Chapter 202: The Next Step
That night, Wen Mingqian returned to Wu Qiu Nunnery and slept restlessly.
She had many dreams, fragmented yet interconnected.
At one moment, she dreamt of Gong Xu coldly reprimanding her as a vicious woman; at another, she dreamt of the horse carriage heading to Shuangxi getting stuck in the mud, unable to be pulled out no matter what.
At one moment, she dreamt of Wei Fu holding the newborn prince in front of her; at another, she dreamt of Zhang Ma leading Gong Changan, telling her the horse carriage back to the Capital City was ready.
When she finally opened her eyes, she found the sun had risen quite high.
“Mother, you’re awake. You slept too late last night, so I didn’t wake you,” Sang Er’s flower-like smile was right before her eyes. “Breakfast is ready. Please get up and eat!”
“It’s another fine day today,” Wen Mingqian said as she got up. “It’s just the right time to take the incense out to dry, otherwise it will get damp.”
After breakfast, Wen Mingqian took a book and sat there quietly reading.
Sang Er was drying incense in the courtyard. Ao Shuang was not here; her mother had been ill for the past few days, and she had gone back to care for her.
As it neared noon, a kind-faced old woman arrived, smiling, and said to Wen Mingqian, “Madam Wen, this is a letter my Master asked me to deliver.”
Wen Mingqian took it and saw it was from Prince Changliu. She read it carefully from beginning to end.
Seeing that Wen Mingqian had finished reading, the old woman said, “The Prince said that after Madam reads this letter, she should burn it and not keep it.
The Prince is leaving the Capital City the day after tomorrow, and it’s inconvenient for Madam to see him off. So, consider this our farewell.”
“Are you Granny Li, the one the Prince mentioned in his letter?” Wen Mingqian asked the old woman with a smile.
“Indeed, it is I,” the old woman replied with a smile.
“The Prince’s letter said that if I have any matters in the Capital City in the future, I can find you.”
“That’s right. I’ve opened a tea stall on Peach Blossom Street. If Madam has any matters, just send someone to me,” Granny Li replied.
Wen Mingqian knew that this Granny Li was the person Ying Wuchou had left for her to contact.
Although she looked like an ordinary old woman, she possessed hidden abilities.
“May I ask if you can relay a message to the Prince for me today, Granny?”
“Certainly, certainly. Madam, please speak freely.”
“I wish the Prince a smooth journey and hope we meet again.”
After Granny Li left, Sang Er came in from outside, holding a letter and smiling, “It’s a letter from Young Master Changan! It’s so thick! Mother, quickly see what it says!”
“I figured a letter should arrive these past couple of days,” Wen Mingqian said, taking it with a smile. “One letter every five days is quite good, unless there was a delay on the road.”
As she spoke, she opened the letter and read it aloud to Sang Er, “He says everything is well at the academy, and he’s recently learned many books he’s never read before. He also said the spring scenery there is exceptionally beautiful and that if we have the chance, we should go and enjoy it.”
“Spring has arrived, and it’s a good time for cuju ball,” Sang Er interjected. “I imagine Young Master Changan is having a great time playing with his Senior Brothers there.”
“How could he possibly sit still?” Wen Mingqian couldn’t help but laugh when she mentioned her son. “Ah, his letter says he will return to the Capital City with Tutor Zhuge this autumn… This child, he actually said that even though autumn is still far away, he decided to tell me early so that you and I can look forward to it every day, and time will pass faster.”
“Really? He’ll be back this autumn!” Sang Er was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful! Didn’t they say it usually takes at least three years before they can come down the mountain once?”
“Perhaps Tutor Zhuge has some business in the Capital City to attend to? That’s why he’s bringing him along,” Wen Mingqian speculated. “The letter doesn’t go into much detail, and I suppose it’s not entirely finalized yet.”
“If you ask me, Tutor Zhuge is biased. He always shows extra favoritism to his closed-door disciple,” Sang Er said. “But then again, who can blame him when Young Master Changan is so young and likable! The previous disciples were all at least seventeen or eighteen, even the youngest. Suddenly taking in such a young child, of course, he dotes on him like a treasure.”
“It’s a pity we won’t be able to see Prince Changliu when we return to the Capital City in the autumn,” Wen Mingqian said with some regret.
Given Prince Changliu’s deep affection for Elder Sister Shen, how much he must have wanted to meet her child!
In fact, Prince Changliu fell in love at first sight with Shen Jinglian when they first met.
However, due to a twist of fate, Shen Jinglian was selected to enter the Palace.
Prince Changliu had no other choice but to bury his deep feelings, suffering in silence for a long time, unable to find release.
As a result, he refused to marry for so many years.
“Mother, will Zhang Ma come back with them?” Sang Er asked.
“Of course. Wherever Changan is, he is there. He has been by Changan’s side since he was born, when has he ever left?” Wen Mingqian said.
It was said that Wei Fu, the former Chief Eunuch of Consort Shen’s palace, had been burned to death in the chaos of battle.
How could anyone know that he had transformed into Zhang Ma and had been accompanying Gong Changan all along?
Even those who knew him before would not recognize him now, because over the years, Zhang Ma had deliberately eaten himself into a very large person and had intentionally altered his accent and his habits of walking, sitting, and lying down.
“Mother, can you write a letter asking them how long they can stay in the Capital City in the autumn?” Sang Er said with anticipation. “They left last winter, and by the time they return in the autumn, it will be almost a year.”
“You! You’re so impatient,” Wen Mingqian shook her head and smiled. “In my opinion, you shouldn’t have full expectations. It’s better to be more indifferent. Otherwise, if they can’t come back, you’ll be disappointed for nothing.”
“They will! I know Young Master Changan has a way. Since he said so in the letter, he will definitely find a way to come back,” Sang Er said. “Mother, please write quickly! I’ll prepare the ink and brush for you.”
Wen Mingqian had no choice but to pick up her brush and write the letter.
Sang Er, meanwhile, went to the back to check on lunch.
By the time Wen Mingqian finished writing her letter, Sang Er had also brought lunch.
It was tofu stewed gluten, and two bowls of green vegetable soup.
“The gluten here is really delicious. I can eat it every day without getting tired of it,” Sang Er said. “If I leave here, I won’t be able to have this.”
“When Ao Shuang returns, please tidy up everything in this room,” Wen Mingqian said to Sang Er. “We’ll have to move out of here in a few days.”
“Are we going to the house given by Princess Consort Zhao?” Sang Er asked while packing a box. “Not to the Grand Princess’s place?”
“Naturally, we’re going to Princess Consort Zhao’s place,” Wen Mingqian said. “If I wanted peace and quiet, I could go to the Grand Princess’s, but I hope there will be an opportunity in the future!”
“Alas, so we really can’t stay here for many more days. I guess I have to eat more bowls of gluten,” Sang Er said, holding up her bowl. “Thinking about it, it’s quite good that Hui Xin became a nun. It’s peaceful without the worries of household chores, and she doesn’t have to suffer the hardship of bearing children. Most importantly, she can eat such delicious gluten every day.”
“If you like it so much, why don’t you try to learn the skill during these few days?” Wen Mingqian reminded her with a smile. “As the saying goes, ‘swallowing gold in one’s sleeve’ – having many skills is never a burden.”
