Vender ropa y traer vino para beber contigo

Capítulo 27

Ye Changsheng had just finished breakfast when the Grand Tutor invited him to his study for a talk.

Pan Zhongxun had just finished the morning court session and was sitting at his desk writing a memorial. His expression was focused, his brow furrowed, as if he were dealing with a difficult case. He didn't notice Ye Changsheng, who had been inside for some time. Ye Changsheng showed no impatience, standing respectfully to the side, smiling as she sized up the fair-skinned, bearded Grand Tutor—her maternal grandfather, whom she had only ever heard of but never met.

This maternal grandfather seemed to have many children, a truly prosperous family with a large household. Most of them were high-ranking officials in the court, noble ladies, and one of his cousins was even the reigning Empress Zhanghuai. Whether it was the young man in thick robes she had met by chance at the gate, the young master Pan Jiu on his sickbed, or the uncles she saw at dinner, they all possessed something familiar yet unfamiliar to her—a kind of pride. That pride was not something that came overnight, but rather a noble quality that had settled deep within their bones, blending seamlessly with the bustling, dreamlike prosperity of Tokyo.

Chang Sheng suddenly felt a little curious, wondering if her grandfather still remembered her deceased mother, and whether he had loved Pan Yue Rong as much as he had loved Pan Xi Jin—in the past twenty years, had he ever thought of searching for her whereabouts—did he know that she had been dead for many years…

Shaking his head, Ye Changsheng smiled wistfully, his eyes momentarily shrouded in a thin mist, hazy and profound.

"Ahem, um..." she coughed lightly and asked, "Did the Grand Tutor want to see me about something?"

The silence of the study was suddenly broken. Pan Zhongxun abruptly raised his head and stared directly at Ye Changsheng opposite him. After a long pause, as if only then remembering her, he said, "Oh, Divine Physician Ye… I apologize for my neglect, please sit." His voice was loud and clear. Ye Changsheng thanked him and sat down respectfully. Although Pan Zhongxun was a high-ranking official, he seemed to know who she was, and smiled slightly, saying, "Thank you."

Pan Zhongxun put down his pen, looked up at Ye Changsheng, and asked in a deep voice, "Has the Divine Physician examined Xi Jin?"

Changsheng nodded, but smiled without saying a word.

"Then... Xi Jin's illness... is it curable?" Pan Zhongxun asked, seemingly hesitant, his brows furrowed.

"This..." Ye Changsheng shook his head regretfully, "The Ninth Young Master's condition is dangerous and complicated, and we really need to plan it carefully. If we act rashly, he may not live for more than three months if things go wrong."

"What?!" Pan Zhongxun shouted, slamming his hand on the table and rising to his feet. His face was cold and sharp. "Even the imperial physicians in the palace dare not tell me that Xijin will not live for more than three months. You only took her pulse once, how can you make such a wild and unfounded judgment!"

"Grand Tutor, please calm down." Ye Changsheng took a few steps back, and when he reached the door, he seemed to be startled. "Young Master's condition is still curable—he just needs to go south to find a warm place to recuperate. Given time, he will definitely recover!" Ye Changsheng spoke with great confidence, as if it were all very reasonable.

“If that’s the case…” After a long silence, Pan Zhongxun let out a soft breath and nodded wearily. “Let me think about it some more. I will make arrangements for this matter. Thank you, Divine Doctor.”

Ye Changsheng rose to take his leave. He slowly left the room, intending to walk back the way he came. As he passed the corridor, he saw a woman with jeweled hair ornaments and brightly dressed, gracefully approaching, supported by a servant. She appeared to be a young lady from an official's family—this wasn't surprising. What was unusual was the man standing beside her, chatting and laughing gently; it was none other than the young man in thick robes he had met at the door yesterday.

Ye Changsheng couldn't help but sigh, "It's true what they say, 'A beauty cherishes the tomb of a hero.' I'm afraid that after this trip with the beauty, Young Master Weichouyi's mood has improved considerably."

With a "smack," Ye Changsheng's head was tapped. She sighed softly and slowly turned around—sure enough, Young Master Jia was smiling at her, grabbed her hand, and ran away happily: "Come here, come here, I'll show you something fun—I just threw a shrewish girl into the pond."

Ye Changsheng's eyebrows twitched as he looked at the enthusiastic Young Master Jia ahead, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

"...Is this what you called fun?" Ye Changsheng shrank back. By the pond near the artificial hill, a woman in purple, soaking wet, was whipping a servant kneeling on the ground. The servants trembled, their faces filled with fear, but they dared not utter a single word of pleading.

"You all jumped down so late? Who told you to take off your shoes! If I drown! You, you, and you! A thousand of your dog lives wouldn't be enough to pay for it!" After saying that, she cracked the whip a few more times, her originally beautiful face becoming ferocious, with a strong sense of malevolence between her brows.

Ye Changsheng nudged Jia Ling's shoulder and asked with some sympathy, "Did you kick her?"

Young Master Jia nodded with a smile, waved his folding fan, glanced at the soaking wet woman, nodded again, blinked, and said vividly, "I found a very interesting bird in a tree and was taking the cage down when this brat started whipping me without saying a word. So I threw the birdcage at her and kicked her into the water." He then stuck out his tongue and made a face.

"Well..." Ye Changsheng smiled gently, "I think I'd better not go see it."

Jia Ling glanced at Changsheng sideways, thinking that this man was still as cowardly as ever, and he didn't hesitate to run away in the face of battle. Now he didn't even dare to laugh at a maid who had fallen into the water.

“Look at the nameplate on her waist…” Ye Changsheng kindly explained, “It’s the same as the young master’s at the gate yesterday. Perhaps… they also call him Grand Tutor, uh—Grandpa.” After looking at it for a while, he muttered to himself, “It seems that young ladies all love to use whips.”

A gust of wind blew by, bringing a chill to the air.

Jia Ling paused for a moment, then said somewhat stiffly, "So I kicked the Grand Tutor's daughter?"

Ye Changsheng nodded repeatedly, his face sincere. He was afraid that Jia Ling, upon learning this, wouldn't back down but would instead become even more determined—just as they were whispering amongst themselves, a sharp "whoosh" sounded in their ears, and a whip flashed past. A voice, both charming and sharp, rang out, "Sneaking around like that, who are you?"

The woman before him was none other than the young lady, who had just been scolding the servants. She had somehow discovered Ye Changsheng and Jia Ling watching the commotion from behind the rockery, and was certain that the two were up to no good. Ye Changsheng's eyebrows twitched again, but he showed no embarrassment. He straightened his sleeves and smiled with impeccable manners, "I am just passing by."

"Passing by and coming to the Grand Tutor's mansion?" The woman clearly didn't believe Ye Changsheng's nonsense. She snorted coldly and shifted her gaze to Jia Ling. When she saw Jia Ling's wide, bright eyes and shallow dimples on his cheeks, she suddenly changed color, laughed angrily, and stared straight at the smug-looking young master Jia. Without saying a word, she lashed out with her whip, as if she wanted to drink his blood and tear his flesh off.

Ye Changsheng turned and ran. This young lady's whip was incredibly fierce; if you were to get hit by it, it would hurt a lot.

"Ye Changsheng!" Jia Ling shouted angrily as she dodged, "You ungrateful bastard, you actually ran away first..." Ye Changsheng was usually slow and deliberate, but when it came to escaping, he was faster than anyone else, and in the blink of an eye, he was nowhere to be seen.

The young lady, still soaking wet, tossed her hair, brandished her whip, and laughed, "You scoundrel! Not only did you sneak into my Grand Tutor's mansion and attack me, but you even have the nerve to come back and watch the show! If I don't teach you the consequences of offending me today, I'm not a Pan!"

"Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang... I don't care what your surname is!" Although Jia Ling didn't know martial arts, she was very clever and managed to climb up and down without suffering any losses. The young lady of the Pan family was quite angry with him and wildly cracked her whip, causing sand to fly, willow branches to break, and withered leaves to flutter up, creating a chaotic scene.

Three incense sticks later

Miss Pan, panting heavily from chasing after him, stood with her hands on her hips. Composing herself, she finally remembered something, turned to the kneeling servants, and shouted, "Useless servants! Seize him now!"

Upon hearing this, the servants felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They stood up with slight trembling and rushed forward, chasing after Jia Ling who was jumping up and down in all directions.

Young Master Jia was still furious about Ye Changsheng abandoning his friend and running away. He was so angry he was practically fuming. As he leaped over a corridor, he slipped and stumbled, only to be caught by Miss Pan's whip around the waist. He rolled his eyes, turned around, and looked at the smug, disheveled woman in front of him with a smug smile. He asked, "I wonder which pool Miss Pan... intends to throw me into?"

"Throw you into the pool? That's too easy on you!" The woman smiled sweetly. "I'm going to send you to the palace—to become a eunuch!"

Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out from behind, followed by several sharp cracks as the servants collapsed to the ground. Both Miss Pan and Jia Ling were startled, and after a moment of stunned silence, the imposing young lady hesitantly spoke, "Who—" But all around was quiet; there was no other sound. Miss Pan seemed frightened, grabbed her whip, and ran as fast as she could.

This courtyard is quiet and still; the wind has ceased and the trees are silent.

Jia Ling was stunned for at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, feeling utterly bewildered. She fanned herself and quickly left.

Hearing old voices after death

Afternoon

The bedroom in the west wing.

Pan Xijin, dressed only in a single garment, sat on a long couch by the window, playing Go with a woman. The woman wore a golden-yellow floral-patterned robe, a light blue peony-patterned veil draped over her arm, her hair piled high in a cloud-like bun, her face beautiful, and her demeanor elegant. However, she seemed somewhat flustered and uneasy, making frequent mistakes, her hand holding the Go stones trembling slightly. Pan Xijin smiled occasionally and offered pointers.

“Young Master Jiu’s chess skills are superb; I have lost.” The woman spoke leisurely, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief. She adjusted her sleeves, quietly raised her head, glanced at the man opposite her, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"In chess, the edge is not as good as the corner, and the corner is not as good as the center. The lightest move is the gentlest, and the gentlest move is the lightest. There are real and illusory moves in the game, and there are feigned and deceptive moves in the game. A large eye can win against a small eye, and a diagonal move is not as good as a straight move. The interplay of existence and non-existence, the complementarity of distance and proximity, the contrast between strength and weakness, and the interplay of benefit and harm must all be carefully observed..." Pan Xijin casually placed the chess pieces, looked up and smiled gently, saying, "The princess's heart is not in the game."

The woman looked at him, paused, turned her head slightly, sighed softly, twisted the handkerchief in her hand, and hesitated to speak.

This woman in a brocade robe and embroidered gown was none other than Princess Xuanci, a frequent visitor to the Grand Tutor's residence. Three years ago, she had met Pan Xijin at the Empress's birthday banquet, where he played the zither and performed a piece. From that moment on, she was captivated by his beauty and fell deeply in love. After much inquiry, she learned that he was not only not a court musician, but also of noble birth—the ninth son of Grand Tutor Pan, who rarely left his residence due to poor health. The piece "Lin Yuan" performed at the banquet was also personally requested by the Empress. From then on, Princess Xuanci frequently visited the residence under various pretexts, sometimes staying for an entire day. When Pan Xijin was unwell and unwilling to receive guests, she would wait patiently in a side hall, drinking tea by herself, without returning to the palace.

Although she was a princess, she was kind, gentle, and virtuous, making her approachable. As time went on, the servants grew fond of her and began to gossip freely, spreading rumors that the princess's attentiveness and daily visits must mean she had taken a liking to the Ninth Young Master. However, everyone knew that it was likely a case of unrequited love, not mutual affection. Otherwise, since neither of them was married, the Grand Tutor would have long ago petitioned the Emperor to grant them a marriage.

After a long pause, Princess Xuanci smiled slightly, turned to look out the window, and gazed at the birds chirping and twittering on the branches. She murmured, "My heart... my heart has long been..."

“Princess…” Pan Xijin interrupted Xuan Ci softly, “It’s getting late. If the princess doesn’t return to the palace soon, the palace gates may be closed.”

“Jin…” Xuan Ci raised her head, her face somewhat pale, “Don’t you understand how I feel about you…”

Pan Xijin looked at her quietly, his eyes showing no emotion. His voice was soft and gentle, like the blooming peach blossoms in March: "I know."

Xuan Ci's face lit up with joy, and she suddenly stood up, wanting to take Pan Xijin's hand: "Really? I, I... I'll go ask my father for permission right away."

“No…” Pan Xijin subtly avoided Xuan Ci’s hand, her expression remaining calm and gentle. She gathered her slipping collar and said slowly, “Thank you for your kindness, Princess, but I don’t want to get married yet…”

"You...do you...hate me?" After a long while, Xuan Ci's eyes were red as she whispered, "Is that why you're cold to me, why you don't want to marry me?"

Pan Xijin shook his head, his smile still gentle, looking at the woman in front of him, but did not answer.

“I won’t force you… I won’t force you…” Xuan Ci’s eyes, filled with tears, slowly looked into Pan Xijin’s eyes, her expression a mix of pleading and sorrow. “I can wait, wait until you don’t hate me, wait until the day you’re willing to marry me.”

A look of pity suddenly appeared in Pan Xijin's deep eyes. He moved his lips slightly and softly uttered, "No... that day..."

Xuan Ci's eyes became unfocused with emotion, tears welling in her eyes and slowly streaming down her cheeks. "How could you, how could you be so heartless... From the first moment I saw you, I loved you so much. Every night I longed for dawn, dreaming that the palace gates would open so I could leave the capital... Even if you avoided me, even if you were indifferent and distant... I didn't care. If I could forget, I would have forgotten three years ago. For hundreds of days and nights, I wouldn't have had to suffer like this... like this... a fate worse than death..." She grabbed the chair behind her, gave the man before her a resolute look, and then turned and ran away.

Pan Xijin slowly sat down, gazing at the distinct black and white pieces on the chessboard, lost in thought. A deep voice sounded behind him: "Young master, this man is a menace if left alive. Should I eliminate him?"

With a "snap," Pan Xijin placed a piece on the board and said calmly, "There's no need to kill her. You may leave."

"Yes!" The window swung open and closed with a whoosh, and the figure vanished.

Just as Princess Xuanci hurriedly turned the corridor with tears streaming down her face, her vision blurred and she bumped into someone with a "bang." The person jumped back with a "whoosh," quickly grabbing the rickety object in their hand and muttering, "My medicine, medicine, medicine, medicine..."

Seeing someone approaching, Xuan Ci quickly wiped away her tears, straightened her clothes, and adopted the air of a princess, waiting for the person to pay their respects. After an incense stick had burned, the person did not kneel, nor did they utter a sound. She composed herself, looked up, and saw a woman before her, dressed in a greyish-white robe with lotus patterns, her features remarkably delicate and refined. The woman in white looked directly at her, and when Xuan Ci raised her head, smiled slightly, very kindly, "Miss, have you been injured?"

Xuan Ci was stunned for a moment, feeling that the smile was somewhat familiar. She seemed to nod in a daze, then shook her head. Seeing her reaction, the woman seemed quite comforted and said, "Then it's nothing. I'll take my leave now, young lady." Before Xuan Ci could recover, the woman had vanished. Xuan Ci suddenly remembered that gentle yet superficial smile—Pan Xijin also had it.

Ye Changsheng stood in front of Pan Xijin's door, carrying various bottles and jars. He freed one hand and knocked politely on the door: "Is anyone home?"

The door creaked open, and Pan Xijin stood in the doorway, his face gentle. He smiled slightly at Ye Changsheng and said, "Doctor, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Ye Changsheng gave a very apologetic smile and weighed the things in his hands. Pan Xijin stepped aside to make way for him.

Ye Changsheng put down what he was holding, looked around, pointed to the chessboard on the bed, and said knowingly, "Does Ninth Young Master like to play chess?"

Pan Xijin slowly sat down, rolled up the sleeve of her left hand, and said gently, "I didn't like going out when I was little. If I stayed alone for too long, I would find something to do."

"It's likely that Ninth Young Master had a lonely childhood and preferred quiet to activity, so it's natural that his health is a bit weak now. As long as he's properly cared for, he certainly won't die in just three months," Changsheng said sincerely, taking Pan Xijin's hand and taking his pulse with practiced ease.

“Then…does the doctor know…if the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die…” Pan Xijin spoke very softly, but his words carried a chilling undertone.

"Oh dear..." Ye Changsheng patted his chest, his face full of horror, "Ninth Young Master, have you offended the Emperor?"

Pan Xijin smiled and said, "I was just kidding."

"Ah..." Ye Changsheng nodded as if he suddenly understood, and then began to take the pulse again.

"Pan Nanshuang! Pan Nanshuang! Pan Nanshuang!..." Suddenly, a resentful and heart-wrenching cry rang out in the quiet and desolate courtyard. A person rushed into the study in the south garden, then came out through the back door, rushed into the side hall of the adjacent room, and then jumped out of the window of Pan Nanshuang's bedroom after going around the small garden. He grabbed Pan Nanshuang, who was practicing whipping in the small courtyard, and roared, "You brat!"

Pan Nanshuang frowned and shook her hand, looking at the furious Pan Renzhong with disgust. She was somewhat confused; she was already upset about yesterday's drowning incident, and this only made her more irritable. This Pan Renzhong was her half-brother, a dull and foolish man like his concubine mother, who didn't please their father. Why was he so agitated today, and why had he come specifically to cause trouble for her, Pan Nanshuang? Because of his rudeness earlier, this matter couldn't be easily resolved—at least he should remember the consequences of offending her, Miss Pan.

"What are you doing?" Pan Nanshuang pulled her hand away sharply and said coldly.

"You...you tell me, did you push my mother down?" Pan Renzhong asked, pointing at the woman opposite him, his voice trembling.

Pan Nanshuang frowned. She really had no recollection of the matter and was resentful at being scolded for no reason. She retorted sarcastically, "I'm very busy. Where would I find the time to go to that overgrown side courtyard? Hmph, you say I pushed your mother? Did you see it with your own eyes? Let her come with me to confront my father!"

Pan Renzhong was so angry he couldn't speak. He pounded his chest and said sternly, "Yesterday, Mother rarely wanted to stroll in the garden, so I accompanied her. In the brief moment I turned around to get my cloak, she fell into the water. The maids all say, they all say you pushed her! You usually have no respect for your elders and ignore us, which is one thing, but now you pushed my mother into the pond, and you still won't admit it! Now she's bedridden, and you won't even let me tell anyone. Fine, let's have a confrontation... You want a confrontation?... Let's go confront Father right now!"

As Pan Nanshuang listened to her second brother's accusations, a chord in her heart trembled—she had been tricked by that boy in yellow yesterday, and her heart was still heavy with depression. She had pushed aside anyone who stood in her way, and in the chaos, had she pushed Aunt Su into the pond? Just as Pan Nanshuang was pondering this, a sudden, powerful blow struck her hand, causing her to stumble. In her surprise, the long whip in her hand had already slipped from her grasp and lashed out at Pan Renzhong with a "whoosh."

Although Pan Renzhong was born out of wedlock and out of favor, he was still a genuine nobleman. Lacking any strength, when Pan Nanshuang lashed him with her whip, he felt a sting on his face, his grip loosened, and he involuntarily staggered back three steps. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he fell headfirst, his forehead slamming hard against the artificial rock. After a few rolls, he lay motionless.

“Second Brother…” Pan Nanshuang swallowed hard, hesitating whether to step forward. She swore that although she disliked this second brother, she hadn't meant to whip him. After a pause, she decided to go forward. She squatted down, carefully nudged the person on the ground, took a deep breath, and extended her finger to probe his nose—“Ah…”

A piercing scream echoed through the silent courtyard.

Pan Zhongxun's room

With a loud "smash," the desk shook, and Pan Zhongxun said in a trembling voice, "Look what your good daughter has done!"

"Father, please calm down. I will definitely go back and teach Shuang'er a lesson... but... but she didn't mean it. The child is frightened now... She, she definitely didn't mean to kill Renzhong..."

"An unintentional mistake? Yesterday you pushed your stepmother into the pond, and today you directly caused the death of your elder brother? What an unintentional mistake... Nan Shuang is your daughter, but Ren Zhong isn't your son? Your bias is so extreme that it chills my heart... People say that I, Pan, have abused my power and protected criminals. Go... go and tie up Nan Shuang, and take her to Yingtian Prefecture."

"Miss...Miss, you can't go in!" A maid's shout suddenly came from outside the door, accompanied by a few scattered footsteps.

"Grandpa...Grandpa...Oh dear, you lowly servant, let me in!"

A silver-red figure flashed into their view.

“Shuang’er…” Pan Weiqing frowned deeply, his heart filled with anxiety. This disobedient girl had just barged in at this particular time.

"Grandpa, Grandpa..." Pan Nanshuang burst in from the doorway, glanced at Pan Zhongxun, and knelt down without a word, loudly proclaiming, "Grandpa, please stand up for your grandson! Second brother clearly bumped into the artificial hill on his own; it has nothing to do with me!"

Pan Zhongxun shuddered, his face paling with horror. He laughed in exasperation, "You! You... Fine, fine... Instead of admitting your mistake, you're eager to shirk responsibility, aren't you! If it weren't for you! Where did that three-inch-long whip mark on your second brother's face come from! Did he whip himself before he died? Just to frame you?"