After having to deal with people the entire afternoon, she was finally able to vent her frustrations and naturally did it without holding back. Taking advantage of the fact that Xie Xuanchen couldn’t hear her, she completely let go, talking loudly and unreservedly about whatever came to mind.
As usual, she helped him sit up so she could begin to feed him, but once again, she found that he refused to be cooperative.
… Taking care of a pretty boy was too difficult.
Reminding herself to be patient, she slowly fed him small spoonful by spoonful. By the time she saw the bottom of the bowl, there were already beads of sweat dripping down her temples. Feeding this man one bowl of congee was even more tiring than having to roll up her sleeves and personally cook an entire meal!
Mu Mingtang wiped the corners of his mouth, laid him back down, and got down from the bed to indulge in her own portion of the meal. Unsurprisingly, the food was cold again.
The congee that Xie Xuanchen consumed was from her meal box. This was going to be a long-term thing, so in order to deceive the maidservants and the soldiers outside, she had no choice but to make it appear as though she had a large appetite and needed several dishes with every meal. She even deliberately stirred the food in every bowl to give the impression that she had eaten everything.
Just like in the afternoon, she left the empty boxes outside and someone picked it up.
Although it was summer, the Yulin Pavilion was deep and dark. Mu Mingtang took a lantern and lit up the candles one by one. While she was doing this, she suddenly looked back at the luxurious room. How magnificent was the sight of the Yulin Pavilion when it was at its peak, and all of the candles were lit?
Mu Mingtang smiled at this and continued working. However, the magnificence of the Yulin Pavilion in the past had nothing to do with her. She wasn’t able to see Xie Xuanchen during his glorious days, but being able to accompany him during his lowest and most helpless times was already enough for her.
Lighting up every candle in the pavilion was no easy or quick affair, but she managed to do it. The lights were bright and lively; however, she was the only one present and awake to witness it.
When she went to bed, she would need to walk around again and blow them out one by one, but that didn’t matter since she had nothing to do anyway. By the time Mu Mingtang returned to Xie Xuanchen’s bedchamber, she was already exhausted from all the walking. She put the lantern on the high, plain table beside the bed and sighe, “When I heard that rich people would get tired just from walking around their own residence before, I didn’t believe it, but now I see that it’s true.”
She looked back and murmured, “Speaking of, it’s frightening to live in such a big house alone.”
Despite all of the candles she had lit, the place was still dark, so she decided to stay by Xie Xuanchen’s side instead of going back to her corner. Xie Xuanchen’s reputation for killing could probably scare away the evil spirits that came out at night.
As she sat beside him, she tried to think of things to say. “Your Highness Qiyang, you’re the Marquis of Wu’an. I’m ashamed that I didn’t know the name of my savior. When I got to the capital, I heard about Xie Xuanchen, the Prince of Qiyang. Xuanchen, ‘the darkling skies and yellow earth, amid great chaos had their birth. Then Sun and Moon their courses ran, then stars were set and round they span.’ A very good name. The late emperor must’ve held great expectations for you when he gave you this name, and you certainly didn’t betray those expectations, Your Highness. You shone as brightly as the stars in the sky. “
At the mention of names, Mu Mingtang couldn’t help but think of her own. She said, “I’ve lost my name, but… My birthday is on the first day of April. When the news came out that I was a girl, my father looked at the blossoming belongia flowers outside, patted my head, and gave me the name Mingtang. I’m lucky we didn’t have any bushy tailed plants outside our home.”
“I heard that Jiang Mingwei’s name comes from the poem ‘Song of the Bowmen of Shu.’ I think it goes… ‘Here we are, picking the first fern-shoots, and saying, when shall we get back to our country?’ As for the Prince of Jin, his name is probably referring to how the sea embraces all rivers and helps the world at the same time.” The more she talked, the more she felt the sadness she had buried deep in her heart creep up. She clapped her hands together and said, “So, I should read more books. My future daughter deserves to have the best name.”