Chapter 471: The Dugu Family Banquet (Part 2)

Family banquets usually lasted for a long time. In the evenings, with nothing much to do, the banquet became an opportunity for people to gather, talk, and chat, and time passed unnoticed. Before they knew it, almost two hours had gone by, and it was already dark. The young grandson, Dugu Zhi, had gone to bed; his mother had carried him back to his room. The banquet then turned into a gathering of adults discussing current affairs. Dugu Changfeng recounted the drought in Henan Province and the hardships faced by the people there over the past couple of years.

“Over the past few years, Henan Province has suffered disasters almost every year. When the great general was the governor there, a drought struck, though it was not severe. Last year, there was another drought, resulting in a 40% reduction in autumn harvests in Xuzhou and Bianzhou. This spring, a locust plague broke out, worst hit in Songzhou and Bianzhou, where the locusts covered everything in sight. In the summer, heavy rains caused the Yellow River to overflow in Heyin County, flooding three counties—Heyin, Xingze, and Yuanwu—killing tens of thousands of people.”

Dugu Changfeng sighed and added, “That’s why officials in Anxi are mobilizing people to move to the disaster areas. Although the journey is dauntingly long, many still want to go, as life there has become unbearable.”

Li Qing’an nodded and asked, “What if I recruit an additional 50,000 immigrants to bring the total to 100,000? Do you think that’s possible?”

Dugu Changfeng thought for a moment before saying, “100,000 might be a bit much. Bianzhou has only 57,000 households, Xuzhou has slightly more at 73,200 households. The other provinces are smaller—Caizhou has 12,000 households, Huazhou has 13,000, and Chenzhou has just over 6,000. Including unregistered households and escaped slaves, 70,000 might be achievable, but 100,000 seems unrealistic.”

Pei Min also advised, “Great general, the relocation should be done step by step. Once the first batch succeeds and is properly settled, it will serve as a precedent, making it easier to mobilize more people later.”

As the men discussed immigration and disaster relief, Mingzhu initially pretended to pay attention, but gradually she began to doze off. Seeing that the other two girls also looked tired, she quietly pulled them aside, and the three girls slipped out of the guest room and went outside.

Mingzhu took a deep breath of fresh air and said to Wan’er and Pei Yu, “Let’s go to the Western Market! It’s not far from here. We can buy some fragrances.”

Pei Wan’er shook her head and said, “I haven’t told my family yet, so I can’t go. You three go ahead!”

Pei Yu never had much independence; if Wan’er didn’t go, she naturally wouldn’t go either. Seeing Wan’er decline, Mingzhu frowned and said, “You’re so boring. Your courage is even less than a rabbit’s. When I was your age, I went to Anxi by myself! When you get married someday, I bet your husband will tell you to go east, and you won’t dare go west. Sigh! Can’t you just live more freely?”
Although Pei Wan’er was young, she had a mature personality. She didn’t argue with Mingzhu but just smiled and said, “How about we go learn embroidery from our elder sister? I’ve seen her embroidery—it’s truly amazing.”
“Amazing to you, but a headache to me.”
Mingzhu pouted and lazily said, “I have three fears: one is learning embroidery, the second is studying hard, and the third is being matched through arranged marriages.”
At that moment, an idea struck Mingzhu. She thought of something fun and smiled, “I’m such an idiot. I forgot something right in front of me. Come with me quickly.”
She led the two Pei sisters to the main hall. “Mingzhu, what are you going to show us?”
“You’ll know when you come.”
Mingzhu ran into the main hall of the Dugu residence. She went to a three-foot-tall copper vase in the corner of the hall. Inside the vase was a bunch of artificial flowers made of silk. Mingzhu carefully removed the artificial flowers and placed them on the table. Turning around with a mysterious smile, she asked, “What do you think of this?”
Pei Yu laughed and said, “Mingzhu, are you thinking of playing pot-throwing?”
“That’s right. I’ve measured this copper pot—it’s exactly the same size as a real one for pot-throwing. Since we have nothing to do now, let’s play pot-throwing. What do you say?”
Pot-throwing was a game suitable for everyone, young or old, from noble families to commoners. Almost every household had arrows and copper pots, just like how almost every household has a set of mahjong tiles nowadays. After family meals at the Pei residence, they would gather to play arrow-throwing, which the two Pei sisters loved very much.
“This game is great! I like it!” Pei Yu clapped her hands happily.
Wan’er also smiled and nodded, indicating she was willing to play. But after a moment, she looked around and asked, “Where are the arrows? And the marks? How should we draw them? This is the guest hall. Can we play here?”
“No problem. I often play here.”
Mingzhu rolled up her sleeves, reached into the copper pot, and took out five iron arrows. Smiling, she said, “I’ve always kept these arrows here.”
She placed the copper pot in the center of the guest hall and took four teacups from the table, placing them on the carpet one by one. Clapping her hands, she said, “Alright. The four teacups represent five feet, ten feet, twenty feet, and thirty feet of distance. Let’s be careful not to break the teacups.”

Mingzhu took three arrows, ran twenty feet away, aimed, and shot them one after another. Three loud “thuds” were heard as the arrows accurately landed in the copper pot.
“How’s that? Not bad, right?” Mingzhu said proudly with a smile.
Although the two Pei sisters also often shot arrows, they didn’t have Mingzhu’s skill. Waner was surprised and said, “Mingzhu, you could go compete.”
“Of course! I’ve practiced for a whole year. Out to twenty feet, I can hit eight out of ten arrows. Last year, I came in second in the pot-throwing competition at Wuben Workshop.”
Pei Yu felt disheartened and said, “What’s the fun in that? You win anyway.”
“You two silly girls, it’s not just the three of us playing. Isn’t my brother-in-law here? Today, I’m going to defeat him and show him what this girl is capable of.”
Mingzhu handed the arrows to them and said with a smile, “Wait here. I’ll go find him.”
Watching Mingzhu hurry off, Pei Yu whispered to Waner, “Sis Waner, it seems she has some feelings for Li Qing’an too…”
“Stop talking. My head hurts a bit. I want to go for a walk. Wait here for Mingzhu! When she comes, tell her I don’t want to play and I’m going home first.”
Pei Yu understood Waner’s thoughts and nodded. Waner then left in a hurry.
Mingzhu rushed back to the small guest hall like the wind. But as soon as she entered, she was stunned. Her uncle, father, and elder brother were all there, but Li Qing’an was nowhere to be seen. She quietly went over to her elder brother and asked, “Elder brother, where did my brother-in-law go?”
“Weren’t he looking for you guys? Did you not meet him?” Du Gu Changfeng asked with a smile.
“That’s strange. Where could he have gone to look for us?” Mingzhu murmured to herself. She turned and left the small guest hall, only to encounter a maid coming by. She asked, “Chuntao, have you seen my brother-in-law?”
The maid pointed toward the small garden to the east and said with a smile, “I saw him go that way.”
Mingzhu knew there was a pavilion over there and guessed Li Qing’an must have gone there. She hurried in that direction.
…
After a tiring day of work, Li Qing’an was quite exhausted. He had also drunk a few extra cups earlier, so, inspired by the alcohol, he went out to look for the three girls. At that moment, he heard the sound of bells coming from a temple. The melodious bells captivated him, and before he knew it, he found himself in the eastern garden.

The East Garden of the Dugu Mansion was actually a pond covering about three mu, filled with lotus flowers. A small path led straight into the pond, and at the end of the path stood a pavilion in the center of the pond. This pavilion was called the “Pavilion of Sitting with the Lotus,” a perfect place to admire the lotus flowers in summer. But now it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the lotus flowers had withered, while the lotus leaves were gradually turning yellow and drying up. In another month, it would be time to dig for lotus roots.

Li Qingan strolled toward the pavilion. When he looked up, he seemed to see someone inside. Upon closer inspection, it was a woman—extremely beautiful, slender, with hair pinned back in a swallow-tail style. Her graceful figure and delicate body were clad in a light green silk dress that shone under the moonlight. She was sitting on the railing, seemingly enjoying the view of the lotus pond on an autumn night.

Li Qingan suddenly recognized her as Pei Wan’er. Why was she here alone? In the moonlight, he noticed a hint of sadness in her eyes and brows. He slowly approached the pavilion and said with a smile, “Miss Pei!”

Pei Wan’er was startled. When she turned around, she saw Li Qingan standing at the entrance of the pavilion, smiling at her. Frightened, she quickly stood up, her heart pounding. She lowered her head and said softly, “General Li, how did you come here?”

“I heard the sound of bells and was drawn here. I didn’t expect to find a pavilion, so I came to take a look and happened to see you.”

Li Qingan stepped closer to her and said with a smile, “Why aren’t you with Pei Yu?”

“They are playing a game of throwing pots. I wasn’t interested, so I came out for a walk. I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Stay a little longer. Don’t rush to go. It’s rare to see you.”

Li Qingan had said this unintentionally, but after saying it, he realized there was a problem with his words. If they were friends, it wouldn’t matter, but since he and the Pei family had already reached an agreement for a marriage alliance—meaning Pei Wan’er was going to marry him—their relationship was extraordinary. Thus, his words carried deeper meaning.

Li Qingan wanted to correct himself, but seeing Pei Wan’er with her head lowered, her face flushed, and her eyes filled with affection, looking overjoyed and incredibly adorable, he swallowed back what he was about to say.

For a while, they had nothing to say, and the atmosphere became awkward. Li Qingan looked around and said, “This pond is quite nice. I can imagine it covered with lotus flowers in summer. Miss Pei, do you like lotus flowers?”

“Hmm! There’s also a pond in my backyard, filled with lotus flowers. In summer, the whole garden is filled with their fragrance. But I prefer spring—those fresh greens, the scent of the lotus leaves, and when the lotus buds just start to appear. It’s a scene I can hardly describe.”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “It’s the scene where ‘the little lotus just shows its tip, and already a dragonfly perches on it,’ right?”
Pei Wan’er repeated those words softly twice, her eyes lighting up as she exclaimed, “Exactly that scene! The general’s poetry truly captures it vividly.”
“Hehe! In my free time, I sometimes write poems too. This pond with its withered lotuses also has its own beauty—it depends on whether one can appreciate and understand it. These past few days have been continuous autumn rains. If it were me, I would come to this pavilion, close my eyes, and listen to the sound of the rain on the lotus leaves. Such a scene could be described as ‘The autumn gloom lingers, frost flies late; I stay to hear the rain on the withered lotuses.’”
Unlike people today who use luxury cars to pursue girls, people in the Tang Dynasty used poetry. A good poem was enough to win a heart. Back then, Li Qing’an had won Mingyue’s heart with the lines ‘Reading the sword by lamplight in drunkenness, dreaming of the bugles echoing through the camps.’ Today, he did the same, using verses about spring and autumn lotuses to touch Pei Wan’er’s heart.
In truth, Li Qing’an felt more pity for Pei Wan’er. Their relationship was already settled—no matter how wildly he acted in front of her, it wouldn’t change the fact that she would marry him. Yet he felt it was only right to use a touch of tenderness to win her heart, so that she could also experience the joy of mutual love.
Sure enough, the line ‘I stay to hear the rain on the withered lotuses’ brought a dreamy, intoxicated look to Pei Wan’er’s eyes. After a long while, she softly sighed, “The autumn gloom lingers, frost flies late; I stay to hear the rain on the withered lotuses. What a profoundly beautiful scene.”
She turned to Li Qing’an, bowed gracefully, and said gratefully, “Thank you, General Li, for your poetry, which allows me to experience such a magnificent poetic scene.”
At that moment, a night breeze blew, bringing a hint of autumn chill. Seeing that Wan’er was dressed lightly, Li Qing’an gently said, “Miss Wan’er, let’s go back.”
“Hmm!” Pei Wan’er nodded obediently and followed Li Qing’an out of the pavilion. But once outside, Li Qing’an turned right—a path that wasn’t back home, but rather a small willow grove. Pei Wan’er hesitated for a moment but still followed Li Qing’an slowly forward.

Li Qing’an slowed his pace, allowing Pei Wan’er to walk beside him. After a few steps in silence, he gently took hold of Pei Wan’er’s delicate and smooth hands. Pei Wan’er tried to pull away slightly but couldn’t free herself from his grasp. Shy, she turned her head to the side and covered her cheeks with the back of her other hand, yet joy shone in her eyes.

Li Qing’an continued to hold Pei Wan’er’s hand as they walked toward the willow grove, his heart growing warmer. Just then, a sharp shout came from behind them: “What are you two doing?”

Startled, the two quickly let go of each other. Turning around, they saw Mingzhu staring at them angrily, her eyes almost blazing with fury. After searching around and not finding Li Qing’an, she heard an old woman in charge of the pond say that the groom and Miss Pei were in the pavilion. Confused, she rushed over and finally found them, only to witness a scene that filled her with extreme anger: they were holding hands.

Mingzhu was so furious she almost lost her senses. She rushed forward a few steps before suddenly stopping, her chest heaving. Struggling to control her anger, she stared at Li Qing’an and said, “Brother-in-law, with my sister not here, you still do such things. Do you think you can treat her fairly?”

Only then did Li Qing’an realize that Mingzhu didn’t know he had already engaged to Wan’er. Feeling a hint of guilt, he spoke softly to her, “Mingzhu, it’s not what you think.”

“How else could I think it?”
Mingzhu’s voice trembled as she turned to look at the solitary moon in the sky. Her lips were almost bitten through as she said in a trembling voice, “What am I to you? How can I control you? You are the noble Prince Zhao—you can have as many women as you want. I’m just an unripe fruit; I have no right to interfere with you. But this is my home. Even if you like sweet apples, you can’t pick them here and treat me like this.”

With that, Mingzhu burst into tears. She turned and ran, hiding under a tree where she collapsed and wept bitterly.