Chapter 41 Zhe Sangqi's skill is so good, whose son is he who climbed over the wall?
Those officials, who seemed to indulge in excessive eating and drinking, were all remarkably healthy, kneeling from morning until noon before one of them collapsed.
The emperor arranged for food to be sent to them, but they refused to accept it. Left with no other option, the emperor compromised and allowed the left and right guards to "invite" these dissenting officials into the palace for a discussion.
As for whether the emperor himself was actually in the palace, once the palace doors were closed and the guards on both sides surrounded the palace so tightly that no one could know for sure.
It seems that all the officials have been "sent" home, and only by crossing mountains could they escape to come here.
"Please invite him in. Didn't I say we don't need to stop him from coming?"
The maid's breathing became much smoother, and her voice was no longer labored. She lowered her head and replied, "General Yue refuses to enter the mansion."
Fu Sui raised an eyebrow, looking up at the bright, clear moonlight, utterly speechless. She herself didn't care much about her reputation; he was already here, so why bother with this pretentious politeness?
Complaining was useless; if Fu Sui wanted to see him, she could only go to the mansion gate herself. By the time Fu Sui leisurely strolled to the gate, Yue Shanling had already been standing outside for more than two quarters of an hour.
This was the second time Fu Sui had stood on the high steps overlooking the Yue Mountains. Unlike the fiery sunset that baked people into a golden-red glow, the lanterns in front of the Princess's mansion were large and bright, casting layers of light upon the man.
He must have come here directly after finishing his task, without having had time to change. He was wearing a robe and armor, revealing half of his cold, close-fitting armor, which reflected a shimmering, chilling light. The soft robe with its warm sheen and the gleaming, hard armor plates were both contrasting and harmonious, proclaiming the man's heroic prowess.
"General Yue has quite the airs of an official, always requiring me, the princess, to personally greet you." Fu Sui said, her hands behind her back, her small face stern as she looked down at him.
If her tone had been any colder, Yue Shanling might have genuinely thought Fu Sui was angry. But her voice was full of sweet, coquettish charm, like a young girl pleading. Yue Shanling looked up at her, her clear black and white eyes brimming with laughter in the warm lamplight.
"It is my fault for troubling the princess. I will take my leave now."
"How dare you!" Even though she knew Yue Shanling was deliberately teasing her, Fu Sui still took a small step forward and blurted out a rebuke.
Upon hearing this, Fu Sui felt he had lost ground and was immediately embarrassed and annoyed. He raised his chin again, adopting a nonchalant and arrogant attitude: "I couldn't invite you during the day, so why did you come by yourself at night? And now that you're here, you refuse to come in and insist on staying outside. Do you think my mansion needs a door god like you?"
Fu Sui is still unmarried, and it is already presumptuous of her to travel over mountains and come to the Princess's residence at night. It would be of no benefit to Fu Sui to linger inside the residence. He did not argue, but simply stated his purpose: "I failed to accompany the Princess on her outing today, which is a breach of my promise. I should apologize to the Princess."
It was the emperor who wanted to conscript men, not that he was intentionally being negligent, so there was no need for him to make a special trip for it. Fu Sui understood this principle, but when he actually saw Yue Shanling, he didn't think so, especially when he saw that Yue Shanling had come in a hurry without removing his armor, he was even more pleased and happy.
She curved her lips into a smile, her eyelashes casting a long, thin shadow at the corner of her eye. Her skirt swayed gently, causing her shadow to ripple like water beneath her feet. She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice more serious: "General, is it enough to apologize with just words?"
The armor was heavy, and he had been standing for quite a while today, so his legs were a little sore. He shifted his feet slightly, changed his posture, and put his weight on his right leg.
Fu Sui's unusually shy demeanor was reflected in Yue Shanling's eyes; the girl's feelings and bashfulness were straightforward and innocent. Yue Shanling suddenly felt that it would be nice to see her every day.
However, this thought was quickly dismissed by Yue Shanling. Did he expect her to wait for him in front of the mansion day and night? Not only would that be improper, but it would also add unnecessary fatigue to her life.
"How the princess wishes to apologize is entirely at your discretion." Yue Shanling's voice was deep but not hoarse, and his tone was light and drawn out. Compared to his usual taciturnity, he was more gentle and talkative than ever when facing Fu Sui, as if he was coaxing her helplessly, and there was a hint of intimacy in his voice.
Fu Sui prided herself on being the best at making money and never suffering a loss in secret, yet she was always in a hurry when it came to matters involving Yue Shanling. She quickly thought through all the necessities of life, but couldn't think of anything she wanted.
He didn't urge her across the mountains, but simply watched Fu Sui with a smile, quietly waiting for her answer.
When Fu Sui recalled the past that Tian Ganyou had mentioned, he finally had an answer: "It is now popular in the south to stamp books with seals. I heard that General Yue can carve them. My household also has some rare and famous books, and I just happen to be missing a seal. I wonder if the general could make one for me?"
Yue Shanling had indeed studied seal making, but he hadn't carved any seals since he was stationed on the border, and now he didn't even have a carving knife on hand. Since Fu Sui wanted it, it wouldn't take much more time to pick it up again, so Yue Shanling agreed without hesitation.
Night had fallen, and the two could not stand in front of the mansion and chat all night; it seemed that it was time to part ways.
"General Yue, are you not staying for dinner today?" Fu Sui asked, tilting his head.
One sentence made Yue Shanling chuckle. He couldn't even enter the mansion, yet she insisted on saying she wanted to have a meal.
Fu Sui suddenly became curious, this was the third time Yue Shanling had broken the law at night: "What did General Yue say to the ward official last time? Did he make a note of it in the record book?"
Yue Shanling recalled the time when Fu Sui said he was the pampered son of the household when he retrieved the fish tally. At the time, he hadn't taken it seriously, but now he realized there was some truth to it. He himself was willing to fall into depravity, but he didn't want to trouble Fu Sui to write his name in the register: "It's just a seven-foot wall, why bother the neighborhood head?"
Climbing over a wall? Fu Sui glanced at Yue Shanling's long, slender legs beneath his robes. Climbing over a wall didn't seem like much of a struggle for him, but the way he spoke of it so casually and skillfully... "General, with such skill, could you perhaps be some kind of wall-climbing prodigy?"
Why the sudden jealousy? Yue Shanling saw Fu Sui pouting and puffing out her cheeks, her eyes constantly glancing at him, and he immediately thought she was adorably cute. "Your Highness is overthinking it. I'm a fierce fellow; I'd only frighten the young lady out of her wits. Where would I find the mulberry tree?"
How could there be nowhere to pick mulberry and goji berries? Tomorrow, I'll plant mulberry and goji berry trees all over the mansion, just waiting for him to come and pick them. As Fu Sui thought this, a slightly bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart, and he could almost see the goji berry trees covered with red berries before his eyes.
She reluctantly sketched the man in detail, but finally spoke to say goodbye.
"Then I won't keep General Yue from climbing the wall any longer. Take care, General Yue." There are many matters to attend to in the palace today, and the Emperor probably won't host a banquet. Not to mention dinner, it's hard to say whether Yue Shanling even had lunch. Letting him go home early will allow him to have some soup and rest sooner.
Yue Shanling watched Fu Sui turn and enter the mansion. Just as he was about to leave, half of Fu Sui's body suddenly appeared from the doorway.
She clung to the doorframe and said quickly, "General Yue, please be careful when you walk at night, lest you frighten the children, Meiniang." As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Sui shrank back and disappeared, and the gate of the Princess's mansion slowly closed, leaving Yue Shanling standing there alone.
What kind of talk is that? He's not Zhang Wenyuan, who can stop a child from crying at night.
Kouyun and the others had already set up the golden needles. When they saw Fu Sui return, they covered their mouths and asked with a smile whether Fu Sui still wanted to thread the needles.
Fu Sui was in a good mood and even looked at the moon with extra delight. "Of course I'll wear it! Someone, bring me my treasure, the red thread! Tonight I'm going to break through this Golden Needle Formation eighteen times in and out!"
...
Fu Sui was not the only one whose moon-worshiping prayers were disturbed tonight.
Upon hearing that his elder brother had returned, Yanshan hurriedly went to wait for him at the front.
Prince Xiping did not dislike the Seventh Prince as much as he disliked Feng Xianyi. He also knew that the Seventh Prince's recklessness stemmed from cultural differences, but regardless of whether the Seventh Prince genuinely felt guilty about the Forbidden Garden incident and wanted to make amends or had other intentions, Prince Xiping was unwilling to allow people of different ethnicities to come into contact with Yanshan.
He could refuse the Seventh Prince's visit, but he couldn't abandon the leopard cat cub that Yanshan had already brought home. The little creature looked harmless, but it was still a carnivorous animal. Fearing that Yanshan would be harmed, the Prince of Xiping specially asked someone to find a skilled animal trainer to raise the leopard cat.
The little creature was very lively, running around the mansion every day. Prince Xiping often caught glimpses of it flashing by in the grass and on the eaves. Every time he saw it, he would inexplicably think of the Seventh Prince, which made Prince Xiping very annoyed.
The Seventh Prince also knew that the Prince of Xiping disliked him seeing Yanshan. Whether it was a stroke of genius or a scheme devised by someone, he set his sights on the Prince of Xiping himself, inviting him to go on outings every few days.
The Prince of Xiping didn't want to talk to him, but he never mentioned Yanshan and always invited other noble sons to join him. The Prince of Xiping had no choice but to have a meal with him a few times out of respect for the monk.
Whether it was the Seventh Prince's personal preference or Kule's custom, the Seventh Prince always presented gifts to the Prince of Xiping whenever he attended a banquet. And the gifts weren't just given to him; everyone at the banquet received one.
Everyone else accepted them, so the Prince of Xiping couldn't refuse the Seventh Prince's request alone. Fortunately, every time he opened the package at home, it contained nothing of value, such as pastries, small decorations in the style of Kule, or a small bunch of colorful feathers.
Prince Xiping didn't eat many pastries, so those ended up in Yanshan's mouth. As for the odds and ends, Prince Xiping just tossed them in his study, and Yanshan gradually took them all away.
Today, the Seventh Prince also invited the Prince of Xiping to worship Kui Xing together. The Prince of Xiping was quite puzzled. Both of them made their living by their lineage and did not participate in the imperial examinations, so why should they worship Kui Xing? Besides, star worship is done at night; there's no reason to worship before sunset.
However, the seventh prince persisted, and the Prince of Xiping, in a daze, went with him to worship Kui Xing and was then dragged to drink.
When the Prince of Xiping stood drunk in the mansion, he inexplicably had a food box in his hand.
"Brother." Yanshan was worshipping the moon when he heard that the Prince of Xiping had returned drunk. He was worried about him and rushed over. He was looking at the Prince of Xiping with concern.
Prince Xiping nodded to his sister, then shook his groggy head to clear his head. Just as he was about to raise his hand to rub it, the heavy food box in his hand nearly hit Prince Xiping's face.
The Prince of Xiping stared at the box in his hand with a puzzled look. His attendant quickly stepped forward to explain, "It was left by the Seventh Prince."
The Prince of Xiping remembered that it was the Seventh Prince who had escorted him back, and the two had even had a brief tug-of-war at the door. He lifted the food box and peeked inside; it was full of pastries.
The Prince of Xiping couldn't understand why the tall and strong Seventh Prince especially liked to give people snacks. He looked up and saw Yanshan beside him, so he handed the food box to Yanshan and staggered back to his room to sober up, rubbing his forehead.
Yanshan nonchalantly carried the food box back to her room, even abandoning the moon goddess's worship which was halfway through. When she opened the food box, she felt a sense of anticipation, or rather, she had been looking forward to her brother's return ever since she learned that the Seventh Prince had taken her brother out drinking again.
The box contained a small number of pastries, but each one was different. In the corner was a small bamboo strip shaped like a willow leaf, branded with the words "Guangling Gaoji".
Yanshan was somewhat surprised. She had been in the capital for nearly ten years, and it was only because of Fu Sui that she learned about Guangling Gaoji. The Seventh Prince had only been in the capital for a few months, yet he had managed to find out about such an obscure shop.
The bright candlelight pushed the moonlight out of the room, leaving only a faint trace on the windowpane. Yanshan gently bit into the pastry, the sweet filling overflowing from the cracked dessert, like a rebellious thrill breaking free from a life of conformity.
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