Love in Red Dust - Chapter 56
Chapter 56
The night passed peacefully enough. As expected, the Seventh Prince and the Twelfth Prince squeezed onto the same kang. Although they were brothers, the customary estrangement of the imperial family meant they rarely had the chance to share a bed. It seemed they hadn't slept well; when they rose the next day, both had dark circles under their eyes. They sat in the main hall with gloomy expressions, their eyes unfocused as they watched the world go by.
Dingyi served them their breakfast, moving around to tend to their needs, yet neither man spoke a word. She propped her chin on her hand and watched them. Recalling the past, when they each belonged to their respective princely manors, she had been a commoner begging for help on behalf of Xiaozhi. They were princes then, exuding the suffocating, majestic aura of the imperial house, their gazes always carrying a hint of self-importance and arrogance that forced her to look up at them. But now? Both were suffering from the grogginess of sleep—one staring blankly, the other utterly listless. They were shadows of their former selves.
Men can truly be like children at times; if they are in a bad mood, it shows clearly on their faces. Yet, they were both so handsome that it didn't seem all that annoying. When the waiter came to collect the bowls and chopsticks, they remained seated, unwilling to move. She didn't say anything either; instead, she rose and headed to the stable in the back to feed the horses fodder.
It was strange—from the Changbai Mountains to Ningguta, they had been plagued by storms and snow, but once they arrived, the weather cleared entirely. For four or five days, the sun had been out. Although the sunlight still felt bone-chillingly cold, it was at least a comfort. Seeing the sun felt like seeing hope.
A northwest wind whipped by, causing the tree branches and the thatch on the roof to tremble with a rustling sound. Snow covered everything—a white world beneath a white sun. She squinted and took a breath, letting the icy air fill her chest before exhaling slowly, weaving a mist of fog before her eyes.
The inn didn't just cater to guests; there were specific rations for livestock as well. The horses couldn't survive on grass alone; they needed beans. The more pampered ones even had eggs cracked into their feed to ensure their coats remained sleek and shiny.
Dingyi stooped to scoop the beans. Turning around, she saw the Twelfth Prince approaching, rubbing his eyes. She paused, hooking the wicker basket onto her waist, and smiled as he drew near. "Did you not sleep well last night?"
He nodded, leaning against the wooden pole supporting the stable shed, and sighed. "Old Seven did it on purpose, most likely. He kicked and shoved me all night long. I didn't want to make a scene, so I just took it for nothing."
Her heart ached for him. She frowned and muttered, "That man is truly... could he have been faking it? He traveled all this way just to make people miserable."
He lowered his head, looking quite pitiable. "That’s what I think, too. If I had known, I would have gone to your room in the middle of the night. Even if the single-room kang was small, a man and a woman wouldn't mind the squeeze. But two grown men? We couldn't exactly cuddle, and he snored. It was unbearable."
Dingyi was equally annoyed. "Then why didn't you come? My room is quite spacious; it would have been enough for two." She hesitated, thinking that they hadn't crossed that line yet, and sharing a kang—even if they did nothing—would be improper. Her face flushed with sullen embarrassment.
Hongce laughed, a hint of mischief in his expression. After a brief pause, he whispered into her ear, "There’s a lantern festival tonight. I’m certain the Seventh Prince will insist on going with us. When the crowds are thick, we’ll ditch him and walk far away. We’ll enjoy ourselves and absolutely refuse to bring him along. We finally have a chance to wander outside; what’s the point if he keeps sticking in the middle, turning it into a threesome?"
Naturally, she wanted to be alone with him, too; her own frustrations were no less than his. She gave a soft nod. "I’ll follow your lead. Just give me a wink when you think the time is right, and I’ll understand." After a moment of thought, she added, "Actually, I’ve brought it up to the Seventh Prince several times. At first, I was afraid of making him lose face, so I’d always politely refuse or make excuses, but he never took my words seriously. He only cares about what makes him happy and expects others to follow his lead. Eventually, I stopped caring about the formalities and laid it out to his face, but he’s still impervious to reason. I’m at a loss now."
He raised the corners of his lips slightly, his smile especially vibrant in the morning sun. Remembering her declaration from the night before, he felt that now, let alone one Seventh Prince, even ten or eight of them wouldn't bother him.
This girl—when she was brave, it made one look at her in a whole new light. He had always felt she was prone to shyness; restraint was something that grew in the bones of a young woman, and even if she loved deeply, she wouldn't easily say it aloud. Yet, when the Seventh Prince had pushed her to the edge, she had roared regardless of the consequences. Seeing her lips move at that moment, he had found it hard to believe. He had held back words for so long, and in the end, it was the girl who spoke first. By comparison, he, a dignified man, ought to be ashamed.
As for the Seventh Prince—he was annoying, but not hateful. He was impulsive and reckless, but sometimes, that truly helped him a great deal. For one person to appear "good," they often need someone "not-so-good" to act as a foil; the Seventh Prince served that purpose. If you really asked if he was a bad person, he wasn't. The Seventh Prince was a decent fellow; he just loved to join in the fun and cause trouble. His stubborn mind was tied in knots, and it required a bit of untangling for him to understand. However, he had one redeeming quality: he didn't harm others. His straightforward, hot-headed nature was far kinder than those who played games in their hearts. Take the Second Prince, Dongqi, for example. Why was the Seventh Prince always left idle? It was because the Second Prince was a man with deep, hidden schemes. Even if the Second Prince became Emperor, the Seventh Prince still wouldn't respect him, feeling he was far inferior to the Crown Prince Dongli. The Seventh Prince still remembered the cricket gourds Dongli gave him back then, and he had held onto that sentiment ever since.
"I know your heart, and that is enough." He looked at her, his eyes brimming with tenderness. "Dingyi, I heard what you said before you left yesterday. I was so happy I couldn't close my eyes for half the night."
She couldn't recall it for a moment and hesitated. "What did I say that was so pleasing to you?"
His eyes flickered, not daring to meet hers. He stammered, "You said you loved the Twelfth Prince. The Seventh Prince heard it, and I heard it. You can't deny it now."
She gasped. "I said that?" Recalling the moment, she realized she had indeed been furious and had spoken whatever was most satisfying in the heat of the moment. She had intended it to stab the Seventh Prince in the heart, but it had backfired. He was a man who thrived on excitement; the more she made a scene, the more he preened. He had really taken it to heart. She hadn't achieved her goal, but she had invited the attention of the Twelfth Prince. If she felt embarrassed, it was only a little, but she had no guilty conscience. It was the truth, and she wasn't afraid of him knowing it.
The Twelfth Prince nodded, his voice deepening with affirmation. "You said it, absolutely." After saying this, he lowered his lashes, turned his head slightly, and said, "I intended to tell you, but I was interrupted by the waiter serving the meal... I admire you, too. Though you already knew, it bears repeating. You can rest easy when you are with me. I don't have the habit of taking multiple wives and concubines like the Seventh Prince, whose eyes are bigger than his stomach. Put your heart at ease—a hundred and twenty percent!"
The way the two brothers tore each other down was truly amusing. Dingyi held back her laughter, a wave of warmth rising within her. He said he "admired" her; it seemed even more profound than mere love. He held her up high, even though his status was higher, he was willing to lower himself. Perhaps the deeper the love, the humbler the heart, even for the lords of the world.
Dingyi began to look forward to the night’s lantern festival. During the day, he had official business to handle. Lu Yuan’s forces had arrived, but they couldn't act rashly. Simply arresting the slaves was useless; they had to capture Yue Kundu and Solongtu’s entire gang in one net for the subsequent investigation to proceed in an orderly fashion.
As for the Seventh Prince, he gave directions on everything, though he was completely off the mark. He understood many principles, but his practical experience was far inferior to the Twelfth Prince’s. He realized this himself, fell sullenly silent, and turned instead to ingratiating himself with Dingyi, wanting to take her to a clothing store to buy new attire.
She declined repeatedly. "Thank you for your kind intention, but we are here on business. Wearing different clothes will make it inconvenient to act, so let’s not cause trouble for everyone."
The Seventh Prince shook his head and bobbed it. "Poor thing, it’s been years since you’ve worn a skirt. Don’t you know our Banner dresses have large slits, with trousers underneath? It doesn't hinder riding at all."
She made up her mind not to engage with him and politely refused no matter what he said. The Seventh Prince was unhappy, his face growing a foot long. As a pampered child of heaven, he was used to others coddling him, not the other way around. He snorted and walked off.
She was very willing to go shopping and buy clothes, but it depended on who she was with. When the Twelfth Prince was free, he gave a slight look, and she sneaked out through the side gate on her tiptoes. If the Seventh Prince found out, he would likely be angry enough to die.
She chased after him, asking, "Is it really okay to go wandering at a time like this?"
The Twelfth Prince replied, "The more it's like this, the more we should be relaxed. We are watching them, and they may not be watching us. We agreed to trade on the second day of the new year, but staying trapped in an inn on New Year's Eve—what kind of situation is that?"
She couldn't argue with him and followed behind. Looking up at the distance, she saw the bustling crowds coming and going, all people busy procuring supplies for the New Year.
This was a major frontier town, an extremely cold place. It wasn't like Beijing, where women wore fine pleated silk skirts and padded jackets. Here, women wore furs just like the men. Some were sewn crudely, but there were, of course, high-quality goods, too, featuring embroidery and gold or silver thread inlay. The Twelfth Prince was a man of taste; having been raised in a pile of silk and embroidery, he was used to palace attire and fine custom-made pieces. He was very picky when shopping. Dingyi had no opinion of her own; she hadn't worn women’s clothing in over a decade. Inside the shop, she looked left and right, thinking everything was good, and kept her eyes curved in a smile.
Every girl loved beauty and had longed for this countless times, always imagining the day she would cast off this man’s skin and wander freely in robes of fine embroidery and gold thread. Now that the moment had arrived, it felt like a dream. Looking at this crane-patterned cloak, looking at this fur-lined hat—each piece was exquisite and delicate. This was the attire a woman was meant to wear.
The Twelfth Prince asked for her opinion, asking if she liked this or that. She only smiled. "My eye for this is poor; I’ll listen to you."
He pulled her over to look, picking out a lotus-green sable-collared, full-front padded jacket and a mustard-yellow, silver-fox fur skirt to hold up against her. The shopkeeper was sharp, having seen ten thousand guests with high standards; everything in his shop had an origin and wasn't just some low-grade second-hand garb.
Hongce smiled at her. "Go and try them on; I’ll wait outside." He told the shopkeeper to find her a pair of cloud-patterned suede boots and sent her off to the curtained dressing area. She hadn't worn women’s clothing in so long that she felt a bit timid. He gave her an encouraging smile and a light nudge on her shoulder.
She changed inside while he waited outside, his heart drumming so loudly he couldn't control it. He didn't even feel the biting cold of the day anymore; his palms were sweating. He imagined her face in every piece; everything would look beautiful on her. His Dingyi was undeniably a beauty.
And she did not disappoint. When he turned to look at her as she emerged, he actually gave a sharp shudder.
She walked closer, step by step, her eyes harboring a hint of trepidation. She tugged at the hem of her skirt awkwardly. "The fabric is a bit tight..."
He had been accustomed to seeing her in official uniforms—from the black cloth and red-trimmed gear of the Shuntian Prefecture constable to her later guard’s attire. Although she was beautiful, her clothing had diminished her appearance by a hundred thousand miles. Today, she had finally returned to her proper path. Watching her graceful gait, he realized she should have always been this way: every step like a lotus flower, every step full of charm. For a moment, he thought he was seeing things and wasn't sure if it was truly her. He squinted for a long time before recognizing her. Yes, his Dingyi possessed such stunning beauty, far exceeding his imagination.
He stepped forward, grabbed a white fox-fur headband, and helped her rearrange her hair. He studied her closely, and as he watched, his heart felt like it would jump right out of his throat. Only at this moment did he realize she was truly a woman. In his previous feelings, her gender had only been a vague concept. Now that she stood right before him, he truly needed to face it: she was a woman he must protect with all his might for the rest of his life.
He smiled subtly, his warm, smooth voice hovering above her head as he straightened her hair. "The size is just right. You look beautiful."
Her face was flushed like wine. She reached out and touched his belt. "From now on, I have to learn how to style my hair. There are so many styles—the bazitou, the yanwei... I used to be so envious of others. Those ladies in their sedan chairs looked so well-kept, but I didn't even know how to use a bianfang."
For Hongce, there was no difficulty that couldn't be solved. He said, "I will learn, and I will style your hair every day from now on."
Her face beneath the fox-fur collar was so small, and upon hearing his words, she bloomed into a wide smile. "Then what if you are very far away from me?"
"No matter how far, come find me. I will be waiting for you." He raised his hand to trace her delicate silhouette, finding it amusing to imagine her with messy hair, holding a comb, and crossing half the Forbidden City to reach him.
They were intimate, ignoring everyone else. The shopkeeper was in no rush to close the deal, only egging them on. "The young lady is so exquisite; wouldn't you like to pick out a few more sets, Master? Given the young lady’s figure, there isn't a single item here she couldn't wear. Old custom dictates buying new clothes for the New Year, and you need a new outfit yourself, Master. Look at this purple sable; in the capital, only the Emperor himself can wear it. For a commoner to wear it is an overstep. But here, we don't have so many rules. As long as you have the money, you can play the part of a local emperor."
He didn't lecture the man. Since they were far from the imperial city, it was inevitable that there were folk customs unique to this place. He said, "In that case, shopkeeper, business must be booming."
The shopkeeper sighed. "It’s just getting by. High capital, low profit, just busy work. Didn't you see the couplet on my door? The first line is two, three, four, five; the second line is six, seven?"
He laughed. "Then the horizontal scroll should be 'lack of food and clothing.' How pathetic."
"Exactly!" the shopkeeper grinned. "I work from dawn to dusk, just for a few pennies of hard-earned money."
He beckoned to Dingyi, "Pick two more sets. Since we’re here anyway."
She shook her head. "They’re hard to carry on the road. Today was just for the novelty of it; I can buy more once we’re settled."
He followed her wishes and took out a banknote, handing it to the shopkeeper. The amount far exceeded the price of the outfit. He merely said, "I’m in a good mood today. Keep the rest as a tip, and consider it a start to your business."
The shopkeeper received the large-denomination banknote and bowed repeatedly. "Oh, truly... thank you for the generous tip, Master! A man as generous as you, even heaven looks after—finding such a flower-like beauty." He opened a cabinet and added a pair of earrings as a bonus. They were East Pearls produced locally—not too big, not too small—real items with market value. This was how one should act. If you take a small advantage, be grateful. In life, if others respect me by an inch, I respect them by a foot; that is the way to walk a long path.
The two thanked him and left the shop. Dingyi twisted the earring and laughed. "I had my ears pierced when I was a child, but they’ve closed up now. I can only stare at them longingly."
"Then it really will be a case of 'piercing the ears just as you get on the sedan chair.'" He smiled and looked down at her; every glance added to his attachment. He hadn't felt this satisfied in years. She was complete, and so he was complete—it was truly an incredible feeling.
They wandered back the way they came, and though he didn't know how much time had passed, it was dusk by the time they returned to the inn. The waiter was beginning to light the lanterns, and beneath the eaves, the red and green clusters glowed one after another. Today was New Year's Eve, and not a single room in the inn was free. They were all guests from out of town doing business, unable to return home for the New Year, so the owner sent a bowl of smoked bamboo shoot and braised tofu to every table as a New Year’s bonus dish.
When they entered, the main hall was bustling, and everyone was cupping their hands and wishing each other a happy New Year. Hongce guarded Dingyi as they returned to their room, where they met the Seventh Prince, who had been waiting for a long time. The Seventh Prince had been furious, complaining about their favoritism and asking how he could compete fairly and happily. But when he caught a glimpse of them approaching and his eyes swept over Xiaoshu, he was suddenly stunned. The piece of dried sweet potato he had been chewing dropped from his mouth, his hand froze in mid-air, and he pointed at her, saying "Ah" for a long time, unable to utter another word.