Chapter 49 Hidden Worries: Li Shimin, Whom Do You Look Down On?
Changsun Qingjing was shocked that the private matters she was being questioned about might be an excuse for the emperor to punish his ministers.
Li Shimin was utterly astonished that Changsun Qingjing had promised his father to persuade him to go to Luoyang with him and that he was willing to follow him.
She looked at the stunned young couple and, with an air of seniority, brushed the scattered incense ash off her hempen clothes: "Although you two are naturally intelligent, your experience is still shallow. How could you have imagined that 'improper conduct in the household' could be used as a pretext?"
Changsun Qingjing gasped upon hearing this, tightly gripping the hands of her fourth sister who were protecting her. Recalling Gao Shilian's demotion, she felt a pang of sorrow: "Third and fourth sisters are right. I may not understand the issue of improper conduct within the household, but I know full well that my uncle, who merely had a nodding acquaintance with Husi Zheng, was exiled to Zhuyuan and has not been heard from since..."
Everyone shook their heads and sighed.
Li Shimin suddenly realized, "I understand. What my elder sister means is that Father's current appointment as Right General of the Valiant Guard, along with his subsequent appointment as Ambassador of Pacification, is merely a stopgap measure due to the Emperor's lack of capable advisors. If Father's suppression of bandits goes smoothly and his prestige grows, leading His Majesty to become suspicious again (in fact, I don't even remember how many times Father has been abandoned by the Emperor), His Majesty definitely won't want to or be willing to find out the circumstances under which I married Qingjing. He only needs to find a handle that suits his purposes, solidify Father's crime of neglecting his duties, and then seize his title and remove him from office, making my entire clan unable to hold their heads high in front of the world. It's truly a flawless plan!"
"I never imagined you'd inherit my thick skin and sharp mind. You're so quick to understand. What you've envisioned is exactly what we've been worried about. Originally, we thought it inappropriate for us married daughters to ask too many questions about a new bride; later, we considered using Father's words to keep Qingjing in Daxing to assist my sister-in-law under the pretext of holding a religious ceremony and praying for the deceased; we even thought that if Qingjing was indeed pregnant, we could temporarily leave the martial arts annex under the guise of praying for blessings, avoiding those who might harm the Li family. But the appointment in the Eastern Capital came so urgently, Father and your future are uncertain, and Qingjing is always by your side, so I haven't even had a chance to discuss this matter with you privately... Ah... Qingjing, that's not what I meant!"
Li Qiongxi looked somewhat awkwardly at Changsun Qingjing, who was flustered and whose lips were slightly parted as if he wanted to explain or apologize: "I'm just being blunt, and I didn't know what to say for a moment, please don't take it to heart. You've always taken care of our stubborn young master, preventing him from doing anything too outrageous, and we're all very grateful. It was my elder sister who couldn't help but speak out of turn and overstepped her bounds. Fortunately, nothing serious happened..."
Changsun Qingjing looked up in astonishment, finding the world far more treacherous than she had imagined. Even filial piety could be used as a pretext to destroy a family that the emperor disliked and suspected.
"Actually, Erlang already had a plan in mind. It's just that he was confused because of his grief. If he had some time to calm down, he might have come to his senses on his own." Changsun Qingjing was afraid that Li Shimin would get too proud upon hearing the praise, so she faced her two elder sisters and spoke words of praise and commendation in the most casual tone.
“I originally thought the worst-case scenario would be similar to when my father comforted Longyou after Yang Xuangan’s rebellion. At worst, I would stay by the emperor’s side for a while. If the situation changed, at most I would encounter some trouble when escaping Luoyang. If I was lucky, someone would put in a good word for me and my father, and the emperor would be in a good mood and readily allow me to return to my father’s side. Who would have thought there would be this cruel trick.” Li Shimin bowed. “Thank you for your advice, elder sisters. Guanyinbi has decided to go to Luoyang with me. This matter is settled and will not be changed. We will be careful in our words and deeds after we go to Luoyang, and we will not bring shame to our parents. Right, Guanyinbi?” He mustered his courage and grasped the back of Changsun Qingjing’s hand. Changsun Qingjing did not deliberately flaunt her position in front of her two elder sisters, but only gave him a slight glare.
After the two elder sisters took their leave, the young couple let out a long sigh of relief and remained silent. Occasionally, their eyes would meet, but they felt incredibly awkward. As midnight approached and the night dew grew heavy, Changsun Qingjing frequently rubbed his hands against the hand warmer.
Li Shimin, however, was already numb and unaware of the cold. He moved his knees slightly and suddenly felt dizzy and saw stars. In his panic, he grabbed Changsun Qingjing's thin shoulders and pleaded, "Help me to the mourning hall. I still want to stay with my mother."
Changsun Qingjing took his withered fingers and held them in her own still warm hand: "Your hands are so cold! They have no life at all."
After saying that, she pushed the food table in front of her husband, and the edge of the food table touched Li Shimin's body forcefully.
Even though he hadn't eaten or drunk anything, the young man sensed the hidden anger in his young wife. Changsun Qingjing opened the food box; the soup and rice were still warm. "Listen to Lady Liu's words, and don't let your mother's spirit in heaven be saddened."
She sat down next to Li Shimin and placed a spoon into his thin, cold hand.
Li Shimin lowered his head and remained silent. He dipped the spoon into the soup, which he had secretly added meat pieces, and swirled it around a few times. Suddenly, he looked up and earnestly gazed at Changsun Qingjing: "Guanyinbi, my future is uncertain, and my fate is unknown. Are you truly willing to accompany me to Luoyang?"
The young man desperately needed to confirm whether he had truly received a promise of lifelong commitment. "If you're afraid, just stay in Chang'an and wait for my good news. We can still use the white kite to deliver messages, just like we did a few months ago... What do you think?"
"Li Shimin, if you ask again, I'll really get angry!" Changsun Qingjing said with a frown and a serious expression.
Li Shimin was stunned and began to try to figure out whether his wife was just being coquettish or genuinely angry.
"Who do you think you are?" Changsun Qingjing angrily swung a chopstick at the corner of the table, accidentally making a loud clattering sound.
Her cheeks, which couldn't possibly be rouged at this time, were flushed with a rosy blush. Whether it was due to shame and indignation, the blazing charcoal fire, or simply the stark contrast of her mourning clothes, they gave her a charmingly lively quality.
Li Shimin recalled the brightly colored skirt of his mother during the summoning of her soul, the last lion-shaped sunset on the evening of her death, and the thick, burning fire of revenge in his mother's heart.
He suddenly didn't need to recall, because the flames that constantly reminded him to keep going were illuminating Changsun Qingjing's face. They were bright and vivid, like a wild grass spreading unchecked.
Li Shimin suddenly realized that Changsun Qingjing's anger did not stem from his status as a wife, nor from the sadness of a lover, but rather from his resentment at his close friend's repeated questioning of his sincerity.
Changsun Qingjing put away the silver chopsticks that had been swinging up and down like a sharp knife, thinking it was a pity that he hadn't been able to cut off a corner of the table to scare Li Shimin and show him his determination.
She bent her index finger and gently tapped the small table with her knuckles, making Li Shimin mistakenly think that she was about to launch into another grand and unrestrained discourse to express her feelings, or perhaps to advise him not to be overly sentimental.
After a long silence, Li Shimin finally realized that he did not possess the extraordinary talents of those filial sons in ancient books who were protected by divine powers and could not live without food or water. He finally gave up his futile struggle, scooped a spoonful of meat soup from the gilded bowl and put it in his mouth, forcing himself to eat in order to fulfill his mother's last wish.
"Guanyinbi, I've eaten. Praise me for listening to advice."
"Guanyinbi, I will stop torturing myself. I am so grateful for your guidance."
"Qingjing, if my mother knew how much you took care of me, she would be very pleased. It's a pity that you two couldn't spend more time together, otherwise she would definitely like you more than she like me."
“Lady Changsun, with you accompanying me to Luoyang and offering advice, I am sure to have a smooth career and turn misfortune into good fortune.”
"Still angry? You're so petty," Li Shimin said sullenly.
Changsun Qingjing suddenly turned around, looking bewildered: "Are you trying to blame me?"
“No, actually I should blame myself more,” Li Shimin said thoughtfully. “I feel terrible when I think about how my family gathered together to discuss how to deal with my grief…”
"The difficulties will pass."
“Guanyinbi, you lied to me. You didn’t eavesdrop on the elders’ gossip…” Li Shimin looked slyly at the gentle and clever little fox in front of him.
"You volunteered to ask Father for permission and then frankly advised me. It is a great honor for our family... I am extremely grateful." Li Shimin thought of his mother's words. Changsun Qingjing was an interesting Suihou pearl, a piece of Jingshan jade that had already caught people's attention even before it was carved.
"You can tell me directly later." He temporarily buried some of his intense, inappropriate feelings, saving them for later to tell her in detail.
Changsun Qingjing ignored the topic, her mind preoccupied with more pressing matters.
"By the way, my elder brother and sister-in-law asked me to ask you, what play will be performed on the day of Mother's burial?"
"Turn your head," Li Shimin asked without hesitation.
"Okay, let's turn it around. Changing it a little isn't out of the question."
In their hearts, there is a field of clover that spreads wildly.
Author's Note: The next chapter, a play within a play, Qingjing's adapted version of "Pu Tou," is going to cause some trouble.
The Empress was quite a troublemaker in her youth. [Let me see]
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