Rêve de fleurs urbaines

Chapitre 6

Bi Feixian leaned closer for a better look and exclaimed, "Oh, it's an epiphyllum! It must be about to bloom!"

The two immediately waited together for the epiphyllum to bloom, their laughter and chatter occasionally reaching the ears of the four servants.

The four servants thought to themselves: Excellent, excellent, everything is going according to plan.

Half an hour later, the flower bloomed briefly, and Bi Huai and the other person chatted and laughed for a while before turning around, seemingly intending to go downstairs.

Just as the four servants breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that their mission was successfully completed, a hand pushed open the door to the secret chamber. "Have you seen enough?"

It was Bi Feixian's voice.

The four servants looked up and saw Bi Feixian and Huai Su standing in front of the door. The four of them looked at each other and laughed in unison.

"Haha, the moonlight is really beautiful tonight!"

"Yes, yes, it's getting late, we should go back and serve the young master to prepare for bed."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go..."

Bi Feixian reached out and grabbed Xiaochi by the back of her collar, coldly saying, "Why did you write such a pointless letter to invite me here?"

The snack vendor quickly denied it, saying, "Believe? What belief? I don't know anything about it!"

"Still pretending?" Bi Feixian unfolded a piece of paper and held it up in front of him. "Isn't this your handwriting?"

Xiaochi glanced at it and immediately laughed, "This isn't what I wrote at all! I wrote it on coated paper..." Before he could finish, Xiaohe, Xiaowan, and Xiaole's gazes shot over like knives. Oh no! He let it slip!

Bi Feixian didn't pursue the matter, merely snorting before turning and leaving. Huai Su coughed a few times, covering her mouth, and also left with a smile. Faced with the unusual and strange reactions of the two parties involved, the four servants exchanged glances for a moment before declaring the plan a failure.

The second tactic is to rescue the damsel in distress.

A hero rescuing a damsel in distress is a tried-and-true method for enhancing relationships. However, Bi Feiqian was highly skilled in martial arts, so ordinary methods were not feasible. Therefore, the four servants pondered all night and devised a plan to trap her in a peach blossom grove, then ask Huaisu to find her. Thus, just when the beauty felt trapped by darkness, cold winds, hunger, and despair, the hero appeared like a god, bringing light, warmth, and tenderness…

"Young Master is practicing his sword in the woods. Please come and give him your guidance, Miss Bi."

With this opening remark, Xiao He led Bi Feixian to the peach grove in the backyard of the Dai residence. This peach grove was said to have been meticulously arranged by a master in the past using the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams techniques; anyone who entered it would be trapped inside if they could not find the exit.

Bi Feixian walked in expressionlessly. As soon as she entered, Xiao He removed the guiding flag, and the mechanism began to operate.

Xiao Wan rushed over and asked, "How is it? Did she go inside?"

"Yes! Now we just need to wait two hours, and after dark we can ask the chief steward to come and rescue her."

"Excellent! This time we're sure to succeed!"

The young man shouted, "Where is the young master?"

"Young Master went to Jufenglou with Xiaochi."

As soon as he finished speaking, the wind whistled past his head. Xiao Wan looked up but saw nothing, so he waited for nightfall with a clear conscience.

Half an hour later, before it even got dark, Xiao Le rushed over, covered in sweat and panting, saying, "Oh no, oh no..."

"What's wrong?"

"Tell me, are you sure Miss Bi went into this woods?"

Xiao shouted, "Nonsense, I was the one who planted the flag."

"Come with me quickly." Xiao Le led them to the study, where Bi Feixian stood with her hands behind her back by the window, while Dai Kejian and Xiaochi were copying books with bitter faces.

Xiaohe blinked, then blinked again, still unable to believe it. She had clearly entered the peach blossom forest, so how could she be here?

Bi Feixian saw them, smiled slightly, and turned around to ask, "Have you finished copying?"

The snack vendor shook his head.

"Alright, let them come in and share the workload. They can rest whenever they've copied it a thousand times." Bi Feixian said and left gracefully.

"What did she tell you to copy?" Xiao He walked over curiously and looked down. He saw a thick booklet titled "Records of Martial Arts Anecdotes." On the second page, it read: "The Master of the Divine Mechanism Pavilion is unparalleled in the martial arts world for his swordsmanship and mechanical skills..."

"I just heard Miss Bi say that the master who set up the traps in that peach grove was her, so she could walk out with her eyes closed, and then she caught me and the young master at Jufeng Tower..." Accompanied by Xiaochi's crying, Plan Two was declared a failure!

The third trick is to cook raw rice into cooked rice.

As the saying goes, alcohol can lead to promiscuity. If two people get drunk at the same time and then spend the night alone in a certain place, even if nothing happens, the man will have to take responsibility for the woman out of consideration for his reputation.

Therefore, Dai Kejian set up a banquet and invited everyone to attend, but the real protagonists were Bi Huai and his companion.

Dai Kejian raised his glass and said, "This glass is for my teacher. Thank you for coming all this way to teach this clumsy disciple."

Consort Bi raised her cup and drank it all in one gulp.

"This glass is another toast to the teacher, wishing the teacher to be as beautiful as spring flowers and to stay young forever."

Bi Feixian obligingly raised her glass again.

"This cup is also offered to the teacher, wishing the teacher great success and to become the master of the Goddess Machine Pavilion..."

After a while, Bi Feixian and Dai Kejian had both drunk more than twenty cups. Bi Feixian remained calm and clear-eyed, while Dai Kejian swayed and began to lose his senses.

The four servants panicked. How could their young master be collapsing before Miss Bi had even fallen? They quickly tugged at his sleeve, reminding him that getting others drunk was the priority. But Dai Kejian wouldn't listen. In the end, he simply picked up the wine jar and drank heavily, completely forgetting about urging others to drink. Finally, he collapsed onto the table with a "thud," foaming at the mouth, becoming the first person present to fall.

Bi Feixian gathered her hair and stood up, saying, "He's drunk. Help him back to his room."

"Um, Miss Bi, um..." Before Xiaochi could say anything, Bi Feixian gave him a cool look and said, "Next time, find someone with a better alcohol tolerance to get me drunk."

"Huh?" Xiaochi's eyes widened. But Bi Feixian wasn't finished, adding insult to injury: "Also, your head steward is unwell and can't drink alcohol, didn't you know that?"

Thump—Xiaochi felt his vision go black and he almost vomited blood.

Option three has also failed.

The fourth tactic is to use beauty to seduce people.

Imagine this: out hunting, how exhilarating! Suddenly, a torrential downpour soaks you to the bone. Forced to seek shelter in a small temple, the campfire illuminating a beautiful woman's face—what a vibrant and enchanting scene that would be!

I refuse to believe that a gentleman like myself could resist!

After consulting with an astrologer, Dai Kejian learned that it would rain the next day, so he volunteered to go hunting.

Bi Feixian raised her eyebrows and said, "Have you forgotten what Doctor Wu said?"

"Things have changed. After these few days of rest, I feel almost fully recovered. Besides, the weather has been so nice lately, we really should go out and get some exercise!"

Bi Feixian looked at him quietly for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

With her "okay," the curtain was drawn back once more, and the conspiracy officially began.

The next day, while the people had indeed set off and it had rained, the plan was clear: as soon as the rain started, the four servants would each lead their men and scatter, leaving Bi Feixian and Huai Su stranded in the woods. Dai Kejian, staring at the roaring campfire, couldn't understand why things had turned out this way: he and Bi Feixian were alone in this dilapidated temple, which they had scouted out beforehand, seeking shelter from the rain, while Huai Su was nowhere to be seen.

Things in life are never as we wish!

He lowered his head and let out a long sigh.

Looking up again, he saw Bi Feiqian standing with her arms crossed at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, silently gazing at the wind and rain outside. The firelight flickered, casting mottled shadows on her. For some reason, he suddenly felt that she seemed preoccupied, appearing somewhat fragile and helpless.

Dai Kejian's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze deepened. Just then, Bi Feixian suddenly spoke up, "Is it fun?"

"What?"

"You've done so much, leading me to the West Tower to see Huai Su, setting up traps in the peach grove, hosting a banquet and pouring wine, and now you've caused this torrential rain. Isn't it hilarious?"

Dai Kejian paused for a moment, then grinned and scratched his head, saying, "So you knew all along."

Bi Feixian took a deep breath, turned her head and said, "The reason I didn't expose you was to see how far you could go with this nonsense. Dai Kejian, can't you be a little more serious and stop doing so many pointless things?"

"What are you saying, teacher? Life is short, barely a hundred years, and who knows if we'll die an accident tomorrow? So, isn't it better to do more things that make you happy while you're still alive? Who says life has to be lived in a rigid and serious manner?" Dai Kejian smiled and said, "I bet that although you are incredibly intelligent and hardworking, and are known as the most outstanding female disciple of the Divine Mechanism Pavilion Master, you may not be happier than me."

Bi Feixian's eyes flickered.

Dai Kejian sighed again and walked to the door to watch the rain, saying, "Taoism advocates non-action, saying that the worst thing for people is desire. Too much greed and too many wants will only make a mess of one's originally good life."

Bi Feixian narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean? It doesn't mean anything." Dai Kejian shrugged and continued to laugh, "I just think I'm doing a good job living like this now, enjoying a rare sense of freedom and comfort, so I don't want to change anything."

“But you are the city lord of Hantian City, and you bear the responsibility for the entire city’s people.”

"Don't joke around." Dai Kejian said dismissively, "In this world, the only person who can be responsible for themselves is themselves. Others have no obligation or need to be responsible for what you do. So what if you are the city lord of Hantian City? Can you go to the bridal chamber for your people? If you can't, then why should I take responsibility for their crimes? Nobody will do a job that only brings suffering and no reward."

"It sounds reasonable, but it's just sophistry and an attempt to evade responsibility!" Bi Feixian, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and angrily rebuked him, "Listen to me, my tolerance for you ends today. If you dare to cause trouble again, I will punish you severely!"

Dai Ke opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then he turned his eyes and laughed, "Teacher, you're so fierce, you'll never get married."

"You!" Bi Feixian blushed instantly.

"A young lady should be gentler and not be fierce, or she will scare people away."

"Dai Kejian!"

"And teacher, I really think Huaisu is quite suitable for you. Why don't you consider it?"

Bang! Bi Feixian, both ashamed and angry, finally made her move, punching Dai Kejian. Dai Kejian's body swayed a few times, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed limply.

Bi Feixian stepped forward to check his breathing—this useless fellow had actually fainted!

She gazed at his face, her brows slowly furrowing. The strange feeling she had when they first met resurfaced, and then gradually became clearer as she observed him over the past few days: was he just cynical, or did he have ulterior motives?

This seemingly peaceful and harmonious city of Hantian hides too many secrets.

Given that Bi Feixian had seen through their tricks, and out of revenge, Dai Kejian resumed his hellish studies the day after returning from the hunt.

Just as dawn broke, Consort Bi came to wake him up. Although he didn't have to practice martial arts or archery, his reading time was extended from one hour to three hours—it was incredibly tough. Not only that, but he also had to listen to her explain the art of rulership while playing chess.

"To be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men—this is why the Former Han Dynasty prospered; to be close to petty men and keep away from virtuous ministers—this is why the Later Han Dynasty declined." After reciting half of the "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops," Consort Bi turned around and asked, "Have you decided which step to take?"

The crystal chessboard shimmered and sparkled, the black and white jade chess pieces were smooth and lustrous, and the maids beside it had even lit some incense to refresh the mind. Unfortunately, all this elaborate arrangement was in vain; Dai Kejian remained drowsy, the black chess piece teetering precariously between his fingers.

Without saying a word, Bi Feixian scooped up a piece of ice from the golden basin and flicked it onto Dai Kejian's forehead. He shuddered and opened his eyes wide in shock.

"Are you awake?"

Dai Kejian groaned repeatedly, "Teacher, you don't have to be so ruthless, do you?"

Bi Feixian raised an eyebrow and said, "The Mencius, Book 6, Part 1, says that Yi Qiu had two students. One was very focused and concentrated on learning chess from him, while the other was half-hearted. So in the end, one became a chess master, while the other accomplished nothing..."

"Then the teacher should also know that the 'Strategies of the Warring States: Strategies of Western Zhou' mentions that Yang Youji was skilled in archery, but a passerby advised him to rest, reasoning that 'if he does not rest properly, his strength will soon wane, and if he misses the arrow once, he will be exhausted after a hundred shots.'"

Bi Feixian's eyes lit up. "Oh, what do you mean?"

"What this means is that although Yang Youji could hit the target every time he shot a willow leaf, he still needed to rest. If he didn't rest, he would eventually run out of energy and all his efforts would be wasted. As the saying goes, things reach their extremes and then reverse. Look at me now, I'm yawning constantly and I'm so sleepy, but you still have to teach me in this state. It's counterproductive and completely futile." Dai Kejian said, yawning again.

Bi Fei raised her slender lips, "And what's your opinion?"

Dai Kejian leaned closer and said, "In my opinion, it's still dark outside, so why don't we all go back and take a nap? It's just studying, why do we have to study so early in the morning? Wouldn't it be better to study in the evening when we're full and energetic? I really don't understand why those ancient people were so narrow-minded!"