Zhou Yangling had arranged to have tea with Liu Shu to discuss matters between them. Whether out of personal or public interest, the scholar Zhou Tan wanted to marry his daughter to Prince Chen. The Prince naturally admired his daughter, though her attitude remained ambiguous. Zhou Tan had always doted on his daughter, pitying her weak constitution and granting her many privileges, but now he couldn’t understand what Zhou Yangling was thinking.
He didn’t understand, but Liu Shu did.
When bidding farewell to Lu San and his wife, Zhou Yangling, using the excuse of not wanting others to pay too much attention to her beauty, and because Luo Lingyu was enthusiastically offering to help her apply male makeup, had changed from her stunning feminine attire back into the elegant clothing of a young gentleman by the time she left the Lu residence.
Prince Chen walked with her, not saying a word.
The carriage driver waiting at the entrance of Wu Yi Lane to take the young lady home saw her attire and felt utterly speechless as if he had swallowed a fly. The driver stammered: “My lady, why are you dressed as a gentleman again? Your father will scold you if he finds out.”
Before Zhou Yangling could respond, the beautiful youth beside her spoke softly: “I will walk with your lady. Then send, her home.”
The driver naturally agreed, how could he dare defy Prince Chen? Now even a mere carriage driver knew that with the old emperor bedridden, the court belonged to Prince Chen. Liu Shu walked away with Zhou Yangling, night’s dim light falling in the alley, stone paths gleaming coldly, walls and trees rugged on both sides. The two walked slowly, the Prince remaining silent for a long while.
Zhou Yangling’s face grew warm, barely able to endure this strange atmosphere when walking with Prince Chen after her identity had been revealed. She secretly glanced at the young man beside her, his features cold yet delicate as he gazed ahead without speaking. Zhou Yangling awkwardly searched for a topic: “Even my servant says it’s not good for me to dress as a man. Does Your Highness feel the same way?”
The Prince was surprised, pausing before saying: “No.”
He continued walking quietly, very calmly speaking a lengthy response: “You are a talented woman. Being confined to the inner chambers would be unfair to you.”
Zhou Yangling was slightly stunned, lowering her eyes: “Is that so? After I resumed my female identity, those gentlemen who used to discuss politics with me are now all seeking to marry me. They no longer discuss those previous topics, only praising my beauty. I feel lost and powerless.”
Liu Shu spoke quietly: “If I were to marry you, I wouldn’t use worldly constraints to bind or demand things of you. What I first loved was your talent, not your appearance. At that time, I once thought… the person in my heart, whether Zhou Yangling or Zhou Zibo, was someone of extraordinary talent. With your abilities, you should do what you like. Even if you marry me, I would still support you dressing as a man and moving freely among the people. I would never suspect or restrict you. And those troubles behind you should be solved by me on your behalf. Rest assured.”
“Even if… If I obtain that position, I would still have ways to help you, still not force you.”
He thought to himself that if Lu Xuecen could dress as a woman to please Luo Lingyu, then his wife merely loving to dress as a man was far better than his initial devastating suspicion of male love.
Zhou Yangling stopped walking, staring at his profile in amazement. She said softly: “The tensions between the imperial family and noble houses grow daily more severe. To balance both sides and to appease the lower-ranked families, the latter must be brought into this situation. For maintaining these political interests, my marriage to you would be the best choice. Only if I marry you would the lower-ranked families feel secure and serve you wholeheartedly while also achieving the status they desire.”
“Since I saw Lu San in Yicheng last year, I knew I could only marry you.”
Liu Shu’s eyelashes trembled slightly, he stopped walking and turned to look down at her.
Zhou Yangling’s beautiful eyes were clear as autumn springs, quiet and serene, cool and transparent. The face of a young man, with a heroic spirit between the brows. She appeared so refined and delicate, who would know her inner ambitions? Zhou Yangling smiled slightly: “Though I felt unwilling in my heart, I had no choice… Even today, I’m grateful that you didn’t send anyone to the dock to receive me that day, allowing me to disguise myself as a man.”
Liu Shu’s face grew hot, slightly embarrassed: “I…”
Zhou Yangling said: “Now that I’ve come to terms with it, yet you come to provoke me again…”
After thinking for a long while, her gaze flickered, avoiding the youth’s unwavering stare, her cheeks warming as she turned her face slightly. The lady said softly: “I am willing…”
Liu Shu interrupted: “Before this, I must tell you a secret. After you know it, then decide.”
Zhou Yangling was surprised, nodding slightly.
Liu Shu looked at her for a long time, slowly saying: “This speech I just gave so fluently, do you know how long I practiced it?”
Zhou Yangling: “…”
Liu Shu said coldly: “Ninety-nine times, not one less. Just to stand here and say these words to you, to express my feelings without showing weakness or causing your disgust.”
Zhou Yangling faintly realized something, her expression changing: “Your Highness!”
Liu Shu remained unmoved, continuing: “Did you think my usual stammering when speaking with you was merely due to my excessive admiration, my heart being too excited?”
Zhou Yangling: “Stop speaking!”
—Don’t say these things! Don’t expose the secret!
Liu Shu gave a bitter smile.
He lowered his eyes, looking at her tenderly. He said quietly: “In my youth, I became ill after falling into the water to save someone, leaving me with a lifelong stutter. If people knew, I would never have a chance at the throne. I never sought the throne, but I also never gave up this power. I concealed it from the world, letting no one know… I’ve hidden it for over ten years, almost twenty.”
“This secret is my greatest secret.”
Zhou Yangling was stunned, light flowing in her eyes as she met his moist black eyes.
And he continued speaking: “Do you know how I got this illness? Falling in to save someone… Do you know who I saved? It was Lu Xuecen. Then do you know why he fell in? I planned it. He was only a few years old then and had just arrived in Jianye, unfamiliar with everything. His nature was also sensitive and solitary, without a single friend… I calculated against him like this, then brought trouble upon myself, leaving a lifelong hidden danger. Fate is so fair.”
“I don’t owe him. I’ve been very good to him all these years and will continue to be so. I treat him wholeheartedly, whatever I have, I give to him. But I also developed a stutter. I’m not a good person, but I’m not bad either.”
Zhou Yangling’s face turned slightly pale, and after a long time, she asked: “Why tell me this? Wouldn’t it be better to conceal it for life?”
Liu Shu: “I considered hiding it from you, letting you marry me in confusion, accepting everything about me after the fact. The marriage alliance between the lower-ranked families and me, once married there’s no turning back. I love you in my heart, obtaining you from now on, you could never escape me. But you are such an outstanding person… Before you, I feel much inferiority.”
He became distracted for a moment, his face extremely pale. He looked at her again, slowly smiling: “In my entire life, everything I’ve done has been for benefit. ‘No profit, no early rising’ describes someone as bad as me. But even though I’m so calculating, I fell in love with you at first sight, and can never forget…”
Zhou Yangling: “Your Highness!”
Liu Shu said softly: “Disgusting, isn’t it? You were dressed as a young man then, yet I harbored such thoughts for you. I once thought of giving up, but when I see you, I can’t bear to. In all my years growing up, I’ve never liked anything – you are the only one who makes me feel that ‘liking’ isn’t so distant. I competed with Lu San for you, with Sister Luo… I like you too much. I don’t want my feelings to be tainted by even a speck of dust.”
Zhou Yangling listened quietly to his narrative, from initial shock to eventual heartache. Liu Shu didn’t have to tell her these things – he could deceive the whole world, he could deceive her. Yet he told her his greatest secret and gave her his lifeline. If he ever wronged her, she could make him lose everything. Such an unexpected thing touched her heart; she was surprised and stirred, and the lake in her heart rippled by gentle waters.
The night wind brushed their faces, the world fragrant.
After Liu Shu had given up on himself, he closed his eyes, waiting for Zhou Yangling’s final judgment. To judge his crimes, to reject him. He didn’t know Zhou Yangling was looking at him with a smile. Smiling, she reached out to hold his hand, pressing a cold object into his palm.
Liu Shu opened his eyes to see a jade pendant in his hand. The pendant was decorated with strings of pearls, a lady’s possession.
Zhou Yangling: “A gentleman doesn’t part with his jade without reason. Given to you, it won’t be taken back.”
Liu Shu: “…!”
He said tremblingly: “You… you… you still accept me?”
Zhou Yangling: “Why not? You like me so much… I also admire you greatly… Ah!”
She was suddenly embraced by his arms, the delicate lady held in his embrace for the first time, though before this, he had imagined it thousands of times in his dreams. Liking her too much, and being too nervous about her, led to constant anxiety. The great stone in his heart fell, and he felt tears of joy.
Heaven was still kind to him.
…
Prince Chen and Zhou Yangling became engaged in the eighth month. The old emperor was confused and muddled, wanting to stop it but unable to speak, only able to glare at Prince Chen. But how could Liu Shu care? In the mid-eighth month, the former Prince of Zhao, Liu Huai, still struggled to strike back, gathering those Northern forces lingering at the border or hidden in the Southern country, intending to attack Jianye.
Yue Zihan, being from the North, personally went to root out these unstable Northern elements hidden in the South.
Liu Mu cooperated, and after just a month of struggle, Liu Huai finally died by Liu Mu’s sword.
Liu Mu and Yue Zihan returned victorious to Jianye to receive titles. Without the emperor’s interference, even though everyone knew the Prince of Hengyang had escaped prison, when Prince Chen said his merits offset his crimes, now that the court was Prince Chen’s domain, who would dare object? Liu Mu returned openly to Jianye, first going to Prince Chen’s residence to confer with His Highness, then entering Taichu Palace, led by Prince Chen to see his mother, now the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager wept profusely, holding this youngest son unable to let go, constantly saying she was sorry. The already sixty or seventy-year-old woman with white hair cried inconsolably: “I didn’t want to give you up either, Master Kong was found for you by Mother, do you remember? Mother had so many children, but you were the youngest, your father and I loved you the most… Mu’er, ah Mu’er, I couldn’t bear to part with you either!”
Liu Mu’s eyes grew red; he hadn’t seen his mother the Empress for so long, and he just wanted to ask one question why? His mother embraced him crying bitterly, Liu Mu only said softly: “You loved me most, but you cared most about another son’s throne. You knew I was the one in Father’s final edict, yet you didn’t give me even a single message…”
The Empress Dowager’s face showed slight discomfort, she nervously glanced at the youth’s silhouette standing under the red maple trees outside the hall. That solemn and dignified bearing belonged to the current holder of power, Prince Chen. The Empress Dowager lowered her voice to rebuke her youngest son: “Such treasonous words must not be spoken carelessly. How could your father have left any final edict before death? How can you believe such randomly spread things?”
Liu Mu slowly raised his head, his reddened eyes bright as cold light, looking at her heavily. Though tears were visible in his eyes, that bone-chilling feeling had already risen.
He very much wanted to ask one question: when you say there was no edict, is it because you fear Prince Chen will make things difficult for you, or because you simply sided with another son?
But looking at his mother’s face, he suddenly felt extremely tired, not wanting to ask a single question anymore. Let it be this way – why must he know the answer, must he be hurt once again?
There had been an edict, even Prince Chen knew. Liu Shu letting him leave the capital, not killing the Prince of Zhao but letting him leave, was all to draw out the Northern spies still hidden in the South who were in contact with the Prince of Zhao. How could Liu Mu not understand Liu Shu’s intentions when Chen’s people showed up the day after he met with Liu Huai?
He hadn’t told anyone, but after sitting with the edict through the night, he still burned it.
Liu Shu was extremely calculating and had been so since their school days. Many things he didn’t say or mention, but he kept track of everything in his heart. If Liu Mu didn’t want to rebel, it was better to eliminate this hidden danger. Moreover, he was grateful to Liu Shu for saving him – this political enemy had treated him more sincerely than his brothers and mother. At least, he hadn’t deceived him or coaxed him to his death.
Leaving the Empress Dowager’s palace with utmost disappointment, Liu Mu walked with Liu Shu under the maple leaves. Liu Mu was lost in thought, not saying a word. The youth, having shed his fierce demeanor, was upright as steel, dazzling like an unsheathed precious sword. If used well, he could be an unparalleled blade. Such military talent, yet the old emperor was wary of him, constantly wanting to eliminate him… Liu Shu truly felt it was wasteful.
Liu Shu asked: “Do you, want to, see Father Emperor?”
The old emperor had suffered a stroke and could not govern. An emperor who cannot govern is useless to the country. Moreover, these scholars never cared much for imperial power anyway. The court had repeatedly proposed for Prince Chen to ascend the throne, but Prince Chen kept refusing. It was just the heir apparent’s posturing – refusing the first and second requests to ascend, requiring a third request to give enough face to the emperor before agreeing.
As for the old emperor, he spent his days in the palace, merely recuperating.
Liu Mu slowly shook his head: “I don’t wish to see him.”
Abandoned by all, none of his sons cared for him – one called him “the old one who won’t die,” another methodically killed him… Liu Mu felt pity for him and found him laughable. His resentment gradually disappeared after learning of the old emperor’s current miserable state.
Let it be so.
…
After Liu Mu left Jianye, having been appointed Grand General by Prince Chen, he went to the distant borders.
In the tenth month, after the entire court of civil and military officials’ respectful request, the old emperor abdicated to retire in the Supreme Emperor’s palace, and Prince Chen Liu Shu ascended the throne. After Prince Chen became emperor, he adjusted court positions. Lu San, who had long been close to Prince Chen, was promoted again and appointed as Palace Attendant. The position of Palace Attendant was nominally that of Prime Minister. This was within everyone’s expectations.
That same month, Lu San’s young wife, Luo Lingyu, was diagnosed with pregnancy. The Lu family was overjoyed, everyone extremely excited, secretly asking the imperial physician whether the Third Young Madam’s child was female or male. How could the physician tell whether it was female or male so early? He could only keep avoiding the Lu family. The entire Lu household was expectant, even the old Marquis in Jiaozhou sent a longevity lock, saying it was for his yet unborn great-granddaughter. Lu San remained calm and composed, while Luo Lingyu experienced universal attention for the first time. Being watched by everyone who anticipated her belly, especially with Madam Lu enthusiastically instructing her on how she had taken care of herself when pregnant with the Lu family’s eldest daughter Lu Qingyi, Luo Lingyu felt immense pressure, only then realizing how the Lu family’s desire for a daughter approached madness.
In the eleventh month, the Emperor married Zhou Yangling, daughter of Zhou Tan, leader of the lower-ranked families, officially bringing the lower-ranked families into the South’s political stage.
During the Upper Yuan Festival of the first month, the Empress also became pregnant.
The new Emperor was overjoyed and changed the era’s name, holding a grand lantern festival. Meanwhile, the new Emperor distributed Kongming lanterns to Jianye’s commoners, letting the capital’s subjects share in the joy and pray together for favorable weather and peace for the nation.
On the night of the Upper Yuan Festival, after attending the palace banquet, Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu climbed the tower to watch the Kongming lanterns slowly rising in the dark sky with the Emperor and others. Liu Shu accompanied his Empress, solemnly discussing with her. As Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu passed by, their eyes caught the beautiful wish “May joy be endless” written on their note.
Passing by Second Young Master Lu Xian and his wife Liu Tang, the two were also earnestly contemplating how to hope for the South’s better future, finally writing “Flourishing Prosperity” after careful consideration. Fireworks occasionally burst in the sky; the young lady was exceptionally graceful, nestling close as they talked, the gentleman gentle, the lady shy – even in their soft words, their affection was warm.
Then they saw Luo Yunhua. As Luo Lingyu’s sister and the Palace Attendant’s sister-in-law, Young Lady Luo Yunhua naturally had the privilege to attend this palace feast. She held a lantern alone, writing on the paper attached below. She spoke with smiling eyes, turning back to speak coquettishly to her newly acquired guard Yue Zihan. The youth only stood silently, not speaking. Yue Zihan received a snort from the young lady.
The new Emperor feasted the entire kingdom, even inviting back the Grand General, Prince of Hengyang Liu Mu. Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu walked together, passing before everyone. On one side were lights in the sky, on the other were rising lanterns from the ground. The two had elegant appearances; as they walked through the crowd, everyone turned to gaze. Liu Mu also stared in amazement, receiving a glance from Lu Yun; Liu Mu nodded questioningly and turned his face away. He leaned on the city tower’s railing, holding a wine cup in his other hand, squinting as he drank alone, finding his pleasure.
Luo Lingyu said softly: “Everyone is doing well.”
She was helped up the city tower by Lu Yun, and they stood before it watching the fireworks for a while. Their Kongming lantern was also brought over. Since the Emperor wanted the entire city to pray for blessings in such a grand fashion, the Lu San couple naturally couldn’t be exempt. But after writing their prayer for the country, Luo Lingyu had an impulse and asked for another lantern to be brought.
Only three or four months pregnant, not yet showing, the lady’s figure was still graceful and elegant. When she embraced the lantern, her wide sleeves and sashes flew like an immortal. It made even the gentleman behind her unable to resist looking at her.
The Third Young Master Lu beside her leaned on the railing to look, his features clear and bright, expression serene. This also caused ladies to frequently glance over.
Luo Lingyu turned her head and called out: “Brother Xuecen, do you know what my greatest wish is?”
Lu Yun raised an eyebrow.
He turned to look at her.
He said leisurely: “I know.”
Luo Lingyu’s eyes rippled with gentle, flowing light as she smiled, blinking her eyes, she said with a laugh: “Is that so, you know? Brother is always so arrogant, I want to see just how much you know.”
Lu Yun’s eyes lifted slightly, also showing a trace of a smile: “Then let’s each say one line, and see if they match.”
Luo Lingyu: “It’s a deal. What if you lose?”
Lu Yun: “I’ll submit to sister’s punishment. But if I win, I won’t ask anything of my sister. I only wish that sister’s heart today remains unchanged for life.”
Luo Lingyu pouted and mocked him: “So conceited!”
Without further words, the husband and wife stood together, each taking a lantern, and writing on the silk attached below the lanterns. The Emperor and Empress, Second Young Master Lu and his wife, and others like Luo Yunhua and Liu Mu were all intrigued by the Third Young Master Lu couple’s occasional romantic gestures and came to watch.
Two lanterns flew from their hands.
Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu looked up, watching the lanterns rise. Everyone looked up, trying to discern what was written on the silk floating beneath the lanterns. After making it out, they sighed softly—
On the left was the lady’s graceful, elegant handwriting: “Through the ages, I ask for one word from my lord.”
On the right matched the gentleman’s free and wild cursive: “May love remain unmoved as mountains.”
They gazed upward at the sky, watching for a long time.
…
Under the bursting fireworks, their vision reached higher and higher.
The gentleman and lady standing together on the palace wall were as beautiful as immortal lovers. They raised their heads with everyone else, watching the yellow Kongming lanterns carrying wishes gradually rise higher and higher. More and more lanterns gathered together, making the night as bright as day. The mortal world’s Upper Yuan Festival was lively, and the lights in the sky were brilliant, like a night market.
Thousands of bright lanterns spanned the horizon, far from the earthly noise. The lanterns dotted densely, forming lines from points, surfaces from lines. Rivers meandered, seas surged. The entire night sky of Jianye was filled with lanterns glowing like stars.
Like the vast Milky Way, like the hopes in people’s hearts.
…
Through the ages, I ask for one word from my lord; may love remain unmoved as mountains!
Author’s Note: It’s finished! If you liked it, please follow my column~ That way you can see when I start writing new stories.
Then after resting for two or three weeks, I’ll start a modern romance “Marrying the Passerby Who Had a Crush on Me.” The male lead is mischievous, dramatic, and loves making money. The female lead does classical dance and is an art lover. The male lead had a crush on the female lead for ten years before finally winning her heart. It’s quite a passionate and devoted love story. Anyway, I’ve already decided to delete the first version of the outline and adjust it to make a more engaging story. If you’re interested, please support it when it comes out~
As for writing extras for “How Can She Compare”… Actually, I didn’t want to write extras, but seeing everyone wanted to read them made me hesitate. So I rolled dice, saying if I got odd numbers two out of three times, I’d write extras. The result was three odd numbers… This must be the destined fate. Tell me what extras you want to see, and I’ll write the ones that inspire me.
Finally, let me summarize “How Can She Compare.” This is truly the book that I put the most thought into, and currently, the one I’m most satisfied with writing. Because I temporarily had no love for historical romance, I thought of writing this as my last historical romance, giving myself a good ending without regrets. So this story was especially freeing, truly writing however I wanted to write. I researched dozens of books, scrapped one computer version and five handwritten versions of the outline, and adjusted the order of volumes several times in the detailed outline. Can you imagine that the current third volume was originally the second volume, and the original second volume was supposed to be the final volume?
I made various adjustments and deletions throughout, including many plots I originally liked but ultimately decided to cut after consideration. For example, before the ending, I originally wanted to write about the great battle with the Prince of Zhao, where pregnant Luo Lingyu would be kidnapped, and though Lu San could have escaped, he still accompanied her. Because the enemy’s target was Lu San, to deceive the enemy, Lu San disguised himself as Sister Chen Xue. Luo Lingyu introduced her as Lu San’s concubine, fulfilling the previously planted hint about Lu San wanting to take Chen Xue as a concubine. Chen Xue would assassinate the Prince of Zhao upon seeing him, and then save his sister. Chen Xue’s identity would be completely exposed. But after much thought, although it was exciting, I still hoped for Lu San to be more elegant, to save him some face, so I had to painfully cut this plot. Better to let Sister Chen Xue exist as a romantic element. There were many such deletions.
In “How Can She Compare,” I also continued learning how to adjust story structure, pacing, ensemble scenes, and other technical details readers might not notice. My writing level improved another step; this story has been my most successful so far, and the content also strived to interpret my inner thoughts.
It also helped me let go of a mental block – I thoroughly stopped constraining myself and trying to please readers. Since people will criticize no matter how I write, I’ll just write however I want. If the character setting isn’t good but I like it, that’s fine; if they’re not satisfied with story developments but I’m happy, that’s fine; if they tell me not to write someone’s story, I’ll write whoever I want to write about. I won’t accept writing guidance, don’t teach me how to write… Letting go of these constraints made writing especially comfortable. Of course, I still felt anxious while writing, but before I used to be anxious about how to make readers accept it, now I was anxious about how to make the story more interesting. The purpose is different, and current anxiety makes me happy. There are inevitably some flaws, but until my next big improvement, I love “How Can She Compare” the most. Super satisfied!
That’s all.