Chapter 83: If you're wrong, admit it; if you get hit, stand up straight.
February nights are still chilly, but occasionally mingled with the fragrance of violets and golden plum blossoms. There's a delicate, slightly intoxicating scent, distinct from the intense aromas of late spring or midsummer.
They should have been standing side by side, discussing the future!
Looking into Changsun Qingjing's clear eyes, Li Shimin felt ashamed of his frivolous behavior.
Changsun Qingjing stayed by his side the whole time. She never lamented that he could not inherit his father's title, nor did she laugh at him for accompanying the emperor for several months without moving him to grant him an official position. Even when he ridiculed the emperor, she never advised him to learn the art of sweet talk and humility. Instead, she simply used her resourcefulness to help him overcome difficulties.
How could he commit such a shameless act, betraying both his deceased mother and Changsun Qingjing? Now he really wanted to apologize, but he feared she would refuse to acknowledge him.
The two remained silent. He could only watch helplessly as Changsun Qingjing turned around again, pulled Guoniang's younger brother to his side, and continued chatting and laughing with the others.
She didn't need to manage the household or weave; she could chat with a group of women who barely knew any words about mundane matters like weaving and adjusting silk threads.
Everything is because of him.
He showed no interest in the folk songs and dances, nor in the vulgar tunes; while Zhang Houyin and Changsun Minxing ignored him, focusing instead on discussing compromise solutions for several different pronunciations of rhymes from various regions.
Just as Guoniang was talking with several older women she knew about the magnificent scene of Luoyang City on the Lantern Festival, with its cannons blazing and the fiery trees and starry bridges, she suddenly remembered the estate official's instructions and hurriedly reported to Changsun Qingjing that the patrolmen were searching for thieves near the estate.
"Oh..." Li Shimin, who was mentally preparing his apology, did not notice what Guoniang was saying.
Guoniang was also immersed in her wonderful dreams about the future. Her family was one of the earliest farming households to seek shelter from the Li family as a dependent household.
Although making a living was difficult, the male members could escape corvée labor, and the mother was not too old and could still do weaving. She was also favored by the two mistresses because of her pretty appearance and quick wit, which was a great blessing in disguise.
Before the feast today, she overheard the village head and elders talking about how the young master of the Yu family nearby had recently been appointed as the registrar of Henan County. This was truly great news for them, the country folk. The reason this young master Yu was able to become the registrar was because the Duke of Tang recommended him to participate in the imperial examinations.
During the banquet, Zheng, a former county magistrate, pleaded on behalf of the children to find a place to study. She also heard that her sister-in-law's elder brother was a disciple of a great Confucian scholar in Chang'an and was very learned. In addition, Changsun Qingjing promised to do an important thing for her, so she had the idea of starting her younger brother's education.
Everything went more smoothly than she expected. She was a little smug and didn't consider searching for the thief as the most important thing to do that night, nor did she notice that her husband didn't take this important matter to heart at all.
A-Cai beckoned Guo-Niang back to her wife's side. Changsun Qing-Jing had already dismissed the other ladies who were accompanying him, leaving only A-Cai and Guo-Niang's younger brother.
“Guoniang, do you remember that boy who danced with the mulberry branches when the ladies and gentlemen were competing? He was wearing a deep red brocade robe, about seventeen or eighteen years old, very tall, and with broad shoulders,” Changsun Qingjing asked. “Do you know him?”
"I don't quite remember," Guoniang answered truthfully. "Do you need my help to find him? Zhezhi dances well, perhaps he has a special talent. Young ladies would recognize him and would know if they asked. Perhaps he is the son of a musician family that has left the family. If you look carefully, it won't be difficult."
Perhaps it was the striking resemblance in appearance and demeanor that startled her slightly. However, whatever reason she used to seek him out was extremely strange and improper. Unable to get any answers, she gave up and decided to treat it as a joke to tell Li Shimin later.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Changsun Qingjing turned to Acai, "Master Yunjin, have you finished measuring? You're making this child dizzy."
"Stretch out your arms and straighten your back!" Ah Cai roared fiercely, stroking the rough linen clothes of Guo Niang's younger brother with her palms, then snapping her fingers and counting, "Alright, measuring clothes for you is harder than catching a monkey. Tell your older sister to pour me some wine. You can wait for your new clothes."
After they finished their banter, Changsun Qingjing took Guoniang's younger brother and personally led him to Changsun Minxing to perform the formal master-disciple ceremony. She ignored Li Shimin, and only took the excuse of observing mourning to bid farewell to Zhang Houyin and Changsun Minxing. She then ordered Guoniang to take her younger brother home to reunite with her family that night and not to return to the villa.
A-Cai called over the nearby maids who had already eaten their fill, and together they helped Changsun Qingjing mount his horse.
“Master, Minxing, I cannot stay any longer. You may enjoy yourselves at your leisure. I shall take my leave now.” With that, Li Shimin leaned on his cane and departed.
As Changsun Qingjing's figure faded into the distance, Li Shimin, still wounded, walked slowly, his steps growing ever more distant. By the time Li Shimin returned to his villa, he guessed that his wife had already rested for a long time. Moreover, she had become like a frightened bird in the mulberry grove, and at this moment, she might not be willing to exchange even a few words with him.
Li Shimin paced back and forth in his room for a long time, revising his draft several times, like a trapped beast pacing around the room. The candlelight flickered, and the night was almost over. Suddenly, he stopped and muttered to himself, "A true man makes a mistake, but why should he begrudge a single word of apology? I cannot let her look down on me!"
He finally pushed open the window and stepped out, his feet sinking into the night dew, to apologize.
Just then, Changsun Qingjing, who had been working tirelessly through the night, woke up exhausted. He was like a flatbread in an iron griddle, being turned over and over by an invisible bamboo slab, constantly being fried, changed, and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
This feeling of feeling like one's body is about to fall apart while one's soul remains awake is truly excruciating!
Changsun Qingjing sat up and ordered Acai to light the lamp. There were several letters from Daxing that he hadn't opened yet, so he decided to read and reply to them all tonight.
The wax seal on Dugu Cui's letter was still intact. That was probably due to Changsun Qingjing's own laziness and selfishness.
Her heart was only concerned about her mother, her brother, and her close friends from before her marriage. Whether she wrote letters to let her know that she was safe and sound or sent her incense, she only thought of those who were close to her in the past.
She decided to unseal the sealed envelope and answer Dugu Cui's concerns one by one. She also thought of including the plot of that day's performance, so that Dugu Cui could burn it for Madam Dou. Just as she was trying her best to recall the events of the Lantern Festival, she suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door.
“The lady has already retired for the night.” Ah Cai remembered Lady Liu’s instructions not to let Lady Changsun linger at the young master’s place late at night, and not to allow the young master to enter Lady Changsun’s boudoir late at night. So she simply blocked the doorway.
"The lamps are all lit, and you can see the light even through several screens and curtains. Are you lying through your teeth? Is she still reading? I have something important to tell her. Get out of the way!" Li Shimin threatened A Cai, but inwardly he was also in a state of panic and dared not move an inch.
"Lady Liu said that if Lady Changsun is afraid of the dark, it's fine to sleep with the lamp lit..." A-Cai argued.
"How come I didn't know she had this problem?"
“Young master never asked. My wife just caught it… My wife said it’s darker at the foot of Mangshan Mountain than at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, so we need to light more candles.” Ah Cai’s fallacies kept coming up one after another.
"Are you lying to me?" Li Shimin said angrily. If the person blocking his way was not the maid favored by Changsun Qingjing, and if A Cai were a boy instead of a woman, she would have been grabbed by the neck and thrown into the central courtyard long ago!
"Ah Cai, step back. I have something to say to the young master." Changsun Qingjing was recounting Jing Nong's story on a piece of paper, and was interrupted by Li Shimin's sudden visit when she reached a particularly exciting part. Coupled with the unbearable memory of him maliciously seducing her in the mulberry grove, her goodwill, which had just begun to sprout because of Li Shimin's decision to re-establish the land deeds, was completely driven away by her evil thoughts.
She grabbed the bronze lion paperweight and walked towards the door: "Did they come here specifically to beg for insults?"
“Guanyinbi…” Li Shimin hesitated, as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it. Acai and the other maids moved aside to make way for him, and he took the opportunity to lift his foot.
"You're not allowed in!" Changsun Qingjing shouted, raising the paperweight high. "Do you want to achieve perfect fertility?"
"I don't want to!" Li Shimin withdrew his foot and reached out to block the paperweight.
The maids were terrified, unsure whether to stop her or make way, avoid her or continue to accompany the young mistress, or cover their ears and run to the courtyard or casually hide behind the screen.
The little lion in Changsun Qingjing's hands was round and cute, with eyes like copper bells, looking just like an angry toad, with a natural foolishness and a lively charm.
Li Shimin wanted to laugh, but was also incredibly embarrassed. He asked in a low voice, "Are you kidding me? You really intend to let the maids watch us talk like this?"
"So what? I don't trust you anyway. What else can we do but let them accompany us?" Changsun Qingjing said nonchalantly, holding the lion-shaped paperweight in his arms.
“Even when you’re alone, don’t you still have the upper hand?” Li Shimin pointed to the floor with his index finger, then to his right foot. The moment he finished speaking, he regretted it and wanted to cut out his tongue.
As expected, Changsun Qingjing's face changed color, her rosy cheeks turning from white to red in an instant: "If you have something to say, say it quickly!"
Li Shimin's face flushed, his clothes soaked with sweat, and his heart pounded with anxiety. He stammered, "The previous one was probably due to a mental disorder. Please don't take it to heart..."
The maids, unaware of what was going on, began to whisper among themselves.
"Ah Cai, Ah Cai, what happened during the wine ceremony?"
"Has my husband upset his wife again?"
"Hmph." The bronze lion in Changsun Qingjing's arms turned its nostrils to the sky, baring its teeth and glaring at Li Shimin.
Li Shimin glared at the paperweight, seemingly defiant and daring, or perhaps to prove his innocence, and cleared his throat, raising his voice: "Today, my conduct has been frivolous and ungentlemanly. I have come to confess my transgressions and hope for your forgiveness."
With a loud thud, the bronze lion landed on the floor.
"Be careful." Li Shimin's actions spoke louder than words; before the words were even finished, he had already pulled Changsun Qingjing away from danger.
The maids, mistakenly believing that their young master had angered his wife again, and that she had thrown a paperweight at him in a fit of rage, feared that the ensuing chaos in the household would soon affect them. So some screamed, some covered their eyes, and some dodged away. Everyone acted independently, creating utter chaos.
The bronze lion paperweight bounced a few times on the floor and then fell silent, only continuing to glare and hiss at the sky.
The room was deathly silent. Changsun Qingjing shook off Li Shimin's hand.
"Ah Cai, you all go to my room to avoid me for a moment. I'll talk to the young master for a few minutes and then rest," Changsun Qingjing said, head bowed, looking dejected.
Ah Cai carefully picked up the little lion and beckoned three or four younger maids to hide behind the screen. After exchanging glances, the girls curiously asked Ah Cai what major event had occurred between the couple.
"Sister Cai, what happened to your husband's foot injury?"
"Was it because of your wife that you were injured?"
"Then why did you apologize first, my lord?"
"Sister, tell me."
"I don't know. Didn't you see how unpredictable Madam's expression was? If you keep shouting, we'll all have to kneel in the courtyard as punishment." Helpless, Ah Cai could only threaten in this way.
The maids then fell silent, only peeking secretly from behind the screen.
"Are you possessed by Chu Kuang Jieyu? Why are you shouting so loudly? Are you afraid that no one will know how domineering and eccentric I am?" Changsun Qingjing thought that the two of them would still have to be like strangers and secretly compete with each other for several days. He did not expect Li Shimin to apologize so readily, and instead became nervous and uneasy.
“I was afraid that if I didn’t come tonight, you would misunderstand me; I wanted to come again tomorrow, but I was afraid I would lose my courage.” Li Shimin said softly, “A man’s spine will remain straight even if he is flogged. I will definitely treat you with respect from now on and will not have any unrealistic expectations… I have another important matter to entrust to you.”
"Go on," Changsun Qingjing said seriously.
Author's Note: The girl was clearly talking about her ideals, but the author mistakenly thought she was captivated by his charm.
Bloodshed caused by cross-server chat
If explanations are insufficient, let's just admit our mistake in a muddled way [winking emoji]
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