We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real? Chapter 652: Truly... Beautiful

"Steamed buns, fresh and fragrant, piping hot buns right here..."

"Candied haws, delicious candied haws..."

"Mother, I want candied haws..."

"Good sir, won't you come up to the tavern for a few cups? Our proprietor brews the wine himself, and it's truly something fine."

All along the street, every shop and stall called out without cease. The passersby moving to and fro could not help but let their eyes drift in one direction.

Xiao Mo, dressed in the blue scholar's robe of a Confucian student, and Yan Ruxue, dressed in a plain white gown, walked side by side. The sight of them together, a handsome young man and a beautiful woman, was pleasing to the eye of anyone who chanced to look.

After Xiao Mo and Yan Ruxue had met before the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall just now, and seeing that the Hall was not far from the Yan residence, the two of them set off in that direction at Yan Ruxue's invitation.

"It feels as though arriving empty-handed is rather discourteous of me," Xiao Mo said, feeling he ought to bring something along.

"Your Majesty need not stand on such ceremony. We are all one family, after all, and a small gift or none at all truly does not matter," Yan Ruxue said with a smile. "On the contrary, if Your Majesty were to arrive bearing gifts, however ordinary the things might be, Father and Mother would not dare accept them."

"That... does seem to be true, now that I think about it."

Listening to Ruxue's words, Xiao Mo laughed as well, finding the reasoning sound, and let the matter of a gift go without further thought.

Before long, the two of them arrived at the Yan residence. When the maidservants saw their young mistress return with a man of extraordinary bearing walking so close beside her, their shoulders nearly touching, even the most simple-minded among them understood at once who this person must be.

"This servant pays respects to Your Majesty, and to the Consort." The maidservants hurried to bow, kneeling upon the ground, not daring to rise.

"All of you, please rise. Simply treat me as an ordinary guest and do not make a commotion," Xiao Mo said to them.

"But..." The maidservants glanced at one another, then looked toward their young mistress, unable to decide.

"Do as His Majesty says. Treat His Majesty as though he were never here, and above all, do not draw the entire household to come and pay their respects," Yan Ruxue said, raising a hand to her lips with a soft smile. "Is my mother in the residence at the moment?"

"In reply to the Consort, the Madam is in the Buddha hall reading the sutras," one maidservant answered, rising.

"I see." Yan Ruxue nodded. "You may all withdraw."

"Yes, Consort."

The maidservants withdrew with a bow, and as they left, more than one stole a second glance at Xiao Mo. After all, this was the sovereign of the Zhou Kingdom, and the likes of them would likely only ever set eyes on him this once, so they had to look their fill. And His Majesty was, it had to be said, exceedingly handsome...

"Your Majesty, please follow me." Yan Ruxue said gently.

"Then I leave it to Ruxue to lead the way."

Xiao Mo nodded and followed Yan Ruxue forward.

Half an incense stick's time later, the two arrived before the doors of the Buddha hall.

"Mother, your daughter has come to visit."

A gentle knock sounded at the door, and Yan Ruxue's voice drifted inside.

"Ruxue is back."

Recognizing her own daughter's voice, a flash of delight passed through Madam Yan's eyes within the hall. She rose at once and opened the door but the moment Madam Yan saw the man standing beside her daughter, her expression faltered.

"Your... Your Majesty?"

"This subject's wife pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Recovering herself, Madam Yan moved to bow before Xiao Mo.

"Madam Yan is too courteous." Xiao Mo stepped forward at once to support her. "You are an elder. What sense is there in a mother-in-law bowing to her son-in-law?"

Madam Yan shook her head, "Though that may be so, the distinction between sovereign and subject is what it is. How could this subject's wife presume to be so familiar?"

"Mother, it is quite all right. His Majesty is traveling incognito today, and it was only by chance that he met your daughter along the way and was brought here by her. If Mother continues to stand on such ceremony, His Majesty will simply have to take his leave."

Yan Ruxue said to her mother with a smile.

"Precisely." Xiao Mo adopted an air of mock gravity, nodding with deliberate solemnity. "If you continue to be so ceremonious, we shall be quite displeased."

"Well then... very well."

Seeing that both His Majesty and her own daughter said so, Madam Yan relented, and quickly invited Xiao Mo inside the Buddha hall.

Xiao Mo looked around the hall. Though it was smaller than the one the Empress Dowager had arranged within the palace, the Buddha image and the various sutras were all present in full. He could also see the densely filled hand-copied manuscripts stacked on Madam Yan's shelves, which told him that she was not, like the Empress Dowager, someone who had come to Buddhism late in life, but had been a genuine devotee for many years.

Within the Buddha hall, Xiao Mo and Madam Yan exchanged pleasantries about the ordinary matters of daily life, and talked a while about passages from the Buddhist sutras. Madam Yan had been somewhat reserved at first, but gradually, finding that His Majesty truly bore no air of superiority, and that his manner was warm and gentle as a scholar's, she grew more and more at ease, and her regard for Xiao Mo deepened with each passing moment.

She felt that even if the man before her were not the sovereign of the Zhou Kingdom but merely an ordinary scholar, she would find him greatly to her liking, and would be glad to have him as her son-in-law.

"Madam Yan's understanding of the Dharma is quite considerable. My imperial mother has also devoted herself to reciting sutras and cultivating the mind these recent days. You need not send word ahead, Madam Yan, please come to the palace whenever you wish, to discuss the Dharma with the Empress Dowager. Master Wangxin is also in residence at the palace."

After speaking with Madam Yan for a full incense stick's time, Xiao Mo felt it would be presumptuous to linger further, and rose to take his leave.

"Many thanks to Your Majesty."

Madam Yan rose as well, returning the courtesy, her eyes bright with pleasure.

"Ruxue, His Majesty has come all this way to our Yan residence. Take him on a proper walk through the grounds, and be sure to entertain His Majesty well."

"Very well, Mother. Please rest well. His Majesty and I shall leave you in peace now." Yan Ruxue replied with a gentle nod.

Xiao Mo exchanged a few more parting words with Madam Yan, then walked out of the room with Yan Ruxue.

Yan Ruxue led Xiao Mo through the courtyards of the Yan residence on a leisurely stroll. The estate was indeed of considerable size, yet within the courtyards there were none of the precious calligraphy, paintings, spirit flowers, or spirit herbs one might expect from a household of such standing. By comparison, the whole of the Yan residence had a certain simplicity and plainness about it.

And yet it was precisely this simplicity that lent the spacious estate a warmth it might otherwise have lacked. Beyond this, most of the maidservants in the Yan residence wore smiles upon their faces, and from time to time one could even hear their laughter and banter drifting across the grounds. It was evident that, though the Yan household's rules were less strict than those of most court officials, the servants within felt a strong sense of belonging and affection for the place. There was not the slightest air of constraint about the entire estate.

"These stone carvings are rather remarkable."

Xiao Mo clasped his hands behind his back, studying the rock sculptures arranged among the flower beds.

"All of those were carved by Father himself," Yan Ruxue explained. "When Father was still serving as Minister of Rites, his duties were comparatively undemanding. Beyond matters of state ceremonies, the imperial examinations, and receiving envoys, there was little else to occupy him, so he often busied himself with such things and actually developed quite a respectable skill for it."

"Back then, friends at court would even invite Father to come carve at their estates, and if fine stone was provided, Father would rarely refuse, and would sometimes even pay for the privilege himself. But ever since Father took up the position of Chancellor, he has no longer had the leisure for any of this. Even when others invite him to carve, Father no longer feels it fitting to accept, and many have sent him unusual stones as gifts, which he has returned every time."

"Father even comes home considerably less often than before. Mother has had words with him about it more than a few times on that account."

"It seems I have played the villain, then, keeping Chancellor Yan from his pleasant pastime and keeping him away from Madam Yan," Xiao Mo said with a laugh.

"Not at all." Yan Ruxue smiled softly. "Though Mother complains about Father now and then, Father is genuinely glad at heart to be of service to the people of the Zhou Kingdom. And whenever Mother sees him with that look of proud purpose about him, she is secretly pleased as well, truth be told."

As she finished speaking, Yan Ruxue lifted her head and glanced at the sky. "Your Majesty has been walking for quite some time. Would you care to come to this concubine's courtyard for a cup of tea and a rest? We could take our evening meal here in the residence before returning to the palace together."

"Of course. I have never been to Ruxue's own quarters before," Xiao Mo agreed with a nod.

"This way, if it please Your Majesty."

Yan Ruxue inclined her head slightly and led Xiao Mo toward the courtyard where she resided.

Half an incense stick's time later, Xiao Mo passed through a courtyard gate and arrived at Yan Ruxue's personal quarters.

Everywhere his gaze fell within the courtyard, it was met with shades of blue-green and violet, vivid and striking. Plants in these two hues grew throughout the yard, and when a breeze moved through them, it carried a faint, clean fragrance.

"These are... blue waterfall flowers and purple sun grass?"

Xiao Mo stepped forward and gently touched the petal of a blue waterfall flower, taking care not to press too hard for fear of causing it to fall.

"Just so." Yan Ruxue nodded. "I did not expect Your Majesty to recognize them."

"I suppose... I do recognize them..." Xiao Mo's brow furrowed.

He knew perfectly well that he had never encountered these two plants before, and they were certainly not to be found anywhere within the palace. Yet for reasons he could not explain, the moment he laid eyes on them, their names came to him at once.

"Does Ruxue have a particular fondness for these two plants? Is there something special about them?" Xiao Mo turned and asked the woman behind him.

"Nothing especially remarkable, really. Both plants are no more than ordinary medicinal herbs," Yan Ruxue said, shaking her head gently. "It is only that, to this concubine, the blue waterfall flower and purple sun grass are lovelier than any spirit flower or spirit herb the world has to offer."

"Why is that?" Xiao Mo's curiosity deepened.

"That is this concubine's secret, and cannot be told to Your Majesty just yet."

Yan Ruxue raised a delicate finger to her lips with a playful smile, then turned and walked into the inner chamber.

Xiao Mo followed her inside.

Yan Ruxue's chamber was simple and uncluttered. Beyond the bed, the wooden table, and the window ledge where books were kept, the room held only a few carefully tended potted plants and several scrolls of calligraphy and painting hung upon the walls.

"Are all of these works your own, Ruxue?" Xiao Mo asked.

"They are." Yan Ruxue nodded. "When time allows, I paint a picture or write a piece of calligraphy. The skill is nothing to speak of, and I fear it has made Your Majesty laugh."

Xiao Mo shook his head. "Ruxue's mastery of painting and calligraphy is already at the level of a true master. There are few in this world who could surpass it. What is there to laugh at?"

"When did Your Majesty become so skilled at giving compliments?" Hearing his praise, Yan Ruxue raised a hand to her lips with a soft laugh. "If this goes on much longer, this concubine will become quite vain."

"I am only speaking the truth."

Xiao Mo moved toward the woman's dressing table. Upon it rested ornaments of every kind, golden and silver hair-combs, glass bead clusters, and crystal hair-pins of every description. And among all these hair-pins, there sat a small wooden box, looking utterly plain and unremarkable.

The box had a worn, aged quality to it, as though it had accumulated a good many years.

"May I open it?" Xiao Mo looked at the wooden box, curious, and with a curious sense of closeness he could not quite explain.

Yan Ruxue followed his gaze to the wooden box on the dressing table, and her expression flickered for just a moment, but she nodded nonetheless, as though there were no request of Xiao Mo's she could bring herself to refuse. "If Your Majesty wishes to look, then of course."

Xiao Mo reached out, picked up the box, and opened it.

Lying quietly within was a single hair-pin carved from the wood of a deer-spirit tree.

The pin appeared nothing out of the ordinary, a simple carving of plain wood, only slightly finer in material than what could be found in any market stall, and even then only by a little. A family of modest means, saving up a small amount, could have afforded its purchase without difficulty.

And yet... though the pin was somewhat roughly made, bearing the marks of an inexperienced carver, Xiao Mo could feel, in looking at it, that the person who had carved it had done so with extraordinary care and devotion.

He looked at it, and looked, and without warning a haze seemed to settle over his expression. In his mind's eye arose the image of a young man and a young woman, and in his ears sounded a voice both familiar and strange.

"When I sat for the children's examination, the county magistrate kept me for dinner afterward, and I was delayed by several days. I knew she would be angry when I came home, so in my spare time I carved this hair-pin, meaning to offer it as an apology. But now it seems she did not wait for me after all, so I suppose the pin is no longer needed."

A young man, just returned from his examination, sighed and said these words to a young woman who had long been waiting.

"Who said I don't want it! I want it!"

The young woman who had been angry a moment before snatched the hair-pin away at once. Holding it in her hands, she gazed at it, her curved eyes full of delight, as though she had received the most precious treasure in the world.

"Quickly, Xiao Mo! Help me put it in!"

The young woman held the pin out to him, her voice light and happy.

"Your Majesty, what is it? Your Majesty..."

Just as Xiao Mo lost himself in the vision, Yan Ruxue's gentle voice reached his ears.

"Nothing." Xiao Mo came back to himself, shaking his head. His gaze settled upon Yan Ruxue and did not shift away for a single moment. "I simply thought this deer-spirit wood hair-pin rather too plain."

"But it is this concubine's favorite hair-pin."

Yan Ruxue gave a small pout but soon, that flawless face broke into a radiant smile. "Speaking of which, this concubine has not worn this pin in quite some time. Might Your Majesty help this concubine put it in?"

"Of course."

Xiao Mo nodded, carefully drawing out the hair-comb already threaded into her hair, then taking the deer-spirit wood pin from the box and gently setting it into Yan Ruxue's hair.

"How does Your Majesty find it? Does it look well?"

("What do you think, Xiao Mo? Do I look nice?")

Yan Ruxue stepped back a pace, smiling like a flower in bloom.

(A young woman who had waited a long while stepped back a pace, turning lightly in her plain white skirt.)

"Mm."

Looking at the woman before him, (the young girl before him), Xiao Mo's (the young man's) expression grew ever more distant as he slowly nodded.

"Truly... beautiful."