Diligent and progressive students were very annoying. They always had countless questions to ask you, and no matter how ugly your expression was, they wouldn’t let you off. Even after the teacher had clearly told you this was a subject still under research, that the teacher had no answers to the most profound questions later on, they would still insist on asking why the teacher also had no answers here, and finally would look at you with questioning eyes.
After kicking and shoving to chase away the students, turning around he saw the furiously angry Professor Yuanzhang. Although Yun Ye had already reached the pinnacle of imperial subjects, at Yushan Academy he still couldn’t rank high and remained a junior. Any old fellow with a white beard could come over and scold him.
“As a teacher, one imparts knowledge, teaches the way, and resolves doubts. If you cannot resolve doubts, you should tell students the correct path. How is becoming angry from embarrassment the conduct of a role model teacher? Extend your hand!”
For a dignified duke to receive the disciplinary ruler in front of countless students was extremely humiliating. So after receiving the ruler punishment, Yun Ye became even more angry from embarrassment. Forcibly enduring the pain in his hand, he turned back and thoroughly scolded the students, which barely dissipated some of his anger.
Just after returning home and calling out for wild vegetables, he heard Xinyue say that wild vegetables in April grew too old even for donkeys to eat. This angered him. Someone who becomes angry from embarrassment three times in one day was no ordinary person. Yun Ye looked up at the sun that had just moved to its proper position and felt he would become angry from embarrassment at least three more times today.
Han Zhe came over with his daughter. The little girl was extremely lovely. Though covered in pearls and jade, she was very timid, her voice when speaking like a mosquito’s buzz.
“She’s just a bit timid. I kept her at White Stone Palace to personally teach her for nearly three years, but there still wasn’t much change. To let her learn to interact with others, I still plan to send her to Yushan Academy. Doesn’t the Academy open in May? Get a spot for our girl to sneak in and study for two years—perhaps there’ll be a change.”
Yun Ye said nothing, circling around Han Zhe twice as if not recognizing this person. Han Zhe scratched his chin and continued: “Don’t look anymore. I’m not wearing a human skin mask—it’s just that my temperament has changed greatly.”
The daughter was led by Xinyue to the back hall to dote on her. Only then did Yun Ye say: “Are you certain this is our girl?”
Han Zhe proudly tilted his head back, opened his mouth and laughed silently, his hands pounding his chest with thumping sounds, just like an extremely excited gorilla. Only after a good while did he settle down.
“Confirmed! The Pang family’s kinship recognition has sixteen procedures. This child has no problems at all—she’s definitely a Pang family descendant. However, I plan to have her take the surname Han. Your father here can also be considered a heroic figure of his generation. Creating a surname isn’t anything special. You’re the child’s uncle and also a great scholar. Give the child a name—things like flowers, water, and such won’t do.”
“I originally planned to name her Furong, but since you’re unwilling, let’s change it. You’re building the Heavenly Palace—that palace will certainly be incomparably glorious, just lacking a bit of human atmosphere. With this child, there’ll finally be some human presence there. This name really needs careful thought.” Yun Ye thought for a moment and said to Han Zhe.
“Absolutely cannot use the name Furong. I noticed when you said those two characters, there was an undisguisable wicked amusement, so it definitely isn’t a good name. Properly give the child a good name to bless her with a lifetime of peace and health.”
“Let’s call her Han Yue then. Brother Han Zhe, I’m giving my name to this child. Having a cold moon over the Heavenly Palace—just thinking about it is beautiful. My wife has lived until now with both fortune and prosperity. In any case, she should be considered blessed. This child will be called Han Yue.” Xinyue led the child out. Yun Ye was very worried about the child’s neck—she had over a dozen more hairpins stuck in her head, all made of heavy metal.
“Han Yue…”
Yun Ye had just opened his mouth wanting to comment, when he heard Xinyue say viciously: “This humble wife has lived until now without any regrets, except that the names of several children were chosen in a way that makes this humble wife only want to cut her throat. You just cannot choose names! The name Han Yue is settled like this.”
Originally wanting to become angry from embarrassment a fourth time, seeing Han Zhe gratefully rise and bow to Xinyue, he forcibly held it in. In front of Han Zhe and Xi Tong, Xinyue never stood on ceremony—they were too familiar.
Yun Ye and Han Zhe strolled in the garden. The little girl followed along. The Six Lines Chickens walked over as if no one else was present. Both Yun Ye and Han Zhe had to make way for them. But that girl who had just been named Han Yue cheered and lunged toward the roosters that stood half as tall as a person. Yun Ye watched this scene stupidly, very much doubting this child’s intelligence. Roosters that large clearly weren’t good types—how dare she still lunge at them? Han Zhe was quite worried and was about to intervene. The Six Lines Chickens were very aggressive—Han Zhe knew this.
Something strange happened. The Six Lines Chickens were exceptionally docile. The six large roosters surrounded this child in the middle, allowing her to hug and embrace them. Their long necks even nuzzled against the girl.
Han Zhe forcibly stopped himself and after watching for a while, said sadly to Yun Ye: “This child and her mother survived by raising chickens and weaving brocade. After ten years of hardship, she’s very familiar with chickens’ temperament. It’s no problem.”
“I always wanted to change this trait, so I specially petitioned the Empress for phoenix eggs, hoping this child could raise phoenixes…”
“Stop right there! Who told you those were phoenixes? You weren’t absent from that sea voyage—they were clearly a type of bird called birds of paradise. How did they become phoenixes? The imperial family took them to deceive the world as phoenixes—are you planning to deceive your daughter? Also, who told you raising phoenixes is more noble than raising chickens?”
“After you planted your seed, you ran off without a trace for ten years. The mother and daughter survived by raising chickens—where’s the lowliness in that? You didn’t dispose of this child’s mother, did you?”
Yun Ye stared at Han Zhe furiously, waiting for him to give himself an answer, then would express anger or praise depending on the situation.
Han Zhe chuckled: “A woman who can bear me a normal child is a human treasure. What does a prostitute’s status matter? She’s now the mistress of White Stone Palace. These past two years I’ve been at White Stone Palace constantly working hard with her, wanting to see if she can bear one or two more children. Just before leaving this time, she became pregnant—three months along now. Heh heh heh…”
Hearing Han Zhe say this, Yun Ye was also happy for that poor prostitute. Regardless of whether this time she could bear a normal child, her position at White Stone Palace wouldn’t be affected in any way.
Like all excited fathers, seeing his daughter like the Six Lines Chickens, Han Zhe went to ask Mo Ji for some. The result was a thorough rebuff. However, later Mo Ji, seeing Han Zhe was doing this for his daughter, generously copied the formula for Han Zhe. If he liked them, he could raise them himself—she wouldn’t give away her own Six Lines Chickens.
Finally seeing the Heavenly Palace design drawings, after carefully examining them twice, Yun Ye tapped the drawings and said to Han Zhe: “You’re really committing evil deeds. You’re carving an entire mountain into a palace, not considering costs, not considering manpower, not even considering human lives or feasibility—just bulldozing ahead like this?”
Han Zhe smiled and said: “I had good luck. I found a stone mountain, and the stones on the mountain are all white. The craftsmen from the Western Regions are much more capable than you imagine. Do you want carving craftsmen? I most love their large-scale carvings. Up close they don’t look right and are very rough, but from a distance, they’re extremely magnificent.”
“Can you imagine the entire mountain looking like me wearing a crown? I specially coated the crown with gold powder. Under the sun, radiating brilliant light—the Sky City lives up to its name.”
“The crown portion is already carved. In another twenty years, you’ll be able to see this glorious human miracle. I plan to reserve a palace there for you. What do you think?”
Yun Ye waved his hand helplessly and said: “Better forget it. I’m worried about wronged spirits haunting me. Every beam and pillar at your place probably has human lives attached to it. Even if I went there, I’d live in a grass hut rather than your palace. Sleeping in a pile of dead people isn’t comfortable.”
Han Zhe pointed at Yun Ye and laughed loudly: “There are only a few elites in the human world. Since we’ve already stood at the peaks of the mountains, we must achieve being the peak when the mountain is high. Only then will there be true great freedom. I heard you received the disciplinary ruler today?”
Han Zhe suddenly twisted the topic. Yun Ye very much wanted to become angry from embarrassment once more, but seeing that little girl playing with the Six Lines Chickens, he couldn’t muster the anger.
Turning back to Han Zhe, he said: “Actually, I very much enjoy my current life. The Emperor and Empress treat me like a nephew. The Crown Prince and Prince of Wei treat me like a brother. So I don’t worry about my family’s fortunes declining. Dan Ying, Xi Tong, you, He Shao—all are good friends. Even if our opinions differ, even if the paths we walk are completely different, we still love each other dearly. The departed Elder Yan and Teacher Li Gang both gave me earnest teachings. Since the Yun clan established itself in Chang’an, not one servant has betrayed us. The household guards loyally help me defend the Yun Family. The household retainers tirelessly help me expand financial paths.”
“Only someone who’s eaten their fill with nothing to do would think of destroying such beautiful scenery. Speaking of comfort, as long as I don’t harbor your kind of lofty ambitions, I probably live more freely than the Emperor. I’ve never been an ambitious person. What I care about is different from what you care about.”
“I learned of Lu Dongzan’s miserable state. You went too far. A hero shouldn’t end up like that. You can kill a hero, you can eliminate him, but using him like a slave is excessive. His son Lun Linqin is also a hero. You probably have no way to resolve such a deadly feud.”
“The young Zanpu is probably dying soon too, right? From now on, only a theocratic state will appear on the plateau. The escaped Lun Linqin won’t let this rest. The happiness your sister wants won’t descend upon the Tubo people. Honestly, what mindset made you have Lu Dongzan carry stones? Couldn’t you just cut him down with one blade?”
Han Zhe looked toward the direction of Tubo, also somewhat troubled, and murmured: “That was his own request. When I captured him, I respected him as a hero and asked him to choose a manner of death. Carrying stones was his own choice. He said he’d heard a distant legend—that in the distant west, there was a hero who made a mistake. The heavenly gods punished him to roll a giant stone from the mountain’s foot to the summit every day. Whenever he rolled the stone to the mountaintop, the stone would naturally roll back down. So this undying, indestructible hero is still pushing stones even now. He wanted to see if he could also accomplish this. The stones he carries aren’t for building palaces—he’s carrying stones to the opposite mountain…”