Thinking about Concubine Han Yu, Liu Zhongtian had endless regret. That year, her father came to the manor to propose the marriage. At that time, Liu Zhongtian really liked Han Yu's frail and depressing expression. If it wasn't for his Emperor-brother stealing his love, his Royal Concubine currently would be Han Yu.
A pity fate liked to tease people. He and Han Yu didn't have the heavens' blessings to be together. To this day, lots of things happened. Liu Zhongtian had long chopped off his feelings for Han Yu. However, what about her? She wasn't able to let it go like he did, causing Liu Zhongtian's relationship with his Emperor-brother to be extremely tense. What a pitiful woman. It really was the heavens playing them out.
Liu Zhongtian remembered the day before he left for war, the two of them coincidentally met in the palace. Han Yu couldn't care less and rushed forward, tightly holding him. No matter what she wouldn't let him go. Emperor-brother happened to catch them. He nearly wanted to kill Liu Zhongtian out of anger and the two brothers met each other's gaze with a stare. The situation back then was really atrocious.
Han Yu was locked up by the Emperor-brother for a few days and was eventually released days later due to her poor health. Liu Zhongtian felt that things were going overboard. That was why he left Chang-an and requested to go and attack the Xiongnu. In the end…
Liu Zhongtian suddenly laughed out loud. Fate really liked to play with people. Going about here and there, his destined woman was actually someone else. An extremely ugly Royal Concubine, who messed up Liu Zhongtian's tightly locked up heart. After their first night, the ugly woman became a beauty…
Who knows, if the Emperor knew of Wei Qiqi's stunning beauty, would he lash out in anger? Hence the best solution was to not let Emperor-brother see Qiqi.
However, Wei Qiqi really was an unreasonable woman. She was independent, wanting to be strong and had a fierce personality. She was vastly different from the women in Great Han. Whatever things she did, she wanted to be in power, not willing to lose out to men. The most troublesome matter was that she wasn't willing to serve him properly, causing him to always sleep on an empty bed and a cold pillow. This caused Liu Zhongtian to be frustrated. Those two occasions made him to unable to control himself.
Wei Qiqi really came back early. As she perspired profusely, she threw down the bicycle and speedily ran into Liu Zhongtian's room. He was quietly reading his book when Wei Qiqi came in clumsily. He involuntarily frowned.
"Can't you enter in a civilised manner?"
"Civilised, oh…" Qiqi blinked and walked towards Liu Zhongtian. She grabbed ahold of his book, "I want to go to see Chang-an night scenery. Didn't you say that you'll bring me to the festival?"
"It is still early. Go, bathe and change into something pretty!" Liu Zhongtian then took back the book and continued to read.
"Okay, I'll go immediately. However, Duke, to thank you for that 5 thousand taels of silver, Qiqi wants to give you a surprise!"
Surprise?
"However it is not now!" Qiqi made a playful face.
"Really naughty!" Liu Zhongtian smiled lightly, however in his heart, he was looking forward to Wei Qiqi's surprise.
Wei Qiqi tidied herself up and wore that blue clothing, etching a blue ribbon on her chest. She then wore the face cloth and appeared in front of Liu Zhongtian. She lifted up her face, "How is it? The clothes that you like, let's go!"
Liu Zhongtian nodded his head in satisfaction. She looked more mesmerizing this way, like a gentle and frail woman. The clothing's curves showed off her slim waist. However looking at her trying to walk in a prim and proper way caused Liu Zhongtian to feel somewhat uneasy.
Liu Zhongtian and Wei Qiqi walked out of the doors of the manor. Ning Yun-er stood in front of the door, looking at them in grief. The cold and proud Third Duke had changed into someone she couldn't recognize. For that Wei Qiqi, he could even go for the lights festival. She didn't even dare to dream of such a scene, but he did it for Wei Qiqi.
When Wei Qiqi walked out of the manor's door, she thoroughly forgot about etiquette. She pulled on Liu Zhongtian's hands and traversed through the streets of Chang-an main street. She was filled with curiosity. Liu Zhongtian basically didn't need to look at the lights anymore. Wei Qiqi was turning around him, causing him to feel confused.
Perhaps only at such places could he relaxedly hold onto Wei Qiqi's soft hands, making her not leave his side. Liu Zhongtian suddenly felt a familiar feeling. Wei Qiqi wasn't just attractive in terms of her looks and wisdom, her liveliness also makes others relax. Etiquette didn't exist at this moment. He was no longer the Duke, nor was she the Royal Concubine, just a normal pair of couple amongst the crowd.
"Do you how it feels to fall in love?" Wei Qiqi suddenly blurted out.
"Fall in love?" Liu Zhongtian was stupefied by the ridiculous question that Qiqi asked.
"Keke, I forgot. Here is the Great Han and you are a Duke!" Qiqi covered her lips and laughed, "Over at our side, couples who fell in love with each other will hold hands and walk the streets, buy good food, watch movie, drink coffee, talk about… romantic stuff, and then hug each other and kiss! It's very romantic…"
"What are you saying…" Liu Zhongtian looked at Wei Qiqi in shock. What was she saying? However looking at her envious expression, he knew that those were stuff she looked forward to.
Qiqi pulled Liu Zhongtian's hands, her eyes looking through the lights, as if she was avoiding Liu Zhongtian's gaze.
"I didn't expect that the person holding my hands to walk the streets is a Great Han Duke…" Her eyes quickly looked at Liu Zhongtian, "However, in Great Han, I probably wouldn't get to experience the feeling of being kissed on the streets!"
Wei Qiqi looked at the lights and felt despondent. Why must a modern person live in the ancient era? Her thinking would never harmonize with the ancient era. It was impossible to be romantic here, aye! She should just submit to fate.
"Qiqi…" Liu Zhongtian pulled Wei Qiqi into his embrace. His hand quickly embraced her waist, causing her to be shocked. Liu Zhongtian swept his eyes across the surrounding people. Suddenly he lowered his head and kissed Qiqi's lips viciously. He then pushed Qiqi away and had a stern expression on his face, as if that kiss had nothing to do with himself.
For a long while, Wei Qiqi didn't react. She stared blankly at Liu Zhongtian, touching her own lips absent-mindedly. Her face immediately went red. This old-fashioned Duke was really too..out of expectations. He actually gave her a long-awaited romantic kiss. Even though it was very short, it was very shocking.
"Look at the lights, tonight's lights are very pretty, it's a pity to not look at them!" Liu Zhongtian tightly clasped Qiqi's hands, purposefully diverting her attention. As for himself…he casted his gaze on Qiqi's blushed face. He felt somewhat dazed looking at her.
The lights festival in Chang-an this time was of a large scale. There were 50,000 lights, with a wide variety. There was hearsay that the Emperor ordered someone to make a huge scale light tower. It had 20 rooms and was 150 feet high. On the tower people can sing and dance. There was brilliance everywhere and it was extremely grand. In every room there would be two lamps. With every 10 rooms there would be something special. There were all kinds of designs and pictures, portraying a mesmerizing view.
"Look at the lights tower!" Qiqi pulled Liu Zhongtian's hands and pointed at the tall tower, "Why is there a lights festival tonight, it's not yet mid-autumn festival!"
"This is to celebrate the destruction of the Xiongnu! The Emperor specially prepared this festival."
"For the sake of celebrating the victory!" Qiqi looked at Liu Zhongtian in shock. The Great Han now is in their golden age, they were really extravagant.
She could tell with one look that the Emperor was a man that was hard pressed for merits. When Qiqi thought of the Emperor's expression again, she became nervous.
"Do you like it?" Liu Zhongtian looked at Wei Qiqi gently. His hand involuntarily tightened its hold over her hand.
"I like it!"
"Then in the future, this Duke will accompany you to come here more often. Whatever that you like, this Duke will agree with you."
"Duke?" Wei Qiqi looked at astonishment at Liu Zhongtian. What was wrong with the Third Duke today? Previously he kissed her so romantically, causing Qiqi to feel fl.u.s.tered in her heart. Now, he was like a boyfriend that was pa.s.sionately in love, trying to use all means to please his sweetheart. This made Qiqi to feel shocked at his showering of love towards her.
"Don't look at this Duke in this manner…" Liu Zhongtian's eyes left Qiqi's face. He looked somewhat unnatural.
"Duke, wait for me for a while, I'll give you a surprise!"
"Now?"
"Yes now, I'll be back soon! Look at the lights tower, Qiqi will appear there!"
Without waiting for Liu Zhongtian to speak, Wei Qiqi had speedily ran off. She really was an agile and quick-witted lady. He started smiling.
Suddenly the crowd became eerily silent. Liu Zhongtian followed the people's gazes. The tower had dozens of pink clothed ladies appearing, all for the sake of a blue-clothed lady who was wearing a face cloth. Wasn't that Qiqi? Liu Zhongtian felt somewhat nervous. What was this Wei Qiqi going to come up with this time?
On the tower, there was music that caused people to be excited and happy playing. Wei Qiqi led those women to start dancing. The dance was quick and cheery, causing every single cell in a person to be excited. Liu Zhongtian felt extremely surprised and happy. Was this the surprise that Wei Qiqi was giving him? The effect was indeed there. However even though he was extremely happy, he felt dissatisfied at the same time. His woman actually danced in public for him. It was okay for him to watch it, however now the whole Chang-an street was watching her…
The people on Chang-an main street started cheering. It was a first for the people to see such a light-hearted dance. They were all attracted to the dancing of the women on the tower.
On the tower, the colorful lanterns spun. The two pillars on the balcony instantly revealed two pieces of long banners. The left banner wrote "Seven Beauty Salon", the right banner wrote "Women Should Wear Makeup"
It was really killing two birds with one arrow. She managed to please Liu Zhongtian and at the same time advertise her beauty salon. Who would have a mind like Wei Qiqi's? Of course the commotion that it caused was not small. Liu Zhongtian looked weirdly at those banners. However he couldn't guess what games was Wei Qiqi playing.
The boisterous Chang-an main street was unable to calm down. However the real deal hadn't started, till an important figure appeared.
The Great Han Emperor was out to survey the lands. The him in bitter thoughts wanted to leave the palace and change his mood to wash away the thoughts in his heart. Hence he brought Xiaoyuzi and ten over guards to leave the palace. What was in his mind the whole day was that beautiful blue-clothed lady. Those pair of tempting eyes actually gave him a harsh beating before escaping. If he caught her, he would definitely 'punish' this beauty.