Chapter 17 "The way you hunch over your writing is very..."
"What do you want to see?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
Xue Mingyao lowered her head and looked down, her laughter like the tinkling of silver bells. "Indeed, I guessed right."
The once lifeless and still green mountains are now clearly growing taller and stronger, reaching straight into the clouds.
It wasn't the first time, nor the second; it had clearly happened many times before. Yet, he was still so embarrassed that his whole body felt like it was on fire, and he turned his head away, refusing to look at the smug look on her face.
She giggled and pressed her lips to mine.
The peach blossom fairy didn't enter the painting; instead, she entered the spring mountains, where she lingered, enjoying the scenery and reluctant to leave.
With a soft thud, a thick drop of ink fell from the tip of the pen, spreading in all directions.
Xie Zhuo's thoughts kept drifting further and further away.
Xue Mingyao wants Chen Liangqing to paint a picture for her. How should it be done? Like the one he painted for her?
Will it?
No?
The peach blossoms don't care about any of that; they just bloom every year, smiling at different spring breezes each year. It's their nature.
The dark bluish-black patch on the white silk appeared even more so, appearing even darker and uglier.
......
The sky was on the verge of dusk and night, oppressed by a somber blue and gray, giving it a lifeless feel.
But the spring nights at the Beiming Mountain Palace were filled with the fragrance of clothes and the sounds of flutes and pipes, a vibrant and lively scene of endless revelry.
Most of the attendees were members of the imperial family or nobles, making it somewhat like a family banquet. Ladies of princes and nobles like Xue Mingyu and Chen Zhelan were not allowed to attend because they did not have official titles. In addition, the emperor granted special permission to several close ministers, including Chen Liangqing, as well as the top-scoring candidates in the Ministry of Personnel's three examinations this year: Hongci, Bacui, and Pingpan.
The three men sat at the end of the table, all dressed in green robes and black turbans, with the emperor's bestowed scholar's flower pinned to the right side of their hats. One of them was younger, appearing to be around twenty years old, with a dignified appearance and radiant complexion, making him extremely eye-catching.
When the emperor bestowed flowers upon him, he added a word of praise: "A young and handsome man, a hero emerges from among the youth."
If a civil official lacks exceptional merit and talent, he must accumulate seniority year after year. After passing the imperial examination and being released from officialdom, he must start as a minor scribe and spend more than ten years climbing to a fifth-rank official position such as a secretary in one of the Six Ministries or a prefectural governor. This is considered an extremely smooth career path. If he is quick, he can enter the Secretariat or the Chancellery after a few more years and become a cabinet minister who truly holds power.
If one passed the imperial examination in their early twenties, they would have a good chance of becoming a high-ranking official by around forty years old. Therefore, passing the examination at a young age meant a bright future and was the envy of many.
Seeing this spirited and handsome scholar, Xue Mingyao reluctantly thought of Xie Qinglang.
Like Feng Wan, she believed that Xie Qinglang would and inevitably face this day as well.
Although Xichuan is not a place of outstanding people and abundant resources, Xie Qinglang is the most talented and renowned among the students of Xichuan. The great scholars of the academy all predicted that he would pass the imperial examination within three years, and if he was lucky, he might even be the top scholar.
After Xue Mingyao left Xichuan, he would have Lüzhi copy the list of newly promoted Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) every late winter and early spring, but he never saw his name on it.
Why didn't he take that path?
Surely it couldn't be that he disliked her and therefore refused to attend court?
Xue Mingyao gave a self-deprecating laugh, then suddenly remembered that the Ministry of Personnel had released the list of successful candidates a few days ago, but she had forgotten to instruct Lüzhi to copy it.
It seems unnecessary now that she has decided to forget him.
She raised her glass and drank half a cup of wine.
Having attended many palace banquets, Xue Mingyao was very familiar with their procedures. After the emperor finished speaking, tea, wine, fruit, and cakes were served, and then it was time for music and dance.
Tonight's music and dance are extraordinary; it's a sword dance themed around the conquest of the south. Accompanied by the harmonious sounds of the sheng, flute, and drums in the "Conquest of the South" music, eight dancers with flowing ribbons around their waists and wielding two swords twirl and leap on the brocade carpet, their movements as swift as thunder and fury, and as still as the calm surface of a river or sea.
After the dance ended, the courtiers fell silent for a moment, then burst into thunderous applause.
Emperor Deyuan, in high spirits, ordered people to compose a poem on the theme of watching the Southern Expedition Sword Dance, with a time limit of one incense stick's time. Several eunuchs presented white silk and ink brushes to each seat, but they would walk around the military officers and noblewomen when they encountered them.
This kind of event has always been assumed to be attended only by civil officials.
However, when the message reached Xie Zhuo, Emperor Deyuan smiled and said, "Minister Xie, I know you are quite skilled in calligraphy and can write essays, but I wonder if you can compose poetry?"
Xie Zhuo nodded, "I learned to write when I was young, and I am willing to offer my humble work to Your Majesty."
Emperor Deyuan was pleased and waved his hand to order someone to bestow upon him writing brush and ink, saying, "Minister Xie is accomplished in both literature and martial arts; he truly has the talent to become both a general and a prime minister!"
Apart from the Chen brothers, Chen Liangzheng and Chen Liangqing, who had spoken deeply with Xie Zhuo, everyone present was somewhat surprised. Over the years, there had been many Confucian generals in the court, but they all first served as civil officials before leading troops into battle. Xie Zhuo's rise through the ranks through military prowess and subsequent display of literary talent was truly rare.
The emperor's phrase "from general to prime minister" has also sparked speculation. Xie Zhuo has already been ennobled for his military achievements. Could the emperor be planning to transfer him to a civil service position?
The assembled officials could not fathom the Emperor's intentions, but they knew that the Emperor was happily eating the grape and orange segments that Consort Feng had fed him, and praising Xie Zhuo repeatedly.
Xue Mingyao smiled mockingly and then drank half a cup of spring wine.
After everyone finished composing their poems, the eunuchs collected them and presented them to Emperor Deyuan. Emperor Deyuan reviewed them one by one, selecting several to praise and reward. The most outstanding was undoubtedly Chen Hanlin's poem, but General Xie's poem was also quite good. It rhymed with one of the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), but was clearly better. After rewarding Xie Zhuo, Emperor Deyuan teased the other Jinshi a few times, making him blush with embarrassment.
The eunuch pasted lanterns with fine silk inscribed with poems and hung them under the eaves. In the dark night, clusters of golden light swayed gently in the breeze. One by one, the square and vigorous ink characters flashed by.
Halfway through the banquet and after several rounds of drinks, the rules and etiquette gradually loosened. The Empress left the banquet early on the pretext of feeling unwell, and Emperor Deyuan, sitting on the throne, laughed so hard that he leaned against Consort Feng. Following the example of the superiors, everyone became unrestrained. The originally arranged table and mats were crooked and disorderly, and several wine cups were overturned, staining the crimson carpet with wine, making it even darker.
Xue Mingyao, having drunk too much, had two rosy blushes on her cheeks. She ran to Chen Liangqing's seat and, in a drawn-out, seductive voice, asked, "Chen Hanlin, when will you come to paint for me?"
Chen Liangqing barely drank any alcohol; his gaze was clear and gentle, as if he were the only clear-headed person in this intoxicating palace banquet.
"I can return to Beijing anytime," he said softly.
"Has Hanlin ever painted women before?"
Very few.
"Could you draw me to look nice?"
I'll try my best.
What should I do if my drawing doesn't look good?
Chen Liangqing smiled and said, "The princess is a beauty of unparalleled grace; it's hard to paint her poorly."
“Wrong!” Xue Mingyao shook her head. “You should have said, ‘Then I have no choice but to submit to the princess’s judgment.’”
Chen Liangqing twitched his eyelashes but said nothing.
Xue Mingyao didn't care, and suddenly stretched her neck and reached out to tug at his sleeve.
Chen Liangqing lowered his eyes to look at Xue Mingyao's slender, white fingers against his dark sleeve. He slightly tightened his sleeve, which only drew Xue Mingyao closer. The young woman closed her eyes and gently kissed his cuff.
"The scent seems somewhat familiar. Is it the fragrant bait I gave to Hanlin? Has Hanlin used it?"
It turned out she was smelling his clothes. Chen Liangqing breathed a sigh of relief without showing any emotion. "I've used it once or twice. The scent is quite unique."
Xue Mingyao seemed extremely happy, her lips curving into a smile and her eyes narrowing into two tiny crescent moons. "I'm glad you like it."
She loosened her sleeves to reach for the wine cups on the table, but was stopped halfway.
“Princess, you are drunk, you must not drink anymore,” Chen Liangqing said gently.
"Alright." Xue Mingyao was quite obedient at this moment, using her hand as a pillow, leaning her head on the table, and looking at his handsome profile with drowsy eyes. As she looked, she muttered, "I was watching you the whole time you were writing poetry."
Chen Liangqing gave a soft "hmm," his tone slightly raised, which sounded like encouragement to Xue Mingyao.
Before she knew it, Xue Mingyao continued, "The way you hunch over your desk writing reminds me of someone I used to like. The build is similar, the demeanor is similar, um, it's from this angle..."
She tilted her head again, and two shallow dimples appeared on her flushed cheeks.
Chen Liangqing paused for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Who is the person the princess is talking about?"
"Him? His surname is Xie, and his given name is very nice—"
"Yaoyao, you're drunk again. Come back with me." A gentle voice interrupted her. Zhao Ying frowned and walked over, bending down to lift Xue Mingyao from Chen Liangqing's table, and smiled apologetically at Chen Liangqing.
Chen Liangqing nodded in response, watching indifferently as Princess Yi'an pulled Princess Yongning away, and instructed a maid to bring her a bowl of hangover soup.
He averted his gaze, picked up the wine cup on the table, and drank it down.
Across the brocade and bustling hall, Xie Zhuo saw Xue Mingyao return to her seat, and he lowered his head and continued to exchange pleasantries with the Crown Prince and the Fifth Princess in front of him.
The maids refilled the wine and lamps several times, and finally the banquet came to an end. The tipsy nobles, supported by the servants waiting outside the palace, returned to their quarters one after another.
The hall fell silent, with only the clear moonlight of the night quietly filling the emptiness left by the clamor.
The emperor, still in high spirits, was led by Consort Feng to stroll along the corridor.
The lanterns, inscribed with verses, shone brightly, their light undiminished, still swaying gently in the night breeze. Feng Wan accompanied the emperor from one end of the corridor to the other, reciting verses to him one after another.
Suddenly, the melodious voice, as sweet as a nightingale's, stopped.
Feng Wan stared at the lantern in front of her, her almond-shaped eyes filled with surprise.
General Xie's handwriting was exactly the same as Xie Qinglang's.
......
After the first day's sacrificial rites and palace banquet, the grand spring hunt at Beiming Mountain officially began.
Every day, the imperial nobles' mounts traversed every corner of Beiming Mountain, engaging in both encirclement and individual hunts.
Xie Zhuoyan stole the show at the archery ceremony, but afterwards deliberately kept a low profile, using the excuse of not being fully recovered from illness to recuperate, and rarely went hunting, but still focused most of his attention on Princess Yongning.
What comforted him somewhat was that Xue Mingyao seemed to be truly interested in riding and archery, accompanying Princess Yi'an on hunting trips every day, and didn't have much time left to seduce men.
That day, Xie Zhuo returned to his lodgings, and A Lian winked at him, saying that a maid had come to invite the general to see her mistress.
"She's being so mysterious, and she won't tell me who her mistress is, but I can guess it's either Madam Chen or the Fifth Princess," A-Lian said cheerfully.
Xie Zhuo remained noncommittal as he entered the hall and saw the unfamiliar maid.
The maidservant curtsied to him, "General Xie, Her Highness Consort Shu requests your presence."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Hmph, General Xie's disguise is about to be exposed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
