I remember when she helped me review the mountain of memorials, she always liked to circle the character "民" (people) with a red pen, circling it very heavily, the ink seeping through the paper.
Sometimes a small note would be written next to it: "This needs to be investigated, lest local officials deceive the people and sever the foundation of the regime."
He said, "These characters are more precious than the gold thread on the dragon robe. They cannot be taken lightly. If they are taken lightly, the lives of the people are at stake. They are the foundation of the country. Only when the people are at peace can the country be stable."
I remember the last time she was on the horizon, when she was turned into a blood mist by the fatal blow of the heavenly Dao, and the red speck that splashed on the clouds.
Like cinnabar falling on snow-covered Xuan paper, it is so bright it hurts the eyes, so hot it's painful. It can never be wiped away, never forgotten. Even in dreams, you can see that red dot, flickering before your eyes.
It's like a reminder to me, "Protect the country well, protect the people well, and don't let me die in vain."
Haoyue emerged from the system space, its round body rolling onto the back of my hand. Its little paws scratched at my fingertips, and its fluffy tail tickled my wrist.
This little guy is quite stupid. Even with the system's abilities, he can sense the abnormalities in the imperial court and unlock some lost craft blueprints.
But her nature was as simple as a sheet of unpainted Xuan paper, even more naive than I was when I was young.
I frowned as I stroked the old books in the library, my fingertips brushing against the Regent's annotation from years ago: "What do women have to fear? They fear retreating without a fight."
It thought I was unhappy, so it rubbed its little head against my fingertips. It was furry and warm, and it wiped away the coldness from my fingertips.
I stared blankly at the flowing water in the Imperial Garden, wondering if the Regent had also seen the water here, watching the peony petals drift away and the koi carp sway their tails.
Thinking I was bored, it patted the back of my hand with its little paws, making the mutton fat jade bracelet on my wrist jingle, like it was keeping time.
When I mentioned the words "Regent," my voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh. It would just tilt its head and look at me, making soft "woo-woo" sounds in its throat, as if it were coaxing me or responding.
How could it see the thoughts churning in my eyes? How could it understand the way I touched that copy of "The True Records of Emperor Wu"?
When she wrote, "Empress Wu was not wrong; the fault lay in the biased historical writing. Women in power have no need to apologize," what were the bittersweet feelings in her heart?
I gently rubbed its warm back with my fingertips, my fingertips touching its soft down, just like touching the hand warmer she gave me years ago.
Her voice was as soft as the wind brushing against peony petals: "Haoyue, after I pass away, will you still be able to stay in Ningchao?"
"Help the next monarch, just as you helped me back then."
Haoyue gently shook her head. Her slightly mechanical tone already held a familiar warmth for me.
When my father returned from the border and saw it, he mentioned that the Regent always joked that the sound was like the beads on an abacus, tapping them bluntly and coldly.
But I feel that after listening to it for a long time, it reveals a kind of clumsy and simple-mindedness, like a young rooster that has just learned to crow. Its voice is obviously immature, but it insists on pretending to be mature.
“I’m going back to bind to a new host,” it said, shaking its fluffy, round head and unconsciously rubbing its paw against the worn silver bell around its neck.
The bell jingled crisply, its sound mingling with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafting from the desk. A subtle hint of pride crept into the mechanical voice: "I'm not an object that can be passed down through generations."
I suppressed a laugh and tapped the rim of the teacup with my fingertips. The emerald green tea shimmered with tiny sparkles, splashing onto the gilded saucer and leaving a small, damp ring.
He deliberately widened his eyes in surprise, even raising an eyebrow: "You can bind other hosts?"
What if the next leader is difficult to deal with? Wouldn't they grab you by the scruff of your neck and use you as a paperweight to suppress documents?
"When your round body gets flattened, no one will be there to groom you."
Haoyue took the bait as expected, her round body slumped onto the table with a "thud," her little paws gripping the gilded edge of the table, her pink nose wrinkled up, and even the silver bell around her neck jingled wildly.
The downy fur on its back trembled slightly, as if it were seriously calculating something.
Its claws scratched at the table, pushing a half-rolled osmanthus leaf, making it spin around.
Over the years, I've gotten to know its temperament very well: it's not good with words, can't keep secrets, and always likes to act mature.
Even though the tip of its tail is practically waving its mind right in front of me, it insists on keeping a serious face and talking about serious matters. I only need to give it a little hint, and I can always get some interesting stories out of it.
A moment later, it suddenly perked up its ears, then quickly drooped them back down. Its round eyes held a hint of feigned composure and probing—its usual way of trying to "fool" people.
Its front paws quietly retracted half an inch, with half a osmanthus petal still hooked at the tips of its paws, while the tip of its tail couldn't help but sway gently, and even the downy hair on the tips of its ears stood up with a few fine white strands.
It looked like a light early winter snowfall.
"Then... does the host want to live forever?" The mechanical voice softened, like cotton thread soaked in warm water, with even the ending syllable trembling slightly.
"If you follow me to different worlds to do missions, you can live forever."
"I can see the peach blossoms bloom again next year, the plums ripen the year after, and even the pre-rain Longjing tea ten years from now will be freshly picked."
Seeing that I was looking down, fiddling with the teacup lid without saying a word, my fingertips rubbed the pale blue glaze until it shone, and my fingertips even brushed against a thin, shallow crackle pattern on the rim of the cup.
It eagerly moved closer to my hand, its little paws rummaging through a fallen osmanthus blossom on the table, crushing the pale yellow petals until they were slightly wrinkled, and even the crevices between its paws were covered with tiny flower fragments.
The tip of her nose twitched involuntarily, as if she were smelling the faint fragrance.
"Really! I've been to the underwater city where you can walk on glass-like light. The vermilion coral branches will circle around you, like dancing to a tune, and even the tentacles are soft to the touch."
A silver-scaled fish swam closer, swaying its tail, singing a sweet, melodious tune, like lotus root starch soaked in honey, even its bubbles carrying a hint of sweetness!
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