Chapter 94
Throughout the day, the fine spring rain fell relentlessly, and by evening, the air was filled with moisture.
As they were expecting an esteemed guest, the inn outside Jianxin City was adorned with lanterns early on. The dim light swayed in the damp breeze, occasionally illuminating the wisteria flowers on both sides of the road like clusters of purple bells.
Standing outside in such weather was uncomfortable, but the officials and wealthy individuals of Jianxin City didn't dare to complain. The leaders among them were Tan Yulou, the son of the city's garrison commander, County Magistrate Hu Zhongwei, and the affluent Du Rongcheng, along with his youngest son, Du Boyan.
After about a quarter of an hour, a carriage appeared in the distance. Through the lanterns on the carriage's eaves, they could vaguely make out the figures of knights surrounding it, riding tall and majestic steeds.
One of the riders, with a tall and straight figure and a long sword at his waist, stood out as the leader among the group.
The rhythmic sound of horse hooves on the stone road, along with the long procession of soldiers marching silently in the rain, tightened the nerves of everyone present.
As the carriage entered the inn's courtyard, County Magistrate Hu Zhongwei nervously wiped the water droplets off his face with his sleeve and took the lead to welcome them.
The leading knight removed his bamboo hat used to shield from the rain, revealing a bright and handsome face. County Magistrate Hu Zhongwei immediately recognized him, "General Wei."
Wei Ling glanced at the people behind him who were also offering greetings and nodded, "You all waited here for us? That's too courteous."
"We should, we should…" They naturally wouldn't take such polite words to heart. If anyone dared not to come, Wei's family would deal with them later.
After exchanging greetings with the crowd, Wei Ling turned around and waited for the people in the carriage to disembark.
The onlookers thought that the carriage was carrying General Wei's only elder brother, Wei Xiuyong, who had returned from outside the city in recent years. They had heard that this name was given by the old marquis himself, who personally taught him knowledge and martial arts, indicating the high regard he held for his elder brother.
However, despite this knowledge, they were prepared to see an ordinary-looking and timid person. After all, Wei Xiuyong had only been recognized and brought back from outside the city not long ago, and he married a village hunter. Although that hunter was rumored to be cunning and a formidable warrior, the crowd believed that the rumors were spread intentionally by Wei Zhenyuan to praise his son-in-law.
But to their surprise, the first person to step down from the carriage was a tall man dressed in a black narrow-sleeved tunic.
In the dim light, his figure was partially obscured, and his sharp and stern profile seemed to overshadow General Wei Ling's presence.
After he got off the carriage, a fair and slender hand reached out from inside the carriage, held by the man who had dismounted first. With the other hand, he lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down while being supported by the man's shoulder.
The young man who jumped down raised his head, revealing his distinctively foreign thick brows and eyes. His long and dense eyelashes were like a small fan, casting shadows beneath his eyes.
However, his gaze was very clear, and his eyes seemed not to be the typical black of Central Plains people. They were instead clear and moist, complementing the red birthmark between his eyebrows, making everyone feel brightened upon seeing him.
This was undeniably a very well-matched pair—the tall and cold-looking man, and the slender and bright young man. When their eyes met, the younger man smiled, and the captivating features around his eyes instantly revealed a hint of innocence and loveliness.
Du Boyan, the young master of the Du family, was astonished. He had never seen someone with such captivating looks and such a pristine temperament. If they had met somewhere else, he would have approached them immediately, perhaps using the wealth and power of the Du family to bring the young man back home.
But at this moment, he didn't dare to do so. Apart from the possibility of this young man having a connection with the Wei family, the man by his side didn't seem easy to provoke either.
"Put this on, it's cold outside." Cheng Duo took out a fox-fur cloak for Yong Ge from the carriage and wrapped it around him securely.
"Oh." Yong Ge's little head peeked out from the cloak, feeling sweet inside.
He had just taken a nap in the carriage, which was warm, and with Cheng Duo holding him, he didn't feel cold at all. However, when he had just stepped out and the cold wind blew on him, he couldn't help but shiver. Cheng Duo must have noticed.
The close affection between the two didn't surprise Wei Ling. When Cheng Duo approached with Yong Ge, Wei Ling turned to Hu Zhongwei and the others and said, "This is my younger cousin, Yong Ge. Cheng Duo is his husband and also a military commander."
He briefly introduced both sides and took the lead in walking inside. Cheng Duo, being thoughtful, didn't hold back either, making sure his younger cousin wouldn't stand outside in the cold.
Tan Yulou noticed Wei Ling's momentary daze earlier and finally reacted. He spoke before Hu Zhongwei, "General Wei, the weather is cold today, and you've traveled by water and land. We have already prepared rooms and hot water for you. Why don't you freshen up and rest first? We can hold the welcoming banquet tomorrow."
Wei Ling looked at Cheng Duo and Yong Ge. "What do you think?"
Yong Ge naturally wanted to rest first. He nodded, feeling that his big brother was acting a bit strange. Even such a minor matter needed to be discussed with them.
When it came to choosing rooms, Wei Ling insisted on giving the best room to Cheng Duo and Yong Ge, while he took the next best room.
Initially, the crowd was somewhat surprised, but they quickly understood his intention. Wei Ling's actions were clearly meant to be seen by Wei Zhenyuan. After all, he was the legitimate heir of the Wei family, while Yong Ge was already married and wouldn't pose any threat to him. By yielding in these small matters, Wei Ling hoped that Wei Zhenyuan would see his care for his younger brother, which would make the future transfer of power smoother.
Such cunning thinking from Wei Ling didn't scare Hu Zhongwei and the others. Instead, it bolstered their confidence in seeking refuge with the Wei family. After all, they all had ambitions, and if the Wei family succeeded, they might be able to obtain titles and positions.
Wei Ling's shrewdness was not frightening to them; what was truly terrifying would be if he lacked intelligence, which would spell disaster for them.
Wei Ling had no idea that his simple gesture had led Hu Zhongwei and the others to think so much. If he knew, he would only tell them that they were overthinking…
Once inside the room, Yong Ge found that the inn staff had already prepared the bathtub with water. Additionally, there were two buckets of water outside the tub, one cold and one hot, so they could adjust the temperature as they liked. It was very thoughtful.
"Cheng Ge, should you wash first, or should I?" Yong Ge's eyes flickered mischievously as he pretended to ask Cheng Duo.
In the past half-month, they had been either staying at inns or borrowing lodgings from local villagers, and they hadn't had the opportunity to be close like this for a long time.
Cheng Duo carried him up and walked towards the folding screen, saying, "Let's wash together."
Yong Ge exclaimed and clung to Cheng Duo's shoulder. Suddenly, he blushed and softly bit Cheng Duo's ear, asking, "What if my big brother hears?"
"He won't," Cheng Duo calmly replied.
Even if Wei Ling did hear, for the sake of everyone's dignity, he would pretend not to have.
However, Cheng Duo didn't want Yong Ge's cute noises to be heard by others, so when things got more intense, he lowered his head and covered Yong Ge's mouth…
Afterward, the water from the bathtub splashed onto the floor, and a moist white mist permeated the room, with a hint of a blush-inducing fragrance lingering in the air.
Wrapped tightly in the quilt, Yong Ge revealed only his alluring little face.
Cheng Duo kissed his head gently, saying, "I'll get some food. Be good and wait for me."
Yong Ge loved it when Cheng Duo spoke to him like this, with a low and hoarse voice, filled with endless indulgence. He wanted to hear Cheng Duo speak more, so he quietly reached out and grabbed his robe.
Cheng Duo naturally noticed and didn't leave right away. Instead, he used the tip of his nose to nuzzle against Yong Ge, saying, "What do you want to eat? Noodles or porridge?"
"Noodles, noodles," Yong Ge blushed again, mainly because he got a little excited just now, and he felt a bit damp in the area he was lying on.
He let go of Cheng Duo's robe, saying, "Then go quickly and come back quickly."
Cheng Duo trusted him, so he turned around and left the room, making sure to close the door behind him.
After Cheng Duo left, Yong Ge balled up his clothes and placed them under his waist. When Cheng Ge wanted to help him clean up earlier, he didn't let him.
This was a method he learned from his Aunt Qian. No wonder they hadn't conceived after so long; every time they finished, Cheng Duo would clean him up, but how could he give birth to little Cheng Duo like this!
Yong Ge had never discussed this topic with Cheng Duo. Shortly after they got married, Cheng Duo went with his father to fight against the barbarians. When the barbarians were repelled nearly a year later, Cheng Duo was still busy, coming and going in a rush each time he returned home. Yong Ge didn't want to trouble him with such matters, so three years passed, and despite having intimate relations countless times, they still hadn't achieved any results.
Sometimes, Yong Ge couldn't help but envy An Ge, the young master from the Xie family. This time, he had asked Aunt Qian for a lot of tips. Both he and Cheng Ge were strong and healthy, so they should succeed eventually, right?
After lying quietly for a while, Yong Ge felt ready and got up to clean himself before putting his clothes back on.
Taking a bath was impossible; he decided never to do it again!
Perhaps they were lucky; it rained the day before, and the next day quickly turned sunny. The bright spring sunlight gently bathed the earth, and flowers in full bloom lined the roadsides. Purple wisteria, red roses, and yellow primroses grew in clusters on the branches, as if greeting passersby.
Yong Ge found everything fascinating, and Cheng Duo, seeing his excitement, decided to get off the carriage with him. Wei Ling had the soldiers take care of the horses and followed along.
By the roadside, there was a craftsman making fans on the spot. He quickly used a small knife to carve out the figures of Cheng Duo and Yong Ge standing side by side on the fan ribs, creating a lifelike image.
"Cheng Ge, look, this person on the fan looks like you!" Yong Ge immediately recognized Cheng Duo's figure and couldn't take his eyes off it.
Someone nearby burst into laughter and said, "Little Master Wei is so cute. You recognized one person that the artisan carved as General Cheng, but didn't recognize the other as yourself?"
The three turned to see that it was Tan Yulou. He was accompanied by Du Yanbo, who was dressed in a golden silk waistcoat with a jade crown, obviously groomed to look his best.
Compared to the elegant and charming Du Yanbo, Tan Yulou, dressed in a plain dark green robe, appeared somewhat ordinary.
However, although Tan Yulou was not as handsome as Du Yanbo, he had a refined appearance with light brown eyes that seemed warm and jade-like when he smiled, making people feel favorably toward him.
Yong Ge, for some reason, kept looking at Tan Yulou a bit more and then turned to ask the fan craftsman, "Is this really me?"
"Of course, Young Master, if you feel it doesn't look like you, you can ask your family's head," the craftsman said respectfully. He could tell at a glance that the two were a couple, and unmarried couples rarely showed such open affection; these two seemed more like newlyweds.