Eastern Palace Chapter 25

'Pu!' Heavy body entering into the water, surrounded by jade coloured water, like countless cold knives splitting open my skin. I gave up struggling, just letting myself sink into the bottom of the water, like a baby belonging to the mother, like a flower belonging to earth. This is the most calm place to return to, I already knew. "The river of forgetfulness, to forget a love......"........"A fox sitting on the sandy hill, sitting on the sandy hill, looking at the moonlight. Apparently it was not looking at the moonlight, it was waiting for the girl to return....." "It sounds horrible! Change to another song." "I can only sing this song......"......"For lifetimes, I want to forget you forever!"........ In my memories there was light flas.h.i.+ng and flickering, like a thick fog gradually spreading out, revealing an illusory mirage. Suddenly, I could see myself.

        I could see myself sitting on the sandy hill, watching the sun slowly go down, my own heart gradually sinking. In the end, the sun finally disappeared, blocked by the sandy hill, unable to see it anymore. Heaven and earth being covered at night, the last bit of brightness cannot be seen.

        In despair, I threw away the jade pendant that was in my hands, got on the horse without looking back and left.
　
        Stinky s.h.i.+fu[1]! Bad s.h.i.+fu! The most annoying s.h.i.+fu! Even saying that he will be my matchmaker, helping me choose the most handsome man in the world! Misleading me to this place, causing me to wait here for three days three nights!
　　
         A few days ago the Emperor of the Central Plains had sent a messenger to my father to propose a marriage, saying how the Crown Prince of the Central Plains was already seventeen years old and hoping that he can marry one of the Princesses of Western Liang

        Second oldest sister and third oldest sister wanted to go, I heard that Central Plains is good, eat well, wear well, have water everywhere, don't have to suffer from sandstorms. The messenger had said that because the Crown Princess will be the Empress of the Central Plains in the future, she must not be born from a concubine, so they hope that the princess would be the daughter of the main wife. I wasn't paying particular attention to what they were saying, however my mother was the only main wife and she has only given birth to one daughter, the rest are sons, this means I will be the only one that could get married. Second oldest sister and third oldest sister were envious, however I didn't want to go, what is so good about Western Liang? I have seen the Western Liang men before, those Western Liang merchants selling silk, each of them were weak, cannot even use a bow. I heard that the Crown Prince of Western Liang was raised in the palace since childhood, besides drawing and reciting poems, they don't know how to do anything else.

        Marrying a husband who can't even use a bow, this feels too wrong. I was angry for several days, my father said: "Since you don't want to marry the Crown Prince of the Central Plains, however I have to explain to them. If you have someone that you like, then I can marry you off. I can tell the Central Plains to select another princess, this way they can't say it's our fault." I am not even fifteen years old yet, all the Western Liang men treat me like their little sister, where can I find someone that I like?

        Making me worried.
　
        After s.h.i.+fu knew, he patted his chest promising that he would help me find the most handsome man in the world, he said in Central Plains this is known as a blind date, a man and woman seeing each other in private. What can I even see in our first meeting, however right now I am in an urgent situation, I can only go to the blind date to prevent myself from marrying the Crown Prince of the Central Plains.

        s.h.i.+fu told me the location of the blind date was at the highest sand hill outside of the city, even giving me a jade pendant, saying that the other jade pendant will be given to the man, helping me pair up with this person, telling me to carefully see if I like that person or not.

        As a result I was waiting for three days three nights on the sandy hill. Let's not talk about a man, even a male fox cannot be seen.
　　
        So angry!

        I knew that s.h.i.+fu was teasing me again, he always tease me just to make himself happy. Last time he tricked me saying that the river of forgetfulness was behind the Yan Zhi mountain, causing me to ride my little red horse, bringing dry food, walking there for ten days ten nights, climbed to the top of the Yan Zhi, however I could only see the gra.s.sland behind the mountain, don't talk about a river of forgetfulness, even a puddle cannot be seen.　

         It took more than twenty days to go back, I walked in a big circle around the mountains, almost getting myself lost, in the end I encountered a shepherd who helped me get back to the city. My mother thought that I was lost and wouldn't be able to go back, so she got sick. She cried and hugged me when I came back. My father was so angry that he locked me up for several days, not allowing me to go out. Afterwards I was so angry that I asked my s.h.i.+fu, he said: "I say it, you believe it? You should know that there will always be some people that will trick you, you shouldn't just trust anyone. I am teaching you not to easily trust other people, or else you'll be at a disadvantage." I was so angry, but not to the point of spitting out blood.

        Why haven't I learned my lesson yet? I have been tricked by him many times, why am I still so foolish still getting tricked by him?
　　   
        Maybe I will never understand my s.h.i.+fu's thoughts for a lifetime.
　　
        I was so angry that I grabbed the horse rein and left, the horse kept on nibbling onto the gra.s.s. I kept on thinking that maybe I should just tell my father that I like s.h.i.+fu, and allow my father to help us get engaged. Anyways s.h.i.+fu has harmed me once, this time I will harm him once, so this is reasonable.

        I felt that this plan was good, so suddenly I was in a good mood, humming to a song while riding the horse to the city. "A fox sitting on the sandy hill, sitting on the sandy hill, looking at the moon. Apparently it was not looking at the moon, but waiting for the girl to return......I was happily singing until someone from behind called out: "Young lady, you've dropped something." I looked back, seeing a man riding a white horse.
　
        s.h.i.+fu said, riding a white horse does not mean that they are a prince. It could also be the monk, Tang Seng [2], who was sent to travel to the Western Regions. However this person was not wearing a kasaya [3], he's wearing a white gown, I've never seen a person look so good in a white gown. I've seen Persian merchants wear white gowns, however they look like a honeydew melon, when this man wears it, he s.h.i.+nes brightly like the moon in the sky.

        He's handsome, curved eyes and brows showing a smiling expression, his face was clear and fair like the best jade, his hair was tied in the style of Western Liang, his Western Liang language was spoken very fluently, however at one glance I could tell that he is from the Central Plains, the men from Western Liang do not have fair complexion. The way he rides the horse has a strange imposing manner, which I've only seen from my father when he's leading the army. The time when my father raised the sword, chanting together with the army, proudly looking at his own army, his own territory, his own son.

        This man was looking down at me as if he was the only king in the world.
　　
        My heart was suddenly beating very fast, the expression in his eyes was like a tornado in the desert, sweeping everything. I felt like he has some sort of magic power, the moment he looked at me, my mind was blank.

        In his slender fingers was a jade pendant, which was the one that I had thrown away. He said: "This isn't the thing you have lost?" I became angry looking at the jade pendant, I said with a straight face: "This thing isn't mine." He said: "There's no one here, if this isn't yours then who is it?" I stretched out my arm: "Who said there was no one? There's also wind, sand, moon and stars......." He suddenly smiled: There's also you here." Suddenly my face began to feel very hot. Although I am still young, however I know that there is some sort of meaning in his words. I kind of regret going out of the city by myself, there is no one here, if he wants to make a move, I may not be able to beat him.

        I loudly said: "Do you know who I am? I am the ninth princess of Western Liang, my father is the King of Western Liang, my mother is the main wife, my grandfather is the most powerful chanyu [4] of the Western Regions. If the vultures in the desert heard my grandfather's name, they wouldn't dare to fly down. If you dare to treat me impolitely, my father will tie you to a horse and let it step on you until you die." He slowly laughed, said: "How can a young lady be so frightening? Do you know who I am? I am Gu Wu Lang of the Central Plains, my father is a restaurant owner, my mother is a normal housewife, my grandfather is from a family that plants tea trees. Although they don't have a huge background, however if you tie me to a horse and allow it to step on me until I die, then Western Liang would not have good tea to drink." I glared at him, it's only been a few years since tea leaves were brought to Western Liang. In the eyes of the people of Western Liang, tea leaves are the best thing in the world. My father loves to drink the teas from the Central Plains, everyone in Western Liang loves tea, no one can survive a day without tea. If the things he said are true, then that would be very irritating.

        He was staring at me while smiling.
　　
        While I was getting angry, I suddenly heard someone laughing from behind.
　　
        I turned around to look, it was s.h.i.+fu. I don't know where he had came from, looking at me while laughing.       

        I was angry and annoyed, said to him: "You still dare to come and see me?! You caused me to wait at the sand hill for three days three nights! Where is the most handsome man that you have found for me?" s.h.i.+fu pointed at the person that was riding on the white horse, said: "It's him!" The person with the white horse was laughing, reached out his hand revealing not only one jade pendant, but a pair of jade pendant. He was holding onto the jade pendant and looking at us as if he was watching a good play.
　　
　    I was going to ride my horse back, not looking back at them, s.h.i.+fu and Gu Wu Lang followed from behind with their horses, started talking after a moment of silence.

        s.h.i.+fu said: "I thought that you weren't going to come." Gu Wu Lang said: "I've already received your letter from the pigeon, how can I not come? They seemed close, I just knew that s.h.i.+fu and him are old friends. These two people were talking nonstop on the way back, s.h.i.+fu kept talking about Western Liang to Gu Wu Lang, this Gu Wu Lang was listening very attentively. Each and every word that they were saying went into my ears, I still have to listen even if I don't want to hear it. These two people were talking about Western Liang customs, and then travelling merchants. I have never heard s.h.i.+fu talk this much, making me feel bored listening to all this, can't help but to yawn. The shadows of the city walls can be seen at a distance, these were built with layers of huge bricks, layer by layer creating a city wall to a city gate tower. The magnificent city wall is like a continuous mountain range, the high city wall directly covering most of the sky, the closer you go, the city wall become higher. The Western regions have become desolated and distant, no such big city exists. The tribes of Western Liang used to live by the water gra.s.ses, until a hundred years ago a group of chanyu decided to build this ma.s.sive city wall, forming Western Liang.

         I slapped my little red horse to make it run faster, the bell by the horse's neck created a sharp and clear sound along with the bells of the camels from afar, pleasant to hear. There must be a group of travelers taking advantage of the cool night to hurry on with their journey, so that is why the city gate was opened the entire night. I was the first to rush to the city gate, the guards near the gate recognized me, calling out "ninth princess." From afar they tossed a string of grapes to me, these must be given to them by the travelers. Every time they would save the sweetest and biggest grapes for me.

Notes:
[1]师傅 s.h.i.+fu- teacher
[2]唐僧 Tang Seng- One of the main characters of the novel, Journey to the West. It is said that this character is based on a real historical figure called Xuanzang.
[3]袈裟 kasay robe worn by a Buddhist monk
[4]单于 chanyu- Han Dynasty name for chiefs of the Xiongnu

                                                                                                                 Chapter 26>