knife was forged by the unparalleled craftsman Zhou Yimo, who was skilled at sword forging, but only this one knife survived. Therefore, it can be considered a national treasure. After Qiao Xiding's death, none of his descendants joined the army. Later, the Qiao family was convicted of embezzlement, and the knife went into the national treasury. It was later presented as a gift to Emperor Jingming of Nandan, who was famous for his bravery and skill in battle.

Wu Bao hesitated for a moment, saying that this sword was originally a battle sword, not a martial arts sword, and wondered if it would be appropriate to give it to her brother. I replied that it was appropriate. King Huaiyi currently commands a quarter of the Northern Di's army and has the demeanor of a famous general. Giving him this sword would be most suitable.

As expected, King Huaiyi was overjoyed when he received the sword. He said that he had recently been appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Northwest Army and was thinking about what weapon he needed for mounted combat. This was the most suitable weapon for him, and he could also integrate his martial arts into mounted combat.

The imperial physicians, perhaps understanding Wu Bao's temperament, prepared dozens of doses of pills for her before she left Yun City, so she had no excuse to skip taking her medicine. Actually, I also enjoyed feeding her the herbal decoction; I loved seeing her eyes slightly closed and her eyelashes trembling.

I returned to the Northern Barbarians and continued to serve as the Right General of the Thousand Ox Guards. Occasionally, His Majesty would send me to the Northwest to deliver messages or something.

Qian'er's arrival was indeed unexpected.

On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month of the following year, Wu Bao's nineteenth birthday, I decided to take her on a spring outing, just the two of us, to spend the night in the countryside. Chun Man and Grandpa Jing didn't come along, but they had prepared everything perfectly for us. Wu Bao, being playful, saw some newly formed raspberries on the wild vines in the woods and insisted on picking them. The raspberries were bright red and glossy, very appealing, and tasted quite sweet; she picked and ate a lot. That night, however, she felt a bit nauseous. Seeing her vomit so much that she brought up bile, I became quite worried, fearing she had eaten something bad. I carried her and rushed to the home of a young man in the town that very night, ordering him to take Wu Bao's pulse. The man trembled for a long time before daring to take her pulse, and after taking it for a while, he dared not utter a sound. I urged him several times before he finally said in a panic, "It seems... it seems it's not an illness, she's pregnant."

I was stunned. I realized that immense joy could also leave a person speechless.

We didn't even go on a spring outing after that, and went straight back to the capital. But I didn't dare take her horseback riding anymore, so I hired a carriage in town, suppressed my eagerness, and slowly made our way back to the capital.

Upon returning home, I immediately summoned the imperial physician to examine Wu Bao, and she was indeed two months pregnant. This was less than six months after our visit to Yuncheng. It seems my diligent watering of the fields has indeed paid off.

When Qian'er was a little over six months old, we returned to Qushui to show her to her father and Uncle Tan. The Ghost Palace had been rebuilt, still on the original site, but the entrance had changed. It was now hidden in the mountains of Qushui by a protective array. Even the martial arts group who had come to dig for treasure last time would probably have a hard time finding the entrance again. Uncle Tan often praised her father for his intelligence and resourcefulness, and it was indeed true. I still have much to learn.

I returned to Jihong Pavilion.

Since returning to the manor four years ago, Wu Bao and I have no longer lived apart. She likes Ji Hong Pavilion, so I follow her lead.

Wentaoxuan became my study, and now it has become Qian'er's residence. But Qian'er is still young, and she spends most of her time with us.