Chapter 22 Marketplace Romance Selection, Daxing Liren Market
"Minxing! Brother!" Changsun Qingjing jumped off his horse and called to the boy who was controlling the saddle.
"Sister. Thank goodness." Changsun Minxing dismounted and ran to Acai's side, clearly and intentionally keeping Acai aside, while picking up the scattered medicinal herbs on his own.
The servants immediately bowed their heads and apologized to Changsun Minxing, leading the two troublesome horses to the roadside.
"Artemisia annua, Dichroa febrifuga, Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Trionyx sinensis, Glycyrrhiza uralensis..." Changsun Qingjing quickly ran to Changsun Minxing's side and bent down to help sort and repackage the medicinal herbs. She asked with some doubt, "Does anyone in the family have malaria?"
"Ah...yes...be prepared, just in case..." Changsun Minxing didn't have time to cover up the medicinal herbs, stammering and reluctantly answering, "Are you not injured?"
"Of course not." Changsun Minxing's eyes darted away. "It's good that you're alright."
Changsun Qingjing noticed that her cousin seemed absent-minded today, unlike usual when he would tease her. So she asked, "Why are you in such a hurry? Is there something important you need to do?"
"It's not too important, it was Master Lu who sent me..."
"How is Master Lu's health?"
"It's not too bad, just the same old story. After all, we outsiders can't truly understand what they've been through."
"When you see Master Lu, remember to thank him for me. My uncle and Wuji said that he dragged his ailing body to inquire about a new house for us... Others are avoiding our family like the plague."
"Don't mention it, you're too kind. I will certainly pass it on. Master Lu asked me a few days ago if Guanyinbi is still violating the rules when writing Yongming poems." Changsun Minxing put all the medicinal herbs back into the large paper bag and tied them into the shape of a fish, just like the shop assistant in the herbal medicine shop.
Changsun Qingjing pouted, gave a self-deprecating smile, and gestured for Changsun Minxing to come closer and speak.
"Brother, have you heard?" she asked coyly. Although it was a bit shameless for a young woman to say that she was engaged, the person in front of him was someone he had grown up with like a brother, so Changsun Qingjing had no more reservations.
Changsun Minxing was puzzled for a moment, then immediately understood: "Of course I heard. I forgot to congratulate you. When Mr. Gao was implicated, everyone was most worried about you. Now that you're getting married, and your fiancé is someone we all know, isn't that a wonderful thing?"
Changsun Qingjing glanced at the fish-shaped medicine packet in Changsun Minxing's hand again: "Brother, you're not hiding something from me, are you?"
"No, not at all." Changsun Minxing clutched the medicine bag tightly, afraid that the quick-witted girl would suddenly snatch it away. He smiled awkwardly, "I was just taking care of Master Lu and I'm a little tired. You must have been thinking that because I don't look well. My haggard face will be rosy again after a few days of rest."
"That's true." Changsun Qingjing no longer doubted it, but asked shyly and happily, "On my wedding day, will my brother come to 'become my son-in-law' in my place?"
After saying this, she covered her face in shame, only daring to peek at Changsun Minxing's reaction through her fingers.
Changsun Minxing looked at the two rolling dark blue eyes with a sly smile, revealing a meaningful grin: "Little lady, you're quite cunning. Are you afraid that Wuji won't be able to bring himself to hit Li Shimin hard?"
"Hmm." Changsun Qingjing withdrew his hand, revealing a mischievous smile.
Changsun Minxing couldn't help but chuckle: "Why don't you ask Li Dazhi and Li Dahui to beat up Li Shimin for you? Those brothers would definitely be happy to."
Changsun Qingjing curled his lip and said, "They are my nephews, how could I possibly lower myself to do that? Besides, those two didn't know their own strength..."
"Oh, you seem to really care about your fiancé. Then why should I be the bad guy?"
"I'm not asking you to be the bad guy. Everyone knows you're Li Shimin's close friend. It's just that if Wuji were to hit Li Shimin with a bamboo cane, he wouldn't just be reluctant to do it, he probably wouldn't even be able to pretend. That would make me lose face, which is why I'm asking you for help!"
"As expected of the most knowledgeable among us, he grasped it immediately," Changsun Qingjing praised, giving a thumbs-up.
"Dream on. More money!" Changsun Minxing tightened the medicine packet back onto the side of the saddlebag. "I have things to do, don't be too playful..."
Changsun Qingjing followed him with a fawning expression, tightening the knot he had just tied a little more: "Alright, more money it is. What kind of book do you want to read? I'll go to Liren Market to find it for you. Today, my uncle sent me to Liren Market to buy an almanac, and my grandmother, mother, and aunt told me to buy Buddhist scriptures. I want to read Wang Tong's new book myself, so finding a book for you won't be a problem... I'll have to spend a lot of time wandering around."
“Then you should wander around and see if you can find Li Deng’s *Sheng Lei* and Lü Jing’s *Yun Ji*. Be careful that Mu Boxiu doesn’t try to trick you with forgeries; he’s a master forger… Today, Master Lu has given me a task, and as his disciple, I cannot disobey, so I won’t escort you… You…” Changsun Minxing hesitated for a moment before managing to squeeze out a few words, “Have fun, and remember to come home before the evening drum…”
Every word Changsun Minxing spoke carried an unspeakable hesitation, making Changsun Qingjing also feel preoccupied: "Brother, are you alright? I have a feeling you're about to go on a long journey?"
"Nonsense. If I leave, who will revise those non-standard poems for you?"
The brother and sister smiled at each other and then parted ways for the time being.
The fish-shaped medicine pouch behind Changsun Minxing's saddle stubbornly tumbled and swayed, particularly glaring, lingering in Changsun Qingjing's eyes for a long time, much like the ghost-seeing expression on Changsun Minxing's face when the two met today...
Li Shimin was chased to the streets of Daxing City by his mother. He wanted to spend more time with Dou, but Dou inexplicably found him noisy.
The entrance to Liren Market was bustling and noisy, yet a profound loneliness lingered in his heart. As he pondered his next move, Li Shimin caught sight of a familiar, bewildered figure. Changsun Qingjing, wearing a turban, a dark green robe with a scalloped front, and hemmed boots, sat atop a tall horse, her face drowsy as she was swept along by the crowd. Glancing around, she revealed a faint smile of surprise and whispered a few words to her maid beside her.
A-Cai bypassed the long camel caravan of the Hu merchants and came to Li Shimin's horse: "Young Master Li, my young master sends his regards to you."
The camel caravan let out a horn-like howl, which caused passersby to cover their ears and curse.
Ah Cai said loudly, "My lord is visiting an old friend today, so let him come to Liren Market to buy a new calendar and Buddhist scriptures. It would be even better if you could come with us!" The clever little maid thus took it upon herself to decide the young couple's destination together.
Li Shimin was very puzzled: Gao Shilian was always cautious and had been avoiding his relatives and friends lately, as if he wanted to dig a hole and hide, for fear of being implicated. Why would he take the initiative to visit others? And why would he allow Changsun Qingjing to travel with only a servant and a maid?
After much deliberation, he realized that he was being petty: an upright gentleman has upright friends, and not visiting them before leaving would be disrespectful; the Gao family had suffered a calamity and their fortunes had declined, with most of their servants dismissed, yet their eldest grandson Qingjing still had strong servants and maids accompanying her on her journey, which showed that Gao Shilian was doing his best to protect his niece and not allow her to suffer any mishap.
The Li family wasn't the only one in the world who valued loyalty and righteousness, nor were all women surrounded by servants when they went out. Thinking about it this way, his many doubts became self-consistent, and Li Shimin stopped making wild guesses.
The lead camel in the caravan suddenly stopped due to the environmental stimulus, and the other camels followed suit. A wall suddenly appeared in Liren City, blocking the flow of people. Acai excitedly bypassed the camel caravan to inform Changsun Qingjing.
Through the varying heights of the camel humps, Li Shimin could vaguely see A Cai gesturing excitedly as she relayed the conversation to Changsun Qingjing. Qingjing hesitated for a moment, then beckoned to Li Shimin and pointed to the somewhat useless horse beneath him. The two then instinctively dismounted, walked towards each other, and handed their horses over to the servants.
"My mother kicked me out of the house. Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well accompany you to the market." A long, thin camel tail swayed back and forth between the two of them, which was quite annoying.
The dust choked Qingjing, causing her to cough violently for a long time before she recovered. She gazed longingly at the Uyghur woman who brushed past her, praising, "Her figure is perfectly proportioned, her beauty radiant! She's so beautiful!"
Li Shimin and A Cai couldn't tell for a moment whether she meant the person was pretty or the clothes were beautiful, but they all agreed that the man beside the Uyghur woman was looking at Qing Jing with hostility in his eyes.
"Wife, you're dressed as a man! Don't cause trouble!" A-Cai tugged at Chang Sun Qingjing's sleeve.
Li Shimin brushed aside the swaying camel's tail, nearly getting sprayed with spittle, and pulled the two girls away from the trouble.
The three of them then strolled through the market.
"Where is Wuji? Why isn't he with you?"
"He accompanied his uncle to visit friends, and I was ordered to go to the Mu Family Bookstore to find some interesting new books."
"Do you watch Hesheng? It's a show in the city where the Hu people sing and dance, telling stories of princesses, nobles, and famous figures. If you want to see it, I'll go with you." Li Shimin asked, almost unconsciously, remembering his mother's words. Actually, he didn't really like watching Hesheng, but with his mother or fiancée sitting next to him, he probably wouldn't leave halfway through.
"I don't really enjoy watching plays. My uncle and Wuji absolutely don't want to watch them either," Changsun Qingjing said with a smile. "But when I watch plays with my grandmother, mother, and aunt, I watch them patiently. If they don't understand something, I'll tell them how orphans become princesses, how princesses marry dukes, how princesses and princes turn against each other, and how princesses and their husbands are separated and reunited. I have a wealth of stories to tell, and I can even make up one based on the stories in the Zuo Zhuan to fool my grandmother and the others."
As she walked and talked, she passed a jewelry and perfume shop and subconsciously picked up a box of snail-shell ink, but then suddenly realized it was very inappropriate and put it down.
Li Shimin laughed heartily: "So that's how it is. I thought the ladies all liked watching 'He Sheng,' but it seems I was quite mistaken. You and I are just keeping the elders company and that's why you patiently watch for a while."
"The westernmost part of Liren City. Do you want to see the parrots?"
“I’m not going today.” Qingjing shook her head, but gave Acai a wink. Acai understood and went to find Wang Wude on her own.
"Then what about Tan Rongniang?" Li Shimin pressed.
“I dislike it even more.” Changsun Qingjing pondered for a moment before answering. “I like Tan Rongniang’s tune. I often think about changing the story and lyrics of this tune. Every time everyone sings the line ‘Ta yao he lai, ta yao niang ku he lai,’ the onlookers around me cry their eyes out, but I don’t cry. I’m inevitably accused of being heartless. I can’t listen to it, and I can’t leave.”
Li Shimin almost suspected that when he accompanied his mother and sisters to watch this heart-wrenching song and dance performance last Mid-Autumn Festival, he and his fiancée had exchanged souls. Otherwise, why would every word she spoke be his own personal experience?
“I don’t like talking about Rongniang. If you have a husband like Doctor Su who is violent and tyrannical, you should just break up with him. Why bother crying to the neighbors?” The girl started talking.
Qingjing chuckled: "I quite like your third sister. She's straightforward and very cute. So, what kind of shows do you usually watch?"
"There's 'Dai Mian' (a type of noodle), 'Bo Tou' (a type of noodle), and 'Can Jun Xi' (a type of opera). 'Dai Mian' is majestic, 'Bo Tou' is powerful, and 'Can Jun Xi' is comical."
“Ah, I can watch these song and dance performances with you.” She smiled subtly and reservedly.
Sometimes, she needed something bloody, savage, and vulgar to vent her small evil thoughts. Her uncle had said it wasn't a serious sin, and that it was fine as long as it was done in moderation.
"Do you dare watch the Zoroastrian illusion? The kind where someone gets stabbed in the abdomen and has their limbs amputated, yet remains unharmed?" Li Shimin recalled that absurd night in Ziwei City, Luoyang. The Zoroastrian debate was quite fascinating, but unfortunately, the audience that night consisted only of a bunch of pigs and dogs with chickens, ducks, and wings. He simply couldn't bear to sit among them.
"Go ahead and watch! It's just some trick by the Hu people, they're not really going to tear people apart. It's thrilling and entertaining. Why wouldn't you watch?"
"You are truly a hidden and fascinating serpent pearl."
Qingjing's face flushed slightly, but she accepted the compliment without hesitation.
"Then it's settled. In the first month of the lunar calendar, we'll first watch Prince Lanling enter the battle and command the thrusting and stabbing; then we'll watch the Persian Sai Zor, pulling out tendons and bones!" She unintentionally arranged the entertainment for the first month or two after her marriage so well that it was hard to tell whether she was being gentle and charming and deliberately flattering, or whether she was just naturally carefree and unrestrained.
However, the phrase "pulling tendons and bones" was uttered with such excitement and loudness that it drew the attention of those around him. "Young man, could you speak a little more politely? To spout such violent and absurd words in public, talking about pulling tendons and peeling skin, shouting for violence and killing, are you trying to attract the attention of the street officials?"
Qingjing covered her mouth and said, "Excuse me." The two turned and slipped into a bookstore.
"It's good that Young Master Gao is here!"
"Mr. Mu is well!"
Changsun Qingjing greeted the shopkeeper of Mu's Bookstore familiarly. Li Shimin guessed that Gao Shilian often brought Qingjing to Liren Market, practically raising her as a son. Given her age of twelve or thirteen, dressed as a man, it was truly indistinguishable from a woman. It was only natural that people called her "Young Master."
Mu Boxiu asked very solicitously, "Why didn't your father come along today?"
“My father took my elder brother to visit some friends.” Qingjing looked around. “Mr. Mu, my father heard that you went to Jiangling. Did you manage to salvage any lost books from Xiao Yi’s burning of books?”
Mu Boxiu was suddenly moved by the thought of someone caring about his life and death. He wished he could hug the young man in front of him, consider him a confidant, and weep bitterly.
“Young master, this journey is a long story. Along the way, there were uprisings, robberies, and frauds. I even capsized on the Han River and almost lost my life in a foreign land. Fortunately, you and your father still remember me. I will host a dinner another day and invite your father to come and verify the authenticity of the books I obtained with my life.”
Looking at this man from Daibei who always liked to go to the former lands of Qi and Liang to buy books and maps, Changsun Qingjing felt as if he were in another world.
She was reluctant to tell Mu Boxiu and Gao Shilian the bad news that they were about to set off for Jiaozhi, and only fantasized that the two close friends could meet again.
"Look at me, I've lost my composure." Mu Boxiu wiped his eyes and asked, "What books has Young Master Gao been studying lately?"
“I hastily finished studying the *Zuo Zhuan*, and recently I’ve been reading the *Gongyang Zhuan*. My father hasn’t checked on my studies for a long time, so I’ve just casually flipped through He Xiu’s *Explanations*, but I still only have a superficial understanding.” Qingjing didn’t pretend to be profound; he was just telling the truth. “Do you have any new books by Wang Kongzi here, sir?”
“A relative of mine, surnamed Li, is here for the first time.” Changsun Qingjing blinked at Li Shimin’s teasing gaze.
“They are not blood relatives, but relatives by marriage,” Li Shimin confirmed.
All three of them burst into laughter.
The author says: During the Tang Dynasty, drama in the modern sense had not yet taken shape; it was generally a song and dance drama or a combination of singing and improvisation.
Based on my limited resources on Tang Dynasty drama, I would like to express my special gratitude to Professor Jiang for his detailed explanation yesterday. I have categorized them as follows according to the needs of my novel:
"Ta Yao Niang (Tan Rong Niang)" is a classic masterpiece of tragic love from the Sui and Tang dynasties. It tells the story of a woman suffering domestic violence who complains about her husband, possessing a kind of mad beauty reminiscent of early 4V rural dramas. In my novel, Qing Jing and Shi Min don't understand why they're still tied together when their husbands are like this. Let me use the young couple's rant as an example.
"Hesheng" is similar to palace intrigue dramas, telling stories of princesses and queens, and is a type of theatrical performance. It originated with foreigners, but later, it's estimated that local Sui and Tang dynasty artists also joined the ranks of palace intrigue storytelling. For a time, Wu Pingyi demanded that the court regulate the entertainment industry and ban this kind of thing. A Tang dynasty version of "War and Beauty" (perhaps?).
"Da Mian (Dai Mian)" is a well-known song and dance performance of "Lanling Wang Ruzhen Qu". It is the only true god of action/drama/war/historical blockbuster in the hearts of the Sui and Tang people!
"The Headshot" is truly a battle. It's the story of a young boy killing the tiger that killed his father. A blood feud action blockbuster, the only true masterpiece!
Military dramas possess a unique beauty, a blend of modern storytelling, crosstalk, and stand-up comedy. They're a favorite among those who enjoy entertainment.
Sai Xian, a magic trick that makes people appear out of thin air.
Through these examples, I'll briefly describe the couple's shared aesthetic preferences. Also, they are both considerate of their families; even if a play is bad, they'll watch it with their family.
I'll add more later if I think of anything else; I welcome corrections from professionals.
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