Chapter 51 A man in a small town can drink a cup of wine.
After a short while, the Northern Di King spoke: "There's no need to worry about the negotiations; just remember why we've come here."
The attendant nodded and continued speaking as they drew near. At that moment, the soldiers patrolling the outskirts of the capital spotted the group and raised their hands to signal them to stop.
The escorting officers stepped forward to negotiate and showed the official documents, only then did the patrolling soldiers allow them to pass.
The Northern Di King waited silently with a smile throughout, without uttering a sound.
When the delegation arrived at the city gate, they saw a group of officials from the superior country waiting there. The man at the head of the group was the most outstanding, and could be described as a peerless beauty. His scarlet official robe made him look like a jade mountain about to topple over.
The Northern Di King dismounted, and the man in red robes greeted him with a bow: "Zheng Yangzhi, Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, has come by imperial decree to welcome the Northern Di King. Your Majesty has traveled a long way through mountains and rivers, and is weary from the journey. This is just a small token of my respect."
The Northern Di King smiled slightly and returned the greeting, saying, "Your Excellency is too polite. It is kind of you to personally welcome me. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's consideration. I have long admired the splendor of the Celestial Empire, and seeing it with my own eyes this time is even more impressive than hearing about it."
After the welcome, lodgings should be arranged. The Northern Di King naturally cannot be confined to a post station; according to custom, he should stay at the Sifangguan during his stay in the capital. Zheng Yangzhi raised his hand: "Your Majesty, please."
"Please, Zheng Shaoqing." As the Northern Di King mounted his horse, he noticed that Zheng Yangzhi, a civil official, had also mounted his horse and was riding alongside him. His gaze lingered on Zheng Yangzhi for a moment longer.
The Northern Di King had clear, bright eyes and always wore a smile.
The streets in the city had only just begun to be cleared of snow, so the horses were moving slowly. Zheng Yangzhi glanced back and saw that the caravans behind them were all carrying tributes. At this moment, there were still several carts that had not yet passed through the gate, and the end of the line could not be seen.
Zheng Yangzhi laughed with the King of the Northern Di, saying, "I have long heard that the Di Kingdom is rich in minerals and produces rubies and sapphires. Seeing it today, I can see the weight and sincerity of the gifts. It is better to see it in person than to just hear about it."
The King of the Northern Barbarians also laughed and said, "These mere tributes are hardly a token of my respect. My family has received the Emperor's favor for generations, and I am willing to repay this great nation with utmost sincerity."
Zheng Yangzhi's lips curled up slightly, his expression gentle and kind.
Upon entering the Sifangguan, the main room could not accommodate all the tributes, so they had to be temporarily stored in the storeroom along with the luggage. Officials from the Honglu Temple and the Sifangguan were working together to unload the goods from cart to cart when the Northern Di King's entourage intercepted one of the leather trunks and personally carried it into the main room.
The Northern Di King and Zheng Yangzhi were having a tea break in the adjacent flower hall. They both looked over, but pretended not to see them.
Zheng Yangzhi said, “Your Majesty has traveled a long way and your journey must be arduous. Please rest at the inn today. If His Majesty summons you tomorrow, I will come to guide you.”
The King of the Northern Barbarians nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Zheng."
"It's my duty, Your Majesty, you needn't stand on ceremony." Zheng Yangzhi cupped his hands. "Then Your Majesty should rest early. I will take my leave for now. I have already ordered the head of the guesthouse to stay at the guesthouse. Your Majesty can do whatever you need."
The Northern Di King stood up: "Thank you, sir."
"I dare not accept such praise." Zheng Yangzhi also stood up, returned the greeting calmly, and went outside. Immediately, two servants surrounded him. When he went outside the Sifang Pavilion, a third and a fourth servant appeared. Zheng Yangzhi glanced at the carriage parked at the entrance of the pavilion and knew that Wang Yuying was useless. He couldn't help but take a deep breath—she had finished three rounds of the competition and had no strength left.
Well, it's normal for her not to appreciate it, but it would be a pleasant surprise if she did.
Caring about her is also his own business, regardless of whether she reciprocates: "Was she hurt?"
The servant immediately replied, "Young master, it's not obvious from the surface, but women are not as strong as men. Carrying rice is quite heavy, and it's likely that their waist and arms will be injured."
Zheng Yangzhi took out a small white jade gourd bottle from his pocket: "Deliver this to Yongjia Lane."
"Yes, sir!" The attendant dared not delay and was about to leave immediately. Zheng Yangzhi suddenly called out, "Wait!"
The journey has come to an end.
Zheng Yangzhi said, "Just tell them that this medicine 'warms and unblocks the meridians, promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis. When applied to the painful area, it can relieve dull injuries to the waist and arms in less than half an hour. One can stand upright on the same day and lift heavy stones in half a month.' Go quickly!"
He followed at the command, his steps swift and agile.
Zheng Yangzhi himself strode to the carriage, climbed into the compartment, and the carriage headed towards Chongwen Lane. It was still some distance from the Zheng residence when the remaining servants whispered among themselves outside the carriage: "Did you really see that the Northern Di King's eyes were blue?"
"It really was like stars and the sea; I was completely stunned."
"According to you, how handsome is he?"
"What's so handsome about him? It sounds scary, so strange. I don't think that kind of look is good at all. To be honest, he's far inferior to the phoenix eyes of our Han people..."
"Silence!" Zheng Yangzhi shouted from inside the car.
The crowd immediately fell silent.
The carriage arrived at the Zheng residence and stopped in front of the side gate. Zheng Yangzhi stepped inside. In the courtyard, there was a stone water vat with its walls covered in green moss. At this time of year, a few small lotus leaves still floated on the surface of the water. As Zheng Yangzhi passed by, he glanced to the left, and a pair of slightly upturned phoenix eyes immediately appeared on the water.
He didn't slow down, climbing the steps.
*
Yongjia Lane, side room.
The charcoal basin is burning.
The training ground wasn't far from her home, but she still insisted on riding back on horseback instead of using the carriage Zheng Yangzhi had left for her.
After returning home, her back pain worsened. She was lying on the bed wearing only a bellyband, and Chu Ying was applying her family's traditional plaster to her back, spoonful by spoonful.
As Chu Ying was applying the makeup, she yawned.
Wang Yuying draped both arms over the pillow and laughed, "Go to sleep, I can do it myself."
"It's alright!" Chu Ying insisted. "I tend to feel sleepy around noon, but I'll be awake by 1 p.m. I don't want to sleep; if I sleep, half the day will be gone."
Wang Yuying lay quietly while Chu Ying continued to apply the medicine to her shoulders and back: "This medicine contains musk and borneol, so it won't hurt when you apply it."
"It feels icy cold."
"And there's Chuanxiong, etc.," Chu Ying stammered. This was a family secret recipe, passed down only to men, and she didn't know exactly how many ingredients were in it. "Anyway, it can relax muscles and improve blood circulation. You'll be fine after applying it three or four more times."
Just as Wang Yuying was about to reply, Juanxue rushed in, intending to call for the Immortal Master, but choked on the imperial edict and changed her words, saying, "Master, Lord Zheng has sent someone to deliver something."
Wang Yuying lay face down with her lips closed, looking at the head of the bed.
Juanxue continued, repeating Changsui's words word by word: "This medicine 'warms and unblocks the meridians, promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis. When applied to the painful area, it can relieve dull injuries to the waist and arms in less than half an hour. One can stand upright that same day and lift heavy stones within half a month.'"
Wang Yuying had already applied the medicine and didn't need it anymore, but she was curious whether such a miraculous medicine really existed.
"Bring it in and let us see."
Juanxue accepted the order and soon returned with a small white jade gourd-shaped bottle. In the afternoon sunlight, one could see that the rim was extremely thin, and the ointment inside the bottle was filled to the neck of the bottle.
Wang Yuying frowned. Wait a minute, why does this medicine look so familiar? Isn't this the bottle that Zheng Yangzhi tried to give her at the corner of the Ministry of War that day?
How many effects does this medicine actually have?!
She curled her lips into a smile and snorted, her breath sounding both angry and amused.
After applying the medicine, Wang Yuying lay in bed for a while before getting up to eat lunch.
Finally, he strolled around the courtyard to digest his food and wanted to resume walking, but then three light knocks sounded again outside the gate.
Wang Yuying frowned. Jing Ye had not yet taken a break, and she wondered which annoying person had come to visit this time.
Only she and Chu Ying were in the courtyard, so Wang Yuying ordered, "Chu Ying, open the door!"
As soon as Chu Ying opened the door, she was startled to see a pair of pale gray-blue eyes and leaned back. What kind of barbarians are these?
Chu Ying had never seen one before, and turned back for help: "Immortal Master, Immortal Master!"
In his haste, he started calling out the old name again.
Chu Ying's body blocked Wang Yuying's view. Wang Yuying tilted her head to avoid it and saw the man at the door. She was stunned for a moment, and then her heart skipped a beat.
Hugu Sumeru?
She slowly approached, looking him up and down seven years later. He was wearing a royal blue robe, a fox fur coat, his brown hair was half-braided and half-loose, and he wore a gold headband inlaid with sapphires and fluorite. His animal tooth earrings swayed slightly.
Seven years ago, he was not even eighteen, but now he has grown quite a bit taller, almost as tall as Jing Ye. His features have also matured, making him even more handsome than before.
Their eyes locked for a moment, then Hugu Xumi smiled and said in standard, deep Chinese, "I don't even know how to address you now."
As soon as he said that, Wang Yuying's memory gradually became clear. She met Xu Heng while riding horses in the northern frontier. On the green grassland, a horse chased after her from behind, and they raced horses in perfect unison. No one spoke during the race, only the rapid sound of hooves, like three drums playing together.
The boy's ponytail, tied back with a ribbon, flew straight through the air, just like the tail of the horse he was riding. He gripped the reins tightly, his body prone with his rump off the ground, not touching the horse's back at all. As he neared the edge of the grassland, he grinned broadly and said, "I am Amiya. Would you two righteous men like to leave your names?"
Later, after we got to know each other better, I learned that he was the young king of the Northern Di, Hugu Xumi.
The two countries lived in peace and harmony, and he would occasionally travel incognito to the northern frontier for leisure. Wang Yuying and Xu Heng were confined to the northern frontier and unable to leave, so Hugu would visit them there each time.
Perhaps because Hugu was the king, the gifts he brought when he visited were always rare items that could not be found in the northern frontier, such as specialties from the capital or the Jiangnan region. Once, he even brought a basket of lychees from Lingnan, only ten of which were frozen.
Every time, he would stand outside the door carrying gifts and shout loudly, "Brother, open the door! Sister-in-law, open the door!"
What should we shout now?
As Wang Yuying was pondering, Hugu leaned slightly towards her: "How about I address you, Miss Wang?"
Wang Yuying paused for a moment, then said, "Okay."
She stepped aside and said, "Come in."
"I brought you some gifts." Hugu stepped into the room with a smile, bringing his hands, which he had deliberately hidden behind his back, to the front. This time, he brought her dried milk, dried meat, and dried blackfish, which were special products of the Northern Di.
Behind Hugu, an attendant carried in a leather suitcase. Wang Yuying looked at it and asked, "What's inside?"
"Some jewelry."
Wang Yuying thought it was a fluorite product and smiled, "Thank you, then I'll accept it."
Hugu Xumi smiled, passed through the hanging flower gate, looked around the two courtyards, and slowly asked, "I heard you say that you liked to stay in the General's Mansion in the capital. Is this it?"
Wang Yuying lowered her eyes. Upon seeing her old friend, memories flooded back. She remembered telling Hugu that she had lived in two places in the capital: the General's Mansion and Xu Heng's Prince's Mansion. These were the only two places she liked in the capital.
“That one was demolished a long time ago.” She returned from the northern frontier and found that neither the General’s Mansion nor the Prince’s Mansion existed. “But this courtyard is similar to the General’s Mansion’s courtyard now; I arranged it according to the original.”
After looking around, Hugu took another look at the second courtyard, examining it carefully and lingering over each spot for a long time.
Wang Yuying was a little embarrassed and pointed to the main hall: "It's cold, let's go inside and talk."
When Hugu entered, she invited him to take a seat and ordered Shuangtian Shaodaozi (a type of strong liquor) to be served—the Northern Di people also loved this, drinking it even more heavily than the Han people, like water.
Hugu Xumi said, "I smell medicine on you. If you are sick, you should not drink alcohol."
Since he brought it up, Wang Yuying didn't hide it: "I was seriously injured at the training ground today, so it's really not good for me to drink alcohol. But you've come from afar and we haven't seen each other for several years, so we should at least prepare a pot of wine to welcome you."
“Let’s not drink anymore. Tea will do, it’s the same. I’ve traveled a long way and brought a lot of medicine.” Hugu said, turning to the side and instructing his attendant to get some Di medicine for Wang Yuying to treat her strains and injuries.
As Wang Yuying ordered Shuangtian to change the Sparrow Tongue sauce, she thought to herself that Hugu's current words and actions were much more mature and composed than when he was a boy.
Watching Wang Yuying's maid put away the medicine, Hugu turned around, looked into Wang Yuying's eyes, and asked, "I heard you returned to the capital, but why did you go to the drill ground?"
Wang Yuying lowered her head: "It's a long story."
Originating from her naive delusions, she is currently in a state of frustration and humiliation, fighting like a cornered beast.
Hugu waited quietly for her to continue, but after a while Wang Yuying didn't speak, she just raised her teacup: "Come, it's been a few years since we last met, and I haven't been able to greet you for a long time. I'll offer you this cup to wash away the dust of the journey."
Hugu raised his teacup and lightly touched it with hers, just like when they used to clink glasses while drinking. Their fingers never touched, and their skin never came together. "It has been several years since we parted, and I often think of you. From now on, I wish you all your wishes come true."
Both of them drank it all in one gulp.
The frost quietly adds tea.
Wang Yuying changed the subject: "Did your trip to Beijing take a long time?"
She remembered that when she was exiled to the northern frontier and returned to the capital, both trips were made by fast horses and took less than a month. However, the memorials from the governors of the northern frontier were written more than a month ago.
Hugu had already picked up his teacup, seemingly about to drink again, but upon hearing this, he put the teacup down before replying: "Indeed, we have been traveling for two or three months. The procession is vast, with carriages and horses everywhere, making it difficult to manage. In addition, there has been a constant stream of people welcoming and seeing us off along the way, and the journey has been unpredictable, causing repeated delays."
After a moment, Wang Yuying nodded and raised her celadon teacup: "I'll toast you again!"
She was referring to a cup, not a saucer. Hu Gu couldn't help but smile, clinked glasses with her, and drank it all in one go.
Hugu put down his teacup and stopped smiling: "I used to make a vow in front of you, saying that if I had the chance to go to the capital next year, I would definitely do one thing."
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