Nine Songs

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As the leaves fell and rustled, Lord Xinyang returned from Youhuang Mountain with his jade pendant.

The new ruler of Chu, Tun, personally went out of the city to greet him. After his uncle had performed the rites of a subject to a ruler, Tun straightened his clothes and bowed to him in the manner of a family member.

Lord Xinyang quickly helped him up, and when he looked up, he and Zitun smiled at each other, a glint of light in the corner of their eyes.

Zi Tun inquired about his well-being with concern, and Lord Xinyang responded with a smile, his attitude respectful and his words gentle. Zi Tun invited him to ride in the same carriage back to the palace, but Lord Xinyang repeatedly declined. However, Zi Tun insisted, and finally took his hand and personally led him into the carriage before ordering the journey to begin.

The people of the capital, Mingcheng, came upon hearing the news and waited at the place where the imperial carriage was bound to pass. As the carriage approached, the curtains on the carriage would occasionally be blown aside by the wind, and for a fleeting moment, the figures of two men could be seen inside. They wore the same wide sleeves and tall hats, with elegant demeanor and noble and otherworldly air.

Moreover, they chatted and laughed from time to time.

Some elderly people couldn't help but shed tears, deeply moved. Sixteen years ago, Lord Xinyang left the capital by carriage to live in seclusion in Youhuang Mountain. The late King Xuanlian—the father of Zitun—personally came to the south gate of Mingcheng to see him off, a ceremony called "sending off." However, he only stood with his hands behind his back on the city tower, indifferently watching Lord Xinyang kneel and bow below the city to take his leave in accordance with the proper etiquette, and then leave the city and go far away. He did not utter a single word from beginning to end.

On that day, Lord Xinyang rode in a plain carriage with only a few family members and attendants, letting the carriage rumble away into the distance. His pale face showed no trace of emotion, yet everyone felt sorrow for him.

Now, the new emperor personally welcomed him back. He remained composed, unperturbed by the honor bestowed upon him. A bright gleam appeared between his brows, reminding one of the day in his youth when he was ordered to go out of the city to pray for rain and returned successfully. Sitting upright in his high carriage, he didn't laugh loudly, but the joy in his heart shone through his brow, making his spirit soar. The carriage curtains were not drawn, and through the misty rain, his youthful face was still clearly visible, so bright, seemingly as radiant as the sun and moon.

Lord Xinyang accompanied Zitun into the palace to pay homage to the Queen Mother, who had previously ruled from behind the scenes.

Empress Dowager Cen watched in silence as Prince Xinyang bowed, and after a long while, she uttered a single word: "Exempt." Her cold voice carried a hint of weariness.

Zitun immediately whispered to his uncle, "The Empress Dowager has been unwell lately."

Lord Xinyang nodded slightly, but did not say much. Before straightening up and lowering his eyes, his gaze lightly swept over the Empress Dowager. Although it was only a fleeting moment that was difficult to perceive, he already understood many things.

She was already in her thirties, yet the traces of time seemed to have slid across her face and disappeared into her eyes. Thus, she remained as beautiful as ever, only her once clear eyes had become tainted by the dust of the world, losing their purity. She looked at him with a cold and sharp gaze.

Then came another moment of silence. This pause made Zitun uneasy, and as he pondered how to break the deadlock, the Empress Dowager spoke up: "Lord Xinyang, how well are the Du Ruo flowers blooming on Youhuang Mountain this year?"

Lord Xinyang bowed and said, "It is entirely thanks to the blessings of Your Majesty and the Queen Mother that the flowers and trees of Youhuang Mountain are so lush and abundant, just as they are year after year."

The Empress Dowager smiled slightly: "Very good."

She continued to exchange pleasantries with him, her tone almost gentle, the sharpness in her eyes subtly disappearing, replaced by the demeanor of an elder sister-in-law.

He answered each question, his eyes always half-closed, which maintained his humble and respectful expression. While listening to her speak, he would offer a faint smile, unlike the obsequious smiles of the other officials. His smile was gentle, yet slightly reserved, making his demeanor impeccable even under the Queen Mother's imposing presence.

Zitun occasionally joined their casual conversation, but most of the time he watched his uncle with great interest. When the Queen Mother invited Lord Xinyang to return to his residence in the capital to rest, he even personally got up to see Lord Xinyang off outside the palace.

"Thank you, Mother." He turned around and smiled, "Your subject ignored your advice and insisted on bringing Lord Xinyang back. I thought you would be angry, but I did not expect you to treat Lord Xinyang so kindly. What a fine demeanor!"

Empress Dowager Wang glanced at him indifferently and said, "The person you went to so much trouble to invite back must be very capable. How could I not treat him with courtesy?"

Zitun understood her unspoken meaning and quickly explained, "Since Father's passing, Mother has been busy with state affairs all day long, to the point that she has fallen ill from worry. I deeply regret that I was unable to share Mother's burdens in time, so I recalled Lord Xinyang. With my uncle assisting in the government, Mother can rest easy and recuperate in peace."

"Lord Xinyang..." Empress Dowager Wang smiled quietly.

Zi Tun frowned: "Does Mother not believe that Lord Xinyang has the talent to assist in governing?" He walked to his mother's side: "Lord Xinyang could compose poetry at the age of five, write prose at the age of seven, and at the age of sixteen, he went on a mission to the State of Qi and successfully resolved a war with his own efforts. Moreover, he is of noble character and has the demeanor of a sage. When he lived in seclusion in Youhuang Mountain, he gave all his annual salary and fiefdom to disaster victims and poor families, while he himself lived a simple life with a simple meal. Everyone praised him as virtuous."

The Queen Mother remained silent, but Zitun became increasingly excited as he spoke: "Have you heard, Mother? The people of Chu privately call Lord Xinyang 'Lord of the Clouds.' Clouds can turn into rain, and rain nourishes mountains and rivers; they are comparing him to a cloud god! It is said that in the past, Chu suffered a severe drought, with no rain for ten months. Lord Xinyang volunteered to go out of the city to pray for rain, and as soon as the ceremony was over, the rain began to fall..."

A breeze blew in, carrying a damp smell. Zitun was overjoyed and strode out of the main hall. He leaned against the railing, looked up at the sky, and then turned to his mother, saying, "Look, it really is Lord Yunzhong! He just returned and brought a timely rain to Mingcheng..."

Empress Dowager Wang suddenly started coughing, covering her mouth with one hand and clutching her chest with the other, coughing painfully and frowning.

Zitun rushed back in a panic, asking repeatedly, "What's wrong with Mother?" He hurriedly directed people to fetch medicine and seek medical help. When the medicine was brought back, he took it from his mother and fed her spoonful by spoonful.

The warmth of the medicinal soup seeped into her body, and the initial discomfort dissipated. Empress Dowager Wang closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, her breathing gradually calming down.

"Mother, are you feeling better?"

Upon hearing the voice, the Queen Mother opened her eyes. For a moment, the scene before her was blurry, as if she were just waking up. Then, the figure of a seventeen-year-old boy settled into her mind's eye. His figure was elegant yet sorrowful. Before smiling, he tried to smooth his slightly furrowed brows and asked gently, "Are you feeling better now?"

In a daze, everything quietly changed. She seemed to be in the old palace of the ancient Chu Kingdom many years ago. The palace was shrouded in thin silk and gauze curtains, which locked in dim light. The air was filled with the fragrance of camphor. A beautiful woman, barely breathing, lay on the phoenix bed, like a pool of ice and snow about to melt away.

And he, that boy as beautiful as light, asked the ailing beauty with a sorrowful smile, "Mother, are you feeling better... are you feeling better now?"

To her, who was observing at the time, his voice was as pleasant as a gentle breeze in the forest. So she often unconsciously repeated his words in her heart: "Mother, are you feeling better... are you feeling better now?"

"Are you feeling better now?" someone asked again, this time almost anxiously.

She regained her composure and returned to the present moment. "Hmm, I'm much better." She nodded with a smile. "Zi-Tun, I'm fine, it's just a bit chilly."

Zi Tun smiled with relief. Empress Dowager Ban Han stared intently at him, suddenly realizing that he was now seventeen, just like when she first met him.

The "he" at the end was not Zitun, but the Lord Xinyang whom Zitun admired. The seventeen-year-old Lord Xinyang was not the same Lord Xinyang; at that time, he was Prince Pingyi.

(to be continued)

I. Lord of the Clouds

Bathed in fragrant orchid-scented water, adorned in splendid attire, like a radiant flower;

The spirit lingers, its radiance unending;

May my reverence be restored in the Palace of Longevity, and may my glory shine as brightly as the sun and moon.

Riding a dragon in imperial robes, I leisurely roam the land.

—From "Nine Songs: Lord of the Clouds"

When she first met him, she was just a ten-year-old girl.

Her father, Cen Yang, was a physician in the palace of the Prince of Chu, and she was his only daughter. Fu Bo was her name.

Before the age of ten, Fu Bo had never left Youhuang Mountain. It was her hometown, where her father met her mother and lived with her for eight years until her mother passed away.

Cen Yang was deeply saddened. Despite his exceptional medical skills and life-saving abilities, he couldn't save his own wife. But no one condemned him for this; he remained a renowned physician. Just a month after Lady Cen's death, Prince Qiu Lang summoned him to the palace to serve as a physician. He left his daughter in Youhuang Mountain until one day, when she was ten years old, he came from the

……