The eaves of the teahouse were draped with a rain curtain.
A gust of wind set it dancing like silver snakes.
The sky turned a murky yellow, and Xu Xing paused on the eaves of a three-story wooden building by the roadside. The drizzling rain fell on him, blocked by an invisible qi shield, then merged into streams, flowing along the roof’s tiles and into the street gutters.
Soon, Scholar Su rushed out of the teahouse, shielding himself from the rain with his large sleeve in one hand and holding a "storytelling" banner skewered on a bamboo cane in the other.
However, the rain by the roadside was too heavy.
It wasn’t long before he was utterly drenched.
So, he simply stopped trying to shield himself from the rain and trudged slowly onward, bamboo cane in hand.
This street was a bustling marketplace, its blue stone slabs worn smooth by the foot traffic. Once it rained, they became even slipperier. After walking a short while, Scholar Su carelessly slipped, his backside hitting the ground hard.
"The world regards me as a fairy in poetry..."
"I laugh at those who cannot see through me."
"Heavy taste, heavy salt, heavy spices, pork elbows, fat chicken, Beef Offal."
Scholar Su succumbed to hysteria and laughed, his words nonsensical.
The thunder rumbled fiercely, never ceasing.
A lightning bolt cut through the sky.
Following the lightning was an Escaping Light.
「Shenjing, the Imperial Palace.」
The Hall of Longevity.
The sky outside the palace was dreary, but the palace’s interior was brightly lit.
In the corridor, rows of long-burning lamps were lit.
Having dealt with state affairs, Zhao Yunniang, riding in the Phoenix carriage, came to the Hall of Longevity despite the discouragement of the palace attendants.
"It’s just one day; it won’t make much difference."
"If His Majesty knew, Your Majesty, he would feel for you, not blame you. Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and still comes to the Hall of Longevity every day to pray for His Majesty... Over time, your body will not be able to bear it."
Accompanying the Phoenix carriage was none other than Xiu Lan, Zhao Yunniang’s former trusted servant.
After Zhao Yunniang was made Empress, Xiu Lan’s status rose accordingly. She first became the Manager of Kunhua Palace, a female official of the Third Rank. Later, when Zhao Yunniang began her regency, Xiu Lan became the chief steward of the harem, holding the position of Second-Class Court Lady, comparable to the ministers of various departments in the Imperial Court.
"The corridor is slippery, what if..."
Xiu Lan opened the curtain of the Phoenix carriage, trying to dissuade her again.
Sitting upright in the Phoenix carriage, Zhao Yunniang’s posture was dignified and elegant, her phoenix eyes holding a touch more majesty than before. Her voice was unhurried, betraying no emotion. But after her words, the female officials beside her lowered their heads, daring not to say more. They only silently followed the Phoenix carriage towards the Hall of Longevity.
In the third year of Tiande, Emperor Tiande declared himself ill and refused to meet with the civil and military officers.
Then, in the fourth year of Tiande, Zhao Yunniang ordered craftsmen to build a palace in the northwestern corner of the Imperial Palace, naming it the Hall of Longevity. The name was self-explanatory: it was for Emperor Tiande to live forever and remain in the world.
The Hall of Longevity contained multiple inner halls, each enshrining different deities. These were dedicated to praying for Emperor Tiande.
Soon, the Phoenix carriage stopped outside the Hall of Longevity.
Palace maids entered in a single file, lighting the candles in each hall. In an instant, the dark Hall of Longevity was ablaze with light, its brilliance reaching the heavens and illuminating most of the Imperial Palace walls.
"Yunniang has come to see you."
Upon entering the hall, Zhao Yunniang dismissed the female officials and palace maids at her side, leaving only Xiu Lan. She knelt on a cushion before the incense table, her phoenix eyes tearful as she poured out her heart.
"Today, Minister of Penalty, Yu Ci made trouble again. He said that the Hall of Longevity is draining the people’s wealth and requested that its lights be extinguished. His reason is that the Heavenly Family should be frugal to set an example for the people..."
"But I know what Yu Ci truly wants. It’s not frugality from the Heavenly Family. He wants a palace coup because you, Your Majesty, have not appeared for so long. Closing the Hall of Longevity is merely his pretext—a pretext to force us, mother and son, to abdicate."
She twisted an embroidered handkerchief, crying as she wiped her tears.
Even though she had some contingency measures left by Xu Xing.
But the Imperial Court was still in a state of struggle, not yet broken.
They hadn’t reached the point of a desperate, mutually destructive fight.
The civil and military officials in the Imperial Court were using soft tactics, like slicing flesh with a dull knife, rather than openly pressuring her and Xu Zhang to abdicate. And while she had her methods, an Empress meddling in state affairs was ultimately improper and lacked true legitimacy.
Acting as regent was acceptable for a while, but if she continued to rule from behind the curtain...
How could the people of the world accept her?
Throughout the generations, Empress Dowagers acting as regents, listening to state affairs from behind the curtain, relied on the great principle of filial piety. When the Emperor was a child, his mother temporarily handling state affairs was not something to be criticized. But an Empress was different.
"Zhang’er isn’t making progress."
"Even if I were willing to cede power to him, he wouldn’t be able to handle it. A few days ago, Zhang’er argued with me, saying he wanted to rule on his own... Zhang’er is sixteen years old..."
"Once Zhang’er starts ruling independently, he will definitely change the era name and, effectively, the dynasty."
"Wouldn’t that be tantamount to declaring your Emperor’s Death, Your Majesty...?"
Zhao Yunniang prostrated herself on the floor, crying inconsolably.
Her regency... Her son resented her for meddling too much, and the civil and military officers detested her for being ’a hen crowing at dawn.’
The Imperial Court pressured her, her own son pressured her; she felt like an enemy to the entire world. All she wanted was to protect the legacy Xu Xing had left, to prevent it from being lost in her lifetime.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to hand over the kingdom to Xu Zhang; it was that Xu Zhang still wasn’t capable enough. He simply couldn’t outmaneuver the Feudal Kings of the Xu clan and this court full of officials. Moreover, if Xu Zhang began to rule independently, it would signify Xu Xing’s ’Emperor’s Death.’ Then these outsiders would no longer have any scruples, and the Emperor could lose the nation in that very instant.
As long as Xu Xing, this Emperor Tiande, is still here, the Feudal Kings of the Xu clan are his staunch supporters, and all the civil and military officials of the court are loyal subjects.