When he got off the carriage, looking at the mansion with high walls and the surrounding streets in front of him, Yan Liqiang's expression was a little strange. He didn't expect that Zhong Ruolan actually lived here, because a few steps from here would be the place where the story between him, Ye Xiao and the Ye family happened. That place was one of the turning points in his destiny.
"Mr. Yan, please come this way!" The mansion's butler was already waiting respectfully outside the door. As soon as Yan Liqiang got off the carriage, he was welcomed inside.
This time, Yan Liqiang did not bring any followers. Even the carriage he rode in was a four-wheeled carriage produced by the brand new manufacturing bureau sent to Yan'anbao by the Zhong family. A large family like the Zhong family really pays attention to these details.
This time when he came to Pingxi City again, Yan Liqiang had nothing to do and felt relieved. His whole mood was different, as if he was on holiday. The steam engine came out, woolen textiles came out, the Kyudo Club came out, new spinning machines, new looms came out. Yan Liqiang felt that his layout was basically completed, and the remaining things were no longer important in the overall situation. The only thing he had to do now was to wait, wait for the bullets to fly for a while.
Under the guidance of the mansion's housekeeper, Yan Liqiang passed through the corridors and courtyards in the mansion, and finally came to a yard with lush trees, singing birds and fragrant flowers. On the round arch of the yard, there were three words - Zangxin Garden.
"My lady will host a banquet in the corner pavilion of the garden to welcome you. You can go in by yourself!"
"Okay, thank you!" Yan Liqiang nodded to the housekeeper, then walked into the courtyard. In the Han Empire, especially in the northwest, it was the first time that Yan Liqiang saw such an exquisite garden with the charm of the Jiangnan water town.
There is a pond in the garden. A large area of lotus flowers in the pond are about to bloom. In the clear water, groups of carp are playing leisurely. On the willow trees beside the pond, a group of birds are chirping happily. Several rockery screens separate the whole garden into several independent but interconnected parts. There is the sound of gurgling spring water in the artificial creek paved with pebbles. A field of white roses is blooming by the creek, attracting a group of bees busy among the flowers. The garden looks small from the outside, but it is quite deep inside. Yan Liqiang walked for a while before he saw a waterside pavilion. The beautiful sound of the piano came out from the pavilion along the intoxicating breeze...
The breeze blew the white gauze in the water pavilion into flight. In the flying white gauze, Yan Liqiang saw Zhong Ruolan, dressed in snow-white gauze, playing the piano.
Watching a beauty like Zhong Ruolan playing the zither was truly a pleasure. Even though Yan Liqiang was not very proficient in music, he could tell that Zhong Ruolan's attainments in playing the zither were extremely high. She was almost the one with the highest attainments in playing the zither among the people he knew...
Yan Liqiang came to the pavilion without saying a word. He took off his shoes silently, sat quietly opposite Zhong Ruolan, closed his eyes, and enjoyed this rare moment of leisure.
It was unknown how long it had been, at least more than ten minutes, until the piano music stopped and the lingering sound lingered. Yan Liqiang opened his eyes, smiled slightly, and began to applaud, "Ms. Ruolan's piano skills are really amazing. Even though I don't understand music, I can tell that Miss Ruolan's piano skills have reached the highest level. I admire you, I admire you!"
Zhong Ruolan looked at Yan Liqiang with her big watery eyes, "When I saw you close your eyes, I thought you despised me because I was so weak and ugly, and I didn't like my appearance."
"Miss Ruolan, you are joking. If people like Miss Ruolan are not good-looking, then there will be no good-looking people in the world!" Yan Liqiang smiled. "Just now I just heard that there seemed to be something else in Miss Ruolan's piano playing, as if someone was talking to her through the piano. That's why I closed my eyes and listened carefully. If I was disrespectful, please forgive me, Miss Ruolan!"
Zhong Ruolan's eyes lit up, but at the same time the smile on her face became even more intense. "Oh, then I wonder what Master Yan heard from Ruolan's piano playing?"
"Miss Ruolan's piano playing seems to be light and cheerful, but in fact it is a bit solemn and full of thoughts. The lightness of the piano sound is like a secluded orchid, born in an empty valley. No matter how fragrant it is, no one comes to smell it. Occasionally it is picked and brought into the world, but it can only be placed in the market as a decoration, competing with ordinary flowers and green leaves for spring. It is difficult to find a soulmate and a confidant, so it is inevitable to be sad. However, it is rare that she is sad but not sad, and falls into the secular world but does not flow with the vulgarity. A little fragrance in her heart will be appreciated by heaven and earth. Miss Ruolan thinks I am right!"
Zhong Ruolan was stunned. She stared at Yan Liqiang for a long time. Her eyes seemed to be slightly red. Finally, she sighed softly, "It's hard to find a soulmate. Ruolan never expected that she would have the honor to meet Master Yan in Pingxi City. Master Yan could hear all this from Ruolan's piano playing. Master Yan must have known the Zhong family's intention of sending Ruolan to Pingxi County, but he just didn't say it out loud. Ruolan is ashamed. She didn't intend to deceive you before. Ruolan is definitely not a fickle person. Please don't blame me!" After speaking, Zhong Ruolan stood up and bowed deeply to Yan Liqiang.
Yan Liqiang quickly helped Zhong Ruolan up and said sincerely, "Miss Ruolan, don't worry. In this world, how can everything go as planned and perfect? Since Miss Ruolan is a member of the Zhong family and was chosen by the Zhong family, it is natural for her to contribute to the Zhong family. I have no intention of looking down on Miss Ruolan!"
"If you don't mind, please call me Ruolan from now on!"
"Okay, then I'll call you Ruolan!" Yan Liqiang said frankly. The two looked at each other and smiled at each other, as if they had met each other all over again. The atmosphere between them became much closer.
"Young Master is indeed a great man of the time. It is a great honor for Ruolan to know you!" Zhong Ruolan looked at Yan Liqiang with bright eyes. "Before I met you, I didn't believe that there would be someone like you in the world. But after I met you, I finally believed that there are indeed people like you in this world who can manipulate the world and influence the world's situation with just a flip of a hand!"
Yan Liqiang was stunned for a moment, and quickly shook his head, "Ahem, Ruolan, you're joking. I just managed to gain a little fame by chance. How can I be as great as you say, Ruolan?"
"At the moment, there are only you and me here, why do you deny it!" Zhong Ruolan shook her head, still smiling, "Your Excellency used wool to make cloth and cloth as a rope, and has already put it around the necks of the seven Shatu tribes in Gulang Grassland. It's just that the seven Shatu tribes haven't reacted yet, and everyone in the world only sees the gold and silver brought by the wool cloth. By the time the seven Shatu tribes know what's going on, the Gulang Grassland will probably still fall into your hands. You can take back the Gulang Grassland for the Han Empire without any soldiers. Your identity as the Qiyun Protector is naturally in line with the name and will shock the world! Who among the emperors and generals in the past dynasties can have such means? Ruolan said that your Excellency is a contemporary hero, so why can't you be one?"
Yan Liqiang was shocked and stared at Zhong Ruolan blankly for half a minute. Finally, he sighed, touched his chin, smacked his lips, and said a little embarrassedly, "Ruolan... this... you see... do I have to admit it now?"
Zhong Ruolan smiled with her hands covering her mouth, her beautiful eyes moving, "What do you think?"
"Okay, tell me what kind of hush money you want. I'll tell you in advance that if you ask for too high a price, I can't afford it!" Yan Liqiang smiled and said in a joking tone.
Zhong Ruolan, however, looked calm, "I don't want any hush money. I will still try my best to help you. And if the day comes when you really become the Qiyun Supervisor, I want you to promise me one thing!"
"What's up?"
"Help me kill someone!"
"who?"
"An… Bei… General… Shi… Tao!" Zhong Ruolan said word by word, her eyes fixed on Yan Liqiang's.
After hesitating for less than two seconds, Yan Liqiang nodded and said simply, "Okay, I promise you, if I really become the governor of Qiyun, I will kill Shi Tao. Then I also want to ask, how are you going to help me?"
Hearing this question, Zhong Ruolan's face flushed slightly, then she took a deep breath and tried to keep her expression calm. "If you want me to really help you, you must marry me first and become the son-in-law of the Zhong family..."
"This..." Yan Liqiang scratched his head.
"If you marry into the Lu family, you can gain a firm foothold in Pingxi County. If you marry into the Zhong family, with the Zhong family's strength, the entire northwest can be yours in the future..." At this point, Zhong Ruolan glanced at Yan Liqiang and suddenly said quietly, "Do you think I'm not as pretty and considerate as the young lady from the Lu family?"
"Of course not!" Yan Liqiang had a strange expression on his face. "It's just that I feel like I should be the one to take the initiative to speak out about this kind of thing. Why do I feel a little weird when you say it out loud?"
Zhong Ruolan suddenly stood up, turned around the table between them, came to Yan Liqiang, knelt down, then smiled and kissed Yan Liqiang lightly on the face, "Do you still feel strange now?"
"Well, a little. It happened too fast just now and I haven't reacted yet!" Yan Liqiang glanced at Zhong Ruolan's long gauze dress, swallowed slightly and said.
This time, Zhong Ruolan gently kissed Yan Liqiang on the lips. After a few seconds, they separated. "What now?"
"It still feels weird!" Yan Liqiang shook his head and said seriously, "This strength and temperature don't seem to be enough!"
"Then what is enough?" Zhong Ruolan glared at Yan Liqiang with a mixture of amusement and anger.
"Like this..." Just as Zhong Ruolan cried out, Yan Liqiang had already hugged Zhong Ruolan in his arms, and then kissed her tender lips heavily...
(End of this chapter)