Chapter 125: The kite flies through the clouds with the wind, and the fragrance of tea accompanies the warm sunshine
The morning light in Shufangzhai grew warmer, the wind chimes under the porch tinkling softly as the breeze rustled. Fragments of light filtered through the cracks in the crabapple leaves and landed on the stone table, illuminating the freshly brewed Rain-Predawn Longjing tea that Ziwei had prepared with a shimmering emerald green. Little Swallow was squatting on the steps, fiddling with the phoenix kite Yongqi had brought. The bamboo frame spun swiftly in her hands, the red silk of its tail feathers sweeping across the bluestone, sending fine dust swirling like dancing flames.
"Turn slowly, be careful not to prick your hands with the bamboo bones." Ziwei came over with a teacup, her aqua-green skirt lightly brushing Xiaoyanzi's head, and her fingertips touched her red ears. "The abbot and the emperor are talking in the room, be careful not to disturb them." She put the teacup on the stone table. The light sound of the bottom of the cup touching the table was mixed with Zen sayings coming from the room - the abbot was saying "one flower, one world; one leaf, one bodhi."
Xiaoyanzi stuck out her tongue and stuffed the kite into Yongqi's arms: "You take it, I'll go see where the treasure bag that eldest brother gave me is." As she said that, she ran to the inner room. The hem of her lilac palace dress swept across the orchid bushes under the corridor, startling a few pink butterflies that fluttered into flight, circled around the wind chimes twice before flying away.
Yongqi caught the kite, looked at her back and scolded with a smile: "You are still so irritable!" Having said that, he couldn't help but tidy up the kite's tail feathers. The cuffs of his sky-blue riding and shooting uniform were stained with some red silk tassels. When he lowered his head to brush it off, he happened to see the twelfth prince Yongji looking up at him with his little face.
"Fifth brother, can this kite really fly into the sky?" Yongqi clutched the edge of his robe. The flowing cloud patterns embroidered on his royal blue brocade robe were gilded by the morning light. The curiosity in his eyes was like starlight. "Can it fly higher than the peacocks in the rare bird house?"
"Of course!" Yongqi patted his shoulder, his strength as light as a feather. "When the wind picks up later, Fifth Brother will teach you how to fly the kite. I guarantee it'll soar into the clouds." He suddenly remembered something and pulled a glass whistle from his sleeve pocket, pressing it into Yongqi's hand. "If the kite string gets loose, blow this. The sound will scare away pigeons that are trying to grab food."
Yongji clutched the whistle in his palm. The cool touch made him grin, revealing two small canine teeth. "Thank you, Fifth Brother! Sister Xiaoyanzi said you always talked about teaching her how to fly a kite. So you really can?"
This made Forte burst out laughing. He was helping a small stool to support the easel he had just set up. He straightened up and said, "Twelfth Prince, you may not know this, but our fifth brother stayed in the Imperial Garden until sunset the other day to practice this craft. The kite string got tangled in a pine tree, and it had to be untied by a guard who climbed up."
"Fuertai, you're talking nonsense!" Yongqi was about to strike him, but Fu'erkang held him back. Fu'erkang, dressed in a moon-white robe, was helping Ziwei spread out a freshly written poem. Hearing this, he said softly, "Fifth Brother wanted to give Princess a surprise, and he put so much thought into it." His gaze fell on the words "Lotus Breeze Sends Fragrance" on the paper, and he paused his pen. "Miss Ziwei's handwriting has become even more clear and mellow, with the elegance of the Jiangnan water vapor."
Ziwei's cheeks flushed slightly, and she curled up a corner of the poem with her fingertips: "It's just a random scribbling, how can it compare to the strong calligraphy of Master Erkang." When she looked up, she met Fu Erkang's gaze, which was as warm as the morning light. She quickly turned her eyes away, picked up the teacup and took a sip. The heat of the tea blurred the slightly hot corners of her eyes.
"Wow, boom! This tea smells so good!" Little Mosquito ran out of the kitchen carrying a tray. The almond cookies on the plate were still steaming, and the sweet fragrance mixed with the tea aroma filled the air. "I just heard from Aunt Zhang in the small kitchen that this Longjing tea was specially shipped from Jiangnan by the Emperor. It tastes just like the old tea tree in the backyard of the Fang Mansion!" He nodded in the direction of the abbot and Emperor Qianlong and lowered his voice. "The Emperor and the abbot were talking about Buddhism, saying 'a mind without worries, without fear'. Isn't that referring to our princess and daughter?"
Xiaodeng, who was squatting nearby helping Xiaochong tie the kite string, chimed in, "That's right! Our princess is incredibly courageous. What obstacles can't she overcome? Just like Sun Wukong, with his fiery eyes and golden pupils, he can discern right from wrong and weather any storm!" He suddenly slapped his thigh and his voice brightened, "When it comes to kites, we need to emulate Sun Wukong's somersaulting cloud. No matter how high the palace walls are, we can still fly out and see the sun!"
"Keep your voice down!" Little Dengzi quickly covered his mouth, but Little Swallow heard him from inside the house. She came out holding a brocade bag embroidered with lotus flowers, and scolded him with a smile, "Little Stool, are you making fun of me again? Be careful or I'll have the little bugs imitate the croaking of toads and bother you!" As she pressed the brocade bag into Ziwei's hand, she said, "Look, this is what my eldest brother gave me. He said it contains herbs to repel mosquitoes, and a whistle for help that sounds louder than your flute."
Ziwei stroked the lotus pattern on the brocade bag and suddenly remembered that night at the Fang Mansion, when Xiaoyanzi had pressed something into her hands, saying, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." She looked up and saw the abbot emerge from the room, twirling red sandalwood Buddhist beads in his hand. His eyes fell on the kite, and he smiled warmly, "Let it fly! Let the kite carry your worries. The wind will blow them away."
Qianlong followed behind, the hem of his bright yellow uniform lifted by the wind. He looked at Xiaoyanzi, eager to try, and a smile spread across his eyes. "Go ahead. The abbot and I will watch you." He turned and waved to Yongji, "Ji'er, go too. Follow your fifth brother's example. If you fly high enough, I'll reward you."
"Thank you, Emperor!" Yongqi's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Yongqi's sleeve and ran. His royal blue figure mixed with the edge of his sky-blue clothes, running in the courtyard like two light breezes. Xiaoyanzi had already run to the center of the courtyard with her kite, and the red silk tail feathers fluttered behind her. She turned around and called out, "Ziwei, come quickly! Help me hold the kite head!"
Ziwei ran after him, her aqua skirt and red silk tail feathers intertwining in the wind, like two twin flowers. Falcon stood in the corridor, his eyes following Ziwei's figure, his hand still clutching the poem she had just written. His fingertips brushed over the words "tongxin," and he couldn't hide the smile on his lips.
The wind was just right, and the phoenix kite, riding the current, soared sharply higher. Its crimson silk tail feathers traced arcs across the azure sky, dragging the slender kite string with a trembling, humming sound. Little Swallow retreated, tugging at the spool of string. Her lilac-colored palace dress puffed out in the wind, like a bird spreading its wings. She looked up at the kite and suddenly remembered what Xiao Jian had said at the Fang residence: "With your lightness skills, combined with this wind, you can fly higher than a kite." Her eyes warmed slightly, but her smile grew even brighter.
"Up! Up!" Yongji jumped and clapped his hands, the glass whistle in his hand beeping, startling the pigeons in the corridor and making them flutter and fly, circling in the sky with the kite. Little mosquitoes jumped on the steps, shouting, "Wow, boom! They're all flying into the clouds! Higher than Sun Wukong's somersault cloud!"
The little stool squatted on the stone table and replied with his hands dancing excitedly: "That's right! The kite flown by our princess carries the blessing of the Bodhisattva! It will surely protect the people of Shufangzhai from harm!" The little bug beside him chirped like a bird, accompanying his words, which made everyone laugh.
The abbot twirled his Buddhist beads, looked at the kites in the sky and the figures laughing and playing in the courtyard, and whispered to Qianlong, "Your Majesty, please see, if your heart is free, even palace walls cannot block your warmth."
Qianlong gazed at Xiaoyanzi's profile, her head thrown back in laughter. The sunlight fell on her flowing hair, like a dusting of gold. He gazed at the warm light filling the courtyard before him, and suddenly felt that the Forbidden City had truly changed with the arrival of these two girls. The fragrance of tea mingled with the scent of flowers, laughter lingered with the sound of wind chimes, and even the air was filled with an indelible sweetness.
The kite string trembled gently in Xiaoyanzi's hand, as if it were holding the clouds in the sky, and also holding this new, hopeful day. She turned to look at Ziwei, and they smiled at each other, the light in their eyes warmer than the sun in the sky - within these palace walls, with each other by their side, they were not afraid of anything.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
