EWRN - Chapter 41
Chapter 41: The Rite of Heaven (III)
Yan Xi looked up slightly, her gaze falling into Huo Jinyu's eyes, which shone like a river of stars. Their color was deep, their depths profound and unfathomable. Yan Xi was suddenly overcome with a desire to truly see the eyes behind the mask, to understand what kind of person could possess such a pair—so beautiful, so captivating. She longed to earnestly learn about this person's past, and even to be a part of their future.
After speaking, Huo Jinyu stared intently at the charming eyes beneath the white rabbit mask. The corners of the woman's eyes swept upward, her large eyes bright and full of life. It was said that one could glimpse the whole from a single part; from her eyes alone, one could discern the devastating beauty that lay beneath the mask.
Huo Jinyu took Yan Xi's hand, and the two of them stood there in the middle of the street, gazing into each other's eyes. It was as if a single glance could span ten thousand years.
They felt as if time had slowed. Countless people brushed past them, yet they were a small world unto themselves, as if they were the only two people left on earth. The surrounding clamor—the shouts, the hawking of wares, the haggling—all blended into a dull hum. Beneath her mask, Yan Xi's lips moved, and the words "I adore you" drifted away into the noise, unheard by Huo Jinyu.
The crowd was dense. Someone bumped into Yan Xi from behind, and she lost her footing, stumbling forward two steps and falling into Huo Jinyu's arms. By reflex, Huo Jinyu shielded her from the throng. The two of them came back to their senses, a blush rising on both their faces, though it was fortunately hidden by their masks. Realizing she was leaning against Huo Jinyu, Yan Xi shyly pulled away. Huo Jinyu, suddenly remembering her own status, feigned nonchalance and smoothed the front of her robes with her right hand.
"Are you alright, Xi'er?" Huo Jinyu asked, trying to dispel the awkwardness.
"I'm fine," Yan Xi replied softly, her voice as faint as the buzzing of a mosquito. Huo Jinyu had to strain to hear her.
Huo Jinyu nodded, and they continued to wander the streets for a while. Huo Jinyu bought some of the small snacks sold on the street for them to try. Though not as delicious or exquisitely made as the food in the palace, they had a unique flavor all their own.
Having sampled the snacks and strolled through the bustling market, Huo Jinyu led Yan Xi toward the city gates. In her past life, Huo Jinyu had always released her wish boats in the Dragon Pond within the palace, rarely venturing out. Thus, this excursion felt quite novel.
Outside the imperial city, the scene was exceptionally lively. A great number of vendors had gathered along the moat, their stalls filled with wish boats of all sizes, some ornate and others plain. Many stalls also had sky lanterns for sale.
The two of them began to choose wish boats from the vendors' stalls.
Yan Xi carefully examined the boats at a stall. This one was too green, too plain. Not right. That one was too drab. No good.
Huo Jinyu, on the other hand, simply produced a silver ingot and bought the largest, most opulent wish boat at the stall. She picked up a brush and wrote down her wish.
Just then, Yan Xi finally selected a boat she liked—a small, exquisite pink one. In the glow of the lanterns, it appeared almost fiery red, as if competing in splendor with Huo Jinyu's large vessel.
"How did you choose so quickly, Jinyu? And what should I write on this wish boat?" Yan Xi asked after making her choice, as Huo Jinyu paid for it.
"It's a custom in the Great Yuan Kingdom," Huo Jinyu said with a smile. "Every year on the day of the Rite of Heaven, you write your heart's desire on the body of the boat."
Hearing this, Yan Xi looked with a complicated expression at the small, delicate boat in her hands. Its body had room for only a single character. "Did I buy one that's a bit too small?" she asked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"One word or an entire sentence, it doesn't matter. Sincerity is what makes it work," Huo Jinyu said with a laugh. "One word is fine."
Yan Xi tilted her head to look at Huo Jinyu's wish boat and saw several large, powerful characters written on its side: "Eternal Peace and Safety." Yan Xi simply assumed that as the ruler of a nation, Huo Jinyu was wishing for peace throughout the land.
So, what should she write?
While Yan Xi was lost in thought, Huo Jinyu's gaze rested on her graceful figure with a complex expression. She naturally hoped for Yan Xi's peace and health, and wished for her to encounter no more danger. This included her eventual return to the Northern Kingdom; she hoped Yan Xi could stand firm on her own two feet, no longer swayed by others. That was why she had written the words "Eternal Peace and Safety." As for the rest of the world? What did it have to do with her? In this life, Huo Jinyu was selfish—so selfish that the last bit of love she had was given to Princess Yan Xi, though she herself was not yet aware of it.
Love is a strange and wondrous thing. Having never tasted it before, Huo Jinyu was utterly oblivious to the fact that she had already been swept into its vortex.
Unaware of what was in Huo Jinyu's heart, Yan Xi simply picked up a brush and wrote a single, elegant character: "Joy." To Yan Xi, this character held a multitude of meanings. It was "to please," but also "to adore." To please was to bring a smile to her lord's face. To adore was like the verse: The mountain has its trees, the trees their branches; my heart delights in you, yet you do not know. She had lost her father and mother, her brothers and sister. She had lost the lands of the Northern Kingdom and her noble status. Now, all she had left were the remnants of her power and her husband, Huo Jinyu. He was all she had.
Huo Jinyu also glanced over and saw the character "Joy" that Yan Xi had written. She merely thought Yan Xi was wishing for happiness every day and gave it no further thought.
Yan Xi stole a glance at Huo Jinyu's eyes, only to be disappointed. Huo Jinyu had not grasped her hidden meaning; her eyes were clear and bright, without a hint of love.
Yan Xi sighed softly, the sound swallowed by the clamor of the crowd.
Huo Jinyu was still holding Yan Xi's delicate hand. Its soft, tender feel made it difficult for her to let go.
A woman like Yan Xi is truly wonderful, Huo Jinyu lamented inwardly. I wonder who will be fortunate enough to take her as a wife in the future.
Hand in hand, each carrying their own wish boat, they walked toward the riverbank.
The long river flowed slowly, following the lay of the land. The edge of the sky was beginning to glow red as dusk settled in. Countless wish boats, large and small, each topped with a tiny red candle, floated on the water. The candles flickered, creating a constellation of scattered lights upon the wide river's surface. The water reflected these points of light, creating the illusion of a flowing river of stars. It was a magnificent sight.
It was the first time Yan Xi had ever seen such a scene, and she was captivated. Huo Jinyu watched the demure figure in the rabbit mask standing by the river, her head slightly bowed as she gazed at the river full of "starlight." An unconscious smile touched Huo Jinyu's lips. "Is it beautiful, Xi'er?" she asked.
"Exceedingly so," Yan Xi replied before she even had time to think.
Through the two eyeholes of her mask, Huo Jinyu's eyes crinkled into a smile. She borrowed a flint from a vendor and carefully lit the small red candles on both their wish boats. The tiny flames swayed faintly, looking quite adorable.
The candlelight flickered in Yan Xi's eyes, making her entire face appear even more radiant and captivating. It was as if her usual elegant aloofness had been stripped away, replaced by a more worldly, human warmth.
Huo Jinyu's throat tightened, and her mouth felt dry. The thought of stealing a kiss flashed through her mind, startling her. How could she have such an idea?
Yan Xi didn't notice Huo Jinyu take a small step back. Lifting her skirt slightly with one hand, she squatted down and carefully placed her wish boat into the river with the other. The boat dipped slightly before bobbing on the surface. When she noticed the person beside her had yet to release their boat, she looked up, puzzled. "Jinyu, why haven't you put your boat down?"
Hearing Yan Xi call her name, Huo Jinyu finally came to her senses. "I was just watching you and became completely entranced. Xi'er, you are truly a peerless beauty." A blush crept onto her face, but thankfully, the fox mask hid it from view.
Yan Xi assumed Huo Jinyu was joking. After all, how could one be captivated by someone hidden behind a mask?
Huo Jinyu stepped lightly to Yan Xi's side and squatted down. Holding back her sleeve with one hand, she placed her wish boat on the water next to Yan Xi's small one. The two boats, one large and one small, drifted together, slowly making their way downstream.
They stood up and silently watched as their boats gradually disappeared among the multitude of others. Yet Yan Xi could still spot Huo Jinyu's large boat at a glance. It stood out like a crane among chickens, as dazzling as Huo Jinyu was in a crowd, allowing Yan Xi to identify it instantly. The air was filled with a cacophony of voices—shouts from vendors, commoners singing loudly, and incessant chatter. It was incredibly lively.
Huo Jinyu lifted Yan Xi's left hand and placed it over her right. "Xi'er, make a wish, a serious one. Just say it silently in your heart. You don't have to speak it aloud." Huo Jinyu assumed the wish on the boat was something Yan Xi had written casually, so she urged her to make a proper wish on the day of the Rite of Heaven.
Yan Xi didn't object. She closed her eyes, pressed her palms together, and earnestly made a wish in her heart. Then she lowered her hands and opened her eyes. "Jinyu, you should make one too."
"My wish is already on that boat. I have nothing else to ask for," Huo Jinyu said with a smile, saying no more.
This time, it was Yan Xi who took the initiative to take Huo Jinyu's hand. Huo Jinyu was startled for a moment but didn't pull away. Instead, she tightened her grip on Yan Xi's small hand. At that moment, numerous sky lanterns were slowly rising over the city, their surfaces covered in words large and small—the wishes of the common people.
The sky lanterns rose as the wish boats drifted away, painting a picture of a prosperous and peaceful era. Huo Jinyu turned her head and gave Yan Xi a questioning look. Yan Xi shook her head slightly. She had already made a wish; choosing either a boat or a lantern was sufficient. There was no need to go to any more trouble. Just watching was quite nice.
In a shared, unspoken understanding, they walked back without a word. The banquet in the palace's Xuanyi Palace was about to begin. Huo Jinyu wondered how the preparations were coming along. More importantly, she wondered when, exactly, the Second Prince would make his move.
Xuanyi Palace.
Xuanyi Palace was built on an immense scale, large enough to seat all the court officials. It had been constructed specifically for imperial banquets. Now, after being decorated by the palace maids, it looked utterly magnificent. Golden silk was wrapped around the hall's crossbeams and pillars. Priceless antique vases and porcelain were displayed on tables. Bouquets of colorful flowers flanked the main hall, and the floor was covered with lamb's wool carpets imported from the Western Regions. Long, low tables were arranged along either side of the hall, leaving the central area open as a performance space for the imperial musicians and actors.
The civil and military officials had long been seated at their tables according to rank. Palace maids moved among them, serving wine and dishes. However, as the emperor had not yet arrived, none of the officials dared to touch their food or drink. The etiquette they had been taught since childhood forbade it.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion. At the far end of the hall, female officials of the Music Bureau played the guqin, its elegant, melodious notes drifting throughout Xuanyi Palace.
Xuanyi Palace was ready. All that was missing was the guest of honor—the emperor.
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