12dz Chapter 66 Senior Sister Won't Leave You
Chapter 66 Senior Sister Won't Leave You
Fei Xi and her junior brother Ji settled down in Tangjiabao. He Shenggu arranged for the two of them to stay at Qingguang Water Pavilion, which was not far from Tang Ziyi’s pavilion.
The next morning, Fei Xi slowly woke up from Qingguang Water Pavilion and asked a servant from Tangjiabao to deliver a message to He Shenggu that she was going out for a while and would return to Tangjiabao later.
Tangjiabao was holding a funeral, and Fei Xi left quietly with her junior brother Ji through the side gate without disturbing anyone.
Upon emerging, she found the entire city of Jiangyou draped in mourning. The once bustling streets were eerily silent, and entertainment venues were closed to the public. The city's inhabitants had all suppressed their smiles, dressed in white and hurrying about as if misfortune might strike if they slowed down even slightly.
She and her junior brother were both dressed in blue robes; though not plain, they weren't particularly conspicuous. They didn't linger on the street, quickly returning to the inn from Tangjiabao.
"Senior Sister, I'm here."
As soon as the two entered the inn, a light figure accompanied by a cheerful voice came running towards Fei Xi and the others from a corner.
The customers eating breakfast nearby were initially attracted by the beautiful voice, but after seeing the person speaking, they were all stunned and captivated, not even noticing when their chopsticks were stuck into their nostrils.
Only the waiter, who had seen her yesterday, was the first to come to his senses. He fawned over the three of them and said with a forced smile, "Oh, my little darling, you can't smile today. After these few days, you can do whatever you want."
Seeing the visitor's kind reminder, Fei Xi, who was about to ask someone, gently asked:
"May I ask your name, young man? I have just returned from a trip and saw that white silk was hung all over the city and everyone was dressed in plain clothes. Has something happened?"
"You're too kind, miss. My surname is Zhang, and I'm the ninth child in my family. You can just call me Zhang Xiao'er or Xiao Jiuzi."
Seeing that Fei Xi had spoken, and that both the stunningly beautiful woman and the handsome young swordsman were looking at her, the waiter knew that this unassuming woman was in charge among the three. He was secretly amazed, but outwardly remained respectful, not daring to be careless. After introducing himself, he continued:
"Young lady, you may not know this, but we received a notice from the government office early this morning. The Lady of Tang Family Fortress, that is, the Princess, has been summoned back to heaven by the Queen Mother of the West. The Lord of Tang Family Fortress has ordered everyone in our city to observe three days of mourning for the Princess. During these three days, there can be no entertainment in the city, not even loud laughter. Early this morning, I saw some fools who were laughing and causing trouble being arrested and thrown into jail. I see that the three of you are from out of town, so if there is nothing urgent, please stay in the inn for the next few days and do not go out unnecessarily."
Fei Xi stopped her junior sister, who was about to say something with an angry expression. After thanking Zhang Xiaoer, she took her junior sister's hand and led Junior Brother Ji to Uncle Yin's room.
Upon entering, after exchanging greetings with her martial uncle, Mu Qingfeng angrily said:
"What? That Princess Ruiyun was killed by someone else after trying to harm others. She wasn't some saint, so why should the whole city mourn for her? This Lord Tang is too domineering and hypocritical."
Fei Xi knew that although Jiangyou, where Tangjiabao, one of the eleven top martial arts organizations, was located, had court officials, it was actually controlled by Tangjiabao. Just like the two small countries near the western border under the Twelve Peaks of Tianshan, the Eight Great Families were the actual controllers, and the heads of the Eight Great Families were nothing more than servants of the Lord of Tianshan.
"Junior sister, be good, don't be angry. Lord Tang is the local tyrant of Jiangyou, and Princess Ruiyun is a noble lady with a rank. He demands that the whole city mourn for her, so no one can really do anything to him."
Yin Zhengyi looked at his two unruly junior disciples with a headache. Before he could even reprimand them, the number one brat, Mu Qingfeng, completely oblivious to his uncle's dark face, continued to complain:
"Hmph, I'm just angry at his hypocrisy. Princess Ruiyun is already dead, who is he trying to impress with all this? Princess Ruiyun may have brought this upon herself, but Lord Tang clearly chose to abandon her to protect Tang Family Fort from the very beginning. Now he's pretending to be so devoted by tormenting others, I spit on him!"
"Xiaofeng, girls shouldn't use foul language."
Yin Zhengyi couldn't tolerate it any longer and gave Mu Qingfeng a sharp rap on the head. Mu Qingfeng covered her head but secretly stuck her tongue out at Fei Xi. Fei Xi couldn't help but laugh at her smug look.
"Let's get down to business first, Junior Sister. The situation has changed, and I need to stay in Jiangyou for a few more days. Aunt He and I have already agreed that we will stay at Tangjiabao for the next few days. You and Junior Brother Ji can go out first; there are some things I need to discuss with Uncle Yin alone."
Seeing Fei Xi's serious expression, Mu Qingfeng stopped her playful demeanor and pulled the silent Ji Zhongxuan out of the room.
As soon as she stepped outside, she looked around. Seeing that no one was in the corridor, she pulled Ji Zhongxuan aside and whispered in his ear:
"Senior brother, is it because that Young Master Tang is reluctant to part with Senior Sister?"
Ji Zhongxuan covered his ears, his face calm, but a hint of helplessness was visible in his eyes.
He glanced at Mu Qingfeng holding his hand, then gripped it tightly in return, pulling her towards their room to pack their things, replying as they walked:
"Stop talking nonsense, go back to your room and pack your luggage."
"I'm not lying. I could tell right away at Lushan Manor. The way that young master Tang was staring at our senior sister, there was something fishy about him. He definitely has feelings for our senior sister."
Seeing that the person was pulling her forward without giving up, Mu Qingfeng followed along, muttering to herself:
"That must be it. He heard that Senior Sister was leaving, so he tried to get his brother to pretend to be sick so that Senior Sister would stay in Jiangyou for a few more days."
"..." You guessed correctly, half right.
"Do you think Senior Sister likes this Young Master Tang?"
"..."
"Will Senior Sister marry him...?"
"……"Won't.
"No! Senior Sister can't get married. If she gets married, she'll leave Qingcheng Mountain."
"..." You only just realized it?
"I can't bear to see Senior Sister leave..." Mu Qingfeng said, suddenly feeling particularly aggrieved. The person in front of her ignored her, which made her feel even more inexplicably sad. It was as if Senior Sister had really left Qingcheng Mountain and gone to a faraway place, and she would never see her again.
The people behind him stopped. Ji Zhongxuan turned around, and rain began to fall on the ground as he looked down.
He pulled the person into the room, gently drawing them into his arms; the rain quickly soaked his shoulders. He sighed, his gaze lingering on the unknown, and said firmly:
"Your senior sister won't leave you."
"Senior brother, you didn't lie to me?" Her face, wet with tears like a kitten's, was revealed. Ji Zhongxuan, abandoning his usual aloofness, gently wiped away her tears and made a promise:
"I promise you, I definitely will."
After handing the items over to Uncle Yin, Fei Xi returned to Tang Family Fort with her junior brothers and sisters and settled down at Qingguang Water Pavilion.
Guests came in droves to pay their respects, leaving Tang Ziyi with almost no time to rest. However, he would set aside half an hour each day for Fei Xi to administer acupuncture to him. As a result, although he had lost weight, his spirits were better than ever before.
Princess Ruiyun's coffin remained at the Tang family's residence for a week before her burial. Fei Xi heard that Tang Qifei, the lord of Tang Fortress, had defied public opinion and buried Princess Ruiyun in the ancestral mausoleum of Tang Family Fortress, which greatly angered the elders of Tang Family Fortress.
After Princess Ruiyun was buried, Jiangyou finally returned to its former liveliness and prosperity.
As evening approached, Fei Xi had just finished administering acupuncture to Tang Ziyi. As soon as she stepped down from the pavilion, she saw her junior sister and junior brother Ji waiting for her downstairs.
The three of them were He Shenggu's honored guests. All the servants of Tangjiabao knew that it was this divine physician Fei Xifei who saved their young master.
Therefore, Fei Xi's junior sister, Mu Qingfeng, could go wherever she wanted, except for forbidden places.
She said to Fei Xi with a look of excitement:
"Senior Sister, I've found a really beautiful place."
"Where are we?" Fei Xi asked curiously as the two of them led her along.
"Don't ask yet, come with me." Mu Qingfeng kept them in suspense, then pulled them away and ran in the opposite direction from the waterside pavilion.
She led Fei Xi to a pavilion near the back of the mountain, and Fei Xi followed the two of them to the top of the pavilion without complaint.
Mu Qingfeng opened the window, and following the direction she pointed, Fei Xi looked into the distance.
Magnolia blossoms covered the mountains and fields, their reflections shimmering on the river's surface. The setting sun's afterglow, like a restless flame, mingled with the crimson blossoms, as if the entire world itself was ablaze within this sea of flowers.
Just as Fei Xi was lost in thought, a figure walked up to her. The newcomer gazed tenderly into the distance, his deep voice seeming to transcend time and space:
"It's beautiful, isn't it? The world changes, things change, nothing lasts forever. But no matter what happens, people always want to hold onto that moment of the setting sun's afterglow. I think it must be because the scenery at that time was just as beautiful as the view in front of us, that people are so reluctant to let it go."