HMAM CH 59 Wuhuan Princess
The emperor's marriage rituals are based on the customs of soliciting gifts, asking for names, receiving auspicious signs, accepting tributes, announcing the date, and issuing letters of invitation. The elaborate ceremony and grand scale of it need not be reiterated here. However, the previous emperor valued thriftiness and made efforts to simplify these matters. Therefore, Jing Ye ordered the Ministry of the Interior to act according to these principles, but nonetheless, the preparations for the wedding would still take several months.
However, this was not something Jing Ye needed to consider, as the war between the Xijiang tribe and the Wuhuan people had reached a critical stage. Even more troublesome was that the Dayue tribe, which had previously been in conflict with the Wuhuan, had unexpectedly allied with the Xijiang.
One must say the leader of the Dayue tribe was a rare figure; generally, in a situation with one strong and two weak factions, the weaker ones must team up to deal with the strong one. Otherwise, once one of them is defeated, the other will soon meet the same fate.
But they did just that, ignoring the Wuhuan King's proposal to unite against the enemy and ran wagging their tails straight to the Xijiang without looking back.
Now, the Wuhuan King could only place all his hopes on the emperor. He had already sent emissaries to the capital seeking assistance, and unlike last time, this time the emissary was accompanied by the Wuhuan King’s younger sister.
This Wuhuan princess was quite renowned for her beauty, and it was rumored that it was her charm that instigated the war between the Wuhuan and the Dayue.
The Wuhuan emissaries were welcomed with a banquet held in the Guangling Hall, where music played and dancers performed the famous Zhezhi dance from the Shi Kingdom in the western regions. The dancers, adorned with exquisite attire, gracefully moved to the pleasing sounds of the music.
Jing Ye absentmindedly fiddled with the intricately crafted wine cup in his hand, glancing at the Wuhuan emissary seated below. It was apparent that during or after the banquet, the emissary would propose something to him.
What would he propose? A request for horses? Grain? Troops? His appetite would surely be larger this time, especially since they had brought along that so-called “Bright Moon over the Mountain.”
Jing Ye shifted his gaze to the Wuhuan princess beside the emissary. She was veiled, revealing a pair of eyes shimmering in the candlelight with a hint of mystery, her features more pronounced than those of Han women, and her skin fairer than snow, reminding Jing Ye of the sweet steamed pastry made by Lu Baizang.
As Jing Ye was about to take another sip of wine, a slender hand blocked him. Lin Xiaosheng looked at him and said, “Your Majesty, have you forgotten this subject's advice to limit yourself to just three cups?”
“Is this the third cup already?” Jing Ye looked at the cup and said, “...This drink is sweet; zhen figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more sips.”
Lin Xiaosheng directly took the cup from his hand, drank it all in one go, and stated, “Drinking too much is of no benefit; Your Majesty should not indulge at the expense of your health.”
Jing Ye reluctantly withdrew his hand, and feeling hungry after watching the performers for a while, he picked at the dishes on the table.
Lin Xiaosheng observed him, noting that due to Jing Ye’s health, there were many foods he was forbidden from eating, and even those he could eat had some restrictions on quantities. Over time, even if Lu Baizang could conjure up marvelous dishes, Jing Ye still felt little appetite.
The banquet was lively, and since he had eaten a few more bites, even if some dishes were not meant to be consumed in excess, Lin Xiaosheng chose not to interrupt.
Jing Ye glanced at the dancing girls below, unable to help but sigh, “The waist strength is truly impressive.”
Lin Xiaosheng glanced over and remarked, “Too thick.”
Jing Ye carefully examined and questioned, “Not thick at all.”
Lin Xiaosheng said nothing further and began to arrange the dishes for him.
As the music came to a close, the dancer bowed, and Jing Ye ordered a reward for her. The Wuhuan emissary stood up and clasped his fists, saying, “Your Majesty's dancer is graceful. Although our women are skilled in dance, many cannot compare to her.”
Jing Ye responded, “Then there are still those with even higher skills?”
The Wuhuan emissary laughed, “This dance originates from the western regions, so naturally, we from the borders are more proficient. Our Princess Tian Shan can dance the most beautiful dance in the world.”
Jing Ye turned to the quiet “Bright Moon over the Mountain” sitting there and smiled, “Oh, is that true? If so, zhen would command the musicians to play again, and let the princess perform a dance on the spot, allowing zhen to witness it.”
The Wuhuan emissary looked over at the princess, who nodded, prompting him to clasp his fists and say, “It would be the princess’s honor to dance for Your Majesty.”
The princess stood up, and Jing Ye noticed that although her skin was fairer than snow, her figure was quite tall. He contemplated briefly and thought: Am I really going to take a consort taller than myself?
The palace attendants brought forth her dance attire, but the princess declined. She wore a deep blue dress, her long, dark hair was tied up and held by a crown on top of her head, and she stood gracefully in the center of the hall, her face veiled. For a moment, she resembled that of a young, androgynous Han youth.
Jing Ye: “…” Although he was not averse to men, he wasn’t particularly interested in a woman taller than himself.
The drum struck three times, and the princess twirled her sleeves, beginning the same opening movement as the previous dancer, but the former's was soft and alluring, while the latter's was vigorous and brisk.
The elegant sleeves flew, and the dance blended with the music.
The white jade bells emitted a crisp sound.
As the red candles lit up with peach leaves, the purple garments danced in harmony with the sweeping movements.
Jing Ye finally understood why this princess was referred to as the "Bright Moon over the Mountain." While the previous dancer showcased her beauty, this one illustrated a breathtaking landscape.
One could almost visualize the tribespeople of the boundless grasslands, conquering everything with their strength, worshiping power, blood, and life. They possessed dark yet vibrant skin and wielded glimmering curved sabers.
As she danced, her movements were fast and intricate, reminiscent of a lone dancer under the moonlight on vast snowy mountains.
One glance and the performance would forever remain, as clouds drifted and the rain sent movement toward the dais.
The flowing hem of her attire fell gracefully, and just as Jing Ye regained his senses after the dance concluded, she stood quietly with her head bowed.
Jing Ye looked toward the Wuhuan emissary, who smiled and pressed his right fist against his left shoulder, bowing his head to Jing Ye and asking, “Is Your Majesty satisfied?”
Jing Ye smiled and replied, “The princess dazzled us with her performance; zhen's dancers are far inferior.”
After the banquet dispersed, Jing Ye entered the imperial study to negotiate with the Wuhuan emissary.
He had anticipated this day since the Xijiang invaded Wuhuan; regardless of which tribe the Xijiang targeted, once they subdued the territories beyond the borders, they would inevitably attack the inner territories. By that time, it would be too late to respond.
Thus, regardless of who was battling whom, Jing Ye aimed to provide the weaker side with appropriate support, to counterbalance one another, and thereby achieve lasting peace.
The negotiations centered around the extent of this assistance, which would depend on what the Wuhuan King was willing to offer.
An hour later, the Wuhuan emissary stood and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, it is late, so please allow this humble subject to return and contemplate this matter. This humble subject will provide Your Majesty with an answer tomorrow.”
Jing Ye took a sip of his tea and called out, “Ye Mao!”
Ye Mao entered, turned around the partition, and stood behind the emissary.
Jing Ye said, “See the emissary out properly.”
The Wuhuan emissary bowed again, stating, “To repay Your Majesty’s kindness, our King wishes to offer his sister to you, hoping you will accept this sincerity.”
Jing Ye understood this was a transaction and nodded, “Please inform your king that zhen will treat his sister with kindness. Zhen will also select a virtuous young lady from my imperial family to be named a princess and to marry your king.”
The Wuhuan emissary hastily bowed, “Thanking Your Majesty.”
Ye Mao escorted him out, where a palace official responsible for receiving him led him outside the palace.
As the Wuhuan emissary followed the receiving official out of the imperial study, he noticed a man carrying a palace lantern, followed by a young servant, slowly walking toward the study.
He recognized this man; he was the one who had sat beside the emperor at the banquet.
The Wuhuan emissary asked the receiving official, “Who is he? How can he be at the monarch's side at all times?”
The receiving official smiled and replied, “Emissary, you traveled a great distance to the capital and still do not know of the young gentlemen at His Majesty's side?”
The Wuhuan emissary was completely confused; the last time he had visited the capital was ten years ago when the previous emperor was on the throne. This time, due to the rush he had no time to inquire about these matters.
Seeing that he truly did not understand, the receiving official lowered his voice and said, “Our emperor prefers handsome young men.”
“My lady.”
Lin Min came back to her senses, the ink droplet from her brush landing on the paper and spreading into a dark spot.
“My lady, it’s late; you should rest.”
Lin Min shook her head and asked, “What about Guangling Hall…?”
The maid replied, “The banquet has concluded. I heard that the Wuhuan princess performed a dance, and after the feast, she was taken to the Fengyang Palace to rest.”
Lin Min lowered her head and smiled slightly, getting up to pick up the ink-stained painting paper, holding it over the candlelight.
The maid quickly warned, “My lady, be careful of your hands!”
Lin Min let the paper fall to the ground, watching it burn to ashes, and then smiled, “I’m fine.”
Lin Xiaosheng pushed open the door to the study, walked past the partition, and turned into the inner chamber. Jing Ye was leaning back in his chair, resting his forehead on his hand, half asleep.
Lin Xiaosheng approached, bent down to stroke Jing Ye's nose and lips, and reached around to his waist, intending to lift him.
Jing Ye opened his eyes; he had woken up when Lin Xiaosheng touched him and yawned, “Zhen wants to sleep for a bit.”
Lin Xiaosheng replied, “Let’s go sleep in your chamber.”
Jing Ye sighed, standing up with Lin Xiaosheng’s assistance. Lin Xiaosheng’s hand lingered around his waist, carrying a reluctant feeling to part.