Chapter 19: The Sea of Love and Desire, the Moonlight Spreads on the Green Lake...
The moonlight shines on the Qinghu Lake, and the waves ripple like silk.
Xue Yu came out of Jinxiang Pavilion and walked quickly all the way to Qinghu Lake before slowing down.
Si Qing couldn't keep up with the tall and long-legged young master, so she trotted behind to catch up. After finally catching up, she gasped, "Young master, young master, why, why are you walking so fast..."
Looking up, Si Qing was startled to see that the young master's usual reserved and calm demeanor had faded, and he looked rather impetuous.
"Young Master, don't worry. Second Miss Yun didn't cry at all when she returned home. She looked like she had won a battle. I think the person who argued with Second Miss Yuan must have gotten nothing good." Si Qing consoled him. "And it is said that Lord Chu happened to be there and helped Second Miss Yun."
Xue Yu did not comment, took a deep breath, and walked into the pavilion by the lake to take shelter.
Late at night, when everyone is asleep, there is only the sound of gurgling water.
The young man's chaotic thoughts gradually calmed down. He treated Yun Yang the same way as he treated Xue Yao, Xue Jin and Xue Jingshu. He had held Xue Yao in his arms, and Xue Jin and Jingshu had also played intimately with him when they were young.
It's the same.
Si Qing, catching his breath, stood aside, respectfully awaiting his master's instructions. Then something occurred to him, and he said, "Master, the lanterns on Yangliu River are ready. Are we going to set them off tonight?"
River lanterns are used to send off the souls of the dead.
There is a guqin on the stone table in the shelter, for people from the mansion who come here to watch the lake to play it when they feel inspired.
Xue Yu kept quiet and calm, his slender fingers making a clanging sound on the piano.
The sound of the piano came up like water, breaking the silence of the night and gradually becoming as loud as heavy rain.
He knew that the wives and children of noble families were innocent.
The sage said, what crime has the child committed?
However, it is the family precepts accumulated by their ancestors and the character inherited in their blood. When these children grow up, they will not swallow their hatred, but will seek revenge by looking for the scent of their enemies.
Therefore, he became a cold-blooded and ruthless person, and once he took action, he would kill the other party.
However, they could not overcome their remaining conscience, so after each execution, they would light river lanterns in the nearby river to send off the deceased's soul.
We do not ask for atonement, but only to help them to be liberated to the best of our ability.
After the song, Xue Yu stood up and said, "Let's go to Yangliu River."
The next day, Yun Yang received the Yu Ji San sent by Xue Yu.
It is said that if you apply it on time, there will be no scars.
Rong'er unwrapped the white cloth, carefully applied medicine to her, and bandaged her wound. Yun Yang then went to Fushan Pavilion with a thank-you gift.
Xue Yu was actually there, so he stopped and held the sword with his hands behind his back, then sat down on the stone bench by the lake, his snow-white clothes brushing the ground.
Siqing boiled water and made tea.
In the morning light, Xue Yu breathed slightly, raised his drooping eyes, and when he saw the girl walking slowly towards him with her skirt lifted, his eyes were filled with starlight.
Yun Yang smiled slightly and called out "brother-in-law". When he got closer, he saw a fine bead of sweat on his slender neck, and the sweat slid down the delicate collarbone under the skin. He was wearing a light fur coat and a loose belt, and the green silk ribbon was tied around his narrow waist. The sleeves of his clothes were rolled up and naturally draped over his long legs.
The arm exposed from beneath the rolled-up sleeves was as white as jade, its muscles flowing smoothly and powerfully, with distinct bulging veins winding up from the back of the hand and gradually disappearing into the sleeve...
For some reason, Yun Yang suddenly felt his face getting hot and he lowered his head in a hurry.
Xue Yu noticed her and asked, "You're still walking around even though you're injured?"
Yun Yang sat down in front of him, picked up the teacup and handed it to him, smiling, "It's not that your leg is injured. I came to thank my brother-in-law for giving me the magic medicine."
"...There's no need to praise me so much." Xue Yu took the teacup and raised the corners of his lips.
"Look, there is no scar on your arm." Yun Yang pointed at his exposed arm.
Xue Yu paused and stretched out his other arm to show her. Looking closely, there was a faint scar winding up on his arm. It was not ugly, but it broke the original cold and elegant jade-like appearance and added a bit of wildness.
"Yours is definitely not as serious as mine. It won't leave a scar, don't worry." Xue Yu said.
Yun Yang nodded, not daring to look any longer, left some snacks and left.
The moon was rising above the branches, the Xue Mansion was quiet, and the candles in the Jinxiang Pavilion were extinguished.
Yun Yang lay on the bed and fell asleep, with the notebook she read before going to bed covering her face, and her long black hair like a waterfall hanging down naturally.
The dream was filled with a festive red. In my sister Yunyang's boudoir, my mother was still tirelessly telling me that after marrying into the Xue family, I should respect my parents-in-law, get along well with my sisters-in-law, love and respect my husband, and never slack off in any way...
The girl bumped into her sister's shoulder with a smile, and smiled at her sister who was about to get married.
These are the principles I’ve heard so many times that my ears are callused.
After her mother left, Yun Yang stayed in her sister's room. She didn't want to miss her sister's last night of marriage. But for some reason, her sister hesitated and looked troubled.
When Yun Yang asked, her sister just mumbled a few words to get by.
The two sisters talked until midnight. Yun Yang's head finally felt heavy and she fell asleep while talking.
I was half asleep, and vaguely saw my sister Yun Jia rustling out of bed. She pulled something out from under her pillow, lighting it with a candle in one hand, and carefully flipping through it. The more she looked, the paler her face became...
Yun Yang snatched the thing away, and his sister's expression became even stranger. Her face turned pale and red. She wanted to snatch it back, but she was no match for Yun Yang.
Yun Yang opened the spring pictures and took a glance at them. His face immediately turned red. He opened his eyes wide and was stunned for a long time before he understood what they were.
All girls who are about to get married have to go through this process and be taught by their mothers.
"It looks scary... Is he really that ugly?" Yun Yang took another curious look and quickly closed the book. "Sister, are you scared?"
Yun Jia nodded and reached out to take the picture back. "This isn't something you should be looking at. Go to sleep."
Yun Yang closed her eyes and held her sister's hand, but the novelty and fear of peeking into a land she had never set foot in did not diminish, and her heartbeat became more deafening.
After a while, she tugged at her sister's sleeve and said, "Sister, if it hurts, just tell your brother-in-law. He's from a scholarly family, so he won't force you."
The scene changed, and the candlelight illuminated the courtyard of the Xue Mansion. The red candles with dragon and phoenix patterns shed tears, and an ambiguous crimson color appeared.
In the dim light, Yun Yang saw a man standing by the bed. His red clothes were slightly open, his eyes were like heavy ink, and his handsomeness was hard to ignore.
The spring picture showed every detail of the body, the young bodies entangled, the expressions charming and seductive, and the overwhelming joy that came over him... Looking more closely, the man in the picture turned into Xue Yu's face, with a frown on his face, his Adam's apple rolling, and sweat rolling down his strong chest and abdomen. Looking down, Yun Yang was stunned.
Yun Yang suddenly opened her eyes in her sleep, her face red as if blood could drip out. She sat up and breathed slightly, but the picture in her mind was still hard to dispel. A strong sense of shame came over her, and she buried her face in the soft pillow.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon was full on the branches of the trees, and the whole garden of Xue's mansion was lit with interlaced candles, as bright as day, and the sounds of stringed instruments and orchestras were endless.
There are also colorful lanterns hanging on the branches, which create a lively atmosphere.
The Mid-Autumn family banquet was filled with light and laughter, and people from each room were toasting each other. The young men surrounded Xue Yu, who sometimes leaned forward to listen attentively, and sometimes raised his glass, like a star surrounded by stars.
The ladies and young ladies gathered together with the old lady. They all had rosy cheeks, hair covered with pearls and jade, and wore hairpins, rings, skirts and jackets embroidered with silk. At first glance, they looked rich and extravagant.
Yun Yang enjoyed the meal to his heart's content. He leaned back in his chair and touched his round belly. His chest felt uncomfortable because of the food. He felt drowsy and bored.
Halfway through the banquet, the old lady felt tired and waved her hand to leave.
Yun Yang looked at the quiet night, feeling melancholy. What were her parents doing? Did they miss her?
My sister is in the mountains. Is there any feast for her? She must be homesick.
Hey, people say that you won’t miss home after eating. Yun Yang burped and touched his stomach, thinking that it was not entirely true.
Suddenly, someone poked her waist. Yun Yang turned around and saw Xue Jin approaching and whispering, "Do you want to go out and play?"
"Ah?" Yun Yang asked cautiously, "What do you mean?"
"Hey, don't overthink it. I don't mean to harm you. Didn't you save the princess? She's been trying to find a way out of the palace to thank you in person." Xue Jin whispered, pointing in the direction of the gate. "The princess is hosting a banquet in Fanyue Tower. There's also a Mid-Autumn Festival market to visit. It's going to be lively. Do you want to go?"
The two of them tiptoed out while the maid came up to clean up the leftovers.
Yun Yang was only wearing a light pink spring shirt with a skirt decorated with emerald flowers, which was still thin. When she went out, a cold wind blew away the heavy smell of alcohol.
Yun Yang followed Xue Jin onto the carriage. Not long after, the carriage stopped. Yun Yang got off and looked up. On a large plaque with a red-gold manta ray pattern and a green background were written the three characters "Fan Yue Tower". The building was decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, and was embroidered with brilliant colors. Looking up, he could see a corridor with rockery in the middle. It was majestic and magnificent, and so impressive!
A young woman leaned over from the window of a fourth-floor wing room, "Yun Yang! Xue Jin!"
Isn’t it Princess An Ning who travels incognito?
Yun Yang went up to the fourth floor. The princess smiled brightly and came forward to hold her hand, saying happily, "Finally, I see you again! The palace banquet was so boring. I couldn't sit still. Fortunately, the Crown Prince helped me escape. It's more fun to have fun with you among the people!"
"Princess..." Yun Yang was a little embarrassed.
"You can just call me An Ning." Princess An Ning winked and stopped her from sitting down. "Look, a very famous troupe of actors is coming to perform today. I heard that Fanyue Tower booked them months ago. The seat I reserved is good; I can see the performance directly."
Yun Yang lifted her skirt and walked into the private room. She lowered her eyes and saw that there were indeed actors preparing something in the center of the stage.
The princess's face was rosy, and she seemed to have drunk quite a bit. She pulled Yun Yang to sit down and said angrily, "Why are you being so distant with me? You don't think I'm coveting your brother-in-law, do you? Don't worry, if I could succeed with your brother-in-law, I would have done it long ago, and wouldn't have waited until today..."
Hearing this, Yun Yang let down his guard and asked, "So, what do you want to do, Princess? Just watch a play? Wouldn't that be boring?"
An Ning looked up. The woman in front of him had a sly smile on her face, her eyes sparkling like delicate flowers reflecting in water. She was stunned for a moment and said hesitantly, "Then we'll play whatever you say..."
At the Xue residence, the banquet was over, everyone drank warm wine, shed tears and talked happily, some were lying together and drowsy, some were playing drinking games and didn't know what was going on, the women were talking and laughing, and the children had slipped away after eating the reunion cakes at some point, and the bowls, plates and leftovers were scattered on the banquet table, shining with a cold and lonely light under the moonlight.
Xue Yu sat alone on the couch, holding his hand against his brow and shaking his head. He couldn't stand the smell of alcohol and felt a little drowsy. His eyes paused when he swept across Yun Yang's empty seat.
"The Second Miss and Miss Jin have left the palace." Si Qing bowed and lowered his hands. "They said the princess is hosting a banquet at Fanyue Tower."
When Xue Yu rushed to Fanyue Tower, he didn't expect to see such a scene.
In the huge sky courtyard of Fanyue Tower, a crabapple tree hangs low, and a delicate sweet fragrance mixed with the aroma of wine wafts over. A woman wearing a gilded Nuo opera mask, with a graceful figure, sings opera texts in a thin voice, full of talk about romantic affairs and injustices.
Princess An Ning, with a flushed face, leaned on a small carved table, holding the spring board and clapping her hands enthusiastically.
Behind Yun Yang stood a man wearing a ghost mask. He leaned forward from behind her, spread his wide sleeves to wrap her up, and sang, "Don't be alarmed by the night dew wetting your silk stockings. Look at the crabapple blossoms on your temples, reaching the rosy clouds on your cheeks..."
Slender, white fingers like water scallions lightly pushed at the man's mask. Yun Yang jumped away with an extremely exaggerated movement, her thin shoulders shaking, and sang: "It must be the old dreams that have haunted my soul, and I happened to hear a lot of ghost stories..."
The little ghost circled around her, "It's not that I'm so cruel as to abandon you..."
The humming lyrics were heard continuously. When the song reached its climax, Xue Jin even covered his face, leaned forward and laughed, clapping his hands and cheering.
The room was filled with dark clouds and fog.
In the Shadow Corridor, Xue Yu walked away with a flick of his sleeves, coldly squeezing out two words, "Absurd."
The crown prince of the imperial court actually dressed up as a little devil to play with the young ladies. Xue Yu was very familiar with the voice of the opera.
Chu Qin said that the prince had not asked about Yun Yang since then. Haha, not only did he not ask, but he actually came to find her directly, and at this time when the palace was decorated with lights and holding a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet!
The scene of Yun Yang's slender white hands touching the glazed ghost mask lingered in Xue Yu's mind, as well as the graceful figure with the prince's hand resting on her waist.
Imagining the tenderness and charm under Yun Yang's mask, Xue Yu felt an indescribable sense of discomfort in his chest.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion day, she did not greet him and spent it with outsiders.
Xue Yu's face was as gloomy as water, and he sneered, "Very good."
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