Devastating news came from the sky.
Upon hearing her question, Yanxiu was first taken aback, then a bitter smile appeared on her lips. After a moment, she said lightly, "The way of husband and wife is that even if it is just going through the motions, you must be patient with each other and give each other face. Yuqi, if you marry someone in the future, you must take this into consideration."
He then laughed and said, "These are things that are not taught in 'Women's Virtues' and 'Women's Admonitions,' and cannot be written into books. They can only come out of my mouth and enter your ears."
Yuqi was completely taken aback. Before she could even relay her thirteenth uncle's words about "marital harmony" to Yanxiu, Yanxiu had already launched into such a tirade. Although Shangguan Yuqi was exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted, she was utterly clueless when it came to such matters and was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
But from Yanxiu's few words, she already knew about Yanxiu's relationship with her uncle, the emperor. Although she had heard her uncle mention it before coming, and even had an ominous premonition on the wedding day, Yuqi still found it hard to accept that Yanxiu had said it himself.
For no other reason than that Yanxiu was the most famous woman in the Dahuan Dynasty, the jewel in the crown of the Southern Dynasty's century of cultural achievements, and the most valued daughter of the Shangguan family. Who would have thought that her life would be spent in such a sham marriage, in the dark and gloomy harem?
Another disheartening aspect was that, despite her privileged position, exceptional talent, and marriage to an emperor, all she received was this. What would become of her own future?
Seeing her hesitate, Yanxiu changed the subject and said with a smile, "Look at this piece of Wu silk brocade, isn't the embroidery pattern novel?" On the embroidery table she brushed aside, there was a piece of smooth, silver-gray plain satin, on which were coiled gold and silver calyxes, half open and half closed, stretching for a long stretch, forming an endless border pattern.
But Yuqi remembered that Yanxiu rarely did needlework at home. Needlework was a woman's craft, time-consuming and laborious, mostly done by servants. For young ladies like them, being able to embroider a flower or two, or a water bird, was considered quite diligent. Most of the time, Yanxiu spent her time either looking at accounts, supervising household affairs, discussing current events with her uncles and brothers, or playing chess and writing calligraphy. With her intelligent and quick wit, a few strokes on paper could reveal her spirit. But if she were to embroider, it would often take ten days or half a month to complete a small piece of embroidery. Therefore, compared to calligraphy and painting, they rarely used needles.
But after a moment's thought, Yuqi suddenly realized what was going on.
Times have changed. Sima Yan's vast harem, with its three thousand beauties, was a multitude of people, their relationships intricately intertwined, something Yanxiu probably had no interest in managing. As for intellectual discourse, the women in the palace were not like the men; given Yanxiu's learning and knowledge, how many could truly engage in discussions of history and current affairs with him?
In the Empress's palace, the only way to pass the long, lonely days without attracting gossip was through needlework.
She picked up the embroidered satin and examined it carefully before replying, "Indeed, this pattern is novel; I've never seen it before. I wonder who drew it?"
Yanxiu's eyes lit up with delight as she said, "This is a honeysuckle pattern. Its prototype comes from honeysuckle vines, hence the two colors of gold and silver. It does not wither in winter, but the transformation into this cyclical yin-yang pattern is also inspired by the flame patterns that have spread from the Western Regions. The one who created this pattern is a weaver from the Shaofu. She is not only beautiful but also very skillful."
As Yanxiu spoke, she raised her hand to point to the pattern on the embroidery. The instant her sleeve lifted, Yuqi's gaze fell on the spot on the embroidery table that had been hidden by her sleeve.
There sat a pair of gold embroidered scissors, exquisitely carved with a phoenix, the feathers so fine they were clearly visible, gleaming brilliantly.
It must have been used recently, because the scissor blades weren't completely closed yet, and it was just left there casually.
Shangguan Yuqi was stunned for a moment. Countless possibilities immediately appeared in her mind, but they were all shrouded in mystery. It seemed that there was a clue there, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Seeing that Yanxiu was distracted by the scissors, she smiled naturally and said, "What, you've taken a fancy to them? Actually, besides their high value, they're nothing special. You could write down their design and have a pair made for you when you get married." As she said this, she seemed to remember something, and her face suddenly darkened. She gently pushed the scissors away, subtly covering them with a handkerchief, and said indifferently, "Never mind, scissors are sharp instruments, unlucky for the wedding night. If you're getting married, it should naturally be a happy and fulfilling marriage. Making a few golden persimmons would be fine, but this can be skipped."
Yuqi never managed to ask how Yanxiu had brought the embroidery scissors, which had been lost on the eve of her wedding, into the palace. Did Yanxiu even know that the other pair was still kept in her family's bedroom?
Many things simply passed by unnoticed. For example, how did Yanxiu spend her wedding night with that pair of scissors in hand? Why did her uncle, the emperor, bestow titles upon three beauties the very next day after the wedding? Even if this wasn't an open slap in Yanxiu's face, it wasn't much better. For the next five years, Yanxiu held the position of empress, yet she remained childless—a rather embarrassing matter for the Shangguan family, though no one in the household ever mentioned it.
Everyone pretended the matter didn't exist and continued with their lives as usual. The young masters indulged in romance and pleasure, while the women raised their children and chatted about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The few capable cousins in the clan, however, spent day and night in their uncle's study, studying maps and analyzing the situation—the Southern Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles, and there were few people capable of fighting tough battles; the situation was becoming increasingly tense.
The last time Yuqi saw Yanxiu was when Yanxiu was busy rehearsing the "White Silk" dance. At that time, Yanxiu was in excellent spirits, with a radiant smile she had never seen even at home. Shangguan Yuqi couldn't understand why singing and dancing could make her aunt so happy, but thinking that her aunt was happy and had someone to keep her company was better than her daily depression, spending the long nights in the palace with endless embroidery patterns.
Seven months later, the Shangguan family suddenly received news of the death of the Empress of Qiwu Palace.
This news struck Yuqi like a bolt from the blue, a devastating blow. The last time she saw Yanxiu, she was in excellent spirits, showing no signs of illness whatsoever. Besides, Yanxiu wasn't seventy or eighty years old; how could she just leave like that?
Aside from Yuqi, the other members of the Shangguan family probably thought the same thing.
But no one dared to question or ask any more questions, because it was the thirteenth uncle, Shangguan Jin, who brought back the news.
As if overnight, countless white hairs appeared at the temples of the Thirteenth Uncle. Before, he was a lean, free-spirited, and elegant middle-aged man, but his aging suddenly became apparent after that night.
That night, an imperial edict suddenly arrived, summoning her thirteenth uncle to court. Shangguan Yuqi thought that there must have been some unusual developments in the military situation in the north. At that time, many of her cousins were stationed in various prefectures, and as the head of the Shangguan family, she could not help but worry about it. Therefore, she sat in the family hall all night, waiting for her uncle to send a message back. At the same time, she sent people to various government offices to inquire about military reports.
But after her thirteenth uncle entered the palace, all news vanished without a trace, not even a single word. Instead, the family members she had sent out to gather intelligence returned one after another, saying that there was nothing unusual, that the troops along the Yangtze River remained inactive, and that there was no news of rebellions in the various prefectures and counties.
That's not official business, so it can only be a private matter. In a flash, she thought of Yanxiu, but Yanxiu had been in the palace for so many years and could be considered well-behaved. Although she wasn't close to her uncle, the emperor, they were still respectful to each other. She had never heard of anyone being at odds with her. What trouble could she possibly cause?
Countless thoughts raced through her mind, both good and bad. This night felt like a replay of Yanxiu's wedding night. She was awake, yet it felt like she was dreaming with her eyes open. One moment she heard commotion outside, news of a rebel uprising and the city's incursion; the next, an imperial decree announced the birth of a son, with the entire family to be rewarded. The wind chimes jingled under the eaves, and even the smallest things seemed like enemies. She sat in the main hall all night, not closing her eyes, truly experiencing the weight of responsibility on the shoulders of the head of the household.
Uncle Thirteen returned home at dawn. The moment Yuqi saw him, she was so shocked that she couldn't say a word, and she even forgot the question she had been anxiously trying to ask all night.
Not only because Shangguan Jin's hair had turned white overnight, and his thin, gaunt face looked haggard and old, she almost couldn't recognize him, but also because Shangguan Jin had come in carrying "Binghuang".
The Shangguan family's heirloom sword, "Binghuang," is rarely drawn. As the Grand Secretary, second only to the Emperor of Da Huan, Shangguan Jin's power has long since rendered him unnecessary to draw his sword. Therefore, over the years, most people have forgotten that the Grand Secretary's former nickname was "A sword in green robes, capable of conquering the Jiangzuo region."
Moreover, there were traces of congealed blood on the tip of the Ice Bamboo Sword.
Everyone knows that Shangguan Jin went to the palace that night, and he actually got into a fight with someone there, even splattering blood on the palace with "Binghuang".
Yuqi, who was sitting, immediately stood up, her face turning pale.
Fortunately, she was the only one waiting in the lobby. The rest of her family members had already been sent to rest.
Shangguan Jin's originally exhausted eyes regained some vitality only when they met her.
Or perhaps there are still promising younger family members in the family who are gradually growing up to be able to take on important responsibilities, which gives a glimmer of hope to his already depleted and gloomy state of mind.
He calmed himself down and said in a nonchalant tone, "The Empress of Qiwu Palace has passed away. An obituary will be issued tomorrow to announce it to the world."
These two sentences alone seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
Yuqi's heart sank, as if she had fallen into an endless void, and she was momentarily lost and had no idea where she was.
She thought, this is another dream, a dream I had with my eyes open. In the dream, her uncle entered the hall with a sword in hand, his clothes stained with blood, and told her that Yanxiu was dead.
This was truly a nightmare that Shangguan had never experienced in the past century.
Shangguan Jin shouted, "Yuqi!"
This sharp shout jolted her out of her dazed state.
She moved her lips and shook her head, saying, "That's impossible."
What she called impossible was simply that she felt it was impossible.
She couldn't accept that such a beautiful and free-spirited Yanxiu had passed away so tragically, never to return to this world.
She thought that they would spend at least fifty or sixty years together on this journey through life.
Even though we can no longer be together every day as before, the hope that we can look at each other from afar and know that the other still exists in the world is as bright as the morning star.
But now, Uncle Thirteen says that Yanxiu is dead.
The words of the Thirteenth Uncle were always as firm as metal and stone.
He said that Yanxiu was gone, so no matter how absurd or unbelievable the cause and effect may be, it must be true that she was gone.
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