Chapter 25
"A Single Osmanthus Tree on Nanshan Mountain" is about love, but Xie Qinghong, with his extensive knowledge of poetry, believes it is much more than that. This poem should be seen as an expression of feelings through an object, elevating its artistic conception over a thousand years and conveying the poet's noble sentiments...
She secretly wondered what Pei Du meant by this. Was he using the description of mandarin ducks to symbolize his own pursuit? What was he pursuing? Naturally, he was pursuing a pure marriage based on mutual affection, unaffected by external factors!
Xie Qinghong gasped. She had thought that both sides should tacitly agree on this marriage, partly to reassure His Majesty and for the sake of their own long-term future; and partly because neither of them had a fiancé, their relationship was natural, and they would make a decent couple.
Who knew Pei Du had such high aspirations?!
Xie Qinghong found it unbelievable. Pei Du seemed so... so cold and unpredictable, but unexpectedly he was quite soft-hearted. He used poetry to express his feelings and personified objects, as if he was using his cold exterior to cover up his sentimental heart.
She snorted, closed the travelogue, and placed it beside her pillow. If it were a talented woman, she might have been able to empathize with his feelings, but unfortunately, her heart was just that hard. What did Pei Du's noble pursuits have to do with her, Xie Qinghong? She would never pity him.
Cover yourself with the blanket and you'll have a good night's sleep.
Xie Qinghong woke up refreshed the next morning, showing no trace of the sickly and frail appearance she had the day before. When she bumped into Pei Du on the deck, she casually stepped forward, holding up "Southward Crossing" and pretending to ask for his advice: "I don't understand this part of your writing."
Pei Du took the book. The passage she pointed to described the Dragon Boat Festival customs in the south. The people of Chu ate zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) to commemorate Qu Yuan. The south inherited this custom, making zongzi by wrapping glutinous rice in reed leaves on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The fillings included candied fruit, bean paste, and other ingredients. After cooking, they were dipped in white sugar and eaten. Based on his personal preference, he added, "This method of eating is too sweet; eat with caution."
After reading the whole thing, there doesn't seem to be any obscure or difficult language. Wangjing also has zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and the custom of eating zongzi on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month has a long history. What's there to not understand?
Pei Du asked deliberately, "What don't you understand?"
Xie Qinghong pointed to the last sentence and said, "How is this too sweet? Isn't it normal to dip sweet rice dumplings in sugar?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Du suddenly felt a pain in his back teeth. Looking at Xie Qinghong with an unreadable expression, he chuckled softly as if he had thought of something: "You and my mother will definitely get along well."
Xie Qinghong closed the book and said earnestly, "You're really picky. Sweet rice dumplings are a delicacy."
Pei Du said calmly, "But I don't like sweets, savory rice dumplings are more suitable for me. Besides, eating too many sweets is bad for your teeth."
Just as Xie Qinghong was about to shift the topic from eating zongzi to what she wanted to say, waves suddenly rose on the river, and the boat began to rock. She lost her balance and bumped headfirst forward, unexpectedly hitting Pei Du's chest, which felt hard.
Pei Du clearly had his longsword tucked at his waist. With his speed, he could have easily drawn it and held it in front of her, just like when she was about to fall during their first meeting. But this time, she bumped into him and he took a step back, his lower back hitting the railing. The hilt of his longsword struck the railing pillar with a clanging sound.
He subconsciously raised one hand and lightly placed it on her shoulder. The girl's unique fragrance wafted to his nose, and he could tell that it smelled like oranges.
Xie Qinghong was dizzy and in pain from the impact. If it weren't for her amazing willpower, she would have vomited on Pei Du on the spot. But even the strongest willpower couldn't withstand the rocking of the ship. Dizziness and vertigo overwhelmed her. She grabbed Pei Du's arm with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, vowing in her heart: if she vomited here today, she would jump off the ship!
After the turbulence subsided, Xie Qinghong took a deep breath, her voice much weaker: "Wait, wait until we get off the ship, I'll talk to you then. I need to go back and lie down for a while."
Pei Du held her hand and said casually, "No rush, I'll be waiting anytime."
They waited and waited until they disembarked in Huaizhou. Xie Qinghong hadn't found a suitable opportunity to speak with him. When they arrived in Huaizhou, his uncle had already sent people to meet them at the dock, and his mother had already disembarked to talk to the steward.
She turned to look at Pei Du, who was also staring at her. After a long while, he gently smiled at her and said, "I'm heading south now. I'll listen to you again next time."
Xie Qinghong subconsciously asked, "When is the next time?"
Pei Du looked up at the sky and raised an eyebrow: "Next time... it should be when I marry you?"
If it weren't mentioned, Xie Qinghong wouldn't have remembered. But once it was mentioned, she would recall her own speculation: what exactly was Pei Du implying in that poem?
After thinking it over for a few days, she realized she had fallen into a trap. Perhaps she could understand it better from the most obvious perspective—Pei Du had arranged a marriage between her and the Prince of Nan, making the Prince of Nan's mansion and the Grand Secretary related by marriage—perhaps that was his purpose.
He wrote about osmanthus trees only to mislead people.
Thinking of this, Xie Qinghong gave him a gentle smile: "Goodbye then, we'll be going now."
A politically motivated marriage, where each party gets what they want, cannot be expected to be based on genuine affection.
She disembarked, unaware that Pei Du's gaze had followed her the entire way until she was out of sight.
The journey became much faster after that. Heading south from Huaizhou, the boat would pass through a miasma-ridden area. This place was sparsely populated, and although there were waterways, the complex terrain, winding and rugged waterways, and turbulent currents made it unsuitable for passenger boats.
Pei Du and his party kept things simple, so they changed to small boats and traveled day and night for only three days to reach Yuecheng, the residence of the Southern King's mansion.
It was already late at night when he arrived at the Prince of Nan's residence, but the Prince of Nan was still awake. Upon hearing of his return, he immediately summoned him to his study and threw a bright yellow imperial edict at him.
"What's this?"
"As his subjects, we cannot disobey His Majesty's decree of marriage." Pei Du slowly opened the decree, which had arrived a day earlier than his own; it was quite fast.
The Prince of Nan was furious. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "I told you long ago not to cause trouble. If you really don't want to, even the Emperor himself can't force you. So what are you trying to do by deliberately provoking the Xie family? Even if the Emperor arranges a marriage, it won't go to the Xie family. What underhanded tricks have you used?!"
Pei Du remained calm and unfazed: "My father once taught me that I must strive for what I want. I have done it now. Does my father think I have learned it wrong?"
The Prince of the South gave him a deep look, meeting his gaze across the desk. He suddenly realized that his son had indeed grown up, like an eagle soaring into the sky, no longer confined in this small space.
He sighed and softened his tone, advising, "Yuecheng is desolate, far less prosperous than the capital or as beautiful as Huaiyang. The Xie family's daughter was born into a life of luxury and has always lived a life of ease. Wouldn't she suffer if she came to Yuecheng?"
Pei Du frowned. The Prince of Nan thought he had been persuaded by him. He thought to himself that young men are easy to coax. He could use his beloved as leverage and he would be convinced every time.
Who knew that the upright young man was as tough as iron and would never turn back: "If I don't let her suffer, Yuecheng will not be desolate."
The Prince of the South stared at him coldly for a long time before saying, "If I were Xie Wen, I would want to beat you to death."
Pei Du's usually cold face suddenly broke into a smile as he carefully put away the imperial edict and placed his hands behind his back. In the study late at night, the candlelight flickered, and his face appeared and disappeared in the candlelight, like a jade-faced demon in the world.
“Father, my wife has lofty ambitions, and Wangjing is a cage for her.” He said, “It’s getting late, Father, please rest early. I’ll take my leave.”
He strode out of the study, his posture upright and his demeanor exceptional; even his back view exuded unwavering determination. Knowing his son's temperament well, the Prince of Nan rubbed his brow. His reputation was already bad; if he were to forcibly marry and seize a Xie family daughter, he would likely be branded a tyrant in the future.
Tsk, the Pei family is full of tyrants.
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