Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 113

Cui Guangyuan looked at Li Ji, his brow furrowed slightly, and he gave a bitter smile: "I fell ill as soon as I received the imperial edict, and I had to be carried all the way back to Chang'an..." Before Li Ji could ask any more questions, he stretched his hand out from under the covers and gestured: "Changwei, come closer and let's talk."

Although Li Ji was surprised—"Do we really know each other that well?"—he still followed Cui Guangyuan's instructions, quickly went to the bedside, and reached out to grasp the other's outstretched hand. He felt that the hand was dry and cold, and even though Li Ji was not knowledgeable in medicine, he instinctively sensed that the old man's illness was probably quite serious.

However, the reality was even more unexpected. Cui Guangyuan slowly said, "I have wasted nearly fifty years of my life. I had hoped to take charge of a local area and build a better future for my children and grandchildren, but alas, fate has been cruel, and I have suffered repeated turmoil, leaving me utterly exhausted..."

Li Ji comforted him, saying, "Lord Cui, please rest and recuperate. You will surely recover one day..." Of course, this referred to his physical health. As for his career, in Li Ji's opinion, the old man probably would never have another chance to be sent to a post outside the capital. It was already a stroke of luck that the court had given him a sinecure and asked him to retire.

Unexpectedly, Cui Guangyuan shook his head and revealed his true colors: "I know my own affairs. Not only have I lost both my heart and soul, but I am also... on my last legs!"

"Mr. Cui..."

Cui Guangyuan interrupted Li Ji and continued on his own: "I had already seen Gou'er in Shu. I forced myself to return to the capital this time so that I could see Ju'er one more time... And dying at home would make it easier to hold a funeral, so that my children and grandchildren wouldn't have to travel so much to carry the coffin..."

Li Ji wanted to say a few polite words to comfort the other party, but he didn't know how to start. The old man knew he was dying, and the fact that he still thought of asking him to come and see him before he passed away was a kindness... So he simply said, "If Lord Cui has any instructions, Li Ji will obey them without question."

Cui Guangyuan turned his head and beckoned to his son: "Ju'er, come here and pay your respects to the chief guard."

Without saying a word, Cui Ju immediately knelt down, which startled Li Ji so much that he shuddered.

"What the hell does this mean? Is he entrusting his son to someone?!" Although Cui Ju's expression clearly showed some reluctance, and he deliberately turned his body slightly to the side when he knelt, his attitude was clear. He must have been instructed or even persuaded by Cui Guangyuan beforehand. He quickly turned around, pulled Cui Ju up, and said repeatedly, "How can I accept this?"

Cui Guangyuan said, "I deserve it... I am a few years older than you, and I have always treated you like my own son or nephew. From now on, I will treat you as my elder brother..."

Li Ji grinned somewhat awkwardly, "Well... I'm actually only twenty-three years old..." But judging from Cui Ju's appearance, he should be older than me.

Cui Guangyuan twitched his beard: "Let's not talk about age... Changwei, were you born in the year of Ji Mao, the month of Bing Yin, and the day of Yi Si?"

Li Ji was startled upon hearing this—the old man even knows my birthday! Where did he find out? Upon further reflection, the Ministry of Personnel records theoretically require the date of birth to be noted, and given Cui Guangyuan's taste and his fondness for cultivating extraordinary individuals, it wouldn't be difficult for him to peek.

"Just as Master Cui said."

Cui Guangyuan nodded: "Although I don't know the time of his birth, based on these six characters alone, I had a master from Sichuan and Chongqing divine his future on my journey. Changwei's future is limitless..."

Li Ji thought to himself that the old man's superstitious beliefs were quite serious... but he took the advice as a piece of advice, thank you, thank you.

"My Cui family of Boling is gradually declining. If we wish to revive it, we can only rely on the Crown Prince. As for this third branch... their children and grandchildren are unworthy, and I fear they will be unable to climb the social ladder. After much thought, I believe the only one I can entrust with this is Changwei..."

"What merit or ability does Li Ji possess...?"

Cui Guangyuan waved his hand: "Changwei, there's no need for such modesty. Your talent in literature is already half that of your brother, and in martial arts... well, even your brother would be far behind. Now you've also befriended the Prince of Fengjie and twice rescued Consort Shen. The Prince will surely rely on you as a confidant. If we had released Changwei earlier, it wouldn't have been difficult to find a position as governor or military commander—you're only just reaching adulthood and already wearing red robes; who can say your future isn't bright? Yet the Prince insists on placing Changwei in the Imperial Guard, which only shows him more favor..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You've already said so much, there's no point in me being modest anymore." So he walked back to the couch, took Cui Guangyuan's hand, and promised, "If anything happens to you, Master Cui, and your son faces any difficulties in the future, I will certainly lend a helping hand."

This attitude was naturally somewhat reserved. He was already burdened with the responsibility of Kang Lian, and it was impossible for him to take on another burden without a reason. Besides, Kang Lian was easy to support, and Kang Lao Hu's dying words did not intend for his son to revive the family business; he only wanted his son to live a stable life under Li Ji's protection. However, Cui Guangyuan's words implied that his children and grandchildren should rely on Li Ji to climb the social ladder and become rich and powerful through Li Yu and his son. How could Li Ji possibly agree to that rashly?

Cui Guangyuan, being an old and shrewd man, immediately saw through the hidden meaning in Li Ji's words and said, "I know it's difficult for you, Changwei... If you don't produce an offspring, you will gain nothing. If you want someone to do you a favor, you must first repay them—I am willing to give Cui Qi to you as a concubine, what do you say?"

One sentence struck at the heart of the matter, and Li Ji was stunned on the spot.

He felt he was taking advantage of someone's misfortune... But then again, this was a golden opportunity that came to him of his own accord. If he didn't seize it, he would regret it for the rest of his life! Especially since Cui Guangyuan was about to die, neither Cui Gou nor Cui Ju, the steward, would have any connection with him then. So what chance would he have of getting Cui Qi?

Hesitating for a moment, he decided to tell the truth: "I dare not refuse Lord Cui's kind offer. However... I do love Cui Qi, but he has made it clear that he does not want to become a concubine. I do not wish to force him. I wonder if Lord Cui has any solution that satisfies both parties?"

Before Cui Guangyuan could answer, Cui Ju, who was standing beside him, finally couldn't hold back any longer and sneered, "Refuse to become a concubine? Who does she think she is?!"

Cui Guangyuan glared at his son, then closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, he seemed to have made a great decision, and ordered Cui Ju: "Summon Cui Qi."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "Master Cui, you mustn't force yourself."

Cui Guangyuan smiled slightly: "I know what I'm doing, and I'll offer some kind advice... How about the guard waits in the side hall for now?"

He ordered Cui Ju to lead Li Ji out to a side room, where maids served him soup and snacks. However, Li Ji had no appetite for food or drink. He waved his hand, telling the maids not to close the door, and then stared intently towards the main bedroom. After a short while, he saw Cui Ju leading Cui Qi back, and then they disappeared from his sight in a flash. After a while, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps, and then saw Cui Qi cover his face with his hands and run out, heading towards the courtyard gate.

Li Ji panicked—was the old man forcing her? She couldn't possibly blame me for this! He immediately darted out, not even having time to put on his boots, and chased after Cui Qi's retreating figure.

However, although the little girl was small and thin, she must have taken small steps. Even with his long legs, Li Ji couldn't catch up with her. Somehow, she would turn east and west, and then disappear from sight.

Chapter 18, Ethical Farce

Li Ji looked around and guessed that he had accidentally run into the back garden of Cui Qi while chasing him. Normally, such a large family would have gates and servants guarding the outer courtyard and inner residence. However, the main room was in the inner residence, so although he had seen a few maids along the way, no one stopped him.

The garden is planted with many willows, and in the middle of spring, the willow branches are green and droop like ribbons. In addition, flowers are planted everywhere, half of which are spring flowers, which are in full bloom and are a sight to behold that makes one feel refreshed.

However, Li Ji couldn't help but think to himself: No wonder they are a family with hundreds of years of history, they are really rich! Although the greenery obscures the view and the entire garden cannot be seen at a glance, a rough estimate suggests that it is probably even larger than his own mansion. In Chang'an, where every inch of land is precious, Cui Guangyuan is still able to amass such a large estate. Where does he get his money from?

While Cui Guangyuan's official rank was Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, a second-grade official, his salary, stipend, land grants, and corvée labor were nearly ten times that of his own, even if he could earn sixty or seventy thousand coins a month, could he afford such a large mansion? Besides, the Cui family owned more than just this one residence.

In such a vast place, where am I supposed to find Cui Qi? Besides, it's someone else's house. I was in such a hurry that I didn't think things through and chased after him. Now that I've slowed down, can I still run around aimlessly?

Having exhausted all other options, I can only go back to see Cui Guangyuan first—and ask him how exactly he "kindly persuaded" Cui Qi? Is it because you treat a servant as a master, and you think that as long as you don't speak harshly, slam the table, or glare at him, it counts as "kind words"?

Just as he was about to turn around and retrace his steps, he suddenly heard a soft sobbing sound beside him. Li Ji's spirits immediately lifted—he'd found her! But then he tensed up again—was the little girl crying? It seemed Cui Guangyuan was pushing her too hard; he didn't want this to ruin her good impression of him.

I need to go and explain to her quickly that it's not that I'm forcing her to marry me, but that Old Man Cui himself came to me...

Following the sound, and passing a few willows, a clear pond suddenly appeared before me, with clusters of lotus leaves floating on the surface... Hmm, I had misjudged earlier; this garden is at least three times the size of my own house!

Beside the pond, a thin figure was curled up in a ball, head bowed, with faint sobs coming from within. Li Ji carefully walked over slowly—don't frighten the little girl, we finally found her, if she runs away again, we probably won't be able to catch her—he saw Cui Qi facing the pond, squatting down, her arms wrapped around her legs, her face buried between her knees.

Li Ji walked to Cui Qi's side, and the little girl trembled slightly, seemingly sensing something—given her qualities, she must have sharp ears and eyes, and even in the midst of intense emotional turmoil, she shouldn't have failed to notice—but she showed no sign of running away. So Li Ji mustered his courage and sat down cross-legged beside her.

He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but found himself speechless. Li Ji had seen women cry before, but this was the first time he had ever seen Cui Qi shed tears, leaving him feeling utterly helpless. In truth, he was usually a sharp-witted and eloquent person, but in this situation, he was quite anxious and insecure, afraid that saying the wrong thing would completely ruin Cui Qi's good impression of him.

But it's impossible to remain silent like this for long. If Cui Qi runs away, that's one thing, but as a guest of the Cui household, if he suddenly disappears without a trace, he will definitely send people to look for him. At that time, he probably won't be able to talk to Cui Qi anymore, to explain his feelings and seek the other party's understanding.

So he first coughed to clear his throat, and then asked softly, "Master Cui... what did you just say to me?"

Cui Qi maintained the posture of hugging his legs with his hands and burying his face in his knees, but then twisted his buttocks and turned ninety degrees on the ground, exposing his back to Li Ji.

Li Ji was startled and quickly said, "Whatever Lord Cui said is none of my business. You should know my feelings for you, and you have also told me your wishes. I will never force you. However, there are some arbitrary provisions in the 'Household and Marriage Law,' which are not suitable to violate outright. We should think of a solution that satisfies both sides..."

In the Tang Dynasty, people were generally divided into three classes according to law: officials, commoners, and lowly people. Officials mainly referred to officials within the official ranks (with official titles), and in some cases, also included those outside the official ranks; commoners were ordinary people who were required to pay taxes and perform corvée labor; lowly people referred to government and private slaves, miscellaneous households, and people in the Imperial Music Bureau, etc.

The Household and Marriage Law explicitly prohibited marriage between people of different social classes and those of lower social classes. Violators were punished with caning or imprisonment depending on their social status. Strictly speaking, even marriage between officials and people of different social classes, as well as between people of different social classes, was not permitted.

Of course, feelings are often not determined by social status, and officials can often get away with breaking the law without punishment. Therefore, many provisions in the Household and Marriage Law are ultimately just empty words. However, if the social status is too far apart, an official who marries a slave as his principal wife will most likely not be able to escape punishment.

Therefore, when Li Ji first probed Cui Qi, she immediately expressed her unwillingness to become a concubine—given her status, she never even considered becoming Li Ji's principal wife. Consequently, although Li Ji did not value status or rank, and unless absolutely necessary, he did not intend to break the law, he was always considering a solution that would satisfy both parties.

The best-case scenario would be if Cui Guangyuan not only released Cui Qi but also was willing to adopt her as his goddaughter, which would be a perfect match for Li Ji's status. As a fallback, they could consider finding another official to request the adoption of Cui Qi as their own daughter. However, such a person would be difficult to find; who would be willing to risk their family's reputation by adopting a freed slave as their daughter? They had originally pinned their hopes on Kang Qian, since Lao Hu at least held the position of examiner, but unfortunately…

Li Ji was about to reveal his plans to Cui Qi—regardless of whether they would succeed, he at least wanted Cui Qi to know that he was thinking about it and planning it. However, before he could speak, Cui Qi slightly raised his head, wiped away his tears, and sobbed softly as he said:

"The head of the family said that... actually, he is my biological father..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was stunned—what kind of bizarre turn of events is this? Is this some kind of family drama about ethics and morality?!

Just as he was about to ask further questions, he suddenly heard Cui Ju's voice from behind: "So it turns out that Chief Secretary Li is here, and Cui... Qi is also here. My father is still waiting in the bedroom."

Cui Guangyuan instructed Cui Ju to treat Li Ji as an elder brother, but Cui Ju still refused to address him by his courtesy name or birth order, instead calling him by his official title, clearly showing his displeasure. However, Li Ji was in no mood to pay attention to this detail at the moment. He immediately jumped up, turned to Cui Ju, and asked, "What exactly did Lord Cui say to her? What… about her biological father?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Ju's lips twitched slightly, and he then flicked his sleeve, saying, "Let her tell you... I'll go serve my father first, and Chief Secretary Li shouldn't keep him waiting any longer." With that, he turned and left.

Li Ji couldn't help but snort coldly: "This person is extremely rude."

In fact, he was in a state of shock just now, and his words and actions were not very polite. The reason he said something to Cui Ju behind her back was to remind the little girl: That guy is gone. If you have anything to say, tell me quickly... explain yourself quickly.

Cui Qi replied as expected: "The Third Young Master is naturally not pleased that a mere servant girl would want to be recognized as his sister..."

Li Ji turned around and stared at Cui Qi's back: "He...you...I...cough cough, you are Cui Guangyuan's illegitimate daughter? I've never heard you mention this before."

Cui Qi snorted coldly: "I only just found out myself..." He stretched out his right hand and gently patted the ground beside him, seemingly gesturing for Li Ji to come and sit down.

Li Ji was secretly delighted and quickly moved over, sitting down obediently cross-legged. Cui Qi then explained in a low voice, "My master said that my birth mother... was originally the beloved concubine of Zhangchou Jianqiong, the military governor of Jiannan. In the twenty-seventh year of Kaiyuan, my master was the magistrate of Tang'an County in Shuzhou. He went to Chengdu to pay his respects to Military Governor Zhangchou on some business. The military governor took a liking to her and made her live in his mansion. It was then that he had an affair with my mother..."

"When the military commander learned of this, he was furious and banished the head of the household from the mansion, and imprisoned the mother. Unexpectedly, the mother was already pregnant and soon gave birth to a baby girl... The mother died in childbirth, and the military commander ordered someone to send the baby girl to the head of the household. The head of the household lied and said that he had found her on the way and gave her to a concubine to raise..."

This baby girl was naturally Cui Qi. However, after listening to Cui Qi's story, Li Ji instinctively sensed that there were quite a few suspicious points... Considering that Zhang Qiu Jianqiong was a famous general who managed the entire Jiannan Circuit and wielded immense power, it wouldn't make sense for Cui Guangyuan to have an affair with his concubine and simply be expelled from the mansion, would it?

If Zhang Chou were a petty person, he could have immediately impeached Cui Guangyuan and dismissed him from his post, making it impossible for him to return to govern Tang'an County. If Zhang Chou were a magnanimous person, he might have simply given his concubine to Cui Guangyuan—giving away concubines was a common practice and could even be considered a good story among scholars.

Whether it was dismissing Cui Guangyuan or merely expelling him, it shows that Zhang Chou Jianqiong was not magnanimous and harbored resentment. If that's the case, why send Cui Qi back to Cui Guangyuan? He could have kept her as a maid in the mansion, or even drowned her…

Perhaps Cui Guangyuan only said nice things to Cui Qi? It's possible that Zhang Chou wanted to offer the concubine, but Cui Guangyuan was afraid of damaging his own reputation—the good story belonged to Zhang Chou, not him—so he refused to accept it. Therefore, Zhang Chou returned the woman more than half a year later.

But none of that matters—besides, Cui Guangyuan would never reveal the truth, and Zhang Chou Jianqiong has been dead for many years, so the truth will never be known—what matters is that now, on his deathbed, Cui Guangyuan has finally acknowledged the little girl, and my marriage is on the way!

Thinking of this, Li Ji couldn't help but smile slightly.

Just then, the little girl turned her head and glanced at him, immediately questioning, "I'm crying, but you seem to be very happy?"

Li Ji quickly tried to smooth things over: "I'm happy for you, you finally know who your biological father is... so why are you crying?"

He wouldn't have cared if he hadn't asked, but the moment he did, Cui Qi's eyebrows shot up and she roared, "Why shouldn't I cry? In these past twenty years, has he ever treated me like his own flesh and blood?!"

“This…” Li Ji was forced to speak up for Cui Guangyuan, “You once said that he treated you well… but since his origins are questionable, it’s probably inconvenient to tell the clan, so you have no choice but to serve as a maid for now…”

"If she really is his daughter, even if she is a maid, she should be raised well. How could she become an apprentice of a notorious thief, learning those skills of scaling walls and leaping across rooftops, being driven around day and night, and spying on his secrets? He only placed me in the inner palace of Luoyang, and then went to Luoyang with you twice. Isn't there any risk involved?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji fell silent.

Chapter Nineteen, Dead Men Tell No Tales

The young girl's feelings are understandable. If she were merely an orphan she had taken in, she would have to repay Cui Guangyuan for saving her life and raising her. Even if it were something extremely dangerous, she would do it for the sake of her master without complaint. However, she now knows that she is actually Cui Guangyuan's illegitimate daughter... Theoretically speaking, even if Cui Guangyuan couldn't acknowledge her, he should have kept her in the manor, let her live a peaceful life, and eventually find her a good family to marry into. How could he have raised her to be a spy or even an assassin?

Is there such a thing as a father in this world?

Li Ji thought to himself, given Cui Guangyuan's treacherous nature, I wouldn't be surprised by anything he does... including, as I suspected, starting a relationship and then abandoning it, refusing to accept Zhangchou Jianqiong's concubine, and even using his own illegitimate daughter as a tool. Besides, in this patriarchal era, how many daughters of officials weren't used as tools for political marriages?

Upon thinking of "a tool for marriage alliances," a sudden inspiration struck Li Ji, and he quickly said to Cui Qi, "Actually, perhaps you have misunderstood Lord Cui?"

Cui Qi frowned and glanced sideways at Li Ji: "Misunderstanding? Are you saying that all men are this heartless?"

Li Ji waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, I am by no means heartless. I am a sentimental... no, a devoted person... I mean..." He paused, then asked in return: "Just now, did Lord Cui only tell you your true identity? Did he mention anything else?"

Cui Qi snorted coldly, letting out a breath through his nostrils: "Of course I still have to marry you, why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

Li Ji clapped his hands and said, "That's right."

So, while organizing his thoughts, he explained to Cui Qi: "Today, Lord Cui summoned me here to entrust his son to someone—he knows he is nearing the end of his life and fears that his children and grandchildren will not be able to preserve the family business. Therefore, he wants to use me to curry favor with the Prince of Fengjie. However, my relationship with him is not very deep, and I am still hesitant about whether to take on such a heavy responsibility. Lord Cui then said that he would entrust you to me as a way of repaying him."

“Of course I would be happy to do so… I was overjoyed, but I was worried that you would not agree to be someone’s concubine, so I asked Lord Cui to devise a solution that would satisfy both of us. Lord Cui then ordered me to temporarily withdraw, saying that he would ‘please speak kindly’ to you…”

"Hmph, he really did offer 'kind advice'!"

Li Ji waved his hand, signaling Cui Qi to calm down, and then continued, "Master Cui's actions are often unpredictable. Who knows if he is not pretending to acknowledge you as his daughter, so that I have no choice but to accept?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Qi's eyes widened, and he involuntarily turned towards Li Ji—"You mean...it's fake? I'm still an abandoned baby?"

Li Ji nodded slowly: "My original intention was to ask Lord Cui to adopt you as his goddaughter so that you could marry me. But such adoption not only requires going through official procedures, but will also be opposed by the clan. Even Cui Ju would not approve it. Therefore, I can only make up a story that you are actually his illegitimate daughter, so that he can recognize you before his death and Cui Ju will not be able to stop me... I have no choice but to accept it."

Cui Qi still had tear stains on his cheeks, but his expression was no longer one of anger or sorrow, but rather... utter confusion.

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji advised, "You yourself said that Lord Cui saved your life and raised you, and you would repay him even if it meant your death. Now, all I'm doing is fabricating a story to have you impersonate his daughter in order to make a deal with me. Is this easier or harder than sneaking into the inner palace of Luoyang? Are you willing to do it? And why resent Lord Cui?"

He paused, then added, "General Zhangchou is dead, as is your mother... Her family is hard to find, and even in the Cui family, I suppose no one knows about the secrets of more than twenty years ago. With the dead unable to testify, no one can question us."

The key lies in the phrase "the dead have no way to prove it." In fact, as far as Li Ji was concerned, although he did not believe some of the details that Cui Guangyuan told Cui Qi, he did not think that the matter of the illegitimate daughter was purely fabricated.

No matter how unconventional or unpredictable his actions may be, and no matter how eager he is to win over others, he is ultimately from a prestigious family and a high-ranking official. Cui Guangyuan has no reason to fabricate a story to smear his own family before his death, right? He could have forced Cui Qi to comply, or defied the opposition of his son and clan to adopt Cui Qi as his goddaughter—neither path would be easy, but it would be much simpler than defaming himself.

Li Ji said this only to soothe the little girl's emotions. Firstly, he truly couldn't bear to see Cui Qi so heartbroken; seeing her tears felt like a knife twisting in his heart. Secondly, he feared that Cui Qi might refuse to acknowledge his relatives in a fit of anger, or even run away—since he wasn't an abandoned baby he picked up, he had no responsibility to repay Cui Guangyuan, so he might as well run away; who could stop him?

But Li Ji thought to himself, "If you run away, where am I going to find a wife?"

Cui Qi seemed to generally agree with Li Ji's words, or perhaps he was just unwilling to admit that he had a heartless father and preferred to believe that it was Cui Guangyuan's plan, but he still muttered to himself: "In order to win you over, could he really... could he really make up such a story?"

Li Ji puffed out his chest and said, "Don't underestimate me. Master Cui just said that he had a fortune teller calculate my birth chart and said that my future is limitless. That's why he asked me to take care of the third branch of the Cui family in Boling as compensation."

Cui Qi curled his lip, turned his head away, and asked in a low voice, "If that's the case... since you are so capable and have a bright future, why have you chosen me and want to marry me as your principal wife? I know my own appearance... with your reputation as Li Erlang, you could easily marry a beautiful woman..."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "When two people are in love, appearance is secondary; the key is inner qualities. I feel that your heart is like a fragrant orchid in a secluded valley, intoxicating and delightful!"

Cui Qi nodded: "Yes, you only look at inner qualities. In short, my appearance is indeed unbearable..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Here we go again? You just stopped crying and relaxed a bit, and your tongue is already so fluent again. How am I supposed to respond?"

He gritted his teeth—if he couldn't use words, he would use actions—and boldly reached out with his left hand to put his arm around the girl's seemingly frail shoulder, while his right hand took out a handkerchief from his bosom and handed it to her. He then said softly, "Why bother? I already told you my feelings when I returned from Luoyang. Do I have to rip my heart out for you to see?"

Cui Qi shrugged, shaking off Li Ji's hand, and said seemingly coldly, "I'll rip your heart out sooner or later and see if it's red or black!"

"If you like red, my heart is red; if you like black, my heart is black."

Cui Qi couldn't help but spit, casually took the handkerchief, and shoved Li Ji: "Stop talking nonsense. Go quickly, the master is still waiting for you."

Li Ji asked tentatively, "So you are willing to pretend to be his daughter and marry me?"

Cui Qi pretended to wipe away her tears, lowered her head and looked down, not daring to look at him, only muttering, "How dare I disobey the master's orders..."

Li Ji was overjoyed and then retraced his steps back to Cui Guangyuan's bedroom. But just as he was about to step into the room, Cui Ju stopped him, then lowered his head and looked down silently.

Li Ji then realized that he wasn't wearing boots... and having come from the garden, his white socks were mottled and dirty, leaving several large, dark footprints on the wooden walkway...

He could only give an awkward laugh and bow to Cui Ju: "Please fetch me a pair of clean socks so I can change into them..."