After seven or eight days, Xin returned triumphant with an army of 100,000. The Xin mansion immediately sent someone to offer betrothal gifts, and the Ming mansion reciprocated with gifts of their own. The two families finally settled on the wedding date, which was to be on the sixth day of next month. I heard it was an auspicious day for marriage. During this time, I didn't see Yue again; I supposed he needed time.
Regardless, my first mission was accomplished. After bidding farewell to little Zheng, it was time for me to return to my world, where I began to miss Sean and Phoenix.
About two days later, the person sent to take me to Xianyang Palace arrived, and to my surprise, it was Yue. But upon reflection, he indeed was the most suitable choice.
After changing into the eunuch's clothes he brought, I followed him to the palace in a carriage.
In the carriage, we were both silent, a hint of awkwardness hanging in the air.
"Um, His Majesty didn't punish you, did he?" I broke the silence, trying to ease the tension.
He shook his head and said, "This time, His Majesty showed mercy and did not punish me." He looked at me, as if wanting to say something but holding back. Although he didn't speak it, I knew he was still curious about my relationship with Ying Zheng.
I don't know how much time passed before he finally spoke again, "We're here. Let's get off."
My heart leaped with excitement as I lifted the curtain and jumped out of the carriage. Before me lay a magnificent palace complex, a typical dual-eaved palace architecture with a majestic presence. All were high-platform constructions, resplendent and sublime, exuding an aura of sovereignty. The solemnity and grandeur were as if they were built in the heavens.
Standing before the palace, I was awestruck by its grandeur. Compared to it, the modern replicas in film and television cities were mere child's play.
Following Yue, I entered the palace smoothly, constantly marveling. The palaces were generally two-storied, with each level having surrounding corridors and open halls, making the entire platform appear as if it were three stories, which was very spectacular. The central part of the upper level was the main structure, surrounded by and connected to the lower levels, which housed bedrooms, hallways, and bathrooms. The lower level had a corridor, with bricks paving the ground beneath the eaves, and pebbles scattered for drainage. The upturned eaves and the gilded doors and windows complemented each other, creating an extraordinary aura.
Yue led me through the twists and turns into one of the palaces, which seemed more modest compared to the others, but the interior walls were covered with murals. The murals depicted figures, animals, carriages and horses, plants, architecture, mythical creatures, and various border decorations. The colors included black, red, bright red, vermilion, stone blue, and stone green, all incredibly beautiful. A bronze crane on a red terrace was emitting wisps of blue smoke.
"You wait here for a moment. I'll go and inform His Majesty," he said with a slight nod before leaving.
As soon as he stepped out, I looked around with great curiosity. My gaze suddenly fell on a lamp beside the rosewood table, which looked very familiar, as if I had seen it in pictures. That's right, it was the Jade Five-Branch Lamp. It is said that when the lamp in the mouth of the coiled dragon is lit, the scales on the dragon's body would move, shining like stars.
"Yvonne, you're here," Little Zheng's voice came from behind. I turned around, and he was just entering the door, seemingly in a hurry. He was wearing a black court robe embroidered with nine chapters of patterns, with a vermilion knee-length skirt that only the Son of Heaven could use, exuding nobility and a hint of domineering aura, different from the Xiao Zheng I usually saw. Today, he was radiating the air of a king.
A trace of smile flashed in his dark eyes, and the corners of his lips slightly raised as he said, "This set of clothes suits you quite well." I was taken aback, looked at my clothes, and couldn't help but say, "It's all because I came to see you, and you still tease me."
Just as I finished speaking, I covered my mouth and said, "Ah, I forgot to call you 'Your Majesty', is it okay?"
He laughed and said, "Excused." Just as he was speaking, someone hurriedly came in from outside and suddenly knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, is it time to serve the meal?"
Little Zheng nodded and said in a deep voice, "Gao, without my order, do not disturb."
Gao, isn't he the famous eunuch? But hearing the word "serve the meal", my mood became even better, and I sat down beside the rosewood table. Little Zheng looked at me and sat down opposite me.
"How about Xianyang Palace?" he asked.
"It's too gorgeous, with extraordinary momentum. The palace is indeed a palace. It's great to live in such a big place," I couldn't help but sigh.
"What's the use of being big, it's also boring," he seemed a bit disdainful.
"The well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of the hungry man. If I had such a big palace, I would laugh in my dream," I stared at him with an unrecognizable look.
"Oh, really?" He raised his eyebrows, a trace of indecipherable look flashed in his eyes, and said, "As long as you are willing, you can also have these."
"Ah..." I quickly waved my hand and said, "I'm just talking."
At this time, the palace maids successively served the food.
After the palace maids left, he didn't say anything more, just picked up the wine pot, filled his bronze wine cup, raised his hand and drank it in one go. He glanced at me and said, "Why don't you drink?"
I hurriedly poured a cup, just took a sip, and was choked by the spicy taste of the wine, coughing up in an undignified manner, even more choking than the vodka I had tried before, but he laughed, looking very happy.
"Such a choking wine, can I not drink?" I said while putting down the wine cup.
"You can't."
"But if I get drunk here, it doesn't seem very good." I guess I would fall down after two cups of this wine, and suddenly regret coming to Xianyang Palace.
"What's the matter with being drunk? This is Xianyang Palace," he said with a face that didn't care. It doesn't matter, this is my territory, anyway, that's what he meant.
Watching him drink another cup of wine, he still looked unchanged, and I couldn't help but admire his alcohol tolerance.
Looking at him, I suddenly had a question I wanted to ask, but I felt a bit abrupt. After thinking for a while, I just wanted to ask, and I heard him say, "What's the matter, just say it."
Then I'll be rude, I stammered, "Well, I want to ask, how many, um, how many wives do you have in this Xianyang Palace?"
He seemed to be stunned and said, "I haven't established a queen yet. But..." He paused and said, "There are more than a dozen concubines."
"Oh..." I responded. More than a dozen? It's not much for an emperor.
"Oh, what?" A trace of teasing smile flashed on his face and he said, "Why, are you interested in becoming one of them?"
"Ah? Kill me." I rolled my eyes without thinking, "Becoming one of them, then being called at will, waiting to see you every day, waiting foolishly, becoming one of countless people, being forgotten by you. Forget it, although you are a handsome guy, you are also a powerful handsome guy, I think I prefer the current relationship."
He was silent, staring at me deeply, as if he wanted to see straight into my heart, which made me a little uncomfortable. Suddenly he laughed loudly and said, "Yvonne, you are always so frank. Although you are very interesting and make me very relaxed, but..." He paused and continued, "Since I saw you slap Yue three times last time, I also feel that I prefer the current relationship."
My chopsticks were awkwardly suspended in mid-air, I looked up at him, he looked at me with a smile, alas, he saw my angry scene last time.
"Bad! I was caught by you with a handle, for the sake of my life's big event, you must keep it a secret," I just said seriously, I couldn't help but laugh, the corner of his mouth relaxed, and he also laughed with me.
Gazing at his clear and bright smile, I was momentarily bewildered. Was this the First Emperor, praised by posterity as sometimes as elegant as a chrysanthemum, sometimes as ruthless as a sword? In truth, beneath the mask of a king, he too possessed the heart of an ordinary man. I was fortunate, indeed. Had I encountered Ying Zheng in the midst of unifying the six states and completing his hegemony, everything would have been different.
The sky had grown late, and it was time for me to return to where I truly belonged.
I lifted the bronze goblet and smiled, "Our meeting was a fated encounter. I am pleased to have met you. Let me toast to our acquaintance, from this parting forward, may we each cherish our own paths, with no set date for reunion." With those words, I tilted my head back and drained the cup in one go.
"A toast to a parting with no set date for reunion!" He too raised his hand and drained the wine from his cup, saying, "Yvonne, if you were a man, we would surely have become confidants."
"Have you never heard of the word 'confidante'?" I teased.
He laughed again.
"I suppose it's time for me to leave." As I rose to my feet, the world spun before my eyes; the wine was potent indeed. My steps faltered, my legs buckled, and I fell backward, landing squarely in his arms.
Our eyes met, his becoming ever more dark and profound, his face slightly flushed from the wine, his thin lips curving into an elegant smile. "Are you truly unwilling to stay? If only as a confidante?" His deep voice resonated in my ear.
Those words immediately sobered me, and with a faint smile, I replied, "No willingness. Your current interest in me is piqued by my candor, a rarity for one in your position. But you are, after all, the ruler of a nation with your own boundaries. As time passes, curiosity wanes, and should I inadvertently cross your limits, I might not even be able to safeguard my life. It's better to leave this way; perhaps, in the distant future, when you occasionally recall me, you might still smile fondly."
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, and after a moment of silence, he spoke indifferently, "Perhaps. However..." A somewhat mischievous smile suddenly appeared on his face as he said, "If you continue to maintain this position, I might change my mind."
Only then did I realize I was still in his embrace and quickly leaped up. A talisman floated out from my bosom and landed on the table. As I reached for it, he had already picked it up and asked, "What is this?"
What? Isn't it paper? I was momentarily stunned, then suddenly remembered that paper did not exist in the Warring States period; no wonder he didn't recognize it. I snatched it back and quickly folded the only thing I knew how to fold—a paper crane—and handed it to him, saying, "This is from my hometown and will bring you good fortune. It's a gift for you."
He snorted softly, saying, "A child's toy," yet he accepted it and put it in his pocket. I couldn't help but be amused; even Ying Zheng had his endearing moments.
"I will have someone escort you out of the palace," he said as he stood up, adding, "Yue is waiting below; he will see you out."
"Take care, Little Zheng," I said, feeling a touch of melancholy. From now on, our meetings would truly be without a set date. Yet, even a fleeting encounter is a kind of fate.
He merely nodded, turned away, and whispered, "Go."
I glanced at him, his tall figure seeming especially lonely in the candlelight, and an inexplicable sorrow welled up in my heart. I quickly turned and walked outside, bidding farewell to Xiao Zheng...
On the carriage ride back, Yue finally couldn't help but speak, "I thought you would stay."
"Stay?" I raised my eyebrows and teased, "Do you think your great king would keep someone as barbaric and bewitching as me?"
He couldn't help but smile faintly, saying, "Actually, aside from those two traits, you could pass for a fine lady."
Huh? I looked at him in surprise. When had he learned to jest? I glanced at him and said, "So, the one destined for him is not me."
He didn't respond, instead gazing out the window, and suddenly murmured, "It seems I too should find my destined one..."
Overjoyed by his words, I slapped him on the shoulder and said, "That's the spirit!"
Now I was completely at ease...
The carriage stopped at the Ming mansion, and as I disembarked, watching Yue leave, I didn't enter the mansion but instead walked to a quiet spot and began to call for Sean.
The "wind" gradually emitted a purple glow, and I faintly heard Sean's voice, echoing through the emptiness.
"Is everything finished?" His voice was forever calm.
"Yes, take me back, Master."
"Very well."
The other crystals on my wrist also began to shine with a dazzling light, flowing with a spectrum of colors, meandering and intertwining. My entire body felt as if it were on fire, growing hotter and hotter, just like when I first arrived. In a whirl of disorientation, I returned to the familiar——21st century, a certain city, the Past Lives Teahouse.
————
As soon as I opened my eyes, Sean's elfin eyes met my gaze, "Welcome back." A faint smile flickered in his eyes, a light purple beguilement, a silver oddity, an indescribable beauty.
"Master!" I rushed to embrace him as if seeing a family member, exclaiming, "Master, long time no see, long time no see!" He didn't dodge, merely responding indifferently, "Yvonne, have you lost your senses? According to the time here, you've only been gone for two days."
Right, as I was about to speak, I was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace, a fragrance of sandalwood and mint, the scent of citrus moss enveloping me. Just by smelling this familiar aroma, I knew who it was.
"Yvonne, you're back!" The handsome blonde man who was hugging me tightly at that moment was my senior brother——Phoenix.
"Let go of me, are you trying to murder me?" I could hardly catch my breath.
He slowly released me, his azure eyes filled with laughter, saying, "So, how was the feeling of traveling through time?"
"Amazing! You know who I met? I met Emperor Qin, oh, and I made friends with him, it's like a dream, do you know what the Qin state was like..."
"Yvonne..." Sean's voice stopped me, who was chattering incessantly in an excited state. My current state was as if I had just returned from a trip, eager to share what I had seen and heard.
"Didn't I say, don't have unnecessary relationships with others except for the person in charge?" His purple eyes suddenly deepened, with a hint of displeasure.
"But..."
"Master, it's not Yvonne's fault. When I first came back, wasn't I the same? You'll get used to it, Yvonne, you understand, right?" Phoenix quickly smoothed things over.
"Just making friends is not a big deal." I muttered discontentedly in a low voice.
Sean turned his head, and his sharp gaze immediately fixed on me. I quickly lowered my head, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Alright, Master, Yvonne has just come back, how about I treat you tonight?" Phoenix said, taking my hand,
Sean had already withdrawn his gaze, speaking in a low voice, "I won't go, you guys go ahead." He paused, then added, "But when you come back..."
"Bring back a Hawaiian pizza for you, I know." Phoenix said with a grin, leading me out the door.
"Remember, no pineapples." Sean's voice came from behind.
I couldn't help but laugh. Sean's least favorite thing must be pineapples, right? He's allergic to pineapples, he gets sleepy as soon as he eats them, and it takes at least three days to wake up after an allergic reaction.
"You say Master looks about the same age as you, why does he act like an old man?" I complained, "I really doubt if Master is even human."
Phoenix chuckled, saying, "To be honest, I share your opinion, haha." His laughter suddenly stopped, looking at me strangely, a mischievous smile rising at the corner of his mouth, "My dear Yvonne, do you plan to go out like this?"
"What's wrong with going out like this?" I hurriedly looked down, only to let out a scream, goodness, I was still wearing that eunuch's clothes!