Chapter Twenty-four, Ice-skating

He did not notice when he went [to He Xuan’s residence], but now that he was reminded by He Xuan, on the way back, Xiao Zuo certainly saw many dried fruit stores already start to stock up on New Years goods, the clothing store’s entrance was also crowded with people, probably all to buy a set of new clothes for the new year.

Xiao Zuo walked on the side of the street by himself. The commoners on the street were all in merry spirits, carrying big bags of New Years goods, he also felt the heavy past pressed on his heart slightly loosen up for once, as though also influenced by Jin’s commoner’s New Years spirit. Xiao Zuo’s steps also lightened up quite a bit, and even slightly hummed a Nan Liang children’s song in a yearning manner all the way back to the residence.

❀

Close to the new year, the palace would often send New Years goods in the form of some cotton clothes and fruits, and due to He Xuan’s care, the goods sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the residence were all top-rate.

In these days, Xiao Zuo had nothing to do in the residence, and for the most part, he was already familiar with the path to the crown prince residence, so he would go more often. He particularly liked the vermilion street’s newly-opened steamed cake store, so each time he went, he would bring some piping-hot steamed purple yam cake.

Oftentimes, He Xuan would be looking over documents, so Xiao Zuo would curl up in his study and pick a few miscellaneous books from Jin to read, and take a bite of the sweet purple yam cakes in the warm study, practically like a day of a celestial. Each time He Xuan saw it, he would have the maids steep him a tea he liked drinking, and was considered to have tacitly agreed to it.

Now that the weather was much colder, the water in the moat froze with a thick layer of ice, enough that people and horses would be safe on top of it as well. Zi Wan dressed Xiao Zuo in a thick fox coat and also got a hat for him. When he went out the door, he glanced in the mirror, and laughed at his own white bear-like appearance, and laughed so much he was letting out white vapour.

Zi Wan saw how he still went to the crown prince residence all day, and was a bit worried in public and in private.

“Duke, going to the crown prince residence again?”

Xiao Zuo nodded his head, and comforted her, “As it’s close to the end of the year, his Highness has been very busy, so it’s been a rare opportunity to be able to speak with me.”

How wouldn’t he know that what Zi Wan wanted to say was not this, however, even though it was said that war had already gone by for almost half a year already, time did not blur his memories, and instead made him more sensitive. When he was sleeping by himself, he would often be startled awake in the middle of the night, and would always feel that those long and unceasing winds outside the windows were like Nan Liang’s dead soldiers crying in hell.

In his own room, he would lose sleep each and every night, but only in He Xuan’s residence, when he heard the rustling sounds of him lowering his head making remarks on documents, would he have a kind of strange feeling of peace. He did not know what kind of thoughts he had towards He Xuan nor did he want to understand it, but sometimes, being a bit muddled was much better than being clear-headed.

As he said it, he did not wait for Zi Wan to say anymore, and hurriedly went out the door.

❀

“His Highness has went out since the morning today.” That small servant boy slightly awkwardly rubbed his hands and answered him. Xiao Zuo knitted his eyebrows, and slightly dejectedly nodded his head, “Then did his Highness said when he would come back?”

“This…… this servant does not know.”

“Mm.” Xiao Zuo drank tea in the front reception for welcoming guests, and waited for another incense’s time, but did not manage to see He Xuan. He finished the final bit of tea, and resigned to his fate and grabbed the jacket about to wear it, and just so happen to hear the sound of footsteps coming from the door.

“Xiao’Zuo came?” Though because of the name, Xiao Zuo and xiao’Zuo seemed to have a slight tonal difference, but this slightly trivial tone change instead made people faintly feel some unclear intimacy.

“Your Highness!” Xiao Zuo narrowed his eyes and smiled, and put the jacket back, then said, “Your Highness has finally come back.”

“Do you have something going on later?” He Xuan did not take off his gloves, and looked to be prepared to go out again in a bit, “I’ll bring you ice-skating.”

“Ice-skating?” Nan Liang was much warmer than Jin- even in the middle of winter, the surface of the lake would merely freeze with a layer of thin ice. In the past, Xiao Zuo only heard that in the north’s winters, there was a tradition for the commoners to ice-skate, but he never had the chance to try, and at this time, his eyes were all lit up, and immediately put on his jacket, “Yes! I have never skated before despite being this old.”

“Then again. Nan Liang probably cannot freeze that thick of an ice.” He Xuan also smiled, and lifted his chin towards a small servant boy at the back, “Prepare a pair of ice shoes for the duke as well, double-teethed.”

As he said this, he explained to Xiao Zuo, “It’s the first time you are skating, double-teethed would make it not easy to slip.”

Not far from outside the city was an ice-skating field, originally a fairly small lake, with the sides set with fur-cushioned chairs, and the tables even had fruits transported from the south, presented for use during rest. To the side were a few servants all dressed neatly and orderly, probably arranged to support guests who have fallen. With one look at it, this ice field was probably expensive, especially made for the capital’s wealthy and officials to play in. Today, He Xuan reserved the entire place, so there was only him and Xiao Zuo, and the originally not-big lake instead seemed to have widened up much more.

He Xuan first had the servant boy help Xiao Zuo put on the ice shoes, and after seeing him wear it, he had him wait by the lake while holding the railing. He himself liked wearing a single-bladed one, and after he fell into the water when he was young, he put in a lot of effort to learn swimming and skating, so during big skating competition, he would always get the first place.

“Afraid?” He Xuan saw Xiao Zuo holding the railing, with a look like he didn’t dare to move, and smiled while asking.

Xiao Zuo was more curious than he was scared, so he shook his head. The struggle and savageness engraved in a young man’s bones flowed in his veins, he borrowed He Xuan’s strength, and slowly started skating along the edges.

“Lower your body a bit, the hands should go back along with it.”

He Xuan followed him to the side, something like ice-skating was, once one let out their courage, very easy learn, and Xiao Zuo quickly skated with familiarity.

Once one could skate, ice-skating would always make people unable to stop. That kind of rapid forward movement against the wind, for no reason, gave people a kind of dedicated joy. It was as though one could break free of all constraints, and obtain a freedom one sought yet could never receive. He Xuan saw Xiao Zuo slowly find the joy in it, then did not follow anymore, and had the servant boy at the side watch over, while he himself skated towards the middle of the lake.

Xiao Zuo also gradually left the side of the lake, and once he started skating, he sort of could not stop. This ice-skating field was in the outskirts- during the winter, the trees all around fell their leaves, and from far off, one could see the outline of deep-umber-coloured mountains faraway and the remnant glows of the setting sun.

Xiao Zuo felt the fierce winds scraping by his ears- that kind of intense and flowing feeling swept through the entire body, he was slightly drunk in this kind of indulgent freedom and delight, completely fled from this complicated secular realm, and in his heart and eyes, only the whistling winds and the frosty air remained.

When He Xuan skated by the middle of the lake, he saw Xiao Zuo uncontrollably skating faster and faster, he faintly felt it was a bit not good, and then headed towards him. Just as expected, Xiao Zuo was unable to control the direction, and when turning a corner, the ice shoes stagnated on the surface of the lake for a bit, and the entire person fell forward. He Xuan just skated right to his side, and reached out and helped him out, and Xiao Zuo then abruptly pounced into his arms, He Xuan could not take his force immediately, and the two fell back together, but thankfully, the servant watching to the side hurried over and helped them up, and they then barely avoided disaster.

Xiao Zuo took off the ice shoes while breathing heavily, and also knew he played too much, and burdened He Xuan, then guiltily apologized to He Xuan resting at the side, “I’m sorry your Highness, I was too hurried.”

“Falling down during ice-skating is normal, besides, you just learned how, how could you not fall down.” He Xuan instead did not mind it very much, he absentmindedly recalled the faint scent of wild ginger when Xiao Zuo pounced into his arms, just like him, clean just like crystal and see-through, then said, “Still playing?”

“No.” After the matter just before, Xiao Zuo was already a bit tired. He Xuan normally skated a lot, and today, he originally came to accompany Xiao Zuo. Seeing him shake his head, he then got up to leave as well, “Then let’s leave it for today, Ig will bring you here again next time.”

When saying this, he asked Xiao Zuo, “Are you coming to mygu residence tonight? Ig will have the kitchen make your favourite dishes.”

Xiao Zuo originally felt sorry about today, and hearing He Xuan say this, how could he reject it, and immediately agreed to it, “That is of course.” This response instead seemed like he could not wait to eat. When he saw He Xuan lower his head to look at him, Xiao Zuo immediately turned bashful, and awkwardly smiled.

Dinner was certainly the things Xiao Zuo liked eating, but He Xuan also had the kitchen prepare a few bottles of bean juice to dispel the spice. He Xuan himself did not eat much, and only ate a bit after picking at it, and then placed down the chopsticks and leaned back.

“You should eat less spicy things in the future.” He Xuan poured a cup of bean juice for Xiao Zuo, “[I] said before, Jin’s air currents are dry and arid, if you eat a lot, it would be easy to overheat.” Xiao Zuo swallowed the red-oil intestine in his mouth, then took [the juice] and drank one mouthful. He ate so much his entire body sweated, making his lips seem more red and the teeth more while, “Mm, I will pay heed to it next time.”

Xiao Zuo nodded his head, but seemed to not take it to heart. He then turned to ask, “Is your Highness not eating?”

“En, I’m full already.” He Xuan lazily leaned on the back of the chair, and tilted his head looking at him, “Take your time to eat.”

Xiao Zuo was a guest after all, making He Xuan wait like this was awkward, so he ate until he was mostly full, then quickly put down the chopsticks, “I’m good now.” He finished drinking the remaining bean juice, then got up and pushed open the chair.

That table of dishes were all fragrant and fresh spicy dishes, and stained the two people’s clothes with a wave of nose-itching smell of food. He Xuan had the servants go get two tubs of water, and then rushed Xiao Zuo to the guest room to wash up.

The guest room did not have prepared clothes, so He Xuan then gave his own inner robes to Xiao Zuo to wear, then he recalled last time when he accidentally saw Xiao Zuo bathing- that steamy and damp appearance itched his insides so much it turned disobedient. His mind could not help but flash by with the look of Xiao Zuo wearing his inner robe sitting by the bed wiping his hair, and felt his entire body get hot for the time being, then had the servant boy go bring some wine over, and send it to the guest room.

He Xuan finished bathing in his own bedchambers, and once he figured it was about time, he went to the guest room and knocked on the door, “Finished washing up?”

“Yes, your Highness, please come in.” Xiao Zuo already wore clothes as expected, and was at the side wiping his hair. His hair was thick and fine, black and shiny, hanging to one side longingly. Xiao Zuo wasn’t good at doing this kind of thing, and after wiping for a long time, it was still dripping with water, and seemed to be a bit panicked. He Xuan could not watch on, and went up to use a long towel to wrap it for him. Thankfully, the inside of the room was burning with charcoal, so this way, even if it cooled, one would not be cold, and he then beckoned him over to drink wine, “Having a cup of wine after bathing can be considered a relaxing day.”

“What kind of wine is this, your Highness?” Xiao Zuo sat by his side, and poured a cup for the two, then asked.

He Xuan swayed the cup of wine, “This name is called a Beauty’s Smile. Legends say that in the previous dynasty, the emperor had an alcoholic consort, and for the beauty’s one smile, he summoned the entire country’s brewers to brew the sweetest wine for her.” He Xuan paused at this point, then smiled, “However, it is likely that the brewery simply made a far-fetched meaning just to sell more wine, it cannot be completely trusted.”

“A story that everyone loves hearing.” Xiao Zuo sipped a mouthful, it was certainly mellow and sweet, perhaps it was originally brewed for a consort, so the taste of it was not strong, and instead, the sensation seemed more like a fruit wine. Xiao Zuo took it completely as a fruit wine, and very soon finished one cup, then poured another cup, and praised, “The taste certainly is good.”