Qing Xia stood up, slowly pushing away from Chu Li’s embrace, walking step by step toward that emerald bamboo forest. The evening wind stirred her long hair like broken, fluttering butterflies. The full moon’s clear radiance spread everywhere, all things desolate in a scene of bleakness. Qing Xia stood at the bamboo forest’s edge, slightly rising on her tiptoes to hang that silver chain on a high tree branch, swaying and drifting.
Qing Xia walked back to Chu Li’s side, turned to bow to Mr. Liang, her expression calm as she said in a low voice: “Mr. Liang, please care for him, add earth and plant flowers, don’t let wild beasts disturb the grave.”
Mr. Liang nodded, saying with emotion: “Young lady, rest assured.”
Qing Xia turned back, gazing at that emerald bamboo sea, suddenly smiling faintly.
Blue sky and white clouds – fate began here and ended here. This world was so lonely, yet how fortunate was she to have gained two of the world’s most sincere souls.
Qin Zhiyan, I won’t forget you. Even if heaven and earth collapse, seas dry up, and stars reverse course, I won’t forget. You exhausted all schemes trying to give me a new life – how could you know those turbulent memories aren’t the greatest treasure of my existence? Whether you live or die, it’s all your own choice, just like your departure that day – from beginning to end, it was all for me.
But a person must always be a little selfish. I hope someday you can live well once for yourself.
Above the lonely vast sky, the solitary soul of a flying eagle circled endlessly, plucking stars from the heights, condensing them into memories that would never retreat.
White skirts accompanied by pitch-black armor gradually disappeared beyond the Green Wood Palace gates. In the emerald bamboo forest, the man in elegant blue robes sat before the stone tablet, drinking face to face with his own tombstone. Those eyes no longer had even half a measure of courage to face the departing figure.
Mr. Liang walked to his side, slowly sat down, saying in a low voice: “Will you blame me?”
Qin Zhiyan smiled, saying: “The Southern Chu imperial family are descendants of the victors. Without you, the Qin clan wouldn’t have occupied the kingdom for over a thousand years. Having enjoyed enough glory, wealth, silks and satins, it’s time for things to return to their rightful owner. The world will have great wars sooner or later. Zhixiang is no match for Chu Li. Better to step back, help him succeed, and return peace to the world. The reasoning is clear – what blame could there be?”
Mr. Liang shook his head with a light laugh, taking Qin Zhiyan’s wine pot for a sip, saying slowly: “If I hadn’t usurped the magpie’s nest and changed Great Qin’s fate, none of what followed would have happened. After Dianqiu’s death, there’s nothing left in this mortal world for me to cherish. My only wish is to use the Seven Divisions to restore history and return to my homeland – though I’m afraid that will take many more years.”
Qin Zhiyan smiled faintly, raising his cup: “No fear – we have plenty of time.”
“Right,” Mr. Liang raised his wine pot, clinking it with his: “We indeed have plenty of time. I’ve slept in loneliness for over a thousand years. Now finally someone is willing to accompany me.”
Mr. Liang stood up, taking a long breath, saying in a low voice: “I’ll go notify Shaohuang, Yuanqing, Rongyue and the others. The Seven Divisions will completely vanish from heaven and earth. You should also prepare.”
Qin Zhiyan nodded and also stood up.
“Time is the most ruthless killer – it will take away many things. I hope when you wake, not only will all illness be gone, but you’ll also be able to let go of past matters.”
Liang Sishai, or perhaps he could also be called Qin Er Shi – the man’s footsteps slowly departed. Time’s hourglass slowly submerged beneath his feet, gradually forming a small whirlpool that buried many things, leaving only small sand mounds exposed. The future drifting, without wind or rain – this restless life finally gradually saw its end.
In the bamboo forest, a clear breeze passed through. Only that silver chain slowly made crisp sounds. The man in blue robes stood in the bamboo forest, slowly raising his head and closing his eyes.
Below Dragon Ridge Mountain, the Southern Chu Great Emperor’s Black Guards waited in place. As soon as Chu Li and Qing Xia appeared, the army immediately erupted in earth-shaking cheers. Great winds unfurled banners, black clouds churned, the sky’s canopy hung low with clouds and mist. The soldiers’ loud chants were like soaring horns, playing with fierce intensity.
Chu Li pulled Qing Xia up onto horseback amid the army’s cheers. Fierce northern winds howled and swept back. Their garments fluttered like a black and white pair of fierce great eagles.
“Qing Xia, come back to Southern Chu with me.”
The man’s gaze was pitch black, condensing enormous hope and joy within. Qing Xia looked at him, at these countless unfurled black dragon military banners, at this boundless vista of snowy hills extending to the horizon, at that road back to Chu she had once sworn to flee from unto death. All past events flew away completely. Her lifetime of bonds, drifting rootlessly, finally she would make up her mind to sever them ruthlessly.
She nodded heavily, smiling: “Good, let’s return to Southern Chu!”
Chu Li’s eyes curved, suddenly laughing heartily, about to speak when suddenly a Black Guard scout approached, saying in a low voice: “Great Emperor, everything is prepared for departure. The prefect of Hanchao City waits ahead with prefecture officials for Your Majesty’s grand arrival.”
Chu Li nodded, leading everyone forward swiftly. Before long, they saw the so-called Hanchao City prefect.
Lin Mubai knelt in the snow with hundreds of officials, followed by large numbers of soldiers and Chu Li’s million-strong army – a vast black mass creating a spectacular sight.
Seeing Lin Mubai, Chu Li suddenly smiled strangely, saying in a low voice: “Minister Lin, you privately married Great Qin’s princess without reporting to the court – what punishment do you deserve?”
Lin Mubai’s face immediately turned bright red, saying awkwardly: “Your… Your Majesty, Princess Wanfu, she… she…”
Before finishing, Chu Li suddenly burst into loud laughter. The Black Guard personal attendants, knowing the friendship between the Chu Emperor and Minister Lin, also laughed in unison. The serious atmosphere immediately dissipated.
At this time, a civil official presented a piece of calligraphy, holding a brush dipped in gold powder, wanting the Great Emperor to leave writing for Hanchao City. The official spoke eloquently about casting a stone platform here, making rubbings of the inscription to be preserved for posterity.
Chu Li took the brush, contemplating for a long moment, then suddenly wrote: “Southern Chu Great Emperor Chu Li, Southeast Grand Marshal and Southern Chu Empress Zhuang Qing Xia.”
Before finishing, the civil and military officials below erupted in commotion. Where in the world was there such a title – Southeast Grand Marshal and Southern Chu Empress – what propriety was this?
Chu Li paid no mind, simply handing the brush to Qing Xia. Qing Xia’s lips curved, suddenly laughing softly as she wielded the brush boldly, writing four ugly large characters: “We were here.”
The two looked at each other and suddenly laughed heartily. The long wind howled past, carrying their laughter as it flew with galloping hooves across the West Black Plains, racing all the way toward the imperial palace in the capital.
Historical Records:
In the ninth year of Cansang, Southern Chu Empress Zhuang Qing Xia, who had been invested for six years, finally returned to the capital and ascended to her position as national empress with the honorific title Darong. The enthronement ceremony lasted three days with amnesty declared throughout the realm. The Chu Emperor proclaimed to the four directions that he would marry only one wife in his lifetime and vigorously promoted monogamy throughout Southern Chu territory. This decree immediately became the target of criticism from officials and scholars, but a hundred years later, monogamy had matured throughout Chinese territory and was incorporated into political law.
In the tenth year of Cansang, the Chu Emperor began his first major reform after ascending the throne. The reform scope involved multiple aspects including governance, taxation, land, military, commerce, currency, and education. He vigorously developed industry and commerce, increased efforts to open sea markets, and developed long-distance sailing vessels. Within less than ten years, shipbuilding developed rapidly. Great ships could reach Spain, Portugal and other nations, leading Western countries by hundreds of years. Western barbarians all bowed their heads in admiration, marveling at the Eastern great nation’s strength.
In March of the eleventh year of Cansang, Northern Qin announced its submission. Qin and Chu attacked Xichuan from north and south. In July, Xichuan’s capital was breached. Yan Hui was rescued from the chaos by Xichuan’s young general Mo Zhaonan and vanished from the world without trace. Xichuan disappeared from Chinese territory. For the first time in three hundred years, the Chinese mainland was unified under one great regime.
In the thirteenth year of Cansang, Southern Chu eliminated remaining scattered regimes within the passes, completing all unification wars and officially renaming itself the Great Chu Dynasty. Simultaneously, troops were sent to the grasslands to retake the Hetao Plains, using this as a springboard to divide grassland lords and control the Western Regions through economic trade. After two years of warfare, the Xiongnu under Longge A’shu’s leadership submitted to Great Chu. The Chu Emperor swiftly issued a series of decrees, dispatching officials, stationing armies, developing culture and education, revitalizing industry and commerce, encouraging farming, and relocating Han people, completely assimilating the grassland region into Great Chu’s horse farms.
In the seventeenth year of Cansang, Great Chu developed the northern lands, relocating people to open wasteland, expanding national borders by a full eight thousand li. Great Chu’s strength was unstoppable. Russian monarch Empress Sophia personally paid homage to Great Chu, declaring vassalage under pressure from border Chu forces – a status that continued for over four hundred years before ending.
History always has striking coincidences. When one pivot point changes, it can reverse countless events. In the twentieth year of Cansang, Southern Chu Great Emperor’s son Chu Qingyang was invested as Crown Prince. This was the famous Emperor Qingyang of later generations, also an outstanding navigator, with some historical records even calling him history’s most successful pirate. Under his future rule, Great Chu completely achieved maritime hegemony. Relying on strong ships and powerful cannons, they incorporated Ryukyu, Japan and other territories as Great Chu’s overseas provinces, drove white people from the Americas, planted Great Chu’s banner at the world’s far end, and intimidated Western nations for generations.
However, Chu Qingyang didn’t know that precisely because he followed his mother’s words in this audacious action, he eliminated the birth of a very powerful nation in later generations. Many famous historical events would never occur again.
Because of two people’s arrival, the entire Chinese mainland underwent earth-shaking reversal. Great Qin, which should have perished after two generations, unexpectedly persisted for over a thousand years, while Great Chu, which shouldn’t have left shadows on history’s stage, became Chinese mainstream, bringing the four-clawed golden dragon people to an absolute peak.
Hundreds of years later, when later historians reopened heavy historical scrolls, they could still see that crucially important shadow active on Great Chu’s stage. That woman beloved by the Chu Emperor throughout his life accompanied him through countless days and nights, standing proudly alongside the aloof man in countless future battles, never retreating. Her wisdom and brilliance also illuminated countless years of posterity, becoming the most magnificent legend on Chinese soil.
A thousand years passed in an instant. After several industrial revolutions, Great Chu remained the world’s most powerful nation. But through a thousand years of time’s passage, today’s Chu nation was no longer a constitutional monarchy – the people were masters, society was extremely harmonious and stable, the economy prosperous, and the people content. However, to commemorate the example and contributions made by Great Chu’s successive emperors at various historical stages of China, Chu nation preserved the imperial system as the nation’s representative, deeply beloved by the people.