La vie des gens de la campagne en ville sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 51

After the morning court session that day, Qin Hui first went outside the city to see off Li Gang, who was going to Western Xia to discuss the purchase of horses. Then he went to the Kang Prince's residence and entered the study with Zhao Gou.

Ordinary servants were not allowed to enter the study, which was always managed by Qin Zhen, and today was no exception. She carried the tea tray into the study, only to see Zhao Gou and Qin Hui sitting quietly with worried expressions. She wondered what Qin Hui had just said to Zhao Gou.

Qin Zhen first handed a cup of tea to Zhao Gou, and then handed the tea to Qin Hui, saying, "Father, have some tea and rest for a while. We can discuss things slowly."

Qin Hui glanced at Qin Zhen but didn't speak, though his expression was quite complicated. Then Zhao Gou said, "Lord Qin, Qin Zhen should know about this. Tell her."

"Hmm, could it be that they feel their predicament is related to me?" Qin Zhen wondered suspiciously.

"Zhen'er," Qin Hui's voice was heavy, startling Qin Zhen. The matter seemed very serious. "Recently, a poem has been circulating in the palace: 'The jade dragon returns to heaven, mountains and rivers change; the fire phoenix descends to earth, all things change. If you want the calamities of the world to end, just ask for a marriage that spans three lifetimes.' For some reason, the message says that you are the 'fire phoenix' mentioned in the poem."

Qin Hui noticed that Qin Zhen's expression changed upon hearing the poem and asked, "Zhen'er, have you heard this poem before?"

"This poem came from my master," Qin Zhen said.

"So, as the comments say, you are the 'fire phoenix' in the poem?"

Zhao Gou and Qin Hui held their breath, waiting for Qin Zhen's answer. Qin Zhen said with difficulty, "I don't know. Father, what exactly happened in the palace? Even if I am as the poem describes, what will happen?"

Qin Hui explained, "This matter occurred in a very strange place, and there are many rumors. Some say that the fire phoenix can change the fate of the Song Dynasty, some say that the fire phoenix can turn a coiled dragon into a real dragon, and some even say that whoever obtains the reincarnation of the fire phoenix will obtain the entire country!"

"How could this be? I..." Qin Zhen was speechless with shock. She realized with alarm that if someone was implying she was the Fire Phoenix, wasn't that implying Zhao Gou coveted the Song Dynasty's throne? What would the Emperor think if he heard such rumors? What would the Crown Prince think?

"Father, has the Crown Prince heard about this rumor?"

Qin Hui sighed and said, "Of course I heard about it. He told me today that the Crown Princess and you get along very well, and asked me to bring you into the palace to accompany the Crown Princess. That's what he said, but the Crown Prince's meaning is already quite clear."

Qin Zhen glanced at Zhao Gou out of the corner of his eye. Zhao Gou was gripping the corner of the table tightly with both hands, the veins on his hands bulging.

Zhao Gou was filled with indignation. Finally, he couldn't help but say, "How could my brother be so suspicious of me? How could I possibly covet his throne?"

"Your Highness, please watch your words!" Qin Hui cautiously reminded him.

Zhao Gou snorted coldly, then turned to Qin Zhen and asked, "Are you... willing to go to my brother's side?"

Qin Zhen was taken aback by his question, and frowned as she asked in return, "If I'm willing, you'll let me go?"

Upon hearing her words, Zhao Gou hurriedly stepped forward and said, "You...you dare!"

Qin Zhen chuckled and said, "Yes. I wouldn't dare. But what do you suggest we do now?"

Zhao Gou was relieved to know Qin Zhen's intentions. He then said to Qin Hui, "Lord Qin, I will go to the palace to see my brother tomorrow. I already have a plan in mind. Thank you for telling me this."

"Your Highness, are you going to make an enemy of the Crown Prince...?" Qin Hui asked anxiously.

"Of course not. No matter what, my elder brother has always been the person who cares about me the most since I was a child. The reason he suspects me after hearing the message is because I have done many things that I shouldn't have done recently. Now that I know, I will do my duty from now on and will not make him feel uneasy again."

Qin Hui looked at Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen with a complicated expression, and finally bowed and took his leave.

"What exactly do you plan to do?" Qin Zhen pressed.

Zhao Gou laughed and said, "The art of war says that of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best! Your Majesty is currently enjoying great success and has no need for me. Why don't I travel around and enjoy myself as a carefree prince?"

Qin Zhen asked in surprise, "You're planning to just leave?"

Zhao Gou said, "I will naturally return. I am his brother only when he needs me; otherwise, he will abandon me."

A sharp sword overhead.

Seeing how clearly he understood the situation, Qin Zhen looked at him approvingly and said, "The most valuable thing for a person is knowing when to advance and when to retreat. Taking a step back opens up a whole new world. Leaving the center of power at this time is not necessarily a bad thing!"

"Well, you should think about where you want to go these next few days. We need to leave before the rumors get out of hand."

----

It is said that the scenery of Jiangnan is beautiful, especially when the north was ravaged by war, the prosperity and tranquility of the Jiangnan water towns were even more desirable to people.

Another year of heavy snowfall has arrived. On West Lake in Lin'an, snowflakes have accumulated on the branches of trees and the embankment, creating a silver-white landscape as far as the eye can see.

In the cold wind, a painted boat appeared on the water, and faint singing drifted from the boat, as if some young master was enjoying himself on the lake.

Holding a jade-green cup, Zhao Gou leaned against the ship's railing, watching the snow falling in the sky, and said to the cabin, "Winter has come again."

Inside the ship's cabin, Qin Zhen, wrapped in a thick white fox fur cloak, huddled up like a snowball, his two dark eyes darting around as he watched Zhao Gou outside, muttering to himself.

Two years after leaving Bianjing, Zhao Gou's personality became increasingly unpredictable. In such cold weather, he actually had the interest to go boating on the lake and even stood outside the boat in the cold wind.

"Hey, come in. It's really cold on the lake. What if you catch a cold? If the Crown Prince finds out, it'll be another mess."

The word "Crown Prince" reached Zhao Gou's ears, causing his eyes to flash, but his gaze was immediately obscured by his drooping eyelashes, so it is unknown what he was thinking.

Ever since he took Qin Zhen away from Bianjing to travel around, Zhao Huan felt guilty towards the two of them, not knowing whether it was because of the unfounded rumors, or because he felt speechless because he had missed Zhao Gou's good intentions.

Last autumn, Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen arrived in the scenic city of Lin'an. Due to over a year of exhaustion, Zhao Gou fell ill. Upon learning of this, Zhao Huan, who was far away in Kaifeng, immediately dispatched an imperial physician to Lin'an to treat him. He also ordered the local prefect to build a magnificent Kangwang Mansion villa for Zhao Gou in Lin'an. From then on, Zhao Gou settled there.

Zhao Gou walked back to the cabin, waved for the singing girls and musicians to leave, then lay down next to Qin Zhen, playing with the wine cup in his hand.

"We met in winter five years ago too..."

Zhao Gou said it seemingly casually, and Qin Zhen responded softly.

Zhao Gou has now grown into a handsome young man, a far cry from the baby he once was. As he leans against Qin Zhen's side, even through the fox fur, Qin Zhen can feel the warmth emanating from him.

"Get up! Don't lean on me, I'm so heavy!"

Zhao Gou shifted unhappily, leaning back in his chair, and muttered, "I just love the smell of you..."

Qin Zhen blushed slightly and changed the subject, saying, "Aren't you planning to go back to Bianjing in the spring?"

"Go back for what?"

"The Crown Prince has sent several letters urging you to return. He must be troubled by what happened back then. He must be feeling bad that you haven't responded."

Zhao Gou smiled faintly and said, "Life is so good now, with delicious food, good drinks, fun activities, and beautiful women by my side. Why would I want to go into that brothel and suffer?"

Seeing his carefree attitude, Qin Zhen teased him, saying, "A comfortable life has indeed made our prince lose his ambition. Then you can stay here and be your cheap prince for the rest of your life. I'll be happy to be carefree."

Although she said that, she knew very well what Zhao Gou had been doing in recent years. To say that he was just having fun would be to wrong Zhao Gou.

As the two were talking, a boatman came in and reported, "Your Highness, an urgent report has come from the palace: the West Garden is on fire again!"

"Oh dear, did anyone get hurt?" Qin Zhen asked anxiously.

The boatman honestly replied, "We burned a few maids' clothes, but I haven't heard of any injuries or deaths."

Qin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good, that's good."

Seeing her nervousness, Zhao Gou smiled and said, "Then let's go back to the manor. If we don't go back soon, Brother Tang might burn the whole manor down."

~~~~~~~~

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 095 The Winding Path of the Prince's Mansion

The Kangwang Mansion, located on the east bank of West Lake, is very different from the Kangwang Mansion in Bianjing. Although both have vermilion gates and high walls, the interior of this mansion is laid out in the typical Suzhou and Hangzhou garden style, which is very oppressive.

After returning to the Prince's Mansion, Zhao Gou went straight to the West Garden. Before he even entered, he smelled smoke and saw that the withered branches that had been sticking out of the wall had been burned to charcoal.

The servants, who were busy carrying buckets of water, bowed and greeted Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen, saying, "Your Highness, Miss Qin!"

As Zhao Gou peered inside, he said, "Hurry and put out the fire, no need for formalities."

The servants withdrew in response, seemingly very familiar with the fire in the West Garden, and busied themselves calmly and unhurriedly.

Qin Zhen said regretfully, "Several more houses have burned down. It's such a pity. I think we shouldn't put any extra things in Brother Tang's room anymore. It's such a waste."

Zhao Gou laughed and said, "What's wrong with burning a few houses? Brother Tang has worked hard and made great contributions. As long as he's alright, that's all that matters. In the future, we'll naturally send good things to him. We can't treat him unfairly."

As the two were talking, a young girl in green pushed a young man in a wooden wheelchair over. Upon hearing Zhao Gou's words, the young man said with shame, "Your Highness treats me with such courtesy that I, Yu Feng, am truly ashamed."

When Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen turned around and saw the handsome and refined Tang Yufeng, they both smiled. Tang Yufeng was the "Second Brother Tang" they had mentioned, and also Qin Zhen's second senior brother.

Qin Zhen joked, "You even burned down this last West Garden, Senior Brother. Where are you going to stay now?"

Tang Yufeng sat in his wheelchair, feeling somewhat embarrassed. The Kang Prince's mansion had such beautiful gardens, and since he moved in this spring, he had ruined all four gardens—east, west, south, and north—yet Zhao Gou had treated him as before, showing no sign of resentment. Such respect and courtesy towards a talented person was truly admirable. Tang Yufeng couldn't help but praise his junior sister for finding the right person.

"Qingmei," Zhao Gou said to Qingmei, who was directing the firefighting efforts, "take some men and clean up my elegant garden for Tang Erge to live in."

Since the completion of the Kang Prince's Mansion in Lin'an, Qingmei brought a group of loyal servants from Bianjing to Lin'an, and she single-handedly managed the mansion, saving Zhao Gou a lot of trouble.

Qingmei was about to carry out the order when Tang Yufeng stopped her, saying, "Just pack up my things and I'll move to Juxian Pavilion."

“Young Master Tang is not like others, how can this be allowed?” Qingmei said, looking at Zhao Gou for advice.

Tang Yufeng added, "The people living in Juxian Pavilion are all extraordinary individuals who have pledged allegiance to the Prince. I am just like them. There is nothing wrong with living there."

Seeing his insistence, Zhao Gou tried to persuade him, "Juxian Pavilion is crowded and noisy. Brother Tang does delicate work and cannot be disturbed. Why don't you stay in Yayuan? If you don't want to stay in Yayuan, you can move there in a few days when Dongyuan is almost ready."

Everyone tried to dissuade him, but Tang Yufeng still refused. He reasoned that the Elegant Garden was different from the four main gardens (east, south, west, and north), as it was Zhao Gou's personal domain. Apart from Qin Zhen and Qingmei, no one else was allowed in; how could he possibly stay there?

In the end, Qin Zhen made a surprising statement that left Tang Yufeng with no choice but to agree. Qin Zhen said, "Second Senior Brother, you deal with gunpowder and hidden weapons all day long. If you live in Juxian Pavilion and one day you blow up the whole place, wouldn't all the people inside die a very unjust death?"

Tang Yufeng was speechless. He did dangerous work, so it was better for him to live alone. After thinking it over, he finally agreed to go to Ya Yuan.

The woman in green pushed Tang Yufeng toward the elegant garden. Seeing her hand wrapped in white cloth, Qin Zhen stepped forward and said to her with concern, "Sister Nongying, next time don't just worry about Second Senior Brother. Take care of yourself too, and don't get hurt again."

The woman in green, named Nongying, nodded with a smile. Tang Yufeng turned to look at Nongying's burned hand, which she had used to save him, his eyes filled with guilt. Seeing this, Nongying quickly said, "Miss and Young Master, don't worry, it's nothing. I'll be more careful in the future."

Seeing that they had left, Qin Zhen turned to Zhao Gou and asked, "You gave the elegant garden to your second senior brother to live in, so where will you practice martial arts from now on?"

"Let's talk about a place to practice martial arts later. I've been very lazy these past few days and don't want to move at all."

Zhao Gou's casual remark caused Qin Zhen to tense up, and she quickly grabbed his arm and asked, "Has your old injury flared up again? Does it hurt a lot?"

Qin Zhen felt extremely uneasy. She recalled that two years ago, when they had just left Bianjing for a trip to Wuyi Mountain, she had been too arrogant and insisted on climbing a cliff to pick irises, nearly falling off. If Zhao Gou hadn't risked his life to save her, she would have been in serious trouble. But it was also on that occasion that Zhao Gou injured his left shoulder. Although it had healed, it would still ache from time to time on rainy days.

Seeing Qin Zhen blaming herself again, Zhao Gou pinched her little nose and said, "I've told you so many times, don't worry about that little injury anymore. It's just a little sore because of the heavy snow these past two days."

Qin Zhen sniffed and said with dissatisfaction, "Since I love you so much, why do you still want to go boating on the lake today? Are you just asking for trouble?"

"Hehe, I just had a sudden urge to see West Lake again. Well, the snow is getting heavier, let's go back inside."

Qin Zhen was puzzled by his words. She had been living by West Lake for a year, what was there to see? He spoke as if there was nothing left to see. Just then, Zhao Gou, while complaining of the cold, pulled her towards the warm pavilion.

That night, Qin Zhen went to the elegant pavilion to visit his second senior brother, Tang Yufeng. Zhao Gou summoned Qingmei to his study and asked, "Has any new news come from Bianjing?"