Court Marriage

The next morning, when Pingxi woke up from his sleep, Shi Kang, who was sleeping on the couch in the outer room, had already packed up and changed into a dark blue warrior to serve and wait outside.

In addition to being in a low mood, Shi Kang no longer looks like he was drunk... Pingxi's small building is imitated according to the drawings of his residence in the Prince's Mansion. It doesn't look obvious from the outside. , Pingxi only added a wall after moving in, and then separated a mezzanine that is not easy to be found by outsiders. Although it is not big, it is still very easy to hide an adult and a few sets of clothes, so Shi Kang dared to do this. Dalielie did not go away.

Pingxi's work and rest are very regular, so Xuehua has already prepared a hot towel over there. Seeing Pingxi come out, after serving him and washing up, Xuehua was just about to help comb his hair when he saw Shi Kang winking at him, Xue Hua chuckled and pleaded guilty to Pingxi, then put away the things and went to get breakfast.

"Pingxi, I'll help you comb your hair."

Seeing Ping Xi sitting in front of the mirror, Shi Kang, who was still in a bad mood, reluctantly put on a smile, picked up the comb on the table with his right hand, and pulled the strands of hair scattered on Ping Xi's shoulders behind him with his left.

Shi Kang could take advantage of the fact that no one climbed the wall to get in or out at night. During the day, it would be too dangerous, so he mostly stayed there until the next night, and then climbed the wall to leave. When he didn't split up before, he could go out and meet people during the day. An excuse to visit the garden, but now it is impossible, of course, Shi Kang can only be happy about this change.

"Now that you have left Xifu like this, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay in this city anymore. Should you go back to your hometown?"

Knowing that it was useless to stop him, Ping Xi just sat looking at Shi Kang's expression in the mirror and let him play with his hair.

"No! I'm not leaving. I've been working by your side for more than a year, and I've saved several hundred taels of silver. In addition to what I've saved in the past, even if I don't seek errands for the time being, it's enough to last a few years. There will be a filial piety at the Prince's Mansion... Pingxi, just come with me, I'll go to Master Qiao and steal your body deed, okay?"

Shi Kang's hands tightened when he heard the words, and he immediately realized that he was still holding Ping Xi's hair, so he quickly let go of his hands and pressed on Ping Xi's shoulders to ask nervously.

"Shi Kang, don't be naive..."

Ping Xi just wanted to say that it is impossible for two men to be together for a lifetime, when he suddenly appeared in his mind Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze. Thinking of the seriousness and persistence of those two people, Ping Xi couldn't help but blink, and was immediately struck by stone. Kang La stood up and turned around, hugging his waist tightly.

"I'm going to be naive, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of my life, don't even think about letting me go, and don't let me go!"

Shi Kang hugged Ping Xi as if he wanted to make the two of them one person. His eyes were already red as he spoke. He hated his incompetence and insignificance. The nobles contended, and even if he wanted to completely break away from the shackles of the family, Pingxi had always let go of the Shi family for himself, but his parents had always wanted to get rid of Pingxi. All he could do was to threaten his parents with his own life. It is also necessary to rely on the prefect's power to deter them from daring to attack...

If it weren't for the self-knowledge that he couldn't protect himself, how could Shi Kang let him live like a bird in a cage for so many years, just stalking him like this.

He didn't allow Pingxi to live the hard life with him, he wanted the best for Pingxi.

"What kind of relationship is worth your whole life? It's just young..."

Ping Xi felt that he was about to lose his breath, but he still recognized Shi Kang in his arms, and before he could say his sarcastic words, he was interrupted by the wetness around his neck. The heart wall has long been full of cracks, and now, it is finally broken...

It's also possible, right? Since they have the same hope as those two, it is possible to persevere, right?

Shi Kang didn't let go and didn't answer, while Ping Xi didn't hug and didn't struggle. The two who had not been in such close contact for many years just stood still until Xue Hua's footsteps were heard outside, Ping Xi was the first. He raised his hand and pushed Shi Kang away, but this time Shi Kang was no longer tired, took a few steps back and sat on the couch with his head lowered.

Ping Xi sat in front of the mirror, combed his hair and tied it with a headband. After Xue Hua finished breakfast and exited again, he got up and walked to the table to sit down. He moved, but occasionally took a peek at himself from the corner of his eye, Ping Xi resisted the urge to rub his forehead and waved to him with a sigh.

The two of them didn't say anything during the meal. Although Shi Kang hated the vegetables on this table, he still choked a lot. Pingxi, who had always had a bland taste, felt that these things were boring... His heart swinging.

If it was in the past, Pingxi would have concealed the truth of the matter, let Shi Kang continue to misunderstand, let him lose the support of Qiao Yingzefufu, and then forced him to give up himself, but now, Pingxi found that he was very resistant to this kind of The idea, but I hope he can stick to it...

"If you hate it, why do you force yourself to eat those?"

After Xuehua withdrew his breakfast and put on tea, Pingxi sat cross-legged on the futon, suppressing the churning thoughts in his heart, and picked up the sheet music that he copied last night next to the piano and looked at it, as if he asked unintentionally. one sentence.

"You have not allowed me to be picky eaters since I was a child. Besides, you are afraid that I will eat meat and fish after drinking and hurt my stomach, so you accompany me to eat vegetarian food, I know."

Shi Kang was still a little sleepy after drinking, so he dragged a mat and spread it across from Ping Xi's piano table, leaning on the cushion sideways and peeking at him.

"You feel so good about yourself... Go back to the West Mansion tomorrow."

Hearing this, Ping Xi couldn't help but glared at him, and then let out a weak chuckle, she had already made up her mind.

"…"

Shi Kang first stared blankly at Ping Xi's smile, and then he realized what he meant. The smile on his face froze, and then he lowered his head and shook it gently, expressing his resistance with his actions.

Although he was drunk and confused last night, he still remembers what Shi Kang said. He doesn't hate Qiao Yingze and Gong Zhuoliang, but sincerely admires them, but it is precisely because of this sincerity that he can't pretend to treat them Don't care, that would be too hypocritical.

"...Idiot, the two of them were originally husband and wife, Gong Zhuoliang has been disguising himself as a woman."

Ping Xi heard the words and just plucked the strings without saying a word. When Shi Kang raised his eyes to peek at him slightly aggrieved, he pressed his hands to stop the sound of the piano, and his smiling eyes met his gaze.

"yeah?"

Shi Kang sat up with his knees crossed, looking at Ping Xi across the piano table, he was really dizzy at the news.

"Following them for so long and not finding out, you should just be stupid."

It was as if he saw the little fat man who always clung to him when he was young, Ping Xi squeezed Shi Kang's cheeks with both hands, and pulled him to both sides with a smile, while muttering in his heart, this meat is hard, it just doesn't feel like a child. OK.

"Pain! Brother Ping..."

Ping Xi was actually useless, but Shi Kang still exaggeratedly cried out in pain, and he couldn't see anything other than Ping Xi's smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX after breakfast, Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze went to Dongfu to say goodbye to the old lady, and then went to find Qiao Yingxuan together, wanting to solve Qiao Yuanyin's dowry first.

"I went straight to my mother and said, 'I want to make a name for myself by running this marriage well. Everyone else has done the errand properly, but my mother's people have demolished my platform. , they stepped on my face to make money in their pockets, what's the point!' Then I saw that my mother was also on fire, so I proposed to let those unfaithful people go through the marriage. Love, if it weren't for me... hehe, anyway, in the end, I still depended on me."

Qiao Yingxuan excitedly told his brother and sister-in-law about his victory. He was so bald to tell his mother that he didn't eat to force his mother to let go. Now he has fully grasped the true meaning of getting along with his mother, and he really looks like a brother. As I said, respecting and obeying like before will only make my mother wrong more, and using your own strength to help her be kind is true filial piety.

"Well done, I'm about to leave for Beijing. Don't patronize the eldest sister's marriage and neglect your own side."

Meeting Qiao Yingxuan's eager eyes, Qiao Yingze lightly smiled and patted his shoulder, feeling like an adult.

"Mother's side is ready, and there are appropriate old people at home, don't worry."

When his brother asked about his marriage, Qiao Yingxuan lost the excitement he had just now, and rubbed the tip of his nose with his fingers embarrassedly.

"Yes, the second uncle is going to visit the future husband in Beijing this time, but he is nervous?"

Seeing that Qiao Yingxuan was shy, Gong Zhuoliang also laughed lightly and teased him, feeling a little emotional about the blind and dumb marriages of this era. For women, this marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime gamble, and for men, it is not an easy thing.

"No way... Hehe, the person my mother picked must be good."

Qiao Yingxuan laughed dryly and hurriedly turned the topic to the marriage arrangement, sighing secretly in his heart.

It would be a lie to say that Qiao Yingxuan is not worried. After all, she is a fiancée who has never met, and is the eldest daughter of a big family. Qiao Yingxuan is really afraid that the other party has a bad character... Just like Senior Brother Lu's daughter-in-law, it is his father Baba Qiu The daughter of the Shangguan who came here, relied on the high power of her mother's family, she was willing to gamble and be rude. She was also disrespectful to her parents-in-law and her husband. A handsome man like Senior Brother Lu.

"Brother Lu is also coming to Beijing with you this time? Although you have a close relationship, it's not good to trouble others like this."

Hearing that Qiao Yingxuan said that Lu Zijian would also accompany him, Qiao Yingze remembered that he had just traveled to the capital in person a while ago to help him kiss, and felt that it was too hard.

After getting to know Lu Zijian, a martial artist, Qiao Yingze and the others also discovered that this man is a good man who values ​​friendship, so they are also close to him.

"Next year is the year of the martial arts exam. Senior brother wants to go to Beijing to prepare for the test, so he simply set off with me. Senior brother wants to take the martial arts championship."

When it comes to martial arts, Qiao Yingxuan is also full of envy. If it wasn't for the family to stop him, he might be able to take the test of the next martial arts.

"That being said, he also wants to help you more, so remember this sentiment."

Hearing Qiao Yingxuan mentioning the Wuju Examination, Qiao Yingze couldn't help but think of Wen Ju. He could also go directly to Beijing to participate in the Wenju Examination in the following year... Shaking his head gently, Qiao Yingze suppressed the hopeless thoughts. the bottom of my heart.

"Yeah, speaking of grandmother and mother-in-law's parents' relatives are mostly in Beijing, the second uncle will have to go everywhere this time. Are all the ceremonies arranged properly?"

Gong Zhuoliang saw that the mood of the two brothers suddenly became low, and he probably guessed what they were thinking, so he opened the topic and the three discussed it for a while. Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze left his yard and went to Qiao Yuanyin said a few words and went to Pingxi's yard together.

Regarding the arrival of Gong Zhuoliang and his husband, the Xue Hua greeted him with embarrassment, and hurriedly ran into the bird cage to report to the second floor, which made the husband and wife who then slowly entered the building a little inexplicable. When it wasn't dinner time, it shouldn't have disturbed Pingxi's rest, could it be...

When Ping Xi went downstairs, the two of them turned a bit crimson when they saw it.

"Adult and madam are here, please take a seat."

Not surprised by Gong Zhuoliang's arrival, Ping Xi instructed Xuehua to lower the windscreen curtains on eight sides of the first floor, and then the three of them sat down at the table to drink tea.

After knowing the secrets of Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze, Ping Xi also knew that they knew about Shi Kang's acquaintance, but they didn't ask each other too deeply, so now that Shi Kang has made such a fuss, they will come It is normal to ask for news yourself here.

"Pingxi, we want to invite you to stay in the West Mansion, would you like to?"

Guessing something from Ping Xi's attitude, Gong Zhuoliang asked him a question in a low voice with a chuckle.

"what?"

Ping Xi thought they were here to ask about Shi Kang's news, but he didn't expect them to suddenly bring up such a thing, Ping Xi couldn't help but look at Gong Zhuoliang in surprise.

"Pingxi, although we don't know much about your past, as friends, we really don't want to see you trapped in this small courtyard. Maybe we can't help you too much, but living with us, After all, there is a lot of freedom.”

When Qiao Yingze saw Gong Zhuoliang looking towards the stairs with a half-smiling smile, he opened his mouth to pick up what they said, making it clear what he was here for.

"My lord... Madam... Pingxi would like to thank the two of you for your kindness."

Ping Xi looked at Qiao Yingze who had a sincere face and Gong Zhuoliang who nodded with a smile, and got up quite moved to clasp his fists and bow to the two of them. After his arms were respectively supported by the two, Ping Xi raised his head and smiled brightly at the two of them.

"It would be great if Pingxi could agree. We are also ashamed to say it. Now we can only propose such a way to treat the symptoms but not the root cause. I wonder if Pingxi can talk about the past in a convenient way. We may think of something better. countermeasures."

Seeing Ping Xi's smile, Gong Zhuoliang felt a little sour in his heart when he was happy. Seeing Ping Xi's moved appearance, he must have long wanted to get out of this kind of life.

"Actually, there's nothing I can't say. My surname is Kang Mingping, and I'm cousins ​​with Shi Kang. I'm three months older than him..."

The three of Pingxi took their seats again. Looking at the cordial and sincere appearance of the two, he suddenly had the desire to talk about the secrets that had been accumulated in him for many years.