Chapter 767

"Why are you going, why are you going to visit her?" Pei Ye's throat seemed to tighten for a moment. "Why are you going to visit her?"

"If I walked a little faster, would you be blocking my way?"

"No…… why, why are you going?"

Seeing his panicked appearance, Li Piaoqing felt a pinch in her heart, but she couldn't help but look at him and smile: "What do you think I'm going for?"

"……"

"We already agreed." Li Piaoqing walked along, looking at the horizon. "Didn't I tell you on the boat that night? I came to the capital also relying on Her Highness Jinyang's arrangements, which is why I was able to connect with Xianrentai and the capital's government offices."

"Oh," Pei Ye responded blankly.

Of course he remembered that rainy night on the deck. The moment the gentle and surging feeling rose in the bottom of his heart, the girl in front of him took a step back and said with a smile, "I came here also relying on a handwritten order from Her Highness Jinyang."

Love and affection have always been heavy, and it is no exception when they are still sweet.

It's just that people are willing to hold them up at that time. If they loosen their strength, they will gradually settle down like mud and sand, leaving only the clear and light water of thought on the upper layer. If you haven't seen each other for a long time, you usually move in shallow water and think they have faded and disappeared.

However, as long as there is one stir, these muddy sands will stain the water color in an instant.

For Pei Ye, this stir was just a reunion.

At that time, his anger and distrust of Li Xizhou were reaching their peak. Seeing the young girl suddenly, the familiar and warm scent of Bowang City seemed to rush toward him, but the girl's words woke him up.

After all, things are different, the world has changed, and the new and old are no longer the same as before.

"You and Her Highness Jinyang…… have a pretty good relationship, don't you?" The two walked quietly for a while, and Li Piaoqing turned to look at him.

Pei Ye's heart sank. For a long time, his timidity about meeting the young girl had been embodied in this question.

Pei Ye pursed his lips: "Pretty good."

He looked down at the patterns on the road, his mouth a bit dry, but he didn't hesitate much, as if he had been prepared for a long time: "……Better than with Cui Zhaoye, Zhangsun, and the others."

"Better than with Layman Qi too?"

"Better."

"Better than with……" Li Piaoqing dragged out the tail of her sentence and thought for a moment. "Better than with Little Daoist Jiang too?"

"……Better."

Li Piaoqing was quiet for a moment, then said softly: "Then, is it better than with me?"

For a moment, Pei Ye had countless things he wanted to say. The sounds on the street were all cushioned underneath, as if waiting for his long-winded argument.

But in the end, he only looked up, trying to meet the girl's clear eyes: "Now, it's better than with you, Piaoqing."

Li Piaoqing's lips

pursed, and she turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

She was the one who brought up this topic. She originally wanted to laugh and let this matter pass. She should have been prepared for this when she and the youth parted ways in Bowang last year. But the power of these words exceeded her expectations.

"Alright, I know." In a flash, she turned her head back. "Love and affection change, it's a common occurrence. I knew that before I came to the capital."

Pei Ye was dazed: "Hmm."

"Now she is the newcomer, and I am the old one," Li Piaoqing said languidly, lowering her head to kick a pebble—actually, the pebble didn't exist.

"……Hmm."

"Don't just 'hmm' to every sentence!" Li Piaoqing said, laughing and angry. "I'm annoying you."

"……Then you can annoy me."

"Who would want to annoy you all the time?" Li Piaoqing smiled and turned her head to look at the clouds on the horizon.

The two were quiet for a while, walking forward, but their shoulders did not separate.

A moment later, Pei Ye said suddenly: "Piaoqing, I, I prepared a gift for you."

This topic was sudden and stiff, but the girl's eyes lit up following the words: "What is it?"

Pei Ye lowered his head and took out a small, exquisitely carved sword from his jade dragon ring. He didn't know what material it was, but it was as blue as the sky before the rain, translucent and ethereal. Inside, it seemed as if pale mist was floating, but looking closely, it seemed like an illusion.

The shape was no longer the Glazed Heart-Slaying Sword; it was the Lost Emerald Sword, every detail as real as could be.

"This kind of jade can be ground into powder and swallowed. It's fine to eat it directly in an emergency," Pei Ye said. "Within the Eight Waters basin of the capital, you can use it to enter the Spirit Realm in most water systems."

Li Piaoqing took it and smiled: "When did your hands become so skillful?"

"Actually, they aren't skillful. I carved many that were ruined before I got this one," Pei Ye said truthfully.

Li Piaoqing held it in front of her eyes to look at it carefully for a while, then gently held it in her palm, saying nothing.

Pei Ye was a bit anxious: "You don't like it?"

"I'm calming my emotions," Li Piaoqing whispered.

"Oh."

The two walked along the street in the capital, not fast and not slow, with not many and not few conversations. Li Piaoqing pointed out places she had been to a few days ago from time to time, and Pei Ye told her what he knew.

By the time the warm yellow clouds were stained with deep crimson and the entire horizon was burned into a sheet, the long courtyard wall of the Xiuwen Hall appeared in their field of vision.

"Are there really many famous scholars in the Xiuwen Hall? I heard people say that Hall Master Xu's subordinates are full of talent."

"I heard so…… whether they are famous or not, I don't recognize them."

"Before I toured the capital a few days ago, I found someone who was said to be knowledgeable and asked. They said the Xiuwen Hall is a must-visit place for elegant scholars. As long as you are a reader,

regardless of poverty or wealth, anyone who wants to go in and see can do so, and those who are destitute can even find a job."

"Hmm, that's true. Layman Qi is the one doing this."

"So that's how it is…… This method is good. Let me take a look, and I'll imitate it when I return to Bowang."

"This kind of thing takes a lot of effort, and it costs a lot of money, with almost no return," Pei Ye reminded her. "I heard Layman Qi say so."

"Do you think I have no money?"

"……" Pei Ye did indeed think of her as just having taken charge of her sect, with everything waiting to be done, but with the girl saying it like that, he was at a loss.

Li Piaoqing narrowed her eyes: "I can't explain it to you. I'll entertain you when you return to Bowang."

The main gate of the Xiuwen Hall gradually appeared in front of them. The two scholars welcoming guests already recognized this youth carrying a sword. Layman Qi had specifically instructed that he could enter and exit without hindrance, and there were rumors that he was even a trusted aide in front of Hall Master Xu.

But this beautiful young girl in a green skirt was an absolute stranger. And strangely, when the two stood before the gate, the youth stopped first, but the girl turned back and smiled: "Are you going in or not? If you don't want to, you can stay here. I'll come out to find you in about half an hour or so."

The youth pursed his lips: "I'm going in."

Only then did the girl turn around, cupped her hands with a smile, and handed a visiting card to the two.

After the two verified it, they hurriedly bowed. Li Piaoqing crossed the threshold and looked around curiously, while Pei Ye followed half a step behind, saying nothing.

He looked into the distance. The small green building in the north was still standing by the lake, and no miracle of it suddenly disappearing had occurred.

Qi Zhaohua was standing in front of the building waiting. Seeing the two coming side by side, she felt quite cordial. The three—mainly the two women—reminisced. At the end, Qi Zhaohua smiled: "The benefactor sent me here to wait and guide you, but since Young Master Pei is here, it saves me a trip of climbing the stairs."

Pei Ye nodded.

Qi Zhaohua noticed the young master's distraction today, but didn't understand why. She just smiled and let the two go up.

The stairs were clean and quiet, and the sound of every step was very clear.

How many times had he walked up alone in the past? Only this time, another set of footsteps followed beside him.

The young girl still hadn't lost her interest in looking around, watching the calligraphy and paintings on the wall, sometimes even deliberately slowing her pace.

"They are all Hall Master Xu's own handwriting," she said.

"Hmm."

Li Piaoqing couldn't help but smile, whispering: "Don't force yourself, you can still go back now."

"……No need." Pei Ye looked down at the steps.

However, no matter how long the stairs were, there was finally a time when they ended. When there were no more steps to climb in his field of vision, Pei Ye knew he was standing on the top floor.

Looking up, two ladies-in-waiting were tying up the curtains of the terrace.

The woman was wearing a spring robe, sitting cross-legged in front of a desk, on which were fresh, steaming dishes and vegetables, with two empty seats already set.

This was the first time Li Piaoqing had seen this woman. She had imagined her a few times before, but none of them were as captivating as seeing her in person. Her beautiful appearance seized her; it was hard to say what temperament this face had—elegant, lazy, delicate, or that of a majestic ruler……

For a moment, Li Piaoqing actually found it hard to imagine the youth standing with her.

Then this high-powered woman spoke, quite flatly: "Before I left, I said if there was anything strange at the meeting, bring me one back. I really didn't expect it to be a person."

Pei Ye's mouth was half-open, just about to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat and wouldn't come out.

Li Xizhou looked at the girl beside him: "Little Head Li, two correspondences, I've long admired your name. Nice to meet you."

Li Piaoqing bowed with a smile: "Greetings, Your Highness. Pei Ye probably knows that Your Highness is thinking of Piaoqing, so he is very understanding."

"I was indeed thinking of Head Li," Li Xizhou said flatly, gesturing with her hand. "It happens to be dinner time. I had people prepare a bit more. Sit together and let's eat and talk."

Pei Ye had been considering how to introduce the two to each other all the way here. The last time he had been so careful with his words was when he was forced to write an essay at the Imperial Academy. But now, having thought through and recited his words several times, he inexplicably felt it was inappropriate to speak.

Li Piaoqing bowed again, walked to the desk, and sat down cross-legged. Pei Ye sat silently to one side.

Li Xizhou made a gesture and picked up her chopsticks first.

There were seven or eight dishes on the desk. After removing the mirage blood, the woman seemed no longer so addicted to cold, and although she was still used to light food, there were after all a few more hot meat dishes.

"I don't know if Head Li is used to the capital's diet, so I specially prepared a few Long dishes," Li Xizhou tilted her head. "Peng Lai, open a pot of clear wine."

"I am troubled by Your Highness's concern, and I am overwhelmed with fear. Piaoqing is a person of the rivers and lakes, and I am casual about eating and walking. I have no particular requirements."

"Hmm, then it's the same as him."

Pei Ye sat upright cross-legged, looking down at the dishes on the table. This small table was really too small, occupying only a small piece in the center of his field of vision, with the remaining area occupied by the saffron skirt hem on the left and the cloud-blue skirt hem on the right, both colors looking very good.

"Why does Head Li keep looking at me?"

"Doesn't Your Highness also keep staring at me?"

"Head Li is a person of talent and appearance. I am trapped in the capital and rarely see such a spirited person as Head Li," Li Xizhou smiled.

"It's the wild air brought from a small place. I have vaguely heard that Your Highness is the beauty of the Great Tang. Seeing you today, it truly makes one admire and obsess," Li Piaoqing ate two bites of the dishes, took the wine cup offered by the lady-in-waiting with both hands, raised it respectfully, and said seriously, "Yufei comes to this capital, relying on Your Highness's help. Piaoqing toasts this cup."

"You are too kind. The west has been separated by thousands of miles for many years. Now that Tianshan has entered the world and Yufei has been revived, I also want to hear Head Li's good words." Li Xizhou raised her cup and drank

a sip.

"Tianshan entering the world is to leave the world, and Yufei reviving is to make a living. Your Highness's mention of the west is actually referring to the Li family of Long."

"Exactly," Li Xizhou smiled, the whole room shining. "Although Head Li is in a remote place, her vision is on the world."

"What vision could I have? It's all from being influenced by Layman Zhang and the high gates of Tianshan."

Li Xizhou looked at the young girl for a while and said: "This eye makeup of Head Li is really beautiful. I've never seen it before."

"It was something I painted randomly when I was young and just learned to love beauty. Later, I got used to it," Li Piaoqing smiled. "If Your Highness likes it, I will teach Your Highness how to draw it later."

Li Xizhou looked at her with a smile: "This attire is spirited. I am lazy, so I'm afraid I'll just be a clumsy imitation if I draw it."

She tilted her head toward the youth who was burying his head in his food: "Do I look good in this makeup?"

Pei Ye paused with his chopsticks, not looking up: "You look good in everything."

"Then do you like it?"

"I like—" Pei Ye paused, thought about it, and broke out in a cold sweat.

Li Piaoqing smiled: "Pei Ye should like this makeup. You can let him draw it for you, Your Highness. I taught him how to draw it before, I just don't know if he has forgotten."

"……Oh," Li Xizhou smiled as well. "Drawing eyebrows is indeed an interesting thing."

"Yes, it is."

After saying this, Li Xizhou took the initiative to pour wine, Li Piaoqing hurriedly took the cup to receive it, and Pei Ye sat still.

"You don't like eating meat, do you? This bowl of mutton was specially made for you," Li Xizhou pointed with her head tilted. "It will be cold if you don't eat it."

Pei Ye picked up his chopsticks and picked up a piece.

Li Piaoqing said: "Tianshan's return to the capital this time also wants to find a time to visit Your Highness and the Layman, so I entrust myself to ask Your Highness."

"I am always waiting. I think Layman Li is the same," Li Xizhou took a strawberry. "If it's convenient, we can make an appointment before April. Otherwise, after the Scale Blood Test, I'm afraid it will be busy."

"I wish Your Highness success in obtaining the succession."

"I'll take your auspicious words," Li Xizhou finished the strawberry. "Was the Tianshan Sword Banquet smooth today? I heard the capital is discussing it endlessly."

"I am troubled by Your Highness's concern, everything went smoothly," Li Piaoqing thought for a moment, tilted her head and smiled. "There was only one ripple, and I have to ask Young Master Pei Ye."

Li Xizhou said: "I'm not surprised at all."

Pei Ye lowered his head and ate.

"What's wrong, do you want me to smooth it out for you?" Li Xizhou turned her eyes toward him.

"It's nothing, I just had a few words with Yun Lang. Senior Yun Lang is generous and won't hold it against me."

Li Xizhou was truly surprised this time: "You argued with Yun Lang?"

She was not like the people of the rivers and lakes who were in awe of Yun Lang's position. She only felt that the name "Yun Lang" was unexpected, and she looked at the youth with a smile: "I thought you loved the house and its crow."

"Miss Ming is Miss Ming,

Yun Lang is Yun Lang. I respect and love Miss Ming, not because she is Young Lord Yun Lang."

Li Piaoqing smiled, and Li Xizhou said flatly: "Can you say these mushy words again when Ming Qitian is sitting here next time?"

"……"

Pei Ye's chopsticks were in mid-air. He paused and picked up a piece of green leaf.