Chapter 5.1

On a sweltering summer night in Chang’an, the heat was unbearable. Being inland, there was no cooling sea breeze, and even rolling up the beaded curtains didn’t help.

After extinguishing the candles, she half-reclined on the bed. Outside, the starlight and moonlight cast faint silver glimmers through the window, and the tree shadows played in the silver light, spreading a tranquil and lively atmosphere. Unable to sleep, Du Bingyan held a silk fan, fanning herself intermittently. Finally unable to sit still, she got out of bed, her bare feet touching the cool floor, which provided some relief. She decided to get some fresh air outside. For some reason, sleep was elusive tonight; since learning of his return, her heart had been in a state of excitement, often finding rest only after much tossing and turning, but tonight held an unusual anticipation.

Her senses were acute! The unease that had arisen during the day was bound to become a future issue, which is why her heart felt this way. What might tonight bring?

Exiting the room, she found herself in a winding corridor that circled around the entire back garden. Benches lined the railings on either side, providing spots to sit and enjoy the flowers. Lanterns were lit on the corridor pillars, preventing too much darkness. Viewing the night scenery was a unique pleasure.

Sounds seemed to come from the hall ahead. Could there still be guests at this late hour? Curiously, Du Bingyan looked ahead, feeling as if something was calling her. The darkness ahead held her gaze tightly, and her heart raced. She held her breath, her hands clutching her chest—then a flash of silver appeared at the dark end, revealing a figure in splendid and weather-beaten armor under the moonlight.

His armor was dusty, his cloak hem smeared with yellow earth, and his usually shiny battle robe was speckled with stains. His handsome face was covered in unkempt beard and signs of the elements! Yet, his piercing eyes were more captivating than ever.

As if barely catching sight of him was not enough to ease her longing, the next moment, she was enveloped in his enormous embrace!

It was him—she sighed softly, every cell in her body confirmed it. But she could hardly believe it, fearing it was just a dream!

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“Hkald!”

G pxyzz byde iwklvzu oayrrle yaswde bkp oykpv, lmrzsakdt kdnb cu kdnb, wdvkz bla bydep alynble bkp awttle qynl. Tl qkdyzzu asyale yde jkpple bla qklanlzu, zkqvkdt bla yde pvakekdt kdvs vblka dlo bsxl. Gqvla vblka kdvkxyvl xsxldvp, vblka byka vydtzle vstlvbla, vblka cseklp nzkdtkdt, wdokzzkdt vs ryav. Mblka pbyzzso calyvbp tayewyzzu pvlyekle, yde okvbkd vbl bkckpnwp vldv, vblka tldvzl yde vldela yqqlnvksd nsdvkdwle.

Pw Jkdtuyd tldvzu pvasjle bkp clyae, obknb bye clld wdyvvldele qsa eyup, alpvkdt bla blye sd bkp pbswzela. Mbl czwpb sd bla qynl bye dsv ulv qyele, cwv pbl pvkzz nswzed’v clzklhl bl oyp alyzzu cynj!

“R vbswtbv usw oswze alvwad kd qswa eyup.”

“Qldlayz Zwyd Jwiw okzz alvwad vs nswav kd qswa eyup, cwv Zwyd Hk Sld kp fwpv yd saekdyau xyd xkppkdt bkp okql, obs awpble cynj lhld yv vbl nspv sq byzq bkp zkql, dsv okzzkdt vs elzyu qsa y xsxldv! Pyu yde dktbv, sdnl lhlauvbkdt oyp plvvzle, R pzkrrle yoyu qkapv!” Tl blze bla pxyzz byde yde jkpple kv tldvzu.

“Rpd’v vbkp y calynb sq xkzkvyau ekpnkrzkdl? Gp y tldlayz…”

Tl pxkzle, okvb y bkdv sq yaastydnl yde kdekqqlaldnl. “R’x sdzu alprsdpkczl qsa qktbvkdt; yp qsa vbl tzsau sq alvwadkdt vs nswav yde alnlkhkdt vbl rlsrzl’p ynnzykx yzsdt vbl oyu, vbyv’p qsa svblap vs bydezl! R esd’v vbkdj yhskekdt wddlnlppyau qzyvvlau nsdpvkvwvlp y calynb sq xkzkvyau ekpnkrzkdl.”

Gde vbyv oyp bkx! Mbl wdnsdhldvksdyz yde yaastydv Zwyd Jwiw. Rv oyp ralnkplzu clnywpl sq bkp dyvwal vbyv bl qynle alflnvksd kd vbl punsrbydvkn osaze sq sqqknkyzp! Rq y qsszkpb awzla olal kd rsola, bl oswze byhl clld xupvlakswpzu qayxle yde lmlnwvle cu dso!

Ah! Such a solitary proud man.

“But if the leader runs away, won’t the soldiers follow suit? If they all desert, you won’t even need to be promoted or awarded upon returning; just dealing with the desertion would be punishment enough,” she said with a smirk, imagining a scenario where all the soldiers ran home. This time, he seemed a bit irrational.

Yuan Buqu turned her over and pressed her beneath him, lightly tapping her nose. “Well then! After being punished, you can join this general in prison! Lady Yuan!”

“That’s unreasonable. If you commit a crime, why should I suffer with you?” She widened her almond eyes, protesting.

“If I commit a crime for you, you are the cause of the trouble. Not holding you accountable would fail to satisfy the world’s sense of justice! Miss Bingyan, do you think this is fair?” His deep, intense gaze captured her glistening eyes, conveying emotions deeper than words.

The land of beautiful women is a hero’s grave; there has never been an exception throughout history. Yuan Buqu, who had walked alone through harsh years, found that his loneliness faded as he discovered his true feelings; she became his entire world!

Bingyan smiled tenderly, her eyes overflowing with tears, almost reverently holding his face. “I missed you so much! I missed you so much! If you hadn’t come back, I think I would have gone crazy.”

He kissed her softly, as if overwhelmed by her continuous affection. Indeed, no one had ever treated him like this! He never knew that a relationship could be like this, nor did he believe a woman could truly love him. He had truly found the greatest treasure in the world!

“Bingyan… my little woman! I came back for you.”

Soft words of tenderness, gazing into each other’s eyes; the beautiful and deep summer night played a joyous melody for their reunion. The stars in the sky twinkled as if peeking at their love, playfully exchanging thoughts. The gentle breeze blowing through the moonlit night scattered a refreshing coolness. The night deepened!

With the first light of dawn, Yuan Buqu, dressed in a new robe, gave instructions to the servants to prepare breakfast and arrange for the carriage.

After tidying up his clean and handsome face, he returned to the room, only to find Bingyan already up and dressed. She still looked weary, having not had the chance to sleep last night. Under his gentle coaxing, she had finally closed her eyes, but upon waking, he was no longer by her side. She couldn’t rest and was about to get up to find him. She believed last night wasn’t a dream; he was really back.

“Why don’t you rest a bit more?” He cupped her face and kissed her lightly.

“You were gone.”

“We’ll catch up on sleep in the carriage.”

She raised an eyebrow, not understanding his meaning. His fresh and elegant attire indicated that he was prepared to go out.

“We’re heading to Luoyang.”

“Luoyang?”

He lightly tapped her pert nose.

“Do you think I’m bold enough to act recklessly right under the Emperor’s nose? I need to show some respect to the Emperor and avoid encountering too many acquaintances. Besides, I want to take you out and see the sights. Staying cooped up at home is so dull! I want to see all the famous mountains and scenic spots with you.” These four days were stolen from his busy schedule because he had plans in mind!

Du Bingyan happily embraced him! He wasn’t planning to keep her locked up in the embroidery room, was he? Oh, thank heavens, she was truly bored and frightened!

“Really? When do we set off?”

“After breakfast!” he said, looking at her with a hint of deeper meaning in his smile. A refined and delicate lady of high upbringing, yet with a passionate and innocent heart, both wise and conflicted. She oscillates between self and compliance, her inner struggles sharply contrasting with her pure exterior, causing her occasional sorrow. Her expressive, large eyes reveal every emotion and anxiety.

She is the marvel of his life, and he owes her a grand wedding! Once the army returns, he plans to hold a grand and glorious ceremony to formally bring her into his home. There will be no family issues or other distractions; after this public celebration, she will have no more doubts! He will make sure to take good care of her, heal her, and build a warm home. After twenty-eight years, he finally believes that his suffering is over, and he sees their future in her beautiful eyes.

Bingyan quietly accepted his affectionate gaze, her cheeks flushed with pink as he gradually invaded her with his eyes, filling her with happiness. No matter what the future holds, in this moment, being cherished like this, she could smile without regret! Any further anxieties could be left for another day! She would spend these stolen four days of leisure with him, engraving happiness in her heart and cherishing it for a lifetime! How wonderful! Her lover would take her to see the world’s beautiful sights! No one in the world could be luckier than she!

After breakfast, while Bingyan was changing her clothes, Li Cheng and Yuan Buqu were discussing matters in the front hall.

The venerable old man Li Cheng, who had shared hardships with Yuan Buqu for eight years, had a fatherly and friendly bond with him. Li Cheng was always straightforward with him.

“I still don’t understand why Miss Li became Miss Du. But since you’ve already consummated the marriage, it doesn’t matter who she was before. But how will we explain it to the Li and Du families? What if someone comes to demand something in the future? Are we just going to let our general’s house become a laughingstock for the whole world?”

“I’ll handle it.” There was no need to worry too much at present. As long as he had Bingyan’s true heart and could alleviate her anxiety and guilt, other issues were minor.

“Master, the Li family has the old master’s written decree. Now, the one entering is Miss Du. If Li Shengming comes to extort us in the future, what should we do?” Li Cheng asked practically, well aware of people like Li Shengming who preyed on others.

Yuan Buqu gave a cold smile. “If he dares to see us as weak and easy to bully, we can show him a thing or two. Li Yuhu is not my wife; do I still need to be polite to the Li family? Uncle Li, you’re very good at dealing with such people; I’m not worried.”

Li Cheng was reassured. “I’m just afraid you might not be thinking straight! Allowing others to see us as a goldmine! Your kindness is what makes those petty people so arrogant.”

Clearly, Li Cheng was dissatisfied with his seeming coldness despite his outwardly tough demeanor. Yuan Buqu smiled. “If I were too calculating, I wouldn’t have such a beautiful wife! Uncle Li, Bingyan is a good girl.”

Li Cheng wholeheartedly agreed. “She’s not only elegant and graceful on the outside but also kind and intelligent within. She handles matters with the dignity of a true mistress. After your victorious return, our general’s house was flooded with sycophants; the congratulatory gifts became more and more extravagant, filling the house to the brim. I had to ask the young lady to handle it. She agreed to sell the gifts and use the money for charity but opposed opening the granary to distribute grain. Instead, she suggested we buy large tracts of uncultivated land on the outskirts, rent it to the poor, and only collect rent once the land starts yielding crops! This method is much better! In the past, we only knew to distribute grain, but unemployment and poverty remained unchanged. Doing charity with money also requires intelligence! Otherwise, I would have no solution for those who are used to begging!”

“Doesn’t it make it clear how good she is?” He was fully aware! Especially more than two months ago, when a cautious servant had finally revealed the incident where Bingyan had been hurt and some military doctors had spoken ill of her. But Bingyan had never said a word. It wasn’t her weakness; she didn’t want anyone to suffer because of her.

“Although everyone in the household recognizes the young lady, there’s still the formality of the wedding that hasn’t been completed. Outsiders don’t know about your marriage yet!”

“That’s what I need to address!” Yuan Buqu stood up. “During these four days in Luoyang, I want you to arrange things in the house. I want a grand and impressive ceremony for her. Uncle Sha will preside over the wedding, and we’ll invite some military comrades. Other unrelated people can be left out.”

“Yes, I will take care of it.”

Just after their conversation, Bingyan, dressed in new clothes, entered the room with the help of a maid. Her new crescent-white dress made her look even more delicate and otherworldly.

Yuan Buqu approached her, holding her small, jade-like hand. He repeatedly instructed Li Cheng, “Don’t let anyone know I’ve returned.”

“Rest assured!”

Sansukini: We only have 6 chapters in total. So thos novel will end next week.

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