Chapter 61 The Pavilion Lost in the Mist, the Moon Lost in the River (Part 5) Making a Vow Before the Buddha and Releasing the River...
Qiu Sheng rushed in excitedly: "Your Majesty! His Majesty specifically instructed before the morning court session that the carriages and horses are already waiting outside the Vermilion Bird Gate, and the guards have also been arranged. We are just waiting for Your Majesty to have breakfast so that you can leave the palace at any time!"
Upon hearing this, Chun Tan combed Ye Yixiang's long hair while softly saying, "Your Majesty... still has a heart."
Ye Yixiang tidied her temples in front of the mirror, saying nothing, but a glint of light flashed in her eyes. She chose a moon-white men's outfit with dark bamboo patterns, her black hair tied up with a simple white jade hairpin, and holding a plain folding fan. Looking at herself in the mirror, she did indeed resemble a refined scholar.
"Your Majesty, you look truly handsome and dashing!" Qiu Sheng circled around you, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Ye Yixiang's lips curled up slightly at her amusement, and the gloom that had been weighing on her for days seemed to have been somewhat dispelled by this rare opportunity to get some fresh air. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll take you all out to have some fun." She looked at Wuluozhu, "Go and call your brother too. Since you two came to the palace, you've always been separated."
Uluzhu looked somewhat troubled: "Your Majesty, His Majesty arranged for Uleci to serve as the Sima Jian the other day. This servant does not know if he is on duty today..."
“Let’s switch shifts when we’re on duty!” Qiu Sheng interjected, a bright smile on her face. “It’s a rare opportunity to go out, Your Highness, don’t you think?”
Ye Yixiang looked at Wuluozhu.
Uluzhu lowered her eyes and replied respectfully but firmly, "That child, Uleci, is honest and always says he cannot let down Your Majesty and His Majesty's appreciation. In my opinion, rather than playing in the streets, he probably wants to do his job well, which is the best way to repay Your Majesty and His Majesty."
Hearing her say that, Ye Yixiang nodded: "If that's the case, then forget it. We'll go have fun by ourselves, and if we come across anything rare or interesting, we'll bring it back to him."
After breakfast, the mistress and servants arrived at the Vermilion Bird Gate. Pei Hong, accompanied by several plainclothes guards, was already waiting beside a blue-curtained carriage. Upon seeing them emerge, he respectfully bowed and said, "Madam, everything has been arranged."
The carriage drove out of the palace gate, its wheels rumbling over the bluestone pavement. At first, one could still feel the solemnity surrounding the imperial city, but as one went further, the hustle and bustle of the marketplace surged in like a tide.
Qiu Sheng could no longer contain herself and quietly lifted a corner of the car curtain.
Instantly, a variety of fresh scents rushed towards us.
The aroma of freshly steamed buns, the sweetness of fried dough sticks, the strong flavor of braised offal, and the fresh scent of mugwort and calamus wafting from somewhere, all mixed with the dye smell of five-colored silk threads.
The vendor's loud shouts then became clearly audible:
"Fresh bamboo leaves! Wide and green!"
Realgar wine! It wards off the five poisonous creatures and ensures peace and safety—
"Five-colored threads, longevity threads, tie them on the child—"
"Scented sachet! Scented sachet! Made with mugwort, calamus, and cloves, it's great for repelling insects and warding off evil spirits—"
Through the gauze curtain, Ye Yixiang watched the vibrant faces passing by outside the window, and her tense heartstrings relaxed slightly. The thrilling events within the palace walls were kept out of reach of this lively atmosphere.
Seeing Qiu Sheng almost leaning half her body out of the window, her bright eyes looking around, she exclaimed "Wow!" when she saw the sugar painting stall and "Ah!" when she saw the colorful silk windmill.
She couldn't help but recall her days when she was still a young lady in her boudoir. Back then, she could go out for a stroll with her maids and servants during festivals. Although it wasn't as free and easy as it was now, she still enjoyed eating roasted pork and flatbread in the crowds.
"Stop the car." She suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a long-lost sense of ease. "Now that we're out, let's get out and walk around. Sitting in the car would be a waste of this beautiful scenery."
Pei Hong did as instructed, reining in the carriage and bringing it to a safe stop on the side of the street.
Ye Yixiang, supported by Wuluozhu, got out of the carriage and found herself amidst the bustling crowd, the clamor of which was overwhelming. Today, she was dressed as a man, in a moon-white robe, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin, holding a folding fan. Her face was as handsome as jade, and although she was slightly thin, her overall demeanor was quite eye-catching in the crowd, attracting many sidelong glances.
“Qiusheng,” she turned to look at the little girl who was still excited, and saw her staring longingly at the colorful rope weaving stall not far away. She couldn’t help but smile. “If you like anything, go and buy some with Sister Chuntan. Don’t be shy. Today is just a day to relax.”
Qiu Sheng's eyes lit up, but she still remembered the rules and looked at Chun Tan first. Chun Tan was composed and knew that the lady wanted them to relax as well, so she smiled and nodded, and then said to Ye Yixiang, "Young master, then this servant will take Qiu Sheng over there to take a look, and we will be back soon."
“Go ahead,” Ye Yixiang gestured for the two guards to follow them. “No need to rush back. Take your time to explore.”
Chun Tan led the overjoyed Qiu Sheng through the crowd. Wu Luozhu, however, remained quietly standing half a step to Ye Yixiang's side, showing no intention of leaving.
"Why don't you go for a stroll too?" Ye Yixiang said gently. "I have Lord Pei with me, so it's fine."
Ulu Zhu shook her head, lowering her eyes meekly: "This servant will follow you, young master."
Seeing her insistence, Ye Yixiang didn't press the matter any further, and the two of them strolled slowly along the street. Pei Hong, leading the remaining two guards, followed at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, ensuring their safety without disturbing their enjoyment.
The streets were bustling with activity, and the goods were dazzling.
Ye Yixiang watched with great interest as the craftsmen braided colorful threads, painted their foreheads with realgar, and wrapped all kinds of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), while inhaling the refreshing fragrance of mugwort and calamus.
Just as we reached a relatively open intersection, several children, barely out of their teens, darted out of a nearby alley, laughing and playing. They carried newly bought candied hawthorns and windmills, singing a nursery rhyme in their childish voices as they ran. At first, they were too far away to hear clearly, but as the children drew closer, the rhyme drifted over clearly:
Swallows are busy in the Golden Palace.
The cobwebs have been swept away, leaving the room bright and clear.
The new emperor held the seal of office and sat in the court.
No rouge was seen staining the imperial edict.
Ye Yixiang paused slightly. This nursery rhyme... the first two lines seem to praise the new emperor's diligence in governing and sweeping away the accumulated problems from the Empress Dowager's reign?
The children ran up to them; there were about five or six of them, the oldest no more than eight or nine years old, and the youngest only five or six. Their faces were beaming with carefree smiles as they continued to sing at the top of their lungs:
"It's a pity that the corner of the palace hides the old fragrance."
A branch entwines around the emperor's robe.
The spring night is too long to count the watchman's drum.
"Forget that the weight of the nation's fate is as heavy as a mountain."
Suddenly, a young star appeared.
He treads on clouds, brandishes his sword, and shatters the palace walls.
Cut the withered vine to send its fragrance far away.
The dynasty prospered day by day from then on!
After they finished singing, the children ran off laughing like a gust of wind, their clear voices echoing through the bustling market and fading into the distance.
Ye Yixiang stood there, the color draining from her face little by little.
The lyrics were like icicles, piercing her heart, which had just begun to warm up, without warning.
"Old fragrances are hidden in the corner of the palace," "A branch entwines the emperor's robe," "On a spring night, I'm too lazy to count the long hours of the night watchman's drum"...
This is clearly an allusion to her! It implies that she is a femme fatale who bewitched the king! And what does it mean when the "young star lord" cuts the withered vine at the end? Does it refer to Xiao Mo? Or... someone else entirely?
Upon hearing this, Pei Hong's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Young Master, please don't take these nonsense to heart! They are just ignorant children who have been instigated and are spreading rumors! I will report this to His Majesty as soon as I return, and we will surely find the mastermind behind this and punish them severely!"
Ye Yixiang stared at the alleyway where the children had disappeared. After a long while, she gently shook her head, her voice a little hoarse: "It's just children playing. They may not even remember all the words. Why make such a fuss and interrogate them?"
Even so, the slight joy and ease that had arisen from leaving the palace was now completely washed away by this sudden nursery rhyme.
A chill and self-mockery crept into her heart. Could it be… that she had truly become an obstacle for him? A pretext for others to attack him? And who was it that secretly spread such expectations—the "Young Star Lord"?
Just as her mind was in turmoil, a delicate fragrance of rouge wafted by, and several young women, walking together and chatting, passed by. They were dressed in bright clothes, wearing tiger-shaped hats and colorful ribbons on their arms, looking every bit the part of an outing.
One of the girls in the pale yellow shirt had a clear, melodious voice: "The abbot of the Great Ci'en Temple said that this year's Dragon Boat Festival falls on the Jiazi day, which is an auspicious year that only comes around once every sixty years. Making a wish before the Buddha and releasing river lanterns is the most effective way to achieve this!"
The girl in pink next to them chimed in, "How about we buy a river lantern and release it too? To pray for my brother's future!"
Another girl in a light green dress said, "Second sister, if you truly wish to pray, you must make your own lamp to show your sincerity. I heard that the Great Ci'en Temple has gold paper and bamboo strips in the backyard for worshippers to use to make their own."
"Is it too late to start now?" the girl in pink asked.
“Of course there’s enough time. River lanterns are only released at night. We can go to the temple now, ask for some joss paper, and then take our time making them,” the girl in the pale yellow dress said with a smile. “It’s just that we need to go early, because if we go too late, the Qujiang River will be crowded with people, and it will be hard to find a good spot to release the lanterns.”
"What's there to be afraid of?" the girl in the light green dress said dismissively. "Qujiang is huge. Didn't the nobles in the palace specially dig a pool to bring the blessed water from the east into the imperial city? At worst, we can release it outside the city. There will definitely be fewer people there, and it will be quieter!"
The girls chatted and laughed as they turned into a nearby alleyway that sold sachets and colorful threads.
Ye Yixiang's heart skipped a beat. Could it really be that effective? The Great Ci'en Temple… gold paper… she'd do it herself…
A thought quietly arose: if one could obtain joss paper under the watchful eye of Buddha and personally fold river lanterns, would there be a greater chance that one's prayers would be heard? She dared not ask for too much, only praying for the safety of her family, and for... a sliver of clarity in this chaotic world.
“Lord Pei,” she turned to Pei Hong, whose expression was still somewhat tense, “please drive me there. I would like to go to the Great Ci’en Temple.”
Pei Hong hesitated slightly: "Young master, there are too many people and too many eyes in the temple, perhaps..."
“It’s alright,” Ye Yixiang interrupted him, her tone gentle yet firm. “It’s just asking for a few sheets of gold paper; it won’t take too long. Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, so we should offer incense before the Buddha.”
Seeing that she was determined, Pei Hong had no choice but to agree and ordered someone to bring the carriage.
The Great Ci'en Temple, located in the southeast of Chang'an, was a popular place of worship. As it was the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, people flocked there to pray for blessings. The square in front of the temple was filled with stalls selling incense, candles, colorful threads, and talismans, bustling with people, rivaling even the bustling West Market.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com