kvmb Chapter 319 A Unique Gift
Chapter 319 A Unique Gift
"Little sister, this is a gift your third brother carefully prepared for you." Shen Lue placed it mysteriously in Shen Qingtan's palm: "Take a look, do you like it?"
Shen Qingtan lowered her eyes to look at her palm, where a red rope was woven into a bracelet, strung with a dog tooth and two cinnabar beads.
Shen Lue said, "Little sister, there have been too many evil spirits bothering you lately. Black dog teeth and cinnabar can ward off evil, and these villains will not be able to get close to you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingtan felt a wave of tenderness wash over her.
The gifts my third brother always gives her are all sorts of strange and wonderful, but each time he chooses them with the purest and most sincere intentions.
Shen Zhuo glanced at the bracelet again, recalling that some time ago when he and Shen Lue returned to the city, they saw an old woman holding a dog tooth. She found a jewelry vendor and paid him to make a bracelet for her little child to wear to ward off evil spirits and calm their nerves.
Shen Lue stopped and looked at it curiously for a few moments.
Who would have thought that Shen Lue would specially find a dog tooth and make a bracelet for Shen Qingtan.
The brothers have never been superstitious and have always looked down on it.
Shen Lue knew it was untrustworthy, but in order to ensure Shen Qingtan's fate went smoothly, he did the thing he despised most.
Shen Du's gaze fell on the bracelet, then he turned to look at Shen Lue, who was staring blankly at Shen Qingtan, seemingly waiting for a response.
The third brother is generous and warm-hearted.
He and the second brother were introverted, unlike the third brother, who did whatever came to mind.
“Little sister…” Shen Lue saw Shen Qingtan staring blankly at the bracelet and scratched his head: “It’s just a little trinket, the meaning is enough, you can keep it in your dressing case…”
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Shen Qingtan place the rope on the table.
Does this mean they don't like it?
Shen Lue felt a little disappointed. When he reached for the bracelet, he saw Shen Qingtan take off her cloak, drape it over a short couch, roll up her wide sleeves, and put the bracelet on her wrist.
He was somewhat dazed and stared blankly at Shen Qingtan.
"Third Brother, the bracelet is very pretty." Shen Qingtan held her hand up in front of Shen Lue and shook it. "The size is just right, I like it very much."
Shen Lue realized that his younger sister really liked the gift he gave her, and he immediately grinned, looking smugly at Shen Du and Shen Zhuo: "My younger sister likes the gift I gave her even more!"
Shen Du: "..."
Shen Zhuo: "..."
Shen Lue suddenly remembered something, untied the plum blossom-patterned sleeve dart from his forearm, and handed it to Zhao Yi beside him: "Brother-in-law, you are going to Yingcheng to deal with the plague, so I'm giving you this sleeve dart. This sleeve dart can fire six arrows in succession, and can kill villains within thirty paces."
Zhao Yi looked at Shen Lue in surprise, seemingly not expecting him to give her a gift.
Without saying a word, Shen Lue tied the device to Zhao Yi's forearm and taught him how to use it: "Just press this mechanism."
"Whoosh-"
The arrow flew swiftly and pierced the door.
Zhao Yi watched as the arrow pierced through the door, shocked by its power.
Shen Lue put an arm around Zhao Yi's shoulder: "Brother-in-law, with the hidden arrow for self-defense and someone protecting you in the dark, ordinary people can't do anything to you."
Zhao Yi smiled and said, "Thank you, Third Brother."
-
After meeting her brothers, Shen Qingtan went to the main courtyard to see the Princess Consort of Zhenbei.
Princess Zhenbei had already received news of Shen Qingtan's return and ordered people to prepare Shen Qingtan's favorite snacks and brew a pot of flower tea.
She saw Shen Qingtan lift the curtain and come in, and beckoned to her: "Manman, come to your mother's side."
Shen Qingtan bowed to the Princess of Zhenbei and sat down beside her. "Mother, there's so much food!" She picked up a piece of candied fruit and put it in her mouth. "Every time I come home, my clothes feel a bit tighter."
"It's not that exaggerated." Princess Zhenbei poured her a cup of flower tea: "Every time you come back, you just have a meal and then leave again."
Shen Qingtan's smile froze, and the words of farewell stuck in her throat, unable to be uttered.
Princess Zhenbei heard the rumors and gently stroked her head: "Our children have grown up and each has their own life. No matter how far you go or how high you fly, your roots are here, and you will come back sooner or later."
Shen Qingtan's eyes welled up with tears, and she bent down to hug the Princess of Zhenbei: "Your daughter and Second Master will go to Northern Qi and bring the Princess of Protectorate back to the country. Next year... next year, we will celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together."
"Alright, Mother will wait for you to come back." Princess Zhenbei hugged Shen Qingtan and said softly, "If it were before, Mother would have worried that you two would go to Northern Qi and have no say, and that everyone would be able to bully you. Now that I heard that Yi'er has gone to Yingcheng to deal with the plague, I feel more at ease. This means that he has power in his hands, the plague has been controlled, and he has won the hearts of the people, which will make it easier for you to gain a foothold in Northern Qi."
Licheng is part of the Great Zhou territory, and people from Yingcheng have also come to Licheng. It is inevitable that some people from Yingcheng will travel to other cities in the Northern Qi that border Yingcheng.
Zhao Yi is in charge of dealing with the plague, and he will definitely have to work with the prefects of other cities to quell the plague.
Shen Qingtan thought so too; someone would try to stop him from successfully controlling the plague and gaining power from it.
She was worried that someone might secretly sabotage Zhao Yi, which is why she decided to go to Northern Qi.
After all, besides the attitude of the imperial tutor, the Northern Qi emperor had more than one son, the Prince of Qi, and other sons who were also vying for the position of crown prince.
Although Zhao Yi was a prince of Northern Qi, he had half the blood of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which disqualified him from the throne.
Throughout history, there have been numerous instances of princes relying on the power of other countries to secure their ascension to the throne. For some princes, these powers might offer valuable advantages, allowing them to form alliances and potentially escape unscathed.
Shen Qingtan had dinner with the Princess of Zhenbei before returning to the Duke's Mansion, and then went to Shian Hall with Zhao Yi.
The Duke and his wife sat in the main seats, while the First Madam and the First Master sat below them.
Zhao Yi lifted his robe and knelt on the ground: "Grandfather, Grandmother, your grandson is unfilial and has failed to stay by your side to fulfill his filial duties."
Shen Qingtan followed Zhao Yi and knelt down.
The Duke and the old lady helped the young couple to their feet.
"Your filial piety is enough." The Duke knew he couldn't keep Zhao Yi, and when that day finally came, he felt a deep reluctance: "Your grandfather can't help you when you go to Northern Qi this time, so please take good care of yourselves."
Looking at the Duke's completely white hair and his back, which was no longer as straight as before, and how much older he looked, Zhao Yi couldn't help but feel sad.
He was not a son of the Duke's family, but the Duke treated him with the same affection as a biological grandson.
Zhao Yi said in a low voice, "Every Spring Festival, my grandson plays a few games of chess with his grandfather. I'm afraid I can't keep my promise this year."
The Duke's eyes instantly turned red. "Grandfather will wait for you to come back so we can play another game."
Zhao Yi responded.
The old lady had a lot to say, but in the end, all she could say was, "Take care of yourself."
The old man was deeply saddened; after this parting, he didn't know when they would meet again. The usually eloquent man became as silent as a gourd with its mouth sawed off at this moment.
The First Madam remained calm. As she returned to Lanxue Garden with Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan, she reminded them to bring plenty of clothes and medicines, as it was inconvenient to carry valuables on their person. She suggested that they deposit the silver in a bank and withdraw it after arriving in Northern Qi.
After everything was tidied up, it was already midnight. The First Madam stared at Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan for a moment, then took a bundle from Guan Mama's hand and placed it on a small table to the side.
The First Madam said, "You will be leaving tomorrow morning, so your father and mother will not see you off. Once you arrive in Northern Qi, remember to write to let us know you are safe and sound."
Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan agreed, "Okay, Father and Mother, please take good care of yourselves."
The First Madam and the First Master nodded, not looking at the two of them again, afraid that if they looked at them any longer, they would lose their temper and try to persuade them to stay. They hurriedly left Lanxue Garden with their entourage.