Princess Xiangsi - Chapter 88
Since that day, Yu Wuxia smiled more and more each day, slowly regaining her original girlish innocence, and her relationship with Qingyun grew stronger and stronger, even becoming inseparable.
Yu Wuxia already adored Qingyun, and after what Qingyun said to her recently, Wuxia liked Qingyun even more, calling her "Sister Qingyun" all the time.
Lately, everyone in Fengxi has been extremely busy. The imperial court is preoccupied with the affairs of the Fengxi Crown Prince, while the martial arts world is focused on the martial arts tournament scheduled for the ninth day of next month, with each faction displaying an understated excitement. The excitement of the martial arts tournament has gradually overshadowed the anxiety caused by the Qin Palace incident a while back.
Besides preparing for the martial arts tournament, Jun Wuhen was also secretly investigating the Qin Palace. He spent almost all his time buried in the White Tiger Tower. Qingyun, naturally understanding, said to Jun Wuhen, "Wuhen, don't worry about me. Palace affairs are important, and the Li Palace is vast. Do you think I won't have fun? Besides, Wuxia is here to keep me company!"
Wuxia quickly replied to her cousin, "Cousin Wuhen, Wuxia will definitely not let Sister Qingyun stay bored."
With Qingyun and Wuxia's assurances, Jun Wuhen was able to handle matters concerning the Li Palace with greater peace of mind.
And just as she had said, Qingyun spent her days strolling around the palace with Wuxia. Wuxia was happy to have her company; she didn't have to practice the zither and could do whatever she wanted. Everyone knew that Miss Yu feared nothing except practicing the zither!
Such a peaceful and quiet life is quite pleasant, but too much of it can become tiresome.
One day at lunchtime, Jun Wuhen, who rarely had a free moment, accompanied Qingyun to lunch, while Yu Wuxia, who was always clinging to Qingyun, naturally stayed by her side.
"Yun'er, I'm sorry to have wronged you." Jun Wuhen looked at Qingyun with a guilty expression. "I had too many things to do outside the palace, otherwise I would have stayed by your side all day long."
"Cousin Wuhen, I'm inseparable from Sister Qingyun all day long!"
Jun Wuhen frowned. "Wuxia, call her sister-in-law."
Wu Xiao stuck out her tongue. "No way! Sister Qingyun isn't that much older than me. I don't want to call her sister-in-law!"
"Flawless!" Jun Wuhen's voice rose, his icy blue eyes gleaming with a blue light.
"Waaah, Cousin Wuhen bullied me! Sister Qingyun, you must stand up for me!" Yu Wuxia ran down from the table and hid behind Qingyun, sobbing softly, her resentful eyes fixed on Jun Wuhen.
Qingyun smiled and glanced at Jun Wuhen gently. The blue light immediately vanished, replaced by a soft glow. "Yun'er."
"Flawless is just mischievous."
Jun Wuhen nodded, smiled, and said nothing more.
Volume Two: Fate Leads to a Happy Marriage - Green Robe and Purple Robe 2
Suddenly, Jun Wuhen's heart stirred when he saw the tender green branches reaching in through the window. His blue eyes softened with emotion as he looked at Qingyun and asked, "Yun'er, do you like maple leaves?"
Qingyun was taken aback, her heart ached inexplicably, her eyelashes fluttered, and then she said calmly, "It's alright."
"Wuxia really likes maple leaves." Dissatisfied that her cousin, who only had eyes for his wife, ignored her, Wuxia huffed and puffed out the words. But as soon as she said them, she realized that it was inappropriate and quickly added, "Sister Qingyun likes pear blossoms the most."
Qingyun's expression softened as she recalled the sky full of white pear blossoms, their delicate fragrance, and the white-clad man who loved pears as much as his own life.
"I know." Jun Wuhen's expression was slightly displeased. He grasped Qingyun's hand, his fingers tightening slightly, pulling her back to her senses. Seeing her come to her senses, his expression softened. "Yun'er, after we've dealt with the matters at the Li Palace, let's go to Maple City to see the maple leaves after a while, okay?"
"..." Just as Yu Wuxia was about to agree, she saw a flash of blue light in her cousin's eyes and immediately shut her mouth, obediently standing to the side, her eyes shining as she stared at Qingyun. It was as if she were saying, "Good sister, please say yes!"
Qingyun looked at Wuxia with a wry smile, then at the tenderness in Wuhen's eyes, and could only nod in agreement, "Okay."
Wuxia exclaimed, "That's wonderful! Sister Qingyun, I love you the most!" Then, feeling a little resentful, she glared at Jun Wuhen. Sure enough, her cousin only doted on his wife; he'd never taken her out before! All he knew was to force her to practice the zither, saying things like a woman who couldn't play the zither wasn't a woman at all!
Yu Wuxia pouted her little mouth, looking incredibly cute.
Jun Wuhen glanced at Yu Wuxia out of the corner of his eye and immediately knew what she was thinking. He smiled and said, "Wuxia can go if she wants. But before she goes, she must play the three pieces 'Yaotai Qu,' 'Han Gong Qiu,' and 'Zhaojun Yuan.'"
"Huh?!" Wuxia's face immediately fell.
"Maple leaves turn red in October, and it's only mid-February now, there's still a long time to go." A flash of blue light, "If you don't study well, you can't go."
Her flawless features were almost squashed together as she pitifully pleaded for help, "Sister Qingyun, I...I..."
Qingyun smiled and gently placed her slender hand on Wuhen's shoulder. "Wuhen, you're being too harsh on Wuxia. Wuxia's piano skills are far from sufficient to learn these pieces."
Wuhen was unusually stubborn, "With Yun'er by my side, even someone who is new to the zither can improve their skills by leaps and bounds. In less than half a year, these pieces will be commonplace for them!"
"Wuhen is giving me too much credit."
Jun Wuhen smiled and gently took the hand on his shoulder into his palm, his large hand enveloping the small hand. "Who in this world doesn't know that Miss Qingyun is exceptionally talented? Among the four arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, her skill in playing the zither is the most outstanding. I'm afraid even the number one zither player in Fengxi would feel inferior after hearing Yun'er play."
Qingyun withdrew her hand and covered her mouth with a smile. She looked at Wuxia, "Wuxia, I'm very strict, you know! Even stricter than Wuhen." She paused, then, seeing Wuxia's empty bowl, she smiled, "Wuxia, go practice your fingering now. Judging from your playing the other day, it was obvious your foundation wasn't solid. I'll check it tonight."
"Hehe, Wuxia, go ahead." Jun Wuhen rarely smiled.
With a pained expression, Wuxia looked at the two smiling people in front of her and suddenly felt like she had fallen into a wolf's den. Touching the goosebumps on her hands, Wuxia sheepishly went to practice the piano.
After Wuxia left, Qingyun withdrew her smile and looked at Jun Wuhen with a puzzled expression, asking, "Why do you always force Wuxia to practice the zither? Wuxia isn't interested in the zither. Forcing her to do things she doesn't like won't be very effective."
Jun Wuhen smiled but remained silent. After a long while, he finally asked, "Where is Yun'er?"
"Of course I play the zither because I love it. When I first saw the white jade zither on the stone table, I had a feeling that the zither was made for me."
Jun Wuhen shook his head. "Yun'er, that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking what you would do if someone forced you to do something you didn't want to do?"
Qingyun was taken aback, narrowing her eyes to conceal the glint in them. Her eyelashes fluttered gently, her eyes clear and bright, yet her words held a hidden wisdom.
“Of course we wouldn’t comply.” He paused, “However, it also depends on the circumstances at the time.”
Suddenly, Qingyun's gaze passed over Jun Wuhen and landed on the pear blossom porcelain vase on the tea table. The pear blossoms on the pure white vase were carved with lifelike detail, but they always seemed to lack a certain realism. At this moment, Qingyun missed the pear blossoms of Juechen Valley. So much so that she couldn't help but exclaim, "I really want to see the pear blossoms of Juechen Valley!"
Jun Wuhen's face darkened, but only for a moment. He immediately said, "Juechen Valley is located on a cliff ten thousand feet high, and there are many dangerous traps inside. Yun'er has lost all her martial arts skills, so it may be difficult for her to go up."
Qingyun smiled. "It's alright, I have my own way." Suddenly, she changed the subject, "Wuhen, according to the laws of Fengxi, a woman should return to her parents' home on the fourth day after her marriage!"