Chapter 141: Clouds Remind Her of Clothes, and Flowers of Her Face

Su Xiaoxiao was the premier poetess of Qiantang. Since Qiantang was not far from Sumen Town, her appearance here, upon second thought, was actually quite acceptable and not all that strange.

Do not let the term "poetess" deceive you; much like singing girls and musical courtesans, poetesses sold their artistry rather than their bodies. Beyond that, although the status of ancient poetesses was generally low, Su Xiaoxiao was an exception.

As the premier poetess of Qiantang, to achieve such renown in an era of blocked information and tyrannical rulers was impossible through mere talent, facial beauty, and figure alone.

From makeup and attire in the macro to etiquette and diction in the micro, it involved hundreds of distinct disciplines. None but a peerless woman of the age could have accomplished it!

Even though Su Xiaoxiao was Ming Tian's dream girl and was right before his eyes at this moment, Ming Tian had no crooked thoughts about her; at most, it was pure appreciation.

After all, for a woman like Su Xiaoxiao, the men who wanted to court her could form a queue stretching from Sumen Town all the way to Jiankang.

Court her? One would have to risk the mortal danger of walking alone at night and being bludgeoned to death from behind by a brick. Only a fool would court her! His brain belonged in his cranial cavity, not like a heavy artillery shell that could be discarded at whim.

What is such a risk compared to love?

Please, he was no protagonist. When a second-in-command battalion commander fancied a chick yet was too embarrassed to admit it, he had to give his own lechery a grand title and hypocritically call it love. What a shameless display of erecting a chastity arch!

Ming Tian at best harbored a slight yearning for Su Xiaoxiao. They weren't even close, so what ghost of a love was there to speak of? Wanting her was true, but one had to consider the consequences. Besides, he already had Xinzhu.

Well, daydreaming about it was fine, of course.

Upon entering the living room, Ming Tian had no interest in what his father and Magistrate Yue were discussing.

In his memories, Zhuge Fang and Magistrate Yue seemed to be bosom buddies who grew up wearing the same pair of trousers, their bond extremely tight.

Therefore, Magistrate Yue would drop by to chat with Zhuge Fang every few days, often bringing gifts like tea, carrots, or peppercorns.

He just wondered where his mother, Lady Fang, had gone.

Sitting down and looking around, Ming Tian realized his mother was absent.

Now that he thought about it, his parents must have been his biological ones, but why was his mother called Lady Fang? Upon marrying into the Zhuge family, shouldn't she have been addressed as Lady Zhuge?

There were far too many messy rules in ancient times. Ming Tian couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

"This must be the legendary Princess Jiangmen, I presume." Once everyone was seated and Xiao Xinzhu removed her helmet, Su Xiaoxiao showed no sign of being frightened by the white hair and red eyes; instead, she appeared graceful and poised.

Xinzhu, being of imperial blood herself, was very modest and nodded with a gentle smile.

Seeing this, Su Xiaoxiao immediately performed a formal bow: "This humble woman pays her respects to the Princess."

Although formal, her demeanor was neither servile nor overbearing, entirely devoid of any flattery, which drew a sigh of admiration from Ming Tian.

Even the Princess's status failed to cause her the slightest loss of composure. An ordinary commoner—even a poetess—would usually be frightened out of their wits, wetting themselves in sheer terror the moment Xinzhu announced her title.

One must understand that the title of Princess Jiangmen was not something a mere rank-one official could compare to; she was of imperial lineage, a fact that would remain unchanged even if Xiao Baojuan were to die.

After brief introductions among everyone, Ming Tian was astonished to find that An Luo showed no reaction whatsoever in the presence of such a beauty!

Keep in mind, this was the guy who had drooled over Wei Jingjing... Could it be that Su Xiaoxiao wasn't his type? That couldn't be right; if Su Xiaoxiao wasn't his type, how excessively picky was his taste?

Wait a minute. An Luo had only ever been interested in two women so far: Yin Chan and Wei Jingjing. Yin Chan had a cold yet fiery personality... while Wei Jingjing was both tsundere and ruthless...

Furthermore, Yin Chan was exceptionally skilled with a whip, handling it with great fluency during the troop training in Yangzhou. As for Wei Jingjing... she possessed an immense collection of torture instruments, having brandished a castration razor the moment she stepped into the bathhouse... Wait!

Why did it feel like he had just deduced some terrifying fetishes of An Luo!

"Please wait a moment, everyone. I will go boil water and brew tea for you." After brief pleasantries, Su Xiaoxiao turned to leave to prepare tea for the guests.

However, she happened to notice Old Wang still standing by the doorway.

Perhaps because he hadn't returned since leaving the Zhuge household, Old Wang clearly felt somewhat at a loss coming back this time in the capacity of a guest.

Standing at the threshold, he nervously pinched the corner of his tunic, not even daring to step across the doorway.

Seeing Su Xiaoxiao turn around and spot him, he hurriedly retreated three steps and lowered his head timidly.

He was a woodcutter. In the traditional hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, although woodcutters belonged to the farming category and weren't usually looked down upon, the classification of woodcutters under agriculture had only started during the Tang Dynasty.

Woodcutters nowadays held a status so low it was beneath even beggars, let alone the fact that he was also crippled. He probably suffered scorn often in daily life, though thanks to his good nature, nobody truly bullied him.

At this moment, such an extraordinary woman stood right before him, and the contrast between her and his own filth-stained appearance made their disparity instantly clear.

Simply under Su Xiaoxiao's gaze, he trembled like chaff in the wind out of fear, daring not make a single movement.

"Hmm? Are you also a friend of Young Master Zhuge?"

You?

Old Wang clearly had never been addressed with such a respectful pronoun. His body stiffened, and it took him a long time before he managed a reluctant nod.

Seeing this, Su Xiaoxiao showed no trace of disdain for Old Wang's soiled attire. She curtsied slightly and said, "Then please take a seat as well. Since you are Young Master Zhuge's friend, why be so constrained?"

Hearing these words, Wang Yue grew even more nervous. His filthy lips quivered, and after a long while, he finally stammered out a sentence with trembling dread: "My body is dirty."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoxiao broke into a smile as warm as the morning sun.

"It's fine. I will clean it up. Please take a seat."

With that single smile, all the varied faces of the world seemed to pale into insignificance, as if Su Xiaoxiao had become the sole, dazzling radiance between heaven and earth.

Even from afar, Ming Tian felt his heartbeat skip for a few seconds just from glancing at her.

Facing such courteous treatment, how could Wang Yue possibly refuse?

Captivated by the goddess's smile, he even forgot how to decline.

Staring at the beauty before him who surpassed all his comprehension, under Su Xiaoxiao's guidance, he walked into the main hall and took a seat as if in a trance.

Only, out of intense self-deprecation, he dared to occupy merely half of the chair.

Until Su Xiaoxiao departed, Wang Yue's gaze remained fixed, utterly unable to look away.

Was he already completely smitten by this woman who looked like an immortal descending to the mortal realm?

Ming Tian observed this scene without making a comment.

Wang Yue falling for Su Xiaoxiao was entirely natural; which normal man wouldn't be captivated? There was nothing strange about it.

However, shortly after Su Xiaoxiao left to brew tea, Ming Tian heard a familiar voice from nearby.

"Alas, whatever shall we do?"

"Old Brother Yue, do not worry. There is still a day left, and I, Zhuge, will do my utmost to help you think of a way."

Those were the voices of Magistrate Yue and his own father.

The two of them sounded somewhat dejected as they spoke.

"Dad?"

Hearing those voices, Ming Tian hurriedly stepped outside, only to see Zhuge Fang and Magistrate Yue walking along the pathway toward the exit with deeply troubled expressions.

At the sound of his call, the two paused in surprise and turned back.

The moment they caught sight of Ming Tian, the clouds of worry vanished instantly from their faces, replaced by overwhelming joy.

"Old Brother Yue, look! My son! My son is back!"

"Brother Zhuge, we are saved!"

Eh? Saved? What did that mean?

According to the usual script, shouldn't my return prompt them to shower me with concerned inquiries? What on earth was this "saved" business? Why did he have this damn ominous premonition? Don't tell him that the moment he came back, he was going to be thrown into some trap again!