19 Look
◎His Royal Highness Prince Zhao visited late at night.◎
"Your Highness, please forgive me."
Gu Ningxi lowered her eyes and noticed from the corner of her eye that she had put her shoes on backwards.
Lu Jing didn't care about this disrespectful behavior and only reminded him, "It's already noon."
Gu Ningxi subconsciously looked at the sky outside and vaguely remembered that they were leaving at noon today.
The journey was nearly delayed, and Gu Ningxi said in frustration, "I'll be right there."
She slept too late last night and didn't leave anyone to watch over her. She even forgot to ask Yinyue to wake her up in time.
She still had to wash and change her clothes. Seeing that Yuan Le had just overslept and was not seriously injured, Lu Jing went back to her room opposite first.
Gu Ningxi quickly closed the door and stood with her back against it for a moment before she calmed down. She rang the bell, asking Yinyue to bring hot water for washing.
She looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Most of her black hair hung down in front of her. Fortunately, she had kept the habit of binding her chest these past few nights, otherwise it would have been even more troublesome.
Gu Ningxi didn't waste any more time and went to change by the couch. The clothes she had changed out of the previous night were hanging on the screen; they were the clothes Prince Zhao had lent her. Gu Ningxi's trunk had been successfully recovered, and after a moment's deliberation, she decided to take the clothes back to the Marquis Xuanping's residence and wash them before returning them to His Highness Prince Zhao.
After waiting for a while, Gu Ningxi had changed his clothes, and Yinyuefang came out with a copper basin and knocked on the door.
"Where did you go just now?"
Yin Yue said anxiously, "This servant... This servant will go and thank Brother Xun Zhou."
She didn't dare lie in front of her master and delay her work. She knew she was wrong.
Gu Ningxi held up a handful of water and, seeing Yinyue's uneasy expression, didn't blame her. "When I'm away from home, if I don't tell you later, you must wake me up before noon."
Without her order, the two servants who came with the Gu family were not allowed to approach her bedroom.
"Yes, Master Gu."
Gu Ningxi wrung her handkerchief and was about to say a few more words, but when water droplets splashed in the copper basin, she suddenly recalled the scene in her dream.
She had felt a vague sense of familiarity in her dream, and now that she thought about it, it must have been the Lishan hunting grounds. The grass and trees were withered and yellow, and the princes and ministers were all there, so it must be the autumn hunting season.
The triennial Autumn Hunt should have taken place next year at the earliest. Perhaps it was moved forward a year to celebrate the triumphant return of His Majesty King Zhao.
As he walked down the wooden stairs, Gu Ningxi was still thinking about the assassin.
Some food was left for her in the living room on the first floor, and it was still warm from being kept on the stove.
After lunch, the team regrouped and set off again for Beishou Mountain.
…
Beishoushan District is blessed with unique natural conditions. Surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and north, it is crisscrossed by streams and rivers, each with its own clear, flowing water source and lush vegetation. Of the three auspicious feng shui sites selected by the Ministry of Rites, Your Majesty chose Beishoushan as the site for the Great Jin Imperial Mausoleum.
The peaks are lush and verdant, and at the foot of Jiyun Peak, His Majesty's Qing Mausoleum is under construction. Empress Yiwen's mausoleum is to the right of the Emperor's mausoleum, while the open space on the left is reserved for Empress Yao's centenary. The two mausoleums stand side by side.
The day they arrived at the imperial mausoleum was the first day of April, and the Ministry of Rites had been systematically arranging the sacrificial ceremony to be held on the fifth day after the Lunar New Year.
Gu Ningxi followed His Royal Highness Prince Zhao and first paid homage to Emperor Gaozu's Dingling Mausoleum.
The Lu family was once a prominent clan in Hexi. During the late Liang Dynasty, when a corrupt emperor reigned, war erupted and the country was in turmoil. Emperor Gaozu gathered his men and resolutely launched a campaign, conquering the lands and bringing the Lu family to prominence among the various vassal states. He died of illness while on the march, leaving a solid foundation for his descendants. The current emperor, carrying on his father's legacy, continued his conquests. After becoming emperor, he changed the country's name to Jin, posthumously honored his father as Emperor Jing, gave him the temple name Gaozu, and relocated his burial to Dingling.
The Gu clan followed Emperor Gaozu in his rebellion, making significant contributions to the Jin dynasty. Gu Ningxi's grandfather had a close friendship with Emperor Gaozu, and by His Majesty's grace, his grandfather was to be buried with him in Dingling Mausoleum after his death, a supreme honor for the Gu clan.
His Royal Highness Prince Zhao had begun bathing and fasting three days in advance. During these three days, Gu Ningxi also remembered his duties on this trip and inspected several works at the imperial mausoleum, recording them faithfully.
As the sun sets in the west, the green mountains are bathed in the afterglow of the sunset, as if painted with thick ink and color.
"Master Gu, what are you doing here in a daze?" Xie Qian accidentally bumped into him and saw that Master Gu had been looking at the mountains for a long time, so he couldn't help but ask.
Gu Ningxi couldn't explain why. Her voice was a little soft. She was answering Xie Qian, but it was more like she was talking to herself: "I don't know either. I always feel that place is very familiar."
The imperial mausoleum is not a place where one can freely move around, and Gu Ningxi had never been here before.
Xie Qian followed her gaze and saw that the peaks there were tall and steep, and it was very likely to become the site of the imperial mausoleum in the future.
He smiled, thinking that Gu Ningxi was just enjoying the scenery and didn't take these words to heart.
"Tomorrow is the festival, Master Gu, please go back and rest early."
"Okay."
Before returning to his residence, Gu Ningxi took one last look at the mountains.
The scenery over there... she actually felt that it belonged to her alone, how wonderful.
…
The next day, it started to drizzle from the morning.
As Gu Ningxi walked through the courtyard to the offering hall with an umbrella, he hesitated for a moment and turned to the corridor on the right.
It was still early for the festival to start, so even if we took a detour we could still arrive much earlier.
Raindrops dripped down the eaves as Gu Ningxi folded her umbrella under the porch. She didn't ask her attendants to follow her, following her instincts as she turned a few corners along the corridor. Through the gray sky, she actually saw the figure of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao in the familiar pavilion.
Gu Ningxi walked lightly, not knowing whether he should disturb her.
While she was thinking about it, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao discovered her first.
Their eyes met for a moment. Although they were silent, Gu Ningxi knew that he tacitly agreed.
She placed her umbrella next to the original oil-paper umbrella, two or three steps away from His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Gu Ningxi sat with him on the stone steps.
The sound of rain continued. Gu Ningxi knew that there was nothing she could do and could only quietly accompany the person beside her.
She looked out at the dense drizzle outside the pavilion. She remembered the same continuous drizzle that fell on the day Empress Yiwen was buried. It seemed as if there was a hole in the clouds; the rain would never stop.
She sat with him on the steps, the two little people leaning against each other, watching the sky darken and listening to the chaotic sound of rain. That was until His Majesty arrived and took him to the sacrifice ceremony. For the first time, Gu Ningxi saw undisguised sadness and worry on the face of the Supreme Emperor. He held his son's hand, his figure tall.
Gu Ningxi's last memory of Prince Jin's Mansion was that round after round of famous doctors were invited into the mansion. They all said that they were powerless to save the princess and that the princess might not have much time left.
Empress Yiwen died before she was thirty-five. She was, in contrast, more open-minded about matters of life and death than others. She said that Heaven had favored her enough in her life, and that a shorter life span was fair. Her greatest regret was not being able to see her only son grow up, and that her parents had to bear him to his death.
Since Empress Yiwen passed away, His Majesty took Lu Jing to his side, personally caring for him for three years until he left the palace to set up his own residence. His Majesty also treated the Zhending Palace with great kindness.
"Your Highness," Gu Ningxi said softly, "the time is almost up."
"Um."
Everyone in the offering hall stood in awe, waiting for His Royal Highness King Zhao.
Gu Ningxi followed King Zhao into the hall and stood at his own seat. The three prisons in the hall were fully equipped and incense was burning brightly.
Lu Jing knelt on the mat in the center, and everyone in the hall bowed down.
The one who presided over the sacrificial ceremony was the Minister of the Imperial Household: "The Queen Mother carries a heavy burden, and is worthy of being a role model for the Empress. The moon has dimmed its brilliance, and suddenly it cries out in sorrow on the shore. The spring orchid is dormant, so don't try to catch the horse's gap; the clouds are dark on the pepper road, so you can't bear to see the phoenix's chariot..."①
Amid the sounds of bells and drums, His Royal Highness King Zhao bowed again and offered wine.
Your Majesty personally drafted the edict, adding the posthumous title "Zhenhe" to Empress Yuan, and the title "Empress Yiwen Zhenhe".
…
The spring rain is continuous, moistening everything silently.
The rain stopped after a few days, and the sky turned from cloudy to sunny. Farmers could be seen working in the fields everywhere, their faces filled with happy smiles.
According to the order of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, the troops rested temporarily in the place where they were and did not disturb the people. Gu Ningxi followed him down to the fields to observe the farming scene.
This year's rains have been plentiful, and the crops are growing well. In a nearby field, another farmer is working with an oxen and a plow to loosen the soil. Around the Qingming Festival (Qingming Festival), it's the perfect time for spring planting.
Gu Ningxi stepped on the ridge of the field and saw a bunch of beautiful purple flowers blooming beside the road.
The secret guard reported to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao about recent events, which should be related to the assassination attempt a few days ago.
Gu Ningxi wisely moved away, but did not go too far. He twisted a piece of dogtail grass between his fingers and played with it.
Lu Jing leaned against the carriage and took the letter from the palace delivered by the personal guard.
The emperor already knew about the attack on him outside the capital, and ordered the Jingzhao Prefecture and the local county government to conduct a thorough investigation.
Xie Qian looked hesitant. How could His Majesty not guess who was behind this? He had sent someone to assist His Majesty in the investigation, perhaps also with the intention of stopping short and pacifying the situation, to prevent it from getting out of hand.
"It's okay to go with the flow." Lu Jing closed the letter and had a plan.
"I understand."
Xie Qian went to pass on the order to the secret guards. Lu Jing raised his eyes and saw Gu Ningxi standing under the ridge of the field, talking attentively with the working farmers.
The green figure matches the misty spring scenery perfectly. When the young master, who is as elegant and graceful as jade, asks questions, people always can't help but talk to him for a few more paragraphs.
We stayed at the town's inn that night. It was the only one in the area that accommodated travelers. The villagers in this area lived scattered, so the inn stood alone, with a small persimmon grove behind it. The room was simple, but reasonably clean.
Lu Jing picked up his pen and wrote a reply letter to the palace, stating the group's return date and ordered the secret guards to deliver it the next day.
There was a candle on in the house diagonally opposite, and Yuan Le had not yet gone to bed.
Lu Jing sat for a while, then stood up and left the room.
The guards in the corridor saluted silently to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. According to His Royal Highness's instructions, they had added 30 more secret guards around Lord Gu's room so as not to disturb Lord Gu.
The candlelight in the room shone through the linen paper, and Lu Jing walked forward and knocked on the door.
He heard silence in the room for a while, and soon footsteps were heard.
Gu Ningxi opened the door and she tied her black hair with a hairband.
"Your Highness." Gu Ningxi welcomed Prince Zhao into the house, hesitated for a moment, and then closed the door.
"It's late, why aren't you sleeping?"
Lu Jing saw a piece of rice paper spread out on the table, with a bright candlelight.
Gu Ningxi smiled and said, "Your Highness, haven't you slept either?"
There was a picture of a plow on the paper, and Lu Jing looked at it and it looked quite different from what he usually saw.
Gu Ningxi nodded. "Ordinarily, ordinary people use straight-beam plows for farming. This plow changes the straight and long shaft to a curved and short one, making it lighter and more labor-saving."
She encountered it in the fields during the day and was quite curious. She hurriedly asked the owner of the plow. The old man was very enthusiastic and told her that a relative had taught him how to modify it. The relative was originally from the south and had moved to Beijing to live with relatives due to the war. Gu Ningxi also learned that most farmers in Jiangdong already used this kind of farm implement, which was called the "Jiangdong Plow." The old man was delighted. Since his relatives and friends helped him modify the farm implement, it was indeed much easier for him to plow the fields with his oxen.
Gu Ningxi obtained the old man's permission and took a detailed look at the "Jiangdong Plow" during his break. She was afraid she might forget something later, so she wanted to copy the blueprint overnight.
Although it is an ordinary plow, its structure is quite sophisticated.
Gu Ningxi was having an interesting thought on his own when someone happened to arrive to share his thoughts. "Your Highness, look! The plow disc mounted on the shaft can rotate freely. This way, the plow frame can not only be made smaller and lighter, but also can turn and turn, saving manpower and animal power."
Lu Jing watched him circle the details, his eyes growing brighter as he spoke. If this farm tool could be improved and promoted, it might be a great help to agricultural development.
Gu Ningxi didn't say anything too certain for the time being. It was just her idea at the moment, and whether it could be realized was another matter.
She spoke a long string of words without realizing it, and then she remembered that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao must have something to do when he came to visit her so late at night, so she just spoke for herself.
Gu Ningxi smiled sheepishly, raising her long eyelashes slightly, as if asking what was the matter with His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
Lu Jing's tone was relaxed: "Nothing, it's just that there might be assassins in the inn tonight."
With a "click", the ink pen in Gu Ningxi's hand fell onto the paper, splashing a few drops of ink.
She opened her mouth slightly and her expression froze.
Lu Jing thought that dazed look was a bit cute.
【Author’s words】
① Quote from the memorial to Empress Xiaoxian
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