Chapter 142 Phoenix Above Dragon...that's not...Li Bai?
Wei Zhongxian's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Xiu Niang's ears and shaking her to her core.
A woman's dragon robe?
A phoenix atop a dragon?
Each word was like a poisoned steel needle, piercing her heart. She staggered back half a step, her withered fingers gripping the loom beside her tightly, barely managing to support her swaying body.
Cold sweat instantly soaked through her coarse cloth clothes, and her disheveled white hair clung to her pale skin, making her look even more wretched. She opened her mouth, but it felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping her throat, and she couldn't utter a sound.
The calamity of annihilation!
This is a true catastrophe that could wipe out the entire race!
Even princes and regional military governors wouldn't dare to entertain such a presumptuous thought, let alone a woman! This would overturn the very foundations of heaven and earth!
Her cloudy old eyes stared intently at Wei Zhongxian's ambiguous smile, trying to discern any hint of probing or joking.
But no, in those unfathomable eyes, there was only cold certainty and unquestionable majesty.
After a long silence, Xiu Niang managed to squeeze out a voice through clenched teeth, dry and hoarse like sandpaper scraping: "Father...father...you...you mustn't be deceiving this old woman, that her eyesight and hearing are failing...a woman's dragon robe...a phoenix on top of a dragon?" She swallowed hard, the immense fear making her almost incoherent, "This...this is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family...no, a crime punishable by being ground to dust and never to be reincarnated! Under heaven, who dares...who can wear this robe? You...you are doing this...doing this for which noble person..."
She dared not utter the word "defying the heavens," but the horror and despair in her eyes said it all. She stared intently at Wei Zhongxian, trying to glean a glimpse of the truth from his calm, expressionless face.
She hadn't expected Jiang Ge, the magistrate of Songyang County, since Jiang Ge was still acting as a man.
The unknown is the greatest fear; an immense fear gripped her, chilling her to the bone.
Wei Zhongxian listened quietly to her trembling questions, his unfathomable smile remaining unchanged. Only when Xiu Niang was rendered speechless with fear did he slowly raise his eyelids.
“Master,” his voice remained calm, even tinged with a hint of languor, yet each word carried immense weight, striking Xiu Niang’s heart, “that in this world, longevity depends not on eyes and ears, but on…” He pointed to his temples, “…here. See what you should see, hear what you should hear, and for what you shouldn’t see or hear, pretend you didn’t see it or hear it. As for what you should know, when the time comes, you will naturally know.”
He leaned forward slightly, an invisible pressure emanating from him: "You are a smart man, and a shrewd one. Now that I am sitting here with you today, saying these words, do you think there is no one behind me?" He chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in his laughter, only cold calculation. "You only need to know that if this garment is completed, it will be a meritorious deed for the new dynasty, bringing immense wealth and honor! You will be a hero of the new dynasty! At that time, even if you want to see your grandson and granddaughter, it will only be a matter of a word. Even... letting them enjoy wealth and glory will not be difficult."
He paused slightly, admiring the intense struggle on Xiu Niang's face, and continued slowly, "But what if the embroidery fails... or, if even a whisper of it leaks out..." Wei Zhongxian didn't finish his sentence, but simply picked up the cup of coarse tea beside him, which had long since gone cold, and took a small sip.
Xiu Niang felt a sudden dizziness; Wei Zhongxian's words were like shackles, firmly pinning her to the edge of a cliff. Moving forward meant an abyss, retreating meant a sharp blade at her throat.
“But… Father-in-law…” Xiu Niang still wanted to make a last-ditch effort, her voice pleading, “The dragon robe has strict regulations, every stitch and every thread has a set number, and the slightest mistake will be noticed, let alone… this kind of…” She really dared not continue.
Wei Zhongxian seemed to have anticipated her response and clapped his hands lightly twice.
Two obsequious servants immediately entered silently from outside, carrying a heavy sandalwood box. Inside, instead of gold and silver, were various top-quality materials for embroidery: shimmering, extraordinarily lustrous gold thread; perfectly round and full pearls from the East and South Seas; peacock feather thread of exceptionally pure color; and gemstones and silk threads that even the embroiderer had never seen before, shimmering with an unusual brilliance.
"As for materials, Master, there's no need to worry. We have everything you need," Wei Zhongxian said calmly. "As for the specifications..." A strange smile appeared on his lips. "The ancient books contain the wisdom of our predecessors. What you need to do, Master, is to integrate that wisdom with your unparalleled craftsmanship and create... a garment that truly deserves the title of 'Destined by Heaven.'"
He stood up, walked to the lonely loom, and ran his withered fingers over its cold body: "From today onwards, whatever you need, just tell these two boys our family sent. They will take care of your daily needs and protect you, ensuring that no one and nothing disturbs your peace."
Xiu Niang understood instantly.
The "serving" was a pretense, and "protecting you" was merely a high-sounding excuse. These two seemingly submissive people were actually her jailers, Wei Zhongxian's eyes and shackles placed beside her. She had completely lost her freedom, confined to this small courtyard, utterly isolated from the outside world.
Wei Zhongxian said no more, gave Xiu Niang one last meaningful look, and turned to leave. The heavy wooden door closed again, separating the inside from the outside into two worlds.
Only Xiu Niang and the two servants standing to the side like wooden or clay sculptures remained in the courtyard.
A deathly silence descended once more, even more suffocating than before. Xiu Niang slumped helplessly onto the cold, low stool, her gaze fixed blankly on the dazzling, priceless box of materials before her, feeling as if they were flames burning her eyes.
Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled around her heart, tightening its grip until she could barely breathe.
She could almost see the day her secret would be exposed, the soldiers would storm into the courtyard, drag her out, and torture her to death... no, perhaps even worse, she would be thrown into prison, subjected to unimaginable torture, unable to live or die... her daughter, her grandchildren whom she had never met... would all be implicated and die without a proper burial...
Tears silently streamed down her wrinkled face, dripping onto the old floor and leaving dark marks.
But gradually, another emotion, like wild grass in a desperate situation, stubbornly emerged from the frozen soil of fear.
Wei Zhongxian's last words echoed in her mind like a curse.
"...Let them recognize their ancestors and return to their roots, so they can enjoy wealth and honor..."
Daughter…Grandson…Granddaughter…
Her withered hands clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, bringing a sharp pain that ironically cleared her chaotic thoughts.
Does she have a choice?
From the moment Wei Zhongxian stepped into this courtyard, she had no way out.
Refusing means certain death, a silent and swift end, and the potential demise of her daughter and her family. Accepting… at least offers a glimmer of hope. Wei Zhongxian may be terrifying, but his power is real. His pronouncements of a "new dynasty" and "meritorious officials" suggest his ambitions are extraordinary. What if… what if it actually succeeds?
she
For my daughter! For my blood relative whom I have never met!
A near-mad determination rose in her eyes. She abruptly wiped away the tears on her face with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and tried to straighten her hunched back.
She walked to the sandalwood box, her hands trembling as she reached out and gently stroked the cool, precious materials. The touch from her fingertips strangely soothed her wildly beating heart. This was the realm she had known her entire life, her world.
Here, she possessed a power that even Wei Zhongxian could not match.
She picked up the yellowed ancient book and carefully opened it. The pages were brittle, but the writing and illustrations were still clear. The more she turned the pages, the more astonished she became. Many of the needlework techniques, color schemes, and pattern designs recorded within were incredible and exquisite, yet they also subtly revealed a wild and unconventional spirit that defied convention.
“The phoenix is above the dragon…” she murmured to herself, her gaze falling on one of the most outrageous designs.
She closed her eyes, and her mind began to race with ideas. Her lifelong experience in craftsmanship began to collide and merge with the ingenious thoughts found in ancient books.
In terms of style, the basic framework of the dragon robe must be maintained—cross collar, right-fastening, wide sleeves, and twelve imperial symbols. From a distance, it should not be immediately apparent that it is women's clothing, otherwise it would only arouse suspicion.
But in terms of details... she thought of slightly tightening the waistline to make the silhouette more feminine; the trim on the cuffs and collar could use more elaborate and gorgeous phoenix and peony or hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix pattern, instead of the traditional dragon pattern or river and sea pattern.
The most crucial element is the theme of "the phoenix above the dragon".
She pondered intently, her gaze sweeping once more over the illustrations in the ancient text, and a bold idea gradually took shape. It couldn't simply be that the phoenix's size surpassed that of the dragon; that would be too blatant and clumsy.
It could be... a dragon and phoenix flying in tandem, but the phoenix's posture is more expansive and lofty, while the dragon's form appears more coiled and protective; the phoenix's wings could be embroidered with dazzling gold thread and gemstones, radiating brilliance, while the dragon's body would be outlined with slightly more restrained dark silk thread and gold thread, creating a visual hierarchy; even... in the direction the dragon's head faces, the phoenix's beak or wings could subtly guide or cover it...
The same applies to color. The main color of the dragon robe should still be bright yellow, which is the bottom line. However, the phoenix part can boldly incorporate bright colors such as scarlet, royal blue, and emerald green, and use a lot of gold thread, pearls, and gemstones to enhance its brilliance, making it stand out in the magnificent gold and become the absolute visual center.
Once her mind was set on it, countless inspirations poured forth. Fear was temporarily suppressed by the excitement brought about by the challenge of an ultimate skill. She seemed to have transformed back into that young, devoted person who could forget to eat and sleep to perfect a piece of embroidery.
She suddenly opened her eyes, and although there were still traces of blood in them, a focused and fervent light had ignited within them.
She walked to the workbench, spread out a sheet of plain white Xuan paper, picked up the charcoal pencil, and although her hand trembled slightly, her strokes were exceptionally firm. The lines flowed smoothly across the paper, outlining the dragon robe, and the intertwined dragon and phoenix patterns gradually began to emerge…
She was completely immersed in it, as if everything outside had ceased to exist. Only the scratching of the pen on the paper and the increasingly steady beating of her own heart remained.
Sometimes Xiu Niang would be sketching at her desk, sometimes she would pick up silk threads to compare colors, and sometimes she would be deep in thought while gazing at ancient books. The two servants stood quietly by her side like ghosts, occasionally adding tea or water for her and changing the candles, but otherwise they were as if they did not exist.
As dawn broke, a detailed and exquisite design drawing covered the entire desktop. It not only depicted the overall effect of the dragon robe, but also marked with densely packed stitches, colors, and material requirements. It was extremely complex and sophisticated, yet it exuded a harmonious and subversive aesthetic.
Xiu Niang let out a long sigh, rubbed her extremely sore eyes, her face showing undisguised exhaustion, yet also a strange sense of satisfaction.
She carefully selected a strand of the most basic gold thread, and then chose a small piece of bright yellow brocade to use as the lining.
She washed her hands and burned incense—despite the simple conditions, she still insisted on this sense of ritual towards top-notch works.
Then she picked up the needle and threaded it.
The sharp needle tip gleamed coldly in the faint morning light. Her arm was as steady as a rock, and her eyes were as focused as an eagle's.
The next moment, the embroidery needle, carrying boundless ambition, sin, maternal love, and unparalleled skill, fell precisely into the brocade with an almost inaudible tearing sound.
The first stitch was thus completed.
Silent, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Early in the morning, Django was about to greet everyone when he unexpectedly saw a stranger...
The man wore a wide, pale white Taoist robe, slightly worn, yet it couldn't conceal his refined and unrestrained air. The morning breeze stirred, causing his robes to flutter, as if he were about to ride the wind and depart at any moment. He stood with his hands behind his back, his profile smooth, his chin slightly raised, exuding a free-spirited and arrogant air, as if he were indulging in poetry and wine.
Django abruptly stopped in his tracks, blinked hard, and almost wondered if he was still half asleep.
That, that's not...
"Li...Li Bai?"
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Author's Note: Praying for a good ranking! [Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please][Please]
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