Chapter 12 Farewell (2) The Dark Romantic History of Two Show-offs...
The crimson dawn spread across the sky above Nanshan Mountain, soon breaking apart to reveal countless golden rays emanating from its horizontal and vertical patterns, weaving a magnificent brocade across the mountain's expanse. The towering peaks, the sprawling forests, and the lush grasses transformed from indigo to vibrant green.
In the front hall of the Gao family villa, Li Shimin paced anxiously, awaiting his maid Xiao Lou's report. What should he say to Changsun Qingjing?
The good news was that his father had been promoted and became a close confidant of the emperor, putting pressure on the powerful clans in Longyou; the bad news was that the emperor still did not trust his father enough, and the price of the promotion was that he would take Li Shimin with him to Luoyang.
Would she worry about him? In any case, he needed to say goodbye to her in person, trying to express his feelings without scaring her.
A series of light footsteps approached, and Xiao Lou hurriedly ran from the inner room to the front hall, pulling Li Shimin back from his chaotic thoughts.
"How was it?" He had indeed acted rashly today, and his heart was filled with unease, yet he longed for someone to reciprocate his enthusiasm. He didn't even dare to look up at Xiao Lou's face, feeling as if this clever girl was silently reading his thoughts and then telling them to the various maids surrounding Changsun Qingjing—those who served tea, did his hair, and held his inkstone—so that they would all laugh at him behind his back!
Xiao Lou stepped forward to greet her, but her rouge was too heavy today, making her look somewhat comical.
"Reporting to Young Master Li, only Madam Changsun is currently at the Nanshan Villa. She said that, taking advantage of her rare day off, her husband and his nephew are both in Daxing socializing with Master Lu Fayan and his esteemed disciple, Young Master Changsun Minxing. Madam, my wives, Xianyu and Gao, have been taken to Daxing Temple by the two gentlemen and will likely not leave the city until the evening drum sounds. Madam was grateful that you came to visit my husband and his son today. However, due to unforeseen circumstances and not wanting to delay you, she instructed me to tell you the truth. I cannot help you much, so I will inform you of your visit after my family returns home. You can simply wait for my son to return the visit soon. If there is any urgency, I will have my servants go to the city to bring everyone back, but I fear you will be bored sitting here. What do you think, Young Master?"
Was this a direct order to leave? Li Shimin felt a sudden loss of interest, realizing that the previous happy conversation between the two on the rock was merely wishful thinking on his part.
Changsun Qingjing was a dignified and proper woman. She only agreed to meet him out of respect for her uncle and brother. How could he have imagined that such a reserved girl would give him any improper hints?
He was indeed arrogant and presumptuous, and deserved to be turned away.
Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "How dare I trouble the Gao family with such a trivial matter, causing the Master of Ceremonies and your young master to leave disappointed, and disturbing the ladies' rare moment of peace."
“Alright! Young master, please wait a little longer!” Xiao Lou nodded, his flushed face shimmering in the sunlight, like two red fox tails swaying wildly.
She ran back as fast as she could.
"It's alright. Feed it as much as you like. White Hoof is a thoroughbred horse, it can eat a lot, it won't die from overeating!" Li Shimin replied loudly.
In the main hall of the Gao family villa, Guanyinbi sat upright on the main seat, her fingertips tapping nervously on the armrest, occasionally glancing at the personal maids on either side. A screen was placed in front of her.
Xiao Lou invited Li Shimin into the main hall. Li Shimin greeted the indistinct figure of Changsun Qingjing through the screen before taking his seat. Ajiang served freshly brewed tea and fruit.
"I was unaware of your arrival, young master. Preparations were hasty, and Ajiang was rather clumsy. The tea was brewed a bit too hastily, though I reduced the amount of borneol. The fruit is also rather rough, though it contains some freshly dried osmanthus flowers. I hope you will forgive my lack of hospitality." Changsun Qingjing fiddled with the teacup in front of him, unaware of Li Shimin's purpose in coming.
"Where? It was clearly me, Li, who abruptly requested an audience and disturbed your residence. I am truly grateful that Madam, out of consideration for the Master of Ceremonies and your esteemed brother, was willing to listen to my ramblings." Li Shimin said cautiously, fearing that he might be kicked out of the villa if he disagreed with her.
"Please speak freely, young master, and I will do my best to convey your message without missing a single word," Changsun Qingjing said lazily.
"Thanks to the blessings of my ancestors, I have been appointed by His Majesty the Emperor as a treasury official. I will soon be accompanying the imperial entourage to the Eastern Capital and the Northern Lands. This matter is urgent and cannot be delayed for even a moment. The purpose of my visit today is to bid farewell to Zhili Lang and Wuji..." The hand that was playing with the teacup behind the screen suddenly stiffened and stopped.
Changsun Qingjing lowered her head and sighed softly, "It's a pity that my uncle and brother missed the opportunity to see you off..." She tried to put on a smile, "On behalf of my uncle and brother, I would like to wish you a safe journey and that you will be favored by the Emperor and rise to great heights."
"Young Master, please refrain from speaking nonsense," Changsun Qingjing rebuked.
Li Shimin chuckled and said, “Yes, yes. But I don’t know when Your Majesty will allow me to return. I am very easygoing. Just thinking about those pretentious social interactions in the palace makes my chest feel a little tight... Liang Garden is nice, but it can’t compare to having one or two close friends in Nanshan and a few cups of tea.”
Changsun Qingjing's cheeks flushed slightly, and he remained silent for a moment: "There are some things that your uncle and elder brother should have repeatedly told you, but I will presume to say them here: When you go to His Majesty's side, the first rule is that you must never disobey His Majesty. People often say that the least intelligent people around His Majesty are those who obey His Majesty in every way, whether in dress or speech, and serve the country within the limits permitted by His Majesty; the next most intelligent are those who know His Majesty's poems by heart, can compose poems with His Majesty, and are always one or two levels below His Majesty. They are content to be 'patrons' and do not concern themselves with politics; the most intelligent are those who flatter without leaving a trace and always take His Majesty's likes and dislikes as their own, sparing no effort to eliminate dissidents for His Majesty. Although such people are despised by the world, they are powerful and influential in this era, making people dare not speak out against them."
Li Shimin stared in astonishment at the blurry figure on the screen. She had meticulously categorized all his thoughts from the previous night, which were truly enlightening.
"Your uncle and Wuji do not wish for you to become one of the most intelligent people, because in my eyes, those people are not very intelligent. Although they may be admired for a time, they will ultimately not escape the fate of ruin and death. Wealth and status are fleeting dreams, lasting only a moment. Forcing you to become one of the less intelligent people is too much of a stretch..."
When Li Shimin thought of how Dou Shi forced him to recite Yang Guang's poems, he couldn't help but smile knowingly and admire the young girl.
“What you say is exactly what I think. I can barely manage to sing along, let alone imitate the lewd behavior of those patrons…”
Changsun Qingjing interrupted him: "However, your uncle and elder brother do not want you to be ranked among the lowest level of intelligence. If you are not ranked, you may be killed."
"Alright, then I'll listen to my wife and be a fool!" Li Shimin exclaimed in admiration.
Xiao Lou and A Cai couldn't help but whisper to each other, covering their mouths as if trying to laugh.
"Young master, you flatter me. I have made an effort to entertain you today only because you are a close friend of my uncle and brother. But how could I, a mere lady of the house, be qualified to teach you? I am merely parroting what you say and indulging in momentary verbal pleasure."
Another silence fell between them. Li Shimin sensed Changsun Qingjing's displeasure. Previously, their interactions had always been with the permission of Gao Shilian and Changsun Wuji; they had never truly been alone together.
Today was different from before. She had already pushed Gao Shilian and Changsun Wuji to their limits in hastily entertaining the guests, and her own words had been somewhat frivolous, even causing the two maids to chuckle. Naturally, she was angry.
"I have misspoke, and I apologize to you, Madam. Thank you for conveying the sincere feelings of Zhili Lang and Wuji towards me. I will remember it forever!" After saying this, he bowed deeply in gratitude.
"I wouldn't dare," Changsun Qingjing replied.
"There is one more thing I would like to ask you to convey to me, my lady." He reminded himself to remain calm and not to act rashly, even if he felt a sense of goodwill towards her.
"Speaking."
"It's nothing. I bought a silver falcon today..."
"Um?"
"According to the former owner, it was the 'general' that Yuwen Huaji had long coveted."
"Really? He didn't let Xiaoguo steal it and keep it for himself?" It seems that Changsun Qingjing's mood has recovered.
Li Shimin laughed and said, "This man's infamy is widespread, so I won't bother talking about him. As for that white falcon, it can travel back and forth between the two capitals in a single day. The Master of Ceremonies is a respected elder, and my esteemed brother Wuji is my close friend. If I don't hear from them for a day, I can't eat or sleep properly. That's why I specially purchased a white falcon to act as a messenger..."
A slight ripple crossed Changsun Qingjing's lips: "I understand. Just send your letters to your uncle and Wuji from your residence; they will surely be happy to reply. There's no difficulty in this; I will simply pass on the message. Although I am a woman, I understand the principle of 'a scholar will die for one who understands him.' Your uncle considers you a close friend despite the age difference, and Wuji considers you a sworn brother; they will certainly cherish every word you send back from the Eastern Capital. Especially my brother; he will surely describe in detail the changes in the local customs and people while you were away from Daxing, and every hunting party you missed, in his reply, making you feel as if you were there yourself."
Ajiang poured tea for Li Shimin again. Li Shimin took out a small folded piece of hemp paper from his pocket and carefully crumpled it.
"I have another request, which I hope you will grant, my lady."
“Young master is too reserved. Please speak freely.”
"In the former case, my wife pointed out some flaws in my writing. Although I was quite unconvinced at the time, I had to admire her sharp eyes and extraordinary insights. After returning to the manor, I pondered deeply and found myself increasingly convinced that what my wife said was absolutely right, and those vermilion annotations were truly thought-provoking." Changsun Qingjing chuckled inwardly at the other party's deliberate attempt to curry favor.
"...This has truly awakened me from my muddled mind. Last night, on a whim, I hastily rewrote a piece based on your comments. I was quite pleased with myself after finishing it in one go. I wonder if you would deign to take a look? If you feel that this piece is even slightly better than the original, could you please write a 'perfect' as your comment?"
Changsun Qingjing said brightly, "I am ashamed that my ramblings have been taken seriously by you, young master." She gestured for Acai to take the article.
"However, I am indeed curious about how you, young master, have revamped the old text." She took the folded hemp paper and carefully unfolded it.
"My lady, please don't rush to answer. I will simply sit quietly and enjoy my tea, and I will not disturb you."
Guanyinbi nodded as she read, occasionally praising it with a "good." Seeing that Changsun Qingjing was about to finish reading, Acai offered him pen and ink. Suddenly, the sound of pen and ink falling to the ground and a stern rebuke came from behind the screen.
"What nonsense!" Li Shimin mistakenly thought that Changsun Qingjing had been angered by the article, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He spilled tea all over the floor, and Xiao Lou came to clean it up, asking, "Is the young master feeling unwell?"
Behind the screen, Ah Cai knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "This servant deserves to die! Did my mistress get hit by the inkstone?"
"Thank you for your kind words. It's all because of my negligence that I've spoiled you all, making you all lazy. Now you can't even do something as trivial as holding an inkstone!"
"My lady, please calm down!" A-Cai stepped forward to wipe the water stains from Changsun Qingjing's body.
Changsun Qingjing waved his hand and said, "That's enough. Stay away from me. Don't be so reckless and scare me again."
Having said that, he picked up a brush and wrote something. Before the ink had dried, he folded the hemp paper back to its original shape and handed it to A-Cai to pass on to Li Shimin. Li Shimin didn't dare to look at it closely and just stuffed it into his pocket.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “I have benefited greatly from today’s discussion with you, Madam. When I return to the capital, I will certainly visit you again. I apologize for disturbing your enjoyment.” He then bowed and took his leave.
"Take care." The voice from behind the barrier was weak and sorrowful.
The white-hoofed black horse galloped along the post road. When the distant Zhongnan Mountains merged into a blurry, dark blue background, Li Shimin tightened the reins, took out the crumpled piece of hemp paper from his pocket, took a deep breath, and unfolded it.
The article under the major revisions reads:
During my time in Luoyang, I hastily put together some observations and reflections. Would you, my lady, be so kind as to offer your guidance? My maidservant, Xiaozhi, will assist me with the handover of these poems and essays, and so on…
Ku Zhi Niu Ma Zou, Li Shimin bowed again and said.
Below this line of text is a character that is neither too big nor too small, "可" (kě).
Li Shimin folded the paper neatly, put it back in his pocket, and smiled with a sigh. He felt invigorated and whipped his horse to return home.
Along the way, he even gave all the five-zhu coins he had to the ragged and starving beggars.
The girl he admired accurately sensed his subtle intentions. She didn't get angry, didn't refuse him, and didn't kick him out. Instead, she silently accepted his invitation.
The world treated him with more tolerance and kindness than he had imagined.
A note from the author:
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