Song Xingzhi a vécu sous le règne de l'empereur Huizong

Chapitre 48

Although the ninth year of the Kaibao era, during the reign of Emperor Taizu, was not yet a recognized festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival was still a popular day among the common people. From the Han to the Tang dynasties, poets and writers frequently wrote about the moon and its associated phenomena, making the full moon on the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month a perfect time to express their feelings. Furthermore, because Chang'e, the moon goddess, was renowned for her beauty, young women have traditionally worshipped the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival, wishing to "resemble Chang'e and have a face as bright as the moon."

Exquisite lanterns were hung everywhere in Luoyang. Several city gates had lantern frames that were ten feet high, covered with gold and silver brocade and decorated with thousands of colorful lanterns, which looked like a mirage from afar.

Wanlan and Qiuju, disguised as ordinary young women, mingled with the crowd as they walked. Seeing the magnificent lights, they couldn't help but sigh in admiration. No wonder Qiuju had suggested it; they hadn't expected the city to be so lively. Even as "prisoners," they felt they'd received a pardon today. They hadn't encountered any obstacles when they went to see Aunt Xu, except—

Wanlan glanced sideways at the group of people following closely behind and smiled silently.

These people were sent by Aunt Xu under the guise of protection, but in reality, they were just "guards." However, she really couldn't understand why Aunt Xu had agreed to let her leave the palace. Aunt Xu could have refused her at all. After all, it was the Emperor who had ordered her to be confined to Luoyang Palace. Why would Aunt Xu risk letting her leave the palace? Wasn't she afraid that she would take the opportunity to run away? If it wasn't because the Emperor had given Aunt Xu some instructions, then Aunt Xu must have been absolutely confident in protecting her.

"Madam Wang, there's a shop selling rust-patterned thread up ahead. Would you like to take a look?"

Wanlan chuckled, "Madam Wang? Why did you change my surname for no reason?" Seeing Qiuju's ashamed face, she stopped laughing, "Let's go." She pulled Qiuju and squeezed through the crowd, glancing at the palace servants struggling to push through the crowd behind them, covering her mouth and chuckling, before leading Qiuju into the shop called Shuiyunjian.

Upon entering the spacious hall, on the left are fabrics embroidered with various colored silk threads, arranged according to size. The variety of patterns is dazzling. On the right are finished samples of various hand-woven concentric knots, auspicious knots, and other colorful items, which are very eye-catching.

"Madam, what kind of silk thread do you need? May I ask the shopkeeper to come over?"

“I want to make a love knot.” Wanlan picked up a sample of a red love knot and smiled slightly. “Qiuju, ask the shopkeeper to get me three colors: red, yellow, and pink. The yarn should be the same as this one.” As she spoke, she handed the sample to Qiuju and watched her go to the shopkeeper to get the yarn. Wanlan turned around and strolled slowly along the shelves, browsing other woven products, unaware that a shop assistant was quietly approaching her.

"Madam, we have some samples with unique patterns in the inner section of the shop. Would you like to go in and take a look?"

Hearing someone speak, Wanlan turned her head and saw a young waiter smiling at her. She smiled back and replied, "No need, thank you." She only knew how to weave simple love knots, and besides, she was just using it to pass the time; she really had no interest in learning to weave complicated patterns.

The waiter's smile remained unchanged, and he did not back down. "Madam will definitely be very interested. I hope you can give me a chance to prove myself. Please come with me into the inner room, okay?"

“I said no need—” Wanlan suddenly stopped, looking intently into the waiter’s eyes, and suddenly felt that his gaze was somewhat familiar. “Who are you…” Who was he again? She couldn’t remember where she had seen him before.

"Madam, would you mind moving to the inner room to speak?"

After glancing at Qiuju, who was negotiating with the shopkeeper, Wanlan slowly nodded. "Let's go."

After bypassing the counter and entering the inner hall through a side door, Wanlan followed the waiter through the hall to the backyard. Under the light of the hanging lanterns, she climbed a wooden staircase to the second floor and entered a side room.

Wanlan stepped through the door, turned around to meet the waiter who had closed the door, and smiled faintly: "What brings me here?"

"Your Highness, it is my husband who is looking for you. Please wait a moment."

"Your master?" Wanlan looked at the servant in front of her, and upon hearing this, she suddenly remembered where she had seen him before. It was at the Xue residence. This servant was the one who had led the way for her and Zehua that day. Thinking of this, she widened her eyes and asked, "When did your master arrive in Luoyang? What happened in the capital?"

"I thought the princess must have already guessed what happened in the capital."

The calm voice was unwavering. The middle-aged man who appeared with the voice lifted the beaded curtain separating the outer room and looked at the woman who turned to meet his gaze. He continued, "Although the Princess is in Luoyang, the Emperor shouldn't have kept the news from you, right?"

"Lord Xue," Wanlan said with a smile, "Although it wasn't sealed off, I wasn't specifically told anything either. How would I know? Please speak freely, my lord."

Xue Juzheng stepped out of the inner room and spoke frankly, “We have won one victory after another in the northern war, but the three princes are fighting each other in the capital. How can Your Majesty be at ease? Does the Princess know what the consequences will be if things continue to develop? External disturbances can be resisted with one heart, but if internal troubles arise again, national disaster is not far away.”

Is another one coming to "punish" her? This attitude is so similar to that of the Prince of Jin back then.

The national crisis was not far off, but Zhao Guangyi's ascension to the throne was relatively smooth. Although his legitimacy was questionable and it created a mystery that has lasted for centuries, the dynastic change in the early Northern Song Dynasty was much more peaceful than that of the previous dynasty.

"Does Your Excellency think it's useful to talk to me about these things? I am just a woman, how can I possibly manage the affairs of the court? Besides, I am currently imprisoned in the Luoyang Palace by the Emperor. Let alone state affairs, I can hardly even see my husband."

Xue Juzheng listened quietly to her self-deprecating words and slowly said, "It is not difficult for the Princess to return to the capital. I came here today to ask you what your plans are if you can return to the capital."

Wanlan remained silent for a while, then suddenly turned to the servant who had been waiting by her side and said, "Please go out and tell Qiuju to wait patiently. Tell her I'm in the inner room looking after the goods and will be out in a little while. Tell her not to panic."

Seeing the servant leave with Xue Juzheng's tacit approval, Wanlan turned around to meet Xue Juzheng's calm eyes, smiled faintly, and said casually, "It seems that you know something, sir."

Xue Juzheng smiled and said, "I am not sure. It is all just speculation. I have only heard that Princess Qin lost her memory and her personality changed drastically after giving birth. Not only that, the situation between her and Prince Qin, which was originally not on good terms, has also changed drastically. The couple suddenly became deeply in love, which is the envy of everyone."

“What good is it if everyone envies us? We’re always apart.” Wanlan looked directly into his smiling eyes. “My lord, you don’t need to beat around the bush with me. If I can answer, I will.”

"Alright, who are you?" Xue Juzheng asked quickly, staring intently at her as if trying to see right through her.

Wanlan was slightly surprised, raised an eyebrow and replied with a smile, "The wife of the King of Qin."

Xue Juzheng frowned and shook his head, "You are not Princess Deqing."

Wanlan chuckled softly. The second person to say the same thing to her made her laugh uncontrollably with their tone and attitude. Prince Jin said coldly but with utmost seriousness, "You are not Princess Deqing." Xue Juzheng's tone was also unusually certain, but there was a hint of disbelief and hesitation in it. Perhaps it was because he had guessed something but couldn't convince himself that he was right, which is why he frowned.

“I am not Princess Deqing,” she readily agreed, “I am merely the wife of the King of Qin.”

"Where are you from?"

Wanlan tilted her head and smiled, "A world unknown to you." Xue Juzheng was the prime minister and historian of the Song Dynasty, and she had no intention of deliberately hiding anything from him. What was wrong with speaking frankly?

Xue Juzheng's brows furrowed even deeper. "Do the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin know?"

"They only have a superficial understanding." Zehua believed her because he believed her, while Prince Jin believed her because of his rejection of Princess Deqing and his understanding of her. Although they believed in her and reluctantly accepted such strange things, they did not really understand them.

"And what about the Prince of Yan?" he pressed.

Wanlan was stunned. Zhao Dezhao didn't know, but she never thought of letting him know. Who would believe such a strange thing? Even Zehua didn't give her a chance to tell the truth back then, only asking her to stay. If Zhao Dezhao knew, what would his attitude be?

Seeing her expression, Xue Juzheng sighed, "Where the Princess Consort came from is no longer important, nearly half a year after the incident. To be frank, the Prince of Yan has never had any ambition to compete for the position of Crown Prince, otherwise he would have already taken the throne. The Prince of Yan's actions today are closely related to you, Princess Consort. If he finds out that you are not what he wants, it is hard to predict what the outcome will be."

After a long silence, Wanlan asked, "So, in your opinion, which of the three—the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Yan—is most qualified to be the Crown Prince?"

"With the Prince of Yan's abilities, he would surely succeed if he were so determined. It's just a pity that his mindset is not right today, and I absolutely do not approve of it. As for the Prince of Qin, he is gentle and humble. With the support of the Prince of Jin and the Empress as his backing, it seems that the position of Crown Prince is rightfully his. However, in my opinion, the Prince of Qin is too gentle and not suitable. As for the Prince of Jin, His Majesty has always had very high expectations for him. He could have easily competed for the position of Crown Prince. However, he was suddenly and inexplicably placed under house arrest some time ago. This matter is probably not simple. I will find out the reason for this sooner or later. If I am not mistaken, the reason why the Prince of Jin was placed under house arrest is also because of you, is that right?" Xue Juzheng stood with his hands behind his back, his bright eyes fixed on Wanlan's calm and smiling face.

"So, Your Excellency supports the Prince of Jin?" Wanlan Yang greeted him with a smile.

Xue Juzheng did not answer, but only asked, "Am I right or wrong?"

Wanlan glanced around, walked around the room with her hands behind her back, then suddenly turned back, bowed, and smiled playfully, saying, "If you help me return to the capital, I'll tell you whether I'm right or wrong, how about that?"

Xue Juzheng looked at her smiling eyes and nodded, "Okay."