On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month, before the main hall of the grandest and most majestic courtyard in Beichu Garden — the Hall Reaching Heaven — officials in full court robes stood in solemn rows on both sides.
The heavens were dark and overcast, frozen clouds hanging low. Pale snowflakes were caught up in the cold wind and swept howling past the ceremonial canopies embroidered with five-colored silk thread.
Fu Xuanmiao sat upright on the imperial throne, dressed in deep ceremonial robes with wide sleeves, on his head the twelve-tassel crown of jade-bead curtains. His cold and solitary bearing was perfectly in keeping with the wind and snow. He gazed serenely down the endless length of the central avenue, not a ripple on his face.
A court attendant brought out an imperial edict of brilliant yellow and read aloud the long proclamation elevating the empress.
The civil and military officials lined on both sides had varied expressions at first — but without exception, they were gradually drawn in by the clear and resonant voice of the attendant.
An investiture edict personally composed by the emperor himself — there had been only a handful of such documents in all of history. What was more, setting aside his status as the new emperor, the author of this edict was known throughout the realm for his literary brilliance and moral character, celebrated as the number-one gentleman under heaven.
This investiture edict of a thousand characters seemed to contain within it the full glory of his entire life.
Even the most conservative of those who supported the former dynasty could not but admit: across a thousand years before and a thousand years after, there would not again be an edict so vigorous and assured, so elegant and exceptional.
A flapping sound came from overhead. As though moved by what they heard, two birds burst from the forest and soared out into the sky, one after the other, crossing and recrossing the vault above.
One person hurried to stand before the imperial throne, bowed his head to conceal the unease and anxiety on his face, and from barely moving lips let fall words faint as a mosquito’s hum. Fu Xuanmiao listened, expression unchanged, and after a moment issued two cold words:
“Go and find her.”
The person withdrew with a face full of frightened alarm.
The court attendant reading the edict finished the full text in measured and melodious tones. Hands pressed together, he raised his voice and proclaimed:
“…Welcome — the Empress out of the palace!”
“Welcome the Empress out of the palace!”
“Welcome the Empress out of the palace!”
The proclamations rang out one after another.
The ceremonial music struck up simultaneously. The melody of “Kun An” spread out like ripples on water, starting from the Hall Reaching Heaven, gradually filling all of Beichu Garden, and then all of Jinzhou.
Fu Xuanmiao’s gaze went straight to the far end of the empty central avenue.
It seemed as though the sound of bells was carried on the wind.
After half a stick of incense had burned, a procession of yellow ceremonial banners and a grand ceremonial carriage with its attendant honor guard slowly emerged from the far end of the avenue.
Wind and snow swirled, veiling the carriage in the center. Snowflakes struck the golden bells beneath the ceremonial canopy, producing a crisp, clear sound like water drops striking stone.
White gauze curtains billowed in the wind. A bright and beautiful face shimmered behind them, now visible, now concealed.
Fu Xuanmiao looked at that familiar face. The hand resting on the armrest of the imperial throne instinctively tightened. A moment later, he rose to his feet, the expression of being moved already vanished from his face.
The ceremonial carriage drew up before the Hall Reaching Heaven. Attendants crowded around Shen Zhuxi, dressed in the Empress’s ceremonial gown, and helped her down from the carriage. The Senior Music Official raised the yellow ceremonial banner high, and the melody of “Kun An” became more soaring and triumphant than ever.
Shen Zhuxi moved step by step, slowly walking to stand before the Hall Reaching Heaven. Guided by the inner attendants, she turned to face east in the courtyard’s eastern sector, standing facing west — and across the distance, her eyes met Fu Xuanmiao’s.
Fu Xuanmiao’s lips moved in the wind and snow. Shen Zhuxi did not hear the sound, but she saw what he said.
“…Zhuxi.”
That was what he was saying.
The ceremonial music had stopped at some unnoticed moment. The vast space before the Hall Reaching Heaven was silent as a crow could be heard flying. Two court attendants, heads bowed, hurried forward on bent knees to stand before Shen Zhuxi and knelt on both knees, raising high a black sandalwood case containing the imperial seals, and proclaimed in loud voices:
“The Investiture Envoy Wang Quan and his Deputy Envoy Zhang Sui respectfully deliver by imperial command the imperial seal and credentials to the Empress —”
Glittering snowflakes fell into the black sandalwood case, settling upon the golden Imperial Seal of the Empress and refusing to melt for a long while.
The two birds that had been circling the sky finally flew away, piercing through the dull and flowing clouds, disappearing into the boundless expanse of the heavens.
Countless pairs of eyes were fixed on Shen Zhuxi. The Investiture Envoy’s face had gone pale as he held the Imperial Seal aloft, his suspended arms trembling faintly.
Fu Xuanmiao looked at her without moving, without a word to urge her, without an intimidating glance. He looked at her quietly, as though what lay before him now was entirely within his expectations. Snowflakes mixed with wind swirled at his deep ceremonial robes and wide sleeves, and he remained absolutely still. Behind those twelve curtains of glittering jade beads, the faint glimmer of light in Fu Xuanmiao’s eyes was swallowed completely by darkness.
“Can a stolen Imperial Seal of the Empress also serve as a wedding gift?”
Shen Zhuxi’s voice fell on the silent earth like the snow that had descended upon the world at this moment — cold and resolute.
“…Zhuxi.” Fu Xuanmiao spoke. From several zhang away, he looked steadily, steadily at Shen Zhuxi, and said slowly: “Only when you and I are wed and bear a child of imperial lineage can the Great Yan dynasty be returned to its rightful owners. Can it be that — you do not wish to reclaim the dynasty for your imperial father?”
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhuxi’s gaze moved to the Imperial Seal of the Empress inside the black sandalwood case, and a look of contemptuous disdain curved the corners of her mouth.
The next moment, she swept her hand and knocked over the black sandalwood case in the Investiture Envoy’s hands. The imperial credentials and the seal all tumbled out. The supreme power that countless women throughout the realm dreamed of — here it lay at her feet, gathering dust.
“Whether this Imperial Seal of the Empress or the Great Yan dynasty — it was originally the possession of my Shen clan. What need is there for someone as base as you to bestow it upon me?”
Shen Zhuxi raised her eyes. Her fearless and undaunted gaze drove straight at Fu Xuanmiao on the opposite side. She looked at him without blinking, without wavering, staring directly into the shadow that had loomed over her head and refused to disperse for so long.
The cold wind howled through the pale white sky. Countless millions of snowflakes split apart the grey-white dense clouds, and wrapped in the orange and crimson of the setting sun, came falling down.
The belt carved with phoenixes threading through peonies struck the ground with a heavy crash. The magnificent ceremonial gown fell from Shen Zhuxi’s body. Gasps of breath erupted one after another from before the Hall Reaching Heaven. The suddenly rising wind and snow snatched up the crimson sash from the ground, transforming it into a glorious red cloud that broke through every last veil of overcast cloud and soared free in the boundless and limitless sky.
Shen Zhuxi stood in a single, thin layer of white mourning clothes, unmoved amid the raging cold wind. She was like a flowering tree that had grown strong and vigorous, its roots sunk deep into fertile soil, chest high and head raised, standing beneath the eyes that came at her from every direction, the blazing, solar will in her eyes burning like the sun in the sky.
No cloud could ever again obscure her brilliance.
Fu Xuanmiao gazed at her in silent stillness. Even his cold and deathly eyes seemed to have been frozen, like the snow falling everywhere all around.
“Your esteemed officials — today, in the name of the last of the Shen imperial clan, the last princess of Great Yan — the Princess of Yue, Shen Zhuxi — I swear before you: should a single word of what I am about to say be false, after my death I shall fall into the boundless depths of hell and be burned by raging fire for all eternity!”
Shen Zhuxi’s clear and resounding voice echoed across the high platform.
The officials standing in solemn rows before the Hall Reaching Heaven fell silent, exchanging looks with one another, their expressions varied.
“Eight years ago, Fu Xuanmiao used flattery to beguile the emperor’s heart, framed the Noble Consort Bai for consorting with a man from outside the palace, and caused my mother consort to be confined under house arrest for six years, until after the city fell, when she took her own life to die for her country.”
“Seven years ago, Fu Xuanmiao used the influence of his family connections, made frequent unauthorized entries into the Forbidden Palace, inserted his own people wherever he wished, and secretly conspired to harm those close to me, in order to lend truth to the rumor that I was a ‘cursed star of heavenly calamity.'”
“Three years ago, in order to prevent the emperor from apprehending his father, Fu Xuanmiao actually colluded with the rebel army, leaked military intelligence, causing five hundred thousand rebel soldiers to arrive at the capital’s gates — and not a single person at court detected it!”
A clamor broke out before the Hall Reaching Heaven!
That war and upheaval three years ago had taken not only the lives of the Shen imperial clan but also many relatives and friends of the officials now present — all of them lost in that defeat, a defeat that until one moment ago had remained inexplicable.
If the siege of Jianzhou threatened the safety of what remained of their families, then the defeat three years ago had been the root cause of why so many of their loved ones had perished.
Every incident, every case — its origins pointed straight at Fu Xuanmiao.
“Your Majesty! Is what the Princess says — true?!”
The Minister of Rites, past sixty years of age and having lost his only son and only grandson in that upheaval, directed a sorrowful and anguished question at Fu Xuanmiao. The old man’s withered long beard trembled ceaselessly against his chest.
“Of course not.” Fu Xuanmiao’s expression was serene.
“Since it is not — would Your Majesty swear in the name of the late Prime Minister Fu, and declare on oath that the rebel army’s arrival overnight at the foot of the capital had nothing whatsoever to do with Your Majesty?” the Minister of Rites said.
“Insolence!” Yan Hui stepped out from among the military officers, his voice sharp and severe. “Is this not coercion of the emperor?!”
An arm clad in armor moved to block Yan Hui.
The General Huaiyuan glanced sideways at Yan Hui — fellow military officer though he was — and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth:
“His Majesty hasn’t even said anything yet — what are you in such a hurry about? Someone who didn’t know better would think it was you, Commander Yan, who had colluded with the rebel army…”
“You —”
“What do you mean, ‘you’? You are all alone in the world — whatever happens, there’s only you to account for. But what about the rest of us?! I, Zhang Guangyi, have ridden the battlefield for thirty years, for the sake of defending my home and serving my country, fulfilling every duty — I went into battle for you, I trusted you with my back — and what did I get in return?! The heavily fortified imperial city fell in a single night. My daughter, who had just turned one year old, was dragged from our home by those savages and run through the belly with a blade! That is how she died — at the foot of the Son of Heaven, in the safest place in all the world —”
The General Huaiyuan’s expression blazed with emotion, his voice like a thunderclap. The spittle that flew from his lips landed on Yan Hui’s face. Yan Hui did not stir.
“You say I am insolent? How right you are! If I weren’t insolent enough, I’d have been wrapped in a horse’s hide long ago!” The General Huaiyuan shot a furious glare at Yan Hui, who still seemed to want to speak, then turned to bow toward Fu Xuanmiao on the high platform and called out: “Your Majesty! That the rebel army appeared beneath the imperial walls overnight three years ago was truly baffling, and this subordinate has always harbored doubts. Why not take this opportunity for Your Majesty and the Princess to clarify and debate the matter openly? Not only would it resolve the misunderstanding between you, it would also dispel the doubts in our hearts. If it truly turns out the Princess has made false accusations, this subordinate will bring his own head forward as penance!”
After the General Huaiyuan’s voice fell, silence descended before the Hall Reaching Heaven.
The former core officers of the Fu Army exchanged glances, sharing uncertain looks among themselves. A few staunch loyalists stepped forward to berate the two officials voicing dissent, but far more people chose to remain silent and say nothing.
“Your Majesty —” The Minister of Rites knelt down, trembling in every limb. “The late Prime Minister Fu was a man of unwavering loyalty, who devoted himself completely in service to the late emperor and to Your Majesty. Can you dare swear before heaven that the rebel army’s arrival at the capital had nothing to do with you? If Your Majesty speaks even a single word of falsehood, the late Prime Minister Fu will certainly not be able to close his eyes in peace beneath the nine springs!”
The Minister of Rites, his aged face streaked with tears, knocked his head to the ground with a resounding thud.
Fu Xuanmiao sat high above, looking down with indifferent composure at the trembling old man before the steps:
“…Wen Lai, you have overstepped. Since you are unwilling to attend Our wedding ceremony, then go and rest.”
The moment Fu Xuanmiao’s voice fell, a squad of his personal soldiers rushed out and surrounded the white-haired old man kneeling on the ground.
“Stop!”
Shen Zhuxi’s voice rang out.
Everyone looked toward her instinctively.
Shen Zhuxi stood utterly still, her eyes on Fu Xuanmiao, and said with a cold laugh: “What need is there to fly into a rage of shame so soon? What I have to say — has only just begun.”
“Seize her.” Fu Xuanmiao’s eyes darkened.
“I am the Princess of Yue, imperially enfeoffed by His Majesty — who dares lay a hand on me?!” Shen Zhuxi’s voice rose in a furious cry.
Snowflakes and the setting sun entwined around the golden phoenix tablet Shen Zhuxi held high. The light it cast gilded the edges of her stern face, too awe-inspiring to look upon directly.
The soldiers who had been about to move forward found themselves stopping without quite knowing why, and looked at each other in difficulty.
In the silence, Shen Zhuxi’s voice, filled with upright righteousness, rang out once more.
“One year ago, in order to eliminate the Jinchuang Military Governor Li Qia — the only man who could rival his power — Fu Xuanmiao did not hesitate even to blow up the Shangjiang Dam, causing four prefectures to flood, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless and destitute, forced to become refugees and bandits.”
“Several months ago, in order to further consolidate absolute power in his own hands, Fu Xuanmiao first had the Chancellor — personally appointed by the late emperor — detained on trumped-up charges, then used torture in prison and threatened the lives of the Chancellor’s family members to coerce him into taking his own life in prison.”
“Even this was not enough for him —”
Shen Zhuxi glared with fury at the upright figure across from her, and raised her voice in anger:
“Taking advantage of the late emperor’s absence from the capital on a hunting excursion to Shouzhou, Fu Xuanmiao poisoned the late emperor in broad daylight, then blamed the deed on the Qingfeng Army that had come to rescue me! At this point, Fu Xuanmiao alone has the blood of two emperors of our Great Yan on his hands!”
“Fu Xuanmiao — you treat human life as worthless, you have usurped the throne by treachery, you are an unfilial rebel against heaven, guilty of all ten unpardonable crimes —” Shen Zhuxi’s voice thundered: “What face do you have to stand beneath heaven and earth?”
Before the eyes of all present, Fu Xuanmiao spoke at last, slowly.
“If I were truly as you say — guilty of all ten unpardonable crimes, deserving of death ten thousand times over —” His expression was calm, not the slightest ripple visible in his eyes, “How could I possibly be giving you the opportunity to speak at such length, to compile every crime against me?”
“You have already lost your mind. Even if I expose your crimes before the world, you will feel no shame or remorse — on the contrary, you will use your cold indifference to masquerade as innocence. That is what makes you most terrifying —” Shen Zhuxi said. “Every atrocity you have committed — in your eyes it was all perfectly justified. Not only do you feel no shame for it, you will find every conceivable means to excuse your own shamelessness and selfishness —”
She stopped. Her gaze, heavy with grief and fury, fixed unblinkingly on Fu Xuanmiao’s expressionless face.
“…Perhaps when you kill,” Shen Zhuxi said, measuring each word, “you never feel that what you are killing is a human being.”
“I allowed the Princess to enumerate charges against me here because every accusation the Princess has made is so clumsy it refutes itself.” Fu Xuanmiao said. “The Princess, even as a princess of golden branches and jade leaves, ought to understand the principle that words without evidence carry no weight. At the Shouzhou hunting grounds you were already unable to produce evidence — can it be that today the Princess wishes to repeat the same mistake?”
“If you have nothing to hide, then bring forth the late emperor’s coffin and open it — let everyone see whether the late emperor died from an assassin’s blade or from poison!”
The officials’ gazes turned toward Fu Xuanmiao.
“The late emperor has already been committed to the earth and gone to his rest. Once the imperial mausoleum is sealed, what reason is there to open it again?” Fu Xuanmiao said. “If the Princess truly holds even the slightest sibling affection, she should not drag her brother into this, making him unable to rest in peace even in death.”
“Not a single day passes until you face the retribution you deserve —” Shen Zhuxi cut him off. “Including my elder brother and my father, not one among the countless souls of the heroic dead will find a day of peace!”
“…In that case, please tell me, Princess,” Fu Xuanmiao said, “according to what the Princess has said, the origins of all this lie eight years ago. Eight years ago I was only thirteen years of age, I had no grudge and no enmity with Noble Consort Bai — why would I have any reason to make her fall from favor and be confined?”
“Because only with her fallen from favor and confined could you find ways to control my life.”
“The Princess is joking,” Fu Xuanmiao said. “Why would I wish to control the Princess’s life? Even as the Princess claims — why would I not wait until after the Princess had come of age and been betrothed to the Fu household before doing as I pleased, and instead go to all the trouble of scheming to have the Noble Consort lose favor? For a boy no older than the evening of his first seven years, are these accusations not excessive?”
“Because you hated her.”
A clear, faint voice suddenly rang out.
Fang Shi, dressed in the plain clothing of an ordinary woman, with only a single wooden hairpin on her head, walked slowly forward. The officials and guards surrounding the Hall Reaching Heaven drew back instinctively, like a receding tide, watching with wide eyes as Fang Shi brushed past them one by one.
Fu Xuanmiao’s complexion changed dramatically. He stared, without looking away, at Fang Shi’s eyes.
The officials below the platform broke into murmurs of discussion. Shen Zhuxi too watched Fang Shi with a heart full of shock — Fang Shi who gazed straight ahead, seemingly unconstrained by any eye ailment.
“Because you hated her mother.” Fang Shi said.
She walked step by step up the stairs of the Hall Reaching Heaven. That face — which had been kept lowered in meek submission for nearly forty years — rose up for the first time before a crowd of onlookers.
She looked straight at the face of the emperor, without a sideways glance, and said:
“…Because you hate me — and you hate yourself… for having been born into the household of a Prime Minister, while your true father was nothing but a lowly stable hand.”
Fang Shi’s words fell like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky, shattering the dead silence before the Hall Reaching Heaven — and shattering the false composure on Fu Xuanmiao’s face.
He stood in the wind and snow. The color drained completely from his face. His wide sleeves billowed and snapped in the gale, as though the next moment he might be carried away on the wind.