Chapter 176 New Year's Eve: She was different from others.
"Manager Pei? Manager Pei?" Inside the ward gate, Feng Shisan poked Pei Bi, who was leaning against the wall, with the hilt of his sword. "Is there going to be a wedding in the ward soon?"
"Huh?" Pei Bi snapped out of his daze, suddenly noticing Feng Shisan and Ji Fang appearing behind him at some unknown time. His rough face flushed red again. "What are you saying?"
Feng Shisan pointed his sword at the departing carriage and tilted his head, saying, "So lovey-dovey, isn't this almost it? When are you going to talk to the shopkeeper about it?"
Pei Bi frowned as he walked, saying, "You're never serious all day long. Have you practiced your sword? Can you even beat Ajiu? And Xiao Ma, has anyone seen him? It's all just a bunch of nonsense. And...and happy news? What's the joy? Is it on your forehead?"
Ji Fang chuckled to himself, whispering to Feng Shisan, "It's not like we're talking about Steward Pei, why is he getting all worked up? It's kind of funny."
"You said..." Feng Shisan stepped out the door and looked in the direction the carriage had disappeared, "Where did Little Ma go?"
Ji Fang was suddenly stumped by the question, a silly smile freezing on his handsome face. Yes, Ji Fang also wanted to know where Xiao Ma had gone, but... no one knew where Xiao Ma had actually gone.
"If he's alright, it doesn't matter where he goes," Feng Shisan said with a self-deprecating shake of his head. "As long as he doesn't forget us, and always remembers us, that's enough."
Ji Fang's nose tingled with emotion. He had grown up with Lou Cangyu and was closer to him than with others. Feng Shisan and Xiao Ma arrived on the island a year later. Although the two liked to bicker and chase each other without showing any weakness, Ji Fang knew that they considered each other brothers. Feng Shisan was not joking when he dared to beat the drum to plead for Xiao Ma's innocence. If that day ever came, let alone thirty strokes of the rod, he would step on hot coals, roll on a board of knives, and endure mountains of knives and seas of fire without batting an eye.
Ji Fang sniffed and forced a smile, "Don't worry, Xiao Ma is the smartest among us. He'll only leave if there's a better place for him."
Feng Shisan thought it made sense, but as he turned around with his sword on his shoulder, he suddenly stopped, his dark face contorted, and said, "Wait, could it be... that something happened to Xiao Ma? How did he suddenly disappear?"
Ji Fang slammed his head against the back of Feng Shisan's head, making him groan in pain. "Everyone says Xiao Ma is smart, how could he let himself get into trouble? It's the New Year, can't you think of something good? Remember to bring plenty of money tonight at Shiyage."
Feng Shisan said "Oh," and slapped his chest. "Some of them are inside. I, Shisan Shao, never do anything evil. All I know is eating. Whether it's bad or good, you're the only one who's unaffected. I'm leaving."
Ji Fang took a few steps, then suddenly turned around. It was New Year's Eve, and everyone was at home preparing for the New Year. The streets were sparsely populated. Ji Fang paused for a moment. He wished he could see Xiao Ma appear at the other end of the long street, grinning and showing a set of bright white teeth, carrying his sword and heading towards Xingguo Ward, putting his arm around his and Thirteenth Young Master's shoulders, and making a fuss about going to the kitchen to find some food...
Will I ever see Xiao Ma again in my lifetime? Ji Fang hopes that day will come.
Royal Palace
The carriage stopped at the foot of the white jade steps of the Zetian Palace. The curtain was lifted, and Ajiu gracefully jumped down, turning around to reach out to Guan Ye inside the carriage. Guan Ye leaned out, her hand resting on his wrist. In the twilight, the glazed tiles on the palace roof shimmered with light. Guan Ye rubbed her eyes, feeling that the scene before her was both familiar and strange. Being able to attend the palace banquet was a great honor, and the head of the workshop had given her many instructions early in the morning. Guan Ye had been looking forward to it for the past few days, but today, upon arriving at the palace, she suddenly felt a little nervous. Staring blankly at the vermilion bird carved on the eaves of the palace, she thought that if she could grow wings like the vermilion bird, she could easily flap them and fly out of the palace walls if she was unhappy.
"What are you looking at?" Ajiu saw Guan Ye staring blankly at something and waved her hand in front of her eyes. "Get down."
Guan Ye jumped off the carriage. Inside, the warm stove and soft cushions kept her warm all the way. Outside the palace, the space was empty, with only cold blue stone and white jade. The north wind howled, and Guan Ye shivered. Her new clothes were beautiful but not warm enough. She wondered if she had been ripped off by the shopkeeper.
Ajiu covered Guan Ye's hand and breathed warm air near her mouth. "The palace banquet is held in Chengen Hall. It's very warm in there. If we start the banquet early, we can still catch the second session at Shiyage after we finish eating. Let's go."
Outside the Zetian Palace, Mu Chenbi had been waiting for a long time. He watched as the carriage approached on the palace road and stopped at the foot of the white jade steps. The curtain was lifted, revealing Ajiu's face, which seemed to be the same as his own. He was dressed in black robes, with a long sword at his waist. He turned to help Guan Ye inside the carriage. Guan Ye had changed into newly made clothes. The fabric and style... Mu Chenbi smiled. He had helped her choose those clothes that night. The shopkeeper hadn't lied; they had been made in just a few days. Seeing Guan Ye's restrained movements, and how she carefully smoothed her clothes when getting out of the carriage, he realized she was not used to the fashionable styles of women in Rongdu. Mu Chenbi thought that Guan Ye looked best when she was on her usual days. And then there was her dazed look. Mu Chenbi was a little puzzled. Everything in the deep palace was so boring. What was Guan Ye looking at so intently?
Mu Chenbi then saw Ajiu kissing Guan Ye's hand. Guan Ye didn't pull away. She looked at Ajiu tenderly, her eyes probably full of affection. Mu Chenbi felt a pang of sadness and let out a soft sigh that she herself didn't even realize.
Why do you want to be someone else's shadow? Ah Jiu would never be someone else's shadow.
If... if you, Mu Chenbi, had met Guan Ye first, and you looked just like Ajiu, then the one with Guan Ye would definitely be you, and you wouldn't have to be someone else's shadow.
"Isn't Your Majesty cold?" Mu Lexiu suddenly appeared behind Mu Chenbi. "A strong wind suddenly rose tonight, and it's even colder outside Zetian Palace. Your Majesty is a martial artist, so your body is stronger than mine."
"Then don't stand outside the hall," Mu Chenbi said unhappily. "Just put on some clothes."
Mu Lexiu adjusted his sleeves and said, "I see that Guan Ye is dressed too lightly. Should Your Majesty give her another layer?"
Mu Chenbi's face darkened. Mu Lexiu knew he had guessed correctly. He tilted his head to scrutinize Guan Ye and A Jiu, who were walking intimately together at the foot of the white jade steps. "Your Majesty likes her? How strange..."
"What's strange?"
Mu Lexiu clicked his tongue, "Ajiu looks just like the Emperor. Ajiu is just a lowly swordsman, a world apart from the Emperor. Why would Guan Ye choose to be with Ajiu? People strive for higher positions. She should stick close to the Emperor's high branch."
“Guan Ye isn’t that kind of person,” Mu Chenbi blurted out. “She’s different from others.”
Mu Lexiu laughed out loud, "As expected, your younger brother guessed correctly. Your Majesty really likes that female sword slave."
“Even a sword slave is stronger than you or me.” Mu Chenbi glanced coldly at his younger brother. “Besides our backgrounds, what do we have to offer that we can’t compare to her?”
“We are of noble birth, that’s enough.” Mu Lexiu withdrew his gaze and lowered his voice, “Let me tell you something truly strange. The palace banquet was actually held in Cheng’en Hall. I don’t think my brother has ever been inside Cheng’en Hall before?”
Mu Chenbi took a deep breath, his expression remaining calm. "Father can hold the banquet wherever he wants. How dare you interfere in Father's affairs?"
Mu Lexiu frowned and waved his hand, "My good intentions are being taken for granted. I was just trying to remind you, Your Majesty, so why am I always being criticized? Ajiu looks like you, not like me. What does that have to do with me?"
"What does the difference between heaven and earth have to do with me?" Mu Chenbi was annoyed.
"Hahahaha." Mu Lexiu laughed loudly, "A world of difference? That's right, a world of difference indeed. Besides your birth, what can you, my brother, have to compare with Ajiu?" Mu Lexiu suddenly stopped laughing, and darted to Mu Chenbi's ear, "Your subject may as well make a bold guess, is Ajiu's birth... perhaps... not inferior to yours or mine?"
"You!" Mu Chenbi was stunned and stood there, his fists clenched, helpless against his younger brother.
Mu Lexiu rubbed his palms together, breathing out warm air as he turned his back. "I am deeply grateful. I wonder if there will be a great blessing waiting for Ajiu tonight. Your subject... cannot wait any longer."
Mu Chenbi's heart sank. He picked up the twin swords at his waist and stroked the marks on the swords again and again. Looking down the white jade steps, Guan Ye and A Jiu were nowhere to be seen.
Outside Chengen Hall
“Cheng'en Hall…” Guan Ye read aloud, looking up, “What a beautiful palace.”
—“The Sinking Jade”.
Guan Ye turned around at the sound and saw a magnificent sedan chair parked not far away. Sitting in the chair was a dignified and elegant middle-aged woman with a phoenix hairpin in her hair and wearing a sable coat. Her phoenix eyes swept over Guan Ye's unfamiliar face and settled on A Jiu.
"Chen Bi?" the middle-aged woman called again, "Is that you?"
"—He's not the Crown Prince." A girl in a green dress peeked out from behind the sedan chair, her nimble double buns swaying slightly. "His name is... his name is A-Jiu."
“A-Jiu…” Chen Yu, whose body was wrapped in sable, trembled slightly. “You are…A-Jiu.”
Ajiu nodded calmly, tugging at Guan Ye's sleeve. "I am Ajiu, greetings to Your Majesty the Empress." Empress? Guan Ye quickly performed a deep bow, bowing her head and not daring to look any further.
Shen Yu gestured for the sedan chair to come closer. "You recognize me?"
"Your Majesty's majesty is so magnificent, such demeanor must belong to the Empress." Ajiu knelt on one knee and bowed with clasped hands. "Guan Ye and I were ordered to enter the palace and disturbed Your Majesty. We hope Your Majesty will forgive us."
"You were ordered to enter the palace for a banquet, and this was merely a chance encounter. What crime have you committed?" Shen Yu, supported by palace servants, slowly stepped down from the sedan chair. "You are His Majesty's honored guests. Please rise and speak." She then waved her hand behind her. "Does Princess Runhe recognize him?"
Mu Runhe stepped forward timidly, bit her red lips, looked at Ajiu again, and nodded, saying, "I met you in the palace once. When we first met, Runhe also called you by the wrong name, but only once. After that, I will never mistake you again."
"Oh?" Shen Yu asked with interest. "He looks just like your elder brother, the Crown Prince. How come you could never mistake him after only seeing him once?"
Mu Runhe approached Ajiu, her big eyes still showing a childish innocence, and examined Ajiu carefully as if looking at an object. "Runhe can't explain it either, but the Crown Prince is still a brother. He is an outsider, not a brother."
Shen Yu smiled with satisfaction and extended her hand to Mu Runhe, saying, "Yes, a brother is a brother, and an outsider is an outsider. Follow me into Chengen Hall."
Mu Runhe took Chen Yu's hand, and the two brushed past Guan Ye and A Jiu. Mu Runhe turned her head to look at A Jiu again, then stared at Guan Ye with wide eyes and asked suspiciously, "Who are you? I've never seen you before."
"They're all outsiders, it's not important." Shen Yu pulled Mu Runhe away, preventing her from looking at him any longer.
"Tch." Guan Ye closed her mouth, which had just opened, sullenly. "As if anyone cares."
—“The Imperial Advisor has arrived.”
Cui Jin… Guan Ye shuddered again out of the blue. If she had known, she really shouldn’t have come. She definitely wouldn’t have had a full meal tonight.
In the darkness, Cui Jin, like a hunting eagle, spread his dark wings and swooped down on Guan Ye and A Jiu, saying, "Go inside and talk. Don't keep the Emperor waiting."
"Has the Emperor... arrived?" Ajiu asked in a low voice.
Cui Jin smiled, revealing her white teeth, and glanced at the words "Cheng En" with her one eye. "Of course, His Majesty specially chose Cheng En Hall. Cheng En, Cheng En, Ajiu, you have such great face, it's a blessing that others envy."
Guan Ye looked at the plaque of "Cheng'en Hall" with suspicion, "How can it be such a great honor and blessing? Is there any special meaning behind this Cheng'en Hall?"
Cui Jin didn't want to say much to Guan Ye, but when Cheng'en Palace was mentioned, he couldn't help but want to tell this ignorant girl, "This is Cheng'en Palace, which even Crown Prince Chen Bi has never been able to set foot in..."
Guan Ye interrupted Cui Jin, "Is there a man-eating monster in this palace?"
Cui Jin's expression suddenly darkened. He angrily flicked his black robe and stormed into the gates of Chengen Hall. Ajiu chuckled, tapped Guan Ye's forehead with one hand, and dragged her by the hand as they followed Cui Jin into Chengen Hall.
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