Chapter 27 Xiao Wangqing Change That
The original sounds of chatting, laughing and music in the hall suddenly died down.
First came a pair of thick-soled black palace boots, stained with a hint of dust, stepping unabashedly on the gleaming gold bricks. Then, a tall figure stepped in.
Xiao Wangqing.
He wasn't wearing the brocade robe and jade belt of a prince's usual attire, but rather a dark, almost military-style outfit, topped by a matching cloak trimmed with a dull silver fox fur. His face was slightly pale, and his long hair was tied high, secured with a simple ebony hairpin, a few strands cascading down his forehead.
His features were much younger and sharper than Shen Zhiwei remembered; he looked no more than fifteen or sixteen. His brow bones were high, his eye sockets deep, and his eyes were an almost pure black. When he lowered his head, he looked at people through a thin layer of ice, as if the splendid and prosperous feast before him had nothing to do with him.
Like an ancient sword that has just returned to its sheath after drinking blood, it has accidentally entered the gentle land of silk and bamboo music.
The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Several of the delicate young ladies who were standing close to them clenched their fans and shrank back slightly. The smiles of the royal family members froze on their faces, and they exchanged ambiguous glances.
Shen Zhiwei sat upright by the window, twirling the slightly warm wine glass between his fingertips.
She looked at him.
Looking at Xiao Wangqing, who was still young, had not experienced the many hardships and betrayals that followed, and had not yet had too many entanglements with her, a very unfamiliar emotion passed through her heart.
It's like looking at an old, faded painting through a window lattice covered in rain and fog.
The hall was silent for a moment, and then the deliberately subdued voices of conversation were heard again, but everyone's eyes glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the figure standing alone at the hall door.
The eunuch who led the way had sweat on his forehead. He bent his body and almost held his breath to lead him to the reserved seat. It was not remote, but it was definitely not a central position either. It was just below the sons of several princes.
Xiao Wangqing seemed oblivious to the scrutiny, or rather, unconcerned. He swept his gaze calmly across the hall, then walked directly to the seat, lifted the hem of his cloak, and sat down in silence.
The palace maid stepped forward cautiously to pour him some wine, but he didn't even look at it. He just nodded slightly, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp, his Adam's apple rolling.
For a moment, an invisible vacuum seemed to form around him. No one approached him, and no one spoke to him.
Shen Zhiwei propped up his chin, watching from afar, finding it somewhat amusing. This awkward and withdrawn look was somewhat similar to the black cat that was currently sulking in some corner of the Lin residence.
She tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, thinking about which dessert to eat first, when a message came from outside the hall, announcing that Xiao Lingjun had arrived.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed with the arrival of the prince. The slight stagnation caused by Xiao Wangqing was replaced by a more harmonious and lively atmosphere.
Perhaps because it was a private banquet, Xiao Lingjun did not wear the crown and robes of a crown prince. He was only dressed in an apricot-yellow casual suit, with a jade belt tied around his waist. With a warm smile, he walked along and nodded to the familiar members of the royal family.
His arrival was like an invisible decree; the music became more melodious, and the chatter and laughter more animated. He did not immediately move to the main seat, but instead seemed to stroll casually, stopping at the tables of several elder clan members to exchange pleasantries.
Shen Zhiwei lowered her eyes and took another slow sip of her plum wine. She could feel at least two pairs of eyes, either overtly or covertly, fixed on her.
She pretended not to know and only focused on the plate of exquisitely made lotus cakes on the table.
After three rounds of banquet, the atmosphere became more and more lively.
Bold young men and women displayed their talents, playing the zither, pipa, and poetry, all adding to the excitement and drawing rounds of applause. Xiao Wangqing remained silent, the wine jug before him half empty.
Shen Zhiwei felt somewhat bored and was just thinking about whether to find an excuse to leave early when he heard a county prince at the top of the table say to Xiao Lingjun with a smile, "Your Highness, just drinking and listening to music is rather monotonous. I heard that the Third Prince has been training in the Northern Frontier for many years and must be very skilled in archery and horsemanship. I wonder if you could let us broaden our horizons today?"
surrender.
There was silence in the hall for a moment, and many eyes were cast on Xiao Wangqing.
Xiao Lingjun held up his wine glass and smiled warmly, "What do you think, Third Brother? If it's inconvenient, there's no need to force it."
Xiao Wangqing raised his eyes, his face expressionless. He put down his wine glass and asked, "What does my Royal Brother want to see?"
The prince laughed first and said, "I've heard that there's a kind of horseback archery in the northern border that can shoot down hawks and falcons from a hundred paces away. I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to demonstrate it? Of course, riding a horse isn't convenient in the palace, so we can use pot-tossing instead. We can remove the arrowheads and replace them with colorful feathers. How about a chance to win?"
This request is almost a challenge.
Tou Hu is an elegant game that emphasizes calm demeanor, which is completely different from the fierce horseback archery in the northern border.
All eyes were focused on Xiao Wangqing.
The Third Prince remained seated, his knuckles resting on the rim of his cup. Hearing this, his eyelashes lifted slightly, his pupils reflecting the brilliant lights of the hall, a depth so deep that not a single ripple could be discerned.
"If my royal brother wants to see it, then of course it's fine." His voice was hoarse and unfamiliar to Shen Zhiwei, as if he hadn't spoken in a while, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "It's just that Cai Ling is boring."
He paused, raised his hand and pointed to a pot of kumquats used as decoration in the corner of the hall. The fruits on it were as numerous as golden beads.
"Let's change that one."
The whole hall was silent.
The difficulty of using kumquats is more than doubled. The fruit is round and slippery, and the distance is not close, so it is impossible without strong fingertips and extremely steady control.
Xiao Lingjun's smile remained unchanged. He clapped his hands and chuckled, "Third brother, you are very courageous. I will do as you say."
The eunuchs hurriedly trotted off to fetch the kumquats and placed them in an open area in the hall. Another palace maid brought in specially made light arrows, their arrowheads already removed and wrapped in soft silk.
Xiao Wangqing stood up, his dark, tight-fitting attire making him stand tall and straight, and his movements made no extraneous noises. He walked to the pitching line and took three light arrows from the palace maid.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall, and even the sound of stringed instruments stopped without anyone noticing.
He didn't even glance at the kumquat, nor did he take any aim. He just casually weighed the arrow in his hand, then flicked his wrist.
The first arrow flew through the air, not straight, but with a subtle arc. With a slight sound, it did not hit the fruit, but accurately brushed past the stem. The kumquat trembled slightly but did not fall.
Before anyone could react, the second arrow arrived and just as lightly brushed past the other side of the fruit stem.
The third arrow followed, which was slightly faster and had slightly more force, and hit the bottom of the fruit.
The power and angle of the three arrows are controlled perfectly.
The kumquat was lightly lifted by the force of the last arrow, and it broke away from the branch, was thrown upward in a very small arc, and then steadily... landed on the soft silk tip of the light arrow that was shot first and was now slanted into the ground.
The kumquats were round and the silk was soft. It just stopped there, trembling, swaying slightly on the top of the arrow shaft, and the golden fruits were shining with a warm luster under the light.
The entire Linhua Palace was silent.
This is no longer a simple skill of pitching a pot, it is almost an art.
Shen Zhiwei looked at the trembling kumquat, took a bite of the lotus pastry, and recalled the sullen behavior of the new emperor in his previous life.
I don’t know what he has been through in his life to become like this. He is still too young to act like this, but it is enough to serve as a deterrent.
Xiao Wangqing didn't even look at the result. He turned and nodded slightly in the direction of Xiao Lingjun: "Excuse me for showing off."
He walked back to his seat, sat down again, picked up the wine glass that the palace servant had refilled, and fell silent again, isolating himself from all the surprised and fearful gazes around him.
Shen Zhiwei's eyes casually swept across the thick night outside the palace, and he thought with boredom of the black cat in the small building in the West Garden of the Lin Mansion, licking its fur and napping in some corner. If it were here, seeing this scene, it would probably wag its tail impatiently again.
Xiao Lingjun's laughter broke the silence. He clapped his hands in praise, his words sincere, as if he was truly impressed by his brother's skills. The atmosphere in the hall became lively again, and praises rose and fell, though they were somewhat cautious and insincere.
The banquet continued, the music began again, but something seemed to have quietly changed. The look she cast at Xiao Wangqing was less contemptuous and more indescribably cautious.
Shen Zhiwei was full.
She was feeling a little tired and was about to find an excuse to leave when a young palace maid quietly approached her and whispered, "Miss Shen, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince invites you to a side hall to have a chat."
She looked up and saw that Xiao Lingjun was no longer at the main seat. After a moment's hesitation, she put down her wine glass and quietly left the table with the young girl.
In the quiet side hall, the lights were dim and the air was faintly scented with ambergris. Xiao Lingjun stood by the window with his hands behind his back. He turned around when he heard footsteps.
"Feeling bored?" The crown prince half leaned against the window frame and smiled, his attitude obviously teasing.
"How could the palace banquet be boring with all its splendor and splendor?" Shen Zhiwei said with a look of "you're right!" "It's just that I, a humble servant, have limited experience and am afraid I will lose my manners if I stay there for too long."
Xiao Lingjun smiled, walked up to her, and his eyes fell on her delicate eyebrows and eyes: "I invited you here, not really for you to attend to these social events. I just thought that you might... want to see him with your own eyes."
This "he" naturally refers to Xiao Wangqing.
Shen Zhiwei frowned and raised her eyes to meet his. Xiao Lingjun's eyes were very complicated. Shen Zhiwei couldn't understand them and didn't want to bother. Anyway, no matter what, he would never hurt her.
"Your Highness is joking," she thought seriously for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "Your Highness is a noble and heroic man. Even from afar, I am filled with awe."
Awe.
Just right, yet incredibly distant.
Xiao Lingjun stared at her for a moment, sighed softly, and lowered his voice: "That's good. Zhiwei, stay away from him. Don't get involved in those troubles and calculations anymore. Just look at the flowers, play with the cats, be relaxed and comfortable, that's good."
He rarely expressed his protectiveness so openly. He shed his crown prince demeanor and became more like an ordinary brother who didn't want his sister to be involved in trouble.
Shen Zhiwei was startled. Although he had a premonition, he didn't expect him to say it directly: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I know the seriousness of the matter."
"Come to think of it, I didn't see the Xie family's eldest son in attendance today? This kind of lively atmosphere doesn't seem like his personality."
Upon hearing this, the gloom in Xiao Lingjun's eyes faded slightly, and the corners of his lips curved up. "You remember him, though. There's some trivial matters to deal with following up on the Northern Frontier military report, and the Emperor has assigned Mingxu to the Ministry of War to assist. I'm afraid he's still burying himself in the paperwork and can't get away."
As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly: "Why, Awei wants to see him?"
He was calling her Awei again.
"...It's just a casual question," Shen Zhiwei felt guilty for no reason and shifted his gaze to the side, "I just felt that the banquet was a little quieter without the people who could join in the fun."
Xiao Lingjun smiled and said no more, "It's getting late, and you must be tired. I'll have someone take you home. If it's too late, Ah Wei's cat might start making trouble."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Shen Zhiwei couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips when thinking of the black cat with a bad temper, "It does have a bad temper, but it will be fine after a little coaxing."
Xiao Lingjun laughed and waved his hand to ask someone to make arrangements.
The carriage drove out of the palace gate. The night market in the capital was still going on, the lights were dim, and the voices of people were faint.
Shen Zhiwei leaned against the wall of the car, lifted a corner of the curtain with his fingertips, and looked at the light and shadow flowing past the window.
Xiao Wangqing.
The figure of the young man that I had just caught a glimpse of in the hall overlapped with the gradually cold and stiff outline in the snow in my memory, but they were not completely similar.
That exquisite move of pitching the pot was more of a declaration than a show of skill.
Xiao Wangqing in this life seemed sharper and more withdrawn, like a young animal forced into a cage, his body full of untamed vigilance and alienation.
This was very different from his later character of keeping all his thoughts deep inside.
However, it is impossible for people to remain consistent all the time, not to mention that this is his life without her. Perhaps there will be another "Chen Zhiwei" by his side.
All of this is unknown.
That's fine too.
The carriage paused briefly and stopped. The curtains were lifted, and the dim light from the lantern at the side door of the Lin Mansion shone in.
She bent down to get out of the car, and just as her feet touched the ground, a dark shadow rushed out from the shadow beside the door, pounced accurately on the hem of her skirt, and rubbed her wrist hard with its head, making a wronged and dissatisfied gurgling sound in its throat.
It was the black cat, her cat, it had been waiting here.
Shen Zhiwei lowered his head and met the cat's eyes, which shone startlingly brightly in the darkness. Its head tilted back, its tail held high, the tip twitching impatiently. Its fur seemed fluffier than usual, evidently having waited too long and was filled with anger.
She bent down and wanted to rub its head as usual, but it turned away and just swept its tail across her wrist lightly, making a gurgling sound in its throat, as if complaining.
"Are you impatient?" She found it amusing and tickled its chin with her fingertips, coaxing it knowingly, "There's nothing delicious in the palace. The snacks are too sweet, and the wine is just average."
The cat tilted its head, as if to see if she was lying. Its nose twitched as it moved close to her sleeve and sniffed. It seemed to smell unfamiliar incense and alcohol, and immediately sneezed in disgust. It took two steps back and called out to her again, this time in a more aggrieved tone.
Shen Zhiwei sighed, reached out and scooped it up into her arms. It struggled a bit at first, its claws tangled in her skirt, but in the end, it didn't want to exert any strength, and soon it went limp, its head resting against her jaw, snoring loudly, as if trying to make up for the hours they'd been apart.
She held the warm, furry little thing in her arms and walked to the window, where she sat down on the soft couch.
That's it.
In this life, she just wanted to keep this bad-tempered cat company, look at the flowers, eat snacks, and occasionally watch the fun.
As for those unpredictable things, those chess games and chess pieces, it would be better if they stayed away from her.
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Author's words: Shen Zhiwei has been restless these days, as if she can think of her cat whenever she wants.
During the palace banquet, I wondered if the cat had eaten or slept well, so I lost interest in the whole process. The corners of my lips couldn't help but raise an arc when I thought of it.
She felt that she was a little bit possessed and couldn't do this, but when she got off the carriage and saw the little ball of hair, she thought that this was also good.
At least the cat will wait for her to come home
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