The twilight of a glorious era, a legacy that will last for eternity.
The autumn colors of Jiangnan turned the ginkgo trees in the courtyard yellow, and also took away the years that Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing had spent together. They passed away peacefully, still holding each other's hands until their last breath, as if they had simply fallen into a peaceful slumber, just like their life together, simple yet steadfast.
In accordance with his last wishes, Shen Nianqing buried his parents together on a small hill in the suburbs of Jiangnan. There was no grand tombstone in front of the grave, only a blue stone slab inscribed with sixteen characters: "Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing, who supported each other through thick and thin, now rest here in peace." On the back were the four characters "Guo Tai Min An" (meaning "Peace and Prosperity for the Nation"), handwritten by Shen Qingci in his later years, the ink vigorous and powerful, just like his original aspirations. The tomb is backed by green mountains and faces a flowing stream, exactly the pastoral scenery they loved most in life.
When the news reached the capital, it shook the court and the public. The emperor suspended court for three days, personally inscribed the posthumous title "Duke Wenzhong," and dispatched the crown prince to Jiangnan to offer sacrifices. The inscription on the stele was personally copied by a Hanlin scholar, praising Shen Qingci for "serving as regent for decades, remaining incorruptible and selfless, devoting himself to the cause, protecting the country and its people, and making great contributions to the nation." People spontaneously burned incense and paid their respects. In villages in the capital, Jiangnan, and even the border regions, people offered simple food and water to remember this virtuous minister who had brought them peace, and the gentle and kind Lady Su who saved lives.
The story of Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing quickly spread throughout Dajing. Storytellers recounted their childhood sweetheart relationship in teahouses, their mutual support during the snowstorm in Ningguta, their uprightness in the imperial court, and their leisurely life in the Jiangnan countryside; painters wielded their brushes to depict their story in paintings, with scenes such as "snowy night," "offering advice in court," and "appreciating flowers in Jiangnan" circulating widely among the common people; even poets wrote poems praising them, saying, "Deep affection does not betray lofty ambitions, and after achieving success, they retire to live among the clouds and mist."
After completing their three-year mourning period, Shen Nianqing and his wife returned to the capital with Shen Chengyou. Whenever their grandson pestered them with questions about their grandparents' stories, Shen Nianqing would take out the long spear passed down by Shen Qingci, or the medical manuscripts left by Su Yunqing, and recount in detail the past hidden in time—how his grandfather turned the tide in the court and how he tirelessly advocated for the people; how his grandmother used her medical skills to help her neighbors and how she used her wisdom to resolve crises. These stories, like seeds, took root and sprouted in Shen Chengyou's heart, nurturing his later character of "putting the country and the people first."
Years later, Shen Chengyou entered the court as an official, always taking his grandfather as his role model. He was honest and upright, and achieved outstanding political achievements, becoming another virtuous minister of the Great Jing Dynasty. Shen Qingci's name was recorded in the "Biographies of Virtuous Ministers" in the History of the Great Jing Dynasty, where he was listed alongside famous ministers of past dynasties. The book praised him, saying: "Qingci served three dynasties, was upright and clear-headed, held great power in the court but was not arrogant, and achieved great merit but was not haughty. He and Su Shi were inseparable throughout their lives, and their family and country were both exemplary."
The people on the border always remember Prime Minister Shen, who quelled the war and brought them peace; the people of Jiangnan never forget Lady Su, who planted flowers and was kind to everyone. Their stories have not faded with the passage of time, but have become more vivid in word of mouth, becoming the warmest footnote to the prosperous era of Dajing.
As the sun sets, children often chase butterflies and play at the joint tomb of Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing, while elderly people often pause to sigh softly. The mountain breeze carries the fragrance of grass and trees, as if telling a story of profound love that transcends time, a legend of loyalty and steadfast commitment to one's country. Their figures have long since become part of the landscape and history of Dajing, transforming into the most moving scenery in the twilight of a prosperous era, their fame enduring through the ages.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
