Di Huang Shu

CHAPTER 9

      The full moon was hanging high, and an hour later, Ren Anle looked at Chang Liu Street, where the crowds had dispersed and the lights were dying down, and coughed awkwardly against Yuan Shu's grieving eyes.  

　　"I heard from the people who had dispersed that the Crown Prince did not attend the poetry meeting today, so it's not that we're late."　

　　Yuan Shu sighed and squatted in the corner of the carriage drawing circles, extremely pitiful.

　　Ren Anle has always been a sincere and outspoken bandit leader. With a soft heart, she promised Yuan Shu that she would accompany her around the capital next month, and they all drove back to the house happily.　　

    The capital city is empty late at night. Instead as it had been during the festival, there is a heavy, sedate feeling washed over the city.

　　The wheels rattling in the quiet streets were still clear when a sudden sound of horses' hooves came straight towards them.

　　Ren Anle opened her eyes, looking slightly playful, and pointed her finger at the yawning Yuan Shu: "It seems that this master was born with a strong fortune and luck, perhaps she didn't come out in vain tonight."

　　As soon as the words left her mouth, the carriage came to a sudden halt and Changqing's voice rang out steadily.

　　"Who is stopping the carriage ahead?"

　　"My master asked the general to stay in the residence for a while." The visitor was polite and courteous, but his words were not respectful.

　　"Miss?" Changqing lifted the curtain and asked in a low voice.

　　The men on the several horses outside were all dressed in navy blue cloth, carrying long swords. With stern, cold brows, their bravery was intimidating.

　　The corners of Ren Anle's mouth lifted slightly, and the hand on her knee tapped: "If it is an invitation from a nobility, Anle's refusal would be impolite"

　　With a flick of the hem of her sleeve, the curtain fell.

    When he heard Ren Anle's casual response, a touch of surprise floated across the eyes of the man leading the horse. With a wave of his hand, he led Chanqing's carriage deeper into the street.

　　Inside the carriage, Yuan Shu scratched her head: "Miss, are you acquaintances...?"

　　Yuan Qin gave her a tap on the forehead, "Fool, there is a curfew in the capital at night. How many people in the imperial capital do you think have the guts to send guards to openly stop people on the street late at night!"

　　Yuan Shu rubbed her forehead as realization dawned on her. When she understood it, she winked at Ren Anle with a wicked look on her face.

　　Ren Anle was too lazy to deal with her. She closed her eyes and began to rest.

　　" General, please get out of the carriage"

　　The carriage came to a steady stop and a voice from outside sounded. Ren Anle stretched her back and threw a 'don't spoil the fun' look at Yuan Shu Yuan Qin, who wanted to follow, and got out of the carriage.

　　The luxurious and graceful palace suddenly appeared in front of her, and the slightly dull back door made Ren Anle raised her eyebrows.

    Hey, to think that she was famous in the south of Jin, but now she had become a nobody!

　　The guards led Ren Anle towards the palace, past the serene back garden, and stopped at a pavilion.

　　Ren Anle blinked, then lazily leaned against a rockery on the side and moved to a comfortable position.

    A game of chess is set on a stone table in the pavilion. Han Ye was dressed in azure dragon fish white chang fu, sitting in the pavilion and playing white and black. The hazy light reflected on his body, revealing his warm and moist face. Ren Anle squinted at him, she thought that the poor mountains and waters of Jinan could not really raise such a fine breed.

　　Not caring in the slightest about Ren Anle's unrestrained gaze, Han Ye looked down at the chessboard and dropped a piece: "Please sit down, General Ren."

　　Ren Anle reluctantly retracted her gaze. She coughed lightly and walked into the pavilion to sit opposite Han Ye. She picked up the tea served by the palace eunuch and took a sip, then waved the crowd away with a wave of her hand.

　　Ren Anle was so domineering that a series of action brought the way she should be. As soon as Han Ye raised his head, he saw the palace eunuchs who had involuntarily withdrawn from the pavilion, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

　　"The general's temperament is as usual."

　　The chess game on the chessboard came to an end gradually, with the black and white pieces caught in a deadlock, with no solution in sight.

　　Han Ye put down the chess pieces and looked towards Ren Anle.

　　"Anle thought that this was also what His Highness wanted. His Highness invited her late at night. What is the reason for this late night invitation?"

　　Ren Anle was full of vigor, calm and generous, without any of the absurd shyness of meeting a man in the middle of the night. Her face was full of genuine curiosity.

　　"General Ren must have taken advantage of her pleasure to travel this evening and seen a lot."

　　Han Ye's words meant something. Ren Anle pondered for a moment, and suddenly realized, "His Royal Highness means... Young master Wen Shuo?"

　　Han Ye did not answer. His hand tapped on the chessboard. The sound of a clear tap sounded. He looked at Ren Anle, his eyes deep and cold.

    "Gu do not want to ask why General Ren came to the capital, but if you really want to return to Great Jing, Gu promise never to trap the general in the capital in the future. But...Gu don't like the idea of General Ren coming after someone close to Gu."

  孤 ( gū) -self-proclaimed ancient prince; 

　　Ren Anle narrowed her eyes, sizing up the rumoured gentle and elegant prince, and suddenly laughed loudly, "If Anle had been more arrogant, she would have thought that His Highness was guilty of the sour and jealous nature of those women in the deepest of chambers."

　　Han Ye was stunned at her words. The thin anger in his eyes quietly dissipated when he saw the hearty smile on Ren Anle's face.

   " The general is talking nonsense."

　　"If Your Highness had been such a stranger, you would not have attracted the admiration of the noble ladies of the imperial capital, and the burden on An Le's shoulders would have been much lighter. His Highness rest assured that today are no more than a chance encounter with Wenshuo gong zi on the street.  Besides, I have my own heart, so I will never set my eyes on this little boy.

　　Han Ye's eyes were slightly relieved and he smiled, "With your talent, I'm sure you won't be able to stay in the small city of capital, so why do you need to use Gu as a pretense?"

　　"Oh? What makes Your Highness think so? I admire Your Highness. It is common knowledge that I have asked for your hand in marriage at the Imperial Palace and travelled ten thousand miles to the capital." Ren Anle lifted her porcelain cup and fixed her gaze on Han Ye through the dazzling mist.

　　Han Ye shook his head: "Since I saw the general in the paddock, I knew that the general was not such a person."

　　His voice was definite and arbitrary. Ren Anle was slightly stunned, silent for half a second, then put down her porcelain cup and suddenly sat up straight, looking at Han Ye in silence, her pupils deep.

　　"Why doesn't Your Highness believe me? Your Highness can easily accept the admiration of women under the sky, so why don't you believe that I, Ren Anle, came to the capital just for you."

    'you'…?  Han Ye was beyond belief that he almost laughed. He almost yelled good for the woman in front of him. Who in the world, apart from the emperor, who is qualified to call a prince of a country like that?

　　However, he had never seen such serious and persistent eyes in his life. Looking at him as if he were her life's longing and memory.

　　Even though Han Ye was the crown prince of a country, he had to admit that the emotions in these eyes were too shockingly intense.

　　So intense that...he almost believed it.

    Han Ye bowed his head and laughed as long and unrestrained as Ren Anle did just now.

　　"General Ren, the mountains and rivers of Jinnan are high and far away that some things have not yet had time to reach the imperial capital. When Anlezhai surrendered, the secret guard who had been sent to Jinnan brought back some message for the Gu?"

　　"Oh? What kind of message?" Ren Anle raised an eyebrow.

    "The secret guard said that all the sons of the land of thousands of miles in Jinan called the General a man and heaven appearance, and they admire her greatly. However, the generals were unruly and attracted a lot of peach blossom debts, and then she traveled all the way to the capital. Now Gu finally understands that the rumors are true.  It is a wonderful thing for a general to be so fond of one person. But if Gu were to do the same for everyone, Gu would not be able to bear it."

　　Seeing the clarity in Han Ye's eyes, Ren Anle's affection suddenly dissipated as she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Good things don't go unnoticed, but bad things spread a thousand miles. The ancients did not deceive me!  Who could have thought that Your Highness would know all about the matters in Jinan. No wonder you deliberately invited me today for fear that I will harm Young Master Wen, right?"

    Han Ye, contrary to what one might expect have a good opinion about her because of Ren Anle's frank and straightforward speech, and he waved his hand and said, "General, that is a serious statement. Gu today asked the general into the Eastern Palace, there is one more thing.

　　"Your Highness, you may speak frankly."

　　"I have rarely seen a woman as bold as you. Since you have a heart for the world and the talent of a general, why don't you show your ambition by serving on the frontier? The Di family head was so virtuous and benevolent that the whole world praised her, why not follow suit?"

　　At the age of fourteen, Ren Anle took charge of the Anle fortress and fought against the imperial army in the north and greeted the bandits and pirates in the south and has fought hundreds of battles without a single defeat.  Apart from Di Shengtian, who lived and died in seclusion sixteen years ago, no woman has ever been as powerful as her.

    It's a pity that such a character is willing to be ordinary!

　　It must be said that Han Ye's attitude towards Ren Anle is completely inherited from Wei Jian's heart. There is an amazing tacit understanding between the master and the disciple.

　　The night was getting colder, but Ren Anle had stopped smiling at some point. Her head dropped slightly. Her eyes hidden from view with no emotion could be seen, only her calm, too indifferent voice could be heard.

　　"Your Highness, it is true that the Di Shengtian is a virtuous and benevolent being, but... what is the result?"

　　Han Ye paused and raised his head with a frown.

　　"So what if the Di family has ceded one side of the world's giants and Di Shengtian is praised by the people? The victor is a king and the loser is a knave. Who remembers what the Di family and Di Shengtian did in the first place in today's prosperous world? The ash smoke is gone but the emperor's words. The mast is just a word from the emperor.

　　"General Ren!"

　　The look in his eyes was clearly emotionless, but it brought out the coldness of the ninth month of winter, a rebuke that was too grand. Han Ye reprimanded in a low voice. His hand holding the chess pieces clenched fiercely.

         Ren Anle raised her head, her eyes light and cloudy, as if she did not see Han Ye's discomfort, and said with emotion: "So... it's too tired to be a woman like Di Shengtian. Your Highness, do you know why I have never been defeated? I am born with the courage to be greedy for life and fear of death. In order to save this delicate life, I naturally cannot lose in battle. Now that the court has recruited me, I am just a woman waiting for a casual official life in the capital, and then I can find a good husband and marry him. What do I need such great ambitions for? I'm afraid I can't accept Your Majesty's kindness."

    Han Ye quietly listened to Ren Anle with an extremely serious look. There was no words for a while. 

　　After drinking the last sip of tea in the porcelain cup. Ren Anle stretched her waist, got up and bowed towards Han Ye and walked towards the stone pavilion. After a few steps, she slowly stopped with her back to Han Ye, she held a black chess piece in her hand at some point, quietly spinning in her fingertips.

　　"It's a great honor to be invited by your Highness today, so this is my thanks." 

　　Ren Anle tossed her hand. The black piece traced a mark in the air and landed steadily on the stone chessboard.

　　Han Ye looked at the chessboard and raised his head in the direction where Ren Anle had disappeared, with a complex and deep expression.

　　The game he had just played had become a dead game, and although the place where Ren Anle had landed did not allow the black piece to win, it could solve the game, just one piece of the siege without breaking the city.

　　Rumour has it that Ren Anle of Jinan is crude and rude, and does not know much about literature and ink, but... Han Ye dares to assert that there are very few people in the world who can solve this deadlock within one cup of tea.

　　It was late at night, but the East Palace was still brightly lit. Ren Anle's steps were so slick and stern that she only pitied the court lady leading the way. As if she felt that Ren Anle was not as horrible as the rumours, the court eunuchs turned around from time to time and peeked out, her eyes full of curiosity.

    　"Little girl, what are you looking at? Do I have three heads and six arms?"

      Her face flushed red with shame, the palace maid's head snapped back and she took three steps into two, rushing straight out. Only when she reached the entrance to the corridor did she realise that there were no footsteps behind her and she had to look back helplessly.

　　Not far behind her, Ren Anle stood quietly in the middle of the corridor. All dressed in black clothes melting into the night. The woman looked towards a pavilion deep in the Eastern Palace. The faint shadow of the moon falling on her body, a kind of stern coldness that could not be dissolved when looking at her in a trance.

　　The palace eunuch took a few steps back and gave a blessing to Ren Anle: "Lord Ren." Seeing that she did not answer. The palace eunuch followed Ren Anle's gaze and was slightly stunned, then said in an emotional voice, "Da ren is looking at the Northern Que Pavilion."

　　Ren Anle looked back with a puzzled expression, "The Northern Que Pavilion?"

　　"I heard that in order to welcome that person into the capital. His Majesty specially recruited Master Cen Bei to build it in the Eastern Palace. The Northern Que Pavilion has a view of the whole of capital and looks out across Fuling Mountain. It is magnificent and exquisite, and is very famous in the imperial capital. Many courtiers have asked His Majesty to enter the North Quee Pavilion to see it, and even the few masters who have entered the East Palace, there is no one who does not miss this place. But our Highness is a long-suffering man. Since that young lady, no one else has set foot in the North Que Pavilion to date." 

　　There was an undisguised envy and yearning in the palace eunuch's words for the woman who had been able to live in the Northern Que Pavilion.

　　Fourteen years ago, when the Di power was comparable to that of the royal family, the Jia Ning Emperor decreed to welcome Di Ziyuan into the capital with the courtesy of an imperial concubine and placed her in the Northern Que Pavilion of the Eastern Palace.

　　Rumour has it that even the princesses of the Heavenly Family could not match the splendour of the youngest daughter of the Di Family in capital during that year.

　　The destiny that Di Ziyuan was destined for since her birth had been the lifelong aspiration of all the women of Great Jing.

　　"Long-love? You envy Di Ziyuan?" Ren Anle looked at the Northern Que Pavilion, which was hidden into the moonlight, and said softly with a seeming smile.

　　As soon as Ren Anle's words left her mouth. The palace maid realised that she had just committed the royal taboo. Her face turned pale, and her whole body trembled with fright.

　　Ren Anle glanced at palace maid, then turned and walked back towards the corridor, this time she never looked back. 

　　What in the world did not require a price to be paid.

　　If Di Ziyuan knew that the entire Di family would one day be scattered and their bloodline destroyed, would she still be willing to have those eight years of great glory and favour?

T/N: This chapter is still in the editing stage. Just a few words and their meaning.

  Han Ye is secretly protecting Wen Shuo 

  Han Ye unknowingly touched a scar.

  This chapter is actually quite sad. 

    　If Di Ziyuan knew that the entire Di family would one day be scattered and their bloodline destroyed, would she still be willing to have those eight years of great glory and favour? </3