Chapter 250: Night Talk with Red Candles, Wine Warms the Heart
In the eastern warm room of Shufangzhai, four goat-horn palace lanterns hung from the beams, illuminating the room as if it were bathed in honey. Little Swallow, Ziwei, Qing'er, and Jinsuo huddled together on a bunk bed covered with a bright red mandarin duck quilt. The embroidered painting of hundreds of children and grandchildren on the bed curtains came alive in the light.
"Do you think it will be very cold on our wedding day?" Little Swallow curled up her legs, her chin resting on her knees, the cuff of her coral-red floral jacket brushing against her nose. "Even though my wedding dress has a fox fur collar, if it's windy, it might still freeze into a popsicle."
Ziwei was using a silver hairpin to pick up the candle wick, the flame dancing on her moon-white satin skirt. "Empress Lingfei said that charcoal basins would be placed on both sides of the red carpet that day to keep it warm all the way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony." She put down the silver hairpin and brushed her fingertips over the plain cloak folded at the head of the bed. "I also prepared this. I'll put it on if it gets really cold."
Qing'er sat next to Ziwei, the hem of her pale green jacket spread across the bed like an open lotus leaf. In her hand, she held a half-embroidered purse, the stitches as fine as spring rain. "My mother said, even if it's cold on your wedding day, your heart will be warm." She raised her eyes, her eyelashes casting a faint shadow in the candlelight. "Xiao Jian said, after we get married, he'll take me to Jiangnan to see the plum blossoms."
"Ouch—" Xiaoyanzi suddenly cried out strangely and reached out to tickle Qing'er's armpit. "We've only just said a few words and you're already thinking about Brother Xiao Jian!"
Qing'er laughed so hard that she kept dodging, and the purse in her hand fell on the mattress: "Stop it, stop it!" She turned around and tickled Xiaoyanzi, and the two rolled into a ball, and the golden mandarin ducks on the brocade quilt were pressed crookedly.
Jinsuo sat at the foot of the bed, holding a red lacquer box in her hands, carefully placing a pair of pure gold earrings inside. Hearing the noise, she looked up, her cheeks flushed. "Princess, stop making noises! You might tear your clothes." She opened the box and showed it to everyone. "This is what Brother Liu sent from Suzhou. He said it was for my dowry."
The box was filled with jewels of gold, jade, and pearls, dazzling in the candlelight. Little Swallow came over and picked up a phoenix hairpin inlaid with rubies. "This hairpin is so beautiful! It goes perfectly with your red veil!"
Ziwei also came over to take a look, pointing at a pair of jade bracelets with her fingers: "This jade looks warm, perfect for winter."
Qing'er picked up the purse she had just dropped and said with a smile, "I'm almost done embroidering this purse. I'll give it to you as a gift for your box."
Xiaoyanzi suddenly sighed and fell onto the bed, sprawling out like a toad. "It's so fast! I'm getting married in the blink of an eye." She looked at the gilded curtain hooks above the bed. "I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to share a bed with you guys in the future."
Ziwei reached out and patted her arm: "Come to Shufangzhai to find me if you want to. Prince Yongqi will not refuse."
"That's right," Qing'er also said, "My house is just across the alley from yours, and you can get there in no time."
Jinsuo closed the box and whispered, "The door of the guesthouse is always open to the princesses. I will make you some sweet and sour fish."
Xiaoyanzi sat up suddenly, her eyes shining like two stars. "That's right! We're so close, we can meet anytime we want!" She grabbed Ziwei's hand, then Qing'er and Jinsuo, and put their hands together. "Pin! Whether you get married or have children, we'll keep everything going like this!"
"Pin pinky promise!" The three hands shook together vigorously, the candlelight flickered on the four overlapping hands, and it was so warm that it seemed to melt water.
In the courtyard, the cold wind blew snowflakes against the pomegranate trees, making a rustling sound. Yongqi, Erkang, Xiao Jian, Liu Qing, and Ertai sat around a red-lacquered round table. A brass stove sat on top, its charcoal fire blazing brightly, making everyone's face flush.
"Come, cheers!" Yongqi raised his glass, the cuffs of his dark blue prince's uniform sliding down to his forearms, revealing the white jade bracelets on his wrists. "I wish that we can all marry our loved ones, and live happily ever after!"
"Cheers!" The four glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound. The wine went down the throat, with a sharp taste that burned a knife, but it warmed the whole body comfortably.
Liu Qing drank the fastest. He put down his glass and wiped his mouth, leaving a wine stain on the front of his royal blue cotton robe. "The greatest blessing in my life is meeting Jinsuo." He chuckled, "From now on, I will definitely treat her well and not let her suffer any injustice."
Ertai gnawed on a piece of braised pork elbow, oil dripping down the corners of his mouth: "Brother Liu, what you said makes sense! I feel the same way about Liu Hong. If she tells me to go east, I will never go west!"
Xiao Jian took a sip of wine and gazed towards the east warm room of Shufangzhai. The candlelight there shone through the window paper like a piece of molten gold. "Qing'er has suffered a lot in the palace," he said in a low voice. "From now on, I will protect her and never let her suffer any more grievances."
Erkang put down his wine glass, his fingers rubbing the cracks on the rim. "Ziwei and I have agreed that when we return from Jinan, we will open an academy to teach those orphaned girls." He looked up, his eyes gleaming. "She always said that she wanted to pass on her mother's kindness."
Yongqi listened to their conversation, feeling warm inside. He thought of Xiaoyanzi rolling around on the bed, her eyes sparkling when she saw the jewelry, and couldn't help but smile. "My girl is as lively as an unleashed animal." He picked up the wine jug and poured wine for everyone. "But I just like her like this. Free and unrestrained. It's nice."
"Well said!" Ertai clapped his hands on the table and applauded. "The purpose of life is to be free and comfortable!"
Liu Qing put a piece of braised pork in each person's bowl and said, "Eat it quickly. It won't taste good if it gets cold. Jinsuo made this especially for us. She said it would warm us up."
The aroma of meat, mixed with the fragrance of wine, filled the courtyard. The cold wind still howled, but in this small corner, it felt as warm as spring. Yongqi looked up at the sky. The stars were sparsely dotted across the dark blue sky, like a handful of diamonds. He knew that in two days, he would be able to hold Xiaoyanzi's hand and walk into the palace draped with red silk.
The candlelight in the east warm room was still burning, and the girls' laughter drifted out intermittently, like a string of silver bells. The men in the yard were still drinking, occasionally clinking glasses, occasionally laughing, their voices filled with anticipation for the future.
The snow had begun to fall again, landing softly on the eaves of Shufangzhai, the pomegranate tree, and the red lacquered round table. In a blink of an eye, a thin layer of white accumulated. But the warmth seeped through the window paper and the crack in the door, spreading out bit by bit, enveloping the entire Shufangzhai.
There is only one day left until the big day.
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