Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Travel
Overnight, most of the servants in Songchun Courtyard were replaced, and Lu Chen added new guards to the East Courtyard, and the mansion became stable.
As summer approaches, the durian flowers in the courtyard begin to bloom, competing with each other for beauty and blooming like fire. A few light rains fall quickly, and vendors in the streets are selling rice wine from Qingfeng Tower, and peddlers are walking around the streets selling newly-released green apricots and eggplants.
It was the season for dispelling cold and nourishing the body. After careful consideration, Zhe Rou carefully bought several medicinal herbs and planned to make some Tongjing Ganlu Pills to invigorate blood circulation and dispel cold, as the first medicine to be listed in the shop. If it sold well and could successfully open up the market, he would consider other new medicines.
Speaking of which, the prescription for preparing Ganlu Pills was left by her parents.
That year, her mother was seriously ill and difficult to treat, so they had to entrust her to her uncle's house. She was afraid that her uncle and aunt would dislike her as a burden, so she forced herself to copy down the prescription notes left by her father as a reward for entrusting her to them, hoping that they would raise her carefully for the sake of the prescription.
Later, her uncle made medicine according to this prescription and sold it. The market was very good and it became the signature product of the clinic.
With this example in mind, Zhe Rou was quite confident about the efficacy of Ganlu Pills. Moreover, she had always been meticulous and patient in preparing medicinal materials, and used solid ingredients. She thought that as long as this batch of finished medicines could be sold successfully, there would be no worries about returning customers.
In the long run, as her patented medicine gradually becomes famous and Lu Chen also gains a firm foothold in the officialdom of Shangjing, everything will be fine in the future.
The 17th of next month is Lu Chen's birthday. If everything goes well, perhaps we can still use the income from the pharmacy to buy him a birthday gift.
With this in mind, Zhe Rou quickly prepared a batch of Ganlu Pills, and told Xiao Chan to pack them carefully and put them in the medicine shop, ready to open for sale.
The next day was April 20th, the day when the polo match was held in Jinmingchi.
Zhe Rou changed into new clothes early in the morning. She wore a spring-water-blue narrow-sleeved, cross-collared top, a skirt with folds of daylily flowers, a silver-painted, transparent gauze shawl, her hair tied with silk ribbons, and a pearl and mica flower ornament on her brow. Her appearance was dazzling.
Lu Chen was waiting behind the lattice door. When he saw her come out, he just glanced at her casually at first, but then he was suddenly stunned for a moment.
Seeing his expression, Zhe Rou felt quite pleased. She walked over, slightly opened her arms, raised her face and asked him with a smile: "Do you like the new clothes?"
Lu Chen's eyes fell on her jade-like face. He stared at her for a while, a smile on his lips: "Beautiful."
Zhe Rou pursed her lips and smiled. After they had packed up, they boarded the carriage and headed towards Shuntian Gate.
At this time of year, the gates of Jinming Lake would be opened to allow common people to enter for sightseeing and the Imperial Censorate would also post notices prohibiting all activities.[1] Therefore, today the lake and its surroundings were bustling with activity, with a constant flow of people, including officials and nobles, as well as common people, and laughter and noise everywhere.
The carriage slowly moved to the vicinity of Jinming Lake. The flow of people became increasingly congested. Pingchuan finally found an empty space to park. Lu Chen helped Zhe Rou get out of the carriage and they walked into the main gate together.
The pond garden was already filled with colorful tents and brocade curtains, one next to the other, set up by the water and facing the polo field. They were all arranged and decorated in advance by nearby vendors and rented out specifically to wealthy families so that their wives could watch the polo matches in the tents.
Polo was passed down from the previous dynasty and was originally a leisurely pastime for the aristocracy. The Jin Dynasty was founded on military power, and although it had been passed down for more than a hundred years and had valued culture over military power, both the royal family and the common people were still passionate about polo and other competitive games.
Whenever the Jinming Pond opens, a polo match is held in the garden. The soldiers of the imperial guards wear soft scarves on their heads, embroidered shawls on their bodies, and ride on horses of various colors to compete for the podium.
The emperor would also visit Baojin Tower outside Lingxing Gate to watch the competition with his relatives and nobles.
There was still some time before the polo match started, and the men were gathered in groups of three or four to socialize. Lu Chen met many familiar colleagues from the Imperial Guards. After giving Zhe Rou some detailed instructions, he and his colleagues went to the court, while Zhe Rou took Xiao Chan through the corridor and strolled in the garden.
There were endless small stalls of all kinds along the way, and it was bustling everywhere. Zhe Rou was in a good mood, and she and Xiao Chan bought two cups of perilla tea and went to the west bank of Jinming Lake.
She had heard Lu Chen mention before that the fish and vegetables from Jinming Lake and Qionglin Garden were usually supplied exclusively to the Forbidden City. Only on April 20th of each year would the lake and garden be open, and ordinary people could fish there with a sign. The fish caught were cooked in the water, which was extremely delicious and was a perfect accompaniment to wine.
When they reached the west bank, there were already quite a few people gathered by the pool. Xiaochan excitedly squeezed in and turned around to greet her: "Madam, here!"
Zhe Rou smiled and walked closer. She picked out a fat and tender sea bass from the wooden barrel and was about to show it to the vendor when the fish suddenly flapped its wings, causing water in the barrel to overflow and almost splash onto her.
Zhe Rou hurriedly took half a step back, but her back accidentally bumped into a hard and warm chest.
Before she could react, a soft laugh suddenly sounded behind her, like the sound of ice and jade being struck, clearly audible amidst the clamor.
Zhe Rou was startled and turned around suddenly, only to meet a pair of dark and handsome eyes.
Xie Yunzhou was standing behind her, his eyebrows slightly raised, looking at her with a smile on his lips.
It was obvious that he had just come down from the polo field. He had a crimson headband with gold sprinkled on it, his messy hair was slightly damp with sweat, beads of sweat floated on the ends of his eyebrows, and his black eyes were as bright as cold stars.
Zhe Rou came back to her senses, her tone slightly surprised, "Ming Qi?"
"Jiu Niang." Xie Yunzhou was half a head taller than her. As he opened his mouth, his hot breath fell on her neck.
The two of them were so close that Zhe Rou could almost feel the sweat emanating from his body, faintly mixed with the clean fragrance of soapberries.
She subconsciously stepped back a little, raised her head, and smiled brightly, "Why are you here?"
Xie Yunzhou glanced at her backward steps, then looked away as if nothing had happened. He smiled lazily and said, "I just worked up a sweat on the court and came to buy a jar of cold wine. I didn't expect to meet you here." As he spoke, he raised his chin towards the fish stall and said, "Want to eat fish sashimi?"
Zhe Rou nodded and replied with a smile: "I heard that the fish sashimi here tastes very good. I want to try it."
"Come, I'll fish it out for you."
Xie Yunzhou raised his lips and smiled. He walked past Zhe Rou, approached the wooden barrel, half squatted down, intentionally or unintentionally blocking her behind him. He reached a bony hand into the barrel, steadily took out a fat fish, and handed it to the vendor.
The vendor’s knife skills were extraordinary, and he had the grace and grace of someone who had written in a poem, “The elbows move with the wind as he chops the fish, and the knife cuts the fish into pieces like snow falling in a startled flutter.”[2] With just a few strokes, he scraped the scales and bones. In the blink of an eye, a plate of snow-white, thin fish slices fell into the porcelain bowl, shaped like a newly opened peony.
Xie Yunzhou was standing nearby. Zhe Rou asked the stall owner for a few clean small plates, took out some sashimi, and handed them to him and Xiao Chan, saying generously, "Try them both."
Xie Yunzhou reached out to take it. His long fingers were wet and a little cool. They rubbed against her warm fingertips and separated at the first touch.
Zhe Rou lowered her head, picked up a thin slice of fish sashimi with her bamboo chopsticks, dipped it in the golden sauce, and took it into her mouth with her lips slightly parted. As she moved, the crabapple-colored hair ribbon drooped, and the long tassel gently brushed against her neck.
Xie Yunzhou could vaguely see her delicate and warm profile through the reflection of the small white porcelain dish. He wanted to help her brush away the silk ribbon, but he just clenched his fists and smiled nonchalantly, "Delicious."
Zhe Rou also thought it tasted very good. With a smile on her face, she bought another portion from the stall owner, packed it carefully, and asked Xie Yunzhou to take it to Lu Chen to the ball field.
Xie Yunzhou glanced at the food box in his hand, curled the corners of his lips, and smiled self-deprecatingly.
Actually, he doesn't like eating fish.
Only his cousin Lu Bingyan likes it.
After saying goodbye to Xie Yunzhou, Zhe Rou and Xiao Chan turned back along the way and looked for Lu Wan in the colorful tent on the shore.
A few days ago, Lu Wan sent someone to deliver a letter, inviting her to watch the game together.
In late spring and early summer, the wind blew over the pond, bringing a gentle warmth. Before Zhe Rou even approached the colorful tents of the County Marquis's residence, Lu Wan saw her. Her eyes lit up, and she approached her affectionately, "Sister-in-law!"
Zhe Rou also laughed, "Wanniang."
Lu Wan took her hand, looked her up and down, and couldn't help but praise her: "Sister-in-law, you look very beautiful today!"
Zhe Rou pursed her lips and smiled. The two exchanged a few pleasantries and were about to go into the colorful tent when suddenly a burst of brisk horse hooves sounded from the woods behind them. The horses were not running fast and there was no dust in the forest.
A young woman nearby saw the person on horseback and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that Xu Shiliu Niang? When did she learn to ride a horse?"
When Zhe Rou heard those words suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously raised her eyes and looked in the direction of the voice.
There were more than ten people in the forest, riding on fine horses, all dressed in brightly colored clothes, shining brightly.
The young lady in the lead was young and pretty. Under the bright sunlight, her small face was sparkling and pretty. She was wearing a gold-woven pomegranate skirt, a pearl and jade belt around her waist, a brocade silk dress, and her hair was full of pearls and jade. She exuded a rich and noble air, so bright that it was impossible to look directly at her.
Servants and maids rode horses and gathered around her, like stars surrounding the moon.
It turned out that this was the young lady that Zheng was talking about, who was worthy of the Lu family's status and whom she wanted to marry for Lu Chen.
She is indeed a noble lady.
With such a family background, and being raised by her parents with love and care, she could never compare to them even if she spent her whole life.
Zhe Rou felt an indescribable feeling in her heart for no reason. She couldn't tell whether it was surprise, envy, or something else. In a daze, it seemed like a mixture of feelings, intertwined in her heart, making her tongue feel slightly astringent.
As if she had exhausted all the fun of running, Xu Shiliu Niang dismounted and, surrounded by a group of noble servants and maids, walked towards the colorful tent not far away. The sunlight poured down like a waterfall, making the beads of sweat on her temples sparkle.
The dazzling light was so blinding that Zhe Rou unconsciously withdrew her gaze and sat quietly in the shadow of the curtain, lowering her head to drink tea.
She knew that she was worrying about nothing, but if she cared too much about someone, she would inevitably compare everything related to him and feel that she was inadequate.
Several noble relatives nearby started chatting with each other.
A young lady asked curiously, "During the spring hunt this year, Xu Shiliu Niang didn't dare to ride a horse, but now she has learned it?"
Others laughed, "Who's so bold as to take on this difficult task and become her riding instructor?"
A young lady from an unknown family sighed, "If we don't handle it well, it will be a hot potato. If we handle it well and win her favor, it will bring us huge wealth. The emperor's family now has a grown-up prince, and thinking about becoming a brother-in-law with the royal family in the future, what young man wouldn't be jealous? If it were me, I would also want to marry such a golden and jade Buddha home."
As soon as these words were spoken, the women laughed and joked.
Someone else interrupted, "I know who it is! It seems to be a general named Lu in the Imperial Guards. When Zhang Wulang, the son of the Minister of Rites, heard about this, he was so jealous that he gritted his teeth!"
Zhe Rou was about to put the teacup on the small table when she heard this. Her heart skipped a beat, as if she had stepped on empty air, and she suddenly felt panicky.
The nobles around her were surprised for a moment, then became interested and urged the young lady to tell more.
The man shook his head and continued, "I don't know about anything else, but one time, Zhang Wulang drank too much and cursed at a banquet, 'What's so good about someone with the surname Lu?' Before he could finish his words, his third brother covered his mouth and dragged him out. Oh, you didn't see it, the scene was so spectacular!"
The women over there wanted to continue their conversation, but were suddenly interrupted by Lu Wan.
"Sister-in-law?"
Seeing that Zhe Rou looked unhappy, Lu Wan gently pulled her and asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhe Rou came back to her senses at the sound, smiled gently at Lu Wan, and shook her head, "It's okay."
There are so many generals with the surname Lu, maybe they just happen to have the same surname.
She thought.
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