Chapter Fifty

  On the second day, I met Kangxi, and my heart was nervous because I didn't know what Suwan Guwalgiya Wangye and Kangxi had discussed. I felt that it wasn't just a matter of personal relationships between children, so I couldn't guess Kangxi's thoughts at all.

  Kangxi was busy reviewing official documents, and seemed to have not paid much attention to me. I could only serve him carefully, and for the whole day, Kangxi did not say a word, as if nothing had happened yesterday. In my heart, I not only didn't feel at ease, but instead became more fearful, worrying that the calmer it was now, the stronger the storm would be in the future. But there was no way to deal with it, so I could only pretend that everything was normal.

  Good evening, Minmin. Her two eyes were swollen like walnuts. I shook my head and sighed: "It's really not good to see people! No wonder she has been hiding in the tent all along!" Minmin leaned against me and said: "As you expected, Ama promised to ask the emperor not to arrange a marriage for me. She said I should choose one myself on the grassland. However, Ama said that Yirganjaro Zhaohu is quite satisfactory."

  I nodded, smiling at her without saying a word. She looked at me and suddenly smiled slightly, saying: "Ama is full of praise for you!" I stared at Minmin in surprise, and Minmin straightened up and said: "I told Ama that 'I don't want to marry Thirteen Gege anymore', Ama thought I was just coaxing him and deceiving him so he wouldn't arrange a marriage for me. So I told Ama everything you said to me."

  I was shocked and hastily asked, "Me and Eighth Brother...". Minmin interrupted, "Don't worry! I may be reckless, but I'm not stupid. This matter will absolutely not be known to anyone else except you and me." I nodded in relief.

  She continued: "I cried and told Ama that I finally understood! Even if he was 13 years older, it didn't matter to me. I wouldn't marry him anyway! Ama listened in amazement, saying I was a lucky person to have such a friend, and that I didn't need to pretend to be sad anymore, as he wouldn't force me to marry Prince Sōgen!"

  I smiled at her, because of her letting go, she is indeed a blessed person!

  She suddenly said: "Yue Xi, can I call you 'sister'?" I smiled and said: "You can, but only in private, not in front of others." She eagerly agreed, and softly called out again: "Sister!" The two of us held hands and laughed.

  Her smile had not faded, but her face turned gloomy again. I sighed and thought of it again! After all, "it's easy to know, but hard to do"! Many people understand the truth, but how many can actually do it when it comes down to it? It's already rare for someone like Minmin to be able to do so!

  She fell silent for a while, then suddenly said: "Sister! I think that even if I find the stars, I'm afraid I won't forget his singing voice and smile! And I don't want him to forget me either! I want to dance a dance for Thirteen to see, I just thought that from now on, every time he sees someone else dancing, he'll remember me, think of the person who danced for him!

  I nodded solemnly and said softly, "I'll definitely help you find a way to make sure thirteen never forgets what he saw." Minmin smiled sadly and leaned into my arms.

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  I was so busy that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and when I opened my eyes again, it was already the next day. Before getting out of bed, my mind started to carefully think about what kind of dress, what color to match, how to set up the stage, how to make the craftsmen understand the effect I want, where to give up with the current craftsmanship, and where to compromise.

  Every day after finishing the shift, I would hurry to find Minmin. Minmin's brother He Shu was busy running around, always anxiously asking "What do you guys want to do?" Minmin would pout his mouth, and he would hurriedly put on a smile and repeatedly say "Okay!", On the other hand, Su Wancheng, Erlang, Wang Ye, and Fan Zhishun would agree to everything we wanted, give us whatever we asked for without asking why, just smiling and letting us have our way. Even in front of Kangxi, it was him who spoke on our behalf, making it easier for us to cause trouble.

  One day, everyone was present, and I was serving tea. Kangxi looked at me with a smile and said: "You're always busy every day, the craftsmen are being ordered around by you to build and construct, today you want silk, tomorrow you want satin, the stall is set up so big, turning back to play can't come out with a trick, it's really to see where your face will be placed? Don't bring shame to me being ridiculed saying that there isn't even one person by my side who can take charge!"; I bowed and smiled in response: "At that time, I'll have to rely on Your Majesty to help this servant girl! As long as Your Majesty says it's okay, who would dare laugh at this servant girl?"

  Kangxi laughed and scolded: "If it's not good, I'll be the first to scold you!"

  I smiled and bowed slightly, without saying a word. Su Wan Guarlai Wangye laughed and said: "If it's not good, the first one to scold will definitely be Minmin, all because of Minmin's love for causing trouble."

  Kangxi smiled and looked at me, then turned his head to look at Yiru Genro. Prince Soro asked: "Last winter's snow killed many cattle and sheep, are there any precautions this year?" Yiru Genro replied in detail.

  I brought out the tea tray while thinking that, never having seen him before, I had not expected this Prince Soaring Eagle to be such a man. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the elegant and carefree Thirteen and the bright and handsome Fourteen, he was in no way inferior. His appearance couldn't be described as exceptional, but the boldness and cleverness between his eyebrows, and his calm and dignified demeanor made one think of an eagle soaring through the nine heavens. Su Wan's eyes were extremely good, but I didn't know if he had any fate with Mianmian.

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  I'm so busy every day, serving Kangxi, thinking about arrangements, training staff, and helping Minmin with song and dance, I don't have time for anything else. When I see the other princes, I just pay my respects and leave. Occasionally, the 13th and 14th princes stop me to ask a few more questions, and I sigh and say: "I have to hurry up and do things, if not, the emperor will scold me!" They don't dare ask any more questions and let me go.

  It has been more than two months since the Mongolians arrived, and they will be leaving tomorrow. Tonight, Kangxi is hosting a farewell banquet for them.

  With Kangxi in the center, Suwan Guwalgiya Wangye sat on one side, while other princes and ministers were scattered around. Kangxi carefully looked around and asked me with a smile: "You've been busy for more than two months, how come it's so dark that nothing can be seen clearly?" I bowed and smiled: "The lamps have not been lit yet, after they are lit, everything will be clear! If Your Majesty wants to see, I'll order them to start!"

  Kangxi smiled and looked at Su Wan Guan Er Jia Wang Ye and Zuo Ying Wang Zi, both of whom hurriedly bowed their heads and laughed, saying: "As the emperor pleases!" Kangxi nodded to me, and I glanced at Li Fuquan, who also nodded to me. Because all the torches and lanterns on this side would be extinguished later, Li Fuquan had strengthened the guards after asking Kangxi in advance, so there were four guards standing by Kangxi's side at this moment. When the Crown Prince and the other princes took their seats, they looked around in surprise, but seeing Kangxi chatting and laughing as usual, they calmed down again.

  I picked up the copper bell I had prepared earlier, bowed my head and said to Kangxi: "Your Majesty, I'm going to put out the lights!" Kangxi nodded, I rang the copper bell three times, and in an instant, all the lights went out. The entire camp became pitch black. The officials who were not prepared for the sudden complete darkness couldn't help but exclaim "Ah" and "Oh". I smiled secretly, this was exactly the effect I wanted! It was worth all the effort I had put into training.

  After everyone got used to the darkness, I calmed my mind and shook the copper bell again. With two crisp sounds, a faint blue light slowly lit up in front of us, undulating like a wave, as if it were a vast expanse of water, reminiscent of the ocean on a moonlit night.

  The faint sound of the horse-head fiddle, like silk threads entwining in a bewildering blue haze, made one's heart and soul feel dizzy. A bright moon slowly rose from the surface of the sea, going through its phases - crescent, half-moon, full moon. The audience below looked up at the round moon suspended in mid-air, and faint sounds of amazement could be heard.

  The sound of the horse-head fiddle gradually became clear, as if with the rise of the moon, the person playing the fiddle also walked closer to everyone from the vast night sky. With a few beats of the drum, a slender and elegant woman appeared in the round moon, her steps were full of life, shaking and fragrant, her golden hairpins swaying slightly, her wide sleeves and long ribbons dancing lightly, finally slowly freezing into a flying posture of playing the pipa in the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, as if about to fly but not yet soaring, wanting to fall but hesitating. Separated by the moon, her figure was only a black silhouette, but it already made people feel like a startled swan, gentle as a swimming dragon, charming and lovely, making one's heart yearn for her; but also so ethereal and refined, solitary and cold, like Chang'e in the moon, making one feel ashamed of their own vulgarity.

  The sound of the zither and drum suddenly stopped, and the whole audience was silent, with everyone looking up at the fairy in the moon. They wondered if she was leaving or coming back. In the extreme silence, the sound of the pipa breaking through the air suddenly appeared, and everyone's heart was shocked, not yet settled, the fairy had already moved her long sleeves, and her skirt was flying, her body was sometimes soft like a willow in the wind, sometimes shining like a lotus flower emerging from the water, sometimes bright like the morning clouds, sometimes gentle like a clear spring. It seemed as if she was lightly covering the moon with clouds, and floating like the wind blowing back the snow. Her movements were unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, sometimes safe. It was hard to tell whether she was advancing or retreating, whether she was going or coming back.

  The audience was moved by the dance in the moon, the pipa gradually slowed down, the sound went lower and lower, almost inaudible; The moon slowly fell, the light faded, the fairy's dancing figure slowly became blurred. Finally, the moon fairy disappeared into the darkness with the moon, leaving only the silent flowing dark blue waves on the stage, dazed and confused, just like everyone's mood at this time.

  I glanced around, only to see the Crown Prince's face filled with color and his soul being captivated; the Ninth Prince had his eyes wide open and his mouth slightly ajar; although Irgen Wurang's face remained unchanged, his body involuntarily leaned forward slightly, as if wanting to grasp the gradually disappearing moon. Seeing the thirteen people's admiring and appreciative expressions, I couldn't help but smile faintly. From now on, whenever you see the moon, perhaps you'll occasionally catch a glimpse of Mingming's figure?