Chapter 577 The Worries of the Senior Embroiderers [Requesting Monthly Tickets!] (Change to a more suitable title)
The mighty river flows eastward, the night as dark as ink.
A bright moon slowly rose into the sky, like a pearl hanging above the dark sky, radiating a soft and clear light.
The moon that night was exceptionally round and full, like a jade plate that had just leaped from the Jade Pool, crystal clear and untouched by any dust.
It's unknown how many people from all corners of the world have longed to see it.
On the spotless river surface, washed clean by the moonlight, an ordinary large merchant ship was sailing quietly.
The ship was brightly lit, and the "Tao Shou Zhai" merchant flag hung at the bow, fluttering in the wind.
On the stern deck, where the ship's bright lights couldn't reach, stood a tall and graceful figure. The woman had golden hair like flames and carried a long, frost-white sword on her back.
Several white sturgeon chased after the white spray splashed up by the stern of the boat.
The candle in the snow does not gaze at the Lantern Festival moon; it lowers its head, its pair of green eyes seemingly watching a Yangtze River sturgeon drifting below.
"Remembering you makes it hard to sleep; the candle goes out and the stars fall. Senior Sister, will you also stand until the candle goes out and the stars fall?"
A gentle laugh came from the dark cabin behind him. Xue Zhongzhu did not turn around, but after a long moment of reverie, he finally looked away from the white sturgeon struggling to catch up with the ship.
Xuezhongzhu took out a small red jade gourd from the wide sleeves of Wufu's dress, tilted her head back and took a sip of wine.
Ring ring—
A pair of bare feet, adorned with red ropes and bells, gracefully emerged from the cabin.
"Before boarding the ship that night, I took Li Shu past the Lantern Festival in that prefecture city. On a lantern at the ferry farewell pavilion, I saw this unknown poem, which was quite interesting."
Yu Nianyuan stopped behind Xue Zhongzhu. She seemed to have gotten up in the night after going to bed, casually draped in a large mink coat, a red ribbon tied around her slender waist, and said lazily:
"Time flies when you're in the mountains, but half a year has passed quietly in the human world. The everyday life and the literati down in the city are really interesting. No wonder my third and fourth junior sisters, and even my youngest junior sister before she lost her sight, all liked to go out."
"And then what happened?"
The candle in the snow, its hoarse voice colder than the river wind, could not even warm the strong liquor in the jade gourd:
"One will never be seen again, one has disappeared without a trace, and the last one is the most foolish, he even lost his eyes."
Yu Nianyuan neither confirmed nor denied, but took the initiative to say:
"We've made contact with Li Zhengyan. The Xuanwu Camp is hot on their heels, and with the help of court lackeys like the female officials from the Censorate, Wei Shaoqi and Du Shuqing have entered Hongzhou, taking a detour..."
"I'll have to wait a little longer... to come to the agreed-upon place to see my senior sister..."
On the stern deck, the howling river wind of the night made the soft words of the two ladies of Yunmeng fading and becoming intermittent.
Only those nearby can hear it.
Yu Nianyuan paused, then continued:
"I heard that the situation of the Kuangfu Army on the southwestern front is not optimistic. Qin Jingzhen is indeed formidable, worthy of being a famous general of the Great Zhou and a veteran of three dynasties."
"No wonder you were in such a hurry." Xue Zhongzhu said expressionlessly with a cold snort.
Yu Nianyuan narrowed his eyes: "It's better to hurry, they need our help."
Xuezhongzhu turned around and glanced at the figure of his second junior sister, wrapped in a fur coat in the cold night:
"What do you think the chances of the Southwest Restoration Army winning are?"
Yu Nianyuan tightened his large mink coat, looked up at the moon, and said:
"On the surface, what suppressed the momentum of the Kuangfu Army was Qin Jingzhen's shrewd command and brilliant military strategy. But the real key factor was actually the stable rear base of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion in Jiangzhou."
"The Kuangfu Army initially claimed the title of the former deposed emperor, now the Prince of Xunyang, Li Xian. However, they have been locked in a battle with the Zhou court for so long that they have yet to win over the Prince of Xunyang's residence."
She paused, then said in a low, melancholy tone:
"Even if we don't talk about side with the Restoration Army, it would be better for the Prince of Xunyang to die unexpectedly on the eve of the rebellion than for him to be alive and kicking now, serving as the Jiangnan Pacification Commissioner and becoming a banner for the Zhou court to slap the Restoration Army in the face."
"The great cause of the Kuangfu Army is to restore the lost territories, and this cause is even more important than Li Zhengyan's previous victories in conquering cities and seizing territories in the southwest."
"Killing someone is not as good as destroying their spirit. Now, the Xunyang Prince's Mansion has become a convenient weapon for Empress Wei Zhao to destroy the spirit of the restoration army. It has seriously diverted the forces that could have helped the restoration army, and has also made many heroes in various places across the country who hate Wei and oppose Zhou to watch and wait."
"This move will surely be a thorn in the side of Li Zhengyan's restoration army, and it is also the real reason why the situation is not good today."
"Logically speaking, the Kuangfu Army should not be afraid of short-term setbacks. No matter how powerful Qin Jingzhen is, as long as the righteous cause is upheld and the southwest is far from the emperor's reach, Li Zhengyan can lose many times. However, the Zhou court is corrupt and rigid, and Qin Jingzhen and the imperial army cannot afford to lose many times."
"Wei Zhao was cruel and tyrannical, and he persecuted loyal officials, but it cannot be denied that he was far superior to the men of the Li family in recent generations in terms of playing power games and imperial tactics."
"I heard that the Great Zhou court has recently bestowed many rewards upon the Xunyang Prince's Mansion in Jiangzhou and has been vigorously promoting officials in the Xunyang Prince's faction. It is possible that Wei Zhao has even hinted at and promised the Xunyang Prince the opportunity to leave his post and return to the capital, urging him to serve him faithfully."
The candle in the snow frowned, speaking coldly:
"Li Zhengyan did try to win over the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. I heard that when the uprising started, he sent envoys and strategists to persuade them to rebel."
"Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi even stayed in Xunyang City for a while, but returned empty-handed. According to their letters, one of them was a Jiangzhou official named Ouyang Lianghan, who advised the timid Prince of Xunyang and repeatedly ruined important matters."
"Ouyang Lianghan?"
Yu Nianyuan read it out softly.
Xuezhong Zhu nodded:
"It's him, the corrupt official who's currently devising plans and assisting the female officials of the Censorate and other government henchmen in issuing warrants for our arrest throughout Jiangnan. I heard he used to be a renowned gentleman."
Yu Nianyuan nodded slightly:
"A hypocrite... This guy should be the current governor of Jiangzhou, and he was also involved in the Buddha incident... Even if we don't care about his grudges and entanglements with Li Zhengyan and the others, we still need to pay attention to this guy."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you."
Xuezhongzhu turned his head and looked again at the waves and white sturgeon stirred up by the stern of the boat below, and suddenly said:
It's the Lantern Festival.
"Um."
Yu Nianyuan said softly:
"The servants have made some dried glutinous rice balls. Senior Sister, please have some too. Li Shu really likes them."
Xuezhongzhu slowly shook its head, gazing at the white sturgeon, seemingly lost in thought.
Yu Nianyuan lowered his eyes and whispered:
"During this Lantern Festival holiday, the city gates and ferry crossings in Xunyang City should have been less vigilant."
"The city's spies were all destroyed by those imperial henchmen, so it's time to redeploy them. I've sent some new people over."
"However, the female officials of the Censorate are still very vigilant. I heard that the Shuangfengjian ferry crossing is still under their control and blockade, and an old woman surnamed Song is stationed at the Xunyang Grottoes around the clock. The arrangements for Xunyang City need to be made slowly, and even if it is restored, it will certainly not be as well-prepared as before..."
"Either is fine, Second Junior Sister, it's up to you..."
Yu Nianyuan sensed the absent-mindedness in Xue Zhongzhu's tone, glanced up at her tall, golden-haired figure, and then heard his senior sister's voice:
"Is there still no news of Junior Sister from Jiangzhou?"
Yu Nianyuan was quiet for a moment, then shook his head:
"Nothing yet. But... as I said before, the quieter the situation, the safer it is. At least there's no conflict with the female official from the Censorate. I just don't know if she's still in Xunyang City, or why she hasn't returned."
"Junior Sister is very well concealed and difficult to detect. If she wanted to leave, no one should have noticed..."
"Um."
At this moment, the candle in the snow spoke:
"I suddenly remembered something. Is the Crimson Lotus Sword Mark still on Junior Sister?"
Yu Nianyuan paused slightly, then nodded: "That's right, I put it with her."
Candlelight squinting in the snow:
"That day, we were held up by the man surnamed Song and the female officials of the Censorate. When that little thief, Butterfly Love Flower, used his sword to kill people, [Craftsmanship] appeared. Junior Sister's Crimson Lotus Sword Seal should be able to sense it."
Yu Nianyuan frowned slightly: "That makes sense... Wait, what does Senior Sister mean..."
Xuezhongzhu remained silent for a moment, his brows furrowing as if worried about something, then shook his head.
"It's alright. I was just worried that my junior sister might be foolish enough to chase after this thief without regard for her own safety. That would explain why she hasn't returned yet."
Yu Nianyuan's expression immediately turned serious, and he spoke thoughtfully:
"What Senior Sister said is not impossible..."
The two fell silent for a moment.
After a short while, Yu Nianyuan breathed a sigh of relief and was the first to offer words of comfort:
"We're not Junior Sister, so we can't be sure of the specifics. Senior Sister, please don't worry too much. Besides, with Junior Sister's abilities and her ability to sense the Crimson Lotus Sword Seal, the Butterfly Love Flower Master is very likely to be captured before she can even set up her sword. It might just be a blessing in disguise..."
"Um."
Xuezhongzhu nodded reluctantly and said nothing more.
Seeing this, Yu Nianyuan said again:
"Please don't take Fifth Junior Sister's impulsive words to heart, Senior Sister. Everyone in Jianze, including Junior Sister, respects you very much."
"Besides, we've all seen how our senior sister treats our junior sister. Of all the junior sisters in the hall, our senior sister is the strictest with her and cares about her the most..."
"Okay, this is getting more and more cheesy."
Xuezhongzhu interrupted, his tone impatient:
"I'm not sentimental at all..."
After she finished speaking coldly, she remained silent for a long time with a stern face, her blue eyes gazing down at the waves below:
"But... I just happened to see a few rare white sturgeon. This creature is extremely nourishing, replenishing qi and nourishing deficiency, promoting blood circulation and relieving urinary tract infections. Ancient books say it benefits the five internal organs and makes plump beauties... It's perfect for replenishing my junior sister's qi and blood, as she is too thin."
Yu Nianyuan pressed down on the corners of his lips and nodded:
"Okay, okay, it's just a coincidence."
She paused, then sighed:
"Speaking of which, Junior Sister should be spending the Lantern Festival alone tonight. I wonder where she is. She must be very lonely. We used to always keep her company..."
"I'm sleepy." Xue Zhongzhu waved his sleeve, his face tense, and turned to return to the cabin.
Yu Nianyuan walked forward to where his senior sister had been standing, glanced at the white shadows rising and falling in the white waves below, gently patted the railing, leisurely returned to the cabin, and muttered to himself, "That Mr. Wei is coming too, then let's take two of them."
As soon as the two women left, a three-legged bird shot out from the dark night like an arrow, skimming across the water and drawing a perfect arc.
The strange bird had two Yangtze River sturgeon grasped by its three claws. When it flew over a merchant ship, it released its claws and dropped them.
"Bang bang—"
On the deck, two plump and nutritious white sturgeon thrashed helplessly a few times.
...
Ouyang Rong noticed that the embroiderer seemed very happy tonight.
The carriage carrying the two was traveling on Xingzifang Street, which was still bustling in the early morning, with a prosperous scene outside the carriage.
Actually, when Ouyang Rong first took Zhao Qingxiu's hand and led her out, the latter's expression revealed that she was somewhat afraid.
The girl, blindfolded with a sky-blue ribbon, was used to hiding alone in a corner where no one noticed her.
However, Ouyang Rong held her hand very considerately, and even used this as an excuse to sit next to her, pressing his body against hers.
As if sensing Ouyang Rong's warm, furnace-like body, Zhao Qingxiu's tense emotions eased somewhat.
Later, after entering the bustling market, the sounds of fireworks, songs, and vendors' cries filled the air. As they passed several street vendors, Ouyang Rong even took out his money and bought a string of candied hawthorns and a rattle drum through the window, which he then put into Zhao Qingxiu's hand.
Holding a candied hawthorn in one hand and a rattle drum in the other, her little face, covered by a ribbon, froze for a moment.
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and took a small bite of the candied hawthorn, speaking unclearly, and threatened, "If you don't eat it, I'll eat it all."
Zhao Qingxiu quickly lowered her head and took small bites of the candied hawthorn.
Ouyang Rong quietly spat the candied hawthorn from his mouth into his hand and threw it on the ground. He had almost vomited from just tasting the sweetness.
Perhaps influenced by the festive atmosphere around her, but most importantly... with someone by her side, Zhao Qingxiu gradually became less afraid and her mood brightened.
The baby started making more babbling sounds and was full of curiosity about the outside world.
Ouyang Rong rarely saw her lively side.
Sure enough, nobody dislikes going out and having fun. Well, if it weren't for loneliness and boredom, who would want to stay in a dark corner all day, "twisting, crawling, rotting, and smelling bad"?
The most crucial thing is who you're with; it's obviously not fun alone.
During the bumpy ride, Ouyang Rong felt the embroiderer's shoulder brush against his several times. At one point, the bumps were so severe that Ouyang Rong even reached out and touched the rounded shoulders of the girl whose eyes were blindfolded with a sky-blue ribbon.
His hand remained on Zhao Qingxiu's shoulder, his face full of concern: "Are you alright?"
"Ah ah."
Zhao Qingxiu shook her head, then slowly turned her head to look at the extra hand on her shoulder.
Before she could speak, she noticed that the man beside her very gentlemanly let go of her hand.
Zhao Qingxiu lowered her head.
Ouyang Rong sat upright the entire time.
As the carriage continued its unavoidable jolts, her frail body would occasionally bump into his arms.
Ouyang Rong stared at the carriage curtain ahead and quietly gave a thumbs-up to Ali, who was driving the carriage outside.
After an incense stick had burned, Ouyang Rong lifted the carriage curtain and saw that a familiar street was approaching.
He rubbed his face, sighed, and muttered to himself, "Well, since we're already here,"
Ouyang Rong hadn't actually planned to come here specifically, but Ali drove this way anyway.
"Stop on the side of the street, Ali."
"Yes, young master."
Ouyang Rong pulled out his old partner—a folding fan—from under his seat, turned to the bewildered girl beside him who was looking around, and gently instructed her:
“Miss embroiderer, please wait in the carriage and don’t move. I’ll go out and join the queue… I’ll be back soon, before you finish your candied hawthorn.”
"Ya ya gu lu." Zhao Qingxiu immediately put down the candied hawthorn and stopped eating, grabbing his sleeve with her little hands.
"What, you're coming too? Well, it's not impossible, but you'll still have to wait for me outside the corridor for a while? It's crowded and noisy there, are you sure you're not afraid to stand there?" He looked troubled.
Zhao Qingxiu opened her mouth with an "ah," biting the remaining half of the candied hawthorn between her teeth. She then freed both hands, grabbed Ouyang Rong's palm, and wrote words on it with her index finger, her small face focused and earnest.
I'm more afraid of being alone.
Ouyang Rong felt an itch in his palm and shrugged helplessly: "Alright, wait a moment... Here, take this green bamboo staff."
Ouyang Rong then pulled out a jade bamboo cane from under his seat and handed it to Zhao Qingxiu.
This bamboo staff was newly made by him, and it was similar in style to the one he had previously given to Lady Rong.
Seemingly curious, Ouyang Rong repeatedly pulled out small gadgets from under the seat. The girl, blindfolded with a sky-blue ribbon, stared blankly down.
"Ahem, let's go, stop looking."
Ouyang Rong quickly pulled her away and led her off the carriage.
Looking at the riddle-filled corridor ahead, he walked forward with a slightly embarrassed expression and started queuing.
Since we've already come twice, one more time won't make a difference. We can't waste the extra money they gave us, can we?
Three taels of silver is enough for half a month's salary for him.
Thinking of this, the man felt a surge of self-righteousness, too lazy to even fan himself with the folding fan, and stuffed it back into his sleeve. But Zhao Qingxiu reached into her sleeve, took out the folding fan, opened it, and earnestly fanned him, like a caring little follower.
Outside the lantern riddle corridor, the familiar figure of the handsome young man with a folding fan, accompanied by his beautiful companion, was seen again. The grandfather and grandson, who were selling tickets, both trembled slightly at the same time.
A moment of silence fell. The grandfather and granddaughter, almost simultaneously, turned to look at the blindfolded, pretty girl behind Ouyang Rong, who was holding his sleeve. Their expressions were complex...
(End of this chapter)
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