Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 18: Minister Under the Skirt

Li Zhongqian had a good night's sleep. When he woke up, the room was pitch-black.

　　The curtain gauze was hanging low and the lighting was dim.

　　From the darkness came the light sound of a rustling dress. A sweet and graceful figure to the side sat cross-legged in front of a low table, both hands propping up her chin, the corners of her mouth slightly curved, staring intently and in concentration at the incense box on the low table.

　　It was a gold engraved flower and phoenix patterned clamshell incense box. The lid was half open, faintly transmitting threads of light green light.

　　The young lady looked entranced. She couldn't help but reach out and gently brush open the lid of the box.

All of a sudden, a soft glow like water flowed out, illuminating the room, shining as bright as a candle.

　　It turned out that within the incense box held a, as round as pearls and as smooth as jade, large as a dove's egg, luminous night pearl from Fulin country.

　　Li Zhongqian sat up and kneaded his shoulders.

　　"Like it?"

　　He asked with a smile, his face a little pleased.

　　The luminous night pearl was also called the bright moon pearl. He immediately thought of his younger sister when he saw the pearl, whose nickname was Ming Yue Nu, given by Xie Wuliang.

　　Li Yaoying nodded with a wide smile on her face, her eyelashes jet-black and thick: "Like it."

　　Precious stones and jades were common, but what was rare was the smooth, rich luster and beautiful shape of this bright moon pearl.

　　The brimming light reflected on her perfect, white-as-snow face. The hazy light from the pearl made her features more picturesque, soft and charming.

　　Li Zhongqian was stunned, as if he was waking up from a dream. His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, carefully measuring Yaoying.

　　Yaoying was afraid of the heat; long black hair pulled up high, adorned in a turquoise peony blossom crown, a jade green flower between her eyebrows, and delicate lips. She wore a misty colored light veil that was thin as a cicada's wing, with a multicolored eight-pleated muslin dress threaded with gold, and a woven silver shawl embroidered with flowers and birds rested on her arms around a jade and pearl necklace. Her thin eyebrows lightly converged like a wave. With one hand propped on a low table, she sat there with a smile.

She had always been like this in private; lazy and casual, would never stand if she could sit, would not properly and honestly kneel if she could lean against something. Her carefree attitude had no trace of the proper, virtuous and dignified appearance of a high family's noble daughter.

　　Li Zhongqian had reminded her of this several times.

　　Yaoying was very clever, time and again promising to change, then quietly changed her kneeling posture not long after, either rudely crossing her legs, or simply going back to lazily leaning against whatever was available.

　　When he scolded her a few words, she laughed carefreely and kneeled honestly, but a moment later she would revert back to her old ways.

　　Li Zhongqian spoiled Yaoying and wouldn't force her.

　　She was his younger sister, there was no need to suppress her nature.

　　In his eyes, Yaoying was still an innocent and naive child, trembling as she followed behind him, asking him to carry her to pick ripe plums from the branches in front of the courtyard.