Chapter 68 Men are all fickle.
Lin Yuan saw the phoenix headdress on her head shining with the brilliance of the sun in the wine. The pearls hanging down reflected the redness on her cheeks and the tips of her ears.
The banquet has begun, held in the spacious cabin of the ship, with doors and windows wide open, letting in the blue sky, clear clouds, and fragrant plants.
She was sitting right next to Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun's words lingered in his ears: "Don't you dislike sitting with strangers, clinking glasses, and chatting about everything under the sun?"
With a smile, he leisurely raised his wine cup. "This way, you won't feel uncomfortable, will you?"
He gestured for Lin Yuan to raise her glass as well.
However, everyone in the room was looking in their direction, and no one dared to look directly at the emperor's face. So all their gazes were fixed on the cup.
The half-full cup seemed to weigh a ton; she couldn't lift it.
When Xiao Xun led her to sit at this table, he said, "I don't usually attend banquets like this, and I rarely recognize any of the women here. I'd like to trouble you for a favor. In a little while, someone will inevitably offer a toast or perform a talent. Please tell me their surname and which family they belong to, so I can give them a reward."
Lin Yuan didn't think too much about it and just sat down.
While she was in the carriage, Li Shun told her who had been invited to the banquet at the palace.
Besides Princess Anping, there were also the wife and daughter of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, the sister of the Grand Master of the Palace, the sister of the Commandant of the Guards, the wife and granddaughter of the Grand Commandant, the eldest daughter of the Prefect of the Capital, the wife and daughter of the Marquis of Yan'en, the maternal family of the Empress Dowager, and other daughters of princes and nobles.
Two days ago, Princess Yuzhang and her sister also entered the capital.
The Prince of Yuzhang is now seventy-one years old, while the Princess Consort's younger sister is the exact opposite, only seventeen.
Princess Yan was originally going to come with her cousin, but she fell ill as soon as she arrived in Yuyang. The imperial physician discovered that she was two months pregnant, so she had to return the way she came. Her cousin then came alone.
The well-being of the nation and its people, and the five grains, are the primary priorities of the eight fundamental policies.
No wonder the kings and nobles throughout the country are so eager, even from thousands of miles away, working day and night to send their female relatives into the palace.
As soon as she stepped off the carriage, Lin Yuan greeted all the women who had come to the banquet.
Upon seeing it, they were even more convinced.
Isn't that right?
The wife of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Lady Wang, was plump and surrounded by four daughters of varying ages, from coming of age to adulthood. Just standing there, she evoked the image of a bountiful autumn harvest.
Zheng, a cousin of the Princess of Yan, rode in on horseback. She had a dark complexion and seemed to be familiar with farming.
The younger sister of the Princess of Yuzhang, Lady Luo, was pale, probably due to the long journey and unfamiliar environment. Even with rouge, she couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes, as if she had traveled under the stars and returned under the moon. The Grand Commandant's wife was over sixty years old, lean and wiry. The woman beside her held a sheng (a type of reed pipe instrument) in her arms, half-concealing her powdered face. From a distance, she looked like a half-person-high account book or scroll.
The wife and daughters of Marquis Yan'en, Lady Li, stood under a huge phoenix tree, seemingly worshipping the god of millet.
It wasn't until everyone's eyes were fixed on the wine cup in her hand that she suddenly realized that many of the guests at this spring banquet were unmarried women who rarely left their homes.
They didn't care about the gods of the land and grain, but about the god of matchmaking. They also didn't care about the timing of the seasons, but about the emperor.
Coming to her senses, she looked again and saw that Zheng, the cousin of the Princess of Yan, was agile and spirited, with a unique charm compared to the women of Guanzhong.
Seeing that Lin Yuan couldn't lift the cup, she stood up boldly to help him out, said a speech wishing His Majesty good health and endless happiness, and expressed the wishes of the Prince of Yan and his wife for "peace and stability of the country and tranquility of the land," before drinking the wine in her cup in one gulp.
She probably never expected that the banquet would be held on a boat, and she was still wearing a Hu-style dress, with a red belt around her waist inlaid with pearls, and her hair was tied up high.
Princess Yuzhang was displeased to see that Princess Yan's cousin had won the prize. She forced a smile and asked, "Do all women in Yan like to dress like this? At first glance, I thought it was a handsome young man who had come from somewhere."
Madam Zheng turned around and bowed gracefully to her: "I have long heard that the Princess Consort of Yuzhang and the Prince of Yuzhang are deeply in love. How can you still have eyes for such a handsome young man?"
Princess Yuzhang's face flushed crimson. The words "deeply in love" felt like a slap in the face.
She was the eighth wife of the Prince of Yuzhang, having married him three years prior. While she was pregnant with the Prince of Yuzhang's twenty-fifth son, he also took three beautiful concubines into the household, causing the twenty-fifth son to be born three months prematurely, leading to rumors that he was not his biological child. However, a few months later, one of the concubines gave birth to a twenty-sixth son, claiming that he resembled the Prince of Yuzhang in every way, and even petitioned the emperor to give him a fine name.
Ten days ago, the emperor issued an edict ordering all vassal states to send their noble daughters to a banquet. She immediately understood the purpose of selecting women to enter the palace and made up her mind to ensure that her younger sister would gain the emperor's favor.
In that case, hehe, so what if the emperor named the concubine's son? From now on, the emperor will have to recite the name of her own sister every day.
"Ah Yuan. Ah Yuan."
Xiao Xun called Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan stared at the princess of Yan's cousin, who had a wasp waist and a monkey back, and whose crane-like posture resembled a mantis, lost in thought. He teased her, "Stop looking, I've seen even more beautiful ones."
"When?" Lin Yuan asked, tilting her head.
“January,” he said, taking a sip of wine, his expression slightly tipsy, “Gengyin.”
Lin Yuan recalled the day she rode horses on the grass field of Huaiyang Middle School, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Don't you think my wide-sleeved green robe looks good?"
Xiao Xun observed Lin Yuan's expression and then laughed.
Lin Yuan blushed even more after being teased by him again. She covered her ears and ignored him. Then she heard him say, "It matches your clothes very well."
The two spoke softly. The food tables were far apart, and it wasn't until the Princess of Yuzhang's giggles broke through the music and dance that Xiao Xun looked up.
"The Princess Consort of Yan's younger sister is dressed like this, it seems she wants to put on a horse-riding show for everyone. It's a pity this isn't a grassland, Miss Zheng will probably only be able to put on a crane-riding show!"
Xiao Xun said calmly, "We will pass the Imperial Horse Ranch of Shanglin Garden ahead. If Princess Yuzhang wishes to watch riding and archery, she can disembark and go with Miss Zheng."
Princess Yuzhang fell silent, feeling resentful.
Xiao Xun then asked, "Are you from the State of Yan?"
Zheng was already looking gloomy because of the provocation from the Princess of Yuzhang. When she heard His Majesty ask the question, she quickly answered yes.
"Is this your first time in Chang'an? And you came on horseback?"
Lin Yuan did not fail in her mission; she had already introduced the Prince of Yan's younger sister to Xiao Xun.
Zheng was flattered and surprised: "When the Princess Consort of Yan came here, she was about to reach Hedong County when she fell ill and was found to be pregnant, which delayed her for a few days. I was afraid that I would miss this banquet, so I rode a horse for a whole day to come to Chang'an."
Are all women of Yan this brave?
"Your Majesty, my father was the Commandant of the Yan State. I grew up surrounded by this, which is why I love riding and archery."
"So you're the daughter of a military family. Your father spoils you very much."
Zheng lowered her eyes and smiled, saying, "My riding and archery skills were taught to me by my father himself. Nowadays, my father and I still occasionally race horses to hone our skills."
Xiao Xun chewed over the words "Yan State Lieutenant Zheng Shi" and said with a smile, "I remember that more than three months ago, your father led the Yan army to Shangjun to quell the rebellion and made great contributions. Later, he came to Chang'an with the King of Yan."
Lady Zheng continued, "After Father returned, he told me how prosperous and abundant Chang'an was, how even its curfew was an hour later than in Yan. Moreover, the men of Chang'an were also..."
"How was it?" Xiao Xun asked with great interest.
Zheng's face flushed red, and she lowered her eyes shyly and timidly: "Father said that the boys of Chang'an are different from those of Yan and Dai. Yan is bitterly cold, so the boys are born rugged. Chang'an is the capital, a fertile land, and the emperor also promotes poetry and books, so the boys are more... more... more gentle."
"Since I long for it, I'll stay in Chang'an for a while longer."
Lin Yuan glanced at Xiao Xun, wanting to answer for Zheng Shi, "Ha, the young men of Chang'an are clearly lustful at first sight, hypocritical and sanctimonious."
Mrs. Zheng had already thanked her with a smile.
Xiao Xun issued an order, instructing Ling Feng to select five of the most handsome, imposing, and skilled horsemen and archers from the Imperial Guards to escort Miss Zheng and accompany her on a tour of Chang'an.
Zheng's smile froze on her face, and she was somewhat stunned.
Xiao Xun did not allow her to refuse: "Young Master Zheng only brought two servants and two maids with him. The Princess Consort of Yan, Lieutenant Zheng, and the Prince of Yan are two thousand miles away. I'm afraid they must be worried. I will certainly take good care of you for them."
He called to Wang Lu, "Send someone to send a letter to the Prince of Yan, saying that Lady Zheng is staying in Chang'an and is doing well. Tell Lieutenant Zheng not to worry about her."
Then look at the younger sister of the Princess of Yuzhang. She has a fair and delicate face, like a willow swaying in the breeze, or Xi Shi holding her heart.
She was also very clever. After toasting His Majesty and the others, she took a brocade box from the hands of the maid behind her. Inside was an embroidered handkerchief.
Just as he was about to present it to Xiao Xun himself, after taking only two steps, Wang Lu took it and presented it to him.
The embroidery on the silk handkerchief is very intricate. One side is embroidered with orchids and fragrant grasses, and spring flowers are in full bloom. The other side is embroidered with a blue dragon rising from the clouds. It is a double-sided embroidery with different designs.
Lin Yuan watched in amazement.
Upon closer inspection, the rocks beneath the fragrant grass revealed several neatly arranged small characters that, when put together, formed the phrase: "Yuan and Li orchids, a gentleman is by my side."
She suddenly remembered Lady Xiang.
"The Yuan River has angelica, and the Li River has orchids; I think of my lord, but dare not speak."
It seems that this young lady was not referring to a gentleman, but rather to a monarch. The character 畔 (pàn) likely also means "beside" or "by one's side."
The poems she could think of, Xiao Xun couldn't possibly not have thought of.
Xiao Xun looked on with delight and a smile as he looked at the silk handkerchief that Wang Lu had unfolded, and then asked Wang Lu to accept it.
A pang of sadness welled up in Lin Yuan's heart.
She touched the newly embroidered plum blossom handkerchief in her sleeve, sighed almost imperceptibly, lowered her head, and picked up the teacup.
Upon seeing the cloud and dragon pattern on the bottom of the ear cup, images of a dragon-patterned sachet, a cloud-patterned belt, and a small garment with a dragon and phoenix motifs appeared before my eyes in turn.
Princess Yuzhang was overjoyed to see the amazement in Xiao Xun's eyes: "Your Majesty, my sister is clumsy with words, but her heart is all in this handkerchief. I was just joking, this dense, continuous fabric is not just silk thread, but clearly my sister's heart."
"I can see that."
Xiao Xun said quietly, "With such talent and insight, the younger sister of the Princess of Yuzhang should be allowed to enter the palace."
Princess Yuzhang's eyes lit up, and she pulled her younger sister's arm, about to perform a grand salute.
The princess's younger brother was overjoyed and stammered, unable to speak.
Lin Yuan sipped her tea silently, but the tea left her with a bitter taste.
"He should lead the weaving workshop; only by serving as the weaving workshop commander can he truly live up to his potential."
"?"
The two sisters were halfway through their bow, their hands just reaching their heads, when they heard these words. They wished they could knock themselves unconscious and could only wipe the sweat from their foreheads.
"However, I think that the Luo family is also a prominent family in Yuzhang. The princess's younger sister has been raised in seclusion since childhood and probably does not want to be far from her homeland."
The princess's younger brother, of course, didn't want to be some lousy weaving director. Hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly agreed, taking advantage of the opportunity Xiao Xun had given him, before the princess could even speak.
"That's a real pity. I certainly can't force someone to do something they don't want to do."
Xiao Xun's regret was genuine, and he even rewarded her with eight bolts of grape brocade.
"And this handkerchief."
He then instructed Wang Lu, "Send it to the official residence of the three officials and let the weavers there learn and study the embroidery techniques. The Empress's ceremonial robes should be made with this kind of craftsmanship."
The tea didn't seem so bitter anymore, and there was even a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.
Lin Yuan's laughter was suppressed in her tea, and she didn't put down her cup for a long time.
The one laughing even more heartily was the younger brother of the Princess of Yan.
She laughed and said, "I thought that the Princess Consort of Yuzhang's younger sister was going to rise to a high position after embroidering a blue dragon."
The Grand Minister of Agriculture's four daughters were named after plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, and each of them, true to their names, had their own strengths.
Plum blossoms are vibrant, orchids are elegant, bamboo is tall and slender, and chrysanthemums have a smiling face and are innocent and carefree.
They followed the wife of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, offering toasts to Xiao Xun one by one, each offering a blessing, creating a lively atmosphere. After the toasts, they were supposed to perform a drum dance. The maids behind them, carrying four drums, had been waiting for quite some time.
Unexpectedly, the Crane Cry Boat came to a leisurely stop on Taiye Pond. The cabin faced a high platform in the middle of the lake, where two rows of dancers were dancing. Their silk robes fluttered in the wind, their long sleeves crossed, and the drums beat incessantly—it was the Pan Drum Dance.
The drumbeats seemed to pelt down on them, leaving the plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums momentarily stunned. The plum blossoms lost their beauty, the orchids their serenity, the bamboo slumped, and the chrysanthemums their smiles.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the high platform in the lake, and some people couldn't help but clap their hands or tap their jade cups to keep time.
However, the Princess Consort of Yuzhang, having just suffered a setback, vented her anger on the wife of the Grand Minister of Agriculture.
Taking advantage of her seniority—she was a generation above the person seated above—she asked without any politeness, "What is the purpose of the drum that the Lady of the Grand Minister of Agriculture has prepared? Could it also be a congratulatory gift for His Majesty?"
"..."
The wife of the Grand Minister of Agriculture had already given him over a hundred meaningful glances.
Unfortunately, once she entered the palace, the people around her were replaced by palace maids, and they couldn't understand her intentions.
He handed over water, offered a towel, waved a feather fan, and filled the wine cup. He was hesitating about whether to move the grapes from the Grand Commandant's wife's table as well, and he didn't even think to hide the four drums under the food table.
"Why are you hiding it? Is it gold or silver? Show it to everyone, are you afraid we'll be envious and try to steal it?"
"That's impossible."
The wife of the Grand Minister of Agriculture looked embarrassed, so she simply snatched the feather fan from the maid's hand, fanned her burning heart, and used the fan to cover most of her face.
Fine, let her jump. It won't embarrass her.
Finally, Meihua misheard the music and stepped on the wrong beat, and laughter faintly broke out among the guests.
When Lan Hua got nervous, she tripped over her right foot with her left and fell onto the bamboo, making her laughter even louder.
The bamboo shrank even further, and the chrysanthemums, glistening with dew, seemed on the verge of tears. They uttered a disgruntled "I've made a fool of myself" and left the scene.
Fortunately, Xiao Xun was quite understanding. Seeing Lin Yuan trying to suppress her laughter, her face turning red, he couldn't help but chuckle and say, "Quite interesting." He then rewarded each of them with two horse hoof-shaped gold toys, one for each of the plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum varieties.
The granddaughter of the Grand Commandant's wife put down her sheng (a type of reed pipe instrument) when the banquet began, exuding a scholarly air.
As the drum dance outside the window drew to a close, and the boat reached a vast expanse of open water, surrounded by a boundless expanse of blue with no pavilions or towers in sight, she finally blew the first note.
The plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums stared at each other, their faces growing redder, then bluer, then whiter.
The music drifted far across the lake.
She was playing a piece called Shangling.
After the music ended, they gracefully bowed.
"The water of the sweet spring shines so brightly." She raised her cup to Xiao Xun, "May immortals descend to drink and live for thousands of years."
Just then, a melodious zither tune entered the air, also known as Shangling Melody.
Compared to the clear and melodious sound of the sheng, the sound of the qin is more ancient and profound.
The melody of Shangling is very fitting for today's entertainment. Lin Yuan once read about it in the books of the Eastern Garden of Huaiyang Kingdom.
This is a new song written by the Music Bureau for the Shanglin Garden, praising the immortals for bestowing auspicious omens, which made this fairyland possible. It is evident that the Grand Commandant's granddaughter put a lot of thought into choosing the music and playing it with utmost care.
However, once compared to a newly acquired musical piece and an elegant sentiment, this conventional approach appears somewhat immature.
"When asked where the guest comes from, he replied that he comes from the middle of the water."
The singing drifted into the cabin. The music grew closer.
Everyone looked out curiously. They saw a woman dressed in a jade-green silk robe, sitting on a small boat with oars made of cassia and orchid. She was playing the zither with her head bowed. Her clothes fluttered in the wind.
It seems to be the immortal from that song, riding the wind.
"The red-winged swan of the sea is followed by the white goose."
The small boat drew closer, splashing waves that startled the white geese migrating north.
Lin Yuan saw the woman's profile clearly and couldn't help but stand up from her seat.
-----------------------
Author's note: Comments are welcome as usual.
Ugh, it's so cold! Even the Southeast Asian sunshine can't save me from this chill. [laughing and crying emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
