Chapter 96: Jīng Líng Gives Another Chance

  Jingling Gongzi was lost in thought, holding his chess pieces for a long time without intending to let Weiluo leave. Weiluo pouted and ignored him, turning around to prepare to leave.

  She had just taken a step when the low, magnetic voice of Jingling Gongzi came from behind her, "Wei Luo?"

  Wei Luo's footsteps paused, and she turned her head with her hands clasped behind her back, responding: "Yes."

  "Are you also from Yue, have you ever seen the Lady of Yue?"

  Wei Luo's heart skipped a beat, and she calmly replied: "No."

  The voice of the Duke of Jingling came again, "A family with a collection of 10,000 volumes, learned from a young age. Such a talented young man is rarely seen in Jin, let alone in Yue."

  Wei Luo's heart skipped a beat again.

  She lowered her head, gritted her teeth and thought resentfully: This person is really relentless! Must ask about my family background.

  She blinked her eyes, raised her head and looked at the back of Jingling's head with a very innocent expression, saying in a very light and natural tone: "My ancestors once said: Wealth and nobility are all empty, power and influence are all hollow, only spring flowers and autumn fruits are eternal. In the spring, one can play with bamboo, in the autumn, one can read books, in the summer heat, one can sit under a tree and enjoy the breeze, and on winter days, one can sit by the fire and cook porridge. Do you know this flavor, prince?"

  This conversation, in the ears of people at that time, was as plain as it could be, with hardly any literary elegance to speak of.

  But in this way, there is a kind of ease, a kind of comfort, a kind of openness, a kind of carefree and relaxed feeling that comes from the bones. A rare lightness and joy in a chaotic world where one can't even be sure of tomorrow.

  This remark is telling Kuaiji that his family, since their ancestors, have seen through the emptiness of fame and do not wish to show off in front of others. Therefore, when he was in Yue State, he was unknown to the world.

  The Prince of Jingling slowly turned his head around.

  He stared at Wei Luo with piercing eyes for a while before asking in a low voice: "Passing on the Way through generations?"

  He said that Wei Luo's family was not a Taoist family. The Taoists originally valued clarity and inaction, but over the past few decades, they gradually spread a thought that looked down on life and death, wealth and glory as fleeting clouds.

  Wei Luo's words were just a slip of the tongue, and she really hadn't thought about which school of thought they belonged to. She hastily replied: "I don't know either, but when my mother gave birth to me, she often mentioned these words."

  Jingling Gongzi gazed at her quietly, suddenly letting out a snort of laughter: "You little scamp, lazy and cunning, with thoughts changing a hundred times, can you also be called a master?"

  Wei Luo Da Han.

  She lowered her eyelids and muttered: "Luo Bu Xiang, ashamed of ancestors."

  Jingling Gongzi withdrew his gaze, he picked up the white chess piece and stood up with a smile.

  As the sound of his robes rustling arose, he slowly approached Wei Luo.

  As he passed by her side and brushed past her, he instructed in a low voice, "Follow me."

  "Agreed."

  Wei Luo responded with a "yes" and followed closely behind him.

  The Duke of Queling walked slowly forward, his long gown and large sleeves fluttering in the spring breeze, exuding a unique elegance.

  Wei Luo's heart skipped another beat as she hastily lowered her head.

  With her head hung low, smelling the strong masculine scent on his body, Wei Luo's small face turned slightly red as she thought: If I could often follow behind him like this, it would be quite delightful.

  As soon as this idea came up, she immediately suppressed it.

  The Duke of Jingling brushed past the peach blossom forest, and the petals of the peach blossoms fell on his shoulders, in his black hair, and on the jade crown on his head.

  In the air, there is a faint scent of peach blossoms, the freshness of the wind, and of course, the unique restlessness that belongs to spring.

  Passing through the Peach Blossom Forest, I came to a lake. The lake is very large, with green hills faintly visible on the other side. After crossing the green hills, there is another side of Jingling Prefecture.

  Two people tread on the green grass, and the tender blades of grass under their feet are pressed down and then spring up again.

  Just as Wei Luo was immersed in this peaceful and serene spring scenery, Jing Ling Gongzi's voice slowly came over, "Wei Luo, you have deceived me multiple times."

  It was just seven words! As soon as he spat them out, Wei Luo's feet stumbled and he fell forward, almost tumbling to the ground.

  The Duke of Jingling didn't turn his head, he continued to say slowly: "You are bold and cunning, it's rare. Today there is only you and me, if there is a private matter, speak openly. There won't be another chance to ask again."

  He spoke calmly, but Wei Luo could hear that the sentence was serious. Very serious, too serious! It had a subtle and inexplicable warning tone to it.

  He is still giving himself chances.

  Frankly?

  Wei Luo's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she felt a little emotional.

  For a moment, her mind was racing with thoughts: I'll confess to him that I'm actually a woman, and then...and then he'll definitely want me to reveal my face. Although my face isn't exceptionally beautiful, it's still quite rare. The result of revealing my face would be either he takes a liking to me, captures me on the spot, and brings me back to his estate as a concubine, or someone else takes a liking to me, and he gives me away as a gift to that person. However, whether it's him taking a liking to me or someone else doing so, this kind of life is not what I want. My life absolutely cannot be like a gift again, being passed around from person to person, with my fate controlled by others! Or being placed in the estate, never allowed to take half a step out, spending my whole life in anxious servitude, competing with many other women for one husband's favor.

  The idea flashed through her mind.

  When Wei Luo raised her head, she coincidentally met Jing Ling's downward gaze, quietly sizing each other up with thoughtful eyes.

  Wei Luo looked up at him with his black eyes, smiled slightly and rubbed the back of his head, saying: "Heh heh, why would you say that, sir? I have no secrets!"

  As soon as she finished speaking, the Prince of Jingling slowly stood up straight. He glanced at Wei Luo and then turned his head to leave with a flick of his sleeve, without saying another word, disappearing from Wei Luo's line of sight just like that.

  Wei Luo gazed at his back, couldn't help but touch the back of her own head again, and muttered: "How could he just leave like that? He left without even saying goodbye, I would have thought he was running away with no dignity!"

  She rolled her eyes and turned to leave. As she walked, Wei Luo thought to herself: It seems he can't wait any longer, it should be these next few days that he'll make his move against me. Well, in the worst-case scenario, my daughter's body will just be discovered, my true identity will be seen. There's no danger to my life, who cares!

  She thought to herself, feeling quite relieved. She hummed a tune as she walked through the peach tree grove, her footsteps light and carefree like a dance, her singing voice strange and quacking like a duck's cry, in those two distant, deep, and midnight-like eyes, happily returned home.

  Wei Luo returned to her room and immediately became busy.

  Jingling Gongzi has just been promoted, and now she needs to make some preparations. First, she needs to assign the original work of her subordinates, and also arrange the follow-up work for people like Crown Princess Yue. What else is there?

  Such a promotion usually starts three days later. Wei Luo thought to herself: There's still time, I'll just finish these necessary tasks quickly and then go play in the mountains for a bit.

  For the past two years, she has been hiding in the mountains and forests, hunting many rabbits and wild chickens, even killing two eagles. However, she has been enduring her cravings and hasn't touched their meat. This time, she must think of a way to satisfy her hunger.

  Just thinking of this, Wei Luo suddenly swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva.

  Right after that, she found herself unable to do so. Things in this world are still better done step by step. If something unexpected happens because of this, it would be a loss. This feeling of ease has not been experienced for a long time, let's experience it for a few more days before saying anything.