After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 21
A full chapter for my fluffies! ?(?????)?* ?????
Chapter 21: Preparing for Marriage
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On the day when Ruan Xi became Huo Xi, and the day when Huo Pingxiao recognized his son, the distant cousin of the Duke of Pei, who had been seriously ill, unfortunately passed away in the Duke Pei’s residence that night.
It seemed that Concubine Fang had sensed the signs of her impending death early in the morning. Three days before Miss Fang’s death, she had informed the abbot of the Daci Temple, preparing to chant sutras for the poor girl on the seventh day after her death.
What puzzled Ruan An was that, although Huo Pingxiao had sent his subordinates to handle Miss Fang’s funeral before going to war, he had also instructed the Duke of Pei’s residence to keep the death a secret. Moreover, no one was sent to the capital to cancel Miss Fang’s household registration.
The Duke’s residence was vast, and Miss Fang had fallen seriously ill as soon as she arrived in Chang’an. Many servants had never seen her.
After returning to Chang’an, Ruan An, under Huo Pingxiao’s arrangement, temporarily stayed at the Duke of Pei’s residence with Ruan Xi.
Strangely, after the man went to war, rumors about the legendary healer, Doctor Ruan, and her adventures in the southern border began to circulate in Chang’an.
Even more astonishingly, someone turned their interactions with the Marquis of Dingbei into a poignant drama script.
The person who wrote this script even knew about her pretending to be old all along.
The things that happened between her and Huo Pingxiao in Jiazhou were not groundless rumors, but they wouldn’t have spread without reason. Ruan An didn’t know who wrote this script, but she always felt that it was somehow related to Huo Pingxiao.
Separated for so many years, she had almost forgotten. Huo Pingxiao’s personality seemed outwardly arrogant, but in reality, he was cunning and deep-thinking. Although he was not in Chang’an, his influence here was not insignificant.
She always felt that this matter was likely orchestrated by him.
***
On that day, the weather was clear and the sky was bright.
Seven days after Fang Ran’s death, news of Huo Pingxiao’s victory in the Qiannan region also arrived. Ruan An, temporarily residing in the residence, transcribed some scriptures for the deceased Fang Ran.
Watching her own efforts in writing, but still not very neat handwriting, Ruan An helplessly put down the brush in her hand.
She sighed. A lifetime had passed, and her handwriting hadn’t improved at all.
Ruan An thought that when Huo Pingxiao returned, she must ask him which teacher in Chang’an City was the best at teaching handwriting.
The young lady secretly made up her mind. In this life, she wanted to practice good handwriting and definitely write her ‘Jiannan Medical Record.’
Due to Fang Ran’s funeral, Concubine Fang had been returning home frequently lately. When she came to find Ruan An today, she also bought Ruan Xi’s favorite Biluo.
After the two sat down in the side hall, Ruan An attentively listened as Concubine Fang talked about Huo Pingxiao’s childhood. Whenever she mentioned those past events, Concubine Fang would laugh and shake her head, saying that he was mischievous as a child and could even make Huo Lang, a person of deep temperament, angry.
But Concubine Fang deliberately did not mention Huo Pingxiao’s birth mother, the first wife.
Ruan An always felt that, compared to Huo Pingxiao’s birth mother and the people of the Huo family, Huo Pingxiao’s relationship with Concubine Fang was closer.
In the month she lived in the official residence, Ruan An finally had the real feeling of gradually blending into Huo Pingxiao’s life.
Even though she had liked him for two lifetimes, Ruan An still didn’t know much about this man. Every time she thought of him in her previous life, her feelings were complex.
Because she couldn’t be sure if there were other women around Huo Pingxiao, whenever she thought of him or had the idea of probing into his private affairs, she always felt a sense of guilt.
Only when she, as a commoner, prayed for the war god Li to go to war, did she feel that she had some standing and could miss him.
At present, the relationship between the two people has finally been determined. Ruan An feels that she can now legitimately inquire about him and openly care about him.
With this in mind, Ruan An asked in a gentle voice to Concubine Fang, “So… what kind of person is Marquis Huo’s mother?”
After saying this, although Concubine Fang’s expression remained unchanged, her eyes dimmed imperceptibly, and a hint of sadness seemed to seep through.
Ruan An felt that she had asked the wrong question and was about to change the topic when Concubine Fang, with a tone of sigh and nostalgia, said, “Zhong Xun’s birth mother was also my dearest elder sister. She was the legitimate eldest daughter, raised with affection by the Duke, and her appearance was the most dazzling and charming.”
“Back then, people in Chang’an City used to say that Zhong Xun’s mother was the number one beauty in Great Li. Her beauty in her prime made many self-proclaimed beauties feel inferior. Compared to what they say now, even Li Shuying, the legitimate eldest daughter of Minister Li, is not as beautiful.”
After hearing Concubine Fang’s words, Ruan An was deeply convinced because the exquisite features of Huo Pingxiao revealed that his mother must have been a great beauty.
Ruan An initially thought that Concubine Fang would tell her more about Huo Pingxiao’s birth mother. Unexpectedly, Concubine Fang cautioned her, “Miss, after you marry Zhong Xun, remember not to mention his birth mother in the Huo family. In front of Zhong Xun, try to avoid bringing it up.'”
“I’ll remember.”
Ruan An nodded at Concubine Fang, just about to ask her again about how Huo Pingxiao got the scar on his neck.
The maid Bai Wei walked over and respectfully reported to her, saying, “Miss, Steward Wei has come.”
Steward Wei is Wei Yuan, who has been serving Huo Pingxiao since childhood.
Ruan An is not very clear about how Huo Pingxiao discussed this matter with the people of the Huo family, but the people from the mansion have never disturbed her life.
This Wei Yuan who came is also a trusted man, and the mistress of the mansion, Madam Gao, cannot interfere in his affairs.
Ruan An has no family, so when she first entered the mansion, Concubine Fang not only arranged a place for her to stay but also provided her with four clever maids.
Concubine Fang directly handed over their contracts to her, asking her to name the maids herself.
Ruan An named the girls directly according to the names of medicines, but she tried to choose pleasant-sounding names for them. The names of the four girls are Bai Wei, Fu Ling, Ze Lan, and Jie Geng.
Some time ago, Wei Yuan sent many people to measure her size. He also brought dozens of pieces of silk and fabric, which have now been made into fitting clothes for her. In passing, he also had the size and style of her wedding dress determined.
Today, when Wei Yuan came to the mansion, he not only brought newly crafted jewelry for Ruan An but also had someone hand her a silver note of ten thousand taels.
After handing one of the wooden boxes to Ruan An, Wei Yuan respectfully said, “Madam, please use this first. If it’s not enough, you can come to me for more.”
Ruan An’s slender fingers held the silver note, feeling somewhat at a loss. In fact, the silver that Huo Pingxiao gave her in Jiazhou that year still had a lot left. She planned to use a few hundred taels of that silver as her dowry.
In the past, one thousand silver taels was an unimaginable sum for her, but today Wei Yuan unexpectedly handed her ten thousand taels.
Seeing Ruan An’s eyes filled with surprise, Wei Yuan explained to her, “Madam, rest assured. Marquis is a county marquis; he has his own fiefdom and maritime territories, as well as tens of thousands of acres of cultivated land, several manors, horse farms, arsenals…”
“For managing his properties in Chang’an City alone, he needs dozens of accountants. In his earlier years as an official in Jiannan, he had three tea estates there. In the Eastern Road of Jiangnan, there are two salt fields. He doesn’t rely solely on the imperial stipend for a living.”
Listening to Wei Yuan’s words, Ruan An couldn’t help but feel that Huo Pingxiao’s personality was somewhat outgoing. Combined with being a military general, outsiders might think he is a bold person who doesn’t bother with his family business.
In reality, he is a meticulous and careful person. After returning to Chang’an, she and Ruan Xi’s life was also well settled.
Ruan An placed the silver notes back into the box and nodded at Wei Yuan, “Hmm, thank you for your efforts on behalf of Marquis and me.”
Wei Yuan replied, “It’s what this subordinate should do.”
That night, Ruan An had a rare good sleep and even had many dreams.
In those dreams were bits and pieces of her interactions with Huo Pingxiao several years ago in Jiazhou.
There were scenes of him helping her reprimand Steward Liu and Madam Zhu.
There was also the scene of him suddenly lifting her onto the horse in the mountain stronghold and telling Jinwu to run slower.
And the scene of him carrying her into a cave, warming her freezing body with his body temperature…
Everything in the dream felt very real, and Ruan An could even hear the man’s low and gentle voice, feeling his body temperature much warmer than hers.
Ruan An was somewhat unwilling to wake up from her dream, but she felt her thumb being gently tugged by a soft little hand.
“Mom~”
Ruan Xi called out to her mother in a sweet and childish voice, urging her to wake up.
After Ruan An got up and rubbed her eyes, she looked through the curtains and glanced at the sky outside the window. She asked in a gentle voice to her son, “Why did you come to find Mom so early?”
Ruan Xi’s obedient little face showed a hint of embarrassment. He explained to Ruan An with clear articulation, “The person who claims to be my father said he wanted to see you. He smells strongly of blood and is wearing armor.”
Right, she had just received a letter yesterday from Huo Pingxiao’s messenger, saying that he would be back in Chang’an within a few days.
Ruan An quickly tidied up her clothes and hair. When she walked out of the inner room, she saw Huo Pingxiao standing in the middle of the hall.
The man’s tall and straight figure was imposing, and the red tassel behind his helmet had been stained with blood.
Upon hearing the footsteps of her and Ruan Xi, Huo Pingxiao turned his head in the direction of the sound.
When Ruan An saw the bloodstains on his face, she couldn’t help but stare for a moment. There were also some dark circles under the man’s eyelids, clearly indicating that he hadn’t slept all night. It seemed he had rushed back in haste.
Such strenuous activity, even if it’s a body of iron, couldn’t endure.
In fact, every time he went to war, Ruan An was more worried than anyone else. She didn’t know how the scar on Huo Pingxiao’s neck came about, but she knew that if the scar deepened by another half inch, the man’s life would be in danger, not to mention the other scars on his body.
She truly hoped that Huo Pingxiao would stop fighting in the future.
Ruan An hastily ordered Fu Ling to bring clear water. With delicate hands, she picked up the snow-white handkerchief hanging on the edge of the basin and wetted it, then handed it to Huo Pingxiao.
After taking it, Huo Pingxiao whispered, “That traitor was indeed formidable, so it took some time to defeat him. As the commander, I also need to consider the well-being of my soldiers and not let them suffer too many casualties, which delayed our return.”
Finishing speaking, the man glanced down at Ruan Xi.
The boy had been watching him with his round black eyes the whole time he spoke, concentrating without the vigilance he had shown when he approached.
After wiping the bloodstains from his face, Huo Pingxiao asked Huo Xi, “Did you follow your mother’s instructions while I was away?”
Ruan Xi hesitated for a moment but nodded at the man, saying, “I did.”
Ruan An didn’t know what to bring up with him proactively. The girl pursed her lips, pondered for a moment, and only said, “Why not remove your armor? Shouldn’t you report to the emperor first?”
“Not removing the armor is to save some time,” Huo Pingxiao replied, throwing the handkerchief into the copper basin. The blood stains on it gradually dissolved in the clear water.
The corners of the man’s eyes and the tips of his eyebrows were imbued with a faint yet perceptible warmth. He gazed at Ruan An’s dodging apricot eyes and spoke in a low voice, “Moreover, after returning to Chang’an, the first person I want to see is naturally my wife and child.”