The evening was approaching, and the snow gradually stopped. A side door near the drum tower at the northeast corner of the imperial palace opened, and a warm sedan chair emerged.
Two eunuchs dressed in ordinary clothes carried the sedan chair along the pathway under the palace wall, heading south. They passed through Baotai Ward and finally stopped at the entrance to the street leading to the Lantern Market, where they lowered the chair.
A grandfather and grandson pair alighted from the chair. The grandfather was nearly fifty, with one hand holding a cane and the other holding the four or five-year-old boy. The large and small figures continued walking slowly along the street.
After a dozen steps, several guards, also dressed in ordinary clothes, silently followed.
The grandfather and grandson entered the Lantern Market. They saw shops lining both sides of the street, with taverns displaying their wares. Though the sky had not yet darkened, lanterns were already hung high outside every household. Inside, lights shone brilliantly, guests were as numerous as clouds, and laughter never ceased. Carriages drawn by fine horses flowed endlessly. Looking from afar, the entire street appeared like a silver dragon winding forward.
This place was the most splendid locale outside the imperial palace in the capital. The atmosphere of wealth and prosperity, the magnificence of the imperial capital—it was all epitomized here.
The so-called Lantern Market was originally a lantern venue set up by the founding emperor on the east side of the imperial palace during the Lantern Festival to celebrate with the people. At that time, every year around the Lantern Festival, the court would set up embroidered pavilions, invite wealthy merchants from north and south, light lanterns for entertainment at night, and set off fireworks. People from throughout the city, from nobles and officials to commoners, regardless of status, would come here not only to view lanterns but also for enjoyment, lingering for a long time. Initially, it lasted for ten days but gradually changed to three times a month—on the fifth, fifteenth, and twentieth. Later, this area gathered treasures such as jewelry, antiques, fragrances, silks, porcelain, rare goods from the north and south, and precious items from overseas. It also included taverns, shops, mansions, and beautiful residences, extending eastward for dozens of li. Today, though the Lantern Market retained its name, it is no longer limited to the Lantern Festival or the monthly markets. Throughout the year, unless there were special circumstances, people came and went, with lights often burning from dusk to dawn.
Ci’er followed his grandfather, walking through streets filled with people dressed in fine furs and luxurious clothing. Looking left and right, by the time they had walked through the most bustling street of the Lantern Market, he was already holding several toys in his arms, all bought by the guards from shops they had passed. Though his legs were a bit tired, he was very excited. He sat with his grandfather in the soft sedan chair waiting at the end of the street, asking questions about everything.
Xiao Lie answered each question and finally said, “Ci’er, do you like this place?”
Ci’er nodded. “Yes.”
He thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, “Grandfather Emperor, you said you would show me the world under heaven. Is this it?”
Xiao Lie replied, “Grandfather Emperor will take you to another place. You’ll understand soon.”
The warm sedan chair continued forward, traveling for what seemed like a very long distance before finally stopping. The chair was lowered once more.
Ci’er followed his grandfather out of the sedan chair and looked around, slightly taken aback.
The street before them was narrow and dark, with low, dilapidated houses on both sides. The accumulated snow in the middle of the road had been trampled into a dirty black color. The weather was cold and night was falling fast. Almost every household along the street had tightly closed doors and windows, with darkness inside. Only a few homes showed faint yellow light through the cracks. Looking ahead, it was pitch black not far away. There were few pedestrians, and those who were walking all hunched over with expressions of suffering on their faces.
Compared to the scene they had just witnessed in the Lantern Market, it was like heaven and earth.
The appearance of this grandfather and grandson pair seemed somewhat unusual. A few passersby who ran into them glanced twice but had no interest in looking further. They hurried on, anxious to get home to eat a hot meal, drink a hot soup, warm their frozen limbs, and dispel the day’s fatigue.
A girl about Ci’er’s age wore a blue floral padded jacket that had probably been remade from her mother’s clothes. The jacket was very old, with the white floral pattern having turned a musty yellow, and it probably wasn’t warm. Ignoring the cold, the girl stood in a half-open doorway, blowing on her palms for warmth while craning her neck to look outside, as if waiting for someone. It seemed she had been waiting for some time.
Ci’er rarely saw children his age and stopped in his tracks, staring at the girl. The girl noticed him, then glanced at Xiao Lie beside him and the guards following closely behind. Seeming frightened, she immediately closed the door.
Ci’er looked up at his grandfather, who was smiling at him, scratched his head, and had no choice but to continue walking forward. Just then, they heard the crisp sound of hurried footsteps in the snow behind them.
Ci’er turned to see a peddler carrying a load of goods approaching. Perhaps due to the bad weather, he hadn’t sold much, as his load still looked very heavy.
The dilapidated door that had just been closed suddenly creaked open again. The girl who had been peeking through the door crack showed her face once more, happily called out “Father,” stepped over the threshold, and ran toward the peddler.
The peddler, who had initially looked worried, immediately smiled upon seeing his daughter rush out to greet him. He pulled out a candied haw stick from his load and handed it to the girl. She happily accepted it, holding the candied haw in one hand and grabbing the carrying rope with the other, skipping back inside, calling out, “Mother! Father’s back!”
A woman came out upon hearing the call. She looked at the still-full load, then at the candied haw in the girl’s hand, sighed, and complained, “We only have enough food for a few more days. Your cosmetics aren’t selling, yet you still spend money buying them for the girl. What for?”
The peddler replied, “It’s just one copper coin. I’ll visit more neighborhoods tomorrow and sell more.”
“Fine, you’re always like this. Come in quickly, warm yourself up, and let’s eat—”
Amid the woman’s nagging, the dilapidated door closed, and the family disappeared behind it.
The surroundings grew quiet. From somewhere in the air wafted the aroma of cooking rice with a hint of smoke.
Ci’er stared at the closed door, his small figure motionless.
Xiao Lie stood silently beside him, leaning on his cane. At first, he did not disturb the boy. After a moment, he bent down slightly, took Ci’er’s small hand that was covered with hand warmers, and said softly, “Shall we walk a bit further with Grandfather Emperor?”
Ci’er slowly turned his gaze away, nodded, and continued forward with his grandfather.
The further they went, the more difficult the road became, and the houses on both sides grew more dilapidated. Those dwellings could hardly be called houses—merely four poles with a circle of tied-up thatch and rags, covered with a layer of grass mats, weighted down at the four corners with stones. Thus they became human habitations.
In the corner of a half-collapsed mud wall, a fire had been lit, surrounded by several beggars spending the night outdoors. From the nearby thatched sheds came the constant cries of coughing children, interspersed with women’s sighs.
The guards behind them grew tense, following closely, not daring to relax for a moment.
Ci’er’s gaze became solemn, his small mouth tightly pursed. He kept looking back but was still led by his grandfather, step by step, through this impoverished area that lay beneath the world, where even the beneficence of spring could not reach.
Finally, they walked out of the dark, narrow alley. Scattered lights gradually reappeared along the street.
“Move along, move along! Don’t block the door!”
At the entrance of a small tavern emitting a dim yellow light stood an old man selling oranges by borrowing the light. The old man wore thin clothes and trembled in the cold wind. On the ground sat a little girl wrapped in her grandfather’s tattered cotton jacket, but even so, her face was blue from the cold.
A tavern worker came out to drive them away.
“Please be kind, let me stand here a little longer. Once I’ve sold the oranges, I’ll leave. My little granddaughter is sick. I’m alone at home and had to bring her out, waiting to earn money from selling oranges to see a doctor…”
The old man pleaded desperately. Suddenly seeing a group of people pass by, he quickly turned.
“Sir, would you buy a few oranges?”
“Only about ten left, all good oranges. Originally ten wens each, but if you take them all, five wens each will do.”
Having said this, the old man looked at the group with hopeful eyes.
Ci’er turned his head, looked for a moment, then slowly raised his face to look at his grandfather.
Xiao Lie signaled for an attendant to go over. A guard walked over, gave twenty wen, and took the package of oranges.
The old man was overjoyed. He bowed repeatedly to Xiao Lie and Ci’er, carefully placed the copper coins in his money pouch, tied it securely around his waist, hurriedly gathered his things, put his little granddaughter in a basket, balanced it with a stone in the other basket, picked up his carrying pole, and trudged forward through the snow.
Ci’er suddenly broke free from his grandfather’s hand, stepped forward, caught up with them, took off his hand warmers, gave them to the little girl, then ran back to his grandfather and boarded the warm sedan chair that had come to pick them up.
A small copper stove was set up inside the chair, with charcoal burning within, making it very warm.
On the way, Ci’er sat on his grandfather’s lap, saying nothing.
The warm sedan chair retraced its route, returning to the palace. The grandfather and grandson returned to the Imperial Study.
Xiao Lie smiled and said, “Ci’er, do you now understand what is meant by ‘the world under heaven’?”
Ci’er looked at his grandfather.
“The ‘Erya’ says, ‘Spring is azure heaven.’ The so-called azure heaven is where all things grow in abundance. Among all things, humans are the most intelligent. Therefore, the ‘world under heaven’ actually refers to all the people. Grandfather Emperor is the Emperor. Ci’er, do you know what an Emperor is supposed to do?”
Ci’er shook his head. “Ci’er doesn’t know.”
“What an Emperor should do is govern the world under heaven.”
Ci’er’s eyes sparkled slightly. “Grandfather Emperor, I understand! To govern the world under heaven means to govern all the people.”
Xiao Lie smiled, and nodded, his gaze full of gratification.
“Ci’er is right. Grandfather Emperor took you out for a walk today. In the capital, there are wealthy places and rich people, but they are the minority. Most are common people who work hard for their families’ daily meals. As you’ve seen, even under Grandfather Emperor’s nose, some so many people don’t have enough to eat, enough to wear or a roof over their heads even in snowy weather. If the capital is like this, think about how many similar situations there are throughout the vast realm. What an Emperor should do is govern the world well, so that more people have food to eat, clothes to wear, and houses to live in. Do you understand?”
Ci’er slowly nodded.
“Ci’er, Grandfather Emperor is old and cannot be Emperor forever. When Grandfather Emperor can no longer serve, Grandfather Emperor wants Ci’er to continue, to bring peace to the realm and guide the people back to their proper way. Are you willing?”
Ci’er nodded, then shook his head. “Grandfather Emperor, I need to ask my father and mother first.”
Xiao Lie said, “Good. Your parents should be returning to the capital soon. Grandfather Emperor will ask your parents first. If they agree, will Ci’er also agree?”
“Yes.”
Xiao Lie gazed at him. “Ci’er, being a good Emperor is very difficult and may even cause you to lose things you cherish. But such is life—where there is gain, there is loss. Remember Grandfather Emperor’s words. When you grow up, you will understand.”
Ci’er nodded. “Ci’er will remember.”