Chapter 53 The Three Streams of the Dike Are All Pure and Tranquil
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The chill of the damp, snowy night seeped into the room. After washing up, Wang Yuying put a hot water bottle under the covers, waiting for it to warm up before crawling in.
While waiting, he didn't stay idle. He opened the leather suitcase that Hugu Xumi had given him to see what jewelry he had given him.
To my astonishment, the box full of wild chrysanthemums and wild purple chrysanthemums had colors that resembled fluorite but were far more lustrous and had a much better texture.
Wang Yuying stared blankly, letting her long, flowing black hair cascade into the box. After a moment, she picked it out and slowly chose a blue-purple bracelet. It felt warm to the touch, not cold. This was a rich, translucent purple jadeite, worth ten thousand times more than fluorite on the market.
Hugu used the same material to make a whole box of bracelets, earrings, jade pendants, and thumb rings that couldn't be made from fluorite. Of course, there were also hairpins, combs, hair ornaments, earrings, necklaces, armlets, and finger sleeves...
He was so meticulous; he considered everything. This was the culmination of so many years of effort… Wang Yuying's eyes welled up with tears.
She was no longer the new wife from the Northern Frontier whose eyes were only on her husband. She understood men's advances. Could it be that Hugu...? But the way he looked at her was not like that of Jingye and Zheng Yangzhi. She did not see admiration or longing in his eyes.
Wang Yuying couldn't make a judgment right away, fearing that she would be accused of being presumptuous and actually thinking that everyone liked her.
She put the jade bracelet back into the box, closed it again, and decided not to touch the gift box for now. She would ask Hugu Xumi about it when they met in five days.
She crawled into bed, lay down on the hot water bottle for a while, and then fell asleep.
The snow stopped at midnight, and Wang Yuying was unaware of it. But between the hours of Chou and Yin, when she was half-awake, she vaguely heard faint noises outside.
It wasn't too noisy, and the bed was so warm that Wang Yuying couldn't bear to get up and check. When it was 1:15 AM, her usual wake-up time, the long winter night was still as dark as ink. She lingered in bed for a while, but finally gritted her teeth, sat up with a jolt, and got dressed and washed up.
When Wang Yuying entered the dining hall, she only saw Juanxue and Shuangtian, who had already finished eating. Juanxue served Wang Yuying a warm sesame flatbread and a bowl of red bean soup.
Wang Yuying took a sip of soup, but it was too hot, so she put it down and ate a pancake first. Just then, Chu Ying entered the dining hall, rubbing her eyes: "You all slept soundly last night, didn't you hear me?"
Wang Yuying looked ashamed: "I heard some noise, but I was too lazy to get up."
Chu Ying sat down next to Wang Yuying, resting her right arm on the table: "After the snow stopped in the middle of the night, suddenly people came to sweep the snow in front of the door, and there was more than one! They weren't just sweeping this alley, I saw people sweeping outside the alley too, and they even hung lanterns everywhere! Go out and see for yourself later, it's true!"
As soon as Wang Yuying sat down, she noticed a faint, dim yellow light outside the street wall. Upon hearing this, she glanced at it again.
"They were so noisy, I couldn't sleep at all. I didn't go back to sleep until they finished cleaning." Chu Ying said as she picked up the red bean soup that Juan Shuang had brought and took a big gulp.
"Then go back to sleep for a while. I'm going to the army alone today—" Wang Yuying was interrupted by Chu Ying before she could finish speaking: "Hot, hot, hot!"
Chu Ying stood up, sticking out her tongue and hopping around, yelling that she wanted to go outside and suck on snow to relieve the pain. Shuang Tian quickly brought Chu Ying a bowl of cold water and told her to suck on it.
The canteen was in a flurry of activity when there was a sudden knock on the door.
Chu Ying was the first to put a mouthful of cold water in her mouth, puff out her cheeks, and look towards the door.
Wang Yuying also looked around and ordered, "Juanxue, go and take a look."
Juanxue hurried through the three gates, returning quickly. When she re-entered the dining hall, she carried a hooded winter coat and a pair of leather boots, along with a lit lantern: "These were sent by the King yesterday. He said, 'It was cold in the morning, so I'm giving you this coat; it's still dark, so I'm giving you this lantern.'"
Wang Yuying went closer to take a look. The lantern shade that Hugu had given her was covered with a thick layer of tung oil, so it couldn't be blown out by the wind. It was a lantern commonly known as a "wind-proof" lantern.
The winter clothes and boots were all made of deerskin, just like those used by Di Fa, with thick cashmere lining. She took off her own boots and stuffed her feet into the leather boots that Hu Gu had given her. Her feet immediately felt warm and fuzzy, and felt especially dry and comfortable. Wang Yuying wished she could take off her socks and wear them.
Wang Yuying put on the deerskin coat given to her by Hugu, mounted the Ferghana horse, and prepared to go out on her mission. As soon as she mentioned the Qi Sifeng, Chu Ying said, "No need to look for the way. There are Qi Sifeng hanging everywhere outside. You'll see when you get out!"
Wang Yuying pushed open the street gate. In the darkness, there were indeed many lanterns hanging on the walls on both sides of the alley, and the road was swept clean.
A spacious carriage was parked at the entrance. Although the lanterns had been changed and no longer bore the character "Zheng," the driver was still Zheng Yangzhi's personal attendant.
Was this street swept by Zheng Yangzhi?
“I told you, we don’t need lanterns.” Chu Ying mounted another horse.
Wang Yuying then returned the dead wind to Juanxue, and she and Chu Ying, one on each horse, left the alley one after the other.
Zheng Yangzhi's servants dared not utter a sound, watching helplessly as Wang Yuying walked away—alas, although the young master did not sweep the snow, nor did he prepare the lanterns, the carriage was a token of the young master's sincere affection!
The carriage was not only covered with soft carpets on the floor, but also with animal hides on the walls and ceiling. A small stove provided warmth, making it feel like springtime. There was hot tea on the table inside, and in a hidden compartment, the young master had personally placed many snacks and treats on the table. He had even carefully selected a storybook to help with the journey and placed it there as well.
Called "Three Times Borrowing a Marriage," it's an old story from two years ago. It tells the story of Su, a young master from a prestigious family who holds the position of vice prime minister. He unknowingly falls in love with Miss Gu, a woman of equal social standing, but he always speaks ill of her and makes things difficult for her. Only after deeply hurting her does he realize his mistake and then borrow marriage three times and spend ten years pursuing his wife before finally winning her heart.
Alas—you've been fooled by those stories, young master! They're deceitful stories! I wonder if you'll ever have even the slightest chance in this lifetime, in the year of the monkey or the month of the horse?
The servant, dejected, drove back to the mansion. Wang Yuying and Chu Ying turned out of the alley; the snow on the road ahead had been cleared, and windproof lanterns had been installed to illuminate the darker areas.
The journey was smooth, and the two of them even arrived earlier than usual.
Chu Ying couldn't help but whisper in Wang Yuying's ear, "Who did all these good deeds?"
Wang Yuying did not answer, but instead pointed to the Ministry of War's council hall: "I'm going in, you find a warm room to rest in first."
After speaking, he stepped into the hall.
Because Xu Heng never granted her an official title, Wang Yuying was unable to attend court. When her colleagues from the Ministry of War went to court for the morning audience, she could only wait there awkwardly.
The sky was pitch black, and several lamps were lit on the table, illuminating Liao Qing who was sitting at the table.
Wang Yuying asked in surprise, "Lord Liao, why didn't you attend court?"
"The King of the Northern Barbarians personally paid tribute and met with His Majesty this morning. Only officials of the fifth rank and above were allowed to attend the banquet." Liao Qing said, picking up the teapot on the table and personally pouring a cup for Wang Yuying: "It's cold and damp outside. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, have some ginger tea to warm yourself up."
Wang Yuying thanked them, picked up the cup, and took a sip. It was slightly spicy, but her body did feel warmer.
Before she could even put down her cup, Liao Qing pushed two tea cakes in front of her: "These are tea leaves from my hometown. I was unreasonable and rude yesterday, and I hope you will forgive me."
Wang Yuying smiled and said, "My lord, there is no need to blame yourself. I don't blame you at all. On the contrary, I want to thank you for your doubt, which allowed me to show my true colors. Now that things are clear, I am willing to work together with everyone to make the martial arts examination a grand event."
Just then, two more subordinates came in. It turned out that only two of the eight people participated in the pilgrimage today; the others were late because the roads were slippery due to snow.
He apologized to Wang Yuying as soon as he entered the door.
Wang Yuying did not blame him. Her subordinates were extremely grateful and urged Liao Qing to bring out the department's specialty ginger tea as a tribute.
Liao Qingbai and the other person exchanged a glance: "Isn't it on the table?"
Wang Yuying smiled, and once all six had arrived, they began to discuss the military examination—similar to the civil service examination, it was based on the principle of "regardless of background, only talent is considered," and was divided into the preliminary examination, the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination.
First, we'll set the start date for this session, and then draft the examination rules.
Today was completely different from yesterday. When Wang Yuying spoke, there was complete silence. When everyone worked together, they were incredibly cooperative, and everything was finalized in less than an hour.
However, the preparation of the equipment was extremely complicated. It required organizing and inspecting the weapons, relaying information up and down the chain of command, and ensuring that the details reached down to the local elders. It was not something that could be done in just a few days.
With many things to do, only a small step forward was made by the time it was fully light. Wang Yuying could only try to be as fast as possible, without delay or procrastination. Just as she was busy, she suddenly heard elegant music, melodious and flowing, coming from the direction of the Chuigong Hall.
Everyone put down their pens and scrolls, and the palace was filled with the sound of music, for the King of the Northern Di had come to pay his respects.
Wang Yuying also slowly raised her head and looked out the window.
The elegant music gradually stopped, and nine tones of the bell rang out, echoing throughout the Forbidden City.
Zheng Yangzhi, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, led the Northern Di King Hugu Xumi up the steps and into the Chuigong Hall.
The Northern Di King knelt on one knee, placed his right hand on his left chest, and bowed slightly: "Your subject, Hugu Xumi, respectfully bows to Your Majesty the Emperor, wishing you boundless blessings. Our small nation has long been blessed by Your Majesty's grace and protection. We now offer these treasures for Your Majesty's perusal."
The emperor, seated on the dragon throne at the head of the table, wore a robe embroidered with the twelve symbols of imperial authority. His face was hidden behind the white jade beaded curtain of his crown. His voice was deep and resonant, like a booming bell: "Your family has guarded the northern border for generations, diligently performing your tribute duties. I am greatly pleased. I hereby bestow upon you a purple ribbon, a golden crown, and a jade belt with cloud patterns, so that all within the four seas may rejoice in peace and prosperity."
The Northern Di King bowed deeply: "Your Majesty's words are like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain; I am deeply grateful."
After the audience concluded, the emperor issued an edict: "A banquet will be held for you all. I will share this joyous occasion with you."
The Northern Di King thanked the Emperor again for his grace, and the officials in purple and scarlet robes below the steps also knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" The shouts were like waves and lasted for a long time.
According to etiquette, the emperor should set off first, followed by the Northern Di king and his officials, with ceremonial guards leading the way to the banquet venue.
However, after descending the jade steps, the emperor did not ride in his golden carriage, but stood with his feet under the canopy, as if waiting for someone. The Northern Di king hesitated for a moment, then hurried forward.
Only then did the emperor take a step forward, and the entourage immediately continued to lead the way.
The emperor, who was always half a step ahead of the Northern Di King, smiled and said, "Ami, it's been quite a few years since we last met."
"Yes." Hugu Sumi nodded slightly. "It has been seven years."
Xu Heng smiled as he looked ahead, his eyes sparkling: "Seeing you today reminds me of the days when we raced horses, drank strong liquor, and enjoyed life to the fullest back in the Prince's residence, as if it were yesterday."
The Northern Di King said, "Now that Your Majesty has followed the Mandate of Heaven, I will serve as your bulwark. The bond between ruler and subject will ensure the enduring stability of our relations, and only then will we not fail Your Majesty's trust in us in the past."
"Sigh—I didn't come here to hear these polite words!" Xu Heng squinted and glanced back. "How have you been these past years? I remember you're about twenty-six or twenty-seven now, right? Have you settled down with your family?"
The emperor himself is only twenty-seven years old this year.
Hugu smiled, not mentioning that the emperor had misremembered, and only answered himself: "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's inquiry. However, I am only twenty-four years old in the month of Xu, still young and vigorous, and have not yet met the one I love. I think that matters of the family are not urgent."
Xu Heng took several deep breaths, his crown swaying slightly, but he ultimately refrained from speaking.
He and the Northern Di King entered the banquet one after the other.
Outside, a biting north wind howled, but inside, the earthen floor was warm and cozy. Colorful glazed palace lanterns, arranged at varying heights, burned thick, honey-scented candles, their bright lights illuminating the hall as clearly as the outside. In a gilded incense burner shaped like a reclining tortoise and lotus, wisps of ambergris incense rose gently.
Beneath the throne, the banquet was arranged according to rank, with the Northern Di King's seat directly below the emperor.
The Imperial Household Department had prepared delicacies in advance. Various dried fruits, gold cups, and silver chopsticks were laid out on the sandalwood table. Palace maids, their skirts trailing on the ground, carried gilded food platters and served delicacies from land and sea. In addition to dishes like venison and bear paws, several dishes of northern barbarian-style cheese and roasted mutton were specially added to show the Celestial Empire's consideration.
The emperor looked at the Northern Di king, raised his cup to invite him to drink, and said in a resounding voice, "I offer this wine to comfort you after your long journey. Today's feast is a joyous occasion for all!"
The Northern Di King placed his right palm against his chest and bowed slightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
As the banquet began, the Imperial Music Bureau started playing elegant music, and the sounds of strings and bamboo instruments filled the air. The aromas of wine, food, and charcoal mingled together.
As the banquet reached its climax, a group of dancers with their hair styled in the buns of immortals and dressed in feathered robes suddenly appeared from behind the curtains on either side, their movements as graceful as startled swans and as elegant as swimming dragons.
Soon after, two more lead dancers came on stage, also dressed in feathered robes, but with an extra moon-colored wide sleeve.
Both women were exceptionally beautiful, with captivating charm. Their flowing sleeves seemed to flutter as if they were about to ride the wind and fly away, like phoenixes soaring and circling, mesmerizing and captivating. Most of the people at the table were mesmerized.
The two women removed their wide sleeves, revealing a pair of arms adorned with armlets and jade-like shoulders. They bent down like water snakes, their breasts high and firm. Not only were their skin fair, but their eyes were also large and bright, and their figures were graceful and charming. They lingered intentionally before the Northern Di King's desk, displaying their utmost allure.
After the dance ended, the emperor laughed with the Northern Di king and said, "Ami, I think these two dancers are both beautiful and talented, and quite charming. Why don't we let them accompany you back north to keep you company?"
The emperor wished to bestow a dancer upon the queen of the Northern Barbarians.
At the lower end of the banquet, Zheng Yangzhi, dressed in a scarlet robe and official hat, mingled among a group of officials from the Court of State Ceremonial. Upon hearing this, he held a golden cup in his hand and took a small sip.
At the head of the table, the Northern Di King rose from his seat, faced the Emperor, adjusted his hat, and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty's favor is great, but I am foolish and dull. I swore an oath long ago to spend my life in seclusion, desiring only one true love, with whom I can share a harmonious union. If Your Majesty were to bestow such a beauty upon me, I would enjoy the bliss of having multiple wives. If I were to meet another woman I desire in the future, she would surely be heartbroken because of my taking a concubine today. I do not wish to see that happen, so I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree. My resolve remains unwavering, and I would gladly die for disobeying your command!"
At the next table, Zheng Yangzhi pressed down on his lips and took another sip of wine.
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