Love Lock

Chapter 223 Mid-Autumn Festival Unexpected Changes
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, Qingshui County was enveloped in a peaceful atmosphere.

The air is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, and the laughter of children chasing and playing can be heard from time to time in the streets and alleys.

When Han Lei rushed back to the prefectural government office, the sun was already setting.

She gazed at the newly hung lanterns in front of the mansion, but her heart was with the Jingzhou Wang family, who were temporarily residing in Wei Dabao's property.

“Uncle Luo,” Han Lei called out to Luo Hai, a hint of worry in her eyes, “Today is a festival for family reunion, but the King of Jingzhou and the others…”

Luo Hai understood and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Miss Han, rest assured, I will personally go and invite her."

In Wei Dabao's property, the King of Jingzhou stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, gazing absently at the half-withered osmanthus tree in the courtyard.

Princess Shen approached lightly and draped an outer robe over him, saying, "Your Highness, it's getting cold."

"Father!" The little princess ran over, holding a rabbit lantern. "Look, my nanny taught me how to make it!"

The King of Jingzhou forced a smile and was about to speak when he suddenly heard Luo Hai's voice from outside the door.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, our Princess Consort has returned. She has specially sent me to invite you all to her residence for a reunion, so that we can all eat mooncakes and admire the moon together."

Princess Shen and the King of Jingzhou exchanged a glance, and the young prince cheered, "Father, Mother! We can eat mooncakes now!"

His family was adrift far from home, yet someone still remembered them. The King of Jingzhou felt a warmth in his heart, but couldn't help feeling a lump in his throat.

He sighed softly, "This... I'm afraid it's not appropriate."

Luo Hai respectfully replied, "Our Princess said that it is only natural for people to miss their loved ones during festivals. Today is the full moon, a time for family reunions."

The implication is that the Princess of Cangzhou treats their family as her own.

Princess Shen gently stroked the young prince's head and said softly, "Your Highness, go! The children have been cooped up for too long."

Looking at his children's expectant eyes, the King of Jingzhou finally nodded: "Then... I'll have to trouble Lord Luo."

Inside the prefectural government office, Madam Luo had already ordered a banquet to be prepared.

Seeing Luo Hai leading the Jingzhou Wang family to arrive, she quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Highness and Your Highness's wife must be tired from their journey."

After the family exchanged greetings, the young princess looked at Han Lei and sweetly called out, "Aunt Han!"

Han Lei wore a light green dress and had a jade hairpin in her hair, looking both charming and serene.

She smiled and patted the little princess's head, then turned to the Prince of Jingzhou and curtsied: "Your Highness, it's been a long time."

“Miss Han is truly kind,” the King of Jingzhou interrupted her, his expression complex. “However, I am currently…”

“Your Highness,” Han Lei said solemnly, “in Qingshui County, you will always be an honored guest. On this festive day, I hope you can put aside your worries for now.”

Princess Shen spoke up at the opportune moment: "Yes, Your Highness, look how beautifully the osmanthus flowers in this courtyard are blooming."

The evening breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, and the young prince had already pulled his sister to the courtyard to admire the lanterns.

As the King of Jingzhou watched the children's joyful figures, his tense expression finally relaxed.

Han Lei gestured to the maid to serve tea: "This is chrysanthemum tea, freshly picked this year. Would Your Highness like to try it?"

The King of Jingzhou accepted the teacup, and amidst the rising steam, he said softly, "Miss Han... thank you."

A full moon gradually rose, its gentle light bathing the courtyard.

The prefectural government's back garden was already brightly decorated. Sixteen gilded red lanterns swayed gently under the eaves, casting dappled light and shadows onto the corridor.

During the banquet, the little princess's childlike words amused everyone, and even the usually serious King of Jingzhou showed a long-lost smile.

Han Lei watched this scene and secretly breathed a sigh of relief—this Mid-Autumn Festival, at least, didn't make the Jingzhou Wang family, who were wandering far from home, too miserable.

Just then, a servant rushed over to report, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement: "My lord, Your Highness... His Highness has returned."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

A sweet smile appeared on Han Lei's lips as she lifted her skirt and ran towards the front yard.

Passing through two hanging flower gates, the tall figure under the moonlight instantly brought tears to her eyes.

Zhao Zun's black cloak was still damp with night dew, and he opened his arms as she ran towards him.

"Why did you rush back today?" Han Lei's voice trembled as she was pulled into his arms and smelled the familiar scent of agarwood.

The vibration of Zhao Zun's chest was clearly felt as he chuckled softly: "I'm rushing back to marry you!"

These words were spoken loudly, which drew laughter from the crowd who had just come to greet them.

Han Lei's ears immediately turned bright red. She playfully punched his chest, but he grabbed her wrist and kissed her palm.

A servant led the brocade-eared horse to feed it, and several guards were also led by the steward to dine. Zhao Zun looked at the King and Queen of Jingzhou standing beside Luo Hai, and smiled as he clasped his hands in greeting.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, it is a great honor for me to have you grace Cangzhou with your presence."

The King and Queen of Jingzhou had complicated expressions, and they quickly paid their respects. "We are truly sorry to have troubled the King of Cangzhou."

Zhao Zun waved his hand generously, revealing his martial spirit.

"Hey! You're being too polite. Forget 'King of Cangzhou,' just call me Zhao Zun. We're overjoyed that you came to Cangzhou to visit us!" He looked at Han Lei, "Girl, don't you think so?"

He deliberately used the word "visit" to make it seem like a visit between friends rather than a flight to Cangzhou, thus saving face for the King and his wife of Jingzhou.

Han Lei understood and nodded slightly, her smile extremely sincere: "That's right, Your Highness. Last time I bothered you at your residence, I didn't hold back at all."

“Yes, yes, yes,” Luo Hai quickly chimed in, “Everyone, please don’t stand on ceremony, let’s all go in, have a meal, and enjoy the moon!”

With that, Luo Hai gestured for everyone to return to the back garden for their meal.

Seeing the Cangzhou King and Han Lei's generous and friendly attitude, the Jingzhou King and his wife felt much more at ease and followed them towards the garden.

Along the way, Zhao Zun chatted casually with the King of Jingzhou, mentioning that the King's presence in the past made him seem distant, and that they agreed to address each other as brothers.

Having suffered the loss of his brother, the King of Jingzhou felt an even stronger bond with Zhao Zun.

In the garden, the full moon hangs high, and the autumn breeze brings coolness.

Maids carrying gilded wine jugs moved among them, the amber light in the glass cups reflecting on everyone's laughing and chatting faces.

“This braised pork is truly exquisite.” Princess Shen picked up a trembling piece of meat, the bright red sauce dripping down her silver chopsticks. “This meat has absolutely no fishy or gamey smell.” Han Lei smiled and joked, “The pigs in Cangzhou all live in brick houses, and people groom and massage them every day.”

These words made the young prince and princess giggle, and they reached out to grab the pieces of meat on the plate, but Princess Shen hurriedly stopped them.

The King of Jingzhou swirled the wine in his cup and suddenly sighed, "Brother Zhao, to be honest, we've really had our eyes opened these past few days in Cangzhou. We not only witnessed the sturdy fortresses built with cement, but also ate delicious food made with cheap meat. Cangzhou is very orderly, and the cement fortresses are truly amazing, even more sturdy than the walls of the capital."

"Hey! Brother Liu. This is nothing!" Zhao Zun tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, the wine sliding down his throat as his Adam's apple bobbed.

"I'm mainly busy with wedding preparations this time. Once I'm done with that, I'll take you to visit Fufeng County and Beiguan."

Zhao Zun then added casually.

"When you get to those two places, you'll be amazed. The cement produced in Fufeng County is not only used by us, but it's also sold to Xuzhou. Even Ganluo County in Xuzhou is using cement to pave roads. And we're also paving the roads for Song Yuanqing's military camp."

Upon hearing the sound of the military camp, the King of Jingzhou's silver chopsticks clattered crisply on the porcelain plate.

His fingers trembled almost imperceptibly, but he still smiled and said, "General Song is very fortunate to have Brother Zhao take such good care of him."

“I’ve been through thick and thin with him. He’s my brother.” Zhao Zun suddenly leaned forward, the moonlight casting shadows of varying depths on his sharply defined face.

"Now that Your Highness has come to Cangzhou, we are all family."

As Zhao Zun spoke, his thumb unconsciously rubbed the cloud pattern on the sword at his waist, the scabbard gleaming with a cold blue light under the moonlight.

Upon hearing this, the King of Jingzhou showed no outward expression, but was even more shocked inwardly.

He pretended to pick up a piece of braised meat and put it in his mouth to taste it, but a series of question marks appeared in his mind.

He knew that Song Yuanqing, a member of the Song family, was a general in the camp in Ganluo County, Xuzhou. Since the King of Cangzhou addressed Song Yuanqing as a brother, he wondered if Song Yuanqing knew that the King of Cangzhou intended to establish himself as king, and whether he had already joined the King of Cangzhou's camp.
If Song Yuanqing's army has already sided with Zhao Zun, then what is the current situation of the Beiguan military camp?
Furthermore, wasn't Luo Hai the magistrate of Qingshui County? How did he become the prefect of Cangzhou? And where is Sun Wenyuan, the former prefect of Cangzhou, now?
Did Cao Xiong, the marshal of the garrison at Beiguan, know about Zhao Zun's grand development in Cangzhou and his efforts to win over the people?

If Cao Xiong knew, why hadn't the imperial court received a single word?

The more the King of Jingzhou thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He felt that Zhao Zun and Han Lei were hiding their true intentions far too deeply, and were unfathomable. Unbeknownst to everyone, Cangzhou, which had once been a poor and remote place in everyone's eyes, was now firmly in Zhao Zun's hands and had grown strong.

And what should he do?
Should he join the camp of Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou, and use Zhao Zun's power to fight against his elder brother in the capital who wanted to kill him, or should he continue to flee with his family?

"Brother Liu?" Zhao Zun's voice brought the King of Jingzhou back to reality.

He looked up and met those unfathomable eyes, and the King of Jingzhou suddenly realized that his back was covered in cold sweat. The night wind brushed against his neck, chilling him to the bone.

As the maids were clearing away the dishes, someone knocked over the salt shaker. The snow-white salt grains spilled onto the scarlet tablecloth, resembling the undried vermilion on the memorials submitted to the emperor in his study.

The King of Jingzhou stared at the blinding white, and the words spoken by the black-clad assassin in the palace that night, "Kill without mercy," echoed in his ears again.

"Oh! Sorry!" The King of Jingzhou glanced at Zhao Zun, his eyes flashing. "I was wondering how this dish was made; it's absolutely delicious."

Perhaps knowing what the King of Jingzhou was thinking, Zhao Zun laughed heartily, "Haha, I'm glad Brother Liu likes it. I was worried you wouldn't be used to it."

Han Lei glanced at the beads of sweat on the King of Jingzhou's forehead, then gently placed a slice of lotus seed paste mooncake into the little princess's celadon dish, the moonlight flowing over her slender fingers.

Tai deliberately raised his voice and said, "My two children, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon is full. Shall I tell you a story about the moon?"

"Good good."

"I want to hear Aunt Han tell a story."

The two children immediately became interested and stared at Han Lei with eager eyes.

"Legend has it that long, long ago, there were ten suns in the sky that scorched the earth, and the people suffered. There was a hero named Hou Yi who shot down nine of the suns and saved the world. The Queen Mother of the West then gave him an elixir of immortality, but Hou Yi couldn't bear to part with his wife Chang'e, so he entrusted the elixir to her for safekeeping."

Han Lei's voice was gentle and soothing, and the two children listened intently with their round eyes wide open.

"But Hou Yi's apprentice, Peng Meng, harbored ill intentions and forced Chang'e to hand over the elixir of immortality while Hou Yi was away. In desperation, Chang'e swallowed the elixir and flew to the moon, becoming the Moon Palace Fairy."

The story was originally intended for the two children, but unexpectedly, Princess Shen and Luo Hai's family also listened with great interest.

Even the King of Jingzhou, who was talking to Zhao Zun, stopped his conversation and listened attentively to Han Lei's story.

"Hou Yi missed his wife who had flown to the moon, so he set up an altar to offer sacrifices on the night of the full moon, thus beginning the custom of worshipping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. This also led to the mooncakes we eat today, which symbolize reunion."

Princess Luo of Jingzhou took a sip of osmanthus wine, a smile playing on her lips. Luo Hai poured tea for his wife from time to time, and the family's shadows overlapped in the moonlight, creating a particularly warm and loving scene.

Zhao Zun looked at Han Lei with a faint smile, then raised his wine cup and gestured to the King of Jingzhou.

"Brother Liu, the moonlight is just right tonight, why don't we have a few more drinks?"

Jingzhou also raised his wine cup, "Brother Zhao is right, the moon is beautiful and the wine is fine..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps broke the tranquility of the courtyard.

A servant came running in, panting, and whispered a few words in Luo Hai's ear.

Luo Hai frowned, put down his chopsticks, and asked, "Who is visiting so late at night?"

The servant glanced at the Prince of Jingzhou and lowered his voice, saying, "That man claimed to be the steward of the Prince of Jingzhou's mansion, but he was dressed in rags and looked like a beggar..."

With a "clatter," the chopsticks in the King of Jingzhou's hand fell onto the celadon plate, making a crisp sound.

He turned and exchanged a glance with Princess Shen; both of their faces instantly turned deathly pale. The silk handkerchief in Princess Shen's hand also fell silently, gently lifted by the night breeze before settling down again.

"Quick! Bring him in!" The King of Jingzhou suddenly stood up.

His voice trembled uncontrollably, and his hands were clenched into fists.

When the family fled Jingzhou, they had many valuables that they couldn't take with them immediately, so they left their steward at the palace to guard them.

He told the steward that if he needed to contact them, he should go to the Cangzhou County government office to inquire about their whereabouts.

The housekeeper has come looking for us after only a few days; something big must have happened.

Zhao Zun and Han Lei exchanged a wary glance and stood up simultaneously. Han Lei gently pressed the cold hand of the Princess of Jingzhou, feeling the rapid pulse beating beneath her slender wrist.

Before long, a disheveled middle-aged man was brought in. His clothes were tattered, but he still maintained the demeanor of a steward. Upon seeing the King of Jingzhou, he knelt down with a thud.

"Old Yuan?" The King of Jingzhou's voice almost changed tone. "Why are you here? Why are you like this..."

Yuan Dequan kowtowed heavily, his eyes filled with tears as he looked up: "Your Highness, three nights ago, another group of assassins in black broke into the palace..."

Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Have you all eaten zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and salted eggs?