Chapter 4, A Startling Encounter

From time to time, guests leave, and she wipes the table with a cloth, guiding the newly arrived guests to their seats

Zhou Zhuo swung his whip and exclaimed: "Can't I choose a better place for my head?"

Fearing that he would bring disaster to the people of Liaoxi, he ordered Han Xu, Zhou Zhuo, and Yan Qing to go together.

Han Xu nodded, then reacted: "What?!"

The two individuals exchanged a glance, but ultimately it was still Xiangxiang who made the decision. With her head bowed, Xiangxiang softly said: "Let our parents decide."

Murong Lixing wandered around for a while with a sense of disinterest, returning in disappointment. Han Xu followed behind, aware that this had not pleased the prince. He turned around and instructed the attendant to find the local official to request a Haidongqing, then rubbed his nose.

On this day, a matchmaker indeed came to the door, quietly telling Guo Chen that "the Ma family in the west of the city has a male head who is thirty-two years old and wishes to take a concubine."

Han Xu smiled and said, "Yan Qing, the tofu pudding in Lingzhi County is quite good, shall we go and try it?"

The three of them were all warriors, and they had long been itching to stay in Jinyang. Upon hearing this, they were overjoyed and entered the palace to express their gratitude. King Yan was quite amiable: "Even if he is still unworthy, he is still my son. You three may go together; if he accidentally commits a mistake and kills someone... I may not be able to execute him, but at least I can send you out to take the blame..."

The next morning, Murong Li reviewed the map and arranged the route for the bandit extermination. The servants brought breakfast, but Murong Li only took a couple of bites. Yan Qing glanced at Han Xu, who kept signaling him with his eyes—Eat well, don’t talk!

Murong Li stood up and said, "Lead the way"

Guo Chen then pulled Guo Tian aside and spoke about this matter. Guo Tian thought for a moment: "There are two children in the west of the city, Ma Jingshan, and Xiangxiang is marrying over there..."

Murong Li remained silent, yet he let out a sound of acknowledgment.

Murong Li, feeling impatient with the formalities of the local officials, directly sent everyone away. By this time, he had already taken a bath and changed into a set of casual clothes. Han Xu honestly accompanied him for a stroll through the bird market. There were indeed many hawks, but few exceptional ones. After all, the Yan Wang Palace lacked nothing.

Xiangxiang wore a grass-green cloth skirt, with a white apron tied around her waist. The tie cinched her waist, making it appear delicate and slender. Her hair was styled in a very ordinary bun, yet a small flower made of light yellow ribbon was casually tied at her temple, which added a lively touch to her entire face

But the person is already married, can one still kill the person and burn down the shop

The next day, Ma Jingshan indeed came to propose marriage. In addition to several pieces of gold jewelry, the betrothal gifts also included many leather goods, which could be considered quite generous. Due to the fear of what people might say, Guo Tian was also worried that prolonged delays could lead to unforeseen complications, so he quickly set a wedding date with Ma Jingshan.

Seeing him leave in a hurry, Guo Tian and Guo Chen exchanged a glance, an old couple, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes

Upon hearing this, Guo Chen was somewhat hesitant. The matchmaker quickly added, "The Ma family is also quite well-off, a prosperous household. The male head of the family, Ma Jingshan, is fairly good-looking and a decent person. To speak of earlier times, a girl like Xiangxiang would not have been someone he could have pursued. But now... he has heard about this matter and is not the least bit concerned."

Guo Tian still did not want to put his daughter in a difficult position: "In that case, in a couple of days, I will invite Ma Jingshan to our shop for a drink, and you can take a look from behind the curtain. If you think he is suitable, then your mother and I will take care of the arrangements. If not, we will just treat it as if this matter never happened."

Han Xu let out a groan, saying, "Yan, Qing, are you tired of having your head on your neck?"

Ma Jingshan knew that this matter was settled, and his joy was evident: "Yes, yes, I have been presumptuous. I will invite the matchmaker to come and propose tomorrow."

That man is indeed Ma Jingshan. As the shop was about to close, some tea jars, tables, and stools placed outside needed to be moved back inside. He casually lent a hand. Han Xu glanced at him and casually asked, "Who is he?"

Murong Li stared at him, feeling uneasy in his heart—please, must you go there?

Murong Li glanced at him and said, "Do you want to eat tofu pudding?"

Guo Tian sighed, turned around, and said to Ma Jingshan: "The bracelet cannot be accepted by Guo. I kindly ask you, Ma Xianzhi, to invite a matchmaker to formally propose marriage again."

Yan Qing, nicknamed "Leng Tou Qing," has a knack for picking up any skill that comes his way. He suddenly had a moment of inspiration: "Han Xu, didn't you say yesterday that the tofu pudding in Lingzhi County is quite good? I noticed that the prince hardly ate anything for breakfast, so why not..."

Yan Qing looked at Han Xu with a soft and helpless expression. Han Xu hesitated, fidgeted, and spoke in a roundabout way, finally suggesting, "How about... this place?"

Forget it, let's not tell the prince. If he really has even a slight interest, I fear my wishes may come true

Guo Chen was taken aback, and Han Xu secretly thought that this mother and daughter really resembled each other. However, he felt a surge of anger in his heart—how dare you actually get married!

Guo Tian got up, found an excuse to go to the kitchen, and asked Xiang Xiang: "What do you think of people?"

Han Xu glanced at her expression and understood in his heart, saying: "It's nothing, just asking casually"

Han Xu asked: "Do you have a daughter named Xiangxiang at your home"

Alas, you have forgotten this matter again, my lord

Ma Jingshan is indeed an impatient person; the very next day, he visited the Guo family tofu workshop. At 32 years old, he is in the prime of his life, a robust man with a strong build, thick eyebrows, and large eyes.

He placed a gold bracelet on the table: "If you are willing, I will keep this bracelet for now. Consider it a token of trust"

Walking silently with his head down towards the southern alley

Ma Jingshan does not mind either, and whenever he has free time, he rushes to the Guo family tofu shop

Han Xu caught up a few steps and asked Murong Li: "Sir, I have heard that Lingzhi County is famous for its sea eagles. How about we stay in Lingzhi County? We could also visit the bird market."

If it were not for his third brother Murong Qian intervening, Murong Bo would likely be in grave danger

Guo Chen said cautiously, "No, it's nothing. Jing Shan, you may return first."

Ma Jingshan grew increasingly satisfied with Xiangxiang, frequently coming over to bring her clothes and food. Sometimes he even helped out by serving at the table or selling tofu. Xiangxiang instinctively felt fear towards tall men and usually avoided him, resulting in the two of them exchanging only a few words.

Three people got on the horse, and Zhou Zhuo was also furious: "What the hell, just a few days? You are already getting married?!"

The provincial governor traveled several dozen miles to welcome him, but Murong Li did not even glance in his direction and did not stop at the official residence. Zhou Zhuo nudged Han Xu and asked, "Does the prince not like the official residence?"

With a loud bang, the remaining tofu pudding on the tray, along with the condiments, garlic water, and so on, was smashed onto the ground

Yan Qing had previously ordered four bowls of tofu pudding, which Xiang Xiang brought over on a tray. Upon reaching the table, she placed the four bowls of tofu pudding down and, just as she was about to say "enjoy your meal," she suddenly caught sight of Murong Li's face.

Guo Tian was anxious and chased with a knife for several streets. However, everyone turned their backs on him, still hurling various insults. Guo Tian and his wife were secretly worried; if this continued, there would be no way out. Guo Chen brought some gold ingots to find a matchmaker, but the matchmakers who used to revolve around her were somewhat hesitant. With such an incident occurring, and not wanting to become a concubine, what kind of family could they still find?

Han Xu also fell silent, and they returned to their residence together

The eldest son was constantly on edge, like a startled bird. The King of Yan, feeling helpless, decided to send him with 5,000 troops from the Right Camp to quell the banditry in the Liao West region, where the Shanrong people were causing disturbances. Murong Li accepted the order and entered the palace to bid farewell to the King of Yan. His father waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.

The three of them looked at each other—"What if we rebel?"

Yan Qing was stunned, I, I ...? ... Didn't I hear Han Xu say so? Why can't this be mentioned? When Murong Li is not smiling, he looks frightening no matter how you look at him. He panicked: "I, I, I ... ... I actually don't really want to eat ... ... "

Murong Li could not stay in Jinyang City. He despised attending court every day and loathed listening to the civil officials spouting nonsense about politics. He would feign illness every few days to avoid court, and the King of Yan was well aware of his temperament, so he simply chose to ignore him. He only felt exhilarated during battles. As a result, when he was not paying attention for a moment, he ended up beating his elder brother, Murong Bo. His sixth brother, Murong Su, came over to intervene and also received a kick.

There is nothing more to say, just nod in agreement

Xiangxiang blushed, her eyes filled with tears as she said: "If father decides, then I... I have no objections"

Guo's Tofu Workshop is busiest in the morning. A bowl of tofu pudding is both tender and fragrant, and very affordable. Many neighbors enjoy coming here for breakfast

While speaking, three individuals arrived at Nanxiang, located to the north of Lingzhi County.

On the second day, Murong Li organized the troops and led five thousand men to eliminate bandits in Liaoxi

"What?" Yan Qing looked completely bewildered

Zhou Zhuo and Han Xu exchanged glances, their eyes darting. Yan Qing, feeling perplexed, asked: "What are you two doing? Hurry up and follow along to see hetushu.com. Our three heads are all hanging on his waistband."

He had a few drinks with Guo Tian, and his words were quite frank and sincere: "Boss Guo, let me be honest with you. I have two children at home. Although my assets are not much, at least I can ensure my wife won't go hungry. I truly like Xiangxiang. In the past, I wouldn't have dared to think about this as a toad. But now... no matter what happens, it is ultimately not Xiangxiang's fault. If you agree to this matter, I guarantee I will treat her well in the future and will not let her suffer even the slightest grievance." I truly like Xiangxiang. In the past, I wouldn't have dared to think about this as a toad. But now... no matter what happens, it is ultimately not Xiangxiang's fault. If you agree to this matter, I guarantee I will treat her well in the future and will not let her suffer even the slightest grievance.

Yan Qingleng did not understand, and Zhou Zhuo was unwilling: "If I had known earlier, I might as well have let her calculate it for me." That girl in her coarse cloth skirt is also a beauty! ... That skin ... ... No wonder she sells tofu.

The matter regarding Xiangxiang has stirred up quite a commotion, and the Guo family's tofu shop is experiencing increasingly good business. However, the matchmakers no longer come to the door. Instead, some local ruffians often surround Xiangxiang, uttering nonsensical remarks

Regardless of who it is, the Guo and Chen families' secret path seems to suggest that knowing Xiangxiang has married is sufficient. It was said: "In response to the military lord's words, he is indeed Xiangxiang's husband"

At this moment, a tall man emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands with a cloth, and asked, "Mother-in-law, is there anything else that needs to be tidied up?"

Dismounting from the horse, they saw the Guo and Chen family packing up their stall. Upon noticing the three men clad in military armor, they felt a bit apprehensive. Forcing a smile, they asked, "Gentlemen, do you have any business with us?"

Han Xu also felt displeased and said in a low voice, "What else can be done? I am already married!"

Guo Chen was immediately filled with fear and trepidation, his complexion changing: "I do not know what my daughter has done to offend, esteemed military gentlemen..."

The King of Yan was greatly enraged and ordered a penalty of a hundred military sticks. As a result, he was struck with a hundred military sticks and immediately felt invigorated. After changing his clothes, he strolled around outside the residence of his elder brother, Murong Bo, causing the family of Murong Bo to be too frightened to return.