The figures coming and going were blurred like silhouettes: soldiers in black armor, caravans carrying bags, and old men waving palm-leaf fans.
Layer upon layer of light and shadow, like a thousand-year-old scroll soaked in water.
She didn't point out Xin Ziming's little secret hidden in the fur at the tip of its tail—when the fox came closer, the fur behind its ears was pink, and the tip of its tail quietly brushed against the softness of her sleeve.
She noticed his excuses for not going to work, but a smile quietly crept into her eyes, like a stream bathed in soft moonlight, gentle enough to flow into the depths of one's heart.
Even the curve of her clothes fluttering in the wind softened a bit.
"I want to travel across the long river of a thousand years," her voice was as gentle as the clouds in the sky, yet it carried the power to penetrate time, each word falling into the wind, resounding with conviction.
"Go to the steps in front of Xianyang Palace and see the First Emperor wearing black armor, with the Tai'a sword at his waist, his black cloak billowing in the wind like a black eagle spreading its wings."
The shouts of the officials paying homage shook the palace, but he merely pointed into the distance and ordered that "carts should be made axle width and writing should be standardized."
I want to see with my own eyes the sparks flying as craftsmen rush to make standard wheels overnight, and the focused attention of historians as they write history on bamboo slips using standardized small seal script.
See how that command pierced the long night of the late Warring States period, allowing the land of China, which had been divided for hundreds of years, to finally form a complete outline for the first time.
Let the seeds of 'unification' take root and sprout on this land, growing into the towering tree that will stand tall in the future.
I want to go to the willow shade of Chang'an Street and see Emperor Wu of Han standing on the city tower of Weiyang Palace, watching Zhang Qian leave with his imperial staff.
Zhang Qian, dressed in his envoy's robes and with a Han imperial staff at his waist, followed by his retinue carrying silk and tea, walked out of the Jade Gate Pass step by step.
The wind and sand ruffled his clothes, but they couldn't bend the staff adorned with a yak tail in his hand.
I want to stand on the Gobi Desert, listen to the camel bells coming from afar, and watch caravans carrying porcelain from the Central Plains meet grapes from the Western Regions.
See how Eastern silks and Western spices are exchanged at the post stations.
Those sparks of intertwined civilizations burned into an inextinguishable light in the vast desert, slowly forming a Silk Road that spanned Eurasia.
I want to stand in the morning mist in front of Xuanwu Gate and see how the atmosphere of the Zhenguan era blends into the smoke from the city's kitchens.
As dawn broke, the tavern's staff busied themselves taking down the door panels. The Hu woman, dressed in a brightly colored dancing skirt, danced to the rhythm at the shop's entrance, her skirt swirling into a blooming flower.
Under the old locust tree at the alley entrance, several children surrounded the old man, reciting with swaying heads, "I left home young and returned old, my accent unchanged but my hair gray."
Officials dressed in blue robes walked lightly through the streets, bending down to inquire about the vegetable farmers' harvest and haggling with the flower girls.
From that lively and bustling atmosphere, one can understand Emperor Taizong's clear-headed understanding that "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."
We can understand the compassion for the common people hidden in the four characters "light taxes and levies" that he wrote when he sat in the Zichen Hall reviewing memorials.
I want to stand on the Rainbow Bridge on the bank of the Bian River and watch the boats coming and going as depicted in the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" scroll.
A grain barge, laden with grain, was about to pass under the bridge. The boatmen, shirtless, were shouting slogans as they pulled the tow rope with all their might, sweat streaming down their backs.
The merchant at the bow of the boat, dressed in a brocade robe, was gesturing and haggling with the shopkeepers on the shore, a shrewd smile plastered on his face.
On the second floor of the teahouse, by the window, several tea drinkers were chatting about the latest happenings in the capital, their teacups steaming.
From that vivid scene of everyday life, we can understand the weighing of options behind Emperor Taizu of Song's "releasing military power over a cup of wine".
He held his old subordinate's hand and said with a smile, "Life is fleeting, so it's better to accumulate wealth and property to establish a lasting legacy for our descendants."
It wasn't cowardice, but a desire to end the flames of war and for the people to live in peace, farming, weaving, and doing business.
That yearning for peace was hidden in his gentle smile, and also in the myriad lights illuminating the banks of the Bian River.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze seemingly piercing through layers of mist, looking towards the distant capital of the Tang Dynasty, a hint of respect flashing in her eyes.
"I would rather walk into the Zichen Palace in Luoyang and see the Empress Wu remove her hairpins and makeup, and sit on the dragon throne as a woman."
She wore a bright yellow dragon robe and a twelve-tassel crown. Her fingertips traced the memorials on the imperial desk, and she personally wrote the character '曌'.
It means "the sun and moon shine brightly in the sky," and the brushstrokes convey a decisiveness that rivals that of a man.
I wanted to see the expressions of the officials when the imperial edict was issued from the imperial desk: some were shocked, some were questioning, but in the end they all knelt down in worship.
I want to see the excited look on the faces of poor scholars holding their exam papers when she implemented the imperial examination system; the hope in their eyes was brighter than the candlelight in the palace.
I want to see the upright spines of the frontier soldiers when she established the Beiting Protectorate, their shouts so loud that the snow in the north fell even more heavily.
She proved with her life that "women are no less capable than men" is not just an empty phrase.
Women can also wield power, protect the peace of the people, and earn a place in history worthy of their praise.
“We must also follow the thread of the poems,” she said, her smile tinged with a mellow, wine-like warmth, as if she were already intoxicated by the fragrance of ink from a thousand years ago, even her eyes gleaming with a gentle light.
"To get drunk with Li Bai under the moon in Chang'an."
He was dressed in white, his long hair disheveled and messy in the wind, but he didn't care and just raised his wine cup to invite the moon.
He uttered the arrogant words, "Heaven has endowed me with talents that will surely be put to use; though I spend all my wealth, it will return again."
I long to see him, drunk, wield his brush, ink splashing across the rice paper, writing, "How can I bow and scrape before the powerful and wealthy, making me unable to be happy?"
The unrestrained spirit in that brushstroke reflects the indomitable pride of a scholar and his unwavering commitment to freedom.
His chanting shook down the osmanthus blossoms from the trees, the petals falling into the wine cups. The aroma of wine mingled with the fragrance of flowers, intoxicating time and us, a thousand years later.
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