Chapter 4 Can you have children?
The buildings in Chong'an City always seem excessively large.
This vast land was once home to five kingdoms: Jing, Ying, Yu, Yin, and Yan. Among them, Qianyu had the closest ties with the Western Regions. The Western Regions were shrouded in mystery, and during the heyday of shamanism, strange beliefs were incorporated into the bricks and tiles. Thus, Chong'an City boasts towering, almost miraculously pale statues of deities, as well as intricate pavilions that seem to float in mid-air.
However, excessive ostentation is not necessarily a good thing. In order to build the divine realm in the heart of King Yu, the former Yu mobilized the entire nation to create this city, unlike any other country. It was precisely because of this city that it attracted the attention of other countries, ultimately leading to the city's destruction and the fall of the country. Chong'an City became the secondary capital of the Yan Dynasty.
The King of Yan said that this city was bizarre and extravagant, and it would be a pity to leave it untouched and ruined. The Yan Dynasty did not establish its capital here, but it could be repaired and repurposed.
The matter was of great importance and needed to be overseen by a highly trustworthy person. At that time, the court was in the midst of awarding honors and rewards, and no one was willing to come. Lu Min's petition to accept the appointment surprised everyone. The Prince of Yan hesitated for a long time, but because Lu Min was determined to come, he finally granted his request.
Before arriving, it seemed ordinary, but upon arrival, I discovered that the city was as strange as its appearance. Chong'an City is situated on high ground, with Taixu to the south and Yinshan Mountain to the north, making its climate unpredictable. One moment the sun shines brightly, the next, thick clouds obscure the sun. The city's inhabitants are long accustomed to this, lighting lanterns whenever the weather changes. For a moment, thousands of lanterns float in the air, creating a magical beauty. As shopkeepers on the high-rise buildings lean out to close their windows, the Grand Tutor's magnificent carriage passes by in the alleyways.
Officials were already waiting in the council hall of Jiuzhang Prefecture to report on the progress of the project and to report on important matters of the court, which was a routine matter every day.
But today there's another unsolved case. The Tiger Guard General swore an oath to solve it, saying, "Once we catch the sorcerer, we'll tie him up and put him on a flagpole in the square."
Lu Min lowered his eyes and remained silent. He raised his hand to close the silk book in front of him, but his fingers were too weak; they would shift at the slightest pressure. So, without making a sound, he hid his hand under his sleeve.
"The imposters captured yesterday were burned to avoid future troubles. Inform the people that if anyone is found to have come back to life, report it to the government immediately, and a generous reward will be given."
Capturing the puppet masters is not important; what is important is that no more puppets can be seen in the city. Those empty shells are waiting humbly, and if they are not strictly controlled, they will cause great trouble sooner or later.
The Tiger Guards received their orders. Apart from this matter, the most serious issue was the labor unrest. Because the Grand Tutor had always been lenient, the supervising officials were unable to use any means to control it. The Silver Forest Guard General replied with difficulty, "If things continue like this, the construction period will probably be delayed. The first sacred path must be completed in two months, and it is currently less than halfway finished."
Lu Min's tone remained calm and even. "What's the use of suppressing them? When necessary, we should use barbarians to control barbarians. Do I need to teach you that? Withhold the pay of the blind followers and reward the leaders. The more they make a fuss, the more they should be rewarded. Don't worry about the rest. In three to five days, those who have figured it out will naturally get to work."
General Yinlinwei was uncertain. "What if we still can't figure it out?"
Lu Min smiled faintly, "If you can't figure it out, you can't force it. The preferential treatment of the laborers who built the sacred path was a rule set long ago, and I don't need to remind the general."
The Silver Forest Guard General paused slightly, glancing upwards. The Grand Tutor's expression was calm and serene, seemingly unmoved by anything in the world. Yet, how much cunning was hidden beneath those seemingly benevolent words? The construction of the sacred path certainly required treating the laborers well, but if they were no longer laborers, was there still a need for such forbearance?
General Yinlinwei firmly replied, "Yes," indicating he understood. Seeing that the miscellaneous matters had been mostly dealt with, Lu Min stood up, offered no further instructions, and walked out of the council hall on his own.
The wind blew past his temples, stinging his ears, but he refrained from touching them. Passing through the middle of the corridor, he happened upon the tightly closed door of the dark room. After a moment's thought, he walked up the steps to the door.
Luo Jie rushed over, bowed, and called out, "My lord."
Lu Min seemed not to hear and pushed open the door to go inside.
The door behind him closed again. The people around him were perceptive and knew when to charge into battle and when to disappear without a trace.
The room was lit, and the bronze magpie sculptures on the walls cast shimmering light and shadow. Curtains covered the objects on the long couch, but the general human figures were still discernible.
He walked over, stood in front of the bed for a moment, reached out and pulled back the cover, his gaze falling on the person lying quietly.
Perhaps it shouldn't be called a person; without breath or heartbeat, it was at most a puppet. He rarely looked in the mirror, and even had a somewhat vague impression of himself, but when this fake person appeared before him, he suddenly felt extremely familiar with it; it turned out that this was himself.
An arrow lay horizontally on the antler rack on the desk. Two years ago, this arrow was the first to pierce the chest of the military governor of Zhongdu. When Chong'an City had been besieged for so long, Military Governor Zhang Qian was the greatest adversary he had ever encountered. A worthy opponent was like a kindred spirit, someone he had thought about day and night for a long time. He had always believed that dying on the battlefield was the best end for a commander. But the city fell, and Zhang Qian was still alive. Suddenly, he lost interest in this man and allowed his men to use him as target practice, riddling him with arrows on the spot.
He took the arrow, pointed the arrowhead, and pried open the man's clothes.
The puppeteer had skillful hands, crafting skin and bones with perfect naturalness. He remembered himself four years ago; his physique and posture should have been just like this. The only difference was the scar on his neck, where he had been stabbed during the attack. This puppet, however, was brand new, with no injuries, and every part was meticulously crafted.
Unfortunately, his chest was hollow, like a bottomless pit. The details of its construction were not revealed, so the surrounding structure, whether it contained muscles and blood vessels, was not visible. But judging from the feedback of the arrowhead, the flesh was elastic, unlike something inanimate. And his own body was irreversibly heading towards collapse and decay; it wouldn't be long before it was all over, perhaps in ten days or half a month.
So what did his glorious first half of life amount to? A mere twenty-seven years, like a shooting star streaking across the sky, the eternal foundation of the Yan Dynasty had nothing to do with him.
The arrow in his hand hung limply, not because he was discouraged, but because he could no longer lift it.
He tossed it aside casually, composed himself, and turned to leave the secret chamber. Luo Jie was waiting outside, handing him a letter. "His Majesty's letter has arrived. Has the lord read it?"
Lu Min took the letter, unfolded it, and read the words. Between the lines was the emperor's concern, inquiring about his health and whether he had been eating well. Of course, after this concern came matters of state, asking who was suitable to be the border general and whether, after the unification of the five kingdoms, they should take advantage of the victory to expand westward.
Finally, Your Majesty has even greater ambitions. Please take good care of yourself, Grand Tutor. Even a monarch cannot be without the guidance and assistance of a wise and helpful mentor like yourself. Furthermore, the Grand Tutor will return to the capital next month. We will enjoy a joyous occasion together. The Grand Tutor has been overseeing the construction of the Central Capital for Your Majesty, and Your Majesty has personally supervised the completion of his residence in the capital. If the Grand Tutor wishes, he can recuperate in the capital, and someone else can be appointed to oversee the construction of the Central Capital.
He blinked slightly, then handed the letter back, saying, "Have the judge write a memorial for me, saying that the construction of Zhongdu is progressing smoothly and that my health is much better than last year. Please do not worry about me, Your Majesty."
As for returning to the capital to recuperate, there's no need. He volunteered to come to Chong'an City for two reasons: first, to retire gracefully after achieving his goals, and second, to avoid having his illness exposed to too many people. He's a man of great ambition, once full of vigor and ambition, but now even walking is difficult. If this poison truly cannot be cured, rather than perish in the public eye, he'd rather find a place to die quietly, at least preserving his dignity.
Luo Jie knew the inside story, and was the only one among the many who worked for the Grand Tutor who was aware of it. This was thanks to his status as a member of a foreign ethnic group; he had no close relatives or friends in Zhongdu or Shangjing, and naturally, no one was worth his confiding.
He fulfilled his duties as a subordinate well and showed genuine concern for his lord. He bowed his head and accepted the order, saying, "I will immediately relay the message to the judge." He hesitated, about to take a step, and tentatively said, "My lord, the construction of that puppet is so exquisite; the puppeteer must be no ordinary person. If there truly is a way, why don't you try? If the puppeteer can make one fake, he can make a second. What if it's used by someone with ulterior motives…?"
Before she could finish speaking, she drew Lu Min's gaze. "I have my own plans. You're talking too much."
Luo Jie's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head and said yes. Not daring to linger any longer, he hurried toward the judging table.
Lu Min watched him walk away, turning into a tiny black dot and disappearing at the end of the white jade passageway.
It's understandable that someone in the know would have such concerns. However, he had previously read a book recording the mystical arts of the world, which contained accounts of puppeteers creating humans. A physical body and a human heart cannot be matched arbitrarily. A puppeteer can create countless puppets to control, but the drawback is their short-lived effect; controlling them for a day or two is already considered the pinnacle, and they cannot truly replace the original. But if one can capture a person's heart, it's different. No matter how exquisite the craftsmanship, it cannot be perfectly identical. Once the heart and mind are united, the puppet's vital energy begins to circulate, allowing it to merge with its original owner. Given time, even the nails and hair will be identical.
But to open one's heart completely is easier said than done; you must have complete trust in the person, and there can be no mistakes along the way. It's not that he's afraid of death; more than death, he fears losing control of himself. To fall into someone else's hands in a daze is to gamble with luck and with one's life. Although politicians are the biggest gamblers, if the odds of winning are less than 30%, one must think carefully.
Lu Min remained calm. While there was still no word from the Jiuzhang Mansion, preparations for the wedding had already begun at the Lu residence in Lirenfang.
There were only three or four people busy, and they were doing very simple tasks. The basket was filled with peanuts and red dates, which were to be carefully stacked and placed on the offering table to pay homage to heaven and earth.
Ran Dian and Yan Dian have been working on it for ages, and their fingers are becoming unruly, often falling apart halfway through.
However, she wasn't in a hurry or angry. The two of them were Shimi's personal maids. Xiao Wu was called Xiao Wu because there were four other commonly used puppeteers ahead of her. Ran Dian and Yan Dian occupied two spots, had names, and "lived" for a relatively longer time. They had simple thoughts, and because they needed to talk often, Shimi wouldn't be so lonely.
"Ami, who do you want to marry?" Ran Dian asked, her big eyes filled with confusion.
Shi Mi cut out a few double happiness characters, held them in her hand and fiddled with them, saying, "I'm marrying Grand Tutor Lu Min."
Yan Dian couldn't understand, "Can Ban Yan marry a living person?"
Shi Mi twitched the corner of her lips slightly, "Don't ask, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
Yan Dian has always had a persistent streak. "How do you know we don't understand if you don't tell us?"
Even the Yan people have ambition. Although they are simple-minded, a little guidance can indeed help them develop their intelligence. So Shimi slowly told them, "Xiao Wu needs to be ambitious. He will become Lu Min. What does it matter if I am a half-Yan? He will also be a half-Yan in the future, and we will be a perfect pair."
Ran Dian pressed further, "Was it the Puppeteer's idea?"
Shimi nodded. "That's right, that's right."
"Are you able to have children?"
Shimi was startled, "Why have children?"
Ran Dian said, "Having children is just for fun. Couples in the market all have children, and if they misbehave, you can even beat them."
I hadn't really thought about that. Shimi laughed and said, "Banyan shouldn't be able to have children. I've never heard of Yan people having offspring."
Yan Dian's pile of red dates fell apart again. She sighed and started over, saying, "Isn't Ban Yan just a stranger? As long as we sleep together, we'll definitely have a child."
Shimi was speechless. As expected, Yanren cannot stay awake for long. The more he saw, the more his mind was filled with dross.
Ran Dian finished piling up the peanuts, placed the double happiness symbol on top, and carefully adjusted them. Looking back at the courtyard, Ali Dao had already hung red lanterns all around, so he asked Shi Mi, "When will the Grand Tutor come to marry you?"
Shi Mi casually replied, "It should be soon, he's in so much pain."
The principle of conservation in the world is that one thing falls while another rises.
Yan Dian was very happy for Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu always complained that his name didn't sound good, now he'll have a new name."
Ran Dian said, "Actually, our names are quite casual."
Shimi felt that these Yanren were somewhat ungrateful, saying, "Your names are not arbitrary; you put thought into choosing them."
"What do Ran Dian, Yan Dian, and Ali Dao mean? And what about Bi Suo, who died? He never understood why he was called that."
Shi Mi tried his best to deceive them, saying, "These are all good names from the Western Regions. The more you can't explain them, the more profound their meanings become. Plus, they're not duplicates. Aren't they better than those kings and concubines in the city? If you don't like them, then from today onwards, one will be called Xiao Er and the other Xiao San. It won't take any brainpower to call them."
They fell silent. After a while, Ran Dian asked another question: "Can brothers and sisters get married?"
"The world is indeed in chaos," Shimi's lament turned into curiosity, "Which brother and sister are getting married?"
Ran Dian pointed to the doorway. "That day you said Lu Min was your cousin, and you said it very loudly."
Shi Mi was immediately embarrassed; she had indeed miscalculated. But she quickly found a reason that sounded surprisingly convincing: "Disregarding worldly conventions, he was very determined. The greater his determination, the more he cherished this hard-won opportunity. Anyway, powerful people only care about interests, not reputation. He's already become the Grand Tutor; no one dares to laugh at him to his face."
A note from the author:
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200 small red envelopes~
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