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

Chapitre 110

Jiangling, also known as Jingzhou City.

Jiangling County was established here after the Qin Dynasty established Ying, and it was named after the county seat. For more than two thousand years thereafter, Jiangling was used as a place name in successive dynasties, so there was one city with two names.

In the depths of winter, the lake, a tributary of the Han River, is already covered with a thin layer of ice. Even the bluestone pavement on the main street of Gangneung City seems to be covered with a layer of ice, occasionally teasing the hurried passersby and bringing a touch of warmth to the stifling, tense cold air.

After the laughter subsided, the street fell silent again. Pedestrians hurried on their way, and vendors, their necks constricted and guarding their stalls, remained huddled up to keep warm, until the clatter of horses' hooves broke the seemingly frozen silence.

The white-robed man riding up on horseback looked troubled, his brows furrowed. He stared straight ahead, walked to the end of the street, turned into the alley on the right, and stopped in front of a large house.

The mansion's main gate was painted vermilion, and the plaque above it was inscribed with the words "Bizhuang" in clerical script. The man dismounted, stepped onto the stone steps in front of the mansion, and knocked on the brass door knocker.

After a short while, the closed vermilion door was pulled open from the inside, and an old man with a beard and hair of about fifty years old emerged. When the old man looked up at the man who appeared at the door, a deep sense of helplessness immediately appeared on his face.

"You're here again."

The man gave a wry smile. "Yes, I'm here 'again.' Is Your Highness here?"

"Yes. But he probably wouldn't want to see you."

He sighed deeply. "Steward Pei, believe me, if I could, I wouldn't want to come either."

It's been almost four months since September, how many times has he been turned away?

One is the current emperor, and the other is the popular Prince Qin. As a "messenger," he simply cannot afford to offend either of them.

Her narrowed eyes narrowed, and her brows furrowed in a frown. "Steward Pei, you're not going to tell me I won't even be allowed to enter the gate today? I'm freezing."

Are you telling me to just go home without even letting him roast himself over a fire?

Steward Pei chuckled, opened the door a little and stepped back, "Of course not, Young Master Xue, please come in. The thermos is ready. You can rest for a while and then we'll have dinner."

He stepped into the house, then turned back, remembering something, "My horse—"

"I know, I'll have Xiaojie take it to feed it in a bit."

Today's treatment is pretty good.

Xue Weiji raised an eyebrow, standing behind Uncle Xu with great interest. Seeing him slowly turn around after locking the door, he smiled and said, "Steward Pei, did you know I was coming back today?"

Just now you said that even the thermos was prepared. Did the Emperor have someone else convey his arrival to the Prince?

Steward Pei led him towards the hall. "It wasn't me, it was Webpage. She said you should be coming today, and told us to prepare a thermos and lunch. You'll be cold and hungry when you arrive."

Passing through the flower hall that separates the front yard, turn right into the long corridor and walk straight, and you will soon arrive at the main hall.

As soon as he entered the hall, a thermos was placed in Xue Weiji's arms. He held it tightly and watched as Steward Pei instructed the servants to inform the prince of his arrival. He couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"Chief Steward Pei, has the Prince agreed to see me?"

Steward Pei nodded to him with a smile, "His Highness will be coming to dine with Young Master Xue in a moment, please wait a moment."

Xue Weiji's eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled and said, "It seems I'm in luck today. Has Your Highness come to your senses? Have you finally agreed to return to the capital?"

It's best to keep it a secret, and save him from having to act as their messenger again.

"I don't know anything about this matter. You should ask the prince yourself later."

"Actually, His Majesty has gradually given in." Xue Weiji sat down to the side, holding a thermos, and shook his head helplessly. "He has given up on the idea of the Prince returning to the capital to stay permanently. He only sent me here to convey a message to invite the Prince back—"

"Chinese New Year".

A calm voice picked up where he left off. Zhao Defang, dressed in a blue robe, stepped into the hall and smiled slightly as his gaze met Xue Weiji's, who slowly stood up as he appeared.

"Lord Xue, how have you been?"

"If you let me make fewer trips to Jiangling, I'll be even better off."

Zhao Defang shrugged innocently, "It wasn't me who told you to run away, you've got the wrong person."

“If you’re willing to come back to Beijing with me, I won’t have to keep running around.”

“I thought you didn’t like being stuck in the capital. Wouldn’t it be nice to give you a chance to get out and about?” Zhao Defang raised his right hand and smiled. “Let’s move to the side hall, Lord Xue.”

Xue Weiji followed him to the side hall as instructed, asking, "How is Madam?"

"This is what I'm going to tell you in a moment."

On the round table in the side hall, several small dishes were already laid out. Zhao Defang invited Xue Weiji to sit down and smiled, "This time, you won't leave empty-handed."

Xue Weiji raised an eyebrow and asked without any hope, "So you're really coming back to the capital with me this time?"

"Of course not." Zhao Defang chuckled, picked up the wine pot to pour him some wine, and seeing the "I knew it" look on his face, laughed:

“Even if I were to go back, it wouldn’t be now. Wanlan is about to give birth, and I can’t leave at this time.”

Holding wine cups facing each other, he smiled, his clear eyes bright, and said, "Lord Xue, please convey to the Empress Dowager that next spring, I will take Wanlan and the child back to see her." And Weixu too. That child should be able to call out by now, right? I wonder if he'll recognize him and Wanlan, these irresponsible parents, then.

Four months ago, he found Wanlan in Nanyang. Although she had survived the floods and plague, she was so weak that it alarmed him. They stayed in Nanyang for a whole month before setting off south to Jiangling, where they have remained ever since.

This was Xue Weiji's sixth trip south to Jiangling by imperial decree. He had always avoided meeting the emperor, who had repeatedly asked him to return to the capital. He only showed up today because Wanlan had been nagging him for a long time.

She said he could stay away from court, but she missed Xu'er and her mother. She also said that if he didn't want to return to the capital, that was fine too. After she gave birth to the child, she would take the child back to the capital to see her mother and Xu'er.

Wanlan was even more stubborn than him, and he was completely helpless. How could he possibly let her go back alone?

After having lunch, the two left the side hall and went to the garden together.

Xue Weiji glanced sideways at the Bilou on the riverside of the manor and sighed, "I really can't understand why you would come to live in Bilou."