Fish Meat – Chapter 120
by Little PandaThe Eleventh Year of Shenchu
The Lamp Behind the Curtain, the Sword in its Case (10)
“Eh? Did I interrupt you?” Ah Liao came in and saw Zhen Wenjun kneeling behind the table with a flushed face, while Wei Tingxu simply sat on the table, leisurely rearranging the fruits that had been knocked over back onto the plate. She also straightened the wine jug and stood up to respond to Ah Liao:
“Since you’ve already interrupted, why not join us? Now that you’re here, let’s appreciate the moon and drink together.” Wei Tingxu smiled with such politeness that others might have thought she was sincerely inviting them. But Ah Liao, having grown up with her, understood her expressions and words. Right now, Wei Tingxu looked like she wanted to kill someone.
Ah Liao had a strong sense of self-preservation. She gave a couple of apologetic laughs and was about to leave with the ladies when Ah Ran pulled Zhangsun Wu out from the crowd, squeezing forward with a smile: “That’s right, winter is approaching, and we won’t have such good weather to sit in the courtyard drinking and appreciating the moon once it arrives.” Ah Ran invited everyone to sit down, calling for servants to bring all the tables and arrange them in a circle in the Bamboo Garden, asking Zhangsun Wu and Wei Tingxu to sit together.
Zhen Wenjun, being very sensible, moved to one side. She remembered that Xiaohua was originally beside her, but at some point, it had changed to Ah Liao.
“Sister Wenjun! It’s been such a short time, yet you’ve become so otherworldly beautiful, like a celestial being! I always knew you were an uncut jade, and it seems Tingxu has been polishing you well these years. Let me appreciate my sister Wenjun’s beauty up close!” Ah Liao eagerly pounced towards Zhen Wenjun, who didn’t even look at her. Instead, she wielded the fruit-peeling knife in her hand with dazzling speed, finally pointing the tip towards Ah Liao’s nose.
Ah Liao nearly got stabbed and laughed heartily as she sat back down: “Sister is still so chaste and unyielding, I like it. Come, come, no more jokes. Ah Zheng, help pour wine for everyone.”
“Yes.” The beautiful lady called “Ah Zheng,” who had been standing behind Ah Liao, stepped forward. She took the wine jug from a servant’s hands with a smile and began pouring wine for everyone.
Zhen Wenjun remembered this lady; she had seen her once before in Suichuan Qu County. Ah Zheng had an oval face with phoenix eyes and always wore a smile, looking like a gentle person who would never raise her voice to anyone. She appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a long dress with narrow sleeves. Whenever she poured wine for someone, she would kneel beside them and say softly, “Please enjoy.”
After Ah Zheng finished pouring wine for Zhangsun Wu and left, Zhangsun Wu whispered in Wei Tingxu’s ear: “I came here to visit Lord Wei and inquire about Zilian’s situation. I really didn’t mean to disturb you, but I was dragged here by Sister Ah Ran.”
Wei Tingxu found it amusing: “Second brother has already run back to Mengliang, planning to reclaim the three counties of Mingsha. My father won’t be able to bring him back anytime soon.”
“Oh? Could it be that all this was arranged by you, Zizhuo?”
Wei Tingxu just smiled without saying a word.
“That makes sense. If Zilian continued to stay in Runing, he would likely be unable to escape marrying into the royal family,” Zhangsun Wu found it funny. “If he refuses to marry, the entire Wei clan might be implicated. Only by rushing to the frontlines to fight could he possibly avoid this fate. But in that case, won’t it be difficult for Zilian to return?”
“I see this matter as Empress Dowager Geng’s decision, with Her Majesty not being very enthusiastic. With my second brother killing on the frontlines for two or three years, the Empress Dowager will certainly grow impatient. Yet it wouldn’t be appropriate to recall my second brother for the matter of conferring a consort title, as that would interfere with military affairs. Even if she is the Empress Dowager, she could easily be criticized. If my second brother doesn’t return, they can’t very well send Her Majesty to the northern front. What use is a noble consort who can’t produce an imperial son? It would be better to find someone else. Our Da Yu has many handsome men, not just from the Wei family. Isn’t that right, Zhanying?”
Zhangsun Wu found the first part of her analysis quite reasonable and was about to praise her intelligence, but with the sudden turn at the end, he seemed to smell a scheme:
“Zizhuo, this isn’t fair. You’ve sent Zilian away, leaving our Zhangsun family as the biggest target, haven’t you?”
“Is that so?” Wei Tingxu seemed to have a sudden realization, “Zhanying makes a good point. Looking at it this way, perhaps the next undisputed candidate for noble consort might just be Zhanying.”
Zhangsun Wu: “⦔
Zhen Wenjun sat nearby, watching Wei Tingxu and Zhangsun Wu whispering to each other, feeling a bit sour in her heart. However, Wei Tingxu had said that even if she married Zhangsun Wu, it would be a marriage of convenience and not a true romance. Zhen Wenjun didn’t want to be coy and make things difficult for Wei Tingxu, and sulking in silence would only hurt herself. It was better to be open-minded; Wei Tingxu always knew what she was doing and could surely handle things appropriately.
Ah Zheng knelt beside Zhen Wenjun to pour her wine. Zhen Wenjun thanked her, but Ah Zheng didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she carefully examined Zhen Wenjun.
Zhen Wenjun was about to pick up her wine cup when she noticed Ah Zheng staring at her, feeling a bit puzzled: “Is there something the matter, Lady Ah Zheng?”
Ah Zheng smiled and shook her head before leaving.
Originally, two lamb legs would have been enough for Zhen Wenjun to eat, but unexpectedly, so many people had come to the Bamboo Garden. Xiaohua went back to the kitchen and brought ten more lamb legs and two large pieces of pork neck. While roasting the lamb legs, filling the courtyard with a delicious aroma, she also set up a grill over the charcoal fire and laid out slices of pork neck. While waiting for the meat to cook, Xiaohua still had time to wash the fruits clean, specially peeling fresh lychees for Wei Tingxu. She cut each lychee into small pieces, separating the flesh from the pit, and tasted a piece from each fruit to ensure there was no poison before placing them beside Wei Tingxu.
Zhen Wenjun had been watching Wei Tingxu the whole time and naturally noticed this detail.
When she first came to Wei Tingxu’s side, it was during the most intense period of her struggle with Xie Fuchen, and various assassination attempts were frequent. It was understandable for Wei Tingxu to be so cautious then, but now that the Xie clan had been executed and the Zhao Wu was about to arrive, everywhere seemed to be gradually recovering and presenting a scene of peace and prosperity. Yet she was still so careful.
She had thought it was just Xiaohua’s habit of being cautious after years of service, but looking at Wei Tingxu again, she realized that Wei Tingxu wasn’t even eating the lychees that Xiaohua had already tested for poison. Since the large group had arrived at the Bamboo Garden, Wei Tingxu hadn’t taken another bite or sip. Zhen Wenjun knew she didn’t like eating with others, but she truly didn’t eat a single bite, and Zhen Wenjun couldn’t even go up to persuade her, which made her anxious.
Sister Ah Ran, sitting next to Zhangsun Wu, noticed that after exchanging a few words with Wei Tingxu, the two hadn’t spoken again. The entire courtyard was filled with Ah Liao’s voice.
Ah Liao said that these days she had been ordered to go around recruiting extraordinary individuals to form the first-ever “women’s army” in history.
She said that about half of the women’s army consisted of bandits or wandering knights. These women had learned martial arts from a young age, following their elders and developing excellent fighting skills, but unfortunately, due to life’s hardships, they could only become outlaws. Now that Her Majesty was offering a hefty sum to recruit them, it was a blessing for the court and the best opportunity for them. Among these people, there were even some who had almost become Yellow Earth rebels. Her Majesty said that as long as they could swear to serve the court, all past transgressions would be forgiven. Besides bandits and wandering knights, there were also some hidden talents from small villages and strategists from great family clans who were well-versed in literature. Ah Liao felt like her eyes had been opened. Although only five hundred people had been recruited so far, this was just the first batch. After resting for a while, she would continue to recruit the second batch.
Wei Tingxu knew that this was Li Yanyi’s first step in promoting the status of women in Da Yu. From the initial planning to the implementation of specific details, it was actually all devised by Wei Tingxu. Although Wei Tingxu had not yet officially entered government service, she had already become one of Li Yanyi’s most important advisors, specifically discussing with Li Yanyi how to formulate new laws to reasonably elevate the status of women and consolidate the position of the female emperor. Regarding the position of women in Da Yu and all the obstacles to their advancement, even the shrewd and politically experienced Wei Lun might not fully understand. Only Wei Tingxu, who was truly a woman and had grown up among the common people, could understand the many dark rules hidden within the light.
After the establishment of the women’s army, they would undergo rigorous training, evaluating their quality and loyalty, weeding out a batch, and the remaining elite would be placed by Li Yanyi’s side. This was a group of highly skilled secret guards directly under Li Yanyi’s command, specifically executing the emperor’s secret orders. These secret guards were complementary to the Huben Guards; while the Huben Guards were responsible for defense in the open, this group of female secret guards was responsible for offense in the shadows.
Li Yanyi greatly appreciated this proposal. If Li Ju had had such a hidden team before, she might have been assassinated long ago without even knowing it. More importantly, Li Yanyi had been an observer of the entire court for the previous thirty years and was better able to see its problems. Now that she was in a high position, she still had to use Confucian thought to constrain her ministers. Although this was the case on the surface, she couldn’t be bound hand and foot in private. She knew that her current imperial position was obtained through extraordinary means, and she knew how many people were silently cursing her as a “demon woman” who had truly covered the sky with one hand, looking for opportunities to drag her down from the throne. Those who wanted to rebel were everywhere.
She absolutely could not be careless. She knew in her heart how she had obtained her throne and how much blood was on her hands.
Li Yanyi’s formation of this women’s army was, after all, due to her inner fear. She wanted to use sharp methods to control and eradicate all forces that might overthrow her and make her follow in Li Ju’s footsteps.
“It’s just that I’m worried this women’s army will be opposed by the ministers before it can truly enter the Forbidden Garden,” Li Yanyi was quite appreciative of Wei Tingxu’s suggestions, but all of this implementation depended on the women’s army actually being able to enter the Forbidden Garden. The law for female officials couldn’t be promulgated immediately, after all, the ancestors’ rules were there. Yesterday, Li Yanyi had asked Wei Tingxu to come to the Huaichen Mansion to see her, as she was troubled by this matter. The selection of the women’s army had entered its final stages, with a total of three hundred people passing the verification. Li Yanyi had already chosen a name for them: γMoon Chasersγ.
“Actually, this matter is quite easy to handle,” Wei Tingxu casually threw back this sentence after hearing Li Yanyi’s concerns.
“Oh? Zizhuo, tell me quickly!” Li Yanyi’s eyes brightened as she strode to her table, urging her.
“Doesn’t Your Majesty have a small eunuch by your side who doesn’t know his place and always wants to cheer Your Majesty up?”
“Indeed.” The mention of this small eunuch made Li Yanyi feel sick. “This small eunuch is a distant relative of Zuo Xu, who entered the palace just to earn a living. At that time, I saw him being bullied by other eunuchs and felt sorry for him. Considering my mentor’s kindness, I placed him by my side to serve, but I didn’t expect this child to harbor improper thoughts! If he hadn’t already been castrated, I would definitely have him further emasculated!”
“Your Majesty, don’t be angry. This scum must be eliminated, but Your Majesty’s wisdom in keeping him serves to legitimately introduce the Moon Chasers. It’s truly far-sighted.” Wei Tingxu’s gentle words made Li Yanyi suddenly understand.
The reason eunuchs are castrated is to prevent them from defiling the palace. But now that a female emperor is on the throne, even castrated eunuchs still make the female emperor wary. If all the eunuchs were replaced with women, it should be the best solution, and no one could say much about it. Moreover, even if a well-trained army were introduced by the female emperor’s side, they could be given no official positions and temporarily replace the eunuchs as palace maids.
This was just the first step. Once the Moon Chasers replaced the eunuchs, it would naturally follow that they would replace the eunuchs in managing the Department of Palace Attendants and take up the position of Chief Eunuch. Wei Tingxu often took unconventional approaches, starting with extremely small matters, yet achieving unexpectedly effective results. Previously, using Hong Ai as a clue to attack the Xie and Feng factions in one fell swoop was also like this.
Moreover, Li Yanyi noticed a detail.
Wei Tingxu, who used to be accustomed to directly analyzing situations and explaining strategies, had now learned to be indirect. She didn’t directly explain but guided Li Yanyi to understand on her own. In the end, the strategies worked out were all “the emperor’s wisdom” and had nothing to do with her, not stealing any of Li Yanyi’s limelight at all.
Li Yanyi was no longer the princess who used to ride in a carriage with her, traveling outside. Li Yanyi understood this, and Wei Tingxu understood it even more clearly.
How many cases of “the hare dies, and the hunting dog is cooked” (an idiom meaning to get rid of someone once they’ve outlived their usefulness) had there been? Wei Tingxu, being clever, of course knew this and was being extra careful.
“Good,” said Li Yanyi, “Let’s do it this way.”
Ah Liao’s mention of the women’s army had caused Wei Tingxu’s thoughts to wander for a while. Ah Ran called her name three times, but she didn’t respond.
Ah Ran thought her sister was deliberately ignoring her, so she directly knelt beside Wei Tingxu, holding her hand and saying, “Did you hear what your sister said?”
“Hmm⦔ Wei Tingxu actually hadn’t heard, but even without hearing, she knew what Sister Ah Ran would say, “Don’t rush the matter of marriage.”
“This isn’t about rushing or not,” Ah Ran also understood her sister and knew she would answer like this. She put on a smile and said, “It’s already ripe for the picking. Why not marry early and let Father and Mother hold their grandchildren soon? I could understand when you said it wasn’t good to marry during wartime, but now the war is over, the new emperor has ascended the throne, isn’t this the perfect time for universal celebration? I think we should choose an auspicious day soon and set the date. Don’t let Mother and your sister worry anymore, okay?”
Sister Ah Ran’s tone and approach were the same as always, completely unchanged. Wei Tingxu knew that if she opened her mouth to refute now, her sister would have a hundred sentences waiting behind. So she simply smiled and turned to Zhangsun Wu, whose expression was even more difficult than hers, and said:
“I’ll leave this matter for Zhanying to decide.”
Zhangsun Wu, having been set up twice in one evening, had a thousand words stuck in his throat and could only smile bitterly.
Zhen Wenjun, who had been quietly eating meat and fruit the whole time, not interrupting or throwing tantrums, just kept watching Wei Tingxu. Her watery eyes were full of grievance, but she didn’t voice her complaints.
“Excuse me,” Wei Tingxu stood up and walked to Zhen Wenjun, “Wenjun, accompany me to get some Wandering Wine. I picked the petals of the Wandering Flower when you went on the expedition and made some wine. It should be ready to drink now. Since we have so many good friends here today, we should bring it out to share with everyone. Come, Wenjun, help me carry it out.”
“Hm? Yes⦔ Zhen Wenjun was a bit confused at first. She didn’t know when Wei Tingxu had made this wine, and she hadn’t mentioned it in all this time since she’d been back. But then she realized that Wei Tingxu was probably looking for an excuse to leave, so she immediately stood up and followed behind Wei Tingxu.
Sister Ah Ran called out “Zizhuo,” but Wei Tingxu didn’t look back. When Ah Ran was about to follow, Zhangsun Wu held her back and asked in a soft, peculiar tone: “Oh my, I suddenly remembered something. Doesn’t Sister Ah Ran already have a marriage arrangement? When will the wedding be?”
Ah Ran got a headache just thinking about her troublesome marriage. Her betrothed was a general with his own mansion, but she disliked that he was just a rough military man, probably always covered in sweat. She still preferred refined scholars, so she had been delaying. Now being asked about it, she brushed it off saying, “I’m not in a hurry.”
“How can you not be in a hurry? Sister Ah Ran should marry early and have a chubby baby soon. Besides, if you’re not in a hurry, I am.” Zhangsun Wu looked quite sincere. “If Sister doesn’t marry, how can Zizhuo get married first? There’s no such custom for generations.”
“I⦔
“Say no more, Zhanying understands. Sister is just shy after all. A maiden can’t be too forward. How about this, tomorrow I’ll go to that general’s mansion and give that dull brute a good scolding, to make him come propose quickly!”
“You⦔
“It’s settled then!”
Ah Ran: “⦔
Wei Tingxu and Zhen Wenjun walked out of the Bamboo Garden together, actually heading towards the wine cellar.
“Eh? Did you really make wine, sister?” Zhen Wenjun hadn’t expected this.
“Why would I lie?”
As they were walking down the stairs, Zhen Wenjun called out to her, went to get a gauze lantern, and walked in front, one hand holding the lantern and the other holding Wei Tingxu’s hand. As they walked, feeling the cold of the wine cellar, she stopped.
Wei Tingxu asked her why she stopped, and Zhen Wenjun handed her the lantern: “Please hold this for me for a moment.”
Wei Tingxu took the lantern, and Zhen Wenjun took off her outer garment and draped it over her:
“The weather is getting cooler, and it’s even colder in the wine cellar. I don’t want you to catch a chill.”
Seeing her so gentle and considerate, Wei Tingxu pulled her by the lapel of her clothes, drawing her down. Zhen Wenjun lowered her neck, perfectly matching Wei Tingxu’s height, their lips meeting.
“What did I tell you to call me earlier?” Wei Tingxu’s voice was very soft and low in the wine cellar, but the empty space amplified it, resonating in Zhen Wenjun’s heart.
“Tingxu⦔ Zhen Wenjun’s voice became hoarse.
The light from the gauze lantern flickered across Wei Tingxu’s face, making Zhen Wenjun’s heart pound.
She thought of that night when Wei Tingxu was beneath her, embracing her and moaning with restraint, and her throat instinctively became dry.
“What are you thinking about?” Wei Tingxu encircled her neck, just like how Zhen Wenjun used to hold Wei Tingxu to maintain balance.
“I’m thinking about how beautiful you are.”
“No, you’re not,” Wei Tingxu saw through her. “You’re thinking about something else.”
“Oh? Then what am I thinking about?” Zhen Wenjun supported her waist. She liked this private moment; if possible, she wanted to stay with Wei Tingxu in this deserted wine cellar until the end of time, with no one to disturb them. She guessed Wei Tingxu might be thinking the same thing. They might stand here for a while, so fearing her waist might get uncomfortable, she supported her to relieve the pressure.
Wei Tingxu unexpectedly leaned in and kissed her.
Zhen Wenjun’s mind flashed back to the feeling of entering Wei Tingxu’s body last night. Hot yet fragile, she had initially explored this moist wilderness carefully, but later Wei Tingxu’s voice and tears almost made her lose control.
They had battled until midnight, with Zhen Wenjun’s heart full of excitement, while Wei Tingxu really couldn’t take it anymore. Only then did she give up, and they finally embraced and slept.
Wei Tingxu might not be the most perfect, but she was definitely the most intoxicating to Zhen Wenjun.
Once one has tasted the forbidden fruit, it’s hard to forget. Now that Wei Tingxu had taken the initiative to kiss her, it immediately aroused Zhen Wenjun’s impulses. Their lips and tongues intertwined passionately and fervently. Zhen Wenjun heard Wei Tingxu’s breathless gasps from her kisses, which made her even more excited. She lifted Wei Tingxu to sit on a large wine vat, giving her a place to rest so she wouldn’t have to stand and tire herself.
It took them nearly half an hour to come out after going to get the wine.
Xiaohua had been standing at the entrance of the wine cellar the whole time, knowing she shouldn’t go in, but fearing that Zhen Wenjun might not know her limits and cause the young lady to suffer. So she stood there waiting.
Finally, Zhen Wenjun came out carrying Wei Tingxu in her arms, with a jug of wine hanging at her waist. This was the first wine Wei Tingxu had tried to make under Xiaohua’s guidance.
“Eh? Why are you here?” Zhen Wenjun’s lips were a bit swollen, but her hair had been combed and was quite neat. Her face hadn’t fully returned to its normal color, and she smiled rather awkwardly when she saw Xiaohua. Zhen Wenjun felt like she had broken some kind of balance, overturning certain relationships, and could barely look Xiaohua in the eye.
Wei Tingxu, at this moment, allowed herself to be carried in Zhen Wenjun’s arms without any strength. She glanced at Xiaohua but didn’t say anything.
Xiaohua noticed that Wei Tingxu’s lips were also a bit swollen, and there was a red mark on her neck.
“How is the young lady’s neck? Are you injured?” Xiaohua didn’t reproach Zhen Wenjun, knowing she no longer had the position to do so, but instead showed genuine concern for Wei Tingxu.
However, her concern made Zhen Wenjun extremely embarrassed, and Wei Tingxu was also at a loss for words. She could only say weakly:
“I’m not injured. Xiaohua, you can go now. Wenjun is here.”
Xiaohua had been by Wei Tingxu’s side since childhood, taking care of her daily needs, and had no experience in such matters, so she really couldn’t understand the subtleties. Xiaohua could only say “Yes,” and returned to Wei Tingxu’s room first to prepare her bedding. After some thought, she changed to a wider blanket, enough for two people to share, placed two pillows, lit Wei Tingxu’s favorite incense, and then left.
“I won’t marry Zhangsun Wu.”
After taking a couple of sips of the Wandering Wine, Zhen Wenjun heard Wei Tingxu say this.
“It’s alright,” Zhen Wenjun said. “I understand that marriage for you nobles is an important means to strengthen the clan. I won’t be unreasonable, and besides, you and Zhangsun Wu⦔
“Before, it was an alliance of interests, because we needed to oppose the Xie family. My father feared that once he and Uncle Zhangsun passed away, our generation would be divided, which would have pleased Xie Fuchen. But now Xie Fuchen is dead, and the interests we need to ally for have shifted,” Wei Tingxu said firmly. “I won’t marry him.”
Zhen Wenjun was overjoyed in her heart, but still put on a brave face: “Why are you telling me thisβ¦ I’ve already said, I don’t mind.”
“Is that so?” Wei Tingxu nodded. “So you don’t mind. You’re right, why am I saying this? I was confused. Sister’s reminder is correct, I should reconsider. After all, Zhangsun Wu is a rare good match.”
Zhen Wenjun hadn’t expected her to change her attitude so quickly. She stood up to leave, but Zhen Wenjun immediately followed to apologize: “Why am I ‘sister’ again? Weren’t you calling me Wenjun? I was wrong, my good sister, please don’t be angry. Do you want to spank me? Spank until you’re happy, how about that? Sister! Tingxu! Sister Tingxu!”
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