阪有漆、隰有栗。
既見君子、並坐鼓瑟。
今者不樂、逝者其耋。

On the hill-sides are varnish trees; in the low wet grounds are chestnuts.
When we have seen our prince, we sit together with him, and they play on their lutes.
If now we do not take our joy, the time will pass till we are octogenarians.

《車鄰 - Che Lin》Odes of Qin

***

It was only next week that the women met the boys again, though the circumstances of the meeting were very similar, no run-in happened.

Xiān Chí had accompanied Jīn Sù to her weekly meeting with the Empress and now they were taking their time to enjoy the exceptionally good spring weather. You never knew how long the weather would permit them to walk around without aid, something they both treasured dearly.

The courtyard that they now walked in every evening was entered without further ado and they had almost finished their walk when excited yells reached their ears.

"Come on Chéng Tù, at least pretend to give me a chance!"

The boys were sitting by the pond with a game board between them. The one who had spoken was wearing expensive clothes with a golden headpiece keeping his ink-black hair back.

His opponent laughed without remorse showing all his teeth, his arms stretched behind him to support his upper body sitting in the grass. His clothes reminded Xiān Chí of those the maids and eunuchs wore, though the boy seemed a bit too young to be actually working in the Imperial Palace.

The boys looked like Yīn and Yáng stretched out on the grass, one with expansive clothes and ink-black hair and one in cheap and repaired clothes with hair as white as snow encircling his head.

Xiān Chí's train of thought came to a screeching halt as she realised who they were.

"Hello, what are you two doing here?"

Jīn Sù had not yet come to that realisation that maybe, maybe, they should turn around and pretend they hadn't seen anything. Anything to continue the illusion of unlimited time.

"Well, Miss, we're playing this game and my friend here is obviously cheating as he could otherwise never win from me."

The well-clothed young man responded in a haughty tone, one Xiān Chí now recognised as a mirror of the Queen Mother's.

"That sounds interesting, do you think there is room for two more players? Me and my friend would like to join."

The Crown Prince turned to his friend and they softly conversed till they nodded to each other and made room on the grass for the two women to sit.

It was a horrible idea, one Xiān Chí vehemently did not want to participate in. But Jīn Sù had decided and therefore she followed to sit on the dew-soaked grass.

"So, what are the rules?"

The servant boy, who had introduced himself as Chéng Tù, went on a litany of rules that boiled down to something very simple. You both say a number, you throw the dice, the one farthest away from the number has to do a dare the other decides on. It sounded simple enough, and would surely result in many joyful moments.

That was, if Xiān Chí could convince her raising heart that the Crown Prince would not care.

Xuán Hú was the first to lose, again, if he was to be believed, and his friend easily told him to skip around the pond. The dares followed each other fast after that, some more embarrassing or more difficult than the other. And before long Xiān Chí forgot to worry.

The sun was setting and the eunuchs were lighting the lamps around the Imperial Palace, when both young men said the same number and lost. And as the last dare had forced Xiān Chí to recite some horrible poem, she thought it only fair the two boys were equally embarrassed as she had been.

"Play something on that lute for us to dance on."

It might not be too embarrassing, especially if they could play, but it would hopefully stop them from asking about her poetry knowledge again. But above all she wanted to dance with Jīn Sù once more. Time was scarce, even in the land of the immortals, if she did not take this chance when would she be able to participate in her heart's desire once more.

"Alright, but don't laugh when it sounds bad."

The young man took their instruments in hand and played some experimental tunes, before starting a slow song Xiān Chí remembered from the Harvest Festivals she attended. She stood up and offered Jīn Sù her hand before helping the other stand up, Jīn Sù's robes flowing behind her. Once they were in the middle of the field did they take their positions of the dance, and once more did Xiān Chí thank the gods she had been forced to take dance lessons.

Jīn Sù flowed in graceful motions through the courtyard, every step and move according to the tune and beat with Xiān Chí following behind. She wasn't as good in the graceful movements necessary to bewitch one's soul with a simple dance, but good enough not to stand out like a sore thumb next to Jīn Sù.

Her hand graced past the flowing dress of Jīn Sù, too close for decorum. Not that anyone would see, but they would know, a memory to be cherished now that the world was falling apart.

The music stopped and with it the illusion that the marriage of Jīn Sù with the Crown Prince Xuán Hú would never arrive. It was time to face that hurdle, that, though still far away, was a truth no one would be able to escape from. 

***

阪有桑、隰有楊。
既見君子、並坐鼓簧。
今者不樂、逝者其亡。

On the hill-sides are mulberry trees; in the low wet grounds are willows.
When we have seen our prince, we sit together with him, and they play on their organs.
If now we do not take our joy, the time will pass till we are no more.

《車鄰 - Che Lin》Odes of Qin