| Chen heard the sound of music strike up and soon afterwards, the commander came into the tent
"The new moon has risen," he said, taking Chen's hand"Let us go, brother!" The two walked towards a huge bonfire where the young Muslim warriors were gatheringAll around, people were roasting beef and mutton, and preparing various delicacies while others played musical instrumentsA horn blew, and a group of people emerged from a large tent near the bonfire, among whom Chen recognised Muzhuolun and his son, Huo AyiChen decided he would wait until the official ceremony was over before revealing himself, and turned up the collar of his gown to hide his face
Muzhuolun motioned to the crowd, and they all knelt down and prayed to AllahWhen the prayer was ended, he spoke
"Those brothers who have already taken legal wives, I am afraid I must ask you to go and stand guard," he said"Let your younger brothers have a pleasant evening
Three columns of warriors formed upHuo Ayi, flourishing his sabre, led them off into the darkness
Having lived many years in gucci laptop bags the Muslim regions, Chen knew that although marriages were arranged by parents according to various considerations of wealth and property, the procedure was still much more liberal than that of the ChineseThe love-match party was a tradition among the Muslims that had been passed down for many generations at which young, unmarried boys and girls could seal their romances and become engagedThe initiative was taken by the girl, who would place a belt round the neck of her chosen boy and lead him to dance
After a while, the music became softer in toneThe tent door flaps parted and out came a large group of young Muslim girls who sang and danced their way towards the bonfireThey all wore colourful clothes and small caps laced with gold and silver threads which sparkled brightly in the firelightChen noticed two beautiful girls walking over to Muzhuolun, one in yellow, the other in white, and with a start, he recognised them as Huo Qingtong and the girl who had brought him to the Muslim campUnder the moonlight, they both looked extremely graceful and miu miu bags attractiveThe two girls sat down, one on either side of Muzhuolun
A thought suddenly struck Chen"The girl in white must be Huo Qingtong's younger sisterNo wonder I kept thinking her face was familiar: it's the same face as that on the jade vases, although the drawing does not even come close to reproducing her real beauty
His heart began to thump wildlyFrom the day he had first met Huo Qingtong, his love for her had begun to grow, but the familiar closeness between her and Lu Feiqing's pupil had convinced him that she already had a suitorAlso, having spent the past few days with such a matchless beauty, his romantic thoughts had turned completely towards the white-gowned girl
The music stopped, and Muzhuolun's voice rang out clearly: "The prophet Mohammed teaches us in the Koran in the 190th verse of the second chapter: 'Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you', and in the 39th verse of the 22nd chapter: 'To those against whom war is made, permission is given to fight because they are wronged, and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid' omega speedmaster olympic special edition We are being oppressed and Allah will certainly assist and protect us A thunderous cheer went up from the crowd"Brothers and sisters!" he shouted"Enjoy yourselves fully!"
Singing and laughter rose all about, accompanied by the music of Horse Head fiddlesCooks distributed roast meat, honeymelons, dried grapes and horse milk wine among the throngEveryone held in their hands a small bowl made out of salt rock in which they rubbed the roast meatAfter a while, the new moon rose up into the sky and the merry-making became even more intenseSome of the young girls jumped up and danced over to the boy of their choice, took the embroidered belt from their waists and placed it round the boy's neck, then led him off to dance near the bonfire
Chen had grown up in a world of strict conventions and had never before seen an occasion of such open-minded and unrestrained merrimentWith the singing ringing in his ears and emotions swirling through his heart, he found his face beginning to flush after only a few cups of horse's milk wine
The music stopped black and white chanel momentarily, then started again, even faster than beforeEveryone looked curiously towards Muzhuolun, and following the direction of their gaze, Chen saw the white-robed girl had stood up and was floating gracefully towards themThe crowd was greatly excited and a hubbub of discussion aroseChen heard the cavalry commander beside him say: "The Fragrant Princess has chosen a loverBut who could possibly be worthy of her?"
That his beloved younger daughter had found a boy she loved was a great surprise and a great joy to MuzhuolunHe watched her intently with tears glistening in his eyes
Princess Fragrance glided round and round, passing along the edge of the circle that had formedIn her hands, she held a brilliantly-embroidered belt and she softly sang:
"Please come out,
You who picked the snow lily for me
I am searching for you,
You who saved my little deer
The words hit Chen's ears like a clap of thunderA white hand touched his shoulder and the embroidered belt fell around his neckThe Princess tugged gently and Chen, scared out of his wits, tiffany |
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