Chapter 90 Like Strong Wine (Part Two) Raindrops streamed down his hand, flowing...
A sudden gust of wind swept by, chilling Zhi Rou's robe collar. She strode quickly, weaving through the crowd several times, and once she had shaken off the "tail" behind her, she walked along the riverbank again, heading to the most bustling teahouse beneath the painted boat.
Outside, dancers descended with their sleeves rolled up, attracting a swarm of tourists. Zhi Rou darted around, her shoulder breaking free from the crowd. With a flick of her eyelashes, she met Su Du's deep, calm gaze.
He sat on the railing, his hand out over the river. A stove sat on a low table, with persimmons roasting on an iron mesh. He looked extremely refined, yet also extremely relaxed.
Zhi Rou stepped into the teahouse, smoothed out her sleeves, and then approached Su Du, asking directly, "What do you want?"
He pointed to the person opposite him: "Sit down."
Zhi Rou pursed her lips, lifted her robe, and sat down on the soft cushion.
Su Du picked up the roasted persimmons and placed them on a plate, handing them to her and saying, "These are persimmons from Jiangnan, have a taste."
After saying that, he picked one for himself; the surface of the fruit had cracked slightly, revealing the orange-yellow flesh.
Su Du seemed to notice her listlessness, put down his chopsticks, looked back at her for a moment, and then said, "I wish to see Lady Ling of your household."
"No way." Zhi Rou's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately retorted.
Su looked at her, and there was a hint of fear in her eyes, which resembled his own, as if she was worried that the story she had imagined would become reality.
“I just want to see her once, and I won’t say anything.” He picked up his chopsticks again, speaking in a casual tone, “If you don’t agree, I have other ways.”
Zhi Rou clenched her hands tightly, knowing he wasn't trying to scare her.
That day, he delivered the letter to Pei Cheng at the beginning of the late afternoon. At that time, the princess's entourage had just passed through Wuhua Gate, and she was in the procession. Although Pei Cheng was someone her father had given her, she had not yet met him at that time, and how could Su Du possibly know about their relationship?
Compared to her, Su Du had been away from Yan Dynasty for a longer period, and had only been back for less than half a month, yet he was still able to stay so well-informed in the capital...
Zhi Rou's fingers clenched tighter, but her expression remained calm and composed: "Was what you did in the capital secure?"
Su didn't say anything.
In the seventh year of Shuode, a heavy snow fell. Su Du, burdened with heavy shackles, walked with great difficulty on the road to exile. At only seven years old, he thought countless times that if he could just close his eyes and never open them again, he could soon be reunited with his father and the others.
But fate wouldn't let him die there. He met Bayan.
Rescued by the enemy, driven by his curiosity and confusion, he ventured to the foreign tribe. Bayan taught him martial arts and survival skills. Just as he was beginning to recover and settle down, he heard news of Xiao Jun.
They said that Chang Yu's orphan was found by the court, and the Yan Emperor eliminated him completely, burning him at the residence of the disgraced official Chang.
He was carrying a bow and arrows, heading south to return to the capital and kill the Yan Emperor. Boyan rode up from the military camp, and every arrow he shot was aimed at his feet, just half an inch away from piercing his flesh and bone.
Boyan's words still seemed to echo in his ears. Su Du looked at Zhi Rou with his deep eyes and said in a low but firm voice, "What I seek has never been stability."
Zhi Rou detected a hint of sorrow in his voice, and her gaze darkened slightly. After a long pause, she suddenly asked, "What's your name?"
Su raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Zhi Rou then said, "You may bring danger to me and my mother, but I don't even know your name. I really can't trust such an ethereal person."
Both sides remained silent, their gazes meeting as they weighed the options.
Her breathing was steady, and her gaze, which had been cold, gradually softened. Finally, she seemed exhausted and prepared to get up.
often……
Jin...
Chen.
The wind on the river blew through the railings in gusts, and the damp water stains were blown away and slowly disappeared without a trace.
After parting ways with Su, Zhi Rou walked back alone.
The heavy rain came suddenly, and the water droplets splattered on the ground, instantly forming a white curtain. The riverbank, which had been lush and vibrant just moments before, became sparse and desolate in the blink of an eye.
Zhi Rou ran to the eaves in the rain. The sound of the rain was muffled, and the voices around her were muffled by a layer of sound. She looked at the curtain of water and had some random fantasies. She wondered if she had never been to the capital, she must have been to many places by now.
As she was lost in thought, the raindrops began to fall more heavily. Suddenly, a series of hoofbeats came from the end of the street. Zhi Rou looked up and saw the rider wearing a black cloak, making way for her.
He had just passed her when he suddenly reined in his horse, turned it around, and saw that a man and a rider behind him had also stopped and dismounted.
Zhi Rou never expected to meet Wei Yuanzhan here.
During her three days back in Beijing, she spent most of her time with Lin He at Xixiang Garden. Wei Yuanzhan didn't come to see her, and she didn't bother him either. Although she clearly missed him, she acted as if she didn't know him at all.
Stepping under the narrow eaves, Wei Yuanzhan asked, "What are you doing here?"
Zhi Rou was slightly taken aback. Before she could answer a single word, he frowned and looked around: "Where are the people in your household?"
“I came out alone,” she said. Wei Yuanzhan quickly added, “This rain isn’t going to stop anytime soon, how are you going to get back?”
Seeing Wei Yuanzhan hesitate, Lan Ye urged him, "Your Highness, we're waiting in the palace. We can't delay any longer."
Wei Yuanzhan pursed his lips, tugged at the collar twice, and draped the fur cloak over her head, the heavy fabric covering her entire body: "Here you take it."
As she finished speaking, Zhi Rou raised her hand to him, and the raindrops on his hand flowed down and onto the back of her fingers.
Zhi Rou took the fur coat to shelter from the rain, while Wei Yuanzhan strode back into the rain, gripped the reins tightly with one hand, and stepped into the stirrup with the other, landing steadily on the horse's back in an instant. He flicked the reins and spurred the horse away.
As his figure receded into the distance, several feet away, a carriage suddenly sped past the pen shop.
Upon reaching Zhi Rou, Pei Cheng pulled on the reins and stopped, then grabbed an umbrella from the carriage rack, opened it, and walked to the eaves: "Fourth Miss, Master wants you to return quickly; someone from the palace has come."
"The palace?" Zhi Rou was taken aback.
Pei Cheng said yes, holding the umbrella over her head to protect her as she walked: "She is Her Majesty the Empress's person."
Back at the Song residence, it was as dark as midnight. A man in a long, wide-sleeved blue robe sat in the front hall, with Song Congzhao to his left. Upon hearing the servant's announcement, both men stood up. The man remained silent, his sharp eyes fixed on Zhirou.
Song Congzhao's brows were furrowed with worry. Zhi Rou saw this and went up to greet him, saying, "Father."
Her robes were already wet, so she didn't take off her fur coat. Water droplets dripped onto the ground, making her look disheveled, but her shoulders and back were ramrod straight.
"The Fourth Miss told us to wait patiently." The man in the green robe spoke in a deep, resonant tone.
Zhi Rou turned her gaze over. The thin, withered face resembled a man's, but his slightly hunched back lacked any imposing presence. Zhi Rou had heard that he was a castrated eunuch from the palace.
Although I don't fully understand the meaning of "castration," judging from his demeanor, he is a person of high status and influence.
Before Song Congzhao could speak, she apologized to the man: "My daughter was impolite and failed to return to the manor on time, keeping you waiting, sir. Please forgive her and allow me to go and tidy myself up in a moment..."
“We can wait, but we don’t necessarily expect Her Majesty the Empress to wait as well?” the man interrupted, then tugged at his robe and stepped across the threshold.
Song Congzhao walked over with a stern face and reminded Zhirou: "When you are in front of His Highness, remember to be careful with your words and actions. Think carefully before you answer anything. If His Highness does not speak, then stand quietly and do not cause any trouble."
Zhi Rou nodded: "Father, don't worry."
Song Congzhao understood the Empress's intention in summoning her and was extremely anxious. She couldn't help but add, "If things don't look good, just say you have something important to report to the Crown Prince's wife, and Mingying will help you."
Zhi Rou was surprised, wondering why her father would suddenly mention Sister Wei. She had already felt something was strange when the Empress summoned her, and her father's words made it seem as if something bad was about to happen to her.
Seeing the weariness in her eyes, Song Congzhao said nothing more and whispered, "Go."
Xinghui prepared clean clothes for Zhirou inside the carriage. Although the journey was bumpy, Zhirou did not dare to stop and quickly changed her clothes while pondering the Empress's intention in summoning her.
Because of her mother's situation, Zhi Rou had a gut feeling that the visitor was up to no good, yet deep down she also harbored a desire to enter the palace. She wanted to know who had hurt her mother.
The Song residence was not far from the capital. By the time the carriage came to a stop, the sudden wind and rain had stopped, and the sky had cleared up again, revealing wisps of rosy clouds.
It had just rained heavily, and the floor tiles were wet, making them very slippery to walk on.
The official in the green robe walked ahead of Zhi Rou, the hem of his robe fluttering gently with his steps, revealing a pair of spotless shoes. He kept his head slightly lowered and walked quickly and steadily, while Zhi Rou walked slowly but was able to keep up with his pace.
When visiting places frequented by officials and dignitaries, Zhi Rou kept her eyes straight ahead and followed the official in blue robes up the corridor. Walking between the deep walls on both sides, she felt a sense of oppression.
Before long, three people walked slowly from the other side of the stone gate. The eunuch in the green robe stopped and spoke with great respect: "I just saw General Wei from afar and thought I was seeing things. Is General Wei going to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Upon hearing this, Zhi Rou was startled and suddenly looked up, only to meet Wei Yuanzhan's lowered gaze.
A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes. He recognized the eunuch who served the Empress, which made him even more puzzled as to why Song Zhirou was there.
Xie Jinxi caught a glimpse of the expression in Wei Yuanzhan's eyes. He paused for a moment, and when he looked again, those heroic eyes were looking at him calmly, making him wonder if he had seen wrong.
Wei Yuanzhan nodded in agreement, then asked, "What is this, Master Xie?"
Xie Jinxi had watched Wei Yuanzhan grow up. When the old Marquis was still alive, Wei Yuanzhan often walked around the palace. He treated the other palace servants very normally, but he would call him "Lord Xie" just like the Crown Prince.
The way they were called back then, it sounds quite different now.
Xie Jinxi maintained his warm smile, glanced at Zhi Rou, and replied, "This is the fourth young lady of the Song family. His Highness Huai Xian has recently returned to the palace and has repeatedly praised the fourth young lady of the Song family for her talent and virtue in front of the Empress. The Empress was very pleased to hear this and specially ordered her to be summoned to the palace for an audience."
Speaking of which, the Song and Wei families are related, and the Wei heir and Miss Song may also know each other.
Wei Yuanzhan felt a sense of doubt and looked at Zhi Rou with considerable worry. The long shadows cast by the sun at his feet seemed to stretch and become somewhat distorted, following the thoughts of their owner.
"If there's nothing else, this servant will take Miss Song away first." Xie Jinxi said, bowing to him again before stepping forward.
Zhi Rou had heard Lan Ye mention that he was going to the palace, but she was still very surprised to meet him by chance at the palace.
Once, when the two were fighting, Zhi Rou cut Wei Yuanzhan's little finger. He wasn't afraid of the pain, but ten-year-old Zhi Rou felt very guilty.
After thinking for a while, she gritted her teeth, cut her little finger until it bled, and then touched his hand: "I didn't bully you, I'm the same as you."
Wei Yuanzhan was stunned; he had never met such a person before.
Just then, poplar catkins fell, tickling his eyes. Zhi Rou noticed that his eyes were tightly closed, and when he opened them again, they were tinged with a rosy hue. She assumed he was about to cry.
She was both surprised and amused. Her laughter started softly but eventually became quite arrogant: "Why are you crying?" She waved her hand at him, "Look, I'm fine!"
Blood dripped down like beads, yet she remained smug.
After that, Zhirou often teased him about it until he was thirteen.
The memories of the past converged in an instant. Wei Yuanzhan felt her fingertips brushing across his skin, and his pulse seemed to beat there, heavy yet joyful.
She was telling him to relax.
The author notes: ① In the past, the term "gonggong" (公公) had a slightly derogatory connotation, and it was usually only used by those in positions of power to address eunuchs. Therefore, Zhirou avoids using this term here.
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