东宫 Eastern Palace: Not Believing People's Hair Could Turn White (Part 6)

The fire was flickering, and the Princess seemed to be in the middle of a dream, her expression was calm. Her long eyelashes cast a curved shadow on her snow white face, it's just that she was breathing lightly, still unconscious.

Li Cheng Yin seemed surprised, taking half a step back, and then wrinkled his eyebrows.

Pei Zhao wondered, did he remember? How can he persuade him? He had once used his life wanting to save her, not hesitating to jump off the high cliff with her, how can he persuade him to abandon this person? 

After a long time, Li Cheng Yin suddenly said: "Why did Father want me to marry her? She is so ugly!"

Pei Zhao was stunned.

Li Cheng Yin grabbed a cloth to wipe his fingers, said: "Get her a tent and move her out, I dislike seeing her!"

Pei Zhao didn’t know what to say, in the end he could only agree, bringing people here to move the Princess elsewhere.

Since then, Li Cheng Yin would show an expression of dislike whenever the Princess was mentioned, even though Pei Zhao did not understand why.

After he exited the main military tent, as he walked he kept on thinking how should he explain to the Crown Prince, how should he say, and how much should he tell him?

The Yu Lin army did not know about Li Cheng Yin and the Ninth Princess’s personal matters. The only people who knew were him and Gu Jian, but Gu Jian's whereabouts were unknown, so it could be said that only he knew.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep throughout the whole night. By dawn he was still very anxious. The kitten named Xiao Xue was by his pillow side, meowing. He reached out his finger and the kitten hugged it, snoring slightly, Pei Zhao actually fell asleep in the midst of the soft snoring sound.

He didn't sleep for long though, perhaps he only slept for the same amount of time it takes to boil a cup of tea, because he suddenly felt the presence of someone in the tent, so he woke up. It was Li Cheng Yin who had come in, he hurriedly turned around and bowed: "Your Highness......"

However Li Cheng Yin saw the kitten on his pillow, and reached out his hands to grab it, laughing: "Ah Zhao, I didn't expect that you would raise a kitten...." He held the kitten in his arms, Xiao Xue recognized him and licked his finger affectionately. Li Cheng Yin smiled, "Look, it licked my finger......" He hadn’t finish speaking when two drops of tears suddenly fell from his eyes, dripping onto the fur of the kitten. Pei Zhao was stunned, Li Cheng Yin himself was also shocked. He reached out his hand to wipe the rims of his eyes, staring blankly at his moist fingertips, not believing that he had shed tears.

It was quiet in the tent, only Xiao Xue could be heard softly meowing.

Li Cheng Yin put down the kitten and said: "I must be so sick that the wind had caused me to tear up."

Pei Zhao did not know why he was more shocked than him, he couldn’t help but call out: "Your Highness....."

Li Cheng Yin asked: "What?"

In the end, Pei Zhao did not say anything. Li Cheng Yin had a tough personality, he has never cried before. Why did he burst into tears at this moment, even he doesn’t understand, because he has forgotten.

These two teardrops have a sense of heaviness in that they could seal everything, sealing the words that Pei Zhao had once wanted to say.

Pei Zhao thought, just let it be this way, Li Cheng Yin and the Princess being two strangers, it might not necessary be a bad thing.

Just keep this huge secret to yourself.
 
Li Cheng Yin quickly restored to being his former self, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace who has the world in mind. As for the Princess of Western Liang, he did not care much about her. 

"Just a woman from Western Liang." He said to Pei Zhao, "Don't think I don't know what the Empress is planning."

When the Ninth Princess finally regained her consciousness, she had also forgotten everything, only remembering that she is the Ninth Princess, and had received the imperial decree to go to the Capital for a political marriage.

She was still naive and cheerful. Even though Li Cheng Yin did not like her, she remained carefree, as if nothing in this world could bother her.

Pei Zhao did not know whether it was good. He carefully raised Xiao Xue, not letting the Ninth Princess see it.

He kept raising Xiao Xue for a long time, afterwards Xiao Xue gave birth to a kitten. However the Princess and the Crown Prince would still argue with each other.
 
The Princess was already the Crown Princess, but the Crown Prince did not like her, he even hated her. More than once, Li Cheng Yin complained about her in front of him, "That barbarian woman from Western Liang," he would always refer to her in a very contemptuous way.
 
Pei Zhao did not try to dissuade him.
 
This day was the Qixi Festival [1], it was not known why the Crown Princess would make the Crown Prince angry again, but the two quarreled with each other. Li Cheng Yin had summoned Pei Zhao into the Eastern Palace to drink wine with him. The palace was filled with excitement during the Qixi Festival, however this day was only celebrated by the ladies. Within the palace, fruits and other things were only bestowed to the ladies in the Eastern Palace.
 

When Li Cheng Yin mentioned the Crown Princess, he would be angry: "That barbarian woman from Western Liang, having already spent several years in the Central Plains, still doesn't know how to wear a hairpin even on the day of the Qixi Festival. She only knows how to cause trouble everyday and everywhere, this type of festival, I don't even want to spend a single moment of it!"

 

Pei Zhao pretended to unintentionally ask: "Why doesn't your Highness like the Crown Princess?"

Maybe because he had drank some wine and loosened up, Li Cheng Yin discouragingly said: "I don't know, I feel annoyed whenever I see her."
 
He paused before he said: "It's not annoying, I can't explain, it's just that I don't want to see her."
 

Pei Zhao said: "Just like not wanting to see my cat."
 

Li Cheng Yin was stunned, but a moment later, he nodded slowly and said: "You're right, just like not wanting to see your cat."

The Pei family knows, whenever his Highness visit them, he does not like to see the cat.

Pei Zhao drank a few more cups of wine with Li Cheng Yin before leaving. Li Cheng Yin didn't know why, but he felt unhappy, maybe because Pei Zhao had mentioned his family's cat. Li Cheng Yin had always felt a great shame because there was nothing wrong with him, but why would he cry upon seeing that cat, and he also felt very painful, as if his flesh was being cut off by a sharp blade. As time passed, he was really afraid of seeing that cat.

As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, how could he be afraid of a cat?

He felt unhappy, drank another cup of wine, then got up and left his palace residence, not allowing anyone to follow behind, only saying that he was going for a walk to ease the feeling of drunkenness.

As the moon rose, the night wind became chilly, the plants in the courtyard were sparse. He walked along the bridge for a moment and only heard the insects chirping. The pond reflected the bright moon in the sky, the reflection was vibrant and sparkling. He stood by the pond for a moment, before suddenly feeling a bit disappointed, he walked across the bridge. After passing these rooms, it would be the path back to the main palace hall.

These rooms are for palace servants. Since tonight was the night of the Qixi festival, the palace servants had went to participate in the needle threading competition [2]. The rooms were lit by candlelight, but nobody was inside.

Li Cheng Yin suddenly went inside through the window. Suddenly there was a red cloud like object thrown at the window, he couldn't help but turn his head around. Inside the room, there was a palace maid tidying her clothes, which were thin clothing. She did not turn around, instead just put those clothes onto the shelf, but because she didn't use much strength, the clothes that were like a round cloud had fallen to the floor. 

Li Cheng Yin didn't know why but he stopped his feet. That palace maid was unaware, just humming a song as she tidied up the clothes, which made Li Cheng Yin felt that this scene was quite familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere. But it was just a hazy shadow, he was unable to catch it, too faint as if it was like the past.
 
The palace maid turned around and seeing that it was him, she became very shocked, and hurriedly knelt down, stuttered: "Your Highness."

The candlelight reflected her thin figure, making Li Cheng Yin feel a sense of tenderness that he has never felt before. He unknowingly reached out his hand to hold her hand, which were cold and still shaking.

He thought, don't be afraid, it's me, it's me.

Not knowing why, he always felt that the person in front of him would be able to recognize him and would give him a happy smile, as if she has done it countless times before.

As long as she smiles, the snow on the Tian Gen mountain would melt.

He wanted to say that name many times, but he couldn't remember it. Feeling a bit discouraged, he finally asked: "What is your name?"

"This servant's name is Ah Xu [3]."

He thought this name was not good, it's not this name, no it's not right. What's her name? What should be her name? He couldn't remember it, this kind of feeling he's never felt before, he suddenly didn't want to think about it anymore, because she has her own thoughts, she would remember her name anyways.

He felt that he must be drunk, very drunk, or else why would he have a feeling of grief and tenderness.

He suddenly felt afraid, afraid of something that he didn't know of, as if that thing was like a smoke that would disappear. He couldn't help but hold her hand tightly, gently putting her finger onto his chest where there was a slight pain. Her whole body was shaking, but he happily said: "Come with me."

He felt that he was looking around for a long time, not knowing what he was looking for, but clearly knowing that it was a huge absence that terrified him. It was a dream that he had countless nights that would cause him to shake in fear. It was a feeling of regret that he didn't understand. It was a deep, bone-aching wound in his heart.

Luckily, he found it.

At this moment, he was very satisfied, just like a long time ago.

He held her hand, passing by the beautiful pavilion, the magnificent palace rooms.
 
Tonight was the night of the Qixi Festival, a good day when the weaver girl and the cowherd met each other on the magpie bridge in the golden wind and jade dew.

The pool of water reflected the bits of starlight, as if it was immersed in countless fireflies, just like a dream that could make one feel intoxicated. 

He didn't know if he would lose everything the moment he woke up the next morning.

 

He held her hand and entered his own palace residence.

On the silver folding screen, a new poem was written with wine. The wine gradually faded away and the handwriting was disappearing, just like the way fireflies disappear.

If one does not experience the feeling of grief, they would not believe people's hair could turn white as a result.

Translator's Note: I am quite surprise when Li Cheng Yin shed tears as soon as the cat licked his fingers. It is as if although his mind does not have memories of the past, but his heart still remembers. Anyways I am happy we finally finished translating this side story, because it felt like it took forever.

Notes:

[1] 七夕 Qixi Festival - This is Chinese Valentine's Day, which originated from a folk tale about the weaver girl and cowherd, in which they met once a year on this day on the magpie bridge.

[2] 穿针乞巧 Needle Threading Competition - A tradition of the Qixi Festival. They use five, seven or nine needles, which are stuck on an object. The person that threads the needle holes the fastest wins the title of skillful hands. This event also reveals a person's intelligence and wisdom as well as predicting their future based on there needle threading skills. Back in ancient times, needle threading is an important skill for young ladies, so if you have great needle threading skills then it would mean you are very intelligent and would have a good future. The picture above is an example of the tradition.

[3] 阿绪 Ah Xu - This is Xu Bao Lin.

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