TCN: Mei Gongqing

Mei Gongqing 153-154

As she was about to reveal her face to Sun Yan, she saw someone coming up behind him. He was a guard often seen with Ran Min. He stood behind Sun Yan and talked to him in a low voice. Only two lines had been said before Sun Yan's beautiful face stiffened, his eyebrows drawing together sternly.

Chen Rong's carriage had driven away in the meanwhile.

She dropped the curtain and smiled to herself: I'm now famous in Jiankang, if he means to find me he can come whenever he wants.

She turned her head to look back at Sun Yan, who was still greeted by the twittering women upstairs in the red building. Her lips upturned; a warmth filled her heart.

The carriage went on towards the Imperial City.

The closer they were to the hustle and bustle of the city, the more carriages were seen on the street. Each that dashed by left a whiff of incense.

The palace gate was already in sight.

Chen Rong took a deep breath and smoothed her hair and clothes.

Just then, a song was heard behind her, along with rhythmic footsteps on the bluestone. "She waves her sleeves, the Red Chamber beauty; food aplenty to waste in houses of wealthy."

The verse was one of praise, but the hoarse singing voice gave it a feeling of helpless desolation.

Chen Rong turned around.

She was looking at the back of a disheveled head. He suddenly gave a howl after having repeated his verse. It was a tragic cry; it was a sorrowful song.

As Chen Rong watched, the eunuch outside shrilled in scorn: "It's the madman from the Huan House again! Now dare he sing these provocative things right outside the Imperial City... We'll see how much longer he can live."

When she heard the disgust in his voice, Chen Rong thought in surprise: But there is nothing wrong with this verse.

And then, she saw the palace door opening to a surge of riding smoke. A rider was galloping fast, his mount dashing away.

In a prosperous land like Jiankang, the young aristocrats had their servants' help even on the road. When did one ever hear such pressing horseshoes?

Involuntarily, a dozen carriages lifted their curtains to look at the rider.

He was heading for the singer.

At an inadvertent glance, Chen Rong rounded her eyes in the midst of the billowing dust.

She saw the horseman ride forth and, as he neared the singing man, suddenly pull his bow string to direct his aim at the man's back.

Subconsciously compelled to scream, she quickly clasped her mouth.

Just as she was doing so, the rider had drawn back his bowstring.

"Whiz." The sharp whistling sound shot through the air at the same moment the arrow was released. It drilled into the singer's back as blood slowly trickled down...

He hollered like a madman and slowly turned his head.

The wind blew his robe and lifted his hair to reveal a young handsome face no more than twenty-five years old.

His eyes were remarkably bright. He stared at the man who had shot him. Slowly, he reached back and pulled the arrow out.

Blood splattered. There came horrified crying from the surrounding carriages. A nobleman huddled up in his vehicle, held his head and wailed, "Blood! There's so much blood...Boohoohoo I'm terrified of blood." Two half-undressed servant girls quickly moved forward. One held his head while the other comforted him from behind.