Chapter 53 Peeping at Spring Paintings His Highness has no intention of letting this humble subject in for a cup of tea…
After that night, Chu Yueyuan stopped playing the flute.
Unexpectedly, a seemingly insignificant jade screen flute not only attracted two handsome masters to her, but also broke through a layer of mystery.
With the return to the capital drawing near, the officials of the Great Qi responsible for border affairs became increasingly busy. Amidst this hustle and bustle, only Chu Yueyuan managed to steal a half-day of leisure.
Bored out of her mind, she rediscovered her old passion—horse riding.
On rainless days, the scenery in Linzhao City is exceptionally beautiful, especially the vast and boundless plains outside the city. The azure sky and the magnificent grasslands complement each other, and when riding a horse, one can't help but be immersed in this magnificent scenery and forget the troubles of the moment.
"Lady Chu..."
Chu Yueyuan turned the reins and saw the princess in an indigo riding outfit riding a black horse. The woman's long hair was tied up high with a silver crown and flew freely in the wind. She wore a sword at her waist, and her eyebrows and eyes were bright and heroic.
"Whoa!"
Feng Qi stopped her horse, looking at Chu Yueyuan's white horse with envy, and said:
"I saw this Dilu horse from afar and was amazed at who was so skilled and daring as to tame the most unruly horse on the grassland. It turned out to be the Queen of Chu."
The Dilu horse is also known as the Thunderbolt Horse. When it gallops at full speed, it is as fast as a thunderbolt, so fast that it is dazzling. However, it is also naturally rebellious and extremely aggressive. When it gets fierce, it will even kick the wolves on the grassland.
Chu Yueyuan truthfully replied, "I don't have such ability. This horse is Lord Pei's mount. It is said that wild wolves often appear near the Gobi Desert, so Lord Pei reluctantly lent it to me to have some fun."
Seeing Chu Yueyuan speak so casually, Feng Qi couldn't help but secretly tighten her grip on the reins, a feeling she couldn't quite describe welling up inside her.
The rupee's ordinary horses are more intelligent than humans; if the person doesn't carry the scent of their master, it's difficult to even get close to them, let alone ride them.
Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Feng Qi raised her hand and pointed to a winding stream in the distance:
"Does Lady Chu have the courage to have a contest with me? Let's see who can ride to that stream first. The loser must grant the winner one request."
Chu Yueyuan politely declined, saying, "The Eldest Princess is a great general commanding thousands of troops. I usually ride horses only for polo, how can I compare to you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Feng Qi raised her whip high and then lashed it across Lu Hou's rump. The horse reared up, let out a neigh, and galloped away.
Chu Yueyuan hurriedly tightened her grip on the reins, and Feng Qi's voice came from behind: "I'll give the Queen ten breaths."
Upon seeing this, Lin Mu, who was responsible for protecting the young empress dowager, disregarded his complaints about the princess's reckless actions and led a group of guards to chase after her on horseback.
Two horses, one white and one black, galloped wildly across the plains, their hooves kicking up the fine sand, which was then scribbled up and woven into a golden cloak. The two horses raced against each other, gradually closing the distance between them.
Despite having a swift and powerful steed to assist her, Chu Yueyuan's riding skills were far inferior to those of Feng Qi, who was born in a military family.
The two men, riding fine steeds, left the guards who were following them far behind.
The horse's hooves splashed up sparkling water, and Feng Qi tightened the reins, her smile triumphant: "Lady Chu, I've won!"
Chu Yueyuan was panting heavily. It was the first time she had ever ridden a horse so fast. It felt as if she were in the wind, with the sound of the wind rushing in her ears. She felt incredibly exhilarated.
She caught her breath for a moment before saying, "I have lost. I wonder what conditions the Princess has? Let me make this clear from the start: my monthly salary is limited, and I have to support a group of people in the palace. If you make exorbitant demands, don't blame me for reneging on the debt."
Feng Qi gazed at the woman before her, her body glistening with sweat, and had to admit that she was as beautiful as a delicate peony, captivating all who looked at her.
The woman's long hair was tied into a thick, black braid, with two light blue silk ribbons wrapped around the ends of the braids fluttering in the wind. She was not wearing riding clothes, but rather a light blue floral dress with exquisite twin lotus flowers embroidered on the hem. The wide sleeves were blown up by the wind, revealing a section of her fair forearm.
Feng Qi's gaze fell on a red mole on her forearm, a fleeting look of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Chu Yueyuan straightened her slightly disheveled clothes and looked up to see Feng Qi staring intently at her.
"The Princess, the Princess?"
Feng Qi snapped out of her reverie. Instead of mentioning the bet she had just won, she changed the subject:
"I'm sure Lady Chu has also heard about Lord Pei's rejection of the marriage proposal."
A few days ago, the Queen of Feng hosted a banquet to celebrate the triumphant return of the Qi soldiers. During the banquet, she formally proposed a marriage alliance between the two countries to Pei Muwei and promised to give 30% of the annual tax revenue of Linchao City as dowry to show her sincerity.
Chu Yueyuan had read the "Alliance of the Linchao" drafted by Shen Zizhan. The alliance stipulated that Daqi and Xixia would be allies and that a border market would be opened in Linchao City. Daqi would be exempt from taxes on silk, tea, cotton, and porcelain, while Xixia would be exempt from taxes on spices, agate, gemstones, and furs.
Goods such as silk, tea, and porcelain were highly sought after by nobles in the northwestern countries, making them the most profitable trade for Xixia. Shen Zizhan roughly calculated that Xixia collected ten million taels of silver in taxes from Linchao City every year.
In other words, as long as Pei Muwei agrees to this marriage, Daqi will receive three million taels of silver in annual tribute, which is equivalent to marrying a treasure trove.
Even Lord Sun, who had always looked down on the Xixia Kingdom, stared in agreement with his eyes wide open upon hearing this news.
However, Pei Muwei immediately rejected the Phoenix King's proposal.
They didn't even bother with a proper excuse for refusing, saying that the Emperor of Great Qi was only five years old this year, and that his age was too far from that of the Princess.
The King of Feng, undeterred, smiled and said that the marriage partner did not have to be the Emperor of Qi; a member of the royal family would also be acceptable. The eldest princess liked to study military strategy, so it would be best if the man was an unmarried man who shared her aspirations.
In the end, the King of Feng was practically ready to grab Pei Muwei's hand and call him brother-in-law.
Pei Muwei was quite straightforward this time, pushing forward Meng Xun, who had just made a great contribution.
Intoxicated, Meng Xun immediately slammed his fist on the table and stood up. If it weren't for the general beside him stopping him, he would have drawn his sword and shaved his head to become a monk on the spot to escape the marriage.
At the banquet that night, Feng Qi was repeatedly rejected, losing face and becoming the laughingstock of both clans.
The people of Daqi mocked her for being so eager to please them, while the people of Xixia felt she had lost her integrity.
Chu Yueyuan deliberately avoided Pei Muwei and did not attend the banquet that night. Although she did not see what happened, it was not difficult to imagine Feng Qi's feelings.
Feng Qi spent years searching for a man who resembled Pei Muwei, as if she had created a beautiful dream with her own hands. She could have deceived herself and lived in the dream, but Pei Muwei's arrival in Linchao City brought her from the dream into reality.
Knowing she couldn't keep the man, she decided to give up everything and follow him.
Unfortunately, the ending wasn't a dream come true, but rather her dream was shattered by the man himself, and from then on, she didn't even deserve to have a dream.
Feng Qi smiled self-deprecatingly: "What is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you cannot force. Even though I know that Lord Pei is heartless to me, I still want to force it once. When I learned that he was going to cross Gaotan Mountain, I ignored my sister's advice and insisted on going with him. I wanted him to see clearly that I am the woman who can live and die with him."
"He saved me a second time in the Canglang Clan's camp. I was overjoyed and decided to ask him for help again. So I persuaded my sister to let me go to Daqi, hoping to win him over with benefits."
"But he still refused to take me with him without the slightest hesitation."
Feng Qi felt that her love for Pei Muwei was as insignificant as dust, while Pei Muwei's love for the young empress dowager was as pure as snow, intolerant of even a speck of dust.
The horse beneath Feng Qi seemed to sense her low spirits, frequently turning its head to rub against her palm.
She patted the horse's neck, her voice filled with deep melancholy: "Does Lady Chu also find me ridiculous?"
After listening quietly to Feng Qi's words, Chu Yueyuan said gently, "There is a saying in Daqi that three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are plentiful. Although this saying is vulgar, the truth is not. With the status and abilities of the Princess, even in Daqi, she would attract a group of men vying to become her son-in-law."
Feng Qi heard these comforting words many times every day, but hearing them from Chu Yueyuan's mouth felt different.
Looking at the sincere gaze of the young empress dowager, Feng Qi felt a mix of emotions as she recalled how she had recently flaunted her power in front of women. She lowered her head in dejection.
Chu Yueyuan used to mingle in the circles of noble ladies in the capital. In order to compete with Chu Wanxi for the title of the most beautiful woman in the capital, she not only had to win over men, but also had to win over women.
Therefore, she understood what a woman heartbroken in love most wanted to hear.
Instead of praising how outstanding a woman is, it's better to denigrate how ordinary the man who abandoned her is. Feng Qi thought Pei Muwei was too perfect, which is why she fell deeper and deeper into his trap and couldn't extricate herself.
Chu Yueyuan rode closer, leaned over, covered her lips with her hand, and whispered, "Your Highness, you may not know, but the reason Lord Pei is infatuated with me is because he has a secret fetish..."
This advice worked, and Feng Qi indeed looked up curiously.
Chu Yueyuan feigned difficulty for a moment, then sighed with a furrowed brow: "Lord Pei always calls me 'sister-in-law' in private..."
A look of disbelief flashed across Feng Qi's face: "Does Lady Chu mean...?"
Chu Yueyuan nodded firmly, her bright, watery eyes filled with sincerity: "He's mentally ill!"
Feng Qi: ....
After a while, she smiled bitterly and said, "No wonder no matter how hard I try, his attitude towards me remains as cold as ice..."
The horse's hooves pounded the water, creating ripples that startled birds drinking on the bank.
As the young empress dowager revealed the various flaws of men along the way, Feng Qi's mood seemed to improve, and the two of them returned to the city via the same route.
"In three days, Lady Chu will be leaving Linchao City. After this parting, I don't know when we will meet again. I have prepared a small gift and will personally deliver it to you another day."
Feng Qi paused for a moment, then said, "I would also like to give Lord Pei a gift to repay his kindness in saving my life at Gaotan Mountain. Could Lady Chu reveal a little about Lord Pei's preferences?"
When it comes to the Regent's preferences in food and drink, Chu Yueyuan knows everything, but as for his other preferences, she really can't answer them.
After all, Lord Jiaolong had everything he wanted in the court. All the rare treasures in the world could be presented to him by a single word from him, and countless officials who were eager to climb the ranks would offer them up. She really couldn't imagine what he would lack.
Chu Yueyuan gently shook her head and answered truthfully: "This... Princess, you might as well ask Lord Pei yourself. Perhaps he has some unspoken wish that he has never mentioned to me."
Feng Qi looked thoughtful, gazing for a long time at the woman who shone brightly in the sunlight, and murmured softly, "His wish..."
As if realizing something, a light suddenly appeared in her eyes, and her voice was excited: "Lady Chu, do you think if I help Lord Pei achieve his wish, he will... remember me for the rest of his life?"
Chu Yueyuan knew that Feng Qi's obsession couldn't be dispelled by a few slanderous words, so she went along with her:
"Of course, Lord Pei will certainly cherish the gift you gave him."
Feng Qi smiled with relief. Her voice was so low that it was almost indistinct, carried away by a caravan rushing into the city: "I hope so... I hope he will always cherish the Queen..."
———
After being reminded by the eldest princess, Chu Yueyuan remembered that she still owed Xiao Yun a gift.
When they left the palace, Xiao Yun clung to her leg with reluctance, wiping his tears and snot all over her body: "Mother, you're taking the Regent with you on your long journey, not me. Does Mother like the Regent more than me?"
Faced with Xiao Yun's childish questioning, Chu Yueyuan was both amused and exasperated, unable to explain herself clearly to him for a moment. She could only promise him that she would bring back some rare items that were not available in the palace during her trip.
Linchao City is located on a major northwestern route. The merchants in the market come from all over the country, and they display exquisite imported goods in front of their stalls and shout loudly.
Unlike the markets in the capital with their standardized signs, the merchants at the border markets did not have fixed stalls. Instead, they were mostly mobile vendors leading camels or pushing carts, and they sold a wide variety of goods.
Chu Yueyuan casually stopped in front of a stall and saw jewelry boxes inlaid with gemstones, a jar of brightly colored peacock feathers, three rolls of wool carpets, and so on.
She was dazzled by the sights, walking and stopping with the crowd, buying anything that caught her eye. Before long, the guards behind her were carrying large and small brocade boxes in their hands.
She bought Xiao Yun a small red agate spinning top, a paper grid with eight auspicious patterns, a tortoiseshell plate, a wooden sword, and other trinkets, and also picked out a few gifts for Granny Xu.
Chu Yueyuan's extravagant spending style was like a fat sheep falling into a pack of wolves, quickly attracting a swarm of merchants who came to promote their goods.
"Your Majesty, come and see my goods! Tiger's eye stones the size of pigeon eggs, red tourmalines the size of fists, and everything else you could want."
"Madam, look at this face cream I have here. It'll make your face so soft you could squeeze milk out of it..."
"Lady, would you like some Hu Seng Pills? One pill, infused with incense, will surely enhance your arousal and keep your beloved energized all night, allowing him to enjoy the exhilarating pleasure of soaring to new heights..."
Lin Mu and his guards quickly stopped all of them, and Chu Yueyuan took advantage of the chaos to escape, accidentally stumbling upon a bookstall.
Worried that Commander Lin and his men would catch up with her but not find her, Chu Yueyuan dared not go any deeper. She squatted down in front of a bookstall and casually browsed the books for sale.
Some of the book covers were written in Tocharian, some in Sogdian, and some in Sanskrit. Chu Yueyuan happened to know a little about Tocharian and could tell that these books were all ghost stories and romantic tales. Many of them were bestsellers in the Great Qi Dynasty and had been translated into different languages.
The stall owner was a woman around forty years old. Observing that Chu Yueyuan was wearing a veiled hat, dressed in gorgeous clothes, and had elegant manners, she guessed that her identity must be extraordinary.
Women from Xixia never wear veils when they go out, unless they are doing something private.
The woman understood immediately. She took a book from a wooden box in the corner and said with a beaming smile, "Is this the picture album the lady is looking for?"
Chu Yueyuan wondered how the stall owner, who wasn't a fortune teller, could guess what she wanted to see. However, seeing how discreetly the stall owner had stored the book, she couldn't help but feel curious.
She took the book and looked at it, but found nothing unusual about its appearance.
The book was exquisitely bound, with no text on the cover except for a painting of the unique Qiongju Xianglan flower of Xixia. Chu Yueyuan assumed it was a collection of paintings depicting the local scenery of Xixia, so she opened it without any suspicion.
When her gaze fell upon the contents, her bright black pupils suddenly contracted.
The painting depicts a woman leaning against an embroidered screen, her hair disheveled, her breasts half-hidden, and her eyes glazed over. Beneath her pale yellow skirt, the outline of a man's upper body is faintly visible. The painting is exquisite and lifelike, and two lines of small characters are written beside it: "The lotus petals are covered with dew, and the beautiful stem is raised, already moved by passion."
The combination of erotic paintings and decadent words was extremely impactful, leaving Chu Yueyuan stunned and rooted to the spot.
Just then, Lin Mu led a group of guards and rushed over, bowing and saying, "This humble official failed to take adequate care of the Empress Dowager and disturbed her enjoyment of shopping. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Chu Yueyuan snapped out of her daze. Feeling guilty, she closed the picture book, quickly rolled it up, and tucked it into her sleeve. She then coughed lightly, feigning calmness, and said, "It's alright. I'm feeling tired too. Let's go back."
After asking Lin Mu to give the stall owner a few taels of silver, Chu Yueyuan quickly walked out of the market and boarded the carriage.
Back at Yixiantai, she dismissed the servants in the room, closed the windows, and locked them before taking out the erotic pictures she had just bought and openly began to peruse them.
The slanting spring sunlight streamed in through the sunflower-shaped window panes, casting a warm golden glow on the woman's long, thick eyelashes, which trembled gently from time to time, like the fluttering wings of a butterfly.
Chu Yueyuan was not completely ignorant about sexual pleasures. On the eve of her wedding, a palace lady showed her pictures of erotic scenes and taught her in detail how to please the Emperor.
She was devastated at the time. Looking at the erotic paintings of men and women intertwined, she felt nauseous. She forced herself to finish looking at the paintings and quickly went through the process.
However, the erotic picture book in front of her was very different from the one she had seen in the palace.
Regardless of rank, all women in the imperial harem were expected to please the emperor. Their status was inferior, like an exquisite water vat that could only ever receive water flowing down from above.
However, in Xixia, women are no longer vessels, but waterfalls on high mountains, able to take control, flow freely, and enjoy the pleasures of love.
Therefore, Chu Yueyuan saw many postures she had never seen before. With each page she turned, she couldn't help but gasp. Only then did she realize that, apart from that evil thing, there were so many ways for women to enjoy themselves.
Lost in her thoughts of literature and poetry, Chu Yueyuan was not awakened from her reverie until the knocking on the door frame grew increasingly urgent.
Jin Tong's anxious voice came through the door: "Your Highness, Your Highness?"
Chu Yueyuan quickly closed the book, reached out and touched her burning cheek, forcing herself to speak normally: "It's nothing. I was just too tired from shopping and fell asleep on the couch for a while."
Jin Tong, who was outside the door, finally felt relieved. She glanced cautiously at the cold-faced man beside her and then said, "Your Highness, the Regent has arrived."
A muffled thud was heard, accompanied by a woman's low moan of pain. It seemed that the young empress dowager in the dormitory had tripped over something.
Pei Muwei frowned slightly. He strode forward and asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, what has happened?"
The man pressed his large hand against the door, about to exert force, when he heard the young empress dowager inside call out, "I have just woken up and am not dressed properly. Please wait a moment, Minister Pei."
Chu Yueyuan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan inside the house, inwardly complaining that the Regent had to come at this particular time of year.
She's a jinx!
If he were to discover her peeping at erotic pictures in her room, how could she, as the Empress Dowager of the Great Qi, ever have the face to reprimand a subject who had defied her authority?
Chu Yueyuan first stuffed the picture album under the bedding, but after thinking it over, she felt it was inappropriate, so she took it out and put it in the compartment of the makeup box. Just as she was about to open the door, she suddenly remembered that the Regent had recently developed a bad habit of combing her hair, so she hurriedly took it out and put it in a different place.
She wandered around the room several times, bustling about like a petty thief who didn't know how to hide his gold and silver. In her frantic state, her gaze settled on one spot, and she finally made up her mind.
After a short while, the carved lattice doors finally opened to the sides, and the young empress dowager emerged, gently touching her hair. The phoenix wing tassels shone brightly, but they couldn't match the shimmering light in her eyes.
She smiled sweetly: "Does Minister Pei have something to discuss with me?"
Pei Muwei stared at her, a hint of suspicion flashing in his deep phoenix eyes.
The woman's hair was slightly disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural blush, as if she had applied an extra layer of rouge. The tip of her nose was sparkling, like a peony flower with dewdrops on it. She was beautiful and alluring, with an indescribable charm.
His voice was clear and crisp: "Does Your Highness not intend to invite me in for a cup of tea?"
Chu Yueyuan met his probing gaze, a shallow dimple appearing at the corner of her lips: "When have I ever turned away Minister Pei?"
The emperor and his minister entered the tea room.
Chu Yueyuan and the Regent took their seats on either side of the tea table. She casually pointed to the mountain of brocade boxes piled on the pear blossom table and said to Jin Tong:
"These are gifts that I selected for the Emperor and Granny Xu at the border market. We will be setting off in three days. Go and find a few people to pack these things into boxes, and be careful."
Jin Tong accepted the order and summoned two maids to help her move the brocade box.
Chu Yueyuan watched the busy maids packing the boxes and felt a little relieved. She picked up the celadon teapot on the tea table to pour tea, but found that there was no tea in it.
Suddenly, she remembered that she had drunk all the brothel while looking at the erotic pictures because her mouth was dry.
A perceptive maid immediately took the teapot and said, "This servant will brew a pot of tea."
Chu Yueyuan didn't realize how many items she had bought at the border market, but after packing everything up, the two wooden crates weren't enough, so Jin Tong went and brought over two more crates to continue packing.
Pei Muwei stared at the little empress dowager who kept fiddling with the jade bracelet on her wrist.
Where did the Empress Dowager kowtow just now?
Upon hearing the Regent's concerned inquiry, Chu Yueyuan subconsciously touched her knee, then released her hand and smiled faintly: "I am fine."
Since breaking the ice, she has tried to avoid being alone with men.
Although she didn't know how long she could hide, she thought that perhaps it was because she was too far from the capital and too close to the Northern Court that she was encouraging the ambitions of treacherous officials to rebel against their superiors.
Once they return to the capital and settle in the imperial city, where spies from all sides have been planted, they can have the loyal Lin Sizhou select a dignified and beautiful princess for the regent. Perhaps then their illicit affair will come to an end without incident.
The most important thing right now is to get rid of this plague.
She asked directly, "Minister Pei, have you come here because you have something to discuss with me?"
Pei Muwei remained expressionless, tapping his long fingers lightly on the table as he said calmly, "It's nothing important. Today, the King of Feng privately sought me out and brought up the matter of a marriage alliance between our two countries, and he also doubled the dowry for the Princess."
"Ah...that's really nothing serious..."
Chu Yueyuan nodded perfunctorily, her mind completely focused on the box, letting the Regent's words go in one ear and out the other.
Pei Muwei's brow twitched slightly, his chin tightened, and his tone was cold and hard: "This matter concerns the alliance between the two countries, so I have come to inquire about the Empress Dowager's opinion."
"This matter is entirely up to Minister Pei to handle; I have no objection whatsoever."
As soon as she finished speaking, her chin was gripped by the man's strong, long fingers, forcing her to turn her head and meet his dark, turbulent phoenix eyes.
"If I were to take other women as my concubines, would Your Highness have no objection?"
Pei Muwei knew that Feng Qi had already approached the Empress Dowager, and he had been waiting for her. If a woman cared about him, she should show signs of jealousy.
They might scold him a few times, or cry their hearts out in grievance.
Didn't the young empress dowager always shed tears for him in the past?
But he never saw the young empress dowager again.
Pei Muwei finally realized that this damned woman really didn't care about him at all!
Chu Yueyuan felt a pain in her chin and then turned her attention to the man. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard a clattering sound.
It turned out that the maid who had just returned with water had tripped over the scattered brocade boxes on the ground, and the teapot on the tray happened to fall into the wooden box that was not yet closed, spilling tea everywhere.
"Good heavens! There are deer antlers and North American ginseng in the box. Quickly open the brocade box and take a close look. Don't let these precious medicinal herbs get wet."
Jin Tong was extremely anxious. He didn't have time to scold the maids who had messed up the job, and hurriedly told them to check the contents of the brocade box one by one.
Chu Yueyuan in the tea room was even more anxious than she was. She pushed away the Regent's hand, stood up abruptly, and walked over.
The kneeling maid, seeing the young empress dowager rushing towards her in anger, turned pale with fright and desperately kowtowed, begging for forgiveness: "This servant didn't mean it, please forgive this servant, Your Highness..."
Seeing that Jin Tong and the others had quickly opened more than half of the brocade box, Chu Yueyuan's expression was not much better.
She frowned and said, "Stop tidying up. All of you, get out. I have something to discuss with the Regent."
The maid who made the mistake was overjoyed and thanked the emperor repeatedly, while the other maids also curtsied and withdrew.
Before leaving, Jin Tong glanced at the mess on the floor, then at the cold-blooded Regent in the tea room, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Your Highness really doesn't need me to serve you?"
Chu Yueyuan shook her head firmly.
The fewer people who discover something that can't be brought to light, the better.
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