Chapter 26: When Will the Bright Moon Appear (4)

  Xilin, dreadful Xilin, I've done my best to navigate through Xilin, but all the terrifying memories are floating before my eyes. The first time I was here, I was chased by a white-masked figure, and Yuan Wu and Huai were buried here. Will their ghosts come to chat with me?

  I shivered with fear, always feeling that someone was following me from behind, so I kept turning my head to check, and several times I was swept by the branches in front of me.

  But the thought of seeing Yuan Fei Jiao was so strong, I felt like a traveler in the desert who was starving for thousands of miles, and the shadows of the green state all turned into Yuan Fei Jiao's smile.

  Finally out of the dense and dark forest, I let out a long sigh of relief, just as I was about to take another step with joy, it seemed like there was a faint sound behind me. I turned my head back again, under the moonlight, only the gloomy trees swayed in the autumn wind, making a huge whooshing sound, like the breathing of an evil spirit. My whole body trembled, and I retreated several steps further away from the forest, then turned around and ran frantically towards the north.

  I'm scared in my heart, but I keep singing the pest song with my mouth, driving away fear: "We are pests, we are pests, justice will come to punish us, justice will come to punish us, we must kill the pests, kill them..."

  I was singing and felt that the song had a dead word in it, which wasn't good either. As I thought wildly, a brightly lit garden appeared before my eyes, and my tense nerves finally relaxed - we arrived at Yubei Studio.

  This is my first time sneaking into Yu Bei Zhai, as I approach the front, I keep hearing lively and cheerful music coming from inside, occasionally accompanied by men's laughter and conversation. I pause for a moment, judging from the atmosphere, Ke Yan must have returned from Zi Yuan, but it's so late at night, why is Yu Bei Zhai so lively? Could it be that he has guests visiting? I'll sneak in through the "back door" to take a look first.

  I made my way to the northwest gate, where a meter above the base of the wall was a protruding bluestone slab. Using this small stone slab as a stepping stone, I lightly jumped onto the wall. On the inner side of the wall, there happened to be a large elm tree, and I climbed up it, slowly ascending higher. At that moment, a soft voice drifted over: "Fei Ge brother, why did you stay in the Western Regions for so long this time? My king brother and I were anxious to see you, and we forced our father king to delay his journey again and again, just thinking that we could meet you in Xi'an. Is the Holy Emperor's body well?"

  That voice can be said to be the softest I've ever heard, so gentle and tender, filled with concern, even my childish heart was moved.

  Only Yu Fei's voice came: "Thanks for your concern, Princess Shu Yi. Her Majesty the Empress is doing well."

  The sound of the guqin is so clear and crisp, how can it be so enchanting? My heart skips a beat with joy, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread from the bottom of my heart to every corner of my body. A smile involuntarily appears on my lips. I parted some branches to get a clearer view, but it's really too far away, and there are unfamiliar guards all around, probably brought by this Lady Shuyi.

  Since I've risked my life to come to Yubei Zhai under the bright moon, and climbed over the wall of the one I love, not taking a peek would be unworthy of my reputation as a demon. Hmm!

  I pulled out the crystal telescope that I had made for Ruyuan and Weihuo, originally intended for Yuan Fei, but also useful for Cai Yu to scout out enemy positions, and of course, it would come in handy when assassinating Liu Yansheng. After all, I deeply felt the driving force of human progress, yet I never thought that one day I could use it to spy on Yuan Fei...

  At that time, I was discovered by the original non-white, he first fiddled with it excitedly for half a day, after a while he came back to his senses, seemingly figuring out my true intention, coldly staring at me for half a day, making me feel eerie... Then, all my fun things were confiscated by him.

  But as they say, "the top has policies, and the bottom has countermeasures", luckily I had a trick up my sleeve, haha!

  Huh? Yuan Fei's classmate has changed a lot this time! Not only is he more elegant and refined than before, but his attire and demeanor are also different from before. He was seen wearing a moon-white brocade robe, with a silver-soft smoke-colored gauze shirt draped over it, lounging on a large red woven velvet Persian carpet with intricate patterns, looking languid, with one hand supporting his head and the other holding an exquisitely carved gold-rimmed jade cup. Both hands were adorned with rings set with five precious stones that sparkled in the firelight. Whatever way you looked at him, he seemed a bit like... a bit like a slenderized version of Bayi Old Master from Avanti.

  And beside him stood a slender, delicate beauty with a palace-style hairdo adorned with the most popular and intricate cloud-shaped bun in the capital. She wore a bright red sleeveless dragon-embroidered robe, a yellow silk skirt with a woven edge, jade belt, phoenix-patterned shoes, and emerald beads. As she sat on the carpet, her three-inch golden lotus feet were casually curled up, revealing two round, shiny pearls at the tip of her shoes, which trembled slightly as they shook, dazzling to behold.

  To the right, a young man with a flushed face sat, wearing a sky-blue satin jacket with golden longevity patterns, a large red golden python knot long robe, jade belt cloud boots, and a slightly tilted brocade hat. His eyes were dazed as he stared at the four Persian dancing girls spinning and flying in the middle of the scene. He was hiccuping while shouting "good", his jade cup slightly tilted, with the fine wine overflowing, mixing with the powder scent on the dancers' bodies, hitting my sensitive nose. Along with the crisp laughter of the dancing girls, a warm and intoxicating atmosphere flowed through the air, that stunning beauty wandered in every corner of Yubei Zhai.

  My heart tightened, how dare this weak-sighted Rong Yun find a third party behind my back????

  My good mood was slowly falling into the Mariana Trench, I continued to grit my teeth and watch as the young man, who was drunk seven or eight parts, hugged the copper pot inlaid with crystal in front of him, chuckling: "Fei Ge, you are really lucky, surrounded by beauties, this little girl is even more beautiful than Xi Shi." As he spoke, he grabbed Bi Ying, who was pouring wine for him, and Bi Ying let out a frightened cry, unable to struggle free: "Fei Ge, give this little girl to me, I'll exchange ten from my royal palace with you, how about that?"

  Fei Ge, who had been smiling lightly all along, didn't change his smile, but a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes. He laughed and said: "Xuan Yuan Ben Xiang, this is the only rough maid in my Jade North Studio. How can she compare to the beauties in your palace? Why don't I give you these four dancing girls that the empress dowager gave me?" Before Xuan Yuan Ben Xiang could respond, Fei Ge had already signaled to the four dancing girls with his eyes. The four of them immediately burst out laughing and surrounded Xuan Yuan Ben Xiang, their snowy white bodies rubbing against him as they dragged him into the dance. Only then was Bi Ying able to escape, still in a state of shock.

  After finishing the dance, Xuan Yuan Ben Xiang stumbled back, laughing, but seemed more sober. After drinking a mouthful of wine from the hands of the Persian, he looked around dazedly and asked Fei Ge: "Huh? Where is she? I remember her name was Biying, right? She's truly as beautiful as her name suggests. How could you make someone like that do rough work as a maid? It's really a waste! Why don't you give her to me instead? I'll give you five more skilled palace maids who are good at music in exchange... Ah..."

  "Brother Wang, you're drunk... aren't you afraid of Sister Wang? And have you forgotten what Father told you? You've done nothing about the important matter, but instead you've taken a liking to the maid of the Fourth Young Master of the Yuan family." Xuan Yuan Shu Yi pinched Xuan Yuan Ben Xiang's ear, and he let out a pained cry. He sobered up quite a bit, looked stunned for a moment, and then glared at Xuan Yuan Shu Yi with displeasure, but didn't mention Bi Ying again. Fei Ge Lang laughed out loud, and only then did I remember that Yuan Bai had told me that the youngest son of the Jing Xia King, Xuan Yuan Ben Xiang, was notorious for being both good and henpecked, and was one of the most famous spoiled sons in the capital.

  I thought to myself, this young King of Jingxia has always been on good terms with Fei Bai, why did he come to Fei Jue's mansion today? And yet Fei Bai said that he was going to entertain the King of Jingxia and the young prince, but told me that Xuan Yuan Shuyi, a famous socialite in the capital, had also arrived. Looking at how close Fei Jue and Xuan Yuan Shuyi were chatting, they must be old acquaintances! But even he never told me that he was very familiar with Xuan Yuan's brother.

  It's true that all men have a habit of lying, I just thought of it now. Since the banquet is over, Fei Bai has probably returned to Xi Feng Yuan and may have already discovered my disappearance, so he must be looking for me everywhere.

  Fei Ge was hesitating whether to go back or not, when Xiao Wang Ye cleared his throat: "Fei Ge, my father is about to formally propose to the original Hou Ye, don't worry, my family's Shu Huan is more gentle and beautiful than Shu Yi. Don't look at Shu Yi, in your heart, the future Turkic empress will be like her, a spoiled and arrogant girl."

  It was as if someone had suddenly poured a large bucket of water over my head, and the water was icy cold, like it had instantly frozen into a sharp icicle that pierced my heart, causing me to shiver uncontrollably.

  Fei Ge smiled lightly: "Shu Huan is the first of the imperial family, how can Fei Ge be a match?"

  Xuanyuan Shuyi smiled with pursed lips: "Fei Ge, it's been six years since you've seen Shuhuan, right? Do you still remember how when you were little, you always got us mixed up?"

  Fei Ge took a sip of wine, calm and unruffled: "It's not that I'm always wrong, it's just you two who love to tease me. I remember how you two would often go to San Cang... to find Third Brother to play."

  Xuanyuan Shuyi's face stiffened, and she awkwardly laughed a few times: "Feijue brother really loves to hold grudges. We just pitied Feibai brother because his legs aren't convenient, afraid that no one would look for him to play."

  Xuanyuan Benxu smiled and personally poured a cup of wine for Fei Ju: "Fei Ju, you're still young and naive, don't bother arguing with them, are you dissatisfied with Shuhuan's appearance not being worthy of being the Turkic Khan's queen?"

  Fei Ge smiled lightly: "I, Fei Ge, have been dull since childhood, how dare I despise the imperial clan and noble families? Moreover, it's Shu Huan with such a heavenly appearance. However, Third Brother has already passed the suitable age for marriage, and Eldest Brother is not yet married. How could I, Fei Ge, dare to overstep my bounds? His legs are inconvenient, and he needs someone to take care of him. Shu Huan has liked him since childhood, so why not let Shu Huan marry him first? As for me, just wait a few more years and let Mother decide." While speaking, he chuckled and poured wine for Xuan Yuan brother, whose eyes flashed with a hint of panic, exchanging glances with his brothers, somewhat at a loss.

  Fei Ge's four taels of silver were enough to make Yuan Fei push the gentle and elegant county master, Huan Gongzhu, into his arms. I couldn't help but cover my mouth with my hand on the tree, trying to stifle the joyful laughter that was about to escape. This weak-sighted person is now surprisingly eloquent.

  Xuanyuan Benxie chuckled a few times: "Could it be for that person named Biying?"

  A strange glint suddenly appeared in Fei's eyes, and he let out a very perplexing sigh, just as he was about to speak.

  Xuanyuan Benxiu casually swung his sleeve, which was stained with wine: "Fei Ke, such a person, should be pampered and spoiled, as an older brother, I truly understand. Indeed, her waist is slender and delicate, not filling one's grasp, holding her in one's arms would surely make one infatuated..."

  Xuanyuan Benxu's eyes were filled with a deep longing, and after Xuanyuan Shuyi coughed a few times, she came back to her senses and said seriously: "However, who is light and who is heavy in the world of Jiangshan? You must have an idea in your heart, Nihuang! *Monyiahe Khan's usurpation of the throne and murder of his father and king, for the sake of monopolizing power, he even hung the heads of the crown prince and khan on the city wall, and forced your mother, the queen, to be sold as a palace dancer in Persia. It was only because of the desperate protection of Guoren and Yuangong that she escaped from Persia and returned to Western Turks to ascend to the throne." I listened with bated breath, and when I looked around, Nihuang's eyes were also clenched in anger, her voice trembling with rage as she shouted: "Monyiahe, I will surely avenge my mother's humiliation and drink your blood!"

  Xuanyuan Benxu sighed heavily, then rubbed Nihuang's face and continued: "Nowadays, the cruel and warlike Western Turks often bully your mother, Empress Dowager, and repeatedly harass the borders of our Great Eastern Court. The Emperor and Empress Dowager have always loved Shuhuan dearly, you also know that there will be a true princess at the Dongting Pavilion meeting. Now, for your sake, they are willing to make an exception, as long as you nod in agreement, they will confer the title of 'Daiyi Princess' on Shuhuan. When the time comes, you can take Shuhuan back to Western Turks and ascend to greatness together. Our two families will be closely related, and if we join forces with the Eastern Court, we can destroy the Mo Ni Ya He in one fell swoop, avenging your mother's shame, wouldn't that be a perfect outcome?"

  Fei Gong was lost in thought, my heart heavy. At this time, Guo Er Ren came forward, he was usually proud, but this time he personally poured a cup of wine for Xuan Yuan Ben Zhong with respect: "Your Highness's intention, the old minister thanks the young master on your behalf, but please rest assured, when the old minister returns to the imperial court, there will be good news within a month."

  Fei Ge Mi raised his head and shouted loudly: "Guo Er Ren, what nonsense are you talking about? The Empress Dowager is still unaware of this matter, how can you be so sure she will agree?"

  His loud shout startled everyone, and the surroundings suddenly fell eerily silent. The dancers stopped spinning and stood still in the middle of the stage, looking at Yuan Fei with fear. Even the Western musicians forgot to play their instruments. Then, everyone knelt down on the ground, shouting "Young Master, please calm your anger!" three times.

  Guo Erren also knelt on one knee, but his eyes were fearless, staring at Fei Ge: "Young Master, is the old slave really talking nonsense? Even the elegant and refined Prince Wang and Princess Shu know about the shame of Ha'er and Lin. As the heir to the Western Turks, how could you, Young Master, forget the humiliation your mother suffered?"

  He gradually became more intense in his tone, and by the end, it was almost as if he was spitting out words from between his teeth. Non-Ke's forehead bulged with blue veins, but when he spoke again, he was just quietly pouring wine on one side. Xuan Yuan Ben Zu was a bit frightened, while Xuan Yuan Shu Yi looked at Non-Ke and smiled lightly at the corner of her mouth.

  Amir jumped up and shouted: "Hurry up with the music! What are you standing there for? Dance!"

  The lively music starts again, the laughter of the dancing girls comes, their waists twist even more enchantingly, those crisp and urgent waist bells piercing through the air with the wild rhythm, as if they want to shatter my dreams.