Confirming my feelings
"Ink, where did you get this stuff from this time?"
When Ink heard Xichun call it, it placed something in front of Xichun. Xichun picked it up and saw that it was a jade thumb ring. Without a doubt, she knew that Ink must have stolen Wei Qiao's from Xuesong Hall. She patted Ink's head, scolded it a couple of times, picked up the thumb ring, and went to Xuesong Hall.
The gate to Xuesong Hall was open. Zhao Yu was practicing his sword in the courtyard when he saw Xichun and hurried over to greet her. "What brings you to Xuesong Hall, Young Mistress?"
Xi Chun handed him the thumb ring in her hand, "This is something Mo Zhi just brought back. I guess it belongs to my uncle. Could you please give it to him for me?"
After the two parted, Zhao Yu sheathed his sword and went into the study to find Wei Qiao. Wei Qiao was tidying up the bookshelf. "Second Young Master, this was just delivered by the Eldest Young Mistress. She asked me to give it to you, saying that she carried it over with ink."
Wei Qiao turned around and saw that it was the ring he had deliberately let Mo Zi take away earlier. He had originally thought that Xi Chun would definitely come to find him with the ring, but he didn't expect that she would just have someone pass it on. "How does the eldest young mistress look?"
Zhao Yu thought for a moment and said, "He's fine, but his eyes are a little dark, probably because he didn't sleep well."
Wei Qiao nodded indifferently and waved for Zhao Yu to leave. Yan Zhongyou now adored the painting and had already hung it on the wall of the Imperial Study, where every minister who entered the study could see it. In a few days, he would also let Wei Changsong see the painting in person.
Just as Xichun returned to Qingwu Garden, Granny Wang led two maids to the garden and greeted her with a smile.
"What brings you here, Granny Wang? Please come in and have a seat." Xichun invited Granny Wang to sit down in the main room.
“Young Madam, I came here today specifically to bring you maids. This thin one is called Hehua, and the plump one is called Hemiao. They are both maids from Madam’s quarters. Madam said that now that you are past the mourning period, it’s not good for you to stay cooped up in the mansion. If you want to go out, you can have these two maids go with you. Madam also asked me to bring you ten taels of silver. If you want to buy anything, take this money and buy it.”
Happiness came so suddenly that Xichun was still in a daze long after Wang Mama left. She had thought she would grow old and die in this mansion, but unexpectedly, the madam had allowed her to go out. Xichun was lost in thought; the two maids were still waiting for her to assign them rooms.
Hehua asked, "Young Madam, where are we staying?"
Xi Chun came to her senses and said, "There is a side room on each side. You can choose whichever room you like."
Hehua and Hemiao settled down in Qingwu Garden, and Xichun would chat with them occasionally. Qingwu Garden became much more lively because of their arrival. Two days later, Xichun remembered what Granny Wang had said and realized she could go out. After lunch, she asked Hemiao and Hehua to accompany her to the market to buy things.
"Young Madam, I'm going to the gatehouse to get the carriage ready," He Miao said.
Xi Chun waved her hand, "I just want to walk there."
Walking from Shuimo Street to the bustling Zhuque Avenue, the warm early spring sun shone on Xichun, bright and cozy, everything seemed new. She strolled slowly along the street, stopping to look at each shop she passed. After two hours, she hadn't even finished half of Zhuque Avenue. Hemiao and Hehua, their feet aching from walking, saw that Xichun hadn't bought anything and secretly cursed her for being stingy.
Seeing that it was getting late, Xichun finally remembered her business and bought two pairs of satin shoes at Ruyi Shoe Shop on Zhuque Street. The female shopkeeper in the shop picked them out by comparing them to her feet, and both pairs fit her perfectly.
Seeing a stall selling drinks on the street, Xichun treated the two of them to a bowl of osmanthus lotus root starch. Just as they were about to head back, a runaway horse charged into the crowd and headed straight for Xichun and her companion.
Hehua was looking at the clothes hanging at the entrance of the clothing store next door, trying to attract customers, and didn't notice the runaway horse charging towards them. Xichun shoved Hehua aside, but she herself didn't have time to dodge, and the horse's hooves were about to reach her. Just as she closed her eyes and prayed that she wouldn't die too badly, she was suddenly picked up, spun around, and landed steadily. The runaway horse brushed past them and galloped onward.
Still shaken, Xi Chun's chest heaved. She opened her eyes and realized that the person who had just saved her was none other than Wei Qiao. Looking up at Wei Qiao's face, Xi Chun's eyes immediately reddened. After her near-death experience, she realized that she still loved Wei Qiao, and she was willing to bear any retribution for him.
Seeing the tears in her eyes, Wei Qiao's heart trembled. Glancing at the two maids following Xi Chun behind him, he put on a concerned but not overstepping-the-line manner, "Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
Hehua and Hemiao, having just recovered from their shock, saw Xichun's stunned expression and assumed she was traumatized, so they quickly gathered around her to ask, "Young Madam, are you alright?"
Hehua was afraid that Xichun would be so frightened that she would be punished by Zhang Yunyao when she got back, so she grabbed Xichun's arm and shook it violently, "Young Madam, don't scare me!"
Startled back to her senses, Xichun shook her head at the three people in front of her and smiled, "I'm fine, thank you very much, Uncle."
"Sister-in-law, you're too kind. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now." With a smile and a nod, Hou Qiao turned and walked in the opposite direction from Xi Chun.
Across the street, in the Jade Tea House, a handsome young man holding a folding fan and wearing a cicada-patterned headscarf was drinking tea with an elderly woman with gray hair at a window seat on the second floor. He had taken in the commotion caused by the startled horse on the street, and when he saw the girl selflessly saving someone, he praised her chivalry in his heart, feeling that this girl seemed to be an old acquaintance.
Just as he was pondering this, the innkeeper brought them some free tea and snacks. He offered some polite compliments, and when he looked back, the girl was nowhere to be seen on the street. Zhuque Street was bustling and prosperous, and everything was as before, as if what he had just seen was a dream.
That night, Xichun returned to Qingwu Garden, took out the pair of light pink satin shoes that she had kept high in the wardrobe, put on the shoes, and went to the ancestral hall alone with a lantern.
Kneeling before Wei Kang's memorial tablet, Xi Chun sincerely repented, "Brother Wei Kang, all of this was of my own free will, it has nothing to do with him. He did not seduce me, I succumbed to temptation on my own. I am willing to bear everything, and I hope all the retribution will fall upon me. I wish him peace. Brother Wei Kang, Xi Chun is sorry for what I did. I will repay your kindness in my next life."
It was past midnight when Xichun returned from the ancestral hall. The Wei residence was already shrouded in darkness, everyone asleep, awaiting the next morning. However, Wei Changsong was not among them; he was in his bedroom, drinking and making merry with Consort Meng. Earlier that day, Minister Wei of the Censorate had revealed to him that a portrait of a woman hung in the Emperor's study, and it was said that the Emperor looked at it several times a day; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was the Emperor's beloved.
"Master, where are you going to find a girl like that?" Aunt Meng thought Wei Changsong was really having wild ideas.
Wei Changsong patted Aunt Meng's fair face and said with a sly smile, "You don't know this, do you? Your master is very capable. There are so many women in the world, there must be one who looks like the person in the painting. She doesn't have to be exactly the same, just five or six points of resemblance, and with some makeup, is enough to drive men crazy."
A few days later, Wei Changsong finally found a newly revised document from the Ministry of Rites regarding changes in the standards for imperial clan pensions and went to the Yuanhe Hall to meet Yan Zhongyou. Yan Zhongyou did not have a good impression of Wei Changsong. He had betrayed his former master in the past, so it was inevitable that he would harbor disloyal thoughts again in the future. After saying a few words to him, he sent him away.
Wei Changsong had achieved his goal and humbly took his leave from Yuanhe Hall. When he saw the painting hanging in the Imperial Study, he was astonished by the unexpected coincidence: the woman in the painting, adorned with flowers, looked exactly like his daughter-in-law, Xichun. He felt it would be a disservice to heaven not to seize such a golden opportunity.
Back at the mansion, Wei Changsong took two hundred taels of silver from the house and went straight to Manxin Courtyard. At that moment, Zhang Yunyao was in the side hall, pruning the withered leaves of a pot of orchids with a pair of scissors.
"What brings you here, sir?" Zhang Yunyao stood up and called for a maid to bring tea.
Wei Changsong walked to the couch and sat down, a sorrowful expression on his face. "I've been dreaming of Kang'er these past few days. It's heartbreaking to think of his untimely death. Today, a colleague mentioned that Yehua Temple in the south of the city can deliver one from all suffering. I think you and Kang'er's wife should go and perform the rituals for a few days. That would put my mind at ease." With that, he handed Zhang Yunyao two hundred taels of silver notes from his sleeve.
When Zhang Yunyao heard that it was about Wei Kang, she took it very seriously and immediately agreed. She then asked Granny Wang to go to Qingwu Garden to inform Xichun.
The next day, just as they were about to leave, they met Wei Qiao at the gate of the mansion. Wei Qiao was on his way to the garrison camp in the south of the city to check on the soldiers' training. Since it was on the way, Wei Qiao offered to take them to Yehua Temple.
Zhang Yunyao and Xichun sat inside the carriage, with Wei Qiao riding a tall horse in front. Xichun lifted the curtain and looked out the window, her eyes constantly darting forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wei Qiao. However, after looking for a while, she only saw Agui following behind him.
They were so close, yet so far apart. Only these past few days had Xichun truly experienced the taste of longing. Her heart was like a peach tree in spring, bursting into full bloom overnight, each blossom a testament to her yearning.
Yehua Temple was a royal temple, opened to the public only because the late emperor cared for the people. However, the reputation of the Wei family was not enough here, and the servant who came to reserve a religious service was refused by the guest monk. Zhang Yunyao had no choice but to wait until she entered the mountain gate to discuss it with the guest monk.
The temple grounds are planted with magnolias, and the pure white magnolias stand proudly on the branches, just like lotus flowers on land, which complements the magnificent temple architecture.
Zhang Yunyao told Xichun to explore on her own first, and that she would send a maid to find her once she had made her decision. Hehua and Hemiao were already captivated by the magnolias that filled the temple, so Xichun let them go and admire the flowers while she strolled around by herself.
As soon as Wei Qiao dismounted, he encountered his former colleagues outside the mountain gate. The two chatted, and when they bid him farewell and went back into the temple to look for Zhang Yunyao and the others, they only saw Xi Chun kneeling alone in front of the Manjushri Bodhisattva statue, praying quietly. Her devout appearance was exactly the same as what he had seen in the ancestral hall that night.
Xi Chun clasped her hands together, closed her eyes gently, and silently recited her prayer, hoping that the Bodhisattva would hear her heartfelt words. She hoped to see Wei Qiao for a long, long time, even if they weren't together; just seeing him would make her content.
Wei Qiao stood quietly outside the hall, watching her slender figure. After bowing three times, Xi Chun turned to walk out of the hall, and as she looked up, she saw Wei Qiao watching her at the door. Wei Qiao was dressed in a plain white Taoist robe, the breeze ruffling the hem of his robe. He stood there steadily, like a magnolia blossom standing gracefully on a branch. No, he was more striking and dazzling than all the magnolias on the mountain. In Xi Chun's eyes at this moment, he was worth more than everything in the world.
Seeing the lingering affection in Xichun's eyes, Wei Qiao suddenly felt as if someone was choking him, making it hard to breathe. He coughed lightly, intentionally breaking the silence, and put on his gentle expression again. "Is your sister-in-law all alone here?"
Xi Chun snapped out of her daze, her bright eyes still fixed on him. "Yes, Grandma went to discuss the procedures for the Buddhist ceremony with the monks at the temple." Xi Chun took two more steps forward, stopping just a step away from him, and looked up at him, asking, "Uncle, are you leaving?"
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