Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn - Chapter 154
April 16th was Zi Nuo's nineteenth birthday. King Jin Que held a banquet in the Liangyi Hall, where the court officials offered their congratulations, some genuine and some feigned, and presented countless gifts. Inside the Xiyang Palace, Yan Yu directed the palace maids and eunuchs to organize the dazzling array of treasures. Gazing at those precious items, I couldn't bring myself to take my hands out of my sleeves.
After hesitating for a while, she said, "Zinuo, I don't have any good gifts to give you this year. Next year, at this time next year, I'll give you a surprise!" By next year, she should be able to make it happen. There will definitely be a surprise, but whether she'll be happy or not is hard to say.
Zi Nuo pulled me to sit down on the table, her beautiful eyes filled with tenderness and contentment: "Having my sister with me every year is the best gift."
"Yes, as long as my sister is alive, she will definitely be with you every year at this time." I can't guarantee anything else, but I can definitely do this.
Zinuo's eyes were sincere and ardent, and I could only respond with a slight smile.
The palace servants had finished collecting the gifts and had already left. The entire hall was empty and quiet, save for a few palace lanterns flickering with golden flames, and the occasional whispers between Zinuo and me. Such a scene must have been peaceful and blissful.
Outside, the moonlight was bright, and the sky was dotted with clouds. A few stars hung inconspicuously on the horizon. A night breeze swept by, carrying a hint of coolness. In the darkness, the distant palaces lost their daytime splendor, appearing only as patches of shadowy light.
Zinuo hugged me and we sat on the tree. How many nights had we spent like this together, feeling the breeze, watching the stars, watching the moon, and talking about the beautiful life we imagined? Now, we still occasionally sit together on the tree, but our feelings are ultimately different.
Tomorrow, I will return to Qiuyang Valley. Looking at Zi Nuo's increasingly mature face, I feel very gratified, but I also miss the little boy who used to always snuggle in my arms. Back then, life was a bit tough, but he didn't know the taste of sorrow.
"Sister, I'll wait for you, and you have to wait for me too," Zi Nuo whispered.
"Um?"
"I'm waiting for my sister to accept me. My sister needs to wait for me to find a way to cure your poison and for me to settle the matters that Father Emperor entrusted to me before leaving the palace." She whispered softly, with a hint of imperceptible sorrow.
"Gan Lin told you? You're not hiding it from me anymore?"
"Not telling you is for your own good, sister. Don't you always keep many things from me on your own initiative?" Zi Nuo glanced at me sideways, and her somewhat aggrieved tone made me chuckle.
Zi Nuo glared at me and said, "Also, sister, you tried to matchmake Brother Gan and Princess Zi Ling before, so don't try to get any ideas about me or trying to push other women in front of me."
"Okay, okay, okay," I nodded repeatedly with a smile. Tonight, the Golden Sparrow King had gathered more women for Zinuo to choose from in the palace. He must be a little scared. However, although I thought that Zinuo might find a woman who truly belonged to him, I hadn't yet considered helping him find one myself.
Hearing my quick agreement, Zinuo finally felt relieved, but didn't forget to add, "Otherwise, I'll be angry."
I chuckled. I don't know what it's like when Zinuo is angry with someone else, but when he's angry with me, he always seems to ignore me for days. When he's entangled with Shen Zexuan and the others, Zinuo really rarely pays attention to me.
Night fell, and the wind grew cool. Zi Nuo escorted me back to my chambers, her expression lingering: "Sister, if there are too many matters to attend to at court tomorrow, I won't be able to come back to see you off. Go back by yourself, and be careful on the road."
"Alright. Don't overwork yourself. If you get too tired, you should protest to the king. I'll come back to see you again in a while." She tiptoed and stroked Zi Nuo's slightly disheveled hair.
Zi Nuo nodded readily, his demeanor hardly that of a high-ranking regent prince; he seemed more like a younger brother who hadn't fully grown up. Having previously held Zi Nuo in such high regard, I couldn't help but wonder now what his true feelings for me were… perhaps it was just habit.
In May, the pomegranates bloomed in full glory, their bright red blossoms filling the courtyard and attracting countless bees and butterflies.
Watching the colorful butterflies flitting about, Chu Chen's eyes shone brightly as he chased after them, sweating profusely. Having practiced martial arts with Gan Lin for quite some time, the little guy was rather agile, and he managed to catch several butterflies, which he handed to Bi Qiong to keep in a small cage. He figured he'd probably show them off to his friends soon.
Chu Chen was about to leave with the cage when Ruosheng stopped him, saying, "Young Master Chen, there are many snakes and insects outside at this time of year. Don't wander around."
"Aunt Ruosheng, Chenchen is just going to Xi'er's house to give her these butterflies," Chu Chen replied crisply. As he spoke, he slipped through a gap under Ruosheng's arm and disappeared, with the guards outside following silently.
Xi'er is a cute little girl, about three or four years old.
I gave Ruosheng a helpless, bitter smile.
In June, the summer heat gradually intensifies. Although the valley is relatively cool, it also makes one feel somewhat lazy. Under the grape trellis, I had just woken up from my afternoon nap when Ruosheng brought me a plate of sliced fruits that she had just taken from the bottom of the well. I picked up a few pieces and ate them, feeling a refreshing coolness.
"If only we had some ice," I sighed softly.
The Kingdom of Golden Sparrow is wonderful in every way, except that it has no ice in the summer. No, it doesn't even have ice in the winter.
I went back to see Zinuo at the end of May, but now that the weather is hot, I probably won't go back there this summer.
As the sun sets, gazing at the thriving rice paddies in the fields and inhaling the sweet fragrance of fruits carried on the wind, I eagerly await the arrival of autumn.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 134
Chapter word count: 3655 Update time: 09-09-21 11:34
Finally, the golden autumn arrived, and the entire Qiuyang Valley was filled with joy and excitement. Men, women, and children all pitched in to harvest the golden rice and enjoy the joy of their first harvest.
We didn't let anyone else help with our small plot of land; we only brought Ganlin and Chuchen, and they finished harvesting in half a day. Chuchen neatly placed the harvested rice on the ridges of the field, and even had a race with the neighbor's child to see who could do it faster. Around noon, Ganlin carried the rice home in a very professional manner, with Chuchen and me following behind, covered in mud.
While other families are still busy harvesting, I need to formally arrange the celebration. Zinuo, it should be almost here in the next couple of days. Without him, everything will be in vain.
After several days of bright sunshine, everyone's grain was stored in the granary. Thanks to Lord Lu's careful guidance, the harvest was quite good, and everyone was all smiles.
On July 25th, Qiuyang Valley was even more lively than usual, as many people from the surrounding villages were invited to visit and share in the joy of the autumn harvest. Zinuo also brought a theatrical troupe to the valley to perform during the evening celebration.
That evening, a bonfire roared in the valley, and the mountain people danced and sang enthusiastically around it. Freshly harvested fruits were offered, and the aroma of roasted meat carried far on the evening breeze. Zinuo, dressed in a simple black robe, drank cup after cup of wine offered by the mountain people, and was even pulled into the crowd to dance for a while before returning. Seeing Zinuo's approachable nature and joy in sharing the joy with the people, the crowd's admiration for him grew even stronger. Their efforts had been successfully accomplished.
Tired, I quietly moved away from the crowd, sat down in a corner, and watched the satisfied smiles on people's faces reflected in the firelight. My heart was filled with joy.
Zi Nuo was entangled with people and couldn't get away. Gan Lin brought a pot of wine and sat down next to me, a satisfied smile on his lips: "This scene is truly unforgettable."
I smiled gently; as long as everyone was happy, that was enough. It lacked the extravagance of a royal banquet, yet it was so enjoyable.
As night deepened and the campfires grew weaker, mothers carried their tired children home, while the men remained gathered, drinking and chatting with great enthusiasm. The military tents set up outside were for guests from elsewhere, but few had yet gone inside to rest.
A crescent moon rose quietly, its cool light scattering across the valley as it gradually quieted down.
Zinuo was finally drunk and carried home. I took a towel and gently wiped Zinuo's flushed face, smiling broadly. This was the first time I had ever seen Zinuo drunk.
The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Nuocai got up with a furrowed brow. His beautiful eyebrows were all tangled together, and even the three peacock feathers on his forehead were almost connected as a line.
"You must be feeling terrible." Ruosheng handed Zinuo some water to rinse her mouth, and I asked with a smile, a hint of schadenfreude in my voice. After all, I was always the one who got drunk first; I'd never seen anyone else get drunk in front of me. This time, it wasn't so bad. But Zinuo was actually quite quiet and well-behaved when she was drunk.
After rinsing her mouth, Zi Nuo rolled her eyes at me before taking the handkerchief Ruo Sheng handed her to wipe her face. After tidying herself up, she went to have breakfast with us.
After this incident, Qiuyang Valley's reputation spread even further, and Zinuo's wisdom became even more deeply ingrained in people's minds. I thought I had done a good deed, but I forgot the principle that things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extreme.