After sending the letter home, he waited daily for someone to come from Honghua Commandery. During this time, he often gathered with Pei Qiancheng to drink and talk. One admired the other’s scholarship, while the other was grateful for his life-saving grace, and they quickly became close friends.
After waiting for two whole months, he finally waited for his mother and others to arrive, but there was no sign of Meixue. Upon inquiry, he learned that Meixue and her father had both died. Some said Wu Laosan was killed by people from the Li mansion for harboring a female assassin, while others said he was killed by the female assassin herself—the stories varied.
The most suspicious part was about Meixue. His mother said she had inquired at the Li mansion and learned that Meixue had died as early as October, and the person they had seen was not Meixue at all, but an assassin in disguise.
Although this explanation was hard for him to accept, thinking back, that time he went to see Meixue had indeed been somewhat suspicious. She looked at him with cold, indifferent eyes, as if she had no feelings for him at all.
He had studied desperately, worked so hard to pass the imperial examinations, all to marry Meixue. Now he was told that Meixue had died before he even left Honghua Commandery. How could he accept this?
He was unwilling and didn’t dare believe this fact. During that period, he didn’t go to the Imperial Stud either, shutting himself in his room every day to drown his sorrows in wine, living in a drunken stupor, refusing to see anyone who came. His mother and others were at their wit’s end.
Finally, it was Pei Qiancheng who forcibly dragged him out, then pushed him into a water tank to sober up, and then pointed at him and scolded him for a while before finally waking him up.
Later, through Pei Qiancheng’s connections, he was able to take a month’s leave from the Imperial Stud. He rode day and night from Luoyang back to Honghua Commandery, where he found the graves of both Meixue and Wu Laosan, finally confirming that everything his mother had said was true. Meixue… was truly dead.
He sat day and night before Meixue’s grave, speaking of his longing and love for her, but all that responded to him were the chirping of insects and birds, and the cold tombstone…
After keeping vigil at Meixue’s grave for several days, due to time constraints, he had to return to Luoyang. Before leaving, he swore before Meixue’s grave that he would definitely catch the murderer who killed her, to comfort her spirit in heaven.
Pei Qiancheng patted his shoulder and said: “I know you’re thinking of that woman from your hometown, but she’s already dead. No matter how much you think about her, she won’t come back to life. In this world, one must learn to look forward, otherwise always staring behind will only cause oneself unbearable pain.”
“I understand everything Brother Pei says, but some things are not so easy to let go of. I may marry and have children, but not now.”
Pei Qiancheng shook his head: “You, I really don’t know whether to call you devoted or just stubborn.” Then he waved his hand: “Forget it, I’ve advised you anyway. If you don’t listen, that’s up to you. At least there’s one less person competing with me for the princess. Before coming, my elder brother told me I must win Princess Jinyang’s favor and become a prince consort.”
Du Ruhui laughed: “Actually, the Pei family already has considerable power. Why must you compete for this prince consort position?”
At this topic, Pei Qiancheng lost his carefree smile and said seriously: “Although the Pei family now has some influence in Luoyang city, it’s far from comparable to the truly great families. Take the Du family, for example, or the now-fallen Li and Yang families—these are all families we need to look up to.”
Pei Qiancheng slapped the railing: “Moreover, everything the Pei family has is built on His Majesty’s trust and reliance on my elder brother. If we lose this trust or reliance, the Pei family would be nothing. But the Pei family doesn’t have the deep foundation of those noble clans, so the best method is to become in-laws with His Majesty. Although Princess Jinyang is not His Majesty’s most beloved, she is Empress Xiao’s precious treasure, and His Majesty dotes on Empress Xiao immensely, so… I must become this prince consort.”
Du Ruhui teased: “It wouldn’t matter even if Princess Jinyang looked like Wu Yan?”
Pei Qiancheng said irritably: “Shut your crow’s mouth. If she really were an ugly woman, I’d make you pay for it.”
Du Ruhui smiled: “Alright, speaking seriously, any princess probably doesn’t have a good temper. In the future, you’ll probably have plenty of times when you’ll have to endure anger.”
Pei Qiancheng nodded: “I’ve thought it through. In this world, to gain something you must lose something. Such good fortune of gaining without losing would never fall to us.”
Du Ruhui stared at him for a while, then said: “Well, since you’ve decided, I’ll certainly do my best to help you.”
His words made Pei Qiancheng’s heart leap with joy: “You said it yourself, no backing out.”
“When have you ever seen me back out?” Saying this, Du Ruhui shielded himself from the gradually intensifying sunlight and frowned: “Wasn’t it said we’d have an audience at the hour of Chen? It’s already the hour of Si now, why haven’t we seen the princess and Her Majesty the Empress?”
At his words, Pei Qiancheng also realized: “Yes, we’ve been here for so long, why haven’t we seen anyone? Surely they don’t really expect us to just admire flowers here.”
Not only them, but others had the same thoughts, shielding themselves from the sun while looking around. As time passed, the sunlight grew stronger and stronger, making those young gentlemen sweat profusely. Some had even applied powder before coming to make themselves look better, but now with the sweat flowing, it immediately created streaks on their faces, making them look disheveled and even drawing secret laughter from others.
Someone couldn’t help but walk over to ask a nearby palace maid: “Miss, when exactly will Her Majesty the Empress and the princess arrive?”
The palace maid said expressionlessly: “How would this servant know about Her Majesty the Empress and the princess’s affairs? When it’s time to come, they will naturally come.”
This answer naturally dissatisfied those young gentlemen, but no matter what backgrounds or origins they had, none dared to act presumptuously in the Purple Forbidden Palace. They could only endure the scorching sun’s burning rays.
After waiting another half hour, those people really couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to go to the nearby Glazed Pavilion to escape the burning sun. But the palace attendants wouldn’t let them enter, saying that Empress Xiao had told them to wait wherever they were told to wait and not to enter other places without permission.
With no choice, those people had to stand by the Nine Provinces Pool under the scorching sun. By now they had no mind to appreciate the magnificent scenery, let alone discuss poetry and prose. Each one hoped that the two would come quickly to spare them from the sun’s torment. Some with shallow thoughts already showed their displeasure on their faces.
The more they hoped for someone to come, the more no one came. Instead, the sun overhead grew more and more fierce, making them dizzy and light-headed. Several people were already swaying unsteadily. Although Pei Qiancheng wasn’t in such a state, he was also full of resentment and said in a low voice: “What the hell are they doing? They told us to come here, but there’s no sign of them. Are they deliberately playing with us?”
Du Ruhui whispered: “Brother Pei, watch your words!”
Pei Qiancheng said irritably: “You’re telling me to watch my words now? In a while, when I’m sun-struck unconscious, I won’t be able to speak even if I want to. If there’s no intention to choose a prince consort, why make such a fuss and deliberately make things difficult for us?”
Du Ruhui looked around and said: “Perhaps… this is Empress Xiao’s first test for us.”
Pei Qiancheng was startled and asked puzzledly: “A test? What do you mean?”