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墨書 Inktalez
"Poof..." San Chun almost spat out her drink. If this were Zhong Xue, she might have found it more believable. Uncle? At this age and with this appearance, how could he possibly resemble her uncle?
"Mother, where did this uncle come from? How come I've never seen him before?"
"You've seen him before; you just forgot. He is your aunt's cousin's uncle's nephew's mother's brother..."
San Chun opened her mouth, struggling to understand what kind of relative that was, and she couldn't fathom why Madam Ju would invite someone so distant into their home and even call for the women to meet him.
However, she admired this uncle's ability; getting Madam Ju to summon her was no small feat. She blinked and ran over, shouting, "Uncle—"
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed like she saw his lips twitch for a moment before he burst into hearty laughter. "What a good niece! Come here, let me give you a red envelope."
He handed her an envelope that was surprisingly generous. San Chun smiled as she accepted it, feeling that this uncle was worth the trouble.
Madam Ju took a sip of tea and asked, "How long will you be staying in Daliang, Great-Uncle?"
The uncle replied with a smile, "Not long, half a month will suffice. I brought too much gold and silver with me; it wouldn't be safe to stay at an inn."
Madam Ju quickly said, "If you don't mind, Great-Uncle can stay in our residence."
"Then thank you very much, Madam."
Just like that, he easily stayed in their home?
San Chun was filled with confusion. If it weren't for her poor relationship with Madam Ju, she would really want to pull her aside and ask what they were after. Or perhaps this person practiced soul-capturing techniques that made people act according to his wishes?
Great-Uncle stood up to take his leave, and as he was about to exit, his eyes lingered on her with a moist gaze.
"If you have time, Niece, why not accompany your uncle on a trip?"
San Chun shivered slightly; she felt goosebumps rise on her arms. There were very few people who could provoke such a strong reaction from her. She felt anxious inside, fearing that he might be the last person she wanted to see.
She forced a smile and said, "Uncle is busy, how could Niece dare to disturb?"
Great-Uncle laughed heartily, flicked his sleeve, and left. There was a sense of excitement in his laughter, as if he had just teased a woman.
She couldn't help but touch her face, thinking, where did this ridiculous uncle come from?
※
After leaving the hall and returning to her residence, Qi was already waiting for her.
As soon as he saw her, he smiled and said, "I came early today since the morning court session ended early."
Looking outside at the sun that hadn't yet reached its zenith, San Chun couldn't help but say, "I didn't know the king dismissed the morning court at the hour of the rabbit."
The morning court usually started at the hour of the rabbit, and Ju Mansion was quite far from the palace. It took a considerable amount of time to travel from there to here. At this point, it was only the hour of the snake, so he must have spent no more than a stick of incense's worth of time from starting to dismissing the court.
Qi certainly picked up on the sarcasm in her words. He had wanted to see her so much that he had interrupted Eunuch during the morning court by saying, "If there are matters to report, do so; if not, dismiss the court."
Then, amidst the astonished faces of the ministers, he added, "Since there’s nothing to discuss, let’s dismiss the court." With that, he flicked his sleeve and left before all the officials could react.
Thinking back on the expressions of those ministers, they looked as if they had just been kicked. It still made her laugh now.
At this moment, he grinned and chuckled lightly, "There’s nothing to do in court anyway."
His helpless demeanor was quite amusing; if those ministers saw him like this, they would probably wish they could just die from frustration. A foolish ruler like him could only be advised through death.
She sighed and said, "Can't you find something else to do?"
"I can," he replied as he took her hand. "The weather is nice today; let’s go out for a stroll."
San Chun had not yet reacted when she was pulled outside, and could only sigh as she followed him out. She lowered her head and cautiously took each step, secretly hoping not to run into anyone troublesome.
When misfortune strikes, even drinking cold water can get stuck in your teeth. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a convoy approaching in the distance, with large boxes piled high on the vehicles. Just by looking at the tracks pressed into the ground, it was clear that they were filled with gold and silver.
The astonishing Uncle Lord was riding a horse at the front of the group, and the sunlight reflected off his Silver Mask, casting a dazzling array of colors.
His horse was fast, and without much urging, he quickly approached. Dismounting, he stood at the entrance, staring intently at the two holding hands.
San Chun suddenly felt a surge of anxiety in her heart and instinctively wanted to pull her hand back. However, Qi held onto her tightly, causing her sleeve to roll up, and she couldn't break free.
Qi leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Do you want others to laugh at you?"
San Chun knew that pulling and tugging at the entrance would only make her look worse, so she lowered her head and wished to leave quickly.
Uncle Lord stood at the entrance blocking the way in and out, seemingly unwilling to give way.
A Eunuch shouted, "Who are you? Step aside."
Today, Qi was dressed inconspicuously and did not wish to make a scene. Seeing this situation, he merely frowned.
Great-Uncle remained calm and composed, a faint smile lingering at the corner of his mouth that gave off an eerie feeling.
The Eunuch shouted again, "Step aside."
Only then did he slowly move to the side.
San Chun stepped forward and was about to get into the carriage when she suddenly heard a cool voice say, "Dressed so beautifully; if you don't go out to entice some men, wouldn't that be such a waste?"
The voice seemed like someone whispering in her ear, but aside from her in the carriage, there was no one else around.
Qi noticed her pause and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
She shook her head, "Nothing."
In a hurry, she entered the carriage and lowered the curtain. If she couldn't recognize that person now, she might as well have her eyes gouged out and soaked in wine.
But why was he coming here, pretending to be her Great-Uncle? Was he trying to imply that an uncle could seduce his Niece, further showcasing his flirtatious nature?
She wanted to ask how Qing was doing but feared being interrogated about how she was with the King of Yan. It was better not to meet him if possible.
But was that even feasible?
Suddenly, she felt a tingling sensation on her scalp, a very bad premonition arose. Could it be that someone was holding a grudge against her?
The carriage moved slowly forward, and through the lifted curtain, she could vaguely see Zhong Xue standing at the door, half-leaning against it, with a slight smirk on her lips that suggested something untoward.
Blocking the entrance like this wasn't very polite. The Steward of Ju Mansion rubbed his hands together and half-heartedly pleaded, "Uncle, please go inside."
"Is my wife in?"
"Yes, she is."
Zhong Xue brushed off the sleeves of her robe and walked inside, vowing to herself that she wouldn't let this Girl off easily. How dare she seek out men behind his back? This wasn't just riding on his neck; it was like riding on his neck while having a severe case of dysentery...
*
Since arriving in Yan Country, San Chun hadn't had a proper stroll through the streets. In fact, markets in various capitals weren't too different; they were just more bustling compared to Ying City in Chu. While Xianyang in Qin State had an air of grandeur, Daliang in Yan Country lacked the delicate beauty of the south but gained some charm due to the blooming plum blossoms.
Walking through this charming market, San Chun suddenly felt elated, especially when she encountered two familiar faces.
From a distance, a man and a woman were walking towards them. San Chun was still somewhat incredulous and softly called out, "Thirteen."
The man was leaning down, speaking to the woman with a gentle expression. Upon hearing the call, he looked up, momentarily stunned, and then joyfully ran towards her. Before he reached her, his voice had already arrived, "Chun, how did you end up in Daliang? How did you become..."
He abruptly stopped, seemingly still unable to believe that the person before him was her.
The woman also saw her and walked over happily, laughing, "Chun, it turns out you are a woman. I thought I had lost my charm and was upset for quite a while because I couldn't be close to you."
San Chun took her hand and said, "If I were a man, I would surely have feelings for you." She sighed, "But alas, I have the heart but not the strength."
Everyone laughed at this, and even Qi couldn't help but smile slightly.
The man was Thirteen, and the woman was Quail Orchid, an old acquaintance from the Dance Troupe. She hadn't expected to run into them here; it truly felt like meeting old friends in a foreign land after such a long time.
They decided to go to a restaurant to chat properly. Before the dishes and wine were served, Thirteen eagerly asked her about her experiences in recent days. San Chun wasn't sure how to start and only mentioned the essentials: she had found her parents and was now living at home.
Thirteen expressed great envy; just by looking at San Chun's attire, he could tell she was now of high status.
San Chun asked why they were in Yan Country. Quail Orchid replied, "What else could it be? Our Dance Troupe travels between various countries. Today we are here; tomorrow who knows where we will go?"
"Which mansion is hosting you?" It should be someone extraordinary to invite the Shang Family.
Quail Orchid wasn't quite sure why but thought for a moment and said, "It should be for Yan Wang's wedding; we came to congratulate him."
Yan Wang's wedding? Why hadn't she heard of it? She turned to look at Qi and silently asked him with her eyes, "Are you getting married?"
Qi shook his head to indicate he didn't know and asked them, "Where did you get this news?"
San Chun noticed their gaze on Qi and hurriedly introduced him, "This is my cousin." She was cousins with Yan Dan and could barely count Qi as one too.
"Qi interjected, 'Now it's cousin.' As for later, that's uncertain. Throughout history, the relationships between cousins have often been ambiguous, and there are many who end up mixing together as one family.
She shot him a glance, but Qi was not annoyed; she just smiled at her.
Shisan noticed the ambiguity between the two but did not point it out. She simply said, 'I don’t know where the news came from, but many people are aware of this matter. Just now, as we were walking, I even heard someone sighing about the king's marriage. The ladies of Daliang all cried when they heard he is marrying a Noble Lady.'
San Chun was skeptical. 'Where did such a rumor come from? At least I haven't heard anything.'
Shisan hated being doubted and snorted coldly, 'If you don't believe me, you can ask someone.'
She really didn't believe it and casually pulled someone over. Coincidentally, it was the same person from Second Shop whom she had encountered twice before.
'Is your king getting married?'
'Yes.'
'Who is he marrying?'
Her question was quite urgent, and Qi couldn't help but give her a deep look. She knew he misunderstood; she only wanted to know the ins and outs of the situation, especially since the one getting married was not her. But he clearly thought otherwise, and his smile grew wider."
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