Chapter 36 July 7th
After meeting Shangguan Lan, I felt proud in front of Shushu and stood up from then on. Whenever she criticized me for not paying enough attention to the wedding, I would use Shangguan Lan as a comparison example and say, "Look, she can't even remember her fiancé's name, but she still got married smoothly."
Although Shushu thought I was quibbling, she didn't complain to my aunt because I had been relatively quiet recently.
However, my aunt said something very insightful: If a child is quiet, he must be up to something.
Why have I been quiet lately? Because I’m holding back on something big.
"Little friend Chen Chuan, this is my plan. I need your cooperation." On a sunny afternoon, I spread a plan for making trouble in front of my brother: "Take a look."
Xiaochuan leaned over to take a look, confused. "What is this? 'The stormy July 7th's story of a red-tasseled woman going out'... You want to go out? Will my mother agree?"
I said confidently, "She will. Let me tell you, the Qiqiao Festival is the day when the emperor goes out of the palace to have fun with the people. Concubine Shu has sent me an invitation, inviting me to a small chat. Auntie has something to do that day, so only you and Shushu can accompany me. Then, hehe, I can use the excuse of going out for a boat trip with Concubine Shu, so that I can spend some time with Meng Xu?"
Shen Xiaochuan's face collapsed: "But I have to accompany Xiaoyun on the Qiqiao Festival."
"I know you want to accompany your Xiaoyun, and I also want to go find my Mengxu, right?" I said, "That's exactly why we have to act according to circumstances and seize opportunities."
Xiaochuan understood: "You mean, we pretend to go boating, but actually go to the Qiqiao Night Market secretly?"
I smiled and patted his head: "How smart."
Shen Xiaochuan said with a tut: “Sister, aren’t you going to get married two days after begging for skill? You can’t wait for two days?”
I said, "Qiqiao is a daughter's festival. After I get married, I will be considered a woman, so the meaning is naturally different... Oh, you men won't understand, ask your Xiaoyun."
Shen Xiaochuan really didn't understand, but he thought my suggestion was very good, and excitedly researched which shop in Chang'an had the best Qiqiao fruit, claiming that he wanted to bring his little lover to taste it together.
I mentioned this matter to Meng Xu through the weasel hole at the foot of the wall.
Meng Xu did not agree to my request. He felt that this would be disrespectful to Concubine Shu, and if my aunt knew about it, she might sever the relationship between us.
I knew he would definitely not agree, so I immediately came up with a second plan and said, "Let's go out for a meal. It will only take half an hour. The Concubine Shu is the most reasonable person and she will agree."
Meng Xu hesitated for ten days before finally agreeing to it reluctantly.
Meng Xu agreed, and the next step was to deal with his aunt.
The post Wei Wan'er gave me was sent directly to the Shen Mansion and landed in the hands of my aunt.
My aunt checked over and over again to confirm that this was indeed Wei Wan'er's concubine's seal, and not a fake one I secretly carved to fool her. Finally, she waved her hand and said: Go ahead, and be careful.
For this purpose, she sent me eight servants and four maids at once to prevent me from going somewhere else to play.
I have to say she still understands me very well.
After several days of anxious waiting at home, the day of Qiqiao finally arrived. One morning, as I was kicking my legs in the yard, Shushu suddenly appeared in front of me with two dark circles under her eyes like pandas. She said listlessly but excitedly, "My wife, your wedding dress is embroidered!"
I exclaimed, "You finished the embroidery so quickly? Shushu, you're amazing!"
Shushu's face flushed. "It's not just me. Madam's wedding dress has such intricate patterns that I can't finish it by myself. All the maids in the mansion who can sew came to help. I rushed out now. Madam, come and take a look?"
I immediately abandoned my morning exercise and followed her to the embroidery room. I saw a dark green gown embroidered with intricate patterns hanging on the hanger in the middle of the room. It had gold-plated cloud patterns on the edging, and flowers and birds on the large sleeves were flying.
I held my breath, walked up slowly, and gently touched the orchid on her collar.
During my two years in the palace, I have seen countless beautiful clothes, some plain and some gorgeous, but in my heart, none of them can compare to my wedding dress.
No matter how exquisite something is, it is ultimately a dead object. It is only worth cherishing if it relies on people's thoughts and expectations. I want to wear this dress to marry Meng Xu, so even if it is a piece of rag, I think it is extremely cute.
What's more, it was made so beautifully by Shushu.
I turned around and hugged Shushu tightly, my nose a little sour: "Thank you, Shushu, this is the best wedding dress in the world."
Shushu was also filled with emotion: "As long as my wife likes it, it's good. Madam has told me that my wife has had a difficult life. This marriage is hard-earned. I must not let my wife suffer any loss on these external things."
I choked up and said, "When you get married, I will also send you off in a grand ceremony, wuwuwu Shushu..."
Shushu patted me and said, "Don't cry. Be careful not to spill your tears on your clothes. They won't be washed well."
She called over a few other little girls and together they put the clothes on me. Shushu took a small tape measure and measured me from side to side. Finally, she said ruthlessly, "My wife has gained weight."
"Really?" I touched my nose and said, "Maybe it's because I'm happy and fat."
"But," Shushu smiled, "Madam looks really pretty dressed like this, like one of Madam's peony plants. If Master Meng saw her, he would be so frightened that he would lose his soul."
I happily turned around in front of the bronze mirror several times, my mind full of pink garbage.
Hehe, happy.
Today is the day for praying for good skills. According to custom, I should dry my books and clothes and participate in various activities to worship the Weaver Girl. However, I have been afraid of needles since I was a child, so I skipped the activities of worshiping the Weaver Girl and only dried my books and clothes.
There aren't many other things in my house, but there are a lot of books. Drying the books is a huge project. From my aunt to the little girl who just bought me, everyone participates in this large-scale festival project. My aunt sits in the front hall, supervising everyone's busying around, and her expression is like an iron-blooded general inspecting his troops on the battlefield.
Since my shoulder injury hadn't fully healed yet, I mainly watched from the sidelines.
I looked up at the sun with melancholy, wondering why it wasn't dark yet.
Seeing that I was distracted, my aunt called me over to talk. I ran over and asked, "What do you want to talk to me about?"
"I tried on the wedding dress. Do you like it?"
I nodded vigorously: "I like it! Shushu's cooking skills are impeccable."
My aunt hummed in satisfaction and said, "I'm glad you like it. I've recently read a few legends by Canglang Jushi and I really enjoyed them too."
My heart skipped a beat, and I laughed, "He...he really does write well."
My aunt narrowed her eyes and stared at me straight. After a long while, she smiled and said, "Yes, it's really well written. I just didn't expect that the Canglang Layman, whom booksellers have been unable to find, is right in front of me."
My aunt's words were like a thunderclap, striking me directly on the top of my head, chilling me from the top of my head to my Yongquan acupoint.
My legs went weak and I almost fell off the stool.
"Auntie..."
I gave him a smile that was uglier than crying: "When did you know that?"
My aunt glanced at me and said slowly, "I figured it out. There weren't any clues in the first few books, but you should never have written that childhood sweetheart story."
My eyes went dark. Damn it! How could I have forgotten? Auntie naturally couldn’t tell that the other books were written by me, but that book “Childhood Sweethearts”… was written based on the story of Meng Xu and me!
Others may not understand the ins and outs of it, but my aunt watched me grow up, and she knew more about the things between Meng Xu and me than anyone else. As soon as she read the book, she understood it immediately.
She knocked on the table, as if knocking me on the head: "Tell me."
I confessed, "At first I was just writing for fun, but then Xia Fugui... well, he was a eunuch who was on good terms with me. He said my writing was pretty good and I might as well sell it to a bookseller and make a small profit. I agreed, and he helped me deliver it, and we split the profits 70% and 30%."
After hearing this, my aunt didn't come to me to settle the score. She just said, "I thought your life in the palace was not easy, but now it seems that it is not so bad."
I said awkwardly, "It was very difficult at the beginning, but later on, I went to the Yunting, where I had people to look after me. It was actually better than being in the Zichen Palace."
The aunt sighed: "We all thought you were going to die, but I didn't expect you to still have the heart to write a legend. You really are..."
I whispered, "Aunt, the emperor is watching me very closely and won't let me pass any letters outside the palace. I can only write it as a legend and let others release it."
My aunt rolled her eyes at me and said, "Of course. The imperial city is heavily guarded. It's nothing like our home, where there's even a weasel hole."
Everything went dark before my eyes again, and I thought, this is the end of me.
I didn't dare ask how my aunt knew about it. More than ten years of experience in getting into trouble told me that it was useless to deny the debt at this time. It was best to kneel down and accept the punishment. So I knelt down in front of my aunt with a plop, and began to describe my mental journey of committing the crime, expressing my sincere repentance.
"No matter how many mistakes I made, they were all my fault. I will never do anything insincerely again." I vowed, and at this moment I was absolutely sincere.
My aunt snorted, "Alright, you've always been like this. If you're wrong, admit it immediately. Don't dare to do it again next time."
"Auntie..."
"Since you miss Meng Xu so much, go see him. Remember to come back before curfew."
I suspected I had misheard and looked up in disbelief: "Huh?"
My aunt flicked my forehead in annoyance and said, "You heard me right. I'm showing mercy. Since you insisted on going out of your way to see him, I'll allow you two to go to the Qiqiao Night Market tonight."
I was stunned for a moment, then I let out a cry and jumped up to hug my aunt. My aunt pulled me off her body with all her strength and said angrily, "You're such a grown-up, but you're still acting like a little brat and acting like a spoiled brat. You haven't made any progress at all."
I hugged my aunt happily and said, "I'm just a little kid."
With my aunt's approval, I happily asked the servant to deliver a letter to Meng Xu and made an appointment with him to meet at the north gate of Chongrenfang after dusk.
Why did we meet at the north gate of Chongrenfang? Because when Li Siyan was still the Fourth Prince, his private residence happened to be in Chongrenfang, and the restaurant at the entrance of the square was his property. Wei Wan'er was a concubine and could not show her face in public, so posting a message to invite me to that restaurant was the perfect fit.
After not seeing her for over a month, Wei Wan'er had lost some weight and was wearing a complicated silk dress with a light yellow shawl draped over the ground.
As soon as I arrived, I praised her new dress. Wei Wan'er smiled and said, "Your Majesty said it was too plain, but I think it's quite elegant."
I ordered the restaurant's signature dishes according to her taste, and said with a chuckle, "My Lady, I'm getting married the day after tomorrow. My fiancé will be coming to pick me up later. I'll show you then."
Wei Wan'er propped her chin up with her hand, glanced downstairs, and asked me, "Is that the young man at the corner of the street?"
I stuck my head out and took a look, only to see a young man in a bamboo green robe standing at the street corner. He had delicate features and a slender figure. Who else could it be but my Brother Meng?
When I first saw him, I was so excited that I could hardly contain myself. I waved my hand to signal him to look over here, and said to Wei Wan'er, "It's him! How did the Queen recognize him?"
Wei Wan'er said, "You said your fiancé is a man of first-rate appearance and refinement, a man of refined elegance and grace. He'd be instantly recognizable even in a crowd, so I guessed it was him."
"And," she smiled slyly, "there just happened to be a character 'Meng' written on the flag on the donkey cart behind him."
Meng Xu was talking to his coachman. After sending him away, he saw me performing the shaman dance at the third-floor window. He was startled for a moment, then smiled warmly, waved to me, and then bowed to Wei Wan'er from a distance.
Wei Wan'er nodded slightly as a courtesy and said to me, "You have excellent taste. In terms of looks alone, Lord Meng is on par with His Majesty."
Meng Xu and Li Siyan? I don't think there's any comparison. They're polar opposites in appearance and temperament. Meng Xu is clean-cut and handsome, with a gentle and reserved personality, while Li Siyan is more sinister and has a hard-to-describe temperament.
But since Wei Wan'er was praising Meng Xu, I puffed out my chest proudly: "Of course, I'm very picky."
She looked at me, ate a piece of dessert, and said with emotion: "No wonder you tried every possible means to leave the palace. With a man like this waiting for you outside, how could you stay in the palace wholeheartedly?"
I laughed and said, "The palace is magnificent but desolate. I can't stand the loneliness and prefer the joy and bustle of the human world."
"Yes, that's true," she nodded in agreement, then suddenly changed the subject and said to me, "Now that you're gone, I have no friends in the palace to discuss things with. Since I rarely come out, I must talk to you about this."
I pushed the snacks in front of her and said, "Your Majesty, please tell me if you have anything to say. I wonder if I can be of any help."
"They are just trivial matters, but they are really annoying..." She hesitated to speak.
"But is it related to the Queen?"
I thought there was a rift between her and Wen Baibi.
She nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "You don't know, the Empress has been feigning illness ever since she entered the palace. I sent her some food, but she never accepted it... Moreover, Aunt Suxing was punished because of you, and His Majesty has given me all the harem chores to take care of, which is even worse."
I was puzzled and asked, "He gave you the power of the palace, which is a good thing. Why are you still sighing?"
Wei Wan'er's face was filled with worry. She picked up a piece of cake, then slowly put it down. She sighed and said, "It would have been fine before, but now the Empress is in charge, and the power of the palace is in my hands. Doesn't it seem like I'm meddling in other people's affairs? Besides, you know my personality. I'm soft-hearted, but if I force myself to manage the palace servants, they'll feel uncomfortable, and I'll feel uncomfortable too. I'd like to ask His Majesty not to let me manage the harem anymore, but I'm afraid he'll be disappointed..."
I understood. It was true. Wei Wan'er was shy and had the mentality of a little girl. She was not suitable to manage a harem.
So he suggested, "Since you're feeling unhappy, why not try following the Empress's example and feign illness? Your Majesty, even if you can't force it, wouldn't burden a sick person with all that effort."
She supported her forehead with her hand and nodded, "I thought about claiming illness, but I was afraid of upsetting His Majesty. It's not a good sign if both the Empress and Consort Shu are sick."
I fell silent, thought for a moment, and then said, "Since you're troubled by trivial matters, could you ask Shangguan Baolin, Fang Baolin, and the others to assist you?"
"Shangguan Baolin didn't want to, Fang Baolin was enthusiastic, but she..." Wei Wan'er's expression became increasingly hopeless. "She can't even read an account book. I taught her day and night for several days, and I just managed to teach her how to use an abacus."
I was silent again, and after a while I comforted her, "Where there is a will there is a way. If you teach her patiently, she will eventually get the hang of it..."
Wei Wan'er sighed deeply again, holding my hand and rubbing it, "It would be so nice if you were still here."
She must be feeling very heavy-hearted at this moment. At first, she thought that all she had to do was be a good concubine of the emperor. However, she didn't expect that entering the palace would be like getting on a pirate ship. Not only did she have to serve the dog emperor with flawed character, but she also had to take on important positions such as business training specialist, accounting maid, allowance distributor, etc. She had to work several jobs alone and still not get paid.
I felt a sudden pity for her.
"Actually, there's another way," I said. "Find a way to reduce Aunt Suxing's sentence. The sooner she's cleared of the charges, the sooner you can unload the burden."
She was startled: "I didn't expect this."
"Aunt Suxing hasn't committed any serious offense," I said. "At most, she was careless. The current punishment is a bit too severe. She wouldn't have deserved this. If anyone can help her, she'll be grateful. Even if Your Majesty doesn't allow her to be the chief steward anymore, she can still assist you."
Wei Wan'er's expression lightened up a bit, and she seemed quite moved.
"I'll think about this matter when I get back, then make a final decision," she mused. "I just don't know what the Queen is thinking. At first, I thought she was truly ill, but then I realized that wasn't the case. We thought she was waiting for us to show our goodwill, but when we actually went to visit her, she still refused to see us. She refused to accept our gifts and refused to leave the palace. It was as if she had become a nun within the palace. What do you think she was thinking?"
"Her behavior is really strange," I shook my head. "But it's not just you. I heard from Hu Yue'er that the Queen even ignored His Majesty."
Wei Wan'er exclaimed, "No wonder His Majesty never visits her palace. It turns out he's been treated coldly before."
"She is so reluctant..." I said halfway, and couldn't say the rest: it was as if she had completely lost hope.
I didn't know how to comment, so I changed the subject and chatted with Wei Wan'er for a while, until Xiaodie came knocking on the door and said that the time had come and it was time for the Empress to go on a secret night tour with the Emperor.
Wei Wan'er said regretfully, "Time has flown by so quickly that I haven't had time to elaborate. You're getting married in two days. I can't be there to witness the ceremony, so I'd like to congratulate you on your wedding in advance. This is a wedding gift, please accept it."
After saying that, she handed me a brocade box, in which lay quietly a beautiful glazed hairpin with twin flowers.
I exclaimed in amazement and put it on happily. She smiled and nodded: "It suits you very well. I wish you a happy marriage and a baby soon."
Xiaodie put clothes on Wei Wan'er and said cheerfully, "Your Majesty, there's no need to say anything. Look at how much better Sister Yingzi looks since she left the palace. It must be because of the upcoming wedding."
I said, "Xiaodie looks good, is there any good news?"
Xiaodie smiled at me and said nothing.
I immediately realized that I didn't see Xiaodie's old rival Ruiyin today. She must have been punished by the palace because of pushing me. Xiaodie no longer had an opponent, so she should be in high spirits and naturally happy.
"Ruiyin..." I asked inquiringly.
Wei Wan'er said sternly, "The assassins who attacked the Empress Dowager have angered His Majesty. The Imperial Palace Bureau is investigating this matter. Ruiyin is connected to it. Although we are master and servant, I will not shield her for this relationship. If she really was instructed to push you, the Imperial Palace Bureau will give you an explanation. You can rest assured and just focus on preparing for your marriage."
Having said that, judging from Xiaodie's expression, Ruiyin should be in great danger.
I shook my head. "I don't care whether she is punished or not. I just want to ask her why she wants to hurt me."
Wei Wan'er's expression darkened. "...She wasn't with me for long, but she was incredibly loyal. It's because of me that she harbored these evil thoughts. She thought that if she killed you, His Majesty would favor me more... But how can you just part with someone? She's still confused after all."
I didn't expect this answer and didn't know how to respond.
Wei Wan'er said gently, "Today is the Qiqiao Festival, and a good night is rare. You should spend more time with Master Meng and stop thinking about these troubles."
I hesitated for a moment, thinking the same thing, and couldn't help but glance downstairs. Brother Meng was still waiting there like a green bamboo. Xiaodie added, "Don't just stare. Go quickly. Time waits for no one."
I said goodbye to them sheepishly, agreed to see each other again in the future, then hurried downstairs, picking up my skirt, and almost knocked over the waiter who was serving tea.
By the time I ran to Meng Xu, he had been waiting for almost an hour.
The summer night was sweltering, and a thin layer of sweat had formed on the back of his neck. I said sheepishly, "You've been waiting for a long time, haven't you? Sorry, Brother Meng, I can't stop chatting with Concubine Shu."
Meng Xu said, "Do you still call me Brother Meng?"
I was stunned: "Ah? You want to change your last name?"
He immediately understood, his face flushed, and he said shyly, "I don't want it, it's so corny."
He smiled and said, "You don't have to change your words now, but in two days, you will have to call me husband."
I was shy for once and whispered, "Yeah."
"Where do you want to go?" He pulled my sleeve and walked out of the neighborhood and onto the busy Tian Street.
There is no curfew in Chang'an tonight. People from all over the neighborhood are coming out one after another. The young king is going out of the palace for a tour. This is a rare event. Men, women, old and young in the streets hold lanterns and head towards the palace together, for fear of missing the emperor's face.
In the wide river formed by the surging crowd, Meng Xu and I were like two small fish swimming upstream, walking towards the distance.
Everyone yearns for the heart of the dynasty, but I never want to enter the Vermillion Bird Gate again in my life.
With Meng Xu by my side and my aunt at home, I walked along the brightly lit Tian Street, feeling calm and contented as never before. After a moment's thought, I took Meng Xu's arm and said, "Let's go to the bookstore first, then go shopping in the East Market, and finally you can take me home."
He gently agreed to me for the umpteenth time: "Okay."
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