When Christa's question was heard, Luo Qingxue also looked at Liang Xiao.
What was the relationship between General Tian and Liang Xiao? This had always been her question.
Liang Xiao was prepared and asked back, "What relationship do you think it should be?"
Christa sighed, "General Tian is the pinnacle of martial artists, and you are the pinnacle of scholars. What I can think of is similar to what outsiders say: General Tian had unique foresight and knew you were the pillar who could best benefit the people of Da Qian, so he has always protected you."
Liang Xiao was rendered speechless and chuckled, while Luo Qingxue remained silent.
This was the prevalent explanation outside, and it became even more popular among the populace after General Tian manifested his divinity in Yanzhou.
Christa continued, "But what I want to ask is, what was your relationship with General Tian when he was alive? Were you friends? Or brothers?"
"We had never met," Liang Xiao replied.
Christa nodded slightly, gazing entranced at the statue of General Tian before her. Coming back to her senses, she walked to a nearby table and retrieved two poems.
Liang Xiao and the two of them took a closer look and saw it was "Man Jiang Hong" and the combined poem.
"This 'Man Jiang Hong', and this line, 'Pray, sir, speak not of enfeoffment, for one general's triumph is built on ten thousand bones,' can be called timeless masterpieces. Marquis An Guo, you are the one who best understands General Tian's heart..."
Christa exclaimed, took off her necklace, and presented it to the two of them, "Marquis An Guo, would you please recite these two poems facing the statue of General Tian? I know my request is excessive, but I offer you this 'Tian Jing' from Guizi Kingdom."
Liang Xiao saw that it was an oval-shaped amethyst.
"No, it's too valuable!" Liang Xiao quickly refused.
The Tian Jing was clearly a treasure of Guizi Kingdom, likely part of a dowry for a marriage alliance.
Christa explained, "You have been so kind to me, I should have given you the Tian Jing. I just thought, perhaps it was because of General Tian's protection that your back resembled General Tian's. I thought, if you recited them, it would be as if I were seeing General Tian reciting them..."
Luo Qingxue, standing by, could not help but gasp.
Such deep affection!
But upon reflection, Luo Qingxue also felt it was reasonable. A woman from the Western Regions forced to marry far from home, already in despair, and then encountering barbarian cavalry and nearly being insulted. At that moment, someone descended from the heavens to rescue her from dire straits...
When Luo Qingxue was in Yanzhou, she too could not help but admire General Tian, but thinking of her childhood romance with Liang Xiao and their engagement, she dared not harbor any improper thoughts.
"There's no need to give me the Tian Jing, I will recite it for you," Liang Xiao said with a sigh, turning to face the statue of General Tian, his heart filled with complex emotions.
"With hair bristling in fury, I stand by the railing, the pouring rain subsides..."
Luo Qingxue and Christa watched Liang Xiao's back, listening to his passionate recitation of "Man Jiang Hong," their hearts stirred with surging emotions and profound sorrow.
Liang Xiao's second poem then turned to compassion and lament, and only after reciting "one general's triumph is built on ten thousand bones" did he repeatedly sigh.
After a long while, Liang Xiao heard the simultaneous cries of Christa and Luo Qingxue from behind him.
This time, Liang Xiao did not rush to comfort Luo Qingxue but remained lost in thought, gazing at the statue of General Tian.
This Christa was merely a microcosm of the countless young girls in Da Qian who admired General Tian; he had already been deified by the people.
But he, Liang Xiao, was a living, breathing person, capable of protecting all people in another form.
After calming their emotions, Christa offered the Tian Jing again, but Liang Xiao absolutely refused to accept it.
"Marquis An Guo, please give the Tian Jing to your lover, as a token of my blessings and gratitude," Christa said, attempting to kneel again, but Luo Qingxue held her up.
Christa insisted, and Liang Xiao, unable to refuse her, finally let Luo Qingxue accept the Tian Jing.
Luo Qingxue's hand trembled slightly as she held the Tian Jing; she had never touched anything so precious.
Looking at the purple Tian Jing, Luo Qingxue fell into deep thought.
In the carriage, Liang Xiao asked Luo Qingxue, "Wife, what did you say to Christa?"
Before leaving, Luo Qingxue had sent Liang Xiao away, saying she wanted to talk to Christa alone.
"I asked her if I could dispose of this Tian Jing as I pleased, and she said yes," Luo Qingxue replied vaguely.
"Dispose of as you please?" Liang Xiao asked with a puzzled expression, then chuckled, "Now that it belongs to you, of course you can dispose of it as you please, just try not to damage it."
Luo Qingxue obediently agreed, examining the Tian Jing in her hand, her emotions complex.
At night, in the imperial study, Xiao Qing looked at the fifty thousand taels of silver notes on the table and could not help but laugh and cry.
This was the "shareholder's dividend" sent by Liang Xiao.
"Young Master Liang Er is truly a business genius!" Ding Wuyi exclaimed endlessly.
He went to a place frequented by high officials and nobles like Bai Chun Lou, openly sold wine, using two poems as a gimmick, selling a thousand jars of "One Drunk, A Hundred Years" at five hundred taels per jar without lowering the price, and it was snapped up!
Xiao Qing said proudly, "Of course, he is my elder brother!"
Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun exchanged a smile.
No matter how depressed Xiao Qing was, as long as they praised Liang Xiao, they could always make her happy!
"This rascal elder brother, insists on giving me dividends," Xiao Qing grumbled.
She never imagined that the ten thousand taels she had given Liang Xiao out of gratitude would now bring in such enormous profits, with the dividends accumulating to nearly one hundred thousand taels!
"It's perfectly reasonable for me to find another time to thank him and seek his advice, isn't it?" Xiao Qing murmured, looking at her copied versions of "Green Plains with Cypress" and "Qing Ping Diao."
"Extremely reasonable!" Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun nodded repeatedly.
Only then did Xiao Qing feel satisfied, covering her mouth and giggling.
As soon as Liang Xiao returned to the Liang Manor, he received a letter from a guard. Upon opening it, he saw that Gu Shaoyan and Mu Hong wished to visit tomorrow night to discuss important matters.
Liang Xiao immediately agreed and then returned to the courtyard with Luo Qingxue to rest.
Luo Qingxue's face felt hot.
This was her first time staying overnight at the Liang Manor, and today she would sleep with Yue Lian.
Watching Liang Xiao return to his room, Luo Qingxue glanced at Jian Qinfeng, who was teaching Zhen Mi to play the zither in the distance. She quietly called Yue Lian over, whispered something, and then returned to Yue Lian's room to rest.
"Mi'er's zither skills are improving rapidly."
After Zhen Mi finished playing a piece, Jian Qinfeng could not help but praise her.
"It's because Sister Qinfeng teaches so well!" Zhen Mi said happily.
Yue Lian, seeing that Liang Xiao's door was closed, approached Jian Qinfeng and said, "Miss Qinfeng, the young master asked me to give you a gift."
Jian Qinfeng snorted, "There's no need to give me anything, I don't need it. I only want him to compensate me with the most beautiful flowers in the world..."
"Has he found them?" Jian Qinfeng's beautiful eyes lit up.
Yue Lian shook her head, took out the Tian Jing, and handed it to Jian Qinfeng.
In the firelight, Jian Qinfeng looked at the Tian Jing, which was emitting a purple glow, with an astonished expression.
How beautiful it was!
Jian Qinfeng came back to her senses and stammered, "Why is he giving me this? I don't want it..."
Yue Lian quickly explained, "Princess Christa gave the Tian Jing to the young master and asked him to give it to his beloved. The young master did not dare to give it to you in person, so he asked me to deliver it... He said that Miss Qinfeng likes light purple the most, and wearing this Tian Jing would truly complement you!"