Жениться на государственном служащем династии Северная Сун

Глава 56

Today, her sister-in-law, Fang Gege, is also here to offer her advice.

Although Fang Gege only made a fleeting appearance in the garden, she immediately stunned everyone present. These beauties of the capital, each with their own unique charm and beauty, all considered themselves to be as beautiful as celestial beings. However, upon seeing this middle-aged woman, they all felt more or less ashamed of their own appearance.

However, she only showed herself once before immediately going into the inner room.

Mother Meng laughed and said, "Princess, if you come a few more times, those young ladies will probably never dare to set foot in the Minister's mansion again."

Fang Gege, however, had no intention of joking and said, "Elder sister, I've come today because I have something to ask you. There's a rumor circulating in the palace that Yuan Jing's childhood friend, Jun Yu, is actually a woman disguised as a man. Are you aware of this?"

Meng's mother was shocked: "What are you saying? I've never heard Yuan Jing mention this before. If Junyu is a woman, how could she become the Grand Marshal of the Army?"

Fang Gege sneered: "You know how powerful Lan Xisi was back then, elder sister. Now, if her daughter were to change her clothes and become a marshal, I don't think it would be surprising..."

Mencius' mother was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "Really?"

“Elder sister, I have seen Junyu with my own eyes, and I’m sure you have too. Even when I was at my most handsome, I was probably still three points inferior to her. I have also met her father, Junsheng, who was already an outstanding figure among men, but Junyu is even better than her father. If she were a man, how could she have such a face?”

Meng's mother was stunned. She had also seen Junyu with her own eyes, and her feeling at the time was nothing but shock. She couldn't help but say, "To tell you the truth, Princess, when I first saw Junyu, I really thought I had seen a god..."

She suddenly remembered that her son, shortly after being promoted to Minister of War, had taken a long leave to travel to the military camp in the Northwest, saying he wanted to personally ask Junyu about something, and if he didn't understand, he "would be uneasy for the rest of his life." She also recalled how distraught her son was on the day Junyu first came to the Minister's residence. Now, thinking about it carefully, she realized that this wasn't the attitude one would have towards a friend; it was the attitude one would have towards a woman they admired.

The more she thought about it, the more surprised she became. After a long while, she finally let out a long sigh: "No wonder Yuan Jing always keeps putting off settling down. I told him to quickly find a mistress to share the housework with me, but he told me to find a capable housekeeper..."

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Chapter 158: Repaying Her Favor (4)

Fang Gege said, "Elder sister, there's something I want to say, but I'm not sure if I should..."

"Please speak freely..."

“If Junyu were truly a woman, she probably wouldn’t have any romantic feelings for Yuanjing. Otherwise, why would she insist on being a man? Elder sister, you should arrange a marriage for Yuanjing as soon as possible so that he can get married and start a family, and avoid him having wild thoughts and getting hurt in the end.”

Mencius' mother nodded. Although she didn't understand why her sister-in-law was like this, her suggestion that her son should get married and have children as soon as possible was exactly what she wanted.

Having just seen her sister-in-law off, Meng's mother saw her son returning from afar, and the gazes of many beautiful women also turned towards her. The woman closest to her, with her ethereal eyes and delicate expression, looked somewhat familiar.

Meng Yuanjing stopped, and his mother walked over with a smile, whispering, "Yuanjing, that is Lord Wang's daughter. She is well-educated, polite, and skilled in embroidery..."

Meng Yuanjing suddenly remembered that this woman was the one Junyu had chosen from a pile of portraits, so he couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. When the woman saw Meng Yuanjing's gaze, she blushed, lowered her head, turned around, and looked shyly and silently at a flower beside her.

Meng Yuanjing said, "Mother, I have something to tell you."

Seeing her son in such a hurry, Mencius' mother instructed all the maids and servants to take good care of the guest and followed him into the inner room.

Meng Yuanjing said, "Mother, I need to leave for a while."

Mencius' mother asked in surprise, "You have official business to attend to, where are you going again?"

"It is precisely because of official business that I need to leave for a period of time."

When do we leave?

"tomorrow."

"So, you've seen Lord Wang's daughter. What do you think? You're not young anymore. If you think she's suitable, your mother will find an auspicious day to formally propose marriage..."

"Whatever, Mother can decide this matter."

Seeing that her son seemed to like Wang Qianjin, Meng's mother breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Then I'll make the decision. I'll prepare everything at home first, and as soon as you return from your official duties, I'll immediately propose marriage..."

Meng Yuanjing replied absentmindedly, "We'll talk about it later."

She wanted to immediately ask her son about Junyu, but remembering Fang Gege's words, she held back and didn't ask. She had already made up her mind to settle her son's marriage as soon as possible.

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Chapter 159: Nightmare (1)

This is a small, tidy hotel. Open the window and the early summer morning breeze will caress your face.

Outside, Shu Zhenzhen was instructing the waiter to add hay and water to the horses, as the two were about to set off to begin a new day's journey.

She walked in and saw Junyu standing silently by the window, his face very pale.

"Junyu, did you not sleep well last night? You look so pale."

Jun Yuqiang shook his head with a smile, and after a while he whispered, "Sister Shu, these past few days, I keep dreaming about Tuosang, but I can never see his face clearly, and I don't know how he is now."

The day she left was the night before Tuosang was to "emerge from seclusion." Before that, Tuosang had already missed the robe-changing ceremony and his emergence from seclusion. How could he explain this to the followers? What if he was careless and found himself in danger? For a while after she left, she wasn't too worried, but these past few days, she'd been having nightmares, and her anxiety had only deepened.

Shu Zhenzhen stood there, this was the first time she had seen such an indescribable look of sorrow and despair on Jun Yu's face. Although she had long known that Jun Yu was not as indifferent as she appeared on the surface, seeing this expression of hers was still very shocking.

Shu Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment: "Junyu, do you want to go see him?"

Junyu remained silent for a long while before saying softly, "Sister Shu, I no longer have the courage to go. I'm afraid that if I see him again, I won't have the resolve to leave. If that happens, we'll both fall into an abyss of no return!"

She smiled bitterly to herself. In truth, long ago, she had longed to jump into the abyss of eternal damnation or simply perish in that secret chamber. But in the end, he was still him, and she was still herself. Even the self-destruction of jumping into the abyss was not a choice they could make.

Tuosang said, "Junyu, this is the last thing I can do for you. I must completely cure you." Now, even if he lives to be a hundred years old, he will never hear from him again, and he can't even see his face clearly in his dreams. How will he get through the long years to come?

Shu Zhenzhen comforted her, saying, "As a Bokdo, Tuosang lives deep in the palace and has many people protecting him. Moreover, he is so capable. How could anything happen to him?"

Junyu's expression relaxed a little, and she smiled, "Perhaps I'm worrying unnecessarily, Sister Shu. We need to hurry on our way today."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not let Shu Zhenzhen see them. Without waiting for Shu Zhenzhen's reply, she hurriedly turned around, took Xiao Shuai's hand, leaped onto the horse, and rode for several miles before reining in the horse and stopping.

Behind her, Shu Zhenzhen caught up, reined in her horse and rode alongside her, smiling as she said, "Junyu, isn't the scenery of Phoenix Village beautiful? I'm really looking forward to it."

At this moment, Junyu was truly grateful for Shu Zhenzhen's kindness. Afraid of embarrassing herself, she didn't press the matter further but instead changed the subject. So, she smiled and said, "Yes, it's a very, very nice place. The mountains and rivers are beautiful, the scenery is lovely, and the people are wonderful. Sister Shu, you'll definitely like it."

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Chapter 160: Nightmare (2)

Tuosang and Xia Ao walked, while Zhu Yu, Zhang Yaoxing, and the others rode horses at a slow pace, making the journey quite slow. On this day, the group finally arrived at the border between Sichuan and Shaanxi.

Zhu Yu glanced at the sky; it was already dusk. Ahead lay a dense forest, through which the group was about to pass. Knowing the formidable nature of the Sichuan-Shaanxi bandits, he immediately ordered a full-scale alert to prevent any unforeseen events.

Due to the previous attack, only seven members of the Thousand Machines Sect remained, including Zhu Yu and Zhang Yaoxing. Zhang Yaoxing glanced at Tuosang and whispered, "Lord Zhu, bandits and robbers frequently roam this area. Perhaps we should wait until dawn to continue our journey. What if something happens to Bo Keduo…?"

Zhu Yu laughed and said, "What mishap could Bokdo possibly have? You should worry about yourselves first!"

Even during the last surprise attack, Zhang Yaoxing had never seen Tuosang make a move, nor did she know the meaning behind Zhu Yu's words. However, she dared not ask any further questions and could only arrange for them to set off immediately.

It was completely dark, and the woods were eerie. It was summer, and the grass had grown very lush, making it difficult for a horse to walk.

The five members of the Thousand Machines Sect, whose mounts were far inferior to those of Zhu Yu, Zhang Yaoxing, and the others, found their movements much more difficult. Xia Ao, however, dragged an iron rod ahead, clearing a path through the weeds. Seeing "Bokdo" walking through such overgrown weeds as if on flat ground, without getting dirty, they were all filled with amazement and admiration.

Since setting out, they had never worried that Tuosang would escape, and even after Tuosang was removed from his shackles, they never considered this possibility. After days of travel, Tuosang remained calm, while they were all suffering greatly, constantly worried about the assassins who might appear at any moment. These assassins would not only kill Tuosang but also take them down with them, so they were all terrified and uneasy, feeling like prisoners themselves.

Just as the group reached the depths of the woods, Tuosang suddenly said calmly, "Fourteen people have surrounded us. Be careful."

Zhu Yu reined in his horse. He too could hear people gathering, but unlike Tuosang, he couldn't give a number. Everyone was surprised, gripping their weapons tightly. The horse's hooves were wrapped, and a bridle was in its mouth. A crow's caw swept by, the grass shrunk, and they could faintly hear the sound of wind. Soon, a group of people surrounded them. Zhu Yu used the sound to pinpoint their location in the darkness; indeed, there were fourteen people. He couldn't help but secretly admire Tuosang.

A series of sounds of hidden weapons whistling through the air alerted everyone, who immediately concealed themselves.

A low shout rang out from the darkness, followed by the sound of a firearm piercing the air. The surrounding weeds burst into flames, instantly illuminating the forest as if it were daytime. Immediately afterward, swords, spears, and halberds attacked the group from all directions.

Since Tuosang and Xia Ao had changed into civilian clothes, the assassins couldn't tell them apart for a moment and immediately started killing anyone they saw.

All those who made a move were top-notch masters in the martial arts world. Although the five members of the Thousand Machine Sect were all first-rate fighters, they were outnumbered and overwhelmed, and three of them quickly fell to the ground.

Zhu Yu drew his sword, "Zhao Dan," and a cold light flashed. A man in black beside him was instantly pierced through the chest and fell to the ground. The other men in black were stunned for a moment, but they did not panic at all. They immediately turned their main force to attack Zhu Yu.

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Chapter 161: Nightmare (3)

Beside him, Zhang Yaoxing and the remaining two Thousand Machine Gate guards were completely in danger. Only Xia Ao dragged his iron rod and wielded it with great force, and for a time no one could get close to him.

A man in black slashed at Zhang Yaoxing's back with a knife. Zhang Yaoxing couldn't dodge in time and was about to die under the blade when the man in black's knife suddenly sank and fell to the ground.

Under the torchlight, he suddenly realized that what had sunk his blade was merely a blade of grass, and he was horrified, letting out a soft cry. Hearing his cry, the group of men in black, amidst the chaos of battle, also followed his gaze and looked towards Tuosang.

Two men in black were momentarily distracted and were killed by Zhu Yu. One of them let out a low cry as a leaf struck his back, rendering him unable to move for a moment.

In the blink of an eye, these low cries rose and fell, and almost all the men in black had fallen to the ground. The only one who was still fighting with Zhu Yu was shocked and immediately tried to flee, but Zhu Yu stabbed him with his sword, ending his life.

Zhang Yaoxing raised her knife and attacked the nearest person, but Tuosang whispered, "Stop."

Zhang Yaoxing dared not disobey orders and, along with the other two, helped up their three injured companions. Tuosang glanced at the blood-stained, dense grass: "Aren't you going to leave?"

The remaining seven or eight survivors, if granted a pardon, left without even having time to pack their weapons.

Zhu Yu watched as these people left without a trace, then glanced at the still-dripping sword and sneered, "What a fine example of Mr. Dongguo! Soon, those venomous snakes will come back to bite you. But I'm curious, why did you finally agree to make a move today?"

He had already learned from Zhang Yaoxing that when he went to Hanjing Garden to "kill" Junyu last time, everyone was ambushed and most of their men were lost. Tuosang did not make a move, but only saved his injured personal servant and sent him back to recuperate.

Tuosang calmly said, "The people of the Thousand Machines Sect are usually wicked and despicable, so it's fine not to save them. However, considering that she is still alive and well, in my eyes, your crimes do not warrant death."

Zhu Yu burst into laughter: "So, Tuosang, you're not a saint after all. But do you know that once these people go out, they might also harm her..."

If Junyu knew about this, he would never stand idly by, and all of them would soon become Junyu's enemies.

Tuosang interrupted him: "Yes, I am not a saint, and I am no longer Bokdo, just an ordinary man. I have said before that whoever harms her, I will take his life no matter what."

Tuosang stared at him intently. After the series of attacks, he knew that the road ahead held countless dangers, and he felt no remorse for dying. If Junyu knew about this, he would surely come and find himself in the same perilous situation. The thought of this suddenly made his heart burn like fire, and he could no longer maintain his Zen-like calm.

Zhu Yu's laughter abruptly stopped. At that moment, Tuosang's eyes blazed with fury, like a lion about to go berserk. Zhu Yu shook her head: "I finally understand something now. You've been hoping your identity would be abolished all along, haven't you?"

Tuosang neither nodded nor shook his head, his gaze calming down: "Zhu Yu, no matter what, please don't let her know about this."

"Hey, you can die all you want, how am I going to let her know?"

Everyone stared at the two of them, wondering what kind of riddle they were playing.

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Chapter 162: Nightmare (4)