Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida

Capítulo 50

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Daibi

The next day, the two rose early again. After dressing and washing, Pang Di sat down at her dressing table to do her makeup. Hao also got up and sat beside her, watching her loosen her hair and lightly apply powder to her face. Just as Pang Di took out her eyebrow pencil and was about to draw her eyebrows, she saw Hao watching her movements intently in the mirror. Her face flushed slightly, and she put the eyebrow pencil back on the dressing table, remaining silent for a moment.

Seeing this, Hao walked over and sat down beside her, picking up a brush and saying, "Di, how about I draw your eyebrows?"

Pang Di was quite surprised and stared at him with wide eyes, asking, "Does Your Highness know how to do this?"

Hao smiled and said, "I didn't know how before, but I'm willing to learn slowly. Can you let me give it a try?"

Pang Di felt a warmth in her heart and lowered her head shyly, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

Hao then took out a Persian conch shell ink from the makeup box, lightly dipped the ink brush twice, and then carefully drew Pang Di's eyebrows. His lips were slightly pursed, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his expression was very serious, as if he were painting a masterpiece intended to be passed down through the ages.

Even such intimate moments in the bedroom seemed taken so seriously by him. Pang Di couldn't help but smile, but this startled him so much that he stopped and asked, "Did I draw it wrong?"

"No," Pang Di said softly, "Your Highness paints very well."

Hao was relieved and continued drawing. After finishing, Pang Di looked in the mirror and was surprised: the eyebrows he drew were slightly pointed at both ends, with a rounded arc like a rainbow, and curved like a crescent moon, charming and beautiful, a very standard "crescent moon eyebrow".

"Your Highness, you can draw such exquisite crescent-shaped eyebrows with just a casual stroke. Is this really your first time drawing them?" she blurted out.

Hao nodded and said, "This is truly the first time. I remember last year when I was talking to you under the peach tree in my sister's mansion, you were drawing eyebrows like this. At that time, I was reminded of Li He's poem 'Long eyebrows facing the moon, vying with crescent moons,' and it left a deep impression on me. So today I drew it from memory. It turns out this is called crescent moon eyebrows, a very nice name. I only learned it today."

Pang Di was moved by these words. Recalling the past, she was filled with endless emotions and hesitated to speak. After looking at him for a long time, she finally said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Hao smiled and asked, "May I ask you for a favor?"

Pang Di asked him, "What is it?"

Hao said, "Could you please stop calling me 'Your Highness' and start calling me by my name instead?"

Pang Di hesitated for a while, avoiding his expectant gaze, before blushing and softly calling out "Hao".

Hao then pulled her into his arms again and gently embraced her. The two remained silent for a long time, but both felt a sense of peace in their hearts.

She exuded a faint fragrance from head to toe, but her body was extremely thin, her waist so slender it seemed one could grasp it with one hand. She had cried all night, and her eyes were slightly swollen, which even makeup could not conceal. Her face bore the marks of long-standing weariness and melancholy. Hao saw this and felt a deep pity for her. Suddenly, two lines of poetry inexplicably came to mind, and he softly recited: "The fragrance of the willow branches lingers, a woman ill from wine, spring cannot understand her newly grown thinness."

Upon hearing him recite the poem, Pang Di looked up and smiled slightly, saying, "Thank you for writing this poem for me. I also brought the poem slip with me." She then turned around and took out the poem slip from a hidden compartment in her makeup box, handing it to Hao to read.

To his surprise, Hao was stunned when he saw the poem, and then asked her in confusion, "How did this poem end up with you?"

Pang Di asked, puzzled, "Didn't you send someone to give it to Green Sleeve to bring to me?"

Hao stared blankly at the poem for a long time before finally saying, "I did write the characters, but I didn't write the lyrics. I didn't know someone would claim that I wrote these lyrics and give them to you."

Pang Di immediately realized something was wrong, and her heart began to pound wildly. Clutching her chest, she grabbed Hao and asked, "What happened? Who told you to copy this poem?"

Hao said, "It was Cai Jing's younger brother, Cai Bian. My fourth brother, Prince Jia, was a great lover of calligraphy and painting, and the Cai brothers were excellent calligraphers, so I often associated with them. One day, Prince Jia brought Cai Bian to see me, saying that Cai Bian had long admired my flying white calligraphy and hoped that I could personally write a few pieces for him to collect. So I invited him to write together and exchange ideas. The content of the pieces we wrote that day was all decided by Cai Bian, including this poem, 'Butterfly Loves Flowers,' which Cai Bian said was a poem from the Southern Tang Dynasty." The poem had to be transcribed onto a poem paper, and we were to both write one to see who captured the essence of the original. Naturally, his was better, but he was very modest, praising my handwriting repeatedly before taking the poem paper along with several other pieces of calligraphy he had written that day. Looking back now, every word of that poem resonates with our feelings; it feels as if I wrote it for you. But I've never been good at writing delicate, graceful poems; even the ones I wrote for Wanji before were polished by Yuan Ze…”

Pang Di forced a smile and asked with difficulty, "Do you know that Cai Bian is the future husband that Yuan Ze chose for Wen'er?"

Hao frowned and said, "So, this poem was brought by Yuan Ze through Cai Bian, who asked me to write it and then had it given to Lüxiu, deliberately claiming that I wrote it?"

Although she had already guessed this would be the case, Hao's conclusion still struck her like a thunderbolt. How could she have been so oblivious, so completely unaware that it was Pang who had written it? He had previously revised Hao's poems to please Wanji, yet now he would personally write lyrics for Hao, who had become his rival, hoping to persuade his wife to remarry Hao. He was so proud and arrogant, with such a strong possessiveness towards his possessions, especially love. How could he be so magnanimous as to personally orchestrate someone else's marriage, pushing his wife towards a rival he had always been wary of? What circumstances, what feelings, drove him to do this? Now that he had achieved his goal, what would become of him?

Pang Di was lost in thought, gradually losing the ability to think. She felt an ominous feeling rising in her heart, growing heavier and heavier, making it hard for her to breathe.

She rushed out the door in a panic, running almost unconsciously, ignoring Hao's calls behind her. Her mind was blank, only repeating the poem in a daze: "A deep chill fills my green sleeves, I carelessly watch the fleeting years, as dusk fades into smoke. The lingering fragrance of wine lingers, I am ill, and spring cannot understand my newly grown thinness..."

He often scolded, beat, and tormented her, but at the same time, he also cared for her deeply. He could feel the chill of spring for her, understand her helplessness at the passing of time, and feel sorry for her growing thinner appearance. However, he was used to burying all of this deep inside, putting on a cold expression for her, afraid that she would realize that he still loved her...

She ran, and occasionally someone would stop her and ask, "Where does Your Highness want to go?" She would only reply, "I want to get out, how do I get out..."

Seeing that she looked strange, none of the men dared to answer, so she ignored them and continued running.

She ran for an unknown amount of time, until she was breathless and exhausted, but still couldn't find the way out of the palace. She continued on, forcing herself to keep going. Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves behind her, and in a moment, a horse was beside her. The rider bent down and lifted her onto the horse. Startled, she struggled to turn around and saw it was Hao. She asked sadly, "Are you taking me back?"

Hao shook his head and said, "I'll take you to see him." Then he pulled her into his arms and sat her down, before spurring his horse and galloping out of the palace.

After dismounting at the gate of the Prime Minister's residence, Pang Di strode straight inside. The gatekeeper was overjoyed to see her and hurriedly called out, "Young Master..." Before he could finish the word "person," he saw the Prince of Qi behind her and immediately changed his words, asking, "Why is Your Highness returning home today?"

Pang Di ignored him and hurried towards Wang Pang's room. When she finally reached it and opened the door, she found the room empty, without a soul in sight. Startled, she froze, then felt someone enter. Turning around, she saw Hao.

“Hao,” she said, her voice filled with despair and helplessness, “he’s gone.”

"Don't worry, he's probably gone somewhere else," Hao said gently, trying to comfort him. Just then, two maids ran over. Seeing them, they were about to pay their respects, but Hao waved them off and asked directly, "Where is your young master?"

The maid replied, "Last night, the young master rested in the room of the Princess Consort in the Star-Questioning Tower."

Pang Di immediately went out to Wenxing Tower. Hao followed him.

Upon reaching the upper floor, Pang Di saw Xuanji emerging from her room. She breathed a slight sigh of relief and walked over to ask, "Is the young master inside?"

Xuanji glanced at her coldly and said, "It is not yet the third day after the wedding, so the princess should not return home today. The young master is asleep, so the princess should leave."

Pang Di saw that she kept calling her "Princess Consort" and knew that she was deliberately being sarcastic. She felt uncomfortable and didn't want to argue with her. She just said, "I'll go in and take a look at him and then leave."

Xuanji reached out to stop her, but Pang Di noticed that she was holding a piece of clothing, the same one Wang Pang had worn the day before, and it was stained with blood.

"Is this his blood?" Pang Di asked in surprise.

Xuanji remained silent.

Pang Di pushed her aside and entered the room. With a quick glance, he saw Wang Pang lying quietly on the bed with her eyes closed.

She slowly walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He had a slightly furrowed brow, as if he was enduring some kind of pain, but there was a peaceful smile on his lips. His features were as handsome as ever, as if they had been carved by a knife. He was wearing new clothes, and his skin was clean and smooth, as if he had just washed.

"Pang." She called him softly, but as expected, she didn't hear a response.

Hao walked to the bedside and looked down at him closely. Pang Di stood up, pulled Hao aside, and whispered, "He's asleep. Let's not disturb him. Let's go back."

Hao saw that although Wang Pang seemed to be asleep, his face was bluish and his expression was different from that of an ordinary person. When he reached out his hand, he found that he had long since lost his warmth and breath.

Testament

“Di,” Hao said sadly to Pang Di, “he has passed away.”

Pang Di shook her head and said softly, "He's asleep. He's sleeping very soundly, so he can't hear me calling him. He's probably too tired and needs to rest... Let's go, let's go..."

As she spoke in a daze, her hand, which was tightly gripping Hao's arm, began to tremble, and her face instantly turned as pale as paper.

Hao quickly put his arm around her shoulder, then looked at Pang lying there, suppressing the waves of sorrow and sadness that washed over him, and finally nodded and said to her, "Okay, I'll take you home first."

She had only taken two steps when she saw Xuanji walking straight towards Pang Di, staring at her and saying, "Your Highness, the young master passed away last night."

“No, he’s not dead!” Pang Di said, then murmured, “How could he be dead? He was so energetic yesterday, talking to me and singing ‘Peach Blossom’ for me. He said he was almost fully recovered and that I was domineering, that he couldn’t live without me… How could he suddenly die after only a few hours?” Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and her body gradually went limp. Hao immediately helped her to sit down in a chair.

“That was a final burst of energy before death,” Xuanji said coldly. Her expression was always calm and indifferent, and her words carried no warmth. Now, her tone was icy, sending chills down one’s spine: “The young master has been ill for a long time. From the day you agreed to remarry, he began to slowly die, growing weaker day by day. In the last few days, he couldn’t even get out of bed. But he and the master were afraid of affecting your mood for the wedding, so they forbade anyone to tell you. Yesterday, he miraculously managed to get up, put on his favorite clothes, and then asked you to see him one last time, wanting to leave you with a good impression and personally offer your blessings. But after you left, he collapsed to the ground and didn’t wake up until evening.” He got up as if nothing had happened and went upstairs alone. He locked himself in this room all night and wouldn't let anyone in to serve him. I stood guard outside the door all night, and this morning when I called him several times without getting a response, I pushed the door open and found that he was already…” Her voice choked as she spoke, and she gently wiped her eyes, stubbornly raising her head to continue, “He was slumped over the table, the blood he had vomited staining a large patch of his clothes on his chest, and there were bloodstains everywhere on the table. His face was almost transparently white, and his brows were furrowed in pain, yet he still had a faint smile on his face… I changed him into new clothes and washed his face. The young master has always been a person who likes cleanliness and cannot tolerate even the slightest stain…”

Pang Di had been listening intently, but suddenly spoke up, smiling, "Yes, he's very clean, and he especially likes wearing white clothes. The first time I saw him, he was dressed in white, his long robe and wide sleeves flowing gracefully in the light rain among the apricot blossoms that Qingming Festival. When our eyes met, he didn't look away, only slightly raised the corners of his lips, gazing at me intently..."

Then she walked over and sat down next to Wang Pang, gazing at him tenderly, and gently stroked his forehead, nose, and lips. Scenes from the past flooded back, replaying in her mind one after another:

At the birthday banquet, during a book-writing contest, he wrote "Weary of Seeking Fragrance": "I hate being bought with elm seeds, my brows forever furrowed. I remember after the people of Gaoyang dispersed, the fallen flowers and flowing water remained the same. This sentiment, facing the east wind, has become utterly wasted." Then he walked up to her, bowed deeply to her dressed as a man, and said loudly, "Please, young lady, appreciate my elegance!"

On their wedding night, as she secretly observed him deep in thought, he suddenly opened his eyes and asked with a smile that contained a hint of wickedness and cunning, "My wife has probably never seen anyone as beautiful as me before, has she?"

He wore a loose white morning robe as he drank his medicine, the headband loosened, and his long hair, slightly disheveled, cascaded down to his waist… He gently wiped his lips with his sleeve, the wide sleeve fluttering lightly, his posture extremely graceful. She asked him if the medicine was bitter, and he raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Why don’t you try it yourself, my wife?” Then he made a gesture to kiss her lips…

On her birthday night, he played the flute, and she played the zither, singing in her heart: "We vow to grow old together, to stay together forever in this life..."

She admired the plum blossoms in the courtyard, while he stood by the window, sketching their beautiful silhouettes. She then added the finishing touches and inscribed the words: "The north wind is chilly, the rain and snow are heavy. You are kind and loving to me, let us walk hand in hand."

She gently combed his hair, while he looked at her through the bronze mirror and smiled slightly. When she reached for a hairband, he naturally took her hand and kissed it.

I heard that she met Su Shi in Hangzhou. He pretended to be angry, pulled the covers over his face, and refused to listen to her explanation, saying from inside, "I won't listen. I'm so angry!"... Then he smiled and said, "That's true. My beautiful hair alone could keep Su Shi growing for years."...

In Jiangning, they found a rare moment of warmth. He felt relieved after hearing she wasn't leaving. He sat up straight, smiled, raised his sleeve towards her, and softly said, "Di, come here, let me kiss you."

...

Yes, back then, he felt so much pain when he sensed she might go back to her parents' home, so how could he really so easily give her up to Hao? His ease and the words he used to persuade her were all lies. In reality, he had long regarded her as an essential part of life, as vital as air, sunlight, and water. Giving her up was tantamount to giving up his life.

How could I not have thought of that? How could I allow myself not to have thought of that? Pang Di's eyes darkened, and he said quietly, "I have made a terrible mistake. Leaving him is tantamount to killing him with my own hands."

Seeing her distraught state, Xuanji's heart softened slightly. She sighed and said, "Young Madam, there's no need to blame yourself so much. Actually, the young master very much hoped you would remarry, and he personally did many things to facilitate your marriage with Prince Qi. He invited Prince Qi to his home to create opportunities for you two to get closer. That night, when Prince Qi came to your room, he instructed me to lock the door. However, he overestimated his own endurance and ended up not sleeping a wink all night. At dawn, he rushed upstairs and angrily beat you both. Later, he often spoke harshly to you, mocking your relationship with Prince Qi. While it was certainly due to jealousy and resentment that he couldn't control his emotions, I think he also wanted to ruin his image to force you to give up. He loves you so much, and although he forcibly suppressed his feelings, deliberately distancing himself from you, neglecting you, and tormenting you, he often secretly went upstairs at night..." Lou Lai waited outside your room for most of the night… He desperately wanted to find you a better home, but seeing your growing affection for Prince Qi made him unable to accept it. He did many things that hurt both himself and others, causing you immense pain. But for him, the pain was doubled; he was in pain, and your pain made him feel pain too. Moreover, this pain was caused by his own hand, and the deep guilt only intensified his suffering. He lived in constant inner turmoil, battling with himself. Anyone else in his shoes would likely have gone mad. In the end, reason prevailed. After Prince Qi proposed marriage, he not only agreed to your remarriage but also went to great lengths to have Cai Gongzi have Prince Qi copy the poem for you, persuading you to marry him without worry. Now that he is gone, all past grievances and disputes are wiped clean. Young mistress, live well with Prince Qi and do not betray the young master's good intentions.”

Pang Di sat there blankly, ignoring Xuanji's words. He held Wang Pang's hand in both of his hands and stroked it repeatedly. He then touched it to his face to test its temperature. After a long while, he said softly, "His hand is so cold. I can't warm it up no matter what I do."

Hao felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing this, and leaned over to say to her, "Di, why don't you go home and rest for a while? We'll come back tomorrow."

Pang Di shook his head and said, "I'm not leaving. I'll wait. Maybe he'll wake up again. If he wakes up, he'll be very happy to see me here."

Hao gently embraced her and sighed, "If you have tears, why not let them flow freely?"

Pang Di remained silent, as if he hadn't heard.

Seeing this, Xuanji sighed again, took something from the desk and handed it to Pang Di, saying, "This was written by the young master in mid-spring this year. He carried it with him and unfolded it again last night. He also spat his last drop of blood on this."

It was a plain white silk scroll with a poem written on it. The ink was no longer fresh, indicating that it had been written several days ago. It was stained with large patches and dots of blood, some of which were not even completely dry, a shocking record of the traces of life's passing.

Pang Di and Hao examined the poem closely and found it to be a poem titled "Yan'er Mei": "Willow branches sway gently, wisps of smoke weave sorrow. Crabapple blossoms haven't yet been rained on, pear blossoms are already like snow, half of spring is over. Now, past events are hard to recall, dreams of returning linger around the Qin Tower. Longing resides only on the lilac branches, on the tips of cardamom buds."

After reading it, Pang Di's gaze gradually focused on the words "Returning Dreams Lingering Around Qin Tower." Finally, tears streamed down her face, and she wept uncontrollably, clutching the plain silk. Tears poured down her face, each drop falling onto the silk, instantly seeping into the fibers, mingling with the existing bloodstains, and then seeping out again, leaving many red marks of varying shades on her jade-like hands.

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2006-5-24 19:14 46th Floor

> The Heart of a Flower