[Unofficial Histories] broadly refers to literary works recording anecdotes and trivial matters. Bai Guan: A minor official in ancient times who specialized in relating street talk, folklore, and stories to the emperor. Later, novels came to be known as Bai Guan. Unofficial History: Historical books not compiled by official historians.
Across the vast Nine Provinces, countless historical facts have been buried in the dust of time over thousands of years. Serious and dispassionate historical records sometimes struggle to reveal the truth of historical events, such as the tumultuous years at the end of the Hua Dynasty. No one truly knows what exactly transpired. The subsequent fall of Hua, the rise of Qi, and the decline of the Huan Kingdom were equally filled with twists and turns, each step more shocking than the last.
After the fall of the Hua Dynasty, the founding emperor of Qi ordered Cui Yi, the leader of the “Tian Xuan Ge,” to collaborate with historians in compiling the “History of Hua.” However, feeling the limitations of historical writing, Cui Yi meticulously organized the collected documents, notes, legends, and even folk sayings related to the late Hua and early Qi dynasties into “Hua Bai” and “Qi Bai.”
Cui Yi then traveled north to the Huan Kingdom, where he met some scholars who had survived the “Nan Zi Rebellion” in Huan. Sharing common interests, they jointly compiled “Huan Bai.” This allows us to glimpse those thrilling years through these unofficial histories, often sneered at by formal historians.
Bai, not being official history, may contain nonsensical talk and supernatural claims. Readers, please take it with a grain of salt.
1. Hua Bai
The Death of Emperor An
In the late Hua Dynasty, Emperor An ascended the throne at the tender age of seven. Fortunately, with the strong support of the Chief Minister of the Last Imperial Edict and the Loyal and Filial King, Pei Yan, he safely weathered several palace coups and rebellions.
Regrettably, Emperor An was physically weak and remained secluded in the deep palace. He showed no interest in literature, history, or martial arts, but was solely passionate about researching fragrances.
The southern Wu Liu Kingdom was renowned for its fragrances, particularly the famous “Chen Xiang Jie.” Legend had it that on a full moon night if the “Chen Xiang Jie” blossomed, its fragrance would linger for a thousand years. One who inhaled its ethereal scent could ascend to the heavens on a moonlit night.
This was merely a folk tale, but Emperor An believed it without doubt. Unfortunately, the “Chen Xiang Jie” was extremely difficult to cultivate. In over a thousand years, Wu Liu Kingdom had only managed to grow one plant successfully, with only eight seeds remaining.
However, the Wu Liu Kingdom was engaged in years of fierce battles with the Yue Fief at the time, naturally becoming hostile towards the Hua Dynasty as well. Unable to obtain the “Chen Xiang Jie,” Emperor An became depressed. He eventually stopped attending morning court, refused to see his officials, and wouldn’t even receive his consorts.
To alleviate the emperor’s worries and stabilize the southern region, the Loyal and Filial King Pei Yan, in his fateful year, once again donned his armor. He led 80,000 troops from Nan An Prefecture and Yu Jian Prefecture to aid the Yue Fief.
After two years of warfare, the Crown Prince of Yue Fief died on the battlefield, and Fief King Yue Jingyang perished from a stray arrow. Pei Yan, despite his old wounds flaring up, finally defeated the Wu Liu army. The Hua forces swept across Wu Liu’s territory like a storm.
Pei Yan subdued Wu Liu and brought back eight seeds of the “Chen Xiang Jie.” Emperor An was overjoyed. He immediately issued an edict stating that he wished to focus on cultivating the “Chen Xiang Jie” and was unfit for the throne, intending to abdicate in favor of the Loyal and Filial King Pei Yan. Pei Yan was shocked, prostrated himself in tears, and coughed up blood. Only then did Emperor An reluctantly withdraw his edict.
From that point on, Emperor An never appeared before his court officials again. Instead, he secluded himself in the forbidden garden of the inner palace, solely focused on cultivating the “Chen Xiang Jie.”
Eight long years passed. The Loyal and Filial King Pei Yan, overworked and his old wounds reopened, passed away. His eldest son, Pei Xun, inherited the title of Loyal and Filial King and the position of Chief Minister of the Last Imperial Edict.
Upon learning of Pei Yan’s death, Emperor An wept in the inner palace for three days but remained fixated on cultivating the “Chen Xiang Jie.”
His mind gradually descended into madness. Three times he issued edicts to abdicate the throne to the Loyal and Filial King Pei Xun. Pei Xun, terrified, dared not attend court. With no one managing state affairs, the court gradually fell into chaos.
Unable to successfully cultivate the “Chen Xiang Jie,” Emperor An’s temperament changed drastically. He frequently executed palace maids and eunuchs, causing everyone in the palace to fear for their lives.
When only one “Chen Xiang Jie” seed remained, Emperor An crouched day and night by the seedling, executing anyone who approached. A eunuch surnamed Xu accidentally entered the forbidden garden, and Emperor An ordered him beaten to death. Eunuch Xu had two adopted sons who, grief-stricken by their adoptive father’s death, angrily plotted rebellion.
They gathered a group of malcontents and stormed the inner palace. Fortunately, the Loyal and Filial King Pei Xun received the news in time and rushed to the forbidden garden’s gate, where he engaged in a fierce battle with the rebels.
After a bloody fight, Pei Xun killed all the conspirators. Just as he was about to request an audience with Emperor An to beg forgiveness and inquire about his well-being, the blood from the rebels flowed into a stream, slowly seeping into the soil.
It happened to be a full moon night, and over a thousand people at the forbidden garden’s gate witnessed an extraordinary sight:
The fresh blood seeped into the soil around the “Chen Xiang Jie” seedling, which rapidly sprouted and grew. Emperor An was overjoyed, finally understanding that the “Chen Xiang Jie” needed to be nourished with human blood. Seeing the seedling’s growth slowing down, Emperor An drew his long sword, intending to slaughter everyone present. The crowd hurriedly retreated, while Pei Xun knelt and wept, pleading with the emperor.
With no other choice, Emperor An stood beside the “Chen Xiang Jie” and turned the sword upon himself.
Emperor An’s blood sprayed onto the “Chen Xiang Jie,” and it finally produced a bud. The emperor knelt before the bud, embracing it as blood continued to flow from his neck onto the bud. Moonlight enveloped him, emitting a cold, eerie glow. Within this chilling light, the “Chen Xiang Jie” finally blossomed, its clear fragrance filling the entire palace.
In his final moments, Emperor An gazed at the blooming “Chen Xiang Jie” with extreme satisfaction. Using his last ounce of strength, he tossed the imperial seal to Pei Xun, who was kneeling nearby.
The fragrant mist spread, gradually engulfing Emperor An and the “Chen Xiang Jie.”
As the mist slowly dissipated, Emperor An’s figure vanished, leaving only a withered “Chen Xiang Jie” plant on the ground.
Pei Xun and the officials prostrated themselves, weeping bitterly. However, due to the supernatural nature of the incident, Pei Xun issued a strict order that the events of that night were not to be disclosed, with violators facing the execution of their entire clan.
Emperor An had no heir, and the Xie imperial clan had dwindled. The officials had no choice but to request that the Loyal and Filial King Pei Xun save the country from peril by ascending to the throne, and changing the country’s name to “Qi.”
Pei Xun became the founding emperor of Qi, posthumously honoring his father Pei Yan as the Founding Emperor Sheng Guang Xiao. He honored his mother, Madam Dong, as Empress Dowager Sheng Guang Xiao. He established Madam Cui as his empress.
2. The Frost Moon Sword
The “Frost Moon Sword” was a thousand-year-old famous sword, once wielded by the founding emperor of the Hua Dynasty. The Hua founder used the “Frost Moon Sword” to conquer the world and establish the Hua Dynasty.
However, after founding the country, the founder sighed, “The Frost Moon Sword carries too much killing intent and has drunk too much blood. Now that we should govern with propriety, it should be sealed away.” Thus, he sealed the “Frost Moon Sword” beneath the imperial mausoleum.
In the fifth year of Hua Chengxi’s reign, on the winter solstice, Emperor Cheng died due to the rebellion of Prince Zhuang and Wei Zhao. The imperial mausoleum’s square city burned to ashes. Twenty years later, during the reconstruction of the square city, workers digging the foundation one night saw a burst of cold light enveloping the entire mausoleum. The “Frost Moon Sword” had reappeared in the world.
When the Loyal and Filial King Pei Yan learned of the “Frost Moon Sword’s” reappearance, he was overjoyed. Holding the sword and testing its blade, he exclaimed, “With the Frost Moon’s emergence, the world can be pacified.”
The month the “Frost Moon Sword” reappeared, Pei Yan adopted a son. The adopted son’s surname was Xiao, given name Yao, of unparalleled beauty and extraordinary elegance. Pei Yan then bestowed the “Frost Moon Sword” to his adopted son Xiao Yao and personally taught him the Chang Feng Sword Technique.
The following year, Emperor Wei of Huan once again led an army of 150,000 troops southward. Pei Yan led his eldest son Pei Xun and adopted son Xiao Yao to command the army northward, engaging in a decisive battle with the Huan army in Cheng Prefecture.
Xiao Yao served as the Left Army General. His appearance was so beautiful that the Huan army often mocked him during their war cries. Xiao Yao thus wore a silver mask to conceal his true face and made a blood oath before the army: he would not reveal his true face until the day he defeated the Huan army.
Xiao Yao was brave, skilled in battle, and often displayed clever strategies. The Left Army under his command was unstoppable, overshadowing the Right Army led by Pei Xun. Soldiers from both armies greatly admired him. Because he wielded the “Frost Moon Sword” on the battlefield, they called him the “Frost Moon General.”
During the Battle of Qilin Valley, Huan Prime Minister Teng Rui used deception to lure Xiao Yao into a deep valley. Facing danger at the front lines, Xiao Yao remained calm and led 500 elite soldiers to hold the valley entrance, waiting for the main force to arrive in time. However, Xiao Yao was hit by an arrow and fell into a swift current, his whereabouts unknown.
Upon hearing this, Pei Yan was greatly alarmed and issued strict orders to search for him. A month later, Xiao Yao returned unharmed, but with a woman by his side. The woman always had her face veiled and carried a strange fragrance. Xiao Yao wanted to marry this woman, but Pei Yan disapproved due to her unknown background. Xiao Yao cut off a lock of his black hair in public, presenting it to Pei Yan in gratitude for his teachings, then took the woman’s hand and departed.
Pei Xun hurriedly chased after his adopted brother, but Xiao Yao threw the “Frost Moon Sword” backward, embedding it in a pine tree trunk. By the time Pei Xun pulled out the “Frost Moon Sword,” Xiao Yao and the woman had vanished without a trace.
From then on, the “Frost Moon General” disappeared from the world.
Pei Yan led the Chang Feng cavalry to drive the Huan army back north of the Black Water River. Sighing as he held the sword, he cast the “Frost Moon Sword” into the Black Water River. The peerless famous sword has since slumbered in the deep river at the border between the two countries.
After Pei Xun ascended to the throne, he ordered portraits of thirty-two meritorious officials to be painted in the Ling Yan Pavilion. The first portrait on the east side depicted a figure of extraordinary grace and elegance – the “Frost Moon General” Xiao Yao.