Chapter 14: Cherish the Person Before You
The three subordinates in the hall were completely bewildered and felt astonished.
The three couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that the Vice Chancellor intends to report this matter to the Emperor?
I was extremely uneasy.
When Zheng Yangzhi spoke again, he had returned to normal: "Colleagues should be harmonious and work together. The three of you are already comrades of one mind. After you go back, you can sit down and calmly check it again. Once it is clear, how can there be any contradiction?" Zheng Yangzhi stroked the engineering drawings on the table. "Let's leave this matter to me. I will also carefully check it to ensure accuracy."
Upon hearing this, the three men bowed down in unison: "Thank you, Vice Minister!"
"Thank you, Vice Minister."
"It was my recklessness that caused trouble for the Prime Minister!"
Zheng Yangzhi smiled faintly and cupped his hands in greeting: "No need for such formalities, gentlemen."
After seeing the three off, he put away the engineering drawings on the table, ate a couple of bites hastily, and then went to the imperial study to meet the emperor.
When Qingfu reported that the Vice Chancellor had arrived, Xu Heng had just finished his lunch, and the eunuch who had cleared the table had only left shortly after. Xu Heng was taken aback; Zheng Yangzhi usually arrived just before noon, or even later, but today it was only half past 1:30.
He straightened his clothes and announced that Zheng Yangzhi was to come to court.
As Zheng Yangzhi entered, he raised his arm to bow, but Xu Heng asked with a smile, "Why are you here so early today? Have you eaten yet?"
Zheng Yangzhi lowered his head and said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have already eaten."
Xu Heng gestured for Zheng Yang to sit down, and then said, "Lord Cui and Lord Hua have not arrived yet, please wait a moment."
I had previously made an appointment with Cui Ke, Minister of Rites, Hua Zhichun, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and Zheng Yangzhi, Vice Chancellor, to do a final check on the palace and garden celebrations, large and small activities for the three days of Qixi Festival.
Zheng Yangzhi nodded and sat down in the usual chair with his back against the gauze curtain. He glanced back at the flower table behind the gauze curtain, and then glanced back again. Xu Heng saw the Vice Prime Minister looking back frequently and guessed that it was because the lotus flowers and leaves in the mud had changed. Now they were a string of drooping, milky-white tuberoses with a strong fragrance.
Xu Heng laughed and said, "After the start of autumn, before the lotus flowers had faded and the osmanthus blossoms had opened, they planted tuberoses first—"
I was going to say, "Make do for now, we'll switch to osmanthus later," but for some reason my throat felt constricted, and the word "make do" got stuck in my throat and I couldn't say it.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yangzhi glanced at the flower again, this time lingering on the tuberose for a long time before turning back to look at Xu Heng at the head of the table: "This flower is not suitable for this place. It has turned yellow after only two days. Your Majesty should transplant other flowers."
Xu Heng had previously considered using the metaphor of flowers to represent people, but now that he heard Zheng Yangzhi insist on changing it, he felt very uncomfortable.
But Zheng Yangzhi was unaware of Xu Heng's inner thoughts. They were just chatting casually and had no ill intentions. How could Xu Heng blame his subject for his own overthinking?
He forced a smile and asked, "Why haven't they arrived yet?"
No sooner had the words been spoken than a report came from outside: "Lord Hua, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, requests an audience."
"Let him in."
Hua Zhichun, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, entered and performed the courteous rites between ruler and subject. After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Heng, unusually joking, asked, "Where's Old Cui? How come you're the last one here today?"
The Minister of Rites, Cui Ke, is the only one who hasn't arrived yet.
Hua Zhichun thought the emperor was in a good mood, so she told the truth: "Your Majesty, you don't know this, but I was passing by the Ministry of Rites and wanted to go to the palace with Lord Cui. But I didn't expect to run into his wife, who was heavily pregnant, bringing him food. The couple had just had their wedding night, and I couldn't let Lord Cui go without eating, could I? So I came first."
Zheng Yangzhi raised an eyebrow: "Is it the woman Lord Cui married before the new year?"
Cui Ke, nearing eighty, married an eighteen-year-old beauty as his fourth wife, causing a sensation throughout the court and uproar across the land.
Xu Heng pursed his lips upon hearing this. He disliked Cui Ke's behavior, but the foundation of the aristocratic family was hard to shake. He would take it slowly; a gentleman understands the law, but punishment must have a reason. According to his plan, it would take several more years, so he couldn't show his dissatisfaction too much for the time being.
“Yes—” Hua Zhichun drawled, “that delicate girl whose lips are as red as flames and whose cheeks are as white as snow, whose smiles are so charming that they could make a sixty-year-old man lose his spring breeze in June.”
This is a satirical poem mocking Trek; its author is unknown, but it has spread throughout the capital.
After Hua Zhichun finished reading, he couldn't hold back any longer. He curled his lips into a smile, a hint of sarcasm and disdain flashing across his face. He glanced at the head of the table, only to find that the Vice Prime Minister's smile had vanished. He lowered his eyes and stared at the ground, lost in thought.
Further away, the emperor became even stranger. He frowned and opened his eyes, but there was no light in his eyes. He seemed to be lost in thought. Just now, when he heard Hua Zhichun describe the woman's lips as fiery as flames, her skin as smooth as cream, and her love of smiling, all the scenery in Xu Heng's eyes suddenly disappeared. In front of him, Wang Yuying appeared, so close that it seemed as if they were separated by a table and she could be reached out and touched.
She was all smiles, her red lips moving, but Xu Heng couldn't hear a word she was saying. He was getting impatient when Wang Yuying suddenly leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. Xu Heng's heart trembled instantly.
He parted his lips, wanting to speak to Wang Yuying in this daydream, but she frowned. Although Xu Heng still couldn't hear her, he could tell from her angry expression that what came out of her parting red lips was not pleasant. The thought that kisses and insults came from the same mouth made him even more dazed.
It wasn't until Cui Ke requested an audience and the emperor and his ministers gathered that Xu Heng slowly and sluggishly came to his senses.
Although Cui Ke was lustful, he was quite capable of handling official business. Xu Heng had investigated and verified everything. The Aoshan in the capital was well-constructed, and the four parks built in the suburbs were flawless. All the hundreds of gatherings, large and small, held by officials and civilians over three days had been reported in advance, with the identities of the participants, the duration, and the procedures all thoroughly investigated and properly arranged.
Xu Heng finally felt relieved.
Suddenly, like firecrackers exploding in the sky, he remembered the last Qixi Festival when he broke up with Wang Yuying, the argument that led to their falling out, and that slap.
Xu Heng gripped the armrest of the high-backed chair with his thumb and forefinger to barely endure the pain. After the three ministers took their leave, the chief eunuch Qingfu was about to close the door when Xu Heng suddenly ordered in a hoarse voice, "You go and stand guard outside."
Qingfu froze, quickly sensing the awkward atmosphere, but didn't dare turn around. He retreated and closed the door tightly. Xu Heng's expression instantly crumbled. He hunched over as if all his strength had been drained, propped his elbows on the table, covered his face with his hands, and a tear seeped through his fingers.
*
On the fifth day of the lunar month, the moon was like a hook, hanging in the sky, with no stars in sight.
The boudoir on the back mountain of Yuqing Temple is as lonely as the moon, but the two people inside are inseparable, like mandarin ducks, skimming the water to catch fish, entwining their necks to comfort each other, diving and flapping their wings, preening their feathers and sharing food, playing and frolicking together.
The curtains swayed slightly, concealing the enchanting scenery.
The two of them kept going until midnight, and even in the chilly autumn night, they were both covered in a fine sweat. Jing Ye, worried that Wang Yuying would catch a cold, carefully wiped her sweat. Wang Yuying lay there enjoying the moment, teasing him, "You just left yesterday, why are you back again today?"
Jingye smiled.
He thought for a moment and replied, "Since we didn't stay overnight last night, we have to make up for it tonight."
Wang Yuying smiled and glanced at him. Jing Ye felt a wave of pleasure wash over him and couldn't help but blurt out, "Let's go out for a stroll on Qixi Festival."
Wang Yuying's smile froze for a moment, then she turned her head away, leaving the back of her head facing Jing Ye: "Qixi Festival?"
Jing Ye was nervous. The hand holding the handkerchief stopped, forgetting to wipe Wang Yuying's sweat, while his other hand clenched into a fist behind his back. He seemed to freeze, only his lips trembling slightly as he spoke: "Yes, Qixi Festival."
"What, you like me?" Wang Yuying asked jokingly, turning her back to Jing Ye completely.
Jingye's lips trembled even more violently, and his breathing became erratic and uncontrollable.
After a long silence, he answered softly, "Yes—"
He had always secretly loved her.
Finally, he spoke out, no longer needing to hide. Jingye felt a surge of joy and less bitterness in his heart, though he also felt anxious and nervous about being rejected.
He held his breath, waiting for Wang Yuying's answer.
She rolled over, turned back to look at Jing Ye, and teased, "I knew it, lots of people like me."
Wang Yuying met his gaze openly and frankly, while Jing Ye felt somewhat embarrassed and uncomfortable. He turned his head away to avoid her gaze, but then a thought struck him, and he quickly turned his head back, anxiously asking, "Who else?"
Wang Yuying did not answer.
A sour feeling welled up in Jing Ye's head, and he pouted, "Your Majesty?"
Wang Yuying glanced at him sideways: "He's not worthy!!"
Jingye pursed her lips, her eyes bright, feeling much more at ease.
When you truly love someone, you won't mind their past, but you'll worry that they haven't let go, and you'll constantly compare and contrast your importance to the emperor in their hearts. This feeling of being caught in a dilemma is unbearable; it's bittersweet and agonizing.
Hearing that Wang Yuying had let go, Jing Ye felt relieved and his heart relaxed instantly. Even though Wang Yuying did not respond to his love proposal directly, he no longer pressed her or held a grudge.
Jing Ye wiped Wang Yuying's sweat again. He had already wiped her upper body. He squatted down, and Wang Yuying naturally lifted her foot. Jing Ye held her ankle and wiped it carefully, not even missing the spaces between her toes: "Dry it and then go to sleep. I'll be back at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."
"Where do you plan to go on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year?" Wang Yuying suddenly asked.
Jing Ye paused for a moment, then resumed wiping, excitedly blurting out, "Where do you want to go? I heard there's the Aoshan Lantern Festival in the city, and there are also parks in the suburbs. Pick one, and I'll come find you as soon as I finish my shift on the seventh day!"
Wang Yuying leaned forward slightly: "Which one do you think is better?"
Jingye thought about it carefully: "A stroll in the park is nice, there's a ring toss game you like."
Wang Yuying raised an eyebrow: "Who said I like ring toss?"
"Don't you like it?" After wiping her hands, Jing Ye carefully cleaned them with a handkerchief before daring to hug her. "Back when we were in the Northwest, didn't you always play ring toss when you went to Yumen Town and Jiuquan? You would always choose to play when there were many onlookers, and you would hit the target every time, winning back all the prizes from the shopkeepers, and then there would be cheers all around."
Back then, he was a lackey assigned by the general to Wang Yuying, a lowly henchman, whose sole purpose was to carry the young lady's prizes. His hands were overflowing with bottles, jars, dolls, and clay figurines, but Jing Ye was overjoyed, feeling his heart swell with the same contentment as the prizes in his hands, finding it all sweet and delightful.
He cherishes and misses that time, and still feels happy when he thinks back on it: "I remember when you went to a restaurant, you would sit down first, and the waiter would ask what you wanted to eat. You would pick up the chopsticks from the container with two fingers, and throw them like darts, swiftly pinning them to the menu board hanging behind the counter. You would clearly and precisely order which dishes you wanted..."
Jing Ye was speaking happily, but Wang Yuying was so embarrassed that she covered her face with her hands, feeling incredibly ashamed! How could she, at only fifteen or sixteen years old, be so fond of showing off!
"Stop talking!" she stopped Jingye, but he wouldn't listen. So she tickled him, but the man wasn't ticklish at all. So she could only mount him and kiss him briefly, their lips touching and then parting.
Jingye froze, grinned foolishly, and said nothing more.
"Isn't the garden party going on for three days? How about we go tomorrow night?" Wang Yuying asked. She knew the custom in the capital that there was no curfew for three days and people could play until dawn.
Tomorrow is the sixth day of the lunar new year. Jingye is going to Linglong Pavilion to pick up the earrings. He can't reveal his surprise in advance, so he stammers.
He couldn't fake it in front of Wang Yuying; she saw right through him: "What's all the mystery about?"
Her expression remained unchanged, but her heart instantly turned cold. If Jing Ye continued to have affairs and had an appointment with another woman on the sixth day of the lunar month, she would immediately break off all ties with him. She hated deception and betrayal the most.
"I...I...I have to go to the city tomorrow night on business!" Jing Ye was nervous, afraid that Wang Yuying would guess the gift, little did he know that he had been secretly abandoned.
Wang Yuying lifted her leg and flipped down, turning her back to Jing Ye, her smile fading and her expression turning icy.
Unaware of her presence, Jingye gently hugged her from behind: "I'll be passing through the night market tomorrow night. Do you have any snacks you'd like to eat? I'll bring them back for you."
After a moment, Wang Yuying said casually, "If you happen to pass by Wang's Fried Balls, please bring me a pound of radish balls."
Jing Ye was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Okay!"
Even if it means taking a detour, I'll bring it back to her!
A note from the author:
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