Jinting Han people

Chapter 31 Return to Luoyang (4k)

That night, Liu Xian returned to Dongwu and immediately informed his mother of the news of the marriage at the Juancheng Mansion.

Pregnant women are often extremely sleepy, seemingly never getting enough sleep, and Xi Miao was no exception. When Liu Xian reported this to her, Zhang Xi Miao had just woken up, her eyes misty and hazy, ready to fall back asleep at any moment. But when she heard the news, she was startled, the mist in her eyes instantly dissipating. She stood up and asked in disbelief, "Bi Ji, can you tell me again?"

"Yes, mother, my teacher has found a marriage for me. It's with the daughter of the Duke of Juancheng, and he wants me to ask you and the adults for your opinions."

As he spoke, Liu Xian slowly recounted to his mother his experiences of the past few days, the circumstances surrounding his engagement, his teacher's analysis of the marriage, and its potential impact on his life. Zhang Ximiao listened intently, her mind racing with thoughts that alternated between pride and worry. But by the end, she was filled with genuine joy.

By the time Liu Xian finished speaking, Zhang Ximiao was no longer tired. Not only did she no longer look like a pregnant woman in her sixth month, she looked visibly younger, like a young girl full of longing for her future life. When she pulled Liu Xian in front of her, the corners of her mouth were so sweet as if she was holding an indissoluble candied fruit.

Zhang Ximiao looked her child up and down, then cupped his cheek and said with a smile, "Biji, this is your lifelong event. You don't need to ask me, you should ask yourself: are you willing?"

For some reason, although Liu Xian always appeared very opinionated in front of others, he would subconsciously become weaker in front of his mother: "Mom... I don't know, I always feel that these... are too far away from me..."

Xi Miao brushed the dust off Liu Xian, then tilted her head to look up at the boy's face from below, encouraging him, "How could that be? In my heart, Bi Ji has always been a man of integrity. From childhood to adulthood, you've never given me any cause for worry. Although I sometimes worry that my lack of a good environment might cause you to worry too much and turn you into something like your father, you're actually much better than I imagined. You're very strong and always bring me surprises."

"You are my greatest comfort and the courage I need to live. I will support any decision you make."

Liu Xian was at a loss as to what to do with his mother's joy. He clenched his fists, hesitating whether to express his other concerns.

Zhang Ximiao was sensitive to her son's hesitation. She sat up straight, one hand on her waist, and asked softly, "Biji, you have other concerns... right?"

Liu Xian would never lie in front of his mother. He thought about it and nodded, "Yes."

"What are you worried about?"

"I'm worried about your opinion."

When Liu Xun was mentioned, Liu Xian's expression suddenly darkened. He said carefully, "Although I haven't thought it through completely, I have a rough feeling that he won't agree."

After saying that, Liu Xian looked at his mother's expression and found that she also looked a little embarrassed. Obviously, she had the same premonition as Liu Xian.

From every perspective, this marriage proposal was unavoidable. Although both the Anle and Juancheng Dukes were dukes of the Western Jin Dynasty, their influence in Luoyang politics was incomparable. Juancheng Duke had served for many years as the Imperial College's chief academic officer, and the children of noble families from various ethnic groups entered officialdom through the Imperial College. They were all indebted to Juancheng Duke, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that his students were known all over the world. Meanwhile, the Anle Duke had not only failed to integrate into Luoyang's aristocratic circles, but had just been stripped of their title two years earlier, leaving them with nothing but a name.

Moreover, Liu Xun's style in recent years has caused the reputation of Anle Mansion to be ruined.

Logically speaking, as the only legitimate son of Duke Anle, Liu Xian was destined to be the future Duke Anle. If not now, someone should have proposed marriage to him when he was six or seven years old. But now, he was only twelve years old and only got such a marriage based on his eloquence. This is enough to show how bad Liu Xun's reputation was.

Let's look at Duke Juancheng Cao Zhi. As Cao Zhi's son, he was well-versed in literature, magnanimous, and a wise king personally recognized by Cao Zhi. His choice of Liu Xian as his son-in-law could also greatly improve the reputation of the Anle Mansion.

Not to mention the various benefits that Xiao Ruan Gong had previously analyzed for Liu Xian, from a rational point of view, this was an excellent marriage. However, from an emotional point of view, Anle Gong Liu Xun was very likely to not accept it.

What exactly did his father care about? This was a question Liu Xian had harbored since childhood. He thought he would gradually understand it as he grew older, but now he was even more confused. On the surface, he pursued pleasure, indulging his carnal desires with endless material possessions; he abused slaves, drawing nourishment from the suffering of others; he spent lavishly, transcending the troubles of the world to the astonishment of others.

But in fact, anyone can see that Anle Gong does not care about these things, nor is he happy. He seems like a fallen leaf, just living a directionless life, floating from one emptiness to another, not caring about his future destination at all, as if he has already died.

In this state, it would be irrational to talk to Duke Anle about the long-term pros and cons. And considering his near-complete isolation from the outside world, seemingly intent on locking the doors of his mansion, the likelihood of Duke Anle agreeing to this marriage was no greater than the likelihood of him acting like a saintly gentleman after drinking.

Zhang Ximiao naturally knew this, but after hearing her son's words, she stared at the ice and snow outside the window, and couldn't help feeling cold and sad in her heart.

When had her husband become such a pathetic figure in the eyes of his children? Even more terrifying, for a moment, she actually thought the child was right, which made her quickly deny it: "Biji, he's your father after all. How could he refuse something so beneficial and harmless? You can't think of him like that..."

"But what if he refuses..."

"There's no such thing as a 'what if'." Zhang Ximiao said firmly. She began to plead for her husband in front of her son. "I know that in your eyes, he's not a good father. But he's actually a sentimental man. Precisely because of that, he can't let go of some things, which is why he does some foolish things... But he's your father, he loves you. He doesn't need a reason, it's just that he doesn't know how to express it. You have to learn to be patient..."

"Really?" Liu Xian was a little bit unbelievable. The difference between the Anle Gong described by his mother and the father he remembered was too great. He really couldn't combine the two images into one person.

"Of course it's true." Zhang Ximiao ruffled Liu Xian's hair, a look of reminiscence on her face. "You might not believe me, but I've almost forgotten. Back in Chengdu, your father was barely sixteen, a strikingly handsome man, widely acknowledged as a virtuous king..." As his mother's voice faded, Liu Xian grew curious, for this was the first time she had mentioned their past in Chengdu. Aside from the two teachers, his family rarely spoke of the events before the fall of the kingdom. While Liu Xian now understood the difficulties involved, he still sometimes wished he could learn more about that glorious past through firsthand experience.

Zhang Ximiao looked at the child and naturally knew what he was thinking. But after thinking it over, she decided to keep it a secret for now. "It's a long story, though, and it won't be finished in a moment... Go to bed early today. We'll return to Luoyang tomorrow. After I've discussed the marriage with your father and Little Ruan Gong, I'll tell you more slowly."

Liu Xian's mother's smile touched him, and his tense shoulders relaxed a little. He wondered if he was really prejudiced against his father. He'd lived such a long life, and he'd only been with him for a short while. His mother must have understood him far better than he did.

Besides, people change. The father I had five years ago, the father I had last year, and the father I had this year were all different. Wasn't he much better this year? I guess I was just overthinking it.

Thinking about having to go back to Luoyang tomorrow morning, Liu Xian felt a little sad. How long had it been since he last went back to Luoyang? It was time to go back and take a look.

The next morning, before the darkness had faded, Zhang Ximiao and Liu Xian boarded the oxcart back to Luoyang. Zhu Fu drove the car, Liu Xian sat beside him, gazing at the scenery outside the window, while Zhang Ximiao leaned against the carriage, dozing off.

The roads were still unpaved during the first month of the lunar year, making the carriage inevitably a bit bumpy. Liu Xian felt the trembling of his body and the carriage, and for a moment he felt a surge of nostalgia. He hadn't ridden in an oxcart in a long time since learning to ride a horse, and it inevitably reminded him of the days when he studied with Chen Shou.

Looking up at the stars again, he realized that over two years had passed, yet they remained the same. Is the teacher doing well in Jiangdong? What changes have taken place in Luoyang? And what about A-Tian, Zhinu, and the others? Have they grown into completely different people, just like him? As Liu Xian daydreamed, the faces of these familiar people suddenly merged into a single, unfamiliar woman in a vibrant wedding dress. Liu Xian couldn't see her face, but he knew it was the Cao Shangrou he'd imagined, his future wife, A-Luo.

He reached out, trying to pull back the veil, but just as he caught sight of the woman's smiling lips, everything vanished like smoke, leaving nothing behind. This startled Liu Xian, and he suddenly woke up. It turned out that he had just had a brief dream in the car, and now it was already daybreak.

Looking around again, the familiar suburbs of Luoyang began to appear in sight.

As Liu Xian had expected, Luoyang City was considerably quieter this year than in previous years. Patrolling imperial guards could be seen on the streets from time to time, and most of the houses were tightly shut. There were few pedestrians, and the few people who did appear were usually in groups of three or five, hurriedly passing through the streets without looking around. Everyone felt tense. The only ones who seemed lazy were the bloated orange cats sprawled on the courtyard wall, puffing white air at the sky out of boredom.

Soon, Liu Xian and his group were also subjected to questioning. Several imperial guards stopped the oxcart and, while questioning Zhu Fu's origins and destinations, threatened to conduct a search. Their harsh tone made Liu Xian uncomfortable, but Zhu Fu quickly gave his name and slipped a few five-zhu coins into the group, which helped him get through. Fortunately, this was the only incident on the road; the rest of the journey was relatively smooth.

After passing through two markets, the ox cart turned and entered an alley. Liu Xian suddenly felt as if he was in another world. He knew that he would soon arrive at the Anle Mansion.

He woke up his mother and looked around. Although his mother had guaranteed it, he still felt uncontrollably nervous at the thought of meeting his father.

Arriving at the familiar door, Zhu Fu immediately got out of the car and knocked on it. The one who opened the door was the lame Lai Fu. He smiled at Zhu Fu, but then saw Zhang Ximiao and Liu Xian, mother and son, getting out of the car, and was stunned:
"Why are the Madam and the Young Master back?"

"I have something to discuss with the parents." Zhang Ximiao held his waist and said softly.

Lai Fu hurriedly called the maid Ah Chun to come out to greet his wife, but when he heard that his wife was going to talk to An Le Gong, he suddenly looked a little embarrassed. After looking around, he cautiously said to Zhang Ximiao, "But the master hasn't gotten up yet..."

This meant that Anle Gong had been foolish again last night. If it had been at first, Zhang Ximiao would have felt ashamed of her husband, but now, she was somewhat used to it. She just smiled and said, "It's okay. We were just talking about some family matters. I'll wait for him to wake up. You can go do your thing."

Lai Fu felt as if he had been pardoned. After all, for all the servants in the mansion, Lord Anle was an unpredictable and unquestionable nightmare. It was best not to get close to him if possible.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Zhang Ximiao say to Liu Xian, "Biji, go for a walk with Laifu first."

Liu Xian was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Shouldn't I go with my mother to see the adults?"

Zhang Ximiao shook her head and smiled, "This should have been discussed between parents first. If you interrupt, it would be impolite and he might lose his temper again."

Liu Xian suddenly remembered the last time his father got angry and scolded him and he talked back, and for a moment, it seemed to make some sense. If he didn't want to go, then he didn't! This thought made him feel relieved, and he finally let go of his mother's hand and said, "Then I'll wait for good news from mother."

In this way, with the support of Achun, Zhang Ximiao walked towards the villa, while Liu Xian followed Lai Fu to the backyard to wait for the result.

But as soon as he sat down in the wing room, Liu Xian felt uneasy again. Even if he stood up and paced back and forth in the room, he could not get rid of the uneasy mood. This made him think with self-mockery: Liu Piji, Liu Piji, it's your parents' order and the matchmaker's words. Whether it succeeds or not is not up to you to decide. What is there to think about? But he was still a little anxious, but he couldn't explain what he was anxious about. He could only say that he had a bad premonition.

Lai Fu, who was standing by, obviously didn't have such thoughts. Seeing the young man he had taken care of since he was a child grow up, Lai Fu felt very relieved. While making tea for Liu Xian, he chatted with him about the changes in the past two years. When the two talked about the reason why Liu Xian returned to Beijing, Lai Fu was stunned again, and then sighed sincerely:

"Time flies! Even the young master is talking about marriage. It seems that this old servant is really getting old."

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(End of this chapter)