Жан Чунь - Глава 12
"Young Master Pang." Green Sleeve, a maid who was waiting nearby, immediately curtsied when she saw him coming.
"Shh...don't disturb her." Wang Pang touched his lips with his finger, signaling Green Sleeve to be quiet, and then immediately strolled quietly into the study on the side. Pang Di was so engrossed in admiring the flowers that she didn't notice his arrival.
Wang Pang ordered paper, brushes, and paints to be prepared, and then began to paint the plum blossoms' beautiful silhouettes by the window. The plum trees were in full bloom, their petals a tender, pale yellow like newly sprouted mulberry leaves, or like woven pale yellow silk. The color was delicate, with a hint of green near the stamens, emanating a subtle, sweet fragrance that was elegant and pleasing to the eye. She herself was stunningly beautiful, with delicate, arched eyebrows, red lips, and white teeth, her beauty as radiant as the glow of the sunset. Her bright eyes, like shimmering waves, glanced among the branches and blossoms, attracting snowflakes that fluttered against her face, lingering on her eyelashes, instantly transforming into glistening dewdrops, making her appear as if she were smiling through tears, a sight that evoked pity. Occasionally, she would extend her soft, jade-like hands, plucking plum blossoms to adorn her hair, or admiring the fragrance of a branch, her gentle grace and captivating charm evident in her every word.
The beautiful scenery and the beautiful woman inspired Wang Pang, and in a short time he had roughly sketched a freehand painting of a beautiful woman appreciating plum blossoms. He was just about to add the finishing touches when Pang Di discovered him. She gracefully entered the study and asked, "Why did you sneak in like a thief? You didn't even call me when you saw me outside."
Wang Pang pulled her closer, untied her cloak, brushed the snowflakes from her hair, then put his arm around her waist and pointed to the painting, laughing, "If I had called you earlier, you would have only admired your husband and not the flowers, and I wouldn't have been able to paint this portrait of a beauty."
"Huh? Does my husband have flowers growing on his face?" Pang Di feigned surprise, examining her husband's face from all angles.
Wang Pang lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "It's not on your face, but the flower is blooming in your heart. Would you like to come in and admire it, my lady?" He then pulled her closer.
"Pah! In broad daylight..." Pang Di's cheeks were flushed, and she pushed him away.
Wang Pang laughed heartily, stopped pulling at the brush, picked up his pen again, and pondered how to add the finishing touches.
After a closer look, Pang Di asked, "Why is it taking you so long to dot the eyes, sir?"
Wang Pang said, "The eyes are where the spirit of a person lies; the temperament and charm of the person depicted are all contained within them. One should strive to convey the person's thoughts and feelings through their eyes, achieving a level of expressiveness in their gaze. What were you thinking about just now, madam? What did you see? Could you tell me?"
Pang Di thought for a moment, then blushed again and said reproachfully, "I won't tell you."
Wang Pang feigned fainting, sighing repeatedly, "It's over! It's over! Judging from this, my lady must be lovesick! I wonder whose young master it is..." Pang Di covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed, saying, "Yes, it is indeed related to spring, and there is indeed a young master."
Slowly walking to the window, gazing at the pure white plum blossoms in the courtyard, Pang Di's lips curved into a gentle smile, her eyes shimmering, misty as a mirror: "That year, the apricot blossoms bloomed as profusely as the plum blossoms are today. Walking along the path, the gentle breeze was slightly damp, carrying with it the delicate fragrance of apricot blossoms. My hat, with its long veil hanging down, fluttered gracefully in the wind. The wind was so gentle that when it suddenly raged, I was caught off guard, and my hat was helplessly swept away. I walked down the mountain path, intending to retrieve my lost hat, but what did I see…?"
"But what did you see?" Wang Pang gently embraced her from behind, lightly smelling the plum blossoms by her temples, and asked softly.
"A handsome young man, dressed in a flowing white robe, stood against the wind, exuding an ethereal elegance. And he stared directly at me so openly, without the slightest attempt to look away."
"Then what?"
"Then..." Pang Di smiled shyly, "He praised me, 'My eyebrows are like a light mist in spring, my beauty is as lovely as a cuckoo.'"
"
After speaking, Pang Di turned around, took the paintbrush, and with a light movement of her jade wrist, she had already painted the beauty's eyes in a moment.
Her bright eyes were like waves, her brows and eyes were full of affection, and her glances conveyed deep emotions.
"Do you know what she saw? It was plum blossoms, snow, wind, and memories of the past. But plum blossoms are birds, snow is birds, wind is birds, and memories of the past are all birds. All she saw was birds."
He then picked up his brush and added a line of text to the painting: "The north wind is chilling, the rain and snow are heavy. You are kind and good to me, let us walk hand in hand."
"How could you give me such a big surprise?" Wang Pang sighed softly, "I thought it was just wishful thinking on my part, but then my father, taking advantage of his power, forcibly took you away for me."
Pang Di couldn't help but chuckle: "But you could also say that..." Before he could finish speaking, his lips were captured by Pang's kiss, and the rest of his words were completely overwhelmed by his sudden tenderness.
After what seemed like an eternity, the two reluctantly parted ways, looking at each other's slightly swollen lips and smiling like two children who had done something naughty.
"Oh, right," Pang Di suddenly remembered the question that had been nagging at him all afternoon, "Why would the princess invite you? What's the matter?"
"Hmm..." Wang Pang pondered without answering.
Pang Di asked curiously, "Why is it so mysterious?"
"It's nothing really," Wang Pang said with an exaggerated glint in his eyes, "The princess thinks my husband isn't as handsome as I am, and she asked me to discuss whether I would be willing to marry her if she divorced her husband."
"Bah! Don't you even look in the mirror? How are you more handsome than the prince consort?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Pang immediately looked at himself in the mirror, scrutinizing himself from left to right, and said solemnly, "A handsome man, standing gracefully in the wind, ethereal and otherworldly..."
"Ugh! Shameless!" Pang Di was both ashamed and angry when she heard him repeat the words she had just used to praise him. She punched Wang Pang repeatedly with her small fists.
While laughing and parrying her questions, Wang Pang thought to herself, "Why didn't I tell her the truth about going to the princess's residence? Why didn't I tell her that the young man in black beside me that spring was Prince Qi? Was it because I didn't want her to know anything about Prince Qi? Or was it because I minded that the Empress Dowager wanted to choose her as Prince Qi's consort? Ah, am I jealous of him?"
The more I thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed, and I couldn't help but sigh to myself.
Wang Pang is stubborn and willful, making it difficult for him to form close friendships, especially with those who disagree with him politically.
However, King Qi Hao was an exception.
That year, Wang Pang saw the jade flute "Xiao Shi Seeking the Phoenix" in the Jigu Zhai shop in Bianliang and was captivated by it. He tried playing a tune and found the tone to be pure, clear, and exceptionally beautiful. Just as he was about to ask the price, the shopkeeper told him that the flute had already been ordered. Wang Pang pleaded and kept raising the price to ask the shopkeeper to sell it to him, but the shopkeeper waved his hands repeatedly, saying that he absolutely could not afford to offend that person.
Wang Pang was filled with regret and helplessness when he suddenly heard someone behind him say, "Since this young master likes this item so much, let's transfer it to him."
"
Turning around, he saw a young gentleman in fine clothes and a magnificent crown, with an extraordinary air about him. He was clearly of noble status, but his expression was very humble.
Upon hearing his request, the shopkeeper immediately agreed to sell the flute to Wang Pang, but Wang Pang felt bad and declined.
The young master said, "If it were an ordinary person who wanted to buy it, I would definitely refuse. But just now I heard you play this flute, and the tone was harmonious and excellent. Only a connoisseur could possess such skill. Therefore, it is only right that you have this flute to keep by your side."
Wang Pang gladly purchased the jade flute. Touched by this gesture, he invited the young man to a tavern for drinks to express his gratitude. During the meal, the two discussed poetry, songs, calligraphy, painting, and music, finding themselves deeply compatible and feeling as if they had known each other for a long time. When asked his name, the young man only said it was Zhao Hao. It was only much later, when Wang Pang heard from others, that he learned he was the current emperor's second brother, formerly the Prince of Chang and later the Prince of Qi.
They admire and cherish each other because their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses are almost completely opposite, making them complementary.
They cherished this rare friendship. Of course, they had completely different political views, but they knew how to cleverly avoid this in their daily interactions. They talked about poetry, music, calligraphy, painting, and each other's lives and feelings, but never about national affairs. This allowed them to find a safe haven between friendship and politics.
Wang Pang admired Zhao Hao's peaceful state of mind and pure heart, deeply understanding the value of maintaining such a mindset amidst the power-hungry atmosphere of the imperial family. Zhao Hao also greatly envied Wang Pang's refined elegance and dashing demeanor, as he was then troubled by his own lack of these qualities, which made it difficult to please his wife.
His wife. Wang Pang was always filled with curiosity whenever he thought of this legendary, mysterious beauty. What kind of woman was she that could cause Hao, whose life was as calm and undisturbed as a still lake, such deep longing and constant worry?
Back then, Hao often talked about his wife to him. He said they grew up together as childhood sweethearts, and he had always thought she was incredibly beautiful, elegant, and intelligent, possessing all the virtues you could imagine in a woman. In other words, she was perfect, so perfect that he felt that simply being able to breathe quietly beside her was a kind of happiness. And then one day, this perfect woman actually became his wife, and he was simply overwhelmed with happiness.