Eyes Charming - Chapter 3
Wang Pang chuckled softly, took off his outer clothes, pulled over another blanket, and lay down quietly.
Pang Di noticed that he hadn't moved for a while and felt a little strange, so he quietly turned around and opened his eyes to look at him.
He lay there with his eyes closed, and the pale moonlight made his features appear even more striking, as if they had been sculpted by a knife. Pang Di had never seen him so closely before and wondered to herself, "Why didn't I notice how handsome he was before?"
While she was still staring at him in deep thought, Wang Pang suddenly opened his eyes, a smile playing on his lips, a smile that held a hint of wickedness and cunning. He stared at Pang Di and asked, "My lady, you must have never seen anyone as beautiful as me before, have you?"
Pang Di nearly collapsed, both laughing and crying, and said, "There are many women who are more beautiful than you, but it seems that you are the only one in the world who is so critical and shamelessly compares yourself to Song Yu."
“I have many complaints, which I learned from my teacher.” Wang Pang replied by quoting a line from Song Yu’s “The Rhapsody of Deng Tu Zi’s Lust” and continued to joke with his wife using the allusion from the rhapsody: “It’s fortunate that my wife didn’t live to the east of my house before, otherwise I would feel uneasy if you had to climb the wall to spy on me every day!”
Pang Di wanted to refute him again, but thinking that he was so eloquent, she was afraid that she would not be able to refute him even if they talked until dawn. So she said in a huff, "Enough of this nonsense, I'm going to sleep."
Wang Pang smiled and agreed, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Pang Di lay there for a while, feeling uneasy with someone beside him, as if he were a thorn in his side, afraid that the man would bother him again. After thinking it over and over, he couldn't help but say to him, "Let's just sleep like this."
Wang Pang opened his eyes and asked curiously, "If not, how would you like to sleep, my lady?"
Pang Di was so ashamed that he wanted to disappear. He spat and then fell silent. He didn't know how long he stayed up before finally falling asleep.
Nothing was said that night, until dawn.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
hairpin crown
The next morning, Pang Di accompanied Wang Pang to pay their respects to his parents-in-law and serve tea. Madam Wu looked at Pang Di with a smile, clearly very pleased. However, noticing the dark circles under the newlyweds' eyes, which she assumed were from staying up late, she privately instructed Pang Di: "You two are newlyweds, and a little intimacy is harmless. But Pang'er has always been weaker than others, so you must be moderate in everything. The Emperor has given Pang'er a lot of medicine, and she must take one dose each morning and evening. Take a look at the prescription later, carefully check the dosage, and then give it to the servants to prepare. If you have any questions, ask the maid Xuanji; she has always been in charge of these things."
Pang Di was taken aback at first, then she understood what her mother-in-law meant and realized that she had misunderstood. But how could she explain such a thing? She could only blush and agree to everything.
That evening, Wang Pang and his father convened a meeting of the reformist faction in the hall. Pang Di brought the prescription for her husband's chronic illness, written by the imperial physician, and after carefully reviewing it several times, she personally went to the kitchen to instruct the servants to prepare it. Upon hearing this, the maid Xuanji immediately rushed over and said to Pang Di, "These things can be done by your servants; how can you trouble the young mistress?"
Pang Di said, "I have nothing better to do than prepare some medicine for you, sir."
However, Xuanji insisted, "Preparing these medicinal soups may seem easy, but there are many details involved. The dosage, formula, and heat are different for morning and evening. Even the same medicine can be prepared in many different ways throughout the month. The first and fifteenth of the month are very different. You can't be careless at all."
"The maids are used to this job; why should the young mistress worry about these things anymore? It's better to leave it to the maids."
Pang Di found these words rather grating. Looking at Xuanji, whose expression was quite different from that of the other maids, she noticed that Xuanji lacked the usual humility and obedience. Her clothes were also much more exquisite than those of the other maids. Pang Di felt a little strange and, wanting to compete with her, said, "Those who haven't done it should learn more. If I slack off now, who will take care of these things after Miss Xuanji gets married?"
Xuanji's lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something, but seeing Pang Di's resolute expression, she finally held back and remained silent.
Pang Di then ordered her personal maid, Lvxiu, who had come with her as part of her dowry, to inquire among the other servants in the mansion. Lvxiu returned and reported, "Xuanji is the daughter of Young Master Pang's wet nurse. She is three months older than the young master and they grew up together. She has always served the young master, so the master and mistress treat her differently."
"I see." Pang Di felt slightly displeased.
The meeting in the hall lasted until midnight. When Wang Pang returned to his room, he found his wife fast asleep. Her face was rosy and delicate in the candlelight. She was fast asleep with her eyes closed, her eyelashes casting two arc-shaped shadows. She looked charming and innocent. He felt a sudden stirring in his heart. All the passion he had felt during the meeting melted away into tenderness. So he couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her rosy cheek.
She heard a sound, half-opened her sleepy eyes, and when she saw it was him, she was no longer afraid. She mumbled, "I've asked the kitchen to prepare the medicine. I'll bring it over after your meeting. You must drink it; I prepared it myself." After hearing his reply, she fell asleep again, relieved.
Wang Pang lay quietly beside her at night, gazing tenderly at his beloved wife until dawn broke.
On the third day, Wang Pang and Wang Anshi went to the palace to meet the emperor and did not return until dusk. After returning, Wang Pang stayed in his study, writing furiously behind closed doors. Pang Di went to sleep alone. He woke up in the middle of the night, not knowing what time it was, and found no one beside him. He got up and went to the study to check.
He was indeed still in the study, too tired to move, and had fallen asleep on the couch, surrounded by books and manuscripts. Pang Di examined them closely and found that they were the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Rites of Zhou, and the new interpretations of the Three Classics that he had helped his father compile. He knew that Pang Di must have been asked by the emperor about the theoretical basis of the reforms during his audience with the emperor, so he rushed home to write new manuscripts for the emperor's review.
She found an embroidered quilt and covered him with it. She saw that his brows were furrowed, and he was still reciting the Three Classics in his sleep. Pang Di couldn't help but smile. She thought to herself that she had always thought he was just a self-important talented man who was good at being romantic. But now that she saw him so focused on the cause of the country and the people's livelihood, she realized that this was what made him so lovable.
When Wang Pang woke up at dawn, he saw Pang Di sitting beside him, carefully reading the article he had written the night before. When he got up, Pang Di asked with a smile, "I'll have a maid come in to help you with your washing and dressing."
Wang Pang had been quite tired these past few days, and still felt a little dizzy after waking up, so he took his wife's hand and said, "Let me lie down for a while longer."
"
Pang Di laughed and said, "Oh, how can you be so shameless! Then you should drink the medicine first."
Wang Pang had spent his childhood surrounded by medicine and deeply understood its bitterness; upon hearing this, he couldn't help but show his disgust. However, seeing his wife's concern, he couldn't bear to go against her wishes and reluctantly agreed.
Pang Di brought the medicine to him and waited for him to drink it. Wang Pang looked down at the medicine, then suddenly pointed behind Pang Di, feigning surprise, and said, "Adi, look behind you!"
Unexpectedly, Pang Di didn't turn around, but frowned and scolded, "Stop playing this trick! My mother-in-law told me long ago that you often do this. After people turn around, you pour the medicine into the flowerpot. Such an old trick, why don't you come up with something new? Drink it quickly!"
It turned out that Wang Pang really wanted to pour out the medicine when he wasn't paying attention, but since he had been discovered, he had no choice but to drink it obediently.
He was wearing a loose white morning robe. After sleeping all night, the headband on his head had come undone, and his long hair, slightly disheveled, cascaded down to his waist. He finished his medicine, then extended his right hand and gently dabbed his lips with his sleeve, the wide sleeve fluttering lightly, his posture extremely graceful.
Seeing that he had finished drinking it, Pang Di asked with a smile, "Was the medicine bitter?"
Wang Pang raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Why don't you try it yourself, my lady?"
Pang Di looked down at the bowl and found that the medicine had been drunk up, so he said, "Where is there any left to taste?"
Wang Pang's smile remained unchanged as he said, "There's more here." He then pulled her close and made a move to kiss her lips.
Pang Di cried out in surprise, broke free, and blushed deeply.
Wang Pang laughed and stopped teasing her. He turned around, took out a box from his side, and took out a flower hairpin crown. He said to Pang Di, "This was given to you by the Emperor when I went to the palace to meet him yesterday. It has eight flower hairpins. The Emperor said that the Empress Dowager praised you highly. He heard that you married me, so he specially instructed that you be granted a second-rank official's flower hairpin crown as an exception."
At that time, there were strict restrictions on the headdresses and hairpins worn by noblewomen. First-rank noblewomen wore nine hairpins, second-rank noblewomen wore eight, third-rank noblewomen wore seven, and so on. Wang Pang's official title at the time was a lecturer in the Chongzheng Hall, and his wife's rank should not have been second-rank, so this was an exceptional reward. In fact, Wang Pang was learned, intelligent, and outspoken. Many of his father's strategies originated from him, and even most of Wang Anshi's memorials to the emperor were dictated and then copied by his son. He was a major force in the reform movement and was often called a "little sage." His official position should not have been low, but according to the regulations of the dynasty, the sons of ministers could not be pre-selected for official positions. Wang Anshi feared gossip, so he had not promoted Wang Pang. Later, Wang Pang directly asked his father, "Although I cannot be pre-selected for official positions, can I not participate in the lectures at the palace lecture halls?" Wang Anshi then worried, "The court officials have just said that I use too many personal associates. If you were to serve in the Imperial Lectures, it would likely only increase public criticism." Wang Pang then smiled and said, "Father's concerns are the reason why the new laws cannot be implemented hastily." Later, because Wang Pang's policy proposals and his "Commentary on Laozi" were printed and circulated in the palace, they were read by Emperor Shenzong, who greatly admired them. Reformists Deng Wan and Zeng Bu seized the opportunity to strongly recommend him. Emperor Shenzong summoned Wang Pang for an audience, and Wang Pang's responses were appropriate and in line with the emperor's wishes. As a result, he was appointed as the Crown Prince's Junior Advisor and a lecturer in the Chongzheng Hall.
Pang Di took the hairpin and crown and examined them closely.
Wang Pang thought for a moment and then asked, "The Empress Dowager speaks highly of you. Has she ever met you?"
Pang Di then told him about his entry into the palace, but omitted mentioning the matter of the Prince of Qi.
Wang Pang was incredibly clever; after a moment's thought, he understood her meaning and laughed, "So, I've actually snatched away my future princess."