Chapter 6: The River is Green as Blue (3) How many months old is the child? ...
When Meng Xuanli returned to the courtyard, several maids were chatting quietly with the young servants. Seeing her, they gathered around her and asked, "Second Miss, you went out today. Why are you back so late?"
Seeing this, Dan Ruo immediately stepped forward and gently waved his hand to signal everyone to retreat.
Meng Xuanli walked inside with a smile on his lips. Pushing open the door, he glanced around. In the center of the kang table stood a stack of brand-new books and teacups. The Luohan bed had new backrests and pillows, and the inner room had even been decorated with an autumn-scented Suzhou embroidery screen.
She looked around, her heart slightly moved. The prince had indeed taken great care of her. The maids and nannies assigned to her were all doing their best to take care of her food, clothing, and daily life.
She pursed her lips and sat down on the rose chair nearby.
Dan Ruo then quietly replied, "The master's boy came over just now and said that if the young lady is back, please come to the study."
Meng Xuanli had anticipated this when he got off the car. After a moment's reflection, he sighed softly, "I'll tell my father I'm tired. We'll talk tomorrow."
After a moment, she closed her eyes, leaned back in her chair, and said lazily with a tired voice, "Put those books away for now. Find a few medical classics and pile them on the table."
Dan Ruo replied "yes", but couldn't help but be curious: "Why do you suddenly want to read medical books?"
"It's not that I want to see it?" Meng Xuanli opened his eyes, his eyes dark. "I have to see it. I have to find a way to cure the prince's illness. Otherwise..."
She didn't finish her words, just shook her head and said, "Go ahead."
Dan Ruo hesitated, and finally said worriedly, "I am afraid that the young lady will overwork herself and damage her eyes. Without anyone to guide her, she will end up with twice the effort and half the result."
Meng Xuanli smiled faintly: "It's okay, I'll look it over first to get a rough idea."
She paused, holding her forehead and stood up: "Forget it, help me go to wash up first. I am really tired today and very sleepy."
Soon, Meng Xuanli walked around the screen and took off his outer clothes.
The bed was covered with a cool, smooth jade mat, lining it with a light, gauze quilt. Danruo hung a few mosquito-repellent mugwort sachets inside the tent and gently lowered the gauze curtains.
"Miss, sleep well. I'll take my leave."
Meng Xuanli hummed, and waited until Danruo closed the door before opening his eyes.
She looked at the tassels swaying slightly under the sachet, her heart unsettled. She tossed and turned, as if she were sinking into the petals of the flowers, and was gradually enveloped by the rich fragrance.
She lifted the veil of fragrance, her mind became clear, and she carefully recalled what Doctor Li had said.
At first she was still skeptical, but seeing Doctor Li's confident words and his skillful prescription, she began to believe that there might be a turn for the better for the prince.
She sighed, wishing only that the prince would recover from his illness, so that she would no longer have to be a widow in the wind and rain, and no longer have to taste the feeling of being alone and helpless.
With this in mind, she stood up, untied the scented bag from the tent, carefully placed it under her pillow, and lay down again. As she drifted off into a drowsy state, her consciousness gradually faded.
In the dream, the sky is clear and the flowers are blooming.
She walked slowly along the path to the streamside, where she saw a man in white sitting alone on a bluestone. His back looked strangely familiar, yet she couldn't quite place him. Curious, she quietly approached and gently tapped his shoulder.
The man in white didn't look back, but whispered softly, "Ali, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Meng Xuanli's heart moved slightly, and he walked around to the front of the stone, looking up -
There was a pile of white bones!
"ah!"
A horrifying scream tore through the dream, and Meng Xuanli suddenly opened his eyes.
She was still in shock, sitting up with her quilt wrapped around her, pressing her throbbing forehead and breathing heavily. Just as she was about to regain her composure, she heard Danruo calling from outside, "Young lady, get up quickly! The master is urging you to get up."
Seeing that it was already daybreak outside, Dan Ruo opened the curtain. Meng Xuanli's voice was still filled with fear: "Father?"
Dan Ruo said softly, "The master said he wants to hold a birthday party for the young lady."
Birthday party?
Meng Xuanli sneered in his heart, the sun really was rising in the west.
She never celebrated her birthday, but now...
etc.
She turned her eyes slightly and waved, "Go tell my father I'll be there shortly."
*
In his study, Meng Zhongliang was mulling over his birthday banquet when a young boy, Chang Sui, hurried in and handed him a letter. He opened it and read it, and the wrinkles on his face unfurled.
As the boy was leaving, he ran into Meng Xuanli and hurriedly bowed, "Second Miss, you are well. The master is waiting inside."
Meng Xuanli nodded slightly and pushed the door open.
Meng Zhongliang was pacing the room with his hands behind his back. Seeing her approach, he immediately handed her the letter and forced a smile. "This letter from the Xuzhou elders is now registered under my wife's name. As the legitimate daughter of the Meng family, you must be more cautious in your words and actions and not lose your dignity."
Meng Xuanli was so tired of hearing such clichés that she closed the door and quickly scanned the letter.
Meng Zhongliang's warning followed closely: "This engagement with the Crown Prince is a great blessing granted by our ancestors, and it also determines the future of our entire Meng family. You absolutely must not make even the slightest mistake in it."
Before he finished speaking, the little boy, disregarding the rules, stumbled in and said, "Master! Miss, the lady has invited the female doctor into the house."
Meng Zhongliang turned around abruptly, surprised and asked, "Why would she ask a female doctor for no reason? Could she be... sick?"
The little boy's face turned pale and he trembled as he said, "I only... I only saw the female doctor enter the young lady's courtyard. I... I still don't know what the illness is."
Is Meng Xiuyu sick? Why did she suddenly fall ill when she was perfectly fine?
Before Meng Xuanli could think deeply, he heard a dull "bang" and Meng Zhongliang fell straight back, unconscious.
"father!"
Meng Xuanli cried out in shock, threw the letter aside, and shouted to the child, "Hurry up and call someone to move father to the couch in the inner room. Go!"
The moonlight outside the door was like a cold jade dish, pouring in brightly and stinging the eyes. Meng Xuanli hurriedly ordered his servants to lower all the roller blinds in the corridor, and the room was suddenly covered with a layer of gray gauze, like a woman's black veil.
The breeze blows the curtains, making them float, adding a sense of mystery.
Seeing that Meng Zhongliang still showed no signs of waking up, Meng Xuanli was about to get up to serve the ginseng soup when Dan Ruo slipped in. Meng Xuanli hurriedly pulled her to a quiet spot under the corridor and lowered his voice, "How is it? What did the doctor say?"
Dan Ruo looked around cautiously and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "It's pretty much what you guessed, young lady. However, the female doctor also said that if you can't save this pregnancy, you may never get pregnant again in the future."
"No more?!" Meng Xuanli was shocked, and it was unbelievable. But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that this was something Meng Xiuyu could do.
"How many months old is the baby?"
Dan Ruo heard that her tone was not right, and quickly added: "The eldest lady often went to Changsheng Temple a few days ago. I'm afraid that was when..."
“Oh my God…”
Meng Xuanli gasped. Her eldest sister was determined to marry into the Pan family, even at the cost of her own life. She pretended to be ill, but in reality, she was threatening her unborn child. To save face and cover up this scandal, the only way for the Meng and Pan families was to facilitate this marriage.
Thinking of this, Meng Xuanli sighed, looked at Dan Ruo, and said in a softer tone: "How is the prince today?"
Dan Ruo whispered, "I asked the boy beside the prince, and he said that his health has been getting worse and he has stayed indoors."
"Forget it, forget it." Meng Xuanli rubbed his brows. "Later, prepare some high-quality nourishing herbs and go to the Duke's Mansion on my behalf to see the Crown Prince."
Dan Ruo bit her lip and replied, "Yes."
Meng Xuanli paced the corridor for a few steps and solemnly instructed, "Spread the word. Everyone in the mansion must keep their mouths shut. If even the Jade Emperor comes, he won't be able to save his life."
"Don't worry, young lady. I will keep a close eye on the mansion and outside in the next few days and will not let any news leak out." Dan Ruo said solemnly.
"Okay. Once this matter is settled," Meng Xuanli recalled the wish she had once expressed, "I'll take you to Danqinglou for a drink."
Dan Ruo was stunned when she heard this. Before she could thank him, a little boy came from the inner room and reported, "Second Miss, the master has woken up."
"I understand." Meng Xuanli looked at Dan Ruo, who was still a little dazed, and raised the corners of his lips slightly, "What? Is Huanxi stupid?"
Dan Ruo finally came back to his senses, his eyes filled with warmth, and he bowed deeply: "Thank you for your grace, young lady."
Meng Xuanli looked at her hurriedly leaving back, shook his head slightly, and stepped into the inner room.
"Everyone, get out. No one is allowed to come in without my order." Her voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty.
Everyone held their breath, lowered their heads, and filed out.
Meng Zhongliang had already opened his eyes, and his first words were hoarse with dejection: "Your eldest sister is already a sinner of the Meng family. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by God. I... I can do nothing about it."
Meng Xuanli pursed his lips and let out a soft sigh. "My eldest sister caused such a terrible disaster before, but instead of disciplining her, father allowed her to act recklessly. Now that she's pregnant, father has the nerve to scold her?"
Hearing the word "pregnant", a complex light flashed across Meng Zhongliang's eyes, and he looked at her with a bit of sadness: "Ali, Dad knows that your eldest sister has always been domineering and has caused you a lot of grievances, but for the sake of your grandmother, please help her..."
"help?"
Meng Xuanli acted as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke, and sarcastically replied, "Father, when you said that my eldest sister had someone she loved, and ordered me to marry her into the Duke's mansion, I accepted."
"Now that she's secretly pregnant, do you think she wants me to pretend to be pregnant and marry her off to the Pan family?"
"No, no! That's absolutely not what I meant!" Meng Zhongliang's eyes widened, as if he saw the shadow of her biological mother in her. "Daddy is saying, please don't reveal this to anyone else, especially... the prince."
"In my father's eyes, I'm such a ruthless person?" Meng Xuanli stood up suddenly, his eyes filled with disappointment and surprise. "You might as well tell me, father, I, Meng Xuanli, would never do such a thing, let alone such a thing."
"I originally thought that my father took me back home out of a sense of guilt and kinship. Now it seems that I was completely wrong."
"Ali..." Meng Zhongliang's voice trembled.
"People say that a child without a mother is like a duckweed without roots. I didn't believe it before, but now I have no choice but to believe it." Meng Xuanli turned her back, tears welling up in her eyes, as if she had quietly removed the shackles. "Father, do you know why your daughter never celebrates her birthday?"
Without waiting for Meng Zhongliang to answer, she continued in a hoarse voice, "Because that day was also the anniversary of my mother's death."
"She married into the Meng family and never enjoyed a single day of peace and happiness. Even her dying wish was not fulfilled by my father. Since my father can't do it..." She turned around, her eyes burning, "Then let me, her daughter, fulfill it for her."
"In a few days it will be the anniversary of my mother's death. I want to go to Changsheng Temple and perform a ritual for her to comfort her spirit in heaven."
Meng Zhongliang's face was pale with an unnatural blush, which looked like bloodstains on plain silk from a distance, making it difficult to tell whether it was shame or regret.
Then, he spoke tremblingly: "Okay... go ahead."
Meng Xuanli turned around to leave, but saw Meng Zhongliang sitting on the couch with his head down. His figure seemed to be under the pressure of a collapsing mountain, lonely and desperate.
She broke the suffocating silence, her voice calm and distant, "My mother has appeared in my dreams many times, saying that she no longer wants to be tied to my father. That's why I, your daughter, took the initiative to enshrine my mother's tablet at the Changsheng Temple."
These words struck Meng Zhongliang like a hammer in the heart. He suddenly looked up at her, his eyes filled with deep remorse. "I'm so sorry to your mother for not being able to fulfill her wish when she was alive. I'm even more sorry to you for listening to the evil Taoist's slander and killing you..."
"Father, there's no need to say more." Meng Xuanli turned around suddenly, trying hard to suppress the bitterness in his eyes.
Just as she was about to step out of the door, she heard Meng Zhongliang's choked voice behind her: "Once this matter is settled, I will definitely perform several more rituals for your mother to atone for my sins. Ali, whatever you want to do in the future, Daddy will agree to it, except for one thing..."
His voice suddenly became heavy: "You must never imitate your sister and do such a treasonous thing again. Do you understand?"
Hearing his earnest words, Meng Xuanli finally lowered his eyes and replied softly, "Yes. Father, take care of yourself too."
Meng Zhongliang watched his daughter's retreating figure until it completely disappeared into the depths of the corridor. Only then did he sigh dejectedly. He felt that he had taken a wrong step, and every step had been in vain. Now he was abandoned by everyone and left alone.
*
A few days later, the sky was clear and the air was fresh, so Meng Xuanli took Dan Ruo to Changsheng Temple.
Inside the carriage, Dan Ruo took out a plain gauze hat and tried to put it on Meng Xuanli: "The wound on the girl's face looks quite healed."
Meng Xuanli took it and smiled faintly: "Thanks to you applying medicine to me every day, I can recover so quickly."
Dan Ruo gathered her hair and shook her head, saying, "This servant sees that the ointment sent by the prince is effective. The young lady has seen rapid results after using it."
Mentioning Lu Guanque, Meng Xuanli's eyelashes trembled slightly, and his tone was gentle: "He is sick, but he still worries so much about me. I should find an opportunity to thank him in person."
"There will always be a time to thank you." Dan Ruo carefully helped Meng Xuanli down from the carriage. "Miss, watch your step."
Meng Xuanli lifted her skirt slightly and looked up.
Here, the wind and smoke were clear, the distant mountains were shrouded in mist, and her heart calmed down. As she climbed the stairs, she said to Danruo, "When we get to the hall, you can wait outside. I'll add some oil to your lamp and chant some prayers for a while, but it might take a while."
Dan Ruo nodded and said, "Just rest assured, young lady. I will take care of everything."
Meng Xuanli raised his hand and gently stroked Dan Ruo's cheek, smiling gently: "Okay."
When he left, the sky was clear and sunny, but when Meng Xuanli walked out of the hall, a light drizzle had already begun to fall from the sky.
She looked around but couldn't see Danruo. She guessed that she had gone to the carriage to get an umbrella, so she sat down in a small pavilion by the road and waited.
The sound of the rain trickling down the pavilion eaves was like the monotonous and cold sound of a musical instrument. Meng Xuanli saw a couplet engraved on the pavilion pillar and read it softly:
“Occasionally I call upon the bright moon and ask about the eternity, while looking at the green mountains I think of my old friends.”[1]
"Looking at the green hills I miss my old friends..." She murmured, looking into the distance.
The mountains shrouded in rain and mist were like solidified green waves, surging towards her layer by layer. In the vagueness, the voice and appearance of the old friend suddenly appeared in her mind.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from afar. Thinking it was Dan Ruo coming, Meng Xuanli quickly stood up and walked out of the pavilion: "Here."
The visitor was holding a plain oil-paper umbrella and wearing a white dress as white as snow. He walked in the misty rain, as graceful as a hermit in the mountains.
Meng Xuanli was slightly startled, and hurriedly bowed, wanting to retreat back to the pavilion to avoid suspicion.
The man chuckled, walked gracefully, and in a blink of an eye he was beside her, holding the paper umbrella in his hand firmly covering her head.
Under the shade of the umbrella, his voice was as gentle as jade, with a soothing tone: "The rain is getting heavier, girl, don't get wet."
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References
[1] From the couplet of the Moon-catching Platform at Caishiji, Ma'anshan, Anhui
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