I talked for a long time, and then I got very thirsty. I picked up my wine glass and drank it down. My throat felt hot and burning, which was very refreshing. I rolled up my sleeves and said to Lou Xiyue, "The most important thing is that Jin Lang doesn't have a wife."
He said, "You know that too?"
I nodded. "Although he didn't have a wife, I heard he had an illegitimate child. Some people also say that Jin Lang's death was related to the Empress, saying that the Emperor couldn't wait for him to die, otherwise he would be cuckolded."
After I finished speaking, I added, "This place is far from the reach of the emperor, so I'm telling you this in secret. Don't tell anyone else."
I was about to continue when Lou Xiyue coughed lightly, "Xiao Xiang, let's call it a day."
He picked up his bowl and began to silently eat.
I said, "Lou Xiyue."
He ate his food and made a soft "Mmm".
I said to him sincerely, “I’ve thought about it carefully. Could it be that Jinlang has an affair with the Empress, and the Emperor wants to kill him by sending him to fight in the East? Your third uncle was originally a pawn placed by the Emperor to Jinlang, but during this time, Jinlang and your third uncle have developed a deep affection for each other. Your third uncle is no longer willing to serve the Emperor, and he wants to take a gamble for Jinlang…”
Before I could finish speaking, Lou Xiyue stopped, clutched her chest and began to cough. She took a few sips of her wine glass, as if she had choked.
After catching his breath, he put down his chopsticks and looked at me indifferently.
Seeing Lou Xiyue unable to eat made me feel refreshed and my meridians clear. So I grinned at him, picked up my bowl, and started eating quietly.
Text [20] Along the Ancient Road (Part 1)
I sat in front of the house, chin in hand, watching the sunrise over the eastern sea. A myriad of rays of light rose from the horizon, shimmering on the surface of the sea like a flowing blue silk. (8 9 Literature Network)
"Why are you up so early?" Lou Xiyue, dressed in a satin white brocade robe embroidered with axe patterns, sat down next to me with a smile.
I stared at him in a daze; he was dressed in plain clothes, just like my master.
He tapped my forehead with his fan. "You're daydreaming again? I'm right in front of you, and you don't even appreciate it. You're always thinking about someone far away." Lou Xiyue rubbed her chest, her voice tinged with bitterness, speaking with an air of seriousness.
I turned my face away and said, "Lou Xiyue, you're so pretentious."
Lou Xiyue nudged me with her elbow and said, "Xiao Xiang, look over there, golden seabirds."
I turned around, but I didn't know how Lou Xiyue was so close to me. My forehead just barely touched his lips.
I glared at him and said, "You did this on purpose?"
He ran his fingers over his lips, squinted at me, and said seriously, "You're the one doing this on purpose."
I said, "Where are the birds? Where are the seabirds you mentioned?"
Lou Xiyue raised her long eyebrows and said regretfully, "It flew away long ago. People say that after the phoenix is reborn, it will fall into the East Sea. I just saw the sky suddenly brighten, and then a golden-winged bird circled around. I wonder if it was a phoenix?"
I said, "Really?"
He chuckled, “It’s true, yesterday I went down into the shallow sea and saw a section of a dragon’s tail with dark blue scales on it.”
I asked curiously, "And then? Did you touch it? Was it a real dragon?"
Lou Xiyue stroked his chin and said leisurely, "No. A girl fell down and kicked it a few times, sending the little green dragon flying." After saying that, he unfolded his fan and began to laugh.
I looked at Lou Xiyue with a puzzled expression, and he nodded solemnly.
As I was silently recalling whether I had truly kicked away the legendary national treasure with a flying kick yesterday, Ji Jiu suddenly appeared behind us and said, "Seventh Young Master, a caravan from the East has arrived."
Currently, the war between the Li Kingdom and the Eastern Lands is temporarily over, and occasionally caravans smuggle local goods such as coarse salt, horses, tea, and silk to the Eastern Lands to make a quick buck.
Traveling with caravans meant being familiar with the routes and gaining a better understanding of the customs and traditions of the East.
I followed Lou Xiyue to the edge of the ancient road. There was a group of people, and the young man in the lead was riding a Ferghana horse. He was wearing a dark blue robe embroidered with checkered patterns, black fur boots, fair skin, amber eyes, and a scimitar at his waist with colorful gemstones inlaid on the scabbard. He was handsome.
He was having the caravan load local Yazhou pepper wine onto the carriages when Lou Xiyue went up to talk to him.
Ji Jiu and I stood at a distance. The young man initially shook his head in refusal. He frowned and looked in our direction, then paused for a moment, his light eyes shining. He dismounted, walked up to me, bowed, and smiled at me in a somewhat awkward Li Guo accent, "I am Zixia, what's your name?"
I said, "Qi Xiang."
Zixia smiled, took a necklace from his neck with a crescent moon pendant, and walked over to put it around my neck. "This is a gift for you. Qixiang, are you married?"
I was completely bewildered and stood there, stunned.
"She has someone she likes." Lou Xiyue walked over calmly, fanning himself. I felt a loosening around my neck; the collar had somehow ended up in Lou Xiyue's hand. He returned the collar to Zixia, still smiling, but his words carried a hint of coldness.
Zixia's amber eyes were incredibly clear. He smiled suddenly, "That means you're not married yet." He crossed his arms, tilted his head, and looked at me, but it seemed as if he was saying to Lou Xiyue, "I promise to take you to Xue Kingdom."
Zixia pointed at me, "But I want Qixiang to ride a horse with me."
Lou Xiyue said, "No."
Zixia looked at him, puzzled, "Who are you to her? Why are you speaking up for her?"
Lou Xiyue looked at Zixia indifferently, his fingertips tapping on the fan handle. "I said no, and that's final." Then, he instructed Ji Jiu, "Prepare the horses and blueprints. We'll go ourselves."
I moved closer to Lou Xiyue and whispered, "Didn't you tell me that men from the East are good men? Could this guy have taken a liking to me?"
He glanced at me and said casually, "This man from the East isn't typical; maybe he has bad eyesight."
I shuddered upon hearing this.
Zixia thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll take you there."
He walked up to me and said, slowly and deliberately, "Qi Xiang, I will take you to Lishan to soak in the hot springs."
I'm shaking again.