Chapter 65 Scurvy A thousand years later, someone will experience the same thing…
Half a month ago, the Jie envoy arrived in Jian'an, saying only that he had come specifically to attend the late emperor's funeral.
However, his true purpose was to use the pretext of attending the funeral to secretly discuss the matter of "borrowing a route" with the new emperor. The marriage between the two countries was quietly agreed upon under this guise of attending the funeral.
Yu Nie saw the Jie envoy walking towards them.
According to custom, in a few days, the Jie envoys would visit her at Hongzheng Pavilion.
Their visit differed from others; its purpose was to confirm the princess's identity and prevent her from being married off in place of another.
Yu Nie had no idea that she would suddenly encounter the Jie people here.
When the other person turned their head, they happened to see them as well.
A follower whispered a few words to her, and then an envoy dressed in a bright-colored short-sleeved robe with a curved sword hanging at his waist, without wasting a moment, strode towards her in his high-top leather boots across the lotus-patterned pavement.
Wang Situ, with his air of otherworldly elegance, led his entourage behind him.
The Jie envoy bowed deeply, his hands clasped in front of him, and lowered his eyes: "Ah, so it is Princess Shunhe who has arrived. This humble subject failed to notice and was unable to greet you from afar. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
This was the first time in many years that Yu Nie had stood on a diplomatic stage, and his whole body was slightly tense, and he even deliberately slowed down his breathing.
She calmly straightened her posture and meticulously demonstrated the etiquette, speech, and even the appropriate gestures that Song Ai had taught her in Hongzheng Hall.
"Judging from your attire, are you an envoy from the Great Khanate?" Although she knew the visitor's identity, as a princess, she still had to ask him personally according to etiquette.
Emperor Taizu once bestowed upon the Jie people the name of their state – the Great Khanate. Even after the Jie people rose to power and gained influence from all sides, they never changed this name.
"Your subject, Huhanye Dulong, is a special envoy sent here by order of the King's court." Dulong bowed his head, his tone respectful: "He is also the envoy who will escort Her Highness the Princess back to Daque in a month."
Du Long was quite humble and respectful. Even his manners and words reflected the usual etiquette of the Beiye court, without the slightest hint of arrogance.
Currently, Beiye has a need for them, and most of the envoys, who are in a commanding position, carry an air of arrogance, both openly and secretly, for fear of being outmatched.
Yu Nie's gaze swept over him, and just as she was about to look away, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of his clasped left hand. The base of his thumb, which was exposed outside his sleeve, had an unusually prominent knuckle, quite different from that of ordinary people.
This was an accident she was born with, and she didn't think much of it: "Since he is a special envoy personally sent by the royal court, he must have had a long and arduous journey."
Her voice was calm and even, her fingers gripping the fan handle, the fan tassel swaying gently: "His Majesty has already mentioned the matter of escorting them to the capital."
Du Long said, "The royal court eagerly awaits Your Highness's return day and night, and has specially ordered me to count three hundred guards, all of whom are seasoned veterans. They will not allow Your Highness to be disturbed in the slightest."
She smiled faintly, her cherry lips partially hidden by her fan: "Thank you for your trouble, Special Envoy."
Dulong looked up at the girl in front of him.
Her almond-shaped eyes were glistening with dew, her snow-white cheeks flushed, she was charming and endearing, yet possessed a refined and noble air. Such exquisite beauty had never been seen before on the grasslands of Da Que.
In his view, he was a perfect match for his master.
Before she could finish speaking, Wang Situ and his entourage had already arrived.
Yu Nie had assumed that Wang Situ, the head of the civil officials, would be just as arrogant as the clansmen and nobles outside the city gate that day.
Unexpectedly, Wang Situ, holding a whisk made of deer tail, bowed deeply to her, saying, "Your subject Wang Chang greets Princess Shunhe."
Without needing anyone around her to explain, she knew perfectly well that this "king" must be the head of the four great aristocratic clans.
There's a folk song that goes, "Of the nine-tiered palace in the imperial court, 'Wang' occupies six of them." To become the head of the civil officials is something that no other member of the Wang family could achieve, let alone Wang Chang... who is also the emperor's father-in-law.
"Oh dear..."
Yu Nie exclaimed softly, her face displaying just the right amount of flattery. She quickly stepped forward, reached out to support the other person, and said in a tone that carried a deliberate fear and earnestness: "Minister Wang is already advanced in years, yet he still performs such a grand ceremony. How can a junior like me accept it?"
The emperor's father-in-law paid her such a heavy tribute. Even though Yu Nie couldn't fathom the intricate web of palace politics, she was well-versed in the art of acting. As the saying goes, when the ins and outs of a matter are still unclear, it's always safest to adopt an extremely humble attitude first.
Wang Chang is a man of great social skills. Although his family holds the top position among the four major clans, he acts with great humility and is known for his modesty and composure.
When he was helped up, he straightened his hunched back. Even though he was old, his eyes were still bright and clear.
"Your Highness, you flatter this old minister. We should have paid our respects to you earlier upon your return to the capital, but it happened to be the anniversary of my wife's death, and the palace has been busy setting up an altar and chanting scriptures these past few days, which has delayed the matter of sending our visiting cards. I hope Your Highness will forgive my rudeness."
Unsure whether he was telling the truth, Yu Nie gazed at the faint earnestness in his eyes, too preoccupied to investigate further.
What does it matter whether it's true or false? In this imperial court, truth and falsehood are already tangled in a mess, and it's all about putting on an act.
All she needs to do is act well.
She adopted a tolerant and magnanimous demeanor, showing no resentment whatsoever, and spoke gently:
“Ah… What are you saying, Minister Wang? As long as you have this sentiment, I am already very gratified. The deceased should be respected, and it is only right to remember and honor them. What do a few formalities matter? Minister Wang, please don’t worry about it.”
“That’s right.” Xiao Chengyan chimed in from the side, “Since Qiqi has said so, Situ, don’t take it to heart.”
With two people offering their consolation, Wang Guangshun accepted the offer and said a few polite words.
Yu Nie also asked a few polite questions: "Have Minister Wang and the envoy from Dulong come here to offer incense as well?"
Wang Chang replied, "I have come here specifically regarding the Jie tribe's delegation."
Dulong added, "To be honest, Your Highness, when our delegation visited several years ago, we met a traveling physician at your temple whose medicine was remarkably effective for joint pain. Now, many members of the delegation have suffered from a relapse of their old ailments."
“Our special agents are suffering from severe joint pain, so we have taken the liberty of seeking help here. We hope to find that doctor or the same medicine so that we can treat our special agents back home.”
Yu Nie asked, "Why not go to the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
Speaking of the past, Du Long still finds it fascinating: "It's really strange, even the Imperial Medical Bureau couldn't cure this disease, but that young lady was able to cure it."
"The Imperial Medical Bureau said it was a disease of 'blood depletion,' but the girl who gave us the medicine said that the disease is actually called 'scurvy,' a deficiency of vitamin C, also known as fructose, which is related to not eating fresh vegetables and fruits for a long time, hence the deficiency..."
As he spoke, Dulong sighed heavily, his shoulders seemingly collapsing: "It's a pity. When we spoke with the abbot just now, Abbot Huiran said that the female itinerant doctor left the temple two years ago and is now nowhere to be found."
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie's head suddenly exploded with a deafening "boom," causing her eardrums to ache, even more so than a thousand thunderclaps, and her mind went completely blank.
She clenched her fists tightly, trying her best to suppress the shaking of her body.
But the uncontrollable trembling spread from his palms to his internal organs, and his heart in his chest felt as if it had been suddenly seized, making it difficult to breathe.
Her eyes welled up with tears, but she suppressed her unusual emotions.
It turns out that someone had already arrived in this era before her and left their mark.
It turns out that she has others like her in this world.
That person, like her, may have clumsily depicted this world and trembled at it.
So it turns out... she wasn't alone, not the only outcast banished by fate.
She once thought she was the only insect imprisoned in amber.
But at this moment, inside this thick barrier, a small insect, without her noticing, spread its wings toward her.
She finally became convinced that all questions in this world would eventually be answered, and all lonely journeys were destined to encounter resonance.
The questions that I had repeatedly asked myself during my long period of solitude have now been answered.
Am I really the only one who came here?
Sixteen years later, someone told her:
"No, I'm here too."
Everyone was listening to Dulong speak, and no one noticed her unusual behavior.
She lowered her thick eyelashes, forcing back the tears that were about to well up in her eyes.
Xiao Chengyan didn't want these people to delay their conversation, so he exchanged a few pleasantries with Du Long and then said goodbye.
He then led her to the place with the sutra pillar and the locust tree.
The sutra pillar was further inside, and their group first arrived at the ancient locust tree.
Gazing at the towering, majestic trees, Yu Nie suddenly said, "It seems..."
Xiao Chengyan crossed his arms, tilted his head, and asked her, "What did Qiqi say that sound like?"
In just half a day, he became very adept at calling her by her childhood nickname, as if the two had known each other for a long time, like childhood sweethearts.
She looked up, her gaze piercing through the rustling, swaying branches and leaves, all the way to the treetop.
Many red ribbons were hung on the thick branches. A thousand years later, people will tie prayer knots in the same place, just as people will still make wishes to the same bright moon despite the changing times.
She chuckled softly, "It's like the tree in my dream."
Xiao Chengyan listened with apparent interest and asked her, "What dream is it? Qiqi, can you tell me about it?"
Yu Nie did not refuse. She told him about the appearance of the big locust tree in her hometown, and how she used to walk around the locust tree and watch the ants on it, wondering why they could only walk straight and not turn.
Xiao Chengyan had never heard of anyone dreaming of observing ants.
He found it quite strange, and not intentionally trying to flatter, he said:
"Qiqi's dreams are so interesting. On the other hand, my dreams always fall into the same few categories. I either fall into a nightmare that makes my spine tingle, or I dream of getting rich while lying in a gold and silver nest. Occasionally, I dream of being chased by a tiger, but my legs feel as heavy as a stone and I can't run no matter what I do. It makes me so anxious that I break out in a cold sweat."
He looked at her and smiled languidly: "Only someone like you, Qiqi, would observe the ants' paths in your dreams. How could an ordinary person be so observant?"
As the two were talking, they did not notice the figure that was secretly following them.
After lingering in front of the ancient locust tree for a while, Yu Nie and the others strolled towards the direction of the sutra pillar.
They looked through the scriptures on the dozens of sutra pillars one by one.
When Xiao Chengyan encountered something he didn't understand, he would often ask Yu Nie for help.
She was a complete novice when it came to explaining Buddhist scriptures.
Upon hearing that these sutra pillars were all transported from the Western Regions, and that the inscriptions on them were unique to Yongxing Temple, all of which were obscure and difficult-to-understand Buddhist verses, something that could not be encountered while practicing in the temple.
On a whim, she asked the monks accompanying her to help explain, citing the fear of saying something wrong and misleading others.
Xiao Chengyan and the others had no doubts.
After their tour, as dusk settled, the group returned to Hongzheng Pavilion.
Xiao Chengyan felt bad about bothering her any longer, so he saw her to the door, said a few reluctant words, and watched her go inside.
Once her figure had completely disappeared inside the door, Zhao Yuntuan, who had been holding back all the way, stepped forward and nudged the arm of the person still staring inside.
Xiao Chengyan turned his head, and Zhao Yuntuan, without hiding anything, said, "Do you know what you look like right now?"
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