Chapter 21 Let Me Warm Your Bed
But she is not Lin Yuan.
Xiao Jin clicked his tongue and said, "Huaiyang is truly a land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. Even the women in the countryside are so lovely. A few days ago, I met a woman whose beauty was not hidden by her simple clothes and hairpins. She was a rare beauty in the world."
Seeing that Xiao Xun's gaze was still on the woman, Xiao Jin spoke without restraint, clapping his hands and sighing, "They really are uncle and nephew. No wonder Uncle is in no hurry to get married. My cousin's wife used to be quite fierce, and now that she has lived in the north for so many years, she must be even more formidable. If she becomes my wife, how can I have any freedom? Fortunately, my father proposed marriage for me back then, but Shu Dan rejected it outright."
The smile in Xiao Xun's eyes gradually faded and cooled.
Xiao Jin realized he had misspoke and quickly tried to correct himself: "I meant that after all these years, my aunt must have grown into a heroine, oh no, she already had the spirit of a heroine back then. When she hit me back then, every punch landed hard, she didn't hold back at all."
The jade hairpin in front of me shimmered wildly in the snow.
It disappeared again very quickly.
After questioning the woman, Ling Feng whispered in Xiao Xun's ear, "That woman is a bit confused. She insists that the hairpin was a gift from a deity."
"Immortals?" Xiao Xun frowned. "Where are the immortals?"
Ling Feng looked uneasy: "She's gone. She said she was just here, but now, I don't know where she is."
Lin Yu had just noticed that Lin Yuan's face was red from the wind and was worried that she had been out for too long and caught a cold, so she coaxed her to go back to the palace with Li Ao and Wang Ao to help prepare the New Year's Eve meal.
Lin Yuan then boarded Chang Gui's carriage back to the Prince's Mansion and left.
Xiao Xun snapped out of his reverie and asked Xiao Jin, "Do you know if any of these disaster victims are refugees?"
"This..." Xiao Jin couldn't answer.
“When I arrived, I heard that a couple of days ago, some people mingled among the disaster victims, intending to cause trouble.” Xiao Xun looked at the faint bruises on Xiao Jin’s face. “At the end of the year, natural disasters can easily disturb people’s peace of mind. We must be wary of these unidentified migrants.”
Xiao Jin expressed his admiration and repeatedly agreed.
Xiao Xun then asked, "How many people were affected by the disaster?"
Xiao Jin hurriedly replied, "More than two thousand people."
When he submitted a memorial to the Prince of Huaiyang requesting pork, he asked Prime Minister Cui for the exact amount.
A pig weighs 200 jin (100 kg), and each person consumes 2-3 jin (1-1.5 kg) of meat. Therefore, 30 pigs would be sufficient.
He was just regretting that he had forgotten that a pig's 200 jin (100 kg) contains a lot of pork bones.
Xiao Xun lowered his voice: "More than two thousand? How much is 'more'?"
"..."
"In Cuiwei Township, how many households were affected by the disaster? According to the township, county, and village registers, how many people should be affected?"
"..."
"How many refugees entered Huaiyang Kingdom every day before the snow disaster?"
Before Xiao Jin could even stammer out a word, Xiao Xun said, "Never mind, Ling Feng."
Ling Feng, the Minister of the Imperial Household, was ordered to take the imperial seal and command Cui Heng to increase the number of guards at all the city gates of Huaiyang.
All refugees entering or leaving the country must have their identities and records checked; they must not conceal anything.
Anyone without proper identification or whose behavior is suspicious shall be immediately detained and taken to the Prince of Huaiyang's residence to be reported to the Minister of Ceremonies.
As the eve of the Lunar New Year approached, the Prince of Huaiyang's residence was in a state of bustling activity.
Xiao Cheng had heard about the civil unrest a few days ago and had already become suspicious.
The man was skilled in martial arts and intended to cause trouble, but he was unarmed and did not carry any weapons.
It's clear they're only here to disrupt public morale and don't intend to harm innocent civilians.
The Huaiyang Kingdom was in great chaos, and the capital was abolished to govern the prefecture. Only one person benefited from this.
But just as Xiao Cheng heard Chang Gui's report, Xiao Xun had already arrived in Huaiyang.
No one can predict how the civil unrest and rumors will unfold. Therefore, he would never risk his life to come.
So, who exactly is it?
Also, what exactly is Xiao Xun here for?
Xiao Cheng squinted as he thought.
A white feather drifted down from above.
Before me was the song of heavy snow, which the princess had spent five whole hours arranging.
A woman dressed in green with white hair was dressed as the Green Maiden, who was in charge of frost and snow.
She held a seven-stringed zither, standing alone in the world.
The strings resonate, and the dance begins.
Her robes fluttered, her feathered garments swirling like snowflakes, rising with the wind.
As the scene before them became a blur, the dancers' feathered robes grew thinner and thinner, and they bent over, bowing their heads and singing softly.
The human voices were melodious, the flute and chime joined in the music, and the zither music gradually became mournful.
The song of heavy snow has been transformed into a tale of saving the world.
Qingnu remained indifferent, standing alone to one side, her hand caressing the strings of her zither, the sound of the strings becoming more intense.
The music was mingled with drumbeats. A cacophony of sounds, a bustling, lively atmosphere.
A woman holds a peach wood staff and performs a sword dance.
Flowing like clouds and water, moving like a rabbit, with colorful tassels fluttering, it's like a swimming dragon.
The drumbeats gradually became more synchronized.
The female dancers removed their feathered robes, revealing silk garments.
The water shimmered, like the setting sun.
They sang while beating drums, and the song went:
Frost Goddess sends down calamities, the common people suffer from cold and desolation. Cries of mournful cries echo across the fields, sorrowful clouds obscure the sunlight.
Wise and virtuous men, with hearts full of benevolence and righteousness, rode their horses to the disaster-stricken villages. They opened granaries to distribute grains and rice, and spread porridge to relieve hunger.
Amidst the stirring drumbeats, the sword finally pointed at the seven-stringed zither, its blade plucking across the strings.
The music ended.
The maiden bowed low.
The dancer's eyes were like autumn water, her lips held a smile, and her body seemed boneless.
"Ah Cheng, what do you think of this dance?" The dancer in front of me has changed to the face of the princess.
Xiao Cheng clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Wonderful, wonderful!"
The princess smiled gently and reached out her finger to hook the jade belt hook at Xiao Cheng's waist.
Even after being married for many years, Xiao Cheng's face still flushed and his heart raced.
He took a singer as a concubine, but only because he was attracted to her appearance. He treated her as a plaything, just like his other concubines.
Unexpectedly, the princess was like a piece of uncut jade. Once peeled back, she was found to be exquisitely beautiful, with flawless skin and a delicate frame. She was a rare gem, a treasure.
He is knowledgeable and interested in music; he has a natural talent.
After entering the palace, she learned poetry and music from the palace ladies who came to teach her etiquette. She mastered them almost instantly, surpassing the noble ladies in the palace's backyard who had studied poetry, literature, and the Six Arts since childhood.
Even the formerly arrogant female historian couldn't help but praise her.
The princess moved gracefully with delicate steps.
Xiao Cheng, feeling utterly lost, followed forward.
The setting sun cast its slanting rays upon the long corridors and winding paths, all shrouded in mist, with only the princess's alluring smile remaining within the fog.
A short couch then appeared faintly in the mist.
Oh no, it's a plan with several options.
Xiao Cheng then realized that this was the main hall of the Prince's mansion, the Jade Flower Hall, where guests were entertained.
The steaming copper pots were already placed on everyone's tables.
Inside the hall, clouds and mist swirled.
"I recently made a new acquaintance with a young lady. My husband would never guess that she is actually a palace maid who was released from the palace."
Xiao Cheng casually replied, "A palace maid released from the palace? She's not young anymore."
The princess smiled and said, "In the palace, twenty-five is the age for release, but that young lady looks to be under twenty. When I asked further, I learned that she was a palace maid from the Jiaofang Palace. That makes sense."
Xiao Cheng was shocked: "Jin'er took in a palace maid who was sent out from outside, and she's from the Jiaofang Palace? What's her background? We must find out more about her."
The princess retorted, "Where? She came to the manor with the Master Lin whom Jin'er invited."
Xiao Cheng relaxed: "Oh, so you came with Master Lin. Then there's nothing more to investigate."
The princess bit her lip lightly and argued, "I had no suspicions about the people Jin'er invited to the manor. Besides, this young lady is beautiful and refined, with a clever and kind heart. I was delighted to see her."
"Oh, so beautiful—oh, such a lovely lady, what a pity—"
Under the princess's sidelong glance, Xiao Cheng sighed, "What a pity, why wasn't it Xiao Jin who brought it back?"
"Let's not talk about Jin'er for now. Serving His Majesty well is the most important thing. I made an excuse to ask my young lady friend what kind of food His Majesty likes."
The princess pointed to the table and said, "Now I know that His Majesty likes pots and pans."
She chuckled and sighed, "I heard that His Majesty wolfs down his food whenever he eats hot pot. He's still got the temperament of a young boy, just like Jin'er!"
However, Xiao Xun, seated in the seat of honor in the Jade Flower Hall, rarely touched his chopsticks.
Last Lunar New Year's Eve, Lin Yuan prepared a hot pot for him.
He couldn't remember what kind of meat, vegetables, sauce, or broth he ate, nor did he even glance at it.
He was never picky about food, nor did he care about it.
In his eyes, from beginning to end, there was only Lin Yuan's black hair, Lin Yuan's starry eyes, Lin Yuan's red lips, Lin Yuan's pearly teeth, and Lin Yuan's smile.
This is a true feast.
I still remember that day, he rode Tayun and sped all the way to Jiaofang Palace.
Upon reaching the gate, he dismounted, slowed his pace, and stopped to ask Wang Fu, "Is there anything wrong with my attire?"
Wang Fu lowered his head and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, there is nothing wrong."
"You didn't even look at it," Xiao Xun scolded him.
"Your Majesty is born with the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, and has always been impeccably dressed." The eunuch Wang suppressed a laugh, still not raising his head. "Moreover, Lady Lin, like this old servant, dares not look directly at Your Majesty's face."
Xiao Xun blushed slightly. Fortunately, Wang Fu didn't look up, so no one saw it.
He rebuked in a stern voice: "Staying up late on New Year's Eve is about seeing the heavens and earth. Before the heavens and earth, one should naturally straighten one's clothes and appearance. What does this have to do with the palace women?"
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty is absolutely right."
Xiao Xun adjusted the jade hairpin on his crown himself. The eunuch Wang smoothed out the wrinkles on his black robe caused by riding a horse.
Wang Fuben was somewhat puzzled. His Majesty usually preferred white, so why had he suddenly changed to a set of jade hairpins a few days ago? Now he understood.
He smiled as he watched Xiao Xun slowly walk towards the side hall.
As soon as the door opened, clouds filled the air, obscuring the clothes and hat, making them impossible to see.
"The eunuch Wang told me that His Majesty has not eaten yet, so I have prepared a hot pot. I wonder if His Majesty would like it?"
Lin Yuan's smiling face emerged from the steam.
"Yes," Xiao Xun replied solemnly.
Lin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "I like it too, I like it piping hot."
Xiao Xun nodded and casually agreed, "I also like it piping hot."
Once he sat down and began to eat, he realized that the steaming hot food was indeed a benefit of the pot.
She bent down to cook the vegetables and set them out, while he watched her intently.
Xiao Xun's face flushed and turned red, even his earlobes turned red.
That's all because of the heat from the pot!
When you take the cooked vegetables from Lin Yuan's hand, your fingertips will touch hers.
He ate very quickly, swallowing the food before he could even taste it.
Actually, it still has some flavor.
It feels tingly and numb.
From fingertips all the way to the tip of the tongue.
The pot in front of me was steaming hot, and the flavor was spicy and numbing.
Xiao Xun had just taken a bite and wondered if people in Huaiyang had a strong palate, as there was a lot of Sichuan peppercorns in the pot.
Even though he never had any dietary requirements, he couldn't eat.
Gongsun Zhao and Ling Feng, however, had a hearty appetite and, together with the Prince of Huaiyang and his heir, toasted and drank merrily, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Perhaps it was because they had been in a snowy, icy place for the past few days, rarely enjoying hot soups or nourishing baths, and having little food to warm their stomachs. In addition, the two of them were both soldiers by training, so they were not picky about food.
Only the princess kept glancing towards the seat of honor, sitting as if on pins and needles, her face showing discomfort.
...
"Then, what kind of seasonings does His Majesty prefer? Onions? Mustard? Or coriander, or peonies?"
Under the setting sun, the princess held Lin Yuan's hand and walked side by side.
She inquired further, "Oh, is that so? His Majesty has no heir yet. Now that the Empress has just been deposed, he will surely announce it to the world soon and establish a new Empress. At that time, the Huaiyang Kingdom will come to Chang'an to offer their congratulations. The Prince of Huaiyang and I have not attended court for many years. The Huaiyang Kingdom is blessed with abundant resources, with millet, rice, fish, pigs, cattails, and bamboo, all more plentiful than in Chang'an. The Prince of Huaiyang and I are thinking that we should find an opportunity to host a banquet for His Majesty and the Empress to enjoy their food and bring a smile to their faces. It will be a simple, homely meal, not extravagant, but showing our sincerity."
The princess paused, then added with a smile, "Moreover, Huaiyang is His Majesty's royal land. His Majesty was young and rarely set foot there. He should taste the meat, vegetables, and rice produced there and share the joy with the people of Huaiyang."
Xiao Xun traveled incognito and stayed at the Prince's residence, not wanting anyone to know his identity. Even when facing former palace servants, the Princess could not reveal the news.
Moreover, the age at which this palace maid left the palace is questionable, and her identity document happens to be found in the snow of Cuiwei Mountain, making it difficult to verify in the short term.
His words were perfectly watertight.
Lin Yuan had no doubt.
"Although I served in the Jiaofang Palace, the Princess Consort must know that there are hundreds or even thousands of palace servants in the Jiaofang Palace. I have never served the Empress closely, let alone had the honor of seeing His Majesty." Lin Yuan had managed to leave the palace by taking advantage of a loophole, and did not even have a proper official status, so she deliberately concealed the fact that she had served in front of the Emperor.
However, she also tried her best to reciprocate.
"There was a palace maid who served tea, and we were on good terms. We shared a room. She had served tea to His Majesty during his meals, and I noticed. She had mentioned to me that His Majesty—"
She paused, slapped her forehead, and remembered, "Oh, right, I like Sichuan peppercorns!"
"Sichuan peppercorns? You mean adding Sichuan peppercorns to the hot pot?"
The princess was somewhat surprised, but seeing that her young friend had clear eyes and a sincere expression, she did not seem to be joking.
Lin Yuan nodded deeply: "Yes, Your Majesty likes the spiciness of Sichuan peppercorns."
She vividly remembers that last year, freshly cooked vegetables would disappear in no time after they reached Xiao Xun's hands.
As soon as the bowl was emptied, Xiao Xun stared intently at her—although he followed the etiquette of not speaking while eating, his gaze was clearly urging and blaming himself for not serving her well enough.
Lin Yuan's face was burning hot on one side, and she was very attentive, even a little flustered.
When the mutton reached Xiao Xun's lips, she vaguely noticed that it had been dipped in the wrong sauce, with several whole peppercorns stuck to it.
She hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Actually, before I could even speak, the moment I saw the Sichuan peppercorns, the mutton was gone.
Thinking she was doomed, Lin Yuan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, she saw a rare smile on His Majesty's lips.
Xiao Xun, perceptive as ever, noticed the princess's troubled expression, smiled, and praised, "The dishes in Huaiyang are truly delicious; my sister-in-law must have put in a lot of effort."
The princess breathed a sigh of relief and raised her glass in a toast.
Xiao Cheng also breathed a sigh of relief.
He observed Xiao Xun for half a day and found that he was in low spirits. Apart from being offered a toast, he was taciturn, polite but distant, ate very little, and drank very little wine.
He knew very little about his younger brother.
When he was in Chang'an, he lived in a prince's mansion outside the palace. Since he was almost a generation younger than him, they rarely had any contact.
After taking up his post, he remained detached from the court. Even when Su Dan tried to win over the Xiao family princes in order to allow Xiao Xun to assume power as soon as possible, he was determined to keep his distance.
The emperor was young, and Su Dan and Qu Yang were sworn enemies. Su Dan was merely using the emperor's assumption of power as a shield in his power struggle. If he succeeded, Su Dan might very well become the next Qu Yang.
He was unwilling to get involved, so he used Su Dan's refusal of the marriage proposal as an excuse to shut him out, without mentioning it or reporting it to the authorities.
However, the emperor had only just gained power and, with lightning speed, removed a thorn in the side of the court.
Now that they have come from afar, I wonder if they consider the past actions of the Huaiyang Kingdom as a thorn in their side.
He brought the Dingbang Bow with him.
Firstly, under the pretext of the displaced people's unrest, the Minister of Ceremonies was put in charge of the security of the city gates of Huaiyang.
Thinking of this, Xiao Cheng's slightly plump cheeks trembled involuntarily.
He joked, "My dear brother, if you hadn't said that, I'm afraid I would have had to sleep in the study again tonight."
The atmosphere in the hall relaxed for a moment, which led to a burst of laughter.
Xiao Jin couldn't help but cover his face, turn away, and sigh deeply for his father.
Xiao Xun smiled and said, "The Prince of Huaiyang and his wife are a model of marital harmony, truly enviable."
"A harmonious marriage?" Xiao Jin suddenly laughed and said, "Uncle, you don't know this, but one day my mother had a sudden urge to cook a soup and personally served it to my father. My father was overjoyed. But then, she forgot to remove the gall bladder from the fish soup. My father couldn't refuse to eat it, and his eyebrows and eyes started to bulge. From then on, whenever my mother raised the tray, my father would tremble."
The princess raised her eyebrows and glared angrily: "You said you felt sorry for my hands getting wet, saying that if they got cold and swollen, it would be difficult to play the zither. It turns out you just dislike the food I make."
The golden goblet in the Prince of Huaiyang's hand trembled violently: "Madam, please calm down. It was just a child's joke, a joke!"
He glared at Xiao Jin again: "Thirty pigs wouldn't be enough to shut you up?"
The princess threw the wine cup onto the table and whispered a few instructions to her maid.
Xiao Cheng was so anxious that he wanted to cry, and blurted out, "My lady, my good lady, my good princess, if no one warms your bed, won't your bed become a cold couch too?"
Xiao Xun coughed softly twice, breaking the awkward silence in the hall, and advised, "It seems that we shouldn't say 'a couple living in perfect harmony,' but rather 'a harmonious union like the sound of zither and lute.'"
Xiao Cheng said self-deprecatingly, "Yes, yes—the zither is above, I am below, only the zither remains."
Everyone's face was flushed red from the steam of the copper pot.
The princess's face was flushed as if she had just applied rouge: "I have just given the order that the female musicians in the manor should perform a new dance to entertain everyone while they drink."
As soon as the side door of Yuhua Hall opened and the curtains were rolled up, a wide-open space suddenly appeared before us, leading to the waterside pavilion in the garden.
Below, in the pavilion, a long stretch of bamboo mats was laid out.
Above, on a snow-covered night, stars were scattered across the sky.
The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments drifted through the night.
It also drifted to Tingquan Courtyard.
Lin Yu and the others were also preparing hot pot.
Both women were very busy.
Lin Yuan couldn't help. She was about to wash the vegetables when He Ji beat her to it, putting her hands in the cold water. When she tried to move the copper pot, she bumped into its handles, and Lin Yu took it from her. When she wanted to cut the mutton, Wang Ao occupied the cutting board, and with a twist of her waist, she pushed Lin Yuan aside.
She wandered aimlessly, then pushed open the lattice window and exclaimed in surprise, "So many stars!"
Lin Yu walked over and put a slightly worn lambskin coat over her head.
He laughed and said, "Do you remember when you were eight years old, on New Year's Eve, there wasn't a single star in the sky? You made a fuss all night, insisting that if you stayed up like this, your wishes wouldn't come true."
Lin Yuan recalled her childhood memories and her eyes crinkled with laughter: "Didn't my brother immediately conjure up lots of stars for me?"
He Ji was washing the cabbage and hadn't even drained the water from the leaves when he heard this. He quickly shoved the wet cabbage into Li Ao's hands, shook his hands, and squeezed between the brother and sister.
Behind him, Li gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath, "He Laosi, you've ruined everything! You've made me soak a new dress!"
Since arriving at the Prince's Mansion and moving into the Golden Hall, Li Ao vowed to emulate the Lady of the Prince's Mansion—or at least the maids in the mansion—and her behavior became much more dignified.
It was as if she wore an invisible hair ornament on her head and an invisible pendant hanging from her waist.
Even the word "I" was changed to a humble way for women to refer to themselves.
At first, this puzzled Wang for a while, but then she realized why Li had said she had sons and daughters but never received any filial piety from them; it turned out that she was a concubine.
So whenever Wang looked at Li, her eyes were filled with sympathy, and she stopped arguing with her about whether the charcoal brazier in the room was a foot closer to the west-facing couch or eight inches closer to the east-facing bed.
Li Ao took this gaze as a sign of awe, raised her head three inches higher, and seemed a few years younger, mimicking the graceful movements of the women from the royal palace.
When Wang Ao saw this, she slapped her thigh in distress. "Oh dear," she exclaimed, "it must be because she was thinking about the past and felt bad. Her body is hunched over, and she can't even walk properly anymore."
Even He Ji couldn't help but ask three times:
"Aunt Li, do you need any herbal paste?"
"You have a back problem, you should get it treated as soon as possible."
"I'll examine you, no consultation fee, just the cost of the medicine."
Li Ao abandoned the vulgarity of a country bumpkin, and even when she cursed, she spoke in a refined manner, her voice not even reaching the curtains.
Therefore, He Ji could not hear a single word; all he could hear was Lin Yuan's laughter.
His eyes sparkled, reflecting Lin Yuan's face: "Oh, how did you conjure up these stars?"
"My brother hung a lot of lanterns on the tree branches," Lin Yuan said with a smile.
"Then, if you make a wish on a star that turns into a lamp, will it still come true?" He Ji asked with great interest.
"It works!" the brother and sister exclaimed in unison.
On the last day of her seventh birthday, Lin Yuan looked at the stars her brother had conjured and made a wish:
I hope my mother will add more meat to the cakes she makes, and stop adding coriander.
She hoped her father would make her a knife for cutting pig feed.
I hope my brother will smile more, and smile every day.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Because there are quite a few flashbacks and digressions, here's a rough timeline (which isn't really important):
In the first year of Jinghe, Lin Yuan entered the palace.
In the winter of the second year of Jinghe, Lin Xiao and Lin Yuan met for the first time. Lin Yuan came to Zichen Pavilion to serve.
On New Year's Eve of the second or third year, there was hangover soup and lanterns, and the "first kiss".
In the winter of the third year of Jinghe, during the assassination attempt at Shanglin Garden, Lin Yuan was wounded while blocking a knife, and Qu Qingchuan was demoted to Shuofang.
On New Year's Eve for three to four years, hot pot
In the spring of the fourth year of the Jinghe era, Qu Yan delivered poison and was imprisoned for plotting to harm the imperial heir. The empress went to Zhaotai Palace in Shanglin Garden to recuperate.
In the late summer of the fourth year, the Xiongnu attacked, and Qu Qingchuan rebelled.
In the late summer of the fourth year, Lin Yuan moved to Shanglin Garden.
In the winter of the fourth year, Qu Qingchuan was beheaded and his head displayed to the public, while Qu Yang was imprisoned.
Four to five years ago, on New Year's Eve, we used to eat steaming hot pot of Sichuan peppercorns.
As for why the "first kiss" mentioned in the previous chapter was in quotation marks, stay tuned for the next chapter, haha.
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