"Let's have a party."
Xie Huai stood up and clapped his hands.
The musicians played from behind, and the dancers, dressed in dark blue flowing skirts, came in one after another to dance.
The soft body swayed like water under the moonlight, and like a fish swimming in the water.
My ears were filled with the sound of clinking wine glasses and laughter.
There were too many fish and shrimps on the table, which was not to my liking.
Gu Qi had no choice but to take a few bites and drink a few more sips of cold wine, which made her stomach and throat burn.
After the song was over, the dancer slowly left the stage.
I heard the "dong dong" sound of the drums, which went from frustrated to rapid, and finally stopped abruptly with a "pop" sound.
Everyone was curious and looked outside.
Xie Huai sat upright and took a sip of wine with a smile on his face.
The drums sounded again.
Xie Huai was a little surprised and frowned.
A woman wore a black robe, her long hair tied up with a red ribbon, black boots with gold inlay, and walked in holding a spear.
The drum beat was sometimes slow and sometimes rapid, the spear was swept or picked, and the red ribbon also swayed and jumped.
Gu Qi was stunned by the scene in front of him!
This is the first time I have seen a woman dance with a spear.
It's neat and sassy, as good as Rong Di's spear dance on that day!
The drums stopped and the spears were put away. The woman stood upright in the center and bowed to Yuan Zhe who was sitting in the seat: "Your Highness."
Xie Huai stood up with a smile: "Your Highness will laugh, this is my little girl Xie Ruoling."
Yuan Zhe said with a smile: "I didn't expect that Mr. Xie, a civil servant, could cultivate such an excellent 'military general'. If you are a man, I will definitely take you under my command and be loyal to the country."
Xie Ruoling said: "Your Highness has given you too much praise."
A trace of displeasure flashed across Xie Huai's face: "Why don't you step back quickly! How decent is your daughter's family?"
Xie Ruoling arched her nose towards her father and reluctantly sat next to Xie Huai.
Yuan Zhe looked to his left and saw Gu Qi's eyes shining, staring straight at Xie Ruoling opposite.
Maybe you like this?
Yuan Zhe frowned, feeling an indescribable feeling in his heart.
As if feeling Gu Qi's hot gaze, Xie Ruoling raised her head with the shrimp in her mouth.
"What are you looking at..."
Xie Ruoling muttered, a little angry at being stared at by Gu Qi, and raised his hand to wave his fist at Gu Qi.
Gu Qi came back to her senses and lowered her head in embarrassment.
When the banquet was over, everyone left one after another.
Xie Ruoling was called to the study by her father.
"Didn't my father tell you that you were going to wear that red dress and dance 'Taiping Le'? Why did you suddenly change your mind and start playing with a gun?"
"My daughter doesn't want to do anything that flatters her, nor does she want to imitate others to please others."
Xie Huai was furious, pointed at Xie Ruoling's nose and cursed: "I must have spoiled you, allowing you to behave like this!"
Xie Ruoling knelt on the mat with tears in her eyes: "My father usually loves me, but it's fake!"
Seeing his daughter like this, Xie Huai was so angry that he trembled: "You heartless bastard! You have failed to live up to your hard work as a father! If you are favored by His Highness King Zhe, why do you need to suffer in little Huozhou!"
"My daughter has no intention of doing this. Father, you know it! Why bother forcing me?"
"You...you really piss me off!"
Xie Ruoling seemed to have made up her mind, raising her sleeves to wipe her tears: "My daughter doesn't want to be a bird in a cage, she just wants to be a soaring eagle. The husband I will marry in the future does not ask for wealth, but only wants to be kind and treat me wholeheartedly."
"Okay, okay! This is the good daughter whom I, Xie Huai, taught. She is disobedient and unfilial! Someone is here!"
The boy pushed open the door and entered.
"Send the young lady back to her room. She is not allowed to go out without my instructions!"
The father and daughter broke up on bad terms, and they did not see Xie Ruoling again until Gu Qi and others left Luzhou.
After the banquet, Gu Qi returned to the wing.
My stomach growled.
But my stomach felt like it was on fire, and I was tossing and turning and couldn't sleep.
There was a knock at the door.
Gu Qi stood up and opened the door, only to see Yuan Zhe standing at the door.
"Your Highness? Why are you here?"
Yuan Zhe walked directly into the room, sat at the table, and knocked twice.
Gu Qi hurriedly stepped forward to pour tea.
"Do you like Miss Xie's family?"
"Ah?" His hand shook, and the water in the teapot spilled out.
Yuan Zhe looked at Gu Qi, as if he was sure: "Why are you nervous? If you like it, I can be the matchmaker."
Gu Qi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and offered the cup of tea: "Your Highness is joking. I admire Miss Xie, but I don't like her."
"That's good."
"What?"
"nothing."
An imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth until the tea burned his tongue...
Yuan Zhe quickly put the tea cup on the table, and the spilled tea burned his hands again.
"Why is it so hot!"
Gu Qi was startled and hurriedly stepped forward: "Sorry, I just made the tea and I forgot to tell you."
He took out the handkerchief from his pocket, carefully held Yuan Zhe's hand, gently wiped the remaining water stains, and blew on the red area.
Suddenly, Yuan Zhe turned his big hand and grasped Gu Qi's fingers.
"Pei Qihuan."
"Uh, what's wrong, Your Highness?"
"Look at me."
Gu Qi swallowed nervously and raised her head to look at Yuan Zhe.
Their eyes met, Gu Qi's tongue seemed to be knotted, unable to say anything.
The faint scent of medicine penetrated his nose, Yuan Zhe's mind went blank and he just stared at Gu Qi blankly.
"You-" As soon as he started to speak, he found that his voice was hoarse.
Yuan Zhe coughed and let go of Gu Qi's hand.
"rest early."
He stood up and prepared to leave, then stopped when he reached the door.
Gu Qi looked at Yuan Zhe and called softly: "Your Highness?"
It seemed like something was hammering towards the heart.
Yuan Zhe was out of breath and his cheeks turned red.
"Pei Qihuan."
"What's wrong, Your Highness?"
Suddenly, Yuan Zhe waved his hand and all the lights in the room went out.
It was pitch dark and he couldn't tell the direction. Gu Qi could only see the figure in front of him, getting closer and closer.
Before he could react, the man opened his arms and wrapped himself tightly.
"Your Highness...Your Highness?"
"Don't move." Yuan Zhe's voice came from above.
Gu Qi didn't dare to move anymore, so she had no choice but to let him hold her.
"After we say goodbye to each other, do you really think you haven't missed me?"
It's like talking drunkenly, but also like talking nonsense.
Gu Qi didn't know how to answer.
Yuan Zhe tightened his arms so tightly that Gu Qi almost couldn't breathe.
Gu Qi quickly patted Yuan Zhe's back and told him to relax: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, I can't breathe..."
"well."
Hearing a long sigh, his body became relaxed.
Yuan Zhe let go of Gu Qi, took out two round objects from his arms and put them in Gu Qi's hands.
"rest early."
The door was closed by Yuan Zhe from the outside, and the room was quiet.
Could it be that this guy drank too much at the banquet?
Gu Qi scratched his head and lit the candlestick on the table.
"Oh, where did he get it?"
Gu Qi looked at the egg in her hand, which was still warm.
There are no eggs on the table...
next day
Gu Qi stood at the door and stretched.
He saw Yuan Zhe coming out of the side room and walking towards him.
Followed by Zhao Dexun and Xu Shuo.
"Brother Pei, it's so early."
Zhao Dexun smiled and greeted Gu Qi.
"Morning." Gu Qi responded with a smile, stepped forward and bowed slightly to Yuan Zhe: "Your Highness."
"Um."
The cold tone was very different from last night.
Yuan Zhe didn't stop and walked straight forward.
"Let's go." Zhao Dexun patted Gu Qi on the shoulder.
Gu Qi pursed her lips and trotted to follow.
Xie Huai was waiting in the hall. When he saw Yuan Zhe coming, he hurried forward to greet him.
"Your Highness, I have prepared two thousand stones of food as per your instructions."
"Um."
Gu Qi sat in the hall, not daring to say anything, so she could only drink tea silently.
Four or five maids walked in carrying boxes of various sizes and lined up in front of Gu Qi.
Before Gu Qi could ask, Xie Huai stood up and came over, smiling: "It's a long journey, so I've prepared some dry food and fruits, and we'll bring them to the car together later."
"Thank you."
After leaving Luzhou, Gu Qi stuck his head out and looked back. Yuan Zhe was standing at the city gate with his hands behind his hands. Xie Huai next to him was smiling and waving.
The driver waved his whip, and the horse changed from walking to running, and the speed became faster.
Gu Qi put down the curtain and frowned: "I still don't understand."
"What's wrong, Mr. Pei?"
"Your Highness, why don't we go back to Tuzhou together?"
Xu Shuo was sitting in the car with a smile on his face: "His Highness said he had other plans."
"Did His Highness say anything when I left?"
Xu Shuo thought for a while and said, "I didn't say anything. I just told you to take good care of Mr. Pei."
Gu Qi looked at Xu Shuo and sighed helplessly.
Judging from Xu Shuo's appearance, even if he knew something, he would definitely not tell it.
Zhao Dexun was holding the grain in front, while Gu Qi and Xu Shuo followed closely behind.
The journey was uneventful and we arrived in Tuzhou earlier than expected.
The procession was not huge, but it still attracted the attention of passers-by.
Since entering Tuzhou City, the number of people on both sides of the car gradually increased.
When we arrived at the gate of the Governor's Mansion, the people no longer came forward.
People from three floors inside and three outside the house gathered in front of the house, and there was a lot of discussion.
Gu Qi got out of the car and looked at the crowd.
A few feet away, there were all poor people in ragged clothes, looking around uneasily.
Among them, there are many "arrogant" people. Although they wear clothes made of rough linen and the color cannot be distinguished after washing, they still insist on using branches as hairpins and combing their oily hair as decently as possible.
They looked at Gu Qi and seemed to be trying their best to defend themselves: they were different from beggars.
"Master Pei?"
Hearing Xu Shuo calling, Gu Qi turned her head, but the tears in the corners of her eyes did not flow out.
Seeing her red eye circles, Xu Shuo understood everything.
Zhao Dexun put his hands on his hips and stepped into the Governor's Mansion. Seeing Gu Qi standing in the distance, he shouted: "Brother Pei! Why are you so stunned?"
Xu Shuo raised his hand and tapped Gu Qi's shoulder: "Master Pei, come in."
Gu Qi nodded.
After walking a few steps, I heard someone crying behind me: "Master Pei! Master Pei——"
Turning around, he saw a woman stumbling through the crowd and kneeling in front of Gu Qi.
Gu Qi was immediately at a loss: "This is..."
The woman raised her head, and Gu Qicai saw clearly that she belonged to Yang Yi's family.
Gu Qi quickly stretched out his hand to help her up. The woman did not get up, but grabbed Gu Qi's arms and burst into tears:
"Master Pei, you are finally back!"
The woman didn't care about her dignity and let her nose and tears flow down her face: "Sir, please go and have a look. My husband Yang Yi, you have seen him. He is extremely happy!"
"Ah?!" Gu Qi was shocked!
He pulled the woman up forcefully and asked, "What's going on?"
The woman couldn't explain why, she just kept crying.
This shocked Gu Qi, but seeing her crying so sadly, he couldn't bear to scold her, so he had to drag her into the carriage.
"Hey! Brother Pei!"
Gu Qi waved her hand towards Zhao Dexun: "You put the food in place first, I'll be right back!"
Seeing this scene, Xu Shuo followed Gu Qi into the car without hesitation: "I'll go with you."
"Thank you, Dr. Xu. Uncle! Go to Yong'an County!"
"good!"
The driver waved his whip vigorously, and the horse galloped towards Yong'an County.
