232: Chapter 232 Husband, is Wanqing pretty?

Gossip in the Great Jiang dynasty has always spread countless times faster than even the most top-tier Flying Sword.

Before those scholars had even returned to their own residences, a shocking piece of gossip about the Poetry Gathering at the Prime Ministers Mansion had already grown wings and, with insane speed, instantly swept through every street and alley of the capital, reaching the ears of major noble families, great Confucian scholars, and even the giants of the imperial court!

Accompanying it was a salacious rumor spreading wildly in the shadows, leaving countless onlookers with their mouths wide open:

"Have you heard? The current First Prince's fiancée, Ouyang Wanqing, actually already has a secret lover she pledged her life to!

Today in the back garden of the Prime Ministers Mansion, that man named Chen San wrote a love poem in public.

And Ouyang Wanqing actually achieved resonance with his poem through Literary Qi in front of countless people!

The First Prince hasn't even held his wedding yet, and the cuckold's hat on his head is probably bright enough to illuminate the entire capital!"

As the sun set, in the teahouses and taverns of the capital, countless people were spitting as they excitedly discussed this shocking piece of news.

Meanwhile, in a side hall of the First Princes Residence, the First Prince, having just smashed his favorite ancient inkstone, listened to the trembling report of the rumors sweeping the city from the commander of his secret guards.

Deep within his eyes, there was nothing but extreme ferocity and violence:

"Chen San..."

"This Prince will tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

He took a deep breath and said to his servant: "Prepare the horses, we are going to the Prime Ministers Mansion!"

...

Prime Ministers Mansion, back garden.

The noise that had been clamoring for an entire morning finally drifted past the towering courtyard walls and completely dissipated into the rolling Mortal World outside the Prime Ministers Mansion.

The wind blew, and the bamboo forest rustled.

By the side of the azure lake, under that huge weeping willow, only Chen Shanzhi and Ouyang Wanqing remained.

"Whew... those annoying fellows have finally been completely sent away."

Chen Shanzhi let out a long sigh of relief and helplessly brushed the fallen leaves off his sleeves.

He reached out his right hand and quite naturally removed the white jade mask he was wearing, tucking it into his robe.

As the mask was removed, the face familiar from the illusion world appeared in Ouyang Wanqing's line of sight.

The familiar rockery, the familiar azure lake, the familiar water pavilion.

And, the man and woman quietly facing each other after the golden light had completely dissipated.

In that instant, the memories of them living together through thick and thin, accompanying each other for decades in the illusion world, surged into their hearts like a tidal wave, perfectly overlapping with the reality before them.

Ouyang Wanqing's beautiful eyes, clear as autumn water, stared somewhat dazedly at Chen Shanzhi, who had removed his mask.

In those eyes, there was confusion, tenderness, and a trace of bottomless complexity.

To the rest of the world, that might have been nothing more than an empty illusion world.

But to her, were those decades of experience really just an illusion?

In that long dream, they had already experienced one Rebirth.

Why couldn't this meeting in reality be their second Rebirth?

Why couldn't the memories from the so-called illusion world be the memories of their previous life?

After all, the ultimate, deep affection in that "ode to the wild goose"—every word written in blood, teaching one to pledge their life to another—truly existed.

It was Chen Shanzhi's most authentic and regretless description of the days they spent together in the illusion world.

Therefore, Ouyang Wanqing could be absolutely certain that Chen Shanzhi's feelings for her were absolutely sincere.

At least in that long dream, his eyes held only her.

Now that they had returned to reality, whether it was her or Chen Shanzhi—no matter how thick-skinned or stubborn Chen Shanzhi was, those decades of intimate moments as husband and wife, deep in their bones, were definitely a brand that he would never be able to ignore or erase in this lifetime.

Otherwise, Chen Shanzhi would not have recited this "ode to the wild goose," written specifically for her, when facing countless scholars in reality today.

At this moment, Chen Shanzhi also slowly raised his head.

Their gazes met silently in mid-air, without any unnecessary words.

Yet, it was as if they had instantly traversed the long span of time, returning to those leisurely days after they had gone into seclusion, listening to the rain in the morning and snapping willow branches in the evening.

Ouyang Wanqing looked at his exceptionally gentle profile, and the coldness in her eyes beneath her long eyelashes finally completely dissolved.

Replacing it was a rare playfulness and tenderness that only belonged to a young girl.

She took small, dainty steps, slowly walking over amidst the rustling sound of leaves.

Her water-blue long dress swayed gently in the breeze, like a serene, blooming orchid.

Walking to a spot a few steps away from Chen Shanzhi, Ouyang Wanqing suddenly stopped.

She tilted her little head slightly and suddenly twirled in front of Chen Shanzhi with a light, coquettish grace.

Her water-blue skirt rippled in the air like water waves, bringing with it a faint, familiar scent of cold plum blossoms that drilled straight into one's nose.

She stopped, her large eyes looking brightly at Chen Shanzhi. Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice was soft, glutinous, and carried a hint of seductiveness:

"Husband, does Wanqing look beautiful?"

This natural voice, yet carrying a trace of attachment, was like an invisible feather, instantly and gently brushing across Chen Shanzhi's heart.

It accurately touched the softest, most defenseless corner of his heart.

In that instant, Chen Shanzhi even felt his bones go soft.

How could he hold back?

Taking a step forward, Chen Shanzhi naturally stretched out his long arm, directly wrapping it around Ouyang Wanqing's slender waist that could be spanned by one's hand.

He took the opportunity to pull this Daughter of the Prime Minister, who was famous throughout Great Jiang, firmly into his embrace.

Beneath his touch was her warm, jade-like, delicate body.

"My wife is naturally the most beautiful in the world; I can never get enough of looking at her."

Chen Shanzhi leaned close to her translucent earlobes, deeply inhaling the scent from her hair, his voice low.

Ouyang Wanqing's body trembled slightly, but she did not struggle as she usually would.

Instead, she obediently pressed her entire pretty face against his broad, warm chest.

Her two soft, boneless hands, somewhat awkwardly yet dependently, gripped the lapels of his chest.

In the back garden, only the sound of the breeze brushing against the leaves remained.

Ouyang Wanqing pressed her ear tightly against Chen Shanzhi's chest, listening to the strong, powerful, drum-like, and steady beating of his heart within his body.

"Husband, when we were in the illusion world, what I liked most was holding you like this and listening to your heartbeat."

Her voice was extremely light, as soft as a mosquito's hum, "Whenever this happened, I felt that the waves outside had nothing to do with me."

"It is the same now."

Chen Shanzhi tightened his arms, almost as if he wanted to melt her into his own bones and blood.