Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida

Capítulo 35

Zhao Hao looked down and said, "Or I could jump down from here."

"Too high, no way!" Pang Di immediately objected. Although he was very skilled in martial arts, this was the fourth floor after all, and jumping down directly would be too risky.

Hao asked, "Is there a rope in your room, sister-in-law?" Pang Di shook his head. He then said, "This concerns your reputation, sister-in-law, so even if we have to jump down, we have no choice but to try."

Pang Di sighed, "Jumping down like this would easily lead to injury. Even if Your Highness doesn't care, what will those who come after hearing the noise think? There's nothing between us. If we jump down so furtively, people will assume there's something wrong with us."

Hao frowned and asked, "Then what should we do?"

Pang Di pondered for a long time but had no good solution. He said helplessly, "I can only ask Your Highness to go back to your room and sit for a while. My maid will come to serve me at dawn tomorrow. She will try to open the door after she finds it locked. Your Highness can then go downstairs. Please be careful so that no one will notice that you came from here."

Hao dared not agree immediately, thinking that if he sat in her room all night, it would damage her reputation and implicate her.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Pang Di understood his thoughts and said calmly, "As long as I have a clear conscience, what do I have to fear from the criticism of others?" Without waiting for his agreement, she turned and walked into the room.

Hao had no other choice but to go back with her.

Upon entering the room, the two tacitly left the door open, sat facing each other, and remained silent.

Even amidst a massive army and raging storms, Hao was always capable of handling things with ease, but he had never encountered such a difficult situation before. He couldn't help but feel awkward and uneasy, looking around blankly, unsure of what to talk to her about. Suddenly, he turned his head and saw a blue-and-white porcelain bowl from the official kiln on the desk in the room. It was only slightly larger than an ordinary large bowl, but it contained two graceful lotus flowers. The lotus leaves that rose above the water were as small as the rim of the bowl, and the flower buds were even smaller than wine cups, delicate and charming.

"Does your sister-in-law also grow such delicate lotus flowers?" The question came out of my mouth.

"Hmm," Pang Di replied, then, recalling the word "also" in his words, asked, "Could it be that Princess Qi also loved to grow this flower when she was alive?"

Hao nodded and said, "She used to keep a pot like this in her room, and it bloomed all year round. Everyone who saw it marveled at it. This flower is so peculiar, the seeds must be hard to find, right?"

Pang Di smiled and said, "Since it is a flower grown by the Princess, Your Highness does not know how it was grown? This flower is not of a rare variety, and the seeds are just ordinary old lotus seeds."

Hao looked slightly embarrassed, gave a faint smile with a hint of shame, and asked again, "How are they grown?"

Pang Di then told him the method of planting flowers: "Select plump old lotus seeds, thin out both ends, and then put them in an empty eggshell along with other eggs for the hen to incubate. When the chicks hatch, take out the lotus seeds, then mix them with two-tenths of aged swallow nest mud and asparagus, and put the mixture in a porcelain bowl. Plant the old lotus seeds in the bowl, cover the mud with a thin layer of fine sand, water it with river water, and let it bask in the morning sun. When the lotus flowers grow, they will be as delicate as this. If the temperature in the room is suitable, buds can be grown in all four seasons."

Hao smiled and thanked him.

Pang Di suddenly realized that he had been sitting there for a long time and he had not yet served him tea, which was very impolite. So he got up and poured a cup of bright red floral dew from a crackled celadon teapot and handed it to him, saying, "I cannot brew tea here now, so please have Your Highness drink this fragrant dew that I have brewed."

At that time, nobles and scholars often had the habit of brewing flower dew for drinking. They would pick the colorful and fragrant flowers when they were just beginning to open and pickle them. The flower juice would blend into the dew, and the taste would be wonderfully fragrant and refreshing. The color would also be uniquely beautiful. It could cut through greasiness, relieve hangovers, and promote longevity, making it an excellent beverage.

Hao took a small sip, then looked surprised and asked, "This flower fragrance is incredibly unique, but it is neither plum blossom, rose, wild rose, osmanthus, nor chamomile, nor orange, tangerine, Buddha's hand, nor citron. I wonder what flower it is made from?"

Pang Di replied, "It is made from begonia wine."

Hao asked curiously, "But begonias are not originally fragrant, are they?"

Pang Di smiled and said, "Begonias are indeed fragranceless, but for some reason, when soaked in dew, their fragrance slowly seeps out and becomes increasingly intense. Among all flower dews, begonia dew is the finest, but few people would think of using this fragranceless flower to brew it." Suddenly remembering Princess Hao, who loved flowers, he added, "But Princess Qi is exceptionally intelligent and would naturally have noticed this. Your Highness must have drunk her begonia dew before, right?"

Hao nodded and said, "I used to drink this often, and I've always wondered what flower it was made from. I never thought I'd only be able to solve this mystery today."

Pang Di found it strange: "Why doesn't Your Highness ask the Princess Consort?" The flower dew, lotus flowers, and lotus tea that we talked about before were all things that the Princess Consort had made and grown before. As her husband, it should be easy for him to find out how to make them. He could just ask his wife, but he never did.

Hao was taken aback, lowered his head and remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm afraid that if I ask too many questions, she'll find it annoying, think I'm stupid, and make her unhappy. She's not a talkative person to begin with, so if she doesn't want to talk, I don't want to deliberately ask her."

Pang Di found it increasingly strange: he didn't even dare to ask his wife about such a small matter, which showed just how cautious he was towards her. But didn't Wang Pang say that he and the Queen were very much in love? If they were, why would he be afraid of upsetting his wife even when asking about such trivial matters?

She suddenly realized that the gentle and refined young prince in front of her might not have the same advantages as his own merits and status in his love with his princess, and his past life was probably not as harmonious and happy as outsiders perceived.

Moreover, if neither of them likes to talk, wouldn't there be many problems in their communication as a couple? So she asked again, "Is there any question you want to ask her that you dare to ask her?"

Hao thought for a moment and replied, "Show concern for their well-being."

What an adorable answer! Pang Di really wanted to burst out laughing, but seeing Hao's serious expression and the lack of any hint of jest, she barely managed to hold back, keeping her smile to herself. Looking at Hao again, she felt that he was as pure as a blank sheet of paper when it came to matters of the heart. His queen must be an exceptionally delicate and sensitive person; would Hao's naiveté seem like a lack of understanding of romance to her? She felt quite sorry for him. Although she was a few years younger than him, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for him.

“Then,” she said to him, “do you have any other questions about these kinds of everyday things that you’ve wanted to ask the Princess but haven’t dared to? Feel free to ask me anything, and I will answer them all to the best of my ability.”

He smiled and said, "Thank you."

Over the next few hours, they chatted about these everyday anecdotes in a friendly and natural atmosphere. They both felt relaxed and happy, which eased the awkwardness and wariness that had arisen from being forced to share a room.

When Hao reminisced about the fun games he played with his siblings when he was little, Pang Di thought of the Princess of Shu and asked, "How is the Princess of Shu doing lately?"

Hao shook his head slightly and said, "It's not good. Her son Yanbi is sick. At first, he caught a cold, but he is still too young, only three years old, and his constitution is still weak, so it has gradually become more serious. Now he coughs all day long. My sister is very worried and spends her days in tears."

Upon hearing this, Pang Di felt sorry for the princess. He thought that her husband doted on his concubine and must often neglect her. Now, her son was seriously ill, which was like adding insult to injury for her. Feeling sorry for the princess and thinking of his own situation, he couldn't help but feel sorrow in his eyes.

Seeing her unusual expression and the sorrow in her eyes, Hao immediately recalled her plaintive zither music, so similar to that of Wan Ji. So he asked her, "Are you unhappy?"

She smiled sadly and did not answer.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, "Is he not good to you?"

These words touched the deepest wound in her heart. She didn't know how to answer, but tears immediately streamed down her face.

He was startled and immediately stood up to go to her side, but couldn't utter any words of comfort. He just stood there blankly beside her, watching her cry so sadly, and couldn't help but recall how Wanji had cried just as bitterly on their wedding night, and how he had been just as helpless. He felt deeply ashamed of his own personality once again. If it were a man like Wang Pang, he would surely have found a way to comfort her with eloquent words. But then it dawned on him that this woman was heartbroken precisely because of Wang Pang.

She was a wonderful woman, beautiful and intelligent, gentle yet strong; even just chatting with her was like a breath of fresh air. Why then did Wang Pang hurt her? What reason did he have to make her cry so much?

Pang Di cried for a while, then finally remembered that Hao was right beside her. It was really impolite to cry like this, so she wiped away her tears and said softly to him, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure for a moment. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Hao handed her a plain handkerchief and said, “I am not good with words. In the past, whenever my queen cried, I did not know how to comfort her. But I will stay by her side until she stops crying. If you want to cry, then cry. There is no need to worry. Cry until your sorrow fades away with your tears. Until then, I will not leave.”

Pang Di took the handkerchief and felt a warmth in her heart as she listened to his words, but tears welled up uncontrollably again. No longer holding back, she wept freely in front of him.

Have you not seen how, though separated by the Changmen Palace, Empress Chen was confined, her life filled with sorrow, regardless of north or south? She and he each had their own misfortunes; they were both, in truth, people of similar despair. He sighed deeply. He stood silently by her side, gazing at her with gentle, compassionate eyes.

After crying for a long time, Pang Di gradually calmed down. When she looked up and saw that he was still watching over her, she felt very guilty, so she stood up and said to him, "Thank you."

He replied, "It's nothing, as long as you're no longer sad."

Dawn was breaking, and a ray of sunlight streamed in from outside, warming Pang Di. Looking at Hao before her, she saw him smiling, a smile that seemed to carry the warmth of the sun.

A faint smile gradually appeared on her face.

In the morning sunlight, the two stood silently facing each other, their smiles friendly and clear.

Suddenly, the sunlight dimmed instantly, and a long shadow fell on the ground and on them.

They all looked outside and found Wang Pang standing silently in front of the door, his face ashen.

Crack edge

Without saying a word, Wang Pang walked straight towards Zhao Hao and threw a punch, which landed heavily on Zhao Hao's left cheek.

The moment Hao saw Wang Pang's gaze pierce him, he realized what Wang Pang's next move would be. He could have easily avoided it, but he understood the reason for Wang Pang's anger and for a moment felt that he was in the wrong. He hesitated and had no intention of resisting, so he took the punch squarely.

Hao slowly wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand, looking at Wang Pang as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, not knowing how to explain what happened last night to him.

Wang Pang's anger intensified, and he raised his fist again, but Pang Di held him back tightly. She pleaded with him, "Don't hit him! It's not what you think, let me explain..."

Wang Pang ignored her, abruptly pulled her hand away from her grasp, and then slapped her across the face. The slap was so powerful that Pang Di was immediately knocked to the ground.

She fell to the ground, clutching her injured cheek, and turned to look at her husband in disbelief.

He glared at her fiercely and cursed through gritted teeth, "You bitch!"

"Bitch?" Pang Di thought. This was the definition her former loving and cherished husband now gave her. A profound shock overwhelmed her before any grief could follow. She stared wide-eyed, but all she saw was emptiness; nothing was visible, and she was speechless.

Hao walked over and bent down to help her up, but Wang Pang stopped him, saying, "Don't touch her!"

Hao was taken aback and withdrew his hand. He stood up and sighed, "Why are you angry? It's fine if you don't believe me, but don't you even believe in such a virtuous and chaste wife as her?"

Wang Pang sneered without speaking, his gaze falling on the Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither) beside him. He then strode over, lifted the zither with both hands, and slammed it forcefully against the edge of the desk. With a loud crash, all the strings snapped, and the zither split in two.

The sight pierced Zhao Hao and Pang Di's hearts instantly. As the zither broke, they felt as if the softest, most delicate string in their hearts, the one connecting them to their most beautiful memories, snapped, and the emotional anchor that had given them so many lonely days of hope vanished into thin air. The zither lay on the ground, shattered like the corpse of their past love.

Hao finally lost his temper. He loudly questioned Wang Pang, "This zither and your wife are both rare treasures that are hard to find in this world. Now that you have them, why do you not cherish them, why do you treat them so coldly, betray them, and hurt them?"

Wang Pang stared at Hao, his eyes almost frosty, and pointed at Pang Di, coldly saying to him, "This zither, and she, were both things you didn't want back then. Now that I've obtained them, I can do with them as I please. You have no right to interfere!"

Hao was taken aback by Wang Pang's words, and then gradually remembered that Empress Dowager Gao had once told him to meet Pang Di, and if he was satisfied, he could marry her as his second wife. However, at that time, he was preoccupied with missing his deceased wife and was unwilling to meet any woman the Empress Dowager had chosen for him. He was at a loss for words to refute Wang Pang's words, and after a long silence, he said, "In any case, under any circumstances, a man should not hit the woman he loves. Besides, she has not done anything to wrong you."

Wang Pang's veins bulged instantly as he glared at Hao, his eyes wide with fury: "Are you saying I'm not a man?" At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and several women rushed in—Wen'er, Xuanji, and Pang Di's two maids. Except for Xuanji, the other three women were all astonished at the sight.

Wang Pang ignored them completely, and pressed Zhao Hao forward step by step, saying, "Fine, she did nothing wrong, I won't hit her anymore. The fault lies entirely with you. You dared to break into my wife's bedroom in the middle of the night, I really want to kill you!"

After saying this, he was about to make another move. Wen'er shouted, "Brother! What are you doing!" and rushed over to block them. Xuanji also quickly gave a signal to the two maids to help her hold Wang Pang back.

Wen'er turned to Zhao Hao and said, "Your Highness, please leave quickly." As she spoke, she pushed him out.

Hao glanced at Pang Di beside him, still quite worried, and refused to leave immediately. Wang Pang became even angrier at this sight, pushed the maid aside and took a step to come over, but was grabbed from behind by Xuanji, who also shouted to Hao, "Your Highness, leave quickly! Staying here will only make the young master more unhappy and bring more trouble to the young mistress."

Helpless, Hao was finally half-pulled and half-dragged away by Wen'er.

That slap, that "bitch," and the incident of the broken zither deeply wounded Pang Di, extinguishing her last hope of regaining Wang Pang's affection. It even caused her to hide her love for him from then on, always wearing a cold expression whenever she appeared before him. When they occasionally met, they would feel each other's gaze was as icy as shards of ancient ice that had lingered on their faces for a long time.

This wasn't the attitude Pang Di wanted, but she couldn't forgive her husband's violent behavior that day. He acted impulsively like a brute, striking without thinking after only a glance at the scene, refusing to listen to any explanation. Actually, the pain on her face was secondary; his selfish and intense possessiveness towards her robbed him of his ability to distinguish right from wrong and of the trust he should have placed in her, leading him to destroy the beautiful foundation of their relationship in a state of frenzy. This was the root of her deep pain.

Wen'er was also very curious about what happened that day, and repeatedly asked about what happened that night: "Sister-in-law and His Highness Prince Qi didn't actually have anything going on, did they?"

Pang Di, having a clear conscience, recounted what had happened. Wen'er had been staring intently into her eyes the entire time. After listening for a moment, she pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "I believe you, sister-in-law. I think that door must be a Xuanji lock."

When Pang Di asked for the reason, Wen'er said, "That night I saw Xuanji running back from the garden. I found it strange at the time: what was she doing in the garden so late, and why was she in such a hurry? Now I understand. That night she saw Qi Wang go up to the Star-Asking Tower, so she deliberately locked you up there and made you stay together all night before telling my brother to come and catch you in the act. It shows how wicked she was. The next morning I passed by the Star-Asking Tower and saw her guarding down there, which made me even more suspicious. I also heard arguing up there, so I immediately ran up."

Pang Di frowned and asked, "Why would she try to sow discord like this?"

Wen'er laughed and said, "It's obvious that she wants to be a concubine. She has served my brother since she was a child. Although her family has never said it outright, they have always wanted my brother to take her in. She has never married, waiting for my brother to ask her to be his concubine. But my brother has never agreed. After he married you, he didn't even look at her. Now that she sees you separated from my brother, she thinks she has a chance. She sticks to my brother's side every day, but he still won't give her a title. So she resents you even more and wants to frame you like this so that my brother will completely dislike you, and then she will have the opportunity to become a concubine."

Pang Di thought to herself that Wen'er was unaware of her brother's hidden illness, which was why she thought things were so simple. If what Wen'er said was true, then Xuanji had been so infatuated with Wang Pang since childhood, wanting nothing more than to become his concubine. Wouldn't she be suffering just like her now? Moreover, she had known about Wang Pang's illness for a long time, yet she had remained unmarried for many years, demonstrating the depth of her feelings for him. Her framing of herself must stem from the depth of her love for Wang Pang, which fueled her intense self-hatred. Alas, she was both pitiful and hateful; a truly foolish person.

“I used to admire my brother a lot. I thought he was very gentlemanly, talented and capable,” Wen’er continued. “But that day, seeing him so impulsively want to fight the Prince of Qi, acting like a brute, without any manners at all, I was immediately disappointed. If I were your sister-in-law, I would ignore him too. I would never marry someone like him in the future.”

Pang Di smiled and asked, "So what kind of person do you like now?"

Wen'er thought for a moment and said, "He should have a tall and upright body, a handsome face, a gentle and refined manner of speaking, and a noble and composed demeanor... His forehead should be clear and broad, his eyes should be gentle and peaceful, and most importantly, he should have a heart that is extremely loyal to love."

Pang Di thought for a moment and knew who she was referring to, and laughed, "So someone wants to be a princess."

Wen'er smiled and didn't deny it, saying, "He is exceptionally talented, with outstanding literary and martial skills, but he foolishly opposed the reforms and offended his elder brother, the Emperor. He didn't know how to resolve the situation, which led to his unsuccessful political career. Although his former wife, Cao Wanji, was the Empress Dowager's grand-niece, she lacked all of the Empress Dowager's wisdom, resilience, and courage, and was of no help to his career. If he could marry a smart, strong, and politically astute new wife with a certain family background, and have her guide him to resolve the conflict with the Emperor, and then support the reforms in a way that the Emperor prefers, then he could realize his political ambitions and gain both fame and fortune. Wouldn't that be better?"

“It is good, but…” Pang Di said, “His Highness Prince Qi does not seem to be a person who likes to pursue fame and fortune. Moreover, although he is gentle and indifferent to worldly affairs, he must have his own principles and will. His views and stance on things are probably not so easy to change. He is a rare gentleman, kind and pure, with the style of the Four Lords of the Warring States. Unfortunately, his personality seems to be out of step with the current world. Politics and love do not seem to be his forte.”

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refugees

Beginning in the seventh month of autumn in the sixth year of the Xining era, there was a prolonged drought, causing severe drought in most parts of the country and resulting in the complete loss of many crops. By the third month of the seventh year of the Xining era, there was still no sign of rain, and the land was barren for miles around, with no green seedlings in sight. Meanwhile, the number of refugees pouring into the capital from all over the country increased.

Seeing this, Wang Anshi was quite worried and ordered the opening of the Futian Academy, a government-run welfare institution in the capital to shelter homeless beggars during the winter, and also instructed the Kaifeng Prefecture to provide relief to the disaster victims. However, by mid-month, the number of refugees had increased dramatically, far exceeding the capacity of the Futian Academy. The refugees were scattered throughout the capital, begging along the streets and even blocking roads to fight for food, causing chaos in the city and prompting onlookers to shake their heads and sigh.