Chapter 12: Zhang Huaiyu is shameless even though he is given face. Even a poor Hanlin wants money...
Speaking of this book, "The Treasure Mirror," it was actually brought to the palace by Zhou Xian's sixth brother. His sixth brother, Zhou Heng, was a remarkable individual, donning a Taoist robe. His mother had died young, and he himself had not sought the title of prince. He traveled extensively, only returning to the capital occasionally.
Perhaps because they shared a common sympathy, Zhou Xian had a good relationship with the Sixth Prince. Almost all of the vernacular novels he possessed were able to be smuggled into the palace for his careful reading thanks to the Sixth Prince's cover-up.
Let's talk about "The Story of the Precious Mirror". This is a great book that tells the story of a magic mirror that kills people. The author used the pseudonym "Chi Chi'er". Because it spread from Suzhou Prefecture, it is also called "Gu Su Chi Chi'er".
It's fitting that "The Story of the Precious Mirror" is also a story about a foolish child. It tells the story of the skinny, beautiful Ma Qiaoniang, who was raised by a matchmaker until she was fourteen. In the prime of her youth, she was married to a salt merchant as a concubine. Qiaoniang, however, had already fallen in love, secretly betrothed to a poor scholar, but fate could not sway her. She was also a fiery-tempered person. On her wedding night, she stabbed the sixty-year-old salt merchant to death with a hairpin, spraying blood five steps away. Unable to escape in time, she drank poison and died. Qiaoniang's resentment was so strong that her ghost drifted into a bronze mirror, which was stolen by a deranged, impoverished scholar. From then on, she and her mirror slew the world's treacherous men, corrupt officials, and corrupt merchants, a strange and fascinating legend.
Zhou Shan loved "The Story of the Precious Mirror." It detailed the customs and social life of Jiangnan, with vivid characters and a tightly interwoven plot. Unfortunately, the book ended at the point where the prince angrily threw the precious mirror, leaving Zhou Shan scratching her head.
If Zhang Jinwei is the foolish boy from Suzhou, and "The Story of the Precious Mirror" is written in an extremely lewd and erotic style, blending the vulgar and elegant elements together, one can tell at a glance that it was written by a master of the love field... Moreover, the human relationships and quotations from classics in it are all written with profound skill. Although many of the words are a bit cynical, how can a twenty-year-old boy handle it?
As above, probably not the same person.
Zhou Xian breathed a sigh of relief. He pushed the book-wrapped "Bao Jing Ji" onto the table, but he forgot that he loved copying books to practice calligraphy. A corner of the "Bao Jing Ji" he copied accidentally revealed itself, allowing someone to see it thoroughly.
Gusu Chichier herself was quite embarrassed at the moment.
The little liar had an innocent face, but he was secretly reading banned books! You can't judge a person by appearances. He recalled the book he had written, full of romantic stories, and the little liar had read it all. His ears suddenly turned red, and his heart felt like it had been scratched by a cat's claws.
"Princess, do you want to continue copying the scriptures?" Zhang Jinwei felt an itch in his heart, but he smiled faintly. "I will turn up the light a little, be careful not to hurt your eyes."
Zhou Xian shook her head obediently: "I'm tired." Then she stood up with her hands on the table, her black hair falling from her shoulders, and her round cat-like eyes reflected the dim light, which was too bright, so that her eyes were misty with the color of the swaying light.
"It's time to go to bed." Zhang Jinwei agreed.
He gently supported the girl's arm and helped her out of the armchair. His eyes lingered on her fair cheek for a moment, then moved away imperceptibly.
As a young man, Zhang Jinwei was left with a sense of loneliness and resentment due to his lack of recognition for his talent. Otherwise, he would not have been able to write "The Story of the Treasure Mirror." With a passion for his craft and a fluent pen, he finally arrived in the capital and saw the vastness of the world, but he could not escape the intrigue and deception that nearly ruined his future.
Zhang Jinwei also dreamed of meeting a beautiful woman by chance, getting married, and living happily ever after. He understood her, and she understood him, and the two of them shared poetry and music in perfect harmony.
He had originally thought the princess was too bound by dogma, and that the two of them probably didn't get along, fearing their relationship would drift apart. Now, it seemed the closer he got to her, the more secrets she harbored, like a cunning cat, usually reserved but ready to swipe his tail… Did she copy "The Treasure Mirror" down on paper because she admired his talent?
Zhang Jinwei's heart suddenly softened.
Zhou Xian, however, was completely oblivious to the scholar's sentiments. He never gave it much thought, simply admiring the writing as well as the quality. If it had truly been written by Zhang Jinwei, so what? Ultimately, he simply enjoyed reading chapter-by-chapter books and even wanted to write one himself, but his long stay in the imperial palace and his lack of experience had prevented him from putting pen to paper.
Zhou Xian felt sleepy and spun out from between the tables and chairs, his hair fluttering as it brushed the hand of the man beside him. He tilted his head and smiled at the man, "Isn't your Majesty sleeping?" meaning that the man was blocking his way.
The girl's black hair was so cold that Zhang Jinwei's hands couldn't stop shaking, but his heart couldn't stop burning hot - she understood him, he didn't understand her, but he wanted to understand her more and more. All the flavors of the world and the pure joys of the secular world were nothing more than this.
"Prince consort?" Zhou Shan was really puzzled. This guy blocked his way as soon as they had a disagreement. What's more, he was tall and blocked Zhou Shan's way completely.
Zhang Jinwei's thoughts had long since flown to the Heaven of Separation and then to the Sea of Sorrow, but he was finally brought back to the present world by the timid call of "Prince Consort." His face flushed, and he clenched his right fist to his lips and coughed softly, "Sorry..."
As she spoke, she stepped aside to let someone pass. Suddenly, Zhang Jinwei heard the faint sound of a bell. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he followed the sound with his peripheral vision. He saw a pair of bare feet exposed under the hem of the girl's cloak. Her right foot was adorned with a golden anklet, adorned with a small bell that tinkled with every step.
Zhang Jinwei blushed at first. He had no intention of peeping at the girl's bare feet, but... he suddenly grabbed the girl's arm and said sternly, "Princess, why aren't you wearing shoes or socks? Aren't you afraid of freezing your feet?"
This person is so annoying!
Zhou Xian stumbled and nearly fell into the man's arms. He subconsciously argued, "There's a carpet on the floor!"
"The ground is freezing cold in winter, how can a carpet protect against it?" Zhang Jinwei frowned. "The princess is already frail. How can I explain to His Majesty if she doesn't take care of herself like this? If the cold air enters through her heart, it might damage her internal organs, causing menstrual irregularities and abdominal pain. I'm afraid it will be difficult to recover. May I ask if the princess can have her period on time? I'll see the imperial physician tomorrow and have someone take good care of her."
Zhou Xian: ...
What is Guishui?
Even though Zhou Shan was used to dressing up as a woman, this was the first time a man had asked him about his sexual intercourse. He suspected Zhang Jinwei had a different mind.
"I, I..." Zhou Xian was panicked for a moment. He hardened his heart and thought quickly. He pretended to be unstable and fell into the man's arms.
He supported the man's chest with his right hand, lightly tapped his fingertips, raised his face slightly, tears of grievance and coquettishness welled up in his eyes, and said in a nasal voice, "I know I was wrong. There are underground dragons in the palace. I have developed bad habits. I will ask my aunt to bring shoes over."
The girl in his arms was tearful and panting slightly. Zhang Jinwei couldn't help but raise his hand to touch the girl's head and sighed, "I'm sorry, Princess. There is no Earth Dragon in the mansion, and it's hard for you."
Zhou Xian felt quite uncomfortable, as he was almost completely embraced by the man. Fortunately, he managed to get away with it, and the man no longer bothered about the "guishui" issue. He secretly said with joy: "Little guy, I'll make you run around in circles!"
…
The snow had stopped and the sky was clear. When snow began to fall again in the capital, it was the day before New Year's Eve.
Zhang Jin, preoccupied with government affairs, delegated all household duties to Zhou Shan. Shopping for New Year's goods, cleaning the house... even writing Chinese couplets. Zhou Shan assigned servants to handle most of the work, sending Yu Xi out to pawn her dowry. Only the writing of the couplets remained his responsibility.
Originally, Zhang Jinwei said that he would write it himself, but the Emperor suddenly issued an edict to confer titles on a number of concubines and princesses. They in the Hanlin Academy were so busy that they had to bury their heads in drafting the book every day.
So the hateful man smiled and coaxed Zhou Xian: "Princess, your handwriting is really beautiful. You must be an outstanding writer. It's a pity that I am busy with work and can't write couplets with you. It's a pity. Princess, please write. I will come back tonight and read it carefully."
Write a header!
Zhou Xian was indignant in his heart and hesitated in front of the red paper. He thought of the accounts of the mansion that gave him a headache. He wanted to write "Zhang Huaiyu is shameless even when given face" on the top couplet and "The poor Hanlin has no money even if he wants it" on the bottom couplet, and write "Shameless person" on the horizontal banner, and post it on the main gate of the No. 1 Scholar's Mansion, so that everyone in the capital can come and see.
These days, Zhang Jinwei always came home tired after leaving the government office, but when he saw Zhou Shan, he smiled especially gently, as if he had something to say to Zhou Shan, but he was hiding it and refused to say it. It was really annoying.
Zhou Shancai is too lazy to guess a man's thoughts. Why shouldn't a man guess what he is thinking?
After writing the couplet and the Chinese character for "Fu," Zhou Xian tossed his brush aside, propped up his chin, and sat in a daze. He looked out the window and saw snow falling in strands. A few wild cats, their furry tails erect, fluttered about in the snow. If a bird came, the yard would be a scene of cats fluttering and birds flying, much to the amusement of the maids.
An idea suddenly occurred to him, and he pulled out a piece of white rice paper, picked up his brush and drew cats and birds on it, then ladies and scholars, then peonies and strange rocks, and finally a door. On the door was pasted a couplet written in seal script. On the left was read "Zhang Huaiyu is shameless even when given face", and on the right was read "The poor Hanlin has no money even if he wants it", with a horizontal banner reading "Shameless". A group of people pointed at the door and laughed.
It makes me feel relieved.
Zhou Xian smiled triumphantly. After the ink dried, he folded the paper and put it between the book covers of "Bao Jing Ji". Then he walked gracefully to the yard to play with the cat.
In the blink of an eye, it is New Year's Eve.
Zhou Shan was going to the palace for a family feast, and Zhang Jinwei, as the son-in-law of the emperor, naturally had to accompany him. Before leaving, Zhou Shan was still drawing his eyebrows. His hands were shaking today, and he couldn't draw them properly. Yu Xi and the others were not satisfied with their work, so he had to draw them over and over again himself.
"I was busy a few days ago and forgot to tell the princess some things." Zhang Jinwei was dressed neatly in his official robes, looking elegant and graceful, sitting not far away with a leisurely posture.
Zhou Xian was concentrating on drawing her eyebrows. Upon hearing this, she casually said, "Please speak, Prince Consort."
Zhang Jinwei said calmly, "I have a private collection of many books banned by the imperial court in my study. If you don't mind, you are always welcome to visit my study." He hid the manuscript of "The Treasure Mirror" on the bookshelf, waiting for the girl to "accidentally" see it, and then come to him with the manuscript in surprise and shyness - of course, the little liar would not be so obedient, and he had to guide her well.
...his eyebrows are crooked again.
Zhou Xian was now disgusted with men. They didn't say anything when they should, but chose to say it at the most critical moment! His eyes were full of resentment, and his eyebrow pencil fell in front of the bronze mirror with a click. Suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes.
Zhang Jinwei not only didn't see his wife smile, but she actually made her cry. He really didn't know what the little liar was up to, and couldn't bear the girl's tears, so he quickly took out his handkerchief, wiped her tears, and said to her, "I didn't mean to rummage through the princess's personal belongings, I just happened to catch a glimpse..."
"I've been drawing my eyebrows for half an hour and they're almost done, and you're scaring me again." Zhou Xian glared at the man with anger in her eyes and stuffed the eyebrow pencil straight into his hand. "If you can't draw my eyebrows well, just keep drawing them. If I'm late for the palace banquet later, it's all your fault!"
Zhang Jinwei was stunned for a moment, then he was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He gently pinched his wife's chin, held her in his arms, and gestured to her how to start writing.
He chuckled softly, "Okay, it's all my fault."
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