Lord Zhao said that for men and women to get along, the atmosphere was very important. Since ancient times, it had been said that amidst flowers and in the moonlight (Chinese idiom : an ideal setting for amorous dalliance) could create a sweet atmosphere for couples. Men could easily made a solemn pledged of love and promises to women in this kind of atmosphere.

Xin Mei went back to the House of Xin to collect two baskets of flowers, changed into her most beautiful clothes, and rode excitedly on Qiu Yue to the Imperial Mausoleum the next day. However, Lu Qianqiao was not in his room, and Silan ignored her with his straight face. She had to wander around the Imperial Mausoleum looking for Lu Qianqao with two baskets of flowers in her hands.

Probably looking like this. This is apricot blossoms forest in Yili, China. Don"t confuse them with j.a.panese Cherry Blossoms. They are totally different. Apricot blossoms are considered under plum blossom that bloom nearly at the same time as cherry blossom.
Source Easy Voyage

There was a broken sacrificial platform in the southeast corner of the Imperial Mausoleum. It was said that there was a huge sacrificial pit not far away, where more than 4,000 people were buried alive at one time. There was always a lingering feeling of resentment dispersed around that area. So, the monsters in the Imperial Mausoleum planted apricot flowers trees in the pits. The apricot trees here bloom better than other places and they never withered. Although the place was kind of spooky, but now that it was already at the beginning of dusk, where the setting sun gave off the view of melting gold, the apricot flower forest colour spread out like a snow-capped sea and looked very beautiful.

This noob translation was translated by a noob translator きつね at xin-shou.blogspot.com. 

Lu Qianqiao was standing on the high platform, waving a whip. As he was in the early state of healing from his serious injury, his movements were still not smooth. His whip would beat on the blue bricks from time to time, making a sharp slapping sound.

Were you exercising?

Xin Mei looked up at him from the audience. For some reason, she felt that he looked very moving when he was waving the whip in the sunset. The wind was pa.s.sing under his underarms, whisking the black shirt draped over his shoulder, and waving his glossy black hair to and fro. He was more dazzling than the endless sea of apricot flowers.

For the first time, she felt that watching silently and not talking was more joyful than doing anything.

Lu Qianqiao, who was stretching his bones and muscles, felt that there was someone staring at him from behind. When he looked back, he saw Xin Mei standing under the stage holding two big baskets of withering flowers while smiling wide like… seeing something very delicious. As he was suddenly shocked, he loose hold of his hands and accidentally threw away the whip far away.

Xin Mei went up the high platform and walked up to him while smiling cheerfully, “Liu Qianqiao, you whip dance is very good.”

He looked at the two baskets of flowers in her hand and hesitated, “What are these?”

“Oh,” she thrust onto him the two baskets of fresh flowers, “It’s for you, the newly bloomed flowers in my family.”

…… What did exactly she mean by sending him two baskets of withering flowers? However, it seemed that it was not very good not to accept it, so, he took it slowly. Suddenly she asked, “Do you like it?”

He felt that he really couldn’t hide his conscience by saying that he liked the two baskets of flowers, so he had to cough a little to change the subject, “Have you eaten?”

“No, I’ll eat out in town.” Xin Mei smiled and turned to go. “I’ll see you again when the moon comes up at night! Lu Qianqiao, don’t throw away the flowers.” (T/N : OMG, don’t tell me she literally follows the idiom ‘amidst flowers and in the moonlight’ XD Xin Mei, you’re so precious!)

He suddenly grabbed her sleeve, then raised his hand against her hair and brushed it lightly. It was damped from the humidity of the mountain forests, as they were cool and overcast.

“Don’t run around like this next time.” Without waiting for her explanation, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down from the high platform. “Stay for dinner. Don’t rush off to go back tonight.”

Xin Mei’s eyes lit up, “Okay. Lu Qianqiao, would you like some wine? “

Once there were flowers, wine and moon, that would be the ideal atmosphere.

He thought about the last time the bear demon was beaten till it had foam coming from its mouth and shook his head firmly, “No drinking.”

“Not even a little drop?” She frowned as she felt disappointed.

He hesitated for a moment and finally nodded, “Don’t drink too much.”

She smiled as happiness spread on her face and she hugged his arm, “Liu Qianqiao, you are really a good man.”

A good man… Lu Qianqiao looked wistfully at the newly rising moon in the sky. What should he say at this time?

When Xin Mei returned to Lu Qianqao’s house, the little moon became brighter and brighter. The two baskets of flowers that she brought were placed under the window sill, reflecting the silvery moonlight. From the drooping lifeless petals, she could feel the amidst flowers and in the moonlight atmosphere. (T/N : Someone, please slap some reality to her. This wasn’t what Lord Zhao told her. – facepalm - )

Xin Mei poured a gla.s.s of wine and thought anxiously about how to create the so-called romantic atmosphere. Lord Zhao didn’t teach her this, so she had to scratch her head, thinking, but still, no idea came out.

Sweet and sour pork rib
Source Meishi China

Lu Qianqiao put a sweet and sour pork rib in her bowl, “Eat meat.”

Xin Mei felt very hungry at that moment. These two days, she had been busy thinking of how to get him that she didn’t even have the mood to eat. She immediately put down her gla.s.s of wine and gave him a chopstick full of eggplants, “Eat some vegetables.”

At first glance, Lu Qianqao knew that she was born rich and had never suffered. There were four dishes on the small table. She only picked up spareribs and bamboo shoots, and did not even touch the eggplants or radishes.

He silently put two dishes she didn’t like into his bowl. Suddenly he heard her ask, “Lu Qianqiao, what do you like best?” (T/N : Awww… Lu Qianqao.)

He indifferently asked, “Why are you asking this?”

“Just tell me.”

He didn’t answer. Xin Mei took out a pile of paper from inside her chest collar. It was full of questions, ranging from what color he liked best to what he liked to eat the most.

He didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry as he muttered, “Childish.”

Xin Mei pouted, “I want to understand you!”

As he lowered his head to drink the soup, a faint smile appeared on his face and he softly asked, “What nonsense did Lord Zhao tell you this time?”

“Eh? How did you know he was the one who told me? “

“Only he can think of such a boring thing.”

Xin Mei had to immerse herself in drinking as he unexpectedly took the pile of paper and looked through them one by one while he patiently smiled. After going through to the last question, he put them aside and asked her, “What are you going to do after you understand me?”

“Once you know your enemy and yourself, you will win every battle.” She answered smoothly.

“Do you want to fight?”

“After understanding the matter …” She paused and had another drink. “We’ll talk about that later. We’re going to take it one step at a time.”

Seeing that her face was red and the smell of wine was overflowing when she spoke, Lu Qianqao calmly lifted the pot of wine and shook it gently. It was already empty. He was secretly worried, but Xin Mei grabbed his sleeve and leaned closer to him as she pointed at the thin little moon outside which was covered by dark clouds, saying, “That… That’s right, Lu Qianqao. The moon represents my heart.”

He put his hand on her hot forehead and his voice was calm, “You’re drunk.”

She tried to scratch off his hand which was in the way, but could not get it off. She continued pointing to the moon, “Look, my heart is very much hanging in the sky.”

He remained calm, “It’s too small for me to see.”

Xin Mei was so anxious that she struggled to get up and went to the window to point out clearly. He was afraid that she would fall unsteadily since she was drunk, so he had to buckle her waist again and made her sit next to him. Her arms, like soft vines, grabbed him by the neck and stared at him seriously, motionless.

“Lu Qianqao, what kind of woman do you want to marry?” she asked very earnestly.

Lu Qianqiao held her in one hand so that she wouldn’t slide down. Hearing the question, he smiled, “Do you think I’ll tell you?”

“Don’t be so stingy. We’ll exchange. I tell you then. I like someone good looking and easy to use.”

This… Good-looking, okay he could understand. Easy to use… Easy to use for what? Which aspect needed to be easy to use? He was a bit tangled and his ears were slightly red. (T/N : Where did your mind go, Lu Qianqao? XP)

“I feel you are very good looking and easy to use.”

Like a bolt of lightning on a blue sky, she almost made him threw her out. Well, this ‘easy to use’ must not have been what he was actually thinking about, right? (T/N : Where have your mind been? – snickered -)

“I’m not kidding this time – well, would you like to be my husband? Don’t hesitate to make me an offer.”

He did not answer, but touched her forehead, “You are drunk. I"ll send you to the guest room to sleep.”

In fact, she was not really that drunk, which was much better than the last time she was with the bear demon. It was just that he didn’t know how to answer this question and wanted to escape.

“If you don’t answer, I’ll take it as your tacit consent.”

Xin Mei hold him tight in her arms. This was her treasured ‘husband’ whom she had a hard time to find. She couldn’t let him get away. Now that she looked at his face, how did she become very fond of it? Although it still had some aftermath of facial paralysis, it only happened from time to time. She didn’t mind much since this person was still a good ‘husband’ for herself.

“Come here.” She curled her finger at him.

He ignored her. With one of his hand pressing her forehead, while the other holding her waist, he tried to drag her up and threw her to the guest room.

Xin Mei struggled to free his hand from her eyes. She aimed at the bridge of his straight nose, and gnawed at it.

…………

That night, she had many strange dreams. She also could not breathe. For a long time, she seemed to be tightly held in her arms. Her lips were hot and painful, with her body was rapidly breaking apart. The next morning, when she woke up, she saw that her mouth was swollen and red with some red spots appeared on her neck. (T/N : Oh! Oh! Oh! Don’t tell me…)

She went to Lu Qianqiao with a bitter face and complained, “There are worms in the guest room! Look at my mouth and neck! “

Lu Qianqiao’s expression at that time was so calm that he silently cut a piece of ointment and threw it to her. Then he silently watched her ride on the back of Qiu Yue, avoiding her eyes from beginning to end.

“Lu Qianqiao, I’m leaving.” She turned back and waved to him, “I’ll come to see you tomorrow night when the moon climbs to the zenith.”

She was really busy.

He knew what she wanted. What her bright and flashing eyes were looking at, and what was contained in the soft way she said ‘Lu Qianqiao’.

He already knew.

But he only pretended not to know.

Liu Qianqiao did not look at her, nor answering her and threatening to close the window.

Suddenly she leaned in her face and glared at him, “Why aren’t you talking to me?”

What a charming and unreasonable girl.

His eyes involuntarily moved down on her slightly swollen lips, and they suddenly became hot.

He seems to be in a daze. As Xin Mei’s unreliable young woman heart started jumping around, she turned to look around. Very good, no one. She raised her hands to hold his head and while he was startled, she kissed his beautiful face, to make it clear that he couldn’t default.

She jumped away smiling and ran like a rabbit onto the back of Que Yue.

“I’m leaving, remember to miss me!”

Xin Mei was very happy that she walked very fast all the way. She felt that this ‘husband’ was almost ready to be captured.

But she wouldn’t expect that he would fall into his net so soon… yup, a little too soon.

That day was the thirteenth day of fifth lunar month when Emperor Rong of Qiongguo sent an imperial edict to House of Xin, sanctioning a marriage between Xin Mei and General of the Flying Calvary, Liu Qianqiao. The marriage would be held within two months.

When a tough situation met a tough woman…..

The small moon at the zenith rose and fell, fell and rose, and gradually it became round.

This day, Liu Qianqiao sat at the window again and waited for the girl who would push the window opened, then jumped in cheerfully when the moon rose. He waited until the moon was at its zenith, but she still did not come. (T/N : Awww…)

How many days had it been? Did something happen?

He felt a little restless.

But what if she did come? Keep expecting his response? Waiting for his impossible reply?

The full moon was almost over. There was only two and a half months left.

Lu Qianqiao began to struggle again, looking forward to her coming, and also looking forward to her not coming at all… Why did you always struggle with this problem recently? He rubbed his forehead.

When the door was suddenly opened, Silan came in. He was not looking very good. What he held up in his hand was a roll of golden silk cloth.

“General, the Emperor has issued another decree.”

It must be urging his General to quell the civil strife by himself. This Emperor was really not a good person. He listened to gossip when there was no war around, and then he demoted the General to guard the Imperial Mausoleum for no reason. Now that something had happened, he cried repeatedly and beseech the General to go back.

What a shame! Silan curled his lips down disdainfully.

Lu Qianqiao didn’t respond. His whole mind was obsessed with whether Xin Mei would come or not while staring at the small moon at the zenith.

“General, that wench is only fishing for three days while drying the net for two days (Chinese idiom : Lack perseverance). Now, I am quite sure she has a crush on other good young lad. Why can’t you withstand her? “

Compared with the Emperor, Silan had no favourable impression of Xin Mei much more. Women should be as gentle as water and quiet as Yinglian. Xin Mei with her actions like that, could only be called the hair-exploding cat. The General was wise and good in martial arts, so, why was he so blind when it came to her?

Lu Qianqiao turned his head and said nothing. He just picked up the imperial edict and took a casual look, then suddenly froze.

The imperial edict with a plain light pink couple colour paper inside, was filled with lengthy words written elegantly – which was a bad habit of Emperor Rong. He wrote an imperial decree liked writing poetry, where every sentences were written closely together each time.

But that was not the point.

He frowned twice and his fingers tightened slowly.

Emperor Rong had arranged a marriage for him. The bride was Xin Mei… From this single edict, he knew his mother had poked her nose in this matter.

He stared at a particular pa.s.sage in the decree. His brows growing tighter.

“… once one dies, the other will be buried together, to live up the tender feelings they have with each other.”

He didn"t know that Qiongguo still had this system of human sacrifice. Was that why the imperial edict stated that when he died, Xin Mei would be buried along with him? He suddenly dropped the imperial edict, and in an instant he woke up to the meaning of his mother’s words that day. She said that she would ask Xin Mei to accompany him forever, even if he died. Was that what she meant?!

“Silan, go and bring Lie Yun Horse!”

Lu Qianqiao tied up his cloak and jumped out of the window. He was going to find Li Chaoyang!

Silan gave a startled promise and looked back at the imperial edict that fell to the ground. He could not help but take a look at it and was stunned.

“My Lord! They force you to marry that little girl?!” he burst out a cry of shock. “Bury together?! This s.h.i.t Emperor… “

“It’s none of his business,” Lu Qianqiao shook his head, “Go lead Lie Yun Horse.”

Silan hurried off, as Lu Qianqao stood quietly in the moonlight. His heart was beating violently in his chest, and his body trembled slightly.

He had a bad feeling… The scene in front of him gradually became blurred. He closed his eyes and opened them again. The small moon in the sky seemed to become ten millions.

He suddenly felt a vertigo that he had never felt before.

“General, the horse is here!”

Silan grabbed Lie Yun Horse and ran back quickly. When he looked up, he saw only a pair of dark red eyes shining like wild animals in the middle of the night.

25th day of the sixth lunar month was an auspicious day which made it a suitable day for a marriage to be held.

The most festooned bridal sedan that I could find.
Source Kknews

Xin Mei put on her wedding clothes and got on the festooned bride sedan carriage amid the deafening sound of gongs, drums and firecrackers.

Lu Qianqiao did not come, but several officials sent by the emperor came to bring the bride to the home of the groom. It was said that because the General who was demoted to guard the Imperial Mausoleum did not given imperial edict on getting out, he could not leave the place and only handed over of inviting the bride to the groom’s house to others.

The slightly unpleasant details did not affect the good mood of the House of Xin people. Anyway, the little devil star who had troubled them for sixteen years had finally being married out. This ecstasy was absolutely incomprehensible to outsiders. (T/N : Bad people XD)

Xin Xiong even burst into tears. When he saw a lonely person, he took the other person’s hand and started to chatter, “G.o.d bless, and with her mother blessing, Xiao Mei has finally been taken over by someone else…”

Moreover, that someone else was not an ordinary person. Even if he was demoted to guard the Imperial Mausoleum, he was still a general! Xin Xiong felt that his life had turned over overnight, as he kept receiving words of congratulation from a ma.s.s of people of Lushui (green water) Town with a self-satisfied face. These scoundrels, when he mentioned to them about Xin Mei’s curse where she would jinx her husband, they would ran away like a rabbit. It still had to depend on his own daughter’s skill to leave home and snared herself a husband, or even better, a general husband!

Regardless of the reason why the Emperor suddenly granted the marriage, in a word, it was the first time that someone had actually asked for Xin Mei!

Xin Mei waved at him from inside the bride sedan carriage, “Dad, I’ll come to visit you in a few days. Don’t cry, your nose is running.”

Xin Xiong blew his nose hard and howled, “We’ll talk about your returning in a month! Be careful not to make your husband’s family don’t want you because you decide to return here early!”

… Her father must have been insane.

Xin Mei shook her head and lowered the sedan curtain. The spirit beast in front of her let out a long neigh and flapped its wings to fly up into the clouds. The long wedding procession rose like a red cloud and gradually disappeared from the public’s view.

Bride veil
Source Top China Travel

What was Lu Qianqao doing now? Xin mei lifted the front part of her bridal veil, then bent over the window to look at the white clouds outside.
 

She didn’t know why, but she suddenly remembered that day he waved his long whip on the high platform with a straight and outstanding figure, which had nothing to do with such things as fame, wealth and status that people admired. She wanted to look at him again. It didn’t matter if they didn’t talk at all. 

A groom"s attire with a big red flower on his chest. Zhu Yi Long (♥ω♥ ) ~♪
Source Sohu

Lu Qianqiao, were you already dressed in that silly red groom’s clothes with red flowers on your chest waiting for me?

Were you happy now? Or did you curl your lips with disdain?

She was rather fond of making these kind of speculations, expecting what his expression would be and what he was going to say-at this moment, she finally had a little experience of being a bride.

However, this experience disappeared when they arrived at the Imperial Mausoleum.

The clouds of Mist Array Formation that once surrounded the Imperial Tomb had long since disappeared. Everything was in a mess, with remnants of flowers and soil covering the tombs pa.s.sage. Obviously, no one had cleaned it for a long time.

The wedding officials get out of the carriage to discuss for a moment. In the end, with a bit of hesitation, they sent one of them to report to her. “Ma… Miss, no sight of the General’s chariot ahead. This… is extremely rare.”

Xin Mei thought for a moment, “Shall we go much further?”

This was the only way.

The procession marched into the depths of the Imperial Mausoleum majestically. They saw the broken sacrificial platform along the road with the green mountains and water were still green. However, it was still lifeless and the land was really messy. Only the flowers on the trees by the roadside that bloomed silently. Even the once noisy little monsters were not there at that moment.

The procession stopped in front of Lu Qianqiao’s house. Someone had knocked at the door earlier. After waiting for a long time and still no response coming from the inside, they forced open the door. Moments later, the man who had went inside, ran out in panic. “There is no one in the house! It’s a mess! The General is gone! “

Xin Mei immediately felt like being poured a bucket of cold water during winter, and could not help herself from shivering.

Like headless flies (Chinese metaphor for sb who is rushing around frantically), the group of officials started to discussed about it absent-mindedly. Since they couldn’t think of other alternatives, they had to send someone to report to her. “Then … I have to ask Miss to wait here for a while. I will immediately send someone to search inside and outside the Imperial Mausoleum.”

They had never met such matter before. Even the Imperial edicts had been sent to the door of the General’s home. This rebellious General had become a rubbish for not even trying to show his face and even dared to leave a bunch of people standing outside his home. 

A tough life really needed no reason.

But, he was not only unwilling to give any face at the Emperor, but it was also like he was slapping his own wife. The poor Miss, just married, immediately suffered this tragedy… this Miss … uh, how did that Miss get out of the car by herself?!

Xin Mei got out of the car slowly and threw her bridal veil onto the ground. She applauded once and started walking forward.

The worried officials rushed up and tried to stopped her, “Ma… Miss! A bride can’t walk around! “

Xin Mei was in a bad mood now and was too lazy to speak. She only shook her fist in front of the crowd, “Watch, this is a fist.”

Fist… All the people looked at her small white hand. Her fist was pretty nice… And then what?

She pointed to the pear tree with a thick trunk beside her, “This is a tree.”

So, what about that?

The next moment, that beautiful fist hit the pear tree with the thick trunk, only then they heard a ’kacha’ sound, as the sad pear tree fell down with miserable tears.

In an instant, all of them retreated in three big steps, as they became reverent and respectfully emptied out a grand avenue for her. They were silence and trembling as they watched her go away.

Xin Mei actually did not know where she was going, but she just walked slowly forward.

She repeatedly recalled all the things that had happened after meeting Liu Qianqiao. She did not understand why-was he actually hated himself very much? This so much hated feeling made him emptied out the Imperial Mausoleum without even leaving her a note?

She used to think that the Imperial Mausoleum was a very annoying place because she was forced to be placed under house arrest at that time.

Later, she thought it was actually very beautiful because Lu Qianqiao was there.

Right now, the flowers were still blooming and the green water was still green, but she once again felt a deep disgust. There were many perplexities and grievances in the disgust.

Suddenly, her steps stopped.

In front of Xin Mei was the sea of pale apricot blossoms and the familiar high platform. She looked up. She did not know what was she hoped to see. Perhaps she was hoping to look up to see Lu Qianqao standing on it, as usual waving his whip.

Apricot flowers fell all over her sleeve. She hung her head down and several big pearls from her bun slipped to the ground, scattering around like tears.

Was it time to go back? If she abandoned her naïve fantasy, she could feel that Lu Qianqiao was actually hating her so much.

Um … it’s time to go back.
 

……

Go back?!

Xin Mei tore off her wedding clothes.

Where was Lu Qianqao?! Where did that jerk hiding?! She was going to dig him out and beat him into a pulp! She kicked the green brick at the edge of her foot. The brick flew out like an arrow, b.u.mped into an apricot flower tree and from inside the brick, came out the gloomy sound of a someone shouting painfully.

Xin Mei rushed in and raised her hand. She dragged the fl.u.s.tered person hiding inside out by pulling the person’s hair.

“It’s you!”

“It hurts!”

The two of them shouted at the same time. Xin Mei looked up and glared at the man whose hair she just pulled, so the man’s posture was very distorted.

Silan.

He was also shocked to see her as his face changed, and finally his eyes showed a trace of pity.

“Let go!” He tried to struggle for a while, but was unable to break free. He immediately said urgently, “The General will not marry you! Give up! Go back! He will call the emperor to cancel the marriage when he comes back! “

Xin Mei was furious “Where is he?!”

Silan scowled, “I won’t tell! It useless to kill me! You go back! Don’t say the General, even I wouldn’t let him marry you, you both are simply not a good match!”

Xin Mei stared at him seriously for a while and suddenly realized, “You like him! You regard me as your rival in love?“

Silan nearly spat blood. “Nonsense!”

She raised her hand and tried to hit his face, “If you don’t tell me the truth again, I’ll knock your teeth out.”

Silan was full of tears. General! I, Silan, could endure any torture for you! Even a slap from your beloved girl was not a problem!

Before her hand fell on his face, she heard an indifferent voice behind her calling out in a low voice, “Xin Mei.”

She suddenly shuddered and without thinking she turned around. Lu Qianqiao, whom the crowd could not find anywhere, stood in the apricot blossom forest and was looking at her quietly.

His once deep blackeyes, were now as red as blood.

The author has something to say: While writing the scenes where Xin Mei showing out her prowess and prestige... my state of mind was actually really free...