Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 2(87)
Just then, Xie Lian spoke up again. “All right, all right. It was all just an untimely mistake, a misunderstanding. Let’s count it as bad luck, so stop fighting.”
Feng Xin looked extremely displeased, but mindful of his position, he dared not be clamorous in the Palace of Divine Might and stopped talking. The State Preceptor didn’t want to pursue this topic anymore either. After all, if they must get to the heart of the topic, wasn’t he at fault too for being too engrossed in card games? Thus, he simply waved and sighed.
“Let’s talk about that later, and we shall put our heads together and think of a way to see how this situation can be salvaged. The three of you are dismissed; go remove your costumes and do whatever else you must.”
Xie Lian bowed and rose to his feet immediately. Feng Xin and Mu Qing both properly kowtowed once before rising, following Xie Lian, who was about to leave. Xie Lian had one foot over the threshold when he heard the State Preceptor speak up again.
“Your Highness.”
Xie Lian turned his head.
“Both His Majesty the King and Her Ladyship the Queen asked after you today. If you have time in the next few days, go and see them,” the State Preceptor said.
Xie Lian grinned. “This disciple understands.”
After leaving the Palace of Divine Might, the three of them traversed a large portion of the summit and returned to the training hall built especially for the crown prince: the Palace of Xianle. There, Xie Lian could finally remove his ceremonial garb.
As mentioned before, for the Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession, the ceremonial attire of the God-Pleasing Martial Warrior was exceedingly strict in every detail. Each accessory and fold had meaning and could never be mismanaged. For example, the outer robe was white, symbolizing divine purity. The inner robes were red, symbolizing canonical tradition. The golden crown that fastened the hair symbolized imperial power and wealth, and the white plumes folded away by the heart symbolized the flight to ascension. Loose corded ribbons along the sleeves symbolized his duties to carry the common people. And so on, and so on.
It was easy to imagine that, from head to toe, both wearing and removing it was no simple task. However, as the esteemed crown prince, naturally he needn’t do anything himself. He only had to stand and open his arms wide in that refreshing, fragrant chamber and chat with Feng Xin while he waited for his personal attendant Mu Qing to help him remove layer after layer of the God-Pleasing costume.
The outer white robe of the God-Pleasing costume was of high quality—the pattern of the thread was exquisite and detailed, and the fringes were sewn with intricate light golden patterns, elegant but not frivolous. In comparison, the black martial gi of the demon costume was like the difference between heaven and earth. Mu Qing himself hadn’t removed his black gear yet, his hands full with the God-Pleasing costume he had removed from Xie Lian. His fingers twitched, imperceptibly stroking the material of that white robe.
Next to him, Xie Lian removed the golden crown, letting his long hair loose as he sat down on the edge of his sandalwood bed. He kicked off his snow-white boots and waited for someone to bring him fresh clothes. He waited for a bit but noticed that Mu Qing wasn’t moving, so he tilted his head.
He asked, “What’s wrong?”
Mu Qing quickly snapped out of it and replied, “The costume seems dirty in some places.”
Xie Lian hummed thoughtfully and said, “Bring it over and let me see?”
Sure enough, the snow-white attire was marked by two distinct little black handprints. Xie Lian took a look and remarked, “They’re probably from that little kid who fell from the sky. He was grabbing on to me and wouldn’t let go. The child’s face was wrapped in bandages, so maybe he had taken a tumble elsewhere or something. Feng Xin, did you check him out?”
Feng Xin was just wrapping up the sword and long saber used during the God-Pleasing performance, and he replied gloomily, “No. I took him out of the palace and was about to take a look at his face, as you asked, but he kicked me in the shin! It actually fucking hurt.”
Xie Lian fell over on the bed laughing, pointing at him. “It must be because you’re so mean. Otherwise, why didn’t he kick me but did kick you?”
“I wasn’t mean!” Feng Xin cried. “That damn kid ran away so quick, it was like he was possessed by the devil or something. If he hadn’t, I would’ve picked him up upside down and shook until he cried from fright.”
Mu Qing turned the white robe over in his hands. “I hope that kid isn’t a beggar—he’s so dirty. A simple grab left black prints like these. Your Highness, the God-Pleasing costume can’t be dirty. Isn’t that another bad omen?”
Xie Lian stayed lying on the bed, and he casually grabbed a book from the headboard and used it to cover half of his face. “Three times around the capital—my good name’s already going down in history with that incredible record. If it’s dirty, it’s dirty. Just wash it.”
After a pause, Mu Qing replied quietly, “I will do my best to be careful when I wash it.”
Xie Lian flipped through the book and came to a page illustrating the art of the saber, and he remembered the vigorous sparring earlier that day onstage. He smiled.
“Mu Qing, you fought well onstage today.”
Mu Qing’s shoulders stiffened.
Xie Lian continued, “It was only today that I discovered you’re much more skilled with the saber than you are with the sword.”