The Moon in the Water, My Heart
When they got close enough, Fanglan's face became clear. She immediately saw Jiang Yanhui looking at A Chou with affection in her eyes, and she couldn't help but feel happy.
"Your Majesty, the person has been brought."
Fanglan said something, then turned sideways, took two steps back, and stood behind the emperor.
On the way here, Fanglan had reminded him several times how to greet the emperor. A Chou was not stupid; on the contrary, he was quite clever when he listened attentively.
As the supreme ruler, not only were ordinary people intimidated by his presence, but even Fanglan, who had served the emperor for a long time, remained constantly alert.
Worried that Ah Chou might show cowardice at the last minute, Fang Lan gave him another meaningful look, reminding him not to let the shy child lose face in front of so many people.
Surprisingly, Ah Chou's movements were fluid and graceful; he knelt down and bowed respectfully without being humble or arrogant.
Jiang Yanhui had specifically mentioned that he couldn't speak, and Jiang Jingyue understood, telling him to rise.
Unable to look directly at the Emperor's face, Ah Chou lowered her eyes and stared at her toes after getting up. Even if she wanted to look at Jiang Yan Hui and smile at her, she had to hold back.
Jiang Jingyue had thought many times about finding a good husband for his only close sister, preferably one whose family held a nominal but not real power in the court, so that the officials wouldn't keep pressuring her and always worry that Jiang Yanhui had disloyal intentions.
Jiang Jingyue had watched his younger sister grow up, from sitting on his lap as she babbled and learned to speak. He had seen her every step of the way, so how could he be wary of her because of a few words from an outsider?
Now that I know she has someone she likes, it saves me the trouble of choosing and matchmaking her.
Jiang Jingyue calmly observed Ah Chou. Ah Chou had regular and delicate features, and his face showed no lewd or gloomy expression. He was dressed in thick clothes, so his figure could not be seen.
But Jiang Jingyue knew his younger sister well. She had always liked beautiful and pleasing things since she was a child. For her to take such a big deal out of her heart and specially ask someone to be brought into the palace, she must really like them.
Jiang Jingyue and Jiang Yanhui knew what was going on, but the ministers following behind didn't know what Jiang Yanhui had said to Jiang Jingyue after leaving her seat. They all looked at the man who had suddenly been led over by Fanglan with blank expressions, and for a moment they were all speculating.
Some thought it was that old hag Fanglan who secretly presented the commoner to the emperor for his amusement, while others thought it was some family taking advantage of the situation to sneak their young master into the palace hoping to climb the social ladder. They gritted their teeth, secretly lamenting that they had been outmaneuvered, and exchanged disapproving glances with their colleagues.
"We're all here to have fun, so relax." Jiang Jingyue glanced at Jiang Yanhui, who had a worthless expression and eyes practically glued to people, and smiled. "Go and have fun, everyone. I'm a little tired, I'll go rest at the Liquid Clear Pool."
Jiang Jingyue was genuinely exhausted. Years of working at his desk and neglecting physical exercise had left him unable to compare to his younger self.
Another aspect is... how to ensure that Jiang Yanhui and the young master have a good time here.
It was because she hadn't inquired about Jiang Yanhui's recent situation that she was unaware that Jiang Yanhui had found someone she loved and was taking up the time that Jiang Yanhui spent with her.
Jiang Jingyue was going to rest at the Liquid Clear Pool, and the officials, having no intention of lingering there, followed him away.
A few new faces remained, presumably unaccustomed to the flattery and sycophancy of officialdom, or perhaps because they couldn't get close to the emperor, and preferred to do their own thing rather than sit around and smile.
Strangely, when the emperor left, the young man Fanglan brought did not follow. Instead, after bowing, he eagerly stood next to the Prince of Jiangbei, so close that their arms were almost touching.
Some people were curious and even after walking away, they turned back to look at it again.
She saw Jiang Yan hand the mandarin duck sugar painting to the young man. Under the lamplight, the young man's face was rosy, and his slightly pursed red lips curled into a sweet smile.
Oh, so the beauty wasn't presented to His Majesty, but to the Prince of Jiangbei.
...
Wait! The person Jiang Yanhui likes!
They hadn't paid much attention to what the young master looked like before, but now they were all staring wide-eyed, trying to see which family's young master he was.
Several of the people who had visited the villa to look for Jiang Yanhui thought the man looked very familiar. When they tried to get a closer look, Jiang Yanhui had already completely covered him up.
There was no other way but to give up and hurry up and keep up with the emperor's pace, lest someone else take advantage of the situation and occupy a position next to the emperor, which would be a great loss.
With most of the people gone from the palace path, Ah Chou, who was somewhat uneasy, breathed a small sigh of relief. She tugged at her hem insecurity, always worried that she would embarrass Jiang Yan Hui.
With no one watching, Ah Chou dared to examine the thing Jiang Yan had handed him back: a pair of... ducks painted with syrup as ink.
Ah Chou tilted his head in confusion, not understanding why Jiang Yan Hui wanted to give him a sugar painting of a duck, but judging from the golden color of the syrup, he knew it must be very sweet.
"It's edible."
Jiang Yanhui saw through A Chou's thoughts. Her pale lips pursed into a line, and her reddened earlobes were nowhere to be hidden under the bright lanterns.
She turned her face slightly to hide her embarrassment after confessing to her elder sister, but her eyes quietly fell on Ah Chou's face.
Seeing the joy shining in his bright eyes, he took a big bite and bit off the head of a mandarin duck. The sweet taste spread on his tongue, and he was so happy that his eyes curved into crescents.
Jiang Yanhui was even happier. If she didn't know that eating too many sweets was bad for her teeth, she would have wanted to have a few more paintings painted. She would just keep them as decorations and not eat them, since they wouldn't melt in the cold weather anyway.
There were many interesting stalls along the long palace road. In order to meet the emperor's requirements, people were specially sent to investigate what was on display in the countryside and recreate it in the palace one-to-one.
Naturally, stalls selling similar items wouldn't be set up repeatedly, so if you don't care about crowds and liveliness, the palace is still the most fun place.
The palace is a solemn and majestic place in people's minds. Even a palace maid inside has a different status when she goes out.
It would be a lie to say that Ah Chou wasn't nervous when she learned she was going to enter the palace. She just didn't show her anxiety on the way there. She only truly relaxed when she was by Jiang Yan Hui's side, and she did whatever she wanted.
"I originally planned to do some more sightseeing after the banquet, but I didn't expect the palace to change the festival schedule. By the time I get back, it will probably be curfew."
Jiang Yanhui and A Chou walked side by side along the brightly lit palace path. A Chou's gaze was fixed on Jiang Yanhui, her attention undiminished by anything new or interesting.
“I couldn’t break my promise, so I asked my elder sister to bring you into the palace. I figured that by decorating the streets inside the palace, I could fulfill my promise to you.”
Ah Chou's eyes flickered, and a surge of heat quickly welled up in his heart.
When I first met Jiang Yanhui, I only thought she was pretty, but her personality was really nasty and she loved to play pranks on people.
However, as they spent more time together, Jiang Yanhui gradually revealed her true self to him. She was a gentle yet strong person who could always move Ah Chou deeply in the smallest, most unintentional ways, making him fall deeper and deeper in love.
Ah Chou observed the surroundings, and when no one was paying attention to them, she secretly hooked Jiang Yan Hui's finger under the cover of her sleeve.
The moment our skin touched, a tingling sensation spread from our fingertips, even sweeter than the sugar painting we had just eaten.
After all, they were in the palace, and their fingers touched briefly before parting, but the lingering excitement in their hearts could not be dispelled for a long time.
They've done everything they could, and tried everything they couldn't. They know each other's marks better than each other do, yet at this moment they act like naive teenagers experiencing their first love, as if they don't know how to get along with the person they like.
To hide their embarrassment, they both turned their heads to look at the stalls on either side, their shoulders only touching as they moved, revealing a secret affection between them.
Jiang Yan untied the money pouch from her waist and handed it to A Chou, saying, "Buy whatever you like."
Ah Chou quickly chewed and swallowed the remaining sugar paintings, then shyly pursed her lips as she held the heavy money bag.
Hongchun only picked out clothes suitable for him to enter the palace, but forgot to bring some silver with Achou. However, who would have thought that there would be small stalls set up inside the palace?
After only a couple of steps, Ah Chou spotted a lot of fun little things, but he didn't show it because he didn't have any money on him.
Now that Jiang Yan had given him the money pouch, A Chou didn't refuse and immediately took two steps back to buy the things he wanted.
Jiang Yanhui willingly followed behind A Chou, finding more satisfaction in watching his joyful expression when he bought things he liked.
After strolling along the long palace road, from stall to stall, my legs were sore. Ah Chou bought a lot of things she liked and was in a particularly good mood. More importantly, Jiang Yanhui was by her side.
Jiang Yan took the things from A Chou's hands and handed them to the palace maids to put on the carriage.
I felt that Ah Chou didn't like being disturbed by others and was always a bit reserved, so he carried some things himself; otherwise, the servants would do it for him.
A palace maid came to inform His Majesty that he invited all the officials to the Liquid Clear Pool, as fireworks would be set off in the palace around midnight.
Ordinary people also set off fireworks, but they mostly just heard a loud noise and saw a bright light, which couldn't compare to the beautiful and colorful fireworks in the palace, which were a true visual treat.
Fireworks soaring high into the sky are no longer the exclusive domain of the imperial palace; ordinary people can see them simply by looking up. Therefore, many people who are watching the New Year's Eve countdown will time their gaze to look up at the sky above the imperial city to enjoy the beautiful fireworks together.
When Ah Chou first entered the palace, she couldn't tell which was which. When she heard "Ye Qing Chi," she thought it was just a pond, like the one dug in the mansion.
As a result, they followed the palace maid who was leading the way, and before they even reached a place to rest, they were attracted by the lake that appeared in front of them.
Here, there are no tall red palace walls to block the view, and the calm lake surface, which is completely unobstructed, is a sight to behold.
Palace lanterns were placed around the lake, and a few small boats floated on the lake, with palace maids holding lanterns illuminating a small area of the lake.
With just a few lights, Ah Chou could clearly see the birds swooping down to hunt on the lake with their broad wings, showing no fear of the cold, and gliding gracefully across the lake.
Ah Chou's eyes widened slightly, and in her excitement, she tugged at Jiang Yan Hui's sleeve and shook it, worried that such a wonderful scene would be missed.
"That bird is a cormorant. I remember when I was a child, I would always see them hunting on the lake in winter, and they would even perch on the shore to dry their feathers when the sun was shining."
As she spoke, Jiang Yan pulled out her sleeve, and her wrist slid down to grasp Ah Chou's hand, which was trying to pull back.
Originally, Ah Chou thought that Jiang Yan Hui didn't want to expose their relationship in front of outsiders. When her sleeve was pulled away, Ah Chou felt a little sour, but she was able to find a reason to convince herself.
But to my surprise, my hand was grasped the next second, and the warm, dry palm was much more touching than the cold fabric.
——
Strangely enough, there are many lakes in the capital, but these cormorants seem to prefer landing in the Clear Lake to hunt and breed, prompting many eloquent people to use this phenomenon to praise the emperor as the chosen one.
But if you think about it carefully, you can figure out the reason.
Liquid Clear Pond is a lake within the palace grounds. No outsiders boat or fish on the lake, disturbing the birds' habitat. In addition, the lake is wide and gentle, so over time, not only cormorants like to rest here, but also various flocks of birds always stay by the lake in spring.
The palace maid leading the procession was kindly explaining the fireworks display to the lords, but when she turned her head, her smile froze on her face. Where were the Prince of Jiangbei and the young man beside her who had just been standing at the front of the line?!
The palace maids looked pleadingly at the officials. Some looked up at the sky, some looked down at the ground, and some picked at their fingers, pretending not to know anything.
They can't just say that the Prince of Jiangbei just grabbed that young man and left, and in the blink of an eye, no one knows where the two of them went to have a secret rendezvous.
The palace maid scratched her head awkwardly. Where her mistress went was not something they, as servants, could decide, especially since the Jiangbei Prince was a prince favored by His Majesty.
I won't dwell too much on where the person went. I'll just report the truth to the emperor when the time comes, and I don't think he'll blame me.
One side of the liquid clear pool is planted with ornamental evergreen vegetation, which forms a small area that can provide shade.
Under the bright moonlight, only this spot went unnoticed. A palace maid carrying food hurried past, unaware that someone was hiding in the shadows.
Tall, lush vegetation grew against the wall, and two figures were squeezed together in the narrow space.
Under the swaying shadows of the trees, the dappled moonlight bathes you, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere that blurs the lines between dream and reality.
Jiang Yanhui lowered her thick, long eyelashes, her dark pupils fixed on Ah Chou, who was pressed against the wall and looked slightly awkward.
The two were very close, so close that if Jiang Yanhui bent down a little more, the tip of her nose would touch the tip of Ah Chou's nose.
Just seeing Ah Chou's flushed cheeks from excitement made Jiang Yan Hui's heart race uncontrollably. A secret possessiveness crept into her heart, and she only wanted to find a secluded place to hide Ah Chou away, allowing only her to enjoy this beautiful sight.
As a result, they grabbed Ah Chou's hand and pulled him to hide here.
Jiang Yanhui's gaze lingered on A Chou's full, red lips several times. Suppressing the desire surging in her throat, she said softly, "When we were little, I always liked to hide here when we played hide-and-seek. Back then, I thought the trees here were so tall that they could completely hide me. Now, it's much more crowded than when I was little."
Ah Chou trembled slightly, trying her best to ignore the hand rubbing back and forth on her waist, and moved her body restlessly.
The space was cramped, so they could only press themselves tightly together. Any slight physical reaction would be noticed by the other person, so they had to stick as close to the wall as possible and slightly offset their bodies.
Ah Chou didn't understand why Jiang Yan Hui would suddenly drag him here. The secluded and cramped space, the tension of being discovered at any moment, and the sounds of Jiang Yan Hui's breathing and the occasional footsteps of palace maids passing by.
Whenever a group of palace maids brought something to the Liquid Clear Pool, the palace lantern carried by the leader would briefly illuminate the small area where they were, causing Ah Chou to unconsciously hold her breath in nervousness.
Jiang Yan turned her head and smiled. She wrapped her arms around A Chou's slender waist to stop him from wriggling. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Today, I asked my elder sister to bring you into the palace. She knows all my thoughts. The sugar painting for you was a joke from my elder sister. She had someone draw a pair of mandarin ducks for you."
Ah Chou raised her eyes, which were wet from lack of physical release, and carefully discerned the meaning in Jiang Yan's words. Suddenly, her eyes widened.
Although Ah Chou had never seen what mandarin ducks looked like, he knew what they represented.
Thinking about how she had just crunched and chewed the sugar painting, her face flushed, she realized she shouldn't have eaten it so quickly.
She then realized the other meaning, looked at Jiang Yan Hui in disbelief, and slightly parted her moist lips in shock.
Before he could confirm that it was really what he thought, a deep, warm kiss landed on him, silencing all his doubts, and he could only tilt his head back to feel the intertwining of their lips and teeth.
Bang bang bang—
With several loud bangs, countless rays of light shot straight into the sky, reaching their highest point and bursting into a dazzling display, illuminating the earth for a moment.
"Good sister, look, they're setting off fireworks over at the Liquid Clear Pool!"
"It's so beautiful!"
"Let's hurry up and go. We'll get scolded if we're late delivering the things, and I don't want to cause trouble during the New Year."
"Okay, dear sister."
...
As the sound faded into the distance, Ah Chou's tense body gradually relaxed, and as his lips parted, he guiltily wiped his mouth.
He was distracted just now, but you can't blame him. Blame it on the people passing by all the time, which made it impossible for him to concentrate.
Ah Chou, still relieved that no one had discovered her, was completely unaware of Jiang Yan Hui's deep and dissatisfied gaze after she unconsciously wiped her mouth.
The kiss landed skillfully again. With no one passing by, Ah Chou gradually relaxed and actively responded to everything Jiang Yan Hui gave her, until a hand slipped under her underwear along the lifted hem of her clothes...
As the fireworks faded, the world returned to tranquility.
Jiang Yanhui helped Ah Chou, who was slumped against her, and kissed her red earlobe. Under Ah Chou's soft breathing, she slowly wiped the dirt between her fingers with a handkerchief.
"I need to say goodbye to my elder sister before leaving the palace. If you are not feeling well, please wait for me in the carriage."
Ah Chou blinked hard, trying to focus her unfocused gaze. She wanted to go with Jiang Yan, but knew she couldn't be seen in her disheveled state and would surely be discovered for what she had just done.
Besides... Ah Chou moved her sore legs, feeling a little resentful. She just wiped her mouth; who has such a bad temper as to pinch someone so hard?
You can think whatever you want, but Ah Chou would never dare tell Jiang Yan Hui, otherwise, given her personality, she would definitely come up with an even more humiliating and torturous way to torment him.
The palace roads were intricate and complex, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe them as a huge maze. It was no wonder that Ah Chou, who was entering the palace for the first time, would not be able to find his way out on his own.
Jiang Yan thought of finding a young eunuch to lead him out of the palace, but Ah Chou knew without looking in a mirror that he was definitely not presentable.
Even if the eunuch is sensible enough not to say or look, Ah Chou doesn't have the face to see others, so it's better to let him stay somewhere and wait for Jiang Yan to return.
It was a rare occasion for Ah Chou to express her thoughts so forcefully. Jiang Yan Hui, seeing Ah Chou's blushing face, felt that no one else should be allowed to see it, not even the eunuchs.
So Ah Chou obediently straightened his clothes, rubbed his flushed face a couple of times, and followed Jiang Yan Hui with his legs trembling like limp noodles.
This really angered him. He wouldn't even let her help him up, and stubbornly walked to a small pavilion by the Liquid Clear Pool to rest.
Even when Ah Chou was throwing a tantrum, he was exceptionally adorable. Before leaving, Jiang Yan couldn't resist cupping Ah Chou's face and tenderly kissing his forehead.
A gentle night breeze blew as Ah Chou watched Jiang Yan's departing figure, her gaze softly lowering to conceal the sweet shyness in her eyes.
The warmth of Jiang Yanhui's hand still seemed to linger on her cheeks. Recalling their bold intimacy, her cheeks felt as if they were on fire.
With Jiang Yanhui gone, who had been causing her heart to race, Ah Chou, feeling the gentle breeze, gradually calmed her heartbeat and her mind became clear.
Did Jiang Yan just mean... that she also likes him?
Ah Chou dared not think too deeply about it. Just knowing a possible hint made his heart pound uncontrollably, as if it were about to jump out of his throat.
The moon is exceptionally round tonight, and its ethereal reflection on the lake adds a touch of mystique to everything.
As Ah Chou calmed her restless mind, something came to mind amidst the swirling mist, and her rosy, joyful face instantly turned pale.
Almost overwhelmed by joy, Ah Chou remembered his identity as the prince of Youbu. Suddenly, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave in the dead of winter, and he couldn't help but shiver.
If Jiang Yanhui knew his true identity, would he still like him? Would he find it disgusting to pretend he didn't know and continue to stay by her side, enjoying the privilege of being loved? Would it ultimately end in an awkward situation for both of them?
The more Ah Chou thought about it, the more his heart sank.
If today's events had not occurred, Ah Chou would still believe that she was only in love with Jiang Yan Hui, and even if they were to separate one day due to their different identities and positions, Ah Chou would not feel any regret.
But Jiang Yanhui also fell in love with him, so how could Ah Chou face the separation with equanimity?
Ah Chou doesn't consider himself a greedy person, but when it comes to Jiang Yan Hui, and this one and only time he experiences first love, Ah Chou only wants to be an insatiable person.
I want Jiang Yanhui's love, and I also want my identity as a member of the You Clan.
His chaotic thoughts cleared up with Ah Chou's clear choice, and he gazed firmly at the moon's reflection shimmering on the lake.
He wants both the moon in the sky and the moon reflected in the water.
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