Wei Luo was wearing an eight-treasure style, satin weave, blue robe with precious stone beads and a sash with a jade waist accessory. The jade accessory pleasantly jingled and the skirt swayed as she slowly walked. On the surface of the eight-treasure style brocade robe, the beads made from precious stones were streamed together like transient clouds in the sky.
The palace servant girls and eunuchs couldn't resist turning their heads to look at her. Most of the people recognized her. Duke Ying's family's Fourth Miss had become even more beautiful during the past several years. She had bright eyes, white teeth, and skin as white as snow. This teenage girl was like a peach tree's youthful and tender flower bud. It made people want to pluck her from the tree for a closer look and tear off her petals to see what she looked like when she blossomed.
When Zhao Zhang and Li Song saw her, she was far away and only her gradually fading back figure was left.
There was a remnant of a faint, delicate fragrance in the air. Before they could carefully smell and recognize the scent, it had already dispersed.
Standing on the steps, Zhao Zhang retracted his line of sight and said, "Ah Song, did you know that Count Zhong Yi's family’s will cancel their engagement with Duke Ying's family?"
Li Song had been following the fading figure with a complicated gaze. Hearing Zhao Zhang words, he returned to his senses and asked in astonishment, "Cancel the engagement?"
Zhao Zhang turned around, slowly walked up the stairs, coldly snorted, and said, "You don't know yet, right? My dear second brother personally met with Song Bai Ye, threatened him with the southern Xuzhou's matter, and forced him to cancel the engagement. That cowardly Song Bai Ye immediately agreed." His expression wasn't good as he gloomily said, "Does he think that this prince will lose to him without Duke Ying's assistance? He's underestimating this prince too much."
Not long ago, Zhao Zhang had discovered that someone had taken his book. He recently found out that the stolen book, which had information that could be used against him, had fallen into Zhao Jie's hands. He hadn't been able to sleep peacefully. Originally, he wanted to send people to get the book back so that even if Zhao Jie publicly said the contents of the books, no one would believe him. But, Zhao Jie was an old fox with a mind as deep as the ocean. No one knew where he hid the book. On one side, Zhao Zhang had to secretly fight him and on the other side, he had to defend against that book. He was truly over-extended.
Zhao Zhang thought Zhao Jie had broken the engagement between the two families for Duke Ying's power. Actually, he had only done this for Wei Luo.
Zhao Zhang walked forward two steps. When he turned his head, he discovered that Li Song was still standing in the same place with a perplexed expression. He didn't what he was thinking about. "Ah Song, why aren't you walking?"
Li Song returned to his senses. Underneath his thick eyelashes, his eyes were unfathomably deep. "You said they were going to cancel the engagement. Has it already been completed?”
At the mention of this, Zhao Zhang became angry. With his hands down at his sides and a malicious expression on his face, he said, "Not yet. But, it'll happen within the next two days. Song Bai Ye, that old fellow, is preparing for this matter. He's already told his son, Song Hui."
Li Song was silent for a while before he slowly asked, "Has Song Hui agreed?"
He remembered Song Hui. Whenever he looked at Wei Luo, his eyes were full of gentleness and warmth. His love and longing for her was obvious. He had already waited so many years for her and looked forward to their marriage for so long. Would Song Hui agree to ending this engagement so suddenly?
Zhao Zhang disapprovingly said, "Does it matter if he doesn't agree? His parents have already decided. Would he dare to disobey?"
Then, not willing to continue talking about this topic, he turned around to continue walking up the stairs and left Li Song behind.
Li Song stood there for a moment, then started walking again to follow him.
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At the palace gate, Wei Luo arrived at her carriage. As she was about to lift up her skirt and step into the carriage, she suddenly heard the sound of horse's hooves. She turned around to look and saw Zhao Jie. He was wearing a blue robe with persimmon stem pattern and a hunting cloak and riding a fine horse. When he reached her, he tightened his grip on the reins and steadily stopped.
Zhao Jie didn't say a word and slowly led the horse closer to her. Before she had time to react, he leaned over, wrapped an arm around her waist, and she was suddenly brought onto the horse!
On the side, Jin Lu and Bai Lan cried out in alarm, "Miss!"
At this time, other than the guards at the gate who wouldn't say anything even if they saw something, there was no one outside the palace gate. Holding Wei Luo in his arm, he untied the moon white cloak embroidered with clouds that he was wearing, wrapped it around her body from head to feet, and looked at the two servant girls from the higher view, "I have words to say to Ah Luo. Go wait at Yu He's entrance for us. I'll bring her there in two hours."
Then, without waiting for their response, he pressed the horse's stomach to urge it forward and abruptly left.
The two people left behind, Jin Lu and Bai Lan, were depressed.
Wei Luo was leaning against his chest and couldn't see the outside scene. She twisted around and asked, "Big brother, where are you taking me?"
Zhao Jie tugged at the part of the cloak that was covering her head and blocked her small face that beckoned people towards her. Instead of answering her, he said, "What’s making that noisy sound?"
The two people were riding on a horse. In addition to the sound of the wind and the conversations from the people they passed by, a jingling sound could be heard from time to time. Zhao Jie slightly furrowed his eyebrows. This sound swept away the thoughts he had originally been mulling over countless times in his heart. It was really bothersome.
Wei Luo was calm and honestly said, "It's the jade accessory on my skirt."
Hearing this, Zhao Jie lowered his head and opened the cloak to see. Indeed, there was a jade accessory with semicircular ornaments. The horse was running quickly and the sound from the colliding jade would naturally be loud. He reached his hand out to her waist and after a few moments, he removed the jade accessory and casually flung it down on the road, "Be good, don't wear this anymore."
Wei Luo was startled by his action, but it was too late to stop him. In the blink of an eye, they had already traveled far away. She saw her jade accessory being picked up by a passerby and immediately lamented, "What are you doing? I really like that jade accessory!"
Zhao Jie knew that she was a little miser. Hearing her words, he quietly laughed, placed his chin on her head, "This prince wants to quietly talk with you." Seeing the young girl pouting her pink lips and looking distressed, he could resist pecking her lips. "When we go back, I'll buy better looking ones for you. I'll buy twenty of them, okay?"
Wei Luo angrily glared at him. Her small beautiful face was overflowing with anger, "I want a hundred."
The smile on Zhao Jie's lips deepened. They had already past the city gates and were on a small, remote road with very few pedestrians. They were the two most conspicuous people on the road. He slowly stopped the horse next to a poplar tree and lowered his head to directly look at her bright eyes. "After you marry me, even a thousand won't be a problem.”
Wei Luo’s anger simmered down. Feeling slightly angry and shy, she simply turned her head to look at the tree instead of him.
Zhao Jie took out the jade hairpin she had given him. As if he was denouncing a crime, he asked, “Why didn't you give this to me yourself?"