Chapter 18
Li Zhongqian had a good night’s sleep. When he woke up, the room was pitch-black.
The curtain gauze was hanging low and the lighting was dim.
From the darkness came the light sound of a rustling dress. A sweet and graceful figure to the side sat cross-legged in front of a low table, both hands propping up her chin, the corners of her mouth slightly curved, staring intently and in concentration at the incense box on the low table.
It was a gold engraved flower and phoenix patterned clamshell incense box. The lid was half open, faintly transmitting threads of light green light.
The young lady looked entranced. She couldn’t help but reach out and gently brush open the lid of the box.
All of a sudden, a soft glow like water flowed out, illuminating the room, shining as bright as a candle.
It turned out that within the incense box held a, as round as pearls and as smooth as jade, large as a dove’s egg, luminous night pearl1 from Fulin country.
Li Zhongqian sat up and kneaded his shoulders.
“Like it?”
He asked with a smile, his face a little pleased.
The luminous night pearl was also called the bright moon pearl. He immediately thought of his younger sister when he saw the pearl, whose nickname was Ming Yue Nu, given by Xie Wuliang.
Li Yaoying nodded with a wide smile on her face, her eyelashes jet-black and thick: “Like it.”
Precious stones and jades were common, but what was rare was the smooth, rich luster and beautiful shape of this bright moon pearl.
The brimming light reflected on her perfect, white-as-snow face. The hazy light from the pearl made her features more picturesque, soft and charming.
Li Zhongqian was stunned, as if he was waking up from a dream. His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, carefully measuring Yaoying.
Yaoying was afraid of the heat; long black hair pulled up high, adorned in a turquoise peony blossom crown, a jade green flower between her eyebrows, and delicate lips. She wore a misty colored light veil that was thin as a cicada’s wing, with a multicolored eight-pleated muslin dress threaded with gold, and a woven silver shawl embroidered with flowers and birds rested on her arms around a jade and pearl necklace. Her thin eyebrows lightly converged like a wave. With one hand propped on a low table, she sat there with a smile.
She had always been like this in private; lazy and casual, would never stand if she could sit, would not properly and honestly kneel if she could lean against something. Her carefree attitude had no trace of the proper, virtuous and dignified appearance of a high family’s noble daughter.
Li Zhongqian had reminded her of this several times.
Yaoying was very clever, time and again promising to change, then quietly changed her kneeling posture not long after, either rudely crossing her legs, or simply going back to lazily leaning against whatever was available.
When he scolded her a few words, she laughed carefreely and kneeled honestly, but a moment later she would revert back to her old ways.
Li Zhongqian spoiled Yaoying and wouldn’t force her.
She was his younger sister, there was no need to suppress her nature.
In his eyes, Yaoying was still an innocent and naive child, trembling as she followed behind him, asking him to carry her to pick ripe plums from the branches in front of the courtyard.
At this moment, Li Zhongqian looked at Yaoying bathed in the pearl’s light and suddenly realized: unknowingly, his younger sister had already grown up.
She was still casual, sitting cross-legged, but it was not at all vulgar. Looking at her, she possessed a just right, difficult to describe or compare, moving spirit.
Her face was clear and attractive, the temperament noble, but with a fundamentally soft-as-if-boneless enchanting charm.
In addition to being in the prime of her youth, she looked bright. She didn’t need powder or to dress up, just a slight bend in the eyebrows or a faint smile could make half the capital’s idle sons’ bodies go soft.
Li Zhongqian frowned slightly, suddenly thinking of the verses Xue wu had read.
Appearance voluptuous, mood distant, pure and true, her skin’s texture, delicate and glossy, flesh and bones well-matched2.
Should haven broken Xue wu’s other leg!
Li Zhongqian’s eyes were slightly darkened, and his heart was burning with evil.
He had abandoned all restraint as a teenager, visiting brothels and prostitutes, knew what kind of women most men were unable to resist. He also knew what Xue wu‘s gang was thinking in their hearts.
Yaoying perplexedly glanced at Li Zhongqian and asked with concern, “Elder brother, is it a headache?”
Li Zhongqian gave a vague sound of agreement.
Yaoying gently patted his arm, “I told you to drink less, but you never listen!”
She raised her voice to call Chun Ru’s name.
The palace maid lifted the gauze curtain in response, brought hot water, towels and handkerchiefs to serve Li Zhongqian in freshening up, and one by one, lit the gilt lanterns in the four corners of the room.
Yaoying carefully put away the luminous night pearl and ordered the palace staff to set the meal.
She had already eaten and originally wanted to call Li Zhongqian up to eat together. Seeing him frown in his dream, seeming completely tired, she did not call him.
The soup was continuously kept warm on the stove, and the mutton was stewed until soft. Li Zhongqian ate two bowls in silence and asked about Mondatipa.
Yaoying had already deliberated before and didn’t tell him about the Brahmin medicine, only that Mondatipa couldn’t cure Noble Consort Xie’s insanity.
Li Zhongqian did not ask more questions, and instead asked: “Did he check your pulse? What did he say?”
Yaoying smiled and said, “Venerable Master said I was born weak, but I was nursed well after and have been training my body since, so there’s nothing serious.”
When Noble Consort Xie was in her right mind, she watched over her and took care of her.
She had always been clean and fresh.
Afterwards, Li Zhongqian took her into his care and searched for famous doctors for her. As long as the doctor prescribed medicine, no matter how odd the prescription or how many expensive and rare herbs were needed, he would find a way to get them and have the doctor concoct them into pills for her to take.
She was well taken care of and her body was much stronger than when she was a child. She could run and jump and ride a horse, and was also growing tall fast.
Li Zhongqian was not reassured and had someone fetch the prescription left by Mondatipa, sitting in front of the lantern to look at.
It was just a few supplementing and nourishing prescriptions. He read them one by one and nodded his head.
“Ming Yue Nu, come here.”
Li Zhongqian sent away the palace staff, gestured for Yaoying to sit in front of him, and solemnly said, “I talked with Prime Minister Zheng last night and set a marriage for you.”
Yaoying froze for some time, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.
This was too hasty, right?
Li Zhongqian was very stubborn in some aspects and had to find a proper marriage for her.
She had already told him that she was still young and didn’t want to marry yet.
There was always a knife hanging over her head so she really did not have the mind to consider marriage.
Li Zhongqian’s attitude was very firm, nitpicking here and being choosy there, before finally settling on the Zheng family.
Before going to war, he had mentioned this matter. She did not agree at that time.
Yaoying thought about it and stuck to her decision: “Elder brother, let’s talk about it after two years.”
She had not yet found out the truth about Tang shi’s anger and suicide, and had not found the culprit who had poisoned Noble Consort Xie and made her crazy. She really could not spare any thoughts to pick a fuma.
Li Zhongqian raised his hand to rubbed Yaoying’s head: “Don’t be afraid, it’s merely an early betrothal. We will discuss it again when you are of age. The Zheng family’s third son is of di birth, upright character, and good looks. The person is also kind, familiar with poetry and books since childhood, the rules and regulations are all memorized. Although he only has an idle position in the Honglu Temple3 at present, he will certainly be promoted soon.”
It was really Zheng Jing?
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1 夜光壁 directly translates into luminous wall. After some searching, it turned out to be this thing. I liked this pic best so if you see humans, pretend they aren’t there thanks! :)
I think I mentioned this but her nickname is Ming Yue Nu where Ming Yue means bright moon.
2 I stole this from here and made minimal changes.
3 Honglu Temple isn’t actually a temple, it’s the department in charge of ceremony and protocol so like court meetings, banquets. Foreign envoys and people had to check in here first.