High-class Spring Joy

It was ten days later when they returned to Bianjing.

This peace talk has affected many things, directly impacting Chu Jingxian's identity.

After the emperor returned to the palace, he would reward him again.

All the civil and military officials who accompanied the group received rewards commensurate with their contributions, and Chu Jingxian, who devised and designed the entire scheme from beginning to end, naturally received an even greater reward.

They directly retrieved Chu Jingxian's household registration and conferred upon him the title of Duke Zhongyong. He was only one official title away from directly inheriting the title of Marquis of Zheng.

After arriving in Bianjing, Qinghe brought a pot of wine to Chu Jingxian's courtyard. This was the first time Qinghe had taken the initiative to appear in front of Chu Jingxian.

The atmosphere is different, and the occasion looks different too.

Chu Jingxian seemed to realize what Qinghe was about to do, so he blocked her from seeing him.

Qinghe poured a large bowl of wine for Chu Jingxian and pushed it in front of him: "Young master, this wine is homemade. Although it's not as good as what you buy outside, it has a pleasant fragrance. Would you like to try it?"

"I've tasted your wine before, so naturally I'll try it. But why don't you drink it?"

Chu Jingxian took a sip and asked in return, without directly asking Qinghe what was wrong. He vaguely felt that this was something he had been thinking about countless times.

Qinghe pursed her lips: "Originally, I was going to drink. There are some things that if I didn't drink, and if I didn't have the courage to tell you, Third Young Master, I'm afraid I would never have the guts to say them to you in my entire life. But as soon as the wine was poured, I remembered Doctor Sai Huatuo's instructions. I'm three months pregnant now, so I can't drink anymore. Even if I wanted to drink, I'm afraid I could only wait until after I've finished my postpartum confinement and recovered before I could drink with Third Young Master."

Chu Jingxian paused in his movement of holding the wine bowl. Even someone like him who had practiced martial arts for many years could have a day when his hands trembled.

Chu Jingxian's Adam's apple bobbed for a moment, and he managed to squeeze out only one word: "Mmm."

Chu Jingxian's silence actually gave Qinghe some courage, allowing her to boldly finish her sentence:

"There are some things I've kept from you, Third Young Master. It wasn't my intention to keep them from you for so long. It's just that I haven't had many things growing up, so once I gain some trust, I subconsciously want to hold on to it."

I don't know what I am to the Third Young Master, nor do I know how important the Third Young Master is to me. But I only know that the trust and kindness of the Third Young Master is something I never want to lose in my life. So I have been hesitating between telling and not telling. Every time I want to tell the Third Young Master the truth, I am afraid that if I tell you, the Third Young Master will hate me for deceiving you.

Actually, it's probably because I'm a rather timid person, and I tend to overthink things, always considering all the worst possible outcomes. But no matter how long I lie to the Third Young Master, no matter how long I drag it out, he'll never know. Perhaps one day my conscience will bother me, because after all, that matter should be considered my fault. The Third Young Master said he once wanted to find someone, a woman in prison. If nothing unexpected happens, that woman is me. At that time, I was desperately short of money, truly desperate for cash. My mind was completely focused on how to earn more money. I took my indenture, resolutely left the Marquis's mansion, and vowed never to return to this place, never to meet anyone else again.

At that time, the task of bearing a son for you, young master, came to me for one hundred taels of silver. All I had to do was spend one night with you. Besides, you had committed a capital crime back then, and now I think it was probably just a scheme between you and the Crown Prince. But at the time, I didn't know that, and I truly believed it... So at that time, I thought that if I could bear a son for you, young master, it would be a way of not letting down someone as dedicated to the people as you are. It would be a small service I could provide.

Not long after, I discovered I was pregnant. This child's arrival was so sudden, completely disrupting all my plans and arrangements. I became even more anxious to earn money, because I didn't want my child to be born into the same world as me, suffering the same hardships. I wanted to provide her with a better life. I didn't want her to be born as a servant's child, subjected to more contempt and disdain. I wanted her to live a normal life, to grow up, mature, and start a family—at least with dignity. But then I noticed you, sir, were becoming increasingly kind to me, so kind that I couldn't bring myself to ask. I felt a sense of escapism, thinking that if I waited any longer, you might never find out. But now I understand: there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Ultimately, it's just that I'm too incompetent and selfish, wanting to cling to the little kindness you've shown me. In the end, what I want to say is, if you don't accept this child, then I will raise him alone. I am now capable of raising him well, and I can give him many things, plenty of things to help him grow. So you don't need to force yourself for the sake of some so-called responsibility."

Qinghe took two deep breaths as she spoke: "As for why I'm discussing this with you today, it's because my marriage has reached a point where it can no longer be delayed, and I cannot defy the prevailing circumstances. Actually, you already mentioned this matter to me, but I didn't pay attention at the time. Now that I'm caught in the middle of the power struggles between the two nations, having obtained the power and status I desire, I must bear certain responsibilities. This is appropriate, this is how it should be; after all, there are no free lunches in this world. I don't know who will be my next spouse, or what awaits me, but whatever it is, whoever awaits me, I should have a proper discussion with you. I truly favor you, and wish to walk alongside you. But if you are unwilling, then let it be as if I never said this today, and I don't want to cause you any trouble. However, with my current power, if you marry me, you should gain a lot of support, and I can be considered worthy of you. From any perspective, marriage will not force you to..."

"Don't say things like that. Do you really think I'm an extremely kind person? That I rush to help any girl who's in a bad situation or needs help, taking care of everything for her in every little detail? Am I really that kind of person?"

Chu Jingxian's voice was a little hoarse when he spoke: "All of this, no matter how small, if there is no affection, no love, if I don't want to be with you for a long time, day and night, wouldn't it be too cumbersome?"

Qinghe was stunned; she hadn't expected such an answer.

Forever and ever...day and night?

For the first time, taking advantage of Qinghe's dazed state, Chu Jingxian pulled her into his arms. This was the first time Chu Jingxian had treated Qinghe so forcefully, so disregarding her wishes: "Do you know how many times I've wanted to ask you why you won't tell me? Is there something I did wrong? Or is there someone else in your heart? I like you so much..."

With reddened eyes, he said, "Ah He, with a hundred miles of red bridal procession and a city of gold and silver, I would spend my whole life wishing only for you to marry me."

Qinghe choked back tears: "Okay."

Long afterward, when Qinghe recalled that day, he was still filled with emotion. It was the biggest gamble he had ever made in his life, the most dangerous gamble, yet it brought him the most unexpected reward.

-

Three days later, the news of Qinghe and Chu Jingxian's marriage spread throughout Bianjing City, and men, women, and children all received their own invitations.

A wedding banquet for ten thousand people, with thousands of taels of gold given as gifts, ten miles of red bridal procession, and wherever the bridal sedan chair passed, solid silver notes were scattered.

It was a wedding of the century, and even a decade or more later, the wedding banquet remains a topic of conversation.

When people talk about it, all they remember is the silver notes flying everywhere that day, and the bride's unparalleled beauty in the bridal sedan chair.

A month later, Chu Jingxian passed the imperial examination with top honors.

He was a top scholar in both the civil and military fields, highly valued by the emperor, and naturally inherited the title of Marquis of Zhenguo.

Qinghe, wife of the Marquis of Zhenguo, a first-rank imperial consort, Princess Mingrong of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, and a county princess.

Seven months later.

Qinghe and Chu Jingxian's child was born and named Chu Nianhe.

On the day the child was born, it is said that auspicious omens appeared in the sky. The specific details have been forgotten by no one for many years, but what everyone knows is that on the day the child was born, the Marquis of Zhenguo, who had accidentally injured his eye at the age of 6, miraculously recovered.

The fifth year of marriage.

With border wars breaking out on all sides in Tibet, Chu Jingxian led his troops into battle. After three months of fighting, he finally defeated the enemy. However, upon his return, he was severely poisoned.

Even the world's greatest physician, Sai Huatuo, was completely helpless, saying only that the poisoning was too deep and that even the Heavenly King himself couldn't do anything about it.

Qinghe was at her wits' end, with nowhere to turn but to rely on her own strength to manage the affairs of the Marquis of Zhenguo.

But on the day the white silk was hung up, a strangely dressed, ragged monk passed by the door. His robe was tattered, his hat was tattered, his shoes were tattered, and his banana leaf fan was tattered. But this monk actually said that the Marquis of Zhenguo could still be saved.

The monk muttered a bunch of things, which Qinghe couldn't understand, and she was so anxious that she couldn't hear them clearly either.

They could only follow the monk's instructions and place Chu Jingxian's body in his room, where it remained for forty-nine days. Strangely enough, the body showed no signs of decay.

It's neither truly alive nor truly dead, more like a living dead.

When Qinghe saw no hope, forty-nine days later, Chu Jingxian miraculously opened his eyes.

The monk said, "Throughout seven lifetimes, I have not met a good end. Now, in this final lifetime, my karma is finally complete."

After the monk's reminder, Qinghe remembered the strange dreams he had had, each one so real yet completely different from his own choices. The dreams were bizarre and fantastical; he even had two dreams about completely different developments in his relationship with Chu Jingxian.

The monk said that the dreams Qinghe had were two of the seven lifetimes she and Chu Jingxian were entangled in. During the days Chu Jingxian was in a coma, he needed to experience all of their past lives and endure such pain and suffering in order to achieve a happy ending.

From then on, the couple lived happily together, and there were no more hardships.

—End of text—