Chapter 56 The boy from Qingzhou, still yearning for the wild geese, fulfills his promise in his letter. ...
Yi Ruxu wanted to reach out and help Su Jinxiu down from her horse, but Su Jinxiu waved her hand and said softly, "It's alright, it's alright, I can do it myself."
He helped me today, but I'll be riding many more times in the future, and I can't rely on others every time. Besides, I've already ridden around twice on horseback, so I'm used to the height and not afraid anymore.
So, she lifted her right leg and slid it, turning her body to sit sideways. Then, like a petal blown by the wind, she jumped down and landed lightly on the ground.
As soon as she stopped, she looked up at the unfamiliar young man beside Yi Ruxu. Seeing that he was a complete stranger, and assuming he was probably Yi Ruxu's colleague, she remained silent. However, Yi Ruxu didn't seem inclined to introduce him either. Su Jinxiu looked at him with slight confusion, but Yi Ruxu said softly, "I don't know this young man either."
"May I ask who you are?" Yi Ruxu immediately asked.
The young man replied casually, "It's alright, it's enough that I know you two. I am Mu Hualin, a fifth-rank preacher."
"Mu Hualin?" Su Jinxiu and Yi Ruxu were both taken aback.
Yi Ruxu was deeply shocked; the person before her was actually the Empress's younger brother and the son of the Mu family, a powerful military clan. Su Jinxiu's shock, however, stemmed from another reason: this person was the confidant that Aqin had repeatedly mentioned before.
Then, Mu Hualin cupped his hands in a polite gesture and said, "The football game has just ended, and I see the two of you riding here. Judging from your demeanor, this gentleman is quite extraordinary. I suppose you must be Yi Bianxiu from the Hanlin Academy? I have long admired your talent and have wanted to get to know you for a long time."
Yi Ruxu returned the greeting with a bow and said modestly, "Young Master Mu is too kind. I am merely a casual compiler in the Hanlin Academy. How could I possibly deserve such praise? It is Young Master Mu who is young and promising, and has made great achievements in his position as a preacher. I have long admired your name."
Seeing the two of them start praising each other in such a literary way as soon as they met, Su Jinxiu couldn't help but chuckle to herself. If it were her, she wouldn't be able to spout so many empty words. So she quietly tugged at Yi Ruxu's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Ruxu, you two continue your conversation. I won't disturb you any longer. Let's take Zaogao over there to eat some grass."
Yi Ruxu nodded and said gently, "Okay, you go first, I'll be there in a moment."
Su Jinxiu was about to turn back, holding the reins of the jujube cake, when Mu Hualin suddenly stepped forward and blocked her way.
"However, I have an even more important matter to attend to on this trip. A close friend has asked me to pass on a message to Miss Su."
“Me?” Su Jinxiu pointed to herself.
“Indeed.” Mu Hualin nodded. “Miss Su, may I have a word with you in private?”
Su Jinxiu unconsciously tightened her grip on the reins.
So Yi Ruxu took over, leading Zao Gao to a spot on the lawn, letting it graze on the grass. He stood with his hands behind his back, glancing at Su Jinxiu from time to time, his gaze fixed on her without ever leaving her side.
Su Jinxiu and Mu Hualin walked side by side, admiring the beautiful scenery under the setting sun. However, she felt a little dazed, thinking that if Mu Hualin was going to bring it, it would most likely be Feng Chen's.
What could it be? A belated promise, or a perfunctory apology?
If that's the case, why not come and say it yourself?
Su Jinxiu was filled with doubts, but she just walked silently, waiting for Mu Hualin to speak.
Mu Hualin simply walked on in silence.
Su Jinxiu couldn't bear it any longer and was about to speak up when she saw him suddenly look up at the horizon. She followed his gaze and saw a pair of wild geese nestled together, flapping their wings and flying south.
Mu Hualin softly recited: "Flying guests from all corners of the world, their old wings have weathered many cold and hot seasons."
He paused, then explained, "The wild goose is a loyal bird, recognizing only one mate throughout its life, sharing joys and sorrows, and never abandoning one another."
Su Jinxiu frowned and said, "What exactly does Young Master Mu want to say? Let's get straight to the point. I don't understand the intricacies of your scholar-official circles, so just speak your mind."
Mu Hualin smiled freely: "Miss Su is quick-witted and outspoken. Look, the direction those geese are flying in is Qingzhou."
"Qingzhou?"
“That’s right.” Mu Hualin nodded. “Siyuan also went to Qingzhou in a hurry a few days ago from the imperial palace.”
He went to Qingzhou in such a hurry that he left before she even woke up, which suggests that he had some extremely urgent official business to attend to.
So, it seems we misunderstood him?
"Does Miss Su know why he left?"
Why?
"Because the county princess's maternal grandmother suddenly fell seriously ill, it seems that her days are numbered. The county princess has been deeply attached to her grandmother since childhood, and she was devastated by this news. Siyuan was really worried, so upon hearing the news, he immediately rushed to Qingzhou to be with her."
Su Jinxiu blinked, as if she hadn't quite grasped the situation.
“Siyuan told me personally that he was very worried about Chaoguang, but there was still someone in the palace who needed to be taken care of, so he asked me to pass on a message.”
She then looked up and stared intently at the pair of geese.
One flew slightly lower, and the other followed closely, adjusting its posture to match, striving to be in sync. Even amidst the onslaught of wind, frost, rain, and snow, and the dazzling array of flowers, its direction remained steadfastly toward its mate.
Mu Hualin turned his head and saw that Su Jinxiu was engrossed in watching, so he said, "If they can find Qinglin Lake on their way to Qingzhou, that would be great. The lake is surrounded by lush reeds and abundant aquatic plants, and the fish and shrimp are plentiful. There are also large mudflats on the shore, which are perfect for them to rest and recuperate."
"A good bird chooses its tree to perch on. Some swans are born with the ambition to fly a thousand miles. Even if they occasionally land on ordinary branches or shallow ponds, it is only a temporary rest and they will not amount to much. Once their wings have recovered, they will eventually join their kind and soar together in the clouds."
Even if Su Jinxiu was slow to understand, she could still hear the hidden meaning in Mu Hualin's words.
They were already worlds apart, so it was no surprise that she was being ostracized in this subtle way. I had always heard that he was on good terms with the county princess, so I suppose he was standing up for her and defending her.
She smiled lightly, not wanting to argue with him, but Mu Hualin pressed on: "Miss Su, don't misplace your feelings and seduce the wrong person. Siyuan is now a hidden dragon in the abyss, ready to soar to the sky. Why would he return to his nest with broken wings and marry a sparrow? Even if there is a moment of tenderness, it is nothing but fleeting smoke. Just watch who he chooses in important matters, and you will see where his heart lies."
Su Jinxiu's smile vanished instantly. She turned to look at Mu Hualin, her tone calm: "How do you know that this sparrow is eagerly anticipating being taken back to its nest in the heavens by that swan?"
"Is the young master so certain that women from humble backgrounds must rely on the powerful and wealthy to gain a foothold?"
"Let me tell you, young master, this whole entanglement was forced upon him from the beginning. Instead of pointing fingers at me and making sarcastic remarks, you should first restrain your good brother and stop him from bothering me, a mere mortal, so as not to tarnish your so-called lofty ambitions."
Upon hearing this, Mu Hualin was not annoyed at all. Instead, she smiled meaningfully and even bowed to Su Jinxiu in a proper manner: "It is fortunate that Miss Su is so carefree. Siyuan can also be free from a troublesome matter."
He deliberately emphasized the words "troublesome matters," as if Su Jinxiu's existence was nothing more than a burden to Feng Chen from beginning to end.
Since he was the one who was rude first, Su Jinxiu no longer gave him any face and retorted sarcastically: "It seems he has really risen to prominence now, that even someone of your rank, who is higher than him, has to bow down and fawn over him? Or is it that the name Fengchen alone is not enough to make you so obsequious? Then it must be for the sake of the county princess?"
Her tone carried a hint of pity: "So it seems that although Young Master Mu holds a high position, his situation is not as good as mine. At least in my case, it was Feng Siyuan who took the initiative to pester me. I wonder if that noble and precious county princess has ever deigned to even glance at you?"
Mu Hualin's bowing posture froze abruptly, and the smile on his face vanished without a trace. He forced a smile as he stood up and said stiffly, "Yuan Huang was impolite today, and Miss Su is absolutely right. Now that things have been clarified, I shall take my leave."
After Mu Hualin left, Su Jinxiu, who had been speaking sharply just moments before, stood silently and motionless in place.
Her gaze drifted aimlessly into the distance, as if she were looking for something, yet seeing nothing at all, her expression blank and lost.
Even though Mu Hualin's words were harsh and hurtful, and even though Su Jinxiu refuted them one by one, there was one sentence that she could not refute no matter what.
He said, "When it comes to important matters, his heart is with whomever he chooses."
He could offer those small favors and sweet words to anyone, anytime. But if something truly serious happened, even if it was just a piece of bad news that hadn't come to pass, he would still rush to Qingzhou without hesitation to comfort his future wife. And for her, even if she had just endured a night of torment, it couldn't compare to the slightest disturbance on the other side.
She was startled out of her daze only when Yi Ruxu approached, leading the jujube cake by the reins.
Seeing her expression, Yi Ruxu knew she didn't want to say more, so he didn't ask any more questions and just said softly, "Let's go back."
Su Jinxiu responded, and the two of them walked slowly back from one end of the riverbank under the setting sun.
As I walked, a lone goose suddenly flew across the sky.
She looked up and saw that the goose seemed to have an injured wing, flying high and low, all alone, yet still stubbornly flying towards the place of hope.
It's as if they know full well that the road ahead is long and arduous, and even if they are broken by wind and rain, and die of heartbreak halfway, they still stubbornly flap their wings and move forward for that faint glimmer of hope.
You must have words to say, across ten thousand miles of layered clouds, amidst a thousand mountains covered in evening snow, to whom does this solitary figure turn?
Su Jinxiu slowly came to her senses, feeling a dull pain in her heart and difficulty breathing.
Like suddenly receiving devastating news, you're not immediately overwhelmed by grief. You subconsciously treat the catastrophe as commonplace, making it easy to cope, even insignificant. But once you come to your senses, the emotions surge forth, unavoidable.
Mu Hualin actually knew about Qingzhou and the geese at Qinglin Lake.
Because a long, long time ago.
At that time, a young man sent a letter from Jiangzhou.
The letter said:
"The betrothal gifts of daughters in Bianjing often include wild geese. When I return, I will go to the mountain to hunt a wild goose for you that flies to Qingzhou."
"If you feel it's not good enough, I will go to Qinglin Lake in Qingzhou by myself."
"I've heard that the geese there have more beautiful plumage and clearer calls than those elsewhere; they're the best. How about it? I'll hunt three for you, or more."
"In short, I want to make you the young lady with the most gifts in Bianjing City."
She remembers every single word clearly and can still recite them fluently.
Back then, I would read it under the dim light of a long night, and I was overjoyed.
Looking up at the sky, the wounded goose, unable to fly away, cried out in despair and eventually threw itself to the ground and died.
Tears welled up without warning.
In the blink of an eye, her face was covered in wet tears.
Author's Note: (Note:)
Unable to escape his mournful cries, he threw himself to the ground and died.
"Flying guests from all corners of the world, their old wings have weathered many winters and summers."
"You should have words to say, but across ten thousand miles of layered clouds, where does this solitary figure turn to?"
Quoted from Yuan Haowen's "Touching Fish - Ode to the Wild Geese"
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