Nightfall

“Had she already done that thing with Ning Que as his handmaiden? But Sangsang is still young and it looks impossible.” In some side chamber of the royal palace, Lee Yu leaned against a soft couch, delicately holding a teacup with her fingers. She said somewhat mockingly, “When I feel sleepy, someone places a pillow behind me. When I feel thirsty, someone pours me fragrant tea. It is naturally good if we can always have our wishes come true.”

The young eunuch in front of her lowered his head, not daring to say anything.

As the former empress’s own daughter, Lee Yu had grown up in the royal palace. Because of her intelligence and cleverness, she was much doted on by others, and her marriage on the far grassland had won her more respect from the subjects of the Tang Empire. She could always get firsthand news from inside or outside the palace thanks to her reputation in the court and outside.

“Did the empress say anything else?”

With his head still lowered, the young eunuch softly answered, “Her Majesty said that she would support Mrs. Zeng to acknowledge her daughter. But Sangsang has served Ning Que for many years and they formed an intimate relationship, so Her Majesty enjoined the Grand Secretary not to break their relations.”

Lee Yu slightly frowned at those words. She recalled the enmity that arose between that guy and her beside the bonfire at the entrance of Northern Mountain Road that year, and could not help feeling indignant. She said coldly, “I have spent two years trying to get close to the pair, yet you should intend to do so just by recognizing a daughter!?”

The young eunuch was even more frightened, constantly kowtowing on his knees.

After a long time of silence, Lee Yu asked, “Are you sure that Sangsang is really the daughter of the Grand Secretary?”

The young eunuch replied, “Judging by the reaction of the Grand Secretary’s wife, it is most probably true.”

“Is there any evidence?”

“I don’t know.”

Lee Yu signaled for him to back off, leaving herself alone in the palace to stare blankly at those complicated and beautiful lines on the column for a long time. She was clear that her indignation came from her powerlessness, so she looked exhausted on the soft couch.

Back then, when she invited Sangsang to play in the princess’ mansion, Ning Que was just a down and out calligraphy writer on Lin 47th Street, so naturally, their communication had nothing to do with utility at all. However, later on, Ning Que made his way in Chang’an City and even became a core disciple of the Headmaster of the Academy. He became a World Wayfarer of the Academy, and it could even be predicted that he could influence the inheritance of the imperial power of the Tang. In this sense, such a communication was naturally mixed with something else.

Lee Yu felt there was no problem with her solution. When she occasionally thought of her acquaintance with the little handmaiden, she was more convinced that an invisible hand was helping her and her royal brother. However, who would expect that, at this moment, Sangsang suddenly had become a daughter of Zeng Jing, who, actually, was a faithful hound of that woman!

If Sangsang was really that baby girl that year in the Grand Secretary’s Mansion, then how could their affection be compared to that between parents and daughter? In view of such an unbreakable relationship, which side would Ning Que choose if they really had to scramble for power someday? At the thought of all that, Lee Yu felt vacant again, and her heart was filled with the depression of being abandoned by Haotian.

…

…

Inside the Old Brush Pen Shop at Lin 47th Street—

“The damned steward stole you from the Official of Counsel’s Mansion when your father and I were distracted. He sold you to a human trafficker. Now I guess the trafficker must have intended to bring you to other counties and sell you. But it was unknown why he had chosen Hebei County. That county was struck by a heavy drought, so even unable to take care of himself, he left you in the wilderness.”

Mrs. Zeng looked at Sangsang with wet eyes, wanting to reach out her hand. But looking at the big rag that was clenched in her hand, she was afraid that Sangsang would be unwilling. So she just nervously twisted her fingers, looking at her with expectation.

Sangsang lowered her head and looked at her toes. She softly said, “That seems reasonable.”

Mrs. Zeng hurriedly replied, “Reasonable, of course, it’s reasonable. My daughter, do you believe that I’m your mother now?”

After a moment of silence, Sangsang raised her head and asked earnestly, “And then?”

Slightly stiffening, Mrs. Zeng at once said tenderly, “Then, you will go back to the Grand Secretary’s Mansion together with us. That’s your family. I have ordered maids to prepare your bedroom and have found maids for you. If you don’t like those in the mansion, tomorrow I will ask the traffickers to bring some for you to choose.”

Sangsang slightly frowned, appearing to be indifferent because she did not know how to express her emotions now.

Zeng Jing, the Grand Secretary, was silently watching them recognize each other. Although he also felt happy, he was not as excited as his wife was. After all, he had children with his ex-wife. When he saw Sangsang’s little darkish face, he tended to think of those bloody days and the things that happened afterward.

Although he had turned his misfortune into a blessing, he did not like those memories. Moreover, as a high official of the Tang, he cared very much about ethics and seniority, so he was a bit unhappy when Sangsang behaved so indifferently toward his wife.

Then he said in an indisputable tone, “Go and pack up your things. Wait, having wandered outside all these years, it seems that you have nothing worth packing. Then go directly back with us. As for your census register, I will ask the Chang’an Local Government to make it. And as for Ning Que, I will invite the Old Chancellor to negotiate with him. So there is nothing that you need to worry about.”

Sangsang thought to herself, “All of these years, young master and I have hidden so many banknotes here. How come that isn’t worth packing up?”

Then she lowered her head again, silently looking at the tips of her shoes. Her darkish face looked blank because she was really at a loss now.

Sangsang had imagined what her parents would be like, but that was only a natural reaction when she saw the parents of others. The reason was unknown but, whether Ning Que, her guardian, was too competent, or the little handmaiden had so few requirements from this world, it was strange that she never envied those who had parents.

The first man that she had seen in this world was Ning Que, and she had been living with Ning Que for all these years. Or it could be said, except for Ning Que, no one else existed in her life, so she had become unaccustomed to living with others. However, today she found that she had parents, and based on her knowledge of customs, parents should be the most intimate people in this world, even more intimate than Ning Que. So did that mean that Ning Que had become an outsider?

Logically, she should have been happy to have found her parents, but at the thought that her former lifestyle of living with only Ning Que would be gone forever, she could no longer feel happy.

Instead, she felt unaccustomed, or even conflicted. So, she slightly shook her head.

Mrs. Zeng was slightly startled, and then understood what she had meant. She could hardly believe her eyes. Zeng Jing looked more serious and severe, and could not understand how there could be somebody who dared to refuse to acknowledge her parents.

Judging from his face, Mrs. Zeng knew he was about to burst in anger, so she darted in front of him and softly said to Sangsang with a smile, “I know this is all too sudden for you to accept it. Or else, you could go to our mansion first. How about just being an adopted daughter of mine? I believe that you will accept me as your mother after living together for a long time.”

Sangsang looked at her and suddenly showed a smile, answering, “I know that you will treat me well.”

Looking at the sincere smile on her little face, Mrs. Zeng felt that her heart was about to melt. She reached out to take the big rag out of her hand and then held her hand, saying tenderly, “Don’t you want to go with us?”

Sangsang still shook her head.

Mrs. Zeng asked in confusion, “Why not?”

Sangsang replied, “Because young master hasn’t come back yet. I will ask him what I should do when he returns. If he thinks that you are my parents, I will, of course, accept you, and then I will come to visit you often.”

Mrs. Zeng had sensed something else from her words, thus, repeating her words in shock, “Visit us often?”

Sangsang said, “Even if I accept you, I still have to live in the shop.”

Mrs. Zeng asked with surprise, “Why?”

Sangsang looked at her and earnestly replied, “Recently, Ning Que has become lazier. He is unwilling to do things and, perhaps, he has forgotten how to do them. So, I have to cook, wash clothes, mop the floor, and wipe the table. Sometimes, I have to drive away those chamberlains who come to steal waste paper. So, I really can’t stay in your mansion.”

The couple froze. They could not at all understand how a little maidservant, who worked like a tired-out slave, was actually bent on doing housework for her lazy young master instead of jumping into their arms with bitter cries upon finding out that she was the daughter of the Grand Secretary… What spell had that guy called Ning Que put on her that their daughter should say something like that?

Sangsang continued, “Moreover, Ning Que sometimes thinks too much, so it’s hard for him to have a sound sleep. Only by holding me can he fall asleep. While sometimes, I also like holding him because it’s warm. So if we are separated, neither of us are able to sleep well.”

The couple glanced at each other, just to see shock and confusion in the other’s eyes. They thought secretly, “Had she already done that thing with Ning Que as his handmaiden? But Sangsang is still young and it looks impossible.”

The door of the Old Brush Pen Shop was pushed open from outside.

Sangsang knew when Ning Que would be back, so she knew that it was not him.

Chen Pipi strode over the threshold with difficulty and rubbed his exhausted round face. At the sight of the situation in the shop, he instantly cheered up, “Are you having some trouble again? What a coincidence! I, the genius, was worried that those guys were frightened by me.”

Sangsang explained, “There’s no trouble, it’s nothing interesting.”

Chen Pipi said, “Then let’s play chess.”

Sangsang smiled apologetically at Mr. and Mrs. Zeng.

…

…

A simple and crude horse carriage entered the east gate of Chang’an City just at the moment the couple was about to leave the Old Brush Pen Shop full of regret. Around the horse carriage was a flourishing spring scene. It was Ning Que and his party, who had come back ahead of time.

Outside Tuyang City, they met with the disciples of Black Ink Garden and together they went south. Today, these girls from the Great River Kingdom finally saw with their own eyes the highly-reputed magnificent city, so they could not restrain themselves from feeling excited.

A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted up, and Mo Shanshan, wearing a white skirt, narrowed her eyes to appreciate the view and people of Chang’an City. A touch of a smile appeared on her beautiful round face, indicating that she also was happy.

The Eldest Brother kneaded his back, which was in pain because of the jolts along the way, and bitterly smiled at Ning Que, who was filled with excitement, asking, “Little Younger Brother, why are you so eager to come back to Chang’an?”

Ning Que seriously answered, “Don’t laugh at me if I tell you the truth. Although I’m not picky about where I sleep, I still can’t have a good sleep unless I’m at home. So, I’m eager to get back home to have a sound sleep.”

Ning Que was still afraid of being laughed at, even if the other person was his Senior Brother, so what he had said was not true. Only he himself knew why he could not sleep well and was so eager to get back.

Outside of the Old Brush Pen Shop, no one prepared water for him to wash his feet, no one cooked noodles with fried eggs, no one handed him his things for washing up, and no one accompanied him when he was full of sorrow. So, he could not live without Sangsang.