Yun Zhong Ge Chapter 24: Whispers at Midnight

YAY! More adorable interactions in this chapter. Yun Ge and Ling gege spend the night together, though chaste, no one knows better and it causes a huge stir. Liu Bing Yi steps up, and starts to dip his toes into politics; Yun Ge continues to avoid Meng Jue, Liu Fu Ling remains wonderfully understanding.

My copy of YZG has 6 volumes, if volume 1 was the set up, volume 2 about Meng Jue and Yun Ge, then this volume 3 would be for Liu Fu Ling and Yun Ge. Volumes 4,5,6 are just angst, angst ,angst. Enjoy the happy while it lasts.

Update: CHAPTER COMPLETE. Enjoy! Ahhh, this chapter is too cute, felt it again as I was translating this chapter - probably why I managed to churn it out so quickly- they have this unspoken bond with each other, almost like some sort of ESP.

I'll be updating this everyday until the chapter is complete before creating a new post.(Think of it as Yunzhongge-a-day) This post will be updated tomorrow and I'll post a update notice. Also, anonymous comments have been screened to prevent spam comments but I have lifted that screening feature. We'll see how that goes, if this blog attracts loads of spam, I might have to add a captcha.

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Early in the morning, it was not long after Liu Bing Yi got out of bed; and was eating with Xu Ping Jun when a stranger called on them.

“May I know if Master Liu Bing Yi is at home?”

As soon as he heard those words, the string strung taut over Liu Bing Yi’s heart ever since Liu Fu Ling’s visitation sounded thunderously. The time has finally come. He quickly set aside his chopsticks and met the person in the courtyard. “I am he.”

Qi Xi smiled and bowed, Liu Bing Yi returned his bow hurriedly as he smiled “I am a mere commoner, not fit for such greetings.” Qi Xi smiled “Master Liu is astute. I have been commanded to bring you to the palace, the carriage awaits outside.” The moment Xu Ping Jun registered the words ‘bring you to the palace’, the bowl she was holding fell with a clang, breaking into pieces. Liu Bing Yi turned to Xu Ping Jun “I’ll be back in a jiffy. The water vat is almost out of water, make do with what you have first, and don’t go off trying to draw water by yourself. I’ll do it when I’m back.” Xu Ping Jun followed him out, tears glazing her eyes. It was only through sheer force of will that prevented their fall. Liu Bing Yi looked deeply into her eyes, gave her an apologetic smile before getting onto the carriage with Qi Xi.

Xu Ping Jun held the door frame as silent sobs wrecked her body, sorrow filling her heart, fearing he would be gone forever. It was as if the child in the house sensed his mother’s distress because he started wailing too. The child might be small, but his cries were loud and clear, abruptly bringing her to her senses – she couldn’t just wait around idly. She went into the house, carried the baby and hurriedly went off in search of Meng Jue. He was their only lifeline.

The carriage brought Liu Bing Yi to the restricted area in front of the palace gates. Qi Xi lifted the curtains and indicated for Liu Bing Yi to get off and walk. After Liu Bing Yi got off the carriage, he lifted his head to look at the majestic Wei Yang Palace and was struck with an urge to either cry out a song of lament or laugh uproariously. After more than ten years of drifting, he was standing humbly in front of this palace hall under a different ident.i.ty. Qi Xi was very sharp, after observing a moment of silence, he mentioned for Liu Bing Yi to follow him.

The palace walls, corridors, golden pillars, jade pillars….

Everything was familiar, yet not.

Many of these things have appeared in his nightmares; the Heavens seemed to be giving him a chance to verify today - that those shattered and scattered dreams are real, and not part of his imagination. Usually when it was an official’s first time coming into the palace, the eunuchs would introduce the halls and remind them of the protocol they’d need to follow, serving two purposes – the first to remind the official not to make mistakes, the second to curry favour through conversation, so that he would have an ally in future. Today though, Qi Xi was very quiet. Every time they pa.s.sed by a great hall, he would quietly report its name, other times he would just silently lead the way.

Just when they were about to reach Wen Quan Hall, Qi Xi slowed down “We are about to reach Wen Quan Hall. During winter, his majesty will usually meet his ministers and settle court matters here.”

Liu Bing Yi developed a sudden fondness for Qi Xi; even as he quickly said “Thank you for your reminder.”

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Wei Yang Palace, Jiao Fang Hall

Huo Guang paid his respects to the Empress Shang Guan Xiao Mei. Xiao Mei felt extremely awkward but knew this was how Huo Guang was like. No matter how he may feel, he would always behave as etiquette dictates in front of others.

She was a monarch, and he, her subject.

And so she could only sit stiffly, waiting impatiently for him to finish his bow so she could quickly grant him a seat. After Huo Guang took his seat, Xiao Mei's gaze swept across the hall; all the eunuchs and palace maids tactfully left the hall.

Xiao Mei asked tenderly “How has grandfather, grandmother, uncle and aunt been? Aunt has not entered the palace in a while, I miss her dearly. If she is free, please ask her to come accompany me.” Huo Guang rose slightly “Thank you for your consideration, your majesty. All is good with your subject and his family. How does your majesty fare?”

Xiao Mei lowered her head.

First came the addition of that girl in Xuan Shi Hall, then the matter of the Huo residence being charged by someone came closely after, she had to think through her answer carefully at this critical juncture. Does her grandfather wish for her answer to be “good” or “not good”?

She chose silence as her answer, letting her grandfather draw his own conclusions.

Huo Guang sighed as he took in Xiao Mei’s silence, her head bowed as she played with her bangle “Your majesty entered the palace at a tender age, with no elder at your side to care for you. I have always been worried for you, yet I should not be worrying about such matters.”

“You are my grandfather. If you don’t care about me, I really am left with no one else to rely on in this palace.” Xiao Mei lifted her head, anxiety and distress written on her face.

Huo Guang hesitated, then changed his form of address “Xiao Mei, his majesty and you……Has his majesty……..rested.. at your place?”

Xiao Mei lowered her head, playing with her bangle as she replied nonchalantly “Emperor Da Ge comes to visit me sometimes, but he has his own residence. The décor here isn’t as pretty as that in Xuan Shi Hall, so he has never stayed here.”

Huo Guang, anxious and amused said “Why do you still behave like a child? Haven’t the old grannies in the palace educated you? His majesty should be staying at your place.”

Xiao Mei stuck out her lower lip “I don’t like listening to what they say. My own pallet is just nice for me; if two people were to lie on it, it will be a tight squeeze. Furthermore, his majesty is always so cold, just like…..” Xiao Mei glanced around furtively, then whispered “His majesty is just like a rock, I don’t like him.”

Huo Guang rose and walked over to Xiao Mei, his face stern “Xiao Mei, you are not to talk like that in future.”

Xiao Mei biting her lip, nodded humbly.

“Xiao Mei, no matter what you may think, the Emperor is the Emperor. You must respect him, and try your best to make him like you. Only if his majesty treats you well will you be then be happy here.”

Xiao Mei kept quiet, then nodded again after a while.

Huo Guang asked “Have you met the new girl the Emperor brought into the palace?”

Xiao Mei softly replied “She is a really nice Jie Jie and treats me very well. She cooks for me and even plays with me.” Huo Guang was so infuriated he could only sputter “You…..” The bloodbath within the Emperor’s harem was always comparable to a battlefield - no matter which concubine, as long as she had her family’s backing, other maidens would not be able to gain favour easily. Even more so since Xiao Mei was the Empress and he, Huo Guang wielded immense power. Great! Now that they are stuck with this childish, innocent Empress, the world would now see the strangest harem in history.

Xiao Mei looked fearfully at Huo Guang, tears misting her eyes.

Xiao Mei never really resembled her parents but at this moment, with her face so wretched, she looked like Huo Lian’er. When Huo Guang remembered how whenever a young Huo Lian’er was unhappy she would remain silent, silently shedding tears, just like this, he just softened, all his anger dissipating.

Xiao Mei entered the palace when she was six. Although she was cared for by older palace maids, they were still maids after all; there were many things they would not and dare not teach. Furthermore, there were some things he specially ordered them not to tell her, thinking it best if Xiao Mei were to remain in the dark. Xiao Mei had no friends her age, staying alone in her hall all day, idly living out her life, so there was no way she would understand the ways of the world.

Huo Guang stared at Xiao Mei, feeling extremely helpless. Then remembered there were benefits to her childishness, for if she were a ruthless, twisted Empress, would he be able to rest easy with her as the Empress? He didn’t dare entertain such thoughts, so he chose to be thankful for her ignorance instead.

He ruffled her hair, speaking tenderly “Don’t worry. Grandfather isn’t blaming you. Don’t fret about such matters from now on; I will take good care of you. You only have to do my bidding.” Xiao Mei happily grabbed Huo Guang’s sleeve, nodding vigorously. Huo Guang exited Xiao Mei’s Jiao Fang Hall, thought for a bit before accidentally-on-purpose taking the long route, pa.s.sing the Blue River en route to Wen Shi Hall.

On the frozen Blue River.

Yun Ge, Mo Cha, Fu Yu were busily giving orders to a group of eunuchs, pointing at the sky, then to the ice. Yun Ge, wearing a pair of embroidered gloves, was deep in thought as she drew clumsily. Mo Cha and Fu Yu stood beside her, chattering as they watched her draw. Each throwing out a few comments, and arguing when their opinions differed. The lively scene belied the chill and bleakness of their surroundings. Whereas in Jiao Fang Hall, despite the careful arrangement of flowers, the hanging vines, the scent of the jade phoenix wafting in the air, the palace maids and eunuchs were dour and solemn, silently sitting by the phoenix pallet, the Empress playing by herself, the whole hall seemed like it was covered in ice.

Huo Guang stood for a while before anyone noticed him. Once he was discovered, everyone wordlessly got into position and paid their respects. His gaze swept across all of them before falling on Yun Ge. Yun Ge looked at Huo Guang, though shocked, she didn’t show her discomfort, meeting his gaze frankly as she bowed to him. Huo Guang smiled “The first time I met you I knew you were no ordinary character. And I was right.” Yun Ge only smiled, not replying. Huo Guang stared at her, perplexed.

Ever since Yun Ge’s appearance in Xuan Shi Hall, he had ordered a thorough check on her background, but this girl seemed to have fallen from the sky. She had no birth records, let alone any form of record at all, no family, suddenly appearing in Chang An, and since the day she appeared, she had been inexplicably tied to the Huos.

First, Liu Bing Yi, forcing Huo Guang to acknowledge his existence, closely followed by Meng Jue, his daughter Cheng Jue actually had to fight with a cook for Meng Jue. This Meng Jue created much commotion within the Huo residence, and after losing so much to Meng Jue, he still felt helpless against Meng Jue.

Then in the blink of an eye, she materialized by Liu Fu Ling’s side. Although he didn’t know whether by bringing her into the palace, the Emperor was showing his favour or whether it was just a wordless statement against the Huos, whether or not she is a p.a.w.n, he could not allow someone who wasn’t a Huo to bear a prince first. Looks like there was no way he could prevent the brewing conflict between her and the Huos.

Huo Guang just felt as if the whole thing was ridiculous, the powerful, talented Huo family fighting with this lone maid? Maybe thinking of this battle as the power struggle between him and the Emperor will make this thing less ridiculous.

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Yun Ge saw that Huo Guang’s gaze was still trained on her, smiled as she called out “Your grace?” Huo Guang composed himself, smiled and bid Yun Ge goodbye.

The moment Huo Guang turned around, Yun Ge continued whatever she was doing, as if nothing happened. Once Huo Guang was some distance away, Fu Yu shifted to her side, started to say something, then faltered, mulling over his words. Yun Ge playfully hit his head “Stop twisting yourself in knots trying to work out his thoughts. No matter how hard you try you can't beat him anyway, so why bother? Concentrate on doing this for me - that is what you ought to be doing.”

Fu Yu scratched his head, grinned and answered “yes”, but started to be on his guard, knowing that he must be even more meticulous in future.

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Wei Yang Palace, Wen Shi Hall.

Liu Bing Yi lightly entered the main hall with Qi Xi, his head bowed, his hands clasped. Liu Fu Ling was seated high on the dragon pallet, his authority radiating across the wide hall. Liu Bing Yi paid his respects to Liu Fu Ling “Long live your majesty.”

“You may rise.”

Liu Fu Ling contemplated him for a bit, then asked “What has been the happiest moment of your life so far? What do you most want to do?”

Liu Bing Yi froze, he ran through all the possible questions Liu Fu Ling could have asked on the way to the palace, and thought he was very prepared, but it turns out he was wrong. Liu Bing Yi stood silently; Liu Fu Ling didn’t rush him, bowing his head to read his memorials, giving Liu Bing Yi the time to think. After a long while, Liu Bing Yi answered “Nothing truly happy has happened in my life thus far, maybe with the exception of my son’s birth, but even then I wasn’t sure whether I was happy or sad for bringing him into this world.”

Liu Fu Ling looked up at his words. Liu Bing Yi laughed bitterly “What I have always wanted to do was to be a court official. Adrift since young, I have been eating, dressing, growing up like any commoner, so I know, more than anyone, how a good official can bring fortune, while a corrupt official can destroy the lives of hundreds and thousands. I have seen many evil, corrupt officials who have angered me so much I longed to kill them, but that is not the right path. The actions of youxia might be able punish the evil officials, but they won’t be able to save the common folk. Only by becoming an official, helping the Emperor to establish laws, to choose the wise, will the common folk be true beneficiaries.”

Liu Fu Ling asked “I heard all the youxia of Chang An respectfully know you as ‘Da Ge’; history has shown that ‘youxias use their martial arts to violate the law’, have you ever done so?” Liu Bing Yi bowed his head “I have.” Liu Fu Ling didn’t comment on that, only added “You are very courageous, living up to your name as the leader of the youxia. If you had thrown some ‘wanting to live the simple life, enjoying life’s pleasures’ line at me, I would give you gold and silver, then order you to leave Chang An immediately, never to set foot within 800 li [1] of Chang An, giving you the free will to live as you please in peace.” Liu Bing Yi bowed “I have been brought down to live life adrift, yet I was still reading the “Records of the Grand Historian” at night. If I had claimed to harbour no ambition, wouldn’t I be guilty of deceiving your majesty?”

Just as Liu Fu Ling was about to reply, the eunuch standing guard outside reported “Your majesty, his grace Master Huo is now on his way towards Xuan Shi Hall, and will be reaching soon.”

Liu Bing Yi hurriedly requested to leave, but Liu Fu Ling thought for a bit before whispering a few words to Yu An. Yu An then mentioned for Liu Bing Yi to follow him. Not long after, Huo Guang was heard requesting an audience with the Emperor and Liu Fu Ling granted him one. After Huo Guang paid the necessary respects, he started to report on the issue he had been discussing with the other officials.

Since the end days of Emperor Wu of Han’s reign, the bourgeois have been rapidly taking over the lands, forcing landless peasants to become penniless wanderers. The situation had taken a turn for the better with the local government tax reduction, but it didn’t tackle the root of the problem. If this issue wasn’t tackled, it would be a hidden threat to the Han Dynasty. And if taxes needed to be raised for emergency funds, there was a high possibility of a peasant revolt; but if they were to forcibly supress the bourgeois, they would endanger the stability of the lands and maybe even spark off an internal conflict among the land owners. Taking in the situation at the border, Huo Guang suggested two measures - rewarding wanderers who partic.i.p.ate in the tuntian system, and encouraging them to return to their hometowns. At the same time imposing more control over the sale of land, cracking down on those who bully and force peasants to sell their land. Then issue a special permit over lands that show signs of being monopolized, giving land owners a chance to exchange land for an official t.i.tle, the state slowly repossessing those lands.

By using soft measures to curb the bourgeois, and solving the issue of displaced peasants, this could mitigate the conflict. Huo Guang considered the interests of both the bourgeois and the peasants, a very well thought out plan. Liu Fu Ling nodded as he listened “Beloved minister Huo, your suggestion is indeed good. Right now, the country is like a patient recovering from a major illness, but still plagued by many small ailments, we can only counter them slowly. I will leave this matter to you and Tian Qian Qiu, but remember this, those who exchange land for t.i.tles must only be given empty t.i.tles – those that don’t hold any real power.”

Huo Guang smiled “Your majesty can rest a.s.sured that the only benefit of those t.i.tles is to give them some semblance of official power.”

Liu Fu Ling thought for a bit, then added “I have someone I would like to nominate to help my beloved minister with this issue.” Tian Qian Qiu was a puppet Chancellor, always doing Huo Guang’s bidding, so Huo Guang was always pleased with Tian Qian Qiu, but another person nominated by the Emperor?

Huo Guang tried to brush it off “Your majesty, this is no easy matter. Although these are appeas.e.m.e.nt policies, we must not be too soft on them. Only then can we make an example of them. The bourgeois have always been closely tied to the land owning cla.s.s at court, I’m afraid any other person would….”

Liu Fu Ling cut him off calmly “This person is called Liu Bing Yi. Surely the Grand Marshal has heard of him.”

The look in Huo Guang’s eyes changed, but he only froze for a second before kowtowing to accept the edict. “Your subject will obey. I just wonder what t.i.tle your majesty will be conferring on Liu Bing Yi?”

“I’ll leave that to you. You may first confer an empty t.i.tle on him, but make him do some actual work.”

Huo Guang answered “yes”. Huo Guang initially planned to drop hints on the palace regulations for marriage consummation after settling this matter with the Emperor, but this surprise move by Liu Fu Ling messed with his thoughts.

He could no longer bother with the issue of his majesty’s harem; he needed to sort this Liu Bing Yi complication out first. “If your majesty has no other orders, I would like to start laying out the groundwork for this issue.” Liu Fu Ling nodded, acceding to his request to leave.

Huo Guang had just left when Liu Bing Yi came out from behind the curtain, kneeling before Liu Fu Ling “Your subject would like to thank your majesty for your eminent favour.” Liu Fu Ling shot a look at Yu An, and Yu An hurriedly moved a pallet for Liu Bing Yi to sit on.

“Bing Yi, the Grand Marshal has already given a detailed explanation on this matter earlier, but the actual implementation of these measures will be fraught with difficulties. This matter concerns the stability of our society, and must be managed well. I shall hand this matter over to you.”

Liu Fu Ling was very solemn, Liu Bing Yi answered without a second thought “Your majesty can rest a.s.sured that your subject will do his very best.”

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Yun Ge’s eyes widened when she heard from Qi Xi that Huo Guang had taken his leave and the person Liu Fu Ling was discussing matters with right now was Liu Bing Yi. She crept to the window to take a peek, and saw Liu Bing Yi all spruced up, sitting solemnly below, looking very proper indeed. Yu An coughed softly to warn Liu Fu Ling. The moment Liu Fu Ling looked out of the window; he saw a flash of someone’s head, then a dull groan of pain. Not knowing how badly she had hurt herself in her moment of panic, he quickly said “Enter if you wish to listen!”

Yun Ge rubbed her shin as she limped into the hall, her cheeks flushed from cold, her body wrapped snugly under many layers of clothes – she was quite a sight to behold. Liu Fu Ling waved her over “There are no strangers here; come forward and let me see where you’ve injured yourself.”

Yun Ge flashed Liu Bing Yi a grin, then sat on the side of Liu Fu Ling’s dragon couch. She held out her hands, allowing Liu Fu Ling to pull her gloves off her “I’m fine; just hit myself against the pillar outside the window. Why did you summon Da Ge here? I heard you talking about buying and selling official t.i.tles. Surely you, the great Emperor, can’t be so poor you need to sell official t.i.tles for funds, right? Then what’s the point of being an Emperor? You might as well be selling food with me.”

Liu Fu Ling's brows knitted, and smacked Yun Ge on her head with her gloves. “It shouldn’t be news to you that our coffers have been empty, for it has been this way since I ascended the throne. The situation has improved, but there are still important places to direct the tax funds. As for me, this Emperor might seem to be the richest person on earth, but in actual fact, I have nothing to my name, so I can only sell official t.i.tles.” Liu Bing Yi smiled “If a merchant wants to fetch a high price for any product, the product must be unique, or he must hold monopoly rights. ‘Official t.i.tles’ can only be given by the Emperor, and thus can only be sold by the Emperor. A business where both parties benefit; your majesty will be letting down all those gold in the pockets of the rich if you choose not to dabble in this business.”

A smile played on Liu Fu Ling’s lips too. “During the reign of my father, the late Emperor, he sold official t.i.tles too, to fund his military expeditions. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this business; you must wield proper control over it.” Liu Bing Yi answered “Your subject will be careful.” Yun Ge’s ears p.r.i.c.ked up at the phrase ‘your subject’, and turned to Liu Fu Ling in askance. “You made Da Ge an official?” Liu Fu Ling nodded slightly. Yu Ge smiled and clasped her hands together to salute Liu Bing Yi “Congratulations.”

Just as Liu Bing Yi was about to reply, Qi Xi reported from outside “Advisory Counsellor [2] Meng Jue seeks an audience with your majesty.” Yun Ge stood up hastily at those words. “I’ll be heading back to Xuan Shi Hall.” Liu Fu Ling didn’t try to stop her, his gaze following her as she made her exit, watching her walk down the long hallway, vanishing quickly from his sight.

Meng Jue, who just made his entrance together with a eunuch, cast his gaze towards the same place too. He only caught a glimpse of a trailing skirt. In an instant, she was gone. He gazed towards the direction of her disappearance, lost in thought.

When he came to his sense, his eyes met Liu Fu Ling’s. One smiling slightly, the other expressionless. Meng Jue smiled slightly, broke the connection by looking down, then walked respectfully to the great hall with his head bowed. He resembled a bamboo bowing slightly because of the heavy snow and rain.

Though humble, not lowly.

Bowing only to rid himself of the snow and rain, and not because of fear. .......................................................................................................................

Once Liu Fu Ling was done settling everything and returned to Xuan Shi Hall, Yun Ge was already fast asleep. He tucked in her blankets, then sat softly by her pallet. Yun Ge was feeling uneasy, so she wasn’t actually asleep. She asked with her eyes half opened “Why did you work till so late tonight? Are you tired?”

“I don’t feel tired now, but rather, a sense of happiness.”

It was rare for Liu Fu Ling to declare he was happy, so Yun Ge hurriedly sat up. “Why?”

“Do you still remember the boy named Yue Sheng?” Liu Fu Ling asked. As Yun Ge remembered the past, a wave of bittersweet feelings a.s.sailed her. “I do, he ate so many pies in one mouthful. I was intending to bring him home, but once I saw how stubborn he was, I didn’t dare to ask. I wonder if he has found his sister.” Liu Fu Ling said “That night he said, his parents had to sell his sister off to pay taxes; his parents both died because they had lost their land, this was all the fault of the Emperor, he hated the Emperor. General Zhao wanted to stop him, but this is the heart of the people, it is the heart of the ma.s.ses. It cannot be stopped – the people hate the Emperor.”

Yun Ge was shocked, was it not enough that Liu Fu Ling had to carry the weight of his mother’s life from a young age that he had to be burdened with the hate of the people too? No wonder he found it hard to sleep soundly at night.

She reached for his hand, “Ling gege, it isn’t your fault…..” Liu Fu Ling barely noticed that this was the first intimate gesture of Yun Ge’s, only reaching for her hand in return. “For so many years, I have been thinking of him, of his words. Finally, today, although I still have a long way to go, but taxes have truly dropped, there won’t be any more cases of parents selling their children to pay tax. As long as the reform discussed today is implemented smoothly, I believe that in 3-4 years, there will be no more people displaced, because they have lost their lands, no more children like Yue Sheng. If I ever see him again, I will tell him, ‘I am the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and I have done my best.’”

Yun Ge was taken aback. In her heart, she had always thought that under imperialism, there would be more sadness than happiness, more cruelty than kindness, but Liu Fu Ling’s words tore down her previous prejudices. How many would be blessed by Liu Fu Ling’s actions? What kind of kindness can the sword wielded under the Emperor’s authority bring?

Her hair loose, a few tresses trailing down her temple. Instead of looking unkempt, they added an air of sensuality. The flickering flame brought out each expression written on her face – confusion, befuddlement, delight, contemplation. Liu Fu Ling’s heart skipped a beat, only realizing then that he was holding her hand. His heart lifted, softly uttering her name. “Yun Ge.” There was something else in his voice; Yun Ge hastily pulled away in confusion, pulled on her robe, and tried to get off her pallet. “Have you eaten? I’ll go make something for you.”

Liu Fu Ling didn’t want to break the familiar warmth they were sharing right now; neither did he want to scare off Yun Ge, so he composed himself, tugged on her sleeve saying “I ate a little during the discussion earlier. It’s late, don’t force yourself to work. I can’t sleep. Talk to me.”

Yun Ge smiled “I’ll ask Mo Cha to bring some food over, so we can eat as we talk. I’ve always wanted to do this, but Mother would never let me eat on my pallet.”

Yun Ge brought all the pillows and cushions she could find to her pallet, arranged them to make the pallet look extremely cozy. She mentioned for Liu Fu Ling to climb onto the pallet, and she lay on the opposite end. A big plate of snacks was placed between the two of them. Then the curtains were let down, shutting out the outside world, transforming this place into their own personal haven.

Yun Ge picked up a snack, pa.s.sing it to Liu Fu Ling before munching on another, beamed as she said “Father never bothered with the matters of the house, Mother would dabble in them when she remembered, but let them be at other times. They only had eyes for each other, and not on these trivial matters. We didn’t have many maids, but they only got more and more irritable, their temperament stranger and stranger. I was always trailing after them calling “Jie Jie, Jie Jie’, but most of the time, I was ignored by everyone.”

“What about your brothers?”

Yun Ge clapped a hand over her forehead, her face full of sadness. “You’ve listened to so many of my stories, and still ask such stupid questions? Second Brother was rarely at home, as for Third Brother, if he’d even utter a word after I’ve said ten, I would probably be crying in grat.i.tude. So when I couldn’t sleep at night, I would often…..” Yun Ge lowered her head to pick a snack, “think of you.” She didn’t eat the snack she picked, playing with it in her hand, breaking it into small crumbs. “Back then, I was thinking we could just hide in a big, big pallet, and talk as we eat.”

In reality, Yun Ge had a lonely childhood. Because of her parents’ temperaments, they rarely stayed long in one palace, leaving her no chance to make friends her age. Her parents were very different compared to other parents, her brothers very different from most brothers. Other parents would raise their children; living life on a day to day basis, but her parents had a very wide view of the world, and would give her a peek into their world. Alas, in that world, she was a stranger and a pa.s.ser-by – that world belonged solely to the two of them. Her brothers had a world of their own; she didn’t even know where the door to their world lay. Her parents and brothers could only afford to give her a tiny percentage of their time and energy, most of the time she was alone.

Liu Fu Ling always thought that if she had parents, and brothers, Yun Ge would be with people all day long. This was the first time he glimpsed the loneliness beneath her happy façade, and felt sorry for her. His fingers playing with her hair, he smiled and said “I thought of that too. Sometimes I would lie on my pallet, and imagine building a house with a gla.s.s roof.”

“We can then see the stars when we lie down. If there are no stars, we can stare at the moon. If it rains, we can see raindrops falling on gla.s.s. Maybe, if we thought hard enough, we could just feel the raindrops falling on our face.” Yun Ge smiled. “I didn’t think of using gla.s.s, but crystals. I even asked Third Brother if there such a big crystal existed. Third Brother told me to just go to bed, and search for that piece of crystal in my dreams.” This brought a smile to Liu Fu Ling’s face too “I’m afraid such a big crystal doesn’t exist, but small gla.s.s shards can be joined to form a bigger piece – a piece almost as big as the pallet we’re lying on. I once secretly summoned the best gla.s.s master in the capital to ask him this.”

Yun Ge added “I’ll design the house, I can draw.”

Liu Fu Ling said “I can draw too…”

Yun Ge frowned and pouted. Liu Fu Ling laughed “Why was I born older? Now I’m forced to always give way to you.” They burst into laughter as their eyes met, full of this special joy because of a shared secret, just like children.

At that moment, he shed his heavy burdens, and worldly troubles; and she, her awkwardness.

They were just a boy and a girl, willing to look at the world with childlike innocence, smiling and being touched by simple pleasures, innocently believing in perfection.

After having toiled for many days and newfound lightness in his heart, Liu Fu Ling gradually drifted off while talking. Yun Ge chattered on for a while before realizing that Liu Fu Ling was already asleep. She got up quietly to tuck the blankets in around him. When she saw the smile still playing on his lips, a smile curved on hers too. Her smile vanished abruptly when she glimpsed the dragon embroidery on his sleeve, remembering that only a phoenix can soar with a dragon, the joy in her heart was replaced by a throb of pain.

As she lay on her pillow, she thought of Liu Fu Ling, then Shang Guan Xiao Mei, only to toss and turn, unable to sleep. One was the Emperor, the other, the Empress, they were actually very compatible. They were both lonely, forced to grow up, wearing a mask for others to see. If this dragon and his phoenix were to unite, supporting each other, navigating this devious and unpredictable court together, then maybe Ling gege wouldn’t feel so lonely. .......................................................................................................................

Last night, Liu Fu Ling had no idea when he fell asleep, only vaguely remembering that Yun Ge was still going on about something before he drifted off. Pillows and cushions were littered in disarray near the pallet. He was lying horizontally on the pallet, but because the pallet was short, he could only curl up to sleep. Based on his experience of Yun Ge’s sleeping habits, he’d bet that only the ‘messy corpses’ of last night’s snacks would remain. He simply reached out, and sure enough! Just by looking at the crumbs, he couldn’t even tell what the snacks originally looked like – this was probably the reason why Yun Ge’s mother refused to let her eat on her pallet.

Thank goodness they didn’t share the same blanket, so he wasn’t subject to that ‘torture’.

Since he was eight, he was always a light sleeper; even the tiniest sound would wake him up. He also suffered from insomnia easily, so he ordered that when he rested, his surroundings must be clean and quiet, allowing no one in his room. Yesterday, though, he actually fell asleep under such ‘treacherous’ circ.u.mstances, with Yun Ge still chattering on. Not only did he fall asleep, he fell into a deep sleep, not even knowing when Yun Ge got up.

Yu An entered with his washing supplies, waiting on Liu Fu Ling as he washed his face. Mo Cha was serving Yun Ge breakfast; Yun Ge talked to Liu Fu Ling as she ate. “Today is the Xiao Nian, I’ll get someone to play with me at the Blue River. Come find me later.” Liu Fu Ling nodded his head to agree, but Yun Ge acted like she was afraid he’d stand her up, reminding him a few more times before hurriedly rushing off.

Liu Fu Ling shot Mo Cha a look, Mo Cha quickly set aside the plates she was holding, and went off chasing Yun Ge.

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[1] 1 li was 415.8m during the Han dynasty.

[2] "The goal of jian was to give advice in order to correct the past wrongdoings of the king. Jian Yi Da Fu, a designated official whose obligation was to guide his superior away from any possible wrongdoings as well as to offer advice.

It was more akin to an in-house polital adviser." - Taken from 'Rhetoric in Ancient China, Fifth to Third Century B.C.E: A Comparison with Cla.s.sical Greek Rhetoric'. Xing Lu and Xing Lu Jian (1998), translation of t.i.tle from wikipedia.