Chapter 2. The advantage of being a widow is that she can seduce men...
Snowflakes fluttered down as the man, draped in a crane-green cloak, stood under the eaves outside the Qifeng Palace, his handsome figure like a pine tree in the snow.
His face, from below his brow bone to his lips, was covered by an exquisite silver mask. He was tall and imposing, and the cold mask on his face added a touch of menace.
The eunuch came out of the hall, instinctively resisting the coldness emanating from the man, and bowed his head to invite him into the hall.
However, the man seemed not to hear, his gaze lingering on the western veranda.
The eunuch looked over and saw Princess Yongning, who had just left through the side gate of Qifeng Palace. Her slender figure was wrapped in a large lilac-colored cloak, and she walked with a lazy gait. Her graceful back was like a wisp of light mist, which quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.
"General Xie?" the eunuch reminded him again.
Xie Zhuo then turned his head, nodded, and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
He entered the hall, and under the emperor's slightly surprised gaze, he bowed and said, "Please forgive me for covering my face, Your Majesty. I have recently fallen ill due to my inability to adapt to the climate and water of the southern frontier. I have been feeling feverish and weak, and my face is covered with red rashes. Therefore, I have been a few days late in coming to thank Your Majesty for bestowing this residence and treasures upon me."
Emperor Deyuan hurriedly asked, "Is Xie Qing's illness serious? Are you still feeling unwell?"
Xie Zhuo said, "I have already consulted a doctor and taken several doses of medicine. I am feeling better now, but it will take some time before I am fully recovered."
Emperor Deyuan was relieved. "It's good that you've recovered. Rest more during this time and don't overwork the troops. But—if it's an illness caused by acclimatization, why did it only flare up recently? I remember you were perfectly fine at the welcoming banquet seven days ago."
Xie Zhuo revealed a bitter smile beneath his mask. "To be honest, Your Majesty, this illness was caused by my carelessness. I brought back local specialties from the southern border to the capital and inadvertently contracted their chronic poison."
"I see. The customs and scenery of the Southern Frontier are very different from those of the Central Plains, making it indeed difficult to guard against. Physician Song from the Imperial Medical Bureau went to the Southern Frontier with the army many years ago. You should go and see him; perhaps he can help with your condition. Your face is very handsome; you were ranked first among the military officers in court. I find it pleasing to the eye. You must take good care of yourself and not leave any scars!"
Xie Zhuo understood the Emperor's joking tone and smiled, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's command."
......
As Xue Mingyao moved away from Qifeng Palace, she quickened her pace, leaving the green branch holding the umbrella behind her.
She had no intention of remarrying, much less marrying a general—she had seen countless of her father's subordinates in the mansion since childhood and had always disliked the typical burly physique and rough, cold demeanor of military officers.
However, her conversation with Emperor Deyuan just now still left her feeling somewhat resentful.
Hmph, not good enough.
With her family background, status, and looks, she was more than a match for any man in the Great Zhou Dynasty. She could even become the Crown Prince's consort. But because of her status as a widow, she was suddenly at a disadvantage, and she had to be subservient to others when looking for a husband of similar age and appearance.
Green Branch trotted up to her, noticing her unfriendly expression, and asked, "Princess, are we still going to the Hanlin Academy?"
"go!"
Xue Mingyao angrily kicked away a clump of snow by the roadside. She was already a widow, a woman of low status, so she should enjoy the benefits of being a widow even more. What were the benefits of being a widow? Naturally, it was seducing men.
Unmarried young women are not allowed to meet men outside the marriage, and married women who commit adultery are to be drowned in a pig cage. Only widows are freer, as long as they don't care about gossip.
She dutifully observed the mourning period for her father at her ancestral home for three years. After returning to Beijing more than half a year ago, she gradually began to crave men.
She has a unique eye for men who are upright and virtuous and not interested in women, such as Xie Qinglang in the past, and Chen Liangqing, the Hanlin scholar she has her eye on now.
Times have changed. Not only does the situation not allow it, but she has also learned from her experience with Xie Qinglang and decided to abandon the hard methods and instead use softer tactics to gradually achieve her goal.
Unexpectedly, Chen Hanlin was not there.
The servant waiting at the gate of the Hanlin Academy looked apologetic. "Princess, my master suddenly caught a cold last night and has been bedridden, so he took three days off. Today is the fifteenth, and my master was afraid that you might not be able to find him if you came, so he specially ordered me to wait here and tell you. I'm sorry to have made you come all this way for nothing."
Is the cold due to the sudden drop in temperature and snowfall last night?
Xue Mingyao suddenly realized that Chen Liangqing was just as frail and sickly as Xie Qinglang.
Back in Xichuan, when winter suddenly turned cold, Xie Qinglang was prone to catching a chill and getting sick. But he was stubborn; he'd rather suffer in his thin clothes than accept the fox fur coat she offered...
She reined in her wandering thoughts and smiled gently, "It's alright, let your husband take good care of himself. This is some pastry I brought for him, it's soft, chewy, and appetizing, not too sweet, so it's fine for him to eat if he catches a cold."
She gestured to Green Branch to hand the other food box she had brought into the palace to the servant.
......
Not far from the Hanlin Academy, at the Imperial Medical Bureau, Physician Song finished taking Xie Zhuo's pulse.
Xie Zhuo briefly recounted the events leading up to his poisoning: "Before I left the Southern Frontier, I happened to pass by a flower field. The flowers were beautiful and had a rich, exotic fragrance. I ordered someone to pick a few clusters and brought them back to the capital with me, but I never imagined that the flowers were poisonous..."
Physician Song nodded slowly, "Is this flower rouge-colored and can it bloom for a long time without fading?"
"Indeed," Xie Zhuo said. "Does Physician Song recognize this flower?"
Physician Song stroked his beard and smiled, "Not only do you recognize it, but you also happen to know the antidote. General, you've come to the right person! Judging from your pulse, the medicine you've been taking these past few days is only barely relieving the symptoms and not enough to completely detoxify you. Let me find the previous prescription for you."
He summoned a young boy, gave him a few instructions, and the boy went to look up prescriptions in the book.
Xie Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him repeatedly.
Physician Song said with a smile, "This flower is not common in the Southern Frontier, and even the local barbarians may not know its poison. More than ten years ago, I went to the Southern Frontier with General Xue. Princess Yongning also went with us. Oh, General Xie may not know her. She is General Xue's eldest daughter."
Xie Zhuo's expression shifted, and he listened intently.
"It's quite a coincidence that the young princess also discovered this flower by chance, named it 'Beauty's Intoxication,' and kept it in a vase in her room. A month later, just like you, she was unknowingly poisoned. She had a fever, felt weak and powerless, and small red spots appeared on her face. The young girl cherished her appearance the most, and cried from morning till night, which worried the general greatly. I was so worried that I didn't sleep for two days and two nights while researching the antidote."
Xie Zhuo said in a low voice, "I've worked hard, Physician Song. It turns out I'm benefiting from the Princess's good fortune."
"Yes, I never thought this antidote formula would come in handy again."
The boy found the prescription, copied it, and brought it to the doctor. Physician Song added a few words, put down the prescription, and asked Xie Zhuo to remove his mask so he could take a look.
The general's cheeks were red and swollen, but it didn't detract too much from his handsome appearance. However, Physician Song still frowned. "General Xie, it seems that the degree of your poisoning is even more severe than that of the little princess. You both inhaled the toxins at about the same time. Could it be that you inhaled a much larger amount?"
Xie Zhuo was puzzled for a while before saying, "I like its fragrance. I put the flower by my pillow at night to help me sleep."
Physician Song was taken aback. While revising the prescription, he muttered, "So the General and the Little Princess both love the scent of 'Beauty's Intoxication.' After the Little Princess recovered, she even specially commissioned a perfumer to make scented cakes mimicking the fragrance of 'Beauty's Intoxication,' which she used to scent her clothes and wear daily, finding them incredibly delightful..."
In the small room filled with the aroma of medicine, Xie Zhuo seemed to smell that peculiar, cool fragrance once again.
Countless times she forced him to hold her, the exotic fragrance wafting from her hair and ears onto his clothes and body, impossible to shake off.
The woman's proud voice echoed in his ears, "Xie Qinglang, doesn't this fragrance smell wonderful? It's specially made by me, called 'A Gentleman's Pursuit Fragrance,' and you can't find it anywhere else."
He was poisoned entirely of his own making; he brought it upon himself.
Physician Song finally prepared the prescription. "General Xie, please get the medicine according to this prescription, decoct it, and take it twice a day after meals for half a month. There is a rare medicinal herb in it called Ren Gui, which is probably hard to find on the market. The Imperial Medical Bureau has some in its rare medicine warehouse. When the Imperial Physician comes to the bureau tomorrow, I will ask him to open the warehouse and retrieve the medicine to be sent to your residence. Also, before the red rash on your face disappears, please cover your face as much as possible and avoid exposure to wind. You should also avoid overwork, overthinking, and emotional agitation, otherwise it will worsen your condition."
Xie Zhuo accepted the prescription, thanked him again, and put the mask back on. The lining of the silver mask was a layer of soft silk, which was quite comfortable against his skin.
Before leaving, Xie Zhuo asked Physician Song whether his face would be scarred.
"No, my medicine is very reliable." Physician Song said confidently, "Look at Princess Yongning's face, it's so delicate and smooth, there's not a trace of poisoning."
After saying that, he realized that it was inappropriate to talk about the princess in this way, so Physician Song coughed and said, "I misspoke. General Xie should not have met the princess."
Xie Zhuo remained silent; he knew better than anyone how tender and smooth Xue Mingyao's face was.
"In short, there's no need to worry. The princess has no scars, and neither will the general."
Xie Zhuo hesitated for a moment, "But the imperial physician just said that my poisoning is more severe than hers."
Physician Song couldn't help but laugh, his beard trembling as he shook off Xie Zhuo's embarrassment.
"It is only natural for a general to care about appearance, it is only natural."
With Physician Song's repeated assurances, Xie Zhuo emerged from the Imperial Medical Bureau. The snow had intensified, swirling and settling onto his dark blue robes. His black boots trod the snow-covered palace path, Xie Zhuo's back remaining ramrod straight.
The Xie family's simple felt-covered carriage had been waiting at the palace gate for a long time.
The boy A-Lian, whom Xie Zhuo brought back from Longxi, jumped off the carriage to greet him. "General, please get in the carriage. You are still sick. Don't get cold again."
Xie Zhuo's gaze lingered on the adjacent carriage. That carriage was three times the size of the Xie family's carriage, with a sandalwood frame inlaid with gold and jade, and wrapped in a tightly sealed snow-white rabbit fur coat. A lantern with the character "Xue" written on both sides hung from the eaves of the carriage. The coachman was dozing off on the crossbar in front of the carriage.
Xie Zhuo looked away and got into the car with A Lian.
Just as the driver, Liuquan, was about to untie the reins, Xie Zhuo stopped him, saying, "The snow is heavy right now, let's wait until it stops before we set off, so you can get less snowed."
Liu Quan turned around and said, "It's alright, General! I'm wearing a straw hat and a raincoat, so I won't get too wet."
"It's better to get less wet. Driving a carriage in the wind and snow is too hard. I'm not in a hurry to get back home."
Liu Quan said with emotion, "General, you are such a kind person."
“That’s right, our general has always been considerate of his soldiers.” Alian said with great pride.
Xie Zhuo had spent several years in the military, living a frugal life. After returning to the capital and handing over the tiger tally, he only had his young son, A Lian, by his side, with no other servants. His deputy general couldn't bear to see this, so he carefully selected the experienced steward Liu, the young servant Liu Quan, and several menial laborers to send to him.
Liu Quan grew up in Zhongjing and had served in the mansions of powerful and influential people. He was also clever and knew everything about the people and affairs in Zhongjing.
Xie Zhuo thought for a moment, then asked Liu Quan to come into the carriage to avoid the snow, and ordered him to tell him about the situation of the major officials and their families in the capital.
Liu Quan said warmly, “General, you’re new here, so you should learn about these things. We’ll be doing this a lot in the future. Which organization would you like to start learning from?”
Xie Zhuo lifted the curtain and pointed to the carriage parked two zhang away, "Let's start with this one."
“Oh! The Xue family.” Liu Quan glanced at it. “General Xue has made great military achievements and also played a crucial role in the rise of the new emperor. He was granted the title of Prince, as you probably know. Not only that, General Xue’s eldest daughter was also exceptionally granted the title of Princess Yongning. She has been in the palace since childhood and has been treated like a princess. This carriage should be the one the princess rides in.”
A-Lian clicked her tongue in astonishment, "What's so special about the Xue family's daughter that she became a princess?"
"There's a reason for that." Seeing Xie Zhuo also giving him a look, Liu Quan spoke even more enthusiastically, "Throughout history, there have always been a few princes of different surnames, but princesses of different surnames are extremely rare. The eldest daughter of the Xue family was able to become a princess, which is due to both General Xue's influence and her own good fortune."
"Now, let's talk about her mother, who came from the Wang family of Jingzhao. Although they have declined now, they were a famous and prominent family decades ago. The Wang family had two daughters, one of whom married General Xue, and the other married the current emperor, the late Empress Duanhui. The two Wang sisters were very close, and their daughters were born in the same month. Lady Xue's daughter was very healthy, but Princess Yi'an, born to the late Empress, was born with a deficiency and could not cry. It seemed that she would not survive. Someone suggested that the Xue family's baby girl be brought to the palace so that the little princess could be revived. Guess what? The two baby girls ate and slept together for several months, and the little princess was actually revived. The emperor was overjoyed and bestowed the title of Princess upon the Xue family's daughter. She was raised in the palace for several years before being sent back."
A-Lian exclaimed in amazement, and Liu-Quan continued, "However, four years ago, General Xue passed away, and the Xue family lost its former glory. The eldest son of the Xue family died young, leaving behind a baby who was only a few years old and inherited the title of Duke. I heard that the child is sickly, and I wonder if he will grow up to be a big boy."
Xie Zhuo said, "Continue telling the story of that princess."
Liu Quan scratched his head, but fortunately he had a lot of knowledge in his belly. He quickly said, "Princess Yongning is of noble status and extremely beautiful, but her reputation is not very good. She often appears in public and once got very close to several princes, which led to some romantic rumors."
Ah Lian asked curiously, "What kind of romantic escapades are they?"
Liu Quan vividly recounted an incident, and A Lian frowned, "That's so unchaste."
Liu Quan said, "This isn't the only instance of her being unfaithful; she also..."
"Alright," Xie Zhuo interrupted him. "No need to list them, let's continue."
Liu Quan obeyed. "At the time, everyone was speculating which prince the princess would become the princess's consort, but General Xue quietly married her off to a general under his command who had no family background. That general's surname was Cen. After the marriage, he took the princess to guard Xichuan. Unfortunately, he died on the battlefield half a year later, and the princess became a widow."
“This princess will definitely not live a peaceful life as a widow!” A-Lian speculated.
"Hey, you're right."
Xie Zhuo said, "Continue."
Liu Quan hadn't expected the general to love gossip so much, so he lowered his voice and pretended to be mysterious, "I heard that the princess was so lonely in Xichuan that she kept a man in her mansion. They ate and slept together, just like husband and wife!"
"Isn't this blatant adultery? What a shameless pair of illicit lovers..."
"Ah Lian, don't say that," Xie Zhuo suddenly interrupted.
His tone was calm, but Allen could sense the general's displeasure.
Why was the general displeased? A-Lian was completely baffled; he hadn't said anything wrong.
Seeing that the general did not issue another "continue" order, Liu Quan wisely kept quiet.
Silence fell over the car.
After a while, Liu Quan lifted the curtain and looked out, exclaiming happily, "General, the snow has stopped! We can go now!"
The general's reply came very late.
"Wait a little longer," he said.
Liu Quan and A Lian didn't know what they were waiting for, and the general didn't offer any explanation.
Their general simply leaned against the carriage wall, quietly looking out the window through the curtain, as if he were looking at the snow, or perhaps at the sky.
The sky seemed to darken under his gaze; the snow stopped and then fell again, fell and then stopped.
During this time, Liu Quan asked again whether he should leave, but Xie Zhuo did not say anything.
Finally, as night fell, faint footsteps came from beside the carriage, which was about two zhang away.
Xie Zhuo gripped the blue cloth curtain tightly.
A note from the author:
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Just to clarify if any readers ask again, the female protagonist in this story is not a virgin. While her first marriage was brief, it did happen. The fact that she is not a virgin aligns better with the main couple's relationship.
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