Gao Qing remained silent, realizing that the Emperor's path in love had been so arduous.
"Tell me, does the durian symbolize lingering among the common people, or is it longing for my presence?"
"Of course it's the Emperor. The Empress understands the Emperor's deep affection." Gao Qing sighed inwardly. Who said that only the Empress was worried about gain and loss?
Ying Tianchi gazed at the vast starry sky. He didn't want countless stars, nor vibrant colors; he only wanted the bright moon and the delicate fragrance. He said wistfully to Gao Qing, "We'll set off slowly tomorrow." Gao Qing was puzzled. "As long as she's safe, let her be free."
Feeling apprehensive as he approached his hometown, how could he bring himself to ask her if she had a child?
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Beita Temple in Fancheng, situated in the heart of the city, was not only a thriving place of worship but also a haven for many scholars. Most of these scholars were either failures in the imperial examinations or felt their talents were unappreciated, hoping to try again the following year, hoping for a better opportunity. However, lacking funds, they sought refuge in the temple, where three meals a day were provided for a very low price. Driven by their scholarly spirit, they often socialized, exchanging poems and discussing literature and philosophy. Many of them possessed genuine talent and learning, and fortunately, the temple's solemn atmosphere prevented it from becoming too noisy. Wei Yu found solace and reflection in the temple's chanting.
After dinner in the evening, she took a walk in the vegetable garden behind the temple. The setting sun painted the sky with golden hues, and the garden was filled with the fragrance of soil and flowers, which dispelled the heat of the day and made her feel refreshed.
A babbling brook flowed, its clear waters revealing floating aquatic plants. Beneath the bridge, it formed a small pond, where the monks who tended their vegetables and flowers likely often drew water to irrigate their plants. The water was slightly murky, and a few koi carp swayed their tails. Seeing the koi, she unexpectedly recalled this time last year, when she was leisurely spending her days at the Imperial Observatory. A year had passed, and her life had undergone a dramatic transformation, like a series of strokes in a painting—with turbulent waves, brilliant moments, and regrets. Fortunately, she had such wonderful men, her lovely younger sister Ziyi and Chengyi, who both loved her wholeheartedly. Her ordinary life had thus begun to unfold in splendor. "Only Uncle... I'm sorry, I promised I would go back, but I broke my promise. I can't abandon them. Tianchi, the man I love... Mom and Dad, will your spirits in heaven blame their daughter?"
The distant tolling of the bell signaled the start of the monks' evening prayers. She gently stroked her abdomen, and in that instant, she was immersed in peace, her heart serene and tranquil.
As Yu Xuezhi entered the garden, he saw a person smiling and holding a flower in the evening mist. He was startled and had the illusion that a beautiful woman was slowly approaching. He stared intently and was immediately captivated. A gentle and refined scholar stood on the bridge like the bright moon, with the endless twilight as his backdrop.
He walked over, followed his gaze to the pond, and sighed, whether for the pond or for the scholar before him, "Ah, what a pity, the water in this pond is not as clear as the stream; if one were to compose a poem, it would be far inferior."
"Not necessarily. If the water is too clear, there will be no fish." Before he could finish speaking, he avoided his neighbor. Yesterday, he had sent her his calling card to request an audience, but she refused. Later that evening, he had overheard several of them reciting poems and discussing current affairs. Yu Xuezhi was indeed very talented and a true gentleman. Although he came from a prominent family, he was not arrogant.
"I would like to hear your kind opinion, brother." Yu Xuezhi humbly cupped his hands in greeting.
"I wouldn't dare." Without a word, Yu Xuezhi smiled, her clear and bright eyes brimming with youthful vigor. How long ago was it that she longed for the university campus, a place that should also be filled with such youthful vitality? A sense of familiarity welled up within her. "Just as there is pure and elegant beauty in the world, there is also lofty and flowing water. Without fishing, reading, farming, and woodcutting, where would the refined tastes of scholars come from? Where would this graceful lotus emerging from the water come from? And where would the purity of rising from the mud come from?"
Yu Xuezhi exclaimed in admiration, "Hearing your words has opened up a whole new world. 'If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die without regret in the evening.' The sage's words are truly so!"
As dusk deepened, she nodded in farewell without speaking, stepped off the stone bridge, and watched her go. Her figure was hazy and somewhat mysterious in the mist. Fish leaped under the bridge, creating ripples that, on a summer evening, stirred up his pond of spring water.
The next day, Yu Xuezhi was dragged by his poetry friends to admire chrysanthemums, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. He got drunk that night and didn't go home. When he rushed back to the temple at dawn, he was shocked to find that the quiet room next door was empty. The young novice was packing up. He only wanted the second half of the calligraphy scroll. He was disappointed for a long time. He asked the head monk, who said that Young Master Wei had taken a carriage to the foot of Mount Taibai early that morning. He hurriedly ordered his servant to pack his bags and prepare the carriage, but suddenly felt a chill all around him, and couldn't help but shiver. When he arrived at the foot of the mountain, there was no trace of him, so he had to give up.
Three days later, at dawn, Wei Yu stood on the mountain path at the foot of Mount Taibai, a smile on her lips.
Enough, she thought, moved. He gave her freedom, sheltered her from the storm, and gave her what she wanted. With a husband like this, what more could a woman ask for?
The blue flagstone path was swept clean of branches and leaves, and there were no pedestrians on the road. Was he coming?
I decided to stroll along slowly, enjoying the cool breeze and the gentle pine wind that was intoxicating. Lush forests and tall bamboos, tranquil valleys, a gentle breeze, and verdant mountains all made me feel refreshed. I could hear the faint chanting of Buddhist hymns echoing through the mountains, their lingering sound like the gentle rustling of leaves, cleansing the dust from my heart. All things in the world were still, and I felt a sense of peace.
A pavilion stands gracefully on the mountainside, nestled against the Tianchi Lake, tall and majestic.
Without a word, a smile bloomed on her lips as she met the warm, smiling eyes. She reached out and embraced the chest she had longed for in her dreams. "I'm back."
Yes, amidst the endless, drifting white clouds, her heart was clearly inscribed in this time and space. When she felt a deep, deep debt of guilt towards him, she finally fell in love without even realizing it. As long as her heart is free, why should she get stuck in a rut?
A chance encounter led to a beautiful surprise, and a surge of joy welled up in her heart. She looked up and saw his hand resting on her belly: "Tianchi, child."
She smiled radiantly, speaking softly as if she had just returned from a stroll through the mountains and rivers. He was overjoyed, his fingertips gently sliding over her dark, glossy skin. This rare sight in his life, he finally held in his palm.
One night after the Mid-Autumn Festival in the twenty-first year of the Xuande reign, the moon was dark and wild geese were flying high, making it a perfect time to do something mysterious.
A figure flashed out of the Qianqing Palace. Gao Qing, inside his sleeping bag, rubbed his eyes, listened to the silence in the main room, yawned, and went back to sleep. The Imperial Concubine had invented this thing, and he slept very comfortably.
The figure disappeared in the blink of an eye as soon as it reached the west side, and all was silent, as if everything had passed without a trace.
After a long while, as the sky began to lighten in the distance, the figure reappeared like a ghost. Once inside the East Gate, he slowed his pace, his heart churning with a mix of emotions: shock, unease, worry, and joy. Although he had some initial thoughts and had received much respite from his two masters, his heart was still filled with a bittersweet mix of feelings.
The Dragon Cavalry Captains at Qianqing Gate were astonished to see His Majesty enter from outside, dressed in a black robe. They looked at each other in disbelief and forgot to pay their respects. It turned out that His Majesty was indeed the Son of Heaven, a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail.
Gao Qing stared in disbelief as Ying Tianchi walked in from outside the pavilion, exclaiming, "The...the...the Emperor?!"
"I'm going for a walk, keep your voice down." He hurried past, patted Gao Qing on the shoulder, and said, "Get ready to wake him up."
His dark eyes bulged: "Taking a walk?" He glanced at the sky outside the window; it looked perfectly normal. "Dressed all in black? Taking a walk?"
Turning past the screen with its folded branches, the embroidered curtains hung low. On the dragon-carved imperial couch, Wei Yu was fast asleep, nestled against a pile of brocade quilts. The brocade mattress was tightly covered, but a few strands of her black hair playfully peeked out and piled on the pillow. Ying Tianchi tiptoed to the head of the bed, pushed aside the quilts, and leaned down to gently kiss her smooth cheek. He loved the scent of sandalwood when Wei Yu was sound asleep. Wei Yu let out a soft moan but did not wake up. Now five months pregnant, she was not as alert as before and was extremely sleepy.
He gazed at her peaceful sleeping face, which had a luminous glow.
Heaven has bestowed upon him a bright, intelligent, and elegant flower that understands words.
The matter began with Tianfang's secret memorial. He wanted to follow custom and posthumously honor the Empress's deceased mother and father in the Empress's register, so he ordered Tianfang to investigate. However, Tianfang's report to Lady Song of Yuanning was evasive, and he couldn't find out which branch the Consort came from. After careful questioning, Lady Song said that she only learned of the woman's existence from the elder's boasting, and the Consort's appearance was very abrupt. Even with Tianfang's abilities, he couldn't find out the whole story. Ying Tianchi was immediately shocked, but he remembered many clues: her delirious ramblings during her illness, the strange words in her subtle hints. He reopened the secret passage of Shanglin Garden to see the elder who was in seclusion. In the sixth year of Xuande, he accidentally entered the secret passage, which changed his life.
It turned out that everything was as he had predicted. No wonder her accent was sweet and soft, no wonder she had a jade Pixiu. Everything made sense now.
"Durian, lingering, reluctant to leave, is it because I've kept you here?"
She traveled through time and space to be with him, and she loved him too. How fortunate he was to have such a kind and beautiful woman as his partner. How could he not cherish her in his hands and hold her in his heart!
In the twenty-second year of the Xuande reign, the Imperial Concubine gave birth to a baby boy, who later became Emperor Shengde, Ying Jingchen. The name "Chen" was chosen with a profound meaning.
In the spring of the twenty-third year of the Xuande reign, a grand ceremony was held to formally invest the empress. Emperor Xuande personally offered sacrifices to Heaven, informed the ancestral temple, and granted a general amnesty. Women from the imperial harem who volunteered to leave were to be treated as daughters of the imperial clan, except for the Xue, Lin, and Qiu families, who were not included in the amnesty.
In the years that followed, the Empress bore the Emperor five sons and one daughter. Emperor Xuande, still troubled, finally couldn't help but ask his beloved Empress. She replied strangely, "Didn't the Elder already tell you? You didn't object to the name I gave Chen'er. If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have thought it was so important, so I didn't bring it up." He was speechless, then chuckled. It turned out he had worried for years in vain. "Oh, no wonder that after the Elders came out of seclusion, every time I wanted to see them, you always had something going on, either sitting to the side watching intently, or you wouldn't let me speak when the new Elders came to pay their respects. So you had ulterior motives."
The emperor and empress were deeply in love. He took her to visit scenic mountains and rivers, covering almost all of his territory, but never set foot on the Chenjiang Plain in the northeast.
Adding a dog's tail to a sable coat:
1. Song Mingliang in Suzhou suddenly received a huge remittance slip, and the photo studio received an anonymous letter with only a few words: "I am fine and happy. Uncle, don't worry. The money was a gift from my nephew-in-law. Don't look for it." The paper was fine Xuan paper, written with a brush, and it was clearly the handwriting of his niece, Weiyu.