My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1424 Regret
When she was almost finished scattering the food, she secretly hid some red dates and longans, muttering as she ate them, "What a waste of food."

After the guests had all left, Zhou Xing entered the bridal chamber. He looked at Ling Xue and said, "Tonight you will sleep on the couch." Ling Xue said discontentedly, "Why should I? How about we make a bet? If you win, I'll sleep on the couch; if I win, you'll sleep on the chair." Zhou Xing looked at her and nodded.

As a result, Zhou Xing lost. He sat in the chair, watching Ling Xue snore as she slept. He took off his outer robe and gently covered her with it. At that moment, he noticed that Ling Xue was still clutching half of his severed hair in her arms.

One day, Ling Xue accidentally stumbled upon Zhou Xing's secret chamber. Inside, she found a wooden box. Opening it, she discovered a yellowed letter. The handwriting looked familiar; upon closer inspection, it was her mother's. It turned out that this letter was written to Zhou Xing by her mother before she died, when she was chosen to be a wet nurse in the palace.

When Zhou Xing returned, he was shocked to see Ling Xue holding the letter. For the first time, he lost his temper, grabbed Ling Xue by the neck, and angrily asked, "How did you find this place?" Ling Xue was struggling to breathe, but she still managed to say, "I just want to know the truth."

Zhou Xing released his grip, looking at Ling Xue with eyes filled with pain and regret. He broke down and said, "That year I was a fraction of a step too late. By the time I arrived, she had already passed away." Ling Xue looked at him, her heart aching. She hugged him tightly and said, "I'm here."

After calming down, Zhou Xing did Ling Xue's makeup and drew her eyebrows. He looked at Ling Xue and said seriously, "I'll marry you when you no longer have to hide in the streets like a coward." Ling Xue pinched his chin and said playfully, "Old man, I'll be waiting until I'm an old cucumber."

A political enemy bribed a flower grower to poison the fertilizer Ling Xue used daily. Ling Xue initially didn't notice, until one day she suddenly felt unwell. Zhou Xing, upon learning this, was frantic. He knelt in the imperial garden, begging the emperor's physician to save Ling Xue.

凌雪昏迷了三日，在这三日里，她听到了周行的声音。周行对着昏迷的她碎碎念：“你说要开百亩花田的，食言一次就揍你。”凌雪虽然昏迷着，但心中却能感受到他的担忧和爱意。

When Ling Xue awoke, she learned that Zhou Xing had stayed by her side day and night, and she was deeply moved. Soon after, the rebel army breached the imperial city. Zhou Xing handed the tiger tally to Ling Xue, saying, "Go to the Western Regions and find the black market caravan." Ling Xue looked at him and firmly said, "No, we'll die together."

Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue, his heart filled with emotion. He lit the gunpowder magazine, pushed Ling Xue out the window, and shouted, "Only the living have the right to call me an ice sculpture!" Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing in the raging flames, tears welling up in her eyes.

Three years later, Ling Xue became the largest flower merchant in the Western Regions. Her carriage caravan stopped to rest at a tea stall. The tea stall owner was a man wearing a bamboo hat, and an old knife scar was visible as he served tea. Ling Xue was startled when she saw him.

The man in the straw hat took it off; it was Zhou Xing. Ling Xue raised an eyebrow and said, "A retired prime minister selling tea? Won't he lose money?" Zhou Xing looked at her, smiled slightly, and said nothing.

Not long after, the capital was rebuilt. Ling Xue donated and built a hundred free medicine huts, the plaques of which were inscribed with the words "Apricot Grove" by Zhou Xing. The people spread rumors that when the Prime Minister's wife was angry, the Prime Minister would be forced to stand under the eaves for three days as punishment.

Zhou Xing buried the rose branches he had picked up years ago in the yard. When Ling Xue saw this, she complained, "Planting them so densely, there won't be anywhere to hide when we argue in the future." Zhou Xing chuckled and didn't say anything.

After some time, the roses bloomed. Zhou Xing pulled out the yellowed imperial decree of marriage from among the flowers and said, "Is it too late to elope now?" Ling Xue tugged at his ear and said, "Old man, the kids are old enough to run errands!" The two looked at each other and smiled, their faces beaming with happiness.

Early morning sunlight streamed onto the tofu stall on the street corner. Ling Xue was skillfully scraping the tofu pudding, her movements light and nimble. Just then, a down-on-his-luck scholar in a blue robe squatted in front of the stall, his eyes fixed on the last bowl of tofu pudding in the pot. His stomach rumbled, and Ling Xue smiled as she handed him a spoon, saying, "There's still half a pot of rice warming up on the stove in the back kitchen."

Zhou Xing took the spoon and wolfed down his food. In no time, he finished the bowl of tofu pudding. He looked at Ling Xue and said with a smile, "Your tofu pudding is even sweeter than Zhuangyuanhong." Ling Xue rolled her eyes at him and said, "You're so glib. Tofu pudding costs three coins; you can praise me if you can afford it."

Zhou Xing patted his pocket, somewhat embarrassed. He hesitated for a moment, then took out a broken hairpin from his robes and handed it to Ling Xue, saying, "Miss, how about I use this to pay off my debt?" Ling Xue took the hairpin and examined it carefully, noticing the character "Zhou" engraved on the tip. A thought struck her, and she asked, "Your surname is Zhou?" Zhou Xing nodded.

That evening, a sudden downpour began. Zhou Xing's makeshift shelter in the dilapidated temple was flooded, leaving him nowhere to go. Seeing this, Ling Xue took him home and let him stay in the woodshed.

Zhou Xing sat in the woodshed, watching Ling Xue's family's life, feeling a pang of emotion. He heard Ling Xue's father coughing up blood, so he secretly brewed medicine using a folk remedy from the "Compendium of Materia Medica." The next day, Ling Xue was surprised to find that her father's symptoms had improved. She asked Zhou Xing about it, and he casually replied, "All charlatans know some unorthodox methods."

Zhou Xing learned that Ling Xue's father was seriously ill and needed ginseng to save his life, but his family simply couldn't afford it. After some thought, he decided to raise money by selling his calligraphy on the street. He wrote the sign "Tofu Pudding Beauty," which attracted many customers. As a result, Ling Xue's stall business flourished.

However, officials from the county government came knocking, claiming that the signboard offended the daughter of an official. Zhou Xing remained calm, pointing to the small characters on the signboard that read "No money accepted from anyone but a beauty," and said, "If you feel offended, sir, why not pay three coins first?" The officials from the county government were speechless and could only slink away.

To help Lingxue boost her tofu pudding sales, Zhou Xing improved the sour soy milk recipe. He also designed twelve zodiac animal clay molds, allowing the tofu pudding to be made into various adorable shapes. Children flocked to buy it, and Lingxue's stall became incredibly lively.

Zhou Xing drew a smiley face on the ledger and said to Ling Xue, "It's time to charge you tuition next time." Ling Xue smiled and rolled her eyes at him, saying, "You stingy guy, can't you even buy me a drink?"

One night, some thugs came to the stall and caused trouble. They smashed a lot of things and tried to bully Ling Xue. When Zhou Xing saw this, he picked up a carrying pole and was about to argue with them. But Ling Xue swung a spoonful of hot soy milk and splashed it at them, shouting, "I hired a scholar as a thug, aren't you afraid you'll die from overeating in jail?" The thugs were so frightened that they fled in panic.

Not long after, Ling Xue's father passed away. While sorting through his belongings, Ling Xue discovered a bloodstained jade pendant. Zhou Xing recognized it as evidence from a theft case at the Ministry of Revenue twenty years prior. Realizing the matter was not simple, he investigated the old files overnight and discovered that the original case files had been altered.

Just as Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were troubled by the jade pendant, the assassin who had silenced them years ago arrived. Zhou Xing pushed Ling Xue into the cellar, then confronted the assassin with a kitchen knife. He shouted, "Every step you take forward will make tomorrow's headlines 'Tofu Beauty's Father's Murderer'!" The assassin hesitated upon hearing this.

Just then, Ling Xue threw a jade pendant from the cellar, hitting the assassin in the eye. Zhou Xing seized the opportunity to subdue the assassin.

Later, Zhou Xing participated in the provincial examination. His essay subtly satirized official corruption, but it was appreciated by the imperial censor and he came in first place. However, he didn't use his own name, but instead used the pen name "Ling Xue". On the day the results were announced, Ling Xue looked at the list, both crying and laughing, and said, "Fool, is fame more valuable than my name?"

Zhou Xing was appointed as the chief judge to investigate an old case in the Ministry of Revenue. However, the case involved a prince of the current dynasty, making it extremely difficult. Ling Xue, carrying a tofu stand, barged into the Jingzhao Yin's office, saying, "Who dares to stop my husband Zhou from investigating this case?" Zhou Xing, worried about Ling Xue's safety, asked her to leave. Ling Xue firmly replied, "Do you think I only know how to grind tofu? My father taught me how to forge account books..." Zhou Xing looked at her, feeling both moved and worried.

During the investigation, Zhou Xing discovered that the stolen silver was hidden in a crypt of a canal barge. To gather evidence, Ling Xue disguised herself as a courtesan to approach the transport officer. Using her intelligence, she successfully got the officer drunk and stole his identification badge.

At the closing banquet, the prince attempted to force Ling Xue to become his concubine. In front of all the officials, Zhou Xing smashed his official seal and declared, "I only marry wives from the marketplace." The prince was furious, but dared not do anything to him.

The emperor, wary of Zhou Xing's talent, demoted him to county magistrate. Upon learning this, Ling Xue sold her dowry and bought a hilltop to grow soybeans. She told Zhou Xing, "If the people still call you 'Justice' after three years, I will write you a letter of divorce and set you free."

When Zhou Xing arrived at his post, he encountered a once-in-a-century drought. He tacitly approved Ling Xue's organization of the people to dig wells. Ling Xue took the lead by donating all her savings to buy pumping equipment. Seeing Ling Xue's generosity, the people responded enthusiastically.

Not long after, the censor impeached Zhou Xing for "allowing his wife to amass wealth." Zhou Xing displayed the account books in court and said, "If the embezzlement is proven, I am willing to be executed by dismemberment in place of my wife." After learning the truth, the people knelt in front of the yamen to plead for Zhou Xing's life.

After three years of hard work, the people in the region governed by Zhou Xing lived in peace and prosperity. The emperor pardoned him and allowed him to return to the capital. Zhou Xing brought Ling Xue to the imperial mausoleum, where soybeans were planted. He said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, can you see? When the world is at peace, all people are scholars and officials." The emperor looked at him and nodded.

Ling Xue opened a charity in the capital, teaching women how to make fermented bean curd and soy sauce. After tasting them, the Empress Dowager in the palace praised them highly, saying, "They are even better than the pastries from the Imperial Kitchen."

On the day Zhou Xing resigned from his official post, Ling Xue hung a new plaque at the entrance—"The Fragrance of Beans Spreads for Miles." Zhou Xing smiled and asked her, "Did this recoup your tuition fees?" Ling Xue glared at him and said, "It'll cover the rest of your life!" They smiled at each other, their faces beaming with happiness. From then on, they lived a simple yet happy life in the city, the aroma of beans wafting through every corner.

On the training ground, where yellow sand swirled, recruit Zhou Xing was sparring with Ling Xue, both wielding wooden swords. Ling Xue was agile and swift, her moves carrying a fierce edge. Although Zhou Xing was no weakling, he gradually began to struggle under Ling Xue's relentless attacks.

Suddenly, Ling Xue spun around, her wooden sword slashing straight at Zhou Xing's shoulder. Zhou Xing couldn't dodge in time and staggered a few steps after being hit. He looked at Ling Xue, a hint of surprise and admiration flashing in his eyes.

Soon after, the Xiongnu launched a surprise attack on the supply depot. In the darkness, Ling Xue was the first to scale the enemy's ramparts. Her jade pendant accidentally struck a stone, making a crisp sound. Zhou Xing heard the sound and his heart tightened, but the situation was critical, and he had no time to think. Seeing Ling Xue surrounded by enemy troops, he rushed over without hesitation to shield her from arrows.

After the battle, when the medic removed the arrow from Zhou Xing's body, he discovered that Zhou Xing was wearing half of a jade pendant with a dragon pattern close to his body. Zhou Xing looked at the jade pendant, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

At the celebration banquet, Ling Xue got a little drunk. Clutching Zhou Xing's hand, she slurred, "If I were a woman, I'd definitely marry a big, honest, simple guy like you." Everyone burst into laughter. Zhou Xing laughed along, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

By chance, Zhou Xing discovered a plum blossom birthmark on Ling Xue's elbow. He was startled, for this was the very characteristic of the Crown Prince's missing younger sister. Late at night, Zhou Xing secretly examined Ling Xue's bundle and found, besides a woman's dress, a parchment scroll depicting the secret passages of the palace.

Holding the parchment scroll, he questioned Ling Xue, "Who exactly are you?" Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I know you are the Crown Prince, and I have my own purpose in approaching you."

Just then, a spy sent by the Xiongnu attempted to poison him. Ling Xue shielded Zhou Xing from the poisoned wine. Before losing consciousness, she clutched Zhou Xing's clothes and murmured, "Your Highness, don't be afraid..."

The military doctor exclaimed in shock as he examined Zhou Xing's pulse, "This poison requires a virgin's blood as a catalyst!" Upon hearing this, Zhou Xing slammed the door shut and ran wildly through the torrential rain, his roars drowned out by the thunder. He didn't know how to face all of this, nor did he understand why Ling Xue would do so much for him.

The emperor's secret envoy arrived at the border, demanding that the crown prince return to the palace immediately. Zhou Xing looked at the imperial edict brought by the envoy, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Upon learning of this, Ling Xue took out the tiger tally, raised an eyebrow, and said, "If Your Highness leaves, the 30,000 Xuanjia soldiers will immediately mutini." Zhou Xing looked at her and smiled helplessly.

Soon after, the Xiongnu set a trap, trapping Zhou Xing and Ling Xue on a cliff. To save Zhou Xing, Ling Xue cut the ropes and fell from her horse. Zhou Xing reached out to grab her, but only managed to grasp half of her broken hairpin.

Ling Xue fell into a pool of water. She climbed out, soaking wet, but sneered at her pursuers: "If I die here, who will take the position of Crown Princess?"

Zhou Xing fought his way through the chaos of battle and returned to the camp. He lifted the curtain on Ling Xue's tent and saw her burning all the women's clothing. From the ashes, half of a phoenix tattoo was visible. Zhou Xing stared at it, filled with bewilderment and shock.

Ling Xue knew she could no longer hide her identity. She drew her sword and pressed it against Zhou Xing's throat, saying, "I am the orphan of the eldest princess. I approached you only to investigate the injustice done to my father."

Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue, his eyes filled with pain and confusion: "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

At this moment, the Xiongnu shaman led his troops to surround the camp. To break the siege, Ling Xue offered her blood as a sacrifice to the flag, shouting, "The Crown Princess is here!" A rain of arrows descended, and Zhou Xing shielded Ling Xue with his body. Looking at Zhou Xing, Ling Xue cried out, "Fool, I lied to you!"

The two faced each other back to back. Ling Xue's hair ribbon came undone, and her black hair, stained with blood, clung to Zhou Xing's neck. Zhou Xing chuckled, "So you're not a man after all." Ling Xue felt a surge of emotion upon hearing this.

On the eve of the decisive battle, Zhou Xing handed the tiger tally to Ling Xue and said, "If I die in battle, lead your women's army back to Chang'an."