Looking at the endless ancient town street, various flower towers such as "Full Fragrance Tower," "Elegant Moon Residence," and "Love Emperor Pavilion" lined both sides of the street. The flower maidens on the upper floors seductively called out with their alluring voices, "Young master, come sit here. Come sit here."
There were also many scantily clad flower maidens standing outside the buildings, pulling in men who were dizzy with desire. Even I, foolish as I was, now understood the joke made by the caravan owner. However, at this moment, Qinglian and I were being surrounded by several flower maidens. It seemed that they were from different establishments, but they all had one goal in mind. They argued among themselves about which establishment I should go to, and my white clothes were being torn apart by them.
"Young master, come with me to Full Fragrance Tower. I will serve you wholeheartedly," said a flower maiden with average looks and a cloud-shaped hairpin, tugging at my sleeve.
"What are you saying? The young master will naturally come with me to Love Emperor Pavilion," said another flower maiden with a sweet appearance, pulling at my other sleeve.
I was truly frightened by the scene before me. Oh my God, these wolfish women wouldn't really tear me apart, limb by limb, would they?
"You all shut up! It's not up to you to decide where the young master goes. He will naturally come with me to Hundred Flowers Tower," said a fiery woman, her voice indicating her hot-tempered nature. She wore a fire-red veil that barely covered her seductive and charming figure. Just looking at her was enough to ignite one's desires, but to me, she appeared like a female demon.
As more and more women surrounded me, I thought, "This is bad." I regretted not listening to Qinglian's advice. Just when I was secretly lamenting, I heard Qinglian's faint warning, but unfortunately, it was too late. I didn't know which flower maiden did it, but in the midst of the chaos, she accidentally pulled off my hair tie, and my dark hair cascaded down like black wings. A vibrant and delicate peony bud appeared on my smooth forehead. In an instant, the flower maidens who were fighting over me were dumbfounded. They couldn't believe that the handsome and captivating man from a moment ago had suddenly transformed into a woman. The peony mark on my forehead revealed my true identity.
"Master, let's go quickly." Qinglian pushed aside the stunned women, grabbed my hand, and ran for our lives. The poor Little Snowball had already been pushed aside by the flower maidens during the commotion and was left behind. But I still had a conscience, so while running, I said to Qinglian, "Qinglian, Little Snowball is still behind us."
"Mistress, you don't have time to worry about Little Snowball now. If we don't run faster, forget about Little Snowball. We won't be able to return to the Northern Star Kingdom anymore," Qinglian's explosive force was quite formidable. Despite her petite size, she managed to pull me along for a long distance.
During our mad dash, many passersby were curious. Among the two people running furiously, one was extremely beautiful but dressed in men's clothing. They couldn't understand. Not long after the two disappeared, a white dog ran frantically with its short legs!
A figure flashed by, and the small white figure disappeared on the street. Faint barks of dissatisfaction could still be heard, making people wonder how the small white dog disappeared without a trace.
Recently, people in the ancient town streets of Qi City had been inquiring about the beauty who had fled that day. Many flower maidens also lamented that such a handsome man turned out to be a beautiful lady. The story of this peony beauty spread far and wide, but it infuriated me, who had been confined to the inn for several days and unable to leave. Oh, how I regretted my curiosity. What saddened me the most was that I hadn't seen Little Snowball since that day. It hurt... I wondered if the little thing was hungry and if it was desperately searching for its owner.
"Squeak..." The door was gently pulled open from the outside, and I nervously stared at the door. It was only when Qinglian came in carrying food that I felt a slight sense of relief.
Qinglian looked at my frightened expression and decided to keep her scolding to herself. She realized that the Empress had been genuinely scared. Thinking back to the Empress's coquettish appearance in Chendu, where she was protected by Prime Minister Qiao, the situation was not as serious as it had been a few days ago.
Indeed, that place was a den of vice. It was a place someone of the Empress's status should visit. What a mess. Instead of enjoying the scenery, I was frightened and even lost Little Snowball. The Empress's mood was undoubtedly affected.
"Mistress, please eat something," Qinglian said softly.
"Qinglian, let's find a way to leave this place," I pushed away the bowl Qinglian offered in a hurry, my gaze filled with anticipation.
If I had heard the Empress say such things before, Qinglian would have been overjoyed. However, recently, rumors were spreading, and both the Empress's feminine appearance and her appearance in men's clothing attracted attention. Acting rashly might bring even greater trouble.
As I watched Qinglian shake her head slowly, a sense of despair crept over my face.
Qi Wang Residence
In the gentle autumn breeze, a large number of flowers that were supposed to bloom in autumn displayed their unique characteristics. Qi Yuntian appeared to be enjoying the endless sea of flowers, unaware that he was currently listening to Mie's report. A white creature chased after butterflies and played around his feet.
"Master, she has arrived in Qi City. However, she caused quite a stir in the ancient town street. The wealthy merchants and heroes who witnessed her appearance are all curious about her origin," Mie reported. Until now, she still couldn't believe that the troublemaker from the Northern Star Kingdom, who was skilled at causing trouble, could be the same person as the cold-faced Po Jun.
Qi Yuntian was secretly amazed. If they were the same person, this change in temperament was truly surprising. Po Jun, is this your true nature? I am curious about your current appearance.
"So, how is she doing now?" Qi Yuntian lightly touched the flower petals, his voice clear and bright.
"She is currently staying quietly at Longxiang Inn. It seems that the incident from that day frightened her," Mie replied coldly.
It seems like it's time to meet her. Since fate has arranged for her to return, it would be a waste if I don't go. Qi Yuntian's mouth curved into a smile that could captivate any woman's heart.
Mie looked at the smile on her master's face and couldn't understand. On one hand, she ordered Mie to eliminate her when she posed a threat to Qi Chenguo, but on the other hand, her master unconsciously wanted to get closer to her. It seemed that fate had also played its part. Regardless of whether she was Po Jun or not, the entanglement between these two would be difficult to unravel. Mie wondered if her master had noticed the moment of hesitation four years ago when Po Jun fell into Beichuan. Was it really an accident that Po Jun fell into the river?
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In a hidden corner of the garden stood a stunningly beautiful woman. However, there was a hint of calculation in her eyes. She tightly clenched a red handkerchief and pulled it taut. Her gaze was infatuated as she looked at Qi Yuntian, who stood not far away, immersed in the sea of flowers. "Yuntian, what have you been busy with lately? You haven't returned to the palace to rest for several days. I thought you had been captivated by that fox spirit again. So, you were just here playing with flowers." Yang Meiniang reminisced about the regretful incident four years ago from the perspective of the people of Qi Chenguo. It was a source of satisfaction for her, except for the potential aftermath. She never expected that her father would have the intention to eliminate Po Jun, which greatly helped her fulfill her wish. The killing of the two teams allowed Yuntian to disregard the danger from Po Jun and herself, and she even made herself run towards the most dangerous place. It was risky, but she knew that Po Jun would never let his beloved Queen be in danger. Sure enough, when he was in a difficult situation, he entrusted his wife to a vice general. Breaking through the encirclement, he came to her side to protect her. Unfortunately, he never expected that this time it wouldn't be the enemy's hand that would end his life, but mine. Surrounded by heavy troops, he slowly retreated while protecting me. I looked at his back and filtered through numerous strategies in my mind. Finally, I heard the rushing sound of water behind me and looked at the severely wounded Po Jun. A sinister smile appeared on my face, and I gently spoke from behind him, "How dare you compete with me for a man? You're just a chess piece in his hands, while I am his true wife."
There was a flaw in Po Jun's sword swing, giving the assassin an opportunity. With more wounds on his body, he turned around in disbelief and looked at me, completely ignoring the imminent danger behind him. He wanted to see more impossibilities in my eyes, but how could I make it that easy for him? Just as he hesitated, an anxious call from Yuntian came from behind. I knew that if I didn't make a move now, it would be even harder to kill him later. At that moment, an assassin swung his sword, and I intentionally stepped forward to block it for Po Jun. I deliberately took a step back, and the mighty Northern Divine General, Po Jun, disappeared in Beichuan. And I paid a price that even surprised myself. It was worth it! As long as this man belongs to me, everything I did was worth it.
Meiniang quietly returned to her palace, sat in front of the embroidery frame, and peacefully embroidered a picture of birds flying towards the phoenix. Little did she know that Qi Yuntian's heart was filled with the image of a mysterious woman at this moment.
In the Dragon Xiang Inn, there was someone walking back and forth in the room, feeling extremely bored, like an impatient cat. The dissatisfaction of being trapped in such a way started to grow, and restless thoughts churned in their mind. It felt like going out for a stroll, where actions were faster than thoughts. Just as this thought arose, their body involuntarily reached for the doorknob. However, as soon as their fingers touched the door, a cold voice came from behind, "My Lady, if you go out again and something happens, how can I explain to the Emperor?"
The frustration in my heart suddenly ignited, and my tone became much colder. It was the first time that Qinglian felt that her Lady still had the potential to be a master. "Qinglian, am I supposed to just hide indoors all the time?"
Qinglian looked at me silently, her face full of dissatisfaction. She didn't dare to say it out loud, but in her heart, she muttered, "You brought this upon yourself. If only you had listened to me earlier. You had to go to that place, and now that something has happened, you're only thinking about it."
"I've been thinking about it for so many days, so it should be fine now. After all, it was a gloomy day that day, and not many people would have paid attention," I said. Regardless, today I have made up my mind to go out.
Qinglian also knew that this was not a solution. Apart from the sensitivity in the ancient town street, other places were relatively calm, and there were no rumors or inquiries about the Peony Beauty. Seeing the determined look on my face, she finally agreed to let me go out.
"Well then, let's go outside for a walk. But, My Lady, you have to wait for me to arrange an escape plan in case something happens," Qinglian, being a clever person, always thought carefully before taking action.
Excitedly, I looked at the door that Qinglian had opened and thought, I can finally go out. I don't have to stay indoors all day and become moldy. Of course, I was still dressed as a man, but the biggest difference was that Qinglian had resumed her female attire. In this way, we appeared like a couple, giving others a visual misconception.
After Qinglian changed back into women's clothing, there were naturally many people who stared at us. After all, it was rare to see such a combination of handsome man and beautiful woman. Together, Qinglian and I elegantly descended the stairs. I, being the gentleman, took the lead and extended my hand to assist Qinglian. Qinglian hesitated for a moment, then smiled playfully, raising the corners of her mouth.
A gaze full of scrutiny locked onto me, and I instinctively searched for its source. I found the gaze at the table closest to the window, but to my surprise, there were two men sitting there with distinct characteristics. The man in white who was observing me had a very gentle countenance, but I couldn't sense any warmth from him. The other man had a cold gaze and emitted a signal warning not to approach him. This peculiar combination made me forget about the impolite scrutiny from the man in white and curiously stared back at him.
A deep smile once again curved Qi Yuntian's lips. Po Jun, after four years of separation, you have become even more difficult to let go of. Qi Yuntian locked his gaze onto her. Based on his intuition, Qi Yuntian was certain that the woman before him, dressed as she was in the past, was indeed Po Jun. However, he was surprised to see that she had become even more innocent and mischievous. She had lost the unapproachable aura and the dignity that no one could make her bow down. Now, she was completely a woman, and Qi Yuntian saw it in her pure and bright eyes.
"Husband, what are you looking at?" Qinglian had been watching as I made eye contact with the man sitting by the window. Alarms were going off in her mind. It couldn't be those rich merchants and sons who were inquiring about the Peony Beauty, right? Qinglian quickly called me using the relationship and address we had agreed upon.
But just as Qinglian was about to speak, the reaction at the table was obvious. The cold man's body stiffened slightly, while the man in white, upon hearing the words, smiled faintly, followed by a fleeting expression of regret that was barely visible in his eyes.
Regret? I was confused by my own feelings. Why did I see something I shouldn't have seen in the gaze of an unfamiliar man? Shaking off these inexplicable thoughts, I turned around and looked at Qinglian, who was dressed in women's clothing. This gave me the mischievous idea of playing a prank. After all, actions speak louder than words, and I smiled at Qinglian in a sentimental manner. Qinglian, once again, was bewildered by my handsome face and foolishly allowed me to hold her slender waist. With my other hand, I gently held one of Qinglian's small hands and brought it to my lips, whispering softly, "My husband is admiring the beauty of his wife. Truly, it is like clouds desiring clothes and flowers longing for beauty. Such beauty is unparalleled, even to the Phoenix's feather." The words of praise and the poetic verse came out without thinking, and Qinglian regained her senses, pulling my hand gently, and said with equal tenderness, "Husband, you flatter me." However, there was a hint of distortion on my handsome face as Qinglian pinched me tightly in my hand. Ouch, it hurt!
The people in the inn looked at us, the loving couple, with envy. Only the man in white, upon hearing my recitation of the poem, reacted differently. His body became slightly uneasy, and he turned his head away, no longer looking at me.
At that moment, I felt an impulse. I didn't want him to stop looking at me. There was a bitter and inexplicable feeling entwined within me. As for the poem, I completely forgot when I had composed it, let alone recited it.
"Husband, it's getting late. Shall we go to the Qiyun Temple?" Qinglian looked at me with a furrowed brow, feeling as if I might leave at any moment. Anxious, she interrupted my contemplation with her voice, startling me. But I understood that I had once again let my imagination run wild. Facing Qinglian's worried gaze, I paused for a moment and gently touched her small head, patting it softly. Then I said in a gentle tone, "Silly girl."