Chapter 1277: 1277: A Very Unique Confession

Chapter 1277: Chapter 1277: A Very Unique Confession

After the five of them purchased tickets and entered Shen Garden, Wang Zhenjun, Ye Xiaoli, and Yang Xiaodong naturally separated from Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin.

They certainly wouldn’t foolishly follow behind all the time, disturbing the couple’s enjoyment.

Seeing that the three people behind them did not play third-wheel but went to enjoy themselves, Yang Qingyin had no more reservations, and upon entering the scenic gate, she held Luo Ziling’s arm and pulled him forward.

In the garden, the plum and wintersweet blossoms were flourishing, and their refreshing fragrance wafted through the air.

“It seems that plum blossoms in the north do not carry the same fragrance as those in the south, or is it that the plum blossoms in Shen Garden have a special fragrance?” After taking a few deep sniffs, Luo Ziling said to Yang Qingyin with a smile: “The scent is truly comforting. It’s a pity there is no snow; if by chance we could trample snow and appreciate plum blossoms in Shen Garden, the experience would be even better.”

“You inherently have a Southerner’s bones, and given that Yuezhou is your hometown, your feelings are bound to be completely different,” Yang Qingyin glanced sideways at Luo Ziling, “It’s a psychological effect, not that the plum blossoms here are more fragrant than those in the north.”

“The closer to home one approaches, the more one’s courage falters,” Luo Ziling said happily, “Maybe it’s really because this is my hometown, so it feels different.”

“Misusing allusions,” Yang Qingyin hummed and then said, “Song Zhiwen felt the courage faltering because he was secretly returning to his hometown without receiving amnesty after being exiled. You haven’t committed any crimes, what courage-faltering feelings could you have?”

Luo Ziling spoke very seriously: “I do have such a feeling, I’m really a bit nervous, especially when thinking about visiting my ancestral home. I’m not certain if the Luo Family will accept me as a descendant who never stepped foot in the old residence. What should I do if they do not recognize me as a member of the Luo Family?”

“How could that be possible? With your grandfather there, there’s no need to worry about such things,” Yang Qingyin looked at Luo Ziling sideways, smiling cheerfully, “I think, your grandfather must hold considerable prestige within the clan, and now that you’ve tied relations with the Ling Family, his words carry even more weight. You are his grandson and also the grandson of the Ling Family, who would dare not to accept you? Who would underestimate you?”

“That makes some sense,” Luo Ziling nodded, “I trust my grandfather is definitely one of the prominent figures in the Luo Family and has a strong voice. However, having left Yuezhou for so many years and never returning in between, it’s possible the other Luo Family members might not take him seriously.”

“That’s a possibility,” Yang Qingyin nodded, “But don’t worry, if you and your grandfather appear together, who would dare to underestimate you? All right, stop being sentimental, let’s go look for the two ‘Hairpin Head Phoenix’ poems written by Lu You and Tang Wan.”

Yang Qingyin said as she quickened her pace, pulling Luo Ziling along.

Passing several corridors and walking beyond a pond, they suddenly saw those two famous Song dynasty poems inscribed on the wall.

Although the inscribed Song dynasty poems were only written by people of later times, after reading some of the introductions provided and fully understanding the tragic love story of Lu You and Tang Wan, they still felt emotional when reading the poems.

“Soft slender hands, Huangteng Wine, the whole city heralds the onset of spring with willows by the palace walls…” Luo Ziling read the ‘Hairpin Head Phoenix’ written by Lu You.

Yang Qingyin silently recited Tang Wan’s matched poem: “The coldness of the world, the ruthlessness of people, rain sends dusk, flowers fall with ease…”

After finishing reciting the whole poem, Yang Qingyin looked up at Luo Ziling: “Tang Wan was Lu You’s first wife, they were extremely affectionate, but Lu You’s mother couldn’t accept Tang Wan and forced Lu You to divorce her. Lu You’s pleas were to no avail, and he ultimately had to obey his mother’s orders, reluctantly divorcing his wife. Ten years later, they met again in Shen Garden, where Tang Wan treated Lu You with wine and dishes, and Lu You, filled with overwhelming sadness, inscribed that timeless famous poem ‘Soft slender hands, Huangteng Wine, the whole city heralds the onset of spring with willows by the palace walls’ on the garden wall to express his longing and regret. Upon reading it, Tang Wan, overwhelmed with a myriad of feelings, wrote a matching poem. Afterwards, Tang Wan lived in low spirits and soon passed away. Forty years later, Lu You revisited Shen Garden and wrote another poem: Heartbroken beneath the bridge with green spring tides, where once a startling beauty reflected. Dreams shattered, fragrance dissipated for forty years, Shen Garden plums wither unspoken…”

At this point, Yang Qingyin’s eyes turned slightly red, and she stared at Luo Ziling: “If one day, your mom forces you to marry another woman, would you submit?”

Absorbed in his emotions, Luo Ziling did not expect Yang Qingyin to ask him such a question, and was momentarily taken aback.

“Why do you say that?” It took Luo Ziling a moment before he replied with a question of his own.

Yang Qingyin didn’t answer but instead gave a bleak smile and asked Luo Ziling again: “If there really comes a day, would you write a poem or a verse for me, like Lu Fangweng?”

“You’re overthinking,” Luo Ziling stretched his hand and pinched Yang Qingyin’s cheek, “We have said that we won’t let each other down. Some day I will marry you. After eighty more years, I’ll have our son and daughter carve our names together in the same place.”

Yang Qingyin paused, then realizing what he meant, immediately got annoyed: “Are you cursing me to die?”

“Dying at over a hundred years old is pretty remarkable,” Luo Ziling laughed heartily, “Anyway, you will definitely be the Luo Family’s daughter-in-law, and your name will appear in the Luo Family’s genealogy. After death, our children will prefix your name Yang Qingyin with ‘Late Mother’, placed to the left of ‘Late Father’ Mr. Luo Ziling.”

Yang Qingyin found Luo Ziling’s words rather preposterous and couldn’t help but be torn between laughter and tears. She asked somewhat sullenly, “At such a young age, you’re already thinking about things a century from now?”

“Everyone must eventually die…”

“Either as light as a feather, or as heavy as Mount Tai?”

“What are you even talking about!” Luo Ziling glared at Yang Qingyin, annoyed that she interrupted him, “We all have to die someday. Before death, you are my wife. After death, I am still your husband. While alive, we live together. After death, we’ll go to heaven or hell together. I’ve heard that the journey on the Nether Road after death is very painful and lonely, so we must go together.”

Yang Qingyin looked at Luo Ziling with surprise: “Who told you that the journey on the Nether Road is painful and lonely?”

“It’s from the people whose lives were saved by my treatment,” as Luo Ziling said this, he dropped his joking demeanor and spoke seriously, “They had been in a near-death state and when they woke up, they said they were pulled back by a tremendous force. Before being pulled back, they felt their souls leave their bodies, walking on a road with no scenery at all, together with many others, all alone and numb, just walking with heads down. But deep down they were very reluctant, and that feeling was very painful and terrifying, like walking towards an abyss.”

With that, Luo Ziling chuckled again, “So, we will walk that road together, accompanying each other forever.”

Looking at Luo Ziling with a mixture of amusement and alarm, Yang Qingyin said, “Your declaration of love really makes my heart race.”

“But it’s unique, right?”

“But it’s not as touching as the verses of Lu You and Tang Wan!”

“……”