Ne vous appuyez pas contre la rambarde ouest pour profiter pleinement de l'automne clair - Chapitre 119
"Then... do you know who is the envoy for this mission?" Tuoba Chen asked seemingly casually, while toying with the jade porcelain cup.
"It seems... to be Dongfang Yao..." Could it be that befriending Loulan was his idea...?
*Thud!* The jade porcelain cup slammed heavily onto the rosewood table, the sudden sound startling Rongyue from her reverie: "Wh...what's wrong?"
With graceful movements, Tuoba Chen picked up the teapot from the rosewood table and slowly poured green tea into the jade porcelain cup. He smiled gently and said, "Look at you, so easily startled. What could be wrong? I'm just thirsty and want to drink some tea to moisten my throat and cool down."
Two years is enough time to truly understand a person. Although Tuoba Chen often smiled gently at her, the same gentle smile conveyed completely different meanings in different occasions, places, and situations. Now, through this smile, she clearly understood that Tuoba Chen was unhappy.
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines' Chronicle, Chapter Forty-Seven: Encountering an Old Friend (Part One)
"I heard that a variety show troupe came to the capital a few days ago?" Rongyue vaguely sensed that Tuoba Chen's displeasure stemmed from the previous topic, and not wanting his unhappiness to spread, she tried to change the subject.
"The mistress wouldn't be interested." Taking a sip of tea, Tuoba Chen said indifferently without raising his eyebrows.
"That's hard to say! I'm all about interesting things..."
"Just wielding a big sword, nothing interesting," Tuoba Chen interrupted indifferently.
"So, are there any particularly fun places to visit in our capital city?"
"I don't think so."
"But I've heard that the exquisite flying bridge spanning the emerald lake is quite unique, a rainbow arching across the sky, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, looking as far as the eye can see, like a ribbon of silk..."
"It's just a dilapidated bridge that's been neglected for years, nothing worth seeing." Tuoba Chen put down his cup, took off the purple jade thumb ring from his thumb, and looked at it intently in the light stolen from outside the palace gate.
A broken bridge? Rongyue's lips twitched, her smile stiffening slightly: "The Guanyin Pagoda on Changlong Street..."
"That dilapidated tower should have been demolished long ago." He rubbed the purple jade thumb ring on the brocade fabric, then examined it from left to right in the light.
"And..." After seeing his nonchalant and indifferent attitude, Rongyue shut her mouth in frustration and stopped paying attention to him. The two sat facing each other in silence, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat awkward for a moment.
With her eyes slightly lowered, Rongyue listlessly picked at her fingernails. After torturing all ten nails, she stared at her slender, thin fingers and suddenly remembered a projection game she used to play as a child. Suddenly seized by a playful impulse, she searched her memory for finger-changing techniques, repeatedly experimenting until she finally found the right approach and began playing her game with ease.
Rongyue gently curled her left ring and little fingers upwards, her thumb, index, and middle fingers lightly together, and her wrist moved up and down rhythmically. Using the light filtering through the palace entrance, a lifelike deer suddenly appeared on the floor behind her. Her right hand, with four fingers together and her thumb lightly closed beneath, rotated and flicked her wrist, and a grotesque snake writhing forward appeared on the stone floor. The evil, ferocious snake and the innocent, pitiful deer met face to face. The deer, terrified, turned and ran; the snake, seemingly laughing maniacally, relentlessly pursued it. Snake chased deer, shadow following hand movements, Rongyue immersed herself in her own fairytale world, busily playing. When she got really into it, she grinned, revealing her teeth, and giggled incessantly…
A colossal creature seemed to descend from the sky, crushing the deer and the serpent in the blink of an eye, forcibly ending Rongyue's game.
Following the imposing seven-foot frame wrapped in luxurious sea-blue brocade, Rongyue's gaze moved upwards inch by inch until it reached that handsome face as exquisite as jade.
Mechanically, she retracted her hand segment by segment, hiding it under the round wooden table. A rare look of embarrassment appeared on her otherwise plain face, and her almond-shaped eyes darted left and right, unsure of where to land.
With a light laugh, Tuoba Chen reached out and tapped Rongyue's delicate nose, then bent down to look her in the eye: "I never expected you to have such a mischievous side. You really are both lovable and infuriating!"
Gently taking Rongyue's hand hidden under the table, he pulled her up from the wooden chair: "It seems you're feeling cooped up in the palace and want to go out for a walk. Come on, I'll take you out of the palace for some fresh air, or as you put it, to get some fresh air and some human presence!"
Spring is still chilly, with sudden shifts between warmth and cold. Although it is already mid-spring, the chill of winter lingers, and the biting wind still stings one's face.
Wearing thick fur robes and warm felt hats, Rongyue and Tuoba Chen walked side by side on the wide, flat, newly repaired streets. Looking around at the magnificent imperial city, they felt the liveliness and joy of the crowds. Both of them showed a smile of satisfaction.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Turning to Rongyue with a smile, he said, "Little San, I had roast duck at Fujulou a few days ago. The chef really did an amazing job! The skin was crispy, the meat was tender, and it was so delicious. The taste was simply unforgettable! I guarantee you'll want to eat it again and again! How about it? Interested in satisfying your cravings?"
Looking up at Tuoba Chen, Rongyue adjusted her hat brim and smiled, "Speaking of appetites, I'm reminded of an ancient dynasty. In that dynasty, according to ancestral rules, the emperor was absolutely forbidden from having his own favorite dishes. Each meal consisted of hundreds of dishes! The eunuchs who served the emperor were chosen to be clever and quick-witted, because they had to remember exactly what dishes the emperor ate and how much he ate. If a dish was ordered for three consecutive meals, or if he ate too much of a particular dish in one meal, then that dish would be completely removed from the menu. The emperor, who appeared so glamorous and dazzling on the surface, was actually a pitiful creature. Although he possessed all the delicacies in the world, he couldn't indulge his appetite and satisfy his cravings. How tragic, how lamentable!"
As she spoke, Rongyue sighed and shook her head.
His deep, dark eyes, like ink lotus blossoms, were fixed on the distant, pale horizon. After a long while, Tuoba Chen sighed with some emotion, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets. In fact, standing at the peak, being able to purify one's heart and reduce desires is the best protection for them! With desires come weaknesses, and with weaknesses come opportunities for others to take advantage! If one wants to truly become a wise and benevolent ruler, one must probably relinquish the seven emotions and six desires. Even if one doesn't relinquish them, then one must always place reason above emotion... Thinking about it carefully, the ancestors of this dynasty were indeed farsighted and possessed the demeanor of a sage..."
"Oh? It seems you quite admire the strange rules of that era? How about applying those rules, which allow people to be strangled without consequence, to me?"
Tuoba Chen grinned mischievously: "Why not?"
With a glance at Tuoba Chen, Rongyue's mind raced, and she curled her lips into a smile: "Do you know that this rule applies not only to food, but also to people! The Emperor needs to bestow his favor evenly and cannot favor one person exclusively. If the rules of our ancestors are broken, not to mention the Empress Dowager scolding the Empress and the court officials submitting memorials, the person who is favored will be even more unlucky. If they are not careful, they will be secretly—snap! Hehe, so, for your personal safety, do you think I should ignore you from time to time?"
Suddenly, he lowered his head and whispered hot breath in Rongyue's ear: "It would be best to bring in a group of handsome young men from outside so you can treat them all equally, right?"
Just imagining that enchanting and shocking scene, even with Rongyue's thick skin, a faint blush couldn't help but rise to her cheeks. She coughed awkwardly twice, pushed him away from her ear, and scolded playfully, "You have no sense of propriety! What nonsense are you spouting!"
Feeling her scalp tingle under Tuoba Chen's chainsaw-like scrutiny, Rongyue turned around nonchalantly and hurriedly walked along the street.
"Didn't we say we were going to Fujulou to eat roast duck? Let's go, what are you dawdling for!"
Why are you grabbing me?
Staring at the well-manicured large hand on her wrist, Rongyue looked at Tuoba Chen with a puzzled expression.
He stared at Rongyue for a long while without making a sound, then a faint smile appeared on his handsome face that made even the beautiful spring scenery pale in comparison: "You've gone the wrong way, this way."
In a dark corner on the second floor of Fujulou Restaurant, a man in black robes drank alone, his aloof and arrogant figure like a solitary mountain in the wilderness, exuding a sense of coldness and desolation. Not far from him, at a table of wine and food, a group of idle young men were chatting animatedly, tirelessly gossiping about palace intrigues. Their voices, though not loud, were just loud enough for the man in black robes to hear.
"Hey, you bald-headed rascal, if you don't know, don't spout nonsense! Prince Chen and our Emperor are inseparable, how could he possibly have designs on that Miss Dong?"
"Hey, you flower-nosed fellow, how could I be lying? Just this morning at court, Prince Chen proposed marriage to Grand Minister Dong in front of all the civil and military officials, which frightened the Grand Minister Dong so much that he fainted on the spot. Who in the court doesn't know this? I heard this from my uncle, the Grand Commandant. How could I be wrong?"
"Huh? Really? If that's the case, wouldn't the Emperor be so angry his face would turn green?"
"That's right! His old flame is going to fall for someone else and cuckold him. I heard the Emperor is furious! Come here, let me tell you, people in the palace say that as soon as the court session ended, the Emperor angrily dragged Prince Chen back to his palace and roared at everyone inside. The servants had barely left when, lo and behold, we heard some 'ee-ee-ya-ya' sounds coming from inside..."
Those listening swallowed hard: "Our emperor is truly valiant..."
"He's more than just brave! The palace servants were counting him outside, and before the incense stick had even burned out, Prince Chen inside started begging for mercy!"
"This taste... don't you think it's incredibly intoxicating?"
"Is it too good to pass the time? Why don't we get a young boy and give it a try? Hahaha..."
"No, no, I wouldn't dare! If I did that, that old fogey in my family would probably break my back!"