Let Me Pursue You

The twelfth lunar month is the coldest season of the year.

In the cold wind and bitter rain, Lu Shiqing bent his legs and half-kneeled by the bridge railing, hunched his back, and coughed continuously. After coughing for a while, he took in a mouthful of cold wind, and the cold wind poured into his lungs.

So again and again.

Drizzle is the wettest clothes. The dark purple official robe on his body was almost dyed black, and the third-grade court dress was not afraid of being spoiled, and the note in his hand was clean.

After Zheng Zhuo gave him the note left by Yuan Cixian, he was ordered to return to the city to avoid being followed. He is the only one on the bridge right now. It's freezing cold, and no one else can't think about it like this.

Lu Shiqing coughed out of breath, and tried to prop himself up with his elbows, but failed after a couple of attempts, so he turned over and sat down paralyzed with his back against the bridge railing. The cold wind was howling urgently, and it gushed into his sleeves, but luckily the cuffs of the official robe were narrow enough to block most of them.

He tightened his sleeves tightly, and there seemed to be a distant voice in his ears, which came from the middle of winter two years ago: "Mr. Xu, you also wear a wide robe and long sleeves in winter, isn't it cold?"

He wanted to say it was cold. It's just that if the narrow sleeves are changed, the belt is pinched, and the figure is exposed, it will not be easy to hide.

But he couldn't say it, so even though he was about to shake like a sieve, he pretended to be calm and calm, and said calmly: "Xu is not cold, thank you for your concern."

If I had known that Yuan Cixian would have seen through his identity later on, why would he bother acting in this role.

Thinking of this, Lu Shiqing twitched the corners of his mouth, raised a pair of empty eyes, and looked at the gray and white sky.

I remember the first time I met her formally, it was in Daming Palace in early spring three years ago.

At that time, she was only fifteen years old, and she went to Beijing with her father to receive a reward for her victory in the Southern Yunnan War. On the day of the canonization, she was dressed more colorfully than a princess.

He also looked at her more. Without him, I was just thinking about the secrets of the court, thinking that the county head of the Yuan family is outstanding, and at the age of the Xu family, after this canonization ceremony, many people may be tempted. However, the identity of the King of Southern Dian is too sensitive. Except for the unscrupulous, no one would dare to make a big statement. I don't know how the sage intends to use this marriage to make a fuss.

He was thinking about all these twists and turns, and when Li Bi was on his way back home, when he passed the palace road, he really ran into a heartless person. Right in front, Zheng Pei, the sickly Ninth Prince, stopped the brothers and sisters of the Yuan family halfway, watching from a distance, probably trying to make fun of the little lady.

The elder brother next to Yuan Cixian didn't have a lot of eyes, he was straightforward, he couldn't stand it, and he would yell at him when he opened his mouth, no matter how noble the other party was.

Lu Shiqing didn't want to care about this. After all, Yuan Yu didn't deal with him, and ended up having a dog's grievance. Seeing that he offended Zheng Pei, he should ignore it. But when he thought of Zheng Zhuo's recent intentions to win over the Yuan family, and Yuan Yu's stabbing, he also caused trouble for them, so before the quarrel started over there, he stepped forward and said with a smile: "Your Highness Ninth Prince, you are here."

As soon as he said it, the brothers and sisters of the Yuan family and Zheng Pei all looked over. He glanced at the three people, saluted them all, and then said to Zheng Pei: "On the way here, I saw your eunuchs looking for you everywhere. It seems that there is something urgent."

Zheng Pei was interrupted and asked angrily, "What's urgent?"

His face was not flushed and his heart skipped a beat and he said, "I don't know about this minister, maybe it's a sage who invited me."

Zheng Pei looked at him suspiciously, and finally got on the sedan chair to drive him away, and when he was done, he said "Cousin Cixian, let's talk about it next time".

He saw Yuan Cixian twitching the corners of his mouth, with a look of "talking about your size", and he didn't stay long after it was over. He nodded and said goodbye to the Yuan family brothers and sisters, and when he turned to leave, he heard her ask in a low voice: "Brother, who is this?"

Yuan Yu introduced casually: "The servant of Chaozhongmen, his surname is Lu."

Immediately afterwards, February Spring Breeze conveyed her admiration to his ears: "Oh, she looks quite good-looking."

His impression of Yuan Cixian lingered on her compliments to him for nearly two years. When he saw her again, it was at the end of the next year, when the winter was snowing heavily.

During those two years, Zheng Zhuo successfully wooed Yuan Yu, and Yuan's family came to Beijing at the end of the year, and he took the opportunity to visit as a teacher to talk about a marriage.

Emperor Huining moved his mind earlier, intending to ask Yuan Cixian to be his daughter-in-law and marry Zheng Zhuo. Zheng Zhuo chose to use his tactics to further strengthen his relationship with the Yuan family. He was then sent to work as a matchmaker, a lobbyist, and a show of sincerity.

It was the first day after the snow that day, and inside the Yuan mansion, the brothers and sisters of the Yuan family were making snow. Yuan Cixian's face was flushed red from the cold, and she tirelessly hit Yuan Yu with hard-pressed snow balls, making noise and laughing. Yuan Yu didn't dare to hit her like this, for fear of breaking her, he ran away with all his strength, and when he had no choice, he took the soft snow dumpling back to her symbolically.

Seeing that scene, Lu Shiqing suddenly flinched a little, wondering if he was being a bit cruel as a lobbyist.

The girl who was loved and spoiled by her family since she was a child is almost seventeen and still looks like a child, but she is about to be drawn into the endless darkness.

After hesitating for a moment, he went to Yuan Yizhi's study and said what a politician should say. After the talk, Yuan Cixian came to deliver tea directly to Yuan Yi.

She had probably been introduced by Yuan Yu, so she knew who he was, and when she saw him, she said "I have admired his name for a long time", her eyes like peach petals were bent into a crescent shape, and she smiled very politely, but also a little sly.

Thinking of the purpose of that visit, he suddenly felt that this smile was very dazzling. It made him feel a little guilty.

He didn't show any enthusiasm, but just nodded and greeted her according to the etiquette.

At that time, I heard her ask him if he was cold.

After saying "Xu is not cold, thank you for your concern", he left.

It's just that at that time, I felt that I had done something unsightly, and my heart was full of contempt and coldness, so there was no reason not to be cold.

His sleeves were full of wind and snow, his back was straight, but he did not walk freely at all.

Although Yuan Yizhi said in the study that he didn't want to marry his daughter into the royal family and get involved in those intrigues, he politely rejected him. But he knew that there was no room for negotiation on this matter. After all, the sage had to keep Yuan Cixian this time, and Zheng Zhuo, who was powerless after weighing it, was a relatively "safe" candidate.

He came out as a lobbyist today just to go through the motions, rushing to express Zheng Zhuo's position before the sage, so that when the marriage proposal comes down, he will not fall into embarrassment and passiveness.

After a few days, the imperial decree was really promulgated, and Emperor Huining waved his hand and bestowed their marriage.

Knowing that the Yuan family still had reservations about Zheng Zhuo, he must have thought about this imperial decree. He originally wanted to make another trip as a teacher to appease him, but unexpectedly, the next day, a military report came from the southwest, saying that a war broke out in southern Yunnan. Nanzhao raised troops to invade.

One is the border crisis, and the other is that the Yuan family is in trouble, so he invited himself to go to the peace talks, set off on New Year's Eve, and only returned in February. On the day of his return, Zheng Zhuo met him in Xu's residence and asked him if he had ever seen a jade female ring in the Nanzhao military camp.

He said he saw it, and Xiju's reaction was a little strange, and he was about to go back to Beijing to find out what was going on.

Zheng Zhuo said don't look into it, it was his fiancée who did it.

The fiancee is Yuan Cixian.

Lu Shiqing asked for details, and Zheng Zhuo explained that on the first day of the first lunar month, he and his brothers and sisters greeted Emperor Huining in the Daming Palace to celebrate the new year. After listening to the eunuchs, Yuan Cixian came to the palace to look for him and waited outside.

Emperor Huining was happy to see the success and allowed him to leave early. After seeing Yuan Cixian, he found out that she came for Shaohe, and said he hoped he would do her a favor and arrange for her to meet Shao and the princess at Anxingfang at noon.

Zheng Zhuo said that he didn't pay much attention to it at first, and he didn't ask the reason out of politeness. He was a fiancée in his heart, and of course he would help with such a small matter. Afterwards, he heard from the spies that the Yuan family sent a confidential item out of Chang'an at night. , I just thought it was wrong. After checking, it was learned that Yuan Cixian asked Shaohe for a jade ring to help Lu Shiqing in the peace talks.

Lu Shiqing understood after listening, and asked, "What is she helping me with?"

Zheng Zhuo shook his head: "I'm here to ask you this today, do you two have friendship?"

He said "No", and said, "Just because of this, you waited for me for two months? Wouldn't it be over if you asked her earlier?"

Zheng Zhuo said: "She didn't directly ask me for help in this matter, which shows that she has reservations about me. Wouldn't it be a bit puzzled if I asked again?"

Lu Shiqing said, "You also know that you don't understand style", thought for a while and said, "Maybe it's my visit to the peace talks, which can be regarded as a solution to the Yuan family's siege, and she helped me out of morality." After finishing speaking, she frowned , Thinking of something, "Oh, could it be that thing last year?"

Zheng Zhuo asked what happened.

He said that it was in Daming Palace last year that he lied to deceive Zheng Pei away and relieved her.

Zheng Zhuo said with emotion that the county lord is straightforward, reciprocating the favor, the favor he gets is small, and the love is as big as thunder.

He felt uncomfortable when he heard this, and said, "Are you avenging her injustice? You have to know, if it weren't for me, she still doesn't know who her fiancée is."

Zheng Zhuo punched him jokingly.

The punch happened to hit him in the chest, causing him to hiss.

Zheng Zhuo panicked and asked, "Has the injury recurred?"

Last year when Huainan was flooded, he went to rescue the disaster. On the way back to Beijing, he encountered an assassin arranged by King Ping. He was stabbed in the chest and narrowly survived.

He nodded: "Nanzhao is in a bit of a rush this trip, just rest for a few days."

Zheng Zhuo told him to go back and rest quickly, and said goodbye: "Remember to thank the county lord if you have the opportunity."

Because Yuan Cixian had a marriage contract with Zheng Zhuo, it made no sense to go back to Yaozhou with the King of Southern Dian. He was in the capital at that time, so there must be opportunities, and out of etiquette, thanks are also due.

Lu Shiqing then said "OK", and then returned to the Lu residence through the secret road.

It should be agreed, and the gratitude is also true, but he has never had to take the initiative to deal with a young lady in his 23 years of life. Not only is he uncomfortable, but more importantly, the visit is too public, after all, his status is not suitable .

He calculated this matter as a court battle, and after calculating many pros and cons, he chose the least conspicuous method: a few days before the 14th February Flower Festival, Zheng Zhuo will hold a wine-cup banquet at the Prince's Mansion, At that time, Yuan Cixian, as his fiancée, should be present. He was not interested in participating, so he reluctantly went.

On February 14th, he suffered for a long time, listening to those boring people spitting and arguing, seeing Zheng Zhuo and Yuan Cixian talking and laughing while eating melons and fruits, he almost fell asleep, and finally waited for a man named Dou Azhang Only when the first prize is won, the banquet is over.

When the crowd dispersed, he intentionally stayed for a moment, and saw the right time for Yuan Cixian to say goodbye to Zheng Zhuo, get up and go back home.

Zheng Zhuo probably originally wanted to send Yuan Cixian back to Shengyefang, but he didn't mention it after seeing through his intention of thanking him. He seized the opportunity to follow, thinking to himself how to say hello more naturally and less artificially.

—The county lord, you are here too, are you going back home?

——Why is the county lord here alone? Didn't His Highness see you off?

— County Lord…

Just as he thought of this, he suddenly saw the person in front of him stop walking, turned around to look at him, blinked his eyes twice and said strangely: "Lu Shilang, why are you following me?"

He felt a thud in his heart.

God **** it, it was seen.