Chapter 62: A Sunny Day Chapter 41: The Thought of a Fantasy Coming True

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Shen Tu's wife, under Feng Xu's guidance, was helped forward by a maidservant.

"Good child, you have suffered..." Shen Tu's wife held one of the girl's hands; those fingers were slender, the joints slightly coarse, with calluses on the palm and at the base of the thumb. Shen Tu's wife gripped this hand and asked, "Tell Great Mother again, what is your name?"

The girl looked at Shen Tu's wife's obviously blind eyes and answered softly, "This child is called Shaowei."

Shen Tu's wife asked again, "Do you have a pet name?"

"Yes..." the girl answered, "Mother calls this child Qingniang."

Saying this, she hurriedly asked, "Why don't I see my Mother?"

"Your Mother is recuperating from illness and cannot leave the door... don't worry, now that you have returned here, you will surely meet again in the future." Shen Tu's wife asked another sentence: "But you silly child, since you have a token in hand, why did you not come to seek your Mother?"

The girl lowered her eyes: "Mother never spoke of her origins; Qingniang longed for her but had no way to start searching, and did not even know Mother was still ill—truly unfilial..."

Her voice was hoarse and choked; Shen Tu's wife reached out, groping to wipe the tears from her face: "Good child, these years have wronged you. But now that you know the situation, go in peace to Xian Tai Gong, follow the immortals to learn immortal arts and court rites—this is your opportunity. Do not fear... after a few years, Great Mother will take you home."

She also instructed: "These years you may not leave Xian Tai Gong without permission, but fortunately you may visit home once every half month. If there are any difficulties or things you cannot adapt to, remember to tell me and your Great Uncle and Second Uncle; the family will protect you."

The girl nodded heavily through tears, retreated two steps and knelt, hands clasped in a ritual bow before her forehead, and kowtowed three heavy times to Lord Lu and his wife and Feng Xu.

With the motion of kowtowing, as the girl's wide sleeves slid, a small section of her arm was revealed. Lord Lu noticed it was covered in scars, mostly horizontal, clearly caused by a sharp blade cutting multiple times.

Feng Xu hurried to help her up: "Get up quickly..."

"This child is unusually sensible." Lord Lu looked at the girl, her face full of tears, and said to her: "Another day, I will go with Great Mother to Xian Tai Gong to see you; then we can talk properly. The ritual altar ceremony is imminent; we cannot miss the hour. It is better to set off for Xian Tai Gong quickly."

The girl held back her tears, answered "Yes," performed another bow, and then boarded the carriage and left.

As the carriage and horses began to move, the girl propped up the carriage window, poked her head out, revealing a forehead red from kowtowing and eyes red from crying, and waved her hands hard to bid farewell to the Feng family group.

In the scenery rushing backward behind her, Feng Xu responded with a kind expression, waving his hand, and Lord Lu also nodded to reassure her.

After the carriage turned a corner and the window was lowered, the girl collapsed back into the carriage, almost entirely without strength, let out a long breath, and looked somewhat unsettled.

That blind old lady just now had a smile on her face, as if she had grown old and somewhat muddled, but those questions seemed to be probing her...

Ming Dan lifted her sleeve and looked at those scars. She had done so much; did these people still refuse to fully believe her?

These powerful nobles in Chang'an were indeed difficult to deal with.

But how could they be more difficult than Lady Rui Ji in the palace and the Emperor? —She had heard rumors about Lady Rui Ji when she was at Tianlang Zhai. It was said this lady was unmatched in appearance but of common birth. After marrying, her husband died, and her mother offered her to a powerful noble. She was then passed around and sent to the Crown Prince's Palace, where she gained the favor and love of the Crown Prince, now the current Emperor.

According to rumors, Lady Rui Ji had an elder brother two years her senior. In a flood, to protect Lady Rui Ji, he was swept away by the water, and the family thought he was dead. Only after Lady Rui Ji had become a lady in the palace did a groom who followed his master to Chang'an City hear of Lady Rui Ji's story. Suddenly he cried and begged to see Lady Rui Ji, claiming to be her long-lost brother.

The brother and sister met, and the Emperor was also present. But this groom had neither token nor birthmark, and his appearance had changed greatly from childhood. How could he prove his identity? —Finally, he recounted everything that happened the day he was swept away by the water, as well as the last words he said to his sister in the water.

The brother and sister embraced and wept, thus recognizing each other. This groom resumed his original name, Ruiji Liangliang, and was granted an official position by the Emperor.

This matter was spread far and wide as a beautiful tale. When Ming Dan, then seven or eight years old, heard it, the first thought that came to her mind was: If a fellow villager knew what Lady Rui Ji and her brother had done that day, and had witnessed Ruiji Liangliang being swept away by the water in danger and heard the words he spoke, could she not claim that identity for herself?

There were many such rumors. Many powerful noble clans recognized illegitimate sons returning from outside based on nothing more than a single token. Hearing such things often, Ming Dan couldn't help but fantasize whether she too would have such a fortuitous encounter, until that winter month's great snow, when Tianlang Zhai was suddenly besieged...

In panic, she followed Zhu Niang to run and find her Father. Her Father was violent, but she had always known how to please him, and thought Father would be willing to protect her. But Father was actually dead!

Father's death was horrific. Hu Wu also died from an arrow, and that woman lay on the ground covered in blood... only Shaowei was missing. Where was Shaowei? She had clearly seen Shaowei running here! In fear, a thought suddenly popped into her mind—was it Shaowei who killed them? Shaowei had actually killed their father?!

Afterward, she saw Shaowei's birthday wood token that never left her side...

After that, the zhai was filled with the sounds of slaughter. She and Zhu Niang hid, and actually saw a Generalissimo carry that woman out of a stone house—a treatment no one else had received. Zhu Niang had once tended candle flames for masters in wealthy households, hence her name Zhu Niang. At that time, Zhu Niang murmured in her ear: 【I long suspected her origins were unusual; indeed she has an identity...】

They hid for a long time, until the end, but never saw Shaowei appear.

She gripped that wood token, and in her heart slowly rose a bold thought like a fantasy come true.

Now, recalling the trembling feeling when that thought first arose, Ming Dan, weakly slumped in the carriage, subconsciously straightened her body again—Shaowei would not be afraid, nor would she be scared into slumping in a heap. She had to learn to be more like her.

The Feng family could not possibly know what Shaowei was like on a daily basis. Even the bandits in Tianlang Zhai had no attention to spare for these children. They could not even tell how many daughters Qin Fu had or their ages. This was one of the reasons her actions went smoothly.

But there was one person who must be very familiar with Shaowei and could certainly distinguish true from false: that was Shaowei's mother...

That night, when Shaowei's mother was taken away, her life or death was unknown. She and Zhu Niang could not judge the specific situation, so they made three preparations.

First, if no one came to look for them, they also had no way to go to the door, so the matter would have to be dropped for now.

Second, if Shaowei's mother was still alive, she would surely come to find her daughter—then, when someone came looking, she could hold that wood token and speak vaguely. When she saw Shaowei's mother and returned the wood token, the other party would at least give her some reward. If she begged piteously again, perhaps the other party would even be kind enough to take her in and arrange a place for her.

The third possibility, and also the most exciting one... was that Shaowei's mother was already dead, but someone still came looking. She held the token, and perhaps could take Shaowei's place!

To make full preparations, she and Zhu Niang did many things.

But to their surprise, a fourth possibility appeared—Shaowei's Mother was still alive and had not died, but it was said she had gone mad, forgetting everything that happened in the years after her disappearance completely.

This news was told to her by someone in Chang'an City. Later, she more or less confirmed this from the attitudes and words of the Feng family members who came looking...

She began to hesitate. The plan to take Shaowei's identity was based on the premise that that woman was dead; with no one to testify against her, it was safest. But now the other party was still alive, just mad and forgetful. What if one day she recovered and remembered?

This was too risky.

When she hesitated, Zhu Niang told her, bet once and you could live a life of wealth and honor!

Yes, she had been mad for so long without improvement; she would probably remain mad forever...

Or she would be mad for ten or twenty years. By then, the other party might not be able to tell if she was real or fake! Even if she could still be recognized, by then she would have won over the other members of the Feng family, and the fake would become real. Surely the Feng family would not do anything to her then! —Even stepping back ten thousand steps, she had already lived such good days for so long!

Then let's bet once and gamble on it.

Before Zhu Niang died of illness, she was still clinging to her last breath to cover up lies for her... She had come to this Chang'an City; she could not retreat anymore.

Ming Dan leaned forward again to open the carriage window, looking at the prosperous and lively scene. Zhu Niang's entrustment echoed in her ears.

—The person who sent the letter will come to find her, right?

As the carriage and horses approached Xian Tai Gong, Ming Dan's heartbeat rolled and jumped along with the rapidly rolling wheels.

Staying at Xian Tai Gong for a few years first was also a good thing. That way she wouldn't have to face the Feng family's probing every day... but would the people in Xian Tai Gong discover her flaws?

Ming Dan had no clear understanding of Xian Tai Gong, but she could not help recalling that Taoist Chi Yang — his dark robes, snow-white hair, even his eyebrows were white, a pair of extremely pale pupils staring at her, as if they could pierce through everything about her……

Recalling the feeling of being stared at by those eyes even now, Ming Dan still wanted to shiver.

The carriage came to a steady stop, and she stepped through the main gate of Xian Tai Gong with trepidation and a guilty conscience.

Everything here was something she had never come into contact with before; she was cautious and meticulous, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

But as time passed, she gradually began to settle down.

Because she could not leave Xian Tai Gong, she was temporarily still unable to formally acknowledge her ancestors and return to her clan, but that maternal uncle Feng Xu told her that after four years, when she left Xian Tai Gong, the Hou Mansion would hold a recognition banquet for her, making her FengShaowei in an open and aboveboard manner.

Although the recognition banquet had to wait until after four years, the Feng Family did not conceal her identity either; everyone knew she was the flesh and blood of the Hou Mansion's young lady, the granddaughter of Lu Hou — because Feng Zhu was not in the position of a married-out daughter, she rightfully followed her mother's surname and addressed Lu Hou and his wife as Grandfather and Grandmother.

At first Ming Dan was very worried that someone would look down on her, mock her, or probe her because of this awkward identity and origin, but she gradually discovered that under the true disparity of status, those people simply did not dare to show her any contempt…… these same-age youths selected into Xian Tai Gong mostly came from ordinary backgrounds; the best family background among them was merely the daughter of a minor military official, and they even had to turn around and curry favor with her, this young lady of Lu Hou Mansion.

Many people even vied in private to do tasks and copy characters for her, and never dared to mention her "heartbreaking past," let alone pry into anything; she did not even have the chance to reveal a flaw in her responses.

Ming Dan gradually straightened her spine and began to accept those people's flattery with peace of mind; she felt this confident and composed appearance was more like Shaowei.

Speaking of Shaowei……

Lu Hou and his wife had come to see her, and once asked her whether before the Ling Family Army arrived at Tianlang Zhai, she knew who had killed the Bandit Chief and saved Feng Zhu——

Mentioning that day, she shed tears in fear and shook her head, only saying she had not been present that day, did not know who the Benefactor was, let alone the Benefactor's whereabouts.

When alone she also often wondered: after Shaowei killed Father, was she ultimately alive or dead?

She should have died of severe injuries somewhere, right? Otherwise how could she bear to abandon her Mother, how could she give up such good days? She was that formidable; if she were still alive, she would surely have a way to return…… she must be dead.

So she merely picked up things the dead no longer wanted…… she just wanted to live a little better.

Days like this were truly good.

It was afternoon; Ming Dan stood on the upper stone steps, raising her sleeve — this robe, though a plain gray-green, was made of superior material, wearing it light and soft as clouds.

Lowering her gaze, looking down at her feet, the stone steps had been swept spotless; not far away a young Taoist attendant was sweeping up flower petals blown by the clear breeze; the peach blossoms beneath the high wall bloomed truly beautifully — Tianlang Mountain also had peach blossoms, but with no one to carefully tend and prune them, they simply did not bloom so grandly and fully.

And even with the same flowers, whether they bloom on the barbarous, chaotic bandit mountain peak, or beneath these magnificent Xian Tai high walls, the feeling they give is ultimately different.

A petal floated before her eyes; Ming Dan extended her hand to catch it — in just two short months, her hands had already become fair and delicate by a great deal.

She could not help but once again marvel in her heart: the days here are truly good, even better than she had imagined in her dreams, and after four years when she leaves here, what awaits her will be even better days.

She only hoped the dead would stay thoroughly dead, and the mad would stay mad forever.

Ming Dan clenched that petal in her palm, unconsciously gripping it very tight.

Several Taoists hurried past, discussing something in low voices.

Ming Dan knew they had recently been busy with divination for an auspicious day; it was said a new Crown Prince would be established.

The war with the Xiongnu was irreconcilable; with no heir apparent, it was inevitable that some would harbor covetous and disloyal thoughts; the Ren Emperor ultimately chose to establish the fifth imperial son Liu Cheng as Crown Prince, and following convention established the Crown Prince's mother as Empress.

Rui Ji became Lady Rui Ji, and now further became Rui Huanghou; her elder brother was also promoted again, appointed Grand Minister of Agriculture, in charge of money, grain, and finance, ranking among the Nine Ministers.

Inside the Shao Fu, Guo Shi privately sighed to his adopted son: "Worrying that the heir apparent's power is too great, it harms the sovereign's peril. Yet also worrying that the heir apparent's power is too weak, insufficient to secure the below... Your Majesty, it is difficult indeed."

As he spoke, he reached out to receive the honey water handed by the young eunuch kneeling beside him, his eyes somewhat nostalgic: "Not long ago, I served my adoptive father in this very way... My adoptive father's kindness and weight of obligation were deep; everything he knew, he held nothing back in teaching me."

The young eunuch smiled respectfully and endearingly: "I will certainly be more filial than you were back then."

Hearing the two words "filial," Guo Shi suddenly laughed, laughing for a while, waving his hand: "Then I cannot afford to enjoy such treatment!"

The two joked for a while; Guo Shi raised his hand, and the young eunuch helped him up.

"Let's go; follow me to the Jiaofang Dian to see how the Empress's palanquin arrangement is."