Autumn Fragrance Pavilion?
Qin Yuan looked at Lord Gu with some surprise and smiled, "The place you chose, Lord Gu, is excellent."
Gu Jinghui smiled, reached out and gently pulled her up, saying, "You'll feel better once we get there."
Seeing that he was in a good mood, Qin Yuan agreed.
Mo Zhu and the others wanted to follow, but he stopped them, saying, "No need to follow." He then smiled at Qin Yuan and said, "With me here, what's the point of having them follow? It would be a real downer."
The maids stopped and looked at Qin Yuan, who smiled and said, "Now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, it's fine if no one follows us."
Gu Jinghui smiled and walked away hand in hand with her.
"Don't worry, everything is arranged. We'll have fun there ourselves, we don't need them."
Qin Yuan nodded: "Whatever you say."
I only stayed on the boat to watch the fireflies for a while before returning. Qiuxiang Pavilion was in a remote location. I had seen it briefly before. It was a waterside pavilion built in the style of a garden in Jiangnan, surrounded by corridors. The corridors on the east and west sides led to small pavilions on the water, which was quite a nice place to view the scenery.
The two strolled to the edge of the pond and onto the covered walkway. Several colorful lights shone in the night, and willow branches swayed in the gentle breeze. The water, surrounded by lotus leaves, rippled with colorful light, accompanied by the sounds of frogs and insects, creating a lively scene.
Qin Yuan nodded and said, "The night view here is also very beautiful."
Lord Gu's eyebrows and eyes softened slightly, and he gave a soft whistle. A servant rushed over to report, "My lord, my lady, wine and drinks have been prepared in the pavilion."
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "My husband has such refined tastes."
Lord Gu also laughed: "Yuan'er still wants to compose a poem. It's too boring for me to just watch. I heard that brewing tea is the most elegant thing to do, so I had them prepare a tea stove and tea set as well."
Qin Yuan smiled with lowered eyebrows, her heart filled with even greater surprise. She let Lord Gu lead her through the corridor and toward the small pavilion on the east side. Two servants had already set up a tea stove outside the pavilion's railing and were fanning themselves to boil water.
Qin Yuan asked, "What kind of tea is it?"
Lord Gu smiled and said, "Naturally, it's Baihao Silver Needle."
Qin Yuan glanced at Lord Gu and nodded, saying, "Drinking this tonight would be quite suitable."
Lord Gu laughed and said, "Although I am a bit rough around the edges now, I still know these things."
Qin Yuan laughed as well: "I haven't said anything yet."
Lord Gu sighed, “You said nothing, yet it speaks volumes. I spend my days with those soldiers. If I were too particular, how could I get along with them? If the commander-in-chief eats and drinks every day, wouldn't the lieutenants and officers below him also be drinking and eating meat every day? In that case, it would be difficult for everyone to work together. Everyone would only want to enjoy themselves. How could we defend the northern frontier? Only by eating and living together, sharing joys and sorrows, can we be of one mind. I am the third child in my family. Back then, I had an older brother to support me. When I was a little older, I went to the palace as a companion to a scholar. I grew up in luxury and have enjoyed all kinds of wealth.”
Qin Yuan lowered her eyes. If the Gu family hadn't experienced any changes, Lord Gu would have stayed in the capital as a young master, married and had children early, and would have lost his chance with her. But who could have predicted that there would be so many unpredictable things in life?
In the past, when the couple talked, they mostly talked about matters of the mansion, and rarely mentioned these things. It was clear that Lord Gu must have a lot to say tonight.
Qin Yuan then said, “It has always been difficult to lead an army. Sharing joys and sorrows and working together with one heart is the right way. Although my husband has practiced martial arts since childhood, I imagine he still suffered a lot in the military camp.”
The two entered the pavilion and saw that embroidered rugs had already been laid out on the stone benches, and tea sets, fruit plates, snacks and other items were laid out on the stone table, which was full of them.
Qin Yuan asked with a smile, "Didn't you invite me to watch fireflies on the boat? So you're here to have tea? Didn't the servant say he had prepared wine? Are you suggesting I have tea and you have wine? Why aren't there any snacks to go with the wine? Does my husband only drink vegetarian wine?"
Lord Gu said, "It's just some fruit wine, not very intoxicating, even young ladies can drink it. We'll go to the boat to see when there are more insects."
Qin Yuan smiled gently.
Inside the pavilion on the water, the view is expansive, with overlapping shadows in the distance and hazy, dazzling lights reflected on the water's surface. A gentle breeze blows by, instantly making one forget all worries. A few fireflies flash by. Qin Yuan sits quietly, and in a daze, the half-finished poem for her friend Miss Dong comes to mind.
Gu Jinghui didn't disturb her, but instead fumbled for the jade belt at his waist, his sharp eyes slightly narrowed.
The servants brought in the boiling water and asked, "The water is ready. Would you like to boil tea or make tea, Master?"
Qin Yuan looked at Lord Gu in surprise.
We usually brew tea, so why are you asking me tonight whether to boil it or order it?
Lord Gu nodded and said, "I'll do it myself. You can go now. Come back when I call you."
The servants then withdrew without resistance.
Qin Yuan asked, "Would the Marquis like to drink the tea I brewed?"
Lord Gu said, "I've always been the one drinking, but today you should try mine."
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "That's fine too."
She became increasingly curious about what Lord Gu was up to.
Lord Gu asked, "So, do you want it cooked or ordered?"
Qin Yuan asked, "How do you want to cook it?"
Lord Gu said, "If it's just the usual tea brewing and tea preparation, it's nothing more than the Tang and Song dynasty styles. You live in the capital and have never tasted tea from other places. Why don't I brew some for you and let you try something new?"
Qin Yuan was a little curious, so she nodded and asked, "Does my husband always brew tea in the north?"
Lord Gu said, “In winter, when people have nowhere to go, they gather around the stove to brew tea. The locals eat meaty and fishy food, hence the saying that they drink tea three times a day and eat one meal a day. The Mongols drink salty milk tea every day, while the Qiang people love to drink a kind of butter tea made with milk, eggs, nuts, and other ingredients. It is salty and fragrant. In winter, when there is nothing to do, everyone gathers around a pot to brew tea until it loses its flavor. It is different from the tea in the capital and has a certain rustic charm.”
Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Then I'm in luck. I can enjoy tea from the northern frontier without leaving the capital."
In her previous life, she followed Lin Ziqi to the south and other places. Her family was from the south, and she had the same eating and drinking habits as the people of the south. So when she heard what Lord Gu said, she became a little curious.
Under the lamplight and in the gentle breeze, Lord Gu's sharp features were as handsome as a painting, and his every move was rhythmic. Qin Yuan watched him intently, and every now and then, the two would exchange a knowing glance and smile.
There's an old saying: "To admire a beauty under the moon and lamplight."
Amidst the misty haze, the glow of candlelight, and the wafting fragrance of incense, Lord Gu's usual fierce and murderous aura vanished, replaced by a sense of tranquility and ease.
Qin Yuan suppressed her doubts and began to admire the beauty. She glanced around and noticed that Lord Gu had been preparing for a long time and had something to say.
What night is this, that we share this candlelight?
Qin Yuan drank a cup of milk tea brewed by Lord Gu. It was indeed quite different from the tea-drinking habits of southerners. It contained sesame seeds, walnuts, candied orange peel, dried persimmon, fresh milk, red dates, salt, eggs, and other ingredients.
The taste is indescribable.
Lord Gu drank to his heart's content and even asked her, "Is the taste still to your liking?"
Qin Yuan put down her teacup and said, "It's acceptable."
Gu Jinghui smiled and said, "Now that you've drunk my tea, you should clear up my doubts."
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