Chapter 125

The light winds blew across the wooden bridge. One man and one woman were on the bridge, entangled with each other.

“No way, I have something going on, I need to leave right away!”

The man impatiently said, “You’re heavily injured. You’re going nowhere for the next half a month!”

Chu Qiao frowned and said in a low voice, “It’s none of your business.”

“Qiaoqiao, can you bear it? In order to save you, I abandoned my escape plan and threw myself into the scary world of political marriages. As compensation, shouldn’t you spend the last days of my freedom with me?”

“Li Ce, I’m looking for someone. Are you going to help me?”

Li Ce sneered. “Man or woman?”

“Man…”

“No.”

“No need to be so frank!”

“Everything else is okay but this! I cannot allow a woman to be by my side while she’s thinking of another man!”

“Are you kidding me? How am I related to you?”

“I don’t care how we are related. This is an insult to my masculinity and charisma.”

Chu Qiao sneered weakly. “Li Ce, can you think of something else other than women and your masculinity?”

Li Ce retorted in a serious tone, “Yes, I can express concern for the country and academic affairs. For example, the number of women in the Tang Empire and their distribution. The female anatomy and structure. Also, I strive to elevate the status of women in my country.”

Chu Qiao, hearing that last sentence, wanted to beat him up again but resisted. Gritting her teeth, she asked, “Oh? How will you do that?”

“This…this is what I think,” Li Ce looked around timidly and whispered, “if all the women became relatives of the royal family, their status would naturally be elevated.”

“Relatives of the royal family?”

“Yes, for example, sleeping with people of the royal family, or asking their daughters or sisters to. Or, they could play matchmaker and introduce pretty ladies to members of the royal family. Or… Ah! Qiaoqiao! This is my territory, how can you strike as you wish?”

Night had fallen. The lights were bright. The prosperous Tang Jing bustled with life.

The crescent moon was pale white. The moonlight shone over the entire Jinwu Palace, making it appear even more majestic. Li Ce was like a mad child, running about and dragging Chu Qiao through the pavilions of the palace. The winds were strong, scattering Chu Qiao’s long hair behind her back.

The moonlight looked watery. The majestic ancient walls of the palace were like the reflections of the stars in the water. Li Ce’s red outfit fluttered in the wind like a kite. The palace maids, servants, and officials that they met along the way knelt by the two sides of the pavement in fear, letting them pass by. They were followed by a large group of palace maids and servants, holding swords and lifting their skirts. They were like butterflies chasing after the wind.

“Hang…hang on…” Chu Qiao, not having eaten solid food for days, felt weak from the poison in her body. Having taken a few steps, she felt her breathing get heavy. “Hang on.” As she stopped, she pressed a hand against her waist, pointed one finger at Li Ce, and asked breathlessly, “Crazy Li, what are you doing?” Chu Qiao’s face had turned red from this exercise session. Her long hair scattered behind her back, looking messy. The wind blew past her hair, spreading its natural fragrance.

Li Ce bent his back, remaining close to her. He looked at her, remaining silent. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. He stood up swiftly, looked around, rubbed his palms, and laughed. He walked straight to a palace maid who was following behind him. He reached out his hand and took out something which resembled a flower from her hair.

It was a very normal butterfly hairpin; an accessory commonly worn by the servants of the palace. However, the hairpin was made of purple jade, which looked exquisite. Li Ce took out a jade necklace of his own, which looked valuable upon sight. He handed it over to the palace maid, and said, while smiling, “I’ll exchange this for your item.”

The palace maid was dumbfounded and knelt on the ground, her face pale. She replied, “I do not dare.”

Li Ce was not angered. He threw the necklace at her and said, “No is not an answer. I like this.” Subsequently, he turned around and walked towards Chu Qiao, tugging at the two butterflies on the hairpin. The hairpin was durable, as Li Ce was unable to yank out one of the butterflies. He used his teeth to bite at the butterfly, dislodging it and spitting it out. He said to the palace maid, “Don’t use jasmine in future. I don’t like the smell.”

The magnolia flowers on both sides of the courtyard had just blossomed, appearing strikingly beautiful. The rain had just subsided. Mudwater accumulated in the garden, causing the soil to be soft. Li Ce, disregarding the fact that his shoes were expensive, walked into the garden, causing the eunuchs and palace maids behind him to cry out loud. He rummaged around and plucked out a purple magnolia flower which had blossomed, and looked like a small lotus flower. He tied the flower to the hairpin and brought it in front of his eye. Revealing a mouthful of white teeth, he smiled happily.

“Your Highness…”

“Your Royal Highness…”

Chu Qiao looked at the horrified palace servants who were kneeling. Li Ce did not take notice of them, only looking at the magnolia flower as he smiled. His eyes were squinted to the point they were almost closed, just like…just like…yes, a fox.

“Pretty!” Li Ce took a few steps, making his way towards Chu Qiao. With a few strokes, he tied Chu Qiao’s hair up with the hairpin. The magnolia flower was positioned beside her ear, causing a fragrant aroma to emanate from her hair.

Chu Qiao was stunned. The next moment, she heard the gasps of approval from the palace servants.

“Li Ce, what are you doing?” Chu Qiao was slightly distressed. She had not been looked at like this in her life. She reached out her hand to remove the magnolia flower on the hairpin.

“What are you doing?” Li Ce swatted Chu Qiao’s hand away and frowned while saying seriously, “Qiaoqiao, you’re a girl. Can’t you look like one?”

Chu Qiao was stunned, finding these words familiar. She remembered the day while she was at Tian Chengshou’s residence in Wupeng, Zhuge Yue had done up her hair and chided her. “You wear black or white every day. Like you’re going to a funeral,” he had said.

She blushed, appearing dazed. Li Ce laughed and said, “Let’s go. I’ll bring you out to play.” Finishing his sentence, Li Ce turned his head around and said sternly, “No one is to follow. If I see a man, I’ll jump into the river. If I see a woman, she can forget about sleeping with me, ever.”

Chu Qiao, hearing such an absurd threat, was stunned. However, she was surprised to see the change in expression from the group of people. They knelt on the ground, not daring to take a step. A few people at the back stood up quietly and departed, seemingly to inform other people of his actions.

“Let’s go!” Li Ce grinned, saying to Chu Qiao. He grabbed her and ran to the city gates, then mounted a horse. He sat in front, while Chu Qiao sat behind. In an ecstatic mood, he said, “Qiaoqiao, quick! Don’t let them catch up!”

Chu Qiao recalled that this man did not really know how to ride a horse. She grabbed the reins and shouted crisply, causing the horse to sprint along the passageway.

“Oh!” Li Ce opened up his arms and shouted joyfully. The wind was strong, causing his robe to flutter and stick tightly to his body. “Qiaoqiao, quick!” he shouted again.

“Giddyup!” Chu Qiao shook the reins again. The horse accelerated along Tai Qing Road. The guards knelt by both sides of the road. The lights were bright and the winds were cold, carrying with it a fragrance resembling a lotus flower. The sound of the horse’s hooves reverberated around the square.

Chu Qiao’s mood brightened up at this instant. The petals of the magnolia flower brushed lightly against her ear, causing it to itch. She shrugged and took a deep breath, her fatigue over the days dissipating. Her entire body felt refreshed.

The horse swiftly made its way out of the inner city. Chu Qiao looked back, seeing the palace lights shine even brighter. Sounds of horses’ hooves could be heard from behind, as if they were being chased by a crowd. Li Ce was unfazed, showing that he was experienced at this. He gestured at Chu Qiao, directing their escape route. They made their way through countless streets and alleys, successfully losing the people in pursuit in a while.

The air was fresh. There was a serene lake ahead, with flower boats visible. Soothing sounds of people singing and the melodious tones of musical instruments echoed around the lake. Chu Qiao got off the horse and tied its reins to a tree.

“Qiaoqiao, help me off. Hold me,” Li Ce called out, his voice relaxed.

Chu Qiao held his hand. Li Ce got off the horse clumsily and ran to the side of the lake, scooping up some water with his hand and saying, “How cool!”

Chu Qiao walked over and squatted by the side of the lake, using her fingers to feel the water.

It was lively by the shore of the lake. There were storytellers, acrobats, singers, and vendors who sold various merchandise, and a few brothels. The cosmetic smell, which came from the ladies, drifted across the lake along with the singing voices.

Chu Qiao did not feel like saying a word. In this kind of environment, she often found herself at a loss for words. Many years had passed. This kind of life seemed distant so from her to the point that she would never be able to reintegrate.

Li Ce looked towards her, smiling. He stood up and grabbed her wrist, saying, “Follow me, follow me, I’ll bring you to a good place!”

This place was not the main street of Tang Jing. The restaurants here did not appear as fancy as the ones on the main street, seeming more rural instead. Li Ce was seemingly familiar with this place, navigating his way around while dragging her. He did not care about the fact that he would dirty his outfit.

The two of them were flamboyantly dressed and looked strikingly handsome and beautiful, attracting the attention of many people. A few vendors came forward to sell some cosmetic products, casually remarking that Li Ce was buying them for his beautiful wife.

Down the street, they saw a big elm tree ahead. Under the tree was a small stall, whose owner was a young lady. She was not very pretty but looked clean. She had big and watery eyes and was dressed in blue. Beside her stood a young man who was of similar age.

“Lady Boss!” Li Ce shouted before he had ran into the stall.

The lady turned around upon hearing his voice. Smiling, she said, “It’s First Master. You’re here again?”

“Yes!” Li Ce dragged Chu Qiao along, taking his seat at a corner of the stall. He continued, “I brought a friend here. Two bowls of noodles, one plate of beef, half a plate of shrimps with more vinegar, please.”

“Okay,” the young lady boss obliged with a smile. The young man beside her smiled at Chu Qiao and Li Ce, remaining silent. The lady boss remarked, “This is the first time you brought a friend here.”

Chu Qiao looked at Li Ce with a strange look and frowned. “You know each other?”

“Yes.” Li Ce smiled. “I’ve come here often since young. I sneaked out of the palace often. One time, I was ruthlessly pursued by the guards. I took off my clothes and gave them to a small kid, asking him to lure the guards away. However, I left all my money in that outfit. After a whole day, I was hungry. I ran into the lady boss. Oh, she was not too old then. She set up a stall here with her parents. She saw that I was hungry and offered me a bowl of noodles. Since then, I’ve been a regular customer.”

“Oh!” Chu Qiao nodded.

“Qiaoqiao, are you touched? Do you feel that I’m not just beautiful on the outside, but on the inside too?”

Chu Qiao rolled her eyes and supported her chin with both hands, not replying to him.