Chapter 27: Plum Blossom Snow Shadow Spring Departure

  When they entered the city of Yiguo, several roads diverged. To the south was Simianlou, to the east was Lingwangfu, and to the west was Fengfu. They reined in their horses by the roadside and asked, "Which way should we go?"

  Ye Tian Ling looked at Qing Chen, who was gazing out along the Chu Yan River, seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, he turned his head and smiled: "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Fourth Brother to send me to the Feng manor."

  "After a moment of silence, Ye Tianling said: 'You don't have to worry about me mobilizing the Xuan Jia army. Since I've done so, I must have an explanation to give to the Emperor.'"

  "Still, since Feng Xiang has already spoken those words in front of Tian Di, it's better this way. Besides, my daughter seems to have made up her mind, and there's no escaping it, so why not just go along with it? It might even turn out to be a good thing." She lightly flicked the horse whip, wrapping it around her hand in a circle, and sighed half-jokingly: "Once you enter the Hou Manor, it's like entering the deep sea - I don't know if this is good luck or bad luck for me. When the time comes, don't forget to send a big gift to congratulate the second Miss Feng on recognizing her ancestors and returning to her roots. If you're sending pastries from Qian Yue Fang, be sure to ask for extra Yu Qing Hua Ye Su."

  Looking at Ye Tian, Ling Jian's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and Eleven's handsome face was worried. Qing Chen smiled and raised her eyebrows high, riding her horse ahead, with a somewhat carefree and resigned expression. Eleven caught up and looked her up and down, asking: "Have you been spending a lot of time with Twelfth Brother lately?"

  "Yes, we've been all over Yiguo City." Qīng Chén said: "What's wrong?"

  Eleven shook his head and said, "No wonder this guy's sloppy attitude is exactly the same as yours. With one more of him added to you, how are we going to get by in the future?"

  "You may really have a hard time, unlike others!" Before the words had fallen, he suddenly raised his whip and made a gesture of striking it behind the other horse. The other person was startled, but then he withdrew his whip and missed, originally just trying to scare him.

  With a flick of her eyebrow, she said: "Alright, you dare to deceive me!" Her hand slightly trembled, the whip coiled like a spirit snake, and immediately wrapped around Qing's dust-covered whip tip. Just as she was about to give her a small punishment, she suddenly shouted: "Someone's coming! Someone is bullying a civilian girl!"

  Although the voice was not loud, it attracted many people nearby to look over in surprise. Eleven froze, loosened his grip, and unexpectedly had the whip snatched away by her, glaring at her with anger: "You really use despicable tricks!"

  You dusted off your horse and galloped away into the night sky, throwing back a triumphant smile: "Haven't you heard that it's hardest to raise women and petty men?"

  Ye Tian Ling was standing nearby, quietly watching her and Shi Yi laughing. When Qing Chen brushed past his horse, he suddenly discovered that, perhaps due to the soft warmth of the sunset, a faint smile seemed to be on his sharp and cold face, clear and gentle.

  She suddenly felt that if his face often had such a smile, even the cold winter would turn into spring. The wind is gentle and warm, the flowers are slightly fragrant, the mountains are high and far away, the water flows eastward, the young man's horse is fast and joyful, not in vain for a long life.

  That night, the Phoenix Mansion was filled with joy. The next day, Qingchen received a gift.

  In the Feng Mansion Garden, Qin Yue held a small sandalwood box in his hand and handed it to Qing Chen: "The Seventh Prince heard that Miss Feng is back, so he asked me to bring this over."

  She took the box and opened it, only to find that it was the set of celadon warm jade Four Gentlemen cups. She knew that this was something that Ye Tianchen treasured deeply, yet he had given the entire set to her. His intentions were still as subtle as ever, yet crystal clear. As she turned the cup over in her hand, she couldn't help but feel a little perplexed.

  She gently stroked the floral pattern on the cup, closed the box and handed it back to Qin Yue: "You take it back for me and tell Seventh Highness that such a precious thing, I cannot accept."

  Qin Yue was momentarily at a loss: "Miss Feng, please stay behind. If I take you back like this, His Highness will surely scold me."

  "You won't, he has a good temper."

  Qin Yue furrowed his brow, about to speak again, but saw Qing Chen shift his gaze away. Someone behind him spoke in a soft voice, "It seems that not losing one's temper isn't always a good thing." He then saw Ye Tian Zhan walking towards him at a slow pace, and he hastily handed over the items with both hands before retreating first.

  You didn't expect that Ye Tianchen personally came to Feng Fu, and couldn't help but laugh: "Ordinarily gentle people, when they get angry, are really frightening."

  "Did I scare you?" Ye Tian Zhen asked with a smile.

  "No," said Qing Chen: "That's because I didn't provoke you."

  The night sky was bright and clean, with a hint of a smile in his eyes. He handed her the warm jade cup: "So take it anyway, I remember you said that using this set of cups to taste tea is also enjoyable just by looking at it."

  "You said if I don't take it, then I'll get to see what you look like when you're angry?" As he spoke, he still reached out and took the box.

  Yè Tiān Zhàn smiled warmly and said: "I naturally also get angry sometimes, but only towards others, never towards you."

  The smile in your eyes paused for a moment, and you casually asked: "Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday, why aren't you at the Yanxi Palace?"

  "Originally, I didn't have time to come over, but knowing you're back at Feng Fu, I couldn't help but want to take a look. It's rare for you to have had enough of playing outside and be willing to return home."

  His tone was like a spoiled child, with a hint of laughter, and Qingchen felt a slightly strange feeling in her heart. However, the word "home" suddenly appeared, and she looked up at the brightly lit courtyard and said: "Suddenly having such a 'home', I'm really not used to it, and after just one day, I feel a bit bored."

  "Compared to the lively music and dance outside, our manor is indeed a bit dull. But it doesn't matter, if you want to go back to the Four-sided Building in the future, I'll make time to accompany you."

  You plucked a leaf from the ground, twirling it in your hand as you stood there, gazing deeply at him. Then, with a sigh, you said, "You've always known I was in the Four-Faced Pavilion, haven't you?"

  Ye Tian Yan lowered his head and smiled: "I've only heard your zither once, but I couldn't possibly forget it."

  You've probably thought that these days, the four-sided building has been so high-profile, yet rarely seen anyone provoking trouble. It must be him who has been secretly maintaining it behind the scenes. That day when I met Wei Yan drunk, it was also because of him that I was able to resolve it. From the first day we met, he always quietly extended his hand whenever she needed it, covering her heart with warmth. If she were always by his side, she didn't know which woman could escape such tenderness and consideration, and couldn't help but take a step back, saying: "I should have guessed as much, the four-sided building really has to thank you."

  "Actually, I didn't do anything, but the Song and Dance Workshop is different from other places after all. You're always making people feel a bit uneasy there."

  "Anyway, I still have to thank you." Qīng Chén said in a low voice.

  It had been a long time since Ye Tian saw Yan speak, she raised her head in surprise, but just saw a faint sense of loss flashing across his face, "This sounds very distant." He said lightly.

  You lowered your eyes, but only responded silently. If she was rejecting him, then every deliberate avoidance seemed so pale in his clear and bright smile, even making her suspect that she had been following a wrong decision all along, doing something utterly absurd.

  She would rather be a night sky as vast as Li Tang, with false emotions and intentions, hypocritical and unfaithful. Perhaps in that way, she could discard or take revenge with a resolute attitude, which would be more enjoyable and relaxing than now.

  Ye Tianzhan had something to attend to and only stood for a while before hurrying back to the palace. Qing Chen escorted him to the entrance of the Prime Minister's mansion, waiting for him to leave before turning around to return to the mansion, when he heard someone behind him call out: "Feng Niangniang!"

  She turned her head and saw a young man walking towards her, wearing a dark robe and light armor, seeming somewhat familiar. As she pondered, the man saluted with his hand on the hilt of his sword, and she suddenly remembered that this was Wei Changzheng, the commander of Ye Tianling's personal guard, whom she had met at Yema Bridge that night.

  Wei Changzhen handed over two packages to her before leaving, saying: "The palace master asked me to deliver these two things to Feng Gongzhu." Qingchen weighed them and felt that one of the packages seemed to be several books. She raised her hand to open it and looked inside, exclaiming "Ah!" in delight, overjoyed beyond expectation.

  Inside, it turned out to be the medical books that had been lost in Pingdie Mountain. Some of the pages were blurry due to water stains and had been supplemented with a pen by someone, whose bold handwriting seemed to resemble Ye Tianling's. The other package was Thousand Months Pastries' snacks, and when she saw that half of them were Royal Qingyun Leaf Flakes, her mood soared, and she smiled at Wei Changzheng, saying: "Thank you for your trouble, go back and tell the Fourth Prince... just say he still owes me Xiang Yuefang's Honey Crispy Pigeon!"

  Wei Changzheng's face seemed to have an uncontrollable smile: "Your Highness has another sentence, saying that the things in Yu Le Fang are good only when they are freshly baked. I heard that recently there are many new Western snacks, and I will invite Feng Niang to taste them together another day."

  "You're welcome."

  The Empress Dowager's eightieth birthday was particularly grand because it was a whole age. The capital city had ninety-nine eighty-one temples, colorful and festive celebrations were grand, the Heavenly Emperor prayed for blessings and longevity for his mother, especially issued an amnesty decree, all corners of the land were peaceful, and the world celebrated together.

  That evening, the Empress Dowager gave a banquet in the Yanxi Palace. The palace was filled with countless crystal lanterns that shone brightly into the clouds. The blue tiles and golden railings were reflected in the Taiye Pool, creating an otherworldly beauty like the Jade Pool and the Crystal Pavilion.

  Beside the dragon pillars, every few steps, there are eunuchs holding Cloud Crane Palace lanterns, illuminating the halls with a bright light like daytime. From time to time, palace maidens emerge and enter, carrying jade trays, holding golden cups, their long skirts fluttering as they pass by, their footsteps light and airy, accompanied by the fragrance of wine.

  The palace maidens with long sleeves danced skillfully, their movements elegant and varied. With light fans they seemed to fly like flowers, their voices echoing around the pillars. After finishing a beautiful song and dance, they chorused congratulations to the empress for her longevity, then retreated like flowing clouds.

  Ye Tianling was talking to Taizi beside him when he suddenly heard Empress Dowager calling out: "Ling'er."

  "The grandson is here." Nian Tianling stood up and replied: "What instructions does the Empress Dowager have?"

  The Empress Dowager said, "You've been away with the troops for nearly half a year. The mountains are high and the roads are far in the north of the desert, I originally thought it would be difficult for you to make it back in time for today's banquet, but unexpectedly you're back, my heart is truly delighted."

  Ye Tian Ling had grown up in Yan Xi Palace since he was a child, and had a deep affection for his grandmother. He said, "On the eightieth birthday of the Empress Dowager, I will definitely return, no matter what. It's just that I couldn't be by your side to show my filial piety every day, so please don't blame me, Your Majesty."

  The Empress Dowager smiled and said: "What crime is this? I ask you, do you still have that purple bamboo flute you took from the Yanxi Palace when you were a child?"

  "The Empress Dowager's gift, I will naturally take good care of it."

  The empress dowager turned her head and said to Tian Di: "Ling'er's flute playing is good, but it has been many years since I last heard it."

  The Emperor smiled and said: "He often leads troops outside, I rarely hear about him. Today, why not borrow the Empress Dowager's prestige and let him play a tune to celebrate her birthday?"

  The Empress Dowager said: "I am indeed of this mind. Ling'er, will you give your father the Emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager a smile?"

  Ye Tianling had never disobeyed the Empress Dowager before, "Grandson obeys. It's just that I'm afraid the zither sound is too light and not lively enough, which would spoil the fun of the Imperial Grandmother."

  The crown prince smiled and said, "Imperial Grandmother, having a zither but no guqin is somewhat lacking in beauty. Why not invite a guqin master to play with the fourth brother? Wouldn't that be even more lively?"

  The empress dowager said to the crown prince: "This idea is not bad, but Ling'er has been arrogant and proud since childhood. Which qin master can he look up to?"

  Phoenix Luan stood beside the Heavenly Emperor, and suddenly saw Phoenix Yan give her a wink. After a moment's thought, she understood, and leaned over to whisper a few words in the Heavenly Emperor's ear. The Heavenly Emperor heard this and said to Phoenix Yan: "I had really forgotten, I've heard that the second daughter of the Phoenix family is skilled at playing the zither, even surpassing Zhan Er's jade flute? I'd like to hear it for myself, what do you think, Mother?"

  The empress dowager asked: "Is it the sister that Luan Fei mentioned before? I've also wanted to meet her for a long time, hurry up and bring her here."

  The two orders were immediately arranged for the eunuchs to go to the Feng Mansion to declare them.

  On this clear autumn night, Qing Lian entered the Tianzi Emperor's Palace - Dazheng Palace, which towered over the entire city of Yige, for the first time.

  Along the magnificent lights, as far as the eye can see, the full moon's glory intersects with the palace lanterns, and the grand halls and houses are majestically spread out in the interplay of light and shadow, disappearing into the distance like an endless sky.

  The steps and corridors are radiant with colorful lights, looking back, the beauty of Yicheng City is all in sight. The neat layout of the city during the day seems to be connected into a deep red dust under the night lights, and the high-ranking Dazheng Palace is like the heavenly gate, controlling the joys and sorrows of human life.

  You never thought that the huge gear of fate would start to mesh slowly and irresistibly along its predetermined track from this night, turning into another predetermined destiny, changing her, and even everyone's future...

  She followed Gong Yao into the main hall of Yanxi Palace and immediately saw Ye Tianling sitting beside the Crown Prince. Compared to this lively banquet, his sky-blue robe was somewhat subdued, but the beautiful palace lanterns reflected in his eyes, sinking deeply, adding a touch of warmth to his handsome face.

  Ye Tian's gaze swept faintly over her face, and he picked up the purple bamboo flute from a nearby palace maid's tray covered with silk brocade.

  You kowtowed and bowed your head to the ground, making a ritual bow to the Heavenly Emperor and Empress Dowager.

  "What a beautiful and charming daughter." The empress dowager said to Feng Xuan with eyes full of praise: "Feng Xiang has good fortune, all the children under your knees are extraordinary."

  "Feng Yan smiled and replied: 'Your Majesty's good fortune is as vast as the sky, we are just fortunate to have received your protection.'"

  The empress dowager smiled and nodded, asking Qing Chen: "Are you willing to play a piece of music for me to celebrate my birthday?"

  You've already known on the dusty road that it's for this matter, just didn't expect the one playing together would be Ye Tianling. Yingying bowed: "Qingchen is honored."

  On either side of the inner attendant, the purple sandalwood floating cloud case was already prepared. She took out the auspicious phoenix propitious jade qin from the palace's traditional storage. In the middle of the main hall, Qingdun sat on a mat on the floor in front of the case, slightly tilting her head to tune the silk strings. Under the golden lamp and jade shadow, a layer of clear and pure light flowed quietly around her body, like a quiet picture scroll. As her fingers lightly touched the strings, all sounds in the main hall ceased, slowly retreating into a peaceful and serene world. She turned her head to Night Sky Ling and said, "Your Highness, please." Night Sky Ling's gaze fell onto her eyes, she smiled slightly, quietly waiting for him to lead the melody.

  The purple bamboo flute turned in Ling's hand at night, lightly touching his lips, and a clear and ethereal flute sound floated out.

  Everyone only felt that their ears and eyes were refreshed, as the sound of the sheng seemed to transform the magnificent golden palace into the heavens and earth, a vast expanse of pure white stretching out endlessly. Amidst the jade-like snow, there seemed to be a faint fragrance floating about, accompanied by the gentle falling of light snowflakes onto the world below.

  Unexpectedly, Qingchen closed his eyes and leaned in to listen intently, but his hand fell on the strings and remained still for a long time.

  The zither's sound was fading away, but then her fingers casually brushed against the strings, and a crisp, bright sound suddenly emerged. In this pure and flawless world, it seemed to have opened up a crystal clear radiance, like a piece of ice that was both clear and elegant.

  The night sky's Xiao sound rose with the piano sound. Qingchen's fingers moved lightly, plucking the strings, each note perfectly following the clear and refreshing sound of the purple bamboo Xiao, in the icy snow-covered land, the cold plum blossoms bloomed in the wind, a piece of intoxicating red color covered the snowy forest, falling between heaven and earth.

  Her lips curled up with a faint smile, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Ling Shen's deep and profound gaze. The depths of his eyes were boundless and endless. A hint of starlight bloomed quietly in the darkness, and from there, she saw the proud and unyielding beauty of the plum blossom facing the wind and snow. With a thousand miles of ice and snow, who knows the elegance of the plum blossom, its unyielding spirit, its lonely height, and its quiet solitude? The sound of the guqin was like jade, with clear and low tones that danced in the desolate and ethereal atmosphere, as if welcoming the wind.

  The sound of the sheng is unbroken, like a song and a sob. The zither's notes are suddenly relaxed, low and soft, singing in a shallow voice, like the sheng but not the sheng, as if the zither were no longer a zither.

  The magnificent Yeonghui Palace seemed to have appeared in a tranquil world, with snowflakes glistening, sparse branches adorned with jade, and the gentle breeze stirring up fluttering shadows of plum blossoms. One was dressed in a blue robe, the other in white attire, evoking gasps of admiration, longing, and a sense of wonder that dispelled all worldly worries, leaving only an endless charm that lingered in the mind.

  The clear sound of the guqin fades away with "Plum Blossom Falling", the distant sound of the sheng, the faint sound of the qin. The night sky is serene and peaceful as she faces the Empress Dowager and kowtows: "I offer my congratulations to Your Majesty for a long life of good fortune, may your benevolence be eternal."

  "Good, good!" The empress dowager said contentedly to Qing Chen: "Come here and let me take a look."

  You gently lifted your hem and stood up, with the silk behind you unfolding on the ground. You walked calmly to the jade steps at the edge of the seat and bowed again to the empress dowager.

  The empress dowager looked at her with kindness and said, "Hmm, talented and beautiful, knowledgeable and reasonable." Then she smiled at the Heavenly Emperor and said, "Where can we find such a good girl again? Why don't we ask the Phoenix family to give her to us as a daughter-in-law?"

  The Heavenly Emperor also quite liked Tian Qi and said: "What the Empress Dowager said is extremely right, it's just that which grandson do you want to give to him?"

  Her heart skipped a beat as several gazes suddenly fell on her face. The empress dowager spoke, "Ling'er is often leading troops outside, and there's no one in the manor...it's not feasible..."

  Before she could finish speaking, Ye Tian Ling had already stood up and bowed: "Imperial Grandmother, your grandson..." He didn't continue, and the Empress Dowager also suddenly stopped without continuing.

  Ye Tian's expression was calm and tranquil, without any ripples. Qing Chen saw something in his raised eyes - an inexplicable surprise, decisiveness, indifference, and a deep-seated conflict and pain. All the emotions flashed across the bottom of his dark eyes, so quickly that it made people wonder if they had really existed at all.

  The Yanxi Palace suddenly fell into an inexplicable silence, with no one speaking a word.

  The brief silence vanished in an instant. The empress looked at Ye Tian Ling with a worried expression and sighed, "Forget it."

  It seemed that several people let out a sigh of relief at the same time. Beside them, Ye Tian Zhan immediately smiled and said to the Empress Dowager: "Imperial Grandmother, Feng Xiang just found his daughter back in a few days, but you've already married her off. How can Feng Xiang and his wife bear to part with her?"

  The originally stagnant atmosphere was suddenly relaxed with his humorous and warm voice, like a spring breeze, Feng Yan followed with a smile: "The princess loves her, this is the little girl's blessing."

  Yingfeng and her father exchanged a glance, then smiled at the empress dowager: "If Your Majesty really likes my sister, why not let her stay by your side? That way, my sisters and I can see each other often, wouldn't that be perfect?"

  You calmed down a bit and listened to this, your eyes fell on Feng Xian's place, and you silently looked at Yuan Fei again.

  The Empress Dowager asked Qing Chen: "Are you willing?"

  Qingchen remained silent for a moment, the doubts in her heart not showing at all in her smile. She bowed respectfully to the empress dowager: "Qingchen is young and ignorant, please instruct me more in the future, Your Majesty."

  "It's very good." The Empress Dowager said to Ye Tianling: "Ling'er, go back and sit down, I'll punish you with a cup of wine."

  "Yes." Ling Dantian replied faintly, retreating back to his seat, downing the wine in front of him in one gulp, and then refilling his cup himself. For the entire evening, he didn't take another glance at Qingchen.

  You dust is always by the side of the Empress Dowager, occasionally turning to see Ye Tianling's thin and pale profile, thinking of what someone said a long time ago, that men with thin lips have no emotions in their hearts. Ye Tianling's icy sharp lip corners were like a sharp blade, silently cutting through, thin but clear, separating him from everyone else.

  Just now, in that instant, the chill, worry, fear and all sorts of emotions were nothing compared to the sourness in my heart when I heard his reaction.

  He shook his head and smiled wryly at himself, clearly telling everyone that he was unwilling.

  Why is it so hard to calm down in my own heart? Her fingers clenched lightly under her wide sleeves, and she couldn't help but mock herself. A woman, the embodiment of vanity, even if rejected by someone unwanted, would still feel resentful. What about him then?

  Xin Mu glanced down at the seats below, except for Ye Tianling who was drinking with his head down, the Crown Prince, Ye Tianquan, Eleven, and Ye Tianli all looked over at him intentionally or unintentionally.

  Either consolation, or a smile, or warmth, or even a bit of teasing that makes one clench their teeth. But there was a gaze that brought forth a clear unease - Ye Tianyun, his heart-throbbing stare, weighed heavily on her already not-so-calm mind, as if intentionally leaving behind an indelible mark that could not be ignored.