Chapter 13: I met you in my phantom body to celebrate your birthday, but I didn’t recognize you.
In the afternoon, Cong Ying went to the Prince of Jin's Mansion to meet the female official Zi Su.
She handed a whole jar of osmanthus flowers to Zi Su. The wooden jar was made of osmanthus wood. As soon as it was opened, the rich fragrance of osmanthus flowers hit her in the face.
Cong Ying asked her to convey her gratitude to the King of Jin: "Thank you for your assistance twice, Your Highness. This is the osmanthus flower I promised you. Please give it to Sister Zi Su."
Zi Su tried to hide the truth but said, "It was just a coincidence that I was at Yanxi Tower yesterday. I didn't go there for you."
Cong Ying said: "Unintentional kindness is also a favor, and I am still grateful to Your Highness."
After delivering the things, she stood up to say goodbye. Zi Su walked her to the door and after hesitating for a while, she couldn't help but ask her, "Aren't you going in to see His Highness?"
After a moment of hesitation, Cong Ying said, "Me? I'm afraid I'll disturb—"
"His Highness is ill," Zi Su said, "very seriously ill."
Cong Ying followed Zi Su, passing through the pavilions and terraces of the Prince of Jin's Mansion, and headed towards Guanxi Garden where the Prince of Jin lived.
It turns out there's an osmanthus tree in the Prince of Jin's mansion. Though its blossoms have fallen, its lush green leaves still shade the plaque above the gate. Cong Ying quickly caught a glimpse of the words "Guanxi," painted in gold powder on ebony. It's both majestic and elegant, and an inexplicable sense of familiarity wells up in my heart.
Zi Su said, "Since His Highness regained consciousness, he has moved to this courtyard and personally named it Guanxi."
Cong Ying smiled and said, "It's a good name."
In fact, she didn't know why Zi Su told her all this, nor did she understand why Prince Jin asked her to visit him when he was seriously ill. She just warned herself not to be rude or make mistakes, and bring bad luck to the noble man again.
As I stepped into the flower hall, a warm medicinal fragrance hit me in the face, as if it was going to blow away all the osmanthus flowers on the silk screen.
While waiting outside the screen for Zi Su to report, Cong Ying caught a glimpse of a seven-character prophetic poem embroidered on the screen:
The black bird flies alone to admire the blue sky, and the fireflies are crushed into dust by the frost.
Zhuangzi dreamed of being a butterfly for fifteen years, and when he met me again in his phantom body, he did not recognize me.
It seemed that the calligraphy on the lintel was from the same person. Cong Ying was lost in thought when he suddenly heard a "crash" sound behind the screen, as if a bowl or cup had fallen to the ground.
Then there were a few stumbling steps and a few indistinct whispers. After a while, a tall, gaunt figure with long hair draped over the screen emerged from the distance, as seen from behind the firefly. The strong aroma of medicine wafted from the swaying sleeves.
From Yingying, he could hear his heavy breathing, as if someone was clutching his throat: "Why are you here..."
Since he was so seriously ill, why didn't he just take care of himself and take care of himself, but he also condescended to stay with him? Cong Ying was surprised, but didn't dare to ask, so he just lowered his head and listened.
"Thank you, Fourth Lady, for visiting me. However, I am ill and look embarrassed, so there is no need to meet you, lest I pass on my illness to you."
Prince Jin endured the pain in his chest like a knife cutting and burning, stretched out his trembling hand, and stroked the beautiful shadow of the firefly falling on the screen.
The osmanthus flowers on the silk happened to be blooming at her temples.
Before leaving, Taoist Taixiao warned him that the more he interfered with Congying's fate, the heavier the punishment from heaven would be, and perhaps one day he would die in pain.
But...but there was nothing he wouldn't trade for the chance to see the osmanthus flowers blooming on her temples again.
He heard Cong Ying's gentle and polite voice: "The light snow is coming, and the weather is getting colder. I hope Your Highness will take care of himself and not get angry over irrelevant things like these."
Prince Jin leaned against the screen and asked, "Are you talking about Qian Laoba?"
Cong Ying answered yes and repeated the words of thanks he had said to Shisu earlier. It was very proper, appropriate and reasonable.
But then the King of Jin asked, "Since you are so grateful, how should you thank me?"
Cong Ying said, "Your Highness is willing to offer incense and pray for your health day and night."
King Jin: "That's all?"
This question left Congying unsure how to respond. After some thought, she said, "Your Highness knows that I am struggling to take care of myself, and I'm afraid it will be even harder for me to help you. How can I repay you?"
"I like the osmanthus flowers you sent me very much."
Prince Jin covered his lips and coughed a few times, then slowly said, "I also like the sweet osmanthus in late autumn and the winter plum blossoms. I would like you to pick two branches and send them to Prince Jin's Mansion."
Cong Ying said, "At this time of year, the sweet osmanthus flowers have all fallen."
The King of Jin said, "I know a place where the sweet osmanthus trees bloom for a long time and their flowers are still there today."
This was an even stranger request than the last one. Even if there were indeed sweet osmanthus flowers in Yunjing that had not yet withered, why did she have to pick them?
Cong Ying could never figure out His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin, and because she couldn't figure it out, she couldn't think of a proper reason to refuse.
"I wonder what place Your Highness is talking about?"
"Yunjing Xie's Mansion."
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October 17th was the birthday of Xie Xuanlan's mother, Mrs. Xie. Perhaps for the sake of showing off to the world, Mrs. Xie also sent the invitation to the Jiang family.
In the Xie family mansion in Yunjing, osmanthus flowers bloom in the winter.
Cong Ying had no idea what King Jin's intentions were. She just felt that he seemed to be very concerned about the marriage between the Jiang and Xie families. If he wasn't weird, then he knew something she didn't know.
Regardless of what Prince Jin thought, Cong Ying thought to herself that she had also planned to visit the Xie family.
The next day, she went to the cloth shop from Ying and brought back two pieces of silk with fresh and elegant patterns. She stayed up late, lit a lamp, and sewed new clothes.
The new dress was not suitable for young girls. When the maidservant beside Zhao saw it, she happily went to tell Zhao: "The fourth lady's anger has subsided. She feels regretful and is making new clothes to apologize to the lady."
Zhao was also happy in her heart, but she did not show it on her face: "There are no parents in the world who are not right. She is the eldest daughter of the second wife, so she should be sensible."
So she waited quietly until the early morning of October 17th. She heard that the new clothes had been cut the day before, but Cong Ying still did not come to her yard.
Zhao was puzzled and sent her maid to check on the news. She brought a bowl of chicken soup with Poria cocos that she had made this morning to nourish her child.
When the maid left, Cong Ying was putting the new clothes into a long mahogany box.
She changed into a loose goose yellow shirt and wore a light purple velvet flower hairpin on the side of her black hair. From a distance, she looked elegant and graceful, with a plump figure and a well-proportioned body, which was very pleasing.
The maidservant felt pity and sighed in her heart. When she heard her asking the driver to harness the carriage, she was stunned again: "Is the fourth lady going out?"
Cong Ying said, "Today is Madam Xie's birthday. I'm going to pay my respects. What does Mother want from me?"
It turned out to be a birthday gift. The maid was secretly annoyed with herself for speaking too quickly, so she could only chuckle, "Nothing serious. Madam was worried that the young lady hadn't had breakfast, so she asked me to bring her a bowl of hot soup... Would the young lady like to drink the soup before leaving?"
She put down the casserole, lifted the lid, and saw from the firefly that a thin layer of fat had formed on the surface of the soup. She immediately lost her appetite.
How could she not know that my younger brother drinks a bowl of chicken soup every morning? This chicken soup has already gone cold. She must have been reluctant to get out of bed, so she sent it here as a favor.
In fact, it would be better not to do this favor, but now it makes people feel even more uncomfortable.
"Wow! It smells like chicken soup, so fragrant!"
My younger sister Ah He followed the smell and ran out from the inner room, her eyes shining: "Is this something Mom gave to us?"
Seeing her happy, Cong Ying smiled and said, "Yes, go and comb your hair and wash your hands. I'll ask someone to heat them up for you."
There were very few servants in their room, so the maid hurriedly said, "I'll do it. Fourth Miss, please go out quickly. You can't be late for your birthday celebrations."
Cong Ying thanked her, picked up the long mahogany box containing her new clothes, and left. The maid watched her disappear into the distance, then turned to look at the Fifth Miss, who was humming a little tune happily over a bowl of chicken soup. She felt a bit uncomfortable.
In fact, when the fourth girl was young, she was also like the fifth girl, and was happy for a long time because of the lady's occasional concern.
How come you suddenly grew up?
＊
The lintel of Xie’s door is high and wide, and carriages and horses flow like water in front of the mansion.
Those who came today were all from prominent families. Many elderly ladies of noble families came to pay their respects and brought their younger family members to show their faces.
Seeing Congying was alone, the maid of Xie's residence approached her and asked about her family elders. Congying replied, "I am from the Jiang family of Yongxingfang. I am the only one here to celebrate your birthday today. Please introduce me to the Prime Minister's wife."
When people heard that this person was the wife of the Jiang family, whispers started to spread around.
"It's the Jiang family that has the Third Young Master's engagement. How lucky... Why did they ask the Fourth Young Lady to come here herself?"
"They said it was inconvenient to visit during the mourning period, but from what I see, it's clearly a fight between the two sisters, with the third girl losing out to the fourth. I heard the two sisters had a very ugly fight over this marriage..."
"Tsk, if you're so eager, why not just marry into the Xie family together?"
"You think they don't want to..."
Cong Ying stood in the wind's vent and listened quietly, thinking over and over in her mind how to put it when she met Madam Xie later.
The maid reported it and later passed on the message: "Madam is in the small building west of the horse field, watching the young masters play polo and win prizes. She asked me to take the fourth young lady there."
Cong Ying carried the birthday gift up to the small building and spotted the beaming Madam Xie among the other noble ladies. He stepped forward, bowed, and said a few polite words of congratulations: "I wish Madam a prosperous life of virtue and a thousand years of good fortune. My entire family should have benefited from Madam's good fortune, but I was afraid to disturb her peace, so I only sent me here to deliver a birthday gift."
After saying this, she brought forward the gorgeous gown she had sewn herself. The gown was made of crab-shell blue silk. Although the needlework was not superb, every stitch was neat and clear.
Mrs. Xie thought the pattern was very special. When she unfolded it, she found that it was a pine pattern that stretched from the shoulders to the waist. It was densely packed with pine needles, and each one was embroidered by Cong Ying herself.
She had received too many embroidery pieces today and was tired of seeing flowers, birds, peonies, auspicious beasts and pomegranates. When she saw the green pines and cypresses, she felt her eyes brighten.
Look at Cong Ying again. She lowers her head quietly, neither humble nor arrogant. She is a girl as gentle as the spring breeze. Although she is not eye-catching in terms of beauty, her noble demeanor is truly rare.
Feeling somewhat satisfied, he asked the maid to set up another table beside him and said to Cong Ying, "Fourth Lady, come and sit here."
Cong Ying thanked him and greeted the ladies present one by one. After taking his seat, he found an opportunity when the maid changed the tea and said to Madam Xie, "Madam, I have a few words to say. I would like you to move aside to discuss——"
Before he could finish his words, he heard the clanging of gongs in the stables downstairs, mixed with the excited neighing of horses.
The women in the small building all ran to the railings, exclaiming, "The Third Young Master is also going to try to win the prize! Look, that's the Third Young Master!"
Mrs. Xie's attention was also drawn to it: "It's rare that Sanlang is interested. Let's go and take a look."
Cong Ying had no choice but to help Mrs. Xie get up.
The maid had already set up tables, chairs, tea and fruits by the railing. Sitting opposite Mrs. Xie was the Princess of Ying, who was the sister of Prime Minister Xie and the mother of Prince Huai, Xiao Zezhen.
When Princess Ying saw Madam Xie asking Cong Ying to sit beside her, she smiled and said, "Even Miss Xie's seat has been snatched away. It seems that Madam Xie is very satisfied with this bride-to-be."
Madam Xie laughed and said, "Your son, Prince Huai, is also here. Do you still have the mind to care about others?"
Everyone looked downstairs and saw that the battle formation had already been set up in the racecourse. The ones wearing red silk belts were Xie Xuanlan and his attendants, only two people; opposite them was the Prince of Huai with a group of drinking buddies, a total of six people.
The girls upstairs were talking in surprise: "Two against six, this is too unfair."
Cong Ying leaned against the railing, staring at the fluttering red figure intently, with mixed feelings in his heart: such arrogance is indeed his style.
Inside the polo field, the cold wind was as sharp as a knife.
Xie Xuanlan casually held the long pole, tapped the handle lightly with his slender knuckles, and swept his eyes across the faces of the six people opposite him.
He had not intended to go on the field today, but from a distance he saw Xiao Zezhen changing into riding clothes, and being led towards him by a group of lapdog-like followers. Among them was a man with a bruised and purple face, Qian Laoba, who had been beaten a few days ago.
Thinking of why Qian Lao Ba was beaten, Xie Xuanlan also felt itchy in his fists.
So he changed his mind and said to his attendant, "Bring me my whip."
Upon hearing this, Huai Jun Wang Xiao Zezhen laughed heartily: "Third cousin, how many people in Yunjing dare to compete with you in horseback kung fu? If you come, the outcome will be undeniable."
Seeing him, Xie Xuanlan remembered what the Prince of Jin had said to him at the city gate: The fourth Miss Jiang's horse was frightened away by the Prince of Huai.
It’s not for Miss Jiang Si, Xie Xuanlan thought to himself.
Prince Huai has acted too erratically. Even for the sake of my aunt and the Xie family, he should be taught a lesson.
Xie Xuanlan said, "There are only two of us, my retainer and I, and there are six of you. I only asked him to guard the gate for me. Does that mean there's any suspense?"
Prince Huai couldn't help but be moved: "Are you serious?"
Xie Xuanlan said, "Get on the horse."
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