Chapter 58 Sending the Guqin Qiqi, I know it's you.
The sky seemed to collapse and the earth seemed to crumble. Suddenly meeting those dark, inky pupils, Yu Nie's breath caught in her throat, her beautiful eyes widened instantly, her mind went blank, and she remained stunned for a long time.
As soon as the word "Zi..." came out, she instinctively wanted to call out, but in the blink of an eye, she suddenly fell silent, swallowing the name that was about to escape her lips, and glanced at the group of people around her.
She knew the face in front of her all too well; she would never mistake it.
She didn't know how Zijing ended up here. In her current situation, she was no longer Rong Yunie from the Taoist temple, but Princess Shunhe, a princess of noble birth. She certainly couldn't acknowledge him.
Having pondered this, she lowered her eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions surging within them beneath her eyelashes. When she looked up again, her face already displayed the dignified and aloof demeanor of a noble lady from a royal family.
Looking at him was like looking at a complete stranger.
Unaware of what was happening, Cuiwei saw her standing there blankly, no longer moving into the pavilion, and mistakenly thought she was nervous. She whispered in her ear to comfort her, "Princess, don't be afraid. Just let things take their course. I'm here."
She couldn't tell Cuiwei the truth in her heart at this moment, and could only nod slightly, speechless.
Inside the pavilion, Huan Xun gazed intently at that familiar face, his expression calm and composed, revealing no emotion whatsoever, not even the slightest hint of unease.
Noticing that his gaze had shifted from the painting to the "Lone Crane Across the River" hanging on the wall, Xiao Chengyan followed his gaze, his expression relaxed, his eyes bright as mountain spring water, and he said loudly, "He's here."
Zhao Yuntuan had also turned around at this moment, and the three of them looked at Yu Nie under the corridor at the same time.
The guests have all noticed her, so she can't linger in one place for too long.
Song Ai urged softly, "Your Highness, let's go. Don't keep the guests waiting."
Given her status as a princess, she is above the three people opposite her, so it's alright to make them wait a little longer.
However, at this time, undercurrents were swirling in the court, and even the emperor had to act according to the wishes of the four great aristocratic families. For a princess who was about to be married off and had no real power, it would be somewhat inappropriate to use her status to intimidate others at this moment.
No matter how high one's position, without corresponding power to support it, it is ultimately nothing but an illusion.
Song Ai's actions clearly demonstrate his keen understanding of court affairs, knowing who he can and cannot offend.
Although Yu Nie was unaware of these inside details, from a etiquette standpoint, it would be somewhat impolite to keep the guests waiting too long.
In her view, Song Ai's actions were simply because she thought she couldn't lose her princess demeanor.
Upon arriving in the capital, running into acquaintances was something she had expected.
Since the other party has already arrived, she can only play her part well first, and explain later.
She composed herself, tucked her hands into her long sleeves, crossed them in front of her abdomen, her fingertips slightly clenched, her shoulders straight and graceful, and stepped down the stairs with a gentle and charming air.
As she walked into the courtyard, the closer she got to the person in the pavilion, the more nervous she became.
Her eyes were clear and bright as she looked into the pavilion, a gentle smile befitting a noble lady of the imperial family on her lips—neither overly enthusiastic nor too arrogant or indifferent.
She slowly stepped onto the bluestone steps in front of the pavilion and entered the house with one foot in front of the other.
After entering the room, she glanced at the three people, and when her gaze fell on the familiar figure on the far left, her heart began to race.
The moment her gaze met his, she couldn't help but reveal an undisguised familiarity and joy, rather than the aloofness one would show towards a stranger.
Huan Xun looked at her with an unchanging expression, as indifferent as if he were looking at a complete stranger. A polite smile played on his lips, as if this precious princess before him truly had nothing to do with him.
Xiao Chengyan and Zhao Yuntuan were both focused on the newly appeared imperial sister, completely unaware of the subtle changes between them.
From a young age, Xiao Chengyan possessed a gentle and bright nature, always approachable and friendly, with a touch of elegance in his demeanor. Despite his noble birth, he was never pretentious.
Princesses of Shunhe's lineage are generally avoided by their own clansmen, as evidenced by yesterday's reception at the city gate. Yet, he alone took the initiative to bring Zhao Yuntuan and Huan Xun to pay their respects.
Upon seeing Yu Nie enter, Xiao Chengyan's bright eyes lit up with a smile.
He stepped forward with unhurried steps, first bowing respectfully, and then said, "There were too many people at the city gate yesterday, so I was unable to have a proper chat with my cousin, which is truly regrettable. Today we have come to pay our respects, and we apologize for disturbing your peace and quiet."
According to their generational relationship, one was the late emperor's daughter, and the other was the late emperor's younger sister's second son; they were indeed first cousins. He was also three years older than her.
His way of addressing her was both proper and showed a touch of intimacy.
Yu Nie's eyes were filled with confusion as he glanced at the person next to him.
Song Ai stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Your Highness, please allow me to inform you that this is His Highness Prince Guangning, the eldest son of Princess Changle. His surname is Xiao, and his given name is Chengyan. According to the Imperial Genealogy, His Highness Prince Guangning is older than Your Highness. According to the etiquette of royal relatives, Your Highness should address him as 'cousin'."
The blank look in Yu Nie's eyes faded slightly, leaving a hint of awkwardness from their first meeting. He turned his gaze back to Xiao Chengyan, a polite smile appearing on his lips. He spoke slowly and politely: "So you are my cousin. I was in a hurry yesterday and did not recognize you properly. It was my fault for being impolite."
“Cousin, please don’t say that…” Xiao Chengyan’s eyebrows relaxed and he said cheerfully, “It was my oversight as your cousin. Although we are related by blood, we have been unable to meet for a long time due to various circumstances. It is only natural that you do not recognize me. If I had gone to Shuoyang to visit you earlier, our reunion today would not have felt so awkward.”
His eyes curved at the corners, and his gaze seemed to shimmer with the light of stars and the moon. His tone was sincere, without a trace of glibness or irritation. He truly had a very good grasp of the nuances.
Of all the people in the palace, Xiao Chengyan was the most eloquent. When he opened his mouth, even the King of Hell would laugh.
Hearing these words, Yu Nie felt a sense of relief. She saw that the people in front of her were sincere, unlike yesterday at the city gate, where those princes and nobles were arrogant and condescending, which made her feel very angry.
She chuckled and replied, "You can't blame me, cousin. We've already met, haven't we?"
Xiao Chengyan paused for a moment, noticing that although she seemed shy, her words lacked the usual restraint of a young lady, instead revealing a sense of composure. He couldn't help but find her quite interesting.
“My cousin is right.” He spoke casually, a hint of interest appearing in his eyes.
Zhao Yuntuan then stepped forward and introduced himself, saying, "My sister is five years younger than me, so she should call me tenth brother."
Yu Nie, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," spoke in a soft and clear voice, bowing slightly and saying, "Tenth Brother."
Of the three, two had already exchanged pleasantries.
Yu Nie's gaze naturally fell on Huan Xun, who had not yet spoken.
Huan Xun was actually dragged here by him, and Xiao Chengyan felt it was his duty to introduce him.
He turned slightly to the side, about to warmly introduce her.
But before anyone could introduce them, the person beside them stepped forward, raised both hands to chest level with palms facing inward and elbows slightly bent, and performed a proper bow.
Huan Xun slightly raised his eyes, looked at her, and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, I am Huan Zijing from the Jiheng Mansion."
Referring to oneself by one's courtesy name was a common courtesy in formal occasions. Xiao Chengyan and Zhao Yuntuan saw that his demeanor was appropriate and his expression was normal, so they did not think there was anything wrong with his way of introducing himself.
The name "Jihengfu" was bestowed upon him by the emperor in recognition of his official position, and by saying this, he was essentially introducing his own position.
In Yu Nie's view, Zi Jing was originally one of Huan Xun's men. Although Huan Xun's name was on the visiting card yesterday, Zi Jing was his confidant. Now that he had been promoted to the capital and become one of Huan Xun's subordinates, it was not hard to understand why he came to pay his respects on Huan Xun's behalf.
As for why Huan Xun didn't come in person, she speculated that he was perhaps preoccupied with important matters at the Ministry of Personnel and unable to come in person. However, she was more inclined to the latter inference: Huan Xun was inherently arrogant and, like those other members of the aristocratic families who went yesterday, looked down on her background, thinking she was merely a pawn to be used for a marriage alliance. He didn't want to waste his time coming all this way, so he sent a trusted confidant as a token gesture.
This is quite in line with his style. Historical records say that he was "proud and arrogant and did not easily associate with others," and today this has been confirmed.
She didn't ask any further questions when "the person in person" didn't show up, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Lord Huan is too polite." She nodded and accepted the greeting.
After speaking for a moment, probably worried that staring at him for too long would give her away, she turned to the other two and said with a flick of her wide sleeves, "Cousin, Tenth Brother, and the Lord have been standing here for so long, the tea must be cold by now."
As she spoke, she turned her head and instructed Cuiwei: "Cuiwei, replace the Junshan Silver Needle tea in the pavilion with new ones."
"Yes, Princess." Cuiwei withdrew upon receiving the order.
As the hostess, she led everyone to their seats.
After sitting down for a short while, Xiao Chengyan had someone bring in the gifts he had brought.
Yu Nie initially thought it was just some ordinary gold and silver jewelry, but instead, four guards carefully carried in a seven-foot-tall coral tree. The coral was entirely blood-red, shimmering with a magnificent halo in the sunlight, and its branches were lush; it was indeed a rare treasure.
The guards carefully placed the coral in the pavilion.
Xiao Chengyan looked at her and said, "This coral tree is called 'Eastern Sea Blood Coral,' and it is unparalleled in the world. My maternal grandmother gave it to me on my birthday many years ago, and now I am giving it to my younger sister. I hope you like it."
"I like it, I like it... Of course I like it! Who wouldn't like a shining mountain of wealth?" Yu Nie almost couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.
Such a rare treasure could buy countless amounts of saltpeter. She had been so busy escaping that she had lost all her money and now had nothing left.
She will have to leave the capital sooner or later, and there will be many places where she will need money. But how should she sell such a large item?
She was calculating in her mind, but maintained a composed demeanor: "I am truly unworthy of such a generous gift from my cousin."
“Cousin, there’s no need to refuse.” Xiao Chengyan said generously, “This coral has been gathering dust in my house for a long time. It is its good fortune to have met such a wise owner today. You should just accept it.”
After a few back and forths and some polite refusals, Yu Nie thanked him again and then ordered his gifts to be taken away.
Zhao Yuntuan naturally brought gifts as well. He had no brotherly or sisterly feelings for Shunhe. He only came today because Xiao Chengyan insisted that he come along; otherwise, he would never have come.
However, since he had already come, it wouldn't look good to arrive empty-handed. He waved his hand and sent someone to present the jewelry he had brought, saying that she could use it once she arrived in the Jie tribe.
It was truly a case of bringing up the very thing you shouldn't have said. Yu Nie was displeased, but out of courtesy, she still had to politely thank him.
After Zhao Yuntuan finished his farewell, Xiao Chengyan sat back down and turned his gaze to Huan Xun, who was sitting quietly drinking tea opposite him: "Brother Huan, what a fine gift you brought. I saw it; it was packed in a long box. Could it be that it contains some rare item?"
Yu Nie also looked at him, her eyes filled with curiosity.
He put down his teacup: "It's not a rare item, just an ordinary thing."
After speaking, he waved his hand, ordering someone to present the long box with both hands to Yu Nie.
The moment the box lid was opened, a delicate fragrance wafted out.
Inside lay an ancient zither, its body entirely black with a faint, eerie green tinge, covered in cracks resembling the belly of a snake. Such patterns are only found on truly prized zithers.
Huan Xun did not want to say more.
He came today merely to pay his respects with Xiao Chengyan and the others, and to present his congratulatory gifts.
In the end, it was just a formality, a perfunctory gesture.
But at that moment, he suddenly changed his mind.
He rose from everyone's sight, walked around to the table, and slowly said, "This zither is called 'Green Jade'. The soundboard is made of the lips and bones of a dragon-fish, and the strings are made of the legendary phoenix silk feathers."
He raised his eyes to look at Yu Nie on the long couch, his eyes seemingly full of meaning: "An ancient poem says, 'Fragrant grasses grow lush on Parrot Island,' but the land of the Jie people is not like Jian'an, where spring grasses are as green as a carpet. The princess's marriage to the enemy for the sake of the country is truly righteous. Your Highness is going to the borderlands now, I hope this zither can soothe the princess's homesickness."
His words were sincere and earnest.
As they looked into each other's eyes, Yu Nie felt a sudden tremor in his heart and a lump in his throat, as if the two of them were truly about to part.
Others offered him priceless treasures, but what he cherished most was his longing for home. Such tender sentiment would move anyone who heard it.
Moreover, he deliberately used her childhood name in his poem.
The person in front of me seems to be separated from everyone else; I must tell her face to face:
"Qiqi, I know it's you."
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