Chapter 70: People Have Speculations 1 Capital
At the beginning of July, Xun Shu and his group wandered into the capital.
After entering Gyeonggi Province a few days ago, Li Xuanhe had grown increasingly excited, constantly rambling on about his hometown to Xun Shu, the place he'd been born and raised in, the place he knew best. Like a peddler, he eagerly shared all his favorite foods and interesting toys with Xun Shu, offering them for her to choose from.
Xun Shu initially responded with a few polite and agreeable nods, but eventually, exhausted, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep to escape. Even Bi Tao, standing beside him, felt a little overwhelmed, wanting to escape but finding no escape. She knew her place, so she could only force herself to cheer despite her fatigue, her smile already frozen.
After the carriage passed through the city gate smoothly, not only Xun Shu and Bi Tao, but even the driver Yu Chang and the officials of the Dali Temple breathed a sigh of relief.
My ears are finally free.
The carriage churned along the smooth cobblestone road without a single bump. Xun Shu lifted the curtain and gazed out at the completely unfamiliar streetscape. Finally, a sense of surprise and a strange familiarity filled her as she arrived in Beijing. She had never been outside the Jiangnan region, but she had heard from her fellow apprentices who had returned from their travels about the capital's prosperity. She wasn't drawn to it, but rather felt curious.
The prosperity of the capital unfolded as the carriage moved forward, unfolding like a picture scroll. The avenues were wide, clean and tidy; the markets were bustling, with shops lining the streets. The cries of vendors and the chatter of pedestrians mingled, the hustle and bustle of people came and went; the flow of luxury cars was endless, overwhelming, and the bustle was extraordinary.
As expected of Daliang's capital and the most prosperous place, it is indeed very different from Chaozhou.
Xun Shu was so overwhelmed that she only came to her senses after the carriage had passed two markets. She said, "Is there a cheap inn in the capital? You can take me there." She put her hand on her bag, calculating the remaining money, and added, "Let's find the cheapest one. I heard everything in the capital is expensive. I'm afraid I won't have enough money to stay until I find Uncle Jiang. I have to be frugal."
Li Xuanhe was stunned, his joyful mood instantly being poured down with a bucket of cold water, leaving him feeling completely chilled. He said in a daze, "Why did Ah Shu choose to stay at the inn? Since you're in the capital, you should stay at my house. I also stayed at your house in Chaozhou!"
Xun Shu glanced at him and said in surprise, "Of course I can stay at your house. However, although I have never been to the capital and have never met the royal family, I know that princesses always live in the princess's mansion after marriage. You haven't opened your own mansion yet, right? Since you live in the princess's mansion, you are not the owner of the mansion. How can I stay here without the owner's permission? I am not the kind of person who lacks etiquette."
Li Xuanhe scratched his head, feeling somewhat dejected. "I'm not living in the Princess's Mansion, but in the Marquis' Mansion. My family's situation is different. My father holds a title and lives in the Marquis' Mansion. After my mother married him, she moved in to accommodate him. You're right, I'm not the owner of the mansion, but I wrote to my mother before I came. She knew you would be coming to the capital and wanted to meet you." He suddenly thought of something and cheered up again. "Besides, you and Uncle Jiang saved me. Mother and father will definitely thank you. Aren't you looking to trade this for a reward? Come with me back to the Marquis' Mansion, and I'll go to the accounting office to exchange it for you."
There was actually a reward! Xun Shu was so short of money. After leaving Chaozhou and the coffin shop, she was short of money everywhere. If it weren't for Li Xuanhe's help, the money she took from Jiang Zheng's house wouldn't be enough to support her to walk to the capital.
Seeing Li Xuanhe say this, Xun Shu no longer refused and nodded, saying: "In this case, I will bother you."
Li Xuanhe breathed a sigh of relief, revealing a few big white teeth: "I am your third brother, why are you being polite to me?"
The two of them decided on a place to stay, while Bitao looked at the scenery outside the window, but she was still a little nervous.
Throughout the journey, Xun Shu had always treated her like a friend, and while Li Xuanhe hadn't paid much attention to her, he hadn't given her any trouble either. Now, hearing that the two were going to stay at the Princess's residence, she couldn't bring herself to trouble them any further. She immediately said, "My two benefactors, I'm deeply grateful for your care along the way. I've heard there's plenty of money to be made in the capital. I'll take my leave now, and perhaps I can find work before nightfall. When I make some money, I'll definitely repay you."
"No rush," Li Xuanhe said. "You can pretend to be Ah Shu's maid and go with us to the princess's mansion. Once we return to the capital, I won't be able to always be with Ah Shu. She's alone and unfamiliar with the place, so she'll be lonely. You can stay with Ah Shu as a companion, and don't let others bully her. When I have some free time in a few days, I'll help you find a kind employer and some easy work. After all, we were the ones who brought you from Ningyuan Village to the capital, and we can't really leave you to fend for yourself."
Bi Tao nodded hurriedly. If the carriage hadn't been so cramped, she would have knelt down to thank them. "I have no way of repaying you two benefactors for your kindness. In my next life, I will serve you like a slave and repay you with my debt of gratitude." She raised her head and looked at Xun Shu. "One more thing. You two helped me escape from Ningyuan Village. I also want to completely forget the bad things in the past and start over. I would like to ask you to give me a new name to help me change my appearance."
Xun Shu blinked his eyes and said, "I haven't read much, so I'm afraid I can't come up with a good name."
"It doesn't matter. No matter what the name is, it's the girl's blessing to me."
Seeing her insistence, Xun Shu no longer refused. He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking, "Among Fuxi's sixty-four hexagrams, there's one called the Ze Shui Kun hexagram. The upper hexagram is Dui, meaning marsh, and the lower hexagram is Kan, meaning water. A vast marsh with little water, all creatures in the water are in distress. Water accommodates all things, benefits all things, flows to the four seas, free and unfettered, and adaptable to whatever happens. From now on, your name will be Ah Shui. I hope you can break through your difficulties like water."
Ah Shui!
Ah Shui's eyes were full of gratitude: "Thank you for the name, Miss!"
The carriage passed through most of the city and drove into Chongrenfang, where dignitaries gathered, and finally stopped in front of the Pingyang Marquis Mansion.
The vermilion-lacquered gate stood wide open, two majestic stone lions perched before it. A plaque inscribed with the late emperor's handwriting hung above the lintel, its inscriptions in bold, gold ink on a black background. Quite a number of people stood outside, apparently having heard of Li Xuanhe's arrival and gathered at the gate a moment in advance.
The car door opened, and Li Xuanhe jumped out first. He waited for the servants who surrounded him to put down the stool and helped Xun Shu get out of the car.
Xun Shu rested his hand on Li Xuanhe's palm for a moment, then jumped off the carriage. Before he could stand still, he heard laughter coming from not far away: "Look, Sanlang has learned to take care of others after going out for a while."
Xun Shu looked up.
A young woman dressed as a woman and an unmarried girl of about the same age stood in front of the marquis's mansion, surrounded by maids, looking at Xun Shu and A Shui with a smile.
There was no smile in their eyes, their chins were slightly raised, and their expressions were quite arrogant, which reminded Xun Shu of the only daughter of the owner of the largest cloth shop in Chaozhou City. When everyone was coveting the few rags in her family, no one knew what she was so arrogant about.
Li Xuanhe saw Xun Shu standing firm, then he went to greet the two of them. The moment he turned around, Xun Shu did not miss the impatience that flashed in his eyes.
It seems that he doesn't like these two people.
"It's so hot, why is the Crown Prince's wife waiting outside? It's really embarrassing for me."
The Crown Prince's wife smiled and said, "That's what I said, but Lan Xin insisted on waiting here, saying she wanted to be the first to see you." She pushed the girl beside her half a step forward and said, "During the six months you were gone, Lan Xin really thought you were sick and was always worried about you."
Qin Lanxin's cheeks flushed, and her eyes were bright and beautiful. She looked at Li Xuanhe and said softly, "Third brother..."
Xun Shu raised his eyebrows. "Third brother? How many good sisters does he have?"
Li Xuanhe ignored her, tilting his head slightly to introduce Xun Shu beside him: "This is my eldest brother's wife. My eldest brother is the child of my father and his wife Yuan, and he is also the prince of Pingyang Marquis's mansion. My second sister and I are born to my mother, not the same mother as my eldest brother. The person next to the prince's wife is her younger sister, who often stays at the mansion." After he finished the introduction, he explained softly, "Ashu, don't listen to her nonsense. I am my mother's youngest child. I don't have any brothers or sisters. I am not her third brother."
Qin Lanxin stood there in a daze, her lips, which had just been vibrant and juicy, instantly faded to a pale color. Before she could react, she heard the strange girl slowly say, "I think she likes you."
Everyone in the mansion knew what Qin Lanxin was thinking, but no one had ever publicly stated it. Suddenly, Xun Shu brought it out, and she felt so embarrassed that she almost cried.
After all, she was a girl, and even if Li Xuanhe had no feelings for her, he didn't want to embarrass her. He just looked at Xun Shu and raised his eyebrows and said, "I have been popular since I was young. From the elderly to the infants, everyone likes me. It's no wonder that she likes me."
Xun Shu's mouth twitched. "How shameless." She looked at the Crown Prince's wife, Qin Huixin, bent her knees slightly, and bowed. "Nice to meet you. My name is Xun Shu. What's your name, Madam?"
Ever since becoming the wife of the Marquis of Pingyang, Qin Huixin had never been treated with such contempt. Her brows furrowed, her smile barely visible. She wanted to lash out at Xun Shu, but thinking of the rumors and seeing Li Xuanhe's protective expression standing nearby, she forced a stiff smile and said, "Mother has been waiting for you for a long time. Let's go in and talk."
Xun Shu had been asking out of politeness, and when she didn't answer, he wasn't annoyed, but rather relieved. This person had a bad face, and getting too close to her might implicate her and bring disaster upon himself.
Li Xuanhe led Xun Shu through the entrance hall, around the hanging flower gate, and when they reached the front hall, they immediately spotted Princess Changping standing at the main hall entrance. His smile grew even brighter, and he ran a few steps in front of the princess, stopping and bowing politely. "Mother, I'm back. I'm sorry you worried."
The princess glanced at Li Xuanhe and saw that he was in good shape and not thin. She pushed him aside and looked at Xun Shu with a smile: "This is Miss Xun, right?
The eldest princess was over forty, and had maintained herself in excellent condition. She had a voluptuous figure, a graceful demeanor, and a kind expression, looking like she hadn't experienced the slightest bit of frost, a true royal beauty.
Xun Shu took a step forward and fell to his knees, imitating the way he did in opera, and kowtowed to the princess: "I, Xun Shu, greet Her Royal Highness the Princess."
The eldest princess hurried forward and helped Xun Shu up, smiling gently: "Miss Xun, since you are He'er's savior, you are also my benefactor. In the future, please do not show such great courtesy."
Li Xuanhe took the eldest princess's arm and said affectionately, "Mother, I've said it before, Ah Shu is an excellent girl. Not only has she been practicing Taoism since she was young, she also knows how to observe the stars, is proficient in wood carving, is good at painting on wood, and knows etiquette. She is really good!"
The princess tapped Li Xuanhe's forehead with her finger and said with a smile, "You've mentioned it many times in your letters, and mother has known about it for a long time." She took Xun Shu's hand and walked into the hall, saying, "I have someone clean up a courtyard for you, so you can stay here with peace of mind. There will be a banquet in the palace tonight to welcome you two..."
The three of them walked towards the main hall while chatting and laughing, leaving the Qin sisters in the courtyard with no one to greet them.
Qin Huixin looked at the backs of the three people and gritted her teeth.
The eldest princess had always disliked the prince left by the late Marquis of Pingyang's wife, and consequently, her. She maintained only superficial courtesy, sometimes even pretending she didn't exist. But her father had this bizarre idea, wanting his sister Lanxin to marry the princess's own son, thus firmly securing the Marquis of Pingyang's two legitimate sons... Why didn't he consider how impossible this was?! Besides earning her constant disdain in the palace and making the eldest princess even more resentful of her, what good would this do?
My father always said that the eldest princess had a good temper and was easy to control, but why didn't he think about how many princesses the late emperor had, and how many of them were still alive today and could still bear the title of eldest princess and be respected by others? Could they be ordinary women?
Qin Lanxin, who was standing by, seemed to sense her elder sister's emotions and whispered, "Sister, what should we do..."
Qin Huixin closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was much calmer. She said calmly, "It's okay. Doesn't father have a plan? Just follow it."
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