TDFM Chapter 119

A Small Matter

Princess Anping closed her eyes. After the Spirit Awakening Incantation was cast upon her, she felt her mind become crystal clear, as if clouds and mist had been swept away.

She opened her eyes and said, “Brother Suiyan, you deceived me. You’re not her male favorite at all.”

Cheng Suiyan looked utterly speechless. “We made you smart just to hear you say this?”

“I don’t care. You have to apologize to me and coax me properly, then I’ll tell you!”

Fu Xue shook her head and said, “As expected, when a person becomes smart, they also become cunning.”

Cheng Suiyan thought about simply using the Incantation of Truth on her, but at that moment Yun Qing suddenly beckoned, and the Compassionate Sword flew from her back into her hand.

Her patience had finally reached its limit. Holding the sword, she swung it through the air toward a pine tree not far away. The thick pine tree was directly cut in half by the sword qi.

Princess Anping shivered.

The guards all drew their swords, as if facing a great enemy.

“Will you speak or not?”

Tears welled up in Princess Anping’s eyes as she spoke pitifully.

“That day at General Wang’s mansion, I drank some wine and felt rather heated. When returning, I didn’t take the carriage but rode a horse instead. So I saw very clearly – I indeed passed by the Fu family’s gate.”

“And then?”

“Then, sitting on horseback, I chatted with my palace maid Cui He about Sister Wang’s birthday gifts. A merchant’s daughter heard that Sister Wang liked playing polo, so she purchased a set of sandalwood polo mallets at great expense to give as a birthday gift. Cui He and I made some jokes about it.”

“Why did you joke about her?”

“Although sandalwood is hard, its flexibility is average. When subjected to intense impact, it easily cracks and isn’t suitable for polo mallets at all. That merchant’s daughter thought anything expensive must be good, so she was fooled. I only joked about it behind her back – I never said anything to her face.” Princess Anping said this with a displeased twist of her lips, feeling they were treating her like interrogating a criminal.

Fu Xue said, “Senior Sister, could it be that the girl who was mocked was related to Madam Xiao? After Madam Xiao’s death, she happened to hear the princess speaking ill of her relative and became angry, forming an obsession?”

Yun Qing shook her head. “It doesn’t seem likely. If it were an obsession formed from anger, there would be resentful energy around her. But Madam Xiao currently has no resentful energy. Moreover, even her closest relatives didn’t cause her to form an obsession – why would a mere relative matter so much?”

“Right.”

Jiang Baiyu said, “Why don’t we bring that palace maid called Cui He here and have the two of them repeat their conversation from that time, to see if there are any omissions?”

That was indeed a good idea.

Afterward, Princess Anping summoned Cui He, and Jiang Baiyu cast the Spirit Awakening Incantation on her as well.

The master and servant then began “chatting” back and forth, recreating their conversation.

Princess Anping felt somewhat ashamed. She had always been well-behaved and sensible in front of Brother Suiyan (at least she thought so), but now she suddenly had to display her mean-spirited side, making her face flush red with embarrassment.

Yun Qing had only focused on listening to the princess earlier and hadn’t paid attention to Madam Xiao.

Now she carefully observed Madam Xiao’s reactions and discovered that when the two mentioned “polo,” Madam Xiao’s eyes would light up and her smile would grow wider.

The master and servant mentioned polo five times in total, and Madam Xiao’s eyes brightened twice – probably because her hearing was poor and she only heard clearly those two times.

“It’s actually polo?” Yun Qing was stunned. “Why would it be polo?”

Seeing this, Fu Xue tried shouting loudly at Madam Xiao, “Po——lo——“

Madam Xiao’s body moved. First she excitedly straightened her back, then slumped down again. She sighed and said, “Alas, in this lifetime, I had no fate with polo.”

****

Everyone went back to find the Fu family and asked about polo, but the Fu family knew nothing about it. Madam Xiao had never mentioned polo during her lifetime.

They had no choice but to find Elder Sister Madam Xiao again.

“Polo? Polo…” Elder Sister Madam Xiao looked blank and fell into reminiscence. After a long while, she finally said, “It seems there was such a thing. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have remembered.”

It truly was a very small matter.

As everyone knew, the common women of the capital liked to imitate noble ladies. For a period of time, noble ladies were madly obsessed with playing polo, and common women began to yearn for polo as well.

But how could ordinary people afford to play polo? Not to mention anything else, just the horse alone wasn’t something every family possessed, and even if they had one, they wouldn’t bear to let their daughters use it for playing ball.

Someone saw a business opportunity and purchased a batch of inferior horses at low prices from elsewhere, bringing them to the capital to open a polo field specifically for these common women.

First they taught them to ride horses for a fee, then rented out horses, fields, and mallets for another fee.

Many women took this opportunity to experience playing polo once. Common women took pride in having played polo, and many used their experiences at the polo field as conversation topics.

“When I was young, I was somewhat afraid of horses, so I wasn’t interested in polo. But Hui Niang really wanted to go to the polo field once. She was already engaged at that time, and she begged our father, hoping to play polo once – this was her greatest wish before marriage.

Although our family was doing fairly well, we had many children and many places that required money. Father felt that playing polo was frivolous and a waste of money, so he scolded Hui Niang several times.

Later, my mother couldn’t bear to watch and persuaded father. Since the Fu family had offered a substantial betrothal gift, if our family was still harsh to Hui Niang, people might gossip about us.

Father was someone who cared about face, so he had this additional concern. He then promised that if Hui Niang could learn to ride horses by herself, he would take her to the polo field once.”

“What happened then?”

“Later, perhaps heaven couldn’t stand to watch. My uncle went to another place to trade dates, and someone paid for dates with a horse.

Uncle brought the horse home, and Hui Niang was very happy. She went to uncle’s house to learn horse riding. She had great natural talent and understood immediately – she learned it right away. Father then agreed to her request.

From that day on, she looked forward every single day to the agreed-upon day when she would go to the polo field with father.”

“And then?”

“Then, very unfortunately, my grandmother suddenly fell ill. Hui Niang was a filial child who helped mother serve grandmother every day and do housework, so she didn’t bother father about playing polo anymore.

When the agreed-upon day came, father didn’t mention it, and she didn’t bring it up either. Everyone forgot about it. Later on, after this trend passed, the polo field’s business declined and it closed down. Those merchants went off to chase other trends…

Although Hui Niang didn’t mention it verbally back then, she must have kept it in her heart. My poor sister.”

Elder Sister Madam Xiao used a faded blue handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes. “She was always obedient from childhood. Relatives and friends all praised her for being sensible. If I had known that polo game would remain in her thoughts for so many years, I definitely would have reminded father.”

Everyone listening sighed. After a while, Ci Li said, “Can yielding really preserve peace?”

Yun Qing shook her head. “I don’t know if it can preserve peace, but it probably brings more yielding.”

Fu Xue asked, “Senior Sister, what do we do now?”

“Let’s try playing a game of polo.”

****

When Princess Anping suddenly wanted to play polo and sent out invitations widely, naturally everyone responded, even though winter wasn’t really a good season for polo. In such weather, people dressed heavily and weren’t very agile, plus hands easily got cold.

Yun Qing and the other four formed one team, while Princess Anping found three men and one woman to form another team.

She was quite resentful that Brother Suiyan wouldn’t team up with her.

Palace maids and guards all stood beside the field, waving flags of various sizes and cheering.

That day, heaven was also kind. The weather that had been cold for so long suddenly warmed up considerably. Sunlight was gentle and warm, shining warmly on the various colored flags.

Princess Anping was already skilled at the game. Combined with others deliberately letting her win, she looked like lightning, like a majestic little leopard nimbly pouncing on prey again and again.

The surrounding cheers were deafening.

“Hui Niang, charge ahead!”

“Hui Niang, go strong!”

“Hui Niang, attack!”

“Hui Niang, Hui Niang!”

…

Madam Xiao clung to Princess Anping’s back, beaming with joy, excitedly waving her arms and practicing various techniques she had secretly rehearsed before.

This match was thoroughly enjoyable. In the end, the princess’s team was superior in skill and won the game.

Princess Anping sat on her horse, straightened her back, and raised her mallet high, proudly surveying everyone.

Behind her, Madam Xiao’s smile gradually disappeared.

“I’m sorry,” she suddenly spoke, her tone slow and calm.

“When I knew I had died, as I floated above the mansion, I heard this young lady talking about playing polo.

At that moment, I was suddenly struck by that small thing I had sought but couldn’t obtain in my youth. I felt so regretful, so regretful, and involuntarily followed this young lady.”

“Actually, my regrets weren’t just about one polo game – I regretted my entire life.”

“I was always considerate of others, helping others succeed. At home I was filial to parents and elders, caring for brothers and sisters. After marriage I was dutiful to in-laws, considerate to my husband, and loving to my children.

Everyone said I was a good daughter, good sister, good wife, good mother. Having lived such a life, when life came to an end, I suddenly discovered that I had never once lived for myself.”

“Thank you, young people. Though I died, I feel more alive now than ever.”

“Farewell, children. May you in this life be able to do what you love and become who you want to be.”

She finally released her hands from Princess Anping’s shoulders. Her soul drifted up into the air, then floated toward the distance.

Yun Qing looked up at the thin figure growing smaller in the sunlight and said softly, “Farewell. May you live freely and boldly for yourself in your next life.”

****

That evening, Cheng Suiyan treated everyone to drinks.

The wine was a jar of fifty-year-old Moon Dew Wine he had secretly taken from his father’s collection, and the food was ordered from Moon Tower Restaurant.

Moon Tower’s most famous dish was Moon Tower Roast Chicken – golden and glistening. With one bite, teeth pierced through the crispy, tender skin, and chicken juices exploded in the mouth.

But they felt drinking at the restaurant was boring, so they all ended up sitting on a rooftop again.

This was the Drum Tower, the highest place in the capital except for the imperial palace.

Sitting on the roof, they could see the entire capital. Under the vast sky, thousands of household lights made even the horizon somewhat bright. The Flowing Jade River was frozen, and under moonlight, the cold white ice surface stretched straight into the distance like a sharp sword.

Below their feet were passersby – some laughing and talking, some hurrying along, some hawking wares, and others arguing.

The fifty-year-old Moon Dew Wine was incredibly mellow with great potency. Cheng Suiyan drank cup after cup, getting somewhat drunk. He suddenly said, “Yun Qing, do you know why I follow you all despite knowing there’s mortal danger?”

Without waiting for Yun Qing to respond, Ci Li said, “Because there’s something wrong with your brain.”

Cheng Suiyan good-naturedly shook his head. “No.”

Fu Xue said, “Because you value loyalty.”

Cheng Suiyan smiled. “That’s only one reason.”

Fu Xue made a disgusted sound and said, “Please swallow back that cutesy tone, it’s affecting my appetite, thank you.”

Yun Qing said, “Suiyan, what’s the real reason?”

Cheng Suiyan put away his smile, looked up at the half-moon hanging in the sky, and for once showed a trace of sadness on his face. He said, “I wasn’t happy before.”

The three people and one cat were stunned. Fu Xue said, “How could you be unhappy? You have everything you want. Do you have to become emperor to be happy?”

“So you see, happiness varies from person to person. I was born into an official family and witnessed the hypocrisy and cruelty of court politics from childhood.

There was a scholar – I had even spoken with him. After he passed the imperial examination, he was favored by a high official who promoted him as one of his own people. From then on, his official career flourished.

Later, this high official was brought down by rivals. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter – that scholar was also dismissed. Unable to accept this turn of events, he jumped into the Flowing Jade River.

His rise and his downfall were actually just someone else’s whims. What did it have to do with him? His lifelong efforts and ambitions were truly like dreams and bubbles.

There were too many such people. Everyone thought they could be the chess player, but on fate’s chessboard, everyone is just a chess piece.

I disliked the scheming and backstabbing of court politics, but everyone around me was like that. I felt no one understood me. I was very lonely.”

“I’m my father’s only child, so he paved the way for me early on. First it was the imperial examinations, then seeing I wasn’t cut out for that, he wanted to send me to the Imperial Guard.

I knew my parents’ expectations of me, and I had once very much wanted to meet their expectations. It was precisely because of this that I was in even more pain.

Today when Grandmother Xiao said farewell, I was particularly moved. Everyone yearns to be their authentic self, yet is bound by layers of reality.

Some people live their entire lives in others’ expectations and die that way. Some are lucky enough to have the courage to break through those shackles and do what they love – that’s enough, that’s the entire meaning of life.

If a person walks on such a path, life and death become less important.”

No one spoke.

Jiang Baiyu took out a red leaf from his sleeve and played a tune on it. The melody was gentle and quiet. Moonlight spilled down, melting into the music.

Yun Qing quietly watched the human world’s lights below, picked up her wine cup, paused it before her face for a moment, then drank it all in one go.

This cup was for herself.

****

In the golden birdcage, Le Chenzi put down his special small wine cup and made a long “tsk” sound, saying, “Good wine. What’s this wine called?”

“Moon Dew.”

“The name sounds good too. You had such good wine but didn’t bring it out earlier. I can’t even drink much of yours – stingy!” He said this while glancing at the drinking snacks beside him, then repeated, “Stingy!”

Today’s drinking snacks were quite shabby.

The previous roast chicken had been reduced to charcoal. Le Chenzi demanded that Qiguang Zi compensate him with another roast chicken, but Qiguang Zi refused.

He only gave a few boiled peanuts.

Le Chenzi laboriously peeled the peanut shells, held the peanut kernels and nibbled on them. Suddenly his eyes rolled, and he lifted up a peanut shell to cast a divination.

After casting the divination, he looked at the person outside the cage with a strange expression. “They’re coming?”

“No rush. You know what a cat does before killing a mouse?”

“Commits suicide?”

Qiguang Zi seemed to be in a good mood and didn’t punish his nonsensical words. He just smiled and said, “When a cat has been bored for too long, it looks for some amusement. People are the same.”