Arc 3: Chapter 29
Jiang Qian saw Lin Yuan’s confused expression and pursed his lips and smiled.
Today, Jiang Qian was dressed in white, his robes were the color of fresh snow. Under the bright sunlight, he was like a proud crane stepping out of confinement and gracefully stretching out its wings, lively and bright.
He took one of Lin Yuan’s hands and led him to the door. They stopped and stood still and Jiang Qian raised his other hand and placed it on a stone pillar.
The scars on Jiang Qian’s hands had long faded until they were almost invisible, but their pain had already made their marks on his bones. No length of time or amount of scar-removing medicine could remove them.
The coolness of the stone under his palm was felt clearly. He paused and then slowly spoke: “Years ago, the Jiang family was destroyed and I fell into slavery. When the decree from the Ministry of Justice was announced, I thought that the future was dark and bleak, and I didn’t know how to move forward.”
“Then the son of Prince Yanping bought me, he dragged me into his house and tortured me in hundreds of ways. I wanted to die, but as the only one left in the Jiang family, I couldn’t die, I didn’t dare to die. I thought that the rest of my life was set in stone, but who knew that everything would change? As the ancients say, mountains and rivers can be restored, and even flowers can bloom in the dark-- the prince took me in.”
As he recounted, Jiang Qian’s emotions rolled like waves and his heart was turbulent.
He looked back at Lin Yuan, into the other's warm and clear eyes, and felt that his life up to this point was very good, there was nothing that could be better.
Jiang Qian’s eyes curved and he smiled more magnificently than all of the spring scenery around: “If the prince wanted this one to serve tea or do labor, then this one would not complain, after all, it was nothing for a slave to grovel.”
“Who knew that the prince would take this one’s heart, and steal this one’s love and soul. I never expected that after reading ten years of analects and texts that I would choose to violate all societal expectations.”
Jiang Qian’s voice was very soft but also bright, like the song of a spring breeze: “Prince, it wouldn't be too much for me to ask you to marry me, right?”
Lin Yuan blinked and suddenly reacted, Jiang Qian's proposing!, his eyes lit up and he nodded quickly: “Not too much!”
He asked: “Is this school your dowry?”
Lin Yuan was a little bit confused by Jiang Qian’s idea to use a school as a dowry. Was this the concept of scholars?
Jiang Qian shook his head: “No, this doesn’t count as dowry. This school only exists thanks to the prince, so naturally, it belongs to the prince.”
Jiang Qian looked at Lin Yuan with his clear amber eyes: “Without the prince, there would be no Jiang Qian today. The prince saved me, again and again and again.”
Jiang Qian raised his hand and traced Lin Yuan’s features one by one in worship.
Lin Yuan obediently let him touch, and his eyes were shining with gentleness and warmth. His dimples seemed to be filled with honey, sweetening and smoothing the scars on Jiang Qian’s body.
Jiang Qian kissed Lin Yuan’s lips and said softly: “Lin Yuan, I didn't like the imperial prison. I didn't like the smell of blood. I didn't like that it was so dark that I can’t see the road. I didn't want to kill people, but there were too many bodies on the way. I could only use my sword to cut them down and move forward.”
Lin Yuan quickly held Jiang Qian’s face and rubbed it comfortingly: “I know. Jiang Qian, I know you didn’t like those things. You like reading, writing, watching the snow fall under the eaves, and tasting good wine. You like listening to the rain while holding a cup of tea.”
He hugged Jiang Qian tightly and said sadly: “These years you forced yourself to do things you didn’t want to, it must’ve been very difficult. Jiang Qian, if you feel tired, you can stop. No one can force you.”
“The Jiang family, your parents and brothers, all wouldn’t want you to do things you don’t like.”
Jiang Qian heard Lin Yuan and understood. His eyes no longer held the gloominess of the past, instead, they seemed to pierce through everything. He whispered: “You're right, Sui Sui. But my father was determined to serve the country, and as his son, I naturally inherited his ambition.”
Jiang Qian sighed: “It’s a pity that on my own, I can’t do much. I only hope that this school and the name Qingyuan can make its way into the hearts of the people. I hope that the students who come out of this school, regardless of status, power, or wealth, will be determined to better the world.”
【Di! Congrats host, the villain’s blackening value has decreased to 30%.】
【Di! Congrats host, the villain’s blackening value has decreased to 28%.】
【Di! Congrats host, the villain’s blackening value has decreased to 25%.】
Jiang Qian’s low and serious voice intertwined with the cold prompt of the system.
The spring light was bright and kind, and Lin Yuan felt as if the wound in Jiang Qian’s heart had finally begun to heal.
⋅ ˚ ₊ ‧ ୨୧ ‧ ₊ ˚ ⋅
As time went on, Jiang Qian shared the matters going on in Qingyuan Academy with Lin Yuan, and Lin Yuan stayed comfortably in the Admiral’s mansion.
But recently Lin Yuan was getting busier because he and Jiang Qian were going to get married.
In this ancient era, two men getting married was a great risk, so Jiang Qian and Lin Yuan decided to not invite anyone.
Even so, Jiang Qian prepared all of the wedding rituals that he should have. None of the three books and six etiquettes were missed.
Jiang Qian even personally went to Tutor Shen’s mansion and asked the old man to choose the day of the marriage. He had no other elders to consult and Consort Chu refused to see them, let alone choose a wedding date for them, so there was only Tutor Shen left.
After listening to Jiang Qian’s request, Tutor Shen just let out a small, helpless sigh and then asked Jiang Qian to show him the options.
Tutor Shen carefully looked at the three dates and selected the most auspicious one. He raised an eyebrow and said: “You came and asked me to choose your wedding date, are you not going to give me a wedding invitation?”
Jiang Qian carefully put away the documents and smiled faintly: “The marriage between this student and the prince is a matter for just the two of us. We don’t plan on inviting guests or receiving gifts, so naturally we don’t have wedding invitations.”
Tutor Shen was a little surprised but nodded: “I understand, this decision is also good.”
⋅ ˚ ₊ ‧ ୨୧ ‧ ₊ ˚ ⋅
On their wedding day, they followed through with the wedding rituals seriously and meticulously.
Jiang Qian wasn’t sure if his parents would’ve agreed to his marriage, so they skipped the bows towards their parents. They bowed towards heaven and earth and bowed to each other. In front of the sky and sun, the mountains and rivers witnessed their oath towards each other. Jiang Qian and Lin Yuan promised the rest of their lives towards each other.
Since there were no guests, Jiang Qian directly took Lin Yuan into the bridal chamber.
Lin Yuan was not a woman so naturally he did not wear a bridal veil, their wedding robes were exactly the same.
Jiang Qian knelt on one knee in front of Lin Yuan, and his slender fingers hooked Lin Yuan’s belt. His features were as beautiful as jade under the candlelight, and he fascinated Lin Yuan’s soul.
“Sui Sui……”
“I’ve married you……”
Lin Yuan nodded and stared at Jiang Qian shyly. His voice was sweet and seductive: “Husband……”
Finally, this address was real.
Jiang Qian’s Adam’s apple rolled and he slowly untied Lin Yuan’s belt. He took out the wedding crown in Lin Yuan’s hair and the other’s inky hair spilled down. He slowly pressed Lin Yuan under him and touched their foreheads together: “Sui Sui, say it again.”
Lin Yuan’s eyes glistened and he said again: “Husband……”
That night in the bridal chamber, soft and nasally cries rang out for many hours. If anyone listened closely, they could also hear sweet gasps.
On the bed, Lin Yuan’s eyes were red with tears and he was too tired to speak. He touched his bulging belly.
When Jiang Qian hugged him from behind, Lin Yuan subconsciously shivered and he hummed and said: “Fine… I’ll give birth ok?......”
Can he say no? No, Jiang Qian was too fierce, too powerful wuuu~
Jiang Qian kissed him on the cheek and whispered: “Sui Sui, you promised. You have to give birth to four……”
What? Four?
Lin Yuan, who was about to nod off, immediately jerked awake. He glared at Jiang Qian with complaints and said angrily: “You obviously said only give birth to two! Liar!”
Jiang Qian chuckled and slowly rubbed Lin Yuan’s stomach. He teased: “Yes, I lied, so what?”
Lin Yuan kicked Jiang Qian under the quilt and then said pitifully: “Husband, I really can’t give birth to that many……”
Jiang Qian looked at Lin Yuan, who was muddleheaded, and hugged the other tightly. His scattered hair was entangled with Lin Yuan’s, inseparable from one another. He said: “I’m just joking. I just said so to make things more fun. I only love Sui Sui, having Sui Sui is enough.”
Only then did Lin Yuan feel relieved. He wiggled in Jiang Qian’s arms and whispered: “I like you too. I only need you.”
The bustling bridal chamber finally calmed down. Jiang Qian looked at Lin Yuan’s sleeping face and whispered with indescribably gentleness and attachment: “Thank you.”
Thank you for saving me.
Thank you for freeing me.
Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for wishing me all of the best. Thank you for being by my side.
Thank you for everything.
【Di! Congrats host, the villain’s blackening value has decreased to 15%.】