Ruoyun nodded as if she understood, "The name is truly poetic."
Postscript (Part Two)
In the thirty-sixth year of the Chongyuan era, in the capital city, at the Yingbin Restaurant.
Two people sat at the guest table: one was dressed in a lake-blue brocade robe, with an agate and jade belt around his waist, adorned with auspicious silk tassels, and holding a peach blossom fan. His elegant demeanor could not be concealed in his brows. He was none other than Lou Xiyue, the head of the Jade Luo Sect. The other person had his hair tied up with a jade crown, and his smoky red brocade robe was embroidered with blooming begonias. His long eyes were fixed on the young lady singing on the stage, and he smiled warmly.
Xu Zilan took out a jade bracelet from her bosom and gave it to the girl singing on the stage. She turned to Lou Xiyue and said with a smile, "The poetry gathering is next month. Brother Xiyue is a famous romantic talent in Yangzhou. Why don't you come with me? The young ladies of noble families in the capital will all be there. Prince An and my father have always been on good terms. Princess An is very clever and intelligent."
Lou Xiyue waved her fan, neither confirming nor denying, "I heard that a group of unruly people from the East are hiding in Yazhou, causing trouble everywhere and angering the Emperor, who has sent General Lu to Yazhou to quell the unrest. It seems that a fierce war between the two countries is inevitable."
Xu Zilan agreed, "Of course. His Majesty has long wanted to take over the Eastern Lands, and this current incident is just a smokescreen."
Xu Zilan continued, "The lands of the Eastern Barbarians are so remote that even their emperor is a woman. They are not worth fearing at all. It would be easy to incorporate them into our territory. Brother Xiyue, there is no need to worry about this."
Lou Xiyue was about to reply when a flurry of hoofbeats erupted in front of the restaurant, startling the diners who clicked their tongues in surprise.
Leaning over, I saw a girl dressed in black dismount, walk to Lou Xiyue's table, and greet him with a cupped fist salute: "Seventh Young Master."
Lou Xiyue smiled and said, "Ji Jiu, what brings you here?"
Ji Jiu replied, "There is a joyous occasion at Qingshan Pavilion next month. My master asked me to send you a message, and he asks Seventh Young Master to attend."
"What good news?"
"The third day of next month is the wedding day of Shen Yunshuang and Zhou Ziliang, the eldest son of Zhou Tong Money Shop."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zilan said with regret, "Junior Sister Yun Shuang is now getting married to someone else. It's truly the greatest regret in the world."
Lou Xiyue pondered for a moment while fanning herself, then said to Ji Jiu, "Prepare a generous gift. I'll go back to Yangzhou with you later."
Ji Jiu nodded and said, "Seventh Young Master, Master has something else to tell you."
Lou Xiyue asked, "What did you say?"
Ji Jiu remained silent for a long time, then seemed to have mustered up his courage and said, "This is what Master said: Over the past few years, he has arranged no fewer than ten marriages for you, but you, this brat, have ruined them all; now that Miss Jiu is already married, this matter cannot be delayed any longer. Master wants you to return to Yangzhou immediately. The Lou family has set up a stage for a martial arts contest to find a husband. If you don't come back soon, your father will be dead."
Lou Xiyue sighed, rubbing her forehead. "That old man..."
Xu Zilan asked curiously, "A martial arts contest to choose a husband? How does that work? Does your father mean that whoever can beat you will be the one he marries?"
Ji Jiu said, "The master set a standard: anyone who can beat Wang Xing will be married into the family as his daughter-in-law."
Xu Zilan asked, "Wang Xing? I've never heard of him before. Who is he?"
Lou Xiyue turned her face away and said lightly, "Wang Xing is a cook in the manor..."
After noon that day, Lou Xiyue said goodbye to Xu Zilan.
Xu Zilan presented a box of first-class gold beads from the Western Regions and entrusted Lou Xiyue to deliver it to Shen Yunshuang and his wife.
Before parting, he instructed, "Princess An has long desired to get to know you. On the 26th of next month, we will have a poetry contest and a gathering of friends. Brother Xiyue, you must not break your promise again."
Lou Xiyue waved her fan and laughed, "If there is enough time, I will come back."
After speaking, he lifted the hem of his robe, leaped onto his horse, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Brother Zilan, then we shall meet again."
The two rode their horses southwards.
Halfway upstairs, west Yue received a message delivered by carrier pigeon, her expression slightly composed.
Ji Jiu asked, "Seventh Young Master, what happened?"
Lou Xiyue sighed softly and waved her hand, saying, "The spies in the Eastern Lands have repeatedly harmed martial arts practitioners. This time, His Majesty has raised an army to suppress them, but in reality, he wants to remove this thorn in his side and conquer the Eastern Lands. The martial arts gangs want to join forces with the court and have sent a message to ask the Jade Luo Sect for their opinion."
"What does the Seventh Young Master think?"
Lou Xiyue was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's discuss this again when we get back to Yangzhou."
As they approached Yangzhou, the two stopped for a rest and some tea at an abandoned official post station by the roadside.
A group of people gathered at the post station, drinking and eating meat, and discussing the attack on the eastern lands.
Among them was a handsome young man dressed in dark blue robes, who seemed to have a very high reputation. Whenever he spoke, everyone else fell silent and listened attentively.
This man is Wen Shi, the head of the armory. The weapons and hidden weapons he forges are all highly regarded in the martial arts world.
Wen Shi said solemnly, "I have discovered a secret passage to the capital of the Eastern Land. If we can get the help of you heroes, we will surely be able to strike at the heart of the enemy and take the head of that empress."
The others responded, "As long as Chief Wen says the word, we will definitely do our best to help."
Lou Xiyue raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, put down her teacup, and prepared to set off with Ji Jiu.
At this moment, a gust of wind swept by, and several golden darts flew straight from Wen Shi's sleeve towards Lou Xiyue at great speed. In the blink of an eye, one of the golden darts was seen firmly embedded in the bench.
Just now, Lou Xiyue was sitting on the bench.
He dodged the attack, raised his hand, and used the fan bone to block all the golden darts.
Wen Shi laughed loudly, "Master Lou, it's been a long time. How is your Peach Blossom Fan still going smoothly?"
Lou Xiyue also clasped his hands and smiled, "Brother Wen's weapon has always been unmatched, and no one in the martial arts world can match it. Xiyue thanks Brother Wen for generously gifting me the fan."
Wen Shi approached with a pot of wine and said generously, "I was just about to discuss the matter of the Eastern Lands with you heroes. Why don't you come along, Brother Lou? I've heard that you've ventured alone into Wenlai County in the Eastern Lands several times. You must know the terrain of the Eastern Lands like the back of your hand."
Lou Xiyue said regretfully, "I have urgent business to attend to today and I'm afraid I can't discuss this matter in detail with Brother Wen. When I have some free time, I will definitely bring a few jugs of the finest Seven Steps Intoxication to pay a visit to the armory."
Wen Shi asked meaningfully, "There are rumors that Brother Lou had a relationship with the Empress of the Eastern Lands. I wonder if it's true or not?"
Lou Xiyue said calmly, "Rumors in the martial arts world are not to be believed."
Wen Shi paused for a moment and then said, "That makes sense. Brother Lou is a talented man of our Great Li, how could he have an affair with that Empress? In that case, will the Jade Luo Sect join forces with us in the martial world to conquer the Eastern Lands?"
Lou Xiyue pondered for a moment, a smile playing on her lips, and tapped the fan handle against her palm. “Naturally, the Jade Luo Sect will not stand idly by.”
Wen Shi poured wine and drank a cup with Lou Xiyue. After exchanging a few more polite words, they each went their separate ways.
Upon entering the Lou residence, Lou Xiyue was immediately drawn into the study by Lou Yufeng to discuss the matter of a martial arts contest to choose a husband.
As Ji Jiu entered the courtyard, he saw a servant pointing upwards and exclaiming, "A phoenix! Isn't that a phoenix?"
"Unlike a phoenix, why is a phoenix black?"
"But that bird is huge! What else could it be but a phoenix?"
Ji Jiu looked in that direction and saw a large black bird perched on the nearby eaves, spreading its wings and soaring into the sky.
Judging from its appearance, it should be an eagle.
A letter lay in the corner of the courtyard, yellowed with age, blending into the withered branches and fallen leaves, making it difficult to notice.
It says two words: "Calculation".
Postscript (Part 3)
In the late autumn of the thirty-seventh year of Chongyuan (1608).
The war between the states of Li and Xue was fierce, with the two armies locked in a stalemate for two years.
The Empress of Xue was ruthless, personally leading the army into battle and skillfully using poisons to defeat the miasma. Afterwards, she won battle after battle. Da Li was at a disadvantage, and its morale plummeted.
In the thirty-ninth year of Chongyuan, the Empress was struck by an arrow on the city wall of Yanmen County and died.
It is said that before she died, she said to the direction in which the arrow was fired, "Why you?"
Because the empress never married and left no children, the Xue Kingdom was without a ruler and fell into chaos. Later, it was conquered by the Da Li Kingdom, which unified the country.
Extra (1)
In the twentieth year of the reign of Emperor Lian Tong, Empress Xue gave birth to a baby girl.
On his birthday, auspicious omens appeared in the heavens, and a diviner predicted that he would become a noble person of the Xue Kingdom.
Because she was born during a full moon, she was given the name Moon Princess.
After that, Empress Xue had no more children, and the Emperor made Yue Ji a princess. When she turned twenty, she succeeded to the throne.
Despite her petite stature, Yueji refused to be criticized by the ministers, who claimed she was a weak woman with no strength to even kill a chicken. Therefore, from a young age, she dressed as a boy, practiced martial arts and discussed philosophy, and accompanied the general on his campaigns.
One day, she was practicing her skills with a long sword in the back garden when she accidentally stepped into the air, and a long sword flew out of her hand and stabbed straight to the west.