Chapter 74 The Golden Snake Dance: The courtiers danced wildly and revelled in the soaring light...
Yue Lingling warmly invited Fu Sui to attend her niece's 100-day celebration, but Fu Sui didn't have time. Just as the end of the twelfth lunar month was approaching, she and Yanshan went to the palace early to accompany the Empress Dowager.
Before dawn on New Year's Eve, the monks dressed in red and black clothes and wearing masks waited outside Chengtian Gate. They entered through Changle Gate and Yong'an Gate respectively, and gathered in front of Jiade Gate with gongs and drums before heading into the palace.
The Empress Dowager slept little, Yanshan rose early, and only Fu Sui loved to sleep. Because she was in the palace, and compared to Yanshan, Fu Sui tried her best to get up early, but even so, she was still the last one. Fortunately, she didn't have to dine with the Empress Dowager; otherwise, the Empress Dowager's breakfast would have gone cold before Fu Sui even arrived.
Knowing that she was in poor health, the Empress Dowager did not require her to come and keep her company every day despite the cold wind. She also instructed the kitchen staff to pay attention to the time when Fu Sui got up and to prepare breakfast for her again.
Thanks to the blessing of the year of Fu, the morning and evening greetings at Yanshan have also been waived.
When Fu Sui woke up and came up to Yanshan to watch the exorcism, the monks had already arrived in front of the Taiji Hall.
Hundreds of nuns danced in front of the hall. From a low vantage point, it was impossible to see anything clearly. Fu Sui and Yan Shan climbed the upper gate tower next to the Taiji Hall to watch the Nuo dance from above.
The person at the very front, holding a wooden shield and a long spear and wearing a bearskin, is Fang Xiangshi; the person on his left holding a wooden stick and striking a drum is a musician; and the person on his right wielding a long whip is a steward.
The exorcism procession stopped in front of the Taiji Hall. The chief singer led the singing of the Twelve Gods Exorcising Ghosts Song, and the monks joined in, dancing to the beat of drums.
When the dancers stood still, they were fairly orderly, but once they started dancing, it was truly chaotic. Not only were their movements out of sync, but there were also those who moved their hands and feet in unison and those who couldn't keep up with the drums and music. Fu Sui and Yan Shan were standing tall, so from a distance, it looked like a chaotic dance of demons.
These men were all young men between twelve and twenty years old, most of whom were actors, and a small number were sons of officials who frequented the palace for entertainment.
The sons of officials who were merely pretending to be musicians could not perform with the same ease as the actors, so watching the musicians make fools of themselves every year was a great pleasure for Fu Sui and Yanshan.
The two of them leaned on the railing of the gate tower, looking down. Suddenly, Yanshan nudged Fu Sui: "Look at that person, does he look familiar?"
Fu Sui looked in the direction Yan Shan pointed and saw a masked man dancing wildly, completely ignoring the drum music and Nuo songs, simply jumping to the beat of the drums, having entered a state of self-forgetfulness.
Fu Sui looked again and again before exclaiming in surprise, "Could this person be Tan Xiaoqi?"
Tan Qi prides himself on being a refined and elegant scholar, aspiring to be a romantic and famous figure like Wei Jie. Just look at his seemingly mad dance moves; he's more like Liu Ling than Wei Jie.
Fu Sui found Tan Qi utterly unbearable to look at, so he quickly looked away and searched around. He then spotted an elderly man with gray hair.
Yanshan was also surprised: "Aren't all the young people young? Judging from his figure and hair, he is probably already in his sixties."
Older people can't be as agile as younger people. The old man's hands and feet were slow. Fortunately, the Nuo dance of the zodiac didn't have any too difficult movements. Although the old man couldn't keep up, he could still manage to dance the approximate movements.
This person probably infiltrated the troupe of dancers, hoping to get into the palace for a look. Fu Sui was somewhat impressed: "The dancers are going to dance until sunrise tomorrow. At his age, isn't he afraid of getting tired?"
As they were talking, Fu Sui spotted a familiar figure. The man was tall and strong, while the person standing next to him was small and thin, making the man appear even more robust in comparison.
He seemed to have no idea how to perform the Nuo dance, and kept watching the movements of the person in front of him. However, every movement of the Nuo dance is in harmony with the drum music and exorcism songs. There's no way he could learn it on the spot after watching others, and besides, he had long legs and arms but stiff limbs, making his movements look particularly comical.
Why would he sneak into the crowd at this hour instead of waiting to attend the palace banquet?
Fu Sui patted Yanshan, gesturing for her to look.
Yanshan glanced at it only once before blushing and lowering her head, refusing to look again no matter how much Fu Sui made a fuss.
Fu Sui leaned forward and shouted at the man, "Seventh Prince!"
The man who was fiddling with his hands and feet immediately stopped what he was doing and looked up to find the source of the sound.
When Yanshan saw the Seventh Prince looking over, he exclaimed "Oh dear!" and fled in panic, leaving Fu Sui alone leaning against the railing, laughing heartily.
As the sun sets, torches are lit in front of the Taiji Hall, filling the air with the scent of tung oil. The flames, like a long-dormant red dragon, rise into the sky, instantly engulfing the mountain of firewood. The scorching heat distorts the majestic palace, dispelling the chill of winter.
The pine resin crackled and popped in the fire, releasing a rich, burnt aroma that quickly permeated every brick and tile within the palace walls. Sparks, like fluttering golden-red butterflies, raced towards the dark sky, only to vanish silently at their highest point.
A burst of rapid drumbeats rang out, and dancers in colorful costumes joined in, performing a vigorous dance around the torchlight. The local people also waved their banners and bells, and the deafening drumbeats could not drown out their shouts.
The officials attending the New Year's Eve banquet toasted and laughed. Even if they got drunk in the palace today, they would not be impeached for their misconduct; on the contrary, it would be a good story.
Fu Sui once again ascended the upper gate and searched through the crowd.
Those who could attend the palace banquet were all officials of the fifth rank or above. It was a mixed bag of red and purple, and there were even officials dancing with entertainers. Fu Sui squinted her eyes and searched for a long time but did not see the person she was looking for.
The officials, who were enjoying themselves, parted the crowd and a purple figure emerged from behind the flow of people, heading straight for the gate of the upper pavilion.
Fu Sui looked closely and saw that it was Yue Shanling. She had been searching for him for a long time but had not found him, while he somehow sensed that someone was at the upper door.
Fu Sui leaned over the railing and looked up. Yue Shanling was looking up when he saw that most of her body was hanging outside. His expression changed immediately, and he spread his arms slightly to prevent her from falling.
“Here you go.” Fu Sui said softly, and as soon as she finished speaking, she took out something and threw it downwards.
Before Yue Shanling could hear what Fu Sui was saying, he saw a dark shadow fall rapidly. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and managed to catch it.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a small gourd about the length of a finger, with silk thread wrapped around the handle, adorned with a net and tassels.
This gourd was all too familiar to Yue Shanling; it was the one that Fu Sui had personally picked, the one he had once secretly tried to steal, and the one whose whereabouts he had always longed for.
Now, the small gourd has been carefully peeled, dried until it turns a bright yellow, tied with an exquisite net, and has arrived in his hands in the most unexpected way.
Looking up over the mountain ridge, Fu Sui was nowhere to be seen at the upper gate. He clutched the gourd and searched along the palace wall, but could only see the lanterns hanging on the wall and the golden light flowing on the glazed tiles.
Just as Yue Shanling was feeling lost and dejected, the heavy net hanging from the gourd hit his hand as he walked. He looked down and examined it closely, and found a small gold ingot shaped like a plum blossom in the middle of the colorful net.
His thumb slowly traced the gold ingot. On the Rouge River, when he asked her for the fish tally, she tried to use the plum blossom gold ingot to deceive him. Unexpectedly, more than half a year later, the gold ingot still ended up in his hands.
His dark eyes were brimming with water, and they shone with an astonishing brightness. Yue Shanling's lips curved into a smile as he repeatedly stroked the gourd from top to bottom.
Someone called him from behind, and he answered casually, bending down to hang the gourd on his waist. Before he could hang it up, he stopped, thought for a few moments, straightened the tassel, carefully folded it together with the gourd, and stuffed it into his bosom.
The bustling torches in the front hall could not ignite the anxiety within the inner palace.
On New Year's Eve, Ma Junjun was granted permission to enter the palace and speak with Consort Feng in the inner hall.
"Is this for my own sake? Isn't it for yours!" Seeing Consort Feng hesitate, Lord Ma couldn't help but shout.
Consort Feng immediately glared at Lady Ma: "Keep your voice down, are you afraid others won't hear you?"
Lady Ma was anxious, but because she was in the palace, she could only suppress her emotions and discuss it with Consort Feng.
She leaned closer to Consort Feng and earnestly advised her, "Your father and your brother are still in prison. That prison is a place that devours people. Today is New Year's Eve. Look at all the lanterns and feasts in your palace. You are enjoying yourself in the palace. Can you bear to watch your father and brother suffer in prison?"
She looked back at the palace gates. The doors to both the inner and outer halls were tightly shut. All the servants had been sent outside. The room was brightly lit, yet cold and desolate, as if even a breath would echo.
Lady Ma lowered her voice even further, almost whispering to Consort Feng: "Even if not for the sake of the family, you should think about yourself. I heard that the Emperor greatly praised that Consort Xu, who is just a servant who warms the bed for men. She only gained her status because of her youthful affection for the Emperor. How can you let her step on your head?"
Ma Junjun's words touched Consort Feng. Consort Feng was not worried about Consort Xu rising in rank, but the Emperor's attitude towards the princes on Mid-Autumn Festival and Consort Gui's confident expression deeply affected her.
She had schemed for a long time to seize the power to manage the six palaces from the Imperial Concubine, but now, because the Feng family was impeached, even her power had been taken away. If the Feng family was truly convicted, then she would be the daughter of a disgraced official, and the possibility of becoming empress would be lost.
Consort Feng bit her lower lip in a dilemma, her delicate brows furrowed tightly. After weighing her options for a long time, she finally asked, "Can he ensure that my Yan'er will smoothly ascend to the throne?"
"Of course!" Lady Ma quickly replied. Seeing that Consort Feng's attitude had softened, an uncontainable joy appeared on her face. "There are no women from his family in the palace. Besides you, who else can he rely on?"
"Alright." Consort Feng finally made up her mind. "I agree."
It wasn't that Fu Sui didn't want to talk to Yue Shanling more, but she simply had important matters to attend to.
Dai Ling rushed over, carrying a brocade bag about half her height: "Princess, I told Eunuch Xu that you wanted to hunt deer, and he sent someone to fetch this. Please take a look and see if you can use it."
Fu Sui didn't even look at them, and led Kou Yun and Dai Ling towards the west side of Taiji Hall.
Wang Bochang stood in front of Suzhang Gate. To the south was the office of the Secretariat. He had served as the Vice Minister of the Secretariat and was very familiar with the place.
Today, he was invited to a banquet at the palace, and a courtier claimed that someone was looking for him and led him here.
Wang Bochang slowly walked along the road toward the Zhongshu Gongfang (Secretariat Office). After passing through the Suzhang Gate, one would reach the inner court. Normally, there should be guards on duty at the Suzhang Gate, but at this time, there was no one in front of the Suzhang Gate, and the Zhongshu Gongfang was also completely silent.
Footsteps approached, and Wang Bochang looked in the direction of the sound. A fiery red brocade jacket and a pure white fox fur cloak were seen. As the person drew closer, Princess Yong'an's face gradually became clear.
"Lord Wang, how have you been?"
Every time they met, it was the same question. Hearing the girl's sweet voice, Wang Bochang's face darkened: "Did the princess send someone to summon me here?"
Fu Sui would never admit it, especially since this place wasn't actually her choice.
"It was just a chance encounter." She approached Wang Bochang and stopped in front of him. "Mr. Wang, what are your thoughts as you revisit this place?"
Wang Bochang snorted coldly: "Does the princess have to be so aggressive?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Sui burst into laughter and retorted to Wang Bochang, "Has Mr. Wang forgotten his own surname? How can you say that I am being aggressive?"
The place was eerie, and Wang Bochang didn't want to clash with Fu Sui here, so he could only back down and try to say something conciliatory to Fu Sui to get away: "The death of the Prince of Jin was indeed not what the Wang family wanted, but the princess just wouldn't believe it."
“The Prince of Jin has been buried for many years. What does his life and posthumous reputation have to do with me?” Fu Sui tilted his head and looked at Wang Bochang, his tone very aggrieved. “But Hedong is where my fief is located. The Wang family has occupied Hedong for many years and has taken away a lot of money from my fief every year. What explanation does Prime Minister Wang have for this?”
Years ago, during the struggle over the succession, one could argue that each was acting in the interest of their own master. But in recent years, Wang has fabricated output, shifted taxes, and embezzled her rightful tax revenue. Why should she expect to reconcile with Wang?
She, a princess of the imperial lineage, even had to eat the leftovers of the Wang family in her own fiefdom. According to the Emperor Taizu's decree, her fiefdom should have been able to "manage itself".
Upon hearing the mention of taxes, Wang Bochang knew that there was no possibility of the Wang family and Princess Yong'an getting along anymore. Since that was the case, there was no need to waste words; it was best to leave as soon as possible.
He warned Fu Sui: "As a woman, Princess, you should focus your attention on the inner quarters and stop being a hen that crows at dawn."
Unable to find common ground, Wang Bochang, unwilling to say more, turned and left. Fu Sui watched his retreating figure, and with a wave of her hand, Dai Ling handed her the bow hidden in the brocade bag.
A sharp gust of wind swept past Wang Bochang's face, and an arrow became embedded in the tree trunk in front of him, its tail feathers trembling incessantly.
He was shocked and turned around abruptly. Fu Sui was still in the posture of raising her bow, without nocking an arrow, just drawing the bowstring and aiming at Wang Bochang: "Prime Minister Wang, come and shoot deer with me in the Forbidden Garden when you have time." As she spoke, she released her hand from the bowstring, and the taut bowstring suddenly thrust forward, making a humming sound due to the obstruction at both ends of the bow.
Even without arrows, Wang Bochang still felt a sharp blade hurtling towards him, startling him so much that his blood froze instantly, and a chill crept up his spine.
He raised his hand to touch his earlobe, where the gust of wind from the arrow had cut a small wound, causing him excruciating pain.
Fu Sui really wanted to kill him!
Wang Bochang looked around the empty and desolate palace hall, a sense of relief welling up in his heart. Fortunately, all of this was about to end, and then he could settle accounts with her slowly.
When Fu Sui returned to the main hall, the emperor was standing in front of the hall watching the torches. When he saw Fu Sui, he asked her, "What did you go about?"
Fu Sui casually replied, "To catch up with old friends."
"Since we are reminiscing, we should be lenient with each other when possible."
Fu Sui turned her head and saw the emperor with his hands behind his back, looking straight ahead. If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, she wouldn't have been sure if the emperor had spoken at all.
Her good cousin clearly understood the importance of nipping the problem in the bud. Fu Sui smiled sweetly and replied obediently, "Brother is right."
On the high platform, she stood side by side with the emperor, amidst the dazzling torches and the courtiers dancing wildly in the soaring light, the flames burning in their eyes.
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