Chapter 850 Li Guo'er: Empress Weiyang (Extra Chapter 2)

Against the azure sky, a white crane soars through the clouds.

Li Guo'er's gaze fell upon it, and she suddenly realized that the northern sky was very different from the southern sky.

The northern sky is high and blue, with few clouds, but the weather changes quickly, just like a little girl's mood—she laughs and cries just as fast.

The small town in Jiangnan where she had lived for many years was more leisurely. The blue sky, white clouds, green mountains and clear waters were like a painting, exquisite and perfect for a leisurely afternoon stroll.

This northern capital, Luoyang, cannot be contained in any painting. After arriving at the Luoyang Imperial Palace, Li Guo'er was no longer so lazy.

The whole world exudes a sense of vastness and boundlessness, and even the autumn atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival is grand and majestic.

Even now, she is walking in the exquisite garden of Princess Chang Le's residence in Qinghuafang, modeled after the gardens of Yangzhou in Jiangnan.

I still couldn't help but tilt my head back slightly and take a deep breath.

Indeed, Li Guo'er felt that this northern land was a place suitable for breathing deeply and gazing at the vast expanse, unlike the leisurely and relaxed atmosphere of Xunyang in the south, where one could use an umbrella to shield oneself from the sun.

Night fell over the exquisite gardens of the Princess's residence. Tonight's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was hosted by Princess Chang Le herself, and the guests were Li Guo'er, whom she had personally invited.

The favored princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty is now personally going to the gate to welcome her niece into the mansion, a privilege that none of the male and female guests present today can enjoy.

The two girls, an aunt and niece, who bore a slight resemblance in their features, did not ride in sedan chairs carried by servants.

Princess Chang Le affectionately held Li Guo'er's hand as they walked along the red-carpeted gallery towards the Zhuogu Garden, a grand banquet held deep within the inner courtyard.

However, during a casual chat about the past, a certain four-character name was mentioned, which made the usually talkative Princess Chang Le slightly embarrassed, and the atmosphere became a bit awkward.

Just then, a group of ladies passed by in front of the gallery, and the two women kept quiet.

Li Guo'er turned her head to look at the gray-blue sky outside the gallery, her little face somewhat lost in thought.

Princess Chang Le, without glancing to the side, held her niece's hand and walked forward for a while, then suddenly said:

"Actually, I have never met him."

Li Guo'er tilted her head slightly to look at her aunt's profile in the dim light.

The last rays of the setting sun had descended upon the ancient and majestic city walls of Luoyang, and all the woman's subtle expressions were hidden behind the walls along with the afterglow.

"Even after he impeached me in court that day, and after his teachers pulled him out of prison and quietly exiled him to a remote part of Jiangnan... until he left Luoyang, I never saw his true face."

Princess Chang Le turned her head and asked calmly:

"Later, news about him would come from time to time, but I kept silent about it... Does Guo'er know why?"

Li Guo'er tilted her head, as if she had been thinking for a moment.

"Because my aunt hated him back then, ignoring him was the greatest contempt."

"No."

Princess Chang Le gently shook her head, gazing at the wind chimes tinkling at the corner of the corridor ahead. Whether her voice was deliberately soft or masked by the clear sound of the chimes, it was unclear.

"Because what he said was indeed true. Among so many scholars in and around Luoyang, in and out of the court, he was the only one who spoke the truth out loud."

"I admire such a scholar, and this is the first time I have met one. But I know that such a scholar is very 'dangerous.' It's not that he will harm me, but rather that he is like a moth drawn to a flame, covered in fire, burning everything he touches. Even when the flame goes out, embers remain in the world, to be offered up by other moths."

She chuckled lightly, as if mocking herself, and turned her head to look at Li Guo'er, who was listening quietly, and said:

"Simply put, I cannot have too much interaction with him in any way, not even a single meeting or a single word. These could be recorded in the books of later historians and become a historical anecdote. I would obviously be the one with a bad reputation. In the books of later generations, the more radiant he is, the more my image would appear as gloomy..."

Princess Chang Le suddenly asked:

"Guo'er, looking at it this way, am I a very bad aunt?"

She stared intently at the little princess with plum blossom makeup, her expression extremely serious.

Li Guo'er pondered for a moment, then gently shook her head:

"No, Aunt is not bad, but Ouyang Lianghan is not wrong either. Neither of them are bad people. They just have no choice in the matter. Aunt, you and Grandmother are both caught up in it and have no choice in the matter."

Princess Chang Le raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and then heard the voice that followed, clearer than a wind chime:

"The higher you stand, the more loneliness and helplessness you can't share with those below. Many people only focus on the black and white in front of them, unaware that sometimes the darkness they despise is actually someone above shielding them from the wind and rain, standing in front of them."

Li Guo'er smiled faintly and took Princess Chang Le's hand in her own.

“If Aunt were really a bad person, she wouldn’t have told Guo’er these things. Actually, when we were in Longcheng, I also asked Ouyang Lianghan about the impeachment back then.”

Princess Chang Le tilted her head:

"What did he say?"

"He kept quiet about it, rarely talked about the past, and focused only on the present."

"He is a man destined for great things."

Li Guo'er nodded, as if murmuring, "This matter is no small thing."

Princess Chang Le glanced at her and smiled sweetly:

"Alright, we're almost there. You can drink as much as you like later. If you're worried about your father's reaction, then drink less. If you want to drink and get drunk, you can just stay overnight at your aunt's. Anyway, no one can make you uncomfortable here. If anyone does, your aunt will make them uncomfortable."

"My aunt is so kind."

Li Guo'er smiled faintly and took the noblewoman's arm.

The two girls, an aunt and niece, walked into Zhuogu Garden together.

They were among the last to arrive.

The banquet was grand. Zhuogu Garden was the largest garden in Princess Changle's residence, but it was filled with guests. A stream ran through the garden, flowing past a few elegant pavilions. Tables and desks were placed on both sides of the stream, from one end of the garden to the other.

Besides the advisors and retainers kept in Princess Changle's residence, among the guests were talented scholars from Luoyang, refined literati, scions of wealthy families, and graceful ladies with veils covering their faces, whose daughters were unknown, perhaps from the families of important officials in Luoyang.

Although there were quite a few female guests, there were clearly fewer than male guests. Perhaps to avoid suspicion, the seating areas for male and female guests were separated by a screen with a Buddhist painting, and there were also beaded curtains hanging in the middle, so that the graceful figures of noble ladies could only be vaguely seen.

When Li Guo'er and Princess Chang Le entered Zhuogu Garden, all eyes turned to them.

Everyone stood up to greet and see them off, but some were slow to react.

Princess Chang Le thought her niece would say a few words, but she found that she walked straight through the screen and into the women's area, her slender figure hidden by the curtains.

All eyes on the field followed it with reluctance.

The plum blossom-shaped little princess of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion is someone that countless men in Luoyang want to meet.

Not only because her father was Prince Xunyang, Li Xian, and she was favored by the emperor, but also because rumors and gossip about her kept coming one after another.

Some say that she is about to be granted a title and establish her own residence, becoming the second Princess Chang Le.

Some say that this little princess is intelligent, loves literature, is well-read, and resembles the sage in his youth. She is clever and eloquent, which pleases the sage, who wants to find her a husband.

Some say that this little princess had beautiful eyebrows, red lips, and white teeth; her beauty was unparalleled in the palace, making her arguably the most beautiful woman in Luoyang…

Rumors spread, naturally arousing everyone's curiosity, and everyone hoped to catch a glimpse of her beauty.

Princess Chang Le watched her niece disappear into the curtained room, glanced around at the somewhat flustered male guests, chuckled, and went to the head seat to gracefully and elegantly preside over the banquet.

Li Guo'er took one of the main seats in the women's section.

Several female guests around her struck up conversations with her; they appeared to be princesses of the imperial family, including several women from the Wei clan.

But the atmosphere remained tense, like the tension between the men of the royal family.

Perhaps sensing that Li Guo'er was somewhat absent-minded, and since women are naturally sensitive, apart from a young princess of the Li family who was not yet of marriageable age frequently speaking to her, the other female guests did not take the initiative to come forward.

Women are naturally concerned with their appearance and love to compare themselves to others. During the banquet, their gazes were all subtly drawn to Li Guo'er's delicately made-up face. Some were envious and jealous, while others were openly admiring her.

Li Guo'er gracefully knelt beside the tea table, sipping the osmanthus-flavored fermented rice from Baima Temple. She paid little attention to Princess Chang Le, who was skillfully presiding over the banquet in the center, and ignored the lively atmosphere and the stares from those around her.

Her gaze was drawn to a stone Vairocana Buddha located ten meters ahead.

He would occasionally reach into his sleeve and touch something inside.

These past few days, Li Guo'er seems to have something on her mind and is absent-minded about everything.

Because the sage revered Buddhism, the Chang Le Princess's residence was filled with Zen and Buddhist sentiments.

The stone Buddha extends its palm forward, making a gesture of plucking a flower.

Zhuogu Garden is filled with ginkgo trees in the golden autumn.

At this moment, the autumn wind swept through the garden, and a golden ginkgo leaf gently landed in the palm of the Vairocana Buddha.

Li Guo'er saw the Buddha statue with its lowered eyebrows and downcast eyes, its mottled and old stone body revealing a compassionate smile that had remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Looking at the lifelike folds of the monk's robe carved on the stone statue, Li Guo'er suddenly remembered a conversation she had with someone during a break from making statues in Xunyang. He was an expert and she remembered that he had mentioned this kind of sculpting technique. This stone statue should be the work of a craftsman from the Northern Wei Dynasty and is an old piece.

Lost in thought, Li Guo'er heard some commotion at the banquet and looked back.

Some of the guests started arguing.

It seems they're debating a poem.

Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and Li Guo'er knows without a doubt that many talented scholars will be vying for attention. Although it's boring, the palace is even more boring, so Li Guo'er is also here to relax.

As the saying goes, there is no first place in literature, and Li Guo'er is used to these kinds of arguments among writers.

When I was in charge of the Juhua Poetry Society in Xunyang, I learned that sometimes, to deal with these literati, or to manipulate them, you can lure them with "fame" to make them fight in secret. Only then can you win their hearts by showing them favor.

Li Guo'er shook her head. She was about to reach for some food when she suddenly heard a familiar name. She paused slightly and turned her gaze to the center of the banquet.

Seeing Princess Chang Le arguing at the banquet, he also felt a bit of a headache.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead, glancing at the male and female guests arguing behind the curtain.

The reason for this was that at the end of the banquet, it was necessary to select the best poem about autumn. A female guest enthusiastically shared a new poem that had recently become very popular among ladies in Luoyang and in dance halls and singing houses.

The author of this poem was also someone she knew well: Ouyang Lianghan, a scholar of the Xiuwen Academy, the Sima of Jiangzhou, and the acting governor.

At the very beginning of the banquet, a female guest took out this new poem and praised it highly. At that time, everyone at the banquet just echoed it and no one objected, because the poem was indeed written in a unique and refreshing way.

However, as the banquet progressed, many talented male guests presented their poems, and when it came time to select the winners, everyone naturally took it seriously. The young lady who had just praised Liang Han's poems still strongly recommended this new poem as the best Mid-Autumn Festival poem of the night.

This aroused dissatisfaction among some of the male guests, since Ouyang Lianghan was not in Luoyang, and although the new poem was related to autumn, it had nothing to do with Mid-Autumn Festival poetry. It was well-written, but the female guests praised it so highly that some of the male guests naturally couldn't stand it.

In addition, Princess Chang Le vaguely knew that there was another reason why these male guests dared to object—they seemed to think that she still had an unresolved personal feud with Ouyang Lianghan, which was a guess at her thoughts.

Princess Chang Le looked helpless as she watched the crowd arguing.

Both the man and woman, who each held their own version of events, turned to her for advice.

Princess Chang Le was about to speak when she suddenly turned her head and was drawn to a figure behind a curtain not far away.

Everyone at the banquet followed her gaze.

A young woman with plum blossom makeup emerged from behind the screen and curtains in the women's area.

It was that little princess who remained silent throughout.

She walked past the two sides arguing and came to the table in the center. She lowered her head as if to look at the new poem by Liang Han on the table, and became somewhat quiet.

The scholars and talented men who had initially been dissatisfied quieted down and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Li Guo'er's gaze fell on the paper, and she slowly browsed through it:

"...I had been in office for three years, living a peaceful and contented life. But moved by these words, I began to feel the sting of my exile that very night. So I composed a long poem to present to him, consisting of 616 characters, entitled 'The Song of the Pipa' with Preface'..."

Although this wasn't the first time she had read "The Song of the Pipa" recently, and although she could recite it from memory, Li Guo'er still read it through again in its entirety.

In particular, its parallel structure seemed to attract her more than the main text; reading the main text didn't evoke the same feelings as the parallel structure.

Li Guo'er knows that the main text may contain embellishments and exaggerations, but the preface is a genuine expression of the author's feelings.

For some reason, she had a strange sense of empathy, as if she, along with the pipa player, Ye Weilai, Hu Fu, and their group, had stood beside that drunken young man with tears soaking his blue robe that night.

It is always new and interesting to read.

Li Guo'er was somewhat lost in thought, and murmured almost inaudibly in the voices of the guests watching her:

"...What a beautiful pipa ballad...and you say you're not good at literature...and...even though you always win, you're always so melancholy and sorrowful...what are you worried about, what are you thinking about...and how much are you hiding..."

Everyone saw that the little princess suddenly turned her head and said to the young female guest who seemed hesitant to speak but had praised the poem:

"You're right, this poem is indeed the best of this autumn's poetry, worthy of being passed down through generations."

After these words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

The few competitive and talented men who had initially opposed the idea suddenly fell silent.

A moment later.

"good!"

Princess Chang Le was the first to stand up and applaud, and everyone in the room followed suit, praising her and showering her with compliments. Even the young ladies behind the curtains who were admiring her blushed.

This piece of "The Song of the Pipa," which originated from the Xunyang River and spread throughout the Luoyang court and countryside, was praised and copied by the entire audience, especially with the support of the two aunt and niece, who held great influence in the performance.

The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at Princess Changle's residence was one of the most prestigious and prestigious banquets in Luoyang, a city known for its romantic and materialistic atmosphere. It was considered a kind of trendsetter, and any poems or lyrics that stood out from the banquet would surely spread throughout the literati of both capitals the next day. If the talent was exceptional, they would even become famous throughout the world.

Just as the "Poet of the Year" was decided and the banquet was in full swing, some talented scholars glanced at Li Guo'er, only to find that she had already left and disappeared behind the screen.

Perhaps inspired by a certain poem, Li Guo'er didn't linger at the end of the banquet and left early amidst the noise.

Princess Chang Le caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of her eye, beckoned a servant over, asked a few questions, and her eyes flickered.

She stood up, had her friend take over the hosting duties, and left Zhuogu Garden, catching up with a young woman in plum blossom makeup.

"What are you doing, Aunt?"

Li Guo'er turned around and saw several attendants following behind Princess Chang Le.

They carried a heavy object, covered with a red cloth, and followed behind them.

Princess Chang Le said with a smile:

"If Guo'er likes it, then this Buddha statue will be given to Guo'er."

After some initial refusal, Li Guo'er reluctantly accepted the gift.

Soon, they arrived at the gate of the mansion, where the aunt and niece parted ways.

Li Guo'er returned to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and waved affectionately and reluctantly to Princess Chang Le.

Princess Chang Le smiled and watched the carriage head towards the imperial city.

Once the carriage had driven far away, Li Guo'er lowered the curtain, and her little face immediately calmed down.

Inside the carriage, Caishou, newly dressed in palace attire, curiously watched the heavy objects being carried in, when she heard her mistress suddenly ask:

"Have the people from Xunyang been settled in?"

Cai Shou realized what was happening and nodded like a chick pecking at rice:

"Uh-huh."

She lowered her eyes:

"After returning to the palace, take her to the warm pavilion to see me. Don't take her to the bedroom yet, so that Sister Xie doesn't see her."

Cai Shou nodded obediently:

"Yes, Miss."

I didn't ask any more questions or think about it much.

After a brief moment of silence, Li Guo'er touched something in her sleeve and slowly pulled it out.

She leaned close to the flame of the lamp in Caishou's hand and glanced down at it.

It was an ordinary wooden hairpin.

His wooden hairpin.

(End of this chapter)