After the noon meal, the parade of people spread into the pear forest. They played tou hu
[i]
and ordered a few shows before everyone started to make their farewells.
Qu Qing Ju seemed to be fated to be enemies with Qin Bai Lu and naturally took the chance to bid farewell. Both Jin An Princess and Tian Luo shi
also stood to make their farewell.
Qin Bai Lu insincerely tried to detain them, and seeing it didn’t work, she walked a few steps to send them off. She had just walked a few steps when she saw Duan Wang walked in their direction. She slightly lowered her head, looking only at the corner of Duan Wang’s embroidered robe and dark boots.
Want to go home?
He Heng saw Qu Qing Ju walk out and knew she wanted to return to the fu
. He saw Jin An Princess was also present and raised his hands in a greeting.
Jin An Princess jested:
Okay, okay, no need to be so polite in front of me. I’ll go first, there’s no need to send me off.
Jiejie
, take care.
Qu Qing Ju bowed slightly. Jin An Princess returned a bow before she took the hand of her yahuan
as she left, not wanting to be a third wheel.
Tian Luo shi
naturally wouldn’t stand there as well. She spoke a few words to Qu Qing Ju before leaving as well, leaving behind Qu Qing Ju, He Heng and the He Yuan couple.
It’s still early, er ge
and er sao
can still stay for a while,
He Yuan put his hands behinds his back as he offered,
Otherwise it would be such a waste of this good spring sunlight.
The spring will still remain, it’s not a matter of wasting it,
He Heng held Qu Qing Ju’s hand,
san di
and san dimei
don’t have to send us off, we shall make our farewells now.
If so, we won’t forcefully detain you, take care.
He Yuan raised his hands in a fist, a silent Qin Bai Lu bowed as she stood to the side. When she raised her head, she saw that Qu Qing Ju’s hand was held by Duan Wang as they walked away.
She suddenly remembered the first time she saw Qu Qing Ju, it had been at the door to the palace. It had been like this that time, Duan Wang and Qu Qing Ju’s fingers entwined together while she and He Yuan would never walk together.
It was only when the figures of the two had disappeared from view that she took her gaze back. Looking at the man two steps away from her, she suddenly felt tired. She rubbed her forehead as she expressed:
Wang ye
, I’m slightly tired. I’m going back to zhengyuan
to rest.
He Yuan expressionlessly nodded. Thinking about what had happened on the banquet, his mood wasn’t well and he didn’t want to see Qin Bai Lu either,
Go, don’t wait for me tonight.
Qin Bai Lu smiled coldly. From a long time ago, she didn’t wait for him anymore. A man that would never arrive, why should she wait?
The news that Duan Wang turned down a beautiful woman was passed around. Many praised the feelings between Duan Wang and Duan Wang Fei. Duan Wang’s reputation for some reason dramatically increased among the womenfolk and he became the standard for noble ladies to pick their husbands.
Qu Qing Ju couldn’t help but smile as she heard the discussions outside. She listened as Huang Yang and Jin Zhan cleverly acted out the rumors from outside. She couldn’t help but tease:
Based on what you tell, I’m not even human. It’s all unfounded, but you all believe it like it’s the truth.
Wang fei
, just let them play, otherwise they’ll explode,
Mu Jin took a cushion to place behind Qu Qing Ju to help her sit more comfortably,
Rui wang fei
‘s expression wasn’t good when wang fei
left this time. Nubi
thinks she is very discontent with you.
We are on different sides, no matter what I do, she would be displeased,
Qu Qing Ju thought about Qin Bai Lu’s conduct at the banquet. She frowned, speculating,
It may be that because of Qu Yue Su entering Rui Wang Fu that hatred formed and she hates me by association.
Mu Jin heard this and thinking of the road that san xiaojie
picked, she sighed:
No one thought that san xiaojie
would do such a thing. Nubi
thinks that Rui Wang Fu isn’t a good destination.
Once she finished, she instantly reacted. She couldn’t say those words. She bowed down as she pled,
Nubi
was speaking nonsense, please forgive me, wang fei
.
There’s no need to stick so closely to the rules,
Qu qing Ju said,
you have a steady personality. I believe that you just slipped this time.
Mu Jin heard wang fei
‘s words and her heart became even more alert. She reminded herself to not slip again in the future. It was alright here where no one else was present. If other people were present, wouldn’t they say wang fei
had no discipline?
Wang fei
, Luo yiniang
asks for an audience.
Yu zan walked in. Seeing Mu Jin jiejie
‘s expression wasn’t right, she lowered her voice to say,
Nubi
sees that Luo yiniang
‘s spirits aren’t very good.
Just let her come in,
Qu Qing Ju thought for a bit but didn’t switch to another place to receive Luo shi
. In a short while, she saw Luo shi
docilely walk in.
Luo Yin Xiu walked in, and without a word, knelt down. Qu Qing Ju hurriedly let a servant help her up,
What are you doing, Mu Jin, help Luo yiniang
to a seat.
Originally, nubi
shouldn’t have come like this to visit wang fei
, but nubi
is really grateful for wang fei
‘s kindness,
Luo Yin xiu’s eyes were red,
nubi
has nothing to repay wang fei
except to do a full greeting to express the gratefulness.
To want to support your elders but they are already gone is a huge regret of all people. We are women, we cannot even help support those who raised us. If we cannot even see their last moments, how would we face them in death?
Qu Qing Ju sighed. Even though this era was similar to late Tang in terms of the status of men and women, but it was still the man as the sky, the woman as an accessory of the man. There was a rare strong woman, but they were dependant on the power of the maternal family. It was alright for a princess to not want her fuma
, but were there an empress that dared not want the emperor?
Men and women were, in the end, not equal in this world. She stood and patted the back of Luo Yin Xiu’s hand,
Don’t think too much right now. Go back and get a good sleep. I understand your desires.
She saw the colors that Luo Yin Xiu were wearing were very light and plain. She knew that it was out of desire to observe morning for her jiujiu
and didn’t have any objections.
Luo Yin Xiu wiped away her tears and stood to bow to her:
Nubi
thanks wang fei
.
Originally, she had thought wang fei
was arrogant and wouldn’t pay attention to one as useless as her. She hadn’t thought that she would help her and speak words of comfort.
She was a shiqie
, one that could be easily taken care of. How wang fei
treated her, it was her good fortune to enter this wang fu
. If she encountered a woman more dangerous, she wouldn’t have been allowed to wear plain clothes, much less return to her uncle’s home for the funeral.
Coming of the zhengyuan
, Luo Yin Xiu, with the support of a yahuan
, wiped her tears as she said:
Shu Wen, remember wang fei
‘s boon today. Even if I cannot repay it all in this lifetime, I have to remember it well.
The yahuan
named Shu Wen carefully supported her and observed in a small voice:
Mistress, I feel that wang fei
treats people well, and isn’t at all like what Ping yiniang
said.
Ping yiniang
is bringing trouble upon herself,
Luo Yin Xiu’s expression had returned to normal. To weep in this kind of place, it was providing amusement for others.
As a qie
, how could she ever shake the prestige of the Mistress?
Luo Yin Xiu thought about what Ping Zi Jin had done in the past,
Three years ago, she entered the palace as a female candidate. Because her status wasn’t enough, she was bestowed by Jing guifei
to serve His Highness. His Highness was able to give her a position, she should have treasured it. Now it’s like this, she lost even His Highness’ affections. She lost more than she had gained.
Shu Wen nodded. Looking around at the surrounding and seeing no one was around, she furtively said:
Nubi
feels that wang fei
is better looking than Ping yiniang
. Wang ye
liking wang fei
and not Ping yiniang
is right.
What does a young girl like you know, don’t mention this in the future,
Luo Yin Xiu’s face darkened,
let’s go, help me change once we return.
Yes,
Shu Wen embarrassedly lowered her head, not daring to speak.
He Heng had returned to the Royal Court but when he heard the decree fuhuang
had sent down, he couldn’t help frown. Let lao san
take the decree to scold lao da
. What was the meaning of the decree, hating lao da
for failing to meet expectations, or wanted to let lao san
get some revenge?
This conduct was too preposterous. He raised his head to look at Qing De Emperor, stepping forward to raise his hands:
Fuhuang
, er chen
had assumed that since da ge
has already reflected in Hao Yue Tower already, he knows what he did wrong. Why don’t fuhuang
give da ge
a change?
Heng’er, lao da
tried to assassinate you, why do you beg for mercy for him?
Qing De Emperor looked at his second son, his face full of surprise and displeasure.
Thinking out the message that lao da
had others send to him where he had explained that he didn’t try to assassinate him and there were hints of intentions of ceding to him, He Heng knew that even though lao da
was imprisoned, he was still in a life-or-death battle with lao san
.
It’s not that er chen
has the intentions of asking for mercy for da ge
. But up until now, da ge
had been very reverential of fuhuang
. If fuhuang
scolds him again, er chen
is worried that da ge
‘s body won’t hold up. Your eldest grandson has just turned three years old, can he be without a father?
He Heng’s voice was full of earnestness as he persuaded,
fuhuang
, can you endure the pain of losing a son?
I’m saying you can’t bear to let your son die, can you say you can bear it?
Evidently Qing De Emperor was very moved by these words. His eldest son would not eat or sleep because of his condemnation. If he really died due to that, he, as a father, would really care. So he nodded and concluded:
If that’s so, then it would be as you say. There won’t be a decree condemning him. Zhen
will send some more books over to let him read and write to cultivate his moral character.
Fuhuang
is kind and wise.
He Heng’s face was moved and reverent as he knelt.
He Yuan turned his head to look at the scene. His face darkened as he thought, when would He Heng’s? mouth be clumsy?
The court officials standing at the back also knelt down as they shouted the emperor’s benevolence, and caused Qing De Emperor to reveal a smile. He praised He Heng, expressing the side of him that was a loving father, before he ended court.
After court, He Heng coincidentally managed to be walking together with Minister Luo Chang Qing. After Luo Chang Qing made his greetings, He Heng remarked:
After a few more days, it would be your daughter’s special day. Ben wang
will give early congratulations to Luo da ren
.
Luo Chang Qing raised his hand and acknowledged:
Wang ye
is too polite, great thanks wang ye
.
This appellation, it even omitted the title at the front. It was much more intimate than before.
[i]
投壶: ancient drinking game, players toss arrows into a pot and the loser drinks.
