Chapter 184: Old Dreams on the Pleasure Boat
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He Yan didn’t expect there to be such a history between Yang Mingzhi and Xiao Jue. After listening to Lin Shuanghe, she pondered for a while.
Indeed, the last words Yang Mingzhi said were too hurtful. However, nothing happens without reason. If you can’t help, then don’t help, why stab someone in the heart like that? Moreover, Yang Mingzhi’s original temperament shouldn’t be so sharp and bitter. He Yan thought so, and as Xiao Jue’s former good friend, Xiao Jue shouldn’t have overlooked this.
He Yan asked, “What happened afterward? Did the Commander and Lord Yang not have any contact anymore? Was there no misunderstanding between them?”
Lin Shuanghe shook his head. “After Huaijin went to Guo City, he rarely returned to the capital. But as for Yang Mingzhi, not long after Huaijin left, he stopped attending classes at Xianchang Academy. With his talent, I thought he would become the top scholar and stay in the capital. It wouldn’t have been difficult with his father’s connections and his own abilities. However, since then, he seemed to have disappeared. Being brothers, Huaijin’s matter was indeed his fault. I also stopped contacting him later. Therefore, I don’t know when the governor of Jinling City turned into him.”
It seemed that these brothers had truly gone their separate ways, He Yan thought.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by Yan He’s impatient urging, “Lin Shuanghe, open the door!”
Lin Shuanghe stood up, walked to the door, and opened it. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yan He standing there. Lin Shuanghe smiled, “General Yan, what brings you here so late?”
Yan He was about to speak when he noticed He Yan in the room and asked suspiciously, “Why is he in your room?”
“I came to see if there were ants here,” He Yan said. “If there are, I’ll help Brother Lin get rid of them.”
“Yes, yes,” Lin Shuanghe said solemnly. “He’s here to drive away ants for me. Don’t randomly suspect our relationship.”
“What nonsense,” Yan He frowned. “Hurry up and change your clothes and come with us.”
“Go where?” Lin Shuanghe was puzzled.
Yan He cleared his throat. “I’m going to tell Yang Mingzhi that we’re going to the Qinhuai River on a pleasure boat tonight. As a local governor, he should prepare hospitality for us. Quickly change your clothes and inform Xiao Huaijin.”
No one expected Yan He’s behavior. Lin Shuanghe was dumbfounded, asking, “Why do we need to go on a pleasure boat?”
“Look at the appearances of Yang Mingzhi and Xiao Huaijin. Who are they trying to deceive?” Yan He said triumphantly. “I saw it at a glance. Today, I’m in a good mood and willing to act as a bridge for them. Xiao Huaijin won’t come to Jinling every day. Spending more time together will naturally resolve misunderstandings.” He played with his ponytail. “These years, I’ve traveled around, understanding a lot of worldly affairs. With Xiao Huaijin’s unpleasant temperament, it’s impossible for him and Yang Mingzhi to resolve misunderstandings by themselves. As for Yang Mingzhi, I don’t particularly dislike him. I’m not doing it for Xiao Huaijin, just for Yang Mingzhi.”
Seeing Lin Shuanghe silent, Yan He raised his chin. “What do you think? Do you think I’m magnanimous? Hurry up and thank me for your best friend.”
He Yan: “…”
Lin Shuanghe: “… Thank you very much.”
Yan He is truly a talent, He Yan sighed in her heart, always accurately hitting Xiao Jue’s forbidden area. No wonder the two of them didn’t get along well at Xianchang Academy.
“No need to thank me,” Yan He said nonchalantly. “I’ll go inform Chu Ziran.”
“…Wait a minute,” Lin Shuanghe asked, “It’s okay for Yang Mingzhi, but why bring Chu Ziran?”
“Everyone lives here, but only him being left out makes me seem petty. Moreover, in the officialdom, one naturally needs to be more tactful. Can one really appear powerful by making enemies like cockfighting in everything?” Yan He sneered, “Oh, I forgot, you’re not in officialdom, so naturally, you don’t understand these things.”
He patted Lin Shuanghe’s shoulder and walked towards Chu Zhao’s courtyard.
Lin Shuanghe and He Yan looked at each other in silence. As expected of Yan He; he managed to involve two enemies at once. Excluding Yang Mingzhi, adding Chu Zhao, Xiao Jue was probably going to be infuriated. He might not even go along.
“Little Sister He, ” Lin Shuanghe said, “How about… you go tell Huaijin?”
He Yan: “Together.”
This was like courting death. How could she bear this alone?
The two hesitated for a moment, and finally, they arrived together at Xiao Jue’s room. They explained what Yan He had just said, thinking Xiao Jue would definitely refuse. However, unexpectedly, Xiao Jue turned around and said, “Okay.”
This shocked both He Yan and Lin Shuanghe.
He actually agreed like this, and his expression was so calm? Lin Shuanghe whispered to He Yan, “Could it be that he’s waiting to fight with Yang Mingzhi on the boat? That would be too undignified.”
He Yan: “Very likely.”
Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow slightly, “Aren’t you going?”
“Go, go, go, of course we’re going.” Lin Shuanghe leaned over to He Yan’s ear, whispering, “We must go. If they fight, remember to pull them apart and mediate.”
He Yan was speechless.
After agreeing like this, they each went back to their rooms to change clothes. They had been traveling on the road, dusty and tired. If they went to the pleasure boat dressed like that, it would be out of place. He Yan had someone fetch water and took a bath, changing into fresh clothes.
When they left Rundu, the people who saw them off in the city had brought a lot of food and clothes. The fabric wasn’t very expensive, but it fit well. He Yan looked at herself in the mirror. A young man in green clothes and cloth boots, with hair tied into a simple bun, clear brows and bright eyes, looking no different from the students who entered Xianchang Academy in her previous life. She seemed to have grown a bit taller since arriving at Liangzhou Garrison, standing in the room, tall and straight like a poplar tree, young and full of vitality.
After He Yan finished dressing, she pushed open the door and walked out. As soon as she went out, she found that everyone had already finished getting ready and was waiting outside for her. Yan He impatiently spoke, “You, a small Wuan Lang, why are you so troublesome? So many people are waiting for you. Are you putting on makeup in there?”
He Yan thought, it’s really a coincidence; she did put on makeup inside. A girl disguised as a young man also needed careful decoration.
Xiao Jue glanced at her, his lips slightly curved. “Let’s go.”
The house arranged by Yang Mingzhi for them was not far from the Qinhuai River. Therefore, they didn’t take a carriage but walked there themselves. The group of people were either handsome young men or beautiful men, standing out on the street. Occasionally, daring girls pretended to twist their ankles and leaned towards them. However, Xiao Jue, who never liked contact with others, naturally avoided them. Yan He, not having a compassionate temperament, not scolding anyone was him leaving room for compromise. Beside Chu Zhao was a beautiful maid, so those girls shifted their attention to Lin Shuanghe and He Yan, and the two ended up in trouble.
He Yan couldn’t remember how many beautiful girls she had helped, but those girls’ affectionate gazes were difficult for her to resist. At that moment, she felt it might be better for them to be as innocent and adorable as Song Taotao.
Lin Shuanghe was the same, not knowing how many times he called out “little sister.”
Yan He watched them with malicious joy and said to Lin Shuanghe, “Lin Shuanghe, after all these years, I didn’t expect you to be so liked by women.”
Lin Shuanghe adjusted his slightly wrinkled clothes, smiled slightly, and said, “Naturally, just like how you are always unlikable by women.”
Yan He snorted, “I already have a wife; I don’t need to please others.”
He Yan was a bit surprised and looked at Yan He, “General Yan is already married?”
As soon as this was said, Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao both looked at He Yan.
Lin Shuanghe unfolded his fan, “Didn’t expect that, General Yan, you got married early in your prime.”
“I think you’re jealous.” Yan He sneered.
He Yan felt a bit strange. She had little contact with her classmates from Xianchang Academy after joining the army, and she didn’t know when Yan He got married. Although it was not unreasonable for Yan He to get married at this age, considering his arrogant and wild temperament, it was really hard to imagine what kind of husband he would be. Only at this moment did He Yan truly feel a kind of realization – the young people from back then had indeed grown up.
While everyone was talking, they had already reached the Qinhuai River. Several servants were waiting by the river, and when they saw He Yan’s group, they came forward and said, “Commander Xiao, General Yan, the Governor is ready with the pleasure boat and is waiting onboard.”
In fact, given the Yang family’s background, Yang Mingzhi didn’t need to go to such lengths; this posture was already quite low. However, among this group of people, his former close friends had already grown distant from him, and the well-intentioned troublemaker Yan He didn’t know how to speak properly. As for Chu Zhao, he wasn’t very familiar with Yang Mingzhi. He Yan had even changed her appearance. Therefore, as soon as the group boarded the boat, the awkwardness of Yang Mingzhi was already apparent.
Yang Mingzhi had taken off his official robe and put on a sandalwood-colored long shirt. Although he held an official position, there was no hint of the slyness of a seasoned official on his face. Standing here, he appeared even more reserved, with a bit of youthful pride. He Yan was somewhat dazed, feeling like she had returned to Xianchang Academy, where Yang Mingzhi was still the same as before.
Yan He patted Yang Mingzhi’s shoulder and walked to the bow of the boat to look around, saying, “You know how to enjoy life, picking such a nice place like Jinling. Little did you know that we fought in Rundu not long ago, not far from your Jinling. It was like h*ll on earth; people were already eating each other.”
Yang Mingzhi was astonished, “Really?” Then a touch of indignation appeared in his eyes. He moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.
The Wutuo people caused trouble in Jiyang and Rundu, but Jinling City was not affected at all. It remained as lively as ever, with lights and lanterns, and the Qinhuai River was full of pleasure boats flowing downstream. The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments floated on the water. On the shore, lights were brightly lit, and flowers were in full bloom.
He Yan sat in the boat, looking out through the window. The water was almost shining from the lanterns and fishing fires on the boats, like a real peaceful and prosperous era.
Here is different from Jiyang, where the boats are small and the water market is lively, like the spirited and straightforward girls of Jiyang. In contrast, Jinling is like an old dream in a building, with enchanting scenes and the thick atmosphere of spring.
The sound of pipa came from one of the boats, and the sound of the zither was like pearls falling on a jade plate, causing one’s thoughts to flutter. Lin Shuanghe stood at the bow of the boat, smiling, “Jinling is still the same as many years ago. The boats, the water, and the pipa sound are exactly the same.”
Upon hearing this, Ying Xiang curiously asked, “Has Young Master Lin been to Jinling before?”
“Naturally,” Lin Shuanghe fanned himself gracefully. “Speaking of which, when I came to Jinling last time, I wasn’t the only one on this boat. Right, Brother Yan, Huai Jin… Lord Yang, isn’t that so?”
He then looked at He Yan, who was looking at the scenery on the water. “Brother He, is this your first time in Jinling? How is it?”
He Yan nodded, “Very beautiful.”
She thought to herself that it wasn’t her first time in Jinling. As Lin Shuanghe said, if you counted the last time they were in Jinling, there was one more person on this boat. Her.
It was a summer day at Xianchang Academy, just like the current season. There was a poetry meeting in Jinling, inviting renowned scholars from Dayi. This was a rare event in ten years, and the gentlemen of Xianchang Academy wanted the young men to see the world. Therefore, they selected the top ten young men who excelled in literary studies, sending invitations to the poetry meeting.
He Yan, of course, did not receive an invitation. Although she was better in literary studies than in martial arts, she still couldn’t make it to the top ten. However, He Yan had no interest in going to Jinling. Wearing a mask was always inconvenient, and being with those young men day and night was not easy to avoid. Not going was just right. Thinking of this, she didn’t feel much regret.
On that day, after He Yan finished her studies as usual, she read a few more books. The sun was about to set, and she estimated that there might be some leftovers in the kitchen, so she got up and walked towards the kitchen. The door to the firewood room was half open, and as soon as she walked to the door, she heard the lively voices of young men from inside. “Brother Lin’s proposal is excellent. Since we’re going to Jinling, why not go to the Cloud Pavilion for a look? I’ve heard of the famous Flower Fairy there. If we can meet her, it will be worthwhile in this life.”
“Right?” Lin Shuanghe’s voice followed, “They say the beauties and fine wines in the Cloud Pavilion are unparalleled in Great Wei. How can a poetry meeting compare to the fun in the Cloud Pavilion? I suggest we stay in Jinling for a few more days. Since the teacher won’t be with us, let’s enjoy ourselves for a few days. No one else will know!”
He Yan listened with a stunned expression. She knew about the Cloud Pavilion, and it was said that among all the flower houses in Great Wei, the Cloud Pavilion had the most beautiful women, each with their own unique charm. Among them, the Flower Fairy was especially extraordinary and unforgettable.
This group of people actually used the pretext of the poetry meeting to secretly go to the flower house. If the master found out, they would all have their legs broken. He Yan marveled at their audacity and had no intention of getting involved in this matter. Just as she was about to leave, a voice from inside said, “Who?”
In the next moment, the door to the firewood room was opened. A group of young men were sitting around, and Yan He angrily said while holding He Yan’s collar, “Are you eavesdropping?”
“It’s not that I wanted to eavesdrop,” He Yan explained, “I was just passing by.” They were speaking so loudly and didn’t close the door. How could they blame her?
Yan He threw her into the firewood room and closed the door. The young men looked at her with burning eyes, and they all started talking.
“We’ve actually been overheard by He Rufei. This is bad luck! Should we not go anymore? What if this guy reports us?”
“No, we’ve finally made it to Jinling. How can we ruin it because of this guy? That would be a big loss!”
“What should we do then? Silence him? Bury him here?”
He Yan was shocked, weakly opening her mouth, “… No need to be so violent. I didn’t hear anything. Brother Lin?” She looked at Lin Shuanghe for help. After all, they had a bond of “improving together,” and at this moment, he couldn’t just stand by.
Lin Shuanghe stared at her for a moment, then closed his fan, “Oh, it’s not a big deal. I believe Brother He won’t report even if he heard something.”
“Is your belief useful?” Yan He’s face was very dark. “Are you responsible if something happens?”
“I’m not responsible for this, but if something happens, we can take him with us.” Lin Shuanghe spread his hands, “This way, he won’t incriminate himself.”
He Yan: “…”
Lin Shuanghe always came up with particularly imaginative solutions in such matters.
He Yan struggled, “The teacher won’t agree. I don’t have an invitation…”
“Don’t worry about that,” Lin Shuanghe smiled slightly, “I’ll take care of it.”
In this way, He Yan was forced to follow the young men to Jinling.
Lin Shuanghe somehow obtained an invitation, and the master agreed. Although Madam He was a bit uneasy, He Yuansheng approved. Anything that could enhance the glory and reputation of “He Rufei” was something he supported. Therefore, with little effort, He Yan went on a solo trip with the young men to Jinling.
The mode of transportation was by water.
It was He Yan’s first time on a large ship, and she vomited uncontrollably, almost vomiting out her heart and liver. The other young men didn’t like having a tagalong like him, so they mocked him for being delicate. Lin Shuanghe, who was somewhat more friendly with He Yan, had long become good friends with the boatman’s daughter. He often told stories to the boatman’s daughter, making the little girl laugh non-stop, and she didn’t care about “Brother He” being forced to take this long journey because of him.
He Yan couldn’t express her bitterness in her heart. She raised her head and leaned against the side of the boat, listening to the cheerful laughter of the young men inside the boat as they played with grasshoppers. Looking at the cold and clear moon in the sky, blowing the chilly wind, her heart felt particularly chilly.
While contemplating whether she could fish on this boat, she suddenly felt someone patting her shoulder from behind. He Yan instinctively turned her head, and the next moment, a cold object was stuffed into her mouth. Startled, she tried to shout, but the thing slid down her throat, into her stomach.
“Cough, cough, cough—” She suddenly coughed violently, looking at the person in front of her.
The youth in white casually leaned on the ship’s rail, glancing sideways at her. In the moonlight, a clear reflection of herself appeared in her eyes.
He Yan, in a panic, touched her throat and asked, “What… what did you give me to eat?”
Xiao Jue languidly replied, “Poison.”
“What—” He Yan was shocked.
“Shh,” he supported his chin with one hand, looking into the distance of the flowing water, “don’t shout. If you make too much noise, you’ll die quickly.”
“I…,” He Yan’s tears were about to fall, “I have no grievances with you, why would you harm me?”
The youth curled his lips, adding a bit of wickedness to his usually lazy demeanor. “Isn’t it because I’m afraid you’ll report us?”
“I won’t report you!” He Yan pleaded urgently, “Quickly give me the antidote!”
“There’s no antidote,” Xiao Jue replied indifferently, “No medicine can cure it.”
He didn’t seem to be lying, and He Yan realized, after a moment of shock, that her legs were weak, and she couldn’t stand, sitting on the ground with a thud.
Why is it like this?
So, these young men lured her out just to conveniently kill her and cover their tracks? Considering the location, it indeed seemed suitable for committing such a crime. Throw the body into the river, and there would be no trace left. However, after death, being eaten by fish, she wondered if it would be cold. Back then, she wasn’t very courageous, and she had many thoughts.
After contemplating for a long time with a sad expression, she finally raised her head and asked the young man standing at the bow of the ship, “How many days do I have left to live?”
As if not expecting her to ask this, Xiao Jue hesitated for a moment, hummed, “Five days.”
“Five days…” He Yan murmured, “It’s only three days to Jinling. That’s good. I still have two days, and I can go see the Youhua Fairy.”
Since she was going to die, it wasn’t a loss to see a beauty before dying. That’s what she thought.
Xiao Jue sneered, and didn’t answer.
He Yan, holding onto the ship’s mast, sat for a while. After an unknown amount of time, she stood up, swaying as she walked inside. After taking two steps, she suddenly realized something.
She didn’t vomit.
Realizing it belatedly, He Yan ran to Xiao Jue, excitedly tilting her head up and asking him, “Brother Huaijin, did you give me an anti-seasickness medicine? I’m not seasick anymore, right?”
Although her face was covered by a mask, it couldn’t hide the upward curve of her lips and the joyful tone in her voice. Xiao Jue looked at her indifferently, his lips curved, a tone that seemed gentle but carried a touch of sarcasm, “Stupid.”
He turned and walked away.
Looking at his back, He Yan felt that this person was really bored, giving her seasickness medicine just to scare her.
… Even though she was really scared.
Recalling the funny stories from her youth, He Yan couldn’t help but laugh. In the boat not far ahead, where the sound of the pipa came from, a woman’s singing voice echoed.
“… Distant Cangshan, distant Wushan, the small boat travels through dreams that are hard to hold onto. Life is like a song, difficult to think, difficult to hate, and now between you and me, a barrier stands. The spring wind ages both the old and the young…”
The woman’s voice was gentle and ethereal, even more moving than the pearl-like sound of the pipa. Lin Shuanghe pointed at that boat and said, “That’s it! The melody of Youhua Fairy’s playing was like this back then, lingering for three days. I…”
He suddenly froze, as if remembering something. He walked quickly, spoke to a servant on the boat, and the servant left. Shortly after, the boat in front stopped, the curtain was lifted, and a woman holding a pipa walked out.
This woman was dressed in a light and thin rosy robe, her phoenix eyes half-bent, her lips like cherry blossoms, with a gentle and delicate posture. Standing at the bow of the boat, just her demeanor made people’s hearts flutter. The lights on the boat reflected, making it difficult to see her face clearly. But even though her face was unclear, it was undoubtedly stunning.
Holding the pipa, she didn’t speak but bowed gracefully to everyone. It was like an old dream with a touch of warmth on the banks of the Qinhuai River, illuminating the bewildered eyes of the young men.
“… Miss Youhua Fairy?” Lin Shuanghe exclaimed in surprise.
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