Imperial City, Martial Supervision Alliance, Rain-Listening Pavilion.
Near the end of the year, the Martial Supervision Alliances from various states and the four branches of the Imperial City would submit their Martial Academy summaries to the main alliance for review.
Summaries of outstanding talents from each martial academy, reports on competitions from each state, and so on—all needed to be reviewed by the Scripture Saint.
Some of these summaries would also determine how much funding these martial academies would receive in the coming year.
Documents were piled on several tables in the room. Outside, snow was falling heavily; inside, candlelight reflected off the warming stove. Fang Hui, kneeling in the room with his head lowered and eyes closed in quiet contemplation, only opened his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching from outside.
The Scripture Saint came and went silently, so it wasn’t him.
People from the Martial Supervision Alliance wouldn’t dare disturb this room. These footsteps were light and quick, not the panic of someone who had wandered in by mistake, but rather with a familiarity that suggested a frequent visitor.
The door creaked open from the outside. The person who entered wore a crimson fox fur cloak, with golden hairpins and ornaments in her hair, and jade pendants with tassels on her clothes. Princess Chang Xi, carrying a plate of pastries, entered the room, walked to Fang Hui’s side, and knelt on the cushion, placing the plate of pastries in front of him.
“I heard you haven’t eaten all day.”
The room was very warm. Princess Chang Xi removed her fox fur cloak, held it in her arms, and looked at Fang Hui with some resignation: “Even if you’re arguing with your adoptive father, you don’t need to starve yourself.”
Fang Hui reached out, took a pastry, and put it in his mouth.
Princess Chang Xi looked at the bamboo tube at his waist, knowing what was inside, and raised her hand to point at it: “Do you understand it all?”
“I understand it,” Fang Hui said, “but I can’t do it.”
Princess Chang Xi was silent for a moment before saying: “Spirit Court, Circulating Qi—you don’t lack either.”
“Don’t lack?” Fang Hui looked at her with a strange expression. “My Circulating Qi Meridian is so weak it’s almost non-existent. I often feel as if it’s never awakened, just like my Body Techniques.”
Princess Chang Xi pointed a finger at him, but without any power from the Circulating Qi Meridian. Black curse runes appeared on her round, lustrous white fingertip: “The Eight Meridian Formation relies on the Spirit Court Meridian, not the Circulating Qi Meridian.”
Fang Hui said, “But the strength of the formation depends on the Circulating Qi Meridian.”
Princess Chang Xi’s fingertip released a strand of star line that slowly floated toward Fang Hui. She sighed: “Why are you so fixated on the Circulating Qi Meridian? The Eight Meridian Formation combines the power of each meridian—Heavy Eyes, Thunderous Roar, Yin and Yang, Heart Meridian—you don’t lack any of these. Why not consider finding a breakthrough from these six meridians?”
Fang Hui lowered his eyes to watch the star line floating toward him, recalling his childhood.
Princess Chang Xi was of noble birth and had to learn many things daily, with no time for play. She would study in her room all day, and occasionally, when she heard the laughter of children outside, she would look out with envy.
Perhaps because her status was too noble, everyone who saw her was extremely respectful.
Her imperial father didn’t come to see her, nor did her imperial mother, and she couldn’t even meet her brothers and sisters.
Princess Chang Xi lived in the highest tower of the Rain-Listening Pavilion, the safest place in Great Qin. Standing at the window, she could see the most beautiful night view of the Imperial City—the prosperous streets and the lively world—yet she was like an observer outside this world, unable to integrate into it.
One day, a faintly glowing star line hung down in front of her window. The star line twirled and twisted itself into different animal silhouettes, attracting Princess Chang Xi’s curiosity.
These animal silhouettes seemed to be performing a shadow play for her. Because they were assisted by different low-level spirit meridians, the star line silhouettes moved more vividly and flexibly than a shadow play.
The young Fang Hui thought Princess Chang Xi was too lonely. Every time he saw her standing alone at the window, gazing into the distance, he felt sad and wanted to make her happier.
But this was the extent of what he could do.
His Eight Meridian Formation could only entertain a child.
Initially, the Scripture Saint didn’t allow the two to meet. Then one day, he discovered the boy beneath the tower using the Eight Meridian Formation to manipulate star lines at the top of the tower, making the girl smile with delight.
After that, the Scripture Saint let Fang Hui live in the tower as well.
Princess Chang Xi thus gained her first friend.
Later, many things happened, and the friendship between the two children was affected.
________________________________________
Fang Hui remained silent in response to Princess Chang Xi’s question.
Princess Chang Xi spoke again: “You’ve been away for so long this time. Did you find a way to heal your Circulating Qi Meridian?”
Fang Hui said, “No, it’s completely incurable.”
Princess Chang Xi consoled him: “Then try the method I suggested. Don’t fixate solely on the Circulating Qi Meridian.”
Fang Hui said, “I won’t listen to you.”
Princess Chang Xi’s expression froze slightly.
Fang Hui turned his eyes away, not looking at her. The atmosphere between them became awkward again. Princess Chang Xi hugged her fox fur cloak with her head lowered, falling into silence.
The Scripture Saint arrived silently. When the door was pushed open again, neither of them spoke, both lowering their heads to avoid eye contact.
Only the Scripture Saint came. He didn’t close the door and, walking into the room, said to Princess Chang Xi: “You go down first.”
Princess Chang Xi stood up, put on her fox fur cloak again, and silently closed the door as she left.
The Scripture Saint sat behind the desk and began reviewing the piled documents of the Martial Supervision Alliance, ignoring Fang Hui, who was kneeling before him.
Finally, Fang Hui couldn’t bear it anymore. He raised his head and looked at the Scripture Saint, saying coldly: “I won’t do as you say. From now on, I will control my own life.”
The Scripture Saint flipped through the papers, only saying calmly: “Who do you think will be next after the Crown Prince selects his bride?”
Fang Hui thought of Princess Chang Xi, who had just left, and his expression changed slightly.
The Scripture Saint said: “If you don’t do as I say, then you, who are nothing in the Imperial City, can think about what kind of person she will marry in a while.”
Fang Hui said, “Would you watch her marry someone and do nothing?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” The Scripture Saint smiled.
Fang Hui’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into fists, his gaze cold: “Chang Xi is the child you raised. She is more excellent than anyone else and will be your successor in the future. Are you willing to let her marry those nobles and aristocrats just to pave the way for the Crown Prince?”
The Scripture Saint said calmly, “As long as it’s His Majesty’s wish.”
Fang Hui continued: “She won’t be willing.”
The Scripture Saint said: “She can be unwilling, but as long as it’s His Majesty’s wish, she will obey.”
Fang Hui couldn’t refute for a moment because the Scripture Saint was right.
But he felt angry, unable to forgive. The anger in his heart spread to his eyes and brows as he said coldly to the Scripture Saint: “What makes you think she will obey? As long as she doesn’t want to marry, I won’t let her marry.”
The Scripture Saint laughed upon hearing this and asked: “On what grounds?”
Before Fang Hui could speak, the Scripture Saint continued: “What right does someone who left the Imperial City for years without asking how she was doing have to do this?”
“What about you? Chang Xi respects you as her teacher, loves you as her father, and obeys your every word, yet you never consider her wishes at all?”
There was even a hint of resentment in the young man’s questioning: “Can you abandon anyone at will? Is there no one in this world you truly care about?”
The white mask covering his face concealed all of the Scripture Saint’s emotions. One could vaguely feel a slight smile from this white mask with only two red streaks.
The Scripture Saint’s reply maintained its gentle and calm tone: “If you want to protect something, don’t always expect others to do it for you because of your weakness.”
“Doing so will only lead to two outcomes: you’ll remain weak forever, and she will no longer be yours.”
Fang Hui felt his heart turn cold upon hearing this.
Because he understood from the Scripture Saint’s answer that he truly would not look after Chang Xi.
*
Princess Chang Xi controlled the protective formation covering the entire Imperial City. She was a genius in the art of the Eight Meridian Formation. From childhood, she had been carefully taught by the Scripture Saint, a Pilgrim. The royal family gave her the best resources in the world; she could have whatever she wanted.
Compared to her other brothers and sisters, although Princess Chang Xi was raised outside the palace in the Martial Supervision Alliance, she was undoubtedly the most noble among all the princes and princesses.
Even though Emperor Wen Xiu rarely mentioned her, the Empress never came to see her when she was alive.
Princess Chang Xi saw her mother, the Empress, for the first time on the day after her death.
The woman in the coffin had her eyes closed, her face bloodless. Her lips were blackened from poison that had entered her heart. She wore magnificent crimson phoenix robes, her hands folded over her abdomen, her nails turned black.
It was said that she had been poisoned, the poison entering her heart was difficult to treat, and that was why she died of illness.
The death truly wasn’t beautiful to look at; it felt eerie yet serene.
Princess Chang Xi had occasionally heard the Scripture Saint discussing the cause of the Empress’s death with others. He said the Empress had already been afflicted by a Yin-Yang double meridian curse, and it was the Scripture Saint who had helped suppress it. The drink the culprit gave to the Empress wasn’t poisonous, but it contained something else that happened to trigger the Yin-Yang curse within her body.
People didn’t ask her to investigate why the Empress died; they just thought that since the Empress was dead, they would mercifully let the child see her mother.
Princess Chang Xi walked back through the snow to the tower, followed by a group of maids. Everyone quietly served her, helping her remove her heavy fox fur coat, cleaning her hands, following her all the way to the highest point, and retreating with lowered heads only after receiving their mistress’s orders.
The maid pulled open the sliding door for her and slowly closed it after the princess entered.
Princess Chang Xi walked to the outermost part of the platform. The eaves were covered with snow, and a delicate hand-warming stove was placed on the table beneath the eaves. Pastries and tea were prepared right on time and placed there.
She sat beneath the eaves. With just a turn of her head, she could see the entire Imperial City, with thousands of lights illuminated in the falling snow of the winter night, and layer upon layer of tall buildings.
Such a scene, she had been watching for over ten years.
Yet she still wasn’t tired of it.
A communication talisman in the shape of a flying bird landed on the table near the hand-warming stove amid the falling snow.
Princess Chang Xi was a bit surprised. She reached out to take it and opened it.
Seeing the sender’s name, Princess Chang Xi was startled.
It was from a Liuli boy in the Liuli Pavilion who had left a deep impression on her.
A well-behaved child like Princess Chang Xi, who had been going back and forth between the Martial Supervision Alliance and the palace for more than ten years, wouldn’t normally know places like the Liuli Pavilion. She had been invited there during a palace banquet by Miss Duan, a fearless young lady.
That day, Miss Duan, emboldened by alcohol, dared to invite the rarely seen Princess Chang Xi, but didn’t expect the princess to accept. Miss Duan’s companions instantly felt pressure; this trip to the Liuli Pavilion wouldn’t be for relaxation and fun but for serving an ancestral figure.
The Liuli Pavilion felt the most pressure, as Princess Chang Xi was the most noble guest they had ever received.
Coincidentally, that day Liang Junxia was passing through the Imperial City and came to the Liuli Pavilion to chat with the pavilion master, who had helped him earn a fortune in the Imperial City. Upon learning that Princess Chang Xi was coming, the pavilion master grabbed his sleeve and asked him to save the situation, ensuring that the young princess had a good time.
Liang Junxia agreed.
Princess Chang Xi had a deep impression of this Liuli boy because he could weave various small animals with star lines and voice these small animals to tell interesting stories.
It was very much like the boy who had once cheered her up with star lines beneath the tower.
By then, Fang Hui had already left the Imperial City. Princess Chang Xi missed him greatly, but couldn’t go find him.
So she listened to this Liuli boy tell stories all night at the Liuli Pavilion and agreed to exchange communication talisman coordinates with him.
Looking back now, that could be considered a beautiful memory.
Princess Chang Xi carefully read the message from the Liuli boy. By the end, she was slightly startled. The Miss Chu he was looking for… wasn’t she from the Chu family that had poisoned the Empress years ago? It was said that the Chu family had been executed without leaving a single survivor.
Yet from this communication, she obtained information that someone from the Chu family was still alive.
Princess Chang Xi’s mind once again conjured the image of the woman in the coffin. The woman with her eyes closed had never looked at her, never spoken a word to her. Her death appearance was eerie and chilling, yet somehow made her feel calm in spirit, and there was even a hint of tenderness surrounding her.
If this woman hadn’t died, what would she have said to her? How would she have looked at her?
Thinking of this, Princess Chang Xi had already concentrated her Spirit Court Meridian. A black circular star plate appeared in her hand, and curse runes danced at her fingertips, connecting to the protective formation covering the entire Imperial City.
Heavy Eyes · Celestial Eye.
Thunderous Roar · Bell Tongue.
When Princess Chang Xi closed her eyes, she could see the slender star lines crisscrossing and hiding throughout the Imperial City.
Huge black eyes opened from the ground, capturing people’s every move; at this moment, everything making sounds in the Imperial City was like bells ringing within the formation. From the outskirts of the Imperial City to the deepest part of the palace, from the underground prison cells extending several levels down to the tall buildings rising above the ground, in just a few brief moments, all images and sounds were transmitted to Princess Chang Xi.
But she couldn’t find any information related to Miss Chu.
Princess Chang Xi opened her eyes. Perhaps because she didn’t know what this person looked like, even if she had seen her, she wouldn’t have recognized her.
So she replied: “If you find the whereabouts of this Miss Chu, please inform me.”
*
The Scripture Saint, still reviewing the Martial Academy documents in the room, paused due to the fluctuation in the protective formation.
Kneeling below, Fang Hui also sensed the movement in the Imperial City’s protective formation. He frowned, ignoring the Scripture Saint, and stood up to leave. At the door, he expressionlessly returned to take the plate of unfinished pastries from the ground.
The door closed again.
No one could see the expression beneath the white mask.
The Scripture Saint slightly raised his head, looking in the direction of the tower where Princess Chang Xi lived.
In his eyes, Princess Chang Xi was very similar to Ming Li.
What disappointed him, however, was that Princess Chang Xi could not become a second Ming Li.