Nachtlied

Kapitel 14

My mind raced: "Your mother was brought to the village by Master Gui. Master Gui is a protector of the Ghost Palace. Back then, the Ghost Palace had a severely injured protector and a missing palace-guarding saintess... Yi Ge, you wouldn't be, you wouldn't be..."

A rough, hoarse voice suddenly broke in: "That's right, it's him! Tiezhu's wife, you're really smart."

Chapter Twenty-Two: Background

Gui Ye entered in response to the call, his face calm and expressionless.

I was somewhat dejected: "So the descendant of the Ghost Palace you mentioned that day was Yi Ge."

I now believe I have a gossipy nature, and even though I was stunned, I still turned to Yi Ge and asked, "So, who is your father?"

He said with some difficulty, "When I met Master Gui that day, he said I was a descendant of the Ghost Palace. I guessed my mother's identity. She was the Holy Maiden of the Ghost Palace. No matter who my father is, I am a descendant of the Ghost Palace."

Gui Ye, however, said proudly, "His father is naturally the master of the Ghost Palace. He is the master's posthumous son, so he is qualified to possess everything in the Ghost Palace."

I don't know what to say. I suddenly remembered that when my identity was suddenly exposed in front of Bai Yifei, he probably felt the same way, not knowing how to face it.

I came to my senses again. Yi Ge said, "You may not necessarily confront the Ghost Palace." Does that mean that I am one with him?

However, I never intended to make an enemy of the entire Yunyang martial arts world. The best way is for Yi Ge to remain Yi Ge, not some young palace master.

I turned to Master Gui: "Master Gui, what was the purpose of your actions that day? You weren't planning to rebuild the Ghost Palace, were you?"

He calmly entered the room and sat down in a chair, saying, "The Ghost Palace was destroyed twenty years ago. If I had the ability, I would have rebuilt it long ago. The rebuilding depends on Tiezhu. But the Holy Maiden's greatest wish before her death was for Tiezhu to live a peaceful life as an ordinary person. I don't know if there are treasures underground in the Ghost Palace, but it's true that there are many martial arts manuals and weapons collected by the old palace master in the underground palace, or perhaps some rare items. In any case, these things belong to Tiezhu, not to the shameless righteous martial arts of Yunyang. What right do they have to claim them?"

Well, I'm one of those shameless righteous martial artists in Yunyang, unless I join my fourth uncle's side. I also covet the Ghost Palace's divine weapons, well, now I'm eyeing my husband's things. No wonder Yi Ge asked me if I would forcibly take them if there were any descendants.

Master Gui continued, "That day, Tie Zhu told me that you were a princess of the Northern Di and Yunyang kingdoms, and also a successor of the Dragon Mist Sect. Your status is noble. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse for Tie Zhu to marry you, but he is the young master of the Ghost Palace. Using the Ghost Palace's underground palace as a dowry should be enough, right?"

My mind was in turmoil, but I still murmured, "I don't care who he is, I'm just too surprised."

After Uncle Gui left, the room fell silent. I sat blankly by the window, while he stood silently behind me like a shadow, saying nothing.

After a long silence, I finally asked, "Now that you know about your past, don't you have any plans?"

He said, "Yes, I can help you find the rainbow."

I turned to look at him, somewhat surprised: "And then?"

He said, "No!"

He explained, “It’s not certain whether there’s any treasure in that underground palace. If there is, Mother would definitely know; if she hasn’t told me, then there isn’t. If she knows but doesn’t tell me, it’s because she doesn’t want me to touch those things. She didn’t say anything when we were suffering so much before, so what if there is now? Besides, you don’t care whether I have any treasure or not.”

What he said seemed to make sense. I smiled and said, "I want nothing but Zhu Hong."

He suddenly asked again, "If you find Zhu Hong, what are your plans?"

I shook my head: "Let's go back to my residence and live my life properly. Maybe I'll make a comeback after some time."

I suddenly remembered something: "Oh no, how many days have we been staying in the village? I told Eunuch Jing that if I didn't reach Guo City in ten days, I should ask them to go to Sixie Palace for help."

He said, "Nine days have passed, and tomorrow will be exactly ten days. Let's go to Guocheng tomorrow."

"I'm afraid it's too late. From here to Mianyang and Chongqing, and from Mianyang and Chongqing to Guocheng, one day is not enough."

He calmly replied, "I know a shortcut, that's enough."

He led me out of the village on another road that led to that mountain peak. He said, "When I was a young boy, I would go to Guocheng in addition to Qianxian. Actually, it was closer to Guocheng from the village than to Mianyang and Chongqing. Back then, we mostly went to Guocheng."

This road was slightly better than the one I took to enter the village; it looked wider, but it required crossing a high mountain ridge. There were several sections where horses couldn't be ridden, so we had to carefully lead them. Although the journey was still quiet, with Yi Ge by my side, I felt much more at ease. At noon, we rested briefly in the woods, eating some dry rations. He first gathered a pile of fallen leaves and dry branches. He spread his cloak on the leaves before letting me sit down, then lit a fire to heat the rations and handed them to me. He remembered I was still menstruating. I was slightly touched; the lingering resentment I felt yesterday because of his background had dissipated considerably. Why was I so fixated on his identity? Did he mean I wouldn't want him just because he was the young master of the Ghost Palace? He wasn't lurking around me seeking anything. Even if he were, could he have predicted I would be betrothed to him? If that were the case, I'd married a god. Besides, the Ghost Palace had been destroyed before he was born.

Around 3 PM, we arrived at Guo City. Yi Ge knew Guo City better than I did. I told him they should be staying at the largest inn in the city, and he led me, winding left and right, to Shunfeng Inn. I was about to ask the innkeeper if a man and a woman had checked in seven or eight days ago when I turned around and saw a petite woman standing at the entrance, peeking out. It was Chunman! She saw me too and happily called out, "Princess and Prince Consort!" as she came to greet me. When I asked Eunuch Jing, he said they had gone to wait at the city gate. After clarifying which city gate, Yi Ge said, "I'll go and call him back."

Guo City was more prosperous than Mianyu, but it had little to offer in terms of scenery, so I had no desire to stay and left after one night. We headed northeast, intending to pass through the entire city. However, having never been here before, I didn't ride in the carriage while traveling through the city, instead being accompanied by Chunman and Yige, observing as we went. Yige lagged a few steps behind me, always maintaining a seemingly unapproachable distance. Since meeting Chunman and Eunuch Jing last night, he had reverted to his former silence and aloofness. Only when falling asleep at night did he hold me tightly, softly calling "Wubao" and gently kissing my forehead.

Passing by an old teahouse, I saw a beautiful woman in her forties sitting behind the counter. Several tables were occupied by people leisurely drinking tea. On the street, there were street performers and itinerant vendors selling liniments. I suddenly felt that the scene was quite familiar, as if I had been here before and seen this scene before. I couldn't help but stop and mutter to myself, "Why do I feel like I've been here before?"

Yi Ge and Chun Man were both somewhat surprised, and I shook my head again.

The beautiful woman in the building looked at me, then suddenly stood up and walked towards me. She stood in front of me, stared at my temples for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Miss Tan?"

I was stunned.

She asked again, "Mist Baby?"

I was speechless with astonishment and asked, "How did you know my nickname?"

She smiled and said, "Seven years ago, Young Master Tan brought you here. You were just a little girl then. Now you've grown up and are indeed a little beauty, though you still retain some of your childhood features. The reason I can recognize you is because of the pearl flower in your hair, which I gave you."

The pearl hairpin in my hair is one I've worn since I was little, and I love it dearly. It's made of six colorful pearls, with a cat's eye pearl in the center. The hairpin was given to me by my beautiful father; I don't know who gave it to me. But now that she mentions it, I seem to have a vague recollection of it.

The beautiful woman invited us to have a pot of tea before we left, and I figured she probably wanted to hear some news about the man's father, so we stayed. Well, don't ask me how I know; isn't it normal for a man like the man's father to have women entangled with him?

Seeing her earnest gaze, I took the initiative to briefly tell her about August Beauty's father's activities in Beijing. She sighed, "For twenty years, he's never seemed to age. Even you're married now, isn't he lonely again?"

I wasn't always with him before; it was always Uncle Tie who was with him. But it seemed she didn't know I was just the beautiful man's goddaughter, so I didn't say anything more. The beautiful woman then took out a packet of tea wrapped in brown paper and gave it to me, saying, "He likes the Spring Rain tea here; take some for him."

After finishing my tea and leaving the teahouse, I suddenly remembered something and turned to Yi Ge, saying, "I remember now, I bought that wooden ball from someone here."

Yi Ge's eyes lit up again: "Really? You remember?"

I added, "But I really can't remember the people. Look at the street performers outside, are there any selling wooden balls? Or maybe they don't perform anymore. Also, the boy from seven years ago is now a grown man, how could I recognize him? If you want to ask, there's really nowhere to go."

He said "Oh," and then added, "It's alright, maybe I can figure it out myself."

Before heading back to the capital, we first went to Yuncheng to visit my imperial cousin. My father's Prime Minister's residence was still there, though the signboard had been changed to Prince Rui's Residence. My maternal family's Xin residence was also still there. After thinking about it, I decided to stay at Prince Rui's Residence.

I went to the palace to see my uncle. He took a good look at Yi Ge and rewarded him with a lot of gold and silver.

The following evening, two people wearing cloaks knocked on the back door of Prince Rui's residence. A servant rushed in to report, "Princess, His Majesty has arrived."

I greeted my cousin and Uncle Xu outside Lanyi Garden. Seeing my surprised bow, my cousin laughed and said, "I finally managed to escape to talk to you, so don't bother with such a grand gesture."

That's how my uncle was. He was somewhat cold in court, but in front of my mother and me, he was always like a child who wanted to run away from home from time to time. He always said, "Only you two can make me feel at ease talking to you. Even my cousin can't."

I told him about the martial arts tournament, suggesting it could be called the "Treasure Hunt Tournament," and also mentioned Master Gui's shout, but I didn't tell him about Yi Ge's background. Sigh, I'll just leave it to myself.

Uncle stroked his chin and said, "The Ghost Palace still has descendants and treasures? No wonder Nan Dan has been a bit restless lately. Do you want to go to Lingnan next spring? Xu Tong, why don't you take a few people with you and help the princess seize some treasures?"

I said, "Uncle, I don't want the treasure, I just want the Rainbow Chasing Blade."

He laughed, "Better safe than sorry. If there's a knife, take it; if there's no knife, take the treasure." Then, he abruptly changed the subject, asking, "How's my son-in-law? Is he treating you well?"

I laughed and said, "How come you're just like my fourth uncle? If it were my dad and mom, they would only ask, 'Are you treating him well?' Hehe, yes, very well. Hmm, I'm even starting to like him a little."

He nodded and said, "Looks like you've just stumbled upon a lucky find. You managed to find someone who treats you well and whom you kind of like. Cherish him while you can, it's a good thing you're not often in the palace. But from now on, you should come to Yuncheng at least once a year to keep me company."

I nodded vigorously: "Okay, okay, if I don't come, I'll try my best to persuade my mother to come, alright?"

He tapped my forehead and said, "You're married now, but you still talk like that. But I like you just the way you are."

By the time we leisurely strolled back to Beijing, it was already the end of the year. Qi Long had just returned, and to my surprise, Fourth Uncle was there too. And, more importantly, Qianqian had come along as well. I could smell a faint scent of peach blossoms.

So I looked at them and smiled rather ambiguously, but Qianqian and Qilong ignored my winks and gestures. Uncle Si then asked, "Wubao, what's wrong with your eyes? Why do they keep twitching?"

Now, I'm about to spit out my own words.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Returning Home

Upon returning to the princess's residence in the capital, Yi Ge and I resumed our polite and respectful manner. The difference was that when it was just the two of us, he would call me "Wu Bao," but in front of the servants in the residence, he would still call me "Princess," so I would helplessly call him "Prince Consort."

Suddenly I felt that my princess's mansion was too big and my Jihong Pavilion was too empty.

Now we eat in the front hall. After we finish, he'll accompany me for a walk in the garden, and then we'll each return to our respective rooms. He escorts me back to Jihong Pavilion, and a few times I've asked him to stay. I can't always be the one asking him to stay. That day, I saw him looking at me as if he wanted to say something, but then he swallowed his words. I was a little annoyed: You're too shy to ask, so you expect me to offer to stay overnight at your Wentao Pavilion? So I turned away in a huff.

But habit is a terrible thing. After spending two months with him day and night, I had grown accustomed to his faint pine scent, his warmth, his embrace, and his hugs. Now, lying alone on this extremely spacious bed, with silver charcoal burning and layers of brocade quilts spread out, it still feels somewhat empty and cold.

I figured it might as well get even colder, so I sent Xia Ying, who was on night duty, back from the outer pavilion. I felt so frustrated I wanted to cry; I didn't want anyone by my side.

The night was long and I tossed and turned. Eventually, I curled myself up like a silkworm, bit my lip in frustration, and just stared blankly at the top of the tent.

Suddenly, I heard very faint footsteps coming from outside the pavilion, and soon they reached the outer pavilion. For some reason, I just lay there, not wanting to move, and had no desire to even find out who it was.

The door was carefully pushed open, and a dark figure hesitated outside for a moment before entering, his footsteps landing silently. I turned my face away, and the figure sensed my subtle movement. After a brief pause, he quickly approached the bedside, and a cool pine scent wafted over. He called out softly, "Wu Bao," but I turned my head away in a huff and ignored him.

He sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over, and forcefully turned my body around through the blanket. He said softly, "Wu Bao, are you angry?" His voice was right next to my ear, his breath hitting my very core. I couldn't help it, and a tear slid down my cheek. I don't even know where the tear landed, but he seemed startled, his voice becoming anxious: "Wu Bao, I, I, I'm not neglecting you, I'm just not used to it. There are too many people in the manor, and I don't know how to be intimate with you. Besides, the headmistress in the manor already warned me today, saying that if I act like this, you'll be gossiped about for being promiscuous."

The headmistress in the manor is from the palace. According to the rules of the Northern Barbarians, a princess's manor is equipped with a headmistress to regulate the princess's behavior. I never expected that Brother Xuan would even provide this to match my status. However, the headmistress is a very rigid person who adheres strictly to palace rules. Since returning from Hengshan, she has subtly pointed out my inappropriate behavior more than once, probably because I left Yi Ge at Jihong Pavilion a few more times.

I was a little annoyed: "I only have you as my husband, what desires are you indulging in?" If everyone were managed like this, wouldn't even a princess die of depression?

He kissed my eyes: "I'm afraid she'll bother you. How about I bribe her with the gold and silver your uncle gave me?" Is that even allowed? My princess's mansion isn't a brothel (Pah, I must have been in a brothel for too long).

He suddenly pulled back my covers and gently slipped inside. As he reached out to embrace me, he let out a soft, contented sigh. That single sound softened my heart, and I instinctively buried my head in the crook of his neck, finally falling asleep peacefully.

When I woke up the next day, he was no longer beside me. I couldn't help but smile bitterly. We were clearly a legally married couple, so why did it have to be like adultery? If my husband's father found out, I wonder how he would laugh at me. But I couldn't blame Granny Lan; she had done her duty, so I couldn't say she was wrong. I had to find a way to get Brother Yuan to get rid of this scoundrel.

Fortunately, tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and on New Year's Day I need to go to the palace to pay my respects to Brother Yuan and his wife.

I'm used to going to bed early, and staying up all night on New Year's Eve has always been something I can start but never finish. It's just that I enjoy creating a lively atmosphere; I've been enthusiastic about it since I was little. But every year, I'm always startled awake from my parents' arms by the sound of firecrackers at midnight. This year, however, I'm not with my parents and brothers. It's my turn to distribute New Year's money to everyone in the household. After distributing the money, I had the servants prepare food and fruit and then let them go. Only Yi Ge sat with me in the Jihong Pavilion.

He suddenly pulled out a small cloth bag and said, "This is for you."

A gift? I unwrapped the cloth bag and saw the jewelry box he had been carving. The box was covered with dense, intricate scrolling leaves and lotus blossoms, each tiny petal carved with remarkable clarity. The lid, though larger, was openwork, with a thin, translucent agate piece underneath, serving both to keep out dust and allow a clear view of the contents. The box was polished smooth, I don't know what he used. He said, "Time was a little tight. I originally wanted to use a lacquer finish, but you don't like those bright colors, so I just thought of applying another layer of tung oil."

I was delighted and laughed, "No need to brush it anymore, it's fine as it is, and you can still smell the fragrance of the wood. I didn't ask you last time what kind of wood it was?"

He replied, "The boxwood is a bit heavy, isn't it? I'm glad you like it."

Then I remembered: "But I forgot to prepare something for you. The purse is only just started being embroidered."

He was overjoyed and said, "Really? No rush, I'll wait patiently."

I forgot about the New Year's gift, which was a bit of an oversight. Although he didn't mind, I still felt a little guilty. There was no way to make up for it now. Looking at his calm face, I leaned over and gently pecked him on the cheek. His face turned red. I said, "I don't have a gift, so this will do for me."

He suddenly said, "Not enough."

After saying that, he reached out and lifted me up, pulling me into his arms—his strength startled me. Before I could react, he kissed my lips, his kiss leaving me only able to utter muffled sounds: "Staying up all night..." He released me slightly, saying, "Wait, wait a while before you stay up." His breathing was very uneven. A flush rose on his pale golden skin, and his dark eyes simmered with heat. His collar, which he had slightly loosened because of the heat, bobbed up and down, as if he were suppressing something. Seeing this made my lips dry, and I involuntarily pressed my lips to his neck. He let out a soft cry, then suddenly scooped me up horizontally and carried me to the bedside.

No one disturbed us tonight. He was very passionate, and his thrusts hurt me a little, so I couldn't help but groan a few times. He lowered his head and kissed me again, whispering, "Wu Bao, did I hurt you? I couldn't control myself anymore, I'm sorry."

I shook my head slightly, closed my eyes, and said, "Hmm, that feels good. So this is what it's like—both painful and pleasurable. I like it."

He was somewhat amused and exasperated. He lowered his head and caressed me for a while before thrusting into me fiercely again. I turned my face away. Outside the window, fireworks were going off somewhere, a dazzling display of colors. The laughter of a crowd drifted from afar, and his fireworks were blooming inside me, making me so excited I wanted to cry. I wanted to say something, but I felt I couldn't express it. I could only hold him tightly, trembling slightly, hoping he could feel me.

Oh no, I indulged myself again.

This time, instead of being exhausted and unable to sleep, I was too excited to fall asleep. Afterwards, we tidied up a bit and then got up and sat down. He took out the peach branch that he had cut in Duwang Village last time and said, "I will definitely carve it before your birthday on the eighth day of the fourth month." He had already cut the peach branch into several pieces and roughly trimmed it.

I also rummaged through my dressing table and found some silk thread and a purse, asking, "What month was your birthday?"

He smiled slightly and said, "The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is not a good day, and I never used to celebrate it. But this year, I've found someone like you."

I was stunned. Was the day I hastily arranged our marriage actually his birthday?

I was still awakened by the sound of firecrackers at midnight, only to find Yi Ge carefully pruning peach branches under the lamp, while I was resting my head on his lap, draped in a fox fur coat, the needle and thread in my hands long since lost. I moved slightly, and he sensed it, looking down at me and asking, "Wu Bao, it's midnight, shall we set off firecrackers too?" I nodded.

This job used to be done by Qi Long. Actually, I've always been a little afraid of firecrackers, especially big ones. In previous years, I would hide behind my father or brother, but this year it was him who did it.