Chapter 92: Magnificent Scenes

Chapter 92: Magnificent Scenes

After a standoff, the person who ended up accompanying Zhu Yan out of the palace was neither Yang Xin nor Xing En, but Chang Xing, the third-ranking attendant in the Emperor’s service.

Chang Xing was known for his meticulous nature and expertise in mathematics, managing the Emperor’s private treasury and seldom appearing in public.

In the Emperor’s words, “Unlike Xing En and Yang Xin, there’s no worry about him being recognized as one of the attendants.”

Zhu Yan didn’t quite believe this explanation.

Because in addition to the personal attendants Qu Gu and Qiu Ye, Chang Xing brought along eight eunuchs and forty guards from the Feathered Forest Army. When Zhu Yan saw this entourage, she was genuinely shocked.

Anyone with eyes could see that this was not ordinary.

This wasn’t a discreet departure from the palace; it was blatantly official. Zhu Yan guessed that wherever she went, they would probably clear the area first.

According to Princess Xiangyang, when noble daughters in the city attend the lantern festival, they usually only bring about a dozen attendants.

Zhu Yan wanted to ask the Emperor to reduce the number of accompanying people, but before she could speak, the Emperor, as if anticipating her request, firmly stated, “Either I accompany you, or they follow you.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yan had no choice but to choose the latter and boarded a closed carriage pulled by two chestnut horses.

The Emperor personally escorted Zhu Yan to the Zuo Ye Gate for leaving the palace. When the carriage stopped, he held her in the carriage, unwilling to let go, “Ayan, are you sure you don’t want me to accompany you?”

“……”

Zhu Yan was almost fed up with his overbearing concern. Today’s Emperor was too out of character, almost unrecognizable. As the saying goes, unusual behavior always has a reason, “Your Majesty, since you’ve agreed to let me go alone, please just let go and stop dragging it out.”

Hearing this, the Emperor instantly became furious, cupped Zhu Yan’s face, gave her two fierce kisses, scolded her for being heartless, “Return to the palace before the end of the Hushi hour, otherwise, I’ll come out looking for you.” After saying this, he angrily stepped down from the carriage.

The end of the Hushi hour, in modern time, is about 9 PM.

It’s currently Shenzheng, 4 PM.

Zhu Yan calculated that, including an hour for the round trip, her actual time outside the palace would be no more than three hours.

As Qu Gu and Qiu Ye entered the carriage, it started moving again.

Leaving the palace through the Zuo Ye Gate, passing through the Yanxi Gate, and leaving the imperial city, they headed straight through Yongxing Fang and arrived at Anxing Fang. Princess Xiangyang, having received the news earlier, was already waiting at the main entrance of the district.

“Let's go to my mansion first.”

Princess Xiangyang boarded Zhu Yan’s carriage, “I guessed the Ninth Prince would agree, but I didn’t expect it to be just you coming. Can he really be at ease with that?”

Zhu Yan leaned against the cushion, not responding.

She rarely got to leave the palace, and with the Emperor not present, she didn’t want to mention him at all.

Looking up through the half-open carriage window, she observed the neighborhood. A row of colorful tents was set up, adorned with various lanterns. Outside Anxing Fang, a giant lantern tree stood, towering dozens of feet high with thousands of lanterns, but under the pale sunlight, the lit lanterns seemed dim.

“Who set up this giant lantern tree?” Zhu Yan asked, thinking it must look beautiful at night.

Princess Xiangyang grimaced, “Who else but that good aunt of ours?”

Understanding the disdain in her voice, Zhu Yan realized that there were two princess mansions in Anxing Fang – one belonging to Princess Xindu of Xindu, and the other to Princess Xiangyang. Princess Xindu, Princess Xiangyang’s former mother-in-law, had chosen this prominent spot at the main entrance of the Fang for the large lantern tree.

Princess Xiangyang had lost this contest to Princess Xindu.

Zhu Yan consoled her with a smile, “Next year, you should prepare earlier and grab the spot first.”

“She's the senior princess and my elder. How can I compete with her?” Princess Xiangyang said helplessly.

She admitted she didn’t have much respect for Princess Xindu, her current aunt and former mother-in-law, and wouldn’t back down just because of her seniority. It was more about Princess Xindu’s prestige. This time, she had been upset by Princess Xindu over the dispute for the best lantern spot at the main entrance of the Fang.

That’s why she suddenly decided to invite Zhu Yan to her mansion to enjoy the lanterns when she visited the palace today.

After the invitation, not only did she hope for Zhu Yan to come, but she also wished the Emperor would join, so she could show off in front of Princess Xindu and throw back the slight she had received.

Princess Xiangyang shook her head, “Let’s not talk about these unlucky matters. I’ve set up two small lantern trees in front of my mansion, they’re really beautiful. Wait until it gets dark, and you’ll see.”

Zhu Yan hummed softly in response.

She gazed greedily at the outside scenery – every tree, every house. Anxing Fang was inhabited by the affluent, with rows of majestic green buildings and connected courtyards, reflecting opulence and grandeur. The high eaves were impressive, and the rows of elms and locust trees on both sides of the road were adorned with colorful tents and lanterns.

The variety of styles was dazzling to the eyes.

It would be even more beautiful at night.

Zhu Yan looked forward to the nightfall, yet didn’t want it to come too soon.

The princess's mansion was imposing, with its main gate set in the district wall, guarded by two rows of armored soldiers. When Zhu Yan and Princess Xiangyang alighted from the carriage, the guards had been replaced by the accompanying Feathered Forest guards, led this time by Ren Fashan. Zhu Yan, looking through the veil, noticed significant changes in him.

He was more robust and taller than before, with the same ruthlessness but without the rebellious air. His eyes were still strikingly bright, like a hawk's, and he immediately noticed Zhu Yan’s gaze.

Ren Fashan stepped forward, asking, “Does Your Highness need anything?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t expect you to be so good-looking,” Zhu Yan complimented, recalling her first impression of Ren Fashan as dark and indistinct. The Emperor indeed had a keen eye; apart from Ren Fashan’s fierce demeanor, his pale, handsome face, coupled with his blond hair, could rival any modern boy band member.

Zhu Yan then asked, “Are all your injuries healed?”

“All healed, thank you for your concern,” Ren Fashan blushed, managing to stammer out a couple of dry words.

Seeing Ren Fashan’s reaction, Princess Xiangyang teased, “Yellow-hair boy, just speak normally. Why are you blushing? Have you never talked to a lady before?”

“No.”

Ren Fashan pursed his lips, his eyes becoming stern, and the blush on his face gradually faded. Because of his blond hair, he had been despised since childhood, called names like foreigner, half-breed, and yellow-hair. So, when someone complimented his looks, he felt pleased, which made him blush.

Being called “Yellow-hair” was what he disliked the most.

Princess Xiangyang was about to ask more when she suddenly felt a dangerous aura around her, as if she was being targeted by something malevolent.

Chang Xing, seeing Zhu Yan and Princess Xiangyang talking to Ren Fashan, frowned and approached, saying, “Your Highness, the wind is too strong at the gate. Please enter the mansion.”

Hearing this, Princess Xiangyang, as if granted a reprieve, took Zhu Yan’s hand, remembering her role as the hostess. She led Zhu Yan inside without letting Chang Xing intervene.

After passing through the screen wall and the Hua Gate, Princess Xiangyang whispered, “Ayan, who is that yellow-haired man? His gaze is as fierce as a wild beast. How can the Ninth Prince be at ease letting him guard you?”

“His name is Ren Fashan. You can call him by his name or address him as Ren Zhijie,” Zhu Yan reminded Princess Xiangyang, adding, “He’s a disciple of Su Yiquan, the captain of the cavalry.”

It was the last part that caught Princess Xiangyang’s attention.

Ren Fashan was an unknown soldier, whom she didn’t recognize or care to remember. However, Su Yiquan was a name well-known to her. Su Yiquan, a favorite of the Emperor, rose from a horseman to the captain of the cavalry and was deeply trusted by the Emperor.

“He probably doesn’t like being called yellow-hair.”

Zhu Yan added, having noticed the change in Ren Fashan’s expression earlier. Moreover, in the Great Yu Dynasty, unlike modern times, blond hair itself was seen as an oddity, subject to discrimination. The common aesthetic standard still favored black hair, black eyes, and fair skin.

Princess Xiangyang smiled and replied, “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

Internally she couldn’t help but comment: It’s one thing to be a servant with yellow hair, but to take such a person as a disciple? Truly an eccentric master with an eccentric disciple.

There was a five-story building in Princess Xiangyang's mansion, from which one could not only oversee the entire layout of the princess's mansion but also the whole of Anxing Fang.

Knowing Zhu Yan didn’t have much time, yet wanting her to see more of the outside world, Princess Xiangyang’s first stop was to take Zhu Yan to the Zhaijing Building to view the entirety of the capital’s neighborhoods, even having dinner on the fifth floor.

Anxing Fang was inhabited by the elite and powerful.

Ever since Zhu Yan reached the fifth floor of the building, the sounds of string and wind instruments, along with ceremonial music, never ceased.

The view was filled with splendidly decorated tall buildings, their beams and windows carved with joyous flower motifs. The double eaves of the pavilion resembled the magnificent wings of a phoenix, and in front of each house and mansion, trees adorned with colorful lanterns, silk ribbons, and ornaments of gold, silver, and jade swayed like trees in full bloom, dazzlingly beautiful.

Night fell, enveloping everything in twilight.

The entire city lit up with thousands of lights, the streets and markets in each district gradually filling with people in splendid clothes. The lanterns on trees, wheels, and pillars were lit, and performers of music, acrobatics, and various plays sprung into action. Entertainment activities like fire-breathing, tug-of-war, tightrope walking, and cockfighting were available everywhere.

Zhu Yan disliked being carried in a sedan chair, so when she went out with Princess Xiangyang to stroll through Anxing Fang, they used the princess's carriage-style sedan chair, temporarily modified to be pulled by two horses.

Zhu Yan's face was masked with a colorfully painted beast head, looking fierce and terrifying.

It was a lavish banquet.

People danced and sang amidst opulence and prosperity, a scene of a flourishing age, far removed from the tension of the frontier and the desolation of Shanzhou City. Suddenly, she understood why the Emperor had personally visited Shanzhou City last summer.

Because it was a place that could bring clarity.

The Emperor was clear-headed, but what about the others in the court? The poem by Xie Wu, the Minister of the Central Secretariat: "Twenty years of peace, a feat of tireless effort."

The poem suggested that the current peace was hard-earned, possibly also advising the Emperor against hastily starting a war, especially since Gaochang and the Eastern Hu had been at war for three months, and Su Yiquan's mediation in the north had yielded no news.

Su Yiquan's mission was known only to the Emperor.

As Zhu Yan was lost in thought, she suddenly saw a familiar face flash by. At first, she thought she was mistaken, but upon closer look, it really was that Taoist priest, in his robes, looking even more ethereal than six years ago. Zhu Yan quickly called out, "Stop, stop the carriage!"

"Ah Yan, what's wrong?" Princess Xiangyang, seeing Zhu Yan wanting to get off, hurriedly held her back.

Princess Xiangyang was hesitant to let Zhu Yan leave the sedan chair, but she didn't need to interfere; Chang Xing quickly stepped forward, "What does my lady need?"

"That person, catch that fortune-telling Taoist," Zhu Yan, eyes fixed on a figure under a huge lantern wheel, pointed and instructed. But the person swiftly disappeared into the crowd, causing her to leap out of the carriage in frustration, pushing past Chang Xing towards the direction of the figure.

The author's note: