After the New Year's Day court meeting, Huan Xuan returned to the palace. Recalling Xiao Ling's attitude in the Qifeng Pavilion before the court session, he felt that something was wrong. There seemed to be a vague idea in his mind, and every time he was about to grasp it, it slipped away like a swimming fish.
Just as he was thinking, a eunuch suddenly called out from outside the curtain: "Your Highness, Deputy Commander Song has something to report."
Huan Xuan's thoughts were interrupted, and he pinched his brows and said, "Invite him in."
Song Jiulang walked into the study and bowed to Huan Xuan.
Huan Xuan asked: "But what's going on in the East Palace?"
He had been putting pressure on the prince step by step, forcing him to do something desperate, but Xiao Ling's return to the capital forced him to postpone his plan - the status of the governor of the three towns was sensitive, and their relationship could not be hidden from those who were wary. If he took action while she was in the capital, she would inevitably be dragged into a vortex of right and wrong.
The emperor is wary of Xiao Ling, and although he won't act rashly, there's no guarantee that he won't take advantage of the situation to harm her.
Although the plan was suspended, he still had people keep an eye on the Eastern Palace. Song Jiu was the person in charge of the matter. This deputy commander usually had a playful look on his face, but he was very good at these things, and he complemented the stern and upright Guan Liulang.
Song Jiulang said: "Reporting to Your Highness, there is no obvious movement in the Eastern Palace, but the Crown Prince has recently often summoned his subordinates to his study under the pretext of discussing scriptures, and they would talk for half a day. I heard that he rarely goes to the backyard, and only goes to Wu Liangdi's courtyard from time to time to see the little princess."
Huan Xuan thought about it and roughly deduced the cause and effect. Huan Rong and Ruan Yuewei had almost torn their faces apart before, but he suddenly took Xiao Ling back to the East Palace after entering the capital. The two things were probably related. Later, he took Ruan Yuewei to the plum blossom viewing banquet, which further confirmed his guess—he wanted Ruan Yuewei to identify whether Xiao Ling was Lu Suisui.
Ruan Yuewei must have recognized her and told the prince, so the prince treated her as a formidable enemy and consulted his aides for countermeasures.
He had always suspected that Prince Chen's poisoning of his elder brother and the death of Concubine Shu were related to Huan Rong, but he could never confirm it. However, the autumn hunt was clearly done by the crown prince, and Xiao Ling was also present at the time. No wonder he panicked.
Huan Xuan pondered for a moment and nodded: "What has Ruan Yuewei done recently?"
Song Jiulang knew that his Highness had long lost interest in the Crown Princess, and that he had managed to get Zhao Qinghui's severed hand into the Eastern Palace. However, out of habit, he still glanced at Huan Xuan's face and said, "Reporting to Your Highness, the Crown Princess will enter the palace to meet the Empress on the day of the New Year, and will stay with the Empress in the temple until the end of the New Year."
Huan Xuan nodded expressionlessly. He knew that the Queen would not send him a birthday gift or hold a birthday banquet for no reason. She must have known about his relationship with Xiao Ling from Ruan Yuewei, and the bowl of mutton noodle soup at the New Year's Eve banquet was a warning.
If it were when he was a child, he would probably be willing to give up everything in exchange for his mother's favor, even if it was the hard-to-swallow mutton noodle soup, he would eat it willingly, but now he just felt nauseous.
"I know now," he said calmly, "have there been any changes in the East Palace's garrison?"
Song Jiulang: "There isn't much change, except that the training has been changed from once in the morning and once in the evening to three times a day."
He paused and said, "But this is also common. The Lantern Festival is approaching, and the guards in the palace are stepping up their training, and even our family is doing the same."
Huan Xuan nodded slightly. This year the emperor would go to the Qinzhengwuben Building to watch the lanterns, and the prince would also accompany him. Intensifying training and strengthening defenses were a matter of course.
It had been planned long ago that the emperor would go out of the palace to watch the lanterns and have fun with the people. The imperial court would have celebrated it in a big way the year it recovered Huaixi, showing off the prosperity of Dayong to the envoys of various vassal states. However, the event was delayed again and again because of the emperor's stroke, and it was finally delayed until the Lantern Festival this year.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but Huan Xuan felt inexplicably uneasy, as if he had missed something.
He pondered for a while but still couldn't remember what was wrong. He hadn't slept the previous night, and the hangover from the alcohol he had suppressed was now starting to show up. It was as if a group of monkeys were playing the pipa in his mind, making it difficult for him to calm down and think.
He rubbed his forehead and said to Song Jiu, "Go and tell Commander Tongguan to take a team of soldiers to guard the Qinzheng Office Building on the Lantern Festival."
In any case, it's always better to be safe.
Fortunately, Xiao Ling would go to Qujiang Lake, which was located in the south of the Qinzhengwu Building, so even if something happened, it would not affect her.
…
The first month of the year is the time for visiting relatives and friends. The city of Chang'an is more lively than usual. As soon as the morning drum sounds, the streets and alleys are crowded with people, and people in new clothes go around to pay New Year's greetings, and the crowds are shoulder to shoulder.
Sui Sui was in a foreign land and had no relatives to visit, but she received quite a few invitations in the first month of the year. On New Year's Day, she had to feast with the emperor and all the officials in the palace as usual. On the first day, the empress held a small banquet to entertain women of the third rank and above and daughters of the royal family, and Sui Sui was among them.
Then she went to attend a banquet at the residences of the eldest princess and Prince Yuzhang respectively, and then it was the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
The Lantern Festival did not begin until after sunset. After dinner, Su Sui sat under the corridor of the main hall, sharpening her knife while waiting for nightfall.
She poured some oil on the whetstone, placed two fingers against the blade, and carefully rubbed it, the blade scraping against the whetstone, making a fine rustling sound. Her hands were steady, her force was even, and her expression was focused and peaceful, as if she was not sharpening the knife, but practicing Zen.
This was her habit since she was young. She would do this to empty herself before going to the battlefield. Although she had fought hundreds of battles and never lost, she was not a god after all. No one was sure of victory. Even if she won a battle, she might die in the next one. Blood spilled on the sand was almost the fate of a general. Besides, for her, whether being killed or killing was not an easy thing. People outside said that she was naturally cruel and bloodthirsty, but they didn't know that she almost vomited bile the first time she killed someone.
The guards all knew General Xiao's habits, so when they passed by her, they concentrated, held their breath, walked lightly, and tried not to disturb her.
Cheng Zheng looked at her from a distance for a while, then stopped a passing guard and asked softly, "Why is the general sharpening his sword?"
The guards had been with him for a long time and were already very familiar with him, so they casually said, "This is the general's habit since he was young."
Cheng Zheng showed a puzzled look on his face: "Habit?"
The guard realized that he had let the cat out of the bag, his expression froze for a moment, and then he perfunctorily replied, "A knife will become dull after being used for a long time, so of course it needs to be sharpened from time to time. The general cherishes his precious sword and has been used to sharpening it himself for so many years."
Cheng Zheng smiled slightly and nodded: "I see."
Today is a rare sunny day. The afterglow shines on the roof, and the snow on the tiles is dyed golden red.
After Sui Sui finished sharpening his own knife, he carefully wiped off the oil on the knife with a handkerchief. The clean blade reflected the sunset, shining brightly.
She sheathed Jingsha, and seeing that it was still early, she returned to her room and took out Huanxuan's Luanhai sword.
Although General Ye spent a lot of money to buy this knife and gave it to her as a gift, she still didn't think it was her own knife. A good knife, like a good horse, will recognize its owner and cannot be changed hands simply by buying and selling.
She could never understand why Huan Xuan would give up the sword. The King of Qi would not sell his sword just because he was short of money, right
She was amused by her own thoughts, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but slightly raise, and she rubbed her hands more vigorously.
Cheng Zheng looked at her steadily, her every frown and smile could not escape his eyes. When she was sharpening the first knife, her expression was like an old monk in meditation, but when she changed the knife, there was an indescribable smile in her eyes, as if she had fallen into the world of mortals.
Tian Yuerong passed by him and saw him staring at General Xiao in a trance, so she called him, "Master Cheng."
Cheng Zheng came back to his senses and bowed to her: "Commander Tian."
Tian Yuerong was still wearing her usual Hu costume, with her hair tied tightly in a bun. She tilted her head with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes: "Is sharpening a knife so beautiful?"
Cheng Zheng's cheeks flushed slightly: "Excuse me, Commander Tian."
Tian Yuerong said: "It's not the knife sharpening that looks good, it's the general sharpening the knife that looks good. Whatever our general does looks good."
Cheng Zheng's face flushed even more: "Why did the general stab you twice?"
Tian Yuerong said: "She is used to using this one. It has been with her for ten years. It was left to her by our old general. The new one was bought by General Ye from Youzhou two years ago and given to her. It is the one she is wearing now."
Cheng Zheng thought for a moment, "This must also be a famous sword, right?"
Tian Yuerong pursed her lips and said, "The knife is a good one, but it's probably a replica."
She paused and explained, "The inscription on this sword is 'Luan Hai'. I just heard recently that the sword worn by the King of Qi is also called Luan Hai. Master Cheng must also know that once a sword becomes famous, some craftsmen and merchants will want to take advantage of it. If you walk around the market in Heshuo, you can find several Jingsha."
But he didn't know that the speaker was uninterested and the listener was not happy. A trace of sadness flashed in Cheng Zheng's eyes: "So that's it."
Tian Yuerong said: "We are going out soon, Master Cheng, are you really not going to Qujiang Lake to watch the river lanterns?"
Cheng Zheng held his mouth and turned his face away, coughing twice: "I'd better stay in the posthouse, Commander Tian, don't worry about me."
He was weak to begin with, and he tried to be brave by giving the umbrella to Sui Sui that day. As a result, he caught a cold, and it lasted for half a month before he recovered.
As he spoke, Sui Sui had already wiped the knife and put it back into the sheath. He returned to the room, took out a piece of black silk, wrapped the blade, tied it up with a silk rope, took it out and gave it to Xiao Shun, saying, "Go to Qujiang Pavilion and give this knife to the King of Qi."
After saying that, he picked up his bag of sand and walked out.
She walked across the courtyard, approached Tian Yuerong, and patted her on the shoulder: "Get ready to go."
The blush on Cheng Zheng's cheeks had not yet faded. He looked at Sui Sui deeply and said, "General Xiao, be careful."
Sui Sui knew that he was trying to find out about their whereabouts tonight from Tian Yuerong indirectly. Tian Yuerong was a rough but careful person. She seemed to be laughing and joking usually, but she was very clear about the serious matters and could be described as cautious. Even if there was a one in ten thousand chance, she would not dare to take it lightly.
Sui Sui did not doubt Cheng Zheng's character. After rescuing him, they carefully checked his background several times before they dared to keep him by their side.
However, this person is thoughtful and sharp-eyed. She likes to think about things, and it is not good to hide things. So she said, "If Master Cheng wants to see the lights, he can go to the Qujiang Pond area, which is far away from the Qinzhengwu Ben Building. That area may not be peaceful tonight."
Cheng Zheng nodded: "I understand."
He pursed his lips and said softly, "General, please take good care of me."
After saying hello, he led Tian Yuerong and other personal guards out the door.
She and the rest of the people had already gone out in batches and mixed in with the people who were watching the lanterns near the Qinzhengwu Building.
After Sui Sui and his group left, Chun Tiao and the guards who stayed behind also discussed going to the south of the city. Xiao Shun asked Cheng Zheng again, and seeing that he was determined to stay in the post house, he said: "Then we will leave. Master Cheng, please be careful with the doors and lights."
A group of people went out with lanterns in their hands, making a lot of noise, and he was the only one left in the huge courtyard.
Cheng Zheng returned to his room, read for a while, and painted three pictures of plum blossoms in the snow. However, he was uneasy for some reason, and each picture he painted was worse than the last, and they were all unsightly and vulgar.
Before I knew it, the moon was already at its zenith, but when I looked up at the sky from the corridor, I could not see the moon at all. Instead, the sky was filled with Kongming lanterns released by the people of Chang'an, like stars, and together with the lights on the ground, they illuminated the sky as if it were dusk.
He stood quietly for a long while before returning to the room, taking down his zither from the wall and placing it on the table. Unconsciously, the lanterns were just beginning to light up. For some reason, he felt uneasy, so he took out his zither and played a piece of music that Xiao Ling liked, "Three Variations on Plum Blossoms". After a moment's pause, he plucked the strings and played "The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix".
Unexpectedly, before the song was over, there was a sudden "bang" sound, and a piercing pain came from his fingertips. It turned out that the string of the zither broke and cut his fingers.
His eyelids twitched, and he suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.
At this moment, someone outside the wall suddenly cried out in surprise: "Something terrible has happened! The lantern wheel is on fire! It's collapsed! Oh my God! It's collapsed. Did you see it?"
Cheng Zheng was startled and rushed out without even bothering to put on his fox fur coat. When he reached the courtyard, he heard shouts getting louder and louder. However, his sight was blocked by the eaves and pavilions, so he could not see where the lantern was turning.
He stood there for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth, went back into the house, picked up the fox fur, put it on, and quickly walked towards the stable.
It is necessary to sharpen the knife before the battle. What she is going to do tonight will be extremely dangerous. He can't help much even if he is there, but he really can't sit still in the inn and wait for news. He must rush over, even if he can't do anything, he wants to be by her side.
…
Huan Xuan had just finished his lunch and bathed and changed his clothes, dressing himself up beautifully. He wore a jade-colored brocade robe, a white fox fur coat, and a white jade crown, looking like a jade tree in a forest of jade. This outfit was arranged for him by Huan Minggui during the plum blossom viewing banquet. He had no objection to it, but since Xiao Ling liked this kind of dress like a newly widowed young wife, it would be okay to accommodate her in these minor details.
So the Prince of Qi asked Nanny to find a skilled craftsman to make five or six sets of similar clothes for him to wear in turn. To match the clothes, he also asked someone to make a silver saddle for his white horse, with a white jade bridle, so that both he and the horse looked like a newly widowed woman.
It was just after 3 p.m. when everything was packed up. He waited idly until the first evening drum sounded, then got into the carriage holding a crystal clear glass lotus lantern - he could have left earlier, but he didn't want to appear too impatient.
The north of the city is the busiest place in the first half of the night, with all the common people in the city flocking to the north to see the lantern wheel, the mountain of lanterns and the Wandeng Tower. After watching the various operas and strolling around the market, they go to Qujiang Pond to release river lanterns. As a result, the further north you go, the more crowded it is, while the further south you go, the more spacious it is.
The carriage went faster and faster, the sound of jade bells gurgling, and the carriage shaking slightly.
Huan Xuan tossed and turned for most of the night. He now leaned against the fox fur cushioned wall of the car, closed his eyes and fell asleep before he knew it.
Somehow, recently he often dreamed of the first time he met Xiao Ling in Tangli Palace when he was a child, and he was having this dream now.
He grabbed Xiao Ling's red clothes and refused to let her go. She had no choice but to spit out a plum pit from her mouth, sloppily buried it in the dirt, patted it flat, and smiled at him, showing her beautiful gap teeth: "When the plum tree grows, I will come back."
As she said this, she tried to pry open his muddy fingers.
He was about to let go when he suddenly remembered something and quickly clenched his fist: "You lied to me, you liar."
Xiao Ling's smile froze on her face, then she smiled even sweeter: "Sister is so beautiful, how could she lie to you?"
Huan Xuan suddenly felt that what she said made some sense. How could such a beautiful girl be a liar
But he felt vaguely that he couldn't let go.
After hesitating for a while, Xiao Ling suddenly leaned down and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek: "I'm not lying to you. Sister will be your bride in the future."
After saying that, she suddenly shook off his hand, jumped up the wall, and waved at him: "Little fool, I lied to you."
Huan Xuan woke up with a start, gathered himself, lifted the car curtain, and asked Song Jiu outside the car: "Where are we?"
Song Jiuyi: "Reporting to Your Highness, Yongningfang is just ahead, and we are about halfway to Qujiang Lake."
Huan Xuan hummed and pinched his brows.
The feeling of being teased by a pretty little liar in my dream just now still lingers in my heart, as if there is a ball of wet cotton blocking my chest.
He looked out the window. Although the south city was not as lively as the north, the streets were also full of lanterns, and there were a few Kongming lanterns floating in the sky.
He couldn't help but think of New Year's Eve at Duting Inn. He drank a lot that night, but he remembered every word she said.
Although those words were not all good, he still couldn't help but take them out and chew them over and over again, just like a greedy child eating only one slice of sour orange, even if it was sour and astringent, it was better than eating nothing.
As he chewed, he suddenly felt that the taste was not right.
Every word she said was to pour cold water on him and ask him to give up, but why did she ask him to go to Qujiang Pond to release river lanterns
Huan Xuan recalled that she had reminded him again the next morning at Qifeng Pavilion, as if she was afraid that he had gotten drunk the night before and had forgotten their agreement, as if she was very worried.
His heart trembled, and he finally understood where his vague uneasiness came from - Xiao Ling was not that kind of person at all. If she wanted to play with him, she would just take action without saying anything, and would never drag her feet and make an appointment with him to light lanterns, let alone remind him again and again.
So why did she invite him to Qujiang Lake? To make him come back empty-handed, to repay him for abandoning her alone in the middle of the road
This is not something Xiao Ling would do.
He rubbed his forehead, and something in his mind was about to come out. He must have missed something.
He calmed himself down and recalled everything that had happened since Xiao Ling came to the capital. Suddenly, his face darkened and he asked Song Jiu without thinking, "You said that the prince only went to Wu Liangdi's place a while ago?"
Song Jiulang: "Yes."
Huan Xuan's face turned ugly. The prince's two concubines had given birth to princesses about the same time. Meng Concubine and her daughter were said to be more favored by the prince. Even if he looked after the children, he would not be partial to one over the other. Moreover, the prince was a heartless person. He was so worried about Xiao Ling's affairs that he had no time to care about his daughter.
His heart gradually sank: "Is Wu Liangdi a brother in Yingyang Guard?"
Song Jiulang thought about it and said with a stern expression: "Wu Yue, the Right Guard General of Yingyang Guard, seems to be Wu Liangdi's eldest brother."
If the Crown Prince really communicated secretly with the generals of the Ten Guards through Concubine Liang, his ambition must be great.
Huan Xuan asked: "Have the women of the Wu family been in and out of the Eastern Palace a few times recently?"
Song Jiulang had a good memory, and after a brief recollection he remembered: "In addition to paying respects to the emperor during the New Year, Wu Liangdi's grandmother was ill the day before New Year's Eve, and the prince allowed Wu Liangdi to leave the palace to visit her. On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the little princess' birthday, the Wu family brought plaques into the palace to congratulate her, and also sent festival gifts."
Huan Xuan's heart sank gradually. These few rounds of conversation were enough for both parties to settle some important matters.
The prince might want to take action against Xiao Ling, or be more daring and sinister and directly plot a rebellion, and then implicate both him and Xiao Ling - if something happens to his father and their relationship becomes public, there is no way to clear it up.
Huan Xuan said to the driver: "Stop the car."
Song Jiu was surprised: "Isn't Your Highness going to Qujiang Pond?"
Huan Xuan didn't wait for the carriage to stop, he jumped off the horse, took the reins from the guards, climbed on the horse, and said to the guards: "Let's go to the Qinzheng Office Building."
…
The area around the Qinzhengwu Building was brightly lit. Sui Sui sat on the third floor of the Buddhist Pavilion of Xiuci Temple in Shengyefang, drinking tea while looking at the lantern wheel across the street.
After finishing a cup of tea, she was about to grab the teapot when a bony, white hand like jade suddenly appeared in front of her and grasped the handle.
A familiar male hand.
She looked up along her hand, a look of helplessness flashed across her face, and then she smiled faintly: "Why are you here?"
Huan Xuan sat down opposite him, took her cup and poured himself a cup of tea, then squinted at her: "I will be wherever the liar is."