The Lonely City Closed

Chapter 85

The Lonely City Closes (A Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) Who Can Share the Brocade of Love? 9. Husband and Wife

Chapter word count: 3246 Update time: 09-07-05 10:33

9. Husband and wife

(3010 words)

With vivid expression, she mimicked her husband's sincere demeanor as she spoke these words, immediately eliciting another burst of laughter from the hall. Even the two maids standing behind her disregarded etiquette, covering their mouths with their sleeves and laughing uncontrollably.

Ruozhu herself didn't laugh, but said indignantly, "I was so angry I almost wanted to set the place on fire. Then I thought, 'Fine, you said I'm fast? Then I'll show you!' So without saying a word, I turned and left. At first, I thought he would chase after me, so I walked very fast, thinking that if he caught up and grabbed my arm, I would definitely shake him off hard... After a while, I didn't see him chasing after me, which I found strange, so I slowed down, but I still didn't hear his footsteps, so I looked back, but I didn't see him at all! Humph, maybe he thought it was almost mealtime and I went to have someone prepare the food. I was furious and immediately had someone prepare the car, so I came here."

"Yes, brother-in-law is indeed wrong. He's not young anymore, and he doesn't know how to be more considerate and gentle with you, making you upset for no reason," Madam Zhang sighed with a smile. She then took Ruozhu's hand and patted it gently, saying, "But, to be honest, you're not without fault either. Why did you ask him such a question for no reason? What kind of answer did you expect him to give? If he said he would save others first, you would naturally be dissatisfied, but if he said he would save you first, disregarding old friends, showing such fickleness and heartlessness, would you be happy to hear that?"

Ruozhu pouted and said, "That's true, but I just want to know what my place is in his heart!" She sighed and said wistfully, "Sometimes, I really feel like I was born at the wrong time. If I had been born ten or twenty years earlier, met him before he got married, and then married him as his first wife, and the two of us had lived together in harmony until now, just like you and your brother-in-law, without any barriers between us, wouldn't everything have been fine?"

Hearing her mentioned, Madam Zhang's smile faded slightly. She spoke candidly to Ruozhu, saying, "Your brother-in-law and I aren't as carefree and without any barriers as you imagine... Although he only has me as his wife and has never taken a concubine, I have never borne him a son or daughter. He's forty years old now, and I'm no longer young, so I'm increasingly worried. I always feel guilty towards him and wish he could take a concubine soon, so that another woman could serve him and continue his bloodline."

Ruozhu asked, "Would your brother-in-law be willing to take a concubine?"

"If I wanted to, would I still be so worried now?" Madam Zhang said with a wry smile, "Once, I had even chosen a beautiful young lady for him. One day, I had this young lady dressed up and sent to serve Junshi in his study. But when she went in, Junshi didn't even glance at her, focusing solely on his reading. The young lady, wanting to get his attention, casually picked up a book and asked him, 'Scholar, what book is this?' Junshi glanced at the book, then bowed to her and answered solemnly, 'This is the *Shangshu* (Book of Documents).' After that, he continued reading, ignoring her. The young lady had no choice but to leave and tell me about it. At the time, I thought that perhaps Junshi was hesitant to approach her because I was at home. A few days later, I made an excuse to go to a relative's house to admire the flowers and left early. The young lady, dressed in her finest attire, went to the academy to serve tea to Junshi, but to my surprise, Junshi was displeased upon seeing her and scolded her, 'You servant! The academy is not at home today, what are you doing here?'"

Ruozhu smiled upon hearing this and comforted Madam Zhang, saying, "Since your brother-in-law hasn't insisted on having an heir, why should you worry about it, sister? Besides, I heard he's already adopted a son from a clansman as his heir. Your brother-in-law's reluctance to take a concubine shows his deep affection for you, sister, which is truly enviable. If I were to arrange a concubine for someone, he would be more than happy to oblige. The other day, when he accompanied me to see the lanterns, he kept staring at the long-necked beauties in the lantern shadows. It's clear he's a lecherous fellow, and I don't know how much I'll suffer because of this in the future!"

Madam Zhang said in surprise, "You have a problem with him watching the lanterns? Aren't you being a bit too sensitive? As a court official, it's already quite kind of him to accompany his wife to watch the lanterns. You still have so many complaints. Aren't you taking your blessings for granted?"

After hearing this, the princess asked Lady Zhang, "Does Scholar Sima never accompany you to watch the lanterns?"

"Indeed!" Madam Zhang's brows furrowed with resentment at the mention of the matter. "He never accompanies me out for festivals. One year, during the Lantern Festival, I wanted to go out to see the lanterns, and when I told him, he asked me, 'We have lanterns lit at home, why go out to see them?' I explained, 'I also want to see the people on the street.' He glared at me and said, 'Am I not human, but a ghost?'"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter again. Madam Zhang then asked Ruozhu, "Look, if you could choose freely, would you rather pick another dullard like Junshi, or continue living with your brother-in-law?"

Ruozhu thought for a moment, and although she remained silent, she kept smiling with her head down; the answer was obvious.

Mrs. Zhang sighed softly again, saying, "What couple in this world is perfect in every way? Many couples seem wonderful to others, living in harmony and mutual respect, but the hidden truths within are known only to themselves. But should a marriage break up simply because of a few minor imperfections? Even if you're growing a peony, you need to patiently care for it every day to get it to bloom beautifully. Some couples harbor resentment towards each other, feeling they can't live together anymore, perhaps because they lack the patience to water and remove pests..." Your husband is exceptionally talented, handsome, and of good character—a rare find indeed. That's why your father adored him so much, and after your sister's passing, married you to him. Among the millions of men and women in the world, your union is a rare and precious缘分 (fate/destiny), which you should cherish. Besides, for the past two years, he has been incredibly attentive and caring towards you. What more could you possibly want? Even if some small things upset you, try to be more understanding and forgiving; they will pass. If you constantly get angry over trivial matters, it will severely damage your relationship in the long run.”

Ruozhu listened with her head down, without refuting. After a long while, she finally spoke, but not about her own affairs. Instead, she smiled and pointed at the princess and me, saying, "There must be perfect couples in the world, right? I think they are very good. They only have eyes for each other and get along so well."

Upon hearing this, the princess immediately objected: "No way! We have problems too—sometimes he refuses to do even the smallest things for me, and I have to beg him!"

Madam Zhang then asked, "Is it because what you asked him to do wasn't very good that your husband is in such a difficult position?"

Ruozhu said, "But if you persist, he will eventually agree to your request, right?"

The princess asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

Ruozhu and Madam Zhang both laughed and turned to look at me. I lowered my eyes and head, continuing to smile and remain silent, but a dark thought flashed through my mind: "Actually, our biggest problem is that we are not husband and wife at all, and it is impossible for us to become husband and wife in this lifetime."

But my gloomy mood didn't last long. A horse's neighing came from downstairs, interrupting my thoughts.

Madam Zhang got up and went to the window to look out, but then smiled and turned to Ruozhu, saying, "To be honest, I received your letter today. I was quite surprised to see how serious it was, with things like 'meeting the wrong person.' Since I didn't know the details, I went to your house to ask your brother-in-law first. He told me that he was just joking with you, but he didn't expect you to take it seriously. When you ran out, he didn't realize what was happening, so he didn't chase after you. Later, I arranged with him that I would come to see you first, and he would come to pick you up later. He's downstairs now. Calm down and go back with him."

:::

The princess and I immediately went to the window to look, and sure enough, we saw a scholar standing leaning against his horse downstairs. He was wearing a hooded, cloak-like sweater with wide sleeves. The hood covered most of his face, making it impossible to see his features clearly, but we could still sense that he was elegant and refined.

Ruozhu hesitated, but still moved to the window and glanced around. The scholar saw her figure and immediately called to her softly, "My lady, it's late. Let's go home."

He was clearly mindful of those around him, so he dared not shout loudly.

Upon hearing this, Ruozhu's lips curled into a smile. She turned around, took Adi's hand, and whispered a few words in her ear. Adi nodded, pointed to a round stool, and asked a maid to move it to the window. Then she climbed up, stood on the stool, rested her elbows on the windowsill, looked down at the scholar, and then said to him in her clear voice, "Uncle Feng, my aunt asked me to ask you, who are you?"

The little girl spoke clearly and calmly, uttering these strange words at a sufficiently loud volume. It sounded quite amusing and would surely attract the attention of everyone inside and outside the restaurant.

The scholar must have been quite embarrassed, but after thinking for a moment, he still said something in a low voice.

Adi shook her head and asked him very clearly, "What?...Can't you hear me!"

The scholar seemed to take a deep breath, his shoulders slumped, probably having gone all out. He tilted his head back, and his hood slipped off, revealing a handsome face that both the princess and I remembered.

"I am Feng Jing from Jiangxia," he replied loudly, his gaze darting behind Adi to find Ruozhu's figure.

Suddenly, a cacophony of sounds erupted from the restaurant as windows were pushed open and banged open. Countless heads popped out of the building, their eyes fixed intently on Feng Jing. Passersby stopped in their tracks, staring at him with curiosity and pointing at him. Even more enthusiastic tourists and drinkers gathered from all directions, calling out to him repeatedly, "Scholar Feng," "Scholar Feng," or "Han Chinese Scholar Feng."

Feng Jing had no time to pay attention to Ruozhu. Sitting on his horse, he awkwardly nodded to the person who had called him, and smiled obsequiously to those around him, looking quite embarrassed.

Ruozhu, hiding behind the window frame, hugged Adi and was already bent over laughing.

The Lonely City Closes (A Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) Who Can Share the Brocade of Love? 10. Spring Chill

Chapter word count: 2988 Update time: 09-07-05 10:34

10 Spring Cold

(2702 words)

While listening to Ruozhu recount her family's affairs, I had already guessed her identity. Now that the answer is revealed, my guess was pretty close: she is the second daughter of Prime Minister Fu Bi and the granddaughter of Yan Shu. Fu Bi first married his eldest daughter, Ruolan, to Feng Jing. After Ruolan died of illness, Fu Bi then betrothed Ruozhu to Feng Jing as his second wife. Now, people in the capital praise Feng Jing: "A scholar who topped the ranks three times, married daughters of prime ministers twice," referring to this event. The Feng Jing's wife that the princess met at the palace banquet was Ruolan, while Ruozhu's marriage to Feng Jing must have occurred during his time as a junior official. Therefore, she and the princess had never met before today and did not know each other.

I naturally wouldn't overlook the princess's reaction. From the moment she heard Adi call him "Uncle Feng," the smile on her face stiffened. When Feng Jing revealed his identity, the joy in her eyes was like fireworks in the night sky, blooming and then falling weakly and drifting away, turning into wisps of smoke and returning to silence in an instant.

However, she still maintained her smile, leaning against the window frame as she looked at Ruozhu. Her peaceful gaze, like water, caressed Ruozhu's joyful eyes and brows, revealing no trace of unpleasant emotions, such as jealousy or anger. She simply observed the happiness of this woman her age quietly, as if admiring a beautiful painting that had nothing to do with her.

When Feng Jing came up, the princess had already put on her veil and bid farewell to Ruozhu. Ruozhu reluctantly held her hand, asked her name, and said she hoped to see her often in the future. The princess smiled and said, "If fate allows, we will meet again in the future."

After speaking, she turned and left. As she passed Feng Jing, she gently lifted a corner of her veil, giving him a half-smile. Feng Jing caught a glimpse of her face and was momentarily startled, but quickly regained his composure, offering a slight bow with a faint smile.

How familiar the scene was, as if he had returned to the banks of Jinming Pond years ago, where the young princess, in the bloom of youth, met the newly appointed scholar in green robes. In the luxurious carriage, she smiled radiantly, her beautiful face and budding girlish feelings peeking through the gauze curtain. Now, they met again, but it was unclear whether Feng Jing merely felt a sense of familiarity with her, or whether he clearly remembered the girl he had met on his triumphant journey, her delicate hands lifting the curtain of her jeweled carriage, her eyebrows like spring mountains.

Her veil fell, and she strode out without looking back, not glancing to the side once. Only when she was far from the room did she stop, her hand resting on the vermilion balustrade beside the stairs, and softly asked me, "How long has it been since the first year of the Huangyou era?"

I answered, "Eleven years."