Neuf chansons

Chapitre 2

The time spent drinking and carousing flew by. Li Yuxuan was just feeling relieved that he had escaped a disaster that night when the drunken Prince Xin stood up and pointed at a woman who had been playing the guzheng: "Haitang, you accompany the third-ranked scholar tonight. I need to rest, you all should rest too."

The woman named Haitang glanced lazily at Li Yuxuan, then bowed her head and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Li Yuxuan knew that the so-called "selling art but not one's body" applied to ordinary people, not including big shots like Prince Xin. She looked at Haitang and saw that she had a long face, eyebrows like distant mountains, and eyes like autumn water, but only in her lazy eyes was there a trace of aloofness and indifference.

Under Prince Xin's watchful gaze, she walked towards Haitang: "Please, elder sister!"

Sleeping among flowers and willows

A mocking smile involuntarily crept onto Prince Xin's lips, but Li Yuxuan didn't see it. She was gritting her teeth and cursing this prince with his peculiar hobby of killing people without paying for it: Why didn't he let those syphilis patients die easily? Truly, a scourge that lives on for a thousand years.

However, she wasn't too worried about this unexpected situation; in the past five years, she had weathered even more unexpected situations.

She followed Haitang into the embroidery room, where a faint, refreshing fragrance filled the air, soothing her senses. Li Yuxuan's tense nerves gradually relaxed in the aroma. She sat down on a chair in the living room, took a deep breath, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Sister, just sitting in your embroidery room and smelling this fragrance is enough to make one feel intoxicated. I wonder what kind of spices you use?" This was a subtle change of topic, the first move to break the deadlock and seize the initiative.

Upon entering the embroidery room, Haitang had already put away the smile she had worn outside. After watching Li Yuxuan sit down and have a maid bring tea, she went into the inner room on her own. Hearing what she said, she replied indifferently, "These are spices that Young Master Su prepared for me. If you like them, please smell them a few more times."

"Which Young Master Su?"

"Su Shi".

"Oh!" It was him!

Seeing Haitang's coldness towards him, Li Yuxuan originally thought it was just the aloofness of the girls at Pinxiangju. He didn't expect that compared to Su Shi's elegant demeanor, she was like a piece of frost-covered rubble, gray no matter how you look at it.

Thinking about it made her feel a little sour and uncomfortable. Su Shi actually had an affair with this woman—and she, having sat in the inner room ever since, hadn't even looked at her properly. She wasn't bad-looking, was she? Was it necessary to be so hurtful? Even a counterfeit has its pride, though.

Su Shi's poem "Jiang Cheng Zi," mourning his deceased wife, is so poignant and moving: "Ten years have passed, life and death have separated us, I try not to think of her, yet I cannot forget. A lonely grave a thousand miles away, no place to speak of my sorrow. Even if we were to meet again, we would not recognize each other, faces covered in dust, temples white as frost." According to historical records, he was only twenty years old at this time, right? He had only been married to his wife for a year, wasn't he? Li Yuxuan sighed in frustration. She had, back in her school days, idolized him for years, seeing him as a lovesick fool. When she first saw him here, she, like other lovesick fools, was breathless for half an hour, bitterly wondering why she hadn't transmigrated into his wife, Wang Fu. His poems were so beautiful, his paintings so beautiful, his otherworldly elegance so refined, his imposing good looks so handsome, and he even—made her heart flutter whenever she thought of him. She rubbed her nose hard. Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving; books can't withstand the test of experience.

She thought of Xu Qingzhi, whom she had summoned, wondering which girl had dragged that pedantic old scholar into this mess. If he were forced into sex by some girl here tonight, he'd hate her to death. Aside from their shared escape from the matchmaking agency today, she and Xu Qingzhi hadn't had much interaction before, but for some reason, she felt a strange closeness to him. They were, in a way, kindred spirits. That smile exchanged under the willow tree by the river warmed her heart with his shy grin. A subtle sense of understanding and mutual appreciation seemed to permeate their being.

She stood up and said to the inner room, "Miss Haitang, I apologize for disturbing your peace. Please believe me, this is only the will of Prince Xin. I had no intention of offending you. Please find me another place to rest."

A moment later, the young maid came over carrying a brocade quilt and handed it to Li Yuxuan: "The young lady said you can't go out tonight, so just lie here for the night!"

"Huh?" Li Yuxuan took the quilt. "A quilt? How am I supposed to sleep? On the floor?"

The little girl gracefully tossed her head back at him, pretending not to hear him. Li Yuxuan sighed. Birds of a feather flock together; even a lowly maid like her was so impressive. Fine, she'd just have to make do on this bench for the night. Thank goodness she ran into such an aloof guy; if she'd encountered a lovesick fool, her situation would have been far worse than this.

No, I still have to go check on Xu Qingzhi, otherwise my conscience won't allow it. I have to rescue him from this hellish situation. She glanced into the inner room; there was no more movement inside. She quietly put down the blanket and tiptoed out.

Outside, the lights were still on, and laughter filled the air—a completely different world from inside. Li Yuxuan walked to the stairwell and saw her mother still sitting in the lobby. She went over and smiled slightly at the madam: "Mom, aren't you going to rest yet?" As she spoke, she took out a thousand-tael silver note from her purse: "Is this enough for the three of us tonight?"

The madam probably hadn't expected Li Yuxuan to be so generous. After seeing the number on the banknote, she paused for a moment before taking it, saying, "That's enough."

"That's good. Please have Mother call the top scholar out; I have something to discuss with him." When Li Yuxuan transmigrated, although her predecessor's parents and brothers were all dead, they still left her a large fortune. It's said that a clean prefect can amass a fortune in three years, and that's certainly true. Her father, who served as an official for over ten years, left her over two million taels of silver. During the massacre of her entire family, those people didn't touch any of the Li family's assets. This was something Li Yuxuan couldn't understand: if the intention was to kill for money, why would they kill but not steal? She also knew that the court had investigated the case for several years, but it had ultimately been dropped.

Soon, Xu Qingzhi walked over with a girl. Li Yuxuan glanced at his neat clothes, suppressed a laugh, and raised an eyebrow: "Brother Xu, did I disturb your pleasure?"

She saw Xu Qingzhi's cheeks flush red again, staring at him with wide eyes. She chuckled and quickly patted him on the shoulder, "Come on, to my room." Then she smiled at the madam, "If Prince Xin asks tomorrow, you'll say you didn't see anything, right?!"

The madam waved her hand with a smile: "Of course, the top scholar can go ahead."

Li Yuxuan leaned close to Xu Qingzhi's ear and whispered with a chuckle, "Am I a good friend? I came here specifically to rescue you from the wolf's den." Unexpectedly, as soon as she said this, she saw that Xu Qingzhi's neck turned red.

She stared at him in surprise: "You're not serious? Did I really hit the nail on the head? You got taken advantage of by a woman? No, I mean you got bullied by a woman?"

Xu Qingzhi shook off her hand from his shoulder and said after a long pause, "Brother Li, what nonsense are you talking about? I was...you came to me for this?" Actually, he didn't know why he was so nervous, but just now, when Li Yuxuan leaned close to his ear, he felt that her breath was as fragrant as orchids, and there seemed to be a faint fragrance? And her body wasn't as firm as a man's...Pah! He spat at himself. He must have been confused by the women here and was having hallucinations.

Li Yuxuan pulled him into Haitang's embroidery room: "Brother Xu, why don't you sit here with me tonight!"

Seeing that Li Yuxuan wasn't with Haitang and had even asked him to keep her company, Xu Qingzhi felt inexplicably relieved. He retorted sarcastically, "Brother Li, that's not right of you. Everyone says that passing the imperial examination should be accompanied by a wedding night. Why did you ask me to join in the fun? No, no, I don't want to be here." With that, he pretended to turn and leave.

Li Yuxuan spread her hands: "If you're not afraid of being eaten up by other women, I don't mind." Seeing Xu Qingzhi stop in his tracks, she took a Go board from the bookshelf in the room: "Brother Xu, it's a long night, play Go with me!"

Xu Qingzhi wasn't really leaving, so the two sat down and started playing chess casually. Li Yuxuan didn't know how he fell asleep. When he woke up, he found himself wrapped in a quilt and lying on the table. Xu Qingzhi was nowhere to be seen.

Court Turmoil

Li Yuxuan stretched, pulled back the covers, and stood up. Looking out the window, she saw only a faint glimmer of dawn; she must have just dozed off at the table. Where was Xu Qingzhi at this hour?

Um, he's the one who covered her with the blanket, right?

She glanced into the inner room; it was eerily quiet. Then, looking at her reflection in the bronze mirror by candlelight, she saw a weary face, her eyes seemingly sunken. Sighing, she knew finding Xu Qingzhi and returning to the inn was crucial; she had to attend court today to receive her appointment.

She straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair before opening the door and walking outside. In the courtyard, she saw Xu Qingzhi jogging around the artificial hill; his slender figure exuded an indescribable melancholy in the early autumn breeze.

Seeing Li Yuxuan come out, Xu Qingzhi ran to his side: "Brother Li, you've woken up?"

Li Yuxuan patted his long robe and asked, "Brother Xu, did you not sleep all night?"

"Hehe," Xu Qingzhi chuckled, "I saw Brother Li was asleep, so I dozed off too. What should we do? Shall we leave first or...?"

"Let's go!"

"kindness."

When Li Yuxuan returned to the inn, Yinzi was already jumping for joy waiting for him. Seeing that he had only just returned, she couldn't help but complain, "Miss, you're too bold! You didn't come back all night. I waited all night and couldn't sleep."

Li Yuxuan chuckled: "Hurry up and help me bring the water in, I have to go to court later."

...

In the Golden Hall, she, Su Shi, and Xu Qingzhi stood side by side. Having escaped yesterday's "selecting a husband" contest, the three of them couldn't help but smile at each other upon their reunion.

She and Su Shi were both appointed as Vice Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review and assigned to Fengxiang Prefecture. Xu Qingzhi entered the Secretariat. After the court session, Emperor Renzong kept them and Prince Xin, Zhao Yun, in the Imperial Study to discuss matters.

Upon hearing this, Prince Xin looked at Li Yuxuan with an ambiguous gaze. Seeing Prince Xin's expression, Li Yuxuan knew it must be related to the bestowed marriage the night before. She looked up and gave him a confident smile. The emperor could bestow a marriage, and she could refuse to the death.

Emperor Renzong ruled with benevolence and filial piety, so he would not likely have his ministers flogged for this matter. Moreover, his mentor in the imperial examinations, Ouyang Xiu, and the Prefect of Kaifeng, Bao Zheng, were both upright and incorruptible men. She dared to gamble because she knew she lived in a relatively enlightened political era; as long as her true gender wasn't exposed, she could ensure her own safety.

The three followed the head eunuch into the imperial study and found that the Princess of Wei was also sitting to one side. Judging from the situation, Li Yuxuan thought that getting through this hurdle might be a bit difficult.

Sure enough, upon seeing them enter, Emperor Renzong asked Zhao Yun, "How are things going with what you promised me the night before last?"

Prince Xin stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I have investigated and found that Lord Li already has a wife, which does not meet the princess's requirements for a husband."

Li Yuxuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this Prince Xin wasn't a petty person who would kick someone when they were down.

Emperor Renzong turned to Li Yuxuan: "Minister Li?"

She quickly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, what the prince said is true. My family has a wife betrothed to me by my deceased parents when I was still a baby, but we have not yet held a wedding ceremony. Please investigate, Your Majesty!"

"Then why did you fill in 'not yet married' in the records? Deceiving the emperor is a capital offense." Emperor Renzong looked at Princess Weiguo, his face darkening.

Li Yuxuan kowtowed three times, saying, "The form asks for whether I am married or not. How could I dare to fill it in randomly? I am actually engaged but not yet married. Your Majesty is the most benevolent and filial ruler in the world. Please grant my filial wish. I am unfortunate and unable to serve my parents. This is their last wish, and I dare not disobey it." As he spoke, he pinched his leg hard, and tears immediately streamed down his face from the pain.

Emperor Renzong looked at her, assuming she was heartbroken at the thought of her parents, sighed, and raised his hand: "Rise, my dear minister. Since that's the case..." The next day, he turned to Princess Wei: "Elder sister, let's just let this matter go!"

Li Yuxuan stood up, thinking about how he was all alone in this world and had to live such a miserable life. In his previous life, he had grown up in an orphanage and didn't know who his parents were. Overwhelmed with sorrow, his fake tears turned into real tears, which flowed uncontrollably down his cheeks.

A white handkerchief was handed to her, and she took it, saying, "Thank you!"

Seeing Li Yuxuan's appearance, Princess Weiguo could only sigh: "My Fu'an just happened to take a liking to Lord Li at the Qionglin Banquet. Oh well, Your Majesty, isn't the top scholar still unmarried?"

Xu Qingzhi knelt down in the center of the hall with a thud: "Your Highness's kindness is too much for this humble subject to accept!"

Princess Wei was annoyed to see that Xu Qingzhi also seemed to be declining the offer: "What do you mean by 'I dare not accept this'? Is the dignified Princess Fu'an not good enough for you?"

Silence immediately fell over the hall.

Li Yuxuan hadn't expected that her refusal would make Xu Qingzhi the scapegoat. With Emperor Renzong about to speak, what should she do? She had been suppressing her tears, but now, a sudden thought struck her, and she burst into tears, collapsing to the ground.

As expected, everyone in the palace turned their attention to her. Knowing that she had offended the emperor, she could not delay for long. She cried out three times, "Father! Mother!" and pretended to be heartbroken. She put her head on the ground and fainted.

They had all witnessed her heartbroken and weeping expression earlier, and she thought no one would notice this move. She was overwhelmed with grief, devastated, or perhaps her worries had damaged her spleen, causing her to become anxious and irritable, like Fan Jin passing the imperial examination... In any case, she had to faint like this.

She felt a pair of large hands embrace her, heard Emperor Renzong summoning the imperial physicians, and then heard someone outside report: Hanlin Academician Ouyang Xiu has come to pay homage to His Majesty.

Then she heard Ouyang Xiu come in, then the imperial physician came in, and then she was carried out.

She had done her best. As for what would happen to Xu Qingzhi, she could only pray for his own good fortune. She didn't know who was holding her; she felt her face against a strong chest, and the faint scent of a man's clothes brushing against her nose.

She secretly squinted her eyes a little and saw a purple expanse in front of her.

With a groan, she fainted completely. She, Xu Qingzhi, and Su Shi were all dressed in red official robes, while only Prince Xin wore a purple robe and jade belt. How could it be this devil with his demonic claws that had captured her?

Cold sweat beaded on Li Yuxuan's forehead. This was a man with homosexual tendencies, a man embracing another man, and in such an ambiguous way... She absolutely couldn't possibly fall for her, this fake phoenix! Wasn't Su Shi standing right next to her then? Why didn't he come out to be a hero and save the damsel in distress? Brother Su, in an unknown time and space a thousand years later, I have loved you for many years... Your poems are so tender and poignant, why are you so cold and heartless?

Being hugged by a gay man—how could she bear it? —Tears streaming down her face.

Fortunately, he didn't carry her far. Li Yuxuan was soon placed on a bed, and the imperial physician quickly examined her pulse, saying that she had phlegm obstructing her senses and was not seriously ill.

She was pondering how to face the person in front of her when she woke up, when suddenly he picked her up and put her into a carriage.

Goodbye Su Shi

The carriage drove smoothly out of the palace and stopped after a while. Li Yuxuan felt the person beside him lean down again, and quickly opened his eyes.

She opened her eyes and was immediately met with the young, dashing face of Prince Xin, who was so close to her. Startled, she cried out and backed away, "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what do you mean?" Prince Xin raised his eyebrows mockingly when he saw that she was awake, and sat up straight: "I was just trying to be kind and rescue you from the palace."

"Ahem." Li Yuxuan quickly sat up straight and secretly checked her clothes. Fortunately, everything that needed to be covered was covered. She lifted the carriage curtain and found that the carriage was parked in front of the Prince Xin's residence.

Seeing the carriage stop, two servants immediately came to help them down. Li Yuxuan avoided the servants and jumped down herself. She noticed that Prince Xin's expression towards her always carried a hint of unspoken mockery.

Seeing Prince Xin being helped down from the carriage by a servant, Li Yuxuan clasped his hands in thanks and was about to leave when Prince Xin looked up at the plaque of his Prince Xin's residence and said, "Lord Li, don't you think staying here with me is the best choice for you?"

Without a second thought, Li Yuxuan quickly shook his head: "Your Highness is too kind. I would prefer to stay in my humble abode."

Prince Xin turned his gaze back to Li Yuxuan: "Yes, how could I forget that His Majesty has bestowed mansions upon you? However, Lord Li, I have a word of advice for you. Will you listen or not?"

"I would be grateful for Your Highness's guidance!"

"Lord Li, try to shed fewer tears in public in the future. A man sheds blood, not tears. What you did today not only hurt your body, but also made people suspicious."

"Oh. Your Highness's teachings will be remembered."

Prince Xin continued slowly, "Lord Li is a young talent, but there are many eyes in the court watching. The way of being an official is to protect oneself first and to be flexible. Lord Li can no longer act with the naiveté of a scholar."

What did those words mean? Li Yuxuan's expression tightened as she looked at Prince Xin, only to find his gaze fixed on his own feet, not on her. These words… seemed to have a hidden meaning… Had he figured something out? Her feigned fainting, or her false identity? Li Yuxuan dared not linger beside Prince Xin: “I will heed Your Highness's instructions! This humble official takes his leave.”

This Prince Xin is practically a fox. In their few brief encounters, Li Yuxuan wanted to run away every time he saw him.

Back at the inn, Li Yuxuan was still thinking about what Prince Xin had said, until Yinzi came in and said someone was looking for her.