Chapter 85: CH 85

As soon as Xie Ying was released from his duties for the day and returned to his residence, he saw a stack of red lacquer gift boxes decorated with silk on top of the table in the main hall. Underneath, there was a piece of white note-paper laid out, listing out the details of the gifts.

In the earlier days, the gift lists had been sprinkled and seared with gold embellishments. Now, Cui paper is used for everything. He smiled lightly and swept his eyes over the paper quickly before directly striding into the room. He took off his hat and tossed it to the young manservant on shift, Chang Yang, and asked casually, “Who sent the gift? Why wasn’t it stored in the storehouse?”

Chang Yang replied, “Xie Shan-ge instructed to have it put here, saying that it was a gift from Cui jiansheng of the Imperial College and that Laoye will most definitely want to take a look.”

Xie Ying’s fingers ceased their movements on his buckle and he looked back to ask, “Isn’t he studying at the Imperial College? He personally sent it?”

Chang Yang hung Xie Ying’s hat and robes on a shelf and shook his head, “It was that clerk who was brought back with him last time, the one named Cui Qi. He said that the clothes were newly finished just yesterday and Cui jiansheng originally wanted to send them over himself, but it was too difficult to ask for a leave of absence. It could not be delayed until his rest days so he asked Cui Qi-ge to deliver it on his behalf.”

Xie Ying shed his straight-bodied middle silk robes and taking advantage of the fact that he had not changed his clothes, Chang Yang suggested, “Laoye, want to try on these two new sets of robes?”

Had there been two sets made? Cui Xie hadn’t even ironed out the wrinkles in his own Imperial College uniform and came out to visit guests, yet his gifts were so generous. Xie Ying involuntarily shook his head and shot a glance towards the young manservant, “Bring it in. Since I had already agreed to let him send them over, one must try it on at least once.”

Chang Yang swiveled around and dashed off to get the gift boxes. The boxes were lined up on the large kang bed underneath the south window and the lid was opened to reveal lustrous fabric that seemed to flow like water inside. There were two sets of yesas, one red and one white. Embroidered round, golden designs were weaved into the red one while golden cloud patterns and blue sea ripples were weaved into the white one. Chang Yang brought the box and held it in front of Xie Ying and inquired, “Laoye, which one catches your eye?”

Xie Ying first picked up the white one and shook the fabric out. Under the glittering rays of daylight, the painstaking Xiao Jin embroidery, Pan Jin embroidery and Pi Jin embroidery [1]stitched on the highly decorated, fine silk reflected softly like a halo. The deep indigo sea ripple pattern on the hem of the skirt suppressed the overly ostentatious splendor, which allowed the robes to appear more reserved and balanced, so that it could hold its own in an occasion.

Just by looking at it, one could tell that the material was pretty good and the robes were tight-fitting and narrow. Whether it was good or not depended on whether the upper body looked good. Xie Ying shook out the clothes and began to start putting them on. Chang Yang hurriedly took out a maweiqun[2] and fastened it on the inside. The underskirt was unfurled like an umbrella, pushing out the outer skirt that was draped on the outside. Each thin pleat was unfolded and showed off his good figure, a set of wide shoulders and narrow waist.

These robes were made to be close-fitting and after all the buttons were fastened, the waist was already tightly tied and there was no need to tie any more.

Chang Yang handed him a leather belt and Xie Ying felt around his waist, but saw that the belt loops on the robe were small and attached to the waist. The leather belt was made widely and felt soft to the touch. It also had a few holes punched in and when looped through the belt, it was just enough to stick to the waist. The waist was particularly emphasized and did not hang loosely on the hips like ordinary jade belts did. 

Xie Ying looked down a couple times and found that everything on his body was in good order besides the casual cloth slippers that didn’t match so well with the rest of his outfit. He then asked Chang Yang to fetch him a new pair of boots.

Chang Yang took out a pair of calfskin boots from the gift box, set them on the ground and courteously asked, “Cui jiansheng’s gift is very scrupulous. Not to mention the robes and shoes, even silk innerwear and trousers have been made. Does Laoye want to change into everything before putting on the boots?”

Xie Ying shook his head with a smile, “It is much too fine, I have never seen one send innerwear along with robes.”

Chang Yang grinned, “I see that the robes are very figure-hugging,  maybe the innerwear is specially made to match them and may be more snug than your usual innerwear.”

Xie Ying didn’t reply and asked Chang Yang to help him put on the boots and fasten the leather gauntlets onto his wrists.

After he was all dressed, he moved his hands and feet around. Although the clothes looked to be tightly wrapped around his body, it did not hinder any of his movements. Moreover, the sleeve hems were nimbly collected and the belt was very secure, which meant it was most likely more convenient for riding or when engaging in battle.

The young manservant fetched a mirror so that Xie Ying could look from the back and front. Chang Yang commented, “It indeed looks very good, but the style is so new, don’t know when it will be a good time to wear such a piece. Does Laoye want to try on the red set?”

“Don’t be in such a hurry to try it yet.” Xie Ying held up the mirror and lined it up with another mirror behind him to look at the robe’s back and hemline, casually stating, “Have someone brush my horse, I will ride it later.”

Xiang Yu the Conqueror once said ‘To not return home when one has made his fortune is like walking in the night with rich robes, who will notice?’. To stroll around at night in such dress will ruin the good scenery, how can one not wear it out when one has such good-looking robes?

Xie Ying then laid out two cloaks and draped them on his body, looking at them in the mirror. As he tried them on, he said in a somewhat regretful tone, “Why make a black cloak? A red one should be made to match the white one so as to complement the red robes and white cloak….” But it would only be interesting if two people wore such robes together when going outside.

He picked up a three crowned cap, tied a black cloak on and then picked out a delicately gilded bow and a pot of feathered arrows. With a bow and arrows in hand, he headed out of the residence.

His maroon-colored Uriankhai horse spread out its hooves and a gust of wind picked up, billowing the cloak out from behind, exposing his finely made, figure-hugging yesa. The orderly pleats of the skirt swayed with the horse’s gallop, outlining the shape of the thighs. Even just passing by in the streets, the brilliance spilling from the robes was sufficient to attract the attention of passersby.

While he was rushing out of the city, before he left, he urged his horse on and circled around the Imperial College’s gates. When he passed the gates, he turned his face and cast a quick glance inside.

There were several hundred students who were still studying and none of them came out to take a look. Even if one were to peer in, one could not make out too much. But, he had not come here to see anyone. He merely passed by the gates, pressed both legs against the horse’s abdomen and swaggered off towards the outside of the city.

The month of April was prime time for outings. As soon as one left the Imperial city’s Southern Gates, one would find themselves greeted by greenery and surrounded by Imperial princes and sons of nobility riding horses and carriages.

Xie Ying followed along the large road, leading the horse by the reins, allowing the horse to spread out its hooves so that the galloping speed was only enough to allow his cloak to flutter in the air. A few miles out of the city, there was a stream flowing along the mountain ridge while fields of weeds and wildflowers littered the riparian habitat. The more people there were to appreciate scenery and go for a walk in the spring, the harder it was to ride a horse and gallop freely.

He simply rode his horse into the mountains and thought of whether he wanted to visit a certain acquaintance’s farmstead to hunt some game or try to find some Buddhist monastery to join in charitable deeds, as to slowly enjoy this half-day leisure time.

Unexpectedly, not too far into the mountains, he heard someone calling his name from overhead. Following the sound, he saw a group of young nobles and military officers dressed in red and green yesas waving at him from a pavilion aloft the mountain range.

Seeing that there were a few acquaintances he recognized and that they were all idle relatives to those with the status of Jinyiwei, he cupped his hands in greeting and steered his horse towards the pavilion.

That group of people who were looking down from above had a panoramic view of his entire figure. They could not help but turn envious upon seeing him dressed so outstandingly, galloping through with a horse in the mountains as lightly as if he was on flat ground.

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When Xie Ying stopped his horse outside the pavilion, Sun Yingjue, the Heir Apparent to the Marquis of Huaining, was the first to stand up. In one hand, he clutched a horn-shaped cup and waved with the other, “Colonel Xie, Xie-daren, you are wearing such fashionable garments from who knows where? With this cinching of the waist, it would even make Shen Yue[3] feel inferior in comparison. If it wasn’t for Commander Shao who recognized you just now, I dare admit I would not have recognized you.”

Xie Ying hurriedly dismounted from the horse and in one swift move of his hand, his cloak fell nicely behind his back. After greeting everyone present, his lips curved up and he said, “The Heir Apparent is jesting. As Jinyiwei, we are busy with Imperial affairs day and night, who could dare to nurture a body of idleness?”

He was turning around just then, and the entirety of the yesa was revealed: the cuffs were tightly held down by the leather gauntlets and the leather belt wrapped around the waist emphasized his fan-shaped figure. The hem dispersed outwards in a sweeping manner and the creases of the robe slowly flowed with his actions. The snow-white silk sprinkled with gold patterns was dizzingly bright under the sunlight, which made his complexion appear even paler. Along with the robe hem, the black cloak that draped over and flowed down his body, light and outstanding, yet steady, this made him look unbelievably handsome.

Sun Yingjue propped up his chin with a wine goblet, looked Xie Ying up and down for a long time before unhesitatingly declaring, “It looks like fashion from the South! It must be a popular form of dress in the south, no one in North Zhili is so well-dressed!”

Zheng Gang, the Heir Apparent of  Marquis Wu’an commented, “It is not from Nanjing. My Second Uncle is based in the Jinyiwei yamen in Nanjing. If there were new styles of dress in Nanjing, why not send them over to me? Could it be a new style created by the Imperial palace?”

Everyone glanced at Imperial Concubine Shao’s nephew, Shao Hua, a commander in the Jinyyiwei. Shao Hua only stared at Xie Ying’s robes, the corners of his mouth twitching, “If the Imperial Palace had made it, would it be Xie da-ren’s turn to wear it first? If it is not me, those noble persons in the Wan family would be the first to wear it. I feel that such a figure-hugging robe must have been personally sewn by some beauty.”

He creased his eyes towards Xie Ying, showing a meaningful smile, “Xie da-ren, which family’s daughter made this for you?”

Xie Ying casually shed his cloak, dusted off the hem and grinned, “How could I know any woman? It is just a gift from a little friend that I had made in the past. I see that wearing it does not hinder any of my activities and since I have nothing to do at the moment, I wore it out to relax.”

An attendant came up to take his cloak and some other attendants poured a cup of wine and prepared chopsticks so that he could take a seat comfortably. Xie Ying arranged his robe and sat down, taking a sip of wine freely. The small sleeves that circled tightly around the wrists and carved decorative leather gauntlets were put on display with every gesture, a new look that truly did not exist in this world.

The more casual he was, the more everyone stared at him, hating that they could not just change into those new clothes right away. Sun Yingjue could not refrain but set down his drink and asked, “Xie da-ren, just where did you meet your little friend? We have known each other for quite a few years now but how come I never knew you knew such a little friend who can make such garments?”

Xie Ying smiled, “It has been a short time since we’ve met and we do not have much contact with each other. It is just that I have helped him once before and he remembered such a sentiment and upon his return, he visited me and asked for someone to make a set of clothes as thanks. These gifts cannot be worth more than a few dozen taels….”

“However, while the gifts are meager,  the affection is heavy.” Shao Hua nodded, looking at Xie Ying’s wrist and belts, chuckling, “I often give people belts and cattail shoes as gifts, but I always buy what is fashionable and dare not to give a new look so easily, for fear that people will not like it. It is rare that your little friend dares to ask someone to sew new clothes and even to the point where it is to your liking. This is not a friendship with little contact, at the very least, it is a rare connection…”

As Shao Hua was making his analysis, Sun Yingjue suddenly slapped the table, “I remember. The one Xie Da-ren is friends with, is a child who cannot get along with us military people.”

It was truly someone who was very different from the rest. When he first heard Xie Ying say ‘little friend’ that Xie Ying ‘helped’ before, the person had not come to mind just yet. It was when Commander Shao was talking nonsense that he remembered that Xie Ying once helped a young man and because the person in question had studied so hard, Xie Ying had been so moved by him and had studied behind closed doors for quite a while.

“–It is the Qian’an prodigy. Called Cui something, the one that had an audience with the Emperor.”

Li Yan, the grandson of the Marquis of Xiangcheng yelled out an “Ah” sound: “It is him! It is that sour pedantic that reminded our Minister of War to rectify the atmosphere at the martial academies in the two capitals! I thought that if he didn’t make any movements after the book was published, the martial academies could loosen up a little. But in the end, he became some Little Tertiary Winner and was even granted an Imperial grace by the Emperor…”

Shao Hua originally had been smirking at Xie Ying with a half-smile, but when he heard that the other was a child prodigy summoned by the Emperor, he put away his lofty airs and ceased talking. A few martial academy students who had yet to graduate knew of Cui Xie’s identity, but, remembering what kind of days they had suffered after their superiors had rectified the academy’s style of study and atmosphere, one could not imagine how much they wanted to go to the Imperial College right now to beat up that country scholar.

But, they could not expect that Xie Ying, who was a military officer, to get along so well with that scholar, even putting on the garments the other had given to him!

Several martial arts students’ hands scratched aimlessly in the air for a long time as they stared at Xie Ying with grief and in an indignant tone said, “Xie da-ren, how could you associate with those literati…..take off that literati’s clothes right now!”

“Precisely, take it off so I can try it.” Sun Yingjue eagerly egged them on from behind, “I do not want your clothes, I just want to try it to see if it’s good so then I can see if I want to make a set for myself.”

Xie Ying fingered the hem of his robes and slapped Sun Yingjue’s hands away and said with a smirk, ‘This was made according to my figure, how can the Heir Apparent wear it? Actually, these garments are not difficult to make, just tell the tailor to make it tighter-fitting according to your figure.”

Heir Apparent Sun could not help but ask, “How does he know your measurements?”

As if it was a matter of course, Xie Ying replied, “After all, his family is poor and he does not have much money to spend on gifts. If the measurements are not accurate and I cannot wear them, wouldn’t the material and tailor’s hard work be for waste? He made it after asking my family for my measurements. Nowadays, it is rare to see such a simple and sensible young man.”

Sun Yingjue suddenly felt that Xie Ying’s tone did not match the content of what was said and was speechless for a moment.

Not caring about him, Xie Ying continued to Li Yan and the others, “Young Master Li, you need not be so angry about civil and military officials. Soon enough next year, you will be selected as an official next year, so how can this next half a year not be tolerated? If you are still angry with this scholar, then make a set of robes based on what I am wearing and go to the Imperial College to ask the scholar to take a look. I know Cui anshou’s personal character and I guarantee that those sour scholars will not have these clothes, so you can wear them out to dazzle their eyes.”

Li Yan pondered for a while and then asked, “The clothes that Cui anshou made for you, if we try to imitate it, will he not be upset?”

Without waiting for Xie Ying to answer, he happily shouted, “I’ll just do it! After it’s done, I’ll put it on and appear in front of him. This is to let him know that you have a deep bond with us military officials and you even share a piece of clothing with your fellow brothers!”

Xie Ying coughed lightly. He had just wanted to persuade the others to make the clothes, not speak nonsense.

However, Sun Yingjue quietly interjected behind the scenes: “How can it be called deep affection to ask someone to make garments according to the pattern of others? You must take off your own clothes to let others try….I say, Xie-xiong, can I really not try that robe of yours? We have been friends for several years, how about I exchange it with newly made clothes ah?”

Xie Ying retreated a step back, sitting on the pavilion’s railing, shaking his head as he laughed.

Forget it….he was not such an affectionate person.

Footnotes:

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