Fish Meat – Chapter 73

The Ninth Year of Shenchu

Needle Tip versus Wheat Awning (Part 10)

“Oh? Wenjun, I remember you.”

Facing the gift suddenly sent by Wei Tingxu, Li Yanyi displayed a smile with quite genuine surprise, kindly holding Zhen Wenjun’s hand and bringing her to the front.

“You have always been by Zizhuo’s side, and Zizhuo relies on you greatly.”

Zhen Wenjun tried to make her smile less forced, knowing Wei Tingxu was sitting diagonally behind, watching her performance.

“Zizhuo, are you really willing?”

“If it were someone else, I would certainly be unwilling, but how can others compare with Her Highness? Zizhuo’s heart is entirely devoted to Her Highness, wishing to offer any treasure to Her Majesty. Although Wenjun is still young, she is different from other maids. She is well-read in poetry and eloquent, proficient in commerce and martial arts, capable of both protecting Her Highness and relieving her boredom. Moreover, she personally sold fifty thousand carts of grain mixed with mud and stones to Hong Ai, disguised as a Hu merchant, completely fooling him. The success of this plan is greatly due to Wenjun’s merit.”

“Oh, I did not expect Wenjun to have such talents at a young age. How old are you this year?” Li Yanyi asked Zhen Wenjun directly.

Wei Tingxu gazed at Zhen Wenjun’s side face, seeing she showed no negative emotion, and with a humble smile, answered Li Yanyi’s question:

“Replying to Her Highness, this year I am seventeen.”

“Seventeen is a good age. At your age, I still had not finished reading the 《Liu Tao》, yet you are already accomplished in both literary and martial fields. Wenjun, you are accustomed to Zizhuo, now you are to be by my side, are you willing? I often travel east and west, spending more than half of the year on the road. And now, with numerous political enemies, both openly and secretly, there might be life-threatening dangers.”

Zhen Wenjun said loudly: “This servant, when following Lady Wei, also experienced many dangers. Now that the lady gives this servant to Your Highness, this servant will definitely be loyal to Your Highness, even if it means spilling liver and brain on the ground!”

“Ah, don’t speak of spilling liver and brain, follow me and I will treat you well, everyone must live. Come, drink a cup with me.”

After Li Yanyi finished speaking, Zhen Wenjun quickly kneeled and raised a bowl: “I toast Your Highness three cups!”

“Drinking three cups in one go, don’t get drunk.”

Zhen Wenjun acted as if she did not hear and in one breath poured all three cups in.

“Good drinking capacity, I like people as straightforward as Wenjun!” Saying this, Li Yanyi also drank a cup in one go, slid the cup aside, and helped Zhen Wenjun up, “Having drunk my wine, you are now my person. Follow me and do well, seize this country, and share glory and wealth with me!”

Zhen Wenjun nodded in agreement, and the two of them talked for a long time. Throughout the entire process, Zhen Wenjun did not turn her head back once, and did not look at Wei Tingxu at all.

Li Yanyi asked Zhen Wenjun how she made Hong Ai fall for it, and had her tell the whole process of disguising as a Hu merchant. Zhen Wenjun, not only able to drink, also had a very slick tongue, telling the story of selling grain from the beginning like a storyteller, even embellishing the story of Sudu collecting grain, especially the part about fighting with Bu Jie, which Li Yanyi listened to with relish and ate more food and wine.

When the story was finished, Zhen Wenjun, having drunk quite a bit of wine, felt hot and thirsty, with sweat on her forehead, speaking too quickly and too much made her brain feel a bit numb. She habitually went to find Wei Tingxu, but discovered that Wei Tingxu had already left the room.

The surroundings instantly turned cold, and Zhen Wenjun’s smile became even more forced.

Wei Tingxu said she wanted to go to the high platform in the backyard where offerings to the gods are made, and Ah Liao asked: “Why go to such a high place, don’t let the pain of giving up lead to despair. Clearly, you are reluctant to part with Sister Wenjun, yet you want to send her away. First, to let Li Yanyi recognize your loyalty by placing an important person at her side as a hostage, and second, to ensure Wenjun’s life is protected. Although today Li Yanyi still counts as trusting us, the old schemers’ treacherous plans may be hidden anywhere, and if one day Li Yanyi decides to remove us, perhaps because of interests she will spare Wenjun. Right?”

Wei Tingxu: “If you don’t take me, I’ll go myself.”

“…”

Ah Liao had no choice and pushed Wei Tingxu to the high platform. The high platform for offerings to the gods had an iron incense burner, filled with burned-out incense sticks and a mountain of incense ashes, occasionally rising into the air with the wind.

“The weather is getting warmer day by day.” Ah Liao, facing the evening breeze, played with the pendant of the fan in her hand, “My wives can finally come out of the carriage to breathe the fresh air.”

Soft fur was spread on the back of the four-wheeled cart, and every day Zhen Wenjun would take this piece of fur to air and beat it, making it softer and warmer. Wei Tingxu leaned on the fur, faintly able to smell the lingering scent of sunlight.

“Not only that.”

Ah Liao turned her head to look at her, her hand lightly swaying the fan.

“One as a hostage, two to save life, but the most important is the third point.”

“Oh? What is the third point?”

“Third point, you will slowly come to understand.”

“You’re still keeping me in suspense?”

“Wait until that day, and you will know.”

Ah Liao’s motion of shaking the fan slowed down, as she looked at this old friend and close confidante. If anyone could claim to understand, she could certainly boast of being the person who knows Wei Tingxu best in the whole world, yet many times she suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity towards Wei Tingxu. While she enjoyed pleasures with beauties and wine, and used Furong Powder to forget her sorrows, what was Wei Tingxu doing, what was she planning? Ah Liao did not know.

Wei Tingxu’s growth had already far exceeded Ah Liao’s expectations, leaving her far behind.

In the moonlight, looking at Wei Tingxu’s determined eyes, she remembered the pain she suffered in childhood—if it weren’t for that pain more terrible than a nightmare, Wei Tingxu might not be who she is now. She might not care about the Grand Princess or about the country and its state affairs, perhaps she would have lived like an ordinary girl from a noble family, happily and effortlessly under the protection of her clan.

During the days when Wei Tingxu was brought back, Ah Liao always stayed by her side, talking and playing with her, trying not to leave her alone. In her memories, young Wei Tingxu did not show much emotion, calm to the point that Ah Liao was somewhat at a loss. After so many years, now grown-up, Ah Liao only then realized the magnitude of the harm that event caused to a normal person, not just physically, but also to the heart. But this understanding was still limited.

Without personally experiencing it, one would never understand how painful that cut on the skin could be.

“That event” urged Wei Tingxu to grow rapidly, and now she stands on the brink of Da Yu’s collapse, supporting a new empire with legs that cannot stand. Ah Liao admired her immensely but did not wish to become like her.

No matter how careful, one slip could mean losing one’s head, it was too exhausting. Once Wenjun matures a bit more and can handle things independently, Ah Liao will retire, embracing her beauties and finding a secluded place to live a carefree and happy life.

Standing below the high platform, Lingbi and the guards, as well as the shadow guards hiding on the roof and in the trees, all waited silently. Eventually, Ah Liao left, leaving Wei Tingxu alone on top.

“Lingbi, should we bring the lady down?” the guard who loves to intrude asked Lingbi, “The lady has been up there for a long time, could something have happened? Should you go check?”

Lingbi was somewhat hesitant. She was indeed very worried about the lady, but she also knew the lady often liked solitude, and if she disturbed her rashly, she feared ruining her peace. While she was hesitating, Zhen Wenjun arrived.

“Sister?”

Lingbi pointed upwards.

Zhen Wenjun, looking at the star-filled sky, saw Wei Tingxu alone at the high place. She was a bit reluctant to find her, but if she let her stay there at night, she feared she would get sick by morning.

Without a word, Zhen Wenjun hopped up the stone steps towards the high platform. Lingbi initially wanted to stop her but then decided against it.

Once up, Zhen Wenjun directly grabbed the rear handle of the four-wheeled cart, saying displeasedly: “Do you not know your body is weak? Aren’t you afraid that staying here in the wind will make your face crooked and eyes slanted by tomorrow? I’m taking you down.”

Without waiting for Wei Tingxu’s agreement, Zhen Wenjun forcibly took her down. The alcohol was still steaming in her head, and Zhen Wenjun concentrated on controlling the four-wheeled cart steadily. The cart’s wheels pressed on the wooden slope, slowly and smoothly returning to the flat ground.

“I thought sister ignored me.” Wei Tingxu’s face was pale from the cold, and Zhen Wenjun’s hand quickly passed over her face, clearly feeling the cold emanating from her body. She immediately took off her own coat and covered her with it. As she squatted down to help fasten the collar, Zhen Wenjun still did not look at Wei Tingxu’s face:

“Who is ignoring whom is still not clear… you’ve already sent me to someone else. Knowing I’m reluctant to part with you, you still torment yourself like this, do you think I don’t feel enough heartache?”

“Sister, you must dislike me.”

Seeing that Lingbi and the others were still some distance away, Zhen Wenjun was not afraid to speak frankly: “Sister merely wants to use me to show loyalty. I should be happy that sister considers me important enough to be entrusted to the Grand Princess.”

Wei Tingxu secretly sighed: “Li Ju’s faction’s plan to sow discord should be somewhat apparent to you. Now, the Grand Princess is somewhat cautious of me; although Liu Feng is at my disposal, she still inevitably harbors resentment. That day, when you recklessly undressed on my bed to scare the Grand Princess away, she saw I like that and thought you were already my favored one. Now placing you by her side is to first dispel her wariness, and second to ensure your safety. Wenjun, you must perform well.”

Thinking “I am your favored,” was a misunderstanding? I am not your favored person, right. Zhen Wenjun thought.

After Wei Tingxu finished speaking, she continued to stare at Zhen Wenjun’s face, seemingly waiting for some feedback she desired.

Zhen Wenjun’s stubborn eyes filled with tears, although she was still holding Wei Tingxu’s hands to warm them, she did not look at her.

“Sister just wants me both as a hostage and a secret piece?”

Thinking this child hadn’t thought deeply, she was surprised to find that Wenjun was already fully aware, just sulking and never saying it out loud.

Wenjun’s thoughts are more long-term than Ah Liao’s, and Wei Tingxu felt very gratified.

“The Grand Princess’s trip to Runing will certainly be filled with dangers, and she will take you into the palace, possibly even having a direct confrontation with Li Ju. Be careful in everything.” Wei Tingxu said firmly, holding her hand, “I will protect you in secret.”

Zhen Wenjun couldn’t imagine how she could be protected secretly. After all, her mother had once told her a bit about what the palace was like, and her deepest impression was of the palace filled with grievances and countless spirits, which made her shiver. With Wei Tingxu’s crippled legs, it was very difficult for her to protect others, let alone enter the palace unnoticed.

Rather than hoping for protection from others, it was better to protect herself, as Zhen Wenjun had always done.

But if she leaves Wei Tingxu’s side like this, will the Xie family agree? And where is Yan Ye? Perhaps it would be better to write another letter to “Dongchun Mister Ju’an” to inform them a bit. They had placed spies beside Wei Tingxu to gather intelligence on the Grand Princess, and now having the chance to directly approach the Grand Princess, the Xie family should be pleased. This way, Zhen Wenjun’s psychological burden could be lessened, as leaking the Grand Princess’s information feels less guilty than leaking Wei Tingxu’s.

Thinking of this, Zhen Wenjun was puzzled by some things. She wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence, but every time she passed messages to the Xie family, she would be punished. Previously, after she sent out news about the Grand Princess at Nanya, she was frightened in the dungeon, and her backside was painfully whipped for a long time. This time too, just after sending out Wei Tingxu’s handwriting, Wei Tingxu sent her away. She was indeed angry, but thinking back, it made her shiver.

Could it all just be coincidence?

LP: I think it’s pretty obvious at this point that this “savior Zhen Wenjun” is something Wei Tingxu made up… But what for? I have a feeling that Alai’s mother and that musician person Alai met in the lake at the earlier chapter has something to do with this…