Neuf chansons

Chapitre 48

"Tsk tsk." Zhao Yun stepped aside and curled the corners of her mouth: "Look at this jealous pot, talking about buttocks, so vulgar and barbaric. It seems I need to teach you the three obediences and four virtues and the precepts for women."

"Oh hahahahaha," Li Xinyun laughed heartily without giving her any face: "Zhao Yun, your eyesight is terrible. That brat is just like that. Apart from her body being that of a woman, I can't see anything else about her that makes her look like a woman."

“Fine, so you’ve formed a united front against me.” Li Yuxuan turned to Xuzhu: “Master Xuzhu, that day in the ice cave, actually…” The rest of his words were cut off by Li Xinyun, who covered his mouth and mumbled.

"Alright, stop fooling around." Xiao Feng concluded, "Since you, Zhao Yun, don't mind my sister's identity, let's settle things before our main force arrives, lest things change over time. If we had known this would be the outcome, why would we have gone through all this trouble to come all this way?"

They acted immediately, knowing that money makes everything easier. Besides, these people were known for their decisiveness and efficiency. Moreover, given Zhao Yunchu's demotion, they needed to keep a low profile. After selecting an auspicious day, the wedding was set for the fifth day.

There weren't many guests coming; it was just this group of people getting together for a bit of fun. So there wasn't much to prepare. Li Xinyun and Xuzhu had been staying here for the past few days. One evening, while sitting in the courtyard watching the stars, Li Yuxuan asked them why they were there. Li Xinyun chuckled, "Back in Dali, Second Brother wanted to be emperor and did all sorts of things—it wasn't fun at all. We came here to watch your and Prince Xin's show, but who knew you, you idiot, would actually go back to Khitan and become a princess? Now look what's happened! I'm a princess of Western Xia, you're a princess of Khitan, and Zhao Yun is a fallen phoenix of the Song Dynasty. What will we do if these three kingdoms go to war?"

Li Yuxuan took a deep breath, his eyes involuntarily turning to Xiao Feng, who was chatting and laughing with Zhan Zhao in the hall: "We'll talk about it when the time comes. I've decided to leave this vortex of trouble and go into seclusion, but when that day comes... I think I'll come back no matter who of you is in danger."

“I’ll stay at Lingjiu Palace with Xuzhu. Or, you and Zhao Yun could come back to Lingjiu Palace with us? That way, neither of us will be lonely or bored.”

Li Yuxuan patted her hair: "I don't care anymore, let's see what Zhao Yun decides."

“Great!” A clear voice came from behind: “I have no objection, as long as there’s a place for me to stay.”

"Ziqing" Li Yuxuan turned to look at Zhao Yun: "So readily agreeable?"

Zhao Yun squeezed down next to her and put his arm around her waist: "Now that I'm a homeless person, I have no choice but to wander the world with you."

Li Yuxuan leaned against his strong chest: "You can't go back on your word for the rest of your life!"

"I don't think I'll ever regret this in my life." Zhao Yun grabbed her right hand with his left.

"But you said I'm a jealous and shrewish woman."

"I fell in love with a jealous and shrewish woman."

Li Xinyun stood up, shaking off goosebumps: "Alright, you two are like newlyweds after a short separation, go back to your room and be affectionate, don't poison my eyes here."

Zhao Yun also stood up: "Yu Xuan, let's go, we're not welcome here." Before Li Yu Xuan could answer, she forcefully half-embraced her and walked towards her room. She waved to the people passing by as she did so.

The bedroom is a great place, especially when the door is closed.

As soon as Li Yuxuan entered the bedroom, Zhao Yun pinned him down on the bed. Feeling the intense heat emanating from his body, Li Yuxuan knew perfectly well what he was about to do.

But after struggling for a moment, she exclaimed, "The wedding hasn't even taken place yet!"

Zhao Yun's hands had already unbuckled her belt and reached inside her bra. He pulled off her coat and pressed his head against her softness, murmuring, "I missed you so much. You know how hard I've been holding back today? Seeing your image in front of me makes me think of that time in bed, and I just want you." After saying that, he took her nipple into his mouth through her thin undergarment: "Don't refuse me, okay?"

A tingling shiver spread across his chest, reaching his very soul. Li Yuxuan ran his hands through his thick black hair and said, "I love you, Ziqing."

life experience

She loves him.

Having gone through so much, she had fallen deeply in love with him. She didn't know when her love for him began, but it had seeped into her very bones and soul. Only in the moment she lost him did she realize how important he had become to her.

All along, this powerful man at the pinnacle of power and wealth, this man who should have been the most worldly man in the world, silently watched over her as she wavered in the world of love, waiting for her to fall in love with him.

She nestled in his arms, responding passionately to him. This time was different from the last; last time it was with her body, this time it was with her mind and body becoming one.

The end of their tender moments was happiness, happiness for two. She adored his thick, black hair; her body swayed and danced with the movement of his hair, feeling utterly blissful.

This was destined to be a sleepless night. The hazy moonlight shone on the tightly closed curtains, secretly peeking over the screen and witnessing everything.

The morning glow painted the courtyard with a rosy hue, and the joyous day was fast approaching.

Zhao Yun had said he would give her a surprise on this day.

Neither Li Yuxuan nor Zhao Yun had parents, so the eldest brother was their father. Everyone recommended Xiao Feng to sit in the seat of honor, and Li Xinyun volunteered to be the matchmaker. There was no bridal sedan chair or guests, only bright red auspicious clothes and a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe.

Li Yuxuan raised her glass to Xu Qingzhi: "Brother, I've dragged you down. I can never repay you in this life, but I'll definitely repay you in the next."

Xu Qingzhi raised his glass, stood up, and smiled slightly: "What nonsense are you talking about? I chose my own path in life, and it has nothing to do with you. Isn't it much better to roam the world with you and enjoy life with laughter than to be caught up in the scheming and backstabbing in the imperial court? I wish you a long and happy life together."

"Thank you!" Zhao Yun also stood up and grasped Li Yuxuan's hand: "I will definitely not let you down."

Li Yuxuan nodded with a smile. At this moment, all words were inadequate; everyone's sacrifices and contributions were etched in their hearts. How fortunate she was to have met them.

God still favored her, and she was full of gratitude for life.

Seeing Xiao Feng drinking alone in silence, Li Yuxuan got up and walked over, asking softly, "Brother, are you still thinking about A'Zhu?"

Xiao Feng turned his face away and did not answer. Li Yuxuan noticed that his eyes were moist: "Brother, cheer up, A'Zhu will be unhappy if she sees you like this."

A sharp crash shattered the tranquility of the table. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the sound, where Xiaolei was frantically picking up the broken pieces of porcelain. Since arriving here, Li Yuxuan had rarely seen her smile, a deep, lingering melancholy always in her eyes.

Why?

As everyone was wondering, a woman suddenly appeared from outside the door, clasped her hands in a fist and said to Xu Zhu, "Reporting to Master, the First Manor has a secret letter for you, asking you to pass it on to Li Yuxuan." As she spoke, she took out an envelope from her person.

"The First Manor is looking for Li Yuxuan?" Xu Zhu took the envelope with a puzzled look. "Why would they want to see Li Yuxuan?" Finally, he asked, "How's the matter with the Corpse Child going?"

"The Corpse Child has been driven away by the sisters of the Crescent Moon Tribe. We are tracking it and will definitely find a way to eliminate it."

Li Yuxuan's mouth dropped open: "No wonder the Corpse Child appeared and then disappeared; it turns out you were helping me. But how did you know we were attacked by the Corpse Child?"

"Hehe," Xu Zhu chuckled sheepishly, "I've been sending people to follow you all along. Even the method of using sodium nitrate and arsenic to deal with the Corpse Child was something I learned from you."

...

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not the only one following you; there are also your warriors."

...

Li Yuxuan rolled his eyes, knowing that Xu Zhu was right, and took the envelope from his hand: "See what it is? I did call Wang Naigong 'Master' after all."

I tore open the envelope, took out the letter paper, and found two pages filled with writing in small regular script... What on earth is this? What does this even mean? Li Youying isn't Li De's daughter, she's Yang Xiao's daughter?

Oh my god—

Seeing Li Yuxuan staring blankly at the letter, Zhao Yun walked up behind her and asked, "What is it?"

Li Yuxuan handed him the letter: "Look!"

Zhao Yun's expression changed as she looked at the letter, and Zhan Zhao and Xu Qingzhi gathered around.

Zhao Yun handed the letter to Zhan Zhao and hugged Li Yuxuan's shoulders from behind: "Yuxuan, you should still go. Based on the information we have, everything Wang Naigong said is very likely true."

"real?"

"real!"

Li Yuxuan touched his forehead: "So you're saying I'm not Li De's daughter?"

"Your mother, Madam Xiao, was only Lord Li's second wife at the time, and she had been in a relationship with Yang Xiao before the incident. This was something that everyone in the martial arts world knew twenty years ago." Zhan Zhao finished reading the letter and began to analyze the truth of the matter very rationally.

Li Yuxuan closed his eyes and turned his head away: "Then why didn't he save me at the First Manor back then?"

"Haven't you been perfectly fine and unharmed all this time?"

Yes, Wang Naigong even gave her a hidden weapon, although she has never used it. But Yang Xiao's attitude towards her is really cold.

Zhao Yun put away the letter: "Go. If what the letter says is true, you'll regret it if you don't go."

"I—" How could she say it? That neither Li De nor Yang Xiao had anything to do with her? She patted her forehead. Fine, at least she could give this body some closure. She looked sadly at herself, her face flushed red from head to toe: "Ziqing, our wedding isn't over yet."

"After bowing to heaven and earth and our parents, the marriage is considered complete. As for what comes next..." He lowered his body and brought his mouth close to her ear, "As for the remaining wedding night, we'll have plenty of time to indulge in revelry every night."

Zhan Zhao was still carefully studying the letter: "The First Manor is acting very strangely this time. What exactly happened? Is the rebellion related to Haitang's betrayal in Bianliang? How could Yang Xiao, with such excellent martial arts skills, be so seriously injured and unable to survive?"

Zhao Yun took Li Yuxuan's hand: "Let's go inside and change our clothes first. This matter can't be delayed. If Yang Xiao really is your father, we can finally have a family and not be orphans anymore. We need to ask Xu Zhu to go and save him as soon as possible."

Hearing his deep voice, Li Yuxuan felt a sudden lump in her throat and nodded, "Mm!"

After being lonely and wandering for so many years, she finally has a man by her side. Will God also give her a father?

She used to envy others who had a family, where they could go to the riverbank with their clothes in the sunset, the father fishing, the mother washing clothes, and the children playing in the water. She remembered that once, in this Guojiazhuang, she saw such a scene and burst into tears.

These past few days, spending every day together in close physical intimacy, the room was filled with an ambiguous yet warm atmosphere. Smelling this, Li Yuxuan sighed wistfully, "Ever since I became a top scholar, I haven't been able to sleep comfortably in a warm bed anywhere. Just as I'm starting to develop feelings for one place, I have to leave for another. Where is my home? When will I no longer have to rush around like this?"

Zhao Yun helped her remove the phoenix crown, shook his head with a look of resentment: "Logically speaking, you should be sitting here obediently waiting for me to lift the red veil. Not only did you run out to drink with others, but now that you've married me, you're still complaining that you have no home. I'm such a failure as a man. You should say that wherever I am from now on, that's your home."

Li Yuxuan tiptoed and gently touched his lips: "From now on, wherever you are, that's my home."

Zhao Yun slapped away her hand that was pressing against his chest: "Don't tease me, business is more important."

"What about the surprise you promised me?" Li Yuxuan reached out his paw again: "Give it to me first."

Zhao Yun slapped her hand away again: "I'll give it to you later. Go change your clothes properly."

"I get all sorts of fantasies when I take my clothes off in front of you~"

"puff--"

The two couldn't resist sneaking a few more bites. After finally changing their clothes and returning to the hall, they found that everyone had already packed their luggage and was waiting for them to leave, except for Xiao Feng, who was still drinking.

"You guys are all coming with us?" Li Yuxuan asked in surprise, pointing at Xu Qingzhi and Zhan Zhao. Zhan Zhao shrugged: "We were bored and didn't know where to go or what to do, so we just followed you guys. Besides, the First Manor did contribute to protecting the Song-Xia border in Anxi."

Li Yuxuan smiled as he fastened the hidden weapon to his wrist: "You may appear to be bored, but deep down you're still working for Judge Bao. A true hero should be like you, for the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people."

"I'm not that noble. I'm just going to avenge what happened last time." Zhan Zhao took out his sword and flicked it. "It seems like it's been a long time since I used it. I wonder if I can use it this time? Master Wuben said I'm in for some bloodshed. I'm waiting for it."

"What bloodshed?" Li Xinyun curiously leaned closer to Zhan Zhao, but was glared back by Li Yuxuan. Only then did she realize that this was no laughing matter, and quickly spat out: "What bloodshed? Bah, bad things don't come true, good things do. I didn't ask anything just now."

Seeing that everyone had finished preparing, Zhao Yun bowed deeply to Xiao Feng: "Your Majesty Xiao, if we are unable to return in time, we entrust everything in Bianliang to you."

Xiao Feng nodded: "I'll wait for you to come back here. Take care."

Wang Naigong's letter stated that Yang Xiao was seriously injured while suppressing a rebellion within the First Manor and was now on the verge of death. He hoped to see Li Yuxuan one last time before he died, and said that he would give her an explanation for everything that had happened before. He hoped that she could forgive him and return to the First Manor to see him one last time after receiving the letter.

Once again, we set off from Bianliang to Anxi. The same road, the same people.