A Thousand Miles of Wind - Chapter 5

Zhongli Ran gazed at Gu Siyuan’s startled expression with a composed look, asking in confusion, “What? Is it so strange that We are to have a Grand Wedding?”

Gu Siyuan froze, still holding the ice pack for Zhongli Ran, and said subconsciously, “You aren’t even twelve years old yet.” According to the laws of the Chu Kingdom, the marriageable age was sixteen. Zhongli Ran was still more than four years away from that mark.

Zhongli Ran looked at her and said very seriously, “Twelve is already an age where one can hold a Grand Wedding in the Imperial family, child Emperors are usually thus. Grandmother says We are young and cannot yet rule personally. If We are to take the reins of government, We must marry an elder Empress to assist in state affairs.”

A child raised in the Imperial Palace, even if only ten or so years old, cannot be viewed as ordinary. Furthermore, the current Zhongli Ran had already been the sovereign of the world for two years.

Looking at her exceptionally calm face, Gu Siyuan felt a pang of heartache and asked softly, “Then… does the Grand Empress Dowager have a preferred candidate in mind?”

Zhongli Ran glanced at her with a half-smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “How could this be decided by Grandmother alone? Our Empress will either be chosen by Heaven or picked out by the ministers.”

Gu Siyuan did not respond. Enduring the pain as the medicine in her mouth took effect, Zhongli Ran spoke slowly, “Do you remember the day we met at Shengyuan Palace?”

Gu Siyuan nodded and replied, “I remember.”

Zhongli Ran looked at her and said, “That day, after Grandmother left, she ordered the attendants to hold umbrellas and lead you all through the back gardens of Shengyuan Palace. In truth, We were following in the corridor behind you the entire time, observing in secret.”

“Do you know what this is called among the common folk?”

Gu Siyuan’s heart skipped a beat as three words surfaced in her mind—Meeting Amidst Flowers. Seeing her realization, Zhongli Ran reached out to rub her own jaw and continued, “Grandmother says it is called ‘Meeting Amidst Flowers.'”

“Among that group of noble ladies older than me, there were the legitimate daughters of the Prime Ministers of the Left and Right, the daughters of generals holding military tallies, and many daughters from noble, scholarly families. And of course, there was you.”

“One of those people will become Our wife. So that day, Grandmother had Us watch in secret.”

“She instructed the attendants to point out the identities of those noble ladies to Us, letting Us memorize their faces. This is because the Grand Diviner will take the birth dates of these ladies and match them with Mine; the most compatible one will be Our Empress.”

“Of course, if that person is not very good-looking, Grandmother allows Us to pick the second most compatible.”

Having said this, Zhongli Ran looked up at Gu Siyuan and said slowly, “A Grand Wedding… as it is likely to be the first wife, she naturally should be a beautiful and gentle-tempered elder sister.”

Hearing this, Gu Siyuan reached out to rub her knee, her gaze soft. Zhongli Ran gazed at her face and suddenly asked very solemnly, “Do you have someone in your heart?”

Gu Siyuan was stunned and shook her head. Zhongli Ran asked again, “Then, will you marry?”

Gu Siyuan shook her head once more. Seeing this, Zhongli Ran looked away and said coolly, “What a pity. Our palace has a hall filled with book collections, you would surely love it.”

“If you were Our Empress, it would be wonderful. We don’t know a single one of those noble ladies from the ministers’ families. But currently, Our future is uncertain, how could We marry you?”

Her words sounded somewhat bitter. Gu Siyuan lowered her eyes to look at her, not missing the loneliness within her stubborn gaze. Gu Siyuan’s eyes instantly turned red; she whispered, “Your Majesty, please do not belittle yourself so.”

The child’s eyes shimmered with tears, looking as if she were about to cry. Looking at her, Gu Siyuan was so pained she didn’t know what to do. But Zhongli Ran raised both hands and quickly covered Gu Siyuan’s eyes, saying, “Don’t look. Do not look at Us with that kind of expression.”

“We will grow up. One day, We will grow up.”

Zhongli Ran’s voice sounded somewhat cold and stubborn, forcibly pushing the surging tears back into her eyes.

Though her hands were small, they were enough to block Gu Siyuan’s entire field of vision. Sensing the grievance hidden behind her words, Gu Siyuan said nothing but leaned forward and hugged her tenderly.

She pulled Zhongli Ran into her arms, cradling the back of her head with one hand and patting her back with the other, whispering, “Yes. One day, eventually, you will grow up.”

“Your Majesty, everything will pass. After the bitter winter is over, what awaits you will be countless blooming flowers.”

Zhongli Ran grabbed her collar, gripping it tightly and never letting go.

Zhongli Ran rarely lost her composure in front of her. Gu Siyuan worried that once the emotions subsided, the girl might feel embarrassed. She held Zhongli Ran for a long while, unable to think of a solution. As it turned out, fifteen minutes later, Zhongli Ran fell asleep in her arms.

Even though Zhongli Ran was mature in character, in some ways she was still just a child. Having suffered a shock today and being injured, it was normal for her to fall asleep after venting her emotions.

Seeing that she was fast asleep, Gu Siyuan cautiously pulled her hands away, helped remove the freezing ice pack, and tucked the quilt in well.

Having done all this, Gu Siyuan sat by the bed, resting her chin on her hand as she studied Zhongli Ran’s face. She really had grown quite a bit; her features had opened up, appearing more refined than her previous ‘soft dumpling’ look.

The Zhongli Imperial family prized beauty; almost none of the Imperial descendants were unattractive. Zhongli Ran was beautiful, having been the best-looking among the children since she was small.

Now that four years had passed in a flash, although she was still a youth, she was already an Emperor on the verge of a Grand Wedding. She wondered which one would become her Empress.

Gu Siyuan thought of the young ladies she had seen that day, her gaze softening. She thought that for a child as awkward as Zhongli Ran, it would be better to find an elder sister who knew how to care for her. Because this Grand Wedding was entirely due to the Chu Kingdom’s need for a child Emperor to have an Empress, rather than Zhongli Ran wanting to marry.

Gu Siyuan pitied her; after all, this was a child she had watched grow up. However, she could not interfere in matters of the court. She could only offer Zhongli Ran small bits of encouragement and hope, praying that she would grow up quickly.

Grow up quickly, then rule personally, take hold of power, and become a qualified Emperor who wouldn’t be bullied. Zhongli Ran was already sitting in that seat; aside from the Royal Way forward, there was no other path for her.

Gu Siyuan watched her for a long time, eventually letting out a sigh. She sat for a while longer, and seeing that Zhongli Ran was sleeping deeply, she stood up and walked outside.

The Fengbo waiting outside the hall heard the footsteps from within. After Gu Siyuan emerged, he stepped forward and asked quickly, “Teacher Gu, how is Her Majesty? Do you have some urgent matter?”

Gu Siyuan replied, “Her Majesty fell asleep after her wounds were treated and won’t wake for a while. I cannot leave without saying goodbye. However, I told my guard to wait for me at the parking station at the foot of the mountain at 4:00 PM. It is now long past noon, and I don’t know when Her Majesty will wake. I wanted to ask you to find someone to send word to my guard, telling her to return home on her own and not wait for me.”

The Fengbo understood immediately and said hurriedly, “Teacher Gu, do not worry. I will send someone to deliver the message to your guard at once.”

Gu Siyuan nodded. “Thank you for your trouble, My Lord.”

With that matter settled, Gu Siyuan found herself with nothing to do. She stood up and wandered along the veranda of the Palace of Clouds. Passing by, the scenery she saw was all new buds sprouting from dark green. The mountains were cold and quiet; no amount of human presence could dilute that touch of chill.

The spring light was brilliant, yet standing under the veranda, Gu Siyuan felt quite cold. But once she stepped into the courtyard for too long, the sun felt hot. She stood in the half-shadow, half-sunlight spot under the eaves, craving the coolness behind her yet enjoying the warmth in front of her, feeling for a moment caught in between.

She stood under the eaves, gazing at a cluster of white camellias swaying in the wind, lost in thought. She imagined that if she were like a flower, she would only have to look forward to the spring.

One season of blooming and withering, like a raging fire.

After staying in the courtyard of the Palace of Clouds for a while, an attendant came to report that Her Majesty was awake and wished to see her. Gu Siyuan stood up in a hurry and walked over.

When Gu Siyuan entered the hall, what she saw was Zhongli Ran sitting by the small daybed, her clothes and crown neatly arranged. Seeing her arrive, the little Emperor stood up, walked to her side, and said with a stern face, “Let’s go. Accompany Us to offer incense.”

As she spoke, she reached out her hand toward Gu Siyuan. Seeing this, Gu Siyuan took her hand and led her toward the Hall of the Great Unity.

The so-called “offering incense” actually involved mixing slips of paper with the names of the recipients into the incense to be burned together. The Consort’s tomb was far away in Zhongzhou; the little Emperor could not return, so she could only offer incense to the gods at Taiyi Temple on behalf of her late mother.

Gu Siyuan followed her through five halls, taking half an hour to finish burning incense in each. By the time they emerged, they were both permeated with the scent of incense smoke.

Zhongli Ran brushed her sleeves, smelled the scent on herself, and frowned slightly. She looked up at Gu Siyuan and asked, “Are you in a hurry to go home?”

“Not in a hurry.” Gu Siyuan was a bit worried about her; staying to accompany her a bit longer would be good.

Zhongli Ran nodded and gestured, “Then follow Us.”