Chapter 414: Newly Married
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Qi Xiuyuan and Li Jinghua were already seated in the hall. When they saw the two of them walking over together, they smiled slightly.
The two of them respectfully bowed and served tea to Qi Xiuyuan and Li Jinghua. After the newlyweds offered the duo some things they made themselves, they received two big red packets and a set of jewelry from Li Jinghua.
Qi Xiuyuan smiled at Mu Yangling and said, “Since our family doesn’t have so many rules, you are free to do whatever you want. Haoran has half a month of vacation. As long as you don’t go to the Jin Kingdom and West Xia, you can play wherever you like within the Great Zhou.”
When Qi Haoran heard this, he smiled and hooked Mu Yangling’s finger. Mu Yangling retracted her hand and listened intently.
Sensing their subtle actions, Qi Xiuyuan laughed. “Alright, you don’t have to specially come to have breakfast with us these few days. You just have to show up at dinner. Take care of the matters in your own courtyard.”
After saying that, Qi Xiuyuan went to the study with his hands behind his back. Mu Yangling glanced at Qi Haoran and said, “Didn’t you say that you had something to tell Big Brother?”
Qi Haoran was stunned. When did he say that?
However, seeing Mu Yangling glaring at him, he could only get up and bid farewell to Li Jinghua before chasing after Qi Xiuyuan.
Happy to see this, Li Jinghua held Mu Yangling’s hand and returned to her courtyard. She called all the servants over and said, “I know you’re used to Mama Wang serving you. She used to manage the Inner Residence in the past, so I placed her in your house as a stewardess. In the future, if you need anything done, just instruct her to do it. These two girls are assigned to you as first-grade servant girls.” Li Jinghua paused before continuing, “I originally wanted to get you four first-grade servant girls and four second-grade servant girls, but Fourth Brother said that you don’t like having so many servants around, so I cut it by half. Later, if you find that you need more help, I’ll get a broker to bring a few girls over for you to take a look.”
There were only two of them, but there were already ten-odd servants in their house. Wasn’t this a lot already?
Mu Yangling hurriedly said, “These people are enough. Considering it’s just Brother Haoran and me, how much chores can there be?”
When Li Jinghua heard this, she smiled and called her two first-grade servant girls and two second-grade girls to go forward to greet Mu Yangling. She then said, “Give them a name.”
Mu Yangling was stumped for a moment before she asked, “What were their names previously?”
“No matter what they used to be called, they’re your girls now. Just give them a new name.” As she spoke, she patted Mu Yangling’s hand suggestively.
Mu Yangling knew that she was asking her to establish her might in front of everyone. After thinking for a moment, she pointed at the first girl on the left and said, “Then your name is Spring. Your name is Rain, your name is Summer, and your name is Autumn. As for the rest, just use your previous names.” Everyone responded.
After introducing the servants, Li Jinghua did not stay any longer. She left behind the account books for this residence before leaving.
Mu Yangling asked someone to move the things into the house and said, “Mama Wang will take care of the matters in our residence. Come to me only if you can’t make a decision. Mama Wang, tell them what they should do and what rules they should follow.”
Mama Wang agreed.
Mu Yangling went into the house to flip through the accounts before throwing them aside. Lying on the couch, she felt sleepy.
Spring walked in quietly and spread the blanket over Mu Yangling before walking out quietly.
Mu Yangling thought that having a few servants seemed to be quite satisfying.
In the next few days, not only did the couple got adapted to each other, but Mu Yangling also started adapting to the servants.
As the most senior servant girls, Spring and Rain each took care of Mu Yangling’s clothes and jewelry, while the other took care of Mu Yangling’s meals and travels. Summer and Autumn assisted the two of them. In less than two days, Mu Yangling adapted to the feudal life with her every need attended to by the servants.
As for Qi Haoran, he dragged Mu Yangling around every night. During the day, with Mu Yangling in his arms, he leaned against the couch and gazed at her as she read.
On the seventh day of their marriage, he hugged Mu Yangling and rolled around in bed with her for half the night. When he saw his wife lying weakly under the blanket, he fetched water to clean her up, before hugging her in satisfaction.
Mu Yangling closed her eyes slightly and said, “I won’t stay in the house tomorrow.”
Chuckling, Qi Haoran said, “I’ll bring you out to play tomorrow. Where do you want to go?”
“I’m familiar with Xingzhou Prefecture, Hanzhong Prefecture and Jingzhao Prefecture, but I’ve only been to Xingyuan Prefecture twice.”
Qi Haoran calculated the time in his heart and said, “I’ll bring you all the way south from Jingzhao Prefecture before coming back.”
“Don’t you only have eight days of leave? How can it be enough?”
Qi Haoran pursed his lips and said, “There’s no war now, and we might have to return to Lin’an Prefecture in a few months. Now that the intelligence has been handed over to the subordinates, I’ll just be watching everyone train in the military camp. I might as well play with you.”
Qi Haoran hugged his wife and said, “Let’s have a good time this time. Otherwise, who knows when we’ll have such an opportunity again.”
Mu Yangling was tempted. “But Big Brother is still ‘seriously ill’. Is it really okay for you to go out and have fun with me?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll disguise ourselves. Who will know that I’m Qi Haoran? We’ll just say that I’m taking care of Big Brother in the residence and can’t go to the military camp.”
Mu Yangling chuckled softly and agreed happily. This time, when they went to Lin’an Prefecture, everything was unknown. They would treat it as their newlywed honeymoon.
The next day, the two of them packed up and left the city in a carriage with Fei Bai. It was only when dinner time came that Qi Xiuyuan found out that the two of them had gone out to play.
A secret guard came back and reported their whereabouts, saying that the two of them were having a good time and that they had bought gifts for everyone. The anger in his heart dissipated when he heard this. Qi Xiuyuan only needed to think for a moment to understand.
He waved his hand and said, “Get someone to protect them in secret. Don’t interfere with them.”
Perhaps he should beg General Yuan. He did not know how to persuade the Emperor to allow his family to stay here. At the very least, he had to pull Haoran out of Lin’an Prefecture and not ruin his future.
If a general stayed in Lin’an Prefecture, he would only slowly be reared as a lamb.
Qi Haoran brought Mu Yangling all the way to Xingyuan Prefecture before returning leisurely. At this moment, poor Fan Zijin had just been pulled back to Lin’an Prefecture by a carriage. He rushed to a Qi elder’s house without stopping. After stuffing him with a handful of banknotes, he brought him to look for the patriarch of the Qi family.
Fan Zijin cried with a dark expression. “Uncle, Eldest Cousin is relying on you now. Please save his life.”
The patriarch of the Qi family asked in surprise, “Is Xiuyuan’s condition really that serious?”
Fan Zijin’s eyes were red as he looked back at the patriarch of the Qi family with sadness in his eyes. “When I left, Eldest Cousin was already unconscious. The doctor was rendered helpless. The master said that with Haoran’s wedding, his condition might be stabilized for a month. Only by going on the genealogical tree and lighting an Everlasting Lamp© at the Nation Protecting Temple might he have a chance of survival. Uncle, take pity on Eldest Cousin and Haoran. Help open the ancestral hall and add my two cousins-in-law’s names to the genealogical tree.”
