Fish Meat – Chapter 152
by Little PandaThe Second Year of Zhao Wu
Morning Like Blue Clouds (16)
The bright moon was like a hook [crescent-shaped], cold winds rose from all directions.
Li Yanyi and Wei Tingxu talked privately until midnight. Zhen Wenjun practiced two sets of martial arts forms and drank a bowl of ginseng soup. Her eyes could barely stay open but Wei Tingxu hadn’t come out yet, so she couldn’t hold on and went to sleep first.
At some unknown hour, Wei Tingxu entered the room, removed her clothes and lifted the fragrant soft blanket still warm with Zhen Wenjun’s body heat, slipped in, pressed against Zhen Wenjun’s back, and wrapped one arm around her.
“Hmm?” In her hazy state, Zhen Wenjun turned over and drew Wei Tingxu into her embrace. Her eyes still closed, she smelled the pleasant fragrance of the person in her arms, smoothed her long hair, and quickly became still again, falling back asleep.
Wei Tingxu slept very soundly while holding Zhen Wenjun.
As long as she could feel Zhen Wenjun’s body warmth, she could sleep without guard until dawn.
The next day when Wei Tingxu woke up, Zhen Wenjun was already gone. One corner of the blanket was lifted, still retaining Zhen Wenjun’s scent.
Yesterday Wei Tingxu had only drunk one cup of tea all day. After returning, she couldn’t ignore the Emperor’s visit, and the Emperor was particularly energetic, talking until late into the night. Wei Tingxu was actually a bit hungry, and Ah Zhu had prepared a late-night meal for her, but she had no appetite and went straight to sleep after bathing.
Now upon waking, her stomach was empty and she felt somewhat hungry.
Getting down from the bed, she faced the mirror to groom and wash up. While combing her hair and looking at herself in the bronze mirror, her face had grown rounder, with a subtle flush in her cheeks.
Since moving to Zhuo Jun Mansion, every night when she returned home, Zhen Wenjun would have wine and food prepared for her. No matter what time she came back, someone would share the evening meal with her. Life became more regular, and even though court affairs were numerous, they didn’t overwhelm Wei Tingxu anymore. She could devote a large portion of her energy to spending time with Zhen Wenjun. As a result, both her body and mind were comfortable, and her weight naturally increased.
A few days ago when getting up in the morning, Zhen Wenjun said she somewhat missed the days when her legs were not well and needed to be carried everywhere, acting somewhat pitiful. Wei Tingxu found this appearance truly adorable, couldn’t help but smile, and sat on the bed reaching out to her. Zhen Wenjun happily picked her up horizontally, and Wei Tingxu asked her:
“Is this finding a bit of that feeling from back then?”
Unexpectedly, Zhen Wenjun shook her head and said: “It’s a bit different.”
“Hmm? What’s different?”
“Heavier.”
Seeing Wei Tingxu’s rare moment of being stunned, Zhen Wenjun laughed heartily, very pleased with herself.
“So you’ve started finding fault with me.”
“Hmm? Zizhuo, don’t be upset, I was just joking.”
“Now you find fault with my weight, later you’ll find fault with my age and my looks. Why keep holding me? Just put me aside and let me get fat and ugly on my own.”
Zhen Wenjun was so frightened she didn’t dare let go all morning. From the bedroom to the front hall, from the front hall to getting in the carriage, Zhen Wenjun held her tightly the whole way, even continuing to hold her during breakfast. Wei Tingxu leisurely ate from her bowl in Zhen Wenjun’s arms, occasionally reminding her to be careful not to break her arms from the pressure.
This kind of thing might make others feel somewhat embarrassed, but Wei Tingxu was different. For over ten years, she had always been waited upon by others. Other people’s arms were Wei Tingxu’s chair – even if Zhen Wenjun carried her to the Taiji Hall, she could still unhurriedly fight with lips and tongue [engage in verbal battles] with Luan Jiang and others.
Zhen Wenjun could hold her for a while without problem, but constantly holding her would tire anyone out no matter how strong. Yet she didn’t dare let go, and could only give Wei Tingxu a bitter smile.
After that day, Zhen Wenjun only dared to give praise, not daring to say even half a word related to “fat,” being incredibly well-behaved.
While combing her hair and thinking of Zhen Wenjun, Wei Tingxu’s mouth corners couldn’t help but turn upward.
Officials below the fourth rank had one day of leave each month, and Wei Tingxu chose today.
The troublesome matters that gave the Emperor headaches had been dealt with by Wei Tingxu. Li Yanyi was a clever person who knew what to do, so she could also take a temporary rest.
Today should be uneventful.
After combing her long hair, she pasted a peach-pink flower ornament between her eyebrows, picked out three boxes of rouge, and finally chose a pomegranate red one. She scooped a small spoonful onto the copper tray, added a few drops of clear water to dissolve it, and used her fingertip to dab a little on her lips.
Immediately she became even more radiant.
Wei Tingxu was in excellent spirits, thinking Zhen Wenjun must have gone to practice martial arts, and after practice they could eat breakfast together.
When she reached the front hall, sure enough, Zhen Wenjun was sitting there, though she looked fresh and clean all over, not like someone who had practiced martial arts, so she asked her.
“I did practice, but because the weather is cool, I didn’t sweat. Come, Zizhuo, today Aunt Ah Zhu made your favorite plum blossom cheese cookies. They smell fragrant, come try them quickly!”
“Why didn’t you eat first?”
“How could I eat first? Naturally, I should wait to eat together with you.”
The two sat kneeling face to face. Wei Tingxu picked up a small cookie and took a small bite – it was a bit too sweet.
Wei Tingxu didn’t particularly like sweet foods, which Xiaohua knew well. Xiaohua always made food according to Wei Tingxu’s tastes as the first principle. For so many years, Xiaohua had always served by her side, but now with poison still in her body, Zhong Ji wouldn’t agree to let her move locations no matter what. Xiaohua had never been away from Wei Tingxu for long since childhood, and now to separate these master and servant, Xiaohua was very resistant. Wei Tingxu personally comforted Xiaohua, telling her to be patient, that health was the most important thing.
“Once your poison is cleared, I’ll come to get you myself.” The day they moved out of the Wei Mansion, Wei Tingxu specially spent time with Xiaohua, stroking her face reluctantly when leaving.
Xiaohua wasn’t used to being away from Wei Tingxu, and similarly, Wei Tingxu wasn’t quite used to days without Xiaohua. Ah Zhu’s cooking skills were indeed good, and she was also an old servant who had served the Wei family for decades, knowing everyone’s preferences, but not as precisely.
“What’s wrong?” Zhen Wenjun saw she only took one bite before putting it down and not picking it up again. “Don’t you like it?”
Zhen Wenjun did understand her. However, their time together was still too short – even someone very perceptive might not be able to understand all the details of another person. But Wei Tingxu didn’t feel any burden about this, and even somewhat enjoyed the process of growing closer with Zhen Wenjun. The two slowly drew near, slowly understanding each other, like looking at a painting through mist, gradually piecing together the features of the person in the painting. Whether her eyes were phoenix-shaped or almond-shaped, whether her lips were thin or thick, what her voice would be like…
She was willing to let Zhen Wenjun understand her, willing to devote all her attention to her.
“It’s a bit cloying [greasy/overly rich/sickeningly sweet],” Wei Tingxu said.
“Cloying? Is it too sweet? I’ll go get you some water to help with that.”
When Zhen Wenjun returned with water, Wei Tingxu’s fingertips inadvertently brushed against her hand while taking the cup. Zhen Wenjun didn’t notice this small display of affection, but instead brought up yesterday’s matters:
“By the way, yesterday while you weren’t back yet, Her Majesty discussed with me the matter of women marrying women.”
“Oh? Her Majesty brought this up with you?” Wei Tingxu said after taking a sip of water.
“Yes, and also spoke of letting me enter official service, giving me a boost, letting us two be the first to try it out, to be the first in woman-to-woman marriage.”
“I had already discussed the law of women marrying women with Her Majesty before going to Path of Ten Thousand Directions, but I feel bringing up this law now is a bit too hasty.”
“Too hasty?”
Wei Tingxu nodded and said: “Never mind the Haina Reforms, just as we were returning from Path of Ten Thousand Directions, before even reaching Da Yu, there was already a group of people planning to take our lives. This shows how each of our moves affects many people’s interests. The Haina Reforms will already stir up quite a storm in Da Yu – injury, broken bones, fighting, and bloodshed are inevitable, but these we need not fear. However, while the current central government can withstand one wave of earth-shattering change, it might not be able to bear a second wave. The matter of women entering official service is already very sensitive. Her Majesty wants fairness, but in many people’s eyes, Her Majesty is being targeted and unfair. The matter of women marrying women isn’t as simple as it appears – it won’t just break Da Yu’s meridians [vital channels], it might break all its bones. To reconnect and merge these into a new person, even if Bian Que [legendary physician] were reborn or Hua Tuo [famous doctor] returned to life, they might not be able to do it. Even the sturdiest building might not withstand the violence of double typhoons, let alone Da Yu’s central government which is already in tatters.”
Zhen Wenjun nodded in deep agreement: “Moreover, there’s already a serious shortage of men. If the law allowing two women or two men to marry is implemented, Da Yu’s population won’t be able to increase for several years. When foreign invasion comes, we might not even be able to recruit soldiers.”
“Her Majesty couldn’t possibly not have thought of this point,” Wei Tingxu seemed to be speaking to Zhen Wenjun but also as if talking to herself. “I don’t know what’s causing such haste.”
“Didn’t you say she’s been troubled to the point of being unable to eat or sleep because of Empress Dowager Geng and Ah Xin’s matter? Perhaps she wants a quick resolution, thinking that making Ah Xin empress would solve everything. Oh right…” Zhen Wenjun said this string of words rather hurriedly, somewhat speaking for the sake of speaking, as if rushing through to get to what came after this “oh right” – “Yesterday while you were in private talks with Her Majesty, wasn’t I tidying up in the room? I found several musical instruments.”
As Zhen Wenjun spoke, her gaze fixed on Wei Tingxu’s face, observing the slightest changes in her expression, guessing how she would answer.
But Wei Tingxu didn’t answer at all, just quietly drank water, only lifting her eyes with slight confusion when she didn’t hear Zhen Wenjun’s next words.
“Originally I didn’t know they were musical instruments. While organizing your books, one fell and made a sound, that’s how I discovered it. That zhu, why was it wrapped so tightly? It took quite some effort just to check if it was damaged.”
“Oh, that zhu was a gift from my elder brother. Since he passed away, I put it away and haven’t played it again. I couldn’t bear to throw it away, so I brought it along,” Wei Tingxu said calmly.
This answer was outside of Zhen Wenjun’s expectations.
Zhen Wenjun had wanted to ask Wei Tingxu about the zhu since waking up early, feeling restless but not wanting to show anything unusual, trying to maintain normalcy, and had even laid such lengthy groundwork just to prevent Wei Tingxu from noticing anything strange.
She desperately wanted Wei Tingxu’s answer, wanted to know if this was the same zhu that had stirred her heart that year on the Cold River in Suichuan, wanted to know if the “Zhong Li Song” that had brought tears to her eyes was played by Wei Tingxu’s hand.
If the answer was affirmative, it would reveal a possibility that made Zhen Wenjun’s hair stand on end, one she could never accept—
Wei Tingxu had seen her before. The so-called “life-saving benefactor” never existed.
Wei Tingxu had known all along she wasn’t “Zhen Wenjun,” perhaps there had never even been a “Zhen Wenjun” in this world.
Perhaps even the meeting on Cold River had been planned in advance – why else would the person playing the zhu on the boat never show their face or speak, having their maid relay all messages? It was because Wei Tingxu was completely confident that Xie family’s Alai would step by step be led into her perfectly designed trap, to be used by her! So she couldn’t reveal her voice too early – if she was recognized, all would be ruined.
All of this had been Wei Tingxu’s scheme, while Zhen Wenjun had thought she was matching wits with an equal, deceiving heaven and crossing the sea [pulling off a huge deception].
Last night after Wei Tingxu returned, they had slept embracing each other. Wei Tingxu had fallen asleep shortly after, and once her breathing became steady, Zhen Wenjun opened her eyes.
She couldn’t sleep.
Turning her head to look at the person in her arms, it was familiar, yet surrounded by a sense of strangeness that was frightening.
Countless anxiety-inducing thoughts wrapped around her body like a cold snake, making her both panicked and afraid, her muscles tense like already-stiffened corpse.
When she discovered that zhu, her first reaction was to find excuses for Wei Tingxu, rationally analyzing that this wasn’t Wei Tingxu’s doing, that the person encountered at Suichuan wasn’t Wei Tingxu. Although her bedmate was skilled in strategy and sometimes quite ruthless in her methods, that was all toward others.
Her lover wouldn’t scheme against her like this, she wouldn’t.
That’s right. Wei Tingxu was so intelligent, if she were scheming, how could she possibly leave this zhu for someone to discover and expose her? She should have destroyed it long ago. Moreover, why would she create a person called “Zhen Wenjun”? Why, just simply to keep her by her side? But at that time, Alai was nothing at all, what could Wei Tingxu want from her that would make her put so much effort into such a big scheme?
It couldn’t be, it’s impossible, there’s no reason.
Zhen Wenjun closed her eyes, trying to force herself to fall asleep quickly, to think less about these messy things.
As soon as she closed her eyes, Xie Fuchen’s face appeared.
That face so similar to her own.
Do you hate me?
Zhen Wenjun turned over painfully.
No, what you hate might not necessarily be me.
You are my daughter, my biological daughter.
You know something has started to go wrong, you already understand what things can’t be explained.
Why would your mother, possessing extraordinary talent, knowledge, and martial arts skills, be defiled by a useless brute like Xie Taixing? Because she already had you in her womb at that time, because for some reason she needed a place of shelter without arousing suspicion, deliberately choosing Xie Taixing. Because Xie Taixing was my clan relative, somewhat similar in appearance, no one would doubt you were his daughter.
Zhen Wenjun’s back was completely wet.
Painfully turning over.
After the Rangchuan disaster, Wei Tingxu wanted revenge on Xie Fuchen, wanted to kill her enemy with her own hands. No, how could mere killing satisfy the hatred in her heart? She wanted the entire Xie family to die, wanted to crush the entire Xie clan with her own hands!
Even the lives of the entire Xie clan couldn’t satisfy her hatred. She wanted to make Xie Fuchen suffer, she wanted to make Xie Fuchen experience the greatest suffering in the world—this would be consistent with Wei Tingxu’s usual style.
What kind of suffering is the greatest suffering in the world?
Flesh and blood turning against each other.
She wanted to nurture Xie family’s flesh and blood by her side, honing them into a sharp blade. She wanted to use this blade to pierce Xie Fuchen’s heart. She would surely tell him this secret before his death. Once Xie Fuchen knew the truth, this knife would become a shield, an important bargaining chip for her final victory.
No wonder before she went to the Northern Frontier, Xie Fuchen’s methods were fierce, but afterward he declined rapidly, beaten by Wei Tingxu without any ability to fight back.
Xie Fuchen couldn’t bear to move against his own biological daughter, while his daughter, kept in the dark, led troops into Runing, catching Xie Fuchen completely off guard.
Finally, Xie Fuchen lost, he knew what he would face. So before death, he wanted to see Zhen Wenjun one last time.
He wanted to see his daughter, his and Ruan family’s Ah Qiong’s daughter.
Wei Tingxu let Xie Fuchen die painfully, she got her revenge.
All of this was her plan, everything progressing precisely step by step within her plan.
Zhen Wenjun recalled every detail of when she first nervously approached Wei Tingxu – with so many flaws, why did Wei Tingxu never expose them, and even patiently guided her? She had actually thought it was her own cleverness, able to match wits with Wei Tingxu…
Xie Fuchen died from her carefully laid plan, then what about Ah Mu?
Was Ah Mu also her chess piece from the beginning?
Was Ah Mu also killed by her?
Zhen Wenjun didn’t sleep all night, she couldn’t sleep. A thousand worries wrapped around her heart when she was completely defenseless, yet they weren’t chaotic.
Zhen Wenjun hated that she couldn’t be more muddled, hated why she could remember everything from the past so clearly.
After a night of panic passed, when she walked out of the bedroom and saw sunlight, she became calm again.
It was too early to draw conclusions; she was certain about whether Wei Tingxu’s feelings for her were true or false. She couldn’t be impulsive or rash.
She needed to calmly test Wei Tingxu first, couldn’t wrongly accuse Wei Tingxu, otherwise she would be a fool, a sinner.
After imagining thousands of possible answers from Wei Tingxu, the final answer was still unexpected – she hadn’t thought of this possibility.
People’s hearts are separated only by a layer of flesh, yet they might as well be thousands of miles apart.
Unfathomable.
Was Wei Tingxu’s words true? Zhen Wenjun should believe them, otherwise why would she ask?
But Zhen Wenjun understood something else more clearly. There are indeed coincidences in the world, but nothing is coincidental in every aspect.
The gentle morning sunlight fell on Wei Tingxu, under the golden light her lover was still as beautiful as when she first met her, beautiful enough that one couldn’t look away, beautiful as if concealing poison.
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