Love in Red Dust - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
It was already the second day when Dingyi sobered up. She sat up in a daze, took a look at the sky and her surroundings, and suddenly remembered the two birds with a jolt of anxiety. She had drunk the wine sent over by others yesterday, and while her stomach no longer hurt, her duties had been neglected. She scrambled up, hurriedly tidied herself, and went out to look for the birds. The Seventh Prince had promised yesterday to send them over, so why weren't they in the room?
She rushed, tightening her belt as she headed toward the Seventh Prince’s palace. Now that her illness had passed, she was full of vigor again, and her mind had cleared. Recalling the events of yesterday, she wondered who had seen her? The Twelfth Prince had been there, and she had caught hold of him and babbled endlessly. She wondered if she had let anything slip or given herself away... As she thought it over, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She remembered she had taken advantage of him; the Prince’s embrace had been so convenient, and she had felt very at peace leaning against his chest. For someone drifting alone, she felt as though she had put down roots by his side, and she suddenly didn't feel so solitary—at least there was one person willing to listen to her woes. But to have cried and laughed so much—she had lost enough face to last a lifetime. She didn't know what his impression of her would be if they met again.
As she ran, she contemplated this. She had no face to see anyone right now, so she decided she would wait a couple of days to calm down before testing the waters. If the Twelfth Prince hadn't noticed anything unusual, she would be content to quietly look up to him from afar; but if the matter hadn't been kept under wraps, she would have to come clean sooner or later. Gritting her teeth, she decided she would just explain everything if it came to that.
After running all the way, she entered the Seventh Prince’s Wende Hall. She stood at the door, caught her breath for a moment, lifted her leg to step over the threshold, smoothed her sleeves, and performed a bow. “Your servant pays respects to my Master.”
It was rare to see the Seventh Prince reading. He was holding a storybook in his hand and learning to sing the lyrics of The Peony Pavilion, tapping out the beat and humming, “It turns out that everywhere, the purple and red flowers are in bloom; but all of this is left to the broken wells and crumbling walls...”
He ignored her. Dingyi glanced up, guessing that he was busy studying opera and couldn't spare the mouth to speak. But upon closer inspection, she saw the Seventh Prince squinting at her, his eyebrows raised as he spoke in a mocking tone, “What’s this, Master Mu? Are you fully recovered now?”
She said she wouldn't dare. “If you address me like that, Master, you’ll shorten my life. In reply to your question, I am fully recovered, and I have come to perform my duties.”
The Seventh Prince snorted twice and circled around her. “Are you truly sick, or was it just a case of sleepiness, and you used illness as an excuse to be lazy? Sick? If you were sick, why didn't you have someone call an Imperial Physician? Instead, you lay there and started drinking small cups of wine. You got tipsy and slept soundly, and that was a beautiful sleep—from the afternoon of the day before all the way to the next day. Even I, as your master, am not as comfortable as you.”
She blinked a few times. “I didn't fake being sick, I was genuinely ill. Besides, getting tipsy... it wasn't that I was greedy. The attendant here said that drinking alcohol could cure stomach pain, and I didn't drink much, just one small cup. My tolerance for alcohol is low, and I get drunk the moment I touch it. It wasn't my intent.”
“You can turn anything into a fancy story. Should I believe you or not?” He circled her again, then remembered something and added, “Also, listen to this: stop constantly pestering the Twelfth Prince. You two are not of the same kind. I’m telling you, the Twelfth Prince’s mother is formidable. Do you believe me if I say she would peel your skin off to make a lantern if you dared to ruin her son?”
Dingyi shuddered. “I am wronged! How could you think I am that kind of person? I never intended to corrupt the Twelfth Prince. There is no basis for what you say.”
“And you’re still denying it. I saw it clearly; you are leading him down a wicked path. What do they call this? Longyang? Duanxiu? Fentao?” The Seventh Prince shook his head repeatedly. “I’m even embarrassed to say it for you. I am your master, and you doing this makes me lose face. What will people say?” He pinched his throat and began to mimic others, pointing a finger into the air. “‘That Old Seven, he kept a pretty boy as a bird-trainer, he’s truly an expert at playing with birds, he even seduced Old Twelve.’ The troublemaker is Old Seven, and everyone is gathering up their spit to shower him with it—look at that, the chamber pot is dumped entirely on my head! Who did I offend?” He continued, “Don’t say I’m a cruel person breaking up a pair of mandarin ducks; I’ll accept the role of the villain today. Who told me to be your master? You didn't manage to enter the Twelfth Prince’s household before because you weren't fated to, but since you are now with me, you must follow my orders. Remember that?”
The Prince rambled on for a long time, and Dingyi could only listen in silence. Because she couldn't refute him, the Seventh Prince had misunderstood, and she deserved the scolding.
Thinking carefully, he was right. Even if she weren't a woman, her status and position were far too low; it was useless to covet the Twelfth Prince. She shouldn't have been thinking so much. It was simply too shameful to be so beyond her station. If the Twelfth Prince knew, he might even feel defiled by her!
With a bitter face, she said, “Master, what you say makes sense. Your servant has heard your words, and my mind is now enlightened. From now on, I will keep my distance from the Twelfth Prince, and I won't go looking for him even if something comes up.”
The Seventh Prince gave a sound of affirmation. “That’s right. I am your true master. If you don't understand something, come to me; I’ll offer you strategies. In fact, I am particularly good at coming up with ideas. As long as you come to me, I’ll point you in the right direction. See how legitimate that is without people pointing fingers? How wonderful!” He laughed heartily. “Moreover, my mother is a kind person, not like Old Twelve’s mother. My mother is the Dowager Consort De, known for being understanding...”
By the end, he had drifted off-topic. Why was he comparing mothers? The Seventh Prince coughed to cover it up. “Anyway, your master is in a good mood today, so I’ve decided to reward you with some calligraphy. Go grind the ink and lay out the paper; watch my brush dance like a dragon or snake.”
When he was in the mood, no one could stop him. Dingyi replied, “Zhe,” and looked around the corners of the hall. Fortunately, both Yingying and Feng’er were there. As she ground the ink, she asked, “Master, I took leave yesterday; who took care of them?”
The Seventh Prince said, “I did. They were all fine, didn't make a fuss or fight.”
Each bird had a cage, so they couldn't fight even if they were apart. Sometimes, the Seventh Prince’s words were unreliable, so you could only listen to the gist and not dwell on the details. Dingyi watched as he dipped his wolf-hair brush into the ink and moved over to land it on the gold-sprinkled scroll. The studies of an Imperial clansman were not for nothing; after over a decade of rising before dawn, his foundation was solid. His brushwork had its own unique style, and she hadn't expected the Seventh Prince, a person like him, to write such beautiful cursive script.
Because she had to serve him, Dingyi stood on the other side of the long table, and since she was looking at him from the opposite side, she couldn't tell what he was writing. Later, after the Seventh Prince put down his brush, she walked around to see. Upon taking a look, she saw four large characters: Hao Zi Wei Zhi (Act wisely and take care of yourself). She was instantly left between tears and laughter. Since he was giving it to someone, couldn't he have thought of a better phrase? What was this supposed to mean!
The Seventh Prince was quite proud of himself. “Don’t look at it as being blunt; these are golden words of wisdom. If you can live by them, your future path will be smooth.”
She replied, “Yes,” and added, “Your servant has remembered your instructions and will not forget them.”
In any case, the Seventh Prince felt the sky was very blue and the clouds were light; it was a truly beautiful day.
He stretched his limbs and slowly paced into the halo of light at the doorway, looking back. “After raining for so long, everything feels relaxed once it clears up. Take advantage of the good weather to take the two birds out for a stroll; let them see the sun...”
While he gave these orders, the person before the desk was still looking at his writing. Was it really that good? She looked completely stunned.
But being stunned in such a way was quite charming. The Seventh Prince didn't speak again; he quietly stood with his arms crossed and watched. Mu Xiaoshu was facing him with a side profile. There was no need to describe the shape of her face; the black hair beneath her hat was intriguing. She was small, and small stature made one look young and a bit childish. Holding the scroll and standing there like a bumpkin who didn't know how to handle a treasure—the more he looked, the funnier he found it.
“Do you think I should get it mounted? When I finally have my own property, I’ll hang it in the main hall. If anyone asks about it, I’ll say it’s the admonition of my master.” She lowered her head to look again. “Or perhaps you could add an inscription so I can pass it down as a family heirloom.”
The Seventh Prince thought about it. “That’ll work.” He went over and took out a purse, shook out a seal, blew some hot air onto the surface, and snap—it landed on the bottom right corner of the scroll.
After finishing, he remained proud. He looked up and caught the person in front of him with her eyelids lowered, looking at the seal script—a delicate nose, red lips, and two rows of eyelashes like fans... His heart suddenly jumped. Looking like this, it was no wonder she had hooked the Twelfth Prince’s soul; even he, a man of such vast experience, couldn't handle it.
Watching her, he forgot to pull back his gaze. Xiaoshu smiled at him, her eyes frank and open. It was Hong Tao who felt slightly embarrassed, turning his face away sheepishly.
“Thank you for the reward, Master. This is elegant—much better than gold or silver.” As she spoke, she rolled up the scroll. “I will take the writing back first and come back in a while to get the birds.”
The Seventh Prince waved his hand dismissively. “Just go together. As for this writing, tuck it, tuck it under your armpit.” He went over to take down the birdcages and handed them to her, telling her to go four or five times as if shooing away a plague.
Dingyi took the cages and looked at him in surprise. “Master, have you fed them this morning?”
“Fed them, fed them. Minced chicken and fermented soybeans—they’re full.” He waved his hand again. “Go, go...”
With the person chased away, the Seventh Prince stood in the middle of the room, stunned. Only three words remained in his mind: Something is going to happen! When it came to entertainment, whether it flew in the sky or ran on the ground, he had seen it all. He frequented flower-wine houses and brothels too; the more the court banned such things, the more he wanted to transgress in private, just loving to be unorthodox. In the capital, there were specialized places that ran theaters while training cross-dressing female leads. When they were not yet grown, they were boy actors; they would appear, accompany patrons for drinking and finger games, all young teenagers. If he said he hadn't patronized them, he wouldn't be gilding the lily—he had. But he was upright; it was limited to joking at the drinking table, and he never thought about taking them back to his room because that wasn't his taste.
He had been such a decent person before, so why was he acting so strangely now? Just a moment ago, looking at Mu Xiaoshu, his heart had been pounding. Why was this? He pondered carefully: when did he start acting like the old mother in a Peking opera, preventing her daughter from marrying into a poor family and obstructing them by any means necessary? Was it really for the sake of his face? If it were for face, he should have given the person to Old Twelve; it definitely shouldn't be like this.
He paced around the room, tilting his head slightly to look at the ceiling. This was bad; his tastes had suddenly changed. He had been away for two months without a woman by his side, and now his brain wasn't working right. Should he find a way to relieve himself tonight? Constantly staring at a man was not the answer, and he still had to deal with him in the future. This hot potato was difficult to hold and difficult to throw away—what a dilemma.
He poked his head out. “Na Jin, make arrangements. Tonight, your Master is going out to find some fun. Lead me to the lively places; if it’s not lively, I’ll use you as firewood.”
Na Jin replied, “Got it, just leave it to me!”
Dingyi looked back once, thinking to herself that the Seventh Prince’s life was truly colorful. As for the Twelfth Prince, he was all alone and dreary; the more people there were, the less convenient it was for him. Thinking of this made her heart ache. But it was only an ache; she didn't dare to think of him as pitiful. That word didn't suit him; even thinking it would be an insult to him.
She slumped her shoulders in loneliness. The Seventh Prince’s words just now had chilled her to the bone. From now on, she had to be self-disciplined, for she feared that if she accidentally revealed her true identity, people would look at her with disgust. She was also afraid—the Consort in the garden had described things so chillingly, so how could she dare to provoke them? Besides, her own affairs were far from settled, and thinking such improper thoughts was shameful.
She gazed toward the direction of the Jisi Study. Amid the green trees, the red walls and yellow tiles peeked through. The sky was so blue, and nothing had changed.
She carried the birdcages to the garden. Since the Seventh Prince had ordered the birds to be sunned, she uncovered all the covers. Looking into the water containers, she saw that the Prince had only added food but no water. She stretched her arm out to hang the cages on the branches. There was a gold-plated well in the southeast corner of the garden, not far away, so she went there to fetch water.
As she descended the steps and passed through the corridor, she met Liao Datou, who stopped in his tracks upon seeing her. “Xiaoshu, you’re here?”
She gave a sound of acknowledgement. These days, meeting the members of the imperial guard squad was always a bit awkward; she didn't know whether to smile or not. But since they had run into each other, she had to exchange a few pleasantries, so she said, “Liao, are you here to report to the Master?”
Liao Datou said, “We’ll be resting here for only two or three days, so we have to prepare for the departure... I just remembered, everyone is booking a private room to drink tonight. Are you coming? There were some hard feelings between us because of what happened last time, but why bother? Gentlemen dissolve their grievances over a drinking table; if there’s any unhappiness, just clink glasses and it’s over. We see each other every day, are you going to hold a grudge for a lifetime? Well, are you coming?”
Dingyi naturally didn't want to go. It would be a den of men again, and what if something went wrong? She hadn't planned on spending much time with them anyway. By the time they reached Changbai Mountain, they would have to part ways regardless of how good or bad their relations were, so what need was there to curry favor?
She said, “Thank you, but I won’t go. I wasn't feeling well yesterday, and an attendant in the palace gave me a pot of wine. I got drunk for the whole night after drinking it, so I can’t drink again today.”
Liao Datou looked slightly regretful and sighed. “I was hoping to smooth things over so everyone could forget the previous unpleasantness... Very well, since you don’t want to, pretend I never said anything.” He looked far off toward the tree, smiling. “Walking the birds for the Prince again?”
Dingyi replied, “The sky has cleared up today, so the Master told me to bring them out for some sun.”
“Very good, very good...” Liao Datou smiled and touched his nose. “Take good care of them; those are the Prince’s lifeblood. If even one feather is missing, the Prince will hold you accountable.”
He walked away with a swaying gait. Dingyi turned to look at the birdcages. There was nothing abnormal, yet the way Liao Datou had spoken felt sinister, and she couldn't help but feel he had malicious intent. She thought about it and decided not to fetch the water, opting to take the birds and go back instead.
Sometimes, a woman’s intuition is truly accurate. She had long felt that someone was working against her. If they didn't dare to deal with her in the open, they might attack the birds. After all, she was the bird-trainer, and the birds’ well-being was on her head. The Seventh Prince was obsessed with birds, and if anything went wrong, her life would be forfeit. Thus, she stayed on guard, keeping her eyes fixed on the cages for most of the day without letting them out of her sight. As she watched, something indeed happened.
In the cage for the Red-billed Leiothrix, there was a perching pole, and in the Lark’s cage, there was a "Phoenix Terrace" raised from the sand—both meant for the birds to sing and dance. The two birds had been standing perfectly fine, but for some reason, they slowly began to sway, as if they were drunk, staggering until they both tumbled to the bottom of the cages. She was stunned, and as she watched their wings spread out, it was clear they had been poisoned.
What was she to do? The Seventh Prince had gone out to find fun; if he came back and found the birds dead, he would certainly tear her to pieces. She was between tears and laughter. Watching the birds about to kick the bucket, she hurriedly looked for the medicine she had brought from the capital meant for bird plague—even if the symptoms were wrong, she couldn't care less; she had to try something first!
Just as she was dissolving the medicine in water, Sha Tong entered through the door, picking his teeth. “Xiaoshu, I saw you running faster than a rabbit earlier. Is your body all better?” He stepped inside and was startled. “What’s wrong with the birds? Why are they all lying down?”
Dingyi cried, “I don’t know! They were fine, but after hanging them outside for a while, they just collapsed... My birds, what am I to do!”
She was so anxious she didn't know what to do. After caring for them for so many days, if anything were to happen to them, she would be heartbroken.
As she busied herself feeding the medicine, Sha Tong came to help. After a long struggle and watching with bated breath, they failed to save them in the end. The two birds flapped a few times and then died in silence.
It was truly a bolt from the blue. She held the two dead birds and wailed, “My Yingying and Feng’er... what should I do? How can I answer to the Master...” She lived in dependence on these birds; with them gone, what value did she have left?
Her crying was deeply infectious. Sha Tong, watching from the side, felt his nose ache and stepped forward to console her. “Stop crying. All creatures have their own fate; dead is dead. You’ve had enough bad luck already; the urgent matter is to find a way to explain this to the Seventh Prince.”
She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “There’s no way. It’s because I didn't take enough care. Time and again, I’m only good at ruining things and nothing else.”
“You can’t blame yourself entirely for this. Stop wailing, quiet down. I think that while the Seventh Prince is away, you should go out and look for two replacements. Aren't they just a Leiothrix and a Crested Lark? There are plenty of them at the bird market.”
She was still unable to extricate herself from her grief. Sobbing, she clasped her hands together and whimpered, “Those wouldn't be the original ones. It’s my fault for failing to care for them properly.”
Sha Tong coughed. “Are you simple-minded? It’s clear that these birds were poisoned by someone. Such small creatures can be killed by two poisoned seeds; don’t you understand? People want to see you trip, and you’re still standing there? It will be too late by the time your master returns.” Sha Tong said as he adjusted his robes to head out. “I’ll let the Twelfth Prince know. You need a Prince’s verbal command to go out at this hour, so I’ll take leave and take you to the bird market. Stop crying, wait here.” With that, he took off running.