This time, Caiyun didn’t pretend not to understand. She held the lotus flower deeply, looking at the misty scenery, and asked Mingzhu a question: “If someone else became emperor, what would happen to you all? What would happen to these people?”
Mingzhu replied calmly, “We would die. These people, if not too deeply involved with us, might continue to live. If they’re lucky and meet a good emperor, their rice bins will be full, and they’ll have new quilts. If not, they might have to follow us to the grave.”
“What about me?” Caiyun looked back at Mingzhu with sad eyes.
“You can go back to your master. I will arrange for someone to send you back early; you don’t need to worry about that,” Mingzhu said. When she had spare time, she thought about how to arrange for the people around her in case of failure. Everyone had their own path. As for herself, as long as there was a chance, she wouldn’t die with Yuwen Chu. She wanted to take the children and escape, using all her strength to raise them well.
“I can’t go back,” Caiyun said suddenly, her mood low. “My master had the road up the mountain destroyed to prevent me from returning.” She whispered, “But I don’t care. Who wants to stare at a mountain forest for a lifetime? Eldest senior brother is too old, second senior brother is too clumsy, third senior brother doesn’t like me, only likes senior sister Mu, and fourth senior brother treats me well, but senior sister Qiu can’t live without him. My master told me, ‘Little Cai, you should go down the mountain,’ so I happily followed you. They don’t want me, and I don’t want them either.”
This was the first time Caiyun revealed her thoughts to Mingzhu. She felt sorry for the girl; those around her were not suitable companions. The only appropriate senior brothers already had partners, so Shi Jiujing sent her down the mountain. However, for Mingzhu, this was an opportunity.
At this moment, the boat moved into the deeper part of the lotus leaves, and a water bird suddenly flew out in another direction. The boatman’s son jumped into the water without hesitation, rummaged among the lotus leaves, and returned with several beautiful blue-green bird eggs, offering them to Mingzhu like a treasure.
Mingzhu left three eggs for her household and gave the rest to Caiyun, comforting her: “Your master was afraid you’d waste your time in the mountains, so he let you follow me. He told me you’re destined for greatness and the mountains couldn’t hold you. By entrusting you to me, he felt at ease.”
Caiyun smiled, playing with the bird eggs. Suddenly, she raised her eyebrows at Mingzhu: “I want to find my own hero. If I have the chance to see my senior brothers again, I want him to beat them all! Then I’ll be their sister again and take good care of them.”
Mingzhu suppressed a laugh, “Good idea.”
Caiyun found it amusing herself and laughed for a while before saying, embarrassed, “I need to think about it. Once I’ve made up my mind, I’ll let you know, Wangfei.”
Mingzhu had brought her back a long time ago, and whenever she asked about such things, Caiyun would always dodge the question and never give a definite answer. Today, she finally said she would think about it, which was no small feat. Mingzhu, moved by this rare moment, said, “Let me draw a portrait of you.”
Caiyun immediately struck a pose she thought was beautiful but then became frustrated, “Wangfei, you didn’t bring paper and pen. Shall we go back and get them first?”
Mingzhu shook her head and pointed to her head, “It’s all in here. I’ll have it ready for you by dinner.”
Caiyun leaned in, “With so many lotus leaves, what delicious dishes are you going to make?”
“Lotus leaf porridge, lotus leaf chicken, lotus leaf rice—whatever we can think of,” Mingzhu replied, planning to cook the meal herself. Su Lan loved lotus leaf chicken, and if she cooked it now, it would arrive in the capital just in time for Su Lan’s dinner. Today was also the day of the joint tribunal session.
Back at the estate, Caiyun took her lotus flower to her room while Mingzhu had the newly picked lotus leaves and flowers arranged in vases. She herself used a lotus leaf to carry the bird eggs to show to the three at home. Yuwen Chu was already awake, playing with the two children on the bed with the toys Ban Jian had brought. All three were barefoot, shouting joyfully. The toys Ban Jian made were so exquisite that even Yuwen Chu seemed quite interested in them, not just the children.
She showed them the blue-green bird eggs, telling them what they could eat today. Yuwen Chu feigned indifference, “I’ve seen these bird eggs before, nothing special.” But he still held one in his hand, examining it closely, and finally praised, “It’s quite pretty. This is the best gift I’ve received.”
Zhuang Zhuang kept asking, “Is there a bird inside? No? When will it come out?”
Millet studied it seriously for a moment, then accidentally crushed it with her chubby hand. The egg’s contents spilled all over her hand, and she stood there stunned for a moment before bursting into tears.
Zhuang Zhuang immediately hid his egg behind his back, watching Millet warily, making it clear he wouldn’t share this time.
Yuwen Chu chuckled helplessly and handed his egg to the maid to have it cooked for Millet. He tried to get Zhuang Zhuang to do the same, but Zhuang Zhuang adamantly refused, insisting on keeping it to hatch into a bird.
The morning passed in this warm, peaceful manner. In the afternoon, Yuwen Chu went to a meeting, the children took a nap, and Mingzhu sat down to draw Caiyun’s portrait. With her excellent memory, she vividly recalled Caiyun’s every movement and expression. By the time Caiyun came to find her, the portrait was almost finished.
In the drawing, a round-faced, bright-eyed young girl held a half-bloomed lotus flower, sitting at the bow of a boat, carefree, with her bare feet dangling in the water. In the misty distance, lotus leaves stretched out, and a water bird soared into the sky, the breeze lifting the girl’s hair. Her mouth was slightly open in surprise, capturing her joyful expression perfectly. The lifelike portrait showed Mingzhu’s heartfelt effort.
Caiyun fell in love with it at first sight but didn’t dare disturb Mingzhu. She quietly sat nearby, and when Mingzhu finally put down her brush, Caiyun eagerly said, “I love it. As a thank you, I’ll tell you a story.”
Mingzhu knew an exciting moment had arrived. She gestured for Caiyun to wait, saying, “Don’t rush. A good story deserves a pot of good tea and some delicious snacks to accompany it.”
By the steaming hot spring pool under the western window, Caiyun picked up Mingzhu’s charcoal pencil and drew a three-story high ship on a piece of paper. “This kind of ship is covered in iron plates. The bottom layer is for rowing, and the top two layers are for living. Not only can it hold cannons, but even horses can run on it…”
