Chapter 136: The city is full of joy and the breeze brings warmth
As the morning sun streamed through the Fang Mansion's vermilion lacquer gate, Xiaoyanzi poked a small hole in the window paper of the east wing. She was wearing a moon-white, casual dress and leaned over the windowsill, peering out. The hem of her skirt brushed against the camphorwood chest, bringing with it a faint scent of camphorwood. "Sister Ziwei, hurry up! Brother Xiaojian said we'll leave at noon. If you dawdle any longer, the phoenixes at the sugar painting stall will be snatched up!"
Ziwei was folding a handkerchief, her aqua-green skirt swaying slightly. Hearing this, she smiled helplessly and said, "Why rush? I've already packed my bag." She put the handkerchief into her bag and felt something hard with her fingertips. "Is this the stone your brother gave me?"
"For self-defense!" Little Swallow patted her bag. "But who'd dare mess with me while I'm here?" Just as she finished speaking, Little Mosquito's voice came from outside the window: "Good boy, long bang! Ladies, please come in! The carriage has been polished so well you can even see your reflection in it!"
The two of them walked out with their bags. Xiao Jian, wearing a long blue cloth gown, stood at the gate of the courtyard, with the tassel of the sword on his waist swaying slightly. Seeing them come out, he raised his eyebrows and said, "If you don't leave now, the four talented scholars will dismantle the carriage and use it as building blocks." Sure enough, Xiao Zhuozi was directing Xiao Dengzi to tie the curtains, Xiao Chongzi was squatting in front of the horse and imitating the horse's snorting, and Xiao Wenzi was clapping his hands and cheering.
"Let's go!" Xiaoyanzi pulled Ziwei onto the carriage. As soon as they sat down, they saw three horses coming in the distance. Yongqi, wearing a royal blue riding suit, was walking in the front, followed by Erkang and Ertai.
"Yongqi!" Xiaoyanzi lifted the curtain, her eyes fixed on the carriage behind them. "Who's in that carriage?"
Yongqi dismounted and said to the carriage with a smile, "Jinsuo, get off. We are near the Fang Mansion's villa." The curtain of the carriage was opened, and Jinsuo came down wearing a light pink cloth skirt, holding a small cloth bag embroidered with lotus flowers in her hand. Her eyes lit up when she saw Ziwei.
"Miss!" Jinsuo walked over quickly, bowed politely, but the corners of his mouth were raised high.
Ziwei was surprised and delighted: "Why are you here? I thought you were in the palace helping me organize those manuscripts."
"I brought her here," Yongqi explained. "This morning, I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Emperor. I passed by a side hall and saw her gazing at her manuscript. I asked her and found out you were out having fun today. Even though it's only been two days since we last met, she's been talking about you so much, so I told Steward Li to bring her out."
Jinsuo then remembered to thank him and bowed, "Thank you very much, Fifth Prince."
"Why should you thank him?" Xiaoyanzi pulled Jinsuo over, "You should thank me! If I hadn't come out to have fun, how would he have the chance to be a good person?" Yongqi shook his head helplessly, but there was a smile in his eyes.
Little Mosquito came up to Liu Qing (who had been waiting at the street corner) and shook his head, "Wow, boom! It's so lively now! The young ladies of the Fang family, Miss Ziwei, Miss Jinsuo, the Fifth Prince, the brothers of the Fu family, and Brother Liu Qing and Sister Liu Hong, it's really 'a great gathering of people and horses, and a joyous occasion'!"
The little bug squatted on the ground and imitated the chirping of a cricket, but was pulled up by Xiao Dengzi: "Stop playing, the master at the sugar painting stall up ahead said there's new malt sugar today. If you go too late, there won't even be any sugar left!"
The group chatted and laughed as they headed south of the city. Street vendors had already set up their stalls, and a master craftsman selling sugar paintings was scooping golden syrup. With a twist of his wrist, a phoenix with outstretched wings landed on the bluestone slab, and the sweet aroma wafted far into the distance. Little Swallow, pulling Ziwei and Jinsuo, ran over, "Master, three! One each of a phoenix, a peony, and a little rabbit!"
The old master smiled and quickly handed over the sugar painting. Little Swallow had just taken a bite of the phoenix's wing when Yongqi came over and bit its tail. She cried out, "Ouch!" and ran after him. The two of them played around in the street, the hems of their skirts and riding clothes fluttering in the sunlight.
Erkang walked over to Ziwei, holding a jade hairpin inlaid with pearls. "It looks great with your green dress." Ziwei blushed slightly as she took it and pinned it in her hair, the pearls gleaming in the sunlight. Ertai pulled Liu Qing aside to chat about martial arts, while Xiaojian stood by and listened, the tassel of his sword swaying slightly with his steps.
Walking to the willow trees by the moat, a gentle breeze rustled the willow leaves. Suddenly, a little swallow opened its arms to the wind and sang: "It's such a sunny day today, and the scenery is beautiful everywhere, beautiful scenery—" The clear song startled the sparrows in the tree and made them fly away.
Liu Hong clapped along, and the little insects chirped like yellow orioles. Ziwei listened, and when she finished, she smiled and asked, "I never taught you this song, how come you can sing it?"
Little Swallow scratched her head, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. Then she smiled and said, "You hummed it in your sleep a few nights ago. The tune was nice, so I wrote it down. How is it? Better than the one you sang in your dream, right?"
Ziwei was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "You, you even eavesdrop on my dreams. It sounds good, clearer than my singing." Jinsuo nodded on the side: "Yes, miss, Xiaoyanzi sings like a lark." Xiaoyanzi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and winked at Yongqi.
Liu Qing bought a string of candied haws and handed it to Jinsuo. Jinsuo took a bite and squinted at the sourness. "It's sourer than the palace preserves, but more refreshing." Ziwei smiled and wiped the sugar residue from the corners of her mouth, her movements natural and intimate. Ertai took out his flute and played a light tune, while Erkang hummed along to the beat. Sunlight filtered through the willow leaves, casting dappled shadows on everyone.
As the sun set, they walked back, the river shimmering with golden red. Xiaoyanzi licked the sugar residue from her fingers, Ziwei and Jinsuo talked hand in hand, and Yongqi followed behind, occasionally helping Xiaoyanzi block a passing carriage.
The wind blew across the moat, carrying moisture and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus, and blended the laughter into the twilight. Jinsuo suddenly said, "Miss, with Miss Xiaoyanzi here and so many people accompanying you, you won't be afraid to enter the palace."
Ziwei looked at Xiaoyanzi's jumping figure and nodded with a smile: "Well, with her around, I'm not afraid of anything."
Smoke curled upwards, and the sound of carriage wheels, accompanied by laughter, slowly faded into the twilight of the capital. This carefree time before entering the palace became the warmest memory of her later years at the palace.
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