bayedsolid Chapter 1010 Ximen Liuyun's Feelings in July
Chapter 1010 Ximen Liuyun's Feelings in July
"But... this is too far."
“In the past, when we lived in the mansion, it was only a short walk from the east courtyard to the west courtyard.”
"Now, to see each other, we have to cross thousands of mountains and rivers."
"yes,"
Bai Liuyue stuffed another pastry into her mouth, her voice tinged with grievance, "When I miss her, I can't even go to her to ask for something delicious anymore."
The three girls fell silent.
"Thinking about your fifth sister?"
Before anyone knew it, Bai Lu walked in.
She was dressed in plain, simple clothes, without any makeup, yet she was still stunningly beautiful.
Time has never defeated a beauty.
She sat down naturally at the table, picked up her chopsticks, and served each of her daughters a piece of their favorite dish.
"Mother."
The three daughters stood up and bowed in unison.
"Sit down, we're family, there's no need for so many formalities."
Bai Lu smiled gently, "I know you miss her."
"How could I not want that too?"
“My daughter, whom I raised with the utmost care, is now far away in a foreign country. It would be a lie to say that I don’t miss her.”
She paused, then changed the subject, her gaze sweeping over her three daughters.
"However, everyone has their own path to walk."
"She has found her place, what about you?"
Bai Lu's eyes held a hint of a smile, "The three of you are all of marriageable age now."
Do you have a boy you like?
“Tell your mother. If it’s really good, she will stand up for you.”
This problem came out of nowhere.
Bai Siyue blushed deeply, waved her hands frantically, and jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "Mother! What are you saying! I... I didn't!"
"I'm busy managing my business right now, dealing with abacuses and money every day, I don't have time to think about those men!"
"Men are all such a pain in the ass! Money is much more appealing!"
As she spoke, she lowered her head, pretending to look intently at the account book that she had already read countless times.
Bai Liuyue looked completely bewildered. She tilted her head, chewing something, and thought seriously for a long time before asking in confusion, "The boy I like?"
"Can a boy... taste as good as roast suckling pig? Can he be as sweet as honey-glazed ham?"
"Pfft-"
Bai Siyue couldn't help but laugh.
Bai Lu couldn't help but chuckle, affectionately patting June's head: "You little glutton, all you think about is food."
All eyes finally fell on Bai Qiyue.
Among the sisters, July has always been the calmest and most composed.
At this moment, she neither denied it like she did in April, nor was she as clueless as she was in June.
She simply sat there quietly, a faint blush creeping onto her fair cheeks.
Bai Lu understood, but did not point it out on the spot.
She knew July's personality; she was reserved and opinionated, and wouldn't discuss such private topics in front of others.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore."
"It's almost time to eat, the food is getting cold."
She smiled and changed the subject.
After dinner, Bai Qiyue, unusually, did not immediately return to her own courtyard, but followed Bai Lu into her study.
The study was filled with calming sandalwood incense.
"Mother."
Bai Qiyue sat down opposite Bai Lu and personally brewed a cup of tea for her mother. Her movements were graceful and serene.
Bai Lu took the teacup, gently blew on the rising steam, but did not drink it.
She looked at her youngest daughter, who was more precocious and insightful than other children from a young age. Often, when the sisters in the family had disputes, it was she, the youngest, who would step in to mediate.
"Do you want to tell me what you didn't finish talking about during the day?"
Bai Lu's voice was very gentle.
Bai Qiyue's cheeks flushed again, but her eyes remained resolute.
She raised her head, met her mother's gaze, mustered her courage, and whispered, "Mother..."
"Regarding what you asked during the day, daughter..."
"There is indeed someone in my daughter's heart."
"Oh?"
A knowing smile flashed in Bai Lu's eyes. "Which young master is so fortunate to have caught the eye of our Qiyue?"
Bai Qiyue took a deep breath, her voice as low as a mosquito's buzz: "It's...it's Brother Liuyun."
"Liu Yun?"
Bai Lu raised an eyebrow slightly, finding it quite reasonable, "Ximen Liuyun from the Duke of Liang's mansion?"
"Ah."
Bai Qiyue nodded, lowering her head even further.
Ximen Liuyun is the only son of the Duke of Liang and also the adopted son personally recognized by Bailu.
Ximen Liuyun is a few years older than Bai Qiyue. Although he was a playboy when he was young, he is gentle and kind by nature and upright. He has always been like an older brother to these younger sisters.
They take extra care of the youngest baby, July.
When Qiyue was little, she didn't like to talk and always preferred to be alone. Only Ximen Liuyun had the patience to keep her company, telling her strange and wonderful stories from the outside world and taking her to fly kites.
Childhood sweethearts, childhood sweethearts.
This feeling, without anyone realizing it, had already quietly changed.
"So it was Liuyun."
Bai Lu smiled, her smile full of relief. "He really is a good boy."
"He is calm and steady, reliable, and well-known."
"Your choice puts your mother at ease."
Receiving her mother's approval, Bai Qiyue felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her tension dissipated considerably.
"Since you have feelings for him, and he treats you with sincerity."
"Then I will make the decision for you."
Bai Lu always acts decisively and efficiently. "Tomorrow, I will invite your Uncle Ximen to my residence for a discussion and to finalize your marriage."
The next day, the Duke of Liang came at the invitation.
Two old friends, who had been comrades-in-arms on the battlefield, sat facing each other in the tea room.
After exchanging pleasantries, Bai Lu got straight to the point: "Brother Liang, I invited you here today to discuss a marriage between our children."
Duke Liang was a straightforward military general. Upon hearing this, he laughed heartily and said, "Marquis Anguo, there is no need for such formalities between us."
"Just say what you have to say."
"Have you taken a fancy to one of my talented young men and want to act as matchmaker for one of your young ladies?"
"No problem! My guys are lucky to have caught your eye!"
Bai Lu shook her head, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and then slowly said, "Brother Liang, the one I've set my sights on isn't one of your junior officers."
Her gaze fell on the Duke of Liang, a hint of a smile on her face: "The one I've set my sights on is your heir, Ximen Liuyun."
The smile on Duke Liang's face froze instantly. He was stunned for a long while before asking uncertainly, "You..."
"You mean my good-for-nothing brat, Liu Yun?"
"Exactly."
Bai Lu put down her teacup and smiled, "My Qiyue and Liuyun are kindred spirits."
"I'd like to arrange this marriage for them. What do you think, Brother Liang?"
Upon hearing this, a look of ecstatic joy flashed across the Duke of Liang's face. To be able to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Anguo's family was an immense joy! He was about to nod in agreement.
But he swallowed the words back down his throat.
The joy on his face slowly faded, replaced by an extremely complex expression.
He remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh. He then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Bai Lu, the woman he admired throughout his life, and said in a heavy voice, "Lord Anguo, you...you value my Liuyun so much; it is a blessing that my Ximen family has accumulated over eight lifetimes."
“I’ve watched July grow up since she was a child. She’s intelligent, calm, and has her own opinions. She’s a wonderful girl. I would be overjoyed if she could be my daughter-in-law.”
He changed the subject, his tone becoming more somber.
"But... precisely because July is so wonderful, this marriage... I..."
"I can't promise that."
"At least, not now."
Bai Lu didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Duke Liang stood up and paced back and forth in the tea room.
"Marquis Anguo, look at your daughters, and look at your sons-in-law!"
His voice carried a hint of excitement, "My eldest son-in-law, Leng Bingnian, is already a great general guarding a region at such a young age!"
"My second son-in-law, Su Jinyu, is a top scholar in the imperial examinations and a civil official whom His Majesty trusts greatly! He might even become the Grand Secretary in the future!"
"The third son-in-law is a prince personally appointed by the current emperor, his status is so noble!"
“Even my fifth son-in-law, who just got married, is a monarch of a foreign country, the ruler of a nation!”
"Which one of them isn't a dragon among men, a hero of our time! Which one of them lacks ability?"
He stopped abruptly, pointed at himself, his face full of bitterness.
"But what about my Liuyun? What is he? Besides being the son of the Duke of Liang and the heir of the Duke of Liang's mansion, what else does he have?"
"He has no merit whatsoever, and has accomplished nothing!"
"He usually just follows your kids around like a little shadow!"
"To put it bluntly, he's just a spoiled brat who lives off his ancestors' wealth and lives a life of idleness!"
"I, the Duke of Liang, am a hero of my generation. I cannot allow my son to become a good-for-nothing who relies on women and his wife's family!"
"Marrying him in July is such a disservice to her!"
"I can't let her marry a good-for-nothing husband and be unable to hold her head up in front of her sisters!"
“I can’t let outsiders talk behind my son’s back, saying that he’s climbed up the social ladder by marrying into the Marquis of Anguo’s family and is trying to take advantage of your family’s influence!”
He practically shouted those words.
This is a father's pride, and a man's last vestige of dignity.
Bai Lu listened quietly until he finished speaking, then slowly opened her mouth, her voice calm: "Brother Liang, I understand everything you've said."
"However, when I choose a son-in-law, I never look at what he has now, but only at what kind of person he is."
"We both know Liu Yun's character very well."
"No!"
The Duke of Liang resolutely refused, saying, "Character cannot be eaten, nor can it be used to earn military merit!"
"Lord Anguo, please let me finish."
He sat down again, took a big gulp of herbal tea, and his emotions calmed down a bit.
"I'm not rejecting this marriage proposal."
"I feel that my son is not good enough for me right now!"
"So, I would like to ask you, and also ask July, to give Liuyun some time."
He looked at Bai Lu, his eyes filled with pleading and determination.
"After the New Year, I will write to His Majesty to formally allow Liuyun to inherit my title of Duke of Liang."
"But that's not enough!"
"A title without merit is nothing."
"I will use all my influence to beg His Majesty to find him a real post in the army! Send him to the most arduous and exhausting frontier!"
"I don't ask him to achieve unparalleled feats like you; I only ask that he earn his military merit honestly and fairly through his own sword and his own blood!"
"Even if he's just a lowly captain, he earned it himself!"
"When he can stand tall before you with his own merits, instead of relying on my name as his father, then I will make him come to your door in person, with a grand procession of eight sedan chairs, to marry July in style!"
"Only then will he be worthy of your daughter, and only then will he be worthy of July!"
"Lord Anguo, please... grant me this unreasonable request!"
Bai Lu was filled with countless emotions.
She knew that this was a father's deepest love for his son.
"Brother Liang,"
Bai Lu helped him sit down, personally poured him more hot tea, and solemnly said, "I understand your good intentions."
"Having a father like you is a blessing for Liuyun."
"I... am also happy for July."
"Okay, I promise you."
"We'll wait for him."
"Wait until he achieves great success and returns in glory before he comes to marry my daughter."
That evening, Bai Lu wrote down Liang Guogong's exact words on a letter, sealed it, and personally handed it to Bai Qiyue.
"These are the words your Uncle Ximen said today."
She looked at her youngest and most insightful daughter and said softly, "Take a look first."
"After you finish reading this, whatever decision you make, your mother will support you."
Bai Qiyue took the letter and returned to her room.
She didn't open it immediately, but sat quietly by the window for a long time.
Outside the window, the snow had stopped, and the moonlight shone on the snow, reflecting a cool and pure white light.
Finally, she took a deep breath and opened the envelope.
The handwriting on the letter was vigorous and powerful, just like that of the Duke of Liang himself.
Bai Qiyue read it word by word.
"...I, Duke Liang, am a hero of my generation. I cannot allow my son to become a good-for-nothing who relies on women and his wife's family!"
"...When he can stand tall and stand before you with his own merits...I will then have him personally come to your door, in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men, to marry July in style!"
By the end, Bai Qiyue's eyes were slightly moist.
A deep sense of emotion and admiration welled up in her heart.
She admired the Duke of Liang's unyielding spirit and was even more moved by his deep and strict paternal love for his son.
He was doing his best to fulfill his son's wishes and also to fulfill her future husband's wishes in his own way.
What he wanted to give her was not a spoiled brat with the aura of a duke's heir, but a true, upright man who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
That night, Bai Qiyue slept exceptionally well.
The next day, when Ximen Liuyun arrived at the Marquis of Anguo's residence with a heart full of trepidation and unease, he was met with Bai Qiyue's calm and serene smile.