Chapter 37: The Flower Market is as bright as day
"Is your injury better?" Meng Xu asked me. "I asked the doctor, and he said you're restless and keep pulling at the wound, so your recovery is slow."
"Also," he lowered his eyes, "he said you fell ill several times while in the palace, and your health was much worse after you came out."
Naturally, I didn't dare tell Meng Xu that I had done a series of reckless things in the palace, such as pouring cold water on myself, throwing away the tonic prescribed by the imperial physician, and so on.
He just mumbled, "I... I was actually quite healthy at first, but I caught a few colds around last winter. After that, I went to Xuanwei Palace and I felt much better."
Meng Xu also noticed that I didn't want to talk more, so he sighed and said softly, "Your health is not good. You should find a beautiful place with clear water and mountains to recuperate."
I heard something was wrong with his tone, so I asked tentatively, "You...you want to leave?"
He smiled faintly and said, "I mentioned in my letter that the Ministry of Personnel has been arranging transfers recently. I'd like to seek a posting outside the capital, either to Guanzhong or Jiangnan. Which do you prefer?"
I actually started to think about where to go. I'm familiar with Guanzhong, but it's too close to Chang'an. Jiangnan is far away, but I don't know what the local customs are like...
Halfway through my thought, I realized something was wrong and stopped abruptly: "Why do you suddenly want to go out?"
His smile gradually faded, and he looked at me seriously for a long time, as if he was thinking about how to bring up this matter.
I knew him so well that seeing his expression, as if he didn't know how to start, I knew he was indeed worried about the same thing as me. I whispered, "...You figured it out too, didn't you?"
"Yes," he admitted calmly, "I saw it two years ago when he snatched the engagement letter from me."
I bit my lip and recalled that rainy night and the crazy dog emperor.
Narrated from Meng Xu's perspective, this is an even more thrilling story.
At first, no one thought that the emperor and his attendant had any entanglement. Everyone in Chang'an knew that the young lady of the Shen family was punished to record the daily records because she scolded the emperor in court. The emperor hated her and she also hated the emperor.
So when someone told Meng Xu about the romantic rumors between me and Li Siyan, he just laughed it off. He knew that I had a very strong temper, and even if all the women in the world were attracted to the emperor, I would never have the slightest interest in him.
But later, strong men sent from the palace blocked the gate of the Meng family. The leading eunuch seemed polite, but actually forced the Meng family to hand over Shen Ying's engagement letter. Meng Xu suddenly realized that perhaps these rumors were not fabricated out of thin air. His sister Ying could not have been interested, but what about the emperor? Would he?
Meng Xu, seemingly gentle, was actually a stubborn, stubborn person like me. He asked the leading eunuch, "Why?" The eunuch looked at him in surprise and said, "Why? It's the Emperor's order, and you still dare to ask why?"
Meng Xu knew that the newly appointed emperor had a sinister and overbearing temper and hated disobedience the most. But this time, he was stubborn and didn't want to hand over my engagement letter. The stalemate lasted for a full half hour. Finally, Meng Xu's grandmother made up her mind and knocked her grandson unconscious. She handed my engagement letter out and announced: the marriage was invalid.
Before the eunuch returned to the palace, he left a seemingly unintentional message.
He said: The eldest son of the Meng family is a handsome man with a bright future. It would be a pity if he died in such a thing.
It was this sentence that made Old Lady Meng, who had experienced many storms, stagger and almost fall to the ground.
This kind of thing? What else could it be? The Emperor Sima Zhao's intentions were known to everyone. Is there anything he couldn't get?
What is Meng Xu? He is a young talent in the Meng family and the apple of the old lady's eye. But in front of the emperor, he is not even as good as a bug. Does he have any chance of winning when competing with the most noble person in the world?
"I didn't," Meng Xu pulled the corners of his mouth bitterly, looking lonely.
I didn't know what to say, so I just held his hand silently.
His palms were full of cold sweat.
As they walked, Meng Xu whispered, "I've had a nightmare these past two years. In my dream, you're wearing the imperial concubine's robes, standing beside the emperor, crying non-stop. I run towards you like crazy along the long white jade steps, but I can't touch you."
"Every time I woke up, my heart was filled with pain. I could only work desperately, climbing higher. Maybe if I climbed higher, he would look me in the eye, or at least show some concern, but..."
He smiled, but perhaps because he recalled those desperate days, his smile was a little tired.
"But the Emperor has issued an order prohibiting me from entering or leaving the inner court. This is a tremendous pressure, enough to ruin a Chief Secretary's career. With such an ironclad order before me, what good is it for me to try harder?"
"So that's how it is..." I murmured, "No wonder..."
No wonder the Meng family avoided me like the plague, no wonder Meng Xu never got promoted again, no wonder when I asked Li Siyan to arrange a marriage for us, his expression looked as if he wanted to kill me.
Li Siyan has severely criticized the Meng family, so even if I want to renew the engagement after leaving the palace, I will never be able to get past Old Lady Meng.
But an arranged marriage is different. This is equivalent to the emperor personally marrying me to Meng Xu. No matter how reluctant Old Lady Meng is, she has no choice but to accept it.
In other words...
If I hadn't asked Li Siyan to arrange a marriage for us, not only would Meng Xu's career have ended as an unsuccessful and idle official, but even after making so many sacrifices and efforts, he still wouldn't be able to marry me.
I was suddenly filled with fear, and buried my face in Meng Xu's chest, mumbling, "Luckily, I didn't ask for the official position and reward he offered me that day, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to marry you."
Meng Xu let me bury my head, reached out and gently touched my hair, and said softly: "This is a pleasant surprise. You don't know how happy I was when the angel placed this will in my hands."
My heart ached, and I forced myself to hold back my tears. I stood up straight and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Meng... I was too reckless and always left you to clean up the mess. Don't worry, I will definitely be a good wife in the future."
"Okay," he looked at me gently and smiled. His smile was bright and all the previous depression was gone.
"You will be a very good wife," he said, "and my most precious treasure."
Brother Meng likes to express his emotions with words, which is very different from Li Siyan. The latter is self-deprecating and always worried about gains and losses. Like a wolf leader who always lies on the ground to rest, he is unwilling to let his subordinates see his soft belly.
I glanced towards the Imperial City, pulled Meng Xu over and said, "I don't want to see the Emperor anymore. Let's stay away from him."
He said, "Far away? Do you want to go to Lingnan Baiyue? There are many snakes and insects there. I'm afraid you won't be able to adapt to it."
I smiled and shook my head: "No, I mean tonight."
"I asked my friends in the palace, and they said that the emperor will be enjoying the scenery along Tianjie tonight. I don't want to join in the fun, so I'll go to the bookstore in Anyifang first, and then go to the East Market after the emperor returns to the palace."
Meng Xu agreed, and we walked hand in hand towards Anyifang.
Anyifang was the same as usual. The old locust tree at the entrance of the block had grown even stronger. Several young ladies were worshipping the Weaver Girl under the tree, and their laughter was as clear and crisp as a glass bottle falling to the ground.
I found the bookstore as I was familiar with it, and then I found the bookshelf where the legendary notes were kept as I was familiar with it. I took down the Green Plum Notes and put it in Meng Xu's hand.
Meng Xu glanced at the title of the book, opened it casually, and burst out laughing at the first glance.
I asked curiously, "What are you laughing at?"
His eyes smiled into two crescent moons, and he pointed at my rather sour preface and said, "You've chosen a good pen name."
I was so angry that I said, "Don't laugh! Read the inner chapter carefully!"
He obediently stopped laughing, but the happy expression remained on his face as he looked intently.
I said proudly, "I received your letter the other day and wanted to write you a reply, but I was afraid the emperor would find out. So I wrote everything I wanted to say into a legend, had it shipped out of the palace through someone else, and even made a small profit for the bookseller."
"Oh, what a pity you didn't see it then." I said with a little melancholy: "You used to check out the new good books every month. How come you changed this habit so suddenly?"
Meng Xu said: "The Secretariat is very busy and has little time to do anything else."
He paused and winked at me. “But since you wrote this legend, I must read it.”
I was shocked: "No, just read this one, the others are not suitable for you."
"Okay, just read this one,"
Meng Xu smiled and called the waiter to pay the bill, then turned directly to the last paragraph:
"So it seems that Xiao Cui is you, Lu Sheng is me, and the king of Black Wind Village is..."
I pointed in the direction of the palace and rolled my eyes.
Who else could it be? The dog emperor.
Meng Xu lowered his head to glance at the ending, his eyelashes drooping slightly.
The ending I wrote was very decisive. With a stroke of my pen, divine soldiers descended from the sky and killed the king of the Black Wind Village. Not only did I kill him, I even arranged for him to kowtow to the graves of the 108 heroes who died in Anyi Village before his death. It can be regarded as a grand revenge.
Meng Xu's eyes darkened. He closed the book, put it in his arms, and warned me, "You must never let anyone else know about the legend you wrote. The content alludes to the current emperor. If the Imperial College finds out, your life will be in danger."
I was stunned. Actually, I didn't think too much about it when I was writing. I just felt that the story was not new. If it were not for someone who was very close to Meng Xu and me, no one would be able to see any problems with this book.
But after hearing what Meng Xu said, I also started to worry. I said anxiously, "...I think they won't be discovered. It's always Xia Fugui who delivers the manuscripts. He's very tight-lipped and doesn't have the courage to fall into the trap..."
Meng Xu shook his head: "It's always better to be careful."
Seeing my anxious expression, he soothed me, "I was just giving you a warning. Your writing is so vague that even if someone from the Imperial College read this book, they would find it difficult to connect it to Your Majesty. Don't worry."
Although I knew that what I wrote was not obvious, I was still worried. I looked through several legendary notes written by others, and found that there was a gangster acting as a villain in every book. I compared them carefully and felt that these villains had great similarities with Li Siyan, so I felt relieved.
Meng Xu raised his head, glanced outside, and said, "It's getting late. The fighting in the Imperial City has died down, so the Emperor must have returned to the palace. Didn't you just say you wanted to visit the East Market? Shall we go?"
I let out a cry, slapped my thigh, grabbed Meng Xu, and ran: "...I almost forgot, Yunniang's Sushan shop is closing soon! Let's go buy the last batch!"
Meng Xu let me pull him along as he ran, his gentle and clear laughter floating in the air.
Many years later, I still remember this night, the night of the seventh day of the seventh month. A bright white half-moon hung high in the sky. The East Market was bustling with people, and the lights and the moon shone together. My eyesight is not good, and the lights are always surrounded by a faint halo. The more lights there are, the more scattered my vision becomes. The long street is crisscrossed with tiny light sources like stars. To me, it is like a hazy mist. I can't see clearly, but it makes me appreciate the innocence and prosperity of the world.
Tonight the East Market is bustling with traffic and people. Meng Xu and I are like two drops of water, merging into the vast sea of people in an ordinary and peaceful manner. In the restaurant on the street, actors are singing, singing the ancient style of Chang'an and performing the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The troupe of that restaurant is quite ingenious. They caught a cage of unlucky little sparrows from somewhere. When the play reaches the climax, the waiter lifts the cage door, and dozens of birds flap their wings and fly away, as graceful as a river in the sky. The onlookers applaud and the women who accompany the drinks cover their faces and laugh.
All the shops had set up stalls on the street, selling Qiqiao fruits, drinks in bamboo tubes, books, jewelry, and small items... I hadn't been shopping properly for two years, and seeing this scene, I felt like a kitten caught in a rat pile. I didn't know where to start and could only walk around the street aimlessly, smiling foolishly.
There were mostly young men and women on the street, walking in pairs. In the crowd, I also saw Shen Xiaochuan trying to pick up some cabbage.
He dressed up deliberately today, tidying up his hair and face, tying his hair with a square scarf, and wearing a blue cloth belt. Standing there, he looked a bit like his second uncle.
Moreover, Shen Xiaochuan not only looks more and more like his father, but he even inherited his gentle and considerate temperament. He took the mutton soup handed to him by the proprietress, blew on it gently a few times, and only gave it to the girl beside him when the hot soup was cool enough to be eaten.
His little lover, the talented Guan Yunyu who worked as the chief priest of the Imperial College, smiled shyly, took a sip, and looked at my silly brother with tenderness in her big eyes.
The air is filled with the sour smell of love, mixed with the aroma of food, blending into a gentle smell of human fireworks.
I pinched my nose and said to Meng Xu in disgust, "They are so cheesy. I remember when we were their age, we didn't do this in the street."
Meng Xu laughed and said, "Young people can't help their emotions, that's for sure."
I peeped at them for a while, but decided not to disturb them anymore, so I dragged Meng Xu to Yunniang's Sushan shop.
Meng Xu glanced at my arm, which was still in a sling, and confirmed, "You're not well yet. Can you eat something cold like this?"
I was almost crying with greed, staring at the bowls in other people's hands, making a whimpering sound similar to that of a poor little animal.
If my aunt heard me yelling like that, she would definitely hit me in the head, but Meng Xu was very much fooled by it. After a long tug of war, he gave in and took out his purse filled with loose change: "...Eat it if you want."
I immediately regained my energy and shouted to Yunniang, "Two bowls of Yu Lu Su Shan, with extra cherries!"
Yunniang nodded in agreement, and when she looked up and saw that it was me, she was stunned for a long time, and then asked me why I was released. I explained with a smile. When Yunniang heard that I was going to marry Meng Xu, she was very happy for me, and with a wave of her hand, she generously waived the bill for me. At this moment, the weak widow also had the spirit of a heroine.
Meng Xu didn't bother to be polite with her and accepted her series of auspicious words generously.
"Sister Yunniang, remember to come and see me off when the time comes." I nibbled on a small cherry and said, "My aunt's family has quite a few respectable relatives. Maybe there's one you'd like."
Yunniang embarrassed me: "Look at you, you haven't even married yet, but you're always thinking about being my matchmaker. You're really just like before."
The three of them laughed heartily, and a sweet fragrance floated in the air.
The last time I ate Su Shan was two years ago. After being locked up in the Yushitai Prison by Li Siyan for a whole night, I sat in the sedan chair on the way home, eating and crying silently. At that time, my father and brother had just died, and my mentor was in prison. My whole world was gloomy, with only this little bit of sweetness left.
But now it’s different. I put a mouthful of the crispy mountain into my mouth, and the cool and sweet taste spread on the tip of my tongue. Meng Xu is by my side, as are Yunniang, Shangguan Lan, my aunt, Xiaochuan, and many, many friends. They are all by my side. This feeling of security is the sweetest taste in the world.
Suddenly, screams of surprise rang out from the crowd. The carriages and pedestrians on the street slowly stopped. In this still scene, a young child with pigtails pointed ahead and shouted, "Someone is setting fire to the bamboo!"
He was pointing to a fire show stall where several foreigners from the Western Regions lit fireworks and released them into the air, making a deafening explosion followed by bursts of light like stars.
This was a rare thing that had just been introduced to Chang'an from the Western Regions. All the onlookers present were amazed, and so was I. Even though my eyes were not good and were dazzled by the flashing light, I still opened my eyes wide and looked at it curiously.
Meng Xu wanted to say something to me, but the sound of the burning bamboo was too loud and I couldn't hear clearly.
When the foreigner put on the second string, passers-by were attracted by the fire show on the stall, and more and more people came. Meng Xu was afraid that I would be pulled away by the beggars, so he held me in his arms.
I leaned my back against him, feeling as if I was leaning against a solid hill, and it was indescribably comfortable.
"Don't stare at it, it'll hurt your eyes."
Meng Xu said loudly in my ear.
This time I finally heard it clearly. I blinked my eyes which were full of stars and turned to look at him. I found that he was not looking at Huoshaozhu, but was looking at me with a very gentle look.
Everything was hazy, only Meng Xu's face was clear. He stood beside me, and the millions of lights and flickering lights made his face as bright as the sun.
My heart skipped a beat. After a moment of hesitation, I unconsciously stood on tiptoe, wanting to kiss his face.
Being dodged by Meng Xu, he winked at me and chuckled softly, "There are too many people here right now, it's not appropriate."
I made a face at him and said, "Once you miss this opportunity, you'll miss it."
After that, I pulled him up excitedly to give the boss some reward money. However, the problem of seeing stars still did not go away for a while, and everything I saw was still foggy. The face of the boss from the Western Regions was automatically given countless layers of soft light by my eyes, and even the wrinkles disappeared.
I asked him if the fire-burned bamboo was worth a lot of money, and the owner said in unskilled Mandarin: This thing is not easy to make. Originally, we planned to only release one string every hour, but a distinguished guest upstairs found it novel and paid extra money to let him release it a few more times.
After saying that, he pointed to the restaurant behind him.
I looked up curiously in the direction he pointed, and suddenly saw a familiar figure.
A dark blue brocade robe, a towering crown, and a pair of extremely vicious fox eyes.
I was so frightened that I screamed.
Meng Xu supported me as my legs weakened, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
I grabbed his sleeve, rubbed my eyes hard, and looked up again. This time, there was no one sitting in the private room, only a glass of leftover wine.
After a moment's pause, I glanced vigilantly at the crowd to see if Qingfu and the guards were there. Seeing that there was no familiar figure in the crowd, I felt relieved.
Even if Li Siyan went out of the palace in disguise, he had to bring guards with him. After all, he was the emperor. How could he appear alone in a restaurant in the East Market for no reason?
I took a deep breath and said to the worried Meng Xu, "It's okay, I'm just dazzled."
Meng Xu nodded.
Although my mood became subtly worse because I saw a man who looked like the Dog Emperor, this was still the most beautiful Qiqiao Festival I remember in my life.
I tend to talk a lot when I'm happy. Until the moon was at its zenith and Meng Xu sent me home, I was still chattering to him about palace gossip, my days as a minor writer in the Yunting, and how efficient Xiao Mi was in catching mice.
"...We should get a raccoon cat in the future," I suggested. "Preferably one with a raccoon pattern. Xia Fugui says this kind of cat is perfect for protecting a house, and it will keep rats away within a mile."
Meng Xu said, "Okay, if any of my colleagues' raccoons have kittens with the color you want, I'll ask them for them."
"We need to educate it well, otherwise it will bring us mice and we might starve to death. Xiao Mi did that once, and the moment I opened my eyes, I saw a dead sparrow."
"It must like you very much, that's why it gave you food."
"You said it likes me, but I don't feel that way. Raccoon slaves are always free and don't love anyone. Only dogs will always love their masters. Well... having a dog is not bad, but they will eat shit and then lick your hand after eating it."
"...Then I'd better keep a raccoon slave."
We chatted all the way, and the topic even went as far as whether to buy a yard with a lotus pond or one with a peony slope. Meng Xu was happy to accompany me in my dreaming, and said seriously that lotus flowers were better and cooler. In fact, we were both very poor and could not afford a big house with a yard.
A half moon hung softly on the treetops, and the moonlight shone through the shadows of the trees onto the earthen wall, the weeds, and Meng Xu's shoulders. He and I walked slowly along the small path in the alley. The sounds and lights on the main road gradually faded away from us, and we seemed to be walking slowly into a small world with only the two of us.
I looked around at the entrance of the alley for a moment and pulled Meng Xu back into the alley.
"Just around the corner we'll be home. You can go back now. You don't have to see me off," I said. "Shushu is waiting for me at the door. I just saw her."
"Okay." Meng Xu nodded and pulled my crooked collar for me.
"Then we'll see you the day after tomorrow," I hugged him, raised my face, and looked at him eagerly, expecting something to happen.
Before, there were too many people on the street and it was not appropriate to get close to them, but now in the dark alleys, it is natural to do bad things.
The dark path was covered with moss, and my back was pressed against the earthen wall. Meng Xu tactfully held me in his arms and leaned down slightly. I cooperated by closing my eyes and imitating the actress in the Nancheng Opera Troupe, relaxing my body and enjoying the moment.
I just ate Sushan, and the sweetness in my mouth has not yet dissipated. The aroma of cherry is mixed with the taste of milk. Meng Xu will like it.
His breath was getting closer, but it still didn't touch my face. I thought in frustration, couldn't he be quicker? I vaguely heard hurried footsteps from the other side of the alley. Shushu must have heard and come looking for me. If she caught us being intimate in the alley, she would probably give me another lecture on women's virtues...
I heard the footsteps getting closer, and I just wanted to take a quick bite before she came over, so I reached out and hooked my hands around Meng Xu's waist, standing on tiptoe -
But before the next second, a huge and violent shadow enveloped me, followed by a bang, and the heavy sound of flesh colliding rang in my ears like thunder.
My pupils shrank and a scream pierced the empty night sky.
Meng Xu was stunned by the beating. He had never practiced martial arts and only knew some basic archery and horse riding. After being attacked, he subconsciously used his elbows to protect his head and face and stood in front of me. Because he was caught off guard, he was soon hit by the second punch.
Everything happened so fast that we didn't even see who was targeting us. We only saw that half of Meng Xu's face was swollen, which was very tragic. I was eager to protect my husband, and a surge of blood rushed to my head. I grabbed a stone and hit the gangster in the face.
The other party shook his body and dodged. As he moved, he exuded a strong smell of alcohol, a strong liquor from the Western Regions.
This drunkard seemed to have no interest in me. He snatched my stone in two moves, pushed me aside, staggered two steps, and suddenly grabbed Meng Xu's collar and punched him in the head and face without thinking. His moves and strength were all brutal.
Meng Xu's mouth was bleeding. He defended himself while fighting back, shouting, "Yingying, run away! Don't worry about me!"
How could I possibly leave him alone? She immediately rushed forward, desperately trying to grab the criminal, roaring like a she-wolf: "Shushu! Shushu! Bring someone out! Someone's hurting people in the street!"
"Yingying?" The man stumbled drunkenly, a sinister aura suddenly erupting from his body. He kicked Meng Xu to the ground and said viciously, "Waste! How dare you call her that!"
He was answered with a powerful blow from me.
The hairpin Wei Wan'er gave me was embedded in my tight flesh. I gasped for breath and saw the bright liquid staining my hands red.
When I took off the hairpin, I didn't think about the consequences. I only had one thought in my mind: Damn it, I am Chen Ying, I have a bad temper and I am not easy to mess with. I would rather go to jail than be a widow!
So I didn't hold back at all, and the hairpin cut through his expensive clothes, leaving a hideous bloody mark on his back. Actually, I wanted to stab him in the back of the head, but in the end I was too soft-hearted, and my move was off by a few inches, only hitting his back.
The opponent's fist suddenly stopped, and he turned his head slowly and stiffly. I picked up another stone, held it in my hand, and raised it high -
However, when I saw those violent fox eyes, my hands shook violently and the stone fell to the ground.
"Li...Li Siyan?"
At that moment, I felt that this world was really fucking outrageous.
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