Chapter 165

 

It had long passed the third watch, and the sound of the night clock was fading away. Feeling troubled, Wei Yinniang wandering around sleeplessly.

The lights in the opposite room had also been on for most of the night. The solitary light from the window floated in the dark night, filtering through the newly sprouted branches and thick leaves of the spring trees in the courtyard, casting tiny shadows, silent and quiet, just like the woman who was behind the window.

During the days she came here to recuperate, Wei Yinniang and she would occasionally pass each other some snacks such as spring cakes and new tea, but other than that, they did not have much interaction.

People who didn’t have a difficult story to tell would not leave their youth in this Taoist temple. She only knew that the woman opposite her had a similar background as her and had come here to live alone a long time ago. But unlike her, she still had a mother and a brother, and her family in Chang’an should be thriving again nowadays. Moreover, recently, people often come here to look for her every now and then, persuading her to return home, which had added a little more noise to this courtyard that used to be as tranquil as an ancient well. Yet, she remained calm and did not change at all.

Wei Yinniang stopped in front of the window with light.

This late into the night Wang Zhenfeng was still awake, sorting out the books on the shelf. Through the half-open window, Wei Yinniang saw that some of the books had been put away was now neatly placed in boxes, as if they were ready to be moved away.

She was stunned.

Wang Zhenfeng smiled and explained through the window: “Didn’t you ask me a few days ago why I haven’t returned home yet? I will be going back soon. Since I cannot sleep, I just pack up first to avoid being in a rush later.”

Wei Yinniang came to her senses from the unexpected news, suppressed her inner melancholy, and congratulated sincerely.

“There’s nothing to congratulate.” She said, “It’s just that I met a gentleman who claims to have true feelings for me. I appreciate his heart and am willing to take the risk. What does it matter? I’ve heard that even the Yellow River can clear up at times, so how can a person not have a day where misfortune turns into fortune? The worst outcome, I think, can’t be worse than yesterday.

“As women living in this world, we must move forward.

“Sister Wei, don’t you think so?”

Wei Yinniang looked at the figure inside the window who was still sorting books and couldn’t help but freeze.

A green painted carriage that come to pick people up quietly stopped at the corner of the back door of the Taoist temple. It arrived sometime last night, and by dawn, it was still waiting there.

At dawn, three thousand beats of the morning drum resounded. At dusk, three thousand beats of the evening drum rang out once again.

Under the Yushui Bridge outside Kaiyuan Gate, stood a man in the prime of his life. His build was tall and strong; the wind tugged at the ends of the black scarf tied behind his headwear. Tucked into his belt was a short dagger for self-defense.

It was the look of someone about to leave Chang’an on a long journey.

Yuan Zhi had been waiting there since dawn, until this very moment.

The sound of the evening drums in the city, carried faintly by the evening breeze, was urgent. That person’s figure was nowhere to be seen. The flame of hope faded with the sound of the drums, ultimately collapsing uncontrollably, until finally, it was completely extinguished.

The drums were about to stop and dusk was falling.

The final moment of their appointment had inevitably arrived.

In the end, he never got to see her.

For someone like him, born into servitude that would bind not only himself but also his descendants for generations, where could he ever find the courage to hope for her compassion or her favor? Even if she fell into the mud, she was still the daughter of the Wei family, an incomparable beauty. All the misfortunes she had suffered were nothing more than the cruelty of fate turning her world upside down.

Following him was probably the beginning of her true depravity.

Such a result was also within his expectations.

The last evening drum sounded, and the sky was getting dark. His entourage had followed his instructions and gathered on the other side of the bridge at this moment.

He should be on his way. Everyone had their own destiny. What was never meant to be his, he could not dare to dream of.

He dedicated the first half of his life to this city called Chang’an, yet its splendor had nothing to do with him. He was the twisted and dark side of prosperity that no one could know. And she was his only beautiful dream in that world.

It had come to an end. From today, he would start a new service. That was the whole meaning of his existence for the rest of his life.

He silently took the reins from the servant and led the horse. When he turned to ride onto the bridge, he paused, slowly turned his head, and finally took one last look at this world that he still had a glimmer of nostalgia for.

But then, a green painted carriage was coming from the direction of Chang’an along the post road towards the bridge. Soon, the coachman drove the carriage to the water’s edge.

The carriage came to a stop, and the door swung open. From behind the door, a young woman in apricot-colored clothes and a veiled hat stepped down. Carrying a traveling bag on her arm, she walked past the pier covered with green water plants, and stopped under the bridge.

The evening breeze, scented with the fragrance of spring, playfully lifted the veil draped around her hat, revealing the face he had seen so often in his dreams.

Wei Yinniang raised her eyes and looked across at the man who was leading his horse and stopped on the bridge, looking back at her.

“Have I come too late, delaying your departure?”

Her face was slightly pale due to nervousness, but there was an unusual light blush on her cheeks.

Throughout her life, ever since her family was ruined, she had always gone with the flow, and had never thought that she could do something this crazy. With Miss Wang Zhenfeng watching her, she finally boarded the carriage that was waiting for her and came here.

Yuan Zhi suddenly turned around, walked quickly down the bridge and walked towards her.

“It’s not too late. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. As long as you come, it will never be too late.”

He gazed at her deeply, trying his best to suppress his ecstasy for fear of frightening her. After answering, he stretched out his hand, palm facing her, and stopped in front of her.

She lowered her eyes, then raised them again, and slowly placed one of her soft hands on his palm.

“Then, let’s go.”

He said this in a hoarse voice, then suddenly closed his palm and tightly grasped the hand with slightly cold fingers.

Amidst her low cry of surprise, Yuan Zhi lifted her up and, without her having to walk even a single step, took her to the carriage parked on the other side of the bridge.

As if she was the most precious treasure in the world, he put Wei Yinniang, whose cheeks were even more flushed, into the carriage, waited for her to sit down, closed the door for her, and then mounted his own horse.

“Set off!”

He shouted, and tightly guarded the carriage carrying the beautiful lady beside him, and led his entourage westward. The group of people and horses disappeared into the dusk.

The evening drum sounds have stopped, and the gate was about to close.

Another long night had arrived.

A maid stood by the back door of the Taoist temple, watching the green painted carriage took people away in an unknown direction. She then turned and looked at the woman next to her.

“Miss, the books have all been packed into the boxes. The people at the bookshop have also agreed to send someone to take them away tomorrow,” the maid remembered and spoke.

After Miss Zhenfeng came here, her biggest pastime was to buy books and read. As time went by, the books filled up the walls and there was no more room in the house. Thus, she picked out the books she no longer read and sold them to the East Market Bookstore for a price, so that those who were meant to read then could buy them. It was better than letting them accumulate here and become food for termites.

The green-painted carriage had gone, but Wang Zhenfeng’s smile had not faded away, and there were still faint red marks at the corners of his eyes. That was not sadness, but an empathetic feeling born out of concern for Yinniang.

“The Wei family’s miss has already left, so why won’t you go home yet, Miss?”

Seeing her not respond, the maid asked again.

Wei Yinniang had also asked her the same question.

She didn’t know that she and herself were not exactly the same.

Once you read the best articles in the world, those mediocre writings and vulgar words could no longer catch your eyes.

This was her fortune and also her misfortune.

However, what she said to Yinniang last night was not just to give her the courage to take the first step.

Until she had completely erased that figure in her heart, until she met someone worth taking a gamble on like Yinniang.

That would the day she would return home.

…

The virtue of Heaven and Earth is evenly divided among the four seasons; the way of the emperor follows the virtue of Heaven, bringing forth the transformation of all things.

Ashina formally entered the court to pay homage to the new emperor, pledging an oath of eternal loyalty and never to betray. The new emperor, in keeping with the late emperor’s virtue, conferred upon him official titles and bestowed him a token of trust along with the wolf-head banner and war drum. Thus, he was formally established as the Great Khan. Henceforth, anyone within the four boundaries of the royal tent who dared to rebel would be declared an enemy of the Holy Dynasty and would surely be crushed by its armies.

He didn’t stay in Chang’an for long.

On the day of his arrival, after trying to visit the Lu family in Nanshan without success, he made several other attempts in hoped to get her parents’ forgiveness, but all to no avail. He realized that it was impossible to get forgiveness, let alone see her in person again.

This should also be one of the reasons why he quickly finished various affairs and left the capital and returned north.

On the day he left, Marquis Jingbei and the Supreme Grand Princess were also going to the imperial mausoleum to guard the mausoleum for the late emperor and Empress Zhaode for three days. After the guarding was completed, the couple would officially leave the capital. They travelled together and arrived at the bank of Wei Bridge.

Pei Xiaoyuan couldn’t suppress his sympathy for Chengping, but he didn’t dare to show it too much because Xuyu was beside him. After all, he had also made a big mistake before, to a most ridiculous extent. Matters of the court still allowed for some chance of redemption, of returning to how things once were, but when it came to affairs of men and women, it was quite another matter. Faced with this age-old dilemma that even the sages of old could not resolve, he himself had barely waded across the river—what could he possibly do to enlighten Chengping?

Besides, even if he saw the pain and remorse in Chengping’s heart, what good would it do? In this world, who else would believe in him, besides himself? Likely no one.

At this point, all he could do was hope Chengping would let go, so as not to torment himself any further. After all, Wenjun had already completely forgotten him; if he refused to let go, what then?

Fortunately, Chengping was also a carefree person. Today he had swept away his former gloom and was chatting and laughing, which made Pei Xiaoyuan relieved. Taking advantage of the fact that Xuyu couldn’t see from behind, he secretly squeezed Chengping’s hand, leaned closer, and whispered: “You head back first. I’ll be there soon as well. Once you’re settled, if you get bored and want to have a drink with me, just send word. I’ll find an excuse to come out.”

This should be the greatest support that men could give to each other.

Chengping glanced at Xuyu and knew that she now disliked him because of Wenjun, so he nodded gratefully.

Xuyu had long seen through the two men’s secret talk behind her back and simply stepped back a bit, so they wouldn’t have to be so furtive as if she wouldn’t allow it.

Chengping saw this—he was a sharp man—so he quickly gave her a respectful bow, then turned to Pei Xiaoyuan with a smile: “You and the Grand Princess have other important matters; best not to delay. Seeing me off to this point is enough. I’ll head on my way!”

Pei Xiaoyuan looked in the direction of the imperial mausoleum, nodded, and finally reminded him not to drink excessively on the road, as too much alcohol was harmful to one’s health. Chengping smiled and agreed, then led his attendants across the bridge and headed north.

He let his horse galloped away at first, but after running for one to two li, the horse’s hooves slowed down and the remaining smile on his face slowly disappeared.

The horse’s hooves stopped completely and he turned his head.

Shiduo, who was accompanying him, followed his gaze and saw that he seemed to be looking at a wild forest in the distance. He waited for a moment and was about to ask him when he suddenly said, “I’ll be back soon. You wait here and don’t follow me!”

Without waiting for Shiduo and the others to respond, he had already turned his horse around and left. Shiduo hurriedly chased back to Wei Bridge and saw that he had already got off the bridge and galloped away, leaving only a fleeting figure behind. He had no choice but to obey the order and wait there.

Chengping rode his horse alone, went down a wild field covered with green grass and various flowers, waded through a rocky stream with gurgling water that was shallow enough to cover the horse’s hooves, and came to the wild forest that was visible in the distance.

He dismounted and finally found a cherry tree and stopped.

The wind blew, and the cherry petals fell, as if a sudden rain had fallen.

He lifted his head, gazing at the swirling rain of blossoms before him, and stood in front of the tree for a long time. Finally, he slowly turned around and prepared to set off. Just then, accompanied by a soft and crisp jingling sound, a chestnut-red horse emerged from a side trail into the wild forest, appearing in Chengping’s line of sight.

The chestnut horse wore a golden bell around its neck and was covered with an embroidered saddle, carrying a young woman dressed in a yellow jacket and a red skirt, her radiance surpassing the delicate spring flowers. She looked like a maiden from the city out for a springtime excursion, though for some reason she was all alone and had wandered into this place.

She galloped swiftly on the chestnut horse, and as she drew near and saw Chengping, she gradually slowed to a stop, her bright eyes fixed steadily on him.

At the moment the young woman’s figure appeared, Chengping’s heart pounded wildly, almost as if he were dreaming, unable to believe his eyes. It wasn’t until she reined in her horse before the cherry trees that he finally returned to himself, realizing it was not a dream. Ecstatic, he was about to step forward to meet this young woman who had come before him when suddenly, from the direction she had come, another figure came rushing quickly—Li Wanwan, dressed in men’s clothing. She had gone a few days earlier to the Lu family’s villa in Nanshan and today had been out enjoying a spring outing with Lu Wenjun. In the thrill of galloping horses and the fresh air, they had unwittingly strayed into this place.

“Wenjun! Don’t run so fast! Be careful not to fall…”

Li Wanwan caught up and saw that Lu Wenjun had stopped. She breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly caught up with her.

“Ouch, I’m sweating! You’re riding so fast! Aren’t you hot? Stop running! We’ve already come this far! I can’t even tell where this is. Fortunately, the scenery is nice. Let’s find a place to rest first—”

As Li Wanwan spoke, she took off her hat and fanned her sweaty face. Suddenly, her voice stopped.

She turned her face, stared at the young man standing next to the cherry tree not far ahead. He wore a blue brocade robe edged with gold trim—a foreign-style jacket—unmistakably that wretched Hu guy, Chengping.

Li Wanwan was both shocked and afraid, not knowing how this man had not yet left, nor how he had appeared here by sheer chance. Worried that Lu Wenjun might recognize him and recall old memories, she hastily grabbed her sleeve, pulling her along to leave.

Lu Wenjun raised her whip, pointed at the Hu man and whispered to her with a smile: “Who is that Hu guy? He is so bold, daring to stare at me so directly!”

“Don’t look! He’s not a good guy! Let’s go!”

Lu Wenjun giggled softly: “Such a handsome fellow! I find him rather to my liking. How about I take him as my lover—what do you say?”

Li Wanwan was so frightened her face went pale. She raised her voice to call out to Lu Wenzhong and the attendants they had left behind, while at the same time pulling Lu Wenjun’s chesnut horse forward with all her might.

Lu Wenzhong suddenly saw Chengping as well, and was so alarmed that he wasted no time in joining Li Wanwan, huddling around Lu Wenjun and hastily leading her away.

Yet after a few steps, Lu Wenjun abruptly broke free, turning her horse back to face Chengping alone. With a bold tilt of her charming face, she demanded: “You Hu guy! How rude you are—staring at me like that. Could it be that you’ve taken a fancy to me?”

Chengping stared at the smiling face with redness in his eyes.

He nodded slowly, tears streaming down his face.

Lu Wenjun laughed and said, “Fine! Then every year on this day, come here and wait for me. When I want a lover one day, I will come to find you.”

After she finished speaking, she casually took off a small golden bell carved with honeysuckle from the collar tied around the chestnut horse’s neck.

“My name is Wenjun. This is a token of mine for you—take good care of it!”

She tossed a small golden bell she had just removed, striking his face before it fell to the ground at his feet.

Chengping closed his eyes, then opened them and saw that she had turned her horse, called out to the stunned Li Wanwan and Lu Wenzhong, and rode away with laughter. He watched the figure in the yellow jacket and red skirt being surrounded by people, coming and going like the wind, disappearing from his sight, with only the clear, bell-like echo of her laughter seeming to linger in the air.

He took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped. Standing there for a long time, he finally turned back, stooped to pick up the little golden bell, looked at it for a moment, then slowly mounted his horse and rode away.

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