Chapter 9 Scars "You're so delicate, just bear with it."
It goes without saying who he was comforting and whom he was disdainful of.
She ran back to the courtyard, tears streaming down her face.
At night, a sudden rainstorm and wind arose.
The glowing embers flickered, whimpering and struggling in despair. Rain poured in, extinguishing the last embers of the flames.
As a servant, she had no medicine in her room and couldn't leave the manor to see her wound without permission. So she went to the stables to get some hemostatic ointment, which they used specifically to treat injured horses. She figured it might be of some use on a person too.
After all, cats, dogs, and horses are all livestock that please their owners and are driven around by them; there is no difference between them.
The left and right hands were bandaged together. One hand was bandaged, but the other hand was still bleeding profusely, and the bleeding seemed impossible to stop.
The excessive pain stimulated her nerves, and she felt dizzy.
Even in his confused state, his words remained clear and ruthless.
No wonder he liked to control her every smile, expression, and gesture. If she disobeyed even slightly, she would suffer his humiliating punishment.
It turns out, he only treated her as a toy to play with when he was bored, something to be discarded when he was tired of her, like a cat or a dog, or even a person...
From now on, will she kneel at his feet to please him while enduring his wife's beatings and punishments, and live like this forever?
She had thought that he had a little bit of feelings for her.
But she was wrong; it was just his playful teasing of his pets, not affection for a person.
He never thought she would feel pain, grievance, or sadness, and he would never call her by her proper name.
She lay on her side with the lamp out, and heard his footsteps.
Pei Xiaoyun saw the guests off and went to the doctor to get a bottle of medicine to stop the bleeding and remove the scars. He thought she would keep watch and wait for him to return as usual, but she was nowhere to be seen in the corridor.
Upon entering her room, he found her lying on her side on the couch, her fair cheek slightly puffed out. He smoothed her disheveled hair and noticed that her eyelids were closed; she was probably asleep.
She pressed her hands against the blanket, hiding herself tightly under it. He wanted to check on her injuries, but was afraid of waking her.
Well, since he's asleep, he must not be seriously injured.
Have her apply this medicine again tomorrow.
Mingying did not fall asleep.
When she heard that he had returned, her nose tingled with emotion, but she did not tell him her grievances or explain anything as she usually would.
She simply turned over instinctively, closed her eyes, and turned her back to him.
She noticed that he had been staring at her for a long time, his cool fingers brushing across her skin, before finally placing something on her bedside table.
A surge of heat welled up in her chest, and she longed to ask him face to face what he would do with her once he married the county princess.
The thought kept me tossing and turning, and the words were almost out.
Just as she was about to turn around and call him, she heard the curtain being lifted again.
Then, all was silent except for the patter of rain.
—
In the early morning, she had no excuse to avoid him anymore.
Pei Xiaoyun didn't let her serve her; instead, she unprecedentedly applied the medicine for her.
"Why are you wrapped up like this? Look, your fingers are all red from being pulled so tight."
"This servant doesn't know how to bandage." Mingying looked at the man's serious expression and suddenly remembered what he had said to the county princess yesterday. Every word was clear and still ringing in her ears.
It's like if a cat or dog that he's raised for almost four years gets injured, he might show some concern if the mood strikes him.
Of course, it's only when there's an extra bit of concern that I give to her.
“I came to your room last night to apply medicine to you, but you were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you.”
Mingying didn't know what to say.
She knew he had been there.
The medicine applied to the horse seemed to have little effect on the person's hands. The wound on her palm was grotesque and winding, with pink flesh turned outwards. When the ointment touched her, she hissed in pain, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"You're being delicate, just bear with it. There won't be any scars after the medicine is applied."
Pei Xiaoyun didn't soften her heart and wouldn't let her pull her hand away. She finished applying the medicine in one go and saw her wrinkled little face. She wiped away her tears with her fingertips.
"I asked the servants in the manor, 'Weren't you supposed to be serving in the West Pavilion yesterday? Why did you go to the East Pavilion?'"
He didn't want Mingying and Xiao Fuying to meet, as their statuses were vastly different—one was a concubine and the other a wife—and he would have to go to great lengths to mediate.
"They shirk their responsibilities and do all the work for you, replacing your tasks. Don't you know how to refuse? I've already severely punished the maid who used to serve in the East Pavilion."
Mingying clenched her palms and looked at him quietly.
What does all this have to do with anyone else? In the end, he still blames her for going to the East Pavilion to serve without permission and running into the county princess.
He didn't want his fiancée to be known as domineering. First, he ordered her to leave without asking any questions, and today she took her anger out on others. After all, they were childhood sweethearts, truly a perfect match.
"Why are you so gloomy?" Pei Xiaoyun asked, turning her chin towards him after she had been silent for a long time.
Mingying touched her face and gave a pale, weak smile: "I'm very happy that you applied the medicine for me, young master."
—
As the year drew to a close, the provincial governors of Huguang and Zhejiang provinces submitted two urgent memorials, reporting that a large number of buried weapons had been discovered in the suburbs and mountains of many cities in the two provinces, raising suspicions that someone was plotting a rebellion.
This matter was of utmost importance, and the Crown Prince was furious. He immediately dispatched Pei Xiaoyun to the provinces of Huguang and Zhejiang to handle the matter.
It has been a month since Pei Xiaoyun left the capital.
The various courtyards of the mansion are already being decorated and prepared for the New Year.
Now that the mansion is managed by the Lan family, she doesn't care about Lanqingzhuo Courtyard, and she doesn't send anyone to deliver the New Year's goods purchased from the storeroom. Pei Xiaoyun is also not here, so the courtyard is still deserted.
Mingying and Ling Shuang discussed taking a few servants to the street to buy some New Year's goods, in case Pei Xiaoyun returned and the courtyard was too lonely without the New Year's atmosphere.
An unassuming carriage left the mansion.
It snowed all night again last night.
At the end of each year, the streets are filled with distinguished people, and the officers of the Military Command dare not neglect them. They lead people to clear the way and sweep the snow, and even ordinary people benefit from this.
The carriage stopped in the open space; Mingying hadn't come out for quite some time.
Pei Xiaoyun forbade her to leave the manor at will, but this time, taking advantage of his trip to Huguang on official business and his absence for several days, she dared to come out. The cold wind made her cheeks flushed, and her eyebrows and eyes seemed to have been washed clean, pure and bright.
Ling Shuang took her hand and led her to buy some preserved wine and prayer flags.
Passing by a candy shop, the stall owner called out to them, "Ladies, you must try these candied melons and candied lotus roots, they're so sweet!"
The two of them each tried a piece. Mingying liked sweets, but the money for the purchase was paid by the household, so she couldn't say directly that she wanted some. Instead, she said, "Sister Lingshuang, buy some so we can all eat them together on New Year's Eve."
"Where can we keep this for New Year's Eve? I think you just want to eat it yourself!" Ling Shuang saw through her thoughts and said helplessly, "Okay, I'll buy you some, but don't tell them."
Mingying revealed a pair of dimples: "Sister, you're so good to me."
The two strolled around for another hour, and having bought almost everything they needed, they were about to get into the carriage to go home when Ling Shuang's cousin saw her and waved and called out.
Ling Shuang blushed and didn't want to talk to him.
Mingying knew perfectly well what was going on, and whispered in her ear, "Go on, I'll just wander around by myself and wait for you to come back together."
The carriage stopped in front of a music pavilion called Fuguanglou.
After Ling Shuang left, Ming Ying stood in front of Fu Guang Tower waiting for her.
A clear and distinct pipa melody drifted from inside the building; she recognized it as the Yangzhou Slow tune.
Having studied the pipa at Mianyue Tower for three years, she could play this piece with her eyes closed, knowing exactly which string her fingertips should be on.
"Miss, there's a new song, 'Spring River Flower Moon,' playing in the building today. Would you like to go in and listen?"
Mingying's expression faltered, as if she had heard something unbelievable: "I can go in too?"
But she is a woman.
The waiter who greeted the guest smiled and said, "Miss, this is a music hall where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy music."
Mingying glanced around and saw that the room was indeed packed with men and women, with no seats available. Among them were distinguished noblemen in fine clothes, upright scholars in white robes, and even women laughing loudly and clapping their hands in approval.
The music meandered past the jade-carved railings, slipped away from her ears, and then soared into the sky, circling several times.
Back in the Moonlit Pavilion, the ladies there taught her that being in such a place meant they were destined for lowliness, and she shouldn't try to be superior.
The pipa is played for men, and the dance is performed for men. Whoever a man favors when he's in a good mood will have a good life.
Therefore, she never listened to the piece of music carefully.
It turns out, it sounds really good too.
She brushed past several women coming out of the building and couldn't help but go inside.
On the high platform, a group of women were dancing, their beautiful and dazzling red dresses fluttering like the wings of thousands of butterflies.
The other side of the platform was covered with all kinds of paintings.
One of the paintings, a panoramic view of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains, depicted the undulating landscape with bold strokes of the brush and splashes of ink forming the rivers. Gazing at the painting, she felt as if she had arrived at a place she had never set foot in before, with a vast river breeze blowing against her face, lifting the hem of her skirt.
"Mr. Lin's camellia painting is beautiful, but selling it for two thousand taels is too high. It is not a plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, peony, or peony, but just a wild camellia. It is really not worth it. If it were less, I might consider it."
The man in blue robes, who was buying the painting, was haggling over the price in front of the young painter.
Mingying looked at the camellia painting again, and her eyes lit up.
Suddenly, it felt like returning from the vast wilderness to a quiet path, with the whistling river breeze followed by endless drizzle. The pale white camellias in the painting were exquisitely beautiful, blooming in the rain, making her want to reach out and touch them.
She was surprised that there were painters who painted camellias; she had thought she was the only one who liked to paint them.
Pei Xiaoyun doesn't like this kind of flower.
She only dared to pester him to teach her to draw when he was in a good mood.
The painter in white slowly rose and snatched the painting back from the man who wanted to buy it: "In that case, I will not sell it to you. Please leave, young master."
"It's just a lousy camellia painting, I don't even want it!"
The man who bought the painting turned and left.
Mingying stared at the painting for a long time, completely unaware that the white-robed painter had noticed her.
"Does the young lady like this painting?"
Mingying snapped out of her reverie and immediately praised, "Mr. Lin's painting is truly beautiful."
The man wore a long robe with wide sleeves, and his face was clear and bright, like flawless white jade.
He had heard many people flatter him, and thought the young girl was pretending to know what she was talking about. He laughed and said, "It's not plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, peony, or anything else that's pretty."
Mingying shook her head seriously, and after thinking for a while, she replied: "The peanuts that Mr. Lin mentioned grow in fertile soil and mostly in wealthy families. They need to be carefully tended to before they can bloom, and once they bloom, they are only for the grower to appreciate. But camellias are different. They grow in the mountains and fields, and only need a little sunshine and rain to bloom all over the mountains and fields for an entire winter."
It is beautiful and resilient, and never hesitates to show off its beauty.
The man was moved and turned his head to look at her. A faint smile was on her pure and lovely face. She was beautiful, but judging from her clothes, she did not seem to be born into a wealthy family.
He realized that her words came from the bottom of her heart, and was about to speak when the piece ended on stage. A woman holding a pipa came down and said, "Mr. Lin, did I play it wrong? There was a note that seemed off. I really like this piece, but I can never play it well. I'm going home tomorrow and won't be able to come for a while."
"Miss Fang, please wait a moment. Mr. Lin is painting right now."
The waiter raised his hand to stop the woman.
While talking to Mr. Lin, Mingying noticed that the melody of the last phrase was too fast. She remembered it and said to the woman, "Sister, your fingering in the fourth section of the last phrase is too fast. This phrase is easy to get impatient with. Just keep your wrist steady."
The woman thought she was Mr. Lin's apprentice.
Mr. Lin's real name is Lin Xian. He is not only an excellent painter, but also quite accomplished in poetry and music. He composed more than a dozen pieces for Fuguanglou, and every performance attracted a large number of guests.
Unexpectedly, even her apprentice's skills were so exquisite, and she humbly thanked Mingying.
"Can the young lady play the pipa?" Lin Xian asked Mingying after the woman left.
Mingying said, "I studied it for a few years before."
She didn't reveal anything else.
"But I find it a bit unbelievable."
Lin Xian asked in confusion, "Why do you say that, young lady?"
Mingying didn't know how to answer him.
How could she explain it? Her family was destroyed when she was young, and she spent three years in the brothel before being redeemed by her master. Now she is a maid in a wealthy household, and the title "concubine" is used before "maid".
She had traveled to very few places and met very few people. Whether in Yangzhou or the capital, she always stayed in her backyard.
She had never seen a place like Fuguang Tower before. The music they played was not to please men, but because they liked it and wanted more people to appreciate it.
"I never imagined that people of all ages and genders could watch it, play it if they wanted, and dance if they wanted."
Lin Xian noticed the deep sorrow hidden between her brows and simply asked her, "Do you like playing the pipa, young lady?"
Do you like it?
Mingying asked herself honestly, and it seemed she quite liked it.
But whenever she picks up the pipa, she always thinks of what happened at Mianyue Tower. She won't play it on her own initiative unless Pei Xiaoyun is in a good mood and orders her to play.
"Plants and trees have their own nature, why should they seek the favor of beauties? The landscape and the moon have no permanent owner. Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting should also be done for oneself first."
Lin Xian always felt that the woman in front of him clearly had a pair of pure and clear eyes, but there was always a lingering darkness in them.
It's as if the light and shadow of the world have never shone through.
He said gently, "The rivers of all directions flow through the nine provinces; only by setting foot on them yourself can one know the magnificence of the mountains and rivers."
Listening to his words, Mingying felt as if she were back in a painting, and for the first time, a surging flood opened the floodgates in her heart, washing over her barren soul.
"Thank you, Mr. Lin." Although she didn't know why she was thanking him, she blurted out those words.
Fearing that Ling Shuang wouldn't be able to find her when she returned, she decided to take her leave.
"Wait a moment, young lady."
Lin Xian took the painting and slowly unfolded it with fluid movements: "This camellia painting is a gift for you, young lady."
Mingying seemed startled and repeatedly declined, her words failing her: "Sir, your skill is superb; this painting is far too valuable..."
“Selling it to those vulgar people would be a waste of my paintings. I am destined to meet the girl, and as the saying goes, a true friend is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.”
He insisted on giving it to her, and Mingying, unable to refuse his kind offer, carefully put the painting away and tucked it into her bosom.
Even after leaving Fuguang Tower, her heart was still pounding because of his words.
—
Back at the manor, she was still restless, as if she were still on the deck, swaying with the waves.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, Yu'er ran over, her face full of worry. "Sister Ming is back! Grandpa went home early this morning and has been looking for you everywhere."
Mingying felt a jolt in her heart, and her fingertips went cold.
Did he come back ahead of schedule?
Although she also hoped for his return, a fear more overwhelming than anticipation overwhelmed her—she went out without permission.
After returning to her room and putting away the painting, she changed her clothes and went to see him.
Pei Xiaoyun returned on horseback, exhausted from the long journey, and a chaotic restlessness spread across his eyes.
He leaned back in his armchair, feigning sleep, when he heard a light footstep. The long, slender fingers that had been tapping the table stopped quietly.
"Young master is back." Her voice was still clear and melodious.
He suddenly opened his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Where did you go?"
A note from the author:
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The second male lead makes his appearance [doge emoji]
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