My Wife Is A Sword Immortal-Chapter 99 - 86: What lies in Zhongnan

Chapter 99: Chapter 86: What lies in Zhongnan

In the early morning, a quiet and elegant courtyard.

A young Confucian scholar with a bookcase on his back and a sword hanging from his jade belt pushed open the courtyard door and strode out.

Two naturally paired Jade Tokens at his waist jingled crisply.

The young Confucian scholar paused in front of the door, turned back to look at the familiar yard within, and through the lattice window that was visited by the moonlight every night, he could see half of the mahogany desk he was accustomed to leaning on under the moonlight.

After a few glances, with a habitual slight curve to his lips, he closed the courtyard door and turned to meet up with his companions.

Zhao Rong was not in his usual plain Confucian robe today, but instead wore a rare luxurious brocade robe, dressed exquisitely, looking from a distance like an outstandingly elegant young master.

This was what Lin Wenruo had sent someone to deliver last night, insisting he wear something more formal today.

Zhao Rong didn’t understand at first, but it was only when Lin Wenruo came alone to see him off, taking Zhao Rong and his two companions to the ten-mile-long pavilion north of Luojing City, that Zhao Rong realized why such formality.

Riding on horseback, Zhao Rong looked around and saw more and more people from Luojing lining the roads, especially the grand procession not far ahead. A royal procession was waiting there.

Zhao Rong couldn’t help but chuckle, turning to look at his friend beside him, who looked serene.

But just as Zhao Rong was about to speak, Lin Wenruo preempted him.

“Ziyu, this isn’t something I arranged on purpose. The citizens came here spontaneously, and the nobles from the city and our ruler came on their own initiative. Well, I just mentioned to them lightly that you were leaving today, and I didn’t expect them all to come,”

Zhao Rong shook his head and said nothing more.

“It’s been so long since the people of Luojing spontaneously saw someone off like this. When I went to the academy to study and left, there wasn’t such a grand farewell. Ziyu, you truly are the envy of others,”

Zhao Rong modestly replied, “Ah, once you have an extraordinary appearance like mine, you’ll understand that it’s also a kind of trouble.”

Lin Wenruo: “…”

Soon after, Zhao Rong dismounted, and the lord of Zhongnan Country came forward to greet him. Halting three paces from Zhao Rong, the ruler bent as if to salute, but Zhao Rong quickly stepped forward to help him. Just the king’s cordial call of “State Preceptor” took Zhao Rong by surprise.

Betting on that National Master Robe wasn’t about serving as their state preceptor.

Zhao Rong quickly declined, rejecting the earnest pleading of the Zhongnan ruler, and gave a look to Lin Wenruo for help, and it took a while to withdraw.

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Along the ten-mile-long pavilion, willows gently swayed, and the citizens of Luojing came to bid farewell, shoulder to shoulder, so crowded that not even water could flow through.

Afterward, with reluctance, the crowd walked another ten miles to see him off. At the moment of parting, they drank farewell wine and composed poetry to express their feelings.

That day, the streets of Luojing were empty, the willow branches along the ten-mile-long pavilion all broken.

Zhao Rong mounted his horse, turned to look down at Lin Wenruo holding his horse and whip below him, his eyes slightly focused but his words succinct.

“Let’s go,”

Lin Wenruo looked up slightly, his smile warm as he nodded in silence.

Zhao Rong turned back, pursed his lips as he looked northward, fingertip lightly caressing the white Jade Token.

The next moment, he spurred his horse forward, not looking back, the jade at his waist chimed clearly.

Su Xiaoxiao and Liu Sanbian followed closely, accompanied by a troop of Imperial Guards who would take them through a shortcut to leave Zhongnan Country.

After the young Confucian scholar had ridden not too far, the sound of singing suddenly rose from behind.

It was the voices of the beautiful women nurtured by Zhongnan Mountain, their voices clear and melodiously lingering.

“What does Zhongnan hold? The silk tree and cinnamon. The young master has arrived, in his brocade robe bright. His face a brilliant red, aa patron of virtue, truly a sight!”

“What does Zhongnan hold? Rites and halls abound. A nobly cut man, in his embroidered gown. The Jade Tokens clink clearly, a long life not to forget, they sound!”

What does Zhongnan Mountain have? There are silk trees and cinnamon trees.

A young master has come here, in his brocade robe, his complexion blooming, he is esteemed and virtuous, with fine Jade Tokens that jingle and jangle as he moves, wishing him longevity, the people of Zhongnan will never forget.

————

Twilight approaches evening.

In the Lanxi Lin family estate, a tall Confucian scholar opened a quiet courtyard door that someone had gently closed in the morning.

The creaking sound echoed in the empty courtyard.

The tall Confucian scholar entered the house, approaching the desk that was bathed by moonlight every night.

Close to the window on the mahogany tabletop, a folded piece of Poetry Paper lay quietly.

Now, it was basking in the brilliant glow of the setting sun.

A slender hand reached out to slowly unfold it.

A full moon rose upon the table.

A breeze made the sleeves flutter.

The stars filled the room, silently flowing.

“‘To the Anthem of the Rouge’, dedicated to brother Wenruo.”

“Drunk, leaning on the railing, outside Lake Heart Pavilion the stars pour like rain. Who shares this seat, the bright moon, the gentle breeze, and I.”

“When a confidant arrives, there must be a harmony to accompany the song. Do you still remember? Since another was added, the pleasures of wind and moon were equally divided.”

That day, drunk and leaning against the railing within Lake Heart Pavilion, I looked up to see a deluge of starlight.

Who else sat by my side? The bright moon, the gentle breeze, me or him.

Upon meeting a kindred spirit, where there is music there must be poetry. You play the zither, then I shall compose poems.

Do you know? Since we became acquainted, the delights of the breeze outside the pavilion and the moon amongst the mountains were naturally shared between us.

I do not know how much time passed, but the poetry paper still lay quietly on the desk, and that bright moon awaited the light of another moon.

Only, there was no one in front of the desk anymore.

He had gone to the flower forest behind the courtyard again.

Kneeling under that tree bound with a red string, he bowed his head and buried two jars of sweet osmanthus brew together.

In Zhongnan Country, there was an ancient custom: when young men and women got engaged, they would tie red strings around two sweet osmanthus trees and bury a jar of sweet osmanthus wine underneath them.

From that moment on, those two osmanthus trees were not to be picked from again.

If the lovers did not end up together, or if they divorced after marriage, the red string had to be untied.

If the couple remained happily married, the bloom of the flower perfect as the full moon, then the red string could never be undone.

The sweet osmanthus brew was to be left buried forever, for fate-bound people of later generations.

His hands were covered in mud.

The cloth wound around him gradually grew damp.

That night, on Taibai Mountain, also in a forest of flowers.

Underneath the same tree, still tied with a red string but also with a three-feet long white silk cloth hanging from it,

there was a figure in purple.

She asked him.

That day, he had made trouble at Chongxu Temple.

But why had he thrown away her dowry?

Why not marry her first and take her home?

She said she was actually willing.

He did not answer.

————

“Su Xiaoxiao, where are the sachet and the purse that you were keeping for this young master?”

“Zhao Rong, it’s so lively here, where are we now?”

“Don’t change the subject, where are the purses and sachets that those ladies admiring my looks and talent have given me?”

Zhao Rong kept a straight face, watching Su Xiaoxiao look around.

“Uh, let me see, oh! Where did it go? I remember putting it in the book chest, how come it’s not there? Oh dear, where could it have gone, I surely put it with the book chest before we left that day…”

Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head, suddenly covered her mouth, murmured in surprise, and began to rummage through her little book chest, “Sachet, purse, stop hiding…”

Zhao Rong’s eyelids twitched.

Su Xiaoxiao sneaked a glance at Zhao Rong.

“Ah! I remember now.”

Suddenly, the little fox demon looked as if she had an epiphany.

“On the day we left Lanxi, you, you rushed me too much, I, I… I might have forgotten to take them.”

Su Xiaoxiao bit her lip, looking up with sparkling eyes at Zhao Rong.

“How about, how about I make a sachet for you!”

The little fox demon’s eyes shined, her mouth puffed, eager to try.

Zhao Rong looked at her expressionlessly.

————

PS: Come to think of it, I should say something…

Sigh~

The adventure in Zhongnan Country is finally completed. Sword Lady is the first book, and many things are still being explored. The first adventure has many flaws but also parts that I feel satisfied with. Most importantly, it’s about the growth during the writing process, which also serves as practice for writing the stories of encountering Qing Jun in the Taiching Four Mansions later.

So, I think writing this adventure was necessary… And didn’t the protagonist also gain a lot from it?