Chapter 49: Spring Dreams Without a Trace

  Xia Liu didn't expect that he would ask for a packet of anesthetic, and it was actually used for such a shameful purpose. However, for the time being, he couldn't think of a suitable reason, so he could only casually find an excuse to gloss over it. Ximen Qing wouldn't believe him anyway, and the more Xia Liu tried to cover up, the more Ximen Qing thought his suspicions were correct. Ximen Qing also thought that he was at a loss with that cold beauty, and truly admired her, so he wanted to use such tactics to turn an unripe rice into a ripe one.

  Ximen Qing felt a sense of responsibility on his shoulders, and had the duty to lead this misguided younger brother back onto the right path. He thus spoke with a bitter tone: "Brother Yang, please forgive me for speaking bluntly, but your method is very foolish. If you don't know how to pursue Sister Peng, you can ask me for advice."

  "Huh?"

  "Little brother, I've been through the crowds of flowers and haven't been tainted by a single leaf. When it comes to dealing with women, in Yanggu County, I'm unparalleled in the past and future. Actually, chasing women is simple - it's just about being charming and handsome, dressing up and showing off. From afar and up close, exchanging glances; brushing shoulders and following closely... even if you pretend to be heartless, you'll still get what you want. Once you understand this principle, in the land of fragrances, you'll be unstoppable."

  After listening to Ximen Qing's lengthy speech, Xia Gui asked: "What does this mean?"

  Ximen Qing slapped the folding fan into his palm and patiently explained, "This elegant appearance is popular, and the fresh clothes are boastful. What's meant by 'Buddha relies on golden decorations, people rely on clothing.' If one has a face like Song Yu and looks like Pan An, wouldn't it be easy to win women's favor? Furthermore, this distant gaze and close observation only occur through eye contact, shoulder-to-shoulder and back-to-back encounters, all relying on quick feet following closely. This is about learning to observe facial expressions and skin colors. If there's a glimmer of hope, one must thicken their skin, be careful, use sweet words, and pester them relentlessly."

  The ancients said it well: if you want to enjoy life, you must first put in the hard work of death. And then there's that saying, "when speaking, be careful with your words; when flattering, be thick-skinned", it's all about the same principle. With power, money, talent, and prestige, having one is enough to gain favor on both sides, if you can combine all four, congratulations to you, that's truly a rare gift...

  Xia Yu heard this and couldn't help but laugh, saying: "In short, five words, isn't it Pan Donkey Deng Xiaoxian?"

  Ximen Qing was taken aback: "What do you mean by this?"

  Xia Bian explained the meaning of these five words in detail, and Ximen Qing listened with great pleasure, exclaiming: "Wonderful! Wonderful! These five words are even more concise and to the point than my own way of saying it. 'In the morning I hear the Way, in the evening I die content.' I didn't expect that you, my brother, would also be a fellow traveler on this path. Since you understand this principle, why do you still resort to using aphrodisiacs and such base tactics?"

  Xia Fu shook his head and said helplessly: "Brother Xi Men really misunderstood, I got this medicine for another purpose, Brother Xi Men just take it."

  "Brother, I'm older than you by a few years, so listen to some words of advice from me. Don't get angry. Women are like flowers; they bloom for their masters. Men love and cherish them. It's not wrong to want to take a beautiful woman as your own, but such things require mutual affection. If you use underhanded means to force yourself on someone, isn't that like burning the bridge after crossing it? What if Peng Qiniang comes to resent you for this, or seeks death... Yang brother, this is unjust and unrighteous!"

  Xia Jiang only heard tears streaming down his face: "The one who advised me to be a good man with bitter words is actually Ximen Qing, how can people bear this..."

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  Ximen Qing sighed and opened the medicine box. He had tried to persuade Xia Chuo for a long time, but Xia Chuo insisted on his own way, and Ximen Qing was also helpless.

  It reminded him of that innocent and lovely girl who was going to be ruined by Yang Wenxuan's cruel hand, and Ximen the great official, who had always been fond of flowers, couldn't help but feel distressed. However, Yang Wenxuan had a close relationship with the Brocade Guard and even climbed up to the line of Prince Qi, obviously much more powerful than him, so he really didn't dare to offend him.

  Ximen Qing guiltily pulled out several medicinal herbs, mixed them together in proportion, and poured them into the mortar. After thinking carefully, he turned back to the medicine cabinet, moved a small ladder to climb up high, took out several of his secretly stored aphrodisiacs, got down from the ladder and put them all into the mortar.

  Ximen Qing exerted himself in pounding the medicine, meanwhile muttering to himself: "Peng Niang, I'm sorry, this is all I can do for you. I hope these few medicines I've added will reduce your suffering and bring more joy. If you can change your mind because of this and give up the idea of killing yourself, and instead marry him, it would be considered my redemption. He... may not have a good character, but in terms of family background and appearance, he's still worthy of you."

  In the courtyard, a large carriage had already been hitched to two mules, and soft cushions had been laid out inside. After bidding farewell to Ximen Dajie, Peng Ziqing had already taken his seat in the carriage. Xia Lian was leading the horse by its halter, waiting off to one side. Ximen Qing hurried over, a small box in hand, laughing loudly: "I've prepared a few small gifts for Brother Yang, and it's delayed me for a while." As he handed over the gift box, he took the opportunity to secretly pass Peng Ziqing the package of medicine from his sleeve. Xia Lian nodded knowingly, and without making a sound, tucked the medicine into his bosom.

  Ximen Qing still wanted to persuade, but this occasion had already made it impossible for him to speak. After seeing Xia Lian off at the door, he could only stand on the steps and gaze out at the distant carriage, letting out a faint sigh before returning to his mansion with a mixture of emotions. Little Spring Fragrance happened to be walking by from the front courtyard, caught sight of her master, and fearing that he would again speak wildly, hastily quickened her pace to leave. Hurrying several steps ahead, she didn't see Master Ximen's face flush with anger as he chased after her. Turning her head for a glance, Spring Fragrance saw that Master Ximen had an unhappy expression, and couldn't help but feel puzzled.

  The carriage left Weishengtang pharmacy and departed from Yanggu County, heading towards the Yellow River ferry terminal. Initially they had come upstream from the west, which was inconvenient for traveling by boat; now going downstream to the east, although taking a detour by boat, it was actually faster, and with Peng Zhiyi's illness having taken a turn for the better, her body was still weak, so traveling by boat was also beneficial for her recovery.

  It just so happened that the long-distance passenger ship at the ferry was owned by the Peng family, and after Peng Ziqi boarded the ship, she greeted the captain and revealed her identity, immediately receiving the most grand reception. The passengers on the ship rarely had single rooms, but Peng Ziqi moved into the only single room on the ship, with someone specially delivering three meals a day to her room. In name, she was still Xia Liu's bodyguard, but on this ship, she became the real young mistress.

  Xia Liu didn't have any dissatisfaction with this, she was ill and getting some care would make her recover faster. As for the bodyguard responsibility, Xia Liu was currently on the ship, and the scene where the assassin suddenly appeared from among the passengers was something that only happened in movies and TV shows, so he wasn't worried. The guests on the ship were diverse, Xia Liu sometimes chatted with fellow cabin passengers, sometimes stood at the bow to enjoy the view, and most of the time went to the single cabin to play chess with Peng Zijun and chat.

  Xia Liu had never directly confronted her about her female identity, and Peng Qi was happy to keep it that way, able to be relaxed and natural in front of him. The relationship between the two people gradually became harmonious during this process. Although Peng Qi still had a heavy heart disease in his heart, he no longer had a contemptuous and disdainful expression towards her, nor was he cold as ice.

  When the boat arrived at the border of Qingzhou, Peng Ziqi's body had fully recovered. In the early morning, she danced with a knife on the bow of the boat, her movements were agile and smooth, and she had completely regained her health. After the boat docked, the two people had to lead their horses ashore, because this waterway was not connected to Qingzhou, and the two still had to travel by land.

  From here to Qingzhou is not far, Xia Xiu rode his horse, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and occasionally stopped by the river to wash his face, or rested in the shade of a tree. Peng Ziqi thought he was worried about his body still being weak, and didn't say anything, but felt comforted in his heart. However, this meant that their travel time was miscalculated, if they had continued to rush on horseback, they should have entered Qingzhou City by evening, but as a result, when night fell, the two were still half a day's journey away from Qingzhou.

  If they continued on their journey at this time, it was likely that the city gate of Qingzhou would be closed by the time they arrived, and then they would have nowhere to stay. Fortunately, they were already close to Qingzhou here, and there were many large and small villages along the way. Xia Liu and Peng Ziqi discussed it and obtained her consent, so they stayed at an inn in the town.

  Dang Dang

  The door creaked, and Peng Qi quickly stuffed the woman's belongings back into the horse bag and walked over to open the door. There stood Xia Liu with a smile on his face, holding a wine jug in one hand and a cup tray in the other. "This journey has been quite tiring," he said. "We're almost at Qingzhou now. How about we have a few drinks tonight? Ha ha, I've invited you several times before, but this time you must join me."

  Peng Ziqi's heart warmed, and he opened the door to let Xia Liu in. Behind him was a young man who stretched out his right arm, from fingertips to shoulder, and lined up four plates of dishes such as pig ears and sauce-drenched donkey meat, which were all typical side dishes for drinking. In his other hand was a small wooden bucket filled with fragrant rice. The young man quickly arranged the dishes on the table, bowed to the two men, and smiled: "Two gentlemen, please enjoy your meal."

  The young fellow went out and closed the door behind him. Xia Yu said, "There's nothing delicious in the countryside, but these few dishes are not bad, please have some."

  Peng Ziqi gave him a glance, bent down and grabbed the wine jug, swung her wrist and lifted it up, the jug flew into the air and landed steadily in her palm. Xia Fan couldn't help but praise: "Good kung fu!"

  Peng Ziqi smiled lightly, her palm trembling slightly as she spun the wine jug in a circle. She knocked open the mud seal, her five fingers tapping against the bottom of the jug as she poured a steady stream of wine into Xia Yu's cup, and then into her own.

  "Good wine!" Xia Yu smelled the aroma of the wine, picked up his cup and took a big sip, then picked up a piece of pickled donkey meat with his chopsticks and threw it into his mouth...

  Time passed minute by minute, second by second, Xia Yu was on the verge of tears but had none to shed.

  He didn't expect Peng Ziqi's drinking capacity to be so good, and he was both persuading him to drink and making toasts, changing his tactics to get Peng Ziqi to drink. Peng Ziqi was also very straightforward, downing the wine without hesitation, but now it was unclear how much she had drunk. Her eyes were getting brighter and her pupils clearer, showing no signs of intoxication at all.

  "It seems like I can only use my ultimate move now!"

  Xia Xun was helpless, and quietly took out the small paper package he had prepared in advance from his sleeve, making an excuse that he wanted to drink tea to get rid of Peng Ziqi. He quickly sprinkled the medicine into her cup. When Peng Ziqi returned to her seat, Xia Xun pretended to be drunk and laughed: "Peng Gongzi has a good capacity for wine, if I drink more, I'll lose face, let's just finish this cup of wine and then we can rest."

  Peng Ziqi listened and felt a slight sense of reluctance, she gently raised her glass, that thread of emotions seemed to entwine around Xia Xun's body with her gaze, softly saying: "Cheers!"

  Dang Dang

  It was deep in the night, and Xia Jiu stealthily stood outside Peng Zhiqi's window, lightly tapping on it: "Peng Gongzi?"

  No one answered in the house, Xia Liu knocked a few more times, still no answer, he smiled proudly and immediately went around to the backyard of the inn.

  This is a small town very close to Qingzhou, located on the main transportation route. Although there are not many people in the town, the residents here mainly make a living by providing food, drink and accommodation services for passing merchants and travelers. In addition, there is a patrol station at the east end of the village, where two patrolling masters and six or seven idle servants live. Because they are there, the security in the town is very good, although it's not that nothing is ever lost on the road or that doors are never closed at night, but very few cases occur.

  The backyard of the inn was very large, covering more than one mu of land. Many vegetables were planted in the yard, and a row of horse stalls was attached to the wall. Xia Zhen's and Peng Qi's horses were tied up in the horse stalls. After checking into the inn, Xia Zhen had carefully observed the situation here. He looked around cautiously and quietly slipped into the horse stalls. There were two horses, three mules, and a donkey tied up inside, all belonging to the guests staying at the inn. Those two horses were exactly the ones he and Peng Qi rode.

  Xia Fu smoothed the mane of his black horse, soothing its emotions, then untied the reins and led it quietly out of the stable, feeling its way to the wall at the back of the yard. There was a small gate there, which Xia Fu opened from the inside, then closed again, leading the horse out of town before mounting up, cracking his whip, and galloping towards Qingzhou.

  That night, Peng Ziqing had a very strange and absurd dream.

  She had had this same spring dream several times before, a very embarrassing spring dream. Which young girl doesn't have such dreams?

  In her dream, she was a bride, shy and nervous, sitting on the edge of the bed, listening to the noisy sound of the lock outside that made it impossible for people to rest, then suddenly it became quiet. She saw a pair of men's feet from the gap under the veil, a steelyard with a lucky star pattern reached under the veil, gently lifted her hot face, and then suddenly she saw a man, a groom wearing a champion's robe.

  But she couldn't see the man's appearance clearly, as if he was shrouded in a mist from his chest up. No matter how hard she tried to look at him with her eyes wide open, she still couldn't see his face. Then... then there was no then, and her dream ended there. She felt very shy and didn't dare tell anyone about it, fearing that her mother or sisters would tease her for thinking about getting married.

  But tonight, she had that dream again. What was frightening was that when the man walked up to her this time, she seemed to have already known who he was. The steelyard with the auspicious star once again lifted the red cover, but she didn't open her eyes wide to look like before. Instead, she just took a glance and then quickly lowered her head, her heart racing wildly.

  It's really him! It's really him! How come I couldn't see his appearance clearly before? It turns out he is Yang Wenxuan!

  Too scary!

  It's not Yang Wenyuan who is terrifying, what's terrifying about him? He's just a person with one nose and two eyes, not some kind of monstrous beast. What's terrifying is what he did, he actually took off his own clothes, and then...and then he did something even more terrifying. And she didn't even resist, it's really too terrifying!

  This dream was more absurd and bizarre than all the dreams she had ever had before. Desire surged like a tide, wave after wave powerfully impacting her body, Zhi Qi felt ashamed, her face burning hot, her two long slender legs tightly entwined together, her nostrils emitting an unbearable, sultry moan...

  The stars fill the sky, a crescent moon hangs from the treetops.

  One man, one horse, wind and lightning, where the hooves pass, shattering the quiet of the night...

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