Chapter 3 - The Young Lord
On the third day of the third lunar month, the spring day was bright. Magpies perched on the branches, poking out their little round heads, blinking their bean-sized eyes as they watched the handsome young lord who looked silly enough to tumble down from the top of the wall.
Pei Xuan would never forget this heartbeat-skipping spring. As he raised his head, all the sounds, colors, and images around him faded away without a word. What silently knocked on the door of his heart was the young lady sitting on the stone steps in a water-red dress.
The young lady wore a pair of worn-out embroidered shoes on her feet, and her legs were slender and delicate. Her ink-black hair was held up by a pear wood hairpin. A tranquil aura spread silently, not a superficial beauty, but a deeper level that gave people a more settled enjoyment.
Pei Xuan watched her in a daze.
Then he saw the young lady smile.
She smiled very lightly and gently, the corners of her lips slightly curled up, and Pei Xuan stood there with warmed eyes.
The two acted as if no one else was around, playing the game of love at first sight. Bai Ge, who stood behind Cui Ti, was upset and wanted to scold someone - who was this person!
He had climbed onto the wall top like a thief, and fell down from the wall clumsily instead of being grateful that he didn't fall flat on his face. Yet he dared to stare at her young lady. Hadn't he heard that it was improper to peep?
And her young lady too.
It had rained last night, and she just happened to ask her to lay out the mat near the wall today. She must be a fortune teller!
If she had been sitting nicely in the yard, and suddenly a person fell from the wall, not to mention whether the person was handsome or ugly, she would have screamed in fright as a minimum reaction. But how could the young lady remain so calm and even smile?
Bai Ge's temples throbbed.
To tell the truth, she felt that both of them were a little abnormal to some extent.
She didn't like the way Pei Xuan looked at Cui Ti, as if guarding against a thief. Still, she swallowed her desire to shout out because Cui Ti had ordered her earlier not to make any noise.
"Young lady, apologies for my rudeness."
Pei Xuan bowed with a spring shirt as white as pear blossoms embroidered with fallen pear blossoms from the branches, gentle and charming.
Bai Ge scoffed to herself and silently covered her eyes: What a nice figure? If all flower pickers looked like him, what worries would there be about having no flowers to pick?
Cui Ti couldn't see her, but turned her head towards the voice and smiled serenely.
She didn't speak, and Pei Xuan didn't know how to ease the tension. His palm was sweating as he bowed to her again, "Many thanks to the young lady, without this mat I might have fallen badly."
Cui Ti nodded. That was true.
In the previous life, Bai Ge had shouted in fright, startling him to fall and injure his left wrist.
For others, injuring the left hand wouldn't affect much and could heal with rest. But Pei Xuan was known for his beautiful left-handed calligraphy, and he went to the imperial exam before it fully healed. It just so happened that the emperor in the golden hall was eagerly waiting to see his left-handed writing.
Pei Xuan reluctantly wrote, not as well as usual, and so the top scholar position that should have been his became second place.
This was Pei Xuan's regret hidden in his heart, and her regret as well.
"Did you get hurt from the fall? Is your hand alright?"
The gentle voice flowed like heavenly music, confirming it was her speaking. Pei Xuan happily said, "It's fine, young lady please see, all good."
He waved both hands at Cui Ti.
Bai Ge's eyes popped wide open, then she covered them again, utterly confused. What was wrong with this person? Didn't he see her young lady couldn't see? Was he blind too?
Cui Ti regretted not being able to see his rarely seen silly state in both lifetimes, but was also glad Pei Xuan didn't realize she was blind.
Pei Xuan's personality was more restrained than unrestrained. His youth was very short. Unlike other young masters who loved to play, joke around, visit brothels, and flirt with courtesans.
At the age when his peers were enjoying music and indulging in pleasure, Pei Xuan was already serving the country.
When she married him, he was the talented and handsome top scholar of the prestigious Pei family in Xi Jing. By the time she fell into the lotus pond and died, he was the loyal minister whom the previous emperor had personally nurtured and promoted, and the new emperor trusted and favored.
"That's good then."
Her voice was full of thoughts, but Pei Xuan didn't know how to show concern for her. He had already been extremely rude to intrude into someone else's courtyard. If he stayed any longer it would not be gentlemanly.
"Young lady, my kite..."
"Was that kite yours?" Bai Ge couldn't help but answer for her mistress, "Hurry take it and go. It doesn't look good for our young lady if others see it."
Pei Xuan's face turned red, shyly red. He walked forward a few steps to pick up the kite lying on the ground, then turned around unable to see anything in the darkness.
"Bai Bai, bring a ladder over."
Bai Ge went to get a ladder, watching the "flower picker" warily so he wouldn't take advantage of her mistress.
Under her guarded stare, Pei Xuan felt guilty and regretted recklessly barging into someone else's courtyard. If the young lady's reputation was damaged, he would never be able to redeem himself even in death.
When the ladder was brought over, he hugged the kite tightly and climbed up without daring to look again.
Bai Ge clicked her tongue, "Now you know it's improper to peep? Why didn't you earlier?"
Pei Xuan slipped and almost fell down again.
Cui Ti was worried he might get hurt. She gently said, "Bai Bai, don't say more."
Bai Ge shut her mouth and dutifully supported the ladder for the silly goose.
Just as Pei Xuan reached the top of the wall, the old servant at home had readied a ladder to receive him. Seeing him, the servant's heart jumped to his throat, "Young lord, slowly, your precious self, if you fall and get hurt, how will this old slave explain to the old master?"
"I've already fallen and got hurt."
Bai Ge on the other side of the wall couldn't resist quipping back. The old servant's face turned white and tears nearly fell, "Oh young lord!"
Bai Ge laughed bending over.
Cui Ti didn't want to admonish her too much. Over the years, Bai Ge had indeed suffered a lot following her. She had accompanied her through the long years, protecting her, being loyal to her. She was no longer a servant, but her sister.
Pei Xuan was annoyed by the nagging and his feet touched the ground. He looked at the wall for a long time before the old servant saw his odd expression, "Young lord, you..."
"Speak softly."
Hearing the little maid on the other side of the wall muttering why he hadn't left yet, Pei Xuan suddenly felt shy. Hugging the kite, he lowered his voice urging, "Go quickly, go."
After quickly walking some distance, he looked back. Though they were separated by the wall and he couldn't see anyone, he strangely felt a sense of loss, like his soul was left behind.
"Young lord, the imperial exam is coming up soon. We should hurry home and find a doctor to examine you. The exam cannot be taken lightly!"
"I know."
Pei Xuan fell into a very strange mood, both delighted and irritated as he scratched his head, "Whose residence is this?"
The old servant sighed sorrowfully, looked for a while, then uncertainly said, "It seems to be Earl of Xi Ning's manor, but the wall is too shabby."
"Shabby?"
"Shabby."
Pei Xuan thought carefully about the young lady's attire and residence, and suddenly felt strong dissatisfaction towards Earl Xi Ning, "Is his family very poor? How could he make his women live in such a courtyard?"
"This..." The old servant lowered his voice, "Earl Xi Ning's family is not poor. Today the Earl and his wife held a big banquet to celebrate their daughter. And the lady was also invited. But affairs of the inner courtyard, young lord, are not something you should worry about."
"Then tell me what I should worry about?"
"Naturally it's national affairs. You're going to be an official. Top scholar is already in your grasp. Once you take the top spot in the imperial exam, young lord will be our Da Zhao's youngest..."
Pei Xuan smiled, fiddling with the kite as he walked forward, "Help me find out who lives in that courtyard. Tell me before the exam. If you don't tell me, I won't perform well and will blame you."
"Huh?"
A huge black pot was pushed onto him. The old servant saw black and said, "Why blame me? My little ancestor, don't be willful. So many people are hoping for your success."
"I know, I know. Hurry and help me investigate. I can't wait a moment longer."
"I'll go investigate right away."
The old servant was ordered around in circles by him. Halfway through he suddenly realized, "Young lord, you want to investigate Earl Xi Ning's people, what are you trying to do?"
"I don't know either."
"..."
"Maybe, I just want to get acquainted?"
"After you get to know each other then?"
The young M'lord laughed heartily, "Let's focus on the imperial examination first. Thinking about all these things will keep you awake tonight."
The old servant's legs went soft. These words sounded so inappropriate. Were you fancying a young lady or young man?
On the other side of the wall, the difference was as far as heaven and earth.
In the shabby small courtyard, outside was the bright and mild spring, spirited horses and handsome youths. Inside, was Cui Ti alone with her bitter waiting and loneliness.
She thought of Pei Xuan and couldn't help smiling.
Bai Ge saw it like seeing a ghost. Her eyes widened in shock and she gasped, "My lady, what's going on today? As soon as I laid out the mat, someone came?"
Cui Ti smiled even more, "Perhaps...it's fate."
Thank heavens for letting me meet him again.
Clearly this was just an excuse.
She didn't want to say what she didn't want to. No one could force her. Bai Ge's curiosity lingered for a while before she gave up and suddenly reminded, "My lady, you're eighteen now, a grown up lady. From now on when you see a man you can't keep smiling at him anymore. It will be misunderstood."
"Misunderstood how?"
"Misunderstood that you're interested in him. In case you run into a lecher, he'll pounce on you!"
She intentionally made it sound serious, but unexpectedly Cui Ti didn't seem scared at all. Instead she even looked a little confused.
"That won't happen."
"What won't happen?"
Cui Ti softly said, "He won't pounce over."
Bai Ge laughed at her naivety. She was a few months younger than Cui Ti and prided herself on having seen more people and events than her. "How won't it happen? You can't judge a man by his appearance. What if it's a villain?"
"How could that be? Doesn't he look good? Very friendly looking? That's why you didn't grab a broom to sweep him out the door."
"..."
Unable to refute her, Bai Ge awkwardly went to tidy up the house, leaving Cui Ti alone to enjoy the beautiful spring day.
The gentle breeze, white flower petals, the young lady who put the white gauze back over her eyes.
Pei Xuan was not a lecher. Sometimes he didn't even seem like a man.
When men get drunk, they always want to take advantage of women. But he was different. Just being bitten once sobered him up.
Cui Ti had nothing to do and bit her lower lip, recalling how much effort she had used back then.
She even wondered, if she hadn't bitten him, would Pei Xuan have continued?
If he did, how far would he have gone? Would having an intimate relationship make him love her?
Bai Ge thought she didn't understand.
But actually she did.
What she understood was force fed into her ears by Bai Ge in her previous life. Later Pei Xuan treated her so well, so well that she had no way to repay him except to marry him, bearing him children.
After worrying over whether she would give birth to a blind child for Pei Xuan, she finally plucked up her courage to try to get intimate with her husband.
But her husband was disinterested in such things, making her feel like an indecent woman.
She got angry, and Pei Xuan came to coax her.
Cui Ti pressed her knees together, leaning her chin on one hand. She thought: Pei Xuan is really annoying!