The Rich and Powerful Chang An Chapter 59

Chapter 59   

Translator: Forgot to remind, in this novel the calendar is Lunar Calendar. So if I translated it to January or December and so on in the past chapters, please be aware that it was Lunar Calendar.

The inn's room was not as warm as Wang Residence and adding up to have been chilled by the wind beforehand, Xu ChangAn had felt that his body might be uncomfortable the next day, but he did not expect after he went to sleep he would woke up in good spirit and his body did not feel any discomfort.

He thought back to the time Xiao QingYan gave him the medicine, and told him that it was a good thing to nourish the body. Back then, because of the reaction it caused to his body, he did not take Xiao QingYan's words seriously. Now, although the medicine had that terrible reaction, it was really good for his body. He seemed to be really much better.

“Dazing in the morning?” When Xiao QingYan woke up early in the morning, he saw the person beside him was in a daze. Xiao QingYan reached out and lifted the quilt, and in passing he reminded the person that he had woken up and they should freshen up.

“It's nothing, just thinking about when we can arrive to Feng Province.” Xu ChangAn knew how far Feng Province was from the Capital City, but he did not know how many days it would take to get there. Moreover, they even went and stopped like this, therefore he did not when they would get there.

“What's the rush? Hadn't you waited so many years? Do you care about the extra ten days?" Xiao QingYan knew more or less about Xu ChangAn's family. He believed that Xu ChangAn's mother very much wanted to be forgiven by her family, especially after so many years of cold treatment by Xu Yongnian, she would want to go back. Xu ChangAn had a very deep affection for his mother, thus he could somewhat know his mother's wishes. It was normal for him to be anxious to return to his maternal grandfather's home.

Xiao QingYan himself did not know why Imperial Father suddenly let him leave the Capital, who at first did not intend to let him to set out a journey so soon. Who would have known that his Wangfei had a desire to go back to his grandfather's home, so he thought about pushing the boat along the river. He did not need Imperial Father to find any excuse to let him leave the Capital.

Xu ChangAn didn't know at all himself how hard it was to wait for that chance, so he was in such disordered by that. It was only because Xiao QingYan's words to him that touched his heart. Xiao QingYan knew all clearly the things regarding his family, no matter how disgraceful it was. And yet, Xiao QingYan had never looked down on him. Instead, Xiao QingYan knew what his thoughts were and took a consideration for him. Perhaps, he himself shouldn't think so much now.

He and Xiao QingYan were both men. It could be said that they were also considered to be mutually delaying. Xiao QingYan's time and feelings as a Prince was much more precious than his. Why should he worry about other things? Anyway, they had a long time, until the day they could not continue on, let's put off the discussion until later.

“Your Highness, I once had read a miscellaneous book, on which it said that Lincheng is a flower city. In the early spring, all kinds of flowers are blooming, and when the flowers are in full bloom, the whole city is as beautiful as if it is submerged in the sea of flowers. And because of the flowers here, all kinds of flower-based cakes are very famous. You should not be unfamiliar with Baihua Cake[1], right?" Baihua Cake was the most famous cake in Lincheng, but it was also a tribute to Imperial House. Xiao QingYan, as the prince, should not be unfamiliar with it.

Xu ChangAn had decided not to think about the messy things, he was intending to take this course of journey as going out for distant wanderings with Xiao QingYan; enjoying looking at the beautiful scenery and delicious food they chanced upon on the road. It was better to have a good memory than to recall the past; not in the least to have recalled a slice of sadness, would be good.

“Of course I know. So, do you want to eat the freshest Baihua Cake?”

“Want!”

“Let's go then.”

It was the end of the first month now, and even if there was still a bit of cold winter fading away, the shadow of early spring was even stronger. They had thought there would be many vendors selling fresh cakes in Lincheng Street, but they did not see a shadow of the flower cakes as rumored after a long time.

“Is it not yet the season of blooming?”

“Ah, it's not blooming season here. It's just this year that the weather is abnormal. If it had been in the past, the apricots, plums and cherries would have bloom.”

“Old man, you just said it's because the weather, the season hasn't arrived this year?” Xu ChangAn knew that there were leap years in some years. Such an annual weather would naturally have some impact. Could it be this year was a leap year?

“Ah yes, in the former years, the first spring rain came just after the New Year's Eve. But the first month of this year is coming to the end, and yet the Heavens had not made a bit of sound. This old man has lived for decades, it's only when I was in teens that I'd seen this kind of years harvest. This day ah, with one looks will know it's an early drought day. This year seems difficult to endure.” Xu ChangAn could not understand the words of the street vendor, nor could he imagine it. Since he was born, the Great Xiao had been in good weather every year. He had never seen the year that the old man just described. He could not imagine what situation they would face in Great Xiao if this year came into being, as this old man had said.

“Let's casually stroll around to buy things we need on the journey then set out.” As the prince, Xiao QingYan could understand more about what the old man said than Xu ChangAn. If it was true as the old man said, then he did not know how much more white hair would grow on Imperial Father's head.

Because of this one incident, Xiao QingYan paid special attention to the local weather in the following days, but several places they successively arrived were the same as Lincheng. Xiao QingYan's hanging heart could not be put down.

Like Xiao QingYan, today's memorials from all over the country also made the Emperor distressed. Although now everything was just a guess, if it did not rain on this day, the seeds could not fall into the ground, where would there be harvest in the future? How could these thousands of people settle down?

“Your Majesty, you‘ve been working too hard these days. Chen-qie has personally simmered ginseng… Yah, I don't know which meimei is so considerate that she already sent a ginseng soup to Your Majesty?" The Succeeding Empress was ready to put down the bowl of soup in her hand and give it to the Emperor, but who would have known when she looked up, she saw on the Emperor's table, there was a jade bowl with only a little residual soup inside.

The Succeeding Empress held the bowl of soup in her hand, not knowing whether to go in or out, she was very angry. These days she kept people to keep watch on Zhou Guifei, but here was no movement there. Who on earth dared to seduce the Emperor?!

“You've taken a lot of trouble, but I'm not weak enough to need a full day's improvement. Nowadays, the Heaven's face is hard to distinguish; no one knows when the rain will come down. To rectify, preparation to reduce all kinds of expenses need to be done, cut down all kinds of expenses within the Palace. This matter that need to be done, hand it over to you to deal with it. You can retreat first.”

“Yes, chen-qie understood.” Seeing that the Emperor's face did not look good, the Succeeding Empress then did not want to stay and cause trouble, in case she was not careful and provoked the Emperor, she would be the one being mistreated for nothing.

After stepping out of the door, she was not reconciled to it. Then the Succeeding Empress asked the eunuch at the door which Inner Palace's people were sending things to the Emperor. The little eunuch's reply made her relieved. It turned out to be that girl, QingYue, so that was good.

Xiao QingYue was strictly bored recently. It was not easy to reconcile with her Imperial Father and gained freedom of moving around, but she could not find a place to go. Her big brother went to the battlefield, and Imperial Elder Brother accompanied Imperial Sister-in-law out on a journey. Her Imperial Father and Consort Mother urged her to marry all day long. If she knew it early, she would not have gone back to the Palace; staying in the deep mountains within old forests was more comfortable than here.

“Your Highness, is it going to rain this day?” Xu ChangAn knew a little about Xiao QingYan's worries these days, so he was very happy now that the storm clouds were approaching.

“Hope so. It's already dark. Let's find a place to rest and stop for the time being tonight." Before leaving, Xiao QingYan had already thought about what they would encounter, so he was not worried even if they were going to sleep in the wilderness tonight.

There were quilts and tents on the carriage so they could rest on the spot if they found a suitable place to put up the tents.

After Xiao QingYan decided to stop the carriage, the Wu brothers began to set up tents in suitable places, while Xu ChangAn began to prepare food for them for several nights.

Every time they passed the town, they would buy enough food and drinks and so on. Because they were sleeping outdoors tonight, Xiao QingYan was afraid that Xu ChangAn would feel cold at night, so he let him drank some wine to warm up.

“If you can't drink, you should have less; just have enough to warm your body.” Xu ChangAn's alcohol tolerance was well known in Xiao QingYan's mind. He still remembered that time when Xu ChangAn was drunk. Speaking of that, Xiao QingYan even quite liked him in that appearance. Not as good as… Since he drank it, might as well drink to his heart's content.

“Your Highness, the thing about wine is really strange. When I first drank it, I felt my throat ached by it, but after a few drinks it became tasty. And the more I drank, the more I wanted to drink! Just like, just like… just like you, at the beginning…"

“Wu Ren, Wu Yi, it's late. We still need to move on tomorrow, go have a rest.” Feeling that what his Wangfei was going to say next must be something he did not want to be heard by others, Xiao QingYan quickly pulled the person into his arms to lean on him. Then let the two Wu brothers retreated.

The two Wu brothers looked at each other tacitly, and then quickly turned around and drilled into their own tent not far away with a smile in their hearts. But when they returned the tent, they could not help the smiles on their lips.

“Brother, I'm not mistaken. Wangye is very kind to Wangfei. We were worried a few days for nothing.” Everyone knew that Wangye was not voluntary to follow Wangfei out. But all the way through this trip, no one knew better than the two brothers whether Wangye voluntarily followed Wangfei out or not.

After calling people to sleep, Xiao QingYan also took the drunken person who had been leaning on him into their tent.

When Xu ChangAn was put on the bedclothes that had been laid, his hands were restlessly separated. He felt around him, who knew what he was looking for.

“What are you looking for?”

“Xiao QingYan…” Xu ChangAn did not feel drunk at all. He only knew that he was in the wilderness and was afraid. He thought that he could touch Xiao QingYan at the side of his head as soon as he reached out. He wanted to make sure Xiao QingYan was beside him so that he would not be afraid.

When he grabbed the hand that covered the quilt for him, Xu ChangAn knew Xiao QingYan was beside him, so he was at ease and ready to sleep, but Xiao QingYan did not let him sleep at this time.

“ChangAn. Don't sleep, ChangAn. What did you just want to say? You haven't finished yet. I want to hear it. Would you please tell me again?" Xiao QingYan lay next to him, trying to make his Wangfei to continue to say what he had just said. Unfortunately, a person who was already half-conscious, could he still remember what he wants to say? He had only one thought in his mind: sleep over there.

“ChangAn? ChangAn? Sleeping so fast!” Xiao QingYan remembered that the first time Xu ChangAn was drunk, the situation was also like this; after few words of nonsense, he directly went to sleep.

“Sigh, let's go to sleep.” After holding Xu ChangAn in his arms and preparing to sleep, Xiao QingYan wondered if he had to prepare another chance to make him drunk again.

Footnote:

[1] lit. means all kinds of cake. It's actually a pure sweet made of pure glutinous rice flour and mold into small flowers or birds

Baihua Cake

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