Late winter, inner palace.
A plaque hangs high on the top of the lacquered red gate. The bedroom of King Yan cannot be called a palace, with only three cursive characters written on it: "Drunk Today".
Chen walked through a long corridor with eaves and waterside pavilions, and then entered the Green Plum Garden, where he was covered in the fragrance of plum blossoms. Then he turned into a courtyard deep in the garden. There was an underground heating system in the courtyard, so there was no snow on the ground. The melted snow flowed along the waterway into a pond.
There are several golden koi in the pond. Maybe because the weather is cold, the fish are motionless and lazily swing their golden tail fins.
It was still early, so Shen Que squatted by the pond, poking the water with his fingers to create ripples, stared at the fish for a while, and then turned into the side hall.
Two Silla maids stood under the eaves of the side hall, as beautiful as snow. When they saw him coming, they bowed their heads slightly and called him, "Master Shen."
Just as Shen was about to go in, one of the maids stopped him and said, "Please wait here for a while, the prince is meeting a guest now."
Shen was stunned for a moment and stopped walking.
Xie Shiguan sympathized with him as he had just recovered from a serious illness, so he did not allow him to accompany him to the court meeting. He then stayed in the palace for lunch, and it was almost dusk when he returned home.
Now is not a good time to meet guests. The guests may have to stay in the palace for dinner. Thinking of this, he asked the maid, "Have you asked the kitchen to prepare dinner?"
One of the taller Silla maids was extremely intelligent. After following the prince for several years, she actually understood most of the sign language without any instruction.
She shook her head: "Your Highness will not be dining in the mansion tonight, and this person is a guest of the mansion, so the kitchen will prepare food."
Shen Que stood under the eaves outside the hall and waited. Today was a rare sunny day, with clouds rolling in the sky and some rays of sunshine faintly visible.
The two little maids were sticking together and whispering, chuckling from time to time, but there was a bit of envy in Shen's eyes. If Shen was here, he would be able to get along with them quickly, but he couldn't.
He is so ordinary and so stupid.
Unexpectedly, the maid who had just spoken to him suddenly turned around and whispered to him, "Master Shen, Yanhua just said that you have beautiful eyes."
Shen didn't expect that she would suddenly talk to him. He was startled at first, and then he panicked and didn't even know where to put his hands.
Another maid blushed and pushed her shoulders, complaining shyly in a low voice: "How could I say that? It's obviously nonsense you are talking nonsense. If you do this... I will ignore you anymore!"
Yan Hua paused, tilted half of his face, and began to expose his companion's secrets: "You said last time that it would be great if Lord Shen was not a mute..."
Another maid quickly covered her mouth and said, "Don't blame me, Master Shen. Please don't take what I said in private to heart."
Chen shook his head, but took their words to heart. Zhener... Zhener had also praised his eyes in the same way. Although he had no romantic feelings for Zhener, he had been secretly delighted for a long time because of this compliment.
He always thought that he was mediocre and insignificant, like a stone on the roadside or a grain of sand on the river beach, but there were actually people who could find something special about him.
At the same time, there was a slight sound from the palace door, and a young man in a scarlet robe came out. The scarlet color was so bright that it made the man look even whiter.
When he came out, his clothes were a little disheveled, and he was still looking down to adjust his belt. He was not careful with his foot and bumped into Shen Que.
He raised his head quickly, his fair face was covered with rouge, and he said hurriedly, "Excuse me..."
But after seeing Shen Que's face clearly, his expression immediately turned cold, and he glanced at him with contempt, and then sneered: "Is it you?"
Shen Que had a grudge against him. To be precise, it was only this man who unilaterally hated Shen Que.
Three years ago, in autumn.
It happened that the prince was on vacation that day, so Shen had been waiting by his side since early morning. It was almost dusk when Xie Shiguan sent him to pick up Yu Kongqing, the third place winner of the imperial examination, who was staying temporarily at the post station.
This third place winner undoubtedly had a good appearance, and he was also a former student of the current Taifu Man. Xie Shiguan met him by chance at the Xingyuan Banquet, so he sent a letter to invite him to his house, saying that he wanted to discuss poetry and drink tea with him. To put it nicely, it was an "invitation", but in fact it was no different from carrying that person into the house.
Xie Shiguan left him alone for a few hours before he suddenly remembered that he had invited such a person. He went to meet him calmly and then asked him to be his bed partner.
But the former newly crowned top scholar was young and hot-tempered. Upon hearing this, he spat on the ground and started cursing at the prince, pointing at his nose.
Xie Shiguan, who was sitting at the head of the table, held up his chin and listened to the whole thing. He did not get angry but laughed instead, and said with a sigh, "You are a good speaker, but your writing is terrible. If it were not for the fact that you are a student of the Grand Tutor Man, you would have tarnished the reputation of the sage. With your limited knowledge of literature and politics, you would probably fail the exam even when you are eighty years old."
Tanhualang's face turned pale and blue with anger. Before he could say anything else, Chen Luo, who was standing behind him, kicked him in the knee. Tanhualang suddenly lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground.
"Chen Que, you have the steadiest hands," the prince at the top said casually, "please sew up the mouth of the third place winner for me."
Shen nodded.
The guards on both sides immediately stepped forward and held down Tanhualang's shoulders, while Shen leaned down slightly and threaded the needle amid Tanhualang's shouts of disbelief.
"How dare you?" The third place winner shouted, "I am the new third place winner, personally chosen by His Majesty...ah!"
Shen, however, had a wooden face and did not show any mercy because of his miserable state.
He has done this more than once. He used to be afraid and have nightmares about it, but now he has gotten used to it.
He guessed that perhaps God knew of his sins in this life, so he took away his mouth and tongue, making him unable to speak, and also gave him a mutilated and dirty body.
“It’s so ugly,” Xie Shiguan frowned, stood up and passed by him, but his eyes fell on Shen Que, “Clean it up and come back early.”
Shen nodded again.
The scholar in front of him was wearing a brocade robe and emerald green. The youthfulness on his face had faded away, and the needle scar on his lip had healed. Looking from a distant distance, there was almost no trace of his appearance.
Compared to the man three years ago, he has a more inexplicable charm.
Yu Kongqing looked him up and down, then smiled meaningfully, leaned close to his ear, and whispered mockingly: "You have followed His Royal Highness Prince Yan for so long, but you are still just a slave. If you are beaten to death by others, at most you will be compensated with a hundred taels of silver, which is already a blessing for you."
But Shen didn't even look at him, brushed past him sideways, and walked straight into the hall.
He didn't even bother to look at him. Yu Kongqing behind him was so angry that he stared at his back as if he wanted to eat him alive.
Unfortunately, Shen didn't look back at all.
There was agarwood burning in the side hall, and a few pots of wintersweets were placed by the window. The heavy and light wood scent was a bit like the aroma of incense in a Buddhist temple.
Xie Shiguan was sitting on a couch by the window. Seeing him coming, he asked lazily, "Did you run into him?"
Shen nodded.
"After all, he is a student of Grand Tutor Man. Although his knowledge and political views cannot be said to be excellent, he still has his merits. It's just that his temperament..." He paused here, and then commented coldly, "He is still a little petty."
Shen didn't know much about him. Logically speaking, Yu Kongqing was a former student of the imperial tutor Man Changshan, and was also the third place winner of the imperial examination chosen by the emperor. His future should have been bright. Why did he have to humble himself and become a guest in the palace?
Xie Shiguan didn't take his bed partners seriously at all, no matter whether they were successful or not, he didn't bother to pursue the matter because they were born with good looks.
Besides, Xie Shiguan and Man Changshan were close friends, and the punishment had already been given, so there was no need for him to embarrass Yu Kongqing over such a small matter.
Xie Shiguan seemed to see through his confusion. He was in a good mood recently, so he patiently explained to Chen Que: "He has offended the emperor. If he doesn't come to rely on me, no one else dares to accept him."
If the prince was willing to talk to him, he would lean sideways and listen carefully, and nodded after listening. As for how he had offended the emperor, he would never ask unless Xie Shiguan took the initiative to tell him.
"It's getting late," Xie Shiguan suddenly said, "Come on, I'll take you to see someone."
After less than half an hour, Shen Que followed the prince on horseback and finally stopped outside a private residence in Nanqu, Pingkangli.
Different from other banquet halls and singing houses in the city, this house with its gilded gate has the elegance of a scholarly home. Inside, the hall is spacious and quiet, and the rockery and plants planted in it are all quiet and elegant.
Shen was not unfamiliar with this place. This was not a scholarly family hidden in the city, but the residence of a certain courtesan.
Although Xie Shiguan was not interested in women, he would often come here when he wanted to invite people for a dinner party.
This female schoolmaster[note] is proud by nature and not everyone can invite her. Choosing this place to meet her is also to give the other party some face first, so that discussing other matters will usually go much more smoothly.
However, in the past, Ri Shen always waited outside the door and never came in.
Seeing him hesitate in front of the door, Xie Shiguan tapped him lightly on the back with the folded horsewhip: "Why don't you go in?"
"I am walking in front of Your Highness," Shen was a little embarrassed and moved his hands slowly, "It is really against the rules."
Xie Shiguan smiled faintly, then stepped past him, lifted his robe and walked in first. Only then did Shen Que dare to follow him and took half a step inside slowly.
Two guests had arrived early at the table inside the house. When they saw Xie Shiguan coming in, they hurriedly stood up to greet him.
"No need to be so polite," Xie Shiguan pushed aside the crystal bead curtain, turned slightly, and smiled at the two people, "Just sit down."
Even though he said this, no one at the table could really sit still. They all stood up and invited others to sit down. Only after they saw Xie Shiguan take his seat did they dare to sit down again.
There was an empty seat next to Xie Shiguan, and he thought that these people were going to give it to the courtesan. But who would have thought that Xie Shiguan turned around and looked behind him, and asked the mute guard: "Why don't you sit down?"
Shen lowered his head and said, "I dare not."
"Everyone here knows each other," Xie Shiguan said, "no one cares about the rules and regulations."
After saying this, he turned back and asked the two people at the table with a smile: "You two, what do you think, is that right?"
The author has something to say:
Note:
Female proofreader: In the poem "Sent to Xue Tao, the proofreader in Shu", Wang Jian of the Tang Dynasty said: "The female proofreader lives behind closed doors among the loquat flowers beside the Wanli Bridge." Later generations used this term to refer to female talented scholars who are both capable of writing.
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