Robe blanche - Chapitre 143
He prayed that everything would go smoothly and that he would be happy from then on, but as the crown prince of the country, how could this be easily achieved?
He quickened his pace to walk alongside Zinuo, reached out and plucked a blade of grass that had just been blown by the wind from Zinuo's head, and said softly, "If the situation is about to be settled, you should go back sooner rather than later. Otherwise, you can stay in Qizhou. You've gotten so thin."
Zi Nuo turned to look at me, her eyes filled with laughter: "Sister, not to mention that this place is of great significance to Father, this is also a gift from Zi Nuo to you. In the past, when I heard you talk about your ideal home, I thought it was nice, but it was too far away for us at that time. Now that I have great power, I must start from here and build a paradise on earth for you."
At that time, we lost our happy little courtyard and our aunt. We depended on each other for survival in the Prince Qing's mansion. When we talked about the life we wanted in the future, we thought about endless fine clothes and delicious food, and a decadent life of extravagance. But what came out of our mouths was the tranquility and peace of a paradise, because the happiest time in our hearts was always that little courtyard with the old locust tree at the gate and our aunt and Zi Nuo in the courtyard.
The thought that had arisen when they first arrived in the valley resurfaced, and he couldn't help but ask Zinuo, "Zinuo, when do you think you were the happiest person in your life?"
Zi Nuo lowered her eyes and said after a long while, "At first, I thought the happiest time was the days in Wuliu Lane. Later, I thought that living with my sister in the Prince Qing's Mansion was also a kind of happiness. Then, when my sister woke up at the last moment, I realized that was the happiest moment of her life."
Looking at Zi Nuo's slightly upturned lips, I felt that Zi Nuo was much more grateful for life than I was. Seeing that Zi Nuo's hardships had finally come to an end, I was sincerely happy: "The future is long, and Zi Nuo will surely reap even more happiness in the future."
Zinuo looked at me with a smile, her radiant smile even brighter than the sun in the sky: "With my sister, Zinuo will be happy."
Back in the valley, Ganlin, who had gone to see the scenery, had not yet returned. After drinking the cooling soup that Ruosheng brought, and resting for a while, he and Zinuo went out to visit the future masters of the valley.
Along the way, under the eaves of rows of houses, groups of elderly people sat chatting, while strong women were busy preparing food. Watching them put the food into large buckets and then carry them up the mountain, I knew immediately that they were delivering food to the soldiers and their husbands who were working.
In the small lake to the east, at the end where people wash clothes, several children were playing in the shallow water, so there was no need to worry too much. Looking at the harmonious scene around me, I imagine this place will be even more beautiful once everything is back to normal.
Zi Nuo and I sat down under the shade of a tree by the lake, where the clear lake water reflected the blue sky and white clouds, which swayed gently.
"Zinuo, I want to stay here." That was the thought that came to me when I first arrived in the valley.
Zi Nuo turned her head to look at me, pondered without speaking, her eyes showing surprise and understanding, which finally turned into a wistful smile: "I expected my sister's request, but I still thought that my sister would accompany me back to the palace and not let me be alone."
"That palace will be yours in the future, and your sister will never belong there." I don't want to think about what the real reason is for wanting to stay here, but I really shouldn't have too much contact with the Golden Sparrow Kingdom's palace. Even if Zinuo keeps me in the Sunrise Palace and the Golden Sparrow King doesn't say a word, I have to consider what the court officials and the people think. Zinuo is no longer just my brother Zinuo, but the future king of the Golden Sparrow Kingdom.
Seeing Zi Nuo's gloomy expression, he felt a pang of guilt, but remembering the rumors he had heard, he suppressed it. He knew he would face even more challenges in the future.
"Will Father agree if my sister doesn't return to the palace?" Zi Nuo asked.
With a slight smile, he sighed, "The king is merely using me and Shao Yuan to build momentum for you. If I were to stay here in your name and live with the Xuan Ying immigrants, he would probably be more than happy to do so."
Zi Nuo smiled wryly: "So my sister had already thought it through."
Yes, I've already thought it through. "No matter where I am, I'll always stand by you." Staying here in Zinuo's name will not only solidify Zinuo's image as a benevolent ruler, but also reduce gossip and slander, and more...
Although Zi Nuo was not very happy, he still sent my memorial to Han Yue City and dispatched people to choose a site in the valley to help me build a house. King Jin Que replied quickly; less than half a month later, someone came to deliver an imperial edict, ordering the Regent Prince to return to the palace as soon as possible, while the Holy Maiden and Minister Lu of the Ministry of Agriculture would remain in the valley to take over the remaining affairs. The residents of the valley were very happy to hear that the Holy Maiden would stay here to take care of them in place of the Regent Prince. They all said that with the Holy Maiden here, their lives would still be guaranteed even if the Regent Prince left. However, since everything in the valley was not yet on track, all expenses were paid by the Jin Que Kingdom's treasury. The residents of the valley could not start farming until next spring, and they could only support themselves after the autumn harvest. Originally, they were worried that officials at all levels would withhold and reduce their expenses after the Regent Prince left, but with the Holy Maiden staying here, they did not have to worry.
On July 20th, my house in the valley was finally completed. From the outside, it looked no different from other houses, but the interior was designed entirely by Zinuo, and was extremely comfortable and elegant. What pleased me most was that Zinuo specially ordered someone to build a pool for me to swim and bathe in. In winter, a fire could be lit outside to heat the pool. He was very thoughtful.
The day the new residence was completed was also the day Zinuo set off to return to the palace. The valley's residents gathered at the crossroads to see Zinuo off, and the valley master, whom they had elected themselves, led a group of people to carry a stone tablet covered with a red cloth and place it in front of Zinuo. The valley master unveiled the red cloth, and the three large characters "Qiuyang Valley" were deeply engraved on the stone tablet.
"Your Highness, we are grateful for Your Highness's kindness and have taken the liberty of naming this valley after Your Highness and the Holy Maiden. Please do not take offense. We hope that Your Highness will inscribe your name on this stele before you depart." The Valley Master knelt down tremblingly beside the stele and kowtowed to Zinuo. The other residents of the valley also knelt down one after another.
Zi Nuo helped the Valley Master up, squatted down, and gently stroked the three characters "Autumn Sun Valley" with his fingers, his expression unusually tender. A servant brought over paper and pen, intending for Zi Nuo to write on the paper and then have it carved onto a stone tablet, but Zi Nuo gently pushed him away, telling him to give him the paper and pen first.
“Sister, your name is also on the tombstone.” Zi Nuo raised her eyebrows and smiled gently.
"You want me to write my name too? Are you kidding me! Besides, Your Highness, you know I'm not good at calligraphy." How could I possibly show my handwriting to anyone, which looks like a caterpillar?
Gan Lin chuckled softly from the side, but Zi Nuo still insisted, "Sister, this is my wish."
Remembering that Zi Nuo said this place was a gift he gave me, and now he was going back to the palace alone, my heart was filled with mixed feelings. If he wanted this place to leave a mark of our shared memories, I finally decided not to delay any longer. I took the pen and, with unprecedented sincerity, carefully wrote the three characters "Yin Qingqiu". After finishing, I looked at it carefully and found that it was much better than usual.
Zi Nuo ordered the servant to bring over paper and pen, but only picked up the piece of paper I had just written on. Zi Nuo held the paper, gently blew on the ink to dry it, and pasted it on the lower left corner of the stone tablet.
I was puzzled, but Gan Lin said, "His skills have improved a lot in the past two years."
As soon as Gan Lin finished speaking, Zinuo stretched out his right index finger and moved it along my handwriting on the paper—no, it should be said that it moved along the stone tablet. Stone chips fell down, stunning the onlookers.
It turns out that Zi Nuo wanted to write his name on the stone tablet himself; it turns out that his skills had truly improved a lot; it turns out that "Autumn Sun Valley" held such great significance for him...
Peeling off the thin paper, the paper remained intact, but the three characters "Yin Qingqiu" were deeply engraved on the stone tablet in my somewhat clumsy handwriting. Zinuo blew away the stone dust from his hands and wrote the two characters "Luoyang" next to "Yin Qingqiu." Compared to "Yin Qingqiu," his writing was truly elegant and timeless.
After Zi Nuo finished writing, a servant handed him a towel to wipe his hands. The Valley Master was already moved to tears, unable to speak coherently: "Your Highness..."
Zi Nuo patted the Valley Master's hand and said gently, "Valley Master, you can stay here with everyone in peace. Luo Yang will come to visit you whenever he has time."
Upon hearing this, the Valley Master trembled violently, his white beard shaking on his chin: "Your Highness... such a great favor..."
Seeing that it was getting late, Zinuo comforted and encouraged everyone for a few more minutes before getting up to leave. I originally wanted to accompany Zinuo to Qizhou City with Ganlin, but Zinuo refused.
On the newly opened road leading from Qiuyang Valley to Qizhou outside the valley, Zi Nuo looked down at me, her voice soft yet firm: "Zi Nuo will definitely come to see my sister during the Mid-Autumn Festival."
It was only about twenty days until the Mid-Autumn Festival. Zi Nuo would not be able to stay in the palace for more than a few days before rushing back, which would be quite a journey. I shook my head and refused, but Zi Nuo mounted his horse without saying a word, turned back and smiled, and finally whipped his horse and galloped away with the guards.
Returning to the valley with Gan Lin and Ruo Sheng, the valley master was directing everyone to bury the stone tablet at the entrance of the valley. A new line of text had appeared in the lower left corner of the stone tablet: July 20th, 379th year of the Holy Calendar. These Xuan Ying immigrants have also begun to use the calendar of the Golden Sparrow Kingdom, and they consider themselves citizens of the Golden Sparrow Kingdom.
Upon seeing me, everyone was about to bow, but I stopped them first. I took a step to leave, but saw Gan Lin standing motionless, his gaze fixed on the stone tablet, his expression unreadable. Looking at Gan Lin, I felt a vague unease, though I couldn't pinpoint its source. I could only stand with Gan Lin until he softly called out, "Let's go," before I left.
Looking at Gan Lin again, he had returned to his former self. Did that stone tablet evoke some past memories for him?
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 126
Chapter word count: 3777 Update time: 09-09-17 14:27
With Zi Nuo gone, the number of people remaining in Qiuyang Valley decreased significantly. Even the Xuan Ying soldiers who were reclaiming the land were reduced to only two thousand, as the rest had been taken elsewhere. Fortunately, the five thousand soldiers from Qizhou remained, tirelessly reclaiming the land while faithfully guarding the prisoners and protecting the safety of Qiuyang Valley.
"Holy Maiden, please look." Lord Lu led me to the hillside, where the terraced fields were already taking shape. From top to bottom, all that could be seen were neat rows of ridges. The three groups of people were working daily, and the results were remarkable. The only thing that seemed out of place was the clanging of the iron chains on the feet of the Xuan Ying soldiers. Although I felt it was rather inhumane, for safety's sake, I only glanced at it a few more times and did not offer any opinion.
"In your opinion, how much longer will it take to complete?" Planting will begin next spring.
Lord Lu stroked the few remaining strands of his beard and pondered, "It will take nearly a month to clear all the soil, but afterwards we need to irrigate and fertilize the fields to transform this land into soil suitable for rice growth, which will require a gradual process."