Da Li Temple - Chapter 71.1

Chapter 71.1
Qingqing

Qu River is located in the southeastern part of Sheng City and has always been a favorite place for royal clan members to hold banquets. Today’s Yue An County Princess’s snow appreciation banquet was held here. Actually, King Wu’an Mansion organized this banquet. The old King Wu’an followed the late Emperor in his early years to quell the rebellion and made remarkable achievements. He was the late Emperor’s only appointed king with a different surname. And Yue An County Princess is the old King Wu’an’s first granddaughter.
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Su Moyi was busy with his official duties, and although he answered the invitation, he could only go after the meeting at the Zichen Hall. Therefore, when he arrived, all the guests had already gathered. After a brief greeting with the clan elders, the maid led Su Moyi to the corridor bridge at the side of the Qu River Pond.
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Now it was winter; although thin ice covered the pond’s surface under the bridge, one could still hear the sound of gurgling water, the big ice overlapping with the small one, like the ring of pendants hitting each other and swaying.
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“Heir,” a woman’s slightly bashful voice came from behind. Su Moyi turned around and saw a woman with a flying fairy bun and white fox fur. She bowed to Su Moyi, and when she raised to look at him, her beautiful eyes looked around, revealing two delicate tiger teeth between her coquettish smiles.
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“Greetings, Princess,” Su Moyi returned the salute, but his tone and demeanor carried detachment. He looked behind Yue An County Princess and saw that there were still people following before he felt relieved.
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The corridor bridge soon became lively. Because it was not time for dinner, some of the invited noble daughters of the clans and gentlemen paraded in groups to gather in the corridor. It gets dark early in the winter, and the people are tired of walking, so some will make paintings and poems on the bridge, resting and enjoying the scenery. The attendants quickly brought tables, inkstones, and brushes. They also lit the crimson lamps on the bridge one by one.
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Guests follow the host; although Su Moyi is uninterested in these things, he doesn’t refuse. He stands far away from the crowd, looking for a secluded place to watch the snow and enjoy the lanterns.
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“Heir, this is for you.” Yue An County Princess followed him over at some point, handing him a hand warmer. Her cheeks were scarlet as she averted her eyes.
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“Thank you for the County Princess’s kindness,” Su Moyi didn’t take it, “It’s just that I have a cleanliness fetish and isn’t used to using other people’s things.” His tone was sincere, without intention to make things difficult.
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Yue An County Princess smiled, lowered her head, and said, “It’s fine.”
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The two of them then sat down on the railing chairs of the corridor bridge.
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“Many thanks to Heir for honoring me with your presence,” Yue An County Princess said softly with the nervousness of a girl.
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Su Moyi looked normal and politely said, “The County Princess has invited me three times, and I have always shrugged it off due to imperial affairs, so it is reasonable that I should be the one to say thank you.”
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Yue An County Princess raised her head and blinked as she looked at him. She had beautiful eyes, a slightly rounded face, and bangs on her forehead; her temperament was lively, like a section of bright sunshine in spring when the ice melts.
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However, Su Moyi looked sour with a polite and detached smile still hanging on his face, “I should thank the County Princess for not taking it to heart.”
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Yue An County Princess smiled when she heard this and only said, “Heir is working hard on national affairs. Yue An should naturally understand more.”
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Su Moyi heard no further words and looked at the half-frozen lake with empty eyes, lost in thought for a moment. The crowd seemed bored, and someone proposed watching Yue An County Princess paint. Because she had been practicing her painting under Master Kongji, she had always been quite renowned in the capital. After Master Kongji passed away, his paintings were almost impossible to find, even for a high price, so the reputation of Yue An County Princess followed suit. Seeing that she couldn’t shrug it off, she could only respond to the crowd’s hospitality, lifting her brush and leaning over to splash ink between the papers. The painting of a beautiful woman gradually clears; she is looking back at the spring flowers with watery eyes and red lips, with love and shyness in her eyes, as if she were talking to her beloved one about her feelings for each other.
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The crowd marveled at its ingenuity. “How can you have a painting without a poem?” Suddenly, a person in the crowd proposed, and the crowd agreed.
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“Then who should be allowed to inscribe the poem?” Someone asked.
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The several princes present were brave enough to nominate themselves, yet Yue An County Princess politely rejected them.
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“Since that’s the case, let the County Princess choose!”
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The crowd agreed.
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Yue An County Princess put down the brush in her hand, picked up the soft brush on the side, and walked gracefully towards Su Moyi.
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“Then I’ll be grateful to Heir.” She laughed and handed the brush to Su Moyi.
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Su Moyi reacted late, but the pen was already in his hand, and it was not good to publicly reject Yue An County Princess. Therefore, he could only respond by carrying the pen to the table in front of the station. The lamplight swayed, dropping a soft light on the painting. The beauty in the painting stunned him. No makeup, not stained, beautiful, and expressive. He was too familiar with that kind of freedom and recklessness.
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Of course, Su Moyi is aware that the person in the painting is not Lin Wanqing. But his heart is tied to her, and everything he sees is only her. His hand did not move, but he abruptly smiled. He, who is always indifferent at this moment, is forced to admit that love is tricky and like a stubborn disease piercing into the bone.
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Her bright appearance, argumentative appearance, timid and pleasing appearance, and broken-heart appearance—Countless faces overlapped before his eyes, gradually becoming the same.
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“With bright eyes and light eyebrows, I saw Qingqing by the Qu River.”
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The ink became a text, and the pen became a poem, winning a shout of applause.
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Yue An County Princess saw this line of solid handwriting and quietly blushed. She ordered the painting to be collected, but Su Moyi stopped her. He reached out and extended his hand; the two of them took a step and stood farther away from the crowd.
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“I have some words to say to the County Princess. I hope you will not be offended.” Su Moy walked to the railing and stopped, looking at the sparkling water before him.
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“This visit, one, because the County Princess has invited several times, and it’s hard to refuse the hospitality. Second ……” He paused, turned back to face the eyes of Yue An County Princess, and solemnly said, “Some words, if I don’t tell you in person, I’m afraid that you will continue to waste time on me.”
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Yue An County Princess changed her face at these words. Her crystal eyes were full of confusion.
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Su Moyi, however, continued, “I heard the Royal Grandmother mention before that you repeatedly refused marriage proposals for me. Is there such a thing?”
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“I ……” Yue An was momentarily speechless.
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Su Moyi did not wait for her to say more and woodenly said, “Whether this matter is true, I consciously should be to tell you. I’m afraid I had to disappoint you.”