Shen Xihe turned around and stood in front of the hanging flower gate, and saw Xiao Huayong sitting at the stone table with his back to her.
He was wearing a thick black cloak, with a collar of snow-white fox fur, a jade crown to tie his hair, and all his black hair was tied up. He was surrounded by osmanthus trees in full bloom, and the fragrance was fragrant.
The sun was covered with cumulus clouds, and the good day was hidden behind the cotton-like white clouds. The not-so-bright sunlight sprinkled softly and fell gently on him. Even though he was sitting with his back to him, he was still quiet enough to be included in the painting.
A gust of wind blew, and the tiny plans swayed and fell. Shen Xihe reached out to catch a flower that floated towards her, and walked towards Xiao Huayong.
This seemingly frail man is like the sweet-scented osmanthus, pure enough to escape from the dust, and rich enough to spread far.
"Princess." Tian Yuan bowed first when he saw Shen Xihe.
When Xiao Huayong stood up and turned around, Shen Xihe had already walked up to him and bowed.
"Princess... ka ka ka... You are so polite..." Xiao Huayong took the first step to support her, but he seemed very weak. After expressing his meaning, he withdrew his hand, "Princess... please sit down."
Shen Xihe sat down opposite Xiao Huayong. It was cool today, so she also wore a cloak. However, her cloak was much thinner than Xiao Huayong's.
After not seeing him for a few days, Xiao Huayong's face had become even paler, almost transparent. His eyes were gentle and lacked a bit of spirit, with his eyelids half closed, which made the tiny mole at the end of his eye look even more lazy.
As soon as Shen Xihe sat down, servants served tea and snacks, including jade dew balls, crispy honey cold dishes, and rice brocade...
The last dish served was rice brocade. Xiao Huayong lowered his eyes slightly and his sight fell on the rice brocade: "Double Ninth Festival is coming... Kaka... I am afraid that I won't be able to celebrate the festival... so I ordered Kakaka... rice brocade to be made in advance, and I will eat it with the princess... Let's just celebrate the festival in advance..."
Mi Jin is a flower cake that every household in Kyoto eats during the Double Ninth Festival.
During the Double Ninth Festival, people in the northwest have the custom of climbing heights. It is even more lively in Kyoto. Drinking chrysanthemum wine, eating flower cakes, inserting dogwood, wearing ** in the hair, and climbing heights are all inevitable.
Given Xiao Huayong's physical condition, it is basically impossible for him to drink chrysanthemum wine or climb high places, and he should even eat less flower cakes.
"Climbing high doesn't necessarily mean climbing a mountain or a tower." Shen Xihe said softly, "I have been weak since I was young. Every Double Ninth Festival, my father and brother would accompany me to climb the tower of the Northwest Pass..."
On one side, you can see the people in the city tower cheering and celebrating the festival with lanterns and decorations, while on the other side is the vast yellow sand, which solemnly and majestically keeps the foreign barbarians out.
Shen Yueshan and Shen Yun'an tried various ways to please her. Whenever there were days when the girls could show off and ride horses wildly, they were always so cautious, for fear that she would be sad.
One year during the Lantern Festival, Shen Xihe caught a cold, but she had already made an appointment with Shen Yun'an to go see the lanterns. Shen Yueshan said he would not let her go out no matter what, so she got angry and was unhappy.
Shen Yun'an put aside his status as a prince, and on the night when she recovered from her illness, he knocked on every door's door, begging them to light a lantern that day. He then took her to the city wall to watch the lanterns all over the city light up for her, and only then did he make her happy.
These memories are so sweet just thinking about them.
"The tower of the imperial city can also have a panoramic view of the grand occasion of Kyoto..." Xiao Huayong said, "If it is the Double Ninth Festival, I am still in good health. I wonder if I can go up to the tower with the princess?"