Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Forty-seven,
Entertainment Boat

The middle of the lake at this time sailed in with an entertainment boat painted with a vermilion red colour. That boat broke apart the layers of vast, misty, rolling waters as well as the overlapping fields of lotus leaves, carrying a boat full of musical instruments, and sounds of oars and shadows from lanterns, briefly seizing everyone’s gazes.

“Want to go look?” The lights on the boat were flickering, illuminating half of He Xuan’s face, he turned his head to ask Xiao Zuo in this kind of half-lit and half-dark illumination, making even his expression seem to be half-lit and half-dark, making people unable to see through it clearly.

Xiao Zuo nodded his head, He Xuan seemed to have faintly smiled, then he extended his hand towards Xiao Zuo, with his voice seeming like the enticing whispers of a mermaid, “Come here.” Xiao Zuo slowly extended his hand out and placed it on his rough and warm palm, He Xuan slightly used some strength, and pulled him to his side. When Xiao Zuo lifted his eyes up, that boat had already sailed to the front of them.

The pillars on the boat were all engraved with delicate lotuses, the unwithering lotuses on the pillar and the vicissitude of red lotuses contrasted each other interestingly, making Xiao Zuo stand there looking at them for a while. Just when he was in a daze, Fu Zhan Chuan sneakily got close to his ears and said quietly, “Xiao’xiao, whatcha doing still looking at a pillar, your(pos.) Highness got kidnapped already.”

“I said don’t……” Xiao Zuo helplessly glanced at him, and the corner of his eyes drifted to He Xuan getting surrounded in the middle of women- he was only able to barely catch a glimpse of the corner of his clothes, and the remaining half of the words then got stuck in the throat, like he was in an awkward situation at this time, unable to go down nor up.

“Upset?”

Xiao Zuo took back his gaze, and lowly shook his head, “No, what is there for me to be upset about.”

Fu Zhan Chuan profoundly glanced at him, with the look of persuading a young boy who lost his footing to realize and mend his ways, “Jin’s crown prince is the man of dreams for all the unmarried ladies in Shang An’jing, yet he crosses through the many thickets of flowers, with not a single leaf that touches the body, oh you……”

Fu Zhan Chuan paused, “While you still haven’t sunk too far deep, absolutely do……”

“I know.” Xiao Zuo boredly interrupted Fu Zhan Chuan. He leaned on the pillar at the corner of the boat, and distantly watched He Xuan stand underneath that imposing light. There was a bustle of sounds all around, no matter if it was a bunch of robed young lords or the dancers dressed up in ringing accessories, they were all fighting to squeeze by his side, he seemed just like a north star highly residing in the skies, with all the stars admiring it.

Xiao Zuo slightly dejectedly shrunk in the shadows cast by the pillar, and said, “Now that it’s mentioned, do you have anyone you like?”

“Me?” Fu Zhan Chuan nonchalantly crossed his leg and leaned beside Xiao Zuo, “No. My dream since I was young was to exceed others and do something big, where would I have the leisure to speak of some romance between men and women?”

Xiao Zuo surprisingly looked at the wrinkled outer robes of Fu Zhan Chuan who wanted to do something big, that collar seemed to be dripped with a drop of oil, making him look extremely unkempt. He silently moved his eyes away, and the corners of his mouth twitched a bit, “Then you truly are…… the future pillar of the country.”

“Of course.” Fu Zhan Chuan leisurely giggled, thrusting his face forward openly praising himself, without a single hint of shame. He no longer had the mood to continue on with the bit of hurt feelings he originally had thanks to this interruption of his, he insincerely patted Fu Zhan Chuan’s shoulder, then randomly encouraged him with a few words, and planned on looking if there was anything to eat.

“Sir Xiao?” Xiao Zuo paused in his steps, Qing Shuang was wearing white, indifferent like a bunch of snow in the mountains, bringing a long-separated hint of coolness in this slightly stuffy boat.

“Qing Shuang?” Turns out the person sitting beside Fu Zhan Chuan back there was Qing Shuang. Xiao Zuo understood after the fact, then asked, “Would you like to go together to find something to eat?”

❀

“Your Highness, have a taste of this walnut pastry, it is simply delicious.”

He Xuan’s patience completely wore out, he knitted his eyebrows and blocked the fair and tender grasses extended to his mouth, he wearily pinched his nose bridge, then pushed away the constantly approaching crowds of women, with his voice subconsciously seeping with a hint of cold, “Beat it.”

His outline was originally born cold and fierce, added with the pressure raised from long living in a higher position, it immediately scared the crowded ladies circled by his side, and they fearfully withdrew. Before the circling irritation in He Xuan’s face had dispersed, he lifted his eyes up and swept by the corners outside, but did not see the figure he anticipated, then the irritation inside of him got swept up in flames once again, directly burning his heart to the point it turned all restless.

“Your Highness, we’ve arranged for some song and dance in a moment to help with the mood as well as Yan Xian Lake’s specialty dishes, your Highness, why don’t you relieve yourself, and come sit with me on that side?”

Qin Liang bitterly stiffened up to go deal with this evil fiend- he originally researched it clear, this crown prince was not choosy with men and women, and was also a regular of the places of debauchery, finding some beauties to accompany him would not be wrong, but who knew today, someone made him unhappy, it really was like how when King Yan fights, only for the little ghosts get affected.

He Xuan lifted his eyelids and squinted at Qin Liang, then spoke without accepting nor rejecting it, “Lead the way.” Qin Liang then finally put back this hung heart down, covered the merriment on his face, then respectfully led the way at the front.

Just as He Xuan sat down at the top on this side, on the other side, Xiao Zuo circled around with Qing Shuang, and only found some not-too-filling cakes, the two surrounded and ate a plate of almond cakes, and also got led into the main hall to watch the song and dance.

“There should be something to eat later, after rowing for half a day, I’ve gotten hungry too.” Xiao Zuo unhappily sat beside Qing Shuang, and went in close to speak to him in a small voice.

Qing Shuang seemed to not be accustomed with sticking close to others to spoke, he inconspicuously leaned back, then said, “I heard Fu Zhan Chuan say they invited a famous musician, I wonder how good they play.”

Just as his words fell, a few musicians dressed thinly carried lutes, their steps were light and slow, and sat at the four corners on a fine fur carpet in the middle, then a row of dancers draped in thin veils came in barefoot, their feet wore a layer of anklets, ringing when they walked, drawing in people’s hearts and souls.

The slow song and dance gathered with music, while the cups of wine thick with fragrance were enough to forget the mortal worries.

While admiring the dancing, Xiao Zuo occasionally grabbed a few slices of pickled fish of Yan Xian Lake, accompanied with a newly-brewed green plum wine, with a peculiar aroma to it.

Once a song ended and the willowy dancers were about to retreat, he heard a person on the scene speak, “I hear that the famous Sir Qing Shuang of Shang An’jing has come here today too, how about play a song to help with the mood?”

Xiao Zuo’s heart sunk, when he turned his head to look at Qing Shuang, though his facial colour was still calm as normal, the hand clutching the pot of wine instead slightly shook, and dropped a few drops on the table when pouring wine, then got wiped by him inconspicuously. [Qing Shuang] lifted his eyes and spoke lowly, “Qing Shuang’s qin skills are low and vulgar, it is unsuitable for listening.”

“Aye, Sir Qing Shuang is too humble, didn’t you play it before in the southern mansions? Now that his Highness the Crown Prince has blessed us with his presence, if Sir Qing Shuang were to not give us face then it would be fine, but in front of his Highness the Crown Prince, are you still not giving face?”

That fellow was all overbearing, Qing Shuang’s taut back looked about to collapse, while his lips were tightly pursed- at this time, he was so frail he was just like a paper kite drifting in a manic rainstorm, using all its strength to fly, but had its back drenched by that rain, then fell down heavily and dropped into the mud, staining with a grime he could not wipe away.

He Xuan merely nonchalantly sipped his wine in his seat, this taut atmosphere in the hall completely did not enter his eyes, he only leisurely split his attention, passing by Qing Shuang’s pale face, and stopped on Xiao Zuo.