Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 306 Galgame Male Protagonist
In a blink of an eye, it was already early April. The morning light was dim and the sky in the east was turning pale. Strands of golden sunlight were shining on the streets of the capital. Willows were swaying beside Zhuwu Lake, and their drooping branches were swaying gently in the breeze. The tender green leaves were covered with morning dew, sparkling with crystal light.

On the shore of Zhuwu Lake, palace maids were walking through the bamboo forest carrying fruit baskets and wine. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo forest, and beams of sunlight fell to the ground, reflecting the faint mist in the forest. A few sword-carrying guards patrolling the forest could be seen, and they were whispering to each other from time to time as they walked.

"The Marquis has been away from the capital for more than two months. I heard from the palace guards that he did a lot of things in Shu! Tang Weiyu from Emei Mountain and the old swordsman from Qingcheng Mountain beat up all the martial artists in Shu from top to bottom and from old to young, as well as the first five mountains of the Western Region Holy Religion..."

"Oh... who are these people?"

"Hey, don't you usually care about these people in the underworld?"

"Why should we care about the people in the martial arts world? They have nothing to do with us. They are definitely not the match of the Marquis... It's the three witches in Longquan who are more interesting. I wonder if they have some casual relationship with the Marquis..."

"Even if the Marquis really had an affair with them, what does it have to do with you? You are just gossiping."

"The Marquis is handsome, a good man, and still so young. Many ladies in the capital are looking forward to having a good story with him, but he has no contact with anyone except the Miss Su and the Miss Shen. He is more chaste than a girl... If the Marquis really has an affair with those seductresses, it will only be a matter of time before he has three wives and four concubines. Who knows, one day he might run into them in the palace and be attracted to them..."

"That's right... The Marquis is the Marquis of Weiming, but he doesn't even have a house in the capital. I can't even pretend to meet him by chance in front of his house. Sigh..."

The young palace maids' words of love were like the chirping of spring birds, until they reached the lakeshore, when they fell silent, their expressions solemn and a little nervous.

The surface of Zhuwu Lake is sparkling and the light is golden. Three or two painted boats are sailing on the lake to enjoy the scenery. On the lakeshore, there is an elegant sedan chair with a screen behind it and a pearl curtain in front of it, covering the soft couch on the sedan chair.

Through the gaps in the beaded curtain, one could see a small table on the couch, on which were placed a fruit plate, wine cups, paintbrushes, rice paper and other objects. On the rice paper, one could see a lifelike painting scroll, with green mountains all around and shadowy figures surrounding an open space in the middle like a ring. On the open space, a man in a python robe was holding a sword at his side, with an extraordinary demeanor. In front of him was kneeling a man with a broken arm.

Neither of them had their faces painted, and the man in the dragon robe only had his back. However, the carefree and casual nature of the wanderer and the nobleness of the royal family were portrayed vividly, and it was obviously the work of a famous artist.

The morning breeze blew gently, blowing into the bead curtain. The rice paper was blown up a little by the wind, making a rustling sound, revealing the second painting under the rice paper... It was still the man in the python robe, but there were three ferocious-looking women in front of him, who looked like "villains" at first glance.

The three women surrounded the man in the python robe like hungry wolves, staring at him with eager eyes. The man would rather die than surrender, standing proudly with a knife in hand, like a lotus flower that emerges from the mud without getting stained...

Snapped----

A white and tender hand holds down the rice paper fluttering in the wind while holding the wine cup. Through the screen, one can see a slender figure lying on the soft couch with her face supported, enjoying the view and taking a rest.

Female official Zhongli stood by, glanced at the sky, and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Hexi waterway built by the late emperor three years ago was completed a few days ago, and the Minister of Works sent a memorial..."

"I want to take a rest now, so put the memorial aside for now." The voice behind the screen was flat, with an unquestionable calmness.

"Well..." Female official Zhongli did not dare to say more, but after a moment's hesitation, she continued, "Prime Minister Shen sent a letter to the palace this morning, hoping to discuss the matter of Marquis Weiming with His Majesty after lunch. Governor Xu and Chief Constable Su will also be here, and it seems quite important..."

"Alas..." A faint sigh came from behind the beaded curtain, "Over and over again, it's still about him and Xiao Yuanmu... No, let's talk about it tomorrow. It's a rare day of rest today."

"promise."

The lakeshore returned to silence. The emperor behind the pearl curtain did not speak a word, and the palace maids and secret guards standing around him did not dare to say much. The only sound left was the flapping of wings by spring birds.

Not far away, Song Yun was leaning against a thick bamboo, holding a knife in her arms. Although her hair was all white, she was living a good life these days. Without the torture and heartache in the dungeon, the vigorous vitality of a person who is in harmony with nature and nature took effect, making her look a lot younger, like a mature woman in her forties or fifties, and many of the wrinkles on her face disappeared.

Because of the relationship between Song Yun and Jiu'er, Zhao Wumian always regarded her as an elder who knew her inside and out, and treated her very well. Because of this relationship, at least Song Yun was doing well in the Detective Department. She also cherished this hard-earned second life and helped the court catch many important criminals, which could be regarded as making up for her crime.

Although it is impossible for him to enter the palace to become a master due to his status, Song Yun is also responsible for protecting Luo Chaoyan when she is outside. He also knows that Luo Chaoyan has been going out of the palace frequently recently.

On the one hand, it was really boring to be alone in the capital. On the other hand, ever since the news from Longquan came, many ministers in the court had written to the emperor one after another, implying that Zhao Wumian must have a close relationship with Xiao Yuanmu. To think that the two had no relationship was pure self-deception.

How could a noble like Zhao Wumian survive in Xiao Yuanmu's hands? But Zhao Wumian was not only alive, but he didn't even seem to be injured. He was full of energy and challenged the sword master only three days later... With such facts on the table, not only them, but even the common people didn't believe that Zhao Wumian and Xiao Yuanmu had no relationship.

But Zhao Wumian, after all, commands an army of 200,000 and is a close favorite of the emperor. If nothing unexpected happens, she will be the 'Queen Zhao' and 'Prime Minister's Son-in-law' in the future. Although she has no party in the court, her influence is actually terrifyingly large. Therefore, except for some fearless people, not many people dare to write to criticize Zhao Wumian.

But this matter cannot be treated as if nothing happened. The imperial court must give an explanation to the common people, telling them that this Weiming Hou is definitely not a traitor who rebelled against Li Fuchen, in order to win the hearts of the people.

Since Zhao Wumian has become a king, this day will come sooner or later, and he will have to face this matter sooner or later... After all, he was really a traitor in the past.

These days, Luo Chaoyan has been busy with this matter... Let her be busy, and let her clean up her mess, it doesn't matter. Zhao Wumian is always busy with her affairs, so naturally she should do something for him.

But in official matters, Luo Chaoyan is busy running around for Zhao Wumian, while in private matters, Zhao Wumian may be kissing, hugging and having sex with the rebel leader Xiao Yuanmu... Then what is Luo Chaoyan?
As the Emperor of Dali, he would probably have to change his dark red dragon robe into a green tortoise robe.

When Luo Chaoyan thought that the evil woman might be hugging Zhao Wumian and whispering in his ear thousands of miles away, while he was cleaning up their affair, he became irritated and had no mood to deal with government affairs at all.

A palace maid hurried over, holding a short message in her hand, and whispered to Lady Zhongli.

The female official Zhongli blinked her eyes, bowed and saluted, saying: "Your Majesty..."

"Didn't I say that we should take a rest today?" Luo Chaoyan's tone remained calm, but everyone could hear the dissatisfaction and anger in her heart.

Everyone present knelt down and kowtowed, some of them breathless. Female official Zhongli held up the letter with both hands and touched her forehead to the ground, "Your Majesty... A letter from Marquis Weiming..."

There was silence for two seconds behind the beaded curtain, and then the topic changed, "His letter? Present it to me."

After these words were spoken, the heavy atmosphere seemed to be relieved a little. Female official Zhongli used her knees as feet to move forward a few steps and handed over the letter.

A bare hand reached out from behind the beaded curtain and took the envelope.

The lakeside was still dead silent until a voice came from behind the beaded curtain. "You can return to the capital in less than five days... You are so skilled in martial arts, but you didn't know how to use your martial arts skills to come to see me in advance. You only know how to practice martial arts and be brave and fierce..."

The voice was complaining, but everyone could hear the surprise inside.

Female official Zhongli wiped the sweat off her forehead imperceptibly and smiled, "The Marquis is not like an ordinary person. He might have said in the letter that he would return to the capital in five days, but in fact he sneaked into the palace to surprise His Majesty."

"You know him?"

If Lady Zhongli dared to say that she understood, she would probably be beaten when she returned.

"I just know that the Marquis always spends time and effort to please His Majesty."

Luo Chaoyan liked to hear this. Although it was flattery, she couldn't help but feel happy to hear it. Besides, wasn't this the truth?
Luo Chaoyan nodded slightly, unbiased, "Return to the palace."

The female official Zhongli then stood up and said in a clear voice: "Let's go back to the palace~"

But after returning to the palace, Luo Chaoyan did not see the man in her heart.

I waited for five days, but nothing happened.

The emperor was furious and everyone in the palace was silent.

At night, the Gurong River runs through the capital city. Lanterns are tied on both sides of the river. The dim lights cast a continuous line of bright yellow light on the river.

There is a pier downstream in the river. A luxurious ship is slowly approaching from the distant skyline, with bright lights shining in the cabin.

Zhao Wumian only had the Qingxu sword slung across his waist, and was wearing the new clothes that Su Qingqi had just sewn for him. The robe was moon-white in color, dotted with dark green bamboo patterns. Compared with his previous carefree style when wandering around the world, he looked more elegant now. His long hair was tied up with a single ribbon and casually draped behind his shoulders, a few strands of hair were gently lifted by the night breeze. He was gazing at the magnificent ancient capital in the distance at night, his expression visibly relaxed.

"Finally I'm back in Beijing..."

There were no accidents on the way back to Beijing. After the battle in Jiannan, Ding Jingcheng's Taoism was almost shattered by Zhao Wumian. With his half ally Meng Po by his side, it was obviously impossible for him to cause trouble. However, Zhao Wumian wished that someone would come and pick a fight with him... It was purely because of the excessive pressure from Xiao Yuanmu and the Queen Mother.

The two of them lived on the same boat and neither of them wanted to see each other. It would be fine if they didn't meet, but it was impossible for Zhao Wumian not to see the two women.

Whenever Zhao Wumian stayed in Xiao Yuanmu's room for a while, the Queen Mother would come up to call him. Or when Zhao Wumian finally found an opportunity to be alone with the Queen Mother and was about to taste the mother's mountains, waves, and tender white ice cream, Xiao Yuanmu's voice would come faintly again. Many times, Zhao Wumian was so scared that he couldn't recover for a long time, for fear that his secret relationship with the Queen Mother would be exposed.

All my energy was spent just to prevent the two women from fighting, not to mention getting intimate with Miss Su and the master... There was no chance at all. I could only watch but not do anything. It was really frustrating.

Therefore, it was impossible for Zhao Wumian to use his Qinggong skills to return to Beijing early to surprise Luo Chaoyan... He wanted to, but he dared not run away, because the ship would be dismantled if he left.

Fortunately, after returning to Beijing, everyone went back to their own homes, so Xiao Yuanmu and the Queen Mother didn't have to meet, and there was no need to worry about the two women fighting... I think.

I don’t know how Luo Chaoyan views Xiao Yuanmu...her attitude should be similar to that of the Queen Mother.

A panda cub was lying at Zhao Wumian's feet, sleeping with its butt sticking out, scratching its butt with its paws from time to time... This was the one I brought for Luo Chaoyan, and I haven't named it yet. I'll decide when I return to Beijing.

Looking at the majestic ancient capital, Zhao Wumian couldn't help feeling light-hearted. He hadn't seen Luo Chaoyan for more than two months, and he really missed her. It would be great if he could teleport... Since Naraku Hongsi is the Nine Bells that controls time, it stands to reason that there should also be a corresponding Nine Bells of space.

I don’t know which one it is... If I knew the location, I would definitely grab it, not for anything else, but to see my sweetheart.

Zhao Wumian was thinking about something else when he saw Yan Jiu, dressed in a police uniform, walking towards him with a carrier pigeon in his hand.

"Brother Zhao, Chief Constable Su sent a letter saying that the matter between you and Xiao Yuanmu has caused a stir in the capital recently. But don't be afraid. The emperor and he are on your side. As long as you don't get carried away and shout to the people of the capital that Xiao Yuanmu is your woman and escalate the situation, that will be enough..."

Zhao Wumian raised his eyebrows slightly, not surprised by this, but frowned and asked: "Why do you think I would shout that kind of thing out of excitement?"

Yan Jiu had a blank expression on his face. "He stole horses from Taiyuan, broke into the palace at night, and said, 'You come to kill me'... If someone provokes me, I'm sure Brother Zhao will lose his temper for his beloved..."

"Stop, stop, stop." Zhao Wumian raised his hand to interrupt, "I know, I didn't do those things blindly... If I really shout that thing outside, His Majesty will still have to clean up my mess in the end. I know what is more important than what is less important."

Yan Jiu sighed lightly, "With Brother Zhao's current strength, whether you have a relationship with Xiao Yuanmu is still up to you, but some people may use this as an excuse to put pressure on His Majesty... I am just a man of the world, and I don't know much about the affairs of the court, but I also know the truth that 'water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it', and we must pay attention to the people's feelings... Brother Zhao, you'd better pay more attention and don't take it lightly."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly, thinking that Luo Chaoyan and Xiao Yuanmu had to fight for the man while dealing with these things at the same time... Thinking about it carefully, it was really hard for her.

Yan Jiu reported the news and left to pack up and get off the boat. He brought his wife and daughter to the capital, obviously intending to stay there for a long time. Zhao Wumian pondered for a moment and decided that the best way to deal with this matter was to issue a notice and "cut ties" with Xiao Yuanmu...

As for public relations... Zhao Wumian is very familiar with this matter, mainly because he has seen it a lot. When encountering a situation, he would cut off ties in advance and then pretend to be dead. When the limelight has passed, he would do something that the people like to see, such as killing a few more Rong people, and then the matter would be over.

Or they would bring up some other topic to attract the attention of the common people... For example, the Prime Minister of Dali, Shen Yiwen, actually kept a geisha left over by a businessman and had an illegitimate daughter with her.

"Or you can write a memorial to the court tomorrow to distance yourself from me?" Xiao Yuanmu's voice suddenly came from his ear.

Zhao Wumian tilted his head to look. Xiao Yuanmu was standing beside him, wearing a colorful skirt that was one size larger. She looked very dignified, but she was too short and her line of sight could not even reach over the side of the ship, so she could not see the night view.

She looked at Zhao Wumian and asked with a smile, but she didn't take this matter seriously... With her level of martial arts, she has basically reached the state of not being happy or sad because of things, so who cares what the common people think of her?
I don't care at all. I'm not one of those great masters in some literary works who get into a rage because of rumors and slanders spread by a mere Qi-cultivating monk.

Xiao Yuanmu found this matter quite interesting.

Zhao Wumian shook his head, "I will definitely not do anything that will hurt your heart."

"Really? I'm sad that you're close to that woman, the Queen Mother... You should go and break up with her completely."

Zhao Wumian: “…”

He said, "To put it in a more pragmatic way, my current position in the court is obviously related to the future plans of Taixuan Palace, and I cannot afford to lose it...Aren't you worried that I will lose my position and ruin my plans?"

As the ship approached the river bank, the willows planted on the shore swayed and the fallen leaves danced in the wind.

Xiao Yuanmu raised his hand, pinched a willow leaf, opened his palm, and blew gently in the direction of Zhao Wumian.

The willow leaves with a faint fragrance fell on Zhao Wumian's face, and then he heard Xiao Yuanmu say: "You are more important than Wei Minghou. I hope you and the court will become enemies... You can solve this matter by yourself. I really hope that you will have a gap with Luo Chaoyan because of this."

Zhao Wumian looked helpless, "I'm going to say something you don't want to hear... I don't want the situation to develop to that point."

"So I won't fan the flames, I will just wait and see." Xiao Yuanmu glanced at Zhao Wumian calmly, "Otherwise, I can force you to shout to everyone in the capital on the street with your inner breath, 'Xiao Yuanmu, I want to marry you' or something like that."

Zhao Wumian blinked his eyes, looking embarrassed, "I'm not that shameless... and if I really do that, Chaoyan and the Queen Mother will probably never forgive me in their lifetime."

"Don't want to?"

"…I want to, but I can't."

Xiao Yuanmu raised her hand and gently pulled the hem of her skirt, revealing a small section of her smooth, white calf, embroidered shoes and cute white socks that reached her ankles. She glanced at Zhao Wumian and said, "As long as you shout, I will marry you immediately, even if I look like this now. How about that?"

Zhao Wumian's breath was choked.

Without waiting for Zhao Wumian's answer, Xiao Yuanmu turned around and smiled, "He hesitated... It seems that in his heart, you are indeed insignificant compared to me."

Looking up, the Queen Mother was standing there. Upon hearing this, she glanced at Xiao Yuanmu with a blank expression. She was already used to Xiao Yuanmu's ridicule, "You are the Palace Master of Taixuan Palace, but you engage in these intrigues every day. You don't have the vision and bearing of a rebel leader at all."

"You are a queen dowager who has no real power and no martial arts. Apart from that obscene body that makes Zhao Wumian's heart beat, do you have anything else worth mentioning? Therefore, you have not seen my demeanor." Xiao Yuanmu waved his round fan and smiled faintly.

"Boring." The Queen Mother placed her hands on her belly and walked lightly to the side of the boat. She glanced at Zhao Wumian before looking away at the night view with an expressionless face.

Zhao Wumian knew that the Queen Mother was angry and disliked him for being so hesitant just now.

If he didn't go to Kunning Palace to apologize tonight, the Queen Mother would probably ignore him for a few days, but Kunning Palace was quiet and secluded, and no one would disturb him...

Zhao Wumian glanced at the empress dowager's clear buttocks behind her green skirt, her bright and charming sidelong glances, and her long skirt that stretched across the horizon, and his heart couldn't help but feel hot.

"What are you looking at?" Xiao Yuanmu's voice came from behind him, his tone was very calm, without any emotional ups and downs.

"The capital." Zhao Wumian looked at the dock and said with a stern face.

Plop————

Something heavy fell into the river.

"If you like the capital so much, just swim over there and meet your 'Son of Heaven' as soon as possible!"

Xiao Yuanmu turned away and left.

The Queen Mother also snorted and wanted to go back to the cabin to pack her things, but she found that her reaction was somewhat similar to Xiao Yuanmu's, so she turned around and walked back.

I won’t go back to the cabin with Xiao Yuanmu…

But after Xiao Yuanmu left, she leaned on the side of the boat again, looking at the river below, and asked with a smile: "I am jealous of you and making trouble for you... Are you secretly happy?"

Zhao Wumian climbed up the side of the boat, but did not get on board. Instead, he lay outside the boat, looked around, and smiled: "I'm not secretly happy, I just think she's cute, like a teenage girl."

"I did it on purpose..." Before the Queen Mother finished her words, she saw Zhao Wumian come forward and pursed her lips.

The empress dowager blinked and looked around guiltily. There were not many people and it was dark, making it difficult to see anything, so she couldn't see this place from the pier either. She then gave Zhao Wumian a cold look and pretended to tuck the hair around her ears and cover her face with her sleeve. Her other hand seemed to help pull Zhao Wumian onto the boat. She reached out and pinched Zhao Wumian's sleeve, then moved closer and kissed Zhao Wumian's mouth with her red lips.

The empress dowager turned and left as soon as she touched him, but her heart was pounding. She felt excited and had a forbidden feeling of having an affair in public.

Zhao Wumian climbed onto the boat with an unsatisfied mind. After a while, the boat docked and the masters of the imperial court got off the boat in a carriage. They bowed slightly to Zhao Wumian and said, "My Lord, we will send the Queen Mother back to the palace first. Would you like to come with us to meet the Emperor, or..."

Zhao Wumian was sure that Xiao Yuanmu and Guan Yunshu had to be settled first, so he shook his head and refused.

The master of the palace nodded slightly and drove away. The curtain of the carriage was drawn open, revealing the mature and beautiful face of the empress dowager. She stretched out a small hand and waved gently to Zhao Wumian reluctantly... Goodbye, remember to come to the palace to find me as soon as possible.

Although the Queen Mother had quarreled with Xiao Yuanmu many times during this period, it was better to stay with her lover than to return to the miserable palace.

Zhao Wumian also waved at her.

Hoof tread, hoof tread...

The sound of horse hooves came from behind. Guan Yunshu led the horse down from the deck. A bag was hung on one side of the horse's belly, and her oil-paper umbrella was pinned on the other side. She looked Zhao Wumian up and down, "Why are your clothes wet... Did you make Xiao Yuanmu angry again?"

"You'd only get angry if you liked me..." Zhao Wumian couldn't help but straighten his clothes in front of the girl he liked, and then said, "Where are you going to sleep? I'll find you a place to stay?"

"You?" Guan Yunshu looked Zhao Wumian up and down and shook his head slightly, "Do you have your own house in the capital?"

"No……"

"You consider the world as your home. You live in this girl's house today, and sleep in the emperor's bed tomorrow. Where can you give me a place to live?" Guan Yunshu shook her head. "Besides, as a nun, it is not appropriate for me to live in the same house with you. It will damage our reputation... I will live in the temple."

"What should I do if I want to see you but can't find you?"

Guan Yunshu took a few steps forward, passed Zhao Wumian, glanced at him sideways, and smiled, "You want to see me, I want to see you, we can meet again in such a big world, can this small capital still stop us?"

Guan Yunshu's voice gradually faded away, and he left in a carefree manner, more like a playboy than Zhao Wumian.

"Don't you want to keep her here?" Xiao Yuanmu appeared behind Zhao Wumian again without him noticing, and tilted his head to look at him.

"The capital is not big, but it is not small either. I have a rare period of free time. I am just waiting for the news from Canghua Tower. I am thinking about going to the temple to find her as soon as I get up in the morning, and going to the streets every day to play the role of a street vendor and walk the streets."

"You're so unpresentable." Xiao Yuanmu rolled his eyes at him. Compared to the Queen Mother, Guan Yunshu was considered to be "handsome". Xiao Yuanmu didn't care much about this and said, "The palace also has a branch in the capital. I haven't been here for a long time... Come with me tonight."

Xiao Yuanmu's words didn't give Zhao Wumian any chance to refuse.

Zhao Wumian glanced at Mu Li'er and Su Qingqi who were walking down from the deck with their horses. He wanted to get close to Miss Su and Master, but he refused with his neck stiff. "It's been so long... I want to take a break. How about tomorrow night?"

Xiao Yuanmu glanced at him coldly, "You tricked me into coming to Beijing and you're just going to leave me like this?"

Zhao Wumian was discouraged. "Well, what kind of business does the branch have in the capital? I think I can help out with my current status."

"Brothel, if you really want to have sex, there are many famous prostitutes in the capital in this branch. You can have your favor with them as you like." Xiao Yuanmu walked forward with his hands behind his back.

"You do not care?"

"It's just a fleeting romance, and you're a disciple of our sect, so what's there to worry about? It's better than you climbing into the Queen Mother's bed."

Zhao Wumian secretly thought that most of the girls around him really didn't care about this matter. In their eyes, these women were just "bed warmers".

Su Qingqi trotted after him, intending to go along.

Naturally, Mu Lier would not go to the Taixuan Palace branch. She told Zhao Wumian that the current situation was sensitive and that he should not get carried away. Then she took Luo Xiangzhu back to the Jianzong branch.

Luo Xiangzhu also waved at Zhao Wumian with a cheerful expression...Remember to come and play with me.

Zhao Wumian was walking on the street, leading his horse, and he always felt like he was playing a galgame... On the map of the capital, there were temples, the Sword Sect branch, the Palace, the Taixuan Palace branch and other places where one could win the favor of the heroine.

Going to different places every day will have different plots...

(End of this chapter)