Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚喬傳 Chapter 171 English novel translation

Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳

Chapters 169 - 170 Synopsis:  After a 3 day visit to Bian Tang, Chu Qiao decides to set out on her sojourn, taking her maid MeiXiang with her.  Li Ce looks skeptical when she tells him she doesn't know where she's going, but she wants to take a vacation and look around, though she doesn't know how long this vacation will last.  She tells Li Ce that he has to still be emperor and not go bankrupt so she can come back to mooch off him again.  He responds that he shouldn't give her a lot of money then, so that she won't come back as a toothless old woman (^_^ I love their friendship).  

When she entrusts the XiuLi Army to Li Ce he responds "They're just a bunch of guys, why are you giving them to me?"  (^_^ He prefers ladies….)

She confesses a lot to Li Ce in Chapter 169.  Chu Qiao wonders if she was really too naive and where she went wrong in her beliefs.  She didn't want a utopia like DaTong, but she wanted people to have rice, to not be slaves, to have justice serve them and not only the rich and powerful.  But she realizes that she was overconfident in her own ability and power to change things and to protect others.  In the end she couldn't even protect her own family or friends and most of them died because of her.

The XiuLi Army has no beliefs, they only believe in her, but she states she is not a good leader.  Had she allowed Yan Xun to disband them, they would not have died for her time and again, and by now they could have been living good lives.  Life was not just about achieving great things, she confesses she realized too late that living an ordinary life, marrying and having kids was also a type of accomplishment, but her hands were stained with their blood and she will never wash her hands clean of it.

Li Ce tries to tell her that none of that was her fault, but she responds that there is a responsibility that she cannot shirk.  She still hears them crying to go home in the night wind, the ones she couldn't protect or bury.  Some were as young as 15 or 16, an age when they should have still been spoiled by their parents, but because of her they died on an ice field.

The amount of guilt she carries with her worries Li Ce.  She asks him to give them jobs, let them get married and have them stay away from the battlefield.  Glory stays with the generals, only death awaits soldiers.  When Li Ce agrees, he asks her whether she still hates Yan Xun, and she responds that she doesn't anymore.  He was after all the most pitiful of them all, after having suffered all of that.  His heart was filled with hatred and it was she who couldn't measure it.  There were no real rights and wrongs in the world, everyone just went along their predestined road and Yan Xun went on his.

When he asks why she didn't go with Zhuge Yue she admits that she probably loves him, but letting him go is also a way of loving him.  As he is the highest military official of DaXia she doesn't think she would be a good fit for him.  She would never ask him to give that up since he fought so hard for it, suffered to get to where he is now, and she thinks he wouldn't be happy to just let that go for her.  As a man, he has his own horizon, and one day he will be grateful that she let him go.

She confesses that she is also tired.  She's labored for ten years or more, she can't walk down a path she can't see clearly, and as a woman, she also wants to rest.  She will be an ordinary citizen and live well. Doing what she wants to do and going wherever she wants to go is a lifestyle she's wanted for some time.  She promises to come back to see him as he is her best friend. He tells her to come back before she turns 30 if she can't find a husband and she promises she will marry before she's 30.

His servant Sun Di asks if they should send people to follow and protect her and Li Ce responds no.  When Li Ce watches her leave in the distance, he thinks, Everyone has the right to choose how they will live. Go then, Qiao Qiao.

***

Chu Qiao spends the next year and half living with DuoJi, his sister Jing Jing, Mei Xiang and Ping An.  She teaches them modern military tactics and kung fu ^_^; and they open a student's inn together in LinHu.  Because she came across the kids she couldn't wander around as planned, and instead, found a scenic and quiet town south of Bian Tang near Meishan Mountain.  It was also the home of the renown scholar Mr. Chen, and the whole town was rather academic.  Students on their way to take the imperial exam would stop by to speak with the famous scholar and take in the scenery.  She opened the inn because it was a bit awkward to raise three adolescents as a single woman with her maid, so it was better they lived there rather than let people talk.

Her business was rather profitable during the exam seasons in summer and autumn, since her modern sanitary solutions, and the prime location. Though she doesn't seek news of the outside world, she gets it from guests and found out that to everyone's shock, Zhuge Yue tells everyone he already has a legitimate 'wife' in Qing Hai, and has the papers to prove it, and if the princess wants to marry him, she can only be a concubine.  This obviously is an insult to the princess, but Zhuge Yue will be no one's pawn.

Zhuge Yue supported Zhao Che in the government and together they settled the norther border disputes and together they rivaled the power of the existing DaXia government.

In the meantime, Bian Tang and QingHai had been exerting pressure against Yan Bei, closing off their trade, and preventing them from waging war with Bian Tang since it had to defend itself from both sides.

The biggest news perhaps was the wedding extravaganza of Yan Bei's king.  He had 18 ministers send their daughters and married them all to add to his harem, and on the second day the ceremonies finally ended at sunset on NaDa Palace.  Though this place was at one time gifted to the king's lover, the XiuLi general, no one had heard what happened to her since the Battle of the Three Kingdoms.  There was speculation that she married into the royal family of Bian Tang, or that she was the wife of the DaXia Minister of War Zhuge Yue, or that she had actually returned to Yan Bei and was living in NaDa Palace.

No one would have guessed that the legendary general was running an inn in a small town and going down to the lake every morning and evening to spend time with the elderly and play chess with them.  Every night, she sleeps with the jade pendant by her pillow.

When Mr. Chen's nephew presented some of DuoJi's writings to his uncle, it seemed there was some intention to recruit DuoJi into the government.  DuoJi had used his pseudonym Chu LinHui, something he had created from Chu Qiao's name, and the forest on HuiHui Mountain where he grew up.  There was nothing unusual about this until Mr. Chen wanted to introduce someone to him who seemed to be looking for Chu Qiao and they seemed to be up to no good.  She was nervous enough to take her whole entourage north to see Li Ce and ask him.

It was on this journey they they came across a group of people traveling in the same direction and encountered mishap after mishap.  It seems the gods are messing with people again…. After the rains a bridge along the way was flooded out.  They and this other group waited for the workers Chu Qiao paid to fix it.  Then the other group in the distance was attacked by a massive pack of wolves, and Chu Qiao ordered her hired guards use fire arrows and sulfur to defeat them and saved this other group who were also excellent fighters.  She was wary of this other group and when one of them came over to thank her and ask her name, she asked them to go on ahead and did not give her name.  Then they ran into them again along the road when the path was blocked by a landslide.  Coincidence or trick?  That's where we begin....

Chapter 171:  We Meet Again

However, having traveled less than half a day, another unexpected incident slowed their progress.  At this time, even the rather obtuse Ping An felt something was amiss.

On a slightly narrow mountain path, a few large trees and a pile of sludge and rubble traversed sideways along the road, about waist high, blocking any means of traveling forward.

It was all rather obvious.  It was probably due to the large storm a few days prior causing this landslide and mud flow, however, after this many coincidences none of them were willing to believe in that simple logic.

That group of people and their horses stood up front, eyeing Chu Qiao's group menacingly as they arrived after, without bothering to hide the apparent hostility in their expressions.

DuoJi and Ping An narrowed their brows with uncertainty, their hands naturally falling to their sides, but their fingers slowly feeling for their sword and knife hilts. 

The sky was blue and the clouds white, the flying birds chirped and the warm sun shined down.  For such fine weather the atmosphere was certainly off.   No one was trying to clear a path through the mud and debris, but they all stood glaring and for a while no one took a single step forward.

"What a coincidence."

The man named Cao sneered, as he said slowly.

Ping An raised his brow a notch, but DuoJi staid him with an arm.  The young man's brows slightly knit, the said with a slight smile, "It certainly is a coincidence. These past few days we've repeatedly gone through thick and thin with you, brother Cao, that even a person like me who doesn't believe in destiny can't help but say the will of Heaven is hard to fathom."

"The way I see it it isn't Heaven's will or anything like that.  I'm afraid someone with bad intentions is playing tricks."

Ping An was suddenly angry, "Who are you accusing?"

Cao coldly shouted, "Who are you people?  Draw your blades!"

"I see you as the bad guy, actually!"

Ping An shouted angrily, and with a *shuaa* he pulled out his blade, the pallid light gleaming, and he stepped forward, about to fight.

As soon as the other person saw this, he immediately drew his weapon.  At that moment a silver light abruptly shone and hit Ping An's saber hilt with a *ding.*  A rare treasure sword sang, settling on the ground with a clang.  A clear and strict female voice said faintly, "Ping An, don't be rash."

It was as though a pool of ice water was abruptly poured into water that was boiling over and in a split second the atmosphere calmed down.

Everyone present fell quiet that they could almost hear each other's breathing clearly.

The gentle breeze rustled, sweeping across everyone's countenance.  In the distance pine trees swayed in vast jade green waves.  The warbling birds spiraled in a mid-air dance.

*puff*

A sudden subtle sound came forth, like the sound of boots stepping and scraping on the stones.  The wind blew up the black curtain, and the man named Cao and his group immediately said aloud in surprise, "Master?" 

The man didn't say a word, directly walking towards Chu Qiao's horse carriage. 

DuoJi raised his brow and suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

The man didn't care to respond, and DuoJi's hand grasped his sword hilt, eyebrows angrily slanted upward and at once drew his sword.

However the sword was only pulled out halfway before they heard a sudden pause.  The man's hands were abnormally fast, and in the blink of an eye DuoJi was disarmed, his sword conveniently tossed onto the ground.

DuoJi's face was suddenly red, and he made an angry sound as if he wanted to rush forward but the man kept his cool without any apprehension, took quick steps to the front of Chu Qiao's carriage.  He reached out his hand to grasp the curtain.

With a *whoosh* a fresh wind suddenly blew in, the noonday sun was so bright it glared.  Chu Qiao's hand held a miniature cross-bow pointing at the carriage opening.  But as the sunlight reached her eyes she froze in that second.

DuoJi rushed forward from the back, his five fingers becoming claws, about to grab the man's neck.  Having studied under Chu Qiao for more than three years, in that moment, the move could definitely be fatal for his enemy.

However, the man did not evade.  He was dressed in celestial white robes with white cloud patterns, with dashing eyebrows and eyes like stars, cleanly handsome like such, standing in place unperturbed.  His eyes lightly gazing at her.  For a moment, it was unexpectedly difficult to say if he was happy or angry.  His expression was like a deep pond, or a secluded and lonely winter lake. 

*Shou*

An arrow was let loose and passed the man's ear, closely brushing against DuoJi's arm, as straight as a peak, bringing with it a portion of a swift and fierce, deadly aura.

"DuoJi, stand down."

Chu Qiao spoke calmly, without any indignation, but with a discouragement that should not be questioned. 

DuoJi's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and asked, "Miss?"

Chu Qiao slightly raised an eyebrow without saying more, and only looked at him faintly. DuoJi was a bit startled, but slowly retreated.  But his eyes continued to watch the man in front of the carriage with dissatisfaction.

The southeasterly wind was as if it was drunk, the weather was so good it made people flustered.  A row of brightly colored orioles settled on a nearby tree branch, chirping sweetly.  The tree stretched, like a woman's newly drawn eyebrow.  To the side, the forest was lush and green with various colors of blossoms in the gaps to inspire admiration, astonishingly elegant and extraordinarily beautiful, just like a painting.

As the wind passed, the man's hem lightly blew up without the scent of perfumed incense like that of ordinary noble sons of great houses.  Instead it was a faint scent exclusively his, sweet like irises and orchids.  He possessed a clean and pretty quality, rather like snow held in both hands. 

"Hey!"

JingJing, who had been sitting behind Chu Qiao suddenly pointed at the man's waist.  "His jade and big sister's jade are exactly the same!"

It was shining and white, clean and smooth, full and transparent. The wind blew against the man standing there, and the jade pendant hung on his waist, swaying and blinking with a faint splendor.

Chu Qiao's expression gradually relaxed.  While everyone around her was still and silent, speechless and noiseless, she reached out and took hold of the man's shoulder, and jumped down from the carriage.  She smiled gently at Ping An, DuoJi and the others with an order, "Don't just stand there.  Hurry up and open up the road ahead."

"Huh?" Ping An opened his eyes wide, looked at Chu Qiao, and then looked at the man, then he asked rather densely, "Sister, you two know each other?"

"Mn."

Chu Qiao's expression was relaxed as she nodded, and it looked as though there was a trace of happiness.

Ping An really wanted to ask who this man was, but who knew that before he could even open his mouth the man's eyes lightly floated over, not strict, but it was certainly like icy, cold like snow, expression of indifference, as if he really didn't want to suffer this fool of a lad's idle chatter.

When Cao and the others saw this, they suddenly lowered their heads and stepped back, retrieved their tools and went to start wok on the road.

Chu Qiao turned to the man and said, "Come with me."

As soon as she said it she started walking away.

"Miss!"

DuoJi suddenly ran up in front and barred Chu Qiao's path forward, saying in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

Chu Qiao responded, "DuoJi, don't worry, this is my friend."

Duo Ji looked in the man's direction, unconvinced, but saw him slightly frown, lightly sweeping his eyes over him, his expression just as a mirrored lake frozen over, unusually apathetic.

It was not a common indifference and coldness, but it was repeatedly cultivated.  Moreover it was a product of the elite class, an aloofness that was trained into the bones.  DuoJi suddenly felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, and his spine couldn't help but shiver. In that daze, Chu Qiao and the man had already walked far away.

The weather here was really fine, bright and limpid like the water of a jade green lake, the day's light like gold, and soon the two walked, one forward, one behind, to reach a small secluded ridge.  A waterfall from the top of one peak flowed down to the bottom into a cold pool, splashing a large bloom of water.  The clear particles of mist set off the resplendent daylight in five dazzling colors.

Chu Qiao turned her head and looked at the man in front of her.  Not having seen him for over a year it did not appear that he had changed.  He maintained his usual appearance.  As she began to speak, thousands upon thousands of words were on her lips, but she didn't know where to begin, until finally she let out a trace of a simple smile spilled over the corner of her mouth.  She didn't know if she was laughing at herself or laughing at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

Zhuge Yue continued that manner, his brawls slightly knit together, as if he was very impatient to be standing there with her.

"Nothing." Chu Qiao shook her head, continuing to smile as she said, "It seems every time I see you it's always under the strangest circumstances.

Zhuge Yue turned his head and his eyes looked elsewhere, but in that familiar, awkward air.

"What are you doing here?"

Zhuge Yue gave her an incomparably standard and yet ambiguous response: "Business."

"Oh."  Chu Qiao nodded her head, and asked, "So you're leaving now?"

"Yeah."

And then, the two stood there in place, neither of them speaking again.  (TN: face. palm.)

In the blink of an eye, it was almost two years.  These two years he'd been in the government stirring up trouble, exchanging the world, and becoming the most powerful person in the land.  In her remote corner of the world she did occasionally hear news of this with a kind of unusual sense of distraction.  Sometimes she even would suspect whether the person she actually knew and that rumored killer who felled his opponents, swiftly, fiercely with courage and resolution were one in the same?

She had heard some rumors of QingHai in succession.

It was rumored that though the country is marginally affiliated with DaXia, it self selects it bureaucrats as opposed to choosing them from the clans, that the selection is through testing, and even commoners have the ability to participate.  It was rumored that the news laws encourage farming, building water conservation, protected businesses, and those merchants who had the guts to go into QingHai have already done business there.  It was said that slavery was abolished , and though large houses could still buy slaves, their slaves were able to buy their own freedom and they could shed their slave status.  And even if they were slaves, they could not be randomly killed, otherwise there were be severe legal punishments.  The rumors were that it was no longer the desolate wasteland of legend, but a land that was vast, like another world, people were flourishing there, and now, there were many rich and prosperous towns…..  (TN: Just like the ones Chu Qiao had built.)

There were also rumors that the QingHai king's infamy was widespread, and he was known as the Bandit Minister of War.  Every year he would steal money and grain from the royal court, and he was in contention for every kind of good, and all kinds of materials, flowing continuously into far away QingHai.  Every month, Qing Hai reported catastrophic drought or flood or ice age, where there were not enough clothes to cover commoners' bodies or where there was not enough food to eat, doing its utmost to request the government to give money and give grains to save the refugees.

However these goods would blatantly come out into the market, piling up large sums of real money and silver, funneling into the QingHai center of government.  Now, nearly half of Yan Bei's military strength was contained by Qing Hai, so DaXia did not dare turn on him and they just let him do what he wanted.

This man was rumored to be called 'father sovereign' by the people of QingHai.  He was called a robber by the people of the continent.  He was called a blood sucker by the officials in DaXia.  Even his good friend and ally, the seventh prince Zhao Che, was said to have tactfully urged him: "More or less is fine.  You can eat meat, just give them a mouthful of soup."

It was rumored that the people of the continent hated him to the bones, but nowadays, the gutsy were secretly preparing to move.  CuiWei Pass was overflowing with people on a daily basis, filled with commoners who want to steal into the country with their entire families.  The elders of DaXia's government complain that the guards at CuiWei Pass intentionally turn a blind eye and let the people of the continent flow into QingHai.

The response was that he was innocent of being slack, of course, Yan Bei's military might was too extreme, and they didn't have soldiers to spare.   In order to effectively limit these occurrences the Board of Revenue should urgently allocate 10,000 gold to Qing Hai so they can expand the Qing Hai Navy….  (TN: he's become a clever extortionist ^__^;;)

There were so many rumors, but in that moment when Chu Qiao looked at him, all those rumors suddenly disappeared like a puff of smoke in her mind.

He was still him, not any king of QingHai or Minister of War, or extremely admirable 'sovereign father' of Qing Hai who had recently come into his own. Nor was he the cunning and shameless DaXia vampire.  He remained that same indifferent, proud and aloof, as well as slightly awkward and headstrong man.  The one who time and again went through life and death situations with her, a few times saving her from disaster: the young master Zhuge.

The traces of a few sighs suddenly rose from her heart, gradually suppressing the initial excitement and joy of their meeting.  She looked at him, and even though he was still as handsome as ever, and he continued to have the cold indifference of a chunk of ice, the corner of his eye now carried the trace of a line, and if she looked closer, his expression was a bit weary from working so hard.

She quietly licked her lips and whispered, "It's only been a year or so that we haven't met, but you've become old."

As soon as he heard it Zhuge Yue was suddenly stunned.  The trace of hardship in his expression was stripped away, and he looked down towards her and saw that her face was the same, perhaps a bit thinner.

He was only 26 this year and under no circumstances could he be considered old.  However these past few years of struggling and burning the candle at both ends, these years full of ups and downs, rolling the dice and going on punishing expeditions, the bloody massacres that splashed onto the corners of his brow, could all be associated with that word, 'old.'  Like a surging tide it flowed over his eyes, eyes that had seen how time brings great change.

After setting off a variety of grandstanding, it was long restless hours with the lamps lit throughout the night, it was the lonely shadow under the cold moon by the western window cutting the taper, it was the hardship of passing through many places through the night without sleep, it was loneliness of facing the whistling wind head-on and alone.

On the surface it remains the same, my heart is weary.

How could I not age; and what does not age.  

(TN: this read like a really pretty verse, so I put it in Zhuge Yue's first person perspective)

He looked at her.  The anger of this past year or so suddenly disappeared, and even that childish willfulness left with that simple word, 'old.'

"I take it you've been good this past year or so."

"There was nothing good or not good about it, I am still alive."

Zhuge Yue said it lightly, and even though the words were not pleasant to hear, the tone lacked the previous cold indifference.  Chu Qiao did know that he wasn't bickering with himself, but with his true emotions.

Maybe only people like them could understand because they've lived it.  There was nothing good or bad about it, living was really good enough. 

"I am also doing well."

Zhuge Yue didn't ask, and Chu Qiao volunteered, "I opened a student's inn, I've lived quite comfortably."

"I know."

The man lightly responded and Chu Qiao was shocked, raising her head to look at him.  "You know?"

"I've stayed there three times."  (TN: hahahahahahaha)

Chu Qiao was thoroughly astonished, and she heard Zhuge Yue say in a low voice, "It's been a year.  Have you thought it through?"

"Thought..?  Thought what through?"

The man slowly frowned and looked as though she really knew how to feign ignorance.  "You really plan on opening an inn for the rest of your life?"

Chu Qiao opened her eyes wide, silent like a mute.  Actually, she really did think that…. (-__-;)

"Or do you plan on choosing some random person to marry before you're 30?"

Chu Qiao gaped, "Who told you??"

"Who else could it be?"  Zhuge Yue said, "Naturally it was Li Ce.  Didn't you know? He opened the Spring Rain Drinking House opposite yours.  The Four Oceans Inn horizontally behind yours is mine."  (TN: they had to keep an eye on her…. hahahahaha)

In a flash she thought of the two other establishments that were almost always deserted.  Before this, she had always been rather pleased with herself thinking it was her own inn that stole away their customers, but it was actually due to the largesse of these two masters in the art of subterfuge.

Taken like this, Li Ce should be well aware of the scholar's town, and know it inside and out, and concerning those people's movements, he had likely already made his preparations long ago.

Suddenly thinking on this, she raised her head and asked, "Then, you knew our identity from the start?"

"I did not."  Zhuge Yue said.  Seeing that Chu Qiao was unconvinced, he added impatiently, "Even though I've been there, I had never seen any of you."

It was true, she lived in near seclusion there for over year, and she rarely ever came out.

"What are you doing out here this time?" 

Chu Qiao didn't know what to say, it was after all having to do with Li Ce's internal state affairs, so she said ambiguously, "I was going to Tang Jing."

"Hmph----"

Zhuge Yue grunted coldly.  A green jade tree on the side was twined with a wisteria and a pear tree and light fragrance faintly came over, like a pool of floating clouds.

"Young master."

The man called Cao said from far away.  "The road is cleared, we can go now."

Zhuge Yue didn't say a word, quietly stood there for a long while.  As if he was impatient with this kind of pressured atmosphere, he turned around to leave.

"Zhuge Yue!"

Chu Qiao suddenly called out, "Next time you come back to the scholar's town you can come see me."

"I don't have the time,"  Zhuge Yue coldly responded.  He slowly turned around with a steady countenance he said, "I am returning to Qing Hai now.  Are you coming with me or not?"  

He said that sentence just like that, as casual as an acquaintance asking if you've eaten.  Chu Qiao stood there stupidly dumbfounded.  She was always like this.  In every other situation she could respond calmly, except when she was facing him, she would lose all her wisdom.  She stared at him woodenly, as if she wanted to see another mouth on Zhuge Yue's face to prove that he wasn't the one who just asked her that question.

"Li Ce said you were stubborn, and at that time you had encountered huge changes in your life, and momentarily you couldn't think it through.  He urged me to give you a bit more time."

Zhuge Yue's face was unperturbed as he asked her again, "Have you thought it through now?  Are you coming with me or not?"

"You…You're DaXia's Minister of War? And also your clan is…."

"You don't need to concern yourself with those things."  Zhuge Yue frowned and said in a low voice, "You only need to say whether or not you'll come with me."

A flock of birds flew overhead, then two more groups flew over, and then many birds from the forest took flight overhead.  Still, Chu Qiao was speechless.

Zhuge Yue was suddenly indignant and said in a stern voice, "Are you coming or not?!"

"I'll go, I'll go, I'll go!!"

Chu Qiao replied loudly, and the two of them were flush with agitation from shouting at one another.  The echo of their voices resounded in that place and then slowly faded away.

"It's good that I met you here, it saved me another trip to come ask you."  The man intentionally pretended not to care, as if everything had been in his grasp all along, and not thinking on whether his personality was usually this talkative. 

"Don't wander around aimlessly anymore.  Go home and stay there.  Wait until I'm finished with the things I need to do and I'll send people to escort you."

As soon as he said it, he dashingly turned around to leave.

"After all, if I go to QingHai I can still open an inn."  (TN: face palm….)

That voice suddenly spoke behind him, and Zhuge Yue fiercely turned around to come glare at her unwaveringly, with a near murderous expression.

The white clouds on the horizon floated. The birds poked their heads out from behind the tree foliage, as if also wondering that the things in this world could not be measured with common sense.

When she was back in her carriage, Mei Xiang was waiting for her and grinning ear to ear, as if exuberantly happy, so much so that she could barely hold her tongue.

Chu Qiao was naturally clear about her intention, but she was not willing to talk about it. Everything that happened today was so outrageous.  Chu Qiao sat down quietly, her heart still pounding erratically.

Was she being too impulsive?

"Miss."

Mei Xiang smiled and added a cushion for her as she said, "Not everything in the world can be handled with reason.  I had once thought that the way you were before was too calm.  Being impulsive just once is not necessarily a bad thing.

Chu Qiao turned her head to look at her in surprise, astonished that Mei Xiang had such sharp insight.

Mei Xiang laughed out loud.  "Miss don't you know, who you are now, everything is written on your face.  Compared to the lady you were before, Mei Xiang thinks this version of you is much more likable."

The carriage started rolling, DuoJi frowned as he asked, "Miss, are we going to go with those people?"

"Together, of course together!" JingJing pulled open the curtain and cried, "We will go together! And in the future we will continue to go together, hehe!"

As soon as it was said the curtain fell again with more giggles.

Mei Xiang poured Chu Qiao a cup of ginseng tea, and said with a soft sigh, "Miss, not everyone will wait year after year for another person.  If you don't take hold of something at the time, and some other misfortune happens, you will regret it."

The warm, fragrant wind happened to slightly stir the carriage curtain, like a mother's gentle fingers.  The sky was a vast clear blue, and faintly in the distance an eagle soared high. 

Translator's notes:  

This author always likes to describe the weather or nature before we get  to the romantic parts…. lol.  Does anyone else think that nature is trying to get these two together?  A series of natural disasters bringing these two to the same spot, the birds singing, the blossoms blowing fragrances everywhere when they meet. I half expect Disney critters to come break out in song.  

And of course, if it's not the weather we dive into politics… Hardly the food of romance T__T …. I think the author was trying to convey that no matter how powerful and how notorious he became, he did not leave his people in the dust and he himself did not change, unlike Yan Xun.  So who he was in the beginning was his true self no matter what happened to him, and that is all he has ever shown her. With her influence he has become better version of himself to match her.

Also, if that was a proposal to elope, that was the most god-awful proposal I have ever read…  ^__^;;;   
 -Kero