Yet the world’s frivolity blinds.
On the third day of March, the weather anew, by the waters of Chang’an, beauty in view.
Carriages adorned with spring blossoms of every hue meander by the river’s side, where willows weep and kites in the sky glide. From afar, the pavilions and screens, like clouds in colorful dreams, bring scents of apricot wine on the breeze, light and keen.
Compared to the leisurely outings of years past, today, those noble youths leading horses pay no heed to the young ladies, in silk and jewels, vying for attention and beauty. They scrutinize each other, sometimes with disdain, as if compelled to find suitable matches for their clan’s maidens, as if by some unseen hand.
And indeed, that is the case.
Five days ago, the crown prince ascended to heaven in a temple rite.
The coronation, grand as expected, saw officials and nobles alike, wearied by the day’s festivities. Some, frail in health, have yet to recover, confined to their homes in rest.
But to abstain was to dare not.
The former emperor met a sudden death, the new emperor eschewing even the semblance of mourning.
News of the emperor’s demise spread weeks ago, yet the capital shows no sign of grief. This, despite the passing of an emperor, should call for public mourning: summoning royal kin to weep, temple sacrifices, a ban on music, alcohol, meat, and the slaughtering of animals, and the wearing of somber hues.
The capital mourns longer, other regions, half so.
Once certain of their safety from the coup, the capital’s noble youths fret over the upcoming spring outing on March 3rd, a day of significant social importance, where talents are displayed, open to all irrespective of rank.
Whether by talent or beauty, one can gain fame through the spring outing.
Not all are competitive; for some, it’s a feast for the eyes: to see nobles, hear renowned musicians, perhaps even glimpse the capital’s famed beauties.
Such beauties they are!
The thought of mourning overshadowing the spring outing left many disheartened.
Yet, unexpectedly, the palace showed no signs of mourning. Could the rumors of regicide be false? Was the emperor still alive, merely incapacitated?
The lifting of martial law in the capital, the reopening of shops, stable prices, allayed the public’s fears. The common folk didn’t grasp court intrigues but took the lack of mourning as a sign of the emperor’s survival. For them, it’s inconceivable for a son to ignore his father’s death so completely.
To them, as long as they can eat, drink, listen to music, and travel, let the courtiers worry about the rest.
The capital’s populace ventured out at ease, but the noble youths grew anxious.
A new emperor means an empty harem!
In the Chu dynasty, titled heroes, unless willing, couldn’t be forced to send daughters to the palace. By the Qi dynasty, nobles dared not aspire for more than keeping their lives and titles. Fortunately, Lu Zhang, indifferent to noblewomen, kept few of noble birth among his consorts, most being former palace maids.
But Lu Zhang is not Lu Huan; who knows what the new emperor desires?
The Eastern Palace housed but a crown princess and a consort, without issue. In such times, sending a daughter to court could mean immense fortune for her family, yet the new emperor’s frailty and lack of heirs cast doubt on whether the issue lay with the women or perhaps the emperor himself.
Without heirs, succession might pass to another branch of the royal family. With the emperor and his brothers so young, allegiance is risky. A misstep could doom an entire clan.
Moreover, the emperor is in such poor health, what if the emperor after only two or three years on the throne?
Sending a daughter now could be in vain.
Entering the palace is to curry the emperor’s favor. Without heirs as leverage, a woman’s talents and beauty must stand out, not easily matched by any lesser clan’s daughter. Hence, many are reluctant, preferring matches of equal social standing.
Thus, the spring outing’s nature shifted. Noble families received directives from their matriarchs: to identify suitable matches among their peers. Even the more daring ladies made similar requests.
Those young men, previously eager to advise their sisters, now understood they too were under scrutiny.
Overnight, they became subjects of evaluation, unsettling for those uninterested in marriage.
Some contemplated feigning illness to escape, but their matriarchs saw too good an opportunity to pass, unwilling to let their sons and grandsons slip away so easily.
The atmosphere abruptly shifted to the bizarre.
Some drifted off, resigning to their fate; others straightened their backs atop horses, maintaining composure, deaf to the whispers but secretly pleased; still, others schemed to get near the caravans of long-admired ladies, riding back and forth.
The people of the capital, unaware of the nuances, mistook this for another rivalry among the young masters.
Traffic clogged the streets, impenetrable.
On a modest carriage pushed to the side, the Second Prince, in old clothes and a drooping head, sat on the shaft. He smeared his face with a mix of coal dust and grease and affixed a plaster to his temple, looking utterly defeated.
Meng Qi, disapproving of his appearance, scolded, “Enough, you chose to leave the capital, but it’s not too late to regret.”
His voice stood out, attracting glances from nearby carriages.
Meng Qi subtly adjusted his hat, gripping the whip, his posture stooped, blending in as a mere coachman from afar.
The Second Prince weakly retorted, “I’m labeled a traitor, a rebel. How could I show my face? As long as I’m unseen in life and death, history may even blame me for the Emperor’s death… The farther I am, the better.”
Meng Qi, with disdain, replied, “Your brother needs people. Can’t you wear a mask, work as a leader in the shadows for the Imperial Guards? You fear you’re too incompetent, that without the title of a prince, you’re nothing.”
This struck a nerve with Lu Min, nearly pushing him to despair.
“…Less from you, Brother Meng,”
from inside the carriage, Mo Li, flipping through a book, glanced at the Second Prince’s expression, feeling a twinge of sympathy.
Even if true, such things shouldn’t be bluntly stated!
Mo Li added, “This ordeal must’ve taught him a lot. Leaving the capital might be for the best, perhaps returning anew, ready to support the Crown Prince.”
Despite Lu Huan’s ascension, Doctor Mo still referred to him as the Crown Prince.
Hearing this, Lu Min’s spirits lifted, the gloom dissipating.
Meng Qi looked at Mo Li silently, thinking him too soft-hearted for comforting the Second Prince. Lu Huan intentionally didn’t clear his brother’s name, wanting Lu Min far away, even preparing funds for this. Surprisingly, the Second Prince planned his own discreet departure, forcing the Crown Prince to entrust the money to Mo Li.
The Crown Prince did so, fearing Lu Min couldn’t survive in the capital posthumously.
The Third and Sixth Princes were not a concern; they weren’t so naive.
The Crown Prince not only distanced Lu Min but also repeatedly summoned the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, Gong Jun, ensuring he and Ah Hu became acquainted, a plan Mo Li discerned.
After residing in the palace for over a month, completing his readings and treatments,
Mo Li did all he could for the Crown Prince’s health, leaving the rest to fate.
Hesitantly, upon departure, Mo Li shared a risky method with Lu Huan: a blood-related martial expert could offer their entire energy to sustain the Crown Prince’s failing vitality. If as skilled as Mo Li or Meng Qi, they wouldn’t lose their martial abilities due to sufficient internal energy.
Such a dangerous method, requiring a blood relation, held a slim chance of success.
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince showed no joy, his gaze at Mo Li turning sharp.
“He knows not only about his brother, the child Lu Zhang cast aside, being alive but also that Yan Qin has mastered formidable martial arts.”
Mo Li, recalling that day, whispered to Meng Qi, “The Crown Prince seemed to probe my intentions, wondering how much I knew.”
“You didn’t have to say it,” Meng Qi disagreed.
Yan Qin might not know his own heritage. Having never met his kin, being suddenly asked to sacrifice his martial arts for a brother could corner him.
“…It was a moment of impulse,” Mo Li sighed, closing his eyes.
Before leaving, his unplanned confession was driven by an impulse, a subconscious trust that the Crown Prince wouldn’t coerce Yan Qin.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince’s reaction was as hoped.
Mo Li couldn’t help but admit his mistake, and Meng Qi suddenly felt a sense of crisis. Fortunately, he was about to leave Taijing! Indeed, those who could tame a cat so obediently were very dangerous!
All those claims about the Beast Garden experts being good at caring for cats were nonsense! Meng Qi had seen it clearly these days; Ah Hu was just a very temperamental cat that listened to no one but the crown prince.
If Gong Jun believed the crown prince’s words, thinking that this cat was docile and obedient, he would have a hard time in the future!
Meng Qi’s silence was interpreted by Mo Li as displeasure.
The doctor reached out and pulled the coachman into the carriage.
Lu Min was startled, quickly looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no one was paying attention to them, thinking to himself that the imperial teacher and the doctor were not so particular after all, doing this in broad daylight!
“Brother Meng, actually…”
Mo Li was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly saw Meng Qi looking at him expectantly, and he got stuck.
Strange, in the past, he could carelessly point out the fact that Meng Qi reacted to him, and could even talk bluntly with Meng Qi about how dragons reproduce. Now that his feelings had changed, those few words became difficult to utter.
He had no choice but to beat around the bush.
“Regarding Lu Huan, the more familiar you are with him, the easier it is to develop confidence in him, and to trust his character involuntarily. This is how a wise leader appears, but I lack the ambition and wisdom to seek such a leader… I haven’t traveled around for long, and I’ve seen the prosperity of Taijing with you, and experienced many things, but those are not important. Even if the world’s glamor blinds us, my initial resolve remains unchanged. I only want companions who can be together forever, and having someone I admire would be even better.”
Meng Qi listened seriously, with no intention of interjecting.
Mo Li: “…”
Was this not enough, wanting to hear more?
Beating around the bush is too troublesome; let’s just throw the ladder away!
Mo Li lowered his head, and his cheek came close.
Due to lack of experience and the hurried movement, he almost bumped into Meng Qi’s nose, and in the end, didn’t even touch the right spot. Mo Li didn’t have time to feel anything before they separated, which, in his eyes, was already a very bold act.
Then suddenly, a hand reached out and held the back of his neck, followed by a warm touch on the lips, gently licked.
Mo Li weirdly thought of a sand mouse holding a chestnut and gnawing on it.
Holding it in its arms, not willing to eat, just nibbling gently with its teeth, the taste so sweet that the sand mouse’s eyes squinted, completely lost in it.
Mo Li looked over instinctively, at a very close distance, he could see the turbulent emotions in Meng Qi’s deep eyes.
The carriage shook as if something heavy had fallen inside.
Lu Min’s back stiffened, not daring to think about what was happening inside the carriage, his mind filled with absurdity.
The willows by the road swayed gently, and he lamented how tragically he was leaving his royal brother and the capital, only to be stuck halfway because of the spring outing? And he had to pretend not to notice the affair between the imperial teacher and the doctor?
Ah, how difficult life is!
Why is life so hard?
Suddenly, a loud shout came from ahead.
“Kang Anfang’s Young Master Wei is composing poetry with someone behind us!”
“What, Young Master Wei? The handsome young man who excels in both poetry and painting? Coachman, turn around!”
“Hurry, we’ll miss our chance!”
The crowd shouted excitedly, regardless of age or gender, everyone eagerly wanted a glimpse of the beauty.
In a blink of an eye, half of the carriages that had clogged the road were gone.
Lu Min: “……”
Meng Qi, pushed out by Mo Li to drive the carriage, snorted lightly. He had seen Young Master Wei before and was not impressed.
Meng Qi adjusted his hat more tightly and then said calmly, “Let’s go!”
Author’s note:
Regarding the satisfaction of squinting one’s eyes into a slit
Meng Qi: Nonsense, my eyes are big.
Yet the world’s frivolity blinds.
On the third day of March, the weather anew, by the waters of Chang’an, beauty in view.
Carriages adorned with spring blossoms of every hue meander by the river’s side, where willows weep and kites in the sky glide. From afar, the pavilions and screens, like clouds in colorful dreams, bring scents of apricot wine on the breeze, light and keen.
Compared to the leisurely outings of years past, today, those noble youths leading horses pay no heed to the young ladies, in silk and jewels, vying for attention and beauty. They scrutinize each other, sometimes with disdain, as if compelled to find suitable matches for their clan’s maidens, as if by some unseen hand.
And indeed, that is the case.
Five days ago, the crown prince ascended to heaven in a temple rite.
The coronation, grand as expected, saw officials and nobles alike, wearied by the day’s festivities. Some, frail in health, have yet to recover, confined to their homes in rest.
But to abstain was to dare not.
The former emperor met a sudden death, the new emperor eschewing even the semblance of mourning.
News of the emperor’s demise spread weeks ago, yet the capital shows no sign of grief. This, despite the passing of an emperor, should call for public mourning: summoning royal kin to weep, temple sacrifices, a ban on music, alcohol, meat, and the slaughtering of animals, and the wearing of somber hues.
The capital mourns longer, other regions, half so.
Once certain of their safety from the coup, the capital’s noble youths fret over the upcoming spring outing on March 3rd, a day of significant social importance, where talents are displayed, open to all irrespective of rank.
Whether by talent or beauty, one can gain fame through the spring outing.
Not all are competitive; for some, it’s a feast for the eyes: to see nobles, hear renowned musicians, perhaps even glimpse the capital’s famed beauties.
Such beauties they are!
The thought of mourning overshadowing the spring outing left many disheartened.
Yet, unexpectedly, the palace showed no signs of mourning. Could the rumors of regicide be false? Was the emperor still alive, merely incapacitated?
The lifting of martial law in the capital, the reopening of shops, stable prices, allayed the public’s fears. The common folk didn’t grasp court intrigues but took the lack of mourning as a sign of the emperor’s survival. For them, it’s inconceivable for a son to ignore his father’s death so completely.
To them, as long as they can eat, drink, listen to music, and travel, let the courtiers worry about the rest.
The capital’s populace ventured out at ease, but the noble youths grew anxious.
A new emperor means an empty harem!
In the Chu dynasty, titled heroes, unless willing, couldn’t be forced to send daughters to the palace. By the Qi dynasty, nobles dared not aspire for more than keeping their lives and titles. Fortunately, Lu Zhang, indifferent to noblewomen, kept few of noble birth among his consorts, most being former palace maids.
But Lu Zhang is not Lu Huan; who knows what the new emperor desires?
The Eastern Palace housed but a crown princess and a consort, without issue. In such times, sending a daughter to court could mean immense fortune for her family, yet the new emperor’s frailty and lack of heirs cast doubt on whether the issue lay with the women or perhaps the emperor himself.
Without heirs, succession might pass to another branch of the royal family. With the emperor and his brothers so young, allegiance is risky. A misstep could doom an entire clan.
Moreover, the emperor is in such poor health, what if the emperor after only two or three years on the throne?
Sending a daughter now could be in vain.
Entering the palace is to curry the emperor’s favor. Without heirs as leverage, a woman’s talents and beauty must stand out, not easily matched by any lesser clan’s daughter. Hence, many are reluctant, preferring matches of equal social standing.
Thus, the spring outing’s nature shifted. Noble families received directives from their matriarchs: to identify suitable matches among their peers. Even the more daring ladies made similar requests.
Those young men, previously eager to advise their sisters, now understood they too were under scrutiny.
Overnight, they became subjects of evaluation, unsettling for those uninterested in marriage.
Some contemplated feigning illness to escape, but their matriarchs saw too good an opportunity to pass, unwilling to let their sons and grandsons slip away so easily.
The atmosphere abruptly shifted to the bizarre.
Some drifted off, resigning to their fate; others straightened their backs atop horses, maintaining composure, deaf to the whispers but secretly pleased; still, others schemed to get near the caravans of long-admired ladies, riding back and forth.
The people of the capital, unaware of the nuances, mistook this for another rivalry among the young masters.
Traffic clogged the streets, impenetrable.
On a modest carriage pushed to the side, the Second Prince, in old clothes and a drooping head, sat on the shaft. He smeared his face with a mix of coal dust and grease and affixed a plaster to his temple, looking utterly defeated.
Meng Qi, disapproving of his appearance, scolded, “Enough, you chose to leave the capital, but it’s not too late to regret.”
His voice stood out, attracting glances from nearby carriages.
Meng Qi subtly adjusted his hat, gripping the whip, his posture stooped, blending in as a mere coachman from afar.
The Second Prince weakly retorted, “I’m labeled a traitor, a rebel. How could I show my face? As long as I’m unseen in life and death, history may even blame me for the Emperor’s death… The farther I am, the better.”
Meng Qi, with disdain, replied, “Your brother needs people. Can’t you wear a mask, work as a leader in the shadows for the Imperial Guards? You fear you’re too incompetent, that without the title of a prince, you’re nothing.”
This struck a nerve with Lu Min, nearly pushing him to despair.
“…Less from you, Brother Meng,”
from inside the carriage, Mo Li, flipping through a book, glanced at the Second Prince’s expression, feeling a twinge of sympathy.
Even if true, such things shouldn’t be bluntly stated!
Mo Li added, “This ordeal must’ve taught him a lot. Leaving the capital might be for the best, perhaps returning anew, ready to support the Crown Prince.”
Despite Lu Huan’s ascension, Doctor Mo still referred to him as the Crown Prince.
Hearing this, Lu Min’s spirits lifted, the gloom dissipating.
Meng Qi looked at Mo Li silently, thinking him too soft-hearted for comforting the Second Prince. Lu Huan intentionally didn’t clear his brother’s name, wanting Lu Min far away, even preparing funds for this. Surprisingly, the Second Prince planned his own discreet departure, forcing the Crown Prince to entrust the money to Mo Li.
The Crown Prince did so, fearing Lu Min couldn’t survive in the capital posthumously.
The Third and Sixth Princes were not a concern; they weren’t so naive.
The Crown Prince not only distanced Lu Min but also repeatedly summoned the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, Gong Jun, ensuring he and Ah Hu became acquainted, a plan Mo Li discerned.
After residing in the palace for over a month, completing his readings and treatments,
Mo Li did all he could for the Crown Prince’s health, leaving the rest to fate.
Hesitantly, upon departure, Mo Li shared a risky method with Lu Huan: a blood-related martial expert could offer their entire energy to sustain the Crown Prince’s failing vitality. If as skilled as Mo Li or Meng Qi, they wouldn’t lose their martial abilities due to sufficient internal energy.
Such a dangerous method, requiring a blood relation, held a slim chance of success.
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince showed no joy, his gaze at Mo Li turning sharp.
“He knows not only about his brother, the child Lu Zhang cast aside, being alive but also that Yan Qin has mastered formidable martial arts.”
Mo Li, recalling that day, whispered to Meng Qi, “The Crown Prince seemed to probe my intentions, wondering how much I knew.”
“You didn’t have to say it,” Meng Qi disagreed.
Yan Qin might not know his own heritage. Having never met his kin, being suddenly asked to sacrifice his martial arts for a brother could corner him.
“…It was a moment of impulse,” Mo Li sighed, closing his eyes.
Before leaving, his unplanned confession was driven by an impulse, a subconscious trust that the Crown Prince wouldn’t coerce Yan Qin.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince’s reaction was as hoped.
Mo Li couldn’t help but admit his mistake, and Meng Qi suddenly felt a sense of crisis. Fortunately, he was about to leave Taijing! Indeed, those who could tame a cat so obediently were very dangerous!
All those claims about the Beast Garden experts being good at caring for cats were nonsense! Meng Qi had seen it clearly these days; Ah Hu was just a very temperamental cat that listened to no one but the crown prince.
If Gong Jun believed the crown prince’s words, thinking that this cat was docile and obedient, he would have a hard time in the future!
Meng Qi’s silence was interpreted by Mo Li as displeasure.
The doctor reached out and pulled the coachman into the carriage.
Lu Min was startled, quickly looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no one was paying attention to them, thinking to himself that the imperial teacher and the doctor were not so particular after all, doing this in broad daylight!
“Brother Meng, actually…”
Mo Li was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly saw Meng Qi looking at him expectantly, and he got stuck.
Strange, in the past, he could carelessly point out the fact that Meng Qi reacted to him, and could even talk bluntly with Meng Qi about how dragons reproduce. Now that his feelings had changed, those few words became difficult to utter.
He had no choice but to beat around the bush.
“Regarding Lu Huan, the more familiar you are with him, the easier it is to develop confidence in him, and to trust his character involuntarily. This is how a wise leader appears, but I lack the ambition and wisdom to seek such a leader… I haven’t traveled around for long, and I’ve seen the prosperity of Taijing with you, and experienced many things, but those are not important. Even if the world’s glamor blinds us, my initial resolve remains unchanged. I only want companions who can be together forever, and having someone I admire would be even better.”
Meng Qi listened seriously, with no intention of interjecting.
Mo Li: “…”
Was this not enough, wanting to hear more?
Beating around the bush is too troublesome; let’s just throw the ladder away!
Mo Li lowered his head, and his cheek came close.
Due to lack of experience and the hurried movement, he almost bumped into Meng Qi’s nose, and in the end, didn’t even touch the right spot. Mo Li didn’t have time to feel anything before they separated, which, in his eyes, was already a very bold act.
Then suddenly, a hand reached out and held the back of his neck, followed by a warm touch on the lips, gently licked.
Mo Li weirdly thought of a sand mouse holding a chestnut and gnawing on it.
Holding it in its arms, not willing to eat, just nibbling gently with its teeth, the taste so sweet that the sand mouse’s eyes squinted, completely lost in it.
Mo Li looked over instinctively, at a very close distance, he could see the turbulent emotions in Meng Qi’s deep eyes.
The carriage shook as if something heavy had fallen inside.
Lu Min’s back stiffened, not daring to think about what was happening inside the carriage, his mind filled with absurdity.
The willows by the road swayed gently, and he lamented how tragically he was leaving his royal brother and the capital, only to be stuck halfway because of the spring outing? And he had to pretend not to notice the affair between the imperial teacher and the doctor?
Ah, how difficult life is!
Why is life so hard?
Suddenly, a loud shout came from ahead.
“Kang Anfang’s Young Master Wei is composing poetry with someone behind us!”
“What, Young Master Wei? The handsome young man who excels in both poetry and painting? Coachman, turn around!”
“Hurry, we’ll miss our chance!”
The crowd shouted excitedly, regardless of age or gender, everyone eagerly wanted a glimpse of the beauty.
In a blink of an eye, half of the carriages that had clogged the road were gone.
Lu Min: “……”
Meng Qi, pushed out by Mo Li to drive the carriage, snorted lightly. He had seen Young Master Wei before and was not impressed.
Meng Qi adjusted his hat more tightly and then said calmly, “Let’s go!”
Author’s note:
Regarding the satisfaction of squinting one’s eyes into a slit
Meng Qi: Nonsense, my eyes are big.
