Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде - Глава 51
"How about we go and pay our respects to our mother sometime?" Zi Nuo suggested, his mood also seeming quite somber.
I nodded in agreement.
These days, the Second Prince's residence is bustling with preparations for his master's grand wedding, everything inside and out has been transformed. On the streets, one can frequently hear people discussing how lavish Miss Mu's dowry is, and how renowned in the Southwest she is as a beauty, possessing a charm that could rival the moon and shame the flowers. People also speak of the Second Prince's exceptional talent and elegant demeanor, saying he and Miss Mu are a match made in heaven…
I just sneered inwardly; it was nothing more than a political marriage. Thinking of the Second Prince, whom I'd only met once, I felt a strange pang of sadness.
That day, Zinuo and I asked Shen Haoyu for leave and headed towards Wangcang Mountain in the south of the city. Years ago, after Jiang Ming cremated my aunt, we asked him to bury her ashes on Wangcang Mountain, and her memorial tablet was enshrined in the Yinyin Temple there. It is said that those who die unnatural deaths must have incense offered at the temple, otherwise they cannot be reincarnated. My aunt died of poisoning, so we enshrined her tablet at the Yinyin Temple. All of this was naturally arranged by Jiang Ming; otherwise, Zinuo and I, two children, could never have accomplished it.
Speaking of which, Jiang Ming really took care of me and Zinuo a lot when we were young, so much so that I could hardly bear it. It's a pity that I don't know where he is now.
The snow on the mountain hadn't melted yet. Zinuo and I finally found my aunt's tombstone in the cemetery, inscribed "Mo Shi Lin Jing," severing all ties with the Qiyun Marquis's mansion. Lighting the incense and paper money we'd brought, I stood before my aunt's grave and whispered, "Aunt, a few days ago I went back to our old home, but it was covered in snow. I couldn't see anything, not even you… Aunt, I promise I'll restore it to its former state and bring you back to live with me… Aunt, when Huai'en comes of age, I'll come to see you dressed as a girl, so you can see if Huai'en looks like your mother now…" The more I spoke, the less I could continue. My long-held loneliness, unease, and forced strength crumbled before my loved ones. Zinuo also wept uncontrollably beside me…
We are all abandoned children.
After the worship ceremony, Zinuo and I went to the temple, cleaned my aunt's memorial tablet, gave some silver to the young monk in charge, and asked him to take good care of it. Only then did we reluctantly come down from the mountain.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 38
Chapter word count: 3601 Update time: 09-08-03 11:26
At the end of January, the Second Prince Shen Tingxuan set off for Heisei to marry his bride. The betrothal gifts had been given before the New Year, but a large entourage was still on his way to Heisei.
That morning, I got up especially early, and for some reason, I dragged Zinuo to the south gate to watch the Second Prince's wedding procession leave and head south. I remember the weather was fine that day. Shen Tingxuan sat upright on his white horse, his moon-white robe embroidered with gold threads that shimmered in the sunlight. His golden sash and wide sleeves danced in the wind, his posture graceful... Unfortunately, as they drove further and further away, I could no longer see his face clearly; the binoculars were in Zinuo's hands.
"Sister, why did you come to see this so early in the morning?" Zinuo asked again.
I don't know either. "Don't you see it better than me?" I asked back, gesturing for Zinuo to quickly return the binoculars to me, otherwise we'd see even less later.
Zi Nuo refused, only saying, "Sister, you haven't been watching him outside his house every day, and you've developed feelings for him over time, have you?"
I was furious and growled, "I'm helping your second sister look after her husband."
Zi Nuo chuckled softly, and I said, "That's your second brother-in-law."
The group was nowhere to be seen. Zinuo and I returned to the Prince Qing's residence. When we arrived at Shen Haoyu's study, I asked him if we should continue to monitor the Second Prince's residence. Shen Haoyu said, "Of course. With the Second Prince away, let's see if there are any capable people in his residence who can help him manage things."
And so, the Second Prince's residence, temporarily without a master, lived out its days under the watchful eyes of many.
These days, Shen Zexuan often visits me, and our relationship is progressing steadily. During that period of low spirits, one day I almost told him that I was the unwanted daughter of the Marquis of Qiyun. In the end, I said that my aunt had been kicked out by her husband's family, and Zinuo and I were kicked out along with her. In the story, my aunt was my mother, and Zinuo and I were siblings from the same mother. That day, I cried in his warm arms, and he severely criticized the Marquis of Qiyun, saying that he was a terrible person, abandoning his wife and children, and was heartless and ungrateful, even worse than an animal. Hearing this made me feel much better. Of course, he didn't know that he was cursing the powerful Marquis of Qiyun who dominated the southwest. Fortunately, later, Zinuo and I paid our respects to my aunt and vented our frustrations, and my mood finally improved, and I stopped thinking about being kicked out of my home. Looking back now, I was quite courageous back then, but these years have made me deeply aware of how difficult it is to survive. If I could turn back time, I can't guarantee that I could still do such a heroic thing.
On February 16th, the Second Prince's wedding procession returned, accompanied by Marquis Qiyun, who was said to be escorting his daughter to the capital and also taking the opportunity to report on his duties. Those who had received advance notice lined the streets early in the morning. The First Prince had married two years prior, and it had been a long time since a grand wedding had taken place. Although there was no wedding to see today, the crowd was still very enthusiastic, far larger than on the day the Second Prince left the city. Zinuo and I once again blended into the crowd, gazing towards the south gate like everyone else.
Zi Nuo whispered in my ear, "Sister, do you think Marquis Qi Yun is very old now?"
I shook my head and said, "People with a cold temperament usually have a slower metabolism. I think he's probably still about the same as before."
Before long, the crowd became lively, and the front began to crowd. I held Zinuo's hand tightly and heard many people shouting, "They're here! They're here!" I thought to myself that these people were as if they had never seen anything before. They were just the Second Prince and Marquis Qiyun, completely forgetting that I was also squeezed in the middle of them.
Soon, the sound of hooves drew near. After two groups of guards cleared the way, two riders approached side by side, Shen Tingxuan on the left and Marquis Qiyun on the right. Shen Tingxuan was wearing a prince's light yellow robe embroidered with clouds and dragons, exuding an air of noble bearing. He held the reins in one hand and waved to the crowd with the other, eliciting screams from the young girls in the crowd. I thought to myself, if Shen Zexuan were like this, wouldn't these women simply faint?
Looking at Marquis Qiyun again, I was right; he looked almost exactly the same as he had eight years ago, unchanged. Perhaps he had a few more wrinkles, but he was too far away to see clearly. Marquis Qiyun wore a deep purple court robe, his expression aloof and imposing. As I was observing Marquis Qiyun, I suddenly felt a gaze upon me. I instinctively looked over and saw Shen Tingxuan looking at me with slight surprise. I was startled, afraid he would recognize me, and pulled Zinuo into the crowd, not even bothering to look at the bride-to-be behind us—she was either in a sedan chair or a carriage, so we couldn't see her anyway.
Zi Nuo asked me what was wrong, and I said, "The Second Prince saw me."
Zi Nuo was also slightly uneasy, but then said, "It's okay. We only met once, and it was at night. So much time has passed, he probably won't recognize us."
I nodded with a slight sense of relief, and the two of us hurriedly returned to the Prince Qing's residence.
When Marquis Qiyun arrived in the capital, the Emperor bestowed upon him a newly completed mansion named "Qiyun Villa," for him and his bride-to-be to reside in. This demonstrates the Emperor's high regard for Marquis Qiyun, and it happened to be next to the Third Prince's residence. With nothing else to do, I invited Zinu to explore "Qiyun Villa" together that night, but Zinu firmly refused, saying that my behavior had been quite unusual ever since the Second Prince's wedding date was set.
I just wanted to see what it was like for the daughter of the Marquis of Qiyun to get married.
I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to get married, or in what way I'll get married.
I'm experiencing romantic feelings.
Finally, unable to resist my coercion and enticement, Zinuo nodded in agreement.
I was very familiar with the layout of "Qiyun Villa" because it had only been built a short time ago. I once asked Shen Zexuan whose residence it was, but he said he didn't know, only that it was funded by the Imperial Household Department. Then, when we were bored at his residence, we climbed over the wall a few times.
Entering "Qiyun Villa" with practiced ease, Zinuo was quite surprised. I proudly said, "This is what you call knowing yourself and your enemy." The servants in the mansion were all newly assigned, and they probably didn't know each other well yet. Zinuo and I found the servants' quarters and found two sets of maids' clothes, but Zinuo absolutely refused to change.
I told her that if she wanted to see the bride, she had to dress up as a maid, and no man could get in. Only then did Zinuo reluctantly change. The two of them combed their hair, packed their clothes, and hid them near the door, so that if they were accidentally discovered, they could easily take them with them when they left.
Once inside the courtyard, Zinuo and I brazenly mingled among a group of maids, listening to them talk about the bride.
A round-faced maid said, "Miss Mu, oh no, the Second Prince's Consort is really beautiful, even the princess isn't as beautiful as her."
A maid with a small mouth said, "No, Princess Zilu is prettier than her."
A little maid with big eyes said, "They are all beautiful. Princess Zilu is the most dazzling pearl, and the Second Prince's Consort is as pleasant as moonlight."
This little girl is not bad...
"If you ask me, Consort Meng is still the most beautiful. After all these years, His Majesty still favors her the most," a maid interjected.
...
...
A group of little girls were making a racket, insisting on arguing about something.
So they were all transferred from the palace. The Emperor really went to great lengths.
After listening for a while, I couldn't help but interject, "You all describe it so beautifully, but unfortunately I haven't seen any of it yet."
A young maid chuckled softly, "We only managed to peek because we made up an excuse to go help. The maids there are quite fierce, and the maid named Xiaoyue who serves the Crown Princess is not to be trifled with either."