The third watch.
Incense smoke curled at Fuyun Temple.
A full moon flickered in and out of view beneath the blue smoke.
Temple Master Qingyuan took the ritual sword from his disciple Qingxuan’s hands. After dancing the sword and channeling qi, he spat a spray of water from his mouth.
The altar was surrounded by Three Pure Ones bells. The night wind stirred the bell tones—like some mysterious notes, urging the temple master within the ritual altar to step and move according to the positions of the constellations.
“One spark of spirit, a thousand cycles of downfall, wandering through the four births and six paths…”
Qingxuan handed two locks of hair to his master.
One lock was black and neatly arranged—this was the hair of Great Yan’s Son of Heaven. The other lock was only a few strands, glowing with a soft chestnut color in the firelight—obtained after the Son of Heaven stole someone’s comb.
The two locks of hair merged into one bundle, tied with a bright yellow hair ribbon symbolizing imperial authority.
Temple Master Qingyuan finished the incantation, pinched a talisman, and threw it into the fire.
The flames licked at the hair. The smell of scorching spread through the air.
.
In Xiao Zhi’s ear was his imperial sister’s call: “Did Little Yi go to the privy? Did any of you see her?”
His sleeve tightened. Something had landed in it—not lightly, not heavily.
Little Bat, who was directing eunuchs to add charcoal, widened his eyes and didn’t dare make a sound.
Just now he had seen it clearly.
The person sitting beside the Emperor had vanished.
So—could it be that Little Yi really was an immortal descended to the mortal realm, and after finishing her travels among humans, she had returned to the celestial world?
Xiao Qingzhu peeled half a roasted tangerine, her head swinging left and right, chasing one candle flame after another in search of the person.
Xiao Zhi took out the imperial seal and stroked the strange beast’s head. He said in a low voice: “No need to search.”
Xiao Qingzhu’s pupils dilated slightly, shocked by her imperial brother’s attitude.
This man-eating palace—had human warmth truly grown this indifferent?
“She is not mortal.” Xiao Zhi casually placed the imperial seal on the table and gazed at the charcoal fire in the stove. After a moment, he said calmly: “Clear it away.”
“Then is she a bird-person?” A living person had vanished into thin air? If not a bird-person, what?
“Princess, go back.” Xiao Zhi said lightly.
Xiao Qingzhu fiercely carried off the remaining roasted tangerines. Her imperial brother, who had finally shown some humanity, had become a cold, icy emperor again.
“Leave the one with the leaf. That’s my tangerine.”
“Here—take it.” Xiao Qingzhu was inexplicably angry. Just now, Yun Yi had teased that the leaf looked like the silly tuft of hair sticking up on Xiao Zhi’s head.
Was the dog emperor’s memory really that good?!
The princess lifted her chin delicately. Before leaving, she flicked the bead curtain—clatter clatter.
Just outside the hall, she encountered Yu Lian’er carrying a tray.
“This servant pays respects to the princess.”
The princess quickly grabbed her: “You know Little Yi, right?”
“This servant knows her!”
“Is she human or ghost?”
“…Huh?”
“Tch, talking about ghosts at the third watch—little sister has quite the courage.”
The voice was identical to Xiao Zhi’s, drifting and ethereal, from an unknown source.
Only the voice, no person.
The princess was terrified: “Who?!”
This place was rarely visited. A ghostly shadow swept down from above the bedchamber.
The newcomer was the idle prince, Xiao Qian.
Seeing Prince Huai, Yu Lian’er hurriedly bowed: “This servant pays respects to Prince Huai… Princess, Prince Huai, this servant takes her leave.”
Xiao Qian’s gaze swept over Yu Lian’er, paused, said nothing, and tapped his fan on his palm: “Withdraw.”
Xiao Qingzhu, having just been thwarted by her second imperial brother, was naturally short-tempered with her eldest imperial brother.
“Not sleeping in the middle of the night—playing ghost!”
Xiao Qian closed his fan: “Admiring the fifteenth’s moon—is that a violation of palace rules?”
Xiao Qingzhu glared at him for two seconds and cursed: “Stop disgusting people with that face identical to the dog emperor’s.”
“…Twins look alike—is that a violation of heavenly law?”
The Emperor’s bedchamber was brightly lit.
Xiao Qian strode in and saw Xiao Zhi sitting at the desk, kneading a small orange tangerine back and forth.
Two nearly identical faces looked at each other for a moment in the candlelight.
“Yo.” Xiao Qian teased. “I heard from Imperial Sister that your little tiger came and went?”
“Nosy.”
“Really gone?”
“Mm.”
By her calculation, the little tail beside the Emperor hadn’t appeared for a year.
Finally showing up, and she patted her rear and left again?
Yu Lian’er set down the laundry she had brought for Yun Yi to change into. Not seeing her, confusion rose on her face.
The sandalwood in the incense burner had burned out. She skillfully lit new incense and placed a few pieces of dried tangerine peel on the burner’s rim—the scent Yun Yi liked.
The sweet notes drifted faintly, but Xiao Qian caught a trace of bitterness.
“Come without a trace, go without a shadow?” Xiao Qian laughed. “Surely she’s not a celestial immortal from the heavens?”
When Yun Yi was mentioned, the usually stern and severe Son of Heaven softened at heart, and spoke a bit more: “She came from a thousand years in the future. She has now returned to her world.”
“…?”
Xiao Qian’s brain couldn’t keep up.
.
The sun rose and the moon set.
Since Yun Yi left, the Emperor had lost count of how many morning courts this was.
Personally leading the campaign and taking the Northern Di Khan’s head—this act revived the court’s morale. Even the anti-imperial faction had become the Emperor’s fanboys, showering Xiao Zhi with flattery.
No matter what the ministers said, the Emperor only toyed with a dried little tangerine, saying nothing.
The atmosphere dropped to freezing.
Cen Ni: “Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince Xiao Li colluded with the Northern Di and informed them of the grain supply routes. This minister believes his crime warrants… warrants…”
Since the case of humiliating the Hu girl, Xiao Li had been fined three months’ salary and stripped of his title as Prince Zhao.
Unexpectedly, he wouldn’t behave. He kept thinking of revenge against the Son of Heaven.
Fortunately, Xiao Zhi’s thunderous military campaign had achieved a decisive victory.
“What’s this? Minister Cen, have you developed a stutter?” The Son of Heaven on the dragon throne gazed at him.
Cen Ni broke into a cold sweat on the spot: “This old minister would not dare! The Fifth Prince’s crime warrants execution.”
“Colluding with an enemy state—does he not even think about his own surname?” The Emperor’s voice was light and disdainful. “I consider that he is a prince, and his mother is the current Dowager Empress. Pick an auspicious day. Execute him at the vegetable market.”
“As you command.”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
Xiao Zhi rose. Seeing that several court officials formerly of the Fifth Prince’s faction now knelt with perfect posture and voices full of conviction, he revealed a trace of a contemptuous smile.
On the way back to the imperial study.
He passed Xiao Qian.
“Where is Prince Huai going?”
“I heard Zui Luan Pavilion has excellent hundred-flower brew. I’m going to taste it.”
The bleak cold wind tangled his robe’s hem.
“Be careful of venereal disease.”
“…” Xiao Qian grabbed the Emperor’s dragon robe. “You’re cursing me?”
Xiao Zhi smoothed his expression: “I am merely giving Prince Huai a word of advice. If you listen, all the better. If not, Fifth Brother’s present will be your future. And when that time comes, I will not spare you for the sake of our shared blood.”
What imperial authority!
Xiao Qian: “When Mother gave birth to us, I came out a stick of incense’s time before you! I’m still your elder brother!”
Xiao Zhi glanced at him and turned to leave.
He returned to the imperial study and reviewed memorials.
Half the memorials were flattery.
The rest impeached the Fifth Prince.
[Molesting common women; abusing concubines; embezzling disaster relief funds…]
These charges, densely packed, covered the entire imperial desk.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty—Xiao Zhi reviewed them without mercy.
He took up the imperial seal. After a moment of silence, he stamped it.
[Treasure of the Emperor]
One last memorial remained on the desk.
Xiao Qian still hadn’t left. He snatched up the memorial and read it aloud: “Your Majesty is in the prime of his years, the harem is empty, no imperial heirs have been born…”
Just before Xiao Zhi’s anger erupted, Xiao Qian returned the memorial: “Imperial Brother, why not take consorts?”
Xiao Zhi grabbed a brush and threw it at his brother. Xiao Qian caught it and, on the memorial about consort selection, drew a tiger.
Everyone close to the Emperor knew: Miss Yun had left without saying goodbye, and her name had become taboo—it must never be mentioned before the Emperor.
Even on a cloudy day, if the Emperor looked up and saw a soft cloud, he would sulk for the entire day.
Xiao Qian was a brother who had worn the same split-crotch pants as the Emperor. He insisted on bringing her up.
What kind of brothers were they if they couldn’t even communicate?
“You want to live happily together with your little tiger, go be a carefree mountain king?” Xiao Qian asked bluntly.
Xiao Zhi’s gaze rested on that little tiger for a long time.
Since his imperial brother asked so bluntly, he answered just as directly: “Mm. I miss her.”
Xiao Qian shook his head. Lovesickness—no cure.
.
Several more months passed.
The Emperor moved his carriage to Fuyun Temple and met Temple Master Qingyuan.
Xiao Zhi had the temple master set up an altar and perform rites to send Yun Yi back a thousand years later, and to extract her soul from Xiao Zhi’s imperial seal.
The ritual was quite successful. Xiao Zhi not only recovered the imperial seal but also sent her back.
The temple master took one look at him and said: “Your Majesty’s sorrow is too deep. The affairs of this world are nothing but a great dream on the path of cultivation.”
“Then why do I still linger on every bit of it?”
“Only after the original heart is tempered through a hundred trials can one knock upon the mysterious gate.”
The Emperor was speechless. His gaze passed over the temple master and landed on a small table.
On the table were cinnabar and talisman paper. Earlier, when Yun Yi was learning to draw talismans with the Daoists, she had sat right there.
He walked over. The young Daoist Qingxuan, by the table, knelt even lower.
“Rise.”
Qingxuan slowly stood. He was still a boy who hadn’t yet shot up in height, having entered Fuyun Temple under Temple Master Qingyuan’s tutelage barely a year ago.
The last time he had seen the imperial countenance, he had remembered it for months—like a dream.
The Emperor’s gaze swept over the stack of talismans. The handwriting was unsteady, different from the talismans he had seen.
Noticing the imperial gaze, Qingxuan explained: “Your Majesty, these talismans are mostly peace talismans, drawn by worshippers who came to pray.”
“Peace talismans?”
From the wide robe sleeve extended two fingers, joints long and slender, pinching a peace talisman.
“Your Majesty,” Qingxuan explained, “these are talismans worshippers drew badly. This humble Daoist thought—even drawn badly, they’re still sincere. It’d be a pity to throw them away. Better to collect them and burn them together at the Sanyuan Festival, not to disappoint the wishes in their hearts.”
Xiao Zhi was dazed, as if seeing Yun Yi again, sitting behind the table, brush tip dipped in cinnabar, pretending to be serious while actually scribbling nonsense.
“Are there any drawn by Miss Yun?” His voice was hoarse.
“Oh, that young lady…” Qingxuan looked at the thick stack of ruined talismans with difficulty. “There are, but…”
The talismans that girl drew—even a fool could guess she was cursing the Emperor.
Qingxuan’s scalp tingled. His knees went weak, and he dropped to the ground. He should have thrown away the talismans she drew!
Now he’d brought a death sentence on himself.
“Get up. I won’t punish you.” With that, the Emperor stepped around the young Daoist and sat directly behind the table, burying himself in searching.
Cinnabar stained his fingertips red. He seemed completely unaware, one after another. The attendants beside him could only hold their breath, waiting for the Emperor to patiently search through those hundreds of ruined talismans.
Suddenly, his dim gaze lit up. He picked out a yellow talisman and rubbed the cinnabar on it with his fingertip.
Everyone saw the Emperor smile faintly.
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