The Lonely City Closed

Chapter 97

I didn't respond, but he continued, "But it's precisely because you're not like him that I have this sympathy for you... It's certainly not wrong to be cautious and self-protective, but life would be quite boring if it were always like this, wouldn't it?"

Seeing that I hadn't spoken for a long time, he asked me again, "Before leaving the capital, do you have any wishes?" The smile he gave me at the end was not without goodwill.

I raised my hand to my forehead, bowed deeply to him, and said, "Your Majesty, I only hope that the princess will not have to watch me leave."

……………………

The next day, the princess got up very early and waited quietly for her maids to pack her things to return to her residence. I did as she wished, wearing a scholar's robe and having the eunuchs pack my clothes and stationery as if I were really going to go back with her.

I inquired about the details of the duties performed by the palace servants in the residence that day, striving to do everything perfectly. I even personally touched each of the silver incense balls hanging inside the princess's carriage to check if the incense temperature was appropriate.

As the sound of the imperial drum emanated from the Chui Gong Hall, I was holding incense chopsticks, adjusting the incense in a smoldering incense ball. Hearing the deep drumbeat, I paused, remembering that the imperial decree banishing me was about to be announced in court, and the incense chopsticks in my hand lowered slowly.

"Huaiji!" the princess suddenly called from behind me. My hand trembled, and the incense I was holding fell to the wrist of my left hand, which was holding the incense ball. It was a little hot, so I quickly pulled my hand back. The incense ball then dropped rapidly, and the several mechanisms swayed and touched each other, making a series of soft, tinkling sounds, just like the princess's laughter at that moment.

"What are you thinking about? You seem distracted." She covered her mouth with her shoulder and asked me with a smile. The Emperor had granted Consort Miao permission to escort her back today, and with her mother by her side, the princess seemed to be in a good mood.

"Oh, I was just thinking that the incense balls in the carriage have darkened in color, and I should take them out and clean them when we get back," I replied without changing my expression.

She was still smiling brightly and said a few more words to me. I smiled and pretended to listen, but I didn't hear what she said. Looking at her radiant appearance, I sighed in my heart: "What a beautiful smile, but I will never see it again."

………………

The people escorting the princess back to her residence were still from the Imperial City Guard, but today there were especially many eunuchs accompanying her, because half of them had another task—to escort me away halfway through the journey and send me out of the city.

As usual, I rode alongside the princess's carriage. After leaving Xuande Gate, we traveled along Zhuque Street to the vicinity of Xiangguo Temple. Deng Baoji, the chief eunuch of the Imperial City Guard, gave me a wink. I understood, and immediately and quietly reined in my horse, turned around, and prepared to leave.

But as if sensing something, the princess suddenly lifted the curtain and called out to me in a panic, "Huaiji, where are you going?"

I stopped and looked at the few people on the roadside heading to Xiangguo Temple to burn incense. I found an excuse and turned around to reply, "Princess, I would like to go to Xiangguo Temple to buy some roasted pork for you."

She looked at me suspiciously, but I maintained my impeccable smile, leaving her clueless. After a moment, she smiled too: "That roasted pork does taste good, but you don't have to go yourself to buy it, do you? Just ask a eunuch to go."

I smiled and said, "It's different. Pigs have so much meat on their bodies, they don't know which parts are delicious, they don't know how to choose."

Hearing this, the princess couldn't help but giggle and finally agreed: "Alright, go ahead. But the weather looks bad, it looks like it's going to rain, so you must hurry back and catch up with me as soon as possible."

I readily agreed. She blinked and added, "I don't eat fatty meat, I want lean meat."

I smiled and said, "Roasted pork is best when it's half lean and half fat; it tastes better with some fat."

"No!" she shook her head firmly. "Eating fatty meat will make me fat."

Those around them laughed at the sound, making the princess a little embarrassed. She said with a shy smile, "What are you laughing at? Hurry up and leave!"

She lowered her hand, her face hidden behind the curtain, and the carriage started moving again.

I stood by my horse, watching her go, then turned to Deng Duzhi, who had stayed by my side and was waiting to escort me out of the city, and said, "Huaiji has a request, which I hope you will grant."

"Speak," Deng said, his eyes filled with pity as he looked at me.

"Could you give me a little more time to go to Xiangguo Temple to buy some things? After I leave the city, you can take them to the princess's residence and give them to her?"

He probably knew what it was, and sighed, "Alright, I'll go with you."

……………

When we arrived at the gate of Shaozhu Courtyard, Chief Deng and the eunuchs of the Imperial City Guard stopped and waited outside, allowing me to enter alone.

The person doing business in the courtyard that day was neither the senior monk Huiming, nor his disciple whom I had seen before, but a robust woman. As soon as she saw me approach, she immediately stood up and greeted me warmly: "Young master, are you looking to buy roast pork? We happen to have one that's just been roasted and is still piping hot!"

As I went inside to browse, I casually asked her, "Isn't Master Huiming in the shop?"

"Don't mention that old codger!" The woman said bitterly, her left hand on her hip and her right hand shaking her large shoulder. "He drank a whole jar of old wine yesterday at noon and has been lying dead on the bed ever since!"

I was surprised by her tone, and then I remembered that I had heard before that Huiming had married a woman whom the scholars in the capital jokingly called "Fan Sao" (a term of endearment for a Buddhist nun). This must be the woman in front of me!

So I bowed to the ground and said, "You must be Sister-in-law Fan? I didn't know that before. My apologies."

She waved her hand dismissively: "Hey! What 'Sister-in-law Fan'! That's just something you scholars call someone. To be honest, I don't want to be the wife of that drunken monk! I'd be driven crazy by him sooner or later if I stayed with him!"

Even so, a warm light still flashed in her eyes when she mentioned Huiming, and her expression seemed familiar, just like when Ruozhu complained about Feng Jing.

I smiled and stopped the conversation, pointing to a piece of roasted pork I had chosen and asking her to cut off the lean parts.

"Young master wants lean meat, it must be what your wife instructed, right?" Sister Fan asked as she cut the meat.

I didn't say much, just nodded in agreement.

Sister-in-law Fan smiled: "My lord is so considerate to his wife, she must be very beautiful, right?"

I smiled, recalling the princess's features, and felt a warmth in my heart, as if basking in the spring sunshine: "Yes, my wife, is the most beautiful woman in the world."

………

After leaving the Shaozhu Courtyard, I handed the roasted pork to Chief Deng, then mounted my horse and galloped out of the city without looking back. My speed was so great that the palace eunuchs initially thought I was fleeing. They chased after me on horseback, but I offered no explanation, whipping my horse and galloping wildly until I reached a hill outside the city, where I reined in my horse and stopped.

"How is the princess now?"

Thinking about this question, I turned back sadly, my moist eyes meeting the rain and wind that were scattering everywhere. I gazed at the imperial city in the distance, shrouded in light ink-colored clouds, and bid a final farewell to this city that held my beloved.

The Lonely City Closes (The Princess Who Fell in Love with the Eunuch) A Pearl Amidst Rubble A Tea Cup

Chapter word count: 2969 Update time: 09-07-05 10:39

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