27. Little Crescent, when will you show me your true face?
Night at the Yang Estate
The pristine moonlight accompanied a heartbroken Yue’er all the way back to the Yang estate. In truth, it was not just the moonlight; Zhao Chengxian had also been following her from a distance, fearful that she might still be intoxicated and vulnerable to danger. Knowing he could not approach her yet, he could only shield her from afar. Only when he saw her safely enter the estate did he breathe a sigh of relief. Leaning gently against an osmanthus tree, he gazed at the manor and thought, "Little Crescent, when will you finally show me your true self?" His eyes were filled with infinite longing.
Yue’er entered the estate with a heavy heart. This was the place of her origins, a place that forbade her from being her true self. Her feelings toward this home—and toward Old Master Yang—were a complex tangle of gratitude and resentment, reverence and fear. Only a handful of people in the entire estate knew her true gender, and in such matters, the fewer who knew the truth, the safer she remained. Including staff and servants, there were barely twenty people in the household, a meager number for a family of official rank. As Yue’er walked toward the living hall, she saw two maidservants rushing out. She stopped them and asked, "What is the matter? Has something happened to the Mistress?" Qiqi was a dear sister to her, and Yue’er cherished her deeply, for she was a companion who had shared in all her joys and hardships.
The maidservants shook their heads. The taller one replied, "It is not the Madam, sir. It is the Uncle of the State. He is demanding wine, but the supply in the house has run dry, and he is throwing a terrible temper. Please, Master Scholar, go and persuade him!" They had been on their way to find her.
The other maid added, "Yes, Master Scholar, hurry! The Madam sent us specifically to fetch you." Hearing this, Yue’er hurried inside, followed closely by the two maids.
They reached the pavilion in the back garden, where Old Master Yang sat on a bench. Qiqi and the steward stood by, trembling and submissive. Upon seeing Yue’er, Qiqi looked as if she had found a savior and immediately ran to her side. Yue’er looked at the frightened girl and said, "Go and rest; I will handle this." Trusting that her Sister Yue would surely be able to calm the Old Master, Qiqi nodded and left with the maids.
Yue’er signaled for the steward to leave as well. She knew what day it was; having spent two years by the Old Master’s side, she would have been foolish not to. It was the birthday of his late wife, Princess Feng—a day that, by coincidence, fell on the same date as the old Princess Dowager’s. Every year on this day, the Old Master would drink himself into a stupor. It was no wonder he was venting his frustration; there simply wasn't enough wine to drown his sorrows. Yue’er walked over and sat opposite him, keeping him company in silence. After a while, the Old Master spoke. "Feng’er and I were childhood sweethearts. I remember the first time I saw her was when I accompanied my sister to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. I was ten, and she was seven. From the moment I saw that adorable little girl, I knew. I began visiting the palace often to play with her, and eleven years later, I finally married her. I thought we would be together forever, but even though her vows of growing old together still echo in my ears, she has vanished from this world." Twenty years of love were not easily erased by a lifetime.
Yue’er looked at the Old Master, who was trapped in the depths of his memories, and asked, "Master, I know that it was Princess Feng’s dream for a woman to become a top scholar, and I understand that you wish to fulfill it. But why did you choose me?" When Yue’er was in a good mood, she called him Master; when she was not, she simply called him Old Master Yang. Their relationship was, for the most part, quite at ease.
Old Master Yang stood up and gazed into the distance. "Perhaps it is because your character resembles hers. Neither of you were delicate, small-minded girls, but rather women of extraordinary temperament. The moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one who could fulfill her final wish." Hearing his explanation, everything became clear to Yue’er—why he had used his long-distance voice projection to summon her to him, and why all of this had come to pass.