Chapter 50 Adorning Your Hair with Flowers to Ascend the Throne: You Will Not Be a Pawn, But His Wife…
Since the unsuccessful peace talks between the two countries last year, officials from both countries have held several rounds of negotiations. Even though most of the participants in the negotiations were civil servants, they almost tore down the beams of the Honglu Temple when they got into a fight.
Considering that both countries were severely weakened by this war, and that neighboring small countries such as the Japanese pirates had been invading year after year, the two countries decided to each take a step back. The Huang Dynasty would still control the ownership of Silu Prefecture, while the Hua Dynasty would cede land, and the amount of tribute would be halved. The princess would also no longer need to come to the Da Huang Dynasty for a marriage alliance.
This somewhat offended Princess Huachao, but Xiao Liling just smiled; whether or not they were to be married off made no difference to her.
The Huachao delegation stayed at the Tong'an Palace, which was built in the third year of Chongming. The palace was not large in area, but it was spacious and magnificent with flying eaves and double roofs, and the scenery was beautiful and pleasant.
The Grain Rain season has passed, and the willow branches at Tong'an Palace have sprouted new buds, tinged with a tender yellow-green. In the canal pond, lotus stems emerge from the water, and two mandarin ducks are frolicking in the water, creating ripples on the surface.
Xiao Liling wore a light pink palace dress, with a simple pearl hairpin as her headdress and two pink and white pearl earrings. Her simple attire did not conceal her inherent elegance and poise. The day was bright and sunny, and she was carrying a handful of fish food, which she was pouring into the lotus pond.
As soon as Xiao Youfang stepped into the palace, he saw his own sister acting as if it were none of his business. His anger surged, and he snatched the fish food from her and threw it into the water, scolding, "You've already lost all face, and you still have the mood to feed the fish?!"
Xiao Liling was not frightened by Xiao You's behavior. She simply looked into his eyes and said, "Second brother, if you can't reach an agreement, you should direct your anger at the delegation."
Her eyes were clear and cold, and her words were calm, leaving Xiao You speechless.
His throat tightened, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower and less confident, "Even so, how can you not even have the slightest bit of the demeanor one would expect from someone involved?"
Xiao Liling smiled, took the towel handed to her by the palace maid to wash her hands, and said, "What should I do? Should I cry and beg Consort Su to let me enter the palace? Or should I kneel before Emperor Chongming with the imperial letter and ask him not to send me back to Hua?"
She spoke softly and gently, but Xiao You found it grating and pointed at her, saying, "You, you're simply unreasonable! You don't care about Da Hua at all!"
The sunset glow shone on Xiao Liling's flowing skirt, making her look like a goddess descended from heaven. "Second brother, we both know many things, do you really want me to spell them out?"
Xiao You pursed his lips and frowned, then said, "You speak!"
“The reason you’re so anxious right now is because you haven’t completed the task your father assigned you. You can’t take back Silu Prefecture, and your merits can’t compare to those of the eldest prince. Your chances of winning the throne have only diminished.” Xiao Liling smiled gently again, her core remaining extremely stable. “If I were you, I would either take advantage of my time in Huang Kingdom and make a bold move, or return to Hua Kingdom as soon as possible to consolidate the situation, instead of finding an innocent person to interrogate and protect your already meager sense of self-esteem.”
Xiao You stared at Xiao Liling without blinking, but Xiao Liling curtsied, smiled gently, and turned to leave, her back view graceful and her demeanor elegant.
The sunlight cast long shadows. She turned a corner and saw Shen Shiyi leaning against a tree, his sword in his arms. Hearing the sound, she looked up and walked over.
Shen Shiyi, still dressed in her robes, had her long hair tied back with a red silk ribbon, not a single stray hair left. She looked extremely heroic. She looked at Xiao Liling, paused for a moment, and then said, "If I hadn't known you so long ago, I would have really thought you were a heartless and loveless goddess."
Xiao Liling maintained excellent manners at all times. She nodded slightly and said, "Those without emotions are dead. I am still alive."
Shen Shiyi laughed heartily, brandished the long sword in his hand, and said, "Ice Beauty, you always have such interesting things to say. I've been waiting for you here specifically because I have a question for you."
Before Xiao Liling could answer, Shen Shiyi preemptively asked, "The three of us came here with our own agendas. Xiao You is after the position of Crown Prince, I am after Shen Ze's fate, but what about the Princess? What is the Princess's purpose?"
Xiao Liling took a breath and was about to speak, but Shen Shiyi covered her lips with his finger. "Shh, don't tell me that as a princess you have to do things for the people. I don't believe in Princess Liling's nonsense."
“You saw him,” Xiao Liling confirmed.
Shen Shiyi smiled, a hint of approval in his phoenix eyes, and said, "The princess is intelligent."
Xiao Liling looked into her eyes and said, "It's not hard to guess. Second Brother Xiao used to be the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and General Shen Ze is imprisoned in the Imperial Prison. If you want to save him, the best way is to start with Second Brother Xiao, and you just happen to be the person he needs."
Shen Shiyi changed the subject and asked, "Then guess why I'm waiting for you here today?"
Xiao Liling pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I don't know."
Shen Shiyi approached her, his eyes burning with a thousand flames, his ambition making her eyes blaze. "I invite you to join the battle."
Looking into those ambitious eyes, Xiao Liling asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Shen Shiyi said in a low voice, "Before the army breaks through the city, I need you to be an inside man in Dahua."
Xiao Liling's voice choked in her throat, and after a long while she finally said, "Was this your idea, or his idea?"
“It doesn’t matter whose it is,” Shen Shiyi said, stroking the eagle pattern on the sword with his thumb as he looked into her eyes. “What matters is that I know you will agree.”
"Why?"
“In Dahua, you are a pawn to be manipulated at will. Your father sees you as a pawn to win over other countries, and your brothers see you as a stepping stone to higher positions. When you plotted to kill your own brother when you were twelve, I knew that the desire for power in the bones of your Xiao family is not limited to men or women.” Shen Shiyi leaned close to Xiao Liling’s profile and said softly with a sidelong glance, “And, Princess, you have been in love with him since you were a child.”
As the sun set, the last rays of light fell from the hem of Xiao Liling's skirt. She heard a call from a dark, lustful voice. The dark fog that had been dormant in her heart clung to Xiao Liling's skin and bones, saying, "When he ascends the throne, you will not be a pawn, but his wife."
***
The eaves were quiet, and the spring breeze was warm. The gyrfalcon in the sycamore tree stared at Feng Tan with its eyes darting back and forth. Seeing that she had completely forgotten about him, it spread its half-meter-long wings and landed in front of her. It poked her toes hard with its beak, which made Feng Tan jump up with a cry.
Feng Tan wrung out her hair and exclaimed in surprise, "I'm so sorry, Qing Cang, I've been forgetting to feed you lately. Wait a moment!"
She took out the leftover bird feed made by Menghe Naboul from the kitchen, dumped it all in front of the gyrfalcon, and said, "Here, eat as much as you want. There's water over there."
The gyrfalcon lifted its foot like an old man, and only then did Feng Tan notice a letter wrapped around its paw.
Feng Tan squatted down, took out the letter, read it, stretched, went into the room, took out the three taels of silver she had hidden at the bottom of her chest, tied her hair into a bun commonly used by scholars at the time, and walked out of the house with an air of nonchalance.
Today is the annual Flower-Wearing Festival in the capital. During this festival, young women wear flower garlands and stroll through the streets with their beloved lovers. The evening is even more lively, with colorful fireworks lighting up the sky and laughter filling the air.
Just after the hour of Si (9-11 AM), most of the flowers on the flower vendors' carts on the street were sold out. Feng Tan had brought three taels of silver with her today, so she bought all the flowers from one vendor's cart. Thinking that these flowers might not be enough, she bought half a cart from another vendor and slowly pushed the cart along the street.
Jin An was off today and had just gone to Feng Tan's house to knock on the door, only to find it empty. Unexpectedly, he ran into him on Baihua Street, so he went up to him and greeted him warmly, "Brother Tan, where are you going?"
Feng Tan smiled and said, "Isn't today the Flower-Adorning Festival? I'm going to the Red Sleeve Pavilion to adorn my hair with the ladies."
Jin An's eyes widened. He had only heard about Tan Ge'er's romantic affairs in the Six Ministries before, but he never expected that Tan Ge'er was really so promiscuous. His family was very strict and he had never been to a brothel. After a moment of stunned silence, the young man's playful spirit was stirred, and he said, "Then I'll go with you!"
Feng Tan opened her mouth, but seeing Jin An's enthusiasm, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to refuse. The two pushed the flower cart together to the foot of Hongxiu Pavilion, arriving at the exact time agreed upon in Yu Ruxi's letter.
Jin An looked up at the lavishly decorated Red Sleeve Pavilion, then at the empty streets around him, and said, "With such a slow business, how can brothels make money?"
"Damn it!" Yu Ruxi rode up and shouted from afar, "Today is the Flower-Adorning Festival. Gentlemen should be with their wives, and young men should be on dates with their beloved girls. There's no one at Hongxiu Pavilion!"
Jin An greeted her and said, "Greetings, Miss Yu! Miss Yu is just passing by!"
Yu Ruxi jumped off her horse, took the two men's bridal carriage without saying a word, and said without turning her head, "I'm here to visit a brothel!"
Jin An was startled again by her. Feng Tan smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "Let's go!"
The Red Sleeve Pavilion, with its vermilion beams and painted rafters, adorned with embroidered palace lanterns and covered with vibrant floral carpets, was draped in silk curtains and embroidered windows, creating an atmosphere of ambiguity. Jin An walked through it, speechless with astonishment.
Feng Tan was a regular at Hongxiu Pavilion. Today, Hongxiu Pavilion was quiet and deserted. The pimps on duty at the door had all gone to bed early and skipped their shifts since there was no one around. The ladies were all holed up in their rooms, so the huge pavilion was completely empty.
Yu Ruxi pushed the flower cart to the stage where banquets and dances were usually held, put her hands to her lips and shouted, "Ladies, get up and put on your flowers!"
Ren Pingsheng was the first to be woken up by her noise. He angrily opened the door and shouted, "Who's the blind fool who disturbed my peaceful sleep? Oh? The Yu family girl."
The girls also peeked out one by one, and chatted animatedly as they looked at the car full of flowers.
"Hairpins?"
"Can we wear flowers in our hair too?"
"Huh? I haven't celebrated the Flower-Wearing Festival for over a decade since I was locked up here!"
Wow! A whole truckload of flowers! I'll go first!
"Don't take my peony! I'll go first!"
"......"
"Hey! Tan-ge'er?!"
"What! Brother Tan is here!"
Feng Tan looked at the "sword at her waist to slay mortals," and noticed that the seven ladies' sleeping clothes all reflected their distinctive "red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple" colors. She smiled and waved to them, saying, "On a bright spring day, with a leisurely holiday, let's climb the pavilion to enjoy the scenery and stroll among the flowers! Ladies, come down and adorn yourselves with flowers!"
The once quiet Red Sleeve Pavilion immediately became lively. The young ladies rushed downstairs, afraid that if they were a step too late, they would miss out on their favorite flowers. Ren Pingsheng leaned on the railing and looked down at Feng Tan, laughing, "You children! They're going to be so happy today!"
The young ladies helped each other put on flower garlands, laughing and joking. Yao Niang made a peach blossom garland and gave it to Feng Tan, Jian Niang made a bunch of forsythia and gave it to Yu Ru Xi, and finally Liniang made one and gave it to Jin An.
Jin An stood there blankly as the ladies adorned his hair with flowers.
So this is what brothels are like?
Feng Tan looked at Lin Wanzhou standing quietly, stepped forward and wove a wreath of flowers to put on her head, teasingly saying, "Look, whose pretty young lady is this? She's mine."
Lin Wanzhou blushed at her words and said softly, "Ah Tan, why are you getting more and more indecent!"
Yu Ruxi squinted and smiled, "She only pretends to be serious to fool people when she's in officialdom!"
Ren Pingsheng came downstairs, casually wove a flower wreath and put it on his head, and said to everyone, "Everyone is happy today, so we should sing and dance! Who will play the music? Who will dance?"
The seven women shouted in unison, "I'll dance!"
Lin Wanzhou said in a cold voice, "I will play music."
Yu Ruxi and Feng Tan exchanged a smile and said, "Let's join in the dance!"
All the young ladies looked at Jin An, whose face contorted in a grimace. "I'll dance with Brother Tan..."
The musicians and dancers took their places. Today was a banquet for everyone. Feng Tan and the others didn't know how to dance the graceful classical dances for women, so they put their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them, formed a circle, and swayed their bodies to dance the currently popular "Spring Day with Hairpins".
The Hairpin Flower Festival is filled with joyous songs and dances. The wind and sandalwood are like a spring rain in the lives of the young women, or a cluster of starlight that ignites the eastern fence, or the final color of the eight hundred miles of urgent delivery to the twilight, a torrential downpour of wind and moon.
The moonlight was like a ribbon. Everyone, tired from playing, returned to their rooms. Tonight was a rare night without guests at Hongxiu Pavilion. Feng Tan pushed open Ren Pingsheng's door, and before she could speak, Ren Pingsheng already understood.
“Ah Tan, the key witness was killed last night.” Ren Pingsheng looked at Feng Tan’s unmoving expression, his eyes filled with reluctance, and said, “Hu Shu has found out part of the cause of Empress Xiaoxian’s death, but I don’t want to tell you.”
Feng Tan felt a lump in her throat. She closed her eyes and said, "Aunt Ren, I have to know eventually. Please tell me the truth."
Author's Note: Here I am! Thank you for all the comments, mines, and nutrient solutions!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 16:43:35 on August 14, 2024 and 22:08:34 on August 15, 2024!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 56945602 (1 landmine);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 7 bottles for those who like brainy plots; 2 bottles for those who like time-limited content;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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