Chapter 39
Sweet sweet chapter. Look how pretty the picture is!
Also thanks to leecherleechleech who has been extremely helpful all this time by pointing out my typos.
Chapter Thirty Nine
The reason that the Princess Royal had suddenly returned to Jing was as Qu Qing Ju had expected. Something had happened. It really wasn't some unexpected incident. It was just an usually good man like the Count of Bei Lu had suddenly taken a fancy for a daughter of a little official and had wanted to take the person into the fu. Such a person like the Princess Royal didn't even argue with him and crisply sent somebody with the girl to return home. Who knew that the Count of Bei Lu was so angry he installed this person a mistress[1] outside.
When the Princess Royal found out, she gathered her servants and tore down the residence that the Count of Bei Lu had outside. Then she took her children with her back to Jing. As to how the Count of Bei Lu was, the Princess Royal didn't care at all.
Qu Qing Ju finished listening to the entire story and sighed: "The love between husband and wife, it's just this." The daring that the Princess Royal had, a lot of it was based in the fact that she was the Emperor's daughter, that she was the Princess Royal of noble birth. If it was another woman who met such a thing, even if she left, who would help get justice for her?
After Jin Zhan recited the story from beginning to end, she whispered: "Nubi has also heard that the Emperor and Empress already know of the incident. The Emperor is very angry and has summoned for the Count of Bei Lu to come into Jing. "
A man like the Count of Bei , he hadn't really been in love. He was only wary of the status of the Princess Royal and hadn't met the woman that made his heart move. Now that he met a young and innocent girl, he forgot his wife, forgot his children and forgot his own identity. This kind of man, compared to those womanizers, was there a difference?
When He Heng came back from court, his expression wasn't well. It looked like he also knew what had happened with the Princess Royal.
"In the future, when you go to the Princess Royal's residence, spend some time with her," When He Heng stopped, he gave a sigh, "This Count of Bei Lu is too outrageous."
Qu qing Ju pretended to not have known already: "What is it?"
He Heng instantly went silent for a beat before answering: "He let down the Princess Royal, fuhuang was very angry and summoned him back to Jing."
Knowing that he didn't want to go into the details, Qu Qing Ju smiled and said: "It's late, let's eat now."
He Heng glanced outside before nodding. He affirmed: "It's really not early anymore. After we eat, I'll take you out to see the lanterns." He was still thinking about this event and didn't want other people's happenings to affect the mood between the two of them. He then continued, "There's going to be many people tonight. I've gotten someone to prepare a veil for you. It will be good to go for a walk."
Qu Qing Ju revealed a smile: "Then let us eat quickly. I still have to change." The clothing she was wearing was beautiful, but it reached the floor and wasn't appropriate to go outside.
Knowing that she wanted to go outside, He Heng smiled and agreed: "Yes." He turned and washed his hands, preparing to eat.
The meal started with a small bowl of yuan xiao[2]. Qu Qing Ju used half a bowl before randomly eating a few other dishes before she started to wash her hands and rinsing her mouth. When He Heng put down his chopsticks, she stood to go to the inner room to change.
Holding a cup of digestive tea, the smile on He Heng's face grew deeper. Looking at the gradually darkening sky outside, He Heng ordered Qian Chang Xin and the others to prepare a carriage.
Qu Qing Ju changed on a blue-green tight girdled short dress. She styled her hair into a douwoji. When she came out she saw He Heng sitting at the side drinking tea. She came forward and asked: "What does wang ye think of this?"
He Heng saw the short dress in blue-green that she wore. It was different than the laziness she exuded usually. Like this, she seemed to have more of the lovable nature of a young girl, just like a tender flower but which was became water with a pinch.
"Very good," He Heng came forward to pull her hand, "let's go, it will start soon."
Sitting on the carriage for a while, she found that it became gradually louder coming from the street as though they had entered a high density area. But there wasn't anyone who blocked the carriage. The one they were riding in didn't have the symbols of the wang fu, but the people who could sit in a two-horse carriage, how low would their status be?
After the carriage travelled for another while, it stopped. He Heng passed a veil to Qu Qing Ju, "Almost to the river, come down with me." Finishing, he got down the carriage first, holding a hand out to her.
Qu Qing Ju gave her hand to him, allowing him to help her out of the carriage. She didn't know what the veil was made out off. Even though it seemed that a thin mist covered her view, she still could clearly see everything. Her hand was grasped in He Heng's, hidden in the other's wide sleeve. It felt a bit like the first romance between boy and girl as they came out to walk together. But Qu Qing Ju was very clear inside. She wasn't an innocent girl. And the other wasn't a youth in the middle of his first crush.
By this time, both sides of the river shore was filled with beautiful lanterns. There were some stalls where lanterns were hung up for people to spend money and guess riddles. If they were right, they would receive a lantern as a gift.
Behind the two of them were the taijian and guards, all in common clothing, who didn't let other people crowd them. Passing through the busy crowds, Qu Qing Ju saw people take river lanterns as they walked towards the edge of the river and some children running around with animal lanterns. In this instant, her mood was very good.
"What has always been said to come, but has never really came?"
"Wind?"
"Clouds?"
Qu Qing Ju heard the exchange and couldn't help laugh out loud. He Heng saw she was very happy and asked, "What, does Qing Ju know?"
This, placed in her previous life, it was a brainteaser that would be placed on the winter homework of elementary school children.
"Of course I know," She turned to look at the people still guessing, "It's tomorrow."
Hearing this answer, He Heng couldn't resist smiling, "That's correct." Behind him, he pulled on the veil and made it more secure on Qu Qing Ju. He then complimented, "Qing Ju is very smart." Finishing, he dragged her in front a stall.
"Which one do you like?" He pointed at the lanterns hung above them.
Qu Qing Ju followed his hand to look up. She pointed to a moon rabbit lantern and commented: "That bunny is very cute."
He Heng motioned for the peddler to take down the moon rabbit lantern and check the tag hanging on the lantern. It was the first part of a couplet, and asked for the matching second half.
Qian Chang Xin saw this and quickly gave money to the peddler to let his master guess the right answer to the couplet.
"The rabbit's soul is connected to the silver sea … …" Qu Qing Ju recited the first line. She wasn't skilled at this topic, and didn't know if He Heng could give the answer. She prepared to look at the lanterns hanging elsewhere.
"The crab's mountain receives the purple star.[3]" Who knew that Qu Qing Ju hadn't even seen clearly what was hanging on the other lantern before she heard He Heng give the matching line. She raised and eyebrow and laughed: "So skilled."
"Just a simple couplet," He Heng took the moon rabbit lamp from the peddler and presented it in front of Qu Qing Ju, "For you."
She took this lantern. Qu Qing Ju raised it and looked in examination for a while before replying: "Thank you wang ye."
Seeing Qu Qing Ju like this lantern, the smile on He Heng's face became even more visible. It was just when he took a few steps, the smile on his face wasn't so natural anymore.
Because he saw He Yuan was coming straight over in his direction. Beside him, there was a woman, but she wore a veil that disguised her appearance.
It was obvious that He Yuan saw him. The two brothers both stopped in their steps before they walked near each other.
"Er ge." He Yuan's gaze swept next to He Heng. He took his eyes back: "Er ge has such good spirits today."
"San di is as well," He Heng casually moved to the side, managing to hid half of Qu Qing Ju's body behind himself.
"Greetings to Duan Wang, Duan Wang Fei." Just at that moment, the female next to He Yuan opened to speak.
Hidden under the veil, Qu Qing Ju's eyebrow jumped. She paused for a beat before questioning: "San mei?"
Why was Qu Yue Su walking together with He Yuan, what was the people of Chang De Gong Fu doing?!
[1] 外室 (wai shi): meaning outside room. The woman that becomes a waishi isn't recognized in any way by the family of the man and neither are the children, usually. The woman also has no real status, unlike a concubine of any rank and therefore no income except what the man gives her.
[2] 元宵: the food takes its name from the Lantern Festival. It is a dessert type food made with a sweet filling rolled around in sticky rice flour to form a thin coat before being cooked.
[3] 兔魂连银海 鳌山接紫微 is the complete couplet. The meaning is "The moon shines widely and brightly, the lanterns mutually fold over each other high."
| 兔 | Rabbit | Refers to the moon | 鳌 | Turtle | Lanterns shaped like the legendary turtle |
| 魂 | Soul | 山 | Mountain | ||
| 连 | Connect/join | 接 | Connect/catch/receive | ||
| 银 | Silver | Another name for the Milky Way | 紫 | Purple/Amethyst | Ziwei is one of the stars, a major one used in fortune-telling, especially of the emperor's fate |
| 海 | Sea | 微 | Tiny/Minature |