Chapter 200: Mei Zhengchun

Chapter 200: Mei Zhengchun

Appointing an empress? Qiu Huanian's eyebrows furrowed deeply.

Since the new emperor ascended the throne, proposals for selecting consorts and arranging the grand wedding had been continuously submitted to the court. However, until now, Jia Hongyuan had not given an official response.

Qiu Huanian had a vague understanding of his hesitation, and it troubled him deeply.

Now, with sixteen staying in the side hall of the Jinshen Palace without showing up, and the new emperor summoning the Minister of Rites to inquire about the appointment of an empress, there might be complex connections between the two situations.

Azure Phoenix Lord said no more, revealing nothing further. He was carefree and unrestrained but knew his boundaries. Only by maintaining this balance could he preserve their friendship.

Qiu Huanian was still thinking about sixteen's situation even after leaving the palace gates. Jin San was waiting for them with the carriage outside the east gate of Chang'an. Du Yunse took Qiu Huanian's hand, reassuring him.

Their eyes met, and Qiu Huanian felt a sudden ease.

Wen Huiyang walked alongside them. Today, he had discreetly completed a monumental task in the grand hall. With the matter settled as he wished, his anxious heart finally settled, and he remembered other things.

Under the curious gazes of the two young men, Wen Huiyang stroked his fine beard and chuckled awkwardly.

For a moment, he had considered sneaking away, but Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse silently flanked him, leaving him no chance to escape from the Meridian Gate all the way to the east gate of Chang'an.

Wen Huiyang sighed deeply in his heart. Some things he believed would remain buried forever had unexpectedly resurfaced.

Qiu Huanian said a word to Ru Shi, who was waiting outside, instructing him to drive the carriage directly to their residence.

Ru Shi glanced at the Qishu County Princess, then at his master, who was sighing deeply, and promptly followed the princess's orders.

He knew exactly who was supporting the household. If they relied on Mr. Wen, both master and servant would have long been living in destitution. Following the princess's orders was definitely the right choice!

After returning to the residence, Qiu Huanian had someone tidy up the lakeside pavilion in the garden, fetch the stored fine wine, and quickly prepare a feast with pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, and various fresh fish.

As night fell, the summer heat gradually subsided. A cool breeze swept over the rippling water, carrying the refreshing mist into the open windows of the pavilion.

The pavilion stood on a three-foot-high platform by the shore, half-hanging over the lake, supported by sturdy pillars. Inside, candles were lit, and reflective mirrors were placed nearby, providing ample illumination.

A warm yellow light filtered through the windows, gradually blending into the tranquil night.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse sat silently, watching Wen Huiyang pour wine for himself. After finishing an entire pot of fine wine, he suddenly laughed a few times. When he looked up, his aged face still had clear, bright eyes, faintly glistening with moisture.

Wen Huiyang looked at Qiu Huanian across from him and smiled kindly, "Today, I can finally tell you that you are the child of my old friend."

"I wonder where your mother is buried. May I have the honor of paying my respects?"

"..." The emotions in Wen Huiyang's eyes were overwhelming, like turbulent undercurrents beneath a calm sea. Qiu Huanian was momentarily speechless.

Earlier in the grand hall, Wen Huiyang had only mentioned that he had been aided by someone from the Mei family and requested a reinvestigation of the old Mei case to repay the kindness.

Only here did Wen Huiyang reveal the specific identity of that benefactor.

The emotions in Wen Huiyang's eyes and the tremor in his voice were not merely feelings of gratitude toward a benefactor.

Qiu Huanian suddenly remembered that Du Yunse had once told him that Wen Huiyang had been deeply in love with a woman from a warrior family in his youth. That woman had disappeared, and Wen Huiyang had remained unmarried for life.

Now, it was clear who that woman was.

Qiu Huanian's throat felt tight. He looked at Du Yunse, who was also filled with surprise and sorrow. The great scholar Wen Huiyang, a genius in academics, had never been adept at political maneuvering or interpersonal relationships. Yet, he had managed to conceal this one thing from his exceptionally intelligent disciple.

Because this was the meaning of his life. When a person is determined to do something with all their might, regardless of their skill, they can always succeed.

Wen Huiyang looked at the two children and smiled, raising his cup in a toast. "Old acquaintances reunited, the Mei Family's grievances are about to be cleared. We should be happy, not show such sorrowful expressions."

He, in turn, offered comfort to others.

After drinking another cup of wine, Wen Huiyang sighed and began to recount the cherished memories of over twenty years to the child of his beloved.

"Under the San Yao Prefecture in Fuzhou, there is a county called Guzhu County. This county is nestled against mountains and faces the sea, with pirates outside and bandits within. To protect the safety of the people, the imperial court has stationed troops here for many years."

"Your mother was named Mei Zhengchun, a daughter of the Mei Family in Guzhu. The ancestors of the Mei Family had established hereditary merits, with each generation inheriting the position of a thousand-household officer, responsible for the defense of Guzhu County. Your great-grandfather was the thousand-household officer of Guzhu at that time."

Wen Huiyang started from the beginning, first telling these things that Qiu Huanian would surely want to know.

Qiu Huanian listened intently, gradually becoming absorbed. The candlelight flickered in his dark eyes, like flowers finally blooming in the snow, or like the figure of an old friend.

"Guzhu County had long been harassed by enemies, with a fierce and martial folk custom, quite famous in Fuzhou. When I was young, I disliked constraints, so although I had some learning, I had no intention of entering officialdom. Before taking the Imperial Examination, I traveled around, and after arriving in Fuzhou, I went to Guzhu County to visit, drawn by its reputation."

"Your mother," Wen Huiyang's voice suddenly softened, his expression instantly changing, "was born in winter, when Guzhu County was resisting pirates, with difficult supplies and freezing weather that harmed the baby's foundation, making her unable to practice martial arts like other members of the Mei Family when she grew up."

"But the spirit of the Mei Family of Guzhu in her bones was not diminished in the slightest."

Wen Huiyang looked at the candlelight, lost in tender, profound memories.

"She frequently distributed porridge to the needy, taught children to read and write for free, and those who could not survive would come to her, and she would always lend a hand. The people of Guzhu County adored her, secretly calling her the little Bodhisattva of the Mei Family—a term of endearment for her compassionate nature."

"The first time I saw her was on a mountain road outside Guzhu County. I had ignored the guide's advice while gathering material and encountered a group of bandits. She was out playing with her younger brother and happened to pass by."

"At that time, I thought that as a man of seven feet, I should protect women and children, so I immediately stood in front of them, but the bandits were numerous, and I was not sure. Fortunately, her younger brother, who had practiced martial arts since childhood, was far more skilled than ordinary children, and with her clever setup, the four of us, coachman included, escaped safely."

"From then on... I was smitten at first sight, and my heart never wavered."

The light in Wen Huiyang's eyes gradually dimmed, and after a long silence, he continued in a calm tone.

"The Mei Family was a martial family, but they did not look down on scholars. I stayed in Guzhu County for half a month, got to know many people, and secretly found out that she was not betrothed. But at that time, I was just a commoner with no notable achievements, how could I have the face to propose to her family?"

"So I ended my long travels, determined to return to my hometown to focus on my studies, and when I achieved success in the Imperial Examination, I would solemnly express my feelings."

"At the time of parting, after much deliberation, I bought candies and preserves as bribes and asked her younger brother to help test her feelings. Perhaps I spoke too subtly, and the child did not understand and conveyed the wrong message. She did not come to bid me farewell, only asked me to supervise her younger brother in reciting a poem."

"What poem?" Qiu Huanian's heart already knew the answer.

Wen Huiyang murmured, "The brocade zither, for no reason, has fifty strings—"

Each string, each pillar, thinks of Huanian.

Qiu Huanian silently added the second half of the line, his heart thundering in his chest. He finally understood why Wen Huiyang had been so distraught upon hearing his name when they first met in the capital.

Four years later, Mei Zhengchun, mired in despair, cut off from the light of hope, used the words from this poem to name her child. Besides reminiscing about her own past years and hoping for a happy future for her child, it must also contain an unfulfilled longing for an old friend.

"Not long after I returned to my hometown, the throne changed hands, and after the ascension of the retired emperor, an extra Imperial Examination was held. I excelled in the examination, rising swiftly, becoming the Number One Scholar of the first year of Emperor Yuanhua's reign, finally attaining a status befitting her."

"But at that time, it coincided with the retired emperor's extensive mobilization of troops across the country to stabilize military power in various regions. Your great-grandfather's branch of the army was transferred from Guzhu County to guard Fengshan County in the north, with their families accompanying them."

"I had lost my father at a young age, and my family was of modest means. I had little savings from my early years. I had planned to gather enough betrothal gifts and then go to Fengshan County to propose, but who knew that in just a year..."

Wen Huiyang spoke each word with great difficulty, "In just a year, the second year of Emperor Yuanhua, Prince Fen initiated a rebellion, and more than a dozen members of the Mei Family died in battle in Fengshan County, convicted of treason by Prince Pingxian, and all relatives within the five degrees of kinship suffered."

The events that followed, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian already knew, so Wen Huiyang did not continue.

He did not reveal how he had mourned and longed for the old friend he thought had died in Fengshan County over the past twenty years, or how he had endured and waited for an opportunity.

He didn't mention how shaken he was upon meeting Qiu Huanian, nor did he speak of how heartbroken and sleepless he became after subtly inquiring about the experiences of Qiu Huanian's mother.

These things he didn't plan to tell to the children, who lived happy and fulfilled lives, choosing instead to let the bitterness simmer in his heart.

He remained unmarried and childless throughout his life, and his only disciple, by a twist of fate, married the child of the woman he loved. In its cruelty, heaven at least left him a glimmer of sweetness.

Wen Huiyang was lost in a sea of emotions from years past, while Qiu Huanian gently put down his wine cup. After hearing the old tale, he had already decided.

"My mother is buried in Dujia Village, Zhang County. A few years ago, I helped her separate from my biological father. She suffered a lot in her life, but now in the underworld, she finally has freedom and peace."

"If you believe in souls and the afterlife, Mr. Wen, you can wait until I consult with my uncle, and then propose to her."

Wen Huiyang's eyes widened in shock, and after a moment, he asked, "Uncle? Huanian, do you... do you know Wangshu's whereabouts?"

The only known survivor of the Mei Family, Mei Wangshu, who was just six years old at the time, was taken into the palace as a slave and vanished without a trace.

Over the years, Wen Huiyang had tried many methods but never found him. In moments of despair, he feared the innocent and clever child might have perished unnoticed in some palace corner.

"Wangshu... Mei Wangshu?"

Qiu Huanian thought of Sixteen's identity, feeling even more tormented and sad. Over the years, Sixteen must have recognized Wen Huiyang and knew that Wen Huiyang was searching for Mei Wangshu.

He stood silently in the shadows, masked, observing the old acquaintance in the same room, neither meeting nor acknowledging one another.

What was he thinking at that time? The training of the guards had isolated most of his past emotions. Would the child who used to cling to his elder sister, acting cute and silly, appear in his heart?

"Mr. Wen." Facing Wen Huiyang's expectant gaze, Qiu Huanian sighed, wanting to laugh but unable to.

"He is far away, yet right before your eyes. You have already reunited long ago."