CH 4

The midsummer heat in Chang’an was annoyingly hot, very different from Southern Yunnan.

Yuan Ci Xian was scared by the poisonous sun that she didn’t go out for a few days. One day, she received a thank-you gift from the old lady of Lu family, saying that she was grateful for her help last year and apologized for Lu Shuang Yu’s reckless behavior a few days ago.

That’s the end of the story. She didn’t pay much attention to it, wholeheartedly focused on her own business, and ordered Jian Zhi to go outside to investigate the situation in the capital, while paying attention to the movement in the mansion.

After a few days, she felt that something was wrong at home.

She had been separated from her elder brother for many years, and although they always kept in touch with letters, she couldn’t understand his situation with just a few words on paper. In her impression, her elder brother didn’t like to do homework and practice martial arts since he was a child, was indifferent to political affairs, and had no intention of competing for fame. But these days, she found that some of the servants in the house were acting strangely, it seemed that they often talked with him in the study, and the conversation lasted for a long time.

These people were not like servants, but like retainers kept in the house.

But her elder brother didn’t even have a job, so what did he want a retainer to do? Yuan Ci Xian asked twice, but Yuan Yu always avoided talking about it.

Since she couldn’t ask directly, then let’s set him up.

In the afternoon, she went to find her brother to play chess, and after killing a few games, she tapped the jade piece and asked tentatively: “Last time brother wrote to me, you said that Sixth Prince gave you a rare Huamei bird, why don’t you show it to me now?”

Yuan Yu’s hand paused: “You like bird watching now? I’ll ask someone to buy a cute one for you to play tomorrow.”

“I don’t want it. Something a noble person sent must be unusual.”

“What’s so unusual.” Yuan Yu was watching her, “It died within a few days of raising it.”

Yuan Ci Xian seemed to look at him casually, propped her cheek and said, “Then tell him to send another one.”

“That person is a prince, can he listen to your brother’s orders?”

She said “oh”, and said disappointedly: “I thought he even gave brother a bird, so you two must be familiar with each other…”

Yuan Yu hissed strangely. His sister didn’t look like a person who obsessed with playthings. Since she shouldn’t be interested in the Sixth Prince’s bird, is she interested in the Sixth Prince?

He might as well make a move, and said with a serious face: “Father wrote to me saying that you come all the way to Chang’an because you missed me, but I can’t see it at all… Could it be you deceived Father, in fact you secretly come to look for Mr. Right?”

Yuan Ci Xian choked up.

Of course she coaxed and lied to her father and mother, otherwise how could she come on this trip. But it was not a bad thing for her brother to misunderstand in this direction. After all, she couldn’t tell the truth right now.

Not to mention that there was not enough information to determine whether the dream was true or not, even if the dream was indeed the future, she couldn’t easily tell her father and brother. Her father and brother were the kind of people who don’t believe in gods, ghosts and absurd things. If she wanted to convince them, even if she couldn’t produce real evidence, at least don’t say such empty words.

What’s more important, her father was a stubborn old man, full of righteous blood, and stupidly frank and loyal, while her elder brother was a bit impetuous and had soft ears. She had to think carefully about how to proceed so that it wouldn’t backfire.

She thought for a while, then made up her mind, and said with a smile, “Yes.”

Yuan Yu stared at her for a while, then pointed at her and said, “Wow! Is it because father and mother don’t love you enough, or because brother gave you a cold-shoulder that make you want to hurry up throw yourself out?” He was so angry that he stood up, “Last time you asked about Lu Zishu, and this time you asked about Sixth Prince. You’re so good Yuan Ci Xian, your tone is not small!”

Actually took fancy to the two people who were crowned the most beautiful men in Chang’an! Is he, Yuan Yu, not good-looking enough or handsome enough, that’s why his sister was hooked up by people?

Yuan Ci Xian got up and pulled him to sit down, and coaxed him: “It’s not that the men in Yaozhou are not good enough for me to look at! I’m also not in a hurry to marry, I just want to look around first. Brother also knows the Nanzhao’s incident. I was able to dodge it that time, but what if it happens again?” She looked longing, “Last time that Assistant Minister Lu, I know that brother doesn’t like him, but what about this Sixth Prince?”

Yuan Yu glanced at her, hesitating for a while, then said angrily: “Not right.”

Yuan Ci Xian pestered the reason, and after a long time of talking, she finally got a vague explanation: “Sixth Prince is a good man, but the situation in the court is complicated. How can the imperial gate be entered casually? You should give up this idea as soon as possible.”

“Since the former crown prince was abolished and executed, the position of the crown prince has been vacant for a long time. Isn’t the so-called situation in the court just a few princes vying for that seat? If so, could it be that Sixth Prince also coveting the throne?”

Yuan Yu looked at her with surprise: “You are so bold, you dare to say anything!”

Seeing his reaction, Yuan Ci Xian’s heart tightened.

Today’s Great Zhou had no prince who was a true di descendant. She heard Jian Zhi said that it was the two older princes who were interested in competing for the crown prince’s position openly. And this old sixth was a little young, his mother’s family was weak, and he also not favored. All along his circumstance had always been mediocre, and he was not the candidate for the crown prince that everyone expected, so he should have no such ambitions.

But looking at her brother’s attitude, it was clearly not the case.

It’s just that even if the Sixth Prince had great ambitions, since it was not an open matter, how could her idle brother know?

Yuan Ci Xian bent over to his ear: “Looking at you so anxious, are you hiding it from father…” She dragged out the end of her voice, and said, “that you participated in the court’s betting pool?”

Yuan Yu was so frightened that he almost jumped up, then he calmed down and said: “I am not! Don’t think too much, and don’t talk nonsense with father!” After that, he didn’t want to play chess anymore, “It’s getting late, brother has a distinguished guest to entertain later, you go have dinner with your sister-in-law first.”

Yuan Ci Xian nodded, and left as if nothing happened, then turned around and whispered to Shi Cui: “There will be a guest at the mansion tonight, keep an eye on it for me.”

…

After dinner, Yuan Ci Xian had just finished taking a bath when she heard Shi Cui say that the guest had arrived and was being led by the servant to her brother’s study.

Her brother obviously had something to hide from her, and possibly even their father, if this so-called “distinguished guest” entered the study, it would be difficult for her to see him again.

She ordered the maid who was dressing her to be quicker, and after hastily tidying up, she hurried out of the yard, her black hair, which was still a little wet, was loosely tied behind her head, as there was no time to comb it.

The evening wind was dry and hot, Yuan Ci Xian was sweating from running, picked up the path, and moved all the way to the corridor in front of her brother’s study then stopped, holding the pillar and panting.

She looked around a few times, lamenting that she was a step late, when she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from the corner of the other end.

Yuan Ci Xian raised her head, and before she could stand up straight, she saw someone had bypassed the corner. Unexpectedly, the four eyes met.

It was a man in a black wide robe and long sleeves, with a wooden hairpin binding his hair. His face was covered with a silver mask, his features were completely covered, only exposed the opening of his mouth, nose and eyes, and the corners of his mouth and eyes could not be distinguished at all.

He didn’t seem to have expected meeting someone here, froze slightly and stopped in his tracks.

The sky was not yet dark, and there was an afterglow leaked through the cracks of the corridor’s roof. The entire city of Chang’an was shrouded in this yellow halo of light. So did the woman in front of him.

His gaze fell on Yuan Ci Xian’s hand first, and he saw that her palm was supporting the pillar, her jade-like fingers were extremely white against the dark vermilion pillar.

His eyes moved slightly, and he saw her beautiful nose and willow eyebrows, jade skin and cherry lips, her cheeks were dyed a layer of blush, a few strands of wet hair stuck to her cheeks, her eyes were like wet mist, and her lips were slightly parted in surprise, revealing two rows of white small teeth.

After a pause, the man bowed to her.

Yuan Ci Xian came back to her senses, straightened her back, nodded and accepted it very naturally, pretended to ask the servant behind him, and lengthened her voice: “This is—?”

The servant replied: “Young lady, this Sir is Master’s honored guest.”

Sure enough, couldn’t find anything. After running for a long time, she still didn’t know whether the person had white face or yellow face.

Seeing him nodding his head to signal his farewell, Yuan Ci Xian was a little unwilling, and rushed forward, knocking on Yuan Yu’s door before he did.

With this movement, the flowery skirt on her body swayed, and the aroma of acacia and floral dew instantly entered the man’s nose, causing him to subconsciously took a step back.

Yuan Ci Xian smiled, didn’t look at him or explain, only said inwardly: “Brother, I dropped something in your study.”

Yuan Yu said, “Come in”.

Then she looked at the man behind her, and addressed him like the servant before: “Sir, please come in too.”

He seemed to be very polite, nodded to her again.

Hearing the sound, Yuan Yu hurriedly came out to greet him, showing respect: “Sir is here.” Then he whispered to Yuan Ci Xian who was walking in quickly, “Tell me what you dropped, I will ask someone to send it to you later.”

She waved her hand and said casually, “I’ll just find it myself.”

Yuan Yu choked, had no choice but to invite the guest to sit first, and said: “My sister is reckless, if she offended you, still ask Sir to excuse her.”

While rummaging through the room, Yuan Ci Xian pricked up her ears.  She then heard the man said: “General is polite.”

It was a very low and deep voice, which sounded much older than her twenty-something brother.

Yuan Yu sat down at the table with him, saw Yuan Ci Xian spinning around like a headless chicken, waited for a while and urged: “Ci Xian, what did you drop? I still have something to talk about here.”

She stood up from under the table, brushed her hair out of her forehead, and said shamelessly: “Brother just talk. Don’t mind me, I will go back when I find it. I won’t delay your business.”

Yuan Yu had no choice but to laugh dryly at the person opposite.

The man kept his eyes straight, his face was covered by a mask, so his emotions could not be seen.

Yuan Ci Xian pretended to be like this for a long time, but the two of them never spoke again. Seeing that her brother had made up his mind not to her listen, she had no choice but to give up. Using the screen to cover her, she bent down and pulled the pearl on her embroidered shoe, then got up in surprise: “Yes!”

She twisted the pearl on her fingertips and shook: “Brother, I found it!”

Yuan Yu looked at her with a headache: “Then go back to your room quickly.”

His younger sister’s acting skills, it seemed to be he learned from him, just as clumsy and exaggerated.

She walked over with a smile: “Yes, brother is busy.” After that, she pointed to the lychees on the small table and motioned the man to eat them, “Sir, these lychees are very sweet.”

The man bowed his head again, his eyes swept across her skirt, glanced at the apricot-colored shoes that was a little bit exposed, and quickly moved away.

When Yuan Ci Xian left, Yuan Yu said embarrassedly, “Making Sir laugh.”

He shook his head: “The young sister is frank and pure, why would I laugh.”

Yuan Yu felt that this was ironic.

At the beginning, mother named his sister “Ci Xian*“, seeing that it had good meaning, he didn’t want to make her go astray, becoming not elegant. But unexpectedly she liked to play polo, kicking cuju, and still gave birth to so many evil tricks, especially these years in the vast and free Southwest Territory. And their father and mother were used to spoil her, so she simply became a ruffian.

He sighed to himself, and then went back to business: “Sir, why did you take the initiative to meet this time?”

The man asked: “Has the general ever considered marriage matters for County Princess?”

Yuan Yu was stunned: “Why did you ask this, sir?”

“This humble one came here to deliver some reassurance pill from Sixth Prince. Seeing that General hesitate to choose, His Highness expressed his sincerity by saying that he would accept County Princess as his consort. He also promised that if the matter is successful, he will share the glory and splendor of the rest of his life with County Princess, respecting each other like honored guest. But if the matter fails, he will also strive to protect the lives of County Princess and the Yuan family.”

Yuan Yu’s expression tightened.

The man’s thin lips pursed slightly and asked, “General, you say, if there is a relationship between County Princess and His Highness, convincing your esteemed father… wouldn’t it be easy?”