Luzhou Moon

Chapitre 3

Fu Bo was even more astonished: Your Majesty?

The man addressed as "King" suddenly lost his earlier awkwardness, straightened his back, raised his chin slightly, and curled his lips into a smile. He glanced at Fu Bo, seemingly casually, before looking down at Ping Yi: "It's alright. We're brothers, no need for such formalities. I was passing through this place and saw flowers blooming everywhere, so I stopped to rest and ordered my servants to go up the mountain to inform them..." He slowly reached out to help Ping Yi up. "Do you come here often? That young lady mistook me for you."

Pingyi bowed and replied, "I only come here occasionally to admire the flowers. This young lady is Mr. Cen's daughter." He then turned to look at Fubo and said gently, "Fubo, come and pay your respects to the King."

Fu Bo did not move, but remained silent, his head bowed, clearly disgusted by the scene.

The king smiled and said, "Alright, you may go back now."

She left first. She could feel a sinister gaze following her from behind, sending chills down her spine.

It is said that King Xuanxuan's personal visit to Youhuang Mountain was to express his sincerity in welcoming Pingyi back to the capital. The Queen Mother had passed away, and the ministers, mindful of Prince Pingyi's virtue, repeatedly advised the king to recall him. Xuanxuan adopted this suggestion and first sent an envoy to summon Pingyi back to court, but Pingyi politely declined. Xuanxuan then personally went to Youhuang Mountain to bring him back.

With the king's personal presence, it was an immense honor, and Pingyi naturally had no reason to refuse. He indeed boarded the carriage prepared by Xuanlian and returned to Mingcheng with his elder brother. The next day, they set off. Fubo did not come out to see him off, but only stood on the mountaintop after he descended the mountain, watching blankly as his carriage and horses gradually disappeared into the distance. After a long while, he realized that his heart had been crushed by the wheels of his carriage.

He won't come back. That night, a fierce thunderstorm raged, and Fubo, confined to her chambers, couldn't sleep. Thunder roared outside the window, cold rain poured down, and she could faintly hear the mournful cries of monkeys piercing the night sky. A chilly wind swept through the valley, and she tried to convince herself it was because of the sorrow over the flowers and trees… Just one night, the mountain flowers would vanish, and tomorrow she would surely see only the desolate scene of fallen leaves… He won't come back…

But when she opened the door in the early morning, the scene before her made her wonder if it was an illusion: Young Master Pingyi stood among the fallen leaves in the courtyard, his clothes showing signs of rain, yet his smile was as warm as ever, and he said to her softly, "I remembered that I haven't said goodbye to you yet."

Tears that had been welling up all night suddenly fell, but she quickly wiped them away. She smiled at him and said, "Take care, young master, and have a safe journey."

He thanked her politely as usual, then gazed at her with a smile and asked, "I will plant the flowers and plants you mentioned in my residence after I return to Mingcheng. However, I haven't heard you explain the methods of growing them in detail, so I'm afraid I won't be able to take good care of them. I'd like to invite you to the capital to help me grow flowers someday. What do you think?"

Fu Bo initially thought she had misheard, but after he asked again, she dared to confirm his meaning. It was a subtle proposal of marriage, which she couldn't possibly misunderstand. Answering him directly would be inappropriate, but under his earnest gaze, she still lowered her head slightly and smiled faintly in agreement.

He felt relieved. Before leaving, he said, "Next spring, Pingyi will bring the girl to Mingcheng by car."

She began to wait. Looking around, she found everything beautiful: the mountains were still lush and green, the fragrance of the wild herbs remained the same, the fallen leaves fluttered like butterflies, and the sounds of wind and rain were like the gentle sounds of silk and bamboo instruments.

The following spring, a fine horse and carriage came from the capital to fetch her. But when she finished dressing and stepped out with joy, she noticed a worried look in her father's eyes in the hall.

“The carriage was sent by His Majesty.” Cen Yang carefully observed her expression and, as expected, caught her bewilderment upon hearing this. He sighed, “His Majesty intends to take you into the harem and bestow upon you the title of Lady.”

III. Lady Xiang

(to be continued)

III. Lady Xiang

The Yuan River has angelica, and the Li River has orchids; I think of my beloved, but dare not speak of it.

I gaze into the distance, lost in thought, and watch the flowing water murmur gently.

What do the deer eat in the courtyard? What do the dragons do by the water's edge?

In the morning I gallop my horse along the riverbank, and in the evening I cross the western shore.

I heard that my beloved had summoned me; I will ride forth and depart with her.

—From "Nine Songs: Lady of the Xiang River"

She had considered defying the king's orders by dying, but Cen Yang stopped her, saying calmly, "If you die, the king will surely take his anger out on the prince."

Knowing she had no other choice, she put on the wedding dress she had woven for Pingyi, entered Xuanlian's harem, and resolved to exchange her life's joys for Pingyi's safety.

Fu Bo did not vie for favor, and rarely flattered Xuan Lian. However, Xuan Lian treated her exceptionally well, showering her with fine clothes, delicacies, and rare treasures. The emperor's favor towards her was unmatched by anyone in the harem, from the queen down.

Some people became jealous. Whenever the women of the harem gathered or met, they would all slander Fubo in every way, even deliberately framing her and attacking her in front of the Queen. The Queen was a woman of few words and did not like to stir up trouble, so she would not casually relay the words of the harem to Xuanlian, but she was quite indifferent to Fubo.

Fu Bo was aware of their actions behind the scenes, but she paid no heed, observing indifferently as if it were all part of a performance. From the women's envious gazes, she clearly realized just how beautiful she truly was. A cold laugh was her greatest expression of respect for them.

She almost never retaliated; often, she even hoped their schemes would succeed, causing her to fall out of favor with Xuan Lian. Even spending the rest of her life in loneliness was better than spending years with a man she didn't love.

But Xuanxuan remained devoted to her as always, and he always easily saw through the tricks of the women in the harem who tried to frame Fubo.

“Moreover, I think even if the King knew you had done what they said, he would still protect you without showing any emotion,” Xi Sun said to Fu Bo with a touch of emotion. “Actually, the King is really good to you, why don’t you…”

Fu Bo shook his head, stretched his wrist on the table, buried his head wearily in his arms, and closed his lifeless eyes.

Having been exposed to medicine since childhood, Xi Sun also had some knowledge of it. Seeing that her complexion was unusual, she quickly came over to take her pulse and then asked in surprise, "Are you sick?"

She was ill, growing thinner and thinner each day, her complexion ashen. The illness was strange, and no one could diagnose its cause. Rumors quickly spread throughout the palace that she was possessed by an evil spirit, and that keeping her in the palace would surely harm the king's health.

Despite the rumors, Xuanlian continued to visit her frequently. One night, Fubo woke up in a frenzy, behaving erratically and scratching Xuanlian. Upon hearing the news, the Queen sighed, "She is truly possessed by a ghost." She then requested Xuanlian to send Fubo to the North Garden of a separate palace to recuperate.

Xuan Lian sat there for a long time with a gloomy face, then finally raised his head and said coldly, "Fine, send her to the North Garden."

Beiyuan is located in the northern suburbs of Mingcheng, separated from the capital by a tributary of the Ming River. It was originally the king's summer palace, but it was gradually abandoned. Only occasionally were women from the harem who had fallen out of favor sent there to live in seclusion. There were few servants and maids, so it was essentially turned into a cold palace.

Fu Bo quietly boarded a boat and entered the North Garden, taking only one maid, Xi Sun, with her as instructed by the Queen. The palace maids who had bid her farewell were all in tears, but Fu Bo remained calm, showing no sign of sorrow.

He continued to live a desolate life, grew thinner day by day, and spoke less with Xisun, but he never forgot to ask her to pick the kinds of flowers she wanted every day.

That day, Xi Sun picked a bunch of balsams for her, put them in a vase and left. A little while later, when she pushed the door open again, she saw that Fu Bo was holding the bunch of flowers in one hand and picking flowers with the other. Hearing the sound, she turned her head and found that she also had a flower between her lips.

She stood by the window dressed in plain white, her face pale, with dark circles around her eyes, lips, and nails. Only the crimson balsam on her lips resembled a drop of rouge on a pale ink painting of a beauty.

Seeing Xisun enter, she smiled absentmindedly, gently sipped the flower into her mouth, and slowly chewed it.

Xi Sun looked closely and saw that the balsam leaf in her hand was gone, presumably because she had picked and eaten it.

She rushed over and snatched the flower away, then asked urgently, "What are you doing?"

Balsam has the effects of dispersing blood stasis, regulating menstruation, softening hardened tissues and penetrating bones, and can also treat injuries, but if taken raw like this, it is slightly toxic.

Xi Sun suddenly understood the cause of her illness and asked with tears in her eyes, "What other flowers have you been consuming?"

Fu Bo simply smiled and did not answer her.

Xi Sun was overcome with grief and embraced her, weeping loudly. Fu Bo also hugged Xi Sun, gently patted her back, and said with a smile, "If I were to die now, I wouldn't be a burden to him."

The next day, Fu Bo ordered Xi Sun to pick balsam flowers again, but Xi Sun shook her head and said, "I'll go pick some lotus flowers for you." After saying that, she went out. The sky was overcast and there was a light rain. She put on a long raincoat and a bamboo hat, and took a boat into the depths of the lotus flowers.

He hadn't returned for a long time. Fu Bo leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance, only to see ten miles of lotus blossoms swaying gently in the misty waters, the waters vast and empty, devoid of any human figure. The rain was falling even harder.

At dusk, the small boat from the palace finally reappeared on the murmuring water, piled high with lotus flowers and leaves, gently approaching in the rain.

The soldiers guarding the shore ran out to take a look, and seeing that the figure in the straw raincoat and bamboo hat was still on the boat, they turned around and ran back to the eaves to take shelter from the rain.

A man in the boat carried a bunch of lotus flowers up to the pavilion where Fubo lived. Fubo was still gazing at the wind and rain outside the pavilion. Hearing the man enter, he did not turn around but sighed softly, "Don't go out when it's raining, or you'll catch a cold."

The man replied, "It's always worth it for you."

Fu Bo was startled and turned around. The man placed the lotus flowers in the vase, removed his raincoat and hat, looked at her again, and smiled.

Overwhelmed by a mix of joy and sorrow, tears welled in her eyes; a thousand words condensed into a soft call: "Young Master..."

Ping Yi slowly approached her, looking her intently: "I heard you were ill?"

Fu Bo nodded, but then said, "It's nothing serious, I'm all better now."

Pingyi asked softly, "When will it be ready?"

Fu Bo smiled and looked up at him: "Now."

Ping Yi smiled, but with a hint of melancholy in her expression: "I'm late after all."

“That’s good.” Fu Bo reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, gently snuggling against him, naturally making this unprecedentedly intimate gesture. “I once thought I would never see you again.”

The first time she felt Pingyi's body temperature, the first time she was embraced by him, when Pingyi's lips first touched her skin, Fubo closed her eyes and smelled the fragrance of Du Ruo.

Pingyi left before dawn, still wearing a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, and traveling in a small boat. This time, Xisun returned by boat, bringing back a boat full of lotus flowers, which she arranged in vases as usual, her expression unchanged.

After that, Fu Bo stopped ordering Xi Sun to pick poisonous flowers, her diet returned to normal, and her complexion gradually improved. The two tacitly avoided discussing Ping Yi's nighttime visit. Fu Bo would occasionally gaze at the flowing water in contemplation, sometimes smiling, which pleased Xi Sun, but she would never ask her anything.

For dozens of days, he did not mention the name of the young master Pingyi. Then one day, after sitting in silence for a long time, Fu Bo called Xi Sun in, handed her a box, and said, "Take these medicines to the young master and ask him to prepare a few more ingredients, decoct them, and send them to me to cure my illness."

Xi Sun opened the box and saw that the medicines inside were Pinellia ternata, Albizia julibrissin, Aconitum carmichaelii, and Vaccaria segetalis. She asked in confusion, "What illness does the young lady want to treat? Why did you prepare these unrelated medicines?"

Fu Bo did not answer, but said only: "Just send it to the young master and ask him to add tongtuo wood, yuanzhi, and lily bulbs, and simmer them together until midnight, then add asparagus."

Xi Sun examined the medicinal herbs with a puzzled look, muttering the names of the herbs Fu Bo had mentioned. After a moment, her expression suddenly changed: "Miss, you..."

Fu Bo smiled and said, "Alright, you understand everything, so there's no reason why he shouldn't."

Xi Sun accepted the order and left. At midnight that night, Fu Bo quietly went downstairs and headed alone to the east gate of the North Garden. The gate was narrow and few people went in or out. There were only two guards on duty, who had drunk the wine she had given them beforehand, which was also drugged with sleeping pills. They were both completely drunk.

Standing atop the city tower, surrounded by tranquility and bathed in moonlight as clear as water, I listen to the soft whispers of the night wind and the distant, faint dripping of the water clock. Waiting for someone, I gaze to the ends of the earth.

But he did not come, and it was already late at night.

The night was deep, and the autumn frost and dew were heavy; before I knew it, my clothes were already soaked with cold.

At dawn, faint sounds of carriages and horses could finally be heard. Looking up, a line of royal banners could be seen emerging above the reeds and autumn grass on the horizon, leading a grand procession of royal carriages and horses, heading northeast along the official road.

It wasn't the person I was waiting for. As dawn approached, I didn't give up; I stood steadfastly, waiting for him to come.

Finally, someone came up, but it wasn't him.

“Miss,” Xi Sun said tearfully, “let’s go back. The young master won’t be coming.”

She remained silent, as if she hadn't heard a thing.

“The young master will not come,” Xi Sun repeated, a hint of resentment in her voice. “Did you see the caravan? Today, the young master is setting off for Qi Kingdom to marry the princess of Qi Kingdom!”

Fu Bo's gaze followed the car across the horizon, neither angry nor sad, seemingly focused on the scene.

“According to the retainers in the young master’s household, when the young master was an envoy to the Qi Kingdom in his early years, the king of Qi Kingdom greatly admired him and wanted to marry his daughter to him. However, because the princess was young at the time, the formal betrothal was not held, but the marriage was considered settled. Last year, the Qi Kingdom sent an envoy to bring up the marriage alliance again, and only then did the king personally come to Youhuang Mountain to bring the young master back to the capital…” Xi Sun wiped away her tears and continued, “The young master looked at the medicinal materials I presented, stared at them for a long time, closed the box and handed it back to me, saying, ‘Please forgive me, madam, for my incompetence in preparing these medicines. I have failed you.’ Then he had his retainers escort me back.”

Fu Bo remained silent until the convoy completely disappeared into the world before turning around leisurely and smiling at Xi Sun: "Then, let's go back."

Before Xisun could reply, she went straight downstairs, her light steps treading in the pale blue morning light as she walked towards her dwelling. A cool smile played on her lips as she softly sang a song: "The cart clatters, my fur coat is like reeds. How could I not think of you? But I fear you and dare not. The cart clatters, my fur coat is like jade. How could I not think of you? But I fear you and will not run to you..."

He then fell slightly ill and spent his days bedridden, his mind wandering. One day, he suddenly opened his eyes and said to Xisun, "Have someone inform the king that I am pregnant."

Xi Sun stared in astonishment: "Should we tell the King?"

Fu Bo nodded and smiled: "Of course, Your Majesty is the child's father, so naturally you should tell him... What? Aren't you going to congratulate me?"

Upon learning of her pregnancy, Xuanlian quickly brought her back to the palace and ordered the physicians to treat her carefully. Fubo's medical skills saved her; before the physicians took her pulse, she secretly took medication and inserted a foreign object under her armpit to alter her pulse, successfully leading the physicians to diagnose her conception before she left the palace for the Northern Garden. Several months later, she took labor-inducing drugs, making the delivery time perfectly coincide with the diagnosed conception time. Therefore, no one doubted that the child she gave birth to was not Xuanlian's son.

The child was named Zitun by Xuanlian. All of Xuanlian's previous sons had died young, so Zitun became the only son of Prince Xuanlian.

Perhaps because of the birth of her son, Xuanlian treated Fubo even better than before. She said she liked the scenery of Beiyuan, so he ordered the renovation and expansion of Beiyuan for her to live in. After Beiyuan was completed, Xuanlian decided to celebrate Zitun's first birthday there, and on this day, he officially conferred the title of Lord Xinyang on Gongzi Pingyi.

During the grand banquet at Beiyuan, Fubo finally saw Pingyi again after nearly two years. He was as handsome and charming as ever, but now he had a princess from Qiguo by his side, who was now his wife.

Although the princess had delicate features, she still looked like a small, immature girl even after being married for over a year. She sat quietly beside him, not saying much, only glancing at him secretly when he spoke to her; her eyes were bright and sparkling with uncontainable joy.

Fu Bo watched coldly, recalling how she had been in the same state in front of him back then. Now, their paths had diverged, and looking back, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

After several rounds of drinks, most of the guests, still slightly tipsy, watched the singing and dancing. Ping Yi quietly rose and strolled to the waterside pavilion, calmly gazing at the lotus blossoms and moonlight. Fu Bo waited a moment, then excused herself, saying she was too drunk to continue, and asked Xuan Lian for leave to return to the palace. Xuan Lian nodded, and she left her seat, walking back with Xi Sun. Reaching the pavilion, she pretended to see Ping Yi by chance and took a few steps inside.

Pingyi turned around and saw her, then turned and bowed respectfully. Fubo noticed that as she approached, he subtly took a step back.