Mulberry Song

Festive Lanterns p.2

"Sang Ge."

He softly, tenderly calls out, one foot stepping into the river water.

At the moment everyone had yet to react to this, he abruptly trickles into the river, pathing his way to where I stand. Knocking over many lanterns along the way.

The guards discover him, struck with slight panic, they constantly call out from above "Lord!" "Lord! Careful!" He cannot swim, but fortunately, this river is not deep, the deepest area just about sweeping past his chest.

Eyes locked onto me, step by step towards me he approaches. With every step closer, the delight in his eyes becomes increasingly hard to conceal.

A sharp sourness softens my heart, my face somewhat unable to withhold the smile.

All of a sudden, with a slip of his foot, his entire person drops into the river. I instinctively step forward, wanting to pull him up, but sensing the water flow directly through my ankle, gently flowing away, I freeze on the spot, motionless.

The guards could no longer care for anything else right now "putong putong" a few of them jumps in, desperately rushing to his side. He struggles in the water for a bit before solidly standing on his feet, the very moment he stands up, those eyes urgently sweep towards the shore, face suddenly turning pale.

"Sang Ge!" He yells my name in panic, pushing aside the guards who came to support him, staggeringly running onshore, overwhelmed like losing a child, "Sang Ge! Sang Ge......"

As though other than these two words he cannot say anything else.

I silently listen to him call out to me by my side, looking all around. The whole body drenched, appearing in an absolutely sorry state.

An Zi Wu, since when has he ever been in such sorry state before......

I lower my eyes, with only a sigh no one can possibly hear.

He is sent on the road back to the palace, overcome with gloom, frightening all the officials to not dare let out a breath.

That night he runs a high fever, his consciousness unclear, mouth repeatedly muttering the same words, the eunuch boldly moves his ear closer, vaguely hearing him mutter "......song (歌 Ge)......"

His Majesty wishes to listen to songs. Stricken with ill health, it's not like he can be out in the wind, the eunuch thus had the songstresses shut outside the doors, leaving them to stand in the cold wind, singing an entire night.

I sit by his bedside, senselessly gazing at him. Only I know he isn't calling for songs, but me. Only I know, what he needs most right now isn't songs, but a peaceful night, a good night's rest.

Yet I'm unable to inform others of his needs.

Midnight, amidst the songstresses' singing, carrying slight tone deaf, Zi Wu suddenly opens his eyes, his eyes somewhat slack, voice hoarse, as he says:

"Sang Ge, I set off a lantern for you."

Once said, he drowsily drifts back to sleep.

I gaze at him, silently without a word.

An Zi Wu has always been a very healthy person, never does he fall ill, but this round of ill health bore down on him menacingly [1], much more severe than I had thought. Repeatedly dragging on for longer than a month. By the time he just about regained his health, it was already the mid-autumn festival. The palace is to hold a mid-autumn banquet, inviting the Nanyue King. They say that this time, the Nanyue King had brought along his daughter with beauty that overthrows cities. The intention cannot be any more obvious.