A Thousand Miles of Wind - Chapter 1

In the second year of the Shiyuan era, spring arrived, and flowers bloomed across the city of Yuanzhou. The Grand Empress Dowager issued an imperial decree to host a banquet at Shengyuan Palace, inviting all the young noble ladies of Yuanzhou to enjoy the blossoms together.

On this day, the spring rain permeated Shengyuan Palace like a thin mist. A group of young noble ladies dressed in brocade and fine silks arrived at the lush back gardens. Attendants held umbrellas, leading the group as they strolled slowly along the winding paths.

Beneath uniform green bamboo umbrellas, the girls’ faces were half-hidden and half-revealed, appearing even more delicate and beautiful in the misty rain than any flower in the courtyard.

Not far away, standing beneath a veranda, was a young lad of about eleven years old. Though not yet twelve, his hair was no longer tied in the double-bun style of a child. Instead, it was gathered into a jade crown, giving him the appearance of an adult. Dressed in crimson robes, the boy stood at the corner of the long corridor, quietly observing the young women from a place where they could not sense him.

The boy kept a stern face, hands tucked behind his back as he gazed at the departing line of noble ladies. His gaze was deep and fixed intently on the young woman walking at the very end.

The woman was about twenty years old, wearing a lake-blue gown. She walked with her eyes straight ahead, following behind the graceful, swaying group. Compared to the other ladies in front who were admiring the flowers and chatting softly, this woman—separated from them by a full person’s width—seemed far too quiet.

In truth, one could not blame her for her silence. She simply wasn’t well-acquainted with any of the noble ladies present.

Her name was Gu Siyuan, the second daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, Gu Ting sheng. Previously, she had been living with her grandmother in their ancestral home in Zhongzhou. Last winter, she passed the examinations for the Hongwen Library and became a lecturer of history, which finally brought her back to Yuanzhou to reunite with her parents.

Gu Siyuan’s grandmother was a great scholar of the realm. Having been influenced by her grandmother since childhood, Gu Siyuan loved reading, craved tranquility, and rarely ventured out. Had the Grand Empress Dowager not issued a decree forcing her out in this lingering spring rain, it would have been impossible for her to be here.

But imperial favor is paramount. Even if the spring rain was annoyingly persistent and the delicate flowers drooped dejectedly in the dew, Gu Siyuan still wrapped herself in a thin cloak and walked through the cold curtain of rain.

Standing under an attendant’s umbrella, she passed through the riot of colors in the back garden amidst the hazy mist. The fine rain drifted, dampening the hem of her blue gown and leaving a line of moisture on her exquisite shoes. This damp sensation made Gu Siyuan slightly uncomfortable, causing her steps to slow further.

Soon, the line of noble ladies stepped onto the veranda and, with soft voices and light laughter, passed through the long corridor into the next courtyard. Realizing she had fallen behind, Gu Siyuan quickened her pace. Just then, a deerskin ball adorned with black tassels was tossed in front of her.

The ball tumbled before Gu Siyuan’s eyes, rolling toward the long veranda. An attendant dressed in red, back bowed, chased the rolling ball with quick, small steps. He leaned over to pick it up, cradling it in his arms as he walked toward the end of the corridor.

Gu Siyuan’s gaze followed the attendant, and she stopped in her tracks when she saw the young boy in crimson standing at the end of the hallway.

The boy stood there in his crimson robes and adult-style jade crown, hands behind his back, looking quite dignified despite his youth. His face was set in a stern expression, radiating nobility. The attendant ran to his side and respectfully handed him the ball. The boy took it without a word, merely lifting his eyes to stare straight at Gu Siyuan.

Gu Siyuan reacted quickly, immediately bowing in greeting. “This humble official pays respects to Your Majesty.” As a lecturer at the Hongwen Library, she was naturally a subject of the current Emperor.

The child standing beneath the veranda was indeed the young sovereign, Zhongli Ran, who had ascended the throne two years ago. Zhongli Ran held the ball, tilting her head slightly to scrutinize the woman before her. After watching for a moment, she tucked the ball under one arm and turned to leave without saying a word.

Gu Siyuan stood there, watching the boy’s departing back, a ripple of emotion surfacing in her usually calm eyes. Soon, she also turned and, guided by the attendant at her side, caught up with the other young ladies.

Shengyuan Palace was immense, with countless side halls. Even after wandering for an entire afternoon, the group had not finished seeing everything. As evening approached, the crowd dispersed, and Gu Siyuan returned home by carriage.

After dinner, she went to her study to organize her lesson plans for the next day. She hadn’t originally wanted to come to the capital, but her grandmother felt that at twenty, she was in the prime of her youth and that staying home to compile books wasn’t appropriate. Thus, she was ordered to enter Yuanzhou last autumn to take the Hongwen Library exams.

To her surprise, she passed on the first try and remained at the library as a teacher.

Having just joined the library, her students were all half-grown youths of eleven or twelve, right at the age of budding curiosity, so she had to put in a fair amount of effort. She had prepared most of her lesson plan when her mother, accompanied by two maids, knocked on the study door.

Gu Siyuan stood up and opened the door to welcome her mother. She glanced back and saw the two maids; one carried a jar of soup, and the other carried a box of moxa. She let out a low sigh.

Gu’s mother took her hand, led her to the small daybed, and had the maid place the soup on the small table. “You must be exhausted. Mother brewed a bowl of ginseng soup for you, drink it while it’s hot.”

As she spoke, Gu’s mother opened the lid and ladled a small bowl of soup for Gu Siyuan. Gu Siyuan took it and said, “Thank you, Mother.” She took a spoonful and blew on it gently to cool it.

Seeing this, Gu’s mother gestured to the maid to bring the moxa box. While opening it, she said, “You walked all day in Shengyuan Palace, you must be tired. You have to work at the library tomorrow, so Mother will give you some moxibustion.”

Gu Siyuan put down the soup bowl and said, “Mother, it’s no trouble. When I was with Grandmother in Zhongzhou, I practiced martial arts routines with her every day. My body is very healthy. You’ve been working at the clinic all day, you should rest. You don’t need to worry about me the moment you get home.”

Gu’s mother worked at the Imperial Capital Clinic under the Imperial Academy of Medicine and was a doctor of some renown.

Hearing this, Gu’s mother gave her a playful, reproachful look. “The clinic is mostly run by your elder sister now, I only look after a few nobles. I’m not that busy. But you, worrying over the library all day—you really should have some moxibustion.” Despite saying this, she eventually listened to Gu Siyuan and stopped insisting, closing the lid of the box.

Gu Siyuan smiled. “I know Mother dotes on me.”

Although Gu Siyuan had lived in Zhongzhou with her grandmother since she was young, living apart from her parents hadn’t made her distant. On the contrary, because they hadn’t seen each other for years, Gu’s mother missed her dearly and showered her with affection.

Gu Siyuan ladled a cooled spoonful of soup and held it to her mother’s lips, whispering, “The soup is very sweet. Mother, have a sip too.”

Gu’s mother teased, “I think it’s your tongue that’s sweet.” Even so, she smilingly drank the soup Gu Siyuan offered.

The atmosphere between mother and daughter was warm. Seeing her daughter happy, Gu’s mother asked, “Did you see the Grand Empress Dowager when you went to the palace today?”

Gu Siyuan replied, “I did. She is in good health and walked with us for a while, only leaving in the afternoon to let us enjoy the flowers on our own.”

This Grand Empress Dowager was the Empress of the late Emperor Chu Ming. Emperor Ming was a woman who only favored women. She had only appointed two Empresses during her reign. The first Empress was her first wife, who passed away before reaching thirty. When Emperor Ming reached her forties, she appointed another Empress—the current Grand Empress Dowager.

Emperor Ming had no biological children and had not adopted any. Three years ago, she ordered the Grand Diviner to offer sacrifices to the Great Unity and seek divine guidance, designating the legitimate daughter of the late King of Zhongzhou, Zhongli Ran, as the Imperial Grandson. Only then did the Kingdom of Chu have an heir.

A year later, Emperor Ming passed away. The Imperial Grandson Zhongli Ran ascended the throne, becoming the new Emperor of Chu.

Because the new Emperor was young, Emperor Ming’s final edict appointed Zhongli Hui, the King of Yunzhong, as Regent to manage state affairs alongside the Grand Empress Dowager and the Prime Ministers of the Left and Right.

The Grand Empress Dowager was not yet forty and was in the prime of her life. With her managing the government, the new Emperor gradually found her footing. However, the factions at court kept each other in check, and since the Grand Empress Dowager had fallen ill last winter, the political situation had become somewhat unstable. This was why Gu’s mother asked the question.

Gu’s mother nodded and then asked, “And… did you see His Majesty?”

Gu Siyuan’s hand paused slightly. “I believe… I saw her from a distance.”

Hearing this, her mother’s expression became a bit subtle. She quickly asked, “What did you think of His Majesty? How was her bearing? Your father says His Majesty is steady and solemn, is that so?”

This question made Gu Siyuan recall what Zhongli Ran looked like as a child. Their first meeting was when Zhongli Ran was only three years old. A tiny child, clutching a small ball, hiding in the rockery and sobbing. That was the only time she had ever seen her cry. As she grew older, she never saw Zhongli Ran cry again.

Zhongli Ran always seemed to be this way—stern-faced, brow slightly furrowed, saying very little. She appeared noble and distant, but in reality, she was just very awkward.

Four years had passed, and though the child had grown much taller, that aura of cold, awkward loneliness seemed never to have changed. The deep palace is cold and lonely; one wonders how she has fared.

At this thought, Gu Siyuan felt an inexplicable pang of sadness. She pondered for a moment and said vaguely, “She should be just as Father described.”

Gu’s mother glanced at her. “His Majesty lived in Zhongzhou when she was young and studied with your grandmother for several years. She lived and ate with you for so long. How could you not know what she’s like?”

Gu Siyuan felt a bit helpless. “Mother, back then His Majesty was only the heir to the King of Zhongzhou. Four years have passed, she has grown up and become the ruler of a nation. How could I possibly know her character now?”

Gu’s mother looked at the soup in her daughter’s hand and thought for a moment. “Let’s not talk about His Majesty for now. Let me ask you, do you have any time during your next break? Your father has a student who is about your age and is also unmarried. If you have time, meet him during your next day off.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Siyuan put down her soup bowl and said quickly, “Mother, I have to organize books during my next break. The spring sun is bright, I need to air out my books at home.”

Gu’s mother scolded her playfully, “Air out what books? I’ll help you air them. On your next break, you will meet your father’s student.”

Gu Siyuan didn’t like going out, and she especially disliked blind dates.

Social customs in the Kingdom of Chu were open-minded, and marriage was free. Because the founding Emperor, Jin, had appointed her younger sister’s daughter as the Imperial Crown Princess, Chu had seen a succession of female Emperors. Furthermore, because the people of Chu loved beauty, there were female Emperors who favored women, leading to the appointment of female Empresses. Consequently, from the top down, both ‘male winds’ and ‘female winds’ were common. Whether the person one loved was male or female didn’t matter.

As for the matter of procreation and succession, the Chu Imperial family provided a good example. Some princes and princesses loved having children and had many. Those who didn’t—if there was a title to inherit—would adopt one from the clan. If there was no title, then so be it. After death, everyone was burned by the priests of the Taiyi Temple, scattering with the wind, free of attachments.

Yet, among these carefree people of Chu, there were always some who weren’t quite so carefree. Gu Siyuan’s mother belonged to that category. She always felt that one ought to have a marriage.

And so, Gu Siyuan, a carefree person of Chu, could only helplessly agree under her mother’s repeated nagging.