The Lonely City Closed

Chapter 77

After a moment's thought, I roughly guessed: "The mountain scenery of the four seasons in the master's writing is wonderful in its own way. The spring mountains are gentle and smiling, the summer mountains are verdant and dripping, the autumn mountains are bright and beautiful, and the winter mountains are bleak and asleep. Such writing skills could not have been achieved by anyone other than Guo Xi of Heyang."

I wasn't wrong. Guo Xi's eyes widened in surprise: "I am just a commoner, living in a remote prefecture for a long time, and unlike Mr. Xu, I don't come from a prestigious family and have a good reputation that is known throughout the world. How could the eunuchs know my name?"

I smiled and said, "Ten years ago, Zixi praised your exquisite brushwork to me. In recent years, old friends from the painting academy have also mentioned your great works to me from time to time. I was fortunate enough to appreciate them before."

The rest of the day was spent in the warm hospitality of the three painters. Outside the pavilion, the water murmured and the bamboo rustled in the wind, while inside, the smoke from the incense burner curled and the curtains were filled with the fragrance of ink. We ordered tea, discussed paintings, and chatted happily. Even Xiaobai and the boy named Yuanyu hit it off immediately. The two sat by the stream, with Yuanyu holding a branch in one hand and occasionally gesturing on the ground, teaching Xiaobai to draw crows on the trees.

When I explained my purpose, Mr. Xu and Mr. Guo immediately took out several of their new works and generously presented them to me. I refused such a generous gift and ordered Xiaobai to take out some money for them. They declined several times, but when they saw my insistence, they accepted a little.

"Is Zixi really unwilling to grant me a new work?" I asked Cui Bai.

He smiled, called Yuan Yu over, and whispered a few words of advice. The child then ran off as if to fetch something.

That child is so clever. I smiled as I watched his retreating figure, then asked Cui Bai, "Is this your son?"

Cui Bai laughed and said, "Yuan Yu's surname is Wu, and he is my disciple."

Then, his smile faded slightly, and he added, "I am not married yet."

I lowered my eyes and remained silent, listening with a polite and pleasant expression as Xu Chongsi and Guo Xi laughed and said that Cui Bai had too high standards. There were hundreds or even thousands of good women in the world, yet none of them could win his favor and be married into his family.

A moment later, Yuan Yu came in with a scroll and presented it to me with both hands. I unfolded it and saw that it depicted an autumn river scene, with a lone wild goose standing on the bank of reeds and withered grass, looking up into the distance with a lonely expression.

At dusk, I bid farewell to Cui Bai and the others. They tried their best to persuade me to stay, saying that it was rare to get along so well, and that I should stay one more night. They suggested that the four of us drink and talk tonight, and I could return tomorrow.

Just then, the sound of the evening drum came from the nearby Xiangguo Temple. I remembered something, and with a slight thought, I nodded in agreement.

The next morning, as soon as I arrived at the princess's residence, I saw Zhang Chengzhao and Jiaqingzi come out to greet me, both saying, "Thank God, you're back!"

I asked in surprise, "You've been waiting for me here? What happened?"

Zhang Chengzhao, leading my horse, said, "After you left, the prince consort invited some friends to play polo in the garden. The area next to the court used to be the princess's dressing room. Hearing the noise, the princess went to the railing to look. One of the prince consort's friends probably guessed that the figure behind the curtain upstairs was the princess, and harboring lewd intentions, he deliberately hit the ball hard, striking a bamboo curtain next to the princess. The princess was furious and immediately ordered several eunuchs to drive all the prince consort's friends away. The prince consort stood there dumbfounded for a long time, not saying much, but..." When the princess heard about this, she was furious. She rushed over and started yelling at the eunuchs, hurling insults and making a huge fuss. The princess was so angry she burst into tears. I wanted to take a few more men down to tell the princess what had happened, but Supervisor Liang stopped me and told me not to cause any more trouble. I had no choice but to obey, but that left the princess with no outlet for her anger. She sat upstairs all day, sulking, and you still hadn't returned. She waited until midnight, worried that something had happened to you, and sent many people out to look for you. The more she waited, the more anxious she became, and she couldn't help but cry again…”

I immediately quickened my pace and asked, "Where is the princess now?"

Jiaqingzi said, "I haven't slept a wink all night in the bedroom hall, and I'm still waiting for you, sir."

When they saw the princess, she was indeed haggard, with red and swollen eyes, dull and lifeless skin, and her hair, which she had combed the day before, now had several strands hanging down.

When she saw me come in, her eyes flickered, and she subconsciously stood up, but her face immediately darkened. She scolded me, "If you have a place to enjoy yourself outside, why did you come back?" Then, glancing around, she ordered, "Throw him out with a big stick!"

The palace maids and servants around me secretly chuckled, but none of them stepped forward to chase me away.

I stepped forward with a smile and handed her a paper package I was holding. She turned her head away angrily, but perhaps smelling the fragrance emanating from it, she hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "What is this?"

"The roasted pork sold by the senior monk at Shaozhu Courtyard of Xiangguo Temple."

She was indeed curious and glanced down at it. As I unwrapped the package, I explained, "The place where I bought the painting is right next to Xiangguo Temple. After we settled the matter, it was already late. I remembered that the princess had mentioned the roasted pork at Shaozhuyuan, so I thought I would wait until dawn to buy a fresh piece for her. Therefore, I accepted a friend's invitation to stay overnight. I went to Shaozhuyuan before dawn today, waiting for the first piece to be roasted before buying it for the princess to bring back."

She immediately asked a question she was concerned about: "Did you see that big monk? What did he look like?"

"It's a pity, no." I sighed. "His business has grown, and so has his arrogance. Now he leaves all the pork roasting to his apprentices and rarely sees guests himself."

"Oh..." This answer left her feeling disappointed.

I took the opportunity to hand her a small piece of roasted pork skewered on a bamboo stick. She took it, looked at it carefully, and sniffed it, as if she was about to taste it. Her expression made me laugh. She then realized that she was angry, so she threw the piece of pork on the ground with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, spat it out, and sat down again, turning her head away from me.

A few scattered chuckles rose from all around. The princess snapped, "What are you laughing at? All of you, get out of here!"

Everyone smiled and agreed, bowed, and then left one after another. Only Jiaqingzi did not go far and was still waiting outside the door.

Seeing that only the princess and I were left in the room, I put down the roasted pork and earnestly apologized to her: "This time, I stayed out overnight without seeking the princess's permission, which is my first offense; I abandoned my post and failed to protect the princess, which is my second offense; and I did not return home overnight, causing the princess to worry, which is my third offense. I am truly guilty and can assure the princess that this will not happen again. I hope the princess will forgive me."

I waited for a while, but the princess remained motionless and showed no intention of responding. So I said again, "Since Your Highness is unwilling to forgive me, please allow me to take my leave for now. After I have settled the books and paintings I purchased, I will remove my hat and go barefoot to come over and kneel down to apologize to Your Highness."

After I finished speaking, I took a few steps back and turned to leave. Suddenly, the princess, who had been silent, rushed over and hugged me from behind.

I shuddered and stopped in my tracks. Jiaqingzi, who was outside the door, heard the sound, turned around, and looked startled as well. She blushed and turned her head away.

“I’m not angry with you,” the princess said, hugging me tightly and pressing her cheek against my back. “I’m afraid I’ll never see you again… The days you’ve been gone have felt like an eternity here. If you were to leave me, I would rather die right now.”

I stood there silently, frozen, offering no response. Her sorrow, like an unexpected summer rain, dampened my mood once more. An indescribable sadness, along with her tears, seeped into my heart, following the lines of my clothes.

The Lonely City Closes (A Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) Who Can Share the Brocade of Love? 1. Wild Geese

Chapter word count: 2711 Update time: 08-08-21 17:35

1. Wild Geese

At the last moment of sorting the gifts, I hesitated. My gaze lingered on Cui Bai's scroll of "Wild Geese Among Reeds" for a long time before I finally picked it out and did not present it to the emperor for inspection along with the other paintings and calligraphy.

The Emperor may not know about Qiu He and Cui Bai's affair, but the Empress knows it. She will understand the meaning behind this painting at a glance. Qiu He's status is no longer what it used to be, and it would be bad if the Empress knew about Cui Bai's lingering feelings.

These gifts were praised by the Emperor and Empress. When the princess and her husband visited the palace to offer New Year's greetings, the Emperor specifically mentioned these paintings and calligraphy, and asked Li Wei with a smile, "Were all the paintings and calligraphy presented by the princess's residence selected by you?"

Li Wei nodded in agreement. The Emperor and Empress looked at each other and smiled, their eyes showing approval. They said, "Everything is very good. Xu Chongsi's skill in painting boneless flowers is improving day by day, and Guo Xi's landscapes of the four seasons are also refreshing."

Li Wei was unaware that I had switched the paintings and calligraphy he had presented. Hearing the Emperor say this, he was taken aback.

At this moment, the Empress said to him, "It seems that you, Commander, are quite knowledgeable in calligraphy and painting. The works you have chosen are all masterpieces. Xu Chongsi has been famous for a long time, and there are a few of his works in the palace. Guo Xi's paintings are rarely seen in the past and are quite innovative. Where did you find them, Commander?"

Li Wei was speechless, so I immediately bowed to the Empress and answered on his behalf: "The Commandant has seen the paintings of Guo Xi of Heyang and often praised him for his skill in painting landscapes and cold forests. Recently, I heard that he had moved to the capital, so he ordered me to visit him and thus I acquired his new work."

"The Commandant is learned and knowledgeable. He doesn't judge paintings based on the artist's reputation. He knows how to select contemporary landscapes, which shows his unique insight, something that ordinary people can't match." The Empress praised Li Wei with a smile, then turned to me and asked, "What about Guo Xi's temperament?"

I said, "Be gentle and humble, and treat others with courtesy."