jdhmnovel Chapter 312 Gratitude
Chapter 312 Gratitude
On a crisp autumn morning in the Nanzhao Kingdom, a thin mist swirled around the palace eaves, veiling the gilded bronze tiles in a hazy veil. Xiao Jingchuan sat quietly in his study on a sandalwood chair, a volume of "The Customs and Geography of Xijing" in his hand, the ginkgo leaf bookmark tucked between the pages trembling slightly. Gu Liuli gently pushed open the door, her skirt embroidered with twin lotus blossoms sweeping across the threshold. Looking at her husband's focused profile, she asked softly, "Reading Xijing's classics again? Are you thinking of that child, Jiang You'an?"
Xiao Jingchuan closed his book and turned his gaze to the white doves circling outside the window: "The other day I received a secret letter from You'an, saying that Xijing Kingdom has built a new canal to connect the north and south waterways. He invited us to attend the ceremony, which stirred up some memories of the past." He tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, his voice tinged with emotion, "My elder brother and I really had a lot of fun back then."
Gu Liuli walked to his side, her fingertips brushing against the celadon teacup on the desk: "If we really want to go, we need to prepare early. Xijing Kingdom is a long way away, and it's the dead of winter. We need to arrange everything for warmth and the accompanying imperial physicians." She thought of the wedding dress she had sewed for Jia Xiaoyan when she first married into Xijing, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. "I wonder how Xiaoyan is doing in Xijing. She wrote in her last letter that the little prince has already started babbling."
The two discussed until noon and finally finalized the itinerary. Xiao Jingchuan summoned officials from the Ministry of Rites, ordering them to prepare the official letter and gifts, and also instructed the Imperial Household Department to rush-produce sable fur coats and brocade quilts; Gu Liuli personally inventoried the palace's treasured Nanzhao specialties—Pu'er tribute tea, mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquerware, and several bolts of newly woven Yun brocade. "Bring that pair of jade mandarin duck ornaments as well," she said to the palace maid, pointing to the sandalwood box, "as a gift for the young prince's first meeting."
Half a month later, a convoy adorned with dragon and phoenix flags departed from the capital of Nanzhao. Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli rode in an ornately decorated carriage embellished with red silk, the bronze bells on either side of the carriage shafts jingling crisply as the wheels rolled. When the convoy passed Cangwu Pass, the border between the two kingdoms, a welcoming party sent by Xijing Kingdom was already waiting. The leading general held a letter personally written by Jiang You'an, which read: "I have ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare a banquet in the style of Nanzhao. I hope you two will come quickly to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Grand Canal together."
Upon entering the Xijing Kingdom, Xiao Jingchuan lifted the carriage curtain. He saw that the paulownia trees lining both sides of the road were adorned with red lanterns and tied with red ribbons for blessings. People lined the streets to welcome them, and children chased after the caravan, waving homemade kites. "You'an, that child, still remembers that I like lively celebrations," he said to Gu Liuli with a smile, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.
On the day they arrived at the Xijing Imperial Palace, fine snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Jiang Youan, dressed in a black dragon robe, stood with Jia Xiaoyan at the palace gate, waiting. Jia Xiaoyan wore a coral bead flower, a unique feature of Nanzhao, in her hair, and held the exquisitely beautiful little prince in her arms. "Godfather, Godmother!" she hurried forward, her eyes instantly welling up with tears, "We've finally been waiting for you to come."
Gu Liuli held Jia Xiaoyan's hand tightly, carefully examining her features: "You've lost some weight. Are you settling in well in Xijing?" Before she finished speaking, the little prince suddenly reached out his chubby little hand and grabbed the tassel of Gu Liuli's cloak. "Look at this child, not shy at all." Xiao Jingchuan smiled and reached out to tease him. The little prince giggled, his clear laughter echoing through the palace walls.
Jiang Youan personally led the two through the many palaces. The newly built canal meandered past the west side of the palace, its surface covered with a thin layer of ice, the water beneath shimmering in the sunlight. "This canal took three years to build and now connects five prefectures, increasing the efficiency of water transport several times over," Jiang Youan said, pointing to a stone boat beside the canal. "I specially ordered it to be modeled after the painted boats of the Nanzhao Kingdom, and I will invite my godparents to board it for a tour tomorrow."
The banquet was held in the warm pavilion of the Imperial Garden, where a gilded charcoal brazier warmed the room. The table was laden with specialties from Xijing and Nanzhao, including roasted whole lamb and jade tofu from Xijing, as well as sour fish soup and flower cakes from Nanzhao. Jia Xiaoyan kept putting food on Gu Liuli's plate: "Godmother, try this. I specially asked the imperial chef to cook it according to the Nanzhao recipe."
After several rounds of drinks, Jiang Youan raised his glass and stood up: "If it weren't for my adoptive father's help back then, Xijing would have had a hard time quelling the internal strife. Now, our two countries are exchanging goods and our people are living in peace and prosperity. This glass is a toast to our brotherhood!" Everyone drank it down in one gulp. The snow outside the window fell heavier and heavier, but it did not diminish the warm atmosphere inside the room in the slightest.
In the stillness of the night, Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan sat down for a long talk in their bedchamber. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting two overlapping shadows on the floor. Jia Xiaoyan recounted her initial anxieties upon arriving in Xijing, and the details of governing the country with Jiang Youan; Gu Liuli shared anecdotes from the Nanzhao palace, and the adorable sight of the young prince learning to speak. "I really want to take Xiaoyan back to Nanzhao," Gu Liuli said, gently embracing her. "The kapok flowers in Nanzhao should be blooming by now."
Xiao Jingchuan and Jiang Youan were having a late-night discussion by candlelight in the study. Maps of both countries were spread out on the table. Jiang Youan pointed to a point on the border and marked it: "A new trade market has been established here. Tea from Nanzhao and ironware from Xijing are traded here. The people call it the 'Brother Market.'" Xiao Jingchuan stroked his beard and laughed: "Excellent! Excellent! If this continues, how can the two countries not prosper?"
In the days that followed, Xijing Kingdom arranged a variety of activities. Xiao Jingchuan and Jiang Youan boarded a painted boat on the canal, listening to the boatmen sing newly composed boat songs; Gu Liuli took Jia Xiaoyan through the bustling city, selecting silks in embroidery shops and listening to storytellers recount legendary tales of friendship between the two countries in teahouses. The little prince, carried by his wet nurse, waved his little hands at every lively spot, eliciting smiles from the crowd.
On the day of parting, Jiang Youan and Jia Xiaoyan saw him off at the Ten-Mile Pavilion. The little prince cried and wanted Gu Liuli to hold him, so Gu Liuli held him in her arms and softly hummed a Nanzhao nursery rhyme until he fell into a deep sleep. "When spring comes next year and the flowers bloom, we will meet again." Xiao Jingchuan held Jiang Youan's hand, "If Xijing has any difficulties, just ask."
The carriage slowly started moving, and Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli looked back through the carriage window. Jiang Youan and Jia Xiaoyan were still standing in the wind and snow.
In the late autumn of the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, a cold wind swirled with withered leaves along the bluestone pavement. Su Yao, carrying a bamboo basket full of embroidery, walked along the winding alley toward the silk shop. In the basket were peony embroidered handkerchiefs she had worked on for several nights, the fine stitches gleaming in the sunlight, and a few round pearls adorning the edges. She had specially taken money from her meager savings to purchase them.
"Make way! Make way!" A sharp shout suddenly came from the street corner. Su Yao looked up and saw a little girl, about seven or eight years old, in a red dress, stumbling towards her. Her hair was disheveled, and her skirt was covered in mud. Three fierce-looking burly men were chasing after her. The little girl, in her panic, bumped into Su Yao's arms, her cold little hands clutching her sleeve tightly: "Sister, save me! They're going to take me and sell me!"
Su Yao's heart tightened, and she instinctively shielded the little girl behind her. The burly man at the head of the group had a face full of scars, with a knife scar running diagonally from his left eye to the corner of his mouth. He approached with a sinister grin: "If you know what's good for you, hand her over! This girl escaped from Master Li's house, and my brothers and I chased her for three blocks!"
"You're abducting a young woman in broad daylight! Do you have no regard for the law?" Su Yao's voice trembled, but she hugged the little girl even tighter. She caught sight of a meat stall at the alley entrance. The stall owner, a burly man, was holding a butcher's knife and peering in their direction. A plan immediately formed in her mind.
"I recognize you!" Su Yao suddenly raised her voice, pointing behind the burly men. "The officials from the Dali Temple are right there! You've abducted a young girl; you won't escape this time!" The three burly men instinctively turned around, and Su Yao seized the opportunity to grab the little girl's hand and run towards the meat stall. The meat stall owner was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood, brandishing his butcher's knife and shouting, "Stop! How dare you cause trouble on my turf!"
By the time the burly men realized what was happening, Su Yao had already pulled the little girl into another alley. The cold wind stung her throat, making her cough so hard she could barely stand, but she dared not stop. The little girl ran and cried, "Sister, they said they're going to sell me to a brothel..." Su Yao's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She remembered the days when her parents died when she was young, and she lived with her grandmother. If she hadn't struggled to survive with her embroidery skills, how would she have known the harsh realities of life?
After winding their way through several alleys, the two found refuge in an abandoned woodshed. Su Yao took off her cloak and wrapped it around the shivering little girl, gently comforting her, "Don't be afraid, your sister is here. Can you tell your sister how you escaped?"
The little girl sobbed as she recounted her story. She had been a maid in the Li family, but after witnessing the mistress's affair with the steward, she was falsely accused of theft. Fearing exposure, the mistress bribed human traffickers to get rid of her. "I bit the guard when they weren't looking and escaped by climbing over the wall..." the little girl choked out, "Sister, I don't want to die."
Su Yao held the little girl tightly in her arms, her nails digging deep into her palms. Just as she was pondering how to care for the girl, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the woodshed. She held her breath, grabbed a wooden stick from the corner of the wall, and prepared to fight to the death. "Su Yao! Su Yao!" A familiar voice called out; it was Mu Yixuan leading his servants.
It turned out that Su Yao had not returned home for a long time, and the silk shop owner sent someone to inform the Mu family. Mu Yixuan was worried about his wife's safety, so he led his men to search for her along the route she usually took, and they happened to encounter a burly man loitering on the street. He pretended to ask for directions and managed to extract the whole story from the man.
"It's alright now." Mu Yixuan pushed open the door and saw Su Yao's pale face and the little girl's terrified eyes. He felt a pang of heartache. He took off his outer robe and draped it over Su Yao's shoulders. He then turned and instructed the servants, "Go to the Dali Temple immediately to report that someone is abducting children and that the mastermind is Madam Li."
Back at the Mu residence, Su Yao personally bathed and dressed the little girl. In the steamy warmth, she noticed the child's back was covered in whip marks, and tears welled up in her eyes. The little girl, however, understandingly reached out to wipe away her tears: "Sister, don't cry, it doesn't hurt." Mu Yixuan stood at the door, watching his wife gently comb the child's hair, a surge of tenderness welling up within him.
Three days later, news came from the Dali Temple that Madam Li and her steward had been detained, and all the human traffickers had been apprehended. When the little girl was returned to the Li family, the old master was moved to tears and insisted on rewarding her handsomely. Su Yao politely declined the money, only accepting a piece of fine brocade: "Keep it to make new clothes for the child."
The news quickly spread throughout the capital, and the people praised Madam Mu for her kindness and courage. The storyteller in the teahouse adapted the story into a tale called "The Embroiderer Saves the Orphan," and every day the theater was packed with audience members. Mu Yixuan looked at his wife's slightly thin face, which was made thinner by exhaustion, and pulled her into his arms: "My Ayao, in the future, if you encounter danger, take care of yourself first and don't take any risks."
Su Yao leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "If I stood idly by today, my conscience wouldn't be at peace. Look, how well that child is doing now." She pointed out the window, where a little girl was wearing a brand-new red dress, chasing and playing with the Mu family's children in the courtyard, her silvery laughter filling the entire courtyard.
On a clear morning after the first snowfall in the Nanzhao Kingdom, silver frost covered the vermilion gates of the Mu residence, with fluffy snowflakes atop the heads of the two stone lions guarding the entrance. Before the morning mist had dissipated, a small figure, wrapped in a brand-new scarlet cloak, lingered for a long time in front of the Mu residence, her feet crunching through the snow. She clutched a blue cloth bundle tightly to her chest, and white breath occasionally escaped from her red, frostbitten nose. This was Li Nian'an, the youngest daughter of the Li family, whom Su Yao had rescued half a month prior.
"Young lady, this is the Mu residence. Who are you looking for?" The old gatekeeper couldn't help but ask when he saw her standing alone in the cold wind.
Nian'an gave a timid curtsy, her voice clear and melodious like a chirping sparrow: "Uncle, I've come to thank Sister Su Yao! She saved my life, and my father said I must thank her in person." As she spoke, she took out a gold-embossed greeting card from her sleeve, on which was neatly written: "Li Nian'an, the eldest daughter of the Li family, thanks Madam Mu for saving my life."
The news quickly reached the inner courtyard. Su Yao was sewing winter clothes in her embroidery room, her silver needle weaving through the plain silk, embroidering the pine pattern that Mu Yixuan loved most. Upon hearing that the little girl was waiting outside the mansion, she hurriedly put down her needlework, not even having time to put on her cloak, and stepped out to greet her through the thin snow.
"Nian'an!" Su Yao squatted down and held the child's frozen hand. "Why did you come alone in such cold weather?" Her fingertips touched the ice crystals on the child's sleeve, and her heart ached so much that her eyes welled up with tears.
Nian'an looked up, her eyelashes still covered with tiny snowflakes, and suddenly knelt down with a thud: "Sister Su Yao, thank you! If it weren't for you, Nian'an would have..." Before she could finish speaking, tears were already welling up in her eyes.
Su Yao hurriedly helped her up and pulled her into her arms, saying, "Don't do this, you're making your sister feel bad!" Only then did she notice the bundle in Nian An's arms, "What's this?"
“These are gifts that Father asked me to bring as a token of gratitude!” Nian’an quickly untied the bundle, revealing neatly arranged items inside: two bolts of Suzhou embroidered brocade, several boxes of rouge from Jiangnan, and a small gilded box. Inside the box were a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets, their lustrous sheen making her face shine. “Father said that Sister likes embroidery, so these fabrics are the best, and the bracelets are for Sister to adorn herself.”
Looking at these valuable items, Su Yao shook her head repeatedly: "No, I didn't save you for anything in return. Take these back and keep them as your dowry." She noticed the disappointment in Nian An's eyes and had a sudden idea. She took a silver hairpin from her hair and said, "If you really want to thank me, accept this. Wear it whenever you miss me."
Nian'an's eyes lit up immediately. She carefully took the hairpin and tucked it into her hair. Then she took out an oil paper package from the bottom of her bundle: "Can this be eaten? It's a plum blossom pastry that I asked the kitchen to make. Sister, please try it!"
The crisp pastry melted in your mouth, its sweet aroma spreading across your tongue, mingled with a subtle plum blossom fragrance. Su Yao smiled and pulled the child inside, instructing a maid to bring a brazier and ginger tea. Nian'an held the steaming teacup, gazing at Su Yao's embroidery hanging on the wall, her eyes filled with admiration: "Sister's hands are so skillful! These flowers look so real!"
Just then, Mu Yixuan returned after finishing his official duties. His black official robes were covered in snowflakes. Seeing the heartwarming scene in the hall, he slowed his pace. Nian'an hurriedly stood up and bowed, calling out in her childish voice, "Lord Mu!"
"No need for formalities." Mu Yixuan smiled and sat down next to Su Yao, reaching out to tidy her wind-blown hair. "I heard from the steward that our little benefactor has arrived?" He took out a small wooden fox carving from his sleeve and handed it to Nian An. "I saw it at the market and thought you would like it."
Nian'an accepted the gift with delight, her heart fluttering at the lifelike appearance of the little fox. "Thank you, Lord Mu! I'll bring you a gift next time too!" Suddenly remembering something, she pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her bosom. "This is a drawing I made, for my sister!"
On the rice paper, childlike strokes sketched two little figures holding hands, with the words "Sister Su Yao and Nian An" written crookedly beside them. Su Yao pressed the drawing to her heart, tears welling up in her eyes amidst her smile. Outside the window, the snow had intensified again, the swirling snowflakes landing on the windowpane, turning the warmth and laughter inside into a sweet bliss.
As she was leaving, Nian'an turned back again and again until the eaves of the Mu residence disappeared around the street corner. Su Yao stood at the door watching her go, still holding the hand warmer the little girl had given her, its warmth seeping through the layers of brocade and warming her heart.
"Now, I'm afraid we'll have a clingy little tail." Mu Yixuan put his arm around his wife's waist, his fingertips brushing against the stray hairs at her temples. Su Yao leaned on his shoulder, watching the swirling snowflakes and chuckled, "What's wrong with having a few more little tails like that?"