The wind whispered softly, flower fragrance faint. A thread of dawn’s dim light was racing toward them.
That person’s face behind the veil remained as distant as if at the ends of the earth.
Their first meeting in that small courtyard in the capital—inexplicably she became his captive, inexplicably he was led away by her and became her bodyguard. Through several months together, he seemed to have never thought about finding his way back to his original life, as if from the very beginning, he should have been by her side.
And she had always known—he truly was a jade carving, inside and out, solid through and through.
Only because of this had there been trust without any defenses. However, tonight’s events were too suspicious for her to let pass again.
She could be kept in the dark, but could not be used.
She had thought that the young man who stubbornly guarded his own three inches of ground would not respond to her question.
Yet he turned his head and looked at her directly for the first time.
“I am…”
“Master Wei!”
An urgent call interrupted the words about to emerge. An inner court attendant from beside Emperor Tiansheng came running over without his feet touching the ground, dragging Feng Zhiwei away as he walked.
“His Majesty summons you!”
Feng Zhiwei was helpless. As she was dragged away, she earnestly instructed: “Remember to finish what you were saying later, or someone will die.”
That person nodded seriously with a straight face.
Emperor Tiansheng stood beneath the Quiet Study building, looking up at the structure above. The Crown Prince’s body had already been collected by the guards, yet the Emperor still gazed deeply at that shattered railing, as if wanting to discern from those still-wet bloodstains his eldest son’s final posture before death.
Beneath the pale blue vault of heaven, the railing had a crooked gap, the broken crossbeam swaying precariously in the wind, like a toothless old man making desolate mockery.
Viewed from afar, the Emperor’s silhouette was aged and weary.
Twenty-six sons in a lifetime, with sixteen surviving. Among the sixteen, four died young, two died of illness after being enfeoffed as princes. Three Imperial Prince’s rebellion removed three more, crippled one. Now, the eldest son, the imperial dynasty’s heir—dead again.
The flourishing and luxuriant Ning imperial clan, through years of mutual destruction, had finally become a simplified autumn tree with thinned branches.
Ning Yi knelt before him, earnestly begging forgiveness in low tones.
Feng Zhiwei heard his last few sentences: “…mistakenly struck by a stray arrow, rescue came too late…this son’s failure, willingly accepting punishment…only hoping Father Emperor will treasure the dragon body, keeping in mind the common people of all under heaven…”
What a display of filial devotion.
Feng Zhiwei silently went over and knelt down. Ning Yi turned and saw her, immediately saying to Emperor Tiansheng: “When Shaoning fell from the building, this son was still far away and couldn’t rescue her in time. Fortunately Master Wei risked himself to save her. For a scholar to be so courageous and valiant, this son is deeply grateful.”
Emperor Tiansheng’s satisfied gaze turned over. Feng Zhiwei sighed secretly in her heart and could only demur modestly: “Your Highness praises too highly. This humble subject truly dares not claim credit…”
“Shaoning!” Ning Yi was already calling Shaoning over. Emperor Tiansheng looked at his daughter with loving kindness, in his eyes the relief of having survived disaster. Shaoning was still somewhat absent-minded. Facing her father’s earnest inquiries, she answered sporadically, yet her eyes kept glancing toward Feng Zhiwei.
With so many glances, Emperor Tiansheng also noticed. Looking at Shaoning, then at Feng Zhiwei, a trace of dark cloud passed through his eyes.
The Crown Prince’s corpse was carried over covered with yellow silk, requesting Emperor Tiansheng’s instructions. Emperor Tiansheng didn’t step forward. Eyes closed for a long while, he waved his hand with a long sigh: “First lay him in state at Mingyi Palace. No need to summon inner and outer officials to the palace to mourn.”
That meant—he wouldn’t be buried with Crown Prince rites.
Ning Yi acted as if he hadn’t heard this sentence, his expression remaining deeply sorrowful throughout. He crawled on his knees to before the Crown Prince’s corpse, choking once: “Elder Brother…” He prostrated himself and wept long without words.
Emperor Tiansheng’s expression was pained yet comforted.
Shaoning suddenly walked over.
Her dazed expression, upon seeing her birth brother’s corpse, suddenly became much clearer. She slowly went over and knelt on the other side of the Crown Prince’s body, opposite Ning Yi.
Her apricot-yellow dress stained with blood and smoke ash covered the similarly blood-stained bright yellow black dragon robe hem. Shaoning lifted the yellow silk and gazed at her brother’s corpse with eyes that wouldn’t close in death. After a long while, she closed the Crown Prince’s mouth that had been wide open from trying to cry out before death.
Then she said: “Elder Brother.”
Her tone was calm, clear and cold like plucked ice beads, completely different from Ning Yi’s tragic grief.
“Just now, at that moment when I fell from the building, I suddenly understood some things.” Shaoning stroked the Crown Prince’s cold face. “So you were actually the most pitiful person.”
“You wanted to kill me—I don’t blame you.” She carefully arranged the Crown Prince’s disheveled sleeves. “Your final wish before death, I cannot fulfill for you. But today, here, I swear to you that your other heart’s desire, I will certainly complete for you.”
Then she raised her head and, toward Ning Yi opposite her, gave a strange smile.
“Sixth Brother, what do you say?”
Ning Yi looked at her.
After a long while, he said gently: “Little sister, you’re crazed with grief. You should still go rest.”
“Yes, Sixth Brother, from now on it will be hard work for you.” Shaoning slowly stood up, not looking at the Crown Prince again. “You must take very good care of your health.”
“Shaoning, you’ve grown up.” Ning Yi looked at her with gratification. “The young girl in the inner chambers has matured, understanding how to share Father Emperor’s and elder brother’s worries. Brother is truly happy for you.”
Shaoning’s expression changed—she had already reached marriageable age and by rights should have long been assigned a prince consort. Relying on Father Emperor’s and the Crown Prince’s indulgence, she had dragged it out day by day. But now, who else would help her find excuses like Elder Brother? Who else would, like Elder Brother, withstand pressure from court officials to send her to study freely at Qingming?
A sea of blood overturned, power and desire treacherous—in one morning, closest kin forever parted.
The young girl stood swaying unsteadily, her hands forming fists beneath her sleeves, clenched deadly tight.
A round of imperial family’s bloody and brutal power game, written in history books, was nothing more than a light brushstroke of four characters: “The Gengyin Upheaval,” just as those human lives were destined to be nothing but cold death statistics.
The death statistics were extremely large. His Highness Prince Chu led the Three Judicial Offices in relentless pursuit to eliminate all threats. The Crown Prince’s faction and suspected Crown Prince faction members became sacrificial victims of the Gengyin Upheaval. In late spring and early summer of Tiansheng’s fifteenth year, countless heads fell on the capital’s main street. Years later, between the cracks of the execution ground’s blue stone slabs, inerasable dark blood traces still remained.
The Crown Prince was stripped of rank to commoner status, buried at Western Mang Mountain in the capital’s outskirts. His children were exiled to northwestern Youzhou, forbidden to return to the capital for generations.
The Fifth Imperial Prince, implicated in the frame-up of founding dynasty veteran officials, was ordered to hand over Imperial Guard command authority and leave the capital for Jianghuai to oversee the Dragon River Canal project connecting the north and south regions—the project had just begun and was expected to complete within three years. For three years, unless it was a holiday or special summons by the Emperor, Fifth Highness would find it very difficult to have time to return to the capital.
The Seventh Imperial Prince successfully extricated himself from the old case, but from then on also restrained himself considerably, closing his doors to guests and reading.
The imperial dynasty’s heir dead, the two most favored imperial princes successively demoted and dismissed—in contrast, Prince Chu, who had always been overlooked, rose with the tide. In the sixth month of Tiansheng’s fifteenth year, the Emperor bestowed upon Prince Chu three guard units, command of the Changying Guard. Beyond the prince’s ceremonial guard, he added first, second, and third rank guards totaling sixteen officers, leadership of the Ministry of Finance, and authority over water conservancy and military farming affairs in the capital region.
Extraordinary honor and real power came one after another.
Ning Yi after the Gengyin Upheaval also greatly reassured the Emperor. In the new round of reshuffling, various important positions in court gradually became vacant. Ning Yi didn’t rush to install his own forces—over these years he had never recruited retainers or befriended outer officials, just a bare prince alone.
He was completely the image of a loyal prince serving the country, only doing his own work well. For various positions, they still followed old precedent, recommended by offices at all levels and selected through Qingming Academy.
Only Feng Zhiwei knew clearly—Ning Yi didn’t need to cultivate subordinates. Qingming already belonged to him.
Feng Zhiwei was also promoted. She was promoted before even taking office. For meritorious service in rescuing the Princess, her position as Chaohua Hall Scholar remained unchanged while she concurrently rose to Right Vice Director of the Right Spring Chamber and Vice Dean of Qingming Academy. The former was Crown Prince’s tutor, responsible for the Crown Prince’s memorials and lectures. Now with no Crown Prince, it was just an empty title. The latter was very useful—Vice Dean of Qingming Academy.
Feng Zhiwei received the decree, feeling very sorrowful in her heart—this young lady really doesn’t want any connection with His Highness Prince Chu…
Her new residence was also in Xihua Lane, facing Qiu Mansion from afar. This was deliberately chosen by her. This upheaval had brought down a batch of Crown Prince faction members. Among them, the original Right Vice Director was exiled to penal servitude. She requested his residence and became neighbors with her uncle.
Qiu Mansion had also been having difficult days recently. Qiu Shangqi had always been close to the Fifth Imperial Prince and was now embroiled in lawsuits.
In recent years, Great Yue had constantly harassed the borders. Emperor Tiansheng was very troubled. After Qiu Shangqi became friends with ‘National Scholar’ Master Wei, he suddenly became much cleverer. He specially offered a plan that Great Yue was located in Tiansheng’s northwest with poor land, fierce people, and scarce resources, leading to pillaging and robbery. Why not open ‘Horse Markets’ at the border to trade Yue horses for inland iron tools, rice, grain, and cloth—this could ensure peace in one region.
Emperor Tiansheng adopted the strategy, but matters developed unfavorably. Great Yue didn’t follow rules, selling thin horses yet forcibly demanding high prices, even “trading in the morning, raiding at dusk”—selling a batch of thin horses in the morning, then robbing them back at night.
Emperor Tiansheng was furious. Court censors took the opportunity to impeach. Qiu Shangqi was overwhelmed with troubles.
Feng Zhiwei sat in her own small pavilion, gazing at Qiu Mansion’s flying eaves from afar, smiling as she sipped tea, thinking about when and in what capacity she should properly pay a visit to Qiu Mansion.
Suddenly a servant brought an inner court attendant into the residence. The visitor was very secretive. After a long while, Feng Zhiwei secretively sent the person out.
Then she stood behind the door pondering—Shaoning was looking for her—what matter?
She suddenly remembered that recently, busy with moving house, she’d forgotten the question she’d asked Gu Nanyi that day. She hurried to ask again.
“What were you saying you were that day? Can you finish now?”
“Oh.” Young Master Gu was cracking walnuts. Recently he’d become obsessed with this. Hearing this, he answered in no hurry:
“…I am your person.”