Chapter 16 of Volume 4: Out of the East Gate

  That Mid-Autumn Festival day, I originally wanted to spend it quietly like in previous years. It was just that I shared mooncakes with Ling Shu and Huan Bi together.

  By dinner time, all the nuns in the temple had gone to the mountain to admire the moon, leaving only me, Qiu Yu and Huan Bi still in our own courtyard.

  As soon as I heard the sound of a horse's bell outside, I pricked up my ears and said, "I wonder who has come at this hour. I'll go take a look."

  The door opened, and Ah Jin jumped off the horse with a basket of fruit, smiling and saying: "I knew that at this time, the nuns of Ganlu Temple would have gone out to enjoy the moon. The king wanted to come in person, but there was a banquet in the palace, and the empress dowager was also present, so he really couldn't get away." He handed the basket to Bianbi beside him, saying: "These fruits are what the princess usually loves to eat, and the king specially asked me to pick some good ones for the princess. When enjoying the moon, one should always have something to eat."

  "Thank you, Your Highness," said Biyu with a smile, "I'll thank you on behalf of our mistress."

  I joked: "Thought you wouldn't dare come see us, now you're running over here in a hurry."

  Lingbo stomped her foot and said with a blush: "Miss loves to tease me."

  Ah Jin scratched his head and said apologetically: "The matter last time has been cleared up, I only treated Huan Bi as a younger sister."

  I smiled and said to Qiu Shui: "We have mooncakes, let's give some to Ah Jin to eat, it's also a way for us to celebrate the festival together."

  A Jin heard this, a mischievous glint suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he smiled: "The princess mentioned mooncakes, our king also has a mooncake that I was asked to bring for the princess."

  I was somewhat puzzled, but just smiled and said: "What rare mooncakes are these? Hurriedly tell someone to bring them over."

  Ah Jin just smiled and said, "You'll know when you see it, the king has repeatedly instructed me to personally deliver it into your hands."

  I thought for a moment and said to him, "Since you're being so serious about bringing mooncakes, they must be something special. I wonder if it's ice skin mooncake or double yolk lotus seed paste."

  Ah Jin took out a small package from his sleeve, carefully unwrapping the layers of oiled paper and white cloth, and handed it to me with great care, "Take a look yourself, madam."

  It's just an ordinary mooncake, there's nothing special about it at all. Xuan Bi looked puzzled and smiled: "Isn't it the same as usual?"

  I felt a slight sense of doubt, so I split open the mooncake and found that it was hollow in the middle, with a small piece of paper embedded inside. I took it out and unfolded it, and saw that it was neatly written with the four characters "有备无患".

  I couldn't think of what it was for a moment, so I asked Ah Jin: "What is this?"

  Ah Jin smiled and said: "The king said that today is Mid-Autumn Festival, and he wants to reward those who guess the riddle, so I was asked to bring the answer to the mistress. He said that the mistress is clever and will definitely be able to guess the riddle."

  Lan Bi stood by and couldn't guess it either, laughing and scolding: "Ah Jin, your king is the strangest, guessing riddles is supposed to be about guessing the answer, who gives you the answer and then asks you to guess the question?"

  Ah Jin spread his hands and smiled, "The king's meaning is that we can only listen, how can we refute with words?" He said to me with a smile, "Madam, you're too kind." After finishing speaking, he didn't smile anymore, and sighed softly, saying, "Our king isn't happy himself, yet he still wants to make madam laugh."

  Ah Jin usually spoke straightforwardly and was quick-witted, so he must have had a reason for saying this. He too fell silent, only casting a faint glance at Huan Bi.

  "Ha! This is a joke, isn't it? Your Highness is of noble birth and has a body as precious as gold and jade. Even if someone had offended you, a few blows with a stick would have been enough to settle the matter. What's there to be unhappy about?"

  "Those words are wrong, first of all our king is not that kind of person, secondly, the king's worries are the empress dowager's intentions. The empress dowager said the king is no longer young and has already chosen a suitable miss to be our Qinghe princess. The empress dowager is very satisfied with herself, saying it won't be long before she arranges for the king to meet her."

  My heart skipped a beat, and I involuntarily looked at Huanbi. Huanbi was also extremely surprised, and she exclaimed in a low voice: "Is it really true?"

  "Of course it's true, otherwise why would the king not be happy? In the past two years, the empress dowager has been urging him to take a wife, saying that at 24, he should have already taken a consort. It's not proper for a royal family to not have even a single concubine. So this time it's decided that the king will marry Miss You Jingxian from the Marquis of Pei's household. I hear she is very virtuous and gentle, not only does the empress dowager approve of her, but also several imperial consorts can't stop praising her."

  A sudden, inexplicable chill rose up in my heart, as if someone's hand had passed through icy water on a winter's day and then warmed itself by pressing against my chest. Although I knew this chill was unfounded and shouldn't be there, I hastily covered it up with a calm smile and said: "This is good news; at your age, Your Highness, most people would already have a large family - it's about time you married a princess to manage the household."

  "Miss..." said Ling lightly.

  I smiled and looked at her, saying: "It's a good thing that the king wants to take a concubine, besides, the empress dowager's vision is naturally very good, let's just congratulate the king first."

  "Ah Jin listened to me say this, and let out a 'hey' with a few parts of discontent in his tone. He said: 'Our king is already very unhappy about this matter. I originally thought that the king treated the princess as a confidant, and the princess must also understand the king's thoughts very well. But unexpectedly, the princess said those congratulatory words to the king, Ah Jin doesn't like hearing them, so he took his leave first.' Saying this, he mounted his horse with a huff, whipped it and left on his own."

  The wind died down, and all around was silent stillness. I clutched the paper slip I had taken from the mooncake in my hand, my palm tightly clenched. Fen Bi supported my arm and said, "It's getting a bit cool tonight, let's go inside."

  I heard a hint of desolation in her voice, unlike usual. I turned around to look at her and indeed she looked disheartened. I silently sighed and softly said: "Xuanbing, are you blaming me for what I just said?"

  Miss Hua shook her head, then nodded after a moment and said: "Is the young lady really sincere in congratulating Prince Wang? Ah Jin may not know, but she can't deceive me."

  "My worries are like the spring grass, sprawling out endlessly. I try my best to ignore them and ask you instead, 'What do you think I should say? Besides congratulations, there's nothing else I should be saying.'"

  Her fingertips were slightly cool, like a touch of dew on the tip of a leaf. "This is good news, but no one will be happy." She lowered her head slightly, "Didn't Ah Jin say that the king also didn't want to?"

  "Whether he likes it or not, the prince's age has arrived, and it is also the Empress Dowager's intention. Can he really defy her?"

  I turned away, slowly lit a stick of incense, the scent of smoke and incense warm and peaceful fragrance made my heart slightly more at ease, but also felt more desolate.

  Lingbi leaned against the door, watching my movements, and said softly: "When Miss is worried, she loves to burn sandalwood incense."

  My hand trembled slightly, and I calmly said, "I think I'm getting annoyed?"

  "General Wang will surely lose his freedom once he has a family, and it won't be possible to see him like this again."

  I sniffed the fragrance of sandalwood with great effort and after a long while said: "You are eager to see Liu Wang often, aren't you?"

  After all, he didn't want to say anything more.

  It was the day after Mid-Autumn Festival, with a full moon on the sixteenth. All the nuns had gone to evening prayers when Xuan Qing appeared, walking in the silvery moonlight that covered the ground. He stood tall in front of the door. It wasn't until his shadow moved into my line of sight that I realized he was there.

  She was slightly startled and quickly got up saying: "You never come here, why did you come today?"

  His expression was calm and serene, as if nothing was wrong, and he only walked up to me with a faint smile and said: "What are you doing?"

  I put down the brush in my hand and smiled faintly: "What else can I do? It's just copying Buddhist scriptures for the empress dowager. Fang Ruo will come to fetch it again in a few days."

  He murmured, quietly flipping through the scriptures I had copied, looked for a while, and slowly said: "Your handwriting has improved again. However... He pointed at the words and looked at me saying: "Are you feeling uneasy in your heart? These few characters are written somewhat hastily."

  I glanced at him lightly and said casually, "Prince Wang is meticulous, I couldn't hide these from you." When Fen Bi brought in the tea, I smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for the mooncake yesterday, I was so excited that my handwriting became careless."

  A bright light flashed in his clear eyes, and a warm smile had already formed between his lips as he said, "You guessed it."

  The tea water of the chrysanthemum is brewed with Hangbai chrysanthemum, and the light yellow flowers bloom one by one in the boiling water, fresh and vivid, blooming into their original pure white color, even the tea water has a greenish hue. With just a slight bow of the head, you can smell that refreshing fragrance.

  I knew what Biyu was getting at, and when Ah Jin spoke up yesterday, I naturally wasn't pleased. And since Ah Jin has always been straightforward and quick to speak her mind, she would definitely go back and tell Xuanqing everything I said, which would only make Xuanqing even more displeased. So instead of choosing another tea to brew, she simply made a pot of White Chrysanthemum, a calming and soothing tea.

  I slowly sipped a mouthful of tea, smiling and saying: "Having preparations without worries is the answer, but guessing the riddle itself is quite troublesome. I also thought about it for half a day, thinking about the Three Kingdoms, before I knew it, but I don't know if it's accurate or not? It still needs to be confirmed by Your Highness."

  He held his tea in his hand and smiled, "You go ahead and tell me."

  "Prepared, in the Three Kingdoms refers to Emperor Uncle Liu Bei of the Great Han. Liu Bei's life work was to establish a country in Shu and become the master of Shu. And 'no worries' means peace and safety."

  My fingers lightly tapped on the delicate ceramic teacup, producing a crisp and pleasant sound, like the tinkling of a bell. My smile relaxed and stabilized.

  "Shu is close to Chuanbei, Your Highness wants to tell me that my parents and younger sister in distant Chuanbei are all safe and healthy."

  His smile was comforting and relaxed, "You guessed it all. The people I sent have already returned to report that your parents are in good health, without any illness or pain. Your father has been busy with water conservancy projects for the past two years, opening up canals to facilitate transportation, and his achievements are quite impressive. He is also well-liked by the common people."

  The barren land in the north of the river, my parents are fine, and I feel a little relieved. My heart is moved, and my tone becomes softer as I say, "Thank you, King Wang, for telling me these things." I worry again, "The borderland is cold and bitter, Father's legs have never been very good, what if his body aches with rheumatism?"

  Xuan Qing smiled, his eyes curved like a beautiful crescent moon. He said: "After Mid-Autumn Festival, winter is approaching, and the weather will only get worse. Yesterday, an envoy from the border came to Shu, so I asked Doctor Wen to prepare some medicinal paste for dispelling dampness and relieving rheumatism, which I sent to Lord Zhen along with other gifts."

  I felt relieved and grateful for his thoughtfulness, so I said: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your trouble."

  "He laughed loudly and said, 'What's there for me to worry about? The one who was worried was Doctor Wen. As soon as she heard that the medicinal paste I wanted was for Master Zhen Yuan of Chuanbei, she spent the whole night selecting the best medicine and made a new batch of medicinal paste, which she sent to my mansion. I'm just going along with the situation.'"

  A faint sigh escaped her lips, also a feeling of gratitude. Fortunately, there was still Wen Shi Chu in the palace. However, she didn't want Xuan Qing to worry too much, so she forced a smile and said: "Wen Tai Yi and my family have been friends for generations, it's not easy for him to be willing to help us like this." She felt a slight melancholy, in this world, there were many who added flowers to the brocade, but few who sent charcoal in the snow, and it was hard to repay Wen Shi Chu's kindness.

  But on the surface, a smile turned, half of it was scolding: "It's just that the prince's riddle is nine turns and eighteen twists, it's really difficult to guess."

  "If it were simple, with your intelligence, you would have guessed it immediately, what's the point." He snapped his fingers and smiled, seemingly savoring the elegant taste of the White Chrysanthemum tea. "Yesterday was Mid-Autumn Festival, I thought you must be homesick, so I deliberately chose a difficult riddle to ease your nostalgia."

  Xuán Qīng is always like this, silently and quietly giving me a sense of touch in the midst of silence, not a shocking wave of happiness, but rather a gentle breeze that seeps into the night, moistening things with a subtle and quiet sound, making me unconsciously unable to resist.

  A warmth that spreads little by little in my heart, like the white chrysanthemums in a teacup unfolding one by one after being soaked in water, stretching out comfortably.

  Suddenly I remembered the words that Huan Bi said last night - "If Wang Ye has a family, he will definitely not be so free and easy, and it will no longer be possible to see him occasionally like now."

  It's impossible for us to meet occasionally, neither can he nor I.

  Thinking of this, I feel a slight melancholy in my heart, and my expression also becomes more subdued.

  Just then, a large bunch of chrysanthemums was brought in, but they were ordinary silver-leaved chrysanthemums, not some rare and precious variety. However, their natural posture was elegant, pure white as frost, and very refreshing to look at.

  Lan Hua stood alone under the south window, carefully changing the flower arrangement in the vase. Because she was there, I didn't speak for a while, and Xuan Qing also found it inconvenient to say anything, so we just sat silently facing each other drinking tea.

  In a moment, Biyu took the wilted yellow chrysanthemum that had been replaced and was now more than half dead. She walked hastily, with tiny petals falling from her arms, their color darkened to a deep yellow near black, slightly curled up, like a withered and scorched heart.

  His marriage, if he doesn't mention it, I wouldn't bring it up with him even for half a word. Let's just pretend to be unaware, what can I say?

  After a long time, the tea had also cooled down. He finally said: "Yesterday, Ah Jin made you angry?"

  I shook my head, a faint and distant smile lingering on the corner of my lips. "Ah Jin has always been straightforward in his words, if he said something, I wouldn't get angry."

  His eyelids were slightly tired and half-closed, and he said softly: "He has a lot of mouths." After thinking for a moment, he added: "So, do you know now?"

  My fingers slid indifferently across the table, saying: "I know. I'm just happy for you, Your Highness." I said slowly: "The young lady from the Yu manor of the Duke of Pei's estate is naturally a good match, and besides, the Empress Dowager likes her too." I held a mouthful of tea in my mouth, feeling the icy cold liquid trickle down my tongue and throat, calmly saying: "The Duke of Pei fought alongside the Taizu Emperor on the battlefield back then, going through life and death together, and that's how he earned his honor. The Duke of Pei's family has been illustrious for a hundred years, although they don't have any real power in their hands now, but their family education is excellent, so the daughter they raised must be a talented young lady from a good family, elegant and refined. Jing Xian..." I smiled slightly, saying: "Just hearing the name tells me it's that of a gentle and dignified young lady from a good family, congratulations to you, Your Highness."

  I don't know why I kept talking incessantly, as if my body was not under my control. The more I spoke, the thicker the desolate feeling in my heart grew, like a fog that rolled in layer by layer.

  Xuan Qing's expression grew dimmer and dimmer with each of my words.

  He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly a faint smile like a lotus flower emerged on his face, with a hint of melancholy, and he looked at me and said: "Are you truly congratulating me?"

  There was a moment when I really wanted to turn my head away, very much so. But in the end, I restrained myself and smiled with the most gentle expression, "Of course, I wholeheartedly congratulate you."

  He just remained silent. I didn't dare look at him, only the shadow he cast on the tea water was so clear that I had to see it.

  His hand stretched out a little, wanting to catch mine. I was startled and instinctively withdrew it, no longer daring to lift my head up.

  His smile grew even colder, though he was smiling, there wasn't a hint of joy in his expression, like an empty mask that made people feel as if they had been suddenly swept by the autumn wind, leaving only the faint glow of sunset.

  His hand was about to stay at a distance of one inch from me, and I could almost feel the coolness of his fingertips. His voice remained calm, "Whether or not you are speaking from your heart, I'm only telling you that I don't like Yu Jingyan." He slowly stood up, with his hands behind his back, standing in front of the window, where a bunch of silver silk chrysanthemums were shining brightly in front of him. The leaves of the tung tree outside the window fell silently. "There's a phrase that can be used to express my thoughts at this moment," his tone was somewhat thin, with an unshakeable determination, "Out of the east gate, there is a girl like clouds. Although she is like clouds, it is not what I am thinking about. Yu Jingyan, no matter how good she is, is simply not what I have in mind."

  There is a woman like clouds, but I think of you. He actually used this sentence to express his heart.

  I had nothing to say, and could only let out a soft sigh, saying: "But the Empress Dowager is very fond of Miss You, and the Prince is indeed at the age where he should be getting married, do you want to drag this on indefinitely?"

  His eyes were bright as fire and shining like a red flame, "The Empress Dowager doesn't know, but you do, the plain clothes and the kerchief are just to amuse me."

  My heart skipped a beat, and I thought to myself, "Am I not a nun in training?" He said it so directly, without beating around the bush or being tactful. In that instant, I suddenly didn't want to avoid him anymore, even though I understood his intentions, even though I knew what he meant. So I said: "Even if you don't like Miss Yu, the Empress Dowager will still choose another suitable marriage for you. Can you refuse every single one of them? The Empress Dowager's orders are not to be taken lightly." I cleared my throat, which was a bit hoarse, and continued: "You just said 'a nun's robes bring me joy', but perhaps the person wearing those robes doesn't feel the same way about you. Why must you be so stubborn?"

  There are autumn leaves fluttering like butterflies, with such a golden color, it's really the cool and pleasant season of autumn. He stood in front of countless fallen leaves, slowly saying: "Even if my mother insists on arranging a marriage for me, I will refuse to the death. No matter how hard she tries, she can't force her own heart's desire. I am not a monarch, and marriage is not related to national affairs, so my mother won't be too insistent." He looked at me, his gaze burning with intensity, like rising water, "As for whether the person in white clothes and hat has the same intentions as me, I will only hold on to my own heart's desire and wait for her. Because I believe that sincerity can move heaven and earth, there will be a day when even gold and stone will open up."

  This is his first time, so frankly tell me his mind.

  I took a deep breath, and suddenly felt a warmth spreading through me. For a moment, I wavered, but in the end, I didn't think about it anymore. I simply didn't want to bother with him again, so I said: "Sincerity can move heaven and earth, perhaps one day even rocks will be opened up by it. But my heart is like an ancient well, I swear not to stir up any more ripples. Even if you are sincere, it's not necessarily useful, why bother wasting your efforts?"

  He smiled calmly and said, "Whether it's a golden opportunity or not, I'll just pour out my sincerity." He looked at me and said, "I only hope that you won't say 'congratulations' again, I'm really afraid of it."

  I let out a sigh and smiled faintly, "Alright. I won't say anything else then. But if that day really comes, you won't even let me offer my sincere congratulations?" His eyebrows furrowed, and I hastily added, "Fine, fine, I won't say it."

  His smile finally warmed up, saying: "Do you know that Ah Jin told me about your congratulatory message last night? I was so angry that I wanted to run out of the family dinner and have a good argument with you."

  I snorted, saying lightly: "I was just trying to be kind, why did you have to come and argue with me?" I smiled, "The King of Qinghe has always been self-satisfied, carefree and leisurely, a humble gentleman, who would have thought that you too could become so flustered and defeated."

  "It's just you who can infuriate me like this." He sighed and smiled wryly, "It's just you who can infuriate me to such an extent."

  I gave a low laugh and didn't say another word.

  Note:

  She emerges from the eastern gate, a girl like clouds. Although she is like clouds, my thoughts are not with her. Only this plain dress and green headscarf delight me as I stroll outside the city gate. She emerges from the narrow alleys, a girl like white Artemisia. Although she is like white Artemisia, my thoughts are not with her either. Only this plain dress and red hairpin can bring joy and love.