Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida

Capítulo 15

Xu soon discovered that Wan'er was different from his other sisters.

Despite her young age, she was quiet and reserved, never playing with children her own age, and was remarkably well-behaved and polite. Her childhood memories were unpleasant; her father had many wives and concubines, and she was merely an unloved daughter, neither the eldest nor the youngest, her presence making no difference. The only person who truly loved her at home was her mother, but one day, even that love vanished. She was taken to a completely unfamiliar environment where everyone seemed kind to her. She was somewhat confused and hesitant to accept it, feeling that this love was not meant for her. At that time, she couldn't even conceive of using the word "charity" to describe the attitude she perceived towards her. The pain of losing her mother was an indelible scar in her heart, but she knew she had to bury it within the care of the royal family, treating getting to know and accept her new family as an inescapable duty. At the same time, she was also very clear about her true identity and did not consider herself the same as the princesses and noblewomen living with her in the palace. She grew up quietly by Empress Cao's side, living within the Forbidden Palace, yet her soul wandered the mortal world, dwelling on the dew on flowers and the moonlit willow branches. Her melancholy was ingrained within her fair skin and jade-like bones, while her obvious sorrow only dared to be revealed in the dead of night, when she was alone and had no one around.

However, Xu knew she was unhappy, so he often tried his best to cheer her up. Wanji loved three things most: planting flowers, brewing tea, and making incense. Her palace gardens were filled with exotic flowers and herbs of all four seasons, and a pure, refreshing fragrance lingered within the palace. The tea she brewed was a delicacy praised by two emperors. Because of her hobbies, Xu habitually sent people throughout the country to search for rare flowers, fine teas, and exotic fragrances for her, and would even secretly find opportunities to sneak out of the palace to search for them himself. Once he found a treasure, he would rush to Wanji, presenting the treasure to bring a smile to her face. From a young age, Xu felt that Wanji's smile was different from her sisters'; it was serene yet elegant, charming yet clear, a sight to behold. He didn't know that it was because Wanji's delicate and thoughtful nature made her more mature than other girls. Therefore, although she was still young, her every smile and frown already had the demeanor of a young girl.

At first, Xu only regarded her as a younger sister who needed to be taken care of, but he never expected that he would receive her emotional comfort when he was extremely vulnerable after suffering a great blow.

Once, the court lecturer Wang Tao recounted the events of the second year of the Qingli era to his brothers. He mentioned that the Khitan had sent envoys to the Song Dynasty demanding the return of Ying and Mo prefectures, which had been recovered by Emperor Shizong of Zhou. The court wanted to send an envoy to negotiate with the Khitan, but no one volunteered. Finally, Fu Bi stepped forward and volunteered. He made two trips to the Khitan and ultimately reached an agreement: the Song Dynasty would retain Ying and Mo prefectures, and the Song would increase its annual tribute to the Khitan by 100,000 taels of silver and 100,000 bolts of silk. When Wang Tao finished recounting this, he praised Fu Bi's courage in accepting the mission, saying that he had preserved the Song Dynasty's territory, a great achievement. Hao listened silently without uttering a word, but Xu immediately retorted: "The Ying and Mo prefectures originally belonged to the Song Dynasty. Preserving them is the right thing to do. Why should we humbly increase the annual tribute and burden the people? Fu Bi's actions are actually an insult to the nation's dignity. If I were the emperor, I would not only not reward him, but I would also punish him!"

Unexpectedly, Emperor Renzong was listening to a lecture outside the window at that moment. When he heard his grandson openly criticize his actions, saying that Fu Bi's behavior was an insult to the country and that he was essentially talking about himself, he lost face. He strode into the hall and scolded, "You young and ignorant brat, how dare you discuss state affairs!" He immediately punished him by making him kneel in front of the Miying Pavilion in his study.

Emperor Renzong refused to accept the verdict, remaining kneeling and stubbornly insisting on his own opinion. Emperor Renzong then ordered him to be slapped again. Empress Cao, Emperor Xu's parents, and others arrived upon hearing the news, all urging him to admit his mistake and apologize. Emperor Xu still refused. Finally, his father, Prince Zhao Zongshi, enraged, struck him to the ground with a single blow. Only then did Emperor Xu burst into tears, saying, "Fine, you are wrong, and that is it. From now on, I will say nothing, think nothing, and do whatever you wish!"

He became depressed and stopped reading. He was listless all day and spent his days playing around like other spoiled brats.

On that Double Ninth Festival, he lay in the grass, intending to catch crickets to compete with other princes, when he saw a figure in a silk gauze skirt floating in front of him. When he looked up, he found it was Wan Ji.

He stood up, overjoyed, and reached for her hand, but she dodged it. Her face lacked the usual gentle smile he saw on her face; instead, she frowned and said, "Look at you! What a mess you've become!"

He was stunned.

She extended her right hand, a small white chrysanthemum tucked between her delicate fingers, and said, "This flower blooms more beautifully after enduring frost. Compared to it, shouldn't you feel ashamed?"

He was struck dumb, utterly ashamed. He took the flowers in a daze, and by the time he came to his senses, she was already gone.

He rallied and studied as diligently as ever. His spirit remained undiminished, which often led to him being scolded. However, after each scolding and punishment, he would receive a small white chrysanthemum from her. Upon seeing this flower, all his troubles and resentment would vanish, and he would face the next day's sunrise and breeze with a cheerful and relaxed attitude.

Therefore, chrysanthemums became his most beloved flower. Many years later, after he became emperor, he ordered that a chrysanthemum festival be held every year on the Double Ninth Festival, and that the most precious and exotic chrysanthemums from all over the country be transported to the capital. At that time, the city was filled with colorful flowers, fragrant aromas, and unparalleled beauty, becoming a grand spectacle in Bianjing.

If the heavens are kind and allow him and her to have a lasting relationship, they can enjoy the chrysanthemum festival together, which would surely be the greatest joy of his life.

Unfortunately, things are rarely perfect.

From the time she came of age, Empress Cao intentionally kept them apart, making it extremely difficult for him to see Wanji again.

But his love for her only grew stronger with time. He wanted to find an opportunity to confess his feelings to Wanji, but he worried that she didn't reciprocate his love and that he was just imagining things. What a blow it would be if he were rejected!

So he began to observe and probe. The result remained uncertain: she would occasionally send him fragrant nectar made from fresh flowers, newly brewed tea, or prepared spices and sachets, but she would also send the same things to Hao, Yun, and their princess sister, treating them all equally and without bias. When Empress Cao or Empress Gao asked her opinion of the brothers, she would praise Xu and then praise Hao and Yun as well, showing no favoritism. He asked his sister to ask again, as a close friend, and her answer remained the same.

He was a little depressed, but his devotion remained unchanged. Even while studying the art of governing a country, he would find time to search for the rare and exotic flowers and fragrances that she cherished.

As long as she's happy, that's all that matters, even without any reward. He thought.

Until one day, he left the palace and went deep into the mountains to find for her the fragrant resinous veins called "raw yellow fragrance" that grow on the swollen and rotten trunks of trees.

They searched until dark before finding it. After cutting it down and putting it away, they got lost again and wandered aimlessly in the mountains for a long time before finally finding their way out. When they returned to the palace, they sought a small gate to avoid disturbing their parents and quietly took a detour.

It was nearly midnight, and the palace was quiet. Unexpectedly, he saw a person standing in the garden in front of his own palace, craning his neck to look towards the gate from time to time, muttering something to himself, while his body trembled in the night wind.

Out of curiosity, he tiptoed around to the man's back.

As soon as I got closer, I smelled a familiar fragrance—the delicate orchid scent that she always carried.

Wan Ji.

Why is she here? Xu stopped, unsure whether he should ask her.

She was unaware of his arrival, still gazing longingly towards the door, softly murmuring, "The dynasty is declining, the dynasty is declining! Why not return?"

……"

The world is declining, the world is declining! Why not return? If it weren't for you, why would I be left to suffer the dew in the middle of the night!

It is already dark, why have I not seen your home? But for your sake, I stand here in the dew.

She was waiting for her husband. She was reciting the verses from the Book of Songs, sung by wives waiting for their husbands.

Overjoyed. To have such feelings for her, what regret would I have even if I died for her in the deep mountains?

Xu suddenly hugged her from behind.

She gasped in surprise, about to cry for help, when she heard him gently call her name in her ear: "Wan'er..."

Her face flushed instantly. She broke free from his embrace and hurriedly ran towards her own palace.

He gazed at her figure, lost in thought. A serene smile played on his lips as he realized for the first time how beautiful everything in the world truly was.

From then on, she avoided him even more, deliberately keeping her distance even when they met at family banquets, and blushing immediately whenever their eyes met. But he knew she loved him. Love made all his senses more acute than ever before: he could tell that the sachet she gave him was more exquisite than the one she gave Hao, he could hear that his praise of him was more sincere than his praise of Hao, he could smell that the perfume she gave him was more fragrant than the perfume she gave Hao, and he could even tell that the faint shadow behind the screen when he went to pay his respects to his grandmother belonged to her.

On the night of her seventeenth birthday, he had his eunuch distract the palace maids guarding her door, then he ran to her window and softly called her name. She opened the window and was both surprised and shy to see him. He didn't care, and half-pulled, half-coaxed her to climb out of the window, then pulled her along as they ran back to his palace courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with colorful flowers and lush greenery, all of which were her favorite plants and trees.

He clapped his hands, and the palace maids waiting nearby opened the gauze pouches one by one, releasing the fireflies they had caught earlier.

Fireflies dance among the flowers, like countless stars falling into the mortal world.

This was a gift he had carefully prepared for her. She was overjoyed.

So, with a light silk fan, she chased away the fireflies and sat watching the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl stars.

That was the happiest night of his and her lives.