[R18] The stars are brilliant, so lucky even (The stars are brilliant, the moon rises over the sea) – Chapter 164 of “The Stars Are Brilliant, How Lucky They Are (The Stars Are Brilliant·The Moon Rising Over the Sea)” [English]

Chapter 164

Shaoshang didn’t know how he came out of that palace. He bowed to the women in a very dignified manner, and then walked steadily down the palace corridor. Huo Buyi seemed to want to chase him out, but was stopped by the second princess, “…you let her slow down first.”

All the women were very polite, with kind and playful smiles on their faces, and all made way for the young Shang.They all thought that they might have to go to the Huo Mansion for a wedding banquet in the future, so don’t mess up the bride at the beginning.

Shao Shang stiffly walked out of the Changqiu Palace. When no one saw him, he quickly picked up his skirt and ran as hard as possible, as if there was a monster chasing behind him. In fact, she had not run like this for many years. In Yong’an Palace, she was the palace order under one person, controlling everyone and arranging affairs. When she walked out of Yong’an Palace, she did not want to be blamed.

I don’t know how long she ran, but she lay on the rocks by the lake, panting, thinking that she could have fought Huo Buyi a few times before, but now she had to rely on her fingernails to scratch her. Even Luo Jitong could restrain her in one fell swoop. As expected, her physical condition would deteriorate if she didn’t exercise for a long time.

After a lot of random thoughts, Shaoshang felt flustered and angry. He fixed his hair and clothes facing the water, thinking that he couldn’t figure it out at the moment anyway, so he walked aimlessly along the lakeside. It wasn’t until the patrolling guards saluted her that she realized that she had unknowingly arrived at the palace guard’s office at the upper west gate.

So she subconsciously wants to go home?But it’s even more unsafe to go home. At least Huo Buyi didn’t dare to mess around in Yong’an Palace. If it were the Cheng Mansion, he would dare to climb over the walls and open the windows in broad daylight!

Just as she was about to turn around and go back, she noticed that there were a few familiar people not far from the palace gate. For some unknown reason, she felt like hiding behind a bronze tiger statue.

After six years of not seeing each other, Old Uncle Liang still has the same elegant demeanor, with his back straight and his bearing graceful; he is seen holding the hand of his wife Qu Lingjun with one hand and holding her waist with the other, and steadily puts him on the carriage; just such a simple and considerate gesture can overwhelm many handsome young men in the capital.

Shaoshang has always wondered how a handsome uncle like Liang Wuji could live as a widower for so many years. Are women from aristocratic families blind, or does she have a unique aesthetic?

Over there, Liang Wuji whispered something unknown, and Qu Lingjun smiled with his eyes curled up and his lips trembling. The two of them looked at each other through the window, so affectionate that even the guards at the palace gate looked at each other.

Shao Shang narrowed his eyes, why did she feel that Old Man Liang was too young in what he wore today? Shouldn’t this kind of light blue brocade look good on a slender young man of Yuan Shen’s age?

Today was not going well. Young Shang returned to the Changqiu Palace in a depressed mood. He sat beside the Empress Dowager Xuan and told her what happened today. While trimming her nails, Zhai Yu added fuel to the fire: “Young Shang did the right thing. You should scratch her hard and see blood? Okay, that’s right! This fool should suffer more…”

“Zhai Yu, don’t talk nonsense, Shao Shang knows it well.” Empress Dowager Xuan leaned against the hidden bag and did not express any opinion on this matter. She just joked, “But Shao Shang, look at yourself. Except for your arms and nails, your whole body is not damaged. Listening to what you just said, Zi Sheng has injuries all over his face. It will be strange that His Highness the Crown Prince does not come to reprimand you.”

Shaoshang sighed silently.This is also a headache for her. If she had known this, she would not have been so cruel just now.

Zhai Yu helped: “Don’t worry, don’t be afraid. If someone comes to cause trouble for me, we will just lock the palace door!”

Shao Shang looked at his fingers and said distressedly: “It’s a pity that my nails are so well-maintained and have just been stained with wetness. Ouch, Ouch, Zhai, don’t cut them all off, leave some for me. I’ll keep them longer in the future.”

Queen Mother Xuan also stared at her fingers: “It’s better to cut them shorter. How can you do woodwork and draw pictures with charcoal if you keep your nails?”

Shao Shang clenched a fist under his sleeve and said calmly: “Then I won’t do it. There are craftsmen in the palace as supervisors, and there are the best craftsmen in the world. Why should I show off?”

Queen Mother Xuan was silent for a moment: “If nothing else, it’s been a long time since you played the flute. Now that your fingernails are all clipped, let me play a song for you. Don’t use the excuse that there are the best musicians in the palace.”

Young Shang had no idea, so he had to send his maid to fetch it from his room. Because he had not practiced for a long time, his fingers trembled when he pressed the sound hole, and the tune he played was even more ridiculous and unintelligible.

Shaoshang put down his green bamboo piccolo, and the palace was silent for a long time.

Queen Mother Xuan sighed deeply. When Shao Shang asked why, Queen Mother Xuan murmured: “I was wondering if I was wrong…”

The young Shang was puzzled, but still comforted him: “Don’t be upset, my dear, I will practice playing the flute when I get back. My aunt has said that I am very talented in this way, and I will be good at it as soon as I learn it. Don’t worry, I will play it to you in a few days. I will keep it and it will sound as good as before.”

Queen Mother Xuan smiled noncommittally.

…

The banquet held by the Queen of Yue was really wonderful. Since the noble ladies promised the second princess not to talk about it outside, they would not deliberately spread it. However, if they were not close to each other, they would not talk about it outside, but would always tell the son-in-law on the pillow.

Two-thirds of the eyewitnesses told the story that night. Mrs. Dayue Hou was relatively mature and prudent. She told her husband two days late and was even complained by Dayue Hou. “I said that the eleventh man’s face was covered with wounds, as if they were scratched. Marquis Yu and his second brother laughed so weirdly. You too, if you didn’t tell me earlier, I could only laugh on the sidelines.”

Frankly speaking, Huo Buyi really didn’t mean to embarrass Shaoshang. However, in recent days, the order to control the land has encountered unprecedented resistance, and some military commanders with common surnames have begun to gather people to cause chaos, coercing the people to build momentum.It’s hard for him to leave the court at this time, and he can’t hide the injuries on his face.

Although the emperor knew everything well, he didn’t say anything. He just looked at his adopted son’s face with interest. The prince’s eyes widened and he asked directly why.So Huo Buyu lied seriously: “I was careless while riding a horse and was scratched by a branch when I fell.”

The prince didn’t believe it even to death, but it was his cousin Jian Liangdi who told him the truth. He was so angry that he went to Yong’an Palace to find the person responsible to file a civil injury lawsuit, but he was held back by the fourth prince.

“Brother, my good brother, please save it.” Although the fourth prince has a more straightforward temperament, he is already married and has a family. “Zisheng’s good deeds are at a critical moment. Don’t make things worse.”

The prince couldn’t believe it: “Is it a good thing to be beaten by a woman?!”

The fourth prince said leisurely: “Don’t blame me for not reminding you, my mother has already said that, brother, you are not allowed to interfere in other people’s marriages before you marry a wife and have a concubine. If you don’t obey, my mother will… I don’t know what my mother will do. Brother, you can think about it yourself.”

The prince was angry.

All in all, in short, unlike the last time when Fucheng made a big fuss at the palace gate, which was widely known to everyone, although the plot this time was more intense and serious, the gossip and gossip was limited to a few families at the top of the capital.

Realizing that things were not going bad, Shao Shang couldn’t help but secretly be grateful to the second princess, um, and Huo Buyi.

However, since several families knew about it, it was inevitable for the Yuan family – speaking of it, it was the fourth princess who secretly told Lord Qu Ling, and then Liangzhou Mu informed the Yuan family.

Liang Wuji was a kind man and had been favored by Huo and Cheng back then, so he had no intention of blaming them. He just gently asked his brother-in-law Yuan Pei if he should reconsider Yuan Shen’s marriage.

It wasn’t that he disliked the Cheng daughter’s unclear past affairs. The fourth princess made it clear that it was Huo Buyi who knelt on the ground and begged for her. It wasn’t even that he was afraid of Huo Buyi’s high position, but… as someone who had experienced it, Liang Wuji felt that it was better not to force the important matter of marriage.

So, Prince Yuan went to court one day and walked leisurely to Yong’an Palace.After finding Shaoshang, the two sat on the empty steps facing the sunset and talked.

Shaoshang couldn’t help complaining: “I have sent people to find you so many times, but why don’t you come? I have something to tell you.”

“I was afraid that you would break off the engagement when we met, so I planned to hide for two days.” Yuan Shen did not look at the girl, but picked up the pebbles on the steps one by one.

“Then why are you here again today?”

“Because I found out that Huo Buyi didn’t have any scruples about whether to withdraw from the engagement or not.”

Shaoshang understood that Yuan Shen already knew. He lowered his shoulders and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I’ve embarrassed you; someone is laughing at you.”

Yuan Shen opened his palms, counted more than ten gray stones, and said calmly: “I am not afraid of others laughing at me. Back then, I declined His Majesty’s call to join the Secretariat because no one knew about it. Those Confucian scholars thought I was not valued by Your Majesty – I was even more laughed at at that time.”

Shao Shang sighed helplessly: “What am I talking about? I have already said that Huo Buji is difficult to provoke, so it would be better to break off the engagement as soon as possible.”

Yuan Shen squeezed the stone tightly and suddenly turned around: “What on earth did Huo Buyi say to you! He also said that he will love you very much in the future, and the two of them will support each other and prosper the family! He also said that he will hand over all the family wealth to you, so that you will be prosperous, and no one will dare to bully you and neglect you! He also said…”

“He didn’t say anything.” Shao Shang interrupted, “He never told me these things…” Looking at Yuan Shen’s slightly anxious eyes, she couldn’t continue, “He always only said the word ‘affection’.”

Yuan Shen let go of his palms, and the hard stones made red marks on his soft and white palms.

Shaoshang looked at the clouds on the horizon, his cheeks flushed red, and he said softly: “He doesn’t need to say anything, because I know that he will do what you said.”

“…That’s it.” Yuan Shen was disappointed.

“Shan Jian, I won’t hide it from you. I’m a little scared when I see Huo Buyi now.” Shao Shang said, “He is different from you and me. He is the kind of person who will draw his bow under the scorching sun, even if his body and reputation are destroyed; he will chase the sun with no hope, even if he dies with all his strength; he will move stones day after day…”

“Houyi shot at the sun, Kuafu chased it, and Foolish Old Man moved mountains; you can put it more simply, I have read books.” Yuan Shen couldn’t help but mockingly said.

Shaoshang continued: “People say that Huo Buyi is young and mature, and his city is extremely deep. But sometimes, he is more pure and simple than all of us.” – His love and hate are both strong and eternal.

Yuan Shen nodded: “Yes. Your Majesty loves him so much.”, and it’s not all because of the heroes of the Huo family, or the sworn relationship with General Huo Chong, but… I once heard the Marquis of Zhongyue say after drinking that every time His Majesty looked at Huo Buyi, the look on his face was like going back to his youth..At that time, the sky was high and the water was clear, the years were peaceful, and the good men of the two counties were either studying leisurely or busy farming, drinking and laughing in their spare time; at that time, the young people were passionate, the world was pure, and everyone was simple and lively.”

Shao Shang sighed softly: “Yes. Decades have passed. In the past, they killed snakes and dogs, and later they became kings and marquises. The bright young men who protected His Majesty from escaping from the pursuing soldiers are no longer what they were in the past. Everyone has power, land, private soldiers who strictly obey orders, and a hometown that responds to every call. Only Huo Buyi…”

Yuan Shen smiled and said, “I know what you mean. If Huo Buyu lets go of all his current power and takes you back to the Huo family’s hometown in Feng County to have children and live a peaceful life, I believe he is willing – your majesty also knows this, and the prince will know it in the future.”

“But you don’t want to.”

“Are you willing?” Yuan Shen asked.

Shaoshang smiled.

Yuan Shen looked at the girl with a decisive expression and said solemnly: “I said that in the future I will be ranked among the three nobles, and my descendants will also be ranked among the three nobles. The powerful ministers will be doubled, and the Yuan family will be prosperous. I hope that when I am a minister, you can be by my side.”

He looked at the girl seriously, “Huo Buyi and I are different people, but my thoughts towards you are equally precious.”

Shaoshang lowered his head and looked at his clean and round nails.

Yuan Shen said: “I have never made my feelings clear to you. Instead, I talk about worldly things. That’s because, because…”

“I know.” Shaoshang said softly, “That’s because you don’t know how to say it. What’s more terrible is that you don’t even know what you really mean.”

She raised her head and smiled, “How could I not understand you? When I say the previous sentence, you can pick up the next sentence. You and I are the same people, stupid and cowardly. We know everything and are smart about everything, but we just don’t understand ourselves.”

Yuan Shen’s eyes were soft, as if he were looking at the little girl looking up at the lanterns under the night cover, her eyes were clear and confused.

“But let’s break off the engagement first.” Shao Shang laughed, “Next time I want to get married, I won’t be engaged and just get married.”

Yuan Shen said nothing and only stared at her.

Shaoshang patted his clothes and stood up in the golden red light: “I won’t be so utilitarian and impatient this time. I want to figure something out first – what kind of life do I want to live in the future.”

“A Shen, I’m sorry, but I can only do this. I must do this too.”

——Let everything go back to the starting point and think about who you are.