Chapter 9: Spring Shade (Three)

He said, taking a step forward, "The Eastern County originally still had two years of fortune, but now it has all leaked away. If he were not a man of empty reputation, he would see this clearly. However, Liu will certainly not fully believe me; this is a hidden ailment that I cannot completely eradicate, and I need to find another person."

He originally did not intend to let her live long, so he was too lazy to find her suitable clothing

The maidservants were sweeping out the fallen plums in large piles when they saw Zhang Duo returning, and they hurriedly stepped aside.

Zhao Qian raised his hands above his head, tapped his crown, and boldly declared: "In the northern autumn fields, there is no one, the heroic spirits are lonely, thus I have come."

Zhao Qian could not see his face and was unaware of his expression. However, he found it quite amusing that this sentence came from Zhang Duo's mouth, even though it was said in a cold tone. He then walked over to him and continued fearlessly, "Isn't what Your Majesty can appreciate something of extraordinary beauty? Moreover, having known you for so many years, have you ever had a woman? In your Qingtan Residence, apart from Ping Xuan, no one else can enter. In these six days, has Ping Xuan come by? I know that your Guanyin-like demeanor is untouched by dust, but if Ping Xuan is not here, who is cleaning for you? Don't tell me it's you yourself."

Those who reign supreme over the world possess the highest integrity

Admirers of the noble, yet themselves of lowly status. Thus, with no way to heaven, they come to try this dead-end road to the sky

Jiang Qin

Do you think I am going to hit her

Zhao Qian responded to his words, gestured for silence, and took a large step back

The person in front suddenly came to a halt, and Zhao Qian, engrossed in his own monologue, failed to notice and bumped into his back

The old servant spoke no more, bowed deeply, and turned to leave

Hey... who is the most noble person...

However, my lord, the young lady is likely displeased

I spoke incorrectly about this ... ...

Zhao Qian was pierced in the ear by that woman's sharp cry, hurriedly reaching out to press the acupoint behind his ear: "Tsk, there you go, still afraid of dogs just like before."

The sound reverberated, causing a ringing in the ears, resembling the ignition of a true fire

Go to Xuanping and find a set of clothes for her

A maid whispered, "Young Master, that young lady refuses to come out while holding onto the dwarf plum tree no matter what. Even when Jiang Bo tried to persuade her, she would not listen, and she did not say anything when asked."

He truly was unwilling to speak out, but in order to hold onto the person under the cold shade, he still spoke insincerely: "He is just a rustic villager, the kind that is... oh, useless. If you stubbornly refuse to give him that small piece of silver, what can he do about it?"

What do you intend to do

Having spoken, he could not help but feel fatigued and closed his eyes

She must not do too much

She wants a complete set of clothing, a fully complete outfit

Yes, my lord

Zhang Duo let out a cold laugh

Having finished speaking, the person beside remained silent and did not utter a word

Do you think I like that woman

Young master ... ... I cannot meet him like this

The old servant saw him enter, bowed respectfully, and then looked towards the tree below

Zhao Qian followed Zhang Duo through the carved lotus branch hanging door

Zhang Duo did not respond to her thanks, instead he tilted his head to scrutinize her and suddenly said coldly: "You admire purity, yet you are of lowly status"

Ha ... ...

No! You all deceive him in blindness, but I know that my elder brother is clearer than anyone else

Zhao Qian gazed at his slightly trembling figure, yet he could not comprehend what exactly he was angry about. At the same time, memories from eleven years ago surged back suddenly, and he slapped his forehead, finally recalling the phrase: "Admiring the noble and pure, while being of lowly status."

Come here

Zhao Qian could not help but say, "Miss, your brother is a blind man; what can he see?"

Xi Yin finally let out a sigh of relief, released her grip, and sat down, hugging her knees and gasping for breath. She looked up, trembling, at Zhang Duo, who was approaching her step by step

I never said that... However, you used to be so afraid of dogs, how come now...

Having said that, he lowered his head to adjust his sleeves: "Let him endure, let him try; if he dies, so be it. After all, that woman will only live for four more days."

He was impatient and interrupted the old servant's words.

Do not ! ''

Zhao Qian exclaimed: "You even hit women, how ruthless of you."

The supplies in the city were nearly exhausted, and reinforcements had not arrived. Zhao Qian opened the last jar of wine and leaned against the city wall with Zhang Duo, sharing drinks. They were only fourteen years old that year, with the moon high and the autumn wind strong. Besides the aroma of wine, the air was filled with the scent of blood. Zhang Duo raised his wine bowl and asked him: "As the son of a general, why do you choose to partake in this battle to the death"

Zhao Qian did not respond and directly stepped into the courtyard

If you don't want to be bitten to death, then let go of me

Thank you, young master

Zhang Duo, too lazy to respond to him, turned around and took a whip made of tongue skin, pointing it at the snow dragon sand squatting in the corner

Xi Yin stared intently at the snow dragon sand, which was also on guard against her, occasionally letting out low growls

Zhang Duo turned around and said: "I told you long ago not to meddle, get out of here."

After six days of being together, she, like a lowly prostitute, had never cared for the garment he casually provided her. Today, however, she suddenly wanted a "complete" outfit. He was somewhat taken aback. Yet, this was too trivial and uninteresting a thought; he didn't even know how to inquire about the reason. Fortunately, she spoke up herself.

The deadlock of the golden shirt cannot teach you, live without fear, you will still face a deadlock in the future

Zhao Qian laughed wildly and said: "Stop flattering me, I stole this line from my father. I was foolish enough to think that this battle could lead to great achievements, and that when I returned, my father would stop nagging about that nonsense 'the general's family has no successors.' Little did I know, I would end up spending my whole life in this cold, desolate wind. Speaking of which, I haven't even married a wife yet, what a pity. Tsk tsk..."

Zhao Qian saw Zhang Duo striding inside and hurriedly grabbed his sleeve to follow him in: "Hey, hey... that's a girl, cherish her delicately..."

The person beside him seemed to explain something, but he was too fatigued and fell into a deep sleep, not hearing it clearly

"Is it really about control nowadays? The descendants of the Liu family are all fools"

Zhang Duo lost his patience and said coldly, "Do you not wish to see Cen Zhao?"

Do you know who is the most noble person

He slightly restrained his expression and said: "Even if he can endure the torture, are you really willing to place him beside Prince Jin? Qinglu Yuyi is indeed a talented individual, but this may not be merely a reputation without substance. Are you not afraid that Dongjun will become uncontrollable from this point onward?"

He chuckled, "Isn't it you? I won't die. However, that being said."

She appeared to have been pulled, her loose robe hanging loosely, half exposing her shoulder, and a pair of snowy legs also exposed, with whip marks on her legs beginning to darken and scab over

This is not your first time meeting.

Zhao Qian pursued and said: "It has been ten days, and Mei Xinlin is not here. Those wounds on your back were treated with her medicine, weren't they? Why continue to kill? Why not keep them as a little servant, Poison Mute? Tie them up with an iron chain? It would be good for her to wipe the Guanyin statue for you as well"

A large number of fully bloomed plum blossoms fell from the tree. Knowing that Zhang Duo does not like the garden to be cluttered with plants, most of them have already been swept away by the maidservants, and now what remains is all over her body

Zhang Duo turned to the side and said, "Jiang Qin, bring the whip."

Zhao Qian, hearing the whip about to strike, quickly blocked it and exclaimed, "I am here! I cannot bear to see this!"

The words were not yet finished when I arrived at the entrance of the Qingtan residence

Zhang Duo put down the whip and fell silent for a moment, while the snow dragon sand also understood the meaning and retreated back into the corner.

He shook his head in silence, leaning against the corpse of a dead person, propping up his legs.

Zhao Qian was momentarily perplexed: "What do you mean? You are the eldest son of the Grand Minister, how can you call yourself lowly?"

She was so frightened that her teeth chattered, yet she still refused to let go. She even buried her head in the crook of her arm, appearing as if she were about to die

Ah! I didn't bump into it...

The more he spoke, the more pleased he became, "I am not as good as that virtuous young master, unraveling things layer by layer, clearly and distinctly, but when it comes to a man's thoughts, I," he patted his chest, "am the best at guessing.

You this ... ...

That should be Zhang Duo's drunken ramblings after a night of revelry

Zhao Qian had nothing to say and looked towards Zhang Duo

The moss on the bluestone was damp, nearly causing Zhao Qian, who was striding forward, to slip and fall. He flailed a few times to steady himself and called out:

Zhang Duo lowered his head to glance at the fallen flowers on the ground and coldly asked, "What is going on?"

Xi Yin's posture is indeed ungraceful, with her arms crossed tightly, gripping the tree trunk firmly

Zhao Qian lay down beside him. All the pain throughout his body was instantly relieved, and the effects of the alcohol surged to his head, making him feel as if he were floating in bliss.

Zhang Duo smiled and raised his bowl, saying, "Well said"

However, before he could reflect, he heard someone say: "To behave in a wanton manner before me, disgraceful and shameful, yet to maintain a respectable appearance before a blind man. What do you take me for? Ah? Your heart deserves to be punished a thousand times!"

Zhang Duo raised his head, the cold moon above dripping with blood, drifting clouds roamed, and the starry sky hung low over the heavens. He lifted his injured arm and drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp

Upon hearing this, she trembled all over, her fingers gripping tighter and tighter, her eyes glistening with tears, and she shook her head incessantly

What does it mean

At that time, during the siege of Jinshan Pass, only one hundred soldiers remained in the garrison.

Hey, I said you are going to mess with those bloody things again

Complete attire

Ah, what nonsense is this? Have you been drinking?

"Tied up, do you think it is a dog?"

After speaking, he patted his shoulder: "I am a fool, sold by others yet still sleeping soundly. What about you? You have long known that the Jinsan Temple is a dead end, that the King of Hejian in the west will not come to our aid, and that the court will abandon us. Why did you come here?"

Is this the first time I have met you? I am indeed, uh, I feel that it is unnecessary. If you do not believe him, you can certainly drive him away. Although he is well-known, but ... ...

If you are afraid, just let go and come over

These words left Zhao Qian, who was standing outside the courtyard door, momentarily stunned, as they felt remarkably familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before, perhaps from Zhang Duo.

Zhao Qian felt somewhat awkward, his hand that had been patting his chest fell down awkwardly, and then he reluctantly raised it again, scratching the back of his head.

My elder brother is a bright and noble gentleman, the cleanest and tidiest person in the world. I... I cannot dirty his eyes like this