Changning Palace was a familiar place for Song Shuhao. She had kowtowed three times to Empress Dowager Feng, but she felt that from now on, she would probably never return to serve in this place again. She had accidentally stumbled onto an unexpected path, and whether it was for better or worse, there was no chance or room for turning back.
Having no way out might be a good thing. She could just move forward without hesitation or wavering. Who knew what the future held? Before the age of nine, she never imagined she would enter the palace. Before the age of nineteen, she never imagined she would serve the Emperor.
Although a person's life may seem insignificant in the face of heaven and earth, day after day, year after year, the accumulated uncontrollable events make life a series of ups and downs. Suddenly, you realize that what you thought would happen didn't, while the unexpected things come one after another.
Ah Hao recalled what Ling Xiao had told her: life is so short, the difference between birth and death may be just a moment, and the future is unknown; indeed, there is nothing more important than the present. She seemed to have once read a sentence in a book that said, "A once-in-a-lifetime encounter, a rare and precious meeting, should be cherished." Only now did she understand the truth contained within it.
In this uncertain world, who can truly accompany someone forever? Those things we know are impossible, we might do occasionally, perhaps just to leave a memory, without much reason. After walking our part of the road together, we'll inevitably part ways. But to have a memory, a longing, seems quite good enough.
Ah Hao remembered her father, Xue Liangyue, and the palace maid Qing'er... They had come and gone, but she could never easily forget any of them. The words Zhang Yu had spoken to Empress Dowager Feng praising her so highly echoed in her ears. Song Shuhao lowered her eyes, her resolve softening unconsciously, and she stopped stubbornly fighting with herself.
·
After arriving at Xuanzhi Hall, Ahao felt that life was much less troublesome. She focused on serving Zhang Yu well and didn't care much about other things. The person she once thought would be difficult to serve turned out to be very easy to take care of, so she didn't have to worry about anything.
In early February, news arrived from the border that Dayuan was harassing the frontier, resulting in casualties on both sides. The emperor, acting on his own initiative, proposed a marriage alliance with Dayuan to reconcile. There had been many frictions with Dayuan in the past, but the last time the Great Qi Dynasty had formed a marriage alliance with Dayuan was twenty years ago.
As soon as Zhang Yu spoke, the court officials immediately split into several factions: some were indifferent, some thought the move would damage national prestige and was inappropriate, and some insisted that it would benefit the country's development. The various factions debated and persuaded each other in court for seven days, and ultimately, the faction advocating for the marriage alliance gained the upper hand.
Upon hearing the news, Zhang Xin, who was neither married nor betrothed, was terrified while holding the puppy. She didn't dare approach Zhang Yu, but secretly stopped Xia Mingzhe to question him, only to be told it was none of her business. Zhang Xin was somewhat skeptical and went to the Xuanzhi Hall, avoiding Zhang Yu and Ahao to inquire further. Ahao claimed ignorance, adding that His Majesty had indeed recently mentioned her marriage.
Having heard the rumors of the King of Dayuan's fierce and menacing appearance, and imagining his tyrannical and ruthless nature, Zhang Xin was so frightened that she almost burst into tears in front of Ahao. Lost in her own thoughts, she couldn't hear a word of Ahao's comforting words.
Before Zhang Xin could even skip the crying and tantrums and go straight to threatening suicide, which she saw as a final, desperate struggle, she received news that Xue Liangyue had been brought out of the Yongxiang Palace and was being raised in the Feixian Tower. She had also been granted the title of Princess and would soon be married off to Dayuan for the sake of the country's stability.
She was still a little dazed and didn't quite understand what kind of path this was, but at least she had escaped a calamity and didn't have to worry about being tortured to death by the King of Dayuan if she really became a princess sent for a political marriage. Zhang Xin thought to herself that what Xia Zi had said was true, and she also thought that her sixth brother still had some affection for her, so she became more and more obedient and sensible every day.
Although Xue Liangyue could be considered a victim of a scapegoat, given her previous serious mistake, everyone believed that her survival and the possibility of a comeback were undoubtedly due to the kindness of His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
Even though Xue Liangyue had made mistakes, she had been raised by the Empress Dowager's side, and her manners, appearance, and talent were no less than those of an ordinary princess. It wasn't so unbelievable that she was chosen. Therefore, this surprising matter was discussed and laughed about by everyone for a couple of days before being forgotten.
The journey from Lin'an, the capital of Daqi, to the capital of Dayuan took a considerable amount of time. Therefore, even though Xue Liangyue's wedding was in May, the wedding procession had already set off in March. During the time Xue Liangyue was kept at Feixian Tower, no one was allowed to visit her.
The girl who used to braid each other's hair, who would squeeze into one blanket and talk until late at night when she couldn't sleep, who would comfort each other and cry when she was homesick, and who would study, practice calligraphy, chess, and piano together, ultimately did not get what she wanted and went down a path in life she never expected.
Ahao didn't see Xue Liangyue one last time. However, when Xue Liangyue was imprisoned in the Shenxing Division, she had spoken many things with her, and Ahao felt that they had said a sincere goodbye. Now that Xue Liangyue had gone to Dayuan, the mountains and rivers were vast and the world was boundless, and they had no chance of meeting again.
We should all take care of ourselves.
·
Before we knew it, day after day passed, and winter was over, and spring arrived. After the cold snap of early spring had also passed, the weather warmed up completely. Then, the gentle spring breeze blew, and all things came back to life. Grass grew tall and birds flew, showing off their vibrant vitality. Wherever you went, it seemed that you could see tender green leaves and beautiful flowers, which was very pleasing to the eye.
That day, after court, Zhang Yu went to Changning Palace to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Feng. On his way back to Xuanzhi Hall, he saw someone flying a kite in the palace. Seeing that it was in the direction of Yongle Palace, he sent someone to investigate and confirmed that it was Zhang Xin, who had been behaving herself for some time.
Considering her good performance lately, Zhang Yu ultimately didn't spoil Zhang Xin's mood. Back at Xuanzhi Palace, he had breakfast with Song Shuhao as usual. While drinking tea, Zhang Yu asked Shuhao if she knew how to fly kites. Shuhao, unaware of what he had seen on his way back, found his sudden question strange but answered honestly.
“I’m clumsy and not very good at it. When I was little, my father would take me to fly kites. He would always fly the kites, and I could only watch from the side. Once the kite got into my hands, it was bound to fall down.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu raised his lips and commented, "She's really incredibly clumsy." He then asked, "If you can't fly a kite, can you make one?" A-Hao still shook her head and said she couldn't. Zhang Yu smiled at her and said, "If you can't make one, you can at least draw one."
Setting aside his teacup, Zhang Yu led Song Shuhao to the study in the side hall, and casually instructed that the materials for making the kite be sent there. Lü Yuan acknowledged his request and went to make the arrangements.
Zhang Yu's sudden whim left A-Ha wondering where his good mood came from. However, once they reached the study, when asked what kind of kite she wanted to make, she was stumped. His Majesty the Emperor wanted her to draw the design herself. Should she disregard embarrassment and describe it as exquisite and beautiful, or should she keep it simple to avoid further embarrassment later?
"Or, a butterfly shape?" After thinking for a moment, Ah Hao asked tentatively.
"If you like it, that's fine." Zhang Yu said with a smile, and then added, "Although the butterfly isn't very unique, at least... with your incredibly stupid brain, it's not too bad."
Before she knew it, she was being teased. Ah Hao wasn't angry. She just said to him in a soft voice, "Although I'm clumsy, Your Majesty finds it easy to use." Zhang Yu was still smiling and didn't take it to heart that Song Shuhao had retorted.
Once the materials for making the kite arrived at the study, the two of them divided the work and got to work. Song Shuhao was in charge of the drawing, while Zhang Yu took care of the rest. Standing behind the desk, Ahao would occasionally glance at Zhang Yu, and seeing that he truly understood these things and was quite skilled, she was filled with admiration.
Zhang Yu quickly and smoothly completed the kite's frame, while A Hao, who was drawing with great care, was much slower. While A Hao was engrossed in her work, Zhang Yu walked behind her and carefully examined her drawing.
Then, taking advantage of a brief pause in her brushstrokes as she examined her work, Zhang Yu reached out and grasped A-Hao's hand that was painting, saying, "With your patience, this kite will be able to fly when it gets dark."
Still glancing around to check on Zhang Yu's progress, Song Shuhao didn't realize that this person was already behind her, let alone that her hand had been grabbed and that she had heard those words. If she hadn't been able to hold her ground, she probably would have been trembling with fear at the thought of Zhang Yu.
After calming herself down, Ahao said, "I will try to be as quick as possible, but I will have to trouble Your Majesty to wait a little while." Zhang Yu did not speak, but took the paintbrush from her hand and, while half-embracing her, quickly continued to finish the part that Song Shuhao had not completed.
Zhang Yu's painting style was much bolder, and he saved a lot of time. After all, once it was finished, that was that; no one wanted to redo it. After mounting the butterfly-shaped paper and completing the finishing touches, the kite was truly finished. At first glance, it didn't look bad at all.
Although she doubted whether the kite His Majesty had made by hand could even fly, Ah Hao dutifully followed Zhang Yu to the back garden of Xuanzhi Hall. The wind was favorable today, perfect for flying kites. Perhaps to avoid embarrassment, Zhang Yu didn't require any other palace servants, except for Lü Yuan and Lü Chuan, who were asked to stand far away on the corridor awaiting orders.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yu personally flew the kite, and the butterfly kite in his hands actually soared higher and higher, gradually reaching the horizon. Song Shuhao's suspicions were confirmed, and she sincerely admired this emperor who seemed to be proficient in everything, whether refined or common.
"Want to give it a try?" As the butterfly kite soared steadily in the air, Zhang Yu extended an invitation to Song Shuhao, who was standing beside him, looking up in a daze. Ahao lowered her head for a moment, noticing a slight soreness in her neck. She turned to look at Zhang Yu but didn't respond. "I'm not very good at this. What if it flies away or falls down?"
“If it flies away, then we don’t need it anymore. If it falls down, I can make it fly again.” Zhang Yu encouraged her gently, handing the fuse to Song Shuhao.
Ah Hao took it and tried to keep the kite flying in the sky. Zhang Yu also came to help, and the butterfly kite flew even better for a while. But when he let go, not long after, the fuse broke for some reason. The kite seemed to be swept forward by the wind for a while, but finally it fell straight down somewhere else.
After all, it was something she had worked so hard to make, and now it had turned out like this in her hands. The initial joy and the current disappointment made Ahao feel even more apologetic. She told Zhang Yu that she would go and retrieve the kite. No matter how hard it flew, it couldn't fly out of the palace, so finding it wouldn't be difficult.
"No need," Zhang Yu stopped Ahao, noticing a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. He added, "It's almost noon, let's stop here for today. If you want to play, we can make a new one next time." Ahao had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Lu Yuan and Lu Chuan stood under the corridor watching everything. When they saw the kite fall, Lu Yuan sighed with regret and said to Lu Chuan, "Why does this scene look so pessimistic? Do you think His Majesty will send us to retrieve it?"
"have no idea."
Lu Chuan responded indifferently, and Lu Yuan didn't take it to heart. Seeing Zhang Yu and Song Shuhao approaching, the two bowed to greet them. After returning to the main hall, while Song Shuhao wasn't paying attention, Zhang Yu instructed Lu Chuan to have someone retrieve the kite.
Having accepted the order, two quarters of an hour later, Lü Chuan returned to report that Feng Yuan was nowhere to be found. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu frowned slightly, his expression turning serious, but he only said, "Never mind," without adding anything further.
Chapter 63 Battle
When Feng Hui came out of Jinse Palace, she saw palace servants gathered in twos and threes, pointing and gesturing towards the horizon. She frowned and looked up as well. A butterfly kite was rising higher and higher in the distant sky. Judging from its direction, it must have been released from Xuanzhi Palace.