Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 122
On the other side——
The carriage turned and headed west.
When Lu Yan arrived at the East Palace, the eunuch in the outer palace opened the door for him and said respectfully, “Lord Lu, please come in.”
Walking into Changxi Courtyard, the maids bowed and stood on both sides. Lu Yan bowed and said, “Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
The Crown Prince laughed as he sat on the couch, “Lord Lu is always courteous, please take a seat.”
Lu Yan stared at the white gauze wrapped around the Crown Prince’s hand and asked softly, “Is your injury okay?”
The Crown Prince nodded, “They are just superficial injuries, nothing serious.”
Lu Yan pondered for a long while before speaking: “Your Highness, please forgive me for being blunt, but this may not be a superficial injury.”
The Crown Prince was stunned. He knew that Lu Yan would not say such a thing casually, so he asked again: “What do you mean?”
Lu Yan frowned and asked, “Is Doctor Bai in the East Palace now?”
The Crown Prince patted his hands on his knees and said, “Everyone is celebrating the festival right now. I thought it was just a minor injury, so I didn’t call him. I only summoned someone from the Imperial Medical Bureau to come over.”
Lu Yan asked, “What did the people from the Imperial Medical Bureau say?”
The Crown Prince said, “That it is just a superficial wound.”
Lu Yan thought of the original dream.
Doctor Bai had said to Yang Zong, “Your Highness was not only wounded by the arrow, but the real fatal thing was the poison on the arrow! I have lived in the Western Regions for many years, and I know that it is a kind of poison called ‘Yao’ that only the Western Regions’ royal family has. When the Yao poison enters the body, there will be no abnormality, but after three years, it will instantly suck the blood out of the person’s bones and take the person’s life.”
“Even if there is an antidote in this world, it will be too late. In the past three years, the Yao poison has already penetrated every part of the body…”
Thinking of this, Lu Yan’s eyes became stern, and he said solemnly: “Your Highness, please summon him to the palace now. I suspect that the arrow is poisoned.”
The eunuch beside the Crown Prince suddenly raised his head.
Half an hour later, Doctor Bai walked in.
He touched the arrow for a long time, soaked it in water, and then burned it with fire. After a while, yellow juice floated on the surface of the arrowhead.
Doctor Bai’s eyes darkened, and then he removed the gauze from the Crown Prince’s body, took a deep breath, and looked at Lu Yan, “Lord Lu is right, this arrow is indeed poisonous. If I am right, it should be the ‘Yao’ poison from the Western Regions.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the two eunuchs beside the Crown Prince knelt on the ground with a thud.
The Crown Prince’s expression was unusually calm, and he said calmly, “Is there a cure for this poison?”
Doctor Bai nodded, “Thanks to Lord Lu for discovering it early, I will be able to prescribe a medicine to remove the toxicity. If we had waited until the poison took effect, there would be nothing I can do, but…”
Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, the Crown Prince said, “There is no taboo, just speak frankly.”
Doctor Bai was not good at speaking incoherently, so he said in a low voice: “This Yao poison is very toxic. Even if it is cured, the body will definitely be weaker than others, which may affect the life span…”
“I understand,” said the Crown Prince.
What Doctor Bai’s words meant was something that anyone who was not a fool could understand.
The eunuch beside the Crown Prince choked up and said to Doctor Bai , “Is there really no other way? There are countless precious medicinal herbs in His Highness’s villa. As long as it can help His Highness…”
“Absolutely not! When using medicine, it is important to not overdo it and not abuse it’. Even if the medicinal material is precious, it is not good to use too much.”
The eunuch said anxiously: “But this…”
“It’s okay.” The Crown Prince said, “I know my own health very well. I will follow Doctor Bai’s advice on everything.”
In the Crown Prince’s opinion, if Lu Yan had not brought this miracle doctor back from Yangzhou, he might not have lived to this day. Everything was destined, and as for other things, nothing can be forced.
As long as he was the Crown Prince of Great Jin, he must fulfill the responsibilities of the Crown Prince.
After a moment, the Crown Prince turned around and looked at Lu Yan and said, “I owe you another favor.”
Lu Yan said: “Your Highness is too serious.”
The Crown Prince raised his lips and did not continue to be polite with him.
But in his heart: If I still have the opportunity, this favour, I will return.
——
After two consecutive heavy snowfalls, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
During the Lantern Festival, every family prepares a few special dishes, such as minced meat, rice cakes and so on.
Wu Li arrived at the Shen Mansion early in the morning, and everyone had lunch together at noon.
Shen Shu, Shen Zhen, and Shen Hong sat on the left side of Shen Wenqi, while Wu Li and Shen Yao sat on the right side of Shen Wenqi.
The Uighurs did not follow the three books and six rites when getting married, and Shen Yao was conferred the title of princess and married in the palace, so the number of times Wu Li saw his father-in-law could be said to be very few, and even two fingers would be enough.
Wu Li felt somewhat unnatural in front of the Shen family. The awkward elegance they displayed while having a meal made Shen Yao unable to help laughing.
Shen Yao pushed the cake in front of him and said, “This is a specialty of Luoyang. Would you like to try it?”
Wu Li was not a picky eater, so he picked it up and ate a piece. But as soon as it entered his mouth, he tasted a taste that was neither sour nor sweet, but a bit rancid taste. What he couldn’t stand the most was that it was a bit sticky.
Wu Li forced himself to swallow it and asked Shen Yao in a low voice, “Do you like this?”
Shen Yao put down her wooden chopsticks, turned his head to look at Wu Li, and smiled: “Is it not delicious?”
Wu Li’s deep eyes were filled with doubt and confusion, and he reluctantly said, “If you like it, why don’t you buy some more?”
Shen Yao showed her white teeth and whispered, “No need, I never eat it.”
After all, they had lived together for four years. Wu Li looked at her mischievous eyes and immediately realized that he was being teased by her again.
Seeing this, Shen Wenqi couldn’t help but shake his head.
His second daughter was still the same.
After dinner, Shen Hong pulled Wu Li’s sleeve and shouted, “Second brother-in-law, there is a Lantern Festival tonight, will you go?”
Wu Li had no sons, only a daughter. Seeing Shen Hong getting close to him, he couldn’t help but bend down and said, “His Majesty invited me to the palace, I can’t go with you.”
After that, Wu Li handed a short bow to Shen Yao, “This is a gift from the Emperor, you can carry it with you.”
Shen Yao took it and said with a smile: “Tonight, Jingzhao Prefecture and Jinwu Guards will patrol the streets together, nothing serious will happen.”
Wu Li said, “There will be many people tonight, so you can take it.”
After returning to Chang’an, Shen Yao changed her Hu clothing into a long skirt. She looked down at the hem of her skirt, then weighed the short bow that didn’t quite match her and said, “Okay.”
At this moment, Shen Hong pulled Shen Yao and asked, “Will Second Sister leave Chang’an soon?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yao’s shoulders stiffened and she couldn’t help but turn around to look at Wu Li. Although the date of return was uncertain, she could roughly guess that he would leave at the end of the month.
Wu Li looked at her gradually dimming eyes, smiled and said, “Yaoyao, let’s wait until after March.”
Shen Yao’s breathing quickened as he turned his back.
Wu Li turned to leave. After a long while, Shen Yao hugged Shen Zhen and said with red eyes: “Sister, I can stay for your wedding.”
——
The sky gradually darkened. Tonight was the Lantern Festival. All the gates of Chang’an were open and the fun lasted all night until dawn.
After the three sisters changed their clothes and put on their makeup, they took Shen Hong, who was wearing a thick coat, and strode out of the Shen Mansion. Suddenly, a cold wind blew. Shen Shu turned her head and said to Shen Zhen, “Aren’t you wearing too little?”
Shen Zhen raised the hand warmer and said, “It’s not cold at all.”
Shen Shu glanced at Shen Zhen and concluded that she was just trying to look beautiful, so she turned around and said to Miao Qi, “Take two cloaks and put them in the carriage.”
The two carriages slowly stopped. After the four people got off the carriages, they couldn’t help but look up at the sky. Even though they had seen the Lantern Festival countless times, they were still amazed by the scene before them.
The imperial capital was filled with moonlight and lanterns, and the streets were crowded with luxurious carriages and precious chariots.
The lantern wheel outside Anfu Gate was twenty-two zhang[mfn](zhang,a unit of length)[/mfn] high, covered with brocade and decorated with gold and jade, and had eighty thousand lamps, clustered like a flower tree.
The lights were gorgeous, and there were various kinds of performances. In Chang’an, more than a thousand young girls and women were walking around under the lights.
The flags and banners were intertwined, and there were thousands of palace maids, dressed in silk and satin, brocade, wearing pearls and jade, and applying perfume and powder. Their reflections were bright in the slanting sunlight.
A vendor selling lamps whispered, “Would you three girls want peace lanterns[mfn](The Guangming Lantern is a folk belief , also known as the Peace Lantern , which is a religious lamp used for blessing.)[/mfn]?”
Making peace lanterns was a custom during the Lantern Festival in the Jin Dynasty, and exchanging them as a symbol of blessings. The three sisters saw that Shen Hong could no longer move, so they had no choice but to ask, “How much is it?”
The vendor pointed at Dragon lantern, Camel head lantern and Orchid lanterns and said, “These are all five strings of cash.”
He pointed at another set of lanterns and said, “These are not for sale. You can get them by reciting poems.”
Poetry recitals were not a problem for the Shen family girl and that short nerd.
Shen Shu said: “Then you go first?”
The old man said, “Everything is colorful and beautiful.”
Shen Hong waved his fat hands, “I know! I know! The neon lights reflect the heavenly splendor.”
The old man raised his chin and looked down, only then he found that there was another person below, so he smiled and said, “Then young master, take another one, the lantern lights are so charming and intoxicating.”
Shen Hong added: “I know! Sparkling tonight like a flower.”
Shen Yao touched his head and said, “Tsk, Hong’er is great. The year I left, you couldn’t even speak clearly.”
Shen Zhen held his forehead and whispered, “Second sister, he talks too much now, too much, way too much…”
“Third sister, don’t say that.” Shen Hong looked at Shen Zhen aggrievedly, and then covered his mouth with his chubby hands.
The old man smiled and said, “These two lamps belong to the young master.”
Shen Shu lowered her head, picked a few more, and paid silently.
Seeing Shen Zhen so invested today, she couldn’t help but smile and said, “Zhen’er, who did you buy this lamp for?”
Shen Zhen’s face turned slightly red, and she opened her mouth, but was too embarrassed to say the word “Lu”.
After a while, Shen Yao suddenly saw a woman’s figure and her eyes froze.
Shen Shu asked: “What’s wrong?”
Shen Yao said in a deep voice: “Sister, is that Third young lady Xu?”
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References for this chapter: “Chaoye Qianzai”(The court and the public – A Collection of Notes and Stories Written by Zhang Yu in the Tang Dynasty)
