October 1st.
In the past, when people mentioned this date, most would think of National Day.
Even many people might not know that, in the lunar calendar, this day is one of the three major “Ghost Festivals”, the Cold Clothing Festival.
It’s a day to pay respects to the deceased, also known as sending cold clothing.
As winter approaches, people would send warm clothing to their deceased loved ones, and also to comfort the lonely spirits.
Wealthy families would burn real clothes, while ordinary families would burn five-colored paper as a substitute. If they were extremely poor, burning some yellow paper would also do.
No one knew what the differences were between these three methods, or which one sent the warmest “clothing” to the underworld.
It was simply a way for the living to express their nostalgia and sympathy for the dead.
At noon.
A post station in Tuanzhou territory welcomed many locals who had just finished worshiping their ancestors on the nearby mountain.
They mostly brought their own food, just resting their feet here and asking for a bowl of water to soak their dry rations.
Fortunately, the post station’s manager was a kind-hearted person, who had placed several large wooden buckets at the entrance, filled with sweet well water, available for anyone to use.
Some people would leave a few copper coins after taking water, while others who were too stingy would shout, “Thank you, Officer, for the water!”
Although there was no response, it was better than drinking the water for free.
The nearby low mountain still had wisps of blue smoke drifting, and the post station was peaceful and harmonious.
As the noon hour was about to pass, a cloud of dust suddenly rose at the end of the official road, and over a hundred cavalrymen in green armor, guarding several horse-drawn carriages, came galloping in.
Although it wasn’t a grand procession, the local villagers, who had never seen such a sight, were immediately drawn in.
A post station attendant hurriedly came out, running to ask loudly, “Are you gentlemen going to rest here? Can I take a look at your official documents?”
One of the soldiers dismounted and handed over a stack of official papers, “We’ll only be resting here for about an hour. Go prepare some food for us.”
The attendant took the documents, and after a glance, his expression instantly turned fearful.
However, this person was quite clever and quickly fixed their gaze on Liang Zhen.
“Ah, I’ve seen the General!”
“Uh-huh.”
Liang Zhen nodded slightly, not saying much.
A nearby soldier immediately shouted, “Enough! Why don’t you hurry up and prepare the meal?”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
The station attendant busied himself, responding hastily, but his expression was slightly uneasy.
“Sir, this is just a small station, and I’m afraid we can’t prepare so much food in such a short time.”
“Just prepare as much as you can! Why so much nonsense!”
“Ah! Sir, please calm down! Sir, please calm down!”
“I-I’ll bring the food right away, sir!”
The station attendant had originally wanted to invite Liang Zhen to rest at the station, but now he didn’t dare ask, and hurriedly ran off to prepare the meal.
The nearby villagers couldn’t hear their conversation clearly and continued to gaze over, occasionally whispering to each other in hushed tones.
“Those officials are so intimidating, but I wonder which province they’re from?”
“The green armor, it should be from the southern states.”
“Wow, the woman riding the horse is so elegant! She’s truly a heroic figure!”
“The servant girl’s attire is also impressive, and her appearance is even better than the madams of our eastern household!”
From noble mtl dot come
“Look, look! Another woman in a red dress is getting off the carriage!”
“……”
The two villagers suddenly fell silent, their eyes wide with wonder.
After a long while, they finally swallowed hard, their throats bobbing up and down.
“Is-is this a goddess…?”
……
“Ah!”
By the carriage, Wei Changtian stretched lazily, looking up at the arched mountain in front of him.
A valley that cut through the mountain, dividing it into two halves, seemed as if the heavens had split open a gap with a mighty axe.
At this time, the trees on the mountain had few green leaves, with large swaths of red and yellow hues unfolding, giving off a heroic aura.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, if this were in my previous life, it would be a 5A scenic spot with just a bit of development.
Wei Changtian silently praised the natural wonders of the universe, then shifted his gaze to Yang Liu Shi beside him.
She was the one who had joined him the day before, and her appearance had almost caused a commotion among Liang Zhen’s over a hundred personal guards.
Actually, that was still okay; the key was that Liang Zhen had almost been stirred up too…
A beauty as deadly as a viper!
“I suggest that in the future, if you don’t need to get off the carriage, then don’t get off.”
Wei Changtian seriously advised, “If you really can’t, then just wear a mask or a veil.”
“Hehehe, are you jealous, Young Master?”
Yang Liu Shi didn’t care about the people coming and going around her, and turned to wrap her arms around Wei Changtian’s arm, coquettishly saying, “But I was born this way, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Get lost!
You’re a born fox spirit!
Wei Changtian mentally cursed, shaking his head and saying, “I’m not that petty, I’m just considering others.”
“Why do you say that, Young Master?”
“Look at that person.”
Wei Changtian pointed to a soldier not far away, who was rubbing his forehead with a silly grin: “He just got into an accident because he was secretly looking at you, and then bumped into a tree.”
“And that one, also because of looking at you, bumped into a horse’s buttocks.”
“The most miserable one is that guy, who tied himself up with the reins while mounting a horse.”
“……”
Yang Liushi opened her small mouth, glancing around, and soon couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
As she laughed, the surrounding noise suddenly erupted again, clearly indicating that someone else had fallen victim.
Wei Changtian sighed in exasperation, just about to pull Yang Liushi back onto the horse carriage, when Liang Qin walked over.
“Brother Changtian, the meal has arrived, let’s go eat.”
She first spoke to Wei Changtian, then glanced at Yang Liushi, adding a sentence with a slightly cold tone.
“Miss Liushi, would you like to join us?”
“Me……”
Yang Liushi didn’t look at Liang Qin, but gazed affectionately at Wei Changtian: “I’ll follow Master’s lead.”
“……”
Liang Qin looked at Yang Liushi, who was more beautiful and talented than herself, and suddenly recalled the conversation she had with Wei Changtian at the Wei residence that night.
If you must marry me, I’ll marry you, but I’d rather we be siblings…
As a result…
Liang Qin felt a bit annoyed.
To put it in the words of her previous life, it was as if she had suddenly realized that she was the “joke” herself.
Thinking of this, she blurted out a sentence.
“Hmph! Eating is something Miss Liushi can’t even decide for herself, right?”
“I’m not incapable of deciding.”
Yang Liushi spoke softly: “My original intention was not to draw attention, but I was afraid of losing face in front of Miss Liang…”
“I didn’t invite you! I was just being polite!”
Liang Qin grew more and more agitated, eventually directly grabbing Wei Changtian’s hand and pulling him away: “Brother Changtian, let’s go! If Miss Liushi wants to come, she can follow on her own!”
“Ah… okay…”
Wei Changtian was helplessly pulled away, thinking that this mess was quite inexplicable.
Didn’t Liang Qin dislike herself? What kind of vinegar was she eating?
Could it be that she had heard about his recent “glorious deeds” and changed her mind?
It wasn’t impossible…
While Wei Changtian was lost in thought, Liang Qin was pulling him by the hand, casting a hostile glance back at Yang Liushi.
Yang Liushi looked back, not angry that her man was being pulled away by another woman, and even had a hint of a smile on her face.
This smile seemed to be saying—
Sister, you just don’t understand men!