Looking forward to the spring breeze

Chapter 27

55. Wedding Night

Regardless of the rumors circulating, the eldest son of the Shen family continued to "live freely" outside the city, and there was no news from the court about sending him south again. Some suggested that Xu Wei be returned to the army, but this was quickly rejected. No matter how urgent the situation in the south, it couldn't be more important than the palace. Xu Wei had been ordered back to the capital by the late emperor before his death, and less than a year had passed; how could he be easily transferred away?

In the end, General Li personally recommended a sixth-rank captain from the army to lead the expedition. Afterwards, they marched south, encountering several assassination attempts, but escaped each time and arrived safely in the southern border region. At the same time, Shen San was transferred from outside the city to the capital. Although he was not promoted, the number of soldiers under his command increased by nearly a third.

As for Xu Wei, because of his engagement to You Tong, the Grand Princess treated him with exceptional kindness, even in court, she was unusually amiable. Therefore, although the Xu family did not take sides, outsiders perceived them as being on the Grand Princess's side. Xu Wei was helpless but could not explain, only jokingly mentioning it to General Li in private.

Although the two were not formally master and disciple, they were in fact master and disciple. Because Master Xu was promoted by General Li, the two families often visited each other. Xu Wei was intelligent from a young age and was favored by General Li, who raised him under his wing and taught him carefully. Later, Xu Wei became a disciple of Master Baishi, also on the recommendation of General Li.

The two men spoke frankly about court affairs, with General Li even stating that the assassination of General Zhennan was quite suspicious. Xu Wei understood his meaning perfectly well, but shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "I also sent people to investigate in secret, but ultimately found nothing. Without evidence, I cannot make wild guesses."

General Li said, "There's no need for wild speculation about this matter. We only need to see who benefits the most after it's done, and it will be clear. Although the court went too far in discarding those who have served their purpose, how could they possibly do such a thing?" At this point, he shook his head repeatedly.

Xu Wei disagreed, shaking his head and saying, "Although I haven't known the eldest son for very long, we've had some dealings. He's intelligent, decisive, and has a deep understanding of the world. While he can be ruthless at times, he's not a treacherous or cunning person. It's just that this matter is so obvious that everyone thinks the eldest son is greedy for military power and unwilling to relinquish it, which is why they suspect him. If officials in the court think this way, how much more so the imperial family? As a result, the eldest son's reinstatement is even more distant. To be honest, with the eldest son's abilities, if he really wanted to use any underhanded tricks, how could anyone so easily see through them?"

General Li found this quite reasonable, stroked his long beard, frowned, and asked, "So you mean, someone deliberately framed him?"

Xu Wei did not answer directly, but smiled and said, "The eldest son is as astute as ordinary people. How could he not know that his years of operation in the southern border have violated a major taboo of the royal family? Even if the court does not summon him, he will find a way to return to the capital. He must also be aware of the assassination attempt, but he is too lazy to bother with it and just wants to use it to get out of trouble. If he does not back down, the remaining members of the Shen family will not be able to rise to prominence. Why should he hinder the careers of others?"

General Li's eyes flickered slightly, as if he understood the meaning behind Xu Wei's words, and he gave him a serious look. Xu Wei, however, simply smiled and said nothing more.

Seeing this, General Li stopped asking questions and instead jokingly brought up Xu Wei's marriage. Xu Wei immediately perked up again, his joy evident in his eyes. The once eloquent general instantly transformed into an ordinary man.

Mid-month approached quickly, and the wedding date drew ever closer. Both the Xu and Cui families were bustling with activity, with everyone busy preparing and arranging everything. Invitations had already been sent out, and the Cui family, after a final check of the dowry, delivered it to the Xu residence with great fanfare the day before the wedding. A full one hundred and twenty loads of dowry, each box overflowing, drew crowds from all over the capital to witness the spectacle, praising Miss Cui's good fortune.

The wedding followed immediately.

On September 18th, the weather was fine and clear, with a crisp autumn air.

You Tong was woken up before dawn to dress up and put on her new wedding gown. Everyone in the manor was busy, but You Tong was idle, just sitting there letting everyone do whatever they wanted. She had thought she would be very emotional, but at this moment she calmed down, as if everything around her was irrelevant to her.

She had barely eaten anything that morning, and at the auspicious hour, she was groggily stuffed into the bridal sedan chair. Huiying and Huiqiao followed outside, along with about a dozen maids and servants who were part of the dowry. After a burst of lively firecrackers, the sedan chair lifted off, and the large group of people set off in a grand procession towards the Xu residence. The Xu and Cui families were not far apart, but according to the customs of the capital, the wedding procession had to circle half of the city, so this short distance took more than an hour to cover.

Upon arriving at the Xu residence, one finds a completely different scene.

The Xu family was known for its low-key lifestyle. Their residence was even smaller than the Cui family's, consisting of only four courtyards. If it weren't for this lavish betrothal gift, the people of the capital would have no idea of the Xu family's wealth. Because the Xu family didn't usually form cliques and didn't associate with many officials, they only sent invitations to close relatives and friends. Even so, a large number of guests flocked to the residence, making it extremely crowded. Since it was a joyous occasion, Xu Wei would never be so rude as to turn people away. He simply instructed his steward to keep a record of the guests' gifts, intending to return them later.

When the bridal sedan chair arrived at the door, Xu Wei, surrounded by the crowd, kicked open the door. Huiying and Huiqiao then helped Youtong carefully out of the sedan chair. Wearing a bright red wedding dress and an embroidered red veil, with only ten slender fingers visible, she appeared as translucent as white jade amidst the vibrant colors.

Xu Wei was momentarily dazed, staring at her fingertips, unable to move. The onlookers couldn't help but laugh and jeer. Xu Wei then snapped out of his daze, chuckled sheepishly, and stepped forward to take the red ribbon, leading You Tong into the hall.

Master Xu and Madam Xu sat upright at the head of the table, their faces unusually tense. You Tong, being unable to see, focused only on her toes, bowed to heaven and earth according to custom, and was then vaguely led to the bridal chamber.

The noise outside was deafening, but the bridal chamber was quiet. Xu Wei was both eager to greet the guests and worried that You Tong might be hungry. He disregarded all etiquette and quickly lifted the red veil, then ordered the servants to bring some food to fill You Tong's stomach. The maids and nannies who had come with the bride were both amused and delighted to see this. Although it broke the rules, Xu Wei's tenderness was genuine. They had initially worried that Xu Wei was only marrying their young lady because of "Miss Yu," fearing that he wouldn't cherish her. Now, seeing this, they were finally relieved.

After finishing her meal, You Tong wanted to wash her face, but was stopped by the maidservant who came to serve her. The maidservant pleaded with her to wait until she finished drinking the nuptial wine before washing. You Tong couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she sat cross-legged on the bed, motionless. She didn't know how long she sat there; it was already pitch black outside the window before she heard Xu Wei's heavy footsteps.

For no apparent reason, You Tong suddenly became nervous. Her heart was pounding so hard she felt like she might throw up at any moment, and her face was burning hot. She was actually glad she hadn't washed off the makeup, otherwise, it would have been so embarrassing to have her face so red.

Xu Wei had drunk some wine and carried a slight odor. As soon as he approached You Tong, she frowned slightly. Xu Wei immediately noticed and quickly said with a smile, "I'll go take a bath and change my clothes right away." He then gave her a silly grin twice. The maidservant serving nearby was also quick-witted; without waiting for Xu Wei's instructions, she hurried off to prepare hot water.

A short while later, the hot water arrived, and Xu Wei had them place it behind the screen outside. He then took off his outer garments and prepared to bathe. Just as he stood up, he suddenly remembered something and said to the maids and nannies serving him in the room, "You don't need to serve me here anymore. Go back and rest."

The servants looked at each other, momentarily stunned.

Xu Wei was somewhat embarrassed when he saw that they refused to leave, and he didn't know what the problem was. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly realized what was wrong. He quickly took out a bag of loose silver from his purse and gave each of them a small silver ingot. Then he smiled and said, "Thank you all for your hard work today. We'll discuss the rewards tomorrow. Hmm—" He looked at everyone with wide eyes and spoke in a consultative tone, "Can you go now?"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh, even You Tong, who was sitting on the back bed, couldn't help but laugh so hard she was shaking, but she didn't dare to say anything to remind her, her face turning red. It was Hui Ying who couldn't help but speak up, "General, we can't leave now. You and Miss Jiu haven't drunk the nuptial wine yet."

Xu Wei then remembered this incident and blushed with embarrassment. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly. He then secretly glanced back at You Tong and saw that she was laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up. He wasn't annoyed and joined in the laughter.

After being served the nuptial wine by servants, a nanny scattered red dates, longans, peanuts, and chestnuts on the bed and said some auspicious words. Only then did everyone tactfully retreat. However, each person had a teasing smile on their face and exchanged glances, as if everything was understood without words.

Once everyone had gone far away, Xu Wei finally cheered up. He turned around and walked up to You Tong, staring blankly at her without saying a word. You Tong found his dazed look amusing and couldn't help but pinch his arm, saying half-scoldingly and half-annoyedly, "What are you standing there for? Weren't you going to take a bath? If you don't go soon, the water will get cold."

Xu Wei chuckled and agreed, but without turning around, he kept his eyes fixed on her as he backed away. You Tong felt embarrassed by his gaze, blushed, and lowered her head. When she looked up again, she saw that Xu Wei had already retreated to the position behind the screen. She was about to speak to him when it was too late.

With a loud crash, General Xu, who had never stumbled before a thousand troops, stumbled and fell to the ground. You Tong quickly got up to help him, but Xu Wei waved his hands repeatedly, insisting, "No need, no need, I can get up by myself." He then gave You Tong an awkward smile and prepared to get up.

Somehow, his foot tangled in the curtain beside him, causing General Xu, who had just managed to stand up, to stumble forward. He reacted quickly, grabbing at something and regaining his balance. Reassured, he turned to smile at Youtong, only to see her terrified, one hand covering her mouth, the other pointing ahead, too frantic to speak.

Before Xu Wei could understand her meaning, his hand suddenly loosened, and when he turned to look, he was drenched in a bucket of hot water…

What a tragic wedding night!

56. Wedding Night (Part Two)

Despite the commotion inside, no one dared to come in to investigate, fearing they might ruin their plans. You Tong, also worried that others might see Xu Wei in such a disheveled state and hesitate to call for help, rushed forward without even putting on her shoes. She helped him up, asking with concern, "Where did you fall? Does it hurt?"

Xu Wei's face flushed red. He awkwardly helped You Tong to his feet, wanting to laugh, but his face remained stiff and he couldn't manage a smile. You Tong was both amused and annoyed, but also afraid that Xu Wei would be embarrassed, so she forced herself to help him to the bed in the inner room and quickly went to the closet to find clean clothes for him to change into.

Xu Wei wasn't seriously injured in the fall, but he was soaked to the bone and looked quite disheveled. Seeing Youtong going to the outer cabinet to find clothes, he quickly got up and frantically took off his wet clothes. He'd only gotten halfway off when Youtong had already taken the clothes into the inner room…

Instinctively, You Tong's first reaction was to turn around immediately, her face flushed, and say, "What are you doing? You've fallen like this, and you're still thinking about—" As she spoke, she angrily threw the clothes in her hand at him.

Xu Wei knew she had misunderstood as soon as he heard this. He chuckled twice, quickly put on his undergarments, and then stepped forward to take You Tong's hand. He stammered, "I...I...change my clothes, take...take a bath..." As he spoke, he blushed and called out a few times to ask the servants to bring in some more hot water.

You Tong then realized she had misunderstood and immediately felt embarrassed, blushing as she glared at him.

Xu Wei rarely saw her blushing shyly like this. He felt as if a claw was scratching at his heart. He couldn't help but rush forward, hug her, and peck her. Seeing You Tong's wide eyes and blank expression, he felt especially happy.

Water was quickly brought in from outside. Seeing that Xu Wei had changed his clothes so quickly, the maids exchanged knowing glances, then stared at the large puddle on the ground, sighing and muttering something like "impatient." Xu Wei knew they were thinking the wrong thing, but it was really hard to explain; the more he explained, the worse it would get. Besides, there was no need to explain matters of the heart between husband and wife.

After sending the maids away, Xu Wei quickly washed himself thoroughly before rushing back barefoot. He grabbed You Tong and pulled her onto the bed. Caught off guard, You Tong was caught off guard and pounced on him. Xu Wei's arms were as strong as iron; she couldn't break free. She scratched him haphazardly, but instead of making him let go, she made him laugh and snuggle closer to her.

"Youtong—" What normal man wouldn't be moved by the woman he loved in his arms, especially on their wedding night? Xu Wei's gaze towards Youtong gradually became hazy, and his hands began to wander under her clothes. The hot palms touched Youtong's delicate skin, and she couldn't help but tremble slightly. Her mind went blank, and all the strength seemed to have been drained from her body, leaving her as limp as a lump of mud.

The warm, moist air was near their ears, and slightly calloused hands roamed over their bodies, quickly removing all the restraints on them, their young bodies intertwined tightly.

"Youtong...Youtong..."

"I am here……"

Xu Wei lowered his head and kissed her rosy lips, his hand sliding down to her chest, gently kneading it. Beneath him, You Tong was already panting heavily, involuntarily letting out soft moans. To Xu Wei, these sounds were like celestial music, further arousing him. His kisses traveled down her body, landing on You Tong's snow-white chest…

...

After their lovemaking, You Tong was exhausted and lay limply on the bed, motionless. Xu Wei, however, was full of energy. He first brought hot water for them to wash up, and then, naked, he crawled into the quilt, wrapped his arms around her waist, and then, restlessly, slid his arms to her soft chest. He used his strength to turn her whole body towards him, and they slowly moved forward, their heads touching, their chests touching, every inch of their skin pressed tightly together.

"Does it still hurt?" Xu Wei asked softly in her ear.

You Tong glared at him helplessly, saying nothing. Xu Wei chuckled, his hands roaming restlessly over her body. You Tong tried to dodge, but with a slight movement, she immediately pressed herself against his sensitive spot, startling her. She turned to escape, but how could she get away? She was pinned down by Xu Wei as soon as she turned.

Xu Wei, having just tasted the pleasures of love, was captivated and spent the entire night holding You Tong tightly, their affection overflowing. The next day, both were exhausted, and when they awoke, it was already daylight outside. You Tong groggily opened her eyes and, seeing the sunlight streaming into the room, was startled and sat bolt upright in bed.

"What's wrong?" Xu Wei opened his eyes while yawning. When he saw You Tong's disheveled clothes, his eyes widened and his hands involuntarily reached out to her. He had barely touched her when she slapped his hand away, scolding him angrily, "What time is it? Stop fooling around and get up right now."

Xu Wei wasn't annoyed by her scolding. He flopped onto the bed, grinning and acting spoiled, "Why get up? I haven't slept well yet. Come lie down and sleep a little longer with me. Don't worry about my parents; they'd be happy if we stayed up later." As he spoke, he reached out and tugged at her with a sly look.

You Tong, being a martial arts practitioner, wasn't easily pulled back. She grabbed his hand and bit it, then quickly grabbed a piece of clothing to wrap herself in, jumped off the bed, put her hands on her hips, glared at Xu Wei, and said, "Aren't you getting up?"

Afraid that she would really get angry, Xu Wei could only beg for forgiveness, saying repeatedly, "I'll get up, I'll get up." As he spoke, he sprang up from the bed with a somersault, pounced on You Tong, and kissed her hard, then laughed triumphantly. You Tong was both amused and exasperated. She grabbed a piece of clothing from the bedside and handed it to him, while she went to tidy up the things on the bed.

As Youtong lifted the covers and bent down to make the bed, she suddenly froze, as if seeing something unbelievable. Her once rosy cheeks turned deathly pale, her hands gripping the blankets trembled slightly, and her eyes held surprise, fear, and above all, disbelief...

Xu Wei quickly noticed her unusual expression and rushed forward to hug her tightly, asking softly, "What's wrong? Why do you look so pale all of a sudden? Are you feeling unwell?"

You Tong didn't speak, staring blankly at the bed. Like a puppet, she slowly turned her head to look at him for a while, then slowly shook her head, put the quilt back in its place, and sat down on the edge of the bed as if she had lost her soul. Her eyes didn't know where to look, her gaze wandered, and she didn't say a word.

Xu Wei had never seen her so distraught before, and he was immediately startled and at a loss for what to do. Not knowing what had happened, he simply held her tightly, kissing her hair and softly comforting her, "It's alright, it's alright, I'm here, nothing will happen."

You Tong remained silent, stiffly turned around, grabbed a piece of clothing from the bedside table, hastily put it on, and rushed towards the door. Seeing this, Xu Wei sensed something was wrong. Regardless of what had happened, his intuition told him he couldn't let her leave, otherwise things would be unmanageable. Without asking any further questions, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, urgently saying, "You can't tell me what happened, You Tong. We're husband and wife."

You Tong slowly raised her head, her eyes already red and glistening with tears, which she stubbornly held back. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately couldn't utter a sound. Xu Wei was even more anxious upon seeing this. Fortunately, a sliver of thought remained in his mind. He remembered that You Tong's change seemed to have occurred while he was making the bed, so he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to the bed, yanking back the covers to try and find the cause.

However, the bed was spotless; there was nothing unusual about it.

Clean—Xu Wei's mind went blank for a moment, and he immediately realized the reason. The snow-white handkerchief on the bed was still spotless, without a trace of blood...

Xu Wei was stunned for a moment, and You Tong could no longer bear it. She bit her lip, exerted force, broke free from his grasp, and tried to run outside. Xu Wei suddenly realized what was happening, took off after her, and seeing that she was about to rush out the door, he didn't care about anything else. He leaped up and pounced on her, pinning You Tong to the ground.

The door slammed open, and Huiying and Huiqiao stood there dumbfounded, staring at the two of them. Then they quickly turned around, their faces flushed, and said, "We didn't see anything..." After saying that, they hurried away, making sure to close the door behind them.

Once the room quieted down, Xu Wei stood up and carefully carried You Tong back to bed. He smoothed the messy hair on her forehead, kissed her cheek, and rubbed her hand. After a long pause, he finally figured out how to speak and whispered, "You Tong, I believe you."

Tears welled up in Youtong's eyes and streamed uncontrollably down her face. "I...I didn't..." She couldn't continue; all her words caught in her throat and were quickly drowned out by sobs. Never in her entire life had she felt so terrified. The sweetness and joy of her wedding were still fresh in her mind, but suddenly this happened. The love she had finally received seemed to vanish in an instant; how could she not be terrified? If she were a promiscuous woman, it wouldn't matter, but she hadn't done anything wrong. How could she accept this?

"It's alright, it's alright." Xu Wei hugged her, gently stroking her back and softly comforting her, "I believe you, everything will be alright." He didn't know how else to answer besides these words, only knowing that if he said the wrong thing, You Tong would probably turn around and leave without looking back. With her strong and stubborn personality, she couldn't stand the slightest grievance or injustice.

After crying for a while, Youtong finally calmed down. Her eyes were still swollen, but at least she stopped crying. Xu Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief, sat down next to her, put one arm around her waist and held her hand with the other, and said in a low voice, "We are husband and wife, how could you just run away without saying a word? If I hadn't stopped you in time, you probably would have left and never come back."

You Tong didn't speak, just stared at him with a look of grievance and sadness.

Xu Wei originally intended to say a few more words to her, but seeing her like this, he could no longer bring himself to scold her. He could only say softly, "I have read in ancient books that girls who practice martial arts are prone to... prone to injury, so they do not bleed. It is not for any other reason."

"you--"

"Listen to me—" Xu Wei interrupted her, cupped her face, looked directly into her eyes, and said solemnly, "It has not been easy for us to know and love each other, and now we are getting married. I have never doubted you. I also hope you believe me. In this life, no matter what happens, I only want you. We will grow old together and never leave each other."

You Tong's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes began to redden again. Afraid that Xu Wei would see, she quickly lowered her head and snuggled into his arms, her voice trembling with tears as she said, "You have to keep your word. You can't go back on your word."

"A man's words are hard to follow!"

57. Nine Tripods

No matter how much Xu Wei trusted her, others might not think so, so this matter absolutely could not be spread, and could only be kept secret from Madam Xu. In the end, Xu Wei bit his finger and dripped some blood onto a handkerchief. The two waited in the room for a while until the bloodstains dried before coming out.

The servants were already waiting outside. Seeing that they had finally opened the door, they hurried inside to tidy up and help the two women wash up. Two of the bolder ones couldn't resist making a couple of jokes. However, Youtong hadn't recovered from the shock and remained expressionless. Seeing her bad mood, Xu Wei's expression naturally wasn't much better. The two maids, seeing that both men were silent and had stern faces, panicked. The other servants dared not speak further, serving them quietly and discreetly, not daring to raise their voices.

After washing up and having breakfast, Youtong had to go to pay her respects to her in-laws. Xu Wei naturally accompanied her, taking great care of her, which made the maidservant beside her extremely envious. She wanted to say a few jokes, but when she saw Youtong's expression, she quickly shut her mouth.

Upon learning that the two of them were coming to pay their respects, Master Xu and Madam Xu had already taken their seats in the main hall with beaming smiles. Master Xu, as always, was serious and taciturn, sitting upright in his armchair with his eyes narrowed, saying nothing. The only sound in the room was Madam Xu's enthusiastic voice, calling him "my son" this and "my son" that. You Tong's face was touched a few times, and her heart gradually warmed, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her face. Xu Wei had been secretly watching her the whole time, and only when he saw that her complexion had finally improved did he breathe a sigh of relief.

When it was lunchtime, Xu Cong returned and respectfully greeted his sister-in-law. He then raised an eyebrow at Xu Wei with a teasing smile. Xu Wei ignored him and simply smiled as he introduced the various dishes on the table to You Tong.

While they were eating, Xu Cong suddenly asked Xu Wei, "Brother, what happened to your finger?"

Upon hearing this, You Tong shuddered. Xu Wei, sensing her unusual behavior, reached under the table and gently patted her leg, but his expression remained calm as he said indifferently, "I bit myself."

Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Xu both stopped eating and looked at Xu Wei's hand. Sure enough, they saw a small wound on his left index finger. They then glanced at You Tong, noticing her face flushing red and then turning pale. They seemed to understand what was going on, exchanged a look, and coughed lightly twice. Mrs. Xu said to Xu Cong, "Why ask so many questions when you're just a child? You'll understand when you get married."

Xu Cong choked for a moment, about to speak again, when a sudden thought flashed through his mind. He realized something, and a strange expression appeared on his face. His gaze towards Xu Wei became somewhat teasing and mischievous. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Oh, brother, you're really in high spirits, heh...hehe..."

Fearing that he might say something too explicit to embarrass Youtong, Madam Xu quickly put a large chopstick of vegetables into his bowl and said, "Speak less and eat more while eating."

Xu Cong disliked eating vegetables from a young age, and everyone in the household knew this. However, Madam Xu was used to having the final say at home, and no one dared to disobey her. Xu Cong was caught in a dilemma. He carefully pushed the vegetables aside, smiled bitterly, shook his head, and muttered something like "My father doesn't love me, and my mother doesn't care about me." In the end, Madam Xu slapped him back.

In the afternoon, Xu Wei led You Tong on a stroll around the mansion. The Xu mansion was not large, and there were not many servants. There were only about twenty people in total, including those who swept and served in the various courtyards, as well as those who did odd jobs and shopping in the kitchen. It was much smaller than the Cui family's mansion. You Tong thought about the maids and nannies who had come with her as part of her dowry, and the two families of maids who had accompanied her, which totaled about ten people. She felt a little ashamed and began to think about how to deal with them in the coming days.

Xu Wei and You Tong's courtyard was on the east side of the mansion, while Xu Cong's residence was on the west side. Master Xu and his wife lived in the main house, and there was a quiet and secluded courtyard behind it, which was the Xu family's painting studio.

"A painting studio?" You Tong was slightly surprised to hear this. Although she knew that the Xu family probably had a lot of good paintings when Xu Wei gave her the painting last time, most ordinary people would display their calligraphy and paintings in their study, and would not set aside a special painting studio. This Xu family not only had a painting studio, but also specially set aside a courtyard.

"I'll take you inside to have a look." Xu Wei, unusually smug, took You Tong's hand and walked towards the studio.

The courtyard wasn't large, with only three main rooms, but the scenery was exquisitely charming. Lush green bamboo, a small bamboo pavilion covered with thick thatch, and paved flagstones underfoot. Many unidentified flowers and plants lined the path, now blooming with small purple and white blossoms. A breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, as if one had suddenly entered another world.

Pushing open the wooden door, You Tong was immediately stunned by the densely packed calligraphy and paintings hanging in the room. After staring at them for a long time, she finally seemed to wake up, opened her mouth, and said blankly, "This...this...it turns out that all the famous calligraphy and paintings of the entire Liang Dynasty are here."