Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Zirou… Zirou was wonderful.
If there were a standard for goddesses in the Nine Heavens, then Zirou was surely the goddess who most resembled one.
Beautiful, gentle, and skilled at dance.
Her father was the Heavenly Realm War God, a master of killing and conquest, yet she herself had the kindest heart.
She had once saved a little wolf cub from the jaws of a demon beast. The cub ate meat, but she could not bear to take life, so she fed it with her own flesh and blood. For a full thirty-six days, one of her arms was sliced until it ran with blood.
Heqin, who tended the furnace next door for Taishang Laojun, had once propped up his chin and said to me in a daze, “Auntie, when Fairy Zirou came to collect pills today, she smiled at me. Tsk, tsk. Even taking a Spring Wind Bone-Melting Pill could not feel better than that. Ah, I truly envy the Emperor Lord.”
I watched another pair of lovers pledge themselves to grow old together through the Water Mirror, with my hand guiding their bond, and answered lazily, “Mm. Our Emperor Lord is a blessed man.”
Back when our love was at its sweetest, I had also nestled in Li Lan’s arms and sulked, “They say you and Zirou are the Twin Jades of the Heavenly Realm, a perfect match.”
Li Lan’s two straight brows drew together, and he gave a cold snort. “It seems those old Daoist immortals have been gods for too long and have too much leisure on their hands. Spending all day carefree and idle, and now they dare gossip about the crown prince. One day, I will have to set some proper rules for them.”
“Then… what do you think of Zirou? There is no one in the Nine Heavens who dislikes her.”
His cold eyes lowered, and he glanced at me unhappily. “What does other people liking her have to do with me?”
Oh. The one he liked was not Zirou. It was me, Yuehong.
Love was truly intoxicating, like aged wine buried beneath a Xiangsi Tree for five hundred years.
Until the old Heavenly Emperor issued a divine decree.
[The crown prince, Li Lan, and Fairy Zirou are devoted to one another, their bond ordained by heaven. They wish to enter a lifelong covenant. After the new Heavenly Emperor ascends the throne, an auspicious date shall be chosen for their wedding.]
Not even the lightning tribulation from when I took human form had struck me down like this.
How had things come to this?
I had only just become Yue Lao, and there was more work on my hands, so I had not met with Li Lan often.
He… he was busy too.
Busy with… What crown prince was not busy? He had always been busy.
He had memorials to approve, cultivation to practice, banquets to attend, dharma assemblies to go to. One thing after another kept him running all day without his feet touching the ground.
The last time we met, Li Lan was in a hurry. He took only one sip of tea before he had to leave. I stopped him and asked, now that Little Stone had inherited the position of Yue Lao, when did he plan to come marry me? He reproached me, saying, “At a turbulent time like this, how can we speak of romance? Ah Yue, I remember you used to be very sensible.”
When he saw that I was not quite satisfied with that answer, he patiently coaxed me, “Be good.”
On the day the old Heavenly Emperor issued the divine decree, he sent me a message through the Transmission Bell: Let us not bring up anything from the past again. Ah Yue, you are a sensible girl. Forget it all.
A short while later, he sent one more line: “Be good.”
I had never cared much about things like appearance or character before. Whether you were as beautiful as a celestial maiden or ugly as Wuyan, whether you were a village shrew or a courtesan in a brothel, I still had to tie a red thread for you, did I not?
But this time, I had no choice but to care.
Fairy Zirou had such a gentle and kind nature. I was Little Stone, the one Laojun would call a stubborn little donkey when he was truly angry.
Fairy Zirou always wore soft, elegant colors, perfectly matching Li Lan’s ethereal grace. I was the God of Joy, dressed in the same red robes all year round.
Fairy Zirou had moved the Nine Heavens with a single dance at the Peach Banquet. After thinking it over and over, the only special skill I had was being exceptionally good at tying little rabbits with red thread.
If someone as rash and clumsy as me became the Heavenly Consort, and one day sat beside Li Lan, presiding over affairs from that lofty hall, all the immortals would surely laugh.
Fortunately, all of that could be changed.
I hid away in the Matchmaking Shrine and thought for several days. In the end, I changed into a lotus-pink dress, combed my hair into a steady, dignified style, took the newly tied little rabbit, and cast an Invisibility Spell before going to Yuze Palace. He had once said he could not bear for others to see me.
I had not been to Yuze Palace many times. Following my memory, I groped around for a long while before finally finding Li Lan’s study. Just as I was about to enter, a woman came from the side hall with a smiling face, carrying a platter of fruit. It was Zirou. First, she ground ink for Li Lan. Then she poured him a cup of tea. Her slender, fair hand held the black jade teacup to Li Lan’s lips, and the string of little golden bells hanging from her wrist swayed and chimed.
Zirou raised her pale wrist above her head and stood in the pose of a lotus flower. She was already beautiful, and now, with her waist swaying lightly and her jade feet touching the ground, she was even more breathtaking.
Li Lan lifted his brush and began to paint.
His landscapes had always possessed artistic depth, and every flower, bird, fish, and insect he painted seemed alive. Surely his portraits of beauties were beautiful as well.
I stared blankly for a long time, but in the end, I did not go in.
There should not be any stray ink spots in that painting.
On the second day after he inherited the Heavenly Emperor’s throne, I thought of our past affection and went to find him once, wanting to congratulate him in person. The little book attendant at his side replied, “His Majesty has matters to attend to today. Fairy, please come again tomorrow.”
But by evening, I knew what matter Li Lan had attended to that day.
Not only did I know. The entire Nine Heavens knew.
Heavenly Emperor Li Lan and Fairy Zirou had carved their names on the Sansheng Stone. For three lives and three lifetimes, they would never leave or abandon each other.
In the past, I had been so sweetly happy I could not sleep. Later, I still could not sleep. Waking from dreams at midnight, I would recall those intimate moments, those honeyed words still echoing by my ear, and I always suspected that all of this had only been a dream, a dream I had imagined alone.
If it was not a dream, why was I the only one who remembered?
How strange. This dream actually had a beginning and an end. It felt so very real.