newbobooks Chapter 744 If a bow and arrow are covered in dust, polish them.
Chapter 744 If a bow and arrow are covered in dust, polish them.
The incident at the Western Garden was suppressed by the emperor with swift and decisive action.
On the surface, it was a story of the Crown Prince accidentally slipping and falling while trying to win a smile from his beloved, but ultimately escaping unharmed. Behind the scenes, however, beneath the surface of the entire capital, undercurrents were surging.
Gu Qingchen's life seemed to have returned to what it was before.
The warm winter sun shone through the window lattice, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground.
She still gets up every morning to practice archery in the courtyard. But the small silver bow that she used to be so good at is now always unresponsive.
"Whoosh-"
The arrow left the bowstring, but instead of hitting the bullseye as accurately as usual, it barely grazed the edge of the target and disappeared into the snow behind it.
“Miss, it seems your mind isn’t on this arrow today.” Huanran carefully handed over a new arrow.
Gu Qingchen took the arrow, but did not immediately nock it. She stared at the empty target, her mind flashing back to the deep pool at the bottom of the cliff, and Zhao Chen'an's eyes burning with a mad flame as he shielded her behind him.
Everything is different now.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her chaotic thoughts, and raised the bow again.
"Crack, snap, snap."
A crisp round of applause came from the courtyard gate. Qian Zhenyun, dressed in a plain long robe and carrying several books in his hands, walked in with a smile.
"Good archery, but today's arrows were too aggressive, which caused them to lose their accuracy."
Gu Qingchen put down the bow and glared at him irritably. "What are you doing here again? Have you finished all the tasks the Crown Prince assigned you?"
"No matter how busy you are, you have to come and see our famous heroine in the capital."
Qian Zhenyun placed the book on the stone table and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
"Now everyone outside is saying that Miss Gu of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is a woman who is just as capable as any man. Even His Highness the Crown Prince was captivated by your charm and risked his life to stage a scene of a hero rescuing a beauty."
Gu Qingchen pursed his lips, picked up a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and said, "If rumors could be believed, pigs could fly."
She walked to the stone table, sat down, picked up her teacup, but hesitated to drink it.
Qian Zhenyun looked at her furrowed brows and said softly, "Princess Jiahe's reputation for virtue has spread far and wide these past two days."
Gu Qingchen raised his eyes.
"She personally visited all the noble families who had been frightened in the West Garden, speaking earnestly and with impeccable manners."
Qian Zhenyun spoke in a very calm tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, “Now everyone in the capital praises her for her gentle and magnanimous nature, and she has the demeanor of a future empress.”
Gu Qingchen's fingers tightened slightly as he held the teacup.
She recalled Princess Jiahe's flawless face and her impeccable words from that day.
"She's clever; she knows she can't beat me in a head-on confrontation, so she starts playing this trick of praising me to death."
Gu Qingchen sneered, "She portrays me as a spoiled, willful, and crazy girl who only knows how to cause trouble, while she herself becomes the virtuous and kind role model who considers the big picture."
“Since you’ve already seen through it all, why bother?” Qian Zhenyun looked at her. “This isn’t like you.”
"I just feel..."
"I just feel a bit tired. I used to think that right is right and wrong is wrong, and if you like something, you should fight for it and if you hate it, you should stay away from it. But now, everything has become complicated."
She raised her head, and her eyes, which were always as clear as stars, seemed to be veiled by a thin mist.
"Gungung, did I do something wrong?"
Qian Zhenyun stared at her intently, without answering immediately.
After a long while, he reached out and replaced the slightly cooled tea in front of her with a fresh, hot cup.
“You’re not wrong.” His voice was gentle yet firm. “The wrong thing is this world where people have to wear masks and say things against their conscience just to survive. You just saw its true face.”
He pushed the hot tea towards her, "Qingchen, you don't need to become like them. You just need to be stronger than before."
Gu Qingchen's heart felt as if it had been soothed by the warmth of the cup of hot tea, and the inexplicable restlessness and unease gradually subsided.
Suddenly, I felt that the rumors about Princess Jiahe and the strange looks from the young ladies of noble families had become less important.
Seeing that her expression softened, Qian Zhenyun's smile deepened.
He stood up, walked to her side, and flicked her forehead.
"Ouch!" Gu Qingchen winced in pain, clutching her forehead and glaring at him.
"If a bow and arrow are covered in dust, polish them. If a person's mind is stuck in a rut, let them get some fresh air."
He picked up the cloak draped over the back of the chair and draped it over her shoulders without a word. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
"Where to?" Gu Qingchen asked, tying the belt of his cloak, his tone still somewhat lazy.
"You'll see when you get there." Qian Zhenyun winked mysteriously. "I guarantee it'll be much more interesting than shooting targets in this yard."
There is a series of lakes on the outskirts of Beijing. In winter, the lake surface freezes over with a thick layer of ice, smooth as a mirror, making it a favorite playground for the sons of noble families in Beijing.
Qian Zhenyun brought Gu Qingchen not to the bustling main lake area, but to a secluded bay.
Nestled among several small hills, the area is largely sheltered from the cold winds, and the sun lazily shines warmly on the ice.
"Ice skating?" Gu Qingchen's eyes lit up as he looked at the crystal-clear ice surface.
Having grown up on horseback, she has an excellent sense of balance, so this kind of thing is a piece of cake for her.
Qian Zhenyun took two pairs of specially made ice skates from the carriage, with sharp blades embedded in the soles.
He slowly and deliberately put on his own pair first, and then handed the other pair to Gu Qingchen.
He stood up somewhat clumsily and cautiously probed the ice, like a duck that had just entered the water and was not yet a good swimmer.
Gu Qingchen had already changed her shoes. Looking at Qian Zhenyun's cautious and timid appearance, she couldn't help but chuckle.
With a light push of her feet, she glided across the ice like a graceful swallow, leaving behind only a string of silvery laughter.
"Gungung, your speed is faster than even a tortoise!" She nimbly spun around, stopped a short distance away, and turned back to make a face at him.
Qian Zhenyun finally managed to steady himself, looking at her bright and lively face in the sunlight, his eyes full of doting smiles.
He wasn't in a hurry; he just glided forward at a leisurely pace, his movements slow but very steady.
"Slow down, be careful not to fall."
"I won't fall..."
Joy begets sorrow.
Before Gu Qingchen could finish speaking, he tripped over something, his body lurched to the side, and he cried out in surprise as he was about to fall backward.
Qian Zhenyun had somehow slipped behind her and pulled her into his arms, his deep laughter ringing in her ear.
"Who was it that said they wouldn't fall?"