I patted her on the shoulder. "He betrayed you, why are you still so infatuated? Why don't you go out and find someone else? From now on, go your separate ways and cut all ties with him."
Lou Xiyue, who had been watching us from the side, simply lifted the hem of his robe and sat down next to me. He whispered in my ear, "You can advise her, but don't encourage her to have an affair."
I retorted, "What do you know? The best course of action right now is to find a substitute. Otherwise, you'll be mired in this mess and there will be no way out. You don't understand, women aren't like men; they can't control their hearts as they please..."
As I was talking, I saw Lou Xiyue turn her head and gaze at me, her eyes filled with an expression I couldn't decipher.
I fell silent and turned back to continue talking with Lu Xiaoyue about our longing for each other.
Lu Xiaoyue was quite drunk. She leaned her head on my shoulder and began recounting her past with He Tingzhi. Relying on my rich imagination and the solid foundation of opera scripts I'd accumulated over the years, I filled in the blanks in my mind, creating a story of a lovesick young lady and a down-on-his-luck scholar:
The night market in the capital was as bright as day, with gentle breezes and constant music. Lu Xiaoyue, accompanied by her maid, browsed through the jewelry stalls. She saw a handsome young man, dressed in a long robe, holding a hairpin and asking the stall owner about the price. She only caught a glimpse of his profile; his features were clear, and he had a slightly scholarly air about him.
He Tingzhi's image at that time was exactly the same as Zhang Sheng in "The Romance of the Western Chamber," a typical object of admiration in the hearts of wealthy young ladies.
Lu Xiaoyue, in the prime of her youth and full of romantic feelings, vividly and lively applied the story of "The Romance of the Western Chamber" to herself, falling deeply in love with He Tingzhi at first sight.
The result of falling in love at first sight was that she spent double the price to snatch the hairpin from He Tingzhi's hands.
I think "The Romance of the Western Chamber" undoubtedly spurred the booming development of many jewelry vendors.
He Tingzhi wasn't angry at the time. He smiled and handed her the hairpin. He was dressed in a simple and clean blue cloth shirt. He quietly looked at Lu Xiaoyue, humble yet elegant. Only after Lu Xiaoyue blushed and accepted the hairpin did he pick out another pair of pendants from the stall, buy them, and then leave.
Lu Xiaoyue thought that although their first meeting couldn't compare to the back garden in "The Romance of the Western Chamber," it was still a heart-fluttering and unforgettable experience. However, He Tingzhi seemed to regard her as just an ordinary passerby, someone he would forget as soon as he saw her.
It wasn't until Lu Xiaoyue accompanied her father on his expedition to the Western Regions, amidst the clash of swords and the thunder of horses, that she saw He Tingzhi again. He Tingzhi, a scholar, was naturally not adept at warfare. When an arrow was shot at him, Lu Xiaoyue fell from her horse to shield him. That arrow landed only half an inch from her heart. However, she had no regrets.
In the Western Regions, a place of endless yellow sand and desolate deserts, He Tingzhi cared for her tirelessly for several days and nights. She once saw him at night, holding a book, his cheek resting on his hand, dozing by her bedside. Tucked inside the book was a letter with only one line in elegant small regular script: "Brother Ting, I have married."
The candlelight shone on his fair face, casting a silhouette that seemed to leap and bound.
Without Su Wan'er, the story of He Tingzhi and Lu Xiaoyue could have been a novel like *The Story of the Eastern Wing*. Unfortunately, with Su Wan'er involved, it was rewritten as *Qin Xianglian*. Lu Xiaoyue murmured, "Back then, when you told me you had a wife at home, I thought it was just an excuse. Turns out, it was true..."
I felt very sad listening to this. Who is the outsider in this story? Perhaps even Xiaoyue herself doesn't understand.
A breeze blew through the eaves, carrying a hint of alcohol. I said to Lou Xiyue, "Of these three, one is blind, one has been involved in prostitution, and one has internal injuries. It won't be easy to heal them."
Lou Xiyue shrugged. "I agree with your advocacy for Lu Xiaoyue to have an affair."
Lu Xiaoyue mumbled, "Tingzhi..."
I suddenly felt a tightness around my neck, followed by something wet and soft on my lips. I opened my eyes wide and saw Lu Xiaoyue's beautiful face in front of me—she hooked her arm around me and kissed me!
I was shocked and pushed Lu Xiaoyue hard, sending her tumbling off the roof. I stumbled, losing my balance, and was about to fall after her when I cried out, "Ah—!"
"Master, be careful!"
Suddenly, someone reached out and pulled me, and then I saw Lou Xiyue leap down and catch Lu Xiaoyue, who was already drunk and unconscious. He pulled me in a different direction, and I landed straight in the He family's stables.
When I fell into the hay shed of the stable, I had only one thought in my mind: I must expel Lou Xiyue from the sect.
When I emerged from the thatched hut, disheveled, Lou Xiyue was leaning against the porch, saying leisurely, "I have already taken Lu Xiaoyue back to her house."
I straightened my clothes and pointed at him, saying, "Lou Xiyue, you really are something else, forgetting loyalty for beauty. I've been your master for nothing."
Lou Xiyue smiled and said, "I only asked you to encourage her to cheat on me, but I didn't expect you to seduce her directly."
"You should reflect on why she kissed me but not you just now?" After saying that, I strode past him with my head held high.
Back in my room, I loosened my outer robe, took off my hair bun, and prepared to go to sleep. When I reached out and touched my head, I found a jade hairpin with a peach blossom tattooed on it. I thought back for a moment and realized that the things Lou Xiyue had mentioned were really a bit effeminate.
Text [06] Green Calyx Withers (Part 3)
Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting a soft halo around the bronze mirror. I lay flat on the bed, my heart pounding with emotion. As I closed my eyes, my master's untouched face appeared in my mind. I thought Lu Xiaoyue was a woman of deep feeling and strong emotions; she could laugh and gesticulate freely in front of her beloved. But I dared not. I feared waking from the dream, feared the dream shattering, feared that one day even the dream would be gone.
Something seemed to flash past the window, and I thought I heard some soft sounds. A gentle breeze carried in a few new leaves, rustling the bluestone bricks with varying degrees of pressure. I glanced outside and saw only gently swaying branches. I stared blankly at the roof beams, feeling that something was amiss, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
I closed my eyes and pretended to be fast asleep. After a while, I suddenly opened my eyes, but there was nothing there. I repeated this several times until I got tired and finally fell asleep.
The next morning, Su Wan'er came over and asked me to take He Tingzhi's pulse.
I entered He Tingzhi's study with Lou Xiyue. Inside, numerous scrolls and books were arranged, including the Three Classics and Five Scriptures. He Tingzhi, dressed in a light gray long robe, sat in an old wooden soft chair, looking somewhat tired, with one hand supporting his forehead. The white silk cloth covering his eyes had been removed, and I saw him dozing off, calm and serene, like a pond that had not been disturbed for a long time.
Su Wan'er gently helped him up and said softly, "Brother Ting, Doctor Xia has arrived."
I walked up to him, gave a perfunctory bow, and said, "Lord He, my name is Xia Jingnan. I have come today to take your pulse."
Upon hearing this, He Tingzhi looked up, a slight smile playing on his lips. He opened his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Thank you for your help, Divine Doctor."
His pupils were completely lifeless, utterly empty. I thought: his eyes were probably completely ruined.
Su Wan'er went out to instruct the servants to prepare some tea and snacks. I took He Tingzhi's pulse; it was weak and erratic. Then I examined his tongue and eyes. I asked He Tingzhi, "Lord He, in my opinion, you have been poisoned by Bai Cui San. This poison dissolves as soon as it enters the bone, penetrating deep into the limbs and bones. Initially, it is not easily detected, but gradually it causes symptoms such as blindness, dry mouth, and tinnitus, eventually taking your life. Lord, do you know who you have a grudge against?"
He Tingzhi's expression remained calm and composed, as if he had known all along. After a moment, he said, "If it cannot be cured, there is no need to force it. Divine Doctor, there is no need to exert yourself."
"How long has Lord He been blind?"
He frowned slightly. "I don't quite remember, about half a month."
"The poison of Bai Cui San can only be detoxified with green calyx flowers. I will gather some green calyx flowers and then use acupuncture to remove the poison for Lord He."
After saying that, I pulled Lou Xiyue out the door. "I think He Tingzhi is determined to die and doesn't want to live anymore. To cure him, we have to persuade him not to take his own life. Otherwise, if I go through all the trouble of saving him, and he just hangs himself, wouldn't all my efforts have been in vain?"
Lou Xiyue narrowed her eyes slightly. "What do you mean by that?"
"His blindness indicates that he is already quite severely poisoned. His face is pale, and there is a fine sweat on his forehead. Just now, his right hand was clenched tightly, and his knuckles were white, which must mean that the poison has taken effect and he is suffering greatly. But he is pretending, pretending to be very energetic, which means he obviously does not want me to cure him."
I patted Lou Xiyue on the shoulder. "The hardest disease to cure in this world is the heart. I entrust this challenge of turning the tide to you. Go and save him."