Chapter 1, Chapter Seventy-Four: The Grand Finale (Part 2)
Lin Yuan opened her eyes from a dream filled with the sound of rain pattering on fallen flowers and the rumble of spring thunder, only to find herself in an unfamiliar bed curtain.
She put on her robe and got off the bed.
This is not the side hall of Jiaofang Palace, nor Zichen Pavilion, nor the west side hall of Xuanshi that she was familiar with.
It was much more spacious than the inner chambers of the side hall.
Emerging from the inner chamber, I took a few steps and saw that the curtains were half-rolled up and the screen was folded several times, revealing a secluded and dark interior, resembling a study.
She walked over slowly.
The walls were covered with paintings made of fine silk.
A room bathed in moonlight.
On the eve of the Shangsi Festival, the moon outside the window lattice was just a thin, barely visible shadow.
The moonlight poured down.
This month, it comes from the first painting that catches the eye.
It illuminated a woman's sleeping face.
The woman lay on the table, her eyes closed, her head resting on a scroll of bamboo slips, using the moonlight as her blanket.
She had probably been fast asleep for a long time; her cheeks were rosy, as if she had applied rouge, and her hair was loose, with a few strands of black hair hanging down her face, half-covering her features, making it impossible to tell who she was.
Further ahead, it was impossible to tell whether it was the moon or the snow. A silvery glow covered the ground.
The woman, dressed in a nomadic style with a red belt, held a whip and rode a fine, bluish-gray horse. The horse reared up and neighed, revealing a peacock-patterned bridle and a tuft of white mane on its forehead.
The woman turned her face slightly to the side, smiling charmingly, her face obscured. Her black hair was tied up high, fluttering in the wind, with snowflakes falling into her hair, shimmering. Upon closer inspection, however, they were not snowflakes, but rather resembled white jade beads hanging from a green hairpin.
Ahead, the moon had risen even higher.
A full moon shines through the half-closed windows, revealing a graceful, slender figure, her hair in her hands, as if she were sitting by the window doing her hair or looking down at a book.
The moonlight transformed into the dawn.
A woman was boating on the lake, her head bowed as she played with a koi carp. In her other hand, she held a large lotus leaf, which obscured most of her face, leaving only her snow-white wrists and delicate, wispy eyebrows visible.
Lin Yuan's steps were unsteady, treading on the hazy moonlight and the ethereal dawn, as if pulled and guided forward by an unseen hand.
forward.
As dawn broke, a woman carrying a book stood alone under a plum tree.
The plum blossoms were just beginning to bud, and the woman looked up at the flowers, or perhaps at the red sun in the east. She stood sideways, so her entire face could not be seen, only half of her slightly upturned almond-shaped eyes, which seemed to hold the waters of autumn.
Lin Yuan's steps were very, very slow.
Finally, they arrived at the desk in the middle of the study.
There was also a painting on the table.
That was a painting she had seen in the East Garden of the Prince of Huaiyang's Mansion.
The painting was covered with the same fine silk cloth, as if afraid of getting dusty, only revealing a corner of a cloud-like hair and a petal of red plum blossom.
She walked over and gently pulled the silk cloth down.
After so much time had passed, and through the hazy moonlight, she finally saw those features clearly.
Those were eyebrows veiled in smoke.
Eyes illuminated by the morning light.
He looks a bit like that woman.
She looks just like herself.
Lin Yuan felt as if her heart was being gripped by a hand, aching and throbbing unbearably. She clenched the piece of fine silk tightly and held onto the edge of the table.
The plum blossom in the painting had long since lost its life, and it fell to her feet along the smooth silk. She touched the purse tied around her waist, where there was another plum blossom, which he had somehow pinned to her hair.
For a long while, he couldn't breathe.
She slowly walked around the screen, around the curtains, past the tall, narrow lantern stand, and towards the west window.
The night was cool and still, with a gentle breeze blowing.
Looking at it from the side, you can see the doors and windows of the west side hall.
The place was brightly lit.
It sketched out a slender figure.
That was the figure she had seen countless times in the lamplight and under the moonlight.
She reached out to trace the man's shadow.
The shadow swayed and flickered in the lamplight, as if pacing, sometimes near, sometimes far. A gentle breeze brushed against my fingertips, warm and cool, like a kiss in a chaotic dream, like a kiss from last night.
She withdrew her hand and touched her burning cheeks and the tips of her ears that had turned red from the heat.
The eyelashes became the paintbrush, turning the window screen into a canvas.
The water clock dripped softly, a faint sound reaching my ears. It was well past nightfall, past midnight. The crescent moon in the sky had long since faded into the clouds, nowhere to be seen.
Slowly, a drop of water rolled off the tip of the brush, and the ink on the silk blurred.
One drop, two drops.
When she tilted her head back and poured the water droplets back into her eyes, she looked again and the ink marks on the silk painting had become clearly defined.
The window had been pushed open at some point.
He stood by the window.
The silk painting had transformed into a soft, yellow gauze, and the dim lamplight outlined his figure, brightening his eyes and his face.
His face was initially stunned, then a smile gradually spread and brightened.
Xiao Xun probably suddenly realized where she was at that moment, and thought of the scrolls in the Xuan Shi Hall library, and the smile froze on his face.
He opened his mouth, as if he had a lot to say, or perhaps wanted to explain. Separated only by a passageway, by the ceaseless cool breeze of the night, they were so close, yet so far.
He lowered his eyes, the words he wanted to say ultimately remaining on his lips, turning into a smile.
She looked at him, and from the shape of his lips, it seemed he had only called out, "Ah Yuan".
“Ah Yuan”.
The wind still carried his voice to my ears.
Xiao Xun stood behind her, his flowing robes carrying a refreshing breeze.
Lin Yuan turned around and stared at him intently, her eyes reddening.
“Ah Yuan, when did you wake up? After you took your medicine, I had the palace maids help you bathe and change your clothes. The imperial physician also came to take your pulse and prescribed a calming medicine. Do you feel any better now?” Xiao Xun was incoherent and felt a little apologetic for losing his composure while running all the way. “I came to say that it’s nighttime and the wind is chilly, so please don’t stand here.”
Lin Yuan didn't speak, but still turned her head to look at him, the tears on her eyelashes still wet, glistening in the light of the goose-foot lamp.
The surroundings were too quiet. You could hear the wind hitting the windowpanes and then blowing through the hall, rustling the scrolls on the wall.
His voice was muffled, somewhat hoarse, with a soft and lingering ending.
It was a tenderness she had never noticed before.
She could no longer remember when he started calling her that way.
“Ah Yuan”.
His gaze swept over the paintings on the wall, "I..."
The library was so big, yet she had walked there for a very long time. Lin Yuan was still out of breath, her heart pounding as if it would burst from her chest.
He closed the window, but the wind still seeped in through the cracks.
The wind wasn't actually cold, but his breath was warm, gradually growing hotter, flowing around her with each word and each rapid breath. The study, the study room, the sky and the earth seemed to shrink into the small space between them.
She was like someone who was drowning and needed to be given air.
Xiao Xun's voice grew closer, lingering on the tip of his nose, the corner of his ear, and his lips: "...I've loved you for a very, very long time."
It's true. A very, very long time ago.
"I have always regretted that I didn't tell you on the lotus boat that day that I love you, that I love you so much."
"I shouldn't have been so arrogant and self-righteous, keeping everything from you and keeping you so far away from me."
"In the days you weren't by my side, I often dreamed of Kunming Pool, of that lotus pond, of that lotus boat. I dreamed that you were on the boat...and then you disappeared. I was all alone on that boat. The sky was so vast, the earth so vast, the pool so vast, and I didn't know where to go. I cried my heart out in that dream, I was so pathetic. Thankfully, it was just a dream. But when I woke up, I found that my pillow, my blanket, my bed had all become a lake, a sea...I'm sorry, A-Yuan."
Smile, I want to see you smile.
Lin Yuan curved her lips into a smile.
She sat at her desk, her eyes unfocused, looking up and seeing only the woman behind him standing in the plum grove of Lan Yue Pavilion, facing the red sun and the blue sky, saying, "The Xiongnu have fled," "Send soldiers to kill them," and one last thing, "May you be well."
Her hands were still gripping his waist, preventing herself from slipping off the table.
Her fingertips were pale, and her grip on his lower garment made it wrinkle slightly. The jade pendant at his waist jingled softly, and a white jade pendant shaped like a dragon tortoise swayed, bumping against her hand again and again, so lightly, yet so heavily.
Xiao Xun curled his lips, a sob rising in his throat, his eyes gradually welling up with tears.
"I hate myself for not holding on to you. I should have held on to you a long time ago."
His hand unconsciously wrapped around her waist, and suddenly tightened.
"So, do you still want to?"
Lin Yuan spoke shyly, her voice nasal.
"Um?"
Lin Yuan bit her lip: "Boating, picking lotus flowers."
She tiptoed and climbed onto his neck. "No need for dreams. Yesterday, I passed by Kunming Pool and saw that some lotus flowers were already in bud and would bloom soon."
"Yes, I do," Xiao Xun said softly. "I can't wait, A-Yuan."
He went to meet her, his voice lingering on her lips, "I can't wait to... go boating and pick lotus flowers with you."
He held her in his arms, his clothes catching the cool breeze and his burning heat, and somehow they loosened and slipped off his shoulders.
He spoke slowly in my ear.
"Besides the one I took you to before, there is another lotus pond in Kunming Pool, which is farther away from the Lanyue Pavilion where you stayed, but the scenery is even more beautiful."
"In the fourth month of summer, under the morning sun, the pond is calm and resembles a piece of fine mutton-fat jade, crystal clear and lovely, shining everywhere. Only when a lotus boat passes by, with a light touch of the orchid oar, does the surface ripple."
The lamp oil in the goose-foot lamp had burned out, and no one went to add more; it had dimly darkened.
As dawn slowly broke through the east, the first rays of sunlight shone through the window screen and the half-rolled curtains of spring, casting a cool, luminous glow on everything.
"In April, Kunming Pool, the places we're going to, not just the lotus pond, every place is incredibly beautiful, making people linger and forget to leave," he said with a light laugh.
"Two mountains can be seen in the pond, their green peaks shrouded in evening clouds, a truly beautiful sight."
Lin Yuan listened intently, her watery eyes fixed on him.
"There are three on Kunming Pool..."
She suddenly fell silent, her ears burning with embarrassment. Biting her lip, she lowered her head, no longer meeting his smiling eyes.
But before me lay Yingzhou and Penglai.
The painting of a woman boating and picking lotus flowers hangs on the wall diagonally opposite the desk.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the green mountains faintly visible above the blue waves.
After a while, as she gazed at the scene, her eyes gradually became misty. The mountains were shrouded in a hazy mist, which transformed into evening clouds, filling her vision.
"In my dreams, when I'm boating, I can never hear the sound of water. What do you think the sound of water must be like?"
Lin Yuan's voice suddenly changed, uttering a soft murmur.
She sat on the boat, listening to the oars parting the water, the sound of the water clear and crisp, like the songs of the Yue people.
My heart is pleased with you, but you do not know.
The song, accompanied by the sound of water, was melodious and lingering.
Xiao Xun took her hand. Their fingers intertwined.
The lotus boat swayed gently in the drizzle, passing the verdant hills and peaks above Kunming Pool.
Slowly, we moved toward the most lush and secluded patch of green in the pond.
That was the lotus pond in the imperial garden, which had been there for over a decade. It was a place of auspicious geomancy, and therefore rarely visited. The lotus leaves stood gracefully, concealing the lotus flowers and the secluded path.
"Deep within this lotus pond, there is probably a spring. Listen, the water is gurgling and flowing continuously."
Lin Yuan's cheeks flushed red. She pretended to push him away, but her head felt dizzy as if she were intoxicated. In the end, she kicked him.
Xiao Xun chuckled and grabbed her ankle.
The lotus boat carefully and slowly made its way towards the lotus pond.
The rower was not skilled. The lotus pond was stirred by the oars and the clear water, the lotus leaves swayed gently, bringing the fragrance of April in summer.
Having just experienced a continuous drizzle, the most beautiful lotus flower in the center of the lake shimmered on the water in the gradually brightening daylight, looking incredibly charming.
“Ah Yuan, I can…”
"Hmm," Lin Yuan mumbled.
She had long since ascended to the highest heavens, her mind in a daze.
Looking up, one sees lotus flowers blooming side by side, while looking down, one sees two koi carp playing in the water.
Rainwater, collected in lotus leaves, splashed freely down, and fish leaped out of the water, splashing water onto her eyelashes.
All of it turned into tears welling up in her eyes, half shy and half joyful.
Gradually, the rain turned into a downpour, pattering on the new lotus leaves.
The world was vast, and the rain poured down. The small lotus boat became a speck on the water, carrying her and him. Only she and he.
The sound of waves mingled with the sound of rain and the murmur of springs in the pool.
For some reason, it reminds me of that night when the spring thunder roared, and the rhythm of that song that came from who-knows-where... "Until the mountains crumble and the heavens and earth unite, I will never part from you."
"Ah Yuan, wait for me. When summer comes in April, I'll take you boating... to pick lotus flowers..."
"……good."
Xiao Xun's Adam's apple bobbed. After an unknown amount of time, he brushed the damp hair from her forehead and placed a kiss on her forehead: "Before that, I have to leave for a while."
"Where are you going?" Lin Yuan asked dazedly. "When are you leaving?"
"Going to Taiyuan. And Yan. She'll be leaving soon."
"Yan?"
"Yes, the Prince of Yan has rebelled. The Grand Master of the Imperial Stud has killed three horses in the procession. At cockcrow, he sent a report that eight thousand Yan cavalry have left the Yan capital, Ji City, and are marching at night. They will reach Taiyuan in less than two days."
Lin Yuan's heart skipped a beat, a chill ran down her spine, followed by a surge of heat. Xiao Xun held her even tighter: "Prince Yan, has he rebelled? What right does he have..."
The voice in my ear was flat and slightly mocking: "I am the youngest son of the late emperor. My father was over sixty when I was born. He said that I was not his biological son, and that I had been on the throne for many years and was well past the age of twenty. He said that I was not healthy and had no heir. This was the retribution of heaven, because my lineage was not legitimate and my words were not in accordance with the law."
Lin Yuan blushed with anger: "He's spouting nonsense."
Xiao Xun smiled and rubbed Lin Yuan's furrowed brow: "Yes, I'll show him that he's blind."
He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, "By the way, there's something I'd like to ask you. Something very important."
"What is it?"
"Could you please help me look after this house?"
His voice was tender, “...our...home.”
At the end of the desk, a piece of brocade covered a vermilion lacquered tray.
It was an edict establishing an empress, along with a jade seal with the four characters "Empress's Seal" engraved on it.
Sunlight reached Xiao Xun's armor, gleaming coldly and reflecting the silhouettes of tens of thousands of soldiers behind him, as if etched into an endless pool, a vast sea.
In that vast ocean, only when he whips his horse can one see two red plum blossoms, embracing each other on the branch, bathed in the rising sun.
On the day of Dingwei in the third month, the Yan army launched a surprise attack on Taiyuan. The governor of Taiyuan was caught off guard, and the defending troops, weary of war, abandoned their armor and fled. The commander committed suicide to atone for his sins, and the Yan cavalry drove straight in as if they were in an empty field, capturing Jinyang City.
Prince Xiao Yue of Yan rebelled.
The following day, news reached Chang'an that Xiao Jin, the heir apparent of the Prince of Huaiyang, was leading his army north.
Rumors circulated that an envoy from the Yan state had disguised himself and traveled to Huaiyang, where the two states had long been colluding to plot the installation of a new Yan king as emperor. This caused a great uproar throughout the country and the court.
Chang'an urgently dispatched a large army from the capital region and the surrounding three prefectures. Ling Feng, the Minister of the Imperial Household, was appointed as the general.
On the day of Yiyou, the emperor personally led an expedition.
Three days later, the heir apparent of the Prince of Huaiyang arrived at the foot of the Taihang Mountains. The Prince of Yan opened the gates of Jinyang to welcome him.
At midday on the same day, the imperial vanguard army arrived at the gates of Jinyang.
When the emperor arrived, the banners fluttered in the wind.
Along with this news came another message: the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud led the garrison of Yuyang into Jicheng. After three days of fierce fighting, the Prince of Yan's mansion was burned to the ground and reduced to ashes.
As the dust settled, Gongsun Zhao rushed into the main hall of the Prince's Palace with his sword drawn. He saw the Princess of Yan, who was four months pregnant, embracing her three-year-old son. Her forehead was covered in soot, and her eyes were filled with desolation. She trembled amidst the blood and fire, and the corpses of the Prince's Palace guards scattered on the ground.
"Prime Minister Su didn't have time to tell you in his correspondence, did he, Xiao Yue?"
Xiao Xun, holding the reins, sneered, "Oh, right, now that he's been imprisoned in Sili, he can no longer exchange letters with the Prince of Yan."
The protective talisman worn by the Princess of Yan to pray for the safety of her unborn child, along with the Jade Pendant of Yazi worn by the Crown Prince, were carried by a feathered arrow and sent up the hundred-foot-high city wall.
Xiao Yue's carved bow fell from his hand, striking his armor and the long sword at his waist. He gritted his teeth in hatred: "Just a woman and a mere child. You think you can take me down like that?"
"Xiao Xun, don't you even look at how many men are behind you? Of these cavalrymen, how many are exhausted from fighting, and how many are truly loyal and willing to obey the orders of your newly appointed general?"
He stretched out his arm and pointed to the massive army that was marching out of the city to meet him in battle. "Look at how many men I have. The Yan and Huaiyang armies number thirty thousand, a brave and skilled army, strong and well-equipped." He chuckled. "You're like an egg hitting a rock; you can't win against me."
"Is that so?" The voice came coldly, crystal clear.
The speaker was not the emperor sitting on his warhorse beneath the city walls, but rather someone from beside Xiao Yue.
Xiao Yue turned around and opened his eyes wide, his eyes filled with terror, reflecting the figures of Xiao Cheng and Xiao Jin.
They were clad in armor, with a man in white robes and silver boots beside them, a long sword hanging at his waist, appearing like a ghost in the sunlight.
Behind them, the drumbeats changed, and the Huaiyang army changed its banner.
“A-Yue,” Xiao Jin began, smiling, “I remember a game we used to play as children, you were always completely fooled by us. You believed whatever I said. I told you back then that if you picked up more arrows, your pitch-pot skills would naturally improve, and you believed me. I thought you were just too young to play. I didn’t expect that after all these years, you still haven’t improved.”
Xiao Yue glared at him and drew his long sword from his waist.
The Prince of Huaiyang stepped forward and blocked Xiao Jin's path.
"To have a son at sixty, born after fourteen months, is utterly absurd and laughable. This is the bloodline of a commoner and a lowly slave who has illicitly fathered a child with another. Prince of Huaiyang, open your eyes and look closely at Xiao Xun. In what way does he resemble the late Emperor?"
Xiao Yue pointed his long sword at Xiao Xun below the city wall: "His throne was nothing more than that old traitor Qu Yang's attempt to seize power by taking advantage of the late emperor's illness and senility. Now that Qu Yang has fallen, Heaven has eyes. Should our Xiao family's empire be occupied by this illegitimate and dubious young man?"
The Prince of Huaiyang's face turned pale: "Stop talking nonsense! How old were you when the late emperor passed away? How many times did you see the late emperor? Do you even know what the late emperor looked like when he was young?"
"That's right. I am indeed not like the late emperor."
Xiao Xun interrupted them, a faint smile playing on his lips, “My father reigned for over forty years, waging war on the battlefield. During those forty years, he stripped 130 people of their titles and removed over a hundred vassal states. After I ascended the throne, I was lenient with the princes, which only fueled their ambitions.”
His gaze suddenly turned cold. "It really shouldn't have been done."
Xiao Yue laughed loudly, looking up at the sky: "To be lenient towards the princes? Ha, that's nothing more than treating them as ants, as domestic dogs. We are all from the Xiao family, all princes, so why are you revered while we have to fawn over you?"
Beneath the city walls, the Huaiyang army had already formed ranks, their golden spears aimed directly at the Yan army.
The combined forces of Huaiyang and the capital region were vast, numbering roughly twice that of the Yan army.
"Prince of Huaiyang, you've lived a cowardly and servile life in your Huaiyang Kingdom. A mere assassin, a rioter, was enough to make him contemplate overthrowing the kingdom. Now you're so opportunistic and trying so hard to please, how long do you think you'll gain?" Xiao Yue sneered, "Benefits? Hmph, nothing more than scraps of food offered by a dog!"
Xiao Xun scoffed, "The Prince of Guangling thought the same thing before. Now, the weeds growing before his tomb must be taller than a person. And what about your father, the Prince of Yanli?"
“A-Yue, the war hasn’t started yet. If you stop now, it’s not too late. If you call me Uncle, I will plead with His Majesty and spare your life, and spare the young prince’s life. He’s only three years old and has just learned to call me Father… Do you want him to be like you were when you were a child…” Xiao Cheng advised.
"My father? Ha, how dare you mention my father? Prince Yan, Xiao Rui, the Prince of Yan Li! Who has ever remembered him? Who among you still remembers him? He died for the late Crown Prince, and after his death, there was no mausoleum or sacrifices, and he was given the posthumous title of Li. Do you remember him, Xiao Cheng? Do you remember him, Xiao Jin?"
"No, you only remember the late Crown Prince, the late Crown Prince, and his son. You, Qu Qingchuan, and all the people of the world, only cry out for their injustice and praise their unfairness! What about us? What about my father? We are all princes and grandsons of the emperor, we are all of the Xiao family bloodline, we are all children of the late emperor. One should grovel at the feet of the other, and if he dies, he dies; if he is deposed, he is deposed, is that it?"
"Xiao Cheng, Xiao Jin, you are willing, but I am not."
Xiao Yue shouted, pointing his long sword at Xiao Cheng, its blade gleaming: "Prince of Huaiyang, today he destroys me, but tomorrow, my fate may very well be yours."
"The Prince of Yan did not die for the late Crown Prince. He died for you."
Lin Yu came out.
The Prince of Huaiyang felt a pang of anxiety and patted Lin Yu's shoulder.
Lin Yu nodded to the Prince of Huaiyang and calmly stepped forward.
"The Crown Prince's rebellion was reported by the Prince of Yan. He frequented Siqi Garden daily and was very close to the Crown Prince. His heir was also a frequent visitor to Siqi Garden. However, what the Prince of Guangling wanted, he also wanted."
He did just that.
"The late Crown Prince promoted the Imperial Academy and the State Academy, and widely opened up the recommendation system, hoping that commoners would enter officialdom. How many people in the court and the countryside were unhappy about this, especially those from aristocratic families, high-ranking families, and those who entered officialdom through hereditary privilege? As a result, Su Dan searched for flaws in the words of the Confucian scholars who frequented the Siqi Garden, and ultimately used them as evidence that the Crown Prince was plotting rebellion, disrespecting the emperor and cursing the emperor and father. This evidence was presented to the late emperor by the Prince of Yan."
"The late emperor was old and ailing at the time, and was prone to overthinking and suspicion, so he eventually believed it. However, the Prince of Yan never imagined that the case of deposing the crown prince would become so widespread, involving more than 30,000 lives. Perhaps it was because these lives haunted his dreams every night that he was filled with anxiety and committed suicide to atone for his sins."
"Saying he died for the late Crown Prince is just a pretext, a fig leaf, so he can still be seen as righteous. The late Emperor knew of his ambition, and with the Prince of Guangling and his entire family dying in the struggle for the throne, he probably did this to protect you. In this way, the late Emperor, seeing that you are all alone and helpless, still allowed you to inherit the title, and you will never know that you have a father with a gloomy mind who betrayed his own brothers."
"Nonsense! You're talking nonsense! You're spouting gibberish!" Xiao Yue roared in fury.
Lin Yu did not argue, but tossed a scroll containing a letter from the late Emperor accusing the late Crown Prince Xiao Heng of treason, in which the Prince of Yanli colluded with Su Dan.
He turned and left.
"...I wish I were just talking nonsense."
"Why? Father, why?" Xiao Yue's legs went weak, and he braced himself with his long sword. The sword light flashed in his eyes, as if he were asking someone else.
"I believe that it is the people of the world who have wronged him. It is the people of the world who have abandoned him and forgotten him."
He knelt on the ground, "...Why, it was you who abandoned me."
"Who...who are you?!"
Xiao Yue's eyes were bloodshot as he stared up at Lin Yu.
He fell to the ground without making a sound.
The Yan army lieutenant aimed an arrow at him.
The longsword in his hand was piercing his own neck, and blood gushed out.
Before his eyes closed and his gaze became unfocused, his eyes shifted from Xiao Yu to the arrow stuck in the gate tower.
The arrow fletching and the fluttering brocade ribbons were stained with the blood that had splattered three feet high when he committed suicide.
The brocade ribbon connected to the pouch was a peace charm that the Princess of Yan had prayed for. It was a jade pendant with the shape of a demon, which his father had tied around his waist before he committed suicide.
*
On the day of Jiwei in the fourth month of the fifth year of Jinghe, the state of Yan was abolished and the Right Beiping Commandery was established. Xiao Yu, the heir apparent of the King of Yan, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Hengshan, with a fief of ten thousand households. He was only entitled to food, clothing, and taxes, and was not involved in politics or military affairs.
Su Dan was imprisoned and died for his crimes.
The deposed Crown Prince Xiao Heng was posthumously honored with the title "Jiemin" (节愍), a mausoleum was built for him to offer sacrifices, and a garden town of one thousand households was established.
...
On the day of Gengshen, crowds thronged Dongping Township in the western suburbs of Chang'an.
The Imperial Guards led the way, with the Prefect of Jingzhao in front, followed by Grand Commandant Zong Zheng with countless carriages and horses, heading towards the small Dongping Township Road, where they stopped in front of Lin Wu's house.
Lin Wu rushed out.
"What are you all doing here?! What are you all doing here?!"
The four-horse carriage in front stopped.
The Prefect of the Capital, the Grand Commandant, and the Minister of the Imperial Clan stood respectfully with their hands at their sides. Xiao Xun helped Lin Yuan dismount and stepped out from among them, smiling as he said, "As the two elders previously stated, I have brought my family elders to present the betrothal gifts."
Lin Wu felt a sense of relief upon seeing that it was the betrothed prince, but then his heart tightened again: "What?"
He looked out of the courtyard and saw that the carriages stretched for three miles, or rather, the village road stretched for only three miles as far as the eye could see. At the end of the road, the carriages and horses seemed to be winding their way outwards.
The sunlight was blinding. Inside the carriage's trunk, gold ingots, millions of coins, jade discs, black and red silks, and bundles of silk were laid out in succession. The place was bustling with noise, and countless people had fainted on the road, which was being cleared by the Imperial Guards.
"How much is the betrothal gift you mentioned?"
Lin Wu's voice trembled slightly, and the iron rake and plow in his hands fell to the ground with a thud.
Qin was already dazzled by the gold ingots and the gold horseshoe and unicorn hoof, and was so startled by the pair of plump live geese that her legs went weak. Lin Yuan quickly helped her into the inner room.
"Twenty thousand gold coins is not enough, therefore, it is forty thousand gold coins."
"Forty thousand, gold? Is it gold? Just, just to hire, hire, hire Ah Yuan?"
Xiao Xun laughed, "Not only that."
"Forty thousand taels of gold, to hire two people."
Remembering Lin Yuan's instructions, and fearing to frighten the two elders, he spoke very slowly, "I wish to marry Lin Yuan and appoint Lin Yu as my prime minister."
"Who, who are you? What kind of person are you? Which family do you belong to?"
Lin Wu felt alternating chills and fever, his forehead was covered in sweat, as if he had caught a cold. He took several deep breaths and leaned against the elm tree in the yard before he could find his voice.
He then remembered that he hadn't even asked the name of this betrothed prince when they last met.
"Father!"
Lin Yu, who was on Cheng Fuzi's western mountain, heard that something had happened in Dongping Township and that the Lin family was surrounded by countless Imperial Guards. He hurriedly rode over.
"You, you just said you wanted Ayu to be, to be prime minister?"
Lin Wu's voice was still trembling, "Why? Is it the best man?"
Xiao Xun glanced at Lin Yu and smiled, "Lin's father said before that Lin Yu refused to take up an official post, even if the emperor invited him. I have come in person today with a small gift. I wonder if you would agree?"
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid..." Lin Yu helped the speechless Lin Wu into the inner room, and was about to speak when Xiao Xun stopped him.
"Don't say no to me yet." He raised the corner of his lips. "Come with me. I'll take you somewhere first."
The two mounted their horses and rode off in a cloud of dust, one in front and one behind.
As the horse's hooves touched the road in the southern suburbs of Chang'an, Lin Yu unconsciously tightened the reins, and Sheng Yun slowed his pace.
"Where does Your Majesty wish to take me?"
You'll find out soon enough.
Xiao Xun left those words behind, and his horse, treading on clouds, galloped ahead at breakneck speed.
The wind whipped up dust, which lashed against Lin Yu's face, making her feel a bit hot.
The shade of the trees ahead grew increasingly dense.
The towering gray walls were partially hidden by the bushes.
The gray walls stretch endlessly.
Until the two arrived at the vermilion gate.
The copper door knocker glows brightly, but when you reach out and tap it, it seems as if it has been there for years, inexplicably weathered.
"here it is……"
Xiao Xun remained silent.
Above the door is an unassuming plaque with two seal characters: Yan Qing.
Yan Qing, Yan Qing, may the seas be calm and the rivers be clear.
The guard opened the door, and after passing through the screen wall and the double doors, a hidden world appeared.
They remained on horseback. The clatter of hooves gradually faded into silence, replaced by the sounds of birdsong, the rustling of trees, and the murmur of springs. Ponds and streams, sandbars and pavilions, and majestic palaces came into view in succession.
"After I ascended the throne, I ordered them to surround this entire area."
"By the time of the Jiaping era, with the issuance of the Salt and Iron Edicts by Shao Nong, the national treasury had finally recovered and had some surplus funds. The Nanyuan area had been neglected and was somewhat wasted. So I took advantage of the expansion of the Shanglin Garden to renovate this place."
Xiao Xun spoke very casually, and seeing Lin Yu's question, he raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Of course, many people in the court disagreed, and the first one who was unwilling was Qu Yang."
"I enjoy hunting, and at that time I insisted on expanding the Shanglin Garden to the north. To the north, along the Feng River, there are three townships with tens of thousands of households and thousands of acres of fertile land. With so many people to be relocated, the Grand Marshal and General, who were known for their love for the people, were naturally unwilling."
"After several attempts, he finally compromised with me and rebuilt the existing, desolate Nanyuan Garden, taking advantage of his coming-of-age ceremony and wedding. There are now many more Imperial Academy Doctors than in previous years. A lecture hall has been built here, and sometimes Imperial Academy scholars will give lectures and teach."
"Until January of this year, when I passed through Nanyuan incognito, I was still smug, thinking that I had defeated Qu Yang once. That was the first time I had beaten him. Now that I think about it, I wonder who was whose pawn." He rambled on, shook his head, and mocked himself.
Moving forward to the shore of Kunming Pool, on the right is Xuanwu Mountain, with a high platform on it, which was originally Bowang Terrace. Now, a stone platform has been built in the original style.
The wind blows through the bamboo forest, and the white jade steps are faintly visible, stretching endlessly towards a place where one can pluck the stars. Hence, it is called "Zhanyun Terrace".
Xiao Xun turned around and sighed again: "Nanyuan has been under major renovation for five years, but unfortunately, it still hasn't been restored to its former glory."
"Five years?" Lin Yu murmured.
From ruins and ashes, barren mountains and desolate waters, to the rebirth of pavilions, towers, green trees and fragrant grasses.
This place was built with great care, exactly as he remembered it. How did Xiao Xun find the original design from that time, or did he rely entirely on his childhood memories to painstakingly restore it to its original state? The process was not easy, so I won't go into details.
He didn't ask for any more details; his throat felt dry.
"Yes, in the third year of Jiaping, the Yellow River flooded, the national treasury was tight, all construction in the palace was suspended, and many palace maids and musicians were sent away. The same was true for the Nanyuan Garden, so construction was suspended for a year. In the first year of Jinghe, due to a severe drought in Guandong, it was suspended for another year."
Xiao Xun turned his gaze from the high platform and the landscape to Lin Yu, complaining, "Be content. The opening of the Imperial Treasury has cost me a lot of my personal money."
“I didn’t say it was bad,” Lin Yu blurted out.
As soon as he said it, he was taken aback. After a moment of hesitation, he tightened the reins and dismounted.
"That's more like it."
Xiao Xun naturally took over the conversation, dismounted, and walked towards Zhanyun Terrace together.
From the high platform, the entire scenery of Nanyuan can be seen.
Do you remember that you still owe me something?
Lin Yu slowly crossed her arms and glanced at him: "Do you want me to agree to let you marry A Yuan?"
Xiao Xun laughed in exasperation, then swung a punch at him, saying, "Whether you agree or not, A Yuan is mine."
"Then, shall I be allowed to enter officialdom? To become prime minister?"
"I will not use your position as prime minister to blackmail you; what I want is for you to be willing."
Xiao Xun's fist landed heavily on his chest, but he didn't pull his hand back. He gently patted his shoulder and said, "I want you to turn back into Xiao Yu."
His gaze was fixed on him, the sunlight and shadows gradually covering him, then brightening him little by little.
It's as if if you don't keep a close eye on them, those features, that person, will disappear.
"Change back to Xiao Yu, and resume Xiao Yu's identity, okay?"
His hand rested on Lin Yu's shoulder, and he unconsciously gripped it tightly.
The sight was dazzling.
Lin Yu shook her head.
A relaxed, playful smile appeared on his brow, illuminated by the sunlight: "Your Majesty has forgotten? Xiao Yu is in the mausoleum, on that memorial tablet. His name is listed alongside that of his parents, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Yan."
Lin Yu spoke casually, brushing away Xiao Xun's hand, "Everyone in the world knows that Xiao Yu died long ago."
He slowly walked up the stone steps of the high platform, looking towards the sea of clouds and the direction of the imperial tombs in Xianyang: "As for me, I have my father and mother. I will take care of them until I die."
“You don’t need to worry about what the world thinks. This is my business. What I say goes. No one dares to question me,” Xiao Xun said firmly.
“Your father and mother can still be cared for after you regain your status.” He took two steps forward and insisted, “Besides, they will be the Empress’s parents and the Emperor’s relatives. I will grant the Lin family a marquisate and provide them with a fief.”
“That’s different, Your Majesty. I am Lin’s son, and A-Yuan’s elder brother.” He turned around and gazed at Xiao Xun. “For life. For life.”
He recalled that a long, long time ago, the blacksmith asked, "Do you like your younger sister?" He said, "You have a younger sister named A-Yuan." He didn't say whether it was A-Yuan or A-Yuan.
The blacksmith didn't know many characters. In the countryside, names were just a sound, something to be called casually. Especially for women, once they grew up and got married, they didn't even need names anymore. They would become someone's bride, someone's mother, and in their old age, they would become some kind of "old woman" or "mother." The register recorded the birth date of Lin Wu's daughter, as reported by the village head and the village clerk to the household registration clerk, using a similar-sounding character.
He nodded then, watching the girl fly towards him like a bird, gathering the spring breeze and flowers into his arms.
He wrote her name on a bamboo slip, writing the character "鸢" (yuān).
Elm is a tree.
The kite is an eagle.
Kites and elms, inseparable companions.
Xiao Xun pressed further, "And what about Xiao Yu? Who takes care of his parents and his elder sister?"
"The Xiao family's rule will last for thousands of years, and their lineage will continue unbroken. They will have the Xiao family's incense to burn and be worshipped generation after generation."
Lin Yu's eyes were bright, her expression serene, but she looked at Xiao Xun with her brows deeply furrowed.
"As for Xiao Yu," he smiled, squatted down, and scooped up a handful of soil, "he died so many times and came back to life so many times. If you count them, he's lived several lifetimes. How tiring it must be. Let him rest in peace."
He spoke jokingly, yet still walked towards the edge of the platform.
He tossed the newly grown soil aside, and in an instant, it was blown through his fingers and scattered by the wind into the clouds.
Xiao Xun stared blankly, unconsciously reaching out his hand into the wind, grasping only a wisp of wind and a speck of dust.
“I am a member of the Lin family, the Empress’s elder brother. In an ordinary family, you would at least call me elder brother, right? I’m really in luck.”
Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, let out a sigh of relief, and smiled at him, "Go ahead and call me."
Xiao Xun chuckled, raised his hand, broke off a bamboo branch to make a sword, and pretended to teach him a lesson: "You have no manners."
Lin Yu laughed and dodged to the side: "I'm older than you. A full ten months older. How is that disrespectful? If you don't believe me, ask A Yuan."
"Don't run, just you wait!"
The two chased each other and soon reached the mountainside.
The mountain path narrows, and the bamboo forest becomes secluded.
On the mountain path, Xiao Xun couldn't catch up with Lin Yu. In his haste, the bamboo branch in his hand flew out of his hand like an arrow, heading straight for Lin Yu's shoulder.
"Watch out." He gasped and almost simultaneously leaped down to grab the bamboo branch, only to hit the very last broken end.
With a hiss, the bamboo branch snapped in Lin Yu's hand.
Lin Yu turned around and looked at the branch in her hand.
The bamboo branches were very thin, with many thorns and sharp edges that pricked the calluses on his hands.
"What a coincidence, me too." Lin Yu waved the bamboo branch.
Their eyes met, and they both laughed.
The air was filled with the soft rustling of bamboo leaves.
Sunlight dappled through the bamboo leaves.
"May I call you A-Yu?"
Lin Yu's eyes flickered, but she didn't reply.
He neither agreed nor refused.
“Ah Yu,” Xiao Xun said with a smile, “How have you been?”
The wind blew open the thousands of bamboo stalks, and the sunlight bathed the two of them. In an instant, time and space seemed to shift, as if they had traveled back to fifteen years ago.
Long time no see.
Bowangtai is still there, Nanyuan is still there, and he is still here.
He smiled, his eyes sparkling with laughter.
Like the last time, Xiao Xun saw him at Siqi Garden, and the two of them played around and laughed until they cried.
From then on, in countless dreams, his eyes were always glistening with tears, and his lips were turned up in a smile.
Only this time did Xiao Xun hear the voice from his dream.
"Long time no see."
Ah Xun.
This is the only time.
A breeze swept by, and the shadows of the bamboo leaves danced, once again landing on his brows and his handsome nose.
Bowangtai was renamed Zhanyuntai.
Siqi Garden was transformed into Qingyan Hall.
The Crown Prince's private garden is now a place where Imperial Academy professors lecture and discuss philosophy.
And he was not Xiao Yu, but Lin Yu.
That "Ah Xun" lingered in my heart, but ultimately remained on my lips, unspoken.
After a short while, Lin Yu smiled and said, "By the way, I think Youbeiping is quite good. It's a newly established prefecture, which allows people to fully display their talents. Let me go there. The northern lands have a unique landscape and customs. I've been there once and quite liked it. As for being prime minister, forget it. How old am I? Who in the court and among the people would be willing to submit to me? Isn't the emperor afraid of being criticized for nepotism?"
Xiao Xun hesitated: "Yan is 800 li away from Chang'an. Moreover, Youbeiping is a newly established prefecture. The prefect must take up his post soon. After that, apart from being summoned to the capital to report on his duties, he will hardly be able to return once a year."
"Otherwise, would you rather live a life of simple clothes?"
Xiao Xun raised the corners of his lips and teased, "Is this how you ask for a favor?"
Lin Yu smiled and said, "It seems His Majesty has agreed. Thank you."
He chuckled and sighed, then turned and walked down the mountain.
Xiao Xun looked at him, then spoke, his voice following him:
"The auspicious day for the wedding, according to the calculations of the Taichang, is the Ding Si day in the eighth month."
Lin Yu paused, "Youbeiping County is a long way away, so I probably won't be able to come then. Congratulations in advance, Your Majesty."
He didn't turn back and continued down the mountain.
Xiao Xun stood still in place.
"Ah Xun, don't make her cry. Otherwise, I won't let you off the hook."
The sound was clear and melodious, coming from the foot of the mountain path and flowing through the forest.
*
Lin Yuan's eyes filled with tears.
The room was illuminated by thousands of red candles with dragon and phoenix designs.
Her eyes were reddish at the corners, with a seductive look.
"What's wrong? Does it hurt?" Xiao Xun asked anxiously.
"Yes, it hurts."
"Then I'll be gentler." He lowered his head to kiss away her tear stains.
Lin Yuan chuckled: "You're the one who's pressing down on my hair."
Xiao Xun smiled and kissed her deeply, his hands circling her chest.
"And here?"
“It’s…full.” She buried her face in his neck.
Outside the palace, the sounds of flutes and pipes, singing and dancing, and the music of bells and chimes filled the air. Shouts of "May happiness last forever" and "May joy be boundless" echoed throughout the night, a scene of pure joy.
(End of text)
On that day, the empress was enthroned, a general amnesty was granted, and the reign title was changed to "Zhangming".
In recent days, throughout Chang'an, the streets and alleys have been filled with towering buildings, and the emperor has been entertaining guests from all over the world. There are fish and dragon dances, wrestling games, acrobatics, and singing and dancing that never stop.
A supply wagon exited from Xuancheng Gate.
A father and daughter, accompanied by three or five servants, presented their travel permits at the city gate and were routinely asked by the gatekeepers: "Where are you going?"
"My hometown is Hedong County."
The father then answered.
He was very thin, his daughter looked to be only a teenager, but he had already grown white hair, dressed simply, and wore a faded wooden hairpin on his head.
When will you return?
The old man glanced back at Chang'an City.
"No, thank you."
His voice was hoarse, "I'm not coming back."
The guards nodded and raised their hands to let them pass.
Each of them received a cake printed with "Eternal Happiness" and "May the Locusts Flourish and Bring Prosperity".
(over)
Author's Note: I've revised it countless times, please, reviewer, let me pass! [Please]
The main story is finally finished!
The ending actually took over a month to write; it was supposed to be updated on Saturday night, but it wasn't uploaded until the early hours of the morning. The finale is here, I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you for waiting, and thank you for your support along the way. *bows*
I'm thinking of writing a side story about a brother and sister with a male lead raising a child, and also a pure female-centric POV story about her relationship with her brother. I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in reading it. Or do you have any suggestions?
I've taken two days off next week to write this side story (it's a flop, but I hope anyone wants to read it...). (Also, I'm an incredibly slow writer; I spend ages struggling with a single scene or sentence if I haven't written it well. I hope I can finish it in two days [laughing emoji].)
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