Chapter 60 A Song of Yangzhou Slow, Then Kiss Me.
Yelü Chuxi asked in surprise, "So you are from Yue. My hometown is far, far north of the Liao River, and it's a very cold place."
A-Guo tried his best to imagine the world outside of Da Yue, "Would it snow a lot like Shangjing?"
“Of course. The snow is much thicker than in the capital. When you step in it,” Yelü Chuxi bent down and gestured between his legs, “it goes about this far.”
Ah Guo sighed, "It must be very cold there. It never snows where we live."
Yelü Chuxi shrugged. "We're used to it. I heard there's miasma everywhere where you are, is that true?"
Aguo stopped, picked up a felt hat and looked at it. "What miasma? It's just that there are many mountains and marshes, and the summers are hot and humid, with swarms of mosquitoes and malaria. That's why it has such a scary name."
“That’s right, A-Guo, you’re doing just fine. The Southwest must be a great place, I’ll go check it out sometime.”
Yelü Chuxi had heard of the fame of Jiangnan, but had never been there. His journey south along the Liao River never ended, only reaching the capital. Although his hometown was near water, a great river and a small stream were ultimately different.
"I want to visit your very, very far hometown someday." A-Guo held up his hat to his forehead and asked, "What do you think?"
Yelü Chuxi put the felt hat back in its place, pulled her into his shop, and carefully took out a black lacquered box with silver trim shaped like a lotus petal. He took out a pearl from it and placed it on the otter fur, which instantly made the room seem as bright as the moon.
A-Guo stared in amazement, praising it repeatedly. Yelü Chuxi picked up the bead and tucked it behind her ear, then held it up to her forehead, saying, "This is much more suitable. It can be used as an earring or a forehead ornament. That's how the Yue people dress."
A-Guo hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I can't afford this."
"Axi!" A young woman's voice rang out from outside.
Yelü Chuxi poked her head out, "Aji, over here!"
Xie Ji entered the private room and saw A Guo, exclaiming in surprise, "It's you! We met at the wedding banquet."
A-Guo said apologetically, "I have a bad memory..."
Xie Ji smiled brightly and exchanged names with A Guo. Although A Guo was dressed in Yue clothing, everyone at the banquet knew her. Xie Ji had already noticed the Northern Pearl; its white light was lustrous, truly a top-grade pearl.
Seeing this, Yelü Chuxi quickly stepped forward to protect her, saying, "This is what I wanted to give to Aguo."
A-Guo's smile suddenly vanished, and she exclaimed in a panic, "How can this be! It's too precious—"
Xie Ji waved his hand and, together with Yelü Chuxi, presented her with a gift to mark their friendship. His gaze then shifted to the box beside him. The real purpose of his visit today was to buy two beads to give to his new friend.
"Who would send such a precious gift?" Yelü Chuxi unfolded the box piece by piece, revealing dozens of Northern Pearls clustered together, shining as brightly as day.
"This concerns a major event in my life, so naturally I must put my heart into it." Xie Ji selected the two stones with the best luster, intending to make a pair of earrings to give to Wang Yan.
Yelü Chuxi moved closer to her and asked softly, "Is your young master from the Wang family alright?"
When this matter was mentioned, Xie Ji's anger, which had subsided, flared up again. "With a character like Young Master Wang's, how could Minister Wang be the kind of person who embezzles and breaks the law? And there are arrest warrants posted all over the capital; how could they slander a woman like this!"
A-Guo didn't understand why Xie Ji was so angry. She had seen the arrest warrant before, but at the time she only noticed the woman's portrait and name, and didn't take the matter to heart.
"Is Lady Wang also your friend?"
Yelü Chuxi explained to Xie Ji, "Ji wants to be friends with her, but not yet."
A-Guo was still puzzled, "If they're not friends, why do you assume it's slander?"
Xie Ji and Wang Yan's only encounter was at that famous coming-of-age ceremony in the capital. Perhaps Wang Yan never noticed her, but how could someone as flawless as jade be the thief described in the documents?
"I can't really explain it. Sometimes I judge people entirely by feeling."
Xie Ji sent the gifts to the Prince's residence, but they were returned untouched not long afterward. Liu'er was extremely indignant at her mistress's behavior, complaining that everyone in the Prince's residence was arrogant.
Xie Ji sensed something was amiss and immediately sent a servant to investigate Wang Zhen's whereabouts. She then put on a fur coat and went out. Wang Zhen and Liu'er's movements were strange, and they were quickly lost. Just as she was grumbling to herself, a gloomy greeting rang in her ears.
"Is my wife looking for me?"
Liu'er was so frightened that she hid behind her master. Xie Ji tugged at her clothes and forced a smile, "Young Master Wang, what a coincidence."
"Is that so?"
Wang Zhen turned and walked towards the nearby Tax Gift Tea House, with Xie Ji following closely behind. Upon seeing that there was still someone standing in the private room, Xie Ji's interest waned. After they both sat down, Liu'er closed the door and left.
Xie Ji asked expectantly, "What brings you here, young master?"
Wang Zhen threw the question back at her, "What brings you here, my lady?"
Xie Ji touched the small wooden box in his sleeve. "I do have some private business to discuss with you... Lady Wang—"
Wang Zhen immediately put down his porcelain cup, stood up to leave, and said, "My younger sister is not in the capital at the moment. If this is about it, I, Wang—"
Xie Ji hurriedly stopped him, "Don't go yet! I sincerely want to make friends with Madam Wang. That piece of paper is all lies. I believe Madam Wang is not that kind of person!" He then handed the wooden box to Wang Zhen, "I originally wanted to deliver it to Madam Wang myself, but since she is not in the capital, I will trouble Young Master Wang to accept it on her behalf."
Wang Zhen didn't answer, but instead asked her, "Why do you want to be friends with my younger sister?"
"Of course...of course, she is of excellent character and talent, just like Young Master Wang, and is a friend worth getting to know." Xie Ji's words were very sincere.
Wang Zhen's gaze shifted from the wooden box to her face. "Does Madam Xie have feelings for me?"
Xie Ji was startled by the blunt question and stared blankly for a long time. When she came to her senses, she was still holding the wooden box in her hand. She was the only one left in the private room, but Wang Zhen's words were still buzzing in her mind. He told her to find another suitable match.
"Brother!"
Wang Yan strode into the courtyard, grabbed Wang Zhenzi and carefully examined him. After confirming that he was indeed unharmed, the weight that had been weighing on her heart for the past few days was finally lifted.
"How are Father and Mother?"
Wang Zhen helped her back into the house. "I'm fine. Everything in the manor is fine, but you—" After half a month of recuperation, her face was still as pale as paper.
“I’m perfectly fine now. Once this storm passes and I return to the manor, I’ll definitely be better.” Seeing that he didn’t speak and kept staring at her, Wang Yan knew that her brother was about to say something sad, and her eyes still welled up with tears at his next words.
“Our Aying has suffered.”
Two streams of hot tears rolled down Wang Yan's cheeks. She tried to speak several times, but the tears choked her mouth. The twenty-odd days and nights she spent with Jiang Wan from Mingzhou to the capital were far shorter than the short journey that led her to the palace—a journey that felt despairingly long. Within those high walls, she had thought she would gradually lose her mind, become a madwoman, and then die. Now she hadn't become a madwoman, nor did she need to die.
"It's alright, it's alright."
Wang Zhen stroked her back, repeating the gesture over and over again. In Wang Zhen's memory, his younger sister hadn't shed tears in front of her family for a long time. The last time she cried so pitifully was when she went to Yunxi Mountain to become an apprentice.
Exhausted from crying, Wang Yan turned and went to bed. Wang Zhen sat quietly beside her, waiting until she fell soundly asleep before leaving. He happened to run into Shen Minghuai, who had come to keep her company, and gave him a heartfelt word of advice.
Wang Yan was awakened by the aromas of various foods. Rubbing her eyes, she got out of bed, but a wave of dizziness hit her, and she almost fell forward. Fortunately, she was caught by a familiar embrace.
Wang Yan snuggled closer to Shen Minghuai and mumbled, "Did you buy roasted chestnuts?"
Shen Minghuai led her to the table. "Let's eat first."
"Isn't Prince Su going to discuss matters with you today?" He's usually too busy to have time to eat with her, so today is unusually free.
"He has already received orders to leave the capital for Huazhou to investigate water conservancy." Shen Minghuai served her a bowl of steaming black chicken soup. "I made it myself, have a taste."
Wang Yan scooped up a spoonful, blew on it lightly, then took a small sip, savoring it carefully, and gave it high praise.
"Wenxuan!" Xu Ning'an rushed to Wang Yan's door. "Young Master Shen is here too—it smells so good."
Wang Yan invited her to dine with him, but Xu Ning'an waved her hand and declined. She had come to ask if she wanted to eat roasted chestnuts, but unexpectedly, Young Master Shen had already bought them.
Wang Yan handed her a whole bag of roasted chestnuts. Xu Ning'an easily peeled out a perfectly intact, caramelized chestnut, popped it into her mouth, and ate with a relaxed expression, praising it highly. Just as Wang Yan was about to offer her some more, Xu Ning'an ran off after asking for her name.
While she was talking to Xu Ning'an, Shen Minghuai put down his chopsticks at some point.
"When did you two become so close?"
Wang Yan ate the food he put into her bowl little by little. "We see each other every day, so naturally we develop feelings for each other."
"So, do you and Zhu Yu also have feelings for each other?" Shen Minghuai asked in an extremely calm manner.
Wang Yan was quite taken aback by the question, and the culprit quickly patted her back.
"What are you talking about! Do you have that little faith in me?"
His shoulders slumped slightly, and Shen Minghuai seemed to deflate completely. "It's about myself."
“Who can’t see the truth between him and Ning’an?” Wang Yan cupped his face in her hands. “Don’t be jealous.”
"Then kiss me."
Shen Minghuai's phoenix eyes, now sharp yet filled with tender affection, almost made Wang Yan lose control.
"We're eating."
"I don't mind."
"I find it disgusting!"
"oh."
After seeing that she had washed her hands, Shen Minghuai began to linger on her again. Wang Yan had no reason to refuse, so she put her hands on his shoulders, stood on tiptoe and kissed him. He then took the initiative and kissed her until she was panting.
"Didn't you eat enough?"
"A little."
Suddenly, snowflakes began to fall, and the two nestled together, listening to the snow. Wang Yan ate the chestnuts he had peeled, and suddenly mentioned the heavy snow in Danzhou at the beginning of the year, when she had gone with Li Changling to the soup kitchen outside the city to receive porridge personally served by Shen Minghuai. Thinking back now, she was surprised to find that their fate had begun at that time.
"If you stop me again next time, I'll—"
Wang Yan quickly covered his mouth, "Don't say it."
Shen Minghuai smiled and placed her hand on his heart. "Aying, my coming-of-age ceremony is set for the first day of the twelfth lunar month."
Yes. This year marks his coming-of-age ceremony; it's time for it. Wang Yan wrapped her arms around his neck and blinked, "Do you want me to go?"
Shen Minghuai brushed a stray hair from her forehead. "I hope so, but you can't come."
He attended her coming-of-age ceremony, so how could she miss his coming-of-age ceremony? She insisted on going half an hour later. Wang Yan withdrew his hand unhappily, "I can disguise myself."
“There is no risk without absolute guarantee,” Shen Minghuai coaxed gently. “It’s safest for you not to go.”
Wang Yanqi was not the kind of person who would throw a tantrum without considering the consequences; he compromised after a short while.
"Alright—then play me a Yangzhou slow tune."
Shen Minghuai went outside and asked around, and sure enough, there was a doctor who carried a flute with him. Although it couldn't compare to the purple bamboo or bitter bamboo flutes, the sound was still quite clear and bright. Playing a slow Yangzhou tune was enough to please the ear.
"There's a bitter bamboo flute in the manor that hasn't been used yet. I'll fetch it tomorrow and let you play it again."
The next day, Shen Minghuai brought not only the bitter bamboo flute but also her cloud-patterned robe. It was exactly the same as before he left her, and Jiang Wan was carefully tending to it. Regarding that matter, Wang Yan didn't ask a single question in front of Li Changling, as if it were a topic they tacitly avoided.
Wang Yan was unaware that Yunyi was delivered by Yin Shicheng on behalf of Jiang Wan, and then handed to her by Shen Minghuai. Perhaps Shen Minghuai had silenced Yin Shicheng, preventing him from mentioning this person in front of her, but in order to fulfill Jiang Wan's request, Yin Shicheng still returned.
"If she has the chance, she will definitely say 'I'm sorry' to you in person."
"Don't even think about it."
Yin Shicheng took off running as Shen Minghuai gave him a sharp look.
“I know she did this to calm her mind, but where exactly does that calmness lie?” Wang Yan had been puzzled by this question for a long time, but had never found an opportunity to speak.
Mentioning the brother and sister, Shen Minghuai instantly adopted a defensive stance, like a wolf with its tail between its legs. Then, he said coldly, "They're dead."
Although Wang Yan had previously made this guess, he was still surprised when it was confirmed.
"Dead...?"
Li Changling appeared at the door at some point and explained the whole story to her.
Jingxin died before Wang Yan returned to the capital at the beginning of the year. Before entering the palace, he gave a letter to Jiang Wan, who was to deliver it to Jueming when the first snow fell in the capital.
"Your disciple buried a pot of peach blossom wine under the great Bodhi tree for you."
Inside were all the letters he exchanged with Shen Dingchen, as well as the original copy of the Tripitaka he had acquired, inscribed with the three characters "Gifted to Jingxin," with the specific date clearly recorded. The only other item was a patchwork robe he wore as a child.
Jueming brushed the dust off his clothes, showing no sorrow, joy, anger, or words. Then, he forged an old copy of a Buddhist scripture and burned it in front of all the monks in the temple, proclaiming to the world that there was no more still water. Many people searched the entire Xiangguo Temple, but to no avail, and could only carry Jueming's answer with them on their way home.
"How do you know all this, Senior Brother?" Wang Yan asked calmly.
Li Changling didn't hide anything and told her everything. The Yue Emperor, using Wang Yan as leverage, attempted to kill Jiang Wan to silence her on her way to find Jingxin's tomb, but Jiang Wan saved her.
As for the reason for his help, Wang Yan didn't want to know, and simply nodded blankly, "I'm tired, Senior Brother, you should go back."
Li Changling thought she was just being childish, "Aying, this concerns lives, I can't—"
Wang Yan interrupted him indifferently, "Senior brother, you're not wrong. These are two different things. I understand her, and I hate her, but I don't want her to die."
Li Changling realized he had misspoke and looked at her somewhat helplessly, "Aying..."
"Brother Lanzhi, please go back." Shen Minghuai pushed Li Changling out the door. "She needs some time of her own."
"Then you stay—"
Shen Minghuai closed the door and bent down to wipe away the tears that had fallen from Wang Yan's eyes. "Do you still want to hear it?"
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Author's Note: Lately, it's been just some ordinary little things...
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