Chapter 19 Finding a Daoist partner is not as good as... you and I should get married, as...
Once you find the right approach, things become incredibly smooth, like sailing with the current, instead of wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly.
Yu Nie was busy from the first light of dawn until dusk. In the blink of an eye, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and a row of candles stood on the table.
By the bright firelight, she dipped her brush into the newly mixed color and compared it with the peacock blue she had brought back from the Rong Mansion.
After numerous improvements, the peacock blue she blended, which initially had an eight-point color difference, has now reached a point where, to the naked eye, the two are almost identical. Without close inspection, it is virtually impossible to distinguish which one originated from Tocharian culture and which one she developed.
She sat on a low stool, twirling two peacock blue powders of different textures. When she ground them with her fingertips, they were exactly the same as bean powder ground in a stone mill, without any grainy texture, and soft and delicate.
"Junior Sister, having achieved this much, can it be considered a success?" To let her see more clearly, Lang Xi held up a lantern and leaned closer to ask.
Yu Nie stared intently at the small dish containing the homemade paints: "The light now is not the same as natural light. Whether my paints are truly comparable to the Tocharian peacock blue, we'll have to wait until dawn to examine them more closely."
"If there is no difference between the two, I will send it to the Rong family residence and have them glaze the porcelain ewer first. If the final product is fine, that would be best; if there are problems, then improvements will definitely be needed."
“Qiqi is more cautious, that makes sense.” Langxi listened, put the lantern on the ground, and prepared to go to the well to scoop some water from the bucket for her to wash her hands: “As the saying goes, you can only know the final result at the last moment. Without going through the firing in the Wuxia kiln, it is too early to say that it is successful.”
A series of footsteps sounded in his dream, and Ah Hui, who was dozing under the eaves, blinked and opened his eyes groggily.
Not wanting Yu Nie to be alone, the two senior brothers and sisters felt it was their duty to help her.
Aunt Liu wanted to stay, but she was too old and her body wouldn't allow it. She helped for less than half an incense stick's time before the three of them sent her back to rest.
Seeing Langxi walk past, Ahui realized it wasn't a dream, so she caught up with her, tugged at her sleeve, and gestured, "Where are you going, Senior Sister?"
Langxi noticed the red mark on his handsome cheek where his hand had been used to prop it up, and chuckled, "I'll fetch some water for my junior sister to wash her hands. If you're sleepy, junior brother, go and rest. There's nothing else to do here."
"Yes, Junior Brother." Hearing the two of them talking, Yu Nie placed the small dish on the table behind him, stretched, and yawned repeatedly: "We've finished everything tonight, so you and Junior Sister should go back and rest. I'm going back to sleep after I'm done tidying up."
Ah Hui waved his hand, turned around and quickly went to the well to scoop up water, then returned, gesturing for Yu Nie to wash his hands quickly.
They both thought he would go back to his room after she washed her hands.
Unexpectedly, after Yu Nie finished washing up, he pushed the two of them by the back and led them to the front yard, indicating that he would take care of the back yard and that they should go and rest quickly.
Although Ah Hui is the second oldest of the three, he often acts like the older brother. Sometimes he even "disobeys" Lang Xi.
It wasn't really discipline, really. At most, when she was sick, he would stop her from drinking cold water as usual and taking her medicine on time. He would then watch her drink hot water and make sure she took her medicine.
They couldn't persuade him otherwise, and even though they offered to help tidy up, he wouldn't let them, so they had no choice but to go and rest first.
Before returning to her room, Yu Nie made sure to bring the dish of homemade peacock blue paint, as if afraid it might be stolen that night.
Passing by the entrance of the alchemy room, Yu Nie saw that it was pitch black inside.
She spent the afternoon busy in the backyard, assuming the people living there were already asleep.
Noticing her gaze, Langxi said, "I wonder what Guard Xie and the Captain are doing in the city. They haven't returned tonight."
Yu Nie asked in surprise, "Didn't Guard Xie go to report to the authorities? Why hasn't he returned either?"
Lang Xi hummed in agreement, her tone quite worried: "I wonder how they are doing at the government office?"
Remembering why the two of them hadn't returned the night before, Yu Nie put her hand on Lang Xi's shoulder: "Don't worry, Junior Sister, they must have been kept out for drinks by He Renzhi again. Maybe they're drunk again, which is why they haven't come back."
Then, Yu Nie complained, "That He Renzhi is a parasite and a black sheep. Why would Huanzi and Guard Xie have such a great talk with such a person? Haven't they talked enough the night before and yesterday?"
Although Langxi had the same doubts, she understood: "There are many things that cannot be done in officialdom. They are only stationed in Huaiyuan on orders to prevent the Rouran from making a comeback. They are not here to investigate corrupt officials."
“Given their positions, they are only in charge of military affairs and not civil administration.” She said to her, “Perhaps it is only when Huan Xun, whom you mentioned, comes that he has the authority to deal with corrupt officials like He Renzhi.”
The official system of the imperial court was complex; sometimes one person held multiple positions, and sometimes one person held only one position.
Yu Nie was not very familiar with these things, but Lang Xi was well-read and came from an official family. Although the Shen family was not a prominent family and later declined, they had been officials for three generations. She had some knowledge of the affairs of officialdom.
“Huan Xun…” she sighed, “Junior Sister thinks too highly of him. Someone with such a wolfish ambition would only collude with He Renzhi and do the same thing. As for punishment? It’s not even a possibility.”
"What doesn't exist at all?" Before she could finish speaking, a familiar voice rang out from the rooftop.
Langxi and she were startled and quickly took a few steps back, looking up.
Under the bright moonlight, the boy stood on the green tiles and patted the dust off his hands.
The light was so bright, like daytime, that they could clearly see the people on the rooftop.
A sly glint flashed in Yu Nie's eyes as he said to the boy, "Why not take the opportunity? Is the captain planning to change careers?"
Zi Jing chuckled, flipped over and landed gracefully, standing in front of her with his arms crossed: "If I were truly a thief..." As he spoke, he suddenly leaned closer, deliberately drawing out his words: "Little Taoist priest... will you be able to sleep tonight?"
His handsome and flamboyant face suddenly loomed large before her, causing Yu Nie's heart to skip a beat. The crisp scent of ebony and sandalwood emanating from the young man enveloped her breath.
Before he finished speaking, he withdrew and quickly created distance between them.
She sensed the meaning behind his words. Seeing him mock her for being a coward, she cleared her throat, her bright black almond eyes curving into crescent shapes as she gazed at him intently: "Of course I can sleep. If you were a thief, you would surely be a Robin Hood-like thief who robs the rich to help the poor. What do I have to be afraid of?"
What a silver tongue! He's good at sweet-talking and has a sharp tongue. Zi Jing curled his lip, his eyes slightly cold: "Young Taoist priest, you're always saying nice things to flatter me. I'm truly... flattered."
“Eh…” She pouted coquettishly: “My lord, you flatter me. I’m just telling the truth. Someone as noble as you, with the Purple Star shining upon you, a golden-faced and jade-like person, a genius in both literature and martial arts, would never be a black-hearted thief.”
“Even if you wanted to, Heaven wouldn’t allow it.” She said with great seriousness, “Even with my half-baked physiognomy skills, I can see that your destiny book doesn’t mention such an outrageous thing. If it did, it would only have the eight characters ‘soaring through the mountains and reaching the heavens.’ As you can see, you have a noble destiny that is second only to the emperor and above all others, reaching the highest heavenly honor.”
When she speaks insincere flattery, she's like a fish swimming in a river, or a grasshopper before autumn—smooth and agreeable, as if she could be pinched at will.
With her silver tongue, if she were a storyteller in a teahouse, she would have been a household name in Dingzhou long ago. Why would she need to work so hard here to make money?
She winked and made funny faces, her lively expressions making Lang Xi unable to suppress a smile, covering his lips and secretly laughing.
Yu Nie chuckled inwardly, thinking that if these words of praise got out, Yu Nie would be so embarrassed that he would blush and be at a loss for words. As the saying goes, "sons of wealthy families value their reputation," and with his delicate skin, Yu Nie was clearly not from a poor family; he must be someone who cared a lot about his image.
But Sun Tzu's Art of War states, "He who does not know the enemy's situation is doomed to defeat." She hadn't read any military texts, so naturally she didn't understand the key points.
She saw the man in front of her raise the corners of his lips, his smile carefree, and he said gently, "Then I'll take your kind words, young Taoist priest. If it succeeds in the future, I will personally come to thank you."
He accepted her praise.
When her first tactic failed, she quickly resorted to a second one, deliberately pouting and asking him in a coquettish tone, "Is it just a simple thank you from a gentleman?"
Zi Jing's expression turned serious: "Of course not, just saying thank you is too perfunctory."
His eyes held a serious expression that made it impossible to discern his true intentions: "If you, young Taoist priest, do not mind, I would like to share wealth and honor with you in the future. How about..." He paused, then chuckled softly, "Let's form a marriage alliance, shall we?"
His words flowed so smoothly that the other three people present were instantly stunned. Xie Cheng, who had returned with him, was particularly dumbfounded.
In the customs of the people of Beiye, the vows of husband and wife are the most solemn, and have always been regarded as a "match made in heaven." His words clearly indicate that he is making a promise with the most solemn vow.
Yu Nie was speechless for a moment. She had never encountered such a person before.
She hesitated for a moment, then, realizing she couldn't afford to be outdone, she blurted out something even more intimate, saying, "What you say, young master, is not unreasonable. I'll consider it when the time comes."
This left Langxi speechless, wondering if he had misheard.
Hearing her straightforward response, which didn't seem like a joke, and lacking the shyness of other young women, Zi Jing raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes fixed on her with a leisurely air: "In that case, it's settled then."
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond," she replied with a radiant smile.
After saying that, she yawned: "If we keep chatting, it will be dawn. It's late and the dew is heavy. My junior sister and I will go to rest first. You two should also rest quickly."
Before Langxi could react, she suddenly grabbed him and pulled him away.
Watching her departing figure, Zijing snorted softly and went back to his room.
Once inside the room, Langxi sat on the edge of her bed and asked, "What you said in the courtyard just now, Junior Sister, was it true?"
Yu Nie took off his outer robe and draped it on the display stand: "Of course not, I was just making it up, and Huan Zi certainly wouldn't take it seriously."
Upon hearing this, Lang Xi smiled and said, "I knew it. Your confident look just now really scared your senior sister. I thought you would so easily pledge your life to someone."
“However, according to our sect’s rules, regardless of gender, anyone over eighteen years of age can seek a Daoist partner.” Langxi stood up and walked to the candlestick, adjusting the wick with a silver needle. The room instantly became brighter.
She turned to Yu Nie, who was changing clothes, and asked, "Junior Sister, do you have someone you like?"
She had never considered finding a Daoist partner; her mind was completely occupied with how to make gunpowder.
But if one truly wants to find a Daoist partner...
Suddenly, she would remember the roast chicken from that afternoon. He was kind-hearted, capable in both literary and martial arts, strong enough to carry water and chop wood, and diligent. He was handsome and of a suitable age. His daily work was respectable, and although his words could be a little harsh at times, it was never a serious matter.
Such a talented and capable young man would be a rare find if he were to settle down and live a simple life at home.
Taking all aspects into consideration, that man can be considered a virtuous husband.
If you wish to find a Daoist partner in the future, seek him out...
That seems pretty good.
A note from the author:
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