Chapter 32 Exorcising Evil, Wishing the General Eternal Peace
The light bamboo arrow shot out straight, not landing on any table, but swinging back and forth in the air.
"Congratulations, young master, on hitting the jackpot!" the stall owner shouted as he ran toward the arrow still in the air, cut the string with scissors, and let the powder ball with the arrow fall into the plate, which he then presented directly to Fu Sui.
Fu Sui unceremoniously took the dumpling and bit into it. A chorus of cheers erupted around them, some even congratulating Fu Sui and her lover on their marriage. Yue Shanling couldn't agree, nor could she argue; she could only pretend to be deaf and dumb.
"This is a lucky charm for the young master." The stall owner then brought Fu Sui an exquisite little tiger made of gold and silver threads, with a piece of mugwort leaf covering its body.
Fu Sui accepted the little tiger and hurriedly followed Yue Shanling to escape from this place. If he heard a few more of those "forever united" congratulations, Fu Sui would probably be a ripe, red shrimp.
On the second floor of a teahouse, Yue Shanjun, along with his family and Yue Lingling, sat in a private room facing the street.
Yue Shanjun's three-year-old son, Bao'er, was peering out the window when he suddenly pointed outside and cried out, "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Uncle!" Yue Shanjun's wife, Hu, fearing that Bao'er might fall, quickly picked him up and sat him down.
Bao'er continued pointing outside and calling out "Fourth Uncle," while Yue Lingling curiously glanced outside: "It really does seem to be Fourth Brother..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yue Shanjun slammed the window shut and coaxed Bao'er expressionlessly, "Good Bao'er, don't mention him. Mentioning him gives your father a headache."
Fu Sui was dressed in thin clothes, and there was nowhere to put Xiao Hu, so he took a knot from the colorful woven fish hanging on his body, stretched out a thread, and tied Xiao Hu on it.
"Does it look good?" Fu Sui patted her skirt and asked Yue Shanling.
Yue Shanling nodded: "With the Ai Hu to ward off evil, the princess will surely be immune to all evil."
Even praise is so old-fashioned and boring. Can't you at least compliment her clothes and appearance?
Fu Sui touched the colorful rope on her wrist and gestured for the man to extend his hand: "The general gave me a tiger to ward off evil spirits. In return, I should give the general a gift. Extend your hand."
Yue Shanling, not understanding why, spread his hands out with palms facing up.
Fu Sui grabbed his hand, turned it downwards, and took the five-colored thread from his sleeve, tying it to Yue Shanling's wrist.
May the general always be safe and sound.
Bao'er did indeed see Yue Shanzheng, who was out for a stroll with several colleagues today. They had drunk quite a bit of wine at noon while playing pitch-pot, and then played a game of six-card poker for half the afternoon. Now they were wandering the streets arm in arm.
"You won the most this afternoon, so you have to treat us to a meal," a man said, shoving Yue Shanzheng.
Yue Shanzheng raised his hands and protested his innocence: "I only won a few coins, and I don't even know if it adds up to half a penny. I don't know how many of you you are. I'll have to pawn everything I own after just one meal."
“In that case,” Yue Shanzheng pointed to the man in the persimmon-colored robe next to him, “Yu Zhi has also won quite a lot. I am willing to give all the money I have won to Yu Zhi and let him be the host.”
The man called Yu immediately objected: "Let's make this clear first, I only have three hundred coins on me, just enough for the few of us to have a meal of steamed buns."
A man with a somewhat hoarse voice laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? If you can't pay for the drinks, just pawn Ji He to the shopkeeper's wife."
Upon hearing this, Yue Shanzheng jumped up and said, "What are you saying? I am an innocent person. Why don't you just take yourself away?"
Everyone burst into laughter, and the man with the gruff voice even joked, "If I had your face, I wouldn't have to spend a penny to go to a tavern."
The man who initially encouraged Yue Shanzheng to treat him to food and drinks then sarcastically remarked, "I've noticed you don't spend much money on drinks, so it's clear it has nothing to do with your looks."
The group was chatting and laughing when Yue Shanzheng suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" Yu asked.
Yue Shanzheng shielded his eyes from the setting sun with his hand and squinted, "I think I saw my brother."
The others also crowded around, looking at Liu Xia. The gruff-voiced man rested his head on Yue Shanzheng's shoulder: "Which brother of yours?"
“Who else could it be? You’ve seen my second brother before.” Yue Shanzheng was certain that the man with his back to him was his third brother.
"The Left Guard General?" The group was quite excited. "We've never met the Left Guard General before. Won't you introduce him to us?"
Yue Shanzheng chuckled, then pulled a few people over and headed in that direction: "Come on, we've got our drinks covered for today."
A few steps away from Yue Shanling, Yue Shanzheng called out first, reaching out to pat Yue Shanling on the shoulder: "What a coincidence, brother, you're here too..."
Before his hand could even reach Yue Shanling's shoulder, Yue Shanzheng, who had walked to Yue Shanling's side, had already seen the figure blocked by his third brother. He was surprised: Why is there a beautiful young woman here? Looking down again, he saw that the young woman's hand was still holding his third brother's hand!
Yue Shanzheng felt a chill run down his spine, and his bones creaked. He stiffly withdrew his hand from Yue Shanling's shoulder, chuckled dryly, and said, "Heh, I mistook you for someone else." With that, he turned and pulled the person who was with him back.
The gruff-voiced man wanted to ask one more question: "Left Guard General..."
Without turning his head, Yue Shanzheng whispered, "Shut up, let's go!" After taking a few steps, he simply abandoned his companions and started running.
Fu Sui tilted his head, watching Yue Shanzheng's hasty retreating figure, and asked, "Who is that...?"
Yue Shanling had a cold expression, and said with a hint of helplessness, "He is my fourth brother."
Fu Sui looked at the austere and solemn Yue Shanling, then at Yue Shanzheng who had vanished in a flash, and finally couldn't help but laugh.
Yue Shanling silently watched Fu Sui, who was laughing hysterically, and reached out to gather the five-colored thread on his wrist inward.
After Fu Sui finished laughing, he looked at the sky and asked, "The curfew is temporarily lifted today. If the general has nothing else to do, would you be willing to accompany me on a boat trip on Yan Lake?"
This time, crossing the mountains was truly impossible: "I have promised my mother that I will return home for dinner tonight."
Since Madam Zhou had acted first, Fu Sui couldn't let Yue Shanling break her promise to her elders, so she had no choice but to let Yue Shanling leave.
Madam Zhou and Pei Rou were looking at the flower patterns when Yue Shanzheng rushed into the house, hugged Pei Rou, and buried his face in her arms, pretending to wail: "Xin Xin'er, I'm afraid I won't make it."
Pei Rou was heavily pregnant, and Madam Zhou, fearing that Yue Shanzheng would hurt her, quickly stopped him, saying, "What are you doing? Let go of me!"
Yue Shanzheng refused to let go, only rubbing against Pei Rou's chest: "When I die, you can't not keep vigil for me. Promise me you'll keep vigil for me, right?"
Pei Rou was completely confused and didn't know what Yue Shanzheng was talking about, so she nodded when he asked. When Yue Shanzheng saw Pei Rou nod, he wished he could wrap his arms and legs around her and call her "my love" all the time.
It was really inappropriate for Madam Zhou to call Pei Rou by her nickname in front of the servants. Madam Zhou waved her hand to let the servants leave. She wanted to pry open Yue Shanzheng but was afraid of hurting him, so she could only scold him: "What nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean by dead and alive? Be careful not to scare Rou Niang."
Madam Zhou ordered Yue Shanzheng to sit down and honestly explain what had happened.
"My brother is about to kill me."
Madam Zhou didn't believe it at all: "When has Erlang ever hit anyone?"
Yue Shanzheng stuffed his mouth full of loquats, his cheeks bulging: "Who said it was the second brother? The third brother would beat me."
When Madam Zhou heard that it was Yue Shanling, she became even angrier. Pointing at Yue Shanzheng's nose, she said with exasperation, "What trouble have you gotten yourself into outside?"
Yue Shanzheng blinked and showed his two hands, which were covered in loquat juice.
Madam Zhou was so angry that she felt a tightness in her chest after just one glance. She flung her sleeves and stormed off, saying, "Fine, I'll ask Sanlang when he comes back."
My third brother might not come back even once a month, yet Mother speaks as if she could see him anytime soon. Yue Shanzheng popped a peeled loquat into Pei Rou's open mouth, asking, "When is my third brother coming back?"
Pei Rou chewed on a loquat: "Tonight, Mother invited my third brother over for dinner."
Yue Shanzheng never expected that he would be unable to escape the clutches of evil today, and he was immediately on high alert: "Tonight? I thought that I could escape this calamity by running home, but haven't I just walked into a trap?"
He quickly changed his mind and coaxed Pei Rou while peeling a loquat, "Xin Xin'er, go pack up your valuables, and let's go wander the world now."
Pei Rou refused without hesitation: "I'm not going."
"Why?" Yue Shanzheng asked, mimicking Xi Shi clutching her heart.
Pei Rou pointed to the loquat, signaling Yue Shanzheng not to stop, her attitude firm: "Wandering the world won't let me eat or sleep well, I'm not going."
"Is eating and sleeping more important, or is your husband's life more important?"
"Of course, eating and sleeping are more important."
...
The mountains were steep and the weather was cold. They weren't eating at home tonight. There weren't many people in the house, so Madam Zhou set up a table. It was a festive occasion, and it would be more lively to have everyone eat together.
Yue Shanling didn't see Yue Shanzheng until it was time to eat. He crept in behind Pei Rou like a thief, sneaking to a chair and sitting down.
Madam Zhou didn't bother with him and ordered someone to call Wu Lang for dinner. The Imperial Academy had a three-day holiday for the Dragon Boat Festival, and Yue Shan'e was studying in his study.
In preparation for her return from the mountain pass, Madam Zhou had the kitchen prepare a variety of dishes, including various kinds of rice dumplings. Fearing that Pei Rou might have difficulty digesting too much sticky rice, the household made a lot of glutinous rice dumplings this year, tied with different kinds of thread.
“Sanlang has been back for almost half a year now. Why hasn’t he gained any more weight? It seems like he’s lost some weight instead,” Madam Zhou said after carefully examining Yue Shanling.
"Summer clothes are thin, which makes people look thinner. It's my fault for worrying my mother."
When Madam Zhou heard Yue Shanling apologize, she gave him a reproachful look: "You have been working hard outside, and I imagine you have had difficulty taking care of your food and clothing. Now that you have returned to the capital, you should take good care of yourself. No matter how busy you are with court affairs, you must take care of your health."
As she spoke, she picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a few meat dishes, such as roasted goose and braised mutton, on Yue Shanling's plate: "I see that you don't have anyone to serve you in your little courtyard. The Zhou family's wife has to take care of her own children and manage the kitchen, so she probably doesn't have time to cook any fancy dishes. It's fine if you're busy with official duties on weekdays, but you might as well eat at home during your days off. There are plenty of people in the kitchen, so the food and meat are readily available. You just need to add a set of chopsticks and bowls."
Yue Shanling hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute and said, "I will follow Mother's arrangements."
Yue Shanzheng glanced at Yue Shanling again and again, but Yue Shanling remained unmoved, unable to discern the slightest clue. Yue Shanzheng, distracted, ate his meal with his nose wafting up, finally unable to resist asking, "Third brother, who was that woman today?"
Yue Shanling raised the corner of his eye slightly and gave Yue Shanzheng a sharp glare.
Madam Zhou took the word "woman" to heart: "What woman? Fourth Brother, what nonsense have you been up to now?"
Yue Shanling couldn't possibly reprimand his younger brother in front of Madam Zhou and his sister-in-law. Yue Shanzheng, emboldened by his own audacity, said slyly, "This afternoon I saw my third brother with a very beautiful young woman."
"Pretty?" Pei Rou, who was eating, looked up and asked, "Is she prettier or am I prettier?"
Yue Shanzheng immediately put on a serious face and expressed his feelings: "You are the most beautiful in my heart, but she is indeed more beautiful than you."
Pei Rou was satisfied with the first half of the sentence, but pretended not to hear the second half.
When Madam Zhou saw Yue Shanzheng speaking with such conviction, she also became suspicious. Could it be the young lady that Sanlang admired?
After leaving the Liu family, Madam Zhou inquired about many other families. Because of Shen Siming, Madam Zhou always felt indebted to Yue Shanling, so she hoped to choose a suitable husband for Yue Shanling, so that they wouldn't barely exchange a few words a day and live a cold and distant relationship.
Unfortunately, Yue Shanling was busy with official duties and had no time to visit, so the matter had to be postponed again and again.
If she were truly the woman Yue Shanling desired, Madam Zhou would have already arranged a marriage for her the very next day, which would have been too slow. But if she were merely a courtesan, wouldn't Yue Shanzheng's unrestrained words embarrass Yue Shanling?
After a moment of hesitation, Madam Zhou was met with no resistance and Yue Shanzheng began to speak without thinking.
"Third brother, I've never seen a young lady of such beauty in the capital. Could it be that she chased you all the way from the border?" Yue Shanzheng leaned forward, supporting himself on the table, wishing his neck was too short and the table too big to reach Yue Shanling directly. "Could there be some hidden story behind this, which is why you're keeping it a secret from your family?"
Yue Shanling glanced at Yue Shanzheng, who had a sly grin on his face, and then at Madam Zhou, who was full of doubts. In the end, he told her the truth: "It is Princess Yong'an."
"Princess Yong'an?" Yue Shanzheng's voice was filled with disbelief.
Madam Zhou was slightly taken aback by the title of Princess, but she quickly realized that Princess Yong'an was the daughter of Prince Jin. She glanced longingly at Yue Shanling, thinking that after all the twists and turns, Sanlang was still inextricably linked to Prince Jin.
Yue Shanzheng subtly inquired about how Yue Shanling and Princess Yong'an met. Yue Shanling simply replied, "No comment," leaving Yue Shanzheng utterly perplexed.
As luck would have it, someone came to report that the princess's residence had sent over some rice dumplings.
Everyone present was stunned and watched as Yue Shanling got up and left.
Yue Shanzheng shook his head as he watched Yue Shanling's retreating figure: "Tsk tsk, attracting all sorts of attention, no wonder some young lady has come to your house."
Turning his head, he saw that Yue Shan'e was also looking, and he warned Yue Shan'e: "Fifth brother, you must not follow this example. Learn more from Wu Yan Nu and Liu Xia Hui. Who cares about saltiness or blandness? A gentleman should be able to pass through a sea of flowers without a single petal sticking to him. That is the realm of virtue."
Yue Shan'e's mind was buzzing from Yue Shanzheng's twisted ideas; if he listened any longer, all the Confucian classics he was reading would be turned into a complete mess. He stood up, excused himself to Madam Zhou, took his bowl back to his room to eat, and didn't even bother to glance at Yue Shanzheng.
Yue Shanzheng watched helplessly as Yue Shan'e took away a plate of roasted goose from the table. He was so anxious that he shouted in the direction Yue Shan'e left, "Are you taking it all? You're not leaving a single bite for your brother?" He hadn't even had a chance to taste that plate of roasted goose yet.
Madam Zhou's face darkened, and she snapped, "Eat your meal."
Yue Shanzheng shrank his neck and obediently ate his rice.
Although Madam Zhou scolded Yue Shanzheng, she was also very concerned. She picked up her chopsticks and put them down again, but finally said, "I'll go take a look," and hurriedly got up and went out.
As soon as Madam Zhou left, Yue Shanzheng immediately looked up from his rice bowl. Pei Rou noticed that Yue Shanzheng's eyes were darting around and asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"
"What's there to eat?" Yue Shanzheng jumped up from the table and ran outside.
Yue Shanzheng walked faster than Madam Zhou, and the two arrived at the gate at the same time. A servant brought a table from somewhere, on which were placed two small bamboo baskets filled with zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and a food box.
"Where is the person who delivered the items?" Madam Zhou asked the servants around her.
"I just dropped off my things and left," the gatekeeper replied.
Madam Zhou recalled the time she received fresh bamboo shoots from the Princess's residence. She looked at Yue Shanling, who was looking down at the note on the bamboo basket. On that day, she and A Ling both guessed that the Princess had sent the bamboo shoots to show her the way to Qingyun Terrace. Now, thinking about it, Sanlang was also at Qingyun Terrace that day.
He rushed out the door like a gust of wind. There were some people on the street, but he couldn't recognize which ones were from the Princess's residence. After circling around, he trotted back with his hands behind his back, leaning towards the bamboo basket: "What flavor are the zongzi from the Princess's residence?"
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