A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 67

The Grand Temple nestled on the mountainside. Following the carved stone steps led directly to the summit, where a massive, incredibly sturdy observatory was built upon a giant rock foundation.

Above the stone base of the observatory, multiple layers of towers were constructed with hard wood.

Yan Tianshu, the Supervisor of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau, sat atop the high platform. His robes fluttered slightly in the mountain wind as he gazed up at the stars, silently calculating the heavenly secrets contained within the changing celestial phenomena.

The night was as dark as ink, with countless stars embedded in the clear sky.

Bronze-cast astronomical instruments, such as the armillary sphere and the simplified armilla, gleamed with an ancient light under the starlight. The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of the wind passing by and the low murmurs of officials discussing their research.

“The light of the primary star is weak and declining.”

“The guest star is in the south, what does this mean?”

…

The flood in Zhudong and the great plague in Linxia and Li’an had become a deep concern for Xie Yuan. Therefore, he ordered the Imperial Astronomy Bureau to observe the celestial phenomena at night and peer into the will of heaven. Yan Tianshu’s astrological divination had been unable to find the reason, and he confined himself to the observatory for many days without washing or changing clothes. Finally, he glimpsed a thread of insight.

Yan Tianshu immediately entered the palace overnight and reported, “Your Majesty, the Ziwei Star (Purple Forbidden Star) is weak, and a guest star has appeared nearby. Its light has grown bright. Your servant observes its orbit, and this star is increasingly approaching the Ziwei Star, showing signs of usurping the host’s place and driving out the primary star. Therefore, Heaven has sent disasters upon Da Lin as a warning.”

The celestial phenomena of major disaster years must be recorded by the official historians, copied by the Hanlin Academy, filed in the history archives, and several copies distributed to the various ministries.

Yan Tianshu’s pronouncement was quickly interpreted by intelligent minds.

The moment the words fell, a clamor arose.

Before the Hanlin Academy could even copy the report, it caused a thousand ripples in the court the very next day. The officials of the various departments began to argue. Numerous conflicting opinions led to endless bickering. The morning session, which should have ended at chen hour (7-9 AM), dragged on until noon before two main interpretations were finally deduced.

The first was that the retired Emperor resided in the Nanyuan Palace, south of the Imperial Palace. The Ziwei Star symbolized the current Emperor, meaning the star referred to the new Emperor. The retired Emperor, having retreated, was now the “guest star,” yet he continued to interfere with court affairs, overshadowing the new Emperor and causing the Ziwei Star’s power to weaken.

The second was that the new dynasty was establishing women’s academies in various places and permitting women to enter the Imperial Academy after passing examinations. There were rumors that the imperial civil service examination (chunwei) next year might include a special examination for women, allowing them to participate in the general civil service examinations. This was considered “a hen usurping the morning” (pinji si chen), an inversion of the proper order.

The foremost academy designated to teach women was the Hanhong Academy in Cangnan.

In addition to Hanhong Academy, there was another large-scale institution in Yongdu, integrating a women’s school and academy. Because Lingjiu Mountain could be seen from the grounds, it was named Lingjiu Academy. It was also located on the south side of the capital, Shangyong.

The court was shaken, and the nation was restless.

After the court session ended, stacks and clusters of memorials instantly piled up in the Chongzheng Hall, coercing Xie Yuan to change his decrees, abolish the women’s schools and academies, to stabilize the primary star and make the guest star retreat.

Xie Yuan looked at the continuously accumulating memorials, contemplating for a long time without speaking.

Zheng Hechuan attended by his side, removing the bright yellow cup in front of Xie Yuan and serving a fresh cup of hot tea.

“I just don’t understand, what is wrong with letting women study? How can that cause a plague and a flood? They hide away from the plague faster than anyone else, and the flood in Zhudong has to be managed by the widow of the Martial Pacification Marquis and a person with a lame leg. Jiang Ning alone is laboring over the entire country’s agriculture. I don’t see any of them stepping forward to share my burden! Now they are clinging to such a trivial matter as whether or not people can read, where is their shame?”

Xie Yuan was furious, his lips and tongue dry. He picked up the imperial cup, intending to take a sip of tea, but his fingertip had just touched the cup wall when he snatched it back as if burned by fire. “Zheng Hechuan!”

Zheng Hechuan trembled in fear, kneeling and saying, “This servant deserves ten thousand deaths! Your Majesty, Cheng Lingdian has been waiting outside for a long time. Please see Minister Cheng before punishing this servant with death.”

Xie Yuan decided not to drink the tea. “Announce him! Announce him, announce him, announce him! Wait, is Jiang Ning still at the Eastern Palace?”

Zheng Hechuan replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Eldest Princess was at the Xuanping Marquis Residence last night and the night before.”

Xie Yuan asked, “What is she doing at the Xuanping Marquis Residence?”

Zheng Hechuan replied, “General Chen is ill, the Eldest Princess went to visit.”

“Oh!” Xie Yuan pondered for a moment. “She’s ill? Later, you personally go to the Xuanping Marquis Residence to deliver an imperial decree, and check which physician from the Imperial Academy is on duty, and bring them along.”

Zheng Hechuan said, “The Empress has already sent an imperial physician. It is just a common fever. The General’s body is fine; she’s lively. She even personally rode a horse to the palace gate yesterday to meet Military Advisor Yan.”

Xie Yuan said, “She wasn’t meeting anyone, she was preparing to demand someone from the Nanyuan Palace.”

Zheng Hechuan said, “Your Majesty, this servant is slow-witted, but isn’t that the same thing?”

Xie Yuan said, “It’s good to be slow-witted. If you were too clever, I couldn’t keep you by my side. Announce Cheng Lingdian to come in.”

Cheng Lingdian presented a memorial with both hands. Before he could kneel, Xie Yuan angrily snapped, “If you are also here for the academy matter like the others, there is no need to speak further, I already have a pile of them!”

Cheng Lingdian was momentarily surprised and said, “Your Majesty, this minister is not here for that matter.”

Xie Yuan’s expression softened slightly. “Then what is your business?”

Cheng Lingdian said, “This minister requests Your Majesty to rebuild the Yanzhi Mountain Imperial Residence.”

Xie Yuan nearly picked up the hot tea to smash it on Cheng Lingdian’s head. The slightly relaxed expression on his face turned darker than before.

He looked up to the sky and let out a long sigh, “Where would I get the money!”

Cheng Lingdian, however, said, “Your Majesty, this matter must be done, even without money.” He presented the memorial in his hands to Xie Yuan’s imperial desk and quietly waited for Xie Yuan to read it.

Xie Yuan furrowed his brow, picked up the memorial, and said, “You better have a good explanation, or I will punish you!”

He read through it word by word with a gloomy face, and the anger in his eyes gradually faded. Every word and sentence in Cheng Lingdian’s memorial were like a gentle spring rain, extinguishing Xie Yuan’s fiery temper.

Xie Yuan said, “Minister Cheng, grant him a seat.”

The commotion in the Imperial Palace had been raging since mao hour (5-7 AM), but the Xuanping Marquis Residence in the southwest of the Imperial City remained undisturbed, the Good Fortune Courtyard utterly tranquil.

Chen Liangyu’s low fever had been recurring, and only this morning did it show signs of breaking. The familiar scent that had enveloped her nose all night was still by her side. When she opened her eyes, Xie Wenjun was indeed still asleep next to her.

She was lying on her side under the silk quilt, her face serene. Three thousand strands of dark hair flowed freely across the pillow, with a few strands hanging loosely on her snow-white neck, like a closed water lily in a green pond.

The hint of peach-red color that Chen Liangyu had sucked on was faintly visible.

Chen Liangyu licked her dry lips. She had drunk wine yesterday, leaving her with a parched throat and tongue. She disliked drinking wine, one reason being that after a heavy drink, the next day she would wake up feeling like cracked earth in a great drought, dry and thirsty, urgently needing water.

She subtly closed her eyes, wanting to stay in bed for a while longer.

A moment later, she couldn’t resist secretly opening her eyes slightly.

Upon closer inspection, there was a clear, dark line on Xie Wenjun’s neck. It was a tan line left from her running around outside on inspection tours. The person sleeping by her side was as serious and meticulous as ever, even in her sleep.

“Awake?” Xie Wenjun asked.

The sound of her voice, half-awake and half-sleepy, was confused and muffled, carrying a lazy aura, as if heard through a veil.

Just the slightest movement, like licking her lips to moisten them, was enough to wake her.

Chen Liangyu’s voice also carried a slight nasal tone. “Mm.”

Her consciousness was still hazy, but she habitually wanted to get up for morning sword practice. The person beside her seemed to sense it. An arm deftly reached out from under the silk quilt and pulled her back.

Xie Wenjun, with sleepy eyes, said, “You’re sick, sleep a bit longer.”

The arm that pulled her back naturally fell onto her shoulder, seemingly intending to stay there.

Chen Liangyu let her be, lying on her back.

“Have the people from Liangxi City been called back?” Xie Wenjun’s voice was no longer thick with sleep.

Chen Liangyu said, “Not so fast. Did Your Highness find something?”

Xie Wenjun leaned in, resting her face on Chen Liangyu’s. “Want to know?”

The arm restlessly wrapped around Chen Liangyu’s neck, encircling her.

Chen Liangyu said, “Wasn’t it enough for Your Highness to tease your minister yesterday? Must you continue today?”

Xie Wenjun covered her ears.

Chen Liangyu: “…Where has Your Highness chosen for the Eldest Princess’s Residence?”

Xie Wenjun said, “South of the city, the former residence of Prince Hui.”

The former residence of the retired Emperor.

Yuan Rong’s voice came from outside the room. “Your Highness, the time has come, would you like to get up?”

Chen Liangyu asked, “What time is it? Does Your Highness have something important to do?”

Xie Wenjun stretched her waist. Court maids entered with washing supplies. The peace talks between the two countries were a matter of great importance. The attire needed to be grand to maintain dignity. She sat in front of the dressing table and said, “The East Yin envoy is here to negotiate peace with our dynasty. This is a romantic tale of falling into a tender trap.”

Chen Liangyu said, “Did you set a trap for the East Yin envoy?”

Dai Qing picked up the bronze powder, about to draw Xie Wenjun’s eyebrows, when Chen Liangyu snatched it from Dai Qing’s hand. “Let me do it.”

Chen Liangyu leaned slightly, slowly outlining the curve of the brow bone.

“Your Highness?”

Xie Wenjun said, “It wasn’t Xun Xian who was behind the incident at Lingxiao Villa in Liangxi City, it was the You family of East Yin. The You family rose to power through the assassination technique ‘Soul Separation Guide’ (Lihun Yin). When the old master of Lingxiao Villa traveled to East Yin for studies, he heard some rumors about the You family’s rise and was interested in imitating them. To erase their old crimes and leave no handle for political enemies, the You family hunted down anyone who knew about the ‘Soul Separation Guide.’ After finding them, they fabricated charges and executed them. Since Lingxiao Villa was not part of East Yin, they couldn’t frame them, so they could only bribe some desperate outlaws from the Jianghu (martial world) to wipe out the family.”

“It all stems from the lust for power.”

As Chen Liangyu listened to her speak, her gaze fell on the tip of Xie Wenjun’s nose, and then moved down to her lips, which were still rosy and vivid without lipstick.

Her lips were like cherry-red.

They looked very soft. And they were.

Once the eyebrows were drawn, they were like picturesque spring mountains filled with dark mist. Chen Liangyu edged closer, and closer still. A line of poetry came to her mind, and she unconsciously recited it, only the first half: “Are the drawn eyebrows light or dark enough to be in vogue?”

Xie Wenjun raised an eyebrow.

Chen Liangyu was shocked, realizing the line was quite suggestive. Xie Wenjun had already completed the first half: “Having finished dressing, she quietly asked her husband?” (Zhuang ba di sheng wen fuxu?)

Chen Liangyu placed the bronze powder back into the makeup box, feeling a small emotional stir. Suddenly hearing the word “husband” (fuxu) spoken by Xie Wenjun, Chen Liangyu felt a sense of inadequacy facing her.

She would witness the years carving and gently maturing her, she would see her establish a residence and choose a husband. If she was fortunate, she would also personally witness her children climbing over her knees and her descendants filling the hall. If, by chance, Xie Wenjun ever fell into great difficulty, she would be able to draw her sword and fearlessly fight for her amidst the chaos.

The words “deeply scheming, unfit to associate with” were unworthy of her.

She wished her well: May she strategize from her tent and win battles a thousand miles away!

Chen Liangyu said, “The husband asks you, did you plan to take the East Yin envoy’s life?”

After being teased multiple times, Chen Liangyu was finally unperturbed. She cleverly played along with Xie Wenjun’s words, using a witty remark to tease her back, believing she had decisively won a round.

Xie Wenjun said, “What’s the use of taking his life? The You family in East Yin is richer than princes. I want the money of their East Yin Imperial Court, and I also want the money of the You family.”

A court maid brought a set of palace robes. Yuan Rong and Dai Qing stepped forward to help her change.

Chen Liangyu shifted her gaze and turned her back, joking, “So greedy?”

Xie Wenjun said, “I am very poor.”