CH 24

This situation could be described as hard to get off after riding a tiger. Lu Shi Qing suddenly realized what stupid thing he had done.

Originally, Yuan Ci Xian was not reconciled and wanted to tease him, but she didn’t expect him to be so easy to talk to, so she couldn’t help being surprised, lowered her head and stared at his hand in a daze.

But she still remembered to seize the opportunity, quickly came to her senses, and called him: “Assistant Minister Lu?

Lu Shi Qing, who went on mental journey to the outer space, returned to his body with this call, then frowned slightly.

Isn’t it just a hairpin, just stretch your hand and insert it, then it can be exchanged for physical and mental comfort from the outside to the inside, what’s not cost-effective? So he coughed in embarrassment, and said bravely, “Sit down.”

Yuan Ci Xian sat back obediently.

He walked around behind her, hesitated for a while, then slowly pushed the hairpin in without touching her hair, which was exactly symmetrical with the one on the right.

The green pearls were interspersed, making her black hair look like obsidian.

When he was done, his hand paused, quickly moved away, then returned to his seat.

Even without touching it, Yuan Ci Xian knew that the work done by Lu Shi Qing’s hands must be delicate and appropriate. She smiled at him: “Thank you.”

Lu Shi Qing’s head was full of what came into view when he walked around behind her just now, black hair that was like a satin waterfall. His mouth was out of words from the trance, only said “um”, then he continued to open the book “Salt and Iron Theory” and read it. After a long time, he heard the person on the other side calling him in a low voice again: “Assistant Minister Lu——”

He glanced up at her, his brows were about to furrow, but saw her face looked embarrass, pointed to the book in his hand and said: “I want to say, you seem to read the book backward.”

“…”

Lu Shi Qing looked down, in an instant his face turned as black as mud, and asked: “County Princess has never heard the principle of backtracking to the source?”

Yuan Ci Xian was stunned, nodded, then shook her head. No, she had heard this sentence before, but did it mean this?

“Do you want to say that if you read the book backward, you can backtrack to the source?”

“That’s right.” Lu Shi Qing didn’t change his face, he resolutely refused to hold the book properly, and said, “That’s exactly what it means.”

Did the common people of Great Zhou know that in the eleventh year of Huining, the knowledgeable Tanhua in private was actually misled the children with such deadpan face? Yuan Ci Xian looked up at the sky with complicated feelings, but in the end she didn’t expose him. She accompanied him to “backtrack” for more than half an hour, and didn’t leave Hanliang Palace until he went up to the high pavilion to check Zheng Hong’s schoolwork.

When she came out of the garden, she happened to run into Zheng Zhuo, and heard that he was going to teach Zheng Hong martial arts.

Yuan Ci Xian felt it was a little strange, the little prince indeed should strengthen his muscles at this age, but as far as she knew, His Majesty used to ask the Second Prince to take care of this matter, why it became his turn now.

There were palace people on all sides, so she didn’t ask any more, simply had a brief face-to-face meeting with Zheng Zhuo. After returning home, she asked her brother to pay attention to the recent changes in the court, and then discussed with him about Xu Shan: “I have already asked Jian Zhi to go to Xunyang. But one, she won’t back soon, at the fastest it will take more than a month, and two there may not be any results. I thought we still need to use two-pronged approach, and find a chance to see his true face.”

“Since we can’t tear our faces with Sixth Prince, we can’t directly tear Mr. Xu’s mask, how can we see this true face so easily?”

Yuan Ci Xian smiled: “The two of them are not stupid, how could they not notice that our Yuan family haven’t fully given our trust? To put it simply, this is a layer of window paper. We can poke it, but in a clever way that we can leave enough leeway and affection for each other. Even if they see some clues, it’s enough to leave impression that we have concerns about this cooperation, not hostility.”

“So, you have a countermeasure?”

She nodded: “In three days, Mr. Xu will come to our banquet, at that time we will set up a table in the small courtyard, without servants on all sides. After three rounds of drinking, brother will pretend to get up to relieve yourself, and leave the rest to me.”

…

Three days later, at dusk, Lu Shi Qing came to Yuan Mansion again as Xu Shan, responding to Yuan Ci Xian’s invitation that was forced to him by her playing a scoundrel.

He was led to a small open-air courtyard by the servants. He saw a large table full of jade plates and delicacies, and a roasted whole lamb with an enchanting posture in the middle. Then he saw the enthusiastic smiles of the Yuan family’s brother and sister on the other side of the table, and couldn’t help but feel like rushing to the Hongmen, he was shrink back for a moment.

Only Yuan Yu treated him reservedly, and greeted him with a smile: “Mr. Xu, please have a sit.”

Lu Shi Qing was physically and mentally exhausted from rushing to this gathering, and he didn’t know what trap the brother and sister had set up for him to jump tonight. He nodded at each of them, then entered the seat and sat on the opposite side of the long table.

Yuan Ci Xian rolled up her thin sleeves and personally poured wine for him.

Heh, she’s really as enthusiastic as ever for “Xu Shan”. It seems she’s already forgot the favor of him inserting hairpins for her in the Hanliang Palace a few days ago.

He sneered in his heart, nodded calmly and thanked her, and said: “Xu is not good at drinking, let’s use tea instead.”

Of course Yuan Ci Xian didn’t force him, poured tea for him again, and said: “Sir, move your chopsticks, there is no one else. My sister-in-law is going back to her maiden family to visit relatives these days, so she’s not in the house.”

Yuan Yu followed up by introducing the foods on the table, and said one by one: “This milk stewed chicken is very tender, Sir, please try it. And this Tonghua soft beef intestines, clove fragrant meat, crystal Longfeng cake…”

Lu Shi Qing nodded, took the silver chopsticks, and put a few shredded muttons into the bowl. Yuan Ci Xian thought that he liked to eat this, so she quickly put this plate in front of him.

There were no servants around, only these three people in the small courtyard. The brother and sister drank wine, while Lu Shi Qing drank tea. At the beginning, they only chatted about the dishes, and when the sky was getting dark, Yuan Yu talked more and more. From playing Cuju when he was young and how he smashed his head, to talking about the nuptial night when he tripped over the threshold of his bridal chamber, then he started to worry about Yuan Ci Xian’s marriage.

With a drunken look on his face, he patted the table and said: “Ci Xian, tell me, when will you catch Assistant Minister Lu and make him our family’s son-in-law?”

Lu Shi Qing’s face froze.

Yuan Ci Xian hurriedly covered his mouth, and apologized to the person opposite: “My brother is drunk.”

He took a breath silently, and calmly said: “It’s okay.”

Yuan Yu was really drunk, shook her hand away unhappily, and said: “Brother even taught you the wisdom of loosen the rein in order to grasp better, why do you still…” Halfway through the sentence, his mouth was covered again.

Lu Shi Qing’s face behind the mask became more and more ugly.

Yuan Ci Xian couldn’t laugh or cry. She did tell Yuan Yu to drink more wine, so it would be logical for him to get up and go to the toilet, but who knew he would drink this much.

She hurriedly smiled at the person opposite, “My brother is talking nonsense after drinking. Sir, please don’t tell others, lest these words pass to Assistant Minister Lu’s ears.”

Sorry, it has already been passed.

Lu Shi Qing felt that this play could not be performed, and for a moment he wanted to slap the table and stand up, but he finally calmed down with some strong restraint, and then spit out the word “alright”.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Yu was still making trouble, and this time he simply stood up and stepped on the stool: “But Ci Xian, you said you want to dress up as a servant and sneak into the Lu Mansion…”

Yuan Ci Xian was so anxious, hurriedly reached out to stop him again, then said while tugging his arm: “I will send my brother back to the room first, Sir please wait here.”

After she finished speaking, she dragged Yuan Yu away, leaving Lu Shi Qing looking up at the moon, feeling angry in his heart.

Oh, he was familiar with the art of war, but he almost defeated by this loosen the rein in order to grasp better. No wonder he felt out of his mind for no reason these days. It turned out that he was not secretly in love with Yuan Ci Xian, but was secretly calculated.

Heh, this girl is still going to dress up as a servant and sneak into his mansion? Thinking that his Lu Mansion’s guards are just some useless bunch. Keep dreaming!

He would rather be with dogs than let himself fall into her hands!

Ten thousand wild horses whizzed through Lu Shi Qing’s heart in an instant, and when the horses finished running and Yuan Ci Xian came back, he also regained his composure, with a slight sneer on his mouth and a gentle knife hidden in his eyes.

As soon as Yuan Ci Xian came back, she begged forgiveness, and said a lot of apologetic words, then said: “Made Sir laugh, I will punish myself with three cups.”

He never heard people punishing themselves with drinks when they made others laugh. As Xu Shan, Lu Shi Qing should have stopped her very understandingly, but he didn’t want to stop her now.

Punish, deserve to be punished.

Yuan Ci Xian drank three cups of wine, sat back on the opposite side, and began to think about what to do next. According to the plan, she was going to wait for Yuan Yu to leave the banquet, and with no one around, she would pretend to be drunk and crazy, forcing Xu Shan to personally send her back to her courtyard, and then find an opportunity to lift his mask on the way.

She was already getting drunk just now, but her brother screwed up and forced her to sober up, even though she had drunk three cups right now, if she became drunk immediately, it might not be convincing, so she had to drink more.

She thought for a while, calculated in her heart, and suddenly sighed heavily.

Lu Shi Qing had no choice but to ask at this time: “Why is County Princess sighing?”

She squeezed her eyes and said, “Brother has a drunk nonsense, use mouth not heart, but it aroused my sadness.” After she finished speaking, she poured another cup of wine.

Lu Shi Qing sneered in his heart, but his face said: “If County Princess has something on your mind, might as well talk to Xu.”

Yuan Ci Xian made a melancholy look, and sighed again: “There’s nothing to say, the gentleman’s heart seems to be as cold as iron, and the concubine will go with the water !!!—” After speaking, she raised a cup and drank again.

Lu Shi Qing felt his teeth getting sore, he coughed: “In that case, why don’t County Princess abandon this idea?”

Yuan Ci Xian raised her hand to let him stop: “Sir, the word love, how can people easily discard? Even if his heart as cold as iron, always feigned politeness with me, but I also have no regret, and gladly endure this hardship.”

The corners of Lu Shi Qing’s mouth twitched slightly. The sour word was made up so smoothly, but it wasn’t him who feigned politeness, it was obviously her.

Yuan Ci Xian drank the wine desperately while chattering, with a heartbroken appearance. When the wine was almost empty, it was natural to pretend to be drunk, and she began to talk gibberish, pointing at the table and giggling: “Look, sir, this suckling pig is so strong!”

Lu Shi Qing glanced at the roasted whole lamb, said “Hmm”, and saw her lowering her head to play with the cup, she looked at the reflection of the moon above her head, and said, “Hey, Wu Gang! Sir, I saw Wu Gang cutting the tree!”

“…”

Yuan Ci Xian raised her head and drained the wine, then looked closely at the bottom of the cup, and exclaimed, “Hey, he’s gone!” As she spoke, she staggered to look under the table, “Where did he go?” Seeing that she couldn’t find it, she stumbled to a locust tree on the side, hugged the thick trunk, and asked with a crying voice, “Do you know where Wu Gang went?”

Lu Shi Qing wanted to held his forehead. He looked around, but couldn’t see a single servant, so he went to her side and said: “County Princess, you are drunk, Xu will ask someone to take you back to your room. Where is your maid?”

Yuan Ci Xian turned around and looked back at him in a daze: “Huh, Assistant Minister Lu?”

“…”

Why, when she’s drunk, she can see through walls?

Lu Shi Qing’s blood all over his body almost froze, but then saw her laughing stupidly the next moment, reached out and grabbed his arm: “Assistant Minister Lu, why did you come to my house? You came just in time. Can you help me find Wu Gang? ”

Can’t. In your dream!

Seeing that she was just talking nonsense, he heaved a sigh of relief, gently and gracefully brushed her hand off, and said solemnly: “County Princess, Xu is not Assistant Minister Lu. Can you tell Xu, where the courtyard you live in?”

“Courtyard? I don’t live in a courtyard, I live,” she burped and pointed upwards, “I live in the sky, I’m a fairy girl!”

“…”

She then pulled his arm again, while shaking it she asked: “Assistant Minister Lu, don’t I look like a fairy girl?”

Lu Shi Qing was silent, and when she was about to shake his arm off, he replied helplessly: “Yes.” Seeing her blushing cheeks, and she smiled like a fool, he had no choice but to continue, “You wait here, Xu will call a few servants for you.”

After he finished speaking, he turned and left. But unexpectedly a delicate body was suddenly attached to his back, and then a pair of jade arms climbed up to his neck. This female hooligan almost hung on him.

He froze, then heard her muttering in his ear: “No, Assistant Minister Lu, you can’t leave me…”

She was mumbling, her voice was as thin as a mosquito, but the clear and hot smell of wine was sprayed to his ears accurately, he could not help but tremble. Afterwards, he felt a fire burning from head to toe, ants seemed to be crawling on his lower abdomen, and his “tent” below was standing up without hesitation.

Lu Shi Qing was speechless for a while. This kind of thing can also make him moved? Did she drug him?

He wanted to shake her off, but because of the embarrassing situation in front of him, he didn’t dare to do anything. His limbs were stiff, he held his breath to calm down for a long time, then said: “County Princess, you really admitted the wrong person.”

He felt awkward again after saying this. Could it be that she thought he was Lu Shi Qing, so she could be presumptuous?

Yuan Ci Xian acted as if she didn’t hear anything, and continued to make trouble on his back, beating him while saying: “Assistant Minister Lu, carry me back to the room!”

Carry you ghost!

He frowned, furious, and was going to dump her no matter what happened. But just as he grabbed those jade arms, and wanted to turn around and push her, she actually hooked her ankles around his body.

He stumbled as he turned around, lost his center of gravity and knocked her down. Seeing that the back of her head was about to hit the tree trunk, he subconsciously stretched out his hand and pulled her into his arms.

Yuan Ci Xian let out a low cry, and fell into his arms. At the same time, she seemed to inadvertently bumped her elbow upwards, and hit his mask.