Chapter 54: Seeing Gu Yun Again (8)

"I don't know, I lost my memory." Zhuo Qing replied very smoothly. This excuse was truly good.

"Poor child, another day I will have the Imperial Physician give you a good diagnosis and treatment."

Zhuo Qing smiled and replied: "Thank you, Empress Dowager." She felt a bit irritable in her heart. How long would this boring gathering continue?

"Consort Qing hasn't seen her sister for a long time, she must miss her very much. Why don't Ling'er live in the palace for a few days, so the two sisters can talk." Just when Zhuo Qing was about to shout bored, the Empress Dowager's seemingly considerate words made Zhuo Qing's goosebumps rise all over.

Zhuo Qing hadn't had time to refuse, but Qingfeng was faster than her, replying: "Thank you for the Empress Dowager's grace, the wedding is imminent, my sister must have many things to prepare. Furthermore, it is not very appropriate for the wife of a high official to enter and leave the palace at will."

"Those complicated things, just leave them to the men to handle. However, Consort Qing's words also make sense. In this way, Ling'er is going to marry Lou Xiyan as his wife, she still needs to learn palace etiquette. I will ask the Emperor for an imperial decree for you to enter the palace to learn etiquette openly, so that you two sisters can gather properly."

"Empress Dowager..."

"That's it, it's decided." Qingfeng seemed to want to say something, but the Empress Dowager waved her hand, not allowing her to say any more.

Qingfeng seemed to want to speak again, but Zhuo Qing gave her a look, preventing her from speaking again. Qingfeng would be living in the palace for a long time after all, and offending the Empress Dowager would only bring her greater trouble.

Why was the Empress Dowager trying so hard to get her into the palace? Zhuo Qing pondered how to get out of such a dangerous situation. A sharp, high-pitched voice of a eunuch came from far to near: "The Eastern Empress Dowager has arrived."

Why another one?

Just as the eunuch's shout fell, a woman in dark red gorgeous clothes and grand attire entered the hall. Her well-maintained face and tall figure made her look younger than the Western Empress Dowager, only forty-something years old. Gorgeous clothes and gold hairpins, noble and imposing. By comparison, the Western Empress Dowager appeared much more plain and approachable.

Her sudden arrival made a group of concubines panic, and they hurriedly stood up to pay their respects: "Greetings to the Empress Dowager, may the Empress Dowager be safe and well."

"Get up." Without looking at the women kneeling on the ground, Lou Suxin walked toward Yang Zhilan.

The Western Empress Dowager stood up to greet her and smiled: "Sister, please sit down quickly. How come you have time to come to me?"

"I heard my sister was hosting a banquet in the palace, so I came over to join in the fun." Lou Suxin scanned everyone and seemed to ask casually: "Where were we just now, continue." 【5

Unfortunately, everyone lowered their heads; no one dared to answer. Zhuo Qing was a bit curious; everyone seemed to be somewhat afraid of her. While Zhuo Qing was still secretly observing, her hand was suddenly held. Coming back to her senses, she saw the Western Empress Dowager patting her hand and smiling: "Xiyan is getting married soon, yet he has hidden the bride so well. I specifically invited her into the palace today to take a look. She is indeed a clever and sensible good girl; just looking at her makes one like her. We were just discussing having the Emperor issue an imperial decree to summon Ling'er into the palace to learn royal etiquette, and she can also keep Consort Qing company. Both of them have been away from home for so long, they must have a lot to talk about."

Her gaze only drifted past her lightly; Zhuo Qing suspected that Lou Suxin hadn't even seen her appearance clearly. With a touch of arrogance, Lou Suxin said loudly: "So that's what this is about. Several days ago, Xiyan already spoke to me about this matter. His health has been poor since he was young, and he easily falls ill during the spring and summer. Ling'er knows acupuncture and can treat him when he falls ill. He insisted on begging me to let Mama Wu leave the palace to teach Ling'er etiquette, and I couldn't refuse him, so I agreed."

The Western Empress Dowager clearly knew how to assess the situation. Changing the subject, she smiled: "So that's how it is. Since it concerns Xiyan's health, then let's drop the matter. It's rare for you to come over, sister, let's have a meal together."

"Alright." Both Empresses Dowager were sitting there, and the originally cheerful atmosphere suddenly became dull. Zhuo Qing, however, was in a good mood; this was fine, at least no one was looking for trouble with her anymore. Under the gazes of a group of women each with their own thoughts, Zhuo Qing finished the meal at ease.

She was led out of Xixia Palace by the Eastern Empress Dowager. She thought this Eastern Empress Dowager would say something to her again, but who knew that after leaving Xixia Palace, she only glanced at her, said "Xiyan is waiting for you outside the palace," and then drifted away.

She is Lou Xiyan's aunt, right? The thoughts of the Lou family are truly not easy to guess!

Zhuo Qing was led out of the palace gate by an old mama, and sure enough, she saw Lou Xiyan's low-key carriage. He actually wasn't sitting inside waiting, but was standing outside the carriage. In his plain white long robe under the moonlight, he was as elegant as an immortal, so perfect that one would feel inferior just standing beside him.

Seeing Zhuo Qing walk out, Lou Xiyan went up to meet her.

"Have you been waiting long?" He still had that leisurely and contented look; it was impossible to tell from his expression whether he had been waiting for ten minutes or ten hours.

Lou Xiyan replied with a faint smile: "Just a while."

Fine, if he says a while, then it's a while. Beside the carriage, she only saw Lou Xiyan and Mo Bai. Zhuo Qing wondered: "Where is Qing Mo?" Why didn't she see a shadow of Gu Yun?

"She came to tell me that after the Empress Dowager took you away, she left." She had been very hurried and even somewhat impatient when she came. He thought she would follow, but he didn't expect that after she finished speaking, she left calmly again. What a strange woman.

Zhuo Qing was used to it; Gu Yun must have seen his composure in his eyes and believed he could save her, which is why she left.

Stretching her waist, Zhuo Qing said: "It's getting late, let's go back." She had been busy all day and was exhausted.

Zhuo Qing prepared to get into the carriage, but her wrist was suddenly held by Lou Xiyan. Zhuo Qing turned back and looked at him in confusion, only to see Lou Xiyan staring at her with a serious face, asking: "Don't you have anything to ask me?"

Zhuo Qing pondered for a while and replied: "What should I ask you?"

"You could be angry that I didn't enter the palace to find you, causing you to stay in the palace alone for so long." Tightening his grip on her hand, Lou Xiyan gazed at her deeply with his profound eyes.

So that's what he was talking about. Lou Xiyan's slightly nervous expression pleased Zhuo Qing; she admitted that her vanity was satisfied, but she had no interest in taking this opportunity to act spoiled or unreasonable to gain sympathy. Smiling slightly, Zhuo Qing honestly stated her attitude: "The Empress Dowager only summoned me into the palace; she didn't want to do anything to me. As an outside official, it is not convenient for you to enter or exit the inner palace. If you had really come to pick me up, it would have only given people something to gossip about. You even invited the Eastern Empress Dowager over to help me out of the situation; that is already enough. I don't feel there is any reason to be angry. Most importantly, I am not that weak. Although a group of women are like wolves and tigers with ill intentions, I am not a little white rabbit either. You can rest assured."

Her smiling eyes were vibrant, and her lips were pursed in a half-smile. Under the moonlight, there wasn't a trace of timidity on her face; that kind of confidence was even somewhat dazzling. Perhaps his worry was a bit redundant. Gently picking up a strand of her long hair that had fallen behind her, winding and stroking it with his fingertips, Lou Xiyan chuckled softly: "Yes, my Ling'er is a little fox."

My? It was that kind of faint, doting tone again, a whisper that made one intoxicated. The ink-black hair was winding in his hands, and Zhuo Qing felt deeply once again the ambiguity swirling around the two of them; her heart began to beat wildly uncontrollably. After that light, almost non-existent kiss last night, her heart had changed. But what was Lou Xiyan really thinking?

Was she going to continue being so anxious and let herself remain in this passive situation? The answer was NO!

"I heard you are preparing for a wedding?" She had to make him confess first!

Looking at the hair that seemed like silk, the touch was as good as she had imagined. Lou Xiyan continued to play with it and replied somewhat distractedly: "Yes."

Gently pulling back her hair, Zhuo Qing didn't allow him to be distracted and continued to ask: "With whom?"

Lou Xiyan was somewhat unsatisfied; that cool, silk-like smoothness made one linger. Facing Zhuo Qing's gaze, which could be called pressing, Lou Xiyan replied generously: "You."

Zhuo Qing found it funny: "Why don't I, the person involved, know about this?"

Frowning with an innocent face, Lou Xiyan replied: "You didn't deny being my wife in the Great Hall; doesn't that mean you agreed to be my wife?"

He was actually playing innocent with her! Zhuo Qing roared in a mix of anger and amusement: "That was clearly an expedient measure!" When he said she was his wife, he hadn't even asked for her consent, okay!

"The civil and military officials didn't think so, and neither did I."

Was he being unreasonable?! So that was what counted as a proposal? Zhuo Qing was simply between laughter and tears!

The disapproving expression on Zhuo Qing's face was undisguised. Lou Xiyan's eyes darkened, and he asked in a low voice: "Is it painful to marry me?"

Zhuo Qing shook her head and replied honestly: "No, you are perfect enough to make one feel inferior."

Was that a compliment? His deep eyes locked onto hers, Lou Xiyan pursued: "But, you are unwilling to marry me?"

Was she willing? Thinking of that big table of women today, they were enchanting and beautiful, each with their own charm, yet they were all trapped behind those palace walls, all belonging to one man. She didn't know what they were thinking, but she absolutely could not let this happen to her. Meeting his eyes, Zhuo Qing replied: "Let's put it this way: my husband should respect me, and the two of us should support each other, take care of each other, and trust each other. A third party is not allowed, and of course, a fourth, fifth, or sixth party is even more out of the question! Do you think you can do that?"

"What you care about is whether I will take concubines in the future, right?"

Zhuo Qing nodded honestly. This was an unavoidable issue in this era. She had no interest in sharing him with others, even if he was perfect enough to make every woman's heart flutter.

Lou Xiyan smiled easily; he didn't seem troubled by this question and replied frankly: "I, Lou Xiyan, will only have one woman in my life, and that is my wife."

Zhuo Qing's mouth hung open in surprise, and she forgot to close it. With his status and position, he had no reason to lie to her just to please her. Zhuo Qing had once guessed that such an elegant and gentle man might be different, but she hadn't expected him to be so unique. A Prime Minister with power over the court, only having one woman in his life—not to mention in ancient times, even in modern times, would any man dare to easily make such a promise? How could she not be surprised!

Zhuo Qing's stunned appearance amused Lou Xiyan. He brushed her hair again and played with it between his fingers. Lou Xiyan deliberately misinterpreted her expression and smiled: "My little fox, do you need to be this happy?"

Clearing her throat, Zhuo Qing finally closed her mouth and smiled sheepishly: "Sorry, I was just surrounded by a group of women, over-stimulated and shocked, and my facial expressions were a bit out of control. Please interpret this expression as—shock, thank you."

"Isn't this the answer you wanted?"

"Yes." Answering otherwise would be being hypocritical, which she would despise herself for.

"Then what other questions do you have now?"

"What other questions?" Zhuo Qing was somewhat bewildered.

"To be my wife, what other questions do you have?" Lou Xiyan asked very naturally, but Zhuo Qing wanted to curse.

How was one supposed to answer this?! 'I have no more questions, please marry me!' Let her die; she couldn't say it!

Zhuo Qing sighed: "I thought you were a very romantic person; now it seems there was some mistake." Although she hadn't been married much, was there anyone who proposed like this?

(End of chapter)