Chapter 478: Summer: Turbulent Currents in the Shadows [Grateful Thanks

The next day,

In the afternoon,

at the Shen family in Guanghua Fang,

at the main gate,

"The bride has reached the street corner!"

came the joyful voice of a young maid wearing a red sash at her waist,

and the guests standing at the Shen family's main gate all turned to look toward the street corner.

Several girls of about eight or nine years old, holding hands with their friends, ran toward the street corner with the young maid.

Girls of marriageable age, however, did not run like that; they merely moved closer to the main gate, seeking a good spot from which to see the newlyweds.

The joyful sounds of suona and gongs and drums gradually grew clearer and closer; by the time they reached the main gate, they were already somewhat piercing, causing Wu Da Da Niangzi and the Misses to cover their ears.

A short while later,

the figure of the groom, riding a tall, powerful horse, arrived at the main gate.

"Oh, the white horse Rui-ge is riding is truly magnificent and spirited!"

said a Wu Da Da Niangzi standing at the gate.

"I heard it is a Northern Liao dragon steed sent by the Xu family for the groom to ride; how could it not be magnificent!"

added another Wu Da Da Niangzi nearby.

"Oh, let's go in and watch the wedding ceremony."

The two Wu Da Niangzis, speaking thus, entered the courtyard together with the guests at the gate.

Around the gate, several Misses who had visited the Shen family the day before did not go in; instead, they watched the groom and bride with smiles while whispering among themselves about the groomsmen beside Shen He Rui, such as Xu Xu Zaijing and Gu Gu Tingye.

"Sister Shen San, guess which groomsman beside the groom is the 'wicked youth' you spoke of?"

Hearing the words from the side, that Miss Shen San looked somewhat shyly at the several people near the groom and hesitated before saying, "I think we should first rule out the one who is tall, handsome, refined, and has a gentle gaze; just looking at him, one knows he is a good person."

The other several Misses suppressed their laughter and exchanged glances, saying, "Mm-hmm."

Miss Shen San focused on distinguishing them and continued, "Then rule out the one of medium height; I think he resembles Sister Hai, so he must be Elder Brother Hai Chaojie of the Hai family."

"That's right. What else?"

"That wicked youth must be the one who was just standing beside the white horse with a lecherous smile, caressing the horse affectionately! Just now, the two Wu Da Niangzis said the horse came from the Xu family, so he must be soothing his own mount!"

"Sisters, is my guess correct?"

Hearing these words,

the Misses around them all laughed, and someone said, "Sister Shen San, let's go in."

Inside the courtyard,

amidst the festive and lively atmosphere,

the newlyweds, after bowing to heaven and earth and offering tea, were escorted to the bridal chamber.

After smilingly watching the hejin ritual,

Xu Xu Zaijing, along with Gu Gu Tingye, Hai Chaojie, and several other young men from official families in the capital whom he knew, prepared to go to the banquet tables.

Just as he reached the doorway, he saw a girl of sixteen years standing nearby, looking at him with eyes full of surprise.

When Xu Xu Zaijing looked over, the girl immediately turned and ran away as if fleeing for her life.

At the banquet tables,

Xu Xu Zaijing did not sit at the same table as Gu Gu Tingye and the other groomsmen; instead, he sat with Yu Yu Huguang at a table of higher seniority and status.

After the groom, Shen He Rui, finished offering wine and left,

Shen my lord and Wu Da Da Niangzi came over with Shen Hezhen and deeply offered a cup of wine to both Yu Yu Huguang and Xu Xu Zaijing.

The wedding banquet ended at the first quarter of Xu hour (7:00 PM),

and Xu Xu Zaijing, Gu Gu Tingye, and Yu Yu Huguang, together with their personal attendants and young servants, left the Shen family.

On the road,

after exhaling a breath of wine scent, Gu Gu Tingye said to Yu Yu Huguang, "Elder Brother Yu, I heard that fellow Zhang Zhang Shipan is still lying on the bed?"

Yu Yu Huguang nodded and said, "Not taking the medicine diligently, naturally the recovery is slower."

Gu Gu Tingye laughed and said, "Truly deserved! Brother Jing, that day you should have used the jade pendant at your waist to smash him!"

Xu Xu Zaijing glanced at Gu Gu Tingye and said, "Yuan Erlang, four or five people were holding me; how could I have taken off the jade pendant?"

Gu Gu Tingye was momentarily stunned, then nodded: "That's true!"

After walking for a while,

Gu Gu Tingye suddenly asked, "By the way, Elder Brother Yu, did the Hong family invite you or Elder Physician Yu to examine them?"

Yu Yu Huguang thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "No, they did not."

"Yuan Erlang, what's wrong?" asked Xu Xu Zaijing, riding on the other side.

"Brother Jing, the Third Miss of the Hong family said she is ill; the engagement with the Fifth Branch is most likely off."

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at the surrounding street scene and said, "The matter of that girl boarding the Qin family carriage has spread throughout Bianjing; Lord Gu will not allow such a woman to enter the household, for otherwise he would be throwing the Gu family's face onto the ground to be trampled."

"Claiming illness also preserves the dignity of both families."

Gu Gu Tingye nodded in agreement: "Brother Jing, my sister told me that back in Yang Zhou, we actually met this girl; do you have any impression of her?"

Xu Xu Zaijing shook his head: "No, I do not."

Gu Gu Tingye said, "Neither do I."

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from behind.

Gu Gu Tingye looked back and said, "Trouble; those four brats from the Zheng family, Jiang, He, Hu, and Hai, have caught up. We did not hold back when we went to welcome the bride today."

"It is not good to ride horses on the streets at this time; let them come over. At worst, we will just teach them another lesson."

Gu Gu Tingye finished listening and gave a thumbs-up.

A few days after the Shen family wedding,

at the end of the You hour (before 7 PM)

at the Xu family horse racing ground,

Xu Xu Zaijing jumped down from the back of the young black colt,

looking at Hearing Yin Bo, who was leisurely maintaining his armor in front of the house, and said, "Master, have you found the reason why those two horses are restless?"

Hearing Yin Bo smiled and nodded.

Looking at the young black colt being unsaddled and having its bridle removed by Seeing Seeing Qingcao, he said, "This stallion is going to have a brother, sister, or child."

Xu Xu Zaijing turned around in surprise to look at the young black colt: "Is the imperial gift black colt pregnant?"

"Yes, perhaps it has been blessed by the joy of attending weddings these past few days. The other one is a dragon steed raised by Xunshu."

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Master, you must keep this news under wraps."

Hearing Yin Bo nodded with a smile: "Rest assured, only A-Lan and Xunshu know about this."

"Hua Xiang, go tell them I will dine with Master tonight and will not go to Mother's courtyard."

"Yes, Young Master!"

Two quarters of an hour later,

Seeing Seeing Qingcao walked over from outside Hou Fu with Chu Zhan and A-Lan, holding a tray with steaming dishes.

Xu Xu Zaijing ate and drank with his Master until the end of the Xu hour (before 9 PM),

Seeing Seeing Qingcao had already gone home to hug his wife,

and after Xu Xu Zaijing filled Hearing Yin Bo's wine jar, he held up his wine bowl and said, "Master, in two days you and I will go to the Yu family and ask Old Physician Yu to check your pulse, shall we?"

Hearing Yin Bo took a sip of wine: "In past years, you, Jing'er, would invite a Physician to the Hou Fu to check your pulse; why go to the Yu family this year?"

Xu Xu Zaijing drained the wine in his bowl in one gulp and said, "If Old Physician Yu had not fallen ill a few months ago, we would have invited him, but..."

Hearing Yin Bo nodded approvingly: "Good, I will listen to you."

Xu Xu Zaijing chuckled.

"Go, go, go, get out of here!"

Outside the door came the sound of Seeing Seeing Qingcao chasing away the Hou Fu's big dog.

"Thump, thump."

The wooden door was knocked upon.

"Enter."

Seeing Seeing Qingcao, wearing a light-colored spring shirt with her hair unbound in a bun, opened the door and poked her head in: "Young Master, Hearing Yin Bo, have you finished drinking? It is late; Young Master must attend school tomorrow."

Xu Xu Zaijing, showing no signs of drunkenness, stood up: "Let's go, let's return."

On the way,

"Where are Hua Xiang and the other one?"

"Young Master, I told them to sleep first."

"You are kind indeed. Why did you braid your hair like that?"

"Before sleeping, the two of them were experimenting with hairstyles and braided mine as well."

"Hmm."

At Xu Xu Zaijing's courtyard,

passing through the dense grape trellis into the room,

under the bright yellow candlelight,

Xu Xu Zaijing, wearing white undergarments, looked at Seeing Seeing Qingcao, who was tidying up his spring shirt nearby, and said, "The braid looks very nice."

After speaking, Xu Xu Zaijing entered the bathing room, undressed on his own, sat in the bath tub, and closed his eyes: This female servant he had watched grow up since childhood had long lost her former dark and thin appearance; now her looks were quite good, and in the previous life, she could have been an actress.

It was only because Xu Xu Zaijing arrived early that one could not tell much by looking at Seeing Seeing Qingcao.

Actually, if we looked closely, Seeing Seeing Qingcao bore some resemblance to that actress Wang He, the one from "Earn money, build three large tiled houses, and marry Xing'er."

Of course, Xu Xu Zaijing definitely did not know this.

"Creak"

The door was opened,

"Young Master? Should I not..."

Seeing Seeing Qingcao's timid voice came from the doorway.

"Pfft~"

Xu Xu Zaijing's undergarment was thrown directly at the door.

"Wash the clothes."

"Oh."

At the doorway, after Seeing Seeing Qingcao took the clothes into her arms, she shrank back outside, momentarily unsure whether to feel disappointed or happy.

The next day,

at the beginning of the Mao hour (5 AM)

the sky had already brightened,

at the Sheng family academy,

Sheng Changbai, accompanied by the servant Han Niu, arrived at the academy entrance,

looking at the person sitting in the very last row of the academy, Sheng Changbai widened his eyes: "No, Han Han Wulang, when did you arrive?"

The servant Han Niu's eyes were also full of surprise.

Without even lifting his head from the book on the table, Xu Xu Zaijing said, "Just arrived."

Sheng Changbai nodded.

After Han Niu had properly placed the book chest for Sheng Changbai, he walked to the wooden platform at the very back and sat down.

Looking at Seeing Qingcao beside him, Han Niu said, "Sister Seeing Qingcao, your hair bun looks quite nice today."

Seeing Qingcao smiled slightly. "Thank you for the compliment, Brother Han Niu."

Half an hour passed,

and the other classmates arrived at the schoolhouse one after another.

Sheng Changbai glanced at his own brother-in-law, Xu Zaizhang, but said nothing.

When the three Lans arrived at the schoolhouse,

Seeing Qingcao, sitting at the back, attracted quite a few glances; as soon as Xiao Xiao Xiaotao, Xique, and Luzhong had a moment of rest, they gathered around Seeing Qingcao, whispering and exchanging techniques for styling hair.

On the third day,

at the beginning of the Mao hour,

Sheng Changbai and Xu Xu Zaijing stepped into the schoolhouse together.

Time flew swiftly,

and it was already the Dragon Boat Festival;

the weather grew increasingly hot,

and most of the common people of Bianjing had already changed into their Xia Shan.

Three thousand li away, in Yongzhou,

within the Wang Fu of Yong,

inside the Fotang of the inner courtyard,

the Wang Fei of Yong drew three stick incenses from the incense tube before the offering table, lit them,

gently shook out the flames atop the incense,

then raised them to her forehead and bowed,

only then looking at the spirit tablet behind the offering table and carefully inserting the incense into the censer.

At the entrance of the Fotang, an old nurse whispered softly:

"Wang Fei, outside the Fu there is a Gao Seng from Bianjing holding a token of faith; he claims to have been entrusted by the Heir Apparent to come and recite sutras and pray for blessings upon the Prince and Wang Fei."

"Where is the Prince?"

"Replying to Wang Fei, the Prince has taken his medicine and is currently with the Side Consort."

The corners of the Yong Wang Fei's mouth lifted slightly in a cold smile. "Mm, invite the Gao Seng into the Fu."

"Yes, Wang Fei."

The old nurse at the door took her leave,

and after taking a deep breath, the Yong Wang Fei glanced once more at the spirit tablet behind the offering table, then smoothed her sleeves and walked outward.

Inside the Fotang, green smoke curled upward;

a gentle breeze brushed past,

scattering the green smoke in all directions, some of it drifting to the very spirit tablet the Yong Wang Fei had just looked at,

where one could faintly make out the two characters 'E Feng' traced in gold lacquer upon the tablet.

In the reception hall for guests,

the Yong Wang Fei, looking at the travel-worn monk, hastily pressed her palms together in salute. "I pay my respects to the Great Master; the Great Master has endured a hard journey."

The monk pressed his palms together and bowed in return. "I pay my respects to Her Ladyship the Wang Fei."

"Is my son well in the capital?"

"Replying to Her Ladyship, the arrow wound suffered by the Heir Apparent has long since healed; it is only on cloudy or rainy days that he feels some discomfort."

"That is good, then."

"I heard from those below that the Great Master wishes to recite sutras and pray for blessings for the Prince; may I ask where the recitation will take place? Would the Fotang within the Fu suffice?"

"Her Ladyship, the place for reciting sutras should naturally be as close to the faithful donor as possible; the Fotang within the Fu is the best place."

"Then, Great Master, please."

Speaking thus, the Yong Wang Fei rose and extended her hand.

Subsequently, the Yong Wang Fei and this monk walked along the covered corridor toward the Fotang.

Halfway there,

the monk suddenly stopped, looking up at the sky above the Wang Fu with an expression of great surprise.

"What is the matter, Great Master?"

the Yong Wang Fei hurriedly asked.

The monk hastily lowered his head. "Wang Fei, it is nothing; this poor monk's eyes played tricks on him. Let us continue."

The Yong Wang Fei looked at the monk, nodded, and continued walking forward.

Upon entering the Fotang,

the monk, seeing the maids and old nurses from the Wang Fu who had followed, said, "Wang Fei, please have these few stand farther away, to facilitate this poor monk's recitation of sutras and prayer for blessings."

The Yong Wang Fei waved her handkerchief,

and soon the others retreated far away to the wide-open doorway of the Fotang,

leaving only the monk and the Yong Wang Fei inside the Fotang.

The monk sat cross-legged on the cushion before the offering table; after glancing at the spirit tablet enshrined behind the table, he pressed his palms together and spoke in a voice only he and the Yong Wang Fei could hear:

"Her Ladyship the Wang Fei, may I ask whether the ashes of the rebel traitor that the Heir Apparent previously entrusted someone to bring back are also located here?"

Hearing these words,

Princess Marquis Yongyi looked at the monk with a face full of bewilderment and whispered, "Great Master, what do these words mean?"

The monk, with an attitude of reverence, whispered, "Princess, the ashes of the traitors who plotted to harm the imperial heir—ashes that the Marquis of Dongchang entrusted the heir apparent to send back, which both the Prince of Jing and the Prince of Tan possess!"

Princess Marquis Yongyi spoke no more, merely gazing at the monk.

"In truth, just now this poor monk's eyes were not playing tricks; rather, I saw dragon qi steaming up into the air above Wang Fu."

Princess Marquis Yongyi blinked her eyes yet still said nothing.

"Princess, this poor monk is not an officer of the Great Zhou Imperial City Bureau, but hails from the Buddhist Makeup Platform of Northern Liao."

Princess Marquis Yongyi was startled, then shook her head gently and said, "I never expected they would dare collude with a foreign nation; truly audacious, seeking profit from a tiger!"

The monk said, "We too never expected that in this vast Marquis Yongyi Wang Fu, it is actually the Princess who controls the entire situation."

Princess Marquis Yongyi looked at the incense stick still burning and said, "Speak. Are you planning to do something when the Emperor reaches his milestone birthday? How is Wang Fu to cooperate with you?"

The monk shook his head with a smile: "Princess, the Great Zhou Emperor's milestone birthday approaches; in three months, the entire Bianjing Imperial City Bureau together with the Military Affairs Bureau will surely be like a drawn bowstring, watching everywhere without blinking an eye. How could we choose to launch our move at such a time?"

Princess Marquis Yongyi chuckled lightly: "Oh? Could it not be that the Jin army's spearheads are too sharp?"

"Naturally not." The monk lowered his head and continued, "Rest assured, Princess; we only wish to ask that in some days, should you hear of any upheaval in Bianjing and find powerful troops coming to aid, you might go and take a seat upon that dragon throne."

"At that time, if we make our move yet see no action from your side, then the current Empress of Great Zhou will most likely discover how the previous imperial heir died. As for the fate of Prince Yan's family, I believe the Princess already knows it."

Hearing these words, Princess Marquis Yongyi lifted her chin neither affirming nor denying, yet her hand hidden within her sleeve, unseen by others, was trembling slightly.

"Rest assured, Princess; Jing Wang Fu and Tan Wang Fu will act together at that time! Oh, and there is one more matter," the monk continued.

"Speak."

"This Great Zhou possesses a golden wound medicine of miraculous efficacy; I hear Marquis Yongyi Wang Fu holds a large stock of it?"

Princess Marquis Yongyi shook her head: "The stores in the manor's treasury have mostly been sold at high prices to shops owned by several noble families in the capital; little remains now!"

The monk pressed his palms together and whispered, "Oh?"

Princess Marquis Yongyi's gaze was sincere as she said, "It is indeed so; if the Great Master doubts it, you may inspect Wang Fu's treasury yourself. In truth, you would do better to go to Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu; I hear the Xu family has successfully cultivated this substance alive, and they have even more there!"

"Rest assured, Princess; we naturally pursue both approaches. As for what remains in Wang Fu, this poor monk wishes to purchase some."

Within the Fotang, silence stretched for a long time,

The incense stick burned to nothing, and the ash fell into the censer,

Only then did Princess Marquis Yongyi say, "Why purchase? Great Master has worked hard; let those items serve as a token of gratitude."

"The Princess is compassionate."

(End of chapter)