Chapter 23: When Will the Bright Moon Appear (1)

  Just as the entire Eastern Qing dynasty was still basking in the sweetness of the Double Seventh Festival, on the tenth day of the seventh month of the second year of Yongye (i.e., August 10th), the governor of Zhejiang Province reported that a tsunami had occurred in the three prefectures of Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Shaoxing, destroying tens of thousands of homes and drowning tens of thousands of people, with Haining and Xiaoshan being the worst-hit areas.

  Immediately following, on July 17th, the Henan governor sent an urgent report from eight hundred miles away, stating that a massive locust disaster had occurred in Henan.

  On the vast land of Jiangnan, swarms of locusts appeared everywhere. Wherever the locust swarm flew to, it was a dense blackness that even the brilliant sunlight could not penetrate.

  Wherever the locusts landed, the crops were eaten clean, and not a single root was spared. In severely affected areas, the locusts even attacked humans, devouring corpses.

  At that time, without the verification of scientific knowledge, people generally believed that locust disasters were a disaster given to people by heaven to punish them. In order to eliminate the disaster and pray for blessings, all places burned incense and offered sacrifices to gods, but this time the gods did not bless Dongting, and the crops were increasingly severely damaged by locusts. The affected areas gradually expanded to Hubei Prefecture in Dongting and Guiyang Prefecture in Nanzhao, and local officials continued to report urgently to the imperial court.

  The court was busy with border affairs and also had to provide disaster relief for the heavily affected areas of Henan Prefecture and Zhejiang Prefecture. As a result, taxes were increasingly heavy, while local officials continued to embezzle funds and refused to distribute disaster relief materials. The people of Kaifeng in Henan Province, led by Qi Bo Tian, launched a rebellion, which was put down within a month but greatly shook the foundations of the Eastern Court dynasty, slowly opening the prelude to an era of chaos.

  I thought of the great Tang Dynasty prime minister Yao Chong's method for controlling locusts, and advised Yuan Feng to persuade his followers that those locusts were just a kind of pest, not something that couldn't be controlled. As long as people in all regions worked together to drive away the locusts, the disaster could be eradicated, and it was also a good excuse to attack the Duan clan.

  In the originally non-white, half-believing and half-doubting gaze, I let Su Hui casually catch a dozen or so fireflies. Then, I turned off the lights, and in the pitch blackness, slowly lit a lamp with a faint flame. Sure enough, the insects' phototropism made them crawl towards the light, only to be burned to death by the flames. The crowd at Xi Feng Yuan looked at me in astonishment.

  Yuan Fei adopted my suggestion and sent a letter to Yuan Houye, detailing the method of exterminating the locusts. At the same time, he ordered his men to use the locust disaster as an excuse to point out that the heavenly calamity was a warning that there were evil spirits in the imperial court, specifically referring to the Duan family's atrocities against the people. As a result, the people of the world hated the Duan family even more for their cruel treatment of the common folk.

  On July 28, Xi Zong urgently summoned the heavy ministers to enter the palace to discuss disaster relief matters. Empress Dowager Dou was still listening to politics behind the curtain. In the court, Minister Lu Bang proposed to help the people overcome their difficulties by reducing all officials and palace staff salaries by half. The Dou family, led by Qingjiang, expressed agreement and put forward the method of exterminating locusts that I had suggested. They persuaded Empress Dowager Dou, Xi Zong, and the ministers with all their might. Yuanshi then established a military order, stating that if the locust disaster could not be eliminated within a month, Yuanshi would be executed along with his entire family.

  On the thirtieth of July, Yuan ordered the people to light bonfires at the head of every field. When the locusts saw the flames and flew down, they were concentrated and killed, while a large pit was dug on the edge of the field, and the locusts were beaten and burned simultaneously. My method gradually took effect, and news of successful locust extermination kept coming in. In just one place, Guangzhou, 1.5 million dan of locusts were eliminated within ten days, and the disaster situation eased. As a result, Dou's military order was defeated, and Yuan became a national hero. Emperor Xizong treated Yuan with increasing favor, and the matter of Yuan's entry into the palace was put back on the agenda.

  This great victory in eliminating the locusts, I am the ultra-grand hero behind the scenes. Yuan Fei, who rarely shows emotions, was overjoyed and held my hand for a long time without letting go: "Mù Jiǎo, Mù Jiǎo, what kind of son are you after all!"

  I was startled by him, it can be seen that winning this battle is so important to Yuanshi and Feibai, and my hand was pinched to death by him, but I had to modestly decline and say that San Ye was wrong, and it took half a day to pull out.

  From then on, Han Xiuzhu treated me with great warmth, but her eyes became increasingly profound and immeasurable. Xie Subei, on the other hand, looked at me with adoration and called me Mu Niangniang, no longer calling me Mu Yaotou.

  Song Mingkui and Biying smiled and said that the four truths are also divine, Jinxiu just smiled and didn't speak. When only the two of us were left, she jumped into my arms, kissed me on the cheek, and said: "My good Muxin, you did it right this time, and you didn't let Song Mingkui take advantage of you again. You finally stood up for us." I just knew that Jinxiu had also supported me in General's letter, she was already so passionate about me, looking at her smiling face, I was overjoyed and honored.

  However, none of us expected that my method to exterminate the locusts not only saved the people of Dongting, but also saved the Yuan family, and unexpectedly, indirectly saved a foreign gentleman, who was the only son of King Yu of Nanzhao, 15-year-old Duan Jiyue, also known as the youngest of the four great princes, Prince Ziyue.

  Yù Gāng Qīn Wáng was the younger brother of King Guangyi of Nanzhao. He had many children, but no sons. In his old age, he took a concubine with purple pupils and finally got a son at the age of fifty. The child was born on a full moon night, just like his mother, with a pair of purple pupils. He was named Duàn Yuè Róng, nicknamed Zǐ Yuè (Purple Moon). He was also a divine child, but from childhood, he was cold and strange, prone to sudden changes in mood, worshipped martial arts, and enjoyed killing. Yù Gāng Qīn Wáng had only this one son, whom he spoiled excessively. To what extent did Yù Gāng Qīn Wáng dote on his purple-eyed son?

  There is a legend that one day, he returned home from court and saw his beloved daughter and someone in an intimate position. In ancient times, people matured early, not to mention the young masters of wealthy families or royal nobles. This was nothing out of the ordinary. But the problem was that this person was none other than his most favored 17th concubine, Green Water, who was twelve years older than his daughter. Under broad daylight, Duan Yuexiang's classmate forced him to become a cuckold, and what's more, a branded one. And all he did was casually scold Duan Yuexiang, saying "How can you flirt with your stepmother? It goes against the norms!" Afterwards, he even gave Yang Green Water, who had been brought in for 1,000 pieces of gold from Nanzhao, to Duan Yuexiang as a concubine!

  At the national selection of talents in Nanzhao, Duan Yucong alone won both literary and martial honors. At that time, he was only a thirteen-year-old youth, and even the Guangyi King favored him greatly, often summoning him to enter the palace as his companion. A high-ranking monk who had seen his face once declared that this was a noble person descended into the world, but unfortunately with too much evil energy; he should practice Buddhist scriptures and rituals from an early age to eliminate the evil energy, for the good of the world.

  However, King Yu Gang was reluctant to send his only beloved son to the private temple, still treating him like a pearl in the palm of his hand. It wasn't until the locust plague also threatened Nanzhao that the ministers of Nanzhao unanimously believed that Prince Zi Yue was an evil spirit who had descended into the world, and that the only way to save Nanzhao from the locust plague was to execute him. After several days of intense mental struggle, just as King Guangyi was about to issue a decree to send troops to kill Duan and Yue, King Yu Gang's spies in the imperial garden timely passed on the method to eliminate the locusts to his ears. As a result, Nanzhao's locust plague was alleviated, and Duan Yue, who had been preparing to flee, finally put down her heart, but also greatly shook King Yu Gang's unwavering loyalty to King Guangyi. King Yu Gang began secretly stockpiling grain and preparing his troops.

  These were all originally not white, and I asked the fine work of Nan Zhao to report back. I looked at that segment of life introduction for a long time, and indeed, his birth eight characters were exactly the same as mine and Jin Xiu's. I was puzzled in my heart, who is the real Zi Fu? I even began to suspect that the locust disaster was indeed the old heaven warning the world of the birth of a demon.

  On the fifteenth day of August, Mid-Autumn Festival, I helped Yuan Fei Bai put on festive clothes and prepared to go to the Purple Garden to listen to opera. Wu Di was on the ground, tidying up a corner of his brocade robe, while thinking in his heart: It's said that Yuan Fei Jue is back, after Yuan Fei Bai goes to the Purple Garden, I'll sneakily meet with Yuan Fei Jue.

  A sudden voice came from above: "Muge, you have made great contributions in exterminating the locusts this time. What reward do you want?"

  Huh? Reward? I raised my head, and his sparkling eyes were looking at me. Was I mistaken? His gaze seemed to hold a hint of expectation, what was he expecting?

  I helped him sit on the couch, sat on the footstool to put on his shoes for him, and smiled as I said: "Third Master, a gentleman's word is his bond. Whatever Mu Qi wants, Third Master will definitely give it to her, won't you?"

  He looked at me with a faint smile: "You don't have to think about going to Si Maozi's place anymore."

  Four hairs? ! I was stunned for a moment before realizing he was referring to Yuan Fei.

  Damn it! Little brat!

  My smile slightly stiffened, and he seriously added a sentence: "Today I went to the Purple Garden to entertain the Marquis of Jingxia and the young master. I have increased the number of guards, so take good care of the garden. Don't think about tricking them into taking you to the Jade North Chamber again. The Marquis will also return with the Princess and the Crown Prince, and can't help but call Fei Ge to accompany him to the Purple Garden as well!"

  I gritted my teeth in anger, feeling wronged to death. Then a mischievous thought rose up and I sneered: "Fine, I want the moon in the sky, can Third Master afford it?"

  "You little scamp, you're always up to no good. Even if I had the skills, this month's moon is still out of reach. The wooden plectrum will have to do for now." He said with a smile.

  I thought about it, and the original Mrs. Yu and Liu Yansheng, this pair of evil people, have been harming Yuan Fei for so many years, making him sit in a wheelchair, and his mother passed away when he was young. When he grows up, the first thing he'll probably do is take revenge on them! At that time, I and Jinxiu will also have to take our revenge. Then what should I do? Suddenly, I remembered what Yu Feiyan said to me during the New Year: "Drifting through life, carefree and leisurely." So, I smiled faintly and said: "Then when the third master ascends to the throne, let's set sail freely!"

  Yuanni obviously didn't expect this request, and was taken aback for a moment before coldly saying: "Let you go free? So that you can spend the rest of your life with Sima Yi? Don't forget that he will one day return to Western Regions, and when I achieve my great ambition, he will also be successful. Where will he still remember this ugly girl...?" As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to regret it a bit, just staring at me without saying another word.

  A pang in my heart, but I still smiled and said: "No need for Third Master to remind me, Muxin knows that his status is lowly, a humble figure, and it's impossible for him to match up to Fourth Master." I helped him put on his shoes, stood up, scratched the back of my head, and sincerely said: "Third Master, to be honest, Muxin doesn't like the intrigue and scheming in the imperial family, nor is he suited for this kind of life. Muxin's greatest wish in this life is to travel the world, sail the rivers and lakes, and live a carefree life. Just as Third Master said, when you and Fourth Master have both achieved great things, you will be surrounded by people, where would you still need me, this ugly servant? So, please let Muxin go when the time comes, of course, on the condition that... Muxin's small life hasn't been lost yet."

  I was laughing and joking, but later on I didn't realize that it also had some bitterness. By the time they achieve great things, who knows where this short-lived ghost will be? But Yuan Fei suddenly grabbed me into her arms and hugged me tightly: "Don't talk nonsense, I'll definitely get Zhao Menglin to find a way to cure you..."

  He had just put on a brand new set of clothes, but then he grabbed me tightly by the arm and kissed my lips fiercely. My cry of surprise was drowned out by his passionate and slightly obsessive kiss. In my mind's eye, I saw Jinxiu's pale smile, so I struggled free: "Third Master, you've wrinkled your new clothes. Take it off and I'll get you another one."

  "I want this one," he said, rarely yielding, his phoenix eyes staring at me fiercely: "Muxin, listen to me, even if your lifespan is only thirty years, I will completely own you, don't have any more wild fantasies that Yuan Fei or Song Mingyue will come and take you away from me?"

  I struggled to get out of his arms, panting, originally angrily touching the bitten mouth, damn it, and it's bleeding. Silently scolding this biting Persian cat, later on, couldn't help but laugh, this person is really a psycho little brat who gets worked up over nothing.

  "Alright! Alright! No problem, my Third Master!" I shook my head in my heart, this little kid is taking me for a fool? You say I won't let you go, do you think I really can't leave? I put on a straight face: "Today being the Mid-Autumn Festival, let's not discuss my departure anymore. When you've grown up and become sensible, remember to talk to me again."

  I ignored his angry look, walked over, helped him up, straightened out his robe and smoothed out the wrinkles. I was just about to call Su He when he suddenly hugged me again. I couldn't struggle free from him, so I just smiled lightly at him.

  The anger in his eyes gradually dissipated, and he quietly looked at me. Then, slowly, both hands supported my cheeks, and he kissed me again. This time, he didn't use force, but was warm and gentle, and even licked away the blood on my lips.

  In the midst of confusion, Su Hui's classmate shouted outside the door: "Third Master, Zi Yuan has come to urge, saying that Jing Xia Wang, Xiao Wang Ye, Qing Da Ye, Chang Gong Zhu and Lao Ye have arrived at Xi'an City. The lady asks the third master to hurry up and go to the east gate to welcome them."

  Yuán Fēi Bái slowly let go of me, restored to his usual calm and collected demeanor, his phoenix eyes like a deep pool, unfathomable. He leaned on the table and slowly walked towards the door, Zhao Mèng Lín was indeed a divine doctor, he had said that this year Yuán Fēi Bái's leg would definitely make great progress, and indeed, now he could already walk without relying so much on his crutch.

  Before he got on his horse carriage, he looked at me deeply and said: "I'll be back soon, if you feel bored, go find San Niang to chat with her, don't forget what I said."

  "Got it! Third Master! You must work hard and make a good impression in front of the Marquis, defeat Qing Da Ye!" I raised my right fist high, smiling and cheering him on. He finally relaxed his eyebrows and showed me a radiant smile that could turn one's life upside down, before getting into the carriage.

  I saw off Yuan Feibai, Han Xiuzhu, Su Hui and Wei Hu. Taking advantage of Xie San Niang's momentary distraction while she was boiling water, I sneaked into the plum garden, intending to slip out of the garden unnoticed. Unfortunately, before I could even get past the Weimen Gate, two unfamiliar guards suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling me so much that I fell onto the ground. They knelt down on one knee and said: "Third Master has given orders that Wooden Maiden is absolutely not allowed to leave the garden until Third Master returns. Please return and rest well, Third Master will be back immediately."

  Wasn't there no guard before? Where did they come from? I got up, patted my clothes, and glared at them with my eyes: "Can't I go see the brocade?"

  "Miss Mu is sorry, Third Master has given orders, we cannot comply." The two guards replied with extreme politeness and coldness, their eyes cast downward.

  I was just about to force my way through, when I heard Xie San Niang's voice behind me: "Miss, where are you going? Hurry back and help me make some pastries." I stomped my foot in frustration at the two cold-faced guards and reluctantly turned around.