Chapter 184
The garden was quiet, with few people around. As night fell, the bright moon hung high in the sky, clear and pure, its cold radiance enveloping the three of them like a thin veil.
“Tonight, I have two moons,” Yin Qiu said, leaning on the table and swirling her wine glass. “One is in the sky, and the other is in the water.”
Wen Chaoyu hadn't enjoyed a spring night like this in a long time. She picked up a peanut and tossed it into the lake, pointing to the rippling spot and saying, "Oh no, one of your moons is broken."
Yin Qiu propped her head up and glanced at it, then generously said, "It's alright, there's still one left."
Seeing that she seemed a little tipsy after drinking, Wen Chaoyu wanted to tease her, so she stretched out her hand to block Yin Qiu's eyes and said, "Then there's none left now."
Yin Qiu leaned back down, brushed Wen Chaoyu's hand away, and chuckled softly. She didn't look up, but instead gazed at Man Jiangxue, saying, "There are still some."
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were smiling, and the light in her eyes outshone the lamps around her. Man Jiangxue met her gaze and looked at Yin Qiu quietly from a distance, a slight smile appearing on her lips.
"Where is it?" Wen Chaoyu pretended not to see it and asked deliberately, "Where is there another moon?"
“Look,” Yin Qiu raised her chin, “it’s right across from me.”
Wen Chaoyu felt a soreness in her teeth and thought to herself that this girl was not very old, but she knew how to please her sweetheart. So she teased, "Are you drunk and confused? You're calling a living person the moon?"
Yin Qiu said, "Haven't you heard a poem before?"
Wen Chaoyu said, "I'm not well-educated, so you can read it to me."
Yin Qiu pondered for a moment, as if weighing which poem to recite in her mind, and then shook her head and said: "The night feels the spring day is late, no crabapple blossoms are seen, only withered red and broken branches remain. Clouds veil the jade mirror and whisper secrets, her beauty is like the moon, shining alone in the autumn wind and morning rain."
“What a fine poem,” Wen Chaoyu said, though she was not well-versed in literature. “I wonder which great poet wrote it? I heard that the lines mention both you and me, which is quite a coincidence.”
“Not just you and me,” Yin Qiu said seriously, “Ren Ruyue, that’s what my Uncle-Master is all about.”
Wen Chaoyu paused, then immediately understood. He drew out an "Oh," and teased, "So that's why you're a great poet. It turns out this is a love poem."
Yin Qiu smiled meaningfully and said, "I dare not call myself a poet, I'm just piecing together words. Uncle Wen's house is nice, we should linger in the spring."
"Don't worry," Wen Chaoyu said, "every day is springtime when you come."
After a hearty meal, Xue Tan arranged guest rooms and escorted Yin Qiu to her lodgings with a lantern. Upon entering, Yin Qiu immediately found a brush and ink and wrote down the poem she had just recited. Man Jiangxue held up the lamp for her, and their shadows fell onto the rice paper.
"I've written a humble poem for you," Yin Qiu said, folding the Xuan paper and stuffing it into Man Jiangxue's arms. "The poem isn't very good, but my calligraphy has improved. Uncle-Master, please keep it safe and don't lose it."
Man Jiangxue smiled and replied, "Okay." She brought hot water to wipe Yin Qiu's face and said, "Go to sleep early. We have to rush back to the palace tomorrow."
Yin Qiu was tipsy, her cheeks flushed like peaches. She was in a good mood tonight and kept giggling to herself after returning to her room. Man Jiangxue helped her wash up and left a light on in the outer room. The two lay down and slept together in the dim light, sharing a kiss that smelled of alcohol.
"Uncle Wen, you've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, haven't you?" Yin Qiu nestled in Man Jiangxue's arms, looking forward to it. "I hope that Uncle Wen and I can live in Xifeng Mountain more often in the future. I've only been there once and I can't forget it."
Man Jiangxue said, "Once this turbulent time is over, you can live wherever you want."
A gentle breeze rustled the window screen, where a patch of white moonlight gathered. Yin Qiu gazed out the window into the distance and suddenly asked, "What's it like beyond the Great Wall? How is the scenery different from that of our Central Plains?"
Man Jiangxue lay on her back, staring at the lotus flowers on the bed curtains, and said, "They are mostly different, but I've forgotten many of them, and I can't remember them clearly anymore."
Yin Qiu rolled over and lay face down, smiled at Man Jiangxue, and said, "Then, will you take me to see the area beyond the Great Wall in the future, Uncle?"
"Fine," Man Jiangxue teased, "If I take you to the border region and sell you to someone else as a maid, can you find your way back yourself?"
“Why not?” Yin Qiu said. “Even if you sell me, I can still escape, unless the owner of that house is better at martial arts than me.”
"What about the travel expenses?" Man Jiangxue asked.
“I can perform on the street,” Yin Qiu said. “Yunhua swordsmanship should be quite famous outside the Great Wall. Earning some money to rent a carriage shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Man Jiangxue imagined the scene and laughed, "How pitiful, all alone in a foreign land, having to make a living by performing."
Yin Qiu chuckled softly, "Yes, then since I'm so pitiful, Uncle-Master, please don't sell me. Wouldn't it be better if I became your maid?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Alright, a beautiful maid who is skilled in martial arts and can write love poems is hard to come by. So I won't sell her. She can come with me."
"Sure thing, I'll write you a whole bunch of love poems." Yin Qiu said shamelessly.
“If your teacher finds out, he’ll be furious,” Man Jiangxue said.
“How would the Master know? Just don’t show it to him,” Yin Qiu said. “Since it’s written for you, only you can see it.”
Noticing that Yin Qiu was still full of energy and had the energy to joke with her, Man Jiangxue said, "Aren't you sleepy yet? You won't be able to get up tomorrow morning."
Yin Qiu kissed her on the cheek and said, "I can wake up whenever I want, unlike my uncle, who sleeps until the sun is high in the sky and can't be woken up no matter how much you call him."
Man Jiangxue said, "Then let's have a competition and see who gets up first tomorrow."
Yin Qiu readily agreed: "Let's compete, I'm sure I'll win."
Man Jiangxue immediately pulled the blanket up to cover her completely and said, "Then let's have a competition to see who falls asleep first."
Yin Qiu laughed loudly from under the covers, poked her head out, and said, "I don't want to compete in this. It's suffocating in here. Uncle, please don't tease me."
Man Jiangxue said, "Then what are you planning to do by staying up so late?"
Yin Qiu stopped talking and just looked at her with a smile.
Man Jiangxue quickly understood, turned the person over to lie on their back in the inner room, and leaned in to kiss Yin Qiu.
After a long kiss, both of them felt sleepy. The next day, the first thing Man Jiangxue did after waking up was to go see Yin Qiu. Yin Qiu was sleeping soundly in her arms. Man Jiangxue smiled silently, placed a kiss on Yin Qiu's forehead, and thinking that it was still early, she did not wake her up and got up first.
The courtyard outside the side room was also quite nice. It was still dawn and there was hardly anyone around. Man Jiangxue was enjoying the cool breeze when Wen Chaoyu walked around the long corridor. She asked in surprise, "Why are you up so early? Isn't the investiture ceremony supposed to start at noon?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Climbing the mountain takes time, so it's not advisable to stay up late today." She countered, "Why are you up so early again?"
Wen Chaoyu sighed, broke off a flower branch, smelled it, and said worriedly, "I haven't slept all night. What do you think, should I go or not?"
Seeing the dark circles under her eyes and her tired appearance, Man Jiangxue said silently, "Go if you want to, don't go if you don't want to. What are you nagging about?"
“You make it sound so easy,” Wen Chaoyu said. “If I don’t go, I’m worried that Wan Shu will be hoping I will go. If I do go, I’ll have to avoid those two and hide from them. I’ll be unhappy about that.”
Man Jiangxue wanted to ask her how she planned to face the Ji family elders in the future, since she had a long life ahead of her and some things needed to be resolved. But considering that she was already troubled, Man Jiangxue didn't want to make her even more distressed, so she simply comforted her, saying, "It's not the first time you've tried to avoid or hide things. Just try to take it easy."
The two stood by a rockery and pond. Wen Chaoyu looked at her reflection in the water and suddenly said in a deep voice, "There's something I've been thinking about for a long time." She paused for a moment and looked at Man Jiangxue, "Ye Zhilan told Yin Qiu that she hadn't touched the Holy Sword. The item was indeed at the Observatory, which means that the Holy Sword was moved by that person. So when did he move it?"
When she suddenly brought this up, Man Jiangxue didn't find it abrupt and replied, "It's hard to say. Perhaps when Meng Wugui led Xiao Qiu and me to Weicheng, he secretly moved to another place."
“That was several months ago,” Wen Chaoyu stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. “Back then, the Observatory was also a place for discussing Daoist practices. I remember there were people specifically responsible for cleaning that place. Later, a cenotaph was built there, so there should still be someone responsible for cleaning it, right?”
Man Jiangxue nodded: "There should be."
“The Holy Sword is hidden in one of the cenotaphs, there’s no doubt about that,” Wen Chaoyu analyzed. “But when we opened the graves that night, we didn’t see any signs of them being dug up. This means that the person took the Holy Sword a long time in advance. This winter, there has been a lot of snow and rain. If he did this months ago, then the traces he left on the night we searched for the sword would have been naturally covered up by the rain and snow, and no one would have been able to find it.”
Man Jiangxue said, "So? What are you trying to say?"
Wen Chaoyu said, "What I want to say is that after you return to the palace, you can check the disciples in charge of the Star Gazing Platform. They are close by and have the advantage of their position, so perhaps there are some of that person's subordinates among them. For example, whether the cenotaph has been disturbed, whether it has been renovated, or who has frequently visited to worship in a short period of time. These should all be recorded. What do you think?"
Upon hearing her words, Man Jiangxue's eyes flickered, as if she had realized something after Wen Chaoyu's reminder.
Wen Chaoyu quickly noticed the sudden change in her expression and hurriedly asked, "What did you think of? Who did you think of?"
As dawn broke and golden rays of light shone across the sky, Man Jiangxue frowned deeply in the sudden brightness of the light, but did not answer.
"Say something," Wen Chaoyu said urgently, knowing she must have some suspicion or clue. "Are you suspecting someone?"
Man Jiangxue's gaze flickered for a moment. She remained silent for a long time before saying solemnly, "I just remembered something... I'll test the waters when I return to the palace. I won't tell you yet."
Wen Chaoyu rolled her eyes, almost driven crazy by her: "What's wrong with saying this? Even if I knew, I wouldn't rush into Yunhua Palace to confront people. Just tell me!"
Man Jiangxue fell silent again, then shook her head and said, "I don't want to talk about things without evidence or based on mere speculation. I've already accidentally hurt Huaiwei once, so I need to be even more careful in the future. I can't let my suspicions fester. No one can guarantee that what I think of might be a deliberate flaw left by that person to make me suspect someone. Don't ask anymore. I'll tell you when I have a conclusion."
Since she had said that, Wen Chaoyu didn't press further and had to give up: "...Alright, but if you confirm your guess, be sure to let me know."
Man Jiangxue hummed in agreement, her brows furrowed, and said, "Okay."
·
The Lantern Festival has finally arrived as scheduled. Today, the sky is high and clear, with no clouds in sight. The majestic and towering Yunhua Mountain is bathed in a dazzling golden light, its peaks reaching straight into the sky, seemingly able to pluck stars, making it truly eye-catching.
Before the New Year's Day rains had fallen and the mountain flowers and trees had received the New Year's nourishment, the spring breeze brought everything back to life. The palace was newly decorated, pavilions and towers were draped in red silk and adorned with colorful lanterns, red carpets were laid along the long road, and the morning bells rang out. Today was a day of double happiness.
It was a rare occasion for a joyous event in the palace, so the disciples were naturally extremely busy. Before the sun had even risen, the disciples in charge of the enthronement ceremony had already begun to arrange various important matters. The disciples from other peaks had also bathed, burned incense, and changed into new clothes, all waiting for the auspicious time to arrive. Everyone was overjoyed and could not hide their happiness.
The lingering chill of late spring hadn't yet dissipated, and many strong and skilled disciples had already changed into spring clothes. Lu Huaiwei, however, was still wearing winter clothes and a heavy cloak, bundled up like a dumpling. She drank three cups of tea in the outer room, but the person behind the screen still hadn't emerged. Lu Huaiwei glanced at the sky and urged, "Senior Sister, are you ready yet? Changing clothes is just a matter of time, yet it takes longer than your bath. The Sect Leader must be getting impatient."
There was a constant rustling sound coming from behind the screen. Lu Huaiwei heard what sounded like several things had been knocked over again. She sighed softly and asked, "Is there something you don't understand? Should I come in and help?"
Then Ji Wanshu said somewhat hastily, "No, no, it'll be ready soon."
Lu Huaiwei had no choice but to stand up, lift the beaded curtain, and enter the inner room. As soon as she entered, the figure on the screen also moved. The next moment, Ji Wanshu, dressed neatly, walked out slowly, her skirt billowing, which startled Lu Huaiwei.
Bathed in the sunlight, Ji Wanshu wore a flowing, sapphire-blue dress with wide sleeves and a brocade ribbon around her neck, looking exceptionally elegant. She usually dressed simply, often in a plain blue robe, and never wore makeup; she was beautiful, but perhaps too plain. Such a magnificent appearance was a rare sight, perhaps only once in over a decade. Lu Huaiwei looked her over again and again, finding Ji Wanshu particularly striking today. The dress seemed tailor-made for her, accentuating her fair skin, beautiful features, and graceful figure. Her already aloof and imposing aura was further enhanced by a natural air of authority, truly befitting a young sect leader.
Lu Huaiwei repeatedly praised her, circling Ji Wanshu a few times and exclaiming, "Incredible! I don't know what blinded me before, but I forgot that you are a noble lady from a wealthy family. It is only when you are dressed like this today that I suddenly remember who you are." She said from the bottom of her heart, "When you come out of this door, everyone will be dumbfounded. Among the senior and junior sisters in this palace, I admire Xiao Qiu's face the most. But now that I see you like this, you can even surpass Xiao Qiu."
Ji Wanshu rarely received compliments on her appearance, so she felt a little awkward after hearing these words. She frowned and said, "I'm not some kind of princess, you're exaggerating." She tugged at her sleeves and straightened her clothes. "I've never worn such elaborate clothes before. Can you take a look and see if there's anything wrong with them? I feel like they're too tight."
Lu Huaiwei laughed and said, "You've tied your collar backwards, buttoned the wrong buttons, and wrapped your belt so tightly. No wonder it's so tight."
Ji Wanshu left home early, without parents to take care of her or a master to guide her. She used to wear whatever was convenient and was used to a rough lifestyle, so how could she wear such exquisite clothes? Ji Wanshu opened her arms and let Lu Huaiwei arrange her. She looked towards the door for a while and said, "Has Wen Chaoyu arrived yet?"
"I don't know, I haven't heard anyone mention it," Lu Huaiwei said. "I've asked at least eight hundred times this morning, and my martial aunt and Xiao Qiu haven't come back yet. They'll definitely come together, so why are you in such a hurry?"
Ji Wanshu sighed for no reason: "I don't know why, but I'm actually a little nervous. Tell me, what am I nervous about?"
Lu Huaiwei joked, "That's right, it's not like you're getting married to anyone, why are you so nervous?"
Ji Wan glanced at her, stretched her limbs, and finally felt a little better. Lu Huaiwei opened the jewelry box on the dressing table, picked out some pretty pieces of jewelry for her to wear, and said, "This was sent over by your aunt earlier. It's really beautiful. My family isn't wealthy, and no one can afford to give me something like this. Senior sister, I'm so envious."
“If you like, take whatever you want,” Ji Wanshu said generously. “You can take them all. I don’t like wearing these. When I’m wielding a sword, I’ll wear as many as I can and then lose them. What’s the point?”
Lu Huaiwei found it amusing and then did some more makeup for Ji Wanshu, applying some rouge and powder. Once everything was done, the two of them set off for Mingguang Palace.
Just as Lu Huaiwei had predicted, the disciples' eyes lit up when they saw Ji Wanshu, as if they had seen a celestial being descended to earth, their amazement overflowing. Ji Wanshu felt extremely uncomfortable, but had to pretend to be calm. When they arrived at Mingguang Hall, Xie Yijun and the elders were also full of praise, making Ji Wanshu feel restless and uncomfortable, as if her face had been crawled with lice, wishing she could find a place to hide.
“Wanshu, come to your mother,” Madam Ji said, beaming with joy. She beckoned to Ji Wanshu, “There are a few things you need to look at and make a decision for your father and me.”
Ji Wanshu felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly darted out of the crowd surrounding her and asked, "What is that?"
It had been a long time since they last met, and the unpleasantness from their time in Jincheng had long since faded. Master Ji looked at Ji Wanshu with a pleased expression. Madam Ji led Ji Wanshu into a side hall and called Xie Yijun in as well. Several portraits were laid out on the long table, all depicting exceptionally handsome young men. Madam Ji said, “We’ve heard that you’ve achieved great success in your studies and have been appointed the young master of Yunhua Palace. These past few days, we’ve had many suitors; the doorstep is practically worn down. Your father and I have discussed it, and you’re not young anymore; it’s time for you to settle down. Take a look at these young men; is any one of them worthy of your attention?”
Ji Wanshu never expected that Madam Ji would bring up this matter at this time, and her expression changed as she said, "I thought it was something important. You can take it away. There's no need to look at it anymore. I don't like any of them."
Madam Ji knew she would react this way, but she still said happily, "It's alright if you don't like them. I've already spoken with Sect Leader Xie. After the enthronement ceremony, she'll give you a few days off. You can come back to Jincheng with us. You can choose them yourself when you get home. Right now, these are all people your father and I have selected. They're all well-off and good-looking. Several of them are even well-known young heroes from other sects. Get to know them better, and maybe you'll catch their eye."
Ji Wanshu was impatient, but considering her parents' long journey and hardship, she didn't want to argue with them about this. Ji Wanshu said in a muffled voice, "We'll talk about it later, don't mention it to me now."
"Oh dear, since we've brought it up, why don't you take a look a little longer?" Madam Ji winked at Xie Yijun. "What do you think, Sect Leader Xie? My Wanshu has seen you more often than any of us over the years. You must know Wanshu very well. Why don't you come and see which young master here seems a good match for our Wanshu?"
Xie Yijun glanced at Ji Wanshu without leaving a trace and smiled, "Young people should make their own decisions. People of her generation don't follow the old ways of arranged marriages anymore. Let the children choose for themselves."
Madam Ji scolded, "That won't do. You know Wan Shu's temper. If I don't urge her, she won't even consider these things. Marriage is an important matter that should be handled by parents. What kind of talk is it for her to make the decisions on her own?"
Xie Yijun smiled without saying a word, exchanged a few polite words, and then made an excuse to leave. Madam Ji became more and more excited as she talked, and even Master Ji joined in the conversation. The couple talked back and forth, and eventually they started talking about having a grandson. They were in high spirits and even discussed how to raise their grandson.
Ji Wanshu stood there indifferently, wanting to interrupt countless times, but holding back. Madam Ji said, "You don't need to be upset. Let me tell you, once a girl is past marriageable age, it's hard for her to get married. You're already this age and still not married. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you? Your father and I have never pressured you all these years, but you can't be foolish anymore. If you don't like what's here, you must pick someone you're satisfied with when you go home."
Ji Wanshu held back for a while, but finally said unhappily, "What's so funny? Anyone who dares to say anything will be skinned alive."
“Oh dear, you’re so fierce, no one will want you,” Madam Ji said. “It’s better for a young lady to be gentle. You and Huaiwei are often together, how come you haven’t learned any of her good qualities? You should rein in your temper as soon as possible and change it.”
“I won’t accept it, and I won’t change it. Everyone knows I have a bad temper,” Ji Wanshu said with a straight face. “I’m not some object, nor am I some flower or grass. Who’s to pick and choose me? Do I have to hope that someone will want me? That’s contemptible.”
"The last few sentences are quite reasonable. Of course, we, the daughters of the Ji family, cannot let others choose us," said Madam Ji. "It is only proper for you to choose others. I think this young master is quite good. He had a very pleasant conversation with your father the day he came. He is very polite and learned. What do you think of him?"
Ji Wanshu pressed the portrait in her hand down, trying her best to suppress the urge to tear it to pieces, and said stiffly, "Alright, stop talking. Don't ruin my mood. If I don't have a good face at the ceremony later, you'll lecture me for not knowing the rules."
Madam Ji glared and said, "On such a good day, who are you going to give a hard time to?" She lowered her voice as she said this, "Look at your Sect Leader Xie, she's almost forty years old and still not married or has children. To put it bluntly, what kind of person is she? What does it matter if a woman is the leader of a sect? She has no husband and no children. You can learn everything from her, but you can't learn this."
"Why are you gossiping behind people's backs?" Ji Wanshu could no longer bear it and said coldly, "It's none of your business whether this family is talking about others or not. She doesn't marry or have children, she doesn't eat our Ji family's rice, and she doesn't block our Ji family's path to wealth. If you keep talking about it, I'll really lose face."
Seeing that her attitude was getting worse, Master Ji shouted, "How dare you! Your mother has done everything she could for you. I don't expect you to listen to every word she says, but don't try to lecture her. How can you talk to your parents like that!"
Ji Wanshu turned her back and remained silent.
"On such a joyous occasion, don't scold her," Madam Ji pushed Mr. Ji away and looked at her daughter. "Wanshu, what your mother said about people's shortcomings is indeed wrong, but everything else is reasonable. You don't need to rush to reply to us, but you should keep it in mind and think it over carefully. We won't choose the children of business families, as they are not a good match for you. Perhaps the young heroes from other sects would be fine?"
Ji Wanshu lowered her eyes and stared at the ground, her heart filled with turmoil. She clenched her fists tightly and remained silent for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying, "Enough. You don't need to play dumb with me. You two know better than anyone whether I like men or women."
She raised her head, suppressing her anger, and said as calmly as possible, "I don't care about anyone but Wen Chaoyu. Let's not mention this matter again in the future, so as not to hurt our harmony."
Madam Ji choked and looked embarrassed. Seeing this, Master Ji was furious again, but before he could reprimand her, Ji Wanshu swept away the portraits on the table and walked out of Mingguang Hall with a livid face.
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