The guards returning from the main hall truly brought a box.
"Did that scoundrel Lu really not get rid of it?" Ling Yao found it incredible. All the valuable items in the hall were gone, and dozens of palace maids and eunuchs from Fengque Tower had been dealt with and exiled.
This small box had survived?
"Perhaps it was too inconspicuous." The box was dusty gray, made of ordinary wood. Who would pay attention to it?
Xiao Shan felt a bit nervous, wondering what she had drawn him as.
"Not really. It was locked originally, but now the lock is broken. It's probably because the contents were worthless."
Indeed, there was little value, just things she had casually placed inside. Besides some paintings, there were only copied Buddhist scriptures for calming the mind.
Ling Yao quickly found the painting of the great general.
She happily handed it to Xiao Shan, "Look, this is you in my dream."
Xiao Shan took one look and his face contorted as if he had eaten bitter melon.
Was this painting of Song Beiting?
No! It was even more handsome than Song Beiting, and more importantly, it possessed a powerful aura.
It had his aura and was also handsome.
He was unhappy.
Seeing his reaction, Ling Yao sheepishly said, "You looked a bit better in the dream."
Not just better, but exceptionally handsome. Otherwise, why would he have kissed him? She still remembered that appearance. Truly heroic and divine, with a pair of narrow, star-like eyes that could melt a person...
Oh, she shouldn't think about it. She liked A Shan. That was just a fantasy.
"Hmph!" Xiao Shan didn't want to look at the painting anymore.
He felt stifled.
"Your calligraphy is really beautiful." It was neat and proper Zanhua small script. He pictured the tiny her sitting at a desk, writing, so obedient and endearing.
"Don't even start! Stop looking!" Ling Yao pulled the calligraphy book from his hand. "You, a dignified great general, have such ugly handwriting. Aren't you ashamed? From today on, I'll teach you calligraphy."
Huh? Why was she suddenly teaching him calligraphy?
He hated writing!
"Your small script isn't suitable. I'm a grown man..."
"Then at least make it look like writing!" Ling Yao pushed him towards the desk, took out paper and brush, and began grinding ink.
Xiao Shan was forced to the desk. "Alright, don't move. I'll do it."
He picked up the inkstone and began grinding in circles, quickly splattering ink.
"Oh! Slower! Do you think this is sword practice, where speed is key!"
He knew he couldn't do this!
But his wife was leaning beside him, smelling so fragrant. Was this what they called "red sleeves adding fragrance"?
He first wrote the characters "Xue Niang," then "Wife," and then "Xiao Shan."
Ling Yao took his large hand. "Don't grip the brush too tightly. The ink should be even. You can chop wood with consistent thickness, so why can't you control your strength with a brush?"
"And consider size and proportion. For example, this character 'Xue,' the top part can be shorter, like a person. If my head were also long, my neck long, and my legs long, would that look good?"
That made sense. It wouldn't look good.
Then how could he transfer her proportions to the characters?
"You shouldn't stand for too long. Come sit down." Xiao Shan pulled her onto his lap.
He placed the brush in her hand. "You write one for me."
This posture... Ling Yao felt it was highly inappropriate. Who was teaching whom? And facing away from him, her heart felt a little flustered.
She had just written the radical for "rain" when a breath of air blew on her neck. She couldn't help but flinch, her hand shaking, and the brush tip dragged downwards.
The clean, orderly strokes were forcibly skewed, growing a long tail.
Xiao Shan held her hand and, with a flourish, added the lower half. It was more than twice the size of the upper part, dark and thick, just like him.
"They're combined," he said, dropping the brush. His warm lips pressed against her pulsing neck.
"So fragrant... my... treasure."
Ling Yao trembled slightly.
No, weren't they supposed to be practicing calligraphy???
"You've just recovered from a serious illness. You should rest more," Xiao Shan gently picked her up, turned around the screen, and placed her on the spacious bed.
He then propped himself at the head of the bed and watched her.
She thought he was going to do something, but he did nothing. He just kept looking, his tiger-like eyes filled with deep affection.
Ling Yao reached out and covered his eyes. "What are you looking at?"
At you! I can never get enough of looking at you.
"Rest well. Once you're rested, I'll take you sightseeing in the capital tomorrow. Haven't you never properly seen this city?"
"Really?" Ling Yao was overjoyed, then asked hesitantly, "Aren't you busy?"
"Nothing else is important."
Only you are most important.
"Sleep now."
Xiao Shan tucked a soft cushion under her belly. He knew she had been having trouble sleeping at night because her belly was too big, which caused insomnia. Carrying these two little ones had been too difficult. Once they were born, they could be looked after by wet nurses. He was determined not to let her get tired again.
He covered her with the quilt and patted her gently. Ling Yao grabbed one of his large hands and pressed it under her face.
A Shan is truly so gentle!
After a day of good rest, Ling Yao's health had fully recovered. Xiao Shan, as promised, took her out of the palace. Just the two of them, in a carriage that looked ordinary but was comfortably furnished inside. They were dressed very simply, in the common attire of the capital.
"Where are we going first, A Shan?"
They had left early. Seeing no one around, Ling Yao happily leaned behind Xiao Shan and asked.
Xiao Shan was driving the carriage. He could feel the bulge against his waist. Fearing it might be uncomfortable for her, he shifted his body.
"There's a morning market on West Ninth Street every day. How about we go there first?"
"Okay, okay!"
As long as you're with me, anywhere is fine.
"Wear your veil. If anyone sees you, I'll be jealous."
"Hehe!" Ling Yao kissed his cheek before putting on the veil hanging by her ear.
Xiao Shan curved his lips, sighed leisurely, and slowly flicked the whip, humming a tune.
"The maiden is eighteen this year~"
"Rosy lips and powdered face, like a flower~"
"She fancies the Xiao family man from the village~"
"Grabbed him home to warm the quilt~"
"A big tiger emerges from the quilt~"
"But the maiden says: Good brother~ Good brother~"
Xiao Shan, with a falsetto voice, made an indecent sound.
Ling Yao pounced forward again, leaning into his ear, "Good brother~ Brother A Shan~"
Damn it!
This deadly little vixen!
Ling Yao stared at his large ear, which had turned red. She stuck out her tongue and touched it. "Big brother tiger."
The carriage stopped abruptly.
Xiao Shan pulled her directly into the carriage.
"You're the one who provoked this."
"Get rid of the big tiger."
..............
Half an hour later, there were pedestrians on the road. Someone curiously glanced at the carriage stopped by the roadside and saw a dark-faced strong man emerge from it.
The man was broad-chested and imposing. He swung his whip with a bit of swagger, but then raised it high and gently flicked the horse's hindquarters.
"West Market~ Let's go!"