Canción nocturna

Capítulo 43

Lou Xiyue seemed to fall into deep thought after listening. After standing quietly for a moment, he turned his head and asked, "So, which Buddha said this?"

I paused, thought for a long time, and said, "I want to show my waist, and I want to wear a mask."

Wenlai County was the capital of the Xue Kingdom. It was built by the sea and surrounded by mountains on three sides. The Emperor's Palace was located in the center of the county. Looking up, the grand hall covered with glazed tiles was bathed in sunlight, shimmering and magnificent.

We stopped at a roadside stall, exchanged some loose silver for cooked meat and dried bread, and ate it with some local Wenlai Muxi wine to fill our stomachs. We heard a commotion, and the people on the road dispersed, making way for us. Women, children, and the elderly all stood on the side of the road, craning their necks as if waiting for something.

At noon, in the distant main hall, a powerful bell rang out, and stopped abruptly after five chimes.

As the drums and music began, they echoed and undulated in the sky, while wisps of blue smoke rose from the palace, swirling in the air and lingering for a long time.

Sky lanterns hang in the southwestern sky, amidst wispy clouds and swaying red shadows.

The people fell silent and stood solemnly and orderly on both sides.

I asked Lou Xiyue, "What happened?"

Lou Xiyue said in a low voice, "It seems to be a sacrificial ceremony to heaven." He gestured for silence.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a troop of soldiers arrived. The leader was dressed in black, riding a red steed, with a dark blue headband that made his eyes look like stars.

I paused for a long time before asking Lou Xiyue, "Why do all the foreigners look the same to me? Isn't that the leader of the group Zixia?"

Lou Xiyue rested her chin on her hand, "Hmm..."

I exclaimed in surprise, "So, he's actually quite a figure."

Lou Xiyue tapped her fan, "Hmm..."

I rested my chin on my hand and said, "I also once had a rift with royalty that crossed the strait and was unrelated to race."

Lou Xiyue glanced at me but didn't say anything.

Following Zixia was a long procession of carriages, with musicians playing music, and palace maids dressed in red gauze, carrying offerings and sacrificial items, placed on both sides.

Six horses rode side by side, and a man dressed in a purple court robe embroidered with two phoenixes chasing the sun, wearing a crown with tassels, exuding an air of nobility between his brows, sat in the carriage. He must be the emperor of the Eastern Land.

Two young men, dressed in fine clothes, rode on fine horses, protecting him on either side.

Following the Emperor, a woman stood atop a bronze, two-wheeled, single-shafted chariot. She wore a black dress, her black hair cascading to her waist, with palace maids holding embroidered fans standing on either side of her. Her skin was extremely fair, her face alluring, her eyes seemingly shimmering like a deep blue sea, yet with upturned corners that hinted at a sinister glint. Judging from her position, she appeared to be directly below the Emperor.

I asked, "Is this the Emperor and Empress? Why aren't they riding in the same carriage?"

Lou Xiyue pondered for a moment and said, "I have heard that the Emperor of the Eastern Land has not taken a wife or concubines."

I was astonished. "Throughout history, having wives and concubines and ruling the world has been the lifelong dream of countless emperors. How could this emperor be so pure?"

Lou Xiyue said calmly, "Perhaps..."

I suddenly remembered what Lou Xiyue had told me earlier, and it dawned on me, "I remember now, the Eastern Lands are known for their homosexuality. So those two on either side of the Emperor are his wives and concubines, truly extraordinary."

Lou Xiyue rubbed her forehead and said, "..."

Then I thought to myself, "If the emperor doesn't have a wife, then where did the princess come from?"

I glanced behind the woman in black and was immediately drawn to the carriage behind her.

The carriage is carved with Fuxi and Nuwa intertwined, their upper bodies naked and their lower bodies entwined with scales, their tails mated and joined together. The two hold mermaid pearls in their hands, and their expressions seem to be very joyful.

I coughed lightly and leaned closer to Lou Xiyue. "Aren't the people of the East a bit too unrestrained? This wedding photo is really making me blush."

Lou Xiyue remained silent.

I continued, "Moreover, Fuxi and Nuwa were originally siblings. How can we, with our simple and honest folk customs, bear to see such a bold promotion of sexual content?"

Lou Xiyue still did not respond.

I followed his gaze and saw that he narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the girl in the carriage.

The girl's face was partially veiled by a purple veil, with a golden passionflower adorning her forehead. Her beautiful eyes were slightly upturned, and her light brown pupils shone brightly. She wore a purple-red, belted gauze dress, her black hair and fair skin were all tied up with a ribbon, and a passionflower was inserted diagonally into her hair. She was beautiful and clever.

I nudged Lou Xiyue with my elbow and whispered in his ear, "Are you mesmerized?"

Lou Xiyue frowned slightly, then came to her senses and coughed lightly, "This must be the princess of the Eastern Land."

I said, "Xiyue, you don't mean you want to take her back and make her yours, do you?"

Lou Xiyue glanced at me, then reached out her fan to lift my chin, and said with a flirtatious laugh, "I want to take you back. Will you agree?"

I turned my head and said, "Go to hell."

The ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven in the Eastern Lands was incredibly grand, with the Emperor and all the women in his palace coming out in full force.

I waited by the side for as long as the incense sticks burned, and finally, just as I was about to fall asleep to the pleasant sound of string and bamboo instruments, Lou Xiyue said, "The person is gone."

Ji Jiu whispered something in Lou Xiyue's ear.

Then, Lou Xiyue's eyes turned cold. He nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Go and find out."

I said from the side, "Could you please stop whispering in front of me? It makes me feel empty and lonely."

Ji Jiu suddenly stood up and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I asked, "Where did Ji Jiu go?"

Lou Xiyue waved his fan, drank wine and ate meat, but smiled without saying a word.

I said, "I am your master. Once a teacher, always a father. Tell me your little secret."