Chapter 15 Shaving Tuo Baxiao was originally a young general, but at the same time…

Chapter 15: Shaving

Tuo Baxiao was a young general, but at the same time...

"Hmm?" Tuo Baxiao didn't expect her to bring up conditions. His prominent brow furrowed, and his aura instantly changed, like a sword gleaming coldly, carrying a sharp and imposing meaning.

The draft from the hall swept past him, lifting his long hair and the hem of his clothes, adding a hint of ferocious arrogance.

They were so close that Jiang Congyan could still feel the hem of his clothes brushing against the back of her hand, like a thin blade gently scraping her skin, sending shivers through her.

Jiang Congyan's heart pounded, almost jumping out of her chest, yet she remained standing in place without flinching.

This was a bold move. Apart from that brief encounter that night, Jiang Congyan knew little about Tuo Baxiao's character.

As for the descriptions of him in later generations, the events at the Tai Chi Hall had already helped her confirm that historical records weren't entirely reliable. Moreover, a man's achievements in his career didn't equate to how he treated his wives and concubines.

A chivalrous general might mistreat his own wife, while a villain who committed countless atrocities might be deeply filial to his parents.

Therefore, she wanted to test Tuo Baxiao's attitude towards her, which was crucial for her future plans.

Her palms were damp with sweat. She tried to calm her nerves.

Before coming, she hadn't planned to make demands. From their recent conversation, she found that Tuo Baxiao's tolerance towards her was higher than she had thought, so she couldn't help but press her luck. She didn't know if this would anger Tuo Baxiao...

To her surprise again, Tuo Baxiao actually agreed—

"Speak!"

When Tuo Baxiao heard that she still had conditions, he was momentarily displeased. Since he became the Xianbei King, no one had dared to make such demands. She even threatened him, saying she wouldn't marry if he didn't agree.

The woman he had chosen, how could he let her refuse to marry?

But when he met her clear, black-and-white, and extremely determined glass-like eyes, his anger was doused like a flame.

He had taken a liking to her at first sight because of her unusual resilience and courage.

She could face him without fear—impressive!

It was like finding a rare treasure, stunning at first glance, but upon closer inspection, he discovered even more, making him even more captivated.

Jiang Congyan subtly glanced at him and saw that although Tuo Baxiao's facial features were sharp, his gaze was still relatively calm, which slightly eased her mind.

"The first condition: since you are marrying me with the proper rites of a principal wife, I want you to treat me with the proper rites of our Han people's principal wife, respect me, and not force me to do things I don't want to do."

After hearing this, Tuo Baxiao could understand her request. After all, she was Han and probably not accustomed to the grassland culture. This request wasn't excessive.

"Agreed," Tuo Baxiao said.

"The second condition: after I marry, my dowry will be managed by myself."

This wasn't excessive either. Tuo Baxiao had never intended to covet her dowry, so he nodded, "Agreed."

"The third condition..." Jiang Congyan paused.

"What's the third condition?"

The first two conditions were easy for him, so he thought the third condition would be simple as well. However, when Jiang Congyan spoke, it left Tuo Baxiao momentarily stunned.

Jiang Congyan's gaze moved down from his eyes to his jaw, covered with a light stubble, and she blinked, "I want you to shave off your beard." "Hmm?" Tuo Baxiao let out a deep, questioning sound from his throat.

He truly didn't expect Jiang Congyan's final condition to be this. His expression first froze, then turned slightly strange and puzzled.

Among the Xianbei people, there was no requirement regarding whether to grow a beard or not, but most did, especially military generals. A beard could enhance their authority, and they didn't have the time to groom it daily.

In this era, the appearance requirements for those in high positions were more about dignity and presence rather than just being handsome and well-groomed. Thus, most men kept short, neatly trimmed beards, with only a few civil officials preferring a clean-shaven, refined and dignified look.

Tuo Baxiao was tall and imposing. Though young, his commanding presence was already evident, so he didn't need a beard to boost his prestige. However, he had always lived a rough life and never bothered to groom his jawline beard, letting it grow to about half an inch in length.

"Why?" he asked.

Jiang Congyan tilted her head, the tassels on her hairpin swaying gently. "Because I like gentlemen with clean, elegant faces," she said with a playful tone, breaking her usual composed demeanor and making her face suddenly lively, showing the lively and charming nature of a seventeen-year-old girl.

Tuo Baxiao remained silent for a long time.

The third condition seemed simple but was more troublesome than the first two. After all, the first two things he agreed to could only be verified later, but shaving his beard would require immediate action if he agreed.

Tuo Baxiao's gaze fell directly on Jiang Congyan's radiant and delicate beauty. He stared at her for a while, then reached up to touch his beard. Perhaps he thought that with her delicate beauty, his scruffy beard would make them look mismatched, like a beauty being marred by a rough man. After several changes in his pupils, he finally nodded in agreement.

"Fine, I'll do it!" he said loudly, his voice seemingly filled with gritted determination.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Congyan suddenly felt like laughing.

This Tuo Baxiao wasn't as ruthless as the legends said.

Having achieved her purpose in meeting Tuo Baxiao, Jiang Congyan prepared to leave. Just as she turned, her arm was suddenly gripped by a strong, large hand.

Just like that night's intense heat!

It seeped through the soft fabric into her skin.

"You asked me to shave my beard. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Stay and see if I look like the gentleman you like after shaving!"

Jiang Congyan could sense some irritation in the last half of his sentence, perhaps because her earlier comment about liking gentlemen had displeased him.

Tuo Baxiao ordered someone to bring water and a knife, then went to the back hall to take care of it.

Since he wouldn't let her leave, Jiang Congyan had no choice but to stay. She found a low couch in the hall and sat down, pondering the day's gains.

Though she still didn't know why Tuo Baxiao liked her, it seemed he had a high tolerance for her. As long as it didn't involve his grand ambitions or certain taboos, he probably wouldn't make things difficult for her in other matters.

This was an unexpected piece of good news for her.

Marrying alone into the foreign land, even with servants and guards, Jiang Congyan couldn't help but feel uneasy.

It was a land thousands of miles away, inhabited by ethnic minorities with completely different diet and lifestyle, and even basic language barriers. All these were obstacles in her future. At that time, the only person she could rely on would be Tuo Baxiao.

Her fate tied to his favor!

This wasn't what she wanted, but it was the path she had to take. Leaving Liang, she would hardly see her family again...

Just as Jiang Congyan was lost in thought, she heard the sound of steady and firm footsteps. Tuo Baxiao emerged from the back hall. She looked up and widened her eyes—Tuo Baxiao looked like a completely different person.

She had known Tuo Baxiao wasn't ugly, even quite handsome. His forehead was full, his brow bones prominent, and his thick eyebrows gave him a strong masculine air. His eyes were also beautiful, though their emerald-green irises and cold and formidable aura made people afraid to look closely, overlooking the fact that they were standard almond-shaped eyes, with narrow eye slits, inner corners like hooks, and outer corners like gentle curves. Paired with his high-bridged nose, he had a sculpted bone structure, previously hidden by his coarse beard. After shaving, his well-defined jawline became more prominent, complementing his handsome features, giving him a mixed-race beauty.

His mother was Han, so he was indeed of mixed Han and Xianbei descent.

Apart from the strong bone structure in his features, if you looked only at the lower half of his face, he wasn't much different from a Han person, which softened his exotic appearance. Combined with his youth, his facial muscles were tight and upward-sloping, and his tall, muscular build made him look more like a young general on a white horse with a silver spear than a ruler of a region.

No, Tuo Baxiao was indeed a young general, just also the Xianbei King.

Seeing her staring at him in shock, Tuo Baxiao stepped closer until he stood before her like a small mountain, looking down and asking, "Well?"