In the end, Mei Zhuyu decided against clearing the mountain forest in advance. Dealing with spirits in the wild woods without reason seemed too disruptive. Although not within the city, if the commotion was too great, it might attract the attention of the two Demon Market owners in Chang’an, potentially complicating the trip to Rhododendron Mountain.
Another important reason was that Mei Zhuyu lacked time. The night before the outing, he was busy bathing, changing clothes, and burning incense to pay respects to the ancestral master, praying for a smooth journey. At the Taoist temple, when his junior disciples occasionally had to leave for dangerous tasks, they would bathe, hold incense, and respectfully pray to the ancestral master for protection. Mei Zhuyu had never done this before, but this time was different. He hoped everything would go smoothly.
After all, going on an outing with his beloved made him feel nervous. His master and senior disciples were celibate cultivators who never interacted with women, so naturally, they had never taught him about such matters. Even though Mei Zhuyu was a formidable Taoist who could kill centuries-old demons with a wave of his hand, he couldn’t help but feel anxious in this unfamiliar territory.
After devoutly offering incense to the ancestral master, Mei Zhuyu sat by the window, gazing solemnly at the stars in the sky, his fingers moving slightly as he calculated. After a while, he sighed in slight relief.
Fortunately, tomorrow’s weather will be good. It wouldn’t rain, so they should be able to travel smoothly.
Compared to Mei Zhuyu’s caution, Wu Zhen almost forgot about the outing. She had been playing polo with someone, encountering a worthy opponent, and spent two rare days of enthusiasm at the polo field. Wu Zhen was interested in many things, but most of her passions only lasted a few days. Afterward, she couldn’t muster any interest at all. So almost everyone who knew her was aware that she knew many things, but most were superficial pastimes she quickly abandoned, never taking anything seriously.
After playing polo for two days and exhausting her new opponent, Wu Zhen began to feel bored. During a break, Mei Si approached and asked, “Sister Zhen, I heard you’re going to Rhododendron Mountain with my eldest cousin tomorrow. Can we come along?”
Wu Zhen suddenly remembered the outing. She took a sip of water and waved Mei Si away. “We’re spending time alone to cultivate our relationship. Why would we bring you along? To cause trouble?”
Mei Si: … His feelings were so complex, that he didn’t know whether to feel heartbroken about being left out or about their developing relationship.
Remembering she had a date, Wu Zhen casually tossed aside her polo mallet. “I’m heading back first.” Halfway there, she turned to look at her younger brothers with a knowing gaze. “Tomorrow, you can go play anywhere you want, just don’t come to Rhododendron Mountain to bother me, understand?” The young gentleman seemed rather shy, and if they were surrounded by onlookers, he might feel uncomfortable.
The younger brothers replied, “… Alright, Sister Zhen.” They had planned to follow and spy on them, but now that their intentions were exposed, they couldn’t go. It was such a shame! If only they hadn’t said anything and gone secretly tomorrow!
Wu Zhen rested well that night. The next day, she and Mei Zhuyu set out on horseback from the city in high spirits. The East and West Markets hadn’t opened yet, but the ordinary wards and alleys were already bustling. Many street vendors carried poles on their shoulders, walking through the streets and alleys, calling out their wares. Various breakfast stalls were preparing to close, with shouts rising from all directions. Women washed clothes and vegetables in the ward’s water channels, gossiping about household matters. Men heading out to work hurried by, while idle men gathered under trees at street corners, either playing chess, listening to storytellers, or chatting animatedly. Wu Zhen overheard them discussing last year’s Dragon Boat Race during the Dragon Boat Festival.
This year’s Dragon Boat Festival was just over a month away. After the festival, it would be time for Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu’s wedding.
On the main street, there were luxurious carriages of Hu merchants, all heading towards the West Market. As for those driving ox carts, most were from farms outside the city, coming to sell fruits, vegetables, and mountain goods. Everything was very cheap, perfect for tasting seasonal freshness, and they were heading to the East Market.
As they left the city, Wu Zhen saw several large carts that seemed to belong to some of the city’s major merchant houses, returning with goods from other regions. The convoy of carts and horses stretched endlessly, taking quite a while just to enter the city. A man who looked like a manager in the convoy saw Wu Zhen and called out loudly, “Second Lady Wu, we’ve received many fashionable fabrics in the shop. When will you come to make some summer clothes?”
Wu Zhen didn’t stop her horse but replied, “Very well, you can pick some out and send them to the Duke of Yu’s mansion.”
“Alright! We’ll choose the best for you, Second Lady!”
After passing those large carts, Wu Zhen explained to Mei Zhuyu beside her, “They’re from some familiar fabric shops. I usually have my clothes made there.”
Mentioning this reminded her of the red round-collared robe she had stuffed under the young gentleman’s bed, which was made at this shop.
Although they were out for a leisurely trip today, the two rode their horses freely without rushing. On the way to Rhododendron Mountain, there were various trees and flowers. As Mei Zhuyu rode under a tree, he caught a whiff of a fresh scent. He looked up, searching carefully for a moment, then reached out and plucked an inconspicuous small green flower from among the branches, bringing it to his nose to smell.
He didn’t know what kind of flower it was, but the scent was very pleasant. Mei Zhuyu hesitated for a moment, then urged his horse closer to Wu Zhen and handed her the flower.
Wu Zhen was lazily squinting, with the reins loosely wrapped around her hand. She usually rode fast, but now the horse was walking slowly, making her feel drowsy. Suddenly, a subtle fragrance entered her nose, startling her awake. Looking down, she saw an inconspicuous small flower in front of her.
Sitting up straight on the horse, Wu Zhen took the flower and smelled it, saying, “Mm, it smells nice. This road is fragrant every year at this time. I never knew what flower it was until now. So it’s this one.” She examined the flower stem for a while. “It looks so plain, why does it smell so good?”
After smelling it for a bit longer, she casually broke off a small bloom and tucked it into her black gauze hat, then attached the rest to her horse’s bridle strap.
Seeing how much she liked it, Mei Zhuyu relaxed considerably. They hadn’t spoken much on the journey so far, and he was worried Wu Zhen might lose interest and want to turn back before reaching Rhododendron Mountain.
The consequence of Wu Zhen expressing her liking was that by the time they reached the foot of Rhododendron Mountain, her horse’s bridle strap was adorned with over a dozen types of flowers Mei Zhuyu had picked along the way. When she rode forward, the wind blew the fragrance of these flowers to her nose.
Her nose felt itchy, making her want to sneeze.
Rhododendron Mountain was a small hill near South Mountain. Its peak was small, not as high as the surrounding mountains, but it was covered with many rhododendrons. When in bloom, it was particularly beautiful, with the entire mountain ablaze with vibrant colors. It was quite a famous scenic spot, one of the places where young couples often went for spring outings. Wu Zhen had already visited once when the mountain was in full bloom.
At this time, most of the rhododendrons on the mountain had already faded, so the scenery wasn’t as good as before. There weren’t many visitors; aside from Mei Zhuyu and Wu Zhen, there were only two or three others.
Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu tied their horses at the foot of the mountain and ascended the mountain path together. The main path was specially built for easy access to the summit, but Wu Zhen immediately pulled Mei Zhuyu onto a secluded small trail, leading him into thickets as tall as a person.
Mei Zhuyu didn’t ask why she had deviated from the main path, simply following behind her, occasionally reaching out to brush away branches and thorns from her head.
Wu Zhen was finding her way, turning her head to explain, “The rhododendrons along the main path have almost all withered. There’s not much to see. This site has a secluded mountain path where the rhododendrons bloom later. It’s perfect to see them now, and very few people know about it, so you can take your time looking.”
Mei Zhuyu made a sound of acknowledgment, then felt it might seem too cold, so he tried to make conversation by asking, “Are there many rhododendrons?”
Wu Zhen’s face broke into a mysterious smile. “You’ll see when we get there. The young gentleman will surely like it.”
Mei Zhuyu wasn’t used to being called “young gentleman” by Wu Zhen. It made him feel as if he were very young. At the Taoist temple, he had the responsibility of teaching junior disciples, and those close to his age all revered him. No one would call him a “young gentleman,” not even his master or senior disciples. But then again, Wu Zhen was a few years older than him, so perhaps she liked to call him that.
Never mind, it was just a small matter of address, not worth worrying about. Mei Zhuyu thought to himself, then considered what else he should say. But before he could decide on his next words, Wu Zhen, who was leading the way, said, “We’re here.”
Mei Zhuyu followed her forward a step, emerging from the end of the thicket. He felt a sudden openness, and his eyes were immediately filled with deep and light shades of red.
Just as Wu Zhen had said, this side of the mountain was covered in rhododendrons, growing in a crisscross pattern. The flowers clustered together, forming balls of blossoms. It was truly a magnificent sight of mountain flowers in full bloom, like a sea of fire.
Wu Zhen had already started walking along the almost hidden path. Mei Zhuyu lagged a few steps behind, watching her silhouette. He felt that among the mountain of vibrant flowers, she was as beautiful as the blossoms themselves. As she walked, her clothes fluttered, light and graceful like a bird flitting through the flower branches.
Plucking a rhododendron flower and putting it in her mouth, Wu Zhen noticed the lack of footsteps behind her. She turned around to see the young gentleman seemingly entranced by the flowers. She couldn’t help but laugh, “What are you standing there for? Come on, there’s a small path ahead with even more beautiful flowers.”
Mei Zhuyu caught up with her, and they walked side by side. The scent of rhododendrons wasn’t particularly strong, but there were so many flowers here that the fragrance became intense, clinging to their clothes.
The atmosphere was so beautiful that Mei Zhuyu felt as if he had fallen into a dream, his mind becoming slightly dazed. It wasn’t until he suddenly noticed a mountain spirit on the narrow path ahead that he snapped back to reality.
This mountain spirit was a harmless supernatural being, formed from the lingering resentment of people and animals who had died in the mountains over the years. It had no consciousness and appeared like a dancing shadow, often standing on mountain paths. Ordinary people couldn’t see these mountain spirits. If someone were to pass through one, the yang energy of the living person would disperse the spirit, but its resentful energy would enter the person’s body, causing them to fall ill.
Mei Zhuyu maintained a calm expression. As they approached the mountain spirit, he suddenly stepped forward, dispersing it. At the same time, he broke off a cluster of rhododendrons shaped like a round ball from behind where the spirit had been and handed it to Wu Zhen, saying, “This branch of flowers looks nice.”
Wu Zhen smiled as she accepted the flowers, but inwardly she cursed. Of course, she had seen the mountain spirit blocking the path. She had originally planned to take a quick step forward when they got close to disperse the spirit herself. However, the young gentleman’s long legs allowed him to disperse the spirit before she could.
As a cat spirit, even if she encountered a hundred such minor supernatural beings, she wouldn’t fall ill. But for an ordinary person like the young gentleman, encountering such an unclean thing would cause illness. It would be terrible if she had invited someone for an outing and then failed to protect them, causing them to fall ill.
Wu Zhen’s mood soured, while Mei Zhuyu felt relieved. He was glad he had dealt with the mountain spirit first. After all, as a Taoist priest of considerable skill, he didn’t view such minor supernatural beings as a threat. Something like that couldn’t make him ill. But Wu Zhen was different. If she had accidentally bumped into the mountain spirit, she would fall ill. If he had allowed his beloved to fall ill here today due to encountering something unclean, he would have been ashamed to death.
Both lost in their thoughts, they walked a little further. Suddenly, Wu Zhen stopped and grabbed Mei Zhuyu’s collar, saying seriously, “I’m going to be impolite for a moment.”
Mei Zhuyu was confused: “?”
Wu Zhen pulled his head down and tilted her face up to kiss him.
To prevent the young gentleman from falling ill when he returned, she could only give him some saliva to remove the unclean energy he had encountered, Wu Zhen thought. It wasn’t that she wanted to take advantage of him; for the sake of the young gentleman’s health, she had no choice but to act a bit roguishly this once.