As for An Yue, Ling Wei, and Ling Xue, I sent them to Jinxiu County to guard the area together with the families of Qin Qianyu and Qin Jiyuan.
That was the Regent's fiefdom, named "Jinxiu" by the Emperor's grandfather, meaning "a land of beautiful mountains and rivers, and a peaceful and prosperous nation."
From the bluestone roads of the county town to the rice paddies in the suburbs, from the old pear tree behind the county government office to the free school in the south of the city, every blade of grass and every tree is imbued with her essence.
She once taught me to write "The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important" under a pear tree. When the petals fell onto the rice paper, she traced them into small regular script based on their shapes.
He said, "You see, words, like flowers, should be grounded in reality."
He once taught poor children at a free school, holding their hands, which were red from the cold, and taught them to write the character "人" (person) stroke by stroke, saying, "A person should be like this character, upright and dignified."
He once planted rice seedlings with the people on the river embankment outside the city. His trousers were rolled up to his knees, and his legs were covered in mud, but his smile was brighter than the sun overhead.
She told the old farmer, "This year's harvest will definitely be better than last year's." The old farmer smiled and handed her a water ladle, which she took and drank from without any airs.
Every brick and every tile on that land remembers her warmth.
I remember the way she squatted on the edge of the field talking to the old farmers about the harvest, and I remember the sound of her telling stories to the children in the free school.
I never considered handing over Jinxiu County to someone else. It wasn't out of selfishness, but because only the three of them, only the Regent's relatives, were worthy of that land.
They crawled out of piles of corpses with the Regent, their lives saved from the clash of swords, and they carried her shadow on them.
Dark Moon is always silent, sitting in the corner like a stone, yet he can come up with the most comprehensive plan in the midst of chaos. His composure is just like that of the Regent when he is working at his desk.
Ling Wei is skilled in both medicine and poison, and has an incredibly soft heart. Despite what she has experienced in the past, she remains cheerful and kind, just like the Regent Prince when he faced the people.
Ling Xue is ruthless and possesses superb lightness skills. She never hesitates to deal with her enemies, and her sword always draws blood when it is drawn.
But when he turned to hand steamed buns to poor children, his fingertips were as soft as cotton. He would break the buns into small pieces so that the children wouldn't choke. That cold exterior but warm interior showed the spirit of a regent.
Let them stay in Jinxiu County with the Regent's family and manage the academy she left behind. The plaque on the gate of that academy still reads "Enlightenment" in her own handwriting.
Granny Zhang from the west of the city still remembers the regent who delivered medicine to her in the snow and held her hand, saying, "You must live well."
It was as if the Regent had never left; her presence still lingered in every street and every tree of Jinxiu County.
For me, this is a daily longing. Every time I receive a letter from Jinxiu County, I see An Yue writing in the letter, "The pear blossoms are in bloom, just as white as when you and the Regent saw them together back then."
It's as if you can really see the two of them standing under the pear tree.
For the world, this was a silent comfort. Envoys from all directions passing through Jinxiu County were amazed to see that the women could ride horses, solve cases, and give lectures. They exclaimed, "The women of Zhaoning are truly remarkable!"
After returning home, others followed suit, enabling women in their own country to receive an education.
Furthermore, she is a living example of Zhaoning's belief that "women can also support the world," and serves as the best role model for women who are still constrained by gender.
Look, in such a prosperous country, women can live the life they want.
That day, standing on the city tower, the wind whipped the bright yellow dragon flag, making it flutter loudly. The corner of the flag swept across the moss on the city bricks, causing the jade hairpin in my hair to tremble slightly.
I leaned on the white marble railing and watched Qianchao and her group head west.
The black armor plates formed a flowing river of light under the sunlight, and the crisp sound of the armor plates colliding in the dust was like a silent war song, drifting further and further away.
Then, watching An Yue and her entourage travel south, the Jinxiu County token hanging on the carriage swayed gently in the wind, the character "Jin" on the token.
The strength in her brushstrokes remains to this day. Ling Xue rode at the back, turned around and waved to me, the red tassel on her armor swaying.
A faint scent of agarwood drifted in on the wind, so faint it seemed to come from the direction of the library, or perhaps from under the pear trees in Jinxiu County.
I suddenly felt the Regent's gaze falling on me, perhaps in the clouds, wearing her usual dark brocade robe, smiling as she looked down upon the world.
Perhaps it lies between the lines of that book, "The True Records of Empress Wu," next to her annotation, "What is there for a woman to fear?"
Perhaps they're standing right behind me, able to reach out and touch the top of my head, just like when I was a child, gently stroking my head.
Before she left, she said: "Your Highness, the country does not belong to any one person, but to everyone—to men and to women."
You must remember, a true golden age is one where every citizen can hold their head high and where every talent is recognized and appreciated.
I was crying so hard I couldn't speak. My tears fell onto the back of her hand. All I could do was hold her hand and nod. I couldn't even say "okay."
Now I finally understand that we should let the light shine into every corner of Zhaoning, and let all the people have food to eat and books to read.
To allow women to freely express themselves in the world, without being bound by the concept of "gender".
Unlike what the Regent wrote in the book he gave me, I don't have to take my husband's surname after marriage and say "I am so-and-so's wife" or "I am Liu Niang".
She wouldn't be specifically labeled as "female" in historical records; when mentioning Empress Wu, she would only be called "Emperor," not "Empress Wu."
When Mu Yunxi is mentioned, people only say "General," not "Female General."
This is the best way to comfort her, the best way to respond to that Empress Wu, the way Zhao Ning should be, and the prosperous era she wanted to achieve with her whole life.
Looking at the distant horizon gradually unfolding—the clouds were blown away by the wind into fluffy cotton, revealing the clear blue sky below.
Like a piece of mutton fat jade washed by spring water, so clean it brings tears to your eyes.
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