Chapter 13. Wealth and status are dazzling.
The day was to depart early, and the maid responsible for delivering the message knocked on Shimi's door at the fourth watch of the night.
Last night, I slept very well on the soft bed and pillows; anyone facing piles of silver can have a good dream. Shimi heard someone calling outside and groggily peeked out. It was still dark, and the window paper was bathed in a deep, rich blue light.
She sat up, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, and replied, "Okay, stop shouting."
She moved her legs to get out of bed and look for her soft shoes. She had jumped onto the bed too hard last night, and her shoes had been flung far away. She squinted and searched for a long time before finally finding them in front of the dressing table.
She stumbled and slipped her feet into the shoe, muttering, "Setting off so early, Grand Tutor is pushing himself too hard."
Fortunately, her preparations for going out were not complicated. She washed her face and wiped her teeth, then chose one of her only two sets of clothes to wear. Holding a hairpin in her mouth, she turned around in front of the mirror to look at herself, then casually tied her hair up. Soon everything was ready, she hung up her little purse, and headed to Lu Min's residence.
The two buildings were about ten feet apart, and the early morning wind was quite chilly, cutting like a knife on the face. Fortunately, a covered bridge connected them, with bamboo curtains on both sides to block some of the strong wind. When she entered Lu Min's residence, he was already dressed and waiting in front of the door.
Yesterday, she was so busy getting familiar with her own room that she didn't have a chance to come and see him. The man's residence was indeed different from the woman's. Both were furnished with sandalwood, but his bedroom had many bookshelves of varying heights, with sets of classic books neatly stored. On the wall next to the small couch hung a banner with a few slender bamboos and a stubborn rock, succinctly highlighting the aesthetics and style of a scholar.
“Your room is very cold,” she said critically. “There are no curtains or drapes; it’s not as nice as my room.”
Lu Min said calmly, "Practicality is enough; it doesn't need to be pretty."
Shi Mi was overjoyed, "It's a good thing I don't plan to live with you. So many books, just looking at them gives me a headache."
So she's a girl who doesn't like reading. Oh well, everyone has their own ambitions, and we can't force them.
A waiter came up and draped the cloak over him. He then tied the cloak himself, saying as he did so, "Don't delay, let's go."
He walked ahead, and Shimi followed behind. The wind blew the hem of his cloak, occasionally brushing against the instep of her feet.
Descending from the high platform, the Grand Tutor's carriage was parked in front of the steps. There were about twenty guards accompanying him, all dressed in dark robes, wearing felt helmets, large kui-face armor on their chests, and long, wide heavy swords at their waists.
As for that carriage, it was magnificent on the outside and lavishly decorated inside. Thick cushions surrounded the carriage, and a tea table with a built-in brazier could be placed in the middle... Shi Mi decided to retract her previous assessment. Who said the Grand Tutor's expenses were meager? He clearly lived a life of simple luxury in moderation, with just the right balance.
Lifting his robe, he stepped onto the footstool, entering without bending over, demonstrating its spaciousness. After settling down, Shi Mi patted the brocade cushion; it was very soft and emitted a faint fragrance.
She turned to look at him. The Grand Tutor leaned against a pillow, inspecting the city plans prepared for the Emperor's review. Unlike his duties in the Nine Chapters Prefecture, he didn't need to maintain a formal demeanor when out in public. His hair was half-tied, cascading down his chest with a gold and silver ribbon. The white fox collar accentuated his face, which had regained its former glory. Upon closer inspection, although the mask she had given Xiao Wu earlier was similar, the details and spirit were different. Indeed, once the blood and qi circulated, the physical form had changed dramatically. The current Lu Min should resemble him four years ago before the poison took effect—sharp-minded and full of vitality.
Those unbridled eyes lingered on him, dissecting him from head to toe, leaving him nowhere to hide. Lu Min naturally noticed; the prolonged scrutiny only added to his frustration.
He sighed softly, “Don’t look at me like I’m an object. No woman looks at a man for ages.”
His dissatisfaction didn't bother Shimi at all. "It's my responsibility to look after you, so it's only right that I keep an eye on you." As he spoke, he tilted his head and stared at Shimi's ears. "It's still a little lacking... You used to have pierced ears, but they're gone now. Didn't you notice?"
He showed no sign of panic and said indifferently, "Those two ear piercings were left from when I was forced to play the role of the goddess when I was a child. Now that they're gone, it suits me just fine."
He said he was forced; that word doesn't seem appropriate to be used to describe him. Wasn't he a prodigy, achieving fame at a young age, unprecedented and unparalleled?
She propped herself up on her legs, sipped the tea poured from the brazier, and laughed, "Only a child whose spiritual awareness has been awakened has the opportunity to play the role of the Goddess. You're actually feeling wronged. You really don't know what's good for you."
Perhaps many years have passed, and much of the resentment has faded. When he talks about the past again, his tone is casual, as if he is talking about someone else's experience.
"The so-called 'spirit child' is always passed down among aristocratic families. This year it's your family, next year it's mine. Doesn't the young lady know I'm born out of wedlock? My elder brother, who has high hopes for me, doesn't want to wear a dress, so I have to wear it. So I was forced to have my ears pierced. To prevent the Lu family from having their turn again in two years, the piercings couldn't be allowed to close completely, so they were left there over time."
So, is dressing up as a woman a humiliating thing for a man?
Shimi said, "If I could play the role of the Goddess, I would wake up laughing in my dreams. I just don't understand why, even though it's clearly a female role, it's always played by a boy. It's just that those people think boys are superior. You're already superior, so don't mind. I think men look very good wearing earrings. If they also had some tattoos on their necks, they would look majestic and imposing, leaning on a halberd, like a great protector in a temple."
He's still as magnanimous as ever, telling you nothing matters and not to take anything to heart.
Lu Min picked up her cup, lowered her head and took a sip. "Playing the Goddess is nothing, it's just that no one has ever asked me if I'd like to wear a dress." She then smiled and said, "Forget it, it's old news, why bring it up?"
Shimi asked, "What if someone targets your ears?"
He raised his hand and touched his earlobe. "I've sought out many famous doctors, cured the bone poisoning, and healed my ear piercing. If anyone has any doubts, come and talk to me."
This person seems to have a lot of guts; they're willing to take risks to make up for the regrets of their childhood.
Shimi turned around, lifted the curtain, and looked outside. After traveling this far, only a sliver of dawn was appearing on the horizon. However, the weather was terrible, overcast like a burnt pancake, and it might rain. The carriage headed west; the official road was paved with fine stones, smooth and free of dust.
Lu Min wasn't one to meddle, so her role as a maid wasn't really useful. The carriage swayed all the way, and she started to feel drowsy, so she simply pulled his cloak over herself.
She slept soundly, the occasional rustling of pages turning in a book filling the air. Unfortunately, the wind was strong, making the windowpanes creak and groan. She covered her ears and complained, "This annoying late spring chill, when will it ever end…?"
After a long pause, Lu Min blurted out, "It's snowing."
It's snowing? Snowing during the Awakening of Insects season? She barely managed to open her eyes and glance at it. "I'm afraid there's some injustice involved!"
But the injustice seemed insufficient; the sparse snowflakes stopped after a while.
Zhongdu is more than 200 li away from Shangdu. If they travel quickly, they can enter the city in the latter half of the night. They still have plenty of time. Along the way, they pass through a small town called Yanzhu, stop for a simple meal, and continue their journey in the afternoon. For the lost, the most important thing is still to sleep.
Lu Min sometimes glanced at her, wondering how she could sleep so much. Was it because she hadn't been sleeping well before, or did she have some kind of trick, like sleeping could prolong her self-control?
She slept soundly until dusk before waking up. Peeking out, she saw a city in the distance, built over the water... no, on the water itself. At that hour, the entire city was lit up, the lights stretching out in a vibrant display, the city's outline perfectly reflected on the water, rippling and sometimes distorting, sometimes stretching.
Shi Mi was pleasantly surprised, "Have we arrived at the Nightless City?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Min raised his eyes and instructed the outside, "Go a little further ahead."
"No, no, no," Shimi hurriedly pleaded. "We've arrived, why don't we stay for the night? I've been curled up in the car all day, my bones are about to fall apart. Let's get out and walk around, and see the night view of the city."
"It would be a real hassle to delay my journey," he frowned and said. "I have important business to attend to and need to get to Baiyujing as soon as possible."
Shi Mi pointed to the sky, "It's already dark. Are we going to travel through the night? Besides, Nevernight is not far from Shangdu. At today's pace, if we stay one night, we can arrive by tomorrow evening at the latest. What's the rush?"
She tried her best to persuade him, and after a moment of silence, he finally gave in.
The carriage entered through the city gate. This place, Never-Night City, had very strict checkpoints; without passing through, one could not enter. Fortunately, the Grand Tutor's status was the best pass, and the journey was smooth sailing. Shi Mi sat inside the carriage, eagerly leaning out, and the dazzling, vibrant lights of the city immediately rushed towards him.
Magnificent painted buildings lined the streets, and brightly dressed courtesans paraded through the market. Luxury cars and horses filled the streets, accompanied by the smoke of agarwood. It was truly a dazzling display of wealth and extravagance.
Their purpose was clear: to find a restaurant to eat at, as eating was their top priority.
Shi Mi asked Lu Min, "Do you have money? The Grand Tutor's salary must be quite high, right? Anyway, you don't have to support a family. If you invite me to the Sparrow Tower, consider it your betrothal gift to me."
It's said that the Sparrow Tower is the most notorious den of iniquity in the Never-Sleeping City, stretching across Luhai Lake like a dazzling rainbow, connecting this decadent and extravagant place. Lu Min disagreed, "That place is a melting pot of all sorts of people, what would a young lady like you do there?"
"To broaden my horizons," she grinned. "I've always wanted to go, but it's too expensive, and I'm too poor to afford it. Now that the Grand Tutor is here, wouldn't it be a shame to pass by and not go in?"
Perhaps it was his status that made him hesitate; a person of high position and power would have a bad reputation if he went to such a place. Shi Mi immediately displayed her eloquence again, "Everyone has to have some weaknesses in life. If a person isn't greedy for money or lustful, then all that's left is to scheme for power, don't you think?"
This convinced him, and he no longer hesitated, signaling Bai Heliang to go in and make the arrangements first.
Soon, a crowd gathered inside the gate, and a portly man led his men out to greet them. From afar, he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "I was unaware of the Grand Tutor's arrival. Please forgive me."
Grand Tutor of the Yan Dynasty was a rare guest, and the person who came to greet him was naturally no ordinary person either—the legendary Marquis of Nevernight. However, Lu Min, holding a high position, looked down on such merchants from the bottom of his heart. He gave a few perfunctory replies and addressed the other party as "Lord Marquis," which startled the Marquis of Nevernight, who waved his hands repeatedly. "This is just a joke in the martial arts world, a playful way of calling me Marquis. Grand Tutor, you are a person of great stature. How could I, Xie, dare to be so presumptuous in front of you! Please just call me Xie Duyan. I am flattered by your presence at Yan Tower today. Please come in quickly. I have prepared a banquet. Please take your seat, Grand Tutor."
Lu Min smiled faintly, “You are too modest, my lord. You were already a marquis during the Former Yu period. As a descendant of the imperial family, you are known to all. You made great contributions when the Yan army attacked Zhongdu. Although you have not yet received His Majesty’s reward, it is only a matter of time. Therefore, it is only right that I address you as my lord.”
Jie Duyan's embarrassment was impossible to hide. He had a shameful past, which he saw as a matter of assessing the situation, but from a moral standpoint, it was treason.
That year, the Yan army attacked Quliang, and he was ordered to defend Chong'an City with the military governor. When the Yan army was at the city gates, the military governor vowed to defend the city to the death, but he betrayed his comrades who had fought alongside him. It was especially shameful for a man surnamed Xie to hand over his own city, so when Lu Min recalled the past, although he seemed calm and collected, he felt deeply ashamed.
But for business people, the most important thing is to be flexible. This awkward situation is only fleeting and quickly turns into a sincere smile on their face.
He eagerly led the way, inviting the Grand Tutor inside, and then, turning his head, ordered his attendants to clear the area, asking all irrelevant people to leave the Yan Tower.
Lu Min said there was no need, "The room is full of distinguished guests, don't let me spoil the mood. I'm just passing by and need to have a meal. After I finish eating, I still need to take my maid to go boating on Deer Sea. I don't have any extra time."
Jie Duyan had already noticed the young woman beside the Grand Tutor, initially assuming she was his concubine, but she turned out to be a maid. Thinking the Grand Tutor was truly courteous and respectful, he didn't press the matter further, forcing a smile and saying, "Since that's the case, there are elegant rooms upstairs, so you don't need to pass through the main hall, thus avoiding attention. As for the officials who accompanied the Grand Tutor, I have also arranged a sumptuous meal. Furthermore, I have ordered a boat to be prepared for the Grand Tutor. After your meal, you can board the boat from the steps downstairs at the back and row a short distance to the famous Ten-Mile Lanshan."
A note from the author:
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