Mount Ba Night Rain Time

  Three days later, Chang was favored again. On the ninth day of the twelfth month in the thirteenth year of the Dianyuan era, Chang was promoted to Liangyu Pin, Shi was promoted to Gui Ren and given the title "Kang". My prestige also rose with it, gradually approaching that of Empress Hua.

  I pretended to be ill, and Chun'er and Shi Meiren were both ordered to move out of Tongli Palace to avoid the disease. After I recovered, Xuan Ling had no intention of letting them move back. The vast Tongli Palace was left with only me living in it, which didn't seem right for a long time. Now that the two of them have been promoted, and Chun'er is also a simple-minded person, I thought about letting Chun'er move back to the West Wing Hall to live, so it would be convenient to take care of her. As for Shi Meiren, I really don't have much good feeling towards her, plus she was out of favor for three years and then got promoted again, and was also granted a title, she was even more eager to come and flatter, which was truly annoying.

  I then turned to the Empress and had Chun'er move in with me. Originally, Xuan Ling would often stay at Tongli Palace, and Chun'er's move meant that she would have more opportunities to see the Emperor, which made many people jealous.

  Xuan Ling cherished Chun'er's innocent and playful nature, not often summoning her to the palace but also not strictly enforcing the imperial rules on her. The Empress and Feng Shuyi had always been fond of Chun'er, so when she was promoted, they were delighted for her. Xuan Ling only indulged her personality as long as it didn't go overboard. For a while, he even cooled down towards Ling Rong.

  However, Ling Rong seemed to be indifferent to the amount of favor, except for the regret of Mei Zhuang's house arrest, our relationship actually became better.

  This peaceful scene continued for dozens of days, and it wasn't until the last day of the 13th year of the Qianyuan era, New Year's Eve, that he saw Xuan Qing again. This was a day when the entire palace would be celebrating with feasts.

  Last year today, was the day I truly met Xuan Ling, to avoid him I ran at night in the snow-covered alley. Thinking of this, my lips stained with wine fragrance involuntarily smiled.

  Xuan Qing had been traveling in Shu for several months, which was the time when Xuan Ling and I were affectionate. Although Xuan Ling was indifferent to Mei Zhuang, he was still very good to me.

  Xuan Qing had just returned from Shu. The clear and bright eyes were filled with the dust of Ba Mountain and Shu River, which had not been washed away by the prosperous smoke and fire of the capital, and also showed a tired color that was transformed into a warm and elegant smile by his peaceful tone. At this moment, he held a cup of wine in his arms, sat beside the empress dowager, and talked to everyone about the scenery of Shu, the ancient plank road of Jianmen and Zitong, Li Bing's Dujiangyan, the magnificent Qinling Mountains, the difficult-to-climb Sky Ladder Road, the grandeur of the Thousand Buddha Rock carvings, and Du Fu's Xinghua House... Those were the scenes I had imagined in my mind while reading books. His words were extremely clear and refreshing, and his tone was so vivid that it made people feel as if they were there.

  Everyone was attracted by his words, and even the wine and dishes were forgotten. I listened with a distracted mind, occasionally hearing a few sentences, but mostly thinking of the sentences described in books, comparing them to his descriptions of real scenery. Alas, he sat beside the Empress Dowager, far away from me, in the luxurious and elegant atmosphere of the palace, his experiences among the palace women were like a sudden clear stream, vastly different from the secluded life of the past and the intrigue of today.

  The Empress Dowager, although delighted by the performance, had been suffering from a chronic illness since winter, which kept recurring, and her vision was becoming increasingly blurred. As a result, Emperor Xianling repeatedly ordered the imperial physicians to attend to her at the Yu Ning Palace. Poor Wen Shi had just finished treating the Duke of Hu Guo and rushed to the Empress Dowager's palace to serve her. The Empress Dowager couldn't sit for long, so after watching the fireworks, she returned.

  The empress dowager left, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Xuan Ling summoned me to sit beside him and said, "You love listening to these stories the most. Just now, you were so far away that I'm afraid you couldn't hear clearly. Why don't we ask Old Six to retell it once more?" As he spoke, he glanced at Xuan Qing with a smile: "Will you do it?"

  Xuan Qing glanced at me slightly and smiled: "The emperor wants to amuse the beauty with a smile, why should I be stingy with one word?"

  I waved my hand, "Your servant has just heard it clearly, no need for Your Majesty to repeat it again. Please continue as before."

  Xuan Qing sat upright and began to speak of the scenery that had been detained by the autumn rain in Bashan, "Originally, the autumn rain lingered for over a dozen days, and it was inevitable to feel melancholy. Unexpectedly, the night rain in Bashan turned out to be such a beautiful scene, and instead, I lingered for several more days because of this scenery." He spoke slowly: "The 'Hong Jun Xiao Yu' of Emei is like rain but not seen, wetting people's clothes with its lush greenness; the fine rain of Lijiang is more like mist lightly shrouding. The rain in Nanhu Lake in Jiaozhou is a gentle rain that seems to be coming, filling the lake with light smoke. And the rain of Xizi is good only when the water is sparkling and clear, with the mountain colors empty and hazy after the rain. Only the night rain in Bashan is like an old friend's heart, lingering around the windows, either pouring out longing or dispelling melancholy."

  I smiled and bowed: "Your Highness, have you ever stood under the west window on a rainy night, cutting candles and searching for the emotions of ancient people?"

  His gaze lingered on my face for only a moment, and then he smiled calmly: "Sharing the candlelight by the western window is a delightful thing, but what fun can Xiao Wang have alone? It's better to sleep in the rain and have a clear dream."

  I nodded with a pursed mouth, "The prince is indeed elegant and refined. However, it's likely that you won't be able to appreciate the charm of Yishan's words 'When can we together trim the candle by the western window, and talk about the rain at night in Bashan'."

  He slightly restrained his smile, "Yi Shan has a zither in Ba Mountain to reminisce, and Xiao Wang also has poetry and wine to dispel worries." His eyes flickered slightly, saying: "Xiao Wang doesn't understand cutting the western window together, but can enter the dream like Zhuangzi's butterfly dream."

  I raised my sleeve to cover my mouth and smiled at Xuan Ling, who said: "Zhuang Sheng's dawn dream is confused with the butterfly, I don't know if Zhuang Sheng is confused by the butterfly or if the butterfly intentionally wants to confuse Zhuang Sheng?"

  I slightly lowered my head and then raised my eyes with a smile, a hint of serenity in them. "Perhaps the butterfly didn't intentionally enter Zhuangzi's dream."

  Xuan Qing didn't look at me and said: "Maybe it was Zhuangzi himself who wanted to dream of a butterfly."

  Xuan Ling looked at him with great interest: "What did you say?"

  "It's just a matter of having thoughts during the day and dreams at night."

  Xuan Ling couldn't help but applaud and laughed loudly: "So it was Zhuang Sheng who longed for the butterfly."

  Xuan Qing just smiled faintly, as if it had nothing to do with him. "A gentle and virtuous maiden, a gentleman's delight. Perhaps the butterfly is the kind of maiden in Zhuangzi's heart. What does your highness think?"

  Xuan Ling took a sip of wine, "Since childhood, you've been reading history and literature, Father Emperor always said you have a unique perspective." He looked at me: "You're most familiar with poetry and books, what's your take on this?"

  I just smiled to the fullest, "Butterfly is Zhuangzi's ideal, and a virtuous woman is what a gentleman seeks." I softly recited, "The magpie's cry, on the river's isle. Yet it's seeking but unable to obtain, turning and tossing about." I lightly laughed: "Ideals for people, perhaps are not as realistic as being able to grasp them in one's hand, generally more down-to-earth."

  His expression was momentarily awkward and dim, but soon returned to normal. My heart "thumped" with fear that one word would be said out of place and things would become even more awkward.

  I just wanted to remind him, that's all. Maybe he didn't need my reminder at all, he was so clever and could understand everything from my tone. But if I didn't do this, my heart would never be completely at ease.

  Now I'm doing well with Xuan Ling, even though I'm just one of the women he dotes on. But his heart towards me is not superficial.

  I just hope to live safely in the palace on my own.

  I clearly understand that his life is completely different from mine. My fate has been arranged to be one of the many women in the harem; my years are meant to be spent living well within this vermilion palace wall, amidst the ranks of powdered beauties; and my life is only meant to drag on along this long, winding road, until I am exhausted, until I am abandoned by fate's favor, until I am finally submerged by new favorites. The two paths that await me are forever only these: imperial favor, or loss of it.

  But he, his life was too brilliant, like a brocade scroll, just unfolding one corner, with too many unknowns and possibilities, far beyond my reach.

  Besides, there have been too many upheavals in my life already. For someone like him to suddenly appear, especially as a pleasant surprise, is too dangerous; I'd rather admire from afar.

  Safety is what matters most to me.

  The empress and Jing smiled: "In the harem, Zhen Mi's talent should be ranked first. Only she can answer the six kings fluently. If it were me, I would really have nothing to say."

  Feng Shuyi also smiled, "Really? To be honest, I didn't understand what Wang Ye and Mei Mei were saying. What's with the butterfly, Zhuang Sheng, and Shu Nu? I was completely confused."

  Xuan Ling's hand under the table gently grasped mine and said, "They are discussing 'Zhuangzi' and 'The Book of Songs'."

  I smiled warmly at him, "Your Majesty is wise."

  The queen turned to the palace maid behind her and said, "His Majesty and Wang Ye have been discussing with Zhen Bijun for a long time, they must be thirsty, go and fill up the wine prepared by Zhen Bijun."

  The palace maid brought forward a cup of wine as instructed, the cup was made of flawless white jade, and the wine was a clear and transparent golden color.

  I first toasted Xuan Ling, then toasted the Empress, and finally toasted Xuan Qing. Xuan Qing was not eager to drink, but instead carefully observed, lightly sniffed, and turned to look at the Empress.

  "It's Osmanthus wine." Xuan Ling said, "I and Consort Wei picked the newly bloomed osmanthus flowers this autumn together and brewed this wine."

  Xuan Ling used such an intimate tone in front of everyone, I felt a bit awkward and sensed several piercing gazes behind me. So I slowly said: "Take Jiangmi to make wine, when the wine is done, take the newly opened Osmanthus fragrans stamens, drain the dew and soak it in wine, then add a little honey. The entrance is soft and sweet, the taste is sweet but not intoxicating." I used this to ease the awkwardness, "The method is simple, and this wine won't harm your body. If Your Highness likes it, you can brew it yourself."

  Cao Jieyu, who was sitting below, suddenly smiled and said: "The osmanthus wine at the family banquet is indeed very good, but with all the princes present, if we were to serve Maotai, Huishan, Daqu or even grape wine from the Western Regions, it would be even better. I'm sure the flavor would be more rich." The implication was that the wine she had prepared was not good enough for the princes and their consorts, and could not reflect the dignity of the imperial family.

  There are people whose eyes are filled with ridicule and contempt, waiting to see my good show. I just smiled as usual and said: "The war in the southwest has not yet been pacified, since the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have started to be frugal and save for military needs, the harem should follow the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's example of advancement and retreat. With the osmanthus wine made by the Emperor himself instead of expensive wine varieties, it not only shows the Emperor's heart of being frugal but also highlights the closeness and harmony of the imperial family."

  Cao Jieyu smiled humbly: "Sister is really considerate and thoughtful."

  I smiled brightly and said, "Sister is overpraising me. If we're talking about being considerate and thoughtful, how can I compare to my sister?" I suddenly looked at Princess He of Runan and said, "The king's bravery on the battlefield, fighting for our country and killing enemies, is truly something to be proud of in Great Zhou. I suppose the osmanthus wine sent by the concubine has arrived, right?"

  He bowed and said, "Thank you, Princess Jieyou. The wine has arrived, and the king is distributing it to all the generals. They are all grateful for the emperor's and your concern for the soldiers, which greatly boosts their morale."

  "I said, 'Thank you, Princess, for your trouble. The border is cold and bitter, this wine won't get people drunk and delay military affairs, but it can warm up and drive out the chill. In August, the fragrance of osmanthus also relieves the soldiers' homesickness.'"

  He Shi said: "Exactly."

  Xuan Qing suddenly said: "To respect the emperor's heaven-endowed wisdom, to respect the bravery of the soldiers in killing the enemy, I wish you all to drink this cup together." As he spoke, he stood up, raised his head and drank it all in one gulp. He wiped the wine stains from his lips with his sleeve and said loudly: "Good wine!" As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere was greatly eased and became harmonious again.

  I saw the emperor's mother gesture to the empress, who rose with a smile and raised her cup: "Your concubine leads all the ladies of the harem in congratulating Your Majesty on your good fortune and longevity, may the kingdom be peaceful and joyful forever."

  Then they made merry with wine again, what a lively scene.

  In the midst of his busy schedule, he cast a grateful glance at Xuán Qīng, thanking him for helping me out of this predicament. He just smiled lightly and continued drinking his wine, oblivious to everything else.

  Xuan Ling whispered beside my ear: "When did I order you to send wine to comfort the various generals?"

  I turned around and smiled at him: "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, can't I help Your Majesty share the worries?" I paused slightly, my voice getting lower, almost inaudible, "The military needs Your Majesty to stabilize it, and the rewards will naturally be given by Your Majesty. No need to rely on others."

  He maintained a calm and composed expression on the surface, but his mouth still involuntarily curled up, revealing a satisfied smile. His hand under the table intertwined with mine, finger by finger.

  As gentle as the April breeze blowing across my heart, I tremble slightly, a blush spreading across my face as I smile and lower my head.

  However, before she could finish, Tian Gui suddenly said: "Elder sister Yu's advocacy for frugality is indeed very good. But I've heard that elder sister has a pair of jade shoes made from Shu brocade and adorned with pearls, extremely luxurious. May I be so lucky as to have a glimpse?"

  Xuan Ling gave her a sideways glance and said slowly: "I remember that I once bestowed precious jewels upon you, which were also of great value and luxury."

  As soon as the words were spoken, Chun'er, who had just finished eating a pastry, clapped her hands and said: "That's because the Emperor likes Concubine Mei so much that he gave it to her. Of course, the more expensive and luxurious, the better. Since the Emperor likes it, what's not allowed? Isn't that right, Your Majesty?"

  Chun'er was so innocent and outspoken that I was on the verge of losing my temper. For a moment, everyone was stunned, but there's no better or stronger reason to shut someone up than this. Fortunately, it was only Chun'er who would say something like this; others wouldn't dare.

  Xuan Ling lovingly looked at Chun'er, "I like it when you have something to say." Chun'er naturally felt delighted upon hearing this.

  Lady Tian's face turned pale and she didn't know what to say. Just then, Chun'er asked again, "Lady Tian, is it true?"

  Tianguiren was standing in front of the emperor, and Chun'er's position was above hers, so she couldn't lose her temper, and could only say: "Fang Liangyu is right."

  I gave Chun'er a warning glance, hinting her not to say more, but she didn't take it seriously and just smiled at me coquettishly before burying her head in her food again.

  I couldn't help but smile wryly, this Chun'er, really was someone I had no way to deal with, and yet Xuan Ling still doted on her like that. But being so unscrupulous would only bring harm to herself, not a single bit of benefit.

  I shook my head secretly.

  But my advice seemed to have fallen on deaf ears for Chun'er. With Huan Ling's doting love and my protection, she feared nothing and wouldn't even think of being afraid.

  After the family banquet, the concubines dispersed one after another. Xuan Ling slept alone in the Yi Yuan Hall, and on the first day of the new year, he waited for the tedious ritual of worshiping heaven and the etiquette of visiting the empress dowager throughout the palace.

  The night is deep and quiet, the soft snow outside the warm pavilion is still falling gently. I am curled up in a thick and soft brocade quilt, listening to the gentle breathing of my lover in her sleep. The too-quiet night makes one's heart unable to settle down.

  Under the western window, that pair of candle flames is still shining brightly. I and Xuan Ling once cut candles and admired the stars here. When can we again cut the western window's candle together? --- I suddenly remembered, the person who was talking to me about the night rain on Mount Ba at the dinner party just now was actually Xuan Qing.

  However, the western window is right in front of me, but Mount Ba is thousands of miles away. I only grasp what's in front of me and won't give up what's near to seek what's far.