Chapter 73 General Tu, don't forget to give me this flower in the twelfth lunar month...
As the year draws to a close, every household is busy preparing for the New Year. The princess's mansion's storeroom has been open for several days, clearing out long-accumulated fabrics and improperly stored medicinal herbs and spices, which are then distributed to the servants. In addition, fine rice and flour, fresh meat and dried vegetables, pastries and sweets, and reward money are also being distributed, with each item being counted and distributed one by one, keeping them busy for many days.
Qin An believed that subordinates would work diligently only when they had enough money, so he was never stingy during festivals.
This period was also the happiest time in the household. After receiving the festival gifts, they no longer needed to spend money on New Year's goods. After a year of hard work, the family could finally eat a hearty meal of fine rice. Some families that were struggling would exchange the rice, flour, and spices they received for money and save it up to buy land or houses.
Fu Sui was passing the time flipping through the inventory damage list that had been delivered when Dai Ling ran in carrying a small basket of jasmine flowers.
"Princess, guess who sent the flowers?" Dai Ling couldn't hide her excitement as she stood at the door holding the flowers. The jasmine fragrance was strong, and Dai Ling dared not get too close to Fu Sui.
Fu Sui glanced up and realized that among those who grew jasmine in winter, there was only one family that did so: Princess Gaoyang. Princess Gaoyang loved jasmine the most, and her residence had a specially built greenhouse for growing jasmine, ensuring that the house was scented with jasmine all year round.
Gao Yang treasured her jasmine flowers and never gave them away. Fu Sui's relationship with Gao Yang was neither good nor bad, and it wasn't worth Gao Yang giving away a bouquet of jasmine flowers.
"Who sent it?" Besides Gao Yang, Fu Sui couldn't think of anyone else who had a jasmine greenhouse.
Dai Ling hung the jasmine basket under the eaves and skipped in: "It's from the Yue residence. The person who delivered it said it was sent by General Yue."
Him? Fu Sui didn't believe that the "wooden beauty" would have such a leisurely time: "It was given by the Zhou family's boy?"
“No.” Dai Ling shook her head. “The gatekeeper said it was sent by someone from the Yue family.”
Since it was sent by the Yue family, it couldn't possibly be his intention. Who in the Yue family is using his name to curry favor with her?
Fu Sui pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "The Yue family sent an invitation a few days ago, do you still have it?"
"Keep it here. Would the princess like to see it?" Kouyun said as she went to open the cabinet where the letters were kept.
The invitation arrived just as the annual tribute was being delivered to the mansion. Fu Sui was meeting with an eunuch from the palace and didn't have time to examine it closely, so he instructed Kouyun to put it away first. Unexpectedly, he forgot about it after putting it aside. If it weren't for the flowers sent by the Yue family today, Fu Sui would probably have missed this banquet.
The post was written by Yue Lingling to Fu Sui. It was her birthday at the end of the year, and she was inviting Fu Sui to her birthday banquet.
This was the first time Yue Lingling had hosted a banquet for Fu Sui. Previously, the Yue family and the princess were not very familiar with each other, and Yue Lingling and Fu Sui had barely exchanged a few words. In addition, given Fu Sui's "bad reputation," Yue Lingling would not want to embarrass herself.
But things are different now. Yue Lingling pondered what her fourth brother had told her during the Dragon Boat Festival: "The princess and her third brother held hands and gazed at each other affectionately." Considering that she had indeed received gifts from the princess's mansion for every festival throughout the year, Yue Lingling felt it was necessary to cultivate a good relationship with her future sister-in-law.
Although the princess had a somewhat bad reputation, Yue Lingling still preferred her to Liu Shuya. Liu Shuya was too bookish, and Yue Lingling didn't like listening to her talk. Judging by herself, she figured her third brother probably didn't like listening to her either.
Even a princess is still very scholarly. She is beautiful, and looking at her face that can be both happy and angry, one can listen to even the most sarcastic remarks for a while longer.
Having listened to Mrs. Zhou's constant nagging about marriage, Yue Lingling would unconsciously think about matters between men and women. However, she didn't think about her own affairs, but only about others, especially her future third and fifth sisters-in-law.
Yue Lingling counted on her fingers; the princess was even younger than her. She secretly despised her third brother in her heart. After that, she began to worry. Her third brother wasn't talkative at home; would he know how to make the princess happy? What if he was too dull and the princess disliked him? Would her third brother still be alone after her fifth sister-in-law entered the family?
The more Lingling thought about it, the more worried she became. So when the flowers from the Zheng family arrived, she had a sudden idea and gave them to the princess in the name of her third brother.
On her birthday, the princess indeed came to show her support, and Yue Lingling was secretly delighted, knowing that her cleverness and resourcefulness must have played a role.
After the banquet ended, Fu Sui stayed behind. She followed Yue Lingling to her boudoir and casually inquired, "Does your household still have jasmine flowers?"
“We didn’t plant any.” Yue Lingling was caught off guard by Fu Sui trying to trick her into talking, and said whatever came to mind. “Planting flowers in winter requires building a greenhouse, and my mother thought that maintaining a greenhouse would be both time-consuming and expensive, so we didn’t build one.”
"Really? When I saw that your family sent me jasmine flowers, I thought they were produced in your household."
Yue Lingling quickly denied it: "It was sent by the Zheng family."
Seeing that the princess seemed very interested in jasmine, she took the initiative to say, "Does the princess like jasmine? Then I'll go and ask the Zheng family where they got it, and I'll let the princess know when I find out."
Fu Sui's expression changed slightly, and he pressed on, "Which Zheng family?"
Yue Lingling was completely unaware of the change in Fu Sui's tone, assuming the princess was just curious: "It's from the residence of General Zheng of the Right Valiant Guard."
Zheng Zhai, the elder brother of Consort Zheng. A small flower basket, used only for decoration in the house, serves no other purpose. When did the Zheng family and the Yue family become so close that they could exchange such a trinket?
Fu Sui couldn't understand: "Why would the Zheng family send jasmine flowers to General Yue?"
Just as Yue Lingling was about to speak, she suddenly realized that the bouquet of flowers had been sent in her third brother's name. If she admitted that it was from the Zheng family, wouldn't she be exposed?
She stammered, unsure how to answer, but the princess persisted in pressing her for an answer. Seeing that the princess had already mentioned the unmarried young lady of the Zheng family, Yue Lingling quickly clarified, "Princess, please don't misunderstand. My third brother doesn't know the Zheng family lady. That bouquet of flowers was... originally meant for me."
Yue Lingling invited Fu Sui into the house and sent everyone else away before saying somewhat embarrassedly, "It was given to me by the second son of General Zheng's family. Madam Yu had mentioned marriage to my mother before."
Fu Sui frowned. She didn't think the Zheng family was a good choice. Based on the poem that the Second Prince had carefully prepared on Mid-Autumn Festival, it was hard to guarantee that the Second Prince or Consort Zheng did not have ambitions to compete for the throne.
Ultimately, love between men and women must be based on mutual consent. Even if Fu Sui doesn't believe that love can sustain a relationship, if two people dislike each other, no matter how well-matched they are, they will still be a miserable couple.
"You like him?" Fu Sui asked.
The second son of the Zheng family has not yet entered officialdom. Even if the Zheng family falls from power one day, his life is not without hope. If Yue Lingling and the second son of the Zheng family are in love, Fu Sui will not interfere in the affairs of the Yue family.
Yue Lingling was stunned, unsure how to answer. After thinking for a long time, she hesitated before saying, "I've only met him once or twice, and he doesn't seem unpleasant to me."
The difference between not disliking and liking is huge. From Yue Lingling's tone, Fu Sui could not sense any expectation for Zheng Er.
"Why didn't you keep the gift he gave you safe? Why did you give it to me instead?"
"It's just a bouquet of flowers. If it can please the princess, it's better than letting it gather dust here." Yue Lingling said confidently. The Zheng family's flowers were a clever choice, saving her the trouble of racking her brains to plan for her third brother.
When Fu Sui saw Yue Lingling mention the Zheng family, she showed no shyness whatsoever, her eyes full of admiration for the Zheng family's taste in choosing gifts, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
It seems she was overthinking it; Yue Lingling had absolutely no interest in Zheng Langjun.
Thinking of her third brother, Yue Lingling's eyes lit up, and she leaned closer to Fu Sui mysteriously: "Princess, do you want to know where my third brother is?"
Today was a day off, and because it was Yue Lingling's birthday, Yue Shanling returned to the Yue residence in the morning.
Fu Sui lowered her voice, mimicking Yue Lingling, and whispered in her ear, "Where?"
Yue Lingling immediately tried to pull Fu Sui away, saying, "I'll take you to find your third brother." But as soon as she finished speaking, Yue Lingling realized that the princess was whispering to her third brother, and it seemed inappropriate for her to be there. So she quickly changed her mind, saying, "I'll have someone show the princess the way."
Fu Sui was thus sent to a courtyard by Yue Lingling without any explanation.
Yue Shanling stood in the courtyard with his back to Fu Sui, seemingly lost in thought.
It snowed yesterday. This courtyard is uninhabited year-round. Only the entrance and exit roads were cleared, and most of the snow in the courtyard is still piled up in the same place.
Fu Sui hid behind a tree, grabbed a handful of snow, and threw it at Yue Shanling's back.
A faint whooshing sound rang out, and Yue Shanling instantly snapped back to his senses, instinctively dodging to the side. A white shadow swept past his chest, crashing to the ground and scattering into a puddle.
Snow? Yue Shanling turned his head in confusion and saw a delicate figure behind the tree trunk. She bent down, scooped up a handful of snow, carefully rolled it into a ball in her hand, and tossed it to him on tiptoe.
He didn't move beyond the mountain ridge, snowballs pelted his ribs, falling softly and leaving scattered bits of snow on his clothes.
"Why isn't the general hiding anymore?" Fu Sui walked out from behind the tree with his hands behind his back and headed towards Yue Shanling.
"I tried to dodge, but I couldn't." The man lied without batting an eye.
“Liar!” As he approached, Fu Sui straightened his face and accused Yue Shanling, “Roasted oranges don’t taste good at all.”
She actually tried it, and Yue Shanling felt a little guilty: "It's my fault."
Fu Sui wasn't there to hear his apology. She held up a finger and beckoned to the man: "Squat down, you have snow on your shoulder."
Yue Shanling was puzzled. He had dodged one snowball, but the other had hit him in the chest. How did snow end up on his shoulder? Despite his surprise, he obediently knelt down.
Fu Sui suddenly pulled his hand out from behind his back and quickly stuffed it into Yue Shanling's collar.
The icy fingers, chilled by the snow, glided across her collarbone, causing Yue Shanling to tremble involuntarily.
Before he could even savor the fleeting sensation, a chill rushed down his collar, across his chest, and finally stopped at his waist by his belt. Yue Shanling was forced to arch his back by the biting cold, gasping for breath.
Fu Sui stuffed a handful of snow into his clothes.
The man had a high body temperature, and the snow melted into ice water as it fell on his abdomen, instantly soaking through his undershirt. The wet clothes clung to his body, making him feel cold and sticky.
Looking up from the mountain ridge, he saw Fu Sui gloating over the success of his scheme. He wasn't annoyed; with a casual grab and a flick of his wrist, snowflakes instantly swirled like a curtain, rushing towards Fu Sui's face.
Fu Sui was so startled that she tightly closed her eyes, but the snowfall she had imagined did not come. She opened one eye to look around and found that the snow had all fallen within an inch of her, without touching her at all.
They dared to deliberately scare her across the mountains!
Fu Sui bent down, scooped up snow, and tossed it over his head. Yue Shanling didn't dodge; after a few throws, he was covered in snow, his face and body like a snowman.
"Why didn't you dodge?" Fu Sui stopped and reached out to brush the snowflakes off his shoulder.
Yue Shanling grabbed Fu Sui's cold hand and warmed it in his own: "If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have run away from you first."
Fu Sui outwardly scoffed at the sweet talk, but inwardly he was delighted.
Once her hands were warm, Yue Shanling reluctantly let go, and Fu Sui was finally able to ask him some serious questions.
"I heard that Fourth Sister is discussing marriage with the Zheng family?"
When the Zheng family was mentioned, Yue Shanling's expression turned serious: "I have already told my mother that I cannot accept the marriage proposal from the Zheng family, but it is not easy to refuse outright now, so my mother and I discussed that we should postpone it as long as possible."
The Yue family had a plan for this marriage, so Fu Sui didn't ask any more questions. She looked at Yue Shanling with a playful expression: "A few days ago, I received a bouquet of jasmine flowers sent in your name."
Yue Shanling frowned instantly: "I have not sent any jasmine flowers. Does the princess know who sent the flowers and what they look like?"
Fu Sui knew the truth, of course, but she refused to tell Yue Shanling the truth, and instead complained, "General Yue won't send it himself, but he won't allow others to send it?"
They stopped at the foot of the mountain. Was the princess complaining that he lacked romance? But how could such a flower of unknown origin stay by her side?
“Your Highness likes jasmine flowers, I will go and find some,” he pleaded. “But the origin of that bouquet is unknown, and I fear the sender may have ill intentions. Please, Your Highness, be sure to discard it.”
"I don't like jasmine." The scent of jasmine is too strong for Fu Sui to bear. Indoors are already stuffy in winter, and the basket of jasmine flowers, which hadn't even been brought inside, froze and died after hanging on the porch for a day.
"What flowers does the princess like?"
Upon hearing Yue Shanling's question, Fu Sui suddenly had an idea.
"I like the ice flower." This is a flower that only grows in high-altitude and cold regions, and it will no longer bloom once it leaves the snow-capped mountains and enters the Central Plains.
Yue Shanling knew of the Ice Flower; he had encountered it by chance during his campaigns. However, the capital was not suitable for the Ice Flower to grow, and he was currently in a high-ranking position, so he could not easily leave the capital, nor could he go to the border to search for it.
Yue Shanling could only tell the truth: "I have never seen the Ice Flower in the capital, so I am sorry that I cannot help you."
Fu Sui's eyes gleamed with cunning: "Who said there aren't any in the capital? Do you have writing materials?"
After grinding a thick inkstone across the mountains, Fu Sui picked up his brush, but instead of using paper, he simply held Fu Sui's hand and began to draw on the back of Fu Sui's hand.
The bony back of the hand is entangled and bound by branches and leaves, with fine veins attached to the protruding knuckles, and two delicate flowers fall.
After Fu Sui finished drawing, while Yue Shanling was still gazing at him, he raised his brush and smeared a streak of ink on the bridge of Yue Shanling's nose.
Meeting the man's surprised and confused gaze, Fu Sui laughed heartily: "General Yue, don't forget to give me this flower."
As the evening glow illuminated the scene, Fu Sui had already left. Yue Shanling sat alone in his study, deep in thought as he stared at his right hand.
The princess wants this flower, and he can make a copy, but does he want to wash his hands first?
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