You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 41 Cousin
After the first snowfall, the moon shines above the eaves.

The candlelight upstairs glowed red, illuminating the shadows of two people pressed together.

Her cheeks were flushed red, and she smiled like a flower. If Chen Shao could write poetry, he could easily compose a poem.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how, so all he could do was hug and kiss her to express his affection.

Li Shishi heard the night watchman's drum outside, and almost instantly, firecrackers went off one after another throughout the city.

In Bianliang City, almost every household had a bonfire burning in their courtyard. The most spectacular one was the outer palace of the imperial city, located at the crossroads. Two dragon-tail paths embraced it on the left and right, and in the middle, a huge torch stood several feet high, with flames soaring into the sky.

The Song Dynasty's imperial family would usually come out to celebrate with the people at this time.

Or perhaps they could stand on the palace walls of the imperial city, receiving cheers from the people of Bianliang.

Li Shishi picked up the wine cup with her left hand and supported the bottom of the cup with her right hand. She gently twisted her body, bowed her head, and said, "May my beloved be happy, healthy, and blessed with good fortune."

"Sing a song." After finishing his drink, Chen Shao patted her face and said with a grin.

Li Shishi turned around gracefully, her figure light and agile. Her right little finger was slightly raised, and two fingers gently held her right sleeve. She began to sing a Wu opera aria: "My first wish is for my beloved to live a thousand years, my second wish is for me to remain healthy, and my third wish is to be like the swallows on the beam, meeting each other year after year..."

When you have a woman like Li Shishi, physical pleasure is just one of the many joys she gives you.

For the first time, Chen Shao felt that there was a lot of truth in putting sensual pleasures first.

Chen Shao listened attentively with great interest. She usually spoke Mandarin, but her singing in Wu dialect was still very enjoyable.

I don't know if it's because Yue Opera itself is so beautiful, or because it's sung by her that it's so lyrical and moving; her voice is gentle, charming, and melodious.

Chen Shao found that keeping vigil during the New Year was not boring at all.

Finally, the two embraced, whispering sweet nothings that touched the heart. To an outsider, they sounded like sweet words and lies.
But those who are immersed in it feel that every word is sincere.

After Lunar New Year's Eve, the new year begins.

As dusk settled, Chen Shao waited in a pavilion on the official road outside Bianliang City, yawning incessantly.

Da Hu stood beside him, looking majestic. Chen Shao took him almost everywhere he went, and they were inseparable.

No matter the situation, this fat man was always full of energy, and Chen Shao sometimes envied him.

Dong Dahu eats when he's hungry and sleeps when he's tired. He lives a regular life and practices martial arts every day, wielding spears and sticks. It would be strange if he wasn't full of energy.

Moreover, he was easygoing and carefree, never taking anything to heart. When he first arrived, he killed two people in one go, and at night he would fall asleep immediately, snoring loudly.

Chen Shao, however, kept the candlelight burning, the embroidered curtains swirling, and they spent the night in passionate lovemaking.

Later, it was Li Shishi who cherished his body and was afraid that he would suffer too much. She coaxed and begged him, and with ambiguous and lingering words, she finally got this man to sleep with her.

Early this morning, Liu Guanglie sent someone to the city ahead of time to tell Chen Shao that he would be there soon.

Sure enough, the sound of horses' hooves rang out in the distance, and Chen Shao saw Liu Guanglie's familiar figure from afar.

He felt a little happy.

Only when he has more than one person to care for and family to rely on in this world can he be considered to have truly integrated into this world.

Being free from all attachments may seem like a greater sense of freedom, but in reality, it is a form of torture.

Even abundant rain cannot nourish rootless grass.

No matter when or where a person goes, they must have roots.

A horse-drawn carriage creaked and groaned as it moved forward, with Liu Guanglie dozing off inside.

"Third Brother, we've arrived in Bianliang!"

Liu Guanglie opened his eyes and yawned. "Damn it, we've finally arrived. I wonder what big trouble Shao-ge'er is up to this time, making it impossible for me to celebrate the New Year. I won't be able to vent my anger until I give him a good beating."

Actually, he was saying it to a group of his brothers.

It was true that Liu Guanglie was the youngest son of the Liu family, and he only had about ten trusted confidants whom he addressed as brothers. He had made up his mind that after arriving in Bianliang, he would pay for everyone to have a meal at Fanlou Restaurant to avoid Shao Ge'er being blamed.

The people around him laughed and didn't take it seriously.

It would be nice to spend the New Year in Bianliang.

There's nothing good about the Northwest; traveling in the winter, braving the wind and snow, is really tough.

"Isn't that Shao-ge'er?"

Liu Guanglie wrapped his woolen cloak tighter around himself, jumped off the carriage, and sure enough, saw Chen Shaozheng rushing towards them.

Upon meeting, Liu Guanglie first punched him, then laughed and said, "Why are you so listless? Your eyes are dark. The rice in Bianliang isn't good for you."

Chen Shao felt secretly ashamed.

He had been ruined by wine and women, and now he looked so haggard.

Quit drinking! You must quit drinking!
The two got into the carriage together and arrived at a house.

This is a large mansion of the Liu family in Bianliang. The location is average and relatively remote, but its advantage lies in its large size.

Once inside the room, Liu Guanglie pulled Chen Shao to the table and whispered, "What exactly happened?"

Chen Shao did not hide anything; he told the whole truth.

After all, they were taking a risk, and they wanted to keep a low profile on the road so that Liu Guanglie would be more careful after learning the truth.

He thought Liu Guanglie would hesitate, but instead he excitedly punched Chen Shao.

"Well done! Not bad! It wasn't for nothing that I taught you some flirtatious tricks since you were little, you even managed to seduce the emperor's women."

He wasn't making this up. Liu Guanglie had been playing with Chen Shao's original self since he was a child. A few months ago, he even instructed his prostitute Li Guiniang to find a virgin for Chen Shao to deflower.

Unfortunately, my younger cousin is too young to be interested in these things.

Liu Guanglie initially felt it was a bit of a pity, but he never expected that his cousin, who was usually quiet, would suddenly become so brilliant and deliver a stunning performance.

Chen Shao whispered, "Won't this cause trouble for my cousin and uncle?"

Liu Guanglie slapped his thigh and said, "What's there to be afraid of! She's not a concubine on the official register. If she leaves with you, it means you're very capable, and the emperor won't dare to make a fuss."

"It's a pity I can't publicize it widely, so people can know how dashing my brother Liu San is!"

Chen Shao was stunned.

Liu Guanglie laughed and said, "Don't be afraid. Even if we are discovered, we'll make a scene. We're in the right!"

It's clear that Liu Guanglie isn't afraid at all. In fact, he's quite excited to be involved in such an extraordinary undertaking.

In fact, Chen Shao was frightened by the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and thought that the emperors were all ruthless characters who would kill the whole family if they were slightly offended.

In fact, Li Shishi was indeed a free person, and it was entirely her freedom to choose who she wanted to be with.

Historically, Zhou Bangyan once hid under the bed and listened to the foot of the bed all night.

The next day, he wrote a poem that became widely circulated, and he was not punished or retaliated against.

You can call the emperors of the Song Dynasty incompetent, cowardly, or even weak-willed, it doesn't matter.
But one thing is certain: they are not scary. They are not the kind of monsters that will kill you if you make me unhappy.

"That being said, we should still be careful," Chen Shao said cautiously.

In a few years, Emperor Huizong will be in dire straits himself, so there's no need to gamble on his character.

　Leave a comment if you want to see extra chapters; I'll write more if there's enough interest.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)