When Zhao Zhiyuan rode his horse to the maple forest on the outskirts of the city, it was nearly evening.
He recognized Meng Anzhi in the crowd at a glance. She was wearing a red padded jacket with a rabbit fur collar around her neck, which made her fair and bright face stand out. Zhao Zhiyuan tied his horse to her white horse, straightened his clothes, carefully examined her, and then walked forward with a smile.
" Anzhi."
Meng Anzhi turned and smiled, Zhao Zhiyuan's heart immediately raced. His ears turned red as he asked, "Have you been waiting long?"
"I just arrived too." Meng Anzhi noticed that he was dressed differently than usual, clearly having dressed up deliberately, and her smile deepened.
The two walked along the main road, where most of the maple leaves had turned red, rustling in the wind. Zhao Zhiyuan now and then, finally unable to resist asking, "Have you looked at the birth date and time I gave you?"
Meng Anzhi responded softly, "I've seen it. My aunt said your birth chart is extremely auspicious; you'll have a life free from want and are destined to be an official."
That's not what Zhao Zhiyuan wanted to hear. After a moment of silence, he asked again, "Then... what about my portrait? Did you see it too?"
Meng Anzhi stopped and turned to look at him.
Zhao Zhiyuan's ears burned from her gaze. Just as he was about to look away, he heard her whisper, "It's beautifully drawn."
"Just because it looks good?"
"It's very beautiful."
Zhao Zhiyuan's apple bobbed, and he went over what he was about to say again, "Then... have you thought about... the person in the portrait?"
His gaze was so intense that it burned Meng Anzhi, who couldn't help but say, "I've thought about it. Otherwise, why do you think I asked you out?"
Zhao Zhiyuan stood there, stunned, his heart pounding like a drum.
By the time he came to his senses, Meng Anzhi had already walked several steps ahead. He quickly caught up, unable to suppress a smile, but still trying to appear calm, he asked, "When do you think would be a good day for me to propose?"
Meng Anzhi smiled and said, "Although we grew up together, we haven't had much time to spend alone together. I want to spend more time with you..."
Zhao Zhiyuan's rational mind told him that something was wrong, but he had liked Meng Anzhi since he was a child, and now that he finally had a chance to stand in front of her, he naturally couldn't bear to let go.
He comforted himself: Anzhi just wants to know more about him. Aren't all girls like this before marriage? So he readily agreed.
Anzhi Hall.
Jin Shanyao was learning to sew with Qing He. "Is this where you cut the scissors?"
"Yes..." Qing He had just finished speaking when Jin Shanyao and made a cut all the way down.
Qing He thought to herself, "It's over... the whole piece of fabric is ruined again. This is the fourth one already." "Master, perhaps I should do it..."
Jin Shanyao set the torn cloth aside and tore off another piece, saying, "No need... I don't believe it can be that difficult to make a garment."
Qing He wondered why her mistress suddenly wanted to make clothes; the piles of scraps of fabric in the house were almost as big as a fabric store's. "Mistress... have you finished braiding the five-colored rope?"
With Jin Shanyao, he drew lines on the cloth and casually remarked, "Almost there. Fifteen more strips and we'll have a hundred."
Qing He had intended to distract her, but she was stunned by these words. "A hundred? Master, are you planning to set up a stall?"
Jin Shanyao chuckled, "Why set up a stall? Weave more, enough for Anzhi and Anci to wear one every year for many years."
Qing He opened her mouth, wanting to say, "You don't need to make up so much," but she swallowed the words back. She looked at Jin Shanyao lines with her head down, and suddenly felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Jin Shanyao, oblivious to her gaze, picked up the scissors and snipped them.
By the time Qing He came to her senses, it was too late to even scream... her mind was filled with the thought that she was ruined again.
The two men ruined countless pieces of fabric before finally managing to cut the garment into shape before nightfall.
Qing He patiently taught Jin Shanyao sew, explaining each step in detail. Jin Shanyao learned with great focus.
Just as Jin Shanyao her sleeves, unsure of where to begin, she saw Qing He leaning against the wall, nodding off.
She gently nudged Qing He's shoulder, and Qing He suddenly woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and asked in a daze, "Master, where can't you sew?"
With a smile, Jin Shanyao said gently, "It's getting late, you should go back to your room and rest."
Qing He yawned, looked up at the outside, and saw that it was already late.
She stood up and began to tidy up the scraps of cloth scattered on the kang (a heated brick bed), but Jin Shanyao stopped her, saying, "I'll take care of these. You should go and rest."
Qing He responded blankly, not thinking much of it, and turned back to her room in a daze.
Jin Shanyao was the only one left in the room. She lit the oil lamp, put the unfinished sleeve aside, picked up another piece of men's clothing fabric, and continued sewing.
"Ouch..." Her finger jerked suddenly, and a bead of blood oozed from between her fingers. Jin Shanyao her hand, looked up, and saw Taishang Laojun sitting opposite her, which startled her.
"When will you ascend to heaven?" Taishang Laojun asked bluntly.
Jin Shanyao said helplessly, "Aren't you going to say it? Anci ascended to immortality at a young age."
"No. He's already capable of surviving independently. You've finished repaying your debt of gratitude; if you don't return to Heavenly Court soon, you'll be discovered."
Jin Shanyao her tongue. "I say, you old man, you're the one who told me to come down, and you're the one who told me to come up. How can you raise a child halfway and then leave? What's the difference between that and abandonment?"
Taishang Laojun choked, staring at him for a long time before finally saying, " Meng Anci reported his superiors, eliminated dissidents, forced the county magistrate to open the floodgates with a knife, impeached a fourth-rank prefect, he almost brought down Chancellor Cai, and you're telling me he's still a child??"
"How could a child fight his way from the Hanlin Academy to the Censorate?"
Jin Shanyao was speechless after being rebuked, unable to find any words to refute him.
Taishang Laojun, "You've been dragging this out for far too long. Logically, you should have ascended to heaven after the salvation of the border soldiers. If you hadn't hidden your Merit and delayed your return, would I have been able to descend?"
Jin Shanyao thought she had reacted quickly enough, but she hadn't expected the old man to know everything. She was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll leave after the New Year."
Taking into account her ties with her two children, Taishang Laojun softened his stance slightly, saying, "Once Meng Anci's fifteenth birthday has passed, you shall ascend to heaven."
Jin Shanyao head anxiously, "I say, old man, you're going too far! Meng Anci's birthday and the New Year are only a few days apart, is that not allowed?"
"People have already built temples and burned incense for you. This matter can't be suppressed. I can only stall for half a day at most; any longer and people will find out."
Jin Shanyao felt reluctant, but knew she couldn't argue. "Alright, I'll ascend to immortality as soon as Meng Anci's birthday is over..."
After saying that, seeing that Taishang Laojun hadn't moved, she frowned and asked, "Why aren't you leaving?"
"I have to keep an eye on you, lest you go back on your word."
Jin Shanyao the needle and thread aside, "Didn't you want to send heaven to buy me time? With you here watching me, how can you delay?"
"Once I spot her, I'll be up there in a flash." Taishang Laojun remained unconcerned, his eyes still fixed on her.
Jin Shanyao chuckled, "Alright, alright... If you keep staring at me like that, I might not be able to go back for a while."
Seeing the anger in her eyes, Taishang Laojun knew he had offended her. He stroked his beard and coughed lightly twice. "Fine, I'll come pick you up on Meng Anci's birthday."
Before the Jin Shanyao even open its mouth, the person vanished.
No one knew that Jin Shanyao leaving, and life continued peacefully.
That day, as Meng Anci court, he saw Zhao Zhiyuan walking quickly past him, and he grabbed the other man's arm.
Why are you in such a hurry?
Zhao Zhiyuan beamed, " Anzhi is waiting for me to have dinner; I'm afraid she'll go hungry if I'm late."
Meng Anci was at a loss for words. If you called this man a fool, he was relentlessly attacking Chancellor Cai in court, his words as sharp as knives.
He's supposed to be smart, but he was so clueless that he ate dinner with his sister for a whole month without realizing anything was wrong.
Meng Anci couldn't help but ask curiously, "Don't you get tired of eating together every night?"
Zhao Zhiyuan glanced at him indifferently, giving him a "you don't know anything" look. "A day apart feels like three autumns, you know what that means, right? Forget it, nobody likes you anyway, you wouldn't understand anyway. I need to go home and change my clothes, your sister said I look good in blue."
After saying this, he rode away.
Meng Anci stood there, stunned. "No... Zhao Zhiyuan, are you out of your mind? You say no one likes me...? Pah! What do you mean blue clothes look good? My sister just thinks official robes are too flashy, she can't make a move on me... You idiot!"
My aunt was right after all; the prey is closest to the trap when it's at its most triumphant.