Cien años de soledad

Capítulo 15

"It's alright," I replied.

"You're kidding... You have dark circles under your eyes." He smiled mysteriously.

"Huh?...Nonsense...That's how it is." I stammered, "You have it too!"

"No...no..." For some reason, he seemed just as guilty as I was.

※ ※ ※

After the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, Chang'an presented a prosperous scene. Although it could not be compared with the metropolises of the future, it was rare to see such bustling streets in ancient times when the population was sparse.

Is this your first time in Chang'an?

"kindness!"

"You're scared, aren't you? You've never seen so many people before, except during wartime, have you?"

Do you think I'm a country bumpkin? You probably don't have the concept of a billion-dollar figure back then. Where I live, you have to queue for half a day to buy a lottery ticket. This is only about the size of a county-level city!

"I'm almost home. Goodbye now. I'll miss you."

I won't miss you at all. "What a pity, I will cherish the happy times I spent with Young Master Xianyin forever in my heart. Goodbye!"

Okay, I've finally gotten rid of him. Let's say a few polite words before I leave.

"real?"

No way, I was just saying, you're too naive.

"Brother, you have no money on you, and unfortunately my family is not able to accommodate you at the moment. How about this, you go to the Mixiang Inn in the east of the city to stay, and I will give you something. After you see it, they will treat you well."

I took it and saw it was a jade pendant. "This... isn't it too valuable?" I felt a little embarrassed. I had eaten and drunk his food, and now I was taking his things. The key was that I didn't understand his motives for being so kind to me.

"Just accept it, you'll regret it later!" With that, Xianyin disappeared into the crowd.

I weighed the jade pendant in my hand and found three characters engraved on the back, which should be "Pingyang Slave".

East of the city? Where is east of the city? I can't tell east from west anymore. I need to find a place to stay first, and then figure out how to get into the palace.

Having searched in vain, I had no choice but to lower my proud head and start asking passersby for directions.

"Excuse me, sir, how do I get to Mixiang Inn?"

The other person sized me up, giving me a disdainful look. "What do you want with the Mi Xiang Inn?"

What? Can't I just look for the Fragrant Inn?

Finally, they encountered a kind-looking elder. "Young man... are you looking for the Fragrant Inn?"

"What? Is there a problem?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Oh...it's nothing, just keep going straight, you'll see it soon."

After walking for a while, a large complex of buildings appeared ahead. At the entrance to the complex, a golden plaque hung high with four characters: "Seeking Fragrance Inn!" Finally found it! So touching…

What an impressive place! The people entering and leaving the gate are all dressed in fine clothes. I looked at my own attire. No wonder everyone looked at me with disdain when I mentioned the Fragrance Inn. In their eyes, ordinary people must have nothing to do with this place.

Upon entering the main hall, one sees a long reception desk where many young women dressed identically are answering questions from guests. It seems that the concept of work uniforms existed even in ancient times.

---janeadam

Reply [45]: “Hey!” A man with a pointed mouth, monkey cheeks, and a mustache called out to me, “You… come here!”

I walked over.

"We're not hiring any menial workers today, you should leave..."

Damn it! Do I look like I'm here for a cleaning job?

"I'm here to stay at the hotel," I said.

"A hotel?" He adopted a look of disdain that had been frozen in the refrigerator for a long time. "Look carefully, this is the most upscale inn in Chang'an, not a homeless shelter!"

I started to suspect that the treacherous schemer was playing a trick on me, but I had to try it anyway. I carefully took out the jade pendant and handed it over, watching the other person's expression change. Sure enough, upon seeing the jade pendant, the guy was first surprised, then broke into a smile more radiant than a monkey's butt that had been soaking in water for over ten days.

"Ah, I was so blind to your esteemed guest just now, please forgive me for any offense! Xiao Hui! Quickly prepare a superior room!"

Then he turned to me again, flashing that disgusting smile once more. "Sir, please register your name on the bamboo tag."

I picked up the brush and hesitantly wrote down three characters: "Dongfang Shuo".

The other person seemed to be laughing while covering their face. Laughing my foot! I'll have you write a memorial to the emperor's expedition with a ballpoint pen someday, then let's see if you'll still be laughing! (Aside: There weren't any memorials to the emperor's expedition back then, were there? Answer: That would be much more difficult!)

Wow! The room is huge, even has a bathtub—truly a top-tier room in a top-tier inn. I couldn't help but wonder who this "Shadowy One" was. Judging from his clothes and how extravagant he was, was he some kind of royalty? Even if he was, why was he treating me so well, given that we were complete strangers? It's really puzzling. In the real world, I'm constantly bullied; do I really have some kind of ancient charm? Never mind, thinking too much will only give me a headache. It's much more pleasant to get some sleep. I'll deal with all my troubles when I wake up. With that thought, I collapsed onto the soft bed, unconscious.

I don't know how long I slept, but I seemed to hear someone calling "Young Master Dongfang... Young Master Dongfang..." outside the door.

If you're going to call someone elsewhere, how can anyone get any sleep? Ugh!

Wait a minute! "Young Master Dongfang," they must be calling me. It feels a bit strange; I should have just said my name was Kimura Takuya...

"What is it?" I sighed, sticking half my head out.

"You're here!" It was that monkey-faced guy. "Quickly, help Young Master Dongfang undress!"

Suddenly a large group of men and women appeared and surrounded me, and some of them started tearing off my clothes.

"What...what are you doing?" I screamed. "Hehe...ouch, it tickles!"

---janeadam

Reply [46]: Chapter Twenty-Three: Remembering Brother Han Xin!

"That's fantastic!" The monkey-faced expression was more feminine than a woman's, reminding me of those effeminate artists.

"Oh?" I walked to the huge bronze mirror in the room, which was as tall as a person (it could definitely be sold for a lot of money if stolen). "This...is this me?" I could hardly believe my eyes. Wearing the gorgeous clothes, I looked like a completely different person. No wonder those celebrities look so ordinary after removing their makeup. It's true that clothes make the man. Especially my short hair, which is unique to modern people, makes me look so different and absolutely unique.

"Why did you dress me up so handsomely?" I asked.

"Of course, one must behave properly when meeting the Emperor!"

"To see the emperor?... What... what are you saying... I..."

"General Huo, everything is settled. You can take the person with you."

A tall and imposing man walked in from outside the door; judging from his attire, he was of a high rank.

He approached me and bowed slightly: "I am Huo Qubing. Please, Young Master Dongfang, enter the sedan chair." His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. What a fine Huo Qubing! He truly deserves to be called a great general. His bearing is extraordinary. I like him!

"Why does the Emperor want to see me?" I asked, puzzled. This was so strange. I was still worrying about how to sneak into the palace. Could it be that the palace was short of eunuchs…? I couldn't think about it anymore; it was too terrifying…

"I'm sorry, I'm just following orders and have no say in anything else. Please leave..."

Although I'm a little confused, I'll take the initiative. With his skills, taking me away would be easier than hanging a towel on the wall.

Is this me? Sitting in a luxurious eight-person sedan chair, with a famous general leading the way on a tall horse, how impressive! The surrounding people must be wondering who's inside, right? Haha... It's Lin Yugui, an outstanding young teacher of the 21st century! Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel so proud that I forgot my fear, hahaha... even the sedan chair started shaking.

I don't know how much time passed, but as the novelty of riding in the sedan chair wore off, I started to doze off. Just as the snoring was about to burst out, the sedan chair suddenly stopped. Have we arrived?

The sedan curtain was lifted, and Huo Qubing leaned closer and said, "Please follow the palace maids to Chang Le Palace for a short rest. I will take my leave now."

I returned the smile. "Gentleman"—perhaps that's a word invented specifically for this kind of person.

Following an old eunuch and two palace maids, I arrived at a palace. It was nearly dusk, and I could see people lighting lanterns from time to time. What a pleasant scene, the imperial palace.

Chang Le Palace… I looked up and saw those words, and a pang of sorrow gripped my heart. I had read the Romance of the Western Han Dynasty since I was a child, and I greatly admired Han Xin, who was a brilliant strategist. Unfortunately, he didn't understand the principle of "discarding the bow after the birds are all gone, cooking the dog after the rabbit is dead." In this respect, Wei Liao, who assisted the King of Qin, Zhang Liang, who assisted the King of Han, and Liu Bowen, who assisted Emperor Hongwu, were clearly much wiser than him, simply because he couldn't let go of wealth and glory.

(Dong) The bell tolls, marking the place where Han Xin was executed... Alas, a military genius met such a tragic end. Truly...

He can endure humiliation and conquer vast territories.

He was not destined to be an emperor, so why did he commit such a sin?

Later generations lamented their lack of fortune and offered sacrifices along the road to the underworld.

A hero can be born a hero, and a ghost can die a hero. In the end, even a hero is just a slave to an emperor.

A sudden, ambiguous voice from a eunuch interrupted my thoughts. "By imperial decree, Dongfang Shuo, a guest of Chang Le Palace, is summoned to an audience!"

I immediately felt a chill run down my spine. How could I not tremble? The person I was about to meet was Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che. I was even more nervous than if I were meeting Liu Dehuai.

I waited outside a bedroom in Weiyang Palace. The old eunuch went in to announce my arrival, and a snicker came from inside. "Oh? There's someone like that? A guy who can make my sister so smitten, I'd love to see him... He's here? Let him in!"

Etiquette! Etiquette! Can I look him in the eye? I don't know.

"Who's down there?" a loud voice asked.

"Lin...Lin Yu...oh no...Little Grass Dongfang Shuo..."

"Little grass? Hahaha... This is the first time I've heard someone call me that, how interesting..."

A man's knees are worth gold, and he shouldn't kneel easily. However, I regard money as dirt! So... I immediately knelt down with a thud, and thumped my head several times...

"Hahaha... What kind of way is this to kowtow... You're so cute! I'm not a Bodhisattva. Alright, have a seat!"

A eunuch brought over a wooden chair, and I sat down. I felt as if the chair was suspended in mid-air. I was so nervous that my old habit of not going out for walks came back.

"Raise your head... let me see you..."

---janeadam

Reply [47]: I looked up and also took a look at this emperor.

"Wow!" Emperor Wu exclaimed.

"Frog!" I exclaimed in my mind.

"Such short hair, courageous and creative! Hmm... your face carries an air of otherworldly grace, as if you came from another era!" Emperor Wu actually praised me. Of course I am extraordinary compared to your commoners, after all, I have evolved two thousand years longer than them. I have never seen apes from tens of thousands of years ago, whose chins protruded more than their noses.

The reason I was so impressed was because the emperor in front of me was so young. He looked so immature, at most in his twenties, and was far from the heroic figure I had in mind.

"Princess Pe out..."

"Huh? Princess?" I saw a woman walk out from behind the curtain. No way?! It's...it's that one-night stand from the inn!

Her attire was completely different from before, devoid of any frivolousness, so dignified, the phoenix hairpin in her hair gleaming. She…she was Princess Pingyang? Emperor Wu's dearest sister! I actually…slept with a princess?!

"Greetings, Your Majesty..." She first bowed to Emperor Wu, seemingly mindful of etiquette even among close friends in the presence of outsiders. Then she turned to me, giving me a gentle smile—a familiar smile...

"Young Master Dongfang..."